MMA News
Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling booked to face Nathaniel Wood at Polaris 25
Susan Cox - September 8, 2023
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has been booked to face Nathaniel Wood at Polaris 25. Aljamain Sterling (23-4 MMA) most recently fought and was defeated by TKO by Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA) this past August at UFC 292. With the loss, it was ‘Suga’ who became the new UFC bantamweight champion.
Video | Logan Paul absolutely roasts Dillon Danis for his inability to talk trash
Josh Evanoff - September 8, 2023
The face-to-face meeting between Logan Paul and Dillon Danis ahead of their boxing match was a wild one. ‘The Maverick’ and ‘El Jefe’ have gotten very personal in the build to their October boxing match. The two are currently slated for the co-main event of KSI vs. Tommy Fury, in Logan Paul’s first fight since 2021. Meanwhile, Dillon Danis hasn’t been seen in combat since a submission win in the Bellator cage in 2019.
Dillon Danis takes his training camp to North Korea in order to avoid Nina Agdal lawsuit
Susan Cox - September 8, 2023
Dillon Danis has allegedly taken his training camp to North Korea in order to avoid the Nina Agdal lawsuit. Nina Agdal, a 31-year-old swimsuit model, recently filed a cease-and desist, followed by a restraining order against the former Bellator MMA fighter after claiming she suffered ‘humiliation, emotional distress, and reputational harm’.
Muay Thai star Rodtang Jitmuangnon believes Smilla Sundell can "become the GOAT"
BJPENN.COM Staff - September 8, 2023
As strawweight Muay Thai queen Smilla Sundell prepares for her next assignment, Rodtang Jitmuangnon has noticed her potential. The ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion, who defends his crown against Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22, will be among the many tuning in to witness Sundell’s first title defense a week later.
Charles Oliveira challenges former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre to a grappling match at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational event
Susan Cox - September 8, 2023
Charles Oliveira is challenging former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre to a grappling match at the UFC Fight Pass invitational event. The former two-division UFC champion, Georges St-Pierre, is planning to compete in the upcoming UFC Fight Pass Invitational event which is taking place on Thursday, December 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Marvin Vettori responds after UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya shares his career hit list: “Sack of sh*t, you run for five rounds”
Harry Kettle - September 8, 2023
Marvin Vettori has hit out at Israel Adesanya as the champion prepares to return to action this weekend at UFC 293. While he may not be the champion, Marvin Vettori is certainly one of the most colorful characters in the middleweight division. As he prepares to turn 30, though, it’s interesting to look back on his run so far and consider what the future has in store for him.
Sean Strickland vows to “bring dignity back the middleweight division” in title fight with Israel Adesanya at UFC 293
Harry Kettle - September 8, 2023
Sean Strickland believes he will bring dignity back to the middleweight division when he goes head to head with Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. On Saturday night, Sean Strickland will challenge Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight championship. It serves as his first shot at the gold, whereas Adesanya will defend the belt for the first time in his second reign. It’s not a match-up that many had expected as the main event of UFC 293, and yet, here we are.
Jamahal Hill weighs in on Sean O’Malley’s decision to fight Marlon Vera over top contender Merab Dvalishvili: “It's unfortunate he does have that storyline with him”
Harry Kettle - September 8, 2023
Jamahal Hill has given his thoughts on Sean O’Malley wanting to fight rival Marlon Vera ahead of Merab Dvalishvili. Last month, Sean O’Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling to become the new UFC bantamweight champion. As you can imagine, there was a lot of speculation in the immediate aftermath regarding who he’d defend against first. A Sterling rematch was deemed possible, but you also have Merab Dvalishvili waiting for his opportunity too.
Dan Hardy explains why Jon Jones is not "gonna stick around" after UFC 295: "They took his d**k pills away from him"
Chris Taylor - September 7, 2023
Dan Hardy has a theory as to why UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones isn’t “gonna stick around” after fighting Stipe Miocic at UFC 295. Jones (27-1 MMA) is scheduled to defend his heavyweight title Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA) on November 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York. ‘Bones’ of course captured the promotion’s heavyweight crown earlier this year when he submitted Ciryl Gane in the first round of their fight at UFC 285.
Tai Tuivasa claims Alexander Volkov's chin "is not as strong as it needs to be" ahead of UFC 293
Cole Shelton - September 7, 2023
Tai Tuivasa doesn’t think Alexander Volkov’s chin will be able to take his punches at UFC 293. Tuivasa and Volkov are set to throw down in the co-headliner of Saturday’s UFC 293 event in Sydney, Australia. It’s a hometown fight for Tuivasa and he’s looking for redemption as he’s on a two-fight losing streak and will be making the walk to the Octagon for the first time in 2023.
Dana White puts final nail in Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk: "Probably Not"
Josh Evanoff - September 7, 2023
UFC president Dana White has confirmed that Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk is off the table. Earlier this summer, the two billionaires began teasing that they would indeed fight. To his credit, Mark Zuckerberg has been a longtime fan of the sport, even training with names such as Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. Meanwhile, Elon Musk isn’t as versed in combat but reportedly trained Judo as a teen.
Jake Paul and Nate Diaz go back-and-forth over rejected PFL rematch: "Go back to your daddy Dana"
Josh Evanoff - September 7, 2023
The saga between PFL star Jake Paul and former UFC title challenger Nate Diaz continues. ‘The Problem Child’ returned to the ring last month on DAZN pay-per-view. Back for the first time since a loss to Tommy Fury in February, he faced Nate Diaz. The Stockton slugger last defeated Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 last year, fighting out his deal with the promotion.
WATCH | Manel Kape and Israel Adesanya get into heated shouting match at UFC 293 press conference
Josh Evanoff - September 7, 2023
Things got heated between Manel Kape and Israel Adesanya at the UFC 293 presser earlier today. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is currently slated to return this Saturday night against Sean Strickland. For his part, Israel Adesanya enters the matchup fresh off his championship rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 287. In April, he scored a second-round knockout win over ‘Poatan’ to win the gold.
WATCH | Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou faceoff ahead of boxing match in October
Cole Shelton - September 7, 2023
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou had a faceoff ahead of their highly-anticipated boxing match on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia. With the fight still over a month away, the two held a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to help promote the fight. Although Fury is a sizeable betting favorite, the fight is still intriguing as Ngannou has legit one-punch KO power.
UFC 293 | Pro fighters make their picks for Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland title fight
Cole Shelton - September 7, 2023
In the main event of UFC 293, the middleweight title is up for grabs as Israel Adesanya looks to defend his belt against Sean Strickland. Heading into the scrap, Adesanya is a massive -720 favorite while the American is a +450 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. To no surprise, the majority of the pros are picking Adesanya to defend his belt with ease, although some are rooting for Strickland to pull off the upset.
Merab Dvalishvili reacts after Sean O’Malley claims he knocked him out at UFC 292
Susan Cox - September 7, 2023
Merab Dvalishvili is reacting after Sean O’Malley claims he knocked him out at UFC 292. It was in fact Sean O’Malley (17-1 MMA) vs Aljamain Sterling (23-4 MMA) this past August at UFC 292. The main event title fight saw O’Malley defeat ‘Funk Master’ by TKO at 0:51 of round 2 to claim the bantamweight belt.
Michael Bisping shares his thoughts on the middleweight GOAT debate: “He’s got the better style so far”
Susan Cox - September 7, 2023
Former UFC champion Michael Bisping is sharing his thoughts on the middleweight GOAT debate. It was during a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel that former UFC middleweight champion, Michael Bisping, articulated who he feels is deserving of GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) status in the middleweight division:
Dricus Du Plessis advised he better “show up” at UFC 293 or risk losing a title shot
Susan Cox - September 7, 2023
Dricus Du Plessis is being advised that he better ‘show up’ at UFC 293 or he’ll risk losing a shot at the title. UFC 293 takes place this coming weekend, on Saturday, September 9th at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.