MMA News

Natasha Hooper - May 8, 2020

Justin Gaethje explained why his upcoming opponent, Tony Ferguson, will be a harder nut to crack than the lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. UFC 249 was originally expected to be headlined by a title bout between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson. However, travel complications surrounding the coronavirus pandemic resulted in Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal from the bout. Instead, Justin Gaethje will face Ferguson in the main event on May 9, in Jacksonville, Florida.

Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020

Alonzo Menifield will return to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year to battle Devin Clark. Multiple sources confirmed to BJPENN.com that Menifield will take on Devin Clark on June 6 at a location to be announced. The contracts have already been issued and signed, the sources confirmed.

Mike Pendleton - May 7, 2020

Before there are any plans made for Conor McGregor to make his return to the Octagon in 2020, he wants to ensure that the safety measures in place are going to work. According to his manager Audie Attar, McGregor will be following this weekend’s event for many reasons, including scouting potential future opponents, and ensuring the safety of the event taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020

A.J. McKee is looking to become a champ-champ in Bellator and then go into boxing to challenge Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather has not boxed professionally since he defeated Conor McGregor in the summer of 2016. It was a highly-anticipated bout, and McKee thinks he can capture that same momentum.

Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020

Henry Cejudo says he will never fight T.J. Dillashaw again. Cejudo and Dillashaw met at UFC Brooklyn in January of 2018 where “Triple C” was looking to defend his flyweight belt against the then-bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw. It was a highly-anticipated fight that ended early as Cejudo knocked Dillashaw out in just 32 seconds.

Cole Shelton - May 7, 2020

On the stacked UFC 249 main card, Francis Ngannou takes on undefeated contender, Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Heading into this fight, Ngannou is a -275 favorite while “Bigi Boy” is a +215 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros believe the scrap ends by knockout where the majority lean towards Ngannou getting his hand raised.

Thomas Taylor - May 7, 2020

Conor McGregor was recently called out 47-year-old former boxing champ Oscar De La. Now, the Irishman has responded. De La Hoya discussed a potential boxing match with McGregor during an appearance on CBS Sports’ State of Combat podcast. 

Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020

Conor McGregor has some gripes about his position in the UFC lightweight rankings, and his former foe Dustin Poirier is having none of it. McGregor defeated Dustin Poirier via first-round TKO in a 2014 featherweight fight. Nonetheless, Poirier has glided past McGregor in the lightweight rankings, settling in at No. 2, one spot in front of the Irishman.

Adam Martin - May 7, 2020

UFC president Dana White believes that Dominick Cruz beating Henry Cejudo would be the biggest upset since Matt Serra knocked out Georges St-Pierre. Back at UFC 69 in 2007, Serra finished GSP via first-round TKO in what is generally considered by many the biggest upset in MMA history. We’ve seen some other big upsets over the years, such as when Holly Holm knocked out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, but the Serra vs. GSP fight still ranks as the biggest upset by many people including White himself.

Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020

According to UFC President Dana White, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will not receive any form of punishment from the UFC after being arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico earlier this year. Jon Jones was arrested in late March and charged with aggravated DWI, negligent use of a firearm, and possession of an open container. Despite the fact this was not his first run-in with the law, the light heavyweight champion was able to avoid jail time.

Mike Pendleton - May 7, 2020

At UFC 249 this weekend, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will look to get back to his winning ways and avenge a loss to a former opponent, Anthony Pettis. Cerrone and Pettis previously fought back in 2013 at UFC on FOX 6, with Pettis winning by first-round knockout. Cerrone is also looking to bounce back from his 40-second loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 246 in January, a fight that Cerrone admitted he realized two days out that he didn’t want to be there for. As he looks to get back on track inside the Octagon, Cerrone’s coach John Wood of Syndicate MMA recently revealed that Cerrone has a “fire lit under his ass” and is ready for everything in his rematch against Pettis.

Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020

UFC 249 headliner Tony Ferguson says he doesn’t care if his long anticipated fight with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov gets rescheduled. Tony Ferguson was originally expected to battle Khabib Nurmagomedov on April 18, but this fight fell through when Nurmagomedov got stranded in Russia due to travel restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic. This marked the preposterous fifth time a matchup between the two has fallen through.

Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020

Like all fighters on Saturday’s UFC 249 card, Francis Ngannou had to endure a COVID-19 nasal swab test. He did not enjoy the experience. Ngannou, who is one of the top contenders in the UFC heavyweight division, underwent his first COVID-19 swab test earlier this week. The experience, which involves ramming a cotton swab so far up the nasal passage that it looks like it probably tickles the brain, did not go over well with him.

Harry Kettle - May 7, 2020

UFC veteran Donald Cerrone has revealed that he has spoken to a sports psychiatrist regarding his occasional inconsistency in the Octagon. It’s safe to say that many fans were disappointed to see “Cowboy” fall to Conor McGregor in the manner that he did back in January, with the general consensus being that he simply didn’t show up on the night. Cerrone even acknowledged that his head wasn’t in the right place himself. 

Natasha Hooper - May 7, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach Javier Mendez has explained why Conor McGregor is still his pupil’s toughest opponent. The undefeated lightweight champion was scheduled to defend his title against Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 249. However, due to travel restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak and Nurmagomedov’s commitment to Ramadan, their showdown has been postponed. Justin Gaethje will fill in as a short-notice replacement to fight “El Cucuy” on May 9.

Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020

Mike Tyson is staging a comeback, and he’s already got plenty of suitors. Count John Fury, the father of current heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, among them. Fury Sr. announced that he wants to fight the 53-year-old legend in a charity boxing match in a video captured by Manchester Fight Club. See it below:

Natasha Hooper - May 7, 2020

Darren Till has expressed interest in coaching the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya. UFC president Dana White dropped the news recently that the UFC is working on the return of TUF. This week on ESPN 690 Jacksonville, White confirmed that the next season of The Ultimate Fighter is currently in the works, and he even suggested several high-profile coach pairings.

Tom Taylor - May 7, 2020

BKFC, an upstart bare knuckle fighting organization, has reportedly offered 53-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson a $20M deal. Tyson recently announced his intention to end his retirement for a handful of exhibition bouts. What really sent the combat sports world into a frenzy of excitement, however, was footage of the boxing legend hitting mitts with famed MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro. Even at 53, Tyson looked absolutely lethal.