Colby Covington didn’t seem to get the response he was after when bumping into former bitter rival Kamaru Usman at Saturday’s UFC event at the Apex.
The polarizing former interim welterweight champion was in attendance this weekend as the mixed martial arts leader staged its latest UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.
As has often been the case in recent weeks and months, “Chaos” was streaming live on his Twitch account. And while speaking to his followers, Covington crossed paths with one of the night’s ESPN desk analysts, whom it’s fair to say he’s more than familiar with.
But while his and Usman’s feud is far from as heated as it was when they shared the Octagon twice a number of years ago, Covington’s attempt to initiate a conversation looked to be brushed off by the former undisputed champ.
“Yes, that was Usman guys,” Covington said after the awkward interaction. “I don’t think he wanted to talk on the stream ’cause he didn’t want the chat to hear what he had to say. But yeah, we’ll definitely chop it up a little bit. Maybe we’ll get a picture, or maybe we’ll just fight. You never know, when ‘Chaos’ is in the building, it’s unpredictable. … No hard feelings.”
Two of Covington’s three failed attempts at reaching the welterweight throne came opposite Usman at UFC 245 in 2019 and UFC 268 in 2021. While he was stopped in the fifth frame first time around, “Chaos” was unable to outpoint the then-champ in the rematch two years later.
Since then, the 36-year-old has gone 1-2, defeating Jorge Masvidal but losing emphatically to both Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley. His future is uncertain in 2025 following his setback at the hands of “New Mansa” last December.
With that, talk of a clash with Makhachev continues to float around the mixed martial arts community and both men have frequently addressed it during interviews.
During a recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast, Topuria no doubt added further heat to the back and forth by taking aim at Makhachev and his fellow Dagestani fighters.
According to “El Matador,” fighters from the region flounder if they can’t establish their dominance early on in fights.
“None of them have special cardio and stamina. The way they do it, if you fight any of them, the thing they need when they go inside the Octagon, in the first contact, they want to feel like they’ve dominated you,” Topuria said. “They start to build their confidence off that. It’s like, ‘I can dominate you, maybe you escape, and we strike again, but I feel like I’m stronger than you.’
“If they feel like in the first contact in the first round that they can’t control you and it’s very competitive, then their head goes down.,” Topuria continued. “This is what they try to do, to beat you in the early rounds, that they can dominate you, that they are stronger than you. But when they realize that it’s not like that, most of the time, they lose those kinds of fights. All of the competitive fights they lose — all of them.”
While some might suggest that Umar Nurmagomedov’s five-round defeat to Merab Dvalishvili last month supports Topuria’s hypothesis, the bantamweight contender’s brother found a different outcome in his January outing. Usman Nurmagomedov got the better of Irish challenger Paul Hughes in their competitive main event title fight at PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai.
It remains to be seen whether Topuria will get the chance to prove his remarks right against Makhachev this year or be made to defend his featherweight belt for a second time.
Ahead of his return to action this weekend, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has assessed the landscape of the bantamweight title picture.
Merab Dvalishvili has ruled over the division since his dominant victory over Sean O’Malley at the Sphere last September. He’s defended the crown once, getting the better of undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January.
The Georgian champ has outlined his intention to remain active and put the gold on the line again in the first half of 2025. And when it comes to the opposition, one ex-foe is expecting to have the chance for redemption.
After being sidelined with a torn labrum following his title defeat in 2024, O’Malley was quick to insist that he’ll return straight into a rematch with Dvalishvili this year.
During a recent interview with Home of Fight, Cejudo rejected the notion that “Sugar” deserves a second dance with “The Machine,” instead pitching Cory Sandhagen as a better challenger.
“I think that’s stupid,” Cejudo said of Dvalishvili potentially running it back with O’Malley. “It’s not like O’Malley’s a pay-per-view king. Like, his fights don’t do sh*t, man. I think the person that they should give him (is) Sandhagen.
“Sandhagen makes a lot of sense. Sandhagen could potentially beat him,” Cejudo continued. “I mean, I still think Merab beats him, but he has the tools to really shut out Merab’s freaking lights. That’s the cool thing about it.”
“The Sandman” is coming off a defeat to Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi last August.
Cejudo, meanwhile, is still seeking the first win of his comeback, having lost back-to-back outings opposite Aljamain Sterling and Dvalishvili since returning from retirement.
“Triple C” will hope the long-awaited triumph finally arrives next weekend, when he headlines the UFC’s return to Seattle against Song Yadong.
After a disappointing numbered event Down Under in Sydney, Australia earlier this month, the promotion’s March offering on PPV comes from within the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Two highly anticipated clashes are set to headline, with fan favorite Alex Pereira defending his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev in the main event and Justin Gaethje meeting Dan Hooker in a sure-fire barnburner at 155 pounds.
During the broadcast of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event at the Apex, the MMA leader confirmed which other three fights will go down on the UFC 313 main card, including two further lightweight bouts and a key contest at 115 pounds.
Light Heavyweight Championship: Alex Pereira (C) vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Lightweight: Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker
Lightweight: Jalin Turner vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
Women’s Strawweight: Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Lightweight: King Green vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Fans quickly flocked to social media to react, with the majority seemingly anticipating a much more electric card at UFC 313 than was delivered to Aussie fans at Qudos Bank Arena on Feb. 8.
I know the promotion is in the worst shape it could be in recent history because why is the ESPN page hyping up Jalin Turner and Bobby Green main card bump? https://t.co/S4TbeSkTDt
Youssef Zalal may have had his hand raised at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, but he believes achieving the win was made more difficult by some potential cheating.
But while he’s now won seven straight and can expect a high number next to his name come Tuesday’s rankings update, “The Moroccan Devil” wasn’t totally happy in the aftermath of his triumph.
During his post-fight press conference, Zalal appeared to accuse Kattar of cheating by greasing his body to ensure an advantage in grappling exchanges.
“This is the crazy part: We worked a lot of grappling, and I sh*t you not, I felt like there’s Vaseline all over his legs,” Zalal said. “I swear to God, he was the most slipperiest guy I’ve ever seen in my life, and I felt like I’m not trying to be that guy with this and that (excuse). But man, that was suspicious, bro.
“Nobody slides like that – that quick. I’ve fought a lot of good guys – Jack Shore and all those guys – and I felt when you’re dry and all that stuff, there’s no way. It is what it is. You can cheat the sport, you can do whatever you want.”
Anthony Smith’s final walk to the Octagon is targeted for UFC Kansas City in April.
Multiple sources familiar with the UFC’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that Smith is expected to face Zhang Mingyang at the event. The matchup was initially reported by @Kangzif on X.
The report of Anthony Smith vs. Mingyang Zhang being targeted for April is accurate. However, the bout is not slated for UFC 314. It’s expected to take place at UFC Kansas City on April 26, multiple sources tell @DamonMartin and I. Story coming to @MMAFighting.
This fight will mark the end of Smith’s career, serving as his 59th professional bout and 25th UFC appearance. He started 2024 on a high note with a submission victory over Vitor Petrino at UFC 301 last May. But the former light heavyweight title challenger is now coming off back-to-back losses to Roman Dolidze and Dominick Reyes.
Following his loss to the latter, “Lionheart” hinted at possible retirement, a sentiment echoed by UFC CEO Dana White, who suggested it might be time for him to step away.
Mingyang, on the other hand, enters this high-profile matchup riding an impressive 11-fight win streak, with every victory coming via finish in the first round. The bout presents a major opportunity for the rising Chinese fighter to break into the UFC light heavyweight rankings. Mingyang earned his contract with a highlight-reel knockout on Road to UFC in 2022.
His official UFC debut came at UFC 298, where he delivered a first-round knockout of Bendson Ribeiro. In November, he followed up that performance with another quick first-round finish over Ozzy Diaz at UFC Macau. Now, the 26-year-old looks to extend his momentum and make a statement against the veteran Smith.
UFC Kansas City is scheduled for April 26, at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. This marks the promotion’s third visit to Kansas City and its first since UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen in April 2023.
Cannonier acknowledged the personal and professional challenges he faced leading up to the fight. While the victory brought him a sense of peace, the 40-year-old remains unsure about his next move.
He is aiming for higher-ranked opponents, but his long-standing contender status complicates his options in the middleweight division.
“If you were to look at the rankings, I would like a ranked opponent for sure,” Cannonier said. “I think for sure, I’m going to get a ranked opponent after that victory. I would like to fight a ranking higher than me. Unfortunately, all the people ranked higher than me are either in line for a title shot, on their way to a title shot, or just beat me. But I’m not going to rule anything out.
“If they say, ‘Hey, Jared, we need you to fight Dricus for the belt,’ I’m like, ‘Hell yes. I’m ready.’”
MMA superstar turned analyst, Chael Sonnen has carefully observed the long-running feud between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. He believes that the recent online trash-talk could very well turn into a real fight as tensions between the two began as early as 2022.
I warned you! This is what happens when you disrespect me and my country! You saw me and wanted to greet me because you shit your pants… and you should thank my team because of it wasn’t for them separating me, I would have taken your head off. @theufcbaddy 🖕 pic.twitter.com/PEdPRNGH5n
“The Baddy” has frequently tried to reignite his beef with Topuria. In one of his recent interviews, he called the reigning featherweight champion a ‘midget’, and showed interest in fighting the Georgian if he moves up to 155 lbs.
Pimblett also believes that Alexander Volkanovski clearing the featherweight division helped Topuria quickly grab the belt, and he’ll likely be overwhelmed by his opponents’ size at lightweight.
“The American Gangster” finds this callout interesting because it has all the potential to produce a great fight given the very real bad blood between the two fighters. Here’s what he said on the matchup in a recent video on his YouTube channel:
“Paddy the baddy is willing to welcome Ilia Toporia to 155 pounds. Now, it’s not Paddy’s first choice because Ilia is not a big enough name but he will do it because of the hand sanitizer incident—he wanted to give him a beating back then, so he will just delay that desire to whip Ilia Topuria until now at 155 pounds. Even though Ilia doesn’t quite have the name recognition now, I summarized, okay?”
The former title challenger thinks Pimblett might be trying to get the match with “El Matador” at the perfect time. The featherweight champ has expressed his desire to move up a weight class to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who, interestingly, seems reluctant to hand out a title shot to another featherweight champ right away.
So, having Pimblett welcome Topuria to the lightweight division might be win-win for all the parties involved.
“But, from a performance standpoint, that’s great. That is great stuff by Paddy to declare that he is willing to do a favor for the world champion—stay in your weight class, fight for a world title, activate the participation clause of your contract, the only clause that you can have in MMA that can make you millions of dollars in one night. Leave all of that to come up to 155 over a personal feud where no title is on the line, no legacy is on the line.”
Because of their infamous alteration in 2022, Sonnen is confident that Pimblett vs. Topuria is certainly not a far-fetched dream:
“But we do have this incident with the hand sanitizer, and you know what? They do have unfinished business. I remember that night very well.”
Although he’s never fought at lightweight, knocking out Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back fights has skyrocketed Topuria’s popularity. On the flip side, Pimblett’s biggest wins are Tony Ferguson and King Green, and fans are still doubtful of his potential since the controversial Jared Gordon fight.
Despite being troubled very early on in the UFC Vegas 102 main event, Jared Cannonier pulled off a major comeback to score a fourth-round finish of Gregory Rodrigues.
“Robocop” brought the power from the opening round, dropping “The Killa Gorilla” twice with a couple of solid shots. Cannonier, however, managed to score a takedown late in the round, trying to steal momentum.
Rodrigues continued to land solid strikes during the second round but his pace began to slow. The former title challenger, meanwhile, took advantage by picking up his own striking. He continued this output in the third, and emphasized his dominance with a late elbow that knocked “Robocop” down. Cannonier then threw some heavy ground-and-pound, nearly scoring the finish.
Cannonier stops a two-fight skid with the victory tonight. He’s now 3-2 following an unsuccessful middleweight title shot against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 — with one of those three wins coming over another former champion in Sean Strickland.
Rodrigues, who reached the fourth round for the first time in his professional MMA career, sees a three-fight win streak snapped. He entered tonight with five wins in his previous six outings.
UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!
In the main event, middleweights Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues clashed. While in the co-main event, Calvin Kattar faced Youssef Zalal in a featherweight matchup.
UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card
Middleweight: Jared Cannonier def. Gregory Rodrigues via TKO: R4, 0.21
Featherweight: Youssef Zalal def. Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dylan Budka via TKO: R1, 1:35
Lightweight: Nazim Sadykhov def. Ismael Bonfim via TKO (doctor’s stoppage): R1, 5:00
Middleweight: Andre Petroski def. Rodolfo Vieira via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Preliminary Card
Featherweight: Jose Delgado def. Connor Matthews via KO: R1, 2.58
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill def. Ketlen Souza via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
Flyweight: Rafael Estevam def. Jesus Aguilar via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Welterweight: Gabriel Bonfim def. Khaos Williams via submission: R2, 4.58
Bantamweight: Elijah Smith def. Vince Morales via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
Heavyweight: Valter Walker def. Don’Tale Mayes via submission: R1, 1.17
Women’s Bantamweight: Julia Cavalcanti def. Julia Avila def via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Preliminary Card Highlights
Valter Walker def. Don’Tale Mayes
In this heavyweight bout, Valter Walker took just over a minute to submit Don’Tale Mayes with a heel hook.
Youssef Zalal received the biggest opportunity of his career thus far when he took on Calvin Kattar in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 102. But while he scored a decision win, the result led to a mix of reactions from MMA fans.
Kattar tried to take control of the fight from the get-go, looking to blitz with the striking that led him to popularity during his Octagon career. Zalal, however, took advantage of that by using his footwork, keeping distance and landing counterstrikes.
Footwork and distance continued to use this strategy and found success, frustrating Kattar over the course of the remaining 10 minutes to win the fight across all three judges’ scorecards.
While some fans and media members felt it was excellent strategy, others were critical of the performance, stating Zalal would lose fans for the way he fought here.
Youseef Zalal Splits MMA Fanbase With Performance In Win Over Calvin Kattar
Zalal is the kind of guy who is a pretty good point fighter but won't ever draw a dime in his life because he fights like a pansy and it's transparent. I can't imagine that's a guy @danawhite wants ranked in the UFC
Not sure why people are hating so hard on Zalal, coming off three straight finishes and comfortably beating a top 10 opponent in his second stint with the promotion is impressive to me#UFCVegas102
Been really impressed with Zalal since his return, but he NEEDS to get rid of that habit of exiting laterally with hands down chin in air. He will get got by Topuria in a rematch, if he dosen’t on the way.#UFCVegas102
Andre Petroski feels he’s ready for a step up in competition after his victory over Rodolfo Vieira at UFC Vegas 102.
Unfortunately for him, the man he chose to call out, Bo Nickal, doesn’t share the same sentiment regarding the idea of a fight between the two of them.
“I’d love to get an easy check but the fans say I can’t fight cans anymore,” Nickal wrote on X after being called out at UFC Vegas 102.
I’d love to get an easy check but the fans say I can’t fight cans anymore :/ https://t.co/sSIuODMygS
Andre Petroski Calls Out Bo Nickal At UFC Vegas 102, Gets Rejected Quickly
The first round between Petroski and Vieira was slow. In fact, the two combined for only about 10 punches in the entire five-minute span. The American had more control of the pacing in the first round, but his Brazilian opponent picked up his pace and took back control in the second.
Petroski brought out more powerful shots in the third, nabbing him the win on all three judges’ scorecards.
The victor then used his post-fight promo time to call out rising star Nickal.
With both Bonfim brothers competing at UFC Vegas 102, Gabriel Bonfim ensured a strong start for the pair with a second-round submission victory over knockout artist Khaos Williams during the preliminary card.
Williams stalked his competition throughout the opening frame, looking to apply pressure and find the power shots that have led him to victory in the Octagon already. Bonfim, however, showed solid lateral movement over the course of the frame. And while “The Ox Fighter” showed solid takedown defense, his Brazilian counterpart was able to get him down a couple of times during the round.
Williams fended off a late submission attempt prior to the end of the first round. When the same circumstances happened in the second frame’s dying seconds, however, the result was different.
Bonfim locked up a Brabo choke and managed to leave Williams unconscious in a scary scene, scoring the victory with mere seconds remaining at the end of the second round.
Gabriel Bonfim Chokes Out Khaos Williams At UFC Vegas 102
The Brazilian is now 4-1 in the UFC since his arrival from Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.
Meanwhile, since arriving to the UFC in 2020, Williams has consistently lost a fight after winning two — a pattern that has now continued as a result of his loss tonight.
Mixed martial arts veteran Julia Avila laid the gloves down at UFC Vegas 102.
After suffering a decision loss to Jacqueline Cavalcanti in the opening bout of Saturday’s event, “Raging Panda” announced her retirement from professional MMA.
“This is it,” Avila said before placing her gloves down in the middle of the Octagon. “I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to fight on the world’s best stage.”
Julia Avila Retires Following UFC Vegas 102 Loss To Jacqueline Cavalcanti
Avila made her professional MMA debut in 2012, though there was a four-and-a-half-year gap between her first two fights. After going 6-1, Avila made her UFC debut at UFC 239 in July 2019, defeating Pannie Kianzad.
“Raging Panda” went 3-3 in the UFC. Prior to tonight’s fight, her last performance came in December 2023 when she was submitted by former champion Miesha Tate.
Cavalcanti, a former LFA women’s bantamweight champion, is now 9-1 in her career, including a perfect 4-0 in the UFC.
Jared Cannonier acknowledges that some may view him as a “gatekeeper” in the UFC middleweight division, though he doesn’t personally subscribe to that label.
Since his unsuccessful title challenge against Israel Adesanya in 2022, Cannonier has posted a mixed record, going 2-2 with back-to-back losses in 2024.
Now, he looks to bounce back in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night against the surging Gregory Rodrigues, who enters the bout on a three-fight win streak. The matchup represents a significant step up in competition for Rodrigues.
“I think he’s pretty much earned what he’s done,” Cannonier said during media day. “I guess you can consider me the sacrificial lamb in that regard, right? This is the name of the game: we fight each other. I try to separate the emotional aspect from what we’re doing here. This is a business. We’re doing business. So that’s just it. Plus, my last two fights were of the same essence, if you will… same situation again.”
While Cannonier acknowledges the perception of him as a “gatekeeper,” he doesn’t embrace the label.
He cites his most recent fight against No. 12-ranked Caio Borralho — the largest ranking disparity in a fight since his title shot — as an example of why some may see him in that role.
“I don’t know, that onus will be put on the guys who are facing off against the contenders, i.e., myself,” Cannonier said. “I’m losing these fights against the up-and-comers and opening the door for them. I don’t want to say it, but it’s not that I’ve found myself in a gatekeeper sort of position, but it kind of smells like it if you’re on the outside, you know what I mean?
“I’m just analyzing it for you. You’re asking the question; I’m doing some analysis on it. This isn’t how I feel. I don’t really consider all this sh*t when I’m thinking about what I’m doing on a daily basis or when I’m matching up with these guys. I’m just getting prepared to go to war with another big up-and-comer.”
Headlining will once again be the middleweights, as perennial main-eventer and former title challenger Jared Cannonier looks to stall the surge of another rising name at 185 pounds in Gregory Rodrigues.
Elsewhere, the likes of featherweight contender Calvin Kattar, once-highly touted middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan, and strawweight veteran Angela Hill will be in action.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues Weigh-In Results
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues takes place on Saturday, February 15, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the results below.
Main Card:
Middleweight: Jared Cannonier (185.5lbs) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (186lbs)
Featherweight: Calvin Kattar (146lbs) vs. Youssef Zalal (146lbs)
Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan (185.5lbs) vs. Dylan Budka (186lbs)
Lightweight: Ismail Bonfim (156lbs) vs. Nazim Sadykhov (156lbs)
Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira (185.5lbs) vs. Andre Petroski (186lbs)
Featherweight: Connor Matthews (146lbs) vs. Jose Delgado (146lbs)
Preliminary Card:
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill (115.5lbs) vs. Ketlen Souza (115.5lbs)
Lightweight: Jared Gordon vs. Mashrabjon Ruzibaev*
Flyweight: Rafael Estevam (126lbs) vs. Jesus Aguilar (125.5lbs)
Welterweight: Gabriel Bonfim (170.5lbs) vs. Khaos Williams (169.5lbs)
Bantamweight: Vince Morales (136lbs) vs. Elijah Smith (135.5lbs)
Heavyweight: Don’Tale Mayes (266lbs) vs. Valter Walker (245lbs)
Women’s Bantamweight: Julia Avila (135.5lbs) vs. Julia Cavalcanti (134.5lbs)
*The lightweight bout between Jared Gordon and Mashrabjon Ruzibaev was canceled due to an issue with the latter.
UFC 312 might be over but Sean Strickland’s disappointing performance is still on many fans’ radar. Apparently, after frequently promising a violent war against Dricus Du Plessis, he couldn’t deliver and the fight was a one-sided bashing. Although many have complained about Strickland not walking the talk, top welterweight contender Gilbert Burns feels differently.
The Brazilian is among the few fighters defending Strickland when even the latter’s long-time coach, Eric Nicksick, has shifted grounds.
In a recent episode of Show Me The Money podcast, the former title challenger called out critics who’re questioning Strickland’s legacy based on one loss:
“Another thing, Sean didn’t get the defense. Sean was falling, I don’t know, maybe he wasn’t feeling good, whatever. We’re never going to know, right? But to say, ‘Oh, he talks a lot, he doesn’t back it up,’ I don’t like that. I think the guy backs it up many times. He backed it up against Imavov, he backed it up against my guy Brendan Allen, he backed it up against so many guys, right? Paulo Costa, Adesanya, bro, he beat a lot of the best guys, and people are saying, ‘Oh, he just talks, he doesn’t do much.’ I think that’s very disrespectful.”
Burns claimed that people’s memories have become photographic in the modern world as they’ve clearly forgot Strickland’s impressive wins over Nassourdine Imavov, Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya, and Brendan Allen.
“People have very short memories, it’s the reels day, you know? It’s the TikTok days where you swipe, you see something nice, swipe again, and then it’s gone. But it wasn’t long ago the guy was the champion, fighting everybody. He beat so many good guys, and people are just saying, “Oh, he talks a lot, he’s crazy,” but I like it. And the guy backs it up, or he tries at least.”
Burns last fought Sean Brady in September 2024, and is scheduled to return on UFC 314 on April 12, 2025. The veteran is on a three-fight losing streak and only a solid win can help him remain in the title race.
The Brazilian’s opponent for the Miami card, Michael Morales, certainly poses a big threat. Standing a decade younger, he’s among the very few elite fighters on an undefeated run. Coming out of a TKO win over Neil Magny, Morales will try to add another big name to his resume to rise quickly in the rankings.
As for Strickland, he’s still the no. 2 ranked UFC middleweight contender in the world. From rematches with Imavov, Costa, and Adesanya to fresh fights against Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev, and Caio Borralho, he has plenty of options on the table for his imminent return to the Octagon.
A recent episode of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s JAXXON Podcast, has sparked a heated feud between the veteran and UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith.
The controversy began when Jackson and guest TJ Dillashaw discussed Kevin Holland’s career trajectory, with the latter stating that Holland’s lack of discipline will prevent him from ever becoming a champion.
Smith, who co-hosts the On Paper podcast, took issue with the episode — but not because of Dillashaw’s comments about Holland. Instead, his criticism stemmed from Jackson’s recent interview with controversial UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell. That episode was later removed from the podcast’s YouTube channel after Mitchell made pro-Nazi remarks.
However, Smith went beyond that specific interview, accusing the hosts of repeatedly disrespecting fighters, potentially jeopardizing their ability to book future guests.
“You bring fighters on, you sh*t on them — it happened to me,” Smith said. “You brought me on, you were super cool to me. I had a good time. I love Rampage, he’s my favorite fighter, I’ve said that for years. You’ve heard me say that a hundred times — Rampage is my favorite fighter. You bring me on, I have an amazing time, and several months later, you’re on there with Dillashaw f*cking making fun of me.
“That’s what they do, that’s their thing. Honestly, it’s less Rampage — he’s just kind of the funny ‘ha ha’ guy, and he just laughs about stuff. They’re just not great to fighters, they make fun of a lot of people. They did the same shIt to Ian Garry when he was supposed to go on the show, and then they spent the show before that calling him a cuck. Whether you think Ian Garry’s a cuck or not, you can’t bring the motherf*cker on the show the next episode after calling him a cuck and making fun of his family dynamic or him and his wife and his kids… I don’t agree with that.”
Jackson Fires Back
Smith’s comments didn’t sit well with Jackson, who responded with an explosive rant on his YouTube channel. The former UFC champion was visibly angry, going so far as to threaten “Lionheart” with a physical confrontation.
“I love doing this podcast. This podcast got me back into MMA, and I’ve met a lot of fighters since I started doing this f*cking podcast,” Jackson said. “I saw this f*cking post that Anthony Smith did, I saw it this morning, f*cking pissed me off. When TJ sat right motherf*cking here and said you’ll never be champion and said that you f*cking gave up, Bear and I f*cking had your back. That’s why we were saying, ‘Lionheart,’ with a f*cking nickname like Lionheart? Not ‘Lying Heart.’”
Jackson claimed that he reached out privately to Smith via direct message to clarify that he wasn’t mocking him, but Smith ignored the message.
“I DM’d you. I looked at it, and I could see how you could think that I was making fun of you, too. So I DM’d you. I f*cking said to you in the DM, ‘Look here, I wasn’t making fun of you.’ Because I could have made fun of you,” Jackson continued. “Fighters, we make fun of each other. Yeah, I’m a comedian pretending to be a motherf*cking fighter, but the problem is motherf*cker, I really can fight. I hope I calm down before I see you, because motherf*ckers like you get b*tch-smacked for real.”
Jackson also pointed out that he refrained from mocking Smith’s knockout loss to Khalil Rountree in December 2023 despite having the opportunity to do so. He compared it to his own career, which ended with a brutal TKO loss to Fedor Emelianenko in 2019.
“I’m telling y’all, b*tch-ass motherf*ckers, soft-ass motherf*ckers out there, y’all need to chill the f*ck out and quit being little b*tches,” Jackson said. “Yeah, T.J. shouldn’t say somebody shouldn’t be a f*cking champion, but that’s TJ, and I respect him for that. He’s standing on business. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it in his motherf*cking weight class. Some of you guys are just bitches.
“This sh*t got me pissed off. I’m going to tell you — tell that Anthony Smith motherf*cker, call that motherf*cker up, tell him to keep my motherf*cking name out of his motherf*cking mouth. If I see his b*tch ass, I’m going to smack the f*ck out of him.”
With tensions at an all-time high, it remains to be seen whether this feud will escalate further or if cooler heads will prevail.
UFCwelterweight contender Gilbert Burns is looking forward to the UFC signing three Bellator fighters to its roster. The Brazilian believes these fighters not only boast considerable star power, but also have the potential to defeat many top contenders and even the champions of their respective divisions.
Burns is currently on a three-fight losing skid and he’ll return at UFC 314 in Miami, Florida, to face undefeated prospect Michael Morales on April 12, 2025. The former UFC title challenger is on the longest losing streak of his career, making this matchup really important for his title aspirations and future in the promotion.
As of now, “Durinho” is ranked 8th in the division and he definitely can’t afford losing to the no. 12 ranked prospect in Morales.
In a recent episode of Show Me The Money, Burns appeared alongside popular UFC lightweight Renato Moicano to discuss UFC 312 and all things MMA. While talking about potential signings for the UFC, Burns named three fighters who are yet to fight for the promotion but have all the tools to make it big there.
“That’s one guy that I really want to see in the UFC is freaking Patchy Mix. That guy is so good, so good, and I hope they release him because they don’t give him a fight. It’s two guys that I think—so many guys from Bellator, but I’ll say my three favorite guys to be in the UFC now from Bellator is Johnny Eblen. That’s the number one. That guy, he could go head-to-head with Dricus Du Plessis.”
He further added:
“That’s one thing, I think he’s a top five for sure. I don’t know if he is gonna beat DDP. I think he can, I think he can, but we got to see, you know? That’s one thing. So, Johnny Eblen should be in the UFC. Patchy Mix, 100%, should be in the UFC. And I think Patricio Pitbull, you know, he can—I don’t know if he’s going to make that run now, but yeah, I wanna see Pitbull in the UFC. Those are my three guys outside of the UFC with the whole Bellator-PFL history. Those three guys I want to see so much in the UFC right now, especially Patchy Mix and Johnny Eblen. Those guys are in their prime and I think it’ll be a couple of great fights.”
While Patricio “Pitbull” Freire is 37 and arguably in the latter half of his career, both Patchy Mix (31) and Johnny Eblen (33) are very well in their physical primes. Mix boasts an impressive 20-1 record as a bantamweight and Eblen is an undefeated middleweight. This explains why Burns, alongside many in the MMA community, is excited to see how these fighters perform in the UFC.
Considering that the PFL brand is struggling amidst its acquisition of Bellator, many of its fighters want to be relieved of their contracts. It is undoubtedly a good time for the UFC to sign these stars and give its champions a run for their money. As for fans, they simply want to see the best fight the best, regardless of promotions.
While former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland doesn’t appear to have any animosity toward his “friend” Eric Nicksick, he seemingly isn’t expecting the renowned coach to lead his corner next time out.
After sharing a special night in Sydney back in 2023 courtesy of a memorable upset win over Israel Adesanya, Strickland and Nicksick were back Down Under last week challenging the reign of Dricus Du Plessis.
They narrowly failed to crack the South African’s puzzle 13 months ago in Canada, and the polarizing American was even further from having his hand raised second time around.
In the main event of UFC 312 on Saturday, Strickland fell to a lopsided decision defeat after a disappointing display across five rounds that has garnered him plenty of flak from the MMA community. And perhaps the most vocally critical this week was the Xtreme Couture standout’s head coach and cornerman.
In addition to outlining his plan to utilize different individuals in his corner moving forward, Strickland highlighted some of the adversity he had to overcome during fight camp for UFC 312.
“Alright, you guys keep tagging me about this whole Eric thing,” Strickland began. “I like Eric; he’s a friend of mine, and he’s going to continue to be a friend of mine. Will he be in my corner? Probably not. We have so many great guys at Xtreme…we have so many savages who I would love to corner me. … That entire (UFC 312) fight camp was just a struggle. Guys, we all have exuses as to why we didn’t win…and they don’t f*cking matter.
“The only reason why I’m making this video is because Eric had to go do a f*cking podcast and become an influencer, so now I’ve got to kind of explain myself. Opportunity never comes when it’s supposed to. … You must say yes. This is not an excuse, but that entire camp was just a struggle of, ‘I’m good, I’m good,’ knowing I’m not good,” Strickland continued. “Whether it be the staph infection, the broken arm, having to get a visa that didn’t get approved until a week (before), not being able to get cornerman out there; this entire camp was a struggle of, ‘I’m not good,’ but me looking in the mirror and saying, ‘Sack up!’”
The 33-year-old also touched on Nicksick’s questioning of his motivation when it comes to a continued career in fighting.
While the renowned trainer stated in no uncertain terms that he’s only interested in coaching those who aspire to be a world champion, Strickland enters the Octagon for a different reason.
“You guys, I don’t fight to put belts on the wall. I don’t fight because Eric wants to go do a fancy podcast,” Strickland stated. “Before fighting, you guys, I had the lowest self-esteem. I couldn’t even look at myself in the f*cking mirror. Through fighting, I’ve learned so much, met so many amazing people. … You guys have changed my f*cking life. You’ve made me grow so much as a person, in the ring and out of the ring. That’s why I fight.”
Poirier is torn on who he believes would win the fight. “The Diamond,” coming off a fifth-round submission loss to Makhachev at UFC 302, questions whether the Spaniard has the necessary size to counter the Dagestani’s grappling.
“He definitely does have a shot,” Poirier told Sports Illustrated regarding Topuria vs. Makhachev. “I think from ’45 to 170, Topuria has the power and the skills to knock anybody out. His timing, his rhythm, his power is incredible, but the size difference is with Islam’s wrestling.
“I’ve never seen Topuria in person. Obviously, I fought Islam; he’s a big guy. Islam can’t make ’45. I know they say Topuria might walk around 190 (pounds) outside of fights and stuff, but I just think Islam is just too much. But I don’t know. Like I said, if Ilia does connect, he can put anybody out.”
🥊Dustin Poirier assessed Ilia Topuria's chances against Makhachev:
"If Topuria does connect, he can put anybody out."👀
Topuria’s most recent victory was a knockout of Max Holloway at UFC 308, which saw him successfully defend the featherweight title.
Meanwhile, Makhachev is fresh off a swift submission win over Renato Moicano at UFC 311. This victory marked his fourth successful title defense, setting a new record for the most in UFC lightweight history.
A clash between hard-hitting featherweight contenders is targeted for the main event of the UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas on April 5.
Before heading to Miami to stage UFC 314 from the Kaseya Center, mixed martial arts’ leading promotion will kick off its schedule for April back at the Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada.
And the planned main event has now been revealed, with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck reporting that an intriguing 145-pound battle between perennial contender Josh Emmett (19-4) and the surging Lerone Murphy (15-0-1) is in the works for the April 5 UFC Fight Night.
Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy expected to headline April 5 UFC Fight Night event, multiple sources tell @DamonMartin and I. Story coming to @MMAFighting momentarily.
Emmett last appeared back in the cage in December 2023. Before sitting out the entirety of 2024, the #8-ranked featherweight rebounded from consecutive losses by producing one of the most violent knockouts in recent memory at the expense of Bryce Mitchell.
Looking to avoid falling to the same fate as “Thug Nasty” in a few months’ time will be Murphy, an undefeated Englishman who has risen the ranks with recent triumphs over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night on April 5 are as follows:
Josh Emmett vs. Lerone Murphy (featherweight main event)
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Martin Buday (heavyweight)
Ode’ Osbourne vs. Luis Gurule (flyweight)
Rhys McKee vs. Daniel Frunza (welterweight)
Dione Barbosa vs. Diana Belbiţă (women’s flyweight)
Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini (featherweight)
Loma Lookboonmee vs. Ariane Carnelossi (women’s strawweight)
Robert Valentin vs. Torrez Finney (middleweight)
Vanessa Demopoulus vs. Talita Alencar (women’s strawweight)
Cortavious Romious vs. Chang Ho Lee (bantamweight)
The Chinese standout delivered one of the performances of her career to dominantly outpoint Suarez across five rounds, recording the third successful defense of her second title reign in the process.
Having established her superiority at 115 pounds, Zhang’s ambitions have begun to spread beyond that divisional realm and to the flyweight division, currently ruled by Valentina Shevchenko.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, “Magnum” further addressed that possibility, revealing the UFC’s stance on the matter.
“I always wanted to go up one weight class, but it’s never good timing,” Zhang said. “For very quite a long time, I was a little bit confused, like, ‘OK, who should I fight? Because they all have their own arrangements and matches. But eventually it will work out with UFC because I really want to get a fight.’
“There’s no concrete plan or ask from our side just yet. I’m willing to fight Valentina, but again, timing has to be right. Everything has to play in our favor, then it could happen,” Zhang continued. “Anything works. If we ended up in the flyweight (division), then I don’t have to go through so much pain to cut weight. Why not? … UFC kind of wants me to, if I actually go up to 125 (pounds), just kind of stay in there — don’t move (back down) again. But that’s something I need to consider myself.”
Should Zhang choose against a permanent switch to 125 pounds and continue to defend the gold currently in her possession, it remains to be seen who will get the next shot.
Usman Nurmagomedov isn’t fazed by UFC star Conor McGregor’s continued focus on his cousin and family as a whole.
McGregor has bashed Khabib Nurmagomedov and the region of Dagestan online and in interviews ever since his heated feud with “The Eagle” reached the cage in 2018.
While the Irishman was viciously submitted by the then-UFC lightweight champion, that hasn’t stopped him from repeatedly continuing the kind of controversial trash talk he dished out in the lead-up to UFC 229.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Usman reflected on McGregor’s reaction to the niceties, explaining what he perceives to be the reason for the Dubliner’s ongoing hatred for all things Nurmagomedov.
“Maybe because Khabib kicked his ass,” Nurmagomedov said. “He wants a rematch but he has to live with this all his life and his kids have to live with this all his life. When his kids will grow up, when his kids are 18 (years old), people will say, ‘Hey, your father tried to do some crazy stuff but some guy from Dagestan came to America and kicked your father’s ass.’ That’s it. That’s why he cannot sleep even.
“He has to live with this and pass with this. All his family, all his legacy, all this, is around this. He lost to Khabib when (he) had to win. But it (did not) happen. Khabib smashed his face, his team and all for what he was working (for),” Nurmagomedov continued. “When Khabib beat him, he (did not) come back to fighting, even for life I think. He’s going to drink. He’s going to beat some women. He’s stupid.”
McGregor hasn’t been active as a fighter in recent years. He’s remained in the headlines by way of controversy after controversy, with the most notable coming late last year when he was found liable for the assault of a woman who accused him of rape in Ireland.
Former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler is eyeing his next fight — and he’s got both an opponent and date in mind.
Chandler last competed in November 2024, returning from an ultimately failed layoff awaiting a planned showdown with Conor McGregor. Instead, “Iron” ran it back with Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden.
While he came close to defeating “Do Bronx” first time around to capture the title, he was soundly beaten in their rematch. And the result has left Chandler with a negative 2-4 record under the UFC banner.
The American will look to rectify that in 2025, potentially starting with a showdown opposite a rising name in the division this summer.
Pimblett most recently moved to 6-0 in the UFC with an emphatic first-round submission win over King Green last year, catapulting him into the rankings at #12.
“The Baddy” has since repeatedly teased a pursuit of Chandler next time out. And if the ex-Bellator champ’s post is any indication of the UFC’s plans, it looks as though he could be getting his wish in 2025.
