MMA News

Josh Evanoff - December 30, 2024

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili wants to be very, very, very active next year. ‘The Machine’ last appeared in the octagon in September, in the main event of Noche UFC. There, Merab Dvalishvili finally got his crack at bantamweight gold, against the hard-hitting Sean O’Malley. Ultimately, the wrestler largely controlled ‘Sugar’, winning the bout by unanimous decision after five rounds of action.

Cole Shelton - December 30, 2024

Jiri Prochazka is hoping to secure a third fight with Alex Pereira. Prochazka is 0-2 against Pereira, losing both fights by knockout. The former champ is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 311 against Jamahal Hill in an intriguing matchup. The winner of the fight would likely be in line for a title shot.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 30, 2024

Caio Borralho wanted to share the Octagon with Israel Adesanya in early 2025, but he thinks he knows why that will have to wait. Adesanya will be taking on Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Saudi Arabia. The bout will be taking place on February 1st. It’ll be Adesanya’s first fight off pay-per-view since 2018.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 30, 2024

One rising UFC welterweight continues to knock on Leon Edwards’ door. Edwards is hoping to start his road back to 170-pound gold on the right foot. He lost the welterweight title to Belal Muhammad back in July, which was a bitter pill for “Rocky” to swallow given he had the Manchester crowd behind him. The UFC will be returning to England on March 22, 2025.

Harry Kettle - December 30, 2024

UFC fighter Colby Covington has reacted to his corner wanting to throw in the towel during his UFC Tampa main event. As we know, Colby Covington took on Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Tampa. Unfortunately for Colby, it didn’t quite pan out the way he had planned. Instead of bouncing back from defeat, he suffered a doctor stoppage loss as a result of a nasty cut on his eye.

Harry Kettle - December 30, 2024

Former UFC star Darren Till’s new opponent for his upcoming appearance at Misfits Boxing has now been revealed. As we know, Darren Till was once a big name within the context of mixed martial arts. He was a top contender in the UFC’s welterweight division, and even had a crack at the world title. Alas, following defeat to Tyron Woodley, his career went into something of a decline.

Harry Kettle - December 30, 2024

MMA legend Rampage Jackson has detailed what he believes led to the downfall of his iconic career in the sport. As we know, Rampage Jackson is an icon within mixed martial arts. That’s been the case for decades now, as he made his mark both in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and outside of it. Of course, he declined, as is the case with most fighters.

Harry Kettle - December 30, 2024

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has made some big comparisons ahead of his next fight at UFC 311 Following his win over Sean O’Malley, Merab Dvalishvili is now the UFC bantamweight champion. His dominant triumph impressed the masses and, of course, welcomed a lot of intrigue from the rest of the bantamweight division.

Josh Evanoff - December 27, 2024

RIZIN flyweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi wants to prove that he’s the best in the world. ‘The Typhoon’ hasn’t been seen in the ring since a bantamweight clash with Sergio Pettis in June. In a rematch of their Bellator 272 classic which saw ‘The Phenom’ score a knockout win, Kyoji Horiguchi dominated. After 15 minutes of action, he moved his unbeaten streak to five by unanimous decision.

Josh Evanoff - December 27, 2024

Canadian rapper Drake has named Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor his favorite UFC fighters of all time. It’s no secret that the 38-year-old artist is a massive fan of combat sports. Over the last few years, many fans have seen Drake place massive, million-dollar wagers on MMA and boxing events. Some of his biggest bets include a $1.6 million bet on Israel Adesanya to defeat Alex Pereira in 2022, $1 million on Alexander Volkanovski to beat Yair Rodriguez, and $450,000 on Jon Jones to knock out Stipe Miocic.

Josh Evanoff - December 27, 2024

Khalil Rountree was happy following his brutal knockout loss to UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. ‘The War Horse’ and ‘Poatan’ met in Salt Lake City in October. The title shot was a surprising one, but Khalil Rountree entered the fight riding a wave of momentum. Knockout wins over the likes of Anthony Smith and Chris Daukaus led to the striker facing UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. The Brazilian entered the cage as a massive betting favorite, fresh off a win over Jiri Prochazka in June.

Cole Shelton - December 27, 2024

Donald Cerrone has taken a big step towards his looming return to the UFC. Cerrone recently revealed he will returning to fighting and on December 27, it was revealed he is back in the drug testing pool. Cerrone has submitted his first test since re-joining the pool, which will allow him to compete again. When exactly he re-entered the pool or when he’s eligible to fight is uncertain.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 27, 2024

One notable name in the UFC history books is vouching for the idea of Robert Whittaker moving up to light heavyweight. Whittaker was recently asked on his podcast about a potential change in weight class. The former UFC middleweight champion ruled out a return to the welterweight division. With that said, “The Reaper” did throw out the possibility of moving up to light heavyweight.

Harry Kettle - December 27, 2024

Conor McGregor may well return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2025 – and there are some interesting fights he could take if he does. Right now, Conor McGregor is in need of a change. Following his controversial sexual assault civil case, his reputation is in tatters. From disdain in his home country of Ireland to disrespect from the mixed martial arts community, it seems as if the public opinion of ‘Notorious’ has shifted dramatically.

Harry Kettle - December 27, 2024

Alex Pereira has already done some incredible things in mixed martial arts – but he could take things to a whole new level in 2025. Over the course of the last few years, Alex Pereira has made his mark in the UFC in ways that few could’ve imagined. Within just one year of debuting, he had captured the UFC middleweight championship. Then, he proceeded to go up to light heavyweight and become a two-division world champion. Oh, and as if that wasn’t enough, he wound up defending the belt three times in 2024 – securing three finishes along the way.

Harry Kettle - December 27, 2024

UFC legend Alex Volkanovski has revealed what kind of attribute he’d like to add to his arsenal as a mixed martial artist. We all know Alex Volkanovski to be a huge fan favorite in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In addition to that, he’s also one of the most decorated fighters of his generation, courtesy of his incredible run as featherweight champion.

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 26, 2024

It’s no exaggeration to say that ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo had a phenomenal 2024. The grappling prodigy-turned-MMA star defied expectations, cementing himself as a two-sport superstar. Let’s dive into Ruotolo’s top three performances of the year.

Josh Evanoff - December 26, 2024

Bellator light-heavyweight champion Corey Anderson has taken aim at the PFL. Over the last few weeks, the Donn Davis-led company has come under heavy fire. When the PFL bought Bellator last fall, there was a lot of optimism and excitement from the MMA world. Within a few weeks, they revealed a brand new streaming deal with HBO Max and a loaded schedule for 2024. Sadly, many of those events failed to come to fruition.