MMA News

Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019

You’ve probably noticed that UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo has come out of his shell lately. Ahead of his UFC 238 bantamweight title fight with Marlon Moraes, he’s been talking trash and cutting promos in a way that he never has previously. According to his coach, that’s due in part to the influence of Chael Sonnen. Speaking at a scrum this week, coach Eric Albarracin explained how Henry Cejudo has been influenced by the infamous trash talker Chael Sonnen (via MMA Fighting).

Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019

Nate Diaz has not fought since August of 2016. In the time since then, he’s only been scheduled for two fights: one, a lightweight fight against Dustin Poirier, which fell through, and the other, a welterweight fight with Anthony Pettis, which is scheduled for UFC 241 in August. While these are the only fights Diaz has accepted in that time, UFC President Dana White has previously claimed that he’s offered the younger Diaz brother plenty of other matchups in that stretch. If that’s accurate, we can safely say that Diaz has a very high standard for the fights he accepts.

Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019

Yesterday afternoon, UFC President Dana White breathed new life into a potential Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch, suggesting the fight could happen after Nurmagomedov battles Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. Former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje, however, does not believe McGregor should be anywhere near a lightweight title shot at present — not unless he beats a top contender first.

Adam Martin - June 4, 2019

Conor McGregor might not be fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov in a rematch at UFC 242, but there’s still the chance we see these two bitter rivals fight each other again down the road. On Tuesday, it was made official that the UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov will battle interim champion Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 242 on September 7 in Abu Dhabi. This of course means that Conor McGregor won’t be getting the rematch he so desperately craves, at least not until we see what happens between Nurmagomedov and Poirier. The announcement also meant that Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone are temporarily out of the running for a title fight against Nurmagomedov.

Adam Martin - June 4, 2019

One of the UFC light heavyweight division’s top prospects, Johnny Walker, is set to return to the Octagon this fall. According to ESPN.com’s Ariel Helwani, Walker has been medically cleared to begin MMA training following shoulder surgery, and his team wants him to fight again in September. According to his manager Lucas Lutkus, Johnny Walker is eyeing a top-10 opponent opponent in his return to the cage.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

The long rumored fight between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ Dustin Poirier is now official for UFC 242. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who spoke with Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, this fight will mark the first obligation on a brand new UFC contract for the Russian champion. More interestingly still, this contract allegedly includes a clause in the event that Nurmagomedov ever gets his long desired fight with Georges St-Pierre.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

Jimi Manuwa entered his UFC Stockholm fight with Aleksandar Rakic with three losses in the rear-view mirror, two of which came by way of knockout. Ahead of this bout, amid growing concerns that his best days had come and gone, he tried to remind fans that it wasn’t all that long ago that he was dishing out violent knockout wins of his own. “I think MMA fans and the MMA community itself have got a very short memory,” he told MMA Fighting’s Peter Carroll ahead of the fight.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

At long last, it’s official. UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier will unify their titles at UFC 242. The card goes down on September 7 in Abu Dhabi. The UFC announced this matchup as official on social media on Tuesday afternoon.

Cole Shelton - June 4, 2019

Jessica Eye is undefeated at flyweight and is now set to fight for the title against champion Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 238. When Eye got the call to say she was fighting for the title, it was a surreal moment for her and her team.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

On the latest episode of the Joe Rogan Rogan Experience, host Joe Rogan got into a lengthy and visibly exhausting debate with his guest Eddie Bravo. The topic, as those familiar with either man might guess, was the shape of the earth. Rogan, like most people, believes it’s round, while Bravo is adamant that it is actually flat. The two friends could not come to an agreement on the shape of the planet we live on, and at long last, agreed to change the subject.

Cole Shelton - June 4, 2019

UFC 238 is set to go down on Saturday from Chicago, Illinois. The card is stacked top to bottom with two title fights closing out the night. But, also on the card is an intriguing lightweight matchup between Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson, the winner of which will most likely get a crack at the title. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions on this fight. They all agree it will be a great fight and a hard fight to call.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

Anthony Smith got the win he sought over Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC Stockholm main event, but it came at a cost. The American light heavyweight contender sustained a nasty hand injury in the bout, and it looks like it’s going to take some time to heal. Smith shared an x-ray of this injury — a bad break — with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.

Cole Shelton - June 4, 2019

Calvin Kattar will partake in one of the biggest fights of his career when he takes on Ricardo Lamas at UFC 238. When the 15th-ranked featherweight got the call to fight Lamas he was ecstatic. He understands just what a win would do for his career and is excited to show he is a top featherweight in the world. “I was pumped, man. I’ve been trying to fight a bunch of big names for a while now,” Kattar said to BJPENN.com. “I’m ready to go out and show why I belong. I don’t want to be the 15th-ranked fighter without taking out a top-15 fighter. I want to earn that spot. A win over Lamas shows I belong in that spot and can compete with guys who can fight for the title. He previously fought Aldo, that is more exciting and appealing.”

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

Amid the retirements of UFC light heavyweights like Alexander Gustafsson and Jimi Manuwa, another fantastic light heavyweight fighter has elected to hang up the gloves: The great Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. Lawal, a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, RIZIN Grand Prix winner, and Bellator contender, quietly retired from competition earlier this week. The news was announced on the official Instagram page of American Top Team, the gym he’s called home for many years.

Natasha Hooper - June 4, 2019

Speaking on Monday’s episode of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Nate Diaz discussed many interesting topics, including his loss to Conor McGregor. Diaz first beat McGregor at UFC 196 in the second round with a rear-naked choke. The pair returned to face each other at UFC 202 later the same year. The fight went five rounds and McGregor won from a majority decision. Yet for many, (including Nate Diaz,) it was not a clear win for the Irish fighter.

Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019

After losing to the young Aleksandar Rakic at UFC Stockholm over the weekend, long-time UFC light heavyweight contender Jimi Manuwa has decided to hang up the gloves. The Nigerian-born Brit made this announcement in a poignant post to his official Instagram account.

Cole Shelton - June 3, 2019

At UFC Sacramento, Urijah Faber will return to the Octagon for a bantamweight tilt against Ricky Simon. It will be nearly three years since ‘The California Kid” last fought, but the 40-year-old is eager to return. Although Simon is not the biggest name, a win at UFC Sacramento could help setup a future fight with former teammate turned bitter rival T.J. Dillashaw. The former UFC bantamweight kingpin, Dillashaw is currently suspended for two years due to EPO use.

Christopher Taylor - June 3, 2019

Undefeated welterweight standout Ben Askren (19-0 MMA) took aim at former UFC lightweight title challenger Nate Diaz on Monday afternoon. The former Bellator and ONE Champion, Askren, roasted the younger Diaz brother over his professional record as a lightweight.