MMA News

Harry Kettle - July 31, 2025

Beatriz Mesquita, considered by many to be the greatest female BJJ star of all time, is set for her UFC debut later this year. As we know, Brazilian jiu-jitsu has been at the forefront of mixed martial arts for many, many years. In fact, some would argue that it was the dominant skillset for a long time – and you won’t find too many people who will argue with that. Well, when you’re talking about some of the most accomplished athletes in the history of the sport, Beatriz Mesquita is certainly up there.

Harry Kettle - July 31, 2025

UFC fans have voiced their concern about Tai Tuivasa’s fighting future after a recent image of him circulated. As we know, Tai Tuivasa has been a big fan favorite within the Ultimate Fighting Championship for quite some time now. He’s known for his fun personality, his knockout power, and his unpredictability inside the cage. At one point, it seemed like he could be on track for a world title opportunity – but it’s been a long time since he was at his very best.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 30, 2025

Most fighters avoid dangerous newcomers when their ranking hangs in the balance. But Jeremy Pacatiw sees opportunity where others find risk. Pacatiw faces undefeated Elbek Alyshov at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video on Friday, August 1, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The #5-ranked bantamweight MMA fighter enters coming off a unanimous decision loss to Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 29 in April.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 30, 2025

Thailand’s Rungrawee “Legatron” Sitsongpeenong carries his family’s struggles every time he steps into combat. The lightweight striker’s journey from cassava fields to global stardom represents Muay Thai’s transformative power. Sitsongpeenong faces Youssef Assouik in lightweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video on Friday, August 1, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The 29-year-old seeks redemption after his knockout loss to George Jarvis last November.

Cole Shelton - July 30, 2025

Jailton Almeida believes the upcoming heavyweight title fight is rather easy to call. Tom Aspinall is set to defend his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321 on October 25 in Abu Dhabi. It’s an intriguing fight and one that Aspinall is a massive -395 favorite to defeat the Frenchman. Almeida seems to agree with the odds as he expects the Brit to beat Gane relatively easily.

Cole Shelton - July 30, 2025

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald could be ending his retirement. MacDonald retired from MMA in August of 2022 after a 2-4 run in the PFL. The Canadian said he lost the passion for the sport and didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. Since then, he has been out of the spotlight. But he has since returned to the gym and helped Stephen Thompson prepare for his last fight.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 30, 2025

When the going gets tough, can Tom Aspinall rise to the occasion? Aspinall is set to put his undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship at stake against Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321 on Oct. 25. It’ll be Aspinall’s first fight as the undisputed titleholder, a distinction that was given to him after Jon Jones retired from pro MMA competition.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 30, 2025

If Reinier de Ridder gets the winner of the UFC 319 main event, he thinks he has an idea of who would be easier to prepare for. Khamzat Chimaev is set to challenge Dricus du Plessis for the UFC Middleweight Championship on Aug. 16. It’ll be Chimaev’s first crack at UFC gold, while du Plessis is hoping to achieve his second successful title defense.

Harry Kettle - July 30, 2025

UFC light heavyweights Dominick Reyes and Carlos Ulberg will headline the promotion’s return to Perth, Australia on September 27th. The light heavyweight division is certainly looking pretty interesting right now. Magomed Ankalaev is the reigning champion in the wake of him defeating Alex Pereira to capture the title, and the two will soon run it back. Elsewhere, though, there are plenty of other exciting fighters on the rise – with two of them being Dominick Reyes and Carlos Ulberg.

Harry Kettle - July 30, 2025

It seems as if Conor McGregor may finally be getting serious about an active return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. For the longest time, fans and pundits alike have been questioning whether or not we’ll ever see Conor McGregor fight again in mixed martial arts. There’s certainly not a shortage of opponents who would be willing to step into the Octagon to face him – but really, that’s not the point. The point is that the Irishman is pretty erratic these days, especially with what he’s doing outside of the cage.

Harry Kettle - July 30, 2025

UFC veteran Paul Felder wasn’t happy about Ilia Topuria’s comments regarding a possible fight against Arman Tsarukyan. As we know, Ilia Topuria is one of the biggest stars in all of mixed martial arts today. He’s also a two-weight UFC champion, currently holding the gold at lightweight after vacating his strap at 145 pounds. There are plenty of questions surrounding what the future holds for ‘El Matador’ and one of the reasons for that is that there are a lot of contenders who believe they can step up to the plate.

Harry Kettle - July 30, 2025

UFC commentator Joe Rogan didn’t do himself any favors with a recent video of him falling for an AI-created clip on his podcast. Over the course of the last few decades, it’s safe to say that Joe Rogan has been one of the voices of mixed martial arts. He was an early advocate of the sport from a young age and from there, he played a big role in helping to bring the sport – and mainly the UFC – into the mainstream. He’s continued to work with the company in a commentary capacity for a long time and as we look ahead to the future, it certainly doesn’t seem as if he’s going to slow down anytime soon.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 29, 2025

The demons that nearly derailed Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak’s promising career are finally in the rearview mirror. After a brutal mental health battle that kept Thailand’s rising star away from competition for nearly two years, the atomweight striker has rediscovered her passion for combat. The 19-year-old phenom squares off against Teodora Kirilova at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video on Friday, August 1, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium. Supergirl enters the Muay Thai bout walking a path back to elite competition that has been anything but straightforward.

Cole Shelton - July 29, 2025

Amir Albazi reveals he wasn’t medically cleared to headline UFC Vegas 108 on Saturday. Albazi was supposed to take on Tasturo Taira in an intriguing flyweight bout. Yet, less than a week out from the fight, it was revealed he was out of the bout, and Hyun Sung Park will replace him against Taira.

Cole Shelton - July 29, 2025

UFC commentator Jon Anik is open to the idea of a knockdown rule in MMA after watching the Steven Nguyen-Mohammed Yahya fight. Nguyen took on Yahya on the prelims of UFC Abu Dhabi at featherweight. Nguyen dropped Yahya five times in the first round and got another knockdown in the second round for six total, before the doctor stopped it at the end of the second round. However, many fans wanted the fight to be stopped sooner, and Jon Anik agrees, as he believes that the fight could have been stopped early in the first round.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 29, 2025

Robert Whittaker has delivered a statement following his UFC Abu Dhabi loss against Reinier de Ridder. Whittaker and de Ridder shared the Octagon this past Saturday inside Etihad Arena. The bout went five rounds and was competitive throughout. Ultimately, de Ridder got the nod via split decision, and he might be on his way to a UFC Middleweight Championship opportunity against the winner of Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 29, 2025

One highly regarded MMA coach doesn’t believe Jon Jones purposely avoided fighting Tom Aspinall. Jones retired from the sport rather than face Aspinall in a title unification bout. Dana White told reporters that “Bones” initially agreed to the fight but decided to hang up his gloves instead. Shortly after his retirement, Jones claimed he was back in the drug testing pool and has called for a spot on a potential UFC White House card. White has shut down that idea.

Harry Kettle - July 29, 2025

MMA analyst Din Thomas has given his thoughts on what the immediate future could hold for Robert Whittaker. Last weekend, Robert Whittaker fell short in his attempt to overcome and defeat Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. While it was an incredibly close fight, it wasn’t quite enough from ‘The Reaper’ as RDR just about edged past him via split decision.