MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - April 10, 2025

The card for ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O continues to flourish, and another high-stakes matchup has been added to billing. On Friday, May 2, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, striking stalwart Saemapetch Fairtex takes on main roster newcomer Abdulla Dayakaev in a bantamweight Muay Thai banger that’s certain not to go the distance.

BJPENN.COM Staff - April 10, 2025

Reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 has broken his silence on his defeat to interim bantamweight Muay Thai titleholder Nabil Anane at ONE 172, revealing the reasons that led to his loss. “The Kicking Machine” lost a unanimous decision to his Thai-Algerian foe in their rematch on Sunday, March 23, inside Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.

Harry Kettle - April 10, 2025

UFC newcomer Patricio Pitbull has decided to put an end to his rivalry with Michael Chandler following a recent apology. As we know, Patricio Pitbull is one of the most exciting new names to walk through the doors of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This weekend, he’ll attempt to prove that the hype is warranted when he battles Yair Rodriguez. A lot of fans and pundits aren’t quite sure to expect from him at this point in his career, but either way, it’s just great to see the former Bellator sensation in the UFC.

Harry Kettle - April 10, 2025

Former UFC champion Leon Edwards has broken his silence following his lopsided defeat at the hands of Sean Brady. At UFC London last month, Leon Edwards went head to head with Sean Brady in the main event at the O2 Arena. While many expected Leon to put forward a good account of himself, it turned out to be quite the opposite. Instead, he was handily beaten by Brady, eventually leading to a submission defeat.

Harry Kettle - April 9, 2025

Diana Belbita, SeungWoo Choi and Istela Nunes have all been removed from the official UFC roster, as per sources close to Guilherme Cruz. Part of being in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is trying to navigate your way through the turbulent waters of being on the roster. In the UFC, there’s no guarantee of success, and that much goes without saying. Alas, you can be kept on the roster for a multitude of reasons – and you can also be released for a lot of reasons too.

Cole Shelton - April 9, 2025

The GFL has canceled its first two events, and the future of the promotion is very much in doubt. Rumors started to swirl on Wednesday night that the GFL may have to postpone their first two events scheduled for next month. However, MMA reporter Ariel Helwai reported that the two events have indeed been postponed, and the future of the promotion is up in the air.

Cole Shelton - April 9, 2025

Jim Miller is eager to share the Octagon with Chase Hooper. Miller wasn’t sure what would be next after his last win over Damon Jackson. But, after Hooper mentioned Miller as a possible opponent and he got the offer from the UFC which he jumped at.

Cole Shelton - April 9, 2025

Paddy Pimblett admits he is worried about Michael Chandler and his dirty antics ahead of their UFC 314 fight. Pimblett is set to take on Chandler in a pivotal lightweight bout in the co-main event of UFC 314 on Saturday. It’s a step-up in competition for Pimblett, who is confident he has all the tools to get his hand raised.

Cole Shelton - April 9, 2025

Jean Silva thinks he could end Bryce Mitchell’s career at UFC 314 on Saturday. Silva is set to take on Mitchell in a pivotal featherweight bout. Heading into the fight, the two have taken aim at one another, and it has become heated for both men. However, Silva remains confident he won’t just win but will finish Mitchell and do so violently.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 9, 2025

The future of Israel Adesanya inside the Octagon is unclear. Adesanya ruled the roost of the UFC middleweight division twice, but he now finds himself on a three-fight skid. He lost back-to-back title fights against Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. “The Last Stylebender” was then stopped by Nassourdine Imavov in Saudi Arabia.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 9, 2025

Merab Dvalishvili has no problem mixing it up with Sean O’Malley again. Dvalishvili took the UFC Bantamweight Championship from O’Malley in the main event of UFC 306, which was held inside the Sphere in Las Vegas back in Sept. 2024. Dvalishvili went on to have a successful title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov, while O’Malley was recovering from surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left hip.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 9, 2025

A former UFC champion thinks an upset is brewing with a major UFC 314 fight. The UFC 314 card remains stacked even with the removal of Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates. The event still has several big fights, including the main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. Those two will be fighting for the vacant UFC Featherweight Championship. There’s also the UFC debut of Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, who goes one-on-one with Yair Rodriguez.

Harry Kettle - April 9, 2025

UFC newcomer Aaron Pico has provided an update on his rumored debut showdown with Movsar Evloev. As we now know, Aaron Pico has finally made his way over to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It’s been a long time coming, and a lot of fans are over the moon to see that he’s finally made his way to the big time. With that being said, there’s been a bit of confusion over who his first opponent is going to be. The initial expectation was Movsar Evloev, in a rumor that spread like wildfire just a matter of days ago.

Harry Kettle - April 9, 2025

UFC legend Demetrious Johnson is of the belief that Paddy Pimblett could one day become UFC lightweight champion. Nobody can deny the popularity of Paddy Pimblett. While he isn’t exactly close to the levels of Conor McGregor, he’s certainly becoming a household name. Even if you aren’t a massive mixed martial arts fan (a casual, for example), you probably know who Paddy is. This Saturday, he’ll try and pick up the biggest win of his career to date when he collides with Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 314.

Harry Kettle - April 9, 2025

UFC commentator Jon Anik believes Alexander Volkanovski is set for featherweight greatness if he can win on Saturday night. This weekend at UFC 314, Alexander Volkanovski will once again attempt to become UFC featherweight champion. He will go up against Diego Lopes for the belt, which will become vacant once the fight starts. ‘The Great’ will try and reclaim the gold that was taken from him when he was viciously knocked out by Ilia Topuria, who went on to also knock out Max Holloway.

Harry Kettle - April 9, 2025

UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett is close to reaching superstar status in the eyes of UFC lead commentator Jon Anik. Everyone knows that Paddy Pimblett has been groomed for greatness in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Up to this point, he hasn’t lost a single fight in the promotion – although, some would argue that he should’ve. Either way, the Liverpudlian has been on a real rise to prominence – and at UFC 314, he faces his biggest test yet when he collides with Michael Chandler.

Cole Shelton - April 8, 2025

Chase Hooper is excited to share the Octagon with Jim Miller. After Hooper beat Clay Guida last time out, he was asked about a potential fight against Miller, which he thought was cool. Hooper thought it was a good next step and a chance to fight another legend.

BJPENN.COM Staff - April 8, 2025

Scottish striking star Nico Carrillo felt a weight lifted off his shoulders this past weekend as he made a ceremonious return to action at ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles. The #3-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender made his featherweight Muay Thai debut on Friday, April 4, taking out #5-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong in the second round at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.