Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Cole Shelton - January 13, 2019

When MMA fans think of the top gyms in the sport, some of the first to come to mind are JacksonWink, American Top Team, and of course, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). There is no question that AKA is one of the top gyms in the sport, with the likes of Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and Khabib Nurmagomedov all training under its roof.

Cole Shelton - January 12, 2019

When Mike Winkeljohn and Greg Jackson first teamed up to start an MMA gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, neither man ever dreamed it would become one of the top camps in the sport. Today, JacksonWink is not only considered a top gym in MMA, but both Winkeljohn and Jackson are considered elite coaches in the game.

Chris Taylor - January 12, 2019

UFC legend BJ Penn returned to the octagon at last month’s UFC 232 event in Los Angeles for a lightweight fight with Ryan Hall. Unfortunately for the former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion, Penn’s return to 155-pounds did not go as planned.

Cole Shelton - January 12, 2019

After Ion Cutelaba had to pull out of their scheduled UFC on ESPN+1 bout in Brooklyn due to injury, Glover Teixeira needed a new opponent. Now, just days from fight night, he has one in UFC middleweight Karl Roberson. Roberson is moving up in weight to challenge Teixeira which was first reported by FloCombat. For Roberson, when he got the call for the fight, it was an easy decision to make.

Cole Shelton - January 11, 2019

Jason Knight is looking for a new home. The fan favorite told BJPENN.com yesterday that the UFC has released him from his contract. Even though Knight was released by the UFC, he did have some success inside the Octagon. Although he went 4-5 in his nine fights, he did have a four-fight winning streak, including wins over Dan Hooker and Alex Caceres. Those wins got him into the rankings and because of that, Knight doubts he will be a free agent for long.

Cole Shelton - January 11, 2019

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is back. Velasquez is set to return to the Octagon on Feb. 17 against Francis Ngannou. The former champ was last seen at UFC 200 where he defeated Travis Browne by TKO in the first round. Despite this lengthy absence, he is once again on the hunt for the heavyweight belt.

Mike Straus - January 10, 2019

In recent years the sport of jiu-jitsu has exploded in popularity and right at the forefront of the movement is Garry Tonon. A grappler by trade, Tonon recently dove head first into MMA, going 3-0 under the ONE Championship banner. Having competed in countless grappling and BJJ tournaments “The Lion Killer”, as he is known, believes we are just now starting to see the true essence of jiu-jitsu.

Cole Shelton - January 10, 2019

Jason Knight has been released by the UFC. “They cut me after that last loss,” Knight told BJPENN.com this week.

Drake Riggs - January 8, 2019

In every sport around the world, there are humans that will perform day in and day out to the best of their athletic capabilities. Of all the incredibly talented individuals, some will be more recognizable than others, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all be as equally impressive as the next just because they’re more well known.

Tom Taylor - January 8, 2019

When we talk about the busiest fighters in MMA, we usually mention names like Donald Cerrone, Neil Magny and Thiago Santos — and rightly so. These fighters keep tremendously busy schedules, oftentimes shoehorning four or five bouts into a single year. Yet no discussion about busy fighters is complete without mention of ONE Championship featherweight Anthony Engelen. Over the last few months, the 33-year-old Dutch-Indonesian talent has kept a timetable that would make the average fighter’s head spin. Engelen’s hyperactivity began at ONE: Heart of the Lion in mid-November when, after a brief hiatus, he made his anticipated return to the ONE Championship cage for a short-notice fight with Cambodia’s Meas Meul.

Cole Shelton - January 8, 2019

Jon Jones is once again the light heavyweight champion. He defeated Alexander Gustafsson by third-round TKO at UFC 232 to reclaim the belt. Following the fight, Jones called out Daniel Cormier to fight him at light heavyweight — though he was subsequently booked to fight Anthony Smith at UFC 235 on March 2.

Cole Shelton - January 7, 2019

Jon Jones returned to glory at UFC 232 when he defeated his rival Alexander Gustafsson by TKO in the third round to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight title. It was not an easy road back for Jones. The light heavyweight great was coming off of a 15-month USADA suspension and was looking to win back his belt. The pressure was high and some fans believed Jones would suffer from ring rust. Yet for Jones’ coach Mike Winkeljohn and the rest of the team at JacksonWink MMA, that was never a worry.

Cole Shelton - January 6, 2019

Macy Chiasson is a natural featherweight. She competed at featherweight on The Ultimate Fighter 28, and ended up winning the season at that weight. However, she is moving down to bantamweight for her next fight, which will pit her against Gina Mazany at UFC 235 on March 2. This is a rather interesting move for Chiasson given the fact she has fought her entire career at 145 and won TUF at featherweight. Yet after talking to her coaches and working with the UFC Performance Institute, she decided the timing was right to move down a division.

Mike Straus - January 6, 2019

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) seasonal format offers a unique alternative to the matchmaking style used by other major promotions like the UFC and Bellator. Season one middleweight champ Louis Taylor took full advantage of this format. The inaugural season of the PFL concluded on New Year’s Eve with the promotion handing out six million-dollar checks. It was the picture perfect way for Taylor to close out the best year of his career.

Tom Taylor - January 6, 2019

On New Years Eve, Sean O’Connell thumped Vinny Magalhaes to a corner stoppage, winning the Professional Fighters League (PFL) light heavyweight belt and a $1,000,000 prize in the process. In the moments after this life-changing win, the ever-entertaining veteran announced his retirement from MMA competition. At the end of his incredible fighting career, which unfurled in the UFC and PFL cages and carried him all over the world, Sean O’Connell has plenty of advice for the next generation of fighters.

Cole Shelton - January 5, 2019

Zak Cummings is a veteran of the sport. He is 34-years-old and has 28 professional fights to his credit. When he joined the UFC ranks in 2013, Zak Cummings spent his entire time at welterweight so that he could be bigger than everyone else. However, after struggling with hard weight cuts for years, Cummings eventually had enough and decided to move up to middleweight.

Tom Taylor - January 4, 2019

Sean O’Connell has two black eyes and a couple of scrapes criss-crossing his face. For now, The Salt Lake City resident still has the mug of a prizefighter, but as of a few days ago, he isn’t one. O’Connell ended his fighting career on New Years Eve, moments after he thumped Vinny Magalhaes to win the Professional Fighters League (PFL) light heavyweight title and a million-dollar prize.

Mike Straus - January 3, 2019

Cortney Casey was originally supposed to be fighting Cynthia Calvillo at the now-canceled UFC 233 card in Anaheim, California on January 26. Instead, Casey will throw down with Calvillo when the UFC makes its debut on ESPN on February 17. “Even though we had that little change with the venues I was already on schedule for the California card,” Casey told BJPenn.com in a recent interview. “Having the fight pushed back actually gave me more time to relax and enjoy the Holidays.”