UFC News
Tony Ferguson on Dana White: 'We need to check his head'
Tom Taylor - June 6, 2019
Tony Ferguson is scheduled to return to the cage opposite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 238 this Saturday. Before this bout was announced, however, the former interim lightweight champion was dealing with some personal issues that cast uncertainty on his fighting future. Amid Ferguson’s struggles outside the cage, UFC President Dana White claimed that the fighter would need to be evaluated before returning to the cage.
Tony Ferguson rips Ali Abdelaziz, calls him a 'Twitter warrior'
Adam Martin - June 6, 2019
Tony Ferguson returns to action this Saturday against Donald Cerrone at UFC 238, but before the fight he went on the offensive against the manager of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, none other than Ali Abdelaziz. In a pre-fight scrum with the media, Ferguson ripped the manager and criticized his persona on social media.
UFC 238 | Pro fighters make their picks for Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes
Cole Shelton - June 6, 2019
In the main event of UFC 238, the vacant bantamweight title is on this line. Flyweight champion Henry Cejudo is moving up in weight to try and become a two-division champ, while top contender, Marlon Moraes will look to win his first UFC title. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the fight. Some believe Moraes’ explosivenesses will be too much, while others think Cejudo’s wrestling will make the difference.
Title shot or Conor McGregor fight? Donald Cerrone states his preference
Tom Taylor - June 6, 2019
Donald Cerrone will return to the Octagon this Saturday, on the main card of UFC 238, where he’ll battle streaking lightweight contender Tony Ferguson in a fight that could produce the next lightweight title challenger. Earlier this year, however, Cerrone was linked to a potential showdown with former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor — a bout that many fans are still dying to see. Speaking during a recent media scrum in Chicago, Cerrone made his preference very clear. He’s gunning for a title shot, and says Conor McGregor missed his chance.
UFC 238 | Donald Cerrone says Tony Ferguson has a 'questionable jaw', eyes finish
Cole Shelton - June 6, 2019
Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson are set to throw down this Saturday at UFC 238. It will be a battle between two fan favorites, and a fight that should earn the winner the next title shot. The stakes are high for this one, and “Cowboy” believes it will be an entertaining scrap where anything can happen.
Marlon Moraes believes sparring with Frankie Edgar is key to beating Henry Cejudo
Natasha Hooper - June 5, 2019
All fighters want to maximize their chances of winning and will strategically spar with fighters of a specific skillset to ensure things go their way in the cage. Marlon Moraes has turned to Frankie Edgar to increase his odds of beating Henry Cejudo at UFC 238. Commonly known for his knock out power and leg kicks, Moraes has been utilizing featherweight fighter, Frankie Edgar to improve his wrestling ability as impeccable wrestling will be essential against Henry Cejudo. Cejudo is an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, and Moraes is expecting that will be the focus of the fight.
Manager explains why team Khabib Nurmagomedov opted against McGregor rematch
Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019
From the moment Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor in the UFC 229 main event, there was talk of an immediate rematch between the two stars. The fight was particularly competitive, but it was big. So big that a rematch would almost certainly be a massive financial success. And of course, McGregor’s fight-altering power — and the ever present possibility of a knockout that it creates — will always make his fights interesting. In the end, of course, Nurmagomedov has gone another direction. The undefeated UFC lightweight champion will defend his title against interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi this September.
UFC rankings update: Big changes at light heavyweight, flyweight looks rough
Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019
The official UFC rankings have been updated in the wake of Saturday’s action-packed UFC Stockholm card, and as expected, there have been some big changes, particularly in the light heavyweight division. Anthony Smith, who defeated Alexander Gustafsson in the card’s main event, has cruised up to the division’s No. 3 spot, behind only Thiago Santos and Daniel Cormier. Aleksandar Rakic, meanwhile, has rocketed into the rankings, settling at No. 11 on the strength of his decapitation of Jimi Manuwa.
Joe Rogan breaks down Andy Ruiz vs. Francis Ngannou fight
Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019
UFC commentator Joe Rogan loves to discuss potential fights between boxers and mixed martial artists. He did it mere weeks ago, when he drooled over a matchup between WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder and UFC heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou. And now, he’s done it again, this time riffing on a fight between Ngannou and new unified heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz Jr.
UFC 238 | Pro fighters make their picks for Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jessica Eye
Cole Shelton - June 5, 2019
In the co-main event of UFC 238, this Saturday, Valentina Shevchenko will look to defend her flyweight title against Jessica Eye. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their picks for the title fight. In this case, the majority believe Shevchenko wins. But, some believe we will hear ‘And New’ from Bruce Buffer.
Coach discusses Chael Sonnen's influence on Henry Cejudo
Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019
You’ve probably noticed that UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo has come out of his shell lately. Ahead of his UFC 238 bantamweight title fight with Marlon Moraes, he’s been talking trash and cutting promos in a way that he never has previously. According to his coach, that’s due in part to the influence of Chael Sonnen. Speaking at a scrum this week, coach Eric Albarracin explained how Henry Cejudo has been influenced by the infamous trash talker Chael Sonnen (via MMA Fighting).
Nate Diaz explains why he accepted Anthony Pettis fight
Tom Taylor - June 5, 2019
Nate Diaz has not fought since August of 2016. In the time since then, he’s only been scheduled for two fights: one, a lightweight fight against Dustin Poirier, which fell through, and the other, a welterweight fight with Anthony Pettis, which is scheduled for UFC 241 in August. While these are the only fights Diaz has accepted in that time, UFC President Dana White has previously claimed that he’s offered the younger Diaz brother plenty of other matchups in that stretch. If that’s accurate, we can safely say that Diaz has a very high standard for the fights he accepts.
Dana White ‘absolutely’ expects to see a rematch between bitter rivals Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov
Adam Martin - June 4, 2019
Conor McGregor might not be fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov in a rematch at UFC 242, but there’s still the chance we see these two bitter rivals fight each other again down the road. On Tuesday, it was made official that the UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov will battle interim champion Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 242 on September 7 in Abu Dhabi. This of course means that Conor McGregor won’t be getting the rematch he so desperately craves, at least not until we see what happens between Nurmagomedov and Poirier. The announcement also meant that Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone are temporarily out of the running for a title fight against Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov now the highest paid fighter in the UFC according to manager
Cole Shelton - June 4, 2019
Khabib Nurmagomedov has re-signed with the UFC after agreeing to headline UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi against Dustin Poirier. According to the lightweight champion’s manager in Ali Abdelaziz, both he and “The Eagle” are ecstatic with the new contract.
Johnny Walker targeting September return following recent shoulder surgery
Adam Martin - June 4, 2019
One of the UFC light heavyweight division’s top prospects, Johnny Walker, is set to return to the Octagon this fall. According to ESPN.com’s Ariel Helwani, Walker has been medically cleared to begin MMA training following shoulder surgery, and his team wants him to fight again in September. According to his manager Lucas Lutkus, Johnny Walker is eyeing a top-10 opponent opponent in his return to the cage.
Report | Khabib Nurmagomedov signs new UFC contract with clause for GSP fight
Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019
The long rumored fight between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ Dustin Poirier is now official for UFC 242. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who spoke with Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, this fight will mark the first obligation on a brand new UFC contract for the Russian champion. More interestingly still, this contract allegedly includes a clause in the event that Nurmagomedov ever gets his long desired fight with Georges St-Pierre.
BREAKING | Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier official for UFC 242
Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019
At long last, it’s official. UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier will unify their titles at UFC 242. The card goes down on September 7 in Abu Dhabi. The UFC announced this matchup as official on social media on Tuesday afternoon.
Joe Rogan gives hilarious take on Tai Tuivasa's 'shoeys'
Tom Taylor - June 4, 2019
UFC heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa is best known for two things. First and foremost is handiwork in the cage, which has carried him to a solid 8-1 record. Second is his affection for ‘shoeys’ — the act of chugging a beer out of somebody else’s shoe. UFC commentator Joe Rogan is a big fan of the first of those things, but he’s not so sure about the second. Rogan gave his take on shoeys on the latest episode of his podcast: