Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Tom Taylor - February 14, 2017

For several weeks, we have known that a light heavyweight scrap between British knockout artist Jimi Manuwa and American wrestler Corey Anderson would serve as the main event of the UFC’s March 18 return to London, England. Now, we also know the card’s co-main event. London’s co-main event spot will be filled by a welterweight scrap between fan favorite striker Alan Jouban, and Icelandic grappling specialist Gunnar Nelson. This booking was initially reported by @TalkMMA on Twitter, and confirmed by a Tuesday press release from the UFC.

Chris Taylor - February 12, 2017

Last weekend, the UFC touched down in Houston, Texas with its annual Super Bowl weekend card which featured the return of the Korean Zombie. The event was headlined by an intriguing featherweight showdown. In one corner, we had Dennis Bermudez. In the other, we had Chan Sung Jung – more widely known as “The Korean Zombie” – who was returning from a hiatus of more than three years.

bjpenndotcom - February 11, 2017

While UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is currently recovering from a recent knee surgery following his first successful title defense at UFC 204 against Dan Henderson, he and middleweight #1 contender Yoel Romero have continued to trade barbs in interviews.

bjpenndotcom - February 10, 2017

This past weekend, featherweight superstar ‘The Korean Zombie’, Chan Sung Jung stepped into the Octagon for the first time in nearly 4 years. The return was a triumphant one for the fan-favorite featherweight, who had been absent from the Octagon since his 2013 TKO loss to Jose Aldo. Following that fight, The Korean Zombie began his mandatory two-years of military service to South Korea. Fortunately, The Korean Zombie was able to continue training despite his military service, however that combined with fatherhood has certainly left a lasting impact on the zombie, and how he views fighting.

bjpenndotcom - February 8, 2017

Leading up to UFC 200, top ranked middleweight Derek Brunson was set to face off with Gegard Mousasi in a highly anticipated middleweight showdown. Unfortunately, leading up to the fight, Brunson was forced to pull out of the fight with vision issues. Now, ahead of his scheduled UFC 208 scrap against Anderson Silva this weekend in Brooklyn, Brunson is 100% healthy and ready to move one step closer to a middleweight title shot. With that being said however, Brunson believes a rescheduled fight with Mousasi could be on the horizon.

Tom Taylor - February 8, 2017

This Saturday, on the main card of UFC 208, Tim Boetsch will take on the incredibly dangerous Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. If he’s able to spring the upset against this highly regarded foe, he will find himself in the top-end of the middleweight rankings, where fights with foes like Chris Weidman, Gegard Mousasi, Yoel Romero, and champ Michael Bisping could await. All four of the aforementioned men, of course, are currently busy. Weidman and Mousasi will duke it out at UFC 210, while Bisping and Romero are expected to fight for the title sometime in the next few months.

Tom Taylor - February 8, 2017

This weekend, on the main card of UFC 208, Tim Boetsch will face one of the biggest tests of his long career in Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Given that Jacare stands out as one of the middleweight division’s top contenders, and Boetsch currently sits on the fringes of the divisional top-15, the announcement of this fight was admittedly a bit of a head-scratcher. That said, Boetsch doesn’t plan to let the opportunity go to waste. Though he knows a prolonged grappling exchange with Jacare is a dangerous possibility, he believes he can out-strike the Brazilian contender, knock him out, and usurp his spot in the top end of the middleweight rankings.

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2017

Back in December of 2016, former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was scheduled to rematch a fellow former champ in Fabricio Werdum. The winner of this fight was expected to challenge reigning champ Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight crown. Unfortunately, Velasquez was forced out of this anticipated heavyweight showdown with an injury just days before it was supposed to go down. This marked the latest incident in the long string of injuries that have marred the recent years of his otherwise incredible career.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2017

On Saturday night, the UFC touched down in Denver, Colorado with UFC on Fox 23. In the evening’s co-main event, hometown hero Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone looked to extend his welterweight record to 5-0 with a win over the ever-dangerous Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal, however, had other plans. After very nearly finishing Cowboy in the first, the American Top Team staple put his his foe down with a series of hooks to the body in the second. Just over 24 hours removed from this massive win, Masvidal took time out of his busy schedule to speak with Chris Taylor of BJPenn.com.

Russell Ess - January 27, 2017

Jorge Masvidal is more than excited to meet Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the middle of the Octagon at UFC on FOX 23 on January 28. Masvidal was a guest on Wednesday’s episode of BJPENN.COM Radio and told host Jason “Kinch” Kindschy that he knew it was just a matter of time that he would be fighting Cerrone, and now is looking to step in front of him in the rankings at welterweight for his climb up to a title shot.

Tom Taylor - January 27, 2017

Tomorrow night, in the co-main event of the UFC’s latest stop in Denver, Colorado, dangerous veteran Jorge Masvidal will get a big step up in competition against the streaking Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Since moving to the welterweight division, Cowboy has gone a perfect 4-0, scoring stoppage wins over Alex Oliveira, Patrick Cote, Rick Story, and most recently, Matt Brown. The simple fact is that, at this point, nobody in the division has quite figured out how to beat him.

Chris Taylor - January 22, 2017

Former two division UFC champion BJ Penn returned to the octagon at last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 103 event in Phoenix, Arizona. The UFC Hall of Famer, Penn, squared off with surging featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez in the evening’s main event.

Chris Taylor - January 22, 2017

Welterweight knockout artist Mike Perry burst on to the UFC scene in 2016 scoring electrifying stoppage victories in his first two fights with the promotion. Unfortunately for fans of “Platinum”, the 170-pound slugger suffered his first career setback at December’s UFC on FOX event in Sacramento, dropping a decision loss to surging welterweight contender Alan Jouban on the evenings main card.

Russell Ess - January 16, 2017

It was not the outcome that BJ Penn and his loyal fans were looking for on Sunday at UFC Fight Night 103 in Phoenix, Arizona. The UFC Hall of Fame legend ended up losing to rising UFC star Yair Rodriguez in the main event of the evening in the second round as referee “Big” John McCarthy called a stop to the fight after Rodriguez dropped Penn for the first time in his career and followed up with a flurry of punches on the ground.

Russell Ess - January 16, 2017

The main event of UFC Fight Night 103 brought UFC Hall of Fame legend BJ Penn back into the Octagon to take on the 24-year-old rising UFC star Yair Rodriguez. It wasn’t the outcome that Penn and his fans were looking for as Rodriguez was able to pick up a second round TKO stoppage over the former two-division UFC champion.

Chris Taylor - January 14, 2017

Later tonight UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn will return to the octagon for the first time since July of 2014 when he squares off with dangerous striker Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 103. Prior to tonight’s highly anticipated ‘UFC Phoenix’ main event, the former two division UFC champion delivered one final message for his fans. “I am very happy that I get to perform in front of my fans today. I’m going to leave it all out there for you guys tonight. I hope you guys all enjoy it and thank you so much for supporting me over the years. I started fighting in the UFC in 2001 and you guys still support me today in 2017. I am just so humbled and all I can say is thank you guys so much!”

Chris Taylor - January 14, 2017

Current UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will return to the octagon on March 4 in Las Vegas where he will rematch top contender Stephen Thompson in the main event of UFC 209. Thompson and Woodley first met at this past November’s UFC 205 event in New York, and after a five-round war the title fight was ruled a majority draw by the judges in attendance.

Chris Taylor - January 14, 2017

UFC welterweight standout Alan Jouban (15-4 MMA) is coming off arguably the finest performance of his octagon career at last month’s UFC on FOX 22 event in Sacramento, where he handed Mike Perry (9-1 MMA) the first loss of his professional career via unanimous decision. The victory marked Alan Jouban’s third win in a row and fifth in his past six octagon appearances.