A little less than two months after his initial arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been deported to Mexico, where he is currently in a prison.
@DHSgov deportó a Julio César Chávez Jr. a las autoridades mexicanas para que enfrente los cargos conforme a la justicia de su país. Esta acción refleja la sólida cooperación entre nuestros gobiernos, demostrando que la colaboración ofrece resultados y fortalece la seguridad de… pic.twitter.com/q3NdKcNnAv
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security deported Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. to Mexican authorities to face charges in accordance with his country’s justice system,” Ronald Johnson, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said in a statement on social media. “This action reflects the strong cooperation between our governments, demonstrating that collaboration yields results and strengthens the security of both nations.”
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Deported To Mexico
In early July, Chavez Jr. was detained by ICE near his residence in Los Angeles, facing allegations of unlawful entry into the United States.
Chavez Jr. is alleged to be involved with the Sinaloa Cartel, a group that has been deemed terroristic by the U.S. government. Chavez Jr. allegedly has had an arrest warrant in Mexico since 2023, reportedly due connections to the Cartel, and he is alleged to have helped traffic firearms, ammunitions, and explosives.
Chavez Jr. and his team and family have maintained the boxer’s innocence in this matter.
The arrest by ICE came just days after the former WBC middleweight champion dropped a decision to Jake Paul in a highly criticized and lackluster bout.
The latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series continued with a memorable night of action filled with highlights in Las Vegas.
DWCS began in 2017 and has produced a notable number of fighters currently on the UFC’s roster. Since the show’s inception in 2017, a couple have even gone on to claim UFC championships. Known as “The ultimate job interview,” DWCS features five fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.
Last year’s edition saw 42 fighters earn a contract with the world’s leading MMA organization across 10 events, slightly down from the 46 handed out in 2023. Episode two of season nine this week saw five prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon’s bright lights.
The night got started with a strong performance from Ramiro Jimenez, who scored a first-round finish of Tommy Cuozzi Jr. Jimenez worked over Cuozzi’s body early, especially with the left hand, before a one-two scored a knockdown of Cuozzi. Jimenez continued to target the body and do damage with powerful shots, ending things by grabbing Cuozzi and landing a pair of elbows. That dominant performance earned him the nod from Dana White for a UFC contract.
Former NFL player and collegiate wrestler Josh Hokit looked to make a statement with his victory over Guilherme Uriel. Hokit completely controlled the action with wrestling, attempting nine takedowns during the first round and scoring on most of them. Though Uriel started to defend takedowns during the later part of the round, it was clear he was worn down. Hokit then scored an easy takedown seconds into the second round, dominating on the ground before finishing things with elbows.
Hokit then delivered a Colby Covington-esque promo after his win, claiming himself to be the savior of the heavyweight division.
Louis Lee Scott was also in action on the night, defeating Kaushik Saikumar, the first Indian fighter to compete on DWCS. Despite his weight miss, Lee Scott shook off Saikumar’s grappling, including a pair of leg lock attempts, and put on a fairly strong striking performance. Lee Scott would overwhelm Saikumar with strikes to score a third-round TKO. And despite the weight miss, White gave him a contract as well.
Cam Rowston and Brandon Holmes’ co-main fight was a violent affair for how long it lasted, but it was Rowston who scored the win after an elbow rocked Holmes, leading eventually to a flurry of strikes that’d result in not only another first-round finish and contract — but also Rowston earning a spot on the UFC Perth card next month.
The main event of the evening saw Jose Delano put up a dominant performance over a durable Manuel Exposito. Despite Exposito trying to get to a strong start early, Delano seemed to land at will on Exposito, busting him open and putting on a beating for a full 15 minutes. In spite of not getting the finish, his performance was enough to earn the nod from White, giving all five winners on the night UFC contracts.
Ramiro Jimenez def. Tommy Cuozzi Jr. via TKO (R1, 2:53)
Two men who recently made headway in the UFC middleweight title picture will gain another opportunity to inch even closer to a shot at Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC Vancouver main event.
Renier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez competed in the card’s main event, which goes down on October 18 at the Rogers Arena.
UFC CEO & President Dana White officially confirmed this bout, as well as others, during an Instagram live stream.
White also hinted that the winner who performs best between this fight and the Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho bout that takes place at UFC Paris on September 6 may be first in line to challenge Chimaev. Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 this past Saturday.
Reinier De Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez To Headline UFC Vancouver, Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi To Serve As Co-Main
De Ridder, the former two-division champion in ONE Championship, is 4-0 in the UFC since making his promotional debut this past November. He has scored submissions over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland, a TKO of Bo Nickal, and a split decision over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. The Whittaker fight took place just last month in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event.
Hernandez has won eight straight and is 9-2 in the UFC. He fought just a couple of weeks ago in the UFC Vegas 109 main event, dominating Roman Dolidze en route to a fourth-round submission.
The UFC Vancouver co-main event will see former bantamweight title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera taking on Aiemann Zahabi.
Vera has lost two straight and three of his last four, having last fought in a loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at last year’s UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Night event. Zahabi, meanwhile, has won six straight and is 7-2 in the UFC. Zahabi fought in a featherweight bout at UFC 315, defeating former bantamweight king Jose Aldo, who retired from pro MMA a second time following the bout.
The aforementioned Holland will also be competing at UFC Vancouver, facing Mike Malott. Holland is 3-3 in his last six, dropping a decision to Daniel Rodriguez in a wild fight at UFC 318 that Holland took on short notice. Malott is 12-2-1 in professional MMA, which includes a 5-1 UFC record since joining off a first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series. Malott most recently fought at UFC 315, knocking out Charles Radtke.
An important women’s flyweight contest was also announced, as Manon Fiorot will take on Jasmine Jasudavicius. Fiorot unsuccessfully challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s flyweight title at UFC 315 — a fight that snapped a 7-0 unbeaten run in the UFC and a 12-fight winning streak Fiorot had since dropping her pro MMA debut. Jasudavicius, meanwhile, has won five straight and seven of eight, submitting Jessica Andrade on that same UFC 315 card.
Another former Olympic champion will be joining the professional MMA world, as Gable Steveson is set to make his debut in the sport next month.
Steveson, who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021, will be featured in the co-main event of LFA 217 on September 12, taking on Braden Peterson.
The MMA fight will also come just a couple of weeks following Steveson’s scheduled submission grappling debut. Steveson will compete against Craig Jones at the Craig Jones Invitational 2 on August 31.
Gable Steveson To Make Professional MMA Debut At LFA 217
Competing in wrestling for nearly all of his life, Steveson, who competed for the University of Minnesota, is perhaps one of the best NCAA wrestlers in modern history. He was a five-time NCAA Division-I All-American, a two-time national champion, a four-time Big Ten conference champion, and a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner.
Steveson fell short of capturing the 2025 NCAA heavyweight national title this past March, falling short in the final seconds of his bout with Wyatt Hendrickson. The bout, the last of Steveson’s NCAA career, snapped a 70-bout win streak.
In addition to his freestyle wrestling Olympic gold and NCAA success, Steveson was a 2021 Pan-American champion, a 2017 U20 world champion, and a 2015 and 2016 U17 world champion.
Steveson’s career, however, was briefly halted in 2019 when he and a teammate were arrested and suspended from all team activities at Minnesota following accusations of sexual assault. Criminal charges were dropped at the end of the year due to a lack of evidence.
Steveson also halted his NCAA senior season after signing an NIL (Next In-Line) deal with the WWE in 2021, becoming the second Olympic gold medalist to be signed by the WWE, following 1996 Olympic gold winner Kurt Angle. Steveson’s appearances, however, were sporadic and he would be released in 2024.
Not long after his WWE release, Steveson, despite never playing football before, tried to make the roster of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. He would be released following the 2024 pre-season.
Peterson, Stevenson’s opponent, went 4-1 on the amateur MMA circuit this year, picking up an amateur super heavyweight title in the process. Peterson made his professional MMA debut in July, scoring a 14-second finish of Chris Thompson.
The latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the UFC rankings toward contention and others fall away.
And in the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC 319, MMA News has you covered with this week’s complete updates.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Following his middleweight title win at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev moves up ten spots to No. 4. The now-former champion, Dricus Du Plessis, falls seven spots to No. 11.
Alexandre Pantoja falls one spot to No. 5. Max Holloway, Belal Muhammad, and Arman Tsarukyan fall one spot to, respectively, Nos. 12-14.
Charles Oliveira has fallen off the list and is replaced at No. 15 at Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Strawweight:
Women’s Flyweight: After her win at UFC 319, Karine Silva moves up one spot to No. 10, swapping places with Miranda Maverick (No. 11).
Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.
Flyweight: After his victory at UFC 319, Tim Elliott moves up one spot on the list to No. 10, swapping places with Steve Erceg (No. 11).
The man Elliott beat, Kai Asakura, is no longer ranked, replaced at No. 15 by Charles Johnson.
Bantamweight: No changes.
Featherweight: Following his win at UFC 319, Lerone Murphy moves up two spots to No. 4. Brian Ortega and Arnold Allen each drop a spot, moving down to No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.
Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett moves up two spots to No. 7. Mateusz Gamrot and Beneil Dariush each drop a spot to No. 8 and 9, respectively.
Joel Alvarez falls off the list and is replaced at No. 15 by Mauricio Ruffy.
Welterweight: Following his win at UFC 319, Carlos Prates moves up three spots to No. 9. Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Geoff Neal all drop one spot each to, respectively, Nos. 10-12.
Also, after his second win at middleweight at UFC 319, Michael “Venom” Page has been removed from rankings eligibility at welterweight. As a result, Kevin Holland returns to the 170-pound rankings at No. 15.
Middleweight: With Chimaev taking the champion’s spot, Du Plessis falls to the No. 1 contender. As a result, Nassourdine Imavov and Sean Strickland fall one spot each to No. 2 and No. 3.
MVP debuts on this list at No. 10. The man he beat, Jared Cannonier, falls two spots to No. 11, while Brendan Allen moves up one spot to No. 9. Roman Dolidze, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori all move down one spot to Nos. 12-14, respectively.
Additionally, Anthony Hernandez moves up one spot to No. 6, swapping places with Caio Borralho (No. 7).
Light Heavyweight: No changes.
Heavyweight: No changes.
This week’s new UFC rankings were first reported by John Morgan. UFC.com’s rankings section still to be updatedas of publication time.
After about three years away from active combat competition, UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar is set to return on October 4 in a completely different environment.
Edgar will be moving from the gloves to his bare knuckles, signing with BKFC, per a report from Ariel Helwani.
Breaking:
Frankie Edgar is coming out of retirement.
Edgar will make his BKFC debut on Oct. 4 at the Prudential Center in Newark versus Jimmie Rivera, per sources, pending New Jersey State Athletic Control Board approval. pic.twitter.com/T1EUla5p5E
Pending an approval from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Edgar will reportedly make his BKFC debut on October 4 at BKFC 82, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — Edgar’s home state.
His opponent will be fellow UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera.
Frankie Edgar vs. Jimmie Rivera Booked For BKFC 82
Edgar made his MMA debut in 2005, going on to sign with the UFC in 2007 and having a 15-year career with the promotion, competing in three weight classes and getting inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2024. His last fight came at UFC 281, where he was knocked out by Chris Gutierrez — Edgar’s third consecutive knockout loss.
Edgar defeated B.J. Penn in upset fashion at UFC 112 to become UFC lightweight champion. He’d retain the title in a rematch against Penn at UFC 118 before retaining in a pair of fights (the latter two in a trilogy) against Gray Maynard in 2011.
After dropping the title to Benson Henderson and losing a subsequent rematch, Edgar moved down to 145, unsuccessfully challenging for featherweight gold three times (twice undisputed, once interim), losing to Jose Aldo at UFC 156 and UFC 200 and to Max Holloway at UFC 240.
Edgar moved down to bantamweight in 2020, winning his division debut against Pedro Munhoz before the three-fight losing skid that ended his UFC tenure.
Rivera, who finished his MMA career 23-5, fought for the UFC between 2015 and 2021, going 7-4 in the promotion. Rivera has not fought in MMA since his last UFC bout — a loss to Munhoz at UFC Vegas 20.
Rivera signed with BKFC later that year, and he is 2-2-1 in the promotion thus far. Rivera most recently fought at BKFC Fight Night Montana in November, unsuccessfully challenging Kai Stewart for the BKFC featherweight title.
After suffering an injury in his last fight earlier this year, former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will return to the Octagon on October 11, as he takes on Montel Jackson.
This will mark Figueiredo’s first fight since his loss to Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Des Moines. It was a fight in which the former flyweight champion suffered a knee injury in the bout’s conclusion.
Deiveson Figueiredo Returns To Action At UFC Rio
The man known as “Deus Da Guerra” moved up to bantamweight at the end of 2023, winning three straight before a pair of losses to former champion Petr Yan and Sandhagen, the latter of whom will be challenging for the gold at UFC 320. It’s the first time in Figueiredo’s career that he has suffered back-to-back losses.
Figueiredo is a former two-time UFC flyweight champion, having engaged in four wars with Brandon Moreno over the title, going 1-2-1 in the process during the legendary, praiseworthy rivalry.
Jackson has won six straight. He also competed at UFC Des Moines, scoring a decision win over Daniel Marcos.
UFC 319 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 320 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The promotion was in Chicago last week, where the United Center played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its eighth numbered event of the year. Of note were headline wins for Khamzat Chimaev and Lerone Murphy, as well as important victories for Carlos Prates, Michael “Venom” Page, and Tim Elliott.
While the aftermath of the August 16 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the middleweight championship title picture to the light heavyweight and bantamweight championship conversations.
At UFC 320, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 4, Magomed Ankalaev will defend the UFC light heavyweight championship against Alex Pereira. This will be a rematch of their UFC 313 encounter in March, which saw Ankalaev pull off the upset by decision to become the new champion.
Anakalev is 12-0-1 (1 NC) since dropping his UFC debut. Pereira, who has held gold at both 185 and 205 in the UFC, won the light heavyweight title by defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295. He then defended the belt against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, Prochazka at UFC 303, and Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307.
Stakes will also be high in the co-main event, as the bantamweight championship will be on the line when Merab Dvalishvili defends against Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili won the title from Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC 2 (UFC 306) last September and has successfully retained against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and O’Malley at UFC 316. A win against Sandhagen could solidify Fighter of the Year awards for him across MMA media — to add onto the ESPY he received last month. Sandhagen has won four of his last five, finishing Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines in May.
Prochazka, Rakic, Magomedov Set The Stage For Light Heavyweight Title Headliner At UFC 320
Before Ankalaev and Dvalishvili make their way out to defend their titles, several names will look to make their own statements on the main card for UFC 320.
This includes Jiri Prochazka, who will be doing battle with Khalil Rountree Jr. Prochazka, a former light heavyweight champion, rebounded from his second loss to Pereira with a first-round knockout of another former champion in Jamahal Hill at UFC 311. Rountree Jr. rebounded from his unsuccessful challenge of Pereira with a five-round domination of Hill at UFC Baku a couple of months ago.
Another light heavyweight contender in Aleksandar Rakic will also be in action, taking on Azamat Murzakamov. This bout was scheduled for UFC 321 later in October but has been pushed up. Rakic will be looking to snap a three-fight losing skid, most recently dropping a decision to Ankalaev at UFC 308. Murzakamov is a 15-0 up-and-comer who scored a finish of Brendson Ribeiro at UFC 316.
The main card is scheduled to open with Abus Magomedov taking on Joe Pyfer. Magomedov has won three straight, most recently scoring a decision over Michel Pereira at UFC Kansas City in April. Pyfer has won two straight and is 5-1 in the Octagon, most recently defeating Kelvin Gastelum by decision at UFC 316.
Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the likes of Patchy Mix, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Macy Chiasson, all of whom are expected to be featured players on the event’s preliminary card.
See below for the UFC 320 lineup, as it stands.
Main Card:
Light Heavyweight Championship: Magomed Ankalev vs. Alex Pereira
Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen
Light Heavyweight: Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakamov
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer
Preliminary Card (Order TBA):
Middleweight: Ateba Abega Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz
Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Muniz
Bantamweight: Patchy Mix vs. Jakub Wiklacz
Women’s Flyweight: Veronica Hardy vs. Brogan Walker
Bantamweight: Chris Gutierrez vs. Farid Basharat
Women’s Bantamweight: Macy Chiasson vs. Yana Santos
Welterweight: Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Austin Vanderford
Note: There will be no September UFC PPV. Noche UFC 3 on September 13 will be a UFC Fight Night event, which will serve as a lead-in for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford boxing card. Alvarez-Crawford will be the first major fight promoted by TKO Boxing, which includes UFC CEO & President Dana White.
The UFC’s long-awaited return to Chicago finally happened on August 16, as the promotion held UFC 319 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a highly-hyped main event.
It was the UFC’s first venture to the Windy City since 2019, when the promotion held UFC 238 in June of that year. That night saw Henry Cejudo become the third champ-champ in UFC history by defeating Marlon Moraes for the bantamweight title, as well as Valentina Shevchenko’s scary knockout of Jessica Eye to retain the women’s flyweight title.
The main event of UFC 319 saw the middleweight title on the line when Dricus Du Plessis defended the gold against Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis originally won the belt by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297 and retained against Israel Adesanya and Strickland, respectively, at UFC 305 and UFC 312. The undefeated Chimaev earned the title shot with a violent finish of another former champion, Robert Whittaker, at UFC 308.
The co-main event featured unbeaten featherweight contender Lerone Murphy in action, as he welcomed former Bellator top prospect Aaron Pico to the Octagon.
Who showed up in Chicago? Who missed the mark? Let’s find out in this edition of Hits and Misses for UFC 319!
Hit – Alexander Hernandez Does Indeed Do Great
The intention may have been to use Alexander Hernandez as another name for Chase Hooper to put away on his path toward becoming the breakout star some would hope he’d become. “The Great” stopped that in its tracks for now.
Hooper had a notable reach advantage and used that early on. But Hernandez worked his boxing, and his hands ended becoming the difference in this outing. Hernandez landed a right hand just before the horn that dropped Hooper, and he’d put the young star away with seconds remaining in the first round.
That’s now three straight wins for Hernandez since returning to lightweight last year, and he might be a win away from facing a lightweight contender. As far as Hooper goes, this isn’t the end, as he’s only 25, had a win streak coming into this contest, and is still developing.
Hit – Fighting Nerd Michal Oleksiejczuk Is Different
Sometimes a change of camp really does something to a fighter, and perhaps there’s no better example of late than with Michal Oleksiejczuk’s move to the Fighting Nerds.
Facing Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 319, Oleksiejczuk consistently stopped Meerschaert’s attempts to take the fight to the ground. That would have put the outing in Meerschaert’s world, and instead, Oleksiejczuk kept the fight in his and made Meerschaert pay.
Oleksiejczuk scored a pair of knockdowns before blasting Meerschaert away with ground-and-pound until the ref stopped the fight.
MOST 1ST-ROUND KNOCKOUTS – UFC History 11 – Vitor Belfort 09 – Anthony Johnson 08 – Michal Oleksiejczuk#UFC319pic.twitter.com/nunUEUzO8B
This is the second straight first-round finish for Oleksiejczuk, following his first-round finish of Sedriques Dumas at UFC 314. Oleksiejczuk feels like a reborn fighter since moving to the Fighting Nerds, and a third finish in a row his next time out would just put a stamp on that.
Miss – “Baysangur Susurkaev!” & The Silence Of Chicago
Let’s start by saying this — Baysangur Susurkaev deserves all the credit in the world for taking a Dana White’s Contender Series fight on a week’s notice, winning that, turning around four days later for his UFC debut and scoring a finish. That’s not my issue.
My issue is that more credit needs to be given to Eric Nolan — because Susurkaev left a performance that leaves much to be desired.
Susurkaev tried to pressure Nolan during the opening round, only for Nolan to work his hands and rock Susurkaev in the closing seconds of the round. In fact, had there been more time, Nolan could have gotten a finish. Susurkaev worked over Nolan’s legs in the second, and when the former CFFC welterweight champion tried to take the fight to the mat, Susurkaev made him pay and took his back, scoring the submission.
And while it’s good to have confidence, Susurkaev went on to say he’d be willing to fight again in a few weeks and tried to lead a chant of his name with the Chicago crowd…it failed spectacularly.
The feat itself is phenomenal, but I need to see more from Susurkaev before I can call him something special.
Hit – Tim Elliott Gives “Age Is Only A Number” A Supporting Argument
You may not see Tim Elliott challenging for a flyweight title soon, if ever again. That might be a miracle. But what he did at UFC 319 against Kai Asakura cannot be denied.
Asakura’s footwork helped give him an edge early on in the fight, allowing him to connect a number of times on Elliott. While Asakura had the edge for about four minutes, Elliott took him down in the final minute of the first and didn’t look back. In the second, he’d score another takedown and worked top position until he was able to score a submission via choke.
Elliott has now won four of his last five, though this marked his first fight since December 2023. Again, it may take a miracle for Elliott to blow up the flyweight rankings and get his way into a title shot. But this win has shown he’s a tough competitor who up-and-comers may have to go through just to get into the contender scene.
Hit – MVP: Same Ol’ Antics & Fighting Style
Vintage Michael “Venom” Page. That’s the best way to describe his victory over Jared Cannonier at UFC 319.
MVP stayed on the outside to start the opening round, nullifying Cannonier’s attempts to come inside and landing on Cannonier from range. He taunted throughout the fight, daring Cannonier to try and get him, only to make Cannonier miss and land on him. MVP also knocked Cannonier down a couple of times during the fight. And even when Cannonier got him down in the third, he wasn’t able to do much with it and couldn’t get the finish, which resulted in a decision win for Page.
After the way he looked against a former middleweight title challenger, and looking at MVP’s run in the UFC so far, it would benefit the Bellator veteran more to stay at 185.
Hit – Carlos Prates Makes Chicago Come Unglued…
What else needs to be said? It was one of the best knockouts 2025 has delivered and then some.
While Geoff Neal looked to be aggressive and come out strong, his single-shotted efforts proved to be no match in the long run for the game Carlos Prates was playing. Prates aimed low with kicks and picked up his output over the course of the fight’s near five minutes.
And then, right before the horn, WHAM! One of the most vicious elbows ever delivered in this sport, bringing everyone to their feet, jaw-dropped or roaring with cheers.
Carlos Prates scores the 9th spinning back elbow knockout in UFC history. It's his 5th UFC knockout, most in the UFC since 2024.
This is how you rebound following the loss to Ian Machado Garry. This is how you gain yet another Performance of the Night bonus. And this is how you make your mark and say, “I’m right in the middle of this welterweight title picture.”
Hit – …And Then Lerone Murphy Delivers An Encore
Second verse, same as the first, right? A spinning elbow KO is rare enough in the UFC, but then we saw two in a row.
Lerone Murphy pulled off the highlight to give Aaron Pico a rude awakening (or in this case, “sleepening”…I know it’s not a word) into the UFC. In something that has been a repeat of some of Pico’s other losses in his career, Pico got too careless and aggressive with his striking, and Murphy took advantage. Murphy picked up on Pico’s forward pressure motions and used a spinning elbow to drop him out cold in vicious fashion.
Murphy is undefeated, and the only time he didn’t win a fight was when he fought to a draw in his UFC debut. “The Miracle” finally, however, got a highlight that stamped a statement for a title shot — and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski seemed to be listening, posting “See you in December” after the fight. Perhaps Murphy has now found a way to jump Movsar Evloev for the next crack at the 145-pound title.
Miss – Names From Outside The UFC Aren’t Delivering
I was watching a YouTube video in the immediate aftermath of the fight from someone I really respect in the MMA media landscape, James Lynch, talking about whose stock has risen and fallen the most following UFC 319. And he had an interesting take in that, instead of picking Dricus Du Plessis or Aaron Pico, he selected Kai Asakura for the fact he’s now 0-2 since coming over from RIZIN and just lost to an elder stateman of the flyweight division.
And the more I think about it, the more he’s right. And that combined with the Pico loss, despite some wild takes in the MMA community over the past week, is why I’m putting this “miss” here and combining Asakura, Pico, Patchy Mix, and even Patricio Pitbull.
Of late, these names have all been fighters once prominent in other promotions, who have just not delivered when it comes to their time in the UFC thus far. For Asakura to lose to the defending champ in his debut is one thing, getting finished by Tim Elliott (no disrespect to him whatsoever) is another. People raved about Pico despite his track record, his UFC opponent, and the lack of success of some of his Bellator precedents. Look what happened.
Then there’s Patchy Mix, who looked awful in his UFC debut against Mario Bautista a couple of months ago. Patricio Pitbull might be a case of “came over too late,” but it’s undeniable his 1-1 start in the UFC, and how he’s performed in both fights, leaves a lot to be desired. Obviously, there are exceptions (look at Michael Chandler and Michael “Venom” Page), but the recent track sheet of guys coming over to the UFC from other promotions has not been great.
And now Pitbull and Mix are being paired against two other names from other promotions, respectively in former two-division Oktagon champion Losene Keita and former KSW champion Jakub Wiklacz. And the thing is, the UFC has no big loss either way with fighters they bring from other promotions. Win and they can consider you a top name and put promotion behind you. Lose? “Well these other promotions aren’t the UFC.”
Takedown, takedown, takedown was the strategy. And the belief was that the longer the fight went on, the more it’d favor Du Plessis. There were plenty of questions about Chimaev’s gas tank and how he would handle the wild, unorthodox nature of DDP’s fighting style.
He answered those questions and then some with an absolutely dominating performance. In fact, the last time a challenger had this much of a one-sided beating of a defending champion for as long as Chimaev did, you’d have to go back to Kamaru Usman beating the breaks off Tyron Woodley to dethrone him of the welterweight title at UFC 235. If were talking title fights in general, then perhaps the beatdown Amanda Nunes put on Felicia Spencer at UFC 250.
So what’s next for Chimaev? Despite not fighting more than once a year since 2020, he’s being very open about a desire to turn around on short fashion and defend the belt in Abu Dhabi at UFC 321. Is there anyone who seems to be willing to step up and try to match his style and beat him? Reinier de Ridder is raising his hand. But after all this time he’s spent on the sidelines with the Jon Jones situation, you can’t just move heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall down from the main event, right?…Right?
Miss – A Disappointing Ending To DDP’s Run
As someone who has ridden the DDP hype train since 2016, it’s crazy that the minute everyone starts to believe in his style, along comes Khamzat Chimaev to end the run in one of the most spectacular fashions.
The man simply had no answers on the mat. He just couldn’t figure out how to get away from Chimaev’s wrestling. The pressure Chimaev put on was just too much; and it’s honestly kind of a shock Chimaev either didn’t get the finish or have scorecards that were like 50-43 or 50-42.
And it’s a shame. Du Plessis solidified himself as one of the most entertaining fighters at 185 in the UFC. He made a name for himself proving people wrong; and this time he just couldn’t. And unfortunately, it means he isn’t getting a rematch anytime soon. And you have to wonder what is next for him considering he’s beaten Sean Strickland twice, and Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker once.
Perhaps Reinier de Ridder is next if the UFC isn’t ready to give RDR the title shot? Or maybe DDP can face Nassourdine Imavov or rematch with Adesanya?
Miss – Chicago Turns On Chimaev
Finally, I have to call this out. It goes beyond Chicago and into the toxicity that is the MMA online community, but Chicago really proved to show the hypocrisy in fans.
If you heard the kind of crowd Chicago was this week, it seemed like a massive W. People were wild and crazy, and it seemed most of the crowd put their support behind Chimaev. They were nuts for him during the pre-fight press conference and the ceremonial weigh-ins.
Then the fight happened. And the longer it went, the more boos rang down. Even when the man got the gold strapped around him, something most in Chicago wanted to happen, the reaction was a lot tamer by comparison.
Absolutely DOMINANT performance from @KChimaev tonight 👏
Look, it wasn’t the most entertaining fight and plenty of people are disappointed there wasn’t a finish. There is no doubt about it. But you can’t take away from the fact it was one of the most dominant performances ever in a UFC title fight — and that is an accomplishment in its own right.
Georges St. Pierre didn’t finish every fight, but he put on excellent, dominating performances. Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t finish every fight, but he put on excellent, dominating performances. Amanda Nunes didn’t finish every fight, but he put on excellent, dominating performances.
Criticizing the fight does not mean someone is anti-Chimaev or making disparaging remarks about him and his background, and it doesn’t mean that someone is a “casual.” It can simply be journalistic or expert commentary. At the same time, if someone is praising the performance of Chimaev, it doesn’t mean they are crazy.
How is it that both things can’t be true? It wasn’t a great fight from the entertainment value perspective, but it did leave a significant moment in its own way.
Maybe the next time UFC hypes up a big main event fight, we as fans and pundits take more of a cautious approach when looking at it.
Khamzat Chimaev has put on one of the most dominant displays in the history of UFC title fights, completing blanking Dricus Du Plessis over five rounds to claim the UFC middleweight championship in the UFC 319 main event.
Mere seconds into the fight, Chimaev level changed and scored a takedown. DDP attempted to get an arm around Chimaev but was forced to release. Chimaev got Du Plessis in a crucifix, landing short punches around the head of the trapped defending champion. Chimaev continued to work DDP over in top position for most of the round, until Du Plessis got back to his feet in the final 20 seconds. Du Plessis went for another guillotine but was unsuccessful.
Chimaev scored another takedown seconds into the second round, getting right into back control and maintaining it despite Du Plessis’ attempts to shake him off. Du Plessis got to the fence, but Chimaev continued to smother him with pressure, nearly locking in a rear-naked choke at one point.
The process continued in the third round, where Chimaev wrapped DDP up in another crucifix and landed more short shots. Du Plessis avoided the first takedown attempt in the fourth round, but Chimaev was right back to work with another successful takedown seconds later. Chimaev dominated through back and side control during the fourth.
Du Plessis tried to bring out strong strikes in the fifth round, and even through in a guillotine attempt, but it all was for naught.
Khamzat Chimaev Defeats Dricus Du Plessis To Become UFC Middleweight Champion At UFC 319
Chimaev now improves to 15-0 in MMA and completes the destiny that seemed set for him when he made his Octagon debut in July 2020. Chimaev earned the title shot with a submission of Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
Du Plessis had won the middleweight title with a decision over Sean Strickland at UFC 297. He retained the belt against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 and in a rematch with Strickland at UFC 312.
It was crazy enough when Carlos Prates unleashed a spinning back elbow on Geoff Neal for a Knockout of the Year contender. One fight later, we get a second kind of spinning elbow — a UFC first, and one that potentially will give Lerone Murphy a title shot.
Murphy took advantage of Aaron Pico’s aggression and scored a spinning back elbow to score a first-round knockout in the UFC 319 co-main event.
Pico came out with strong strikes from the start, looking to bring the fight to Murphy and connecting on the body. Murphy, however, troubled Pico with a knee that landed in close.
“The Miracle” picked up on Pico’s forward movement and caught him being careless, landing a surprise spinning back elbow that dropped Pico out cold in devastating fashion.
Lerone Murphy Blasts Aaron Pico With Elbow For KO At UFC 319
ARE YOU F****ng KIDDING!!! Back to back spinning Elbow KOs, this one by Lerone Murphy! At this point, just give him the shot at the belt, my goodness! #UFC319pic.twitter.com/vNptA7XtGT
— High Low Sports Podcast (@High_Low_Sports) August 17, 2025
Murphy now improves to 17-0-1, having won every bout in the Octagon since going to a draw in his UFC debut.
This was Pico’s debut in the UFC since coming over from the PFL, having just one fight there following PFL’s purchase of Bellator in late 2023. Pico hadn’t fought since defeating Henry Corrales at the PFL vs. Bellator Champions card in February 2024.
Carlos Prates just produced one of the most jaw-dropping knockouts of the year, if not recent MMA history, with his finish of Geoff Neal at UFC 319.
Neal came out with some aggression, looking to control the pace and come forward with pressure. He executed a few good shots, but focused more on single blows than combination. Prates looked to work over Neal’s legs with kicks. Prates’ pace picked up over the course of the second half of the round.
And then, right before the horn, Prates pulled off a spinning back elbow that landed on the side of Neal’s head, dropping him out cold.
CARLOS PRATES KNOCKED OUT GEOFF NEAL WITH A SPINNING BACK ELBOW 😳
Michael Page will be a ranked UFC fighter come Tuesday, as he scored a victory over Jared Cannonier at UFC 319.
Cannonier tried to close the distance to land on Page, but MVP kept on the outside and used his long range to his advantage. He consistently tagged Cannonier, including a counter punch that dropped Cannonier briefly. “The Gorilla” briefly was able to get a hold of Page and placed him against the fence, but he didn’t do anything with it.
Page continued to do work in the second round, scoring another knockdown with a one-two combination and taunting Cannonier while trying to keep distance. Cannonier finally got the fight to the ground and held Page there for the third round. He attempted a couple of submissions, but they were for naught.
Page took the decision on all three judges’ scorecards, 29-28.
Michael Page Scores Judges’ Nod Over Jared Cannonier At UFC 319
MVP has the most disrespectful non disrespectful fighting style of all time 😂😂😂 #UFC319
Tim Elliott may be 38 years old, but don’t count him out yet. That was the statement made in his victory over Kai Asakura that kicked off the main card at UFC 319.
Elliott seemed to struggle with the footwork of Asakura during the opening frame. That led to Asakura being able to connect on several powerful punches during the round, including a strong one-two in the opening seconds. Asakura was in control and kept the fight standing for about four minutes, but Elliott scored a takedown in the round’s final minute, getting right into side control and landing a few knees to the body.
Elliott managed to get the fight to the ground during the second round again. This time, however, Elliott completed work over Asakura from top position, eventually making his way to a guillotine choke, scoring the submission with about 20 seconds left in the second round.
Tim Elliott Scores Second-Round Submission At UFC 319
Tim Elliott holding it down for the 35 and older club 🫡 #UFC319
Used his grappling to throw off Kai Asakura then caught him in a nasty guillotine after a dominant Round 2 to get the tap. What a crazy win for Elliott after the layoff. #UFC319
Taking the fight on just a few days’ notice, Baysangur Susurkaev faced adversity but managed to score a finish of Eric Nolan in the featured preliminary card bout of UFC 319.
Susurkaev started the fight with heavy pressure, displaying full confidence. Nolan, however, shook things up in the closing seconds of the first, rocking Susurkaev and nearly scoring the finish.
Susurkaev, however, stole momentum in the second round with a series of leg kicks to bust up one of Nolan’s legs. Nolan went to the mat, but that allowed Susurkaev to get right on top and work his way to Nolan’s back.
Susurkaev then finished off the recent CFFC welterweight champion with a rear-naked choke. His post-fight interview, however, appeared to not fly over well with fans, as he called to compete at Noche UFC 3 and failed to get the Chicago crowd to chant his name.
Baysangur Susurkaev Scores Submission Of Eric Nolan On Days’ Notice At UFC 319
Susurkaev competed just four days ago on the season premiere of Dana White’s Contender Series season nine, scoring the night’s only finish with a body kick on Murtaza Talha.
Nolan won the CFFC’s 170-pound title with a finish of Blayne Richards in May.
The move to the Fighting Nerds team continues to pay off for Michal Oleksiejczuk, as he scores a first-round knockout of Gerald Meerschaert during the UFC 319 preliminary card.
Meerschaert tried to bring the fight to the ground consistently, but Oleksiejczuk continuously stopped his takedown attempts. Oleksiejczuk’s mission to keep the fight standing was successful, blasting Meerschaert with powerful punches and scoring a pair of knockdowns.
Oleksiejczuk forced Meerschaert to stand until finding an opening to land brutal ground-and-pound and force referee Herb Dean to stop the fight.
Michal Oleksiejczuk Crushes Gerald Meerschaert At UFC 319
After three consecutive losses, Oleksiejczuk joined the Fighting Nerds team, and he’s now won back-to-back outings. He scored a first-round finish of Sedriques Dumas at UFC 314.
Meerschaert has now lost three straight and five of his last seven.
Talk about a photo finish. Alexander Hernandez provided one with his first-round knockout of Chase Hooper during the UFC 319 preliminary card.
Hooper looked to use his reach advantage, giving Hernandez some trouble with his kicks early on. “The Great Ape” worked his boxing more over the course of the round, however.
That’d lead to the finish, with one right hand from Hernandez sending Hooper crumbling to the canvas.
Alexander Hernandez Smashes Chase Hooper Right Before First-Round Horn
WOW. 😳💥 Alexander Hernandez finishes Chase Hooper via TKO in Round 1! That’s how you make a statement 👊🔥#UFC319pic.twitter.com/OQp6M9gSnJ
After Brad Katona did so just a couple of seasons ago, Joseph Morales has re-entered the UFC after winning The Ultimate Fighter, becoming the flyweight winner of season 33 with a second-round submission of Alibi Idiris — a fight that kicked off the action at UFC 319.
Morales, the major underdog in this fight, came out with pressure right away, as the two did some early trading. Though Morales was on the front foot, Idiris did very well while landing on the back foot. Morales would clinch Idiris up, however, getting the upper hand in the grappling department. After Idiris missed a spinning attack, Morales scored a takedown and worked Idiris in top control. Morales got to the back and locked up a body triangle, keeping ahold even as Idiris got to his feet. Though Morales had to release the grip, he’d use a kimura grip to get Idiris back down and back to Idiris’ back. Morales locked up a choke, but the time expired.
Morales looked to get Idiris down to start the second round, but Idiris managed to do well with defending those attempts. But as Idiris continued to look for big moves, Morales strongly worked him over with boxing, eventually landing a body blow that did big damage. Morales dropped Idiris and looked for a banana split, but he lost it.
While he was on the bottom, Morales locked up a tight triangle choke, scoring the submission and the TUF 33 flyweight title.
Joseph Morales Becomes TUF 33 Flyweight Winner
Right after this tweet he catches him in a triangle and ends it, Joseph Morales looked incredible tonight. So interested to see where he goes from here, he proved me wrong time and time again throughout this season. #UFC319https://t.co/SEyRBYAAfv
Morales, a member of Team Sonnen, arrived at the final fight through victories over Eduardo Henrique and Imanol Rodriguez (the latter in controversial fashion). Before TUF, Morales had a prior stint in the UFC, going 1-2 with a submission of Roberto Sanchez and losses to Deiveson Figueriedo and Eric Shelton. Since his UFC release, he’s won three straight.
Idiris, a member of Team Cormier, reached the TUF Finale thanks to defeating Furkatbek Yokubov and Roybert Echerverria. Prior to his time on TUF, Idiris went 10-0 as a pro while fighting exclusively for Nazia FC, picking up their flyweight title in the process.
The TUF 33 welterweight winner will be determined at Noche UFC 3 in a fight featuring Team Cormier’s Rodrigo Sezinando and Daniil Donchenko. The fight was scheduled for tonight but was postponed due to Sezinando suffering an injury.
Gadzhi Rabadanov’s desires for a second straight PFL lightweight title are for naught. Alfie Davis put on an excellent striking performance to outlast Rabadanov’s grappling-heavy efforts to claim the 2025 PFL World Tournament lightweight title in the main event of the PFL’s card in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The fight opened with a tactical first round, with Davis working kicks from range as Rabadanov tried to pressure. Raabdanov was trying to overwhelm Davis with his takedown attempts and grappling, but Davis executed well on his high kicks and body shots.
Rabadanov took control in the second round, scoring an early takedown and imposing his will from the top position. He stayed on top for most of the frame, landing body shots and advancing through half guard. Davis rebounded with a dynamic striking effort in the third round, working combinations and scoring in the exchanges, in particular landing kicks and sharp elbows.
Rabadanov repeated his second-round performance in round four, but Davis’ sharp striking and tagging of Rabadanov helped him secure the fifth round, resulting in all three judges awarding 48-47 scores and the PFL tournament title to Davis.
Alfie Davis Claims 2025 PFL Lightweight World Tournament Title With Decision Over Gadzhi Rabadanov
I deserve a horrible night for abandoning my guy Alfie Davis. Cash cow. He is the best lightweight in PFL. #PFLWorldTournament
Huge upset by Alfie Davis.. not sure what Rabadanov’s game plan was but he’s gonna look back and question why he didn’t try to wrestle every single round https://t.co/XZmn2vjssa
Liz Carmouche’s legacy grows following the PFL World Tournament event in Charlotte, North Carolina, as she claimed the women’s flyweight tournament gold with a knockout of Jena Bishop in the co-main event.
The opening round saw both women trading jabs, with Bishop landing combinations to the body while Carmouche answered with steady low kicks. Bishop pressed forward with volume and clinch control, but Carmouche battled back with short strikes inside and a late flurry.
Round two saw the drama go up to another level, with the fight going to the ground after a caught kick by Bishop. Bishop nearly locked up an armbar and then transitioned to a triangle choke. Carmouche escaped and threatened her own submissions. The round ended with the two trading heavy shots and battling for positional control.
After a slow start to the third round, with Bishop trying to establish her range again, Carmouche exploded with a big left hand that dropped Bishop for the finish.
Liz Carmouche KOs Jena Bishop For 2025 PFL Women’s Flyweight World Tournament Title
In Liz Carmouche’s last SIXTEEN fights across UFC, Bellator, and PFL, she is 14-2nonly losing to Valentina Shevchenko and Taila Santos, while winning championships in Bellator and PFL, the latter of which at age 41. She is the epitome of a timeless fighter. #PFLWorldTournamenthttps://t.co/q4rWvGRsHV
My word, Liz Carmouche does it again with a NASTY left hook to drop and finish Jena Bishop. She is an absolute anomaly in this sport, and now the 2025 PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion. So happy for Liz. #PFLWorldTournament
It’s about time we give Liz Carmouche her flowers. 41 years old and still one of the top fighters in her division.
It’s funny seeing people act like Golden Age W135 was Ronda and a bunch of cans, when the likes of Liz are still flourishing a decade later. https://t.co/UJqr6YD3Gh
After falling short in last year’s women’s flyweight competition, Carmouche reached the finals this year through wins over Ilara Joanne and Elora Dana.
Bishop also fell just short of the final last year, losing to eventual champion Dakota Ditcheva. She reached the final with wins over Kana Watanabe and Ekaterina Shakalova.
In a battle of two men who started the PFL bantamweight tournament as alternates before being official participants, Marcirley Alves managed to outwork Justin Wetzell in a featured bout at the PFL World Tournament card in Charlotte, North Carolina, to become the 2025 PFL World Tournament champion at bantamweight.
Alves started strong, finding his range early with combinations, including a sharp left that caught Wetzell in the opening round. Wetzell tried to slow the pace, but Alves’ striking volume and takedown defense controlled most of the fight’s first half.
Momentum shifted in round four, as Wetzell finally secured takedowns and pressured Alves, mixing knees and body shots. Wetzell took his grappling pressure and combined it with clinch pressure in the fifth.
Wetzell then landed a huge knee in the fifth that dropped Alves. He nearly scored a D’Arce choke, but Alves narrowly escaped. Wetzell pushed forward with flurries and cage control, though Alves stayed in control and fired back.
MARCIRLEY ALVES IS A WORLD CHAMPION 🏆 WHAT A FIGHT
#PFLWorldTournament Marcirley Alves venció a Justin Wetzell por decisión unánime (49-46/48-47/48-47) y es el campeón del torneo de peso gallo. Increible final con Wetzell y la rodilla voladora que casi da vuelta todo.
UFC 319 is almost here, and we here at MMA News are here to provide you the latest on betting odds for the card.
The card takes place from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, August 16. The pay-per-view main card portion of the event will start at 10PM ET/7PM PT, with preliminary action starting at 6PM ET/3PM PT.
The headline attraction for the event will feature Dricus Du Plessis taking on Khamzat Chimaev with the UFC middleweight championship on the line.
The co-main event will see the undefeated Lerone Murphy welcoming Aaron Pico to the Octagon.
The pay-per-view card will also feature Geoff Neal facing Carlos Prates, Jared Cannonier clashing with Michael “Venom” Page, and Tim Elliott meeting Kai Asakura.
UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 319 as of August 15 at 9:30pm ET, courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Middleweight Championship: Dricus Du Plessis (+215) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-265)
Featherweight: Lerone Murphy (+154) vs. Aaron Pico (-185)
Welterweight: Geoff Neal (+180) vs. Carlos Prates (-218)
Middleweight: Jared Cannonier (+180) vs. Michael Page (-218)
Flyweight: Tim Elliott (+250) vs. Kai Asakura (-310)
Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Baysangur Susurkaev (-950) vs. Eric Nolan (+625)
Middleweight: Gerald Meerschaert (+180) vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk (-210)
Women’s Strawweight: Jessica Andrade (+120) vs. Loopy Godinez (-142)
Lightweight: Chase Hooper (-325) vs. Alexander Hernandez (+260)
Early Preliminary Card:
Lightweight: Edson Barboza (-130) vs. Drakkar Klose (+110)
Women’s Flyweight: Karine Silva (-198) vs. Dione Barbosa (+164)
Flyweight: TUF Finale: Alibi Idiris (-455) vs. Joseph Morales (+350)
The second of three events to mark the conclusion of the PFL’s 2025 World Tournaments goes down in Charlotte, North Carolina tonight — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
The World Tournament is the spiritual successor to the season-and-the-playoffs has had since its inaugural season in 2018. As part of the changes in format to the PFL upon the official folding of the Bellator brand earlier this year, the PFL changed its global season to a single-elimination tournament format, adding more weight classes, eight fighters per weight class.
First-round action took place in April and May, with June — previously hosting the second leg of the regular season — hosting semifinal action. This month will see the conclusion of these tournaments, with eight winners receiving PFL World Tournament title belts and $100,000.
This evening will be headlined by the lightweight tournament final between defending champion Gadzhi Rabadanov and Alfie Davis. Rabadanov, who defeated Brent Primus to claim the 2024 lightweight title, looks to become just one of a handful of PFL fighters to become a back-to-back tournament champion, let alone a two-time PFL tournament champion. Rabadanov made it to the finals with a pair of first-round finishes against Marc Diakiese and Kevin Lee. Davis, meanwhile, advanced here with a first-round knockout of Clay Collard and a decision win over Primus.
The co-main event will be the women’s flyweight tournament final between Liz Carmouche and Jena Bishop. Carmouche, the former Bellator women’s flyweight champion, reached the finals through an 85-second finish of Ilara Joanne and a decision over Elora Dana. Bishop reached with a unanimous decision over Kana Watanabe and a second-round submission of Ekaterina Shakalova.
Also featured will be the bantamweight tournament final featuring Marcirley Alves and Justin Wetzell. Alves made it to the final through decision wins over Leandro Higo and Jake Hadley. Wetzell scored decision wins over Kasum Kasumov and Mando Gutierrez.
2025 PFL World Tournament Week 9 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Lightweight Final: Alfie Davis def. Gadzhi Rabadanov via unanimous decision (48-47 x3)
Women’s Flyweight Final: Liz Carmouche def. Jena Bishop via KO (R3, 2:56)
We’re about 24 hours away from UFC 319, and MMA News is here to bring you the video from the ceremonial weigh-ins for the card!
UFC 319 takes place on August 16 from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
The main event of the evening will feature Dricus Du Plessis defending the UFC middleweight championship against Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis, unbeaten in the UFC, originally claimed the championship with a decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297. He has since defended the title against Israel Adesanya and Strickland at UFC 305 and UFC 312, respectively. Chimaev, who hasn’t lost in MMA, secured this title shot with a finish of another former champion in Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
The co-main event will feature the UFC debut of Aaron Pico, as the Bellator veteran faces undefeated featherweight contender Lerone Murphy.
The rest of the main card sees Geoff Neal face Carlos Prates, Jared Cannonier taking on Michael “Venom” Page, and Tim Elliott going toe-to-toe with Kai Asakura.
The ceremonial weigh-ins present the last opportunity for opponents to face off before they meet inside the Octagon. Check them out below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel!
Per an announcement from the promotion, the early prelim bout between Bryan Battle and Nursulton Ruziboev has been scrapped due to Battle missing weight.
Battle weighed in at 190 pounds, four pounds above the non-title middleweight limit.
As of press time, it’s unclear what in the circumstances changed that led the fight to being canceled.
Bryan Battle Misses Weight By Four Pounds, UFC 319 Bout With Nursulton Ruziboev Off
This is Battle’s second straight scheduled contest that saw him significantly miss weight — and doing so in a heavier weight class this time around. Battle weighed in at 175 pounds for a scheduled welterweight bout against Randy Brown at UFC 310.
Battle is unbeaten in his last five fights.
This is the third fight in the last 26 hours that UFC 319 has lost. The scheduled prelim headliner between King Green and Carlos Diego Ferreira was canceled after Green withdrew due to injury. Then, the welterweight TUF Finale fight between Rodrigo Sezinando and Daniil Donchenko was pushed back to Noche UFC 3 due to injury to Sezinando.
UFC 319 will proceed on with 12 fights — down from its scheduled 15 after Baysangur Susurkaev’s quick turnaround from the Dana White’s Contender Series premiere.
