Blog

UFC purists can breathe a sigh of relief.
There was panic at the proverbial disco when Endeavor Group, parent company of UFC, announced its acquisition of WWE earlier this week, which led to speculation that both organizations would be pushing crossover appearances to help highlight the sale.
Unlikely, according to UFC President Dana White.

“The difference between the UFC and the WWE is you look at the WWE and they have an entertainment value and they have these guys that are incredible athletes that go in there and do their thing,” White told Associated Press. “It’s well known that it’s scripted. When you look at the UFC, this is as real as it gets, that’s our tagline.”
WWE and UFC have swapped talent before. Brock Lesnar and CM Punk both had opportunities inside the Octagon (with contrasting results) while Ronda Rousey and Matt Riddle each transitioned to pro wrestling after retiring from MMA.
Those appear to be the exception, not the rule.

“There won’t really be any type of crossover,” White continued. “Yeah, Brock Lesnar, who wanted to come over to the UFC and test himself became the heavyweight champion. He’s that good of an athlete. Then, you had Ronda Rousey who was a world champion here and then went over to WWE and tested herself there and became a world champion. That type of synergy will still exist.”
For much more on the WWE sale to Endeavor Group click here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight knockout artists Rob Font and Adrian Yanez will square off this weekend (Sat., April 8, 2023) at UFC 287 inside Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida.
This is very much a crossroads match. Font rose high up the Bantamweight ladder before crashing into his ceiling, a pair of damaging defeats to Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera that saw Font knocked down several times in each fight. He’s still ranked at No. 6 in the world, which makes him the perfect step up for Yanez. The Texan has opened his UFC career with five straight wins and four knockouts, scoring five performance bonuses in the process. There’s a lot of hype behind Yanez, but he faces the toughest test yet of his young career.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:

Rob Font
Record: 19-5Key Wins: Cody Garbrandt (UFC Vegas 27), Marlon Moraes (UFC Vegas 17), Ricky Simon (UFC on ESPN 7), Sergio Pettis (UFC on FOX 31), Thomas Almeida (UFC 220), Douglas Silva de Andrade (UFC 213)Key Losses: Marlon Vera (UFC Vegas 53), Jose Aldo (UFC Vegas 44), Raphael Assuncao (UFC 226), John Lineker (UFC 198), Pedro Munhoz (UFC Fight Night 119)Keys to Victory: Font is about as tough as they come. A high-volume boxer with good power in his hands, Font doesn’t shy away from exchanges and is also plenty capable of mixing it up with a double leg takedown.
This is a really interesting match up in that both men tend to excel in similar areas. They have strong jabs, line up their right hand well, and generally win by landing the heavier shots in extended exchanges. The most notable difference is that Yanez tends to land his kill shots on the counter, whereas Font is usually coming forward with big swings.
To avoid getting dinged on the counter, Font has to feint more often. This is the fight to pull out trickery and misdirection, which is part of how Davey Grant was able to give Yanez his toughest challenge yet. In the lead up to this fight, Font mentioned mixing in his wrestling, and that’s not a bad idea to give his offense another layer of unpredictability.

Adrian Yanez
Record: 16-3Key Wins: Davey Grant (UFC Vegas 43), Gustavo Lopez (UFC Vegas 22) Randy Costa (UFC Vegas 32), Tony Kelley (UFC Austin)Key Losses: Miles John (LFA 55)Keys to Victory: Yanez’s martial arts background begins in boxing, which absolutely shows inside the cage. He moves fluidly and puts together great combinations, which has resulted in 10 wins via knockout thus far. In addition, the Texan holds a jiu-jitsu black belt.
In Font’s last two fights, he technically won the volume game, throwing and landing more strikes overall. However, both “Chito” and Aldo were able to pick up his timing and hurt Font repeatedly, in part because Font’s high-volume style leaves openings available.
Given his reputation as a sniper, Yanez should be looking to do the same and really make his shots count more. I’d like to see Yanez maintaining an extra half step of distance and work his jab and calf kicking offense. When Font invariably starts trying to get his own combos flowing, Yanez can look to angle off and counter or simply stand his ground and fire back.

Bottom Line
This is a massive fight for each man.
Not too long ago, Font was closing in on a title shot. Now, he faces a pivotal moment, as defeat would make it three in a row and surely eject him from the Top 10 entirely. At 35 years of age in the Bantamweight division, I don’t know that there’s any way to truly rebound from that. To keep his title dreams alive, Font has to turn away Yanez and prove that he’s still a factor.
As for Yanez, he’s been steadily rising up the ranks and gaining momentum since his debut. He’s entertaining and charismatic, and everything is timing out for Yanez to burst into the Top 10 just as he hits his prime. Dispatching Font demonstrates that Yanez is ready to fight the best right now, opening up potentially massive fights against men like Marlon Vera or Petr Yan.
At UFC 287, Rob Font and Adrian Yanez will duel in a Bantamweight slugfest. Which man remains standing when the dust settles?

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 287 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 287: “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Brock Lesnar is not welcome at UFC 287.
The former UFC heavyweight champion, who returned to WWE after failing to stay competitive in the 265-pound weight class, is unlikely to make an appearance at the “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” pay-per-view (PPV) event this Sat. night (April 8, 2023) in Miami.
But if Endeavor wants to use Lesnar to help promote the WWE sale that took place earlier this week, UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns will be waiting.

“That would be nice, I think both are huge companies. They can help each other build even a better market for each one,” Burns said during the UFC 287 media day. “I think UFC can learn so much from the WWE and vice versa. And it’s a good opportunity to slap Brock Lesnar in the face too, right? It’s a good opportunity. I’ve never met him, he’s lucky I’ve never met him. But … I want to slap him because he cannot push ‘DC’ like that when he came all the way there in the Octagon. I want to slap him in the face.”
Seems like every time Lesnar is making the walk in UFC, someone is standing on the sidelines ready to slap him silly.

Burns is referring to the incident between Lesnar and Daniel Cormier from summer 2018, when Lesnar stormed the Octagon and two-handed “DC” to set up a potential title fight. Despite the post-fight hoopla, the bout never came to fruition and Lesnar retired from MMA.
Burns returns at UFC 287 to fight Jorge Masvidal for a spot in the welterweight title chase.

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Jorge Masvidal will look to snap a three-fight losing streak when he collides with fellow 170-pound contender Gilbert Burns in the upcoming UFC 287 co-main event this Sat. night (April 8, 2023) at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida.
A fight that could mark the final appearance for “Gamebred.”

“This could be the last one,” Masvidal said during “Countdown to UFC 287” (transcribed by Farah Hannoun). “If I lose, I’m pretty much calling it quits. But a win against Gilbert means that things are headed in the right direction. So if I roll the dice and do everything right, I’m going for it all.”
Masvidal (35-16) came up short in consecutive title fights against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 and UFC 261, the latter of which ended by way of thunderous knockout (so much for that “full camp” excuse). “Gamebred” resurfaced at UFC 272 the following year but lost a lopsided decision to bitter rival Colby Covington.
At 38 years old, it’s now or never.

“I think I’m at my best right now – my mental (game), my physical – and now I’ve got to go out there and prove it,” Masvidal continued. “I’ve got my back up against the wall. I get to start my resurrection here in Miami-Dade County, the city that birthed me, that made me, that molded me, so I’m more than excited. April 8, I give it all I’ve got. I win, we keep rolling that dice until we get that f*cking belt.”
Expect welterweight champion Leon Edwards to keep a close eye on this fight.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 287 fight card on fight night, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

For the updated and finalized UFC 287 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fans are used to a little professional wrestling news on their mixed martial arts (MMA) sites on WrestleMania weekends, but this is something else entirely. On Sunday afternoon, CNBC reported that a deal was close to being reached that would see UFC parent company, Endeavor, buy World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
According to this report, UFC and WWE would become part of a new publicly-traded company, with Endeavor owning 51 percent and WWE shareholders holding 49 percent. Endeavor CEO, Ari Emanuel, would remain overall chief executive, while WWE head honcho, Vince McMahon, would serve as executive chairman.
Interestingly enough, that would technically place him above UFC President, Dana White, in the new company’s org chart.

It’s a wild change, and word is the deal could be officially announced as soon as Monday. The Internet is already buzzing from the news, and a variety of important figures in both MMA and pro wrestling are already weighing in.
“Congrats to the UFC, now worth a cool Proper $12bn,” Conor McGregor wrote on Twitter regarding the deal. “Wow! Endeavor bout to scoop the WWE now also. Incredible. What a powerhouse!”
Take a look at other thoughts from across the Twitterverse:

Congrats to the @ufc now worth a cool Proper $12bn. Wow! Endeavor bout to scoop the @WWE now also. Incredible. What a powerhouse!— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 2, 2023

UFC and WWE under one umbrella? Very interesting. One note: this deal would value the UFC at “more than $12 billion.” Not bad given Endeavor paid $4bn for the UFC seven years ago. https://t.co/8QeYrTo0v9— Simon Head (@simonhead) April 2, 2023

UFC + WWE makes too much sense. Great path to increasing fighter pay.— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 2, 2023

Per CNBC, Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, is nearing a deal to buy WWE with a deal to be announced as early as TOMORROW. UFC and WWE are expected to form a new publicly traded company. Vince McMahon would remain as Executive Chairman. Holy shit.— Jason Solomon (@solomonster) April 2, 2023

Vince McMahon couldn’t have made out better in the deal if it goes through as reported, second highest ranking officer for both WWE and UFC behind Ari Emanuel, gets huge payoff, keeps stock with the idea WWE/UFC combined company will become even stronger in the stock market.— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) April 2, 2023

When WWE CEO Nick Khan said there was robust interest this week …. He was slow playing it.— Alex Sherman (@sherman4949) April 2, 2023

If it goes anything like the UFC sale at the start and for a few years, there’s going to be a lot of cost cutting going on in WWE. I don’t know if it’s going to be a plus for talent contracts, and this may make AEW more viable when it comes to big contracts.— Ryan Frederick (@ryanjfrederick) April 2, 2023

NEWS: Endeavor is finalizing a deal to buy WWE, per @CNBC.The deal values WWE at about $9.3 billion — and would combine UFC and WWE into one publicly traded company. pic.twitter.com/LdnoyuflvX— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 2, 2023

BREAKING: Endeavor is finalizing a deal to buy WWE, according to @sherman4949.Endeavor will then combine WWE and the UFC into one publicly traded company.Shares of WWE are up 33% this year, and the deal gives WWE an enterprise value of more than $9 billion. pic.twitter.com/kjSt3v9qtf— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) April 2, 2023

This weekend there was buzz that a non-Saudi entity was leading the pack to finalize a potential sale with WWE. If correct, Endeavor would own WWE and UFC https://t.co/sMCuqliaZg— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) April 2, 2023

UFC has fought incredibly hard to prevent fighters from being paid fairly. They have benched and outright fired some of their biggest stars over issues involving pay. WWE not only being under the same umbrella but a part of the same company probably won’t behave much differently.— Adam Lash (@newfoundmass) April 2, 2023

Some personal thoughts on WWE possibly being sold to Endeavor:1) There is a lot of synergy between UFC and WWE, so you’ll probably be seeing a lot of departments being combined.2) There were a lot of layoffs after Endeavor bought the UFC. 3) Endeavor buying UFC paid off…— Raj Giri (@TheRajGiri) April 2, 2023

WWE being bought by the UFC after Shane McMahon begged his dad to buy the UFC back in 2000 when it was struggling is like some Blockbuster / Netflix shit https://t.co/m6t99tbKx4— ᶜᵃˢᵗᵉʳ ˢʰᵉˡˡ (@castergunx) April 2, 2023

Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more news about this massive sale and what it could mean for both UFC and WWE.

The ongoing explosion of non-boxers boxing produces one of the most out-of-left-field matchups in recent memory this evening (Sat., April 1, 2023) when 54-year-old former four-division champion, Roy Jones Jr., welcomes Anthony “Showtime” Pettis to the Sweet Science in Gamebred Boxing 4’s pay-per-view (PPV) main event.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s PPV main card right here. The UFC Fight Pass/PPV.com “Prelims” undercard kick off at 7 p.m. ET, then main card at 9 p.m. ET.
The rest of the card is loaded with former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) talent, most notably the co-feature that sees Jose Aldo look to make it 2-0 in the ring against old rival, Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens. One fight prior, Vitor Belfort attempts to avenge his 2016 technical knockout loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, while Pearl Gonzalez continues her boxing renaissance against the debuting Gina Mazany.
Need help making sense of this mess? Read on …

Cruiserweight: Roy Jones Jr. (66-9, 54 KO) vs. Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (0-0)
It’s been five years since Jones’ last sanctioned bout, a wide unanimous decision over well-traveled veteran, Scott Sigmon. It’s been 15 since his last major win, which saw him send fellow legend, Felix Trinidad, into retirement, and around 20 since Antonio Tarver ended his stint atop the pound-for-pound list.
It says something about Pettis’ decline that I’m still on the fence about who wins this. Pettis is talking about entering the ring around 45 pounds above his ideal weight and he’s never been a particularly scary boxer. In fact, the only real highlights I can remember his hands generating were that big knockdown of Tony Ferguson and the Superman punch that felled “Wonderboy” Thompson.
My guess is that we’ll see Jones take a page out of old rival Bernard Hopkins’ book, using regular clinches to smother Pettis’ output and force him to carry an unfamiliar amount of weight. Pettis is obviously far younger and better-conditioned, but this is new territory for him. Even if Jones is far past his expiration date, I can definitely see him latching on, stinking the joint out, and surviving a late surge to eke out a decision.
Prediction: Jones via split decision

Welterweight: Jose “Scarface” Aldo (1-0, 0 KO) vs. Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens (0-0)

Here’s an interesting factoid about Jeremy Stephens: despite his reputation as a knockout puncher, he’s stopped just two men with punches in the last decade. I think it’s safe to assume that bigger gloves aren’t going to fix what ails him.
Though Aldo has unquestionably lost a step himself, he looked pretty damn sharp in his pro boxing debut last February, albeit against a very limited opponent. I certainly have quite a bit more faith in his technique than I do Stephens; best as I can tell, the only adjustments Stephens made once the knockouts dried up was a greater emphasis on low kicks, which aren’t going to help him here.
The only real advantage Stephens has here is conditioning, but it’s offset by his lack of experience in pacing himself for a boxing match. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see his big, straight-armed swings suck the life right out of him due to the unfamiliar glove weight. That said, odds are that Aldo once again finds the off button on his midsection before that can play a factor.
Prediction: Aldo via second round technical knockout

Heavyweight: Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (0-0)

I would genuinely love for Souza to Terminator-walk right into Belfort’s face and blast his nose clean off with an overhand right. It’s a genuine shame that he never got the chance to fight for a UFC title, and after all the struggles he went through at the end of his MMA run, it’d warm the heart to see him ride victoriously into the sunset.
Can’t always get what we want, though. Souza never really developed his standup beyond that overhand right, which loses a lot of its potency when there’s no threat of a takedown to set it up. Against a bulked-up Belfort who, let’s face it, is probably on the sort of gear that’d melt a USADA agent like he’d opened the Ark of the Covenant, that just ain’t enough. Souza will do a bit better than Evander Holyfield did, but I don’t think he has an answer for Belfort just rushing in and throwing flurries until one or the other goes down.
Prediction: Belfort via first round technical knockout

For more on Gamebred Boxing 4 and other boxing-related events, click here.

Fight fans may end up seeing a boxing match between former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Nate Diaz and social media star Logan Paul, but Diaz first needs to accept a very sweet deal.
This is according to Paul who sat down with BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani earlier this week. Paul had previously revealed that a matchup with a very known fighter had fallen apart, but fight fans didn’t know who that was until now.

According to Paul, the deal was very close to being finalized. He believed they extended a good enough offer for Diaz to accept, but the Stockton native isn’t giving in (just yet).
“I think he’s running. This guy, I think he’s ducking,” Paul told BT Sport. “We have the sweetest deal for him and he knows the type of numbers I bring in. I’m not a quarter of a million [pay-per-view buys] type of fighter, you’re going to get 750,000 [to a] million buys, and I’m an 0-1 YouTuber. Seems like an easy fight on paper.
“It’s Nate Diaz.”

Paul, who last competed in an eight-round exhibition match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in 2021, was surprised to learn that Diaz wasn’t going to agree to the matchup. Both fighters bring eyes to the sport of boxing and a potential clash would most certainly produced north of 500,000 pay-per-view (PPV) buys.
“I don’t even care anymore,” Paul said. “I thought I had something locked in, but apparently he said the fight was off. Like, why? Why? So he could fight someone else? For what purpose? To get less buys, and maybe an easier fight? I don’t get it.

“As far as I know, it’s not dead because we had to f—king offer him more money. It’s like we’re baiting this guy into fighting me. It’s hard for me to get a fight because either you’re not worth my time and energy, or you’re not going to sell pay-per-views. I’ll do it, but I need a dance partner. And I don’t need a tune-up fight, give me the real dogs. Nate Diaz is a dog. I was looking forward to that fight, then I got a call the other day and they said they didn’t want to do it. It was almost done. I don’t know.”
Paul is unsure what will come next, but he still has respect for Diaz and his big brother, Nick. The social media star is finding out the hard way that dealing with Diaz is no walk in the park, but it seems like a logical matchup on paper. Only time will tell if the two sides can agree on terms.
“Let’s recount the facts: You have an extremely healthy deal on the table with the person that, by far, will sell you the most pay-per-views of any dance partner that you decide to go with, and I’m an 0-1 YouTuber,” Paul explained. “Why would you back out of that?

“I think he’s great, I think it would be a great fight. People would want to see that fight. He’s tough as hell, obviously an MMA legend, can move the needle. I’m just hyper ambitious, a little delusional, and can kind of box.”
What say you, fight fans? Would you pay up for Diaz vs. Paul?
Let us know in the comments below!

Things weren’t looking all that great for Daniel James after 10 minutes of action against Marcelo Golm in the main event of Bellator 293. But the thing about Heavyweight contenders is that the tide can turn in the blink of an eye.
After getting shut out in the first two rounds as a result of Golm’s grappling, James decided to come out aggressive from the jump in round three. Indeed, “The American Predator” started to let his big fists fly. Though he was not hitting much to start, he wanted to send the message.

During an exchange, James landed a huge uppercut that rocked the Brazilian big man, and had him seeing stars. Smelling blood, James wasted zero time and landed a huge right and then a left hand that dropped Golm like a big sack of potatoes, though he was out before he hit the canvas.
Check out some of the action below:

That is now five straight wins for James, including winning his first two fights under the Bellator banner via devastating knockout. After his win, James called for a title fight against division king, Ryan Bader, but that fight will likely go to Linton Vassell. Nevertheless, James is in prime position to challenge the winner.

To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.