MMA News

Tom Taylor - September 7, 2018

If things had gone according to plan, UFC women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano would have attempted her first title defense opposite Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 228 tomorrow night in Dallas. Regrettably, however, Montano was hospitalized just before this morning’s weigh ins. After a period of uncertainty and worry, it was confirmed that the champion will unfortunately not be able to fight on the card. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Nicco Montano’s training partner Steven Hanna opened up on her hospital trip, and her subsequent withdrawal from her UFC 228 fight with Shevchenko.

Tom Taylor - September 7, 2018

Tomorrow night, the UFC will take over the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas with UFC 228. The card will be headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Tyron Woodley and undefeated challenger Darren Till.

Tom Taylor - September 7, 2018

This morning, mere hours ahead of the UFC 228 weigh-ins, UFC flyweight champion Nicco Montano was rushed to the emergency ward of a hospital in the card’s host city of Dallas, Texas. While it was immediately clear the champion’s title fight with fearsome challenger Valentina Shevchenko was in jeopardy, it was not clear whether the fight would be cancelled. Now, we know for sure. According to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Nicco Montano will not compete at UFC 228, and her fight with Valentina Shevchenko is off.

Tom Taylor - September 7, 2018

Bad news for UFC, Bellator and World Series of Fighting veteran Melvin Guillard. According to a report from TMZ, Guillard recently knocked a man unconcious in a bar fight, and is now wanted by the police. This incident is alleged to have occurred in a Denver, Colorado bar around 2:00 am local time. According to TMZ, Guillard knocked the man out after some pushing and shoving. He was then attacked by a female bystander, who he is also alleged to have hit. Denver police told TMZ that several onlookers confirmed the man in question to be Melvin Guillard.

Tom Taylor - September 7, 2018

Under the guidance of Scott Coker, Bellator MMA has picked up another high profile UFC veteran: Erick Silva. Silva, who was once considered a top prospect in the UFC, has signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator, where he is expected to compete in the promotion’s stacked welterweight division. This news was announced by Silva’s manager on social media, and subsequently confirmed by MMA Fighting, who spoke to officials from Bellator.

Tom Taylor - September 7, 2018

UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington — who will quietly be stripped of his title when Tyron Woodley and Darren Till battle for the welterweight title at UFC 228 this weekend — has had plenty to say about his former college roommate Jon Jones in the recent past. Speaking in a recent interview with RTSport, Jon Jones had the chance to launch some return fire. Jon Jones’ main gripe with Colby Covington, he says, is the way he bends the truth. In that way, Jones feels Covington is quite similar to Chael Sonnen. 

Drake Riggs - September 7, 2018

When it comes to big-name MMA stars amongst the female fighters, few are as big as the former bantamweight queen Holly Holm. Of course, outside of her legendary status as a professional boxer, Holm was the very first woman to ever defeat Ronda Rousey in MMA. And she did so in incredibly one-sided fashion for a stunning upset.

Drake Riggs - September 6, 2018

2018 could potentially be a pretty big year for the Shevchenko family as little sister Valentina looks to capture UFC gold this Saturday while big sister Antonina (6-0) looks to make a successful UFC debut. The UFC’s first pair of fighting sisters in the organization’s history is officially the Shevchenko’s. And with their incredible Muay Thai backgrounds, success is more than expected.

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

This Saturday, in the main event of UFC 228, undefeated British contender Darren Till will battle Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight title — that is, if Till makes weight. Till has failed to make the welterweight division’s weight limit in the past, and heading into this fight with Woodley, there’s been widespread worry he’ll miss his mark again, which would make him illegible to win the title. In the opinion of Till’s nutritionist, Eoghan Gallagher, a protege of famed MMA nutritionist George Lockhart, there’s no cause for concern with respect with Till’s weight cut. Speaking to MMA Fighting at the UFC 228 fighter hotel in Dallas, Texas this week, Gallagher assured he’s “110 percent” sure Till will be on weight on this fight.

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

In December of 2015, in the co-main event of UFC 194, Luke Rockhold stepped into the cage with Chris Weidman in hopes of capturing the UFC middleweight title. On that night, Rockhold succeeded on his mission, defeating Weidman by fourth round TKO. On November 3 of this year, on the main card of UFC 230 in New York City, Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman will fight again. This time around, there will be no title on the line, but the winner will be within sprinting distance of a middleweight title shot.

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

On October 6, on the main card of the blockbuster UFC 229 card, surging light heavyweight contender Dominick Reyes will take on the biggest test of his career in former interim title challenge Ovince Saint Preux. While Dominick Reyes harbors no ill will against his opponent, he’s hoping to make a real statement in this fight and propel himself into the uppermost reaches of the light heavyweight rankings.

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

By now you’ve surely heard that UFC welterweight contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has parted ways with his former gym, JacksonWink MMA. Cerrone announced his departure from the gym — which has been anything but amicable — on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show. He cited a growing distaste for JacksonWink coach Mike Winkeljohn and the gym’s choice to train his upcoming opponent Mike Perry as reasons. Speaking on the latest episode of BJPENN.COM Radio, long-time JacksonWink fighter Leonard Garcia, who also happens to be a close friend of Donald Cerrone, gave his take on this very public falling out.

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

Last week, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones stated that he hopes to fight his arch rival Daniel Cormier twice more before they both hang up the gloves for good. In the opinion of Daniel Cormier’s head coach Javier Mendez, however, Cormier does not need to fight Jones again. Having captured the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles, his legacy is already secure — even without settling his score with Jones.

Tom Taylor - September 6, 2018

Leonard Garcia, a veteran of the UFC and WEC featherweight divisions, is planning to end his retirement. The all-action veteran is plotting a move to the growing sport of bareknuckle fighting, where he will compete under the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) banner. Spoke to @badboygarcia on @bjpennradio last night and he told me that he's coming out of retirement to compete in @bareknucklefc early next year!! More coming to @bjpenndotcom soon. #TheFightersVoicehttps://t.co/HQVRFz43lu

Jason Kindschy - September 6, 2018

BJPENN.COM Radio is back, Penn Nation!

Drake Riggs - September 5, 2018

https://twitter.com/MMAjunkie/status/1037526800157499392?s=19 “Just the same old sh*t, broken bones here there, broken hands. Just same old sh*t. What every fighter I’m sure had but hasn’t got the f*ckin’ bollocks to talk about.

Drake Riggs - September 5, 2018

Fights are being made for the UFC’s return to Canada! And the high profile matchups are slowly starting to get announced. One of the strawweight division’s biggest names is that of the two-time title challenger’s, Claudia Gadelha (16-3). And after rebounding off of her first career loss that didn’t come at the expense of the former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Gadelha is ready to get back on a winning streak.

Tom Taylor - September 5, 2018

Over the last few days, UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones have been involved in a heated quarrel on social media. One of the latest verbal volleys came from Jon Jones, who claimed that his 2017 knockout of Cormier was the result of strategy and timing, not the result of steroid use.