MMA News
Diego Ferreira believes he's the dark horse at 155lbs, discusses trouble getting fights: "I feel like everyone is scared"
Cole Shelton - December 2, 2020
Diego Ferreira has had a hard time getting fights. At UFC 246 in January, Ferreira picked up the biggest win of his career as he submitted former champion, Anthony Pettis, in the second round. It was his sixth straight victory and following the win, many figured he would get a top-10 opponent. However, for the Brazilian, he has yet to fight again and won’t fight until February when he battles Beneil Dariush.
After doing part of training camp through Zoom, Montana De La Rosa expects to finish Talia Santos
Cole Shelton - December 2, 2020
Montana De La Rosa had a unique fight camp for her short-notice fight against Talia Santos. De La Rosa is stepping up on about a month’s notice to battle Santos at UFC Vegas 16. It is a very intriguing matchup, and for the 25-year-old in De La Rosa, she just wanted to get another fight in this year.
Manager says it's a "99.9 percent chance" Nick Diaz fights in 2021
Cole Shelton - December 2, 2020
Nick Diaz could very well be fighting again next year. Ever since videos of him training came out earlier this year, many wondered if he was coming back. Well, according to his manager, Kevin Mubenga, Nick Diaz has been training consistently and is looking to get back in there soon.
Cody Garbrandt calls Brandon Moreno "a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse" against Deiveson Figueiredo
Adam Martin - December 2, 2020
UFC flyweight contender Cody Garbrandt called Brandon Moreno “a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse” against Deiveson Figueiredo. Garbrandt was actually supposed to be the one who fought Figueiredo at UFC 255 for the UFC flyweight title, but he injured his arm and then got sick with COVID-19. Instead, Figueiredo fought Alex Perez and he finished the challenger in the first round of their main event title fight in November. On the undercard of the same event, Brandon Moreno finished Brandon Royval and earned the next title shot against Figueiredo. The two will now clash in the main event of UFC 256 next weekend in Las Vegas.
Full betting odds released for UFC on ESPN 19: Hermansson vs. Vettori
Adam Martin - December 2, 2020
Neil Magny open to fighting Khamzat Chimaev on short notice
Adam Martin - December 2, 2020
Veteran UFC welterweight Neil Magny says he’s open to fighting top prospect Khamzat Chimaev on short notice later this month at UFC Vegas 17. Chimaev was set to face off against No. 3 ranked Leon Edwards in the biggest fight of his career on December 19 in Las Vegas. The fight was scheduled for five rounds and was set to be the main event. Unfortunately, disaster struck. After reports emerged that Chimaev had contracted COVID-19 and the fight was up in the air, it turned out that Edwards is actually the one who has COVID-19, and of course, the fight has been postponed until sometime in 2021 when Edwards recovers from the illness.
Khabib Nurmagomedov shrugs off Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier rematches
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov insists that he will not be returning to the cage to fight Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier again. Nurmagomedov retired from competition after a submission win over Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254 last month. Despite his retirement announcement, he has not yet relinquished the lightweight title, likely due to UFC President Dana White’s optimism that he’ll end up fighting again.
Leon Edwards issues statement on scrapped Khamzat Chimaev fight
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
No. 3-ranked UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards has issued a public statement after he was forced out of his upcoming fight. Edwards was scheduled to take on red-hot prospect Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of stacked UFC Fight Night card on December 19. Regrettably, the Birmingham, UK native was forced to withdraw from the bout after testing positive for COVID-19.
Niko Price suspended, fined by NAC for marijuana use, "Cowboy" draw overturned
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
Niko Price has been suspended and fined by the Nevada Athletic Commission after testing positive for marijuana. His September draw with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has also been converted to a draw. This unfortunate news was first reported by Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
Demetrious Johnson responds to Israel Adesanya's GOAT comment
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
ONE Championship flyweight star Demetrious Johnson has responded to some recent praise from UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Adesanya was recently asked who he considers the greatest fighter in MMA history, and promptly identified Johnson as his pick.
Ben Askren responds to Jake Paul challenge: "Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, Lethwei, name the style"
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
Former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight king Ben Askren has responded to a recent callout from YouTuber turned boxer, Jake Paul. Paul is the talk of the combat sports world this weekend, after improving to 2-0 as a pro boxer with a violent one-punch knockout of former NBA player Nate Robinson last weekend.
Conor McGregor shares cryptic messages on Twitter: "You can run, but you can't hide"
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
MMA superstar Conor McGregor was busy on Twitter on Wednesday morning, but the intention of his latest posts is not immediately evident. The Irishman published a trio of Tweets that seemed to be targeting somebody specifically, but it’s not clear who.
Charles Oliveira on fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 256: “ It will be eight finishes in a row”
Harry Kettle - December 2, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Charles Oliveira believes that he will make it eight finishes in a row when he fights Tony Ferguson at UFC 256. After much speculation over who both men would fight next, the two have been paired together in what many consider to be the most anticipated bout left in 2020 for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
10 women to watch in MMA in 2021
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 a very tough year for MMA, but 2021 looks like it could much better—particularly for the women’s side of the sport. As the 2021 calendar starts to fill up, a number of female fighters look poised for huge things, from the UFC’s Octagon, to the ONE Championship Circle, to the PFL and Bellator MMA cages.
The Korean Zombie calls out Zabit Magomedsharipov: "This is a fight that would bring the fans to their feet"
Adam Martin - December 1, 2020
UFC featherweight The Korean Zombie called out Zabit Magomedsharipov, saying “This is a fight that would bring the fans to their feet.” TKZ is coming off of a surprising one-sided decision defeat to Brian Ortega on Fight Island in October. It was a disappointing loss for TKZ, who was coming off of back-to-back knockout wins over Frankie Edgar and Renato Moicano. However, he is still ranked No. 5 overall in the UFC featherweight rankings, so despite the loss to Ortega, TKZ would likely only need another win or two to jump back into title contention at 145lbs.
Anthony Pettis explains why he's fighting Alex Morono at UFC Vegas 17
Adam Martin - December 1, 2020
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis explained why he’s fighting Alex Morono at UFC Vegas 17 in what was a surprising booking. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that Pettis vs. Morono will take place at UFC Vegas 17, which is set for December 19 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card was originally set to be headlined by welterweights Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, but the fight was called off after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19. The new main event will see Stephen Thompson take on Geoff Neal for five rounds or less.
Joseph Benavidez returns after back-to-back losses at UFC 259 against Askar Askarov
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2020
Joseph Benavidez is looking to return to the win column on March 6 at UFC 259. According to Russian outlet TASS, Benavidez is set to take on rising contender, Askar Askarov. Currently, the event does not have a location or venue.
BREAKING: UFC to start 2021 on Fight Island
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2020
The UFC will begin 2021 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Multiple sources have informed BJPENN.com that the January 16 fight night card and UFC 257 on January 23 have been confirmed to take place on Fight Island. Contracts have been issued out with Fight Island as the location. Currently, it is unknown if the January 30 fight night card will also take place in Abu Dhabi.
Jack Hermansson says Darren Till was supposed to be a "tune-up fight" only interested in fighting Whittaker or Costa next
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2020
Jack Hermansson will still be fighting on Saturday night in the main event of UFC Vegas 16. Originally, Hermansson was expected to fight fan-favorite, Darren Till. However, the Englishman was forced out with an injury and was replaced by Kevin Holland. Yet, Holland got COVID-19 and now Hermansson is set to fight Marvin Vettori.