MMA News
UFC 296 | Pro fighters make their picks for Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington title fight
Cole Shelton - December 13, 2023
In the main event of UFC 296, the welterweight title is up for grabs as Leon Edwards looks to defend his belt for the second time against Colby Covington. Heading into the fight, Edwards is a -156 favorite while ‘Chaos’ is a +122 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to make their picks for the title fight at UFC 296. The pros lean towards Covington pulling off the upset and becoming the new welterweight champion.
Dana White says he is “absolutely” cool with Tom Aspinall defending his UFC interim heavyweight title
Susan Cox - December 13, 2023
Dana White is saying he’s ‘absolutely’ cool with Tom Aspinall defending his UFC interim heavyweight title. It was UFC 295 that saw Tom Aspinall (14-3 MMA) defeat Sergei Pavlovich (18-2 MMA) by KO at 1:09 of Round 1 to claim the interim heavyweight title as his own.
Benoit Saint Denis accuses the Nurmagomedov family of being “loaded like mules”
Susan Cox - December 13, 2023
Benoit Saint Denis is accusing the Nurmagomedov family of being ‘loaded like mules’. Saint Denis, speaking with ‘Le Figaro‘ had this to say about the Nurmagomedov clan:
Dana White rejects Colby Covington’s request for Donald Trump walkout at UFC 296
Susan Cox - December 13, 2023
UFC CEO Dana White has rejected Colby Covington’s request for Donald Trump walkout at UFC 296. This coming Saturday, December 16th, will see Colby Covington (17-3 MMA) facing Leon Edwards (21-3 MMA) in the welterweight main event title fight which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Johan Ghazali dismisses Rodtang parallels after ONE Fight Night 17 win: 'I want to be my own person'
BJPENN.COM Staff - December 13, 2023
Johan Ghazali is daring to dream big. At ONE Fight Night 17 last Friday, “Jojo” didn’t disappoint. There, he made quick work of Edgar Tabares, knocking out the former World Title challenger in 36 seconds with a body shot.
Ian Machado Garry taunts his haters with brash promo ahead of UFC 296 (Video)
Harry Kettle - December 13, 2023
UFC contender Ian Machado Garry has taunted his haters with a newly released promo ahead of UFC 296. Over the course of the last few weeks, Ian Machado Garry has faced a lot of adversity. Between stories about his wife and stories about him being kicked out of gyms, the Irishman has been public enemy number one in mixed martial arts. Alas, despite all of the noise, the youngster is still focused on the task at hand this weekend.
Buakaw praises Stamp Fairtex for three-sport world title feat: ‘I got to give it up to her’
BJPENN.COM Staff - December 13, 2023
Buakaw Banchamek finds himself in awe of a Thai compatriot who has shattered barriers and rewritten history — Stamp Fairtex. Stamp’s unprecedented feat of becoming the first-ever three-sport ONE World Champion has left the renowned Muay Thai legend mesmerized.
Sean Strickland's Coach explains the key factor behind defeating Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297
Harry Kettle - December 13, 2023
Sean Strickland’s head coach Eric Nicksick has given his thoughts on the champion’s upcoming clash with Dricus du Plessis. Next month at UFC 297, Sean Strickland will defend his UFC middleweight championship against Dricus du Plessis. With former champ Israel Adesanya taking some time off, du Plessis has stepped up and will be the first man to try and take the belt away from Strickland.
Chael Sonnen weighs in on Belal Muhammad’s late call-up for backup role at UFC 296: “For sure, it means something more”
Harry Kettle - December 13, 2023
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on Belal Muhammad’s late call-up to be the back-up fighter for the UFC 296 main event. This weekend, Leon Edwards will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Colby Covington. The two will collide in the main event of UFC 296 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joe Rogan details why proposed UFC fight with Wesley Snipes never came to fruition: “He knew I was going to kill him”
Harry Kettle - December 13, 2023
UFC commentator Joe Rogan has explained why a proposed MMA fight with Wesley Snipes never came to fruition. While he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that Joe Rogan is an important part of the UFC family. For decades now, he’s been on the call for some of the promotion’s biggest and best moments. In addition to that, he’s also built quite an empire for himself outside of the fight game through his podcast.
Teddy Atlas praises Leon Edwards ahead of UFC 296: "He got 30 percent better when he won that title"
Zain Bando - December 12, 2023
Teddy Atlas is a fixture of the fight game, specifically boxing. But when it comes to the UFC, specifically UFC 296, which takes place Saturday night from Las Vegas, Nevada, he also knows a thing or two.
Ian Machado Garry plans to do "something pretty spectacular" against Vicente Luque at UFC 296: "100 percent”
Cole Shelton - December 12, 2023
Ian Machado Garry is ready to make a statement at UFC 296 on Saturday. Garry is set to take on Vicente Luque in a very intriguing welterweight fight. The two are former teammates at Kill Cliff and have trained and sparred with one another in the past. However, despite their history, he had no hesitation to take the fight as the Irishman had changed his camp to Chute Box.
Paddy Pimblett wants the old Tony Ferguson to show up at UFC 296, but doubts it happens: "He isn't the same fighter"
Cole Shelton - December 12, 2023
Paddy Pimblett wants Tony Ferguson to turn back the clock at UFC 296. Pimblett is set for his first fight in a year as he takes on Ferguson who’s on a six-fight losing streak. During the losing skid, Ferguson has been finished in four of those defeats, and his last win came back in June of 2019.
Vicente Luque eager for "striking match" against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 296: "It will be the Fight Night"
Cole Shelton - December 12, 2023
Vicente Luque is confident he will derail the hype of Ian Machado Garry at UFC 296. Luque returned to the win column back in August with a decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in a Fight Night main event. It was his first fight in a year, and after the win, Luque made it clear that he wanted to fight one more time in 2023.
Kamaru Usman shares prediction for Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington title fight at UFC 296
Cole Shelton - December 12, 2023
Kamaru Usman has shared his prediction for the welterweight title fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington at UFC 296. Usman has fought Edwards three times, winning once and suffering two defeats which saw him surrender his welterweight title. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has also fought Colby Covington on two occasions in the past, where he successfully defended the welterweight title in both fights. Given that he has spent plenty of time in the Octagon with both men, Usman is familiar with both of their styles.
Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes and several other matchups added to UFC 299 in March
Josh Evanoff - December 12, 2023
UFC 299 has gotten a big boost in the form of Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes, as well as several other fight announcements. The card is currently slated for next March and will be held in Miami. In the main event, Sean O’Malley will return to the octagon to defend his bantamweight gold against Marlon Vera. The bout is a rematch of their prior encounter in 2020, which saw ‘Chito’ win by first-round stoppage.
Georges St-Pierre names his 'favorite' fighters he hopes to see in the UFC's 2024 superfight
Josh Evanoff - December 12, 2023
UFC legend Georges St-Pierre won’t be fighting in 2024, but he has an idea of who might be. Last month, Dana White revealed plans for a massive UFC superfight, going down next year. Many, quickly began to speculate who that matchup could involve. The executive stated only that the superfight itself doesn’t involve Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. Famously, the two lightweights coached the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter against each other earlier this year.
Colby Covington explains why he's the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC
Cole Shelton - December 12, 2023
Colby Covington believes he should be atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Covington is currently not in the top 15 of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings but that could all change on Saturday when ‘Chaos’ headlines UFC 296 against Leon Edwards for the welterweight title. It’s a massive fight and it’s likely Covington’s last chance at becoming the undisputed champion.