MMA News
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.
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.
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.
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 | 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.
Tai Tuivasa shares his prediction for UFC 293 title fight between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland: “Death”
Susan Cox - September 7, 2023
Tai Tuivasa is sharing his prediction for the UFC 293 title fight between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland. UFC 293 takes place this coming weekend, on Saturday, September 9th at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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.
Xiong Jing Nan promises fireworks against "Wondergirl" Jaroonsak at ONE Fight Night 14: "I will knock her out"
BJPENN.COM Staff - September 7, 2023
ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Champion Xiong Jing Nan is gearing up for a unique challenge. She faces Muay Thai phenom Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak in a special rules striking match at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video. The bout airs live in U.S. primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 29.
Jonathan Di Bella expects "a bloody war" with Danial Williams at ONE Fight Night 15
BJPENN.COM Staff - September 7, 2023
ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella can’t wait for his next assignment. The Canadian-Italian striker defends his belt against Danial Williams at ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video. The matchup goes down at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 6, and airs live in U.S. primetime.
Sean O’Malley claims he knocked out Merab Dvalishvili the same night he finished Aljamain Sterling: “They’re the same person”
Harry Kettle - September 7, 2023
Sean O’Malley has teased Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling as he continues to enjoy life as champion. Last month, Sean O’Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling to claim the UFC bantamweight championship. As you can imagine, this represented a seismic shift in the division, with ‘Suga’ taking over as the new king. Naturally, many other fighters in the top 10 have been calling for a showdown against the champ.
The Korean Zombie expresses interest in Boxing after announcing his UFC retirement: “Boxing would be fun for me”
Harry Kettle - September 7, 2023
Chan Sung Jung aka The Korean Zombie has admitted that there’s a chance he could test the waters in boxing following his MMA retirement. Last month, Korean Zombie went head to head with Max Holloway in what would prove to be his final fight in the UFC. He gave it his all and certainly went down swinging but in the end, he couldn’t get the job done, and wound up suffering a knockout loss at the hands of ‘Blessed’.
Israel Adesanya highly doubts Sean Strickland will follow through on “man dance” proclamation: “He’s selling wolf tickets when he talks about that”
Harry Kettle - September 7, 2023
Israel Adesanya doesn’t believe that Sean Strickland will do the “man dance” with him when they collide at UFC 293. This Saturday night, Israel Adesanya will defend his UFC middleweight championship when he goes head to head with Sean Strickland. It will serve as the first time he’s defended the strap in his second reign, following his knockout win over Alex Pereira earlier this year.