MMA News
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.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 97 with Beneil Dariush, Volkan Oezdemir, and AJ Dobson
Cole Shelton - October 18, 2022
The 97th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live ahead of UFC 280 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. We’re first joined by sixth-ranked UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush (1:33). Next, eighth-ranked light heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir (14:50) comes on. Closing out the program is UFC middleweight AJ Dobson (27:46).
Tyron Woodley explains how his previous mentorship of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington proved costly
Harry Kettle - October 18, 2022
Tyron Woodley has suggested that previous mentorship of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington impacted his bouts against them. While his run with the UFC may not have ended particularly well due to a notable losing streak, Tyron Woodley will forever be known as one of the most successful welterweight champions in the promotion’s history. He successfully retained the belt four times, eventually losing it to Kamaru Usman.
Khabib Nurmagomedov suggests Charles Oliveira doesn’t have a good ground game: “If you tap eight times in UFC, how can you say you have ground game”
Harry Kettle - October 18, 2022
An old video has resurfaced of Khabib Nurmagomedov tearing into the ground game of Charles Oliveira before UFC 280. While the main event of UFC 280 will be contested between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, with the UFC lightweight championship on the line, there’s certainly a looming presence in the air in the form of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Paul Felder replaces Joe Rogan on the commentary table for UFC 280
Harry Kettle - October 18, 2022
Paul Felder will feature on the commentary team for UFC 280 this weekend, replacing Joe Rogan in the process. On Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will put on one of their biggest cards of the year thus far. We’ll see the UFC lightweight title and UFC bantamweight title being defended alongside a whole host of other fun bouts as Abu Dhabi prepares to put on a real show for fans watching around the world.
UFC bans fighters and their teams from betting on fights
Cole Shelton - October 17, 2022
The UFC has made a major change to its Code of Conduct. On Monday, it was revealed by MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, the promotion has now changed rules banning fighters and their teams from betting on UFC fights. The promotion says it is due to a “clear direction” from sports betting regulators. The memo was written by Hunter Campbell who provided detail on the announcement.
What's next for Alexa Grasso and Viviane Araujo after UFC Vegas 62?
Cole Shelton - October 17, 2022
In the main event of UFC Vegas 62, a top-six women’s flyweight bout headlined the card as Alexa Grasso took on Viviane Araujo. Grasso entered the fight undefeated at flyweight after moving up in 2020 with a decision win over Ji Yeon Kim. The Mexican then beat Maycee Barber by decision and followed it up with a submission win over Joanne Wood to earn her first UFC main event. Meanwhile, Araujo returned to the win column last time with a win over Andrea Lee and was 5-2 in the UFC entering the scrap.
Petr Yan explains why reported matchup with Marlon Vera didn't happen: "He didn't put his actions where his words were"
Josh Evanoff - October 17, 2022
Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has explained why he’s not fighting Marlon Vera. ‘No Mercy’ has been out of action since his rematch with Aljamain Sterling in April. Over a year after their controversial disqualification, Yan headed into the second outing as a huge favorite. However, ‘Funk Master’ flipped the script and won by split decision.
Aljamain Sterling's coach Ray Longo believes T.J. Dillashaw's PED history is a relevant narrative heading into UFC 280: "He's a convicted cheater"
Josh Evanoff - October 17, 2022
Aljamain Sterling’s coach Ray Longo believes that T.J. Dillashaw‘s history is important heading into UFC 280. ‘Funk Master’ is set to return this weekend for the first time since his rematch with Petr Yan in April. In that bantamweight title matchup, Sterling used his wrestling and grappling to earn a split-decision win. The victory was his first title defense since claiming the championship by disqualification the year prior.