MMA News
Legendary Nong-O won't rest until he secures new belt: "Make it happen"
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 8, 2025
Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama continues to ascend the flyweight Muay Thai division. He took a huge step closer to the division’s summit this past weekend. The striking great defeated #3-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Kongthoranee Sor Sommai by unanimous decision. It happened in the main event of ONE Fight Night 31 on Friday, 2 May, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
Anatoly Malykhin to UFC fans: Remember that I already dealt with Reinier de Ridder
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 8, 2025
Two-weight ONE World Champion Anatoly Malykhin has heaped praise on rival and former two-division king Reinier de Ridder. But not before reminding everyone of his own prowess. De Ridder scored his third consecutive stoppage victory in the UFC this past Saturday, 3 May, putting an end to the surging Bo Nickal in the second round by TKO.
Jack Della Maddalena claims he has left no stone unturned in preparation for UFC 315 main event
Harry Kettle - May 8, 2025
UFC contender Jack Della Maddalena claims he has left no stone unturned in preparing for his title shot at UFC 315. On Saturday night, Jack Della Maddalena will go head to head with Belal Muhammad in the main event of UFC 315. The UFC welterweight championship will be on the line and while Belal may be the favorite, counting out JDM would be a big mistake. He thrives off of being the underdog and you can bet he’s going in there with the belief that he can bring the belt home to Australia.
Ian Machado Garry believes he could pull off biggest heist in UFC history this weekend
Harry Kettle - May 7, 2025
UFC star Ian Machado Garry believes he could pull off the biggest heist in UFC history at UFC 315 on Saturday night. As we know, Ian Machado Garry is one of the biggest names in the welterweight division. He has slowly but surely been making his way up through the ranks and now, nobody can argue against him being in the title picture. Following on from his short notice win over Carlos Prates last weekend, he’s now in a position where he is the backup fighter for the UFC 315 main event.
Valentina Shevchenko believes experience will aid her against Manon Fiorot
Harry Kettle - May 7, 2025
Valentina Shevchenko believes her experience will help her when defending the belt again Manon Fiorot tomorrow night. On Saturday, Valentina Shevchenko will defend her UFC flyweight championship against Manon Fiorot. It comes as the first fight she’s had in a long time that hasn’t been against Alexa Grasso, as she attempts to move on to a new chapter in her career. While many believe she’s capable of getting the job done, others are of the belief that this is Fiorot’s time to shine – including the challenger herself.
UFC 315 | Pro fighters make their picks for Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena title fight
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2025
In the main event of UFC 315, the welterweight title is up for grabs as Belal Muhammad takes on Jack Della Maddalena. Heading into the fight, Muhammad is a -188 favorite while the challenger is a +146 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro-fighters to get their predictions for the welterweight title fight. The pros are unanimous in thinking Muhammad’s pace and wrestling will be too much as he will defend his belt, most likely by decision.
Manon Fiorot plans to take Valentina Shevchenko's superfight against Weili Zhang with win at UFC 315
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2025
Manon Fiorot not only plans to take Valentina Shevchenko’s belt, but she also plans to take her superfight. Fiorot is set to take on Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 315 for the women’s flyweight title. Despite being the challenger, Fiorot is the betting favorite, which is a surprise to some. Although she is the challenger, Fiorot isn’t surprised she is the favorite as he knows she’s been dominating opponents when Shevchenko hasn’t.
Jack Della Maddalena believes Belal Muhammad may retire after he finishes him at UFC 315
Cole Shelton - May 7, 2025
Jack Della Maddalena thinks UFC 315 could be the final time that Belal Muhammad fights in the UFC. Della Maddalena is set to challenge Muhammad for the welterweight title on Saturday in Montreal. It’s an intriguing matchup, and Della Maddalena has shown confidence that he won’t just win but will finish Muhammad. Not only does Della Maddalena believe he will finish Muhammad, but he thinks the champ may opt to retire after the loss, knowing he won’t get the belt back.
Jake Paul goes to bat for Alex Pereira amid shocking rift with UFC
BJ Penn Staff - May 7, 2025
Jake Paul has thrown his support behind UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. On Tuesday, Pereira shocked fans by lashing out at the UFC, and threatening to retiring from combat sports altogether.
Belal Muhammad trashes Kamaru Usman over security comments ahead of UFC 315 title defense
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 7, 2025
Belal Muhammad insists he has zero concern about Kamaru Usman. Muhammad and Usman haven’t been cordial with one another over the past year. Usman blames the dissension on Muhammad’s trash talk after winning the UFC Welterweight Championship from Leon Edwards in 2024. There is also the now infamous unaired “Pound 4 Pound” podcast episode featuring Muhammad, where things apparently got quite testy between the two.
Jose Aldo hurls dig at current UFC champion for being 'afraid to fight'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 7, 2025
Jose Aldo was never known for being a trash talker, but he doesn’t shy away from throwing out a zinger or two. Aldo is already a UFC Hall of Famer, but he still competes inside the Octagon. While Aldo hasn’t tasted UFC gold in quite some time, he still believes in his ability to put on a show. While wins over Marlon “Chito” Vera, Pedro Munhoz, Rob Font, and Jonathan Martinez proved Aldo still has some juice left in the tank, losses against Merab Dvalishvili and Mario Bautista frustrated the UFC legend.
UFC Hall of Famer defends Bo Nickal following first career loss in Des Moines
Fernando Quiles Jr. - May 7, 2025
A one-time UFC champion has come to the defense of Bo Nickal. Fans witnessed the first pro MMA loss in the young career of Nickal this past Saturday. Nickal took on the experienced de Ridder in the UFC Des Moines co-headliner. Things certainly didn’t go the way Nickal planned. The once unbeaten prospect couldn’t handle the pressure of the former two-division ONE Championship titleholder, and he crumpled after receiving a knee to the body in the second stanza.
UFC 315 fighter out for revenge after Canadians boo US anthem: ‘Somebody’s going to have to pay’
BJ Penn Staff - May 7, 2025
Charles Radtke will be looking for revenge at UFC 315. UFC 315 goes down this Saturday in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Radtke will be back in action on the undercard, taking on Canadian welterweight contender Mike Malott.
UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis reveals ‘two potential dates’ on the table for Khamzat Chimaev fight
BJ Penn Staff - May 7, 2025
UFC fans have been waiting to see Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev fight for months. From the sounds of it, the wait is almost over. South Africa’s Du Plessis is the reigning UFC middleweight champion. He won the belt with a close decision win over Sean Strickland last year, and has since defended it twice. First, he submitted former champ Israel Adesanya. Then, he defeated Strickland with a far more decisive decision win in a rematch.
UFC champion Julianna Pena accuses Kayla Harrison of using steroids
Harry Kettle - May 7, 2025
UFC champion Julianna Pena has accused Kayla Harrison of using steroids as the countdown to their UFC 316 fight continues. As we know, Julianna Pena is a pretty controversial figure when it comes to MMA fans. While she’s a two-time bantamweight world champion in the UFC, she has a tendency to rattle people with some of the comments she makes. It’s often because she’s trying to get under the skin of her opponents, and that’s certainly the case with her upcoming UFC 316 clash with Kayla Harrison.
Reinier de Ridder doesn’t get UFC rankings boost despite Bo Nickal victory
Harry Kettle - May 7, 2025
UFC contender Reinier de Ridder has not been moved further up the middleweight rankings despite his win over Bo Nickal. Last Saturday night, Reinier de Ridder really arrived in the UFC’s middleweight division. While he’d already picked up a couple of wins prior to his triumph over Bo Nickal, this was the time for him to really test himself against one of the most hyped fighters in the entire sport. He passed the test with flying colours, dominating Nickal from pillar to post before finishing him with a nasty knee to the stomach.
Dricus du Plessis responds to Khamzat Chimaev’s recent murder threats
Harry Kettle - May 7, 2025
UFC champion Dricus du Plessis has responded to some recent trash talk and threats from contender Khamzat Chimaev. As we know, Dricus du Plessis is the king of the middleweight division. The 31-year-old won the belt by defeating Sean Strickland and since then, he’s successfully defended it against both Strickland and Israel Adesanya. Now, the expectation is that he will take on Khamzat Chimaev in his next outing, although there’s been no confirmation as to when this fight is going to happen.
Tye Ruotolo has "nothing but respect" for Dante Leon following trilogy win
BJPENN.COM Staff - May 6, 2025
Reigning ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion Tye Ruotolo took a clear stride forward versus Dante Leon at ONE Fight Night 31, dispatching the Canadian combatant across 10 dominant minutes. The 22-year-old held onto his gold by unanimous decision in the co-main event this past Friday, May 2, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, settling the score in their trilogy at 2-1.