MMA News
UFC president Dana White defends Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O’Malley 2
Harry Kettle - April 16, 2025
UFC president Dana White has defended the promotion’s decision to book a rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. As we know, Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley are set to run it back at UFC 316 on June 7. It will serve as an immediate rematch for O’Malley, who hasn’t competed since his initial loss to Merab. While it wasn’t all one-way traffic, the majority of people believe that the Georgian decisively won the contest. Since then, he’s also successfully defended the strap against Umar Nurmagomedov.
Movsar Evloev issues defiant response to Yair Rodriguez’s title shot claim
Harry Kettle - April 16, 2025
UFC featherweight contender Movsar Evloev has given his thoughts on Yair Rodriguez claiming that he should receive a title shot after UFC 314. For the longest time now, Movsar Evloev has been a top contender in the UFC’s featherweight division. Despite that, he hasn’t really been given his flowers by a lot of MMA fans. Many aren’t that impressed by his style and don’t believe he’s deserving of a crack at the title. However, now that Alexander Volkanovski is once again the champion, you’d have to think he’d be more than happy to give someone like Movsar a shot.
Khabib Nurmagomedov gives his thoughts on most competitive title fight for Islam Makhachev
Harry Kettle - April 16, 2025
Khabib Nurmagomedov has given his thoughts on who Islam Makhachev’s most competitive fight could be at lightweight. Right now, it’s hard to argue against Islam Makhachev being the best fighter in the UFC – and all of mixed martial arts. He has an incredible resume, he’s beaten some elite names, and he is the reigning UFC lightweight champion. You may not be a big fan of his style in comparison to others, but nobody can deny the body of work that he’s put together.
Former World’s Strongest Man admits that he was humbled by Tom Aspinall in training
Harry Kettle - April 16, 2025
Former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall has admitted that he’s been humbled in the past by training with Tom Aspinall. As we know, Tom Aspinall is one of the most dangerous fighters in mixed martial arts. He is the interim UFC heavyweight champion, and he’s hunting down the undisputed gold which is currently held by Jon Jones. Ever since arriving in the promotion, he has done nothing but impress the masses with the quality and efficiency of his performances inside the Octagon.
Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why Islam Makhachev doesn’t want to fight Ilia Topuria
BJ Penn Staff - April 15, 2025
UFC star Islam Makhachev does not want to fight Ilia Topuria — at least, if his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov is to be believed. Makhachev is the UFC lightweight champion. He is also the top fighter in the promotion’s hallowed pound-for-pound rankings. That list also includes Topuria, who is a touch lower down the list.
WATCH | Sean O'Malley trains with Israel Adesanya ahead of UFC 316 title fight
BJ Penn Staff - April 15, 2025
Sean O’Malley has been training with one of the best fighters in MMA history ahead of his UFC 316 rematch with Merab Dvalishvili. UFC 316 goes down on June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. O’Malley will meet Dvalishvili in the main event.
MMA fans roast jiu jitsu scene in HBO hit The Last of Us
BJ Penn Staff - April 15, 2025
The first season of the HBO series The Last of Us was a massive success. Fans of the original video game loved it, and critics did too. After an extremely long wait, the second season debuted last weekend. The reception to the first episode was generally quite positive. However, there was one scene in the The Last of Us season two episode one that some fans seemingly didn’t quite buy. Specifically, MMA fans.
Joe Rogan welcomes UFC star Ilia Topuria to podcast
BJ Penn Staff - April 15, 2025
It’s been a little while since a UFC star appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The wait is over, thanks to a recent visit from former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. Topuria is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC right now, sporting a perfect 16-0 record. He has spent the bulk of his career competing in the featherweight division. In early 2024, he captured the division’s title with a knockout of featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski. Later in the year, he defended the title with a knockout of another legend in Max Holloway. He was the first man to stop Holloway with strikes.
UFC Kansas City: Ian Machado Garry takes credit for Shavkat Rakhmonov's injury
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 15, 2025
Ian Machado Garry believes he had something to do with Shavkat Rakhmonov’s inability to compete for gold at UFC 315. Belal Muhammad is scheduled to put the UFC Welterweight Championship at stake against Jack Della Maddalena on May 10. It was revealed that Rakhmonov couldn’t accept the title fight due to an injury. The UFC ended up pulling Maddalena from a planned UFC London bout with Leon Edwards, so that the UFC 315 main event could be made official.
Amanda Nunes explains wanting to fight Kayla Harrison more than Julianna Pena
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 15, 2025
Amanda Nunes appears to be heading for a return to the Octagon at some point, and she’d prefer to fight Kayla Harrison. Nunes retired from pro MMA competition after scoring a unanimous decision victory over Irene Aldana on June 10, 2023. Just 10 days later, the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship was vacated. The current titleholder is Nunes’ old foe Julianna Pena.
UFC icon wonders if Michael Chandler was worthy of his spot following UFC 314 loss to Paddy Pimblett
Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 15, 2025
One former UFC slugger wonders if Michael Chandler was ever truly UFC material. Chandler is coming off a beatdown at the hands of Paddy Pimblett in the co-main event of UFC 314. “The Baddy” battered Chandler to secure a third-round TKO finish. After the fight, UFC CEO Dana White compared Chandler to late boxing legend Arturo Gatti.
What's next for the stars of UFC 314?
Cole Shelton - April 15, 2025
The UFC was in Miami, Florida, for a stacked UFC 314 card on Saturday. The main event saw the vacant featherweight title up for grabs as Alexander Volkanovski took on Diego Lopes. UFC 314 also saw Paddy Pimblett taking on Michael Chandler in a five-round co-main event fight at lightweight.
Colby Covington issues a warning to Paddy Pimblett following UFC 314 incident
Harry Kettle - April 15, 2025
Colby Covington has issued a warning to Paddy Pimblett following their backstage altercation following UFC 314 last weekend. As we know, Colby Covington is a big fan of stirring the pot. He will do anything and everything in his power to get under the skin of his opponents and more often than not, it works. Last Saturday night, he decided to engage in a backstage confrontation with Paddy Pimblett, who had just defeated Michael Chandler in the co-main event of the evening.
Alexander Volkanovski’s coach reveals injury suffered early in UFC 314 fight
Harry Kettle - April 15, 2025
Alexander Volkanovski’s coach has revealed that his student suffered an injury early in his fight at UFC 314. In the main event of UFC 314, Alexander Volkanovski returned to his former glories. In what proved to be an incredibly entertaining fight, ‘The Great’ went to war with Diego Lopes for the UFC featherweight championship. While Lopes had his moments, it was the Australian who managed to get over the line and get his hand raised in victory. For his fans and the MMA community as a whole, it was quite the moment.
Michael Chandler breaks silence following defeat to Paddy Pimblett
Harry Kettle - April 15, 2025
Michael Chandler has broken his silence following his defeat at the hands of Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314. Last weekend, Michael Chandler fell short in his collision with Paddy Pimblett. In fact, it wound up being a pretty one-sided fight. The former Bellator champion was never really in the fight and in the third round, he was beaten and battered to the point where his rival eventually finished him. Now, the big question is this: what’s next?
Rafael Lovato Jr. secures ONE Championship debut against Giancarlo Bodoni
BJPENN.COM Staff - April 14, 2025
A submission grappling bout for the ages between two-time ADCC World Champion Giancarlo Bodoni and BJJ legend Rafael Lovato Jr. is set to go down when ONE Championship returns to the United States this summer at ONE 173: Denver. On Friday, August 1, the two elite grapplers will face off in a monumental middleweight submission grappling contest inside Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena.
Mike Perry sends warning to Conor McGregor: 'I'll f**k you up'
BJ Penn Staff - April 14, 2025
Mike Perry wants to make one thing very clear: If Conor McGregor ever picks a fight with him, it will not go well for the Irishman. Perry, a UFC veteran, is now the biggest star on the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) roster. He was won all five fights with the promotion, including victories over former UFC champs and title challengers in Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez, and Thiago Alves. He also holds the promotion’s ‘King of Violence’ belt.
Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes share classy exchange after UFC 314 fight
BJ Penn Staff - April 14, 2025
Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes beat the heck out of each other over the weekend, but there is clearly nothing but respect between them. Volkanovski and Lopes met in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 314 in Miami. The pair collided for the featherweight belt, which was vacated by Ilia Topuria earlier this year.