MMA News
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).
Kang Ji Won confident ahead of heavyweight battle: "I don't see much difficulty"
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 21, 2025
Kang Ji Won enters his heavyweight battle against Ryugo Takeuchi with supreme confidence. The South Korean knockout artist has maintained a perfect finishing rate and aims to keep that streak alive. The South Korean faces Takeuchi at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video on Friday, August 1, inside Lumpinee Stadium at Bangkok, Thailand. The bout features two heavy-handed fighters looking to make their mark.
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.
What's next for the stars of UFC 318?
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2025
The UFC was in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday for a solid UFC 318 card. The main event saw Max Holloway defending his BMF belt in the trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier, which also served as ‘The Diamond’s’ final fight. Ultimately, it was Holloway who won a decision in a back-and-forth, thrilling fight to defend his BMF belt and become the first person to defend his BMF belt. Following UFC 318, here is what I think should be next for the stars of the event.
Reinier de Ridder predicting a spectacular win over Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi: "I need to finish him"
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2025
Reinier de Ridder is expecting to make a statement in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday. de Ridder is set to headline the card against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a pivotal fight at middleweight. Although the winner of Nassourdibe Imavov vs Caio Borralho appears to be next in line, de Ridder believes that if he has a spectacular finish, as he predicts, he could leapfrog them.
Curtis Blaydes interested in rematch with Russian heavyweight contender
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2025
Curtis Blaydes has his eyes set on a rematch for his next fight. Blaydes is coming off a split decision win over Rizvan Kuniev back at UFC Baku. The victory got him back in the win column after being knocked out by Tom Aspinall for the interim heavyweight title. With Aspinall now the undisputed champ and likely to face Ciryl Gane next, Blaydes is calling for a rematch with Alexander Volkov.
Max Holloway open to rematching Charles Oliveira after UFC 318 win: "I heard he was yapping"
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2025
Max Holloway is open to rematching Charles Oliveira in his next fight if he doesn’t get a title shot. Holloway moved up to lightweight for good on Saturday at UFC 318, and he scored a decision win over Dustin Poirier to defend his BMF belt. After the win, he called out Ilia Topuria, but if he doesn’t get the title shot, he says the Oliveira rematch makes sense.
Dana White won't rule out Max Holloway getting chance at revenge against Ilia Topuria
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 21, 2025
UFC CEO Dana White thinks Max Holloway has set himself up for plenty of options after defeating Dustin Poirier. Holloway scored the unanimous decision victory in “The Diamond’s” retirement fight at UFC 318. “Blessed” is hoping to take over the lightweight division now that he finally secured a victory over Poirier in their trilogy bout. He also gets to keep his top five position in the official UFC 155-pound rankings.
Jon Jones reacts to Dana White's White House fight rejection
Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 21, 2025
Jon Jones is aware of UFC CEO Dana White’s recent comments shutting down the idea of “Bones” fighting in the White House. Jones announced his retirement from pro MMA competition, which led to Tom Aspinall being crowned the undisputed UFC heavyweight titleholder. It was then revealed that “Bones” has found himself in legal trouble again. He is facing a criminal charge stemming from a traffic incident in New Mexico back in February.
Israel Adesanya praises former rival Paulo Costa after UFC 318 victory
Harry Kettle - July 21, 2025
Israel Adesanya has some rare praise for former rival Paulo Costa following the latter’s win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318. On Saturday night at UFC 318, Paulo Costa was able to get himself back in the win column. He did so against Roman Kopylov and while it was a competitive fight in certain areas, the Brazilian star was able to prove that he’s still more than capable of mixing it up with those residing in the top 15 of the middleweight division.
Patricio Pitbull calls for showdown with Aaron Pico following UFC 318 win
Harry Kettle - July 21, 2025
MMA veteran Patricio Pitbull has called for a fight against Aaron Pico in the wake of his victory at UFC 318. As we know, Patricio Pitbull picked up the first win of his Ultimate Fighting Championship run on Saturday night with a win over Dan Ige. While it may not have been the flashiest performance in the world, he certainly did enough to get his hand raised – and even though he’s now in his late 30s, he seems pretty set on trying to make a run for the title.
Dustin Poirier questions the judges following UFC 318 defeat to Max Holloway
Harry Kettle - July 21, 2025
UFC legend Dustin Poirier has questioned the judges following his defeat to Max Holloway in his retirement fight. Dustin Poirier has officially retired from mixed martial arts. He rode off into the sunset on Saturday night following his loss to Max Holloway, failing in his attempt to claim the BMF title. Alas, while he may have lost, he still won the hearts of MMA fans around the world – as you’d expect from someone like ‘The Diamond’.
Shadow Singha Mawynn vs. Bampara Kouyate added to ONE Fight Night 35
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 20, 2025
World Title opportunities don’t come around often in ONE Championship’s stacked divisions. Two elite strikers will battle for the next crack at featherweight gold in September. Second-ranked contender Bampara Kouyate faces #3-ranked Shadow Singha Mawynn in featherweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 35 on Friday, September 5, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The winner could secure the next shot at reigning champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai.
Helena Crevar signs with ONE Championship after historic ADCC achievement
BJPENN.COM Staff - July 20, 2025
ONE Championship continues building its submission grappling division with elite talent. The latest addition might be the most promising yet. The promotion has officially signed 18-year-old phenom Helena Crevar to compete in its submission grappling division, adding another young star to its world-class roster. For Crevar, the signing represents validation of her rapid rise through the sport’s ranks.
Jon Jones sends strange messages to Daniel Cormier as rivalry continues
Harry Kettle - July 20, 2025
Former UFC fighter Jon Jones has sent a series of strange messages to Daniel Cormier as their rivalry heats up once again. For whatever reason, Jon Jones really enjoys winding people up on social media. He also enjoys teasing the mixed martial arts fanbase, whether it be about taking on Tom Aspinall (finally) or breaking his short-lived retirement. Whatever the case may be, ‘Bones’ spends more time typing than he does competing these days.
Max Holloway sends great message to retiring Dustin Poirier after UFC 318 battle
Harry Kettle - July 20, 2025
UFC star Max Holloway sent a message of positivity to Dustin Poirier in the wake of their UFC 318 main event last night. On Saturday, Max Holloway finally picked up a win over Dustin Poirier. While ‘The Diamond’ won their first two meetings, it was Holloway who managed to secure the victory and prevent Dustin from retiring on a victory. Alas, it didn’t spoil the mood all too much, with the hometown hero still getting a tremendous send-off in front of the passionate fans in New Orleans.
Dana White seemingly rejects idea of Jon Jones fighting at UFC White House event
Harry Kettle - July 20, 2025
UFC boss Dana White appears to have rejected the idea of Jon Jones competing on next year’s White House event. As we know, Jon Jones is currently retired from mixed martial arts. However, he now seems to be going back on that, suggesting that he’s going to make a push to compete on the UFC White House card next year. As you can imagine, this is pretty frustrating for a lot of fans given that Jon spent so long dodging a fight against Tom Aspinall.