MMA News

Harry Kettle - July 1, 2026 at 1:50 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC star Ian Machado Garry is eager to bring the promotion back to Ireland as he prepares for his main event title fight at UFC 330. In the main event of UFC 330, Ian Machado Garry will get the chance of a lifetime. He will challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight championship and if he wins, he will become just the second Irishman after Conor McGregor to hold gold in the UFC.

Harry Kettle - July 1, 2026 at 1:46 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC star Sean O’Malley has big hopes for a potential rematch between himself and UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. A few years back, Sean O’Malley defeated Petr Yan in a really close fight that was decided via split decision. Now, in the present day, Sean is campaigning for a crack at the world title he once held, which is now being carried by Yan after he defeated Merab Dvalishvili to win it for the second time.

Harry Kettle - July 1, 2026 at 1:43 AM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev believes Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint Denis could be Fight of the Night at UFC 329 later this month. While the main event between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway may be grabbing all the headlines, there’s no denying that the co-main between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis has the potential to create some real fireworks in the lightweight division.

Curtis Calhoun - June 30, 2026 at 4:35 PM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier was recently in formal negotiations to compete against Jon Jones in wrestling, but Jones shut down talks. UFC legends Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones will likely never be friends. Despite being years removed from their two UFC showdowns, tensions between Jones and Cormier remain high, as evidenced by their time coaching against each other on ALF Reality 3, a Russian spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter.

Dylan Bowker - June 30, 2026 at 2:53 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Sean Strickland got the boot from a UFC Freedom 250 adjacent event, and a good friend and training partner of his has offered his viewpoint on the hectic scenario. The referenced fighter is Johnny Eblen, who prepares to run it back for a rematch with Impa Kasanganay at PFL Austin in the coming weeks for interim middleweight hardware. Eblen fielded several subjects, including this Strickland inquiry, during an interview at the recent PFL San Diego media day. With headlines abounding regarding the UFC middleweight champion getting booted from that UFC Freedom 250 fan event, when asked what the group chat looks like after something like that happens, Eblen said,

Curtis Calhoun - June 30, 2026 at 2:29 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Longtime official and analyst ‘Big’ John McCarthy came to referee Herb Dean’s defense after a string of recent controversies. Referee Herb Dean has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks over a series of controversial officiating decisions in several UFC fights.

Curtis Calhoun - June 30, 2026 at 1:43 PM PDT // 0 Comments

UFC heavyweight contender Josh Hokit wants the promotion to cut ties with Tom Aspinall amidst the undisputed champion’s ongoing absence. After Ciryl Gane reclaimed the interim UFC heavyweight title at the White House earlier this month, he’s likely set for a rematch against undisputed champion Tom Aspinall. Aspinall is in ongoing negotiations with the UFC, which could hit a speed bump amidst his advisor, Eddie Hearn’s ongoing feud with UFC CEO Dana White.

BJPENN.COM Staff - June 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Nong-O Hama has shared a ring with the same man three times now, and at 39 years old, he just proved the rivalry was always going to end his way. He defeated Kongthoranee Sor Sommai by unanimous decision in the deciding fight of their trilogy in the co-main event of The Inner Circle 20 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 26, improving his career record to 268-59. The series had been split one win apiece heading into the rubber match.

Cole Shelton - June 30, 2026 at 12:37 PM PDT // 0 Comments

Bruce Buffer still isn’t thinking about retirement anytime soon. Buffer had said to BJPENN.com two years ago that he had likely 10 years left, or around UFC 400, when he would step away from the sport. However, the Octagon announcer has walked back on those plans, as he believes he can go past that, and can continue to do his job into his 80’s.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 30, 2026 at 11:55 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Brendan Schaub is the latest MMA personality to take veteran referee Herb Dean to task. Dean found himself at the center of controversy once again during the UFC Baku co-main event this past Saturday. He was the official inside the Octagon for the middleweight tilt between Sharabutdin Magomedov and Michel Pereira. Shara “Bullet” grabbed a full head of hair during the bout and Dean was slow to break things up, leading to criticism from UFC color commentator Michael Bisping.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - June 30, 2026 at 11:23 AM PDT // 0 Comments

Ian Machado Garry is not in search of an early finish when steps inside the Octagon with Islam Makhachev. Garry is scheduled to challenge Makhachev for the UFC Welterweight Championship on Aug. 15 in Philadelphia. This will be “The Future’s” first opportunity at UFC gold, and he insists he’ll make the most of it. Makhachev has emerged as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today, and he’s hoping to secure his first successful welterweight title defense.

Cole Shelton - June 30, 2026 at 11:13 AM PDT // 0 Comments

The 224th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to discuss the latest in the UFC. UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer joins us as the lone guest this week.

Curtis Calhoun - July 1, 2026

UFC legend Jon Jones weighed in on Khamzat Chimaev and Ilia Topuria’s shocking title fight losses and what they need to change. Two of the UFC’s best pound-for-pound combatants, Ilia Topuria and Khamzat Chimaev, suffered their first career defeats just a few weeks apart. Topuria lost the undisputed UFC lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, just weeks after Chimaev lost a narrow decision to Sean Strickland to relinquish the middleweight belt at UFC 328.

Curtis Calhoun - July 1, 2026

Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov could potentially earn another title shot at UFC Shanghai. Bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov is searching for another shot at the belt after a surprising loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311. But Nurmagomedov has done his job since his first career defeat, earning wins over the likes of Mario Bautista and former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

Curtis Calhoun - July 1, 2026

Former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones draws many parallels between his multiple comebacks and Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 return. Conor McGregor will fight former BMF titleholder Max Holloway in the UFC 329 main event next weekend in Las Vegas. Five years since his last fight in the Octagon, McGregor will look to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in combat sports history and secure his first win since January 2020.

Curtis Calhoun - July 1, 2026

Boxing legend Terence Crawford doubled down on mocking former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s loss at the White House. Ilia Topuria’s unbeaten run came to a shocking end at UFC Freedom 250 earlier this month. In an instant classic against Justin Gaethje, Topuria lost by TKO (corner stoppage) in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 1, 2026

Dustin Poirier continues to get support from his peers, and Matt Brown is the latest name to give “The Diamond” some encouragement. Poirier is a beloved MMA figure who retired following his UFC 318 loss to Max Holloway back in July 2025. While “The Diamond” is involved in charity work, runs his own hot sauce business, and serves as a UFC analyst, he has admitted that he’s having a difficult time transitioning after hanging up his gloves.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 1, 2026

Diego Lopes might be seeking new challenges at 155 pounds given his failed bids to become the UFC featherweight titleholder. Lopes is one of the top 145-pound competitors in MMA, but he appears to have hit a brick wall. He has fought Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight gold twice and was unsuccessful in both attempts. Lopes has gone 7-2 in his last nine outings, and it’s clear that he has emerged as the No. 2 featherweight in the world, but perhaps a change of scenery is due.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - July 1, 2026

Gillian Robertson is feeling underestimated going into the biggest fight of her career at UFC 330. Robertson is scheduled to challenge for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship on July 11. Mackenzie Dern is the reigning titleholder having captured the gold by defeating Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 back in Oct. 2025. “The Savage” earned her opportunity against Dern by amassing a five-fight winning streak with victories over the likes of Amanda Lemos and Marina Rodriguez.

Harry Kettle - July 1, 2026

UFC star Ian Machado Garry is eager to bring the promotion back to Ireland as he prepares for his main event title fight at UFC 330. In the main event of UFC 330, Ian Machado Garry will get the chance of a lifetime. He will challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight championship and if he wins, he will become just the second Irishman after Conor McGregor to hold gold in the UFC.

Harry Kettle - July 1, 2026

UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev believes Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint Denis could be Fight of the Night at UFC 329 later this month. While the main event between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway may be grabbing all the headlines, there’s no denying that the co-main between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis has the potential to create some real fireworks in the lightweight division.

Curtis Calhoun - June 30, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier was recently in formal negotiations to compete against Jon Jones in wrestling, but Jones shut down talks. UFC legends Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones will likely never be friends. Despite being years removed from their two UFC showdowns, tensions between Jones and Cormier remain high, as evidenced by their time coaching against each other on ALF Reality 3, a Russian spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter.

Dylan Bowker - June 30, 2026

Sean Strickland got the boot from a UFC Freedom 250 adjacent event, and a good friend and training partner of his has offered his viewpoint on the hectic scenario. The referenced fighter is Johnny Eblen, who prepares to run it back for a rematch with Impa Kasanganay at PFL Austin in the coming weeks for interim middleweight hardware. Eblen fielded several subjects, including this Strickland inquiry, during an interview at the recent PFL San Diego media day. With headlines abounding regarding the UFC middleweight champion getting booted from that UFC Freedom 250 fan event, when asked what the group chat looks like after something like that happens, Eblen said,

Curtis Calhoun - June 30, 2026

Longtime official and analyst ‘Big’ John McCarthy came to referee Herb Dean’s defense after a string of recent controversies. Referee Herb Dean has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks over a series of controversial officiating decisions in several UFC fights.