MMA News

Category: MMA

  • Arman Tsarukyan On UFC 311 Opponent Islam Makhachev: ‘Not As Good As People Think’

    Arman Tsarukyan On UFC 311 Opponent Islam Makhachev: ‘Not As Good As People Think’

    Islam Makhachev, widely regarded as the number one pound-for-pound fighter, is set to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in Los Angeles next month.

    This highly anticipated rematch revisits their first encounter from April 2019, a Fight of the Night classic that showcased both fighters’ skill and tenacity.

    Tsarukyan, the title challenger, believes that Makhachev’s reputation as an unstoppable force is overstated. In a recent interview with ESPN, the Russian-Armenian expressed his confidence in dethroning the champion:

    “He’s not as good as people think,” Tsarukyan said. “People think he’s unbeatable, like crazy wrestling, but I took him down when I was 22 years old.”

    The challenger attributes his confidence to two key factors: wrestling expertise and his relentless drive to achieve championship glory.

    “First of all, I know how to wrestle very well,” Tsarukyan explained. “Second, I’m young and hungry. I’ve never had the belt, so it drives me. I have a lot of energy for training, and I believe I’m the guy who’s going to beat him. But the most important thing is that I’m very hungry. I want that belt so much. It’s a dream. When I got into the UFC, I was thinking about that. I’ve been thinking about it for five years.”

    With both fighters determined to leave their mark, UFC 311 promises to deliver another unforgettable showdown in the lightweight division.

  • Sean O’Malley Reveals Plan To Aid Chances Of Becoming UFC Champ Again: ‘I Just Need A Detox…’

    Sean O’Malley Reveals Plan To Aid Chances Of Becoming UFC Champ Again: ‘I Just Need A Detox…’

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has been known for a strong media presence, but it appears that he is planning to take a step back from such.

    After losing the 135-pound gold earlier this year, O’Malley has announced on his Instagram that he is planning to take a social media “detox” in the new year, hoping that this will help him focus on building a path toward earning back the gold.

    Sean O’Malley To Put Social Media Posting On Hold In 2025

    “2025, I am deleting all my social medias off my phone until my next fight,” O’Malley posted. “My team will be running my socials. We will still make content but I just need a detox from my phone. Going to focus on reaching my full potential as an athlete and a father.”

    The ever-popular UFC fighter finally won the bantamweight championship at UFC 292 last year with a knockout of Aljamain Sterling. He successfully defended the title against Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299 this past March before dropping it to Merab Dvalishvili at the Noche UFC event inside the Sphere.

    The loss was just the second in O’Malley’s career, following his 2020 defeat to Vera. In the aftermath, “Suga” went under the knife to repair a torn labrum. He’s looking to return in the first or second quarter of the new year, with a rematch opposite Dvalishvili in his sights.

    “The Machine,” meanwhile, is scheduled to defend the title against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311 next month.

  • Ilia Topuria’s 5-1 Brother Booked For Long-Awaited UFC Debut In 2025

    Ilia Topuria’s 5-1 Brother Booked For Long-Awaited UFC Debut In 2025

    A prominent name on the European regional MMA scene will now be making his UFC debut — and that means one UFC titleholder won’t be the only one in his family in the Octagon.

    Aleksandre Topuria, the brother of UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria, will be making his UFC debut at UFC 312 on Feb. 8 in Australia. He will be taking on Cody Haddon in a bantamweight clash Down Under.

    The news was first revealed by Spanish reporter Álvaro Colmenero on X.

    Ilia Topuria’s Brother To Make UFC Debut At UFC 312

    The younger Topuria brother is 5-1. He made his professional MMA debut in 2015 but took a layoff of over six years from the sport following a loss to Ivo Ivanov at the end of that year.

    “El Cazador” has won three straight, all by way of first-round finishes, to earn his path on to the sport’s biggest stage.

    Haddon, meanwhile, submitted Billy Brand earlier this year on Dana White’s Contender Series before making his UFC debut in October, taking a decision over Dan Argueta.

    Aleksandre’s brother, Ilia Topuria, has taken up plenty of the MMA headlines of late. He’s notably teased a move up to lightweight and squashed a rumored bout between him and Conor McGregor.

  • Manel Kape Misses Out On Title Shot, Faces Top Contender In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    Manel Kape Misses Out On Title Shot, Faces Top Contender In UFC Fight Night Main Event

    Manel Kape’s recent performance will not earn him a UFC flyweight title shot — at least not yet. He may, however, be one fight away from getting such.

    Per Ag. Fight, Kape’s next fight has already been booked, as he will take on former title challenger Brandon Royval in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card at the APEX on March 1, 2025.

    Kape competed on last week’s UFC Tampa card, taking out Bruno Silva in a highlight TKO. The result marked “Starboy’s” fifth win in his last six fights and helped him bounce back from a loss in his dlackluster outing with Muhammad Mokaev at UFC 304 earlier this year.

    Manel Kape vs. Brandon Royval Targeted For March 1 UFC Fight Night

    Royval is on a similar path, having defeated former champion Brandon Moreno and the highly touted Tatsuro Taira in his two 2024 fights. His sole loss in recent times was an unsuccessful challenge of current flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296. “Raw Dawg” also lost to Pantoja in their initial 2021 meeting.

    Pantoja, meanwhile , successfully defended the title against former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura in the Japanese star’s UFC debut earlier this month at UFC 310.

  • Gilbert Burns Targets Colby Covington For UFC Event In Miami: ‘I Know You Not Showing Up!’

    Gilbert Burns Targets Colby Covington For UFC Event In Miami: ‘I Know You Not Showing Up!’

    Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington have yet to share the Octagon, but their paths may soon cross following a week of online exchanges fueled by a prank.

    The drama began when Burns publicly tweeted UFC Tampa cornerman Chael Sonnen’s phone number. The move was a response to the UFC legend spreading a rumor that the Brazilian had retired from MMA. While “Durinho” and Sonnen appear to have resolved their differences, the stunt didn’t sit well with Covington.

    In defense of the former fighter, Covington issued a challenge to Burns, proposing a fight in his honor. The one-time title challenger quickly accepted the idea and suggested Miami as the venue, expressing interest in an April showdown.

    “Just [sign] the contract,” Burns wrote. “I know you not showing up.”

    Both fighters are looking to bounce back in their careers.

    Burns is on a three-fight losing streak, while Covington has dropped his last two bouts. Interestingly, both athletes’ most recent victories came against Jorge Masvidal — in March 2022 for “Chaos” and April 2023 for “Durinho.”

  • Francis Ngannou ‘Doesn’t Care’ About Jon Jones Anymore, Knows What Fight He ‘For Sure’ Wants

    Francis Ngannou ‘Doesn’t Care’ About Jon Jones Anymore, Knows What Fight He ‘For Sure’ Wants

    Francis Ngannou is tired of being asked questions about a potential fight with the UFC’s heavyweight champion, Jon Jones. The two of them colliding in the UFC was a huge talking point towards the end of 2022 until the saga ended with Ngannou leaving the promotion and vacating the title which was later won by Jones.

    With the two men now being at the top in different promotions, it seems unlikely that they will face off with another if the UFC and PFL don’t go into business with each other but Turki Alalshikh might be the only person that could make that happen. During an interview with Seconds Out during fight week for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 in Riyadh, Ngannou was asked about whether a meeting with the consensus greatest of all time is still of interest to him.

    From Ngannou’s point of view, he has always claimed that he is happy to compete against Jones, stating that he has never been the one that has stopped it from happening. The PFL star said that he is no longer giving this fight any of his energy because whether we ever see it or not isn’t a decision that rests on his shoulders.

    “It’s been four years that I’ve been saying it, I’m confused that people keep asking me this question,” Ngannou told Seconds Out. “It’s been four years! That’s not my problem, I don’t care about it anymore. If it happens, yes, if it doesn’t, f— it.”

    It’s not clear what Ngannou’s next fight will be right now although there may be some more clarity on that following his conversations with Alalshikh in Saudi Arabia this week. Ngannou has picked Usyk to beat “The Gypsy King” for a second time on Saturday night and this result could potentially lead to him getting a rematch with Fury following their closely contested fight in his boxing debut last year.

    “What I do know for sure is that I want a rematch with Fury,” he said.

    Ngannou isn’t interested in avenging his other boxing loss which came earlier this year against Anthony Joshua. Another name that has been spoken about is Deontay Wilder who would seemingly be a more enticing option for Ngannou than the MMA bouts that are out there for him right now.

    “The rematch with Joshua, honestly I felt very off and not very comfortable in that fight,” Ngannou said. “It’s definitely something that could happen, but … I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I didn’t like the Joshua fight. I think things wasn’t right. Nothing was right. And if it’s going to be the same scenario, I’m not interested.”

  • PFL Founder Rejects Bellator Fighter Complaints, Insists Promotion Did ‘Best They Could’ In 2024

    PFL Founder Rejects Bellator Fighter Complaints, Insists Promotion Did ‘Best They Could’ In 2024

    2024 has provided some problems for the PFL that they haven’t had to deal with in the past. Despite having the PFL debut of Francis Ngannou and some great performances on the 2024 World Championships card, a lot of the talk surrounding the promotion as of late has revolved around the fighters that haven’t been in action.

    Following the acquisition of Bellator last year, the PFL was always going to have to work out how to keep a huge amount of new fighters on the roster busy and happy. This has not been the case for some of the top names in the promotion including Bellator champions like Patrício Pitbull, Cris Cyborg and Patchy Mix who have all complained about not being as active as they would like.

    In a recent social media post, PFL founder Donn Davis hit back at some of the criticisms by stating that the promotion always has and always will offer each athlete the opportunity to compete twice per calendar year. It is also worth noting that the following post was edited with a slight change to the wording.

    The post originally read that the PFL did “a good job” before it was later changed to state that the promotion did the “best we could”.

    “PFL has ALWAYS provided all fighters 2 fights a year … When we acquired Bellator THEY had ZERO fight events scheduled for their Bellator 210 fighters in 2024. @PFLMMA stepped in and did best we could for them in 2024 … 2025 ALL fighters again 2 fights a year!”

    Cyborg, who is the Bellator featherweight champion, has been one of the most vocal about her issues with the PFL but this has quietened down since her fight with Larissa Pacheco in October. The Brazilian icon responded to Davis’ post and showed her support for the promotion.

    Pitbull, on the other hand, has made his mind up that he wishes to be released from the promotion so that he can go and fight elsewhere after going public with his complaints. He also responded and disputed some of the claims made by Davis.

  • VIDEO: Robelis Despaigne Records Fastest KO In Karate Combat History In First Fight Since UFC Release

    VIDEO: Robelis Despaigne Records Fastest KO In Karate Combat History In First Fight Since UFC Release

    Robelis Despaigne made his Karate Combat debut last night and instantly broke records by producing the fastest knockout in the history of the promotion. The towering Cuban took just four seconds to secure his first win by dropping Dominik Jędrzejczyk with a huge overhand right.

    Karate Combat 51 in Miami was Despaigne’s combat sports return following his UFC departure earlier this year. The devastating striker arrived in the Octagon with an MMA record of 4-0 with previous knockout wins in both four and three seconds.

    His career in the UFC was off to a flying start at UFC 299, which also took place in Miami, as he finished Josh Parisian in 18 seconds to earn a performance of the night bonus. Following that, he lost back-to-back fights to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane in outings that exposed some of the limits in his overall skillset for MMA.

    After being cut from the roster, it seemed obvious that Karate Combat would be the perfect home for the 36-year old who was always going to struggle in UFC bouts that featured a lot of grappling. The 6’7” heavyweight is once again off to an electric start in his new home following his show-stealing finish over Jędrzejczyk.

    Watch the knockout via Karate Combat on X with the promotion making the video their pinned post.

    https://twitter.com/KarateCombat/status/1869920466967703844

  • Tyron Woodley Claims He’s Getting ‘Boxing Money In MMA’ With New Global Fight League

    Tyron Woodley has become one of the earliest fighters to sign with the Global Fighting League (GFL), a new mixed martial arts promotion set to launch next year. Since his UFC release in 2021, Woodley had transitioned to boxing but has now been drawn back to MMA by the enticing opportunities offered by GFL.

    The former UFC welterweight champion recently expressed his eagerness to return to the sport, citing the league’s lucrative contract as a significant motivator.

    Woodley left the UFC on a four-fight losing streak, but his signing signals a fresh start. He joins a roster that includes notable names such as Benson Henderson, Junior dos Santos, Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum, and Alexander Gustafsson — just a few of the high-profile veterans who have signed with GFL.

    “I’ve been wanting to get back into MMA. I really just kind of put it on pause — I kind of ghosted it for a minute — but it never really ghosted me when I needed it,” Woodley said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “This was a good opportunity. It had some Ric Flair drip with the payout, and it made sense for me.”

    Woodley emphasized his commitment to the organization, which he claimed is paying him “boxing money in MMA.”

    “I’m fully in with the GFL. So many people called me and asked if I was really signed because they know I wouldn’t step up to something that’s bullsh*t. I’m not going to be part of anything that doesn’t pay me super handsomely or offer a platform that helps build my brand. Everyone that’s signed — probably 90 percent — called me to make sure I was in.

    “The OGs get paid, man. Getting boxing money in MMA is a whole flex, and I’m just excited to be a part of the new wave. I’ve been wanting to get back in MMA.”

  • Aljamain Sterling: It Wasn’t Right For UFC To Book Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov On Short Notice

    Aljamain Sterling: It Wasn’t Right For UFC To Book Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov On Short Notice

    Aljamain Sterling believes UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili is being rushed into defending his title against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

    Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight belt in September at UFC 306 and had hoped to take some time off before his next fight. However, the UFC decided to book this title bout on short notice, sparking criticism from the Georgian’s friend and teammate Sterling, who feels the timeline is unfair.

    “This fight is being made on six weeks’ notice? Maybe six-and-a-half,” Sterling said during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. “For a title fight? I understand having to do that if you’re a challenger, but as a champion, you shouldn’t be relegated to those types of stipulations. It’s just not right.”

    Sterling elaborated on the frustration of being in such a position.

    “It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, as in, ‘Why did I work so hard to get to this position, to call the shots — or some of the shots — and you’re not even getting a fair shake in it?’ Hopefully, we go out there — knock on wood — Merab does his thing, he takes [Nurmagomedov’s] 0, puts on a great performance, and we can move on from this to the next.”

    Sterling is no stranger to this situation.

    After defeating Henry Cejudo to retain the bantamweight title at UFC 288, he was forced to defend it just three months later against Sean O’Malley at UFC 292. “Funk Master” lost the fight via knockout, a result that still looms large in his mind as he defends Dvalishvili’s predicament.

  • Colby Covington Responds To Jon Jones Mocking His Latest UFC Loss: ‘He’s Cheated His Whole Career’

    Colby Covington Responds To Jon Jones Mocking His Latest UFC Loss: ‘He’s Cheated His Whole Career’

    The former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington made his return to the Octagon this past weekend in Tampa where he suffered his second consecutive loss. “Chaos” was stopped in the third round after the doctor waved off his fight with Joaquin Buckley due to a cut above his right eye that he suffered early on in the fight.

    Covington has since disputed the loss despite Buckley producing an impressive performance to end 2024 going 4-0 in the welterweight division. Given his history of being extremely critical of other fighters, it’s not surprising that there were members of the UFC roster that were happy to see him suffer another defeat inside the Octagon.

    One of those fighters is the UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones who Covington has a long history with “Bones” expressed his enjoyment on social media via the following post.

    During a recent Twitch stream, Covington responded to Jones’ comments on X where he hit back at the champion by attacking him with many of the criticism that he has voiced in the past. The #9-ranked welterweight made reference to Jones’ controversial past and some of the issues that he has faced both in and out of the Octagon.

    “Yeah, of course he’s talking about me. He wishes he looked like me. He wishes he had these kinds of looks and was this beautiful and had this much respect. He has no respect. He lost all his respect when he started doing drugs and hitting pregnant ladies. There’s nothing to respect about Jon, he’s cheating his whole career. He’s cheated on his wife, he’s cheating on his taxes so he’s a terrible person. Of course he’s talking about a saint and someone who’s a law abiding citizen like myself. You know, someone that stands for law and order. Someone that stands for the military, the troops, the Trumps. So f*** Jon Jones, he’s nothing.”

    In the same clip, Covington once again spoke about the doctor’s decision to stop his fight with Buckley in the third round, claiming that it was a “cheat job” and a “fake stoppage”.

  • Jamahal Hill Downplays Alex Pereira Clash At UFC PI As Nothing But A ‘Fun Interaction’

    Jamahal Hill Downplays Alex Pereira Clash At UFC PI As Nothing But A ‘Fun Interaction’

    At UFC 300, Alex Pereira seemed to produce the definitive statement in his short-lived rivalry with Jamahal Hill after stopping the former light heavyweight champion in the first round and taunting him immediately after. “Sweet Dreams” unsurprisingly didn’t take to this too kindly and with his Octagon return taking place next month at UFC 311, Hill is going to want to run that fight back if he gets his hand raised against Jiří Procházka in California.

    It appeared that the two men nearly came to blows during a recent confrontation between them at the UFC PI in Las Vegas during fight week for UFC 310 this month. A video posted on social media showed that Hill approached “Poatan” who was getting some work in with his close team before they started trading words.

    Pereira even threw a pair of gloves at Hill at one point in the video and though nothing physical happened between them, it could have been a different story if the champion’s coach, Plinio Cruz, wasn’t there to diffuse the situation and tell his fighter to back up. Hill, however, doesn’t believe that it was a big deal in hindsight.

    Whilst he was quite casually walking over to his former opponent, it seemed from his reaction that Pereira did not appreciate Hill’s conduct or comments in the moment. The champion made it pretty clear that if Hill wanted to, they could go a couple rounds right then and there.

    He spoke in a recent interview with James Lynch for Bodog Canada where he tried to tell his version of events. Hill said that there was a bit of a breakdown in terms of the communication of what was being said back and forth after Cruz stopped relaying the messages back and forth. Despite this, Hill looks back at the exchange as a positive without it being anything too significant.

    ”After he [Pereira] said that last part he [translator] kind of stopped translating to me, he kind of stopped translating what he was saying to me. The situation ain’t even that serious bro, it’s a fun interaction, I mean seeing that competitive fire is there, he’s down to go, I’m ready to step up and fight him…as ready to go, to step up and fight.”

  • Daniel Cormier Picks ‘Most Marketable’ UFC Welterweight Champ — Snubs Muhammad, Rakhmonov, Edwards, Garry

    Daniel Cormier Picks ‘Most Marketable’ UFC Welterweight Champ — Snubs Muhammad, Rakhmonov, Edwards, Garry

    Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has given a somewhat surprising answer when pondering who would be the “most marketable” titleholder for the promotion at 170 pounds.

    The welterweight division has finished the year as one of the most talked about weight classes, largely thanks to standout contenders Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry co-headlining UFC 310 in arguably the most highly anticipated fight on the final pay-per-view card of 2024.

    The Kazakh star emerged victorious from that, keeping his ‘0’ intact and maintaining his status as top contender, which he was made to defend after an injury forced champion Belal Muhammad out.

    With that, Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov is still expected to mark the next title fight at 170 pounds. But regardless of who wins, Cormier doesn’t think the UFC will be left with the best option for peak marketability.

    During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Cormier explained why the rising Jack Della Maddalena might just be the UFC’s top choice when it comes to a future welterweight champ.

    “I think Jack Della Maddalena is one fight away from becoming a guy fighting for the belt,” Cormier said. “If that fight is against Kamaru Usman, he will be rushed into that title fight. Let me tell you something about the UFC: Vince McMahon famously said, ‘I don’t like the UFC because I cannot control the outcome.’ What the UFC will do, they do know how to follow a game plan and they do know star-building.

    “So when you get a guy like Jack Della Maddalena who has an entire country behind him, that everybody is excited about, they will find a way to get him into the position if he earns it,” Cormier continued. “So, if he beats a Kamaru Usman, there will be no other obstacle because, if I am being honest with you, right now at 170 (pounds), the most marketable guy as a champion right now is Jack Della Maddalena because of where he’s from, because of the entire country behind him, and because of the way they are excited about him.”

    Della Maddalena is currently being brought up in the discussion for Comeback of the Year for 2024, having prevented a certain defeat on the scorecards by knocking Gilbert Burns out with just over a minute left in their fight at UFC 299 this past March.

    The Australian hasn’t competed since, and after missing out on a home fight in Perth this year, it appears that the striking specialist may also be absent from the Sydney-held UFC 312 lineup next February following a recent report from Alex Behunin.

  • Muhammad Mokaev Fires Back After Being Branded ‘Boring’ By Kai Kara-France: ‘Kape Owns You!’

    Muhammad Mokaev Fires Back After Being Branded ‘Boring’ By Kai Kara-France: ‘Kape Owns You!’

    Former UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev has looked to give Kai Kara-France a lesson in mathematics.

    Mokaev and Kara-France once looked on a collision course as they plied their trade under the same banner. But that changed this year when the UFC opted not to renew the former’s contract following his controversial fight week in Manchester and subsequent decision win over Manel Kape at UFC 304.

    With that, “The Punisher’s” plans to challenge Alexandre Pantoja were squashed, and he’s been made to work his way back to the Octagon elsewhere. That journey began on the front foot this month when Mokaev landed a quick submission at Brave CF 91.

    Kara-France, meanwhile, is widely expected to be the man opposite Pantoja in 2025 following his emphatic knockout of recent title challenger Steve Erceg in Perth this past August.

    And while staking his claim for a shot and rematch opposite “The Cannibal” during an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, the New Zealander sought to explain why he’s in this position instead of Mokaev.

    “[Mokaev] is boring, bro. This is fighting. It’s not wrestling. It’s not hugging. Don’t pull someone’s pants down in the middle of a fight,” Kara-France said. “No one pays all this money to see someone just dry hump someone on the ground.”

    Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take the always vocal Mokaev long to hit back.

    In a post on X, “The Punisher” poked holes in Kara-France’s assessment by noting his higher finishing rate on MMA’s biggest stage. He also remarked on the City Kickboxing fighter’s feud with Kape, which almost boiled over at a press conference in Australia last year.

    “More finishes than you in the UFC, bro,” Mokaev wrote. “Only been in the UFC 2 years, had 7 fights and 4 finishes with 2 heavy injuries. You have been in the UFC 8 years now, do the maths. Kape owns you btw.”

    For now, the pair’s animosity can’t be settled inside the Octagon.

    But should Kara-France unseat Pantoja next year and Mokaev find himself back under the UFC banner courtesy of a few more standout performances with Brave CF, perhaps the matchup will be back on the table soon enough.

  • Colby Covington Motivated To ‘Prove People Wrong’ After ‘Cheat Job’ vs. Joaquin Buckley

    Colby Covington Motivated To ‘Prove People Wrong’ After ‘Cheat Job’ vs. Joaquin Buckley

    Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington insists he is far from finished.

    Covington’s hopes of a fourth crack at securing the undisputed crown at 170 pounds suffered a big blow this past weekend in Tampa, where he headlined the year-ending UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena opposite Joaquin Buckley.

    The charging “New Mansa” entered the contest riding momentum from three straight wins earlier in the year, and he remained unbeaten at welterweight at Covington’s expense on Dec. 14.

    After dominating through two rounds, Buckley had his hand raised in the third frame when a cut above Covington’s right eye was deemed too severe for him to continue. “Chaos” unsurprisingly used the doctor’s stoppage as a means to peddle his usual excuses post-fight.

    And that continued during a recent Twitch stream, during which the 36-year-old dismissed any suggestions that he is done in the sport and expressed excitement at the possibility of proving his detractors wrong in 2025.

    “I’m motivated, man. I want to prove people wrong,” Covington said. “Dude, that was a bullsh*t stoppage, let’s be honest. I was still in the fight. I was getting takedowns. He was getting slower. None of his punches did any significant damage. … I feel like there was an eye poke or something…an inadvertent one. I couldn’t see, I was out of one eye.

    “I’m a warrior. That’s what I signed up for. I love this sh*t. Let me go out on my shield though,” Covington continued. “It was a bullsh*t stoppage. Fake stoppage. Another f*cking cheat job.”

    With the result last Saturday, “Chaos” is now 2-4 across his last six fights and 0-4 against those currently ranked inside the welterweight top 15.

  • Alex Pereira Reveals Magomed Ankalaev Isn’t Getting Next Title Shot, Ankalaev Cries ‘Chicken’

    Alex Pereira Reveals Magomed Ankalaev Isn’t Getting Next Title Shot, Ankalaev Cries ‘Chicken’

    While it’s not clear who he’ll be fighting first in 2025, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira says it won’t be the man many see as his biggest threat in the division.

    “Poatan,” a former titleholder at 185 pounds, enjoyed a standout year in the Octagon. After being crowned a two-division king last November, the Brazilian successfully defended the 205-pound gold three times in 2024.

    Knockout wins over Jamahal Hill, Jiří Procházka, and Khalil Rountree have left Pereira as a leading candidate for Fighter of the Year. But there remains one point of discussion used by his limited group of detractors.

    Even prior to his win over Aleksandar Rakić in October, Ankalaev was seen by many as the most deserving of a title shot. With that not coming to fruition, some concluded that the promotion has been looking to ‘protect’ Pereira from the well-rounded game of the Russian.

    And that fire has now had considerable fuel thrown on it.

    Despite Ankalaev’s unbeaten run and place on the light heavyweight ladder, Pereira has seemingly heard from the promotion that he won’t be stood opposite the Brazilian next time out.

    “It won’t be Ankalaev!” the light heavyweight titleholder wrote on X.

    It didn’t take long for a frustrated Ankalaev to appear in the comments section, once again accusing Pereira of deliberately avoiding him by branding the champ a “chicken.”

    “Chicken”

    With a clash with Ankalaev seemingly out of the running, it remains to be seen what will come next for Pereira.

    Given that the Russian sits as the clear top contender at 205 pounds, “Poatan’s” recent post could suggest a much-discussed heavyweight venture in pursuit of historic three-weight glory.

  • Paul Hughes No Longer Interested In Conor McGregor Cornering For Nurmagomedov Fight: ‘With Things Going Down Now…’

    Paul Hughes No Longer Interested In Conor McGregor Cornering For Nurmagomedov Fight: ‘With Things Going Down Now…’

    Paul Hughes has done a complete about-face regarding his enthusiasm for having Conor McGregor in the corner for his upcoming fight.

    When Hughes triumphed over AJ McKee at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants in October, he passionately floated the idea of enlisting his Irish compatriot, “The Notorious,” to join his corner for a potential title clash with reigning Bellator Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

    At the time, McGregor pledged his support, expressing interest in standing in Hughes’ corner. The opportunity to reignite his storied rivalry with UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov — Usman’s first cousin and an almost certain presence in his corner — added an intriguing layer to the matchup.

    “Big News” is now gearing up to face Nurmagomedov in the headline bout of the Road to Dubai Champions Series, set for Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, U.A.E. Surprisingly, though, he has decided to abandon his earlier plan of attempting to secure the former two-division UFC champion’s services for the biggest fight of his career to date.

    During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Hughes said that he was simply toying with the idea and explained that he has no real plans to bring McGregor into his corner for the highly anticipated title clash.

    “Look, I mean the whole corner thing, that was the post-fight interview where things were just being thrown there,” Hughes said. “Other than, that just blew up and did the rounds on social media a couple of times. Other than that, I haven’t mentioned it or looked about anything to do that.”

    “Big News” further explained that, given McGregor’s involvement in a whirlwind of controversy following an Irish court ruling last month that he was liable for the assault of a woman who accused him of rape in 2018, it would be unwise to enlist the sport’s most iconic figure for his corner.

    “Obviously with things going down now, it’s not something I’m going to continue to pursue.”

    However, Hughes also mentioned that he would prefer to have another fellow Irishman, UFC welterweight sensation Ian Garry, in his corner.

    Interestingly, “The Future” had previously offered his support, suggesting the idea of returning the favor after Hughes cornered him in 2021 during his title fight under the Cage Warriors banner.

  • Dustin Poirier Makes His Pick For 2024 Knockout Of The Year: ‘Never Really Seen Him Rocked’

    Dustin Poirier Makes His Pick For 2024 Knockout Of The Year: ‘Never Really Seen Him Rocked’

    UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier has revealed his choice for Knockout of the Year — and it’s not Max Holloway’s finish of Justin Gaethje.

    With mixed martial arts’ leading promotion concluding its schedule for 2024, focus has turned to a number of categories for the annual year-end awards. And perhaps the most discussed is who delivered the top KO across the past 12 months.

    Leading the way for most appears to be the top moment from this past April’s milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view, which saw Holloway sleep Gaethje with just one second remaining to capture the symbolic BMF crown.

    But while many are selecting that as their pick for 2024, Poirier actually has Holloway on the wrong end of his choice…

    During a recent appearance on ESPN MMA‘s Good Guy/Bad Guy show with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, Poirier pointed to featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria’s brutal finish of “Blessed” at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

    Explaining his choice, the Louisianan noted Holloway’s status as a fighter yet to be dropped or even hurt significantly on the feet in MMA before October’s numbered event at Etihad Arena.

    “Just how elusive (Holloway) is there but also the guys he fought, he’s never been put down,” Poirier said. “Taking big shots and always answering the bell, always getting back up, always showing up to the next round. Never really seen him rocked or stumble that much. And to get put down for the first time after 30-plus UFC fights is, to me, Knockout of the Year.”

    The result marks one of two candidates for KO of the Year that Topuria delivered in 2024. Eight months prior, the Spaniard rendered Alexander Volkanovski unconscious in the second round of their title fight in Anaheim.

    Having defended the belt at Holloway’s expense to close out his year, “El Matador” will no doubt look to display more violence in 2025, perhaps with a different UFC championship on the light given his recent lightweight tease.

  • Beneil Dariush Admits UFC 311 Fight Will Decide Potential Retirement: ‘It Might Be Time…’

    Beneil Dariush Admits UFC 311 Fight Will Decide Potential Retirement: ‘It Might Be Time…’

    Beneil Dariush acknowledges that he is nearing the end of his MMA career, and a two-fight losing skid has added to the mental strain of contemplating his future.

    Once riding high on an eight-fight winning streak, Dariush faced a setback when he was TKO’d by Charles Oliveira at UFC 289. This was followed by a KO loss to Arman Tsarukyan in December 2023.

    Now, the veteran 155lber prepares to face Renato Moicano at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. After 11 years in the UFC, he understands the significance of this crossroads fight in his career.

    “I don’t know exactly when I’m going to retire,” Dariush shared on MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s one of those things where I’m not going to be able to pinpoint, ‘Hey, I’m 36. I’m done. I’m 37. I’m done.’ It’s really two things: Do I have the desire? Then the second part, which is just as important: Do I have the ability?

    “Currently, I feel like I have the desire, and I still feel like I have the ability. I don’t feel like I’m lacking, and I do believe I’ve gotten way better over the year. It’s been a really good year for improvement and growth,” Dariush continued. “All that’s left is being able to prove it — getting into that octagon and demonstrating what I’ve been working on. If I can do that, I’ll continue to fight. If I can’t, then there’s obviously something missing, and you only get so many chances to fix it. At that point, it might be time to consider walking away from this.”

    Dariush will appear on the undercard of next year’s first pay-per-view, which will be headlined by a pair of title fights.

    Before lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev runs it back with Arman Tsarukyan in the main event, Merab Dvalishvili will put his newly won bantamweight gold on the line opposite the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

  • Islam Makhachev Vows To ‘Make Everyone Shut Up’ In Arman Tsarukyan Fight Like ‘With Volkanovski’

    Islam Makhachev Vows To ‘Make Everyone Shut Up’ In Arman Tsarukyan Fight Like ‘With Volkanovski’

    At UFC 311 in Los Angeles next month, Islam Makhachev — the number one pound-for-pound fighter — will defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan. This highly anticipated bout is a rematch five years in the making, as the two previously faced off in April 2019 in a Fight of the Night clash.

    Makhachev is not just looking to retain his belt; he’s aiming to make a definitive statement by finishing Tsarukyan.

    “With Volkanovski, I told everyone I had to end all doubts and get the finish. That’s why in the second fight, I’m going to be looking for the finish to make everyone shut up,” Makhachev said to ESPN MMA, reflecting on his mindset.

    Some fans believe Tsarukyan could have beaten Makhachev in 2019 if he’d had a full training camp. Now, the Russian-Armenian has the chance to prove them right — or wrong. For the champ, however, familiarity with his opponent gives him confidence.

    “Honestly, I like to fight a second time,” Makhachev said. “I don’t like rematches, but when I fight the same opponent again, I know everything they can do, so there won’t be any surprises. Sometimes, like when Dustin [Poirier] defended my wrestling or submission skills, it surprised me a little. But when I know what my opponent will do, I have more options.”

  • PFL Announces Full Undercard For Road To Dubai Champions Series: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes

    PFL Announces Full Undercard For Road To Dubai Champions Series: Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes

    The Professional Fighters League (PFL) will look to kick off the new year in style when it touches down in Dubai for the first Champions Series event of 2025.

    After completing its 2024 schedule with the PFL Europe Championship event in Lyon, France last week, the PFL’s attention will turn to a year that looks set to be key in its pursuit of building a fanbase and becoming legitimate competition to the UFC.

    There remains a lot of uncertainty entering 2025, especially regarding the status of a host of Bellator fighters who have made their frustration with their new employers known publicly.

    While there hasn’t been much in response to the likes of Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix’s complaints, founder Donn Davis has surfaced on social media to promise that the PFL will stage more cards than ever in the new year.

    That starts on Jan. 25 at UAE’s Coca-Cola Arena, where a seemingly revamped version of this year’s Bellator Champions Series will debut. While the Bellator brand is no longer mentioned in the event name, one of its champions will be in action as lightweight kingpin Usman Nurmagomedov defends his gold against Paul Hughes.

    And this week, the PFL has rolled out the full undercard, mostly made up of rising names from the Middle East.

    The organization is reportedly looking to put a late-notice co-headliner together after two matchups announced for Vadim Nemkov fell through. After a clash with Ante Delija was announced despite the Croatian being injured, a heavyweight trilogy versus Corey Anderson was set instead.

    That evidently was announced prematurely, too, with the Russian seemingly turning down another battle with the current Bellator light heavyweight titleholder.

    Main Card:

    • Bellator Lightweight Title: Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) vs. Paul Hughes (13-1)
    • Featherweight: Khasan Magomedsharipov (10-0) vs. Nathan Kelly (11-2)
    • Featherweight: Ibragim Ibragimov (8-0) vs. Kenny Mokhonoana (5-1)
    • Bantamweight: Renat Khavalov (8-0) vs. Cleiver Fernandes (9-1)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (13-8) vs. Ahmed Samy (11-4)
    • Flyweight: Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (5-1-1) vs. Ruel Pañales (5-2)
    • Middleweight: Yakub Sulimanov (7-0) vs. Jarrah Al-Selawe (20-7)
    • Lightweight: John Mitchell (9-2) vs. Souhil Tairi (7-5-1)
    • Featherweight: Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs. Assem Ghanem (4-0)
    • Middleweight: Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs. Haider Khan (8-1)
    • Lightweight: Mirafzal Akhtamov (7-0-1) vs. Mike Thompson (7-2)
    Ibragim Ibragimov
    Ibragim Ibragimov (image: PFL MMA)
  • Jan Błachowicz Expects ‘Nothing’ But A Title Shot With UFC London Win Over Carlos Ulberg

    Jan Błachowicz Expects ‘Nothing’ But A Title Shot With UFC London Win Over Carlos Ulberg

    After a year and a half away from the Octagon, Jan Błachowicz is gearing up for his return to the UFC. He is scheduled to face rising contender Carlos Ulberg on March 22, 2025, at UFC London.

    Błachowicz was initially slated for a rematch with Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 297 last January but a shoulder injury required surgery, sidelining him from competition. Across his last four outings, the Polish fighter holds a 1-2-1 record, with his most recent victory coming in May 2022 after an injury to Rakić. Since then, he fought to a split draw for the light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282 and lost a split decision to Alex Pereira at UFC 291.

    Speaking on Home of Fight, Błachowicz revealed his intentions to make a strong case for a title shot after his fight with Ulberg.

    “He’s a standup fighter. I’m a standup fighter,” Błachowicz said about Ulberg. “But you know, if I have to use my wrestling, I’ll do it. It’s MMA, but I like fighting standup, so people can expect to see a lot of punches.

    “He’s a very good fighter — great left hand, solid footwork. I’m excited. Seven wins in a row, that’s amazing. It’s time to stop him. … I think if I win this fight in a good way, I will start talking only about the title shot — nothing else.”

  • Curtis Blaydes Explains Why He Envisions Former Opponent Tom Aspinall Stopping Jon Jones Early

    Curtis Blaydes Explains Why He Envisions Former Opponent Tom Aspinall Stopping Jon Jones Early

    Arguably the most anticipated fight in MMA right now is a potential UFC heavyweight title unification clash between Jon Jones and the interim titleholder, Tom Aspinall. It has been one of the main talking points that has dominated conversation throughout 2024 but after Jones’ recent win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, it still remains unclear whether it will happen or not.

    Jones has come under some criticism for the way that he has spoken about the fight and played down the significance of fighting a guy like Aspinall who he sees as just another name. A lot of fight fans however believe that the Brit is the toughest fight out there for the consensus greatest of all time right now and as the interim champion, he deserves this opportunity to challenge “Bones” before he hangs up the gloves.

    Curtis Blaydes is the only man to face Aspinall twice in his career and he’s also the only person to defeat the current interim champion in the UFC. After their first meeting back in 2022 ended in just 15 seconds when Aspinall suffered a devastating knee injury, they ran it back at UFC 304 this past July where on home turf, the interim titleholder defended his belt by stopping “Razor” in the first round.

    In a recent interview with James Lynch for Sportskeeda MMA, Blaydes gave his thoughts on how a Jones and Aspinall matchup would play out if we do ever get to see it. He believes that (aside from his controversial disqualification loss against Matt Hamill) Aspinall could be the first man to defeat Jones inside the Octagon.

    Blaydes says that though the fight is still an incredibly difficult one to predict, the speed and power of Aspinall could counter the range and distance striking of the current heavyweight champion.

    “I would pick him (Aspinall). Like, I would go 55 (percent) him. Obviously, it’s not going to be a landslide. Like, we’re going to get Jon Jones. He’s a legend. He’s got all the weapons. I think one area where Tom can win is just a presence inside. Like, Jon Jones gets away with being able to stand in front of his opponent and just paw and pick at him with the inside leg kicks and the teeps and the jabs.

    “(Aspinall) definitely has the speed. He doesn’t have the range that Jon has, but who does? But I think he knows that. I think he’ll get on the inside of that range, and I think he’ll be able to land a overhand. And it’ll probably be early because he likes to blitz. He doesn’t like to wait. So yeah, I think it’ll happen early.”

  • Brendan Schaub: Only Francis Ngannou Return Would Live Up To Dana White’s Tease For 2025

    Brendan Schaub: Only Francis Ngannou Return Would Live Up To Dana White’s Tease For 2025

    Dana White teased fight fans in his final UFC press conference of 2024 by claiming that there is something in the works for 2025 that will have fans losing their minds when it gets announced. Speaking after the promotion’s Fight Night event in Tampa, the UFC boss spoke about how they always manage to exceed the previous year after going all out.

    Without giving anything away, he said that alongside the big fights that have already been announced for next year’s schedule, there’s something fresh off the press that nobody will be able to predict ahead of time.

    “I anticipate a lot of big fights, I’ve got something in the works right now that’ll drive you [media] crazy. All you guys will be running around. I got something in the works that you will never f**ing see coming for 2025. It literally started to come together last night. Yeah, we got some fun stuff coming up.”

    In a response to White’s comments, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub attempted to speculate what this mind-blowing fight announcement could possibly be. The return of the former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would elicit that kind of reaction in Schaub’s opinion but he also knows that “The Eagle” has made it very clear that he will not go back on his decision to retire.

    One potential major shift in the MMA landscape that Schaub did pinpoint is the current status of Francis Ngannou. “The Predator” recently made his return to the cage in his PFL debut at Battle of the Giants where he stopped Renan Ferreira in the first round.

    After tearing right through his Brazilian foe, there were two big questions on everyone’s mind, who is out there for Ngannou to face next and is he still the best heavyweight on the planet considering that he never lost the UFC title having vacated it when he departed the promotion? Schaub believes that Ngannou stepping back inside the Octagon to mix it up with the likes of the division’s two titleholders, Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, would come out of left field and set the bar extremely high for 2025.

    “With the internet today, and like the rumors and fake news, it’s damn near impossible to blow somebody. No matter what he [White] says, when I heard them like, ‘What could it be?’ The only thing that would blow me, like blow me hard, like b*st hard, would be if it’s Francis. He has one fight left on PFL contract. He’s going to finish that out fighting who, God knows what poor soul they’re going to find to get knocked out by him.

    “And then, he’ll be a free agent. If they’re like, ‘We got Francis back in the mix. Francis is going to fight the winner, guaranteed winner, of Aspinall-Jones.’ That would blow me. But that’s where I’m at. That’s very difficult to get done. Outside that, what else could it be?”

  • Cory Sandhagen Hopes To See Dvalishvili ‘Get Served Up’ At UFC 311: ‘Merab’s Been Talking A Lot’

    Cory Sandhagen Hopes To See Dvalishvili ‘Get Served Up’ At UFC 311: ‘Merab’s Been Talking A Lot’

    UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen will be backing his most recent opponent when champion Merab Dvalishvili’s first title defense rolls around next month.

    Dvalishvili will put his 135-pound gold on the line four months on from his crowning, which came at the expense of Sean O’Malley inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere this past September.

    After much discourse regarding his next opponent, and in spite of his preference not to face the challenge of Umar Nurmagomedov, the Georgian will share the cage with the undefeated Dagestani at UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18.

    If he’s to maintain his grip on the bantamweight belt and add a successful retention to his reign, “The Machine” must become the first to defeat Nurmagomedov — a feat that the highly regarded Sandhagen most recently failed to accomplish.

    During a recent interview with MiddleEasy, Sandhagen assessed Dvalishvili’s chances of having his hand raised inside the Intuit Dome early next year.

    “The Sandman” was honest in stating that he simply doesn’t see a single path to victory for the current champ. And beyond just his prediction, Sandhagen is actually hoping to see Dvalishvili beaten given how the Georgian’s been talking in recent weeks and months.

    “I think that Umar will win. I just can’t see a path for Merab to win,” Sandhagen said. “I don’t think that he’s going to be able to strike with him, but I also don’t think he’ll be able to take him down and control him like he was able to do against O’Malley and against other guys. I don’t see a path to success for Merab.

    “I think Umar is going to defend those shots, keep it in the striking realm, and just kind of — Umar’s a sniper, man. People don’t realize just how fast that guy is and how his kicks come out of nowhere,” Sandhagen continued. “Fighting a guy like Merab will be a good opportunity for him to show off a little, and just because Merab’s been talking a lot of sh*t, I kinda want to watch Merab get served up a little bit.”

    After repeatedly dismissing Nurmagomedov’s title shot worthiness, Dvalishvili has cut a frustrated figure since the matchup was officially announced. He notably laid into the Dagestani during the on-sale press conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, later threatening to “slap” the challenger.

    The time for talking will soon be over, with the pair set to co-headline the very first numbered event of 2025.