Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from February 2021.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from February 2021: Here are the four nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for February.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from February 2021.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from February 2021: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Month” award for February.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush spoke with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan.
UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush spoke with MMA Junkie’s John Morgan.
In an impromptu appearance during UFC 258 media day, Molly McCann chatted to reporters, including MMA Junkie, to recap her reaction to defeat at UFC Fight Night 184, and explained why she’s still in Las Vegas a week after her fight.
In an impromptu appearance during UFC 258 media day, Molly McCann chatted to reporters, including MMA Junkie, to recap her reaction to defeat at UFC Fight Night 184, and explained why she’s still in Las Vegas a week after her fight.
One of these guys is more likely to get a title shot first in his division. Who is it?
This past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 184, [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] and [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] picked up big stoppage wins to help their respective cases for a title shot.
Volkov finished Alistair Overeem with punches in the second round of their heavyweight main event. And in the co-headliner, Sandhagen scored a “Knockout of the Year” contender with a flying knee on Frankie Edgar just 28 seconds into their bantamweight bout.
With those notches on their belts and given the landscape of their respective divisions, is Volkov or Sandhagen more likely to get his title shot first? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of John Morgan, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia weighed in during this week’s episode.
You can watch that discussion in the video above. The full episode can be seen below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4HO6Zfx06s
Cory Sandhagen wants a title shot, and his performance at UFC Fight Night 184 was a big step in that direction.
UFC Fight Night 184 was headlined by a pair of definitive statements.
Former Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] finished veteran Alistair Overeem in the main event. In the bantamweight co-feature, [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] leveled former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar with a vicious flying knee knockout.
Both of them want title shots next. So where do they go from here?
Volkov, for his part, still has a few contenders ahead of him at heavyweight before he reaches champion Stipe Miocic. But he does move up to No. 6 in current edition of the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, and no doubt will have a big name opponent next time he steps into the cage.
The bad news for Sandhagen? Well, he went into the Edgar fight ranked No. 3 at 135 pounds. Ahead of him are the champion, Petr Yan, and Aljamain Sterling, who handed Sandhagen his only UFC loss. So he’ll stay at No. 3.
The good news? With Yan fighting Sterling next month, he’s well-positioned to face the winner, so he’s the likelier of the two to get what he wants.
Those weren’t the only fights of note last Saturday night, so to catch up on where your favorite fighters rank in the new USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, click on the drop-down menu above.
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Alistair Overeem is among seven fighters who could be facing lengthy time off after UFC Fight Night 184.
[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] is among seven fighters who could be facing a lengthy time off after UFC Fight Night 184.
Overeem, who suffered a fractured nose in his second-round TKO loss to Alexander Volkov in the main event, will need doctor clearance or he could be facing up to six months on the sidelines.
Joining Overeem with potential 180-day terms is [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag], who defeated newcomer [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] via unanimous decision. Pantoja must have X-rays on both hands cleared. Kape is also dealing with a hand injury of his own, and requires his right thumb to be cleared by a doctor.
MMA Junkie on Monday obtained the full list of suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com, the Association of Boxing Commissions’ official record keeper.
The full list of UFC Fight Night 184 medical suspensions includes:
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Check out Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here, and you can catch a live stream on SportsCastr beginning at noon ET.
On episode 3,129, the crew breaks down all the latest news in MMA, including a look back at UFC Fight Night 184, where a pair of MMA legends were finished in the top two bouts on the card as Alexander Volkov and Cory Sandhagen stopped Alistair Overeem and Frankie Edgar respectively.
The duo also take look back at Paige VanZant’s debut defeat at “Bare Knuckle FC: KnuckleMania” and look ahead to UFC 258, where Kamaru Usman looks to defend his UFC welterweight title against former teammate and training partner Gilbert Burns in the night’s main event.
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
Molly McCann confirmed that she hasn’t retired after she laid her gloves down in the octagon following her defeat at UFC Fight Night 184.
Despite what many fans feared after her defeat at UFC Fight Night 184, [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag] is far from done in the UFC.
McCann (10-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) found herself on the losing end of a unanimous decision verdict as she fell to defeat against Brazil’s Lara Procopio in their preliminary card bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. As the fighters prepared for the verdict, McCann was seen on camera taking off her gloves and laying them in the center of the octagon – a traditional symbol of a fighter announcing their retirement from the sport.
McCann’s glove gesture prompted plenty of activity on social media as fans and media reacted with concern to the all-action English fighter’s apparent decision. But those concerns were replaced by messages of support when McCann later clarified that she hadn’t retired, and revealed that the gesture was a tribute to her late father on his birthday.
“Before I get into it. I left the gloves in the cage for my dad. There’s still fight in this old dog yet.”
Before I get into it. I left the gloves in the cage for my dad. There’s still fight in this old dog yet. @dc_mma @DominickCruz
— Molly McCann (@MeatballMolly) February 7, 2021
McCann received messages of support on Instagram from fellow fighters Scott Askham, Kay Hansen, Kiefer Crosbie, and former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson, as well as her beloved Everton Football Club, who told her, “Hard luck tonight, Molly. You make a lot of scousers, Blues and plenty more people proud every time you do what you do – and we’re sure Paul is, too. We’re always in your corner.”
McCann later returned to Instagram to share a pic of her with her father, with the poignant message, saying, “Happy birthday Pops! I’ll get ‘Em next time.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CK-5EwNHIyR/
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See who Cory Sandhagen, Frankie Edgar, Beneil Dariush and more should fight next after their bouts at UFC Fight Night 184.
With another night of action in the rearview mirror at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC Fight Night 184‘s key winning and losing fighters outside the main event.
