MMA News

Rumble Johnson
Gegard Mousasi

Anthony Johnson reportedly turned down fight with Gegard Mousasi for UFC 206

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

After news surfaced earlier this week that UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier had been forced out of his UFC 206 scrap with Anthony Johnson just two weeks before the fight due to torn adductor in his groin, the UFC began to search for a replacement opponent for ‘Rumble’. The process was guaranteed to be a difficult one, given that Johnson had not only defeated, but knocked out everyone in the top 5 of the UFC’s light heavyweight division.

ufc featherweight
Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor expected to be stripped of title, Pettis vs. Holloway to fight for interim belt

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

After period of much speculation, it has now been confirmed that UFC 206 will be headlined by an interim featherweight title fight between former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and top ranked featherweight Max Holloway. Ariel Helwani broke the story Friday evening, revealing that in the wake of Daniel Cormier withdrawing from his UFC 206 light heavyweight title scrap with Anthony Johnson, the UFC brass could be looking to make the co-main event fight between Pettis and Holloway for the interim featherweight belt.

Tim Kennedy
Tim Kennedy

Tim Kennedy offered to fight Anthony Johnson at UFC 206

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

This week, unfortunate news surfaced that UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier had been forced out of his UFC 206 main event scrap against Anthony Johnson with a groin injury. While Cormier was forced out of the fight, it was revealed shortly after that he intended to return to the Octagon in March. With Cormier’s withdrawal from the event, the UFC has been looking for a replacement opponent for Anthony Johnson, however given that Johnson has not only defeated, but knocked out, every fighter in the top 5 of the light heavyweight division, the promotion has been struggling to find him a replacement opponent.

Yoel Romero Michael Bisping
Yoel Romero

Luke Rockhold weighs-in on Michael Bisping vs. Yoel Romero

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

While November was set to be a month of potential #1 contender fights for the UFC’s middleweight division, former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold withdrew form his scheduled ‘UFC Fight Night: Melbourne’ fight with Jacare Souza this weekend, leading the UFC to make UFC 205’s Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero fight the middleweight #1 contender fight. Romero won the fight in impressive fashion, knocking Weidman out in the third round where the scorecards were tied 1-1. Brilliant fight IQ by Romero set up a perfect flying knee in the third round, knocking Weidman out and opening up a massive massive cut on the side of the former champion’s head.

Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor

John Kavanagh explains why Conor McGregor can defeat Tyron Woodley

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

With Conor McGregor currently reigning as a two-division UFC champion, the champ has expressed his desire to also potentially become the first ever three division UFC champion, and move up to welterweight to fight Tyron Woodley. In the wake of his historic UFC 205 win over Eddie Alvarez, McGregor toyed with the idea of moving up to 170 to go after Woodley’s welterweight championship. With that being said, McGregor of course is going to be sitting on the sidelines until his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, gives birth to their child in May.

ufc new york
Tyron Woodley

EXCLUSIVE | Stephen Thompson reflects on fight with Tyron Woodley

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

Earlier this month, top ranked welterweight contender Stephen Thompson stepped into the Octagon with welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 205 for a highly anticipated showdown. The fight was an extremely close one, with many scoring the fight three rounds to two in Thompson’s favor, but giving Woodley a 10-8 round in the fourth round. This ultimately led to the fight being scored a majority draw, with Woodley retaining his welterweight championship.

Demian Maia

Demian Maia doubtful Conor McGregor will move up to 170

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

Leading up to Conor McGregor’s UFC 205 scrap with Eddie Alvarez earlier this month at UFC 205, the featherweight champ was involved in quite a few backstage incidents with welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. To kick off fight week, both men appeared alongside several other of the fighters from the historic card for the UFC 205 press conference. During the course of the event, McGregor stole Eddie Alvarez’ lightweight championship, stirring up quite a bit of controversy. Following the stunt, McGregor proclaimed that he was coming for all the belts on the stage, which included Tyron Woodley’s welterweight championship.

ufc featherweight
Max Holloway

REPORT: Anthony Pettis vs. Max Holloway could be for interim featherweight belt

bjpenndotcom - November 26, 2016

Friday afternoon, unfortunate news surfaced that UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier had been forced out of his upcoming UFC 206 scrap with Anthony Johnson on December 10th in Toronto. Cormier’s withdrawal was unexpected, but fortunately will not keep the champ sidelined for too long, as details have emerged on the situation, revealing that ‘DC’ is targeting a March return to the Octagon. With Cormier now off the card, there has been speculation as to what the UFC will do to compensate for the lack of a title fight in the main event of the Pay-Per View card despite the fact that the promotion is currently looking for a replacement opponent for Johnson.

Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier

New details emerge on Daniel Cormier's injury & return

bjpenndotcom - November 25, 2016

Friday afternoon, the MMA community received some unfortunate news, that UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier had been forced out of his upcoming UFC 206 scrap with Anthony Johnson on December 10th in Toronto, Canada. The fight was set to be Cormier’s second title defense since winning the belt in May of 2015, when he defeated Johnson via 3rd round submission. While the fight was initially supposed to be between Jon Jones and Anthony Johnson, Jones was stripped of the light heavyweight championship and suspended as the result of a hit-and-run incident in April of 2015.

Ben Rothwell
Junior dos Santos

Junior Dos Santos' polite callout of Stipe Miocic gets a savage response from Ben Rothwell

Tom Taylor - November 25, 2016

Yesterday afternoon, former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos issued one of the most courteous callouts in UFC history. The recipient of this callout was current heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who he defeated with a narrow decision back in late 2014. If Dos Santos gets his way, this rematch with the reigning champ will occur at UFC 209 in Brooklyn in February. Hey @stipemiocicufc enjoy Thanksgiving in ur new home- hope it's filled w great food & friends. Let's fight after the holidays?Brooklyn? LMK

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov

VIDEO | Khabib Nurmagomedov on Conor McGregor bout: 'I want to take him down, speak with him, slap him'

Russell Ess - November 25, 2016

The #1 UFC ranked lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov does not care who he fights next. The only thing that is important to the undefeated Russian fighter is that he fights for the UFC lightweight title next.

Daniel Cormier

MMA community reacts to Daniel Cormier's withdrawal from UFC 206

bjpenndotcom - November 25, 2016

Friday morning, news surfaced that UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier had been forced to withdraw from his highly anticipated UFC 206 showdown with Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson on December 10th in Toronto, Canada. The fight was set to be a rematch from UFC 187 in 2015, where Cormier defeated Johnson to win the vacant light heavyweight championship. Johnson was initially slated to fight Jon Jones on the card, however Jones was involved in an infamous hit-and-run incident that saw him suspended and stripped of the title, ultimately leading the UFC to booking Cormier vs. Johnson for the vacant light heavyweight championship.

Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier issues an apology to Anthony Johnson after pulling out of their UFC 206 title fight

Russell Ess - November 25, 2016

Fans were surely disappointed to find out on Friday that UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has been forced out of his UFC 206 title defense due to an injury. MMA Fighting first reported the news that Cormier pulled out of the UFC 206 main event where he was slated to take on #1 UFC ranked light heavyweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in a five-round championship rematch.

Cris Cyborg Justino
Miesha Tate

Cris Cyborg confident Miesha Tate will not retire

bjpenndotcom - November 25, 2016

Back at UFC 205, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate suffered a unanimous decision loss to Raquel Pennington on the main card of the historic event. For Tate, the loss made it two in a row following her UFC 200 loss to Amanda Nunes, where she lost the women’s bantamweight championship in the very first round after being rocked and then submitted with a rear naked choke. Following the loss against Pennington at UFC 205, Tate was quick to announce her retirement from the sport during her post-fight Octagon interview, saying:

Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier

Is the UFC cursed in 2016? These alarming stats suggest it might be.

Tom Taylor - November 25, 2016

The injury bug…It’s the sworn enemy of the UFC’s matchmaking team, and the scourge of fight fans everywhere. This voracious pest seems to rob us of an anticipated matchup at least once a week, and today, the trend continued. This time, the injury bug scuttled through our nets to take a massive chomp out of the UFC 206 lineup, as light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier was forced out of his main event showdown with top contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

Daniel Cormier Anthony Johnson
Daniel Cormier

Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson gives statement following news of Daniel Cormier pulling out of their UFC 206 title fight

Russell Ess - November 25, 2016

Unfortunate news hit the MMA community on Friday when it was revealed that the UFC 206 main event title fight between UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and challenger Anthony Johnson was canceled. MMA Fighting was the first to report that Cormier was forced to pull out of the five-round title fight against #1 UFC ranked light heavyweight Athony Johnson due to suffering an injury.

Conor McGregor coat
Conor McGregor

NFL stars do Conor McGregor's 'Billionaire Strut'

Tom Taylor - November 25, 2016

Ireland’s Conor McGregor, who now holds the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles, is a bona fide superstar. His tremendous blend of bravado and talent have helped him break dozens of UFC records and surpass other names like Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and others to become the biggest star the sport of MMA has ever produced. The latest examples of McGregor’s transcendent fame occurred on the fields of the National Football League, where several football stars were seen doing McGregor’s famous “billionaire strut,” also referred to as the “billy strut” or “power walk.” Though it was admittedly WWE president Vince McMahon who created this strut, McGregor can undeniably be credited with its mainstream popularity.

Stephen Thompson discusses Tyron Woodley
Conor McGregor

Stephen Thompson cautions Conor McGregor on moving to 170

bjpenndotcom - November 25, 2016

Throughout the course of fight week leading up to UFC 205, where Conor McGregor was slated to fight Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight championship, McGregor was involved in several backstage altercations with UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. The first incident, which set the stage for the rest of the pair’s run-ins throughout the week came at the UFC 205 press conference, where McGregor stated that he was coming for all the belts on the table, which included Woodley’s welterweight championship.