MMA News

Natasha Hooper - April 1, 2020

Kamaru Usman has a motive for fighting Jorge Masvidal in a closed arena at UFC 249, and that is to make him “squeal like a pig.” According to UFC president Dana White, UFC 249 on April 18 will take place despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Khabib Nurmagomedov was expected to fight Tony Ferguson in the main event, but due to travel restrictions, Nurmagomedov is currently stuck in Russia and will likely not fight.

Natasha Hooper - April 1, 2020

Boxing promoter Bob Arum has blasted UFC president Dana White for continuing to put on shows despite the coronavirus pandemic. The combat sports industry has been put on hold to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Boxing events have been postponed, and the UFC has already held off on three fight cards. However, Dana White is doing everything he can to resume business. He is currently in negotiations to finalize a venue for the upcoming UFC 249 card on April 18. White also expects UFC 250 on May 9 will still happen. The fight cards will likely take place using a small production team from a closed arena and with strict safety precautions. However, with so little still known about the coronavirus and no vaccine available, holding any event will still pose a risk.

Adam Martin - March 31, 2020

The opening betting odds have been released for a potential lightweight main event at UFC 249 between top contenders Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. With UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov likely unable to compete at UFC 249 due to travel restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC is now considering a new main event between Ferguson and Gaethje, two of the best lightweights in the world. It’s unknown at this point if this replacement fight would be for an interim title or if it would just a five-round main event.

Cole Shelton - March 31, 2020

Dustin Poirier was interested in fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 but says it is unlikely it will happen. Ferguson was expected to finally fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title on April 18 at UFC 249. But, on Monday, the champion announced he is stuck in Russia and the event would go on without him. Once that happened, reports came out that Justin Gaethje was offered the scrap, but Poirier said he’s also interested in it as he’s confident he would beat Ferguson.

Adam Martin - March 31, 2020

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has pleaded guilty to his recent arrest for DWI, and as part of the deal, he will not serve any jail time. TMZ reported the details of Jones’ deal with the prosecutors in New Mexico. It’s worth noting that the deal has been agreed to but a judge needs to sign off on it still. The deal will see Jones plead guilty to the DWI charge but as part of the deal, his charges for negligent use of a firearm and open alcohol containers in his vehicle will be dropped.

Natasha Hooper - March 31, 2020

Boxing star Dillian Whyte is ready to make a transition into the UFC and has already called out his first opponent. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has spelt disaster for all combat sports, including boxing. The British heavyweight Whyte was scheduled to fight Alexander Povetkin on May 2 in London. His upcoming fight against the Russian has been rescheduled for July 4.

Cole Shelton - March 31, 2020

Artem Lobov is interested in fighting Paulie Malignaggi again but this time doing it in boxing. Lobov and Malignaggi fought last summer at BKFC 6 where it was a highly-anticipated bout. But, it was “The Russian Hammer” who edged out a decision win. Following the fight, many thought a rematch would make sense but Dave Feldman told BJPENN.com, Malignaggi was unlikely to fight in BKFC again.

Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020

Demetrious Johnson is gearing up for a May 29 fight with ONE flyweight champ Adriano Moraes: a deadly Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with power to boot. Needless to say, this would be an opportune time for Johnson call on his long-time friend and training partner, ONE bantamweight champ Bibiano Fernandes, who bears many stylistic similarities to Moraes. Unfortunately, Johnson and Fernandes will probably be unable to reach one another anytime soon. Living in Bellevue, Washington and Vancouver, B.C respectively, they’re only about 120 miles apart as the crow flies. Yet they’re also separated by the US-Canada border, which has become an almost insurmountable hurdle in the time of the coronavirus.

Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020

Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington are two of the fiercest rivals in the UFC welterweight division. If they ever end up fighting, Woodley intends to punish his nemesis in the cage by stretching the MMA rule-set to its limits. Woodley opened up on his beef with Covington during a recent Instagram Live Q&A session with fans.

Adam Martin - March 31, 2020

Felicia Spencer is calling for her UFC women’s featherweight title fight scheduled against Amanda Nunes for UFC 250 to be moved from Brazil to Florida. Spencer is set to take on Nunes for the belt at UFC 250, which is scheduled to take place May 9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The main event sees UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo take on Jose Aldo. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of the fighters on the card are calling for the event to be postponed due to a lack of training resources and the risk of catching the coronavirus.

Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020

Joanne Calderwood says her UFC 251 flyweight title fight with champion Valentina Shevchenko, scheduled for June 6 in Perth, Australia, has been postponed — but shockingly not because of the coronavirus pandemic. Calderwood divulged this new info on MMA Fighting’s Eurobash podcast.

Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020

With UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov stuck in Russia due to new COVID-19 travel restrictions, his would-be opponent Tony Ferguson must make a decision: wait to fight Nurmagomedov when the pandemic subsides, or fight somebody else in the meantime. John Kavanagh, the coach behind Conor McGregor, seems to be hoping Ferguson goes the latter route. On Tuesday, ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani posted a poll on Twitter, asking fans if they’d prefer to see Ferguson wait to fight Nurmagomedov or fight replacement opponent Justin Gaethje on April 18.

Cole Shelton - March 31, 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 lightweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. The majority believe it is Khabib Nurmagomedov but the likes of Tony Ferguson, BJ Penn, Frankie Edgar and Conor McGregor are in the discussion.

Natasha Hooper - March 31, 2020

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has postponed its 2020 season due to COVID-19. The PFL uses a unique, seasonal format, much like the NBA or NHL. While their setup sets them apart from the competition, it can create logistical challenges — especially during a pandemic.

Harry Kettle - March 31, 2020

Jorge Masvidal has claimed that he agreed to fight Kamaru Usman — potentially at UFC 249 — but based on what he’s said, it doesn’t appear as if it’ll happen. The ongoing feud between Masvidal and Usman has taken on many different forms, with the initial plan seemingly being for the two to square off for the UFC Welterweight Championship on International Fight Week.

Natasha Hooper - March 31, 2020

Henry Cejudo already has a backup plan if his Jose Aldo fight at UFC 250 falls through. His backup plan is a matchup against former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. UFC 250 is scheduled to take place on May 9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It could also suffer the same unfortunate fate as UFC 249, which has been the picture of uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cole Shelton - March 30, 2020

Tyron Woodley continues to call for a fight with Colby Covington but says he’s also interested in taking on Tony Ferguson. On Monday morning, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced he is stuck in Russia and UFC 249 would most likely go on without him. Immediately, reports came out that Justin Gaethje was offered to scrap “El Cucuy.” Several other notable names also put their name in the hat. But, perhaps the most surprising is former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley saying he’ll fight Ferguson if the Covington bout doesn’t happen.

Adam Martin - March 30, 2020

Bellator announced on Monday that it is postponing three of its upcoming events including a card that was set to be headlined by double champ Ryan Bader. Most sports leagues around the world have postponed their upcoming cards due to the coronavirus outbreak, and Bellator will not buck the trend. While UFC president Dana White is doing everything in his power to go through with UFC 249 in three weeks’ time despite the risk, Bellator president Scott Coker instead is playing it safe and postponing three cards. The promotion released a press release Monday with the news.