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  • Dana White Dismisses Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Rematch After Controversial Finish At UFC Seattle

    Dana White Dismisses Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Rematch After Controversial Finish At UFC Seattle

    A controversial eye poke by Song Yadong forced Henry Cejudo to stop fighting after the third round, leading to Song winning by decision in their UFC Seattle main event.

    While both fighters hinted at a possible rematch, UFC CEO Dana White has already dismissed the idea, showing no interest despite the unsatisfying ending. Cejudo was unable to see after the eye poke, leading to a doctor’s stoppage.

    “Not at all,” White said when asked about a rematch during the UFC Seattle post-fight press conference. “Not even a little bit. I just don’t want to see it again.”

    White did not directly criticize Cejudo for being unable to continue but admitted he wasn’t surprised by the outcome. At the time of the stoppage, Song was leading on the judges’ scorecards and appeared to be taking control of the fight.

    “Yeah [I knew he wasn’t going to be able to continue],” White said about Cejudo. “I have no idea [how he was feeling]. I’ll let him answer all those questions.

    “Song looked good. Only [Cejudo] can answer those questions. I don’t know if he thought, ‘If I stop here, is this a [disqualification], no contest?’ I don’t know what he was thinking, or maybe he can’t see.”

    A key debate following the fight was referee Jason Herzog’s decision not to deduct a point from Song for the eye poke, as point deductions in such cases are left to the referee’s discretion.

    The UFC CEO backed Herzog’s decision, stating he believed the foul was unintentional.

    “If you thought he intentionally poked him in the eye, [you take a point],” White said. “Why would he poke him in the eye? He was doing pretty well. If he was getting his ass whooped, and he poked him in the eye, you could probably make the argument.”

    While White praised the UFC Seattle event as a whole, his tone shifted when discussing the main event’s abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion.

    “Listen, eye pokes are never good, but they happen a lot,” White said. “And fights do continue after eye pokes. I don’t know, I’d have to look and see how many fights are actually stopped due to an eye poke. Not many.”

    With the UFC head honcho firmly against a rematch, it remains to be seen what’s next for both Song and Cejudo following their controversial clash.

  • ‘Embarrassment Of A Main Event’ – Fans Left Unsatisfied After Bizarre End To Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    ‘Embarrassment Of A Main Event’ – Fans Left Unsatisfied After Bizarre End To Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    After a thrilling card that featured plenty of finishes and standout performances, UFC Seattle’s main event between Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong left the west coast crowd with a lot to be desired.

    Song came out on top in his main event bout against former two-division champion Henry Cejudo via decision, but the fight’s conclusion came under dubious circumstances.

    The first round proved to be close, but quiet. “Triple C” tried to use his boxing, mixing in leg kicks, to start dictating how the fight would go. Song, however, seemed to land the stronger strikes and combinations in answering back. This pace continued into the second round, but the American would have the notable strongest strikes of the round, busting up “The Kung Fu Kid’s” nose late in the frame.

    But everything came to a sudden and spiraling halt in the third round, when Cejudo was poked in the eye accidentally on two occasions. The 2008 Olympic gold medalist took the full five minutes, saying he was still fine to fight. But upon going back to his corner at the end of the third, Cejudo complained that he was unable to see.

    The fight was halted, and referee Jason Herzog ruled that with three out of the possible five rounds completed, the fight would go to the judges’ scorecards for a technical decision. He even claimed to Song’s team that such a ruling would save him from what would have been a disqualification loss.

    The Chinese contender won on all three judges’ cards, with two 29-28s and a 30-27.

    Song Yadong Gets Technical Decision Win Over Henry Cejudo In Lackluster UFC Seattle Main Event

    https://twitter.com/WhyGarth/status/1893521864040804364
    https://twitter.com/JDKalajaAuthor/status/1893523294856319422
    https://twitter.com/blondedmma/status/1893523981510025222

    Song has now won three of four and six of his last eight. He rebounds from a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 last year.

    Cejudo, meanwhile, has now lost all three fights since coming out of retirement, dropping a split decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 for the bantamweight title and a unanimous decision to current champ Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Song Yadong Decisions Henry Cejudo

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Song Yadong Decisions Henry Cejudo

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, bantamweights Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong clashed. While in the co-main event, Brendan Allen faced Anthony Hernandez in a middleweight matchup. 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Bantamweight: Song Yadong def. Henry Cejudo via technical decision (29-28×2, 30-27)
    • Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez def. Brendan Allen via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Catchweight (140lbs): Rob Font def. Jean Matsumoto via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
    • Featherweight: Jean Silva def. Melsik Baghdasaryan via TKO: R1, 4.15  
    • Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield def. Julius Walker via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)

    Preliminary Card

    • Light Heavyweight: Ion Cuțelaba def. Ibo Aslan via submission: R1, 2.51
    • Featherweight: Melquizael Costa def. Andre Fili via submission: R1, 4.30  
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Nick Klein via TKO: R2, 3.24
    • Bantamweight: Ricky Simón def. Javid Basharat via KO: R1, 3.58
    • Catchweight (175lbs): Austin Vanderford def. Nikolay Veretennikov via TKO: R2, 4.13
    • Middleweight: Nursulton Ruziboev def. Eric McConico via TKO: R2, 0.33
    • Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas def. Raffael Cerqueira via KO: R1, 2.12

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Modestas Bukauskas def. Raffael Cerqueira

    Modestas Bukauskas earned a first-round KO of Raffael Cerqueira in their light heavyweight bout.

    Nursulton Ruziboev def. Eric McConico

    Nursulton Ruziboev earned a TKO in the second round against Eric McConico.

    Austin Vanderford def. Nikolay Veretennikov

    Austin Vanderford stopped Nikolay Veretennikov in the second round of this 175-pound catchweight bout.

    Ricky Simón def. Javid Basharat

    Ricky Simón knocked out Javid Basharat in the first round of their bantamweight bout.

    Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Nick Klein

    Mansur Abdul-Malik got it done in the second round against Nick Klein.

    Melquizael Costa def. Andre Fili

    Melquizael Costa submitted Andre Fili in the first round of their featherweight matchup.

    Ion Cuțelaba def. Ibo Aslan

    Ion Cuțelaba tapped out Ibo Aslan in the first round.

    Main Card Highlights

    Alonzo Menifield def. Julius Walker

    Alonzo Menifield got it done with a split decision against Julius Walker.

    Jean Silva def. Melsik Baghdasaryan

    In this featherweight bout, Jean Silva earned a TKO of Melsik Baghdasaryan in the first round.

    Rob Font def. Jean Matsumoto

    Rob Font earned a split decision against Jean Matsumoto.

    Anthony Hernandez def. Brendan Allen

    In the co-main event, Anthony Hernandez got it done on the scorecards against Brendan Allen.

    Song Yadong def. Henry Cejudo

    In the main event, Song Yadong got the win via technical decision after an eye poke to Henry Cejudo forced him out of the fight.

  • Anthony Hernandez Surpasses Legend’s Record In Co-Main Event Victory Over Brendan Allen At UFC Seattle

    Anthony Hernandez Surpasses Legend’s Record In Co-Main Event Victory Over Brendan Allen At UFC Seattle

    At LFA 32 in January 2018, prior to their arrival to the Octagon, Anthony Hernandez defeated Brendan Allen to win the then-vacant LFA middleweight championship. Now, seven years later, “Fluffy” proved that he still has the upper hand by defeating “All In” at UFC Seattle.

    Allen landed a high kick early in the fight and looked to take grappling control. But Hernandez rolled through with him, got into top position and took control of the grappling exchanges. “Fluffy” looked for a couple of chokes, but Allen countered and got into top control with less than two minutes to go in the round. “All In” used short strikes to the head to work his way into mount, where he was able to trouble Hernandez with a rear-naked choke attempt and bust him open with an elbow in the process.

    The Californian took back momentum with a takedown to start the second round, where he troubled Allen with another guillotine attempt and countered all of his transition and reversal attempts. But just like the first round, with less than two minutes left, Allen was able to score a reversal and get into his top game.

    Allen got a hold of “Fluffy’s” back, but Hernandez was able to dump him and get back on top, staying there for the rest of the round.

    Anthony Hernandez Bests Brendan Allen In UFC Seattle Rematch Seven Years In Making

    Allen landed knuckles to Hernandez’s eye at the start of the third, and follow-up shots on the fight’s resumption appeared to trouble Hernandez. “Fluffy” was able to battle back and pin “All In” against the fence, attempting to get back to Allen’s back and remaining in control of the grappling exchanges for the remainder of the fight.

    Hernandez won the fight 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards. In the process, he also broke Chris Weidman’s record for most takedowns in UFC middleweight history.

    “Fluffy” has now won seven straight fights, having gone unbeaten since 2021.

    Allen, meanwhile, has now dropped two straight fights after going on a seven-fight win streak.

  • ‘Topuria Escaped At The Right Time’ – Fans React To Jean Silva’s Latest Violent KO At UFC Seattle

    ‘Topuria Escaped At The Right Time’ – Fans React To Jean Silva’s Latest Violent KO At UFC Seattle

    Jean Silva and his teammates at the Fighting Nerds have been arguably the biggest names to watch in the UFC entering 2025, and that continued with the Brazilian’s victory over Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Seattle.

    Silva’s power was on full display in this fight, landing 18 of his 27 strikes thrown in the contest – all significant ones. With less than a minute to go in the first round, “Lord” dropped Baghdasaryan with a right hand.

    The rising fan favorite turned to the ref for the fight to be called, but when it wasn’t stopped, he landed several ground-and-pound strikes until it finally was called.

    Jean Silva Brutally Finishes Melsik Baghdasaryan At UFC Seattle

    https://twitter.com/ElonovMMA/status/1893494420462284847

    Silva now moves to 4-0 in the Octagon and is quickly rising up the lightweight ranks. Last year, he scored victories over Westin Wilson, Charles Jourdain, and Drew Dober.

    “Lord” called out Bryce Mitchell in his post-fight interview in the Octagon.

    Baghdasaryan, also a Dana White’s Contender Series alumn, is now 3-2 in the UFC.

  • Watch ‘The Hulk’ Ion Cuțelaba Light Up UFC Seattle With +2000 Finish

    Watch ‘The Hulk’ Ion Cuțelaba Light Up UFC Seattle With +2000 Finish

    For the first time in his UFC tenure, Ion Cuțelaba has scored a submission, defeating Ibo Aslan in the featured preliminary bout at UFC Seattle.

    Cuțelaba and Aslan got right into things early, swinging away and trading hard blows throughout the fight’s opening minute. Though each landed hard on one another, the Moldovan changed strategy and looked to bring the fight to the ground.

    This plan proved successful, as “The Hulk” was able to lock up an arm-triangle and score a tap in just under three minutes.

    Ion Cuțelaba Scores Submission Win In Under Three Minutes At UFC Seattle

    A victory via submission for Cuțelaba was unexpected, as his last one came against Vitali Ontishchenko in April 2015 — two fights prior to his UFC debut.

    The Moldovan standout winning via submission came in at +1100. A first-round submission win for “The Hulk,” in fact, had odds of +2000.

    Cuțelaba has now won three of his last four, bouncing back from a three-fight losing skid he suffered in 2022.

    Aslan, meanwhile, suffers the second loss of his professional career. He earned a UFC contract through a win over Paulo Renato Jr. on Dana White’s Contender Series and scored finishes of Anton Turkalj and Raffael Cerqueira prior to tonight’s loss.

  • VIDEO: Ricky Simon Flatlines Javid Basharat In Knockout Of The Year Contender At UFC Seattle

    VIDEO: Ricky Simon Flatlines Javid Basharat In Knockout Of The Year Contender At UFC Seattle

    After three losses and two and a half years, Ricky Simon finally re-entered the win column in grand fashion against Javid Basharat during the UFC Seattle preliminary card.

    The formerly ranked contender looked to get on the attack right away, and he managed to do so with a strong start that included a takedown. When Basharat started to counter the veteran’s grappling focus, however, Simon switched things up and started to make great use of his striking.

    Late in the first round, Simon landed a right hand that connected flush with the jaw, that rocked and dropped Basharat.

    Ricky Simon Starches Javid Basharat At UFC Seattle

    UFC Seattle marked Simon’s first win in the Octagon since defeating Jack Shore at UFC Long Island in July 2022. He has since suffered losses against Song Yadong, Mario Bautista, and Vinicius Oliveira.

    Basharat, meanwhile, is now winless in three straight after breaking into the UFC as an unbeaten fighter on Dana White’s Contender Series. His UFC 294 bout with Victor Henry went to a no contest, and he dropped a decision to Aiemann Zahabi almost exactly one year ago.

  • ‘Can’t Touch Mr. VanZant And Not Get Walking Papers’ – Austin Vanderford Wins UFC Seattle Debut, Gets Assaulted By Opponent Post-Stoppage

    ‘Can’t Touch Mr. VanZant And Not Get Walking Papers’ – Austin Vanderford Wins UFC Seattle Debut, Gets Assaulted By Opponent Post-Stoppage

    Former Bellator standout and Dana White’s Contender Series alum Austin Vanderford came out on top in his UFC debut at UFC Seattle — and his opponent, Nikolay Veretennikov, may have simultaneously made his last appearance.

    Vanderford completely dominated the opening round, gaining top control with a takedown and riding out on top for about four of the five first-round minutes. The debutant showed little let up, with Veretennikov getting very limited offense in.

    After a little defense from Veretennikov, “The Gentleman” returned the fight to the ground and got back to work, overwhelming the Kazakh fighter en route to a solid second-round TKO.

    Following the fight, an upset Veretennikov could be seen shoving Vanderford during his post-fight celebration. This prompted the American to return a shove and flip Veretennikov off, also earning the defeated fighter a chorus of boos.

    Austin Vanderford Shoved By Nikolay Veretennikov Following UFC Seattle TKO

    Vanderford, the husband of former UFC fighter and current bare-knuckle boxer Paige VanZant, is 13-2 in MMA. He submitted Angelo Trevino in his DWCS appearance but was not given a contract.

    He then appeared in Bellator between 2019 and 2022, winning five straight fights before an unsuccessful challenge of then-Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi and a loss to Aaron Jeffrey.

    Meanwhile, this was Veretennikov’s second UFC appearance. He dropped a split decision to Danny Barlow in August.

  • Dmitry Bivol Gets His Revenge, Outpoints Artur Beterbiev In Riyadh Rematch To Become Undisputed Champion

    Dmitry Bivol Gets His Revenge, Outpoints Artur Beterbiev In Riyadh Rematch To Become Undisputed Champion

    The scorecards in Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 were the same as their first fight — but in the other fighter’s favor.

    Bivol scored a majority decision win over Beterbiev in the main event of a card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to become the new undisputed light heavyweight champion and hand the Russian-Canadian his first loss in the professional boxing ring, just as Beterbiev did to him months ago.

    From the second the fight opened, it was as closely contested as their first. Beterbiev looked to bring pressure right away in the first round, but the challenger worked his hands well to bring it back. Bivol continued to keep busy in the third round, keeping this pace up through various combinations thrown.

    Beterbiev respond well over the next couple of rounds, bringing intense pressure and a dominating attack to the body. Bivol, in fact, had a notable mark on his forehead by the end of the fifth round, a frame which seemed to show the challenger getting visibly hurt by a Beterbiev right hand.

    After a quiet sixth round, Beterbiev kept his control of the fight in tact, up until his rival started to gain momentum toward the end of the seventh. Bivol then got back to landing better combinations and reset the momentum in his favor, seeming to get a second bursts of attack and control on.

    The 34-year-old continued this pacing as he let his hands go more as the fight got later. Beterbiev, however, was not going down without a fight, landing strong punches in the final round, cutting open his challenger over one of his eyes.

    Dmitry Bivol Avenges Loss To Artur Beterbiev, Wins Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship

    One judge scored the bout 114-114, but they were overruled by scores of 115-113 and 116-112 in Bivol’s favor.

    Bivol now gets a taste of revenge after losing the WBA light heavyweight title in his first undisputed title encounter with Beterbiev in October.

    Bivol was WBA (Regular) champion in 2017 before becoming WBA (Super) champion in 2019. Bivol’s loss to Beterbiev was his first, having had an unbeaten record that saw him score victories over Canelo Alvarez, Gilberto Ramirez, Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr.

    Beterbiev had won the IBF light heavyweight title originally in November 2017, defeating Enrico Kolling. He then defeated Oleksandr Gvozdyk in October 2019 to win the WBC title and Smith Jr. in June 2022 to win the WBO gold.

  • ‘Usyk’s Toughest Fight’ – Fans React As Joseph Parker Stops Martin Bakole To Retain Interim Title In Riyadh

    ‘Usyk’s Toughest Fight’ – Fans React As Joseph Parker Stops Martin Bakole To Retain Interim Title In Riyadh

    After a scheduled IBF heavyweight title shot against Daniel Dubois suddenly fell through, Joseph Parker remained interim WBO heavyweight champion on Saturday by stopping Martin Bakole in two rounds.

    The fight served as the co-main event to Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Parker worked his jab over the course of the first round, leading the way in attack as Bakole seemed to try and conserve energy. That did him nothing, however, as the New Zealander landed a right hand to the top of his challenger’s head in the second round. This caused Bakole to stumble and fall to the canvas.

    The Congolese behemoth made it to his feet, but the fight was stopped, as Bakole still did not have his feet under him.

    Joseph Parker KOs Martin Bakole In Two Rounds

    Parker has now won six straight fights, which includes decision wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, the latter of which won him the WBO interim title last March. The Kiwi was scheduled to be stripped of the interim belt originally upon the start of his matchup with Dubois.

    Parker is the WBO mandatory challenger for WBA/WBC/WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, but there have been previous talks of Usyk facing Dubois in order to gain an undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing once again.

    Meanwhile, Saturday’s result snapped a 10-fight win streak for Bakole.

  • Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2, Joseph Parker vs. Martin Bakole Results & Highlights

    Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2, Joseph Parker vs. Martin Bakole Results & Highlights

    The “fight card of the century” went down today in Riyadh, topped by Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s undisputed championship rematch. MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    A stacked lineup took place in Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Arena on Saturday, February 22. In the headlining act, Beterbiev and Bivol ran back their undisputed light heavyweight title fight from last October.

    First time around, the 40-year-old Russian-Canadian fell on the right side of a highly debated majority decision verdict. Bivol successfully achieved redemption after having his previously undefeated record blemished, outpointing his rival to secure undisputed champion status and perhaps set up a trilogy.

    Before they went battle, the co-main event saw Joseph Parker and Martin Bakole collide on just days’ notice. The New Zealander was originally slated to challenge IBF Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois before the Brit fell ill during fight week. With that, he successfully defended his WBO interim title with a second-round knockout.

    With the event concluded, see below for the full results, followed by all the highlights.

    Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 Results & Highlights

    Fight Card:

    • Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship Main Event: Dmitry Bivol def. Artur Beterbiev via majority decision (114-114, 115-113, 116-112)
    • WBO Interim Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Joseph Parker def. Martin Bakole via KO: R2, 2:17
    • WBC Lightweight Championship: Shakur Stevenson def. Josh Padley via TKO (corner stoppage): R9, 3:00
    • WBC Middleweight Championship: Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz ends in a split draw (115-114 Sheeraz, 118-110 Adames, 114-114)
    • WBC Interim Super Welterweight Championship: Vergil Ortiz Jr. def. Israil Madrimov via unanimous decision (117-111, 115-113, 115-113)
    • Vacant WBC Interim Heavyweight Championship: Agit Kabayel def. Zhilei Zhang via KO: R6, 2:29
    • WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Championship: Callum Smith def. Joshua Buatsi via unanimous decision (119-110, 115-113, 116-112)

    Callum Smith Def. Joshua Buatsi

    Agit Kabayel Def. Zhilei Zhang

    https://twitter.com/BoxingzCentee/status/1893374844382683189

    Vergil Ortiz Jr. Def. Israil Madrimov

    Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz

    Shakur Stevenson Def. Josh Padley

    https://twitter.com/UnanimousDC/status/1893420226131243316

    Joseph Parker Def. Martin Bakole

    https://twitter.com/clipfightz/status/1893427327528206600

    Dmitry Bivol Def. Artur Beterbiev

  • Henry Cejudo: Dominick Cruz Failed To Adjust To Injury-Riddled UFC Career

    Henry Cejudo: Dominick Cruz Failed To Adjust To Injury-Riddled UFC Career

    Henry Cejudo believes that injuries ultimately derailed Dominick Cruz’s career.

    Cruz, a former two-time UFC bantamweight champion, officially announced his retirement after a recurring shoulder injury forced him to withdraw from his scheduled co-main event bout against Rob Font at UFC Fight Night Seattle. The 39-year-old has long struggled with injuries, often spending extended periods on the sidelines.

    Cejudo, who headlines Saturday’s event against Song Yadong, compared Cruz’s career to former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. While both faced early setbacks due to injuries, Cejudo noted that Nurmagomedov could overcome them and adapt.

    “That’s his decision,” Cejudo said at media day. “He may go back and be like, ‘Hey, you know what, maybe I want my last dance to be done correctly.’ I don’t think he really made those adjustments as a fighter to really understand his body more. I’m going to give you guys an example: Khabib did a really good job of going through injuries and then adapted and adjusted, and how is it that he can get better? A lot of fighters have gone through that, but I don’t think Dominick ever really found it—whether it was rest, nutrition, overtraining, undertraining, whatever that may be.”

    Cejudo’s last fight before his first retirement was a successful bantamweight title defense against Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. He won by second-round TKO. The two never fully reconciled after the fight, and their rivalry remains unresolved.

    Despite this, Cejudo acknowledged Cruz’s role in elevating the lighterweight divisions in MMA.

    “He brought a lot of attention to the lower weight classes,” Cejudo said. “His fight with Urijah Faber, his fight with Cody (Garbrandt), his fight with all the (Team) Alpha Male (fighters)—that’s what really put the lighter weight divisions on the map. Then obviously my rivalry and his, which probably is still not even over. He probably still hates my guts as much as I hate his, but I guess the only thing I can say is I’m glad I ain’t fighting him because that would have really sucked, and congratulations to him that he just retired.”

    While Cruz’s career was marred by injuries, his legacy as a pioneer of the bantamweight division remains secure.

  • Dustin Poirier Doesn’t Like Ilia Topuria Or Islam Makhachev’s Chances In Higher Weight Classes

    Dustin Poirier Doesn’t Like Ilia Topuria Or Islam Makhachev’s Chances In Higher Weight Classes

    While Dustin Poirier awaits news on what is expected to be his final fight, he remains an active observer of the lightweight division and its potential shake-ups.

    Islam Makhachev, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, has hinted at pursuing a second title, though his next move remains uncertain. While a jump to welterweight would seem logical, Makhachev has expressed hesitation due to his friendship and training relationship with current 170-pound kingpin Belal Muhammad. Instead, he has suggested that a move to middleweight could be more likely.

    Poirier, however, questions whether that would be a viable option.

    “I think he would do really well at 170 [pounds],” Poirier told Helen Yee. “185, the guys are just too big. Islam’s a big guy. He can fight 170 for sure. He could become the champion at 170, I believe, but 185’s pushing it, I think.”

    While Makhachev considers moving up in weight, former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has officially vacated his title to compete at 155 pounds.

    After scoring impressive knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in 2024, Topuria immediately set his sights on a title fight against Makhachev. However, Makhachev has largely dismissed this challenge, citing his two wins over Volkanovski and a preference for opponents who would add more to his legacy.

    Poirier didn’t directly address Makhachev’s stance but seemed to agree that Topuria’s immediate pursuit of the lightweight title might not end well.

    “If he can stop the takedowns, his boxing’s better than Islam’s,” Poirier said of Topuria. “He’s a bigger puncher. Islam’s technique is getting a lot better on the feet. He’s kind of crafty and elusive. When I fought him, he fought at a weird range. The size difference is just too much [for Topuria], I believe.”

    With both Makhachev and Topuria considering career-altering moves, the lightweight division remains one of the most intriguing in the UFC, and Poirier, even as he nears the end of his career, continues to provide insightful takes on its evolving landscape.

  • Israel Adesanya: I’m Not Expecting To Be The Champ Again, But I’m Not ‘Washed’

    Israel Adesanya: I’m Not Expecting To Be The Champ Again, But I’m Not ‘Washed’

    Much has been said about Israel Adesanya’s latest defeat — a knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia. The setback marked the former two-time middleweight champion’s third consecutive defeat and has fueled widespread speculation about his future in the sport.

    “The Last Stylebender” finds himself outside of title contention for the first time in nearly seven years. At 35 years old, with over 100 professional combat sports bouts, and three stoppage losses in his last four defeats, some fans question whether Adesanya has peaked.

    However, he insists he’s taking a different approach to this unfamiliar territory.

    Adesanya admits his mindset has shifted following his recent losses, and he’s no longer focused on chasing the title.

    “After the DDP fight, I remember thinking, ‘Oh well, cool. It’ll come around. I don’t have to chase it. It’ll come around.’ I expected. Now after this fight, I’m just kind of like, ‘You know what? I’m not expecting anything,’” Adesanya said. “I’m not expecting to be the champ again. If what I’ve done in this game doesn’t make me happy already, then what will? So I’m not expecting it. If it comes, I’ll take it with both hands, but I’m not expecting it. I’m kind of just chilling and living, training, doing well.”

    Despite his struggles, Adesanya remains defiant toward those who believe his best days are behind him.

    “They call me washed, but how are you going to call me washed when you haven’t even been in laundry?” Adesanya said. “You haven’t even gotten dirty. What have you done?”

    As for what’s next, the Nigerian-New Zealander is uncertain but isn’t rushing into any decisions.

    “To be honest, I don’t know,” Adesanya said when asked about his future. “I have an idea when I want to fight-ish, but for the first time—I want to say ‘a long time,’ but I’ve never really been in this position. So I don’t know, and I’m just taking it as it comes. It’s nice, because before I came on the scene, I had to adapt and call a lot of audibles as things were playing along, and call my next move. But now I’ll just plot.”

    With his next steps still unclear, Adesanya embraces the unknown and focuses on training rather than immediate title aspirations.

  • UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results.

    After events in Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Las Vegas, the mixed martial arts leader is on the road to close out its February schedule with a card inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

    Headlining will be former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. After consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili since returning from retirement, “Triple C” will look to notch the first win of his comeback at the expense of fellow top 10 bantamweight Song Yadong.

    Elsewhere, the likes of Anthony Hernandez, Jean Silva, Rob Font, Alonzo Menifield and Austin Vanderford will all be in action.

    UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song takes place on Saturday, February 22, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

    See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the results below.

    Main Card:

    • Flyweight: Henry Cejudo (135lbs) vs. Song Yadong (136lbs)
    • Middleweight: Brendan Allen (186lbs) vs. Anthony Hernandez (186lbs)
    • Catchweight (140lbs): Rob Font (138lbs) vs. Jean Matsumoto (139lbs)
    • Featherweight: Jean Silva (145.5lbs) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (145lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield (205lbs) vs. Julius Walker (205lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Light Heavyweight: Ion Cuțelaba (205lbs) vs. Ibo Aslan (205lbs)
    • Featherweight: Andre Fili (145lbs) vs. Melquizael Costa (145lbs)
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik (186lbs) vs. Nick Klein (186lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Ricky Simón (135lbs) vs. Javid Basharat (136lbs)
    • Catchweight (175lbs): Nikolay Veretennikov (175lbs) vs. Austin Vanderford (174lbs)
    • Middleweight: Nursulton Ruziboev (184lbs) vs. Eric McConico (184lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas (203lbs) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (204lbs)
  • Islam Makhachev’s Manager: Ilia Topuria Needs To Prove He’s A Legit Lightweight Before Title Shot

    Islam Makhachev’s Manager: Ilia Topuria Needs To Prove He’s A Legit Lightweight Before Title Shot

    Islam Makhachev’s manager believes Ilia Topuria should prove himself in the lightweight division before earning a title shot.

    Topuria recently vacated his UFC featherweight title to move up to 155 pounds, aiming to challenge for the lightweight championship. However, Makhachev, who has already defended his belt four times, including two wins over former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski, has previously expressed reluctance to face another former 145-pounder.

    And his manager, Rizvan Magomedov, evidently shares that belief. 

    The Dagestani’s most recent title defense was a quick submission win over Renato Moicano at UFC 311. The fight came about after Arman Tsarukyan withdrew due to injury. Despite this, UFC CEO Dana White has ruled out Tsarukyan for the next title shot, leaving the lightweight title picture up in the air.

    Meanwhile, Topuria has had only one previous fight at lightweight, scoring a knockout win over Jai Herbert in 2022, before returning to featherweight, where he eventually won the title. His recent dominance at 145 pounds included consecutive knockout victories over former champions Volkanovski and Max Holloway.

    While Topuria is a rising star, Magomedov believes he needs to face and defeat a top lightweight contender before being granted a title fight against Makhachev.

    “Topuria vs. Dustin/Charles contender fight, to prove he’s a legit lightweight. So we don’t have to defeat another ‘small featherweight,’” Magomedov stated. “We need big fights that make sense for everyone. We already gave chances to a featherweight champ that was reigning for a long time.”

    For now, Makhachev and his team are waiting to see how the division unfolds before making their next move.

  • Dana White Tells Fans: Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall ‘Is Coming, Relax’

    Dana White Tells Fans: Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall ‘Is Coming, Relax’

    Dana White is urging UFC fans to be patient regarding the highly anticipated heavyweight unification bout between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

    Despite White’s earlier “100 percent guarantee” that the fight would happen, nearly three months have passed since Jones’ victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 and over six months since Aspinall’s last fight — with no official announcement. This has worried some fans. 

    The only concrete update has been White dismissing reports of a massive boxing-style payday for Jones, which has done little to boost confidence in the fight’s likelihood. Adding to the uncertainty, a recent Instagram Live video showing a seemingly intoxicated Jones rambling about violence further fueled concerns about his mindset.

    However, in his own recent Instagram Live session, White assured fans that the fight is still in the works. Reading a comment from a fan suggesting, “We’re not getting Jon vs. Tom ever,” White quickly dismissed the claim.

    “Yes you will, it’s coming. Relax.”

    It’s possible that the fight is already agreed upon and the UFC is simply waiting for the right moment to make a formal announcement — a common tactic for the promotion, which often staggers its fight reveals.

    For now, fans will have to trust White’s word that the long-awaited clash between Jones and Aspinall is still on track.

  • Song Yadong Vows To End Henry Cejudo’s Career At UFC Seattle

    Song Yadong Vows To End Henry Cejudo’s Career At UFC Seattle

    Song Yadong respects Henry Cejudo, but he intends to be the fighter who ends the former two-division UFC champion’s career this weekend.

    Song will face the Olympic gold medalist in the main event of UFC Fight Night Seattle this Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena.

    Since returning from a brief retirement in 2023, Cejudo has suffered back-to-back decision losses — first in a close fight against then-champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and more recently in a dominant defeat to current champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 in February 2024.

    Song, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back after a close decision loss to former champion Petr Yan at UFC 299 last March, which halted his two-fight win streak. At just 27 years old, the Chinese standout acknowledges the challenge ahead and his opponent’s impressive credentials.

    Seeing Cejudo’s position at this stage of his career, Song believes that a victory on Saturday will send the veteran into retirement.

    “Yeah, I think if he lost this one, this is his last fight, the last round,” Song told MMA Fighting. “But I will win the fight. I believe this is his last one, [his] last fight. This will be the last fight in Seattle. Time is over, it’s time to retire.”

    Though he understands the significance of potentially retiring Cejudo, the young contender is also excited about the moment. He’s thrilled to be headlining his first event in front of a large Seattle crowd and finally securing the fight he’s been pursuing for nearly a year.

    “That’s what I [wanted],” Song said. “Last year, in May, I called him out. UFC wanted me to fight him in September, but he got injured and we finally got this one. Yeah, he’s a very good fighter—two-division UFC champion, Olympic champion, a lot of achievements. It’s an honor to fight him.”

    For Song, this fight is a massive opportunity. He believes a victory over a legend like Cejudo will push him into bigger matchups and move him closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a UFC champion.

    “So if I win this fight, I have another chance to challenge the top 5,” Song explained. “If I win this one, give me top 5 fighters, for sure, [then] one more, two more, I will get a title shot.”

    With the stakes high for both fighters, UFC Seattle promises to be a pivotal night in the bantamweight division.

  • Ben Askren: The Odds Of Jon Jones Fighting Again At ‘Less Than 50 Percent’

    Ben Askren: The Odds Of Jon Jones Fighting Again At ‘Less Than 50 Percent’

    Jon Jones has no scheduled fights, and Ben Askren advises fans not to expect one anytime soon.

    Just three months ago, Jones headlined UFC 309, successfully defending his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in a long-anticipated but perhaps not highly demanded matchup.

    Jones made quick work of the 42-year-old, who subsequently announced his retirement. However, the conversation surrounding UFC 309 largely centered on why the champion wasn’t facing his interim counterpart Tom Aspinall instead.

    That fight still appears no closer to happening, and Askren is betting that “Bones” won’t be stepping back into the octagon anytime soon.

    “If there were Kalshi odds on does Jon Jones fight again, I believe it would be less than 50 percent,” Askren said on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel. “I think it would be somewhere around 20, 30 percent that he fights again. I would say if there’s odds, I think it’s less than half that he ever fights again.”

    Though Jones has shown little interest in unifying the heavyweight titles with Aspinall, he has expressed openness to a superfight with Alex Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight champion. Pereira has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars, and a matchup between the two champions would undoubtedly generate widespread interest.

    Besides Aspinall, the MMA legend’s other frequently discussed opponent is former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. However, Askren believes that fight is highly unlikely due to Ngannou’s current contract with the PFL.

    “That one ain’t happening,” Askren said. “Obviously, I was outside of the UFC for a long time, and I always had the desire—yes, I would love to fight these guys—but I’m under no delusion that Dana White is going to do some type of co-promote or something because he just doesn’t do that. So the idea that Francis is going to fight Jon, that’s a pipe dream.”

    Askren further argued that a “Bones” vs. “Predator” fight could only happen if Ngannou returns to the UFC. Given that Ngannou left the promotion as champion in 2023 and has since secured a lucrative PFL contract that includes the freedom to pursue high-profile boxing matches, “Funky” doesn’t see that as likely.

    “The one thing I wanted to do, I wanted to try to be the best in the world, and I knew I couldn’t do that without fighting the right people,” Askren said. “Francis has already achieved that, so maybe he doesn’t feel the need.

    “And Francis, I don’t think he’s lying—I don’t know that it’s debatable—but I believe he made significantly more money doing the boxing fights outside of the UFC. So if you’ve already proven you’re the best in the world, and listen, there was this Jon Jones thing because Jon Jones didn’t fight for a four-year window or whatever, but yeah, you already proved you’re the best in the world, go make a whole bunch more money. I think that’s great, but if he does want to fight Jon Jones, he’s going to have to come back.”

    For now, it remains unclear when or if Jones will return to the Octagon. But if Askren’s prediction is correct, fans may wait a long time.

  • UFC Seattle Headliner Henry Cejudo Reiterates Plan For Potential Return To ‘Dry’ Flyweight Division

    UFC Seattle Headliner Henry Cejudo Reiterates Plan For Potential Return To ‘Dry’ Flyweight Division

    Henry Cejudo hasn’t ruled out a return to the flyweight division, but for now, his attention is fully on his upcoming bantamweight fight against Song Yadong.

    The former two-division champion will headline UFC Fight Night Seattle this Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena.

    Cejudo, who once held both the flyweight and bantamweight titles simultaneously, is often credited with saving the UFC’s 125-pound division. Snce coming out of retirement in 2023, he has suffered back-to-back decision losses at 135 pounds — first in a competitive fight against then-champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and then in a dominant defeat to current champ Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298.

    Despite these setbacks, Cejudo sees a potential future at flyweight.

    “I’ve got to cut the weight, but there is a potential thing that I could be going back down,” Cejudo said during media day this week. “With a victory here, I don’t think there’s anybody at flyweight that could really sell the division.

    “I think there’s too many dry people at that weight division. I feel like what I’ve done in combat sports, particularly the flyweights, is saving that division back in 2020. There could be a resurrection there.”

    Cejudo’s recent comments about the flyweight division weren’t necessarily a slight toward current champion Alexandre Pantoja. Instead, “Triple C” believes he could help bring more attention and excitement to the weight class.

    “I love Pantoja, and that’s another thing, too,” Cejudo said. “I spent New Year’s (with him)—I’m super close to Pantoja. He’s a great fighter, but sometimes I think he can create storylines because everybody is kind of dry at flyweight. There’s no tussle. There’s no storylines.”

    He then reflected on how he once convinced UFC CEO Dana White to keep the flyweight division alive after winning the title from Demetrious Johnson.

    “When I became champion, it was my responsibility. It was my responsibility when I talked to Dana. They were going to get rid of the division. He told me, ‘Hey man, I just want to let you know that I’m going to grant you your decision.’

    “After I beat Demetrious (Johnson), I wanted to go up and become a double champ because the whole storyline was Demetrious Johnson vs. T.J. Dillashaw. I said, ‘I’m going to beat this dude, and I’m challenging the winner of Cody (Garbrandt) and T.J.’ Exactly what happened. He said, ‘We’re going to grant you, but we’re going to get rid of the division.’ I remember my heart just sunk. It just didn’t feel right. … I said, ‘Let’s bring (Dillashaw) down.’ So T.J. wanted to go down. I’m just like, ‘Let’s give him what he wants.’ So I beat him at 125 and then go up to 35 and then do it again.”

    A win could set him up for another title push — whether at bantamweight or in a return to 125 pounds.

  • UFC’s Controversial Fighter Bryce Mitchell Set To Grapple Israeli In Karate Combat

    UFC’s Controversial Fighter Bryce Mitchell Set To Grapple Israeli In Karate Combat

    Bryce Mitchell is set to return to action after stirring up controversy just weeks ago — but this time, it won’t be inside the Octagon.

    Mitchell, known for his outspoken and often controversial views, faced intense backlash last month after making anti-Semitic comments on his newly launched ArkanSanity podcast, where he shockingly spoke favorably of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

    Although UFC CEO Dana White fiercely condemned “Thug Nasty” for his remarks, he stopped short of taking any formal action against the featherweight fighter.

    Now, Mitchell has signed on for a 180-pound catchweight Pit Submission (grappling) showdown against Ilay Barzilay at Karate Combat 53. The promotion announced on Thursday that the event is set to take place on Feb. 28 in Denver, Colorado.

    https://twitter.com/KarateCombat/status/1892668992151495113

    “Thug Nasty” last competed at UFC 310 in December, where he secured a third-round knockout victory over Kron Gracie. Mitchell has gone 2-2 in his last four bouts and currently boasts a professional record of 17-3, with nine of those wins coming by submission.

    Meanwhile, his opponent, Barzilay, remains unbeaten with a perfect 6-0 record, having competed primarily under the LFA banner. “The Hype is Real” is coming off a dominant unanimous decision victory over Kohl Laren in December.

    Interestingly, hailing from a Jewish background, Israel’s Barzilay was among those who fiercely criticized Mitchell for his Hitler-sympathizing remarks. He even went a step further, warning of serious consequences if the two ever crossed paths.

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Set For UFC Fight Night Headliner On May 3

    Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Set For UFC Fight Night Headliner On May 3

    The MMA leader has seen a flurry of fight announcements over the past day or so, with the latest being the main event for a UFC Fight Night in Iowa this coming May.

    On Thursday, MMA reporter Léo Guimaraes first broke the news on X that top bantamweight contenders Cory Sandhagen and Deiveson Figueiredo are set to clash at a UFC Fight Night event on May 3 in Des Moines.

    MMA Junkie further confirmed the update, reporting that the Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo showdown will serve as the main event for UFC Des Moines, though the venue remains undisclosed.

    Sandhagen was last seen in action against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss, snapping his three-fight winning streak.

    “The Sandman” has gone 5-4 in his last nine Octagon appearances and will be eager to reignite his title aspirations with a potential statement win over Figueiredo.

    Meanwhile, the former flyweight champion tasted defeat for the first time at bantamweight in his most recent outing against ex-champ Petr Yan at UFC Macau last November. “Deus da Guerra” now holds a 3-1 record in the 135-pound division and will be looking to bounce back in a big way.

    With Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo added to the card, the UFC Des Moines lineup is shaping up as follows:

    • Cory Sandhagen vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
    • Yana Santos vs. Miesha Tate
    • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Daniel Rodriguez
    • JeongYeong Lee vs. Trevor Peek
    • Serhiy Sidey vs. Cameron Smotherman
    • Gillian Robertson vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Daniel Dubois Ruled Out Of Title Fight, Joseph Parker’s New Challenger Announced

    Daniel Dubois Ruled Out Of Title Fight, Joseph Parker’s New Challenger Announced

    Daniel Dubois has been officially ruled out of his title clash with Joseph Parker.

    Dubois was set to defend his IBF heavyweight title for the first time against Parker this weekend at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout was slated to be part of the undercard for the highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

    However, rumors swirled on Thursday that “Dynamite” was under the weather and undergoing medical evaluation. As uncertainty loomed over his participation, three potential replacements — Lawrence Okolie, David Adeleye, and Mourad Aliev — reportedly emerged as contenders to step in on short notice.

    After much speculation, The Ring, owned by Turki Alalshikh, confirmed after the event’s pre-fight press conference that Dubois had been officially ruled out of his clash with Parker. In a surprising twist, heavyweight contender Martin Bakole was announced as his short-notice replacement.

    Bakole is on a 10-fight winning streak, last showcasing his power in August with a dominant fifth-round knockout over Jared Anderson. The 31-year-old Congolese boxer holds a professional record of 21-1, with 16 of his victories coming by knockout.

    Meanwhile, Parker enters the bout riding a five-fight winning streak, most recently edging out Zhilei Zhang via majority decision in March 2024. The 33-year-old New Zealander last tasted defeat in September 2022 against Joe Joyce. With a professional record of 35-3, Parker has secured 23 of his victories by knockout.

  • ONE 171 Results & Highlights: Joshua Pacio TKOs Jarred Brooks

    ONE 171 Results & Highlights: Joshua Pacio TKOs Jarred Brooks

    The stacked ONE 171 event took place on Thursday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    ONE Championship was back in Qatar this week, where the Lusail Sports Arena played host to a number of intriguing battles across four different sports.

    Asia’s premier martial arts organization brought with it to the Middle East a deep lineup, filled with champions and plenty of prominent names in MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing and submission grappling.

    And there were championship stakes in the first of those sports that headlined ONE 171, with Filipino strawweight kingpin Joshua Pacio and American standout Jarred Brooks completing their trilogy by unifying the title.

    While “The Monkey God” dethroned “The Passion” back in 2022, the rematch saw the belt return to Pacio after Brooks was disqualified for an illegal slam. Having since captured the interim strap with a first-round submission of Gustavo Balart last August, Brooks had his sights on regaining undisputed status.

    But the American failed in that regard, with Pacio overcoming a strong start from his challenger to find the TKO finish late in the second frame.

    Gold from a different sport was also be on the line in Qatar. After losing his Muay Thai strap in Denver last year, Jonathan Haggerty ensured he kept hold of his remaining title by defending the bantamweight kickboxing championship against Chinese challenger Wei Rui.

    Elsewhere, former two-division KSW champion Roberto Soldić made his long-awaited return, Kill Cliff FC standout Aung La N Sang added a 46th fight to his illustrious record, ex-bantamweight kingpin Bibiano Fernandes closed out his career with one last bout and submission grappling star Kade Ruotolo competed in MMA for the third time.

    With today’s card complete, see below for the full results, followed by all the highlights.

    ONE 171 Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Strawweight MMA Championship: Joshua Pacio (C) def. Jarred Brooks (IC) via TKO: R2, 4:22
    • Bantamweight Kickboxing Championship: Jonathan Haggerty (C) def. Wei Rui via unanimous decision
    • Welterweight MMA: Roberto Soldić def. Dagi Arslanaliev via KO: R1, 1:55
    • Middleweight MMA: Shamil Erdogan def. Aung La N Sang via KO (head kick): R1, 0:28
    • Featherweight MMA: Shamil Gasanov def. Martin Nguyen via unanimous decision
    • Bantamweight MMA: Bibiano Fernandes def. Kevin Belingon via split decision
    • Heavyweight MMA: Kirill Grishenko def. Mauro Cerilli via KO (leg Kick): R1, 3:28
    • Bantamweight Muay Thai: Jake Peacock def. Shinji Suzuki via TKO: R3, 1:29
    • Atomweight MMA: Ayaka Miura def. Ritu Phogat via submission (kneebar): R1, 2:24
    • Lightweight MMA: Kade Ruotolo def. Nicolas Vigna via submission (arm-triangle choke): R1, 3:04

    Preliminary Card:

    • Openweight Submission Grappling: Zayed Alkatheeri def. Mohammed Hilal Ahmad Abu Rumuh via submission (armbar): R1, 2:21
    • Lightweight MMA: Abdullo Khodzhaev def. Wilian Poles via TKO: R1, 4:56
    • Featherweight MMA: Hussein Salem def. Walter Cogliandro via KO: R1, 2:25

    Hussein Salem Def. Walter Cogliandro

    Abdullo Khodzhaev Def. Wilian Poles

    Zayed Alkatheeri Def. Mohammed Hilal Ahmad Abu Rumuh

    Kade Ruotolo Def. Nicolas Vigna

    Jake Peacock Def. Shinji Suzuki

    Kirill Grishenko Def. Mauro Cerilli

    Bibiano Fernandes Def. Kevin Belingon

    Shamil Gasanov Def. Martin Nguyen

    Shamil Erdogan Def. Aung La N Sang

    https://twitter.com/ONEChampionship/status/1892635685548655018

    Roberto Soldić Def. Dagi Arslanaliev

    Jonathan Haggerty Def. Wei Rui

    Joshua Pacio Def. Jarred Brooks

  • VIDEO: Roberto Soldic, Last Man To Beat Dricus Du Plessis, Brutally Faceplants Opponent At 171: Qatar

    VIDEO: Roberto Soldic, Last Man To Beat Dricus Du Plessis, Brutally Faceplants Opponent At 171: Qatar

    Let it be known — Roberto “Robocop” Soldic is back.

    Prior to today’s event, it had remarkably been over three years since Soldic last had his hand raised. Following a defense of the KSW middleweight title in 2021, the Croatian power puncher signed with ONE Championship but went winless across his first two bouts.

    A no contest against Murad Ramazanov was followed by a shock stoppage loss to Zebaztian Kadestam in 2023, derailing the hype behind the 30-year-old, who notably knocked out current UFC kingpin Dricus Du Plessis back in 2018.

    But it’s safe to say that Soldic got that hype back and then some Thursday in Qatar, where he shared the cage with Dagi Arslanaliev as part of a loaded ONE 171 card inside Lusail Sports Arena.

    The bout lasted less than two minutes courtesy of a violent finish from “Robocop,” who landed a thunderous left hand as Arslanaliev threw a kick to put the Turkish welterweight out cold.

    While Arslanaliev was lifeless on the canvas, Soldic landed two brutal follow-up shots, the second of which came after the referee had already attempted to intervene.

    The result has finally netted Soldic his first victory under the banner of ONE, Asia’s largest martial arts organization.

    It remains to be seen what will come next for “Robocop,” especially with the promotion’s apparent move away from MMA competition in recent years, which has left many fighters sidelined and expressing discontent publicly.