Michael Chandler gets real on taking damage, Arturo Gatti comparisons

It’s been a long, long time since Alexander Volkanovski has been a betting underdog. The reigning UFC featherweight champion has been one of the most dominant forces in MMA since joining the UFC in 2016, racking up a 12-0 record and four defenses of his 145-pound belt en route to becoming the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. Naturally, he’s been the betting favorite for the majority of that run. But that will change on Feb. 12 when Volkanovski vaults up to 155 pounds to challenge UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for two-division glory in the main event of UFC 284.

Matchroom Boxing exec Eddie Hearn may not get along with Jake Paul right now, but he’s picking “The Problem Child” over Tommy Fury. On Wednesday’s The MMA Hour, Hearn said Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury, is “unbelievably limited” and will crack under the pressure of Paul’s mental warfare.

By the time fighters step into the cage late Saturday at the UFC APEX, Laura Sanko will have put in three days of preparation to call the action at UFC Vegas 68. The gig is new for Sanko, 40, who’s set to be the first female color commentator in modern UFC history. The routine and the nerves are not.

The Mixed Martial Arts Hour is back in your life! Below is a rundown of Wednesday’s show, which begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. UK time. 1 p.m. ET: A preview of this weekend’s upcoming events including Bellator 290 and UFC Vegas 68.

Gilbert Burns hasn’t given up hope on a five-round fight against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287, though he concedes it probably won’t happen. Just days after their matchup was announced for the April 8 card, the one-time UFC welterweight title challenger requested a 25-minute co-headliner. Masvidal quickly shot down that idea, adding he’d already signed his bout agreement and wasn’t interested in a five-round fight unless the UFC pays him “BMF money.”

Fedor Emelianenko has the opportunity to have one of the best retirement stories in the history of MMA as he challenges for the Bellator heavyweight championship on Saturday. Ahead of Emelianenko’s final fight against champ Ryan Bader in the main event of Bellator 290, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew preview the matchup and discuss why “The Last Emperor” could get it done in his swan song, Johnny Eblen’s opportunity to boost his star potential against Anatoly Tokov in the co-main event, the super-fun main card opener between Sabah Homasi and Brennan Ward, the impact of being on CBS, and more.

Who is Fedor Emelianenko and why is he so revered?. Ahead of Emelianenko’s retirement fight against Ryan Bader on Saturday night, MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti and E. Casey Leydon explain the legend of “The Last Emperor” and the story behind one of the most celebrated heavyweights in MMA history.

Originally set to headline UFC Vegas 69, Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon Vera has been rescheduled to front a March 25 UFC event. UFC President Dana White confirmed a report from SI.com about the rebooking of the fight, which takes place at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. It’s unclear at...

Jiri Prochazka is the truth. The now-former champion is waiting on the sidelines until his eventual return to action after a severe shoulder injury forced him out of action. Prochazka is chomping, at the bit, hoping a title return bout takes place sooner rather than later. Ideally, Prochazka would face...

UFC veteran Dan Hardy has seen a lot of changes and some improvement in fighter pay in recent years. But he knows there’s a long way to go until athletes are being compensated at a truly fair level, and the Francis Ngannou situation illustrates that perfectly. Francis Ngannou sought...

DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of the most exciting and influential fighters in MMA history, and on the second episode of 2023, the MMA Fighting crew remembers the best of Fedor Emelianenko as he prepares for the final fight of his legendary career. Starting his career in 2000,...

Michael Chandler sees no other options for Conor McGregor’s return opponent. The three-time Bellator lightweight champion made his intentions clear as soon as he entered the octagon in Jan. 2021. Chandler, 36, isn’t here for a long time, he’s here for a good time ... and that was said with the hope of big fights like “The Notorious” McGregor.

With a historic event for Bellator MMA this Saturday, it is putting its best foot forward in the heads up battle with the UFC, which includes the final fight of Fedor Emelianenko’s legendary career, along with the sendoff “The Last Emperor” will receive. On an all-new edition...

Fedor Emelianenko’s greatness will be recognized by some of the greatest to ever do it. Following of the last fight of “The Last Emperor,” which takes place against heavyweight champion Ryan Bader this Saturday at Bellator 290 in Inglewood, Calif., Emelianenko will be honored with a special ceremony on fight night that has an illustrious guest list, which includes legends Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Chuck Liddell and more.

After taking a week off, the UFC is back and, for the first time in 2023, so is Bellator! UFC Vegas 68 takes place late on Saturday and is headlined by a heavyweight title between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak. But before that, all-time great Fedor Emelianenko makes the final walk of his career, challenging Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title at Bellator 290. As always, the No Bets Barred boys are back, covering all the best betting angles for both cards.

Saturday marks the end of one era as heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko makes his last appearance in the cage – and the beginning of another as Bellator makes its broadcast TV debut. Emelianenko rematches heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in his retirement fight, hoping to go out on a high...

Ahead of the final mixed martial arts bout of his legendary career, Fedor Emelianenko has no regrets not competing inside the UFC’s octagon. Emelianenko will challenge Ryan Bader for the Bellator heavyweight title this Saturday at Bellator 290 in his swan song at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The event will be the promotion’s first to air on CBS network television.

The UFC is discussing a potential clash between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush for later this year, and “Benny’s” teammate Neiman Gracie likes Dariush’s chances against the jiu-jitsu ace. A member of the family that has founded Brazilian jiu-jitsu and created the UFC three decades ago,...

Derrick Lewis welcomes any opponent, but there’s one face he doesn’t want to see in the cage with him: Referee Dan Miragliotta. The veteran official has been the in-cage official for Lewis’ past two fights, which both ended in Lewis losing via knockout. This Saturday, Lewis fights Serghei Spivac in the main event of UFC Vegas 68 and he’s ready to protest if Miragliotta is assigned to his fight again.

For the final time in a legendary career that spans two decades, Fedor Emelianenko will make the walk to compete in an MMA fight. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel discusses the swan song for “The Last Emperor” when he faces Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title in the main event of Bellator 290, and the fight card as a whole which will serve as the Bellator debut on CBS. Additionally, topics include Dana White’s big announcement this past Friday regarding UFC 287, including Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 in the headliner, along with Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal at the April 8 event, Max Holloway’s return to the octagon against Arnold Allen at the UFC’s April 15 event, this Saturday’s UFC Vegas6 8 card headlined by Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac, and more.