MMA News
Breaking | Alonzo Menifield returns against Devin Clark on June 6
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020
Alonzo Menifield will return to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year to battle Devin Clark. Multiple sources confirmed to BJPENN.com that Menifield will take on Devin Clark on June 6 at a location to be announced. The contracts have already been issued and signed, the sources confirmed.
Conor McGregor watching UFC 249 to ensure safety and determine return according to manager
Mike Pendleton - May 7, 2020
Before there are any plans made for Conor McGregor to make his return to the Octagon in 2020, he wants to ensure that the safety measures in place are going to work. According to his manager Audie Attar, McGregor will be following this weekend’s event for many reasons, including scouting potential future opponents, and ensuring the safety of the event taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A.J. McKee wants to box Floyd Mayweather after he becomes Bellator champ-champ
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020
A.J. McKee is looking to become a champ-champ in Bellator and then go into boxing to challenge Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather has not boxed professionally since he defeated Conor McGregor in the summer of 2016. It was a highly-anticipated bout, and McKee thinks he can capture that same momentum.
Greg Hardy says his goal is to become the "heavyweight Jon Jones"
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020
Greg Hardy says he wants to become the heavyweight version of Jon Jones. Hardy made his UFC debut in January of 2019. He had five fights in the year going 2-2 and one no-contest, with one of his losses being a DQ. He’ll look to get back into the win column against Yorgan De Castro at UFC 249.
Pro fighters make their picks for Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020
On the stacked UFC 249 main card, Francis Ngannou takes on undefeated contender, Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Heading into this fight, Ngannou is a -275 favorite while “Bigi Boy” is a +215 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros believe the scrap ends by knockout where the majority lean towards Ngannou getting his hand raised.
Conor McGregor responds to "challenge" from Oscar De La Hoya
Thomas Taylor - May 7, 2020
Conor McGregor was recently called out 47-year-old former boxing champ Oscar De La. Now, the Irishman has responded. De La Hoya discussed a potential boxing match with McGregor during an appearance on CBS Sports’ State of Combat podcast.
Conor McGregor lashes out over position in UFC rankings, Dustin Poirier fires back
Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020
Conor McGregor has some gripes about his position in the UFC lightweight rankings, and his former foe Dustin Poirier is having none of it. McGregor defeated Dustin Poirier via first-round TKO in a 2014 featherweight fight. Nonetheless, Poirier has glided past McGregor in the lightweight rankings, settling in at No. 2, one spot in front of the Irishman.
Leon Edwards will fight next on Fight Island against high-ranked opponent, says Dana White
Adam Martin - May 7, 2020
UFC welterweight Leon Edwards will next fight on Fight Island and his opponent will be a highly-ranked opponent at 170lbs, says UFC president Dana White. Edwards was set to fight Tyron Woodley back in March at UFC London, but the card was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Edwards is now stuck in his native England, which has heavy restrictions on international travel, which means he will not be able to fly to the United States to fight Woodley. Instead, the UFC is now targeting Woodley against Gilbert Burns in the main event of UFC Las Vegas on May 23.
Dana White: Jon Jones will not be punished by UFC after recent arrest
Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020
According to UFC President Dana White, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will not receive any form of punishment from the UFC after being arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico earlier this year. Jon Jones was arrested in late March and charged with aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, and possession of an open container. Despite the fact this was not his first run-in with the law, the light heavyweight champion was able to avoid jail time.
Coach outlines the conditions that bring out the best in Donald Cerrone
Mike Pendleton - May 7, 2020
At UFC 249 this weekend, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will look to get back to his winning ways and avenge a loss to a former opponent, Anthony Pettis. Cerrone and Pettis previously fought back in 2013 at UFC on FOX 6, with Pettis winning by first-round knockout. Cerrone is also looking to bounce back from his 40-second loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 246 in January, a fight that Cerrone admitted he realized two days out that he didn’t want to be there for. As he looks to get back on track inside the Octagon, Cerrone’s coach John Wood of Syndicate MMA recently revealed that Cerrone has a “fire lit under his ass” and is ready for everything in his rematch against Pettis.
Tony Ferguson doesn't "give a s**t" about Khabib Nurmagomedov fight being rescheduled
Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020
UFC 249 headliner Tony Ferguson says he doesn’t care if his long anticipated fight with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets rescheduled. Tony Ferguson was originally expected to battle Khabib Nurmagomedov on April 18, but this fight fell through when Nurmagomedov got stranded in Russia due to travel restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic. This marked the preposterous fifth time a matchup between the two has fallen through.
Tony Ferguson takes shot at "fake" Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 249
Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020
Tony Ferguson is days out from an interim lightweight title fight with Justin Gaethje. Given the task at hand, he doesn’t have a lot of energy for talk about Conor McGregor. Ferguson was asked about McGregor on ESPN’s First Take on Thursday morning, and he labeled the Irishman fake — as fake as chicken nuggets.
Donald Cerrone discusses occasional inability to show up for fights, says he has seen a sports psychiatrist
Harry Kettle - May 7, 2020
UFC veteran Donald Cerrone has revealed that he has spoken to a sports psychiatrist regarding his occasional inconsistency in the Octagon. It’s safe to say that many fans were disappointed to see “Cowboy” fall to Conor McGregor in the manner that he did back in January, with the general consensus being that he simply didn’t show up on the night. Cerrone even acknowledged that his head wasn’t in the right place himself.
Coach Mendez explains why Conor McGregor is still the toughest opponent for his pupil Khabib Nurmagomedov
Natasha Hooper - May 7, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach Javier Mendez has explained why Conor McGregor is still his pupil’s toughest opponent. The undefeated lightweight champion was scheduled to defend his title against Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249. However, due to travel restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak and Nurmagomedov’s commitment to Ramadan, their showdown has been postponed. Justin Gaethje will fill in as a short-notice replacement to fight “El Cucuy” on May 9.
Mike Tyson receives intense callout from Tyson Fury's father
Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020
Mike Tyson is staging a comeback, and he’s already got plenty of suitors. Count John Fury, the father of current heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, among them. Fury Sr. announced that he wants to fight the 53-year-old legend in a charity boxing match in a video captured by Manchester Fight Club. See it below:
Israel Adesanya responds to suggestion of coaching TUF opposite Darren Till
Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020
UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya has issued a response to the notion of coaching The Ultimate Fighter opposite Darren Till — and Till’s not going to like it. While the idea of a fight between Adesanya and Till has been appealing since Till debuted in the middleweight division with a big win over Kelvin Gastelum in November, the buzz surrounding this potential matchup spiked yesterday, when Till suggested he could coach the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter against Adesanya. Generally speaking, TUF coaches wind up fighting each other at the conclusion of the season, so Till was effectively implying he could fight Adesanya in the near future.
Report: Mike Tyson offered $20M by BKFC
Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020
BKFC, an upstart bare knuckle fighting organization, has reportedly offered 53-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson a $20M deal. Tyson recently announced his intention to end his retirement for a handful of exhibition bouts. What really sent the combat sports world into a frenzy of excitement, however, was footage of the boxing legend hitting mitts with famed MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro. Even at 53, Tyson looked absolutely lethal.
Alexey Oleynik says UFC 249 fight with Fabricio Werdum is for "best motherf****r submission title"
Cole Shelton - May 6, 2020
Alexey Oleynik says there is a belt on the line when he takes on Fabricio Werdum at UFC 249. Oleynik will welcome Werdum back to the Octagon after a USADA suspension on the stacked UFC 249 card. The Russian is eager to share the cage with a ‘legend’ and says this fight is to see who’s the best grappler of all-time.