MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 18, 2025

Adrian Lee’s perfect start hit a wall in September. The Hawaiian phenom gets his chance to bounce back against someone who knows exactly how that feels. Lee meets Shozo Isojima in a lightweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, 2026, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. Both fighters look to rebound from their first career defeats, creating a must-win atmosphere for the U.S. primetime card.

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 18, 2025

Jackie Buntan gets her shot at redemption against the woman who took away her Muay Thai dreams. The Filipino-American isn’t handing over her kickboxing crown without a fight. Buntan defends her ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title against Stella Hemetsberger at ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, 2026, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The rematch headlines the U.S. primetime card after their September clash at ONE Fight Night 35 ended with Hemetsberger scoring two first-round knockdowns to capture the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.

Curtis Calhoun - December 18, 2025

UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett clarified his stance towards Ilia Topuria after their recent classy back-and-forths. Paddy Pimblett will fight for the interim lightweight title next month against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324, with the winner set for a likely showdown against undisputed champ Ilia Topuria. Topuria is dealing with issues outside of fighting and is taking an indefinite hiatus from competition.

Curtis Calhoun - December 18, 2025

UFC superstar Conor McGregor will keep a keen eye on Jake Paul’s upcoming boxing match against former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. The polarizing boxing career of Jake Paul will face its biggest chapter on Friday night as he prepares to face former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua. Paul will be at a significant size disadvantage against Joshua, who returns to the ring for the first time since a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last year.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 18, 2025

Reigning UFC Flyweight Champion Joshua Van has received another harsh warning from the man who could be his first challenger. Van captured the 125-pound gold due to unfortunate circumstances. His first world title opportunity against Alexandre Pantoja ended in just 26 seconds. Pantoja suffered a horrific arm injury and he could not continue.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 18, 2025

A familiar face is open to fighting Ronda Rousey again. Rousey hasn’t stepped inside the Octagon since late 2016. The UFC women’s pioneer was stopped by Amanda Nunes via TKO in 48 seconds. In the bout prior to that, she was brutally knocked out by Holly Holm in her first pro MMA defeat. The loss to Holm was jarring for “Rowdy” and it ultimately led to her exit from combat sports.

Harry Kettle - December 18, 2025

Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling didn’t hold back when giving his thoughts on the state of doping in mixed martial arts. Throughout the last few years, Aljamain Sterling has consistently possessed something that many fighters lack – a great physique. He is also a former UFC bantamweight champion, and his goal is to try and achieve that feat once again, this time in the featherweight division.

Harry Kettle - December 18, 2025

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has given his thoughts on the current state of the division. As we know, Dricus du Plessis is one of the top middleweight fighters in mixed martial arts right now. However, he is no longer the champion in the UFC after he was beaten in a fairly one-sided fight against Khamzat Chimaev earlier this year.

Curtis Calhoun - December 17, 2025

UFC middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder was medically cleared to compete faster than expected and will return at UFC 326. Former ONE two-division champion Reinier de Ridder hinted at a long absence from competition due to medical issues stemming from his loss to Brendan Allen at UFC Vancouver. But months later, it appears De Ridder has worked through some of his health issues and will return to the Octagon on one of the first cards of 2026, way ahead of schedule.

Cole Shelton - December 17, 2025

Jake Paul has sent a clear message to Anthony Joshua ahead of their highly anticipated fight on Friday. Paul is set to take on Joshua in an intriguing heavyweight fight, which is a massive step-up in competition for the brash YouTuber-turned-boxer. Heading into the bout, many expect Joshua to make quick work of Paul and get a knockout early; however, some have wondered how seriously Joshua is taking it.

Curtis Calhoun - December 17, 2025

2025 PFL featherweight title winner Movlid Khaybulaev’s championship belt has been forfeited after he was served a one-year USADA suspension. One of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s top proteges, Movlid Khaybulaev, is in hot water after he was handed a one-year USADA suspension stemming from testing positive for a banned substance.

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 17, 2025

Chihiro Sawada gets another shot at breaking into title contention, but the Japanese grappler needs to solve an undefeated puzzle first. Sawada meets Natalie Salcedo in a women’s atomweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 39 on Friday, January 23, 2026, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The event opens ONE Championship’s U.S. primetime calendar and features two fighters desperate to crack the championship picture.

Curtis Calhoun - December 17, 2025

Former PFL champion Movlid Khaybulaev was handed a one-year USADA suspension after testing positive for a banned performance enhancer. 2025 PFL World Tournament featherweight title winner Movlid Khaybulaev’s recent championship win is now under intense scrutiny after a failed drug test.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 17, 2025

One well-known analyst has shifted his opinion on Ilia Topuria’s status as the UFC Lightweight Champion. Topuria might be holding the main 155-pound title, but he will not be featured in the next lightweight championship bout. Instead, Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje will be fighting for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship on Jan. 24. The bout will headline UFC 324, which will be UFC’s debut event on Paramount+.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 17, 2025

Anderson Silva has no issues with UFC CEO Dana White. Silva once ruled the UFC’s middleweight division and was considered to be the best fighter in the world during his prime. “The Spider’s” relationship with White wasn’t always perfect, as the UFC boss criticized Silva’s performances when he felt it was warranted. Silva also had a rather unceremonious exit from the company despite his legendary status.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 17, 2025

Tony Ferguson once called upon a former WWE titleholder for some advice. Ferguson turned into a popular pro MMA personality who could mix it up with elite talent during his prime years. Ferguson even captured the interim UFC Lightweight Championship at one point. While he ultimately left UFC on a losing skid, he has rebounded under the Misfits Boxing banner.

Harry Kettle - December 17, 2025

UFC legend Henry Cejudo has explained why he understands Arman Tsarukyan being snubbed for a world title shot. Right now, Arman Tsarukyan is in a difficult position. While he’s coming off the back of an incredible submission win over Dan Hooker, he wasn’t selected to be part of the UFC interim lightweight title fight at UFC 324. Instead, that honor went to Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett who will battle it out next month.

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 16, 2025

Elbrus Osmanov’s injury opened a door for Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri. The Thai striker will now get his chance at redemption. Osmanov withdrew from his scheduled bantamweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Friday Fights 137 on Friday, December 19, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. Yod-IQ moves up to featherweight to face Alexey Balyko, the only man to beat him in the weekly series.