UFC News

Christopher Taylor - February 18, 2021

Former UFC standout turned Bare Knuckle boxer Paige VanZant electrified social media Thursday, drawing a hilarious reaction from former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. VanZant made her BKFC debut earlier this month at the promotions KnuckleMania event. Unfortunately for ’12 Gauge’, she wound up suffering a unanimous decision loss to Britain Hart that evening.

Cole Shelton - February 18, 2021

Andrei Arlovski is confident he can become UFC champion again but is uncertain how much longer he has left to compete. Arlovski has quietly turned back the clock as he enters UFC Vegas 19 on a two-fight winning streak. He beat Tanner Boser and Philipe Lins by decision and now faces Tom Aspinall. For the former UFC heavyweight champion, he says becoming champion again is driving him.

Adam Martin - February 18, 2021

UFC superstar Jon Jones shared a new weight training video on his social media of himself doing rack pulls of over 600lbs. Jones is set to make his UFC heavyweight debut this summer and he has been sharing videos over the last six months of himself bulking up. The former UFC light heavyweight champion has boasted he now weighs over 250lbs. With Jones’ heavyweight debut just a few months away, as UFC president Dana White is targeting a summer date for it, “Bones” has been really taking it a whole new level in his weight training. In a workout video posted on his Instagram, the all-time great is seen doing rack pulls at 545lbs and then at 605lbs.

Cole Shelton - February 18, 2021

Derrick Lewis still hopes he gets the chance to fight Alistair Overeem. For years now, it appeared Lewis and Overeem were on a collision course, leading to the two trash-talking one another. However, for whatever reasons, the fight was never made and with Overeem’s fighting future uncertain, Lewis makes it clear he wants that fight to happen.

Adam Martin - February 18, 2021

Former UFC heavyweight contender Stefan Struve promised that his retirement from MMA is final, vowing that he’s “not going to fight anymore.” Struve announced this week that he is stepping away from the sport immediately, officially confirming he is hanging up his gloves after making the decision with his team and family. Struve cited numerous health and injury issues as the reason for his retirement, though his recent form no doubt played a role in him deciding to retire. Prior to announcing that he is walking away from MMA, Struve had lost five of his last six fights. His last loss to Tai Tuivasa was especially brutal as he was knocked out at the end of the first round.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad have both shared their initial reactions to their newly announced welterweight showdown. On Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that Muhammad has agreed to step in against Edwards in the main event of a March 13 fight card.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Leon Edwards has accepted a new opponent for March 13. According to ESPN‘s Brett Okamoto, the long-absent welterweight star will now take on Belal Muhammad. Five days removed from a win last weekend, Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) has agreed to replace Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round main event against Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) on March 13 per sources … And if Edwards wins this, it’s gotta be a title shot next, right? Gotta be. pic.twitter.com/tFM7KdhdAQ

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Gilbert Burns is already back in the gym and receiving comeback advice from former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Burns was in action in the main event of UFC 258 last weekend, when he challenged Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title. Burns managed to drop Usman in the fight’s opening round, but Usman surged back in round two and ultimately stopped burns in round three.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Former fighter and MMA analyst Chael Sonnen believes the UFC’s top welterweights are all “scared” of rising prospect Khamzat Chimaev. The UFC welterweight top 5 is currently jam-packed with elite talent like champ Kamaru Usman, and top contenders Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal. Unfortunately, the division’s top fighters haven’t been particularly active of late, and Sonnen believes that’s due in part to the arrival of Chimaev.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Jorge Masvidal has responded to a recent comment from UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman—and snuck in a jab at an ESPN reporter. Earlier this week, Usman partook in an interview Brett Okamoto, who works for ESPN but also regularly appears on UFC broadcasts. During the interview, the welterweight champion laid out plans for a high-profile rematch with Masvidal in Miami—Masvidal’s hometown.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

UFC lightweight star Kevin Lee has returned to training for the first time since having surgery on both of his knees—and from the sounds of it, his time away from the mats has renewed his enthusiasm for the sport. Lee opened up on his return to training in a Wednesday post to Instagram.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

Gilbert Burns says his recent fight with UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was “way different” than their previous sparring sessions. Burns and Usman trained together at Sanford MMA for many years, engaging in upward of 200 sparring rounds during that time. When it became clear that they may have to fight one another, however, Usman left the gym and relocated to Colorado to train with acclaimed coach Trevor Wittman.

Cole Shelton - February 18, 2021

In the main event of UFC Vegas 19, Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis will finally fight one another. Heading into the fight, Blaydes is a -450 favorite while “The Black Beast” is a +325 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The majority of pros believe Blaydes uses his wrestling to get the job done.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2021

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has laid out plans for a grudge match with Jorge Masvidal—in his rival’s native Miami. Usman and Masvidal have fought once before, at UFC 251 in July 2020. Usman had originally been expected to defend his title against Gilbert Burns on the card, but when Burns withdrew from the matchup, Masvidal stepped in to replace him on less than a week’s notice. Usman ended up beating Masvidal by unanimous decision, but given the short-notice circumstances of the fight, there’s been widespread interest in a rematch ever since—and not just among fans.

Harry Kettle - February 18, 2021

UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns has listed two potential opponents who could get him right back to a shot at the title. Burns fell short in his attempt to capture the Welterweight Championship from Kamaru Usman at UFC 258, falling to a TKO loss despite a strong start to the bout.

Harry Kettle - February 18, 2021

YouTuber turned professional boxer Jake Paul doesn’t seem to be all too concerned by the prospect of Tyron Woodley training Ben Askren for their upcoming boxing fight. Paul is set to step back into the ring once again when he locks horns with the aforementioned Askren in what could be one of the most anticipated exhibition bouts of the year.

Drake Riggs - February 17, 2021

UFC 258 has come and gone. It was the second pay-per-view event of the year and in many ways, the smaller event compared to UFC 257. As the first big event of 2021, UFC 257 was headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. UFC 258 acted as a follow-up with the welterweight title showdown between reigning champ Kamaru Usman and former teammate Gilbert Burns taking center stage.

Christopher Taylor - February 17, 2021

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has revealed his required stipulations for a potential move up to middleweight. Usman (18-1 MMA) successfully defended his welterweight title at last weekend’s UFC 258 event scoring a third round TKO victory over Gilbert Burns. The victory marked Kamaru’s seventeenth in a row and third consecutive title defense.