Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Tom Taylor - October 5, 2018

Having already established himself as one of MMA’s premier fighters, Colby Covington is now hoping that he’ll have the chance to prove himself as a top pro wrestler in the future too. Covington has made no secret of his pro wrestling goals in the past, but on episode 100 of BJPENN.CMOM Radio, he divulged that the wheels are already in motion for a future WWE move.

Tom Taylor - October 5, 2018

From the sounds of it, UFC 230 will be headlined by a women’s flyweight title fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Sijara Eubanks. That being said, it also sounds like the card was nearly headlined by a welterweight title fight between interim champion Colby Covington and undisputed champion Tyron Woodley. This per Colby Covington himself, who discussed his negotiations for a UFC 230 fight on episode 100 of BJPENN.COM Radio.

Cole Shelton - October 5, 2018

Leslie Smith has been fighting professionally since 2009. However, the former UFC bantamweight contender hasn’t fought since July 2017. Smith, who is on a two-fight winning streak with victories over Irene Aldana and Amanda Lemos, was set to take on Aspen Ladd at UFC Fight Night 128 in April, but unfortunately, this plan was derailed. At the weigh-ins for the fight, Ladd missed weight. With Ladd missing her mark, it was reported that she was offering Smith $5,000 dollars in addition to 20% of her purse as incentive to accept a catch weight. Unfortunately, the UFC then opted to pay Smith her show and win money and cancel the fight. Having been paid, Smith was then released by the UFC.

Tom Taylor - October 5, 2018

This Saturday night, in the co-main event of UFC 229, Tony Ferguson will return from a nasty LCL injury to take on former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in a key lightweight contender bout. According to Ferguson’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Eddie Bravo, this brutal LCL injury is now soundly in the rear-view mirror. We won’t be seeing any lingering side-effects of it come fight time.

Mike Straus - October 2, 2018

One of the Midwest’s most promising middleweight prospects, Alton “The Bo-Man” Cunningham is ready to take the next step in his young career when he takes on Victor Jones at Pure FC 10 on October 20. If his name rings a bell, it’s likely you recognize The Bo-Man from his Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS) match up with the highly regarded Bevon Lewis. Although Cunningham lost the fight on the DWTNCS, the lessons he learned were invaluable.

Tom Taylor - October 2, 2018

This Saturday’s UFC 229 title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor is all anybody can talk about these days. This massive lightweight title fight between undefeated reigning champion and history-making former champion is dominating the headlines and airwaves, and is likely to continue doing so until well after the fight itself has drawn to a close. Eventually, of course, the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor buzz will quiet. The loser of the fight will return to the drawing board, tail tucked between their legs, while the winner will march proudly toward their next massive challenge.

Tom Taylor - October 2, 2018

This Saturday night, in the main event of UFC 229, undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will attempt to defend his title opposite former UFC lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor. While Khabib Nurmagomedov has faced some strong opposition in the past, such as Rafael dos Anjos, Michael Johnson, and Edson Barboza, Conor McGregor is easily the most dangerous opponent he’s faced over the course of his 26-fight career. The Russian’s head coach, Javier Mendez, is well aware of this fact.

BJPENN.COM Staff - October 1, 2018

It is instinctive for people to look for someone to idolize, look up to and imitate. Someone from whom they draw strength and inspiration from, to go on with their lives towards where they want to go and what they want to be. This is the reason why people look up to the rich and famous, celebrities who grace the celluloid movie screens, athletes who have made names and millions, wealthy business tycoons, and the list goes on and on.

Tom Taylor - October 1, 2018

Khabib Nurmagomedov has long been considered one of the best lightweights in the world, but for a time between 2014 and 2016, his standing in the division was seriously hurt by his inability to stay healthy. During that period, Khabib Nurmagomedov was scheduled for three fights — two with Donald Cerrone, and one with Tony Ferguson. Unfortunately, not one of these bouts came to fruition as the Russian star kept sustaining injuries that rendered him unable to compete.

Cole Shelton - September 29, 2018

Jimmie Rivera suffered a devastating 33-second knockout loss to Marlon Moraes at June’s UFC Fight Night event in Utica. The loss snapped a twenty-fight win streak for “El Terror” and came at a great cost. Had he defeated Moraes, Rivera most likely would have been granted the next title shot at T.J. Dillashaw, but after the loss, it was back to the drawing board for the New Jersey native. Rivera decided it was time to return to the octagon just three months after the loss. Jimmie took on fan favourite John Dodson at September’s UFC 228 in Dallas. The quick turnaround had many fans and analysts feeling that Rivera was coming back too soon, especially given the way he lost to Moraes.

Tom Taylor - September 28, 2018

On October 6, in the main event of UFC 229, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will attempt to defend his title against former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor. Given that Conor McGregor is one of the most feared strikers in UFC history, many fans and pundits feel Khabib Nurmagomedov would be wise to use his world-class wrestling early on. Nurmagomedov’s head coach Javier Mendez shares this opinion — although he’s not confident Nurmagomedov will do so. The Russian champion, after all, often deviates from the intended game plan in his fights. And while this can occasionally be frustrating for Mendez, he maintains that it’s okay so long as Nurmagomedov keeps winning.

Drake Riggs - September 27, 2018

At Bellator 206 this Saturday night, the highly skilled counterpart to Gilbert Melendez, Keri Melendez welcomes newcomer Dakota Zimmerman to the ranks of the pros. Although Melendez is only 2-0 in her professional MMA career, she has built up a solid reputation as a kickboxer thus earning her a deserved spotlight.

Cole Shelton - September 27, 2018

On Saturday, on the main card of Bellator 206, one of the most highly regarded prospects in all of MMA, Aaron Pico, will be taking on Leandro Higo. Pico is looking to continue his run in the featherweight division to an eventual title shot. While many believe Pico is destined to be a future champion, he already knows what it takes to be a champion as he’s been training with UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw at the Treigning Lab in California.

Tom Taylor - September 27, 2018

The UFC 229 press conference, which featured UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and his upcoming opponent Conor McGregor, produced all of the trash talk and saber-rattling we anticipated. Most of that trash talk, of course, came from McGregor, who is as known for his gift of gab as he is for his fistic proficiency. While Conor McGregor is infamous for his trash talk, many fans feel he crossed some lines at this UFC 229 press conference, as he targeted Nurmagomedov’s entourage, his family, and even his religion.

Tom Taylor - September 27, 2018

Aaron Pico (3-1) has only been competing as a professional mixed martial artist for a little over a year. Yet in this short timeframe, the American wrestler has managed to establish himself as one of the most promising prospects on the Bellator roster — and he’s done so with a trio of thunderous knockout wins, showing he’s far more than just a wrestler. This Saturday, on the main card of the stacked Bellator 206 card, Aaron Pico will take on the biggest test of his career thus far, as he battles an exponentially more experienced foe in former Bellator bantamweight title challenger Leandro Higo (18-4).

Tom Taylor - September 26, 2018

In his last fight, which went down January, Douglas Lima surrendered the Bellator welterweight title to reigning champion Rory MacDonald, losing a close decision to the Canadian. So long as he performs well in his upcoming Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix matchups, starting with his Bellator 206, scrap with Andrey Koreshkov, Lima could easily have the chance to reclaim the title from MacDonald in the near future. If Douglas Lima gets this chance, he will apply the lessons he learned from his first with MacDonald to their second fight. The key takeaway from this first fight, he says, is that he needs to continue fighting ferociously for the bout’s duration. In hindsight, he feels he let his foot off the gas a little too much in the latter phases of the first fight.

Cole Shelton - September 24, 2018

Arguably the best MMA prospect in the entire world is California native Aaron Pico. Pico grew up around fighting, he was a wrestler growing up and became one of the best in America. He would go onto win the Cadet World Championship in 2013. He followed that by coming second and third in 2014 and 2015 at the Junior World Championship for wrestling.

Cole Shelton - September 21, 2018

There is no question about it. The top fighters in the UFC make a pretty penny, while the fighters competing on the prelims often struggle to get by. This has been a huge concern for several fighters, some of whom have attempted to start a fighter’s union to improve things, though these efforts have not gained much traction. South Dakota native Devin Clark falls into this second category of fighters. He is currently not ranked and isn’t fighting the kind of big fights that will improve his pay. While Clark will be taking on Aleksander Rakic at UFC 231 on Dec. 8, he knows he has to win to get his win bonus, as well as make it flashy for a shot at a performance bonus.