Exclusive MMA Interviews News
Sean O'Malley slams "scared" Henry Cejudo for running from him and Petr Yan
Cole Shelton - August 12, 2020
Sean O’Malley believes Henry Cejudo only retired from MMA because “Triple C” knew he would lose to “Sugar” and Petr Yan. Following Cejudo’s UFC 249 win over Dominick Cruz to defend his belt he shockingly announced his retirement from the sport. Since then, he has kept trash-talking the flyweight and bantamweight divisions but O’Malley doesn’t care about any of that.
Marlon Vera plans to "baptize" Sean O'Malley and "make him quit" in UFC 252 co-main event
Cole Shelton - August 12, 2020
Marlon Vera is excited to finally share the Octagon with Sean O’Malley as he is confident he can hand “Sugar” his first loss. In the co-main event of UFC 252, Vera and O’Malley are set to fight in a scrap many fans are looking forward to. The common perception entering the bout is whether or not O’Malley’s hype is real or if Vera will prove to be too much too soon.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik gunning for KO win over Junior dos Santos, eyes rematch with Francis Ngannou
Cole Shelton - August 12, 2020
Jairzinho Rozenstruik is looking to get back into the win column just three months after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Francis Ngannou. Back at UFC 249 in May, Rozenstruik was knocked out in 20 seconds. Following the loss, many expected the former kickboxer to take some time off to heal his brain.
Sean O'Malley says UFC forced Marlon Vera to sign the contract, eyes another first-round KO
Cole Shelton - August 11, 2020
Sean O’Malley believes Marlon Vera didn’t want to fight him. In the co-main event of UFC 252, O’Malley is set for his toughest test to date when he battles the 14-fight UFC veteran in Vera. So, for “Suga” he says this fight just made sense. He actually told BJPENN.com following his win over Eddie Wineland he wanted it.
Marvin Vettori hopes he gets Chris Weidman next, discusses future plans
Alfredo Zullino - August 10, 2020
It seems like it’s nearly impossible to find an available opponent for Marvin Vettori, according to the Italian fighter’s own words. ‘The Italian Dream’ is currently riding a three-fight win streak, having triumphed over Cezar Ferreira, Andrew Sanchez and, most recently, on Karl Roberson with his most impressive UFC victory so far.
Vinc Pichel shares wild street fight stories of getting stabbed, shot at and being in rumbles
Cole Shelton - August 10, 2020
Vinc Pichel believes he is a good MMA fighter because of his childhood street fights. Pichel was born in California and knows he is lucky MMA and the UFC turned out to be a massive sport. “From Hell” grew up fighting and believes if it wasn’t for fighting he would most likely be in jail or on the streets selling drugs.
Pro fighters make their picks for Derrick Lewis vs. Alexey Oleynik
Cole Shelton - August 6, 2020
In the main event of UFC Vegas 6 top-10 heavyweights collide as Derrick Lewis is set to battle Alexey Oleynik. Heading into the fight, Lewis is a -200 favorite while the Russian is a +160 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The majority of pros believe it will be Lewis getting his hand raised by knockout to extend his winning streak to three.
Yana Kunitskaya thankful for boyfriend Thiago Santos training her for UFC Vegas 6 fight
Cole Shelton - August 6, 2020
Yana Kunitskaya didn’t have many options to train with when the COVID-19 pandemic locked people in their homes. Kunitskaya was in Brazil with her boyfriend, Thiago Santos, so all her training was with him. Not only was he her main training partner, but she says the Brazilian will be in her corner and will help out drastically with her weight cut.
Scott Holtzman gunning for KO win over Beneil Dariush: "He is there to be hit, so I’m swinging baby"
Cole Shelton - August 5, 2020
Scott Holtzman is looking to be the latest fighter to knock out Beneil Dariush. On the main card of UFC Vegas 6, Holtzman is getting the chance to fight a ranked opponent in Beneil Dariush. It is an interesting matchup and “Hot Sauce” believes it is the perfect next step after beating Jim Miller last time out.
Pro fighters make their picks for Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson 2
Cole Shelton - August 5, 2020
In the main event of Bellator 243, Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson are having a rematch nearly four years in the making. The first fight took place in 2016 where Chandler won a split decision. Heading into the rematch, Chandler is a -235 favorite while the former UFC champion is a +185 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros believe the three-time Bellator lightweight champion in Chandler will get his hand raised again.
Alexey Oleynik asked for Derrick Lewis fight, expects to keep on competing for another 7-10 years
Cole Shelton - August 4, 2020
Alexey Oleynik always wanted to share the Octagon with Derrick Lewis and he now gets the chance to do so. In the main event of UFC Vegas 6, the Russian will be taking on Lewis. It is a very intriguing fight that the UFC wanted to headline the June 13 show according to Oleynik. But, he needed more time after his win over Fabricio Werdum.
Beneil Dariush says he's "extremely disappointed" to be fighting unranked Scott Holtzman
Cole Shelton - August 4, 2020
Beneil Dariush was looking to be fighting a ranked opponent but unfortunately did not get his wish. Dariush, who is currently ranked 14th at lightweight, is riding a four-fight winning streak and coming off a spectacular KO win over Drakkar Klose at UFC 248. It was a phenomenal finish. Looking back at it, the timing of that fight couldn’t have been any more perfect.
Ali Abdelaziz: "I'm gonna do everything in my power" to make Henry Cejudo vs. Alexander Volkanovski happen
Tom Taylor - July 31, 2020
Henry Cejudo has been angling for a fight with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, and his manager Ali Abdelaziz will be doing everything he can to make it happen. Cejudo, the former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, retired in May, after defending his bantamweight strap with a TKO win over Dominick Cruz. Since his retirement announcement, he’s stated repeatedly that he’d return to the cage for a fight with Volkanovski, which would give him the opportunity to become the first three-division champion in UFC history.
Randy Brown plans to test Vicente Luque's chin: "We will see if he can go three rounds"
Cole Shelton - July 30, 2020
Randy Brown is happy he still gets the chance to fight Vicente Luque. The two were supposed to fight in April but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After that, Luque ended up earning a TKO win over Niko Price. So, for Brown, he thought his chances of fighting the ranked welterweight were out the window.
Pro fighters make their picks for Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
Cole Shelton - July 30, 2020
In the main event of UFC Vegas 5, Derek Brunson is looking to extend his winning streak when he takes Edmen Shahbazyan. Heading into the fight, Brunson is a +255 underdog while the undefeated prospect is a -335 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 with some thinking Brunson is a step up too soon while others believe the hype is real behind Shahbazyan.
Manager Ali Abdelaziz weighs in on Khabib Nurmagomedov's fighting future
Tom Taylor - July 30, 2020
Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz believes we could see plenty more of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov over the next few years, but is reluctant to comment on the Russian’s fighting future until his showdown with the division’s interim champion Justin Gaethje in the rear-view. Nurmagomedov and Gaethje, who are both managed by Abdelaziz, are set to collide for the UFC lightweight title on October 24. Abdelaziz views the fight as tremendously dangerous for both champion and challenger, but believes it’s possible Nurmagomedov, who is currently 28-0, could strive for a perfect 30-0 mark if he’s victorious.
Edmen Shahbazyan eyes "dominant performance" over Derek Brunson in main event of UFC Vegas 5
Cole Shelton - July 29, 2020
Edmen Shahbazyan is looking to turn some more heads when he headlines this Saturday’s card against Derek Brunson. Shahbazyan vs. Brunson was originally scheduled to be the co-main event, but after Irene Aldana tested positive for COVID-19,the bout was moved to headliner status.
Edmen Shahbazyan opens up on relationship with manager Ronda Rousey: "She inspired me"
Cole Shelton - July 29, 2020
Edmen Shahbazyan knows he is lucky to have Ronda Rousey as his manager. When Rousey was the UFC champion, one of her training partners was then 15-year-old, Edmen Shahbazyan who trained at the gym. At open workouts, Shahbazyan was the person Rousey would judo throw. But, since then, “Rowdy” knew he would be something special.