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EXCLUSIVE | Jimmie Rivera says Marlon Moraes has been “very cordial, very nice” ahead of UFC Utica
Bantamweight contenders Jimmie Rivera and Marlon Moraes, who will fight on Friday night in the main event of UFC Utica, have had plenty to say about each other in the past. That being said, it sounds like their encounters have been quite friendly in the lead-up to their fight. “I actually saw Marlon when we […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Colby Covington “could see the roid-rage” in Werdum’s eyes during Boomerang incident
Earlier this month, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum was notified of a potential USADA violation. Werdum is now undergoing his due process, and is vehemently maintaining his innocence. Yet in the opinion of one of the heavyweight’s chief nemeses, UFC welterweight Colby Covington, there is no doubt about Werdum’s guilt. Covington, who has had […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Alex Volkanovski on UFC Boise scrap with Darren Elkins: I honestly think I can finish him
Having won his four four bouts in the UFC’s Octagon, Australian featherweight Alex Volkanovski (17-1) has been rewarded with a big step up in competition. He’ll be battling 10th-ranked UFC featherI honestly think I can finish himweight contender Darren Elkins (24-5) when the UFC touches down in Boise, Idaho on July 14, as first reported […]
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EXCLUSIVE | No longer injured, Gokhan Saki excited to continue MMA journey with KO of Khalil Rountree
Back in September, fearsome kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki made a successful UFC debut, authoring a thunderous first-round knockout of Henrique da Silva. On July 7, when the UFC returns to glimmering Las Vegas, Nevada with UFC 226, Saki will partake in his second UFC bout, as he faces off with the dangerous Khalil Rountree. Saki’s bout […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Jorge Masvidal explains why he believes Colby Covington will defeat Rafael dos Anjos
On June 9, in the co-main event of UFC 225, top welterweight contenders Colby Covington and Rafael dos Anjos will battle for the interim welterweight title. While this matchup seems to have many fans and pundits divided, Covington’s friend and training partner Jorge Masvidal feels dos Anjos is in for a tough night. Masvidal gave […]
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EXCLUSIVE | TJ Dillashaw says UFC told him Demetrious Johnson was “too afraid” to accept fight
For a fleeting moment earlier this year, it sounded as though UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw would drop down to flyweight to battle dominating divisional champ Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in an incredible superfight. Regrettably, negotiations for this endlessly compelling contest stalled, and ultimately flat-lined. On the latest episode of BJPENN.COM Radio, the bantamweight champ […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Jorge Masvidal doubts he’ll ever get the chance to meet “full of s**t” Neil Magny in the Octagon
When Gunnar Nelson was forced out of his UFC Liverpool co-main event showdown with Neil Magny, Jorge Masvidal offered to step in and replace him. Masvidal only asked that this short-notice bout with Magny be contested at 180 pounds, as he would have difficult making the welterweight limit’s 170-pound with an abridged training camp. While […]
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EXCLUSIVE | TJ Dillashaw expects to defeat Cody Garbrandt faster, more decisively in rematch
Back in November, in the co-main event of UFC 217, TJ Dillashaw stepped into the cage with Cody Garbrandt in an attempt to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title. In the second round, Dillashaw succeeded on this mission, putting his rival down with a crackling combination. Though Dillashaw was briefly linked to a superfight with flyweight […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Gokhan Saki rates the UFC’s striking specialists, names the fighters that impress him most
Kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki, who made his UFC debut in September with a first-round demolition of Henrique da Silva, might just be the most accomplished striker to ever set foot in the Octagon. As such, his opinions on the UFC’s other striking specialists are particularly interesting. In a Wednesday interview with BJPenn.com’s Jason Kindschy, Saki […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Gokhan Saki explains Michael Bisping callout, hopes to battle Brit after clobbering Khalil Rountree
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has been trying to find a suitable opponent for his retirement fight for some time, but seems to be having a little bit of difficulty doing so. Kickboxing legend Gokhan Saki, who is now firmly embedded as a member of the UFC light heavyweight roster, is hoping to make […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Colby Covington eyes Robert Whittaker, Khabib Nurmagomedov: I’m looking for three belts
Earlier this year, on an April episode of BJ Penn Radio, UFC 225 interim welterweight title challenger Colby Covington shared plans to pursue gold in the lightweight middleweight divisions in the future. “I don’t think [middleweight champ Robert Whittaker] is that good, man,” Covington said on the April episode. “He got knocked out by Stephen […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Colby Covington assures he isn’t mimicking “coked-up little leprechaun” Conor McGregor
In the span of a year, Colby Covington has become known as one of the UFC’s biggest trash talkers. The American, who battles Rafael dos Anjos for interim welterweight gold at UFC 225 this June 9, is constantly generating headlines with his words. Covington’s propensity for venomous trash talk has caused several members of the […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Colby Covington says he is “cut from the same cloth as Michael Jordan”
Originally, Colby Covington’s anticipated interim welterweight showdown with Rafael dos Anjos was expected to occur at UFC 224, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ultimately, however, this massive welterweight battle was moved to UFC 225, which goes down on June 9 in Chicago, Illinois. It was initially speculated that this fight was moved due to concerns […]
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EXCLUSIVE | UFC Chile’s Dominick Reyes plans to be a top-10 light heavyweight by year’s end
Dominick Reyes’s MMA career could not be off to a better start. The California-born light heavyweight has won all eight of his professional bouts, including two in the UFC’s Octagon. Only one of those victories has reached the judges’ scorecards. This May 19, when the UFC makes its debut in beautiful Santiago, Chile, Reyes will […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Volkan Oezdemir explains why fight with “Shogun” was moved from Chile to Germany
Originally, recent UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir was expected to collide with former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the co-main event of the UFC’s May 19 debut in Santiago, Chile. In the end, however, the bout was relocated to the main event of the UFC’s July 22 stop in Hamburg, […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Colby Covington on Joe Rogan: “I might just have to slap him”
Colby Covington, who battles Rafael dos Anjos for interim welterweight gold at UFC 225 in Chicago this June 9, is perhaps the most polarizing fighter in the game. The American Top Team staple’s actions and comments generate near constant backlash — even from UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. Shortly after Covington’s latest, fiery comments on […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Volkan Oezdemir outlines his path back to a UFC light heavyweight title shot
Back in January, in the co-main event of UFC 220, Swiss knockout artist Volkan Oezdemir failed to grab the UFC light heavyweight title from champ Daniel Cormier, succumbing to a meteor shower of second-round ground-strikes. Showing true championship spirit, however, Oezdemir has not been deterred by this failed title bid, and is determined to work […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Colby Covington has implemented an interesting cardio regimen ahead of UFC 225
At UFC 225, which goes down on June 9 in Chicago, Illinois, Colby Covington will step into the Octagon to battle former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos for the interim welterweight belt. This bout stands out as the biggest and most meaningful of Covington’s career thus far. As such, he’s taking his preparations for it […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Jorge Masvidal claims Neil Magny’s team has turned down 180-catchweight bout
When Gunnar Nelson was forced out of his UFC Liverpool co-main event showdown with Neil Magny, sixth-ranked UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal offered to step in and replace him. He only asked that this short-notice bout with Magny be contested at a 180-pound catchweight, as he wouldn’t be able to make the welterweight division’s 170-pound limit […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Jorge Masvidal says UFC is on board with Magny catchweight bout, but he doubts Magny will accept
Late last week the UFC’s May 27 debut in Liverpool lost its compelling welterweight co-main event, as Iceland’s Gunnar Nelson was forced out of his fight with Neil Magny with an injury. The good news is that sixth-ranked UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal is angling to step in and replace Nelson, provided Magny agrees to 180-pound catchweight bout. Ariel Helwani […]
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EXCLUSIVE | If You Don’t Know About Megan Anderson, You Will
How does the popular quote go? ‘It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey’? Those words read very applicable to the world of MMA. Often times, the journey to where a fighter wants to go never reaches that destination they were hoping for when they got started. And if it does, it could take […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Yancy Medeiros expects Mike Perry fight to result in “pure entertainment”
Earlier this week, we learned that Hawaiian welterweight slugger Yancy Medeiros will return to the cage opposite a fellow action fighter in Mike Perry. The pair are scheduled to collide in the midst of International Fight Week, at UFC 226 on July 7. On the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Medeiros gave his initial […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Yancy Medeiros shares classic story about drinking with Nick Diaz
All-action Hawaiian welterweight Yancy Medeiros, who battles Mike Perry at UFC 226 this July 7, is a close friend of welterweight legend Nick Diaz. Speaking on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio, Medeiros discussed the possibility of the elder Diaz brother returning to the Octagon after his four-year hiatus—and ultimately wound up telling a pretty […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Justin Willis recounts tense conversation with Chase Sherman: the UFC threatened to call security
This Saturday, on the main card of the UFC’s stop in Atlantic City, New Jersey, red-hot heavyweight prospect Justin Willis will collide with all-action fan favorite Chase Sherman. While this bout will mark the first time the pair gets to exchange punches, they’ve apparently already exchanged a few words. “I saw him yesterday or the […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Megan Anderson feels Conor McGregor “thinks he’s untouchable” and worries “it could get worse”
Earlier this month, Conor McGregor travelled to Brooklyn, New York for UFC 223, and promptly went ballistic. In a frantic search for Khabib Nurmagomedov, who had confronted his training partner Artem Lobov earlier in the week, the Irishman ran amok inside the UFC 223 host venue, ultimately throwing a dolly through the window of a […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Megan Anderson advocates for more featherweights—and atomweights—on the UFC roster
At UFC 225, which goes down on June 9 in Chicago, Illinois, former Invicta featherweight champ Megan Anderson will make her anticipated Octagon debut opposite former bantamweight champion Holly Holm. This bout is an important one, as the winner is very likely to emerge as the next challenger for Cris Cyborg‘s well-guarded UFC featherweight title. […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Matt Brown on Snoop Dogg: If he walked up to my car right now, I would get out and punch him in his face
Snoop Dogg’s role as a commentator on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series was met with mixed reactions. Some members of the MMA community loved it. Others, meanwhile, hated the rapper’s inclusion on the show, particularly after he trashed UFC light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier and unleashed a profanity-riddled tirade at Conor McGregor (see that below). https://www.instagram.com/p/BYSNw-tjK9M/ […]
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EXCLUSIVE | Amanda Cooper on opponent Mackenzie Dern: “It blows my mind that she’s made it as far as she has”
At UFC 224, which goes on on May 12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Amanda Cooper will serve as the sophomore UFC opponent of highly hyped grappling star Mackenzie Dern. While there is quite a bit of hype attached to Dern’s name at present, Cooper isn’t buying it. In fact, she believes Dern is quite […]