MMA News
Jacob Smith looks forward to celebrating Christmas after ONE Fight Night 17 win
BJPENN.COM Staff - December 14, 2023
In a twist of fate that can only be described as a Christmas miracle, Jacob Smith found himself on the receiving end of an early holiday gift. At ONE Fight Night 17 last Friday, he delivered a stunning performance against #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Walter Goncalves.
ONE Championship lands massive broadcast deal with Sky Sports
BJPENN.COM Staff - December 14, 2023
In a groundbreaking move, ONE Championship has officially joined forces with Sky Sports. This exclusive partnership ensures that ONE Championship’s premium live events and ancillary programming will now find a new home on Sky Sports’ broadcast and digital platforms across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Paddy Pimblett shares advice to the “crabs in the UFC” being paid 12/12: “Work a bit harder, show a bit of personality”
Harry Kettle - December 14, 2023
UFC star Paddy Pimblett has given his thoughts on the ongoing debate regarding fighter pay in the promotion. This weekend, Paddy Pimblett will make his return to the Octagon. He’s set to take on fan favorite Tony Ferguson, with many believing the Liverpudlian should get the job done. Either way, though, he needs to put in a positive performance, largely due to how public opinion has changed on him in the last twelve months.
Ian Machado Garry issues statement after being forced out of UFC 296 bout with Vicente Luque: "This annoys me more than anyone"
Harry Kettle - December 14, 2023
UFC welterweight Ian Machado Garry has released a statement after being forced out of his UFC 296 fight against Vicente Luque. Just a matter of hours ago, UFC president Dana White confirmed the news that Ian Machado Garry is out of his scheduled bout with Vicente Luque this weekend. It was said that he initially had the flu, which turned into pneumonia. This comes at the end of a tumultuous few weeks for the youngster with fighters and fans trolling him constantly on social media.
Dustin Jacoby expecting a "battle" against Alonzo Menifield at UFC 296, believes stars are aligning for rematch against Alex Pereira
Cole Shelton - December 13, 2023
Dustin Jacoby will be getting a chance to end 2023 on a high note. Jacoby snapped his two-fight losing streak back in August with a first-round TKO over Kennedy Nzechukwu. After the win, Jacoby was hoping to fight one more time this year, and when he got the call to face Alonzo Menifield at UFC 296 he jumped at the chance.
Dana White on Conor McGregor's planned return to UFC: "It's all up to him"
Zain Bando - December 13, 2023
UFC CEO Dana White sat down with TNT Sports to preview UFC 296, taking place Saturday night, headlined by Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, and various other MMA topics, including former UFC double champion Conor McGregor. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has been out of action since July 2021, suffering a fight-ending ankle break against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
Ian Machado Garry vs. Vicente Luque removed from UFC 296
Cole Shelton - December 13, 2023
UFC 296 has taken a hit as a welterweight bout between Ian Machado Garry and Vicente Luque is off the card. Machado Garry missed media day on Wednesday, but his wife told a reporter the Irishman would be at the press conference on Thursday. However, rumors started to swirl that Garry had fallen ill and his fight against Luque was in danger of being off.
Brian Kelleher confident he can bring out the "old" Cody Garbrandt in a "firefight" at UFC 296: "He's an emotional guy"
Cole Shelton - December 13, 2023
Brian Kelleher is relieved to finally make the walk to the Octagon again. Kelleher hasn’t fought since June of 2022 when he suffered a submission loss to Mario Bautista. He was supposed to face Journey Newson in April of this year, but was removed from the scrap on fight week as he had a neck issue that needed to be fixed.
Colby Covington says he's already a "first-ballot Hall of Famer" but will be "one of the greatest welterweights of all-time" after UFC 296
Cole Shelton - December 13, 2023
Colby Covington plans to solidify his legacy on Saturday at UFC 296. Covington is the former interim welterweight champion and is set to face Leon Edwards for the undisputed title in the main event of UFC 296 from Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday. It’s a massive fight as it’s likely Covington’s final chance at fighting for the undisputed title.
Leon Edwards confused by Colby Covington's 'weird' love for Donald Trump: "He needs to go get a girlfriend"
Josh Evanoff - December 13, 2023
UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is a bit confused by Colby Covington’s fascination with Donald Trump. ‘Rocky’ has been out of the cage since a majority decision victory over Kamaru Usman in March. That victory was Leon Edward’s second straight win over ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. However, it didn’t take long for the British fighter to get his next title challenger. On fight night, Dana White announced it would be the returning Colby Covington.
Dwayne Johnson to play Mark Kerr in A24's 'The Smashing Machine' movie
Josh Evanoff - December 13, 2023
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has signed to play former UFC fighter Mark Kerr in a film next year. ‘The Smashing Machine’ was one of MMA’s early dominant stars. First debuting in 1997, Mark Kerr quickly found success inside the cage. The following year, he signed with the UFC, to compete in a one-night heavyweight tournament. Unsurprisingly, the former collegiate wrestler dominated.
Colby Covington continues one-sided feud with Lebron James: "You're a spineless coward"
Josh Evanoff - December 13, 2023
UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has again taken aim at NBA star Lebron James. ‘Chaos’ is currently slated to return to the octagon this Saturday night at UFC 296. In the main event, Colby Covington will face welterweight champion Leon Edwards. ‘Rocky’ has been out of action since a decision win over Kamaru Usman in March, his second straight victory over ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. Following the bout, Dana White confirmed that the British fighter would face Covington next.
Dana White responds to Jim Miller’s request to fight at UFC 300: “Consider that done”
Susan Cox - December 13, 2023
Dana White has responded to Jim Miller’s request to fight at UFC 300. Jim Miller (36-17 MMA) is eager to be included in the UFC’s historic 300th pay-per-view event in April of 2024.
UFC 296 | Pro fighters make their picks for Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington title fight
Cole Shelton - December 13, 2023
In the main event of UFC 296, the welterweight title is up for grabs as Leon Edwards looks to defend his belt for the second time against Colby Covington. Heading into the fight, Edwards is a -156 favorite while ‘Chaos’ is a +122 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to make their picks for the title fight at UFC 296. The pros lean towards Covington pulling off the upset and becoming the new welterweight champion.
Dana White says he is “absolutely” cool with Tom Aspinall defending his UFC interim heavyweight title
Susan Cox - December 13, 2023
Dana White is saying he’s ‘absolutely’ cool with Tom Aspinall defending his UFC interim heavyweight title. It was UFC 295 that saw Tom Aspinall (14-3 MMA) defeat Sergei Pavlovich (18-2 MMA) by KO at 1:09 of Round 1 to claim the interim heavyweight title as his own.
Benoit Saint Denis accuses the Nurmagomedov family of being “loaded like mules”
Susan Cox - December 13, 2023
Benoit Saint Denis is accusing the Nurmagomedov family of being ‘loaded like mules’. Saint Denis, speaking with ‘Le Figaro‘ had this to say about the Nurmagomedov clan:
Despite historic win at ONE Fight Night 17, Roman Kryklia still sees room to grow
BJPENN.COM Staff - December 13, 2023
Roman Kryklia recently added another feather to his cap by claiming the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title. The Ukrainian powerhouse achieved the feat in the main event of ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video last Friday, December 8, knocking out Alex Roberts in the second round.
Johan Ghazali dismisses Rodtang parallels after ONE Fight Night 17 win: 'I want to be my own person'
BJPENN.COM Staff - December 13, 2023
Johan Ghazali is daring to dream big. At ONE Fight Night 17 last Friday, “Jojo” didn’t disappoint. There, he made quick work of Edgar Tabares, knocking out the former World Title challenger in 36 seconds with a body shot.