Author: Dylan Bowker

Miranda Maverick predicts Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley UFC Atlanta Headliner

Miranda Maverick is set to do battle later this week with a former UFC champion in the penultimate fight of UFC Atlanta but took a bit of time to preview the UFC Fight Night main event that transpires after her contest. Maverick will test skills with Rose Namajunas in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 69 on June 14th. The headliner of this UFC Fight Night will see former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman look to get back onto the winning track as he looks to halt the momentum of surging 170 pound contender Joaquin Buckley.

Both of the main and co-main event clashes have clear divisional relevance with Miranda Maverick vs Namajunas seeing the number eleven ranked contender fight the number seven ranked contender while Usman vs. Buckely sees the number five ranked contender do battle with the number seven ranked contender, respectively. During an appearance on a recent episode of Bowks Talking Bouts covered several subjects relevant to her flyweight division including the big divisioanl movement at UFC 315, Maycee Barber’s last minute pullout vs. Erin Blanchfield, and more.

Maverick did also turn her attentions toward the welterweight category though and when offering up her thoughts on the Usman versus Buckley fight night headliner, Maverick said,

“Yeah, I mean, I think I’m supposed to support Usman because he’s kind of training out here in the Denver area. But I honestly think Buckley’s going to take home the win.”

Miranda Maverick expounds upon her Kamaru Usman vs. Joaquin Buckley prediction

When asked a follow up question about if that assessment was ‘a rate of activity for each fighter’ kind of consideration or if it’s just Joaquin Buckley‘s time heading into this Kamaru Usman fight, Miranda Maverick stated,

“I think it’s kind of Buckley’s time. I think Usman’s gotten a little older. I think he has shown that he’s gotten slower and a little worse over time, you know. He might have one more one more climb left in him. I’m not sure but I see him as kind of going downhill. I see Buckley as kind of rising to the top and I think some people just have their limit and start going downhill a little bit. I think Kamaru’s still one of the best in the world but I think Buckley’s going to get it done.”

June 10, 2025
Miranda Maverick on Potential Rematches After UFC Atlanta and Becoming A Mother

Miranda Maverick is squarely focused on her task at UFC Atlanta but she does have a bit of a peripheral focus on some key rematches someday as well as a pronounced focus on some of the big changes in her personal life in recent times. Miranda Maverick appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts ahead of her co-main event fight with Rose Namajunas on June 14th and covered several subjects that touched on potential sequel clashes down the line as well as becoming a mother relatively recently.

During the interview, the number eleven ranked flyweight contender touched on how she wishes she could replay her Jasmine Jasudavicius fight that saw Maverick sustain an eye injury in the second stanza of their contest. Two other contenders within the flyweight top five also got some of Maverick’s attention in this context too though. When asked about if she has rematches on the mind if she gets the ideal outcome against Namajunas this weekend, Miranda Maverick said,

“I mean at some point but honestly I’d rather get the fight back against Erin [Blanchfield] or against Maycee [Barber], you know. I think Maycee’s kind of out of that lineup at this point but I’d love to be fighting Erin again. Jasmine [Jasudavicius] I’d love to fight again too. Honestly at this point, my focus is climbing the ladder. I don’t care who gets put in front of me but I’m focused on Rose right now. I’m going to beat Rose and we’ll see what happens after that.”

Miranda Maverick’s Motherhood Journey So Far

Miranda Maverick is also immersed in mom life now and the surging 125 pound contender described it as ‘the most important cornerstone of life right now.’ When touching upon how much of a change in perspective she has now in terms of the realignment of priorities and how becoming a mom has changed her approach to not just fighting endeavours but for life in general, Maverick stated,

“Well, one, you know, fighting’s always kind of my priority in life or it has been the last 10 years basically. It’s been the dream that I’ve gone after. I’ve still done school, I’ve still had my work. I focused on family in terms of my husband and stuff but the rest of my family’s kind of been put on the back burner, you know. They’re back in Missouri. I’m super close with my family and stuff. But I obviously am not living there right now and I still plan to one day and having Renegade has definitely made it more of the forefront. I would say now family is the main priority. I still as far as time and obligation have to put it towards fighting and stuff.”

“But other things kind of fall to the wayside you know. It puts everything into perspective of ‘you win, you lose a fight, it’s not that big of a deal either way.’ Like yeah there’s the money aspect of it but other than that, you know, if somebody loves you or is supporting you; my little girl is not going to care that I won or lost the fight. She’s just going to care that I’m holding her afterwards, you know, and ultimately that’s what it’s all about. For me, motivation going into this fight is now bigger and better too, you know. I do have something more to fight for literally. I have more money I want to get to be able to support her future and invest in her future.”

Maverick continued, “I want to be able to make it higher in the rankings to where I can continuously do that and kind of make that stamp that I’ve always wanted to make. Now’s kind of my time to shine with that, you know. I’m 27 years old, I finally gotten to that prime level. I’m not just like young up-and-comer anymore. It’s time that I need to put my foot down and make something or not make it at all.”

June 10, 2025
“I’d Fight Her on Mars” Kayla Harrison Ready for Amanda Nunes at Any Weight, Anytime

Kayla Harrison is open to fighting former UFC bantamweight and UFC featherweight champion Amanda Nunes in either weight category when we they eventually collide inside the octagon. Harrison cemented herself as the new UFC bantamweight champion when she submitted two-time 135 pound titleholder Julianna Pena over the weekend and the dust barely settled at UFC 316 before her next opponent was confirmed in the aftermath.

The former PFL champion and multi-time Olympic gold medalist had finally added UFC gold to her mantle on June 7th and Harrison also organically generated a massive moment with the GOAT of women’s MMA, Nunes. When discussing the electric fallout with Amanda Nunes inside of the cage shortly after she was minted as the new UFC bantamweight champion, Harrison said,

“I invited Amanda into the octagon. It wasn’t planned; I just saw her on the jumbotron and thought, ‘Let’s make some promotional magic.’ I said, ‘Come on, let’s go, girl.’ It worked out great. When I spoke to Ali a couple days ago, he said the perfect plan would be us fighting at 145 and then 135. I have no idea if that will happen, but I’m open to it.”

Kayla Harrison continued, “I just want to fight. I definitely want to fight Amanda—she’s the greatest of all time. I want to be the greatest of all time. There’s no bad blood. I don’t care what weight we fight at. I’d fight her on Mars, I don’t care. I want her to be ready, and I’ll be ready.”

Image credit: UFC

Kayla Harrison prepares for ‘magic’ matchup with Amanda Nunes

Also at this same post-fight press conference when touching upon the magnitude of this matchup with ‘The Lioness’, Kayla Harrison quippeed,

“When that fight happens, I want her to be the best her, and I’m going to be the best me. We’re going to make some absolute magic in the women’s division, break some records, make some history, and make a lot of money doing it. We’re going to bring women’s MMA to a whole new level.”

June 10, 2025
“You’ve Got to Go Through Hell to Get to Heaven” Kayla Harrison Finds Peace Beyond Perfection

Kayla Harrison is able to look back on her past and see it as a road that has well prepared for a potentially cathartic outcome here this weekend. Harrison will do battle for bantamweight gold against defending champion Julianna Pena in the co-main event of UFC 316 on June 7th. The multi time PFL champion and multi-time Olympic gold medalist will look to unseat the multi-time UFC bantamweight champion in what is a massive night for the 135 pound weight classes. Men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili taking on Sean O’Malley in a rematch serves as the PPV closer on the night after Harrison vs. Pena.

As part of the embedded series heading into UFC 316, Harrison was documented getting reflective about her journey as she heads into her first opportunity at UFC gold as a massive betting favorite. As she let the MMA community into her mindset leading into this championship opportunity, Harrison said, “I’ve spent a lifetime chasing my dreams. You know, I think when I was younger, I definitely competed from a place of fear. I always felt like, in order to be worthy of love, I needed to win and be this perfect thing.”

Kayla Harrison Talks FreedomAhead of UFC 316

Kayla Harrison no longer pursues flawlessness in her approach to seemingly all things in her life and centers the three F’s in her existence at this point in her journey. As she expounded upon this, Kayla Harrison quipped, “Perfection is unattainable, but I don’t operate from that place anymore. It’s peace. I had a very ugly, nasty road to get to that kind of awakening and to that kind of peace—and everyone does. You’ve got to go through hell to get to heaven, you know?”

“I have so much more to my life now, and this is what I do, but it’s not who I am. Which gives me a freedom to be—I don’t know—fearless. I just go out there and have fun.”

Image:Jeff Bottari/UFC, Zuffa LLC

June 7, 2025
“Even Your Dog Doesn’t Like You”: Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison Trade Verbal Shots Ahead of UFC 316

Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison are just hours away from locking horns with one another at UFC 316 but managed to get in the last few verbal volleys before that cage door shuts behind them. Before the two will do battle for Pena’s 135 pound title, the two went back and forth on the microphone at the final pre-fight press conference before the pugilistic proceedings kick off Saturday night in Newark. Julianna Peña came across as defiant and unbothered by Harrison’s presence, as the reigning bantamweight champion declared:

“I’m not going to let this girl talk all over me and try to think that she’s going to get into my head. It’s not going to happen.”

To that, Kayla Harrison, who is aiming to cement her legacy further here with multiple PFL titles and multiple Olympic gold medals to her credit, responded to the sitting champion as Harrison retorted:

“It would be an honor and a privilege to be the face of women’s MMA. I don’t take it lightly. I consider it a huge responsibility, and Saturday night I’m going to go out there and leave it all in the cage so that I can be a new UFC champion of the world.”

Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison’s War of Words

‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ Julianna Peña would then fire back at the surging bantamweight contender with a biting comeback that got the canines involved when Peña said:

“She definitely hasn’t gotten under my skin. I got thick skin—it takes a little more than a Chihuahua barking to get under my skin. But even your Chihuahua doesn’t like you, Kayla. Even your own dang dog doesn’t even like you. The time for talking is almost over, and Saturday night we’re going to find out who’s the face of women’s MMA—and you’re looking at her!”

Julianna Peña did not stop there as the two time titleholder at 135 pounds would then challenge Kayla Harrison’s fighting style as Peña quipped,

“How are you going to beat me, Kayla? Are you going to lay on top of me and cook the clock for 25 minutes? Because that is literally your only chance to victory. That’s your only chance to beat me, is lay on top of me for 25 minutes!”

June 7, 2025
“Everything Is Just Better”: Kelvin Gastelum Says Camp for Joe Pyfer Fight Has Been Locked In for Months

Kelvin Gastelum feels like he is firing on all cylinders leading into his re-booked bout against Joe Pyfer.

The two were initially supposed to compete against one another in late-March at a UFC Fight Night offering before Pyfer pulled out due to illness.

Now in the feature fight of the night on the pay-per-view main card, the two middleweight warriors finally throw down in Newark, New Jersey. At the UFC 316 fight week media day, the promotional stalwart fielded several questions from on-site media members ahead of his fight against Pyfer on Saturday night.

The TUF season 17 champion

Kelvin Gastelum said:

“Oh, absolutely. I’ve been prepared. I’ve known since, I think, October—even November—we’ve been prepping, looking into fighting Joe Pyfer. So it’s been quite a… it’s taken up a lot of my time.”

“We took a little time off—just a week off, went to Disneyland to kind of reset the mind, reset the body. Then we went right back to work and slowly ramped it back up. I think we did it right. I’m peaking just right again, and we only built off the last camp, so everything is just that much better.”

Images: UFC.com

Kelvin Gastelum isn’t thrilled with Pyfer re-booking

Kelvin Gastelum had a sour taste left in his mouth after Joe Pyfer utter some disparaging words about Mexico. This happened in the wake of Pyfer having tot pull out of his UFC on ESPN 64 fight with Gastelum which was set for Q1 2025 in Mexico City. Pyfer fell ill in Mexico and referred to the country as a ‘s**t hole’ which Gastelum admitted left a sour taste in his mouth. At that same UFC 316 pre-fight media day Gastelum described Pyfer’s comments as not right and felt the comments were a little rude.

The frustrations ran a bit deeper as Gastelum felt like he had the confluence of monetary loss and losing a tactical advantage due to his familiarity with the Mexican altitude. The former interim UFC middleweight title challenger invested time and money into a camp out there to acclimatize and it obviously put a dent in his bank account to not end up stepping into the octagon against Joe Pyfer.

June 7, 2025
Merab Dvalishvili’s Fearless Mindset: “Every Fight Is a Risk, But I Just Want to Fight”

Merab Dvalishvili has a natural passion for fighting that has allowed him to carve out a path where many see him as the best bantamweight fighter in MMA history. Heading into his sophomore title defense this weekend as he prepares to run things back in a rematch with Sean O’Malley, Dvalishvili radiated gratitude for what he is able to do for a living. The reigning kingpin of 135 pounds addressed several subjects to on-site media members at the fight week media day before the two warriors get locked into the octagon for the pay-per-view headliner at UFC 316 which is set to transpire in Newark.

When addressing his passion for the career path of being a high level combat sports athlete while offering insights into how he sees this seuqle clash with ‘Suga’ playing out, Merab Dvalishvili said.

“I love training and fighting. Everybody knows I’m always training—even on vacation, I’m still running and doing my best. Every time I have a fight in the UFC, I’m blessed. I’m happy to be busy and have the best job in the world. After this fight, I want to test a new weight-cutting style to make it even easier for me to fight often.”

“Every fight is a risk, and life is a risk. If I lose and don’t get an immediate rematch, I don’t care—I just want to fight and be busy. I believe I can beat Sean again, and I’m looking to do it in even more dominant fashion. How dangerous he is excites me more.”

Image: @merab.dvalishvili/Instagram

Merab Dvalishvili contemplates next opponent post-UFC 316

Merab Dvalishvili seems locked into the task at hand this weekend as he looks to garner a second win over the former UFC bantamweight champion in Sean O’Malley but he is not obtuse to who the likely next title challenger will be if Dvalishvili emerges victorious on Saturday. The Georgian fighter touted Cory Sandhagen as the likely next title challenger and praised the talented bantamweight fighter for having a skillset that should lead to an exciting future contest for the fans. Ultimately though, Dvalishvili stated that it is the UFC’s call and as the champion, he will fight whoever the promotion decides is next up.

June 5, 2025
Donald Sanchez on the Variables of Pressure and Altitude in Hometown BKFC Title Bid

Donald Sanchez is back in his home town ready to sell the joint out as he collides with the number one pound for pound ranked BKFC fighter. Sanchez will look to unseat David Mundell from his middleweight championship throne in the headliner of BKFC 75 on June 6th. When the title challenger was asked on Bare Knuckle Bowker about how much it adds to the fight being on home soil, Sanchez said

“It’s actually pretty stressful fighting in your hometown. People don’t realize that and Dave [Feldman] keeps saying that I only want to fight here. I fight wherever BKFC sends me. So it’s cool. I’ve got tons of support out here. I get the energy from the people but I had to really lock in these last couple weeks and and seclude myself from everybody, you know, last minute ticket buyers and whatnot. So it’s fun. It’s high up here, the altitude, the elevation, and I’m used to it on the daily. So there’s the perks that I get out of this.”

Donald Sanchez and the variable of high altitude familiarity here

While we haven’t really seen gas tank issues with David Mundell per se, Sanchez’s familiarity with the heightened elevation of New Mexico can be a notable variable within this particular fight here. As he expounded upon those dynamics, Sanchez quipped,

“Well we haven’t seen his gas tank because no one’s pressured him. No one’s put him on his feet except maybe like Julian Lane put him on his feet and gave him trouble. But once I’m able to go in there and put the pressure on him and and in the elevation, you know, you’re sucking in less oxygen out here and I really think he’s looking down on that. I don’t think he’s taking it seriously. So we’re about to find out.”

When asked if he thinks ‘Redneck’ is overlooking the altitude component before preparing to defend his BKFC middleweight belt in the coming days, Donald Sanchez stated.

“Well he keeps mentioning that. Pushing to our limits and and that’s all it’s about, you know. So huge credit goes to them but I also have a whole team of coaches and they push me daily. I have straight boxing coaches, I have a an older MMA coach, and it takes a good mixture of everything. So I have the right individuals around me pushing me.”

June 5, 2025
Donald Sanchez on Fighting BKFC’s Pound For Pound Number One Fighter For His Belt

Donald Sanchez is obviously keen on the idea of winning a world title but it would be a truly great accolade to defeat the number one pound-for-pound fighter in BKFC. Sanchez appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker ahead of his middleweight title bid against reigning champion David Mundell in the main event of BKFC 75 set for June 6th. When discussing if it was of particular significance to potentially gain a big win over the elite caliber bare knuckle boxer, Sanchez said,

“Absolutely, you know. That’s cool and everything but that’s why we do this stuff. We want to fight the best. I don’t care about fighting the YouTubers and all that [ __ ]. So I’m here to fight the best and that’s what I want to do. I kept asking for it, asking for it, asking for it. Fighting, fighting, fighting, and finishing the fights and here we go, you know. I get to prove who I am, prove that I’m one of the best, prove that I am the best, and then in action, I get that belt as well. So I get to go fight the number one pound-for-pound guy in the world for his belt. So I mean what more can you ask for? That’s badass, you know.”

Donald Sanchez and the fight IQ he brings to this BKFC 75 title bid

Donald Sanchez has had this David Mundell fight on his radar for a while but there are no localized approaches he takes to gameplanning for certain fighters and he instead focuses on his personal refinement to be adaptable on fight night. When expounding upon this in greater detail, Sanchez stated,

“I don’t personalize per fight. I personalize for myself. I get myself better. I have a very high IQ in that ring. So I can adapt to a situation and figure out what I need to do to win fights. So it’s not one specific style. I can go in there and do several different styles and showcase that. As you’ve seen, every single one of my opponents they’ve been a different style.”

“I don’t know if you look back but that every single one of them is different and I’ve adapted to each and every one of them. So the closest that this style comes up to is my last fight, Harrison Aiken. I think that was a perfect style for me to go and test what I can do against this. I’ve always trained with that type of style we’ll just say. So I think I have the kryptonite for this.”

June 5, 2025
Kayla Harrison: “I’m Ready to Put That UFC Belt Around My Waist – Then Kiss Dana on His Bald Head”

Kayla Harrison may involve the chrome dome of Dana White into her celebrations if all goes well at UFC 316. Speaking with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting ahead of her bid for UFC bantamweight gold this weekend, Harrison discussed several subjects. The multi-time Olympic gold medalist and former PFL champion looks to claim the 135 pound crown presently held by Julianna Pena when the two clash in the pay-per-view co-maine vent set for Saturday, June 7th in Newark, New Jersey. When discussing her mindset heading into such a massive matchup considering her martial arts pedigree ons ome of the biggest stages in the world, Kayla Harrison said.

Kayla Harrison

“This is what it’s all about, you know? It’s all about daring to dream big. I know that I’ve put in the work, I know that I have the best team, I have the best game plan, I’m prepared, I’m ready—and that is going to be the fruit of my labor. To feel those feelings, to feel the weight of the UFC belt go around my waist, to probably give Dana a big old kiss on his bald head and just hug my family… yeah, I can’t wait for that moment.”

“I think it’s probably a little more nerves, just because it’s my dreams on the line. But every fight matters, especially in MMA. It’s been a long journey to get here, and I’ve just been trying to be mindful of that. When the days are long or the sessions are hard, I remember that it’s all going to be worth it. Practicing gratitude, I think quite a bit about the fact that I’m living my dream. I don’t know that there are many people on the planet who get to say that—every day I wake up and I do exactly what I want to do; I chase my dream. When I remember that, it’s easy.”

Image: @ufc/Instagram

Kayla Harrison and her run in the UFC octagon so far

Kayla Harrison came into the octagon with a lot of hype from her days as a star in the PFL smart cage and she has lived up to the hype so far in her UFC tenure. Harrison debuted with the promotion on one of the biggest shows in company history as she submitted former bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC 300 last April. In her sophomore contest withthe MMA powerhouse, Kayla Harrison would defeat Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision at UFC 307 last October to punch her ticket for this championship opportunity versus Julianna Pena.

Image credit: UFC

June 4, 2025
Julianna Peña Fires Back: “I Don’t Need Gold Medals to Prove I’m the Most Dangerous Woman in the Room”

Julianna Peña does not seem intimidated at all by the deep martial arts pedigree of her next opponent Kayla Harrison as we are all now immersed in fight week proceedings. Peña will aim to make the first defense of her second reign with the UFC bantamweight belt when she takes on multi-time Olympc judo gold medalist and former PFL champion, Kayla Harrison. This battle for the 135 pound crown will take place in the co-main event attraction for UFC 316 which is set for Saturday, June 7th in Newark, New Jersey.

The reigning women’s bantamweight champion took part in an interview with Submission Radio and when addressing how much her opponent is a highly rated favorite heading into the cage this weekend, Julianna Peña said.

“They got me as, you know, another underdog situation where everybody just thinks I’m an absolute wash—and that’s kind of how they’ve had me my entire career. For me, I’m more concerned about the process than the outcome. When everybody thinks that you’re a walkover, when they don’t want to give you any respect, when they all think that you’re just going to die in there and get killed in 10 seconds—I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. That makes me a very dangerous woman.”

“Maybe because I don’t have the perfect rock ’em, sock ’em robot punches. Or maybe because I don’t have two gold medals in judo or a silver medal in wrestling. I’m very—maybe what they would consider—unorthodox. But the thing that always carries me through is that unwavering belief that I have in myself, a faith of: I don’t care who you are, what your accolades are, or what you’ve done—you are going to remember the day that you faced the Peña power.”

Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC

Julianna Peña and her history with shocking upsets

Julianna Peña is a sizable betting underdog heading into this Kayla Harrison fight which is a familiar narrative for the current UFC champion as she mentioned in the quote above. It seems like many are forgetting that ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ pulled off one of the bigegst upsets in the history of the sport when Peña unseated Amanda Nunes from her bantamweight throne. Julianna Peña submitted Nunes via rear naked choke at UFC 269 to shock the world with the latter eventually regaining the title from the former at UFC 277 when Nunes won on points.

June 4, 2025
Jon Anik Declares Merab Dvalishvili the GOAT – Even Over His Best Friend Dominick Cruz

Jon Anik already sees Merab Dvalishvili as being the msot accomplished 135 pound fighter in MMA history, over the likes of Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw. The UFC commentator spoke about this on a recent episode of MMA Junkie Radio about several of the big topics heading into UFC 316. This card set to go down on Saturday features a pair of bantamweight title bouts with Merab Dvalishvili defending his crown agaisnt Sean O’Malley in a rematch. While in the co-main event, Julianna Pena defends her 135 pound strap against Kayla Harrison. When touching on the run of the Georgian athlete within the UFC’s bantamweight ranks.

Merab Dvalishvili Might be the GOAT

Anik said:

“Pretty historic, I think. Well, it’s actually 12 straight wins, and he has already defended the title. I do believe he already has status as the greatest bantamweight of all time. And I say that as a man who—if I got married this weekend—Dominick Cruz would be a groomsman. He’s one of my best friends in the world. But when I look at the body of work of Merab Dvalishvili in the modern era, he could be 14–0 in the UFC. He lost to Frankie Saenz and then had a contentious ending against Ricky Simon.

Image: @ufc/X

With respect to those two guys, it’s been 12 straight wins ever since. And to your point, he left a murderer’s row of champions in his wake before he even fought for the title—beat Henry Cejudo, beat Petr Yan, beat José Aldo. Then he beat Sean O’Malley, defended the title on the challengers’ timeline by beating Umar Nurmagomedov, and now the rematch with Sean O’Malley.

As far as I’m concerned—with respect to Aljamain Sterling and my BFF Dominick Cruz—the greatest bantamweight of all time, not so quietly, is Merab ‘The Machine’ Dvalishvili.”

(Merab Dvalishvili on Instagram)

Jon Anik discusses Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison title bout

Jon Anik also touched on the second title clash that is set to go down in Newark this weekend. The acclaimed UFC broadcaster spoke of how if Kayla Harrison can usurp Julianna Pena‘s throne, the multi-time Olympic gold medalist has the potential to become the face of women’s MMA. Jon Anik also spoke of some fighters having global star power but not always the domestic noteriety, in a North American context, but sees Harrison as someone with a great story that can really propel her into that pop culture zeitgeist of broader awareness both in America and around the world.

June 3, 2025
Michael Chandler Explains Why He Called Out Conor McGregor … Again “it’s going to happen”

Michael Chandler has been burned many times regarding the booking of a Conor McGregor fight but the former multi-time Bellator MMA champion stilll keeps calling out the Irishman all the same. ‘Iron’ Michael explained some of his logic behind this during an interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie. This interview was the first that Chandler has done since his devastating setback against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 and articulated what he wants next.

Michael Chandler Calls Out Conor McGregor

On, Conor McGregor Chandler said:

“It was really funny. I was sitting around with a buddy and we have the same exact anniversary. I looked it up—January 24th is my wife and I’s anniversary, and it just so happens to be a Saturday. So I was like, ‘Let’s throw that out there, let’s speak it into existence.’ The turn of the new year, probably a new TV deal these guys are working on. If that Conor McGregor fight is out there and that needs to happen in January, that makes a lot ofsense.

“I get asked about it almost every single interview, and rightfully so—the Conor-Chandler thing just stays alive. We were supposed to fight in June, we did The Ultimate Fighter, we have to finish The Ultimate Fighter. If me and Conor McGregor are supposed to fight and he’s supposed to come back, it’s going to happen. I don’t need to force it. If I’m a betting man, I’m not sure if he comes back. Do I want to fight him? Do I want to finish The Ultimate Fighter 31? Absolutely.”

Image: @thenotoriousmma/Instagram

Michael Chandler touches on the Paddy Pimblett setback

Michael Chandler has given his first interview since his loss to the former Cage Warriors champion and is finally shining some light on that performance almost fifty days after the loss. In the same interview with MMA Junkie, Chandler spoke about how he felt like like he couldn’t get his rhythm or his range when fighting the surging UK star in their Miami matchup. Michael Chandler mentioned that when he finally started somewhat settling into things a bit more, he ate that emphatic knee to the face from Paddy Pimblett and felt like it was the end of it when he was taken down thereafter.

It will be interesting to see the next move for Chandler who aims to rebound from setbacks to Pimblett, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier. Chandler mentioned he wants to take the Summer off and seems to prefer to map out a return bout for later on in the year.

June 3, 2025
Brandon Birr on Yampier Ramirez, BKB 41, and Harold McQueen Rubber Match

Brandon Birr prepares to battle Yampier Ramirez at BKB 41 on May 31st and the former addressed the likely title eliminator stakes here as well as his history with the BKB featherweight champ when the former appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker. There are some pretty large implications for the weight class with the two top contenders in the weight class battling it out. Birr was the inaugural titleholder in BKB’s featherweight ranks and when the former champion in that division was asked about when the surging, unbeaten young contender first got on his radar, Brandon Birr said,

“He’s good. He’s a good boxer but to be 100% honest with you, he wasn’t on my radar because he’s fought; so he has two bare knuckle fights. He won both of them, he looked good, but he fought garbage cans basically. His opponents’ combined record is 0 and 4, you know. So he looked really good but he hasn’t been fighting any type of quality opponents in my opinion. But he did have a boxing career before this and he’s a good boxer.”

“I’m not taking anything away from him at all. But to give him a number one ranking above me doesn’t make any type of sense to me. Just based off of if you go just off of paper, you know, it doesn’t make any type of sense. But you know, it is what it is. It doesn’t really you know affect how I get ready for the fight or how I view the fight. He’s a good boxer and it’s going to be a fun fight. We’re going to beat the [ __ ] out of each other and somebody’s going to bleed.”

Brandon Birr on Harold McQueen trilogy and the path toward a 2nd title reign

Brandon Birr presently has a 1-1 record against the BKB titleholder in his weight category and seems focused on this weekend’s task but also hungry for a rubber match someday. When touching upon the possible chance of becoming a bare knuckle featherweight champion again and the possible chance for a tiebreaker against reigning BKB champion Harold McQueen, Brandon Birr stated.

“Harold McQueen’s the only person that’s beaten me in my combat career, you know, standing up with fists ever. I’ve been fighting for 10 years and he’s the only person to beat me with fists. So that’s; they could even keep the title. They could keep it like I don’t even give a [ __ ] about the title. They can keep that. I just want to get mine back, you know what I mean? Just to show myself that that’s the way that it is, you know.”

May 30, 2025
Brandon Birr Recounts Stipe Miocic Beating People up While Wearing a Red Tutu

Brandon Birr has seen some interesting things working at Strong Style Training Center his whole combative career including the UFC’s heavyweight GOAT fighting while adorned in ballerina attire. Appearing on Bare Knuckle Bowker, Brandon Birr touched on several subjects before his fight with BKB’s number one ranked featherweight contender Yampier Ramirez at BKB 41 on May 31st. Birr mentioned during this chat that he would train at Strong Style until he was done fighting and Stipe Miocic certainly stands out as a massive name that came from that gym.

When offering up an anecdote from the training room that invovled the former multi-time UFC heavyweight champion in a particularly memorable way, Birr said,

“He likes to have fun in the gym. You see a lot of those guys once they get to a certain level like it’s all business. They’re there, they deal with the people that they deal with specifically, and kind of everybody else is kind of out of their orbit you know. Either between, I don’t know, paranoia of somebody doing something, whatever. But man, he’ll talk to (you) if it’s the first day in the gym, he’s talking with you the same way he talks to somebody he’s known for 20 years. He’s very personable.”

“One specific thing I can remember he, you know; you got the locker room, you get changed, you come out. Then you’re on the floor for sparring and stuff and everybody’s getting ready. He has rounds and he comes out in like a bright red tutu to spar. He sparred all his rounds in this bright red tutu and just beat the crap out of these guys [laughs]. It was just funny to watch.”

Brandon Birr and Strong Style’s growing presence in bare knuckle

Brandon Birr feels like he has helped play a role in normalizing bare knuckle boxing to his gym compatriots and with his help, seems confident they can become one of the big gyms in the MMA world as well as in the bare knuckle world. SS teammate Chad Kelly has already fought a handful of times for BKB and now there are a couple more guys that are slowly starting to become more open to gloveless combat. The former inaugural BKB featherweight champion even mentioned how Strong Style might be the number one MMA gym and number one bare knuckle gym coming up soon.

May 30, 2025
Erin Blanchfield Ready to Make a Statement: “Another Main Event, Another Top 5 Win Incoming”

Erin Blanchfield is aware of the challenge in front of her but seems to feel like it’s business as usual heading into UFC Vegas 107. Blanchfield takes on Maycee Barber in a batle of top five flyweights that can really informt he divisional hierarchy when the two meet on Saturday, May 31st. Blanchfield vs. Barber serves as the UFC on ESPN 68 headliner with the former fielding several quesitons from on-site reporters during the fight week media day proceedings. When addressing her road heading into this bout as well as her thoughts on the number five ranked 125 pounder she will be testing skills against in the coming days, Blanchfield said,

“I’m feeling really good. I’m super excited. What excites me most about this matchup? I think it’s another great matchup in the top five—another main event. Yeah, I’m just excited to show off what I’ve been working on.”

“I do think with a really good performance, I get the shot at the title. At this point, it’s not just about winning, but also how you win. So, I plan on winning in impressive fashion.”

“Maycee’s a pretty aggressive fighter. She’s very forward pressure, a lot of big hooks. This is her first five-rounder, so I could see her maybe being a little bit more reserved, but I think that’s going to come out of her at some point.”

“My keys to success are the same as always: stay disciplined, fight my fight, and stay technical.”

Erin Blanchfield vs. Maycee Barber and where the winner is in proximity to the belt

Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber is an intriguing bout when considering the X’s and O’s of how the pair match up stylistically but there’s also a lot of intrigue regarding where the victor is in the contender queue. It would seem like Valentina Shevchenko is set to next defend her belt against either Natalia Silva, who is ranked number one at flyweight, or a super fight with the champion at 115 pounds, Zhang Weili. The only two combatants ahead of Barber and Erin Blanchfield (Manon Fiorot and Alexa Grasso) are both coming off of losses to the aforementioned Shevchenko and Silva, respectively.

May 30, 2025
“I’m Here to Hurt These Girls” Maycee Barber Vows Destruction in UFC Main Event

Maycee Barber isn’t looking to edge out a win on points when she enters the cage and she looks to win with emphasis against Erin Blanchfield at UFC Vegas 107. As she prepares to headline UFC on ESPN 68, Barber is taking part in all of the normative fight week proceedings and fielded questions by on-site reporters at the fighter media day. When touching on aspects of her preparations leading into this fight as well as what her intentions are for this contest, Barber said,

“I’ve been staying busy. I’ve been training. I’ve been working my butt off—whether it’s in the gym or at home, like with the health stuff. We’ve just been doing everything possible to get back to 100% and back here to be able to put on a performance.”

“I think that this is a perfect opportunity for me to showcase my skills, to get a finish and get a dominant win, and continue my win streak—put it at seven—and solidify my spot at the belt.”

“My goal in every performance is for people to want—not just this one, but every single one—I want them to be like, ‘Damn! She really goes out there and she goes for a finish. She goes out there to hurt these girls.’ And I think that’s what makes me dangerous. I don’t just want to go out there and fight these girls and win. I don’t want just a decision win. I want to go out there and hurt these girls, and make sure that they know that when they’re done with a fight with me, they never want to fight me again.”

Maycee Barber vs. Erin Blanchfield and the title challenger implications

Maycee Barber will test skills with Erin Blanchfield on May 31st in a clash that pits the number five ranked flyweight contender against the number four ranked 125 pounder, respectively. In a landscape where the number two and number three contenders in the division are coming off losses (Manon Fiorot and Alexa Grasso, respectively), this fight has a ton of divisional importance as far as creating a queue of title challengers for champion Valentina Shevchenko. While it seems like Shevchenko may next fight either number one contender Natalia Silva or strawweight champion Zhang Weili, the victor of Maycee Barber versus Blanchfield is certainly well positioned.

May 29, 2025
Legend vs. Legend: Fedor Emelianenko and Mike Tyson Set to Clash in Epic Boxing Battle

Fedor Emelianenko and Mike Tyson may end up fighting one another if some recent bout offers are accepted. A Kazakh-based promotion known as Alash Pride League has indicated that they have plans to book a fight between the two heavyweight titans of combat sports. APL president Alimzhan Bektaev indicated as such while addressing media in Astana when Bektaev said [via talkSPORT],

“We are planning a bout between Mike Tyson and Fedor Emelianenko. Work in this direction is already underway… The tournament, where we want to invite Mike Tyson, is scheduled for December.”

Following his massive matchup against Jake Paul last November, it did not seem like Tyson was completely closing the door on his comptetive endeavours. That Paul bout saw him fight in only his second contest in the last twenty some odd years, his first official bout other than his exhibition contest against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, but ‘Iron’ Mike still seems to have a greater desire to fight following his decision loss to ‘The Problem Child’ on Netflix.

Image: @jakepaul/Instagram

While it was not specified what ruleset this potential prizefight woud take place under, it would almost certainly be under Queensberry Rules. This inference can be made considering Tyson’s base skillset obviously but also based on comments Emelianenko made on The MMA Hour in Summer 2023 regarding wanting to pursue more boxing bouts since retiring from MMA after his rematch with Ryan Bader.

Mike Tyson and Fedor Emelianenko’s interactions through the years

Mike Tyson fighting Fedor Emelianeko is something that has been quasi on the table for the last twenty plus years if you can believe it. In a translation of a story called PRIDE: Secret Files from MMA-Japan.com, there were plans for Mike Tyson to fight for Pride FC against Emelianenko as well as Mirko Cro Cop. The idea was to heavily promote a world tour featuring the combat sports icon that Tyson was said to have been very interested in. An amalgamation of Tyson’s suspended license, dealings amongs shady characters that did not get off the ground, and a host of factors outlined in the translated story lead to this dream not becoming a reality.

Tyson and Emelianenko have interfaced several times throughout the years with a pronounced level of mutual respect clearly being there. The respect exists to such a scale that Tyson has called Emelianenko his favorite fighter.

Image: Most Valuable Promotions

May 29, 2025
Tony Ferguson reveals he was offered a fight against KSI – ‘I’m ready’

Tony Ferguson has recently confirmed some reports surrounding a bout offer that he received to face influencer boxer KSI. The former UFC interim lightweight champion covered several subjects during a recent interview with Helen Yee. While speaking at The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 Premier Event in Las Vegas, ‘El Cucuy’ was asked about what could be enxt for him in the wake of his Dillon Danis bout falling out. The two widely known martial artists were supposed to fight as part of the Global Fight League’s big debut but the fledgling promotion cancelled a pair of events which were initially set at the end of May.

When addressing his dedicated fan base and letting them know about some offers he has received as well as potential next steps for the popular puglist, Tony Ferguson said,

“I’ve been offered—actually, probably three. I was supposed to go and grapple against Arman Tsarukyan when he was over at Karate Combat, and something happened with that one. I was offered the fight with KSI. It’s kind of funny how people want to grapple, and when you’re able to do things, it’s awesome. So right now, I’m just staying ready. My father gave me the best advice—he says, ‘If you’re going to have multiple fights and you’re going to find yourself competing, stick around the weight class that you’re going to be fighting.’ So I’ve been keeping around 175, diligent, and it’s not difficult, but I found myself being a little bit more leaned out, and it’s pretty nice.”

Image: @mf_daznxseries/Instagram

Tony Ferguson and his desires to coach on The Ultimate Fighter

Tony Ferguson took part in this recent interview at an early event for The Ultimate Fighter Season 33 as mentioned, Ferguson entered the rads of many when he became the TUF season 13 champion, and it turns out he still has aspirations related to the famed television series. In fact, Ferguson has a desire to one day serve as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter opposite someone who is arguably his most famous rival but yet he has never fought him inside of the cage.

That man in question is Khabib Nurmagomedov with multiple attempts being made to book the matchup with several hinderances resulting the bout being cancelled for reasons ranging from bad dessert to a global pandemic. The two being opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter certainly sounds like interesting TV but nothing is in the works for that as of this writing.

Tony Ferguson Interview:

May 29, 2025
UFC Insider: Belal Muhammad vs Shavkat Rakhmonov – High Stakes, But No Clear Path to Islam Makhachev

Belal Muhammad and his reported clash with Shavkat Rakhmonov in the Fall could perhaps see Islam Makhachev emerge as a roadblock according to one of MMA’s most widely known analysts. On his personal YouTube channel recently, Chael Sonnen discussed the recently reported clash for Oct. between Muhammad and Rakhmonov that came from Jon Anik during a recent episode of The Anik & Florian Podcast.

When loosely touching on the looming welterweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and champion Jack Della Maddalena as well as the training partner connectivity that would prevent a Muhammad vs. Makhachev fight down the line, Chael Sonnen said,

“Now, I don’t know how we got there. Belal versus Shavkat Rakhmonov is a problem for one reason—which is, if Belal wins, there’s nowhere to go. Belal can’t draw in to Islam. He just can’t. He can’t, after Islam already did him the same favor. Islam said, “I will not draw in if it’s against you.” So, if Muhammad was to beat Rakhmonov, I would have to assume that’s a number one contender’s match. Now, Rakhmonov… I’m not trying to slight Shavkat, that’s not my goal here, to slight Shavkat or give you an underhanded prediction that he can’t win.”

“I’m just talking about the parity of matchups. I love the idea, and most importantly, I love that Belal has his mind on it. I will watch guys—the world is a big place—and I will watch guys get stuck in the cracks, and they can’t get out of them. They stay stuck in the cracks. Your next move—right, your next move is always your most important move. Your next move off of a loss is such an important move. But there’s one more thing to it, which is the time between now and your next move.”

Sonnen continued, “It is one of the key elements. Don’t wait. Don’t wait any longer off a loss than you would a victory. Those are some of the keys that all have to stay the same. You keep your demeanor the same, you never let them see you sweat—all these adages that you hear, but they all tie in.”

Image: @UFCEurope/X

Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov and the initial booking attempt

Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov was initially supposed to transpire at UFC 310 last Dec. Muhammad was looking to make the first defense of his 170 pound crown against Rakhmonov until the then-welterweight champion had to pull out due to a significant infection that compromised Muhammad’s foot and bone.

Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight belt against former Rizin champion Kai Asakura was then eventually bumped up as the headliner for that pay-per-view in late 2024. Belal Muhammad vesus Shavkat Rakhmonov has still not been formally announced by the promotion at this juncture.

May 28, 2025
Former Champion BJ Penn Detained on Abuse Charges After Conspiracy Claims

The story of BJ Penn continues to go down a concerning path as he has once again found himself in trouble with the law. The former two division UFC chmpion has been posting worrisome conspiracy theories in recent times which are largely centric on this idea that government agents have replaced members of his family to procure the Penn family fortune. A recent IG post from Penn seemed to indicate the severity of the situation has been ramping up with footage of half a dozen police officers surrounding him in bed being posted to Penn’s Instagram.

The video footage showed Penn in a disagreement with the officers on-scene as he asked them why he was beign arrested with the cops saying it was tied to harassment. With a frequently repeated refrain of “How didI break the law?”, Penn was eventually taken out of the bed while handcuffed. Arrest records would materialize at a later point courtesy of X user @FullContactMTWF also known as Borrachinha Depot. The official charge that was highlighted in that post ‘abuse family or house hold member: offensive physical contact’. That same report regarding Penn’s recent charge indicated tat he posted bail at $2000 with BJ Penn now awaiting a court date which is set for today.

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BJ Penn and the imposter allegations

BJ Penn specifically has highighted his mother and brothers as being examples, in his mind, of imposters who are masquerading as his family. The former lightweight and welterweight titleholder also said he felt his cousin was impersonating his mother and Penn also accused his high school girlfriend of stealing for him duing these recent arrest proceedings. It’s a sad state of affairs for one of the great legends in mixed martial arts history with Penn fighting a veritable who’s who of MMA.

Image: UFC.com

BJ Penn has stepped into the cage against the likes of Nick Diaz, Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, Lyoto Machida, Diego Sanchez, Frankie Edgar, and Yair Rodriguez to name but a few. His last fight being against Clay Guida in a losing effort for Penn at UFC 237 six years ago.

May 27, 2025
Merab Dvalishvili Warns of a New Sean O’Malley: “This Time I’m Not Taking It Easy”

Merab Dvalishvili is expecting a different Sean O’Malley to step into the cage for their upcoming rematch but the former also expects the latter to be dealing with a different version of him inside the octagon. The roles will be reversed from their initial meeting as Dvalishvili will not defend the bantamweight crown against former divisional kingpin O’Malley on June 7 at UFC 316. The reigning UFC titleholder at 135 pounds recently sat down for an interview that was posted to the offficial UFC YouTube channel.

This will be an intriguing career first for Dvalishvili as he also aims to make the sophomore defense of his title reign. ‘The Machine’ made the all important first defense of his beklt agaisnt the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov by way of a unanimous decisiion at UFC 311 in January. Conversely for O’Malley, this fight will be an immediate rematch for him as he has not competed since losing his strap to Dvalishvili last September in their first fight at UFC 306. Expounding on the specifics of why this matchup is unique and his thoughts on the looming second battle with ‘Suga’, Dvalishvili said.

Image: UFC/Zuffa LLC

“It’s my first rematch, and I feel very relaxed. I was relaxed in the first fight, but now I don’t want to be relaxed, because now I know Sean will change his game plan and he will make some big adjustments. I’m relaxed, but I’m telling myself, “You’ve got to be motivated. You’ve got to be more hungry than what I was in the first fight.”

Merab Dvalishvili reveals toe injury two weeks out from UFC 316

Merab Dvalishvili has revealed a toe injury in close proximity to this Sean O’Malley rematch but does not seem dissuaded in the least. The UFC champion reshared a video to his Instagram story that was initilly psoted by vato.gv that shows some noticeable discoloration on Dvalishvili’s foot. Merab Dvalishvili can be heard in the video asking “Why you break my toe, my friend?” to Cameron Sandoval who is a suring 4-0 prospect that last won in LFA in March. Sandoval retorted to Dvalishvili that the latter kicked his head and broke the toe which indicates he jokingly felt the UFC champ was at fault.

Dvalishvili responded by playfully intimating that he would cut off his hindered toe while again reiterating that he felt Sandoval caused the issue.

(Merab Dvalishvili on Instagram)

May 27, 2025
Charles Oliveira Has a Message for Fans Worried About Ilia Topuria’s KO Power “I believe in the fire of these hands.”

Charles Oliveira is seen as a sizable underdog heading into his looming fight with Ilia Topuria but the former lightweight champion is not daunted as he prepares to soon be locked into the cage opposite Topuria. The clash will take place at UFC 317 with Oliveira and Topuria doing battle for the vacant lightweight championship in the pay-per-view headliner.

During an interview with Full Violence, ‘Do Bronx’ covered several subjects ahead of his fight with the former UFC featherweight champion on June 28th. When addressing the notion that he is seen as the underdog in this bout while outlining some of the struggles one could face as a former 145 pound fighter moving up to lightweight, Oliveira said,

“I dont care much about what people say there. I know he’s a guy who hits hard. But we’re talking about the lightweight category. The harder category. I fought Justin Gaethje and everyone said he was the guy who hit harder. But when I did, he went down. I believe in the fire and power of these hands.”

Image: @charlesdobronxs on X

Charles Oliveira names the best boxer that he has fought pre-UFC 317

Charles Oliveira mentioned the name of former UFC inteirm lightweight champion Justin Gaethje just a bit earlier with the former facing a deep roster of heavy hitters through his career. With a resume that features names on it like Max Holloway, Jeremy Stephens, and Dustin Poirier, one does wonder who Oliveira sees as the best boxer that he has ever stepped into the cage with.

In terms of who has the sharpest ability in the isolated realm of the sweet science, it was someone that Charles Oliveira did battle with for the UFC lightweight title. In the same interview with FV, Oliveira touched on this when he credited Dustin Poirier as being the person he fought who had the sharpest boxing ability. While Oliveira would end up submitting ‘The Diamond’ in that championship clash, the Brazilian submission specialist spoke highly of of Poirier being someone who fights very conciously, has very heavy hands, and knows how to play the game.

May 27, 2025
’It’s Stupid’: Merab’s Trainer Claps Back at Sean O’Malley’s Coach’s Strategy

Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley are preparing for their bantamweight championship rematch but the combativeness between the two also seems to extend to their respective coaches. Dvalishvili looks to make his sophomore championship defense against the man he claimed it from in O’Malley as the two are set to headline UFC 316 on June 7. In the lead up to this matchup in Newark, Merab’s Trainer has offered up his thoughts on Sean O’Malley’s coach having a history of uttering cage-side calls pretending to be the coach of O’Malley’s opponents so as to lure them into bad positions to benefit his charge.

Merab Dvalishvili’s head coach John Wood recently spoke with MMA Fighting to discuss the upcoming sequel clash against Sean O’Malley and thoughts on if O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch utilizes some of his polarizing coaching practices again, Wood said,

“Of course we’ll have that talk. Of course, that, you know, it will be brought up and I think Tim [Welch] will do it again. But I mean, feel free to talk to Merab all you want. Like, it just gave him more motivation, you know? So, I’m good. Tell Merab what you want him to do and he’ll, you know, he’ll go ahead and do it. It didn’t work. It’s not going to work again.”

“I think Tim’s a good coach. I like Tim personally. I don’t take any offense to it. Do I think it’s stupid? Absolutely… But, you know, if I guess that maybe they think that it worked for the Aljo fight, so it’s something we’re going to, you know, keep on doing, then go ahead. But we’ll talk to the referees about it, but I don’t think it’s going to be a problem in any way, shape, or form.”

Wood continued, “There’s a lot of people that have had successful careers and cheated a lot. I’m not saying that Tim’s cheating, you know, it’s maybe bending the rules… But, you know, the referees always tell you in the back, ‘This is your first hard warning. If you do it once, I’m taking a point.’ No one ever takes a point. You gotta basically rip somebody’s eyeball out or kick their nuts off to even get a point.”

Image: @ufc/X

Sean O’Malley works with multiple former UFC champions ahead of UFC 316

Sean O’Malley has been getting in work with some elite mixed martial artists ahead of this opportunity to become a two-time champion. Former multi-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya generated some headlines when footage of him working with ‘Suga’ popped up online. Also, O’Malley was seen training with the man who holds the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses, Demetrious Johnson. The former UFC flyweight champion imparted to O’Malley in that training interaction that Johnson could still compete at the highest levels of the sport today if he chose to.

This work will be key as Sean O’Malley looks to ascend to the mountain top once again as he battles Merab Dvalishvili in less than two weeks’ time in New Jersey.

May 26, 2025
UFC Champion Valentina Shevchenko Isn’t Calling Out Anyone, She Doesn’t Care Who She Fights Next

Valentina Shevchenko is admittedly indifferent about who she will next step into the octagon with. The reigning UFC flyweight champion is coming off of a successful defense of her 125 pound crown when Shevchenko bested Manon Fiorot by way of a unanimos decision. That happened in the co-main event of UFC 315 and one wonders what could await ‘Bullet’ following her victory in Montreal earlier this month. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Shevchenko touched on several subjects on the heels of notching the first title defense of her second regn with the flyweight strap. In terms of who she has designs to compete against next, Shevchenko said,

“I’m here to fight anyone. This is what I was made for. Through all my career, I never picked my opponent or negotiated with the UFC. They offer me a fight, I accept it. Even if I have to fight in my opponent’s home, against their fans, I would do that. I am a martial artist all the way-that’s the way I was built as a fighter.”

Image: @ufc/X

Valentina Shevchenko and some potential adversaries for her next fight

Valentina Shevchenko is a bit ambivalent about she competes with next but it does seem like she has some options. Another significant flyweight fight took place at UFC 315 as Natalia Silva bested former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso by way of a unanimous decision on May 10. Natalia Silva, who is now the number one contender in the women’s flyweight class, leaped over Grasso who is now the number three ranked contender with any dialogue about a tiebreaking fourth fight with Shevchenko being put on the backburner for now.

Also, there is another consequential contest at 125 pounds that is set to go down at month’s end that can meaningfully inform the divisional hierarchy here. That clash pits number four ranked contender Erin Blanchfield against the number five ranked Maycee Barber in their UFC Fight Night headliner set for the UFC Apex on May 31.

Zhang Weili is the opponent that seems to be of the fan favorite variety with many yearning to see a super fight between Valentina Shevchenko and the dominant UFC strawweight champion.

Photo by Tim Wheaton

May 24, 2025