MMA News

Thomas Taylor - January 24, 2019

At long last, we should have some answers about the futures of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov on January 29, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission reviews the cases of the two lightweight rivals, who engaged in an ugly post-fight brawl after their UFC 229 title fight. This week, the Commission confirmed that determining the fate of these two fighters is on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting (via MMA Fighting).

Thomas Taylor - January 24, 2019

In April of 2015, at ONE: Global Rivals, Hawaii’s Lowen Tynanes improved to an impressive 9-0 with a unanimous decision defeat of respected Japanese veteran Koji Ando. The future looked very bright for the young Hawaiian, as a ONE Championship lightweight title shot seemed to be just around the corner. Unfortunately, he has not fought since.

Tom Taylor - January 24, 2019

Last weekend, when the UFC made its anticipated debut on ESPN+, former NFL star Greg Hardy took his first steps into the Octagon, where he took on the dangerous Allen Crowder. Although Greg Hardy had some success in this fight, he was ultimately disqualified for nuking Crowder with an illegal knee in the second-round.

Tom Taylor - January 24, 2019

According to a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via The Mac Life), Ronda Rousey could soon be parting ways with WWE. Though she has been tremendously successful in the pro wrestling organization, her contract could reportedly end after WrestleMania 35 on April 7. “There is a very good chance that Ronda Rousey will be finishing up with WWE at WrestleMania,” Meltzer reported. “If that’s the case, she would likely put Becky Lynch over more likely then Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, given that would be what the fans would want.

Tom Taylor - January 24, 2019

Shortly after Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor by fourth-round submission at UFC 229, he leapt over the side of the cage and attacked McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis. In the subsequent moments, McGregor got into it with a pair of Nurmagomedov’s teammates inside the cage. Heavyweight MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, who battles Ryan Bader for the Bellator heavyweight belt this Saturday, was not impressed by this chaotic scene. Speaking ahead of his fight with Bader, Fedor Emelianenko addressed this controversial moment.

Tom Taylor - January 24, 2019

Reigning UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is easily one of the greatest fighters of all time, but his recent past is marred by numerous troubles outside the cage, from a DWI to a hit-and-run to a string of failed drug tests. Heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson, who dealt with plenty of his own legal trouble during his heyday, recently told UFC commentator Joe Rogan that he hopes Jones has put these controversies behind him for good. Mike Tyson and Joe Rogan discussed this topic on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience.

Tom Taylor - January 24, 2019

Jon Jones is once again the UFC light heavyweight champion, but his work is far from over. Having reclaimed the title, he can now look forward to fights with a new wave of ferocious contenders like Anthony Smith, Jan Blachowicz, Thiago Santos, Corey Anderson, and perhaps the most dangerous fighter of the bunch, Dominick Reyes. While Dominick Reyes is currently booked for a high-stakes UFC London fight with Volkan Oezdemir, he has long had his crosshairs set on a fight with Jon Jones. And while he recognizes that the seemingly unbeatable Jones would be an incredibly difficult test, he’s confident he’s got the goods to defeat him.

Tom Taylor - January 24, 2019

On February 24, in Melbourne, Australia, Kelvin Gastelum will get his long-awaited shot at the UFC middleweight title as he battles reigning champion Robert Whittaker in one of the most competitive-looking matchups we’ve seen in awhile. Heading into this fight, the MMA community seems to be divided on who will win. Kelvin Gastelum, however, is extremely confident that he’ll come out on top — in quick and decisive fashion.

Tom Taylor - January 24, 2019

Former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington was recently mentioned as a potential opponent for Darren Till — that was before Till was booked to fight Covington’s training partner Jorge Masvidal. Covington, however, was not interested in this fight, maintaining that, as the recent interim champion, he has earned a title shot against undisputed champ Tyron Woodley.

Christopher Taylor - January 23, 2019

Earlier today it was announced that steroid metabolites had once again surfaced in Jon Jones UFC 232 drug test results. The same trace amounts of the steroid Turanibol, which forced UFC 232 to be moved from Las Vegas to Los Angeles so that “Bones” could compete, were found in his tests with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).

Drake Riggs - January 23, 2019

At UFC Brooklyn this past Saturday night, Henry Cejudo potentially saved the UFC flyweight division by starching UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in just 32-seconds. To win the belt, Cejudo dethroned the greatest champion in UFC history, Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson.

Christopher Taylor - January 23, 2019

Don’t look now, but steroid metabolites have once again been found in the system of UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jon Jones was drug tested in competition by Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) in the lead up to his UFC 232 rematch with Alexander Gustafsson.

Tom Taylor - January 23, 2019

After months and months of venomous trash talk, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor finally got the chance to step into the cage together back in October, when they battled for the UFC lightweight belt in the main event of UFC 229. In the end, Nurmagomedov would earn a decisive victory over McGregor, stopping him via submission in the fourth-round — but not before pummelling him with plenty of ground strikes and even dropping him with a punch during a stand-up exchange.

Tom Taylor - January 23, 2019

Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is slated to return to the cage on February 2, where he will battle surging featherweight contender Renato Moicano in a high-stakes showdown. Despite all of his previous accomplishments, Jose Aldo has been labeled as the betting underdog heading into this fight. He currently sits at +130, meaning a successful $100 bet on him would win you $130. Moicano, meanwhile, has been pegged as a -150 favorite, meaning a $150 bet on him would win you just $100.

Tom Taylor - January 23, 2019

If Dominick Reyes is able to defeat Volkan Oezdemir at UFC London on March 16, he might just assert himself as the next man in line for the winner of the Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith light heavyweight title fight that is set to headline UFC 235 on March 2. Previously, Dominick Reyes has shared his belief that Anthony Smith can defy the odds and defeat the seemingly unbeatable Jon Jones at UFC 235.

Tom Taylor - January 23, 2019

At long last, we’ve got a date for the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix fight between reigning welterweight champion Rory MacDonald and former World Series of Fighting champ Jon Fitch. According to a report from MMA Fighting, the two welterweight great are set to collide on April 27 in San Jose, California.

Tom Taylor - January 23, 2019

Former UFC bantamweight champion and two-time UFC featherweight title challenger Holly Holm is set to return to the cage at UFC 235, where she’ll battle red-hot prospect Aspen Ladd. If Holm wins this fight, she’ll be one of the frontrunners for a shot at Amanda Nunes — whether it’s for Nunes’ bantamweight or featherweight belt. Speaking to MMA Fighting recently, Holly Holm divulged that she’d prefer to get a shot at Nunes’ bantamweight belt, rather than her featherweight belt

BJPENN.COM Staff - January 23, 2019

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is the two-time and current ONE Lightweight World Champion. The Filipino warrior has had to overcome unthinkable poverty and tragedy to ascend to his current level. His story is one of the most triumphant you’ll find in the sports world. Folayang was born in Baguio City, in the Philippines where his family was impoverished. Folayang was one of nine children, but five of his siblings passed away from illnesses. Access to proper health care could have remedied the dire situations, but it wasn’t available. Folayang’s father worked as a laborer and part-time farmer. His mother worked at a laundromat. Though neither of Folayang’s parents learned to read or write, they made sure their children didn’t grow up with the same limitations. “My parents sacrificed a lot to bring us to school,” Folayang said. “Sometimes, they even borrowed money just for us to pay our tuition fees. In their daily lives, they didn’t focus on just one job; they found extra work that they could do so that it would compensate for the needs that we had.” Folayang’s parents were eyeing a career in law enforcement for him, but he chose martial arts instead. After accepting a scholarship for wushu, partly to lessen the financial burden on his parents, Folayang’s career in martial arts was on its way. He won 11 major medals as a member of the Philippine Wushu team. In 2007 at the age of 23, Folayang turned pro as a mixed martial artist. He started his career on a five-bout win streak. All but one of the victories came via first-round stoppage, and two of them took less than a minute. Just as he was flying high, Folayang faced a young, up-and-coming martial artist named Jon Tuck in 2009.