One of the most controversial moments in Olympic boxing history — let alone at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea — was the controversial decision in the light middleweight final that saw Park Si-hun defeat Roy Jones Jr. via judges’ decision. The result proved to be one of the biggest black eyes in the Olympic sport, and allegations of corruption have seemed to be given evidential proof in the years since.
Now, while the result of Jones Jr.’s loss can never be overturned, Si-hun made sure a right was wronged when he made a surprise visit to Jones Jr.’s farm in Pensacola, Florida in May 2023.
It was there where he gave a gift to Jones — the gold medal that he beat Jones for in those Olympic games 37 years ago.
Jones posted video of the exchange to his YouTube channel earlier this month.
Park Si-hun Gifted 1988 Olympics Gold Medal To Roy Jones Jr. In May 2023
Though Jones, who was only 19 at the time, completely out-struck Si-hun 86-32 during the contest, Si-hun was awarded the win and gold medal 3-2 on the judges’ scorecards. The decision led to changes in the Olympic boxing scoring structure, and judges who scored against Jones faced disciplinary action, including suspensions and/or bans.
Si-hun never fought again after the 1988 Olympics, unable to deal with the aftermath of his controversial victory.
Jones Jr., meanwhile, went on to become one of the greatest professional boxers in history, winning championships at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. This included a run as the undisputed light heavyweight champion between 1999 and 2002.
Jones last fought in April 2023, which was his first fight in five years at the time, dropping a majority decision to Anthony Pettis.
Lerone Murphy has responded to Alexander Volkanovski suggesting that there could be a delay in their planned December title fight.
As we know, Alexander Volkanovski is the UFC featherweight champion. We also know that in the wake of his incredible knockout over Aaron Pico, Lerone Murphy is widely considered to be the number one contender. Volkanovski is interested in the fight, Murphy is interested in the fight, and December was being pinpointed as the perfect timeline for it to take place.
However, in the words of Volk, a spanner may have been thrown in the works. It’s not clear exactly what that is, whether it be due to a niggling injury or the UFC opting to go in a different direction. Either way, though, some are concerned that Lerone Murphy won’t get the shot that the majority of fans believe he truly deserves.
In a recent tweet, though, Lerone Murphy made it clear that he is ready for whenever the fight is booked.
Lerone Murphy is still ready for Alexander Volkanovski
“He didn’t say no to me. I think he is referring to the date. I will be ready whenever. Let’s wait and see!!”
This is a highly anticipated fight and for good reason. These two men have very interesting styles and nobody really knows what’s going to happen when they match up with one another. What we do know, though, is that Murphy is a professional, and he’s proven that by suggesting that it won’t matter too much to him if it doesn’t go down in December.
UFC lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot has made it clear that he is ready to test himself in any department against Charles Oliveira.
In the main event of UFC Rio, Mateusz Gamrot will battle former champion Charles Oliveira in a short notice contest. ‘Do Bronx’ was originally supposed to fight Rafael Fiziev, until he unfortunately had to withdraw from the bout. Now, the Polish sensation has stepped up to take the fight.
While he may not have that much time to prepare, we all know what Mateusz Gamrot is capable of. He’s an incredibly impressive fighter and while he’s had his fair share of ups and downs, he’s still a viable threat to just about anyone in the division.
In a recent interview, Mateusz Gamrot opened up on how fired up he is for this one.
Mateusz Gamrot is ready for Charles Oliveira test
“Jiu-jitsu and wrestling are my background,” Gamrot said on UFC Unfiltered. “This is in my heart. I feel it in my DNA. I can roll with him on the ground. I think this is going to be an epic fight on the ground, for sure, because I’m not afraid of his ground. I will go and take him down, and I’m going to try and roll with him on the ground. But this is going to be an all-rounder fight.
“I’m going to exchange punches, exchange wrestling. I want to test myself against him on the ground. This is going to be nonstop action, for sure – five rounds nonstop action. But maybe we don’t need five rounds. Epic fight for sure – super excited.”
“I go to his hometown to Brazil, all Brazil against me – give me this energy,” Gamrot said. “Give me this energy, because I grew up with this. Every boo will be power to me. And you know what? Wrestling is power – control, strength, conditioning, everything.”
UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has made it clear that he’s ready for whatever Cory Sandhagen has to offer him at UFC 320.
Next month, Merab Dvalishvili will defend his UFC title against Cory Sandhagen. While many believe that the champ is the clear favorite given how well he’s looked in his last few outings, Sandhagen is about as dangerous as they come at 135 pounds – especially in the striking department.
As such, Merab Dvalishvili is doing everything he can to prepare for this challenge. Cory, meanwhile, will be doing the same, especially given the experience he’s had against wrestle-heavy fighters in the past.
Despite this, Merab Dvalishvili has made it known that he is ready for anything when that cage door shuts.
Merab Dvalishvili is prepared for Cory Sandhagen
“He must know that I hit hard,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie and other reporters Friday after an open workout at Syndicate MMA. “He will see. … If Cory Sandhagen will stop my takedowns, I will knock him out.”
“It’s not only one thing (that he’s good at),” Dvalishvili said. “Cory Sandhagen does lot of things. You see how he knocked out Frankie Edgar with a flying knee. That’s special. He knocked out Marlon Moraes with a spinning kick. He submitted Bautista. … He’s tricky. He’s smart. He does a lot of things.”
Merab has constantly said that he’s ready and willing to knock Sandhagen out if the opportunity presents itself, and it’ll be interesting to see whether or not he can follow through on that.
Khalil Rountree Jr is ready to try and make a statement when he battles Jiri Prochazka at UFC 320 next month.
Over the course of the last few years, Khalil Rountree Jr has really established himself as a threat at 205 pounds. In addition to taking Alex Pereira to the limit in their title fight, he was also able to put on an absolute clinic against Jamahal Hill in his last outing.
Now, at UFC 320, Khalil Rountree Jr will battle Jiri Prochazka, knowing that a decisive win could well lead to him earning another crack at the strap. In a recent media scrum, he spoke candidly about what it means to him to try and wear UFC gold.
Khalil Rountree Jr looks to the future
“The motivation is seeing the possibility, really seeing the possibility of being able to achieve the belt, being able to actually hold it,” Rountree told MMA Junkie and other reporters Friday following an open workout at Syndicate MMA.
“That possibility seems really, really close. That’s the motivation part. The discipline part is, being that close is a lot to have to… I’m almost there. The discipline part gets hard every single day, not having a social life, not doing anything really, not really having a normal life because I’m so focused on being close. That’s the hard part. Hey man, I could say a million words, I’m just feeling a lot for this fight.”
“If you think about a puzzle, I’ve never really seen this puzzle in person,” Rountree said. “I’ve got to go crack it. If and when I do, it’s going to be very interesting to watch from a fighter and fan perspective. People who enjoy the strategy in fighting and stuff like that. Yeah, I think the fans will enjoy it.
“The two guys in there, we’re going to feel the pain. We’ve got to feel it. There’s excitement behind it. There are good feelings behind it, but at the end of the day, being in that experience and actually cracking the puzzle, it’ll feel good to get the job done and see it all together.”
“The statement I need to make is, it should look like this, ‘This guy absolutely deserves the No. 1 contender shot, are you crazy? Did you just see that performance against Prochazka? Absolutely, this guy is undeniable,” Rountree said. “That’s kind of how I see it.”
UFC legend Alexander Volkanovski believes that Jack Della Maddalena is capable of defeating Islam Makhachev.
Later this year, Jack Della Maddalena will defend his UFC welterweight championship against Islam Makhachev. As we know, Islam is attempting to join a very exclusive group by becoming a two-weight world champion in the promotion. JDM, meanwhile, is attempting to prove himself as a legitimate force at 170 pounds.
It won’t be easy, but Jack Della Maddalena certainly has the tools necessary to overcome the former lightweight king. His fellow countryman Alexander Volkanovski agrees with that assessment.
Alexander Volkanovski believes in Jack Della Maddalena
“You can’t doubt him. He’s a welterweight, and you’ve got Belal, who’s a grappler-wrestler. Look how he handled that,” Volkanovski told Submission Radio of Della Maddalena. “He’s a beast on the feet. I guarantee you from that fight, his confidence in grappling and takedown defense has just gone to a whole other level.
“He’s going to be an absolute nightmare. I’m hoping to get some training in with him for this one, as well. We’ll tee something up, for sure. JDM – he’s a weapon. I know that Islam is not taking this one lightly, and he shouldn’t.”
“JDM’s boxing and pressure that he can do, incredible,” Volkanovski said. “He can definitely get a finish. Islam’s great. Him moving up, I still think, is a nightmare for a lot of the people in the division. But I think JDM can do it.”
The PFL MENA season continues on Saturday, September 27, and we have all the results and highlights from the action here at MMA News!
PFL MENA was set up last year as part of the promotion’s expansion efforts, and alongside the already-established PFL Europe and soon-to-debut PFL Africa and PFL Pacific, PFL MENA has ventured on into its second season.
The card takes place at The Arena Riyadh Venue for Exhibitions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will feature the semifinals in all four weight classes PFL MENA has tournaments in — welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight.
The main event will feature a semifinal in the welterweight tournament, as Mohammad Alaqraa takes on Ayman Galal. Alaqraa, the runner-up of last year’s welterweight tournament, reached tonight’s semifinal with a decision win over Omar Hussein in July. Galal, meanwhile, originally lost his first-round matchup with Mohamed Zarey, but the result was overturned to a no-contest after a failed drug test, resulting in Galal advancing.
The co-main event will see Mohsen Mohammadseifi facing Mohammad Fahmi in a lightweight semifinal bout. Mohammadseifi, last year’s lightweight tournament champion, began his quest for a second straight title with a decision win over Ahmed El Sisy in May. Fahmi pulled off a stunning first-round submission of Georges Eid on that same card.
The event will be broadcast on DAZN in most countries, as well as on the PFL App in the U.S. If you can’t watch any of the action, MMA News has you covered with the full results and all the highlights below.
2025 PFL MENA 3 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Welterweight: Mohammad Alaqraa def. Ayman Galal via TKO (injury) (R1, 0:21)
Lightweight: Mohammad Fahmi def. Mohsen Mohammadseifi via submission (rear-naked choke) (R1, 4:25)
Flyweight Showcase: Malik Basahel def. Ahmed Mostafa via submission (rear-naked choke) (R2, 1:54)
Bantamweight: Islam Youssef def. Xavier Alaoui via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Lightweight: Salah Eddine Hamli def. Souhil Tairi via submission (arm-triangle choke) (R3, 1:30)
Featherweight: Islam Reda def. Taha Bendaoud via unanimous decision (30-26 x2, 30-27)
Preliminary Card:
Catchweight (160 lbs) Amateur Bout: Hassan Ahmed Moustafa def. Abdulaziz bin Moammar via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Badreddine Diani def. Amir Fazli via split decision in a @PFLMENA Welterweight semifinal
Amir Fazli was announced the winner in error. Victory goes to Badreddine Diani#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/EwcazGoBzQ
Nawras Abzakh defeats Moktar Benkaci via unanimous decision in a Bantamweight Semifinal#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/ypLQgVOUxK
Hassan Ahmed Moustafa defeats Abdulaziz Bin Moammar via split decision in a catchweight amateur showcase bout#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/BXZNLKZvOC
Salah Eddine Hamli defeats Souhil Tairi via arm triangle submission in the third round! #PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/tzNBZ5yDqQ
Islam Youssef defeats Xavier Alaoui via unanimous decision in a Bantamweight Semifinal!#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/Llv8JTdlLc
UFC Perth is almost here, and we here at MMA News are here to provide you the latest on betting odds for the card.
The card takes place from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Saturday, September 27. The main card portion of the event will start at 10PM ET/7PM PT, with preliminary action starting at 7PM ET/4PM PT.
The main event will see a light heavyweight battle between Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes.
Light heavyweights are also featured in the co-main event as Jimmy Crute takes on Ivan Erslan.
The UFC Perth main card will also feature Jack Jenkins face Ramon Taveras, Jake Matthews squaring off with Neil Magny, and Tom Nolan going toe-to-toe with Charlie Campbell.
UFC Perth: Ulberg vs. Reyes Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Perth as of September 26 at 9pm ET, courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Light Heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg (-238) vs Dominick Reyes (+195)
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute (-225) vs Ivan Erslan (+185)
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins (-290) vs Ramon Taveras (+235)
Welterweight: Jake Matthews (-380) vs Neil Magny (+300)
Lightweight: Tom Nolan (-148) vs Charlie Campbell (+124)
Preliminary Card:
Light Heavyweight: Navajo Stirling (-258) vs Rodolfo Bellato (+210)
Middleweight: Cameron Rowston (+150) vs Andre Petroski (-180)
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey (-122) vs Rolando Bedoya (+102)
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse (+130) vs Josias Musasa (-155)
Women’s Bantamweight: Michelle Montague (-230) vs Luana Carolina (+190)
Heavyweight: Brando Pericic (-225) vs Elisha Ellison (+185)
Women’s Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee (+195) vs Alexia Thainara (-238)
We’re a little less than 24 hours away from UFC Perth, and MMA News is here to bring you the video from the ceremonial weigh-ins for the card!
UFC Perth takes place on September 27 from the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
The main event will see a light heavyweight battle featuring Carlos Ulberg and former title challenger Dominick Reyes. Ulberg is 12-1 as a pro and has won every fight since losing in his UFC debut back in 2021. Ulberg’s most recent win saw him take a decision over former champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC London in March. Reyes, meanwhile, has won three straight, most recently knocking out Nikita Krylov at UFC 314 in April.
The co-main event will also feature light heavyweight action, as Jimmy Crute takes on Ivan Erslan. Crute scored his first UFC win since 2020 in his last outing, submitting Marcin Prachnio. Erslan is still looking for his first UFC win after suffering losses to Ion Cutelaba and Navajo Stirling.
The UFC Perth main card will also feature Jack Jenkins face Ramon Taveras, Jake Matthews squaring off with Neil Magny, and Tom Nolan going toe-to-toe with Charlie Campbell.
Illness saw Justin Tafa’s scheduled outing with Louie Sutherland scrapped during the UFC Perth weigh-ins. All other fights remain on, even as Ramon Taveras missed weight for his scheduled bout with Jack Jenkins.
The ceremonial weigh-ins present the last opportunity for opponents to face off before they meet inside the Octagon. Check them out below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel!
After already losing two of its scheduled bouts during fight week, including its originally scheduled co-main event, UFC Perth has been hit with another blow to its main card.
Australian native Justin Tafa was one of two fighters who had not weighed in for UFC Perth as the minutes were ticking down. But it was at the weigh-in deadline of 8pm ET that the UFC announced Tafa had withdrawn from his scheduled fight with Louie Sutherland.
#UFCPerth Official update: Due to illness, Justin Tafa has been removed from his heavyweight bout with Louie Sutherland. As a result, this bout has been cancelled.
Justin Tafa vs. Louie Sutherland Scrapped From UFC Perth Due To Illness
The number of fighters at UFC Perth is now down to 12.
Tafa’s brother, Junior Tafa, was originally scheduled to compete in the UFC Perth co-main event against Ibo Aslan. An injury, however, took Junior Tafa out of the fight, with Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan bumped up to the new co-main slot.
Undefeated middleweight combatant Dante Kirkman who boasts a record of 5-0 with 2 stoppages is preparing to make a quick return to action. He will do so as he enters the ring in a bout slated for six-rounds in a fight where the opponent has yet to be announced. The contest will transpire at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California. Promoter Roy Englebrecht’s will oversee the card set for October 23rd for the Fight Club OC series.
Kirkman notably graduated from Stanford University earlier on in 2025 is now fully streamlining his attentions to his pro boxing career. Speaking to his keenness to put on a great performance for Southern California fans as Dante Kirkman said,
“I’m grateful to be back in the ring so soon after my last fight. Staying active is one of the most important things for a young fighter like myself. Every time I step into the ring, I gain more experience, more confidence, and I sharpen my craft.”
“I’m ready to show the progress I’ve made since my last fight and continue proving why I belong among boxing’s top prospects.”
Dante Kirkman knows “the sky’s the limit” in his boxing career
Fighting in Southern California for the first time, Dante Kirkman is excited to bolster his fanbase with an emphatic win, as Kirkman stated,
“This is my first time fighting in Southern California, and it’s something I’m looking forward too. Fight Club OC has a great reputation, and I know the fans here love boxing and bring great energy. I want to give them a performance that excites them and makes them remember my name. To be part of this stage is an honor, and I’m ready to bring the fire to Costa Mesa.”
Building on his boxing career comes with acknowledging the support from his team, as Kirkman quipped,
“No fighter can make it on their own—it takes a team that believes in you, pushes you, and guides you in the right direction. I’m fortunate to have the right people in my corner, and together we’re building my career step by step. My job is to stay disciplined, stay hungry, and keep giving everything I have every time I fight. With an outstanding team behind me, I know the sky’s the limit.”
Kirkman’s next bout under the Fight Club OC keeps advancing him within the sweet science where is known as one of boxing’s most promising middleweights with a unqiue confluence of intelligence and athletic capability.
UFC Fight Night: Carlos Ulberg vs. Dominick Reyes — UFC Perth — takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results.
This is the fourth time that the UFC has invaded Perth, Australia, but this will be the first time that the card is not a pay-per-view event. The RAC Arena has previously played host to UFC 221 in February 2018, UFC 284 in February 2023, and UFC 305 in August 2024. That most recent event saw Dricus Du Plessis retain the UFC middleweight championship with a fourth-round submission of Israel Adesanya in the main event.
The main event of UFC Perth will see Carlos Ulberg face off with former light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes.
Ulberg is 12-1 in professional MMA and has won all eight fights he’s had since dropping his UFC debut. Ulberg already bested a former light heavyweight champion earlier this year, defeating Jan Blachowicz at UFC London in March.
After a year-and-a-half break following a four-fight losing skid, Reyes enters tomorrow night’s main event on a three-fight win streak. He most recently fought at UFC 314 in April, knocking out Nikita Krylov.
After the originally planned co-main event fell out earlier this week, the new co-feature will see Jimmy Crute take on Ivan Erslan in more 205-pound action. Crute scored his first victory since 2020 his last time out, submitting Marcin Prachino at UFC 318 in July. Erslan is still looking for his first UFC win after decision losses to Ion Cutelaba and Navajo Stirling.
The rest of the UFC Perth main card will see Jack Jenkins face Ramon Taveras, Jake Matthews squaring off with Neil Magny, Justin Tafa taking on Louie Sutherland, and Tom Nolan going toe-to-toe with Charlie Campbell.
UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes Weigh-In Results
UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes takes place on Saturday, September 26, at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT.
See below for the official results of the official UFC Perth weigh-ins.
Main Card:
Light Heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg (205) vs Dominick Reyes (206)
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute (205) vs Ivan Erslan (206)
Featherweight: Jack Jenkins (146) vs Ramon Taveras (147*)
Welterweight: Jake Matthews (170) vs Neil Magny (170)
Heavyweight: Justin Tafa () vs Louie Sutherland (259) – BOUT CANCELED DUE TO TAFA ILLNESS
Lightweight: Tom Nolan (155) vs Charlie Campbell (155.5)
Preliminary Card:
Light Heavyweight: Navajo Stirling (205.5) vs Rodolfo Bellato (205)
Middleweight: Cameron Rowston (184.5) vs Andre Petroski (185.5)
Lightweight: Jamie Mullarkey (156) vs Rolando Bedoya (156)
Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse (135.5) vs Josias Musasa (135.5)
Women’s Bantamweight: Michelle Montague (134.5) vs Luana Carolina (136)
Heavyweight: Brando Pericic (261) vs Elisha Ellison (236.5)
Women’s Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee (115.5) vs Alexia Thainara (115.5)
*Tavares misses non-title featherweight limit by 1 pound
PFL CEO John Martin on Wednesday announced that PFL Lyon will take place on December 13 at the LDLC Arena, headlined by a heavyweight championship showdown between former Bellator titleholder Vadim Nemkov and 2024 PFL tournament champion Renan Ferreira.
Breaking news: PFL is heading to Lyon, France on Saturday, December 13 at LDLC Arena.
– Nemkov vs Ferreira: PFL Heavyweight World Title – Cris Cyborg vs Sara Collins: PFL Women’s Featherweight World Title
Nemkov last competed at the PFL Champions Series in Dubai this past January, where he secured a first-round submission over veteran Tim Johnson. The 33-year-old Russian is riding a dominant 14-fight unbeaten streak, boasting a professional record of 19-2 with 15 of those victories coming by way of stoppage.
Meanwhile, Ferreira returns to action for the first time since suffering a first-round TKO defeat to Francis Ngannou in their PFL Super Heavyweight Title clash in October 2024. Before that setback, “Problema” put together a four-fight win streak highlighted by knockout victories over Ryan Bader and Denis Goltsov.
The 35-year-old Brazilian powerhouse carries a 13-4 professional record, with 12 of those wins coming by way of stoppage.
Images: @vadimnemkov/@pflmma/Instagram
Cris Cyborg Faces Undefeated Sara Collins In PFL Lyon Co-Main Event
The co-main event of PFL Lyon marks the return of Cris Cyborg, who will square off against Sara Collins for the women’s featherweight championship.
Cyborg was last seen in action inside the SmartCage in October 2024, where she defeated Larissa Pacheco via unanimous decision to capture the PFL Super Fights women’s featherweight title. In 2025, the 40-year-old Brazilian legend has competed in the boxing ring, recording three knockout victories, two in March and another in May.
Earlier in her career, Cyborg defended her Bellator 145-pound title a record five times, cementing her legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats. She enters this fight with a professional MMA record of 28-2, including 21 wins by knockout.
On the other hand, Collins will enter PFL Lyon riding a first-round submission victory over Leah McCourt at Bellator Champions Series London in September 2024. The 35-year-old Australian contender remains undefeated, boasting a perfect 6-0 record that includes three submission wins.
Jesse Ronson is one of the great fight north’s most well travelled competitors and has a hunger for gold in bare knuckle now. The Canadian combatant takes on Ryan Jett at BKB 46: Empire State Brawl on September 27th in Jesse Ronson’s promotional debut.
Clashing with a combatant in Jett who has fought some champion caliber fighters and champions outright like Sam Liera, Cub Hawkins, and Martin Reffell to name a few excites Jesse Ronson. When touching on if this kind of fight can serve those broader ambitions of getting to contend for a bare knuckle title sooner rather than later, Jesse Ronson said,
“Yes, 100%. So you look at Ryan Jett, he’s four and seven or five and seven in MMA, right? Not a very good MMA record. He’s four and five in bare knuckle boxing. Not a very good record, but he lost to [Sam] Liera twice, the [former] 165 lb champ twice. He lost to, I think you said [Cub] Hawkins or whatever, who is a champion in my weight class, they actually fought for the title and he lost to him. Like out of his five losses, I think three or four of them are to actual champions or former champions in BYB [now BKB].”
“So it’s like I go out there on September 27th and I make a statement. I finish Ryan Jett in the first round making it eight wins in a row. Eight first round finishes across MMA, bare knuckle MMA, [bare knuckle] boxing, whatever. It would be hard pressed not to give me an immediate title shot in December. They need new guys. They need fresh blood. A Canadian that’s never won a title before or even I think the only; I don’t know if any Canadians have ever fought for a bare knuckle title other than Jade Masson-Wong.”
“She fought for the BKFC title, but still to get out there and do that, like it’s just huge. And Canada, like I got more support for bare knuckle boxing [laughs] than I ever did for all my UFC fights. Like people are like, “Holy s**t bare knuckle, that’s gangster as hell, dude.” Like people are; like random people are giving me like cash donations. Like, dude, that’s just gangster. Like, take this. And I was like, “Do you want me to; you don’t want a picture? You want a shout out?” They’re like, “Nah, dude. Whatever can help.” He’s like, “I just want to watch that shit.” That’s never happened to me for MMA or UFC or anything like that.”
“Even when I beat Nicolas Dalby, you know, people loved it. You know, I got like 500 likes, but it’s still like I wasn’t getting the support and messages and people coming together for me like they are now for bare knuckle boxing. It’s ridiculous. So, yeah, put a smackdown on Ryan Jett, who is no joke. You know, he’s a seasoned veteran. Even though he’s only got nine fights, he’s a veteran, but he fights dirty. I f***in love it. He’s a dirty fighter. He’s safe. He is tough.”
“He’s hard to finish. I think he’s only been finished one time. So, they’re not making it easy for me. And I just want to go out there and demolish this guy. So I can, you know, give me the f***in strap and add to my collection over here because I don’t know if you’ve seen the BYB [BKB] belts. It’s the original belt from like 1880. And it’s like a sash. It’s not; You can’t even call it a belt. It’s a sash and it’s got like; Oh, it’s very unique. I’ve never seen anything like it. And I want it hanging on my wall.”
Jesse Ronson has a “nice empty space” for future BKB Police Gazette diamond belt
When talking about the BKB Police Gazette diamond belt which has the deepest lineage of any combat sports title around and how incredible it would be for him to someday add that strap to his crowded mantle, Jesse Ronson stated,
“Yeah, there’s no room over there and I’m not about to buy a new one. But it would be perfect to just hang right across the wall… I have my UFC jersey here, but there’s this nice empty space that I can put it right there [laughs]. Anytime I sit at my desk, I just look up. You’re a world f***in champion, man. Let’s go.”
Callum Walsh is riding high in the boxing world and wants to be the face of the emerging promotion helmed by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh. This was expressed during a media day appearance where he fielded questions from on-site reporters, as captured by MMA Junkie video.
In the pre-fight build up to his recent fight on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford main card that ended up being broadcast to tens of millions of people on Netflix, Callum Walsh said,
“I would love to be the face of TKO boxing. I would love to be the man that Dana and Tom and everyone sends out to fight anybody, you know, that’s what it’s about for me. I don’t want to be hyped up as 30-0 and never fought anyone. I want to be the guy that they’re like, ‘Right, we’re looking for a fight. Callum will fight him.’ You know what I mean?”
“Send him out. He’ll fight. He’ll put on a show. Everyone will be happy. Fans will show up to the fight because they know I’m going to show up and fight. That’s the thing for me. Just be entertaining and give people their money’s worth.”
Callum Walsh disappointed with latest performance, eyes one more fight in 2025
Callum Walsh emerged victorious in the recent fight he had, which was referenced in a cursory way above, but left with a bit of a sour taste in his mouth. Walsh bested Fernando Vargas Jr. by way of unanimous decision and came out of the ring with a 15-0 professional ledger as a pugilist. Speaking about the Vargas Jr. win at the post-fight press conference, Walsh stated [viaRing Magazine],
“It was an unbelievable experience but I do feel a bit disappointed because I wanted to be better. At the end of the day I beat an undefeated fighter, so I’m happy … What an honor. People forget that I am still 24 years old. I am still learning, growing. I gained a lot of experience. I felt no pressure walking out.”
“When I got in the ring, after the first round, I didn’t feel my best. I felt sluggish, slow. After that I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. It was frustrating because I know how good I can be, how much experience I have, and what I can do.”
The native of Ireland addressed a potential next step for him in his career as Walsh quipped [via Ring Magazine],
“Turki [Alalshikh] asked me if I want to fight in November. I said no problem, let me know. We’ll see who they put in front of me. I’m a simple man. I just show up and fight whoever they want me to fight.”
Jack Della Maddalena thinks his looming title challenger will learn from the mistakes made by the man JDM captured gold from. Maddalena aims to make his first successful welterweight title defense against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. The native of Australia captured the strap from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May.
Speaking to local media ahead of his looming title defense, with video footage provided by Submission Radio, JDM addressed several subjects as he aims to make his all important first title defense while trying to thwart Makhachev’s attempt at entering the rarefied air of two division titleholders throughout UFC history.
Touching on how he analyzes as well as contrasts what Muhammad and Makhachev bring ton the table as adversaries, Maddalena said [via MMA Junkie],
“They’re different fighters, different challenges. Obviously, there’s some similarities within the grappling style, but I definitely look at Islam as a completely different challenge – more of a finishing ability, more powerful on the feet, so different challenge, and I’m excited for it. It’s going to start on the feet, and we’ll go from there.”
“I think he’s going to try and mix it up. I think he’ll probably try getting on wrestling early, I’d imagine. Looking back at the Belal fight, he probably sees that Belal’s mistake was maybe not getting on the wrestling early. Yeah, expecting the first round to be getting into some grappling exchanges.”
Jack Della Maddalena touches on his dream outcome at Madison Square Garden
Jack Della Maddalena did tout the finishing ability of Islam Makhachev but looks to put the Dagestan standout on the wrong end of a fight ending inside the distance this November. As the 29-year-old articulated his aims to end this one inside the distance against the former UFC lightweight champion, Maddalena stated [via MMA Junkie],
“I’m going to go for it. Obviously, that would be the best-case scenario: Get the finish. I can see it happening. I can see blowing the roof off MSG, taking out the pound-for-pound No. 1 with no doubts. A finish would be the dream.”
The third PFL Europe event of the 2025 season took place on Saturday, September 26, with the PFL landing in Nantes, France, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!
PFL Europe was the initial expansion effort of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), an effort that has since grown out to MENA in 2024. PFL Africa started up earlier this year, and PFL Pacific will be on the way.
After the first leg of the third PFL Europe season started up in Belfast in May, and continued through Brussels in July, today’s action hosted the lightweight and bantamweight semifinals, as participants competed to see who will fight at the PFL Europe Championships — scheduled for December 13 in Lyon, France.
The main event saw a lightweight showcase battle that featured Amin Ayoub pulling off the win over Keweny Lopez. The fight opened with a fast-paced opening round that saw Ayoub rock Lopes on a couple of occasions, threatening a guillotine more than once. Lopes, however, looked for a pair of leg locks of his own, landing heavy shots and scrambling nonstop just as much as Ayoub did.
Ayoub started to take over in the second round, however, as he worked the body and reversed positioning following a takedown by Lopes. Ayoub controlled the ground striking in the second round and was relentless with pressure in the third, forcing the referee to step in for a third-round TKO victory.
The event was broadcasted on DAZN in most countries, as well as on the PFL App in the U.S. If you missed any of the action, MMA News has you covered below with the full results and all the highlights below.
2025 PFL Europe 3 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Lightweight Showcase: Amin Ayoub def. Keweny Lopez via TKO (R3, 3:19)
Light Heavyweight Showcase: Boris Atangana def. Jhony Gregory via TKO (R1, 2:17)
Bantamweight Semifinal: Baris Adiguziel def. Julien Lopez via TKO (R1, 0:36)
Lightweight Semifinal: Connor Hughes def. Gino Van Steenis via KO (R1, 2:56)
Bantamweight Semifinal: Dean Garnett def. Jan Cieplowski via submission (guillotine choke) (R3, 0:38)
Lightweight Semifinal: Alex Chizov def. Claudio Pacella via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Preliminary Card:
Lightweight Showcase: Darragh Kelly def. Bakhtiyor Abduloev via submission (rear-naked choke) (R1, 2:27)
Middleweight Showcase: Vincent Del Guerra def. Sofiane Aissaoui via TKO (R3, 0:24)
Lightweight Alternate Bout: Mark Ewen def. Sebastien Di Franco via submission (D’Arce choke) (R1, 3:18)
Women’s Strawweight Showcase: Maria Guedez Jr. def. Kiya O’Sullivan via split decision (30-26, 28-29, 29-28)
Maria Guedez Jr. vs. Kiya O’Sullivan
Maria Guedez Jr seals the victory in her PFL debut!#PFLNantes | LIVE NOW | LIVE on DAZN | 🇺🇸 Streaming on The PFL App pic.twitter.com/WQEC4dVVte
After already losing its originally scheduled co-main event bout earlier this week, UFC Perth has taken another hit to its card.
A scheduled preliminary card bout featuring Oban Elliott and Jonathan Micallef is now off mere hours before weigh-ins, per a report from MMAJunkie’s Nolan King.
According to King, the bout was scrapped after Elliott came down with an illness.
Oban Elliott vs. Jonathan Micallef Scrapped From UFC Perth
The UFC has confirmed the news of both this bout’s cancelation, as well as that of the originally planned co-headliner featuring Junior Tafa and Ibo Aslan. Tafa withdrew earlier this week due to injury.
No replacement opponent will be found for Micallef; meanwhile, Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan has been promoted to the new co-main event slot.
Elliott, who won a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, went 3-0 in the Octagon in 2024 before a loss to Seok Hyeon Ko at UFC Baku in June.
Micallef, who won a UFC contract on DWCS last year, made his UFC debut at UFC 312 in February, scoring a decision win over Kevin Jousset.
UFC welterweight Kiefer Crosbie appears to be interested in other combat sports ventures outside the world of MMA, and he has requested his release from the promotion.
A recent post on Instagram from Crosbie pictured a pair of UFC gloves, with Crosbie thanking the UFC in the caption. This led to the belief from many that Crosbie was hanging up the gloves and retiring from the sport of MMA.
In a new Instagram post, however, Crosbie provided an update of clarification. Crosbie confirmed that he has no interest in competing in MMA anymore; however, he still wishes to be a professional fighter, competing in other disciplines of martial arts.
In order to fulfill these desires, however, Crosbie is requesting that the UFC let him go from his contract.
Kiefer Crosbie Desires UFC Release To Pursue Other Combat Sports Avenues
“I’ve been doing this sport a long time,” Crosbie said in the Instagram video. “My body is absolutely rallied and broke up my life, my money, my mental and physical health on the line for so long. And to be honest with you, it’s not worth it continuing on the MMA journey. That being said, that doesn’t mean I’m retired. I absolutely would love to fight again, multiple times, and explore different avenues.
“Now, funny enough, the UFC haven’t actually cut me or released me. I don’t know what the gameplan is there. Maybe that want to honor me another fight because I was f***** over so bad the last time. But, to be completely honest with you, I would like to ask for a release. I have no desire to step foot in the Octagon and have another MMA fight…”
Crosbie’s last fight at UFC Shanghai came under controversy. Opponent Taiyilake Nueraji hit Crosbie with an illegal knee but was allowed to continue. He was quickly finished seconds later.
Conor McGregor is seemingly in preparations to compete at the UFC White House card next summer, but did he just post a demand he needs to see for that to be met?
It appeared that McGregor would never compete in the Octagon ever again given the amount of money and brand he’s made over the years. But since U.S. President Donald Trump and the UFC first started teasing the idea of a UFC card on the White House lawn — in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States — there arguably has been no fighter who has done more advocating to compete on the card than McGregor.
In a post on social media, however, McGregor appeared to state that he was looking for a $100 million payday to compete on the special UFC card in Washington D.C. He would also be looking for 100 “Golden Visas” in the U.S. for his family and friends.
$100million to fight at the White House along with 100 U.S “Golden Visas” for myself and family and friends
I look very forward to entertaining the fighting world once again.
“I look very forward to entertaining the fighting world once again,” McGregor added in his social media post. “A pleasure I never take for granted!”
Conor McGregor Wants $100 Million And 100 Golden Visas To Compete At UFC White House?
The “Golden Visa” McGregor may be referring to is a newly announced “Gold Card” plan by U.S. President Trump that would see residency and citizenship given to those who gift $1 million ($2 million for corporations) to the U.S. government’s Department of Commerce.
This would mark a departure from the country’s EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which saw foreign investors qualify to become lawful U.S. residents by making “the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States” and planning “to create or preserve 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers.”
McGregor teased a bid for the Ireland presidency earlier this year before withdrawing. McGregor is no strange to controversy over his UFC career; however, he’s come under fire in particular over the last year, thanks to being found civilly liable of the rape of Nikita Hand in a hotel room in December 2018.
McGregor has not competed in the Octagon since his UFC 264 loss to Dustin Poirier. He was scheduled to face Michael Chandler, his opposing coach on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, at UFC 303 last year before pulling out of the fight less than one month prior to the card.
While the Australian fanbase has been one of the strongest and most vocal in terms of internal UFC audiences and attendees, UFC Perth is struggling to get fans in the door.
A recent broadcast report from 7 News Australia stated that the venue of this weekend’s card, RAC Arena, in Perth, is only at about half capacity — a poor number in comparisons to sellouts in previous UFC events across the country over the recent years.
🚨UFC Perth ticket sales have been ‘Poor’
“The venue is about half full— it’s disappointing”
“The WA [Western Australian] government’s financial investment in cage fighting is in question tonight with poor ticket sales to a UFC event this weekend,” 7 News Australia’s Rick Ardon said. “UFC Fight Night is being staged at RAC Arena, but the venue is only about half full, and tickets are now being discounted.”
RAC Arena Showing Poor Sales For UFC Perth
The last UFC event to take place in Australia was UFC 312 in February, held at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. A sold-out crowd of 18,537 saw Dricus Du Plessis score a decision win over Sean Strickland to retain the UFC middleweight title. The last event held in Perth prior to this weekend’s card was UFC 305 in August 2024, which saw Du Plessis retain via submission over Israel Adesanya.
The sales for this coming weekend’s card, however, have been, in the words of reporter Geoff Parry, “disappointing, not the sellout of previous years.”
Andy Hickey confirmed the news on social media, calling UFC Perth, “easily the worst selling event at this point post-COVID” and noting that ticket prices have dropped to $167 AUS.
I check Ticket availability for all UFC events.
The reports of poor ticket sales are accurate.
Easily the worst selling event at this point post Covid.
Yahoo Sports points to a number of factors for the poor sales, including the number of notable names on this weekend’s card being lackluster, as well as injury forcing native Junior Tafa out of the originally scheduled co-main event against Ibo Aslan.
Yahoo also notes, however, that the UFC will profit from the event off site fees alone, which may mean the UFC won’t be too bothered by poor ticket sales for this outing.
An Oktagon MMA standout who has drawn comparisons to both Brock Lesnar and Paddy Pimblett is seemingly engaging in a bit of a public feud with the powerhouse European MMA organization. The combatant in question is Frederic Vosgröne and while he got a victory in the Oktagon MMA cage over the weekend, his future with the promotion seems a bit up in the air. At Oktagon 76, Vosgröne would defeat Fabio Moraes with the September 20th victory in Frankfurt, Germany transpiring in the first round.
The hulking competitor improved to 5-0 there and since his promotional debut in April, Vosgröne has become one of the promotion’s more viral stars with his social media videos picking up a lot of attention. Unfortunately some attention was drawn to Frederic Vosgröne’s antics at the post-fight press conference where he said some inflammatory things about the higher ups at Oktagon MMA.
Oktagon MMA released an official statement on the matter which can be seen in full in the included link here.
Frederic Vosgröne responds to the Oktagon MMA statement
Frederic Vosgröne has since fireed back a retort to the company by way of his personal Instagram story, as Vosgröne stated [via Bloody Elbow],
“If you feel disrespected by me than we should just part ways. I have many organizations that are much bigger wanting me to fight. So Ondrej Novotny [OKTAGON co-founder & owner], if you feel like you can’t treat me right, than just cancel my contract. But obviously you won’t do it and use it as leverage to pressure me.”
The future of the popular unbeaten fighter is somewhat in question although at the end of Oktagon MMA‘s statement on this matter, the promotion mentioned how the hulking combatant has already agreed to a subsequent fight in Cologne. Vosgröne has expressed a willingness to honor that bout agreement, one which OMMA stated was agreed upon and confirmed multiple times by his management already.
Carl Froch continues to lean into the public war of words with Darren Till and also touched on another ex-UFC fighter now fighting in the sweet science. During an interview with Football Blog, Froch kept up the banter that he has been engaging in with the former UFC welterweight title challenger.
‘The Cobra’ mentioned that if the money is right, he would consider fighting again and seemed keen to return against the reigning Misfits Boxing titleholder. When teasing a potential comeback to the ring and working in shots at the current MFB bridgerweight champion, Froch said,
“There’s an opportunity to get in there and make some money in a fight that I think’s gonna be quite an easy fight. I’ve started hitting the bag and having a workout and started running a little bit just to see how I feel. And I feel f*king great. I think it’s easy money, and if the money’s enough, then I’d consider it. Darren [Till] talks a lot s**t. He’s proper gobs**te.”
Carl Froch on Molly McCann in boxing: “I doubt she’ll do anything”
Commenting on another Scouser who crossed over from the UFC cage to the boxing ring, Carl Froch also gave his thoughts on the path ahead for Molly McCann who left behind MMA and donned the big gloves.
While she did have a successful debut in the boxing ring recently, Froch seems unsure about the upward mobility that Molly McCann can have in terms of ascending the ranks in the boxing world. Touching on how he foresees McCann’s forward path playing out after her TKO of Kate Radomska on September 13th in the final round of their fight, Froch stated,
“As a UFC fighter and not having the experience in boxing, it’s going to be difficult. And there’s not many that come from UFC that transcend into boxing very well. Even the top UFC fighters don’t really make good professional boxers, so I doubt she’ll [Molly McCann will] do anything, especially at 35. But it’s wide open and there’s not many female boxers at the top of the game. But if you look at a world champion in her weight division, she’s probably going to struggle.”
One of the more infamous judges through the annals of UFC history has recently thrown a bit of shade at another TKO helmed property. This came from Dave Meltzer who is widely known for his work in the professional wrestling media space and his lengthy tenure overseeing The Wrestling Observer newsletter. The slight dig came during a re-tweet of a Ring Magazine post which was highlighting boxing’s first ever million dollar live gate. The tweet from X account @ringmagazine reads as follows,
“Amazing photo of undisputed heavyweight king Jack Dempsey and light-heavyweight champion Georges Carpentier, readying themselves before the opening bell for their hugely anticipated clash at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in New Jersey in 1921. In one of the biggest fights of all-time, almost 90,000 fans generated the first ever million dollar gate and then watched as “The Manassa Mauler” methodically broke down the Frenchman and won by knockout in round four.”
Retweeting the post and working in a bit of a dig to WWE, Meltzer said,
“Are there any boxing promotions who claim history started in 1984 and all the fights were in smoky bars?”
This is in reference to WWE’s revisionist history regarding how Vince McMahon brought pro wrestling to unseen heights and that the popularity of professional wrestling was negligable prior to McMahon Jr. taking the reigns of the company in ’84.
Are there any boxing promotions who claim history started in 1984 and all the fights were in smoky bars? https://t.co/gZ4DxouAiS
The connectivity of Dave Meltzer to the UFC in the promotion’s nascent days
Dave Meltzer is one of the longest tenured MMA journalists out there and he was one of only two credentialed reporters that covered the first UFC card in November 1993. It was at UFC 18 though that Meltzer would act as one of the apointed cageside judges as mentioned earlier. The stalwart professional wrestling media member dealt out some verdicts throughout the card that were roundly agreed to but there was one particularly controversial scorecard from that event where Meltzer’s call had many scratching their heads.
This took place in the contest between Mark Coleman and Pedro Rizzo. The vast majority of the observers, including the live fans and UFC broadcast team for the show, felt like ‘The Hammer’ had done enough to defeat ‘The Rock’. But alas, two of the three appointed judges did not share that broader opinion. Meltzer, along with fellow assigned official Eddie Goldman, inexplicably gave the fight to Pedro Rizzo which saw Rizzo emerge with a split decision victory over Coleman.
This was also a high stakes clash that served as the semi-finals for a UFC heavyweight title tournament that was eventually won outright by Bas Rutten.
Kai Asakura will be making the move up to 135 pounds after consecutive setbacks in the octagon at flyweight. The former UFC flyweight title challenger will be leaving 125 pounds behind for now and this was something which Asakura mentioned on his personal YouTube channel. Touching upon his future plans as a contracted competitor with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Asakura said [via Yahoo Sports],
“I’m going to move up a weight class, so I’m going to have to prepare properly and get my body in shape again. It might be next year or so, but I’ll definitely win my next fight. It’s not because someone told me to, but because I’ve always done things based on my own instincts. I want to win.”
🚨 Kai Asakura has announced that he will be moving up to bantamweight
Kai Asakura will be making a switch in a sense but he will be returning to a weight category that he is more than familiar with. Asakura rose to prominence in Rizin as a 2021 RFF bantamweight grand prix finalist while also cementing himself as the Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion twice.
His first foray into the UFC marked Asakura’s return to flyweight for the first time since the first quarter of 2017. Asakura famously had the unique opportunity to receive a title shot in his debut effort with the company. Kai Asakura competed against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310 last December. Pantoja would secure a rear naked choke in the first half of the second round to retain his belt and set back Asakura at 0-1 in the UFC.
Asakura would also fall short in his sophomore effort with the UFC and lost to a fellow former UFC flyweight title challenger. The Japanese combatant was again submitted in the second round, this time in the waning seconds of the final minute as he tapped to a guillotine choke against Tim Elliott at UFC 319 in August.
