MMA News
Conor McGregor trolls Belal Muhammad over lack of UFC knockdowns
Curtis Calhoun - May 29, 2024
Conor McGregor targeted UFC welterweight contender Belal Muhammad in his latest Twitter outburst. McGregor will make his long-awaited return to the UFC Octagon when he faces Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29. He returns to the cage nearly three full years since shattering his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
WATCH | Paulo Costa throws out historically bad first pitch at New York Mets game before UFC 302
Cole Shelton - May 29, 2024
UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa had a historically bad first pitch at the New York Mets game before UFC 302. Costa is set to face Sean Strickland in a five-round co-main event fight in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night. In the lead up to the fight, the Brazilian spent the day at the New York Mets game as he threw out the first pitch and it did not go well.
Sean Strickland rips “F***** Woman” Tom Brady over post-Netflix roast remarks
Curtis Calhoun - May 29, 2024
Sean Strickland didn’t tune in to watch The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix, but he didn’t appreciate how Tom Brady handled himself in the event’s aftermath. Strickland will face former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa in the UFC 302 co-main event this Saturday in Newark. The two middleweights will clash in a potential No. 1 contender fight in a five-round matchup.
Kevin Holland reacts to Joaquin Buckley's recent heel turn, GSP fight comments
Curtis Calhoun - May 29, 2024
Kevin Holland scolded former UFC middleweight foe Joaquin Buckley for his recent declaration that he would beat a prime Georges St-Pierre. Holland will move back up to middleweight for a short-notice clash with Michał Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302 on Saturday. He returns to the Octagon and the middleweight division after a loss to Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC 299 in March.
REPORT | Nick Diaz pushed for UFC 300 fight against Colby Covington before booking Abu Dhabi return
Josh Evanoff - May 29, 2024
Nick Diaz wanted many different opponents before settling on a fight with Vicente Luque at UFC Abu Dhabi. Earlier today, Dana White announced that the former Strikeforce champion would be returning in August. For Nick Diaz, the fight will mark his first since a third-round stoppage loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in September 2021. That bout ended a nearly seven-year hiatus from the sport for the former titleholder.
UFC 302 | Pro fighters make their picks for Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier title fight
Cole Shelton - May 29, 2024
In the main event of UFC 302, the lightweight title is up for grabs as Islam Makhachev looks to defend his belt against Dustin Poirier. Heading into the fight, Makhachev is a sizeable -620 favorite while ‘The Diamond’ is a +400 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to make their picks for the lightweight title fight. The majority of pros are rooting for Poirier to get the job done and become the champ, but they do believe Makhachev will be too much for him.
Sean Strickland explains how detaching from MMA helped change the course of his UFC career: 'I didn't want to lose any validation'
Curtis Calhoun - May 29, 2024
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland made a mental switch earlier in his career that has led to his surge into a star. Strickland will face former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa in the UFC 302 co-main event on Saturday in Newark. He returns to fight in a five-round clash after losing the middleweight belt to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 earlier this year.
Islam Makhachev invites Charles Oliveira to join his camp for wrestling lessons ahead of potential Colby Covington showdown
Curtis Calhoun - May 29, 2024
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev wants to help Charles Oliveira deal with Colby Covington and other elite wrestlers. Makhachev will face Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event this Saturday in Newark. He returns to defend the undisputed UFC lightweight title after back-to-back wins against Alexander Volkanovski in 2023.
Jack Della Maddalena forced to delay UFC return due to post-surgery infection: "I won't be competing in Perth"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 29, 2024
Jack Della Maddalena hoped to be a part of the UFC 305 card in Perth, but post-surgery complications have derailed that plan. Maddalena competed back in March at UFC 299, and while he scored a knockout win over Gilbert Burns he did not walk away unscathed. The Australian bruiser had to undergo surgery on his arm.
Nick Diaz returns, UFC Abu Dhabi main card revealed featuring Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 29, 2024
Nick Diaz is back and he will be a part of a stacked UFC Abu Dhabi card. UFC CEO Dana White had his matchmakers cooking up a card for UFC Abu Dhabi, and they have delivered in terms of name recognition. The UFC boss has announced that Stockton’s own Nick Diaz is back and will be taking on Vicente Luque in a bout scheduled for five rounds on August 5th. Diaz hasn’t been seen inside the Octagon since his rematch with fellow MMA legend “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler back in September 2021.
Blake Cooper promises to spoil Kade Ruotolo’s MMA debut at ONE 167
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 29, 2024
Blake Cooper wants to ensure that Kade Ruotolo’s MMA debut is far from the triumphant moment many are expecting. Both men face each other in a lightweight MMA clash at ONE 167 on Prime Video. This U.S. primetime event emanates live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.
Former UFC champ Henry Cejudo responds to challenge from Song Yadong: “I’ll make you a limp Dong”
Harry Kettle - May 29, 2024
UFC star Henry Cejudo has responded to a challenge issued to him by fellow bantamweight contender Song Yadong. We all know that Henry Cejudo is a legend in combat sports. In addition to his Olympic wrestling gold medal, he’s also a two-weight world champion in the UFC. However, since returning from retirement, he hasn’t been able to find any consistency in the Octagon.
Video | Craig Jones dumps $1 million on Joe Rogan’s desk for special invitational event
Harry Kettle - May 29, 2024
BJJ sensation Craig Jones dumped $1 million on the desk of Joe Rogan during their podcast earlier this week. As many of you will know, Craig Jones is quite the superstar in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He’s an elite competitor and a two-time silver medalist at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) tournament, however, he won’t be competing there in 2024. That’s because he’ll be hosting the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) across similar dates in August, with his aim being to raise compensation for competing athletes.
Brendan Schaub reacts after Ronda Rousey suggests fear of being “booed” has stopped her from attending UFC events: “No one’s going to be mean to you”
Harry Kettle - May 29, 2024
Brendan Schaub has given ex-girlfriend Ronda Rousey some advice regarding her current attitude towards mixed martial arts. As we know, Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest stars in the history of mixed martial arts. At the same time, she’s also one of the most controversial figures in the recent history of the sport.
Antonio Mammarella aims to elevate career to new heights at ONE 167
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 29, 2024
Antonio Mammarella finds himself standing at the precipice of a career-defining moment. The 24-year-old prospect hopes to leave a mark on the global stage when he makes his ONE Championship debut in U.S. primetime on June 7.
Alex Morono eyes KO win over Niko Price at UFC 302 to avenge 2017 loss: "Going to be a fun fight"
Cole Shelton - May 28, 2024
Alex Morono jumped at the chance to rematch Niko Price at UFC 302. After Morono defeated Court McGee in April, he returned to the gym to prepare for any short-notice fight that came up. Shortly after his win, Jeremiah Wells fell out of his fight against Price and Morono called the UFC to get his rematch.
Islam Makhachev claims Arman Tsarukyan "should thank" him for jumpstarting his UFC career
Curtis Calhoun - May 28, 2024
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev feels partially responsible for Arman Tsarukyan’s success inside the Octagon. Makhachev will face Dustin Poirier in his next UFC lightweight title defense at UFC 302 this Saturday in Newark. He returns after defeating Alexander Volkanovski in back-to-back fights in 2023.
Dustin Poirier's coach admits he's the "most stressful" fighter to corner ahead of UFC 302 return
Curtis Calhoun - May 28, 2024
Dustin Poirier’s head coach admits that the former UFC interim lightweight champion is a hard athlete to coach mid-fight. Poirier will face UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the UFC 302 main event this Saturday in Newark. This is Poirier’s third lineal lightweight title shot after losses to Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov.