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MMA fighters are helping out Stephan Bonnar and his family.

Stephan Bonnar recently “lost everything” in a house fire, but members of the MMA community have been trying to help the UFC Hall of Famer get back to his feet.

A GoFundMe page was initially started for Bonnar’s wife, but as it was shared on social media, several fighters and MMA personalities have also pitched in to help the UFC veteran.

Tyron Woodley is the top donor so far, donating $ 4000 and helping the fundraiser exceed their goal of raising $ 10,000. The former welterweight champion also spread the word on twitter, reminding people that without Bonnar and his iconic bout with Forrest Griffin, the UFC wouldn’t be what it is today.

“@StephenBonnar NEEDS US!! Donate now!! He kept the @ufc alive sacrificing his body vs @ForrestGriffin,” Woodley wrote.

Former WEC champion Steve Cantwell was also one of the top donors, giving out $ 1,500 to aid Bonnar. Other MMA figures such as Chael Sonnen, Jon Anik, and Don Frye were also listed to have made donations.

“As shitty as losing ur house & memories is I’m not the type to ask for anything. Unbeknownst to me, someone in my wife’s FB group opened a gofundme.. it was a few hundred this morning & went to $ 5k in a few minutes, mostly cuz of @twooodley,” Bonnar wrote about the donation. “I only met Tyron a few times, and this just blew me away. Thanks to everyone who gave & huge God bless to Tyron.. Wow! You’re a great dude, much love bro!”

As of this writing, the GoFundMe page already raised $ 11,000, surpassing the initial goal of $ 10,000.

Bonnar is being credited for being one of the key players that “saved” the UFC, as the promotion’s popularity skyrocketed after his classic TUF 1 Finale match against Forrest Griffin. The 44-year-old retired back in 2014 with a 15-9 MMA record.

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Combat Sports stars Ronda Rousey and Logan Paul were featured in key matches at WrestleMania 38.

This weekend didn’t have a major UFC or MMA event, but a couple of popular fighters were featured in WrestleMania 38. Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey made her WWE return, taking on Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown women’s title. Social media influencer turned boxer Logan Paul also made his pro wrestling debut, pairing up with The Miz to take on Rey and Dominik Mysterio.

Paul, who had an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather last year, switched to pro wrestling, and actually impressed on his debut. Watch some highlights below, where Paul pulled off some interesting moves.

Paul won match, but was double crossed by his tag-team partner. Here’s a couple of reactions to his debut:

Rousey took on Charlotte Flair, and was able to tap her multiple times with her trademark armbar. But the referee was knocked out, and Flair was able to turn the tables and defend her title. Here’s highlights from the match:

Daniel Cormier and a former rival tweeted support for the former UFC champion after:

Here are more fighter reactions to the event:

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The former light heavyweight champion has had his share of run-ins, with both the UFC and the law, but it sounds like he expects to return to the Octagon soon.

It’s been a rough couple years for Jon Jones fans. The longest reigning light heavyweight champion in the promotion’s history has spent the last 24+ months watching fights from the sidelines (when he hasn’t been in a police holding cell). And that’s coming on the heels of two widely disputed title defenses, against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes.

The real driving force of all this time away from fighting, however, hasn’t been legal trouble, or competitive woes—but instead an ongoing contract battle with the UFC. Jones has been teasing a move to the heavyweight division for years now. Following his victory over Dominick Reyes, he told fans he was ready to make it a reality. Provided, of course, that the UFC was willing to pay him big money for the added risk.

To date, at least, that willingness hasn’t been forthcoming from the world’s largest MMA promotion.

Whether or not Jones actually get the big payday he’s been looking for in his heavyweight debut, at the very least it sounds like ‘Bones’ is getting set to return to action sometime in the not too distant future.

Dana White may like to tell fighters that “you don’t sit around and wait for fights,” but the move may just pay off for Jones. With Francis Ngannou sidelined by injury, and his own contract dispute, the UFC is now looking at the possibility of creating (another) interim heavyweight title. And as White recently revealed ESPN, those plans could easily include Jones.

“Not until we know what Francis is gonna do or what’s gonna happen,” White said of the idea of creating another interim title, “but if that’s the case, if he ends up sitting out for a year, Jon could come right in and fight for a title.”

May just be that fans will see Jones fighting for UFC gold once again, in a whole new weight division, sometime later this year.

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Footage from the dictator’s Telegram feed showed Abuzayed Vismuradov rallying troops prior to being deployed to fight in Ukraine.

Abuzayed Vismuradov, the man in charge of Ramzan Kadyrov’s Akhmat MMA fight club, is overseeing the latest batch of troops being deployed to fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine.

Vismuradov, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2018 for “extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights,” can be seen rallying Kadyrov’s troops alongside Magomed “Lord” Daudov, the president of Kadyrov’s FC Akhmat football club.

The footage can be viewed here.

Known by his nom de guerre, Patriot, Vismuradov is considered to be one of the three most powerful men in Chechnya. His position of influence was attained through fierce loyalty to Kadyrov. Vismuradov, a member of Kadyrov’s clan (via paternal blood tie), went to the same school as Kadyrov and later fought alongside him during the Chechen wars. Since Ramzan’s rise to power, Patriot has commanded Chechnya’s Special Forces, the Terek Special Rapid Response Team, as well as Kadyrov’s private security detail – a national security trifecta that makes him indispensable to Kadyrov’s government.

While Vismuradov is one of the most dangerous men in Chechnya, he also happens to be an influential figure in the world of mixed martial arts. Vismuradov is responsible for thousands of Chechen athletes who train at the Akhmat MMA facility and played a significant role in expanding relations between the fight club and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was even pictured alongside UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby during the UFC’s debut event in Moscow several years ago.

The Akhmat MMA fight club, which was founded in 2015, consists of an MMA promotion and several training facilities throughout Chechnya and various other post-Soviet states. The fight club is sponsored by Kadyrov himself through his government’s budget and bears the name of Kadyrov’s father, Akhmad Kadyrov. Fighters who are signed to the fight club’s official roster are paid monthly stipends that cover medical expenses, training costs, and travel fees. Depending on the level of success achieved, fighters are also gifted with expensive cars and other ostentatious goods.

While a handful of Kadyrov’s fighters have managed to join the UFC and other fight leagues, many of those who do not become professional fighters are funneled into Kadyrov’s private army instead.

Considering that Vismuradov is supposed to be in charge of Kadyrov’s fight club, his involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine emphasizes the link between sports and politics within Chechnya and confirms that the Akhmat MMA fight club is an extension of Kadyrov’s tyrannical government.

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Lightweight Renato Moicano wants another seasoned veteran for his next outing in the Octagon.

After facing former champion Rafael dos Anjos on short notice, lightweight Renato Moicano is looking for a quick rebound and even has a name in mind.

Only a month removed from his heavy loss to ‘RDA’, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt now has his sights set on another veteran of the Octagon in Bobby Green. However, Renato wants the money to be right when the time to renew his contract comes.

Just two fights away from finishing his current contract, Moicano told Combate he will do anything in his power to score a better deal with the organization next time. In fact, if possible, the Brazilian will even try to earn a bigger purse before his agreement is up.

“I have two fights left on my contract. One more win and we’ll ask for more money. At the end of the day, that’s what matters. The dream of becoming a champion is nice, but it doesn’t pay the bills. The dream alone doesn’t. I want to become champion, but my goal at the moment is to make money. Have enough of it to support me. Invest, study and make the money work for me. That’s the main goal. Of course, I want to be champion, but that doesn’t pay the bills. My main goal is to make money and get better along the way.”

Whether or not Moicano will be able to have wish of making more money granted, one thing is sure for the Brazilian. He would love to take on veteran Green next, given that both men and well-known, out of the rankings and recently fought at the same show.

“We both had tough fights on the same night. So it’s the same waiting time for the both of us. We’re out of the rankings, but we’ve had great showings. It’s a fight that makes sense and I want to take advantage of his hype, too. It’s a winnable fight. I’m better everywhere. I want a main event and I want to put my name on the top. I want to show the UFC I’m ready for anybody. The good guys and the bad guys. I want to go back in June or August. I’m going back to the United States on April 8th. I’ve been training lightly getting back on my routine. I’m starting to feel annoyed that I don’t have a routine. Human beings are so annoying, we’re always complaining. Meanwhile, I’m trying to learn new things. Pick some capoeira, maybe some tae kwon do.”

Before the unanimous decision loss to Dos Anjos, Moicano (16-5-1) was on a two-fight winning streak, with submission wins over both Jai Herbert and Alexander Hernandez, respectively in June 2021 and February 2022.

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Fighters to keep an eye on in the UFC’s women’s flyweight division.

Valentina Shevchenko won the vacant UFC women’s flyweight title in December 2018. She has defended that title six times. The UFC has targeted the 34-year-old champ for a title defense against the No. 4 ranked Taila Santos at UFC 275. Santos, who is 28, is 19-1 overall and 4-1 in the UFC with victories in her past four outings. She earned her title shot with a November submission win over Joanne Wood. If Shevchenko defeats Santos for her seventh title defense, there are several up-and-coming fighters who look like they could become future title challengers.

When Alexa Grasso debuted with the UFC, she was 8-0 and heavily hyped, perhaps too heavily hyped. Grasso, who was a 23-year-old strawweight, impressed in her first fight under the promotional banner, defeating Heather Jo Clark via unanimous decision. The UFC, perhaps wanting to make Grasso, who was born in Guadalajara, a focus of the promotion in Mexico, pushed her into a co-main event on a Texas card in her next outing. Things did not go well in that fight and Grasso, who was a -315 favorite, lost a decision to Felice Herrig, who entered the bout as a +245 underdog.

Grasso was up and down over her next four fights, going 2-2, beating both Randa Markos and Karolina Kowalkiewicz by decision, but losing to Tatiana Suarez (submission) and former champ Carla Esparza by decision.

With a 3-3 record in the UFC, Grasso was unranked when she moved up to flyweight to face the No. 14 ranked Ji Yeon Kim in August 2020. Grasso won that fight by decision. Her next outing came in February 2021 when she faced No. 10 ranked Maycee Barber. Grasso, who was No. 15 in the division entering that contest, won that contest via decision.

After the Barber win, UFC president Dana White hinted that perhaps the UFC had expected too much of the younger version of Grasso.

“We thought she was going to be the Ronda Rousey of Mexico, you know what I mean? She had a couple of speed bumps in her career but boy she’s on point now,” said White. “Her punching is crisp and clean, and the distance that she kept, she couldn’t look any more perfect tonight going against an absolute savage (in Barber).”

When Grasso stepped into the Octagon at UFC Columbus, she was 28 and had moved up to the No. 9 ranking in the division. Her opponent on that night was No. 7 ranked Joanne Wood, who the UFC had once booked to fight for the UFC women’s flyweight crown.

Grasso, who has mostly been touted for her striking, earned the first stoppage win of her UFC career — and first career submission victory — forcing Wood to tap to a rear-naked choke in the first round.

When the UFC updated its official rankings following the Columbus card, Grasso rose to the No. 5 spot, where she finds herself behind Jessica Andrade, Katlyn Chookagian, Lauren Murphy and Santos.

When asked if she thought her three consecutive wins were enough to get here a title shot, Grasso said, “I hope so, because I see girls in my division usually have four wins in a row. Let’s do this. I’ll be ready for whatever the UFC brings to me because I work so hard.”

Before Grasso’s win in Columbus, another flyweight earned a noteworthy victory on the prelims of the Columbus card. That fighter was Manon Fiorot. The 32-year-old opened her UFC career with two second-round TKO wins. Fiorot went the distance in her next outing, earning a decision win over Mayra Bueno Silva.

Fiorot entered the octagon in Columbus as the No. 13 ranked flyweight. She was a massive -475 favorite over former title challenger Jennifer Maia, who checked in at No. 4 in the division and as a +350 underdog.

Fiorot swept Maia on the scorecards, earning 30-27 nods from each of three judges.

I liked what I saw from Fiorot in her win over Silva, but I also noted, “Fiorot needs to work on mixing up her striking choices and timing if she wants to avoid getting countered when she faces top-level competition. Fiorot is good, but she is a work in progress.”

She did better with her striking against Maia, but she relies a great deal on her kicks, which could be an issue for her against opponents who can time those kicks for takedowns. With that being said, Fiorot used her jab effectively and she is becoming a more complete fighter as she progresses through the ranks of the flyweight division.

Fiorot’s win over Maia moved her a whopping six spots up the rankings to No. 7, where she is still one spot below Maia, who fell to the No. 6 position.

Fresh blood is welcome in the flyweight division. Of the top seven fighters in the women’s 125-pound weight class, Shevchenko has victories over four of those women (Andrade, Chookagian, Maia and Murphy.) Don’t be surprised to see Grasso and Fiorot, if they can pick up another win or two, booked to fight for the title in the near future.

As for other fighters on the rise in the division, there is No. 13 ranked Casey O’Neill and No. 15 ranked Erin Blanchfield.

The 24-year-old O’Neill is 9-0 (4-0 UFC) and coming off a decision win over Roxanne Modafferi. O’Neill impressed in that win, using high striking output — she landed 230 of 390 total strikes — and connected on 58 percent of her significant strikes, to outclass Modafferi in that contest.

Blanchfield, who is younger than O’Neill by two years, is 2-0 in the UFC and 8-1 overall. She is coming off a decision win over Miranda Maverick at UFC 269. Blanchfield was an underdog in that matchup, a scrap she dominated via her grappling skills. The young fighter scored on seven of eight takedown attempts and had 12 minutes of control time in the 15-minute contest while landing 23 of 27 significant ground strike attempts.

The UFC has O’Neill booked opposite former title challenger and No. 12 ranked contender Jessica Eye at UFC 276. Blanchfield does not have a fight scheduled.

It’s always fascinating to see what happens in a weight division when fighters have been solely focused on a single dominant champion for most of their careers. The women who are making their way up the UFC’s flyweight rankings in 2022 are in that position with Shevchenko. When a situation like this arises — think Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson and Jon Jones — things can get very interesting.

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Chandler doubts Ferguson is on the decline after three consecutive losses. 

Michael Chandler says a three-fight losing streak is not indicative of a decline, so ‘Iron’ expects to share the Octagon with the best version of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274.

Heralded as one of the greatest fighters in the lightweight division, Ferguson has hit a snag in his career. The one-time UFC interim champion suffered three consecutive losses to Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush in recent appearances. His performance in those fights have since sparked a debate on his standing as a legitimate threat, with many believing his best days are now behind him.

Chandler has refuted that notion, telling Damon Martin of MMA Fighting that Ferguson has only lost to the upper echelon of the division, and the caliber of the opponent should weigh more than the number of losses.

“I would say his track record thus far would indicate that maybe he has lost a step, but you can’t just look at records and say, ‘Well, he’s lost his last three fights,’” said Chandler. “Those guys that you just mentioned, Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Beneil Dariush, these are the top guys in the world. When we’re fighting up there in the top of the division, doing this round-robin against the best guys on the planet at 155 pounds, you’re going to win some, you’re going to lose some and every now and then, you’re going to lose a couple in a row just like I have.

“Have I lost a step because I lost two in row? Dropped one to Charles Oliveira and one to Justin Gaethje? I don’t know, it remains to be seen,” continued Chandler. “But I will say this, we’re fighting the best guys in the world. I think any of us inside that top five, top seven could fight anyone else on any given night and become the world champion. That’s how close a lot of these guys are.”

One of the reasons why Ferguson is considered to be diminishing as a fighter is because of the damage he has sustained in his past fights. The 38-year-old was battered by Gaethje on the feet and controlled by Oliveira and Dariush on the ground, but Chandler sees no reason to completely count him out yet.

“You go back to the Justin Gaethje fight, obviously Tony took a lot of damage there,” said Chandler. “But then I will say from a damage standpoint, he did get dominated by Oliveira, I think he got beat pretty bad by Dariush, but he didn’t take a ton of damage, which is great for Tony. But yeah, when you talk about fighting me, I’m slinging leather and I’m trying to separate you from consciousness. I am trying to do maximum amount of damage with every single punch and kick that I throw.

“I think it’s a recipe for Tony Ferguson having a pretty rough night. It’s a recipe for me going out there, getting a finish or putting on a dominant performance, but you can never count Tony out. He is a scary, scary man. He doesn’t really have an off switch. Even Justin Gaethje couldn’t really shut the off switch off. He was still conscious, he was still moving. Tony Ferguson is just that dude.”

Chandler has high expectations for his fight with Ferguson, who he was supposed to be booked against for his highly anticipated debut over a year ago. Now that it is just a few weeks away, the 35-year-old sees himself snapping a two-fight losing streak and returning to the win column.

“It doesn’t matter if Tony Ferguson is on a 10-fight win streak or a 10-fight loss streak, I am preparing like he is Superman,” said Chandler. “I am preparing like he’s the best Tony Ferguson we’ve ever seen. And all I can control is going out there and getting my hand raised. I think Tony Ferguson is the perfect opponent to do that and get myself on the winning track and continue to trot forward toward the title.”

UFC 274 is headlined by a lightweight championship fight between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.

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Kara-France recently talked about encountering one of the people that bullied him in high school, and put him on the path to mixed martial arts success.

Kai Kara-France has truly shed his ‘dark horse’ status to become a UFC title contender. The City Kickboxing flyweight first entered the Octagon back in 2018 as something of a highly experienced journeyman. A holdover from a seemingly doomed TUF season that came right as the UFC appeared to be abandoning the flyweight division altogether.

Fortunately for him, and despite a few bumps in the road along the way, the UFC reversed course on their plans to kill off his weight class—giving Kara-France the chance to put together a fantastic three fight run that should have him fighting for gold sometime in 2022.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour, the 29-year-old recalled the start of his long journey in martial arts. Notably a the bullying he went through in high school that pushed him toward a career in fighting.

“That’s the story of my life, though, Just being the underdog,” Kara France said, reflecting on his recent run of success. “If you follow my journey, people know that I started this sport because I used to get bullied. I used to be the smallest and vulnerable, shy kid in class that—I guess I was timid and people saw that as a target. So that at one point, I didn’t go back to high school, because I was getting beaten up every day. I was about 12-13, and that’s when I walked into a gym to get more, I guess, confidence in myself and to learn, obviously, some self defense. And I just stuck at it.

“It wasn’t for anyone else. I wasn’t in the gym to get attention or to, ‘Look at this guy, he’s a fighter now!’ I did it for myself, because the personal growth I was getting from it, that’s what I fell in love with.

“And eventually I just stuck at it,” he continued. “Had my first pro fight when I was 17. I only had two amateur fights, but there was no one else to fight. So it was just, like, either sink or swim. And I won by headkick knockout. And then the next day I had my exams in high school. So I was fighting grown men, but I was just a young boy. And then, yeah, just stuck at it, bro.

“That’s the thing about this fight game, it’s not the guys that are the best in the gym or are the most aggressive or most violent. It’s the guys that stick to this, and eventually find their feet; that, after the losses, still come back to the gym, still get better. Eventually it all will work out, but you gotta just ride it out. Even if things aren’t working out—or they are—you go on to the next thing. You just evolve and get better and adapt. And if you’re faced with adversity, or you have to go through a rough patch, just ride it out and eventually it’s all gonna work out.”

Kara-France added that he even just recently re-encountered one of his high school bullies, who’s now cheering him on from the sidelines.

“I didn’t go for a week,” Kara-France told Helwani speaking of having to leave school due to bullying. “Obviously, I had all these bruises on me and, yeah, was in a tough spot, man. I remember getting full nelson-ed in the bathroom and then just bullies body-shotting me in the bathroom.

“And this was just, like, a normal thing. Just because I was small, and they thought, you know, ‘Let’s beat this guy up, he looks vulnerable. Obviously easy target.’ And obviously they had a lot of insecurities and shit going on in their lives.

“But, crazy story, I actually bumped into one of my bullies, like, not even four or five months ago,” Kara-France recounted. “I was just at a takeaway spot close to my house. And then this guy comes up to me and he’s like, ‘Hey Kai!’ And I was like, ‘Hey bro, do I know you?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, it’s me.’ I won’t say his name, but he’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s me, we went to high school together.’ I was like, ‘Oh shit, I didn’t recognize you at all.’ Because, obviously, it was more than 10 years ago.

“And he’s a tradie now, different life. But he was like, ‘I’ve been following your journey, bro! Big fan.’ And in my head I was just, ‘Bro, I should give you a hiding right now.’ But then I was like, ‘I should probably thank you, because you’re the reason why I started this. Here we are now. Life works out. You know, I’m one of the best fighters in the world now because of you.’”

Currently the New Zealand based fighter is awaiting the potential outcome of a fourth bout between flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno. Although both fighters took a chance to call him out after his win over Askarov, asking to fight Kara-France rather than face one another again. Whether that means he’ll be fighting for gold sooner than expected remains to be seen. Currently, Figueiredo vs. Moreno 4 has been penciled in for July, plenty of time for plans to change.

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UFC Hall of Famer and TUF 1 alum Stephan Bonnar reportedly lost all possessions after a recent fire burned down his Nevada home.

2021 was a difficult year for UFC Hall of Famer and TUF 1 alum Stephan Bonnar. Unfortunately for him and his family, 2022 isn’t getting any better.

On Thursday, TMZ reported that “The American Psycho” lost his Henderson, Nevada family home in a house fire on Monday afternoon. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze within an hour, while also evacuating all of the home’s inhabitants.

Bonnar’s wife Andrea reportedly wrote a post on her business’ Facebook page, stating “I am just jumping on to let you know our house burned today and we have lost everything.”

The Henderson Fire Department later released this statement to MMA Fighting:

“On March 28 at 2:40 p.m., the Henderson Fire Department responded to a house fire near Galleria Drive and Cadence Vista Drive. Upon arrival, flames and smoke were visible from the exterior of the home.

“Due to the high winds and condition of the fire, HFD upgraded their response to a 2-alarm fire. The fire was knocked down at 3:48 p.m. No transports or injuries were reported. 2 adults, one juvenile, and four dogs were displaced.”

The 44-year-old Bonnar (15-9) rose to recognition after his TUF 1 Finale barnburner with fellow Hall-of-Famer Forrest Griffin in 2005. It is the fight that’s believed to have helped catapult the sport to mainstream success.

Bonnar last saw action in 2014 against Tito Ortiz at Bellator 131 and lost via split decision. He then ventured into professional wrestling from 2017 to 2021, most notably under Impact Wrestling.

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It looks like ‘Big’ Ben’s 13-year UFC run has come to a sudden and unexpected end.

Ben Rothwell’s lengthy UFC career hasn’t come without its hiccups. A pair of drug test failures, one in 2013 and another in 2017, notably stalled his momentum as a potential top contender. That said, over 13 years and seventeen fights, ‘Big Ben’ has stood the test of time as one of the UFC’s most consistent heavyweight talents.

At least, he did up until March 31st, 2022.

Despite a planned bout against former light heavyweight title contender Alexander Gustafsson, booked for the upcoming May 21st UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira card, MMA Fighting reports that Rothwell has been released from the promotion. That news comes via a confirmation with UFC officials, following Rothwell’s removal from the organization’s website website.

No word yet on the exact circumstances of Rothwell’s release, neither the athlete nor his management have made public statements in regards to the news at this time.

The 40-year-old Roufusport talent is coming off a TKO loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima back in November of last year. That fight was Rothwell’s first knockout defeat since losing to Cain Velasquez back in 2009—in Rothwell’s UFC debut. It’s unclear at this time if the UFC will find a replacement opponent to keep Gustafsson on the May fight card.

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