Exclusive MMA Interviews News
UFC 238 | Calvin Kattar ready to show he belongs against Ricardo Lamas
Cole Shelton - June 4, 2019
Calvin Kattar will partake in one of the biggest fights of his career when he takes on Ricardo Lamas at UFC 238. When the 15th-ranked featherweight got the call to fight Lamas he was ecstatic. He understands just what a win would do for his career and is excited to show he is a top featherweight in the world. “I was pumped, man. I’ve been trying to fight a bunch of big names for a while now,” Kattar said to BJPENN.com. “I’m ready to go out and show why I belong. I don’t want to be the 15th-ranked fighter without taking out a top-15 fighter. I want to earn that spot. A win over Lamas shows I belong in that spot and can compete with guys who can fight for the title. He previously fought Aldo, that is more exciting and appealing.”
UFC 238 | Blagoy Ivanov sees clear path to victory over Tai Tuivasa
Cole Shelton - June 3, 2019
Blagoy Ivanov got his first UFC win his last time out when he took on Ben Rothwell. Now, the 32-year-old is set to take on another ranked fighter in Tai Tuivasa on the main card of UFC 238 this Saturday. The Aussie Tuivasa is coming off of the first loss of his career and is ranked above Ivanov which made it an easy decision to accept the fight.
Colby Covington feels fight fans have been 'robbed,' vows to fix the problem
Cole Shelton - May 31, 2019
Colby Covington hasn’t fought since UFC 225 back in June of 2018. Since then, he has had nasal surgery and a fairly public dispute with Dana White and the UFC — both of which have slowed down his return. Having been on the bench for close to a year, Covington isn’t happy with what he has seen. He believes UFC fans have been robbed, as the promotion’s champions aren’t fighting regularly. But he assures that once he becomes champion, he will fight anyone the UFC offers.
Gilbert Burns names multiple top lightweights who turned him down
Cole Shelton - May 30, 2019
Gilbert Burns is looking to get into the top-15 of the UFC lightweight division, but that has been easier said than done. The Brazilian is riding a two-fight winning streak with wins over Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Mike Davis. However, the 32-year-old says many ranked fighters have simply turned down the contract to fight him. Burns wanted to fight Alexander Hernandez, Gregor Gillespie, and Charles Oliveira — among others. Unfortunately, he’s had no luck finding a willing dance partner.
UFC Stockholm | Pro fighters make their picks for Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Smith
Cole Shelton - May 30, 2019
The Octagon returns to Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday with the fittingly titled UFC Stockholm card. The main event will be a battle of two top light heavyweights as Alexander Gustafsson will be looking to thwart Anthony Smith on home soil. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The majority believe the home crowd will play a factor and Gustafsson will win.
Demetrious Johnson comments on Sage Northcutt's ONE Championship loss
Tom Taylor - May 29, 2019
Singapore-based martial arts organization ONE Championship has recently signed a host of high profile free agents, most notably Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez, and Sage Northcutt. Among Western fans, many of whom grew familiar with these fighters during their time in the UFC, the widespread expectation was that all three would all be extremely successful in ONE. This has not been the case.
Colby Covington rips Jon Jones, Conor McGregor for not 'giving back'
Tom Taylor - May 29, 2019
Colby Covington recently paid a visit to the men and women in uniform aboard the USS New York. He believes that other UFC stars like Jon Jones and Conor McGregor should take note, and make more of an effort to give back to their communities.
Ayaka Hamasaki: Crafting a division's greatest untold legacy
Drake Riggs - May 28, 2019
‘The greatest of all time’ is a label reserved strictly for only one specific component. Of course, when breaking down the category overall that the subject pertains to, there can be multiple different variants that make up the classification of a G.O.A.T. In the general sports world, this often can come in the forms of a team’s best player historically. However, in a singular athletic endeavor like a combat sport such as mixed martial arts, the closest comparison to a team’s G.O.A.T. would be that of a weight division’s.
Angela Magana details scary coma incident, 'I don't remember anything'
Drake Riggs - May 27, 2019
A month ago, UFC strawweight veteran, Angela Magana was set to make her Combate Americas debut at Combate 36: Reinas on April 26 against Kyra Batara. Unfortunately, an emergency surgery to take care of a herniated disc took a turn for the worst.
Demetrious Johnson discusses next phases of ONE Championship career, life after MMA
Tom Taylor - May 27, 2019
Demetrious Johnson has already cemented himself one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, but he’s not ready to rest on his laurels. After a record-setting reign as the UFC flyweight champion, he is now zeroing in on a new title in ONE Championship. Johnson’s road to ONE Championship gold leads through the perilous ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. The former UFC champion has already advanced to the tournament’s second round, having submitted Yuya Wakamatsu in Tokyo in March, and he’s now looking ahead to a yet unscheduled semifinal showdown with former DEEP flyweight champion Tatsumitsu Wada.
Colby Covington trashes 'little b**ch' Nate Diaz
Cole Shelton - May 27, 2019
In the co-main event of UFC 241, Nate Diaz will return to the Octagon after nearly three years away to take on Anthony Pettis. Top welterweight contender Colby Covington believes this will be a fun fight for the fans. However, he believes the two fighters are past their primes and that they wouldn’t be competitive against the sport’s top welterweights.
Colby Covington willing to fight Jorge Masvidal: It would be an honor
Tom Taylor - May 26, 2019
Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal are two of the top welterweights on the UFC roster. They’re also training partners at American Top Team, and very close friends. While their friendship has beneficial in the past, it may soon become a bit of an obstacle, as both men are seemingly right on the cusp of welterweight title shots.
Colby Covington calls 'fake news' on Kamaru Usman surgery
Cole Shelton - May 24, 2019
Colby Covington has been waiting to get a shot at the welterweight title ever since he beat Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 to win the interim belt. It has been nearly a year since that fight, and Covington has stated he is ready to fight and is just waiting on the champion Kamaru Usman, who is recovering from injury. However, Covington believes Usman is not even hurt, and that he didn’t even need surgery. Instead, he thinks the champion is faking injuries to avoid him.
Jeremy Kennedy explains how he'll spend $1M if he wins PFL playoffs
Cole Shelton - May 23, 2019
UFC veteran Jeremy Kennedy is set to make his PFL debut tonight when he takes on Luis Rafael after his initial opponent was pulled for missing weight. However, the opponent change isn’t impacting Kennedy, who is no doubt ready to fight and win all the same. This will be Kennedy’s first time competing in a tournament format. The 26-year-old is excited about the matchmaking integrity the tournament format ensures. He can let his fighting do the talking.
Colby Covington issues challenge to Mike Perry
Tom Taylor - May 23, 2019
Colby Covington and Mike Perry have exchanged plenty of trash talk over the last few years. Unfortunately, their respective positions in the welterweight rankings have made it difficult for the UFC to match them up with each other. Colby Covington believes he has a solution that could open the door to a massive grudge match with Mike Perry.
Lance Palmer targets second $1M PFL win with a new team behind him
Tom Taylor - May 23, 2019
Last year, Lance Palmer took his impressive MMA career to new heights, winning the featherweight playoffs in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and earning a gold belt and $1M prize for his efforts. This season, he’ll look to accomplish the same feat with a new team behind him. Ahead of his first PFL bout of the season, which will pit him against Alex Gilpin this very evening, Palmer has relocated to New Jersey where he is training under renowned coach Mark Henry.
Dan Lambert says he has been told Covington vs. Usman is next '100 percent'
Cole Shelton - May 17, 2019
After Colby Covington beat Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 to win the interim welterweight title, the expectation was that he would fight Tyron Woodley for the undisputed belt. They do not like each other and it would have been one of the bigger fights of the year. However, “Chaos” was passed up not once but twice at UFC 228 and UFC 235. On those cards, Woodley beat Darren Till and then lost to Kamaru Usman. Following Usman winning the belt, UFC President Dana White said Colby Covington was next for a title shot. But for months now, nothing has been said and Usman’s manager has talked about Ben Askren or Jorge Masvidal getting the title shot instead.
Kevin Lee believes 165-pound division is 'inevitable,' sees no downside to it
Cole Shelton - May 17, 2019
Kevin Lee is set to move up to welterweight to take on Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC Rochester. Although Lee will weigh around 170 pounds, he was hoping by now he would be a part of a new 165-pound division. Lee and several other fighters have talked about why this division is so important for their health, and added that the UFC would benefit from the creation of another belt. However, UFC President Dana White has said there won’t be a 165-pound division for at least the next seven years — as long as he is in charge. But, “The Motown Phenom” is not buying that at all.