MMA News

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2020

Chael Sonnen is one of the most notorious trash talkers in MMA history. The retired UFC and Bellator star was known as much for his venomous verbal warfare as he was for his ability in the cage. Speaking in a video posted to his YouTube channel, Sonnen gave his take on the trash talk that’s become prevalent in the modern era of MMA, which many fans feel sometimes crosses the line.

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2020

You knew this was coming. Former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor has now reacted to his arch rival, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, withdrawing from his planned April 18 title fight with Tony Ferguson. In his response to this headline-dominating Twist, McGregor targeted both Nurmagomedov and Ferguson.

Tom Taylor - April 2, 2020

Derrick Lewis is not interested in fighting until the coronavirus pandemic is under control. With a family at home, the risks of undertaking a fight camp are simply too great. Lewis weighed in on the pandemic during a recent interview with MMA Junkie.

Natasha Hooper - April 2, 2020

Dominick Reyes believes UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones needs “real help” after his latest arrest. This week, the light heavyweight champ entered a plea following his DWI arrest last week in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He released a statement this week, acknowledging his disappointing behavior. Reyes has also weighed in on Jones’ multiple run-ins with police.

Natasha Hooper - April 2, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz believes fans will soon have all the answers regarding his fighter’s apparent withdrawal from UFC 249. The undefeated champion, Nurmagomedov was expected to defend his title against Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. The final card and location are yet to be finalised due to the ongoing coronavirus. The situation was complicated further as Khabib Nurmagomedov was stranded in his home country of Russia due to a nationwide travel ban.

Harry Kettle - April 2, 2020

Tony Ferguson has explained why he has not officially said yes to a new opponent yet for UFC 249 after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal. There’s still a great deal of uncertainty in the air regarding whether or not UFC 249 is going to happen, with the increasingly prevalent opinion being that the whole thing should just be called off in the name of protecting the health of everyone involved.

Chris Taylor - April 1, 2020

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson was expected to square off with Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. The pay-per-view event was originally slated to take place in Brooklyn, however due to the Covid-19 outbreak the location and venue was forced to be changed. A new location is still being sought after by the promotion as of this time.

Cole Shelton - April 1, 2020

Dustin Poirier believes Justin Gaethje would beat both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson in potential fights. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson were expected to fight at UFC 249 on April 18 but the champ withdrew due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ferguson called for “The Eagle” to be stripped, but could also fight Justin Gaethje on that card.

Adam Martin - April 1, 2020

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic says he is still dealing with vision issues and says that he sees spots from his left eye. Miocic hasn’t fought since knocking out Daniel Cormier last August at UFC 241 to re-capture the UFC heavyweight title. Miocic is expected to fight DC in a trilogy whenever he comes back, but he has been dealing with vision issues that have delayed his return to the Octagon. And now with the coronavirus pandemic taking over the world, Miocic is focusing on helping the community with his job as a firefighter.

Natasha Hooper - April 1, 2020

Petr Yan has responded to a fight callout from former bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz. Cruz hasn’t fought since 2016 when he lost the title to Cody Garbrandt. Since then, he has battled multiple injuries and developed his career as a UFC commentator. The former champion revealed he is finally healthy again and ready to fight in 2020. Today in an interview with Mike Heck, he also revealed conversations with matchmaker Sean Shelby, who suggested he will need to fight “No Mercy” if he wants to inch closer to a bantamweight title shot:

Natasha Hooper - April 1, 2020

Tony Ferguson has reacted to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s apparent withdrawal from UFC 249. Multiple UFC events have been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, Dana White has been putting in his best efforts to ensure UFC 249 on April 18 still takes place. The event was scheduled to feature lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defend his belt against Tony Ferguson. The pair have been booked to throw down four times in the past, yet none of those proposed bouts ever came to fruition.

Tom Taylor - April 1, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov is seemingly — and understandably — reluctant to fight at UFC 249 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep the planet. Nurmagomedov, the UFC lightweight champ, was expected to fight Tony Ferguson on the April 18 card. Unfortunately, new travel bans have made it difficult for him to leave his native Russia to participate in the fight — though it could still be possible.

Tom Taylor - April 1, 2020

Jan Blachowicz believes he deserves a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title before recent contenders like Dominick Reyes and Thiago Santos get another chance. “Everyone is trying to make his way to the belt, but these guys already had a chance and they didn’t take it,” he said of his rivals in an interview with Polish MMA site MMARocks.pl (via MMA Junkie). “Now they can rest some, or they can fight between the two of them. I am the next in line, and nobody can get in line in front of me. They can just fight to see who’s going to be fighting me next, when I’m defending the belt (or) if anything happens and they take the belt from Jon [Jones].”

Cole Shelton - April 1, 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 to no MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current and former welterweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is.

Mike Pendleton - April 1, 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the entire sports world, fighters, managers, and coaches alike in the combat sports world are having to adjust to these difficult times. For one UFC fighter, featherweight Dan Ige, having to adjust as a fighter is just part of it, as he’s also a manager for other UFC fighters. Most recently, Ige defeated Mirsad Bektic at UFC 247 in February, which extended his winning streak to five in the featherweight division. That streak has also landed Ige in the top-15 rankings for his division, and in an exclusive interview with BJPenn.com, “Dynamite Dan” discussed how he feels lucky to have gotten his fight in before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down events.

Tom Taylor - April 1, 2020

Like most of us, Paige VanZant and Austin Vanderford are hunkered down at home in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As professional fighters, of course, the pair have to find ways to continue to train during these unprecedented circumstances. It’s safe to say they’ve done so.

Harry Kettle - April 1, 2020

Former UFC fighter Phillipe Nover has spoken about the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus outbreak in New York. While the heart of the pandemic may still be in Europe for the time being, the expectation is that the epicenter will shift to the United States — potentially, the state of New York specifically.

Tom Taylor - April 1, 2020

The fighters that were scheduled to compete on the canceled UFC London card will be reportedly be paid by the UFC. The promotion was slated to return to the Big Smoke on March 21. Regrettably, the coronavirus pandemic made this card impossible. The UFC briefly attempted to book a short-notice replacement card on US soil, but this plan also fell through.