MMA News
Fabricio Andrade reflects on life after becoming ONE World Champion: "Hard to believe that everything came out right"
BJPENN.COM Staff - December 1, 2025
ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade defends his title against #4-ranked Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 38 on Friday, December 5, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Nearly three years into his reign, the 28-year-old Brazilian says he’s no longer driven by the desperation that once pushed him through poverty, struggle, and years of sacrifice. Becoming champion allowed Andrade to mature, reflect, and redefine what truly matters. The Fortaleza native has been honest about how success shaped him as a person who embraces responsibility, stability, and a deeper purpose than the one that fueled him when he first left home.
Ariel Helwani says UFC "feels uninspired": "I'm sorry if I care so much"
Dylan Bowker - December 1, 2025
Ariel Helwani is not terribly excited by the UFC product these days and recently offered up his thoughts on some of the marquee matches that have been teed up for next year by the company. It’s worth noting these are also sentiments echoed by not just Helwani but also fans and even former UFC champions alike. During a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, in an excerpt of his show posted to the X account @jedigoodman, the titular figure was responding to some fans who have told him to ‘take a chill pill’ and to just enjoy the fights, Helwani said,
Alexandre Pantoja would have fought Sean O'Malley at 135 pounds "but with Merab it's different"
Dylan Bowker - December 1, 2025
Alexandre Pantoja would have been open to attempting a path to becoming a two-division UFC champion if Sean O’Malley held bantamweight gold, but the current titleholder at 135 pounds gives him some pause. That combatant in question is Merab Dvalishvili, who beat the aforementioned O’Malley twice. The Georgian will also defend his title the same night that Pantoja will. The Brazilian standout will look to retain his flyweight crown against the surging Joshua Van while Dvalishvili will defend his bantamweight belt against former UFC kingpin at 135 pounds, Petr Yan in a rematch set for UFC 323 on December 6th.
'Her shadow won!'...Cris Cyborg slams Ronda Rousey's rumored comeback against Katie Taylor
Curtis Calhoun - December 1, 2025
MMA legend and rising boxing star Cris Cyborg doesn’t think highly of Ronda Rousey’s chances in a fight against Katie Taylor. UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey could potentially be on her way back to combat sports in a boxing match against one of the pound-for-pound greats.
Lerone Murphy 'fell out of love' with fighting after Diego Lopes title shot news
Curtis Calhoun - December 1, 2025
UFC featherweight contender Lerone Murphy shared a brutally honest reaction to the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 announcement. UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, less than a year since returning to the throne, will defend the belt against the man he opposed in his title-winning performance. Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, who lost to Volkanovski earlier this year at UFC 314, headline an intriguing card at UFC 324.
Jon Jones reverses course on criticizing Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement after 'wise' take
Curtis Calhoun - December 1, 2025
Jon Jones gave Khabib Nurmagomedov supreme credit for past comments about his abrupt retirement. UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov shook up MMA when he announced his retirement from the sport following a win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Months removed from the tragic death of his father, Nurmagomedov opted to hang up the gloves, despite being the pound-for-pound best and just scratching the surface of his potential long-term earnings.
Kayla Harrison admits she's 'not convinced' Amanda Nunes will make weight at UFC 324
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2025
Kayla Harrison isn’t sure her fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 will even happen. Nunes is set to return to the UFC to take on Harrison in the co-main event of UFC 324 on January 24. Harrison is defending her bantamweight title for the first time and will be taking on the former champ.
Charles Oliveira cautions Justin Gaethje to fix one big flaw ahead of Paddy Pimblett title clash
Curtis Calhoun - December 1, 2025
Justin Gaethje’s former rival Charles Oliveira believes his former foe has to patch up one significant weakness before UFC 324. Less than a year after Ilia Topuria’s lightweight title win, the UFC will put an interim belt on the line next month at UFC 324. Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, who both made strong cases to face Topuria, will fight for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 amidst Topuria’s indefinite absence due to personal reasons.
Joshua Van shares bold prediction for his UFC 323 title fight against Alexandre Pantoja
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2025
Joshua Van has a bold prediction for his UFC 323 title fight against Alexandre Pantoja on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Van is set to take on Pantoja for the flyweight belt in the co-main event in the final pay-per-view card of the year. Heading into the bout, Van is a +200 underdog while Pantoja is a -265 favorite on FanDuel.
Islam Makhachev vs. Kamaru Usman slammed by top UFC welterweight contender
Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 1, 2025
The idea of Islam Makhachev vs. Kamaru Usman doesn’t sit well with a top UFC contender. Makhachev is the reigning welterweight titleholder after defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in New York City. After the fight, Makhachev admitted the top choice for his next opponent is Usman. Such a fight has drawn the ire of many within the MMA community given the amount of worthy contenders at 170 pounds.
UFC 324 rumor dismissed by Charles Oliveira: Max Holloway fight 'certainly won't be in January'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 1, 2025
Charles Oliveira will not be fighting Max Holloway on the UFC 324 card. Fans on social media started buzzing with claims that the UFC Brazil X page deleted a post announcing Holloway vs. Oliveira 2 for the UFC’s debut on Paramount+. Many were skeptical of the rumor, as all of the marquee bouts had seemingly been announced for the UFC 324 card.
UFC legend Ronda Rousey in talks for surprising fight against top boxer
Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 1, 2025
UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey is reportedly in active negotiations to fight boxing’s top female star. Boxingscene.com reports that Rousey is in talks for a boxing match against Katie Taylor. It was noted that Las Vegas is being targeted as the location. Netflix is reportedly interested in streaming the event, which would be planned for summer 2026 if all goes well.
Din Thomas worries that Joshua Van's UFC 323 title shot is premature
Harry Kettle - December 1, 2025
MMA analyst Din Thomas believes that there’s a chance Joshua Van’s UFC 323 title opportunity could be premature. This Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 323, Joshua Van will challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight championship. At the age of just 24, the challenger has the opportunity to become one of the youngest champions in the history of the promotion.
Tom Aspinall explains why he believes Ciryl Gane is a cheat following UFC 321
Harry Kettle - December 1, 2025
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has explained why he believes Ciryl Gane is a cheat in the wake of UFC 321. It’s safe to say that Tom Aspinall isn’t happy, and who can blame him? At UFC 321, he suffered a double eye poke at the hands of Ciryl Gane that rendered him unable to continue in the contest. From there, we haven’t heard a whole lot about his overall condition. Now, however, the man himself has produced an update, noting that he’s been going through some fairly significant testing, and that he has yet to be cleared to return to training.
Patricio Pitbull calls out top UFC featherweight stars in search for a third UFC bout
Harry Kettle - December 1, 2025
MMA veteran Patricio Pitbull has called out a couple of big names as he continues to go in search of a third UFC fight. Patricio Pitbull has been around in mixed martial arts for a long time and in the twilight of his career, he has opted to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has fought twice for the promotion thus far, losing to Yair Rodriguez before defeating Dan Ige to register his first triumph inside the Octagon.
UFC 323's Alexandre Pantoja shuts down Merab Dvalishvili super fight
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 30, 2025
Don’t expect Alexandre Pantoja to share the Octagon with Merab Dvalishvili. Pantoja is one of UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighters currently. He has reigned as the flyweight titleholder since 2023. Pantoja and Dvalishvili will both be featured on the main card of UFC 323 on Dec. 5. Pantoja will put his gold at stake against Joshua Van, while Dvalishvili defends the bantamweight title against Petr Yan in a rematch.
TJ Dillashaw explains why he took Aljamain Sterling UFC title fight despite injury
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 30, 2025
TJ Dillashaw was once heavily criticized for taking a UFC title fight knowing he was injured, and he has reflected on that decision. Dillashaw challenged Aljamain Sterling for the UFC Bantamweight Championship back in 2022. The bout was never truly competitive and the “Funk Master” earned a second-round TKO finish. It was clear that Dillashaw wasn’t 100 percent in the fight, and he was criticized by fans and experts for going through with the bout.
Kamaru Usman is not UFC welterweight GOAT, says former rival
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 30, 2025
UFC CEO Dana White has called Kamaru Usman the greatest welterweight in MMA history, but one former foe strongly disagrees. Usman’s reign as the 170-pound king likely sealed a Hall of Fame induction in the future. “The Nigerian Nightmare” defeated Colby Covington twice, Gilbert Burns, and Jorge Masvidal twice during his run at the top of the 170-pound mountain. Usman even knocked “Gamebred” out cold, which was a rare feat.