Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker talks about making a comeback at UFC on ESPN 14, reflects on spending time with his family during quarantine and reveals his “secret game plan” for Darren Till. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC flyweight Joseph Benavidez will get his fourth shot at earning the flyweight title when he faces Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ESPN 14. Benavidez also explains why he doesn’t like Figueiredo. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
In the UFC’s first event on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan took home wins and captured titles in the top-billed fights at UFC 251. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Just weeks ago, Jorge Masvidal had expressed concerns that he wasn’t being paid accordingly by the UFC. Prior to his UFC 251 welterweight title fight against Kamaru Usman, Masvidal says the promotion has resolved the problems. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ahead of fighting at UFC 251, Rose Namajunas, Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Amanda Ribas share their experiences from Yas Island and give fans a closer look at UFC’s Fight Island. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway spoke to the media about competing at UFC 251, which takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on July 11, his battles with depression and more. He will rematch Alexander Volkanovski for the division title in the co-main event. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ahead of his fight against Mickey Gall at the UFC Apex on June 27 in Las Vegas, UFC welterweight Mike Perry speaks about who will be his only cornerperson – his girlfriend, Latory Gonzalez. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC president Dana White reacts to UFC newcomer Max Rohskopf attempting to call off his own fight after the second round of his bout against Austin Hubbard at UFC on ESPN 11. The Nevada Athletic Commission will investigate the stoppage and what happened in the interaction with his cornerman, Robert Drysdale, who ignored Rohskoph’s requests to stop the fight. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Curtis Blaydes says he’s fine playing the heel role after putting on a performance that left fans and UFC president Dana White unsatisfied, and Josh Emmett, though he took Fight of the Night for his performance over Shane Burgos, says he wasn’t happy with his fight. The Review-Journal’s Heidi Fang and Adam Hill recap the event in this post-fight recap.
Tecia Torres and Raquel Pennington, a couple competing in the UFC women’s divisions, both took home wins at UFC on ESPN 11, which was also the first time they competed on the same fight card. Torres defeated Brianna Van Buren on the preliminary card and Pennington defeated Marion Reneau on the main card. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC president Dana White says he’s preparing as though another shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic may occur soon. If that should occur, he says he hopes the Nevada Athletic Commission will see that the organization has proven that they can still put on safe events in the UFC Apex facility. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes will face Alexander Volkov on June 20 at UFC on ESPN 11 in Las Vegas. Ahead of the fight, Blaydes spoke about the heavyweight title picture, his status as a contender in the division and more. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC flyweight Cynthia Calvillo got emotional in her post-fight victory press conference and discussed her short training period with a new fight camp and about competing in a new weight class. Middleweight Marvin Vettori talked about rebooking of his fight when his opponent failed to make weight. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC president Dana White met with reporters ahead of UFC on ESPN 10 at the UFC Apex and discuseed some of the bouts set for Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
On Friday during the official weigh-ins, three fighters missed weight, including Jessica Eye who is expected to fight Cynthia Calvillo in the main event of UFC on ESPN 10 on June 13 at the UFC Apex. In addition, Zarrukh Adashev and Karl Roberson, who’s competing in the co-main event, missed weight. A bout between Jordan Griffin and Darrick Minner was scratched from the event when Minner announced on social media that he would not be able to cut enough weight to compete.
After fighting professionally for ten years, Jessica Eye talks about how excited she is to headline the UFC on ESPN 10 fight card against Cynthia Calvillo on June 13 in Las Vegas. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Following UFC 250, bantamweight competitor Aljamain Sterling said he plans to join Black Lives Matter protests in New York City, talked the importance of the protests and what he thinks it’ll take for change can happen. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Amanda Nunes became the first, two-division UFC champion to successfully defend both of her titles after she earned a unanimous decision victory over Felicia Spencer at UFC 250. Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt knocked out Raphael Assuncao in the co-main event to rebound from three straight losses. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Amanda Nunes became the first fighter in UFC history to successfully defend both titles in two different divisions, but Conor McGregor attempted to steal her thunder on social media when he announced his retirement following UFC 250. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC featherweight Alex Caceres took a unanimous decision win over Chase Hooper at UFC 250 and spoke about the example he wants to set for others and his community amid protests for Black Lives Matter taking place all over the world. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
All fighters competing at UFC 250 on June 6 at the UFC Apex made weight for the event on Friday. In the main event, Amanda Nunes will put her featherweight belt on the line against Felicia Spencer. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Gilbert Burns established himself as a top contender in the welterweight division after dominating Tyron Woodley in the main event of UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas. Heidi Fang and Adam Hill discuss his performance as well as Mackenzie Dern’s win over Hannah Cifers. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
After losing his welterweight title in his last fight, Tyron Woodley returns from a 14-month hiatus to face Gilbert Burns at UFC on ESPN 9 on May 30. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
For the first time since March, the UFC and Top Rank Boxing have been permitted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to host events in Las Vegas. Sam Gordon, Adam Hill, and Heidi Fang break down what to expect when the promotions return starting with the UFC event on May 30 at the UFC Apex.
UFC heavyweight Walt Harris will collide with Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC Fight Night 172 in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 16. It’ll be the first time Harris competes since his 19-year-old stepdaughter, Aniah, was kipnapped and killed in Fall 2019. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 171, Glover Teixeira stopped Anthony Smith in the fifth round to claim victory in the promotion’s second fight card to take place in Jacksonville in the past week. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
UFC light heavyweight fighter Anthony Smith, who lives in Nebraska, says he wouldn’t allow the “psychopath” who broke into his home to dictate his return to the promotion. Smith, who successfully fought off the home invader in April this year, will return to headline UFC Fight Night 175 against Glover Teixeira in Jacksonville on May 13. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
In the first sporting event to take place after shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, UFC 249 saw a new interim champion crowned in the lightweight division in Justin Gaethje and in the co-main event, Henry Cejudo successfully defended his title against Dominick Cruz and then retired.
UFC fighters Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone weigh in on how things are different in preparation for UFC 249 amid the coronavirus pandemic and what they think the atomesphere at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena will be like on May 9 in Jacksonville, Fla., without an audience. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ahead of UFC 249, the promotion administered tests to all of the fighters competing at the event slated to take place at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla on May 9. This is a video of heavyweight Francis Ngannou receiving the test. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal)