MMA News
Danny Sabatello blasts ranked Bellator bantaweights for ducking him, expects to finish Johnny Campbell
Cole Shelton - August 10, 2021
Danny Sabatello doesn’t understand why he isn’t ranked in Bellator’s bantamweight division. Sabatello made good in his Bellator debut as he dominated Brett Johns for all three rounds to win a clear-cut decision. Johns was a high-profile signing for Bellator and after Sabatello dominated the scrap, he expected he would be ranked but that was not the case.
Sean Strickland calls Kelvin Gastelum a "lazy f*ck" ahead of Jared Cannonier fight at UFC Vegas 34
Adam D Martin - August 10, 2021
UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland called Kelvin Gastelum a “lazy f*ck” ahead of the Jared Cannonier fight at UFC Vegas 34. Strickland is the No. 8 ranked middleweight in the UFC following his win over Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 33, and Gastelum is ranked one spot behind him at No. 9. Next Saturday night, Gastelum takes on Cannonier in a high-profile middleweight fight between top-10 fighters. Ahead of the matchup, Strickland spoke to MMA journalist James Lynch and was asked about his thoughts on the Gastelum vs. Cannonier fight. Strickland did not hold back, ripping Gastelum for being “lazy” while admitting he does have a chance to beat Cannonier.
Texas MMA judge explains scorecard in Rafael Fiziev vs. Bobby Green fight at UFC 265
Adam D Martin - August 10, 2021
Texas MMA judge JJ Ferraro explained his controversial scorecard in the Rafael Fiziev vs. Bobby Green fight at this past Saturday’s UFC 265. Fiziev vs. Green was a fantastic lightweight battle that won “Fight of the Night” honors on a card full of great fights. While Fiziev was correctly deemed the winner of the bout after winning the first two rounds of the fight, there was some controversy when one of the judges scored the bout 30-27 in Fiziev’s favor, even though round three was a clear Green round. Although the good news is that the right fighter got his hand raised, MMA fans and media were up in arms about the 30-27 scorecard that didn’t give Green any credit.
Jake Paul will be on PEDs for Tyron Woodley boxing match, says Firas Zahabi
Adam D Martin - August 10, 2021
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will be on PEDs for the upcoming Tyron Woodley boxing match, says renowned MMA trainer Firas Zahabi. Zahabi, the head coach at Tristar Gym, recently spoke to fight fans in a YouTube Q&A session and he was asked what he thinks about the upcoming Paul vs. Woodley boxing match, which is set to take place on August 29 in Cleveland, Ohio. According to Zahabi, it is an intriguing fight, but the one thing he thinks will play the biggest factor out of everything is that Zahabi believes that Paul will be on PEDs for the fight against Woodley.
Coach claims Jon Jones would prefer Jan Blachowicz over ‘Stylebender’ in potential return to 205: “Israel’s not the guy anymore”
Adam D Martin - August 10, 2021
Jon Jones’ coach says he would prefer Jan Blachowicz over ‘Stylebender’ in a potential return to 205, saying “Israel’s not the guy anymore.” Jones and the UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya talked a lot of trash to each other over the last few years, and at one point in time, it seemed like a meeting between these two superstars was inevitable. However, with Jones moving up to the UFC heavyweight division, and with Adesanya losing to Blachowicz in his bid to become the promotion’s 205lbs champion, it appears as though there is not as much interest in this fight now. At least that’s what Jones’ coach Mike Winkeljohn claimed in a recent interview with Submission Radio, where the veteran striking coach explained what motivates Jones.
Khamzat Chimaev explains previous comments about Khabib Nurmagomedov: “If you are a real man, you have to think like that”
Harry Kettle - August 10, 2021
Khamzat Chimaev has explained the situation regarding his supposed feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Back in 2020 it seemed as if Chimaev was easily going to become the UFC’s next breakout star after three magnificent wins to kickstart his run with the promotion. Alas, a long bout with COVID-19 left his promising career in jeopardy, but after a year away he’s set to return to the Octagon at UFC 267.
Michael Chandler believes Dustin Poirier should prioritize a fourth fight with Conor McGregor over a title shot against Charles Oliveira
Harry Kettle - August 10, 2021
Michael Chandler has said if he was Dustin Poirier, he’d wait for a fourth fight against Conor McGregor as opposed to a UFC lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira. Dustin Poirier is riding high right now after beating McGregor for the second time last month. The win firmly cements him as one of the best lightweights on the planet and, as such, takes “The Diamond” into the number one spot when it comes to pursuing a title shot.
Kevin Lee calls out Mike Perry, among other welterweights: "I’m ready to fight anybody with the balls to step up"
Cole Shelton - August 9, 2021
Kevin Lee has made it clear he wants to remain on the August 28 card and has called out several welterweights. Lee was set to face Sean Brady on the card but the undefeated prospect was forced out of the fight with a foot infection. Shortly after the news broke, Lee revealed to BJPENN.com he was going to remain on the fight card.
Nate Diaz continues to mock Conor McGregor, suggests he will show the Irishman how to beat Dustin Poirier
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Nate Diaz continued to mock his UFC rival Conor McGregor while also suggesting that he will show the Irishman how to beat Dustin Poirier. Diaz took to his social media on Monday afternoon to make two tweets mocking both McGregor and Poirier while suggesting he knows what it takes to defeat “The Diamond.”
Dana White gushes over new UFC champion Ciryl Gane: "He's a big, powerful, badass heavyweight who moves like a middleweight"
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
UFC president Dana White gushed over new champion Ciryl Gane, calling him “a big, powerful, badass heavyweight who moves like a middleweight.” Gane finished Derrick Lewis in the third round of their UFC 265 main event this past Saturday night in Houston, Texas. It was a dominant performance by the Frenchman, who moved to a perfect 10-0 in his MMA career, including a 7-0 mark in the UFC alone, with the win over Lewis. It was the biggest victory of Gane’s career to date and it earned him the interim heavyweight title, and a fight against UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Jon Jones uninterested in fighting Stipe Miocic, says coach
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is uninterested in fighting Stipe Miocic for his heavyweight debut, according to his coach. Jones is set to move up to the UFC heavyweight division for his next fight, and UFC president Dana White recently confirmed the promotion had offered the fight to Miocic, who accepted it. However, White later said that Jones will not be fighting until 2022, which indicates that he is not interested in fighting Miocic at this time. With UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou set to unify his belt against interim champion Ciryl Gane first, Jones will likely be waiting for the winner, and his coach Mike Winkeljohn confirmed as much. According to his longtime coach, Miocic is not viewed as a challenge for Jones.
Julianna Pena calls for interim UFC women's bantamweight title with Amanda Nunes sidelined
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Julianna Pena called for the creation of an interim UFC women’s bantamweight title with the current champion Amanda Nunes sidelined. Pena was supposed to fight Nunes in the co-main event of UFC 265 on Saturday night in Houston, Texas, but the fight was postponed until later this year after Nunes tested positive for COVID-19. Nunes’ wife Nina recently took to social media to confirm that the Nunes family is now healthy and negative of COVID-19, but the UFC has still not re-booked this fight. The original plan was for the UFC to get this fight going in December, but as far as Pena goes, that is too long of a wait considering she is ready to scrap now.
What's next for Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis after UFC 265?
Cole Shelton - August 9, 2021
In the main event of UFC 265, the interim heavyweight title was up for grabs as Ciryl Gane took on Derrick Lewis. Gane entered the fight with a perfect 9-0 record and only turned pro back in August of 2018. The Frenchman signed to the UFC at 3-0 and has looked unstoppable. Lewis, meanwhile, was riding a four-fight winning streak and was coming off a KO win over Curtis Blaydes.
Junior dos Santos disappointed by Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson fight booking: "I don't understand why"
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Heavyweight Junior dos Santos is disappointed by the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Johnson fight booking, saying that “I don’t understand why.” Emelianenko is set to return to the Bellator cage this October in Moscow, Russia, and when the news first broke that “The Last Emperor” was going to fight again, immediately big names like dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, and even Jake Hager all threw their names in the hat to get the chance to face off with the legend. However, Bellator decided to choose Johnson instead, and that disappointed dos Santos.
Paige VanZant in a "must-win" situation for her next fight in BKFC, confirms promoter
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Former UFC women’s star Paige VanZant is in a “must-win situation” for her next fight in BKFC, confirmed promoter David Feldman. After leaving the UFC last year, VanZant made the surprise decision to sign with BKFC and made her debut in bare-knuckle fighting. Most fans figured that if she was going to leave the UFC, that she would follow her husband, middleweight Austin Vanderford, to Bellator. Instead, PVZ made the surprise decision to sign with BKFC, and things haven’t gone well.
Vicente Luque wants title shot against Kamaru Usman following incredible finish at UFC 265
Adam D Martin - August 9, 2021
Top contender Vicente Luque wants a title shot against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman following his incredible finish at UFC 265. Luque finished Michael Chiesa with a D’Arce choke in the first round of their welterweight bout on the UFC 265 main card. The win was the fourth in a row for Luque, all by stoppage, and he improved his UFC record to 14-3, with 13 of those wins coming by stoppage. “The Silent Assassin” has become one of the most exciting fighters in all of the UFC, and he is hoping that finishing his opponents in such devastating fashion earns him a title shot.
Sean O’Malley claims a “drunk” Luke Rockhold pestered his father in Montana
Harry Kettle - August 9, 2021
Sean O’Malley has claimed that a drunk Luke Rockhold mocked him during a recent interaction with O’Malley’s father. There are many rising figures within the sport of mixed martial arts but you could argue few are as unique as Sean O’Malley. From his fight style to the manner in which he carries himself, he really does stand out amongst the pack at bantamweight.
Rafael Fiziev criticizes Khabib Nurmagomedov's fighting style: "I was never his fan"
Adam Martin - August 8, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev explained why he did not enjoy watching Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, saying that “I was never his fan.” Fiziev is one of the top strikers in the UFC lightweight division and he just put on a show against veteran Bobby Green at UFC 265. In a three-round war, Fiziev outpointed Green to take home the decision and improve to 4-1 in the UFC. The pair of fighters also took home $50,000 each for “Fight of the Night.” The talented Fiziev is quickly closing in on the top-15 of the UFC lightweight division and could potentially make an even bigger push should he be able to get a fight against one of the top dogs in the division. And even though he’s retired now, there’s no bigger fish in the sea than the former champion Nurmagomedov.