MMA News

Curtis Calhoun - January 9, 2026

Former BMF champion Justin Gaethje’s upcoming title fight at UFC 324 might be his final Octagon appearance, according to his coach. Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will fight for the UFC interim lightweight title later this month at UFC 324, amid Ilia Topuria’s ongoing hiatus. Gaethje and Pimblett earned shots at the interim title over top contender Arman Tsarukyan and others, and will ring in the UFC’s new broadcast partnership with Paramount+ in style.

Dylan Bowker - January 9, 2026

Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes are preparing for what many are calling the biggest women’s MMA fight ever, and a pair of standout mixed martial artists have offered up their thoughts on the bout. Harrison aims to defend her bantamweight crown against a returning former multiple-time holder of the UFC’s 135-pound strap in Nunes at UFC 324 on January 24th. Surging UFC bantamweight contender Melissa Croden recently offered up her assessments of the looming super fight, with a specific guided focus on the fight not being a headlining attraction. When asked if she had any thoughts on the card placement hierarchy consideration of Harrison vs. Nunes being a co-main event under the interim lightweight title clash between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje, Croden said [via MMA Canada],

Dylan Bowker - January 9, 2026

Alexa Grasso and Maycee Barber are reportedly being targeted for a rematch at a looming UFC Seattle offering. At the Climate Pledge Arena on March 28th, this consequential contest at 125 pounds is said to be in the works with a former champ in Grasso and a surging contender in Barber for the second time. This has been independently confirmed by outlets like MMA Junkie and MMA Fighting via anonymous sources following an initial report by Krazy Kev MMA.

BJ Penn Staff - January 9, 2026

It’s no secret that UFC CEO Dana White has developed strong friendships with several fighters that have competed in the Octagon over the years. However, there is one former fighter in particular that he says he speaks to the most. During a recent interview with Robbie Fox of Spinnin Backfist, White was asked which retired fighter he keeps in closest contact with.

BJ Penn Staff - January 9, 2026

UFC champ Ilia Topuria won’t be out of our lives for long. Topuria, the former UFC featherweight champ and reigning lightweight champ, has been taking a hiatus from competition as he deals with some personal issues outside the cage. Those issues involve the custody of his daughter, which had some fans worried he could be out of action long-term. However, the champ has revealed he hopes to fight again as soon as spring or summer.

BJ Penn Staff - January 9, 2026

Dan Hooker thought he had a friend in fellow UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett. It seems he was wrong. Pimblett is set to battle Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on Jan. 24. In a pre-fight interview with MMA Guru, the British contender was discussing the matchup when he took an unexpected shot at Hooker.

BJ Penn Staff - January 9, 2026

There’s recently been a ton of talk about a potential UFC superfight between Alex Pereira and Jon Jones. The bout would rank as one of the biggest in UFC history, but according to Jones, it’s unlikely to happen. That’s because UFC CEO Dana White is likely to shut it down.

BJPENN.COM Staff - January 8, 2026

Canadian wrestling powerhouse Ben Tynan suffered his first career setback against Kirill Grishenko last August. Now he battles Japanese knockout artist Ryugo Takeuchi in heavyweight MMA at ONE Fight Night 40. This goes down on Friday, February 13, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The 31-year-old made his professional debut in 2022 following an undefeated amateur run that included capturing a Canadian Junior National Title and competing at NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. His charismatic persona and perfect finishing rate immediately captured attention when he joined ONE Championship in November 2023.

Curtis Calhoun - January 8, 2026

UFC CEO Dana White cracked the door open in explaining why Arman Tsarukyan isn’t fighting for an interim lightweight title at UFC 324. Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan won’t compete for the interim lightweight belt later this month at UFC 324. Despite an impressive finish against Dan Hooker in his most recent outing, Tsarukyan will watch as fellow lightweights Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett battle it out in the UFC 324 main event.

Cole Shelton - January 8, 2026

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill is ready to make his return to the Octagon. Hill hasn’t fought since June of this year, when he dropped a decision to Khalil Rountree, which was his third-straight loss. Since then, he underwent knee surgery and has been rehabbing, and said the time off has lit a fire under him.

Curtis Calhoun - January 8, 2026

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman doesn’t buy Daniel Cormier’s recent prediction about a potential wrestling match with Jon Jones. Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones reunited on the set of ALF Reality 3, a Russian MMA reality television series filmed in Thailand. Cormier and Jones competed opposite each other as coaches on the upcoming season of the show.

Curtis Calhoun - January 8, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen isn’t buying Justin Gaethje’s recent dismissal of a possible staph infection suffered ahead of UFC 324. Justin Gaethje will get his second chance at winning an interim lightweight title later this month when he clashes with Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 324 main event. Gaethje and Pimblett will fight for the interim belt amid Ilia Topuria’s ongoing hiatus from competition.

Cole Shelton - January 8, 2026

Eric Nicksick will be back in the corner of Sean Strickland. Strickland is set to headline UFC Houston on Feb. 21 against Anthony Hernandez in an intriguing middleweight fight. It will be his first fight since he lost a rematch to Dricus Du Plessis, which Nicksick called “uninspired,” which led to Strickland removing him from his corner.

BJ Penn Staff - January 8, 2026

Fight fans have been feverishly discussing the upcoming UFC White House event from the moment the plan was announced. However, many of the details of the event have remained a mystery—including how many people will actually be able to attend. That’s no longer the case.

BJ Penn Staff - January 8, 2026

It turns out UFC welterweight contender Michael Morales is undefeated after all. Earlier this week, combat sports record-keeping database Tapology announced that it would be changing Morales’ 19-0 record to 20-1. The cause, the company said, was some recently unearthed footage from a Latin American reality show similar to the Ultimate Fighter, which showed Morales losing one fight, and winning another.

Dylan Bowker - January 7, 2026

Dan Ige will return to the cage next month and will battle a surging contender as part of UFC’s next trip into Texas. Ige will clash with Melquizael Costa at UFC Houston, which transpires on February 21st. UFC Fight Night 267 emanates from the Toyota Center. Costa authored four emphatic wins last year and improved his UFC-specific record to 6-2 with this looming bout with ’50 K’ being his biggest test in the octagon to date. That 2025 run was bookended by a pair of finishes over Andre Fili and Morgan Charrière with a guillotine choke and head kick, respectively. In between that stretch, Costa recorded a pair of unanimous decision wins over Julian Erosa and Christian Rodriguez.

Curtis Calhoun - January 7, 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is an avid fan of UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis. Mike Tomlin is a massive fan of UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis.

Cole Shelton - January 7, 2026

Tim Welch, the head coach of Sean O’Malley, has an intriguing prediction for ‘Suga’s’ UFC 324 fight. O’Malley is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 324 on January 24 against Song Yadong in an intriguing fight. Heading into the bout, O’Malley is a -215 favorite while Yadong is a +164 underdog on FanDuel.