Kayla Harrison is no stranger to high pressure situations but what comes along with being a UFC champion has proven to be quite intensive according to the decorated martial artist. Speaking to Danny Segura of MMA Junkie, Harrison spoke about what life has been like as the UFC bantamweight champion after finishing Julianna Pena at UFC 316 in June.
Kayla Harrison has captured PFL championships as well as a pair of Olympic gold medals in Judo prior to this UFC title winning effort. But the latter accomplishment is a different kettle of fish in terms of the residual attention that she has been getting as a result of accomplishing that.
Expounding upon what life has been like since cementing herself as a titleholder in the UFC, Harrison said,
“It’s been different. I will say that. One of the things I’ve been super blessed to have had success in other areas and arenas of my life. So, I kind of had an idea, but winning Olympic gold medal in judo in the United States is like, I don’t know, like 12 people who saw it.”
“So having this kind of success on such a huge platform nationally and globally has been… I’m overwhelmed and I feel like I’ve got a good head on my shoulders but I’m still in a bad way… I have 170 some unread text messages and I’m so overwhelmed by it that I’ll answer 10 and then throw my phone and be like, ‘Alright, I got to get away from it. It’s just more. There’s more.’ Which is great, beautiful, fantastic.”
Kayla Harrison “living out my dream” “I’m still just Kayla”
All of that being said, there is still a groundedness in how the accomplished combat athlete lives her life as Kayla Harrison continued to say,
“Like I’m literally living out my dream and I have to stop and remember to be present, smell the roses, and realize that maybe to other people things have changed but nothing has changed for me. I’m not done and I’m still just Kayla. I’m still a mom.”
Alex Pereira had certain shortcomings in the first Magomed Ankalaev bout that he can potentially subvert in their rematch, in the eyes of a former UFC title challenger. This sentiment was expressed by Dan Hardy during an interview with Helen Yee Sports at Xtreme Couture.
At UFC 313 in March, Alex Pereira dropped his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev and the fairly lopsided bout saw Ankalaev ascend to the 205 pound throne by way of a unanimous decision. Giving his overview on the first fight and touching on the looming Pereira-Ankalaev sequel clash in the coming weeks, Dan Hardy said,
“I think maybe [Pereira] had a little bit too much respect for [Magomed] Ankalaev in the last fight… Pereira when he’s at that close range—either when you’re coming to him, like when [Sean] Strickland fought him, or when someone’s moving away and he’s walking into their range like Jamahal Hill—you feel that pressure of his kind of frame coming at you and people feel like they need to react.”
“If I’m [Alex] Pereira, I would be thinking about getting as close to him as possible, getting in his face, maybe even try and use a bit of Thai clinch just to kind of manage the clinch a bit. He’s going to be better defending takedowns on the front foot as well, right?… It’s better if he’s pressuring forward and forcing Ankalaev to shoot under pressure.”
Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalev 2 broken down by a former UFC light heavyweight champion
Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev will again step into the octagon on UFC 320 on October 4th. One of the fighters who knows Pereira best, and is also interwoven within that UFC light heavyweight title lineage, has weighed in on the sequel clash. Glover Teixeira is the combatant in question and the former UFC titleholder has guided the career of ‘Poatan’ in a coaching capacity for several years now.
On the Overdogs Brasil podcast with Renato Moicano as well as American Top Team coach Marcos da Matta, the 45-year-old commented on how he sees the second chapter of the Pereira vs. Ankalaev story unfurling as Teixeira stated [viaSherdog],
“The first round will be brutal. It’s not that he’ll come in angry, but he’ll come in with that same [aggressive] attitude. This fight will be much more dynamic. ‘Poatan’ will be pressing the entire time because he’s ready for it.”
“Mentally, there are guys who are different. I’ve always been calm in my fights, but I had my doubts. ‘Poatan’ seems very confident, very focused. He’s doing very well. Now we’ll hone it in these last three weeks, get the timing right, because the guy is already ready for five rounds.”
Arman Tsarukyan is finding plenty of success outside of the UFC Octagon.
On Friday night, Tsarukyan stepped onto the mats for his third grappling bout of the year, competing in the main event of Absolute Championship Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ) 18 inside the Dynamo Volleyball Arena in Moscow, Russia, where he faced former UFC lightweight king Benson Henderson.
“Ahalkalakets” went straight to work looking for chokes against Henderson, who managed to hold them off until the closing moments. But persistence paid off, the 28-year-old Armenian locked in a sharp arm-triangle choke, slid to the side, and cranked it tighter with every second.
The move was executed with precision, and before long, “Smooth” had gone limp. The referee stepped in after checking his arm, while a visibly dazed Henderson was helped back to his feet by Tsarukyan.
.@ArmanUFC Tsarukyan finishes Benson Henderson in the final minutes of their grappling match at ACB JJ in Moscow. This marks Tsarukyan’s third grappling bout in just five months, and he’s won all three, two of them by finish. pic.twitter.com/GxWBBDgbjz
Tsarukyan has continued his grappling streak this year, first securing a unanimous decision victory over Makkasharip Zaynukov at Karate Combat 54 in early May, followed by a slick submission win against Patricky Pitbull at ADXC 10 later that same month.
Image: @arm_011/Instagram
When Was Arman Tsarukyan’s Last UFC Fight?
Arman Tsarukyan last stepped into the Octagon at UFC 300 in April 2024, where he earned a hard-fought split decision victory over former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
That victory earned “Ahalkalakets” his first UFC 155-pound title shot against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January. Unfortunately, a back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw from the fight during fight week.
Tsarukyan is riding a four-fight winning streak, with his last defeat coming in June 2022 when he fell via unanimous decision to Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Vegas 57. He holds a 9-2 record in the UFC, highlighted by knockout victories over Beneil Dariush and Joel Álvarez.
A highly anticipated lightweight contenders battle that was set to headline UFC Rio in less than a month’s time is now no longer on the table.
Per a report from AgFight, Rafael Fiziev has suffered an injury and will be unable to make the walk at UFC Rio. He was scheduled to face former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in the main event.
No information is readily available on the UFC’s next course of action, but the belief is Oliveira will remain on the card with a replacement opponent being sought after.
Charles Oliveira vs. Rafael Fiziev Scrapped As UFC Rio Headliner
Fiziev was most recently in action at UFC Baku in June, scoring a decision over Ignacio Bahamondes — marking Fiziev’s first win in two years.
This would have been Oliveira’s first fight since getting knocked out by Ilia Topuria in their lightweight title bout at UFC 317.
UFC Rio takes place on October 11 from the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has ripped into Conor McGregor after he dropped out of the Irish presidential race.
As we know, Conor McGregor is a pretty controversial figure both in and outside of combat sports. He has been involved in a lot of controversies over the years, and now, his public image isn’t great – especially in his home country of Ireland.
Recently, Conor McGregor decided to withdraw his bid to become the next President of Ireland. In response, Chael Sonnen had a few things to say to ‘Notorious’ in a recent video.
Chael Sonnen rips into Conor McGregor
“But when you’re blowing coke, getting blown by strippers, running in and out of court dates for this very thing, oh by the way, tying a dumbbell to your hoo-ha, (laughs) it’s a little hard to act like you’re the guy that consults with family. You’re very clearly the guy that does whatever he feels like. So, you know, this whole ‘talk to my family routine’…was so incredibly absurd.”
“The most absurd thing was thinking that he owed an explanation. An explanation to who? The parliament never recognized you. There was no vote. There was no ballot. There was no visit to their version of the Secretary of State’s office. There was nothing about this…
“If I was to ask Conor in fairness, three very simple questions—a fifth grader if he paid attention in civics class would know the answers—about what it takes to run, not about winning, just about what paperwork or administrative steps need to be done for you to actually be a candidate, I don’t think he would have the answers.”
“Conor McGregor has withdrawn his pending plans to be the president of Ireland. Well, there’s one problem with that, Conor. You were never running for president of Ireland. You did not suspend a campaign. I would love to help you with that. You don’t have a campaign. You are not returning your raised fund and telling your supporters maybe next time…There weren’t any supporters.
“You’re not coming over to take those yard signs down. There were no signs in the yard. This wasn’t real. It wasn’t real.”
UFC fighter Sean Strickland has given his thoughts on the ongoing controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel.
As we know, Sean Strickland has never been afraid to speak his mind. In fact, he thrives on putting himself in the spotlight, often for saying things that people find quite offensive. Jimmy Kimmel, meanwhile, is a late night TV host who was recently pulled off the air as a result of comments he made about US president Donald Trump.
The issue of free speech is something that has been at the forefront of this ordeal over the course of the last few days. Sean Strickland, of course, advocates for free speech, but he also doesn’t seem to be the biggest fan of Kimmel.
In a series of tweets, Sean Strickland had some interesting things to say on the subject.
Unpopular take but the FCC overstepped with Jimmy Kimmel…
He didnt get canceled. ABC was threatened by FCC Chair appointed by Trump on a podcast
Fuck Jimmy Kimmel but the government shouldn't be used as a political weapon.
On that podcast, FCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmel’s recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond (either “the easy way or the hard way”) or else the FCC might take regulatory steps…..
Yall need to press the AI button before you post. The FCC publicly pressured ABC.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmel’s recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond either the easy way or the hard way or else the FCC might take regulatory steps
“Unpopular take but the FCC overstepped with Jimmy Kimmel…
“He didnt get canceled. ABC was threatened by FCC Chair appointed by Trump on a podcast
“F*** Jimmy Kimmel but the government shouldn’t be used as a political weapon.”
“On that podcast, FCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmel’s recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond (either “the easy way or the hard way”) or else the FCC might take regulatory steps…..”
“Yall need to press the AI button before you post. The FCC publicly pressured ABC.
“FCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmel’s recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond either the easy way or the hard way or else the FCC might take regulatory steps
Former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw has given his thoughts on how Khamzat Chimaev was able to defeat Dricus du Plessis.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the new UFC middleweight champion. He dominated and defeated Dricus du Plessis in a fairly one-sided contest, cementing his position at the top of the division. Now, as we look ahead to the future, it seems like he’s going to have plenty of challengers nipping at his heels.
There has been plenty of analysis of Khamzat Chimaev’s win, probably because of just how impressive it was for him to defeat someone like Dricus du Plessis so easily. Now, TJ Dillashaw has become the latest person to weigh in on how it all played out.
TJ Dillashaw breaks down Khamzat Chimaev’s title win
“Khamzat’s performance was nothing short of just stellar, man. The guy was amazing. Just made DDP look like an amateur fighter. For him to be able to take down DDP within the first minute and crucify him was insane. And for him to just keep repeating that round after round was a little bit unbelievable.
“I expected Hamzat to win the fight, but I didn’t expect it to be such a landslide of a fight. I know that DDP is a great champion, but again, Khamzat just made him look like an amateur.”
“He’s fast. He’s like super fast at closing the ground… You see in all his fights, he comes out in the first like 30 seconds and he shoots on you. He shoots without even throwing any punches and he takes a shot. But I just think he’s that fast and that strong to be able to do it… DDP’s a great champion, but Khamzat’s that much better to be able to shoot from this far away and still get the takedown.”
The UFC Perth event has undergone a major shake-up.
The UFC is gearing up for its second trip of the year to the “Land Down Under”, with a Fight Night event, UFC Perth, set to go down on September 28 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
On Thursday, the promotion revealed that the light heavyweight clash between Junior Tafa and Ibo Aslan, originally slated as the co-main event of the upcoming Fight Night, has been scrapped due to injury.
The UFC did not disclose which fighter withdrew, nor whether the matchup is canceled altogether or could find a new date down the line. As a result, another 205-pound bout between Jimmy Crute and Ivan Erslan has been elevated to co-main event status.
The card will also feature a welterweight clash between seasoned veterans Jake Matthews and Neil Magny, as well as a featherweight showdown pitting Jack Jenkins against Ramon Taveras.
Artem Lobov has explained why he believes it’s a good thing that Conor McGregor has decided to withdraw from the Irish presidential race.
Conor McGregor is known for being something of a wildcard, especially across the last few years of his career. Nobody really knows what he’s going to do next, and that’s the kind of energy he seems to enjoy. As we look ahead to the future, it’s unclear as to whether or not he’ll return to the UFC – but one thing he does seem fairly certain is that he’ll continue to pursue his political dreams.
For now, though, Conor McGregor will not be running for President of Ireland after withdrawing from the race, which is something that a lot of experts had anticipated would happen. In a recent interview, the aforementioned Artem Lobov gave his thoughts on the whole situation.
Artem Lobov on Conor McGregor withdrawing from presidential race
“Running for president is something that we have spoken [about] all the way back [in the past],” Lobov told MMA Fighting. “One of the reasons for even for me to arrange a meeting with [Russian president] Vladimir Putin for Conor, that all had those kind of future aspirations. Running for president, you want to establish some contacts in the political world and obviously Vladimir Putin is one of the main figures in politics worldwide. We always spoke about that.”
“This time around, I support the decision to withdraw because I don’t think Conor is in the right space right now,” Lobov explained. “Not in the right mindset to run for president. He has to get his ducks in a row first. We saw he pulled out of a press conference. That’s not Conor. I know Conor that showed up to fight for the interim belt with no legs. Both of his ligaments were torn in both of the knees, he was completely unable to walk and still showed up.
“That’s the Conor I know. That’s the Conor that people believe would make a good president. I agree. That Conor for sure would make a great president and would address all the issues that need to be addressed right now in Ireland.”
UFC boss Dana White has claimed that Jon Jones has apologized for his actions towards the promotion as of late.
As we know, Dana White is willing to settle differences if there’s money to be made – but it often takes a great deal of time and effort. When it comes to Jon Jones, however, Dana is usually quite accommodating, largely because he considers him to be the greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts.
Despite that, even Dana White was pretty frustrated when Jon agreed to fight Tom Aspinall in a giant UFC heavyweight championship fight, only to walk away, despite seemingly being offered the money that he was asking for. Now that Jones has said he wants to un-retire and fight at the White House next year, Dana is understandably quite hesitant to commit to such an idea.
In a recent podcast appearance, Dana White said that Jon Jones has since apologized to him for how all of this has gone down.
Dana White says Jon Jones apologized yet trusts Conor McGregor more for the White House card 👀😬
"Jon sent me a text apologizing, but I need people that I can seriously rely on for this one [White House card]. People talk shit about Conor — I've been in the trenches with Conor.… pic.twitter.com/HDM8heUdIq
“Jon sent me a text apologizing, but I need people that I can seriously rely on for this one [White House card]. People talk s*** about Conor — I’ve been in the trenches with Conor. He doesn’t care, he’ll literally fight anybody. Conor and I’ve been talking nonstop and he’s dead serious.”
Who knows what the future holds for White and Jones and the UFC White House card – but what we do know is that right now, the boss isn’t interested.
UFC veteran Miesha Tate has revealed that the rivalry between herself and Ronda Rousey was real and not manufactured.
Many years ago, Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey were not big fans of one another – and that’s putting it lightly. The two were engaged in a bitter rivalry that culminated in their fight following the conclusion of their Ultimate Fighter season, and while Rousey came out on top, Miesha went on to win the hearts of the masses as a big fan favourite.
Of course, there’s always a certain amount of doubt when it comes to figuring out just how legitimate a rivalry is between two fighters. In a recent interview, though, Miesha Tate clarified that there was definitely some disdain there.
Miesha Tate discusses Ronda Rousey rivalry
“No, it was real beef and I think most the fans saw most of it because most of it happened publicly, you know. I mean it was all, you know, I think we were…tweeting each other back then. I don’t know.
“It was like back and forth, you know, all the things. And so they had to follow along and all the drama, but I mean it’s not like her and I were meeting up and planning it out. No, it was like I just genuinely couldn’t stand her, you know.”
Tate is currently considering what her next move is in mixed martial arts, whereas Ronda could also make a return. Who knows, maybe there’s a chance we’ll see the two of them run it back.
Dana White has revealed that he nearly got into a fist fight with a UFC executive towards the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC boss Dana White is a strong-minded guy, and he’ll always push forward with trying to do things his own way. That was the case at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when, against all advice, he did everything in his power to put on events, even though the majority of other sports had shut down after advice from the government and health organizations.
As you can imagine, Dana White received a lot of backlash for this decision. Instead of stepping down, though, he found a way to make the fights happen, and wound up receiving a mixture of praise and criticism for the move.
In a recent interview, Dana White revealed just how unhappy one of the UFC executives was with this decision.
Dana White recalls almost getting into a fist fight with an executive during a meeting about holding events during COVID 😲😲
“Imagine when the s*** was going on and I said, nah, we’re gonna go through COVID. Imagine that one.”
“I almost had a fist fight in one of our executive meetings. One of our execs thought that was absolutely not the right idea. F***ing freaked out, and I said, go home. No f***ing problem. You can go sit at home for the next f***ing, six to eight months. I don’t wanna hear any of your negativity. Don’t wanna f***ing hear it.”
Love him or hate him, Dana is willing to stick to his guns no matter what.
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has provided an update, from his perspective, on the current state of the title picture at 155 pounds.
As we know, Arman Tsarukyan is one of the most intriguing contenders out there in the lightweight division. He’s come close to securing a title shot before, and now, he’s seemingly been left on the outside looking in – despite having a clear rivalry with Ilia Topuria.
In terms of what the UFC wants to do, Arman Tsarukyan certainly seems to be one of the names being considered alongside Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. Right now, Topuria doesn’t have an opponent lined up, and he’s spending most of his time calling for a crossover boxing superfight against Terence Crawford.
In a recent interview, however, Arman Tsarukyan attempted to shed some light on the situation.
Arman Tsarukyan believes Ilia Topuria's next opponent is more likely to be Paddy Pimblett than Justin Gaethje:
"Gaethje won't fight Topuria… I think it's more likely to be Pimblett than Gaethje. I think he'll defend his title, and if Islam wins the title, he'll move up to 170… pic.twitter.com/3q8irrINm4
Arman Tsarukyan’s view on UFC lightweight title picture
“Gaethje won’t fight Topuria… I think it’s more likely to be Pimblett than Gaethje. I think he’ll defend his title, and if Islam wins the title, he’ll move up to 170 and want to become a triple champ…
“He won’t want to fight me because he can make more money fighting Islam, and he has the chance to become the first ever triple champion in history and earn big money.”
Tsarukyan isn’t going to stop until he gets his opportunity at Ilia Topuria, and while a lot of people don’t believe he has a chance, he’s certainly talented enough to cause the champion some real problems.
UFC veteran Michael Chandler has said that he still believes he will fight Conor McGregor, potentially at next year’s UFC White House event.
For the longest time, Michael Chandler has been pursuing a showdown with Conor McGregor. While it’s been close to happening on a number of occasions, it’s never quite come to fruition. Now, however, with Dana White suggesting that Conor is serious about returning, it could be back on the table.
Next summer, the UFC plans on heading to the White House for a major event. For Michael Chandler, there’s no better moment for him and the Irishman to finally lock horns.
Michael Chandler wants Conor McGregor at White House
“I think we’re closer now than we ever have been,” Chandler told MMA Fighting about McGregor actually fighting again. “I’ve always said if you’re a betting man, don’t put money on him necessarily coming back but now this changes things a lot.
“In my heart of hearts, I think I’m fighting Conor McGregor at the White House and that sure does make a ton of sense for a multitude of reasons.”
“First and foremost, I want the White House,” Chandler said. “Ideally, if it becomes Conor, that would be awesome. We have some unfinished business. I’ve got respect for him, he’s got respect for me, but we do have [some] unfinished business. He has expressed interest.
“When he put out that meme of me and him, I guess could call it a meme, it was A.I., it was me and him. He’s called me out on Twitter and said we have unfinished business and we do.”
UFC boss Dana White wasn’t happy when being asked about the promotion potentially having a problem with a lack of superstars right now.
For the longest time, Dana White has been building the brand of the Ultimate Fighting Championship – and it’s gone pretty well for him. From a financial point of view, he could easily ride off into the sunset and retire, but he instead opts to keep going in an attempt to grow the UFC even more.
One thing that has been pointed out, though, is that there aren’t as many must-see fighters currently active in the UFC. While Dana White will point to the finances of it all, especially after their recent TV deal, there certainly aren’t as many big names as there was once.
When asked about this by Logan Paul, Dana White had the following to say.
Dana White hints at working with Ariel Helwani again: “Maybe we can figure this thing out… yeah, we should probably all get back together.”
But was Dana being sarcastic?… It all started when Logan Paul brought up the talk of UFC’s “superstar problem.” Dana questioned who says… pic.twitter.com/sNwMcT6xs0
“I would love to hear, who the f*** is the guy that’s saying they have a superstar problem? Tell me what f***ing genius, in the business, right? Even these boxing guys that I was arguing with ten years ago. Where are they all now?”
White was told that Logan had heard it from Ariel Helwani, at which point he laughed the situation off. Either way, though, this feels like quite a relevant topic right now, especially as the UFC White House card approaches next year.
Who knows, maybe the potential return of Conor McGregor will change some opinions on this matter.
UFC fighter Miesha Tate has accused Ronda Rousey of being difficult behind the scenes during their season of The Ultimate Fighter.
As we know, Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest stars in the history of mixed martial arts. She achieved some great things throughout the course of her time in the sport, but we also know that she’s been faced with a lot of criticism – with most of it coming down to her perceived bad attitude.
For the longest time, Ronda Rousey was seen as untouchable in the cage. For part of that run, arguably her biggest rival was Miesha Tate, who she faced off against during a season of The Ultimate Fighter as coaches.
In a recent interview, though, Tate revealed that there was more to the story when it came to Ronda.
Miesha Tate questions Ronda Rousey’s attitude
“I think the things that people didn’t see though is like, on the Ultimate Fighter there was definitely—because there’s, you know, they clipped that up so much and there’s only…such a small bit of what you would actually see—but you know I expected her to be all pissy towards me and everything and I was like, I’m fine with that because we’re going to punch each other in the face at the end of the day.
“You know I get mine but what people didn’t get to see is like how rude she was to the people behind, you know, like the camera people, the producers, like those kinds of people who she knew that she could be a [bleep] to and she wasn’t, you know, it’s like the spoiled little girl in the family, you know, the youngest and she’s a girl and the older brother just has to deal with all, you know, all her [bleep]. It was kind of like that kind of attitude except she was a bully, too.”
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has listed his three favorite fighters of all time.
As we know, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been recognized as one of the greatest to ever compete in mixed martial arts for many years now. He retired as champion, he retired with an undefeated record, and he retired after defeating some of the biggest names in the history of the lightweight division. Nowadays, he focuses his attention on helping to grow the legacy and reputation of his family as they continue to thrive in their own right.
Of course, Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t just fall into MMA or wrestling one day – he was inspired to do it. When he was younger, he sat and watched some of the greatest of all time compete just like we all did, before going on to (arguably) surpass their legacies.
In a recent interview, Khabib Nurmagomedov named three of his favorite fighters from back in the day.
Khabib shares his top 3 favorite fighters 👊🐅
He also says meeting them for the first time was a very emotional moment.
“When I grew up it was two, maybe three. Three of my favorite fighters when I was, 16? They was on prime. It was Fedor, it was Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, and Georges St-Pierre. It was on prime. It was UFC, Pride champions. I grew up watching their fights.
“When I met them first [time], it was very big [and] emotional for me, because I grew up with their fights.”
We’ll likely never see Khabib compete again, but it’s fun to know that he looked up to many of the fighters that most of us knew and loved.
These days, Conor McGregor is a pretty big fan of US president Donald Trump – but as it turns out, that wasn’t always the case.
In recent years, Conor McGregor has taken a pretty keen interest in the world of politics. He’s also been involved in a fair few scandals along the way outside of his fighting career, but he still has some support out there. Some of that support stems from the White House, with Donald Trump being a notable fan of the Irishman after they met earlier this year.
In fact, Conor McGregor has even expressed his interest in competing on the UFC White House card which is currently set to take place next summer. Whether or not that comes to fruition remains to be seen, but the plans are certainly in place.
In a video uncovered from almost a decade ago, though, Conor McGregor hit out at Donald Trump for criticizing Ronda Rousey following her loss to Holly Holm.
Conor McGregor’s old comments about Donald Trump
“Why is that Donald Trump talking trash? I didn’t know Donald Trump was talking trash…it’s easy for someone that’s not in there to comment, but it’s different when you’re in there. The emotions are high…so it is what it is. You want to touch gloves, then don’t. That means nothing. Donald can shut his big fat mouth. I don’t give a f**k about Donald Trump.”
“It was a very tough fight. Holly fought a great fight. And much respect. This is the fight business, these things happen. So Ronda will be back. True champions come back. And congratulations to Holly, the new champion…defeat is the secret ingredient to success, so true champions can conquer that, overcome it, and come back. So I wish her all the best and that’s it.”
Diego Lopes emerged victorious at Noche UFC, ending Jean Silva’s perfect UFC record with a devastating second-round spinning elbow knockout. The Brazilian featherweight used his post-fight platform to deliver a pointed message to Silva and his celebrated Fighting Nerds team: “Talk less, train more.”
Diego Lopes: Talk less, train more.
The knockout victory came at 4:48 of the second round after Lopes caught Silva with a perfectly timed spinning back elbow that opened a significant cut on Silva’s head. The sequence followed Silva’s aggressive pursuit in the final moments of the round, with Lopes capitalizing on his opponent’s forward momentum to land the decisive strike.
Following the stoppage, tensions escalated when Silva struck Diego Lopes in the back of the head while being attended to by medical personnel. Lopes addressed the incident during his post-fight press conference, expressing surprise at Silva’s reaction. “I was surprised he did that too. I felt the punch on the back of my head. I turned around, like he elbowed me in the back of my head? I don’t understand, for why? But it’s okay. This is maybe the emotion. Because this guy is a little bit hungry because he lost the fight.”
The Brazilian’s advice to Silva was delivered without hesitation when asked about his defeated opponent. “Maybe train more. Talk less, train more,” Diego Lopes stated during his post fight press conference
Lopes also explained his provocative gesture toward Silva’s corner team following the victory. The Brazilian climbed the cage and directed obscene gestures at Silva’s training partners, citing pre-fight verbal exchanges as motivation. “Before I enter the octagon, the cutman put the Vaseline in my face. His partners, his corners were talking a lot, like ‘oh you die today, this guy will kill you, you suck, this guy will knock you out.’ Talking a lot of bad words,” Diego Lopes explained.
The defeat represents a significant setback for the Fighting Nerds organization, which has experienced a dramatic decline in 2025 following their breakout success in 2024. All four major members of the Brazilian team have now suffered losses this year, with Silva’s defeat completing a troubling pattern for the previously dominant squad.
Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy both lost at UFC Paris on September 7, marking the first defeats for these previously unbeaten fighters. Carlos Prates, though he bounced back with a knockout victory over Geoff Neal, also suffered his first UFC loss earlier in the year to Ian Machado Garry.
The Fighting Nerds, founded in 2014 by Borralho and coach Pablo Sucupira, gained international recognition for their analytical approach to fighting and their signature taped glasses worn by team members. The organization was named the “Best MMA Gym in the World” in 2023, surpassing established camps like American Top Team and American Kickboxing Academy.
Silva, who entered the fight riding a 13-fight winning streak dating back to 2018, acknowledged his team’s recent struggles in a post-fight statement. The 28-year-old admitted to abandoning his game plan and fighting emotionally rather than strategically. “Unfortunately, emotions were high on Saturday. I was performing well in the second round but let my fighting spirit take over. I fought independently and didn’t heed my team’s advice. This loss is on me,” Silva said.
The featherweight contender also addressed the broader issues facing his team, stating, “One thing you guys were right about… The Fighting Nerds lost three in a row. So the three of us must be making similar mistakes. So for sure, me, Caio, and Ruffy will have a meeting. We’ll figure this out and improve.”
For Lopes, the victory marked a significant rebound following his unsuccessful title challenge against Alexander Volkanovski in April. The 30-year-old improved to 27-7 overall and positioned himself for another potential title opportunity in the featherweight division.
The Brazilian earned both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses for his spectacular finish, adding $100,000 to his purse. Despite the animosity during fight week and immediately following the bout, both fighters eventually reconciled backstage, with Silva congratulating Lopes and predicting his future championship success.
Lopes’ message to the Fighting Nerds reflects a broader narrative about the team’s recent struggles and questions surrounding their ability to perform under increased scrutiny and against elite-level competition. Former UFC champion Kamaru Usman has suggested the team needs to incorporate more wrestling into their training approach to achieve championship-level success.
The victory establishes Lopes as a legitimate contender in the featherweight division while highlighting the challenges facing the Fighting Nerds as they attempt to recover from their most difficult period since gaining international prominence.
Leonardo Perdomo secured a massive win at BKFC 80 and ‘El Zambo’ is now putting BKFC heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell in his crosshairs. Perdomo’s win in the September 12th headlining fight in Hollywood, Florida saw him finish former multi-time BKFC titleholder Arnold Adams for the second time. Perdomo is now 9-0 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship with all nine of his wins coming by way of first round knockout.
A ledger like that in gloveless combat could certainly justify a title shot to many and Perdomo expressed that sentiment when he called out current titleholder Ben Rothwell at the BKFC 80 post-fight press conference as Perdomo said [via MMA Junkie],
“Everybody knows Ben Rothwell is scared of me. I’m not in a rush. When BKFC gives me opportunity for the title, then OK. But Ben Rothwell is a little boy.”
“When someone knows you want to kill them, that person goes pale. Death is coming over [Rothwell], OK? If the fight happens, I’m cracking his head. The thing is that BKFC opened the doors for me, and they gave me a chance to become a professional, the chance to make a name for myself – Zambo – so I have to wait for them to give me the opportunity. This is a process. It’s little by little. I’m going to continue growing with the league and continue to help them grow.”
The BKFC resumes of Ben Rothwell and Leonardo Perdomo
Ben Rothwell stands atop the BKFC’s heavyweight division with the former UFC veteran ascending to the throne in January. At KnuckleMania V, Rothwell stopped then-titleholder Mick Terrill in less than forty seconds to become the new champion in Philadelphia. Rothwell also has a spotless record in bare knuckle with Big Ben earning prior wins over Bobo O’Bannon, Josh Copeland, and Todd Duffee with his present record in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship set at 4-0.
For Leonardo Perdomo, he has earned wins over bare knuckle stalwarts like Ryan Shough, Bobby Brents, Leo Bercier, Steven Banks, and Levi Costa. The Cuban leviathan also scored a win over a former gloved boxing titleholder in former WBA champ Steve Herelius.
Yoel Romero made a big splash in his BKFC debut to the scale that his sophomore fight in bare knuckle boxing could potentially be for a title. ‘Soldier of God’ dispatched of Theo Doukas with a bloody second round stoppage after dropping Doukas multiple times. Romero won his bare knuckle debut in the heavyweight ranks. This transpired in the feature fight of the night at BKFC 80 in Hollywood, Florida on September 12th.
During the former UFC veteran’s post-fight interview, his interest was gauged in a potential cut down to cruiserweight for the purposes of a potential future shot at the BKFC crusierweight belt. BKFC cruiserweight champion Chris Camozzi will next defend his crown against Alessio Sakara in the headliner of BKFC 83 in Italy on October 25th. Romero has contended for UFC gold on multiple occasions and at the BKFC 80 post-fight press conference, when the former Bellator MMA title challenger was asked how it felt competing without the gloves, Romero said [through the aid of an interpreter],
“Thank you and first thank God for everything that has happened to me and I’ve been in this game for a long time and I’ll still come.”
Yoel Romero: it would “be an honor” to fight for BKFC gold
Referencing the in-ring suggestion regarding a possible future title fight against the BKFC Italy main event victor and when asked what the Cuban competitor wants as his next step in BKFC, Romero stated [through the aid of an interpreter],
“Sounds very tempting. Of course when you fight and you discuss something like that, it would always be an honor. But I’m ready for whatever they put on the table for me.”
The former Olympic silver medal winning judoka has found himself thriving across multiple combat sports rulesets with a pair of wins on the Dirty Boxing Championship circuit before this recent debut effort in gloveless combat. Finally when asked what example he wants to leave here at BKFC with his vast experience in combat sports, Yoel Romero quipped [through the aid of an interpreter],
“I don’t wake up and think about this. It’s what God has for me and the purpose that God has for me and I will continue to do that.”
The latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series continued with another night of memorable action in Las Vegas.
DWCS began in 2017 and has produced a notable number of fighters currently on the UFC’s roster. Since the show’s inception in 2017, a couple have even gone on to claim UFC championships. Known as “The ultimate job interview,” DWCS features five fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.
Last year’s edition saw 42 fighters earn a contract with the world’s leading MMA organization across 10 events, slightly down from the 46 handed out in 2023. Episode six of season nine this week saw four prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon’s bright lights.
Cody Chovancek got the night off with a finish, taking out Raphael Uchegbu. Despite a fence grab while defending Uchegbu’s grappling attempts, Chovancek rocked and dropped Uchegbu with an elbow. Uchegbu would not be deterred, however, using a triangle to threaten a submission and try to limit Chovancek’s movement on the ground. After Uchegbu’s grappling was fended off again in the second, Chovancek landed a combination just seconds into the final round to earn the finish.
Thomas Gantt earned a strong performance in his own right, defeating Adam Livingston. A protegee of Daniel Cormier, Gantt pressured Livingston to the fence in a clinching battle. In spite of fence grabs by Livingston, earning him a point deduction, Gantt scored a strong takedown and didn’t take back, completely overwhelming Livingston with his grappling strength. Gantt locked up a guillotine for the first-round submission victory and a UFC contract.
The biggest underdog of the night, Iwo Baraniewski, pulled off a stunner in the co-main event, taking out Mahamed Aly in only 20 seconds. Baraniewski took a leg kick from Aly but needed just one strong right hand to put him to the canvas. Despite protests not long after the stoppage, referee Mike Beltran called it one second after Aly’s head hit the canvas. Needless to say, Baraniewski earned a UFC deal.
In the main event, Hecher Sosa came away with an easy decision win over Mackson Lee. Sosa pressured Lee almost immediately, bringing him to the fence and overwhelming him with striking attacks. Lee only landed two strikes the entire first round, however, he nearly scored a guillotine choke submission. Sosa went back to overwhelming pressure in the second round, and despite a brief slowdown towards the later stage of that round, it was a dominating performance for Sosa, who swept the scorecards and earned a contract.
TUF 32 alumnus Paddy McCorry was in action this evening as well, taking on Hwang In-su. In-su was able to pressure McCorry during the first two rounds but found himself unable to pull the trigger. McCorry was able to land leg kicks and counter strikes, trying to show off his power. In spite of McCorry’s aggressive approach, neither man really pulled the trigger much in the later stages of the fight. Despite his win, McCorry was not awarded a contract.
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on why Dana White seemingly trusts Conor McGregor more than Jon Jones heading into next summer’s UFC White House event.
It’s no secret that the UFC White House show is going to be an absolutely huge deal for the promotion if it happens. Dana White seems to be very serious about getting it done and more often than not, when that dynamic develops, he doesn’t stop until it becomes official.
Recently, Jon Jones and Conor McGregor have made it known they want to compete at the White House – but Dana White seemed to be more comfortable with the idea of McGregor fighting on that card than Jones. In a recent video, Chael Sonnen explained why he thinks that’s the case.
Chael Sonnen on Dana White, Conor McGregor and Jon Jones
“Jon really wants on the card. Jon did something that was deemed underhanded in his negotiations with Aspinall. This gets made public. Jon apologizes. He went to Dana White in a text message. Dana said, ‘I let it be known that I didn’t like how this whole thing went down with Aspinall.
“I thought that we had had an agreement. I’m not cool with that.’ And Jon came to him and apologized, said, ‘I’m sorry how this whole thing went down with Tom.’ And that goes a long way. I’m just following the golden rule in life, but put myself in Dana’s shoes. If I get this apology from Jon, that goes a long way. It doesn’t heal everything, but it means something.”
“Conor McGregor would be the go-to guy. Dana White gave Conor a tremendous compliment, saying, ‘Man, I can count on him. If I got a deal with him and things go awry—and they always do—he will do what he says, which is compete at the agreed-upon weight class for the agreed-upon price with whoever it ends up being.’
“That’s a big deal, especially for your top draw. Of the 700-plus athletes under contract, they’re all hearing that compliment. It does change with top draws—they get a little more difficult and if you change part of the deal, they see it as their right to change their part, which just means more money. So, Dana paying that compliment to Conor is a big deal.”
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has made it crystal clear that he wouldn’t be opposed to going head to head with UFC boss Dana White following his entry into the sport of boxing.
For many years now, Eddie Hearn has been viewed as one of the best promoters in boxing, and perhaps in all of combat sports. He has never been afraid to speak his mind, and he’s always tried to put on the best fights possible – even if that’s rubbed a few people the wrong way.
Now, there’s a new challenger in the boxing space, and his name is Dana White. Dana was part of the promotion for the Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez event last weekend and Eddie Hearn clearly took notice of that.
In a recent interview, Eddie Hearn spoke openly about what it means for White to enter boxing, and what he’s excited for.
Eddie Hearn’s view on Dana White
“You’re not going to see me slagging off Dana White – not because I don’t want to upset him, because I respect him. The one thing I would really like at this point in my career is to go head-to-head with him and to take him on. I want to compete against Dana White.
“I want to prove that I’m much better than him as a boxing promoter. So, I’m excited for him to come into the space. Competition’s fantastic, but you’re not going to come into boxing and steamroll the game. It’s not going to happen. Let’s see how it plays out.”
UFC commentator Michael Bisping has given his thoughts on why Ilia Topuria vs Terence Crawford could become a reality one day.
We all know that Ilia Topuria is one of the fastest-rising stars in combat sports today. He may also be the pound for pound best fighter in mixed martial arts. However, instead of focusing his attention on the UFC right now, the lightweight champion has set his sights on a potential superfight against none other than Terence Crawford.
Crawford is coming off the back of a huge win over Canelo Alvarez that really cemented his status as one of the greatest of all time, and certainly of this generation. Ilia Topuria, meanwhile, is someone who has always been interested in chasing greatness, and we can’t see that changing anytime soon.
In a recent video, Michael Bisping explained why Ilia Topuria vs Terence Crawford is a real possibility.
Michael Bisping on Terence Crawford vs Ilia Topuria
“Because there will be two fan bases tuning in. And that’s what happened with the money fight. You’ve got all the boxing fans and then you’ve got all the MMA fans and of course you’ve got Dana White in the middle. Dana just did business with Terrence Crawford. Ilia is under contract with the UFC. So, it’s not unbelievable to think of a world where this might happen.”
Topuria may not even stand a chance against Crawford in the eyes of many, but there’s some serious money to be made with this kind of fight.
