Category: UFC / MMA

(This article originally appeared on USA TODAY.) Boxer Claressa Shields is preparing for a world title heavyweight bout against Danielle Perkins on Feb. 2, but she’s happy to discuss fighting someone else. Jake Paul. “I don't know if it's something tha

LAS VEGAS – Roman Kopylov was stunned when Chris Curtis accused him of spying ahead of UFC Fight Night 249, but he's relieved that sanity prevailed. Prior to Saturday's middleweight matchup at the UFC Apex (ESPN+), l

2025 has arrived, and with it will come a new slate of fights for the MMA world. For this new year, there are some m

The man accused of molesting the son of former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has a jury trial date set in a near-three-year-long criminal case. Harry Goularte did not appear in person for a trial setting hearing Wednesday in Santa Clara county (Calif.) court,…

LAS VEGAS – Mackenzie Dern is feeling good ahead of her first career rematch. The grappling star turned UFC fighter takes on Amanda Ribas in a strawweight bout that's set to headline Saturday's UFC Fight Night 249 at the UFC Apex. Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and R

Michael Page believes Shara Magomedov won't resort to grappling him – at least not at the start. Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout that co-headlines UFC Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1 at ANB Arena in…

Chris Curtis expects another wild fight from Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312. Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) rematches middleweight champion Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Feb. 8 headliner at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card…

LAS VEGAS – Amanda Ribas sees some big options in play for her career if she defeats Mackenzie Dern in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 249 headliner. Ribas (12-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) is set to rematch Dern (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in Saturday's strawweight headliner at the UFC…

There's always a lot happening in MMA, and with all the chaos comes a lot of questions. That's why on the first "Spinning Back Clique" episode of 2025, the panel dedicated an entire segment to answering your questions on recent headlines in MMA. What should we make…

Kevin Lee was willing to work his way back to the octagon, but the UFC wasn't interested. Following a noteworthy first stint with the organization, Lee (19-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC) re-signed with the UFC in 2023. He was quickly submitted by Rinat Fakhretdinov in his return,…

Islam Makhachev took umbrage with Michael Chandler's quick rise in the UFC. Upon signing with the UFC, former Bellator champion Chandler needed just one win to earn a shot at the vacant lightweight title. After knocking out Dan Hooker in January 2021, Chandler…

It would be hard to draw up a more significant start to the year than what Usman Nurmagomedov and his teammates have lined up to begin 2025. The Dagestan takeover in MMA could reach its peak this month with Nurmagomedov (18-0) set to put his Bellator lightweight title…

Michael Bisping believes moving to middleweight would be a bad idea for Colby Covington. After suffering his second-straight loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 63, Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) recently revealed that he's intrigued by the idea of mo

Daniel Cormier thinks UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones making $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall would be a stretch. UFC commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan said he heard that Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) is asking for $30 million to take on interim…

Reinier de Ridder is eager to build upon his UFC debut performance by taking out Kevin Holland. On the fist numbered event of the year, de Ridder (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) meets Holland (26-12 MMA, 13-9 MMA) in a middleweight bout on the main card of UFC 311 at Intuit Do