Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Cole Shelton - August 4, 2020

Alexey Oleynik always wanted to share the Octagon with Derrick Lewis and he now gets the chance to do so. In the main event of UFC Vegas 6, the Russian will be taking on Lewis. It is a very intriguing fight that the UFC wanted to headline the June 13 show according to Oleynik. But, he needed more time after his win over Fabricio Werdum.

Cole Shelton - August 4, 2020

Beneil Dariush was looking to be fighting a ranked opponent but unfortunately did not get his wish. Dariush, who is currently ranked 14th at lightweight, is riding a four-fight winning streak and coming off a spectacular KO win over Drakkar Klose at UFC 248. It was a phenomenal finish. Looking back at it, the timing of that fight couldn’t have been any more perfect.

Cole Shelton - August 3, 2020

Tim Johnson believes he has a clear path to victory against Matt Mitrione. Johnson will be making his fourth appearance in Bellator to battle the always dangerous Mitrione in the co-main event of Bellator 243 on Friday. Although this is a big fight for Johnson, he didn’t get much notice for it.

Tom Taylor - July 31, 2020

Henry Cejudo has been angling for a fight with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, and his manager Ali Abdelaziz will be doing everything he can to make it happen. Cejudo, the former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, retired in May, after defending his bantamweight strap with a TKO win over Dominick Cruz. Since his retirement announcement, he’s stated repeatedly that he’d return to the cage for a fight with Volkanovski, which would give him the opportunity to become the first three-division champion in UFC history.

Cole Shelton - July 30, 2020

In the main event of UFC Vegas 5, Derek Brunson is looking to extend his winning streak when he takes Edmen Shahbazyan. Heading into the fight, Brunson is a +255 underdog while the undefeated prospect is a -335 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros are split on this one with some thinking Brunson is a step up too soon while others believe the hype is real behind Shahbazyan.

Tom Taylor - July 30, 2020

Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz believes we could see plenty more of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov over the next few years, but is reluctant to comment on the Russian’s fighting future until his showdown with the division’s interim champion Justin Gaethje in the rear-view. Nurmagomedov and Gaethje, who are both managed by Abdelaziz, are set to collide for the UFC lightweight title on October 24. Abdelaziz views the fight as tremendously dangerous for both champion and challenger, but believes it’s possible Nurmagomedov, who is currently 28-0, could strive for a perfect 30-0 mark if he’s victorious.

Tom Taylor - July 30, 2020

Earlier this week, ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced a new partnership with MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz and his company, Dominance MMA. Abdelaziz and Sityodtong were first introduced through their mutual friend, Renzo Gracie, but only recently began working together. Both agree the relationship is long overdue.

Cole Shelton - July 29, 2020

Edmen Shahbazyan is looking to turn some more heads when he headlines this Saturday’s card against Derek Brunson. Shahbazyan vs. Brunson was originally scheduled to be the co-main event, but after Irene Aldana tested positive for COVID-19,the bout was moved to headliner status.

Cole Shelton - July 28, 2020

Alex Perez believes he should be getting the next flyweight title shot. At UFC Fight Island 2, a new flyweight champion was crowned as Deiveson Figueiredo submitted Joseph Benavidez in the first round. Perez expected the Brazilian to win, but not in the fashion he did.

Cole Shelton - July 28, 2020

Calvin Kattar believes he could very well be fighting for UFC gold next time out. Kattar, who is currently ranked sixth in the division, is already 2-0 in 2020. He had a knockout win over Jeremy Stephens and most recently a decision win over Dan Ige. Not only did he beat the streaking Ige, but he also did it over five rounds.

Cole Shelton - July 24, 2020

Joanna Jedrzejczyk is only interested in title fights and big fights according to American Top Team owner, Dan Lambert. Jedrzejczyk last fought back at UFC 248 in March where she and Weili Zhang put on an all-time great fight. The two traded shots for 25 minutes. Jedrzejczyk was looking to reclaim her title while the Chinese champion was looking for her first title defense.

Tom Taylor - July 24, 2020

ONE Championship returns to Bangkok, Thailand, with ONE: NO Surrender on Friday, July 31. Headlining the promotion’s return card will be a trilogy bout for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Petchdam Petchyindee Academy. Prior to joining the organization, the Thai strikers met at the world-famous Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok twice – Petchdam took the first meeting by decision in 2017, and Rodtang evened the score a year later.

Cole Shelton - July 23, 2020

In the main event of UFC Fight Island 3, a pivotal middleweight clash headlines the card as Robert Whittaker battles Darren Till. Heading into the fight, the former champion in Whittaker is a -120 favorite while the Englishman is a +100 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The pros believe it is a super close fight as the odds suggest but the majority lean towards Whittaker getting the job done.

Tom Taylor - July 23, 2020

Petchdam Petchyindee Academy knows his shot at Rodtang Jitmuangnon and the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship at ONE: No Surrender is a golden opportunity. The always exciting Thai, who will look to settle the score with his former foe on July 31 in Bangkok, Thailand, is grateful that he can get back to work following of inactivity due to COVID-19. 

Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020

American Top Team owner, Dan Lambert doesn’t expect Amanda Nunes to retire from MMA. Following Nunes’ UFC 250 win over Felicia Spencer where she defended her featherweight title, the Brazilian has hinted at retirement. Nunes has accomplished everything in the sport from being a champ-champ to now defending both titles. Nunes is also widely considered the GOAT of women’s MMA.

Cole Shelton - July 22, 2020

Jesse Ronson didn’t believe he would make it back to the UFC. Ronson was in the UFC from September 2013 to July 2014, but the Canadian went 0-3 with three split decision losses to Michel Prazeres, Francisco Trinaldo, and Kevin Lee. He was then fighting on the regional scenes when he got the call to fight Diego Ferreira on short notice at UFC 231. However, Ronson was pulled from the event due to him having to cut too much weight and Sean Shelby told him he’d never be signed by the UFC again.

Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020

Peter Sobotta is back. The 33-year-old German welterweight has not fought since March of 2018 where he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Leon Edwards. Since then, he was supposed to fight Alessio Di Chirico last September, but he was forced to pull out.

Cole Shelton - July 21, 2020

If American Top Team owner, Dan Lambert had his way, Jorge Masvidal wouldn’t have stepped in on short notice to fight Kamaru Usman. At UFC 251 on Fight Island, Usman was expected to defend his welterweight title against Gilbert Burns. Yet, Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and Masvidal ended up coming to terms to fight the champ on six days’ notice.