MMA News
Jiri Prochazka eager to be the backup fighter for the UFC 267 main event, so he 'can smell the energy of my opponents and their power'
Cole Shelton - October 26, 2021
Jiri Prochazka is excited to possibly be fighting for UFC gold on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. In the main event of UFC 267, Jan Blachowicz is set to defend his light heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira. When the fight was announced, it was rumored Prochazka would serve as the backup fighter, which he says he confirmed right away.
Jan Blachowicz expects Glover Teixeira to wrestle him but confident he'll KO him to defend his belt
Cole Shelton - October 26, 2021
Jan Blachowicz is confident he will score another KO win to defend his light heavyweight for the second time. After Blachowicz defeated Israel Adesanya back in March to defend his belt for the first time, he knew his next fight would be against Glover Teixeira. The two will meet in the main event of UFC 267, and the Pole knows this will be the best Teixeira ever, due to the fact this is his final title shot.
Michael Bisping shares his thoughts on the Logan Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match
Adam D Martin - October 26, 2021
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping shared his thoughts on the upcoming Logan Paul vs. Mike Tyson exhibition boxing match. It was recently announced that Paul would be fighting Tyson in an exhibition boxing match set for early 2022. For Paul, it will be his second straight high-profile boxing match against a legend of the sport following an exhibition fight with Floyd Mayweather earlier this year. There were no judges for that fight since it was an exhibition bout, but Paul would have lost the fight had there been scorecards. However, the fact that Paul was able to go the distance with Mayweather was impressive in its own right. But a guy like Tyson who is bigger and who hits harder is a completely different task and Paul is likely well aware of the power difference.
Mason Jones calls for UFC to cut Alan Patrick following scratched rematch at UFC Vegas 41
Adam D Martin - October 26, 2021
UFC lightweight fighter Mason Jones called for UFC to cut Alan Patrick following their scratched rematch at UFC Vegas 41. Jones and Patrick met earlier this year and Jones was completely dominating the fight before it was stopped due to an accidental eye poke that left Patrick unable to continue. The UFC wasted no time booking the immediate rematch due to the circumstances of the stoppage, and the fight was supposed to take place last weekend at UFC Vegas 41. But Patrick pulled out of the fight with just over a week to go, and he was replaced on short notice by UFC newcomer David Onama. Although Onama fought very well in his UFC debut, it was ultimately Jones who won the decision.
Dan Hooker blasts Paulo Costa over giant weight miss: "That is just a massive 'F you' to the fans"
Adam D Martin - October 26, 2021
UFC lightweight Dan Hooker blasted middleweight Paulo Costa over his giant weight miss, saying “that is just a massive ‘F you’ to the fans.” Costa was set to fight Marvin Vettori in a middleweight bout that served as the main event of UFC Vegas 41, but Costa showed up heavy to fight week. Because he couldn’t make the 185lbs limit, the fight was then moved to a 195lbs catchweight, and then to the 205lbs light heavyweight limit. Costa was fined 30% of his purse and the fight went on at 205, with Vettori winning a unanimous decision in a back-and-forth fight.
Kevin Lee "less embarrassed" now after being suspended for Adderall
Adam D Martin - October 26, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Kevin Lee admitted that he is “less embarrassed” now after being suspended for using Adderall. Lee recently revealed that he had failed his post-fight drug test following his fight this summer against Daniel Rodriguez. The reason he failed was due to testing positive for Adderall without having a therapeutic use exemption. The Nevada Athletic Commission then flagged Lee and he is currently in the process of figuring out the length of his suspension. But while Lee is still overall embarrassed by how the whole situation has played out, there is one thing that is making him feel better, and that’s seeing fans reaching out to him and actually giving him support rather than kicking him down.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 56 with Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, Volkan Oezdemir, and Marcin Tybura
Cole Shelton - October 26, 2021
The 56th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is here ahead of UFC 267. We’re first joined by one-half of the main event and current UFC light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz (2:11). Next, second-ranked light heavyweight and the backup fighter for the main event, Jiri Prochazka (17:59) stops by. Eighth-ranked light heavyweight, Volkan Oezdemir (30:28) then comes on. Closing out the program is ninth-ranked heavyweight, Marcin Tybura (43:32).
Derek Brunson continues to troll Paulo Costa over his UFC Vegas 41 weight debacle
Harry Kettle - October 26, 2021
Derek Brunson is one of many UFC fighters who continues to tease Paulo Costa over his weight issues at UFC Vegas 41. In one of the most bizarre weight cut situations in the recent history of the UFC, Paulo Costa announced during a fight week interview that he wouldn’t be able to make it down to the middleweight limit. Instead, he wound up fighting Marvin Vettori at light heavyweight – 20 pounds higher.
Rich Franklin prefers more permissive ONE Championship ruleset
Andrew Whitelaw - October 25, 2021
When it comes to the various rulesets in MMA, Rich Franklin is a man whose opinion should carry plenty of weight. The former UFC middleweight champion and Hall-of-Famer has fought under the unified rules, competed in Japan, and since 2014 – he’s been the vice president at ONE Championship. Rulesets have been a hot topic in MMA recently, particularly after Petr Yan lost the UFC bantamweight title via DQ for kneeing Aljamain Sterling when he was grounded. In contrast, Adriano Moraes retained his ONE flyweight title in April by knocking out Demetrious Johnson with a knee when DJ was grounded.
Daniel Cormier responds to backlash from Fedor Emelianenko comments: "I don’t understand how this ruffled so many people’s feathers"
Christopher Taylor - October 25, 2021
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has responded after receiving a ton of backlash for his comments about Fedor Emelianenko. Prior to ‘The Last Emperor’ earning a stunning knockout over Tim Johnson at last weekend’s Bellator 268 event, Cormier had suggested that Fedor would have been “average at best” in the UFC.
Josh Thomson claims Nate Diaz is leaving the UFC: "I want you guys all to know this, Nate is leaving"
Christopher Taylor - October 25, 2021
Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson claims MMA superstar Nate Diaz is leaving the UFC after his next fight. Diaz (20-13 MMA) was last seen in action at June’s UFC 263 event, where despite mounting a late comeback, he ultimately suffered a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards. The setback marked Nate’s second in a row and put him on the final fight of his current contract with the UFC.
John McCarthy rips Daniel Cormier for his comments on Fedor Emelianenko: 'You’re sounding like you're being a homer for the UFC'
Cole Shelton - October 25, 2021
John McCarthy has ripped Daniel Cormier over his comments about Fedor Emelianenko. The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, Cormier, recently said on his YouTube channel that he thought had Emelianenko signed with the UFC, he would’ve been average at best. Those comments took many by surprise, including John McCarthy, who proceeded to rip ‘DC’ for for his controversial take.
Chase Sherman returns in January on Fight Night card opposite Jake Collier
Cole Shelton - October 25, 2021
Chase Sherman and Jake Collier will be looking to get back into the win column in January. Multiple sources informed BJPENN.com that Sherman and Collier have been agreed to for the first card of 2022 on January 15 at a location TBD. Contracts have also been issued for the fight, with one side having already signed, the sources said. The main event of the card will see Calvin Kattar take on Giga Chikadze at featherweight.
Bellator 268 salaries: Corey Anderson nets $200k but Vadim Nemkov leads payroll
Cole Shelton - October 25, 2021
Bellator 268 went down on October 16 in Arizona and the salaries for the fight card have now been released. In the main event of Bellator 268, Vadim Nemkov defended his light heavyweight title against Julius Anglickas with a submission win. The co-main event saw Corey Anderson TKO Ryan Bader in under a minute as Nemkov and Anderson will now fight one another in the grand prix finals. The date of the finals has not been announced by Bellator but will likely happen sometime early in 2022.
Dana White responds to criticism from former UFC champ Junior dos Santos: "Move on to these other promotions and make crazy money"
Christopher Taylor - October 25, 2021
Dana White has responded after former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos slammed the promotion for their lack of “professionalism”. Dos Santos (21-9 MMA) was cut by the Ultimate Fighting Championship shortly following his TKO loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC 256. That setback had marked the Brazilians fourth in a row, with all four losses coming by way of technical knockout.
PFL Founder Donn Davis fires back at Dana White for comments about Kayla Harrison
Drake Riggs - October 25, 2021
FORT LAUDERDALE — Kayla Harrison will be a free agent after this Wednesday’s PFL 2021 Championship. Appearing during the fight week’s media day, Harrison answered the usual round of questions – lastly focusing on comments from Dana White earlier in the day.
Oron Kahlon calls Afghani fighter Javid Basharat a 'terrorist' during faceoff for Contender Series fight
Cole Shelton - October 25, 2021
Oron Kahlon is set to fight Javid Basharat for a UFC contract on Tuesday night in Week 9 of the Contender Series and the faceoff had an ugly scene. After Kahlon missed weight by three pounds for his bantamweight fight and was fined 20 percent of his purse. After the weigh-ins, the two had their faceoff where Basharat had some words for him and declined his handshake. After that, Kahlon turned to the Afghani fighter and called him a terrorist and a p***y in an ugly moment.
Dana White says UFC 271 pay-per-view targeted for Seattle or major Canadian city
Adam D Martin - October 25, 2021
UFC president Dana White says that the upcoming UFC 271 pay-per-view is being targeted for Seattle or a major Canadian city. TSN reporter Aaron Bronsteter spoke to White on Monday, and the UFC president confirmed that UFC 271 is being considered for either Seattle or somewhere in Canada. The event is scheduled to take place on February 12, 2022, and is set to be headlined by the rematch between UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.