MMA News

Josh Evanoff - February 11, 2025

YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI has claimed that Nate Diaz and several ex-UFC stars rejected a fight against him. ‘The Nightmare’ recently booked his return to the boxing ring earlier this month. Back for the first time since a unanimous decision loss to Tommy Fury in late 2023, KSI will meet Dillon Danis. ‘El Jefe’ wasn’t the first choice, as the YouTuber was originally set to meet ex-football star Wayne Bridge at Misfits 21 instead.

Josh Evanoff - February 11, 2025

Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick has sounded off on his loss at UFC 312 over the weekend. ‘Tarzan’ returned to the octagon in the main event of the UFC’s pay-per-view offering from Australia on Saturday. There, Sean Strickland again met middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis. ‘Stillknocks’ famously won the gold from the boxing-heavy American last year, by a controversial split decision.

Cole Shelton - February 11, 2025

Tatiana Suarez issued a statement after her UFC 312 loss to Weili Zhang. Suarez entered the fight as the favorite but was dominated in all five rounds to suffer her first career loss. Days after the loss to Zhang, Suarez took to Instagram to release a statement on the defeat.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 11, 2025

Paddy Pimblett isn’t convinced that Ilia Topuria will fight Islam Makhachev this summer. Topuria has teased trying his hand at 155 pounds in a bid to become a double champion. “El Matador” is currently the reigning UFC featherweight champion and he’s been linked to a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski. The UFC has not made that bout official at this time.

Harry Kettle - February 11, 2025

UFC president Dana White has ripped into the Australian media following last weekend’s UFC 312 event in Sydney. We all know that Dana White likes to speak to his mind. In fact, he prides himself on free speech. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a very loose stance when it comes to reprimanding fighters for what they say, which is why the likes of Sean Strickland are so open with their thoughts.

Harry Kettle - February 11, 2025

UFC legend Stipe Miocic has given Tom Aspinall some advice ahead of a potential heavyweight title unification fight against Jon Jones. Mixed martial arts fans around the world want one thing above all others: Tom Aspinall fighting Jon Jones. One is the interim heavyweight champion, and the other is the undisputed heavyweight champion. From a purely logistical point of view, it makes sense for the two to battle one another. Of course, we all know that ‘Bones’ has made it crystal clear that he isn’t overly interested in the idea.

Harry Kettle - February 11, 2025

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has given his thoughts on training with fellow champion Weili Zhang. Last weekend, Weili Zhang made a real statement. She was able to dominate and defeat Tatiana Suarez, successfully retaining her UFC strawweight championship in the process. Now, we’re at a point whereby Weili is widely considered to be one of the best fighters not just in women’s MMA, but in mixed martial arts as a whole.

Harry Kettle - February 11, 2025

UFC star Israel Adesanya recently ran into referee Marc Goddard and discussed two of the stoppages from his fights by the Birmingham native. As we know, Israel Adesanya was stopped with strikes by Nassourdine Imavov last weekend at UFC Saudi Arabia. He’s been stopped on the feet before in the UFC, by Alex Pereira, in what served as their first meeting in mixed martial arts – and third overall.

Cole Shelton - February 10, 2025

The UFC was in Sydney, Australia on Saturday for a UFC 312 card that saw two titles on the line. In the main event, Dricus Du Plessis was rematching Sean Strickland for the middleweight title. The co-main event saw Weili Zhang defending her strawweight title against Tatiana Suarez.

Josh Evanoff - February 10, 2025

PFL lightweight star Usman Nurmagomedov is opening up on his close title fight with Paul Hughes. The two lightweights faced off in the main event of PFL Champions Series 1 last month in Dubai. In what will likely go down as the final Bellator title fight, Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes went to war. Despite the Russian entering the cage as a huge betting favorite, ‘Big News’ gave the champion all he could handle.

Cole Shelton - February 10, 2025

UFC commentator Joe Rogan is hopeful that Ilia Topuria will move up to lightweight to face Islam Makhachev next time out. Topuria has been hinting at a potential fight with Makhachev for the lightweight title. It would be a massive fight, but some fans want to see him defend the featherweight title a couple more times.

Josh Evanoff - February 10, 2025

UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira wants to train with Israel Adesanya. The rivalry between the two kickboxer-turned-MMA fighters is one for the ages. The Brazilian famously won their two fights in the kickboxing ring, scoring a controversial decision win in the first, before flatting Israel Adesanya in the second. While Alex Pereira knocked out ‘The Last Stylebender’ to win UFC gold in 2022, the former champion avenged that defeat the following April.

Cole Shelton - February 10, 2025

Brandon Royval has opened up on why he had to withdraw from his March 1 fight against Manel Kape. Royval and Kape were set to headline the Fight Night card in a potential No. 1 contender fight at flyweight. However, Royval was forced out of the bout due to an undisclosed injury.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 10, 2025

UFC Hall of Famer and color commentator Daniel Cormier will no longer doubt Dricus du Plessis. Du Plessis made his second successful UFC middleweight title defense this past Saturday. He did so in a rematch with the man he defeated to win the championship, Sean Strickland. While the first meeting between the two was a five-round barn burner, “Stillknocks” made things quite one-sided in the rematch at UFC 312, getting the better of Strickland on the feet and even shattering his opponent’s nose in the process. Ultimately, it was a unanimous decision victory for du Plessis.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 10, 2025

Michael Bisping has heard of enough of Jake Paul. Paul has been in the headlines again after talks of a mega showdown with boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez fell apart. “The Problem Child” claimed that both men had agreed to the bout and even revealed what he said was going to be the official poster for the fight. Alvarez ended up pivoting and signing a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season, which excludes the fight with Paul.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 10, 2025

Dustin Poirier has dismissed rumors that his retirement fight will be against Paddy Pimblett. During Super Bowl LIX week, Poirier revealed to The Schmo that he’s working with the UFC on the final bout of his pro MMA career. “The Diamond” said that the plan is for him to fight in Louisiana this summer. He didn’t reveal the potential opponent.

BJPENN.COM Staff - February 10, 2025

ONE Championship cut heavyweight MMA fighter Amir Aliakbari from its roster over the weekend.    The Iranian last competed under the ONE Championship banner in November 2024 at ONE 169 in Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.  

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 9, 2025

If Zhang Weili and Valentina Shevchenko end up sharing the Octagon, will it be their swan songs? Weili was in action this past Saturday, defending her strawweight gold against Tatiana Suarez in the co-main event of UFC 312. Zhang entered the fight as a slight underdog, but she put forth a dominant performance from the beginning of the second round until the final horn. She scored the unanimous decision victory after five rounds of action.