UFC News
WATCH | Ilia Topuria snatches Alexander Volkanovski belt during UFC 298 press conference
Cole Shelton - February 15, 2024
Ilia Topuria has continued the trend of touching and wearing the UFC title before he has won it. Topuria did his UFC 298 photo shoot with the belt on and now during the press conference, he snatched the belt from Volkanovski and put it in the air like he won it. That got a reaction from Volkanovski who told him to touch it all he wanted as it would be going back to Australia after Saturday night in Anaheim.
UFC 298 | Pro fighters make their picks for Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa
Cole Shelton - February 15, 2024
In the co-main event of UFC 298, a pivotal middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa goes down on Saturday in Anaheim. Heading into the fight, Whittaker is a -265 favorite while the Brazilian is a +200 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the scrap, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to make their picks for the fight at UFC 298. The pros are expecting Whittaker to return to the win column in a big way as the fighters think he’s too technical for Costa.
Paulo Costa explains why he has no interest in rebooking Khamzat Chimaev fight: "F**k him"
Cole Shelton - February 15, 2024
Paulo Costa has no interest in fighting Khamzat Chimaev after the two were supposed to fight back in October in Abu Dhabi. Costa and Chimaev were supposed to fight at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi but while the Brazilian was there he had a nasty elbow infection which forced him out of the bout. Costa ended up being replaced by Kamaru Usman who Chimaev beat by majority decision in a very competitive fight.
Dana White reflects on Henry Cejudo's 'ridiculous' decision to retire: "He was in his f*cking prime!"
Josh Evanoff - February 15, 2024
Dana White believes that former UFC champion Henry Cejudo should’ve stayed retired. ‘Triple C’ is set to return to the cage this Saturday night at UFC 298 in California. For Henry Cejudo, the bout with Merab Dvalishvili will be the second of his comeback. Last May, the former dual-weight champion ended a three-year retirement to return to the cage against Aljamain Sterling.
Ian Machado Garry believes he's become "too much of a star" to headline a potential UFC Dublin card
Cole Shelton - February 15, 2024
Ian Machado Garry has said he will bring the UFC back to Ireland, but ahead of his fight at UFC 298, he isn’t sure that will happen. The last time the UFC was in Ireland was when Conor McGregor headlined the card against Diego Brandao in 2014. Since then, the promotion hasn’t returned as the arena in Dublin is small and only holds around 10,000 fans which is smaller than what the UFC is used to for attendance.
WATCH | Ilia Topuria poses with UFC belt as Alexander Volkanovski crashes photo shoot ahead of UFC 298
Cole Shelton - February 15, 2024
Ilia Topuria decided to have the UFC title wrapped around his waist before his title fight in the main event of UFC 298 against Alexander Volkanovski. Topuria has been oozing with confidence in the lead-up to his first crack at the UFC title on Saturday night. The Georgian-Spaniard has already crowned himself as the UFC champion in his Instagram bio, also claiming he’s 15-0, even though he’s only 14-0 heading into Saturday.
Sean O’Malley doesn't approve of Sean Strickland's "spar" with Sneako: "I thought it was f*cked up"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 15, 2024
Sean O’Malley doesn’t approve of Sean Strickland’s actions during a spar with social media influencer Sneako. Strickland has been known to be unhinged at times. During a recent “spar” with Sneako, Strickland was clearly trying to hurt the social media figure inside the cage before finally walking away from the untrained Sneako. It’s not something you typically see from a former UFC champion, but Strickland certainly isn’t like most.
Brian Ortega fires back at Ilia Topuria for recent UFC title comments: "You have to win the belt for that to happen"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 15, 2024
Brian Ortega has responded to Ilia Topuria’s claim that he won’t give him a title shot if he defeats Alex Volkanovski for the UFC Featherweight Championship. Topuria will be challenging Volkanovski for the 145-pound gold in the main event of UFC 298 this Saturday night. Topuria has been rather brash in the buildup for this title fight. He has already declared himself as the true UFC featherweight champion. He even said he wouldn’t give, Ortega, Max Holloway, or Yair Rodriguez a title opportunity.
Ian Machado Garry remains unapologetic over Geoff Neal mugshot shirt: "That T-Shirt Was A F*cking Laugh"
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 15, 2024
Ian Machado Garry has no regrets over wearing a T-shirt with a mugshot of his UFC 298 opponent Geoff Neal. Garry was expected to share the Octagon with Neal at UFC 292 back in August 2023. Neal was removed from the bout and replaced by Neil Magny. Garry defeated Magny via one-sided unanimous decision. Prior to Neal being removed from the UFC 292 card, Garry took photos of himself wearing a T-shirt with an image of Neal’s mugshot front and center.
Alexander Volkanovski explains his motivation ahead of Ilia Topuria clash at UFC 298
Harry Kettle - February 15, 2024
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has spoken candidly about his motivation heading into his battle with Ilia Topuria. On Saturday night, Alexander Volkanovski will defend his belt in the main event of UFC 298. He’ll do so against Ilia Topuria, in an encounter that has the potential to be one of the best title fights in UFC history.
Merab Dvalishvili sends a big warning to Henry Cejudo ahead of UFC 298
Harry Kettle - February 15, 2024
UFC star Merab Dvalishvili has issued a big warning to Henry Cejudo ahead of their bantamweight showdown. On Saturday night, UFC 298 will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. In one of the featured bouts of the evening, Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo will collide in what promises to be an all-action affair.
Geoff Neal wants a "slobber knocker" of a fight against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 298
Cole Shelton - February 14, 2024
Geoff Neal is looking to cause chaos at UFC 298 and make his fight against Ian Machado Garry a wild one. Neal is set to face Garry in a rescheduled bout after the two were supposed to fight back in August. Neal was forced to pull out of their initial booking with an injury, and according to ‘Handz of Steel’ the Irishman wasn’t originally keen on rebooking the fight.