Exclusive MMA Interviews News
Beneil Dariush says he will match Tony Ferguson's craziness, eyes stoppage win: "It's going to be a spectacular 15 minutes or a finish"
Cole Shelton - May 11, 2021
Beneil Dariush didn’t expect Tony Ferguson to accept the fight. Every since Dariush scored a highlight-reel KO win over Drakkar Klose, he has been calling to face a top-ranked opponent. Unfortunately, that did not go his way as he ended up facing Scott Holtzman and then Diego Ferreira. After two more wins, Dariush gets his shot against Tony Ferguson at UFC 262.
TJ Brown frustrated with backlash after win over Kai Kamaka III: "I would be lying if I said the backlash didn't bother me"
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2021
TJ Brown wants the fans to respect his and Kai Kamaka III’s fight, rather than focus on the judge’s scorecards. At UFC Vegas 25, Brown and Kamaka III had a phenomenal fight which was a back-and-forth one. When it went to the scorecards, many thought Kamaka III won, but it was a close fight. For Brown, he knew it was close but after watching it back he truly believes he won.
Maurice Greene promises he will submit Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC Vegas 26
Cole Shelton - May 6, 2021
Maurice Greene is glad he had some time off after his last fight. Greene suffered a TKO loss to Greg Hard in October, and after that, the goal was to take several months off to work with his team at JacksonWink. After some time off, Greene was looking to return in May and got his wish as he’ll return this Saturday against Marcos Rogerio de Lima.
Patrick Mix expects to finish Albert Morales, blasts James Gallagher: "I put together an amazing camp to whoop his ass and he didn't show up"
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2021
Patrick Mix had a feeling James Gallagher wouldn’t end up fighting him. At Bellator 258, Mix and Gallagher were booked to fight one another. Yet, just over a week before the fight, it was revealed the Irishman was out of the fight. For Mix, he wasn’t surprised when he got the news.
Alex Morono eyes third-round KO of Donald Cerrone, says a win will be "bittersweet" for him: "I'm ready to throw down"
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2021
Alex Morono was staying ready for a short-notice opportunity and he got his wish this week. When Donald Cerrone and Diego Sanchez were booked to fight one another on May 8, Morono called his coach, Sayif Saud, to tell the UFC he will be ready in case either of them pull out. Then, late last week, it was revealed Sanchez was out of the fight and Morono got the call asking if he was still open to filing in and he jumped at the chance to fight a legend in “Cowboy.”
Geoff Neal eyeing first or second round KO over Neil Magny to get top-ranked opponent next
Cole Shelton - May 4, 2021
Geoff Neal is excited he finally gets the chance to face Neil Magny. Last August, Neal and Magny were scheduled to fight but Neal had serious health problems that hospitalized him and forced him out of the scrap. The two then got different fights and Neal ended up losing a decision to Stephen Thompson back in December, which he says was a good learning experience.
Michelle Waterson eager to headline another UFC show, knows she's "dangerous" everywhere against Marina Rodriguez
Cole Shelton - May 4, 2021
Michelle Waterson didn’t hesitate to accept when the UFC offered her another short-notice main event fight. After TJ Dillashaw was forced out of the UFC Vegas 26 main event against Cory Sandhagen, the UFC was quick to book Waterson vs. Marina Rodriguez at flyweight. For “The Karate Hottie,” she’s ecstatic to be headlining another UFC card.
Jon Jones "will dominate the heavyweight division" once he gets Ngannou fight, says teammate Devin Clark
Cole Shelton - April 30, 2021
UFC light heavyweight contender, Devin Clark has seen Jon Jones training for his heavyweight move and has sky-high expectations for him. After Jones beat Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 to defend his light heavyweight title, he vacated the belt as the plan was to move up to heavyweight. However, a deal is not done and Dana White has said Jones has priced himself out of the negotiations.
Pro fighters make their picks for Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka
Cole Shelton - April 29, 2021
In the main event of UFC Vegas 25 on May 1, Dominick Reyes is looking to snap his two-fight losing streak as he battles Jiri Prochazka. Entering the fight, Reyes is a +110 underdog while the former RIZIN champ is a -130 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros are split on this one but the slight majority lean towards Prochazka picking up his second UFC win.
Michelle Waterson confirms flyweight main event fight on May 8 against Marina Rodriguez
Cole Shelton - April 28, 2021
Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez will headline UFC Vegas 26 on May 8, but the fight will take place at flyweight, Waterson revealed to BJPENN.com. After TJ Dillashaw was forced out of the headlining spot against Cory Sandhagen due to a nasty cut, the UFC reached out to Waterson and Rodriguez to step up on short notice to headline the card. Now, according to “The Karate Hottie” the fight is a done deal and the scrap will happen at 125lbs.
Randy Brown says he and Alex Oliveira nearly fought backstage after weigh-ins, wants to return at UFC 264
Cole Shelton - April 28, 2021
Randy Brown knew he would finish Alex Oliveira, but did expect the fight to play out differently. Brown and Oliveira were the prelim headliner and early on in the scrap, the two exchanged punches and Brown knocked him down. After that, “Rude Boy” got ahold of his back and submitted the Brazilian with a one-arm rear naked choke.
Dustin Jacoby expects to KO Ion Cutelaba "early" and fight a ranked guy next
Cole Shelton - April 28, 2021
Dustin Jacoby is eager to share the Octagon with Ion Cutelaba on Saturday night. Cutelaba was originally set to face Devin Clark but Clark was forced out of the bout. After that happened, the UFC called Jacoby who jumped at the opportunity to face a well-known name in Cutelaba.
Curtis Millender plans to "hurt" and "punish" Rory MacDonald at PFL 2 "to get some more respect on my name"
Cole Shelton - April 27, 2021
Curtis Millender jumped at the chance to compete in PFL and fight Rory MacDonald. After David Michaud was forced out of the fight, the PFL signed UFC and Bellator veteran, Curtis Millender to face MacDonald. It is a big opportunity for “Curtious” who says this is a bucket list fight for him.
Giga Chikadze says he will "knock Cub Swanson out cold," confident he will be featherweight champ by early 2022
Cole Shelton - April 27, 2021
Giga Chikadze has a ton of confidence entering his UFC Vegas 25 co-main event fight against Cub Swanson. Chikadze had an incredible 2020 going 4-0 and improved to 5-0 in the UFC. He made a name for himself and began calling out ranked featherweights and gets his chance to face a well-known name in Swanson.
Jeff Molina says he will earn a "dominant finish in the second round" over Aoriqileng
Cole Shelton - April 23, 2021
Jeff Molina is excited to finally make his UFC debut after a few canceled fights. Molina was supposed to fight Zarrukh Adashev in November but his opponent tested positive for COVID-19, they were then rebooked for January, but Molina tested positive for the virus. The fight was then scrapped, but Molina will face Aoriqileng on Saturday night at UFC 261 in front of fans, which “El Jefe” is excited about.
UFC 261 | Pro fighters make their picks for Weili Zhang vs. Rose Namajunas title fight
Cole Shelton - April 22, 2021
In the co-main event of UFC 261, Weili Zhang is looking to defend her strawweight title for the second time when she battles former champion, Rose Namajunas. Heading into the fight, Zhang is a -210 favorite while the challenger is a +170 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros slightly lean towards Zhang defending her belt in a very competitive fight.
Tristan Connelly ecstatic to finally make return and featherweight drop at UFC 261, expects a "three-round war" against Pat Sabatini
Cole Shelton - April 21, 2021
Tristan Connelly will finally make the walk to the Octagon at UFC 261 and will do so two weight classes lower than his debut fight. Connelly made his UFC debut on short notice against Michel Pereira at UFC Vancouver in 2019, he also moved up to welterweight for the fight. Connelly ended up pulling off a big upset and earned a decision win.
UFC 261 | Pro fighters make their picks for Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 title fight
Cole Shelton - April 21, 2021
In the main event of UFC 261, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal are running it back in front of a full capacity crowd in Jacksonville. Heading into the fight, Usman is a -400 favorite while “Gamebred” is a +300 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The majority believe Usman beats Masvidal just like he did at UFC 251 as he will defend his welterweight title again.