MMA News
UFC fans question Benoit Saint-Denis’ new short notice opponent for UFC 315
Harry Kettle - May 6, 2025
UFC fans have questioned the new opponent that Benoit Saint-Denis has been given on short notice heading into UFC 315. For the longest time, it seemed as if Benoit Saint-Denis was the next big thing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Unfortunately, that reputation has taken a bit of a knock as of late. In his two fights in 2024, the Frenchman was finished in brutal fashion by both Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. Now, he’s aiming to prove to the masses that he still has what it takes to be a top contender.
Cory Sandhagen open to rematching Petr Yan in a No. 1 contender fight: "I was winning that fight"
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2025
Cory Sandhagen believes he deserves the next title shot, but is open to taking another fight. Sandhagen scored a second-round stoppage win over Deiveson Figueiredo on Saturday at UFC Des Moines. It got him back in the win column, and after the victory, he called for a title shot.
Belal Muhammad explains why he's surprised Ian Machado Garry is the backup fighter at UFC 315
Cole Shelton - May 5, 2025
Belal Muhammad is surprised Ian Machado Garry is serving as the backup fighter for UFC 315. Muhammad is set to defend his welterweight title for the first time against Jack Della Maddalena on Saturday in Montreal in the main event of UFC 315. After Garry beat Carlos Prates, he revealed he’d be the backup fighter, which caught the champ by surprise.
Former Jon Jones rival admits part of him wants to see 'Bones' retire instead of fighting Tom Aspinall
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 5, 2025
Should Jon Jones ditch the Tom Aspinall fight and ride off into the sunset? UFC CEO Dana White has maintained optimism when it comes to booking a heavyweight title unification bout between Jones and Aspinall. Not everyone is convinced, as there still hasn’t been an announcement. Aspinall has been the interim champion since Nov. 2023 and he even successfully defended the gold against Curtis Blaydes.
Bo Nickal's 'tough weekend' might have been needed, says one veteran UFC coach
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 5, 2025
One well-known head coach has shared his opinion on Bo Nickal’s first pro MMA defeat. Nickal took on Reinier de Ridder in the UFC Des Moines co-headliner this past Saturday. While a win for Nickal would’ve put him in the top 15 UFC middleweight rankings, it wasn’t meant to be. It was the relentless pressure of de Ridder in the standup that overwhelmed the once unbeaten fighter. Nickal was ultimately stopped with a knee to the body in the second stanza.
Tom Aspinall provides update on his current training schedule
Harry Kettle - May 5, 2025
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has provided an update on his current training schedule. We’re all waiting for one thing in the heavyweight division: Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall. It’s a fight that has been talked about for literal years now but for whatever reason, it hasn’t yet come to fruition. The popular opinion is that Jones simply doesn’t want to fight Tom, which is something that the light heavyweight GOAT has openly admitted in the past.
Belal Muhammad looks to Georges St-Pierre's UFC welterweight title reign for inspiration
Harry Kettle - May 5, 2025
UFC champion Belal Muhammad has spoken of his admiration for former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre ahead of UFC 315. This Saturday night, Belal Muhammad will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Jack Della Maddalena. He’ll do so in the main event of UFC 315 which is set to go down in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. While a lot of people believe that JDM has a chance at pulling off the upset, the popular opinion seems to be that Belal will successfully retain the belt that he won from Leon Edwards.
Reinier de Ridder explains what happened when he finished Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines
Harry Kettle - May 5, 2025
Reinier de Ridder has explained what he felt in the midst of his finishing sequence against Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines. On Saturday night, Reinier de Ridder really announced himself to the mixed martial arts world. While he’d already picked up two wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship prior to the Bo Nickal fight, this was the biggest name he’d faced by far. A lot of people were counting him out as a result of the hype surrounding Nickal but in the end, the Dutchman was able to get the job done in convincing fashion.
Jack Della Maddalena lays out his plan for UFC 315 main event
Harry Kettle - May 5, 2025
UFC contender Jack Della Maddalena has laid out his plan for this weekend’s UFC 315 welterweight championship main event. On Saturday night, Jack Della Maddalena will attempt to become the welterweight champion of the world. It’s a goal that he’s been working towards for years and now, it’s within touching distance. Alas, in order to take home the gold, he needs to get through Belal Muhammad, who has looked pretty unbeatable over the course of the last few years.
Stamp Fairtex relinquishes ONE Atomweight MMA World Title after suffering another injury
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 5, 2025
The injury bug continues to loom large for Stamp Fairtex. ONE Championship has announced that the Thai megastar has relinquished the ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title after suffering a further setback while rehabbing her surgically repaired knee.
ONE Fight Night 32 gets massive headliner between two KO artists
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 5, 2025
On Friday, June 6, #4-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Nakrob Fairtex will face surging striker Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi in a flyweight Muay Thai battle inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. The two decorated knockout artists will headline ONE Fight Night 32 in a contest that promises to be a barnburner from the get-go.
Former UFC middleweight standout's contract ends after 15-year run
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 4, 2025
A long-time 185-pounder on the UFC roster no longer has a contract. Fans are used to receiving news of UFC roster cuts. As the number of new acquisitions are made, the promotion cuts ties with certain fighters. Many times, an athlete is let go after a string of losses. Other times, fighters can withstand the wave of releases because of their exciting fighting style or popularity.
Does Cory Sandhagen deserve UFC bantamweight title shot after Des Moines win?
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 4, 2025
Cory Sandhagen believes he’s closer than ever to securing a UFC title opportunity. Sandhagen went one-on-one with former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo this past Saturday. The bantamweight tilt headlined UFC Des Moines inside Wells Fargo Arena. The bout ended in the second round after Figueiredo suffered a knee injury, which Sandhagen believes he caused by getting the better of his opponent in a leg lock position.
Belal Muhammad recalls favorite moment in UFC title win over Leon Edwards
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 4, 2025
Belal Muhammad has reflected on his favorite moment during his UFC title win against Leon Edwards. Muhammad challenged Edwards for the UFC Welterweight Championship on July 27, 2024. Muhammad executed his game plan flawlessly, scoring a unanimous decision victory thanks to his superior grappling. This marked the first UFC title win for Muhammad.
Arman Tsarukyan frustrated after turning down UFC fight offer against ranked lightweight
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 4, 2025
Arman Tsarukyan has explained shutting down a UFC bout offer against a top-10 lightweight. Tsarukyan’s next fight has not been revealed since he pulled out of a scheduled UFC lightweight title fight back in January. Tsarukyan was planned to challenge Islam Makhachev in a highly anticipated rematch. Hours before the weigh-ins, Tsarukyan informed UFC officials that he suffered a back injury and had to be removed from the card.
Huge UFC 315 fight has been pulled from card due to an injury
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 4, 2025
A huge matchup scheduled for the UFC 315 card has been shelved. UFC 315 takes place on Saturday and it’ll feature a UFC Welterweight Championship clash between titleholder Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Valentina Shevchenko will put her flyweight gold at stake against Manon Fiorot. The legend Jose Aldo will also be fighting, as he’ll take on Aiemann Zahabi.
Cory Sandhagen firmly believes he caused Deiveson Figueiredo's knee injury in UFC Des Moines win
Harry Kettle - May 4, 2025
UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen believes he caused Deiveson Figueiredo’s knee injury in his win at UFC Des Moines. Last night in the main event of UFC Des Moines, Cory Sandhagen showed up. He looked calm, confident and composed, and he managed to finish Deiveson Figueiredo. While some have opted to look at it as an injury-based TKO, others have correctly identified that it was Cory’s work that led to the injury. In picking up the win, he has vaulted himself right back into title contention – and in some style, too.
UFC Des Moines Bonus Report: Reinier de Ridder one of four fighters to take home $50k
Chris Taylor - May 3, 2025
The Octagon returned to Iowa for tonight’s UFC Des Moines event, and four fighters wound up taking home performance bonuses. The fight card was headlined by a key men’s bantamweight matchup between Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo. The highly anticipated contest resulted in an extremely impressive showing from Sandhagen. After landing some solid low kicks and jabs in the opening couple of minutes, ‘The Sandman’ promptly took the fight to the floor and landed some solid ground and pound before the horn sounded to end the opening round. Then, in round two, Cory Sandhagen once again got Deiveson Figueiredo to the floor and wound up finishing him with a knee bar submission hold. The bout was ruled a TKO stoppage due to injury, but there was no doubt that ‘Figgy’ tapped from the leg lock.