UFC NEWS

BJPENN.COM News - May 18, 2012

By Evan Stoumbelis Heading into the second half of the quarterfinal fights, reporters had a chance to catch up with fighters Andy Ogle, Vince Pichel, Al Iaquinta, and Chris Saunders. After being pent up and cut off from the rest of the world for a very long time, the light at the end of the tunnel is rapidly approaching, and for them the dream of a 6-figure UFC contract is quickly becoming closer and closer, and all fights are now the most important fight of their lives.

bjpenndotcom - May 17, 2012

@joshkoscheck I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I’m not coming back anytime soon! It seems like the Prodigy is in control of his own career as he quells rumors of a return fight with Josh Koscheck, as reported on Twitter today. BJ Penn hasn’t seen the inside of the Octagon since his fight with Nick Diaz at UFC 137 but seems to be sticking to his retirement as he trains in his native Hawaii and enjoys his time off to spend with family and friends in the setting of a normal life rather than that of a full time fighter. Although it would be great news to hear that the Prodigy is back from what can best be described as a tentative retirement, it’s still good to hear the Penn is in high spirits, living a life he has full control over.

BJPENN.COM News - May 17, 2012

By Evan Stoumbelis Welterweight Thiago Alves, who is coming off a disappointing submission loss to Martin Kampmann, is guaranteeing a finish in his next fight against Siyar Bahadurzada. The two men are set to fight at UFC 149 on July 21st in Calgary. Alves had the following to say about facing Siyar instead of Yoshihiro Akiyama, on TapouT radio recently.

bjpenndotcom - May 16, 2012

When Chael Sonnen talks, people tend to listen. If you have a camera or a microphone and Chael Sonnen is in the room, you better hide it because he will do whatever he can to create more buzz about his upcoming fight, simply because that’s what he does best. Whether you love him or hate him, every time he has a media appearance he has the uncanny ability to make people want to pay to see him get dominated or walk away with the victory. Chael Sonnen recently appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” and chatted away with the UFC commentator and stand-up comedian for almost three straight hours. While some may stay away form the podcast in fear of having to hear Chael Sonnen in character for three hours, it’s interesting to note that the Sonnen that showed up was not looking to increase the PPV buy-rate for his upcoming bout, nor did he cut any professional wrestling promos. Joe Rogan brought out the best of his interviewee, and Sonnen sounded like a real person. The interview between the two was very candid and addressed a number of serious topics (as well as a few silly ones) including how Chael Sonnen overcame the mental block that allowed him to be the trash talker he is today.

bjpenndotcom - May 14, 2012

Frank Mir has been counted out of his upcoming fight with Junior Dos Santos before the fight even starts. Here, Frank describes a small part of his game plan in that, he actually plans to stand with arguably the best striker in the division. Sure, Every fight starts feet but working it into your strategy when such fights against Shane Carwin and Minotauro Nogueira saw Frank get rocked by fighters with less speed and technique than Dos Santos. Either way, Mir wants his title back and he will do whatever it takes to get it back. Yes, I did question his strategy but remember this, Frank is a very intelligent human being who knows what hes doing in the Octagon. This will be a classic heavyweight title fight that won’t soon be forgotten. Style versus style to declare the baddest man on the planet. “I’m going to go ahead and strike with him, probably more than Carwin wanted to and some of these other guys and try to lull him into lowering his striking defense. If I get him into a rhythm where it’s a boxing match, it will be easier to shoot or take him down. If you are shooting right of the bat and are grabbing a leg and that person’s waiting for it, it’s like any combat tactic. It’s very easy to stop what you are expecting.”

BJPENN.COM News - May 14, 2012

By Evan Stoumbelis: TUF season 9 winner James Wilks announced his retirement on Twitter a few days ago following speculation as to when his next fight would be. “A few of you have been asking when my next fight is, Unfortunately, I have had to retire due to injury. Now coaching at Lightning MMA”

bjpenndotcom - May 12, 2012

Current featherweight champion, Jose Aldo (21-1), is the heavy favorite in his upcoming bout with Erik Koch (13-1) at odds of around 4 to 1. The two will face off this summer on July 21st at the Scotiabank Saddledome for UFC 148 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This comes as no shock to most fans as Koch has received a lot of indirect criticism from fans arguing that he isn’t the true number one contender. Koch is currently riding a four fight win streak since his last last to Chad Mendes in the WEC and is unbeaten in the Octagon with a Knockout of the Night performance in his debut.

bjpenndotcom - May 12, 2012

The lighter weights shine as three great match-ups have been added to the UFC on Fuel TV 4 card for July 11th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Look for three pivotal fights in the careers of 6 incredible athletes this summer. Three fantastic fights have been added to July’s UFC on FUEL TV 4 card, as T.J. Dillashaw (5-1) vs. Vaughan Lee (12-7-1) and Rapahel Assuncao (16-4) vs. Issei Tamura (7-2) take place at bantamweight while Chris Cariaso (13-3) and Josh Ferguson (8-4) will happen in the exciting new flyweight division in three fights that promise to deliver late fireworks in July.

bjpenndotcom - May 10, 2012

As fans anxiously await the in-octagon debut of former Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard, he made an appearance on FUEL TV’s “UFC Tonight”. He talked about his recent UFC signing and briefly analyzed his highly anticipated bout with Brian Stann.

bjpenndotcom - May 10, 2012

A seemingly irate Brazilian man is seen here performing voodoo on a photo of number one contender, Chael Sonnen. The man is shown continuously stabbing the photo while also shouting at the photo in what is truly a bizarre video that must be seen to be appreciated. Surely, if Sonnen sees this video it will only fuel his pre game trash talk. Lets just hope that this voodoo doesn’t work and Chael remains healthy come fight time.

BJPENN.COM News - May 9, 2012

By Evan Stoumbelis The Huntington Beach Bad Boy Tito Ortiz will be inducted into the California Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on May 20th for his “numerous contributions to the sport throughout the years.”

bjpenndotcom - May 8, 2012

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua talks about his upcoming with fellow Brazilian, Thiago Silva at UFC 149, on July 21st in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Rua was rumored to face Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson but has since been confirmed to be fight Silva in what will surely be an explosive matchup.

bjpenndotcom - May 8, 2012

By Adam Conklin: BJ Penn has been on the fence lately about returning to the UFC and has most recently expressed interest in joining the 170 pound weight division if he was to return at all.

bjpenndotcom - May 8, 2012

Second Degree Black Belt and jiu-jitsu ace Eddie Bravo analyzes Alan Belcher’s unexpected attempts at the twister submission from UFC on FOX 3 this past weekend. Even though you see UFC fighters like Alan Belcher and Chan Sung Jung try and submit their opponents with The Twister like it’s normal, this submission move has not always been a mainstay in the UFC.

bjpenndotcom - May 4, 2012

By :Jonathan Kirschner Everybody likes awards. Whether it is best of the best or worst of the worst, it is always important to identify what one event stood above the rest.

bjpenndotcom - May 1, 2012

By Adam Conklin: Since his suspension following a positive drug test that showed cannabis metabolites in his blood, Nick Diaz has been in a legal battle with the state of Nevada to clear his name and eliminate, or at least shorten his one year suspension. Most recently, the state of Nevada answered back to a lawsuit charged against them from Nick Diaz, citing a violation of his due process by declining to grant him a hearing on the status of his fighter’s license within 45 days of his suspension. This is just the most recent news in a story that is far from its conclusion.

BJPENN.COM News - April 30, 2012

By Evan Stoumbelis: I saw a story yesterday about why MMA would never be in the Olympics.  Saddened, I thought about why MMA couldn’t be in the Olympics and what would have to be done in order for MMA to get their. After counteracting as many arguments as possible, I realized that MMA has come a long way since the “Gracie Challenge” in the 1920s. There are many things that have to be taken into account, and the question is, how many fighters would be willing to make the sacrifices in order to represent their country in the Olympics.

bjpenndotcom - April 30, 2012

By Jon Kirschner: After bouncing back from being pronounced dead and then getting released by World Extreme Cagefighting, it was easy to see why Ian McCall took the news of the loss and eventual tie with Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in stride.