Exclusive MMA Interviews News

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2018

On May 12, in what is expected to be the main event of UFC 224 in Brazil, Raquel Pennington will get her long-awaited crack at the UFC women’s bantamweight title, as she takes on champion Amanda Nunes. While this fight is now official there was a stretch when it looked like the UFC would go in another direction. The plan, it seemed, was to pit Nunes against dominating UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg.

Tom Taylor - March 13, 2018

Having gone 2-0 since joining the UFC, stopping both Joachim Christensen and Jeremy Kimball in the first round, undefeated light heavyweight prospect Dominick Reyes feels he’s earned a top-15 opponent. To that end, he believes Jared Cannonier and Gian Villante would both be solid options – though the latter was recently linked to a bout with Sam Alvey. “I’m thinking either May or June,” Reyes said of his next fight on the latest stacked episode of BJ Penn Radio. “I tried to get on a card in Utica, but it didn’t work out. So I’m still working to get that fight. I’d like to fight Villante, maybe then Cannonier, and get in the top-15, man. That’s what I’m looking at right now.”

Drake Riggs - March 12, 2018

What do fighters do? The simple answer: they fight. Though the deeper you dig, it’s much more than that and everything that leads up to the moment they’ve been working their whole lives for, is not so simple.

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

From the sounds of it, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s next title challenger could well come in the form of reigning UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. Speaking on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, flyweight contender Sergio Pettis gave his take on this compelling flyweight title superfight. “I mean it’s and interesting fight to make, I think it’s definitely cool for the fans,” he said. “Definitely a super fight.”

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

Ever since he defeated former title challenger Demian Maia in October, Colby Covington has felt he is the welterweight division’s number-one contender. Unfortunately for him, the UFC seems to be leaning in the direction of Rafael dos Anjos in the search for champion Tyron Woodley’s next challenger. “I don’t get why UFC wants to do RDA-Woodley,” Covington said on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “I mean, RDA is 3-2 in his last five. Last five fights, I’m 5-0, so RDA was just getting melted by lightweights last year. Eddie Alvarez. The guy’s a complete bum. He’s just looking to piggy back and get one more fight, then he’s out of the game man. And that’s what these guys don’t understand. I’m the future. These guys are all old, at the end of their careers. I’m just getting started. I’m just getting warmed up. You haven’t even seen my potential yet.”

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

Last weekend, on the undercard of the UFC’s exciting stop in Orlando, Florida, Alan Jouban rebounded from a tough, two-fight skid with a beautiful second-round knockout of friend and fellow 10th Planet student Ben Saunders. Now that’s he’s back in the win column, Jouban is ready to take another step up the welterweight ladder. And while he didn’t have any names in mind initially, he does like one idea put forth by the UFC Tonight panel post-fight: Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. The only problem is that he considers Cowboy a friend, and after knocking out Saunders, he’d rather fight somebody he’s not close with. Like Dong Hyun Kim.

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

Sergio Pettis now his crosshairs locked firmly on two-time UFC flyweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez, who he’ll meet at UFC 225 on June 9 in Chicago. Though this is one of the toughest tests of his career thus far, the younger Pettis brother is confident its a fight he can win.

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2018

On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis shared his thoughts on UFC welterweight Colby Covington –– and they weren’t exactly positive. “While we’re on the mic, fuck Colby, whatever his name is,” Lewis said. “Fuck you, motherfucker. Just so you hear that. Go ahead and put that out. I heard he was talking shit. He’s one of those boys that wears Polo shirts and as soon as you touch him, he’s going to call the cops on you. One of them preppy motherfuckers. I don’t know where it was on, I just heard he was talking shit.”

Tom Taylor - February 28, 2018

Former World Series of Fighting champ Jessica Aguilar has fought just twice since she signed with the UFC in 2015, and unfortunately, both of her Octagon appearances have resulted in losses. Understandably, the strawweight veteran is keen to get back in there ASAP, and return to the kind of form that saw her collect 10-straight wins between 2010 and 2014.

Jordan Colbert - February 28, 2018

Julian Marquez made his UFC debut at UFC on FOX 26 after delivering one of the most brutal knockout finishes Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender series has seen to date. Following a Fight of the Night performance in his UFC debut, Marquez is looking to get back in the cage ASAP. In an exclusive interview with BJPenn.com, “The Cuban Missile Crisis” detailed his time before the UFC, his performance thus far under the UFC banner, as well as what may be next for him. I want to start out with your time before the UFC. The lone loss in your career was your Bellator debut fight. Can you take me through that fight and your feelings following the loss as well as how you went on to change your career trajectory?

Tom Taylor - February 26, 2018

Earlier this month, on the undercard of UFC 221, Australian featherweight Alex Volkanovski scored a fourth-straight dominant UFC win, taking out Jeremy Kennedy with a swarm of second-round punches. With this dominant performance in the books, Volkanovski feels it’s time he’s rewarded with a top-15 or even a top-10 opponent. The rising talent made his case on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio.

Tom Taylor - February 26, 2018

With a newly announced gig as an Invicta ring boy, an established modelling career, an entertaining YouTube channel, and lots more, UFC middleweight Elias Theodorou stays plenty busy outside the cage. That said, his packed schedule hasn’t detracted from his desire to fight. The Canadian star, who is the owner of an impressive 14-2 record, is currently eyeing a return to action this spring. “Looking to jump in April-ish… April-May,” Theodorou said on Episode 72 of BJ Penn Radio when asked about the ideal timeframe for his return. “But [I’m] always ready. I’m a professional athlete, 365, and even though I have a very busy day outside the cage, I’m still training every single day, and I’m a professional athlete as well.”

Drake Riggs - February 23, 2018

One of the UFC lightweight division’s biggest dark horses continued his winning ways last Saturday after earning yet another impressive victory over Francisco Trinaldo thus extending his current winning streak to four. “The Texicutioner” James Vick is ready for 2018 which he thinks will be his year as he told BJ Penn Radio this week. “I’m about to be 31 years old this week, on Friday’s my birthday, I’m gonna be 31 years old. I don’t feel old at all I started in this game late. I feel young as shit, I feel like I’m in my athletic prime. But at the same time the older you get, the UFC is hardly promoting me now, the older you get it’s even harder to get promoted. I’m not gonna fight someone for the same damn pay unless they’re ranked above me.

Tom Taylor - February 18, 2018

On July 7, in the main event of UFC 226, reigning UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will attempt to defend his title against reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. As one of the heavyweight division’s top contenders, it’s no surprise that Curtis Blaydes will be watching this fight very closely. “I think it’s very interesting matchup,” Blaydes said of the UFC 226 main event on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “It’s a good matchup. I like it, seeing as DC is a former Strikeforce heavyweight champion and he is, I think, undefeated as a heavyweight. He knows how – he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. I think [their] weights will be a lot closer than people think. [Cormier will] probably be 235 [pounds] and Stipe will probably be around 245-250, and at heavyweight, that’s not really much of a difference. And [Cormier is] used to being the smaller guy so you don’t have to worry.”

Chris Taylor - February 6, 2018

Tyron Woodley: “Stephen Thompson is today’s Jon Fitch” Earlier today UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that he was targeting a summer return and would likely be fighting former lightweight title challenger Nate Diaz in his next bout.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2018

Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Valentina Shevchenko could not have been more impressive in her Saturday night flyweight debut, out-landing her opponent Priscila Cachoeira by a 230-3 margin en-route to a second-round submission win. Regrettably, much of the buzz surrounding this fight has been negative, as the widespread perception is that referee Mario Yamasaki let this one-sided beatdown go on for far longer than it should have. Priscilla Cachoeira, you showed so much heart and toughness in that fight. I’m honored to have you fight in the UFC. Unfortunately the ref is there to protect you and Mario DID NOT do that. This isn’t his first disgusting performance in the octagon. Another unfortunate thing is that i can’t do anything about I️t only the Brazilian commission can and i am hoping after this scary, incompetent showing he hopefully will never set foot in that Octagon again. Strikes landed was 230-3.

Tom Taylor - January 30, 2018

This weekend, on the undercard of UFC 221 in Perth, Australia, red-hot featherweight prospect Alexander Volkanovski will return to the cage for a rescheduled bout with Canada’s Jeremy Kennedy. If Volkanovski can win this bout, he’ll be 4-0 in the UFC, and 16-1 overall, and he expects to be rewarded for this impressive run with a top-15 opponent. “That’s gonna be four,” he said on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “If I win this, that’s four wins in a row. I haven’t even lost a round [in the UFC] yet, so I’ve been dominating most of my opponents and I’m sure they’re gonna wanna give me a ranked opponent. I just think that’s the only option after this. And I’m pretty sure, you know, my manger was talking to [matchmaker] Sean Shelby and that’s pretty much what he was implying, so I definitely think that’s what’s gonna happen, and that’s why I’m happy with the match up and I can’t wait, mate.”

Tom Taylor - January 28, 2018

It took Mairbek Taisumov a long, long time to find a willing dance partner for his next fight. Given that he’s knocked all five of his most recent opponents out, the difficulty he’s had finding a willing opponent definitely makes some sense. He just doesn’t seem like a fun guy to fight. Eventually, of course, Taisumov was able to find a willing adversary in the absurdly tough, 15th-ranked UFC lightweight Evan Dunham, who he’ll battle at UFC 223 on April 7.