MMA News

bjpenndotcom - July 13, 2017

Thursday evening, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor once again found himself under fire for what many argued were racist remarks made during the third stop of he & Floyd Mayweather’s world tour promoting their August 26th fight. On Tuesday, Conor McGregor told Mayweather to “dance for me boy” during the pair’s first press conference in Los Angeles. Following the event, many began to accuse McGregor of intending for the comments to be racist. With that being said, Floyd Mayweather Sr was quick to shut down the criticism as he stated that he didn’t take McGregor’s comments as racist.

bjpenndotcom - July 13, 2017

Thursday night in New York, both Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather appeared onstage for the third stop of their world tour. Once again, McGregor took the mic first, to address the crowd in attendance. Upon starting his speech, Conor McGregor stated:

Chris Taylor - July 13, 2017

The third stop of the Mayweather vs. McGregor world tour took place earlier this evening in Brooklyn. Tonight’s press conference, which took place from the Barclay’s Center in New York, failed to deliver when compared to the world tours two previous stops in Los Angeles and Toronto.

Chris Taylor - July 13, 2017

It was only a matter of time before it actually happened. UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather took to the stage again tonight, this time live from the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Chris Taylor - July 13, 2017

UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor knows how to make an entrance. The brash Irish superstar just entered the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York wearing a white Gucci mink.

Chris Taylor - July 13, 2017

Former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje made his highly anticipated UFC debut earlier this month in Las Vegas where he scored a second-round TKO victory over perennial contender Michael Johnson in what many fans are deeming “fight of the year”. The undefeated lightweight contender, Gaethje (18-0 MMA), will now turn his talents to Season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter where he will coach opposite former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (28-5 MMA).

bjpenndotcom - July 13, 2017

Wednesday afternoon in Toronto, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing icon Floyd Mayweather appeared onstage together for the second time in their second stop on their highly anticipated world tour. The press conference got off to a quick start as Conor McGregor led fans in attendance in a “f**k the Mayweather’s!” chant, which he then followed up with a callout of Showtime Exec Stephen Espinoza, who he blamed for having his mic cut out in the first press conference:

Russell Ess - July 13, 2017

If there is one thing that social media bodybuilder Matthew Kline Kader is getting out of his whole beef with UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, it’s attention. Good press or bad press, people are talking about Kader and his attempts to troll or actually fight and is picking up quite a few followers on social media in doing so.

Russell Ess - July 13, 2017

Music megastar Drake was in attendance for the second stop of the Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor world tour in Toronto, Canada on Wednesday. The Candian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor appeared on stage in front of nearly 15,000 fans in attendance for the press conference to hype up the money fight between the two biggest names from boxing and mixed martial arts.

bjpenndotcom - July 13, 2017

Thursday afternoon, the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor world tour hits New York for the third stop of the highly anticipated four-city tour. Wednesday’s press conference stop in Toronto was much more intense than the first stop of the tour in Los Angeles on Tuesday, with the UFC lightweight champion coming out guns blazing in the verbal battle. Upon taking to the mic, Conor McGregor quickly took aim at not only the Mayweather family, but Showtime Exec. Stephen Espinoza, who he blamed for cutting power to his mic during the first press conference:

bjpenndotcom - July 13, 2017

Throughout the course of the first two stops on the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor world tour, UFC President Dana White has been the man in the middle when Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor have come face to face for staredowns. Much like his role in UFC press conferences, White has been in charge of keeping things from boiling over between the two men, making sure that neither fighter physically touches the other during the heated staredown exchanges.

Russell Ess - July 13, 2017

ICYMI: Conor McGregor might've given us the greatest promo of all-time. Even wrestling fans would approve… #MayMacWorldTour pic.twitter.com/1lvFE3lctF — FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 13, 2017

Tom Taylor - July 13, 2017

Over the last year or two, we’ve seen many aging legends of MMA return to the cage against younger, faster competition. The results of these fights have been varied, but the pre-fight outcries that the legend should be retiring instead of fighting are constant. On the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Rich Franklin – an MMA legend who has recently floated the possibility of a comeback – gave his take on when aging fighters should hang up the gloves. “I think you should hang ’em up when you get to a point where it’s detrimental to your wellbeing,” Franklin explained. “I used to speak to my coaches about that. My boxing coach, Rob, I used to be like ‘hey look man, you’re the most in tune with my speed and my reflexes and stuff like that. So let me know, be straight with me. If there comes a day where you’re like, ‘look bro, you’ve lost a step’, and it’s time to step down, tell me. We never had that conversation. Since I never had that conversation with a coach, in my mind, I still have what it takes to compete and do what I need to do. But every athlete is different. Some athletes, there body is more beat up, they’re a bit run down, they lose a step, their reflexes aren’t there. Whatever it may be, they’ve lost their chin… the list goes on and on. I think that each of those athletes needs to have somebody in their inner circle that can give an objective point of view and just be like ‘look man, it’s time.’ And they need to be able to listen to that person. But that’s on an athlete to athlete basis.”

Tom Taylor - July 13, 2017

Until recently, Ludwig Martial Arts – the academy operated by UFC veteran and renowned MMA coach Duane Ludwig – was a fairly exclusive club. That is no longer the case. The gifted instructor has now opened his doors to all fighters, and is hoping they’ll come from far and wide to learn what he has to teach. On the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Coach Duane Ludwig (who is credited in large part for TJ Dillashaw’s evolution into a championship-level fighter) explained the choice to open his academy’s doors to all fighters.

Tom Taylor - July 13, 2017

On July 29, UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will attempt to defend his title against Brazilian jiu jitsu wizard Demian Maia. To prepare for this difficult challenge, Woodley has been working with one of the best wrestlers in MMA, One Championship welterweight king Ben Askren. On the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Ben Askren broke down his recent work with Woodley.

Tom Taylor - July 13, 2017

Earlier this month, in an interview with MMAJunkie Radio, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin suggested he might consider ending his retirement if the right bout was offered to him. On the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Franklin elaborated on these comments, explaining that while they were blown a little out of proportion, he could be coaxed back into the fold if he found a potential matchup exciting enough. “I’ve not given that a lot of thought,” he said of a possible comeback. “I was asked in an interview if the door was 100% shut. This is a self-defeating statement, but I try to be a never say never kind of guy. And so, the exact statement I made was ‘a return is not probable but it is possible.’ I could be enticed with the right opponent. I don’t know who that would be, I would have to sit down and think about who’s active and who would make sense and all that.”

bjpenndotcom - July 13, 2017

Wednesday in Toronto, Canada, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and undefeated prizefighter Floyd Mayweather appeared onstage together for the second time following the first press conference stop in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Toronto stop was a much more intense one, with McGregor seemingly getting the feel for the boxing style press conference after admittedly being slightly confused by the format of Tuesday’s press conference prior to arrival.

bjpenndotcom - July 13, 2017

At the first stop of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor world tour in Los Angeles on Tuesday, top ranked UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson managed to work his way into the media section for the event. When Conor McGregor came out on-stage, ‘El Cucuy’ said Conor McGregor quickly noticed him as the only one wearing sunglasses indoors, but was quick to break eye contact. While McGregor of course was likely still adjusting to the very different boxing-style press conference as opposed to the usual UFC style press conference, Ferguson says there was no doubt that McGregor noticed him.