MMA News
MMA icon Frank Shamrock backs Jon Jones as GOAT
Andrew Whitelaw - November 18, 2020
Frank Shamrock knows a thing or two about greatness in Martial Arts. He won the interim King of Pancrase title as well as belts in WEC and Strikeforce. He was also the first fighter to win the UFC middleweight championship (later known as light heavyweight.) There aren’t many people who’ve contributed more or have a deeper knowledge about Mixed Martial Arts than ‘The Legend.’ As debates about which MMA fighter is the GOAT right now continue to rage on, it’s interesting to hear his take.
Brandon Moreno "disappointed" he didn't get title shot, but plans for a "war" against Brandon Royval
Cole Shelton - November 18, 2020
Brandon Moreno believes he should be the one fighting for the UFC flyweight title at UFC 255. Originally, Deiveson Figueiredo was supposed to defend his belt against Cody Garbrandt. However, the former bantamweight champion had to pull out with an injury and it was Alex Perez who stepped in to fight for the belt.
Scott Coker says Rampage Jackson is now a free agent, Bellator committed to younger direction
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker says that Rampage Jackson was released from the promotion and is an unrestricted free agent. Jackson last fought at Bellator & RIZIN: Japan in December 2019 and he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko that night. Now 42 years old, we haven’t heard anything from Jackson all year in regards to fighting again for Bellator. That’s because according to Coker, the final fight on Jackson’s Bellator contract was the Emelianenko fight. With that final bout completed, Jackson’s contract with Bellator concluded and the promotion released him. He’s now free to sign anywhere else.
Chael Sonnen trashes Jon Jones amid renewed Daniel Cormier beef
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
Chael Sonnen absolutely trashed Jon Jones after the former light heavyweight champion dragged him into his renewed beef with Daniel Cormier on Wednesday. Jones and Cormier, two of the fiercest rivals in MMA history, have been jawing back and forth on Twitter for days. Unsurprisingly, Cormier ultimately pointed the finger at Jones over his previously issues with the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Khaos Williams explains how Jay-Z and Meek Mill inspire him
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
UFC welterweight prospect Khaos Williams explained how rappers Jay-Z and Meek Mill inspire him and got him through dark times in his life. Williams is one of the most promising young fighters in the UFC welterweight division. In his first fight in the UFC earlier this year, he knocked out Alex Morono in just 27 seconds. And then in his second UFC fights this past weekend, Williams brutally knocked out Abdul Razak Alhassan in just 30 seconds. Based on those fights, he looks like one of the top young fighters in the UFC welterweight division.
Misha Cirkunov vs. Ryan Spann added to UFC Vegas 17: Edwards vs. Chimaev
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
A light heavyweight bout between top-15 ranked contenders Misha Cirkunov and Ryan Spann has been added to UFC Vegas 17: Edwards vs. Chimaev. Marcel Dorff of MMA DNA was the first to break the news that Cirkunov vs. Spann will take place on the undercard of the upcoming UFC Vegas 17 card, which takes place on December 19 at the UFC Apex. The main event of the card is an intriguing five-round welterweight bout between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev.
UFC 255 | Pro fighters make their picks for Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Alex Perez title fight
Cole Shelton - November 18, 2020
In the main event of UFC 255, Deiveson Figueiredo is looking to defend his flyweight title for the first time when he battles Alex Perez. Heading into the fight, the champ is a -310 favorite while the American challenger is a +240 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The pros slightly lean towards Deiveson Figueiredo to get his hand raised and likely do so by a stoppage win.
"Wonderboy" shares theory about UFC's big push of Khamzat Chimaev
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has a theory about why the UFC is giving such a huge promotional push to rising contender Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev, who is now 3-0 in the UFC, is one of the most hyped fighters on the UFC roster at present, and has been rewarded with a massive fight against No. 3-ranked welterweight contender Leon Edwards.
Jan Blachowicz foresees "problems" for Israel Adesanya at light heavyweight
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz has sent a warning to UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Blachowicz is expected to defend his title against Adesanya sometime in the first quarter of the new year. Ahead of the fight, which will mark Blachowicz’s first title defense and Adesanya’s debut in the division, the light heavyweight champ has some words of caution for his rival.
Dana White: "Khabib's going to fight" again
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
UFC President Dana White firmly believes that unbeaten UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is going to fight again—despite his recent retirement announcement. Nurmagomedov last fought in the main event of UFC 254 in late October, when he defended the lightweight title with a second-round submission of Justin Gaethje, and pushed his record to 29-0 in the process.
Full betting odds released for UFC 255: Figueiredo vs. Perez
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
The full betting odds have been released for the 12 fights scheduled to take place at Saturday’s UFC 255: Figueiredo vs. Perez event. In the main event, UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo puts his belt on the line for the first time when he takes on Alex Perez. Figueiredo has won his last four fights in a row, including consecutive stoppage wins over Joseph Benavidez, while Perez has won three straight himself. The challenger earned his first UFC title shot and main event slot on short notice after filling in for the injured Cody Garbrandt.
Tony Ferguson suggests Michael Chandler has “already accepted another fight”
Harry Kettle - November 18, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has revealed that he’s been told Michael Chandler has accepted another fight. The animosity between these two elite fighters has been steadily growing as the weeks and months have gone on with Ferguson campaigning to fight Chandler before the end of the year. The former Bellator star, however, wants to wait it out and serve as the co-main event on the proposed Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier card in January.
Michael Chandler calls for Tony Ferguson fight as co-main to McGregor-Poirier
Cole Shelton - November 17, 2020
Michael Chandler is looking to fight Tony Ferguson in 2021. Chandler and Ferguson were first linked to a fight back at UFC 254. However, the former Bellator champ accused “El Cucuy” of turning him down. Ferguson then called for the fight to take place at UFC 256 which Chandler says will not happen. Instead, he believes it should happen as the co-main event to Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
UFC welterweight Jesse Ronson releases statement announces 20-month USADA suspension for failed drug test
Adam Martin - November 17, 2020
UFC welterweight Jesse Ronson released a statement where he revealed he has been suspended for 20 months by USADA for a failed drug test. Ronson defeated Nicholas Dalby by stoppage in his return to the Octagon this past summer on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. It was a huge upset for the former PFL fighter, who went 0-3 in his first stint with the UFC. The win over Dalby gave Ronson a very promising victory in his second UFC run and fans were excited to see what was next for him. Unfortunately, his next fight will be a long time coming.
Patricio Pitbull confident he would beat Alexander Volkanovski: "I'd sleep him in the first round"
Cole Shelton - November 17, 2020
Patricio Pitbull believes he would beat UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Pitbull is the current champ-champ in Bellator where he won the lightweight title with a 61-second KO over Michael Chandler. Ever since then, people started to pay attention to how legit he is.
Belal Muhammad calls out Nate Diaz: "Come try to get your number back"
Cole Shelton - November 17, 2020
Belal Muhammad is looking to score a fight with Nate Diaz. Muhammad, who is a fan-favorite, recently became ranked at welterweight after Rafael dos Anjos and Nate Diaz were removed. So, for Muhammad, he has called out the Stockton native for a fight to give Diaz a chance to get back his spot in the rankings.
Alex Perez plans to "make a statement" with stoppage win over Deiveson Figueiredo
Cole Shelton - November 17, 2020
Alex Perez expects to hear ‘And New’ by Bruce Buffer on Saturday night. In the main event of UFC 255, Perez is taking on flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo in a very intriguing matchup. Originally, the champ was supposed to take on Cody Garbrandt but due to an injury, Perez got the shot.
Jon Jones take a shot at Daniel Cormier after DC brings up PED issues in GOAT talks
Adam Martin - November 17, 2020
UFC great Jon Jones took a shot at rival Daniel Cormier after DC suggested Jones doesn’t belong in the GOAT discussion due to PED issues. Cormier, who himself is in the GOAT discussion, recently chimed in on the question that has been coming up a lot lately in MMA circles. After UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov improved to 29-0 with a win over Justin Gaethje, many including UFC president Dana White were quick to anoint him as the GOAT. Jones, who many consider being the best fighter ever, did not agree with that sentiment, and for the last few weeks he has sent out tweets explaining why he should be the GOAT over Nurmagomedov.