MMA News

Cole Shelton - July 8, 2025

Derrick Lewis wants to fight Tom Aspinall before his career is over. Lewis is set to headline UFC Nashville on Saturday against Taillon Teixeira in a fight he’s a +210 underdog in on FanDuel. If Lewis can pull off the upset, he’d be right back in the title picture at heavyweight, and he is hopeful he can face to Aspinall for the belt before his career is up.

BJ Penn Staff - July 8, 2025

Dana White is very excited about the line-up for UFC 318. It’s safe to say UFC fans are not quite as jazzed. UFC 318 is set for July 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the main event, Louisianan hero Dustin Poirier will compete in his final fight, taking on a fellow UFC legend in Max Holloway. You won’t find many fight fans complaining about the card’s main event, but beyond the headliner, the line-up has been the subject of some controversy.

BJ Penn Staff - July 8, 2025

Georges St-Pierre is considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. These days, the Canadian MMA star is more concerned with a different acronym: UFO. St-Pierre, the former welterweight and middleweight UFC champion, is well-known for his belief in alien life and UFOs (unidentified flying objects).

BJ Penn Staff - July 8, 2025

Max Holloway has some issues with the official UFC rankings. Hawaii’s Holloway is set to return to Octagon in the main event of the widely criticized UFC 318 card on July 19. It will go down in New Orleans, and his opponent will be Louisiana’s own Dustin Poirier, who is set to retire, win, lose, or draw.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 8, 2025

Daniel Cormier has long been at odds with Jon Jones, but he would end up cheering for “Bones” under a special circumstance. POTUS Donald Trump had many within the MMA community buzzing when he discussed possibly holding a UFC event in the White House during Independence Day weekend in 2026. Such an event has not been confirmed, and many have questioned the logistics of such a show.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 8, 2025

Diego Lopes is putting the blame on Yair Rodriguez for the lack of movement as far as a grudge match is concerned. Despite having bad blood with “El Pantera,” Lopes will be fighting Jean Silva in the main event of Noche UFC on Sept. 13. Lopes vs. Silva figures to be an explosive fight with major implications in the featherweight division. Still, many are wondering why Rodriguez wasn’t booked to face Lopes unless he’s receiving the next 145-pound title opportunity.

Harry Kettle - July 8, 2025

UFC veteran Gilbert Burns is of the belief that Charles Oliveira needs to take some time off following his loss at UFC 317. In his most recent outing at UFC 317, Charles Oliveira attempted to regain the UFC lightweight championship. He went up against Ilia Topuria, and while he had a few nice moments in the early stages of the fight, it ended in heartbreak for ‘Do Bronx’. He was knocked out cold, with Topuria doing exactly what he said he was going to do.

Harry Kettle - July 8, 2025

UFC legend Amanda Nunes has said that she wasn’t particularly impressed by Kayla Harrison’s win over Julianna Pena. As you may or may not know, Amanda Nunes is back. Just a few years after her retirement from mixed martial arts, the GOAT will be returning to the sport in order to challenge Kayla Harrison for the UFC women’s bantamweight championship. It’s set to be one of the biggest fights in the history of women’s MMA and, for many, it’s really hard to know which way it’s going to go.

Harry Kettle - July 8, 2025

UFC veteran Renato Moicano has called for a showdown with Michael Chandler after his UFC 317 defeat. As we know, Renato Moicano is one of the more outspoken – and entertaining – lightweights on the UFC roster. A lot of that comes from what he does outside of the cage, but he’s also a pretty enjoyable guy to watch in action. Unfortunately for him and his fans, the Brazilian fell short in his most recent ouitng as he was defeated by fellow veteran Beneil Dariush.

Cole Shelton - July 8, 2025

The 199th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to preview UFC Nashville. We’re first joined by UFC featherweight Steve Garcia (1:37). Next, UFC welterweight Max Griffin (19:18) joins the show. Closing out the program is UFC heavyweight Austen Lane (33:23).

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 7, 2025

Pedro Dantas has waited his entire life for this moment. Now he’s ready to make the most of it. The undefeated Brazilian prospect makes his ONE Championship debut against #4-ranked featherweight MMA contender Ilya Freymanov at ONE Fight Night 33 on Friday, July 11, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. For the 22-year-old, the opportunity represents validation of everything he’s worked toward.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 7, 2025

Shadow Singha Mawynn isn’t fazed by facing a bigger opponent this weekend. The Thai striker believes his technical skills will overcome any size disadvantage. The #3-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender faces Mohamed Younes Rabah at ONE Fight Night 33 on Friday, July 11, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. For Shadow, the bout represents another step toward a potential title shot.

BJ Penn Staff - July 7, 2025

Daniel Cormier doesn’t want Jon Jones to end up like Conor McGregor in his post UFC life. Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, retired last month. His retirement came after months of speculation as to whether he could be convinced to fight England’s Tom Aspinall. In the end, it never happened.

BJ Penn Staff - July 7, 2025

Tony Ferguson is headed back to the cage. Scratch that. The former UFC star is headed to the boxing ring in just over a months’ time. Ferguson, best known for a stunning 12-fight win streak in the stacked UFC lightweight division, announced his upcoming fight in a conversation with Red Corner MMA.

BJ Penn Staff - July 7, 2025

Donald Trump says he plans on hosting a UFC event at the White House to celebrate America’s 250th birthday next year. Donn Davis is hoping the PFL can get in on the star-spangled MMA action. Trump’s comments about a UFC card on the White House grounds sent the MMA world in a frenzy last week.

Cole Shelton - July 7, 2025

Robert Whittaker is closing in on the end of his UFC career. Whittaker is set to headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26 against Reinier de Ridder in an intriguing bout. ‘The Reaper’ is looking to get back into the win column after a submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev. Ahead of his return, Whittaker says he has four fights left in his career, which includes ending his career on top.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 7, 2025

Joshua Van has a message for those who don’t believe he can win UFC gold. Van is fresh off a top contender for “Fight of the Year” against Brandon Royval. “The Fearless” went three rounds with Royval and even scored a late knockdown to further cement that he was deserving of the decision victory. After having his hand raised, Van had a staredown with current flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 7, 2025

Sean Strickland has denied claims from one UFC icon on his departure from Team Quest. Strickland had been a member of the gym under the guidance of Dan Henderson. He eventually made the move to Xtreme Couture and a UFC champion. Strickland has been known for being ruffling some feathers with his unfiltered rants, and Henderson claims it’s what led to the middleweight’s departure from Team Quest.