MMA News
ONE: A New Era Preview: Tatsumitsu Wada vs Ivanildo Delfino
BJPENN.COM Staff - March 21, 2019
ONE: A NEW ERA will mark the beginning of what figures to be a long relationship between ONE Championship and Japan. The event will be the promotion’s first ever in the country, and it will feature several notable Japanese athletes in action. Among them is Tatsumitsu Wada. He will face undefeated Brazilian newcomer Ivanildo Delfino in the quarter-final round of the highly-anticipated ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.
EXCLUSIVE | Bibiano Fernandes explains what he'll do differently in Kevin Belingon rematch
Thomas Taylor - March 21, 2019
Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon share one of the best rivalries in ONE Championship. The pair first met in China in January of 2016. On that night, Brazil’s Fernandes dispatched of his Filipino rival with a kimura in the first round, defending the bantamweight belt in the process.
UFC 236 | Dustin Poirier confident he can finish Max Holloway again
Cole Shelton - March 21, 2019
In the main event of UFC 236, Dustin Poirier is set to fight for the interim lightweight title against Max Holloway. It will be the rematch of their first fight, which saw Poirier beat Holloway by submission in the first round. Since that fight, the two have gone their separate ways with Holloway staying at featherweight and becoming the champion, while Poirier moved up to lightweight and has become a top contender.
Pedro Munhoz campaigns for bantamweight title fight with fellow contender Marlon Moraes
Tom Taylor - March 21, 2019
Now that TJ Dillashaw has vacated the UFC bantamweight title, the big question is which two fighters will compete in order to crown a new champion. Pedro Munhoz is hoping to be one of those fighters. Munhoz campaigned for a bantamweight title fight against streaking contender Marlon Moraes on Twitter, promising UFC President Dana White an instant classic if he books the bout.
EXCLUSIVE | Colby Covington explains how his altercation with Abdelaziz and Usman started
Cole Shelton - March 21, 2019
Colby Covington didn’t fight at UFC 235, yet he still managed to generate many of the event’s biggest headlines. The day after the event, for example, video was released of Covington, Ali Abdelaziz, and Kamaru Usman getting into an altercation in the Palms Casino and Resort (see it here).
Dana White praises Ben Askren, confirms next fight will be most likely be against Robbie Lawler
Tom Taylor - March 21, 2019
UFC President Dana White and former ONE and Bellator champ Ben Askren haven’t always had the best relationship. In fact, they’ve seem to outright loathe each other at various points in the past. Now that Ben Askren is firmly embedded as a member of the UFC welterweight top-15, however, Dana White seems to be changing his tune.
Remembering XARM: Art Davie’s other combat sports creation
Tom Taylor - March 21, 2019
In 2018, Art Davie was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and immortalized for his role in creating the Las Vegas based MMA organization. Yet launching the UFC is not his only claim to fame. Roughly 15 years after he helped birth the UFC, Davie offered the world yet another brand new combat sports venture. He called this creation XARM (pronounced “ex-arm”), and it’s absolutely worthy of remembrance. XARM was a fusion of arm-wrestling and MMA, and it was every bit as ridiculous as it sounds. Yet there was a time, not all that long ago, when Davie and his partners were pushing this bizarre, hybrid sport as the obvious successor to the UFC and the next step in the evolution of combat sports.
PFL announces more names for 2019 roster
Nolan King - March 21, 2019
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is gearing up for its sophomore season, loading up its roster with faces both new and old. On Thursday afternoon, PFL announced its second batch of participants who will be entering the 2019 tournament via ESPN as well as a promotional video.
Dana White lists the fighters he expects to become big UFC stars
Cole Shelton - March 21, 2019
A common complaint UFC fans have is that there aren’t many huge MMA stars at the moment. It’s a recurring complaint, with Ronda Rousey leaving the spot, Brock Lesnar in the WWE and Conor McGregor fighting so infrequently. However, UFC President Dana White does not agree with these claims. Rather, he says there is a ton of up and coming prospects that will soon turn into stars.
Jimi Manuwa gives timeframe for Octagon return
James Lynch - March 21, 2019
Jimi Manuwa is still on the mend but has a clear idea of when we’ll likely see him compete next. The light heavyweight has been sidelined for the last few months with a groin injury but is targeting a return on the UFC on ESPN+10 card in Sweden, which takes place on June 1.
Holly Holm inks new UFC deal
Tom Taylor - March 21, 2019
Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm isn’t going anywhere. The former champ was down to the last two obligations on her current UFC deal, but has reportedly inked a new, six-fight deal with the Las Vegas based promotion. This news was first reported by ESPN and subsequently verified by Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting, who spoke with Holm’s manager Lenny Fresquez.
Conor McGregor reacts to 'little snake' TJ Dillashaw drug test findings
Tom Taylor - March 21, 2019
Conor McGregor has gotten wind of TJ Dillashaw’s drug testing drama, and well, he doesn’t seem surprised. See how McGregor reacted to this unfortunate news below:
Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes trade barbs in wake of bantamweight title being vacated
Drake Riggs - March 20, 2019
The UFC bantamweight division was flipped on its head today as TJ Dillashaw was notified of a potential USADA violation thus resulting in a one-year suspension from the New York State Athletic Commission. Because of that, the bantamweight champion relinquished his title thus making it vacant for a new champion to be decided in the next fight for the crown.
Three options for the UFC’s vacant bantamweight title
Cole Shelton - March 20, 2019
Unfortunate news came out this morning that TJ Dillashaw would be relinquishing his bantamweight title due to ‘adverse’ findings in a USADA drug sample. In addition, it was announced that TJ Dillashaw will be suspended for a year, retroactive to January 19.
UFC 237 | Clay Guida praises BJ Penn ahead of fight, 'He paved the way'
Drake Riggs - March 20, 2019
In hindsight, it’s pretty amazing to think that BJ Penn and Clay Guida have never crossed paths in battle before. Both men are seasoned veterans and staples of the lightweight division’s history. With a combined 52 UFC fights between the two. With 26 UFC fights each, there is no shortage of incredible memories both have left fans with over the years.
Stephen Thompson feels he has quicker path to title after UFC 235, 'Nobody wants to see Thompson vs. Woodley 3'
Drake Riggs - March 20, 2019
Stephen Thompson is back! After 10 months away from the Octagon, a lot has happened. And because of that, ‘Wonderboy’ likes where he stands in the division. This Saturday night at UFC Nashville, Thompson is set to headline the event opposite former WEC and UFC lightweight champion, Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis.
BREAKING | Kevin Lee moves up to welterweight, faces Rafael Dos Anjos in UFC Rochester main event
Drake Riggs - March 20, 2019
It’s been a roller coaster ride of events for “The Mo-Town Phenom” Kevin Lee since his interim title fight with Tony Ferguson in October 2017. The then 24-year old Lee would go onto lose via third-round submission (triangle choke) in a fun and competitive bout. After taking some time to re-evaluate and gather himself, Lee would return for a main event encounter with another dangerous striker in Edson Barboza.
USADA releases statement on TJ Dillashaw drug test
Tom Taylor - March 20, 2019
This morning, TJ Dillashaw announced that he failed an in-competition drug test for his January showdown with UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. Dillashaw added that he has chosen to relinquish his UFC bantamweight title as a result of this unfortunate situation. Shortly after this news broke, Ariel Helwani reported that the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), who oversaw Dillashaw and Cejudo’s Brooklyn battle, had suspended the former for one year. That being said, it was not immediately clear how the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) would react.