Exclusive MMA Interviews News
John Dodson plans to clear out flyweight division after winning inaugural title at BKFC 48: "I want to be one of the most decorated combat sports strikers"
Cole Shelton - August 15, 2023
John Dodson has been taking over BKFC and he finally got a chance to fight for a world title at BKFC 48. Dodson was fighting for the inaugural flyweight title against JR Ridge and entering the fight, he had a ton of confidence that he would score a finish. He knew Ridge would try to be technical, so he wasn’t surprised when he caught Ridge by surprise with his speed and power.
Francis Marshall expects to gas out Isaac Dulgarian at UFC Vegas 78 and hopefully earn a spot on MSG card
Cole Shelton - August 11, 2023
Francis Marshall knows he has to follow the game plan at UFC Vegas 78. In his last fight, Marshall strayed away from his game plan against William Gomis and lost a close split decision. Marshall says he decided to fight differently than what he and his coaches studied for, and that ended up costing him.
Billy Quarantillo explains why he was frustrated by the ending to his fight with Damon Jackson, hopes for "an exciting matchup" next time out
Cole Shelton - August 11, 2023
Billy Quarantillo knew his scrap with Damon Jackson at UFC Nashville would be a dog fight. Quarantillo was coming off a first-round KO loss to Edson Barboza back in April and knew he needed to get back into the win column. Yet, in the first round, Jackson was able to use his wrestling to grind on Quarantillo and win the open five minutes, which is exactly what Billy was expecting.
Isaac Dulgarian eyes first-round stoppage over Francis Marshall to hopefully finalize Nelk Boys deal
Cole Shelton - August 11, 2023
Isaac Dulgarian will finally be making his UFC debut. Dulgarian earned his UFC contract on Lookin’ For A Fight and also received the Full Send deal, but that never came to fruition. He was supposed to make his debut in January but had to withdraw from the fight which was heartbreaking for him.
Dustin Jacoby believes he made a "statement" with first-round knockout over Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC Nashville
Cole Shelton - August 10, 2023
Dustin Jacoby says his back was against the wall at UFC Nashville. Jacoby was taking on Kennedy Nzechukwu in a pivotal fight for his career, as the former Glory kickboxer was on a two-fight losing skid. Although Jacoby was still in the light heavyweight rankings, he believed he was likely fighting for his job on Saturday.
Pro fighters make their picks for Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Cole Shelton - August 10, 2023
In the main event of UFC Vegas 78, Vicente Luque is set to return after a year-long layoff due to a brain hemorrhage as he takes on Rafael dos Anjos, who’s moving up in weight. Heading into the fight, Luque is a slight -105 underdog while the former lightweight champion is -115. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the fight. The pros actually lean towards Vicente Luque getting it done as many think the size and strength will be a big difference as Rafael dos Anjos moves up from lightweight.
Chris Daukaus ready to "scrap" with Khalil Rountree at UFC Vegas 78 in light heavyweight debut: "I'm going to run through this dude"
Cole Shelton - August 9, 2023
Chris Daukaus is excited to finally make his light heavyweight debut. After Daukaus suffered his third-straight knockout loss back in December to Jairzinho Rozenstruik, he announced he would be dropping down to light heavyweight. Daukaus did a test cut which went well and was then booked to face Khalil Rountree at UFC 289 in June. However, just under two weeks before the event, Daukaus had to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.
John Dodson vows to KO JR Ridge in the first round to win inaugural flyweight title at BFKC 48, takes aim at Reggie Barnett Jr.
Cole Shelton - August 9, 2023
John Dodson is honored to be fighting for the inaugural BKFC flyweight title. Dodson is set to headline BKFC 48 on Friday in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the inaugural flyweight title. It’s a massive fight for Dodson in just his third bare-knuckle fight.
Vicente Luque believes Rafael dos Anjos is the "perfect fight" for his return at UFC Vegas 78: "I do believe I can finish him"
Cole Shelton - August 8, 2023
Vicente Luque needed to make some changes after losing back-to-back fights. Luque is coming off a knockout loss to Geoff Neal and before that dropped a decision to Belal Muhammad. After his last loss, he suffered a brain hemorrhage which is why he hasn’t fought for over a year.
Chatri Sityodtong reveals other States have reached out to host ONE Championship after "record-breaking" event in Denver
Cole Shelton - August 7, 2023
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong admits he was surprised with the reception the promotion got for their United States debut. Back in May, ONE made its promotional debut in the States as ONE Championship held an event in Denver, Colorado. It was something the promotion has talked about for years, but Chatri Sityodtong was still uncertain how the US fans would like ONE Championship.
Chatri Sityodtong reveals Angela Lee will make a "big statement" in September regarding her fighting future
Cole Shelton - August 4, 2023
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong says Angela Lee will be providing an update on her career soon. It was back in December of 2022 that Victoria Lee passed away at the tender age of 18. Since then, both of her siblings, Angela and Christian Lee, have opted against competing and Sityodtong says there is no rush on them to fight again, despite their championship status. For now, he says he’s left the Lee family to grieve and deal with the heartbreaking news.
Damon Jackson expects Billy Quarantillo scrap to be a "dog fight" at UFC Nashville: "Right from the bell it will be crazy firework"
Cole Shelton - August 3, 2023
Damon Jackson knows his scrap at UFC Nashville against Billy Quarantillo will be a dog fight. Jackson is coming off a KO loss to Dan Ige back in January and after that, he went on vacation to celebrate his 10-year anniversary with his wife. Once he was ready to return, Jackson was booked to fight at UFC Nashville which he is thrilled by as he hasn’t fought in front of fans during his entire second stint in the UFC.
Pro fighters make their picks for Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz boxing match
Cole Shelton - August 2, 2023
In the main event of an ESPN+ pay-per-view boxing match, Jake Paul is set to return from his first career loss as he takes on UFC veteran Nate Diaz. Heading into the bout, Paul is a sizeable -460 favorite while the Stockton native is a +320 underdog in what serves as his pro boxing debut on Saturday night in Dallas, Texas.
Billy Quarantillo plans to "smoke" Damon Jackson at UFC Nashville and prove he belongs: "A finish is what I am after"
Cole Shelton - August 2, 2023
Billy Quarantillo is looking to remind everyone just how good he is. Quarantillo is well-aware that MMA fans only remember people’s last fights. Unfortunately for Quarantillo, his last fight was a KO loss to Edson Barboza in the first round.
Chatri Sityodtong reveals ONE Championship hasn't talked to free agent Michael Page
Cole Shelton - August 1, 2023
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong says the promotion hasn’t reached out to Michael Page yet, and they are uncertain if they will. Michael Page recently revealed that he fought out his contract and was a free agent and was looking forward to seeing what is out there.
Trevin Giles expects Gabriel Bonfim to gas out at UFC 291 but says the Brazilian "isn't skilled enough to beat me" anyways
Cole Shelton - July 27, 2023
Trevin Giles is confident he will hand Gabriel Bonfim his first career loss. Giles is on a two-fight win streak and is coming off a decision win over Preston Parsons back in March. After the fight, Giles said his elbow was a bit banged up so he needed to take a bit of time off.
Stephen Thompson expecting a 'Fight of the Year' contender against Michel Pereira at UFC 291: "Preparing for the hardest fight ever"
Cole Shelton - July 26, 2023
Stephen Thompson is excited to finally get the chance to face Michel Pereira. After Thompson lost back-to-back fights to Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns he told BJPENN.com he wanted to be matched up with Pereira next. However, he ended up facing Kevin Holland and scored a TKO win but will now face Pereira at UFC 291.
UFC 291 | Pro fighters make their picks for Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2 BMF title fight
Cole Shelton - July 26, 2023
In the main event of UFC 291, the vacant BMF title is up for grabs as Dustin Poirier takes on Justin Gaethje in a highly-anticipated rematch. Heading into the scrap, Poirier is a -162 favorite while ‘The Highlight’ is a +126 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros are nearly unanimous in thinking Poirier will get the win in a rematch but most, to no surprise, are expecting it to be a potential Fight of the Year contender.