MMA News

Author: Kyle Dimond

  • Fighter Who Slapped Coach & Husband After UFC Vegas 101 Loss Apologizes: ‘I Couldn’t Control My Emotions’

    Fighter Who Slapped Coach & Husband After UFC Vegas 101 Loss Apologizes: ‘I Couldn’t Control My Emotions’

    The first UFC event of the year had its fair share of talking points and one of them came in the second bout to take place inside the Octagon in 2025. Victoria Dudakova suffered her second consecutive loss after being stopped in the second round by Fatima Kline at strawweight.

    Rather than Kline delivering the first finish of the new year, it was what happened after the bout that grabbed the headlines. After Dudakova’s corner entered the Octagon to console her in defeat, she appeared to turn around and slap one of her coaches, who is also her husband, as seen below.

    The 25-year old Russian has since posted a message on social media to explain the situation from her point of view. She publicly apologized for her actions, stating that her emotions got the better of her in that moment having been finished for the first time in her 10-fight pro career.

    She posted the following message on Instagram to provide more context and thank her supporters.

    “Emotions have subsided a bit…..First of all, I would like to apologize to my husband and coach. I was hurt that in such a difficult moment, he turned his back on me and didn’t want to come into the cage. That’s no excuse and I’m not looking for an excuse for myself. I did the wrong thing, I couldn’t control my emotions. I set a bad example for the athletes and the younger generation. I also want to apologize to the sports fans. Thank you to everyone who stays with me in such a difficult situation”

  • Bellator Champion On Being Blindsided By PFL Scrapping The Brand: ‘Still Haven’t Heard A Thing’

    Bellator Champion On Being Blindsided By PFL Scrapping The Brand: ‘Still Haven’t Heard A Thing’

    It isn’t currently known what will happen to the current Bellator champions after Ariel Helwani stated that the promotion is “dead” from here on out. The Bellator Champions Series, which was established by the PFL in 2024, suffered from some major issues which as a result, has led some of the top fighters on the roster voicing their criticisms of the way that they have been treated since their contracts were acquired by the PFL in 2023.

    These events are set to be replaced by the PFL Champions Series which will introduce new PFL titles instead of having the belts up for grabs in the regular season format as has been the case in previous years. It now appears that the final fight that still has the Bellator name attached to it will be on January 25 where Usman Nurmagomedov defends the Bellator lightweight title against Paul Hughes in Dubai.

    One of the current champions of the promotion that is set to be fazed out of the PFL brand spoke out on social media following this news. Corey Anderson claimed that rather than being contacted by someone from the PFL, he found out that the brand which he is the light heavyweight champion of will cease to exist via his wife.

    “Imagine being the champion of an organization chilling on the couch and your wife walks in and tells you “did you see this? Bellator is dead now?”… and all you can do is shrug your shoulders in confusion…. CUZ you still haven’t heard a thing. Lol Yeaaaah, that was me.”

    Anderson has been particularly vocal in recent times due to the booking and subsequent cancelation of his matchup with Vadim Nemkov which was booked for the first “Road to Dubai” event on January 25. Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen also took to social media to raise the question of what this news means for his current status.

  • Colby Covington Reiterates Ongoing UFC Ambitions, Plans To Do The ‘Unthinkable’

    Colby Covington Reiterates Ongoing UFC Ambitions, Plans To Do The ‘Unthinkable’

    Colby Covington remains confident that he will turn things around in his career with ambitions to become the UFC welterweight champion. The former interim champion has fought for the title on three occasions in the past, coming up short twice against Kamaru Usman and once against Leon Edwards.

    At 36-years old, he’s currently coming off of back-to-back defeats for the first time in his pro career after having his return in Tampa against Joaquin Buckley stopped via a doctor stoppage due to a cut above his eye. Covington has heavily protested the loss ever since by stating that it was the doctor who beat him on December 14 rather than his opponent.

    “Chaos” has not been deterred after falling to the #9-position in the welterweight rankings as he spoke about on a recent live stream on his Twitch channel. Covington is seemingly up against it for multiple reasons, one being his age and another being his lack of a win over a current top 15 contender.

    However, one thing that he believes is on his side is how he matches up with the current champion at 170-pounds. Covington said that he thinks he could beat Belal Muhammad due to the clash of styles and given his track record for selling fights and making a lot of noise, it may not take him too long to get to that position if he’s able to turn his fortunes around.

    “We’re going to do the unthinkable. We’re going to shock the world. DC (Cormier) was a champion at 41. I’m only 36 years young. No reason I can’t be champion.

    “Belal Muhammad, ‘Remember the Racist,’ I can easily beat him. He’s a good matchup. He’s not going to take me down. He’s not going to outwrestle me. F*ck that. I will smack that dude silly. I know no one knows who he is, but they’re going to know when he’s on my highlight reel after I’m done with him.”

  • ‘Easily Some Of The Best’ – Fans React As Makhachev & Dvalishvili Get First Custom Shorts Of 2025 For UFC 311

    ‘Easily Some Of The Best’ – Fans React As Makhachev & Dvalishvili Get First Custom Shorts Of 2025 For UFC 311

    The first UFC PPV card of the year is just days away with UFC 311 taking place on Saturday January 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. With two title fights set to top the card, the promotion is continuing the tradition which began last year of giving select fighters the opportunity to design custom shorts.

    We’ve seen some instantly iconic designs in the past with the likes of Ilia Topuria, Max Holloway and Alex Pereira coming to mind for having shorts that have helped to define their personalities and cultures. Both of the champions who are set to defend their titles this weekend have received their own unique pair of personal fight gear as lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili pay tribute to their backgrounds.

    Both men have fought in title fights since the promotion started doing this highly-celebrated trend but neither have had the opportunity to get their own designs as of yet. For Makhachev, his shorts predominantly feature the steep terrain of Dagestan and the Caucasus Mountains with a geometric design. The other main feature appears to be a traditional sword or dagger strapped to his side that is carried by people from this region.

    Georgian MMA reporter Giorgi Kokiashvili helped to break down on social media how Dvalishvili’s shorts pay homage to his home country where he has been received as a hero since winning the 135-pound title in September.

    Fans reacted to the two new additions to the custom shorts wardrobe on social media.

    “Lowkey heat”

    “Alright, the mountain shorts are nice.”

    “These are solid. But I feel like years of boring ass kits have us excited for anything different.”

    “Easily some of the best custom shorts”

    “Merab got them lifeguard shorts”

  • PFL ‘In A Good Spot’ Financially Despite 2024 Struggles, Fighter Complaints

    PFL ‘In A Good Spot’ Financially Despite 2024 Struggles, Fighter Complaints

    The PFL has undergone some major changes before the promotion hosts its first event of 2025. 2024 brought to light some big issues and criticism for the promotion which they are now looking to address for the year ahead.

    On Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, it was announced that the Bellator brand is officially “dead”. There was a lot of scepticism regarding the PFL’s plans to integrate Bellator in order to have both names co-exist under one roof after the promotion was acquired towards the end of 2023.

    Having the PFL’s season format continue alongside the Bellator Champions Series has created confusion for the fans and frustration for the fighters who aren’t being as active as they would like. PFL is looking to change this by removing the season-based format in place of a Grand Prix style tournament and by removing the Bellator brand entirely by integrating it all into a revised PFL system.

    One of the first adjustments that was reported which pointed to the promotion heading in a new direction was the news that starting in 2025, the prize money for the winner of the tournaments would drop from $1 million to $500,000. Many assumed that this is because handing out six $1 million dollar cheques isn’t financially viable for the promotion anymore.

    However, following the reports that the new tournament will consist of just eight competitors and that they will be more focused on up-and-coming talents rather than it being the ultimate end goal for fighters in the promotion (with PFL divisional titles set to be introduced), the drop in prize money makes sense. Ariel Helwani also stated during his update on the future of the promotion that cutting costs isn’t a major priority for the PFL based on what he has heard about their financial situation.

    “When this first came out about the $1 million to 500,000, it felt like ‘Oh, this is a sign that they’re dead’. Now, I’m being told that like as far as finances are concerned, they’re in a good spot. They have great, sold investment, all that stuff and more. They’re not hurting for cash, this is just kind of a restructuring of how the promotion is laid out. I actually think it makes a ton more sense.”

  • Tyson Fury Announces ‘Retirement’ From Boxing After Second Usyk Loss, Fans Say ‘He’ll Be Back In A Few Months’

    Tyson Fury Announces ‘Retirement’ From Boxing After Second Usyk Loss, Fans Say ‘He’ll Be Back In A Few Months’

    Tyson Fury has announced via a video on social media that he is retiring from boxing after 37-pro fights. “The Gypsy King” is currently coming off of back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk having come into their first encounter with an unbeaten record of 34-0-1.

    The 36-year old has achieved some incredible things in his career. From his stunning win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to become the unified champion to the incredible comeback story that led to his three iconic fights with Deontay Wilder, Fury was considered the best of his generation for some time.

    Having only ever lost to a fellow modern-day great in Usyk, there are still some interesting fights out there for Fury including the long awaited clash with fellow Brit Anthony Joshua which appeared to be more likely than ever of happening. However, if his statement is to be believed, this is the end of the road for one of the heavyweight division’s best.

    Fury references famous highwayman robber Dick Turpin in his video, potentially in reference to his decision loss to Usyk last month which he heavily debated at the time.

    “Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing, it’s been a blast. I’ve loved every single minute of it and I’m gonna end with this, Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side. Getup!”

    As is often the case in combat sports, especially with a personality like Fury who often says things to elicit a reaction or to use it as a bargaining chip, the fans aren’t entirely convinced that this is the last we will see of him. Reactions on social media do not seem to suggest that this is the final chapter.

    “He’ll back in a few months once he’s offered 250 million to fight Anthony Joshua.”

    “Negotiation Tactic”

    “Until the next comeback announcement!”

    “See you in the ring in a few months”

  • Mark Smith Bashed by Fighter For Last-Second Chris Curtis Stoppage At UFC Vegas 101: ‘Got To Be The Lowest Graded Ref’

    Mark Smith Bashed by Fighter For Last-Second Chris Curtis Stoppage At UFC Vegas 101: ‘Got To Be The Lowest Graded Ref’

    UFC Vegas 101 brought fight fans the first UFC card of 2025 and with that came the first set of highlight reel finishes, entertaining contests and yes, controversial refereeing decisions. The middleweight clash between Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis earned the first fight of the night bonus of the year following their back-and-forth encounter on the main card.

    What the fight will likely be remembered for however is the call that Mark Smith made to wave the fight off with just one second left on the clock. Kopylov landed a head kick that knocked Curtis off balance but with the clock running down and his opponent on the floor, the Russian decided to back away rather than chasing his opponent to the ground to land more strikes.

    Despite the fact that Curtis wasn’t in danger of taking any more damage, Smith stepped in and the stoppage was heavily disputed by “The Action Man” in the immediate aftermath. It’s also of note that the fight was tied at 19-19 across all three scorecards heading into the third round which would have been won by Kopylov if the fight had continued for one more second.

    Curtis has since posted a statement on social media where he seemed less frustrated at the ending of the fight though he was still disappointed to have not secured the victory. Kopylov, on the other hand, believes that the official made the right decision, stating in his post-fight press conference that he chose not to follow-up with any more strikes because it wasn’t neccesary and that he’s open to the idea of a rematch if that’s what people want.

    In a post on social media, UFC flyweight Charles Johnson criticized Smith by questioning the consistency of his decision making.

    “Mark smith has got to be the lowest graded ref on roster. Constantly interjects himself and only thing consistent with calls is his inconsistency”

    Some of the replies underneath Johnson’s post made reference to one of his previous fights which was refereed by Smith. In his fight with Sumudaerji last October, he believed that the fight should have been stopped but Smith didn’t step in and it ended up going the distance.

  • Mark Zuckerberg Provides Update On Plans For MMA Debut

    Mark Zuckerberg Provides Update On Plans For MMA Debut

    Mark Zuckerberg is serious about having an MMA fight at some stage even if his plans have been on the backburner for the time being. The Meta CEO is a big fan of the sport and now works alongside UFC CEO Dana White after the promoter was recently added to the companies board of directors.

    Throughout 2023, there was even talk of a fight between Zuckerberg and Elon Musk being promoted by White though the rumours and social media messages between them never materialized into something serious. With or without Musk, Zuck wants to compete but he wants to be able to commit to the training first.

    He has been actively learning jiu-jitsu for some time and has seemingly been sparring in recent years also although his progress was halted by an ACL tear towards the end of 2023. Having spent time in the company of some of the best fighters in the world, along with watching them cage-side, Zuckerberg recently told Joe Rogan during a recent podcast that he still has intentions to compete.

    “I want to [fight],” Zuckerberg said on The Joe Rogan Experience. “And I think I probably will, but we’ll see.”

    The problem with setting a time frame is that Zuckerberg is expecting a big year due to the recent developments in AI which will have a massive impact on his business.

    “2025 is going to be a very busy year on the AI side,” Mark said. “And I think the idea of having a competition, you really need to get into the head space of ‘I’m going to fight someone this week.’ So I need to figure this out because I don’t know how, with everything that’s going on in AI, I’m going to have like a week or two where I can just get into, like, ‘I’m going to fight someone.’ But it’s good training and I would like to [fight] at some point.”

    He also spoke about his ACL injury changed his mindset towards training in jiu-jitsu versus the entire mixed martial arts skillset. Despite suffering the injury during sparring, it pushed him further towards MMA.

    “The thing about the ACL injury is I kind of thought before, ‘All right, I’m going to do some jiu jitsu competitions, I want to do one MMA fight, one pro or competitive MMA fight,’” Zuckerberg said. “And then I figured I’d go back to jiu jitsu. But tearing the ACL striking is a little more of a fluke. I think you’re much more likely to do that grappling.”

    “So going through the ACL experience didn’t make me want to just exclusively go do the version where you’re just attacking joints all day long. I’m like, ‘All right, I can take a few more punches to the face before going back to that.’”

  • UFC 311 Headliner Islam Makhachev Reveals Longtime Khabib Rival As His Dream Fight

    UFC 311 Headliner Islam Makhachev Reveals Longtime Khabib Rival As His Dream Fight

    Islam Makhachev is set to defend his lightweight title at UFC 311 in a fight that fans have wanted to see for a long time. Considering their first encounter back in 2019, many have believed for a while now that a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan will be the toughest test for the pound-for-pound number one.

    Beating Tsarukyan will see Makhachev break the record for consecutive lightweight title defenses at four, passing the streak of his training partner and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov. A win for the defending champion on Saturday night in Los Angeles also means that as of right now, there isn’t a clear next step for him.

    Makhachev recently spent some time with streamer Adin Ross where he was asked if there is a dream fight that is out there for him. Whilst there isn’t anything that comes to mind right now, the 155-pound titleholder did look back on a contest that he wanted to pursue several years ago.

    At 29-0, Nurmagomedov was totally dominant but if there’s one opponent that got away, it is Tony Ferguson. The matchup might be the best example of the fight that the fans wanted the most that never happened despite the fact that it was booked multiple times.

    Makhachev said that at the time when his close friend was at the top of the lightweight division, he also wanted to face off with “El Cucuy” in order to bring that win back for his team.

    “Not like many years ago but my brother, Khabib, was supposed to fight with Tony Ferguson like five times, they both have injuries or fight is cancelled five times and my dream to fight this guy in that moment because I always with Khabib. When Khabib have injury, I ask my manager, I say ‘Hey, can I step in to fight with Tony,’ and you know, Tony in that moment is like very good athlete, very good fighter. He have like almost more than 10-fight win streak in the UFC and this is one of the fights which I want like 3-4 years ago but not right now because he has 8-fight lose streak. I wish him the best but couple years ago, he’s one of the high-level fighters from our division.”

  • Michael Chandler Backs Khabib Nurmagomedov After Viral Plane Removal: ‘If You’re Going To Kick Our GOAT Off…’

    Michael Chandler Backs Khabib Nurmagomedov After Viral Plane Removal: ‘If You’re Going To Kick Our GOAT Off…’

    UFC 311 is set to be a huge week for Khabib Nurmagomedov but before he corners back-to-back title fights on Saturday night, he has had some complications to get through on his way to Los Angeles. A video on social media showed “The Eagle” being asked to either move seats or leave the plane following a conversation with a flight atendant.

    This altercation stemmed from the fact that the former UFC lightweight champion was seating on the emergency exit row which requires the passengers to listen, understand and potentially participate in the safety procedures regarding the emergency door. Nurmagomedov did not see what the issue was but there seemed to be some caution regarding his understanding of English.

    Nurmagomedov can even be heard saying in the video that he was asked ahead of time whether he knows English and he does so it wouldn’t be an issue. A fellow mixed martial artist has stuck up for the fighter turned coach on social media by outlining where some airlines may have double standards.

    Michael Chandler made the argument that if there is an issue about Khabib sitting in the emergency row due to his English, why is that not the same for people who may not be physically or mentally dependable in that same situation. “Iron” Mike even referred to the retired athlete as the greatest of all time in his statement on the matter.

    “If you’re going to kick our GOAT off the plane for a little accent, please start making passengers do a physical and mental fitness aptitude test before you let them sit in the exit row after uttering a one word, one syllable, ‘yes.’ Because I’ve seen some slugs in the exit row on flights. @TeamKhabib“

  • Amanda Ribas Gives Short & Sweet Reaction To Mackenzie Dern Loss At UFC Vegas 101

    Amanda Ribas Gives Short & Sweet Reaction To Mackenzie Dern Loss At UFC Vegas 101

    Amanda Ribas suffered a loss in the first UFC main event of the year this past Saturday night at the Apex in Las Vegas. The 31-year old was looking to return to strawweight with a big win against an opponent that she has got the better of once before.

    Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be as the #8-ranked contender was beaten by the #6-ranked Mackenzie Dern. Having handed Dern the first loss of her MMA career back in 2019, the jiu-jitsu specialist evened the score by becoming the first person to submit Ribas in her 19-fight pro career.

    There were some competitive grappling exchanges between the two women but ultimately, it was the submission skills of Dern that made the difference as she produced a beautiful armbar to earn a quick tap in the third round.

    Ribas has got some big wins under her belt with victories over the likes of Dern, Virna Jandiroba, Viviane Araujo and Luana Pinheiro but she has struggled to beat the top contenders. After fighting three times in 2023 where she picked up wins on either side of a loss to Maycee Barber, she only fought once last year in a five-round defeat to Rose Namajunas at 125-pounds.

    Despite this latest setback, the Brazilian appears to be in good spirits following her first outing of the new year. She posted a simple message on Instagram to stay connected to her fans and supporters even though she didn’t get her hand raised at UFC Vegas 101.

    “Off to the next one! Thanks to all the support, messages and barbecues that you’ve done”

  • Gamebred Fighter On Jorge Masvidal’s Approach To Promotion: He’s Like ‘I’m Not UFC, Where We’re Going To Cut You’

    Gamebred Fighter On Jorge Masvidal’s Approach To Promotion: He’s Like ‘I’m Not UFC, Where We’re Going To Cut You’

    Jorge Masvidal may be seemingly on the cusp of a UFC return but he is one of the fighters who has dipped his toes into several other pursuits away from being an athlete towards the end of his career. One of the most obvious ventures for a veteran of the fight game is to start putting on your own shows and “Gamebred” has certainly got the experience, knowledge and credibility to have success in this field.

    The 52-fight veteran has attempted to carve out a niche for himself in combat sports via his Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA promotion which first launched in 2021. They hosted two events in 2024 with the most recent one taking place on November 15 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.

    Former UFC fighter Jesse Ronson, who competed six times inside the Octagon, fought on that card where he earned his second consecutive first-round submission win in the promotion. In a recent interview on Bare Knuckle Bowker, Ronson told Dylan Bowker about what it is like to fight for Masvidal.

    The Canadian spoke about how “Gamebred” is looking for entertaining fights and if you can deliver on that, than you’re in his good books and it’s that simple.

    “He [Masvidal] just flat out says it straight up. He’s like I just want fireworks guys. I’ll pay you, I’ll do whatever, just give me good fights. He’s like I don’t care how old you are, if you lose, or whatever it is. He’s like I’m not UFC where we’re going to cut you after two fights or three fights. If you’re making people scream and getting views.”

    Ronson continued, adding that Masvidal’s first-hand experience is what separates him from the other promoters. He made it clear that he wasn’t trying to discredit others as much as he was praising the former BMF title challenger.

    “You are always welcome back and he’s like I’ll take care of you. He’s like I’ll try to meet everything you need. He’s a great promoter and you’re right because he’s fought he understands what it’s like… Again I’m not gonna sh*t on Dana White or Scott Coker or whoever runs the PFL, because if they fought and they went through it they would know what it’s like.”

  • Former MMA Fighter Admits To Being ‘Senior Figure’ In Drug Trafficking Plot

    Former MMA Fighter Admits To Being ‘Senior Figure’ In Drug Trafficking Plot

    A former MMA fighter has admitted his involvement in a drug trafficking plot after being accused of being a “senior figure” in a gang. It was reported in the Liverpool Echo that Paul “Boom Boom” Cahoon was on trial after being linked to moving cocaine and amphetamine from Merseyside in England to South Wales ten years ago.

    Cahoon only recently admitted his involvement due to the fact that he fled to Dubai following a series of drug seizures nearly a decade ago before he was extradited back to the UK in 2024. He is set to be sentenced today (Friday January 10) after he admitted the charges on Wednesday.

    Prosecutor Stephen McNally made reference to the fact that Cahoon had gained some notoriety during his days as a professional fighter. The 49-year old amassed an official record of 13-12 having faced the likes of Melvin Manhoef on two occasions with bouts against Elvis Sinosic and Ian Freeman in the UK promotion Cage Rage. He hasn’t fought since 2010 having made his pro debut back in 1998.

    Multiple other men have been linked to the operation with several class A and B drug seizures taking place. McNally explained to the court how Cahoon appeared to be at the center of things having reportedly used nine different phone numbers during a period of six-months.

    “The prosecution case is that Paul Cahoon was a senior figure within these conspiracies,” McNally told the court. “We say that Mr Cahoon had other people carrying out tasks on his instructions and that, by the way he acted, it was obvious that he was alive to the risk of detection and that he took steps to avoid it.

    “The prosecution say that he was chopping and changing his telephone numbers in order to make it harder for any investigation to identify who he was in contact with, when he was in contact with them and who was in contact with him. That poses a question. Why would Mr Cahoon want to conceal his telephone contact? The prosecution’s case is, because it related to conspiracies to supply drugs.”

    Cahoon’s defense against this was that this was due to the notoriety he had developing during his active MMA career but McNally argued that the communications aligned to similarly with the drug trafficking case.

    “The prosecution’s case is it is simply too much of a coincidence that there is the level and timing of contact by Mr Cahoon than it is anything other than an indication that he was involved in the conspiracies.”

  • UFC Middleweight Doesn’t Give Dricus Du Plessis A Chance Against Alex Pereira: ‘He Can Beat DDP Easily’

    UFC Middleweight Doesn’t Give Dricus Du Plessis A Chance Against Alex Pereira: ‘He Can Beat DDP Easily’

    UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is set to return at UFC 312 next month where he will put the title on the line for a second time. “Stillknocks” certainly isn’t short on contenders at 185-pounds even when looking past his next challenge, a rematch with Sean Strickland in Sydney, Australia.

    However, there is always going to be talk and debate around champions moving up or down a weight class to face another titleholder in the promotion and this is something that has interested Du Plessis in the past. It also just so happens that the current champion in the division above him is the former middleweight king also.

    Many fans expect to see Alex Pereira defend the light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev in his next outing inside the Octagon. The only exception might be that because “Poatan” has become such a star for the promotion, they could look to capitalize on putting together a super fight for the Brazilian.

    Middleweight contender Caio Borralho recently trained alongside Pereira and used that experience to weigh-in on how a potential matchup between him and Du Plessis would play out if they end up meeting at some stage. He told Submission Radio that whilst the debate would change if you factor Khamzat Chimaev into the conversation, he believes that Pereira would be a tough style clash for “DDP”.

    “I think he can beat DDP easily,” Borralho told Submission Radio. “I think very easily he can beat DDP. I think Khamzat (Chimaev) is a different story because of the grappling, but ‘Poatan’ is definitely getting better at defending takedowns. He’s a big guy, very big guy. It would be hard for Khamzat to keep him down.

    “He made a good choice moving up to the light heavyweight division. … I think he can knock DDP out really easily because DDP commits a lot of mistakes in his fights and a lot of openings,” Borralho said. “If you leave even a small opening with a guy like Alex, you’re going to get knocked out.”

  • UFC ‘Addicted’ Actor Reveals Which Fight Almost Left Him In Tears: ‘Was Getting His Ass Handed To Him’

    UFC ‘Addicted’ Actor Reveals Which Fight Almost Left Him In Tears: ‘Was Getting His Ass Handed To Him’

    A major UFC card being in town often turns into the most desirable destination for celebrities who fancy themselves as fight fans. Though these names might be used to the dazzling lights of stardom, it doesn’t mean that they’re immune to watching their favorite athletes go through it inside the Octagon.

    This is the case for the actor turned academy award winning director Mel Gibson who is one of the reoccurring faces that is shown on screen during the PPV broadcasts. The 69-year old recently appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience where at one point, the conversation inevitably got onto mixed martial arts.

    Having a personal attachment to a fighter is what turns so many people into MMA fans but that is taken to a whole new level of investment if you personally know the person who is stepping into the cage to put it all on the line. Gibson experienced this in a fight that he said nearly brought him to tears as he watched it unfold.

    Brian Ortega may be best known for his elite submission skills but he has also displayed his remarkable toughness several times at the highest level. At UFC 266 in September of 2021, he challenged for the featherweight title for the second time when he faced Alexander Volkanovski in the main event.

    Despite coming incredibly close to submitting the champion in one of the best fights of the year, Ortega took a lot of damage from the defending champion over the five round duration which saw Volkanovski retain the title via a unanimous decision. Gibson spoke about how this fight in particular was a tough watch for him more than any other because of his personal connection to the challenger.

    “I’m addicted to the UFC, I love it. But I know that these guys are…I feel kind of sorry for them,” Gibson said. “I knew one of the guys fairly well, and usually I’m pretty immune to [nausea]. He was fighting Alexander Volkanovski and it was Brian Ortega, and he was getting his a** handed to him. He almost got him a couple of times.

    “But because I knew Brian, it was like my son was in there. I almost started crying, and it got to me, ‘I should probably feel like this about all these guys but I don’t know them as well’”

  • Gilbert Burns Set For UFC 314 Return In Miami, Faces Undefeated Prospect

    Gilbert Burns Set For UFC 314 Return In Miami, Faces Undefeated Prospect

    A big fight in the welterweight division is the first major matchup to have been reported for the UFC’s return to Miami on April 12. Ag. Fight revealed that the former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns will be back in Miami for the second consecutive year to take on the undefeated Michael Morales.

    Burns is currently coming off the biggest winless streak of his career after losing his last three bouts inside the Octagon. In May of 2023, he suffered an injury in his defeat to Belal Muhammad, returning the following year in Miami where he was finished by Jack Della Maddalena. His difficult run of form continued last September where he lost a unanimous decision to Sean Brady over five rounds at the UFC Apex.

    In order to return to the win column, the #8-ranked contender will need to be the first man to defeat Ecuador’s Morales in 17 fights. The 25-year old arrived in the UFC back in 2022 after earning his contract via Dana White’s Contender Series and he has made quiet the impression ever since.

    He has since beaten the likes of Neil Magny, Jake Matthews and Max Griffin to put together a five-fight winning streak inside the Octagon which has earned him the #12-spot in the top 15. With 12 wins via knockout, Morales is a dangerous contender who will be hoping to earn the biggest win of his career to date in Miami.

    For “Durinho”, beating a highly regarded rising star like Morales could be the confidence boost that he needs to re-establish himself as a serious player at the top of the welterweight division.

    Though the fight was not a done deal at the time, Burns recently spoke about the potential matchup during an episode of the Show Me The Money Podcast. He gave Morales plenty of praise before saying that despite it being a tough fight for both of them, like his friend Renato Moicano, he “cannot afford to lose”.

  • Former Champ-Champ Henry Cejudo Opens As Betting Underdog For UFC Seattle Main Event vs. Song Yadong

    Former Champ-Champ Henry Cejudo Opens As Betting Underdog For UFC Seattle Main Event vs. Song Yadong

    February 22 is a huge date for the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo. “Triple C” made his return to the Octagon in May of 2023 after announcing that he had retired three years prior at UFC 249.

    Having gone out on top as a champ-champ, the 37-year old has come up short in back-to-back fights since stepping back inside the Octagon at UFC 288. A split decision loss over five rounds to Aljamain Sterling and a further defeat to his teammate and the current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili have doubled his career losses from two to four.

    With his next fight recently being made official for Seattle at the Climate Pledge Arena next month, the oddsmakers don’t have Cejudo turning things around at this stage in his career. BetOnline.ag have him as a +160 underdog in his matchup with the #8-ranked Song Yadong.

    The 27-year old Team Alpha Male fighter is coming off of a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 last March having beaten Ricky Simón and Chris Gutierrez in consecutive main events before that. Despite also holding victories over the likes of Marlon Vera and Marlon Moraes, beating Cejudo will certainly be the biggest win of his career in terms of name value and he’s currently at -185.

    Of course, these betting lines will shift back and forth before the two men step back inside the Octagon but when you look at what Cejudo has been able to achieve in MMA and the level of opponents that he is used to facing, a loss here may be his biggest setback to date considering that his other defeats came in a close fight with Joseph Benavidez and his first encounter with flyweight great Demetrious Johnson.

  • Payton Talbott Has Surprise Opponent In Mind After UFC 311 Return: ‘He Has This Vendetta Against Women’

    Payton Talbott Has Surprise Opponent In Mind After UFC 311 Return: ‘He Has This Vendetta Against Women’

    Payton Talbott was one of the breakout stars of 2024 after extending his winning streak inside the Octagon to 3-0. The 26-year old earned back-to-back performance bonuses for his finishes over Cameron Saaiman and Yanis Ghemmouri which have marked him out as one of the most exciting bantamweights in the world right now.

    He’s now set to continue this momentum into 2025 when at UFC 311 on January 18, he takes on Brazil’s Raoni Barcelos at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Whilst the 11-fight UFC veteran is his primary focus right now, Talbott has his eyes on another potential opponent.

    Rather than having a name in and around the top 15 which he hopes to meet inside the Octagon if he is successful against Barcelos, the Las Vegas native has a bone to pick with the incredibly controversial Andrew Tate. As a former kickboxer who last competed in 2020, Tate has been linked with fighters calling him out for several years.

    His current legal issues, which include him being placed under house arrest in Romania for human trafficking, have stopped any form of contest from ever happening but Talbott still wanted to put his intentions out there during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani show.

    “Yeah, that’s the one. Yeah, let’s get that going. I’d take that; I’d take that. Yeah, yeah, it’s just a free-for-all.”

    When asked why he wants to have a fight with Tate, who is a huge name in popular culture for a lot of undesirable reasons, Talbott said that it’s his heavily criticized views on women that particularly bother him.

    “He’s just the antithesis of me,” Talbott said. “It seems like someone just cheated on him when he was younger, and now he has this vendetta against women. I feel like he takes himself super seriously, and it’s just like, he’s kind of a poison for masculine culture.”

  • Manager Recalls Scary Weight Cut That Put Bellator Fighter Into A Coma: ‘If They Had Not Acted That Fast…’

    Manager Recalls Scary Weight Cut That Put Bellator Fighter Into A Coma: ‘If They Had Not Acted That Fast…’

    Daiane Silva was put into a medically induced coma this past September after suffering from kidney failure during a difficult weight cut. The Brazilian was set to make her Bellator debut on short notice in London, England which would have seen her compete at featherweight for the first time in her career.

    It was a long time before this news was made public with many questioning why there wasn’t any health updates coming from the PFL at this time. Donn Davis stated when talking publicly about it for the first time that the promotion made the decision to not put out any statements regarding Silva’s current state out of respect for her family who wanted privacy.

    This was recently backed up by Silva’s manager, Alex Davis, who spoke in a recent interview with MMA Fighting about the initial reaction to the situation and how the staff at the promotion worked quickly and effectively to support their fighter.

    “It’s very scary,” Davis said. “Daiane and her family all through the process, they didn’t want anything divulged in the media.

    “I’m just going to as far as I can go on the medical side — as soon as it happens, Bellator did a very good job. They found out they had a problem, they got a doctor on it. When the doctor saw how serious it was, they got her to the ambulance. They got her to the hospital. If they hadn’t acted [as quickly], mainly Eduardo [Lima], who works for PFL and Bellator during the event, if they had not acted that fast, it could have been a different outcome.”

    Davis didn’t find out about Silva’s issues until he woke up the following morning to messages about her being in hospital due to the time difference. He has never experienced anything like this during his time as a veteran manager but through communication with the hospital, Silva’s family, loved ones, coaches and the promotion, they were able to support her.

    “We had a group of people working, everybody’s on top of this,” Davis said. “She had an angel, a friend of hers, who was an angel in her life, stayed beside her through thick and thin and is still beside her.

    “It seemed like we were going to have to put her in an ambulance plane with a doctor and a nurse to send her back to Brazil. Mike Kogan, Eduardo from Bellator, they never blinked an eye. They said whatever she needs. Whatever is needed. You can only imagine what that would cost but they never blinked.”

    The latest update on Silva’s condition was that she had returned to Brazil where she was being treated in a support facility where she was showing promising signs of recovery. Davis stated that a GoFundMe page may be set-up in the near future in order to help the 29-year old fighter fund her medical care.

    “Amazingly, she started getting better,” Davis said. “She started showing improvement. Slow improvement with this angel beside her. When you have a situation like this, they start bringing her out of the coma but it’s not like you turn on a switch and she wakes up. No, it happens slowly. She’s coming back slowly and it’s important to have someone there talking and stimulating her. That’s how that process happened.

    “She started getting up. She started talking. She was intubated and they managed to take her tubes out and then it was up and up and up. We’re still going up, but she’s not playing basketball yet. There’s still a long road to go until she’s fully healed.”

  • Ranked UFC Featherweight Calls Brian Ortega Out For ‘Massive’ Clash At UFC London

    Ranked UFC Featherweight Calls Brian Ortega Out For ‘Massive’ Clash At UFC London

    Brian Ortega has not been the most active contender in the featherweight division for some time and yet, due to his high position in the rankings, he’s fairly consistently called out by his fellow 145-pounders. Though for a long time, it seemed like saying his name likely wouldn’t lead to anything, “T-City” did fight twice last year for the first time since 2018.

    After submitting Yair Rodriguez last February, the former two-time title challenger suffered a decision loss to Diego Lopes at UFC 306 in September meaning that he currently sits at #6 in the rankings. Five spots below him is one of the division’s most exciting additions in recent years who has won seven in a row since fighting to a draw on his UFC debut back in 2019.

    Lerone Murphy is remarkably the same age as Ortega but he still feels like the next generation of featherweight contenders in some ways. He also fought twice in 2024 where he secured his two biggest wins to date over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige.

    Having missed out on the opportunity to fight on home soil last year at UFC 304 in Manchester, he wants to put on a show for the UK fans when the Octagon returns to London, England on March 22 for a Fight Night event. When looking at the fighters who are above him in the rankings right now, a fight with Ortega would make a lot of sense for Murphy right now.

    “T-City” is still a highly regarded opponent who is coming off of a loss meaning that it makes sense for him to fight down the rankings next time out. “The Miracle” looked to shoot his shot via social media by getting the fans excited about the possibility of him facing off with the submission specialist at the O2 Arena.

  • PFL Reportedly Set For Major Changes To Tournament Format In 2025, Including Removal Of $1 Million Prize

    The PFL is reportedly set to undergo some major changes to the season format before it begins in 2025. The previous year also saw the promotion shift significantly due to the acquisition of Bellator but now it looks like it will be the very foundation of the PFL that will be evolving over time.

    We’ve already had the announcement from Donn Davis that elbows will be legal in all PFL fights from now on and whilst that changes the fights inside the Smart Cage, the newest changes will affect the format that these bouts take place in. For a long time, the PFL has pushed the $1 million tournament as it’s main selling point with the winner of each final towards the end of the year being granted a world championship and a huge prize sum.

    Al Zullino (@phre on X) was the first to report that this prize money would be cut in half moving forwards after he shared details of a new PFL contract which lists the “Tournament Champions Bonus” as $500,000.

    Uncrowned’s Drake Riggs also wrote that according to sources, another big change will be the way that fighter’s progress through the regular season format. In previous years, fighters were awarded a certain amount of points for winning and fight and the method/speed of victory. For example, a first-round finish would earn a fighter six points on the scoreboard with these points tallies then determining the matchups for the play-offs.

    Though the new format is yet to be confirmed, it looks like the points system will no longer be in use due to a change in direction for the way that the PFL distributes its talent. It appears that the biggest names in the promotion and the most anticipated bouts will now take place on the Road to Dubai Champions Series events with the first one set to take place on January 25.

    The season format will instead be focused on rising stars in the promotion and building exciting talent rather than it being the end goal for everyone on the roster. Zullino also shared details of a revised bonus scheme for the fighters who are involved in non-season title fights.

  • O’Malley’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili’s Anger Toward Umar Nurmagomedov: ‘Looks Like He’s About To Start Crying’ 

    O’Malley’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili’s Anger Toward Umar Nurmagomedov: ‘Looks Like He’s About To Start Crying’ 

    If it was any other fighter, one may look at Merab Dvalishvili’s emotions heading into his first title defense and question whether it will impact his performance. However, we have seen several times that the current bantamweight champion will get incredibly fired-up both before, during and after he is inside the Octagon without it having any effect on his consistency.

    The Georgian has been particularly tense and outspoken during the build-up to his fight with Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311 on January 18. He made it crystal clear at the press conference in December that he doesn’t believe that his first challenger has earned his shot which is why he didn’t want to fight him in the first place.

    Dvalishvili eventually agreed to fight Nurmagomedov at the earliest available date when he grew tired of being criticized for not taking the fight and feeling disrespected by his upcoming opponent. As the head coach of Sean O’Malley, Tim Welch has felt first-hand what it feels like to be in the unpredictable crosshairs of the 135-pound titleholder.

    He gave his thoughts on Dvalishvili’s actions during a recent interview with Submission Radio having cornered against him this past September at UFC 306. Welch believes that whilst it was quite a sight to see how emotionally charged the champion was whilst he was on stage at the press conference, he thinks that the champ is the kind of fighter who seeks out this kind of atmosphere.

    “Some people, they just want to get p***** about something. Maybe they fight better, maybe they train better, they want to get p***** about something but the stuff he gets p***** about, it’s like I don’t know if he’s a slow guy. I mean actually, you kind of know he’s a slow guy, everyone who knows him knows he’s not like the sharpest dude, but he must just want something to get fired up about. Like he’s p***** off at Umar, he’s saying, ‘Fight me right now, you disrespected me! We’re in the UFC and you want to fight me, I have the title and you want to fight me,’ and it looks like he’s about to start crying on the press conference. I’m like holy s***, this guy’s got some screws loose so it’s kind of normal seeing that but man, you can’t take it away from the guy. The guy is an animal, he is a beast.”

  • Carlos Prates Takes Issue With Omission From ‘Best Hands In The UFC’ List

    Carlos Prates Takes Issue With Omission From ‘Best Hands In The UFC’ List

    The UFC is home to some incredible strikers who are particularly known for the boxing skills that they bring to the Octagon. Following a recent social media post, one of the promotion’s most devastating knockout artists voiced his displeasure at being left out of that category.

    Popular MMA social media page and clothing brand Full Violence posted the following image on Instagram which listed Sean O’Malley, Jack Della Maddalena, José Aldo, Dustin Poirier, Ilia Topuria, Alex Pereira, Max Holloway and Petr Yan as the fighters with the best hands in the sport. One of the breakout stars of 2024 clearly believes that he should also have been highlighted based on the body of work that he has accumulated over the past 12 months.

    Carlos Prates emerged as one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC by producing four consecutive knockout wins inside the Octagon this past year. After appearing on the 2023 season of Dana White’s Contender Series, the Brazilian has announced himself as a serious threat in the welterweight division by stopping Trevin Giles, Charles Radtke, Li Jingliang and Neil Magny with his latest performance earning him a spot in the top 15 rankings.

    The Fighting Nerds athlete credits his Muay Thai experience for his ferocious striking skillset which has seen him win 16 of his 21 pro fights via knockout. Whilst it surely would’ve been an honor for Prates to be listed alongside this group of fighters considering that all but one of them has been a champion at one stage in their careers, his comment in the replies to the post says it all without the need for any words.

  • Cain Velásquez Highlights Clear Weakness Jon Jones Can Exploit Against Tom Aspinall

    Cain Velásquez Highlights Clear Weakness Jon Jones Can Exploit Against Tom Aspinall

    Cain Velásquez will always be known as one of the best heavyweights that we have ever seen in MMA. Whilst injuries may have held him back at points, the former two-time UFC champion is one of the most well-rounded competitors in the history of his weight class.

    At the top of the sport right now, a UFC heavyweight title fight might be the most desired contest that is out there with fans and fellow fighters still clamouring for Jon Jones to face Tom Aspinall in a unification clash. In one corner, you have the consensus greatest of all time whilst in the other, you’ve got the man that many believe is the best fighter in his weight class right now.

    One of the biggest talking points surrounding this fight has been whether the Brit has the experience to beat someone like Jones who has been at the highest level for an incredible amount of time. Velásquez, however, believes that it is Aspinall’s predictability that would cost him in this potential matchup.

    The interim champion is known for finishing opponents quickly with his lighting fast speed and one-punch power which makes it so difficult for opponents to deal with his timing. Velásquez recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show where he said that whilst Aspinall is incredibly effective at what he does, he believes that it is easy to predict meaning someone like Jones will be able to counter this inside the Octagon.

    “I don’t think he [beats Jones],” Velasquez said of Aspinall. “Me just watching him, I kind of see his pattern a little bit, and his striking — the way he comes in and strikes. I think Jon sees it too. I think with that, just because, again, Jon, he studies, man. He does his homework. He’s a master at this. He analyzes things. He studies you over and over again. I think just for that reason, he’s going to know what to do. So I don’t think [Aspinall] beats Jon.

    “Everybody has a pattern, right? There’s a fight pattern,” Velasquez continued. “Some people disguise it better than others. The simple fact is the way Tom comes in and fights, he does have a pattern that’s somewhat easier to find. He comes in and strikes. And I think you know what we’re talking about — a lot of things come with that. It’s disguising your pattern. It’s throwing fakes here and there before. But when he comes in to attack, he comes in and attacks. It’s 100% full go. He comes in, glides in, lunges in and does his attack. Again, not that it’s not effective — it is. He’s done great things with it. But I think with the type of guy that Jon Jones is, I think he studies him, and he beats him because of that.”

  • Irish Soccer Team Distances Itself From Conor McGregor After UFC Star Poses With Trophy Post-Cup Final Win

    Irish Soccer Team Distances Itself From Conor McGregor After UFC Star Poses With Trophy Post-Cup Final Win

    For a long time, being associated with Conor McGregor was one of the biggest boosts that any brand, company or product could hope to land on but that has changed significantly in recent months. In November, “The Notorious” was found liable for assault by an Irish court in his civil rape case.

    The Irishman was forced to pay out 248,000 euros following the result of his case but the financial damage is the only start of the repercussions. Several brands that were formerly linked with the sporting superstar have backed away from “The Mac” in the aftermath including the whiskey brand, Proper No. Twelve, which he launched in 2018 and sold three years later for a huge profit.

    In a recent social media post, McGregor broadcast a photo of him holding the FAI Cup to his 47.1 million Instagram followers. The cup was recently won by Drogheda United who defeated Derry City 2-0 in Dublin to become FAI champions for the second time in their over 100-year history.

    The former UFC champ-champ was seen celebrating at his Black Forge Inn alongside his cousin Warren Davis, who was an unused substitute in the final which took place on November 10. The Ireland Premier Division club have since posted an official statement on their website and on social media in order to distance themselves from McGregor who spoke about buying a club in his initial message.

    “A social media post has been brought to our attention today regarding the FAI Cup. Those pictured are a close relation to one of our first team players, who like all the other players had custody of the cup to celebrate with their families at different intervals. Drogheda United do not associate ourselves with the individual who made the social media post in any way, or with any unauthorised brands mentioned.”