MMA News
Julia Budd released from PFL after she "refused to fulfill her contractual obligation" for fight with Kayla Harrison
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.
WATCH | Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez trade body shots in unique faceoff ahead of 'King of Violence' fight at BKFC 56
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.
Jamahal Hill sheds light on return timeline, confirms guaranteed title shot upon return: "Not bad"
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.
WATCH | Tom Aspinall gets good luck messages from Georges St-Pierre, Gordon Ramsay, and more
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.
Nate Diaz offers to welcome Deontay Wilder to MMA: "Respect to a real fighter"
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.
Tom Aspinall admits he is "scared" of fighting Sergei Pavlovich, but says he does his best work under pressure
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.
Jessica Andrade says she fought so often in 2023 to pay for her divorce: "I had to spend a lot of money with lawyers"
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.
Daniel Cormier says he has received flak from teammates for biased UFC commentary
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:
UFC 295 | Pro fighters make their picks for Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall interim title fight
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.
Anthony Smith claims Alex Pereira’s “stoic serial killer” look is just an act: “No you’re not”
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.
Firas Zahabi says he was “speechless” after hearing news of the UFC’s split with USADA: “One guy is going to ruin it for everybody?”
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.
"Pokemon Master" Ben Tynan flexes Charizard tattoo After ONE Fight Night 16 win
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.
Dana White shoots down rumors of Brock Lesnar or Ronda Rousey fighting at UFC 300: “They’re not coming back”
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.
Loopy Godinez expecting a "dirty, bloody" fight against Tabatha Ricci at UFC 295: "I'm excited about this matchup"
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.
Mackenzie Dern says she's still dealing with the aftermath of her divorce ahead of UFC 295: “Literally this whole fight is still paying me ex”
Cole Shelton - November 8, 2023
Mackenzie Dern is still dealing with the aftermath of her divorce ahead of her UFC 295 fight against Jessica Andrade. Dern revealed she got a divorce ahead of her last fight against Angela Hill, which she won by decision back in May. It was a dominant performance, but Dern admitted there were a lot of mental struggles ahead of the fight.
Sergei Pavlovich says UFC 295 fight against Tom Aspinall is for the "legit title"
Cole Shelton - November 8, 2023
Sergei Pavlovich doesn’t think he’s fighting for the interim heavyweight title on Saturday. Pavlovich is set to fight Tom Aspinall in the co-main event of UFC 295 from Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Originally, the card was supposed to be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. However, just over two weeks out from the event, Jones tore his pec so the promotion made an interim title fight between Pavlovich and Aspinall.
Chael Sonnen shares his side of Ariel Helwani fiasco: "His opening line to me was a lie"
Zain Bando - November 8, 2023
Chael Sonnen has responded to Ariel Helwani after the pair argued over the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou pay-per-view numbers. For context, Sonnen, the former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger came on a recent episode of “The MMA Hour” to discuss Ngannou’s near-victory against the WBC heavyweight champion, plus whether or not Ngannou was the rightful winner in the entire saga.
WATCH | Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera faceoff for first time since being booked to headline UFC 299
Cole Shelton - November 8, 2023
UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley had his first faceoff with Marlon Vera since their rematch became official. Earlier this week, UFC CEO Dana White announced that O’Malley would defend his bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 299 against Vera. It serves as a rematch of their 2020 fight that Vera won by first-round TKO in a bout that O’Malley hurt his ankle.