MMA News
Khamzat Chimaev eyes July return against Neil Magny, plans to train with alligators
Cole Shelton - March 24, 2021
Khamzat Chimaev is planning to return to the Octagon in July and will have a unique training style in preparation for it. After Chimaev was forced out of his March 13 main event against Leon Edwards due to lingering COVID-19 effects, he announced his retirement from the sport. However, on Tuesday, he revealed he is coming back. He also wants Neil Magny in his return, according to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz.
Gillian Robertson opens up on pulling out of UFC 258, expects to submit Miranda Maverick in a "statement" win
Cole Shelton - March 24, 2021
Gillian Robertson is glad she is fighting Miranda Maverick. At UFC 258, Robertson and Maverick were expected to fight in an intriguing matchup. However, on the day of the event, Robertson was forced out of the fight due to her being sick. She believes it was caused by food poisoning and not due to her weight cut or COVID-19.
Miesha Tate ends retirement, meets Marion Reneau on July 17
Cole Shelton - March 24, 2021
Miesha Tate is back. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion is ending her retirement to fight Marion Reneau on July 17. The event does not have a name and no location was announced. ESPN was the first to report the news of the booking. It’s uncertain if Tate will make another run or of this will be a one-off fight.
Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier set for commentary booth at UFC 260
Adam Martin - March 24, 2021
Joe Rogan and former UFC champion Daniel Cormier will join Jon Anik in the booth for this Saturday night’s UFC 260 pay-per-view event. Rogan and Cormier have both sat alongside Anik during the last couple of pay-per-view cards, so it’s no surprise to see them both back in the booth alongside the stalwart UFC commentator Anik. Both Rogan and Cormier are two of the most popular commentators the UFC has and the promotion likes having this three-man booth alongside Anik for PPV cards.
UFC 260 | Pro fighters make their picks for Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2 title fight
Cole Shelton - March 24, 2021
In the main event of UFC 260, Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou are set to rematch three years after their first fight. Heading into the bout, Miocic is a +100 underdog while the challenger is a -120 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The pros are torn on this but the slight majority believe Ngannou beats Miocic this time around.
Hannah Goldy tests positive for COVID-19, fight with Jessica Penne at UFC 260 off
Adam D Martin - March 24, 2021
UFC women’s strawweight prospect Hannah Goldy tested positive for COVID-19 and her fight with Jessica Penne at UFC 260 is now off. Hannah Goldy hasn’t fought since August 2019, while Penne hasn’t competed since April 2017, so both women were very much looking forward to stepping back into the Octagon again. Unfortunately, they are both going to have to wait a little bit longer to do so. On Wednesday, Goldy announced on her Instagram that she has tested positive for COVID-19. The Florida native says she is hoping the fight with Penne is rescheduled for a future date.
Justin Gaethje upset he was passed over for title shot, says he's everything Dana White wants in a fighter
Adam D Martin - March 24, 2021
UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje is upset that he was passed over for a title shot, saying that he’s everything Dana White wants in a fighter. The UFC recently announced that Michael Chandler will take on Charles Oliveira for the vacant title at UFC 262 on May 15 in Houston, Texas. Although Chandler and Oliveira are tremendous fighters and deserving of fighting for the belt, many fans and media were surprised when Gaethje was passed over. After all, Gaethje was the interim champ not that long ago, and his only recent loss came against UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. Gaethje is ranked higher than Chandler and Oliveira, so many figured that he would be in the running to fight for the title shot. But the UFC chose to go in another direction instead.
Ronaldo Souza returns to the Octagon at UFC 262 against Andre Muniz
Adam D Martin - March 24, 2021
An intriguing middleweight matchup between former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo Souza and Andre Muniz has been added to the UFC 262 PPV card. UFC 262 takes place on May 15 in Houston, Texas with a full crowd of fans. The main event for the evening sees the vacant UFC lightweight title up for grabs between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira. In addition to Oliviera, another grappling ace will compete on the pay-per-view card as Souza returns to the Octagon when he takes on Muniz, a Dana White’s Contender Series veteran who has looked sharp so far in the UFC with two victories. The Souza vs. Muniz fight was first reported by Raphael Marinho of Combate.
Belal Muhammad open to fighting Demian Maia if Leon Edwards rematch falls through
Adam D Martin - March 24, 2021
UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad says that he’s open to fighting the legend Demian Maia if he doesn’t get the rematch with Leon Edwards. Muhammad and Edwards recently fought in the main event of UFC Vegas 21, with the fight being booked on short notice. Unfortunately, the fight ended in a controversial fashion when Edwards poked Muhammad in the eye and he was unable to continue. The fight was ruled a No Contest by referee Herb Dean, but Muhammad wants to run it back. Edwards is hoping to get a title shot next, but Muhammad is adamant that they have the rematch.
Jack Hermansson shares interesting theory on Kevin Holland’s in-cage trash talking: “It feels like it’s some kind of self-therapy”
Harry Kettle - March 24, 2021
UFC middleweight Jack Hermansson has given his thoughts on Kevin Holland’s in-cage trash talking after the latter’s loss to Derek Brunson. Holland left plenty of fans feeling pretty confused last weekend during his showdown with Brunson as his main focus seemed to be on maintaining his reputation of “Big Mouth.” Alas, while some found it funny, others felt as if he wasn’t taking the fight seriously at all.
Francis Ngannou shares story of eating from garbage cans and spending time in Spanish jail
Adam D Martin - March 24, 2021
Ahead of UFC 260, heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou shared the story about eating from garbage cans and spending time at a Spanish jail. Ngannou takes on UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic next Saturday night in what should be an incredible rematch between the two best heavyweights in the sport today. Ngannou has won his last four fights in a row by a first-round knockout, while Miocic is coming off of back-to-back wins over Daniel Cormier to capture their trilogy 2-1.
Marvin Vettori blasts "joke" UFC rankings after Derek Brunson shoots up the ladder
Adam D Martin - March 24, 2021
UFC middleweight Marvin Vettori blasted the “joke” UFC rankings after Derek Brunson shot up the 185lbs ladder in the latest rankings update. In the latest update of the middleweight rankings, Brunson moved all the way up to No. 4 in the world after defeating No. 10 Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 22 this past Saturday. Brunson is a great fighter and deserves his top-10 ranking, but there has been criticism that beating the No. 10-ranked fighter in Holland would shoot him so far up the rankings. Not only did Brunson move up three spots, but it also meant Darren Till, Vettori, and Jack Hermansson all dropped a spot in the rankings, and “The Italian Dream” is not happy.
Kathleen Nelson scores KO in power outage sequence at Combat Night Pro 20
Harry Kettle - March 24, 2021
In one of the craziest moments of the year so far in MMA, Kathleen Nelson scored a knockout at the same time as the arena’s power going out. The KO took place during Combat Night Pro 20 earlier this month with the event going down at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. A whole host of rising stars competed on the card with there being plenty of exciting activities to enjoy, but the talking point of the night really came from the fight between Kathleen Nelson and Laura Dotter.
Tsuyoshi Sudario fined for continuing to punch opponent after 8-second knockout at RIZIN 27
Drake Riggs - March 23, 2021
Tsuyoshi Sudario made some history during RIZIN’s first event of 2021. Unfortunately, the aftermath of the bout could overshadow his win. Entering into his matchup with 42-year old professional wrestler Kazushi Miyamoto, the former Sumo wrestling sensation, Tsuyoshi Sudario, was 2-0 in MMA. Coming in off of a big win over the iconic Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa at RIZIN 26 on New Year’s Eve 2020, Sudario was back to facing a pro wrestler making their MMA debut just like he did when he debuted at RIZIN 24 vs. Dylan James.
Khama Worthy: 'I'd knock Michael Chandler's f*cking head off'
Drake Riggs - March 23, 2021
Lightweight finisher Khama Worthy (16-7) is back in action at UFC 260 this Saturday. And during his fight camp, his division’s next title bout was announced. At UFC 262 on May 15, former three-time Bellator champion Michael Chandler takes on Charles Oliveira. After dominant champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s official retirement and relinquishing of the title, it led the promotion to make these top two lightweights fight for the vacant crown – something that doesn’t sit all too well with Worthy.
Antonio Tarver out of Frank Mir boxing fight due to Georgia commission not clearing him
Cole Shelton - March 23, 2021
Antonio Tarver will not be boxing Frank Mir on April 17. Tarver, the former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion, was set to fight for the first time since 2015. However, according to ESPN, Tarver, 52, did not meet the requirements to compete put forth by the Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission, per commission executive director Matt Woodruff.
Charles Oliveira expects to KO Michael Chandler to win the lightweight title: "I'll catch him"
Cole Shelton - March 23, 2021
Charles Oliveira is confident he will become the new lightweight champion at UFC 262. After Dana White confirmed Khabib Nurmagomedov was retired, the promotion was quick to book Oliveira vs. Chandler for the lightweight title. In the fight, ‘Do Bronx’ doesn’t expect Chandler to take him down, nor does he plan to back down as Dan Hooker did in Chandler’s debut.
Islam Makhachev would "love to fight" Justin Gaethje next if RDA bout doesn't come to fruition
Cole Shelton - March 23, 2021
Islam Makhachev believes he will face a top-10 opponent next time out. At UFC 259, Makhachev dominated Drew Dober en route to a third-round submission win. The victory extended his winning streak to seven in a row and is looking to fight a top-ranked opponent. The goal was to rebook the Rafael dos Anjos fight this summer in the main event spot, but he is also open to fighting anyone in the top-10.