MMA News
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.
Charles Oliveira wants back-to-back fights with Alexander Volkanovski at 155 and 145
Ryan Harkness - October 19, 2022
Alex Volkanovski has made it no secret that he’s on the hunt for the lightweight title most recently held by Charles Oliveira. But did he know that Charles Oliveira is after his featherweight belt? During a UFC 280 media day interview in Abu Dhabi, ‘Do Bronx’ was asked about Volkanovski’s insistence that he be the backup fighter for Oliveira vs. Makhachev. That’s likely earned him a shot at the winner on Saturday night. Would Charles be willing to fight Alexander ‘The Great’ in Australia or would he prefer fighting him on home turf in Brazil?
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.
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.
TJ Dillashaw says the UFC struggled to make a highlight tape for Aljamain Sterling: “Because he has no f***ing highlights!”
Harry Kettle - October 19, 2022
TJ Dillashaw has lashed out at Aljamain Sterling‘s fight style ahead of their UFC 280 collision this weekend. In the co-main event of UFC 280 on Saturday night, TJ Dillashaw will attempt to become a three-time UFC bantamweight champion when he challenges Aljamain Sterling for the gold. It’s no secret that these two men haven’t had the nicest of things to say about one another but even with that being the case, there still seems to be some level of respect for each other’s games.
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.
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.
Brendan Schaub believes T.J. Dillashaw's drug test history is overblown heading into UFC 280: "The guys that he was fighting were also on some s**t"
Josh Evanoff - October 18, 2022
Brendan Schaub believes fans shouldn’t hold T.J. Dillashaw’s PED history against him. The former bantamweight champion has been out of action since his win over Cory Sandhagen last July. That victory was an important one for Dillashaw, as he hadn’t won a fight since 2018. The reasoning was that he was on the sidelines due to a drug test failure.
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.
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.
Charles Oliveira claims his "weaknesses are long gone" ahead of UFC 280 fight, vows to KO Islam Makhachev
Cole Shelton - October 18, 2022
Charles Oliveira says he no longer has any weaknesses ahead of his UFC 280 title fight against Islam Makhachev. Early on in Oliveira’s UFC career, many called him a quitter as they claimed he looked for ways out of fights when it wasn’t going his way. That has continued to follow him throughout his career as Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje both said he would quit when they fought him which didn’t prove to be the case.
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’.
UFC fighter calls for flat-earth debate with Joe Rogan: "The sun rotates around us, and I can prove it"
Ryan Harkness - October 18, 2022
Bryce Mitchell is set to headline UFC Vegas 64 on November 5th, but after his opponent pulled out with an injury he’s not exactly sure who he’ll end up fighting. He’s not letting that uncertainty bother him. Instead of fretting about a replacement opponent, he’s decided to call out Joe Rogan over the comedian’s claims that the earth isn’t flat. Rogan has held some unusual beliefs over the years. He once argued with Neil deGrasse Tyson for over an hour about the moon landing being a hoax. He’s also spent several months searching for Bigfoot in the backwoods of America. But he’s never been a believer in the flat earth conspiracy theory. It’s one of the few topics that he’ll shut down outright on The Joe Rogan Experience rather than debate it.
Did Dana White really confirm Alexander Volkanovski would get the next lightweight title shot?
Ryan Harkness - October 18, 2022
We’re days away from the big UFC 280 card in Abu Dhabi, which not only features two big title fights but could also decide who fights for those same titles next. The vacant UFC lightweight title is being fought for between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, with featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski serving as backup and calling dibs on next. The UFC bantamweight title is being defended by Aljamain Sterling, who takes on T.J. Dillashaw. Immediately before that bout, 135ers Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley will compete in a fight many consider a number one contenders match.