MMA News

Curtis Calhoun - June 8, 2026 at 1:43 PM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC stars Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit squared off in NCAA Division-I wrestling seven years before their fights on the White House lawn. UFC stars Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit will come full circle this weekend at UFC White House.

Cole Shelton - June 8, 2026 at 1:28 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Ilua Topuria has a bold prediction for his upcoming fight against Justin Gaethje. Topuria is set to headline the White House card on Sunday as he defends his lightweight title against Gaethje. It’s a highly anticipated bout, and heading into the fight, Topuria is a massive favorite.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

He walked off Elmehdi El Jamari with a head kick in April, took the microphone, and said he was waiting for whoever came out of the Prajanchai vs. Aliff fight. Prajanchai got injured. Now Sam-A Gaiyanghadao gets his shot anyway. Sam-A faces Aliff Sor Dechapan for the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of The Inner Circle, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, July 24.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Every opponent on Sanzhar “Tornado” Zakirov‘s resume came in ranked or dangerous. None of them came in undefeated. On July 17, that changes. Zakirov faces fellow unbeaten flyweight Ruslan Satiev in a flyweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 45: Lessei vs. Rabah on Prime Video, broadcasting live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, July 17.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 8, 2026 at 12:27 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Alex Pereira has a response to Ciryl Gane receiving advice from the last man to defeat him under kickboxing rules. Back in 2021, Pereira lost the Glory Heavyweight Championship to Artem Vakhitov via majority decision. Rather than look for revenge, “Poatan” ended up moving on to MMA full-time, and he has since carved out his legacy in the sport. Pereira now has a chance to win a UFC title in a third weight class at UFC Freedom 250 when he meets Gane for the interim gold.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 8, 2026 at 12:05 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Dana White believes UFC Freedom 250 is trending towards reaching numbers that match the NFL Super Bowl. The biggest event in MMA history is set to take place on Sunday. It’ll be a historic show, as UFC Freedom 250 will be held on the White House lawn. The event will feature two title fights, including the main event lightweight unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. The co-headliner will feature an interim heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 8, 2026 at 11:45 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Ilia Topuria has responded to Justin Gaethje taking a dig at his divorce. Gaethje became the interim UFC Lightweight Champion after defeating Paddy Pimblett back in January, and it was Topuria’s hiatus that led to an interim title fight. “El Matador” took a small break from pro MMA competition, as he was dealing with a messy divorce from Giorgina Uzcategui. Topuria has children and was able to reach a custody settlement, which ended his hiatus.

Harry Kettle - June 8, 2026 at 7:56 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has taken a look back at his recent blockbuster victory over Paddy Pimblett. In his last fight, Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett in a pretty decisive manner to become the new UFC interim lightweight champion. His reward for that will be an undisputed title showdown in the main event of UFC Freedom 250, where he will take on reigning champ Ilia Topuria.

Harry Kettle - June 8, 2026 at 7:50 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen has made it clear that he is interested in pursuing a rematch against Sean Strickland. Last weekend, Brendan Allen took his current win streak up to three with a comprehensive performance and victory over Edmen Shahbazyan. It comes off the back of triumphs over Marvin Vettori and Reinier de Ridder, with many believing he is getting closer and closer to a championship opportunity.

Harry Kettle - June 8, 2026 at 7:46 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC star Bryce Mitchell has explained why he’s feeling pretty satisfied with his recent move from featherweight down to bantamweight. Last weekend, Bryce Mitchell was able to defeat and submit Santiago Luna to take his record up to 2-0 since he made his return to 135 pounds. He looked sharp, he looked confident, and he certainly seemed to fit the weight class better than he did at featherweight.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 7, 2026 at 1:09 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Brendan Allen is hoping for a title eliminator after extending his winning streak to three. Allen was in the co-headlining spot for UFC Vegas 118 this past Saturday. He traded leather with Edmen Shahbazyan in a bout that ended up going the distance. After three rounds of action, “All In” scored the unanimous decision victory. The bout also earned “Fight of the Night” honors.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 7, 2026 at 12:43 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Is Eddie Hearn in over his head amid a hostile war of wards with Dana White? Hearn and White were once chummy and often exchanged pleasantries, but things changed when the UFC boss got into the boxing industry. Since the formation of Zuffa Boxing, Hearn and White have been at odds. Zuffa Boxing pulled off an unexpected move by signing longtime Matchroom Boxing star Conor Benn, who had a business relationship with Hearn for a decade.

Harry Kettle - June 9, 2026

UFC analyst Laura Sanko doesn’t agree with Dana White that Alex Pereira could lead the GOAT debate after this weekend. In the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250, Alex Pereira will collide with Ciryl Gane over the UFC interim heavyweight championship. The winner will go on to face Tom Aspinall for the undisputed belt, but the biggest story here is Poatan.

Harry Kettle - June 9, 2026

UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has declared that he will break Justin Gaethje in their collision at UFC Freedom 250. This weekend, Ilia Topuria will defend his UFC lightweight championship against interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event of the promotion’s blockbuster White House event. Right now, Ilia is considered by many to be the overwhelming favorite.

Cole Shelton - June 9, 2026

The UFC is in Washington, D.C., for their historic event on the White House lawn for a stacked UFC White House card. In the main event, Ilia Topuria defends his lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje. Heading into the fight, Topuria is a massive -670 favorite while the challenger is a +430 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the bout at UFC White House, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the lightweight title fight. The pros do think Topuria will get the win, and likely will do so by knockout to defend his belt for the first time.

Cole Shelton - June 9, 2026

The 223rd episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to preview UFC White House. We’re joined by UFC middleweight Kyle Daukaus (1:00). Next, ninth-ranked UFC featherweight Steve Garcia (18:50) comes on.

Curtis Calhoun - June 8, 2026

Former UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev could be on his way back to the Octagon after an impressive run outside of the promotion. At a time when the UFC’s flyweight division is on fire, one of the division’s former stars is doing everything he can to return to the promotion. Muhammad Mokaev, who parted ways with the UFC after a win over Manel Kape at UFC 304, remains unbeaten in his Mixed Martial Arts career and has won four-straight fights since his UFC finale.

Curtis Calhoun - June 8, 2026

A top UFC analyst predicts Justin Gaethje will pull off another mammoth upset this weekend on the White House lawn. Interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has had several opportunities to win a lineal UFC title during his legendary career in the Octagon. After defeating Paddy Pimblett earlier this year at UFC 324 to win the interim belt for the second time in his UFC tenure, Gaethje will face Ilia Topuria in the UFC White House main event this weekend.

Curtis Calhoun - June 8, 2026

Former Boxing star Adrien Broner was at the center of one of Jon Jones’ latest controversial moments outside of the Octagon since retiring. Former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones’ exclusion from the upcoming White House card led to bitter animosity between him and UFC CEO Dana White. Jones recently asked for his release from the UFC after contract negotiations fell apart for a fight at the White House, but as of this writing, his request has yet to be fulfilled by the promotion.

Curtis Calhoun - June 8, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen believes Bo Nickal will make the case for a title shot with an impressive win over Kyle Daukaus. UFC middleweight star Bo Nickal will look to continue his positive momentum this weekend at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn. Nickal and Kyle Daukaus will square off as part of a seven-fight card at the White House, featuring the returns of Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira.

Cole Shelton - June 8, 2026

Ilua Topuria has a bold prediction for his upcoming fight against Justin Gaethje. Topuria is set to headline the White House card on Sunday as he defends his lightweight title against Gaethje. It’s a highly anticipated bout, and heading into the fight, Topuria is a massive favorite.

Curtis Calhoun - June 8, 2026

UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes hopes Alexander Volkanovski will retire after presumably fighting his former foe. UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is widely expected to return to the Octagon later this year and fight unbeaten contender Movsar Evloev. Rumors are swirling that Volkanovski vs. Evloev will headline an upcoming major event, potentially as soon as September.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 8, 2026

Alex Pereira has a response to Ciryl Gane receiving advice from the last man to defeat him under kickboxing rules. Back in 2021, Pereira lost the Glory Heavyweight Championship to Artem Vakhitov via majority decision. Rather than look for revenge, “Poatan” ended up moving on to MMA full-time, and he has since carved out his legacy in the sport. Pereira now has a chance to win a UFC title in a third weight class at UFC Freedom 250 when he meets Gane for the interim gold.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 8, 2026

Dana White believes UFC Freedom 250 is trending towards reaching numbers that match the NFL Super Bowl. The biggest event in MMA history is set to take place on Sunday. It’ll be a historic show, as UFC Freedom 250 will be held on the White House lawn. The event will feature two title fights, including the main event lightweight unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. The co-headliner will feature an interim heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira.