MMA News

Category: UFC

Latest UFC news articles, interviews and more covering the world’s top Mixed Martial Arts promotion.

  • Daniel Cormier Explains Why Alex Pereira Cornering Sean Strickland Is ‘Risky’

    Daniel Cormier Explains Why Alex Pereira Cornering Sean Strickland Is ‘Risky’

    Daniel Cormier has given his take on the growing partnership between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira and former middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland. He recently cautioned Pereira about overextending himself.

    Pereira is set to defend his title for the fourth time against former title challenger Magomed Ankalaev on March 8 at UFC 313. Meanwhile, Strickland is scheduled to compete for the 185-pound belt in a rematch against current champion Dricus du Plessis on February 8 at UFC 312.

    “Poatan” will be in Strickland’s corner for the fight, marking the second time he has taken on that role.

    He was also part of Strickland’s team at UFC 297, where the American lost the middleweight title to du Plessis via a close split decision. Pereira and Strickland formed a friendship after their fight in 2022, which the Brazilian won by knockout.

    Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier highlighted the depth of their bond.

    “We don’t know what those training sessions look like, but I think what you don’t understand as people on the outside is it’s more than just the training,” Cormier said. “It’s the bond that’s built outside of the training. How much time are these guys spending together to build a relationship once they are outside of the gym? This, to me, tells me that Pereira and Strickland are building a relationship that’s very strong. Why? Because we already know that Pereira has a fight on the books. Las Vegas. UFC 313.

    “What we do know is that Alex Pereira is going to be fighting a guy who could be his most formidable opponent because of the style. But we also have to take into effect that his relationship with Strickland is so strong that he’s willing to travel across the world to corner him. To me, it seems dangerous. To me, it seems risky for Alex to go all the way to Australia knowing everything that goes into a training camp and how hard that travel can be on your body when you’re preparing to continue to defend your world championship. So how strong is that bond? How much does Sean Strickland now mean to Alex Pereira for him to take that risk? Because trust me, it is a risk.”

  • Sean Strickland To Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You’re A Wrecking Ball, I’m A F**king Scalpel’

    Sean Strickland To Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You’re A Wrecking Ball, I’m A F**king Scalpel’

    Sean Strickland is confident that he can improve upon his performance at UFC 297 in order to reclaim the middleweight title. After shocking the world by beating Israel Adesanya for the belt at UFC 293, Strickland’s first title defence came in January last year against Dricus Du Plessis.

    The fight came right down to the wire with the judges scoring the fight in favor of the challenger, seeing Du Plessis become the new champion via a split decision. Strickland has developed a trademark style in recent years which has led to many questioning what he can do differently in his rematch with the South African at UFC 312 on February 8.

    Whilst “Stillknocks” has a wide variety of attacks at his disposal, Strickland is very much the opposite with the former champ utilizing a fairly straight forward approach that relies heavily on defense and pressure. He recognizes that Du Plessis is a good opponent but he believes that the two men simply have different approaches, rather than one having the advantage over the other.

    In an interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie, the challenger spoke about what he expects from his main event clash in Australia.

    “It comes down to what I said [before about] f***ing Dricus [du Plessis] on that short bus. I respect him for it. He goes f***ing full send… But you know, you’re a wrecking ball, I’m a f***ing scalpel. It just comes down to who’s better.”

    The big question heading into the title fight rematch is whether Strickland can make small adjustments to his game plan in order to make it more effective the second time around. Having had his moments in their first encounter, he’s clearly confident that he will get his hand raised at the second time of asking.

    ”Last time I think I was better. This time, I think I’m gonna f***ing piece you apart. Your face will look the exact same after (as last fight) if not worse.”

  • Joe Rogan Recalls Proposal He Made To Ari Emanuel When Endeavor Bought UFC: ‘The Fights Would Be Better…’

    Joe Rogan Recalls Proposal He Made To Ari Emanuel When Endeavor Bought UFC: ‘The Fights Would Be Better…’

    Weight cutting in MMA has been a problem for decades. Joe Rogan, for one, wants to see a significant rule change in the UFC to eliminate it for good. 

    The longtime UFC color commentator has talked about this problem frequently and did so yet again while speaking with former light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka on his podcast.

    He sees the dangers it causes to fighters’ bodies. Rogan said he’d prefer the UFC to implement more weight classes to prevent significant cuts, an idea he pitched to Ari Emanuel when Endeavor bought the promotion’s parent company, Zuffa.

    “I think weight cutting should be eliminated,” Rogan said on The Joe Rogan Experience. “I said this to Ari Emanuel when they first bought the UFC. I said, ‘Listen, man, you know what we should do? Get rid of weight cutting. Just stop it.’ Look, if you can randomly test people for drugs, you can randomly test their weight.

    “Show up with a scale. ‘Hey, buddy, step on the scale. You’re 190 pounds? How the f*ck are you making 145?’ Do something like that and come up with more weight classes. There should be a weight class every 10 pounds. This idea of these giant gaps like 185 to 205, that’s a 20-pound gap. That’s huge. That doesn’t exist in boxing. They should have every 10 pounds: 85, 95, 205, 225, and then unlimited.”

    Rogan believes that it should be where the weight cuts are catered around the UFC champions and what they walk around at. That would eliminate wild cuts where fighters lose dozens of pounds. 

    “Instead of having weight cuts, just take the champions, find out what the champion weighs – like don’t get rid of the championship belts,” Rogan said. “Find out what does Islam Makhachev weigh. Islam Makhachev is a UFC champion, best pound-for-pound fighter on Earth. Find out what he weighs.

    “What do you weigh if you were healthy, if weight cutting didn’t exist? Would it be 185, 190? Whatever that is, that’s how you fight now, and we’re not going to weigh you in the day before and let you rehydrate. That’s crazy talk. Fight people your size. The fights would be better because too many people get depleted horribly.”

  • Former Teammate Describes Experience Training With Khamzat Chimaev 

    Former Teammate Describes Experience Training With Khamzat Chimaev 

    It seems like everybody who trains with Khamzat Chimaev has got nothing but great things to say about him. When “Borz” first arrived in the UFC, there was an unmatched aura around him.

    The undefeated contender was dominating opponents without taking any damage whilst competing at both welterweight and middleweight. His run of being ready to take on and run straight through anyone in the world encountered some speed bumps along the way but despite this, Chimaev is finally in the middleweight title picture after debuting inside the Octagon back in 2020.

    For all of his health issues that have prevented him from being overly active, no one has been able to solve the unique puzzle that he brings to the table as of yet and his latest win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 showed just how dangerous Chimaev still is. A huge part of the boogeyman atmosphere surrounding him in the early days of his UFC career were the stories that you heard from training partners.

    In a recent interview with Dylan Bowker, Matěj Peňáz gave his insight on what it is like to train alongside a man who fight fans still have so many questions about. Peňáz is a very dangerous striker who currently competes in OKTAGON with the only loss of his pro career coming on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2022 where he was submitted by Sedriques Dumas.

    Unsurprisingly, the Czech athlete had glowing reviews for Chimaev as he spoke about his experience working with him on the mats in Sweden.

    “Oh with Khamzat [Chimaev], we train together in Allstars gym in Sweden. Yeah, Khamzat is a really hard worker. He’s like; he’s the guy who is like first in the gym and last. So yeah, it was very good experience for me. His wrestling is amazing. He’s like really; I never met anybody with wrestling like this.

    “He is so fast and so; he has like such good skills in the wrestling. He’s really good fighter and I’m always looking for his fights. How he can dominate his opponents and he [does] not [make] mistake[s].”

  • Shara Magomedov Reveals Encouragement From Cristiano Ronaldo During Meeting Ahead Of UFC Saudi Arabia

    Shara Magomedov Reveals Encouragement From Cristiano Ronaldo During Meeting Ahead Of UFC Saudi Arabia

    Shara Magomedov has received a tip of the hat from one of the biggest sporting stars in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo. The undefeated middleweight contender is back for his fifth appearance inside the Octagon this Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

    The 30-year old was always going to turn heads due to his look and fighting style but he has backed that up with his performances since joining the UFC in 2023. He’s recorded three consecutive bonuses in his recent outings and his matchup in Riyadh on February 1 promises to be another fan friendly watch as he takes on fellow striking specialist and former welterweight, Michael “Venom” Page.

    With the #14-ranking next to his name, Magomedov could seemingly find himself in the title picture if he is able to string together two more wins. His upcoming clash with “MVP” may not be the most difficult test for him stylistically, because both men prefer to keep the fight standing, but they have a track record for winning in style.

    Some of the biggest fights in combat sports have taken place in Riyadh in recent years and they always end up having a star-studded front row. Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, has become a regular audience member and it looks like that will be the case for the Octagon’s return this weekend.

    A recent video posted by Ronaldo’s club showed the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star meeting up with “Bullet” where they got to briefly meet each other during fight week. In an interview with Michael Bisping, Magomedov revealed what was said between them as he was given the seal of approval from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

    “I met the whole team but with Ronaldo specifically, I spoke with him for about half an hour. He knows a whole bunch about the UFC, he’s a huge fan, he said he’s gonna be at the fight and he said that I have potential to be the champ.”

  • Sean Strickland Praises Opponent-Turned-Friend Alex Pereira’s Journey: ‘The American Dream’

    Sean Strickland Praises Opponent-Turned-Friend Alex Pereira’s Journey: ‘The American Dream’

    Sean Strickland is going to have one of his former opponents in his corner once again when he returns at UFC 312. The former middleweight champion has struck up a great relationship with Alex Pereira ever since the two men faced each other inside the Octagon at UFC 276 in 2022.

    Strickland’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, recently confirmed that “Poatan” will be a part of his coaching staff on February 8 in Australia when he takes on Dricus Du Plessis in a rematch for the 185-pound gold. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Strickland told Mike Bohn that having Pereira step in was his idea.

    “Alex was out there and I asked him like, ‘You’re out there, if you’re free, come on through’. I asked Eric as well and he said he’s down. He’s a good f****** dude. He has a tough fight coming up with Ankalaev and if he needs me for that to help, I’ll be out there helping him so it kind of goes mutual.”

    The most surprising element of this is that whilst Pereira has cornered Strickland in the past, he has his own huge fight coming up the following month at UFC 313 in Las Vegas. His opponent on that night, Magomed Ankalaev, has also spent some time training with Strickland at Xtreme Couture in the fight capital but this hasn’t been the case for his recent camps.

    Strickland said that with that in mind, there isn’t a conflict of interests when it comes to choosing which guy to help out.

    “Alex has gone out of his way to help me. Me and Ankalaev, we have this mutual respect in the same place and Ankalaev’s a great guy but if Alex needs me after this fight, I’ll be going to Connecticut to give him some work.”

    When asked about what Pereira brings to the table as a cornerman for his upcoming title fight, Strickland spoke more about the character of the light heavyweight champion than anything else. He values the Brazilian as someone that he would fight alongside in the street and having those kinds of people make the walk with him is an asset.

    Strickland stated that the friendship between him and Pereira doesn’t even run that deep but there is a lot of respect between them. He spoke about how it’s impossible to not be impressed and inspired by what “Poatan” has been able to accomplish after turning his life around to become a huge star in combat sports after finding himself in a rough spot.

    “Dude, we’re not even that close. We don’t even speak the same language, he doesn’t speak English. It’s more of like and you got to have respect for Alex. Like dude, where did that man come from? A tire shop, dude. He came from literally nothing and has made a life for himself. As an American, Alex is kind of the American dream. Likes guns. You know, as an American, you have to have respect for someone with that kind of drive and dedication.”

  • Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC Saudi Arabia: I Could Lose ‘My Next 10 Fights’ & My Legacy Wouldn’t Be Affected

    Israel Adesanya Ahead Of UFC Saudi Arabia: I Could Lose ‘My Next 10 Fights’ & My Legacy Wouldn’t Be Affected

    Regardless of the result this weekend — and in any future fight, for that matter — former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya believes his legacy in mixed martial arts is safe.

    Adesanya established himself as an all-time great at 185 pounds with a lengthy first title reign and an emphatic regaining of the gold against Alex Pereira to achieve two-time status.

    But the days of his dominance over the division appear to be behind him, with the Nigerian-New Zealander coming off consecutive defeats at the hands of Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.

    Looking to make it three losses on the bounce is Nassourdine Imavov, who is set to battle Adesanya in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia. If the Frenchman achieves the feat, questions over “The Last Stylebender’s” future will no doubt arise.

    One thing that won’t be questioned, according to Adesanya, is his lasting legacy on MMA’s biggest stage.

    “I feel honestly, God forbid if I lose my next 10 fights, it wouldn’t affect my legacy,” Adesanya told reporters during media day in Riyadh. “I put pressure on myself. Don’t get me wrong, when it comes time, I will put pressure on myself. If [Imavov] doesn’t feel the pressure good on him, but he’ll find out.”

    It remains to be seen what the future holds for Adesanya and how many more battles he’s got left inside the Octagon.

    For now, his focus will be 100 percent on having his hand raised inside anb Arena and recording his first victory since April 2023.

  • Kevin Holland Gets Quick Turnaround With London Fight After Submission Loss At UFC 311

    Kevin Holland is wasting no time getting back into action, returning to welterweight to face Gunnar Nelson at the UFC Fight Night on March 22 at The O2 in London, England.

    Holland confirmed the fight on Instagram by reposting a graphic of the matchup. In his caption, he wrote, “Got rid of the ex, back at Welterweight/lock in twin. Imma see you around.”

    Nelson, meanwhile, continues his trend of fighting once a year in London, as he did in both 2022 and 2023. In his last outing, “Gunni” submitted Bryan Barberena in the first round. Before that, he defeated Takashi Sato after a three-year layoff. He’ll now return from two years away to face “Big Mouth.”

    Holland is coming off a quick loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC 311, where he was submitted in under four minutes. The defeat marked his second consecutive defeat, prompting a move back down to 170 pounds — a division in which he previously found success with wins over Michael Chiesa and Santiago Ponzinibbio.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC London on March 22 are as follows:

    • Leon Edwards vs. Jack Della Maddalena
    • Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg
    • Kevin Holland vs. Gunnar Nelson
    • Molly McCann vs. Istela Nunes
    • Mick Parkin vs. Marcin Tybura
    • Felipe Dos Santos vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
    • Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy
    • Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Andrey Pulyaev
    • Morgan Charriere vs. Nathaniel Wood
    • Nathan Fletcher vs. Caolan Loughran
    • Jai Herbert vs. Chris Padilla
    • Shauna Bannon vs. Puja Tomar
  • Report: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France Set For UFC 314 In Miami On April 12

    Report: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France Set For UFC 314 In Miami On April 12

    The card for April’s UFC 314 pay-per-view is beginning to take shape, and it looks to have had its first title fight added.

    Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is slated to return to the Kaseya Center in “The Magic City” on April 12, when its fourth numbered event of 2025 will go down.

    While the lineup is in its early days of being formed, one of the most prominent spots on the card has seemingly been filled, with UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) taking the co-main event for his fourth defense of the title.

    Per Benny P — an insider when it comes to Oceanic fighters who has broken news such as Khamzat Chimaev’s withdrawal from the Robert Whittaker fight last June and, more recently, Jack Della Maddalena’s upcoming headliner in London versus Leon Edwards — Pantoja will run it back with Kai Kara-France (25-11, 1 NC) at UFC 314.

    “The Cannibal” is riding a seven-fight win streak, during which he’s captured the crown from Brandon Moreno and successfully retained it at the expense of Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura.

    His first challenger of 2025 looks set be a familiar face in Kara-France, whom the Brazilian defeated by decision in a quarterfinal bout on The Ultimate Fighter 24 back in 2016.

    Despite suffering consecutive losses to Moreno and Amir Albazi ahead of his return to action in 2024, “Don’t Blink” looks to have earned his first shot at an undisputed belt at UFC 314 with a thunderous first-round knockout of Erceg at UFC 305 in Perth last August.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 314 on April 12 are as follows:

    • Alexandre Pantoja (C) vs. Kai Kara-France (flyweight championship)
    • Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales (welterweight)
    • Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes (light heavyweight)
    • Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan (women’s strawweight)
    • Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller (lightweight)
  • Sean Strickland Asks PFL To Release Undefeated Champion For UFC Move

    Sean Strickland Asks PFL To Release Undefeated Champion For UFC Move

    Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is pushing for one of his top teammates to be competing under the same banner as him soon enough.

    Strickland is currently gearing up for his first assignment of the new year — a chance at redemption opposite current 185-pound kingpin Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 312 on Feb. 8.

    In the lead-up to his rematch with the South African in Sydney, Australia, Strickland hasn’t been short on top-tier training partners over at Xtreme Couture. And one of his most prominent teammates is Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen.

    Eblen is 16-0 as a professional and has held Bellator gold since a dominant decision victory to dethrone Gegard Mousasi in 2022. He’s since defended the title three times, twice against Fabian Edwards, and defeated Impa Kasanganay to win a “PFL vs. Bellator Champion of Champions” Super Belt.

    The 33-year-old’s future is somewhat uncertain after the PFL announced the end of the Bellator brand. While the promotion will no doubt be keen to have Eblen front and center as it enters a new era, Strickland hopes his teammate’s future lies in the Octagon.

    He showed as much in a recent post on his Instagram Stories, which saw him ask the PFL to release “Johnny Pressure” in order to facilitate a move to the UFC.

    Sean Strickland & Johnny Eblen

    The PFL has been dealing with many unhappy Bellator titleholders in recent times, with both Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix publicly requesting their releases after not receiving their desired level of activity in 2024.

    Eblen, meanwhile, has remained relatively tight-lipped about his feelings toward the PFL — though he did express some confusion over his status as a Bellator champ following the elimination of the brand this year.

  • Nassourdine Imavov Predicts Israel Adesanya’s Mindset Heading Into UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event

    Nassourdine Imavov Predicts Israel Adesanya’s Mindset Heading Into UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event

    Nassourdine Imavov is preparing for his next challenge as he faces Israel Adesanya in the main event of the second UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1.

    Imavov is currently on a three-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory coming against Brendan Allen in Paris, France last September.

    “The Sniper” thought Adesanya looked good against Dricus Du Plessis before getting submitted in round four at UFC 305 the previous month.

    Days ahead of their fight in Riyadh, the Frenchman stated that he doesn’t buy into the narrative that the former UFC king’s ability and motivation has depleted with age. Instead, he expects a very dangerous opponent. 

    “I don’t think he’s getting older,” Imavov said media day. “If you look at his fight against DDP, he was doing very well. In my opinion, he was winning the fight before the submission. So, I think he’s going to come very focused, very hungry.

    “Even though I don’t focus too much on him, I focus more on myself, what I’m going to do, the shape I’m going to be in the fight, and I hope he’s going to be in the best shape so I can beat the best Israel Adesanya.”

  • Shara Magomedov Claims His Spinning Backfist KO Was Better Than Max Holloway’s UFC 300 Buzzer-Beater

    Shara Magomedov Claims His Spinning Backfist KO Was Better Than Max Holloway’s UFC 300 Buzzer-Beater

    Rising UFC middleweight Shara Magomedov has explained why he believes his double spinning backfist finish last time out was superior to the consensus Knockout of the Year in 2024.

    Magomedov was in fine form inside the Octagon across the past 12 months, winning three straight fights to bring his UFC tally of victories to four and perfect professional record to 15-0.

    The best of those results came in the Dagestani’s most recent outing, which saw him stop Armen Petrosyan with an innovative and memorable double spinning backfist at UFC 308 last October.

    That finish perhaps could have been in contention for Knockout of the Year awards at the end of 2024 if it wasn’t for the work of one Max Holloway, whose offer to throw down with Justin Gaethje in the closing seconds of their BMF title fight at UFC 300 culminated in one of the sport’s all-time highlights.

    Magomedov, though, would still give his violent KO the edge.

    “Of course, I think mine is better because mine was really a work of art,” Magomedov told MMA Fighting via his translator. “The Max knockout, even though it was fun to watch, it was basically a brawl, and how many times have we seen a brawl in a UFC fight? There’s been tons of them. But the one that I’ve done has never been done or never has been performed before in the Octagon.”

    While most media outlets and fans would likely disagree given the way they went with Knockout of the Year awards, Magomedov is bestowing himself with a grander honor.

    “I guess they’re right, they really did have a Knockout of the Year,” Magomedov said. “But mine was a Knockout of the Century.”

    Magomedov will now look to raise the bar even further with a 13th career knockout this weekend. To do so, he’s tasked with sending Michael “Venom” Page to the first losing skid of his career in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Given “MVP’s” penchant for KOs, Magomedov may need to be wary, lest he find himself on the receiving end of such a finish inside anb Arena.

  • Israel Adesanya Insists Lack Of Title Doesn’t Make Nassourdine Imavov Fight At UFC Saudi Arabia Unimportant

    Israel Adesanya Insists Lack Of Title Doesn’t Make Nassourdine Imavov Fight At UFC Saudi Arabia Unimportant

    Israel Adesanya’s journey in the UFC has been marked by triumph and adversity. Now, he will look to get back on track when he fights Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of the second UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia. The bout is scheduled for Feb. 1 in Riyadh.

    After dropping his first pro-MMA loss at UFC 259 against Jan Błachowicz in an attempt to claim the light heavyweight title, he rebounded by successfully defending his middleweight belt against Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier.

    However, he was dethroned by Alex Pereira at UFC 281, only to win it back thanks to a knockout victory over Pereira at UFC 287. He would suffer a decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 and then a submission defeat to Dricus Du Plessis last August in his bid to reclaim the middleweight crown.

    “Just because there’s not a belt on the line, I don’t want to diminish this fight like it’s not important,” Adesanya said during Wednesday’s media day. “This is still an important fight for me. Again, I’m saying I’m doing this for myself. I’m kind of being selfish.

    “Like, I fight for myself, I fight for my team, my family, and my real fans, but this one I’m putting myself first. I’m trying to do this one for myself, so it’s really important to me.”

  • Alex Pereira Claims He’s A ‘Bigger Achievement’ Than Tom Aspinall For Jon Jones

    Alex Pereira Claims He’s A ‘Bigger Achievement’ Than Tom Aspinall For Jon Jones

    The MMA world is buzzing with speculation over UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones’ next fight. Fans are debating whether Jones should face interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall or light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira in his next appearance inside the Octagon.

    While Jones has been dismissive of a potential unification bout with Aspinall, citing a desire for better pay, the prospect of a fight with Pereira has garnered significant attention. Pereira and Jones have maintained a respectful dynamic, with “Poatan” recently discussing the possibility of a matchup between the two champions.

    In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Pereira revealed that he and Jones had previously spoken about fighting, though their conversation was casual.

    “I’m the champ, I want to fight the champ. Let’s make the fight with Jon Jones … Before Jon’s last fight, we actually talked about fighting. More random talk, not too much about fighting. [He’s] not a friend or someone I talk with on the regular, but someone I respect. I know he respects me, and there’s mutual respect.”

    Pereira believes a fight between him and Jones carries greater stakes and legacy value than a matchup with Aspinall.

    “I think [Jon wants to fight me], because of the momentum and the risk. It’s a risk fighting Aspinall. There’s not a lot to gain there; it’s another title fight. But fighting Alex is a much bigger achievement… It’s a bigger fight. We saw the fight [with Miocic] later. It was an impressive win and impressive performance.”

    As for Pereira, he’s currently focused on defending his light heavyweight title against former title challenger Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8.

    However, a champion vs. champion showdown with Jon Jones remains an enticing possibility that could shape both fighters’ legacies.

  • Chris Weidman Would Have Retired In The Octagon If It Wasn’t For UFC’s Card Placement: ‘A Champion Being Put On The Prelims…’

    Chris Weidman Would Have Retired In The Octagon If It Wasn’t For UFC’s Card Placement: ‘A Champion Being Put On The Prelims…’

    Chris Weidman’s announcement that he has retired from the UFC was relatively low-key for a former champion. After competing 20 times in the Octagon, including three consecutive middleweight title defenses after he brought the legendary reign of Anderson Silva to an end, “The All-American” stated that he would no longer be fighting for the promotion during the weigh-in show ahead of UFC 311 earlier this month.

    Weidman debuted for the UFC back in 2011 and whilst his recent run has lead to people calling for him to retire, including Dana White himself, many would have expected this to come in his loss to Eryk Anders at UFC 310 in December. Rather than getting some time on the mic at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to say goodbye to the fans, a social media post was the final parting moment before the 40-year old was announced to be fighting for the GFL during the promotion’s draft last Friday.

    Weidman appeared on The Ariel Helwani show on January 28 to talk about his UFC departure and decision to sign with the GFL. He explained how he wanted to have a big send off in the cage but he didn’t want it to be on the prelims of the card which is where his rescheduled bout with Anders ended up taking place.

    “I kind of was thinking I would announce that I’m retiring and put down my gloves and it would be pretty cool. But honestly, the UFC, they’re like, ‘Chris, we’re going to put you on the prelims again. We can’t put you on main cards’. It kind of sucks to see. A champion like that being put on the prelims all the time. Like, what am I doing?”

    Despite having some regrets about the way that his UFC career came to an end, Weidman also stated that he understands why the main card slots would be offered to other fighters.

    “All these up-and-comers, guys who were in my position like I was years and years ago coming up, they gotta make new stars out of these guys. And these former champions like myself that are not doing great, losing fights…you go from riches to rags basically inside the UFC and it’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s just business.”

  • Alex Pereira To Corner Sean Strickland For UFC 312 Title Challenge In Sydney

    Alex Pereira To Corner Sean Strickland For UFC 312 Title Challenge In Sydney

    Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland will have a familiar face in his corner in Australia early next month.

    Strickland is set to headline the promotion’s second pay-per-view of the new year, UFC 312 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Feb. 8. There, he will look to exact revenge on Dricus Du Plessis and win back the 185-pound gold.

    The polarizing American will be back at the venue inside of which he became champ in September 2023 by outpointing Israel Adesanya. He’ll hope to repeat that feat in a rematch with Du Plessis, who brought “Tarzan’s” reign to an end in its first defense 12 months ago.

    And in his bid to reclaim the throne, Strickland is employing the help of a prominent former opponent-turned-occasional training partner.

    “We will have Alex Pereira in the corner, so dropping the news right now,” coach Eric Nicksick said told The Schmo.. “He’s a good friend of Sean. He’s a great training partner. Obviously, these guys have fought, but after the fight, I think it takes a man to go and learn from the guy who caught you with something.”

    Pereira and Strickland shared the cage in the summer of 2022, with “Poatan” violently stopping the latter in the first round to secure his title shot opposite Israel Adesanya later in the year.

    The pair have since formed a friendship and have frequently been seen training together. The Brazilian has also cornered his ex-opponent in the past, assuming the role for Strickland’s narrow defeat to Du Plessis in Canada last January.

  • UFC Veteran On Conor McGregor Potentially Fighting In BKFC: ‘That’s A No-Brainer’

    UFC Veteran On Conor McGregor Potentially Fighting In BKFC: ‘That’s A No-Brainer’

    Conor McGregor has continued to tease his return to combat sports in recent years, with speculation surrounding potential matchups in various disciplines.

    Along with rumors of a boxing bout against Logan Paul, McGregor has also been linked to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), where he became a part-owner last year and has made appearances at multiple events.

    At this past weekend’s BKFC KnuckleMania 5, McGregor intensified the buzz by facing off with Jeremy Stephens after the American’s victory over Eddie Alvarez. During the event, McGregor reiterated his interest in competing in bare-knuckle boxing, saying he wants to “take off the gloves and throw down.”

    Former UFC welterweight Matt Brown, speaking on the latest episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer, weighed in on the possibility of McGregor stepping into the BKFC ring.

    “I would love to see him do it,” Brown said. “I think it would be amazing. Even though it’s probably not going to happen, I would love to see it. Him and Jeremy Stephens, I think there would be a lot of great hype for that, and I think it would be a good fight, too. I think it would be a really interesting fight, especially in a bare-knuckle style.”

    While the prospect of McGregor fighting in BKFC is intriguing, it seems unlikely that the UFC would allow one of its biggest stars to compete in another promotion. Nonetheless, Brown believes that bare-knuckle boxing is the most exciting opportunity currently available to the former two-division champion.

    “I think that’s a no-brainer. That’s by far the most exciting Conor McGregor fight out there right now,” Brown argued. “Does that happen? I guess it’s a little bit unlikely, but maybe the UFC gets behind it. He did the boxing match with Floyd Mayweather—maybe [the UFC] gets behind this, too. I think Conor would love to do it, primarily for the reason you don’t have to get in the same shape, right? You’ve only got to throw hands, and it’s five, two-minute rounds. He would love that. The conditioning is completely different.

    “Stylistically, I don’t think he has a terrible style for bare-knuckle. It would be interesting. You don’t really know until they get in there. Like, I would have never thought Ben Rothwell had a great style for bare-knuckle. Jeremy Stephens obviously has a great style for it, but he’s one of those guys I’d be concerned about breaking his hands. He throws for the fences every time, and I’m like, ‘Dude, you are definitely going to break your hands in bare-knuckle.’”

    Although a McGregor vs. Stephens bare-knuckle fight remains unlikely, the potential matchup continues to generate discussion and excitement within the combat sports community.

  • Report: No Backups Set For UFC 312 Title Fights Despite Late Scramble To Save UFC 311 Main Event

    Report: No Backups Set For UFC 312 Title Fights Despite Late Scramble To Save UFC 311 Main Event

    Dana White and co. will have their fingers crossed that there isn’t a repeat of the late withdrawal in Los Angeles earlier this month when the promotion heads Down Under for UFC 312.

    After opening its pay-per-view schedule for 2025 with UFC 311 from Inglewood’s Intuit Dome, the mixed martial arts leader is taking the Octagon abroad for a return to Australia in February.

    Two names familiar to the attending Aussie fanbase will compete inside Qudos Bank Arena, with last year’s Sydney headliner, Dricus Du Plessis, meeting 2023’s main event victor in the city, Sean Strickland.

    Their middleweight championship rematch won’t be the only title fight on the UFC 312 card, with strawweight queen Zhang Weili also set to defend her throne opposite undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez.

    While anticipation is building for those contests, fans will be well aware that no matchup is certain to go down until the cage door closes behind the athletes.

    That much was evident a few weeks back when Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of the UFC 311 main event, forcing the promotion to find a new foe for Islam Makhachev on just 24 hours’ notice. The Dagestani ultimately faced Renato Moicano, whom he steamrolled in minutes.

    Disappointment was evident when the highly awaited second clash between Makhachev and Tsarukyan fell through, but that scenario hasn’t convinced the UFC to make additional arrangements for the second PPV of the year.

    Per MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, no fighters are currently expected to make the long-haul flight to Australia to serve as backup for the UFC 312 main or co-main events.

    The organization has often paid contenders to hit the scale as alternative options should injury or illness strike late in the day. But that hasn’t been the case since Tom Aspinall did so back at UFC 309 in November.

    Backups were neither present for Alexandre Pantoja’s title defense at UFC 310 against Kai Asakura nor the pair of championship clashes on Jan. 18. UFC 312 will now make it three PPVs on the bounce in that regard.

  • Michael Bisping Describes ‘Likely’ Outcome Of Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov At UFC Saudi Arabia

    Michael Bisping Describes ‘Likely’ Outcome Of Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov At UFC Saudi Arabia

    Israel Adesanya has the backing of a fellow former UFC middleweight champion ahead of his return to action in the Middle East this weekend.

    Adesanya is set to headline the MMA leader’s second visit to Saudi Arabia, coming in the form of another UFC Fight Night card in Riyadh on Saturday.

    In his return to non-pay-per-view, non-championship assignments after consecutive defeats to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, “The Last Stylebender” is tasked with stalling the charge of a rising up-and-comer in Nassourdine Imavov.

    While his opponent comes into the contest riding momentum from three straight wins, Adesanya plans on showing there’s life in the old dog yet. And former champ Michael Bisping, for one, expects him to do just that.

    During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Bisping explained why he’s picking the Nigerian-New Zealander to emerge victorious inside anb Arena on Feb. 1.

    “More than likely Israel Adesanya gets a decision,” Bisping said. “I think he uses the jab, I think he lowers his base, I think he’s probably pissed off and a little bit embarrassed. Israel Adesanya, when you’re the champion of the world, when you’re defending the belt so many times and you literally think your sh*t don’t stink and you can beat everybody, you do get a little bit embarrassed. Your pride takes a hit when you lose three out of the last four and you see the middleweight division moving along without you.

    “Over five rounds, I do believe Israel Adesanya wins via decision,” Bisping continued. “I think he maintains range, keeps his distance, moves around, uses all of the space inside the Octagon, and in Saudi Arabia, Israel Adesanya will be the winner.”

    “The Last Stylebender” will hope to prove Bisping’s assessment correct come fight night and taste the winning feeling for the first time since his memorable knockout of Alex Pereira to return to the middleweight throne in April 2023.

  • ‘TJ KOs Him For Real’ – Fans Debate Merab Dvalishvili vs. ‘Prime’ TJ Dillashaw Result

    ‘TJ KOs Him For Real’ – Fans Debate Merab Dvalishvili vs. ‘Prime’ TJ Dillashaw Result

    Having cemented his grip on the UFC bantamweight title, talk of where Merab Dvalishvili fits among the division’s all-time greats is picking up.

    Dvalishvili recorded his first defense a few weeks back, following his crowning at the expense of Sean O’Malley four months prior with a successful halting of Umar Nurmagomedov’s championship ambitions.

    While the Georgian made the walk at UFC 311 as the underdog, he overcame a strong start from his undefeated challenger, utilizing his renowned cardio and pace to secure the decision victory in Los Angeles.

    The result extended Dvalishvili’s reign and active win streak to 12, which is enough for some to now award “The Machine” with GOAT status at 135 pounds.

    That’s sparked plenty of debate over how the current champ would stack up against some of the division’s past elites, including former two-time titleholder TJ Dillashaw.

    A recent post on X by @owen_swd posed the question of who would win between Dvalishvili and the retired American in their respective primes.

    Both men had their fair share of backers in the comments section. One common theme involved the controversy surrounding Dillashaw’s use of performance-enhancing drugs.

    https://twitter.com/MeterPeterD/status/1884057885891834178
    https://twitter.com/AstorDutch/status/1884297693817876670
    https://twitter.com/RoboBuddyFi/status/1884288209250824414
  • Alex Pereira Shuts Down Jiří Procházka’s Voodoo Allegations: ‘I’m a God-Fearing Man’

    Alex Pereira Shuts Down Jiří Procházka’s Voodoo Allegations: ‘I’m a God-Fearing Man’

    Alex Pereira has laughed off Jiří Procházka’s accusations that he uses occult practices to win his fights.

    Pereira and Procházka have squared off twice inside the Octagon, with their first encounter being a battle for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November 2023, where “Poatan” claimed a second-round TKO victory. The two crossed paths once more at UFC 303 last June, where the Brazilian secured another second-round finish, but with a much more dominant performance.

    Ahead of their rematch, “Denisa” made some interesting allegations, claiming that Pereira relies on dark magic and dubious spiritual rituals to manipulate his opponents, ultimately leading him to victory in his fights.

    In his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Procházka reiterated his accusations, insisting that Pereira’s use of black magic is the “biggest power” he wields over his opponents.

    During an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday, “Poatan” responded to the Czech fighter’s allegations, underscoring that he places his trust in his faith and a genuine passion for fair competition, rather than any supernatural influence.

    “All respect to him, but no man,” Pereira said through a translator. “I’m a god-fearing man. I have God in my heart… He’s just saying these things; I’ve never participated in any of those things. I’m a regular person. If he really believed that, take a doll, tie my hands and feet, and then fight me, like that’s going to work?”

    Pereira, who is preparing for his fourth title defense against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8, further shared that if his two-time adversary can move past his allegations, they could potentially deliver fans an electrifying trilogy bout in the future.

    “With all respect to him, and honestly speaking, if we went and fought again a third time and if he put all this [allegations] aside and just fought, I think we would be able to give a much better fight…I don’t want to fight guys who are cheating, no, I want to fight them at their best…at their prime. A guy that’s ready, gets the fire in him and thinks ‘I want to beat this guy’. And if they’re at their best, there’s no reason to talk about this kind of stuff.”

    “Poatan” is fresh off a hard-fought knockout victory over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 in October, successfully defending his title.

    Meanwhile, Procházka delivered a devastating third-round knockout against former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC 311, positioning himself to make a strong case for a return to the title picture.

  • Michael ‘Venom’ Page: Shara Magomedov ‘Tailor-Made’ For Me To Get Early Knockout At UFC Saudi Arabia

    Michael ‘Venom’ Page: Shara Magomedov ‘Tailor-Made’ For Me To Get Early Knockout At UFC Saudi Arabia

    Michael “Venom” Page is confident of recording yet another violent stoppage in mixed martial arts, this time at the expense of undefeated Dagestani Shara Magomedov.

    Page’s first Octagon outing of 2025 will come in new surroundings, with the Londoner briefly departing his usual home of welterweight for a planned one-off battle opposite Magomedov at 185 pounds in Saudi Arabia this Saturday.

    While “MVP” still boasts aspirations of title glory at the lower weight, he’ll look to bounce back from a narrow decision loss to Ian Garry during International Fight Week last year before resuming his pursuit of gold at 170 pounds.

    And to do so, Page isn’t expecting to require the scorecards.

    During a recent interview with The Independent, “MVP” looked ahead to his impending showdown with “Bullet” in Riyadh and predicted that fans will witness the 15th knockout of his career.

    “Honestly speaking, I believe he’s tailor-made for me to get that (knockout) shot early,” he said. “By early, I just mean before the time is up. But he’s equally dangerous, to where if I make those mistakes, that could happen to me. You have to consider both sides. I just really believe in what I can do, and that my style fits perfectly against him.”

    Whichever way the fight goes, many MMA enthusiasts are expecting the result to come by way of a stoppage.

    While Page’s exploits are well known, Magomedov is far from a slouch in the KO department. 12 of the Russian’s 15 professional wins have come via knockout, including two in the UFC.

    “Bullet” most recently finished Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 last October with an innovative double spinning backfist.

  • Robert Whittaker Shares What Israel Adesanya Must Avoid ‘At All Costs’ In Nassourdine Imavov Fight

    Robert Whittaker Shares What Israel Adesanya Must Avoid ‘At All Costs’ In Nassourdine Imavov Fight

    Israel Adesanya is preparing for his next challenge as he faces Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of the second UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia. The bout is scheduled for Feb. 1 at the anb Arena in Riyadh.

    Adesanya’s journey in the UFC has been marked by both triumph and adversity. His first professional loss came at UFC 259 against Jan Błachowicz in an ambitious attempt to claim the light heavyweight title. Despite the setback, he rebounded by successfully defending his middleweight belt against Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier.

    However, his reign faltered at UFC 281 when Alex Pereira dethroned him. Adesanya later regained the title in spectacular fashion with a knockout victory over Pereira at UFC 287. More recently, his momentum stalled again, first with a decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 and then with a submission defeat to Dricus Du Plessis last August in his bid to reclaim the middleweight crown.

    Ahead of this crucial fight, Robert Whittaker, a former champion and two-time opponent of Adesanya’s, has been working with the Nigerian-New Zealander to prepare. On his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker offered insight into his former rival’s next matchup and Imavov’s strategy.

    “Imavov’s grappling is very good,” Whittaker explained. “He gets the back of just about every opponent he fights. That’s kind of where the fight wins for him. He doesn’t beat Izzy in a five-round striking contest. He takes him down, tries to get his back, and then it’s about whether Izzy defends that position and escapes. Obviously, Adesanya’s game plan will focus on not giving up his back at all costs.

    “Granted, it’s such a clear-cut direction for Imavov to try to achieve,” Whittaker continued. “Just about every fight he’s had, he gets the back, locks in that body triangle, and works from there. I think that’s the fight we’re going to see: Adesanya trying to keep his distance and outstrike him, while Imavov looks to close the distance, push him up against the fence, take him down, and get his back.”

    This highly anticipated bout will test Adesanya’s resilience and ability to adapt as he looks to regain momentum against a dangerous grappler in Imavov.

  • Jiří Procházka Reveals What Must Happen For Him To Move To Middleweight In The UFC

    Jiří Procházka Reveals What Must Happen For Him To Move To Middleweight In The UFC

    Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka is still pondering a future drop to 185 pounds — but on one condition.

    Following a second knockout loss to reigning titleholder Alex Pereira last summer, Procházka assessed his options and seemed to point toward a divisional switch.

    The Czech star ultimately decided against an immediate pursuit of two-division glory and got his aspirations of a second championship rule at 205 pounds back on track with a victory over Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 earlier this month.

    With that, “BJP” is staying put for the time being. But that doesn’t mean the door is shut on a middleweight venture.

    During a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Procházka revealed what must happen for him to test the 185-pound waters on MMA’s biggest stage down the line.

    “I’ve thought about that (middleweight). But the main thing for me is, right now I see the way in light hevayweight. I’m one of the strongest guys in this division. I still feel like there is a way in light heavyweight.

    “I said to myself, ‘Okay, you can go to the middleweight (division), but first show consistency in light heavyweight, take the belt, then you can fight for the belt in middleweight.”

    For now, the ex-champ will be looking toward his next step back to the light heavyweight belt following a standout performance against “Sweet Dreams” in Los Angeles.

    He’ll no doubt have his eyes on the UFC 313 headliner in March, where Pereira will meet the challenge of Magomed Ankalaev following three successful title defenses in 2024.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Willing To Fight Islam Makhachev For ‘Easy Payday’ When It Makes Sense

    Dricus Du Plessis Willing To Fight Islam Makhachev For ‘Easy Payday’ When It Makes Sense

    Dricus Du Plessis seems inclined to entertain a potential champ vs. champ showdown with Islam Makhachev, though he isn’t fully sold on the proposition just yet.

    Even before his dominant fourth title defense at UFC 311 against Renato Moicano, reigning lightweight champion Makhachev made no secret of his ambitions to claim gold in a second weight class.

    However, a key obstacle stands in his way — Makhachev finds himself in a bit of a dilemma, as his strong relationship with current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad makes pursuing that matchup a tricky situation.

    Consequently, Makhachev has put forth an audacious idea, expressing that he has the frame and tools necessary to ascend two weight classes and challenge Du Plessis for the middleweight title.

    During a recent interview with mainevent, “Stillknocks” weighed in on Makhachev’s bold ambitions, offering a nod of respect for his exceptional talent.

    However, Du Plessis made it clear that the Dagestani champion might be aiming a bit too high, suggesting that while Makhachev is undeniably skilled, he’s simply not on the level required to face a true 185-pound powerhouse like himself.

    “It’s hard to really think and take it seriously right now,” Du Plessis said. “I’ve got a big fight coming up, so I didn’t make anything of it. If we get to a situation where we are not at right now — he’s an incredible fighter, make no mistake. He was so incredibly good against Moicano. He proved once again why he is the pound-for-pound best in the world.

    “[But] I don’t care how good you are — he obviously trains with 185 [pound]ers in his gym, so he knows. He doesn’t train against me. Believe me, it’s not the same thing. Even on a technical level, the standup. His wrestling and grappling is phenomenal. I’d just overpower him, that’s what I think.

    “Stillknocks” is set to defend his middleweight title against his former rival, Sean Strickland, in the headlining bout of UFC 312 on Feb. 8. If he emerges victorious, a showdown with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev would likely be next on the horizon.

    However, Du Plessis made it clear that if the UFC comes calling or special circumstances arise, he would be more than willing to shatter Makhachev’s dream of becoming a two-division titleholder.

    “It makes a massive difference. He’s a big lightweight, but I’m a big middleweight. There’s a big difference between a big lightweight and a big middleweight. But if there’s ever the situation where there’s no fight for me, no fight for him that makes sense, I’ll be more than happy to do that. Easy payday.”

    The 31-year-old South African was last in action at UFC 305 this past August, where he triumphed over former champion Israel Adesanya, submitting him to successfully defend his title for the first time.