MMA News

Tom Taylor - March 25, 2020

Francis Ngannou says he has been tested for the coronavirus — and that the test was facilitated by the UFC. Ngannou announced that he’s been tested for the virus on a recent episode of Submission Radio.

Mike Pendleton - March 25, 2020

After having his fight against Leon Edwards postponed, former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley had other potential opponents willing to step in on short-notice for a fight. Unfortunately, none materialized, as the UFC officially postponed the UFC London event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns both throwing their names into the hat to face Woodley, it seemed as though the former champion has moved on from Leon Edwards and shifted focus to facing Covington as the two have a long-standing rivalry between them.

Adam Martin - March 25, 2020

Jose Aldo is training at home with his wife for his upcoming title fight against Henry Cejudo at UFC 250 due to his gym Nova Uniao being closed. Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras was forced to close the gym due to the coronavirus pandemic. Aldo had been training at his long-time gym up until last week, but due to the severity of the coronavirus outbreak, Pederneiras had to shut the doors to the gym. That leaves Aldo without his training camp for his scheduled bantamweight title fight against Cejudo at UFC 250 in May. As of right now, the Sao Paulo card is still a go.

Tom Taylor - March 25, 2020

For many years, Mike Dolce served as the nutritionist for UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks. Speaking on a video posted on his YouTube channel on Wednesday morning, Dolce recounted one of the wilder moments of his work with Hendricks: nearly getting jumped by Nick Diaz and his entourage in a parking lot outside a UFC event. Dolce explained that this incident occurred around the weigh-ins for Hendricks’ first fight with Robbie Lawler. Hendricks initially missed weight for the fight by less than a pound, and was infamously taunted by Diaz while he was on the scale—but that’s apparently not where the trouble ended.

Tom Taylor - March 25, 2020

Yesterday afternoon, former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor made an impassioned address to Ireland’s leaders, demanding a full, mandatory lockdown of the country to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. UFC President Dana White has now addressed that video. While McGregor is clearly taking the pandemic very seriously, White has caught quite a bit of criticism for his reaction to the situation. The UFC boss has fervently attempted to keep the UFC running as normal during the pandemic — despite the obvious risks of doing so — and has refused to share any information about COVID-19 testing for athletes.

Natasha Hooper - March 25, 2020

Former two-division champion Daniel Cormier has said the UFC will return with a bang after the Coronavirus pandemic has improved. Earlier this month, the UFC president Dana White announced the organization would cancel upcoming shows in wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. He has assured that Tony Ferguson vs Khabib Nurmagomedov on April 18th will still take place, but will likely happen outside of the U.S. Currently, all live sporting events are affected by Coronavirus restrictions, so it is uncertain when MMA will return to normal.

Natasha Hooper - March 25, 2020

With the looming threat of Coronavirus causing everybody to isolate themselves, BJPENN.com has curated a list of the top MMA podcasts for you to listen to (in no particular order). Now, you can fill your brain with an unlimited stream of MMA information and keep boredom at bay.

Natasha Hooper - March 25, 2020

Leon Edwards’ trainer Jonathon Reynolds has devised a full-body MMA workout for you to do at home, with video instructions. The mastermind behind Velocity Training Club is responsible for top combat athletes, including Leon Edwards, Fabian Edwards, and boxer Callum Smith.

Adam Martin - March 24, 2020

UFC middleweight Darren Till slid into the direct messages of UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, sending the champ a fierce warning. Adesanya and Till are known to exchange DM’s with each other, and now Till has taken his DM game to the next level. On Tuesday, the champ shared on his Twitter a video message Till sent him in a DM, with “The Gorilla” making it clear he wants to step into the Octagon with “The Last Stylebender.”

Mike Pendleton - March 24, 2020

As he tries to continue on with putting on events amid the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world, UFC President Dana White is taking the virus seriously. During a recent interview with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, White made a startling comparison, comparing COVID-19 to cancer. Fatalist Dana White to @KevinI: "Whether you're a coronavirus expert or not, it's like hiding from cancer. You can't hide from this thing. If you are a high-risk person, this thing's going to get you."

Cole Shelton - March 24, 2020

Renato Moicano isn’t pleased with the way he handled himself following his win at UFC Brasilia. Moicano was moving up to lightweight after back-to-back losses and quickly submitted Damir Hazdovic in under a minute. Following the win, you could hear the Brazilain complaining on the broadcast as he wanted to fight longer given he was at home and wanted to really see how his body would do at lightweight.

Mike Pendleton - March 24, 2020

Francis Ngannou entered the UFC in 2015 just five fights into his professional career, and skyrocketed throughout the division due to his performances inside the Octagon. In just over two years upon entering the UFC, Ngannou would go on a six-fight winning streak which would lead him to get a title shot against Stipe Miocic. Although he would come up short in his attempt at UFC gold, Francis Ngannou showed he could still hang with the very best heavyweights in the world. Following his fight against Miocic, Ngannou would drop his second consecutive fight in a lackluster showing against Derrick Lewis, and then change followed shortly thereafter.

Adam Martin - March 24, 2020

UFC president Dana White is confident UFC 249 will go on as planned, and a new report says the event could take place in Florida. On Monday, White said that UFC 249 was still a go for April 18 with a lightweight title fight between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and top contender Tony Ferguson. White also said that the event will feature a full undercard. White said that he has a home for the event but is not ready to release that to the public. We now have an idea of where that may be.

Adam Martin - March 24, 2020

UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal trashed his American Top Team teammate Colby Covington, calling him the “most sensitive guy in UFC history.” Despite being teammates at ATT, Masvidal and Covington have been going back-and-forth at each other for months, but this week the owner of ATT Dan Lambert instituted a no trash talking policy between fighters of the gym. Masvidal, though, believes that he didn’t break the rule because he doesn’t consider Covington a fighter.

Adam Martin - March 24, 2020

The sportsbooks have released the full card betting odds for UFC 249 after UFC president Dana White confirmed the event will still go on. White said on Monday to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! that the UFC will still hold UFC 249, which includes a main event featuring Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson for the UFC lightweight title. The event was originally set for Brooklyn, New York, but will be moved due to the coronavirus outbreak. The UFC president also confirmed it will be a full card and that the promotion knows where the card will take place, though he can’t announce it yet.

Tom Taylor - March 24, 2020

Hand sanitizer is currently in short supply. UFC heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou is here to help. Speaking on Instagram on Tuesday, Ngannou announced that he’s teamed up with a some business partners to begin producing and selling “affordable hand sanitizer.”

Tom Taylor - March 24, 2020

ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes hasn’t fought since he settled his long-standing rivalry with Kevin Belingon back in October. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to tighten its grip on the world, it’s increasingly unclear when he will be able to fight again. Ever the picture of composure, Fernandes is keeping his cool in the face of this uncertainty.

Adam Martin - March 24, 2020

UFC women’s strawweight contender Joanna Jedrzejczyk fired back at Colby Covington, calling the welterweight a “big liar” for the things he’s said about her. Jedrzejczyk has not been a fan of the way Covington has conducted himself at American Top Team, as he’s feuded with his teammates such as Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal. Covington has also gone after Jedrzejczyk, calling her “washed up” among other things.