Martial Arts News

DC calls Jon Jones "out of touch" after his tweets about the #UFC253 light heavyweight title fight and then predicts how Jones vs. Blachowicz would go if they fought.

(via @dc_mma) pic.twitter.com/oCfnr9X1Nc

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 28, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Shortly after Jan Blachowicz defeated Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 to claim the vacant light heavyweight throne, Jon Jones dropped a hint that he might be interested in returning to the division he only recently left.

“Would you guys be annoyed if I went back and grabbed my belt real quick?” Jones wrote on Twitter.

Jones hasn’t competed since a controversial decision triumph over Reyes at UFC 247 in February. Many observers felt that Reyes deserved to win the fight, but rather than grant “The Devastator” an immediate rematch, “Bones” ultimately ele…

Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier have already squared off within the confines of the Octagon. Now the two UFC stars seem interested in stepping outside the jurisdiction of the Las Vegas-based promotion to fight for charity.

McGregor and Poirier on Monday engaged in a discussion on Twitter regarding a potential MMA exhibition in Ireland on Dec. 12. Proceeds would go toward Poirier’s charity, The Good Fight Foundation and some other organizations of McGregor’s choosing.

“Hey bro! You want to do an MMA charity fight? Zero to do with the UFC,” McGregor wrote. “I will donate half a mill towards your charity for it. Sell it on PPV or work a TV deal and we work out other charities that are close to my heart also. I am engaged in many. Strictly a charity ‘exhibition.’

“December 12th in the Point Depot, Ireland. No weigh ins. Open weight, unified rules. I will arrange all travel fare for you and family. McGregor Sports and Entertainment MMA, in association with The Good…

Sorry Christian, Kevin stole the show tonight!#NatividadVsNatividad#LFA85 pic.twitter.com/sVnZYNyIa2

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 18, 2020

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 253 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

A bantamweight matchup pitting Miles Johns against Kevin Natividad has been added to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Halloween card.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. The UFC Fight Night card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight duel between Anderson Silva and Uriah Hall.

Johns received a UFC contract following a decision triumph over Richie Santiago on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series. He then debuted in the Octagon with a split verdict against Cole Smith before suffering a second-round TKO defeat to Mario Bautista at UFC 247. The 26-year-old Fortis MMA product is 10-1 over the…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 253 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Ante Delija will make his Octagon debut against Ciryl Gane at UFC Fight Night 180.

Delija will serve as a replacement for Shamil Abdurakhimov, who withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons. French outlet La Sueur was first to report the new heavyweight pairing. UFC Fight Night 180 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 17 and is headlined by a featherweight scrap between Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung.

A native of Dubrovnik, Croatia, the 30-year-old Delija has compiled a 17-3 record since beginning his professional career in 2011. He has competed for organizations such as M-1 Global, Rizin, Professional Fighters League and KSW during his MMA tenure. In his last outing, “Walking Trouble” earned a second-round TKO against Oli Thompson at KSW 51.

Gane, meanwhile, has been victorious in his first six …

Wejście smoka @JanBlachowiczZaskoczył wszystkich #LegendaryPolishPower pic.twitter.com/LJGH37tWBq

— TVP SPORT (@sport_tvppl) September 28, 2020

Jan Blachowicz is a hero in his home country of Poland after claiming the vacant light heavyweight crown with a victory against Dominick Reyes at UFC 253.

Polish network TVP Sport captured Blachowicz’s arrival at the airport on Monday, where he was welcomed by a throng of fans and media. The 37-year-old Cieszyn, Poland, native became the UFC’s 13th light heavyweight champion by stopping Reyes via TKO at the 4:36 mark of Round 2 in Saturday’s co-main event on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Fani @JanBlachowicz czekają na powitanie mistrza @ufc #LegendaryPolishPower pic.twitter.com/hHdZ0GMrj3

— TVP SPORT (@sport_tvppl) September 28, 2020

Blachowicz, who has won eight of his last nine UFC appearances after beginning his promotional tenure with a 2-4 mark, called out Jon Jones f…

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After filming the first face-to-face meeting between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa last week at the fighter hotel in Abu Dhabi and claiming that the reigning middleweight champion was clearly frightened, Wallid Ismael praised “The Last Stylebender” for his UFC 253 victory in an interview with Globo reporter Evelyn Rodrigues.

Adesanya dominated Costa en route to a second-round technical knockout in the UFC 253 headliner on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi this past Saturday.

"We have no excuses to give. That was Adesanya's night,” said Ismael, who is Costa’s manager. “Paulo was waiting to speed up after the third round but Adesanya´s calf kicks affected him. There are no excuses, or complaints. [Costa] remains among the two best in the middleweight rankings. He is still at the top. Now is time to recover the body and return t…

Khamzat Chimaev is the REAL DEAL

INSANE. #UFCVegas11 pic.twitter.com/kqbhHJYJS3

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) September 20, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Khamzat Chimaev could fight again before the end of 2020, but it appears that Demian Maia is no longer the targeted opponent.

According to a recent report from Combate, Maia is out of negotiations for a welterweight clash with the surging prospect. Instead, the UFC is hoping to book former 170-pound title challenger Stephen Thompson against Chimaev for the headliner of a Fight Night card on Dec. 19. If the matchup with “Wonderboy” doesn’t come to fruition, the Las Vegas-based promotion is targeted Leon Edwards as an alternative option for Chimaev, per the report.

UFC president Dana White briefly addressed Chimaev’s status during the UFC 253 post-fight press conference …

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Jack Shore will square off against Khalid Taha in a bantamweight scrap at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Nov. 7.

Taha initially announced the pairing via social media. The card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight duel pitting Thiago Santos against Glover Teixeira.

A former Cage Warriors 135-pound champion, Shore has submitted Nohelin Hernandez and Aaron Phillips in his first two Octagon appearances. The 25-year-old Welshman is 13-0 as a professional, with all but one of his victories coming inside the distance.

Taha’s most recent victory over Bruno Silva was overturned to a no contest when Taha tested positive for a diuretic. Taha’s one-year suspension will end in October. Prior to that, the Dortmund, Germany, native lost a decision to Nad …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 253 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Paulo Costa was expected to bring the fight to Israel Adesanya at UFC 253.

Instead, the hulking Brazilian spent the majority of the middleweight championship bout either absorbing pinpoint strikes or taunting his opponent before falling via second-round technical knockout at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi this past Saturday night. All told, “Borrachinha” landed just 12 significant strikes before the contest was called at the 3:59 mark of Round 2.

It was a far cry from the blitzing middleweight whose aggressive style had resulted in 11 professional victories via knockout or technical knockout.

“So much for ‘Fight of the Year’ – it was ‘Domination of the Year,'” White said at the UFC 253 post-fight news conference. “It was weird because if you look at every other fight that Costa has had, he comes out and goes after…

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Makwan Amirkhani will step in for Sodiq Yusuff and face Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 179.

Combate was first to report the change to the featherweight bout. A reason for Yusuff’s withdrawal is currently unknown. UFC Fight Night 179 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 10 and is headlined by a bantamweight showdown between Marlon Moraes and Cory Sandhagen.

Amirkhani, 31, enters the matchup with Barboza having won three of his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, “Mr. Finland” scored a first-round submission of Danny Henry at UFC 251 on July 11.

Barboza made his featherweight debut at UFC on ESPN 8, where he dropped a closely-contested split decision against Dan Ige on May 16. The 34-year-old Brazilian has lost five of his last six promotional outings, with his only win during that stretch c…

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Bobby Green will square off against Thiago Moises in a lightweight contest on the UFC’s Halloween bill.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the matchup. The card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight tilt between Anderson Silva and Uriah Hall.

Green has enjoyed an active 2020 thus far, posting decision triumphs over Clay Guida, Lando Vannata and Alan Patrick. Prior to that streak, the former King of the Cage champion had been victorious in just one of his previous seven UFC appearances dating back to November 2014.

A former Resurrection Fighting Alliance title holder, Moises has alternated wins and losses in his first four promotional outings. Most recently, the 25-year-old American Top Team product submitted Michael Johnson in the second stanza at UFC Fight N…

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A lightweight showdown pitting Renato Carneiro against Rafael Fiziev is on tap for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Nov. 28 card.

Combate was first to report the booking. The event is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. A location for the card has not been announced.

After a successful stint at featherweight, “Moicano” made his 155-pound debut at UFC Fight Night 170, where he submitted Damir Hadzovic in just 44 seconds on March 14. He was scheduled to face Magomed Mustafaev on Oct. 17 but withdrew from that contest.

After dropping his Octagon debut, Fiziev has scored back-to-back decision triumphs against Alex White at UFC Fight Night 162 and against Marc Diakiese at UFC Fight Night 172. The 27-year-old Kyrgyzstan native is 8-1 as a professional, with six triumphs comin…