MMA News
Paige VanZant promises fans they will see a "brand new fighter" at BKFC 19
Adam D Martin - July 23, 2021
Former UFC women’s flyweight and current bare-knuckle fighter Paige VanZant promises fans they will see a “brand new fighter” at BKFC 19. VanZant takes on former MMA rival Rachael Ostovich in a rematch Friday night at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida. The two women previously met in the UFC in January 2019, with VanZant winning the fight via submission. Now that the rematch will take place in BKFC, there will be no submission finish this time around as the fight will be taking place entirely on the feet and not on the ground. For VanZant, this will be her second BKFC contest, while for Ostovich this is the first time she has fought bare-knuckle.
Cory Sandhagen responds to rumors that TJ Dillashaw sent spies to his training camp
Harry Kettle - July 23, 2021
Cory Sandhagen has given his thoughts on the rumor that TJ Dillashaw sent people to spy on him during his training camp. This Saturday night, Sandhagen is set to square off against the returning Dillashaw in what essentially amounts to a number one contender fight. “The Sandman” has been on a great run with lethal finishes over Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar, with many expecting him to do the same to “Killashaw”.
UFC Vegas 32 loses slated co-main event between Macy Chiasson and Aspen Ladd
Harry Kettle - July 23, 2021
The proposed co-main event for UFC Vegas 32 between Macy Chiasson and Aspen Ladd has been cancelled. The promotion announced that the bout would no longer be taking place and while nobody really knew the reason why, MMA Junkie was informed it was because Chiasson had sustained an injury.
Aljamain Sterling says Cory Sandhagen doesn't deserve a title shot with a win over TJ Dillashaw
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2021
Aljamain Sterling doesn’t believe there are title implications on the line in the UFC Vegas 32 main event. In the main event of the Fight Night card on Saturday, Cory Sandhagen is welcoming former bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw back to the Octagon in a highly-anticipated bout. Although many believe the winner of this fight will face the winner of Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2, the bantamweight champ disagrees. Instead, he thinks if Sandhagen wins, he doesn’t deserve a title shot, but he thinks Dillashaw would get one if he wins.
Anderson Silva calls BJ Penn one of the four greatest MMA fighters of all time: "He's amazing"
Adam D Martin - July 22, 2021
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva called his fellow legend BJ Penn one of the four greatest MMA fighters of all time. Silva is considered by many fans to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time himself, so his opinion truly matters when it comes to the MMA GOAT discussion. Speaking to GiveMeSport, Silva was asked who would be on his Mt. Rushmore for the four greatest mixed martial artists of all time. According to “The Spider,” he would put the aforementioned Penn, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Royce Gracie, and Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in his top-four of all time.
Dustin Poirier slams "mentally weak" Conor McGregor for injury excuses following UFC 264
Adam D Martin - July 22, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier slammed “mentally weak” rival Conor McGregor for his injury excuses following UFC 264. Poirier defeated McGregor via first-round TKO at UFC 264 earlier this month to claim the pair’s trilogy by a score of 2-1. However, the ending of the fight was controversial as McGregor broke his leg which directly led to the finish. Since the fight has gone down, McGregor has come out publicly and stated that he had an injury heading into the Poirier fight. But as far as “The Diamond” goes, he doesn’t care for McGregor’s excuses.
Pro fighters make their picks for Cory Sandhagen vs TJ Dillashaw
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2021
In the main event of UFC Vegas 32, Cory Sandhagen welcomes back former bantamweight champ, TJ Dillashaw from his two-year USADA suspension in a highly-anticipated bout. Entering the fight, Sandhagen is a -195 favorite while the former champ is a +165 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros are nearly unanimous in the thinking Sandhagen gets the win with many thinking he stops Dillashaw in the process.
Adrian Yanez believes Randy Costa fight has similar career trajectory to the first Poirier-McGregor scrap, eyes stoppage win
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2021
Adrian Yanez sees a lot of similarities between his UFC Vegas 32 fight against Randy Costa and the first time Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor fought. Yanez and Costa are both coming off back-to-back highlight-reel KO wins. They also both have a lot of hype behind them. Yet, many have said this fight is happening too soon. Yanez, however, disagrees with it as he thinks they will eventually meet again years down the line in a much bigger fight similar to Poirier and McGregor.
Chael Sonnen explains why EPO was his preferred drug of choice: "It’s going to give you more endurance"
Adam D Martin - July 22, 2021
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen explained why EPO was his preferred drug of choice, saying that “it’s going to give you more endurance.” Sonnen was a big star for the UFC in the early part of the 2010s but his career went downhill after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs on three occasions, which eventually led to the end of his career in the UFC. He finished off his career with a stint in Bellator, and ever since retiring in 2019, Sonnen has been incredibly open about his previous use of performance-enhancing drugs during his mixed martial arts career.
Rafael dos Anjos wants to beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 and get the rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Adam D Martin - July 22, 2021
Rafael dos Anjos says he wants to beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 and then get the rematch with his teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov. Dos Anjos and Nurmagomedov fought back in 2014, with Nurmagomedov winning the fight via unanimous decision. However, in a twist of fate, Nurmagomedov suffered an injury following that fight, and dos Anjos actually got the chance to fight for the UFC lightweight belt before him, defeating Anthony Pettis to take home the title in 2015. Dos Anjos would lose the belt in 2016 to Eddie Alvarez, and Nurmagomedov finally claimed it himself in 2018 when he defeated Al Iaquinta. Although Nurmagomedov is now retired from MMA, dos Anjos still wants this rematch one day in order to avenge his earlier career defeat.
Sean Strickland believes win over Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 33 and one more after that could earn him middleweight title shot
Adam D Martin - July 22, 2021
Sean Strickland believes that a win over Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 33 and then one more after that could earn him a middleweight title shot. Strickland returns to the Octagon next Saturday in his first five-round UFC main event when he takes on Hall in the headliner of UFC Vegas 33. For Strickland, he has looked quite exceptional since returning to the Octagon last year following a motorcycle accident in 2018 that left his career in question. Since making his comeback, “Tarzan” has looked absolutely phenomenal inside the Octagon with wins over Jack Marshman and Brendan Allen. Since moving up to 185lbs, Strickland appears to be a serious contender, especially now that he is not forced to cut a ton of weight in order to make welterweight.
Colby Covington explains why TJ Dillashaw will lose against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 32
Adam D Martin - July 22, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington explained why TJ Dillashaw will lose against Cory Sandhagen at this Saturday’s UFC Vegas 32 event. Dillashaw returns from a 30-month layoff this weekend when he takes on his former training partner Sandhagen in a potential No. 1 contender bout at 135lbs. Remember, Dillashaw never lost his belt in a fight, but rather gave it up when he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Dillashaw has been open about why he used PEDs before his fight with Henry Cejudo, but Covington doesn’t stand for anyone that cheats in MMA.
Artem Lobov shares his take on Conor McGregor’s post-fight interview at UFC 264: “It shouldn’t have happened”
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2021
Conor McGregor’s close friend and training partner Artem Lobov believes the Irishman’s recent post-fight interview shouldn’t have happened. Back at UFC 264, McGregor was once again beaten by Dustin Poirier – this time as a result of a doctor stoppage due to a broken leg. After Poirier was interviewed by Joe Rogan, the UFC production team seemingly thought it’d be a good idea to go over and also speak with Conor, which didn’t end well.
Rachael Ostovich explains decision to rematch Paige VanZant in BKFC: “Money talks”
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2021
Former UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich has explained her decision to take on former foe Paige VanZant in BKFC. While VanZant has already made an appearance in the promotion, Ostovich is set to step into the ring for the first time tomorrow night when she takes on PVZ in a rematch of their January 2019 bout in the UFC. It’ll mark the first combat appearance for Ostovich since losing to Gina Mazany back in November 2020, after which she was released from her UFC contract.
Gilbert Burns and Jake Shields get into heated exchange following the Brazilian's callout of Nate Diaz
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2021
Gilbert Burns and Jake Shields got into a heated argument on social media after the Brazilian called out Nate Diaz. Burns, who returned to the win column with a decision win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 264 is looking to find his next opponent. He called out several welterweights like Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. Yet, Shields, who is a longtime teammate of Diaz didn’t think kindly of Burns’ callout.
Justin Gaethje blasts Michael Chandler over his recent comments: "This f****r is slandering my name"
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2021
Justin Gaethje has responded to Michael Chandler’s recent comments. On Tuesday, Chandler spoke on an Instagram Live where he made it clear that he wanted to fight Gaethje next. He said one of them would add the other to their highlight reel, but the former Bellator champ claimed “The Highlight” had turned him down a couple of times already.
Rory MacDonald vs. Ray Cooper III among newly-announced PFL playoff semifinal matchups
Adam D Martin - July 21, 2021
A welterweight matchup pitting Rory MacDonald vs. Ray Cooper III is among the newly-announced PFL season three playoff semifinal matchups. PFL announced the complete list of its season three semifinal bouts this week on its social media, with three events scheduled to take place on August 13, August 19, and August 27.
Maycee Barber explains move to Team Alpha Male: "I’m not going to sit around and wait for people or beg them to come on this journey with me"
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2021
Maycee Barber has been training at a new camp for her UFC Vegas 32 fight against Miranda Maverick. After Barber lost her second fight in a row to Alexa Grasso at UFC 258, she decided to change camps and had to California to train at Team Alpha Male. “The Future” has already been at several gyms like Factory X, Roufusport, JacksonWink, and in Chicago under Mike Valle among others. However, the reason why she made the switch to Team Alpha Male for this fight was due to COVID-19 restrictions among other reasons.