MMA News

Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida
Jailton Almeida

Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes and several other matchups added to UFC 299 in March

Josh Evanoff - December 12, 2023

UFC 299 has gotten a big boost in the form of Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes, as well as several other fight announcements. The card is currently slated for next March and will be held in Miami. In the main event, Sean O’Malley will return to the octagon to defend his bantamweight gold against Marlon Vera. The bout is a rematch of their prior encounter in 2020, which saw ‘Chito’ win by first-round stoppage.

Daniel Cormier and Islam Makhachev, UFC champs
Islam Makhachev

Daniel Cormier believes Islam Makhachev's rematch comments are an early sign of retirement: "Only a couple more years"

Josh Evanoff - December 12, 2023

UFC commentator Daniel Cormier believes Islam Makhachev’s recent comments could be a sign of his impending retirement. The Russian has been out of the cage since a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski in October. There, Islam Makhachev picked up his second win over ‘The Great’ by knockout, with names such as Daniel Cormier watching by. Following the win, he was called out by many top lightweights.

Georges St-Pierre, UFC, UFO
UFC

Georges St-Pierre names his 'favorite' fighters he hopes to see in the UFC's 2024 superfight

Josh Evanoff - December 12, 2023

UFC legend Georges St-Pierre won’t be fighting in 2024, but he has an idea of who might be. Last month, Dana White revealed plans for a massive UFC superfight, going down next year. Many, quickly began to speculate who that matchup could involve. The executive stated only that the superfight itself doesn’t involve Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. Famously, the two lightweights coached the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter against each other earlier this year.

Colby Covington
UFC

Colby Covington explains why he's the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC

Cole Shelton - December 12, 2023

Colby Covington believes he should be atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Covington is currently not in the top 15 of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings but that could all change on Saturday when ‘Chaos’ headlines UFC 296 against Leon Edwards for the welterweight title. It’s a massive fight and it’s likely Covington’s last chance at becoming the undisputed champion.

Colby Covington and Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards

Official lineup released for UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington, including two title fights

Harry Kettle - December 12, 2023

The official lineup has been released for UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington ahead of fight night on Saturday. For the final time this year, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be putting on a pay-per-view event this weekend – and what a way to go out. UFC 296 will emanate from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in what can only be described as a blockbuster card. From two title fights to several really fun matchups, this has the potential to be the show of the year.

Sean Strickland, UFC, Champion, Hyundai
Sean Strickland

Colby Covington says he would love to “slap around” UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland: “He’s just a pathetic excuse of a human being”

Harry Kettle - December 12, 2023

UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington has gone after UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and teased a fight between them. One thing we know to be true is that Sean Strickland is a controversial individual. Now, though, he’s also the middleweight champion of the world, knocking off Israel Adesanya earlier this year. Someone else who knows what it feels like to be divisive is Colby Covington, who returns to the cage this weekend.

Paddy Pimblett, Tony Ferguson and David Goggins
Tony Ferguson

Paddy Pimblett admits he wants to see Tony Ferguson get another win before retiring: “I just can’t let him do it at my expense”

Harry Kettle - December 12, 2023

UFC star Paddy Pimblett has admitted that he wants to see Tony Ferguson pick up another win before retiring from mixed martial arts. This Saturday night at UFC 296, Paddy Pimblett and Tony Ferguson will battle it out in a fascinating encounter. There are plenty of reasons to get excited about this fight, but if you’re an ‘El Cucuy’ fan, there are also plenty of reasons to be nervous.

Sergei Pavlovich going for a walk
UFC

Sergei Pavlovich sends warning to the UFC heavyweight division: “Don’t relax, I’ll be back soon!”

Harry Kettle - December 12, 2023

UFC heavyweight contender Sergei Pavlovich has issued a warning to the rest of the division ahead of his comeback. For the last few years, Sergei Pavlovich has been seen as a top star in the UFC’s heavyweight division. However, last month, his trajectory took a bit of a hit. On short notice, he took on Tom Aspinall for the interim championship. Despite landing a few nice shots, the Russian was ultimately overmatched, with Aspinall securing a knockout victory.

Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards

Leon Edwards explains why Colby Covington won't be able to get under his skin

Cole Shelton - December 11, 2023

Leon Edwards doesn’t think Colby Covington’s trash talk will impact him at all. Edwards is set to defend his welterweight title for the second time in the main event of UFC 296 as he takes on Covington in a highly-anticipated matchup. It’s a close fight on paper, as Edwards is a slight betting favorite, but the Brit has full confidence he will get his hand raised.

Colby Covington
Leon Edwards

Colby Covington confident he will make Leon Edwards "quit" at UFC 296: "I've seen the quitter in him"

Cole Shelton - December 11, 2023

Colby Covington believes Leon Edwards has quit in him and expects to show that at UFC 296. Covington is set to headline UFC 296 against Edwards for the welterweight title in a highly-anticipated fight. It’s Covington’s third crack at becoming the undisputed welterweight champion, and he enters the scrap as a small underdog as the oddsmakers believe Edwards will get his hand raised.

Francis Ngannou, Tyson Fury
Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn reveals Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou 2 is likely already official: "Got to cash in"

Josh Evanoff - December 11, 2023

According to Eddie Hearn, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou will likely meet in the boxing ring again. ‘The Gypsy King’ and ‘The Predator’ faced off in October, in the first boxing match of Francis Ngannou’s combat sports career. Heading into the matchup, the PFL heavyweight was naturally, a major underdog. However, he shocked the combat sports world in Saudi Arabia, nearly upsetting Tyson Fury.

Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor and Petr Yan's faceoff
Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler mocks Conor McGregor after Petr Yan faceoff: "I need relevancy"

Josh Evanoff - December 11, 2023

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler wasn’t a fan of Conor McGregor’s faceoff with Petr Yan. As of now, ‘Iron’ and ‘The Notorious’ are currently awaiting their fight date. Earlier this year, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler coached the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter against one another. The hope was that the two lightweights would eventually clash in late 2023.

Colby Covington, Donald Trump
UFC

Colby Covington claims no one's going to beat him while “Donald Trump is in attendance" ahead of UFC 296 title fight

Cole Shelton - December 11, 2023

Colby Covington has full confidence he will become the UFC’s welterweight champion on Saturday at UFC 296. Covington is set to headline the pay-per-view card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada against Leon Edwards. It’s an intriguing matchup and heading into the fight, Edwards is a small betting favorite to get the win.

Georges St-Pierre, UFC, UFO
UFC

Georges St-Pierre shuts down rumors that he will be part of a 2024 UFC super fight: “I am absolutely not”

Harry Kettle - December 11, 2023

UFC legend Georges St-Pierre has shut down rumors that he will be part of an MMA superfight in 2024. Hardcore mixed martial art fans recognize Georges St-Pierre as one of the greatest fighters of all time. His record in the sport speaks for itself, with the other contenders often being Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. Regardless of who you favor, though, there’s no denying that St-Pierre has an incredible legacy following a truly sensational career.

Arman Tsarukyan, Beneil Dariush, UFC Austin, Results, UFC
Beneil Dariush

Beneil Dariush is contemplating his UFC future following KO loss to Arman Tsarukyan: “Do I go forward or am I done”

Harry Kettle - December 11, 2023

UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush has admitted that he’s contemplating his future in MMA after his recent knockout loss. Earlier this month, Beneil Dariush suffered a pretty bad knockout loss at the hands of Arman Tsarukyan. The defeat came in the first round, and it served as the second loss of the year for Dariush following his defeat to Charles Oliveira in June. Now, at the age of 34, it appears as if Dariush is questioning his future in the sport of mixed martial arts.

Leon Edwards and Ian Machado Garry
Leon Edwards

Leon Edwards sheds light on Ian Machado Garry gym KO rumors: “He got a little taste for sure”

Harry Kettle - December 11, 2023

Leon Edwards has shed some light on the rumors that he knocked out Ian Machado Garry in training. This weekend, Leon Edwards will return to the Octagon at UFC 296. In the main event of the evening, he will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Colby Covington, the former interim champ. Many believe Colby doesn’t deserve a crack at the belt, but either way, he’s getting one.

Johan Ghazali
ONE Championship

Johan Ghazali dreams of facing Rodtang Jitmuangnon in ONE Championship: "I'll still try to beat him up"

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 10, 2023

Johan Ghazali harbors a fervent desire to someday share the same stage with none other than ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon. For the Malaysian-American teenage phenom, Rodtang is a source of inspiration. The 17-year-old passionately reveres “The Iron Man” as one of the pound-for-pound greats in Muay Thai today.

Khalil Rountree Anthony Smith
UFC

Anthony Smith issues statement on UFC Vegas 83 loss to Khalil Rountree

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 10, 2023

Anthony Smith didn’t waste time addressing his UFC Vegas 83 defeat. Smith went one-on-one with Khalil Rountree inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 9. Smith entered the bout on short-notice, hoping to make a big enough statement that reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira would call him out to settle their grudge.