MMA News
Chatri Sityodtong announces massive prize for ONE Kickboxing World Grand Prix
Tom Taylor - May 14, 2019
There was already ample reason to be excited for the ONE Kickboxing World Grand Prix, which begins this Friday at ONE: Enter The Dragon in Singapore. Yet at a pre-fight press conference on Tuesday, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong added even more spice to this massive kickboxing tournament. He says the winner will receive a $1 million prize.
Brendan Schaub rips UFC, Dana White for moving PPVs to ESPN+
Natasha Hooper - May 14, 2019
Speaking on a recent episode of his Below The Belt Podcast, former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub discussed the UFC’s recent decision to make its pay-per-views available exclusively on ESPN+. Schaub feels that this is significantly and negatively influencing pay-per-view numbers, which is in turn hurting the fighters. https://youtu.be/MFR0-s1GckM
The biggest winners from UFC 237
Mike Straus - May 14, 2019
It always feels special when the Octagon comes back to where it all started. The UFC 237 pay-per-view from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was no exception. The Brazilian fighters had a rough night in Rio at the Jeunesse Arena. Eight Brazilian fighters suffered losses over the weekend, but six Brazilians picked up wins. None were bigger than Jessica Andrade’s slam knockout of Rose Namajunas to become the new strawweight champion of the world.
Jon Jones makes prediction for Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic rematch
Tom Taylor - May 14, 2019
Daniel Cormier will attempt his second defense of the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 241, as he takes on the man he beat to win that title, former champ Stipe Miocic. Jon Jones, inarguably the fiercest rival of Cormier’s career, expects the champion to defeat Miocic once again — though perhaps not quite as easily. In fact, Jones has quite a bit of praise for his arch rival.
Duke Roufus has an interesting strategy to prepare Anthony Pettis for Nate Diaz
Tom Taylor - May 14, 2019
When Anthony Pettis steps into the cage with Nate Diaz at UFC 241, he’ll have to worry about his opponent’s incredible grappling skill, his crisp boxing, and his bottomless gas tank. Yet he’ll also have to be concerned with a much more intangible factor: Diaz’s trash talk. Nate Diaz and his brother Nick are both infamous for their habit of talking trash to their opponents mid-fight. In an apparent grudge match like this fight with Pettis, the trash talk will almost certainly fly inside the Octagon.
Christian Lee calls for rematch between Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan
Tom Taylor - May 14, 2019
This weekend, in the main event of ONE Championship: Enter The Dragon, Christian Lee will partake in the biggest fight of his career as he challenges Japanese legend Shinya Aoki for the ONE Lightweight World Title. While this matchup is taking up most of his focus at present, he believes there could be another big fight for the Lee family in the very near future: a rematch between his sister, ONE Atomweight champ Angela Lee, and ONE Strawweight champ Xiong Jing Nan. Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan first met in late March, at ONE: A New Era in Tokyo, Japan. This bout, which stands out as one of the best of the year so far, saw Xiong emerge the victor by fifth round TKO. That being said, Lee very nearly finished the fight herself in the fourth round, as she had Xiong locked up in a bone-bending armbar until the round ended.
UFC Rochester | Sijara Eubanks believes Aspen Ladd is 'perfect' opponent for return to bantamweight
Cole Shelton - May 14, 2019
Sijara Eubanks had a whirlwind 10 days back in the fall. Initially, it was announced that she would headline UFC 230 in Madison Square Garden and fight for the vacant flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko. However, that plan did not come to fruition, and Eubanks was later booked for an undercard rematch with Roxanne Modafferi instead. Now, Sijara Eubanks is getting ready for another rematch, this time at bantamweight against Aspen Ladd. Eubanks lost her first fight against Ladd by decision.
Anthony Pettis says he was offered Conor McGregor fight before Nate Diaz
Tom Taylor - May 14, 2019
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis is expected to return to the Octagon at UFC 241, where he’ll take on a big name in Nate Diaz. From the sounds of it, however, Pettis was first offered the chance to fight the biggest name in MMA: Conor McGregor. Pettis dropped this bit of information on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday.
UFC 241 | Stipe Miocic annoyed by 'idiot' Daniel Cormier, shocked he got rematch
Drake Riggs - May 13, 2019
It’s happening. Former UFC heavyweight king, Stipe Miocic will be getting his rematch at UFC 241. The Cleveland, Ohio native last fought in July 2018 when he and the then light heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier met in a super fight of epic proportions. Unfortunately, the longest reigning UFC heavyweight champion in promotional history would find himself on the wrong end of the fight result when Cormier knocked him out in the very first round.
UFC Rochester loses one half of co-main event with Neil Magny now out
Drake Riggs - May 13, 2019
It’s officially UFC Rochester fight week. Unfortunately, the card has taken a late hit. MMA Junkie has confirmed that one half of the evening’s planned welterweight co-main event, Neil Magny, has been forced out of the bout for undisclosed reasons. He was set to take on rising Brazilian contender, Vicente Luque. The UFC is now actively seeking a late replacement.
Ronda Rousey says UFC debut against Liz Carmouche 'felt bigger' than Wrestlemania
Cole Shelton - May 13, 2019
Ronda Rousey has done a lot in her combat sports career. She competed in the Olympics, she was the first ever female UFC champion, she headlined UFC pay-per-views, and then she went to the WWE and took part in the first all-female Wrestlemania main event. While Wrestlemania was a big deal for Rousey, she says it doesn’t compare to her first UFC fight, in which she defended her title with a submission of Liz Carmouche.
BJ Penn opens up following UFC 237 loss to Clay Guida
Chris Taylor - May 13, 2019
Former two division UFC champion BJ Penn returned to the octagon for a lightweight fight with Clay Guida at Saturday’s UFC 237 event in Rio. After a good opening round for ‘The Prodigy’, Guida was able to turn the tide later in round two. ‘The Carpenter’ went on to get off the better volume of strikes in round three and was thus awarded a unanimous decision victory over Penn (29-28 x2, 29-27) after fifteen minutes of action.
BREAKING | Max Holloway vs Frankie Edgar targeted for UFC 240
Drake Riggs - May 13, 2019
UFC 240 looks to have found its first fight and its one that’s been booked on multiple occasions in the past. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto has confirmed that a featherweight title bout between the champion, Max Holloway (20-4) and former UFC lightweight titleholder, Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar (23-6-1) has been agreed to for UFC 240 on July 27 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
UFC 238 | Tony Ferguson opens as betting favorite against Donald Cerrone
Drake Riggs - May 13, 2019
With UFC 238 right around the corner, we recently got a very late yet extremely exciting match-up in the always enthralling 155-pound lightweight division. Fresh off his recent impressive five-round dismantling of Al Iaquinta at UFC Ottawa, the always active veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is back in the top five of the division he took time away from for two years. And he’s now one fight away from his second career UFC title shot as he’s set to take on the former interim champion, Tony Ferguson.
Eddie Bravo hilariously describes altercation with 'flat Earth' denier
Drake Riggs - May 13, 2019
When it comes to practitioners and instructors in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the overall grappling world, none are quite as unique as 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu founder, Eddie Bravo. The third degree BJJ black belt has competed in countless competitions over the years and won championships at the highest level. With 10th Planet gyms all over the world now, Bravo has many notable students that he trains. Arguably the most notable being the perennial top lightweight contender and former interim champion, Tony Ferguson.
Opinion: The UFC lightweight division is moving on without Conor McGregor
Thomas Taylor - May 13, 2019
Conor McGregor recently announced his retirement from MMA, yet as so many inside the combat sports bubble expected, it already looks like that retirement will be short lived. McGregor has continued to hint at a UFC return on his social media channels, and UFC President Dana White has stated that he hopes to coax the Irish superstar back into the Octagon soon — perhaps even as soon as this summer. Yet if McGregor and the UFC intend to orchestrate another fight in the near future, they might run into a big problem.
Anthony Pettis on Nate Diaz fight: 'It's personal'
Tom Taylor - May 13, 2019
If Nate Diaz makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC 241 as planned, it will be against a very hostile opponent. Anthony Pettis, the man tasked with welcoming Diaz back to the Octagon, divulged on Ariel Helwani’s MMA show on Monday that this fight is very personal for him. He’s says he’s excited for the opportunity to hurt the younger Diaz brother.
Amir Khan excited to face knockout artist Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 13, 2019
When Evolve’s Amir Khan heard news that he would be re-entering the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix, replacing the injured Ariel Sexton in the semi-finals against Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev, he was already training for would-be opponent Iurie Lupicus. Khan, who was submitted by Sexton in the quarter-final round, had already bowed out of the tournament. With this turn of events however, the 24-year-old Singaporean finds himself once again in the thick of the lightweight title picture.