UFC News
Jairzinho Rozenstruik doubles down on Francis Ngannou callout: 'He's the boogeyman of the division'
Adam Martin - December 5, 2019
UFC heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik doubled down on his callout of Francis Ngannou, calling him “the boogeyman of the (heavyweight) division.” Rozenstruik recently said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show that he plans on calling out Ngannou should he get by Alistair Overeem in the main event of this weekend’s UFC Washington, D.C. card.
Cory Sandhagen reacts to potentially losing Frankie Edgar matchup: 'Not cool'
Tom Taylor - December 5, 2019
Brian Ortega is out of the UFC Busan main event, and Frankie Edgar has been named as the man who could replace him against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. That’s bad news for Cory Sandhagen, who was expected to welcome Edgar to bantamweight division at UFC Raleigh in January. While ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported that the UFC is hoping Edgar can fight The Korean Zombie on December 21, and then fight Sandhagen at bantamweight as planned on January 25, that seems extremely unlikely.
MMA's legalization in France pushed back from January 1
Alfredo Zullino - December 5, 2019
It seems that the legalization of MMA in France won’t happen as soon as we thought. As reported by Le Parisien, the legalization of MMA has been postponed to February or even later, not on January 1 as originally planned. The Minister of Youth and Sports of France, Roxana Maracineanu, decided to hear more from French National Olympic and Sports Committee in order to make a call about MMA’s legalization.
Joe Rogan shares theory on Conor McGregor's decision to fight at welterweight
Tom Taylor - December 5, 2019
Joe Rogan has an interesting theory as to why Conor McGregor agreed to fight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at welterweight, rather than lightweight. Rogan suspects McGregor is a little tired of cutting weight, and that the Irishman views Cerrone as a lightweight who can compete at welterweight, rather than a true welterweight. In other words, he gets to enjoy an easy weight cut without having to fight a giant.
Pro fighters make their picks for Alistair Overeem vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Cole Shelton - December 5, 2019
This Saturday, the UFC is back after a two-week break with an exciting card in Washington D.C. The card will be topped by a heavyweight fight between Alistair Overeem and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Heading into the fight, Overeem is a -120 favorite while the short-notice replacement is a +110 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The majority believe Alistair Overeem’s experience will be too much for Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Molly McCann set to return against Ashlee Evans-Smith at UFC London
Harry Kettle - December 5, 2019
Molly McCann is set to return to the Octagon once again at UFC London in 2020, as she prepares to square off against Ashlee Evans-Smith at the O2 Arena on March 21. The news was broken by Jim Edwards last night. This will mark the continuation of a busy period for “Meatball” who will be taking part in her fourth fight in a little over twelve months, having gone 3-0 in 2019.
Frankie Edgar named as frontrunner to replace Ortega against 'Korean Zombie'
Tom Taylor - December 5, 2019
Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar could be looking at a busy few weeks. Last night, we were hit with the unfortunate news that recent featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega has been forced out of his fan-friendly showdown with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, which was tapped to headline the UFC’s debut in Busan, South Korea on December 21.
Brian Ortega issues statement after being forced out of Korean Zombie fight
Christopher Taylor - December 4, 2019
Earlier this evening unfortunate news broke that Brian Ortega has been forced out this month’s UFC Busan main event against ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was first to report the disappointing news citing an undisclosed injury had forced ‘T-City’ out of the highly anticipated featherweight matchup.
Breaking! Brian Ortega out of UFC Busan main event against The Korean Zombie
Cole Shelton - December 4, 2019
Brian Ortega’s long-awaited return to the Octagon will have to wait. Ortega, who has not fought since losing to Max Holloway at UFC 231 last December, was scheduled to fight Chan Sung Jung aka The Korean Zombie at UFC Busan on Dec. 21. But, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Ortega has been forced to pull out of the scrap due to an undisclosed injury.
VIDEO: "Salt Bae" says he wants fights with Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov
Natasha Hooper - December 4, 2019
The last few months have seen a multitude of media personalities take up MMA. Now “Salt Bae” is joining the likes of Logan Paul and Wiz Khalifa by trying his hand at combat sport. The 36-year old known as Nusret Gökçe, shot to fame after a video went viral of him sprinkling salt (with swag) over some meat. The clip amassed millions of views and propelled the Turkish chef to a new level of salt sprinkling stardom.
Israel Adesanya suggests a fight with Paulo Costa would be similar to McGregor-Aldo
Cole Shelton - December 4, 2019
Israel Adesanya says a potential bout with Paulo Costa would be similar to Conor McGregor’s fight against Jose Aldo. Of course, in that fight, the Irishman knocked out Aldo in just 13 seconds with the first punch he threw. He also trash-talked the Brazilian leading up to the fight and many believe McGregor was in Aldo’s head.
Diego Sanchez signs new deal with UFC, fights Michel Pereira in New Mexico
Adam Martin - December 4, 2019
Long-time UFC veteran Diego Sanchez has re-signed a new contract with the world’s leading MMA promotion after briefly testing free agency. The UFC announced Wednesday that Sanchez has signed a new deal with the company and he will take on showman Michel Pereira in a welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night 167. The event takes place on February 15 at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.