Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Tom Taylor - October 23, 2018

ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion Aung La N Sang is a hero to the people of Myanmar. When he fights in the country — as he has in his last four bouts — it has the feeling of a national event. The Burmese champion draws nationwide media attention and unfailingly packs Yangon’s Thuwunna Indoor Stadium to the rafters. His next fight, which will pit him against the undefeated Mohammad Karaki in the main event of ONE: Pursuit of Greatness this Friday, will be no different.

Tom Taylor - October 23, 2018

Undefeated UFC light heavyweight contender Dominick Reyes recently divulged that he’s interested in competing at UFC 232 this December 29 so that he’s in a position to step up if either Jon Jones or Alexander Gustafsson is unable to compete in the card’s main event as planned. But if the main event does go as planned, and Jones and Gustafsson both make it to the cage, who does Dominick Reyes think will win? Although he knows he’s in the minority, he’s leaning toward Gustafsson.

Tom Taylor - October 23, 2018

Juan Adams, an undefeated heavyweight prospect who earned a UFC contract with a knockout of Shawn Teed on a July episode of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, is extremely confident. While he is still yet to partake in his UFC debut, a December 15 scrap with Chris De La Rocha, he already feels like he can beat any heavyweight on the UFC roster — with the exception of three men. In Juan Adams’ eyes, the only UFC heavyweights that he’d struggle against currently are Curtis Blaydes, Alistair Overeem, and reigning champ Daniel Cormier. The hulking prospect broke it down on episode 102 of BJPENN.COM Radio.

Cole Shelton - October 22, 2018

At UFC 229, rising light heavyweight talent Dominick Reyes took on a perennial light heavyweight contender in Ovince Saint Preux. Reyes entered the UFC after going 6-0 in smaller promotions. When he reached the UFC, the winning ways continued. The former college football player finished his first three UFC fights in the first round — two by knockout and one by submission. After this success, the versatile Reyes wanted a bigger name and at UFC 229 he got his wish. Against Saint Preux, Dominick Reyes would be tested, but a win promised to carry his career to new heights.

Tom Taylor - October 22, 2018

The first time Filipino knockout artist Kevin Belingon met Bibiano Fernandes in the ONE Championship cage, things didn’t go the way he planned. Instead, he was submitted by the dominating ONE bantamweight champion in the very first round. On November 9, at ONE: Heart of the Lion in Singapore, Kevin Belingon, who now wears the ONE interim bantamweight belt, will have a second chance to topple the seemingly unstoppable Bibiano Fernandes. This time around, he’s confident he can pull it off. A lot has changed since their first fight, after all.

Tom Taylor - October 22, 2018

Back in July, 26-year-old heavyweight prospect Juan Adams (4-0) earned himself a UFC contract by knocking out Shawn Teed on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. After a few months of waiting — a little longer than he’d hoped — the hulking heavyweight finisher is now set to make his UFC debut opposite Chris De La Rocha at UFC on Fox 31 on December 15 in Milwaukee. Heading into this UFC debut, Juan Adams is eager to introduce himself to UFC fans with another highlight reel victory. He believes that he is the next big thing in the UFC heavyweight division — both in terms of athletic ability and marketability — and he’s excited to prove it.

Tom Taylor - October 22, 2018

Brandon Vera has been a ONE Championship fighter since 2014. In the years since he joined the ONE Championship roster, he’s fought in his ancestral homeland of The Philippines, become one of the promotion’s biggest stars, and even captured its heavyweight title. To say Brandon Vera has enjoyed his time with ONE would be understatement. Speaking on episode 102 of BJPENN.COM Radio, Vera heaped praised on the Asian MMA powerhouse.

Tom Taylor - October 22, 2018

Siyar Bahadurzada has not fought since April, when he crumpled Luan Chagas with a kick to the body and a followup punch. He’s hoping that changes soon. The Afghan-born Dutchman, who is currently riding a three-fight win-streak, is hoping to welcome the long-absent Jorge Masvidal back to the Octagon, perhaps at UFC 232 on December 29.

Cole Shelton - October 17, 2018

Bellator recently announced they will be heading to Hawaii on back-to-back nights on December 14 and 15. While both cards will feature title fights, another fight that is a rather interesting one is former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir will be taking on Bellator veteran Javy Ayala on the first of the two cards. Javy Ayala received the call to fight Mir in September and knew it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Tom Taylor - October 16, 2018

ONE women’s atomweight champion Angela Lee is currently gearing up for a massive title fight with ONE strawweight champ Xiong Jing Nan. If Lee is able to win this mammoth showdown, she will become a two-division ONE champion. She’ll also reaffirm her status as one of the world’s best female fighters. Considering the amount of talented female fighters that are currently competing on the sport’s biggest stages, thats saying something.

Tom Taylor - October 16, 2018

UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal is tired of all the drama. Ahead of his long-awaited return to action, which he’s hoping will occur at UFC 232 on December 29, he’s determined to usher in a new era of no-nonsense fighting. “I’m looking like I need to restore order in this sport, is what I’m gonna do,” Jorge Masvidal said on episode 101 of BJPENN.COM Radio. “Law and order. That’s what I’m telling you. I’m here to bring down the law and order. Good old fashioned ass whippings. No guns, no fucking Twitter wars, just these fists up your fucking nostrils. Just ass whooping. Good old fashion ass whooping, and I’m gonna bring a whole new community of people in there that are gonna appreciate that. They’re not gonna care so much for the talking. They’re just gonna wanna see people being violent with an art form to it.” 

Tom Taylor - October 15, 2018

At ONE: Heart of The Lion, which goes down on November 9 in Singapore, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee (9-0) will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Aung La N Sang and Martin Nguyen and enter the history books as a ONE two-weight World Champion. In order to accomplish this mammoth feat, she’ll have to wrest the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title from the waist of fearsome champion Xiong Jing Nan. While Angela Lee recognizes that the task ahead will not be easy, she says she is currently enjoying one of the best training camps of her career. That, she explains, is due in part to the fact that she will be fighting Xiong at 125 pounds, rather than 115 pounds, where she normally competes.

Tom Taylor - October 15, 2018

Jorge Masvidal has not fought since November of 2017, when he gave up a decision to two-time UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Since then, “Gamebred” has stayed busy by competing on a Spanish reality television show, but now that the show has wrapped, he’s ready to get back into the cage.

Tom Taylor - October 15, 2018

When Dustin Poirier was forced out of his UFC 230 lightweight showdown with Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal offered to step in and fight Diaz in his place. Although Masvidal had just wrapped up a reality television stint, he felt confident that he was in good enough shape to fight. He just needed Diaz to agree to fight at 170 pounds, rather than 155. Unfortunately, this veritable dream matchup never came to fruition. Even though it was clearly a fight that most fans were drooling over, the UFC instead pulled Diaz from the UFC 230 lineup altogether.

Cole Shelton - October 12, 2018

Eryk Anders most recently fought back in September when he lost a tough fight to Thiago Santos. However, in his mind, that fight was just a bonus but the fight he really wanted is the one he is getting. At UFC 231 on December 8, Anders will be taking on Elias Theodorou who is currently ranked No. 13 in the middleweight rankings. It is a fight Anders has wanted for some time.

Cole Shelton - October 12, 2018

Eryk Anders has had a busy year. The middleweight fought Lyoto Machida in the main event of UFC Fight Night 125 in Brazil in February. He then fought Tim Williams at UFC Fight Night 135 in August, and then accepted a quick turnaround for another main event fight against Thiago Santos in late September. Anders will also be fighting at UFC 231 in December against Elias Theodorou.

Cole Shelton - October 10, 2018

Bellator is getting back in the business of tournaments. With Bellator’s Heavyweight Grand Prix in the semi-finals this weekend, the Welterweight Grand Prix just started the opening round. One of the eight fighters in the tournament is UFC veteran and former WSOF champion, Jon Fitch. Fitch will be taking on current Bellator 170-pound champion Rory MacDonald in the opening round of the tournament. If Fitch is to win, not only will he advance but he will become the new Bellator welterweight champion.

Cole Shelton - October 10, 2018

One of the biggest rivalries in MMA over the past few years has been TJ Dillashaw’s rivalry with his former camp Team Alpha Male and its top fighter, Cody Garbrandt. After losing the UFC bantamweight belt to Dominick Cruz, Dillashaw spent months grinding away against top bantamweight contenders before finally getting a title shot against his arch rival Garbrandt at UFC 217.