Exclusive MMA Interviews News
Ben Askren says it's "highly unlikely" he will take another MMA fight, but would consider it if "the right opportunity presented itself"
Cole Shelton - April 16, 2021
Ben Askren is ending his retirement to box Jake Paul on Saturday night, and given he’s getting back into combat sports, many wondered if he would return to MMA. When Askren retired in November of 2019, he cited a hip injury, however, he said he was just retiring from being a professional fighter, and would take one-off fights. That is exactly how the Paul fight came to be. It’s a unique opportunity where Askren gets the chance to beat up a YouTuber for a ton of money.
Frank Mir believes his daughter, Bella "checks off every box to be a world champion, a Hall of Famer"
Cole Shelton - April 15, 2021
Frank Mir believes his daughter Bella has all the capabilities to be one of the best fighters ever. Bella is 2-0 as a pro and at just 18-years-old has shown some promise. According to Frank Mir, he says he tried to talk his daughter out of being a fighter due to how little fighters make. However, after some time, he liked the idea of her following in his footsteps and after two wins, Mir is confident she has what it takes to be a world champion one day.
Chase Sherman eager to fight "legend" Andrei Arlovski, but expects to "finish him early"
Cole Shelton - April 15, 2021
Chase Sherman has had a whirlwind of a year. Last May, Sherman was signed back into the UFC and got a TKO win over Ike Villanueva. After that, however, he was suspended by USADA for failing to disclose. He took a supplement months before he was with the UFC, and didn’t write it down on the sheet.
Pro fighters make their picks for Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Cole Shelton - April 15, 2021
In the main event of UFC Vegas 24, Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum are finally set to meet. Whittaker enters the fight as a -265 favorite while the eighth-ranked middleweight is a +210 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The majority believe Whittaker will get the job done as he is the better mixed martial artist.
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.
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.
Frank Mir excited to "challenge" himself in boxing debut, believes a win solidifies his legacy
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021
Frank Mir was preparing to make his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut in early 2021 when he got a call to make his boxing debut. Originally, Mir was set to fight Antonio Tarver in the co-main event to Ben Askren vs. Jake Paul. However, the Georgia Commission wouldn’t clear Tarver, so Mir is now set to face Steve Cunningham. Although it is a change of opponent, Mir is still excited at the opportunity of making his pro boxing debut.
Ben Askren expects to make Jake Paul "quit" in boxing match: "I’ll make him hate his life"
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2021
Ben Askren jumped at the opportunity to box YouTuber, Jake Paul. After Paul knocked out Nate Robinson on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. undercard, he called out several MMA fighters including Askren. Although “Funky” just had hip surgery and isn’t known as a striker, the former ONE Championship and Bellator champion knew this was a good opportunity to make a ton of money and beat up someone who he claims, isn’t a good fighter.
Julia Budd expects to earn rematch with Cris Cyborg after Bellator 257, knows fight "would be a different outcome"
Cole Shelton - April 12, 2021
Julia Budd believes she can earn a rematch with Cris Cyborg if she beats Dayana Silva at Bellator 257. On Friday night, Budd will welcome the Contender Series veteran to Bellator in an interesting fight. The Canadian is set for her second fight since losing her belt to Cyborg and thought about holding out for a title shot but is eager to fight again.
Vicente Luque explains why he will never fight Gilbert Burns
Cole Shelton - April 9, 2021
Vicente Luque and Gilbert Burns are both top-six welterweights, yet the two will never fight one another. Burns and Luque have been teammates and friends for years. Burns is coming off a TKO loss to his former teammate in Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title and will face Stephen Thomson at UFC 264. It’s a very intriguing matchup and Luque says he’s eager to see Burns face “Wonderboy” and he plans to help Burns out as much as possible.
Joe Solecki eager to share the Octagon with a "very dangerous" Jim Miller: "I've been watching him since I was 12"
Cole Shelton - April 8, 2021
Joe Solecki didn’t think he would be fighting Jim Miller in just his third UFC fight. After Solecki submitted Austin Hubbard last August, he wanted time off with a newborn on the way. However, the hope was to return in December or January, but the first contract offer he got was to face Miller.
Sam Alvey expects to "put on a show" against Julian Marquez: "I will test his chin"
Cole Shelton - April 7, 2021
Sam Alvey is going into another do-or-die fight for his UFC career. Alvey enters his UFC on ABC 2 fight against Jullian Marquez being 0-4-1 in his last five. However, all five of those took place at light heavyweight so Alvey is moving back down to 185lbs and plans to take advantage of the UFC giving him one more fight.
Vicente Luque wants Colby Covington next after Nate Diaz gets booked: "It's the fight I need"
Cole Shelton - April 6, 2021
Vicente Luque has shifted his focus to Colby Covington. At UFC 260, Luque picked up the biggest win of his career as he scored a first-round submission win over Tyron Woodley. It was a solid performance for Luque and he wants to keep the momentum going by fighting some ranked above him.
Sodiq Yusuff expects to finish Arnold Allen and put the featherweight division on notice: "The winner is getting a top-five opponent"
Cole Shelton - April 6, 2021
Sodiq Yusuff is eager to get back into the Octagon in the co-main event of UFC on ABC 2. After Yusuff beat Andre Fili at UFC 246 in January of 2020, the Nigerian expected a big fight next time out. However, due to the pandemic, Yusuff couldn’t get a fight booked.
Vicente Luque believes he "sent a message to the division" with his "decisive" win over Tyron Woodley
Cole Shelton - April 5, 2021
Vicente Luque was pleased with his win over Tyron Woodley at UFC 260. In the co-main event of the pay-per-view card, Luque knew he had to beat Woodley in order to prove he’s a future title challenger. Although the former champ was on a three-fight losing streak and wasn’t throwing many punches, Luque expected a very aggressive Woodley and that is exactly what he got.
Alonzo Menifield knew he would submit Fabio Cherant, eyes June return
Cole Shelton - April 2, 2021
Alonzo Menifield knew there was a lot of pressure on him entering his UFC 260 fight. Originally, Menifield was set to face William Knight but just three days before Knight was out of the fight due to testing positive for COVID-19. When Menifield found out the news, he was disappointed as he thought he wouldn’t get the chance to fight.
Patricio Pitbull says he "would embarrass" Alex Volkanovski if they fought: "It would be a massacre"
Cole Shelton - April 1, 2021
Patricio Pitbull has made it known, he wants a cross-promotional fight against Alex Volkanovski. Pitbull is the current featherweight and lightweight champion in Bellator while Volkanovski holds UFC gold at featherweight. Both men have taken shots at one another on social media, and Pitbull has called for the fight to happen. Yet, he doesn’t believe it will happen.
Emmanuel Sanchez expects to put on a "dominating performance" and finish Patricio Pitbull to become the new champ
Cole Shelton - March 31, 2021
Emmanuel Sanchez is eager to show how much he improved since November 15, 2018. On that date, Sanchez lost a decision to Patricio Pitbull for the featherweight title. It was a back-and-forth fight with both men hurting the other. Since the fight, both men have gone undefeated with Pitbull winning the lightweight title as well. But, in the main event of Bellator 255, which serves as the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix, Sanchez is eager to exact his revenge.