MMA News
Justin Gaethje sees eventual trilogy with Dustin Poirier: "I'm never going to deny him that opportunity"
Cole Shelton - September 8, 2023
Justin Gaethje believes he and Dustin Poirier will eventually fight again. Gaethje and Poirier first met in April 2018 when it was ‘The Diamond’ who won by fourth-round TKO in one of the best fights of the year. The two finally had their rematch back in July at UFC 291 for the BMF belt and it was Gaethje who got his revenge as he scored a second-round head kick KO.
WATCH | Logan Paul and Dillon Danis shake hands on MMA rematch if 'El Jefe' doesn't pullout
Josh Evanoff - September 8, 2023
It appears that Logan Paul and Dillon Danis might make it to their boxing match after all. ‘The Maverick’ and ‘El Jefe’ are currently slated for the co-main event of KSI vs. Tommy Fury in October. For Logan Paul, the bout will be his first since a 2021 exhibition no-contest with Floyd Mayweather. Meanwhile, Dillon Danis hasn’t been seen in combat sports since a submission win in Bellator in 2019.
Daniel Cormier admits he would lose dream fight to prime Fedor Emelianenko: "He might've got me"
Josh Evanoff - September 8, 2023
Former UFC dual-weight champion Daniel Cormier believes he would’ve likely lost to Fedor Emelianenko. ‘The Last Emperor’ is widely regarded as the greatest fighter to never fight in the UFC. Having never stepped foot in the octagon, he’s defeated several former champions including Frank Mir, Rampage Jackson, Mark Coleman, and more. Furthermore, names such as Daniel Cormier have hailed him as the greatest heavyweight in MMA history.
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.
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.
Justin Gaethje weighs in a potential UFC fight with Conor McGregor: “I’d be lying if I’d say I haven’t dreamt of ending his career”
Susan Cox - September 8, 2023
Newly minted BMF champion Justin Gaethje is weighing in on a potential fight with former UFC ‘champ champ’ Conor McGregor. With his victory over Dustin Poirier (29-8 MMA) at UFC 291 this past July, ‘The Highlight’ became the ‘BMF’ champion and the top contender in the UFC’s lightweight division.
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.
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.
Valentina Shevchenko vows to “destroy” Alexa Grasso in rematch at Noche UFC: “I go there to take what is mine”
Harry Kettle - September 8, 2023
Valentina Shevchenko has vowed to destroy Alexa Grasso when they collide in their title rematch next weekend. Back in March, Alexa Grasso shocked the world. She submitted Valentina Shevchenko to capture the UFC flyweight championship, bringing an end to what was a dominant reign.
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.
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.
Tyson Fury open to MMA rematch with Francis Ngannou: "I'd knock him out in seconds"
Josh Evanoff - September 7, 2023
Tyson Fury is open to facing Francis Ngannou in the cage after their boxing match. ‘The Gypsy King’ and ‘The Predator’ are slated to face off in October. For Tyson Fury, the boxing match will be his first since a knockout win over Derek Chisora. While his WBC title won’t be on the line, it’ll still be a historic clash. Their ten-rounder will be the first time in combat sports history that boxing’s lineal heavyweight champion will face the UFC’s.
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.
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.