MMA News
Anthony Smith opens up on retirement fight against Zhang Mingyang: "I was very shocked with the matchup"
Josh Evanoff - February 19, 2025
Anthony Smith was just as shocked as everyone else to learn his final UFC opponent. ‘Lionheart’ has been out of the cage since a clash with Dominick Reyes in December. Anthony Smith entered UFC 310 with a heavy heart, fighting just weeks after the passing of his coach, Scott Morton. Sadly for the former title challenger, he was dominated and handed a second-round stoppage loss by ‘The Devastator’.
Caio Borralho calls for title eliminator against Nassourdine Imavov next: "Running to the title"
Josh Evanoff - February 19, 2025
UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho wants a fight with Nassourdine Imavov next. ‘The Natural’ is quickly rising up the UFC’s 185-pound rankings. Last August, the hard-hitting Brazilian received the biggest test of his career, in the form of a Fight Night main event against Jared Cannonier. There, Caio Borralho passed the test with flying colors, hurting ‘Killa Gorilla’ several times en route to a unanimous decision win.
Muhammad Mokaev reveals he rejected offers from PFL and ONE Championship to focus on UFC return: "They called me"
Josh Evanoff - February 19, 2025
Undefeated flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev is still focused on a return to the UFC. ‘The Punisher’ became one of the UFC’s most-hyped prospects at 125 pounds starting in 2022. Holding an undefeated 6-0 record, Muhammad Mokaev quickly notched wins over the likes of Charles Johnson, Tim Elliott, and Alex Perez. His winning streak earned him a crack at fellow contender Manel Kape last summer at UFC 304 in Manchester.
Dricus Du Plessis says Khamzat Chimaev fight cements his legacy even though he isn't a "boogeyman" anymore
Cole Shelton - February 19, 2025
UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t think Khamzat Chimaev is the boogeyman people think he is. After Du Plessis defended his middleweight title with a decision win over Sean Strickland, the expectation was he would face Chimaev next. It’s an intriguing matchup as many view Chimaev as the boogeyman, but he doesn’t think that is the case.
Popular UFC fighter says he will never compete in bare knuckle boxing
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 19, 2025
When it comes to fighting under bare knuckle rules, you can count one UFC veteran out. The bare-knuckle boxing scene has exploded in recent times. BKFC President David Feldman can take a bulk of the credit thanks to how he’s promoted the sport and his company. Recently, BKFC KnuckleMania V drew 17,762 fans inside the Wells Fargo Center. This set a record for the most attended combat sports event in Philadelphia.
Michael Bisping makes bold prediction for Alexander Volkanovski's next UFC fight
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 19, 2025
Michael Bisping has an interesting prediction for Alexander Volkanovski’s next fight. Volkanovski was last seen in the Octagon back in February 2024. Volkanovski lost the UFC Featherweight Championship to Ilia Topuria via second-round knockout. It was the second KO loss for Volkanovski in the span of four months. Fight fans are happy to see that “The Great” has taken a year off to regroup.
Steve Erceg explains why he's so excited to fight Brandon Moreno
Harry Kettle - February 19, 2025
UFC flyweight contender Steve Erceg has explained why he’s so excited to battle it out with Brandon Moreno in his next fight. Since arriving in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Steve Erceg has been on quite the rollercoaster ride. Following a 3-0 start, he managed to vault himself into a title fight against Alexandre Pantoja. The two battled it out at UFC 301, and unfortunately for Steve, he came up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision defeat.
Alexa Grasso set for flyweight return at UFC 315
Harry Kettle - February 19, 2025
Former UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso is set to make her return to the Octagon later this year at UFC 315. Over the course of the last few years, Alexa Grasso’s career has been focused on one person – Valentina Shevchenko. She defeated her for the belt back at UFC 285, then retained the belt as a result of a draw six months later. Then, at UFC 306 in September, Shevchenko was finally able to reclaim the strap at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Daniel Cormier defends Jon Jones after bizarre Instagram video goes viral
Harry Kettle - February 19, 2025
UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has defended Jon Jones after the latter was involved in a strange Instagram video recently. We all know that Jon Jones is the definition of a wild card. He constantly says and does things that confuse the masses, with the majority of fans often questioning whether or not all of his actions over the years have severely tainted his legacy. Either way, though, he’s still considered by many to be one of the greatest of all time.
Anthony Hernandez plans to prove he's ready for a "title shot" with win over Brendan Allen at UFC Seattle
Cole Shelton - February 18, 2025
Anthony Hernandez is ready to prove he’s the best middleweight on the roster. Hernandez is set to take on Brendan Allen in the co-main event of UFC Seattle on Saturday. It serves as a rematch of their 2018 fight in LFA which Hernandez won by decision to win the LFA middleweight title. Given he has fought Allen before, Hernandez
Bibiano Fernandes opens up on love of coaching ahead of retirement bout at ONE 171: Qatar
BJPENN.COM Staff - February 18, 2025
Martial arts doesn’t end at ONE 171: Qatar for former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Bibiano Fernandes. He competes in the all-encompassing sport for the final time this Thursday, February 20, inside Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar, against longtime rival and former divisional king Kevin Belingon.
Wei Rui confident he can dethrone Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 171: Qatar
BJPENN.COM Staff - February 18, 2025
Chinese megastar Wei Rui can see gold on the horizon at ONE 171: Qatar. “Demon Blade” meets ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty in the co-main event this Thursday, February 20, inside Doha’s Lusail Sports Arena.
Former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford signs with the UFC, set for short-notice debut in Seattle on Saturday
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2025
Former Bellator middleweight title challenger Austin Vanderford is now a member of the UFC. ‘The Gentleman’ has found a way to make a name for himself outside of MMA’s leading promotion. Debuting in 2017, the former collegiate wrestler quickly found success. In the summer of 2018, Austin Vanderford found himself on the Dana White Contender Series. Despite scoring a decision win over Angelo Trevino, he wasn’t signed by the UFC.
Eric Nicksick admits he made a mistake criticizing Sean Strickland publically following UFC title loss: "A miscalculation"
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2025
Eric Nicksick has some regrets about how he handled Sean Strickland’s UFC 312 title loss. ‘Tarzan’ is fresh off his return to the octagon earlier this month in Australia. In the main event of UFC 312, Sean Strickland met Dricus du Plessis in a rematch of their classic last January. While their first meeting was a back-and-forth war, their second clash was incredibly lopsided. ‘Stillknocks’ dominated Strickland across five rounds, handing the former champion a lopsided decision loss.
Dricus du Plessis laughs off Belal Muhammad's threat of a middleweight move: "Have you seen the size of the man?"
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2025
UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis isn’t worried about Belal Muhammad. ‘Stillknocks’ is fresh off his return to the cage at UFC 312 earlier this month. Back for the first time since submitting Israel Adesanya last fall, Dricus du Plessis again met Sean Strickland. While their bout last January was a barnburner that ended in a split-decision, the second outing couldn’t be more different. Du Plessis dominated ‘Tarzan’ across five rounds, ultimately earning a lopsided decision win.
Jared Cannonier eyes summer return for potential rematch with Israel Adesanya: "There's definitely no fresh opponents"
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2025
UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier wants a rematch with Israel Adesanya. The ‘Killa Gorilla’ is fresh off his return to the cage in the main event of UFC Vegas 102 on Saturday. Back for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision loss to Caio Borralho in August, Jared Cannonier met another rising Brazilian in the form of Gregory Rodrigues. ‘Robocop’ entered the bout riding a three-fight winning streak, last beating Christian Leroy Duncan last July.
WATCH | UFC lightweight King Green confronts TJ Dillashaw over Anthony Smith comments
BJ Penn Staff - February 18, 2025
UFC lightweight King Green is going to bat for Anthony Smith following some harsh criticism from former bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw. During a 2024 appearance on the JAXXON podcast, Dillashaw questioned “Lionheart” Smith’s heart, claiming he “gives up” in his fights.
Dan Hooker expects to be stretchered out following UFC 313 fight against Justin Gaethje
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 18, 2025
Dan Hooker believes that win or lose, he’ll be feeling the aftermath of his clash with Justin Gaethje. Hooker and Gaethje will be sharing the Octagon in the co-main event of UFC 313. The bout will be taking place on March 8th. Hooker is looking for his fourth win in a row. A victory over Gaethje would also be the biggest win of “The Hangman’s” pro MMA career.