MMA News
Israel Adesanya makes UFC 317 prediction for Charles Oliveira vs. Ilia Topuria
Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 27, 2025
Israel Adesanya has made his pick for the UFC 317 main event between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria. Oliveira and Topuria will be competing for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship on Saturday. The two will do battle inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Once the fight begins, Islam Makhachev will officially vacate the 155-pound gold.
Joe Rogan disagrees with Jon Jones' stance on Tom Aspinall
Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 27, 2025
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan doesn’t agree with Jon Jones’ take on Tom Aspinall. Fight fans had been clamoring to see an undisputed heavyweight title match between Jones and Aspinall, but it wasn’t meant to be. “Bones” decided to retire from pro MMA competition and Aspinall is now recognized as the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.
UFC 317 fighter fired following horrendous scale fail during weigh-ins
Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 27, 2025
One fighter has seen his UFC run end before it ever began. The UFC 317 weigh-ins took place in Las Vegas on Friday. While most of the fighters on the card tipped the scales, one athlete not only blew his spot on this weekend’s card, but he also cost himself a spot on the UFC roster.
WATCH | UFC 317 headliners share chilling conversation ahead of title fight: 'I'm sorry'
BJ Penn Staff - June 27, 2025
UFC 317 goes down on Saturday night in Las Vegas, and all eyes are on the main event: a lightweight title fight between Spain’s Ilia Topuria and Brazil’s Charles Oliveira. The UFC lightweight title is currently vacant, after long-time champion Islam Makhachev left the division to chase the welterweight belt. Topuria recently underwent a nearly identical situation, having vacated the featherweight belt to move up to lightweight. He was hoping to fight Makhachev for the lightweight belt, but with the Russian leaving the division, the Spaniard was matched up with former champ Oliveira to crown a new king instead. It’s an incredible matchup, and a toss-up, according to one expert.
Sean Strickland makes worrying claim about Nick and Nate Diaz's mental health issues
BJ Penn Staff - June 27, 2025
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has made a concerning claim about the mental health troubles of MMA stars Nick and Nate Diaz. Strickland got to talking about the Diaz brothers during a recent interaction on X. It started when he responded to a recent post from former UFC middleweight Derek Brunson, who explained why he was forced to end his friendship with Jon Jones.
Superbon confident in teammate's chances against Yuki Yoza at ONE Friday Fights 116
BJPENN.COM Staff - June 27, 2025
ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon has thrown his full support behind former bantamweight kickboxing king Petchtanong Petchfergus when the latter returns at ONE Friday Fights 116. Petchtanong meets former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza on Friday, July 18, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Nico Carrillo reveals the life-changing advice he learned after KO loss: "It will rot your heart"
BJPENN.COM Staff - June 27, 2025
Fourth-ranked featherweight Muay Thai star Nico Carrillo has learned valuable lessons about moving forward after setbacks. And he’s offered advice to everyday people on how to do the same. The Scottish striker suffered a devastating loss to ONE Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane at ONE 170 in January. Carrillo was stopped in the first round by the Algerian-Thai powerhouse. The loss left many questioning whether “King of the North” could bounce back from such a crushing blow.
George Jarvis "always knew" he'd cross paths with Regian Eersel
BJPENN.COM Staff - June 27, 2025
For as long as he’s been fighting, British Muay Thai contender George Jarvis has felt a clash with two-sport ONE World Champion Regian Eersel has been inevitable. Jarvis challenges Eersel for the ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE Fight Night 34 on Friday, August 1, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Terrance McKinney vows to "test" Viacheslav Borshchev's chin early at UFC 317: "I'm coming for the first-round finish"
Cole Shelton - June 26, 2025
Terrance McKinney is looking to put on a statement at UFC 317. McKinney is set to take on Viacheslav Borshchev in an intriguing lightweight scrap. McKinney is coming off a dominant win over Damir Hadzovic back in February. After the win, McKinney wasn’t sure what would be next, but he was thrilled when he got the call to fight at International Fight Week.
Former Jon Jones rival claims retirement was the smart move: “His legacy outweighs that”
Cole Shelton - June 26, 2025
Jon Jones’ former teammate and rival, Rashad Evans, thinks ‘Bones’ retiring was a good decision. Jones announced his retirement from the sport as the heavyweight champ, which meant he wouldn’t fight Tom Aspinall. Although that was a fight many fans wanted to see, Evans doesn’t think it’s a big deal for Jon Jones’ legacy that he won’t fight the Brit.
Brandon Royval claims he's the "most disrespected fighter in the UFC" ahead of UFC 317
Cole Shelton - June 26, 2025
Brandon Royval believes he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Royval is set to take on Joshua Van at UFC 317 on Saturday in a potential No. 1 contender bout. Heading into the fight, Royval is once again the underdog, despite Van being ranked below him and taking it on short notice.
Renato Moicano believes he has "to kill" Beneil Dariush at UFC 317 to remain in title picture
Cole Shelton - June 26, 2025
Renato Moicano believes the pressure is on him to not just beat Beneil Dariush but finish him at UFC 317. Moicano was supposed to face Dariush back in January. But, on weigh-in day, after Arman Tsarukyan pulled out, Moicano stepped up on a day’s notice to face Islam Makhachev for the belt. The Brazilian ended up losing by first-round submission and was rebooked to face Dariush at UFC 317 on Saturday.
Former UFC champion shares grim prediction for Charles Oliveira's fight against Ilia Topuria
Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 26, 2025
An ex-UFC titleholder doesn’t believe Saturday night ends well for Charles Oliveira. Oliveira will be facing Ilia Topuria for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. The title fight will headline UFC 317 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Once the fight begins, Islam Makhachev will officially relinquish the 155-pound gold.
UFC 317 fighter is 'extremely disappointed' about Islam Makhachev vacating lightweight title
Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 26, 2025
One fighter scheduled for the UFC 317 card can’t help but feel disappointed after Islam Makhachev’s move to the welterweight division. Once Saturday’s main event between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria begins, Makhachev will officially vacate the lightweight gold. Oliveira vs. Topuria is being contested to determine a new 155-pound titleholder. Makhachev will challenge UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena at a date to be announced.
Max Holloway cautions fans against doubting Charles Oliveira at UFC 317: 'This fight is up in the air'
BJ Penn Staff - June 26, 2025
Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is better positioned than most to break down this weekend’s Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira fight. Topuria and Oliveira are set to meet for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of 317. It goes down tomorrow night in Las Vegas.
New UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall lays out plans for busy 2025: 'I've wasted enough time'
BJ Penn Staff - June 26, 2025
Tom Aspinall waited a long time to be promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. With that settled, he’s hoping to make up for lost time. Aspinall claimed the interim heavyweight title with a quick knockout of Sergei Pavlovich in late 2023. He spent nearly all of the time since chasing a fight with Jon Jones, who held the division’s undisputed title. However, Jones had no interest in the matchup, and instead beat an aging Stipe Miocic last November, and after months of pulling Aspinall along, finally announced his retirement last weekend. That meant that Aspinall was finally became the true heavyweight king.
UFC vet Derek Brunson explains why Jon Jones friendship ended: 'I couldn't sit back and watch'
BJ Penn Staff - June 26, 2025
Derek Brunson and Jon Jones shared a brief friendship while they were both competing in the UFC, but it didn’t last. Brunson has now explained why. Brunson and Jones became friends around 2011. That was back when the former had just joined the UFC middleweight division, and the latter was beginning his legendary reign as promotion’s light heavyweight champion. During that time, Brunson would visit Jones’ hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to train at the famed Jackson Wink MMA gym.
Yuya Wakamatsu calls out Alexandre Pantoja for cross-promotion bout
BJPENN.COM Staff - June 26, 2025
ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Yuya Wakamatsu is scouting for viable contenders to his gold – both in and outside of ONE Championship. “Little Piranha” appeared at this week’s press conference in Tokyo for ONE 173, all but confirming him featuring at the event on Sunday, November 16, inside Tokyo, Japan’s Ariake Arena.