MMA News
Chael Sonnen explains why he’s going with Sean O’Malley for Male Fighter of the Year
Harry Kettle - July 11, 2024
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has explained why UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is his frontrunner for Male Fighter of the Year. As we know, Sean O’Malley is one of the most popular fighters in mixed martial arts. Between his personality outside of the cage and his ability inside of it, he’s been able to achieve some great things. So far this year, he’s managed to successfully retain the belt in a one-sided battering against rival Marlon Vera.
Strawweight world champ Joshua Pacio to keep close eye on interim title bout at ONE Fight Night 24
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 11, 2024
Joshua Pacio may be recovering from an injury, but he remains deeply committed to his responsibilities as the lineal ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion. “The Passion” will be closely following the developments in his division, particularly the upcoming clash between former titleholder Jarred Brooks and number three ranked Gustavo Balart for the interim crown.
Raul Rosas Jr. predicts who he'll beat in potential future UFC bantamweight title fight
Curtis Calhoun - July 10, 2024
UFC bantamweight up-and-comer Raul Rosas Jr. already has a good idea of who he’ll face for the world title once he reaches the pinnacle of the division. The 19-year-old Rosas earned the third win of his young UFC career by submitting Ricky Turcios at UFC Louisville last month. He’s won back-to-back fights since suffering his first career defeat to Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287.
Leon Edwards would prefer fighting for middleweight title over Islam Makhachev bout
Cole Shelton - July 10, 2024
Leon Edwards says he’d prefer fighting for the middleweight title as opposed to squaring off with Islam Makhachev. Makhachev has recently expressed interest in moving up to welterweight to challenge Edwards for the welterweight title to try and become a champ-champ. However, if Edwards gets past Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 304, he says he’d rather move up to middleweight to try and become a champ-champ.
Dustin Poirier blasts Michael Chandler over recent comments: "You're not one of us"
Cole Shelton - July 10, 2024
Dustin Poirier has taken aim at former opponent Michael Chandler. Chandler recently took to social media to tell Poirier to retire, which ‘The Diamond’ wasn’t a fan of. Poirier ripped him in a tweet, but he now has taken aim at him while speaking on The MMA Hour, as Chandler told him we are good with him retiring.
Michael 'Venom' Page downplays Ian Machado Garry's title chances after UFC 303: "Leon is gonna kill you"
Curtis Calhoun - July 10, 2024
UFC welterweight contender Michael ‘Venom’ Page doesn’t think Ian Machado Garry has what it takes to become a champion after their UFC 303 battle. Page suffered his first UFC loss to Garry at UFC 303 last month by unanimous decision. After a back-and-forth first two rounds of the fight, Garry used his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to stifle and frustrate Page in the final minutes.
Dustin Poirier shows interest in one-off boxing match, names potential opponent: "That would be fun stuff"
Josh Evanoff - July 10, 2024
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier is down for a trip to the boxing ring against Nate Diaz. ‘The Diamond’ is fresh off his return to the octagon last month against Islam Makhachev. In his third bid for undisputed lightweight gold, Dustin Poirier came up short. The longtime contender was submitted in the fifth round of the championship bout, and then gave an emotional post-fight interview.
Jake Paul wants PFL fight against Mike Perry after boxing match: "My wrestling background is going to come out!"
Josh Evanoff - July 10, 2024
After Jake Paul faces Mike Perry in the boxing ring, he’s down to face him in the PFL cage. ‘The Problem Child’ and ‘Platinum’ are currently set to collide on July 20th in Florida. Jake Paul was originally set to meet Mike Tyson on that same date, but ‘Iron Mike’ was forced out due to medical issues. After the legendary heavyweight was forced to pull out, Mike Perry stepped up on a few weeks’ notice.
Douglas Lima booked for Bellator return after lengthy, messy contract dispute
Curtis Calhoun - July 10, 2024
Former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima will make his return to the cage at 185lbs after his rocky relationship with the PFL was repaired. Lima will face middleweight contender Aaron Jeffery at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego on September 7th. He returns to the cage following a 16-month hiatus, stemming from his unanimous decision win over Costello Van Steenis at Bellator 296.
Cody Brundage doubts Abdul Razak Alhassan fight will last long at UFC Denver: "There will be chaos"
Cole Shelton - July 10, 2024
Cody Brundage says the judges won’t be needed for his UFC Denver fight against Abdul Razak Alhassan. Brundage is set for his second fight of 2024 as he’s coming off a submission loss to Bo Nickal at UFC 300. Although he lost that fight, Brundage believes it was a good learning experience for him.
Dustin Poirier questions Conor McGregor's UFC 303 withdrawal: "Doesn't seem like a reason to pull out"
Curtis Calhoun - July 10, 2024
Dustin Poirier thinks there may be more to the story when it comes to Conor McGregor’s scratched comeback at UFC 303. McGregor was supposed to face Michael Chandler in the UFC 303 main event before withdrawing due to a toe injury. He hasn’t fought in the Octagon since shattering his leg against Poirier at UFC 264.
Tye Ruotolo promises to get better after tough battle at ONE Fight Night 23
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 10, 2024
Tye Ruotolo may have emerged victorious at ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video last Friday, July 5, but he is admittedly far from satisfied with his performance. The reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion took a hard-earned unanimous victory in his last fight. This came over Jozef Chen in a 186-pound catchweight contest on the recently concluded U.S. primetime card.
Ali Abdelaziz makes bold UFC 304 prediction for Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad: "Don't worry, just buy the pay-per-view"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 10, 2024
The manager of Belal Muhammad, Ali Abdelaziz, believes his fighter will dethrone Leon Edwards at the conclusion of UFC 304. Muhammad will be entering enemy territory on July 27. Belal will meet Edwards inside Co-Op Live in Manchester, England. The UFC Welterweight Championship will be at stake.
Matt Brown scoffs at backlash for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic: "Let them f*cking fight"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 10, 2024
Retired fan favorite Matt Brown doesn’t understand the hate for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic. Jones vs. Miocic had been planned for UFC 295 back in November 2023. The UFC Heavyweight Championship would’ve been at stake, but “Bones” suffered an injury. As a result, an interim title bout between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich took its place.
Rafael dos Anjos has two particular names in mind for his next UFC appearance: “I see Stephen Thompson, he doesn’t have a fight”
Harry Kettle - July 10, 2024
UFC veteran Rafael dos Anjos has a few potential opponents in mind for his next Octagon appearance. For those who don’t know, Rafael dos Anjos is a mixed martial arts legend. He’s been around the game for years and at the age of 39, he’s seen as someone that can still make some noise across two divisions. He’s also a former UFC lightweight champion, and although the chances of him winning the belt again are slim, you can bet that’s what he’ll be pushing for until he finally decides to retire.
Former UFC champions Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans targeting November rematch in boxing: “I need to get that win back”
Harry Kettle - July 10, 2024
Former UFC champions Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans are aiming for a boxing showdown against one another later this year. As we know, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Rashad Evans are two MMA legends in their own right. They’ve held world titles, they’ve competed against some of the very best, and they are superstars in the eyes of many. They’ve also collided in the Octagon before, meeting back at UFC 114 in May 2010. The fight, which came off the back of a season of The Ultimate Fighter, ended in a decision victory for Evans.
Joe Rogan believes “the fix was in” with the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match
Harry Kettle - July 10, 2024
UFC commentator Joe Rogan has given a controversial view on the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou boxing match. Last October, Francis Ngannou went to war with Tyson Fury in a crossover boxing showdown. Against all odds, Francis put forward a tremendous performance – even dropping ‘The Gypsy King’. Alas, in the eyes of the judges, he didn’t quite do enough to get his hand raised in victory.
Johan Ghazali squares off with Josue Cruz at ONE 168
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 10, 2024
Johan Ghazali gets a shot at redemption at the much-awaited ONE168: Denver. There, he goes up against Josue Cruz in a flyweight Muay Thai bout, airing live in U.S. primetime from the 21,000-seater Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on September 6.