MMA News

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Anar Mammadov has watched his loss to Yodlekpet many times. His conclusion has not changed. He was ahead until the knockdown shifted the judges. One moment reshaped the result. He wants to show what happens when that moment does not come. Mammadov faces Tomyamkoong Bhumjaithai in the flyweight Muay Thai main event of The Inner Circle, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 12. The 30-year-old Team Mehdi Zatout striker from Azerbaijan carries a 12-4 professional record into the contest. His debut knockout of Komawut FA Group announced him immediately. The Yodlekpet loss followed. Since then, Mammadov returned home to Azerbaijan, spent time with his family, and came back to Thailand leaner, sharper, and convinced that Tomyamkoong’s game can be solved with the right approach.

Cole Shelton - June 11, 2026 at 12:25 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Steve Garcia knows his UFC White House opener against Diego Lopes has all the makings to be an all-time classic. After Garcia’s last win over David Onama, he called for a top-ranked guy, but admitted he wasn’t sure if he was going to get it. The American knows he’s overlooked and will have to claw his way to the top, so when he got the call to fight Lopes, he admits he was a bit surprised.

Cole Shelton - June 11, 2026 at 12:18 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Michael Chandler believes Paddy Pimblett will pull off the upset at UFC 329. Pimblett is set to take on Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas in a pivotal lightweight fight. Pimblett is coming off an upset loss to Justin Gaethje for the interim belt and is the betting underdog against Saint-Denis.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 11, 2026 at 11:01 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Justin Gaethje thinks Ilia Topuria hasn’t been able to figure him out ahead of UFC Freedom 250. Gaethje is hoping to become an undisputed UFC champion for the first time in his pro MMA career. To do so, he’ll need to pull off the upset over Topuria to cap off a historic card on the White House lawn this Sunday. While many believe Topuria’s crisp boxing will lead to Gaethje getting caught, “The Highlight” is always a live threat.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 11, 2026 at 10:09 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Conor McGregor reportedly used banned substances while recovering from his brutal leg injury back in 2021, and UFC fans appear to be on his side. Dr. Neal ElAttrache told New York Times that he wrote a letter in support of McGregor’s use of performance-enhancing drugs that benefitted his recovery after suffering a broken tibia and fibula during his UFC 264 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier. McGregor’s team reportedly attempted to get an exemption from USADA but were never given an approval.

Dylan Bowker - June 10, 2026 at 5:20 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Chris Weidman has achieved hall of fame distinctions for his amateur wrestling as well as MMA efforts but feels like he fell short of what he ultimately wanted. Touching upon his thoughts on hearing about his UFC Hall of Fame induction and the feelings tied to that induction which will transpire in July, Weidman said [via Bowks Talking Bouts], “Oh, yeah. I was completely surprised. I had no idea. Nobody in my family knew, my coaches, my manager, nobody knew. So, there was no way that that secret was going to get back to me. They asked me and Dustin Poirier to go cage side so they could pan over to us and then promote the post-fight show. We’re like, “Okay, yeah, whatever.” Then we were like talking to each other like, “Why wouldn’t they just do this from the desk? They could do that same shot from the desk.” So thought it was a little weird.”

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

He left Surin at 15 with nothing but ambition and headed to Bangkok to find out how good he really was. Six years later, Tomyamkoong Bhumjaithai is headlining The Inner Circle with back-to-back stoppages on his record and a life-changing contract one win away. Tomyamkoong faces Azerbaijani striker Anar Mammadov in the flyweight Muay Thai main event of The Inner Circle, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 12.

Curtis Calhoun - June 10, 2026 at 3:42 PM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier believes Alex Pereira still has work to do to surpass Jon Jones and others in the GOAT debate. Alex Pereira drew high praise from UFC CEO Dana White earlier this week, as the UFC head proclaimed Pereira would become the GOAT with a win at UFC Freedom 250. Pereira, who will make his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane for the interim title, could become the UFC’s first three-division champion.

Curtis Calhoun - June 10, 2026 at 2:45 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira took his strongest stance yet against Josh Hokit’s antics ahead of UFC Freedom 250. Alex Pereira will face former interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main this weekend. Still, another rising heavyweight has also claimed space in his mind ahead of fight night.

Curtis Calhoun - June 10, 2026 at 1:51 PM PDT // 0 Comments

A UFC legend called Dana White’s bluff on his recent controversial GOAT claim about Alex Pereira ahead of UFC White House. Alex Pereira enters UFC Freedom 250 at the White House with the opportunity to become the promotion’s first three-division champion. Pereira, who vacated the UFC light heavyweight belt earlier this year, will face former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event.

Curtis Calhoun - June 10, 2026 at 1:15 PM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit continued to taunt interim title challenger Alex Pereira in a UFC White House hotel run-in. Alex Pereira will look to become the UFC’s first three-division champion this weekend when he battles Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title at the White House. Pereira opted to vacate the light heavyweight belt earlier this year to make the full-time move to heavyweight, and a win could potentially move him into the UFC GOAT debate.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 10, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Two losses in a row. A moment of serious doubt. Then a decision to fight smarter rather than fight harder. Rambong Sor Therapat arrives at The Inner Circle 18 as a different version of himself. Rambong faces Sornsueknoi FA Group in a flyweight Muay Thai co-main event at The Inner Circle 18, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 12.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 12, 2026

Curtis Blaydes believes he knows a direction Josh Hokit should consider to maximize his potential. Blaydes knows what it’s like to share the Octagon with “The Incredible Hok.” The two did battle in an entertaining heavyweight scrap on the UFC 327 card back in April. While Blaydes dropped a unanimous decision, he did share “Fight of the Night” honors with Hokit, so the bonus softened the blow of defeat just a tad bit.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 12, 2026

Khamzat Chimaev continues to target a rematch with Sean Strickland, and he insists things will play out far differently. Chimaev put the UFC Middleweight Championship at stake against Strickland back in May. The title fight headlined UFC 328 in Newark. “Borz” was able to take Strickland down early, but he couldn’t find consistency in the grappling for the rest of the night. It allowed Strickland to make things a dog fight all the way to the final horn.

Curtis Calhoun - June 11, 2026

Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan might be in trouble with the promotion after placing a massive bet on UFC White House. UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will defend his undisputed title against interim titleholder Justin Gaethje on the White House lawn on Sunday. UFC Freedom 250 features a seven-fight card with plenty of intriguing fights, capped off by the Topuria vs. Gaethje main event.

Dylan Bowker - June 11, 2026

Arman Tsarukyan is someone who should be next up to fight for the UFC lightweight belt in the eyes of many and a former kingpin of the UFC’s 155 pound division has weighed in on the curious situation the top contender finds himself in. The combatant in question is Benson Henderson who grappled with Tsarukyan quasi-recently in a grappling contest that saw the latter win via submission at ACBJJ 18. Through the athletic meritocracy lens, Tsarukyan should be getting the UFC title shot in the eyes of many, but instead reigning champ Ilia Topuria will fight interim belt holder Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 this weekend. When simply asked what does this guy have to do to get the next crack at the UFC crown, Henderson said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

Curtis Calhoun - June 11, 2026

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s business partnership with Eddie Hearn could potentially hinder his return timeline. As Tom Aspinall continues to recover from multiple eye injuries, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will fight for the interim UFC heavyweight title this weekend at UFC Freedom 250. Gane and Aspinall fought to a no-contest at UFC 321 last year after multiple eye pokes by Gane left Aspinall unable to continue.

Curtis Calhoun - June 11, 2026

Alex Pereira’s two-time UFC rival, Israel Adesanya, is fired up to see his former foe’s pursuit of history. Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira will look to become the promotion’s first three-division titleholder this weekend when he faces Ciryl Gane in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event. Pereira and Gane will fight for the interim UFC heavyweight championship amidst Tom Aspinall’s uncertain timeline for a return to the Octagon.

Cole Shelton - June 11, 2026

Steve Garcia knows his UFC White House opener against Diego Lopes has all the makings to be an all-time classic. After Garcia’s last win over David Onama, he called for a top-ranked guy, but admitted he wasn’t sure if he was going to get it. The American knows he’s overlooked and will have to claw his way to the top, so when he got the call to fight Lopes, he admits he was a bit surprised.

Cole Shelton - June 11, 2026

Michael Chandler believes Paddy Pimblett will pull off the upset at UFC 329. Pimblett is set to take on Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas in a pivotal lightweight fight. Pimblett is coming off an upset loss to Justin Gaethje for the interim belt and is the betting underdog against Saint-Denis.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 11, 2026

Daniel Cormier is attempting to play mediator in the midst of issues between Tom Aspinall and the UFC brass. Aspinall is the main UFC Heavyweight Champion, but he’s been out of action since suffering a double eye poke back in Oct. 2025. Aspinall’s title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 was ruled a no contest when the champion had difficulty seeing. An interim championship fight between Gane and Alex Pereira will be taking place at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 11, 2026

Conor McGregor reportedly used banned substances while recovering from his brutal leg injury back in 2021, and UFC fans appear to be on his side. Dr. Neal ElAttrache told New York Times that he wrote a letter in support of McGregor’s use of performance-enhancing drugs that benefitted his recovery after suffering a broken tibia and fibula during his UFC 264 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier. McGregor’s team reportedly attempted to get an exemption from USADA but were never given an approval.

Dylan Bowker - June 10, 2026

Chris Weidman has achieved hall of fame distinctions for his amateur wrestling as well as MMA efforts but feels like he fell short of what he ultimately wanted. Touching upon his thoughts on hearing about his UFC Hall of Fame induction and the feelings tied to that induction which will transpire in July, Weidman said [via Bowks Talking Bouts], “Oh, yeah. I was completely surprised. I had no idea. Nobody in my family knew, my coaches, my manager, nobody knew. So, there was no way that that secret was going to get back to me. They asked me and Dustin Poirier to go cage side so they could pan over to us and then promote the post-fight show. We’re like, “Okay, yeah, whatever.” Then we were like talking to each other like, “Why wouldn’t they just do this from the desk? They could do that same shot from the desk.” So thought it was a little weird.”

Curtis Calhoun - June 10, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier believes Alex Pereira still has work to do to surpass Jon Jones and others in the GOAT debate. Alex Pereira drew high praise from UFC CEO Dana White earlier this week, as the UFC head proclaimed Pereira would become the GOAT with a win at UFC Freedom 250. Pereira, who will make his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane for the interim title, could become the UFC’s first three-division champion.