MMA News
Former Bellator fighter William Joplin dies from cancer
Adam Martin - October 8, 2019
Former Bellator fighter William Joplin has passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to his family. He was 41. Joplin’s sister Shelley shared an update on his GoFundMe page which indicated he passed away on Tuesday morning.
UFC Tampa | Eryk Anders plans on beating Gerald Meerschaert in 'devastating fashion'
Cole Shelton - October 8, 2019
Eryk Anders is back to middleweight following a brief stint at light heavyweight. When he makes his return to 185 pounds at UFC Tampa this Saturday, Gerald Meerschaert will be standing across from him. Although Anders is coming off of a knockout win at light heavyweight last time out, he has a simple reason for moving back to middleweight.
What Giorgio Petrosyan Must Do To Defeat The Upset-Minded Samy Sana
BJPENN.COM Staff - October 8, 2019
Giorgio Petrosyan has had an unusual path to the finals of the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix, but he made it. Waiting for him in the last step before ONE awards the winner USD $1 million and the first-ever ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Championship is Samy Sana. The Petrosyan-Sana matchup is just one bout set for ONE: CENTURY PART II on 13 October from Tokyo.
UFC 243 medical suspensions: Al Iaquinta facing long absence
Tom Taylor - October 8, 2019
Over the weekend, the UFC returned to our screens with the action-packed UFC 243 card in Melbourne, Australia. The card was topped by a middleweight title fight between undisputed champion Robert Whittaker and interim champion Israel Adesanya. In the end, Adesanya became the UFC’s one true middleweight king with a second-round stoppage of Whittaker.
Weili Zhang denied US visa, presidential candidate offers to help
Harry Kettle - October 8, 2019
UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang has confirmed that her request for a visa to enter the United States has been rejected. Zhang (20-1) became the queen of the strawweights on August 31 when she defeated Jessica Andrade in just 42 seconds to become the first ever Chinese-born champion in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was a monumental moment for the development of mixed martial arts in Asia, and it was seen by many as a turning point for Weili’s star power within the sport.
Israel Adesanya fires back at "jealous" Jon Jones
Christopher Taylor - October 7, 2019
Israel Adesanya has responded to fellow UFC champion Jon Jones, this after ‘Bones’ claimed ‘Stylebender’ was lacking the confidence to fight him. Adesanya (18-0 MMA) defeated Robert Whittaker via second round TKO in the headliner of last Saturday’s UFC 243 event in Australia to become the promotions undisputed middleweight world champion.
Francis Ngannou urges UFC to book him a fight, Gilbert Burns responds
Adam Martin - October 7, 2019
UFC heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou is urging the promotion to book him for a fight, and a surprise opponent has thrown his name in the hat. “The Predator” took to Twitter to express his displeasure to the UFC for not booking him in a fight since his knockout win over Junior dos Santos in June. It appears that Ngannou is getting restless and wants to fight again as soon as possible.
Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa targeted for March PPV in Las Vegas
Cole Shelton - October 7, 2019
Israel Adesanya will have his first title defense against Paulo Costa this March in Las Vegas. Sources told BJPENN.com the two camps are in preliminary talks and a date has been agreed upon. The UFC flew Paulo Costa out to Australia to watch the fight between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, where following the fight they started negotiations.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says Conor McGregor lacks morality and manners, hasn't earned title shot
Adam Martin - October 7, 2019
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said that Conor McGregor hitting an elderly man shows that he lacks morality and manners and he doesn’t believe he has earned a title shot. “The Eagle” was interviewed by reporters in Russia and was asked his honest thoughts on McGregor. Here’s what the champ said via RT.
Chael Sonnen reacts to Michael Bisping's prosthetic eye
Fernando Quiles Jr. - October 7, 2019
Chael Sonnen has praised Michael Bisping’s toughness and ability to overcome adversity. Bisping surprised fight fans when he popped out his prosthetic eye during an edition of his Believe You Me podcast. For many, it was their first time knowing that Bisping had a fake eye. Back in Dec. 2018, “The Count” told Joe Rogan that he had a prosthetic eye after dealing with several issues stemming from a detached retina suffered in his 2013 bout with Vitor Belfort.
Kelvin Gastelum sends warm message to new champ Israel Adesanya
Thomas Taylor - October 7, 2019
Earlier this year, Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya collided with the UFC interim middleweight title on the line. After five, razor-close rounds, Adesanya was named the winner and adorned with a UFC belt. Over the weekend, Adesanya became the undisputed middleweight champion with a second-round stoppage of Robert Whittaker. Gastelum, on the other hand, is gearing up for a UFC 244 scrap with Darren Till.
Edson Barboza's manager says Paul Felder has agreed to trilogy
Adam Martin - October 7, 2019
Edson Barboza’s manager Alex Davis says that rival Paul Felder has agreed to a trilogy fight after their controversial split decision outcome at UFC 242. Felder won a split decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 27-30 in his favor. The fact that opposing judges had the fights 30-27 in favor of each fighter was very concerning.
Opinion: The UFC should let fighters get creative with their walkouts more often
Tom Taylor - October 7, 2019
Israel Adesanya did something not many UFC fighters have done at UFC 243 — and I’m not talking about beating Robert Whittaker, as impressive as that was. Instead, I’m referring to his walk to the cage which, in an absurdly rare twist, actually featured a degree of flavor and originality. For whatever reason, the fun-killers in UFC boardroom have historically shown a complete reluctance to let fighters make their walkouts even remotely interesting. Sure, there was the time Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes walked out to live performances from Sinead O’Connor and Aaron Lewis respectively. Former UFC fighters James Te Huna and Tom Lawlor have also had a few fun walkouts. But as a general rule, a UFC fighter’s walkout is little more than a trip from Point A to Point B set to some music that, in some cases, wasn’t even that fighter’s choice.
Chris Weidman believes he can 'skip the rankings' and fight Jon Jones next
Adam Martin - October 7, 2019
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman makes his light heavyweight debut next weekend in the main event of UFC Boston against top-ranked contender Dominick Reyes. It’s a huge opportunity for Weidman, and he knows it. According to Weidman, a win over Reyes would immediately catapult him into the top-five and get him closer to a matchup against UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones Weidman spoke to UFC Unfiltered recently and said he believes a win over Reyes would allow him to skip the line and get a matchup against Jones sooner than expected.
What's next for Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker after UFC 243?
Cole Shelton - October 7, 2019
UFC 243 has come and gone and with it, a new middleweight champion has been crowned. In the main event, the middleweight title was on the line as champion, Robert Whittaker was taking on the interim champion in Israel Adesanya. In the end, Israel Adesanya TKO’d Robert Whittaker in the second round to become the undisputed champion.
Israel Adesanya impressed by Jared Cannonier: 'I like his style'
Adam Martin - October 7, 2019
New UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya heaped praise upon surging contender Jared Cannonier, saying he has been impressed by Cannonier’s quick rise up the middleweight rankings. “The Last Stylebender” was asked by reporters at the UFC 243 post-fight press conference what other middleweight contenders impress him, and Adesanya immediately singled out Cannonier as someone who expects to defend his belt against in the near future.
Jimi Manuwa makes prediction for Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier trilogy
Tom Taylor - October 7, 2019
For a time, Jimi Manuwa and Daniel Cormier were heated rivals in the UFC light heavyweight division. Regrettably, the pair never got the chance to share the cage and likely never will, as Manuwa has since retired, and Cormier has hiked up to the heavyweight division. Much of Cormier’s time in the heavyweight division has been consumed by a rivalry with Stipe Miocic. The pair are tied 1-1 across two previous title fights, with Cormier winning the first encounter by first-round knockout, and Miocic winning the rematch, which occurred at UFC 241 in August, by fourth-round TKO.
Jared Cannonier: Fight with Yoel Romero 'puts me right up there' in middleweight title picture
Mike Heck - October 7, 2019
Jared Cannonier went from rising middleweight fighter on the UFC roster to world title contender in just under six minutes last month at UFC Copenhagen. After defeating Jack Hermansson, Cannonier sees himself mixing things up with the likes of Yoel Romero, Kelvin Gastelum, Darren Till, or anyone blocking his path to a title shot. “Killa Gorilla” finished Hermansson via second-round TKO in the main event of the UFC’s trip to Denmark. While it was one of the biggest wins of his career — snapping the four-fight winning streak of Hermansson — Cannonier is already back to normal life as Dad.