MMA News

Harry Kettle - December 4, 2025

Joshua Van has said that in his eyes, Alexandre Pantoja is the flyweight GOAT as they prepare to battle it out at UFC 323. For the longest time now, Joshua Van has been viewed as someone who can make some real noise at 125 pounds. On Saturday night, he has the chance to make the most noise of all when he challenges Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight championship in the co-main event of UFC 323.

Harry Kettle - December 4, 2025

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has said there’s no bad blood between him and Petr Yan ahead of UFC 323. On Saturday night, Merab Dvalishvili will take on Petr Yan in the main event of UFC 323. If he’s able to pick up the win, Merab will officially go 4-0 this year, successfully defending his belt on every occasion. Of course, these two men have fought before, with ‘The Machine’ picking up the win on that occasion en route to earning his own shot at the gold.

Dylan Bowker - December 3, 2025

Beneil Dariush is opening his mind to the idea of a change in weight category following his fast knockout loss inside Madison Square Garden recently. At UFC 322, Dariush was stopped by strikes against Benoit Saint Denis sixteen seconds into the bout, and the stalwart lightweight is now entertaining applying a fresh coat of paint to things by moving up. Beyond the nature of the fight result, Dariush also missed weight leading into the fight, which could also inform a desire to move up to 170 pounds. Speaking to Submission Radio in the wake of his recent setback, Dariush mentioned how he felt poised to have an all-time career performance as he felt dialed in with all facets of his preparation until fight week hurdles came up. Despite the weight miss where he came in at 157.2 pounds, Dariush mentioned how he felt fine in some regards on fight day, but did notice his inability to take a shot in the same wya he normally would.

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 3, 2025

Fourth-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Kongthoranee Sor Sommai collides with undefeated destroyer Asadula Imangazaliev in a crucial divisional matchup at ONE Fight Night 39 on Friday, January 24, 2026, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Meanwhile, #4-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon finally locks horns with #5-ranked Abdulla Dayakaev in another explosive battle that could shake up the top-five divisional rankings. Kongthoranee has proven to be one of the best flyweight strikers in the world. The three-time Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion owns a 72-18 career record with 11 victories in ONE Championship. The cerebral technician earned his stripes during a seven-bout winning streak at ONE Friday Fights. He capped it off with a majority decision win over Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi that secured his six-figure contract.

Curtis Calhoun - December 3, 2025

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili kicked off UFC 323 fight week by taking a shot at his former rival, Umar Nurmagomedov. Merab Dvalishvili has quickly become one of the top fan favorites in the UFC, due to his relentless style inside the cage and colorful personality outside of it. The UFC bantamweight champion is days away from making his fourth title defense of the year against former titleholder Petr Yan at UFC 323.

Curtis Calhoun - December 3, 2025

Former UFC welterweight champions Kamaru Usman and Tyron Woodley have traded barbs in recent days regarding the former’s GOAT case. Kamaru Usman could potentially earn the next UFC welterweight title fight against newly minted champion Islam Makhachev. Following Makhachev’s recent win over Jack Della Maddalena, Usman was Makhachev’s callout target, as the two legends seemed equally ready to clash in the Octagon next year.

Curtis Calhoun - December 3, 2025

Former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo believes Dana White needs to take significant steps to reform penalties for eye pokes. Henry Cejudo will make his final walk to the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 323 in Las Vegas. The former two-division UFC champion will call it a career after his upcoming fight with Payton Talbott, win or lose.

Cole Shelton - December 3, 2025

Edson Barboza isn’t thinking about retiring anytime soon. Barboza is remaining at lightweight at UFC 323 on Saturday in Las Vegas against Jalin Turner in an intriguing fight. The winner of the fight could be near the rankings, while the loser likely becomes a gatekeeper.

Curtis Calhoun - December 3, 2025

UFC heavyweight fan favorite Tai Tuivasa will face a surging contender in his first fight since August 2024. It’s been more than a year since UFC heavyweight fan favorite Tai Tuivasa competed inside the Octagon. Tuivasa, one of the heavyweight division’s most accomplished knockout artists, is looking to get back on track after a five-fight losing skid.

Curtis Calhoun - December 3, 2025

Polarizing UFC star Colby Covington will headline Real American Freestyle 5 to kick off his 2026 fighting slate. Former UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington will make his fighting return for the first time since a loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa last year.

Cole Shelton - December 3, 2025

Merab Dvalishvili is expecting a tough fight at UFC 323 when he takes on Petr Yan. Dvalishvili is set to defend his bantamweight title for the fourth time in 2025 when he takes on Yan in the main event of UFC 323 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Heading into the fight, Dvalishvili is a -500 favorite while the Russian is a +340 underdog on FanDuel.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 3, 2025

Dricus du Plessis has some harsh words for one UFC middleweight contender. Since losing the UFC Middleweight Championship back in August, Dricus du Plessis hasn’t been in action. The wipeout defeat to Khamzat Chimaev left many within the MMA community stunned given just how one-sided the fight was. A race for the No. 1 contender spot soon began, and it led to Allen scoring an upset win over Reinier de Ridder.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 3, 2025

If Islam Makhachev’s manager is to be believed, then Khabib Nurmagomedov shut down a title defense at UFC 324. Makhachev captured the UFC Welterweight Championship from Jack Della Maddalena in November, and it’s hard to imagine he’d have a quick turnaround at this stage in his career. Still, Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz is claiming that his fighter was offered the main event slot for January, which would’ve been for UFC’s debut on Paramount+.

Harry Kettle - December 3, 2025

UFC legend Edson Barboza has called for a war against Jalin Turner as the two prepare to face off at lightweight this weekend. For many years now, Edson Barboza has been putting on entertaining fights for mixed martial arts fans all over the world. While he hasn’t always come away with the victory, he’s the kind of fighter who knows how to get the best out of both himself and his opponent – and he has never been one to turn down a tough challenge.

Harry Kettle - December 3, 2025

UFC veteran Henry Cejudo has explained what could lead to him deciding against a second retirement after UFC 323. Over five years on from his first mixed martial arts retirement, Henry Cejudo is set to run it back this weekend. ‘Triple C’ has promised to walk away from MMA once again after his fight against Payton Talbott, suggesting that he wants to spend more time with his family as opposed to training.

Harry Kettle - December 3, 2025

Aljamain Sterling and Lerone Murphy have started to tease a possible featherweight showdown against each other. As we know, Lerone Murphy was overlooked recently in the UFC featherweight championship conversation. Instead of him getting a shot against reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski, which was what many expected, that opportunity was instead given to Diego Lopes. As you can imagine, Murphy wasn’t too pleased about this.

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 2, 2025

Mongolian Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu challenges reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade. This happens at ONE Fight Night 38 on Friday, December 5, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The #4-ranked divisional contender enters beaming with confidence after his appearance on Netflix reality competition series “Physical: Asia” introduced him to a massive global audience. The high-intensity competition brought together elite athletes from eight countries across Asia and beyond. It placed the 36-year-old in a spotlight distinct from what he’s known inside ONE Championship. It challenged him in new ways and allowed him to showcase his grit beyond what he has shown fans in the Circle.

Dylan Bowker - December 2, 2025

Gina Carano has posted some recent footage honing her fighting skills and working with Merab Dvalishvili’s coach had some wondering if the women’s MMA icon would be returning to competition. It seems like these kinds of headlines are popping up recently in women’s combat sports overall, with rumblings of ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey taking on Katie Taylor in a boxing bout that may possibly transpire next year. John Wood was the individual in question working with Carano at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Wood will be cornering Merab Dvalishvili as he embarks on yet another bantamweight title defense. The Georgian titleholder battles Petr Yan in a rematch on Saturday.