MMA News
Yoel Romero confirms Robert Whittaker rematch will go down at UFC 225
Tom Taylor - March 13, 2018
On March 10, BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor reported that UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and top contender Yoel Romero will rematch at UFC 225 on June 9 in Chicago, Illinois. Breaking! Per sources Yoel Romero vs Robert Whittaker 2 is a done deal for #UFC225. The title fight rematch is expected to serve as the main event in Chicago!
Roy Nelson Fires Back At Matt Mitrione's Claims of Cheating, "he didn’t really feel like he won"
Drake Riggs - March 12, 2018
The fight may be over, but the war of words appears to be far from it. As the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix continues on, it does so without Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson as he was defeated by Matt Mitrione at Bellator 194 in their rematch of a 2012 UFC bout. But the result didn’t come without some controversy.
BJPENN.COM Radio Ep. 74 // Dominick Reyes | Raquel Pennington | John Moraga
Jason Kindschy - March 12, 2018
Another episode of BJPENN.COM Radio is here Penn Nation! First up we are joined by one of the most talked about and incredibly talented light-heavyweight prospects in the UFC, Dominick Reyes. With two devastating finishes in just two UFC bouts, Reyes is looking to continue that momentum against his next opponent. We’ll be discussing possible matchups moving forward, his goals as a martial artist, what he thinks of the other athletes in the division, and how he intends to bring back quality sportsmanship while also being a good role model.
Bellator 196 Gets A Throwback Main Event After James Gallagher Injury
Drake Riggs - March 12, 2018
News broke today that has completely shaken up the Bellator 196 card that takes place on April 6th in Budapest, Hungary. Originally slated to be a featherweight confrontation between young Irish prospect, James Gallagher vs Adam Borics has now turned into the exact opposite: A clash of former grizzled UFC veterans.
EXCLUSIVE | Randa Markos and The Warrior Spirit
Drake Riggs - March 12, 2018
What do fighters do? The simple answer: they fight. Though the deeper you dig, it’s much more than that and everything that leads up to the moment they’ve been working their whole lives for, is not so simple.
Demetrious Johnson explains why he'd rather be a 12-time defending champion than a two-division UFC champion
Tom Taylor - March 12, 2018
On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson explained that he’s still interested in defending his title against slimmed down version of UFC bantamweight TJ Dillashaw. “That’s the fight that I want,” he said. “That’s the fight that I believe… it should go down. Obviously, the UFC knows what I want.”
Demetrious Johnson updates on TJ Dillashaw situation: That's the fight that I want
Tom Taylor - March 12, 2018
Earlier this year, rumors of a possible Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw superfight were rampant. More recently, however, the buzz surrounding this potential fight has quieted down. Luckily, it sounds like the fight is still very possible in the near future. On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, the flyweight champ Johnson reaffirmed that this is still the fight he wants.
Rashad Evans returns to light heavyweight division at UFC 225
Tom Taylor - March 12, 2018
After an unsuccessful, two-fight run in the UFC middleweight division, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will return to the light heavyweight division. Though the former champ was briefly linked to a showdown with former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping, he will instead welcome former middleweight Anthony Smith to the light heavyweight division at UFC 225, on June 9 in Chicago. This bout was first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. In his two fights in the UFC middleweight division, Evans lost controversial split decisions to Sam Alvey and Dan Kelly. His two next most recent bouts, which occurred at light heavyweight, also resulted in losses, as he was knocked out by Glover Teixeira and decisioned by current Bellator champ Ryan Bader. Evans’s last win occurred in November of 2013, when he defeated current Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix competitor Chael Sonnen by first-round TKO. Evans is 19-7-1 overall.
Rory MacDonald responds to Gegard Mousasi's callout
Tom Taylor - March 12, 2018
Gegard Mousasi is currently gearing up for a Bellator 200 middleweight title fight with destructive champion Rafael Carvalho, but that didn’t stop him from calling out Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald late last week. “He didn’t have a great performance [against Douglas Lima], but I’m not going to go on Twitter and say stupid shit,” Mousasi said of MacDonald on the last episode of The MMA Hour.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says he'll beat Tony Ferguson as decisively as he beat RDA, Johnson and Barboza
Tom Taylor - March 12, 2018
On April 7, in the main event of UFC 223, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will battle for the UFC lightweight title. Not an interim title, but the undisputed title, which is expected to be stripped from Conor McGregor in the coming weeks. Ahead of this fight, Nurmagomedov has referred to it as the “most important fight in UFC today.”
Fellow Irishman Joe Duffy discusses Conor McGregor's possible move to politics
Tom Taylor - March 12, 2018
Over the last few years of his career, UFC superstar Conor McGregor has given us several reasons to believe he might one day get involved in Irish politics. ”As I get older at 29 years of age, I find that I am becoming more and more interested in where much of the money in my home state has gone,” McGregor said in an Instagram post earlier this year. “And where it actually goes when it comes in. There are more and more things I see daily that don’t add up. I see many things I do not like and I see many things that I feel can be easily amended under correct instruction. We shall see.”
Scott Coker responds to backlash about Cro Cop fighting in Bellator while still under USADA suspension
Tom Taylor - March 12, 2018
On May 25, at Bellator 200, heavyweight MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic will make his debut in the Bellator cage opposite Roy Nelson. Interestingly, however, Cro Cop should still technically be banned by the United States Anti-Doping Agency after failing a drug test in his latest UFC run. Cro Cop’s USADA two-year suspension was retroactive to November 9, 2015, which meant he should have been eligible to compete again by November of last year. Yet in July of 2016, his contract with the UFC was terminated, at which point he moved to the ring of Japan’s Rizin Fighting Federation, which meant that a portion of his USADA suspension went unserved.
Khabib Nurmagomedov receives a special gift from NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin
Chris Taylor - March 11, 2018
Khabib Nurmagomedov receives a special gift from NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin Two of Russia’s most famous athletes linked up last night in San Jose, California.
Luke Rockhold responds to Yoel Romero's post-fight antics at UFC 221
Chris Taylor - March 11, 2018
Luke Rockhold responds to Yoel Romero’s post-fight antics at UFC 221 Yoel Romero scored a brutal second-round knockout victory over former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the headliner of last month’s UFC 221 event in Perth, Australia.
Jessica Andrade breaks down Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk rematch
Tom Taylor - March 11, 2018
In the co-main event of UFC 223, which goes down on April 7 in Brooklyn, New York, former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will get a shot at redemption against the woman who ended her reign: Rose Namajunas. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the winner of this fight is then likely to take on fearsome contender Jessica Andrade. Speaking to Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com this week, Andrade made her prediction for this anticipated strawweight title rematch.
Mirko Cro Cop fires back at "fat, disrespectful" Roy Nelson after "special supplements" comment
Tom Taylor - March 11, 2018
Earlier this week, it was announced that former UFC heavyweights Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Roy Nelson will collide at Bellator 200 this May 25. The bout will be a rematch of a 2011 fight, which Nelson won via third-round TKO. Ahead of this fight, Nelson has mentioned Cro Cop’s previous brush with the United States Anti-Doping Agency, and wonders if the MMA legend might still be using “special supplements” – though he doesn’t really care one way or the other.
Gegard Mousasi wants showdown with Rory MacDonald after Bellator 200
Tom Taylor - March 11, 2018
It was recently announced that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and UFC middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi will return to the Bellator cage at Bellator 200 on May 25. On this stacked card, which goes down in London, England, Mousasi will take on Bellator’s reigning middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho. If Mousasi can get passed Carvalho at Bellator 200, he’s hoping it’ll open the door to more big opportunities in the Bellator cage – namely, a showdown with Bellator welterweight champ Rory MacDonald.
Coach says Uriah Hall "didn't really have a pulse" after recent weight cut disaster
Tom Taylor - March 11, 2018
Earlier this year, middleweight striker Uriah Hall was expected to take on MMA legend Vitor Belfort in what was supposed to be Belfort’s retirement fight. Regrettably, Hall was hospitalized as the result of a disastrous weight cut, and forced out of the fight. While we’ve known for some time how grim things got for Hall as the result of this weight cut, his coach Eric Nicksick recently provided some additional information, and it all sounds terrifying.