MMA News

Harry Kettle - April 24, 2025

UFC veteran Anthony Smith has said that he’s accepted his impending retirement ahead of his clash with Zhang Mingyang. On Saturday night, Anthony Smith will make the walk to the Octagon for the final time in his career. He has been through some real ups and downs in his mixed martial arts career, but he will have one more opportunity to prove himself to the world before he rides off into the sunset. It’s been a tough few years for ‘Lionheart’ after the death of his friend and coach Scott Morton, but he seems to be in a better place now.

Harry Kettle - April 24, 2025

UFC star Ian Machado Garry has promised that he’ll be able to get a finish against Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City. For the longest time now, Ian Machado Garry has been seen as a top contender in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In his last outing against Shavkat Rakhmonov, he took his opponent to the limit. While he ultimately came up short and suffered a defeat, he proved to the masses that he is ready for the big time.

Harry Kettle - April 24, 2025

UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes featherweight contender Jean Silva could be a world champion in the future. In his last outing, Jean Silva impressed in a big way when he collided with Bryce Mitchell. It was an absolutely blockbuster grudge match, and it was one of the most highly anticipated fights on the entire UFC 314 card. In the end, the Fighting Nerds star managed to pick up the win, submitting Mitchell in what proved to be a really solid display.

Harry Kettle - April 24, 2025

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has revealed whether or not he’d fight Islam Makhachev if he came up to 170 pounds. As we know, Belal Muhammad is the reigning, defending champion in the welterweight division. He won the gold by defeating Leon Edwards in what proved to be a fairly one-sided affair. Now, at UFC 315, he looks set to defend his strap against Jack Della Maddalena in what promises to be an entertaining, competitive encounter.

BJPENN.COM Staff - April 23, 2025

British Muay Thai legend Liam Harrison’s bantamweight Muay Thai showdown with Soe Lin Oo this summer has sparked plenty of talk about retirement. But that doesn’t seem to be the case entirely. “Hitman” meets the Myanmarese monster at ONE 173: Denver on Friday, August 1, at Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena — a contest in which he believes will provide the answer to his fighting future.

BJ Penn Staff - April 23, 2025

Katy Perry has been in hot water from the moment she returned from space, and it doesn’t seem like things will cool down for her any time soon. One of her most recent critics is one of the most controversial fighters in the UFC: Sean Strickland. Perry is an award-winning pop star, known for songs like Roar, California Gurls, Teenage Dream, I Kissed a Girl, and about a dozen other earworms that you’ve been hearing in grocery stores and shopping malls for more than a decade. She was one of six women to participate in Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-31 mission, which saw passengers fly to the Kármán line, a point in earth’s lower thermosphere that is considered the boundary into space.

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2025

Dan Ige is hoping to face Patricio Pitbull next time out after he returned to the win column at UFC 314. Ige scored a third-round TKO win over Sean Woodson to snap his two-fight losing skid. On the same card, Pitbull made his debut, and he suffered a decision loss to Yair Rodriguez. Although Pitbull isn’t ranked and is 0-1 in the UFC, Ige feels like it’s a big name for him to fight next, and it would be an exciting fight for the fans.

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2025

Ian Machado Garry would like to test himself against Islam Makhachev if the lightweight champ moves up to welterweight. Makhachev has been rumored to want to pursue a second belt and has shown interest in going up to welterweight. If the lightweight champ does move up to welterweight, it’s likely he will get an immediate title shot. But, after that, Garry says he wants to fight Makhachev as he wants to test himself against the best.

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2025

Sean Brady will be paying close attention to the UFC Kansas City main event on Saturday. Ian Machado Garry will take on Carlos Prates in the main event in an intriguing welterweight showdown. The winner could be right near a title shot and could perhaps face Brady. Although Brady has taken aim at Garry in the past, he does expect the Irishman to get the win here.

BJ Penn Staff - April 23, 2025

Tai Tuivasa has some work to do if he intends to continue competing in the UFC heavyweight division. Australia’s Tuivasa, 32, has twice had the look of a future heavyweight title challenger in the UFC. He joined the UFC roster in 2017, and after wins in his first three Octagon appearances, looked like he was ready to fight the division’s elite. Unfortunately, he then lost three straight fights, and two by stoppage, which looked like the end of his title ambition.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 23, 2025

One top contender isn’t sold on Zhang Weili having success at flyweight. Weili has been mostly dominant in the UFC strawweight division. Her two losses to Rose Namajunas are the only defeats Weili has suffered during her UFC run. She has beaten the likes of Joanna Jedrzejczyk twice, Jessica Andrade, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 23, 2025

A member of the “Fight Wing” section of the UFC Hall of Fame is now hearing that Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall isn’t the next heavyweight title fight after all. Fans have grown tired of waiting for the UFC heavyweight title picture to move forward with an undisputed championship fight. Aspinall has held the interim title since Nov. 2023. Jones and Aspinall have the same amount of title defenses, but their matchup still hasn’t been booked.

Harry Kettle - April 23, 2025

UFC featherweight contender Movsar Evloev believes the promotion is trying to keep him away from a title opportunity. For the longest time now, Movsar Evloev has been a top contender in the featherweight division. While he may not be the flashiest fighter in the world, he doesn’t need to be. He has been able to grind out wins over a series of top fighters, including the likes of Aljamain Sterling and Arnold Allen. Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite been enough to convince the promotion that he deserves a crack at the title.

Harry Kettle - April 23, 2025

UFC star Kayla Harrison has given her thoughts on Amanda Nunes potentially returning to mixed martial arts. Over the course of the last few years, Kayla Harrison has been on a path to greatness. In addition to her success in PFL, she’s been solid since arriving in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Now, she has her sights set on finally claiming gold as she prepares to collide with Julianna Pena for the bantamweight title.

Harry Kettle - April 23, 2025

UFC stars Max Holloway and The Korean Zombie engaged in a light-hearted rematch recently on a KO punch machine. When you talk about featherweight legends, you have to talk about Max Holloway and The Korean Zombie. Both of these men have achieved some incredible things in the world of mixed martial arts and a few years ago, they even squared off in what would prove to be TKZ’s final fight inside the Octagon. It was a fun, competitive fight, with Zombie going out on his shield at the hands of a nasty Holloway knockout.

Harry Kettle - April 23, 2025

UFC fighter Michael Chandler has responded to Conor McGregor teasing the idea of them finally setting their feud inside the Octagon. For the longest time now, Michael Chandler has been chasing down a fight against Conor McGregor. In the time that it’s taken for them to first start teasing it we’ve seen a season of them coaching against each other on The Ultimate Fighter, the fight get booked and cancelled, Chandler fighting twice, and Chandler losing twice.

BJPENN.COM Staff - April 22, 2025

Third-ranked flyweight Muay Thai star Kongthoranee Sor Sommai wants to end his rivalry with former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama on Friday, May 2. The rising star meets Nong-O in a flyweight Muay Thai rematch in the main event of ONE Fight Night 31 inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, where he looks to make a solid statement in his quest for a World Title shot.

BJPENN.COM Staff - April 22, 2025

Former ONE Welterweight MMA World Champion Zebaztian Kadestam has delivered an extensive list of knockouts throughout his eight years in ONE Championship. Now he wants to keep that going versus Isi Fitikefu. “The Bandit” meets the Australian-Tongan tussler in a welterweight MMA showdown. This happens at ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Friday, May 2, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.