UFC News
Ben Askren responds to Jake Paul challenge: "Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, Lethwei, name the style"
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
Former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight king Ben Askren has responded to a recent callout from YouTuber turned boxer, Jake Paul. Paul is the talk of the combat sports world this weekend, after improving to 2-0 as a pro boxer with a violent one-punch knockout of former NBA player Nate Robinson last weekend.
Conor McGregor shares cryptic messages on Twitter: "You can run, but you can't hide"
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
MMA superstar Conor McGregor was busy on Twitter on Wednesday morning, but the intention of his latest posts is not immediately evident. The Irishman published a trio of Tweets that seemed to be targeting somebody specifically, but it’s not clear who.
Charles Oliveira on fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 256: “ It will be eight finishes in a row”
Harry Kettle - December 2, 2020
UFC lightweight contender Charles Oliveira believes that he will make it eight finishes in a row when he fights Tony Ferguson at UFC 256. After much speculation over who both men would fight next, the two have been paired together in what many consider to be the most anticipated bout left in 2020 for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Henry Cejudo responds to challenge from Kayla Harrison: “You’ll bend the knee within round one”
Harry Kettle - December 2, 2020
Former two-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo has issued a somewhat light-hearted response to PFL star Kayla Harrison’s open challenge. Harrison, who is 8-0 since beginning her professional mixed martial arts career, is searching for more competition as she awaits the return of the new PFL season. Cejudo, on the other hand, has been “retired” for months now after walking away from the sport earlier this year.
The Korean Zombie calls out Zabit Magomedsharipov: "This is a fight that would bring the fans to their feet"
Adam Martin - December 1, 2020
UFC featherweight The Korean Zombie called out Zabit Magomedsharipov, saying “This is a fight that would bring the fans to their feet.” TKZ is coming off of a surprising one-sided decision defeat to Brian Ortega on Fight Island in October. It was a disappointing loss for TKZ, who was coming off of back-to-back knockout wins over Frankie Edgar and Renato Moicano. However, he is still ranked No. 5 overall in the UFC featherweight rankings, so despite the loss to Ortega, TKZ would likely only need another win or two to jump back into title contention at 145lbs.
Anthony Pettis explains why he's fighting Alex Morono at UFC Vegas 17
Adam Martin - December 1, 2020
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis explained why he’s fighting Alex Morono at UFC Vegas 17 in what was a surprising booking. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that Pettis vs. Morono will take place at UFC Vegas 17, which is set for December 19 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card was originally set to be headlined by welterweights Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev, but the fight was called off after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19. The new main event will see Stephen Thompson take on Geoff Neal for five rounds or less.
Joseph Benavidez returns after back-to-back losses at UFC 259 against Askar Askarov
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2020
Joseph Benavidez is looking to return to the win column on March 6 at UFC 259. According to Russian outlet TASS, Benavidez is set to take on rising contender, Askar Askarov. Currently, the event does not have a location or venue.
BREAKING: UFC to start 2021 on Fight Island
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2020
The UFC will begin 2021 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Multiple sources have informed BJPENN.com that the January 16 fight night card and UFC 257 on January 23 have been confirmed to take place on Fight Island. Contracts have been issued out with Fight Island as the location. Currently, it is unknown if the January 30 fight night card will also take place in Abu Dhabi.
Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal will now serve as UFC Vegas 17 headliner
Cole Shelton - December 1, 2020
The UFC’s final event of 2020 will still be headlined by a welterweight fight. Originally, UFC Vegas 17 was supposed to see Leon Edwards take on Khamzat Chimaev in the main event. However, on Tuesday it was revealed the Englishman was out of the fight due to testing positive for COVID-19. Now, multiple sources have told BJPENN.com that Stephen Thompson vs. Geoff Neal will be the main event and will be five rounds. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards fight scrapped due to COVID-19
Tom Taylor - December 1, 2020
An anticipated welterweight scrap between No. 3-ranked contender Leon Edwards and rising prospect Khamzat Chimaev has unfortunately been canceled after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19. News of the bout’s cancelation comes from Ariel Helwani of ESPN, the official broadcast partner of the UFC.
Francisco Figueiredo calls it a "dream come true" to join "warrior" brother Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC
Adam Martin - December 1, 2020
Francisco Figueiredo, the brother of UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, called it a “dream come true” to join his big bro in the UFC. Manager Wallid Ismail recently announced that the UFC signed Francisco to a contract and he’s expected to compete in the flyweight division, where he will fight alongside his brother Deiveson. Francisco has been a professional MMA fighter for over a decade before finally getting the call. Speaking to AG Fight, the younger Figueiredo brother said it’s a “dream come true” to finally realize his goal of making it to the big show.
Anthony Smith uninterested in fighting Jimi Manuwa, suggests teammate Dustin Jacoby "do him dirty"
Adam Martin - December 1, 2020
UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith says he’s uninterested in fighting Jimi Manuwa and suggested that Dustin Jacoby “do him dirty” instead. Smith is coming off of a great win over Devin Clark at UFC Vegas 15, as he submitted his opponent with a triangle choke in the first round to snap a two-fight losing skid. Smith is No 6. in the UFC light heavyweight rankings so plenty of light heavyweights have been calling him out, including Paul Craig and Jimmy Crute. One other fighter calling Smith out is Jimi Manuwa, who is currently retired. Manuwa has hinted at a comeback and he suggested a fight against Smith would be a good return fight.