Islam Makhachev’s mom wants him to retire Islam Makhachev might be the latest UFC fighter from Dagestan to hang up the gloves as a favor to his mom. Makhachev’s coach and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov gave up the sport after a promise he made to his mother when his father died. Now Makhachev has revealed that
Fighters take note: The cage wall is not for climbing and definitely NOT for standing on. While plenty of fighters have made use of the cage for post-fight celebrations, whether it be simply sitting on top with arms raised in triumph or to assist with a dazzling flip back onto the mats, Kazakh fighter Teymur
Like his opponent this weekend, Spann enters on a two-fight winning streak, as well, having garnered first-round stoppage wins over Ion Cutelaba and Dominick Reyes last year. The towering Texan is now 7-2 in the UFC and appears to have grown as a result of tough losses to Johnny Walker and Anthony Smith earlier in
Former two-time light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is expecting a “dream” to be accomplished when he returns to action on March 4. It’s been over three years since fans last got to see Jones, widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, compete inside the Octagon. Ever since vacating the light heavyweight title
Islam Makhachev is at the top of the sport following the first defense of his lightweight title, but his mother would like him to call it a day. Makhachev cemented himself as the best lightweight on the planet after a commanding second-round submission over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 last October. At UFC 284 earlier
Welcome to Midnight Mania! In October 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov shocked the world by retiring. “The Eagle” was atop the MMA world, having already accrued multiple title defenses, a 29-0 record, and the top slot on the pound-for-pound rankings (much to Jon Jones’ chagrin). We’ve never seen an MMA champion retire at the absolute pinnacle before,
Jeff Novitzky: ‘No credible evidence’ Islam Makhachev violated any IV rules Dan Hooker dropped a bomb last week when he accused UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev of using an IV ahead of his title defense win over Alexander Volkanovski. The claim sparked a dialogue amongst the media and fans about what the IV rules actually
8:07 AM ET Mixed martial arts will never experience anything like this year’s NBA trade deadline — when second-round draft picks seemingly turned into Monopoly money — but it’s fun to dream. So, in the spirit of all the drama that unfolded on the hardwood, here are a few trades we’d like to see take
UFC 284 co-headliners Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett need medical clearance to avoid a half-year on the sidelines. The Combat Sport Commission of Western Australia released medical suspensions for the Feb. 11 pay-per-view event at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Among five facing the longest suspensions are the co-main event competitors, who fought for the
When the fight was over and Holm made it back to New Mexico, the city of Albuquerque was absolutely rocking and it was all for one person, the one person in the sport Woods is sure would’ve never asked for it all. “It absolutely had a different buzz,” Woods recalled with a laugh. “The whole
UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards shared his thoughts on who the next British UFC Champion could be. Edwards is just the second UK fighter in UFC history to gets his hands on undisputed gold. Before him, Michael Bisping was the lone gun on this front after he famously KO’d Luke Rockhold for the UFC Middleweight
Jeff Novitzky says there is no evidence Islam Makhachev used an IV to rehydrate after the UFC 284 weigh-ins. Makhachev was headlining the pay-per-view card in Australia which marked his first title defense as he took on featherweight champ, Alexander Volkanovski. It was a much closer fight than many thought, but it was Makhachev who
Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo appear to have finally locked down their fight date. MMA Fighting confirmed the news today (Mon., Feb. 20, 2023) after Sterling revealed on his YouTube channel that he and Cejudo will battle for Bantamweight gold at UFC 288 on May 6, 2023. A location for the event has yet to
Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo title fight in the works for May 6 It looks like we are inching closer to a fight between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former champion Henry Cejudo. “I’m fighting May 6 against Henry Cejudo. I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “I think Henry
Modestas Bukauskas traces his return to the UFC to a photo with Jon Jones. In 2019, Bukauskas trained with the current heavyweight title challenger and declared he would win the light heavyweight title in Cage Warriors, his then-promoter. Jones gave his stamp of approval. Then Bukauskas won the belt. He figured it was a sign
He did, but was submitted by Dvorak, who, at the time, was riding a 15-fight win streak. Ronderos was 4-0 as a pro. Then came the suspension, injuries, and a long wait. But no regrets about taking the fight. “There was never any doubt,” he said. “There’s never any doubt because I’ve worked 15 years
Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader is among the coaches looking to help UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler achieve victory on this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter. Earlier this year, the highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor was confirmed. As many had predicted and hoped, the Irishman’s first fight since recovering from the leg break
Alexander Volkanovski has shared footage of a post-UFC 284 interaction he had backstage with Islam Makhachev. At UFC 284, Alexander Volkanovski battled Islam Makhachev with the UFC lightweight championship on the line. It was a gruelling affair for both men and in the end, it was the star from Dagestan who managed to keep hold