MMA News
VIDEO | Tyron Woodley gives his best Kamaru Usman impression
Natasha Hooper - April 8, 2020
Firstly a fighter, secondly a rapper, and now an actor, Tyron Woodley debuted his impersonating skills by giving his best Kamaru Usman impression. In a clip shared by ESPN, “The Chosen One” mocked the softly spoken welterweight champion. Watch the full clip below:
Conor McGregor proclaims himself "the greatest," sneaks in a shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
Conor McGregor is not only a fighter, but a fight fan as well. The former two-division UFC champ often takes to social media to weigh in on the latest MMA action or praise fighters from generations past. On Wednesday, McGregor took to Twitter, where he expressed his admiration for the signature moves of some of MMA’s greatest fighters: Ronda Rousey’s armbar, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s high kick, Dan Henderson’s “H-Bomb” — you get the picture.
Dustin Poirier suggests welterweight fight with Dan Hooker on private island
Adam Martin - April 8, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier is down to scrap rival Dan Hooker in a welterweight bout — and on a private island, to boot. UFC president Dana White announced this week that the promotion is going to have its next four fights at an undisclosed location (since revealed to be Tachi Palace), and then hold weekly fights on a private island after that. Poirier vs. Hooker was set to headline UFC San Diego on May 16, which was the fifth upcoming card on the UFC schedule. That means it could be the first event that would take place on White’s private island.
Colby Covington trashes Jorge Masvidal for giving alcohol to Jon Jones
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was recently arrested for aggravated DWI and negligent use of a firearm. When officers searched his vehicle, they discovered a bottle of Jorge Masvidal’s Recuerdo mezcal. Colby Covington, who is Jones’ former roommate and Masvidal’s former friend, sees that as a problem. Covington sounded off on Masvidal in a recent episode of Submission Radio, scolding his former ally for giving alcohol to a man he believes has a drinking problem.
Dana White drops timeframe for UFC fights on 'private island'
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
UFC President Dana White is determined to keep his international fighters busy during the coronavirus pandemic. The obvious obstacle he faces is getting those fighters to their fights amid the growing travel restrictions associated with the pandemic. Earlier this week, White surprised the sports world when he announced his planned solution to this issue: he’s working on securing a “private island” where he will allegedly be able to promote fights.
Dana White responds to reports of UFC 249 happening at Tachi Palace Casino
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
On Tuesday night, the New York Times reported that UFC 249, which has been without an official location for several weeks, will go down at the Tachi Palace Casino on tribal land in California. UFC President Dana White refuses to confirm that report, insisting that all that matters is that the card will be viewable on ESPN. “We’re going to be live from ESPN,” White told ESPN Get Up! host Mike Greenberg when asked where UFC 249 will occur. “It doesn’t matter where it is. First of all, no fans can come. You can’t come to the fight, you can’t buy a ticket. The only place to watch this in the United States is on ESPN and that’s the only thing that matters.
Ali Abdelaziz calls Conor McGregor "a jealous prostitute"
Adam Martin - April 8, 2020
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz called UFC superstar Conor McGregor “a jealous prostitute” for the recent comments he made about Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor has been at the forefront of MMA’s battle against the coronavirus, posting updates on the regular about what’s going on in his native Ireland and instructing fans to stay vigilant and continue to wash their hands. However, McGregor was labeled a hypocrite for his recent comments about Nurmagomedov not wanting to fight Tony Ferguson, and now Nurmagomedov’s manager Abdelaziz has come after him for those remarks.
Israel Adesanya shares thoughts on Jon Jones' arrest: "It sucks to be him"
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has made no secret of his disdain for UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones. Given the pair’s animosity toward one another, it should come as no surprise that Adesanya has some thoughts on Jones’ recent DWI arrest. Adesanya’s first reactions to Jones’ arrest came in the form of a few memes, but he claims to have measured his public response to the story because he didn’t want to violate his “code.”
List of UFC's coronavirus-related precautions for UFC 249 revealed
Tom Taylor - April 8, 2020
Dana White and the UFC will go ahead with the UFC 249 card despite the coronavirus pandemic. The event will go down at the Tachi Palace Casino on tribal land in California on April 18. Given the current global health crisis, the UFC will promote this event and any future pandemic-era shows while adhering to a list of important precautions. Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports obtained those precautions, and Bloody Elbow converted them into a nice, reader-friendly list.
Pro fighters name the strawweight GOAT
Cole Shelton - April 8, 2020
One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current fighters to ask who the strawweight GOAT is. For many, it still is Joanna Jedrzejczyk but Rose Namajunas is right there.
Brendan Schaub is “proud” of the UFC for proceeding with UFC 249
Harry Kettle - April 8, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has said that he is proud of the UFC for going ahead with the controversial UFC 249 event. Over the course of the last few weeks, there’s been a layer of uncertainty surrounding the future of UFC 249 – and understandably so. From Khabib Nurmagomedov being unable to fight all the way through to Justin Gaethje replacing him, the coronavirus pandemic had seemingly put an end to any hope of this event taking place.
Colby Covington vows to "end" Tyron Woodley at Fight Island, feed his body to the sharks
Natasha Hooper - April 8, 2020
Colby Covington has threatened to end Tyron Woodley’s life, leaving the UFC to “throw his dead body to the sharks.” The former welterweight champion, Woodley was scheduled to fight Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC London last month. The fight was eventually cancelled due to the ongoing threat of coronavirus. Now, “The Chosen One” has found a new target in the form of Covington. Woodley previously volunteered to fight the recent title challenger at UFC 249 on April 18, but claimed that his rival turned down the opportunity.
Urijah Faber not ruling out another fight, mentions Frankie Edgar and Pedro Munhoz as opponents
Adam Martin - April 7, 2020
UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber says he is not officially retired and he would consider taking another fight in the Octagon under the right circumstances. Faber last competed at UFC 245 in December where he suffered a vicious knockout loss to Petr Yan. It was Faber’s second fight back after a short-lived retirement, having knocked out Ricky Simon in his comeback fight. But the Yan knockout loss was a huge setback for Faber and the way he lost led to some suggesting he should hang his gloves back up.
Justin Gaethje says he has "18 to 19 minutes of pure hell" for Tony Ferguson at UFC 249
Cole Shelton - April 7, 2020
Justin Gaethje knows he won’t be able to go a full 25 minutes against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, but is confident he’ll earn a stoppage win. On Monday it was announced that Gaethje was stepping in on short notice against Ferguson on April 18 for the UFC’s interim lightweight title. The news came as a surprise to many, as “The Highlight” has opted against taking short-notice fights in the past. However, fighting for the belt was too big of a opportunity to pass up on.
Jessica Eye credits Billie Eilish's music and personality as motivation
Mike Pendleton - April 7, 2020
The sports and entertainment world always seem to mix, and in combat sports, fighters can truly show another side of themselves by the music they choose to walk out to. At UFC 245, flyweight Jessica Eye walked out too ‘You Should See Me In A Crown’ by Billie Eilish, and that was a message being sent to the entire division, but it was also much more than that. During her interview with BJPENN.com, Eye discussed why she chose that song for her walkout, how she got introduced to Eilish’s music, and how Eilish as an artist is a motivation not only for Eye’s career, but her personal life as well.
Tony Ferguson on Justin Gaethje: "I’m gonna give him a highlight of his own"
Cole Shelton - April 7, 2020
Tony Ferguson plans on making a statement in his UFC 249 fight against Justin Gaethje. On Monday it was announced Ferguson would battle Gaethje for the interim lightweight title after Khabib Nurmagomedov was stuck in Russia. It is no doubt frustrating for “El Cucuy” who was set to fight for the undisputed belt for the first time in his career.
Dominick Cruz ready to step in and fight Henry Cejudo at UFC 250
Natasha Hooper - April 7, 2020
The former bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz is preparing for a title shot against Henry Cejudo at UFC 250. The upcoming UFC 250 card on Saturday 9 May was expected to headline Cejudo’s first title defense against Jose Aldo. The event was scheduled to take place in the title challenger’s home country of Brazil.
Odds released for all 12 UFC 249 fights
Adam Martin - April 7, 2020
The sportsbooks have released the full card betting odds for UFC 249 after Dana White announced the new card that will take place at a location TBD. Despite the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world, White has been adamant this whole time that the show will go on for the UFC. Indeed, the promotion announced a full slate of 12 fights on Monday, including a terrific main event for the interim UFC lightweight title between top contenders Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. No location has been released yet, but White says he has a spot set up that will house the event, albeit with no fans.