MMA News

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • Ronda Rousey Reveals Life-Changing Medical Diagnosis Before Gina Carano Fight

    Ronda Rousey Reveals Life-Changing Medical Diagnosis Before Gina Carano Fight

    Ronda Rousey has revealed a medical development ahead of her May 16 return against Gina Carano on Netflix, disclosing that Dana White arranged for her to visit the Cleveland Clinic after she pitched the fight, where doctors identified a condition that has been affecting her for years.

    Speaking with Complex News, Rousey explained that what she had been experiencing was not simply the result of concussions but a more specific condition linked to them.

    “Thanks to Dana, when I was talking about doing this fight, he sent me to the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Bernick thinks what I’m dealing with is not just concussions, but also migraines. The more concussions I get, the easier it is to set off these migraines. I get hit and I lose big chunks of my vision, like if someone took a picture of me. It’s called migraine aura when you lose these chunks of your vision, caused by cortical spreading depression. We were actually able to find a medication that helps me preventatively before sparring. It’s been absolutely life-changing.”

    Rousey also confirmed that the Carano fight marks the end of her competitive career, directly tied to commitments she has made to her husband and plans for her family.

    “It depends on how this fight goes. This fight could end up being some crazy trilogy. But I promised my husband that this is the last one and we want to have more kids. I can’t be taking any more detours at this point.”

    She also described Carano as the fight she has always wanted above any other.

    “Gina is my dream fight. She’s the only person I would come back to fight for and she’s the whole reason why I got into fighting in the first place.”

    Rousey holds a 12-2 MMA record and is returning for the first time since her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. The bout headlines the first live MMA event in Netflix history, co-promoted with Most Valuable Promotions on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

  • UFC Vegas 117 Preview: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa

    UFC Vegas 117 Preview: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa

    The UFC returns to the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 16 with a featherweight main event between Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa, running in direct counter-programming competition with MVP’s Rousey vs. Carano card on Netflix. The main card streams on Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET, with prelims from 5 p.m. ET.

    Allen, ranked seventh at featherweight, enters the main event in the most difficult position of his UFC career. The 31-year-old has lost three of his last four fights, his only win in that stretch coming against Giga Chikadze in 2024. An extended 2025 absence due to injury was followed by a unanimous decision loss to Jean Silva at UFC 324 in January. A loss on Saturday would push Allen toward the edge of contention.

    Costa presents the most dangerous possible version of that challenge. The Brazilian is ranked twelfth and riding a six-fight winning streak with four finishes, the most recent being a spinning back kick TKO of Dan Ige in February, the first time Ige had ever been finished inside the Octagon. 

    Dooho Choi returns in the co-main event against Daniel Santos in a featherweight matchup that has been rescheduled multiple times, having originally been booked for UFC Perth in September before Choi withdrew, then moved to UFC 328 before being pushed to this card. Malcolm Wellmaker, the standout bantamweight prospect from last year’s Contender Series, faces DWCS signee Juan Diaz in the main card’s most forward-looking fight.

    Main card on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa at featherweight over five rounds, Dooho Choi vs. Daniel Santos at featherweight, Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Juan Diaz at bantamweight, Modestas Bukauskas vs. Rodolfo Bellato at light heavyweight, and Timmy Cuamba vs. Bernardo Sopaj at bantamweight.

    Preliminary card on Paramount+ at 5 p.m. ET: Jeremiah Wells vs. Nicolas Dalby at welterweight, Tuco Tokkos vs. Ivan Erslan at light heavyweight, Trey Ogden vs. Thomas Gantt at lightweight, Ketlen Vieira vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti at women’s bantamweight, Cody Brundage vs. Andre Petroski at middleweight, Alice Ardelean vs. Polyana Viana at women’s strawweight, Daniel Barez vs. Luis Gurule at flyweight, and Shauna Bannon vs. Nicolle Caliari at women’s strawweight.

  • Ronda Rousey Says UFC Killed Star Power for the Brand

    Ronda Rousey Says UFC Killed Star Power for the Brand

    Ronda Rousey has delivered one of her sharpest critiques of the UFC’s current direction, arguing that the promotion under TKO has made a strategic miscalculation by trying to make the brand the star rather than the fighters inside it.

    Speaking with Complex News ahead of her May 16 return on Netflix, Rousey laid out what she sees as the root cause of the UFC’s current position.

    “They don’t want that star power anymore. They want the brand to be the star. And that’s why they stopped naming the fight cards and started giving them numbers. That’s why they started putting everybody in a uniform and trying to stamp out their individuality. They want people to watch the brand. And that’s why when you have big stars like Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou knowing their worth and demanding more, they’re telling them to go kick rocks instead of paying them what they’re worth because they think they’re too big to fail.”

    She cited the most-watched combat sports event in history as the most compelling counter-argument to the UFC’s approach.

    “They don’t tune in to watch a belt. They don’t tune in to watch a brand. They tune in to watch two fighters. And that’s what Tyson versus Paul proved. This is the most viewed combat sports event of all time. 108 million live views. And it’s not for a belt. It’s not for two people at the very top of the sport. It’s for two characters that resonate with people. They want to see the conclusion of the story that they have been telling. That’s something that the UFC has lost sight of and something that I’m looking to bring back.”

    Rousey also drew a clear distinction between her loyalty to the people who built the UFC and the organization those people have since sold.

    “I absolutely love Dana and the Fertittas, but my loyalty is to them, not to the company that they sold, and also a company that I helped build. It’s outside of his control now and it’s outside of my control now. It’s not that company anymore, but I can affect the entire industry in this way.”

    She also argued that fighters now have more leverage than many realize at the end of their UFC contracts.

    “UFC puts people in very long contracts. They’ll put you in a set-and-fight contract that’s for seven years or something. Jon Jones is kind of trapped. A lot of people are trapped in that contract. But I think what we’ve done here is we’ve made people realize that there is another option and you can fight out your contract all the way to the end and actually have leverage to negotiate for more.”

  • Ronda Rousey Accuses Hunter Campbell of Sabotaging Gina Carano Fight

    Ronda Rousey Accuses Hunter Campbell of Sabotaging Gina Carano Fight

    Ronda Rousey has made serious accusations against UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, claiming he worked to undermine her return fight against Gina Carano from inside the company she helped build.

    Speaking with Complex News ahead of the May 16 Netflix event, Rousey described what she says was a deliberate effort by Campbell to derail the matchup.

    “They gave me a great deal for their last ever pay-per-view fight card, but it was them switching over to the streaming model and Hunter Campbell being the new leadership in the company. He actively tried to sabotage this fight. And tried to misrepresent Gina, saying that she wasn’t serious, that she wasn’t going to make the weight. He was trying to get me to fight other people. He was basically just shitting on us and the marketability of our fight.”

    She also described what she says was Campbell’s attitude toward the women’s featherweight division, framing his comments as the final confirmation that the UFC’s priorities had fundamentally changed.

    “The way that he spoke of the 145 pound division. Dana first pitched me to do this as the last title match for 145 division to retire it. And then Hunter was like, ‘Yeah, then we could finally get rid of that division.’ The disdain that he spoke of it. I’m like, f**k, you’re the promoter, okay? If it’s not doing well, it’s your fault. I just had two daughters. My husband’s 6’7″, okay? They’re not going to be 135 pounds. This is my daughter’s future, that division. He’s sh*t all over it.”

    Rousey said her mother, who works for an athletic commission, provided the most damning insight into Campbell’s attitude toward fighters.

    “My mom works for an athletic commission. I brought up to her, ‘Do you know this Hunter Campbell guy?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah, he’s a f***ing shithead. He would sell tickets to Christians being fed to lions.’ She was talking to him about getting slap legalized in California and he was saying, ‘Oh, this is a big opportunity for these guys. Otherwise, they would just be doing meth in a trailer park.’ This is what this guy thinks of the fighters. And this is the new leadership in the company.”

    Rousey faces Carano on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Netflix in what she has described as her final MMA fight.

  • Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano 2026 Preview: Card, How to Watch

    Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano 2026 Preview: Card, How to Watch

    Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano share a cage on Saturday night for a fight that was supposed to happen in 2009 and has been the subject of speculation, negotiation, and fan longing ever since.

    Carano was the face of women’s MMA during the EliteXC and Strikeforce era, the first woman a major American television network was willing to put on a fight night. Rousey was emerging as a judo-based finishing machine. The matchup everyone wanted never materialized because Cris Cyborg ended Carano’s career with a first-round stoppage in August 2009.

    Seventeen years later, both women arrive at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood carrying very different kinds of rust and very different stories.

    Rousey, 12-2, closed her UFC career on back-to-back knockout losses that ended her aura. Holly Holm’s head kick at UFC 193 in November 2015 was the first crack. Amanda Nunes finished the job in 48 seconds at UFC 207 in December 2016. She has not competed in MMA since, spending the intervening years in WWE, becoming a Hall of Famer, marrying Travis Browne, and having two children. She turns 40 in February. 

    Carano, 7-1, is the larger unknown. She last fought professionally in August 2009 and has spent the intervening period in Hollywood, appearing in Haywire and Fast and Furious 6 before returning to public life in different circumstances. She is 44 years old. 

    Neither woman has competed at the 145-pound women’s featherweight limit. Neither has thrown a competitive punch in a very long time. The fight is scheduled for five rounds.

    Rousey vs. Carano headlines the first live MMA event in Netflix history, co-promoted with Most Valuable Promotions. Main card begins at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 16.

    Main Card (9 p.m. ET, Netflix)

    • Women’s featherweight: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
    • Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
    • Welterweight: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
    • Featherweight: Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenny Cross
    • Heavyweight: Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne
    • Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes

    Preliminary Card (6 p.m. ET, Netflix)

    • Welterweight: Jason Jackson vs. Jeff Creighton
    • Welterweight: Namo Fazil vs. Jake Babian
    • Featherweight: David Mgoyan vs. Albert Morales
    • 130-pound catchweight: Aline Pereira vs. Jade Masson-Wong
    • 165-pound catchweight: Chris Avila vs. Brandon Jenkins
  • Ronda Rousey Addresses Possible UFC Return Ahead of Gina Carano Bout

    Ronda Rousey Addresses Possible UFC Return Ahead of Gina Carano Bout

    Ronda Rousey has made it clear that Saturday’s fight against Gina Carano on Netflix is the end of her competitive career, regardless of the result, telling Ariel Helwani that a return to the UFC is not on the table and that her immediate priority after the fight is starting a family again.

    Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show ahead of her return to the cage for the first time since December 2016, Rousey was direct about why the Carano fight is her last.

    “To the UFC, to fight? No. I promised my husband that this is the last one. He is the one that I have to convince to get on board with this promoter shit after. He’s not going for the fighting at all after this. Honestly, I want to get started having babies again right away. I want to have at least two more, if I can. I can’t be taking detours anymore. This is the peak. I can’t go higher than this. This is the dream fight and the absolute pinnacle for me. This is the perfect way to end it.”

    Rousey has been absent from MMA competition since suffering back-to-back knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes in 2015 and 2016. In the years since, she has had multiple stints with WWE and has two children with her husband, Travis Browne.

    Rousey has also discussed her ambitions beyond fighting, including a potential leadership role in MVP MMA if the Netflix card proves successful, telling TMZ she believes she is more qualified than UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell to help guide the promotion’s expansion into MMA. That promotional ambition, rather than any competitive return, appears to be where her post-fighting energy is directed.

    Rousey vs. Carano takes place Saturday, May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Netflix.

  • Dana White Explains How Conor McGregor Will Be Compensated Under UFC’s New Paramount Deal

    Dana White Explains How Conor McGregor Will Be Compensated Under UFC’s New Paramount Deal

    Dana White has addressed one of the more interesting financial questions surrounding Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return, explaining that the UFC has developed a formula to compensate big-name fighters who previously earned pay-per-view points under the old model.

    The UFC launched its new $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount in January 2026, effectively eliminating the traditional pay-per-view purchase requirement for numbered events. Those cards are now included with a Paramount+ subscription, fundamentally changing how fighters who previously earned a percentage of pay-per-view revenue are compensated. McGregor, who was among the sport’s biggest pay-per-view draws, stood to be among the most affected.

    Speaking at UFC 328’s post-fight press conference in Newark, White confirmed a new compensation structure is in place and that McGregor’s earnings under the new system reflect his historical drawing power.

    “There’s a formula to it. McGregor’s going to do just fine. It’s based on if you take the average of his pay-per-view buys, and what they do, there’s an equation for that that you can — we’ve done it with a lot more guys than just McGregor.”

    McGregor last competed at UFC 264 in July 2021, when he suffered a gruesome leg fracture in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. In the five years since, his only scheduled fight was a bout against Michael Chandler planned for June 2024, which collapsed when McGregor withdrew with a broken toe just weeks before fight night.

    White reiterated his confidence that McGregor will return in 2026, though he confirmed no official deal has been signed at this stage. McGregor’s rumored return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 during International Fight Week in Las Vegas remains the most discussed option for his comeback.

  • Joe Rogan Suggests Khamzat Chimaev May Have Been Preparing for Weight Change Before UFC 328

    Joe Rogan Suggests Khamzat Chimaev May Have Been Preparing for Weight Change Before UFC 328

    The cageside commentary team at UFC 328 was already raising questions about Khamzat Chimaev’s weight cut during the post-fight broadcast, with Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier suggesting that an aborted plan to move to light heavyweight may have significantly complicated his preparation for the Strickland title defense.

    Chimaev appeared visibly uncomfortable at Friday’s official weigh-ins before coming in at the 185-pound limit, and his conditioning deteriorated after a dominant opening round against Strickland, as he largely abandoned his wrestling and struggled to maintain the same intensity across five rounds. Rogan connected those dots during the broadcast.

    “The fact that he did try to bulk up plus thinking that he was going to fight Jiri Prochazka for 205. Good question, because it could have been a factor.”

    Cormier questioned whether the middleweight division is even the right home for Chimaev going forward.

    “Does Khamzat want to fight at 185? They said he already has his eyes on 205. I don’t know.”

    The theory carries weight given Chimaev’s history with weight management. He infamously missed the 170-pound limit by 7.5 pounds ahead of UFC 279 in September 2022, an incident that forced a reshuffling of the entire card. In this instance, the suggestion is that Chimaev had been building his frame in anticipation of competing at 205 pounds, possibly for a fight with Prochazka, before the Strickland title defense was booked and he was required to shed significant mass in a compressed timeframe.

    You can see the post-fight reaction on X here.

    Dana White confirmed at the post-fight press conference that Chimaev approached him to say he wants to move to light heavyweight. Chimaev posted on X, with “see you soon again” and then “let me know when you are ready,” suggesting a rematch at middleweight has not been fully ruled out.

  • GSP’s Former Coach Offers to Fix Khamzat Chimaev’s Conditioning: ‘I Promise You This Will Never Happen Again’

    GSP’s Former Coach Offers to Fix Khamzat Chimaev’s Conditioning: ‘I Promise You This Will Never Happen Again’

    Firas Zahabi watched Khamzat Chimaev lose the UFC middleweight title at UFC 328 and immediately went public with an offer to help, delivering a direct plea on his YouTube channel for Chimaev to bring his career to Tristar Gym in Montreal.

    Zahabi, who guided Georges St-Pierre through the peak of one of the greatest careers in MMA history, was direct about what he believes he can offer.

    “I’m begging you, somebody get this out there. Khamzat, come train with me. Come to Montreal, come train with me. I promise you, if you come train with me, you’re not going to fade. I promise you. Come and train with me. Bring Arman Tsarukyan. Khamzat Chimaev, Arman Tsarukyan, come train with me. Come see how we prepare to make sure that your fitness level will be better than ever, your striking will be sweeter than ever, and your footwork will be sweeter than ever. I promise you. If Khamzat Chimaev, you come and train with me, this will never happen to you again.”

    He also extended the invitation to include the possibility of working alongside St-Pierre himself.

    “I really hope he gets this message. Please come train with me and Georges St-Pierre, and we will make sure that we do our absolute best to get your hand raised, no matter what the cost, what the energy expenditure, how many hours we have to do, we will focus on you getting your hand raised. So, if Khamzat Chimaev is listening, or anybody who knows him, get this message to him. Please let him know he’s more than welcome, and I would love to have him as soon as possible training at my facility.”

    Chimaev’s conditioning appeared to deteriorate significantly after a dominant opening round against Strickland, with widespread speculation that a demanding weight cut from a heavier frame contributed to his struggles in the championship rounds. Dana White confirmed Chimaev approached him after the fight to say he wants to move to light heavyweight. Chimaev has since posted messages on social media suggesting a Strickland rematch remains on his mind.

  • Josh Hokit Gets Into Confrontation With Paulo Costa at UFC 328

    Josh Hokit Gets Into Confrontation With Paulo Costa at UFC 328

    Josh Hokit has added another altercation to what is becoming a notable collection, getting into a confrontation with Paulo Costa in the crowd at UFC 328 on Saturday night, just one day after being ejected from the UFC White House press conference following his standoff with Ilia Topuria.

    The exchange between Hokit and Costa began when the two started trading words in the crowd before security stepped in to separate them. As officers pulled Costa away, Hokit gave him the middle finger and kept shouting across the divide.

    “There’s only one fing bad guy. Get the fout of here!”

    Costa kept his composure as security maintained the separation while Hokit continued jawing at him from the other side of the crowd.

    You can see the incident on X here.

    The confrontation came 24 hours after Hokit was escorted out of the UFC Freedom 250 press conference in Newark after getting into a back-and-forth with Topuria that ended with the lightweight champion throwing an object at him. Hokit had also targeted Alex Pereira with insults during that same event before turning his attention to Topuria.

    Hokit faces Derrick Lewis at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House South Lawn in Washington D.C., a matchup reportedly put together at the personal request of Donald Trump and Joe Rogan following his performance against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327.

  • Paddy Pimblett Refuses Future New Jersey Fights Because of One Reason

    Paddy Pimblett Refuses Future New Jersey Fights Because of One Reason

    Paddy Pimblett watched UFC 328 from home and came away with one firm conclusion about where he will not be competing: New Jersey.

    Pimblett noticed during the Jim Miller and Jared Gordon bout that UFC 328 was being contested under older MMA rules, specifically the New Jersey State Athletic Commission’s regulations, which ban 12-6 elbows and consider a fighter grounded with just one hand on the canvas.

    His reaction was immediate.

    “Has he just said, ‘Old rules in play?’ No 12-6 elbows? Wow! That’s ridiculous. I wouldn’t fight there. And if you put your finger on the mat, you basically can’t kick them.”

    Pimblett has been one of the more vocal advocates for the 12-6 elbow since it became legal under the updated unified rules in November 2024, incorporating the strike into his game. The New Jersey commission’s refusal to adopt the new ruleset has been a point of contention among fighters and analysts for some time.

    Pimblett has not competed since his unanimous decision loss to Justin Gaethje in the interim lightweight title fight at UFC 324 in January. He is expected to return at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week, where a fight against Benoit Saint-Denis is reportedly signed, though nothing has been officially confirmed.

  • Arman Tsarukyan Disputes Controversial Split Decision at UFC 328

    Arman Tsarukyan Disputes Controversial Split Decision at UFC 328

    Arman Tsarukyan was in Khamzat Chimaev’s corner at UFC 328 and he is standing firmly by his teammate after Saturday’s split decision loss to Sean Strickland, posting a message on Instagram that appeared to question the judging.

    “We fought our hearts out tonight and everyone watching knows what really happened. Head up Champ. You will get your belt back soon.”

    Tsarukyan did not reference the scorecards directly, but the implication was clear. Two judges scored the fight 48-47 for Strickland, awarding him rounds two, three, and five, while the third judge had it 48-47 for Chimaev, giving him rounds one, four, and five. The split nature of the decision and the closeness of each round left room for legitimate disagreement about the outcome.

    Tsarukyan worked closely with Chimaev during his training camp for the title defense, making his emotional investment in the result understandable. Chimaev’s performance raised questions about the toll of his weight cut, with reports suggesting he had been bulking up in anticipation of a potential light heavyweight move before being called to defend the middleweight title against Strickland.

    Dana White confirmed after the fight that Chimaev approached him to say he wants to move to 205 pounds, though Chimaev has since posted cryptic messages on social media hinting at a Strickland rematch.

  • Sean Strickland Won UFC Middleweight Title While Injured

    Sean Strickland Won UFC Middleweight Title While Injured

    Sean Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 328 while dealing with a separated shoulder he sustained just four days before the fight, an injury he revealed in characteristically dramatic fashion at the post-fight press conference in Newark.

    Strickland, who is famously committed to sparring regardless of the timing, was working at Plinio Cruz’s gym in New Jersey on the Tuesday before the Saturday fight when things went wrong during a session with former PFL middleweight champion Johnny Eblen.

    “Funny story. So Tuesday I’m sparring Johnny, that motherfucker, the PFL champ. I’m at Plinio Cruz’s gym and he fing shoots on me. I hit this brick a** wall and I separated my shoulder. So I had a grade one AC joint separation on Tuesday and I remember laying in bed on Tuesday night. I’m sure there’s a video of me somewhere slamming my shoulder — get some better pads! I was laying there and I couldn’t lay on my right.”

    Despite the injury, Strickland competed and won a split decision over Khamzat Chimaev to become a two-time middleweight champion. During the fight itself, Chimaev added to his injury total when a strike broke Strickland’s nose during one of their exchanges.

  • Dana White Calls Internet ‘F***ing Stupid’ Over Khamzat Chimaev Weigh-In Controversy

    Dana White Calls Internet ‘F***ing Stupid’ Over Khamzat Chimaev Weigh-In Controversy

    Dana White has pushed back firmly against theories that Khamzat Chimaev did not legitimately make the 185-pound middleweight limit for UFC 328, while Sean Strickland is equally firm in the opposite direction.

    The controversy arose after a video of Chimaev’s weigh-in showed the needle on the manual scale still moving as it was read at exactly 185 pounds, prompting speculation online that he had not fully made weight. Strickland added fuel to the fire during the ceremonial weigh-ins when he flatly accused Chimaev of cheating the scale.

    Speaking after UFC 328, White had little patience for the narrative.

    “You know the New Jersey State Athletic Commission oversees the weigh-ins, right? Jeremy Stephens missed weight by four pounds and they had to cut a deal. But for Khamzat they’re just going to let him not make weight? Jersey and New York are two of the toughest commissions in the country. The internet is f***ing stupid, I don’t know what to tell you other than that. Listen, Monday morning at 9.02 call the New Jersey Athletic Commission and ask them about that. I have nothing to do with any of that stuff.”

    Strickland was not moved by his boss’s defense of the official result when White’s comments were relayed to him.

    “Show of hands, who thinks he missed weight? His scale was going ‘ding ding ding ding ding’. He 1,000 per cent missed weight.”

    The controversy does not affect the result of the fight itself. Strickland won a split decision to claim the middleweight title for the second time and is now preparing for the first defense of his new reign.

  • Sean Strickland Admits His Feud With Khamzat Chimaev May Have Been Manufactured

    Sean Strickland Admits His Feud With Khamzat Chimaev May Have Been Manufactured

    Sean Strickland has offered a remarkably candid post-fight assessment of the feud that consumed the sport’s attention for weeks, admitting that much of the hatred he felt toward Khamzat Chimaev may have originated entirely within his own mind.

    Speaking to the media after reclaiming the UFC middleweight title at UFC 328, Strickland reflected on the origins of a rivalry that included gun threats, a kicked faceoff, and the heaviest security operation in recent UFC history, only to dissolve into mutual respect within minutes of the final bell.

    “Maybe it’s just who he is as a person but when he was in the gym he was really threatening. He just had that threatening demeanour. And maybe that’s like the little man inside me but when he’s threatening me I’m like ‘I want to f***ing murder you, I want to kill you.’ Maybe he didn’t take it that way, maybe it’s his Chechen sense of humor. But in the gym he was always trying to, like, punk me. I was like ‘let’s go spar’ and we would never go spar.”

    He then went further, acknowledging that the entire intensity of his feelings toward Chimaev may have been a product of his mental state rather than anything Chimaev actually did.

    “So I could have manufactured the whole situation in my head to be honest. There’s times when you’re mentally not well you’ll have interactions with people and sometimes your brain thinks something else happened. You have to sit back and be like ‘wait wait wait’. That’s why I like training and train so much, there’ll be times where I have an interaction with somebody and my brain hallucinates the entire interaction. So there’s a chance that I just hallucinated that entire interaction with Chimaev.”

    Strickland also revealed he competed through a significant shoulder injury sustained during fight week, adding another layer to a victory that already stands as one of the more unlikely in recent middleweight history. His win makes him a two-time UFC middleweight champion, joining Israel Adesanya as the only fighters to accomplish that feat at 185 pounds.

  • Khamzat Chimaev Posts Cryptic ‘See You Again Soon’ Message After UFC 328 Loss

    Khamzat Chimaev Posts Cryptic ‘See You Again Soon’ Message After UFC 328 Loss

    Khamzat Chimaev has sent a cryptic message to Sean Strickland on X following his split decision defeat at UFC 328, complicating the narrative around his reported move to light heavyweight.

    “See you again soon.”

    The post came after what appeared to be a surprisingly cordial conclusion to one of the most heated feuds in recent UFC history. Following weeks of threats, insults, and a kick during the press conference faceoff, Chimaev and Strickland were respectful after the final bell, with Chimaev placing the belt around Strickland’s waist in a gesture that surprised many observers.

    The tweet’s meaning is unclear given the context. Dana White revealed at the post-fight press conference that Chimaev approached him after the fight and stated he wants to move to light heavyweight and does not want to fight at middleweight any longer. Chimaev had already teased the move publicly before the title fight and appeared to struggle significantly at the weigh-ins, with Strickland publicly accusing him of nearly missing weight.

    An immediate rematch is technically possible if Chimaev changes course, though Strickland enters his second reign with a healthy queue of contenders including rematches with Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen, as well as fresh matchups against Caio Borralho and Joe Pyfer. Given Chimaev has fought only once per year since 2023, a definitive answer on his next move may take some time to emerge.

    Strickland’s split decision victory was scored 48-47 on two judges’ cards, making him a two-time middleweight champion and matching Israel Adesanya as the only fighters to accomplish that feat at 185 pounds.

  • Khamzat Chimaev Is Changing Weight Classes After UFC 328 Loss

    Khamzat Chimaev Is Changing Weight Classes After UFC 328 Loss

    Khamzat Chimaev wasted no time making his intentions known after suffering the first loss of his professional career at UFC 328, walking straight up to Dana White after the split decision defeat to Sean Strickland and delivering a clear message about his future.

    White revealed the conversation at the UFC 328 post-fight press conference.

    “He literally walked up to me after the fight and said ‘I want to move up. I don’t want to fight in this weight class anymore.’”

    Chimaev had openly discussed moving to light heavyweight on multiple occasions before the title fight, and a difficult weight cut appeared to be a genuine factor in his performance. After a dominant opening round, his conditioning visibly faded as the fight progressed. He largely abandoned his wrestling for extended stretches and appeared to rely on his striking despite the weight cut appearing to have taken a toll.

    White acknowledged the cut’s likely impact while praising Chimaev’s toughness for continuing to compete at a high level despite the circumstances.

    “What was interesting was the first two times I saw him fight on Fight Island, he used to talk about his standup and his team all the time. I was saying we haven’t seen him stand up and really go toe-to-toe with somebody in a while. But I think he had a rough weight cut. He’s a tough guy. He’s a f***ing savage. I would expect him not to roll over and quit.”

    White agreed with the scorecards that gave Strickland the victory, noting he had it tied going into the championship round.

    “I had it two to two going into the last round. I thought Strickland won the last round.”

    White expressed genuine excitement about the prospect of Chimaev moving up in weight, though he declined to name potential opponents.

    “I’m not even thinking about who he’ll fight next. But him moving up is exciting.”

  • UFC 328 Bonuses: Van vs. Taira Earns Fight of the Night

    UFC 328 Bonuses: Van vs. Taira Earns Fight of the Night

    UFC 328 delivered a record-setting night in Newark on Saturday, with Sean Strickland reclaiming the UFC middleweight championship via split decision over Khamzat Chimaev in the main event before a crowd of 17,783 at Prudential Center.

    The event set a new venue gate record of $7.5 million for the Prudential Center, surpassing all previous events held at the arena. The 13-bout card featured two world title fights and seven finishes across the evening.

    The flyweight championship co-main event between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira earned Fight of the Night honors, with both fighters receiving $100,000 bonuses for their performance.

    Jim Miller earned a Performance of the Night bonus worth $100,000 for his first-round submission victory over Jared Gordon. In a significant development alongside the bonus, Miller also signed a new five-fight contract with the UFC following the win, extending one of the longest tenures in the promotion’s history.

    Yaroslav Amosov claimed the second Performance of the Night bonus, also worth $100,000, for his second-round arm-triangle choke submission over Joel Alvarez in a dominant grappling showcase.

  • UFC Freedom 250 Face-Offs

    UFC Freedom 250 Face-Offs

    The UFC held its first press conference for UFC Freedom 250 on Friday in Newark, New Jersey, with all 14 fighters on the June 14 White House card in attendance and face-offs between the main and co-main event competitors taking center stage.

    Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje headlined the staredowns as they prepare for their title unification bout, which will determine the undisputed lightweight champion. Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane also faced off ahead of their interim heavyweight title fight in the co-main event.

    Twelve of the 14 fighters participated in staredowns at the press conference itself. The main and co-main event fighters had previously faced off earlier in the week during a promotional appearance on the White House lawn, making Friday’s event a second look at the matchups that will headline the historic card.

    You can watch the full press conference on the UFC’s YouTube channel.

    UFC Freedom 250 takes place June 14 at the White House South Lawn in Washington D.C., streaming on Paramount+.

  • Ilia Topuria Says Tsarukyan’s Words Mean Nothing: ‘You Don’t Take the Words of a Child Personally’

    Ilia Topuria Says Tsarukyan’s Words Mean Nothing: ‘You Don’t Take the Words of a Child Personally’

    Ilia Topuria is not losing any sleep over Arman Tsarukyan’s role as the official backup fighter for UFC Freedom 250, and he made his feelings about the situation abundantly clear at Friday’s press conference in Newark.

    Speaking during a media scrum, Topuria was asked about Tsarukyan’s presence and whether the rivalry between the two makes things feel more personal heading into fight week.

    “It absolutely doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that’s important to me is that everything goes smoothly. No matter what, I’ll be in that cage. Whether they put Justin, Arman, or you in front of me, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be there, and the outcome will be the same for everyone.”

    When a follow-up question suggested Tsarukyan had made things personal, Topuria dismissed the premise entirely.

    “Personal? You don’t take the words of a child personally. Arman can say whatever he wants, he can dedicate his whole day to me. What can I say? I don’t take anything personally. You have to be a little stupid to take things personally.”

    Dana White confirmed Tsarukyan’s backup role earlier this week, meaning the Armenian contender will step in to face either Topuria or Gaethje if either man is forced to withdraw from the card before fight night.

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

  • Fighter Removed From UFC Freedom 250 Press Conference After Topuria Incident

    Fighter Removed From UFC Freedom 250 Press Conference After Topuria Incident

    Josh Hokit turned the UFC Freedom 250 press conference into something nobody in attendance was expecting on Friday, getting ejected from the event after a confrontation with lightweight champion Ilia Topuria that required security intervention and ended with Hokit being escorted out of the building.

    Hokit, a late addition to the card facing Derrick Lewis in a preliminary heavyweight bout, entered the press conference in character and began directing rhymes and insults at Lewis in his usual style. Lewis showed no reaction. Hokit then turned his attention to Alex Pereira, who was similarly unbothered. That is when Topuria, seated next to Pereira, decided he had heard enough.

    As Hokit continued targeting Pereira with insults, Topuria spoke out against the behavior. That prompted Hokit to redirect at the lightweight champion directly.

    “Fk you, you fing little bh! I’m the real BMF belt! Little short midget! Come up to a real weight class! I’ll give it to anybody! I don’t give a fk!”

    Topuria rose from his seat as though prepared to get physical with the heavyweight. Security stepped in before the two could reach each other, and the situation appeared to settle momentarily. It reignited when Topuria threw an object toward Hokit, prompting security to escort Hokit out of the event entirely.

    After Hokit left, Pereira and Topuria shook hands, and Dana White brought the press conference to a close. Derrick Lewis got one final word in before the stage cleared for faceoffs.

    “I got him.”

    Because of his ejection, Hokit and Lewis did not face off at the event. You can watch the confrontation below: 

    UFC Freedom 250 takes place June 14 at the White House South Lawn in Washington D.C., streaming on Paramount+.

  • Dana White Puts Chimaev vs. Strickland in His Top Three All-Time UFC Feuds

    Dana White Puts Chimaev vs. Strickland in His Top Three All-Time UFC Feuds

    Dana White has placed the Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland rivalry among the worst cases of bad blood in UFC history, ranking it third on his all-time list after an extraordinary press conference on Thursday in Newark that ended with Chimaev kicking Strickland during their faceoff.

    Speaking on Nina Drama’s Kick stream following the press conference, White gave his full take on where the feud sits historically.

    “It was what I expected. It was great. Highly anticipated fight, finally going to happen on Saturday. All that really matters is that the fight is a good fight. But sometimes, guys are very respectful, and they’re chill and whatever. And sometimes they’re today. The great thing about press conferences is there’s a wide range. It’s not all the same sh*t all the time. But for this one, this is one of the worst cases of bad blood ever. I put it No. 2 on the all-time list.”

    He then reconsidered when prompted to recall the full history between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, which included a legitimate fistfight in the lobby of the MGM Grand while guests were checking in.

    “Jones and Cormier is a good one. That’s a good point. Complete fistfight in the middle of the MGM Grand. Actually, you’re right. That’s probably No. 2. I forgot there was a fist fight in the lobby of the MGM while people were checking into their hotel. I would put Chimaev vs. Strickland at 3.”

    The number one spot belongs to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, a rivalry that produced the bus window incident in Brooklyn and the post-fight brawl at UFC 229 when Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage. White was clear about why nothing else tops that.

    “Conor-Khabib No. 1. And the only reason Conor-Khabib is No. 1 is Brooklyn, and then what happened after the fight. We made some mistakes, obviously, leading up to that fight and after that fight. And we won’t do that again.”

    White also mentioned Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans as well as Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock as rivalries worthy of inclusion in any extended top five conversation. On the faceoff incident itself, White acknowledged he did not anticipate Chimaev going that far while holding the champion back.

    “I had his arm, Khamzat’s arms, and I didn’t think he’d kick him. I didn’t think he was going to do anything. I thought it was going to be a lot of yelling and back-and-forth. That’s the most we will fail this weekend. That’s the most we will fail.”

  • Joaquin Buckley Calls His UFC 328 Fight Against Sean Brady ‘Match Made in Heaven’

    Joaquin Buckley Calls His UFC 328 Fight Against Sean Brady ‘Match Made in Heaven’

    Joaquin Buckley has spent 11 months away from the Octagon, reflecting, growing, and preparing for what he views as a statement moment, and he is arriving at UFC 328 with the conviction that Saturday night’s bout against Sean Brady marks the beginning of a world title run.

    Speaking with MMA Fighting ahead of the Newark card, Buckley addressed the lengthy absence with characteristic positivity, framing everything that happened in the gap, including the loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC Atlanta last June, as part of a larger process.

    “Everything a blessing in disguise, brother. Everything’s a blessing in disguise. I like how you put that. It’s been busy. I’ve been keeping myself busy when it comes to just the small things, man. I had some losses in my career. Even though I took an L, man, I went to RAF and did that as well, man, going up against Pat Downey, just being able to do some random stuff, man. But things that I think really, kind of, applied great experience, that I could take with me into the octagon. So there’s been a lot of great things that happened in this past 10, 11 months now.”

    Buckley’s 2024 campaign was one of the year’s best stories in MMA, culminating in back-to-back finishes of Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington. The Usman loss interrupted that momentum, but did not derail his belief in where he is headed.

    He described the Brady matchup as ideal for both fighters at this stage of their respective trajectories, with both men looking to reassert themselves in a loaded welterweight division after suffering setbacks.

    “To be honest with you, man, this is going to be one of those good type of fights that I’ll get everything just flowing. But Sean Brady, I know that he’s not going to be no scrub. I know that he’s not going to be no punk. He’s going to go out there and make it a fight, and he’s going to try to look for his takedowns and look for his clinch opportunities, and that’s what we’re looking for. We want to get close. No rush, no picking of the fighters or my own willing to fight somebody different. I think Sean Brady and myself is a match made in heaven. That’s all I’m going to say: It’s a match made in heaven. After this fight, he definitely got to unblock me on social media, man. He blocked me. He still got me blocked. But I respect him because at the end of the day, I can’t do what I want to do without an opponent, and obviously, he signed that contract, so I have nothing but respect for that man once we step in there.”

    Buckley was equally clear about what he believes Saturday night ultimately represents, both for his career and for the fans watching.

    “I feel like the headline is going to be a reintroduction of Joaquin Buckley for the UFC and Paramount. I’m being reintroduced to a new fan base since being out for 11 months, and I truly believe that this is the time that I really get to prove to the world who I am and what I’m capable of doing, and truthfully, why I will be the next world champion in the welterweight division. So it’s a reintroduction to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC.”

    UFC 328 takes place Saturday, May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

  • Cody Garbrandt Returns at UFC 329

    Cody Garbrandt Returns at UFC 329

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is returning at International Fight Week, with multiple sources confirming to MMA Fighting that he will face Adrian Yanez at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

    Garbrandt most recently defeated Xiao Long by unanimous decision at UFC 326 in March, getting back in the win column after a submission loss to former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300 in April 2024 and a decision defeat to Raoni Barcelos at UFC Atlanta last June. Since winning the bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 207 in December 2016, Garbrandt has gone 4-7 inside the Octagon.

    Yanez had one of the most impressive starts to a UFC career in recent memory after earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, winning his first five promotional bouts and collecting performance bonuses in all five. Since then his results have been inconsistent, with one win in his last five appearances. His most recent outing ended in a controversial majority draw against Ricky Simon at UFC Seattle.

    UFC 329 takes place July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is expected to be headlined by Conor McGregor’s return against Max Holloway.

  • Alexander Volkov Calls Out UFC Over His Own Treatment

    Alexander Volkov Calls Out UFC Over His Own Treatment

    Alexander Volkov is not buying the UFC White House interim heavyweight title fight as a legitimate championship matchup, and he is equally confused about where his own career stands within the promotion despite a winning streak he views as one of the most overlooked in the division.

    Speaking with MMA Fighting, Volkov addressed both the Pereira and Gane booking and his own frustrations with UFC policy in the same breath.

    “It doesn’t matter who wins. UFC won with this fight. And it will be for sure not like a boring fight, but it’s not true title fight. It’s more like a promotional or media fight. Alex Pereira, he just lost to the guy, then he beats him with just broken rib, and now he want to go one category up, where he never fought, and they give him title shot? Like, in logic, it doesn’t have any sense. It’s just marketing. It’s nothing more about how many followers and how many fans he have. Maybe it’s good for UFC, maybe more people will watching this fight, maybe this they will do this White House card more loud, but it’s nothing about like a real champ.”

    The frustration extends to how Volkov’s own situation has been handled. He fought Jailton Almeida while Gane received an Aspinall title shot, and a subsequent no-contest resulted from eye pokes that sent the champion to double eye surgery.

    Many observers believe Volkov was also robbed in his split-decision loss to Gane at UFC 310 in December 2024, a view Dana White has reportedly shared. Despite that, Gane remains in the picture, and Volkov finds himself fighting Waldo Cortes-Acosta on the UFC 328 main card this Saturday without clarity on what a win would mean for his future.

    “Honestly, I don’t understand at all policy in the UFC about me because sometimes I hear different things about my future in UFC.”

    A victory over Cortes-Acosta this weekend would extend what Volkov considers a six-fight winning streak, given his dispute over the Gane result.