MMA News

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • Ronda Rousey And Gina Carano Get Face-To-Face At Weigh-Ins

    Ronda Rousey And Gina Carano Get Face-To-Face At Weigh-Ins

    Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano delivered an intense faceoff at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 main event on Netflix, with the two pioneers finally letting their competitive sides show after a respectful buildup.

    Rousey got right in Carano’s face during the staredown, millimeters separating the two. Carano met the energy, squaring up and going nearly nose-to-nose before dancing as they continued to hold eye contact.

    After the faceoff, Carano addressed the crowd and revealed she had lost 100 pounds to make weight for the fight.

    “I had no idea I could get down to 141. I got lighter than Ronda today. That was pretty cool. Live your dreams, don’t give up on yourself, do the hard thing. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but here I am. That was the first victory. I’m going to give you another victory tomorrow night.”

    Rousey, who has confirmed this will be her final fight, took a moment to reflect on the occasion.

    “Usually, I’m just trying to skip through this part and get to the end, but man, it’s really cool to be here. Thank you guys for all coming out. This is my very last weigh-in. I’m glad you could all be part of it, and I can’t wait to kick some ass tomorrow.”

    Carano came in at 141.4 pounds at Friday morning’s official weigh-ins, with Rousey at 142. Both came in under the 146-pound featherweight limit. The two face off Saturday night at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

  • Eric Nicksick’s Explanation Of What Strickland’s Camp Was Thinking During The Weigh-Ins Changes The Story

    Sean Strickland’s head coach Eric Nicksick says the team’s primary concern during the weigh-in controversy at UFC 328 was not whether Khamzat Chimaev made weight — it was the potential fine money.

    Chimaev was the last fighter to the scale ahead of Saturday’s middleweight title fight and drew scrutiny from the MMA community over what many felt was a rushed read by the commission. Strickland believed before and after his split decision win that Chimaev had not made the 185-pound limit. Reports after the fight indicated Chimaev may have been dealing with a significant weight cut after the UFC pivoted from a planned light heavyweight bout with Jiri Prochazka, which his brother claimed would have involved a 46-pound cut.

    Speaking to MMA Fighting, Nicksick addressed the weigh-in situation directly.

    “It’s not like, ‘Oh, he didn’t make the weight,’ and this and that. People forget, I don’t know what Khamzat was getting paid, that’s 20 percent or 30 percent, that’s a big fine, that money goes into Sean’s pocket. That’s all we cared about was like, ‘Yo, we want that fine money. We want that tax, baby.’ Other than that, it is what it is.”

    Nicksick confirmed Strickland would have taken the fight regardless of what the scale said.

    “We were going to fight regardless. He could have been five pounds over, Sean was going to take the fight regardless. It doesn’t matter, but that’s a good chunk of change had he been missing weight, and we would have got a little bit more money off that.”

    On the subject of what comes next, Nicksick said the team has no preference and will fight whoever the UFC calls.

    “I don’t give a shit, man. I don’t care. It’s not up to me. We’re f*cking mercenaries, man. It’s like you call, you tell us who we gotta go out and take out, that’s our job. We got to execute a game plan and go take care of business. It’s simple as that, there’s no emotion behind it. At this point as a champion, it doesn’t matter. You have to defend the belt for whoever they call, so I don’t care who it is.”

    Strickland suffered a shoulder injury on the Tuesday of fight week. Nicksick said he would ideally like to see the new champion take until September or October before returning.

    “Spend some time with your wife, invest back in your family. Anybody that’s been in this sport that has a family, they get it. They’re the ones that suffer the most. But if I had my choice, man, I would like to see him maybe wait until September, October. Just take some time off and chill.”

    Strickland will attend Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 event in Los Angeles alongside Nicksick to watch teammate Francis Ngannou compete against Philipe Lins.

  • Nate Diaz’s Reason For Returning To MMA Goes Deeper Than Most People Realize

    Nate Diaz’s Reason For Returning To MMA Goes Deeper Than Most People Realize

    Nate Diaz says not fighting in MMA makes him feel like something is wrong in his life, ahead of his return to the sport Saturday at MVP MMA 1.

    Diaz has not competed in MMA in nearly four years, since submitting Tony Ferguson in the UFC 279 main event in September 2022. He has since boxed Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal, but told reporters at Wednesday’s open workout that MMA is where he belongs.

    “When I’m not fighting, I feel like I’m doing something wrong. It’s been my whole life. I’ve been fighting since I’m 16, 15 years old, pretty much, as far as amateurs and all that sh*t. I’ve been fighting more in my life than I haven’t been. When I’m not fighting, it doesn’t feel like I’m doing what I should be doing. It don’t feel right. I feel like it’s time to fight. It’s time to compete.”

    Diaz faces Mike Perry in the welterweight co-feature of Saturday’s Netflix event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. He said the platform was a key factor in his decision to return.

    “It’s really cool that there’s new sh*t, especially Netflix coming in — the biggest and the best of all the outlets. I wasn’t going to do anything lower than this, or what I’ve been at.”

    On Perry, Diaz said there was no manufactured hostility heading into the fight.

    “He could have always made it a beef, but he never did. I’m not going to favor no beef. I don’t have no problem with him and I never did. I’m an athlete and world class and I would like to try to keep it that way.”

  • Ronda Rousey Held Her Tongue For Nine Years Before Finally Firing Back At Demetrious Johnson

    Ronda Rousey Held Her Tongue For Nine Years Before Finally Firing Back At Demetrious Johnson

    Ronda Rousey publicly responded for the first time to comments Demetrious Johnson made about her nearly nine years ago, calling him out on Instagram ahead of her comeback fight.

    In May 2017, during a Q&A with Sports Illustrated, Johnson was asked about handling potential disappointment and brought up Rousey unprompted.

    “You look at Ronda Rousey. You got your ass beat, grow the fck up. It happens. It’s mixed martial arts. I don’t want to be like that. If I lose, I’ll be like, ‘I lost.’ Everybody fcking loses. It’s part of the sport. Grow up. Look, Ronda, you lost two fcking fights in a row, and you made more fcking money than the women’s roster. You’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

    Rousey had never publicly addressed the remarks until this week. In a video posted by All the Smoke on Instagram on Wednesday, she was asked about Johnson while discussing her upcoming fight against Gina Carano.

    “Fck you, DJ, OK? I was totally cool about you, and I put you over, and you were being — you said some nasty ass sht about me.”

    Rousey has not competed since her 48-second TKO loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. She returns to MMA on Saturday when she faces Carano in the Netflix debut of MVP MMA at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

    Johnson went on to break Anderson Silva’s record with his 11th consecutive flyweight title defense before losing the belt to Henry Cejudo. He was later traded to ONE Championship in exchange for Ben Askren.

  • Junior Dos Santos Has A Clear Plan For What He Wants From MVP MMA

    Junior Dos Santos Has A Clear Plan For What He Wants From MVP MMA

    Junior Dos Santos says he wants to be part of MVP MMA’s long-term future and believes Saturday’s Netflix debut event puts him in the right place at the right time.

    Dos Santos, 42, faces Robelis Despaigne in the opening bout of Saturday’s main card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Speaking to reporters Wednesday ahead of an open workout, he framed the fight as the start of something bigger.

    “After I’ve been seeing what MVP has been doing, especially with the boxing thing and now with the MMA thing, I told myself I’ve got to be there. You see the power of the words, the power of when you put the right energy on things, things happen. I’m here now and I’m looking forward to the future with this company. When I see even Francis Ngannou here, there’s so many possibilities in this promotion, and I’m happy with that.”

    Dos Santos has not scored a knockout in over two years, and went five years without one before that. He said the matchup with Despaigne was put together with the intention of producing fireworks.

    “He’s a big guy — very fast, actually, for how big he is, and he kicks very hard. He has some good punches, and I’m ready for that. People have been saying that his ground game is not that good, and I’m always looking for the knockout. I know MVP knows what they are doing — why they put me against him: two strikers. They want to see knockouts.”

    The former UFC heavyweight champion also noted the significance of opening the first ever Netflix MMA main card.

  • Daniel Cormier Says Sean Strickland Made Key Mistake That Cost Him More Decisive Win Over Khamzat Chimaev

    Daniel Cormier Says Sean Strickland Made Key Mistake That Cost Him More Decisive Win Over Khamzat Chimaev

    Daniel Cormier believes Sean Strickland left points on the board against Khamzat Chimaev and could have won more decisively at UFC 328.

    Strickland edged Chimaev by split decision to claim the UFC middleweight title Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Cormier acknowledged the upset but took issue with a key moment in the third round.

    “You got a Sean Strickland that got taken down in Round 1. Round 2 scored his own takedowns, Round 3 controlled the fight with the jab. Honestly, I thought Strickland made a mistake in Round 3 by not really pressing on the gas because I felt like Khamzat had a bit of an adrenaline dump. If he’d really pressed him, he really could have made Khamzat struggle down the stretch, but he didn’t.”

    Cormier said Strickland’s jab was the defining weapon of the fight despite Chimaev’s late pressure.

    “The way he was able to control the fight with that jab, showed you how good Sean Strickland is. The right hand seemed to be available, but he never really threw it. Round 3, 4, and 5, Khamzat Chimaev really got on the gas and started backing up Sean Strickland. But if you know scoring, octagon control is no longer a scoring criteria when judging fights. It’s damage, duration and dominance. Khamzat showed control when he got him down, but even with the six minutes of top time, Sean still outlanded him by 50 strikes, and a whole bunch of significant strikes.”

    Round 5 proved decisive, with two judges awarding it to Strickland. The new champion revealed he is carrying multiple shoulder injuries and plans to take time off.

  • Ronda Rousey And Gina Carano Both Make Weight Ahead Of MVP MMA 1 On Netflix

    Ronda Rousey And Gina Carano Both Make Weight Ahead Of MVP MMA 1 On Netflix

    Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano both made weight Friday morning ahead of Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

    Rousey came in at 142 pounds and Carano at 141.4, both under the 146-pound featherweight limit. It marked Rousey’s first weigh-in for an MMA fight in nearly 10 years, and Carano’s first in almost 17 years.

    Nate Diaz and Mike Perry also hit the scale for their welterweight co-headliner, as did Francis Ngannou and Philipe Lins for their heavyweight main card bout. Official weigh-ins took place at the host hotel ahead of ceremonial weigh-ins set for 9 p.m. ET outside the Intuit Dome.

    Full MVP MMA 1 weigh-in results:

    Main Card

    • Ronda Rousey (142) vs. Gina Carano (141.4)
    • Nate Diaz (168.6) vs. Mike Perry (169.6)
    • Philipe Lins (220.6) vs. Francis Ngannou (257)
    • Kenneth Cross (155.4) vs. Salahdine Parnasse (154.8)
    • Robelis Despaigne (258.8) vs. Junior Dos Santos (245.4)

    Preliminary Card

    • Jake Babian (171) vs. Namo Fazil (170.8)
    • Adriano Moraes (129) vs. Phumi Nkuta (130)
    • Jeff Creighton (168.2) vs. Jason Jackson (170.8)
    • David Mgoyan (145.2) vs. Albert Morales (143.8)
    • Jade Masson-Wong (129.2) vs. Aline Pereira (128)
    • Chris Avila (164) vs. Brandon Jenkins (164.2)
  • UFC Vegas 117 Weigh-In Results: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa Official

    UFC Vegas 117 Weigh-In Results: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa Official

    Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa headlined Friday’s UFC Vegas 117 weigh-ins ahead of Saturday’s event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, streaming on Paramount+.

    Allen came in at 145 pounds with Costa at 145.5 for their featherweight main event. Dooho Choi and Daniel Santos also made weight for the featherweight co-feature.

    Full UFC Fight Night 276 weigh-in results:

    Main Card (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)

    • Arnold Allen (145) vs. Melquizael Costa (145.5)
    • Dooho Choi (146) vs. Daniel Santos (145)
    • Juan Diaz (135.5) vs. Malcolm Wellmaker (135.5)
    • Modestas Bukauskas (213.5) vs. Christian Edwards (214.5) — 215-pound contract weight
    • Timmy Cuamba (—) vs. Bernardo Sopaj (136)

    Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)

    • Nikolay Veretennikov (170.5) vs. Khaos Williams (170.5)
    • Ivan Erslan (205.5) vs. Tuco Tokkos (205.5)
    • Thomas Gantt (156) vs. Trey Ogden (155)
    • Jacqueline Cavalcanti (135.5) vs. Ketlen Vieira (136)
    • Cody Brundage (—) vs. Andre Petroski (185.5)
    • Alice Ardelean (116) vs. Polyana Viana (115.5)
    • Daniel Barez (125.5) vs. Luis Gurule (125.5)
    • Shauna Bannon (115.5) vs. Nicolle Caliari (115.5)
  • Jake Paul Claims Ronda Rousey Is Being Paid More For Netflix Fight Than Ilia Topuria Earns In UFC

    Jake Paul Claims Ronda Rousey Is Being Paid More For Netflix Fight Than Ilia Topuria Earns In UFC

    Jake Paul claims Ronda Rousey is being paid more for her Netflix comeback fight than UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria earns for title defenses.

    Speaking on the Death Row MMA show with Jorge Masvidal, Paul made the claim while discussing pay for Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 event on Netflix, headlined by Rousey vs. Gina Carano at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

    “Here’s what I can say: I know how much Ronda Rousey is making for this event and it’s a lot more than what Ilia Topuria makes for fighting.”

    Topuria next defends his title against Justin Gaethje at UFC White House on June 14. Paul also claimed undercard fighters on Saturday’s card will earn significantly more than their UFC counterparts, stating pay is “definitely more than the UFC by a lot.” No fighter on the Rousey vs. Carano undercard will earn less than $40,000, with Rousey, Nate Diaz, and Francis Ngannou all expected to receive pay exceeding what they would have earned for comparable UFC appearances.

    Masvidal, who retired in 2023 following a loss to Gilbert Burns, pushed back on the idea that entry-level UFC pay needs fixing, while agreeing that mid-tier and ranked fighters deserve more.

    “I like the way you see it, but to be honest with you, in fighting, that 12 and 12 or when I was fighting it was, like, 4 and 4, that’s still like [six times] of what you make on the regional side. It’s good money if you do get there, but where we do need a dramatic change is more like when you’re in the top 10, top 15 already.”

    Paul countered that better base pay would improve the overall talent pool by allowing fighters to train full-time rather than working second jobs.

    “I think the difference is it would create better talent and better fighters because they wouldn’t have to be working other jobs in between training sessions. It would actually grow the sport in the long run if these people making the minimum pay didn’t have to go be a teacher or a janitor or work for UPS.”

  • Ronda Rousey Has Set Specific Number She Needs To Hit On Netflix To Call Saturday A Success

    Ronda Rousey Has Set Specific Number She Needs To Hit On Netflix To Call Saturday A Success

    Ronda Rousey wants her Netflix comeback fight against Gina Carano to break the all-time MMA viewership record.

    Speaking at Wednesday’s open workout ahead of Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Rousey set a clear target for the event.

    “In numbers, I just want to be able to beat the numbers for the most viewed MMA fight of all time — about 9 million. So beating 9 million will be a success for me. Blowing it out of the park will make me very happy, but that’s all I really want to get out of this. I just want to be able to convince MVP and Netflix that there’s something here, and it’s worth the investment, and this is going to be huge and that they should stay in the MMA game and not just dabble in it this one time.”

    The record she is targeting is the 8.8 million viewers who watched the first UFC heavyweight title bout between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez on FOX in 2011.

    Rousey framed Saturday as an audition for a larger role in building the sport on the platform.

    “I have experience in this field. I feel like I’m the best person for the job and this, I guess, is my audition to be like, ‘Hey, you should have me around to do this a whole lot more often.’ So hopefully this is a huge success and this isn’t the last time I’ll be able to try and push the envelope.”

    Rousey has not competed since 2016. Carano’s last fight was in 2009.

  • Jon Jones Is Doing Something He Has Never Done Before And Francis Ngannou Has Noticed

    Jon Jones Is Doing Something He Has Never Done Before And Francis Ngannou Has Noticed

    Francis Ngannou says he finds it “very interesting” that Jon Jones will be part of the broadcast team for Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 event.

    Ngannou competes on the main card of the Netflix event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, facing Philipe Lins. Jones was announced as an analyst for the broadcast, marking his first time working behind the desk.

    Speaking to reporters following Wednesday’s open workout, Ngannou reflected on Jones’ presence.

    “Well, it’s going to be very interesting to have Jon Jones in the same arena at night watching. It’s very interesting to see how it’s going to be, but we will see. It will be great. It adds to be what I’m saying, this event is just like one-standing event. Jon Jones never broadcast, did he?”

    Ngannou and Jones had previously been discussed as a potential matchup when both were under the UFC banner, but the fight never materialized. Jones is currently at odds with the UFC and has even requested his release. His work with MVP MMA this weekend has prompted speculation about what his involvement could mean going forward.

    Ngannou’s last MMA fight was a finish of Renan Ferreira in October 2024 to capture the PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship.

  • Nate Diaz Just Went Viral For What He Said About Ilia Topuria And It Did Not Hold Back

    Nate Diaz Just Went Viral For What He Said About Ilia Topuria And It Did Not Hold Back

    Nate Diaz unloaded on Ilia Topuria during an interview with Ariel Helwani, calling the UFC lightweight champion a “dumbass” and mocking his height in a viral clip.

    Diaz, who returns to MMA on Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 undercard against Mike Perry, made clear he has no respect for the undefeated champion.

    “He’s a little B——, too. I’m years ahead of them fools. I’ve got better fights, and they’re like, ‘He sucks!’ He just said I suck. Bro, you suck!”

    Diaz cited Topuria’s comments about Jake Paul as the origin of his frustration before escalating.

    “He was saying some dumb s— about how he’d beat up Jake Paul in boxing. All cool about how he sucked and s—, and I was taking offense. You won’t do s—. I’ll beat the — out of Ilia Topuria. This fool’s a dumbass just because of how he was talking all cocky and s—. You don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re —ing four feet tall.”

    “Bro, I’ll slap the s— out of you. What the f— are you talking about? It’s a new day and age where there’s a bunch of little b—-es running around that need to be slapped. Yeah, I don’t like him.”

    Diaz last competed in MMA in September 2022, submitting Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. Following Saturday’s fight with Perry, he becomes a free agent and has been linked to potential returns against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Topuria himself.

  • Eddie Alvarez Warns Justin Gaethje On The One Thing He Cannot Do Against Ilia Topuria

    Eddie Alvarez Warns Justin Gaethje On The One Thing He Cannot Do Against Ilia Topuria

    Eddie Alvarez says Justin Gaethje is being underestimated heading into his lightweight unification bout with Ilia Topuria at UFC White House on June 14.

    Gaethje holds the interim UFC Lightweight Championship after defeating Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision in January. Topuria is a heavy betting favorite for the unification fight, but Alvarez, who faced Gaethje in a memorable clash in 2017, told MMA Junkie the outcome is far from certain.

    “Everyone’s writing him off, but I don’t know, man — this could go either way. I saw a clip recently of Ilia’s brother explaining to Ilia how to beat Justin, his tactics of what he would do against a guy like Justin, and it was scary of how spot-on he was. I was like, sh*t man. During my camp, I was trying to formulate a camp for a guy like Justin and how he steps in the pocket and forces you to fight. How do we beat a guy like this?”

    Alvarez identified one specific area where Gaethje needs to be disciplined.

    “Justin loses his eyes a little bit, and I don’t like that. In the exchanges you’ll see him look and throw this way. He can’t lose his eyes during this match, because what Ilia does, is Ilia keeps such a beautiful posture that his posture is so beautiful that he’s always ready to strike, and he doesn’t lose his eyes ever.”

    Alvarez knocked out Gaethje in the third round of their 2017 fight. Gaethje has gone 8-4 since that loss.

  • Khamzat Chimaev Explains Why he Squashed Beef With Sean Strickland

    Khamzat Chimaev Explains Why he Squashed Beef With Sean Strickland

    Khamzat Chimaev has explained the moment that confused fans at UFC 328 and made clear that while he has moved past the animosity with Sean Strickland, he has not moved past the result.

    In a video posted to his Instagram Stories, Chimaev addressed the widespread questioning of whether his feud with Strickland was genuine, pointing to a post-fight apology from Strickland as the reason he was willing to shake hands and place the belt around his opponent’s waist.

    “A lot of people were concerned. We will not give up. We will keep winning again, if it is Allah’s will, and we will keep training. The motivation is still there. We still want to take the belt. And regarding that guy: he said a lot of unnecessary things. People were asking why I shook his hand and why I put the belt on him afterward. We don’t have the habit of talking or fighting after a loss. If we fight, we fight inside the cage, and we fought as best as we could. What Allah has decided is no longer in our control. That guy lowered his head and asked for forgiveness. If a person asks for forgiveness, I can forgive him.”

    The forgiveness has not translated into acceptance of the loss. Per ESPN, Chimaev’s team has confirmed that a rematch with Strickland is the only fight he will consider right now.

    “The rematch with Sean Strickland is the only fight that Khamzat wants, he is obsessed with it. That’s the only fight he will accept right now.”

    Whether the UFC grants an immediate rematch is unclear given that Strickland already has a heated feud with Nassourdine Imavov ready to be made, as well as the possibility of a trilogy with Dricus du Plessis, who holds two wins over the new champion.

  • Nate Diaz Calls Out Charles Oliveira for Turning Down His Fight Request While Chasing McGregor Instead

    Nate Diaz has a specific grievance with Charles Oliveira heading into his MVP MMA 1 fight with Mike Perry on Saturday, and it centers on a fight request that was shut down before being replaced by a callout that Diaz cannot understand.

    Speaking with MMA Fighting, Diaz explained that he had made a respectful approach about fighting Oliveira after the Brazilian won the BMF title by defeating Max Holloway, only to be turned down before watching Oliveira pivot to calling out Conor McGregor.

    “Oliveira got the belt and I was waiting for shit to happen. Oliveira’s the man. I’ve been around longer than Oliveira. Everybody thinks that he’ll kill me but I’m like yeah right. I always wondered why me and Oliveira never fought. So when he finally got the belt and was around, I was like oh sht, I’ll fight f**ing Oliveira. So I said what’s up with Oliveira? Respectfully, I’d like to fight Oliveira. He’s been around and he said ‘no, thanks homie.’ ‘I’m trying to fight for titles and do all this big sh*t’ and I’m like OK, you got me on that.”

    The McGregor callout changed Diaz’s assessment entirely.

    “And then he won fing one fight and then he called out Conor. That’s exactly what I thought when he called out Conor. Why are you trying to fight the guy who’s coming off a leg break, just got knocked out and he’s all fed up and on a downward spiral and you’re over here like ‘no thanks, homie, I’m trying to do bigger things.’”

    Diaz made clear that Oliveira’s logic does not hold up under scrutiny.

    “I was like picking on a guy that just got his ass whooped the whole time, motherfer? You’re full of sht. You think you’re fing tight and that’s why I had something to say about Oliveira. I don’t have nothing against him except for that. No thanks, homie, I’m onto bigger, better things. Like what? Picking on a guy who just got his ass whooped the whole time? That’s whack. Those are the motherf**ers that I’m trying to fight. I’m fighting the bullies.”

  • Aiemann Zahabi Shuts Down Sean O’Malley’s UFC White House Bet

    Aiemann Zahabi Shuts Down Sean O’Malley’s UFC White House Bet

    Sean O’Malley tried to add a personal stake to his UFC White House bantamweight matchup against Aiemann Zahabi and got shut down in a single word, before also using his YouTube channel to air his feelings about the new fight kit he has been handed for the June 14 event.

    O’Malley had posted on X, proposing that the loser of their White House matchup have the winner’s country’s flag tattooed on them. Zahabi’s response was immediate and definitive, citing the Islamic prohibition on tattoos as altering what Allah created.

    “Haram brother.”

    The tattoo bet is dead. O’Malley’s design complaints are alive. Speaking on his YouTube channel about the new fight kits unveiled for UFC Freedom 250, O’Malley was pointed about what he thinks of them.

    “I don’t even know if I’m supposed to say but since you brought it up I feel like I can, they’re ugly. Mine were ugly. I don’t like them. I don’t like them. They’re not pink, which is fine. I’ve worn other colors, I’m not gonna not show up because my shorts aren’t pink. I’ll make my hair pink, whatever. But I’m just like, did they go on Fiverr?”

    O’Malley also noted he has been told the White House card is not a title eliminator despite Dana White’s public dismissal of that framing, though a strong performance against Zahabi would push him back into the bantamweight championship conversation. Zahabi is on a seven-fight winning streak heading into the matchup.

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

  • Nate Diaz Blasts Dustin Poirier Over Future Fight Talk

    Nate Diaz Blasts Dustin Poirier Over Future Fight Talk

    Nate Diaz has responded to Dustin Poirier’s suggestion that he would come out of retirement to fight him, and his answer was not an invitation.

    Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Diaz addressed Poirier’s stated willingness to return for a matchup and delivered a blunt assessment of the retired fighter’s credibility as a potential opponent.

    “I am interested if he f***ing gets in there and starts fighting people. I don’t fight retired fighters. He jumped ship a little early, so it’s not someone that I’m that interested in. Get back in the game and start squabbling with people. Where the hell did you go? ‘I’ll come back for you now.’ No, don’t come back on account of me. Get some sleep. Get you some sleep.”

    Diaz then described the manner of Poirier’s retirement as the core of his problem with the situation.

    “He got emotional when he fought somebody, and he’s like, ‘I’m retired. Oh, this was so great.’ A whole fing little lady moment where he needed to talk about his feelings and how he was all done with all this. And then he went, ‘Oh, what the fk did I do?’ Yeah, you were being a btch in your post-fight interview, and you set your gloves down and you shed a tear, and then two weeks later he’s like, ‘I want to fight Nate, I’ll come back for Nate.’ Like, you didn’t even leave, stupid. You f**ing pssed out. Don’t involve me in that sht. Get back in the game and start squabbling.”

    Poirier retired following his loss to Max Holloway in Louisiana last year and had previously said on the Deep Waters podcast that a Diaz fight was one he would genuinely come back for given the unfinished business between them. Diaz and Poirier were booked to fight at UFC 230 in November 2018 before Poirier’s hip injury forced the cancellation.

    Diaz faces Mike Perry in the co-main event of MVP MMA 1 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Saturday, streaming live on Netflix.

  • Former UFC Star Zabit Magomedsharipov Reveals Why he Retired

    Former UFC Star Zabit Magomedsharipov Reveals Why he Retired

    Zabit Magomedsharipov has finally explained the circumstances behind his 2022 retirement from MMA, and the frustration that drove him away from the sport centers on a specific sequence of canceled fights and what he believes was a deliberate decision by the UFC to deny him a title shot.

    Magomedsharipov, who went 6-0 inside the UFC before his final appearance at UFC 242 in November 2019, spoke on a video posted by ACB JJ ahead of a grappling appearance expected later in 2026. The talk of a UFC return has been replaced by the story of why he left in the first place.

    “There were a lot of reasons I retired, so many reasons. Just couldn’t make the fight happen. I wanted to fight but they’d postpone fights and we couldn’t make a deal. But all these times I was making weight, going through camps, flying out to America. And by the time you get there, you’ve already been through so much: weight cut, training, camp and everything. And then you arrive and two or three weeks before the fight they tell you, ‘That’s it, he’s injured,’ and they postpone again. I’d go back home again, and start getting ready all over again. Imagine that about five times. I got tired of it. Like, how much can you take?”

    He also revealed that an agreement existed with the UFC regarding a title shot in the event of another cancellation, one he says was never honored.

    “We had some agreements with them: if he pulls out of the fight a third time, they’d automatically give me the title fight. That’s what we’ve talked about. And the third time he found excuses, he came up with a lot of reasons. Then they started offering me someone else. First Korean Zombie, then some other guy, but really, at that time, it was me and Rodriguez. The two of us were contenders.”

    Magomedsharipov also claimed the UFC’s reluctance to promote him to a title shot was influenced by the number of Russian champions already on the roster at the time.

    “And they just didn’t want to make me a champion. I know why, too. Because at that time we already had a lot of champions from Russia. Khabib was the champion then, and Yan. And because of that it wasn’t beneficial for them that a third champion would be from Russia. At first, before they were around, they promoted me really well.”

    Magomedsharipov, who turned 35 in March, last fought in November 2019 when he defeated Calvin Kattar by decision to improve to 18-1 overall and 6-0 in the UFC.

  • Ngannou’s Coach Claims Francis Is ‘Best Heavyweight In World’

    Ngannou’s Coach Claims Francis Is ‘Best Heavyweight In World’

    Francis Ngannou’s striking coach Dewey Cooper has delivered a confident assessment of where the former UFC heavyweight champion stands heading into his MVP MMA debut against Philipe Lins on Saturday’s Netflix card, making a sweeping claim about Ngannou’s place in the current heavyweight landscape.

    Speaking on MVP UNCUT, Cooper pointed to Ngannou’s championship record across two organizations as the foundation for his argument.

    “He’s a two-company world champion. He’s never been dethroned. He’s never lost his championship belt in two major organizations. Francis is undoubtedly the best heavyweight mixed martial artist in the world. He’s never lost the championship in either company. So, he has a standard that he puts himself on.”

    Cooper was enthusiastic about Ngannou’s preparation for the return, which marks his first MMA competition since October 2024.

    “Everything is terrific, man. May 16th. We’re super excited. I really feel it’s a great incentive, it being the first mixed martial arts fight on Netflix. I think that puts the cherry on top for him psychologically because he’s been training extremely well and we can’t wait until fight night. He looks phenomenal. We’re excited about what he’s going to show fight night. It’s going to be something fantastic. He’s on another level, guys.”

    Ngannou departed the PFL earlier this year and signed with Most Valuable Promotions, with Saturday’s card at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood marking his promotional debut. Lins is a former PFL heavyweight tournament winner and a credible name for Ngannou’s return without representing a top-five divisional threat. The five-round scheduling of the bout suggests MVP wants Ngannou active and visible on the historic card.

    Rousey vs. Carano headlines the Netflix event with Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry in the co-main event.

  • Khamzat Chimaev Formally Requests Sean Strickland Rematch

    Khamzat Chimaev Formally Requests Sean Strickland Rematch

    Khamzat Chimaev has reversed his position from immediately after UFC 328 and is now formally pursuing a rematch against Sean Strickland, with his brother confirming that the request has been made and that an October event in Abu Dhabi is the target.

    Just hours after the split-decision loss to Strickland on Saturday, Chimaev told Dana White he wants to move up to light heavyweight and is done at middleweight. Within days, he had posted cryptic messages on social media directed at Strickland, and now his brother Artur has confirmed to sports.ru that the camp’s position is clear.

    “We’ve requested a rematch with Strickland. There’s an event in Abu Dhabi in October and we want to do it there. Khamzat isn’t the type of person to move to another weight class and leave unanswered questions behind. We want the second fight. Right now we have no other goals.”

    ESPN has separately reported that Chimaev is obsessed with getting the rematch and will not accept other bookings in the meantime, a posture that puts the UFC in a complicated position, given that Strickland has already identified Nassourdine Imavov as a likely next opponent, and a queue of genuine contenders exists at 185 pounds.

    Artur confirmed that Chimaev cut from 231 pounds down to 185 pounds after being asked to defend the middleweight title instead of competing in a planned 205-pound fight against Jiri Prochazka, for which a contract had already been prepared. Two weeks before the fight, Chimaev weighed 214 pounds. His body shut down during the final stages of the cut, and he required an hour-long pause before continuing.

  • Dustin Poirier Spotlights Exact Moment he Realized Strickland-Chimaev’s Beef Was Fake

    Dustin Poirier Spotlights Exact Moment he Realized Strickland-Chimaev’s Beef Was Fake

    Dustin Poirier believes Khamzat Chimaev walked into UFC 328 carrying an aura that made opponents think twice before they even laced their gloves, and he believes that aura took a significant hit in Newark on Saturday night.

    Speaking on UFC on Paramount+ after the show, Poirier explained why the post-fight reconciliation between Chimaev and Strickland bothered him as much as the result itself.

    Poirier’s point cuts to the specific thing that made Chimaev different as a competitor. The unbeaten record was part of it, but the relentlessness and the implied danger that he carried into every build was equally significant.

    “The next fight, whoever he gets matched up with, it’s going to be tough for him to intimidate because his aura took a hit this week. With the back-and-forth, I thought it was real. I think his whole aura took a hit this week. And putting the belt on Strickland — like, come on, man. They worked us for sure.”

    The split decision itself kept things competitive throughout, with all three judges scoring it two rounds apiece heading into the fifth before two of them gave Strickland the final round and the fight. Whether Chimaev receives an immediate rematch or Strickland moves on to another challenger remains to be confirmed by the UFC.

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s Team Reveals Catastrophic UFC 328 Weight Cut Details

    Khamzat Chimaev’s Team Reveals Catastrophic UFC 328 Weight Cut Details

    The full picture of Khamzat Chimaev’s weight cut for UFC 328 is now public, and it is significantly more alarming than the speculation suggested in the days leading up to the fight.

    Chimaev’s brother, Artur, spoke to sports.ru after the loss to Sean Strickland, confirming that Chimaev had been preparing for a light-heavyweight fight against Jiri Prochazka, with a contract already in place, before the UFC asked him to defend the middleweight title instead. The consequences of that switch on his body were severe.

    “There was a problem with the weight cut. The question became whether to cancel the fight or take the risk. When there was 2.7 pounds left, his body shut down. Oxygen deprivation. His body malfunctioned. We had to stop for an hour because his health wouldn’t allow him to continue. Khamzat himself said he didn’t know how he’d fight in that condition. There was an agreement with the UFC that he would fight Jiri Prochazka at 205. The contract was already prepared, but then they asked him to fight Sean instead. So he accepted and decided to cut from 231 pounds down to 185 pounds. By fight time he had only regained around 11-13 pounds. Two weeks before the fight he weighed 214 pounds.”

    Arman Tsarukyan, who was in Chimaev’s corner, had previously estimated the cut at around 46 pounds. Artur’s account confirms the scale of the problem and adds the detail that Chimaev’s body effectively shut down during the final stages of the cut before he chose to push through and compete.

    Artur also confirmed that Chimaev has formally requested an immediate rematch despite initially telling Dana White he wants to move to light heavyweight.

    “We’ve requested a rematch with Strickland. There’s an event in Abu Dhabi in October and we want to do it there. Khamzat isn’t the type of person to move to another weight class and leave unanswered questions behind. We want the second fight. Right now we have no other goals.”

    ESPN has separately reported that Chimaev is obsessed with getting the rematch and will not accept other fights in the interim. The UFC has not confirmed whether an immediate rematch will be made or whether they will instead book Strickland against Nassourdine Imavov, the contender Strickland himself identified as a likely next opponent.

  • Jorge Masvidal: Sean Strickland is a Hall of Famer and All-Time Great

    Jorge Masvidal: Sean Strickland is a Hall of Famer and All-Time Great

    Jorge Masvidal watched Sean Strickland pull off his second stunning middleweight title upset and came away with a verdict that goes beyond the result of one fight.

    Speaking with Full Send MMA after UFC 328, Masvidal placed Strickland among the all-time greats in the division and argued the case for his eventual Hall of Fame induction.

    “Sean Strickland has to go down as a Hall of Famer, and is an all-time great. Let’s take a little step back. Even before he got the belt, he’s had some amazing performances throughout his career. He fought at 170, he was cutting a little too much weight. He came up, he really started showing out, finishing guys, setting himself up for success. Separating himself from the pack by his fight style. He has a good finishing rate, and he’s beaten a lot of up-and-coming guys, he beat a lot of established guys, and he beat a lot of guys he probably should have never beat.”

    Strickland now holds wins over Khamzat Chimaev, Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Paulo Costa, Anthony Hernandez, and Brendan Allen across a middleweight career that has consistently delivered results most fans did not expect. His two title fight upsets over Adesanya and Chimaev stand among the most shocking in UFC history at any weight class.

  • Nate Diaz Calls Out Chimaev and Strickland for Fake Beef

    Nate Diaz watched the Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland rivalry play out for weeks, saw the post-fight hugs, and came away with one clear conclusion: he wants no part of that approach with Mike Perry.

    Speaking during a Face 2 Face sitdown with Perry ahead of their MVP MMA 1 matchup on Saturday, Diaz was direct about what bothered him when he caught the UFC 328 highlights.

    “They were faking the funk. And they were fing acting like crazy and talking all this sh*t to each other and then hugging and showing love the whole fight like some btches. Fake fing puppets. I’m f**ing cool off that sh*t.”

    He elaborated on what specifically felt like a betrayal once the post-fight goodwill emerged.

    “I saw highlights of them hugging and fing shaking hands right off the bat, and the whole time, it’s fing like you bullshtted me. I didn’t bullsht nobody. I keep it real all the way through. That’s what I got out of that fight. I didn’t watch it, but I saw the highlights and the feedback on it, and I saw the war that was f**ing bullshtted to us. I’m like, you don’t gotta bullsh*t me.”

    You can watch the original clip on X here.

    Diaz’s position is not that fighters should not show respect after competing. His objection is the gap between weeks of selling genuine hatred and the immediate goodwill that followed once the final bell sounded. He wants his build with Perry to reflect what the fight actually is rather than manufacturing a narrative around it.

    “I got a fight with this dude, he’s the most violent motherfer. He knocked out fing middleweight Luke Rockhold, and f**ing Jeremy Stephens, and beat a lot of good people, doing boss sh*t on the outside.”

    He was equally clear about the nature of his relationship with Perry going into the fight.

    “I was already OK with him. We’re not fing friends or anything like that, but I’m not gonna fing play around and make no fake, artificial beef with you. I think you’re great. I think what you’re doing is great. I think you’re violent as f**k, and mean and all that sh*t. I came here to fight, train hard, win and fk your sh*t up, just like I know you’re planning on f**jing my sht up, and I’m not gonna put no artificial beef out there.”

    Diaz and Perry meet on the MVP MMA 1 card on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Netflix. Diaz had a long-standing scheduling history with Chimaev as well, having been booked against him at UFC 279 before the card was reshuffled, with Diaz instead submitting Tony Ferguson in his final UFC appearance.

  • Nate Diaz Reveals Interest in Conor McGregor Trilogy Fight

    Nate Diaz Reveals Interest in Conor McGregor Trilogy Fight

    Nate Diaz has made it clear that his rivalry with Conor McGregor is unfinished business, and he has a very specific vision of how the third chapter should come together.

    Speaking with MMA Fighting ahead of his MVP MMA 1 fight with Mike Perry on Saturday, Diaz addressed the prospect of a McGregor trilogy fight directly and confirmed it remains very much on his radar, though he has no interest in being the opponent that serves as McGregor’s comeback vehicle.

    “F**k no I’m not done with Conor McGregor, that’s just waiting to happen. What I’m saying, I’m a real fighter. Conor McGregor, he’s fing still good, he’s still great. He’s f**king everything he says he is and what UFC says and all that. But I’m not going to let him fing test that out on me. I’m not trying to be part of this fing Conor McGregor comeback motherf*king story.”

    Diaz wants McGregor to prove himself again before they settle the trilogy, framing the dynamic in the language he is most comfortable with.

    “I don’t want to finish him off. Why don’t you come back and do your thing and when you’re doing your thing and I’m doing my thing then we’ll have our fing trilogy that you owe me from a long time ago anyway. I think about it like a fing bully. What are you going to do? Go fight the guy who got his leg broke off? Nah, let him make his comeback and do his thing and then go beat his ass.”

    Diaz and McGregor split their two-fight series one win apiece in 2016, with McGregor winning the rematch at UFC 202. A third fight has been discussed at various points over the following decade without ever materializing. McGregor is currently expected to return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week, which would be his first competitive appearance since his leg fracture at UFC 264 in July 2021.

    Diaz returns to MMA competition on Saturday for the first time since 2022, facing Perry in the co-main event of MVP MMA 1 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Netflix.