MMA News

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

Chael Sonnen recognizes that the coronavirus pandemic is a serious issue, but he’s also having a hard time wrapping his head around the criticism directed at UFC President Dana White. While most other sports leagues — and many MMA promotions — have closed up shop to minimize the spread of of the virus, White has been defiantly attempting to promote events as normal in the early weeks of this crisis.

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

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.

Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020

The location of the upcoming UFC 249 card, scheduled for April 18, is still a mystery. UFC 249 was originally expected to go down in Brooklyn, New York, but this ultimately became impossible due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ever since then, the UFC has been frantically searching for a new location for the card.

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.

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.

Harry Kettle - March 31, 2020

Tyron Woodley has claimed that he has resumed “champ camp” — presumably for a short-notice fight at UFC 249. The highly anticipated UFC 249 event now hangs in the balance with Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, for the fifth time, being called off.

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.

Mike Pendleton - March 30, 2020

UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith has a busy schedule these days. On top of being a husband, father, and third-ranked light heavyweight contender in the UFC, Smith is also a radio host on MMA Tonight on Sirius XM’s Fight Nation channel, and a desk analyst for ESPN covering the UFC. In a sport where fighters mainly rely on staying active and consistent inside the Octagon, Smith, who has dealt with a hand injury over the last few months has been able to get more work in with his broadcasting duties. In addition to his work on the ESPN desk and Sirius XM hosting gigs, Smith is scheduled to face Glover Teixeira at UFC Lincoln on April 25, although the status of the event is currently up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cole Shelton - March 30, 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 featherweights to ask who their divisional GOAT is. The majority believe it is Jose Aldo but it is a three-person race between the Brazilian, Max Holloway and Conor McGregor.

Adam Martin - March 30, 2020

Big John McCarthy said that he guarantees Jon Jones will serve jail for his recent DWI arrest and called the light heavyweight champion “an absolute loser.” The long-time MMA official was a police officer in Los Angeles before he became the most important referee in mixed martial arts history. On the latest edition of the “Weighing In” podcast, McCarthy lashed out at Jones, saying that he guarantees he will go to jail after his recent arrest for a DWI and negligent use of a firearm. He went so far as to call Jones a loser.

Adam Martin - March 30, 2020

UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington says he turned down a date with former UFC strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Covington and Jedrzejczyk have been involved in a feud for a while now. Both fighters are teammates at American Top Team, but we all know Covington has had feuds with several fighters in the camp including Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier. Jedrzejczyk has made it clear she’s not a fan of Covington and his antics, but according to the welterweight, there’s more to it than just that.

Tom Taylor - March 30, 2020

With the UFC 249 lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson seemingly canceled, the UFC will be looking for some big fights to make up for it. Colby Covington is hoping to partake in one of those big fights. Speaking on Twitter on Tuesday, Covington once again called for a fight with former welterweight champion and long-time rival Tyron Woodley. He also suggested a fairly unique setting for the fight: the lawn of the White House.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 30, 2020

Alex Volkanovski thinks Jon Jones gets passes too frequently when it comes to his run-ins with the law. On March 26, Jones was arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Police responded to a criminal complaint of gunshots. They found Jones inside his car with the engine on in the area of 3rd Street and Central Avenue. After being given a sobriety test and a breathalyzer, Jones was in handcuffs. Police then found a handgun under the driver seat and an open bottle of Recuerdo behind the passenger seat.