MMA News

Category: MMA

  • Zhang Mingyang ‘Respects’ Johnny Walker’s Power But Will Knock Him Out at UFC Shanghai

    Zhang Mingyang ‘Respects’ Johnny Walker’s Power But Will Knock Him Out at UFC Shanghai

    UFC light heavyweight contender Zhang Mingyang is ready to strike with Johnny Walker when the two collide in the main event of UFC Shanghai this weekend.

    For Zhang Mingyang, this is an incredibly important fight at this point in his career. The youngster is ready to prove that he’s ready for even bigger opportunities at 205 pounds and in order to do that, he has to get through Johnny Walker. We all know that the Brazilian is a strange and difficult guy to deal with in the cage, but he’s also someone who has picked up his fair share of losses over the years.

    Zhang Mingyang wants to make a statement and given the current state of the division, a big win here could take him to within just one more victory of a championship opportunity. That may have seemed crazy not so long ago, but it certainly seems to be the case now.

    In a recent interview, Zhang Mingyang made it clear that he’s more than happy to strike with Johnny Walker.

    Zhang Mingyang looks forward to Johnny Walker challenge

    “I am very honored to fight Johnny Walker in this main event. Johnny is a very tough fighter with great skills. I have been preparing very hard for this fight.”

    “I have a lot of respect for Johnny Walker. He’s a powerful and experienced fighter. I will do my best to bring a great fight for the fans.”

    Buckle up, folks, because it looks like we could be in for a fun one.

  • Brian Ortega: “The next chapter is WARTEGA”

    Brian Ortega: “The next chapter is WARTEGA”

    UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega has said that he’s heading into UFC Shanghai with a ‘WARTEGA’ state of mind.

    This weekend, Brian Ortega will make his return to the cage when he squares off with Aljamain Sterling. The fight looks set to be one of the biggest of the month, especially given the stakes involved at 145 pounds. Both men are hoping to make a push for a title opportunity, and both are known for their work on the ground.

    With that being said, Brian Ortega has certainly used his hands effectively in the past. In addition to picking up some big knockouts, he also managed to drop Alexander Volkanovski in their previous title showdown. Now, he’s hoping to do the same to Sterling.

    In a recent interview, Brian Ortega made it crystal clear that a new version of him will be heading into battle in Shanghai.

    Brian Ortega looks ahead to next chapter in his career

    “The next chapter is WARTEGA. It’s just time that I not care and just go to war. I do good when I just go to war. Sometimes I try to care about the intricacies of the point scoring and this and that and I get too deep into that, and it’s like, bro, let’s just fight, man. Let’s go to war and let’s not do it in a dumb way.”

    “For me where I’m at is just fighting, man, that’s kind of where I’m at. I don’t know if it… yeah. For me it’s just fighting, going to war, and just loving what I do.”

  • Baisangur Susurkaev Pledges To Claim Middleweight Title Within Two Years Following UFC 319 Win

    Baisangur Susurkaev Pledges To Claim Middleweight Title Within Two Years Following UFC 319 Win

    Baisangur Susurkaev envisions his path to UFC gold with the same pace he set this past week.

    Susurkaev has enjoyed a whirlwind few days. On Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series, he scored a first-round knockout over Murtaza Talha to secure his UFC contract. Buoyed by his victory, “Hunter” approached UFC CEO Dana White to be added to the UFC 319 undercard alongside his countryman Khamzat Chimaev, and the promotion head honcho granted his wish.

    After stepping into his DWCS bout on just four days’ notice, Susurkaev was booked for his UFC debut with the same short turnaround to face fellow newcomer Eric Nolan, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

    The undefeated Russian weathered a late flurry from Nolan in the first round that nearly rocked him, but he stayed composed and maintained relentless pressure. In the second round, he secured a takedown and repeatedly dragged the fight back to the canvas.

    Gradually working his way to Nolan’s back, he unleashed a series of punches to create an opening. With a perfectly locked-in rear-naked choke, Susurkaev forced “Night Time” to tap at 2:01.

    After scoring back-to-back wins in just four days, “Hunter” is riding a wave of unstoppable confidence.

    Image: @dwcs/Instagram

    Baisangur Susurkaev Confident He Will Be UFC Middleweight Champion Within Two Years

    During the UFC 319 post-fight press conference on Saturday, Baisangur Susurkaev recapped his incredible week and confirmed he intends to keep the momentum going, aiming for one, and possibly two, more fights before the year ends.

    “I’m hoping for New York [in November],” Susurkaev said. “I really would like to fight in September, but I do feel like I have an injury in my foot, so I don’t know if I’ll be ready in time.”

    “Hunter” firmly stated that while he isn’t in a hurry for his first UFC title shot, he expects to capture the middleweight championship within just two years.

    “In two more years, I’m going to be champion. I don’t need it fast. One month, two months to get ready for the next fight, and I’m ready. I’m going to be champion.”

    Baisangur Susurkaev boasts an unblemished professional record of 10-0, with nine of those victories coming via finishes within the second round.

    Image: @realhuntermma/Instagram

  • Johnny Walker Has Been Learning the Chinese Language To Better Connect with the Shanghai Audience

    Johnny Walker Has Been Learning the Chinese Language To Better Connect with the Shanghai Audience

    Johnny Walker feels confident he can get the crowd on his side as he endeavours to learn more Chinese to better endear himself to the Shanghai crowd on Saturday. Speaking on MMA Junkie Radio ahead of his UFC Fight Night 257 headliner, the 33 year-old combatant spoke about his journey with the local language ahead of his clash with Zhang Mingyang this weekend.

    This is a high stakes clash in the light heavyweight division with Walker vs. Mingyang pitting the number thirteen contender agaisnt the number fourteen ranked light heavyweight, respectively. When describing his desire to connect with the Chinese fanbase and his broader vision of thingsbeyond August 23rd, Johnny Walker said,

    “Wherever I go in the world, I feel at home. I see the Chinese here, they all like me, you know. I’m learning a little bit of Chinese as well to connect with the fans already. And I can’t wait to come back to China to fight again. I’m going to get the crowd on my side too and I’m going to do a good job here because it’s a good place to be, China, big market, and it’s really a good city, has good food, good everything here as well.”

    “Even if they’re not, they’re going to be on my side after, because I’m going to win this fight and I’m going to conquer the crowd for sure. And the dream of the Chinese belt championship is going to still live in me, you know? I can bring the belt back here when I get it.”

    “Of course, I’ve been practicing my Chinese a bit and I know some Chinese words, and one is very special that is going to connect with the crowd.”

    “Wherever I go in the world, I feel at home. The Chinese fans are amazing, they like me. I’m already learning some Chinese to connect with them. I can’t wait to come back and fight again here.”

    Johnny Walker’s Xtreme Couture shift was ‘one of the best moves for my career’

    Johnny Walker has been trying out some newer things lately beyond learning a new language and that extends to a change in what gym he hones his skills at. The Brazilian combatant has been working out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas as of late and describing in the same MMA Junkie Radio interview how much of a difference just being in Vegas in general has made for him, Walker stated [via MMA Junkie],

    “It was a very good move, one of the best moves I did for my career. Not just because of Xtreme but because of the UFC Performance Institute. Of course, Eric is an amazing coach. He’s been an amazing add to my career. A lot of big guys there to train [with]. Performance Institute have breakfast, lunch, dinner, physiotherapy, recovery, strength and conditioning, so everything I need to achieve the next level. I’m very happy. That was my best training camp that I did, and I just feel very excited and amazing.”

  • Marc Goddard Receives Herb Dean’s Backing After UFC 319 Main Event Intervention Controversy – ‘I’m Okay With Those Standups’

    Marc Goddard Receives Herb Dean’s Backing After UFC 319 Main Event Intervention Controversy – ‘I’m Okay With Those Standups’

    Marc Goddard finds support from a fellow community member in the wake of the recent fight dispute.

    Last week, in the UFC 319 main event, Khamzat Chimaev overpowered Dricus Du Plessis to claim the middleweight title with a one-sided unanimous decision.

    “Borz” overwhelmed Du Plessis throughout the fight, dictating the action with constant chain wrestling and suffocating top control. He landed 12 takedowns, repeatedly trapping the defending champion in crucifix positions and keeping him on the defensive for most of the bout.

    Khamzat Chimaev dethrone Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319
    Image: @ufc/X

    Late in the fourth round, referee Goddard stepped in to separate Chimaev from “Stillknocks,” seemingly due to a stalemate. The 51-year-old official made a second stand-up late in the final frame, a decision that has ignited widespread debate within the MMA community, drawing criticism from former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and other pundits.

    Herb Dean Defends Marc Goddard Amid Debate Over UFC 319 Headliner Intervention

    During a recent interview with MMA journalist Helen Yee, veteran referee Herb Dean weighed in on Marc Goddard’s decision to separate Khamzat Chimaev from Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319. While Dean acknowledged that “Borz” was clearly dominating, he defended his fellow official, noting that MMA should not reward fighters who simply hold dominant positions without actively pursuing a finish.

    According to Dean, stand-ups in such scenarios are appropriate to keep the action flowing and preserve the excitement of the sport.

    “I don’t think anything was wrong with his [Marc Goddard] standups, Dean said. “Khamzat dominated the fight round. This is an ongoing conversation that stakeholders and everyone in the sport has, but what do we want this sport to look like? Do we want people to achieve a dominant position, which, if you’re not using it to beat your opponent, could almost be looked at as a hiding place, as a place to burn time? And I’m never gonna accuse Khamzat of hiding because, I mean, the man’s a savage.

    “But if you get a position, we can break that one down, the crucifix chest-to-chest position, not a lot of height, very difficult to get to a place where you can punch your opponent. Sometimes he’s able to get elbows, and you want to reward people. But we can talk about 10-8 [round], and at the same time you want to reward someone with a 10-8 for trying to finish their opponent, for taking a risk… I’m okay with those standups that Marc Goddard did.”

    Goddard, with over two decades of officiating experience, has established himself as one of MMA’s most respected referees, having overseen hundreds of high-profile bouts in the UFC and other major promotions.

    MMA referee Marc Goddard
    Image: @marcgoddard_uk/Instagram
  • Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz Didn’t Want to Face Me Even For $5 Million

    Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz Didn’t Want to Face Me Even For $5 Million

    Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz have not entered live competition in years but they are still getting lucrative offers to compete with former UFC champions. The former UFC champion in this instance is Tyron Woodley with ‘The Chosen One’ mentioning the GSP and Diaz gialogue while speaking to Action Network.

    Woodley has also not competed in a few years since being stopped inside the distance during his boxing rematch with Jake Paul in late-2021. When touching on the situations with both St-Pierre and Diaz as well as why the respective fights never ended up getting traction or materializing at all, Tyron Woodley said,

    “I offered GSP $5 million to fight me in the Middle East. I had an organization, and we was gonna promote a fight, for me and GSP and he just flat out said, ‘Tyron, I’m not in that space any more, I’m not fighting anymore. I appreciate the offer,’ I said,’ cool, well, if you’re not in that space, we’re not’. It was nothing disrespectful, because he is the best welterweight of all time. He’s the greatest. So why would I not want to fight him?”

    “If I beat Georges St. Pierre, nobody would care about [my losses to] Gilbert Burns, Vincente Luque, Colby Covington, or Kamaru Usman. None of those losses matter. I’m the best welterweight of all time, so I was looking at it from that standpoint. I did think I could beat him. I never got a chance to prove it when I was at my peak.”

    “And, he just declined the fight. And then I turned around and Nick Diaz offered him the same amount of money off, $5 million to fight in the Middle East. He liked the message I sent him. He hearted it, but he never replied back.”

    Georges St-Pierre
    (Tyron Woodley & Georges St-Pierre on Instagram)

    Georges St-Pierre and his last fighting foray

    Georges St-Pierre last stepped into the cage in November 2017 and cemented himself even further in the history books. GSP would compte at the world’s most famous arena and ascended to the UFC championship throne once again and in a new weight class no less. At UFC 217, the Canadian combatant would do battle with Michael Bisping for the middleweight crown.

    The long time welterweight kingpin would vault himself into that rareified air of two division UFC champions when Georges St-Pierre submitted ‘the Count’ to claim the 185 pound strap inside of Madison Square Garden in the pay-per-view headliner.

  • Aljamain Sterling is Confident in Avoiding Brian Ortega’s Nasty Chokes

    Aljamain Sterling is not obtuse to the problems on the ground that Brian Ortega presents but is confident in how his own skillset matches up with that in their UFC Fight Night 257 co-main event bout. This consequential contest at featherweight takes place in Shanghai on August 23rd.

    Speaking to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, the former UFC bantamweight champion covered several subjects as he aims to further climb the UFC’s featherweight hierarchy by taking on a former multi-time title challenger at 145 pounds in the promotion. This Saturday will see Sterling and Ortega do battle for a higher rankings position with the number seven and number five ranked contenders in the division, respectively, testing skills.

    When getting into the machinations of this massive matchup at 145 pounds this weekend, Sterling said,

    “I think my style matches up well with him. He does have some tricky stuff off of his back and on top. He’s pretty tough and has a really nasty head and arm choke. I haven’t really seen him go for many other submissions, maybe a guillotine and a triangle, but overall he’s pretty well versed with chokes, so I’ve got to be careful.”

    “I think my top pressure and passing game should be good enough to get to some good dominant positions. Hopefully, I can get to where I’m really strong, which is side control or the back mount.”

    Aljamain Sterling thinks UFC Shanghai bout being 5 rounds is “kind of f***ing stupid”

    Aljamain Sterling is prepared for twenty five minutes of competition but is still unsure why the promotion booked his Brian Ortega bout for five rounds. This was expressed by Aljo during a recent interview with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting as Aljamain Sterling stated [via MMA Fighting],

    “Yeah, I don’t know why it’s five rounds. I don’t know if Brian Ortega is the one who asked for five rounds. But like, five-round main events, if you’re not the champion, you get an extra pay incentive. So I’m kind of annoyed because we’re not getting extra pay for five rounds.”

    “I’m like, ‘Did he want to fight five rounds for no extra money?’ I think it’s kind of f*cking stupid. Like, what are we getting out of this? We’re not getting a trophy at the end of this, so why are we fighting five rounds? This is 10 extra minutes of training, 10 extra minutes of fighting. I don’t know. I legitimately do not know. We’ve got the same manager, so. I don’t want 5 rounds. Like, who wants to do five rounds? Who wants to fight more for the same pay rate that they’re going to get? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev as UFC Champion is a ‘Disaster’ – But Not How you Expect, Former UFC Champ Explains

    UFC legend Michael Bisping has explained why Khamzat Chimaev being UFC middleweight champion is a nightmare for the rest of the division.

    Khamzat Chimaev captured the middleweight title at UFC 319 by dominating Dricus du Plessis. He did so with his incredible wrestling ability and ever since then, people have been wondering the same thing: who on earth is going to stop this guy? He is a force of nature and if he can do that to DDP, he can probably do it to a lot of other middleweights – if not all of them.

    Recently, Din Thomas said that he was concerned about Khamzat Chimaev being world champion due to his inactivity. He isn’t someone who tends to fight a great deal inside the cage, raising a few eyebrows about whether or not he would be an active champion.

    Michael Bisping, however, has a different thought process when it comes to the reign of Khamzat Chimaev.

    Michael Bisping’s thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev as UFC champion

    “I don’t mean because of what Din Thomas said. Din Thomas was like, ‘He isn’t going to be able to fight too frequently. He struggles to get visas and stuff like that.’ No, when I say this is a disaster, it’s a disaster for the division because from what I see there, ain’t nobody—ain’t nobody apart from Reinier de Ridder—ain’t nobody beating him. Reinier de Ridder is the only guy that has a shot because of the jiu-jitsu, because of the skills that he has off his back. Okay.”

  • Paulo Costa makes big claim about Khamzat Chimaev’s security at UFC 319

    UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa has told a story about Khamzat Chimaev’s reported security at UFC 319.

    As we know, Paulo Costa isn’t a big fan of Khamzat Chimaev – who is now the middleweight champion after his dominant win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. It seems unlikely that we’re going to see the two square off anytime soon, mainly because there are plenty of others in the division who are currently ahead of Costa in the pecking order.

    Still, you never know what could happen, especially after Paulo Costa’s impressive win over Roman Kopylov. He has the skills necessary to make a real run in this division but as so often seems to be the case, he may well be his own worst enemy. With that being said, that isn’t going to stop him from going on a verbal tirade against the champ from time to time.

    In a recent interview, Paulo Costa had the following story to tell about ‘Borz’.

    Paulo Costa’s story about Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319

    “We had everything set up to go to Chicago after my fight against Roman Kopylov. We contacted UFC, and they said, ‘Paulo, it’s better you not go there because he might have like 20, many people surround him to protect him from you. So it’s better not to go.’ They said it’s a big fight to protect him from you. 

    “That’s what they said. I can’t believe that. He brought a whole army. He is the kind of guy who always walks with some guys to protect him too. They said, ‘It’s better you not go there because we don’t know where this guy is going to be in the arena and they can attack you or do something against you.’ So that’s crazy.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s style: Michael Bisping responds to critics of his dominant wrestling

    Khamzat Chimaev’s style: Michael Bisping responds to critics of his dominant wrestling

    UFC legend Michael Bisping has some thoughts on those who are going after Khamzat Chimaev for what they perceive to be a boring style of fighting.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the new UFC middleweight champion. He dominated Dricus du Plessis over five rounds in the main event of UFC 319 and in doing so, he firmly established himself as the best 185-pounder on the planet. Of course, because of his wrestle-heavy style, a lot of people weren’t big fans of how he secured the title.

    Despite that, Khamzat Chimaev will still likely be recognized as one of the biggest stars in the sport today – and rightfully so. He has had a great rise to the top, and it’ll be really interesting to see how long he remains champion.

    In a recent video, Michael Bisping had some words for those who have been criticizing Khamzat Chimaev in recent days.

    Michael Bisping’s view on Khamzat Chimaev

    “Some people might not have liked the performance, but those people should watch boxing or kickboxing. This is mixed martial arts. I hated fighting wrestlers. I wanted to stand and trade punches, knees, elbows, kicks. But you have to be able to fight wrestlers and stop takedowns. You can’t blame Khamzat for taking someone down like that. The man had 21 minutes of control time in a 25-minute fight. It’s ridiculous, but that’s the sport.”

    Love him or hate him, Khamzat has found a style that works, and it’s taken him all the way to a championship.

  • Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach Must Make the Hard Decisions About His Future – UFC Veteran

    Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach Must Make the Hard Decisions About His Future – UFC Veteran

    Dricus du Plessis‘ coach Morne Visser needs to make an important decision about his student’s future, says UFC veteran Chael Sonnen.

    As we know, Dricus du Plessis is no longer the UFC middleweight champion. He was beaten and dominated in his UFC 319 main event against Khamzat Chimaev and while he had a brief window of opportunity in the last round, he was ultimately outmatched pretty heavily in the wrestling department.

    As you can imagine, a lot of people have been going after Dricus du Plessis for his inability to stop Khamzat Chimaev. In a recent video, Chael Sonnen weighed in on the issue and had some words of advice.

    Chael Sonnen’s view on Dricus du Plessis’ future

    “Okay. What does Dricus’ coach do now? In a couple of categories. He sends Dricus out. Hey, we don’t have it right here in our gym. We don’t have these answers, but they do exist and I’m going to send you to where they are. University of Iowa comes to mind. University of Iowa has offered to host Dricus for two weeks and let him be part of their room and training. 

    “Okay, there’s one idea. Or the other is bring somebody in, right? And again, we could probably turn right back to Iowa, get him on a plane, have him go and work with Dricus. But you still have, do you send him out? Do you bring somebody in? You must come to the conclusion of we don’t have the answers right now. And this is very normal, by the way. 

    “That’s not an insult. I came through that at Team Quest. We brought in John Lewis and we brought in John Hackleman. We had the work ethic, the bodies, the dream, but we didn’t have the skills that were needed in this sport.”

  • Reinier de Ridder Knows He Can Beat Khamzat Chimaev Anywhere

    Reinier de Ridder Knows He Can Beat Khamzat Chimaev Anywhere

    UFC middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder firmly believes that he will be able to defeat Khamzat Chimaev if the two do fight each other.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the current king of the middleweight division after knocking off former champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. We also know that Reinier de Ridder is set for a title eliminator at UFC Vancouver when he squares off with Anthony Hernandez, who is also in the midst of his best ever run as a UFC fighter.

    Reinier de Ridder has wasted absolutely no time since arriving in the promotion and he’s showing the kind of drive that is always going to appeal to Dana White and the matchmakers. If he can get through ‘Fluffy’, there will be absolutely no way of denying that he is next in line for a championship opportunity at 185 pounds.

    In a recent interview, Reinier de Ridder opened up on a possible showdown with Khamzat Chimaev and why he feels so confident about it.

    Reinier de Ridder discusses Khamzat Chimaev fight

    “The main thought in my mind is if he takes me down, great. If I take him down, great. If it’s in a clinch, great. If it’s in the stand up, it’s great. I’m not worried about where it goes at all. I think I can hit him with some good knees. I believe I can take him down. I have some cool stuff off my back as well, so yeah, we’ll see.”

  • Rob Font vs. Raul Rosas Jr Announced For Noche UFC Co-Main Event On September 13

    Rob Font vs. Raul Rosas Jr Announced For Noche UFC Co-Main Event On September 13

    The Noche UFC card now officially has a co-main event.

    This year’s Noche UFC will be the third annual event celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day, set for September 13 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The card was initially planned for Guadalajara, Mexico, as UFC 320, but delays in the construction of Arena Guadalajara forced the promotion to relocate the event to U.S. soil and rebrand it as a Fight Night.

    On Wednesday, the promotion confirmed that seasoned bantamweight contender Rob Font will square off against rising prospect Raul Rosas Jr. in the co-main event of Noche UFC.

    Font is set for his second Octagon appearance of the year after edging out Jean Matsumoto by split decision at UFC Seattle in February. The 38-year-old veteran enters on a two-fight win streak, though his form has been uneven in recent years, going 3-4 across his last seven outings. The American striker carries a 12-7 UFC record, with seven of those victories coming by way of stoppage.

    Meanwhile, Rosas Jr. enters the bout on a four-fight winning streak, most recently outpointing Vince Morales by unanimous decision at UFC Mexico City in March. ‘El Niño Problema’ carries just one blemish on his professional record, a decision loss to Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287 in April 2023. The 20-year-old Mexican standout has already compiled a 5-1 record in the UFC since debuting in December 2022.

    Raul Rosas Jr.
    Image: UFC/Zuffa LLC

    Who Is Set To Headline Noche UFC This Year?

    Noche UFC will be headlined by a pivotal featherweight showdown, as ex-title challenger Diego Lopes squares off against surging knockout artist Jean Silva. The card also features a high-stakes strawweight clash between former title challengers Tatiana Suarez and Amanda Lemos.

    Here is the confirmed lineup:

    • Featherweight: Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva
    • Bantamweight: Rob Font vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
    • Strawweight: Tatiana Suarez vs. Amanda Lemos
    • Welterweight: Rodrigo Sezinando vs. Daniil Donchenko
    • Lightweight: Jared Gordon vs. Rafa García
    • Flyweight: Jesus Aguilar vs. Luis Gurule
    • Women’s bantamweight: Alice Pereira vs. Montserrat Rendon
    • Lightweight: Claudio Puelles vs. Joaquim Silva
    • Middleweight: José Medina vs. Duško Todorović
    • Middleweight: Zach Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas
    • Flyweight: Alessandro Costa vs. Alden Coria
    • Bantamweight: Quang Le vs. David Martinez
    Image: UFC.com

  • Michael Venom Page Is ready to Go Through Fire, Show Valor vs. Khamzat Chimaev Post-UFC 319

    Michael Venom Page Is ready to Go Through Fire, Show Valor vs. Khamzat Chimaev Post-UFC 319

    Michael Venom Page is not obtuse to the fact that Khamzat Chimaev would be a rough night of work but it is a challenge he is game for, all the same. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show in the wake of his win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 319, MVP touched on multiple subjects related to his win over the former UFC middleweight title challenger.

    The former Bellator MMA star also touched on the fact that he is intrigued by a fight with the current UFC middleweight champion who emerged as the newly minted titleholder at the same UFC card Page just bested Cannonier on. In Chicago on August 16th, Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis in a dominant performance that saw him notch historic numbers in terms of the striking metrics as ‘Borz’ ascended to the throne.

    While MVP normally plies his trade at welterweight, he now has a pair of impressive wins at middleweight to his credit over Shara Magomedov and the aforementioned Cannonier. When discussing what could be a desired next step or a challenge in the future at the very least, Page said,

    “I was thinking about the champ, Khamzat Chimaev. I’ve had the privilege of being in the gym and watching him work. He is an absolute beast, an absolute animal. What he did was insane. At times I felt like he was being nice when he got someone in the crucifix. I don’t understand why he wasn’t raining down elbows. He was there for like four minutes at a time.”

    Michael Venom Page knows what he would be getting into, but wants to work against Khamzat Chimaev

    As Michael Venom Page further expounded upon his thoughts on the new UFC middleweight titleholder Khamzat Chimaev, Page continued,

    “That guy’s amazing. And I’ve got to make a decision to be really prepared to defend myself and get back up because in my head it doesn’t matter. You have to walk into that fight knowing that you’re going to spend some time on your back and you have to work from there.”

  • Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Episode 2 Highlights As 5 Awarded UFC Contracts

    Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Episode 2 Highlights As 5 Awarded UFC Contracts

    The latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series continued with a memorable night of action filled with highlights in Las Vegas.

    DWCS began in 2017 and has produced a notable number of fighters currently on the UFC’s roster. Since the show’s inception in 2017, a couple have even gone on to claim UFC championships. Known as “The ultimate job interview,” DWCS features five fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.

    Last year’s edition saw 42 fighters earn a contract with the world’s leading MMA organization across 10 events, slightly down from the 46 handed out in 2023. Episode two of season nine this week saw five prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon’s bright lights.

    The night got started with a strong performance from Ramiro Jimenez, who scored a first-round finish of Tommy Cuozzi Jr. Jimenez worked over Cuozzi’s body early, especially with the left hand, before a one-two scored a knockdown of Cuozzi. Jimenez continued to target the body and do damage with powerful shots, ending things by grabbing Cuozzi and landing a pair of elbows. That dominant performance earned him the nod from Dana White for a UFC contract.

    Former NFL player and collegiate wrestler Josh Hokit looked to make a statement with his victory over Guilherme Uriel. Hokit completely controlled the action with wrestling, attempting nine takedowns during the first round and scoring on most of them. Though Uriel started to defend takedowns during the later part of the round, it was clear he was worn down. Hokit then scored an easy takedown seconds into the second round, dominating on the ground before finishing things with elbows.

    Hokit then delivered a Colby Covington-esque promo after his win, claiming himself to be the savior of the heavyweight division.

    Louis Lee Scott was also in action on the night, defeating Kaushik Saikumar, the first Indian fighter to compete on DWCS. Despite his weight miss, Lee Scott shook off Saikumar’s grappling, including a pair of leg lock attempts, and put on a fairly strong striking performance. Lee Scott would overwhelm Saikumar with strikes to score a third-round TKO. And despite the weight miss, White gave him a contract as well.

    Cam Rowston and Brandon Holmes’ co-main fight was a violent affair for how long it lasted, but it was Rowston who scored the win after an elbow rocked Holmes, leading eventually to a flurry of strikes that’d result in not only another first-round finish and contract — but also Rowston earning a spot on the UFC Perth card next month.

    The main event of the evening saw Jose Delano put up a dominant performance over a durable Manuel Exposito. Despite Exposito trying to get to a strong start early, Delano seemed to land at will on Exposito, busting him open and putting on a beating for a full 15 minutes. In spite of not getting the finish, his performance was enough to earn the nod from White, giving all five winners on the night UFC contracts.

    Ramiro Jimenez def. Tommy Cuozzi Jr. via TKO (R1, 2:53)

    Josh Hokit def. Guilherme Uriel via TKO (R2, 1:06)

    Louis Lee Scott def. Kaushik Saikumar via TKO (R3, 2:20)

    Cam Rowston def. Brandon Holmes via TKO (R1, 2:58)

    Jose Delano def. Manuel Exposito via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez To Headline UFC Vancouver On October 18, Other Fights Announced

    Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez To Headline UFC Vancouver On October 18, Other Fights Announced

    Two men who recently made headway in the UFC middleweight title picture will gain another opportunity to inch even closer to a shot at Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC Vancouver main event.

    Renier de Ridder and Anthony Hernandez competed in the card’s main event, which goes down on October 18 at the Rogers Arena.

    UFC CEO & President Dana White officially confirmed this bout, as well as others, during an Instagram live stream.

    White also hinted that the winner who performs best between this fight and the Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho bout that takes place at UFC Paris on September 6 may be first in line to challenge Chimaev. Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 this past Saturday.

    Reinier De Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez To Headline UFC Vancouver, Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi To Serve As Co-Main

    De Ridder, the former two-division champion in ONE Championship, is 4-0 in the UFC since making his promotional debut this past November. He has scored submissions over Gerald Meerschaert and Kevin Holland, a TKO of Bo Nickal, and a split decision over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. The Whittaker fight took place just last month in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event.

    Hernandez has won eight straight and is 9-2 in the UFC. He fought just a couple of weeks ago in the UFC Vegas 109 main event, dominating Roman Dolidze en route to a fourth-round submission.

    The UFC Vancouver co-main event will see former bantamweight title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera taking on Aiemann Zahabi.

    Vera has lost two straight and three of his last four, having last fought in a loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at last year’s UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Night event. Zahabi, meanwhile, has won six straight and is 7-2 in the UFC. Zahabi fought in a featherweight bout at UFC 315, defeating former bantamweight king Jose Aldo, who retired from pro MMA a second time following the bout.

    The aforementioned Holland will also be competing at UFC Vancouver, facing Mike Malott. Holland is 3-3 in his last six, dropping a decision to Daniel Rodriguez in a wild fight at UFC 318 that Holland took on short notice. Malott is 12-2-1 in professional MMA, which includes a 5-1 UFC record since joining off a first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series. Malott most recently fought at UFC 315, knocking out Charles Radtke.

    An important women’s flyweight contest was also announced, as Manon Fiorot will take on Jasmine Jasudavicius. Fiorot unsuccessfully challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s flyweight title at UFC 315 — a fight that snapped a 7-0 unbeaten run in the UFC and a 12-fight winning streak Fiorot had since dropping her pro MMA debut. Jasudavicius, meanwhile, has won five straight and seven of eight, submitting Jessica Andrade on that same UFC 315 card.

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s critics slammed by MMA analyst

    Khamzat Chimaev’s critics slammed by MMA analyst

    MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev‘s critics following his win at UFC 319.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis in dominant fashion in the main event of UFC 319. In doing so, he captured the UFC middleweight championship, using his superior wrestling to completely shut down anything that was coming back his way from DDP.

    However, a lot of people weren’t big fans of Khamzat Chimaev’s approach to the fight. Many felt as if his wrestle-heavy style was too boring, and that it led to a disappointing bout when many were hoping for a real war between these elite middleweights.

    In a recent video, Chael Sonnen gave his thoughts on those who didn’t particularly enjoy Khamzat Chimaev’s triumph.

    Chael Sonnen questions Khamzat Chimaev’s critics

    “You’re calling a fight dull and boring based on inactivity that literally set an activity record by almost double. I had 311 – that was the record. 527 is what came in.”

    “There is a segment of our fan base that chose to call that fight boring. Now, you’re not wrong. You can’t be wrong. It’s an opinion… but the discussion has just gone from, ‘Hey, that match wasn’t as fun to watch,’ to, ‘We need a rule change. We need a rule change to bring these guys back up to their feet.’ And that’s where you’re jumping the shark. On that one, I must push back. You are going too far.”

    Do you agree with The Bad Guy?

  • Paulo Costa explains why Khamzat Chimaev is bad for mixed martial arts

    UFC middleweight star Paulo Costa has given his thoughts on why, in his opinion, Khamzat Chimaev is bad for the sport of mixed martial arts.

    Following his win over Roman Kopylov earlier this summer, Paulo Costa seems to have his eyes firmly set on the UFC middleweight championship. Of course, claiming that title is going to be easier said than done, especially when you consider the fact that the champion is Khamzat Chimaev.

    The good news for Paulo Costa is that he has a built-in rivalry with Khamzat. These two men have gone back and forth on social media on many different occasions and also in interviews, and it certainly feels like they’re destined to collide at some point in the future.

    In a recent interview, Paulo Costa gave his thoughts on Chimaev’s UFC 319 performance and his fight style as a whole.

    Paulo Costa’s view on Khamzat Chimaev

    “I’m impressed with how he holds on the ground, but I expected an exciting fight. I wasn’t expecting Dricus to be stuck in the crucifix like that for so long.”

    “People don’t want to watch guys hugging for 25 minutes. This is not good for the sport. They need to put me in there against him.”

    Chimaev will obviously be the favorite for a fight like this, but we may have to wait a bit longer before we see it. After all, Costa is behind a few others in the pecking order, and it feels like Khamzat’s focus right now is on Reinier de Ridder.

  • Chael Sonnen’s bleak view on trying to submit Khamzat Chimaev

    Chael Sonnen’s bleak view on trying to submit Khamzat Chimaev

    MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has an interesting view on those who are looking to submit Khamzat Chimaev in future fights.

    Khamzat Chimaev is an incredibly intense wrestler and he’s someone who is willing to get in your face from the very first seconds of the fight. Someone who used to have a similar style back in the day was Chael Sonnen, who had great wrestling success against a lot of fighters.

    Like Chael Sonnen, Khamzat Chimaev is a divisive figure within the mixed martial arts community – but after his title win over Dricus du Plessis, it definitely feels like the tide is slowly beginning to turn with more and more fans understanding the brilliance of ‘Borz’.

    In a recent video, Chael Sonnen gave his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev and what kind of strategy his opponents should have.

    Chael Sonnen’s view on Khamzat Chimaev

    “If you ever want a wrestler to stop taking you down, get up off the bottom. I don’t care if you’re fighting three rounds or five rounds. You get off the bottom three times, that wrestler will stop trying to take you down. There is nothing that will mentally get in a wrestler’s head more than him succeeding and not being able to be rewarded for it. The takedown is the single largest amount of energy exertion that is done in the sport of MMA and you must be able to keep a guy there.”

    “Anybody that plans to go to their back and triangle choke Chimaev, you’re not doing yourself a service. Anybody that’s going to come out and tell the world, ‘I will submit you,’ not only won’t you, you will look like a fool. You got to get back to your feet.”

  • Reinier de Ridder Welcomes Being Taken down by Khamzat Chimaev: “Perfect”

    Reinier de Ridder Welcomes Being Taken down by Khamzat Chimaev: “Perfect”

    UFC star Reinier de Ridder is perfectly fine with being taken down by Khamzat Chimaev if the two end up fighting one another.

    As we know, Reinier de Ridder is one of the most exciting middleweight contenders on the roster – and in all of mixed martial arts. He hasn’t wasted any time whatsoever in making his presence known in the division, and after beating Robert Whittaker, he has set himself up fora championship opportunity.

    That fight will likely come against Khamzat Chimaev, who is the new UFC middleweight champion after he was able to dethrone Dricus du Plessis. He absolutely dominateed DDP from start to finish, and in doing so, gave other 185-pounders including Reinier de Ridder an idea of how not to approach a fight against ‘Borz’.

    In a recent interview, Reinier de Ridder opened up on the idea of fighting Khamzat, and he seems pretty comfortable with every possible scenario.

    Reinier de Ridder welcomes wrestling with Khamzat Chimaev

    “I think I’m a very good, a very big challenge for him. I’m interested to see what happens in the fight, of course. But if I get taken down, perfect. If I take him down, perfect. If we’re still standing, also great. I think I have a good chance of doing well in this fight, and I really hope we can get it done.”

    de Ridder is a very relaxed guy and it’ll be interesting to see what he’s like in the build-up to a fight against someone as intense as Chimaev.

  • Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out Reinier de Ridder To Challenge for The UFC Middleweight Title Next

    Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out Reinier de Ridder To Challenge for The UFC Middleweight Title Next

    UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has made it crystal clear that he’s interested in fighting Reinier de Ridder in his next fight.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the new king of the middleweight division. He earned that title by defeating and dominating Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 319, and when we say dominate, we mean it. Now, all fans are focused on seeing what the UFC is going to do next with ‘Borz’ as he continues to cement himself as one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts.

    There are plenty of exciting middleweight contenders out there for Khamzat Chimaev to face, and one of the leaders of the pack right now is Reinier de Ridder. He is fresh off of a huge win over Robert Whittaker, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the UFC book this kind of fight next.

    In a recent exchange on X, Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder certainly set the stage for their seemingly inevitable clash.

    Khamzat Chimaev wants Reinier de Ridder fight

    Chimaev: “RDR [skull and bones emoji]”

    RDR: “Send location”

    Chimaev: “I’m gonna make you look like white belt habibi [laughing faces]”

    Khamzat is an absolute monster and you just know that he’s going to want to showcase his grappling prowess against de Ridder if given the opportunity to do so. Either way, though, the middleweight division is starting to look more exciting now than it has done in years. Buckle up, folks.

  • Francis Ngannou Not Happy with PFL over Africa Tournament Issues

    Francis Ngannou Not Happy with PFL over Africa Tournament Issues

    Francis Ngannou has responded to Donn Davis’ discontentment surrounding the former’s lack of presence at PFL Africa events but ‘the Predator’ has his own grievances. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, the lineal MMA heavyweight champion covered multiple topics including issues that he had with the presentation of the July 19th PFL Africa card that was headlined by Johnny Eblen taking on Costello Van Steenis for the middleweight belt.

    Ngannou expressed issues with the earlier portion of the card receiving the PFL Africa branding while the main card was labelled Road to Dubai Champions Series. This perception of the PFL Africa brand not getting the predominant focus resulted in Ngannou not attending the card with PFL figurehead Donn Davis later mentioning his disappointment that the PFL Africa chairman was not in attendance.

    While mentioning that he predominantly engages with Peter Murray and other PFL executives while quipping that he rarely speaks with Davis himself, Ngannou said,

    “We have a good relationship with PFL; it’s just that sometimes things don’t run smoothly. Sometimes we don’t agree, but that’s how it works. It’s about making things right so that the vision can come together.”

    “The problem is cultural. There’s a culture difference, and they are struggling to understand the African culture aspect of things. I have to make sure that is being considered.”

    “I wasn’t very okay with the first PFL Africa event seeming to be like an undercard. I hope PFL Africa debut would have at least have its glory, its moment. That wasn’t my decision, and I wasn’t done for it, but I expressed my feeling to them.”

    Francis Ngannou addresses his thoughts on the second PFL Africa card

    Francis Ngannou was not happy with the July 19th card that also featured big names like Dakota Ditcheva but the August 9th PFL Africa card seemed to fit his vision of things with a predominant focus on African mixed martial artists. That being said, the former UFC heavyweight champion and current PFL champ also did not attend that sophomore PFL Africa card and when offering up his thoughts on the sophomore effort from this branch of PFL’s global expansion, Francis Ngannou stated [via MMA Junkie],

    “Matter of circumstances, and again, we were still working on it. This is not the only event. PFL Africa is something that is made to be run forever. So, as we take the time that it takes to set things up right, then the company will run properly. So, I don’t have any problem with that. I don’t have any problem with going, as long as we get things right and feel comfortable. Because I’m going there, stepping forward, putting myself in line as a guarantee. So,at least I’m going to make sure I’m going to stand by what I’m saying.”

  • Frankie Edgar Coming Out Of Retirement To Make BKFC Debut

    Frankie Edgar Coming Out Of Retirement To Make BKFC Debut

    After about three years away from active combat competition, UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar is set to return on October 4 in a completely different environment.

    Edgar will be moving from the gloves to his bare knuckles, signing with BKFC, per a report from Ariel Helwani.

    Pending an approval from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, Edgar will reportedly make his BKFC debut on October 4 at BKFC 82, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — Edgar’s home state.

    His opponent will be fellow UFC veteran Jimmie Rivera.

    Frankie Edgar vs. Jimmie Rivera Booked For BKFC 82

    Edgar made his MMA debut in 2005, going on to sign with the UFC in 2007 and having a 15-year career with the promotion, competing in three weight classes and getting inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2024. His last fight came at UFC 281, where he was knocked out by Chris Gutierrez — Edgar’s third consecutive knockout loss.

    Edgar defeated B.J. Penn in upset fashion at UFC 112 to become UFC lightweight champion. He’d retain the title in a rematch against Penn at UFC 118 before retaining in a pair of fights (the latter two in a trilogy) against Gray Maynard in 2011.

    After dropping the title to Benson Henderson and losing a subsequent rematch, Edgar moved down to 145, unsuccessfully challenging for featherweight gold three times (twice undisputed, once interim), losing to Jose Aldo at UFC 156 and UFC 200 and to Max Holloway at UFC 240.

    Edgar moved down to bantamweight in 2020, winning his division debut against Pedro Munhoz before the three-fight losing skid that ended his UFC tenure.

    Rivera, who finished his MMA career 23-5, fought for the UFC between 2015 and 2021, going 7-4 in the promotion. Rivera has not fought in MMA since his last UFC bout — a loss to Munhoz at UFC Vegas 20.

    Rivera signed with BKFC later that year, and he is 2-2-1 in the promotion thus far. Rivera most recently fought at BKFC Fight Night Montana in November, unsuccessfully challenging Kai Stewart for the BKFC featherweight title.

    BKFC 82 will be headlined by Mike Perry defending his King of Violence title against Jeremy Stephens.

  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Montel Jackson Booked For UFC Rio On Oct. 11

    Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Montel Jackson Booked For UFC Rio On Oct. 11

    After suffering an injury in his last fight earlier this year, former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will return to the Octagon on October 11, as he takes on Montel Jackson.

    ESPN Brazil initially reported the matchup.

    This will mark Figueiredo’s first fight since his loss to Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Des Moines. It was a fight in which the former flyweight champion suffered a knee injury in the bout’s conclusion.

    Deiveson Figueiredo Returns To Action At UFC Rio

    The man known as “Deus Da Guerra” moved up to bantamweight at the end of 2023, winning three straight before a pair of losses to former champion Petr Yan and Sandhagen, the latter of whom will be challenging for the gold at UFC 320. It’s the first time in Figueiredo’s career that he has suffered back-to-back losses.

    Figueiredo is a former two-time UFC flyweight champion, having engaged in four wars with Brandon Moreno over the title, going 1-2-1 in the process during the legendary, praiseworthy rivalry.

    Jackson has won six straight. He also competed at UFC Des Moines, scoring a decision win over Daniel Marcos.

    UFC Rio, which takes place on October 11 at the Farmasi Arena, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will be headlined by former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira facing Rafael Fiziev.

  • What’s Next After UFC 319? Full Confirmed UFC 320 Main Card For Las Vegas On October 4

    What’s Next After UFC 319? Full Confirmed UFC 320 Main Card For Las Vegas On October 4

    UFC 319 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 320 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    The promotion was in Chicago last week, where the United Center played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its eighth numbered event of the year. Of note were headline wins for Khamzat Chimaev and Lerone Murphy, as well as important victories for Carlos Prates, Michael “Venom” Page, and Tim Elliott.

    While the aftermath of the August 16 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the middleweight championship title picture to the light heavyweight and bantamweight championship conversations.

    At UFC 320, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 4, Magomed Ankalaev will defend the UFC light heavyweight championship against Alex Pereira. This will be a rematch of their UFC 313 encounter in March, which saw Ankalaev pull off the upset by decision to become the new champion.

    Anakalev is 12-0-1 (1 NC) since dropping his UFC debut. Pereira, who has held gold at both 185 and 205 in the UFC, won the light heavyweight title by defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295. He then defended the belt against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, Prochazka at UFC 303, and Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307.

    Stakes will also be high in the co-main event, as the bantamweight championship will be on the line when Merab Dvalishvili defends against Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili won the title from Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC 2 (UFC 306) last September and has successfully retained against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and O’Malley at UFC 316. A win against Sandhagen could solidify Fighter of the Year awards for him across MMA media — to add onto the ESPY he received last month. Sandhagen has won four of his last five, finishing Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines in May.

    Prochazka, Rakic, Magomedov Set The Stage For Light Heavyweight Title Headliner At UFC 320

    Before Ankalaev and Dvalishvili make their way out to defend their titles, several names will look to make their own statements on the main card for UFC 320.

    This includes Jiri Prochazka, who will be doing battle with Khalil Rountree Jr. Prochazka, a former light heavyweight champion, rebounded from his second loss to Pereira with a first-round knockout of another former champion in Jamahal Hill at UFC 311. Rountree Jr. rebounded from his unsuccessful challenge of Pereira with a five-round domination of Hill at UFC Baku a couple of months ago.

    Another light heavyweight contender in Aleksandar Rakic will also be in action, taking on Azamat Murzakamov. This bout was scheduled for UFC 321 later in October but has been pushed up. Rakic will be looking to snap a three-fight losing skid, most recently dropping a decision to Ankalaev at UFC 308. Murzakamov is a 15-0 up-and-comer who scored a finish of Brendson Ribeiro at UFC 316.

    The main card is scheduled to open with Abus Magomedov taking on Joe Pyfer. Magomedov has won three straight, most recently scoring a decision over Michel Pereira at UFC Kansas City in April. Pyfer has won two straight and is 5-1 in the Octagon, most recently defeating Kelvin Gastelum by decision at UFC 316.

    Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the likes of Patchy Mix, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Macy Chiasson, all of whom are expected to be featured players on the event’s preliminary card.

    See below for the UFC 320 lineup, as it stands.

    Main Card:

    • Light Heavyweight Championship: Magomed Ankalev vs. Alex Pereira
    • Bantamweight Championship: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen
    • Light Heavyweight: Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
    • Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakamov
    • Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer

    Preliminary Card (Order TBA):

    • Middleweight: Ateba Abega Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz
    • Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Muniz
    • Bantamweight: Patchy Mix vs. Jakub Wiklacz
    • Women’s Flyweight: Veronica Hardy vs. Brogan Walker
    • Bantamweight: Chris Gutierrez vs. Farid Basharat
    • Women’s Bantamweight: Macy Chiasson vs. Yana Santos
    • Welterweight: Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Austin Vanderford

    Note: There will be no September UFC PPV. Noche UFC 3 on September 13 will be a UFC Fight Night event, which will serve as a lead-in for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford boxing card. Alvarez-Crawford will be the first major fight promoted by TKO Boxing, which includes UFC CEO & President Dana White.