MMA News
Coach: Jose Aldo wants Alexander Volkanovski next
Drake Riggs - February 7, 2019
After yet another incredible victory, the former featherweight king and all-time great Jose Aldo is once again making serious waves within his division. Wrongfully counted out in his last two outings against rising contenders, Aldo showed them both why he’s the legend that he is and still has plenty left in the tank.
Kelvin Gastelum thinks TUF 'has served its purpose', but thinks people are 'over the reality show thing'
Drake Riggs - February 7, 2019
For this Saturday night’s UFC 234 middleweight title challenger, Kelvin Gastelum, he could very well go down in this history books as the youngest ever winner of The Ultimate Fighter. Having won that accolade on season 17 in 2013 at 21-years old, it’s a claim that he can still make to this day.
Joe Rogan gives in-depth account of how he got his job as a UFC commentator
Tom Taylor - February 7, 2019
Joe Rogan has been staple of UFC pay-per-views for decades. At this point, he’s as much a part of every big UFC card as the Octagon itself. Speaking on the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Rogan explained how he got his gig with the massively successful MMA promotion.
UFC 234 odds | Robert Whittaker, Israel Adesanya both favored to win
Tom Taylor - February 7, 2019
UFC 234, the promotion’s first pay-per-view of the year, is just around the corner. This card, which goes down in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday night, will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between champion Robert Whittaker and challenger Kelvin Gastelum.
Anderson Silva says Jon Jones would have beaten him if they fought in their primes
Tom Taylor - February 7, 2019
This weekend, in the co-main event of UFC 234, former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva make his long-awaited return to the cage, where he will battle a dangerous member of the new generation of fighter: Israel Adesanya. If you ask Anderson Silva to identify the fighter that most accurately represents the ongoing evolution of MMA, however, he will not drop the name of his upcoming opponent.
Jon Jones debunks comparisons to Israel Adesanya
Tom Taylor - February 7, 2019
Israel Adesanya is arguably the most hyped fighter in the UFC right now. In a way, his rise has been quite similar to the rise of Jon Jones, who is now considered one of the best fighters ever. The similar trajectories of Jones and Adesanya has led many fans and pundits to compare the two.
Eduard Folayang looks forward to defending title alongside Kevin Belingon at ONE: A New Era
BJPENN.COM Staff - February 7, 2019
Team Lakay will be coming to Tokyo, Japan in full force when ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang and ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon defend their respective World Titles at ONE: A New Era. Folayang is set to duke it out against local hero Shinya Aoki in a highly-anticipated rematch for the ONE Lightweight World Title in the main event.
Alex Volkanovski hopes to catch Max Holloway before champ leaves featherweight division
Cole Shelton - February 7, 2019
It is expected that reigning UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway will soon move up to the lightweight division. Many believe he has cleared out the division by beating Jose Aldo, twice, and Brian Ortega during his reign as the champion. Surging featherweight contender Alexander Volkanovski doesn’t share that opinion.
Al Iaquinta calls out Dustin Poirier after '4 IPAs'
Tom Taylor - February 7, 2019
Last night, surging UFC lightweight contender Al Iaquinta was apparently imbibing a bit, enjoying a few delicious Indian Pale Ales. After his fourth drink, he took to Twitter and called out his fellow contender Dustin Poirier. https://twitter.com/ALIAQUINTA/status/1093328985382096897 “[Dustin Poirier] just sign the contract youbarent going to hold out. It’s me or no one” Al Iaquinta wrote on Twitter.
EXCLUSIVE | Pro fighters make their picks for Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Cole Shelton - February 7, 2019
Robert Whittaker is set for the first defense of his middleweight title in the main event of UFC 234. Whittaker is riding a nine-fight winning streak, while also being undefeated since he moved up to middleweight. Standing in his way will be first-time title challenger Kelvin Gastelum, who is riding a two-fight winning streak. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached to several pro fighters to get their predictions. Most believe Whittaker will hear ‘And Still’ but they aren’t counting Gastelum out.
Dana White says UFC 234 fight could be the last for Anderson Silva
James Lynch - February 7, 2019
This Saturday at UFC 234 could be the last time we see Anderson Silva in the octagon. That’s according to UFC President Dana White who told TMZ, that if Silva is knocked out by Israel Adesanya in their middleweight co-main event matchup, it could be the end of the road for “The Spider.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov expects Tony Ferguson vs. Dustin Poirier interim title fight
Tom Taylor - February 7, 2019
Back in January, UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov was finally punished for his role in the frenzied brawl that followed his UFC 229 fight with Conor McGregor. The Dagestani champion received a $500,000 fine and a nine-month suspension, which can be reduced to six months if he completes an anti-bullying PSA approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Nurmagomedov will not be partaking in the NSAC’s proposed PSA — he recently made his thoughts on that quite clear. Furthermore, the champ actually plans to sit out until November, standing in solidarity with his teammates Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, who were suspended for one year for their roles in the brawl.
Report | Antonina Shevchenko slated to get top 10 clash with Roxanne Modafferi at UFC St-Petersburg
Drake Riggs - February 6, 2019
The Shevchenko family has made UFC history. The sister tandem of Valentina and Antonina (7-0) are officially the first pair of sisters to have ever fought together inside the organization. For the older sister, Antonina, she is actually the newcomer to the promotion as she most recently made her promotional debut at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale in November 2018 when she defeated Ji Yeon Kim via unanimous decision.
Julia Budd expresses interest in Gabi Garcia openweight title fight
Drake Riggs - February 6, 2019
When it comes to the world’s best 145-pound female athletes, a discussion cannot be had without mentioning the Bellator champion, Julia Budd. Budd is a true veteran of the sport who since her last loss in her fourth professional bout hasn’t looked back as she’s won 10 fights in a row (12-2 overall record).
Gilbert Melendez says teammate Nick Diaz is retired
Drake Riggs - February 6, 2019
It has been four years since Nick Diaz last stepped foot inside the Octagon. And with each new day, it looks more and more like that will have been the last time. Having since moved to Las Vegas leaving his old home in Stockton, California, Diaz has still made claims over time that he’s looking to fight. However, that’s not what some people close to him have heard.
Wanderlei Silva admits he is experiencing multiple concussion-like symptoms
Tom Taylor - February 6, 2019
Wanderlei Silva, one of the most ferocious fighters in MMA history, recently admitted that he experiences many of the symptoms of brain injury. The 51-fight veteran, who has been engaging in tooth-and-nail scraps for almost three decades, made this concerning admission in an interview with Brazilian website PVT.
EXCLUSIVE | Ricky Simon looks to launch into the rankings with UFC 234 win
Cole Shelton - February 6, 2019
Ricky Simon is going to have his biggest fight, and his biggest exposure to date at UFC 234. The 26-year-old will be fighting on the main card where he is taking on craft veteran Rani Yahya. Simon is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak and will have the chance to fight a ranked fighter for the first time.
ONE Championship Spotlight: Aung La N Sang
BJPENN.COM Staff - February 6, 2019
When one is searching for the ultimate success story within the history of ONE Championship, few are a better subject than the “Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang. The current ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion has been with the organization since 2014, and he’s come into his own as a martial artist and champion. Aung La would announce his arrival with ONE Championship in grand fashion. At ONE: Era of Champions in Jakarta, Indonesia, he needed just over a minute to score a TKO victory over Mahmoud Salama in his promotional debut.