MMA News
REPORT | Oleksandr Usyk added to the cast of 'The Smashing Machine' starring The Rock
Josh Evanoff - May 23, 2024
Fresh off his victory over Tyson Fury in the boxing ring, Oleksandr Usyk will be taking his talents to the big screen. ‘The Cat’ is fresh off his return to Saudi Arabia over the weekend. There, Oleksandr Usyk met Lineal and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The two boxers battled to crown the division’s first undisputed champion in two decades, and it was a fight for the ages. After 12 rounds of action, Usyk earned a split-decision victory.
UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans pitches Rampage Jackson rematch on 14th anniversary of their UFC clash: "Run it back?"
Curtis Calhoun - May 23, 2024
Former UFC light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson could be on another collision course. Evans and Jackson clashed in what at the time was one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history at UFC 114. Their three-round headliner went the distance, with Evans earning a unanimous decision victory.
PFL releases Gegard Mousasi after he threatens to sue the promotion
Cole Shelton - May 23, 2024
The PFL has released former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi. The promotion sent out a release announcing they have released Mousasi from his contract, just one day after he voiced his complaints with the promotion.
Jiří Procházka enters 3-day isolation without food, electricity ahead of UFC return
Curtis Calhoun - May 23, 2024
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka will fast and be without electricity for three days to focus on training for his next fight. Procházka got back in the win column with a come-from-behind victory over Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 300. The win came five months after falling to Alex Pereira for the then-vacant UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November.
Kamaru Usman doesn't understand why Colby Covington isn't fighting Ian Machado Garry: "That had a lot of steam on it"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 23, 2024
Kamaru Usman can’t grasp why a fight hasn’t been made between Colby Covington and Ian Machado Garry. Covington and Garry are two outspoken UFC welterweights who have gone back-and-forth on social media. Covington has taken personal shots at Garry and his wife. “The Future” has challenged Covington publicly, but “Chaos” insists that Garry isn’t serious about sharing the Octagon with him.
PFL's Donn Davis uses NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant to diss UFC contender Kayla Harrison
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 23, 2024
PFL owner Donn Davis has reacted to Kayla Harrison leaving his promotion in favor of UFC. Harrison made her UFC debut a successful one by submitting former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the second round. Harrison was on a big stage for her promotional debut at UFC 300, but she passed her first test with flying colors. Harrison was widely praised for her performance and many are wondering how much longer it’ll be before she challenges for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.
Stamp out: Grandjean steps in to face Zamboanga at ONE 167
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 23, 2024
Denice Zamboanga will remain on the ONE 167 on Prime Video card after all, securing a short-notice opponent in Noelle Grandjean. Both square off against each other in a women’s atomweight MMA clash, airing live in U.S. primetime from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.
Belal Muhammad roasts Leon Edwards following footage of training video mishap
Harry Kettle - May 23, 2024
UFC contender Belal Muhammad has roasted Leon Edwards following footage of his recent training mishap. As we now know, Belal Muhammad will challenge Leon Edwards for the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 304. Their showdown will come after years of animosity between the two, dating back to that now-infamous eye poke in their first meeting.
New UFC broadcast deal could result in “free” pay-per-view events
Harry Kettle - May 23, 2024
TKO Group Holdings president Mark Shapiro has teased the idea of UFC’s entire pay-per-view package being included in a broadcasting deal. Right now, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is on fire. From their ESPN deal to selling out arenas across the globe, the promotion is doing some incredible work. Of course, in an industry like this, it’s always important to look ahead to the future.
Paddy Pimblett takes aim at “proper tool” Bobby Green: “His chin’s gone”
Harry Kettle - May 23, 2024
UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett has taken aim at his next opponent Bobby Green heading into their upcoming collision. As many of us know, Paddy Pimblett is a pretty divisive figure in the world of mixed martial arts. He knows how to make some noise, and he certainly knows how to generate interest in his fights.
Dustin Poirier rules out the possibility of a fourth fight with Conor McGregor: “I don’t need that bad energy in my life”
Cole Shelton - May 22, 2024
Dustin Poirier has shut down the possibility of a fourth fight against Conor McGregor. Poirier and McGregor first fought back in 2014 while they were featherweights and the Irishman won by knockout. They had their rematch at lightweight in 2021, with Poirier winning by KO, and in their trilogy, McGregor broke his leg leading to another victory for ‘The Diamond’.
Curtis Blaydes shares bold prediction for his UFC 304 interim title fight against Tom Aspinall
Cole Shelton - May 22, 2024
Curtis Blaydes shares a bold prediction for his UFC 304 interim heavyweight title fight against Tom Aspinall, which sees the fight ending quickly. Blaydes and Aspinall are set to rematch in the co-main event of UFC 304 for the interim heavyweight title. The two fought back in July of 2022 and it was Blaydes who won in 15 seconds as Aspinall blew out his knee.
Mateusz Gamrot questions Charles Oliveira for ignoring his recent lightweight callout, blasts Oliveira's welterweight pursuit
Curtis Calhoun - May 22, 2024
UFC lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot is becoming increasingly frustrated by Charles Oliveira’s radio silence to his recent callouts. Gamrot has targeted a matchup with Oliveira ever since defeating Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 299 in March. He’s won three fights in a row, including a TKO win over Rafael Fiziev in September.
Ilia Topuria reveals Max Holloway fight is being targeted for the Las Vegas Sphere: "I want to fight as soon as possible"
Josh Evanoff - May 22, 2024
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria wants to fight Max Holloway sooner rather than later. ‘El Matador’ has been out of action since his shot at featherweight gold in the main event of UFC 298 in February. There, the rising Ilia Topuria met longtime champion Alexander Volkanovski. ‘The Great’ entered the bout fresh off his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev a few months prior, and it showed. It took just two rounds for Topuria to hand the Australian a stoppage loss.
Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco accuse the PFL of "radio silence" regarding long-awaited fight
Josh Evanoff - May 22, 2024
It appears that Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco are the latest fighters to come out against the PFL. The Donn Davis-led company has had an interesting few months. Late last year, the PFL finalized their purchase of Bellator. While Scott Coker and other key executives were leaving the company, most of the roster was to stick around. After the purchase, PFL had a bolstered roster with the likes of Cris Cyborg, Patchy Mix, and more.
Chael Sonnen reveals Anderson Silva offered to have trilogy fight in MMA before agreeing to boxing match: "He told me to pick"
Josh Evanoff - May 22, 2024
Chael Sonnen decided to face former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the boxing ring. Earlier this month, it was announced that ‘The American Gangster’ would meet ‘The Spider’ one final time. Chael Sonnen retired following a 2019 knockout loss to Lyoto Machida but has long teased a return to fighting. Next month in Brazil he will do exactly that, and meet his longtime rival, Anderson Silva.
Gegard Mousasi threatens "legal action" against PFL over not getting fights
Cole Shelton - May 22, 2024
Former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi is threatening to sue the PFL. Mousasi has not fought since the PFL has bought Bellator and he has voiced his frustration because of that. Mousasi is not the only Bellator fighter to complain about not getting fights, as Douglas Lima and Cris Cyborg have had the same complaints.
Filipino MMA star foresees savage win for "The Iron Man" at ONE 167: "Rodtang will KO him"
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 22, 2024
As the excitement mounts for ONE 167 on Prime Video, there’s one bout that has captured Lito Adiwang’s attention. “Thunder Kid” has his whole focus on the non-title flyweight kickboxing clash between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Denis Puric. This happens live in U.S. primetime from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.