MMA News
Breaking | Rose Namajunas has been forced out of UFC 249
Christopher Taylor - April 8, 2020
UFC 249 has taken a major hit as it is being reported that former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has been forced off of the April 18 fight card. Namajunas was slated to rematch Jessica Andrade in the co-headliner of UFC 249. However, according to a recent report from Combate, Rose has been forced to withdraw from the card due to undisclosed reasons.
VIDEO | Tyron Woodley gives his best Kamaru Usman impression
Natasha Hooper - April 8, 2020
Firstly a fighter, secondly a rapper, and now an actor, Tyron Woodley debuted his impersonating skills by giving his best Kamaru Usman impression. In a clip shared by ESPN, “The Chosen One” mocked the softly spoken welterweight champion. Watch the full clip below:
Conor McGregor proclaims himself "the greatest," sneaks in a shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
Conor McGregor is not only a fighter, but a fight fan as well. The former two-division UFC champ often takes to social media to weigh in on the latest MMA action or praise fighters from generations past. On Wednesday, McGregor took to Twitter, where he expressed his admiration for the signature moves of some of MMA’s greatest fighters: Ronda Rousey’s armbar, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s high kick, Dan Henderson’s “H-Bomb” — you get the picture.
Dustin Poirier suggests welterweight fight with Dan Hooker on private island
Adam Martin - April 8, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier is down to scrap rival Dan Hooker in a welterweight bout — and on a private island, to boot. UFC president Dana White announced this week that the promotion is going to have its next four fights at an undisclosed location (since revealed to be Tachi Palace), and then hold weekly fights on a private island after that. Poirier vs. Hooker was set to headline UFC San Diego on May 16, which was the fifth upcoming card on the UFC schedule. That means it could be the first event that would take place on White’s private island.
Cris Cyborg says her next fight may be in boxing
Adam Martin - April 8, 2020
Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg says she is considering taking a boxing match for her next fight and not an MMA fight. Cyborg is coming off of a destructive win over Julia Budd in Bellator that saw her claim the promotion’s women’s 145lbs belt. It was the fourth major title of Cyborg’s incredible MMA career, having been a former champion in the UFC, Strikeforce and in Invicta FC.
Dana White drops timeframe for UFC fights on 'private island'
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
UFC President Dana White is determined to keep his international fighters busy during the coronavirus pandemic. The obvious obstacle he faces is getting those fighters to their fights amid the growing travel restrictions associated with the pandemic. Earlier this week, White surprised the sports world when he announced his planned solution to this issue: he’s working on securing a “private island” where he will allegedly be able to promote fights.
Dana White responds to reports of UFC 249 happening at Tachi Palace Casino
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
On Tuesday night, the New York Times reported that UFC 249, which has been without an official location for several weeks, will go down at the Tachi Palace Casino on tribal land in California. UFC President Dana White refuses to confirm that report, insisting that all that matters is that the card will be viewable on ESPN. “We’re going to be live from ESPN,” White told ESPN Get Up! host Mike Greenberg when asked where UFC 249 will occur. “It doesn’t matter where it is. First of all, no fans can come. You can’t come to the fight, you can’t buy a ticket. The only place to watch this in the United States is on ESPN and that’s the only thing that matters.
Ali Abdelaziz calls Conor McGregor "a jealous prostitute"
Adam Martin - April 8, 2020
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz called UFC superstar Conor McGregor “a jealous prostitute” for the recent comments he made about Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor has been at the forefront of MMA’s battle against the coronavirus, posting updates on the regular about what’s going on in his native Ireland and instructing fans to stay vigilant and continue to wash their hands. However, McGregor was labeled a hypocrite for his recent comments about Nurmagomedov not wanting to fight Tony Ferguson, and now Nurmagomedov’s manager Abdelaziz has come after him for those remarks.
CSAC vows not to participate in UFC 249
Harry Kettle - April 8, 2020
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has vowed not to participate in or regulate the upcoming UFC 249 event on April 18. There’s been a great deal of speculation over where exactly the UFC would hold the blockbuster event, with it now being reported that it will be held on tribal land in California. The card is set to be headlined by Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje for the Interim Lightweight Championship.
List of UFC's coronavirus-related precautions for UFC 249 revealed
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
Dana White and the UFC will go ahead with the UFC 249 card despite the coronavirus pandemic. The event will go down at the Tachi Palace Casino on tribal land in California on April 18. Given the current global health crisis, the UFC will promote this event and any future pandemic-era shows while adhering to a list of important precautions. Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports obtained those precautions, and Bloody Elbow converted them into a nice, reader-friendly list.
Pro fighters name the strawweight GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 8, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current fighters to ask who the strawweight GOAT is. For many, it still is Joanna Jedrzejczyk but Rose Namajunas is right there.
Brendan Schaub is “proud” of the UFC for proceeding with UFC 249
Harry Kettle - April 8, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has said that he is proud of the UFC for going ahead with the controversial UFC 249 event. Over the course of the last few weeks, there’s been a layer of uncertainty surrounding the future of UFC 249 – and understandably so. From Khabib Nurmagomedov being unable to fight all the way through to Justin Gaethje replacing him, the coronavirus pandemic had seemingly put an end to any hope of this event taking place.
Report | UFC 249 set for Tribal Land in California
Cole Shelton - April 7, 2020
It appears the UFC has found the location for UFC 249 and it will be on Tribal Land in California. Although Dana White said he would be securing a private island, UFC 249 will not be happening out at sea. Instead, according to a report from Jeff Sherwood and later confirmed by the New York Times, UFC 249 will take place at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort on Tribal Land in California. It will also serve as the location for the next several UFC events.
Urijah Faber not ruling out another fight, mentions Frankie Edgar and Pedro Munhoz as opponents
Adam Martin - April 7, 2020
UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber says he is not officially retired and he would consider taking another fight in the Octagon under the right circumstances. Faber last competed at UFC 245 in December where he suffered a vicious knockout loss to Petr Yan. It was Faber’s second fight back after a short-lived retirement, having knocked out Ricky Simon in his comeback fight. But the Yan knockout loss was a huge setback for Faber and the way he lost led to some suggesting he should hang his gloves back up.
Justin Gaethje says he has "18 to 19 minutes of pure hell" for Tony Ferguson at UFC 249
Cole Shelton - April 7, 2020
Justin Gaethje knows he won’t be able to go a full 25 minutes against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, but is confident he’ll earn a stoppage win. On Monday it was announced that Gaethje was stepping in on short notice against Ferguson on April 18 for the UFC’s interim lightweight title. The news came as a surprise to many, as “The Highlight” has opted against taking short-notice fights in the past. However, fighting for the belt was too big of a opportunity to pass up on.
Jessica Eye credits Billie Eilish's music and personality as motivation
Mike Pendleton - April 7, 2020
The sports and entertainment world always seem to mix, and in combat sports, fighters can truly show another side of themselves by the music they choose to walk out to. At UFC 245, flyweight Jessica Eye walked out too ‘You Should See Me In A Crown’ by Billie Eilish, and that was a message being sent to the entire division, but it was also much more than that. During her interview with BJPENN.com, Eye discussed why she chose that song for her walkout, how she got introduced to Eilish’s music, and how Eilish as an artist is a motivation not only for Eye’s career, but her personal life as well.
Justin Gaethje reveals current weight, plans to be over 170lbs at UFC 249
Christopher Taylor - April 7, 2020
Justin Gaethje came to the rescue of fight fans around the world by accepting a short-notice contest with Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18. Ferguson was originally slated to challenge undefeated lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov at the event. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ‘The Eagle’ was left grounded in Russia.
Dominick Cruz ready to step in and fight Henry Cejudo at UFC 250
Natasha Hooper - April 7, 2020
The former bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz is preparing for a title shot against Henry Cejudo at UFC 250. The upcoming UFC 250 card on Saturday 9 May was expected to headline Cejudo’s first title defense against Jose Aldo. The event was scheduled to take place in the title challenger’s home country of Brazil.