UFC News
Henry Cejudo fires back at Sean O'Malley over short joke: "Too bad the steroids you took couldn’t give you a strong ankle"
Christopher Taylor - April 14, 2021
Henry Cejudo was not happy that Sean O’Malley referenced him in a “short joke” during his recent exchange with Petr Yan on social media. O’Malley (13-1 MMA) has been trying to lockdown a big fight ever since scoring a third round knockout victory over Thomas Almeida last month at UFC 260.
Paul Daley reveals previous altercation with Dustin Poirier ignited feud with Bellator 257 opponent Sabah Homasi
Christopher Taylor - April 14, 2021
Paul Daley claims a previous altercation with UFC standout Dustin Poirier resulted in his bitter rivalry with Bellator 257 opponent Sabah Homasi. The veteran welterweight, Daley (42-17-2 MMA), returns to the cage this Friday night in Uncasville for a bout with the streaking American in Homasi (15-8 MMA).
Rose Namajunas stands by communism comments aimed at Weili Zhang: "Can we really even know what she really believes?"
Christopher Taylor - April 14, 2021
Rose Namajunas is not backing down after receiving a ton of heat for her “better dead than red” comment regarding UFC champion Weili Zhang. Namajunas (9-4 MMA) is set to challenge Zhang (21-1 MMA) for the promotions undisputed strawweight champion in the co-main event of UFC 261 on April 24 in Jacksonville.
Weili Zhang seemingly unfazed by "better dead than red" comments made by Rose Namajunas
Christopher Taylor - April 14, 2021
Women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang has responded to the “better dead than red” comments made by her upcoming opponent Rose Namajunas. Zhang (21-1 MMA) and Namajunas (9-4 MMA) are set to square off in the co-main event of UFC 261 on April 24 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Nate Diaz will be the "number one contender" at welterweight if he beats Edwards, says Ali Abdelaziz
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Nate Diaz is a win away from a welterweight title shot, according to Kamaru Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz. In the co-main event of UFC 262 on May 15, Diaz is set to return to the Octagon against Leon Edwards in a highly-anticipated fight. The scrap will also be five rounds and according to Kamaru Usman’s manager, if Diaz wins, he would be the number one contender and get the next title shot.
Dustin Poirier regrets publicizing Conor McGregor donation issue: "I jumped the gun"
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Dustin Poirier has apologized for bringing the Conor McGregor donation issue to the public. Over the past week, Poirier and McGregor had a heated back-and-forth after “The Diamond” claimed the Irishman never paid the $500k to his charity as he said he would. After some tweets at one another, Poirier issued a statement on the situation and apologized for bringing it to light.
Jake Paul says Ben Askren will forfeit his entire purse if he uses MMA moves in the fight, "Funky" refutes claim
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Jake Paul says there is strict vocabulary in their contract that will prohibit Ben Askren from using any MMA tactics in their fight. When Paul and Askren were booked, many wondered if “Funky” would accidentally shoot for a takedown or use some elbows or knees. However, according to the brash YouTuber, in the contract, if Askren does any MMA tactics in the fight, his entire purse would be forfeited.
UFC Vegas 24: Whittaker vs. Gastelum full betting odds
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Check out the complete betting odds for this Saturday’s UFC on Vegas 24 card featuring an intriguing middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum. The UFC Vegas 24 main event sees Whittaker and Gastelum finally fight after they were supposed to meet in 2019 for the title but Whittaker was forced out of the fight on the day of the event. Whittaker is coming off back-to-back decision wins over Jared Cannonier and Darren Till to return to the win column after losing his belt to Israel Adesanya. Gastelum, meanwhile, returned to the win column last time out with a decision win over Ian Heinisch.
Justin Wren rips Conor McGregor for not following through on donation to Dustin Poirier's charity
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
Former UFC and Bellator heavyweight Justin Wren ripped Conor McGregor for not following through on his donation to Dustin Poirier’s charity. Wren competed in MMA between 2006 and 2017 with one appearance in the UFC and three outings in Bellator. However, he did not compete at all between 2010 and 2015, as during that time Wren founded the “Fight For The Forgotten” where he traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help the Mbuti pygmy people build shelter and get fresh water. Wren’s charity work has been praised throughout the MMA community and he even co-wrote a book with MMA journalist Loretta Hunt titled “The Fight For The Forgotten: How a Mixed Martial Artist Stopped Fighting for Himself and Started Fighting for Others” in 2015.
Glover Teixeira issues statement after title fight with Jan Blachowicz announced for UFC 266: "Hard work pays off"
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira has issued a statement after his title fight with Jan Blachowicz was announced for UFC 266. Teixeira vs. Blachowicz will collide at UFC 266 with the 205lbs belt on the line. Soon after the fight with Teixeira and Blachowicz was announced, the veteran Brazilian took to social media to issue a statement about earning his second career UFC title shot. Read it below.
Drakkar Klose excited to "throw down" with Jeremy Stephens, says he'll drop down to featherweight after he finishes him
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
Drakkar Klose is eager to welcome Jeremy Stephens back up to lightweight. With Stephens on a five-fight winless streak, the 10th-ranked featherweight decided to move up to lightweight and will face Klose at UFC Vegas 24. For Klose, he is much more excited about this fight than his past couple.
Mike Perry scoffs at boxing advice offered to him by Twitter users
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC welterweight Mike Perry scoffed at the boxing advice given by Twitter users after suggesting he wants to improve that part of his game. Perry lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 23 last week. “Platinum” was jabbed up the entire fight and, although he did score some takedowns, took a ton of damage on the feet and wasn’t able to fire much back in return. With the loss, Perry has now dropped four of his last five fights. While Perry started off his UFC career five years ago knocking everyone out and becoming a fan favorite, he has really struggled as of late. At this point, you have to wonder what’s next for Perry. He likely will get another fight in the UFC due to being a fan favorite, but it would be a must-win fight if it happens.
Pro fighters make their picks for Ben Askren vs. Jake Paul boxing match
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2021
On April 17, Ben Askren is ending his retirement to box YouTuber, Jake Paul in a highly-anticipated bout. Heading into the fight, Askren is a +145 underdog while the YouTuber is a -175 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the bout. The pros have a slight lean towards Ben Askren getting his hand raised, while some believe Paul will be able to walk through the UFC veteran.
Nina Nunes issues statement following submission loss to Mackenzie Dern at UFC Vegas 23
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC women’s strawweight contender Nina Nunes issued a statement following her first-round submission loss to Mackenzie Dern at UFC Vegas 23. Nunes entered the fight with Dern as the betting favorite, but she suffered a first-round defeat when Dern was able to get her down to the mat and tap her out with an armbar. For Nunes, it was her first fight in nearly two years due to becoming a mom, and the ring rust showed in the cage. However, she is still a top-10 ranked fighter in the women’s 115lbs division, and the loss won’t drop her too much in the women’s strawweight standings.
Tony Ferguson explains why he called Nate Diaz his bitch: “Just some light banter, man. I got nothing against the dude"
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
UFC lightweight Tony Ferguson explained why he called Nate Diaz his bitch: “Just some light banter, man. I got nothing against the dude.” Ferguson recently made a tweet where he said that Diaz was his “b*tch” ahead of UFC 262. The card takes place on May 15, and Ferguson faces off against Beneil Dariush on the main card. In the co-main event of the evening, Diaz returns from his layoff to take on Leon Edwards in a No. 1 contender fight. In Ferguson’s tweet, he suggested that it was because of him that the event sold out in minutes. He then used the tweet as an opportunity to take a shot at Diaz, not to mention former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 official for UFC 264 in Las Vegas
Adam D Martin - April 14, 2021
The lightweight trilogy match between rivals Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is now official for the upcoming UFC 264 pay-per-view. On Wednesday morning, the UFC made it official that McGregor vs. Poirier will take place on July 10 at UFC 264. The fight will be contested at 155lbs and is set for five rounds or less. The promotion also revealed that the event will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fans can now pre-register for tickets for the fight. UFC president Dana White also said in another video that up to 20,000 fans will be in attendance for UFC 264.
Rafael dos Anjos says there's "not a better time than now" to book Conor McGregor fight for July 10
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021
Rafael dos Anjos is hoping he can replace Dustin Poirier and face Conor McGregor on July 10. After McGregor and Poirier had a back-and-forth on social media due to the failed payment from McGregor’s to Poirier’s charity. Following the heated exchange, the Irishman claimed the fight was off and he would be facing someone else and Rafael dos Anjos hopes he is that opponent.
Ali Abdelaziz believes Jorge Masvidal should be thanking Kamaru Usman for allowing him to "get paid"
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021
Ali Abdelaziz doesn’t think Jorge Masvidal should be calling Kamaru Usman a coward. After Masvidal lost a clear-cut decision to Usman at UFC 251 on short notice, he wanted a rematch right away. He knew he could beat Usman on a full camp and started to take shots at the champ and even called him a coward. Yet, for Abdelaziz, he doesn’t understand why “Gamebred” believes his client is a coward.