MMA News
Daniel Pineda on Cub Swanson fight: "He will either knock my ass out or I will finish him"
Cole Shelton - December 10, 2020
Daniel Pineda doesn’t think the judges will be needed for his UFC 256 fight against Cub Swanson. After Pineda finished Herbert Burns at UFC 252, the hope for the 35-year-old was to get a ranked opponent or someone near the rankings. And, he ended up getting his wish as he was offered perennial contender, Cub Swanson.
Artem Lobov open to boxing Jake and Logan Paul if the money is right
Cole Shelton - December 10, 2020
Artem Lobov is open to boxing either of the Paul brothers. After Jake Paul knocked out Nate Robinson on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. undercard, the 23-year-old called out the likes of Dillon Danis and Conor McGregor. Given those are his teammates, Artem Lobov says if those fights don’t come to fruition, he would take the fight and beat up Paul if he is paid accordingly.
Demetrious Johnson says he will never fight at 125lbs again: "It's just not healthy"
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
ONE Championship’s Demetrious Johnson, the greatest flyweight MMA fighter of all time, says he will never fight at 125lbs again. Johnson is the undisputed GOAT of 125lbs. He was the long-time flyweight champion in the UFC and he’s carried his talents over to ONE Championship, where he hopes to fight out the rest of his career. In ONE Championship there are more weight-cutting regulations, so the flyweight title in ONE is actually contested at 135lbs. That means that the fighters don’t have to cut as much weight. ONE implemented this rule change several years ago in an effort to curb massive and potentially fatal weight cuts.
Vitor Belfort wants to fight Yoel Romero: "That would be a great fight"
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
MMA legend Vitor Belfort says he wants to fight free agent Yoel Romero, promising that it would be a “great fight” for the fans. Belfort has yet to make his debut for ONE Championship and is eager to get back into the cage in 2021. Belfort called out Wanderlei Silva in the past, and he recently called for ONE to sign former UFC legends Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen to fight because at this point he just wants big fights against top-shelf opponents. One of those high-profile opponents just became available on the free-agent market when the UFC cut Romero. If ONE can get a deal done with Romero, then Belfort would take that fight.
UFC 256 loses undercard fight after Jared Vanderaa tests positive for COVID-19
Tom Taylor - December 10, 2020
A heavyweight fight between Sergey Spivak and Jared Vanderaa, scheduled for the UFC 256 undercard, has been cancelled after the latter tested positive for COVID-19. News of this bout’s cancellation—the 11th fight cancellation this card has experienced— was first reported by MMA Junkie.
Scott Coker interested in Dillon Danis vs. Jake Paul fight: "I'm sure at some point it will happen"
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker says he is interested in booking Dillon Danis against Jake Paul in boxing and MMA fights. In the wake of Paul’s brutal KO win over Nate Robinson the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. boxing undercard, Danis has surfaced as a potential opponent for Paul. Both guys do not like each other and have been taking shots at each other on social media for a few years now. After Paul knocked out Robinson, he is now a money fight for a lot of different opponents, and Danis surely will want to cash in on a big payday as well.
Yoel Romero now targeted by multiple promotions
Tom Taylor - December 10, 2020
Multiple combat sports promotions are reportedly interested in signing former UFC middleweight title challenger, Yoel Romero. The UFC has recently cut a number of high-profile fighters, and none came as more of a surprise than Romero, who received his walking papers last week.
Kevin Lee outlines plan to lure Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement
Tom Taylor - December 10, 2020
Kevin Lee is hoping to lure unbeaten UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov out of his recently announced retirement. Nurmagomedov, who is 29-0 as a pro, announced his retirement after defeating Justin Gaethje by submission in the main event of UFC 254 in September.
Charles Oliveira to be without head coach at UFC 256 due to positive COVID-19 test
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Charles Oliveira will be without his head coach Diego Lima for his UFC 256 bout this weekend against Tony Ferguson. Oliveira faces off against the toughest test of his career to date when he takes on Ferguson in the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC 256 card. Oliveira is riding a seven-fight win streak into this bout with all of those wins coming by stoppage. During his win streak, Oliveira has won five fights with his trademark submissions, but he has also won two fights by knockout, which shows he is improving in his standup. One of the people who he credits for his improvements is his coach at Chute Boxe, Lima. But he won’t have him at UFC 256.
UFC 256 | Pro fighters make their picks for Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira
Cole Shelton - December 10, 2020
In the co-main event of UFC 256, Tony Ferguson is set to return to the Octagon against rising contender, Charles Oliveira. Heading into the fight, Ferguson is a -175 favorite while the Brazilian is a +145 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The majority believe Ferguson gets it done but they aren’t counting out Oliveira.
Dustin Poirier in fantastic shape ahead of Conor McGregor fight
Tom Taylor - December 10, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier looks to be in fantastic shape ahead of his rematch with former two-division champ Conor McGregor. Poirier will collide with McGregor in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23 in Abu Dhabi. While Poirier is always in peak physical condition for his fights, this one seems to have him working particularly hard in the gym.
Tony Ferguson compares fighting for UFC title to "a wet dream"
Tom Taylor - December 10, 2020
Tony Ferguson says the thought of fighting for an undisputed UFC title feels a bit like a “wet dream.” Ferguson is slated to return to the Octagon in the co-main event of UFC 256 this Saturday, where he will take on streaking contender Charles Oliveira. The bout will mark his opportunity to rebound from a TKO loss to Justin Gaethje, which marked the end of an incredible, 12-fight win-streak.
Marvin Vettori says Darren Till being ranked No. 4 at middleweight is “a joke”
Harry Kettle - December 10, 2020
UFC middleweight contender Marvin Vettori has voiced his concerns after Darren Till was promoted to No. 4 in the divisional rankings. Vettori was able to pick up the biggest win of his career so far this past weekend as he edged out Jack Hermansson with a strong decision win. The victory vaulted him into the top five at middleweight, situating him just behind his European counterpart.
Bellator president Scott Coker details his plans for newly signed Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson
Harry Kettle - December 10, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker has laid out his plans in the wake of the announcement that they have signed Anthony Johnson. The world of mixed martial arts was stunned earlier this week by the news that Johnson had parted ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in favor of signing a contract with Bellator.
Henry Cejudo and Cody Garbrandt get in heated dispute after Deiveson Figueiredo says he wants "Triple C" after UFC 256
Christopher Taylor - December 9, 2020
Former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and Cody Garbrandt got into a heated dispute after Deiveson Figueiredo suggested he wants ‘Triple C’ after UFC 256. During a recent interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the reigning flyweight champion in Figueiredo said that he wanted to fight Cejudo after UFC 256 because he has “talked a lot of shit.”
Diaz bros athletic recovery coach shares controversial post regarding Rachael Ostovich's UFC release
Christopher Taylor - December 9, 2020
The athletic recovery coach of the Diaz bros, Jose Garcia, recently weighed in on the UFC’s release of Rachael Ostovich. The women’s flyweight fighter, Ostovich (4-6 MMA), endured her third consecutive setback at last months UFC Vegas 15 event, suffering a TKO loss to Gina Mazany.
Junior dos Santos not worried about being cut despite entering UFC 256 on a three-fight losing streak
Cole Shelton - December 9, 2020
Junior dos Santos doesn’t believe his job is on the line in his upcoming fight. On the main card of UFC 256, dos Santos is set to return to the Octagon against the undefeated prospect, Ciryl Gane. The former UFC heavyweight champion is on a three-fight losing streak. And, with the UFC is cutting 60 fighters by year’s end, losing four in a row could be the end of his tenure. But, JDS remains confident he will still be a UFC fighter in 2021.
Scott Coker explains why Bellator isn't interested in Yoel Romero
Adam Martin - December 9, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker explained why Bellator isn’t interested in signing free-agent middleweight fighter Yoel Romero to a contract. The UFC cut Romero last week as part of its 60 roster cuts by the end of 2020. The move to release Romero came as a big surprise considering he had just fought Israel Adesanya in his last fight at UFC 248 for the middleweight belt. But with the UFC in roster-cutting mode, the 43-year-old Romero and his three straight losses were deemed expendable. UFC president Dana White said that the cuts are purely roster-space motivated and have nothing to do with cost-cutting measures due to COVID-19.