Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Drake Riggs - August 10, 2018

Mixed martial arts is a very complex sport. When broken down and the layers are peeled back, all techniques come from someone or something. Every punch, every kick, every takedown… Anything that a coach has taught a fighter, that coach has been taught by their coach and so on. It then continues through the fighter and on and on.

Tom Taylor - August 10, 2018

When Colby Covington defeated Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event of UFC 225 in June, he earned the UFC interim welterweight championship. The expectation was this accomplishment would set him up for a title unifying showdown with undisputed champion Tyron Woodley. Unfortunately for Covington, however, this is not the way things went down. Instead, the next welterweight title shot will go to Darren Till, who will battle Woodley in the main event of UFC 228 on September 8. Once this fight is underway, the UFC will quietly strip Covington of his interim title, as there will be no need for an interim title if there’s an active undisputed champion.

Tom Taylor - August 10, 2018

Earlier this week, on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz made some comments about Duane Ludwig, the head coach of current champ TJ Dillashaw. In what seemed like an attempt at an insult, Cruz claimed that Ludwig is trying to live vicariously through his star pupil. Apparently, Cruz is right.

Tom Taylor - August 10, 2018

Earlier this month, current UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington did what he said he’d do, and met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Speaking on the latest episode of BJPENN.COM Radio, Covington discussed this meeting with Trump — which he says was the best day of his life. He also shared a story Trump told him about one his multiple WWE appearances.

Tom Taylor - July 30, 2018

On October 20, fan favorite MMA veterans Phil Baroni and Chris Leben will step through the ropes to battle in a bareknuckle boxing match. While this matchup has generated a bit of controversy among fans, mainly due to Leben’s recent health problems, it’s one that has Baroni very excited. In Leben, Phil Baroni sees a kindred spirit. He considers himself and Leben to be the last of a dying breed; remnants of a vanishing warrior class that thrived not just on ability but on extreme toughness and strength of will.

Tom Taylor - July 30, 2018

Phil Baroni’s next challenge will occur in October, when he steps into the ring for a bareknuckle bout with a fellow veteran Chris Leben. For Baroni, this bareknuckle battle with Leben, a durable, ferocious, bona fide fighter, is just what the doctor ordered. Yet this isn’t the only prospective scrap that interests Baroni.

Tom Taylor - July 27, 2018

When fan favorite MMA veteran Phil Baroni heard that the Professional Fighters League would award the winners of its inaugural season $1 million apiece, he wanted in. Unfortunately, Baroni and the PFL never came an agreement. At present, Baroni is scheduled for an October 20 bareknuckle fight with fellow veteran Chris Leben. While this is a challenge he’s very excited about, he does still think bout that potential $1 million payday in the PFL cage.

Drake Riggs - July 24, 2018

In a way, UFC 227 will be a bantamweight showcase as the card hosts six bouts in the division. One of which being for the men’s title.

Chris Taylor - July 21, 2018

UFC lightweight standout Leonardo Santos (16-3-1 MMA) was expected to make his highly anticipated return to the octagon at June’s UFC Fight Night 131 event. Unfortunately for fights fans, the Brazilian submission specialist suffered an injury and was forced off of the June 1 fight card.

Chris Taylor - July 21, 2018

Mixed martial arts veteran Chris Leben is coming out of retirement to fight the “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni under the World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation banner. MMAFighting was first to report the news.

Tom Taylor - July 20, 2018

Speaking on a recent episode of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, former World Series of Fighting champ Justin Gaethje said that he will consider retiring from MMA if he’s outclassed by James Vick in the main event of UFC Lincoln on August 25. “I’m so much better than James Vick,” Gaethje said. “It sucks to say it, but if I was to go out there and get outclassed by James Vick, I’d have to hang them up.”

Tom Taylor - July 20, 2018

Originally, surging UFC lightweight contender James Vick was supposed to meet Paul Felder at last weekend’s UFC Boise card. When Al Iaquinta withdrew from his August 25th UFC Lincoln main event battle with Justin Gaethje, however, Vick got the call to replace him, and was transplanted from one card to the other. Fighting Gaethje instead of Felder, of course, was just fine with Vick.

Tom Taylor - July 16, 2018

UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington’s days as the UFC’s biggest heel could soon be over. Ahead of his title-unifying showdown with undisputed champ Tyron Woodley, which is not yet scheduled, Covington claims that fans are so disappointed with Woodley’s reign as champ, that he might turn face just to give them somebody to root for. “Woodley’s in his little safe space,” Covington said of Woodley on the latest episode of BJPENN.COM Radio. “Hollywood’s made him softer, so we’re gonna see each other across the Octagon, and I’m gonna retire him for good. There’s no more talk of Tyron Woodley. [To] all the fans, I’m supposed to be the bad guy. I’m selling this like I’m the bad guy, but I can’t even be the bad guy, ’cause anytime Tyron Woodley opens his mouth, he immediately becomes the bad guy. He’s trying to act like a good guy, but he’s talking about things that only bad guys talk about. So, Woodley… he needs to shut his mouth and just let me sell the fight. No one cares about him, he’s not a draw. That’s why he had to piggy back off Conor [McGregor], and he had to piggy back off Jon Jones to get pay per view points and make money.

Tom Taylor - July 16, 2018

UFC 225, which went down on June 9 in Chicago, was an extremely stacked card. It was headlined by a middleweight showdown between champ Robert Whittaker and overweight challenger Yoel Romero, co-headlined by an interim welterweight title fight between Colby Covington and Rafael dos Anjos, and sweetened by a host of other fantastic matchups. Surprisingly, however, the card is only reported to have sold something in the area of 250,000 pay-per-views — not a disastrous number, but certainly not a home run either.

Jordan Colbert - July 15, 2018

The Ultimate Fighter 27: Undefeated contestant Luis Pena entered the ranks of the stacked UFC lightweight division with a bang at the TUF 27 Finale with a first-round submission win over Richie Smullen. Only five fights into his professional career, Pena is already beginning to make waves and develop a cult following largely due to his unique persona to go along with an electric fight style. The man known as  ‘Violent Bob Ross’ hopped on a call with BJPenn.com for an exclusive interview as he looks ahead to his future inside of the UFC.

Tom Taylor - July 13, 2018

Shortly after Colby Covington captured the UFC interim welterweight title with a UFC 225 decision defeat of Rafael dos Anjos, he announced his plans to visit President Donald Trump at the Whitehouse.

Tom Taylor - July 12, 2018

Brock Lesnar is back. Well, almost.

Tom Taylor - July 12, 2018

When Colby Covington defeated Rafael dos Anjos to capture the UFC interim welterweight title at UFC 225, he set up a title-unifying showdown with undisputed champion Tyron Woodley.