MMA News
Conor McGregor weighs in on Nate Diaz’s guillotine attempt during boxing match with Jake Paul: “Why did he not finish it?”
Cole Shelton - August 15, 2023
Conor McGregor questions why Nate Diaz didn’t try to finish the guillotine attempt in his boxing match against Jake Paul. Diaz boxed Paul in a pay-per-view headliner in Dallas, Texas, in a fight many fans were excited for. It was Paul’s first fight since he lost to Tommy Fury so the pressure was on him to return to the win column as his camp said if he lost, he would retire.
Aljamain Sterling confirms move to featherweight with UFC 292 win over Sean O'Malley: "I'm out of here!"
Josh Evanoff - August 15, 2023
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling won’t be at 135 pounds after his fight with Sean O’Malley. ‘Funk Master’ is slated to return to the octagon this Saturday night in the main event of UFC 292. There, he will face ‘Sugar’, nearly a year after the bantamweight contender scored a controversial decision win over Petr Yan. For Aljamain Sterling, he’s making a quick turnaround after defeating Henry Cejudo in May.
Israel Adesanya claims the UFC originally didn't want to give Sean Strickland the title shot in fears of "embarrassing the company"
Cole Shelton - August 15, 2023
Israel Adesanya claims the UFC wasn’t originally interested in having Sean Strickland fight for the middleweight title. The original plan was for Adesanya to defend his middleweight title at UFC 293 in Australia against the winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Robert Whittaker. ‘DDP’ ended up winning by TKO, but he suffered a foot injury, and couldn’t fight on that date.
Teddy Atlas criticizes Francis Ngannou's team over training snub: "Why don't you be upfront with me?"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - August 15, 2023
Teddy Atlas feels he was disregarded by Francis Ngannou after being asked to help train him. Atlas, who is a legendary boxing trainer, claims that Ngannou was seeking his assistance ahead of the big October 28 bout against Tyson Fury. Atlas even claims to have helped the former UFC Heavyweight Champion with a technique, but he was taken aback when it was revealed that “The Predator” is being trained by Mike Tyson.
Sean O'Malley's coach believes Aljamain Sterling will leave himself open at UFC 292: "He's going to take a big risk"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - August 15, 2023
Sean O’Malley could take advantage of a huge mistake by Aljamain Sterling, says “Sugar’s” coach. O’Malley and Sterling are set to collide in the main event of UFC 292 this Saturday night (August 19). Sterling’s UFC Bantamweight Championship will be at stake inside the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The “Funk Master” is a -260 betting favorite, per Bovada, while O’Malley is a +205 underdog. It’ll be interesting to see who the late money favors on fight night.
Eddie Hearn takes aim at “awful” boxing match between Nate Diaz and Jake Paul: “You're talking about low level”
Fernando Quiles Jr. - August 15, 2023
Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn was not impressed by the boxing skills on display during the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz match. Paul and Diaz shared the ring inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas earlier this month. The bout had its moments with Paul scoring a fifth-round knockdown, and Diaz continuing to hang in there and land punches. The problem for Diaz was his punches had no significant impact on his opponent. Paul’s punches were clearly more effective and he won the bout via unanimous decision.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 135 with John Dodson and Andre Petroski
Cole Shelton - August 15, 2023
In the 135th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com, host Cole Shelton is live ahead of UFC 292 and recapping BKFC 48. We’re first joined by the new BKFC flyweight champion John Dodson (1:17). Closing out the show is UFC middleweight Andre Petroski (14:31). Sorry for only two guests, we did have interviews with Rob Font and Mario Bautista that went out after their opponents pulled out, as well as an interview scheduled with Geoff Neal before he withdrew.
Israel Adesanya warns Dricus Du Plessis that he has not secured a title opportunity: “He’s not calling the shots, I am”
Harry Kettle - August 15, 2023
Israel Adesanya has issued a warning to Dricus du Plessis that he hasn’t necessarily earned a shot at the title yet. Back at UFC 290, Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis faced off in the Octagon following the latter’s win over Robert Whittaker. By all accounts, it seemed as if du Plessis would get the next shot at Adesanya’s UFC middleweight championship. However, with Dricus not being ready in time for UFC 293, Sean Strickland got the call instead.
Terrance McKinney says UFC Vegas 78 win is the start of his championship run: “God resurrected my career and we’re back”
Harry Kettle - August 15, 2023
UFC fighter Terrance McKinney believes that his win last weekend could be the start of his championship run. For quite some time now, Terrance McKinney has been seen as a really fun prospect in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Unfortunately for him, while he always puts on fun fights, he doesn’t always pick up the win. Heading into Saturday night, McKinney was riding a two-fight losing streak after being finished by Ismael Bonfim and Nazim Sadykhov.
BJ Penn praises Marlon Vera ahead of UFC 292 fight with Pedro Munhoz: “He does have all the championship qualities”
Harry Kettle - August 15, 2023
UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn has popped up on the latest episode of Embedded to praise Marlon Vera ahead of his fight this weekend. Following on from his decisive loss to Cory Sandhagen earlier this year, Marlon Vera has had to go back to the drawing board. He’s still a top contender, but adjustments need to be made. He’s set to return at UFC 292 this Saturday night in Boston, with his original opponent being Henry Cejudo. Unfortunately, ‘Triple C’ had to pull out, meaning Pedro Munhoz has now stepped in as a replacement.
Aljamain Sterling reveals he has a bet with Sean O'Malley over who shoots a takedown first
Cole Shelton - August 14, 2023
Aljamain Sterling has a bet made with Sean O’Malley over their UFC 292 title fight. Sterling and O’Malley are set to headline UFC 292 in Boston in a highly anticipated matchup. In the lead-up to the fight, both men have been vocal in suggesting they will be getting a stoppage win. However, on Monday, Sterling revealed another interesting wrinkle to the fight as the two sides have agreed to a side bet.
Filipino MMA pioneer Eduard Folayang returns against Amir Khan at ONE Fight Night 14
BJPENN.COM Staff - August 14, 2023
Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang is ready to grace the Circle once again. But when he makes his return on September 29, he’ll be competing against a familiar foe. The Filipino MMA legend will face Amir Khan in a long-awaited rematch at ONE Fight Night 14. The event will broadcast live in U.S. primetime from the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and Folayang can’t wait.
Mario Bautista remains on UFC 292, set to face Da'Mon Blackshear
Cole Shelton - August 14, 2023
Mario Bautista has gotten a replacement opponent. Bautista was supposed to face Cody Garbrandt at UFC 292 in Boston but the former bantamweight champion had to pull out due to an injury. Now, multiple sources have informed BJPENN.com that Bautista will face Da’Mon Blackshear on Saturday at UFC 292.
Dana White says he moved PPV model to streaming due to cable dispute: “We were so tired of the cable side and the satellite side being basically pigs’
Zain Bando - August 14, 2023
For the first time in 2023, Dana White opened up on the business aspects of the UFC and what has made the company successful since moving from FOX Sports to ESPN/ESPN+ in 2019. The UFC puts on 40+ annual events as one of the few promotions that exclusively stream without needing televised pay-per-view.
Demetrious Johnson commits to join 2023 IBJJF Masters
BJPENN.COM Staff - August 14, 2023
Demetrious Johnson, the reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion and MMA legend, is set to embark on a new challenge. “Mighty Mouse” will be switching fields temporarily to showcase his talents in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the 2023 IBJJF Masters World Championships. The competition will take place between August 31 and September 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
What's next for Vicente Luque and Rafael dos Anjos after UFC Vegas 78?
Cole Shelton - August 14, 2023
In the main event of UFC Vegas 78, welterweight contenders threw down as 10th-ranked welterweight Vicente Luque took on former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos. Luque entered the fight coming off back-to-back losses and last August, he suffered a knockout loss to Geoff Neal that caused a brain hemorrhage. Prior to that, he lost a five-round decision to Belal Muhammad which snapped his four-fight win streak that included notable wins over Tyron Woodley and Michael Chiesa. Rafael dos Anjos, meanwhile, was coming off a submission win over Bryan Barberena in his return to the welterweight division.
Ian Machado Garry believes he's "carrying" UFC 292 on his back: "If it wasn't for me, this card would go down the drain"
Cole Shelton - August 14, 2023
Ian Machado Garry believes he is carrying the promotion for UFC 292. The UFC heads to Boston on Saturday for UFC 292 which is headlined by two title fights, including Aljamain Sterling defending his bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley. Also on the main card is a welterweight bout featuring Ian Garry taking on Neil Magny, who took the fight on short notice.
Aljamain Sterling goes off on Sean O'Malley ahead of UFC 292: "That naked mole rat is getting smashed"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - August 14, 2023
UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has put Sean O’Malley on blast before their UFC 292 encounter. Sterling will be putting the bantamweight gold on the line against O’Malley in the UFC 292 headliner. The two will collide this Saturday inside the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. It’ll be O’Malley’s first UFC title fight.