MMA News
Robert Whittaker returns against Jared Cannonier
Tom Taylor - December 20, 2019
Robert Whittaker is headed back to the cage. The former UFC middleweight champion will return to action opposite Jared Cannonier at UFC 248, which goes down on March 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
PHOTO | Alistair Overeem’s mangled lip is a thing of the past
Natasha Hooper - December 20, 2019
Alistair Overeem’s gruesome lip injury is a thing of the past, as images have surfaced of the heavyweight’s miraculously healed mouth. Overeem suffered the ghastly battle wound at the hands of Jairzinho Rozenstruik in their UFC on ESPN 7 bout. Overeem was leading the fight, but that all changed in the final seconds of round five. Rozenstruik uncorked a fight-finishing punch that obliterated his opponent’s lips and sealed him the TKO victory.
UFC Busan fight card and start times
Natasha Hooper - December 20, 2019
The UFC is back to business in Busan, South Korea on Saturday with the anticipated UFC Busan card. UFC Busan will be headlined by a featherweight fight between Korean legend “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Frankie Edgar. The Korean Zombie was originally expected to fight Brian Ortega. However, the 28-year old suffered a partially torn ACL during a sparring session. He is still eyeing a fight against Sung Jung in early 2020 but he had to pull out, leaving Frankie Edgar to step up as a last-minute replacement.
Henry Cejudo reacts to being stripped of UFC Flyweight Championship
Harry Kettle - December 20, 2019
Henry Cejudo has taken the time to react to the news that he has been stripped of the UFC Flyweight Championship. Cejudo, who hasn’t fought at flyweight since the start of the year when he successfully retained the belt against TJ Dillashaw, is no longer the champ after it was reported that Joseph Benavidez will fight Deiveson Figueiredo to determine the new champion on February 29 at UFC Norfolk.
Sergio Moraes among 11 fighters cut by the UFC
Adam Martin - December 19, 2019
The UFC has cut 11 more fighters from its roster, including popular Brazilian welterweight Sergio Moraes, in the latest attempt to trim its list of talent. The UFC last month cut 12 fighters from its roster, including highly-regarded welterweight Curtis Millender, and the purge continues today with the announcement that 11 more have been purged from the roster. MMAjunkie.com’s Nolan King confirmed the following cuts.
VIDEO | UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis KO's trash-talking boxer
Cole Shelton - December 19, 2019
Derrick Lewis was not happy with a boxer in his gym and decided to let him have it. Lewis told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani that this boxer was talking a bunch of smack to him saying boxers are better than MMA fighters.
No more Triple C! Henry Cejudo stripped of UFC flyweight title
Christopher Taylor - December 19, 2019
Henry Cejudo’s days as a UFC “champ champ” are over. Earlier this evening BJPENN.com’s Cole Shelton reported that a title fight between flyweights Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo would headline February’s event in Norfolk.
Report | Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo title fight targeted to headline UFC Norfolk
Cole Shelton - December 19, 2019
Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo will finally share the Octagon in the main event of UFC Norfolk on Feb. 29, and a belt will be on the line. Sources close to the situation have informed BJPENN.com that the fight is targeted to headline the card and a contract to Figueiredo has been issued moments ago. It is not yet determined if this fight will be for the vacant or interim 125-pound strap.
Tyron Woodley takes aim at Dillon Danis with a freestyle dis, “El Jefe” responds
Natasha Hooper - December 19, 2019
The UFC’s answer to 50 Cent strikes again. Tyron Woodley has called out Dillon Danis in a live-stream freestyle rap and the Bellator fighter has responded. The former welterweight champion has a variety of career accolades that extend outside of MMA. At the start of the year, the 170-pound fighter featured on a track by the Glacier Boyz called Blow. He also released his own song called Money and The Love in August 2019. The track has amassed nearly 100k views and recieved a mixed bag of reactions. Watch the full clip below.
Frankie Edgar explains why he didn't drop down in weight sooner
Tom Taylor - December 19, 2019
Frankie Edgar initially planned to drop down to bantamweight to fight Cory Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh on January 25, but postponed this plan to take a short-notice featherweight fight with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung this very weekend at UFC Busan. While The Korean Zombie is currently at the forefront of Edgar’s mind, he does still intend to drop down to the 135-pound bantamweight division. This news will come as a relief to many of his fans, who have long felt he’s too small for the featherweight division, and most certainly the lightweight division, where he previously held a UFC title.
Eddie Alvarez argues against UFC title shots for Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor
Tom Taylor - December 19, 2019
Eddie Alvarez isn’t a big fan of way the UFC is handing out title shots these days. Specifically, the current ONE Championship lightweight contender is against potential title shots for Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor. Aldo, who is the former UFC featherweight champion, made his debut in the bantamweight division at UFC 245, losing a controversial decision to Alvarez’s teammate Marlon Moraes. Despite this loss, he’s been targeted by UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo, and UFC President Dana White seems interested in booking a title fight between the two.
Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk opening betting odds revealed
Adam Martin - December 19, 2019
The opening betting odds have been released for the upcoming title fight at UFC 248 between UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang and rival Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The UFC recently announced that Zhang will take on Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248, which is set for March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout is expected to serve as the co-main event of the card, with another title fight headlining the event.
Amanda Nunes vs. Claressa Shields opening betting odds revealed
Adam Martin - December 19, 2019
The opening betting odds have been revealed for a potential MMA bout between UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes and boxing world champion Claressa Shields. Nunes defeated Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245 last weekend to retain the UFC women’s bantamweight title. Shields was in attendance at the event as a guest of UFC president Dana White but didn’t enter the cage to challenge Nunes as many assumed she would. Still, White and Nunes both admitted interest in a matchup against Shields.
Eddie Alvarez outlines the difference between ONE Championship and the UFC
Tom Taylor - December 19, 2019
Eddie Alvarez is now one year and two fights into his ONE Championship career. From the sounds of it, the former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion has enjoyed his time with the Singapore-based promotion. Alvarez discussed his time with ONE Championship, and how it differs from his time with the UFC, at Wednesday’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat.
Joe Rogan: Tony Ferguson is 'the best guy' Khabib Nurmagomedov has faced
Tom Taylor - December 19, 2019
Joe Rogan is very excited for the upcoming lightweight title fight between undefeated champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and streaking challenger Tony Ferguson. In fact, he believes Ferguson represents the best challenge Nurmagomedov has faced to date. Rogan gave his take on this matchup on a recent edition of the Joe Rogan MMA Show, speaking to former UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway.
Brendan Schaub tells Colby Covington haters to 'grow up'
Tom Taylor - December 19, 2019
Colby Covington is arguably the most polarizing fighter in MMA today. While he’s certainly got his fair share of fans, he’s also got legions of haters, and those haters have been very vocal since he lost to Kamaru Usman at UFC 245. Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub, who now makes his living as an analyst and podcaster, believes Covington’s haters need to give it a rest. He feels that, because Covington’s persona is manufactured, fans should go a little easier on him.
UFC Busan | Pro fighters make their picks for Frankie Edgar vs. the Korean Zombie
Cole Shelton - December 19, 2019
In the final UFC card of the year and the decade, the Octagon will touch down in Busan, South Korea. The UFC Busan main event pairs short-notice replacement, Frankie Edgar against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Heading into the fight, Edgar is a +145 underdog while Jung is a -175 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The majority believe Chan Sung Jung will get his hand raised at home.
$300 gets you a seat for Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone
Harry Kettle - December 19, 2019
Whenever Conor McGregor fights you can expect there to be a whole lot of money involved – and while that is likely going to be the case for his fight against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246, some diehard fans have still had to think twice about the ticket prices that have been listed for the event. McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the Octagon has been in the works for a good few months now, with Cerrone being pinpointed as the ideal opponent for him to come back against.