MMA News

Tom Taylor - August 5, 2020

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who is now 1-5 in his last six fights, knows he needs a win when he fights Omari Akhmedov at UFC Vegas 6 this weekend. Speaking to MMA Fighting ahead of this high-stakes bout, Weidman opened up on his recent struggles.

Tom Taylor - August 5, 2020

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is now firmly embedded as a member of the ONE Championship roster, but he’s still routinely called out by UFC fighters. Most recently, Johnson was called out by Deiveson Figueiredo, who captured the vacant UFC flyweight title with a win over Joseph Benavidez in July.

Tom Taylor - August 5, 2020

Former ONE Championship and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren says he “probably would” fight again, but the circumstances would have to be right. Askren retired in 2019, after sustaining back-to-back losses to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia—a knockout and a submission respectively. In his retirement announcement, he cited a need for a hip replacement.

Natasha Hooper - August 5, 2020

Ed Herman is ready to punch Kevin Holland in the face for his comments regarding their possible last-minute fight. The middleweight veteran Ed Herman could’ve fought Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 5 last weekend after Holland’s opponent, Trevin Giles, fainted and the bout was called off. Likewise, Herman’s fight against Gerald Meerschaert was canceled because his opponent tested positive for COVID-19. Despite the apparent possibility of a matchup, “Short Fuse” revealed that he was told by that they couldn’t find a replacement.

Natasha Hooper - August 5, 2020

Paulo Costa recently proved it isn’t just his striking power that Israel Adesanya needs to look out for, it’s speed too. The middleweight standout proclaimed “I’m a beast now” as he stepped up his training ahead of his title fight against Adesanya at UFC 253 on September 19. With the help of his Muay Thai coach Felipe Reis and his boxing coach Edvaldo Badola, the top contender showcased his speed and power as he uncorked 23 kicks in 12 seconds.

Adam Martin - August 4, 2020

UFC featherweight contender Calvin Kattar has offered to step in on short notice and fight Zabit Magomedsharipov later this month. Magomedsharipov was expected to fight Yair Rodriguez in a potential No. 1 contender fight in the UFC featherweight division in the main event of a UFC Fight Night event on August 29. Unfortunately, this fight seems cursed. The UFC has tried to book it in the past but for one reason or another, it hasn’t come to fruition, and it won’t this time, either. On Tuesday, UFC president Dana White revealed that Rodriguez is injured and out of the fight.

Cole Shelton - August 4, 2020

Yair Rodriguez and Zabit Magomedsharipov will have to wait a little longer to fight one another. The two have been linked to fighting one another for quite some time, and on Aug. 29 in the main event, they were expected to finally meet. Yet, on Tuesday evening, Mexican outlet Milenio, reported Rodriguez is out of the fight. Dana White later confirmed at the post-fight press conference following the Contender Series.

Cole Shelton - August 4, 2020

Conor McGregor is not a fan of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s strategy for his upcoming bout against Justin Gaethje. Nurmagomedov is returning to the Octagon at UFC 254 on October 24 to take on the Gaethje. It is a fascinating fight where many believe “The Highlight” poses a big threat to the undefeated Dagestani champion.

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.

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.

Adam Martin - August 4, 2020

UFC president Dana White is unsure who will be the next opponent for welterweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev and he isn’t sure it will be a top-15 fighter. Chimaev defeated John Phillips and Rhys McKee in dominant fashion on Fight Island, setting a record for the fewest time (10 days) to collect two wins in the modern UFC era. Chimaev took no damage in both fights and has told White and the UFC that he hopes to fight against in August, potentially at UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3.

Tom Taylor - August 4, 2020

Red-hot UFC welterweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev has a bold prediction for a potential fight with long-time contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Speaking to Chael Sonnen in a video posted to YouTube, Chimaev opened up on a potential fight with Cerrone. While he admitted there’s been no discussions about this matchup, he’s confident he’d win it in the first or second round if it happened.

Tom Taylor - August 4, 2020

UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee says he’ll help Georges St-Pierre prepare for a potential fight with the lightweight division’s reigning champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Khabib Nurmagomedov is scheduled to defend his lightweight title against the division’s interim titleholder, Justin Gaethje, on October 24. If he gets past that massive challenge, the expectation is that he could take on St-Pierre, the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, as he looks to improve his professional record to an absurd 30-0.

Tom Taylor - August 4, 2020

UFC flyweight contender Tim Elliott has issued a statement after testing positive for marijuana on an in-competition for his May 30 fight with Brandon Royval. On Monday, ESPN’s Marc Raimondi reported that both Tim Elliott and Jamahal Hill tested positive for marijuana, and are facing discipline from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Both have been handed temporary suspensions by the commission, and could ultimately be hit with nine-month suspensions. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), could also issue suspensions, but has not yet decided if it will take action.

Adam Martin - August 4, 2020

UFC president Dana White says his promotion is planning on having five more weeks of events on Fight Island. The UFC just finished its first foray on Fight Island on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi during the month of July and it was a huge success. The UFC held a total of four events within a two-week span, including a massive pay-per-view in UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal that did 1.3 million buys. White had been saying for months leading into it that Fight Island would be big for his company, but it was even bigger than anyone could have expected.

Tom Taylor - August 4, 2020

Ali Abdelaziz, the CEO of MMA management firm Dominance MMA, says that undefeated lightweight prospect Usman Nurmagomedov is even better than his cousin, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Speaking to Andy Whitelaw of Asian MMA, Abdelaziz was asked to identify the brightest prospects he currently represents—prospects like Khamzat Chimaev, who recently burst into the limelight in the UFC.

Tom Taylor - August 4, 2020

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, who have both enjoyed reigns as UFC champions, are two of the most heated rivals in MMA history. In the year 2020, however, their rivalry seems to be waning.

Cole Shelton - August 4, 2020

The fifth episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with Cole Shelton is here ahead of UFC Vegas 6. Host Cole Shelton is first joined 10th ranked heavyweight, Alexey Oleynik (1:38). Next, 14th ranked lightweight, Beneil Dariush comes on (14:22). Then, UFC lightweight, Scott Holtzman (31:03) joins the program. Finally, eighth-ranked bantamweight, Yana Kunitskaya (49:21) is the final guest of the episode.