MMA News
ONE Championship reveals historic 16-bout card featuring seven ONE World Title fights at ONE 173
BJPENN.COM Staff - October 14, 2025
Tokyo transforms into martial arts central command when ONE Championship delivers one of its most ambitious events. Seven world title fights headline a 16-bout spectacle spanning multiple combat disciplines. ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri takes over Ariake Arena on Sunday, November 16. The historic card showcases MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling with champions defending crowns while new kings will emerge throughout the evening.
Tengnueng Fairtex "ready to attack in every way" in ONE Friday Fights 129 main event
BJPENN.COM Staff - October 14, 2025
Weight class adjustments fuel Tengnueng Fairtex’s confidence heading into his most dangerous assignment. The Thai veteran believes dropping pounds unlocked the speed and power necessary to overcome youth and aggression. Tengnueng faces Tun Min Aung in a 165-pound Muay Thai main event at ONE Friday Fights 129 on Friday, October 17, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The 33-year-old Fairtex Training Center product seeks redemption after his knockout loss to Maksim Bakhtin at ONE Friday Fights 121 forced him to reconsider his fighting weight.
Kyle Nelson explains move back up to lightweight, plans to KO Matt Frevola early at UFC Vancouver
Cole Shelton - October 14, 2025
Kyle Nelson will be returning to lightweight at UFC Vancouver and is confident he will have success. Nelson has been campaigning to fight on any card in Canada, but he wasn’t on any of the Toronto, Montreal, or Edmonton cards recently. But he will get the chance to fight back home in Canada on Saturday at UFC Vancouver when he takes on Matt Frevola.
Ian Machado Garry refuses future fight with 'liar' Leon Edwards and cheers for Carlos Prates to 'spark him unconscious'
Curtis Calhoun - October 14, 2025
UFC welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry shut down a potential showdown with former teammate Leon Edwards after their upcoming fights. Top UFC welterweights Ian Machado Garry and Leon Edwards used to be training partners earlier in their careers, but things quickly turned messy after Garry left Edwards’s team.
Dominick Cruz announces new MMA podcast in latest venture after UFC retirement
Curtis Calhoun - October 14, 2025
Future UFC Hall of Famer Dominick Cruz will become the latest MMA legend to enter the podcasting world. Dominick Cruz is one of several prominent UFC stars to announce their retirements thus far in 2025. Ahead of his scheduled retirement fight at UFC Seattle in February, Cruz suffered another major injury, withdrawing from the event and retiring without rescheduling the fight booked against Rob Font.
Frankie Edgar explodes on 'shady' Bare Knuckle FC after abrupt debut cancelation
Curtis Calhoun - October 14, 2025
UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar doesn’t plan on collaborating with Bare Knuckle FC ever again. Former UFC champion Frankie Edgar was plotting a return to combat sports via bare-knuckle boxing. After retiring from MMA in 2022, Edgar entered the UFC Hall of Fame last year as one of the greatest fighters in the promotion’s history.
Boxing legend Paulie Malignaggi mocks MMA fans as 'not that intelligent' in latest dig at rival sport
Curtis Calhoun - October 14, 2025
Paulie Malignaggi didn’t hold back in expressing his opinion on Mixed Martial Arts fans. Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts are undoubtedly two of the most popular combat sports in the world today. While boxing has more of a history encapsulated with it than MMA, the UFC’s monstrous rise has garnered a larger audience than most boxing events.
Reinier de Ridder takes aim at 'sloppy' Brendan Allen ahead of UFC Vancouver main event
Cole Shelton - October 14, 2025
Reinier de Ridder plans to make a statement that he’s the worthy next middleweight title contender at UFC Vancouver. De Ridder is set to headline UFC Vancouver on Saturday against Brendan Allen in a pivotal fight at middleweight. Heading into the bout, de Ridder is a -210 favorite while the American is a +162 underdog on FanDuel.
UFC legend gives interesting reaction to Jose Aldo's UFC Rio retirement
Harry Kettle - October 14, 2025
UFC legend Daniel Cormier has given his thoughts on the recent retirement of Jose Aldo at UFC Rio. Earlier this year following his controversial loss to Aiemann Zahabi, Jose Aldo announced his retirement from mixed martial arts for the second time. While that happened back in May, the Brazilian legend was given a proper farewell this weekend at UFC Rio when he walked to the cage one last time before putting his gloves in the middle of the Octagon.
Alex Pereira believes Jon Jones is interested in UFC White House superfight
Harry Kettle - October 14, 2025
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira believes Jon Jones is still interested in battling him in a superfight. Ever since UFC 320, Alex Pereira has been the talk of the mixed martial arts world. He knocked out Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim his UFC light heavyweight championship, cementing his legacy as one of the most unique and intriguing fighters in the history of mixed martial arts – and combat sports as a whole.
Merab Dvalishvili isn't worried about burning out ahead of Petr Yan rematch at UFC 323
Harry Kettle - October 14, 2025
Merab Dvalishvili isn’t worried about burnout as he prepares to defend his UFC bantamweight championship once again. For the fourth time this year, Merab Dvalishvili has been booked to defend his UFC world title. He will do so against Petr Yan at UFC 323 in a rematch of their fascinating first encounter a few years back. On that occasion, Merab managed to get the win, pushing him closer to an eventual crack at the gold.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon embraces new role in life: "It's a father-and-son thing"
BJPENN.COM Staff - October 13, 2025
Fatherhood transformed Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s world beyond recognition. The Thai superstar discovered a new kind of battle built on patience rather than power. Rodtang faces Nong-O Hama for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Sunday, November 16, inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The 28-year-old megastar welcomes this title opportunity as he adjusts to life with his first child, a baby boy named Zlatan born in July 2025.
What's next for Charles Oliveira vs. Mateusz Gamrot after UFC Rio?
Cole Shelton - October 13, 2025
The UFC was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday for a solid UFC Rio Fight Night card. The main event saw Charles Oliveira taking on Mateusz Gamrot at lightweight. Entering the fight, Oliveira was coming off a KO loss to Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title. Gamrot, meanwhile, was coming off a decision win over L’udovit Klein.
Gable Steveson says it’s "not crazy" to potentially see him on White House card amid projected "very fast" UFC path
Dylan Bowker - October 13, 2025
Gable Steveson is admittedly early in his MMA career, but his broader combat sports pedigree could make him an intriguing potential addition to the UFC White House card. The man who won Olympic gold in wrestling, representing America, along with being a two-time winner of the Dan Hodge trophy as well as a pair of NCAA division I championship distinctions, is certainly more well-positioned for that kind of look than many 1-0 MMA fighters. Steveson recently won his mixed martial arts debut under the LFA banner just a matter of weeks ago and has his next combat sports contest lined up for close to the month’s end. When asked during an interview with Danny Segura if it was a crazy thought to think that perhaps the former NFL player could be added to that June 2026 UFC White House event, Steveson said [via MMA Junkie],
Serhiy Sidey comments after being forced out of UFC 322
Dylan Bowker - October 13, 2025
Serhiy Sidey is faced with a frustrating bump in the road as a major setback in his UFC 322 preparations has forced him to withdraw from the card. The pullout from his bantamweight bout with Malcolm Wellmaker has scrapped that particular pairing, but MMA Junkie has reported that the promotion is seeking a replacement for the undefeated Wellmaker. The Canadian combatant did not leave MMA fans scratching their heads for long as to why the withdrawal took place, and Sidey took to his social media to clarify some things. Addressing his Instagram followers that he is no longer a part of the consequential contest at Madison Square Garden, Sidey said,
Jan Blachowicz returns at final UFC PPV of 2025
Dylan Bowker - October 13, 2025
Jan Blachowicz will step into the cage one more time this calendar year and aims to show off that highly celebrated ‘Polish Power’ once more. To do that, the former UFC light heavyweight champion must get by a surging contender at 205 pounds in the UFC’s last pay-per-view offering of 2025. At UFC 323, Jan Blachowicz will battle Bogdan Guskov as the former looks to return to winning ways on December 6th. Blachowicz enters T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a winless stretch across his last three outings. The 42-year-old fought to a split draw with eventual UFC champion Magomed Ankalaev, dropped a controversial split decision to current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, and had a loss on points to the potential next challenger at 205 pounds, Carlos Ulberg.
Sean Brady's welterweight return set for UFC 322 vs. ferocious KO artist
Curtis Calhoun - October 13, 2025
UFC welterweight contender Sean Brady will face one of the division’s brightest young stars in hopes of securing a title shot. Sean Brady seemed destined for the next welterweight title shot against the Jack Della Maddalena/Islam Makhachev winner after his stoppage win over Leon Edwards earlier this year. But months after his career-best win at UFC London, Brady will face another top contender on the UFC 322 undercard.
Merab Dvalishvili shares prediction for Henry Cejudo vs. Payton Talbott at UFC 323
Cole Shelton - October 13, 2025
UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili expects Henry Cejudo to turn back the clock at UFC 323. Dvalishvili is set to headline the year-end pay-per-view card in a rematch against Petr Yan, while Cejudo will return against Payton Talbott on the card. It’s an intriguing fight as it’s a massive step-up in competition for Talbott, and Dvalishvili believes Cejudo will get his hand raised.