MMA News
Eddie Alvarez reveals he's in "serious talks" to box Oscar De La Hoya this summer
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Eddie Alvarez is looking like he will be the one to welcome Oscar De La Hoya back to the boxing ring this summer. Over the past few months, De La Hoya has hinted at a possible return and said he wanted a big named opponent. However, he was mentioning boxers as his opponent. But, as of late has changed his attention to MMA fighters, and Alvarez says he is in talks with De La Hoya.
Nate Diaz will be the "number one contender" at welterweight if he beats Edwards, says Ali Abdelaziz
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Nate Diaz is a win away from a welterweight title shot, according to Kamaru Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz. In the co-main event of UFC 262 on May 15, Diaz is set to return to the Octagon against Leon Edwards in a highly-anticipated fight. The scrap will also be five rounds and according to Kamaru Usman’s manager, if Diaz wins, he would be the number one contender and get the next title shot.
Dustin Poirier regrets publicizing Conor McGregor donation issue: "I jumped the gun"
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Dustin Poirier has apologized for bringing the Conor McGregor donation issue to the public. Over the past week, Poirier and McGregor had a heated back-and-forth after “The Diamond” claimed the Irishman never paid the $500k to his charity as he said he would. After some tweets at one another, Poirier issued a statement on the situation and apologized for bringing it to light.
Jake Paul says Ben Askren will forfeit his entire purse if he uses MMA moves in the fight, "Funky" refutes claim
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Jake Paul says there is strict vocabulary in their contract that will prohibit Ben Askren from using any MMA tactics in their fight. When Paul and Askren were booked, many wondered if “Funky” would accidentally shoot for a takedown or use some elbows or knees. However, according to the brash YouTuber, in the contract, if Askren does any MMA tactics in the fight, his entire purse would be forfeited.
Ben Askren says he'll call for "another stupid celebrity boxing match" after he beats Jake Paul: "I might do two or three more"
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Ben Askren won’t be retiring from boxing after Saturday night if he beats Jake Paul. On April 17, Askren is set for his first professional boxing fight as he is set to face brash YouTuber, Jake Paul. It’s a highly-anticipated fight that has the combat sports world talking about it as “Funky” is far from a boxer.
Justin Wren rips Conor McGregor for not following through on donation to Dustin Poirier's charity
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
Former UFC and Bellator heavyweight Justin Wren ripped Conor McGregor for not following through on his donation to Dustin Poirier’s charity. Wren competed in MMA between 2006 and 2017 with one appearance in the UFC and three outings in Bellator. However, he did not compete at all between 2010 and 2015, as during that time Wren founded the “Fight For The Forgotten” where he traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help the Mbuti pygmy people build shelter and get fresh water. Wren’s charity work has been praised throughout the MMA community and he even co-wrote a book with MMA journalist Loretta Hunt titled “The Fight For The Forgotten: How a Mixed Martial Artist Stopped Fighting for Himself and Started Fighting for Others” in 2015.
Ben Askren hits the pads ahead of boxing match with Jake Paul on Saturday (Video)
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
Watch former UFC fighter-turned-boxer Ben Askren hit the pads ahead of his boxing match with Jake Paul on Saturday on Triller. Askren makes his highly-anticipated boxing debut this weekend when he takes on the YouTuber-turned-boxer in a high-profile boxing match. Askren came up as a wrestler in college before making the transition into mixed martial arts during the late 2000s. Since 2009, Askren has been competing at the highest level of the sport in both Bellator and in the UFC, racking up a 19-2, 1 NC record overall in MMA. However, after losing to Demian Maia and Robbie Lawler in the UFC in 2019, he decided to walk away, citing a hip issue.
Glover Teixeira issues statement after title fight with Jan Blachowicz announced for UFC 266: "Hard work pays off"
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira has issued a statement after his title fight with Jan Blachowicz was announced for UFC 266. Teixeira vs. Blachowicz will collide at UFC 266 with the 205lbs belt on the line. Soon after the fight with Teixeira and Blachowicz was announced, the veteran Brazilian took to social media to issue a statement about earning his second career UFC title shot. Read it below.
Mike Perry scoffs at boxing advice offered to him by Twitter users
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC welterweight Mike Perry scoffed at the boxing advice given by Twitter users after suggesting he wants to improve that part of his game. Perry lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 23 last week. “Platinum” was jabbed up the entire fight and, although he did score some takedowns, took a ton of damage on the feet and wasn’t able to fire much back in return. With the loss, Perry has now dropped four of his last five fights. While Perry started off his UFC career five years ago knocking everyone out and becoming a fan favorite, he has really struggled as of late. At this point, you have to wonder what’s next for Perry. He likely will get another fight in the UFC due to being a fan favorite, but it would be a must-win fight if it happens.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira set for UFC 266
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will defend his title on September 4 when he fights No. 1 contender Glover Teixeira at UFC 266. Blachowicz defeated UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in his first title defense back at UFC 259 in March. Following the fight, UFC president Dana White made it clear that Teixeira would be next in line to fight for the belt. After Blachowicz requested six months off to rest and recover after the Adesanya fight, the promotion granted his wishes and he will return this fall when he takes on Teixeira for all the gold. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report this Blachowicz vs. Teixeira fight. The venue or location has not been determined, but it seems likely that fans will be in attendance for this fight either way.
Pro fighters make their picks for Ben Askren vs. Jake Paul boxing match
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
On April 17, Ben Askren is ending his retirement to box YouTuber, Jake Paul in a highly-anticipated bout. Heading into the fight, Askren is a +145 underdog while the YouTuber is a -175 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the bout. The pros have a slight lean towards Ben Askren getting his hand raised, while some believe Paul will be able to walk through the UFC veteran.
Nina Nunes issues statement following submission loss to Mackenzie Dern at UFC Vegas 23
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC women’s strawweight contender Nina Nunes issued a statement following her first-round submission loss to Mackenzie Dern at UFC Vegas 23. Nunes entered the fight with Dern as the betting favorite, but she suffered a first-round defeat when Dern was able to get her down to the mat and tap her out with an armbar. For Nunes, it was her first fight in nearly two years due to becoming a mom, and the ring rust showed in the cage. However, she is still a top-10 ranked fighter in the women’s 115lbs division, and the loss won’t drop her too much in the women’s strawweight standings.
Tony Ferguson explains why he called Nate Diaz his bitch: “Just some light banter, man. I got nothing against the dude"
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson explained why he called Nate Diaz his bitch: “Just some light banter, man. I got nothing against the dude.” Ferguson recently made a tweet where he said that Diaz was his “b*tch” ahead of UFC 262. The card takes place on May 15, and Ferguson faces off against Beneil Dariush on the main card. In the co-main event of the evening, Diaz returns from his layoff to take on Leon Edwards in a No. 1 contender fight. In Ferguson’s tweet, he suggested that it was because of him that the event sold out in minutes. He then used the tweet as an opportunity to take a shot at Diaz, not to mention former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 official for UFC 264 in Las Vegas
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
The lightweight trilogy match between rivals Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is now official for the upcoming UFC 264 pay-per-view. On Wednesday morning, the UFC made it official that McGregor vs. Poirier will take place on July 10 at UFC 264. The fight will be contested at 155lbs and is set for five rounds or less. The promotion also revealed that the event will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fans can now pre-register for tickets for the fight. UFC president Dana White also said in another video that up to 20,000 fans will be in attendance for UFC 264.
Anthony Pettis wants to box after PFL run, explains Oscar De La Hoya situation
Drake Riggs - April 13, 2021
Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis has his hands full with the upcoming PFL season. However, the groundwork has already been laid for some boxing. After boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya recently announced his return to the ring, Pettis’ manager revealed that the Golden Boy Promotions founder had turned down “Showtime” as his opponent.
Sean O'Malley calls out Petr Yan: "Wanna beat me up while you wait for your rematch?"
Adam Martin - April 13, 2021
UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley called out Petr Yan, asking him if you “wanna beat me up while you wait for your rematch?” Yan was widely expected to fight UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in a rematch next, but the fight isn’t happening anytime soon after the new champ opted to get neck surgery. That means Sterling will be on the shelf until later this summer or fall, optimistically, which means that Yan may opt to take another fight in the meantime. Though it’s unlikely the UFC would strip Sterling of his title, it’s possible the promotion could opt to introduce an interim title. Either way, it does seem likely that Yan will fight someone else in the meantime. And if that’s the case, O’Malley wants it to be him.
Ali Abdelaziz believes Jorge Masvidal should be thanking Kamaru Usman for allowing him to "get paid"
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021
Ali Abdelaziz doesn’t think Jorge Masvidal should be calling Kamaru Usman a coward. After Masvidal lost a clear-cut decision to Usman at UFC 251 on short notice, he wanted a rematch right away. He knew he could beat Usman on a full camp and started to take shots at the champ and even called him a coward. Yet, for Abdelaziz, he doesn’t understand why “Gamebred” believes his client is a coward.
Jake Paul challenges Dustin Poirier to closed-door sparring to prove "how good I am"
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021
Jake Paul is hoping to have a closed-door sparring session with Dustin Poirier. In the lead-up to Paul’s April 17 fight against Ben Askren, Poirier has taken some shots at the brash YouTuber. Since then, Paul has said he wanted to spar and train with Poirier, due to their mutual friendship with Jorge Masvidal, but that has yet to happen as of right now.