MMA Junkie Radio #3026: Reaction to Nate Diaz, B.J. Penn news; UFC on ESPN+ 25 preview

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,026 of the podcast, the guys react to the latest MMA news and notes, as well as look ahead to UFC on ESPN+ 25 this weekend in Rio Rancho, N.M.

THE RUNDOWN

Nate Diaz got caught up in a bizarre news story when the Miami Herald falsely reported that he was arrested in Miami, and now he’s considering legal action for defamation of his name, according to his publicist. Would suing the newspaper be a bad look for Diaz given his “BMF” persona?
UFC Hall of Famer B.J. Penn unfortunately was back in the news for wrong reasons after getting into a car accident, which has led Hawaii police to investigate him for a possible DUI. It’s the latest in a string of bad things that have happened with Penn. Is this finally the wake-up call?
UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis revealed that he has a “life or death” medical condition, though he wouldn’t specify what it is. Will he reconsider his fighting career moving forward?
Bellator has moved all-in on the champ-champ narrative after booking welterweight champion Douglas Lima against Gegard Mousasi for the now vacant middleweight title. That fight joins a May card that also includes champ-champ Ryan Bader defending his light heavyweight title in San Jose. Is this the right move for the promotion?
ONE Championship announced that it will soon launch its ONE Infinity Series. Will this make much of a difference for the promotion in the U.S.?
Ex-UFC fighter Justin Willis is headed to PFL. Is the the favorite at heavyweight for the 2020 season?
The UFC recently cut a lot of fighters, including Juan Adams, Brad Katona and Ben Saunders. We react.
The stakes would seem to be high at UFC on ESPN+ 25, where Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz face off in a pivotal light heavyweight headliner. Will the winner secure a title shot over a potential rematch for Dominick Reyes against Jon Jones?
Matt McGovern, the founder of World Fighting Championships, joined the show to talk about his promotion and what’s on tap for 2020, which could include up to 30 shows.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.