MMA News

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • Tai Tuivasa’s UFC Future in Doubt as Perth Opponent Injury Setback Complicates His Return

    Tai Tuivasa’s UFC Future in Doubt as Perth Opponent Injury Setback Complicates His Return

    Tai Tuivasa is without an opponent for UFC Perth after Sean Sharaf withdrew from their scheduled May 2 bout due to a broken nose suffered in training.

    Sharaf announced the withdrawal on Instagram. “Sorry guys, I fractured my nose and won’t be able to fight May 2nd. Going to get it fixed look forward to getting back in there soon,” he wrote.

    The UFC is actively working to find a replacement opponent for Tuivasa, a task that may be easier than usual given the fight is at heavyweight and weight cuts are typically not a significant factor for finding late replacements at that division.

    The timing is difficult for Tuivasa, who is currently on a six-fight losing streak and widely regarded as being on the edge of a UFC release. He already holds the UFC record for the longest losing streak in heavyweight history, and a loss in Perth would extend that run to seven consecutive defeats.

    Tuivasa had been hoping to turn things around in front of a home crowd, having last competed in Perth at UFC 305 in 2024 when he lost to Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

    Sharaf, for his part, had also lost his first two UFC outings, making the matchup between two fighters in search of a win a natural booking.

    Whether a replacement opponent is found or not, the Perth bout could represent Tuivasa’s last appearance in the promotion if the losing run continues. The UFC has not yet announced a new opponent for the 33-year-old.

  • Darren Till Gets Honest on Why He’s Not Going Back to MMA and Fires Shots at Dana White

    Darren Till Gets Honest on Why He’s Not Going Back to MMA and Fires Shots at Dana White

    Darren Till has admitted that a return to MMA is unlikely and followed the honest assessment with a pointed attack on Dana White and the current state of the UFC.

    Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show ahead of his upcoming BKFC debut, Till explained that the physical requirements of an MMA comeback, specifically the knee surgery he would need before he could train properly, make the timeline essentially impossible given where he is now in his career.

    “My body’s probably past that now, Ariel,” Till said. “The only way I could come back to MMA, if I think decisively, is at the end of this year, take a full year off to get the surgery on the knee and then take myself off to either Brazil, Russia, somewhere like that again for a year. Don’t think of anything but just do what I did when I first went to Brazil and grapple, grapple, grapple. Come back and yeah, but I’d be probably 35 by then, would it be too late? I don’t know. The sport’s always evolving.”

    Till had previously been cleared to box without the knee surgery, making BKFC and boxing viable options without the full recovery period that MMA would require. He noted that the surgery he would need is similar to the procedure that former teammate Tom Aspinall underwent to continue his career.

    He also used the conversation to address why the UFC no longer interests him the way it once did, delivering a direct critique of the promotion and its leadership. “The UFC has gone to sh—t a bit. I’m not happy with it. There’s just nothing there,” Till said, arguing that White is no longer as invested in the product as he once was and that the passion behind the promotion has faded.

    Till has not competed in MMA since his loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 282 in 2022, after which he requested and received his release to pursue other options.

  • UFC Releases Paddy Pimblett’s Teammate and Bantamweight Veteran

    UFC Releases Paddy Pimblett’s Teammate and Bantamweight Veteran

    Two fighters have departed the UFC roster, with Paddy Pimblett’s teammate Shem Rock and longtime bantamweight Pedro Munhoz both leaving the promotion under different circumstances.

    Rock’s exit comes as little surprise following a turbulent run that began with a debut loss to Nurullo Aliev last November and was compounded by a post-fight altercation at UFC London, where he clashed with Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady at the weigh-ins before going on to lose their bout.

    The combination of consecutive losses and the London controversy effectively sealed his fate, and the UFC’s roster tracker has since confirmed he is no longer signed to the promotion.

    Munhoz’s departure is an entirely different story. The Brazilian veteran debuted in the UFC in 2014 and went on to make 22 appearances in the bantamweight division, building one of the more decorated careers at 135 pounds.

    He headlined a Fight Night card against Frankie Edgar in 2020 and earned seven post-fight bonuses throughout his tenure, a total that reflects how consistently he delivered exciting performances across more than a decade at the highest level of the sport. He holds the second-most bouts in the history of the UFC’s bantamweight division.

    Munhoz requested his own release earlier this month after three consecutive losses, choosing to pursue other options following his lengthy run with the promotion. He is 39 years old.

  • Chris Weidman Sends Warning to Conor McGregor Ahead of Potential UFC Return

    Chris Weidman Sends Warning to Conor McGregor Ahead of Potential UFC Return

    Chris Weidman has a unique perspective on what Conor McGregor might face when he finally returns to the UFC, and it comes from deeply personal experience.

    Weidman suffered a broken leg against Uriah Hall in April 2021, just a few months before McGregor shattered his own leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 that July. The nature of both injuries gives Weidman credibility that few others have when speaking about what the comeback trail actually looks like after that kind of trauma.

    Speaking on UFC on Paramount’s YouTube channel, Weidman expressed confidence that McGregor will return, pointing to his presence in the drug-testing pool as a practical indicator. “He’s in the drug-testing pool. For you to come off of stuff, get back in that drug-testing pool, you’d better fight. Otherwise, you’re just going to feel worse than you used to feel for no reason. So, I think he fights, for sure.”

    But he also delivered a warning about what McGregor should expect when the moment arrives. “That was in 2021. He’s had enough time to recover, but I will say, your first time coming back — because I went through a very similar injury — it is hard to be the person you were beforehand, for sure.”

    Weidman recalled a specific moment from his own return that illustrated the psychological dimension of recovering from a leg fracture, describing an instinctive reaction that his body simply would not allow him to execute.

    “I remember in training camp, I was throwing kicks like crazy to try to get used to throwing kicks again. And I was fine in training, but when I got into the actual first fight since that leg injury, I was getting kicked, and as soon as I went to throw my kick back, I just couldn’t do it. My body wouldn’t let me do it. It’s just crazy when you go through a traumatic injury like that, how it can affect your head.”

    Ultimately, Weidman framed McGregor’s comeback as a mental challenge as much as a physical one, while expressing hope that the time away has given McGregor what he needs to succeed. “Listen, Conor’s really good. It’s all about his head; where’s his head at? It seems like, from the outside looking in, now he’s more in touch with his faith, and it seems like he’s getting life in order. That’s the type of thing I feel like he needed.”

    UFC CEO Dana White said over the weekend that McGregor’s return is looking good, with UFC 329 on July 11 the most frequently rumored destination for his comeback.

  • Matt Brown Makes Strong Prediction About Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano

    Matt Brown Makes Strong Prediction About Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano

    Matt Brown believes Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano will draw massive numbers on Netflix and leave the audience feeling like they wasted their time, and he has a blunt explanation for why.

    Speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown drew a direct comparison between the May 16 fight and the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match, framing both as spectacles that generate interest without delivering the quality of competition that genuine fight fans want.

    “It will do big numbers but who is actually going to care?” Brown said. “How many times are going to walk away from a fight and kind of feel icky and wish that we didn’t watch it? I think we’re going to feel the same thing with this fight. Feel like we wasted our time. Maybe not feel icky but we’re going to feel like we wasted our time.”

    He also argued that fights like this one ultimately drive audiences toward the UFC rather than away from it. “People are going to become fight fans and they’re like, ‘I’m sick of this shit, can I just watch a real fight?’ Oh yeah, we have a place that does that. It has all the best fights in the world.”

    Brown was equally direct about Rousey’s ongoing attacks on the UFC and her comments about bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, dismissing both as noise that nobody is taking seriously. “She seems like so angry about nothing sometimes. I don’t think anyone’s buying the schtick. Nobody believes that she’s going to do anything with Kayla Harrison.”

    On Carano’s motivations for returning after 17 years away from competition, Brown said the answer is straightforward. “She hasn’t fought in 17 years. Clearly she was done fighting and had no intention to fight again and then she gets a call and they offer her enough money where she’s like, ‘OK, well, I’ll do that.’ It’s hard to believe it’s anything other than a paycheck.”

    He closed with a question about whether anything either fighter could do in the remaining weeks before the fight would generate genuine excitement for the actual bout.

    “Even if they were at each other’s throats and throwing chairs at the press conference, you’d still be like, ‘you two aren’t really going to give us that great of a fight.’ There’s nothing exciting about this.”

    Rousey vs. Carano headlines the Netflix card on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

  • Ilia Topuria Declares Paddy Pimblett Fight ‘Basically Impossible’ After UFC 324 Loss

    Ilia Topuria Declares Paddy Pimblett Fight ‘Basically Impossible’ After UFC 324 Loss

    Ilia Topuria has delivered a withering assessment of Paddy Pimblett following the Liverpudlian’s loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324, and he believes their long-running feud will never result in an actual fight.

    Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Topuria held nothing back when the subject of Pimblett came up, going beyond the usual competitive trash talk to question whether Pimblett has the fundamental skills to ever compete at the level required to reach him.

    “I was a little surprised of how bad Paddy really is,” Topuria said. “I was expecting him to win, be honest. I was expecting him to take Justin down, to, I don’t know, do a different fight. Like to really fight. But what he did inside the Octagon in that fight, it surprised me a little bit. He really proved that he’s a little sausage.”

    When Helwani asked how Pimblett might rebound from the defeat, Topuria dismissed the premise entirely. “Rebound from what? From a loss? Of course, but how he’s going to gain the skills, the technique in the sport? Like, that’s basically impossible. He needs to die and be born again. Now he’s too far from the top fighters in the division. We don’t see Paddy in the horizon. We don’t see him anymore. Bye, Paddy. I didn’t even have to go inside the Octagon to beat him. So that feels even a little bit better, to be honest.”

    Topuria is preparing for his next appearance in the main event of the UFC White House event on June 14, where he will unify the lightweight division against Gaethje. A victory over Pimblett would have set up one of MMA’s most anticipated rivalries at the top of the division, but Topuria’s comments suggest he believes that ship has now sailed.

  • Dana White Debunks Title Eliminator Label For UFC White House Fight

    Dana White Debunks Title Eliminator Label For UFC White House Fight

    Dana White has pushed back on the idea that Sean O’Malley’s UFC White House fight against Aiemann Zahabi carries a guaranteed title shot for the winner.

    Zahabi made headlines when he described the June 14 matchup as a title eliminator, claiming the UFC had confirmed as much ahead of the event. White dismissed that framing at his post-fight press conference following UFC Winnipeg on April 18.

    “These guys are put in these positions with great opportunities. Let’s see what the fight looks like,” White said. “Let’s see how they perform. Just to throw out there, ‘Whoever wins is gonna get it,’ that’s not really what happens here. Perform, let’s see how you look, and then we’ll make that decision.”

    The bantamweight title picture is complicated heading into the summer. Merab Dvalishvili has claimed the UFC assured him his next fight will be a trilogy with Petr Yan, who ended Dvalishvili’s championship reign in December 2025. Umar Nurmagomedov is also positioning himself as a contender, having defeated Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo in his recent run.

    O’Malley last held the bantamweight championship before losing it to Dvalishvili at Noche UFC 306 in September 2024. A win over Zahabi at the White House would rebuild momentum, but White’s comments make clear the path back to the title is not as direct as Zahabi suggested.

    UFC Freedom 250 takes place June 14 on the White House lawn in Washington D.C.

  • UFC Breaking Its Own Rule at White House Event as Dana White Makes Announcement

    UFC Breaking Its Own Rule at White House Event as Dana White Makes Announcement

    Dana White has revealed that the UFC White House event on June 14 will feature something the promotion has not done in over two decades: a live performance of the National Anthem.

    Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, White confirmed that country music star Zac Brown will perform the anthem at the historic event on the South Lawn of the White House. It marks the first time the UFC has included a National Anthem performance since UFC 33, which aired in the double-digit numbered events era.

    White was candid about why he normally avoids the tradition entirely, and why this occasion warrants an exception.

    “We don’t do the National Anthem. So one of the things that drives me crazy about boxing is they have to sing two National Anthems and all the stuff before the fight starts. We’re an international business, we have people from everywhere.

    We could end up singing two National Anthems that are not even from this country and the whole world is watching us, we’re in over a billion homes worldwide, so I don’t do it,” White said. “This will be the first time in a very long time since UFC double digits that we’ve done the National Anthem.”

    The UFC White House event is headlined by Ilia Topuria defending the lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje, with Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane fighting for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event. White had previously indicated that fighters would walk out from the Oval Office, though it is now expected that only the main event fighters will make that walk.

    UFC Freedom 250 takes place June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C.

  • UFC’s Chief Content Officer Defends AI Use Despite Backlash

    UFC’s Chief Content Officer Defends AI Use Despite Backlash

    The UFC is not backing down from its use of artificial intelligence in content creation despite ongoing fan backlash, and the promotion’s Chief Content Officer has made the company’s position clear.

    Craig Borsari addressed the controversy in an interview with the New York Post, framing AI not as a replacement for creative work but as a tool that amplifies what the team is already doing.

    “The way we look at AI is not a substitute for content creation, but rather a way to amplify it. So if there are things that we can do utilizing AI, it’s no different than maybe using a green screen. I mean, it’s a technique and technology that is evolving at a credible rate, and I like to tell my team, ‘If we’re not pushing the envelope and looking for different ways to do things and storytelling, then we’re not doing our jobs. So the last thing I want my team to be is stagnant and play on our heels and play it safe,’” Borsari said.

    He was equally direct about the promotion’s intentions going forward.

    “We will continue to look for ways to not only use AI, but other technological advances and push the envelope in the way we present our product — both on the original production side, as well as the live event side. We’re still relatively in the early stages of AI, and the way we will work with AI isn’t just to put in some prompts and take whatever product is spit out and move on. Our editors, our producers, we’re going through color-correction, they’re using it as a tool to create content.”

    UFC CEO Dana White had previously addressed the fan backlash following the promotion’s AI usage after UFC Seattle with considerably less diplomacy.

    “AI is coming, and if we’re using AI, who gives a shit? How about this: Shut the f**k up and watch the fights,” White said at the time.

    Borsari also noted the UFC is exploring advances beyond AI, including new audio technology, as part of a broader push to stay at the forefront of sports media production.

  • Paddy Pimblett’s UFC 329 Opponent May Have Just Outed Himself

    Paddy Pimblett’s UFC 329 Opponent May Have Just Outed Himself

    Paddy Pimblett may have had his UFC 329 opponent revealed for him, and the hint came in the form of a menu.

    Pimblett recently confirmed he has a fight booked for UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas but has not named his opponent. Benoit Saint-Denis has now appeared to answer that question himself through a cryptic AI-generated Instagram video.

    In the video, Saint-Denis is seen looking over a restaurant menu that lists his former opponents as different burgers. Mauricio Ruffy is described as Brazilian beef with salsa, Beneil Dariush is a beef that has never seen the light of day, and Dan Hooker is beef pounded thin. The next item on the menu is listed as Le Rosbeef, which translates to roast beef, a dish closely associated with England.

    Pimblett is from Liverpool, England, and there are no other British fighters ranked in the UFC lightweight top ten. Fans have drawn the obvious conclusion that Saint-Denis is signaling their matchup without officially announcing it.

    Saint-Denis is currently ranked number five in the UFC lightweight division. Pimblett suffered his first UFC loss at UFC 324 in January, dropping a five-round decision to Justin Gaethje in an interim lightweight title fight. The return to action at UFC 329 would be his first fight since that defeat.

    UFC 329 is shaping up as a stacked card, with Conor McGregor’s comeback also strongly linked to the event. Dana White said negotiations with McGregor are “looking good” at UFC Winnipeg on Saturday. Daniel Rodriguez has also claimed he agreed to face Leon Edwards on the card, and heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson has been officially confirmed.

  • Paddy Pimblett Calls Dana White and Eddie Hearn Feud ‘Very Teenage Girlish’

    Paddy Pimblett Calls Dana White and Eddie Hearn Feud ‘Very Teenage Girlish’

    Paddy Pimblett has been watching the Dana White and Eddie Hearn feud unfold with amusement, and he has some pointed observations about what it says about both men.

    Pimblett was in attendance at Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing event in Liverpool to support close friend Molly McCann and found himself in the middle of the latest chapter of a promotional rivalry that has seen the two executives trade insults publicly, float the idea of fighting each other, and take shots at each other’s businesses across multiple platforms.

    His verdict on the behavior was delivered without much diplomacy.

    “It’s hilarious, but you know, first and foremost Dana’s an MMA promoter. First and foremost, Eddie’s a boxing promoter. They’re having a little bit of a mad spat at the minute. Without being disrespectful to either of them, it’s very teenage girlish, but they’ll get over it. They’re both going to end up being sweet, so we crack on for now,” Pimblett told iFL TV.

    When asked which way he would lean if the fight somehow materialized, Pimblett acknowledged the obvious size and reach advantage Hearn would hold while making his loyalty clear. “I’ve seen it all, it’s f—ing madness, isn’t it? I don’t know. It’s not going to happen. Dana’s not going to box Eddie, I think it’s a bit of a mad situation. Eddie’s got the reach on him, but Dana’s my boss, I’m backing Dana. Dana’s going to spark him out. At the same time, it’s not going to happen.”

    The sharpest part of Pimblett’s commentary came when he turned his attention to what the fight would actually pay out compared to what either man pays the athletes on their rosters.

    “The funniest thing is if they fought each other, they’d get paid well more than what the fighters getting paid,” Pimblett said. “Thirty mil each, no boxers getting that under Eddie Hearn and no UFC fighter’s getting that under Dana. They’d earn more dough than the fighters fighting, you know what I mean? That’s the funniest thing about it. And they’ve got nothing on any fighter they’ve got, but you know, that’s just the way the world works.”

    White was at UFC Winnipeg on Saturday and addressed Hearn’s ongoing fight tease by calling him “a f—ing bum” who “says a lot of dumb shit,” while also describing himself as “old.” Hearn had claimed at the Liverpool event that their bout would do over a million pay-per-view buys.

    The feud has its roots in real business competition. White signed Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing fighter Conor Benn for Zuffa Boxing, and Hearn responded by securing a management deal with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall through Matchroom Talent Agency.

  • Arman Tsarukyan Lays Out Khamzat Chimaev’s Master Plan

    Arman Tsarukyan Lays Out Khamzat Chimaev’s Master Plan

    Arman Tsarukyan has laid out an ambitious blueprint for his close friend Khamzat Chimaev’s future, and it goes far beyond defending the UFC Middleweight Championship.

    In a video shared by journalist Adam Zubayraev, Tsarukyan outlined his vision for Chimaev’s career during a candid exchange between the two fighters. The plan starts with UFC domination and ends with a boxing crossover that pits Chimaev against both Jake Paul and Logan Paul, before eventually targeting Floyd Mayweather.

    “Now you need two or three belts,” Tsarukyan said in a translation posted by Red Corner MMA. “You take three belts, then we move to boxing.”

    Tsarukyan then spelled out the boxing targets he has in mind. “Jake Paul, Logan Paul. And then we will pull Floyd Mayweather out of the grave.”

    Winning three UFC titles simultaneously would be unprecedented in the promotion’s history, making Chimaev’s in-cage road alone a historically ambitious undertaking. Chimaev currently holds the UFC Middleweight Championship after his dominant performance over Dricus du Plessis in Chicago last August, with his first title defense scheduled against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

    Chimaev has existing connections to the Paul brothers, having trained with Logan Paul in Sweden before reaching UFC fame. Whether the boxing portion of Tsarukyan’s vision ever materializes is a long way off, but the conversation signals how broadly Chimaev’s team is thinking about his long-term trajectory.

    Mayweather, meanwhile, is due to return for a professionally sanctioned rematch with Manny Pacquiao this September at the Sphere in Las Vegas, though that bout has been thrown into doubt by ongoing disputes over whether it will be an exhibition or a sanctioned professional fight.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Backs Topuria Over Tsarukyan in Title Fight

    Merab Dvalishvili Backs Topuria Over Tsarukyan in Title Fight

    Merab Dvalishvili has weighed in on the prospect of Arman Tsarukyan challenging Ilia Topuria, and his assessment is not in Tsarukyan’s favor.

    Speaking on Demetrious Johnson’s MIGHTYCast podcast, Dvalishvili offered a candid stylistic breakdown of why he believes Topuria would defeat Tsarukyan if the two were to meet for the lightweight title, despite his respect for the Armenian contender.

    “I respect Arman Tsarukyan. He is a great athlete, a great fighter. But I think since Ilia is the champion in this weight class, even if Arman fights Ilia, Ilia stylistically beats Arman,” Dvalishvili said. “You can’t take Ilia down; it doesn’t even make sense to wrestle with him. Then Arman has to box with Ilia, too, and Ilia will knock out Arman Tsarukyan. That is my honest answer.”

    Dvalishvili’s logic centers on Topuria’s wrestling defense being strong enough to neutralize Tsarukyan’s primary weapon, forcing a standup exchange that Dvalishvili believes Topuria would win by knockout.

    Tsarukyan has been vocal about his frustration with the title picture, accusing Topuria of avoiding him after Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje were selected for an interim lightweight title fight at UFC 324 in January instead. The Georgian-born Armenian contender has won five consecutive fights, including a victory over former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, making him widely regarded as the most dangerous challenger in the division.

    Most fans are hoping to see Tsarukyan given the next shot at whoever wins the Topuria and Gaethje bout at the UFC White House card. Dvalishvili’s prediction suggests that shot, if it comes, would end in Tsarukyan’s defeat.

    On the bantamweight side, Dvalishvili is focused on his own title redemption. He is expecting an immediate trilogy fight with Petr Yan after the Russian ended his championship reign last December, with the UFC said to have assured him that bout is next.

  • Dana White Explains Why Ulberg Will Stay in Las Vegas for Recovery Instead of Returning to New Zealand

    Dana White Explains Why Ulberg Will Stay in Las Vegas for Recovery Instead of Returning to New Zealand

    Dana White has confirmed that Carlos Ulberg underwent knee surgery following his ACL tear at UFC 327 and will recover at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas rather than returning home to New Zealand.

    Speaking at the UFC Winnipeg post-fight press conference, White provided an update on the newly crowned light heavyweight champion and explained why keeping Ulberg in Vegas makes sense for his rehabilitation.

    “One of the good things about it is, he was at Power Slap last night, and I was talking to him, and he’s gonna stay in Vegas,” White said. “He’s got the surgery, and he’s gonna start working at the PI.

    Apparently, where he lives in Australia [New Zealand], he’s in a remote part of the country, so there isn’t much around him. What we would do before we built the Performance Institute is we would get these guys surgeries with great doctors, and then they’d go home, and they wouldn’t do anything. They didn’t do any physical therapy or recovery. Now with the PI, that place has saved more fights and helped more athletes prolong their careers. We’ll get him in there, and see how fast he starts to recover. We always figure it out.”

    White was also asked whether the UFC has considered creating an interim light heavyweight title during Ulberg’s absence. His response was measured.

    “We have not. I mean, Carlos is still getting set up here. But we’ll figure it out.”

    Sports medicine physician Dr. Brian Sutterer previously projected Ulberg’s recovery timeline at 9 to 12 months based on slow-motion footage from the fight, with a return to competition potentially not until 2027. An official timeline has not been released.

  • Sean Strickland Labeled One of MMA’s Biggest Overachievers Ahead of UFC 328 Title Fight

    Sean Strickland Labeled One of MMA’s Biggest Overachievers Ahead of UFC 328 Title Fight

    Michael Bisping has called Sean Strickland one of MMA’s biggest overachievers, and he wants to make clear that is meant as a genuine compliment.

    Speaking with Demetrious Johnson on the JAXXON PODCAST ahead of Strickland’s UFC 328 middleweight title challenge against Khamzat Chimaev, Bisping reflected on a career that has consistently exceeded what most people would’ve expected.

    “Sean Strickland, that’s a complicated one,” Bisping said. “Overachiever. I didn’t think he’d be in this position that he is in now. He became champion of the world. I didn’t think he would beat Israel Adesanya. I thought he would be a problematic matchup for Adesanya, but beating him the way that he did and then now being in a position to fight Khamzat Chimaev — I think he’s an overachiever in a lot of ways.”

    Bisping was careful to frame the assessment in the most positive terms possible.

    “He’s not the biggest athlete, not the fastest, the strongest, all the rest of it. But he’s got a rock solid mind, he’s got a crazy gas tank, works his ass off. That’s a compliment. It’s not an insult. He’s one of the biggest overachievers.”

    Bisping has his own experience completing an unlikely championship run, having knocked out Luke Rockhold on short notice in 2016 to win the middleweight title. Strickland pulled off a similar upset against Adesanya in 2023 before losing the belt to Dricus du Plessis in their first meeting.

    Strickland faces Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

  • Michael Bisping’s Son Callum Gets First MMA Stoppage Win

    Michael Bisping’s Son Callum Gets First MMA Stoppage Win

    Callum Bisping has picked up his first stoppage victory as an amateur MMA fighter, moving to 2-0 and making his famous father very proud in the process.

    The 24-year-old competed at a Regime Fight League event in Westlake Village, California, facing Brycen MacLeod, who entered the bout with a 2-0 record. Bisping used his wrestling background, having competed at the NCAA Division 2 level at San Francisco State University, to take the fight to the ground quickly. He secured the mount and landed punches until the referee waved it off in the first round.

    Michael Bisping took to Instagram on Sunday morning to congratulate his son and thank everyone involved in the corner and at the event.

    “So proud of Callum Bisping taking his MMA record to 2-0 with a first round stoppage. Great work son. A huge thank you to the coach for giving up his weekend to corner him. The whole team at The Den Training Center and to RFL MMA SoCal for putting on a great show and being so hospitable to us,” Bisping wrote.

    Callum’s debut victory came by unanimous decision over Chayton Acevedo at Fight Club LA in December, making Saturday’s stoppage win his second amateur result.

  • Dana White Says Conor McGregor Return Talks Are ‘Looking Good’

    Dana White Says Conor McGregor Return Talks Are ‘Looking Good’

    Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC is moving in a positive direction, with CEO Dana White confirming that negotiations are progressing well toward what could be McGregor’s first fight in five years.

    Speaking at the UFC Winnipeg post-fight press conference, White stopped short of announcing a deal had been finalized but made clear the conversations are heading the right way.

    “It’s looking good,” White said. “Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.”

    McGregor has been teasing a return on social media for some time and has reportedly refocused his attention on training camp preparation. No opponent has been officially named, though Max Holloway remains a popular candidate, with Holloway publicly stating on multiple occasions that he would welcome a rematch with his former opponent.

    Off the competitive side, McGregor has also been putting his affairs in order. He settled a lawsuit with former friend and teammate Artem Lobov over profits from the sale of his Proper No. 12 whiskey brand, and has been making fewer public appearances as he prepares for a return.

    If the fight comes together for UFC 329 on July 11 during International Fight Week, McGregor will be returning off back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier, including the broken leg that ended their trilogy fight in 2021 and kept him out of competition for an extended stretch. A broken toe then prevented a scheduled 2024 comeback against Michael Chandler from materializing.

  • Daniel Cormier Warns Arman Tsarukyan Before He Ruins His UFC Title Shot

    Daniel Cormier Warns Arman Tsarukyan Before He Ruins His UFC Title Shot

    Daniel Cormier is urging Arman Tsarukyan to get out of his own way before he costs himself the UFC lightweight title shot he has been chasing for years.

    The former two-division champion addressed Tsarukyan’s recent pattern of incidents outside the Octagon in a video on his YouTube channel, telling the Armenian contender that he is finally close to getting what he wants but that one wrong move could send him back to square one.

    “Arman was in purgatory,” Cormier said. “It’s almost like the trust was gone. But you can start to rebuild that trust through competition. But it’s what he’s doing outside of the Octagon that is now making Arman Tsarukyan a guy — I’m telling you, I know this, I really know, Arman Tsarukyan is now starting to make himself undeniable through all the stuff he’s doing outside of the UFC.”

    Cormier said the window is open right now in a way it has not been since Tsarukyan was passed over for the interim title fight at UFC 311 in January, and that the priority has to be keeping it that way.

    “This is as close as he’s been since UFC 311. Everything is going great. I told his manager the other day, I said, ‘Just don’t f— this up. Don’t do one thing that kicks you backwards. He’s gotta be very careful. The thing the other day with American Airlines, for us that’s funny. But we need to make sure — Arman told me himself, ‘I’ll be a good boy.’ It’s funny to us, but he’s right at that point now where he’s gotta peel back a little bit and he’s gonna get exactly what he wants.”

    Tsarukyan’s track record of incidents outside the cage has been a recurring obstacle in his path to a title shot. He punched a fan at UFC 300, pulled out of UFC 311 on late notice, headbutted Dan Hooker at the UFC Qatar ceremonial weigh-ins last November, and was most recently removed from an American Airlines flight in Los Angeles after he and members of his team refused to take their seats while the aircraft was taxiing.

  • Jan Blachowicz Withdraws From UFC 328 With Injury

    Jan Blachowicz Withdraws From UFC 328 With Injury

    Jan Blachowicz will not be competing at UFC 328, withdrawing from his rematch with Bogdan Guskov after suffering a torn meniscus during sparring.

    The former light heavyweight champion announced the injury on Saturday, expressing his frustration in a direct and candid statement.

    “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Blachowicz wrote. “I was supposed to be in the States next week, but plans had to change. I’m beyond pissed. Last round of sparring, wrong position and a kick to the knee. Torn meniscus. The plan and goal were clear, so the disappointment is huge. But this isn’t the end! I’m already working on getting back as soon as possible. Coming back to finish things on my own terms. See you soon!”

    Blachowicz and Guskov were set to meet for the second time after their first fight at UFC 323 in December ended in a majority draw. Guskov appeared to have the victory secured after battering Blachowicz in the second round, but Blachowicz scored a late knockdown that forced the stalemate on the scorecards. The rematch was announced for UFC 328 to settle the unfinished business between the two.

    Whether the UFC will rebook the Blachowicz and Guskov matchup once Blachowicz has recovered, or find a new opponent for Guskov in the interim, has not been announced.

    The withdrawal adds another difficult chapter to what has been a rough stretch for the 43-year-old. Blachowicz has not won a fight since defeating Aleksandar Rakic in May 2022. Since then he has dropped decisions to Carlos Pereira and Alex Pereira and fought to draws against both Guskov and Magomed Ankalaev.

    UFC 328 takes place May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, headlined by Khamzat Chimaev defending the middleweight championship against Sean Strickland in the main event and flyweight champion Joshua Van defending against Tatsuroa Taira in the co-main event.

  • Mike Perry Responds To Jake Paul’s Prediction About Nate Diaz Fight

    Mike Perry Responds To Jake Paul’s Prediction About Nate Diaz Fight

    Mike Perry is not spending much time worrying about Jake Paul’s prediction that Nate Diaz will submit him on May 16, but he does have some thoughts on what comes next depending on how things go.

    Perry and Diaz are set to clash on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Netflix card in Los Angeles, with Paul having gone on record to say he expects Diaz to finish Perry quickly and then focus on an MMA fight with Paul himself. Perry was asked to respond to all of it.

    “Well, I guess I was mentioned in the conversation,” Perry told MMA Fighting. “May 16, we’re going to find out. I’m training really sharp, really hard. I’m killing it every single day. I’m feeling great.”

    He outlined what he sees as the possible paths forward after the fight, referencing conversations that have already taken place with Dana White.

    “Other guys have made their return to the UFC. Maybe that’s something, or yeah, we get the most views on Netflix that an MMA fight’s ever had, then me and Jake fight. What weight is Jake going to fight at? 200 or 185? MMA, it’s different. I threw him on his head in the boxing ring. I threw him on his face, and if that was MMA, it’s a little different how that’s going to go.”

    Perry said he respects Diaz and appreciates the positive words his opponent has been sending his way in the lead-up to the fight, while making clear that respect does not mean he is dropping his guard.

    “I don’t know, Nate’s an interesting character. They could jump me with 20 people. We’re going to be nice for a second and then maybe something happens. Are we going to talk shit? Because I don’t have any ill things to say about him because he has been talking me up, man, and I’m grateful.”

    He closed with a reminder that the pleasantries end when the fight starts. “Doesn’t matter if you say f*** you, or if you say good shit, bro, we’re going to clash when they say fight.”

  • Sean O’Malley Teases New Details About UFC White House Event

    Sean O’Malley Teases New Details About UFC White House Event

    Sean O’Malley has heard enough from UFC insiders to believe the White House card on June 14 is going to be something unlike anything the promotion has ever produced.

    The former UFC bantamweight champion is scheduled to fight Aiemann Zahabi on the undercard of UFC Freedom 250, the event taking place on the White House lawn to mark 250 years of American Independence. O’Malley shared what he has been hearing from people within the organization on his YouTube channel.

    “The White House card, I was in Vegas this weekend, talked to a lot of UFC people, a lot of UFC staff,” O’Malley said. “They were like, ‘This is going to be insane.’ They were kind of giving me a little rundown, nothing really that I could share, but just their excitement is what I was taking away. They were like, ‘We walked it, it’s crazy.’”

    He acknowledged that significant logistical questions remain unanswered, including who will be permitted to attend given the security requirements surrounding the venue. “

    The Secret Service alone is going to be insane. I still don’t know who’s going to be allowed in. I don’t know if family is going to be allowed. I have no idea.”

    O’Malley framed the event as a potential turning point for how the UFC approaches large-scale outdoor productions.

    “A lot of moving pieces. If they can pull this off, then the opportunities are endless. Where do you go next? The colosseum? If they can perfect an outdoor show, that could change things.”

    This will not be O’Malley’s first experience with a landmark UFC setting. He headlined the UFC card at the Sphere in September 2024 before losing the bantamweight championship to Merab Dvalishvili at Noche UFC 306.

  • Arman Tsarukyan and Ryan Garcia Beef Escalates After $40,000 Body Shot Bet Goes Unpaid

    Arman Tsarukyan and Ryan Garcia Beef Escalates After $40,000 Body Shot Bet Goes Unpaid

    Arman Tsarukyan says Ryan Garcia has not paid the $40,000 bet he lost on a Kick livestream, and Garcia is now claiming he was scammed.

    The dispute traces back to earlier this month when Tsarukyan bet Garcia that he could not drop one of his teammates with a body shot during a session on Garcia’s stream. Garcia reluctantly agreed, failed to drop the teammate after a few attempts, and tapped out before the two ended up sparring instead. The $40,000 was supposed to go to Tsarukyan.

    Speaking on Adam Zubayraev’s YouTube channel on Thursday, Tsarukyan said Garcia has not followed through on the payment despite multiple assurances.

    “Brother, he hasn’t paid up,” Tsarukyan said. “Now, Khamzat and I are going to go talk to Ryan Garcia — $40,000. There was a lot there. ‘We’ll count it now and bring it over.’ They counted it and never brought it. ‘We’ll send it to your account.’ He said, ‘I give you my word as a man, I’ll send it to you.’ Five days have passed, and he hasn’t even texted, asking for the card number.”

    Garcia responded on social media in a series of since-deleted posts, first refusing to pay before pivoting to offering a fight instead. “Arman and his team, we can just set up a squabble between whoever on your team, no body shot things, just a fight. Not for $40K, for however much. I’m not paying you shit, let’s just fight. If any of you can win, I’ll give you $100K.”

    He also posted his reasoning for backing out, claiming he had been misled about the teammate’s background. “I actually got scammed to be honest. Not one mention his friend was a professional fighter. That right there is deceptive.”

    Garcia caught significant backlash on social media for the response, pushing back on his critics as well. “First of all, I don’t care about you MMA nut smackers talking about real ‘fight.’ There’s a reason MMA fighters can’t box, because it’s HARD to just use your hands.”

    Tsarukyan subsequently proposed a new bet between the two on social media, keeping the feud going.

  • Arman Tsarukyan Gets Kicked Off American Airlines Flight

    Arman Tsarukyan Gets Kicked Off American Airlines Flight

    Arman Tsarukyan was removed from an American Airlines flight at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday after he and members of his team refused to take their seats while the aircraft was taxiing.

    Video of the incident surfaced on Thursday, with initial reports suggesting Tsarukyan had been on his phone prior to takeoff. American Airlines subsequently clarified what actually happened.

    “On April 16, American Airlines flight 513 returned to the gate at Los Angeles International Airport for customers who refused to follow federal regulations,” the airline said in a statement to MMA Fighting. “Safety is our top priority and we expect our customers to comply with crew member instructions while on board our aircraft, which include staying seated while the aircraft is taxiing.”

    According to the airline, Tsarukyan and his friends were standing in the aisle while the plane was moving and refused to return to their assigned seats despite repeated instructions from crew members. Four people including Tsarukyan were removed from the flight before it departed for Philadelphia.

    Tsarukyan responded with characteristic brevity on Instagram. “Kicked off commercial, I guess private it is,” he posted as he boarded a separate flight. He added a brief video message as he settled in. “I hope they’re not going to kick me out from this plane. OK guys, I’ll be five hours in Philadelphia.”

    Tsarukyan was traveling to Philadelphia for his appearance at RAF 8, where he faces Urijah Faber in the co-main event. It is his fourth appearance for the promotion following previous matchups against Lance Palmer and Georgio Poullas.

  • Gina Carano Reveals She Was Pre-Diabetic After Mandalorian Firing Left Her In Physical and Emotional Collapse

    Gina Carano Reveals She Was Pre-Diabetic After Mandalorian Firing Left Her In Physical and Emotional Collapse

    Gina Carano has given the most detailed account yet of how her firing from The Mandalorian in 2021 affected her health, revealing she became pre-diabetic during a five-year retreat from public life before fighting her way back.

    Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Wednesday, Carano described the immediate aftermath of the cancellation as a physical and emotional collapse that went far beyond losing a job.

    “I had so much anxiety in my body that my face hurt. Like my skin hurt me,” Carano said. “My soul was just crushed. My heart was broken. I felt like there was such injustice in what happened. It was just so harsh.”

    Paparazzi and stalkers began showing up at her door. She and her partner sold their Los Angeles home, bought an RV, tried Nashville, and eventually settled in Montana. By late 2024, her doctor delivered a serious warning.

    “You go to the doctor, you get your blood work, you’re pre-diabetic, you’re in trouble, you’re very sick. Time to get your life,” Carano said.

    September 2024 was the turning point. She committed to getting physically healthy, and by the time Dana White called her in December about a potential fight, she had already lost 30 pounds. The fight with Rousey, eventually made through Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix rather than the UFC, became the framework her recovery was built around.

    “I’m happy to have had it lead me here, because I’m doing this thing that saved my life in the beginning and now it’s saving my life again,” she said. “It’s fresh, it’s exciting, it feels groundbreaking, and I feel like I just had to get back to who I am. This is where it started.”

    Carano said she wants her comeback to carry a message for anyone else who has been in a similar place, and that she has moved well past any concern about how the story looks from the outside.

    “I want people to know, I’m over embarrassment by now, you’re never too far gone,” she said. “You can bring yourself back from cancellation, from being really obese. If you’re in an unhealthy state and something bad happens to you, that semi-healthy state turns into devastation on your body and it’s really hard to turn the corner on that.”

    Carano vs. Rousey headlines the first live MMA event on Netflix on May 16 from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

  • Gina Carano Warns Ronda Rousey: ‘I Want Her To Feel Everything I Have’

    Gina Carano Warns Ronda Rousey: ‘I Want Her To Feel Everything I Have’

    Gina Carano made one thing clear in her conversation with Ariel Helwani on Wednesday: the friendship she and Ronda Rousey have built in the lead-up to May 16 ends when the cage door closes.

    Speaking ahead of their Netflix fight at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Carano was direct about what Rousey should expect from her when the fight begins and pushed back on any suggestion that showing up would be enough.

    “Ronda’s been waiting to fight me for a very long time,” Carano said. “I don’t want to disappoint. I want her to feel everything I have. I want her to feel what she’s been chasing. It’s respectful to her. This is what I feel like, this is what this experience with me is going to feel like. So yeah, we’re going to go for it.”

    Helwani pressed Carano on whether the two women genuinely want to hurt each other. Her answer drew on what she described as a quality shared by most women who compete at a high level.

    “If you have females sparring in the gym, it’s really hard to not go heavy,” Carano said. “Women just cut that emotional thing off and it’s ‘me or you.’ Ronda has that. I have that. Most of the girls in the gym have that. So it’s just: we’re going to fight.”

    When Helwani asked whether the result even matters given the symbolic weight of the fight, Carano did not hesitate. “I really want to win. Like, I really want to win.”

    She framed May 16 as the proper conclusion to a chapter rather than the start of a new one. The fight is scheduled at featherweight with no one-pound allowance, matching the weight class she competed at throughout her EliteXC and Strikeforce career.

    “For me it’s purely about having gotten in shape, going through everything, getting back in there against an incredible opponent, putting on a great show. And really just going for that W and closing this part of my life.”

    She described the mindset shift that brought her to this point as a choice between two directions. “You can go left and choose to hate yourself and hate the world and all of that, or you can go right and get your shit together and say, ‘I’m going to do everything I can.’ I’ve chosen to go that direction, and I feel more alive than I’ve ever felt.”

    Carano vs. Rousey headlines the first live MMA card on Netflix on May 16 from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.