MMA News

Dylan Bowker - June 27, 2026 at 9:05 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Amanda Nunes’ long-awaited return to MMA has maintained some question marks around it, but a former UFC championship adversary of hers has spilled a bit of tea, to use the parlance of our time, on the possible return timeline. The combatant in question is Cris Cyborg, who will throw down in what could be her final MMA fight ever. The PFL featherweight champ will defend her 145-pound crown at PFL Tampa in August against newly signed Ketlen Vieira. Vieira is coming over to the PFL Smart Cage after a strong run in the UFC that saw her test skills with current UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison in a bout that vaulted the former PFL lightweight champ to her UFC title shot. The five promotion titleholder fielded questions from on-site media as Cyborg was on hand during PFL San Diego fight week, which culminates this Saturday with AJ McKee clashing with Salamat Isbulaev in the June 27th main event.

Dylan Bowker - June 27, 2026 at 9:03 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Jake Paul would defeat AJ McKee in combat sports competition, according to McKee’s younger brother. As McKee prepares for his first fight in San Diego, in the context of his dad Antonio’s broader legacy in MMA, Team Body Shop has such a lineage around the area. The older stories with AJ’s dad talking about Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson training back in the day, with the young lad who would go on to become Bellator champ years later was in the gym soaking it all in. When touching on the familial context pieces adding even more to the PFL San Diego main event bout vs. Salamat Isbulaev on June 27th, McKee said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 26, 2026 at 4:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

He built himself into a world champion. The he lost the title in his first defence. Now he faces one of the most in-form fighters in the bantamweight division in his comeback fight. The road back for the former titleholder runs directly through a man on a seven-fight tear. Nabil Anane meets Suakim Pongsuphan PK in bantamweight Muay Thai action at The Inner Circle 25, streaming live for members in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, August 7. The card also features the previously announced bantamweight Muay Thai rematch between Abdulla “Smash Boy” Dayakaev and reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek.

Curtis Calhoun - June 26, 2026 at 1:39 PM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC legend Joe Lauzon will return to fighting for the first time in seven years, this time in the bare-knuckle ring. Joe Lauzon’s arrival to the UFC, fresh off his performance on The Ultimate Fighter 5, came at a pivotal point in Mixed Martial Arts history. By the time Lauzon made his final UFC Octagon appearance in October 2019, the UFC had transformed into a global powerhouse in combat sports.

Cole Shelton - June 26, 2026 at 12:49 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Israel Adesanya believes Conor McGregor could surprise many with how he fights at UFC 329. McGregor is set to rematch Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 in a highly anticipated fight. Although the Irishman is known for his striking ability, Adesanya thinks McGregor could surprise many and wrestle Holloway early and often as Charles Oliveira did, especially with the fight being at welterweight.

Curtis Calhoun - June 26, 2026 at 12:46 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones is recovering well from a serious hip injury and teased a potential MMA comeback. Jon Jones is known for flip-flopping on retirement, and his latest pivot came after training with one of the biggest stars of UFC 329.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 26, 2026 at 11:41 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Sean O’Malley may have dropped two straight to Merab Dvalishvili, but he still feels he can defeat “The Machine.” O’Malley and Dvalishvili first met back in Sept. 2024. The “Suga” show entered the UFC 306 headliner as the reigning bantamweight champion. O’Malley ended up losing his title via unanimous decision. Following surgery for a torn labrum, O’Malley challenged Dvalishvili in a rematch, but this time he was submitted.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 26, 2026 at 10:54 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Daniel Cormier believes Dustin Poirier shouldn’t be made fun of during a rough period in his life. Poirier went viral for the wrong reason over Father’s Day weekend. Footage surfaced of Poirier trying to start a fight with an Atlanta police officer after being kicked off a flight. “The Diamond” was arrested for public intoxication. The retired UFC star took to his Instagram page to admit that he needs some help following the incident.

Harry Kettle - June 26, 2026 at 8:35 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC star Paddy Pimblett believes that Ilia Topuria won’t be the same following his huge loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. In the main event of UFC Freedom 250, Justin Gaethje shocked the world by stopping and defeating Ilia Topuria to become the new undisputed UFC lightweight champion. As you can imagine, this was a huge setback for Ilia, who was previously undefeated in his professional mixed martial arts career.

Harry Kettle - June 26, 2026 at 8:32 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC analyst Din Thomas believes that Ian Machado Garry is a dangerous opponent for UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. At UFC 330, Islam Makhachev will defend the UFC welterweight championship against Ian Machado Garry. For the Irishman, this is a moment he has been waiting for – and it’s something that he has been building towards throughout the course of his entire career.

Dylan Bowker - June 25, 2026 at 6:37 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Max Holloway represents a dream fight for many, and while AJ McKee exists within this context, it seems like he’s not completely confident that ‘Blessed’ wins his next contest. Holloway will take on the biggest star in the history of the sport, Conor McGregor, in a long-awaited rematch set to transpire in July at UFC 329. McKee has his own high-stakes bout as the former Bellator MMA champ prepares to clash with the unbeaten Salamat Isbulaev in the headline attraction of PFL San Diego on June 27th. Referencing a prior interview where ‘The Mercenary’ mentioned Max Holloway as his dream fight someday, when asked for his thoughts on that rematch between McGregor and Holloway, which is set to transpire in the coming weeks, McKee said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

Curtis Calhoun - June 25, 2026 at 5:26 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Anthony Hernandez returns to the Octagon this summer for the first time since falling to UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland. UFC middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez’s path to a title shot hit a speed bump when he was finished by Sean Strickland at UFC Houston earlier this year. After Strickland won the UFC middleweight title by defeating Khamzat Chimaev, Hernandez has the chance to potentially secure a rematch and a shot at revenge.

Harry Kettle - June 29, 2026

Controversial UFC legend Jon Jones has given some more thoughts on Dustin Poirier’s recent drunken arrest incident. As the majority of fans know, Dustin Poirier was recently arrested for an incident that involved him being drunk in public. He got into a verbal altercation with a police officer, and it even got to the point where he was threatening to take him on in a fight.

Harry Kettle - June 29, 2026

UFC star Merab Dvalishvili has given his thoughts on Ilia Topuria’s recent loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. In the main event of UFC Freedom 250, Ilia Topuria lost the UFC lightweight championship after being stopped on the stool by Justin Gaethje. It was one of the more shocking results in the recent history of mixed martial arts, and that’s putting it lightly.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 28, 2026

Manuel Torres suffered a setback against Rafael Fiziev, but he is in “good spirits.” Torres and Fiziev collided in the UFC Baku main event this past Saturday. While “El Loco” was hoping to make a statement in enemy territory, he ended up being stopped early in the second stanza after being caught with a spinning wheel kick. It’s Torres’ first loss since 2024.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 28, 2026

Conor McGregor has once again made it clear that he doesn’t think much of Justin Gaethje’s abilities inside the Octagon. Gaethje is the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion after pulling off a big upset at UFC Freedom 250. “The Highlight” was a sizable underdog going into his title unification bout with Ilia Topuria on the White House lawn. Gaethje put damage on Topuria’s face in the first round and he only made things worse for “El Matador” as the fight progressed.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 28, 2026

In the aftermath of his UFC Baku victory, Sharabutdin Magomedov is still intrigued by a potential bout with Israel Adesanya, but he could hand that opportunity to someone else. Shara “Bullet” was featured in the UFC Baku co-main event this past Saturday. He mixed it up with Michel Pereira in a bout that wasn’t without some controversy. Referee Herb Dean was scolded by Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall for failing to deduct a point from Magomedov despite pulling his opponent’s hair and delivering an eye poke.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 28, 2026

Rafael Fiziev believes there’s a chance he could make up for the lost Charles Oliveira fight with the BMF title on the line. Fiziev was back in action this past Saturday in the UFC Baku headliner. The Azerbaijani fan favorite traded leather with Manuel Torres inside the National Gymnastics Arena. Fiziev put Torres away just 15 seconds into the second stanza via knockout. It was a much-needed victory for “Ataman,” who entered the fight having gone 1-4 in his last five outings.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 28, 2026

Alex Pereira once again took a shot at Herb Dean following UFC Baku, but this time, Tom Aspinall shares the same sentiment. UFC made its return to Azerbaijan this past Saturday. Rafael Fiziev took center stage and scored a second-round knockout finish over Manuel Torres to send the crowd home happy. Prior to the UFC Baku headliner, there was a middleweight battle between Sharabutdin Magomedov and Michel Pereira. Veteran referee Herb Dean was officiating the bout, and he found himself under heavy scrutiny for how he handled Shara “Bullet’s” infractions.

Dylan Bowker - June 27, 2026

Patricio Pitbull is a Bellator MMA icon, and someone he split a pair of BMMA title fights with has weighed in on the Brazilian fighter’s run in the UFC so far. The combatant in question is AJ McKee, who fights an undefeated adversary Salamat Isbulaev, at PFL San Diego in the headliner on Saturday, June 27th. When AJ McKee fought Patricio Pitbull twice, the former won a million dollars from a grand prix and the promotion’s lineal 145-pound gold in the process, while Patricio Freire regained the featherweight crown in their rematch. When asked for his thoughts on Pitbull’s UFC run so far, with a couple of losses bookending a win at this juncture, McKee said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

Curtis Calhoun - June 26, 2026

UFC legend Joe Lauzon will return to fighting for the first time in seven years, this time in the bare-knuckle ring. Joe Lauzon’s arrival to the UFC, fresh off his performance on The Ultimate Fighter 5, came at a pivotal point in Mixed Martial Arts history. By the time Lauzon made his final UFC Octagon appearance in October 2019, the UFC had transformed into a global powerhouse in combat sports.

Cole Shelton - June 26, 2026

Israel Adesanya believes Conor McGregor could surprise many with how he fights at UFC 329. McGregor is set to rematch Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 in a highly anticipated fight. Although the Irishman is known for his striking ability, Adesanya thinks McGregor could surprise many and wrestle Holloway early and often as Charles Oliveira did, especially with the fight being at welterweight.

Curtis Calhoun - June 26, 2026

Former two-division UFC champion Jon Jones is recovering well from a serious hip injury and teased a potential MMA comeback. Jon Jones is known for flip-flopping on retirement, and his latest pivot came after training with one of the biggest stars of UFC 329.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 26, 2026

Sean O’Malley may have dropped two straight to Merab Dvalishvili, but he still feels he can defeat “The Machine.” O’Malley and Dvalishvili first met back in Sept. 2024. The “Suga” show entered the UFC 306 headliner as the reigning bantamweight champion. O’Malley ended up losing his title via unanimous decision. Following surgery for a torn labrum, O’Malley challenged Dvalishvili in a rematch, but this time he was submitted.