MMA News
Brandon Royval reacts after Dana White says “there’s no guarantees that anybody’s next” for the UFC flyweight title: “What the f**k?”
Susan Cox - June 7, 2023
Brandon Royval is reacting after Dana White says ‘there’s no guarantees that anybody’s next’ for the UFC flyweight title. Royval (15-6 MMA) has won 3 in a row in the Octagon, most recently defeating Matheus Nicolau (19-3 MMA) by knockout in the first round this past April.
Henry Cejudo names his greatest bantamweight of all time, reveals next move
Lewis Simpson - June 7, 2023
Henry Cejudo names the greatest bantamweight in UFC history alongside his next move within the division. Cejudo is coming off a split-decision loss to the division’s champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288. The fight marked the Olympic gold medalist’s first fight since retiring in 2020.
Former UFC champion Rashad Evans explains why he is picking Michael Chandler to defeat Conor McGregor
Susan Cox - June 7, 2023
Former UFC champion Rashad Evans is explaining why he’s picking Michael Chandler to defeat Conor McGregor. Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA) and Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA) are reportedly going to fight in the Octagon sometime after the conclusion of Season 31 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, where they are opposing coaches. TUF 31 is airing now and concludes mid-August, however a date and location for the Chandler vs McGregor match-up has yet to be confirmed by the UFC.
UFC 289 | Pro fighters make their picks for Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana title fight
Cole Shelton - June 7, 2023
In the main event of UFC 289, Amanda Nunes looks to defend her bantamweight title as she takes on Irene Aldana who stepped up after Julianna Pena was forced out of the scrap due to an injury. Heading into the fight, Nunes is a -350 favorite while the Mexican is a +255 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight at UFC 289, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to make their predictions for the scrap. To no surprise, most are picking Nunes to remain the champ, although some think Aldana can make it difficult with her striking.
Israel Adesanya shares the advice he gave Alex Pereira regarding his upcoming fight with Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291
Susan Cox - June 7, 2023
Israel Adesanya is sharing the advice he gave Alex Pereira regarding his upcoming fight with Jan Blanchowicz at UFC 291. Alex Pereira (7-2 MMA) most recently lost his UFC middleweight title via way of KO at 4:21 of round 2 to Israel Adesanya (24-2 MMA) at UFC 287 this past April.
Bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis eyes second title after he gets past Patricio Freire at Bellator 297
Harry Kettle - June 7, 2023
Sergio Pettis has got his eyes set on a second world title if he’s able to get past Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire at Bellator 297. Next weekend in Chicago, Sergio Pettis will go head to head with Patricio Pitbull. He’ll be defending his Bellator bantamweight championship against a man who is widely considered to be the best fighter in Bellator history. If Pitbull is able to secure the win, he’ll also become the first man to be a three-weight champion in a major organization.
Jon Anik believes it was “pretty clear” that Kai Kara-France did enough to defeat Amir Albazi at UFC Vegas 74
Harry Kettle - June 7, 2023
UFC commentator Jon Anik believes Kai Kara-France did enough to defeat Amir Albazi during their main event collision last weekend. The flyweight battle between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi was a technical, entertaining clash on Saturday night. However, while many would’ve preferred to focus on the quality of the bout, there’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the scoring.
Anthony Smith explains why he looks forward to seeing UFC champion Amanda Nunes retire: “Sometimes I almost feel bad for her”
Harry Kettle - June 7, 2023
Anthony Smith has explained why he looks forward to seeing Amanda Nunes ride off into the sunset and retire. For so long now, Amanda Nunes has been considered the greatest female fighter of all time. She’s a two-weight world champion in the UFC, she’s beaten the best of the best, and she’s done so in a convincing fashion. The Brazilian sensation is one of a kind, and this weekend, she’ll return to action when she defends her bantamweight crown against Irene Aldana at UFC 289.
Dan Ige expects to have a "short, quick, easy night" against Nate Landwehr at UFC 289
Cole Shelton - June 6, 2023
Dan Ige is fine with fighting another unranked opponent. Ige snapped his three-fight losing skid back in January with a KO win over Damon Jackson and will now face Nate Landwehr at UFC 289. After Ige’s win, he says he wanted to return in June and in front of fans, which is exactly what he got.
Beneil Dariush says he has "no problem taking it to the ground" with Charles Oliveira at UFC 289: "Kill or be killed"
Cole Shelton - June 6, 2023
Beneil Dariush is ready to just fight. Dariush was hoping to return in March against Charles Oliveira, but the fight didn’t get booked until May. However, after the Brazilian suffered a minor injury, the fight was pushed back until UFC 289 in June which was frustrating for Dariush.
Israel Adesanya believes UFC badly needs to raise post-fight bonuses: "Inflation is going up!"
Josh Evanoff - June 6, 2023
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya knows the UFC can do better in terms of fighter pay. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is currently awaiting his next opponent. Adesanya was last seen in the cage in April, knocking out Alex Pereira to re-earn the middleweight gold. However, his next challenger won’t be decided until July, when Robert Whittaker faces Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290.
Paddy Pimblett eyeing year-end return to erase "sh*t performance" against Jared Gordon
Josh Evanoff - June 6, 2023
UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett is eyeing his return to the octagon. ‘The Baddy’ was seemingly on his way to becoming the promotion’s next massive star last year. Pimblett debuted in September 2021 and quickly racked up three stoppage victories in the UFC. Furthermore, he even got a brand deal with Barstool Sports. That all led up to the biggest test of the Brit’s career against Jared Gordon last December.
Israel Adesanya discusses 'fate' meeting with Alex Pereira at the airport following UFC 287
Josh Evanoff - June 6, 2023
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya believes it was a fated meeting with Alex Pereira. At UFC 287 in April, the two middleweights faced off for gold. The bout was yet another chapter in the long rivalry between ‘The Last Stylebender’ and the Brazilian. The previous November, ‘Poatan’ ended Adesanya’s historic title run with a fifth-round knockout win.
Charles Oliveira claims Conor McGregor is "avoiding" him, says he is "hungry" to get his belt back
Cole Shelton - June 6, 2023
Charles Oliveira believes Conor McGregor is afraid to fight him. Oliveira is set to return to the Octagon in the co-main event of UFC 289 against Beneil Darisuh. It’s the Brazilian’s first fight since suffering a submission loss to Islam Makhachev back in October for the lightweight title. It was a disappointing result for Oliveira to no longer be the champ, but after the loss, he thought he could still get a big fight and mentioned McGregor as a possibility.
Dana White says PFL is in a "tough position" after 10 fighters fail drug tests
Cole Shelton - June 6, 2023
UFC President Dana White thinks PFL is in a tough spot after 10 of their fighters recently failed drug tests. The PFL kicked off its 2023 season in Las Vegas and after the events, many thought it was a success. However, just weeks later the drug tests came back and 10 fighters failed them and are out of the season, including last year’s winner, Rob Wilkinson, and UFC veterans Thiago Santos and Krzysztof Jotko.
Henry Cejudo shares his take on how we can make MMA judges not suck
Susan Cox - June 6, 2023
Henry Cejudo is sharing his take on how we can make MMA judges not suck. The main focus of Cejudo’s most recent commentary is the fight which occurred between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi.
Michael Bisping believes Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury would do similar numbers to Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather
Susan Cox - June 6, 2023
Michael Bisping believes Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury would do similar numbers to Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather. It was just this past weekend, following UFC Vegas 74, that UFC President, Dana White, once again spoke about heavyweight champion boxer Tyson Fury coming to the Octagon.
New Nate Diaz documentary "Hit 'Em Up" explores Nate's rise in the UFC and friendship with Shane Gillis
Pineapple Dojo MMA - June 6, 2023
Nate Diaz made his UFC debut in 2007, following a successful run on The Ultimate Fighter.Despite holding noteworthy career wins over Melvin Guillard, Donald Cerrone, Jim Miller, and “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, Diaz never hesitated to express his distaste for the UFC’s contractual and promotional practices. In 2022, prior to the final fight of his long-standing contract, Diaz declared on “The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani” that he had been seeking free agency since 2012 when he fought Benson Henderson for the lightweight title.