MMA News

Adam Martin - March 3, 2021

UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan believes Aljamain Sterling will run from him at UFC 259, suggesting he will have the gameplan of a mouse. Yan vs. Sterling is one of three title fights featured on this Saturday’s stacked UFC 259 card. Yan is coming off of a successful TKO victory over Jose Aldo to capture the vacant belt back at UFC 251 on Fight Island, while Sterling is coming off of a first-round submission over top contender Cory Sandhagen in his last fight. This matchup is very much a clash of styles, as Yan prefers to stand and trade on the feet, where he can unleash his wicked KO power, while Sterling prefers to go to the ground and submit his opponents. It makes this weekend’s 135lbs title fight a fascinating matchup and a tough one to predict.

Tom Taylor - March 3, 2021

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson is looking seriously slimmed-down ahead of his upcoming debut with Bellator MMA. Johnson retired after a loss to Daniel Cormier in 2017, but has since teased a comeback on numerous occasions. That comeback finally became official earlier this year, when he signed with Bellator to much fanfare.

Cole Shelton - March 3, 2021

In the first of three title fights on the stacked UFC 259 pay-per-view, Petr Yan is set to defend his bantamweight title for the first time. Heading into the fight, Yan is a -120 favorite with the comeback on the American at -110. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros are actually split on this one just like the odds have it as a pick’em fight.

Adam Martin - March 3, 2021

UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz says he expects to weigh between 215lbs and 220lbs when he fights Israel Adesanya at UFC 259. Adesanya is moving up to the UFC light heavyweight division for the first time in an attempt to become a rare double champion. “The Last Stylebender” has said that he plans on weighing around 193lbs come fight night, which would obviously make him one of the lightest light heavyweights in the division. Standing across from him on Saturday night will be Blachowicz, the reigning and defending UFC light heavyweight champion. And while Adesanya is two inches taller than him, there is going to be a major difference in weight.

Tom Taylor - March 3, 2021

The official UFC rankings have been updated after last Saturday’s UFC Vegas 20 card, and as always, there have been so big changes. Most notably, Ciryl Gane is now a top-5 heavyweight after beating Jairzinho Rozenstruik by decision in the card’s main event. Magomed Ankalaev also made a big climb in the light heavyweight rankings after he defeated Nikita Krylov by decision in the card’s co-main event.

Tom Taylor - March 3, 2021

UFC light heavyweight contender Thiago Santos says he was not in a good head space ahead of his recent loss to Glover Teixeira. Santos met Teixeira in November. After sustaining some significant damage in rounds one and two, he was submitted by his fellow Brazilian in round three.

Tom Taylor - March 3, 2021

Rising UFC bantamweight contender Ricky Simon wants to fight Sean O’Malley, and would even be willing to do so on short-notice. Simon is currently riding a trio of impressive victories over Ray Borg, Gaetano Pirrello and Brian Kelleher, which separated him from a hype-deflating loss to Urijah Faber.

Harry Kettle - March 3, 2021

MMA fan favorites Jim Miller and Roxanne Modafferi are both booked in for their next UFC appearances, as per MMA Junkie and Combate. Both of these veterans are coming off the back of defeats with Miller losing to Vinc Pichel via unanimous decision last August. Modafferi, on the other hand, was defeated by Viviane Araújo back in January.

Christopher Taylor - March 2, 2021

Aljamain Sterling is brimming with confidence ahead of his bantamweight title shot against Petr Yan at this weekend’s highly anticipated UFC 259 event. This Saturday on pay-per-view the UFC will hold a total of three title fights, which includes a men’s bantamweight bout between Yan and Sterling.

Christopher Taylor - March 2, 2021

Petr Yan is hoping for a “big fight” in the form of former champ TJ Dillashaw after he defeats Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259. The UFC’s reigning bantamweight champion, Yan (15-1 MMA), will square off with Sterling (19-3 MMA) on the main card of this Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Las Vegas.

Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021

Paulo Costa has jokingly responded after all the backlash he received for saying he fought Israel Adesanya with a hangover. Costa had entered the Adesanya fight sporting an undefeated record, but something appeared to be off in the scrap. With that said, it was “The Last Stylebender” who emerged victorious by way of second-round TKO.

Adam Martin - March 2, 2021

UFC superstar Jon Jones offered to end his rivalry with Daniel Cormier, sending DC the following message: “What do you say DC, friends?” Jones and Cormier had one of the most bitter and heated rivalries in UFC history. The two were on a collision course for the UFC light heavyweight title and met in a highly-anticipated main event at UFC 182 in 2015. Jones won a unanimous decision that night but would soon deal with several legal issues and find himself stripped of the title. In 2017, Jones and Cormier met in a rematch, and Jones knocked DC out with a head kick. But the result of the bout was overturned to a No Contest after Jones tested positive for PEDs.

Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021

Luke Rockhold is not a fan of Paulo Costa. After Costa suffered his first career loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 for the middleweight title he immediately said something happened. However, just recently, he explained that “something” was the fact he was dealing with a hangover. He said he drank a bottle of wine the night before the fight in order to fall asleep.

Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021

Israel Adesanya isn’t too excited about the middleweight division. Adesanya, who has already defended his middleweight title twice, is set to move up to face Jan Blachowicz in the main event of UFC 259. If Adesanya wins and becomes a champ-champ, many wonder if he will go back to middleweight or remain at light heavyweight.

Adam Martin - March 2, 2021

Former rivals Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold hugged it out at the RVCA gym in Costa Mesa, California, run by boxing coach Jason Parillo. Bisping and Rockhold fought twice in the UFC and for many years their rivalry was one of the UFC’s most heated. In November 2014, Rockhold submitted Bisping with a guillotine choke at a UFC Fight Night card in Australia. Two fights later, Rockhold defeated Chris Weidman via TKO to become the new UFC middleweight champion. At UFC 199 in June 2016, Rockhold was set to take on Weidman in a rematch. However, Weidman pulled out of the fight and Bisping got the rematch with Rockhold. Despite taking the fight on short notice, Bisping pulled off one of the most incredible upsets in UFC history when he knocked Rockhold out as a massive underdog to take home the middleweight title.

Cole Shelton - March 2, 2021

Israel Adesanya still wants to fight Jon Jones. When Adesanya first became UFC champion, he and Jones started to call each other out. Many fans wanted to see it take place and “The Last Stylebender” initially said the bout would happen in Las Vegas in the summer of 2021 at the new Raiders stadium. However, due to the pandemic, the timeframe has changed but Adesanya still wants the fight to happen.

Adam Martin - March 2, 2021

UFC middleweight contender Uriah Hall is confident he would “f*ck up” Israel Adesanya if the two ever step into the Octagon together. Hall is currently the No. 9 ranked middleweight in the UFC and is one of the many contenders vying for a title fight against the champion Adesanya. So far in his MMA career, Adesanya is a perfect 20-0 and 9-0 in the UFC alone. He has been destroying pretty much everyone in his path, with knockout wins over the likes of Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa. This weekend, Adesanya moves up to 205lbs in an attempt to become a double UFC champion against Israel Adesanya. Win or lose, however, “The Last Stylebender” said he still plans on moving back down to middleweight after the fight.

Tom Taylor - March 2, 2021

In the main event of Saturday’s UFC 259 card, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will challenge Jan Blachowicz for the promotion’s light heavyweight belt. While Adesanya could soon be the UFC light heavyweight champion, don’t expect him to look the part.