UFC 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.
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.
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.
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 148 with Ian Machado Garry, Vicente Luque, Dustin Jacoby, and Brian Kelleher
Cole Shelton - December 12, 2023
The 148th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live ahead of UFC 296. We’re first joined by 10th-ranked UFC welterweight Ian Machado Garry (1:45). Next, ninth-ranked UFC welterweight Vicente Luque (16:11). 15th-ranked UFC light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby (30:51) then comes on. Closing out the program is UFC bantamweight Brian Kelleher (44:39).
Official lineup released for UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington, including two title fights
Harry Kettle - December 12, 2023
The official lineup has been released for UFC 296: Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington ahead of fight night on Saturday. For the final time this year, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be putting on a pay-per-view event this weekend – and what a way to go out. UFC 296 will emanate from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in what can only be described as a blockbuster card. From two title fights to several really fun matchups, this has the potential to be the show of the year.
Paddy Pimblett admits he wants to see Tony Ferguson get another win before retiring: “I just can’t let him do it at my expense”
Harry Kettle - December 12, 2023
UFC star Paddy Pimblett has admitted that he wants to see Tony Ferguson pick up another win before retiring from mixed martial arts. This Saturday night at UFC 296, Paddy Pimblett and Tony Ferguson will battle it out in a fascinating encounter. There are plenty of reasons to get excited about this fight, but if you’re an ‘El Cucuy’ fan, there are also plenty of reasons to be nervous.
Sergei Pavlovich sends warning to the UFC heavyweight division: “Don’t relax, I’ll be back soon!”
Harry Kettle - December 12, 2023
UFC heavyweight contender Sergei Pavlovich has issued a warning to the rest of the division ahead of his comeback. For the last few years, Sergei Pavlovich has been seen as a top star in the UFC’s heavyweight division. However, last month, his trajectory took a bit of a hit. On short notice, he took on Tom Aspinall for the interim championship. Despite landing a few nice shots, the Russian was ultimately overmatched, with Aspinall securing a knockout victory.