MMA News
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.
Jorge Masvidal on potential Conor McGregor fight: "We're interested in that fight"
Mike Pendleton - December 19, 2019
UFC ‘BMF’ champion and top welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal has plenty of options for his next opponent when the time comes, but his sights are set on a certain upcoming fight. While there had been rumors of a potential fight with Nick Diaz or current reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, Masvidal mentioned on Thursday the possibility of a different opponent. During an interview on “The Ak & Barak Show” on Sirius XM, “Gamebred” was asked when he would be returning to the Octagon and his answer was that he’s in wait-and-see mode depending on the main event of UFC 246 between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone.
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.
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.
Jorge Masvidal on Colby Covington: 'I don't think he comes back'
Cole Shelton - December 19, 2019
Jorge Masvidal doubts that Colby Covington will fight again. In the main event of UFC 245, Covington took on Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title in what was a back-and-forth fight. Yet, in the fifth round, “The Nigerian Nightmare” took over and dropped “Chaos” twice before finishing him with 50 seconds left.
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.
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.
UFC veteran Ramsey Nijem suspended nine months for marijuana
Natasha Hooper - December 19, 2019
Ramsey Nijem has suffered the same fate as Nick Diaz, but with a significantly lighter penalty. In November, NSAC chief assistant Jeff Mullen announced to ESPN that Ramsey Nijem, Luis Rafael Laurentino and Glaico Franca tested positive for elevated banned substances.
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.
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.
Alexander Volkanovski to have surgery on broken hand
Adam Martin - December 19, 2019
New UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is set to have surgery on his broken hand that will keep him on the shelf for the foreseeable future. Volkanovski defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision in the co-main event of UFC 245 to win the title and emerge as a new global star in MMA. But he suffered a broken hand during the fight and it will keep him on the sidelines and unable to defend his belt anytime soon.
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.
Nick Diaz advertises 'VIP tickets to my UFC return'
Tom Taylor - December 19, 2019
Nick Diaz recently took to Instagram to advertise an opportunity for fans to win VIP tickets to his UFC return. The problem, of course, is that he doesn’t currently have a UFC return scheduled.
Chris Weidman claims Dana White pressured him into trash talking Anderson Silva before UFC 162
Harry Kettle - December 19, 2019
Chris Weidman has claimed that UFC president Dana White put pressure on him to increase the level of trash talk ahead of his UFC 162 showdown against Anderson Silva. The bout, which took place back in July 2013, was for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Heading into the bout it was clear to see that many pundits and fans alike felt like Weidman had a legitimate shot at ending the run of Silva as the king of the middleweights.