MMA News

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 5, 2025

Umar Nurmagomedov’s coach doesn’t understand why Merab Dvalishvili feels his fighter doesn’t deserve his UFC 311 title fight. Nurmagomedov is scheduled to challenge Dvalishvili for the UFC Bantamweight Championship on January 18th. It’ll Nurmagomedov’s first crack at UFC gold. He earned the title opportunity after defeating Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision back in August 2024.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 5, 2025

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes he knows what the holdup is with Alex Pereira’s next title fight. Fight fans who have been paying attention to the light heavyweight title picture can conclude that Magomed Ankalaev is a clear deserving number one contender. Ankalaev hasn’t been defeated since his UFC debut back in March 2018, and it remains the lone defeat of his pro MMA career. More recently, the Russian contender defeated Aleksandar Rakic via unanimous decision to improve his record to 19-1, 1 NC.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 5, 2025

One ex-UFC title challenger believes the ship has sailed on Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua. A matchup between Fury and Joshua has long alluded the boxing world for one reason or another. Many believe the typical boxing politics prevented the two from sharing the ring at the peak of their careers. Now that both men are without gold and have tasted defeat more than once, there is a belief that the fight could finally come to fruition.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 5, 2025

Michael Bisping isn’t as down on Jamahal Hill as others are following a run-in with Alex Pereira. In late 2024, footage surfaced of Hill and Pereira getting into a confrontation inside the UFC Performance Institute. At one point, “Poatan” suggested that he and “Sweet Dreams” fight inside the cage on the spot. Hill declined to take Pereira up on the offer.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 5, 2025

American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez has offered his take on why Islam Makhachev is ahead of Jon Jones on the UFC pound-for-pound list. The topic has been heavily debated ever since UFC CEO Dana White blasted those who have Makhachev at the top of the list. While you won’t see many argue that Jones has accomplished far more in his pro MMA career than Makhachev, being the pound-for-pound best fighter today has more to do with recent sustained success.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 5, 2025

Conor McGregor didn’t hold back on Irish fighters for singing the praises of Khabib Nurmagomedov. In a recent clip posted by the PFL MMA promotion, Nurmagomedov shut down the notion that Ireland has a bevy of great fighters in combat sports. The retired UFC Hall of Famer questioned who was at the top of the list for Irish MMA athletes besides two names.

Josh Evanoff - January 3, 2025

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has signed with the Global Fight League. The new team-based combat league was unveiled late last year. Founded by Darren Owen, the Global Fight League will have several teams based around the globe. Talent attached to the organization includes names such as Tyron Woodley, Luke Rockhold, Wanderlei Silva, and Anthony Pettis.

Josh Evanoff - January 3, 2025

PFL founder Donn Davis has fired back at claims that Aaron Pico is now a free agent. The 28-year-old is riding a wave of momentum right now. Aaron Pico famously signed with Scott Coker’s Bellator a decade ago, with high hopes and a lot of potential. Sadly, the young featherweight hit a few bumps in the road, suffering three losses in his first seven appearances inside the cage. However, it didn’t take Pico long to get used to fighting.

Josh Evanoff - January 3, 2025

PFL lightweight contender Paul Hughes has fired back at Khabib Nurmagomedov. ‘The Eagle’ made headlines earlier this week with his controversial comments about Irish MMA. While Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired as a fighter these days, he’s still an active coach for his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov. The Bellator lightweight champion is slated to meet the rising Irish star Paul Hughes later this month in Dubai.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 3, 2025

Kayla Harrison’s first crack at a UFC title might be for interim gold. Harrison has positioned herself as a top contender in the women’s bantamweight division. She scored victories over former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira, not to mention her stellar run under the PFL banner. Most fans and experts believe the move to make is to book Harrison against the reigning 135-pound titleholder Julianna Pena.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 3, 2025

Jeremy Stephens has a stern warning for Eddie Alvarez ahead of their clash at BKFC: KnuckleMania 5. Both Stephens and Alvarez have been known for their exciting fighting styles throughout their careers. The two have not only had success inside the Octagon, as they’ve also made a splash under bare-knuckle boxing rules. Alvarez had a memorable five-round war with Chad Mendes, which he won via split decision back in April 2023. He’d end up being outgunned by Mike Perry later that year, falling short via TKO.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 3, 2025

BKFC owner David Feldman has shared his reaction to Conor McGregor going off on the DAZN streaming service. McGregor purchased minority stake in BKFC and he hasn’t been shy in speaking his mind on certain things involving the promotion. He was quite vocal about BKFC’s top star Mike Perry and claims he even fired “Platinum.” More recently, the “Notorious” one took aim at DAZN after fighters weren’t given interviews after victories during an event.

Harry Kettle - January 3, 2025

UFC legend Michael Bisping has revealed how he was able to pass some of the promotion’s pre-fight medical exams. We all know that Michael Bisping is an absolute warrior – and that much is an understatement. ‘The Count’ achieved some incredible things in mixed martial arts, with the majority of his best highlights coming in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Harry Kettle - January 3, 2025

UFC legend Daniel Cormier has revealed the drastic measures he took during his iconic run with the promotion. Throughout the course of his mixed martial arts career, Daniel Cormier achieved some truly incredible things. That’s especially true when it comes to his time in the UFC, where he was able to become a two-weight world champion. He only lost to two men in his career, Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones, which says a lot about his legacy at the elite level.

Harry Kettle - January 3, 2025

UFC 311 is right around the corner as we get ready for two blockbuster championship fights in California. Event: UFC 311: Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2 Date: Saturday, 18th January 2025 Location: Intuit Dome (Inglewood, California) Broadcast: ESPN+ PPV, ESPN2, ESPN+ (10pm EST main card)

BJPENN.COM Staff - January 2, 2025

January’s huge ONE 170 event has taken an early hit, but the promotion has adapted quickly to alter a high-stakes affair.   Second-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nico Carrillo was set to collide with reigning king Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the belt. But the Thai superstar was forced to withdraw due to injury.  

Josh Evanoff - January 2, 2025

UFC Mexico City has reportedly added a middleweight tilt between Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer. It’s been a rough few years for the 33-year-old former title challenger. He last competed at UFC Saudi Arabia in June, against Daniel Rodriguez. While the bout was initially set for welterweight, the fight was changed to a middleweight contest during fight week, after Kelvin Gastelum let the company know he couldn’t make 170 pounds.

Josh Evanoff - January 2, 2025

According to a recent report, the UFC is on board with booking Conor McGregor vs. Logan Paul. ‘The Notorious’ hasn’t been seen in action for almost four years now. The Irish superstar famously broke his leg in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021 but promised a return to the cage by the end of 2022. Sadly, that return never came. Instead, Conor McGregor has found himself involved in controversy, after controversy, while he’s sat on the sidelines.