Hannah Cifers has withdrawn from her Feb. 27 fight.

Scheduled to take on Emily Whitmire in a strawweight fight at UFC Fight Night, Cifers (10-7 MMA, 2-5 UFC) has pulled out for an undisclosed reason.

Two people with knowledge of the change recently informed MMA Junkie of the withdrawal but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Cifers competed four times in the first eight months of 2020. She lost all four outings inside the distance with three submissions and one TKO. The four-fight losing skid came on the heels of a two-fight winning streak.

Whitmire (4-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has been submitted in back-to-back fights against Amanda Ribas and Polyana Viana. In her UFC tenure, Whitmire holds wins over Jamie Moyle and Aleksandra Albu.

With the change, the UFC Fight Night lineup for Feb. 27 now includes:

• Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Ciryl Gane
• Raoni Barcelos vs. TBA
• William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield
• Alexis Davis vs. Sabina Mazo
• Randy Brown vs. Alex Oliveira
• Emily Whitmire vs. TBA
• Alex Caceres vs. Kevin Croom
• Magomed Ankalaev vs. Nikita Krylov
• Montana De La Rosa vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
• Alexander Hernandez vs. Thiago Moises
• Vince Cachero vs. Ronnie Lawrence

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/ufc-fight-night-news-hannah-cifers-injured-out-february-27-vs-emily-whitmire

Conor McGregor suffered a number of firsts when Dustin Poirier knocked him. However, according to the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, the “firsts” weren’t all bad.

In a lengthy statement issued Wednesday on Instagram, McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) broke down his loss to Poirier (27-6 MMA, 20-6 UFC). A 416-word analysis was accompanied by a highlight video of his successes in the UFC 257 main event.

“I am most certainly on the right path,” McGregor wrote. “Despite the loss, I am on the correct path of evolution.”

McGregor explained how a third fight against Poirier would go differently and voiced confidence in his chances at winning. He acknowledged Poirier’s leg kicks, a problem he hadn’t encountered in prior fights. McGregor blamed his preparation and focus on a potential future boxing match with Manny Pacquiao as being the driving force of a failing outcome.

“A little single disciplined in my approach and stance with mostly boxing,” McGregor wrote. “It’s what I get for picking this bout and opponent as a precursor to a boxing match against Pacman. I deserved to get the legs kicked off me going in with this thinking. This is not the game to play around with.

“Besides this tho [sic] my shots (were) sharp and I was in full control. Albeit the leg attacks (were) building up on me throughout the course. 18 in total thrown at me, with the final one buckling my leg fully, that was that. The peroneal nerve compromised. Fascinating! First time to experience it.”

As for positive takeaways, McGregor praised his own cardio and endurance. For the first time, he said, he felt fresh following grappling exchanges and still managed to pack his usual power.

“I was in second gear cruising this fight,” McGregor wrote. “Best condition I’ve ever been in. After the wrestling and clinch exchanges my shots still held their pop. First time for me with this so I am very encouraged to keep going. It was the first time I did not use/nor need the stool between rounds also. I did need the stool after tho [sic] that’s for sure.”

Though mostly a self-critique, McGregor closed by tipping his cap to Poirier for his victory, all the while voicing anticipation of a future trilogy fight.

“A tremendous finishing flurry by my opponent,” McGregor wrote. “Hats off! A well fought fight by The Diamond. 1 a piece now with a Trilogy [sic] bout for all the marbles! Wow! Exciting! Not a trilogy I was expecting, nor the tactical affair I was anticipating, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t meant to be. This is exactly how this was always meant to be! Buzzing!!”

Check out McGregor’s full post below:

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma)

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/conor-mcgregor-overlooked-dustin-poirier-manny-pacquiao-prep

Jake and Logan Paul are YouTube sensations that have been making waves in boxing, primarily because they’re good at promotion. But Logan Paul’s big exhibition bout opposite former Conor McGregor opponent Floyd Mayweather has been delayed.

The bout was set to happen on Feb. 20, but Fanmio CEO Solomon Engel recently told ESPN that the bout has been delayed with hopes to announce a new date soon.

“After an absolutely tremendous response to the fight announcement, we’re hoping to announce a new date very soon along with some new exciting details,” Engel said in a statement, giving no reason for why the bout was delayed.

Mayweather (50-0) last fought professionally when he TKO’d Conor McGregor in August of 2017. He then defeated kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a 2018 exhibition bout.

Logan Paul has boxed twice. He fought to a majority draw opposite fellow YouTube sensation KSI in 2018. Paul then lost a split decision to KSI in their 2019 rematch, which was considered his professional boxing debut.

Logan’s brother, Jake, is 2-0 as a professional boxer, defeating another YouTuber, AnEsonGib, in his first fight and then beating former NBA star Nate Robinson in his second bout.

Jake now has a professional boxing bout lined up against former ONE Championship and Bellator champion Ben Askren on April 17.

TRENDING Nate Diaz doesn’t want a fight at lightweight, but wants Dustin Poirier

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/floyd-mayweathers-return-opposite-youtuber-logan-paul-gets-sidelined

COVID-19 took another bout off the books Wednesday. This weekend’s UFC Vegas 18 bout between Marion Reneau and Macy Chiasson has been postponed after Reneau tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 caused disease.

“Do you want the bad news or the good news first?

“BAD: The fight between Macy Chiasson and I has been cancelled for THIS weekend. Unfortunately, I tested positive for COVID. I am feeling 100% fine with no symptoms.

“GOOD: Macy and I have agreed to run it back on FEBRUARY 27! I appreciate Macy and her camp for being professional and willing to make this fight happen.”

Luckily, Reneau’s bout of COVID-19 appears to be asymptomatic, so they were able to reschedule the bout for Feb. 27, when she should be well clear of the disease.

Reneau (9-6-1) had been hoping to bounce back from a loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC Vegas 3 in June of last year. That was her third consecutive loss, putting her UFC tenure in a precarious position.

Chiasson (6-1) rebounded from a loss to Lina Lansberg in 2019 with a win over Shanna Young last February. So it will have been slightly more than year since she last fought when she and Reneau step into the Octagon on Feb. 27 at UFC Vegas 20.

UFC Vegas 20 is slated to feature a heavyweight bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane.

TRENDING Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach: Conor McGregor rematch never going to happen

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-vegas-18-bout-between-marion-reneau-and-macy-chiasson-postponed

Sean O’Malley is raring to get back in the octagon – and he apparently has his next fight booked.

O’Malley announced Tuesday night on his YouTube channel that he will face Thomas Almeida on March 27 at UFC 260. According to O’Malley, he received a bout agreement earlier Tuesday, which he was ready to sign.

O’Malley (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who earned his way into the UFC through “Dana White’s Contender Series,” opened his professional career with 12 straight wins, including four in the UFC, before suffering his first loss against Marlon Vera last August at UFC 252. O’Malley, 26, was finished by first-round TKO and was taken off on a stretcher after suffering a foot injury. O’Malley hasn’t fought since.

Almeida, 29, is on a three-fight losing streak after dropping decisions to Jimmie Rivera and Jonathan Martinez with a TKO against Rob Font in between. Almeida (22-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) opened his professional career with 21 consecutive wins, including four in the UFC. He hasn’t tasted victory since November 2016 when he TKO’d Albert Morales.

With the addition, the UFC 260 lineup now includes:

• Champ Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou – for heavyweight title
• Champ Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega – for featherweight title
• Jimmy Crute vs. Johnny Walker
• Modestas Bukauskas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
• Hannah Goldy vs. Jessica Penne
• Vicente Luque vs. Tyron Woodley
• Thomas Almeida vs. Sean O’Malley

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/ufc-260-sean-omalley-booked-thomas-almeida-fight