MMA News

Cole Shelton - February 20, 2020

Myles Jury is set for his second Bellator fight in the co-main event of Bellator 239 when he battles Brandon Girtz. In his promotional debut, he was the main event of Bellator 227 where he dropped a decision to Benson Henderson. Although he lost the fight, he was pleased with his performance.

Cole Shelton - February 20, 2020

In the main event of UFC Auckland, Paul Felder is heading to Dan Hooker’s backyard for a very intriguing lightweight scrap. Heading into the fight Felder is a +120 underdog while the Kiwi is a -150 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros are split on this one but all agree it will be a fantastic fight.

Adam Martin - February 20, 2020

UFC lightweight contender Al Iaquinta says he is interested in fighting up-and-coming standout Islam Makhachev in Moscow, Russia. Iaquinta has been calling out Dustin Poirier for a fight but so far the UFC hasn’t booked it yet. Makhachev, meanwhile, was trying to get a fight against Kevin Lee and then Gregor Gillespie but neither of those fights came to fruition. He’s now turned his attention to Iaquinta, and it looks like the New York native is interested in the fight.

Adam Martin - February 20, 2020

UFC welterweight Emil Meek says Diego Sanchez’s coach Joshua Fabia ran after him with a sharp knife during a “crazy” training session. Fabia has come under fire for his unique training and coaching methods in the wake of Sanchez’s DQ win over Michel Pereira at UFC Rio Rancho. There are many in the MMA media and even fans who don’t believe Fabia’s training methods work for mixed martial arts. You can count Meek among the doubters, though he is adamant he doesn’t want to badmouth Sanchez.

Adam Martin - February 20, 2020

Bellator has signed former Cage Warriors welterweight champion and European star Ross Houston to a new contract. Houston recently became a free agent when he agreed to a mutual release from Cage Warriors. He immediately began negotiating with other MMA promotions, and it appears that Bellator was the organization that won the Houston sweepstakes.

Mike Pendleton - February 20, 2020

As streaming services continue to take over the combat sports industry, there are more and more events being broadcast on platforms like ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN and YouTube. BJPENN.Com’s Streaming this Weekend series keeps fans up to date on the best combat sports action across the industry’s major streaming platforms.

Natasha Hooper - February 20, 2020

Former rugby player James Haskell is set to make his eagerly-anticipated MMA debut at Bellator London on May 16. The former England international finished his 17-year rugby career in 2019 just before announcing his decision to join the Bellator roster.

Natasha Hooper - February 20, 2020

Once a fighter, always a fighter. That statement rings true for lightweight veteran Evan Dunham, who will be returning from his short-lived retirement to fight Michael Johnson. In 2018, Dunham announced his retirement plans following his UFC Sao Paulo bout against Francisco Trinaldo. He shared the news on Instagram.

Natasha Hooper - February 20, 2020

The next UFC pay-per-view on the calendar is the stacked UFC 248 card in Las Vegas, Nevada, scheduled for March 7. In the main event, Israel Adesanya will fight Yoel Romero for middleweight gold. The bout will be “The Last Stylebender’s” first title defence since claiming the middleweight belt from Robert Whittaker at UFC 243.

Harry Kettle - February 20, 2020

Henry Cejudo & Karyn Bryant’s issues regarding the nickname Cejudo gave Aljamain Sterling have seemingly been resolved by the pair. A few days ago, in the midst of Cejudo and Sterling going back and forth on social media, the man known as “Triple C” decided to call his rival “Aljamima”. Many members of the mixed martial arts community were quick to call Cejudo out for racism, with one such example being ESPN anchor Karyn Bryant.

Adam Martin - February 19, 2020

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier says he is planning a return to the Octagon in May after having not fought since last September. We last saw Poirier at UFC 242 when he was choked out by UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. That loss snapped a six-fight unbeaten streak for Poirier, but despite the loss he remains one of the highest-ranked lightweights in the UFC.

Cole Shelton - February 19, 2020

Jorge Masvidal hasn’t fought at lightweight since 2015 when he lost to Al Iaquinta by split-decision. But, that may change if the money is right. Since he decided to move up to welterweight he has become an elite-fighter. In 2019 he knocked out Darren Till, Ben Askren and TKO’d Nate Diaz to capture the promotions BMF title. He also is next in line to fight for the welterweight title.

Adam Martin - February 19, 2020

UFC legend Donald Cerrone is hoping to return to the Octagon in March or April following his knockout loss to Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 246. Cerrone lasted only 40 seconds to McGregor back in January, suffering his third consecutive TKO defeat after losing to Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson before that. It’s been a brutal stretch for Cerrone, one of the most popular fighters in MMA history and the most active fighter in UFC history, as he appears to be on the downside of his career after years of being a durable fan favorite who was known for his ability to absorb damage.

Natasha Hooper - February 19, 2020

Conor McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh acknowledges major mistakes made by his fighter, but says he is “proud of how he’s come through those things.” “The Notorious” returned to the UFC Octagon this year for the first time since his UFC 229 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. He faced Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in his comeback and bulldozed his way to victory in just 40 seconds of the first round.

Adam Martin - February 19, 2020

An intriguing middleweight bout between standouts Eryk Anders and Krzysztof Jotko is the latest addition to April’s UFC Portland card. UFC on ESPN+ 30 takes place on April 11 at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The main event of the card is a five-round heavyweight bout between Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris. Anders vs. Jotko is expected to slot in somewhere on the main card.

Adam Martin - February 19, 2020

UFC bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz has called out legends Urijah Faber and Frankie Edgar for his next fight inside the Octagon. Munhoz has not competed since last June when he dropped a unanimous decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 238. Prior to the Sterling loss, Munhoz was moving up the bantamweight rankings with three straight wins over Brett Johns, Bryan Caraway, and Cody Garbrandt. The KO win over Garbrandt at UFC 235 moved Munhoz into the upper echelon of title contenders at 135lbs, but the loss to Sterling dropped him down a peg.

Cole Shelton - February 19, 2020

Brent Primus has only fought once a year in Bellator, except in 2013 when he got two fights in. But, the former champion makes it clear that is not his doing. The 34-year-old expected to be more active, especially when he was the champion and now former champ. He became the lightweight champion in 2017 in his eighth professional fight when he beat Michel Chandler by doctor stoppage.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 19, 2020

Brendan Schaub isn’t exactly counting down the days to a potential Jon Jones vs. Jan Blachowicz bout. Blachowicz may have secured himself the next UFC light heavyweight title opportunity. This past Saturday night (Feb. 15), Blachowicz took on Corey Anderson in a rematch. Blachowicz lost their first encounter back in Sept. 2015 via unanimous decision. The rematch was a different story as Blachowicz knocked out Anderson in the opening frame of the UFC Rio Rancho main event.