MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 10, 2023

Anissa Meksen and Phetjeeja will go head-to-head for the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Title. This bout is set to take place at ONE Friday Fights 46. It airs live in Asian primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 22.

Harry Kettle - November 10, 2023

Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed the blockbuster offer he returned down that would’ve seen him end his MMA retirement. It’s safe to say that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be remembered as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. His run in the sport was truly incredible, and in the end, he retired with an unbeaten 29-0 record. Three years ago, after finishing Justin Gaethje, he walked away from MMA once and for all.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 9, 2023

Johan “Jojo” Ghazali is a teenage Muay Thai prodigy who has taken the combat sports scene by storm. Turning 17 years old in just a few days, the Malaysian-American is poised to make his U.S. primetime debut at ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video this December 8.

Susan Cox - November 9, 2023

Robert Whittaker is weighing in on the newly announced middleweight title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland at UFC 297. It was released by UFC CEO earlier this week that Dricus Du Plessis (20-2 MMA) would face current middleweight champion Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA) in the main event on Saturday, January 20th at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario.

Cole Shelton - November 9, 2023

Former Bellator featherweight champion Julia Budd has been released from the PFL. Budd was expected to face Kayla Harrison at the PFL World Championships later this month, but it was announced the Canadian was out and replaced by Aspen Ladd. There was no reason for Budd’s withdrawal but now PFL CEO Peter Murray revealed the Canadian has since been released from the promotion.

Cole Shelton - November 9, 2023

Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez had their first faceoff ahead of their BKFC 56 main event on Dec. 2. Perry and Alvarez are set to fight for the ‘King of Violence’ belt in Salt Lake City, Utah in a highly-anticipated matchup. It’s a fight that promises to bring violence and should be action-packed for however it long it lasts.

Josh Evanoff - November 9, 2023

Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill is getting closer to making his return. ‘Sweet Dreams’ has been out of action since January, when he faced Glover Teixeira. Surprisingly, the short notice bout saw Jamahal Hill claim vacant light-heavyweight gold, winning by unanimous decision. Sadly for the newly crowned champion, he wouldn’t hold the title for long.

Josh Evanoff - November 9, 2023

UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall has received a message from Georges St-Pierre. The British fighter is currently set to return to the octagon this Saturday night at UFC 295. There, Tom Aspinall will face Sergei Pavlovich. The two weren’t expected to compete this weekend but were forced into the short-notice interim title fight after the exit of Jon Jones.

Josh Evanoff - November 9, 2023

Former UFC title challenger Nate Diaz would love to welcome Deontay Wilder to the world of MMA. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has recently revealed his intention to head to the cage in the future. Last scoring a knockout win over Robert Helenius last Fall, Deontay Wilder has been out of action for over a year. However, the former boxing champion has been in talks with Francis Ngannou for a potential bout in the cage.

Cole Shelton - November 9, 2023

Tom Aspinall says he’s scared of Sergei Pavlovich but believes he does his best work when he is afraid. Aspinall is set to face Pavlovich on two weeks’ notice in the co-main event of UFC 295 for the interim heavyweight title. It’s an intriguing matchup and a fight that many fans have wanted to see, as the two look like the future of the heavyweight division.

Cole Shelton - November 9, 2023

Jessica Andrade has opened up on why she fought so often in 2023. Andrade started the year off in January with a decision win over Lauren Murphy. She then returned in February and lost by second-round submission to Erin Blanchfield. After the setback, she fought for the third time in 2023 in May and suffered a first-round TKO loss to Yan Xiaonan. After the loss to Xiaonan, she returned in August and suffered a second-round submission loss to Tatiana Suarez, putting her on a three-fight losing streak.

Susan Cox - November 9, 2023

Daniel Cormier is claiming he has received flak from teammates for his biased UFC commentary. It was during an interview with ‘MMA Fighting’, that Cormier revealed that he has indeed had pushback in the past from former teammates for being too critical of their performances. One in particular was former UFC heavyweight contender Blagoy Ivanov. Cormier went on to share the conversation the two had:

Cole Shelton - November 9, 2023

In the co-main event of UFC 295, the interim heavyweight title is up for grabs as Sergei Pavlovich takes on Tom Aspinall. Heading into the fight, Pavlovich is a slight -104 underdog while the Brit is a -122 favorite on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the interim title fight. The pros slightly lean towards Pavlovich getting the KO, but the pros know this fight ends early regardless of who wins.

Susan Cox - November 9, 2023

Anthony Smith claims Alex Pereira’s ‘stoic serial killer’ look is just an act. This Saturday, November 11th will see Alex Pereira (8-2 MMA) facing former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiří  Procházka (29-3 MMA) in the main event for the vacant light heavyweight belt at UFC 295 which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Harry Kettle - November 9, 2023

Georges St-Pierre’s head coach Firas Zahabi has revealed his concern for the future after UFC’s split with USADA. Last month, it was announced that the Ultimate Fighting Championship would be parting ways with USADA, starting in January 2024. It appeared to be quite a bitter split, with USADA releasing a statement that noted their frustration with Conor McGregor and when he’d be cleared to compete again.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 9, 2023

Ben Tynan proudly displayed his love for Pokemon after his remarkable win at ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video this past Friday, November 3. The undefeated American authored a promotional debut to remember, beating Kang Ji Won by way of third-round submission in a scintillating heavyweight MMA showdown. The chaos happened at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Harry Kettle - November 9, 2023

UFC president Dana White has dismissed the idea of Brock Lesnar or Ronda Rousey returning in time for UFC 300. In April 2024, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is expected to host its landmark UFC 300 event. The show is set to be one of the biggest in the history of mixed martial arts, and as such, plenty of big stars are likely to appear on the card.

Cole Shelton - November 8, 2023

Loopy Godinez didn’t think she would fight again this year but was thrilled when she was offered to return at UFC 295. After Godinez submitted Elise Reed in the second round at Noche UFC, a week later she got the call to face Tabatha Ricci at UFC 295. It was an exciting opportunity and for Godinez, she’s honored to be able to fight at Madison Square Garden.