MMA News

Adam Martin - February 9, 2021

Fabricio Werdum and Kayla Harrison are among the fighters in the upcoming PFL season three men’s heavyweight and women’s lightweight brackets. PFL’s third season kicks off in April and the promotion has been busy in the last week releasing the rosters for its light heavyweight, welterweight, lightweight, and featherweight rosters. On Tuesday, PFL released the rosters for heavyweight and women’s lightweight. Among the participants in these tournaments are former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum and women’s star Kayla Harrison.

Adam Martin - February 9, 2021

A pair of light heavyweight contenders will meet at UFC 261 as Anthony Smith is set to take on Jimmy Crute, who recently lost his opponent. Crute was originally set to take on Johnny Walker at UFC 260, but Walker was forced to withdraw from that fight due to a torn pectoral muscle. Instead, Crute is now shifted back a month but he gets to take on a higher-ranked fighter instead when he meets Smith at UFC 261, which takes place on April 24. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to break the news that Smith would be fighting Crute.

Adam Martin - February 9, 2021

Former Invicta FC featherweight fighter Sarah Patterson has passed away at age 36, the promotion announced late Monday. Invicta released the following statement on its Twitter following the passing of Patterson. No details have been given about the cause of death at this time.

Tom Taylor - February 9, 2021

Top UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier has already responded to a recent callout from his long-time rival, Nate Diaz. Diaz recently partook in an interview with Ariel Helwani of ESPN, which was published on Tuesday morning. During the interview, he expressed interest in fighting Charles Oliveira and Poirier, but clarified that he has no interest in doing so in the 155-pound lightweight division—only at 165 or 170 pounds.

Tom Taylor - February 9, 2021

Bellator MMA is reportedly plotting an eight-man light heavyweight tournament featuring former UFC stars Yoel Romero, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Corey Anderson, and more. Bellator’s light heavyweight division has been quite strong for awhile now, as the home of fighters like Phil Davis, Ryan Bader, and reigning champion Vadim Nemkov. After the promotion signed former UFC contenders like Romero, Rumble and Anderson, however, its light heavyweight division is better than ever—debatably even better than the UFC’s.

Tom Taylor - February 9, 2021

Nate Diaz says he created the blueprint for defeating Conor McGregor, and that Floyd Mayweather followed that blueprint in his boxing match with the Irishman. Diaz defeated McGregor by second-round submission in a welterweight fight in 2016. It was McGregor’s first setback in the UFC.

Cole Shelton - February 9, 2021

Maycee Barber plans to remind the world just how good she is. In the co-main event of UFC 258, Barber is set to return after her first career loss and a torn ACL to battle Alexa Grasso. It’s a very intriguing matchup but many fans are surprised this is the fight because both Barber and Grasso are two up and comer prospects.

Cole Shelton - February 9, 2021

The 27th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with Cole Shelton is here ahead of UFC 258. var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_22657878", "obj": {"id":"22947","width":"100%","height":"","video":"717044"} });

Tom Taylor - February 9, 2021

Nate Diaz has shared his thoughts on what Conor McGregor did wrong in his recent TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. McGregor and Poirier met in the main event of UFC 257 last month, in a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight that the former won by first-round knockout. In their UFC 257 rematch, Poirier evened the score, mangling McGregor’s lead leg with calf kicks, and stopping him with punches in round two.

Tom Taylor - February 9, 2021

Nate Diaz wants to fight the UFC’s No. 3-ranked lightweight contender Charles Oliveira—but he wants to fight him at 170 pounds. Diaz has not fought since November, 2019, when he was stopped by Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight fight. That being said, UFC President Dana White recently divulged that he is working on a lightweight fight for the fan favorite.

Harry Kettle - February 9, 2021

Amanda Nunes has taken note of Jon Jones‘ praise in the latest round of “greatest of all time” discussions on social media. The GOAT debate has been raging for many years in mixed martial arts and with so many of the big names in the conversation still competing, you’d have to imagine that trend will continue for quite some time to come.

Harry Kettle - February 9, 2021

UFC veteran Diego Sanchez has referenced his UFC 107 loss to BJ Penn as evidence for his recent comments about Calvin Kattar. Sanchez has always been fairly outspoken but in the last few years, has had no problem sharing his opinions on social media.

Drake Riggs - February 8, 2021

Everyone loves to fantasy matchmake. That includes lightweight icon Khabib Nurmagomedov who recently shared his all-time top fight to make. Given the possibility of unlimited resources to make any fight happen, “The Eagle” couldn’t help but answer with a fight that surely many others would choose as well.

Drake Riggs - February 8, 2021

Former two-time Bellator featherweight champion Daniel Straus was arrested last Friday for an incident that took place late last month. MMA Junkie confirmed on Monday after an initial report from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that Straus was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. The bond is currently $100,000.

Adam Martin - February 8, 2021

UFC superstar Jon Jones quoted NFL legend Vince Lombardi while reflecting on the one-year anniversary of his fight against Dominick Reyes. The day after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Jones used a quote from the legendary football coach Lombardi to discuss his feelings one year after the fight with Reyes. In what was one of the toughest fights Jones has ever had in the Octagon, he won a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards in a fight that many observers felt Reyes should have won. In the months following that fight, Jones announced he will move up to heavyweight. Still, he couldn’t help but take to his social media and comment on the Reyes fight exactly one year to the day it happened. Check out what he wrote on Instagram.

Andrew Whitelaw - February 8, 2021

Patricio Pitbull is enjoying a truly prolific faze in his career. He holds both the lightweight and featherweight titles in Bellator, and is riding a six-fight winning streak and there is a strong argument for the 33-year-old being the best 145-er in the world. Pitbull is often asked about a move to the UFC, but it doesn’t look like that will happen anytime soon. Instead, the Brazilian suggests that some of his counterparts would be better off coming over to join him in Bellator, namely, Max Holloway.

Adam Martin - February 8, 2021

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed he has a new meeting with Dana White, and suggested the lightweight division “needs to go on.” Nurmagomedov announced his retirement last fall following a submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, but he left open the door for a return pending the outcome of UFC 257’s main event between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. White was angling hard for Nurmagomedov to have a big-money rematch with McGregor, but once Poirier knocked him out and ended all hopes of it happening anytime soon, the Russian told White that he doesn’t see any challengers out there for him. As good as Poirier is, Nurmagomedov already finished him.

Cole Shelton - February 8, 2021

Kevin Lee appears interested in having a rematch with Tony Ferguson. With Tony Ferguson on a two-fight losing streak and frankly being dominated in both fights, many wondered what would be next for him. There is no question he will take a step down in terms of the rankings and Kevin Lee is interested in having the rematch.