The issue occurred early in the second round as Suarez attempted a takedown. In an unusual sequence, it appeared that her knee was sliced open against the base of the cage — an uncommon injury compared to those typically sustained through striking or grappling exchanges.
The severity of the wound became evident during the break between rounds, as cameras captured the deep gash. Adding to the concern, the challenger expressed her worries to her corner about the extent of the damage and even avoided looking at it directly.
Despite a strong start, winning the first round on all judges’ scorecards, the injury visibly affected Suarez’s performance. Weili took advantage, dominating the remaining rounds and securing a unanimous decision victory to retain her title.
This loss marked a pivotal moment in Suarez’s career, as it ended her previously undefeated professional MMA record. A graphic photo she later shared on social media highlighted the severity of the cut and the stitches required, serving as a lasting reminder of the fight.
Royval revealed that consecutive concussions forced him to prioritize his health and pull out of the fight, a decision he discussed on his YouTube channel.
“Maybe a couple months back, I had a concussion,” Royval said. “I was just playing it safe, playing it smart. A couple weeks later, when I was recovered, I accepted this fight, which was awesome. Fight Manel Kape. I respect his skills, I respect him as a striker and all that.
“I was training hard for this fight, and being a little reckless and being kind of in the zone for camp, I got another concussion. This one was severely worse,” Royval continued. “It’s been over a week at this point, and I’m still dealing with the repercussions of it and the symptoms of a bad concussion. And because of that reason — adding a weight cut, Manel Kape being a good striker, and this being a predominantly striking match — we felt this would be the safest move. Take some time, recover, recover the right way this time, and fight at a later date. Fight when I can fully train, fully take a punch, and give you guys the best of my ability.”
Assessing the situation, Pimblett remarked that despite Topuria’s recent victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway, he doesn’t believe the Spaniard has done enough to earn a shot at Makhachev’s lightweight belt. While “El Matador” has stated he’s open to a rematch with Volkanovski, his preference is to move up and challenge Makhachev.
“I can’t see Ilia fighting Islam,” Pimblett said on the Blood Red podcast. “He’s only defended the belt once. Normally, you need to defend the belt like three times, and he’s not that big of a star to jump. He’s not (Conor) McGregor to just jump right up and fight for the other belt.
“So I can’t personally see that happening, but we’ll see what happens. I heard Ilia’s headlining the UFC 314 event against Volk, but you don’t know anything until it’s finalized with the UFC. I have been told this and that the last few weeks, last few months, but we’ll just see what happens.”
Pimblett and Topuria have a history of animosity, dating back to an altercation in London in March 2022. Their feud escalated further during the UFC 282 pre-fight press conference in December 2022, where security had to intervene due to their heated exchanges.
As for Pimblett, he is targeting a return to the Octagon at UFC 314, with rumors suggesting a potential matchup against Michael Chandler.
Like him or not, Dana White helping sell the UFC at over $4 billion and making it a part of TKO Group Holdings alongside WWE is one of the most remarkable business feats ever. He, along with his friends Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, purchased the UFC for $2 million in 2001.
The early 2000s were when when the company’s reputation was at an all-time low, and there were heavy losses due to it being banned from pay-per-view and TV networks.
However, White’s vision regarding this product, which was a far-fetched dream back then, now needs no introduction. UFC is the biggest MMA promotion in the world by far with a valuation of $11.3 billion in 2025. This has come after it survived several highs and lows for more than three decades.
In an interview with TodayShowAustralia ahead of UFC 312 in Sydney, White looked back at the time when he was close to folding the UFC for good.
“Oh, yeah, in the early days when we were just getting started, there’s no doubt about it, and then when you run a business and stuff happens every day that you don’t see coming and that you got to deal with. Even when we were strong, I mean we were sold in 16 and I want to say that it was probably 14, where like we had a whole year, every main event fell off with an injury and we had to deal with that. But the more bad c**p that gets thrown at you, the better you become.”
In another interview with Forbes, White and Lorenzo Fertitta shared the exact details of the day they nearly sold the UFC. As per Lorenzo, $30 million was sunk into running the business and because there were no returns, they weren’t left with many options.
Talking about it, Lorenzo says:
“Now people look back and they say, Oh! the UFC was overnight success and no, it wasn’t. Like, there were at least five years there, that were very difficult. We got to the point where we were just losing money, year after year, every event we were losing money and at the same time, fighters wanted to make more money, managers wanted more money. Everybody wanted wanted wanted.”
White, who was running the business as the CEO, describes this time similarly:
“So, one day, I was at the office and Lorenzo called me and he’s like, ‘I can’t keep doing this. Me and my brother can’t keep funding this thing. It’s getting bad so I need you to go out and see what you could sell this thing for’. I started making phone calls that day and at the end of the day I called him back and I said, ‘seven or eight million, could probably get seven or eight million for this thing in my opinion’.”
Luckily, for the UFC owners, selling the promotion didn’t feel like the best move at the time and they decided to keep running things for some time. For Lorenzo, it was as simple as this:
“So, literally went home, woke up the next morning, and just felt like it’s not the right thing to do.”
White explained his anxiety at the time as well:
“I thought it was over. And the next day, I’m driving to work and Lorenzo calls me and this is literally quote what he said, ‘f**k it, let’s keep going’.”
The UFC, as we know it, wasn’t sold during its dark ages and thanks to TUF Season 1, the boom finally happened and MMA is now one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Although the promotion’s monopoly in MMA is often criticized, it’s rise to the top is still inspirational for countless people.
Chael Sonnen recently discussed how the UFC and WWE might be valued at $50 billion together at the moment. He came to the conclusion by pointing out that TKO’s stock price has doubled in the last year and also stated that he should’ve invested in the company’s stocks on time.
Under the banner of TKO, UFC and WWE went public on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2023. This was after Endeavor initiated the process of combining the world’s biggest sports entertainment organization, WWE, with the world’s premier MMA promotion to form a sports and entertainment company called TKO Group Holdings.
Valued at $21 billion at the time of merger, TKO marked the beginning of new chapter for both the UFC and the WWE and in no time, it’s stock price has doubled.
Discussing this exponential growth of both companies since they went public, the former UFC title contender regretted not taking his friend’s advice who wanted him to invest in TKO back in 2023.
“TKO is the publicly traded company that owns WWE and UFC. Now, don’t hold me to these numbers and dates perfectly, but a year ago, TKO was valued at $70. I remember getting a call from Jesse on Fire when it hit $70. Jesse on Fire calls me and he’s telling me to load up, and I did not. I did not load up. I bought, but I did not load up.”
While “The American Gangster” was still processing if TKO was really a good investment opportunity as his friend had already made money on it, the stock grew by another 10%.
“And like that, it was at $77. It jumps 10% while I am processing what Jesse told me. So I don’t get in until it hit $90. That’s when I finally go load up. But I want you to think about this, okay, the UFC sold for what was a higher valuation for a franchise than the evaluation at current time of the New York Yankees’. And the New York Yankees were said to be the most valuable franchise in the world, and the UFC sold for more than the Yankees’ valuation.”
TKO also owns the WWE, and here’s how Sonnen came to the conclusion that both the brands, together, might be valued at $50 billion now:
“You then have WWE, which sold—I’m going to round numbers here—but for over twice what the UFC sold for. You had a statement by TKO where they said they valued the entire company, so having both entities, at $22 billion. Now, the UFC had sold for $4.2 billion, WWE had sold for $11 billion, and now, because they are together, just go ahead and add 30% to that number to get us to $22 billion. But the stock is still hovering around $90 at the time of this story.”
He further theorized:
“Now, fast forward one year, and the stock, as we speak, is $153. So let’s just call that double. That’s double what it was when Jesse on Fire calls and tells me. If I look at the stock price—and this isn’t a perfect way to do an evaluation, I’m just sharing for you, loose terms—if I look at the stock price, it’s valued at $22 billion when it’s at $77. Now that it’s worth twice that, are we saying that together, they’re worth $50 billion. Is that what we’re saying?”
Sonnen’s friend, Jesse Merl, undoubtedly gave him solid advice regarding loading up on TKO stocks as he himself is now enjoying a 100% profit on his investment in just a year. The YouTuber posted about the same on X and is pretty confident that this is just the beginning for the UFC, Dana White, and TKO.
Former UFC double champ Henry Cejudo has been so impressed with Dricus Du Plessis’s performance against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 that he went on to pick him against potential future opponents Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Pereira.
The UFC middleweight kingpin was as dominant as he could be in his second outing against Strickland, skyrocketing his brand even further. The challenger left with a broken nose at UFC 312, and before that, DDP showcased his grappling prowess by becoming the first fighter to submit Israel Adesanya.
Now, fans are excited to see “Stillknocks” get tested against Chimaev and Pereira. While “”Borz” is coming off an impressive first-round submission victory over Robert Whittaker, “Poatan” has looked invincible at light heavyweight.
In a recent episode of Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Cejudo heavily praised DDP for his cardio and explained why he could hand defeats to both Chimaev and Pereira:
“If you’re asking me now Kumaru, who is it if we do see a match between DDP and Alex Pereira. Even though I do believe that Pereira is going to beat Magomed Ankalaev, I’ll definitely put my money with DDP. I think DDP, stylistically, is a problem dude. And I know DDP is gonna go in there and f****g wrestle. And I think with the grappling, I think that could be very problematic, but there’s one thing that I will say is he will need to be careful because Alex Pereira does a really good job of cornering and there’s a lot of little sloppy things that DDP does but I think I put my strengths and his mixing of the fighting against a guy like Alex Pereira.”
While discussing a potential match-up with Chimaev, “Triple C” again picked the South African despite knowing that the Emirati fighter is on an iconic undefeated run. The latter’s ability to out grapple and finish elite fighters like Whittaker and Usman definitely makes him a threat to anyone at middleweight.
“I personally think he beats up Khamzat Chimaev. I don’t think it’s going to be easy to submit, I think DDP is scrambly and I think his conditioning, bro, I mean I want to put him up there. Even like this particularly, this last fight, you want to kind of, you know, maybe the top three, maybe greatest right now cardio in the UFC. Obviously, Merab is one and then you can go two three but whatever it is, he looked freaking good and he looked so good that fifth round where he was like hey, I was able to go another five more rounds. I mean this guy’s ready and this guy’s gonna be a problem for anybody at 185 lbs and I am excited to see this dude fight Khamzat and if he beats a guy like Khamzat Chimaev, I would love for him to go up and then fight the winner of Alex Pereira and Ankalaev.”
Ankalaev is the no.1 ranked UFC light heavyweight contender set to fight the champion at UFC 313 in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2025. The outcome of this fight will naturally impact the futures of the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
The veteran heavyweight’s return after close to four years away went as many had predicted, with Jones finding a finish in the third round of their championship clash.
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Miocic was asked to pick between the UFC champ and PFL Super Fights titleholder.
“I mean, I’d go Francis (over Jones), just ’cause he is tearing it up, he’s doing great with his boxing,” Miocic said. “I go Francis.”
Ngannou secured a devastating knockout of Miocic to capture the UFC crown in 2021, exacting revenge on the American for the decision defeat he inflicted on him three years prior.
The interview question did eliminate current interim UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall from the equation. The Brit, who has long been campaigning to face Jones, would no doubt put his name into the mix.
Unfortunately, talk of Jones and Ngannou’s competing greatness will likely never be settle in the cage, with the UFC not entertaining talk of a cross-promotion deal with the PFL to stage the highly desired heavyweight showdown.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has been receiving plenty of flak for his defeat this past weekend, and it’s clear that even his own team is under no illusion about their man’s underperformance.
Strickland vowed to put on a war in pursuit of redemption against Dricus Du Plessis — the man who took the 185-pound gold from him early last year — in the UFC 312 main event on Feb. 8.
But in his return to the site where he shockingly dethroned Israel Adesanya in 2023, the polarizing American was unable to repeat the feat. Instead, the South African once again got the better of him on the scorecards, this time much more definitively.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Nicksick described his frustrations as he watched Strickland’s lackluster display from the corner inside Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
“I think (Strickland) needs to evaluate what he wants to do in the sport,” Nicksick said. “If it’s just to make money, then that’s great. Let us know. I wanna coach world champions. My motivations are different. Just to kind of show up and do that and not really back it up, to me, was just kind of uninspiring.
“It was just uninspired fighting to me. It just seemed like (Strickland) was sleepwalking. It was tough, man,” Nicksick continued. “To travel all the way (to Australia) — and let’s not forget, this is a title fight…I take these title fights very seriously. I was just disappointed, man.”
It remains to be seen how Strickland will react to Nicksick’s stance, and what kind of conversations the two have had behind closed doors in the aftermath of Saturday’s pay-per-view event Down Under.
UFC star Dricus Du Plessis has gained popularity for not just his unorthodox fighting style in the Octagon, but also for his ability to chug beers at a surprisingly fast rate.
Athletes aren’t generally known for their drinking prowess, but the South African frequently beats influencers and his friends in competitions that revolve around gulping cans or glasses of beers.
At UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, “Stillknocks” defended his UFC middleweight title for the second time against Sean Strickland. The champion looked way more dominant this time around, even breaking the challenger’s nose in the fourth.
Despite being undefeated in the UFC, Du Plessis suffered a cheeky loss against Jackson O’Doherty when he stepped into a beer chugging competition with the influencer.
O’Doherty announced that he’s already 0-3 against the UFC middleweight kingpin, but the fourth time around, he was clever enough to empty the entire glass under his shirt. Du Plessis, who still very impressively chugged his glass in a couple of seconds, seemed too buzzed to care about the result.
The creator announced ahead of his fourth try at beating the UFC champ:
“Alright, guys, I’m currently 0 and 3 against the champion in the beer race, and today that changes.”
Considering that “Stillknocks” is just coming off another five-round hard-fought battle against Strickland, most fans were amused to see him celebrating his second title defense.
The loss in the chugging contest barely impacted Du Plessis who seemed to be having a time of his life drinking beer and puffing a cigar. He simply said this to acknowledge O’ Doherty’s feat, which, to be fair, would’ve been very rare if genuine:
“He finally got it done.”
Time and again, Du Plessis has highlighted the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between training and having light moments like the one described above. As someone who cuts around 40 lbs. ahead of his fights at middleweight, he undoubtedly deserves to treat himself after a tiring bout.
Fans from around the world could easily make out that Du Plessis was not having his fourth beer with O’ Doherty, and because of his usual comfort with alcohol, he must’ve had quite a few drinks to be evidently drunk.
If you’re unaware of how quickly DDP can empty a glass of beer, this footage of him celebrating his iconic win over Israel Adesanya should definitely give you the idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iIfXnI_y6o
For now, the UFC middleweight champion could make the most of every bit of rest and enjoyment as he’s most likely to return against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, one of the most hyped and explosive fighters in the UFC. Based on his callout, a superfight against Alex Pereira could be possible too.
Having long been tipped for championship success as she overcame adversity after adversity, the undefeated Suarez entered the Octagon in Sydney, Australia as favorite to emerge with the gold in her possession.
But her plans to reach the top on Feb. 8 were scuppered by Zhang, who delivered one of the performances of her career to dominantly outpoint her latest challenger across five rounds.
Following on from her first professional defeat and the disappointing setback to her title ambitions, Suarez issued her first statement days on from UFC 312 in an Instagram post this week.
“‘Champions don’t show up to get everything they want; they show up to give everything they have.’ And that’s what I’ll do every single time,” Suarez wrote. “No matter what! I love it all. Win, lose or draw, I’m right where I want to be. Doing what I love to do every single day of my life. I have the best people around me that love me for me. Living the dream! It’s all about the right mindset and life has taught me time and time again. I’ve experienced it all thrill, agony, happiness, heartbreak. That’s what life is all about. I’m blessed to have this life. And I’ll share these experiences with my children and the future generations to come. 🙏🏻❤️ Thank you to my friends, family, teammates, coaches and fiancé for being there every single time no matter what. Love you guys! On to the next!
While Suarez goes back to the drawing board, Zhang will keep a keen eye on her division’s happenings across the upcoming months.
While the South African followed up his submission of Israel Adesanya with a dominant display this past weekend in Sydney, “Remember the Name” evidently wasn’t too impressed, claiming that his crowning up a weight class would be comfortable.
And the 170-pound kingpin reiterated that sentiment on X recently by breaking down exactly how he’d defeat Du Plessis inside the Octagon. Should all go to plan for Muhammad, the bout would end with “Stillknocks” rendered unconscious.
I’d come out him with a 1-2 then he’d wing an overhand I’ll duck it change levels and take him down then he’d shrimp and get the underhook to get out but he’ll be to weak to get up so then I’ll hit him with ground and pound for the rest of round 1. Round 2 starts and I come out… https://t.co/vL07RWaPKT
“I’d come out him with a 1-2 then he’d wing an overhand I’ll duck it change levels and take him down then he’d shrimp and get the underhook to get out but he’ll be to weak to get up so then I’ll hit him with ground and pound for the rest of round 1. Round 2 starts and I come out with a flying knee he shells up then I hit him with the zabit back trip then point and laugh at him (this makes him mad) he gets up and charges foward winging punches at me I slide out of the way with ease then hit him with a 1-2 then he gets frustrated shoots for a takedown I defend with ease but now he’s tired and stays on his knees I kick him to the body while he’s on the ground. End of round 2. .. round 3 starts and he’s distraught he can’t hit me he can’t take me down so then he tries spinning stuff I back up at the right time and end up taking his back he lets me under chin out of frustration then I put him to sleep … and new double champ”
Before having the chance to bring such a scenario to fruition, Muhammad has work to do in his current division.
“Remember the Name” is yet to defend the belt since wrestling it away from Leon Edwards in Manchester last July. That’s courtesy of a bone infection that canceled his planned showdown with undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov two months ago.
While Muhammad likely prepares for a second shot at stalling “Nomad’s” championship aspirations, Du Plessis is also expected to face an undefeated challenger next in the form of Khamzat Chimaev.
Daniel Cormier was cageside as Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title for the second time, earning a dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312 in Sydney.
Following the fight, Du Plessis shifted his focus to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who was in Strickland’s corner. While he expressed interest in a future showdown with “Poatan,” he made it clear that his immediate priority is Khamzat Chimaev.
And Cormier supports that, believing the South African has more work to do at 185 pounds.
“Dricus Du Plessis is the man,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “In the Octagon, he called out Pereira. I told Pereira after the fight, I go, ‘He wants you, Pereira.’ Pereira goes, ‘He’s just too small.’ Seriously. Pereira goes, ‘This man is just too small.’ Alex is huge, though. I mean, he looked massive compared to Dricus.
“I love that Dricus has these big goals. I just think he still has work at middleweight before he thinks about going up — Khamzat Chimaev being problem No. 1.”
Cormier admitted that he was once skeptical of Du Plessis, but after UFC 312, he has no doubts about the South African’s legitimacy.
“Watching Dricus today, I don’t know that Chimaev just drives across the mat and takes him down,” Cormier said. “He’s so good at what he does. He’s the man. Dricus Du Plessis is the man, and once again, he proved that it’s going to be very difficult to take the belt off him.
“I know Chimaev has a massive following, and people like him. He’s been dominant, but I just don’t know that he has ever seen anyone like Du Plessis.”
Cormier concluded by acknowledging Du Plessis’ ability to dictate fights on his own terms.
“I’m done questioning him,” Cormier said. “I’m done ever saying that what he does isn’t what’s done by the best fighter in the world, because he is proving over and over again that he is just that.
“The way Du Plessis fights makes you fight him the way that he wants to fight. He makes you stop, he makes you wait, because when you try to attack him, he’s so good at changing speed, changing direction, and hitting you from odd angles that you can’t really get a bead on him.”
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan knows what he wants to see next from featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria — and it’s not a second dance with Alexander Volkanovski.
Topuria remains without a date in the calendar for his first fight of 2025, following on from a 2024 in which he dethroned Volkanovski and became the first man to knock out Max Holloway.
A rematch with “Alexander the Great” was quickly tipped as the Spaniard’s next assignment after he defended the belt against “Blessed” last October. But frequent comments from Topuria and his team regarding a lightweight switch have led to some uncertainty.
“As crazy as it sounds, I hope Ilia goes up to (155 pounds). I really do,” Rogan said during his JRE Fight Companion episode for Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view. “Volkanovski-Diego Lopes (at) 145, Ilia goes up to ’55. I don’t care if he only defended the title one time or didn’t, who cares. Let’s go. Let’s f*cking go.
“It’d be nice [to see him fight some of the other contenders at (featherweight), but also, who cares? Let’s go. Let’s f*cking go,” Rogan added.
Plenty is evidently left to be decided at 145 pounds, with various reports flying about Topuria vs. Volkanovski 2 and other potential bouts such as Volkanovski against the charging Diego Lopes.
Makhachev, meanwhile, remains without a next challenger to his throne after top contender Arman Tsarukyan ruled himself out by withdrawing from UFC 311 on 24 hours’ notice.
The promotion is promising something huge for the Dagestani next time out, though, perhaps boosting Topuria’s chances of securing the matchup.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland continues to be the recipient of criticism for his latest performance.
Strickland fell to a 1-2 record since winning the gold in August 2023 this past weekend. His memorable title win over Israel Adesanya was quickly followed by the end of his reign courtesy of Dricus Du Plessis 13 months ago, and the South African once again got the better of the polarizing American on Saturday.
The pair ran it back Down Under in Sydney, Australia, headlining the UFC 312 pay-per-view. Strickland didn’t come close to redemption, instead suffering a lopsided decision defeat at the hands of “Stillknocks,” whose punches even resulted in a badly broken nose for the challenger.
During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, another ex-UFC middleweight champ in Luke Rockhold gave his assessment of Strickland’s display.
Like many in the MMA community, the 40-year-old was not impressed — to say the least…
“If someone breaks your nose, you gotta fight like a f*cking man and sack up,” Rockhold said. “This motherf*cker talks such a big game and then he b*tches out and basically quits in a fight after he breaks his nose.
“When does (Strickland) ever f*cking put his ass on the line and f*cking bite down and really go for it through a whole process of a fight, not just the last 10 seconds of a round? Look at him out there,” Rockhold added.
Strickland has long faced heavy flak for his fight style, which sees a low-aggression approach follow fight weeks that usually involve proclamations of an impending bloody “war.”
Heavyweight fan favorite Tai Tuivasa may not have been able to bring out his patented celebration at UFC 312 this past weekend, but the city of Sydney still got a shoey.
Saturday’s pay-per-view event Down Under certainly wasn’t among the most memorable in recent times, but the card did still provide some eyebrow-raising finishes — and quick ones, at that.
Among the notable victors was undefeated heavyweight prospect Tallison Teixeira, who moved to 8-0 as a professional with a 35-second knockout win over Justin Tafa, who was floored by a crushing elbow against the fence.
“Xicão’s” celebrations following a successful debut at UFC 312 extended beyond the Qudos Bank Arena, spilling on to the streets of Sydney. The Brazilian paid homage to one of Australia’s own by completing a Tuivasa-esque shoey and posting the footage on his Instagram account.
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman envisions one particular contender posing a real threat to the reign of middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis.
13 months on from his crowning at the polarizing American’s defense, the South African recorded a much more definitive victory over Strickland second time around, smashing his nose en route to a lopsided decision.
Moving forward, “Stillknocks” is widely expected to face a test from Khamzat Chimaev next. Usman, however, sees a different top contender being a problem for Du Plessis down the line.
During a recent episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside fellow former UFC champion Henry Cejudo, “The Nigerian Nightmare” highlighted the talents of Nassourdine Imavov.
“A guy like Nassourdine Imavov, the way that he (Du Plessis) fought Sean Strickland last night, I don’t like that fight for DDP,” Usman said. “I don’t like it really.
“We saw how the standup was with Israel. When you primarily just stand up with Imavov, man, he might be the sharper guy besides Israel Adesanya right now with the striking in that division. Sharp hands,” Usman continued, throwing another name into the mix. “I would have to go also with Brendan Allen’s got really, really good hands.”
Imavov is fresh off a victory over a former adversary of Du Plessis’, ex-two-time champ Israel Adesanya, whom the Frenchman knocked out in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
Magomed Ankalaev is determined to make a statement when he challenges UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 313 on March 8. He isn’t just aiming for a victory — he wants to change Pereira’s career forever.
Ankalaev enters the fight on a 13-fight undefeated streak. His last three bouts were a recent unanimous decision win against Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 last October and a knockout victory over Johnny Walker at the start of 2024 after going to a no contest against the Brazilian months prior.
On Sunday, the Russian took to X to issue a warning to Pereira.
“This guy keep traveling and he forget he will be fighting for his life March 8,” he wrote. “He will never be the same after this fight. [Dana White], mark my word.”
@AlexPereiraUFC this guy keep traveling and he forget he will be fighting for his life March 8 He will never be the same after this fight @danawhite mark my word
Ankalaev’s comment appears to be a jab at Pereira’s frequent travels, specifically referencing his recent trip to Sydney to support Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Pereira was in the corner for Strickland’s lackluster loss to middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis.
The upcoming challenger also criticized Pereira’s growing social media presence, likening him to a “TikTok chick.”
“I never wanna hurt someone in my life like I want to hurt Alex,” he stated. “He is a fake humble boy.”
I never wanna hurt someone in my life like I want hurt Alex He is a fake humble boy
UFC CEO Dana White is pleased to see Dominick Cruz step away from the sport after a long and accomplished career.
Cruz, a former champion in both WEC and UFC, last fought in August 2022, suffering a knockout loss to Marlon Vera. He had planned a farewell fight against Rob Font this month but another serious injury — his second dislocated shoulder in a matter of months — forced him to withdraw and ultimately retire.
The 39-year-old officially announced his retirement in a heartfelt social media post. White shared his thoughts on Cruz’s decision during the UFC 312 post-event press conference.
“I’m blown away that he hung in there as long as he did,” White said. “Who’s been more injured than this guy in his career? It’s fascinating. And the mental drive to just want to keep coming back and trying again and again after so many surgeries and so many injuries — you’ve got to give it to him. But I’m glad that he finally hung it up.”
White also praised Cruz’s transition into broadcasting, emphasizing his value to the sport beyond fighting.
“When you have the type of experience and type of career he’s had, and you can sit in the booth and talk fights, it’s awesome,” White added. “He’ll have a great career after his career.”
Dricus Du Plessis has a suggestion for Sean Strickland’s next fight following his loss at UFC 312.
Strickland’s rematch with Du Plessis ended in a decisive unanimous decision defeat. The former champion endured significant damage, including a broken nose, as blood streamed down his face during the main event.
Now, the question is: what’s next for the polarizing American?
The answer is clear in the reigning champ’s mind. He believes Strickland should face Israel Adesanya in a rematch.
“I know what’s going to happen next,” Du Plessis said during his UFC 312 post-fight press conference. “I can almost guarantee you what’s happening next: Is there any bets that he’s fighting Adesanya next? I just thought of that. … I think the Adesanya rematch will be amazing. That’s what’s going to happen. It’s going to be a Fight Night main event. I know it.”
“The Last Stylebender” is coming off a second-round knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia.
Strickland’s reign as UFC middleweight champion was brief. He defeated Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023 but lost the belt in his first defense against Du Plessis, who later went on to defeat Adesanya as well.
While the aftermath of the Feb. 8 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV — and from the middleweight title picture to the light heavyweight championship conversation.
At UFC 313, set for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 8, reigning kingpin Alex Pereira will open his account for the new year, once again in defense of his 205-pound gold. After consecutive victories over Jamahal Hill, Jiří Procházka, and Khalil Rountree in 2024, the Brazilian will next meet the challenge of Magomed Ankalaev.
Gaethje vs. Hooker Sets The Stage For Title Headliner At UFC 313
Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as top lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker meet in a five-round battle that many expect to be in the conversation for Fight of the Year come the end of 2025.
And that’s not the only sure-fire barnburner at 155 pounds. Also slated to collide at UFC 313 is veteran King Green and surging Fighting Nerds prospect Mauricio Ruffy.
An important strawweight bout is also set, with former title challenger Amanda Lemos tasked with defending her position on the ladder against up-and-comer Iasmin Lucindo.
See below for the UFC 313 card, as it stands.
Alex Pereira (C) vs. Magomed Ankalaev (light heavyweight championship)
Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker (lightweight)
Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo (women’s strawweight)
King Green vs. Mauricio Ruffy (lightweight)
Brunno Ferreira vs. Armen Petrosyan (middleweight)
Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van (flyweight)
Alex Morono vs. Carlos Leal (welterweight)
Chris Gutierrez vs. Jean Matsumoto (bantamweight)
Ozzy Diaz vs. Djorden Santos (middleweight)
Mairon Santos vs. Francis Marshall (featherweight)
UFC legend Demetrious Johnson thinks it’s time for Sean Strickland to change his ways after a second championship defeat in the span of three fights.
Strickland returned to action in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view, challenging for Dricus Du Plessis’ middleweight title in Sydney, Australia. Having had the gold taken away by narrow margins opposite Du Plessis 13 months ago, the polarizing American was looking for revenge Down Under.
The challenger utilized his usual limited, non-aggressive offense. Coach Eric Nicksick’s pleas for more from his student fell on deaf ears, and one prominent ex-champ believes Strickland’s current style has taken him as far as it can.
“Sean Strickland has a style where he would not deviate from it,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “In order to get better in this sport of mixed martial arts, you have to take the time, swallow your pride, swallow your ego, and put yourself in the position where you’re going to force yourself to evolve and get better and and learn new tools.
“That’s the only way you’re going to become a better fighter in this game. Because otherwise, people who are younger, who will take the time to evolve and get better, are always going to beat you,” Johnson added.
Strickland will now return to the gym and begin his path back to another shot at regaining the belt. Meanwhile, champ Du Plessis is expected to next face a challenge from undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev.
Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title for the second time with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean Strickland in their rematch at UFC 312 in Sydney.
Following the fight, Du Plessis turned his attention to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who was in Strickland’s corner. While he expressed interest in a future showdown with “Poatan,” he made it clear that his immediate focus is on Khamzat Chimaev.
“I have the utmost respect for Alex Pereira,” Du Plessis said. “I think he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I respect everything he’s accomplished in such a short time in the UFC — coming from another sport and achieving what he has. But yes, I want to share the octagon with that man. I want to beat a guy — I’ve beaten [Israel] Adesanya, who has beaten him. I know I can beat him, and at 205 [pounds], one hundred percent.”
The likelihood of a fight with the UFC light heavyweight king happening soon is slim, as Pereira is set to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev next month in the main event of UFC 313.
For now, Du Plessis is content with a fight against the undefeated Chimaev.
“Khamzat’s first,” Du Plessis said. “I told [Pereira], ‘Please beat Ankalaev.’ No hate against Ankalaev — I just want to beat Alex Pereira. It’s nothing personal against Ankalaev, it’s just Pereira. He’s already a legend in this sport, and it would be amazing to beat him for my legacy. I want to be the greatest to ever do this. But Khamzat is next. Khamzat is next. I want to make sure that this belt — the middleweight title — has no questions left about who the greatest middleweight is.
“I know you have Anderson Silva — in my mind, he is the GOAT of this division—and you have Adesanya, who has done incredible things. But it’s not just about how many times you defend. It’s about who you fight, how you defend it, and what period of time you’ve done it in. I want to make sure that there’s no question that I am the best middleweight before moving up. So I’m not rushing to fight Alex Pereira next. No, no, no. I want Khamzat next. I think he deserves a hiding.”
Sean Strickland’s loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 was a decisive unanimous decision. During the main event, the former champion endured significant damage, including a broken nose, as blood streamed down his face.
Despite the adversity, though, he persevered and refused to quit.
UFC CEO Dana White praised Strickland’s toughness and mental focus after the fight while also sharing an interesting observation about his demeanor inside the octagon.
“Sean is usually really good at shutting people down, like Izzy (Adesanya),” White told reporters. “When he fought Izzy, Izzy couldn’t get into a rhythm, and Sean was in his face, pressuring him the whole time. It feels like that’s what Dricus did to him.
“I’ll tell you something fascinating that I noticed tonight for the first time. I don’t know why. We’ll see if you notice this. So, Sean Strickland — the way he acts leading up to fights, right? Normally, when you have people who act the way he does, you see signs of it in a fight. But who is more focused, professional, and solid in a fight than he is? When he gets hurt, there’s no sticking out the tongue, no, ‘No, no, that didn’t hurt me.’ The guy stays focused and keeps coming forward.
“There’s never any hint of how he acts outside the octagon when he’s in there. Absolute professional the whole time. It’s actually fascinating. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that with a guy who acts the way he does leading up to fights.”
Strickland’s UFC record has taken a downturn since his middleweight title win in September 2023. He is now 1-2 in his last three fights, with both losses coming in title bouts against Du Plessis.
“I’ve never seen a guy so solid and professional,” White added. “He gets his nose broken, snaps it back into place, and keeps fighting. He gets hit with some nasty shots, but when he does, he doesn’t shake his head or do the goofy things that guys like Mayorga did. You can go into any combat sport, and you’ve seen it. But nobody is more professional during the fight than this guy is. It’s fascinating.”
While Du Plessis’ dominant performance drew plaudits, the fight itself failed to impress, with the challenger’s gun-shy approach leading to noticeable boos from the crowd.
That disappointed the champ, who told Full Send MMA that he never has any intention of putting on a “boring” fight. With that in mind, he hopes the fans were directing their displeasure at Strickland.
“I don’t put on boring fights. I don’t have the ability because I don’t know how to fight like that. When I heard the boos, in my mind they are 100 percent towards him. And if it was towards me, you are stupid, anyone who booed,” Du Plessis said. “I went forward the whole time. At the stage when I heard the boos, it drove me crazy. I was like, ‘Come on, dude. Fight me!’ The first and second round, I was piecing him up. In that third round, he was kind of just evading.
“I got super frustrated because people pay a lot of money to be here and I wanna give the fans a show,” Du Plessis continued. “That irritated me. That makes me crazy. I’ll have to rewatch it. If it was boring, I’m really sorry, that’s not my fault. I went forward. I wanted to fight. I know there was times where it wasn’t a war, but it’s not my fault. I went forward and I wanted to fight.”
Du Plessis is certainly not known for lackluster displays inside the cage, having gone the distance just three times in professional MMA fights and finished the likes of Robert Whittaker and Adesanya.
Strickland, on the other hand, has been repeatedly criticized for promising wars during fight weeks but failing to deliver fireworks once the cage door closes behind him.
Sean Strickland’s pre-fight promises of a brutal, all-out war with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 ultimately fell flat when they met in their rematch.
This is becoming a trend, as Strickland has a history of talking up his willingness to fight to the death — only for his bouts to be marked more by decisions than finishes. That pattern frustrated veteran analyst and coach Din Thomas, who expressed disappointment after Strickland’s latest performance.
“We just have to admit it now. We have to admit it: Sean Strickland is not who he says he is,” Thomas said on the UFC 312 post-fight show (h/t MMA Fighting). “He’s not who he says he is. We want him to be something. He wants to be something, but he’s not that guy.
“He’s not the guy who’s going to go to the death! To the death! He didn’t go to the death. He didn’t even go deep. I’m not saying he’s not a great fighter. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be where he’s at. But he’s not who he says he is. We’ve got to admit that.”
Strickland’s rematch with Du Plessis mirrored their first fight, ending in another loss for the American. However, this time, his performance was noticeably less aggressive. Rather than pushing for a finish, he relied on his jab and attempted to outwork the South African on the feet.
Between rounds, Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, repeatedly urged him to be more active, emphasizing the need for a finish in the final round. Despite the advice, the challenger’s approach remained largely unchanged, leading to another setback.
