Thad Jean continues to live up to the hype, as he scored a unanimous decision over Logan Storley in the main event of the PFL World Tournament card in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to capture the 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament title.
Jean controlled much of the early action with superior striking and stuffing most of Storley’s takedown attempts. Jean also rocked Storley in the first round with crisp counters, and he nearly finished the fight in round two after a vicious head kick.
Storley’s grappling skillset and takedowns made their presence more felt in the middle rounds of the belt. Storley gained control positions, though Jean usually was able to escape and continued his effective striking, doing some damage on Storley. Jean’s pace, however, slowed later on, though he continued to have a decent output.
Jean went on to score the unanimous decision with a pair of 49-46 scores and a 48-47.
Thad Jean Wins 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament
For a mostly one-sided contest that was a really entertaining fight. And a reminder Thad Jean wasn’t even supposed to be in this tournament. What an incredible breakthrough year.
After winning a PFL contract on the PFL Challenger Series and victories in a few showcase bouts, Jean entered the 2025 welterweight tournament and reached the finals with wins over Mukhamed Berkhamov and former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson.
Storley, the former interim Bellator welterweight champion, reached the finals with wins over Joseph Luciano and Masayuki Kikuiri.
Four years after his first PFL title, Movlid Khaybulaev finds success in the PFL once again, defeating Jesus Pinedo in a battle of former champs to capture his second PFL belt at the PFL World Championships in Atlantic City.
Khaybulaev set the fight’s pace early by scoring early takedowns and controlling the action from top position, despite Pinedo landing some elbows from the bottom.
Khaybulaev nearly finished Pinedo twice in the second round, scoring a knockdown and executing an arm-triangle choke right before the bell. Pinedo, however, responded in the third with a knockdown of his own, courtesy of a big right hand. Khaybulaev, however, quickly recovered and re-established control with his ground game again.
The championship rounds saw more of the same, as Khaybulaev used handcuffs, mat returns, and heavy top pressure to wear Pinedo down. In the fifth, Khaybulaev managed to get into full mount and locked up another arm-triangle. This time, it was enough to score the tap and lock up the PFL title.
Movlid Khaybulaev Wins 2025 PFL Featherweight World Tournament
Movlid Khaybulaev, elite fighter👏
This ref gave Pinedo every chances possible, I don’t know how you stand them back up if a fighter is landing elbows from top position.
Absolute domination by Movlid. And watching Khabib so into it and as intense as if he was fighting was just super cool. This was simply two warriors fighting at the highest level with the GOAT coaching the champ. I love this stuff. @PFLMMApic.twitter.com/k6cR4DsBVS
Khaybulaev now advances to 23-0-1 (1 NC) in his undefeated pro career and locks up a future PFL featherweight world title shot. He advanced to tonight’s final with decisions over Jeremy Kennedy and Kim Tae-kyun.
Pinedo, meanwhile, advanced with finishes of Adam Borics and Gabriel Braga.
‘El Matador’ etched his name in the history books at UFC 317, scoring a sensational first-round finish against Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight world title, officially becoming a two-division champion.
Thus far, Topuria has not yet booked his first official defense of the 155-pound crown, but there’s really only one challenger that makes sense — Arman Tsarukyan.
9-2 under the UFC banner and sitting on a four-fight win streak, Tsarukyan has more than earned his spot as the division’s top-ranked contender. But despite his No. 1 ranking, Topuria has been nothing but dismissive of a potential clash between the two. That has prompted some to label Topuria a coward, but according to Chael Sonnen, it’s nothing more than a clever bit of gamesmanship from the 155-pound king.
“Ilia is playing you; he’s going to fight Tsarukyan next,” Sonnen said on his Youtube channel. “Do we need more detail, or can we call it here?
“Ilia said, ‘I have no interest in fighting Tsarukyan.’ Now, the reason that it’s peculiar to me is because fellow 155-pounders are upset, but they’re not saying they want to fight him—they’re just calling him a coward. This fight is done just so you understand. But guys do have a recipe. They’re creatures of habit.”
Sonnen recalls Anderson Silva using the same tactic as Ilia Topuria
Sonnen likened the situation to his iconic feud with Anderson Silva, recalling when ‘The Spider’ would regularly disregard him as the next man up as a way to build hype for their inevitable clash.
“When I was having issues with Anderson Silva, it would keep me up at night,” Sonnen said. “Anderson was famous, successful, rich, and he didn’t need anybody. I needed him to choose me. I worked hard to get him to choose me. Anderson’s move was to deny the fight as the first step in accepting the fight every single time. He would let the press conference happen, say nothing, and then after the number one contender’s match, he’d deny the fight.
“Let the media run with that. He could get about two weeks of build-up from just denying the fight. Then Anderson would accept the fight, let excitement die down, and then report that he was injured so the fight was off without confirming or denying.
“Ilia does the same thing. He has his own way to build fights. He’s a very big star.”
UFCVegas 108 is almost here, and we here at MMA News are here to provide you the latest on betting odds for the card.
The card takes place from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, August 2. The main card portion of the event will start at 9PM ET/6PM PT, with preliminary action starting at 6PM ET/3PM PT.
The headline attraction for the event will feature Tatsuro Taira taking on Hyun Sung Park in flyweight action.
In the co-main event, Mateusz Rebecki will face Chris Duncan.
The main card will also feature Elvis Brener vs. Esteban Ribovics, Karol Rosa vs. Nora Cornelle, Neil Magny vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos.
UFC Vegas 108: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Vegas 108 as of August 1 at 8pm ET, courtesy of DraftKings.
Flyweight: Tatsuro Taira (-360) vs. Hyun Sung Park (+285)
Lightweight: Mateusz Rębecki (-225) vs. Chris Duncan (+185)
Lightweight: Elvis Brener (+225) vs. Esteban Ribovics (-278)
Women’s Bantamweight: Karol Rosa (-192) vs. Nora Cornolle (+160)
Welterweight: Neil Magny (+154) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (-185)
Featherweight: Danny Silva (+330) vs. Kevin Vallejos (-425)
Preliminary Card:
Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura (-425) vs. Nathan Fletcher (+330)
Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira (-198) vs. Tresean Gore (+164)
Middleweight: Nick Klein (+130) vs. Andrey Pulyaev (-155)
Featherweight: Austin Bashi (-750) vs. John Yannis (+525)
Flyweight: Rafael Estevam (-625) vs. Felipe Bunes (+455)
Women’s Strawweight: Piera Rodriguez (-225) vs. Ketlen Souza (+185)
It only took the doctor a couple of seconds to look at the cut on Nick Meck’s eyebrow before calling off his fight during the PFL World Tournament early card in Atlantic City, giving the win to Sarek Shields.
Shields quickly took the fight to the ground, threatening with a guillotine and using a kimura trap to control Meck. Meck escaped and landed a few shots, but Shields remained relentless with grappling control.
Both fighters had top control, but the fight’s biggest moment was Shields landing a couple of hard knees in the clinching, opening up a cut on Meck’s eye. And when the doctor looked at the eye after the first round, the referee quickly stopped things.
Wow!! What a deep cut. A doctor stoppage gives Sarek Shields the victory after round one over Nick Meck. Shields landed a nasty knee that sliced Meck open badly #PFLWorldTournament
— Live Combat Sports Judging 🥊👊📝 (@PredictingMMA) August 1, 2025
I feel really bad for Nick Meck, but he will get another shot. That cut is brutal and it has to be called, nothing the doctor can do at this point#PFLWorldChampionship
Michael Bisping wants to see McGregor vs. Diaz 3 go down at The White House.
Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intent to hold a UFC event on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, pundits have been busy fantasy booking the history-making fight card, with everything from Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall to a rematch between bitter rivals Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal being at the top of their lists.
But one fighter ‘The Count’ would love to see make his triumphant return in the nation’s capital next year is non other than the ‘Stockton Samurai’ himself, Nate Diaz.
“Diaz is a bit of a badass,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “The way that he carries himself, the way that he keeps it real.”
Diaz ended his 15-year run in the UFC in 2022 following a submission victory over Tony Ferguson. Since then, he’s competed in boxing bouts against Jake Paul and the aforementioned Jorge Masvidal, but Diaz has always insisted his return to the Octagon was just a matter of time.
“Nate Diaz wants to come back,” Bisping continued. “First of all, he’s got to sign with the UFC.”
Bisping wants McGregor vs. Diaz 3 at The White House
As for who Diaz could potentially face in a potential return, Bisping thinks a fight with former featherweight champ and reigning BMF titleholder Max Holloway would be a hell of a matchup.
“If I’m Max Holloway, why not? 100%,” Bispsing said. “That would be a great fight for Max Holloway. The version of Max Holloway at 155 pounds, I think he would have a field day with Nate Diaz.”
However, the former middleweight champ thinks there is an even bigger fight for Diaz — one that could turn the proposed White House card from a cheap gimmick into must-see TV.
“Wouldn’t you rather see Nate Diaz versus Conor McGregor at the White House? That’s the fight that I’d rather see if I’m honest,” Bisping added.
McGregor and Diaz have met twice before, competing in back-to-back bouts under the UFC banner in 2016. Diaz stepped in on short notice to fight the former two-division titleholder at UFC 196, and handed McGregor his first-ever defeat inside the Octagon.
Five month later, McGregor scored some redemption, besting Diaz via majority decision at UFC 202. Three months after that, McGregor would go on to KO Eddie Alvarez and claim the lightweight world title, becoming the promotion’s first-ever simultaneous two-division champion.
In November, the Irish megastar was ordered to pay $285,000 in damages plus legal fees totaling $1.5 million to Nikita Hand, the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a Dublin hotel in 2018. Shorty after, McGregor filed an appeal on the grounds that his lawyers believed his answers to police during interviews should not have been presented to the jury. McGregor’s barrister also argued that a question on the “issue paper” given to the jury to help them decide their verdict was improperly worded.
Three senior judges at the Court of Appeal in Dublin dismissed the appeal on all grounds, noting that McGregor’s lawyers had not proved there was “a real risk of unfair trial.”
At the beginning of the process, Ireland’s Court of Appeal was told that McGregor had withdrawn an application to have new evidence entered at the appeal. According to a report from the BBC, McGregor intended to call Samantha O’Reilly and Steven Cummins, former neighbors of Hand, to give evidence at his appeal before withdrawing the application.
The senior judges said it was “somewhat mysterious” that what they described as an “important and contentious” part of the appeal had been “cast aside.”
McGregor initially claimed that fresh evidence provided by O’Reilly and Cummins bolstered his insistence that he was not responsible for bruising on Hand’s body following the alleged assault.
Hand is Seeking Damages Against Conor McGregor and Her Former Neighbors
While McGregor was not in court on Thursday, Hand was present and expressed her gratitude for the courts decision to dismiss the appeal. It was also revealed that Hand’s legal team have began proceedings to seek damages from McGregor, O’Reilly, and Cummins.
“This appeal has retraumatised me over and over again, being forced to relive it, what happened has had a huge impact on me,” Hand said in a statement
She added, “To every survivor out there, I know how hard it is, but please, don’t be silenced. You deserve to be heard, you also deserve justice. Today, I can finally move on and try to heal.”
The first of three events to mark the conclusion of the PFL’s 2025 World Tournaments goes down in Atlantic City, New Jersey tonight — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
The World Tournament is the spiritual successor to the season-and-the-playoffs has had since its inaugural season in 2018. As part of the changes in format to the PFL upon the official folding of the Bellator brand earlier this year, the PFL changed its global season to a single-elimination tournament format, adding more weight classes, eight fighters per weight class.
First-round action took place in April and May, with June — previously hosting the second leg of the regular season — hosting semifinal action. This month will see the conclusion of these tournaments, with eight winners receiving PFL World Tournament title belts and $100,000.
This evening will be headlined by the welterweight tournament final that sees undefeated rising star Thad Jean taking on former interim Bellator welterweight champion Logan Storley. Jean made it to the finals through a first-round knockout of Mukhamed Berkhamov and a split decision win over former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson. Storley, meanwhile, scored a pair of decision wins over Joseph Luciano and Masayuki Kikuiri.
The co-main event will be the featherweight tournament final that features a pair of former champions — 2021 PFL featherweight champion Movlid Khaybulaev and 2023 PFL featherweight champion Jesus Pinedo. The unbeaten Khaybulaev reached the finals with decision wins over Jeremy Kennedy and Kim Tae-kyun. Pinedo, meanwhile, scored finishes of Adam Borics and Gabriel Braga (the latter being a trilogy bout between the two).
2025 PFL World Tournament Week 8 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Welterweight Final: Thad Jean def. Logan Storley via unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 48-47)
Featherweight Final: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Jesus Pinedo via submission (arm-triangle choke) (R5, 1:17)
Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj def. Yves Landu via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Middleweight: Jordan Newman def. Eslam Baset via TKO (fighter retirement) (R1, 5:00)
Preliminary Card:
Catchweight (160 lbs): Jakub Kaszuba def. Sergio Cossio via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
In particular, McGregor finds it hard to believe how he can be found civilly liable for the sexual assault when he was cleared in a criminal investigation.
“I was on the stand in a world of fog being accused of a crime I didn’t commit, and that I was actually cleared of criminally, and exonerated by every witness present, as well as believed twice over by the public prosecutor, but still up on a stand civilly, in absolute shock,” McGregor said. “Some say the case never went criminal because there was ‘lack of evidence’ that is not the case. It is the opposite! There was so much evidence!
“They had hours of footage of the ‘victim’ after the supposed attempted murder and rape of her. Partying away, messaging away. Leaving the hotel / coming back etc. up and down, in the lobby of the hotel, absolutely everywhere and back. And twice. Not a f****** bother. Smiling, laughing, dancing, kissing, biting, play fighting. It’s some watch…”
Conor McGregor Speaks Out After Appeals In Sexual Assault Case Rejected
McGregor alleges that Hand’s actions he claims happened post incident have been verified by multiple witnesses and CCTV footage. However, McGregor adds, he and his team were not permitted to submit “crucial” evidence from the criminal investigation.
“It’s been some eye opener this entire process, I tell you that good folks,” McGregor posted. “What has taken place here throughout these twice thrown in the bin criminal accusations is an absolute travesty! How people sleep at night is beyond me. I’m sure they don’t. Not soundly anyway, no way. Impossible.
“To falsely accuse someone of rape and lose, then attempt to ignore that fact/brush it under the rug is truly heinous on another level!”
McGregor, who has been making a bid to become President of Ireland in the upcoming election, says he will continue to maintain innocence in spite of the court’s actions.
“I am happy this is still ongoing,” he said. “Hopefully we hear from all. I fight on with the truth and will continue to defend myself. Ireland, amidst this shake down don’t let it distract you. You can see what I am up against here and we knew this would always be the case. We fight on!”
McGregor is also facing another sexual assault allegation, stemming from an incident at the Kaseya Center in Miami during the 2023 NBA Finals.
McGregor, who has not been seen in the Octagon since UFC 264, recently submitted a sample to the UFC testing pool. Over the last month, McGregor has been teasing a return to fighting at the UFC White House card in July 2026.
Shelby Cannon is someone who sings the praises of Taylor Starling, and even her own daughter loves ‘Killa Bee’, but that won’t stop ‘Boom Boom’ from aiming to put an end to Starling’s competitive combat career in BKFC’s return to Sturgis. Shelby Cannon will clash with Taylor Starling at BKFC 79: Gogo vs. Lane in a consequential co-main event clash on August 2nd.
Cannon appeared on Bare Knuckle Bowker and when referencing a prior interview done with Paul Pickett where the context was presented of Taylor Starling doing so many interviews for BKFC on the digital content creation end and it seeming like Cannon was intimating that Starling would be done fighting after their BKFC Sturgis contest.
When asked if that was the sentiment that was being expressed there or if some things were being misconstrued at all, Cannon stated,
“No, I think that you’re 100% correct. I was meaning that because again, I think she; if I’m making a speculation, which I will, I’ll make a speculation. So, let you get in my head a little bit is that I don’t think that she had any intentions on fighting anybody else that was going to be higher ranked. I think that because my name came out there, she thought it’d be an easy win and it would get her back on the charts and it would give her another W, which is great.”
“Then from there, she was going to be able to fight somebody she’s already fought. Being in the game, we know that it’s always easier to fight somebody the second time than it is the first time. Britain Hart is a huge contender and I just feel like naturally somebody’s going to look for the easiest way to get to the top where I was not. I mean, I’m willing to fight anybody and everybody because I’ll tell you, I mean, me and my coach, we talked about Sturgis and we talked about Taylor Starling.”
“I mean, I met Taylor Starling in Utah when I did my my debut. I mean, I’m a Taylor Starling fan to be completely honest with you. I mean, I’ve been watching Taylor Starling for a long, long time. I’ve seen where she was at when she first came into BKFC and I’ve seen where she’s at right now. I think she had way more intensity and she had way more grit at the beginning of her career. I’ve seen her do these promotions and, you know, being there with the the mic and interviewing. I mean, that’s her bread and butter.”
“She’s so natural with people. Like she talks about being like a showman and that’s great, but like being a showman and being a professional bare knuckle fighter is not the same thing. Yeah, maybe they go hand in hand when you’re trying to make money, but I mean at the end of the day, I’m not a showman. I’m a bare knucklefighter. I mean, that’s what I go in there and I do is I win fights. I train every single day, every single week. I’m coming here because there’s just a lot that needs to be done.”
In BKFC, “you’re either a dog or you’re not” says Cannon
As she continued to give her overview of this BKFC matchup in the context of some of the differences she sees between herself and Starling in the world of bare knuckle, Cannon continued,
“I think that keeping the people in the sport that want to stay in the sport and not have all these other ideas of, I mean I don’t know what her ideas are, but I’ve seen a lot of interviews with her. She wants to open a freaking coffee shop. She wants to do interviews with fighters. I mean she’s got all these other plans and like she’s got all these plans after she’s a fighter. I’ve had many people ask me when are you going to stop fighting, Shelby?”
“Well, I’m going to fight for as long as I can fight because mentally, emotionally, physically, all these things, it’s good for me. Why would I have a date already set on when I’m going to, oh, I’m going to stop fighting when I decide I want to open up a nail salon. Well, no, I’ve already opened up a nail salon. Thank you very much. Oh, I’m going to stop fighting when I decide that I want to go to church. No, I’m sorry. I already do that. Oh, I’m going to stop fighting when I decide I have all these other plans.”
“No, that’s just not the way it works [laughs]. It’s just not. So, I see her being a really good interviewer and I think she’s at the the end of her career. But all props to her, though, I think she’s just a great person and I think she’s a good role model. My daughter really looks up to Taylor Starling. She loves Taylor Starling. I think she’s a beautiful person like inside and out. But at the end of the day though, the women, we’re growing. But you’re either a dog or you’re not.”
“You’re staying in or you’re not. I mean, she can say that I’m talking crap. I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s what this is. But at the end of the day, she’s going to have to really fight me a lot differently than she’s ever fought anybody else to get her win.”
In the midst of the news that he has lost his sexual assault court appeal, Conor McGregor is actually back in the UFC’s testing pool.
One day after McGregor posted a photo of what appeared to be him giving a urine sample, the UFC Anti-Doping website now shows McGregor having submitted one test for 2025.
This represents the first step in a possible return to the Octagon for McGregor, which he has been teasing over the last month since U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a fight card at the White House on July 4, 2026.
Though limits are more unclear since the UFC’s separation from USADA, the long-time rules had been that an athlete must be in the testing pool for six months before being considered “unretired” and allowed to fight again.
UFC Anti-Doping Website Officially Lists First 2025 Test Session For Conor McGregor
McGregor has been one of the many names who are looking for the chance to compete on the potentially historic card.
In November 2024, a jury in the Dublin High Court found McGregor guilty of sexually assaulting Nikita Hand in a hotel room in December 2018. McGregor was ordered by the jury to pay Hand €248,000 (approximately $257,000).
The former two-division UFC champion vehemently maintains his innocence.
McGregor is also being sued by a woman on allegations that he sexually assaulted her during an NBA Finals game at the Kaseya Center, home of the NBA’s Miami Heat. The suit accuses McGregor of battery and sexual assault and alleges arena staff were negligent in allowing an intoxicated McGregor to remain in the arena.
McGregor has not been seen in the Octagon since his UFC 264 loss to Dustin Poirier. He and Michael Chandler coached season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2023; however, their scheduled UFC 303 bout the next year was scrapped less than a month out.
Khamzat Chimaev walking into UFC 319 as the betting favorite against champion Dricus Du Plessis is about as rare as finding someone who thinks Jake Paul deserves a title shot. Champions are supposed to be favorites. That’s literally the point of being champion. But sometimes, the betting world sees things differently.
You remember Jon Jones destroying Shogun Rua at UFC 128? Jones was the challenger but entered as the favorite at around -210. It was one of those moments where everyone collectively decided the old king was done and the new prince was ready to claim his throne. They were right.
But Jones isn’t alone in this exclusive club of challengers who convinced Vegas they were better than the person wearing the belt. Let’s dive into these rare occasions when the betting world basically said “yeah, the champion is nice and all, but have you seen this other guy?”
5 Times Vegas Backed the Challenger Over the UFC Champion
1. Jon Jones vs Shogun Rua (UFC 128)
Odds: Jones -210, Shogun +165
This was peak “passing of the torch” territory. Shogun was coming off a long layoff after knee surgery, while Jones was this freakish athletic specimen destroying everyone in his path. The oddsmakers weren’t being disrespectful – they were being realistic. Jones didn’t just win; he absolutely dominated, making Shogun look like he belonged in a retirement home rather than a cage.
2. Conor McGregor vs Jose Aldo (UFC 194)
Odds: McGregor -140, Aldo +120
Here’s where it gets interesting. Aldo hadn’t lost in a decade, but McGregor’s star power and his interim title win over Chad Mendes had everyone believing the hype train was unstoppable. The betting public bought into McGregor’s mental warfare completely. And then he knocked out Aldo in 13 seconds, making everyone who bet on him feel like geniuses.
3. Valentina Shevchenko vs Nicco Montano (UFC 228)
Odds: Shevchenko -675, Montano +450
Here’s the thing – Shevchenko was the challenger but the massive favorite. Montano was the champion but opened as one of the biggest underdog champions in UFC history. The fight got canceled due to Montano’s weight cut issues, but the odds told the story of how little faith anyone had in the inaugural flyweight champion.
4. Georges St-Pierre vs Matt Serra (UFC 83 Rematch)
Odds: GSP -500, Serra +430
This is the rematch where GSP was the challenger trying to win back his belt. GSP was the massive favorite despite being the challenger because everyone knew Serra’s first win was a fluke. The betting world basically said “yeah, the real champion is getting his belt back now.” They were right.
5. Eddie Alvarez vs Conor McGregor (UFC 205)
Odds: McGregor -150, Alvarez +140
Alvarez was the lightweight champion but an underdog to challenger McGregor. McGregor’s star power and skills had everyone believing he’d become the first simultaneous two-division champion. He knocked out Alvarez in the second round.
Champions become underdogs for several reasons. Sometimes they’re coming off injuries or long layoffs. Sometimes the challenger is just that good. Sometimes the champion is aging and everyone can see the writing on the wall. And sometimes, the betting public gets caught up in hype and momentum.
The fact that you can count these cases on your fingers shows just how rare it is. Champions are champions for a reason, and the betting world usually respects that. When they don’t, it’s because something significant is happening that makes everyone believe we’re about to witness history.
The truth is, these cases are incredibly rare. ESPN found that since 2005, incumbent champions were favored in 85% of their title defenses The beauty of MMA is that anything can happen. Champions can lose on any given night, regardless of what the odds say. But when the betting world actively favors the challenger, it usually means something significant is happening in that division.
Khamzat Chimaev being favored over Dricus Du Plessis is about the collective belief that we might be witnessing another changing of the guard. Chimaev’s undefeated record and dominant performances have the betting world convinced he’s the real champion already. Du Plessis wearing the belt is apparently just a formality that needs correcting. The oddsmakers are basically saying “we’ve seen enough.”
UFC Fight Night: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results.
For the first time in about two months, the UFC is back at its home base, the UFC APEX, to open its August schedule.
Headlining this card will be a short-notice bout, as Tatsuro Taira takes on Hyun Sung Park. Taira was originally booked to face Amir Albazi; however, Albazi was forced to withdraw from the event about a week ago due to injury.
This will be Taira’s first fight since losing his undefeated professional MMA record against Brandon Royval in their UFC Vegas 98 main event in October. Park, who won the Road to UFC season one flyweight tournament, is currently 2-0 in the Octagon. Park finished Shannon Ross in December 2023 and submitted Carlos Hernandez earlier this year at UFC Vegas 106.
The rest of the card will also feature the likes of Mateusz Rębecki, Elvis Brener, Karol Rosa, Neil Magny, and Danny Silva.
UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park Weigh-In Results
UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park takes place on Saturday, August 2, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
Watch the official weigh-ins above via MMA Junkie, and check out the results below.
Main Card:
Flyweight: Tatsuro Taira (126) vs. Hyun Sung Park (126)
Lightweight: Mateusz Rębecki (155.5) vs. Chris Duncan (156)
Lightweight: Elvis Brener (155.5) vs. Esteban Ribovics (155.5)
Women’s Bantamweight: Karol Rosa (136) vs. Nora Cornolle (136)
Welterweight: Neil Magny (170.5) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (171)
Featherweight: Danny Silva (144.5) vs. Kevin Vallejos (146)
Preliminary Card:
Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura (136) vs. Nathan Fletcher (135.5)
Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira (185) vs. Tresean Gore (189.5)*
Middleweight: Nick Klein (186) vs. Andrey Pulyaev (185.5)
Featherweight: Austin Bashi (145.5) vs. John Yannis (145.5)
Flyweight: Rafael Estevam (130)** vs. Felipe Bunes (125)
Women’s Strawweight: Piera Rodriguez (116) vs. Ketlen Souza (116)
*Gore missed weight by 3.5 pounds, will be fined 25 percent of purse
**Estevam missed weight by 4 pounds, will be fined 25 percent of purse
Having already bested Holloway twice in their previous meetings, “The Diamond” concluded his UFC journey with a spirited unanimous decision loss in a back-and-forth clash for the symbolic BMF title, capping off a storied career with a performance that resonated deeply with fans and marked a fitting farewell.
Although Dustin Poirier fell short in three attempts to capture the undisputed lightweight title, he walks away from the sport as one of the most revered and accomplished fighters of his generation. Now, less than two weeks removed from his retirement bout, “The Diamond” appears to have set his sights on the next chapter of his journey.
Image: @ufc/Instagram
Dustin Poirier Embraces Post Fight Career With ESPN Broadcasting Role
On Thursday, Dustin Poirier took to social media to share that he’s gearing up to follow in the footsteps of fellow former UFC champions like Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier as he sets his sights on joining ESPN’s broadcasting team.
“Looking forward to getting back on the ESPN desk going to start focusing on that now,” Poirier wrote on X.
Looking forward to getting back on the ESPN desk going to start focusing on that now.
“The Diamond” first stepped into the analyst role at UFC 287 in April 2023, joining Din Thomas and ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. He later returned to the desk at UFC 303 in June 2024, where he was joined by Teddy Atlas, Chael Sonnen, and Brendan Fitzgerald. Most recently, Poirier continued to showcase his analytical chops during the UFC 314 broadcast in April.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page prepares to keep carving out a path at 185 pounds by facing a former UFC middleweight title challenger in the coming weeks and a former welterweight adversary of MVP’s has weighed in on that bout. Logan Storley is preparing to face Thad Jean for the welterweight tournament title in the PFL Smart Cage on August 1st and appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to cover several subjects ahead of this high stakes fight.
While the credentialed amateur wrestler has a chance to add a PFL title distinction to his resume, Storley is no stranger to MMA gold and that came at the expense of Page. Storley would defeat MVP by split decision at Bellator 281 in May 2022 to capture the promotion’s interim welterweight strap. When touching upon his personal history with Page and also offering up his thoughts on MVP’s looming bout with Jared Cannonier at UFC 319 on August 16th, Storley said,
“Yeah, obviously a big fight in the UK there when I fought him for the belt. I went out there and did something that no one has ever been able to do to him is take him down really and control him, especially for five rounds. We’ve seen him since he got into the UFC is how hard he is to navigate on the feet. No one’s really stayed on the feet with him. So Cannonier is big, but Cannonier is nowhere near as fast as MVP. So it’ll be really interesting, I guess, how it all plays out. But MVP’s speed and distance control, it’s a different level.”
Michael ‘Venom’ Page stills sees unfinished business at welterweight
Michael ‘Venom’ Page is getting in some middleweight matchups as of late but he is not totally turning his back on 170 pounds as of yet. This was expressed by Page ahead of his fight earlier this year that saw him jump up to middleweight and hand surging prospect Shara Magomedov his first ever pro mixed martial arts defeat.
Leading into that February clash with Shara ‘Bullet’, MVP got across this point during an interview with MMA Junkie when Michael ‘Venom’ Page quipped [via Newsweek],
“If there is another opportunity at middleweight that looks good, looks juicy, looks tasty, 100 percent I’ll be there to do it again. For me, timing-wise, going to middleweight, knowing I had to go through Christmas and everything, it helped. It helped a lot. It meant I could enjoy my Christmas a lot more.”
“I’ve still got a lot of business that I want to handle at welterweight. So for me, this is a one-off, exciting fight at that weight. Maybe in the future you see me there but for now, I still find it comfortable to get to welterweight, and I’ve still got people I’d love to fight.”
UFC star Reinier de Ridder doesn’t seem too concerned by the possibility of facing Paulo Costa at some point in the future.
As we know, Reinier de Ridder is coming off the back of a huge win in which he narrowly defeated Robert Whittaker. Paulo Costa, meanwhile, just saw off the challenge of Roman Kopylov, getting himself back into the win column in the process. Costa has made it known that he’s interested in fighting RDR, but of course, the Brazilian is a bit further down the pecking order right now.
Reinier de Ridder could easily be in line for the next title shot against the winner of Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev. While there’s no guarantee it that, it certainly feels like a distinct possibility.
When asked about Paulo Costa in a recent interview, Reinier de Ridder had the following to say.
Reinier de Ridder dismisses Paulo Costa
“He’s a funny dude. It would lead to a nice press conference and a nice build-up, but I don’t give a f*ck what he says,” De Ridder said. “You can call me whatever you want to call me. Call me gay every day of the week. I don’t mind. Maybe one day (we’ll fight). But at the moment, I don’t think he’s there. I don’t think he’s at my level – though he did do very well in his last fight.
“He does pretty well against southpaws with the body kick and the straight right hand. So, he’s alright, but I think he has some work to do first.”
UFC lightweight star Arman Tsarukyan has called for a blockbuster UFC lightweight title eliminator with Justin Gaethje.
For the longest time now, Arman Tsarukyan has been calling for a UFC lightweight championship opportunity – and the same is true for Justin Gaethje. Arman came close, only for an injury to rule him out of fighting Islam Makhachev at the last minute. Now, though, it’s not quite clear what direction the UFC will go in.
Both men are qualified enough to receive a shot at the gold, but for Arman Tsarukyan, it certainly doesn’t seem as if current champion Ilia Topuria is interested. In fact, it seems like the opposite.
In a recent interview, Arman Tsarukyan made it known that he doesn’t want to wait for the opportunity to fight for the belt at this point.
Arman Tsarukyan calls for collision with Justin Gaethje
“Of course I want Islam [Makhachev], but right now, it makes sense to fight with Gaethje, because he just beat the No. 11 or so [Rafael] Fiziev,” Tsarukyan told Chuck Liddell on his Out Cold show. “He doesn’t deserve title fight. That’s 100 percent, because he just lost [to Max] Holloway. Beat, on short notice, Fiziev. Fiziev knew about the fight five days, and he won, barely, a decision. Now he’s talking about title fight. It’s not fair. I think he’s got to beat me to deserve to fight for the title.”
“They offered me a fight. I said no because I want to fight ranked fighter from top 5,” Tsarukyan said. “I’m in the position, I’m not fighting for the money right now. I just want to be a champion. Now my goal is to be a champion, that’s why I’m not taking a fight I will just beat [someone]. I know I can beat everybody. Right now, I want to pick a good fight for me and get back to the title fight.”
UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has been praised by Dricus du Plessis following his recent success in the promotion.
As we know, Ilia Topuria is a pretty special talent – and it turns out that a lot of other fighters think so too. In his last three outings, he’s been able to defeat (and knock out) Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. While it may sound extreme, he’s currently on a similar trajectory to Conor McGregor.
While his next opponent isn’t quite clear, one thing we do know is this: Ilia Topuria is legit. Another man who thinks so is Dricus du Plessis, who has enjoyed a similar rise to prominence.
Dricus du Plessis praises Ilia Topuria
“I’m so happy for him,” Du Plessis said of Topuria in an interview with Betway South Africa. “We made our debuts on the same fight card. He was literally in my changing room. We were on the same trajectory, winning our titles one month apart, so I’m super happy for him.
“I think he’s one of those special characters who’s going to be a Hall of Famer, no doubt. He’s the first unbeaten guy to have two titles, so I rate him very highly as an all-round fighter. And obviously, his striking power, knocking out three legends – I think he’s incredible, and in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best in the UFC right now.”
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has said that he believes Justin Gaethje when he says he will walk away from the UFC if he doesn’t receive a lightweight title shot.
As we know, Justin Gaethje is a pretty popular guy within the context of mixed martial arts. He has the kind of all-action style that will appeal to just about anyone, and he knows how to put on an exciting fight. However, in the present day, he’s been watching and waiting for a while to see whether or not he’ll get a crack at the UFC lightweight championship.
While there are plenty of contenders in the mix, it certainly feels like Justin Gaethje is up there with the best of them. Sure, he’s had opportunities like this before, but this may be his last shot at the gold.
After Justin Gaethje suggested that he could walk away from the promotion if he doesn’t get what he wants, Chael Sonnen admitted that he believes him.
Chael Sonnen believes Justin Gaethje
“Justin’s being very sincere, not joking or holding anyone hostage. He put all his cards on the table.”
“Justin has never worked harder to get a world title shot at 155 pounds. Any time they need a short-notice opponent or a title opportunist, the answer is Justin Gaethje.”
“Justin is standing on principle, and it sounds good, but is he right? He’s 3 wins and 1 loss in his last four fights.”
“He said he appreciates that it’s star-driven business, but he believes it should be merit-based.”
“He looked at the records and rankings and said it’s either him or Arman. If someone else gets the title shot, then merit-based system is not being followed, and he wants no part of that.”
Former UFC star Conor McGregor has attacked a recent EU-US trade deal as he continues to pursue a career in politics.
As we know, Conor McGregor is an incredibly controversial individual. While he achieved great success throughout the course of his time in mixed martial arts, these days, he’s best known for his exploits outside of the cage. He continues to fall short in the eyes of many when it comes to his behavior, most notably due to his recent civil sexual assault case defeat.
Despite this, Conor McGregor continues to hunt down the idea of becoming the new President of Ireland. While the majority of experts have noted that this is pretty much impossible regardless of how much support he may receive, that hasn’t stopped him.
In a recent series of tweets, Conor McGregor turned his attention towards a deal between the EU and the US.
“Ireland, with me in as your President, I immediately correct this embarrassing trade % that “we” (EU) negotiated with the United States on “behalf of Ireland” (nothing in this set up is ever on the behalf of Ireland), and I do it by year end for us, 2025! Save our Country! Save our people! Save our money! Go hÉire! Vote McGregor.”
“Ireland, I am extremely confident in my ability to correct this as your President. I correct this embarrassing % deficit by year end, 2025. Save our country. Save our people. Save our money. Vote McGregor! For Ireland!”
The UFC Paris lineup has reportedly been strengthened with a potential barnburner of a matchup.
According to a recent report from Bulgarian Top Team, Benoit Saint Denis is set to take on surging knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Paris, which is scheduled to take place on September 6 at the Accor Arena in France.
🚨 It’s official: Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy is set for UFC Paris on September 6.
Saint Denis last competed at UFC 315, where he earned an impressive second-round submission victory over Kyle Prepolec. The win marked a much-needed return to the win column for the 29-year-old Frenchman after suffering back-to-back stoppage losses to Renato Moicano and Dustin Poirier in 2024.
Before those setbacks, “God of War” was riding a five-fight win streak, with all victories coming by way of stoppage against notable names like Matt Frevola and Thiago Moises. Saint Denis currently boasts a professional record of 14-3, with every one of his wins coming inside the distance.
Meanwhile, Ruffy was seen in action at UFC 313 in March, delivering a stunning first-round wheel kick knockout over King Green. The Fighting Nerds standout earned his UFC contract with a third-round knockout of Raimond Magomedaliev on Dana White’s Contender Series in October 2023.
Ruffy heads into UFC Paris riding a seven-fight win streak, with his lone career setback coming against Manoel Sousa under the Standout Fighting Tournament banner in November 2019. The 29-year-old Brazilian powerhouse holds a pro record of 12-1, with 11 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
Image: DWCS/Zuffa LLC
What Are The Confirmed Bouts For UFC Paris?
UFC Paris will be headlined by a pivotal middleweight showdown between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, with potential title implications on the line. The Fight Night event will also feature a heavyweight clash between Marcin Tybura and Ante Delija. Also on the card is a featherweight matchup pitting William Gomis against Robert Ruchała. Rounding out the announced bouts, Modestas Bukauskas is set to face Paul Craig in a light heavyweight tilt.
🇫🇷 Les billets de l’#UFCParis sont disponibles DÈS MAINTENANT
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen believes that the future of the UFC’s heavyweight division could well be on the line when Tom Aspinall defends his UFC title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.
Finally, after months of waiting, we finally have some clarity at heavyweight. The new undisputed champion, Tom Aspinall, will square off with Ciryl Gane later this year in what looks set to be a really interesting clash of styles.
For many, Tom Aspinall is the clear favorite, but you never know what could happen in this crazy world called mixed martial arts. At the very least, we’re expecting to see the kind of showdown that reminds us all why heavyweight can be a really fun division.
“Never in the history of our sport has anybody had more pressure on them than Tom Aspinall.”
“Pressure creates fatigue. It creates a chemical release… same as adrenaline, same as excitement, same as fear. It creates a release and it can paralyze you.”
“You don’t really know what kind of guy you are until you find yourself in that position.”
“He’s got to not just win, he’s got to win fast.”
“I don’t know that Tom could find himself in a harder spot.”
“I’m excited to have a heavyweight champion that wants to fight, compete, come speak, meet the public, be part of the community.”
UFC star Tatsuro Taira isn’t too concerned after his original opponent this weekend, Amir Albazi, was forced to withdraw from their bout on Saturday night.
Tatsuro Taira vs Amir Albazi was a contest that a lot of fans were looking forward to in the flyweight division. However, after Albazi was forced to withdraw due to medical concerns, Taira will now square off against HyunSung Park. This, in itself, is also a pretty fascinating encounter at 125 pounds.
For Tatsuro Taira, though, this is all about proving that he belongs on the big stage. He’s already been able to show glimpses of what he’s capable of in the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now, he’s ready to try and take his game to a whole new level – and he wants to do s against Park.
When discussing the late notice change, Tatsuro Taira made it crystal clear that he’s using it as motivation.
Tatsuro Taita isn’t bothered by last minute change
“When one door closes, another opens. After Albazi pulled out and Park stepped in, I found myself fired up again. That’s what I meant in my Instagram post about a new fire burning in my heart, ready to show what I’ve prepared on August 2.”
It certainly isn’t the main event that’s going to feature the biggest names this month in the UFC, but in a lot of ways, that’s what makes it more exciting. You have two hungry guys here who are looking to go out there and make a name for themselves, and we can’t wait to see what happens.
UFC legend Vitor Belfort has given his thoughts on social media, the numbers that people pull in, and how that can impact sponsorship deals.
Throughout the course of his time in combat sports, Vitor Belfort has been known as an absolute animal. Sometimes that’s been a good thing, and sometimes that’s been a bad thing – but he was, at one point, certainly one of the biggest stars in the sport of mixed martial arts.
These days, he’s enjoying his time as a legendary figure of MMA, with Vitor Belfort being a name that is constantly recognized for his incredible work inside the cage. With that being said, in the modern age, social media seems to take priority above a lot of other things when it comes to popularity.
In a recent interview, Vitor Belfort explained why he isn’t a massive fan of that.
Vitor Belfort isn’t a fan of social media
“When you go to Nike, when you go to Under Armour and then you offer a fighter and they said how many likes he has, me and it is disgusting.”
“How many followers he has, how many how many likes. I don’t care how many likes he has.”
“I think you can never sign a sponsor or deal because of likes.”
Vitor certainly has an interesting point here, and it’s one of the reasons we used Jake Paul – a social media star who made his way into boxing – as the featured image.
What do you make of this logic? Let us know, fight fans.
MMA analyst Michael Bisping has given his thoughts on Din Thomas suggesting that it could be a disaster if Khamzat Chimaev becomes UFC champion.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev will challenge Dricus du Plessis next month for the UFC middleweight championship. It’s a fight that has been a long time coming, and it’s one that a lot of fans expect ‘Borz’ to win. Of course, this is mixed martial arts we’re talking about here, and you can never really know for sure.
With that being said, Khamzat Chimaev’s abilities aren’t the thing in question here. We all know how good he is, but one thing that a lot of people are worried about is his ability to stay active. He hasn’t fought a whole lot in the last few years, which has more than raised a few eyebrows.
In a recent video, Michael Bisping gave his thoughts on the aforementioned remarks made by Din Thomas.
Michael Bisping’s view on Khamzat Chimaev as UFC champion
“If Khamzat can beat Dricus, and that’s a big if, I’d probably lean towards Dricus.”
“If Khamzat wins, do we trust him to fight again? That’s the question. Can he do it twice? Can he do it three times? Because we need movement in these divisions.”
“You got to fight. You can’t sit on the sidelines. You can’t become the champion and say, ‘Right, I’m going to avoid fighting people now.’”
“Din Thomas was talking… and he said it would be a disaster if Khamzat Chimaev ever won because he’s not reliable.”
“If Khamzat wins, it’s a disaster. You can’t tell me that part of you isn’t thinking the fight might not actually happen.”
“Khamzat Chimaev hasn’t been the most reliable guy. According to topology, he has pulled out of six fights.”
