Exclusive MMA Interviews News
Pro fighters name the all-time MMA GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 11, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with far less MMA on the calendar than normal, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former fighters to ask who the MMA GOAT is. To no surprise, the common names that came up where Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre
Holly Holm is "one fight away from a title shot" according to Mike Winkeljohn
Cole Shelton - April 10, 2020
Mike Winkeljohn believes Holly Holm is close to another crack at UFC gold. Holm fought for the bantamweight title back at UFC 239 where she suffered a first-round knockout loss to Amanda Nunes. Winkeljohn says the former champion made some crucial mistakes that costed her. “The Preacher’s Daughter” then rebounded with a decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 246.
Pro fighters name the women's bantamweight GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 9, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with far less MMA on the calendar than normal, BJPENN.com reached out to several women’s fighters to ask who the bantamweight GOAT is. To no surprise, the majority believe it is Amanda Nunes but Ronda Rousey’s name still came up.
Mike Winkeljohn believes "it’s time for Jon Jones to take the big fights" and go up to heavyweight
Cole Shelton - April 9, 2020
Mike Winkeljohn believes the time is now for Jon Jones to go up to heavyweight. For years now, the talk around “Bones” has been when will he go up to heavyweight? He’s cleaned out the entire light heavyweight division twice, but has been reluctant to move up in weight.
Francis Ngannou: My team and I will be tested for COVID-19 prior to UFC 249
Mike Pendleton - April 8, 2020
As the UFC moves forward with UFC 249, questions have come up to the safety of all those involved with the event, from the fighters to the coaches, and all event personnel, and what safety precautions will be in place due to the ongoing COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. One fighter on the card, Francis Ngannou, provided a very encouraging update to how the UFC will be handling the event from a safety standpoint. After their fight in March was postponed, Ngannou is scheduled to face Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249 on April 18, and spoke to BJPENN.com about the precautions in place for the event. Making an appearance on BJPENN.com’s Inside The Cage, Ngannou revealed that he and his team will be tested for COVID-19 prior to UFC 249, and he had no worries about the UFC keeping him and everyone involved healthy and safe.
Pro fighters name the strawweight GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 8, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current fighters to ask who the strawweight GOAT is. For many, it still is Joanna Jedrzejczyk but Rose Namajunas is right there.
Jessica Eye credits Billie Eilish's music and personality as motivation
Mike Pendleton - April 7, 2020
The sports and entertainment world always seem to mix, and in combat sports, fighters can truly show another side of themselves by the music they choose to walk out to. At UFC 245, flyweight Jessica Eye walked out too ‘You Should See Me In A Crown’ by Billie Eilish, and that was a message being sent to the entire division, but it was also much more than that. During her interview with BJPENN.com, Eye discussed why she chose that song for her walkout, how she got introduced to Eilish’s music, and how Eilish as an artist is a motivation not only for Eye’s career, but her personal life as well.
Pro heavyweights name their 265-pound GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 7, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with far less MMA on the calendar than normal, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former heavyweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. The pros were split between Stipe Miocic and Fedor Emelianenko.
Mike Winkeljohn believes UFC will start having longer cards to make up for postponed events
Cole Shelton - April 6, 2020
Mike Winkeljohn believes we may be seeing 20-plus fights on a UFC event to make up for the postponed events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the coronavirus shutting down the sports world, the UFC was forced to postpone three events and the status of the upcoming cards is unknown. But, Dana White has been adamant that all fighters will get three fights in.
Jessica Eye provides health update following elbow surgery
Mike Pendleton - April 3, 2020
Former flyweight title challenger Jessica Eye last competed at UFC 245 where she picked up a unanimous decision win over Viviane Araujo. Eye did end up missing weight at UFC 245 and although the promotion was looking at adding her to the UFC Columbus card in late March, Eye decided to take time off and get her body healthy and recovered. During an exclusive interview with BJPENN.com, Eye discussed her road back from elbow surgery and why she felt this was the right time to do so, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world.
Pro light heavyweights name their 205-pound GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 3, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little to no MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former light heavyweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. To no surprise, the vast majority picked Jon Jones despite the USADA and legal issues.
Pro middleweights name their 185-pound GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 2, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little to no MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former middleweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. To no surprise, the vast majority picked Anderson Silva.
Pro welterweights name their 170-pound GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 1, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little to no MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former welterweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is.
Dan Ige discusses handling COVID-19 pandemic as a fighter and manager
Mike Pendleton - April 1, 2020
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the entire sports world, fighters, managers, and coaches alike in the combat sports world are having to adjust to these difficult times. For one UFC fighter, featherweight Dan Ige, having to adjust as a fighter is just part of it, as he’s also a manager for other UFC fighters. Most recently, Ige defeated Mirsad Bektic at UFC 247 in February, which extended his winning streak to five in the featherweight division. That streak has also landed Ige in the top-15 rankings for his division, and in an exclusive interview with BJPenn.com, “Dynamite Dan” discussed how he feels lucky to have gotten his fight in before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down events.
Artem Lobov says he's been approached about boxing rematch with Paulie Malignaggi
Cole Shelton - March 31, 2020
Artem Lobov is interested in fighting Paulie Malignaggi again but this time doing it in boxing. Lobov and Malignaggi fought last summer at BKFC 6 where it was a highly-anticipated bout. But, it was “The Russian Hammer” who edged out a decision win. Following the fight, many thought a rematch would make sense but Dave Feldman told BJPENN.com, Malignaggi was unlikely to fight in BKFC again.
Bibiano Fernandes doubtful he can help Demetrious Johnson prep for ONE title fight
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020
Demetrious Johnson is gearing up for a May 29 fight with ONE flyweight champ Adriano Moraes: a deadly Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with power to boot. Needless to say, this would be an opportune time for Johnson call on his long-time friend and training partner, ONE bantamweight champ Bibiano Fernandes, who bears many stylistic similarities to Moraes. Unfortunately, Johnson and Fernandes will probably be unable to reach one another anytime soon. Living in Bellevue, Washington and Vancouver, B.C respectively, they’re only about 120 miles apart as the crow flies. Yet they’re also separated by the US-Canada border, which has become an almost insurmountable hurdle in the time of the coronavirus.
Pro featherweights name their 145-pound GOAT
Cole Shelton - March 30, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little to no MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former featherweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. The majority believe it is Jose Aldo but it is a three-person race between the Brazilian, Max Holloway and Conor McGregor.
Pro bantamweights name their 135-pound GOAT
Cole Shelton - March 27, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little to no MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former bantamweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. The majority believe it is Dominick Cruz, but had T.J. Dillashaw not been suspended for PEDs he might’ve been giving the nod.