MMA News
Dana White says brain injury is "just part of the gig" in MMA
Tom Taylor - January 13, 2021
UFC President Dana White says brain injury is “just part of the gig” for those who compete in combat sports like mixed martial arts. Brain injury has been a widely discussed topic inside the MMA bubble this year. Earlier this month, the UFC donated $1 million to the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. Then, earlier this week, MMA Fighting published an in-depth long-form article on UFC veteran Spencer Fisher’s struggle with CTE. In the article, Fisher detailed problems with dizzy spells, reduced motor function, memory loss, depression, and more. He and his wife also discussed their struggle to find and pay for the treatment he needs.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Ciryl Gane slated for heavyweight showdown on March 13
Tom Taylor - January 13, 2021
A heavyweight clash between top-10 contenders Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Ciryl Gane has been booked for March 13, according to French publication La Seuer. Gane, a former Muay Thai kickboxer, will enter this fight with the No. 7 spot in the UFC heavyweight rankings—a position he earned with a knockout of former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos in his last fight. Prior to that, the Frenchman picked up wins over Tanner Boser, Don’Tale Mayes and Raphael Pessoa in his first three appearances in the Octagon. Before joining the UFC roster, he enjoyed a brief reign as the TKO heavyweight champion in Canada.
Tony Ferguson reflects on foiled matchups with "fathead" Khabib Nurmagomedov
Tom Taylor - January 13, 2021
Tony Ferguson recently took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing on the times he was scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ferguson was scheduled to battle Nurmagomedov a ridiculous five times to no avail, with the matchup falling through due to last-minute injuries, pandemic-related travel restrictions, and more.
Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev gets new date, now scheduled for March 13
Tom Taylor - January 13, 2021
A welterweight fight between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev has been rescheduled once again, this time for the main event of a card on March 13. News of this matchup’s new date was first reported by MMA Junkie, who received the information directly from UFC President Dana White.
Stephen Thompson: 'I'm gonna have that belt around my waist' in 2021
Drake Riggs - January 12, 2021
Stephen Thompson looked better than ever in his last time out. With the momentum gained to close out 2020, “Wonderboy” targets a big 2021. The last UFC main event of the past year saw welterweight’s Geoff Neal presented with a big opportunity — a chance to leapfrog many of the division’s top contenders with a win over a former title challenger.
Cody Garbrandt targeting Jose Aldo fight for April return to the Octagon
Adam Martin - January 12, 2021
Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is targeting an April matchup with legend Jose Aldo for his return to the Octagon in 2021. Garbrandt snapped a three-fight losing skid at UFC 250 in June 2020 when he KO’d Raphael Assuncao in a devastating fashion. The UFC matchmakers then booked Garbrandt in his 125lbs debut against UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255, but an injury to his arm combined with a rough battle with COVID-19 led to Garbrandt losing his flyweight title shot. Instead, Alex Perez fought Figueiredo and suffered a first-round stoppage loss while Garbrandt watched from home.
Michael Chandler: 'I can start calling some shots' after UFC 257
Drake Riggs - January 12, 2021
Michael Chandler has his UFC debut set. At UFC 257, the former three-time Bellator champion will be helping provide some clarity in the grand scheme of things at 155-pounds. In doing so, he’ll go to war with Dan “The Hangman” Hooker.
Max Holloway promises to do "something special" against Calvin Kattar
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
Max Holloway is looking to do something special when he fights Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Fight Island 7. Holloway is set to fight in his first non-title fight since he beat Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199. Although he won’t be fighting for a title, he will be on network TV as the event will air live on ABC. For Holloway, he is excited to be the main event for the first card on ABC and promises to do something special for the fans.
UFC on ABC 1 loses another fight as Omari Akhmedov vs. Tom Breese postponed
Adam Martin - January 12, 2021
UFC on ABC 1 lost another fight as a middleweight bout between Omari Akhmedov and Tom Breese has been postponed for an extra four days. Akhmedov vs. Breese was supposed to go down this Saturday night at UFC on ABC 1 in Abu Dhabi. However, the UFC announced that fight has been moved to UFC Fight Island 8 on January 20 instead due to COVID-19 issues. It’s not clear who tested positive, but it likely appears to be a case of contact tracking that led the UFC to wait a few extra days to book the Akhmedov vs. Breese fight. The two are now on track to step into the Octagon next Wednesday on the Chiesa/Magny undercard.
Firas Zahabi shares a bold prediction for McGregor vs Poirier 2 at UFC 257
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
Firas Zahabi expects Conor McGregor to KO Dustin Poirier again. In the main event of UFC 257, McGregor is set to return to the Octagon against Poirier in a very intriguing bout. The first time they met, they fought at featherweight, and the Irishman won by first-round knockout.
Matt Brown expects to be the first person to KO Carlos Condit in dominant performance
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
Matt Brown is eager to finally share the Octagon with Carlos Condit. In the co-main event of UFC Fight Island 7, Brown and Condit will finally fight one another after two previous bookings in 2013 and 2018 feel through due to Brown hurting his back and tearing his ACL.
Manny Pacquiao wants to box Conor McGregor: "I want to experience fighting an MMA fighter"
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
Manny Pacquiao is looking to box Conor McGregor in the very near future. Ever since McGregor lost to Floyd Mayweather, there have always been talks about the Irishman boxing Pacquiao. However, there hasn’t been much talk of it since, but according to the boxer, he wants to compete against McGregor.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 24 with Matt Brown, Tyson Nam, Ike Villanueva, and Brendan Fitzgerald
Cole Shelton - January 12, 2021
The 24th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with Cole Shelton is here ahead of UFC Fight Island 7 and UFC Fight Island 8. var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_22658022", "obj": {"id":"22947","width":"100%","height":"","video":"701682"} });
Gilbert Burns admits he thought UFC might give Khamzat Chimaev his title shot
Adam Martin - January 12, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns admitted that he thought the UFC might have given Khamzat Chimaev his title shot. Burns was originally set to fight Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title back at UFC 251 on the first Fight Island card, but he tested positive for COVID-19 and the fight fell apart. The two were then set to fight at UFC 256, but Usman needed more time to heal from injuries. The two are now set to fight at UFC 258 in February, but the fight took months to get signed. It was taking so long to get done that Burns was starting to worry the UFC might give his title shot to Chimaev instead.
Deiveson Figueiredo challenges Henry Cejudo to bantamweight fight
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
Reigning UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo is hoping to fight the division’s former champ Henry Cejudo—at bantamweight. Figueiredo has not fought since December, when he defended the flyweight strap in a thrilling draw against Brandon Moreno. While UFC President Dana White has stated he intends to book a rematch between Figueiredo and Moreno, the champ is fixated on a fight with Cejudo, who previously ruled over the flyweight and bantamweight divisions—and he wants to do it at 135 pounds.
Dustin Poirier reveals game plan for Conor McGregor rematch
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
Dustin Poirier has revealed his game plan for his rematch with Conor McGregor, which will headline the UFC 257 card on January 23. Poirier and McGregor first met in 2014, in the featherweight division. McGregor won that first encounter via knockout in just 1:46.
ONE Championship announces next fights for Shinya Aoki, Stamp Fairtex, more
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
ONE Championship has announced a host of high-profile matchups for its next three events on January 22, January 29, and February 5. The promotion’s first event of the year, titled ONE: Unbreakable, will go down on January 22. That event, it’s been announced, will be topped by a bantamweight kickboxing title fight between champion Alaverdi Ramazanov and challenger Capitan Petchyindee Academy, and co-headlined by a welterweight clash between former title challenger James Nakashima, and former lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. The card will also feature appearances from former ONE welterweight champ Zebaztian Kadestam, and atomweight contender Meng Bo—the only woman to defeat UFC strawweight champ Zhang Weili.
Amanda Ribas: BKFC will be "really good" for Paige VanZant
Tom Taylor - January 12, 2021
UFC strawweight contender Amanda Ribas believes her former opponent, Paige VanZant, will do well as a bare-knuckle fighter in BKFC. Ribas and VanZant fought in the Octagon in July, 2020, with the former winning by submission. The fight marked the final obligation on VanZant’s UFC contract. After a period of free agency, she signed with BKFC, and is slated to debut against Britain Hart on February 5.