MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - September 27, 2023

The main event of ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22 played host to one of the most electrifying Muay Thai bouts in history, and it caught the attention of Demetrious Johnson. Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 squared off in a 140-pound catchweight contest. There, they captivated audiences worldwide while leaving many fans divided over the outcome.

Cole Shelton - September 27, 2023

Ian Machado Garry and Vicente Luque are teammates and will be fighting one another at UFC 296. Garry and Luque are both in the top 15, so the fight does make sense as the winner will get another big fight next time out. Yet, some were surprised that they are fighting one another as they are teammates. Garry even told BJPENN.com after his win over Magny that he wanted to avoid fighting his teammates.

Susan Cox - September 27, 2023

Aljamain Sterling is weighing in on the rumored Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch. The former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is having a hard time understanding why the UFC would skip over other contenders and give Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA) a rematch with Chito Vera (23-8 MMA).

Susan Cox - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO Dana White is commenting on Mark Hunt after his recent lawsuit against the Ultimate Fighting Championship came to a close. It was earlier this week that the lawsuit between Mark Hunt and the UFC was dismissed. The case had gone on for four years.

Susan Cox - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO Dana White is discussing the possibility of signing Bellator fighters Johnny Eblen and Patricio Pitbull. Eblen (14-0 MMA) is the current Bellator middleweight champion.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO and president Dana White has given his thoughts on Israel Adesanya’s recent drink driving charge. Earlier this month, Israel Adesanya suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 293. As a result, he lost his UFC middleweight championship.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC president Dana White has reacted to Stephen Thompson’s claim that he will receive some backpay for his upcoming fight at UFC 296. In the last few days, it’s been confirmed that Stephen Thompson will return to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. It comes after Thompson’s scheduled bout with Michel Pereira was cancelled, with ‘Wonderboy’ refusing to accept the bout after Pereira missed weight. This led to a dispute between the veteran and the promotion, with Thompson noting that he wasn’t paid for making weight and doing his job.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC fighter Belal Muhammad has claimed that he said yes to a fight against middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Over the course of the last few years, Belal Muhammad has really turned his career around in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 35-year-old is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak with his latest win coming over Gilbert Burns back in May. As you can imagine, the veteran has been pretty relentless in his calls for a shot at the UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO and president Dana White has explained the reasoning behind Paddy Pimblett vs Tony Ferguson being booked. In the last few days, fans have been processing the news that Paddy Pimblett and Tony Ferguson will square off at UFC 296 in Las Vegas. Pimblett, who is riding an impressive winning streak, will attempt to secure the biggest win of his career thus far. Ferguson, meanwhile, will aim to avoid a seventh straight defeat inside the Octagon.

BJPENN.COM Staff - September 27, 2023

Xiong Jing Nan has enlisted the expertise of a former Boxing World Champion to prepare for her upcoming one-of-a-kind showdown. The ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Champion faces Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak in a special rules punching-only contest. The matchup takes place at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video, airing live in U.S. primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 29.

BJPENN.COM Staff - September 27, 2023

Danielle Kelly may have made her mark in ONE Championship, but Jessa Khan isn’t losing sleep over her opponent’s reputation. Khan and Kelly will collide for the inaugural ONE Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video. The event airs live in U.S. primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 29.

Zain Bando - September 26, 2023

Dana White, UFC CEO, is not fond of Showtime Boxing despite having done business collectively ahead of Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor in Aug. 2017. When a reporter asked Dana White about potential rumors of Showtime drifting away from boxing altogether, the 54-year-old Las Vegas and Boston native didn’t hold back.

Cole Shelton - September 21, 2023

Bryan Battle is ready to prove to everyone just how good he is. Battle won TUF 30 at middleweight and is 5-1 in the UFC, but is 3-1 since dropping down to welterweight. Last time out, he returned to the win column with a 14-second knockout win over Gabe Green.

Cole Shelton - September 21, 2023

Michelle Waterson-Gomez is set for the first rematch of her carer. Waterson-Gomez is set to take on Marina Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 79, as the two fought back in May of 2021. The fight was put together on short notice and was a five-round main event at 125lbs.

Cole Shelton - September 21, 2023

In the main event of UFC Vegas 79 at the UFC Apex on Saturday, a battle of top-10 lightweights goes down as Rafael Fiziev takes on Mateusz Gamrot. Heading into the fight, Fiziev is a -166 favorite while the Pole is a +130 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to make their picks for the fight. The pros lean towards Fiziev getting his hand raised, but they do believe it will be a close fight. The pros expect Fiziev will be able to piece up Gamrot on the feet and either get a late stoppage or a clear-cut decision.

Cole Shelton - September 19, 2023

Dan Ige always figured he’d end up fighting Bryce Mitchell. Ige and Mitchell have both been in the UFC since 2018, and with both men having success, the Hawaiian figured they would get matched up eventually. Although the bout took five years to come to fruition, Ige is excited to fight Mitchell who is now ranked in the top 10.

Cole Shelton - September 13, 2023

Christos Giagos is eager to finally fight in front of fans again. All three of His last fights have come at the UFC Apex with no crowd, which has been hard for him as Giagos says he is a crowd fighter who feeds off the energy of fans. However, he will not be the crowd favorite on Saturday as he’s booked to return at Noche UFC against Mexican Daniel Zellhuber.

Cole Shelton - September 13, 2023

Kyle Nelson wanted a quick turnaround and he got his wish. Nelson returned to the win column back at UFC 289 in Vancouver as he pulled off an upset over Blake Bilder which saved his job. Just over three months later, Nelson is back as he will return at Noche UFC on Saturday against Fernando Padilla.

Cole Shelton - September 12, 2023

Jasmine Jasudavicius is no stranger to being the betting underdog and being counted out. Jasudavicius has been the underdog in three of her four UFC fights and has won all three of them. Last time out, she was a big underdog against Miranda Maverick at UFC 289 and pulled off the upset at home in Canada.

Cole Shelton - September 7, 2023

In the main event of UFC 293, the middleweight title is up for grabs as Israel Adesanya looks to defend his belt against Sean Strickland. Heading into the scrap, Adesanya is a massive -720 favorite while the American is a +450 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. To no surprise, the majority of the pros are picking Adesanya to defend his belt with ease, although some are rooting for Strickland to pull off the upset.

Cole Shelton - September 5, 2023

John Makdessi will be ending his year-long layoff at UFC 293. Makdessi hasn’t fought since the UFC’s first stop in Paris in September of last year when he dropped a decision to Nasrat Haqparast. It was disappointing result for Makdessi and since then, he dealt with a hand injury that kept him out of the Octagon for over a year.

Cole Shelton - August 31, 2023

Kurt Holobaugh was surprised to see how little Conor McGregor was truly involved with his team on The Ultimate Fighter. McGregor was coaching TUF 31 opposite Michael Chandler and it was a season of veterans vs. prospects. All the veterans ended up being coached by Chandler which Holobaugh was thrilled about.

Cole Shelton - August 31, 2023

In the main event of UFC Paris, a battle of top-seven heavyweights goes down as Ciryl Gane takes on Serghei Spivac. Heading into the fight, Gane is a -174 favorite while the Moldovan is a +136 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to make their picks for the fight. The pros are leaning towards Ciryl Gane returning to the win column at home by keeping it standing and likely getting a TKO.

Cole Shelton - August 30, 2023

Thiago Moises is excited to fight in Paris, France. Moises is coming off a submission win over Melquizael Costa back in January and after the win, he stayed home in Brazil for a few months. With that, he was looking to return in the fall and was excited when he got the call to fight at UFC Paris.