MMA News

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

UFC star Jiri Prochazka believes he will eventually get a third opportunity to fight UFC champion Alex Pereira. Over the years, Jiri Prochazka has made a career out of proving people wrong. While he’s always been exceptionally talented, he has an unorthodox style that isn’t to everyone’s taste. Since arriving in the UFC, it’s been more of the same, with Jiri becoming UFC light heavyweight champion pretty quickly.

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

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.

Cole Shelton - January 13, 2025

Colby Covington still believes he will be the undisputed UFC champion despite being on a two-fight losing streak. Covington is coming off a stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley back in December at UFC Tampa. It was a disappointing loss and many thought it ended his time as a legit title contender. However, ‘Chaos’ is confident he has all the tools to be the champ and believes the best of his career is yet to come.

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.

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

Abdul Razak Alhassan has provided an update on his health following his nasty knockout loss to Cesar Almeida. As many fans know, Abdul Razak Alhassan is always ready to throw hands. He’s willing to get in there and make it a fire fight if he has to, and more often than not, that’s what happens. Sometimes it goes his way and sometimes it doesn’t, but he goes out there and puts it all on the line in the name of entertaining the masses.

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.

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

One former UFC double champion believes Jon Jones might make things look easy against Tom Aspinall. Many believe that the biggest fight the UFC can pull off in 2025 is Jones vs. Aspinall. The two would be fighting for the distinction of being the undisputed heavyweight champion. Jones holds the main title, while Aspinall is the interim champion. While there has been much talk about the potential matchup, whether or not “Bones” goes through with the fight or retires is the big question.

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.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 12, 2025

A recent flight incident involving Khabib Nurmagomedov has UFC fans united. The MMA legend was recently removed from a flight set to take off from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. It was falsely reported that Alaska Airlines carried out the flight, but Nurmagomedov later clarified it was Frontier Airlines.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 12, 2025

Mackenzie Dern knows her hopes of fighting for UFC gold won’t happen unless she puts together an impressive streak. Still, Dern did herself a world of favor with her performance against Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 101 this past Saturday. This was a rematch, as Ribas handed Dern her first career loss back in 2019. For Dern, the rematch was more than just revenge, as she’s looking to catch momentum with a winning streak.