MMA News
Brandon Moreno "disappointed" he didn't get title shot, but plans for a "war" against Brandon Royval
Cole Shelton - November 18, 2020
Brandon Moreno believes he should be the one fighting for the UFC flyweight title at UFC 255. Originally, Deiveson Figueiredo was supposed to defend his belt against Cody Garbrandt. However, the former bantamweight champion had to pull out with an injury and it was Alex Perez who stepped in to fight for the belt.
Scott Coker says Rampage Jackson is now a free agent, Bellator committed to younger direction
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
Bellator president Scott Coker says that Rampage Jackson was released from the promotion and is an unrestricted free agent. Jackson last fought at Bellator & RIZIN: Japan in December 2019 and he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko that night. Now 42 years old, we haven’t heard anything from Jackson all year in regards to fighting again for Bellator. That’s because according to Coker, the final fight on Jackson’s Bellator contract was the Emelianenko fight. With that final bout completed, Jackson’s contract with Bellator concluded and the promotion released him. He’s now free to sign anywhere else.
Chael Sonnen trashes Jon Jones amid renewed Daniel Cormier beef
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
Chael Sonnen absolutely trashed Jon Jones after the former light heavyweight champion dragged him into his renewed beef with Daniel Cormier on Wednesday. Jones and Cormier, two of the fiercest rivals in MMA history, have been jawing back and forth on Twitter for days. Unsurprisingly, Cormier ultimately pointed the finger at Jones over his previously issues with the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Stephen Thompson makes prediction for McGregor vs. Poirier rematch
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
UFC welterweight contender Stephen Thompson has made his prediction for the hotly anticipated rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. McGregor and Poirier first met in the featherweight division in 2014, with McGregor winning by first-round knockout. Since then, both men have achieved significant feats in the lightweight division, which has led them to a rematch.
Misha Cirkunov vs. Ryan Spann added to UFC Vegas 17: Edwards vs. Chimaev
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
A light heavyweight bout between top-15 ranked contenders Misha Cirkunov and Ryan Spann has been added to UFC Vegas 17: Edwards vs. Chimaev. Marcel Dorff of MMA DNA was the first to break the news that Cirkunov vs. Spann will take place on the undercard of the upcoming UFC Vegas 17 card, which takes place on December 19 at the UFC Apex. The main event of the card is an intriguing five-round welterweight bout between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev.
UFC 255 | Pro fighters make their picks for Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Alex Perez title fight
Cole Shelton - November 18, 2020
In the main event of UFC 255, Deiveson Figueiredo is looking to defend his flyweight title for the first time when he battles Alex Perez. Heading into the fight, the champ is a -310 favorite while the American challenger is a +240 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The pros slightly lean towards Deiveson Figueiredo to get his hand raised and likely do so by a stoppage win.
"Wonderboy" shares theory about UFC's big push of Khamzat Chimaev
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has a theory about why the UFC is giving such a huge promotional push to rising contender Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev, who is now 3-0 in the UFC, is one of the most hyped fighters on the UFC roster at present, and has been rewarded with a massive fight against No. 3-ranked welterweight contender Leon Edwards.
Dana White trashes Bob Arum over Terence Crawford complaints
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
Dana White has some choice words for Bob Arum after the boxing promoter complained about losing money promoting Terence Crawford. Crawford returned to the ring over the weekend, picking up a victory over Kell Brook. The win reaffirmed him as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but he has struggled to meaningful gain traction among boxing fans nonetheless.
Dana White: "Khabib's going to fight" again
Tom Taylor - November 18, 2020
UFC President Dana White firmly believes that unbeaten UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is going to fight again—despite his recent retirement announcement. Nurmagomedov last fought in the main event of UFC 254 in late October, when he defended the lightweight title with a second-round submission of Justin Gaethje, and pushed his record to 29-0 in the process.
Full betting odds released for UFC 255: Figueiredo vs. Perez
Adam Martin - November 18, 2020
The full betting odds have been released for the 12 fights scheduled to take place at Saturday’s UFC 255: Figueiredo vs. Perez event. In the main event, UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo puts his belt on the line for the first time when he takes on Alex Perez. Figueiredo has won his last four fights in a row, including consecutive stoppage wins over Joseph Benavidez, while Perez has won three straight himself. The challenger earned his first UFC title shot and main event slot on short notice after filling in for the injured Cody Garbrandt.
Tony Ferguson suggests Michael Chandler has “already accepted another fight”
Harry Kettle - November 18, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has revealed that he’s been told Michael Chandler has accepted another fight. The animosity between these two elite fighters has been steadily growing as the weeks and months have gone on with Ferguson campaigning to fight Chandler before the end of the year. The former Bellator star, however, wants to wait it out and serve as the co-main event on the proposed Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier card in January.
Dana White invites Nick Maximov to TUF 29
Adam Martin - November 17, 2020
The first fighter has been officially offered a spot on TUF 29 as UFC president Dana White offered Nick Maximov a spot on the show. Maximov, a natural middleweight, moved up to heavyweight on short notice and defeated Oscar Cota in the main event of Dana White’s Contender Series 29. Though Maximov didn’t get the finish, he was able to dominate a much heavier opponent who outweighed him by 60lbs. Though White didn’t give Maximov a UFC deal, he decided that he was worthy of being offered a contract to TUF 29.
UFC welterweight Jesse Ronson releases statement announces 20-month USADA suspension for failed drug test
Adam Martin - November 17, 2020
UFC welterweight Jesse Ronson released a statement where he revealed he has been suspended for 20 months by USADA for a failed drug test. Ronson defeated Nicholas Dalby by stoppage in his return to the Octagon this past summer on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. It was a huge upset for the former PFL fighter, who went 0-3 in his first stint with the UFC. The win over Dalby gave Ronson a very promising victory in his second UFC run and fans were excited to see what was next for him. Unfortunately, his next fight will be a long time coming.
Patricio Pitbull confident he would beat Alexander Volkanovski: "I'd sleep him in the first round"
Cole Shelton - November 17, 2020
Patricio Pitbull believes he would beat UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Pitbull is the current champ-champ in Bellator where he won the lightweight title with a 61-second KO over Michael Chandler. Ever since then, people started to pay attention to how legit he is.
Belal Muhammad calls out Nate Diaz: "Come try to get your number back"
Cole Shelton - November 17, 2020
Belal Muhammad is looking to score a fight with Nate Diaz. Muhammad, who is a fan-favorite, recently became ranked at welterweight after Rafael dos Anjos and Nate Diaz were removed. So, for Muhammad, he has called out the Stockton native for a fight to give Diaz a chance to get back his spot in the rankings.
Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar betting odds released
Adam Martin - November 17, 2020
The opening betting odds have been released for the upcoming UFC featherweight bout between top contenders Max Holloway and Calvin Kattar. It was announced on Tuesday that Holloway and Kattar will meet in a five-round main event at a UFC Fight Night card scheduled to take place on January 16. With the fight now official, the oddsmakers worked quickly to release the opening odds for the fight. Check out the opening betting odds for Holloway vs. Kattar below via BestFightOdds.
Jon Jones take a shot at Daniel Cormier after DC brings up PED issues in GOAT talks
Adam Martin - November 17, 2020
UFC great Jon Jones took a shot at rival Daniel Cormier after DC suggested Jones doesn’t belong in the GOAT discussion due to PED issues. Cormier, who himself is in the GOAT discussion, recently chimed in on the question that has been coming up a lot lately in MMA circles. After UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov improved to 29-0 with a win over Justin Gaethje, many including UFC president Dana White were quick to anoint him as the GOAT. Jones, who many consider being the best fighter ever, did not agree with that sentiment, and for the last few weeks he has sent out tweets explaining why he should be the GOAT over Nurmagomedov.
Donald Cerrone announces return to lightweight division: "I'm gonna give it my all"
Tom Taylor - November 17, 2020
Donald Cerrone is putting the UFC welterweight division behind him and heading back to the lightweight division. Cerrone has spent the most recent chapter of his career competing in the 170-pound welterweight category. Despite a strong start in the division, however, he’s recently fallen on hard times, experiencing losses to Anthony Pettis and Conor McGregor and draw against Niko Price in his most recent welterweight fights.