MMA News
Alexander Volkanovski shuts down talks of fighting Diego Lopes
Cole Shelton - November 21, 2024
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has shut down talks of him fighting Diego Lopes. Lopes has called out Volkanovski and has expressed interest in fighting him for an interim title or a No. 1 contender. However, Volkanovski says he has no interest as he’s focused on fighting Ilia Topuria for the belt.
Ian Machado Garry opens up on UFC 310 showdown against Shavkat Rakhmonov: "Undefeated vs. Undefeated"
Josh Evanoff - November 21, 2024
Ian Machado Garry can’t wait to lock horns with Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310. ‘The Future’ hasn’t been seen in the octagon since a unanimous decision victory over Michael Page in June. The win was Ian Machado Garry’s biggest of his career thus far and moved him to a stellar 15-0 inside the cage. Following the victory, the Irishman called for a showdown with fellow unbeaten contender, Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Gable Steveson opens up on MMA future after training with Jon Jones: "That put a major spark in me"
Josh Evanoff - November 21, 2024
Former Olympic wrestler Gable Steveson believes MMA is likely in his future. The Minnesota wrestler is in a bit of a strange place in his career. After winning gold at the 2020 Summer Games, Gable Steveson instantly became a star. The 24-year-old quickly signed a deal to join the WWE, bypassing offers from the likes of UFC and Bellator. Sadly for Steveson, professional wrestling wasn’t the right fit.
Tom Aspinall confirms negotiations are underway for his UFC return: "We're just waiting on a date"
Josh Evanoff - November 21, 2024
Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is in discussions for his return. The British fighter is fresh off his trip to New York City for UFC 309. Back for the first time since knocking out Curtis Blaydes in an interim title defense in July, Tom Aspinall served as the backup fighter for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic. However, his services weren’t needed. ‘Bones’ ultimately scored a third-round knockout win on Saturday.
Surging UFC contender says he's closer than ever to Alex Pereira's light heavyweight championship
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 21, 2024
One rising UFC light heavyweight believes he’ll be challenging for the 205-pound gold sooner rather than later. The current king of the 205-pound division is Alex Pereira. His last outing was a successful title defense against Khalil Rountree via fourth-round TKO. Many expect Pereira’s next title defense to be against Magomed Ankalaev at some point in 2025.
Jorge Masvidal thinks Conor McGregor has ducked him for years: 'He’s never mentioned my name because he knows I’ll rip his head off'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 21, 2024
Jorge Masvidal has a stern message for Conor McGregor. “Gamebred” has been making the media rounds pounding the table for bouts with McGregor and Leon Edwards. Masvidal has claimed he will be returning to the UFC and wants to show the world he’s still a viable welterweight.
Michael Chandler names two potential opponents if Conor McGregor isn't available: 'That's another banger'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 21, 2024
Michael Chandler has name-dropped two potential opponents not named Conor McGregor following UFC 309. Chandler recently shared the Octagon with Charles Oliveira in a rematch. Oliveira stopped Chandler to capture the UFC Lightweight Championship back in 2021. The rematch took place inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, and it was “do Bronx” who once again scored the win, this time via unanimous decision despite a late scare.
Michael Chandler reveals Charles Oliveira rematch left him in the most pain in his career: "Most injuries I’ve ever had in a fight"
Cole Shelton - November 20, 2024
Michael Chandler says he’s never been in more pain after a fight than he was after UFC 309. Chandler ended his two-year-long layoff on Saturday in a rematch against Charles Oliveira. He suffered a five-round decision loss but wasn’t dropped or knocked down at all in the fight. However, he says he still left that fight with more injuries and more pain than he’s ever had before.
Khalil Rountree reveals he went blind during UFC 307 title loss to Alex Pereira: "I couldn't see anything"
Josh Evanoff - November 20, 2024
UFC light-heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree is reflecting on his war with Alex Pereira. ‘The War Horse’ got one of the most unexpected title shots in October. Riding a five-fight win streak punctuated by a knockout of Anthony Smith last year, Khalil Rountree got a shot at Alex Pereira. For his part, ‘Poatan’ was fresh off a second-round knockout win over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 in late June.
Daniel Cormier responds to Bo Nickal's criticism of UFC 309 commentary: "There's room for improvement!"
Josh Evanoff - November 20, 2024
UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has responded to Bo Nickal’s recent comments. ‘DC’ was in the broadcast booth for the massive UFC 309 card in New York City over the weekend. On the main card, Bo Nickal returned to the octagon for the first time since a submission win over Cody Brundage in April. There, the former NCAA champion met Paul Craig, in the biggest test of his career thus far.
Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders added to UFC 310 in December following sudden fight cancelation
Josh Evanoff - November 20, 2024
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman will meet Eryk Anders next month. ‘The All-American’ hasn’t been seen in the cage since a controversial April win over Bruno Silva. Despite the Brazilian’s post-fight appeal citing several eyepokes from Chris Weidman, the former UFC champion emerged with a technical decision win. Following the victory, he booked a fight with longtime middleweight Eryk Anders.
Bellator announces Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes for "Dagestan vs. Ireland 2" card in Dubai
Josh Evanoff - November 20, 2024
Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will meet Paul Hughes in Dubai. ‘Big News’ is fresh off his return to the PFL cage last month in Saudi Arabia. There, Paul Hughes met former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee in a lightweight title eliminator. ‘Mercenary’ was considered the Irishman’s biggest test of his career, and he passed the test with flying colors.
Rashad Evans reveals planned boxing match with Rampage Jackson in 2025: 'I’ve jumped into training camp'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 20, 2024
UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans has revealed a boxing match with his old rival is being worked on. Fight fans who were glued to their screens during Evans’ heated feud with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson won’t soon forget their barbs on “The Ultimate Fighter.” The two collided in the main event of UFC 114 back in May 2010, and it was “Suga” who scored the unanimous decision victory.
Petr Yan plans to skip over Umar Nurmagomedov for UFC bantamweight title shot if he wins at UFC Macau
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 20, 2024
Petr Yan feels he can get another crack at UFC gold with a win over Deiveson Figueiredo. Yan and Figueiredo will collide in the main event of UFC Macau this Saturday. Both men are former UFC champions and remain strong contenders. For Figueiredo, he’s hoping to become a two-division UFC titleholder. He’s already captured flyweight gold in the past.
"Reug Reug" Oumar Kane receives homecoming parade in Senegal
BJPENN.COM Staff - November 20, 2024
ONE Heavyweight MMA World Champion “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane wasn’t kidding when he said he had a nation behind him. And that was on show when he returned to his home country this past week. Kane fought off now two-weight ONE MMA World Champion Anatoly Malykhin in the main event of ONE 169 on Friday, November 9. In doing so, he became the newly minted heavyweight king inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Francis Ngannou admits he was bothered by Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: 'It just hurt me to see Mike there in that situation'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 20, 2024
Francis Ngannou admits he didn’t like seeing a 58-year-old Mike Tyson vulnerable against a far younger Jake Paul. Many fans and analysts had concerns going into the boxing match between “Iron” Mike and “The Problem Child.” After all, Paul is a 27-year-old and despite not being the most seasoned or credible boxer, he does have some pop in his punches. Ultimately, the fight took place inside AT&T Stadium and Paul won the bout via unanimous decision.
Alex Pereira reacts after being bumped by Jon Jones in latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings update
Harry Kettle - November 19, 2024
Alex Pereira has given his thoughts on being bumped into the #3 slot by Jon Jones on the latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings. If there’s one thing we know to be true about Alex Pereira, it’s that he’s a pretty chilled out guy. In equal measure, he’s also one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. He has already achieved some great things in combat sports, and in the world of mixed martial arts, he has established himself as a genuine superstar over the course of the last few years.
Denice Zamboanga, Alyona Rassohnya set for Interim Atomweight World Title fight
BJPENN.COM Staff - November 19, 2024
ONE Championship is kicking off 2025 with a double main event on Friday, January 10, at ONE Fight Night 27: Tang vs. Abdullaev. There, ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai defends his crown against Akbar Abdullaev in the headline attraction. But the co-main event sees #2-ranked Denice Zamboanga and #4-ranked Alyona Rassohnya vie for the ONE Interim Atomweight MMA World Title inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.