The new year will begin with a heavyweight bang later tonight (Sat., Jan. 1, 2022) live on FOX PPV/FITE TV from inside Seminole Hard Rock and Hotel Casino in Hollywood, Fla., as former WBC heavyweight title challenger Luis Ortiz meets veteran knockout artist Charles Martin in the main event. Ortiz, who has only lost to
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By MMA Junkie Staff | December 31, 2021 8:30 pm ET There were plenty of intriguing storylines throughout 2021, but the competitive absence of former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones might be the biggest. With a move to the heavyweight division looming, Jones has been inactive since UFC 247 in February 2020. The shift
The Pulse of MMA: Fan Reactions To The Sport’s Biggest Stories In this installment of The Pulse of MMA, we look at the raw, unfiltered reactions from MMA fans to the UFC‘s nominations for Best Event of 2021. It’s the last week of 2021, which means it’s time to start looking back at the biggest and
Welcome to Midnight Mania, and Happy New Year! The end of the year is a natural time for reflection, particularly in the UFC sphere where there ain’t much happening until the fights start back up in a couple weeks. We’ve already shared our take on the most impressive fighters, knockouts, and events of the year,
By Farah Hannoun and Mike Bohn | December 31, 2021 5:15 pm ET Michael Page’s first shot at a Bellator title will come on home soil. According to Bellator president Scott Coker, the promotion is planning a welterweight title fight between newly crowned champion Yaroslav Amosov (26-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) and Page (20-1 MMA, 16-1 BMMA) in the
8:28 AM ET Jeff Wagenheim The shiny brass-and-leather belts worn by UFC champions do not merely signify achievement and ascendance. For the select few fighters who earn them, these esteemed titles can bestow an aura of invincibility. Yet nothing is forever. Among the 12 weight classes in the UFC, seven fighters now wear championship belts
UFC middleweight prospect Kevin Holland thinks Khamzat Chimaev is for real and could present issues to some of the best fighters in the UFC. Holland is looking to return sometime in January or February after multiple attempts at rebooking his fight with Kyle Daukaus have failed. He and Chimaev are two of the brightest young
Former PRIDE FC heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, one of the last remaining legends from the early aughts, is looking to close out his combat sports career by avenging his 2019 technical knockout loss to UFC veteran Ryan Bader. The means to that end would be a Bellator “Moscow” headliner in summer 2022; however, any talk
By Mike Bohn | December 30, 2021 9:02 pm ET Donald Cerrone’s tough times in combat sports competition continued Thursday when he was submitted by Joe Solecki in their submission-only bout at FURY Pro Grappling 3. Solecki, a UFC lightweight, weighed in at 169 pounds for the contest at 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. “Cowboy,” who
Rising UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley is hoping to make a similarly-sized splash in the business world as Conor McGregor but through a different product. Despite a relatively short career in the Octagon so far, O’Malley has already grown into one of the most recognized personalities in the UFC. Whether through his eccentric fight week
[embedded content] It’s (almost) New Year’s Eve, and you know what that means: all kinds of combat sports shenanigans courtesy of Rizin Fighting Federation. Viewers will get to enjoy the finals of the promotion’s Bantamweight Grand Prix, a Lightweight title defense, and a mixed-rules bout between one of Japan’s best young fighters and an MMA
By Mike Bohn | December 30, 2021 6:00 pm ET The star-studded FURY Pro Grappling 3 event takes place Thursday in Philadelphia with a number of UFC notables set to compete on the card. The main event features former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza, who takes on grappling standout Danielle Kelly. MMA Junkie will have
UFC featherweight Josh Emmett is hoping his next appearance in the Octagon will be a title eliminator against veteran contender “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Emmett’s surge towards the title stalled last year following his clash with Shane Burgos. While securing a unanimous decision victory over “Hurricane” in a Fight of the Night contest,
Yes, Hector Lombard is still mad at Tyron Woodley. Both fighters were embroiled in a scandalous affair with the same woman — documented by Lombard in this post — during their time together at American Top Team (ATT). And “Lightning” won’t rest until he’s able to exact revenge on the sneaky “Chosen One.” “A lot
While he doesn’t regret anything, Kevin Lee admits he would have changed a few things early in his UFC career. After losing four of his past five, including a fight against current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, Lee (18-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) was let go by the UFC and recently signed a multifight deal with
Transgender fighter Alana McLaughlin has responded to frequent accusations that she transitioned from male to female just so she could fight women in MMA. Alana McLaughlin made her MMA debut in September at Combate Global: Perez vs. Roa, picking up a comeback victory over fellow debutante Celine Provost of France. McLaughlin was able to secure
Welcome to Midnight Mania! Sean Strickland has made some pretty wild claims on Twitter in the last few months, and he doesn’t seem intent on stopping anytime soon. Answering questions online, Strickland first shared a story about sparring Sage Northcutt and upsetting the “Super” athlete. I sparred sage once… lol he stormed off the mat
By MMA Junkie Staff | December 29, 2021 4:45 pm ET A former UFC title challenger will try to get back on track in February. Alexis Davis (20-10 MMA, 7-6 UFC) is set to take on Julija Stoliarenko (9-5-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) in early 2022 at UFC Fight Night 201. The event takes place Feb.