MMA News
Ben Askren breaks down Covington vs. Lawler fight
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2019
At UFC Newark, on August 3, top welterweight Colby Covington will look to reestablish himself as the next man in line for the champion Kamaru Usman with a big win over Robbie Lawler. Ben Askren, one of Covington’s most vocal haters, believes this is a fight that could go either way. Check out what he had to say about the matchup below (via Heidi Fang)
ONE Championship's Gianni Subba hoping to compete again soon
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2019
Gianni Subba was less than a day out from a fight when he received the news. The talented ONE Championship flyweight contender was informed by the promotion’s medical team that he had an arachnoid cyst — a congenital cyst, present at birth — and was pulled from his scheduled bout as a precaution. It was the day before his birthday.
Diego Sanchez claims he took Mickey Gall's virginity
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2019
This Saturday, on the main card of UFC 239, Diego Sanchez will return to action against Michael Chiesa. He’ll do so with an impressive TKO victory over Mickey Gall in the rear-view mirror. Speaking on a recent episode of MMA Junkie Radio, Sanchez gave a retrospective assessment of his defeat of Gall, and let’s just say it was interesting. Even by Diego Sanchez standards…
Bec Rawlings to make interesting donation to Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2019
Former UFC strawweight and flyweight contender Bec Rawlings was one of the first fighters to make the jump to the surging sport of bare knuckle boxing. During her time as a bare knuckle fighter, which occurred under the BKFC banner, she picked up 3 impressive wins, and was hailed as the Queen of Bare Knuckle. While Rawlings has since returned to MMA roots, having recently signed with Bellator, she will soon be honored for her contributions to the sport of bare knuckle with an induction into the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Hall of Fame.
Michael Bisping understands why Dana White wants Jon Jones' DQ loss overturned
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 4, 2019
From a promoter’s perspective, Michael Bisping can appreciate Dana White’s desire to have Jon Jones’ lone defeat overturned. Back in Dec. 2009, a young Jones took on Matt Hamill in the co-main event of TUF 10 Finale. This was Jones’ fourth fight under the UFC banner. “Bones” was teeing off on Hamill with some vicious ground-and-pound. When referee Steve Mazzagatti called a halt to the bout, most assumed that Jones scored a TKO victory. Instead, he was disqualified for illegal 12-6 elbow strikes.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: Tony Ferguson needs to 'step forward'
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2019
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson. It’s a dream fight for most fight fans, and one the UFC has tried multiple times to book. Yet thus far, fate has had other plans. Today, when the lightweight champion Nurmagomedov is gearing up for a UFC 242 title defense opposite Dustin Poirier, and Ferguson is riding a ridiculous 12-fight win-streak, it’s easy to imagine the fight happening quite soon.
Jon Jones explains why most opponents try to attack his personal life
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2019
In the lead-up to any Jon Jones fight, it’s common to hear his opponent mention his troubles outside the cage, be it his issues with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or his run-ins with the law. Jones believes that’s because his opponents can’t find anything else to criticize him for. His mixed martial arts game is so flawless that they’re forced to look elsewhere as they search for ammunition for their trash talk.
UFC 239 | Pro fighters make their picks for Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos title fight
Cole Shelton - July 4, 2019
In the main event of UFC 239, Jon Jones will be looking to defend his light heavyweight title when he takes on Thiago Santos. Heading into the fight, “Bones” is a -700 favorite, while the challenger is a hefty +450 underdog. Ahead of the title fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. To no surprise most are picking the champ. But, one fighter believes it will be Santos’ day and he will be able to shock the world.
PHOTO | Thiago Santos appears to have bulked up for UFC 239 fight with Jon Jones
Natasha Hooper - July 4, 2019
Thiago Santos has seemingly bulked up in preparation for his UFC 239 bout against Jon Jones. The Brazilian light heavyweight fighter nicknamed “Marreta” looks like he’s packed on some pounds, if a recent Instagram post is any indication. Currently, he is in Las Vegas, the location of his upcoming fight. Santos is taking in some local attractions and sharing his experiences on his Instagram.
Tyron Woodley believes Kamaru Usman rematch could happen next
Natasha Hooper - July 4, 2019
Tyron Woodley believes a rematch against Kamaru Usman is in the cards for later this year. During the MMA Awards, Woodley shared his thoughts on his next fight in the Octagon.
Justin Gaethje believes two men stand alone as biggest threats to Khabib Nurmagomedov
Natasha Hooper - July 4, 2019
Justin Gaethje believes there are only two opponents out there that can rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, and he is one of them. At the MMA awards last night, Justin Gaethje spoke to Aaron Bronsteter of TSN about the possibility of fighting the current lightweight champion Nurmagomedov. He believes only Tony Ferguson and himself stand in the way of “The Eagle’s” undefeated pro record.
Tito Ortiz heaps praise at Dana White following death of Golden Boy MMA
Christopher Taylor - July 4, 2019
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz had some high praise for Dana White at tonight’s World MMA Awards, this after announcing the death of Golden Boy MMA. During an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, Tito Ortiz discussed the closure of Golden Boy MMA while comparing the promoting skills of UFC President Dana White against Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya.
Gegard Mousasi says he should have beaten Rafael Lovato Jr. 'even with him using PEDs'
Cole Shelton - July 3, 2019
At Bellator London, Rafael Lovato Jr. shocked many as he defeated Gegard Mousasi by majority decision to become the new middleweight champion. But, the now former champion claims the 36-year-old was on PEDs for the fight. “I should have won this match even with him using PEDs,” Mousasi said on Vechtersbazen Podcast (as transcribed by MMA Junkie).
Jack Hermansson vs. Jared Cannonier Set For UFC Copenhagen Main Event
Adam Martin - July 3, 2019
It looks like UFC Copenhagen has a main event, though perhaps one that’s a bit surprising. It was rumored for a while now that Jack Hermansson would fight Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of the UFC’s debut in Denmark on September 28. But according to MMA super agent Malki Kawa, Jared Cannonier has verbally agreed to fight Hermansson instead. Cannonier verbally agrees to fight hermansson in Copenhagen. Excited for this. Good work @LouDiBono
Ben Askren thinks he will leapfrog Colby Covington for next welterweight title shot
Adam Martin - July 3, 2019
Although most consider Colby Covington to be the No. 1 contender in the UFC welterweight division, it’s possible he gets passed over for the next title shot. Everyone thought Covington would be next in line to fight UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, but Covington was recently booked to fight Robbie Lawler in the main event of UFC Newark. Covington hasn’t fought since last June and with Usman out until November, Covington needed to take a fight to stay busy and make some money.
David Feldman provides estimate on BKFC 6 PPV buys
Tom Taylor - July 3, 2019
Even from the early vantage point, BKFC 6 stood out as the biggest card yet from the upstart Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The card, which was topped by a sizzling grudge match between UFC veteran Artem Lobov and former boxing champ Paulie Malignaggi, and featured a slew of UFC veterans and MMA notables, generated quite a bit of buzz throughout the combat sports world, and showed all the early signs of a major success for the promotion.
Opinion | Jon Jones making up for lost time by focusing on legacy of dominance
Mike Pendleton - July 3, 2019
As UFC 239 approaches, Jon Jones is making his final preparations for another light heavyweight title fight; a scene that he is very familiar with. Since he captured the divisional title in 2011 with a TKO of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Jones has found himself in title fights ever since. The career of Jones inside the Octagon is one that can only be described as remarkable. He grew up before the eyes of UFC fans, taking out the veterans that paved the way for the light heavyweight division like Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort, then taking on a wave of new challengers — most notably his chief rivals Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson.
UFC 239 | Pro fighters make their picks for Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm title fight
Cole Shelton - July 3, 2019
In the co-main event of UFC 239, Amanda Nunes is looking to defend her bantamweight title against the former champ Holly Holm. Heading into the fight, the champion is a -380 favorite while the challenger is a +290 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the fight. Most are leaning towards Amanda Nunes defending her title. Some, like coach Mike Winkeljohn, believe Holly Holm will shock the world again.