After coming up short against Ilia Topuria in June, ‘Do Bronx’ was ready to jump back inside the Octagon in October for the promotion’s highly anticipated return to Rio de Janeiro. It looked to be all systems go with Oliveira set to face Rafael Fiziev in the evening’s headliner. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case after ‘Ataman’ bowed out of the bout due to injury.
In the wake of the news, multiple fighters, including Benoit Saint-Denix, Mateusz Gamrot, Joaquim Silva, and even Diego Lopes, have shown interest in stepping in. But according to Oliveira, it’s all been nothing but talk.
“Everybody knows my UFC Rio fight is off, but don’t fall for the talk of these guys out there saying ‘I’m here, I’ll go,’ because the UFC is calling and they’re all saying, ‘Oh, there’s not enough time to make weight. Oh, I can’t.’ They’re posting this on the internet to get hype,” Oliveira said in a recent interview. “Stop it. It’s not a good look. I saw one saying this, another saying that. But when the UFC calls, what do they say? ‘Oh I can’t. I got a belly ache. I broke a finger. I hurt my hand.’
“Enough with that. It’s not a good look. I want to fight at UFC Rio, I asked for this fight. My opponent got hurt, then 10 guys show up saying they would fight. So far, every time the UFC calls ‘Let’s fight?’ they say, ‘I can’t.’ So stop with that because it’s not a good look. Do you want fame? Do something else. Don’t come saying you’ll fight, when it’s a lie, okay?”
With no replacement opponent locked in, UFC Rio is currently without a main event.
Deiveson Figueredo Looks to Snap 2-Fight Skid at UFC Rio
Also scheduled for the event is former flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo, who is scheduled to meet streaking standout Montel Jackson. Since making the move up to 135 pounds, Figueiredo has strung together wins against Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. However, he’ll look to snap a two-fight losing skid in Rio when he puts his No. 6 bantamweight ranking on the line against the unranked Jackson.
Here’s how the promotion’s return to Brazil currently stacks up without Oliveira:
Is Conor McGregor really going to fight at the White House next year?
‘Mystic Mac’ sent the MMA world into a frenzy when he revealed on an episode of Fox & Friends that he was already booked for the UFC’s highly anticipated fight card at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2026. However, not everyone is buying it.
“The story that Conor McGregor is being talked to headline the White House card. I don’t buy it,” Chael Sonnen said via a video on his YouTube channel. “I can’t buy it. Why or would we be turning to Conor McGregor? And the answer is also out there because he is the sport’s biggest star. That is true.
“So, is that what you need? If you’ve got the open checkbook and you’ve got the magic wand, without saying names, do you say I’m going to put as my main event the sport’s biggest star? Is that your answer? Doesn’t matter who he’s fighting.”
Conor McGregor Says He’ll Fight Michael Chandler in the Nation’s Capital
McGregor went on to claim that he already has an opponent lined up for the history-making event, and it’s none other than the man he’s been linked two for the last three yearsâMichael Chandler.
After an underwhelming stint as opposing coaches on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, McGregor and Chandler were rumored to fight in December 2023. When that didn’t happen, the focus shifted to UFC 303 where the bout was officially booked for the main event. Unfortunately, that card came and went with McGregor once again sitting on the sidelines, this time due to a broken pinky toe he suffered whilst training for the clash.
Despite having been more than four years since his last Octagon appearance, McGregor has continued to dominate headlines, albeit for all the wrong reasons.
So, what say you? Is McGregor’s “greatest comeback in combat sports history” finally happening, or is ‘The Notorious’ just pulling our leg again?
Darren Till and The MMA Guru are going at it online.
Following his impressive third-round knockout of Luke Rockhold at Misfits Boxing 22, Till has decided to pick another fight, this time with the controversial influencer known for his brutally honest hot takes on all things related to combat sports.
“Who’s getting real real tired of that fat c*nt smelly tw*t @THATBOYMMAGURU,” Till wrote on X. Like am tired of him now. Like yeah… we know you speak ur mind. But ur fat. And ur definitely smelly. What’s ur comeback mate????? MATE????? F*cking fat c*nt. Keep ya mouth shut cos youâd get strangled in the street.”
Whoâs getting real real tired of the fat cunt smelly twat @THATBOYMMAGURU Like am tired of him now Like yeah⌠we know you speak ur mind But ur fat And ur definitely smelly
Whatâs ur comeback mate?????
MATE?????? Fucking fat cunt Keep ya mouth shut cos youâd get strangledâŚ
Darren Till and MMA Guru Continue to Trade Barbs on Social Media
Things only escalated from there with MMA Guru snapping back at the former UFC title challenger and sparking an intense back-and-forth between the two.
“How this bloated mong Darren Till reacts to seeing me join his gay little interview,” The MMA Guru wrote in response. “Got a face like a f*cking drowned man found at the bottom of a river with rocks in his pockets. Probably not the only rocks you’ve had in your pockets either is it mate no wonder your nose is so f*cked up go call out another 50 year old or influencer you fat little tramp.”
“Look how uninterested I am to see this fucking beg while he smiles himself into a Song Yadong impression Just sad honestly…” he added in a follow-up post.
“Are you calling me a coke head like Luke?” Till replied.
“Holy sh*t you figured that out all by yourself?” the Guru added. “For that kind of IQ they should have a statue of you in Liverpool with knives hanging out of it. You’d look like a down syndrome popup pirate.”
While some commenters were quick to take sides, others speculated as to whether or not this was all just a marketing stunt to score some clicks. Especially considering just a few weeks back, The MMA Guru commended Till on his performance against Rockhold and suggested ‘The Gorilla’ would absolutely destroy KSI in a potential boxing bout.
DARREN TILL DESTROYS LUKE ROCKHOLD AND FLATLINES HIM OUT COLD IN ROUND 3! #Misfits22
Knocks him down in round one, dominates the range and finishes in the third with a nasty combo
Former UFC fighter turned analyst Din Thomas thinks the UFC should trade off Magomed Ankalaev for PFL star Dakota Ditcheva.
Trades between MMA organizations are extremely rare. In fact, it’s only happened once. In October 2018, the UFC sent former flyweight king Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship in exchange for Ben Akren. Now, Thomas thinks it’s time for the the UFC to initiate another trade, this time sending it’s reigning light heavyweight champion over to Donn Davis and Co. in exchange for their British bombshell.
Din Thomas thinks UFC should trade Magomed Ankalaev for PFLâs Dakota Ditcheva pic.twitter.com/NgFLZDwVTl
“We gotta understand that MMA is a star-driven sport,” Thomas said on The Casuals MMA podcast back in February. “We have a star problem in the UFC. [PFL] got Dakota Ditcheva, who’s a star. I’m like, ‘Yo, please listen, if you guys like MMA, do this for MMA. Trade her to the UFC, you know she belongs in the UFC.’ Just trade, listen, get rid of Ankalaev in the UFC, trade her for Ankalaev, we don’t need Ankalaev, you know what I’m saying.”
Is Dakota Ditcheva the Next Big Thing in Women’s MMA?
Meanwhile, Ditcheva continues to take the world MMA world by storm despite having a limited number of viable opponents to contend with under the PFL banner. After handily defeating Taila Santosâwho once took Valentina Shevchenko to the limitâto win the 2024 PFL flyweight tournament, Ditcheva scored a decisive decision victory over Sumiko Inaba during the promotion’s inaugural event in Cape Town, South Africa.
Given her 15-0 record and 80% finish rate inside the Smart Cage, it’s clear that Ditcheva is ready for the next level of competitionâsomething she’s unlikely to get in the PFL.
As for Ankalaev, he’ll put his gold up for grabs on October 4 when he runs it back with ‘Poatan’ at UFC 320 in Las Vegas. Ankalaev bested Pereira at UFC 313 after the Brazilian bruiser delivered an uncharacteristically lackluster performance in their light heavyweight headliner.
Ankalaev is currently trending as a 2-to-1 favorite to retain his title.
Dakota Ditcheva would get it done over Valentina Shevchenko if the two were to fight now, according to a former UFC title challenger. This was expressed by Dan Hardy who was asked about how a hypothetical fight would play out between the undefeated PFL standout and the UFC flyweight champion.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Hardy said [via Fighters Only],
âI would put my money on her [Ditcheva] against Valentina right now. Thatâs with all due respect to Valentina, who Iâve held in high regard for a long time. The thing that Valentina always made challenging about my job when I was doing Inside the Octagon for the UFC was thereâs no highlight reel moments in her fights really. Very, very rarelyâand thatâs because she completely dominates people with just this steady pace. The kind of person that would break that style of fighting is someone that attacks ferociously.”
“Dakotaâs got the height and reach, the power, sheâs got the viciousness, and the reality is American Top Team is probably one of the toughest mats, especially for a female fighter. Iâve got to expect her to at least hold her own on the ground with Valentina, if not be able to defend the takedowns. I think Dakota beats anybody right now in her weight class. I think pound-for-pound, if sheâs not top three, then Iâm crazy. I think she has a damn good chance against anybody and even going up to bantamweight and fighting there and having a lot of success there as well.â
Image: PFL MMA
Dakota Ditcheva and her pro MMA resume so far
Dakota Ditcheva boasts a 15-0 overall record in professional mixed martial arts. The surging star out of the United Kingdom has captured tournament titles in both the PFL Europe and main stage PFL circuits.
Ditcheva has become one of the big grassroots stars in the promotion and since debuting with that promotion in 2022, has become one of the first fighters you think of who compete inside the Smart Cage.
The Ronda Rousey rumor mill is up and running again.
Ever since she last stepped inside the Octagon nearly a decade ago, rumors have continued to run rampant that the former UFC bantamweight champion was gearing up for an MMA comeback. Often times, the speculation is quickly shot down by either Dana White or Rousey herself. But this time, it feels a little different.
That’s because Rousey herself is pouring a little bit of fuel on the fire via a recent clip on Instagram.
âThe first clip is my first session working with [@aj_mma] I was super self conscious, embarrassed of how much I regressed, and honestly trying my very best not to pee my pants throwing punches so soon after having baby PÄâĹŤ,” Rousey wrote.
“Second clip was yesterday, Iâve never laughed or smiled so much on the mat as I do these days. The last 6 months have been an absolute blast, feels like I have so much left to grow, and without the weight of the world on my shoulders nothing is holding me back. âWhat we learn with pleasure we never forgetâ Alfred Mercier.â
After going 12-0 in her mixed martial arts career with 12-straight finishes, Rousey hit a brick wall in November 2015 named Holly Holm. ‘Rowdy’ went into the fight as one of the biggest favorites in UFC history, but was promptly beaten 59-seconds into the second round, ending her run as the most dominant force in MMA.
A year later, Rousey’s comeback bid was halted less than a minute into her clash with Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. ‘The Lioness’ properly pummeled the Olympic bronze medalist, bringing a bitter end to Rousey’s illustrious career inside the Octagon.
Ronda Rousey Finds Second Life as a WWE Superstar
Since then, Rousey has found success in the world of sports entertainment, signing with WWE and making history as one of the first women to ever headline the promotion’s annual showcase of the immortals, Wrestlemania. During her run, Rousey held four championships in WWE: the Raw Women’s Championship, the SmackDown Women’s Championship on two separate occasions, and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with her partner Shayna Baszler.
Today, Rousey is happy to live a quiet life away from the spotlight with her husband, former UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, and their two children.
With the weight of the world seemingly off her shoulders, is ‘Rowdy’ gearing up for a potential return to the Octagon? Only time will tell.
Mark Kerr has had a decorated MMA career filled with impressive wins but it was the valor he showed in one of his losses that inspired Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and was captured in The Smashing Machine.
At a recent media appearance that saw Kerr and Johnson discuss the cinematic effort, the two titanic figures touched on the Kazuyuki Fujita fight in the Pride 2000 openweight grand prix. The fight saw Kerr fatigue after blasting ‘Iron Head’ with devastating shots that Fujita withstood en route to capturing the unofficial distinction of lineal MMA heavyweight champion from Kerr.
When touching upon how impactful he felt it was to see that grit and resolve that Kerr showed in taking his first official MMA loss, Johnson said,
“And Mark [Kerr] is the one who experienced this loss where he couldn’t move in the ring and he was getting rocked. And what’s so moving about that when you see it in the documentary and then you obviously watch it and you pull it up, his fights on YouTube, is that as Mark is getting rocked in that moment, his eyes are open. He’s with it. And he’s not knocked out. He’s getting his bell rung. He’s getting kneed in the guts and in the rib cage. And then also, but he’s not quitting and he’s not tapping and he’s just there.”
Dwayne Johnson on Mark Kerr “The man who lived his life so we could all feel it”
As he kept expounding on that iconic fight that Mark Kerr had in May 2000, Johnson continued,
“I said to Mark just you and I here. Why couldn’t you move? Why were you… you know I said there’s 30-40,000 people there in Japan. And he goes that’s exactly it DJ. There’s 30-40,000 people there in Japan. They all came to see me. I’m not going to quit. I just could not move my arm. So, the best thing for me to do was just to take it. And I was going to take it until I couldn’t take it anymore or take it until the ref stops it. Obviously, the ref stops. I have chills now thinking as he was telling me that. The man who lived his life so we could all feel it.”
BKFC president David Feldman is confident that Conor McGregor will step inside the squared circle before long.
In April 2024, McGregor announced that he’d officially become part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, a fast-rising promotion featuring a slew of former UFC stars, including ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry, Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez, Paige VanZant, and Yoel Romero. Almost immediately, speculation ran rampant as to whether or not ‘Mystic Mac’ would ever toe the line in BKFC despite still being firmly under contract with the UFC.
“I think it depends on the outcome of the White House card, right?” Feldman told MMA Fighting of McGregor’s potential move from MMA to bare-knuckle. “If he wins the White House card, which I have every reason to believe no matter who he fights, he’s going to win because they’re going to match him… If he wins and looks good, he’s going to fight another fight.
“And if that happens, then I would bet 100% he’ll fight for BKFC. Why wouldn’t he? What will he do for the valuation of the company? He’ll double or triple it, and then he just doubled or tripled his interest in this. That’s way more than he’s going to get fighting anywhere else.”
Conor McGregor Claims He Will Fight Michael Chandler at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
No official announcements have been made regarding who will compete in the nation’s capital next year, but McGregor seems confident that the event will host a long-awaited clash between himself and former Bellator champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler.
The two were rumored to fight in December 2023 following their stint as opposing coaches on TUF 31 before the bout was officially booked for UFC 303. Unfortunately, the contest was scrapped after McGregor broke his pinky toe whilst training.
To those who have completely wiped away the idea that Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler would ever happen, McGregor is here to say you wrote the demise of that fight too early (supposedly).
McGregor announced his intentions for the previously-scrapped fight to take place at the White House while making an appearance on the Fox & Friends television program.
đ¨ Conor McGrgeor just confirmed Michael Chandler will be his opponent at the UFC White House event
“I’m on it,” McGregor said. “I am, this is me. Michael Chandler. Michael Chandler and myself have done the show, The Ultimate Fighter. We’ve had a good back-and-forth. He’s a good, tough guy. And ‘The Mac’ is excited to be back, for sure.”
Conor McGregor Says He Will Fight Michael Chandler At UFC White House Card
McGregor and Chandler both coached season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2023. But as the year came and went, there was no news on a potential coaches’ fight for these two, despite it being announced at the end of the season.
Finally, at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference, UFC CEO and President Dana White confirmed that McGregor and Chandler would serve as the main event for UFC 303 in June 2024. But just weeks before the fight, a planned press conference in Dublin was canceled at the 11th hour, and the fight never came to fruition.
Oktagon 76 goes down this Saturday, September 20th at the Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany. This will be the second consecutive week that OKTAGON has hosted a show, and will be the 11th OKTAGON event of the year. In the main event, we will see German MMA legend Daniel Weichel make his return to the cage vs fellow veteran Abou Tounkara. The co-main event features breakout German Star Frederic “Neanderthal BJJ” Vosgrone as he looks to stay undefeated vs Brazilian Fabio Moraes. This event will feature many other top OKTAGON fighters and matchups such as Peter Gabal vs Denis Frimpong, English fighter James “Honey Badger” Hendin, former kickboxer Alina Dalaslan, and much more. Do not miss the action and make sure to tune in on OKTAGON.tv.
PRELIMS
Georg Bilogrevic (7-4) vs David Hosek (12-7-1) – Middleweight bout (185lbs/83.9kg)
David Hosek defeats Georg Bilogrevic by Unanimous Decision (30-27×2, 29-28×3)
In the first fight of the evening, David Hosek utilized his powerful boxing and strong grappling defense to outwork OKTAGON debutant fighter Bilogrevic, securing the unanimous decision win and moving his overall record to 13-7-1, and his OKTAGON record to 7-3-1. Georg Bilogrevic drops to 7-5 with the loss, also missed weight in this fight, his first at middleweight.
Raul Lemberanskij (7-0) vs Jose Zarauz (26-11-1) – Bantamweight Bout (135lbs/61.2kg)
Raul Lemeranskij defeats Jose Zarauz by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
Top German prospect Raul Lemeranskij faced off with Peruvian veteran Jose Zarauz in a fantastic war. Raul dominated the first round with his striking, but Zarauz came back strong in round 2 with great boxing and a powerful right hand. After two judges scored the second round for Jose, it all came down to the third. Jose had the advantage counter striking, but Raul secured a late takedown and poured on the ground and pound to secure the decision in his OKTAGON debut, moving to 8-0. Despite the loss, Zarauz showed tremendous skill, yet drops to 26-12-1, and 0-2 in OKTAGON.
James Hendin (9-3) vs Ayton De Paepe (13-5) – Featherweight Bout (145lbs/65.7kg)
James Hendin defeats Ayton De Paepe by Unanimous Decision (29-28×3)
In a grappling heavy affair, English standout James Hendin used pressure and control to outlast the Belgian Ayton De Paepe over three rounds. Despite the success of Hendin, De Paepe showed excellent resilience and took the third round on all three judges scorecards, showcasing his ability to always stay in a fight no matter how itâs going. Hendin improves his record to 10-3, and 2-1 under the OKTAGON banner while Ayton De Paepe falls to 13-6 overall, and 1-1 in OKTAGON.
Hafeni Nafuka (10-3) vs Kevin Enz (4-3) – Catchweight Bout (163lbs/73.9kg)
Hafeni Nafuka defeats Kevin Enz by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:28 in the first round
In our first finish of the evening, Hafeni Nafuka returns to the winners circle with a quick finish of Kevin Enz. Enz stepped up on short notice, but his time in the cage was even shorter as Nafuka quickly took him down, worked to the back, and secured the submission just half way through round number one. Nafuka at just 22 years old brings his record up to 11-3, and 4-3 under the OKTAGON promotion, while Kevin Enz falls to 4-4, and 1-3 with OKTAGON.
Fedor Duric (7-1) vs Petru Buzdugan (6-2) – Lightweight Bout (155lbs/70.3kg)
Fedor Duric defeats Petru Buzdugan by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:02 of the first round
Fedor Duric, the hometown star quickly got to work against the fellow prospect Petru Buzdugan, throwing strikes in the clinch and cutting Buzdugan before taking him down. From there Duric worked to the back and secured the submission with just one minute remaining in the round. Duric bounces back after his first loss, and improves his overall record to 8-1, and his promotional record to 1-1. Petru Buzdugan falls to 6-3 overall, and 0-2 in OKTAGON.
MAIN CARD
Alina Dalaslan (2-0) vs Clara Ricignuolo (3-3) – Women’s Catchweight Bout (132lbs/59.8kg)
Alina Dalaslan defeats Clara Ricignulo by TKO (Spinning back fist) at :15 of the second round
Alina Dalaslan establishes herself as a star in the European scene in a back and forth war with veteran striker Clara Ricignuolo. Alina added to her highlight reel with an incredible spinning backfist in the second round, securing her place as the top female European prospect.
Denis Frimpong (6-2) vs Peter Gabal (7-3) – Lightweight Bout (155lbs/70.3kg)
#6 Denis Frimpong defeats Peter Gabal by TKO (ground and pound) at 3:46 of the third round
In the fight of the night, Denis Frimpong and Peter Gabal came into this fight with plenty of beef, and threw down with that intensity. Gabal took the first round with powerful punches, knocking Frimpong down. Denis held old, and came back in the second round with creative striking and in the third, Gabal pulled guard which allowed Frimpong to get on top, and rain down strikes until the ref stepped in. Frimpong has established himself as a star in the lightweight division, improving his record to 7-2 overall, and 7-1 in OKTAGON. Gabal remains a steady presence in the division despite the loss, with his record falling to 7-4 overall, and 3-4 in OKTAGON.
Attila Korkmaz (15-10) vs David Tonatiuh Crol (11-10) – Lightweight Bout (155lbs/70.3kg)
Attila Korkmaz defeats David Tonatiuh Crol by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)
Both Korkmaz and Crol are considered tough veterans of the European scene, and in this fight both men showcased their chin and striking, but Korkmaz got the better of Crol over three rounds, utilizing a wide variety of attacks while stuffing most of Crolâs grappling attempts. Crol took this fight on less than 2 weeks notice, and despite the valiant performance drops to 11-11 in his OKTAGON debut, while Korkmaz continued his ranked run in OKTAGON. He rises to 16-10 overall, and 2-3 with the promotion. He hopes to face the winner of Richie Smullen and Ivan Buchinger who fight at OKTAGON 77.
Frederic Vosgrone defeats Fabio Moraes via submission (rear naked choke) 4:45 into the first round
Germanyâs biggest MMA star entered the cage for the first time since his viral first win, and he did not disappoint against his Brazilian foe. Quickly he shot for a single leg, and got to closed guard. Using ground and pound to soften his often, he worked his way past the guard and eventually into mount, then belly down control, where he found the finish due to choke. Vosgrone moves to 5-0 in his young career and will surely see another massive boost in popularity due to his win. He moves to 5-0 in MMA, and 2-0 under the OKTAGON banner. His opponent Fabio Moraes falls to 7-2 and 0-1 for OKTAGON.
MAIN EVENT
Daniel Weichel (42-15) vs Abou Tounkara (12-6) – Lightweight 3 round Main Event (155lbs/70.3kg)
Daniel Weichel defeats Anou Tounkara by unanimous decision (30-27×3)
Daniel Weichel returned to MMA after several years, following a long run for Bellator. In this fight, Weichel was moving forward, yet timid in the pocket. Tounkara did not choose to engage much at all, as Weichel pursued him and secured the decision win.
OKTAGON returns with OKTAGON 77 on October 4th in Bratislava.
Make sure to follow OKTAGON across all social media platforms, and follow me @dsk_combatsports on instagram for more coverage and MMA related content.
Kayla Harrison is no stranger to high pressure situations but what comes along with being a UFC champion has proven to be quite intensive according to the decorated martial artist. Speaking to Danny Segura of MMA Junkie, Harrison spoke about what life has been like as the UFC bantamweight champion after finishing Julianna Pena at UFC 316 in June.
Kayla Harrison has captured PFL championships as well as a pair of Olympic gold medals in Judo prior to this UFC title winning effort. But the latter accomplishment is a different kettle of fish in terms of the residual attention that she has been getting as a result of accomplishing that.
Expounding upon what life has been like since cementing herself as a titleholder in the UFC, Harrison said,
“It’s been different. I will say that. One of the things I’ve been super blessed to have had success in other areas and arenas of my life. So, I kind of had an idea, but winning Olympic gold medal in judo in the United States is like, I don’t know, like 12 people who saw it.”
“So having this kind of success on such a huge platform nationally and globally has been… I’m overwhelmed and I feel like I’ve got a good head on my shoulders but I’m still in a bad way… I have 170 some unread text messages and I’m so overwhelmed by it that I’ll answer 10 and then throw my phone and be like, ‘Alright, I got to get away from it. It’s just more. There’s more.’ Which is great, beautiful, fantastic.”
Kayla Harrison “living out my dream” “I’m still just Kayla”
All of that being said, there is still a groundedness in how the accomplished combat athlete lives her life as Kayla Harrison continued to say,
“Like I’m literally living out my dream and I have to stop and remember to be present, smell the roses, and realize that maybe to other people things have changed but nothing has changed for me. I’m not done and I’m still just Kayla. I’m still a mom.”
Alex Pereira had certain shortcomings in the first Magomed Ankalaev bout that he can potentially subvert in their rematch, in the eyes of a former UFC title challenger. This sentiment was expressed by Dan Hardy during an interview with Helen Yee Sports at Xtreme Couture.
At UFC 313 in March, Alex Pereira dropped his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev and the fairly lopsided bout saw Ankalaev ascend to the 205 pound throne by way of a unanimous decision. Giving his overview on the first fight and touching on the looming Pereira-Ankalaev sequel clash in the coming weeks, Dan Hardy said,
“I think maybe [Pereira] had a little bit too much respect for [Magomed] Ankalaev in the last fight⌠Pereira when heâs at that close rangeâeither when youâre coming to him, like when [Sean] Strickland fought him, or when someoneâs moving away and heâs walking into their range like Jamahal Hillâyou feel that pressure of his kind of frame coming at you and people feel like they need to react.”
“If Iâm [Alex] Pereira, I would be thinking about getting as close to him as possible, getting in his face, maybe even try and use a bit of Thai clinch just to kind of manage the clinch a bit. Heâs going to be better defending takedowns on the front foot as well, right?⌠Itâs better if heâs pressuring forward and forcing Ankalaev to shoot under pressure.”
Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalev 2 broken down by a former UFC light heavyweight champion
Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev will again step into the octagon on UFC 320 on October 4th. One of the fighters who knows Pereira best, and is also interwoven within that UFC light heavyweight title lineage, has weighed in on the sequel clash. Glover Teixeira is the combatant in question and the former UFC titleholder has guided the career of ‘Poatan’ in a coaching capacity for several years now.
On the Overdogs Brasil podcast with Renato Moicano as well as American Top Team coach Marcos da Matta, the 45-year-old commented on how he sees the second chapter of the Pereira vs. Ankalaev story unfurling as Teixeira stated [viaSherdog],
“The first round will be brutal. Itâs not that heâll come in angry, but heâll come in with that same [aggressive] attitude. This fight will be much more dynamic. âPoatanâ will be pressing the entire time because heâs ready for it.”
“Mentally, there are guys who are different. Iâve always been calm in my fights, but I had my doubts. âPoatanâ seems very confident, very focused. Heâs doing very well. Now weâll hone it in these last three weeks, get the timing right, because the guy is already ready for five rounds.”
Tony Bellew can see Carl Froch making a return to the ring and Bellew isn’t ruling out donning the gloves one more time himself. Bellew expressed these sentiments recently during an exclusive interview with Pundit Arena. The discussions about Froch returning to the ring have been ignited by Darren Till’s call outs of ‘The Cobra.’
After Till’s last fight where he halted Luke Rockhold inside the distance at Misfits Boxing 22, the former UFC welterweight champion then put Froch in his proverbial crosshairs. Froch hasn’t competed since May 2014 when he stopped George Groves in the eighth round of their high stakes rematch inside of Wembley Stadium for the IBF world super middleweight championship.
Bellew thinks that if the money is right, he thinks that Carl Froch could be convinced to compete under Queensberry Rules once more as Bellew said,
“After the Darren Till fight, Carl fed into the narrative that he’s willing to get back in a boxing ring. I think he’s missing it. I think if it makes sense financially enough for Carl, he’ll do it.”
Tony Bellew isn’t ruling out his own return to the ring either
Tony Bellew also mentioned in this referenced interview that everyone does have a price. With the conversation touching on if Carl Froch would get out of retirement to fight Till but pivoting to Tony Bellew’s thoughts on mounting his own comeback, Bellew stated,
“I don’t really have a name I want to fight. But listen, we’ve all got a price. Do I want to? No. But then I’m stupid enough to say I would never do it? No Iâm not. Because like I said before, we’ve all got a price. If someone was to stump up enough money, you’ve got me. If Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have got a price, then so does the fat boy from Liverpool.”
Arman Tsarukyan is finding plenty of success outside of the UFC Octagon.
On Friday night, Tsarukyan stepped onto the mats for his third grappling bout of the year, competing in the main event of Absolute Championship Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ) 18 inside the Dynamo Volleyball Arena in Moscow, Russia, where he faced former UFC lightweight king Benson Henderson.
“Ahalkalakets” went straight to work looking for chokes against Henderson, who managed to hold them off until the closing moments. But persistence paid off, the 28-year-old Armenian locked in a sharp arm-triangle choke, slid to the side, and cranked it tighter with every second.
The move was executed with precision, and before long, âSmoothâ had gone limp. The referee stepped in after checking his arm, while a visibly dazed Henderson was helped back to his feet by Tsarukyan.
.@ArmanUFC Tsarukyan finishes Benson Henderson in the final minutes of their grappling match at ACB JJ in Moscow. This marks Tsarukyanâs third grappling bout in just five months, and heâs won all three, two of them by finish. pic.twitter.com/GxWBBDgbjz
Tsarukyan has continued his grappling streak this year, first securing a unanimous decision victory over Makkasharip Zaynukov at Karate Combat 54 in early May, followed by a slick submission win against Patricky Pitbull at ADXC 10 later that same month.
Image: @arm_011/Instagram
When Was Arman Tsarukyanâs Last UFC Fight?
Arman Tsarukyan last stepped into the Octagon at UFC 300 in April 2024, where he earned a hard-fought split decision victory over former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
That victory earned âAhalkalaketsâ his first UFC 155-pound title shot against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January. Unfortunately, a back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw from the fight during fight week.
Tsarukyan is riding a four-fight winning streak, with his last defeat coming in June 2022 when he fell via unanimous decision to Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Vegas 57. He holds a 9-2 record in the UFC, highlighted by knockout victories over Beneil Dariush and Joel Ălvarez.
A highly anticipated lightweight contenders battle that was set to headline UFC Rio in less than a month’s time is now no longer on the table.
Per a report from AgFight, Rafael Fiziev has suffered an injury and will be unable to make the walk at UFC Rio. He was scheduled to face former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in the main event.
No information is readily available on the UFC’s next course of action, but the belief is Oliveira will remain on the card with a replacement opponent being sought after.
Charles Oliveira vs. Rafael Fiziev Scrapped As UFC Rio Headliner
Fiziev was most recently in action at UFC Baku in June, scoring a decision over Ignacio Bahamondes — marking Fiziev’s first win in two years.
This would have been Oliveira’s first fight since getting knocked out by Ilia Topuria in their lightweight title bout at UFC 317.
UFC Rio takes place on October 11 from the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has ripped into Conor McGregor after he dropped out of the Irish presidential race.
As we know, Conor McGregor is a pretty controversial figure both in and outside of combat sports. He has been involved in a lot of controversies over the years, and now, his public image isn’t great – especially in his home country of Ireland.
Recently, Conor McGregor decided to withdraw his bid to become the next President of Ireland. In response, Chael Sonnen had a few things to say to ‘Notorious’ in a recent video.
Chael Sonnen rips into Conor McGregor
âBut when youâre blowing coke, getting blown by strippers, running in and out of court dates for this very thing, oh by the way, tying a dumbbell to your hoo-ha, (laughs) itâs a little hard to act like youâre the guy that consults with family. Youâre very clearly the guy that does whatever he feels like. So, you know, this whole âtalk to my family routineââŚwas so incredibly absurd.â
âThe most absurd thing was thinking that he owed an explanation. An explanation to who? The parliament never recognized you. There was no vote. There was no ballot. There was no visit to their version of the Secretary of Stateâs office. There was nothing about thisâŚ
âIf I was to ask Conor in fairness, three very simple questionsâa fifth grader if he paid attention in civics class would know the answersâabout what it takes to run, not about winning, just about what paperwork or administrative steps need to be done for you to actually be a candidate, I donât think he would have the answers.â
âConor McGregor has withdrawn his pending plans to be the president of Ireland. Well, thereâs one problem with that, Conor. You were never running for president of Ireland. You did not suspend a campaign. I would love to help you with that. You donât have a campaign. You are not returning your raised fund and telling your supporters maybe next time…There werenât any supporters.
âYouâre not coming over to take those yard signs down. There were no signs in the yard. This wasnât real. It wasnât real.â
Former UFC fighter Darren Till has explained why he believes he is a nightmare matchup for influencer boxers.
Right now, Darren Till is one of the most exciting fighters in the influencer boxing world. He has been able to pick up a string of impressive wins, with his most recent being a knockout over Luke Rockhold. Now, he’s looking ahead to the future, and he has quite a few interesting names that he wants to face.
Darren Till is looking for big money fights but beyond that, he also has a pretty good chance of beating most of the guys that he wants to battle. He is thriving in this environment and right now, it doesn’t even make sense for him to venture back over to mixed martial arts.
In a recent interview, Darren Till explained why he’s so dangerous for a lot of these guys.
Darren Till on why heâs a nightmare fight for influencer boxers
“I just know when I come up against the guys like Tommy and Jake… even if Jake is a bit more prepared just the willingness to win and stuff like that and just time and pressure fighting they ain’t got that in their locker… some of these guys probably move better as a boxer but you know when I’m twitching on you I’m taking all your breath away and I’m twitching.
“And I’m moving and I’m probably moving a little bit. Not like a boxer, more MMA. That’s different for me. You don’t know where the shots are coming from. And all these pro boxers have sparred in the gym. They always say to me, ‘I know your left’s coming, but I don’t know where it’s coming from.’”
UFC fighter Sean Strickland has given his thoughts on the ongoing controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel.
As we know, Sean Strickland has never been afraid to speak his mind. In fact, he thrives on putting himself in the spotlight, often for saying things that people find quite offensive. Jimmy Kimmel, meanwhile, is a late night TV host who was recently pulled off the air as a result of comments he made about US president Donald Trump.
The issue of free speech is something that has been at the forefront of this ordeal over the course of the last few days. Sean Strickland, of course, advocates for free speech, but he also doesn’t seem to be the biggest fan of Kimmel.
In a series of tweets, Sean Strickland had some interesting things to say on the subject.
Unpopular take but the FCC overstepped with Jimmy Kimmel…
He didnt get canceled. ABC was threatened by FCC Chair appointed by Trump on a podcast
Fuck Jimmy Kimmel but the government shouldn't be used as a political weapon.
On that podcast, FCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmelâs recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond (either âthe easy way or the hard wayâ) or else the FCC might take regulatory steps…..
Yall need to press the AI button before you post. The FCC publicly pressured ABC.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmelâs recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond either the easy way or the hard way or else the FCC might take regulatory steps
âUnpopular take but the FCC overstepped with Jimmy Kimmel…
âHe didnt get canceled. ABC was threatened by FCC Chair appointed by Trump on a podcast
âF*** Jimmy Kimmel but the government shouldn’t be used as a political weapon.â
âOn that podcast, FCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmelâs recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond (either âthe easy way or the hard wayâ) or else the FCC might take regulatory stepsâŚ..â
âYall need to press the AI button before you post. The FCC publicly pressured ABC.
âFCC Chair Brendan Carr discussed Jimmy Kimmelâs recent remarks and said broadcasters need to respond either the easy way or the hard way or else the FCC might take regulatory steps
Former UFC star Darren Till has revealed the list of fighters that he wants to face next in his boxing venture.
While he may never have become a UFC world champion, Darren Till is arguably one of the most intriguing fighters outside of the UFC bubble right now. He has been on a real run in his time with Misfits Boxing and in his most recent outing, he was able to knock Luke Rockhold out cold in what proved to be a really impressive performance.
Now, Darren Till is calling for even more big, exciting fights, and it certainly seems like he may get them. He is perhaps one of the best boxers in the influencer space and while a return to mixed martial arts is always on the table, it almost feels like he could create an even better legacy for himself outside of that sport – at least for the time being.
In a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson, Darren Till listed a few names that he’s interested in fighting in the future.
Darren Tillâs desired fights
âWe were campaigning for the Andrew Tate fight, still campaigning for the Tommy Fury fight, and obviously the Carl Froch one.”
“We have been pushing hard to get fights against people like Andrew Tate, Tommy Fury, and others because they bring interest and big paydays. As of now, we are still campaigning, but the opportunities are there and Iâm ready.”
Get ready, folks, because ‘The Gorilla’ is gearing up to do some big things.
Former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw has given his thoughts on how Khamzat Chimaev was able to defeat Dricus du Plessis.
As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the new UFC middleweight champion. He dominated and defeated Dricus du Plessis in a fairly one-sided contest, cementing his position at the top of the division. Now, as we look ahead to the future, it seems like he’s going to have plenty of challengers nipping at his heels.
There has been plenty of analysis of Khamzat Chimaev’s win, probably because of just how impressive it was for him to defeat someone like Dricus du Plessis so easily. Now, TJ Dillashaw has become the latest person to weigh in on how it all played out.
TJ Dillashaw breaks down Khamzat Chimaevâs title win
“Khamzat’s performance was nothing short of just stellar, man. The guy was amazing. Just made DDP look like an amateur fighter. For him to be able to take down DDP within the first minute and crucify him was insane. And for him to just keep repeating that round after round was a little bit unbelievable.
“I expected Hamzat to win the fight, but I didn’t expect it to be such a landslide of a fight. I know that DDP is a great champion, but again, Khamzat just made him look like an amateur.”
“He’s fast. He’s like super fast at closing the ground⌠You see in all his fights, he comes out in the first like 30 seconds and he shoots on you. He shoots without even throwing any punches and he takes a shot. But I just think he’s that fast and that strong to be able to do it⌠DDP’s a great champion, but Khamzat’s that much better to be able to shoot from this far away and still get the takedown.”
The UFC Perth event has undergone a major shake-up.
The UFC is gearing up for its second trip of the year to the âLand Down Underâ, with a Fight Night event, UFC Perth, set to go down on September 28 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
On Thursday, the promotion revealed that the light heavyweight clash between Junior Tafa and Ibo Aslan, originally slated as the co-main event of the upcoming Fight Night, has been scrapped due to injury.
The UFC did not disclose which fighter withdrew, nor whether the matchup is canceled altogether or could find a new date down the line. As a result, another 205-pound bout between Jimmy Crute and Ivan Erslan has been elevated to co-main event status.
The card will also feature a welterweight clash between seasoned veterans Jake Matthews and Neil Magny, as well as a featherweight showdown pitting Jack Jenkins against Ramon Taveras.
Mario Bautista is not daunted by the prospect of fighting Umar Nurmagomedov and is confident he has a methodology to put the second blemish on the pro MMA record of the Dagestan-based fighter. Bautista appeared on MMA Junkie Radio leading into his UFC 321 fight against Umar Nurmagomedov. That high stakes bantamweight clash will emanate from Abu Dhabi and will transpire on October 25th. This bout will put the number two ranked Umar Nurmagomedov against the number eight ranked Bautista.
The victor of this bout would be well positioned in the title shot queue as the UFC 320 bantamweight title fight between reigning champ Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen looms ever closer. Speaking to his preparations for this looming matchup in the coming weeks against Nurmagomedov, Bautista said,
“I completely have all the trust and faith in my team… the MMA Lab, we’re pretty good grapplers. We have grapplers from everywhere. NCAA finalist Bryce Meredith, Ezra Elliot who’s killing it in jiu-jitsu and grappling. We have some of the best strikers, like Marcus McGee who went three rounds with Peter Yan. I have complete faith we’re going to come up with a good game plan for this.”
“You just have to be a great grappler yourself and actually threaten the grappling back, so I think that kind of evens things out. If a wrestler is just being offensive the whole time, he’s winning… You kind of have to put that in their head too. It’s very taxing on their body and we’ve seen it with Umar kind of gassed out towards the end there. So yes, blueprint’s out there.”
Mario Bautista fighting someone here who “came close to beating the champ”
As he kept further expounding upon his thoughts on this huge bout at 135 pounds, Mario Bautista continued,
“The higher you climb up, the better they’re getting. So, I’m happy with it. And you just fought a guy that about a year ago many people were saying could be the best bantamweight in the world. Patchy Mix… This sport’s unforgiving in the sense that no disrespect to him, he hasn’t been part of the UFC. Umar has and he came close to beating the champ. So just that climb, that competitiveness in your division, is amazing.”
Kayla Harrison is touting her looming bantamweight title defense against the former multi-time 135 pound titleholder Amanda Nunes as the biggest bout in the history of women’s mixed martial arts and understandably so. Speaking with Danny Segura of MMA Junkie, Harrison spoke about several subjects ahead of her highly anticipated super fight with the returning Amanda Nunes.
Touching upon the magnitude of the matchup against ‘The Lioness’ who returns to MMA after a period of being retired from the sport, Harrison said,
“This is probably the biggest fight or arguably one of the biggest fights in women’s MMA history… I have had conversations with coaches about how long to wait before asking because it’s not fair to the division. We all have a short window. I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen, Amanda is ready, she wants to fight, I want to fight, just waiting on details. I want to fight at the beginning of next year.”
“20 fights in, my game plan doesn’t change much, just altering little things. We’ve been training and preparing for a while… My Muay Thai coach has like 10 pages of notes on Amanda, who used to work with him. We’ve been in it.”
Kayla Harrison’s prior Amanda Nunes training dynamic “didn’t happen like I wanted”
As the former multi-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo outlined her brief yet well documented training history with Amanda Nunes from years back, Kayla Harrison continued,
“She [Amanda Nunes] is a big reason I moved to Florida. I came down, met Mike Brown, and second day sparred Amanda and I was like holy s**t. I hadn’t had an MMA fight yet. Very quickly I was like, ‘This is where I gotta be; you want to be the best, you train with the best.’ But our paths didn’t cross a ton; she was way ahead with privates and one-on-ones, but I always made myself available. We trained a little, but not a lot, which was unfortunate for me. I believe we had opportunity to raise each other’s level. There was no scarcity at the table, but it didn’t happen like I wanted.”
Merab Dvalishvili has a unique vision for how he sees this Cory Sandhagen fight ending relative to how a lot of Dvalishvili’s fights play out. As he aims to defend his 135 pound crown at UFC 320, the Georgia native foresees a finish transpiring in the standup portions of the fight instead of Dvalishvili’s typical path of weaponizing his path in a grappling vein to secure the victory.
Speaking to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Merab Dvalishvili addressed the claims from some that he’s perceiving this Sandhagen fight as an easy one and is overlooking Sandhagen a bit for a Petr Yan fight later this year to close out 2025 on a historic note. Touching on his next title challenger who he pointedly described as a dangerous opponent, Dvalishvili said,
âI have so much respect for him [Cory Sandhagen] as a fighter and as a human being. Every time I watch the knockout when he finished Frankie Edgar, it’s crazy for me. He had finish against [Mario] Bautista, dominated Chito Vera, great fight against Petr [Yan]. He’s dangerous, hard to stop, with submission games, knockout games, good cardio, good takedown defense, good footwork… It’s going to be a great fight and I’m looking forward to facing him.”
Merab Dvalishvili “looking for a knockout” agaisnt Sandhagen in October
As he continued to break down this next threat to his championship claim at UFC 320 on October 4th and the outcome he is mapping out for Sandhagen, Merab Dvalishvili continued,
“Yeah, I’m looking for a knockout because now I’m working on my striking. This fight most likely going to be on the feet. Of course, I’m going to exchange some punches with him and that’s the goal, but same time it’s MMA fight and we have to be ready for everything… I want to do my best to win but whatever happens, I will be happy because I will give all in my training camp and fighting. Even if he beats me, I will be happy for him because he’s a great opponent and deserves everything good.”
Raja Jackson has been arrested as a result of his beatdown of wrestler Syko Stu during a professional wrestling event held in late August.
Per a report from TMZ, Jackson was taken into custody on the morning of September 18 and faces a felony charge. As of the evening, Jackson is still in jail and is currently being held on $50,000 bond.
Jackson, the son of MMA legend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, was involved in an incident at a Knokx Pro Wrestling event. During what had been an agreed upon run-in for the show, Jackson came into the ring and slammed wrestler Syko Stu — real name Stuart Smith — with such strength that Stu was legitimately knocked unconscious.
Jackson then proceeded to rain down blows on Smith, landing about two dozen punches before other wrestlers intervened to separate the two. The whole incident was captured on Jackson’s streaming account.
Raja Jackson Jailed Following Syko Stu Incident
The incident came as a result of a miscommunication that occurred that morning, with Smith hitting Jackson after mistaking him for a wrestler who was going to be part of the show.
The two had agreed to work the incident into an angle on the program, although another wrestler during the livestream seemed to encourage Jackson to make sure Smith got a “receipt” for the incident.
Smith spent several days in the hospital with various injuries, at one point being in critical condition, but has since been released.
As a result of the incident, WWE, the UFC’s partner company under the TKO umbrella, cut ties with the Knokx Pro Wrestling promotion, which had been associated with the WWE ID (Independent Development) program.
