MMA News

Author: Thomas Albano

  • ‘Hype Train Derailed’ – Fighters And Fans React To Bo Nickal Suffering First Loss At UFC Des Moines

    ‘Hype Train Derailed’ – Fighters And Fans React To Bo Nickal Suffering First Loss At UFC Des Moines

    The undefeated streak of rising prospect Bo Nickal has come to an end, as he was finished by Reinier de Ridder in the co-main event of UFC Des Moines.

    The first round between the two featured plenty of grappling exchanges, with de Ridder becoming the first man to put Nickal on his back in the Octagon. De Ridder appeared to get the better of Nickal on the ground with plenty of pressure.

    The second round saw the pair quickly go over toward the fence in a clinch battle. De Ridder landed a knee in the first minute of the second round that appeared to land strong. Nickal managed to briefly get back control, but de Ridder got out of it and landed the knees to the body again, noticing they were doing damage.

    After another knee, Nickal ate a ton of damage with punches from de Ridder. One more knee dropped Nickal, and the referee stepped right in.

    Reinier De Ridder Finishes Bo Nickal At UFC Des Moines

    De Ridder has now won four straight and is 3-0 in the UFC. The former ONE champion has previously submitted Kevin Holland and Gerald Meerschaert.

    After a pair of wins on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, Nickal made his UFC debut with a first-round finish of Jamie Pickett at UFC 285. The former NCAA champion followed this up with wins over Val Woodburn, Cody Brundage and Paul Craig.

  • Canelo Alvarez Vs. Terence Crawford Finally Official For September In Las Vegas

    Canelo Alvarez Vs. Terence Crawford Finally Official For September In Las Vegas

    After months of rumors, reports, and speculations, two of the greatest boxers in the world today will finally clash.

    Following Canelo Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight title win over William Scull in Saudi Arabia, Turki Alalshikh brought Terence Crawford into the ring and announced that the long-awaited bout between the two is now officially booked.

    Alvarez and Crawford will meet in a 12-round clash for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight championship on September 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

    “I’m the best, that’s why [I’ll win],” Crawford said when asked about the fight. “That’s why everyone’s going to come watch September 12.”

    Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford Officially To Take Place In Las Vegas This September

    The two fighters shared a first face-off in the middle of the ring following Alvarez’s victory over Scull.

    The bout had reportedly been agreed to in January, but it was perhaps dependent upon Alvarez’s fight with Scull.

    Despite the fight being heavily panned, Alvarez came out on top in a unanimous decision, retaining the WBA (Super), WBC and WBO 168-pound titles and winning back the IBF title he had been stripped of months earlier for choosing to face Edgar Berlanga over Scull in September.

    The fight with Alvarez will be Crawford’s first since defeating Israil Madrimov for the WBA and WBO light middleweight championships last August. Crawford has previously been undisputed champion at both welterweight and light welterweight.

  • ‘Embarrassing’ – Jake Paul, Fans Rip Into Canelo Alvarez Becoming Undisputed Champion Again In Lackluster Outing

    ‘Embarrassing’ – Jake Paul, Fans Rip Into Canelo Alvarez Becoming Undisputed Champion Again In Lackluster Outing

    Though it was not in the greatest of fights, Canelo Alvarez can now call himself a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion, coming out on top in a win over William Scull. The fight headlined a Riyadh Season card held in Saudi Arabia.

    Alvarez retained the WBA (Super), WBC and WBO super middleweight titles, while regaining the IBF super middleweight gold he had been stripped of months earlier.

    After what appeared to be a feel-out first round, Alvarez started to connect in the second, doing work with his combinations. Scull focused on his jab, and that jab continued to be on display for the first half of the fight. That said, Scull seemed to only be throwing one or two punches at a time before dancing around the ring. Alvarez’s production was low, meanwhile, moving around the ring and being selective with his punches, trying to work the body when he does throw.

    After a quiet round seven that Alvarez appeared to take off, Alvarez re-pressured, targeting the body and making Scull throw and miss off the back foot. That ended up being the rest of the fight, as neither man threw much of note, with the referee at one point even pausing to tell the fighters to pick up their action.

    Alvarez would take a unanimous decision with scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 119-109.

    Canelo Alvarez Becomes Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion Again In Highly-Criticized Fight With William Scull

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    Alvarez has now won six straight since his May 2022 loss to Dmitry Bivol. He has been WBA (Super) and WBC super middleweight champion since defeating Callum Smith in December 2020, before adding the IBF title six months later in a win over Billy Joe Saunders. Alvarez had also been IBF champion but was stripped of the title for choosing to face Edgar Berlanga in September, rather than Scull.

    Alvarez also appeared to have at one point been in discussion to box with Jake Paul before plans to compete on a Riyadh Season card were finalized.

    Scull won the IBF title in October, scoring a decision over Vladimir Shishkin.

  • VIDEO: Daniel Rodriguez Smashes, Drops Santiago Ponzinibbio In One-Punch KO At UFC Des Moines

    VIDEO: Daniel Rodriguez Smashes, Drops Santiago Ponzinibbio In One-Punch KO At UFC Des Moines

    Daniel Rodriguez displayed the power that caught people’s attention in the first place during his bout at UFC Des Moines, pulling off a highlight finish of Santiago Ponzinibbio.

    Rodriguez rocked Ponzinibbio during an opening round where both men seemed to have their moments, and both flashing their power. The back-and-forth continued into the second round, where Ponzinibbio appeared to picked up momentum. He was landing better and secured a late takedown.

    In the third, however, Rodriguez connected on a solid left that dropped Ponzinibbio, bringing the fight to an end almost right away. Ponzinibbio tried to protest the stoppage, but he seemed out on his feet.

    Daniel Rodriguez Delivers KO In Entertaining Brawl With Santiago Ponzinibbio At UFC Des Moines

    Rodriguez has now scored back-to-back wins after dropping three straight. He came into this fight off a split-decision win over Alex Morono in October. It’s his first finish since a first-round TKO of Preston Parsons in July 2021.

    Ponzinibbio has now lost three of his last four. He came into this fight off a win over Carlston Harris in January.

  • ‘Fight Of The Night!’ – Henry Cejudo, Fans React To Barnburner Between Mason Jones And Jeremy Stephens At UFC Des Moines

    ‘Fight Of The Night!’ – Henry Cejudo, Fans React To Barnburner Between Mason Jones And Jeremy Stephens At UFC Des Moines

    The UFC returns of Jeremy Stephens and Mason Jones ended up being a highly entertaining affair — one in which Jones got his hand raised — to kick off the main card for UFC Des Moines.

    The fight ultimately proved to be a war from the beginning, with both men landing their fair share of kicks and combinations. Jones appeared to be getting the better of the exchanges, but Stephens displayed his vintage power and scored a takedown late in the first. Jones, however, took that takedown and stood up from it, taking control of Stephens’ back and threatening a choke before the horn.

    Jones looked to pressure Stephens again in the second round, and the result was “Lil’ Heathen” getting busted wide open. Not one to be deterred, Stephens fought fire with fire, resulting in powerful strikes from both men and both men bleeding from their heads. Jones did score a takedown before the round, landing some hard ground-and-pound before the horn.

    Jones then fought a tactical third round, using his grappling expertise to control the action and officially sweep the judges’ scorecards for a unanimous decision win.

    Mason Jones Outlasts Jeremy Stephens In UFC Des Moines War

    This is now Jones’ fifth straight victory. It’s his first UFC appearance after a four-fight stint in Cage Warriors. Jones went 1-2 (1 NC) in his first run with the UFC from 2021 to 2022.

    This was Stephens’ first MMA fight since his 1-2 run with the PFL during its 2022 season. He had last competed in the UFC in July 2021, suffering a first-round submission loss to Mateusz Gamrot. Stephens has won just one of his last 10 MMA fights.

    Stephens’ most recent fight had been at BKFC Knucklemania V in January, scoring a finish of Eddie Alvarez.

  • ‘Literally Just Needed Two Takedowns’ – Fans React To Miesha Tate’s Comeback Efforts Falling Short At UFC Des Moines

    ‘Literally Just Needed Two Takedowns’ – Fans React To Miesha Tate’s Comeback Efforts Falling Short At UFC Des Moines

    Despite a strong start and strong final round, the efforts for Miesha Tate proved to be for naught at UFC Des Moines, as she falls to Yana Santos in the featured prelim bout.

    Tate looked to close distance right away, landing on Santos before Santos fired back and scored a brief clinch. The two had plenty of exchanges throughout the opening frame, but Santos appeared to be landing the stronger strikes, in spite of Tate’s volume.

    Santos continued to control the action and land the more effective strikes in the second round, stuffing Tate’s takedown attempts all the while. That is until the third round, where the former UFC bantamweight champion scored a takedown early. Tate dominated the round with ground-and-pound, and she nearly could have finished the fight at one point with a choke.

    Santos survived, however, and Tate’s efforts were not enough for a 10-8. Santos took the fight on all three judges’ scorecards 29-28.

    Yana Santos Survives Miesha Tate Near Comeback In Third Round Of UFC Des Moines Featured Prelim

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    Santos has now won two straight after a three-fight losing skid. She came into this fight off a win over Chelsea Chandler back in August.

    Tate is just 2-3 in her comeback to the UFC that she started in 2021. This was Tate’s first fight since her submission of Julia Avila at UFC Austin in December 2023.

  • VIDEO: Azamat Bekoev Scores Second Octagon First-Round Finish In Second UFC Appearance

    VIDEO: Azamat Bekoev Scores Second Octagon First-Round Finish In Second UFC Appearance

    Make it two in a row and 10 total first-round finishes for Azamat Bekoev, who followed up his UFC debut with another strong performance in the Octagon.

    Bekoev made quick work of The Ultimate Fighter season 32 middleweight winner Ryan Loder during the preliminary card for UFC Des Moines.

    Loder looked to use his wrestling right away with a clinch and takedown attempt. But Bekoev quickly troubled him by reversing the position. The two quickly got into a striking exchange, where Bekoev rocked Loder. Bekoev then landed a strong knee before dropping Loder with a right hand, delivering some more ground-and-pound until the referee stopped the bout.

    Azamat Bekoev Quickly Puts Away TUF Winner Ryan Loder At UFC Des Moines

    Bekoev, the former LFA middleweight champion, has now won eight straight. He made his UFC debut at UFC 311, finishing Zach Reese in just three minutes.

    This was Loder’s first fight since defeating Robert Valentin in August to claim the TUF title.

  • ‘An Actual Savage’ – Fans React To Gillian Robertson Making Easy Work Of Retiring Marina Rodriguez

    ‘An Actual Savage’ – Fans React To Gillian Robertson Making Easy Work Of Retiring Marina Rodriguez

    A battle of top-15 strawweight contenders sees one fighter’s momentum continuing to roll upward, while another one lays down her gloves in the center of the Octagon.

    The rising Gillian Robertson continued her winning ways during the UFC Des Moines prelims, scoring a finish of Marina Rodriguez, who retired following the fight.

    The fight was a dominant one from start to finish for Robertson, who had control time on the ground in top position for approximately five-and-a-half of the bout’s approximate seven minutes. Pressure and elbows were the main method of attack for Robertson in the opening frame.

    Robertson quickly got the fight back to the ground early in the second round. There, she smoothly worked her way into mount, where she rained down ground-and-pound for the TKO.

    Gillian Robertson Wins Fourth Straight, Marina Rodriguez Retires At UFC Des Moines

    Robertson has now won four straight and six of her last seven, including a 5-1 record since returning to strawweight in 2023. Robertson scored wins over Polyana Viana, Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Luana Pinheiro during 2024. She will most likely have a top-10 ranking come Monday.

    The 38-year-old Rodriguez retires with losses in three straight and five of her last six. Her sole win in that span had come against Waterson-Gomez in September 2023, and she entered tonight’s bout off a controversial split decision loss to Iasmin Lucindo at UFC 307.

    Rodriguez was awarded a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, where she defeated Maria de Oliveira Neta. Rodriguez’s UFC run ends with an Octagon record of 7-5-2, with wins over the likes of Yan Xiaonan, Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas, in addition two wins over Waterson-Gomez.

  • VIDEO: Quang Le Goes Ground-Game Heavy In Second-Round Submission at UFC Des Moines

    VIDEO: Quang Le Goes Ground-Game Heavy In Second-Round Submission at UFC Des Moines

    Some did not expect Quang Le to score a submission, let alone win this fight, but that’s exactly what happened in his win over Gaston Bolaños during the UFC Des Moines prelims.

    Bolaños tried to get to a strong start with a kick-heavy approach, but Le managed to get a hold of him to start showcase his grappling dominance in this one. Le continuously got Bolaños to the ground, multiple times gaining back control. Though Bolaños tried the same striking approach in the second round, Le fought back with his own combination and got the fight to the ground once more.

    This time, the fourth takedown of the fight, it would stay there, as Le would lock up a rear-naked choke and put Bolaños to sleep for the win.

    Quang Le Puts Gaston Bolaños To Sleep At UFC Des Moines

    This is Le’s first win in the Octagon, with the LFA veteran bouncing back from losses in his first two UFC appearances.

    Bolaños is now 2-2 in the UFC. The Bellator veteran came into this fight off a win over Courtavious Romious in November.

  • Fatal Fury Boxing: Ryan Garcia Knocked Down, Upset By Rolly Romero; Devin Haney & Teofimo Lopez Win In Snoozefest-Filled Card

    Fatal Fury Boxing: Ryan Garcia Knocked Down, Upset By Rolly Romero; Devin Haney & Teofimo Lopez Win In Snoozefest-Filled Card

    Turki Al-alshikh was ambitious in trying to set out a boxing card that was dropped in the middle of Times Square in New York. And while the Fatal Fury card on May 2 had an aesthetically pleasing look to it, the card has unanimously been panned as a letdown that may have done more harm to the sport than help it.

    This was all capped off in the main event, as Ryan Garcia, in his first fight since his win-turned-no-contest against Devin Haney — and the subsequent controversy-filled year he had — was upset in dramatic fashion by Ronaldo “Rolly” Romero in a bout for the vacant WBA lightweight championship.

    Garcia looked to find his rhythm early, working a strong jab in the opening minutes. But Romero had a little surprise, landing a rocking hook that sent Garcia to the canvas in the second. Garcia got up and worked his way back into the fight with his jab over the next couple of rounds. Romero continued to try and work the body, however, and it seemed Garcia was fighting at a much slower pace than we’re used to after eating the canvas.

    Despite pleas from his corner, Garcia’s pace did not pick up in the second half of the fight. Romero didn’t even need to increase his own game, as his activity was way more noticeable than the former lightweight and super featherweight champion’s. Romero continued to land some solid hooks as he completely outclassed Garcia.

    All three judges gave the nod to Romero, with scores of 115-112 (from two judges) and 118-109.

    Fatal Fur Boxing: Rolly Romero Upsets Ryan Garcia For WBA Title; Devin Haney Makes Dubious Boxing History In Win Over Jose Ramirez; Teofimo Lopez Retains WBO Title

    The penultimate fight of the evening was one for the record books — and not in a good way — as Devin Haney scored a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ramirez.

    Per Compubox, the pair threw the fourth-fewest punches thrown in the history of 12-round fights at any weight class. Just as bad, each fighter landed less than 100 punches throughout the entire 12 rounds that have been analyzed by Compubox. Dan Rafael added that Haney never landed more than nine punches in the round, while Ramirez never landed more than six in a round during the sloppy affair.

    Nevertheless, it was a clear decision for Haney, who dictated the pace for nearly all of the bout. The judges scored the bout 119-109 (x2) and 118-110 for the former undisputed lightweight champion.

    Teofimo Lopez headed up the first of the three promoted main events of the evening, retaining his WBO junior welterweight championship against Arnold Barboza Jr. Barboza had his fair share of moments in the fight, landing early on the champion, as well as landing a strong right hand that caught Lopez’s attention. Lopez, however, was thoroughly dominant, utilizing his speed and footwork in executing combinations at a hand speed pace Barboza couldn’t keep up with.

    All three judges scored the fight for Lopez, with two 116-112 totals and an 118-110.

  • ‘Just Sniped Him’ — Fans React To Phil Davis Dropping Rob Wilkinson For First Finish In Nearly Six Years

    ‘Just Sniped Him’ — Fans React To Phil Davis Dropping Rob Wilkinson For First Finish In Nearly Six Years

    In his first fight in the sport after nearly two years, Phil Davis showed that he’s still competing at the highest level of the game, defeating Rob Wilkinson in the main event of the PFL’s World Tournament first round event on May 1.

    Wilkinson got the edge in the fight early on, making use of low kicks and strong combinations. Davis answered back, but his attempt to level change was picked on by Wilkinson, who pressed him into the fence. Wilkinson continued to assert his control with a series of one-twos throughout the second half of the first round.

    Quickly into the second, however, Davis yanked control away, landing a strong right to the head. Davis would then land a right hand-leg kick combination before another right hand that sent Wilkinson stumbling. Davis would continues to attack before dropping Wilkinson for an early second-round knockout.

    This is the first time Davis has scored a win not by decision since his Bellator 231 win over Karl Albrektsson.

    Phil Davis Moves On In PFL World Tournament After KO’ing Former PFL Champ Rob Wilkinson

    Though Davis has now won three of his last four, this fight marked his first since facing Corey Anderson at Bellator 297 back in June 2023.

    Wilkinson, the 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion, has now lost two straight after a nine-fight unbeaten streak. Wilkinson was a semifinalist in the PFL championship tournament last year.

  • ‘Throw The Whole Promotion Away’ – Fans React To Valentin Moldavsky Earning Disputed Decision Win Over Sergey Bilostenniy In PFL World Tournament

    ‘Throw The Whole Promotion Away’ – Fans React To Valentin Moldavsky Earning Disputed Decision Win Over Sergey Bilostenniy In PFL World Tournament

    Despite being rocked early in the fight, Valentin Moldavsky managed to battle back and come out on top over Sergey Bilostenniy in the co-main event of the PFL World Tournament first round event on May 1.

    Bilostenniy and Moldavsky both had their fair share of hard strikes, with Bilostenniy looking for a quick start to controlling the fight. He used plenty of kicks, from heavy leg kicks to flashy spinning back kicks. Moldavsky looked to counter that by working combinations, eventually finding his rhythm and landing several left hands. Bilostenniy cracked Moldavsky and threw a flurry before the bell, but Bilostenniy managed to survive.

    Moldavsky focused on body attacks in the second round, as well as answering Bilostenniy’s leg kicks with his own. Bilostenniy used effective head movement and counters to try and catch Moldavsky in his attacks. The exchanges were competitive, though Bilostenniy appeared to be landing the more clean and effective strikes. Moldavsky did press forward, however, looking to pressure Bilostenniy as the two went toe-to-toe.

    Moldavsky then continued his pace by looking to use his grappling advantage, pressing Bilostenniy into the fence several times during the final frame. Moldavsky landed inside in the clinch, trying to wear him down.

    Despite Bilostenniy’s strong work, Moldavsky was awarded the decision on all three judges’ scorecards 29-28.

    Valentin Moldavsky Earns Controversial Decision Over Sergey Bilostenniy

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    Moldavsky, the former interim Bellator heavyweight champion, had defeated Ante Delija but lost to Linton Vassell, missing the heavyweight playoffs during the 2024 PFL season.

    Bilostenniy had won three straight and eight of nine entering tonight’s bout.

  • ‘Them Hellbows Were Nasty’ – Fans React As Simeon Powell Throws Flurries Of Fury In Second-Round TKO

    ‘Them Hellbows Were Nasty’ – Fans React As Simeon Powell Throws Flurries Of Fury In Second-Round TKO

    A statement was made by Simeon Powell, as the 2023 PFL Europe light heavyweight finalist impressed in the opening round of the PFL World Tournament.

    Powell scored a finish of Karl Albrektsson in a bout that opened up the main card of the PFL World Tournament event on May 1.

    Powell didn’t seem to have much going for him in the opening round, as the action was primarily controlled by Albrektsson. Albrektsson used low kicks and grappling combined to force Powell against the fence for a majority of the opening frame.

    Powell ended that first round with a couple of strong elbows, and that would foreshadow the finish to the fight in the second. After getting pinned against the fence once more, Powell got behind Albrektsson and nearly scored a takedown. Against the fence, he connected with an elbow that rocked Albrektsson.

    Powell then unleashed a flurry of shots, including another strong elbow, to wobble Albrektsson, who continued to eat shots until the referee waved off the bout.

    Simeon Powell Makes Statement In Securing PFL World Tournament Semi-Final Spot

    Powell made it to the finals of the 2023 PFL Europe light heavyweight tournament but fell to Jakob Nedoh. He then competed at the Bellator event in London this past September, defeating Rafael Xavier.

    Albrektsson has now lost four of his last five, with his sole victory in this stretch coming against Dovlet Yagshimuradov at Bellator 268.

  • VIDEO: Alexandr Romanov Locks Up Standing Guillotine, PFL World Tournament Semi-Final Spot

    VIDEO: Alexandr Romanov Locks Up Standing Guillotine, PFL World Tournament Semi-Final Spot

    Once someone who appeared to be a rising name in the UFC’s heavyweight division, Alexandr Romanov now appears to be someone to watch for in the PFL’s World Tournament at heavyweight.

    Romanov made a statement by scoring a quick submission of veteran and former Bellator interim heavyweight title challenger Tim Johnson. The two headlined the early card portion of the PFL World Tournament action on May 1.

    After a battle for pressure and control in the early going, the fight had a brief pause when Romanov was hit low. It didn’t take long after the fight’s resumption for Romanov to lock up Johnson in a standing guillotine choke. Johnson was lifted and forced to tap, appearing to also injure a rib in the process.

    Alexandr Romanov Submits Tim Johnson In PFL World Tournament First-Round Matchup

    This fight marked Romanov’s PFL debut after a stint in the UFC between 2020 and 2024. Romanov went 7-3 with the promotion, with his losses coming against Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida. Romanov last fought at UFC Edmonton in November, defeating another name who made his way over from the UFC to the PFL with a win tonight — Rodrigo Nascimento.

    Johnson has now lost three in a row and is 1-3 in the PFL.

  • VIDEO: Sullivan Cauley Rains Down Elbows For Vicious First-Round Finish In PFL World Tournament

    VIDEO: Sullivan Cauley Rains Down Elbows For Vicious First-Round Finish In PFL World Tournament

    Sullivan Cauley appeared to take on the form of prime Travis Browne, as he finished Alex Polizzi quickly during the early card of the light heavyweight and heavyweight portion of the PFL World Championships on May 1.

    The first-round bout saw Polizzi quickly score a pair of takedowns on Cauley. Though Cauley scrambled up the first time, he had to battle force and pressure brought on by Polizzi’s ground game to return to the feet. When Cauley did, however, he attacked with elbows as Polizzi continued to press for the takedown.

    The elbows landed strongly, rocking Polizzi. Cauley continued to rain blows down before the referee stepped in, finishing the action in less than two minutes.

    Sullivan Cauley Scores Quick Finish With Elbows While Being Grappled

    Cauley fought exclusively in Bellator until its folding, going 6-1 in the promotion. He was originally scheduled to take on Marcelo Nunes before Nunes’ withdrawal hours before tonight’s event.

    Polizzi, a former LFA light heavyweight champion, has now lost four of his last five. He was originally booked for an alternate fight with Rafael Xavier before replacing Nunes on last-minute notice.

  • ‘Send Fighting Nerds 2-3 Years Dagestan’ – Fans React As Ian Garry Hands Carlos Prates His First UFC Defeat In Kansas City

    ‘Send Fighting Nerds 2-3 Years Dagestan’ – Fans React As Ian Garry Hands Carlos Prates His First UFC Defeat In Kansas City

    After suffering his first career defeat in a short-notice outing, Ian Machado Garry, in another fairly short-planned fight, scored a unanimous decision win over Carlos Prates, potentially rebounding as he seeks a title opportunity.

    Garry started things off with plenty of low kicks, working his range well. While Prates got in a bit of leg kicking late in the round, he slipped in the closing seconds. Garry landed some hard ground-and-pound, though Prates seemed to take it well. Garry and Prates had several exchanges during the second round, but Garry seemed to get the better of Prates again — courtesy of more distance management and combinations, including one involving a kick that caught Prates’s attention.

    Prates seemed to lack urgency, which continued into the third round. Garry landed a combination ending with an uppercut that backed Prates up. Garry would score a takedown not long after, becoming the first fighter to earn one against the Brazilian.

    Garry continued to work his game — at one point having landed more than Prates had thrown in terms of strikes — but Prates began to push things by the end of the fourth. This continued into the fifth, with Prates landing a number of combinations and being the fighter coming forward. Garry tried to tie things up, mixing in striking all the while, but Prates ended up landing on top in a takedown attempt.

    There, Prates landed serious ground-and-pound that did damage. Prates continued to land powerful shots, but not at a pace that it was enough to finish the fight. Garry survived the round and earned a decision.

    Ian Garry Outworks Carlos Prates For Decision Win In UFC Kansas City Headliner

    Garry came into this bout off of his first professional loss at UFC 310, taking a short-notice bout and losing to Shavkat Rakhmonov. Prior to this, the former Cage Warriors welterweight champion had scored victories over the likes of Michael “Venom” Page, Geoff Neal, Neil Magny and Daniel Rodriguez.

    Prates’s previous four UFC fights have all been Performance of the Night bonus earning, scoring knockouts against Magny, Li Jingliang, Charles Radtke and Trevin Giles.

  • ‘Not How You Wanna Go Out’ – Fans React As Zhang Mingyang Retires Anthony Smith With Brutal Beating At UFC Kansas City

    ‘Not How You Wanna Go Out’ – Fans React As Zhang Mingyang Retires Anthony Smith With Brutal Beating At UFC Kansas City

    After a lengthy career in Mixed Martial Arts, “Lionheart” tells the sport thank you and goodbye.

    Anthony Smith retired from active MMA competition following his loss against Zhang Mingyang in the co-main event of UFC Kansas City. Mingyang’s streak of consecutive first-round finishes remains as a result.

    “Every single one of you made an impact on my life,” Smith said. “When I started this game, I was homeless. I had nothing going for me. And now this platform has allowed me to raise my family, my four beautiful daughters, and give them a life that I’ve never been able to have. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.”

    Zhang started things off with leg kicks before catching Smith trying to come in. Though Smith tried to pressure, Zhang was ready with his striking, mixing together punches and low kicks. Zhang soon changed things up to nasty elbows, cutting Smith open on his head. Smith was a bloody mess not long after and shot for a takedown to try and change things.

    It was unsuccessful, however, and a battered Smith continued to take a beating with elbows and ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in.

    Anthony Smith Falls To Zhang Mingyang In Retirement Fight At UFC Kansas City

    Smith began his professional MMA venture in 2008, going to compete for numerous promotions, including Strikeforce, Bellator, and Cage Fury FC before arriving to the UFC in 2016. After a 4-2 run at middleweight in the Octagon, Smith moved up to light heavyweight and made a name for himself with sub-90-second finishes of both Rashad Evans and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in 2018.

    Smith would follow that up with a submission of Volkan Oezdemir to earn a shot at Jon Jones and the light heavyweight championship at UFC 235. Jones was in control for most of the fight, but the moment of the fight came when Smith was hit with an illegal knee in the fourth round. Rather than take the disqualification loss and title like Aljamain Sterling would do three years later against Petr Yan, Smith elected to continue the fight. Though Jones was deducted two points for the foul, he still won a unanimous decision.

    Smith would go on to be a streaky fighter following the fight, ending his career 6-8 (7-7 with win) since the loss to Jones.

    Mingyang, meanwhile, entered tonight’s bout 2-0 in the UFC after a first-round knockout on Road to UFC in 2022. In 2024, Mingyang scored first-round finishes of Brendson Ribiero and Ozzy Diaz.

  • Watch Ikram Aliskerov Crush Andre Muniz With Left Hook In First-Round Finish At UFC Kansas City

    Watch Ikram Aliskerov Crush Andre Muniz With Left Hook In First-Round Finish At UFC Kansas City

    Ikram Aliskerov has gotten back in the win column in a notable way, putting out Andre Muniz with a strong finish to open the main card of UFC Kansas City.

    After some leg kick trading, Aliskerov took control with pressure, landing several left hands on Muniz. Muniz looked for a takedown but got stuffed, with Aliskerov continuing to have the upper hand with striking. Entering the final minute, Aliskerov had gotten the better of Muniz with leg kicks and the left hand.

    And that left hand helped nab him the win. A left hook wobbled Muniz and backed him into the cage, falling to the mat. Aliskerov jumped on him and ground-and-pounded away until the referee stepped in with just seconds to go in the round.

    Ikram Aliskerov Scores Finish With Seconds To Go In Round One At UFC Kansas City

    This marked Aliskerov’s first fight since his short-notice fight and loss to former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in Saudi Arabia last June.

    Muniz, who entered this fight off a split decision over Park Jun-yong in December 2023, has now lost three of his last four.

  • ‘Just Gaethje’d Him’ – Fans React To Randy Brown Flooring Nicolas Dalby In UFC Kansas City Slugfest

    ‘Just Gaethje’d Him’ – Fans React To Randy Brown Flooring Nicolas Dalby In UFC Kansas City Slugfest

    A fight with great intensity ended appropriately — with one of the most vicious knockouts we have seen in 2025 thus far.

    That KO came courtesy of Randy Brown, who became the first man to put away Nicolas Dalby as they threw down at UFC Kansas City.

    Brown looked to get the fight off at a fast pace, and it was a pace that stuck for most of the fight. As Brown looked to get the upper hand in striking, Dalby sought to return pressure. Brown notable shattered Dalby’s nose with a nasty combination during the first round. But just before the end of the round, Dalby shook things up and stole momentum by dropping Brown with a monster hook.

    Dalby looked to take the fight to Brown at the start of round two, but Brown was prepared with his striking, which kept Dalby at bay. Brown continued to lay shots in on Dalby until he landed a massive overhand right that floored Dalby. It was a walk-off knockout that could very well earn Knockout of the Year honors.

    Randy Brown Lays Out Nicolas Dalby With Potential KO Of The Year At UFC Kansas City

    https://twitter.com/thefightbubble/status/1916309936574701946

    Brown has now four of his last five and rebounds from a split decision loss he suffered against Bryan Battle at UFC 310.

    After a four-fight win streak, Dalby has now dropped two straight. He entered tonight off his own split decision defeat, falling to Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC Saudi Arabia last June.

  • VIDEO: Charles Oliveira To Be Honored With 2025 Forrest Griffin Community Award

    The UFC has named Charles Oliveira as this year’s recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, as announced during the UFC Kansas City main card.

    Oliveira is being honored for the work he has done with East LA Jiu-Jitsu, a non-profit jiu-jitsu school set up for kids to build character, confidence and resilience. The school, founded by Ron Mukai, is open to all children, regardless of their ability to pay.

    Oliveira said what motivates him to help teach the kids his own past experience with the discipline and coming from a high-risk environment, and being able to show kids they can accomplish anything they set out to.

    Charles Oliveira To Receive Forrest Griffin Community Award At 2025 UFC Hall Of Fame Ceremony

    The Forrest Griffin Community Award is annually handed out to fighters who make impacts and special contributions to their communities. Past winners have included Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Giga Chikadze, the Nogueira Brothers and Beneil Dariush.

    Oliveira will receive the award at this year’s UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 26. This year’s UFC Hall of Fame class will also include Amanda Nunes, Robbie Lawler, Craig Piligian and the UFC 236 clash between Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya.

  • VIDEO: Dricus Du Plessis’ Teammate Brutally KO’d In Third Straight Loss At UFC Kansas City

    VIDEO: Dricus Du Plessis’ Teammate Brutally KO’d In Third Straight Loss At UFC Kansas City

    Coming in to his UFC debut off his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Malcolm Wellmaker rose to the occasion at UFC Kansas City, while Cameron Saaiman’s losing skid has only worsened.

    Wellmaker scored a finish of Saaiman in under two minutes during the preliminary card for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event..

    At just under the two-minute mark of the first round, Wellmaker landed a solid counter right that dropped the South African fighter. The referee immediately stepped in to stop the match.

    Malcolm Wellmaker Drops Cameron Saaiman Out Cold In UFC Debut At UFC Kansas City

    https://twitter.com/HaduuckenIII/status/1916269342330585301

    Wellmaker now moves to 9-0 in his young career. He scored a first-round knockout of Adam Bramhald to earn his UFC contract.

    Saaiman, a teammate of UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and himself also a DWCS alum, has now lost three straight after starting his own career 9-0. In addition to this loss, he has also been defeated by Christian Rodriguez and Payton Talbott.

  • ‘Fight Of The Year’ – Fans And Fighters React As Chris Eubank Wins Epic War Against Conor Benn

    ‘Fight Of The Year’ – Fans And Fighters React As Chris Eubank Wins Epic War Against Conor Benn

    In what ended up being an explosive, highly entertaining battle of second-generation boxing talents, Chris Eubank scored a unanimous decision victory over Conor Benn at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.

    Benn came out blazing from the opening bell, using explosive combinations and rapid movement. Not only did that overwhelm Eubank, but so, too, did his body work and speed. Eubank, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm as Ben appeared to be in control, landing damaging shots.

    At about the halfway point of the fight, however, Eubank began to find success and turn the tide. He soon was the one in control and landing the more effective punches. This included a strong right hand that seemed to stumble Benn during the ninth round. Benn, however, looked to fire back with power and stay composed, trying to bring the pressure right back to Eubank.

    Though he sported a cut from an accidental clash of heads, Eubank continued to press hard, leading to an insane 12th and final round. Eubank rocked Benn once again, but Benn recovered quickly and returned fire with vicious punches. The two went back-to-back, with the final result being anyone’s guess.

    Ultimately, all three judges scored the bout for Eubank 116-112.

    Fighters, Fans React As Chris Eubank Wins Electrifying Battle With Conor Benn

    Eubank has now won three straight and nine of his last 10. He came into this contest off his IBO middleweight title win over Kamil Szeremeta in October.

    On the other hand, this marked the first loss in Benn’s career, dropping him to 23-1. It was also his first fight in about 14 months, most recently defeating Peter Dobson in February 2024.

  • ‘NGANNOU VS. HALL WHEN’ – Fans React As Eddie Hall Shockingly Upsets 28-Fight Veteran In MMA Debut At KSW 105

    ‘NGANNOU VS. HALL WHEN’ – Fans React As Eddie Hall Shockingly Upsets 28-Fight Veteran In MMA Debut At KSW 105

    It didn’t take long for Eddie Hall to pull off an absolute stunner in his professional MMA debut at KSW 105, needing just 30 seconds to put away Mariusz Pudzianowski.

    In a battle of strongmen champions, Hall landed a combination mere seconds into round one that caused Pudzianowski to stumble. Pudzianowski attempted to fight back and regain his footing, but a series of continuous strikes from Hall saw him flop to the floor completely.

    Hall then landed unrelenting ground-and-pound until the referee halted the action.

    Fans React As Eddie Hall Jawdroppingly Stops Mariusz Pudzianowski In Under A Minute

    Hall, who had been training with UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall in the lead-up to this fight, won a number of England, Britain, and UK’s Strongest Man titles before winning the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2017. Hall competed in an exhibition boxing match in 2022, losing by decision to another strongman – Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.

    Pudzianowski, who won several World’s Strongest Man titles during the 2000s, has now dropped three straight fights. This was also his first fight in just under two years, having most recently fought at KSW 83 in June 2023, losing to Artur Szpilka.

  • Alexander Volkanovski Regains Featherweight Title With History-Making Win Over Diego Lopes At UFC 314

    Alexander Volkanovski Regains Featherweight Title With History-Making Win Over Diego Lopes At UFC 314

    It was 14 months ago when Alexander Volkanovski lost his third straight fight and suffered his second straight knockout, losing the UFC featherweight world championship in the process.

    Now, with Ilia Topuria moving up to lightweight, Volkanovski made the most of his opportunity to earn back the gold, defeating Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 314 in Miami to win the vacant title.

    Volkanovski made history with his victory by becoming the first UFC fighter 35 years or older to win a UFC championship at a weight class below welterweight. He also becomes the second man, joining Jose Aldo, to regain the UFC’s 145-pound title.

    The two were patient to feel each other out, but Volkanovski was the first to get his striking going, landing a series of low kicks before a right hand. Lopes looked for a flurry, but Volkanovski managed to land another straight. Volkanovski cracked Lopes with less than two minutes into the round, rocking him. Volkanovski managed to score a takedown, and while Lopes was quickly back to his feet, he ate a harsh knee to the face. Volkanovski got Lopes back to the ground and troubled him with ground-and-pound until the horn.

    Despite the rough start, and expert opinions his best chances were rushing forward with offense, Lopes continued to be patient in the second round. Volkanovski’s striking continued to remain on point despite Lopes shrugging off a takedown attempt. With less than two minutes in round two, Volkanovski rocked Lopes again in an exchange, bringing Lopes over to the fence to try for another takedown. Lopes was able to get out of it, and the two had another exchange in the closing seconds. Suddenly, Lopes dropped Volkanovski before the horn with a right-left combination, and thoughts circled as to if momentum would change.

    Alexander Volkanovski Becomes Two-Time UFC Featherweight Champion With Decision Win Over Diego Lopes At UFC 314

    Lopes’ corner begged him for more aggression, according to the commentary team, but the round seemed to be a slower-paced one. Volkanovski, however, continued to have more activity, clipping Lopes with a left hand about halfway through the round. Even when Lopes tried to get something going, including stopping a Volkanovski takedown attempt, the former champion was ready with something.

    The championship rounds saw the fight continue the pace it was on. But with just over two minutes to go, Lopes caught momentum with an uppercut that bothered Volkanovski’s eye and rocked him. Lopes continued to chase Volkanovski down, landing a number of shots despite Volkanovski’s attempts to shake off the cobwebs.

    Lopes landed another right hand early in the fifth round as he looked to find a way to get the win as the minutes slipped away. Volkanovski was firing back, however, sometimes landing a number of jabs before Lopes lands his next strike. Lopes continued to eat jabs as Volkanovski had more activity and got the better of the exchanges. Lopes looked to turn things up in the final minute, but Volkanovski was ready, answering back and keeping distance until the final horn.

    This marked Volkanovski’s first fight since losing the UFC featherweight championship to Topuria at UFC 298 last year. Volkanovski came into this fight with a three-fight losing streak, having lost two lightweight title fights with Islam Makhachev within the year prior to the fight with Topuria.

    After coming up short in his short-notice UFC debut against Movsar Evloev at UFC 288, Lopes entered tonight on a five-fight win streak, scoring finishes of Gavin Tucker, Pat Sabatini and Sodiq Yusuff, as well as decisions over Dan Ige and Brian Ortega.

  • Watch Paddy Pimblett Batter Michael Chandler For Third-Round TKO In UFC 314 Co-Main Event

    Watch Paddy Pimblett Batter Michael Chandler For Third-Round TKO In UFC 314 Co-Main Event

    If you didn’t believe before, you may have to now.

    Paddy Pimblett scored the biggest fight of his career in the co-main event of UFC 314, brutally finishing Michael Chandler.

    Pimblett, as he has previously, started his attack with a leg-kick focus. Chandler landed a long jab before Pimblett tried to get his own striking going — only for Chandler to grab and score a takedown. Pimblett looked to stand and grab a kimura, but Chandler brought him back down briefly — also landing a couple of strong strikes to Pimblett’s head. Pimblett jumped for a triangle, and despite it failing, brought the fight back to the feet seconds later.

    Pimblett got off to a strong start in the second round, keeping his distance and working combinations on Chandler. Chandler scored another pair of takedowns about two minutes into the round, but Pimblett was almost immediately back to his feet both times. Pimblett landed a series of elbows, but Chandler looked to answer by getting to Pimblett’s back. He rode too high, however, and Pimblett reversed the position.

    Paddy Pimblett Makes Statement At UFC 314, Stops Michael Chandler

    Pimblett threatened an arm-triangle choke before getting to Chandler’s back. Pimblett rained down elbows as Chandler tried to escape before Chandler gave his back up again. Pimblett rained down blows with a body triangle locked around Chandler as the second round ended.

    Pimblett busted open Chandler and rocked him with a jumping knee early in the third, looking to finish the fight with a flurry before quickly returning the fight to the mat. After a couple of minutes of control, Pimblett’s ground-and-pound proved to be too much, forcing a referee stoppage in the middle of round three.

    Since jumping to the UFC from Cage Warriors in 2021, Pimblett is a perfect 7-0 in the UFC.

    Chandler, meanwhile, has lost three straight and five of six. His sole win in this span was his UFC 274 knockout of Tony Ferguson.