MMA News
Julian Erosa expects to secure D'Arce choke against Melquizael Costa at UFC Vegas 106
Cole Shelton - May 15, 2025
Julian Erosa is ecstatic to be making a quick turnaround. Erosa is coming off a first-round stoppage win over Darren Elkins back at UFC 314. Just over a month later, he will return at UFC Vegas 106 when he takes on Melquizael Costa.
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues to defend world title against Shir Cohen at ONE Fight Night 32
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 15, 2025
ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ reign of terror enters its next episode. The all-business Brazilian meets undefeated Israeli hitter Shir Cohen in the main event of ONE Fight Night 32. This happens on Friday, June 6, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Japanese kickboxing star fires shot at Jonathan Haggerty
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 15, 2025
Japanese kickboxing ace Yuki Yoza’s debut in ONE Championship is still a week away, but he has his sights set sky-high. The former K-1 Champion faces unblemished Russian hitter Elbrus Osmanov on May 23 at ONE Friday Fights 109 in a bantamweight kickboxing bout inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. And he’s confident it’s the start of a road that leads to ONE bantamweight kickboxing king Jonathan Haggerty.
Deiveson Figueiredo avoids surgery for knee injury, anxious to get back into the Octagon
Cole Shelton - May 15, 2025
Deiveson Figueiredo should be able to return to the Octagon sooner than expected. Figueiredo suffered a knee injury in his loss to Cory Sandhagen back at UFC Des Moines. Figueiredo’s manager, Alex Davis, told MMA Fighting that the Brazilian suffered a tear in the anterolateral ligament in his knee. Although he suffered a tear, he isn’t expected to have surgery.
Jake Paul vows to "embarrass" Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and make him "quit"
Cole Shelton - May 15, 2025
Darren Till vows to 'annihilate' fellow UFC veteran in Friday boxing match
BJ Penn Staff - May 15, 2025
Former UFC contender Darren Till is set to return to the boxing ring this Friday, and he’s promising a violent spectacle once he steps through the ropes. Till, 32, is set to meet fellow UFC veteran Darren Stewart, 34, in the main event of the Misfits Boxing 21 card in Derby, England.
Ilia Topuria suggests UFC super fight with Islam Makhachev could still happen at welterweight
BJ Penn Staff - May 15, 2025
A fight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev is among the biggest the UFC can make right now. Unfortunately, it won’t be happening. At least, not yet. By late 2024, the undefeated Spaniard Topuria was the UFC featherweight champion, while Russia’s Makhachev was the lightweight champ. A lot has changed since then.
Gilbert Burns planning Rocky Balboa-style comeback starting with UFC Vegas 106
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 15, 2025
As he draws closer to the age of 39, Gilbert Burns believes a movielike comeback story could be his destiny. Burns’ back is against the wall going into UFC Vegas 106. “Durinho” will meet surging undefeated welterweight Michael Morales on Saturday. Burns has lost three fights in a row, but all were against elite competition. In his current skid, Burns has lost to current UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena, former titleholder Belal Muhammad, and No. 2-ranked welterweight Sean Brady.
Ian Machado Garry would rather be a celebrity than UFC champion, says Jack Della Maddalena's coach
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 15, 2025
Jack Della Maddalena’s team believes Ian Machado Garry needs to focus more on fighting than his brand. Maddalena is the new UFC Welterweight Champion after defeating Belal Muhammad in Montreal on May 10. In the week leading up to UFC 315, backup fighter Ian Machado Garry stole some shine from the title fight by having his son offer Maddalena chocolate. Many feel Garry was playing mind games knowing that Maddalena was in the midst of a weight cut.
Jessice Eye makes bare knuckle debut against fellow UFC veteran at BKFC 76
BJ Penn Staff - May 15, 2025
Former UFC flyweight title challenger Jessica Eye is set to make her bare knuckle debut at BKFC 76 on June 21. Her opponent on the card, which will go down in Fort Worth, Texas, will be fellow UFC veteran Mariya Agapova. BKFC officials announced the matchup to MMA Fighting on May. 14.
Report: Former Bellator champ gets short-notice UFC debut against Mario Bautista
BJ Penn Staff - May 15, 2025
Marlon “Chito” Vera will not be fighting Mario Bautista at UFC 316. Instead, Bautista be fighting former Bellator champion Patchy Mix at the June 7 card in Newark, New Jersey. That’s according to X user @MagicM_MMABets, who has a good track record for breaking fight news.
Thiago Moises confident he will finish Jared Gordon in a "fun fight" at UFC Vegas 106: "I have the skills to beat him"
Cole Shelton - May 15, 2025
Thiago Moises has plenty of confidence in his skills ahead of his UFC Vegas 106 fight against Jared Gordon. After Moises beat Trey Ogden in January, he wanted to fight again as he and his wife are expecting a girl at the beginning of June. So, Moises is thankful the UFC granted his wish as he will return on Saturday night at UFC Vegas 106.
Gilbert Burns agrees with Islam Makhachev's decision to vacate UFC lightweight title
Harry Kettle - May 15, 2025
Gilbert Burns agrees with Islam Makhachev’s decision to vacate the UFC lightweight title in order to move up to welterweight. As we know, Islam Makhachev is vacating the UFC lightweight championship. He’s doing so as a result of his decision to pursue the welterweight belt, which is currently held by Jack Della Maddalena. If Belal Muhammad had been able to defeat JDM in their UFC 315 title fight, Islam likely would’ve remained at 155 pounds to defend the strap against Ilia Topuria.
Paul Craig admits he's fighting for his UFC future in return fight this weekend
Harry Kettle - May 15, 2025
UFC veteran Paul Craig believes that he’s fighting to stay in a job when he returns to battle it out with Rodolfo Bellato on Saturday. While he may not always pick up the win, Paul Craig is one of the more entertaining fighters on the UFC roster. From his fight style to his personality outside of the cage, you just never really know what you’re going to get. Alas, the Scottish sensation has been on a poor run of form lately, leading many to wonder whether or not he’s on the verge of getting cut.
Cris Cyborg still believes Kayla Harrison "ran" from potential superfight
Harry Kettle - May 15, 2025
MMA legend Cris Cyborg believes that UFC contender Kayla Harrison ran away from a potential superfight against her. As we know, Cris Cyborg is easily one of the greatest female fighters of this or any other generation. Her impact on mixed martial arts has been incredible and even at this advanced stage in her career, it still feels like she’s got a lot left in the tank. Alas, while we were able to see Cris get the opportunity to face Amanda Nunes, we haven’t seen her take on other dream opponents such as Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison.
Johan Ghazali embraces brutal training under Superbon: "What I came here for"
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 14, 2025
Flyweight Muay Thai fighter Johan Ghazali has evolved into one of the division’s must-watch talents. And he wants to stay there for as long as possible. In order to do that, he switched teams and now sits under the learning tree of ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon. “Jojo” looks to return to winning ways against Diego Paez in a flyweight Muay Thai tussle at ONE Fight Night 32 on Friday, June 6, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Hundreds of wins, countless lessons: Prajanchai's mission to guide the next generation through defeat
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 14, 2025
Two-sport ONE World Champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai is one of the most experienced and accomplished fighters in Muay Thai history. So it’s only natural he’s become a hub of encouragement for his younger counterparts. At 30 years old, he has almost 400 professional fights to his name. Staggeringly, he’s won 344 of those outings. That wealth of experience has allowed him to soar to the mountaintop of ONE Championship’s strawweight Muay Thai and kickboxing realms.
Gilbert Burns explains how UFC loss to Khamzat Chimaev negatively impacted career
BJ Penn Staff - May 14, 2025
Gilbert Burns surprised a lot of people in his 2022 UFC loss to Khamzat Chimaev. Ahead of the fight, many people expected him to struggle with the undefeated Russian contender, but in the end, he pushed his opponent to the limit in a Fight of the Night-winning war. In a recent interview with Home of Fight, Burns reflected on his razor-close loss to Chimaev. He explained that, initially, his valiant performance actually benefitted him in a lot of ways, as his notoriety and finances improved.
Former UFC champ Holly Holm to return to boxing ring on Jake Paul undercard
BJ Penn Staff - May 14, 2025
Former UFC champ Holly Holm is headed back to the boxing ring, with a little help from Jake Paul. Holm is one of the most accomplished female fighters in UFC history, having famously knocked out Ronda Rousey in a stunning upset in 2015. However, she was shockingly released by the promotion earlier this year.