MMA News
Michael Bisping reveals he nearly went fully blind following Kelvin Gastelum fight
Cole Shelton - April 16, 2020
Michael Bisping regrets taking the Kelvin Gastelum fight just weeks after losing to Georges St-Pierre. The former UFC middleweight champion says he overtrained for the St-Pierre fight and after he got choked out he got a quick return. Anderson Silva was out of his scrap against Gastelum and Bisping would be stepping in on short notice.
UFC 250 full betting odds revealed
Adam Martin - April 16, 2020
The full betting odds have been released for the hypothetical UFC 250 card, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on May 9 at a location TBD. UFC president Dana White this week revealed the promotion is hoping to get back to its normal fight schedule in early May, and the complete 12-fight card for FC 250 was revealed to the fans. The planned UFC 250 card has three title fights on it, making it one of the deepest and most stacked cards in recent memory. That is as long if it still goes on as scheduled, which at this point is hard to say given the coronavirus pandemic.
Ronda Rousey prefers WWE's pay compared to the UFC: "They’re treated like employees"
Cole Shelton - April 16, 2020
Former UFC champion, Ronda Rousey likes how WWE pays their athletes compared to the UFC. Rousey, who became a WWE star after her successful UFC career, says the WWE treats athletes like employees. The wrestlers are also on salary, which makes planning life a lot easier when compared to fight purses.
Nate Diaz Top 5 fights
Natasha Hooper - April 16, 2020
Today marks the birthday of one of the UFC’s most celebrated fighters, Nate Diaz. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 35-year old is no doubt having a quiet celebration in lockdown. To honor the ‘Stockton slapper’, we have compiled his top five fights to celebrate his birthday in ultimate BJPenn.com style! Donald Cerrone The UFC veterans collided in the co-main event of UFC 141 in 2011. The fighters vented their frustration in an all-out war, but the bad blood started long before they entered the Octagon. Diaz previously slapped his opponent’s hand when Cerrone attempted to introduce himself. He also knocked the “Cowboy’s” hat off his head during a press conference.
Paulie Malignaggi confirms he's been contacted about boxing rematch with Artem Lobov
Tom Taylor - April 16, 2020
In 2019, at BKFC 6, Paulie Malignaggi stepped through the ropes for a bare-knuckle boxing match with MMA product Artem Lobov. Despite possessing far more pure boxing experience, Malignaggi lost a tight decision to his rival. Given the competitive nature of the bout, there was some talk of a rematch between the two. Speaking to BJPENN.com recently, Lobov confirmed that he was actually approached about competing in a boxing rematch with Malignaggi.
Shaquille O’Neal: "MMA is the reason I became a champion" in NBA
Tom Taylor - April 16, 2020
Shaquille O’Neal, the winner of four NBA Championships, and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Famer, credits his success on the court to MMA. It’s no secret that Shaq is a big fight fan, but during a recent interview with ESPN, he divulged that training in MMA on the side helped him take his fitness to the next level.
Kamaru Usman ready to fight Jorge Masvidal on May 9 UFC card
Adam Martin - April 16, 2020
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman says he’s ready to fight Jorge Masvidal on the May 9 UFC card if the promotion needs him to fight on it. The UFC revealed its plans this week for the new UFC 249/UFC 250 card that will take place on May 9 at a location TBD. The card already has three title fights set for it, with Tony Ferguson taking on Justin Gaethje in the main event for the UFC interim lightweight title, Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz for the UFC bantamweight title in the co-main event, and Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer for the UFC women’s featherweight title, to boot.
Dana White updates on timeframe for Fight Island events
Adam Martin - April 16, 2020
UFC president Dana White says that Fight Island should be ready by the middle of May to hold UFC events featuring international fighters. White made headlines recently when he revealed he had acquired a private island in order to host future UFC events. Fans and media were taken aback by the news of White trying to hold events on a private island as the coronavirus pandemic eliminated the ability for the UFC to hold fights in the mainland United States. At first, it seemed like a bit of an inside joke, but it soon became clear that White was very serious about Fight Island.
Dana White: Revamped UFC 249 card 'could get better'
Tom Taylor - April 16, 2020
UFC President Dana White is working on orchestrating a triumphant return for the promotion on May 9. He’s already stacked this revamped UFC 249 card with three title fights, and from the sounds of it, it could get even bigger “It could get better,” White told Yahoo! Sports of the May 9 event. “It really could. You look at that card and it’s stacked, but I have some fights I’m working on, if I get them done, this card is going to be absolutely crazy.”
Michael Bisping shares thoughts on UFC 249 cancelation
Tom Taylor - April 16, 2020
Michael Bisping is taking the coronavirus pandemic very seriously, but admits he was looking forward to the recently canceled UFC 249 card.
Sean O’Malley would love to compete on “Fight Island”, but says July return is more realistic
Harry Kettle - April 16, 2020
UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley has said he’d love to compete on the proposed Fight Island, but that a July return is more likely. O’Malley made his return to the Octagon back at UFC 248, scoring an impressive TKO win over José Alberto Quiñónez in a little over two minutes. The win took him to 4-0 in the UFC, including his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, and marked his first fight with the promotion since UFC 222 in March 2018.
Michael Bisping: "I’d happily share a beer with Rockhold"
Tom Taylor - April 16, 2020
At one point, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold were two of the most bitter rivals in MMA. From the sounds of it, the animosity between them has diminished. The pair went 1-1 across two bouts, with Rockhold winning the first by submission and Bisping winning the second — a short-notice title opportunity — by knockout. In the lead-up to and fallout of these bouts, the pair exchanged tons of trash talk and clearly got under each other’s skin.
Conor McGregor and Sinead O'Connor get in heated debate over coronavirus
Natasha Hooper - April 16, 2020
Irish superstars Connor McGregor and Sinead O’Connor have engaged in a Twitter debate over the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Singer O’Connor accused McGregor of racism and xenophobia after he tweeted a message, encouraging Irish citizens to take up 1500 farming jobs. The former champion’s announcement was a response to an article published in the Irish Independent, that claimed the farming industry would be flying in thousands of foreign workers to complete the harvest. The original post by the newspaper has since been deleted, but “The Notorious” encouraged Irish natives to step up.
Cris Cyborg says Dana White should do something other than worry about himself and MMA fights
Natasha Hooper - April 16, 2020
Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has called out her former boss Dana White and his proposed “fight island.” In response to the coronavirus pandemic, all Bellator and UFC fights have been postponed. However, that hasn’t stopped the UFC president from doing whatever it takes to resume business. White has even claimed he’ll host several upcoming events on private island. He says it is currently in the works and expects to host live events from the island as soon as next month.
Ben Askren and Jordan Burroughs exchange shots on social media
Cole Shelton - April 15, 2020
Ben Askren is retired from competing in mixed martial artists and wrestling but he still isn’t done trash-talking. Askren became massively popular in his UFC run for his ability to trash-talk his first two opponents in Robbie Lawler and Jorge Masvidal. Although “Funky” is retired, one of his wrestling rivals in Jordan Burroughs is still taking shots at the former Bellator and ONE champion.
Alex Pereira, only man to knock out Israel Adesanya, could soon be UFC bound
Adam Martin - April 15, 2020
Alex Pereira, the man who knocked out UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in a kickboxing match, could soon be UFC bound. Pereira finished Adesanya in devastating fashion in April 2016 under the Glory of Heroes banner. Adesanya, of course, has gone on to accomplish great things in the UFC Octagon while Pereira has continued to ply his trade as a kickboxer in the years since. He does have three MMA fights under his belt and has racked up a 2-1 record, but he hasn’t fought in MMA since 2016. That could soon change.
Georges St-Pierre reveals there was mutual interest with Khabib Nurmagomedov for a fight
Mike Pendleton - April 15, 2020
After claiming the lightweight title at UFC 223, Khabib Nurmagomedov did not immediately look to get a fight against top contenders in the division for his title defense, he had his sights set on former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre has been away from MMA since UFC 217 when he defeated Michael Bisping to become the middleweight champion, the second title he claimed in his legendary career. The former welterweight champion relinquished his middleweight title after defeating Bisping and has not competed since.
Video | Jon Jones daughter is developing her striking during quarantine
Natasha Hooper - April 15, 2020
Jon Jones’ daughter is following in her father’s footsteps by developing her striking during the coronavirus lockdown. In recent weeks, the light heavyweight champion was hitting the headlines for a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrest in his hometown of Albuquerque New Mexico. Now, “Bones” is in the news for positive reasons as he spends his time productively during the lockdown.