MMA News
Video | Charles Oliveira booed mercilessly in Abu Dhabi during UFC 280 open workouts
Ryan Harkness - October 19, 2022
Charles Oliveira knew he was coming into enemy territory when he agreed to fight Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi. Now he’s getting some real-world experience in what that’s all about during the UFC 280 open workouts. Oliveira arrived at Yas Mall with his teammates to run through some Brazilian jiu jitsu training for the crowd of assembled fans. But from the moment the champion without a belt stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted in boos. And not just a few. A solid portion of the crowd jeered at ‘Do Bronx’ for several sustained minutes, which seemed to throw off Oliveira’s typically cheerful vibes.
Petr Yan downplays comparisons between his fight with Sean O'Malley and Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo: "He is a UFC project and Conor wannabe"
Josh Evanoff - October 19, 2022
Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan isn’t a big fan of comparisons to UFC 194’s main event. ‘No Mercy’ returns to action this Saturday night against Sean O’Malley. It’ll be Yan’s first bout since his rematch with Aljamain Sterling in April. In that outing, the Russian lost his interim bantamweight strap by a hard-fought split decision.
Aljamain Sterling provides clarity on his statements about Andrew Tate ahead of UFC 280 return: "Why would I ever blame the victim?"
Josh Evanoff - October 19, 2022
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has provided clarity on his comments about Andrew Tate. ‘Funk Master’ returns this weekend at UFC 280 against T.J. Dillashaw. The bout will be his first since his rematch with Petr Yan in April. In that outing, Sterling used his wrestling and grappling to ensure a split-decision victory to retain his title.
Islam Makhachev shares his strategy to surpass Khabib: "More title defenses"
Ryan Harkness - October 19, 2022
Islam Makhachev has been toiling in the shadow of his friend and teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov since arriving in the UFC. On Saturday at UFC 280, he’ll have a chance to establish his own championship reign with a win over Charles Oliveira. There’s clearly no rivalry between Islam and Khabib. The Two have known each other since childhood, and have trained under Khabib’s father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov for many years. Khabib recently said Islam Makhachev was one of his father’s top students, which is high praise indeed given the quality of fighters that have come through Abdulmanap’s gym.
UFC 280 | Pro fighters make their picks for Aljamain Sterling vs. TJ Dillashaw title fight
Cole Shelton - October 19, 2022
In the co-main event of UFC 280, the bantamweight title is up for grabs as Aljamain Sterling defends his strap against TJ Dillashaw. Heading into the fight, Sterling is a -184 favorite with the challenger being a +142 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The majority of pros believe Sterling will be able to mix in the wrestling to edge out a win to defend his bantamweight title.
Sean O'Malley vs Yan could be 'Suga's' McGregor vs Aldo moment - Dana White
Andrew Whitelaw - October 19, 2022
Sean O’Malley is one of the biggest stars in the UFC. At UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi this weekend, he has an opportunity to take his shine to the next level when he takes on the former champion, Petr Yan.
Alex Volkanovski details the one trait Petr Yan must avoid in fight with Sean O’Malley: “I think that would be a bad idea to do this with Sean”
Harry Kettle - October 19, 2022
Alex Volkanovski has given his thoughts on what Petr Yan needs to try and avoid when he battles Sean O’Malley at UFC 280. This Saturday night at UFC 280, Sean O’Malley will attempt to register the biggest win of his career when he meets Petr Yan at the Etihad Arena. It’s the kind of match-up that came out of nowhere, and it’s one that could prove crucial for O’Malley’s career.
Dana White praises TJ Dillashaw for owning up to his past PED use: “He handled it like a man”
Harry Kettle - October 19, 2022
UFC president Dana White has praised TJ Dillashaw for the way in which he handled being suspended due to his EPO use. In the wake of his loss to Henry Cejudo back in January 2019, TJ Dillashaw was handed a two-year suspension from mixed martial arts by USADA due to a positive drug test that indicated he had been using EPO.
Photo | TJ Dillashaw is absolutely shredded for UFC 280 title fight with Aljamain Sterling: "I'm in the best shape of my life"
Jeffrey Walter - October 18, 2022
Former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw says he is in the best shape of his life ahead of Saturday’s UFC 280 event in Abu Dhabi. Dillashaw (17-4 MMA) will be looking to reclaim the promotions bantamweight world title when he collides with current champion Aljamain Sterling in the co-main event of UFC 280.
Petr Yan plans to "extinguish" Sean O'Malley's "hype" at UFC 280
Cole Shelton - October 18, 2022
Petr Yan believes he will derail the hype of Sean O’Malley at UFC 280. O’Malley is one of the biggest stars in the UFC and is set for the toughest test of his career as he will face Yan on the main card of UFC 280. If O’Malley wins, it’s likely he will get the next title shot, but Yan has no plans of allowing that to happen.
Tony Ferguson responds after longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov urges him to retire from MMA
Jeffrey Walter - October 18, 2022
Tony Ferguson has responded after his longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov urged him to retire from mixed martial arts. It was just last week that ‘The Eagle’ shared his belief that the only reason ‘El Cucuy’ continues to fight is because he needs the money. In addition, Nurmagomedov suggested that Ferguson’s time had clearly passed and there is no way of him getting it back.
TJ Dillashaw believes Aljamain Sterling is "willing to give up", plans to make him "quit" at UFC 280
Cole Shelton - October 18, 2022
TJ Dillashaw thinks Aljamain Sterling is willing to quit and he plans to make that happen at UFC 280. Dillashaw is set to fight in the co-main event of the pay-per-view card on Saturday in Abu Dhabi as he’s looking to reclaim his belt against Sterling who’s the current champ. In the lead-up to the fight, both men have taken shots at one another which has only added to the excitement of the bout, and now Dillashaw is expecting Sterling to quit.
Sean O'Malley vows to put Petr Yan “face first into the canvas" at UFC 280: "This fight is how superstars get created"
Cole Shelton - October 18, 2022
Sean O’Malley is confident he won’t just beat Petr Yan but will KO him. O’Malley is set for the toughest test of his career when he faces Yan at UFC 280 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. It’s an intriguing matchup as Yan is coming off the title fight loss to Aljamain Sterling, while O’Malley is getting a massive step up in competition. Despite it being his toughest test to date, ‘Suga’ is confident he will beat Yan and do so in violent fashion.
Henry Cejudo contemplating retirement after missing out on Alexander Volkanovski clash: "I'm full with my career"
Josh Evanoff - October 18, 2022
Former dual-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo is once again considering retirement. ‘Triple C’ has been out of action since his win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. Following the victory, Cejudo laid down his gloves in the octagon and stated he wanted to retire. The retirement seemed legitimate for most fans, until he gave his post-fight press conference.
Jiri Prochazka reveals he recently spent three days in a dark room without food to prepare for Glover Teixeira rematch: "There you can work with your demons"
Josh Evanoff - October 18, 2022
UFC light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka is willing to do anything to retain his gold. At UFC 282 in December, ‘Denisa’ is expected to meet Glover Teixeira in his first title defense. The bout will be a rematch of their ‘Fight of the Year’ contender in June. In that back-and-forth fight, Prochazka won the light-heavyweight championship by fifth-round submission.
Daniel Cormier admits that Charles Oliveira is the biggest challenge of Islam Makhachev's career: "Do Bronx has the style and ability to beat him"
Josh Evanoff - October 18, 2022
UFC commentator Daniel Cormier believes Charles Oliveira is the biggest challenge of Islam Makhachev’s career. This Saturday, ‘Do Bronx’ is set to face the Russian contender in the main event of UFC 280. It’ll be the Brazilian’s first since his submission win over Justin Gaethje in May. Prior to that victory, Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight title for missing weight.
Beneil Dariush explains how Mateusz Gamrot inspired him, vows to finish the Pole at UFC 280: "He's that first generation of the new guard"
Cole Shelton - October 18, 2022
Beneil Dariush is ecstatic to be facing Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280. After Dariush beat Tony Ferguson in May of 2021, he was then booked to face Islam Makhachev that following February. Unfortnately, Dariush suffered a broken ankle which forced him to pull out of the fight. After healing the ankle, he will return to the Octagon against Gamrot at UFC 280 which is a fight he is looking forward to.
UFC 280 | Pro fighters make their picks for Petr Yan vs. Sean O'Malley
Cole Shelton - October 18, 2022
On the main card of UFC 280, an intriguing bantamweight bout goes down as Petr Yan takes on Sean O’Malley. Heading into the fight, Yan is a -260 favorite while ‘Suga’ is a +196 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The pros are nearly split in this one as many think the three rounds favor O’Malley while other pros expect Yan to be too big of a step up in competition too soon for ‘Suga’.