MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

A knockout debut would be one thing. Becoming a two-division threat from day one is another matter entirely. Ryujin Nasukawa opens his ONE Championship account against Thai slugger Thongpoon PK Saenchai in a strawweight kickboxing bout at The Inner Circle 23 on Friday, July 24. The card streams exclusively to subscribers from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 24, 2026 at 12:03 PM PDT // 0 Comments

The headliners for UFC Abu Dhabi have made weight along with the rest of the fighters scheduled for Saturday’s card. Light heavyweights Magomed Ankalaev and Bogdan Guskov are set to clash inside Etihad Arena. Initially, Ankalaev was set to face Khalil Rountree, but “The War Horse” suffered an injury. Despite the short notice, Guskov made weight at 205. pounds. Ankalaev had the same weight on the scale, making the UFC Abu Dhabi main event official.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 24, 2026 at 11:37 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Rose Namajunas doesn’t want to retire just yet, but she needs to have a good reason to trade leather again. Namajunas last competed inside the Octagon back in January. She stepped inside the Octagon with Natalie Silva in hopes of returning to the UFC title picture, but she dropped a unanimous decision to Silva. The outcome was a bit controversial, as many pundits felt “Thug” Rose did enough to secure the win.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 24, 2026 at 11:12 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Oscar De La Hoya believes Zuffa Boxing is trying to fool fighters by offering select names bigger paydays in the short term. Recently, the promotion booked its biggest match to date with Conor Benn challenging Ryan Garcia for the WBC welterweight title on Sept. 12. Benn is signed to Zuffa Boxing, while Garcia is under De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. While this will be a co-promoted event, De La Hoya still has major issues with TKO and Zuffa Boxing.

Harry Kettle - July 24, 2026 at 7:22 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC star Ian Machado Garry has looked ahead to his UFC 330 main event against welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. In just a few weeks, Ian Machado Garry will challenge Islam Makhachev for the undisputed UFC welterweight championship in the main event of UFC 330. As you can imagine, Islam is viewed by many as the clear favorite to leave Philadelphia with the title, but counting Ian out feels like a big mistake.

Harry Kettle - July 24, 2026 at 7:16 AM PDT // 0 Comments

TJ Dillashaw has given his thoughts on Kamaru Usman’s performance against Dricus du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City. Last weekend in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City, Dricus du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman – and he did so pretty convincingly. It was a dominant showing, and it vaults DDP right back into the title picture.

Dylan Bowker - July 23, 2026 at 5:15 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Paulo Costa seems keen to align with the burgeoning Matchroom MMA stable, with Ariel Helwani reportedly playing a certain role in matters, according to Matchroom figurehead Eddie Hearn. The former UFC middleweight title challenger has expressed some frustrations in recent times with the promotion, and Costa is on the precipice of the final contracted fight on his present agreement following his UFC 327 win over Azamat Murzakanov. During a conversation on The Ariel Helwani Show, Paulo Costa intimated that he felt the UFC was delaying negotiations with him deliberately as a means to get the Brazilian combatant to re-sign with the organization for a longer-term deal where they have more leverage. With reports of WWE stars being asked to take sizable pay cuts, contracted talents for another property within TKO‘s portfolio may worried to where they’re compelled to recruit outside, informed representation to aid them.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

One more statement win could put a rising Japanese grappler directly in line for gold. Standing in his way is a hungry debutant with nothing to lose. Keito Yamakita headlines a pivotal strawweight MMA clash against promotional newcomer Koyuru Tanoue as part of the newly completed card for ONE SAMURAI 2 on August 8. The event broadcasts live from Tokyo’s Ebara Wave Arena Ota, following seven newly added bouts that round out the lineup.

Curtis Calhoun - July 23, 2026 at 2:18 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira could skip the line for a title shot over Paulo Costa and other contenders. Former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa raised eyebrows with a brutal knockout against Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327 in his return to the light heavyweight division. After knocking out Murzakanov with a head kick, Costa made a strong case for a potential No. 1 contender fight for his next appearance in the Octagon.

Curtis Calhoun - July 23, 2026 at 1:28 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Reports are circulating that BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira will headline UFC 331 in Los Angeles in his first title defense. BMF champion Charles Oliveira is on the cusp of potentially earning another UFC lightweight title shot after defeating Max Holloway earlier this year at UFC 326. After getting knocked out by Ilia Topuria last year at UFC 317, Oliveira has bounced back nicely with wins over Mateusz Gamrot and Holloway.

Cole Shelton - July 23, 2026 at 1:26 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Brendan Allen believes Dricus Du Plessis is ducking him. Allen has been calling out Du Plessis for quite some time, and the American claims he was told the fight was set. However, the former champ opted to face Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City instead, which is frustrating for Allen.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

For two decades, one family name has defined an era of Japanese kickboxing. Now, the younger son wants to build something that belongs only to him. Ryujin Nasukawa makes his ONE Championship debut against Thongpoon PK Saenchai in a strawweight kickboxing bout at The Inner Circle 23 on Friday, July 24. The card streams live from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium through The Inner Circle.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 26, 2026

Bogdan Guskov couldn’t capitalize on his short-notice opportunity against Magomed Ankalaev, but he isn’t allowing Saturday’s setback to get him down. Guskov stood across the Octagon from Ankalaev in the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner inside Etihad Arena. Guskov had a chance to emerge as a new contender in the light heavyweight division. Ankalaev ultimately put Guskov away in the fifth round via TKO. It’s the former light heavyweight champion’s first win since losing the 205-pound gold against Alex Pereira back in Oct. 2025.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 26, 2026

Daniel Cormier wouldn’t be surprised if Magomed Ankalaev is Carlos Ulberg’s first challenger. Ankalaev fought Bogdan Guskov in the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner this past Saturday. Ankalaev was initially expected to face Khalil Rountree, but the dangerous striker had to pull out of the fight due to an injury. Guskov couldn’t make it to the final horn as Anakalev scored a fifth-round TKO victory.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 26, 2026

Steve Erceg has updated fans after face planting during the UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event. Erceg was looking to extend his winning streak to three when he collided with Ramazan Temirov this past Saturday. “Astro Boy” got dropped with a right hand in the opening frame, and Temirov never took his foot off the gas. Eventually, Temirov caught him on the chin a few more times and Erceg was dropped again to seal the deal.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 26, 2026

Carlos Ulberg had vested interest in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event, and he believes he saw enough of Magomed Ankalaev to have him downloaded. Ankalaev took center stage inside Etihad Arena this past Saturday. He shared the Octagon with Bogdan Guskov, who was a late replacement for the injured Khalil Rountree. Ankalaev ended up scoring a fifth-round TKO finish.

Harry Kettle - July 25, 2026

MMA analyst Paul Felder has given his thoughts on Conor McGregor potentially making another comeback from injury. As we know, Conor McGregor is once again on the shelf after injuring his knee in his rematch with Max Holloway. The bout barely lasted a minute before it was stopped, and now, the Irishman is back on the road to recovery – after just getting off of it.

Curtis Calhoun - July 24, 2026

Olympic bronze medalist Robelis Despaigne has opted to return to the UFC instead of continuing to pursue a fight with Francis Ngannou. After knocking out Josh Parisian in just 18 seconds at UFC 299, heavyweight Robelis Despaigne was thought of as a potential threat to Jon Jones and other top heavyweights. But back-to-back losses to Austen Lane and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Despaigne’s first career losses in Mixed Martial Arts, ended up leading to his release from the promotion.

Curtis Calhoun - July 24, 2026

Former UFC featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega will fight in his hometown as he completes his full-time move to lightweight. After a scary pre-fight weight cut ahead of UFC Shanghai, former featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega will make the full-time move to the lightweight division. Ortega has lost four of his last five fights, including his recent unanimous decision loss to former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling at UFC Shanghai.

Curtis Calhoun - July 24, 2026

Mike Perry will look to ride his Mixed Martial Arts momentum against Dillon Danis just months after defeating former UFC star Nate Diaz. Bare Knuckle FC superstar Mike Perry and the polarizing Dillon Danis will help launch a new Mixed Martial Arts promotion later this summer.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 24, 2026

Rose Namajunas doesn’t want to retire just yet, but she needs to have a good reason to trade leather again. Namajunas last competed inside the Octagon back in January. She stepped inside the Octagon with Natalie Silva in hopes of returning to the UFC title picture, but she dropped a unanimous decision to Silva. The outcome was a bit controversial, as many pundits felt “Thug” Rose did enough to secure the win.

Harry Kettle - July 24, 2026

UFC veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio has looked to the future ahead of his clash with Sam Patterson at UFC Abu Dhabi. For the longest time, Santiago Ponzinibbio has been a consistent presence in the UFC’s welterweight division. He has picked up some big wins throughout the course of his tenure with the promotion, and on Saturday, he will try to get another when he faces off against Sam Patterson.

Harry Kettle - July 24, 2026

UFC star Ian Machado Garry has looked ahead to his UFC 330 main event against welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. In just a few weeks, Ian Machado Garry will challenge Islam Makhachev for the undisputed UFC welterweight championship in the main event of UFC 330. As you can imagine, Islam is viewed by many as the clear favorite to leave Philadelphia with the title, but counting Ian out feels like a big mistake.

Harry Kettle - July 24, 2026

TJ Dillashaw has given his thoughts on Kamaru Usman’s performance against Dricus du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City. Last weekend in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City, Dricus du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman – and he did so pretty convincingly. It was a dominant showing, and it vaults DDP right back into the title picture.