MMA News

Tom Taylor - November 13, 2018

Fearsome UFC middleweight contender Yoel Romero has made several callouts of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the past, and apparently, it’s still a fight he’s interested in — especially now that his planned 2019 matchup with the undefeated Paulo Costa is off the table. The appeal of this fight with Anderson Silva, Yoel Romero explains, is that it would give him a clear sense of the level he’s at. If he can beat the middleweight legend, well then he’s right where he wants to be. If he can’t, then it might be time to reassess.

Tom Taylor - November 13, 2018

The year 2018 has not been kind to Francis Ngannou. Though the hulking Cameroonian-French heavyweight began the year as perhaps the UFC’s most hyped fighter, he was then dominated in his anticipated title fight with Stipe Miocic, and defeated by Derrick Lewis in one of the most disappointing fights ever. After this tough run in 2018, Ngannou’s next opponent Curtis Blaydes isn’t sure what to expect when they meet in the main event of UFC Beijing on November 24. “He’s probably in a hole right now,” Curtis Blaydes said during a recent media scrum (via MMAjunkie). “0-2 after being the hotshot? That’s got to be a dark, dark place. I want him to be his best. I don’t want any excuses out of his camp or the fans or the company. I want him at his best. I’ll beat him 10 out of 10 times.”

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 13, 2018

There is something about a Grand Prix tournament that gets the pulse of every mixed martial arts fan racing. So it came as no surprise that when ONE Championship announced it would be holding not one but two Grands Prix in 2019, the news spread like wildfire across the internet. These eight-man tournaments will take place in two of the most stacked divisions in the promotion: lightweight and flyweight.They will run throughout the year and the winners will walk out of the cage with the prefix ONE World Champion attached to their name.

Cole Shelton - November 13, 2018

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is a place for fighters to try and reach their goal of fighting in the UFC. The rules are simple, win the season, get a UFC contract. Along with that, the fighters all live in a house together where arguments and drama often take place. But at times, the house has also created friendships. That’s just what happened this season as teammates Maurice Greene and Justin Frazier created a lifelong friendship inside the house. The two immediately bonded at tryouts where both of them believed they would be in the house together.

James Lynch - November 13, 2018

The UFC rankings have been updated after an entertaining card last Saturday in Denver, Colorado. Following one of the best knockouts in UFC history, Yair Rodriguez jumped four spots in the featherweight division, and is now sitting at #11. His opponent “Korean Zombie” Chang Sung Jung fell two spots to #12, while Alexander Volkanovski (who is slated to face Chad Mendes at UFC 232) moved up one spot to #10. Meanwhile in the women’s bantamweight division, Germaine de Randamie reminded her fellow 135-pound fighters that she is here to stay after dominant performance over Raquel Pennington. “Iron Lady” moved up three spots to #2, just behind Holly Holm and current champion Amanda Nunes.

Cole Shelton - November 13, 2018

On January 26, at UFC 233, UFC bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw will move down to flyweight to take on divisional champ Henry Cejudo. If Dillashaw wins this fight, he will become one of just a few fighters to hold titles in two UFC weight classes concurrently. It could also spell the end of the flyweight division. Yet Cejudo isn’t sure that’s the way things will go down. He knows the cut down to 125 pounds will be tough on Dillashaw, and also believes he possesses a skillset unlike anyone Dillashaw has fought before.

Tom Taylor - November 13, 2018

Former UFC strawweight contender Paige VanZant is currently gearing up for a January flyweight scrap with Hawaii’s Rachael Ostovich. The bout will be part of the UFC’s first-ever card on ESPN+. This contest will be VanZant’s second in the UFC flyweight division, where the cut is much less taxing for her.

Tom Taylor - November 13, 2018

There are not a lot of featherweights out there who are openly calling for a fight with dangerous Russian contender Zabit Magomedsharipov. Michael Johnson, however, is all for the matchup.

Mike Straus - November 12, 2018

One of several Roufusport fighters poised to make a run is the ‘Native Psycho’ Jordan Griffin who is ready to take the UFC’s featherweight division by storm. Before Griffin can unleash his brand of violence upon the UFC’s 145-pound division he must first make his debut. He will do so on December 15 as he takes on Dan Ige in his official first UFC bout which takes place in his own backyard of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Christopher Taylor - November 12, 2018

Joe Rogan may not have been in attendance at UFC Denver, but he did get to watch Yair Rodriguez score a spectacular last-second knockout victory over The Korean Zombie. The featherweight standouts, Yair Rodriguez and Chan Sung Jung, went to war in the headliner of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 139 event in Denver.

Cole Shelton - November 12, 2018

UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has his next fight booked. On January 26 at UFC 233, Dillashaw will look to dethrone the UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. Thus giving TJ Dillashaw the chance to become the next double-champ in the UFC.

Drake Riggs - November 12, 2018

“That [elbow knockout by Yair Rodriguez] was crazy. And I’m seeing a lot of people saying that that was lucky, that was a lucky knockout… Like, really smart people who, that are like legends of the game.

Drake Riggs - November 12, 2018

UFC lightweight champion of the world, Khabib Nurmagomedov is a man on a mission. But this time, that mission has nothing to do with cage fighting. Life after the biggest win of his career at UFC 229 hasn’t seemed to have been all too bad for the undefeated champion despite the controversies that immediately followed.

Tom Taylor - November 12, 2018

On January 26, in the main event of UFC 233, UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo is expected to defend his title against slimmed down bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw. This bout carries some massive implications, as the UFC is reportedly planning on shutting down its flyweight division in the near future. While Henry Cejudo is currently focused on his UFC 233 fight with TJ Dillashaw, he believes that, win or lose, his time with the UFC could come to an end if the promotion drops the flyweight division thereafter.

Tom Taylor - November 12, 2018

Tito Ortiz, a loving father of two, has had a difficult relationship with his own father. Apparently, however, the MMA legend has finally mended his relationship with his father. Ortiz detailed his reconciliation with his father in an emotional Instagram post this week.

Tom Taylor - November 12, 2018

Although the UFC recently booked a flyweight title fight between divisional champ Henry Cejudo and slimmed-down bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, the expectation is still that the promotion will close down its flyweight division in the near future. UFC President Dana White has sidestepped questions on this topic, but the promotion has already ejected many flyweight fighters from its roster. One of these ostracized flyweights is Jose Torres. Speaking to BloodyElbow this week, Jose Torres weighed in on the possible closure of the UFC flyweight division. In his eyes, any failures the flyweight division has had in attracting fans is really the fault of the UFC.

Tom Taylor - November 12, 2018

“Platinum” Mike Perry’s long awaited scrap with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone didn’t go quite the way he planned. Instead, after grounding the fight in the first frame, Perry was forced to tap out to a Cowboy armbar. While this is of course not the outcome Mike Perry was hoping for, he seems to be treating it as a learning experience. In the day since the fight, the fan favorite welterweight has been busily assessing the setback on his social media channels.

James Lynch - November 12, 2018

Cynthia Calvillo steps into the cage for the first time since Dec. 2017 when she faces Poliana Botelho this Saturday at UFC Argentina. The 31-year-old has been sidelined due to a suspension for a failed drug test for marijuana use. In a recent interview with Fightful, Cynthia Calvillo said that the Nevada State Athletic Commission, not the United States Anti-Doping Agency, gave her the biggest headache through the whole process.