MMA News

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 14, 2025

Aljamain Sterling believes Merab Dvalishvili will silence the doubters once his UFC 311 clash with Umar Nurmagomedov has come to a close. Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov are set to clash this Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA. The UFC Bantamweight Championship will be at stake, and Dvalishvili is in search of his first successful title defense. A win for Nurmagomedov would mark his first UFC title victory.

Cole Shelton - January 14, 2025

The 186th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to preview UFC 311. We’re joined by UFC lightweight contender Diego Ferreira (0:52) to preview his UFC 311 fight.

Cole Shelton - January 14, 2025

The UFC opened up 2025 with a strawweight main event as Mackenzie Dern took on Amanda Ribas on Saturday at UFC Vegas 101. The fight served as a rematch of their 2019 fight. Dern entered the fight coming off a decision win over Loopy Godinez which snapped her two-fight losing streak. Ribas, meanwhile, was coming off a decision loss to Rose Namajunas at flyweight as she dropped back down to 115lbs.

Harry Kettle - January 14, 2025

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has revealed that he previously wanted to step in for Khabib Nurmagomedov and fight Tony Ferguson. Right now, Islam Makhachev is easily one of the most impressive fighters in mixed martial arts. In fact, some would argue he’s the pound for pound best. This weekend, he’ll put that on the line – alongside his belt – when he defends against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of UFC 311.

Harry Kettle - January 14, 2025

MMA veteran Eddie Alvarez has teased Bellator after the branding of the promotion was reportedly cut by PFL. As we know, Eddie Alvarez has been there and done it all in mixed martial arts. He’s won belts in pretty much every promotion he’s performed in, and he’s put on incredible fights along the way. Alas, we likely wouldn’t have known a whole lot about him if it wasn’t for his initial run in Bellator.

Harry Kettle - January 14, 2025

UFC veteran Holly Holm is set to leave the UFC and explore free agency, as per a report from Ariel Helwani. Over the course over the last decade or so, Holly Holm has been an ever-present in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He’s been through highs and she’s been through lows, with her most notable moment coming when she shocked the world and handed Ronda Rousey her first mixed martial arts defeat.

Josh Evanoff - January 13, 2025

Ahead of his UFC title fight against Islam Makhachev, Arman Tsarukyan is thinking all about the money. The 28-year-old was last seen in the cage against Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April. Riding a three-fight winning streak heading into the event, Arman Tsarukyan scored an impressive decision win over the former champion. In the process, he helped set the stage for a long-awaited rematch with Islam Makhachev.

Josh Evanoff - January 13, 2025

Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has agreed to fight Jon Jones later this year. The British star last appeared in the octagon at UFC 304 in Manchester last summer. Back for his first title defense of interim gold, Tom Aspinall scored a blistering first-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes. Following the fight, he called for a long-awaited title unification bout with Jon Jones. Aspinall famously won the interim title with ‘Bones’ out due to injury in late 2023.

BJPENN.COM Staff - January 13, 2025

Fifth-ranked ONE featherweight MMA star Akbar Abdullaev is a king without a crown, a ruler with no throne.    The undefeated phenom dominated reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai at ONE Fight Night 27 this past Friday, January 10. Abdullaev took the Chinese star to hell and back before securing a fifth-round TKO inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. 

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 13, 2025

A former UFC titleholder believes Islam Makhachev is simply on a higher level over Arman Tsarukyan. Makhachev and Tsarukyan will take center stage in the UFC 311 headliner this Saturday night. This will be Makhachev’s bid to become the new record holder for the most successful UFC lightweight title defenses. A win would not only further cement Makhachev’s legacy, it may also bring him one step closer to achieving his goal of becoming a double champion.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 13, 2025

Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t plan on coaching for much longer. Nurmagomedov has prepared UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for some pivotal bouts. This Saturday night will be no exception, as Makhachev will put his gold at stake against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of UFC 311. “The Eagle” will be in Makhachev’s corner on fight night.

Harry Kettle - January 13, 2025

UFC star Michael Chandler has lashed out over Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent issue with regards to being removed from a plane. Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the most respected fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. In addition to being a dominant UFC lightweight champion, he also managed to retire with an unbeaten record of 29-0. In a sport like this, that kind of feat is practically unheard of.

Harry Kettle - January 13, 2025

UFC star Colby Covington has mocked Khabib Nurmagomedov after the latter was recently escorted off a plane for apparent racial profiling. As we know, Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the most well-respected mixed martial artists of all time. That probably has something to do with the fact that he’s also one of the greatest fighters of all time. He was the UFC lightweight champion, he beat some legends of the sport, and he also retired with an unbeaten 29-0 record. As far as careers go in combat sports, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than that.

Harry Kettle - January 13, 2025

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has issued an injury warning ahead of his co-main event at UFC 311. As we know, Merab Dvalishvili is the king of the bantamweight division. He earned that title through years of hard work, capping it off with a victory over Sean O’Malley at the Sphere that earned him the gold.

Harry Kettle - January 13, 2025

UFC icons Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya trained together recently, for what seems to be the first time ever. As we know, Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker are two of the greatest middleweights of all time. Some may view that as an overstatement, but it really isn’t. Whittaker is a former champion and has been able to run through many of the other top middleweights of his generation. Adesanya, meanwhile, is one of the best champions of his era, and is a two-time title holder at 185 pounds.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 12, 2025

Usman Nurmagomedov doesn’t dislike Paul Hughes, but that won’t stop him from guaranteeing victory. Nurmagomedov is set to put his Bellator Bantamweight Championship at stake against Hughes on January 25th. The title fight will headline Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai. Nurmagomedov is not only looking to keep his 155-pound gold, but he’s also hoping to remain undefeated in his pro MMA career.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 12, 2025

Chris Curtis has spoken out after suffering a TKO loss against Roman Kopylov at UFC Vegas 101. During fight week, Curtis stressed the importance of not suffering his second straight loss. Curtis hasn’t had a win since January 2024, and he’ll have to wait a bit longer to get another chance at victory. He was stopped by Kopylov in the second round, but he did score a “Fight of the Night” bonus.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 12, 2025

Islam Makhachev appears determined to become a UFC “champ-champ,” no matter the cost. Makhachev is the reigning UFC lightweight titleholder. He is one successful title defense away from breaking the UFC record at 155 pounds. He’ll look to achieve that feat when he collides with Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch at UFC 311 on January 18th.