MMA News
ESPN+ set to raise subscription prices ahead of massive UFC pay-per-views
Curtis Calhoun - August 6, 2024
ESPN viewers will soon have to pay an increased price to watch upcoming UFC Fight Night events and pay-per-views. Disney, ESPN’s parent company, announced this week that the ESPN+ monthly subscription will increase from $10.99 to $11.99 in mid-October. The increase will officially launch on October 17th, nine days before UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway.
Umar Nurmagomedov soars up the UFC bantamweight ranks, Marlon Vera drops 3 spots
Susan Cox - August 6, 2024
Umar Nurmagomedov has soared up the UFC bantamweight ranks, with Marlon Vera dropping 3 spots. Just this past weekend, at UFC Abu Dhabi, saw a bantamweight battle between Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA) and Cory Sandhagen (17-5 MMA). The result was a unanimous decision victory for Nurmagomedov.
Magomed Ankalaev vents frustration after being passed over for title shot, vows to smash Aleksandar Rakic
Susan Cox - August 6, 2024
Magomed Ankalaev is venting frustration after being passed over for title shot, this while vowing to smash Aleksandar Rakic. The 32-year-old Ankalaev (18-1 MMA) is scheduled to fight Aleksandar Rakic (14-4 MMA) in a light heavyweight battle at UFC 308 which takes place on Saturday October 26th at the Etihad Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Belal Muhammad hopes Colby Covington can earn another title shot, but says all ‘Chaos’ has to do is find him in a Steakhouse
Harry Kettle - August 6, 2024
UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has said that he hopes to see Colby Covington earn another crack at the belt. As we know, Belal Muhammad captured the UFC welterweight title by defeating Leon Edwards. Since then, many have wondered who his first opponent is going to be as champ. Some think Edwards should get an immediate rematch, others believe it should be Kamaru Usman, and a lot of fans favor Shavkat Rakhmonov.
UFC CEO Dana White says Stipe Miocic is “100 percent” retiring after Jon Jones fight
Harry Kettle - August 6, 2024
UFC CEO Dana White seems to believe that Stipe Miocic will retire following his upcoming title showdown with Jon Jones. In the eyes of many, Stipe Miocic is the best UFC heavyweight of all-time. He’s beaten some of the biggest and best names in the sport including Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou, Fabricio Werdum and Junior dos Santos. Now, he’s expected to make his return to the Octagon later this year to battle Jon Jones.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 174 with Damon Jackson
Cole Shelton - August 6, 2024
The 174th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to preview UFC Vegas 95. We were supposed to be joined by Chris Gutierrez but his fight against Javid Basharat was announced to be off. So, we are only joined by UFC featherweight Damon Jackson (0:57).
Conor McGregor claims Khabib Nurmagomedov fled his country after terrorists from his gym committed an act of terror
Harry Kettle - August 6, 2024
Conor McGregor has made another startling accusation against Khabib Nurmagomedov as their feud continues. It’s been almost six years since we saw Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov square off. On that night, it was Khabib who was able to get the better of the Irishman in a gruelling battle. Ever since then, of course, fans have been waiting to see whether or not they’d ever have a rematch. Up to this point, it hasn’t happened.
Nong-O Hama vs. Kiamran Nabati added to ONE Friday Fights 81
BJPENN.COM Staff - August 6, 2024
ONE Friday Fights 81 has bolstered its bout lineup with a must-see bantamweight Muay Thai clash between Nong-O Hama and Kiamran Nabati. This Asia primetime event takes place live at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 27.
What's next for Umar Nurmagomedov and Cory Sandhagen after UFC Abu Dhabi?
Cole Shelton - August 5, 2024
The UFC was in Abu Dhabi, Dubai for a solid UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Night card on Saturday as the main event saw Umar Nurmagomedov take on Cory Sandhagen in a No. 1 contender bout at bantamweight. Heading into the bout, Nurmagomedov was looking for his first win over a ranked opponent in a bout that served as his first career UFC main event. ‘Young Eagle’ was returning to action following a decision win over Bekzat Almakhan back in March. Sandhagen, meanwhile, was riding a three-fight winning streak and was coming off a decision win over Rob Font last August.
Umar Nurmagomedov’s coach compares surging bantamweight’s career trajectory to Khabib
Curtis Calhoun - August 5, 2024
Umar Nurmagomedov’s head coach feels the undefeated bantamweight could amass a career similar to his UFC Hall of Fame cousin Khabib. Nurmagomedov defeated former interim UFC title challenger Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The victory propelled him to the top of the bantamweight division, and a likely title shot against the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili winner.
WATCH: Belal Muhammad shares heartfelt message to Palestinian children amidst ongoing Israel crisis
Curtis Calhoun - August 5, 2024
UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad sent a heartwarming message to the children of Palestine after winning the 170lb title. Muhammad defeated Leon Edwards by unanimous decision to cap off his remarkable path to the UFC welterweight title at UFC 304. He put on a largely dominant performance against Edwards, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
Chael Sonnen “Captivated” by Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov after latest UFC victory
Curtis Calhoun - August 5, 2024
UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen believes surging middleweight Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov could become one of the sport’s biggest stars. Magomedov passed his latest UFC test by unanimous decision over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC Abu Dhabi last weekend. He remains unbeaten in his MMA career and is 3-0 inside the UFC Octagon.
Conor McGregor unloads on Donald Trump for saying Khabib Nurmagomedov is his favorite fighter
Cole Shelton - August 5, 2024
Conor McGregor has taken aim at former United States President Donald Trump after he revealed Khabib Nurmagomedov as his favorite fighter. Trump has been an avid fan of MMA and the UFC for years and he usually attends a couple of events each year. On Monday, while doing Adin Ross’ live stream on Kick, Trump revealed Nurmagomedov is his favorite fighter of all time, which caught many by surprise.
Michael Chiesa reveals he would have retired from MMA had he lost to Tony Ferguson at UFC Abu Dhabi
Cole Shelton - August 5, 2024
Michael Chiesa says he would have retired had he lost to Tony Ferguson at UFC Abu Dhabi. Chiesa was fighting for the first time in over a year as he took on Ferguson, in a fight he was a sizeable favorite in. However, he was on a three-fight losing streak so there was pressure on him to get the win. Not only was Chiesa fighting to likely save his UFC job, but he says had he lost he would have hung up his gloves and retired. Luckily for Chiesa, he made quick work of Ferguson as he scored a first-round submission win.
TikTok star accuses Alex Pereira of rape during UFC 302 fight week
Curtis Calhoun - August 5, 2024
A TikTok star has accused UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira of sexually assaulting her at a New Jersey hotel. Meredith Brown, a TikTok user who has accumulated over 54,000 followers on the platform, posted a series of videos earlier this week accusing Pereira of rape. She claims the assault occurred at a hotel after she and a friend were originally invited for a night out with the UFC champ and an unnamed assistant.
WATCH | UFC heavyweight Ciryl Gane receives raucous ovation during appearance at 2024 Paris Olympics
Josh Evanoff - August 5, 2024
It appears that former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane is an absolute star in France. ‘Bon Gamin’ hasn’t competed since a fight against Serghei Spivac last September in Paris. The bout was Ciryl Gane’s first since coming up short in a bid for undisputed heavyweight gold in March against Jon Jones. However, back in his home country, the Frenchman handed the ‘Polar Bear’ a second-round knockout loss last year.
Jake Paul believes fight with Alex Pereira could sell 3 million pay-per-views: "This is a business at the end of the day"
Josh Evanoff - August 5, 2024
Jake Paul believes a boxing match with UFC champion Alex Pereira could break records. ‘The Problem Child’ is fresh off his return to the boxing ring last month in Florida. While Jake Paul was originally set to face Mike Tyson on July 20th, ‘Iron Mike’ was forced out due to health issues. As a result, the YouTuber-turned-boxer instead faced BKFC star Mike Perry. ‘Platinum’ was undefeated in the bare-knuckle ring heading into the matchup.
Sean O'Malley's coach responds to Merab Dvalishvili's recent threats: "Taking on me is not very smart"
Curtis Calhoun - August 5, 2024
The bad blood between Sean O’Malley, his coach, and Merab Dvalishvili is intensifying ahead of UFC 306 next month. O’Malley and Dvalishvili headline UFC 306 on September 14th in Las Vegas. The event is the first, and potentially only, UFC pay-per-view to take place at the Las Vegas Sphere.