MMA News
Pro fighters make their picks for Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder
Cole Shelton - July 23, 2025
In the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, a middleweight bout goes down on Saturday as former champion Robert Whittaker takes on Reinier de Ridder. Heading into the bout, Whittaker is a -160 favorite, while the Dutch fighter is a +124 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap at UFC Abu Dhabi, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the intriguing middleweight bout. The majority of pros believe Whittaker will be able to keep the fight standing and get a win, and possibly even finish de Ridder at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Dustin Poirier receives amazing championship belt from his daughter after UFC 318 loss
Harry Kettle - July 23, 2025
UFC icon Dustin Poirier has received an amazing championship belt from his daughter after losing to Max Holloway at UFC 318. We all know that Dustin Poirier is one of the most beloved fighters of all time. Now, after UFC 318, he’s able to ride off into the sunset and enjoy retirement. He’ll be doing so after an iconic career, which came to an end last Saturday night when he battled Max Holloway for the BMF title. Unfortunately, ‘The Diamond’ wasn’t able to claim the strap, but he put forward an admirable effort in his final Octagon appearance.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's view on Islam Makhachev's welterweight future
Harry Kettle - July 23, 2025
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has given his thoughts on Islam Makhachev’s welterweight future if he’s able to win the belt. Later this year, Islam Makhachev is expected to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight championship. He will be aiming to become the latest fighter to win world titles in two weight classes in the promotion, and he’ll be doing so in what many people consider to be the toughest fight of his career – including Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Alan Jouban declares Dustin Poirier the "uncrowned" BMF champion
Harry Kettle - July 23, 2025
MMA analyst Alan Jouban believes that Dustin Poirier is the uncrowned BMF champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Last Saturday night, Dustin Poirier fell short in his attempt to win the BMF title. He went to war with Max Holloway in a blockbuster UFC 318 main event, but unfortunately for ‘The Diamond’, he simply wasn’t able to keep up with ‘Blessed’. After the fight, Dustin stuck to his word and officially retired from mixed martial arts.
Jeremy Pacatiw becomes new father days before pivotal fight: "Starting my own little family"
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 22, 2025
Jeremy Pacatiw has discovered that fatherhood brings an entirely different kind of excitement than competition. The Filipino striker finds himself balancing athletic preparation and supporting his wife as they care for their newborn son. He faces undefeated Elbek Alyshov in a bantamweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Friday, August 1, inside Lumpinee Stadium at Bangkok, Thailand. The timing couldn’t be more significant for the 29-year-old. He’s preparing for victory while adjusting to life as a new father.
Anna Jaroonsak builds new life away from Bangkok: "We want the gym to feel like a family"
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 22, 2025
Anna Jaroonsak has discovered that sometimes the best way to rediscover your fighting passion is by helping others find theirs. The Thai sensation has traded Bangkok’s bustling streets for Phuket’s tropical paradise. She makes her return against Bulgarian striker Teodora Kirilova in an atomweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video in U.S. primetime on August 1. After a two-year hiatus from competition, the 21-year-old has found renewed purpose in building something bigger than herself.
Marcus McGhee ecstatic to fight Petr Yan at UFC Abu Dhabi: "My game is to finish guys"
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2025
Marcus McGhee was surprised he got the call to fight Petr Yan at UFC Abu Dhabi. McGhee is ranked 13th at bantamweight and thought he’d get a top-10 opponent next. Yet, he got the call to fight former champion and third-ranked bantamweight Petr Yan at UFC bantamweight, which was a surprise to him.
Dana White announces UFC 320, UFC 321 main events
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2025
UFC CEO Dana White has announced the main events for UFC 320 and UFC 321, as well as other fights. White took to Instagram Live on July 22 and announced that the main event of UFC 320 will see Magomed Anakalaev defending his light heavyweight title in a rematch against Alex Pereira. The event will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 4.
Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why Jack Della Maddalena is the toughest fight of Islam Makhachev's career
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2025
Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Jack Della Maddalena will be the toughest test of Islam Makhachev’s career. Makhachev is set to move up to welterweight to challenge Della Maddalena for the welterweight title. Although the fight isn’t booked yet, all signs point to it happening later this year.
UFC bantamweight veteran reignites beef with Sean O’Malley
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 22, 2025
One UFC bantamweight veteran’s beef with Sean O’Malley is alive and well. O’Malley has had his share of rivalries. He’s ruffled the feathers of Marlon “Chito” Vera and Aljamain Sterling to name a couple. While the war of words with Vera was intense, a former UFC bantamweight champion wants to give that feud a run for its money.
Reinier de Ridder sees path to UFC middleweight title shot if he defeats Robert Whittaker
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 22, 2025
Could unforeseen circumstances lead to a quick UFC title opportunity for Reinier de Ridder? Saturday will be pivotal for de Ridder, as he will meet former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker. The 185-pound scrap will headline UFC Abu Dhabi. For de Ridder, it’s a chance to shoot up to a top five position in the division.
Robert Whittaker reveals ultimate goal for UFC Abu Dhabi fight against Reinier de Ridder
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 22, 2025
Robert Whittaker knows the stakes of his middleweight bout against Reinier de Ridder on Saturday. Many fans were pleasantly surprised when Whittaker vs. de Ridder was first announced. While de Ridder is the No. 12-ranked UFC middleweight, many believe his accomplishments in ONE Championship along with his performance against Bo Nickal warranted top five competition.
Max Holloway once again mocks Ilia Topuria for carrying around BMF title belt
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2025
UFC legend Max Holloway has questioned Ilia Topuria for carrying around the BMF title belt as talks of a rematch continue. Last Saturday night, Max Holloway successfully retained the BMF championship by defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 318. As we know, though, ‘Blessed’ lost his last fight before this, falling to a KO defeat at the hands of Ilia Topuria. While the BMF title wasn’t on the line in that fight, some felt as if it should’ve been.
Tom Aspinall gives his thoughts on rumors of Alex Pereira moving to heavyweight
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2025
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has given his thoughts on Alex Pereira potentially moving up to his division. As we know, Tom Aspinall is the new king of the heavyweight division following the retirement of Jon Jones. What we don’t know, though, is who he’s going to face in his next fight. There are a handful of potential contenders in the mix but one that stands out as being pretty intriguing is none other than Alex Pereira.
Bryce Mitchell believes he is the man to defeat UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili
Harry Kettle - July 22, 2025
UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell believes he has what it takes to defeat Merab Dvalishvili after his move down to bantamweight. This weekend, Bryce Mitchell makes his way down to 135 pounds at UFC Abu Dhabi. He will face off against Said Nurmagomedov, in what is bound to be a tough first assignment for him. With that being said, ‘Thug Nasty’ seems pretty confident that he’ll be able to make magic happen in his new home at bantamweight.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 200 with Marcus McGhee and Davey Grant
Cole Shelton - July 22, 2025
The 200th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to preview UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. We’re first joined by 13th-ranked UFC bantamweight Marcus McGhee (1:09). We close things out by chatting with UFC bantamweight (14:04).
Shamil Gasanov aims to become Dagestan's next ONE World Champion: "I always wanted to be the best"
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 21, 2025
Shamil Gasanov believes his village upbringing forged the mentality needed to capture MMA gold. The Russian is ready to prove a wrestler from remote Dagestan can achieve worldwide greatness. The third-ranked featherweight rematches Garry Tonon at ONE Fight Night 34 on Friday, August 1, inside Lumpinee Stadium at Bangkok, Thailand. The bout comes after Gasanov defeated Martin Nguyen, marking his fourth consecutive victory since Tonon submitted him.
Khamzat Chimaev responds to Paulo Costa’s claim that he was DMing his wife: “She deleted everything bro”
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2025
Khamzat Chimaev has fired back at Paulo Costa. After Costa pulled off an upset win over Roman Kopylov, he called out Chimaev and claimed ‘Borz’ was DMing his wife. He says he will be chasing down Chimaev until he gets to fight him, but after his callout, ‘Borz’ took to social media to claim Costa’s wife was the one messaging him.