MMA News

BJ Penn Staff - May 20, 2025

Islam Makhachev is headed up to the UFC welterweight division, and there are some very tough matchups awaiting him there. One of them might turn out to be his “worst nightmare.” That would be Joaquin Buckley. Makhachev is the long-reigning UFC welterweight champion, and the promotion’s top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter right now. Earlier this month, he announced plans to vacate his lightweight belt and head up to welterweight. The expectation is that he will walk right into a title fight with the division’s new champion, Jack Della Maddalena.

BJ Penn Staff - May 20, 2025

Jon Jones has cleared the air after generating a bit of controversy with a comment about his fellow UFC champ Islam Makhachev. Jones is currently in Thailand filming a Russian reality television show with fellow UFC star Nate Diaz. In a recent clip from the show, Jones could be heard saying Makhachev is “new in the sport still.”

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 20, 2025

It appears Justin Gaethje is none too pleased about not getting a lightweight title shot at UFC 317. The two men fighting for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship on June 28 will be Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira. “El Matador’s” title opportunity was a given since he vacated the 145-pound gold. The other spot belongs to “do Bronx,” who has a submission finish over Gaethje.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 20, 2025

A former UFC veteran doesn’t understand why some believe that Islam Makhachev ducked Ilia Topuria. Makhachev has long made it clear that his goal is to capture a second UFC title, this time at welterweight. He found the right opportunity to achieve his goal when his teammate Belal Muhammad was beaten by Jack Della Maddalena, who is now the 170-pound titleholder. Makhachev will vacate the lightweight gold once the UFC 317 main event between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira begins.

Harry Kettle - May 20, 2025

Merab Dvalishvili’s coach has revealed that they nearly pulled him from his UFC 311 title fight against Umar Nurmagomedov. At UFC 316, Merab Dvalishvili will attempt to successfully defend his UFC bantamweight championship for the second time. He’ll do so by going up against Sean O’Malley, the same man that he defeated to win the belt in the first place. Since that initial title win, he’s kept himself busy by also locking horns with Umar Nurmagomedov, who he was able to defeat at the start of the year in a really competitive affair.

Harry Kettle - May 20, 2025

UFC contender Ian Machado Garry has responded to recent comments made by Jack Della Maddalena regarding his child. One thing we know about Ian Machado Garry is that he isn’t afraid to get under the skin of his opponents. He is more than happy to go blow for blow with them on the microphone, largely in the name of building interest for their eventual encounter in the cage. For the most part, he seems pretty comfortable in this environment, and he did during UFC 315 fight week when he decided to have some fun with Jack Della Maddalena.

Harry Kettle - May 20, 2025

UFC star Paddy Pimblett has questioned Ilia Topuria’s resume with the promotion as their rivalry continues to heat up. As we know, Paddy Pimblett is one of the rising stars in the UFC’s lightweight division. We also know that Ilia Topuira will compete for the belt at 155 pounds in his next outing, going up against Charles Oliveira. These two have long since had a rivalry with one another, but very few could’ve imagined that they’d both be as successful as they are already.

Harry Kettle - May 20, 2025

UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush still believes he could climb into title contention at 155 pounds with a few big wins. For the longest time now, Beneil Dariush has been a notable contender in the lightweight division. However, after a few poor results in his last few outings, many have been left to wonder whether or not he still belongs in the elite class. Of course, he also has big wins under his belt, but the top 15 is starting to look incredibly stacked once again.

BJ Penn Staff - May 19, 2025

Ilia Topuria is set for one of the biggest fights of his life at UFC 317. That hasn’t stopped him from changing up his coaching staff. Spain’s Topuria is the former UFC featherweight champion. After vacating the belt last year, he is set to challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28.

BJ Penn Staff - May 19, 2025

Claressa Shields is done with MMA. Shields, 30, is best known for her boxing accolades. The Flint, Michigan native has held titles in five weight classes, and is considered one of the best female boxers of all time. However, several years ago, she boldly transitioned into MMA.

BJ Penn Staff - May 19, 2025

Jairzinho Rozenstruik is no longer a member of the UFC heavyweight roster, but is combat sports career will continue. It was recently announced that the Surinamese striking specialist has signed with Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing promotion, which uses a ruleset that mixes elements of boxing and MMA. He will headline the promotion’s second event, taking on Devon Schwan on June 14 in Miami. Schwan may not be a name many fans recognize, but he does have some notable experience. In his last fight, he defeated Jesse Pringle in the BKFC ring. Before that, he was knocked out in Dana White’s Power Slap. Yes, you read that correctly. He lost his lone MMA fight in 2011.

BJ Penn Staff - May 19, 2025

Paddy Pimblett has something special in mind for a potential fight with fellow UFC star Ilia Topuria. England’s Pimblett is currently ranked No. 8 in the UFC lightweight division, and is probably just a few more wins from a crack at the division’s title. That title, of course, was recently vacated by long-time champion Islam Makhachev, who is headed up to welterweight. That cleared the way for Spain’s Topuria, the former featherweight champ, to battle Charles Oliveira for the vacant belt in his lightweight debut. The fight goes down at UFC 317 on June 28.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 19, 2025

Could Magomed Ankalaev’s first UFC title challenger be a surprising choice? Ankalaev captured the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from Alex Pereira at UFC 313 back in March. Anakalev forced “Poatan” to move back throughout the fight thanks to his forward pressure. Ankalaev’s efforts earned him the unanimous decision victory and UFC gold.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 19, 2025

Has Jon Jones worn Tom Aspinall out? Much has been made over the holdup in the UFC heavyweight division. Jones has been the champion since March 2023, but he’s only had one title defense. He has yet to face Aspinall, who has held the interim gold since Nov. 2023. Aspinall even has his own successful title defense.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 19, 2025

One well-known MMA personality believes that Islam Makhachev purposely avoided Ilia Topuria. Makhachev will be vacating the UFC Lightweight Championship once Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira begins at UFC 317. The UFC lightweight title defense recordholder is moving up to challenge UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena at some point. Topuria labeled Makhachev a “coward” for refusing to fight him.

Harry Kettle - May 19, 2025

Kelvin Gastelum has reflected on his iconic fight against Israel Adesanya ahead of his upcoming UFC Hall of Fame induction. At UFC 316, Kelvin Gastelum will make his return to the cage when he battles rising prospect Joe Pyfer. In the eyes of many, this is a great opportunity for Pyfer to reach the next level in his pursuit of UFC gold – whereas the popular belief is that Kelvin is now playing the role of ‘gatekeeper’ for many of these young prospects.

Harry Kettle - May 19, 2025

Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling has given his thoughts on the upcoming fight between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria. In the main event of UFC 317, Charles Oliveira will take on Ilia Topuria in the main event. The two men will collide over the UFC lightweight championship, with the man known as ‘Do Bronx’ attempting to win the strap for the second time. Topuria, meanwhile, will try to join a rare group of fighters who have won belts in two different weight classes in the promotion.

Harry Kettle - May 19, 2025

Former UFC star Darren Till has given his thoughts on potential boxing matches against the likes of Jake Paul or Tommy Fury. Since leaving the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Darren Till hasn’t really put too much effort or focus into mixed martial arts. Instead, he’s put a lot of attention into boxing. He’s been fairly successful up to this point but many are still eager to see him throw down against a bigger name, with two of the most popular names being Jake Paul and Tommy Fury.