MMA News
Roman Kryklia wants quick turnaround following first-round KO at ONE Fight Night 30
BJPENN.COM Staff - April 7, 2025
Hot off a first-round domination this past weekend at ONE Fight Night 30, two-sport ONE World Champion Roman Kryklia is eager to strike while the iron is hot. The stoic Ukrainian defended his ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title against former WBC Muay Thai Heavyweight World Champion Lyndon Knowles this past Friday, April 4, knocking out the Englishman at Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Regian Eersel wants ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title back: "My first baby"
BJPENN.COM Staff - April 7, 2025
Regian Eersel may still be the reigning lightweight Muay Thai king, but he wants his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title back. “The Immortal” dispatched former lightweight kickboxing World Champion Alexis Nicolas this past Friday, April 4, at ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles. He outstruck the Frenchman across five rounds to win by unanimous decision in their trilogy bout, settling the score at 2-1.
What's next for Lerone Murphy and Josh Emmett after UFC Vegas 105?
Cole Shelton - April 7, 2025
The UFC was at the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, April 5, for UFC Vegas 105. The main event saw featherweight contenders throw down as Lerone Murphy took on Josh Emmett. Murphy was coming off a decision win over Dan Ige, which was his seventh-straight win as the Brit was 7-0-1 in the UFC entering the bout. Emmett, meanwhile, was coming off a KO win over Bryce Mitchell in December of 2023 and had a significant layoff.
Sean O'Malley sends message to fans complaining about UFC 316 rematch with Merab Dvalishvili: "Don't watch!"
Josh Evanoff - April 7, 2025
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has responded to critics of his upcoming fight against Merab Dvalishvili. ‘Sugar’ recently signed a deal to face ‘The Machine’ in the main event of UFC 316 in June. The bout will be a rematch of their prior meeting at The Sphere last September, which saw Merab Dvalishvili largely dominate the then-bantamweight champion. Post-fight, Sean O’Malley revealed a litany of injuries that hampered his performance, and called for a rematch. Earlier this month, Dana White granted his wish for a second crack at Dvalishvili.
REPORT | Aaron Pico set to make UFC debut against Movsar Evloev in May
Josh Evanoff - April 7, 2025
Aaron Pico is reportedly set to make his UFC debut against Movsar Evloev in May. The 27-year-old was one of the faces of Bellator for nearly a decade. Having signed with the promotion when he was a teenager, Aaron Pico struggled a bit upon his debut. The featherweight was 4-3 at one point in his career, with all of his losses coming by way of finish. However, in 2020, Pico turned things around, and he never looked back.
Sean O’Malley makes surprising admission about ‘borderline embarrassing’ UFC title loss
BJ Penn Staff - April 7, 2025
Sean O’Malley is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC right now, but his reign as the promotion’s bantamweight champ didn’t last long. O’Malley won the bantamweight belt with a knockout of Aljamain Sterling in 2023. After defending his belt with a lopsided decision win over Marlon “Chito” Vera early last year, he then lost the belt last September, suffering a decision loss to Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili.
Top UFC contender opens up on concussion scare: ‘I wasn't formulating sentences well’
BJ Penn Staff - April 7, 2025
There’s a risk of concussion in a lot of sports. That includes MMA. Top UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval can attest to that. Royval, who is currently ranked No. 1 in his division, was set to fight the No. 6-ranked Manel Kape in an apparent title eliminator on March 1. However, that fight fell through at the last minute.
Oscar De La Hoya digs up failed Dana White reality show in scathing attack on UFC boss
BJ Penn Staff - April 7, 2025
UFC CEO Dana White has a long list of incredible business successes on his resume. However, the UFC boss has also been involved in a few projects that flopped, and his long-time nemesis Oscar De La Hoya isn’t going to let him forget it. De La Hoya, a former boxing champ turned boxing promoter, has been beefing with White for years. The former boxer fired his latest salvo at White soon after we learned the UFC boss will be starting his own boxing promotion with Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh.
WATCH | Ivanka Trump shows off martial arts skills in new training footage
BJ Penn Staff - April 7, 2025
It’s no secret that Donald Trump is a fight fan. The US President frequently mingles with UFC stars, and often appears at the promotion’s pay-per-view events. As it turns out, his fascination with the martial arts runs in the family, as his daughter Ivanka Trump trains in a form of jiu jitsu. Ivanka does her training under the Valente brothers in North Miami Beach, Florida. If you’re curious about her skill level, you’re in luck. The gym she practices at recently posted some footage of her in training.
Robert Whittaker reveals key factor in UFC 314 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 7, 2025
Robert Whittaker believes there is one important factor when it comes to the potential outcome of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes. Volkanovski and Lopes will collide in the UFC 314 headliner. The bout will be contested for the vacant UFC Featherweight Championship. Champion Ilia Topuria is moving on from 145 pounds, and the title will officially become vacant once Volkanovski vs. Lopes begins in Miami.
Sean O’Malley made huge mistake accepting Merab Dvalishvili rematch, says former UFC star
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 7, 2025
Sean O’Malley has been granted a UFC title rematch, but did he make a mistake? In the main event of UFC 306 inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, O’Malley attempted to successfully defend the UFC Bantamweight Championship against Merab Dvalishvili. The “Suga” show struggled with the wrestling and pressure of Dvalishvili. While O’Malley found some success late in the fight, it wasn’t enough to retain the 135-pound gold.
Dillon Danis takes aim at KSI over retirement talks, calls out Jake Paul: “One left”
Harry Kettle - April 7, 2025
Dillon Danis has taken shots at both KSI and Jake Paul as he aims to put an end to the world of influencer boxing. It’s safe to say that Dillon Danis is not an overwhelmingly popular guy in the world of combat sports. For a period of time, his trolling seemed to get the attention of the masses. Alas, nowadays, that isn’t quite the case. Instead, he’s getting what pro wrestling fans may call ‘go away’ heat.
Bryce Mitchell reveals his ‘Come to Jesus’ moment was spawned by dating a ‘spell-casting witch’
Harry Kettle - April 7, 2025
UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell continues to leave the mixed martial arts world guessing regarding what his next headline-making comment will be. There’s no one way to describe someone like Bryce Mitchell. He is one of the more controversial names in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and that much is saying something. He has a habit of saying things on social media, on podcasts and in interviews that leave many feeling pretty flabbergasted, especially within the MMA community as a whole.
Nasty face plant knockout takes place at Invicta FC 61 event
Harry Kettle - April 7, 2025
A truly brutal face plant knockout went down this past weekend at an Invicta FC 61 event with Jamie Edenden taking out Jackie Cataline. In the world of mixed martial arts, we all know that the Ultimate Fighting Championship is the biggest game in town. They lead the way by a fair distance, too, with a lot of fans exclusively watching UFC instead of any other promotions. That’s a shame, too, especially with the likes of Invicta FC out there.
UFC Des Moines fighter pulled from card after freak accident at UFC Performance Institute
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 6, 2025
One fighter who was scheduled for the UFC Des Moines event was forced out of the card after suffering a leg fracture while preparing at the UFC Performance Institute. Injuries during fight preparation certainly aren’t rare in a contact sport such as MMA. A slew of big fights have been cancelled over the years due to injuries before the matchups could take place. Sometimes, the injuries occur while performing normal gym routines.
Renowned UFC coach claims Merab Dvalishvili swayed judges with showboating in Umar Nurmagomedov fight
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 6, 2025
Renowned head coach Javier Mendez believes he knows how Merab Dvalishvili swayed the judges at UFC 311. Dvalishvili made his first defense of the UFC Bantamweight Championship against Umar Nurmagomedov on Jan. 18. Dvalishvili’s cardio proved to be a major factor in the fight, and he was able to keep the challenger’s grappling at bay. “The Machine” won the fight via unanimous decision, handing Nurmagomedov his first pro MMA loss.
UFC 314: MMA legend wonders if Patricio 'Pitbull' has 'too many miles on the clock'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 6, 2025
One UFC Hall of Famer wonders if Patricio “Pitbull” Freire has had too many wars going into UFC 314. Freire will be making his long-awaited UFC debut on April 12 in Miami. The former two-division Bellator champion will be going one-on-one with Yair Rodriguez. The featherweight collision will be featured on the main card of UFC 314.
Lerone Murphy calls out Brian Ortega following UFC Vegas 105 win, 'T-City' responds
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 6, 2025
Lerone Murphy is calling for a matchup with Brian Ortega. Murphy shared the Octagon with perhaps his toughest test to date in Josh Emmett. Murphy was effective in using his distance to stay away from Emmett’s punching power. He even frustrated his opponent at the end of the fight, where Emmett mocked him for “running.”