MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - March 31, 2026

ONE Samurai 1 keeps getting bigger. ONE Championship has announced that reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka will make his first title defense against Thai contender Songchainoi Kiatsongrit at the inaugural edition of the new monthly Japan series on April 29 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. The 25-year-old Eiwa Sports Gym fighter owns a 66-6 career striking record and went a perfect 4-0 inside ONE to claim the inaugural belt. He dominated Numsurin Chor Ketwina across five rounds at ONE 173 last November, earning a unanimous decision that extended his winning streak to 40 fights.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 31, 2026

Arman Tsarukyan believes Max Holloway is simply looking to cash out for the remainder of his pro MMA career. Holloway was last seen in action in the main event of UFC 326. He put the BMF Championship at stake against Charles Oliveira. While fans expected a competitive war, Oliveira ultimately turned in a one-sided grappling lesson on his way to a unanimous decision victory.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 31, 2026

There was a time when Nate Diaz was willing to share the Octagon with Conor McGregor in a trilogy bout, but that ship has sailed. Over the years, Diaz and McGregor have had mutual respect. Diaz submitted McGregor in their first encounter back in March 2016. In August that same year, the “Notorious” one got his win back over the Stockton native via majority decision.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 31, 2026

A former UFC champion believes that Israel Adesanya isn’t as sharp as he once was. Adesanya went from having one of the most memorable knockouts wins of all time against Alex Pereira to suffering four losses in a row. It has been a rapid decline for “The Last Stylebender,” who was recently stopped by Joe Pyfer in the UFC Seattle main event.

Harry Kettle - March 31, 2026

Chael Sonnen has questioned whether or not Tom Aspinall is being used in the Eddie Hearn/Dana White rivalry. As we know, Tom Aspinall is now working with Eddie Hearn in a deal that sent shockwaves through the mixed martial arts community. While the extent of their relationship isn’t 100% clear to some, it’s obvious to see that part of this involves Eddie wanting to get back at Dana White for signing Conor Benn.

Harry Kettle - March 31, 2026

UFC commentator Jon Anik has made a case for Ian Machado Garry challenging for the UFC welterweight championship next. As we know, Islam Makhachev is expected to defend the UFC welterweight title at some point later this year. However, it’s not clear as to who exactly he’s going to face – although Ian Machado Garry definitely seems to be one of the names that is getting brought up more often than not.

BJ Penn Staff - March 31, 2026

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is used to being the smaller man in a lot of his sparring sessions. However, it’s not often we see him dwarfed by a training partner like he was during a recent meet-up with Khamzat Chimaev. Johnson, who will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer, lined up with reigning middleweight champ Chimaev at Santo Studios in California. As expected, they hit the mats for some training together. The size difference between them was quite stark—then again, it’s not often you see a natural flyweight and a very big middleweight side by side.

BJ Penn Staff - March 31, 2026

In the early days of the UFC, MMA trailblazer Art Jimmerson competed wearing just one boxing glove. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen anything like that in the Octagon, but we got close at Saturday’s UFC Seattle card. UFC Seattle featured a number of memorable finishes. One of them occurred on the undercard, when flyweight contender Casey O’Neill scored a first-round TKO over Gabriella Fernandes. It was an impressive win, but on the surface, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

Dylan Bowker - March 30, 2026

Jeremy Stephens is returning to the UFC for what looks to be a fire fight on paper and someone who previously beat Stephens in the PFL broke down the next MMA contest that ‘Lil Heathen’ has lined up. The combatant in question is Natan Schulte who recently fell short to Jakub Kaszuba via unanimous decision in his return from a lengthy competitive hiatus at PFL Pittsburgh on March 28th. The former multi-time PFL champ previously secured an arm triangle choke against Jeremy Stephens in the PFL smart cage during their contest in November 2022. The MMA and bare knuckle star is now preparing to fight King Green pretty soon at UFC 328 on May 9th. When offering up his thoughts on that Stephens versus Green fight, Schulte said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

BJPENN.COM Staff - March 30, 2026

ONE Championship brings another exclusive card to members of The Inner Circle on Friday, April 3, streaming live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Five bouts are on the card across Muay Thai and MMA, headlined by a flyweight Muay Thai showdown that pits a Road To ONE Champion against one of the circuit’s most relentless finishers. Kaotaem Fairtex steps into the ring against Spain’s Xavier Gonzalez in the main event. The 21-year-old southpaw from Phetchabun won the 2023 Road To ONE: Thailand Season 2 tournament and has gone 3-1 on the ONE Friday Fights circuit since. He works off the back foot, using sharp angles to set up his accurate straight left and a left body kick that has troubled everyone he has faced.

Curtis Calhoun - March 30, 2026

UFC middleweight star Joe Pyfer opened up on the pre-UFC Seattle incident that nearly ended his life just weeks before his career-best win. Joe Pyfer earned easily the biggest win of his UFC career last weekend at UFC Seattle. But just weeks before his second-career UFC main event booking, Pyfer nearly didn’t make it to the Octagon, and came close to ending his own life, as he admitted in his UFC Seattle post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.

Curtis Calhoun - March 30, 2026

UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan is preparing to back up Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje with one specific caveat for the matchmakers. Just weeks away from the highly anticipated UFC lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, top UFC contender Arman Tsarukyan remains without clarity surrounding when he’ll get another title shot. Tsarukyan was supposed to fight then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 last year, before withdrawing on hours’ notice due to injury.

BJPENN.COM Staff - March 30, 2026

ONE Championship returns to Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, April 3, with a nine-bout card stacked from top to bottom. ONE Friday Fights 149 spans Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA, with the majority of athletes competing for a US$100,000 contract and a spot on ONE’s global roster. Leading the card is flyweight Muay Thai, where Tomyamkoong Bhumjaithai squares off with Moldovan debutant Bejenuta Maximus. The 21-year-old PK Saenchai Muaythaigym fighter left his hometown of Surin at 15 to chase his dream in Bangkok.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 30, 2026

Demetrious Johnson is making his way to the UFC Hall of Fame, and he has revealed what he’s proud of the most. Johnson is widely considered to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. He still holds the record for the most successful consecutive title defenses in UFC history. Some wonder if that record will ever be broken.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 30, 2026

Arman Tsarukyan has denied a claim that he once trained with Colby Covington. Covington told media members that there’s a good story for a potential wrestling match with Tsarukyan, claiming the two shared the mats at American Top Team. While Tsarukyan didn’t deny that he’s seen Covington in passing at the gym, he told reporters that the welterweight’s claim isn’t true (via MMAFighting).

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 30, 2026

Dana White was in awe of Alexa Grasso’s victory over Maycee Barber this past Saturday. Grasso and Barber collided in a flyweight clash in the UFC Seattle co-main event. The former 125-pound champion’s standup was on point and she dropped Barber with a hard punch and followed up by applying a rear-naked choke. Ultimately, Barber had already been knocked out with a punch prior to the choke, and the visual was something to behold.

Harry Kettle - March 30, 2026

UFC boss Dana White has given a positive update on the fighting future of former two-weight world champion Conor McGregor. For the longest time now, Conor McGregor has been pretty invested in the idea of a return to competitive mixed martial arts – or at least that’s how it seems based on his social media activity. However, there has been no official announcement from the UFC regarding when it’s going to happen.

Harry Kettle - March 30, 2026

MMA legend Francis Ngannou has opened up on his friend Israel Adesanya’s defeat to Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle. There comes a time in every career when you need to assess what your future looks like in mixed martial arts, and it certainly feels like that time is coming for Israel Adesanya. After such a dominant rise up through the ranks of the UFC, Stylebender lost yet another fight via finish over the weekend, this time at the hands of Joe Pyfer.