MMA News

bjpenndotcom - April 4, 2017

Last month, UFC superstar Conor McGregor made his first public appearance in the combat sporting world in quite some time. McGregor managed to remain out of the public eye throughout the course of reports emerging regarding his potential superfight with Floyd Mayweather.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2017

Not long ago, we learned that Conor McGregor training partner and world class jiu jitsu competitor Dillon Danis had signed with Bellator MMA. In the weeks since he signed with the organization, Danis has claimed to be the highest paid fighter on the Viacom-backed organization’s roster, and more recently, suggested that the organization’s upcoming pay-per-view “Bellator NYC” will be a flop if he’s not on the bill. All of this, despite the fact that he has never competed in MMA. “We’d have to talk [about me being on the Bellator NYC card],” Danis told MMAjunkie.com. “We’d have to talk numbers, we’d have to talk everything. Just enticement. Because at the end of the day, that pay-per-view is not going to sell unless I’m on it.”

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2017

Last month, in the main event of UFC 209, Stephen Thompson came up short in a rematch with welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, failing to capture the UFC welterweight crown in the process. Now exactly a month removed from this second battle with Woodley, Stephen Thompson deconstructed the fight with BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor. “Tyron was kind of very laid back in the fight,” Thompson said of what surprised him most about the rematch. “[He was] kind of slow. He was backing up a lot – well pretty much the whole fight – so it didn’t make for an entertaining fight. There was a lot of respect there [between us]. I want my next fight to be with someone who likes to push the pace. I think the fans would really enjoy a fight between myself and Carlos Condit or Nick Diaz.”

bjpenndotcom - April 4, 2017

Epic referee knockout During the Lebanese MuayThai Arab Championship Beirut Lebanon ! #referee #knockout #MuayThai #Cold #Ko #of #the #Night #Beirut #Lebanon #Arab #Championship #KOofthenight A post shared by Shogun Gym Lebanon 🇱🇧 (@teamshogunlb) on Apr 2, 2017 at 7:18am PDT

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2017

Late last month, UFC featherweight star Cris “Cyborg” Justino challenged former bantamweight champ and long-time rival Ronda Rousey to a showdown in the WWE ring. The featherweight did so on Twitter, after footage of her drilling pro wrestling maneuvers with wrestler Gabi Castrovinci surfaced on the web. See Cyborg’s original Tweet below:

bjpenndotcom - April 4, 2017

Throughout the course of 2017, conflicting reports continue to emerge regarding the status of a potential Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight. While reports have begun to slow down, McGregor himself recently revealed to media members at the Madison Square Garden that a fight between he & Mayweather was “very” close. In addition, the lightweight champ promised to shock the boxing world when he and Mayweather step into the ring together. In the meantime, UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has called for McGregor to relinquish his UFC championship if he intends to pursue a scrap with Floyd Mayweather. While McGregor of course likely will not vacate the lightweight title at the present time, his teammate Gunnar Nelson believes that McGregor may never return to the UFC. He spoke to ESPN:

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2017

https://youtu.be/WsPObJUQ_0g Former UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald, who is scheduled to make his Bellator debut against Paul Daley in London on May 19, is one of the best welterweights on earth. He’s also an advocate for a much more primal ruleset for the sport of mixed martial arts.

bjpenndotcom - April 4, 2017

UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov recently was forced to pull out of his scheduled UFC 209 interim lightweight title fight after he was hospitalized with issues regarding his liver. While there were conflicting reports regarding Nurmagomedov’s future, with teammate Luke Rockhold informing the media that Nurmagomedov was looking to return soon, while Nurmagomedov’s father reportedly was considering pushing his son to retire.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2017

Though Mackenzie Dern came up short on the mats last weekend, giving up a choke to three-time world champion Bia Mesquita in the absolute division of the IBJJF’s Rio Falls event, she remains one of the most talked-about names in the grappling world. Having gone 3-0 in the cage, she’s also emerging as one of the hottest prospects in mixed martial arts. While Dern’s recent focus has been on her Brazilian Jiu Jitsu roots, she is planning on a return to mixed martial arts competition at a to-be-determined date this summer. Contrary to recent statements and reports, however, her return to the cage will likely not mark her debut in the UFC’s Octagon. This news was first reported by BJPenn.com’s Tom Taylor, who spoke to Dern’s manager.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2017

var v = 'BJ%20Penn%20Signing%20Bout%20agreement%20for%20Dennis%20Siver%20Fight'; Late last month, we learned that former two-division UFC champ and bona fide MMA legend BJ Penn will be returning to the Octagon for a featherweight battle with Germany’s Dennis Siver. The fight will occur when the UFC touches Oklahoma City on June 25.

Tom Taylor - April 4, 2017

Cris “Cyborg” Justino, who has owned both the Strikeforce women’s featherweight title and the Invicta featherweight title, has long stood out as one of the best female fighters on the planet. As such, there has been a long-standing and widespread desire to see her test her mettle against the best female fighters in the UFC – particularly against Ronda Rousey, who enjoyed an incredible run of dominance as the UFC women’s bantamweight champion from early 2013 to late 2015. While the desire for a Cyborg vs. Rousey superfight was always present among fans, however, it was never made, as debates over the conditions of the fight – particularly the weight class it would occur in – served as an insurmountable hurdle.

Chris Taylor - April 3, 2017

PHOTO | First look at “The Axe Murderer” in Bellator MMA gloves Former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva will return to the cage this summer when he clashes with bitter rival Chael Sonnen at Madison Square Garden in the headlining bout of “Bellator NYC” on June 24.

Chris Taylor - April 3, 2017

Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone set for July in Las Vegas! A key welterweight scrap will take place this July in Las Vegas as ESPN’s Brett Okamoto just announced that former UFC welterweight title holder “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler will return to action against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 213.

Russell Ess - April 3, 2017

Many fans were upset when they heard the news that the UFC 209 interim lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson was canceled a day before the fight was supposed to take place. Numagodemov was admitted into a Las Vegas hospital hours before the weigh-ins were set to take place. According to the UFC’s statement that was released regarding the cancellation of the bout between Numagomedov and Ferguson, “Nurmagomedov was transported to Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center Thursday evening due to weight management medical issues.”

Russell Ess - April 3, 2017

“A lot of things make this fight intriguing but the reality is this — anybody who has ever seen Floyd Mayweather, he’s this big. Conor McGregor is huge.” This is what UFC President Dana White told FOX Sports about the size difference between undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2017

Last month, in the main event of UFC 209, Stephen Thompson – who fights under the nickname “Wonderboy” – came up short in his second bid to swipe the UFC welterweight title from champion Tyron Woodley. Though he was not without his moments in the fight, he ultimately surrendered a majority decision to the champ. On Monday afternoon, Thompson spoke with BJPenn.com’s own Chris Taylor to update on his recovery, when he hopes to return, and who he’d like to fight when he next steps into the Octagon.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2017

https://youtu.be/Qm0G265IJh4 MMA is a beautiful sport, but it can also be a dangerous one. Any long-time fan of the sport has witnessed dozens of gruesome injuries, ranging from nasty cuts, to broken legs, to busted toes and even fractured skulls. This, of course, is why ringside physicians and referees are so crucial to our sport. Their watchful eyes and diligent efforts are what keep the fighters we watch intact and healthy.

Tom Taylor - April 3, 2017

There is currently no bigger story in the world of combat sports than that of Conor McGregor‘s plans to challenge undefeated boxing great Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring. While this fight’s fruition is still far from a certainty, many members of the combat sports world are chiming in, giving their opinions on it. The latest to do so is our very own BJ Penn, who shared his thoughts on this possible boxing match in an interview with Chris Taylor. “I would think in a straight boxing match Floyd would have to have the advantage,” Penn said of this possible showdown. “But Connor is younger, bigger, and in his prime, and in combat sports all it takes is one punch. That’s the way I look at it.”