MMA News

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 10, 2026

Sean O’Malley is urging Petr Yan to avoid a big mistake. Yan became a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion when he defeated Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC 323 main event in late 2025. It was a stellar performance from “No Mercy,” who proved that he was never truly out of the 135-pound title picture despite some setbacks.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 10, 2026

Chael Sonnen doesn’t believe Jon Jones is out of the all-time great conversation due to past controversies with drug testing. There’s no doubting that “Bones” is one of the most talented fighters to ever enter the MMA space. His lone defeat has been heavily disputed, as he was disqualified in his 2009 bout against Matt Hamill for using 12-6 elbows, which were illegal at the time. Many argued that referee Steve Mazzagatti should’ve stopped the fight well before Jones even landed the elbows.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 10, 2026

A longtime UFC analyst and coach won’t write off Justin Gaethje entirely ahead of his inevitable title unification bout with Ilia Topuria. Gaethje became a two-time interim UFC Lightweight Champion when he defeated Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 324 main event. “The Highlight” was a slight underdog going into the bout, but he ultimately battered “The Baddy” on his way to a unanimous decision win.

Harry Kettle - February 10, 2026

UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has questioned Paddy Pimblett’s kicks from their UFC 324 encounter. Last month, Justin Gaethje was able to defeat Paddy Pimblett to become a two-time UFC interim lightweight champion. He will now, more than likely, go on to try and unify the belts with undisputed champion Ilia Topuria, and it’s likely to go down at the White House in the summer.

Harry Kettle - February 10, 2026

UFC legend Israel Adesanya has opened up on his future retirement from mixed martial arts and when it could happen. When we’re talking about some of the best fighters from the last ten years, Israel Adesanya has to be part of that conversation. He is a two-time middleweight champion in the UFC, and in terms of popularity, he’s certainly one of the biggest stars that the promotion has had in a while.

Curtis Calhoun - February 9, 2026

It might not be long until the UFC matchmakers grant undefeated flyweight Muhammad Mokaev a second chance with the promotion. Muhammad Mokaev was on the cusp of a UFC flyweight title shot after 13 wins to begin his professional MMA career. But after a tense relationship with UFC CEO Dana White and the matchmakers throughout his promotional tenure, the UFC opted to part ways with the talented flyweight before making it to a title fight.

Cole Shelton - February 9, 2026

The UFC returned to the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday for a solid UFC Vegas 113 card. In the main event, a pivotal bantamweight bout went down as Mario Bautista took on Vinicius Oliveira. Entering the bout, Bautista was coming off a loss to Umar Nurmagomedov and was taking on Oliveira, who was undefeated in the UFC.

BJPENN.COM Staff - February 9, 2026

Magomed Akaev waited through two canceled bookings to get his shot at redemption. The 29-year-old Dagestani faces Lucas Gabriel in a lightweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Curtis Calhoun - February 9, 2026

UFC welterweight contenders Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales traded online jabs regarding the state of the division’s title picture. After UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev won the title at UFC 322 to become a two-division titleholder, a ferocious debate is underway about the next title fight. Former UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman is potentially the frontrunner to oppose Makhachev in the champion’s first title defense.

Curtis Calhoun - February 9, 2026

UFC star Jailton Almeida will make a significant change following his latest lopsided defeat at UFC Vegas 113 last Saturday. UFC heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida was on the cusp of a potential title shot after winning his first six fights in the promotion. But after a streaky start to his UFC tenure, Almeida has now lost three of his last five fights, including most recently against Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Vegas 113 last Saturday.

Curtis Calhoun - February 9, 2026

Conor McGregor wasn’t far away from former Bare Knuckle FC rivals Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez’s brawl at BKFC KnuckleMania VI. Bare Knuckle FC continues to be one of the fastest-rising entities in combat sports, led by top executive Conor McGregor and the face of the promotion, Mike Perry. News about Perry’s next appearance in the BKFC ring is inevitable, after two top names were recently teased as potential opponents for his return.

BJPENN.COM Staff - February 9, 2026

Defeat cuts differently for 22-year-old fighters who’ve built their reputations on finishes. Ryugo Takeuchi tasted that failure in Tokyo, and the bitterness hasn’t left his mouth. The Japanese knockout artist faces Ben Tynan in a heavyweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 9, 2026

As far as one top MMA coach is concerned, Islam Makhachev’s first UFC welterweight title defense should be against Ian Machado Garry. The 170-pound weight class is stacked with talent. The likes of Garry and Michael Morales have emerged as top contenders. Carlos Prates has also been making waves and he nearly scored a comeback victory against Garry, leading to the two of them becoming friends.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 9, 2026

Justin Gaethje was the victim of one of the most memorable knockout losses in UFC history, and he has no regrets. Gaethje and Holloway collided in a highly anticipated matchup at UFC 300 back in 2024. The BMF Championship was at stake inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Holloway was well on his way to a unanimous decision win before daring Gaethje to trade strikes at the end of the final round.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 9, 2026

Arman Tsarukyan is looking forward to seeing Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira collide at UFC 326, and he even has a prediction. Holloway and Oliveira are scheduled to collide on March 7 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Blessed” will put his BMF Championship at stake. This will actually be a rematch, as Holloway and Oliveira had a 2015 fight that ended prematurely due to an injury.

Harry Kettle - February 9, 2026

UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov isn’t convinced that he’ll be facing Sean O’Malley in his next outing. Outside of his defeat to Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov has been one of the most consistently strong performers in the bantamweight division in the last few years. He’s beaten a string of top names, with his most recent triumph coming against Deiveson Figueiredo.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 8, 2026

Jon Jones could be pumping the brakes on plans to end his UFC retirement. Jones is a surefire Hall of Famer once he decides to walk away from pro MMA competition for good. “Bones” already announced his retirement from competition only to reveal comeback plans shortly after. Jones was even open to a wrestling match with his longtime rival Daniel Cormier before being diagnosed with arthritis in his left hip.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 8, 2026

Kyoji Horiguchi is eyeing gold and following his UFC Vegas 113 victory, that desire isn’t going away anytime soon. Horiguchi and Albazi went one-on-one in a pivotal flyweight bout this past Saturday. It was the “Karate Kid’s” second fight since returning to UFC. Horiguchi stopped Tagir Ulanbekov via technical submission in his UFC return back in Nov. 2025, and he’s now a cool 2-0 since coming back.