Shakiel Mahjouri
ONE’s Alain Ngalani details viral mask-awareness video: We have to do our part
Alain Ngalani is using his flexibly, not his brute strength, to combat COVID-19. Ngalani (4-5-0-1 in MMA, 25-8-1-3 in kickboxing) is eager to follow through with his scheduled fight against Vitor Belfort in ONE Championship but he cannot do with the current state of the pandemic. Ngalani achieved viral fame earlier this month after pulling […]
Paintball, buggies and bars – Daniel Rodriguez felt like ‘kid in a toy store’ at BMF Ranch
Daniel Rodriguez is working hard and playing hard at Donald Cerrone’s BMF Ranch. Rodriguez caught up with Bloody Elbow following his win over Gabe Green at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns in late May. “D-Rod” spoke enthusiastically of his time at the BMF Ranch with “Cowboy” Cerrone and Joe Schilling. Related MMA fighter vs. […]
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje set for UFC 254, per Dana White
Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend his UFC lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Oct. 24, says UFC president Dana White. Related Was Dan Hardy right about Herb Dean? White confirmed the bout in an interview with CNN Sport’s Don Riddell. The promotion officially announced the match up a few hours later. […]
Corey Anderson details gruesome facial injury, UFC fighters react
Corey Anderson suffered a near career-ender one week after his knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz, and Anderson’s fellow fighters are relieved to know he is on the mend. Anderson (13-5) posted a shocking photo to Instagram on Monday. The gruesome image shows “Overtime” in a hospital bed with a severely swollen face. According to Anderson, […]
UFC’s Amir Albazi on ‘culture shock’ after fleeing Iraq: ‘I didn’t have money for the bus’
A lifetime of adversity has equipped Amir Albazi with the tools required to thrive in combat sports. Albazi (13-1) caught up with Bloody Elbow following a short notice first-round submission win over Malcolm Gordon at Fight Island on July 18. “The Prince” reflected on his early childhood in Iraq and fleeing with his family to […]
Jack Hermansson: Dan Hardy is ‘best in the biz’ but wrong about Paulo Costa
Jack Hermansson is confident that Paulo Costa will beat Israel Adesanya, a sharp contrast to Dan Hardy’s analysis. Hardy kicked up a bit of a storm after arguing that Adesanya, Robert Whittaker and Darren Till could all make “powerlifter” Costa look “quite silly.” Hermansson (21-5) has previously stated his belief that Costa will provide a […]
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition boxing match confirmed
‘Iron’ Mike Tyson is back. Related Snowden shares dizzying process, wild stories from his Shamrock biography Tyson (50-6-0-2) will face fellow legendary heavyweight boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. (66-9) in an eight-round exhibition match, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. The event is expected to take place in California at to-be-determined date and should […]
Chris Lytle, Guy Mezger describe Pancrase as ‘bridge’ to ‘modern MMA’
Chris Lytle and Guy Mezger are two legendary mixed martial artists who cut their teeth in Pancrase, as well as the UFC. Lytle and Mezger are contributing to a new documentary called Pancrase Hybrid History. Both men caught up with Bloody Elbow ahead of the film’s premiere to discuss just how important Pancrase is to […]
Guy Mezger would tell ‘opponents to give up’ mid-fight to avoid hurting them
Fighting put Guy Mezger at odds with not only his opponent, but also himself. Mezger caught up with Bloody Elbow in conjunction with the upcoming Pancrase Hybrid History documentary. During the chat, Mezger (30-14-2) revealed his career as a fighter often conflicted with his life as a Christian. Related Fighters Pick Fights | Kamaru Usman […]
Chris Lytle warns against ‘unintended consequences’ of unions, pitches Ali Act
Chris Lytle warns fighters that unionizing may not be the best path to protecting athletes rights in mixed martial arts. Lytle came from an era of MMA where bouncing between promotions was the norm. Fighter unionization is about as hot a topic now as it has ever been — thanks to outspoken athletes like Jorge […]
Boxing match between Mark Hunt vs. ex-rugby player Paul Gallen almost finalized
Mark Hunt is preparing to knuckle up against Australian rugby-player-turned-boxer Paul Gallen. Related Luke Thomas: Leaving MMA Fighting, Fans vs. Media, Forrest Griffin | The Insiders | Ep. 1 Hunt and Gallen had agreed in March to a boxing match before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt, a source told MMA […]
UFC 251: Mike Brown tests positive for COVID-19, won’t coach Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal may be cleared for UFC 251 but his coach, Mike Brown, certainly is not. Related GSP vs. Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn: Beef Wars | Part 2 Brown tested positive for COVID-19 as part of a pre-screening before leaving the U.S. for UFC 251, according to MMA Fighting and following an initial report […]
‘Upset’ Khalil Rountree says Greg Hardy fight is ‘not even close to confirmed’
Khalil Rountree is pissed following reports that he will move up a weight class to fight polarizing heavyweight Greg Hardy at UFC 252. Rountree (8-4-0-1) was slated to fight Hardy (6-2-0-1) at UFC 252 on August 15, according to a report from Combate. In a follow-up Instagram video, a frustrated Rountree insisted the “fake news” […]
Paige VanZant testing free agency: ‘I need to be paid to make it worth it’
Paige VanZant is firmly among the growing list of notable fighters to feel undervalued by the UFC. DON’T MISS UFC 251 – ‘USMAN VS. MASVIDAL’ – 3 TITLE FIGHTS! #FIGHTISLAND Stream all the fights broadcast LIVE — don’t miss a single second of face-punching action! Plus, you get access to the best of the UFC […]
Paulo Costa’s manager claims Israel Adesanya turned down UFC 251 and UFC 252 bouts
Israel Adesanya refused to face Paulo Costa at UFC 251 or UFC 252, according to Costa’s manager Wallid Ismail. Related Fighters Pick Fights | Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal, Alex Volkanovski vs Max Holloway 2 | UFC 251 Ismail said the UFC offered Adesanya two dates to fight Costa and the UFC middleweight champion refused […]
Dustin Poirier says ‘Conor McGregor loss’ led to personal ‘evolution’
Dustin Poirier has gone through many changes following his quick loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 178 on Sept. 27, 2014. Related All About Conor McGregor UFC on ESPN 12: ‘POIRIER vs. HOOKER’ – The 6th Round Post-Fight Show by Bloody Elbow Presents Poirier (26-6 1 NC) caught up with ESPN following his Fight of […]
Video: Cinematic Fight Island trailer starring Darren Till, Max Holloway and more
The original UFC teaser for Fight Island generated a mixed reaction, but a new BT Sport commercial is all action. Related Luke Thomas: Leaving MMA Fighting, Fans vs. Media, Forrest Griffin | The Insiders | Ep. 1 BT Sport is proving more and more to have a knack for creative adverts. Their comic-inspired take on […]
Michelle Waterson vs. Angela Hill booked for August 22
Angela Hill will get another change to break into the top 10 when she meets Michelle Waterson at a UFC Fight Night event on August 22. Related Luke Thomas: Leaving MMA Fighting, Fans vs. Media, Forrest Griffin | The Insiders | Ep. 1 Waterson (17-8) and Hill (12-8) are both looking for a restart in […]
Opinion: Fighting CM Punk was the worst thing to happen to Mickey Gall
Mickey Gall cashed in big by calling out CM Punk, but what initially seemed like an ingenious play has turned into a disastrous long-term investment. Let me start by saying I think very highly of Gall. Introduced to UFC fans five years ago, the New Jersey native has proved to be talented, intelligent, gritty and […]
UFC’s Khama Worthy hit hard by COVID-19: ‘We’ve been three months without making any money’
Fighter pay is a hot topic and Khama Worthy is familiar with the financial challenges of mixed martial arts. Worthy (15-6) returns for his sophomore Octagon outing more than 10 months after making his debut at UFC 241. “The Deathstar” challenges red-hot UFC prospect Luis Pena at UFC Vegas 4: Poirier vs. Hooker on June […]
Tito Ortiz ‘second-guessing’ joining police force, may instead run for Mayor of Huntington Beach
Tito Ortiz is having second thoughts about being a police officer and instead eyes the mayor’s chair. Related Ariel Helwani: ESPN Critics, Branching to NBA, Dwayne Johnson | The Insiders | Ep. 6 Ortiz (17-11-1) said in a recent interview that he envisions himself in political office. The former UFC light-heavyweight champion is still exploring […]
Max Rohskopf says coaches and manager ‘did nothing but listen to me’
Max Rohskopf is standing up for his manager and coaches after his team, particularly coach Robert Drysdale, were accused of not having his best interests in mind. Related Luke Thomas: Leaving MMA Fighting, Fans vs. Media, Forrest Griffin | The Insiders | Ep. 1 Rohskopf (5-1) put in good work against Austin Hubbard (12-4) in […]
Josh Emmett shares ‘crazy’ story of ‘illegally’ flying out of Asia during COVID-19 outbreak
Josh Emmett had a wonderful time in Vietnam earlier this year, but he would not have made it stateside if not for some Mission: Impossible moves. Emmett and his wife embarked on a trip to Vietnam in February. Their loved ones were concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic in China, but the top-ranked UFC fighter and […]
Ohio cop ‘put a gun in’ Kevin Randleman’s mouth, says close friend
Kevin Randleman was a lot of things: a UFC champion, a Hall of Famer, a NCAA Division 1 standout, and a Black man. That last note was enough for one police officer to threaten Randleman’s life, according to Eric Smith — a former fighter, Randleman’s college roomate and best man. Related UFC fighters release video […]
Dana White will ‘kill’ Amanda Nunes if she retires: That ‘actually drives me nuts’
Dana White has always said a fighter should retire when they say they want to retire; however, that rule does not apply Amanda Nunes. Related Luke Thomas: Leaving MMA Fighting, Fans vs. Media, Forrest Griffin | The Insiders | Ep. 1 White caught up with The Schmo for a half-hour on the latter’s Schmozone Podcast. […]
Mark Coleman on bizarre Japanese game show: I can’t ‘get these f—king shorts’ off
Mark Coleman has a diverse definition of prize-fighting. Coleman, the UFC and PRIDE tournament winner, once competed on a Japanese game show with $50,000 on the line. “The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound” was tasked with forcefully removing the shorts off a contestant trying to win the money. “[The contestant] had two pair(s) of tight shorts on […]
Frank Mir ‘disturbed’ by Big Nog shoulder break: I ‘looked up’ to him
Frank Mir shattering the shoulder of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is arguably the most memorable moment of Mir’s Hall of Fame career, but it is not one he relishes in. Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion, snatched “Big Nog” in a tight kimura early in round one of their Dec. 2011 fight. An insane exchange of […]
Teenage Georges St-Pierre almost quit MMA after training at Renzo Gracie Academy
Georges St-Pierre faced the same reality check that many martial arts newbies do, and it really made him reconsider his career ambitions. The pound-for-pound great fighter opened up to MMA TRUFAN about early adversity he faced in his mixed martial arts journey. The encounter took place at Renzo Gracie Academy and could have cut St-Pierre’s […]
UFC 251: Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiri Prochazka in the works
Volkan Oezdemir will seek to tie his longest UFC winning streak at the expense of Rizin veteran Jiri Prochazka at UFC 251. Related Ariel Helwani: ESPN Critics, Branching to NBA, Dwayne Johnson | The Insiders | Ep. 6 Oezdemir vs. Prochazka is currently being finalized for UFC 251, as first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. […]
Jon Jones shuns ‘stubborn and greedy’ Dana White: ‘Get the f—k out of here’
Jon Jones is urging young fighters to have less trust in the UFC than he did. Jones continued his social media campaign against UFC on Monday. The UFC light heavyweight champion and UFC president Dana White are far apart at the negotiation table. Jones, 32, continued to vocalize his displeasure with the promotion while urging […]