MMA News
Chael Sonnen explains why the UFC should have no regrets over trading Demetrious Johnson for Ben Askren
Susan Cox - September 2, 2022
Chael Sonnen is explaining why the UFC should have no regrets over trading Demetrious Johnson for Ben Askren. It was almost four years ago that the UFC made a cross-promotion trade, sending Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship in return for Ben Askren. In 2018 the agreement was reached between the UFC and Singapore’s ONE Championship which saw the first trade between the two MMA promotions.
UFC Paris: ‘Gane vs. Tuivasa’ Weigh-in Results - All Fighters Make Weight
Susan Cox - September 2, 2022
UFC Paris kicked off with fighter weigh-ins, which took place earlier this morning, Friday September 2nd. All 24 fighters made official weight. UFC Paris takes place tomorrow, Saturday, September 3rd at the Accor Arena in Paris, France.
Former UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell books Bobo O’Bannon for his BKFC debut
Harry Kettle - September 2, 2022
Ben Rothwell will make his bare-knuckle boxing debut with BKFC later this year when he battles Bobo O’Bannon. The man known as ‘Big Ben’ was released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship earlier this year ahead of a proposed match-up against Alexander Gustafsson, noting the following during an interview with Ariel Helwani.
Daniel Cormier discusses his recent Twitter exchange with Jorge Masvidal: “When you take to me as a peer, you gotta deal with Daniel Cormier, the fighter”
Harry Kettle - September 2, 2022
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier issued a word of warning to Jorge Masvidal when discussing their recent back and forth. While we all know Daniel Cormier these days as the fun-loving MMA commentator and analyst, fans and pundits also recognise that back in the day, he was one of the best fighters of all-time.
Robert Whittaker believes Marvin Vettori is underestimating his abilities ahead of UFC Paris: "I’m going to hit him too much"
Cole Shelton - September 1, 2022
Robert Whittaker thinks Marvin Vettori is underestimating just how good he is. Whittaker and Vettori are set to meet in the co-main event of UFC Paris in an intriguing matchup. Both seem to be out of the title picture for the time being given they are both 0-2 against Israel Adesanya. However, if they continue to win they could earn another crack at the belt if Adesanya remains the champ.
Vitor Belfort believes Jake Paul chose to fight Anderson Silva over him due to power: "I could see he is really afraid to face fast and explosive opponents"
Josh Evanoff - September 1, 2022
Vitor Belfort believes Jake Paul picked to fight Anderson Silva because it will be easier. The former UFC middleweight champion hasn’t competed in MMA since a May 2018 loss to Lyoto Machida. Following that defeat, Belfort parted ways with the promotion. The 45-year-old then signed with ONE Championship.
Hasbulla responds after “bum” Conor McGregor threatens to punt him
Josh Evanoff - September 1, 2022
Hasbulla Magomedov has responded to UFC lightweight star Conor McGregor. The social media star has become a big name in the MMA space for a multitude of reasons. Magomedov is friends with former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, among other fighters.
Tai Tuivasa explains why he’s finally chasing the UFC heavyweight title: “My son thinks I’m pretty s**t unless I have a belt”
Cole Shelton - September 1, 2022
Tai Tuivasa says his goal is to finally become a UFC champion. Tuivasa is set to headline UFC Paris against Ciryl Gane and should he win, his next fight could very well be for the title. For the longest time, Tuivasa admits he was fighting because he loved it but a recent conversation with his son changed everything.
Sayif Saud knew Geoff Neal had to finish Vicente Luque to "make a big statement," hopes Gilbert Burns fight happens
Cole Shelton - September 1, 2022
Fortis MMA head coach Sayif Saud knew Geoff Neal had to not only beat Vicente Luque but had to finish him. Neal and Luque met in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 59 on August 6 in a big fight for both men. Luque was coming off the decision loss to Belal Muhammad, while Neal recently returned to the win column but had a rough couple of years due to health issues which Saud believes are finally solved.
Julia Avila clarifies UFC fighter pay comments, hopes to see improvement over time: "I love the UFC, but I know they can do more"
Josh Evanoff - September 1, 2022
UFC women’s bantamweight Julia Avila has clarified her fighter pay comments. ‘Raging Panda’ has been out of the octagon since July 2021. In that outing, the 34-year-old secured a third-round submission victory over Julija Stoliarenko. That win gave Avila her third in her last four outings in the UFC octagon.
Marvin Vettori hopes Israel Adesanya leaves UFC 281 fight against Alex Pereira "in another oxygen mask"
Cole Shelton - September 1, 2022
Marvin Vettori hopes that Alex Pereira can knockout Israel Adesanya again in a violent fashion. In kickboxing, Pereira scored a KO win over Adesanya that saw the doctors use an oxygen mask on him. The two will now fight for the third time – with UFC 281 serving as the first time they meet in MMA. It’s a fascinating matchup and for Vettori who is one of Adesanya’s longest rivals, he hopes the fight plays out in a similar fashion.
Jon Jones shares some advice for Alex Pereira after viewing footage of his sparring on social media
Susan Cox - September 1, 2022
Jon Jones has shared some advise for Alex Pereira after viewing footage of his sparring on social media. In an ‘Instagram’ post with a photo of a scale that was shared by ‘MMA Mania’ it was stated:
Thiago Santos explains how a “bathtub” incident resulted in him wanting to fight Paulo Costa
Susan Cox - September 1, 2022
Thiago Santos is explaining how a ‘bathtub’ incident resulted in him wanting to fight Paulo Costa. Santos, (22-11 MMA) has lost 5 of his last 6 fights in the Octagon. ‘Marreta’s’ last win came back in October of 2021 against Johnny Walker (18-7 MMA) in a light heavyweight bout. Santos most recently suffered a fourth round TKO against Jamahal Hill (11-1 MMA) on August 6th of this year.
Police investigating alleged “assault” of a woman on Conor McGregor’s yacht
Susan Cox - September 1, 2022
Police are investigating an alleged ‘assault’ of a woman on Conor McGregor’s yacht. Conor McGregor seems to be in the news a lot lately – news about everything other than his return to the Octagon.
Pro fighters make their picks for Robert Whittaker vs. Marvin Vettori
Cole Shelton - September 1, 2022
In the co-main event of UFC Paris, a pivotal middleweight bout goes down as Robert Whittaker takes on Marvin Vettori. Heading into the fight, Whittaker is a -250 favorite while the Italian is a +190 underdog. Heading into the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The pros believe Whittaker is the more well-rounded fighter and will get the job done, likely by decision.
Photo | Alex Pereira is looking huge ahead of UFC 281 title fight with Israel Adesanya
Harry Kettle - September 1, 2022
In a recently released shot, Alex Pereira appears to be bigger than ever heading into his UFC 281 fight against Israel Adesanya. Despite being just 3-0 since joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Alex Pereira has already earned a shot at the UFC middleweight title following his knockout win over Sean Strickland this summer. The man known as ‘Poatan’ has made quite the impression on the promotion since his debut less than a year ago and this November, at Madison Square Garden, he’ll attempt to reach the top of the mountain at 185 pounds.
Leon Edwards coach Dave Lovell has a message for “little redneck” Colby Covington: “Call him Sir Leon Scott from this day on”
Harry Kettle - September 1, 2022
Leon Edwards’ coach Dave Lovell has sent a message to Colby Covington following Leon’s UFC 278 title win. For many years now, Colby Covington has been known as a man who likes to talk a fair bit both in and out of the Octagon. ‘Chaos’ isn’t afraid to step on anyone’s toes and as a result of that, he’s made quite a few enemies – many of whom he’s shared the cage with.
Alex Volkanovski sends a warning to Conor McGregor after the Irishman takes aim at Hasbulla: “You’ll have to go through me first”
Harry Kettle - September 1, 2022
Alex Volkanovski has issued an amusing warning to Conor McGregor after he took a shot at internet sensation Hasbulla. One thing we all know to be true about Conor McGregor is that he’s an unpredictable chap, especially when it comes to his social media activity. The Irishman rarely thinks twice about speaking his mind and even though he winds up deleting most of his messages, he still tends to get the essence of his point across for the world to see before doing so.