MMA News

Cole Shelton - June 3, 2025

Paige VanZant will no longer be competing for the Power Slap title. VanZant was supposed to rematch Mikael Michelle Brown for the first-ever women’s title on June 27 during International Fight Week, but that will no longer happen.

BJ Penn Staff - June 3, 2025

Ever wonder how much money Sean Strickland has made during his time in the UFC? Well, he’ll be more than happy to tell you. Strickland recently spent some time with influencer Adin Ross, and gave fans plenty of the wild sound bites we’ve come to expect from him.

Cole Shelton - June 3, 2025

Derrick Lewis believes the UFC is scripted and will prove it to everyone at UFC Nashville. Lewis is set to return to the Octagon in the main event on July 12 against Tallison Teixeira. It’s Lewis’ first fight since May of last year when he knocked out Rodrigo Nascimento.

BJ Penn Staff - June 3, 2025

Kayla Harrison is in incredible shape ahead of her first bid at UFC gold — not that it’s any surprise. Harrison is a former Olympic gold medalist in judo, and entered the MMA limelight as a multiple-time PFL champion at lightweight. After parting ways with the PFL, she signed with the UFC last year, with plans to compete at bantamweight. She won her first two fights with the promotion, first stopping former champ Holly Holm, and later beating Ketlen Vieira by decision. Those wins put her in position for a title shot against Julianna Peña — though many fans feel she deserved the opportunity right out of the gate.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 3, 2025

If you don’t think Julianna Pena has a chance at UFC 316, one top commentator strongly disagrees. Pena will be putting the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship at stake against Kayla Harrison in the co-main event of UFC 316. The title fight will be held inside Prudential Center in Newark on Saturday. Pena is a sizable underdog going into the bout, which is a familiar spot for “The Venezuelan Vixen.” She was a massive underdog before scoring a submission finish over soon-to-be UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 3, 2025

Tom Aspinall believes Jon Jones is hanging up his gloves. The heavyweight division hasn’t seen movement in quite some time, but that appears to be changing in the near future. Jones is the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion, while Aspinall holds interim gold. Both men have held their titles since 2023 and each have one successful defense.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 3, 2025

Merab Dvalisvhili has an idea of who his next title challenger will be should he defeat Sean O’Malley a second time. Dvalishvili is looking for his second successful defense of the UFC Bantamweight Championship. He scored a unanimous decision victory over O’Malley to capture the gold, and followed that up with a successful title defense over Umar Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili is expecting a competitive fight against “Suga” in their rematch.

BJ Penn Staff - June 3, 2025

UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland is at it again. The Las Vegas resident, who formerly held the middleweight belt, is known for his controversial opinions, and is often accused of racism by his naysayers. One of his latest comments is sure to generate another wave of controversy.

Harry Kettle - June 3, 2025

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has given his thoughts on the current state of the division. For the longest time now, Merab Dvalishvili has been the man to beat at 135 pounds. He has ruled over the bantamweight division and even when he was just a top contender, it seemed like nobody wanted to fight him. So, he decided to tear through the rest of the competition, making it crystal clear that he is the one who should rightfully be sat at the top of the mountain.

Harry Kettle - June 3, 2025

UFC legend Demetrious Johnson has given his thoughts on how someone – perhaps Charles Oliveira – could defeat Ilia Topuria. As we know, Ilia Topuria is easily one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts right now. The former UFC featherweight champion has made the move up to lightweight in search of a second world title, and he’ll face Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 for the right to earn that belt. As you can imagine, there’s a great deal of intrigue behind this contest.

Harry Kettle - June 3, 2025

UFC commentator Jon Anik has given his thoughts on the star power potential of bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison. This weekend, Kayla Harrison will attempt to claim UFC gold for the first time in her career. She will challenge Julianna Pena for the FUC women’s bantamweight championship, and while many consider her to be the favorite, that’s certainly no guarantee of success – not by a long shot.

Cole Shelton - June 3, 2025

The 196th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to preview UFC 316. We’re first joined by 10th-ranked UFC bantamweight Mario Bautista (0:53). We close things out by chatting with boxer Tristan Hamm (12:31) to get an update on his career.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 2, 2025

Fifth-ranked flyweight Muay Thai star Johan Estupinan has had a whirlwind run through his division. He’s defeated promising prospects and rising stars. He’ll now face a grizzled veteran who he plans to make an example of. “Panda Kick” meets Japanese striking ace Taiki Naito at ONE Fight Night 32. The duo collide in a flyweight Muay Thai outing this Friday, 6 June, at Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 2, 2025

Two of ONE Championship’s longest-tenured bantamweights in Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai and #3-ranked contender Felipe Lobo will throw down at ONE Friday Fights 114. The knockout artists will duke it out on Friday, 27 June, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. And a victory could put either fighter on the path to a shot at bantamweight gold.

BJ Penn Staff - June 2, 2025

Former UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee is taking serious legal action against one of the recent MMA promotions he signed with. Lee (20-8) entered the MMA limelight in 2014, when he signed with the UFC. He was defeated by Al Iaquinta in his first fight in the Octagon, but then went 9-1 in 10 fights to set up an interim lightweight title fight with Tony Ferguson. Lee got off to a strong start in his fight with Ferguson, but ultimately fell apart, becoming part of the lightweight legend’s famous 12-fight win-streak.

BJ Penn Staff - June 2, 2025

If you’ve been comparing UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall to Michael Chandler… think again. England’s Aspinall claimed the UFC interim heavyweight title with a quick knockout of Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich in 2023. He has since defended that interim title once with an even faster KO of Curtis Blaydes, which further proved he’s one of the best fighters alive.

Cole Shelton - June 2, 2025

Patchy Mix is ready to make a statement in his UFC debut against Mario Bautista. Mix is the former Bellator bantamweight champion, and he will make his debut on Saturday at UFC 316 against Bautista. It’s an intriguing matchup, and heading into the fight, Mix is confident he won’t just win his debut but will submit Bautista, as he doesn’t think highly of his opponent.

BJ Penn Staff - June 2, 2025

The MMA Factory is easily the top gym in France, having already produced two UFC champions in Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. The Paris-based facility may soon produce another UFC star in the utterly gigantic Dave Fotsing. Fotsing, still just 22, has yet to make his pro MMA debut, but is already off to an excellent start in his combat sports career. The Cameroonian-Parisian is an accomplished BJJ black belt, and has two amateur MMA wins to his credit: a second-round submission win, and a unanimous decision win, both in 2021. Since those amateur fights, he’s been fine-tuning his skills with Gane and coach Fernand Lopez, and there is no question he will be a terrifying challenge for whomever he next meets in the cage.