Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Cole Shelton - February 20, 2019

Jason Knight wasn’t a free agent for long. The former UFC featherweight recently signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) on a one-fight basis to fight Artem Lobov in April. For Knight, this is exactly what he wanted as he wasn’t ready for another MMA fight yet.

Thomas Taylor - February 19, 2019

Costa Rica’s Ariel Sexton has become a staple of the ONE Championship lightweight division. Given his status as one of the organization’s premier lightweights, it came as no surprise when he was invited to compete in the anticipated ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix. Sexton will compete in his first Grand Prix bout on Friday night in Singapore (Friday morning in the Western Hemisphere) at ONE: Call to Greatness, where he will battle local hero Amir Khan for a ticket to the quarterfinals.

Cole Shelton - February 19, 2019

Renato Moicano was very close to a featherweight title shot. All he needed to do was defeat former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Well, as we know, that is a lot easier said than done.

Thomas Taylor - February 18, 2019

On Friday night in Singapore (Friday morning in North America), at ONE: Call to Greatness, former ONE lightweight title challenger Amir Khan will attempt to advance to the second round of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix with a win over Costa Rican grappling ace Ariel Sexton. Now just days away from this fight, Amir Khan says his preparations have been fruitful. He’s tailored his entire eight-week camp to combatting the unique skillset of his upcoming foe, and feels well prepared for the task at hand.

Jason Kindschy - February 17, 2019

With the highly anticipated return of former heavyweight kingpin Cain Velasquez just hours away, the question remains if we will see the dominant display of cardio and technique that Cain is known for against a very dangerous opponent in Francis Ngannou. Following a hiatus from combat sports for over two years, one individual who has no doubt that Velasquez will make a big statement tonight on ESPN is his longtime friend and coach, Javier Mendez. On the most recent episode of BJPENN.COM Radio, Mendez discussed his star pupil, the long journey back to action, and the continued evolution of Cain as a martial artist.

Cole Shelton - February 15, 2019

The UFC’s first ever event on ESPN is upon us. In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will be making his long awaited return to the Octagon to take on Francis Ngannou. Ahead of this heavyweight fight, which could have title implications, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions. And, for the first time in the history of this series, the fighters were unanimous in their answers.

Mike Pendleton - February 14, 2019

When you start your professional MMA career with two incredible first-round victories, it’s hard to imagine how things could get any more impressive. Yet for Connecticut’s Mike Kimbel, who earned a highlight-reel slam finish in his first fight and a six-second knockout in his second, things are just getting started. Kimbel has had both of his professional fights come under the Bellator banner in his home state of Connecticut, and his third will be no different.

Cole Shelton - February 13, 2019

All the hype surrounding Bellator 216 is about Michael Page vs Paul Daley, and rightfully so. However, another name getting attention is Valerie Loureda, who is set to make her Bellator debut against Colby Fletcher. Loureda, who is just 20-years-old comes from a Taekwondo background and was a big signing for Bellator when it was announced. For Loureda, it was an easy decision to sign with Bellator and continue her MMA journey there.

Drake Riggs - February 11, 2019

As not all heroes wear capes, not all heroes are perfect, but they don’t always have to be. In the grueling world of combat sports and as is the case with every sport at the highest professional level, the magnitude of each and every setting gets magnified to the broadest possible audience with the more and more success that is gained.

Cole Shelton - February 11, 2019

At UFC 235, Holly Holm was expected to return to the bantamweight division to take on a rising undefeated prospect in Aspen Ladd. However, at the UFC 235 pre-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White announced that the fight was off. That left many wondering if one of the fighters was hurt or if Holm was perhaps getting a title shot against Amanda Nunes. Ladd’s team didn’t know anything about it as they told BJPenn.com’s Cole Shelton the change was news to them, and they are “still figuring stuff out.”

Cole Shelton - February 9, 2019

Arguably the best gym in the sport of MMA is American Top Team (ATT). The gym is the home of Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Colby Covington, Amanda Nunes, Dustin Poirier, Nina Ansaroff, and countless other champions and top contenders. When Dan Lambert first started the gym, he didn’t think it would get as big as it has. He didn’t expect to become a top-level MMA manager either.

Cole Shelton - February 8, 2019

Justin Frazier’s cinderella story appears to have struck midnight. Frazier was on The Ulitmate Fighter 28 in which he was the last overall pick as a heavyweight. Despite having appeared out of shape during his entrance on the show, one thing we quickly found out was that he could indeed fight.

Cole Shelton - February 6, 2019

Ricky Simon is going to have his biggest fight, and his biggest exposure to date at UFC 234. The 26-year-old will be fighting on the main card where he is taking on craft veteran Rani Yahya. Simon is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak and will have the chance to fight a ranked fighter for the first time.

Cole Shelton - February 6, 2019

The UFC’s first pay-per-view of 2019 will go down in Melbourne, Australia and be topped by a middleweight title fight between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum. However, arguably the fight most fans are looking forward to is the co-main event where rising superstar Israel Adesanya will take on former champion Anderson Silva. Ahead of this fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions. Most believe Adesanya will be too much for Silva, while one fighter is undecided on who will win.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2019

Isaac Vallie-Flagg was driving across the mesa outside Rio Rancho, New Mexico when the lights of a police cruiser started flickering in his rear-view mirror. The former UFC and Strikeforce fighter was pulled over for driving with tags that didn’t match his vehicle, and minutes later, was arrested for a number of far more serious charges. That was on January 18, 2018. Now, just over a year removed from that fateful day on the mesa, Vallie-Flagg feels as though he might not be alive had he not been arrested, as it was this arrest that drove him to make his latest and hopefully final attempt to stop using heroin, meth, and pretty much anything else he could get his hands on.

Cole Shelton - February 5, 2019

Joanna Jedrzejczyk used to be the UFC strawweight champ, and for a long period of time, it didn’t look like anyone could beat her. However, Rose Namajunas eventually came along and beat Jedrzejczyk in back-to-back fights, putting an end to the Polish star’s reign. Once Jedrzejczyk was no longer the strawweight champion, some fans began to wonder if she might move up to the new UFC women’s flyweight division. At first, she decided to stay at strawweight for her next fight, in which she defeated Tecia Torres by decision. Then, an opportunity came up for Jedrzejczyk to fight for the flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 231. But unfortunately for Jedrzejczyk and her fans, Shevchenko won this fight via unanimous decision.

Cole Shelton - February 1, 2019

At UFC 235 Tyron Woodley will defend his welterweight title. However, it will not be against Colby Covington, rather he will take on Kamaru Usman. To many, the news was surprising given Covington was the interim welterweight champion and seemed to be next in line. But, according to American Top Team owner Dan Lambert, Covington was skipped because he turned down a fight for possibly another interim title.

Cole Shelton - January 31, 2019

Brad Pickett is a mixed martial arts legend, no question about it. The 40-year-old has fought 39 times as a professional and 18 of those fights occurred under the WEC or UFC banner. Pickett announced his retirement from the sport following his loss to Marlon Vera in March 2017. Now, however, he is set to return on March 30 in London, England — but it will not be an MMA fight. Rather, Pickett will be making his bare knuckle boxing debut, and for a BKB title belt no less.