MMA News

Harry Kettle - May 26, 2020

UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has given his own thoughts on where he ranks in the ongoing “GOAT” conversation. While the discussion over who the Greatest of All Time is in the world of mixed martial arts may be subjective, many hardcore fans will defend their choice with great passion – whether it be on social media or down their local bar.

Harry Kettle - May 26, 2020

Daniel Cormier has given his thoughts on how much he believes Jon Jones should be compensated for a move up to heavyweight. Cormier and Jones have had their fair share of spats over the years, but in the Octagon, Jones has been able to overcome “DC” with one decision win and one KO victory that was changed to a no contest due to a failed drug test. 

Natasha Hooper - May 26, 2020

Michael Bisping had some choice words for a fan who suggested he lost his 2016 fight with Anderson Silva. Silva has been a hot topic as of recent after Conor McGregor ranked him the No. 1 GOAT on Twitter.

Natasha Hooper - May 26, 2020

Ben Askren has named the top 7 fighters he thinks could all make a case for the GOAT of MMA. The “Greatest Of All Time” fighter in MMA has been a hot topic of discussion recently after Conor McGregor named his top picks. “The Notorious” listed Anderson Silva as the number 1 GOAT, following himself who he listed behind in close second. Read his full MMA GOAT rankings below.

Cole Shelton - May 25, 2020

Joe Rogan can’t believe his Spotify deal is real. The UFC commentator and podcast host recently agreed to a deal to have his podcast  “The Joe Rogan Experience” exclusively on Spotify. The deal will pay him more than $100 million which for Rogan doesn’t seem real.

Cole Shelton - May 25, 2020

Henry Cejudo confirms his retirement is legit. In the co-main event of UFC 249, Cejudo was looking to defend his bantamweight title for the first time when he battled Dominick Cruz. “Triple C” was having success early on and then landed a knee that dropped the former champ and he finished him off with ground and pound strikes.

Cole Shelton - May 25, 2020

Tim Elliott has changed his approach to fighting. The former UFC flyweight title challenger and TUF winner will return to the Octagon on Saturday to battle newcomer Brandon Royval. He’s also looking to snap his two-fight losing streak, but for him, he says wins and losses no longer matter. Instead, he wants to win bonuses and be known as an exciting fighter.

Tom Taylor - May 25, 2020

It’s tough to stand out in the crowded combat sports industry, but the newly-launched promotion Extreme Kumite International Championships (EKIC) is already doing just that. EKIC is the brainchild of Edward Simpson, Mark Goldstein and Jeff Arcio, and features an impressive list of brand ambassadors and advisors like former Strikeforce champion Cung Le and UFC Hall-of-Fame Stephan Bonnar.

Tom Taylor - May 25, 2020

Wanderlei Silva has reportedly been offered $10M for a potential bare-knuckle fight with Mike Tyson—an opportunity he says he accepted “right away.” Tyson, a 53-year-old boxing legend, is plotting a comeback, and is being aggressively courted by upstart bare-knuckle organization BKFC. The promotion is reported to have offered Tyson more than $20M to compete sans gloves, and has named Silva as his potential dance partner (should the boxer accept the offer).

Tom Taylor - May 25, 2020

UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman is extremely confident he’d come out on top in a potential fight with Conor McGregor. There’s been plenty of buzz about a superfight between Usman and McGregor, who previously held the UFC lightweight and featherweight titles, over the last few days. The buzz reached a fever pitch when Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, suggested they would be willing to give McGregor a title shot—with some unique conditions.

Jason Kindschy - May 25, 2020

EKIC or Extreme Kumite International Championships is an all-new and innovative promotion focused on bringing authentic martial arts competition to combat sports fans around the globe. Revolutionary in their approach, the founders of EKIC aim to give combat sports athletes every opportunity available to them all under one roof, while also prioritizing fair pay to those under contract. The EKIC brand will bring three different rulesets of combat to international viewers. Freestyle Kumite, which will be modeled after some aspects of MMA but eliminates the cage and gloves. Bareknuckle Boxing under The London Rules rather than Marquess of Queensberry Rules, and finally traditional boxing as it’s seen today. All three rulesets from one promotion. The founders of EKIC joined us to announce the official launch of the brand and discuss their goals for the company. President Ed Simpson, Vice President Mark Goldstein, and fellow VP Jeff Arcio gave BJPENN Radio exclusive insight on EKIC from it’s inception to where they see the company in five years. With an advisory board and brand ambassadors that include the likes of Hector Camacho Jr., Cung Le, and Stephan Bonnar, the EKIC team is ready to take the combat sports world by storm. Having already been bombarded by athletes interested in competing for the brand, it’s only a matter of time before EKIC grows from fledgling promotion to pugilistic powerhouse.

Tom Taylor - May 25, 2020

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently took a moment to reflect on his jaw-droppingly dominant victory over Abel Trujillo, which occurred seven years ago today, at UFC 160. Nurmagomedov defeated Trujillo by unanimous decision, landing a record-shattering 21 of his 28 attempted takedowns in the process. Interestingly, the lightweight champ says he entered this fight with a debilitating injury, which was part of the reason he exercised such a grappling-heavy game plan.

Adam Martin - May 25, 2020

The sportsbooks have released the opening betting odds for a potential fight between superstar Conor McGregor and UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. There have been rumblings in the last few days about McGregor potentially getting the next title shot against Usman at 170lbs, particularly if Jorge Masvidal fights Nate Diaz in a rematch instead. Usman’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has made it clear their camp is interested in a McGregor fight, so as crazy as it seems that McGregor could get a title shot at welterweight, there is a possibility that’s the case.

Tom Taylor - May 25, 2020

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has shared his thoughts on a potential super fight between light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and top heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou. According to Miocic, Jones could win this prospective showdown with the right gameplan, but Ngannou’s infamous knockout power would make the contest interesting from beginning to end.

Harry Kettle - May 25, 2020

UFC veteran Bryan Caraway has set up a GoFundMe page in order to try and raise money for his mother’s funeral expenses. Caraway, who had a 6-4 record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, broke the news on social media in a heartfelt message to his fans. The 35-year-old last fought for Battlefield FC in July 2019 in a winning effort in Macau, China.

Adam Martin - May 25, 2020

Andre Pederneiras, the coach of Jose Aldo and several other top MMA fighters in Brazil, has tested positive for COVID-19. The 53-year-old Pederneiras is now isolated in his own home away from his wife and children. Combate was the first to reveal the positive test for “Dede,” who is considered one of the pioneers of MMA coaching.

Harry Kettle - May 25, 2020

A new travel exemption in the United States could mean that the proposed Fight Island idea will no longer be required by the UFC. For weeks now we’ve been waiting to see whether or not UFC president Dana White would give the green light for Fight Island to take place, with a recent report indicating that it could happen as soon as July.

Natasha Hooper - May 25, 2020

Conor McGregor has explained why he doesn’t consider the lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, to be one of the GOATs of MMA. Last week, the Irish superstar ranked top MMA fighters, past and present, in a Greatest Of All Time list. He posted his GOAT list to social media.