Plenty of things can happen in the world of MMA in seven days.
From event announcements and the fights on the weekend to the best tweets and latest trash talk between fighters, we’ll keep you in the know at the end of each week with the latest happenings in the sport.
But first off, make sure you read issue 139 of Fighters Only Magazine! It’s now available on all good newsstands and on the Fighters Only app, featuring the likes of Tony Ferguson, Corey Anderson, Douglas Lima, Josh Barnett and more:
MMA News
UFC Raleigh: Curtis Blaydes cements position as UFC’s hottest heavyweight prospect
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1221275140346064896
It’s been the worst-kept secret for some time now, but Curtis Blaydes is the real deal.
On Saturday night at UFC Raleigh, Blaydes cut through former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos like a knife through warm butter to cement his position as one of the division’s top contenders. And, at 28-years-old, we will be seeing him around for the foreseeable future.
Read all about Blaydes’ win in our UFC Raleigh recap here.
UFC Raleigh: Michael Chiesa notches biggest win of his career yet as he continues his success at welterweight
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1221269371634561024
Michael Chiesa looks a man transformed since moving up to welterweight following a series of struggles in making the 155-pound lightweight limit.
“Maverick” totally dictated his fight with former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, another man who made the jump in weight, impressively stifling the Brazilian’s striking output and revered submission skills on the ground. The judges sat cageside saw this too, rewarding the American’s efforts with a unanimous decision.
Next up for Chiesa? Well, he wants a piece of Colby Covington.
Read about Chiesa’s performance against RDA in more detail here.
Bellator 238: Cris Cyborg lays waste to Julia Budd to win Bellator championship
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1221501484191440896
Cris Cyborg won Bellator MMA women’s featherweight gold to add to her vast collection after scoring a fourth-round TKO victory over Julia Budd on Saturday night.
Budd proved a tough customer for Cyborg at The Forum in Inglewood, California, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Brazilian blasting her way to a triumphant Bellator debut.
The final salvo saw Cyborg launch an assault of punches, knees and kicks upon Budd as she bravely tried to return fire with her back against the cage.
That wasn’t enough, though, as a perfect bodyshot folded Budd like a deck chair to close the fight.
This vintage Cyborg performance meant she is the first female fighter to claim belts across four top MMA promotions – Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC and now Bellator.
Bellator 238: Sergio Pettis wins Bellator debut in style
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1221491768325300230
Cyborg wasn’t the only former UFC fighter to start life in Bellator the right way.
Sergio Pettis, younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony, blasted Alfred Khashakyan on his way to a guillotine choke submission win inside three minutes.
Bellator 238: Aaron Pico back in the win column with stunning knockout
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1221281153468051456
Aaron Pico has certainly hit some bumps in the road since being hailed as an MMA prodigy before he’d set foot in the Bellator cage in 2017.
But it’s unwise to write the 23-year-old off. Pico overcame a tumultuous 2019, a year which saw him suffer two devastating knockout losses, to clobber Daniel Carey on his way to a second-round knockout win.
This decade could prove massive for the prospect.
Daniel Cormier calls out Stipe Miocic for rubber match
Following Blaydes’ exploits at UFC Raleigh, former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier stated his case for a third fight – a rubber match – with current heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic.
Read more about Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic here.
MMA Features and Interviews
James Krause: Train Hard Fight Easy
Discover UFC veteran James Krause’s training secrets to success in the Octagon by clicking the link above.
MMA – A 2020 Vision
What lies in store for us MMA fans this decade? Find out!
Best MMA Social Media of the Week
Kobe Bryant [via ESPN MMA]
Basketball legend Kobe Bryant touched the lives of many MMA fighters before his untimely passing. ESPN MMA provided a quick snapshot of a select few fighters and MMA figureheads paying tribute to Mamba.
Cris Cyborg and Conor McGregor
No stranger to carrying multiple belts at once, Ireland’s Conor McGregor was impressed by Cris Cyborg’s feat achieved following Bellator 238.
Conor McGregor and Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell received his UFC Hall of Fame jacket ahead of McGregor’s winning return to the cage last week. Here’s what the Dubliner had to say.
Conor McGregor, Stephen A. Smith, Joe Rogan
After Stephen A. Smith’s somewhat controversial comments about Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, UFC commentator Joe Rogan lept to the defence of the man felled by McGregor at UFC 246.
Smith, of course, retorted, to which saw McGregor jump in to back Rogan up.
Ah, social media.
Montel Jackson [via BT Sport]
Michael Bisping is a big Whitney Houston fan, as discovered thanks to Montel Jackson’s unique walkout music.
