Everyone has a fighting chance
Tony Ferguson makes his long awaited return to the Octagon next month against Anthony Pettis as part of the co-main event at UFC 229. “El Cucuy” injured his knee in April, tripping over a cable in a television studio while shooting a promotional piece in the lead-up to his scheduled bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov for the then-vacant Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight belt.
After two consecutive losses in the 155-pound division and a failure to make weight, Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender Michael Chiesa has decided to move up to the welterweight division seeking a fresh start, and he already has a prospective opponent rolling out the welcome mat for him.
Moments after capturing the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title last month at UFC 227, Henry Cejudo called out the winner of the preceding bantamweight bout between T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt.
Bellator MMA welterweight champion Rory MacDonald will move up a division to take on the middleweight king Gegard Mousasi in the Bellator 206headliner on Sept. 29 in San Jose, California.
One might think Kamaru Usman would have an issue after hearing Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White announce that outspoken former interim champion Colby Covington would be next to challenge for Tyron Woodley’s welterweight belt, but he professes not to be bothered by the news.
There are few more outspoken in the sport of MMA than Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Mark Hunt when it comes to fighters taking banned substances.
Tatiana Suarez announced herself as a true title contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s women’s strawweight division last weekend at UFC 228 with her dominant victory over the division’s inaugural champion, Carla Esparza. The undefeated 27-year-old (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) never looked in danger as she cruised to victory over “Cookie Monster,” eventually finishing her in the third round.
Joe Rogan may draw his paychecks from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but he believes it’s best for the sport when there is a legitimate competitor out there for his employer.
Two MMA legends will throw down on Nov. 24 when Chuck Liddell, 48, faces off against Tito Ortiz, 43, for a third fight, this time under the Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. The poster for the event has been released by Golden Boy Promotions through its official Twitter account.
Much of the talk in the lead-up to UFC 228 this past Saturday revolved around Darren Till and his weight cut. The Englishman had failed to make the welterweight weight limit twice in four fights, most recently in May against Stephen Thompson, and many fans doubted he would make weight for UFC 228, especially without the one-pound allowance to which he had been accustomed. The Ultimate Fighting Championship even had fellow welterweight Kamaru Usman on standby as a possible replacement.