MMA News
Dan Hooker plans to "spoil" the UFC and Michael Chandler's plans with a "statement" win
Cole Shelton - January 21, 2021
Dan Hooker plans to ruin the UFC and Michael Chandler’s plans just one-fight into his UFC tenure. In the co-main event of UFC 257, Hooker is set to welcome Michael Chandler to the UFC in a really intriguing bout. Although many top lightweights weren’t wanting to fight Chandler in his debut, Hooker knew it was a chance to steal some of his hype.
Conor McGregor says cardio concerns are a "myth," promises a "masterpiece" against Dustin Poirier
Cole Shelton - January 21, 2021
Conor McGregor has shot down any concerns over his cardio. Ahead of his fight against Dustin Poirier, many have claimed if the fight goes into the later rounds, the better Poirier will do. However, McGregor doesn’t believe that is the case as he says he has great cardio but has gotten everyone out in the first round or two that he hasn’t been able to show it.
Jon Jones targeted for summer UFC heavyweight title fight, confirms Dana White
Adam Martin - January 21, 2021
UFC president Dana White confirmed the promotion is targeting Jon Jones to return this summer to fight for the UFC heavyweight title. Jones vacated the UFC light heavyweight title last summer in a bid to move up to the UFC’s heaviest weight class and make history by winning a second title. “Bones” has spent the last six months bulking up in preparation for his heavyweight debut, and he recently posted photos indicating he currently weighs 250lbs. It appears Jones is putting the finishing touches on his new physique as he is just months away from making his heavyweight debut.
Dustin Poirier doesn't believe he should be the underdog against Conor McGregor at UFC 257
Cole Shelton - January 21, 2021
Dustin Poirier doesn’t agree with the betting odds. In the main event of UFC 257, Poirier is set to rematch Conor McGregor in a highly-anticipated fight. The first time they met, McGregor scored a first-round KO, but that was in 2014, and at featherweight.
UFC 257 PPV is "trending great," says Dana White
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
UFC President Dana White says the upcoming UFC 257 pay-per-view is trending to be a “great” success, and that he expects it to over perform. UFC 257 goes this Saturday on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The card will be headlined by a lightweight rematch between the UFC’s biggest star, Conor McGregor, and the division’s No. 2 contender Dustin Poirier.
Dustin Poirier explains how newfound "superpower" will help him beat Conor McGregor at UFC 257
Adam Martin - January 21, 2021
UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier explained how his newfound “superpower” will help him beat Conor McGregor this weekend at UFC 257. Poirier will need to put it all together if he wants to beat McGregor in the main event of UFC 257. “The Diamond” enters the bout as a considerable underdog, which makes sense considering what happened when they first met back at UFC 178 when McGregor knocked him out in the first round. But six-plus years later, this is a very different fight. Poirier is a much better fighter than he once was and we’ve seen that in his recent outings. Plus, he now has a superpower.
Dana White claims UFC has busted an illegal streamer: "We got you, f**ker"
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
Dana White claims he and his team have tracked down one of the many people who partake in the piracy and illegal streaming of UFC events. According to White, all that person needs to do is start streaming Saturday’s UFC 257 card, and they’re as good as busted.
UFC 257 | Pro fighters make their picks for Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 2
Cole Shelton - January 21, 2021
In the main event of UFC 257, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor are set to have their highly-anticipated rematch. Heading into the fight, Poirier is a +250 underdog while the Irishman is a -325 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The slight majority believe it will be Conor McGregor winning again and likely doing so by knockout.
Michael Chiesa issues statement following dominant win over "damn good fighter" Neil Magny
Adam Martin - January 21, 2021
UFC welterweight contender Michael Chiesa issued a statement following his dominant decision win over Neil Magny at UFC Fight Island 8. Chiesa looked incredible against Magny as he improved to a perfect 4-0 since moving up to welterweight in 2018. Chiesa was able to drag Magny down to the mat at will, and on the ground, he was able to maintain dominant positional control. He was also quite successful on the feet, as well, leading to an overall very dominant performance by Chiesa. It’s the kind of win that should earn him a top-five opponent in the UFC welterweight division.
Conor McGregor responds to UFC 257 fight week lawsuit, dismisses it as "old news"
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has dismissed the lawsuit filed against him this week as “old news,” and denied any wrongdoing with respect to the case. Earlier this week, The Independent reported that a woman had filed a multimillion dollar personal injury lawsuit against McGregor and one of his associates, stemming from a 2018 incident.
Uriah Hall says he would fight Israel Adesanya for free
Adam Martin - January 21, 2021
Uriah Hall says he wants to fight UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya so badly that he would fight him in the Octagon for free. In his last fight, Hall picked up arguably the biggest win of his MMA career to date when he knocked out the legend Anderson Silva on Halloween. Hall is now riding a three-fight win streak overall, with victories over Bevon Lewis and Antonio Carlos Junior prior to defeating Silva. Hall is the No. 9 ranked middleweight on the UFC roster and he will take on former champion Chris Weidman in his next bout as he looks to get closer and closer to fighting for the title, a belt that is currently held by Adesanya, whose future at 185lbs is up in the air.
Max Holloway says Calvin Kattar is "still a top contender," Kattar issues classy response
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar have nothing but respect for one another after their recent Fight of the Night winning war. Holloway, the former UFC featherweight champ, and Kattar, the division’s No. 6 contender, met in the main event of UFC on ABC 1 last weekend. Holloway was the picture of dominance in the fight, landing north of 400 strikes over five rounds, but Kattar’s toughness kept him upright until the final bell, and resulted in both men earning $50,000 post-fight bonuses.
Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier come face-to-face ahead of UFC 257 rematch
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
On Thursday morning, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier came face-to-face for the first time ahead of their imminent lightweight showdown. McGregor and Poirier will collide in the main event of UFC 257 this Saturday on Fight Island. The bout will be a rematch of a 2014 featherweight fight, which McGregor won by first-round knockout.
Fedor Emelianenko hospitalized with COVID-19
Tom Taylor - January 21, 2021
Russian MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko has been admitted into a Moscow hospital specializing in treating COVID-19. News of Emelianenko’s hospitalization was first reported by RIA Novosti and later reported by RT Sport. Information on Emelianenko’s condition is currently scarce, but a statement issued on the Russian star’s social media accounts thanked his fans for their support.
UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 full betting odds
Adam Martin - January 21, 2021
Check out the full betting odds for this Saturday’s UFC 257 event headlined by lightweight contenders Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. In the headliner, McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in a year when he takes on Poirier in a highly-anticipated rematch. These two first met way back at UFC 178 in 2014 in a featherweight bout, with McGregor knocking Poirier out in the first round. They now meet again over six years later but at lightweight this time. With UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov’s return to the Octagon questionable, the winner of this fight could earn a title shot.
Mike Perry gives “kudos to the parents out there” following his first two weeks as a father
Harry Kettle - January 21, 2021
UFC star “Platinum” Mike Perry has taken the time to give kudos to all parents after his first few weeks of being a father. It’s been a turbulent few months for Perry both in and outside of mixed martial arts, with his latest bout ending in a unanimous decision loss to Tim Means at UFC 255 in November. Following that, Perry released a series of unsettling videos and tweets that had left many wondering whether or not he needs to receive some help.
Neil Magny issues classy statement following loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Island 8
Christopher Taylor - January 20, 2021
Neil Magny has issued a statement following today’s lopsided unanimous decision loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Island 8. Magny (24-8 MMA) had landed in Abu Dhabi with hopes of extending his win streak to four in a row. Standing in his way was Chiesa (18-4 MMA) who was also sporting a three-fight winning streak of his own.
UFC Fight Island 8 Bonus Report: Umar Nurmagomedov pockets 50K in debut
Drake Riggs - January 20, 2021
The second UFC event of 2021 saw a big night for debutants. One of which has a pretty strong bloodline as Umar Nurmagomedov takes home 50K. To follow-up UFC Fight Island 8‘s strong opening showcase from France’s Manon Fiorot, Umar Nurmagomedov made the walk at bantamweight. Dominant from bell to bell, the cousin of UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov would submit Sergey Morozov with a second-round rear-naked choke. Therefore extending his undefeated record to 13-0.