MMA News

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Jon Jones is hopeful that he and Daniel Cormier can officially bury the hatchet of their longstanding feud during their reality show stint. Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will go to battle for the third time as coaches on ALF Reality 3, a spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter, later this year.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko sent a strong message to harsh critics of women’s MMA fights. One of the biggest fights in women’s MMA history is weeks away at UFC 324 as UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison faces Amanda Nunes. Nunes, who retired following a bantamweight title defense at UFC 289, will return to the Octagon and end her retirement for a showdown with her former teammate, Harrison.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Former UFC star Ben Askren expressed self-humor when reflecting on his lengthy medical scare last year with a double lung transplant. Former UFC star Ben Askren was on death’s doorstep as he underwent a double lung transplant following a bout of pneumonia stemming from a staph infection. Almost a full year after Askren was hospitalized, Askren looks well recovered from his ailments, and a potential combat sports comeback isn’t out of the question.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Former BMF champion Justin Gaethje raised concerns about his health after a mid-camp photo went viral ahead of UFC 324. Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will fight for the interim lightweight title later this month at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Amidst Ilia Topuria’s ongoing hiatus, Gaethje and Pimblett will headline UFC 324 to kick off the UFC’s new broadcasting partnership with Paramount+.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

UFC women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber doesn’t feel safe in the cage if referee Mark Smith officiates any of her future fights. Maycee Barber turned in a bounce-back performance in the Octagon at UFC 323 last month against Karine Silva. Following a medical scare earlier in the year that forced her out of her main event fight against Erin Blanchfield, it was uncertain whether or not Barber would continue fighting.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Former UFC star Ben Askren didn’t hold back on his assessment of Nate Diaz’s career when discussing some of the promotion’s all-time greats. Ben Askren is back to some form of normalcy after a rough year in 2025.

Cole Shelton - January 6, 2026

Former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier said his bad blood with Jon Jones is over. Cormier and Jones were heated rivals during their careers, and they did fight twice, with Jones winning both, including the last one by knockout. However, the fight was overturned to a No Contest due to a failed drug test. Despite the two fighting twice, Cormier and Jones have remained bitter rivals, even with ‘DC’ being long retired.

BJ Penn Staff - January 6, 2026

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones share one of the most infamous rivalries in UFC history. While both men are technically retired at the moment, it seems their competitive rivalry is still burning hot.

BJPENN.COM Staff - January 5, 2026

Championship defenses matter more than perfect MMA records. Tye Ruotolo returns to his grappling roots after two consecutive MMA victories. The American phenom showcased his 4-ounce glove skills against Adrian Lee and Shozo Isojima this past fall. He finished both undefeated opponents via rear-naked choke. But defending the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title represents his core mission. He faces Polish challenger Pawel Jaworski at ONE Fight Night 41 on Friday, March 13, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, airing live on Prime Video.

BJPENN.COM Staff - January 5, 2026

Most fighters measure comebacks in wins and losses. Stamp Fairtex measured hers in whether her knee held up for nine minutes. The Thai megastar returned from a career-threatening knee injury after 778 days away to face former K-1 Champion Kana Morimoto in atomweight kickboxing at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena last November. The 28-year-old former three-sport queen fought on her birthday.

Dylan Bowker - January 5, 2026

Paddy Pimblett is vying for a UFC strap later this month, but his mindset was rooted in the glory days of Pride FC seemingly, as he spoke on some amendments he would look to see applied to the unified rules of mixed martial arts. Pimblett will battle former UFC interim lightweight champ and ex-BMF champ Justin Gaethje in the headliner of UFC 324 on January 24th. The looming interim lightweight title challenger appeared on a recent vlog as a part of UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s YouTube channel and addressed several subjects. During the Aspinall conversation, with an excerpt of the chat posted by X account @RedCorner_MMA, Pimblett said,

Curtis Calhoun - January 5, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier promises he’ll return to combat sports in the near future against his two-time Octagon rival, Jon Jones. Don’t expect tensions to cool down between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier anytime soon.

Curtis Calhoun - January 5, 2026

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira shared an emotional moment with his father as he plots his return to the Octagon. 2025 was a great year for UFC superstar Alex Pereira.

Curtis Calhoun - January 5, 2026

UFC welterweights Joaquin Buckley and Belal Muhammad might be the latest additions to the upcoming BMF undercard. The UFC’s long holiday break is nearly over as fans, fighters, and pundits look ahead to several major events to ring in the new year.

Curtis Calhoun - January 5, 2026

UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan didn’t come from the upbringing most are led to believe, according to his brother. UFC lightweight star Arman Tsarukyan’s reputation took a hit after his last-second withdrawal from UFC 311 last year. Tsarukyan, who was supposed to face then-UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the main event, was forced out of the fight due to a back injury suffered just hours before the official weigh-in.

Cole Shelton - January 5, 2026

Paddy Pimblett would like to see Ilia Topuria vacate his title amid his ongoing personal issues. Topuria announced he’ll take some time off amid his divorce and his ex accusing him of domestic abuse. Given it’s unclear how long Topuria will be out, Pimblett believes he should vacate the belt to allow the division to move on. Topuria would also get a title shot when he returns.

Curtis Calhoun - January 5, 2026

UFC legends Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will write Chapter 3 of their legendary feud as coaches on a reality television show. The careers of former UFC heavyweight champions Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will always be linked, as they were at the center of one of the greatest feuds in MMA history.

Cole Shelton - January 5, 2026

Jack Della Maddalena has a couple of names in mind for his next opponent. Della Maddalena is coming off a decision loss to Islam Makhachev to lose his welterweight title. It was a lopsided loss, and since then, Della Maddalena hasn’t been booked for his next, and he isn’t sure when he will return.