MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 13, 2025

Championship warfare awaits when Japan’s newly crowned flyweight king defends his throne against a fellow divisional ruler seeking two-division glory. Yuya Wakamatsu has already visualized exactly how his first title defense ends in Tokyo. The 30-year-old champion battles Joshua Pacio for the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, November 16, inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. The Japanese titleholder makes his first championship defense against the reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion.

Curtis Calhoun - November 13, 2025

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen named Leon Edwards the best fighter on the roster despite a two-fight skid entering UFC 322. UFC 322 is just hours away at Madison Square Garden, headlined by a welterweight title matchup between champion Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev. The UFC 322 co-main event features a super fight between UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and longtime strawweight titleholder Zhang Weili.

Curtis Calhoun - November 13, 2025

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland backed Brandon Royval’s viral rant about fighting at The White House. Former UFC flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval made headlines earlier this week during an appearance on the In The Arena MMA podcast.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 13, 2025

Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn’t been seen in action in a while, and a reigning UFC champion thinks the welterweight division is moving on. There was a time when many thought Rakhmonov would be a lock for a run with the 170-pound title, but now there are questions about his fighting future. He hasn’t competed since late 2024 when he defeated Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 13, 2025

Jack Della Maddalena has gotten some pointers from a current champion before UFC 322. Maddalena will be defending the UFC Welterweight Championship against Islam Makhachev on Saturday. The two will clash inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’ll be Maddalena’s first fight since winning the 170-pound gold from Belal Muhammad back in May.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - November 13, 2025

A surging welterweight has revealed what he expects from Leon Edwards at UFC 322. Edwards is scheduled to share the Octagon with Carlos Prates in New York City on Saturday. Many believe it could be “Rocky’s” final chance to prove he still has some juice left in the tank following two one-sided losses.

Harry Kettle - November 13, 2025

UFC prospect Bo Nickal has given his thoughts on those who have criticized him since his loss to Reinier de Ridder. For a while after entering the promotion, Bo Nickal was seen by many as the next big thing. Sure, some wondered just how far he could go, but his amateur wrestling background alone was enough to intrigue the masses and keep them invested in what he was going to do next. However, after his one-sided loss at the hands of Reinier de Ridder, a lot of people have been quick to go after Bo on social media and in interviews.

Harry Kettle - November 13, 2025

Former UFC champion Leon Edwards isn’t too concerned about fans overlooking him heading into UFC 322 this weekend. As we know, Leon Edwards is set to face a pretty big challenge at UFC 322 when he collides with rising welterweight contender Carlos Prates. It’s the first time in many years that he’s gone head to head with a striker as opposed to a wrestler, and given that he’s riding a two-fight win streak, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 13, 2025

Chaos awaits when two knockout artists refuse to take backward steps. Takeru Segawa thrives in exchanges inside the pocket, and Denis Puric built his reputation on standing toe-to-toe with the world’s most dangerous strikers. The 34-year-old Japanese icon battles Denis Puric in flyweight kickboxing action at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, November 16, inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. The #2-ranked contender returns to his home crowd desperate for victory after consecutive setbacks against Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Cole Shelton - November 13, 2025

In the co-main event of UFC 322, the women’s flyweight title is up for grabs as Valentina Shevchenko defends her belt against Zhang Weili, who’s moving up in weight. Heading into the bout, Shevchenko is a -128 favorite, while the challenger is a +100 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get the predictions for the women’s flyweight title fight at UFC 322. The pros like the underdog in Zhang to pull off the upset and become a two-division champion.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 12, 2025

Desperate circumstances breed dangerous collisions. Takeru Segawa carries the sting of his shocking first-round knockout loss to Rodtang Jitmuangnon into hostile territory against a battle-tested veteran hungry to prove age means nothing. The 34-year-old Japanese striking icon battles Denis Puric in flyweight kickboxing action at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri. The action goes down on Sunday, November 16, inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. The #2-ranked contender hasn’t tasted victory on home soil in nearly five years following his narrow defeat to Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE 165.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 12, 2025

Myanmar’s greatest sports hero closes his legendary journey with the ultimate recognition. Aung La N Sang sacrificed two decades building a legacy that transcended personal glory to inspire an entire nation through martial arts excellence. The 40-year-old former two-division ONE MMA World Champion receives his ONE Championship Hall of Fame induction at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, November 16, inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. He joins Demetrious Johnson and Bibiano Fernandes as the third fighter honored with this rare distinction. He closed his career with a second-round TKO of Zebaztian Kadestam at ONE Fight Night 36 in October.

Cole Shelton - November 12, 2025

Leon Edwards has fired back at Carlos Prates over his recent comments ahead of UFC 322. Edwards and Prates are set to fight in a pivotal fight at welterweight on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Heading into the bout, Prates is the betting favorite, and he claimed that it is due to the fact that Edwards is past his prime.

Curtis Calhoun - November 12, 2025

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman made a surprising admission ahead of the UFC 322 welterweight title main event. Islam Makhachev is days away from potentially becoming the UFC’s latest two-division champion as he prepares to face Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC 322 main event. Maddalena will make his first welterweight title defense against Makhachev in one of the biggest fights of the year.

Curtis Calhoun - November 12, 2025

Jon Jones made a strong case for Dana White to change his mind on a potential inclusion on the upcoming White House card. Former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’s abrupt retirement earlier this year remains one of the biggest MMA headlines of 2025. After months of negotiations with the UFC to fight Tom Aspinall, Jones opted to walk away from the fight, vacating the heavyweight title and ending his title reign.

Cole Shelton - November 12, 2025

Carlos Prates believes Leon Edwards is done as a true contender at welterweight. Prates is set to take on Edwards in a pivotal fight at welterweight on the main card of UFC 322. The winner of the fight will be right in the title picture, and Prates is confident that it will be him.

Curtis Calhoun - November 12, 2025

Jake Paul and former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua are reportedly weeks away from a collision course in the ring. Jake Paul was supposed to face longtime lightweight boxing champion Gervonta Davis in a highly anticipated main event next month. Just weeks before the fight, it was announced that the bout was canceled amidst Davis’s ongoing legal troubles surrounding alleged domestic violence.

Dylan Bowker - November 12, 2025

Chael Sonnen did not mince words when talking about the blockbuster viability that Ronda Rousey was said to have had in her career as an active fighter. During an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Sonnen delved into discussing the former UFC bantamweight champion and called into question the purported elements of just how popular a star the MMA promotion claimed she was in her heyday.