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  • Conor McGregor’s failed presidential run: Artem Lobov explains why it’s a good thing

    Artem Lobov has explained why he believes it’s a good thing that Conor McGregor has decided to withdraw from the Irish presidential race.

    Conor McGregor is known for being something of a wildcard, especially across the last few years of his career. Nobody really knows what he’s going to do next, and that’s the kind of energy he seems to enjoy. As we look ahead to the future, it’s unclear as to whether or not he’ll return to the UFC – but one thing he does seem fairly certain is that he’ll continue to pursue his political dreams.

    For now, though, Conor McGregor will not be running for President of Ireland after withdrawing from the race, which is something that a lot of experts had anticipated would happen. In a recent interview, the aforementioned Artem Lobov gave his thoughts on the whole situation.

    Artem Lobov on Conor McGregor withdrawing from presidential race

    “Running for president is something that we have spoken [about] all the way back [in the past],” Lobov told MMA Fighting. “One of the reasons for even for me to arrange a meeting with [Russian president] Vladimir Putin for Conor, that all had those kind of future aspirations. Running for president, you want to establish some contacts in the political world and obviously Vladimir Putin is one of the main figures in politics worldwide. We always spoke about that.”

    “This time around, I support the decision to withdraw because I don’t think Conor is in the right space right now,” Lobov explained. “Not in the right mindset to run for president. He has to get his ducks in a row first. We saw he pulled out of a press conference. That’s not Conor. I know Conor that showed up to fight for the interim belt with no legs. Both of his ligaments were torn in both of the knees, he was completely unable to walk and still showed up.

    “That’s the Conor I know. That’s the Conor that people believe would make a good president. I agree. That Conor for sure would make a great president and would address all the issues that need to be addressed right now in Ireland.”

    Quotes via MMA Fighting

  • Dana White Claims Jon Jon has Apologized for His Actions Towards the UFC

    Dana White Claims Jon Jon has Apologized for His Actions Towards the UFC

    UFC boss Dana White has claimed that Jon Jones has apologized for his actions towards the promotion as of late.

    As we know, Dana White is willing to settle differences if there’s money to be made – but it often takes a great deal of time and effort. When it comes to Jon Jones, however, Dana is usually quite accommodating, largely because he considers him to be the greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts.

    Despite that, even Dana White was pretty frustrated when Jon agreed to fight Tom Aspinall in a giant UFC heavyweight championship fight, only to walk away, despite seemingly being offered the money that he was asking for. Now that Jones has said he wants to un-retire and fight at the White House next year, Dana is understandably quite hesitant to commit to such an idea.

    In a recent podcast appearance, Dana White said that Jon Jones has since apologized to him for how all of this has gone down.

    Dana White clarifies Jon Jones issue

    “Jon sent me a text apologizing, but I need people that I can seriously rely on for this one [White House card]. People talk s*** about Conor — I’ve been in the trenches with Conor. He doesn’t care, he’ll literally fight anybody. Conor and I’ve been talking nonstop and he’s dead serious.”

    Who knows what the future holds for White and Jones and the UFC White House card – but what we do know is that right now, the boss isn’t interested.

  • Was the Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate Hatred Real? “It was Real Beef” ‘Cupcake’ Reveals All

    Was the Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate Hatred Real? “It was Real Beef” ‘Cupcake’ Reveals All

    UFC veteran Miesha Tate has revealed that the rivalry between herself and Ronda Rousey was real and not manufactured.

    Many years ago, Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey were not big fans of one another – and that’s putting it lightly. The two were engaged in a bitter rivalry that culminated in their fight following the conclusion of their Ultimate Fighter season, and while Rousey came out on top, Miesha went on to win the hearts of the masses as a big fan favourite.

    Of course, there’s always a certain amount of doubt when it comes to figuring out just how legitimate a rivalry is between two fighters. In a recent interview, though, Miesha Tate clarified that there was definitely some disdain there.

    Miesha Tate discusses Ronda Rousey rivalry

    “No, it was real beef and I think most the fans saw most of it because most of it happened publicly, you know. I mean it was all, you know, I think we were…tweeting each other back then. I don’t know.

    “It was like back and forth, you know, all the things. And so they had to follow along and all the drama, but I mean it’s not like her and I were meeting up and planning it out. No, it was like I just genuinely couldn’t stand her, you know.”

    Tate is currently considering what her next move is in mixed martial arts, whereas Ronda could also make a return. Who knows, maybe there’s a chance we’ll see the two of them run it back.

  • Why Did Dana White Nearly Come to Blows in the UFC Boardroom During COVID? UFC President Explains

    Why Did Dana White Nearly Come to Blows in the UFC Boardroom During COVID? UFC President Explains

    Dana White has revealed that he nearly got into a fist fight with a UFC executive towards the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    UFC boss Dana White is a strong-minded guy, and he’ll always push forward with trying to do things his own way. That was the case at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when, against all advice, he did everything in his power to put on events, even though the majority of other sports had shut down after advice from the government and health organizations.

    As you can imagine, Dana White received a lot of backlash for this decision. Instead of stepping down, though, he found a way to make the fights happen, and wound up receiving a mixture of praise and criticism for the move.

    In a recent interview, Dana White revealed just how unhappy one of the UFC executives was with this decision.

    Dana White’s near-miss fight with UFC executive 

    “Imagine when the s*** was going on and I said, nah, we’re gonna go through COVID. Imagine that one.”

    “I almost had a fist fight in one of our executive meetings. One of our execs thought that was absolutely not the right idea. F***ing freaked out, and I said, go home. No f***ing problem. You can go sit at home for the next f***ing, six to eight months. I don’t wanna hear any of your negativity. Don’t wanna f***ing hear it.”

    Love him or hate him, Dana is willing to stick to his guns no matter what.

  • Arman Tsarukyan provides update on UFC lightweight title picture

    Arman Tsarukyan provides update on UFC lightweight title picture

    UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has provided an update, from his perspective, on the current state of the title picture at 155 pounds.

    As we know, Arman Tsarukyan is one of the most intriguing contenders out there in the lightweight division. He’s come close to securing a title shot before, and now, he’s seemingly been left on the outside looking in – despite having a clear rivalry with Ilia Topuria.

    In terms of what the UFC wants to do, Arman Tsarukyan certainly seems to be one of the names being considered alongside Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. Right now, Topuria doesn’t have an opponent lined up, and he’s spending most of his time calling for a crossover boxing superfight against Terence Crawford.

    In a recent interview, however, Arman Tsarukyan attempted to shed some light on the situation.

    Arman Tsarukyan’s view on UFC lightweight title picture

    “Gaethje won’t fight Topuria… I think it’s more likely to be Pimblett than Gaethje. I think he’ll defend his title, and if Islam wins the title, he’ll move up to 170 and want to become a triple champ… 

    “He won’t want to fight me because he can make more money fighting Islam, and he has the chance to become the first ever triple champion in history and earn big money.”

    Tsarukyan isn’t going to stop until he gets his opportunity at Ilia Topuria, and while a lot of people don’t believe he has a chance, he’s certainly talented enough to cause the champion some real problems.

  • Who is Derek Moneyberg and Why Did Sean Strickland Publicly Ambush Him?

    Who is Derek Moneyberg and Why Did Sean Strickland Publicly Ambush Him?

    Derek Moneyberg was confronted recently by Sean Strickland but some are still unsure as to who Moneyberg is or what the crux of the confrontation was. Breaking all of this down on The Ariel Helwani Show, the titular figure first touched on that initial piece of this situation as Helwani said,

    “For those that don’t know who Derek Moneyberg is…he’s someone that you may see quite often on social media, on YouTube, on Instagram, but not really sort of process who exactly this dude is.”

    One of his co hosts who operates under the pseudonym GC would flesh out Moneyberg’s profile a bit more as GC responded,

    “He’s like an online wealth coach, that’s how he makes his money and he appears to have a lot of it. And then he goes out there and hires guys like Jake Shields, Glover [Teixeira]…dudes that are very high level mixed martial artists and he trains with them. The biggest controversy lately is that he earned his BJJ black belt after only, I believe, like a year or two of training. And a lot of people have called him out for that…”

    In terms of some of the over the top claims that have drawn Moneyberg the ire of many martial arts aficionados, GC stated,

    “What he [Moneyberg] claims is three and a half years from first training to black belt. 3,000 hours of one-on-one training. The best training team in history. In the picture, it’s Lyoto Machida, Glover Teixeira, Jake Shields, and Frank Mir. Zero days missed over the three and a half years of training with these guys.”

    One of Helwani’s other co-hosts Petesy Carroll then responded to GC as Carroll,

    “Well, that would make him quicker than BJ Penn, the black belt. And BJ Penn had a record as a North American for years…”

    Derek Moneyberg, Sean Strickland, and details of their viral interaction

    In the video that was recorded by the former UFC middleweight champion himself, Sean Strickland lambasted Derek Moneyberg as Strickland quipped,

    “This guy’s a real big rope jack. He says, ‘Why do I call him a scumbag on the internet?’…

    Derek Moneyberg would then respond to the overt advances of Strickland as Moneyberg responded,

    “You got to do that for [the] camera. You can’t have a private conversation like an adult. You can only do the things for the internet. You can’t have a private conversation.”

    Strickland was not long to fire back a retort as right away, Strickland responded,

    “Because what I have to say is factual. And you guys…”

    Derek Moneyberg refuted those claims when he said,

    “It’s not factual.”

    Shortly after that point the internet personality walked off of camera with the former 185 pound kingpin in the UFC continuing to express himself as Strickland stated,

    “Just…So you guys, let me tell you why I don…Don’t—would I like to get free money from this guy? Yeah, sure, dude, would I—would I pay me money for a second? …. He takes advantage of these men and he uses their platform to pedal financial scams and he sues people and what he does is so dishonest and so scummy that no—I will not just cuz you’re nice and you shake my hand and you say you’re my buddy when no—you are a fraud, you are dishonest, you fraud people. This is why you don’t want to be on camera because you know everything I say is true… Go scam somebody else.”

    After the personalities on The Ariel Helwani Show finished watching the Strickland and Moneyberg footage, GC quipped,

    “He has these 4.1 million followers, but if you look at all his posts, they all do like 40,000 likes on the dot. Like, just a little bit over 40,000 likes. And they always have like 30 to 35 comments…

    The titular figure of the program would respond to those social media figures as Ariel Helwani said,

    “If you’re getting 40,000 likes and 30 comments, that means…”

    Undulating along with that point from Helwani, GC stated,

    “But if you’re always getting like 42K, 41.9, 42.3, 42K, 42K, 42K, 41.6K, 42K. It’s always right there.”

  • Michael Chandler could be a “Sexy Opportunity” for a UFC Veteran

    Michael Chandler could be a “Sexy Opportunity” for a UFC Veteran

    Michael Chandler is one of the most widely called out lightweights in the UFC and Chandler has been called out by ‘The Great Ape’. That combatant in question is riding a four fight winning streak with back to back striking-based finishes on his ledger. This was expressed during an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show by Alexander Hernandez who is riding high off of his recent Noche UFC win.

    That victory over Diego Ferreira marked Hernandez’s second win in less than a month with a prior finish of Chase Hooper at UFC 319 in August. When referencing that he called out the former multi-time Bellator MMA champion in his Noche UFC post-fight interview with Helwani asking his guest how confident he is that ‘Iron’ Michael would accept that challenge, Hernandez said,

    “I love that idea. I think it’s something that could happen. It could be a sexy opportunity for either one of us…I think it’s a 2026 fight. The reason for the delay is I want to clean up this left side first…If I can get that back to par, I’ll be as exciting as anyone expects…I’ve entertained the matchup for over a year now. We’ve breached those doors now…I think it’s just a fun stylistic matchup…I don’t think he’ll wait for Conor [McGregor] to fight on this White House card. I wouldn’t rely on Conor for anything if I were him.”

    Michael Chandler eyes spot on UFC White House card

    Michael Chandler has that White House card in his crosshairs, as Hernandez referenced above, and has enthusiastically expressed his desire to be part of that event which is tentatively mapped out for June 2026. Since his loss to Paddy Pimblett in April, Chandler has not engaged in any discourse about a subsequent fight this year.

    In fact, it seems as if Chandler is not specifically targeting competing again in 2025, at least at this juncture. In terms of discussing his desire to fight in alignment with celebrating 250 years of America, Michael Chandler stated [via Uncrowned],

    “That’s the one I want, but every single person on the entire UFC roster wants that fight. I realize that I, as well as everyone on the roster, are gunning for that card, wanting to be on that card. You got Jon Jones coming out of retirement, entering the testing pool. You got Conor [McGregor] entering the testing pool right after that gets announced, so that’s the one everybody wants. That’s the pinnacle.”

    “Is that gonna be my next fight? I don’t know, but I’m definitely wanting to be on that card. I’ve spoken to the UFC about it. They know I want to be on that card, carrying the red, white and blue stars and bars across the lawn into the UFC octagon. It would be a dream come true. Opponent to be determined. We shall see.”

  • Michael Chandler still believes in his heart that he’ll fight Conor McGregor at UFC White House

    UFC veteran Michael Chandler has said that he still believes he will fight Conor McGregor, potentially at next year’s UFC White House event.

    For the longest time, Michael Chandler has been pursuing a showdown with Conor McGregor. While it’s been close to happening on a number of occasions, it’s never quite come to fruition. Now, however, with Dana White suggesting that Conor is serious about returning, it could be back on the table.

    Next summer, the UFC plans on heading to the White House for a major event. For Michael Chandler, there’s no better moment for him and the Irishman to finally lock horns.

    Michael Chandler wants Conor McGregor at White House

    “I think we’re closer now than we ever have been,” Chandler told MMA Fighting about McGregor actually fighting again. “I’ve always said if you’re a betting man, don’t put money on him necessarily coming back but now this changes things a lot.

    “In my heart of hearts, I think I’m fighting Conor McGregor at the White House and that sure does make a ton of sense for a multitude of reasons.”

    “First and foremost, I want the White House,” Chandler said. “Ideally, if it becomes Conor, that would be awesome. We have some unfinished business. I’ve got respect for him, he’s got respect for me, but we do have [some] unfinished business. He has expressed interest. 

    “When he put out that meme of me and him, I guess could call it a meme, it was A.I., it was me and him. He’s called me out on Twitter and said we have unfinished business and we do.”

    Quotes via MMA Fighting

  • Dana White Lashes Out When Asked About the UFC’s Superstar Problems

    Dana White Lashes Out When Asked About the UFC’s Superstar Problems

    UFC boss Dana White wasn’t happy when being asked about the promotion potentially having a problem with a lack of superstars right now.

    For the longest time, Dana White has been building the brand of the Ultimate Fighting Championship – and it’s gone pretty well for him. From a financial point of view, he could easily ride off into the sunset and retire, but he instead opts to keep going in an attempt to grow the UFC even more.

    One thing that has been pointed out, though, is that there aren’t as many must-see fighters currently active in the UFC. While Dana White will point to the finances of it all, especially after their recent TV deal, there certainly aren’t as many big names as there was once.

    When asked about this by Logan Paul, Dana White had the following to say.

    Dana White’s view on superstar problem in UFC

    “I would love to hear, who the f*** is the guy that’s saying they have a superstar problem? Tell me what f***ing genius, in the business, right? Even these boxing guys that I was arguing with ten years ago. Where are they all now?”

    White was told that Logan had heard it from Ariel Helwani, at which point he laughed the situation off. Either way, though, this feels like quite a relevant topic right now, especially as the UFC White House card approaches next year.

    Who knows, maybe the potential return of Conor McGregor will change some opinions on this matter.

  • Ronda Rousey Accused of Being Rude to Production Workers Behind the Scenes

    Ronda Rousey Accused of Being Rude to Production Workers Behind the Scenes

    UFC fighter Miesha Tate has accused Ronda Rousey of being difficult behind the scenes during their season of The Ultimate Fighter.

    As we know, Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest stars in the history of mixed martial arts. She achieved some great things throughout the course of her time in the sport, but we also know that she’s been faced with a lot of criticism – with most of it coming down to her perceived bad attitude.

    For the longest time, Ronda Rousey was seen as untouchable in the cage. For part of that run, arguably her biggest rival was Miesha Tate, who she faced off against during a season of The Ultimate Fighter as coaches.

    In a recent interview, though, Tate revealed that there was more to the story when it came to Ronda.

    Miesha Tate questions Ronda Rousey’s attitude

    “I think the things that people didn’t see though is like, on the Ultimate Fighter there was definitely—because there’s, you know, they clipped that up so much and there’s only…such a small bit of what you would actually see—but you know I expected her to be all pissy towards me and everything and I was like, I’m fine with that because we’re going to punch each other in the face at the end of the day.

    “You know I get mine but what people didn’t get to see is like how rude she was to the people behind, you know, like the camera people, the producers, like those kinds of people who she knew that she could be a [bleep] to and she wasn’t, you know, it’s like the spoiled little girl in the family, you know, the youngest and she’s a girl and the older brother just has to deal with all, you know, all her [bleep]. It was kind of like that kind of attitude except she was a bully, too.”

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov Reveals His Top 3 Favorite Fighters of All-Time

    Khabib Nurmagomedov Reveals His Top 3 Favorite Fighters of All-Time

    UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has listed his three favorite fighters of all time.

    As we know, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been recognized as one of the greatest to ever compete in mixed martial arts for many years now. He retired as champion, he retired with an undefeated record, and he retired after defeating some of the biggest names in the history of the lightweight division. Nowadays, he focuses his attention on helping to grow the legacy and reputation of his family as they continue to thrive in their own right.

    Of course, Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t just fall into MMA or wrestling one day – he was inspired to do it. When he was younger, he sat and watched some of the greatest of all time compete just like we all did, before going on to (arguably) surpass their legacies.

    In a recent interview, Khabib Nurmagomedov named three of his favorite fighters from back in the day.

    Khabib Nurmagomedov lists his favorite fighters

    “When I grew up it was two, maybe three. Three of my favorite fighters when I was, 16? They was on prime. It was Fedor, it was Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, and Georges St-Pierre. It was on prime. It was UFC, Pride champions. I grew up watching their fights.

    “When I met them first [time], it was very big [and] emotional for me, because I grew up with their fights.”

    We’ll likely never see Khabib compete again, but it’s fun to know that he looked up to many of the fighters that most of us knew and loved.

  • Why Conor McGregor said This Nine Years Ago: “I Don’t Give a f**k About Donald Trump. He Can Shut His Big Fat Mouth”

    Why Conor McGregor said This Nine Years Ago: “I Don’t Give a f**k About Donald Trump. He Can Shut His Big Fat Mouth”

    These days, Conor McGregor is a pretty big fan of US president Donald Trump – but as it turns out, that wasn’t always the case.

    In recent years, Conor McGregor has taken a pretty keen interest in the world of politics. He’s also been involved in a fair few scandals along the way outside of his fighting career, but he still has some support out there. Some of that support stems from the White House, with Donald Trump being a notable fan of the Irishman after they met earlier this year.

    In fact, Conor McGregor has even expressed his interest in competing on the UFC White House card which is currently set to take place next summer. Whether or not that comes to fruition remains to be seen, but the plans are certainly in place.

    In a video uncovered from almost a decade ago, though, Conor McGregor hit out at Donald Trump for criticizing Ronda Rousey following her loss to Holly Holm.

    Conor McGregor’s old comments about Donald Trump

    “Why is that Donald Trump talking trash? I didn’t know Donald Trump was talking trash…it’s easy for someone that’s not in there to comment, but it’s different when you’re in there. The emotions are high…so it is what it is. You want to touch gloves, then don’t. That means nothing. Donald can shut his big fat mouth. I don’t give a f**k about Donald Trump.”

    “It was a very tough fight. Holly fought a great fight. And much respect. This is the fight business, these things happen. So Ronda will be back. True champions come back. And congratulations to Holly, the new champion…defeat is the secret ingredient to success, so true champions can conquer that, overcome it, and come back. So I wish her all the best and that’s it.”

  • Diego Lopes’ Message to Jean Silva and the Fighting Nerds: Talk less, train more.

    Diego Lopes’ Message to Jean Silva and the Fighting Nerds: Talk less, train more.

    Diego Lopes emerged victorious at Noche UFC, ending Jean Silva’s perfect UFC record with a devastating second-round spinning elbow knockout. The Brazilian featherweight used his post-fight platform to deliver a pointed message to Silva and his celebrated Fighting Nerds team: “Talk less, train more.”

    Diego Lopes: Talk less, train more.

    The knockout victory came at 4:48 of the second round after Lopes caught Silva with a perfectly timed spinning back elbow that opened a significant cut on Silva’s head. The sequence followed Silva’s aggressive pursuit in the final moments of the round, with Lopes capitalizing on his opponent’s forward momentum to land the decisive strike.

    Following the stoppage, tensions escalated when Silva struck Diego Lopes in the back of the head while being attended to by medical personnel. Lopes addressed the incident during his post-fight press conference, expressing surprise at Silva’s reaction. “I was surprised he did that too. I felt the punch on the back of my head. I turned around, like he elbowed me in the back of my head? I don’t understand, for why? But it’s okay. This is maybe the emotion. Because this guy is a little bit hungry because he lost the fight.”

    The Brazilian’s advice to Silva was delivered without hesitation when asked about his defeated opponent. “Maybe train more. Talk less, train more,” Diego Lopes stated during his post fight press conference

    Lopes also explained his provocative gesture toward Silva’s corner team following the victory. The Brazilian climbed the cage and directed obscene gestures at Silva’s training partners, citing pre-fight verbal exchanges as motivation. “Before I enter the octagon, the cutman put the Vaseline in my face. His partners, his corners were talking a lot, like ‘oh you die today, this guy will kill you, you suck, this guy will knock you out.’ Talking a lot of bad words,” Diego Lopes explained.

    The defeat represents a significant setback for the Fighting Nerds organization, which has experienced a dramatic decline in 2025 following their breakout success in 2024. All four major members of the Brazilian team have now suffered losses this year, with Silva’s defeat completing a troubling pattern for the previously dominant squad.

    Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy both lost at UFC Paris on September 7, marking the first defeats for these previously unbeaten fighters. Carlos Prates, though he bounced back with a knockout victory over Geoff Neal, also suffered his first UFC loss earlier in the year to Ian Machado Garry.

    The Fighting Nerds, founded in 2014 by Borralho and coach Pablo Sucupira, gained international recognition for their analytical approach to fighting and their signature taped glasses worn by team members. The organization was named the “Best MMA Gym in the World” in 2023, surpassing established camps like American Top Team and American Kickboxing Academy.

    Silva, who entered the fight riding a 13-fight winning streak dating back to 2018, acknowledged his team’s recent struggles in a post-fight statement. The 28-year-old admitted to abandoning his game plan and fighting emotionally rather than strategically. “Unfortunately, emotions were high on Saturday. I was performing well in the second round but let my fighting spirit take over. I fought independently and didn’t heed my team’s advice. This loss is on me,” Silva said.

    The featherweight contender also addressed the broader issues facing his team, stating, “One thing you guys were right about… The Fighting Nerds lost three in a row. So the three of us must be making similar mistakes. So for sure, me, Caio, and Ruffy will have a meeting. We’ll figure this out and improve.”

    For Lopes, the victory marked a significant rebound following his unsuccessful title challenge against Alexander Volkanovski in April. The 30-year-old improved to 27-7 overall and positioned himself for another potential title opportunity in the featherweight division.

    The Brazilian earned both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses for his spectacular finish, adding $100,000 to his purse. Despite the animosity during fight week and immediately following the bout, both fighters eventually reconciled backstage, with Silva congratulating Lopes and predicting his future championship success.

    Lopes’ message to the Fighting Nerds reflects a broader narrative about the team’s recent struggles and questions surrounding their ability to perform under increased scrutiny and against elite-level competition. Former UFC champion Kamaru Usman has suggested the team needs to incorporate more wrestling into their training approach to achieve championship-level success.

    The victory establishes Lopes as a legitimate contender in the featherweight division while highlighting the challenges facing the Fighting Nerds as they attempt to recover from their most difficult period since gaining international prominence.

    Noche UFC: Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva Weigh-In Results
    Image: @diegolopesmma/Instagram
  • BKFC Tyson says “Death is coming” for Ben Rothwell: “I’m cracking his head”

    BKFC Tyson says “Death is coming” for Ben Rothwell: “I’m cracking his head”

    Leonardo Perdomo secured a massive win at BKFC 80 and ‘El Zambo’ is now putting BKFC heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell in his crosshairs. Perdomo’s win in the September 12th headlining fight in Hollywood, Florida saw him finish former multi-time BKFC titleholder Arnold Adams for the second time. Perdomo is now 9-0 in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship with all nine of his wins coming by way of first round knockout.

    A ledger like that in gloveless combat could certainly justify a title shot to many and Perdomo expressed that sentiment when he called out current titleholder Ben Rothwell at the BKFC 80 post-fight press conference as Perdomo said [via MMA Junkie],

    “Everybody knows Ben Rothwell is scared of me. I’m not in a rush. When BKFC gives me opportunity for the title, then OK. But Ben Rothwell is a little boy.”

    “When someone knows you want to kill them, that person goes pale. Death is coming over [Rothwell], OK? If the fight happens, I’m cracking his head. The thing is that BKFC opened the doors for me, and they gave me a chance to become a professional, the chance to make a name for myself – Zambo – so I have to wait for them to give me the opportunity. This is a process. It’s little by little. I’m going to continue growing with the league and continue to help them grow.”

    The BKFC resumes of Ben Rothwell and Leonardo Perdomo

    Ben Rothwell stands atop the BKFC’s heavyweight division with the former UFC veteran ascending to the throne in January. At KnuckleMania V, Rothwell stopped then-titleholder Mick Terrill in less than forty seconds to become the new champion in Philadelphia. Rothwell also has a spotless record in bare knuckle with Big Ben earning prior wins over Bobo O’Bannon, Josh Copeland, and Todd Duffee with his present record in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship set at 4-0.

    For Leonardo Perdomo, he has earned wins over bare knuckle stalwarts like Ryan Shough, Bobby Brents, Leo Bercier, Steven Banks, and Levi Costa. The Cuban leviathan also scored a win over a former gloved boxing titleholder in former WBA champ Steve Herelius.

  • Yoel Romero finds potential BKFC title fight “Very Tempting”, post-BKFC 80

    Yoel Romero finds potential BKFC title fight “Very Tempting”, post-BKFC 80

    Yoel Romero made a big splash in his BKFC debut to the scale that his sophomore fight in bare knuckle boxing could potentially be for a title. ‘Soldier of God’ dispatched of Theo Doukas with a bloody second round stoppage after dropping Doukas multiple times. Romero won his bare knuckle debut in the heavyweight ranks. This transpired in the feature fight of the night at BKFC 80 in Hollywood, Florida on September 12th.

    During the former UFC veteran’s post-fight interview, his interest was gauged in a potential cut down to cruiserweight for the purposes of a potential future shot at the BKFC crusierweight belt. BKFC cruiserweight champion Chris Camozzi will next defend his crown against Alessio Sakara in the headliner of BKFC 83 in Italy on October 25th. Romero has contended for UFC gold on multiple occasions and at the BKFC 80 post-fight press conference, when the former Bellator MMA title challenger was asked how it felt competing without the gloves, Romero said [through the aid of an interpreter],

    “Thank you and first thank God for everything that has happened to me and I’ve been in this game for a long time and I’ll still come.”

    Yoel Romero: it would “be an honor” to fight for BKFC gold

    Referencing the in-ring suggestion regarding a possible future title fight against the BKFC Italy main event victor and when asked what the Cuban competitor wants as his next step in BKFC, Romero stated [through the aid of an interpreter],

    “Sounds very tempting. Of course when you fight and you discuss something like that, it would always be an honor. But I’m ready for whatever they put on the table for me.”

    The former Olympic silver medal winning judoka has found himself thriving across multiple combat sports rulesets with a pair of wins on the Dirty Boxing Championship circuit before this recent debut effort in gloveless combat. Finally when asked what example he wants to leave here at BKFC with his vast experience in combat sports, Yoel Romero quipped [through the aid of an interpreter],

    “I don’t wake up and think about this. It’s what God has for me and the purpose that God has for me and I will continue to do that.”

  • Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Episode 6 Highlights As 4 Awarded UFC Contracts

    Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9, Episode 6 Highlights As 4 Awarded UFC Contracts

    The latest season of Dana White’s Contender Series continued with another night of memorable action in Las Vegas.

    DWCS began in 2017 and has produced a notable number of fighters currently on the UFC’s roster. Since the show’s inception in 2017, a couple have even gone on to claim UFC championships. Known as “The ultimate job interview,” DWCS features five fights weekly, over the course of 10 weeks, as combatants compete to impress UFC CEO and President Dana White and earn a UFC contract.

    Last year’s edition saw 42 fighters earn a contract with the world’s leading MMA organization across 10 events, slightly down from the 46 handed out in 2023. Episode six of season nine this week saw four prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon’s bright lights.

    Cody Chovancek got the night off with a finish, taking out Raphael Uchegbu. Despite a fence grab while defending Uchegbu’s grappling attempts, Chovancek rocked and dropped Uchegbu with an elbow. Uchegbu would not be deterred, however, using a triangle to threaten a submission and try to limit Chovancek’s movement on the ground. After Uchegbu’s grappling was fended off again in the second, Chovancek landed a combination just seconds into the final round to earn the finish.

    Thomas Gantt earned a strong performance in his own right, defeating Adam Livingston. A protegee of Daniel Cormier, Gantt pressured Livingston to the fence in a clinching battle. In spite of fence grabs by Livingston, earning him a point deduction, Gantt scored a strong takedown and didn’t take back, completely overwhelming Livingston with his grappling strength. Gantt locked up a guillotine for the first-round submission victory and a UFC contract.

    The biggest underdog of the night, Iwo Baraniewski, pulled off a stunner in the co-main event, taking out Mahamed Aly in only 20 seconds. Baraniewski took a leg kick from Aly but needed just one strong right hand to put him to the canvas. Despite protests not long after the stoppage, referee Mike Beltran called it one second after Aly’s head hit the canvas. Needless to say, Baraniewski earned a UFC deal.

    In the main event, Hecher Sosa came away with an easy decision win over Mackson Lee. Sosa pressured Lee almost immediately, bringing him to the fence and overwhelming him with striking attacks. Lee only landed two strikes the entire first round, however, he nearly scored a guillotine choke submission. Sosa went back to overwhelming pressure in the second round, and despite a brief slowdown towards the later stage of that round, it was a dominating performance for Sosa, who swept the scorecards and earned a contract.

    TUF 32 alumnus Paddy McCorry was in action this evening as well, taking on Hwang In-su. In-su was able to pressure McCorry during the first two rounds but found himself unable to pull the trigger. McCorry was able to land leg kicks and counter strikes, trying to show off his power. In spite of McCorry’s aggressive approach, neither man really pulled the trigger much in the later stages of the fight. Despite his win, McCorry was not awarded a contract.

    Raphael Uchegbu vs. Cody Chovancek

    Hwang In-su vs. Paddy McCorry

    Adam Livingston vs. Thomas Gantt

    Iwo Baraniewski vs. Mahamed Aly

    Hecher Sosa vs. Mackson Lee

  • Netflix: Crawford vs. Canelo Draws an Incredible 41.1M Global Viewers

    Netflix: Crawford vs. Canelo Draws an Incredible 41.1M Global Viewers

    Canelo Alvarez’s clash with Terence Crawford was a smashing success for Netflix.

    According to Netflix, the undisputed title tilt between two of boxing’s brightest stars drew in more than 41 million global viewers, making it the most-viewed men’s championship bout this century.

    “Over 41 million global viewers watched #CaneloCrawford on Netflix, making it the most-viewed men’s championship boxing match this century!” the streaming giant announced on X.

    Per a report from Reteurs, the peak viewership for Crawford-Canelo was more than 24 million concurrent streams and it was the top-ranked program on Netflix in 30 nations, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Philippines, Australia and Argentina.

    Crawford vs. Canelo Gate Good Enough for Third-Highest in Boxing History

    UFC CEO Dana White, who promoted the event alongside Turki Alalshikh in Las Vegas, also revealed that the total gate at Allegiant Stadium was a whopping $47.23 million. That’s good enough to make it the third-highest gate in boxing history, only behind Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor‘s $55 million gate and Mayweather’s showdown with Manny Pacquiao which holds down the top spot, having brought in $72 million.

    Crawford won the bout on Saturday night, securing a unanimous decision victory over Canelo to capture the undisputed super middleweight world championship. With the win, ‘Bud’ improved his overall record to 42-0 (31 KO) while Canelo fell to 63-3 (39 KO) with his only other losses coming against Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol.

    While 41 million is an undeniably impressive number, it still pales in comparison to November’s fight between Jake Paul and ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, which brought in 108 million global viewers on Netflix.

  • Why Dana White is Picking Conor McGregor over Jon Jones

    Why Dana White is Picking Conor McGregor over Jon Jones

    MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on why Dana White seemingly trusts Conor McGregor more than Jon Jones heading into next summer’s UFC White House event.

    It’s no secret that the UFC White House show is going to be an absolutely huge deal for the promotion if it happens. Dana White seems to be very serious about getting it done and more often than not, when that dynamic develops, he doesn’t stop until it becomes official.

    Recently, Jon Jones and Conor McGregor have made it known they want to compete at the White House – but Dana White seemed to be more comfortable with the idea of McGregor fighting on that card than Jones. In a recent video, Chael Sonnen explained why he thinks that’s the case.

    Chael Sonnen on Dana White, Conor McGregor and Jon Jones

    “Jon really wants on the card. Jon did something that was deemed underhanded in his negotiations with Aspinall. This gets made public. Jon apologizes. He went to Dana White in a text message. Dana said, ‘I let it be known that I didn’t like how this whole thing went down with Aspinall. 

    “I thought that we had had an agreement. I’m not cool with that.’ And Jon came to him and apologized, said, ‘I’m sorry how this whole thing went down with Tom.’ And that goes a long way. I’m just following the golden rule in life, but put myself in Dana’s shoes. If I get this apology from Jon, that goes a long way. It doesn’t heal everything, but it means something.”

    “Conor McGregor would be the go-to guy. Dana White gave Conor a tremendous compliment, saying, ‘Man, I can count on him. If I got a deal with him and things go awry—and they always do—he will do what he says, which is compete at the agreed-upon weight class for the agreed-upon price with whoever it ends up being.’ 

    “That’s a big deal, especially for your top draw. Of the 700-plus athletes under contract, they’re all hearing that compliment. It does change with top draws—they get a little more difficult and if you change part of the deal, they see it as their right to change their part, which just means more money. So, Dana paying that compliment to Conor is a big deal.”

  • Eddie Hearn vs. Dana White – Boxing Promoter Ready to Take on UFC Boss

    Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has made it crystal clear that he wouldn’t be opposed to going head to head with UFC boss Dana White following his entry into the sport of boxing.

    For many years now, Eddie Hearn has been viewed as one of the best promoters in boxing, and perhaps in all of combat sports. He has never been afraid to speak his mind, and he’s always tried to put on the best fights possible – even if that’s rubbed a few people the wrong way.

    Now, there’s a new challenger in the boxing space, and his name is Dana White. Dana was part of the promotion for the Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez event last weekend and Eddie Hearn clearly took notice of that.

    In a recent interview, Eddie Hearn spoke openly about what it means for White to enter boxing, and what he’s excited for.

    Eddie Hearn’s view on Dana White

    “You’re not going to see me slagging off Dana White – not because I don’t want to upset him, because I respect him. The one thing I would really like at this point in my career is to go head-to-head with him and to take him on. I want to compete against Dana White. 

    “I want to prove that I’m much better than him as a boxing promoter. So, I’m excited for him to come into the space. Competition’s fantastic, but you’re not going to come into boxing and steamroll the game. It’s not going to happen. Let’s see how it plays out.”

  • Terence Crawford Message to the Doubters: “Prove them all wrong” with Canelo Victory

    Terence Crawford Message to the Doubters: “Prove them all wrong” with Canelo Victory

    Boxing great Terence Crawford has a message for his doubters in the wake of his triumph over Canelo Alvarez last weekend.

    On Saturday night, Terence Crawford proved why he deserves to be talked about as one of the greatest boxers of this or any other generation. He went up three weight classes and defeated Canelo Alvarez, and while many of the rounds were close, he did more than enough to get his hand raised on the scorecards.

    Ever since then, Terence Crawford has understandably enjoyed basking in the glory of his success. It hasn’t always been an easy road for him in the midst of many doubters questioning his resume, including Canelo himself. Alas, now there are very few critics left, and if he so desired, he could ride off into the sunset knowing that he is one of the very best.

    In a recent interview, Terence Crawford had a few words for those that have spent many years doubting him.

    Terence Crawford revels in Canelo success

    “They said I couldn’t sell, that I lose money, that I don’t have personality – that narrative was out there. Saturday night, I saw the turnout, saw the supporters, saw the history-making numbers. It was a great feeling to prove them all wrong and to validate everything I’ve been saying over the past ten-plus years.”

    Regardless of what happens next, Crawford knows that he has written his name into the history books.

    Who knows, perhaps a collision with Ilia Topuria could be on the cards.

  • Why Ilia Topuria vs. Terence Crawford Could Happen – UFC Insider Explains

    Why Ilia Topuria vs. Terence Crawford Could Happen – UFC Insider Explains

    UFC commentator Michael Bisping has given his thoughts on why Ilia Topuria vs Terence Crawford could become a reality one day.

    We all know that Ilia Topuria is one of the fastest-rising stars in combat sports today. He may also be the pound for pound best fighter in mixed martial arts. However, instead of focusing his attention on the UFC right now, the lightweight champion has set his sights on a potential superfight against none other than Terence Crawford.

    Crawford is coming off the back of a huge win over Canelo Alvarez that really cemented his status as one of the greatest of all time, and certainly of this generation. Ilia Topuria, meanwhile, is someone who has always been interested in chasing greatness, and we can’t see that changing anytime soon.

    In a recent video, Michael Bisping explained why Ilia Topuria vs Terence Crawford is a real possibility.

    Michael Bisping on Terence Crawford vs Ilia Topuria

    “Because there will be two fan bases tuning in. And that’s what happened with the money fight. You’ve got all the boxing fans and then you’ve got all the MMA fans and of course you’ve got Dana White in the middle. Dana just did business with Terrence Crawford. Ilia is under contract with the UFC. So, it’s not unbelievable to think of a world where this might happen.”

    Topuria may not even stand a chance against Crawford in the eyes of many, but there’s some serious money to be made with this kind of fight.

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s Biggest Threat is Reinier de Ridder, According to Former Opponent

    Khamzat Chimaev’s Biggest Threat is Reinier de Ridder, According to Former Opponent

    Gilbert Burns believes that Khamzat Chimaev‘s biggest threat in his UFC middleweight title reign is Reinier de Ridder.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the reigning UFC middleweight champion. He dominated and defeated Dricus du Plessis to claim the belt and now, the focus has shifted to who his first challenger will be. There are plenty of options on the table, but one of the most obvious is Reinier de Ridder.

    RDR has been on fire since he first entered the promotion and now, it feels like he may be just one win away from a title shot. While he may now be facing Brendan Allen instead of Anthony Hernandez in his next bout, de Ridder could easily earn a crack at Khamzat Chimaev if he puts on yet another impressive performance.

    In the eyes of Gilbert Burns, who once took Khamzat Chimaev to the limit at welterweight, RDR could cause the champ some problems.

    Gilbert Burns’ view on Khamzat Chimaev vs Reinier de Ridder

    “I actually had a jiu-jitsu big camp in Brazil, I talked to Chimaev’s coach, his jiu-jitsu coach, who I fought before. He ask me who do you think is the hardest fight? I think it’s RDR. And then he said, me too, I think it’s RDR. I think he can win. I think his jiu-jitsu is high level. Trained with him a couple of times. Very long, very big. Not sure how he makes middleweight, he’s huge.”

    Regardless of how you examine it, Khamzat has a lot of possible contenders to deal with.

  • UFC Rankings Report: Noche UFC Winner Now Top-15 Bantamweight After Just Two Octagon Bouts

    UFC Rankings Report: Noche UFC Winner Now Top-15 Bantamweight After Just Two Octagon Bouts

    The latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the UFC rankings toward contention and others fall away.

    And in the aftermath of Saturday’s Noche UFC, MMA News has you covered with this week’s complete updates.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Following her Noche UFC loss, Amanda Lemos moves down one spot to No. 15, swapping places with Maycee Barber (now No. 14).

    Women’s Strawweight: Following her Noche UFC win, Tatiana Suarez moves up one spot, tying Virna Jandiroba for the No. 1 contender slot.

    Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

    Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.

    Flyweight: No changes.

    Bantamweight: Following his win at Noche UFC, David Martinez enters the bantamweight rankings at No. 11. The man he beat, Rob Font, falls three spots to No. 12.

    Aiemann Zahabi and Henry Cejudo each move up one spot to No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. Vinicius Oliveira, Marcus McGhee, and Kyler Phillips all fall one spot, respectively, to No. 13, No. 14, and No. 15.

    Montel Jackson departs the list.

    Featherweight: No changes.

    Lightweight: No changes.

    Welterweight: No changes.

    Middleweight: No changes.

    Light Heavyweight: No changes.

    Heavyweight: In a bit of a surprise, Ante Delija falls one spot to No. 10, swapping places with the man he recently beat, Marcin Tybura (who now moves back up to No. 9).

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • Anthony Hernandez Out Of UFC Vancouver, Reinier De Ridder To Now Face Brendan Allen In Headliner

    Anthony Hernandez Out Of UFC Vancouver, Reinier De Ridder To Now Face Brendan Allen In Headliner

    An exciting battle that could have potentially determined the first challenger to middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is now off, as Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez has been forced out of UFC Vancouver due to injury.

    As a result, Reinier De Ridder will now face Brendan Allen in the main event of UFC Vancouver.

    The UFC confirmed the news in a social media post on Monday, September 15.

    Hernandez confirmed the news that evening with a statement on social media.

    UFC Vancouver To Now Be Headlined By Reinier De Ridder vs. Brendan Allen

    “I want to sincerely apologize to the UFC, to my opponent Reinier De Ridder, and to everyone who was looking forward to this matchup,” Hernandez said. “I also want to thank Brendan Allen for stepping up, it means a lot. To my fans, thank you for always tuning in, supporting me, and riding with me through everything. Right now my focus is on getting healthy so I can come back stronger than ever. When I return, I’ll be ready to make a statement.”

    The fight was, and still is, pivotal for the middleweight title scene. Hernandez vs. De Ridder was previously mentioned alongside Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho as potential title eliminators. The stakes appeared raise after Imavov’s lackluster win over Borralho at UFC Paris a couple of weeks ago.

    De Ridder, the former two-division ONE champion, is 4-0 in the UFC since arriving to the Octagon last fall. His Octagon record has included finishes of Gerald Meerschaert, Kevin Holland, and Bo Nickal, as well as a split decision victory over Robert Whittaker.

    Allen fought two months ago at UFC 318, scoring a decision over Marvin Vettori.

  • Islam Makhachev Will Submit Jack Della Maddalena In The Championship Rounds, According to Former UFC Contender

    Islam Makhachev Will Submit Jack Della Maddalena In The Championship Rounds, According to Former UFC Contender

    Islam Makhachev will finish Jack Della Maddalena in the later stages of their oncoming welterweight title fight according to a former UFC title challenger at 170 pounds. Dan Hardy spoke about this looming fight at Madison Square Garden during a recent interview he did with Helen Yee Sports.

    Islam Makhachev vacated his lightweight belt in the attempt to enter that rarefied air of two divison UFC champions in history when the Dagestan native tries to unseat JDM from his welterweight throne on November 15th. When discussing the machinations of this matchup in Q4 of 2025, Dan Hardy said,

    “I’ve been high on JDM for a long time… His boxing’s always impressed me. But at this point, I feel like Islam’s moving up a weight class at the right time… I don’t think Islam can stay healthy and stay in the lightweight division for any longer. I think right now he’s allowed himself to move into a division where his body’s just going to grow into it.”

    “He’s going to be incredibly powerful. I just think Islam’s all-round game is so problematic for any single fighter. I see him taking it… probably a 50-50 striking exchange, Makhachev winning with a kicking advantage, but then his grappling and wrestling taking over—probably winning by submission in the championship rounds.”

    Islam Makhachev can lose to Jack Della Maddalena if the champ does one thing right, per ex-UFC fighter

    Islam Makhachev is ultimately being picked to win by another former UFC welterweight veteran but that combatant in question does see a way that Jack Della Maddalena can defeat the former UFC lightweight champion.

    Jake Ellenberger is the referenced fighter in question and during a recent interview with Bloody Elbow giving his viewpoint on this UFC welterweight championship bout, Ellenberger stated [via Bloody Elbow],

    “That’s a fun one. [With Islam Makhachev moving up a weight class] that changes the story a little bit.”

    “On paper, it’s hard to bet against Islam. The guy is incredible. When you get to the highest level, it just comes down to strategy: who can build a strategy and implement it when it matters.”

    “That’s a fun one. I’m still leaning towards Makhachev, but there are plenty of ways Jack can win.”