MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - September 27, 2023

The main event of ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22 played host to one of the most electrifying Muay Thai bouts in history, and it caught the attention of Demetrious Johnson. Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 squared off in a 140-pound catchweight contest. There, they captivated audiences worldwide while leaving many fans divided over the outcome.

Cole Shelton - September 27, 2023

Ian Machado Garry and Vicente Luque are teammates and will be fighting one another at UFC 296. Garry and Luque are both in the top 15, so the fight does make sense as the winner will get another big fight next time out. Yet, some were surprised that they are fighting one another as they are teammates. Garry even told BJPENN.com after his win over Magny that he wanted to avoid fighting his teammates.

Susan Cox - September 27, 2023

Aljamain Sterling is weighing in on the rumored Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch. The former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is having a hard time understanding why the UFC would skip over other contenders and give Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA) a rematch with Chito Vera (23-8 MMA).

Susan Cox - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO Dana White is commenting on Mark Hunt after his recent lawsuit against the Ultimate Fighting Championship came to a close. It was earlier this week that the lawsuit between Mark Hunt and the UFC was dismissed. The case had gone on for four years.

Susan Cox - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO Dana White is discussing the possibility of signing Bellator fighters Johnny Eblen and Patricio Pitbull. Eblen (14-0 MMA) is the current Bellator middleweight champion.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO and president Dana White has given his thoughts on Israel Adesanya’s recent drink driving charge. Earlier this month, Israel Adesanya suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 293. As a result, he lost his UFC middleweight championship.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC president Dana White has reacted to Stephen Thompson’s claim that he will receive some backpay for his upcoming fight at UFC 296. In the last few days, it’s been confirmed that Stephen Thompson will return to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 296. It comes after Thompson’s scheduled bout with Michel Pereira was cancelled, with ‘Wonderboy’ refusing to accept the bout after Pereira missed weight. This led to a dispute between the veteran and the promotion, with Thompson noting that he wasn’t paid for making weight and doing his job.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC fighter Belal Muhammad has claimed that he said yes to a fight against middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Over the course of the last few years, Belal Muhammad has really turned his career around in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 35-year-old is riding a 10-fight unbeaten streak with his latest win coming over Gilbert Burns back in May. As you can imagine, the veteran has been pretty relentless in his calls for a shot at the UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards.

Harry Kettle - September 27, 2023

UFC CEO and president Dana White has explained the reasoning behind Paddy Pimblett vs Tony Ferguson being booked. In the last few days, fans have been processing the news that Paddy Pimblett and Tony Ferguson will square off at UFC 296 in Las Vegas. Pimblett, who is riding an impressive winning streak, will attempt to secure the biggest win of his career thus far. Ferguson, meanwhile, will aim to avoid a seventh straight defeat inside the Octagon.

BJPENN.COM Staff - September 27, 2023

Xiong Jing Nan has enlisted the expertise of a former Boxing World Champion to prepare for her upcoming one-of-a-kind showdown. The ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Champion faces Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak in a special rules punching-only contest. The matchup takes place at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video, airing live in U.S. primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 29.

BJPENN.COM Staff - September 27, 2023

Danielle Kelly may have made her mark in ONE Championship, but Jessa Khan isn’t losing sleep over her opponent’s reputation. Khan and Kelly will collide for the inaugural ONE Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video. The event airs live in U.S. primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 29.

Zain Bando - September 26, 2023

Dana White, UFC CEO, is not fond of Showtime Boxing despite having done business collectively ahead of Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor in Aug. 2017. When a reporter asked Dana White about potential rumors of Showtime drifting away from boxing altogether, the 54-year-old Las Vegas and Boston native didn’t hold back.

Josh Evanoff - September 26, 2023

Weeks following his last fight, UFC veteran The Korean Zombie has recieved a gift. The longtime fan-favorite returned to the cage against Max Holloway late last month in Singapore. Ahead of the contest, The Korean Zombie stated that with a loss, he might hang up the gloves for good. Heading into the bout, the South Korean fighter had suffered two losses in his three most recent fights, including to Alexander Volkanovski.

Josh Evanoff - September 26, 2023

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will seemingly return early next year. ‘The Great’ has been out of action since a title defense against Yair Rodriguez in July at UFC 290. There, Alexander Volkanovski scored a third-round stoppage victory over ‘El Pantera’. That was a massive win for the champion, as he was coming off a controversial loss to Islam Makhachev in February.

Josh Evanoff - September 26, 2023

Mark Hunt has lost his long-running lawsuit against the UFC, Brock Lesnar, and Dana White. In 2016, ‘The Super Somoan’ stepped up to face the former heavyweight champion at UFC 200. That July, Brock Lesnar scored a unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt and quickly teased a full-time comeback. However, a failed pre-fight drug test put an end to those plans.

Josh Evanoff - September 26, 2023

It appears that Logan Paul’s boxing match with Dillon Danis might not happen after all. ‘The Maverick’ and ‘El Jefe’ are currently slated to face off on DAZN pay-per-view next month. The two will co-main event KSI vs. Tommy Fury, in Logan Paul’s first fight since 2021. Meanwhile, the boxing match will be the first of Dillon Danis’ combat sports career, if he shows up.

Susan Cox - September 26, 2023

Stipe Miocic is admitting he really wanted to have a trilogy fight with Francis Ngannou. UFC 295 is scheduled for Saturday, November 11th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Harry Kettle - September 26, 2023

Michelle Waterson-Gomez has issued a short statement following her resounding defeat at the hands of Marina Rodriguez. For so many years now, Michelle Waterson-Gomez has been a big fan favorite in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She may never have won a title, but she’s been involved in some great wars – and she has a great personality to go alongside it. Now, even in the twilight of her career, she’s still competing in high profile contests, as evidenced by her bout against Marina Rodriguez last weekend.