MMA News

Harry Kettle - May 23, 2025

UFC veteran Holly Holm has explained her decision to make a return to professional boxing after her exit from the promotion. After a long stint in the world of mixed martial arts, Holly Holm left the UFC at the start of this year. After some suggestions that she’d be signing with GFL, things quickly quietened down after the promotion’s first few events were canceled. Now, it’s been confirmed that Holly will be heading back to her roots, as she prepares to climb back into the boxing ring as part of a card for Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.

Harry Kettle - May 23, 2025

UFC star Ilia Topuria’s former head coach has opened up on why the two have decided to go their separate ways. As we know, Ilia Topuria is one of the biggest names in all of mixed martial arts right now. He is already known as the UFC featherweight champion and now, he’s moving up to 155 pounds in an attempt to become a two-division world champion. After knocking out the likes of Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, it’s hard to imagine many people betting against him.

BJPENN.COM Staff - May 23, 2025

Since fighting twice, former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker and current reigning king Fabricio Andrade have enjoyed their respective runs in combat sports. But they could meet in an all-Brazilian MMA trilogy in the near future. The bantamweight duo are undoubtedly two of the best fighters to emerge from South America. While their trajectories have sent them down differing routes, their paths could intertwine.

BJPENN.COM Staff - May 23, 2025

Former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza wasn’t always the destructive force he is today. It was a trait he didn’t seem to have in his early days. He wasn’t one to watch among his peers. But by hook or by crook, Yoza’s killer instinct eventually came alive. The 27-year-old makes his ONE Championship debut this Friday, May 23, at ONE Friday Fights 109. There, he takes on unbeaten Russian star Elbrus Osmanov in bantamweight kickboxing inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.

BJ Penn Staff - May 22, 2025

Paddy Pimblett might have found the dance partner for his next UFC fight. Liverpool’s Pimblett, a former Cage Warriors champ, has been extremely impressive since joining the UFC, winning seven straight fights. In his last fight, a lopsided TKO win over former Bellator champ Michael Chandler, he evolved from prospect into legitimate lightweight contender.

BJ Penn Staff - May 22, 2025

Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed what he did with the money he made for beating fellow UFC legend Conor McGregor. Khabib met McGregor in the main event of UFC 228 in October of 2018. McGregor was the biggest star in combat sports at the time, and Khabib was his fiercest rival.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 22, 2025

Islam Makhachev has caught wind of one well-known UFC analyst’s ducking accusations, and he’s responded. Makhachev is set to vacate the UFC Lightweight Championship on June 28. Once the UFC 317 main event between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira begins, Makhachev will relinquish the 155-pound gold. The soon-to-be former lightweight champion made the decision in order to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 22, 2025

Merab Dvalishvili has received some surprising comments from Sean O’Malley’s head coach. It’s no secret that there’s some gamesmanship between Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s team. With that said, there is also mutual respect between both sides. Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley to become the UFC Bantamweight Champion back in Sept. 2024. O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch recently remarked that the lights inside the Las Vegas Sphere caused his fighter to miss a good portion of his strikes.

Harry Kettle - May 22, 2025

UFC champion Magomed Ankalaev’s manager has given his thoughts on a potential rematch against Alex Pereira. As we know, Magomed Ankalaev is the current UFC light heavyweight champion. He earned that title by defeating and dethroning Alex Pereira, who is a two-weight world champion in his own right. It was a fairly comprehensive win from the new champ but with that being said, a lot of fans and pundits are still interested in seeing them run it back.

Harry Kettle - May 22, 2025

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili teased rival Sean O’Malley in a recent skit ahead of UFC 316. At UFC 316, Merab Dvalishvili will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Sean O’Malley. It comes in the wake of their battle at Noche UFC, where Merab was able to wrestle the belt away from ‘Suga’. Ever since then, O’Malley hasn’t fought, whereas ‘The Machine’ has been able to successfully defend his title against Umar Nurmagomedov.

Harry Kettle - May 22, 2025

UFC star Ian Machado Garry has explained why he’s so excited to see how the new era evolves in the welterweight division. As we know, Ian Machado Garry is one of the top contenders in the welterweight division. However, he has a lot of competition when it comes to determining who gets the next title shot. Islam Makhachev is moving up from 155 pounds, Sean Brady is in the mix, Belal Muhammad will want a rematch, and Shavkat Rakhmonov is waiting around the next corner.

Harry Kettle - May 22, 2025

UFC heavyweight Jailton Almeida has explained his ongoing frustration with the current state of the division. As we know, Tom Aspinall is the current interim UFC heavyweight champion. The undisputed champion is Jon Jones, and while you’d think that we’d be heading for a unification fight between the two of them, it has yet to come to fruition. Instead, we’ve been forced to wait for Jon to make a decision on whether or not the bout is actually going to happen.

BJPENN.COM Staff - May 21, 2025

Reaching ONE Championship was a life goal for #4-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Nakrob Fairtex. But simply being here isn’t enough. The Thai star meets Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi in a flyweight Muay Thai tilt at ONE Fight Night 32 on Friday, June 6, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.

BJ Penn Staff - May 21, 2025

Paddy Pimblett has his eyes on the UFC lightweight title, and he doesn’t think it’s far away. Pimblett became one of the top contenders in the lightweight division when he thrashed Michael Chandler to a third-round TKO at UFC 314 in March. Now ranked No. 8, there’s no question he’s getting close to a shot at the title.

BJ Penn Staff - May 21, 2025

Islam Makhachev has a new hobby, but his mentor and fellow UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t approve. Khabib and Islam are considered two of the best fighters in MMA history, largely on the strength as their reigns as UFC lightweight champion. Khabib held the belt first, but retired after a submission win over Justin Gaethje in 2020. Several years later, Islam claimed the vacant belt with a submission win over Charles Oliveira, and went on to be just as impressive — if not more impressive — than Khabib.

BJ Penn Staff - May 21, 2025

Charles Oliveira has made his first public prediction for his UFC 317 title fight with Ilia Topuria. With long-time lightweight champ Islam Makhachev making a (potentially nightmarish) move up to welterweight, Oliveira and Topuria are set to fight for the vacant belt in the June 28 card’s main event.

BJ Penn Staff - May 21, 2025

UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones claims he isn’t retired. However, it doesn’t sound like we’ll see him in action any time soon either. Jones is best known for a legendary run in the UFC light heavyweight division, where he cemented himself as one of the best fighters ever over the course of multiple title reigns. However, he ultimately vacated the division’s belt to move up to heavyweight.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 21, 2025

Jose Aldo has no issues with how he was booked at the end of his UFC run. Aldo recently announced his retirement after falling short against Aiemann Zahabi in their UFC 315 clash. While Aldo lost the fight via decision, many fans felt the Brazilian legend did enough to have his hand raised in Montreal. It wasn’t meant to be, and Aldo has decided to hang up his gloves.