MMA News

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 24, 2019

It appears UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones doesn’t see interim UFC middleweight title holder Israel Adesanya as a threat. Jones and Adesanya are on different paths in the immediate future, but that hasn’t stopped the two men from trading barbs. Jon Jones will defend his 205-pound gold against Thiago Santos in the main event of UFC 239 on July 6. Adesanya will take on Robert Whittaker in a middleweight title unification bout later this year.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 24, 2019

Artem Lobov is done trading barbs with Paulie Malignaggi after their BKFC 6 scrap. This past Saturday night (June 22), Lobov and Malignaggi went the distance inside the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa. There was plenty of bad blood going into the bout. Malignaggi slapped Lobov and even spat on him in the lead-up to their BKFC 6 main event. Lobov ended up scoring the unanimous decision victory and the two embraced.

Cole Shelton - June 24, 2019

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier have arguably the biggest rivalry in MMA. The two have fought two times before. They first fought at UFC 182, when Jones beat Cormier by decision to defend the light heavyweight title. They fought for a second time at UFC 214. This time, it was “DC” who was the champion, but Jones once again came out on top. However, the fight was eventually ruled a no-contest after Jones tested positive for turinabol.

Tom Taylor - June 24, 2019

Former UFC lightweight champ Frankie Edgar is currently gearing up for a title fight with reigning UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, scheduled for UFC 240 on July 27. One of Edgar’s main training partners for this fight will be former Bellator and UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, who is gearing up for a ONE: Dawn of Heroes showdown with former champ Eduard Folayang.  Over the years Alvarez and Edgar have spent as training partners, under the tutelage of legendary coach Mark Henry, they have grown very close. They’ve spent countless hours grinding away, side-by-side, and have seen their efforts in the gym pay dividends in the cage.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 24, 2019

Brendan Schaub doesn’t believe Artem Lobov vs. Paulie Malignaggi lived up to expectations, but it isn’t all doom and gloom. BKFC 6 took place inside the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa. Headlining the card was a grudge match between Lobov and Malignaggi. In the end, Lobov was awarded the unanimous decision victory.

Tom Taylor - June 24, 2019

Long before Francis Ngannou became one of the most feared contenders in the UFC heavyweight division, he was dreaming of a career as a professional boxer. While he’s currently focused on his MMA career, it sounds as though he hasn’t given up on his dreams of competing in the boxing ring.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 24, 2019

Michael Bisping doesn’t believe it would be wise of fight fans to sleep on Weili Zhang. Zhang is set to challenge Jessica Andrade for the UFC women’s strawweight title at UFC Shenzhen on Aug. 31. While Zhang has only had three fights under the UFC banner, she certainly isn’t a rookie with 20 professional bouts to her credit. Bisping took to his “Believe You Me” podcast to praise Zhang:

Tom Taylor - June 24, 2019

In the main event of Saturday’s UFC Greenville card, Renato Moicano sought to rebound from a TKO loss to Jose Aldo with a big win over fan favorite “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Regrettably for the Brazilian and his team, this fight went quite disastrously, as he was put down by a volley of punches in less than a minute. Speaking to Combate shortly after this UFC Greenville setback, Moicano’s coach Gabriel de Oliveira claimed he has no explanation for this tough loss, and admitted that his pupil was too predictable in the cage.

Tom Taylor - June 24, 2019

After a six-month suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), UFC bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley was scheduled to return to the cage opposite Marlon Vera at UFC 239. Regrettably, has once again tested positive for ostarine, the same banned substance he was previously sanctioned for. While USADA has elected not to suspended O’Malley again, this issue will still keep him off the UFC 239 bill. And his would-be opponent Marlon Vera doesn’t seem too impressed.

Tom Taylor - June 24, 2019

Shortly after Artem Lobov defeated Paulie Malignaggi in the main event of BFKC 6 last weekend, Jason Knight gave his take on the fight. Knight, who came up short to Lobov in an all-out war earlier this year, doesn’t sound too impressed with what he saw — particularly from Malignaggi.

Tom Taylor - June 24, 2019

In 2017, grappling specialists Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee met in a lightweight grudge match. Unfortunately, this match ended in controversy, as Lee locked up a rear-naked choke, and referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the action before Chiesa had actually tapped. Today, when Michael Chiesa and Kevin Lee are both competing in the welterweight division, Chiesa is still holding out hope for a rematch.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 23, 2019

It seems ONE Championship is always adding to its roster with high-level martial artists. As ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong mentioned in an interview with ‘The Fight Guys’ and Forbes’ Brian Mazique, there are more significant signings on the way this year.  We don’t know which athletes will be the next to join the organization, but here is a list of 10 athletes ONE should have on their radar.

Tom Taylor - June 23, 2019

Like many fight fans, UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo tuned in for BKFC 6 on Saturday night. And like many onlookers, he was very impressed to see UFC veteran Artem Lobov pick up an upset, decision victory over multiple-time boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi in the card’s main event. In fact, Cejudo was so impressed with Lobov’s performance against the boxer that it got him thinking about a boxing showdown of his own.

Tom Taylor - June 23, 2019

Chan Sung Jung — better known as “The Korean Zombie” — rebounded from his tough knockout loss to Yair Rodriguez in the best fashion possible, snuffing Renato Moicano in less than a minute in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Greenville card. Speaking post-fight, the Korean star admitted this highlight reel victory helped to erase the memory of his recent knockout loss.

Tom Taylor - June 23, 2019

Artem Lobov and Paulie Malignaggi entered the BKFC 6 ring as two of the most heated rivals in combat sports. As is so often the case, however, the pair seem to have much more favorable views of each other after strafing one another for five rounds. Speaking at the BKFC 6 post-fight press conference, Lobov stated that he respects the former boxer Malignaggi for showing up to his infamous sparring session with Conor McGregor, and to this bare knuckle scrap.

Tom Taylor - June 23, 2019

Rafael Lovato Jr. entered his Bellator 223 middleweight title fight with Gegard Mousasi as a significant betting underdog. Despite being counted out by the oddsmakers, however, the Brazilian jiu jitsu specialist was able to wrest the belt from the waist of his experienced foe, earning a hard-fought majority decision win after five rounds. Speaking on his official Instagram account post-fight, the new champ. issued a statement on this emotional, underdog victory.

Cole Shelton - June 23, 2019

The Octagon made its debut in South Carolina last night with UFC Greenville. In the main event, Chan Sung Jung, AKA “The Korean Zombie” was back after the last second knockout loss he suffered to Yair Rodriguez in November. He was taking on Brazil’s Renato Moicano, who was coming off of a TKO loss to Jose Aldo. The fight did not last long as The Korean Zombie finished Moicano with a massive right hand and some followup ground strikes in just 58 seconds. 

Tom Taylor - June 23, 2019

Aaron Chalmers was an integral part of one fan’s Bellator 223 parlay bet, but he didn’t win quite the way that fan predicted, stopping his fight via submission rather than knockout. When Chalmers learned that his method of victory had derailed this fan’s otherwise successful parlay, he offered to pay the fan’s prospective winnings via PayPal.