MMA News

BJ Penn Staff - March 21, 2025

Jake Paul is full of confidence, but that doesn’t mean he believes he can beat every boxer he encounters in the ring. In fact, there is one boxer he is certain he could not defeat. That would be WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez.

BJPENN.COM Staff - March 21, 2025

Japan’s iconic Saitama Super Arena holds a special place in many fight fans’ hearts. That rings true for former ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella, who’s excited to tick off two bucket list items at once this weekend. The Canadian-Italian gets to compete inside the esteemed venue at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang this Sunday, March 23, against an idol of his in former two-sport ONE World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the interim strawweight kickboxing gold.

BJPENN.COM Staff - March 21, 2025

Second-ranked flyweight MMA contender Yuya Wakamatsu has spent the last three years working his way back to a World Title opportunity. Through blood, sweat, and tears, he’s now just days away from his second chance at gold. “Little Piranha” meets former divisional king Adriano Moraes for the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Title. This happens at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, this Sunday, March 23, at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.

BJPENN.COM Staff - March 21, 2025

There’s still more left in the tank for British Muay Thai star Liam Harrison. “Hitman” will return to ONE Championship this summer. There, he faces Myanmar bruiser Soe Lin Oo at ONE 173: Denver, on Friday, August 1. They will compete in a bantamweight Muay Thai outing that’s not expected to go the distance.

Harry Kettle - March 21, 2025

Former UFC champion Kamaru Usman has put forward some ideas for the future of the promotion’s lightweight division. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has been incredibly lucky over the last five to ten years or so. There are a couple reasons for that, but one that comes to mind is this: the lightweight division. From top to bottom, the UFC has had an absolutely stacked top 15 and beyond at 155 pounds for the longest time. There are some absolute killers residing at lightweight, and we can’t think when that wasn’t the case.

Harry Kettle - March 21, 2025

The betting odds for the upcoming showdown between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett have shifted in recent days. The upcoming clash between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett has gotten a lot of people talking. The two will meet at UFC 314 in a blockbuster UFC 314 collision, and it goes without saying that the stakes are high. For Chandler, he needs to prove that he can still hang with the rising stars of this division – especially if he wants to make one more run for the world title.

Harry Kettle - March 21, 2025

UFC champion Ilia Topuria has suggested that when he returns to the Octagon, he’ll be doing so with an entirely new identity. Every now and then, a fighter comes along who doesn’t even seem human. They are able to put everything together in a way that defies logic – especially in a sport like mixed martial arts. There are a couple of examples of this in recent years but right now, there’s one man that is on everyone’s lips: Ilia Topuria.

Harry Kettle - March 21, 2025

The UFC has reportedly parted ways with five more fighters, including Armen Petrosyan and Jalin Turner. If there’s one thing we know to be true, it’s that there’s a lot of turnover in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It’s where some of the most elite fighters on the planet ply their trade and while many of the UFC’s big names will continue to find a home there for many years to come, others aren’t quite so lucky. One of the reasons for that is simple: they already have so many names on the roster as it is.

Cole Shelton - March 20, 2025

Conor McGregor has announced he’s running for the President of Ireland. McGregor has complained about Ireland and the way it’s being run as of late. The Irishman has been frustrated with the country’s crime among other complaints.

Josh Evanoff - March 20, 2025

Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will reportedly return against Miranda Maverick in June. ‘Thug Rose’ hasn’t been seen in the cage since her clash against Erin Blanchfield in November. Riding a two-fight winning streak, Rose Namajunas hoped to earn another crack at UFC gold with a win over ‘Cold Blooded’. Sadly for the former champion, Blanchfield outworked her across five rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory in Canada. With the loss, Namajunas again had to head back to the drawing board.

Josh Evanoff - March 20, 2025

Influencer-turned-boxing star Jake Paul seemingly wants to fight former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. ‘The Problem Child’ hasn’t been seen in action since his clash with the legendary Mike Tyson in November. Fresh off a lopsided knockout win over Mike Perry in July, Jake Paul looked to hand the 58-year-old legend a loss. While ‘Iron Mike’ came out firing early, he quickly slowed. After eight rounds of lackluster action, it was Paul who emerged with a unanimous decision victory. Following the win, the influencer called out Canelo Alvarez.

Josh Evanoff - March 20, 2025

According to a recent report from Ariel Helwani, RIZIN champion Kyoji Horiguchi is nearing a deal to return to the UFC. ‘The Typhoon’ hasn’t been in the RIZIN ring since his title defense against Nkazimulo Zulu in December. Back for the first time since his lopsided decision win over Sergio Pettis last summer, he handed ‘Zulu Boy’ a unanimous decision loss. The win moved Kyoji Horiguchi’s unbeaten streak to seven, and was also his first defense of flyweight gold. However, that will likely go down as his last appearance in the Japanese promotion.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 20, 2025

Alex Pereira is no longer the ruler of the light heavyweight division, but one former UFC champion believes “Poatan” can bounce back. Pereira was challenged by Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313 in Las Vegas. Entering the bout, Pereira was the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. In a competitive bout, Pereira struggled finding success while moving back. It allowed Ankalaev to be the aggressor in the fight, and he scored a unanimous decision win to capture the 205-pound gold.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 20, 2025

Sean Brady believes Leon Edwards is making a mistake before their fight this weekend. Brady will meet the former UFC Welterweight Champion in the main event of UFC London on March 22. During media week, Edwards has put Belal Muhammad on blast for his trash talk. Muhammad defeated Edwards to capture the 170-pound gold last year.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 20, 2025

Demetrious Johnson has high praise for Alexandre Pantoja. Pantoja is the reigning UFC Flyweight Champion. His most recent title defense took place at the UFC 310 pay-per-view against Kai Asakura. Pantoja secured a second-round technical submission finish to retain the 125-pound gold. After the fight, Pantoja called out Johnson, who retired from pro MMA competition in Sept. 2024.

Harry Kettle - March 20, 2025

UFC commentator Paul Felder believes Colby Covington is struggling to maintain his ‘heel’ persona these days. Over the course of the last decade or so, Colby Covington has portrayed a bad guy within the world of mixed martial arts. He has done everything possible to get under the skin of his opponents – sometimes it works, and sometimes it falls short.

Harry Kettle - March 20, 2025

UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev has claimed that he’s already accepted a date for his next fight. As we know, Magomed Ankalaev is the new king of the light heavyweight division. He earned that title as a result of his triumph over Alex Pereira at UFC 313 which, while not 100% emphatic, certainly emphasized that he is operating at a brand new level right now – and that he deserves to be wearing the gold.

Harry Kettle - March 20, 2025

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has left an amusing happy birthday message for a Leon Edwards fan. Last year, Belal Muhammad finally reached the top of the mountain. He defeated Leon Edwards to become the new king of the welterweight division, and he did so in a fairly convincing fashion in London, England. Now, he’s preparing to defend the strap for the first time against Jack Della Maddalena.