Exclusive MMA Interviews News
Luke Rockhold reacts to footage of Mike Perry picking his nose and wiping it on his sweater: "If I noticed it I would have slapped the s**t out of him"
Cole Shelton - April 27, 2023
Luke Rockhold didn’t notice Mike Perry pick his nose and wipe it on him at their faceoff, but had he there would have been problems. Rockhold and Perry had a press conference to promote their BKFC 41 main event and the two went back and forth throughout the press conference. Then, as the two did a faceoff, Perry picked his nose and wiped it on Rockhold’s sweater as he wasn’t paying attention.
Cody Brundage admits he was hesitant to accept Rodolfo Vieira fight again but is confident he'll TKO him at UFC Vegas 72: "I have more ways to win than Rodolfo does"
Cole Shelton - April 26, 2023
Cody Brundage wasn’t sure if he should accept a fight with Rodolfo Vieira again. Brundage and Vieira were supposed to fight last November, but just before Brundage was supposed to fly to Las Vegas the Brazilian pulled out with an injury. It was disappointing turn of events for Brundage, but he ended up taking a short-notice fight against Michal Oleksiejczuk in December and lost by first-round knockout.
Julian Erosa hopeful for an "all-out 15-minute brawl" at UFC Vegas 72 against Fernando Padilla: "He likes to stand and trade and I'm in the same boat"
Cole Shelton - April 25, 2023
Julian Erosa is expecting a Fight of the Night scrap against Fernando Padilla. Erosa is coming off a first-round KO loss to Alex Caceres back in December, which snapped his three-fight winning streak. It was also disappointing due to the fact Erosa felt like he didn’t do anything wrong, but simply got caught by a surprise kick that he didn’t see coming.
Luke Rockhold believes Mike Perry "bit off more than he can chew" at BKFC 41, plans to only sign one-fight deals for the rest of his career
Cole Shelton - April 25, 2023
Luke Rockhold expects to surprise many people on Saturday night when he headlines BKFC 41. Rockhold announced his retirement from fighting following his decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278. However, after some time off, he requested his release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship so that he could sign a lucrative one-fight deal with BKFC.
Brandon Royval "surprised" he was the underdog against Matheus Nicolau, hopes Alexandre Pantoja beats Brandon Moreno for the belt
Cole Shelton - April 20, 2023
Brandon Royval didn’t understand why he was the betting underdog against Matheus Nicolau. Royval entered the fight as a sizeable underdog – which has him perplexed. He knew Nicolau was good, but he thought his style and him being able to push the pace could create openings. What bothered Royval the most was seeing people say online that he was going to get knocked out.
Christos Giagos believes he's fighting for his job at UFC Vegas 71, anticipates a "war" against Ricky Glenn: "This is do-or-die for me"
Cole Shelton - April 20, 2023
After a freak injury, Christos Giagos is finally ready to return. Giagos was supposed to face Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC Paris last September. Yet, just before the fight, as he was cleaning his house, he sliced his pinky open which forced him out of the scrap.
Ricky Glenn vows to finish Christos Giagos early at UFC Vegas 71 and prove he deserves "a top-15 guy" next
Cole Shelton - April 19, 2023
Ricky Glenn is finally healthy again and ready to be active. Glenn returned in June of 2021 after not fighting since 2018 and knocked out Joaquim Silva in 37 seconds. He then squared off with Grant Dawson that October and fought him to a draw after nearly finishing Dawson in the final round. He was then booked to face Drew Dober in March but just two weeks before the fight he tore a tendon in his groin that has kept him out for over a year.
Pro fighters make their picks for Sergei Pavlovich vs. Curtis Blaydes
Cole Shelton - April 19, 2023
In the main event of UFC Vegas 71, a battle of top-five heavyweights goes down as Sergei Pavlovich takes on Curtis Blaydes. Heading into the scrap, Pavlovich is a +134 underdog while the American is a -172 favorite on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros believe Blaydes will use his wrestling – similar to what Alistair Overeem did – to beat up Pavlovich and get a ground-and-pound TKO.
Steve Garcia eyes TJ Brown or Damon Jackson after TKO win over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC 287
Cole Shelton - April 14, 2023
Steve Garcia doesn’t understand why he’s always the underdog and overlooked in his fights. At UFC 287, Garcia was once again the underdog as he took on Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. Early on, Nuerdanbieke had success as he got takedowns and even dropped Garcia in the first round.
Loopy Godinez "confident" she beat Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 287 but disappointed how "close" the fight was
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2023
Loopy Godinez is disappointed by how close her fight with Cynthia Calvillo was. Godinez entered the fight coming off a loss to Angela Hill last August, in what she admits was a disappointing fight for her. She was then booked to face Calvillo at UFC 287 in a fight Godinez thought she would dominate in.
Gillian Robertson explains decision to drop down to strawweight, expects to submit Piera Rodriguez early at UFC Kansas City: "I expect it to be over fast"
Cole Shelton - April 13, 2023
Gillian Robertson will be returning to the strawweight division. Before Robertson went on TUF and made her way into the UFC, she was competing at 115lbs but admittedly had a tough time making the weight. Once she signed with the UFC, she made 125lbs her home and went 8-5 inside the division. But, after really figuring out her diet, she believes the time is right to return to 115lbs.
Chris Gutierrez knows he has to fight "smart" against "dangerous" Pedro Munhoz at UFC Kansas City
Cole Shelton - April 12, 2023
Chris Gutierrez was hoping he’d get a top-10 opponent next and that is exactly what happened. Back in November, Gutierrez picked up the biggest win of his career as he knocked out Frankie Edgar in the former UFC champ’s retirement fight. After the win, Gutierrez wasn’t sure who would be next but was happy when he was offered Pedro Munhoz at UFC Kansas City.
Pro fighters make their picks for Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen
Cole Shelton - April 12, 2023
In the main event of UFC Kansas City, a featherweight fight headlines the card as former champ Max Holloway takes on Arnold Allen. Heading into the scrap, Holloway is the -196 favorite while the Brit is a +152 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros believe Holloway is the better striker and he will get his hand raised, likely by decision.
Billy Quarantillo eyes "viral" knockout over "legend" Edson Barboza at UFC Kansas City: "I'm not going in there to milk out a decision"
Cole Shelton - April 11, 2023
Billy Quarantillo is pumped to fight Edson Barboza in the co-main event of UFC Kansas City. After Quarantillo scored a TKO win over Alexander Hernandez back in December, he called out Barboza to be his next opponent. Although the callout garnered a lot of interest from fight fans, he wasn’t sure if the Brazilian veteran would actually accept. But when he found out that the fight was set, he was absolutely pumped.
Brandon Royval expects to "drown" Matheus Nicolau at UFC Kansas City, hopes to serve as backup for flyweight title fight
Cole Shelton - April 11, 2023
Brandon Royval was confident he would be fighting Matheus Nicolau next. After Royval was cleared from his hand injury, he called out both Nicolau and Kai Kara-France as he wanted a top-five opponent. But, once Kara-France told him he was still injured, he turned all of his focus to Nicolau.
Loopy Godinez says UFC 287 fight against Cynthia Calvillo is "just going to be dominating"
Cole Shelton - April 6, 2023
Loopy Godinez is confident she will return to the win column at UFC 287. Godinez is coming off a disappointing decision loss to Angela Hill back in August at UFC San Diego. Since then, Godinez has been waiting to get a fight but admits the time off has been beneficial for her as she was able to really work on holes in her game and improve.
Adrian Yanez hopes to secure Sean O'Malley fight after "starching" Rob Font at UFC 287
Cole Shelton - April 5, 2023
Adrian Yanez is ready to show the mainstream just how good he is. Yanez is set to make his pay-per-view debut on Saturday in the featured fight right before the main and co-main events. It’s a massive opportunity as he will also be facing the sixth-ranked bantamweight in Rob Font who is someone Yanez knows likes to bring the fight.
UFC 287 | Pro fighters make their picks for Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 title fight
Cole Shelton - April 5, 2023
In the main event of UFC 287, the middleweight title is up for grabs as Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya have their rematch in MMA. Heading into the fight, Pereira is a +114 underdog while the challenger is a -146 favorite on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros have a slight lean towards Adesanya getting the belt back but many think Pereira’s power will be too much for the former champ.