MMA News

Adam Martin - June 10, 2019

One of the top female MMA fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg, will soon be testing the free agent market. The former UFC featherweight champion will test free agency following her bout against Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 this July in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Tom Taylor - June 10, 2019

Hours after bookmakers released the odds for a potential MMA fight between pop star Justin Bieber and Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, we now have have the odds for a potential fight between former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor and actor Mark Wahlberg. And, well… they’re baffling. The online sportsbook BetOnline has seemingly pegged Conor McGregor, one of the most accomplished mixed martial artists of all time, as a mere -500 favorite against the untrained actor. Wahlberg, meanwhile, has been identified as a +300 underdog.

Tom Taylor - June 10, 2019

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman recently announced his intention to move up to the promotion’s 205-pound light heavyweight division. While Weidman will likely have some work to do before earning himself a title shot against reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, that is of course his ultimate goal in this new weight class. And he believes he poses some real problems for the champion.

Adam Martin - June 10, 2019

On Sunday night, Justin Bieber called out Tom Cruise on Twitter for a high-profile celebrity superfight. It was a callout that got the whole entertainment world talking. It even trickled into the MMA sphere because Bieber said he wants to fight Cruise in the Octagon and tagged UFC president Dana White in his tweet. An hour later, UFC superstar Conor McGregor took to Twitter and responded to Bieber, saying that McGregor Sports and Entertainment would host the bout.

Tom Taylor - June 10, 2019

Former UFC heavyweight Tim Hague, who tragically passed away after a boxing match in his native Edmonton, Alberta in 2017, has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more widely known as CTE, is a brain condition caused by repeated traumatic blows to the head. This condition, which is unsurprisingly a very real risk for professional boxers and mixed martial artists, can only be diagnosed post-mortem.

Tom Taylor - June 10, 2019

After Henry Cejudo captured the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 238, adding this new belt to a trophy case that already includes the UFC flyweight strap and an Olympic medal, he proudly proclaimed himself the greatest combat athlete of all time, and the UFC’s pound-for-pound king. ”I am the greatest combat athlete of all time,” Cejudo hollered into the microphone. “And I just stole the title of best pound-for-pound fighter too!”

Cole Shelton - June 10, 2019

Aaron Pico is one of the most highly touted prospects on Bellator’s roster. And, ahead of his upcoming fight at Bellator 222, he changed camps from Team Body Shop to JacksonWink MMA in Albuquerque. The 22-year-old says there is a simple reason for this change.

Tom Taylor - June 10, 2019

UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov recently inked a new and lucrative contract with the UFC, and is now scheduled to return to the cage opposite interim champ Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 on September 7. Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Nurmagomedov revealed that he’s already begun training for this bout. He also added that he still has ‘lots of fights’ left in his career, and that what was started on October 6 — the date of his blockbuster defeat of Conor McGregor — is not yet finished.

Tom Taylor - June 10, 2019

The next ONE Championship appearances of former UFC champs Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson are now official. Both men are set to return on August 2 at ONE: Dawn of Heroes in Manila, Philippines. Eddie Alvarez will make his return against two-time ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang. This booking, which looks like a 2019 Fight of the Year contender on paper, will mark Alvarez’s opportunity to rebound from a failed ONE debut opposite Timofey Nastyukhin, and Folayang’s chance to rebound from a title loss to Shinya Aoki.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 10, 2019

Agilan Thani is seen as the shining light of the booming Malaysian mixed martial arts scene. But after hitting a rough patch, his upcoming bout — the co-main event at ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST on 15 June in Shanghai — is a must-win. After beating Amitesh Chaubey in March 2018, Thani has been on the losing end in his last two matchups, absorbing stoppage losses to current ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian Kadestam and top contender Kiamrian Abbasov in 2018.

Christopher Taylor - June 9, 2019

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is trying to promote a fight between Hollywood celebrities Tom Cruise and Justin Bieber.  Yes you read that correctly. This all started after Justin Bieber took to Twitter challenging Tom Cruise to a fight in the UFC.

Drake Riggs - June 9, 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsO88Wf8PLA The past month has treated Bellator featherweight, Cris ‘Sunshine’ Lencioni pretty kindly when it comes to the world of combat that he finds himself entrenched in.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 9, 2019

Stamp Fairtex, despite her youth, has already established herself as a star in the world of martial arts. The Thai talent has become the only two-sport champion under the ONE Championship banner. On June 15 in Shanghai in the main event of ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST, Stamp will look to add to her legacy when she defends her ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title against 18-year-old prodigy Alma Juniku in a battle of two of the youngest competitors in the organization.

Tom Taylor - June 9, 2019

Last night, UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko delivered a 2019 Knockout of the Year contender, levelling Jessica Eye with a highlight reel head kick. Speaking at the UFC 238 post-fight press conference, the champ looked back on this epic victory, which left Eye supine on the canvas for several minutes.

Adam Martin - June 9, 2019

The Octagon is headed back to the Great White North later this year. Speaking with reporters at the UFC 238 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White confirmed the promotion is headed back to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in September for an event.

Tom Taylor - June 9, 2019

There has long been reason to suspect that the UFC men’s flyweight division is doomed. From the promotion’s decision to part ways with former flyweight champion and bona fide MMA legend Demetrious Johnson to its subsequent release of a slew of top flyweights, the signs have not be good. Yet Dana White says the division isn’t going anywhere. Despite the fact that the UFC’s flyweight purge has left the division looking like a ghost town, populated by more tumbleweeds than actual fighters, the UFC boss says the division is staying.

Cole Shelton - June 9, 2019

Last night, the Octagon returned to Chicago, Illinois with the stacked UFC 238. There, two titles were on the line while Tony Ferguson was taking on Donald Cerrone in a key lightweight contender bout. Ultimately, Henry Cejudo became the fourth person to hold two UFC titles at the same time, as he TKO’d Marlon Moraes. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko knocked out Jessica Eye with a head kick to retain her flyweight belt. And, Ferguson TKO’d Cerrone via doctor stoppage at the end of the second round.

Tom Taylor - June 9, 2019

On Saturday night, in the co-main event of the action-packed UFC 238 card in Chicago, Jessica Eye received her first shot at UFC gold opposite flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Unfortunately for the American fighter and her dedicated fans, this title bid did not go as she planned. After being soundly out-grappled in the first round, Eye was brutally knocked out by the champion in the second. This head-kick induced beheading was an early front-runner for 2019 Knockout of the Year honors, and immediately stands out as a knockout we’ll be seeing on highlight reels for years to come.