MMA News
UFC legend Mark Coleman praises Khamzat Chimaev: “I think he fights for a long time”
Adam Martin - October 15, 2020
UFC heavyweight legend Mark Coleman praised top prospect Khamzat Chimaev, saying that he believes Chimaev has a long career in MMA. Coleman is one of the greatest heavyweight MMA fighters of all time and he knows a thing-or-two about the art of ground-and-pound. Coleman, after all, is considered along with Tito Ortiz as the pioneers of GNP, with “The Hammer” also going by the nickname “The Godfather of Ground and Pound.” One of Chimaev’s top moves is to take his opponents down and beat them up, and it looks like the legend Coleman has taken notice.
Georges St-Pierre vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov has a "50 percent chance" of happening according to coach
Cole Shelton - October 15, 2020
Georges St-Pierre vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov has a 50 percent chance of happening according to St-Pierre’s coach, Firas Zahabi. For quite some time, St-Pierre and Nurmagomedov have been linked to fighting one another. However, the UFC didn’t want to book it in case “GSP” won and walked away with the belt. Yet, with Nurmagomedov saying he will retire at 30-0, Zahabi says if the undefeated Russian beats Justin Gaethje he thinks the fight could happen.
James Vick released from the UFC, already in talks with multiple other promotions
Cole Shelton - October 15, 2020
James Vick’s time as a UFC fighter is now over. TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter was first to report the news that Vick has been released from the promotion.
Modestas Bukauskas expects to make "a big statement" by finishing Jimmy Crute in the second round
Cole Shelton - October 15, 2020
Modestas Bukauskas knows people were surprised when it was revealed he would be fighting Jimmy Crute. Bukauskas and Crute are two of the best up and coming prospects at light heavyweight and given the need for new blood, many figured they would both fight veterans. However, at UFC Fight Island 6, they will be fighting one another. According to the Lithuanian, it is due to the fact several fighters had turned down Crute so he stepped up to the plate.
Khamzat Chimaev sizes up Darren Till as a potential opponent
Tom Taylor - October 15, 2020
Khamzat Chimaev has shared his thoughts on a potential showdown with ranked middleweight contender Darren Till. Till is currently ranked far above Chimaev. The British striking specialist has a spot in the middleweight division’s top-5, while the Chechen prospect is not yet ranked at middleweight or welterweight—the two divisions he competes in.
Joaquin Buckley shares funny encounter with St. Louis police officer after going viral
Adam Martin - October 15, 2020
UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley shared a funny encounter with a St. Louis police officer after going viral on the internet in the last week. Buckley became an overnight celebrity with his incredible spinning back kick KO over Impa Kasanganay at last weekend’s UFC Fight Island 5 card. The KO went viral and was even picked up by rapper Kanye West. Buckley was not well known coming into the fight, with his other lone appearance in the UFC being a KO loss to Kevin Holland. But with the win over Kasanganay, Buckley is now one of the most talked-about fighters in the sport today.
Martin Nguyen vows to be the "best version" of himself against Thanh Le
Tom Taylor - October 15, 2020
ONE Championship featherweight titleholder Martin Nguyen says he’ll be better than ever when he steps into the cage with streaking challenger Thanh Le on October 30. The bout will be Nguyen’s first since August, 2019, and the champion is unsurprisingly very excited to get back into the cage—particularly when so many athletes are unable to compete during the coronavirus pandemic.
Darren Till trolls Khamzat Chimaev on Instagram
Tom Taylor - October 15, 2020
Top-5 UFC middleweight contender Darren Till has taken to Instagram to troll surging prospect Khamzat Chimaev. Till is currently scheduled to take on Jack Hermansson on December 5. While that fight is at the forefront of his focus, he recently admitted that he’d be willing to fight Chimaev after the fact.
Scott Coker says Fedor Emelianenko is "50/50" on a rematch with Fabricio Werdum
Adam Martin - October 15, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker says that heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko is “50/50” on whether he wants a rematch with Fabricio Werdum. It’s been over 10 years since Werdum pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history when he finished Emelianenko by submission in a Strikeforce fight in June 2010. Werdum would parlay that win over Emelianenko into a UFC contract, where he eventually became the promotion’s champion. As for Emelianenko, he was very up-and-down during the 2010s after being the fighter of the decade in the 2000s. In recent years, Emelianenko has found a home in Bellator, whose promoter Scott Coker is also close friends with Werdum.
Opening odds released for Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
Adam Martin - October 15, 2020
The opening odds have been released for the upcoming UFC bantamweight title fight between champion Petr Yan and challenger Aljamain Sterling. The UFC officially announced this week that Yan will make his first title defense against Sterling in the co-main event of UFC 256, which takes place on December 12. Sterling has been waiting for his title shot even since submitting Cory Sandhagen back at UFC 250 in June, while Yan is fresh off of a vicious fifth-round TKO win over Jose Aldo to win the belt.
Khamzat Chimaev reacts to potential Neil Magny bout
Tom Taylor - October 15, 2020
Khamzat Chimaev has reacted to the buzz surrounding a potential fight with long-time UFC welterweight contender Neil Magny. Chimaev was the breakout UFC star of summer, 2020. The Chechen-Swede first picked up two wins in the span of 10 days on Fight Island in July, defeating John Phillips by first-round submission and Rhys McKee by first-round TKO, then picked up his third win of the season when he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 11, also in the first round.
The Chatri Sityodtong story: Suffering, sacrifice and success
bjpenndotcom - October 15, 2020
The life story of ONE Championship’s charismatic Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is one that has been covered extensively by media all around the world. It’s one of the most inspiring tales of triumph over adversity and hardship, and perseverance despite overwhelming odds.
Pro fighters make their picks for Brian Ortega vs. Korean Zombie
Cole Shelton - October 15, 2020
In the main event of UFC Fight Island 6, Brian Ortega is returning to the Octagon after nearly two years away to battle Chan Sung Jung aka “the Korean Zombie.” Heading into the fight, Ortega is a +160 underdog while Jung is a -200 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The majority believe Korean Zombie will eventually land the knockout punch as the pros are worried about ring rust on Ortega’s side.
Joe Rogan expects Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. to go for KO despite "exhibition" label
Tom Taylor - October 15, 2020
Joe Rogan believes Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. will be looking for the knockout when they step into the ring together. Tyson and Jones, two legends of the boxing world, are expected to meet in a massive exhibition bout on November 28. Because this fight is an exhibition, neither man is supposed to be gunning for a knockout.
UFC 254: ‘Khabib vs Gaethje’ fight card receives shakeup following the removal of Islam Makhachev
Harry Kettle - October 15, 2020
The UFC 254 card has been hit by a late change as the Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael dos Anjos fight has been officially called off. Many fans were excited to see Makhachev get back into the cage and attempt to extend his current winning streak at UFC 254, but he won’t be doing so on Fight Island after it was announced that the aforementioned dos Anjos was pulled from the card as a result of a positive COVID-19 test.
Conor McGregor returns to boyhood football club in Ireland after funding clubhouse renovations
Harry Kettle - October 15, 2020
UFC star Conor McGregor made an appearance at Lourdes Celtic Football Club after assisting in their clubhouse renovation. There has been a great deal of speculation surrounding the future of McGregor as of late with the man himself confirming that he has accepted a fight against Dustin Poirier in January 2021.
Gillian Robertson expects to submit Poliana Botelho: "It’s no secret what my game plan is"
Cole Shelton - October 14, 2020
Gillian Robertson currently holds the most wins in the UFC’s flyweight division as well as the most submission wins by a woman in UFC history and thus she is looking to build off that at UFC Fight Island 6. Robertson got back into the win column with a submission win over Cortney Casey last time. Following the win, many expected the Canadian to get a ranked opponent next, but that wasn’t the case.
Anthony Johnson slams Paulo Costa over recent comments regarding his return to UFC
Christopher Taylor - October 14, 2020
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson has issued a scathing response to recent middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa. Costa (13-1 MMA) put his undefeated mixed martial arts record on the line while hoping to dethrone middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (20-0 MMA) at last months UFC 253 pay-per-view event on Fight Island.