MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - August 28, 2019

ONE Championship‘s next event is ONE: Immortal Triumph on September 6 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where martial arts fans will get a taste of the highest quality Muay Thai and kickboxing action. Here are five fast facts about the upcoming event in Vietnam.

Tom Taylor - August 28, 2019

It’s hard to say which light heavyweight contender will get the next crack at champion Jon Jones, but many fans and pundits believe the opportunity should go to Poland’s Jan Blachowicz. Although Blachowicz was recently stopped by Thiago Santos, he has since rebounded with a violent knockout of Luke Rockhold, and has long stood out as one of the division’s top dogs.

Tom Taylor - August 28, 2019

Paige VanZant has one fight left on her UFC contract, and when that’s over and done with, she intends to test free agency. The reason for this decision is that she believes she deserves more money. In fact, she claims she makes more money posting to her Instagram account than she does through fighting. “With endorsements, I make way more money sitting at home posting pictures on Instagram than I do fighting,” VanZant said during an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “If I were to stop everything I do outside of fighting and just fight, I would be at a loss. By a long shot.”

Tom Taylor - August 28, 2019

Brazilian welterweight contender Elizeu Dos Santos has won his last seven fights. China’s Li Jingliang plans to put an end that win-streak. The pair will meet in the co-main event of the under-the-radar UFC Shenzhen card this Saturday in Jingliang’s native China. This is a big opportunity for the Chinese fighter nicknamed “The Leech”, as dos Santos currently holds the No. 14 spot in the UFC welterweight rankings. Jingliang has been seeking a ranked opponent for some time, and was very excited when the opportunity was finally offered.

Mike Heck - August 28, 2019

Andrea Lee will return to action next weekend in a pivotal women’s flyweight matchup with Joanne Calderwood at UFC 242 and will do so with a new contract with the organization. In a recent interview with BJPENN.com, “KGB” revealed that she has signed a six-fight deal with the organization heading into her bout with Calderwood, which takes place Sept. 7 The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Tom Taylor - August 28, 2019

There has never been a Chinese champion in the UFC. Hebei’s Weili Zhang is looking to change that. This Saturday, when the UFC touches down in Shenzhen, China, the streaking strawweight contender will battle Brazilian champion Jessica Andrade for divisional gold. Zhang can imagine no outcome more perfect than becoming the UFC’s first Chinese champion in front of an arena-full of Chinese fans, and believes a victory will inspire people all over her country.

Tom Taylor - August 28, 2019

Darren Till will not get a warmup in his middleweight debut. Instead, the long-time welterweight has been booked to battle the middleweight division’s fourth-ranked fighter, Kelvin Gastelum, at UFC 244 in New York. This booking comes as a bit of a surprise, given that Till is riding back-to-back stoppage losses, and UFC President Dana White recently admitted that the promotion might have pushed the young striker along too quickly.

Cole Shelton - August 28, 2019

This weekend, the Octagon heads to Shenzhen, China. In the card’s main event, Jessica Andrade will put her strawweight title on the line against China’s Weili Zhang. Heading into the fight, the champion is a -160 favorite, while the challenger from China is a +130 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The majority are leaning towards Jessica Andrade’s power being too much for Weili Zhang.

Cole Shelton - August 28, 2019

Dustin Poirier is the current interim lightweight champion and he will take on the undisputed champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, at UFC 242. If Poirier can get past the undefeated Russian, fans will immediately begin speculating who is next for him. A rematch against Nurmagomedov could certainly happen, or a bout with Conor McGregor. However, Poirier says it is clear Tony Ferguson deserves the next title shot. But, he isn’t focused on any of that right now.

Cole Shelton - August 27, 2019

Jan Blachowicz is confident that he is the only man capable of defeating current UFC light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones. Blachowicz is coming off of a knockout win over Luke Rockhold at UFC 239 and believes he deserves the next title shot. Why he thinks that he deserves the next crack at ‘Bones’ is simple. Blachowicz, like many, believe that had former middleweight champ Luke Rockhold proved victorious in their fight last July, he would have been awarded the next title shot.

Cole Shelton - August 27, 2019

Anthony Johnson retired from the UFC following a second loss to Daniel Cormier in April of 2017. Yet, the man they call “Rumble” is eyeing a comeback, according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz. Abdelaziz spoke to ESPN, and divulged that his client will return in 2020. They are currently filing the necessary paperwork to rejoin the UFC. One of the steps he must complete is to re-enter the USADA testing pool and be in it for six months before he can fight again.

Thomas Taylor - August 27, 2019

Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra is not impressed with the comments UFC commentator Joe Rogan and UFC President Dana White have made in the wake of the latest Conor McGregor drama. McGregor was recently caught on film punching an older man at a bar in Ireland.

Thomas Taylor - August 27, 2019

Yesterday afternoon, it was announced that UFC middleweight veteran CB Dollaway had been handed a two-year ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for multiple prohibited substances. “USADA announced today that CB Dollaway of Gilbert, Ariz., has accepted a two-year sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for multiple prohibited substances and using a prohibited method,” USADA’s press release read. 

Tom Taylor - August 27, 2019

When video surfaced showing Conor McGregor punching an older man at a bar in Dublin, the Irish star immediately had some explaining to do. McGregor did that explaining in an interview with ESPN last week, and also offered an apology. 

Fernando Quiles Jr. - August 27, 2019

Tyron Woodley once wanted to share the Octagon with Nate and Nick Diaz, but now he’s thinking about training with them. Woodley hasn’t been shy in the past about wanting major fights. When he was the UFC welterweight champion, Woodley was aiming for the likes of Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre, Michael Bisping, and the Diaz brothers. Fast forward to 2019 and Woodley finds himself training with the now-retired St-Pierre. If “The Chosen One” has his way, then some sparring sessions with the Diaz brothers could be next.

Cole Shelton - August 27, 2019

Sodiq Yusuff had a big opportunity at UFC 241. He fought on the main card and he knew it was his chance to make his a household name. Ultimately, Yusuff did just that as he knocked out his opponent Gabriel Benitez in the first round. For the 26-year-old, the fight went exactly as he and his team thought it would.

Tom Taylor - August 27, 2019

Conor McGregor recently claimed that, had he not injured his hand, he could have ended up in the Octagon with Justin Gaethje this summer. “I believe it was leaning towards Justin Gaethje at that time,” McGregor told ESPN last week.

Tom Taylor - August 27, 2019

It seems that nobody is exempt from Colby Covington’s trash talk — not even the long-absent Nick Diaz. Covington has targeted Nick and his brother Nate countless times before, most recently in an interview with MMA Fighting.