Bo Nickal will be looking to get back to his winning ways.
According to a recent report by MMA journalist Higor Ciconello, Nickal is set to make his Octagon return against veteran submission specialist Rodolfo Vieira in a middleweight showdown at UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
UFC 322 – LUTA CONFIRMADA 🚨 Bo Nickal vs Rodolfo Vieira
Rodolfo Vieira, pentacampeão mundial de jiu-jitsu vai enfrentar Bo Nickal no UFC 322, marcado para o dia 15 de novembro pic.twitter.com/8ULNomXt6A
The UFC 322 card is set to feature a blockbuster double-header. In the main event, reigning UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena will make his first title defense against former lightweight king Islam Makhachev.
Meanwhile, the co-main event will feature former strawweight queen Zhang Weili moving up a division to challenge reigning bantamweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Additionally, former 170-pound titleholder Leon Edwards will face rising finisher Carlos Prates.
When Did Bo Nickal and Rodolfo Vieira Last Compete In The UFC?
Bo Nickal last stepped into the Octagon at UFC Des Moines this past May, where he suffered the first defeat of his professional MMA career, falling to Reinier de Ridder via second-round TKO.
Before that setback, the 29-year-old wrestling phenom had strung together a four-fight winning streak. Nickal now holds a 7-1 professional record, with six of his victories coming by stoppage.
Meanwhile, Rodolfo Vieira will enter UFC 322 riding the momentum of a unanimous decision victory over Tresean Gore at UFC Vegas 108 last month, bouncing back from a February loss to Andre Petroski. “The Black Belt Hunter” has been part of the UFC roster since 2019 and has secured stoppage wins over Armen Petrosyan and Cody Brundage.
Sammy-Jo Luxton will be aiming to redeem herself when she steps into the cage for her next fight..
On Tuesday, the promotion announced that Luxton will take on debutant Jade Jorand in a strawweight contest at PFL Nantes (aka PFL Europe 3) on September 26, set to take place at the Zenith Nantes Metropole in France.
𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡’𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗪𝗪𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦!
🇫🇷 Jade Jorand 🆚 Sammy-Jo Luxton 🏴
France’s Jade Jorand makes the walk to the SmartCage for the first time at #PFLNantes, when taking on England’s Sammy-Jo Luxton!
The upcoming PFL Nantes card will be headlined by a welterweight showdown between Abdoul Abdouraguimov and Kevin Jousset. Meanwhile, the co-main event will feature a lightweight clash as Amin Ayoub squares off against Donovan Desmae.
Très sympa cette carte. Mon ami Ponet contre Kelly ensuite 4 demi-final pour le tournois à 100k dont une avec Baris et 2 nantais pour finir la soirée. Le Zenith sera full plein à craquer. Du show et du sang 🩸🔥 pic.twitter.com/jAJ23rJEd2
When Did Sammy-Jo Luxton And Jade Jorand Last Compete?
Sammy-Jo Luxton most recently competed at PFL Belfast this past May, where she suffered the first defeat of her professional MMA career, falling to Gemma Auld via second-round submission. Before that setback, “The Ghetto Cinderella” had rattled off back-to-back first-round knockout victories under regional promotionals and currently holds a 2-1 record.
Scotland's Gemma Auld battles through adversity and gets the second round submission over Sammy Jo Luxton! #PFLBelfast | LIVE NOW pic.twitter.com/ckH1rDeRjW
Meanwhile, Jade Jorand was seen in action at Karate Combat 51 in December 2024, securing a unanimous decision victory over Saba Nabavinejad. “The Princess” is riding a two-fight winning streak, with her most recent defeat coming in July 2024 against Leslie Hernandez at LFA 188. The 24-year-old Frenchwoman currently holds a professional MMA record of 4-3.
Usman Nurmagomedov feels he stands a tier above Ilia Topuria.
“El Matador” is hailed as one of the most versatile fighters, boasting a perfect 17-0 record with 15 finishes. In his last three appearances, he delivered stunning knockouts over former champions Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski, further solidifying his status as a once-in-a-generation talent.
Topuria’s star power skyrocketed after he etched his name in the history books as a two-division UFC champion, capturing the lightweight title with a knockout of Oliveira at UFC 317 this past July.
With former UFC champion Islam Makhachev already vacating his title to chase welterweight gold, the undefeated Spaniard is now hailed by many as the No. 1 lightweight, but UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin isn’t buying it.
Image: @iliatopuria/Instagram
Usman Nurmagomedov Questions Ilia Topuria’s Lightweight Supremacy
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Usman Nurmagomedov dismissed the notion of Ilia Topuria being the world’s No. 1 lightweight just yet, insisting the reigning UFC champion still has more to prove. The Dagestani argued that his resume is stronger, making him more deserving of the top spot than “El Matador”.
“Come on, Ilia Topuria, how he can be lightweight No. 1 in the world? He cannot be,” Nurmagomedov said. “He did only one fight. I have 19 fights in lightweight [division]. I beat former champions. I beat champions. I think my resume is better than him. How many fights does he have? 14? I have 14 finishes in my career.”
Usman Nurmagomedov pushes back on Ilia Topuria as the No. 1 lightweight:
"I think my resume is better than him. How many fights does he have? 14? I have 14 finishes in my career."
Nurmagomedov, the reigning PFL lightweight champion, has already racked up three successful title defenses and carries an undefeated professional record of 19-0, with 14 of those victories coming by way of finish.
The 27-year-old Russian last competed at PFL Champions Series Dubai in January, where he edged out Paul Hughes in a hard-fought majority decision to retain his belt. He’s now set to run it back with “Big News” in a highly anticipated rematch at PFL Champions Series 2 on October 3.
2025 PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series: at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE, Saturday, Saturday, January, 25, 2025. (Jose Peñuela / PFL)
Dana White may be staring down a mountain of gambling debt.
White isn’t just the driving force behind one of the most profitable sports organizations in the world, he’s also equally famous for his high-stakes gambling habit, where he’s scored massive wins in Las Vegas casinos.
Back in July, the UFC boss proved once again why casinos keep a close eye on him, walking away with a staggering $1.2 million win at Fontainebleau the night before UFC 317. His history of big payouts is so notorious that certain venues have reportedly asked him to steer clear after being cleaned out one too many times.
Several reports suggest the 56-year-old American tycoon has pocketed as much as $7 million in a single night during his hottest runs. He’s even laughed off a wild story about waking up from a blackout with a $3 million debt hanging over him. For White, juggling millions or casually gifting $1000 chips to random fans on the casino floor is just business as usual.
Dana White Reportedly Owes Red Rock Casino Millions
A recent Casino.org report claims Dana White may have racked up more than $25 million in debt at Red Rock Casino Resort in Summerlin, Nevada, after allegedly being extended massive credit to fund his big-money baccarat sessions.
However, White likely isn’t feeling much heat to settle the tab anytime soon, given that Red Rock Casino is run by his longtime ally and former UFC owner, Frank Fertitta.
“Though not confirmed, the UFC boss owes the Las Vegas-based casino operator as much as $50 million for credit extended to him so that he could play high-limit baccarat and blackjack at the Red Rock Casino Resort in Summerlin, Nevada,” the report stated.
Colby Covington is dismissing Dillon Danis’ aspirations of joining the UFC.
Last Saturday, Danis ended a six-year hiatus from MMA in spectacular fashion, needing just 15 seconds to submit Frank Warren with a guillotine choke at Misfits Boxing 22 and claim the inaugural MF MMA light heavyweight title.
The former UFC interim welterweight champion mocked Danis by bringing up his infamous 2021 incident in New Jersey, where he was allegedly choked out by a nightclub bouncer, and scoffed at the idea that the BJJ specialist has what it takes to compete in the UFC.
“Even untrained bouncers can take down Dillon and have their way with him,” Covington said. “He’s a bum, he’s always crying to get in the UFC. You f**king suck Dillon. You’re never getting in the UFC. So go get a real job, chum.”
This isn’t the first time “Chaos” has thrown shade at Danis, openly ridiculing his UFC ambitions. The two have a long history of exchanging barbed remarks online, trading blows over each other’s MMA careers on social media.
“El Jefe” was at one point on the UFC’s radar but had little desire to pursue a contract through the Contender Series. Instead, Danis repeatedly lobbied UFC CEO Dana White and COO Hunter Campbell, pressing for a big break based on his past performances.
My UFC debut against Paddy Pimblett would be quite the show, the buildup alone would be electric! And if we want to add some fun, we could be coaches on The Ultimate Fighter and have our fight at the end. Imagine the entertainment that would generate. Let's give the people what…
Danis previously competed under the Bellator banner, scoring consecutive first-round submission victories over Kyle Walker and Max Humphrey between 2018 and 2019. He now boasts an undefeated professional record of 3-0.
Alexander Volkanovski has admitted that the turnaround between his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev and his fight with Ilia Topuria may have been too quick.
We all know that Alexander Volkanovski is the people’s champion. He’s also, as of this writing, the UFC featherweight champion. However, his first reign with the title came to an end in devastating fashion after he was knocked out cold by Ilia Topuria.
That defeat came just a matter of months after the suffered the same fate at the hands of Islam Makhachev. In a recent podcast appearance, Alexander Volkanovski opened up about the circumstances surrounding those two defeats.
Alexander Volkanovski’s take on Ilia Topuria defeat
“I go in too early and I get knocked out, I lose my belt,” Volkanovski said on The Unscripted Show, pointing out the difference between injuries in combat sports and in team sports. “That’s the fact and that’s what happened. I’m not taking anything away from Ilia. I’m just saying that that’s what can happen. So I got a crazy shin to the noggin and obviously Ilia can hit hard, we’ve seen that, but I mean, I’ve never been just completely lights out like that. I was lights out for a couple of minutes.
“He got me in the cheek. But as soon there was one good connection: snoring.”
“So am I saying that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have the Islam [knockout loss]? I don’t know,” Volkanovski said. “Again, [Topuria’s] very capable of knocking me out. Like I said, if I’m ever going to lose, it’s someone catching me and he’s a guy that can definitely do it. A lot of people were like, ‘You were winning until you got caught.’ Yeah, that was the case, but I still wasn’t fighting my fight.”
“I was worried about getting hit and I was freaking out in there and I remember sitting there, I was in two minds. Try not to get hit but then telling myself, ‘You’re alright. You’ll come back to it. Relax.’ If I was that worried, then why didn’t I just shoot and be more defensive and just take him down and just hold him there, but then I would tell myself, ‘You don’t need to do that. You’re alright.’ … It was a tricky one. It was a tough one for me.
“You’ve seen this footage of me sort of breaking down and not knowing what I’m—If I’m like this now, how am I going to be after the sport’s done?” Volkanovski said. “That’s what I was worried about. Then I was like I need to keep busy. Told the UFC I want to fight. I end up fighting just after three months later with a bad concussion. Most people have six months, no head contact, and then start camp. I started training, when you’re training you’re starting head contact pretty quickly.”
UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho believes that his fight against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Paris could determine the next number one contender at 185 pounds.
This weekend, Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov will meet in the main event of UFC Paris. While it’s not guaranteed, many expect the winner to be the next in line to challenge Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC middleweight championship.
Of course, there are a few other names out there, especially with Anthony Hernandez and Reinier de Ridder preparing to collide later this year. Caio Borralho knows that, too, and he knows that he needs to put in a big performance if he wants to really get on the radar of the champ.
In a recent interview, Caio Borralho opened up on the stakes in this fight and what it could mean for his career.
Caio Borralho’s view on Nassourdine Imavov fight
“I think that’s the fight that makes sense (as No. 1 contender),” Borralho told MMA Junkie Radio. “Me and Imavov, we just need to go in there and don’t do a boring fight. That’s all. I think it doesn’t matter how the fight ends, if it’s a finish or it’s a decision by a dominant or great fight, I think whoever wins is going to be the next one in line.”
“Yeah, that’s how I’m preparing for this fight. I’m preparing to fight the best guy in the world,” Borralho said. “If he doesn’t show up like that, it’s just profit for me. But I’m taking this fight as I take all my last fights – all the fights that I have right now are the biggest fights of my life, the most important fight of my life, and the hardest fight of my life. So I need to prepare properly for this fight. I’m taking him very seriously, I know that he’s a phenomenal athlete, and I’m preparing for that.”
Islam Makhachev‘s head coach Javier Mendez doesn’t agree with the odds for his UFC 322 title fight against Jack Della Maddalena.
In the main event of UFC 322, Islam Makhachev will challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight championship. If he’s able to pick up the win, he will join an elite group of fighters who have been able to win UFC world titles in two different weight classes.
Of course, it’s going to be easier said than done. Islam Makhachev has been a dominant world champion at 155 pounds for a good few years now, but even with that being the case, going up 15 pounds in weight is an entirely different ball game. That’s especially true when coming up against someone like JDM who is riding a huge wave of momentum after his title triumph over Belal Muhammad.
In the eyes of the bookmakers, Islam Makhachev is a solid favorite to defeat Jack Della Maddalena. Javier Mendez, though, doesn’t agree with the odds – and he doesn’t particularly care about them either.
Islam Makhachev’s coach isn’t bothered about UFC 322 odds
“I saw the odds and we’re favored by a little bit more than I think we should be, but regardless, that’s the odds. Who cares? Bottom line is we as coaches know, we have a super, super tough fight in front of us with a fighter that can do it all. And it’s just going to be a matter of how we can make him break and how we can stop him from utilizing any of the mistakes we may make, you know. So, let’s see. But, uh, we have a very tough opponent in front of us.”
UFC star Mackenzie Dern has revealed how Ronda Rousey was one of her influences when it comes to breaking into mixed martial arts.
As we know, Mackenzie Dern has been one of the most notable names in women’s MMA for many years now. At UFC 321, she’ll get the opportunity to finally claim UFC gold when she goes head to head with Virna Jandiroba for the vacant UFC strawweight championship.
While some believe she doesn’t deserve such an opportunity, others have noted how much Mackenzie Dern has been through in order to get to this point. If she can claim the gold, it’ll serve as quite the rise to prominence that started many years ago when she was first signed to the promotion.
In a recent interview, Mackenzie Dern opened up on the process of getting started in the sport.
Mackenzie Dern notes Ronda Rousey’s influence
“No, I wasn’t even thinking about the title when I went into MMA. I just went like—like I said, the UFC, they signed me before I had even done any fight in MMA at all, you know, before LFA, before Legacy. So they signed me like with the developmental plan and they said try it out, see if you like it, if you do want to stay in it, you know, I’m signed already with them. If not, no problem.
“Well, you can stop and then go back to jiu-jitsu, whatever you want to do. So I went into it like, ‘Oh, Ronda Rousey, everyone’s just like, yeah, you should do it. You’re really good at jiu-jitsu and you can go into like movies and this and that.’… I started growing.
“I think actually my fight with Bina was one of the first fights when I like kind of realized and I thought like, ‘Okay, I think I have it in me,’ you know, ’cause I broke my nose and it was kind of just like we stayed all three rounds striking, and, you know, she was way more experienced than me… That’s kind of when I was like, ‘Okay, I think I really want to get better at striking and I want to like take this serious.’… That mindset of a champion started growing in me.”
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has revealed that he’d be interested in a possible showdown with former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor.
As we know, Alexander Volkanovski is an absolute machine. He will take on anyone, anywhere, anytime. He is a two-time world champ at 145 pounds and he has never been one to shy away from a fight.
Of course, sometimes that’s led to his downfall, but he’s currently back on top of the mountain after beating Diego Lopes to win the title for a second time. With Alexander Volkanovski, though, he’s always looking ahead to the future.
In a recent interview, Alexander Volkanovski made it known that he’d be more than open to throwing down with the one and only Conor McGregor.
Alexander Volkanovski praises Conor McGregor and says he’d like to face him inside the Octagon 🍀🔥
"He was a great fighter. He was actually even a bit ahead of his time. He was really good. I don’t think people give him credit. He was sharp and all of that’s gone now. He’s… pic.twitter.com/7PXcnyAKzQ
Alexander Volkanovski is interested in Conor McGregor fight
“Probably Conor, man (I would pick to fight), a lot of people are gonna sit there and be like, ‘Oh yeah Conor is a boring answer’ but he was in the featherweight division, that era when he was just an absolute superstar,” Volkanovski told The Unscripted Show.
“The position you could put yourself in just fighting that guy. When you talk about building your platform, when we talk about money and all of that… The platform you on, you need to take advantage of it and that’s one fast track to getting people to notice you.
“He was a good fighter, he was a great fighter. He was another fighter that his accuracy, he was actually a bit ahead of his time, he was really good, I don’t think people give him credit… He had great timing, great set ups, good understanding of what works and what works for him, and yeah, he was sharp.
“A lot of that is gone now he’s probably gonna be reasonably sharp but he’s never gonna be the same Conor McGregor,” Volk continued.
Aleksandre Topuria is seemingly gearing up for his second UFC fight.
According to a recent report by Marca’s Irati Prat, Topuria is expected to square off against Bekzat Almakhan in bantamweight bout at UFC Qatar, scheduled for November 22 at ABHA Arena in Doha.
Podemos confirmar en @marca que, a falta de firmas, todo está encaminado para que Aleksandre Topuria vuelva el 22 de noviembre en UFC Qatar.
Su rival será el kazajo Bekzat Almakhan, que ya aceptado el combate.
The upcoming UFC Fight Night will mark the promotion’s first-ever stop in Qatar and its sixth event in Asia this year. The card is already taking shape with several intriguing matchups, including a light heavyweight clash between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov, a flyweight tilt featuring Alex Perez vs. Asu Almabayev, and another 205-pound showdown pitting Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev against Rafael Cerqueira.
UFC is coming to Doha! 👊🇶🇦
A milestone event made possible through the strategic partnership between UFC and Visit Qatar.
The elder brother of reigning UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is riding a four-fight winning streak, with his lone professional setback dating back to May 2015, when he suffered a third-round knockout against Ivo Ivanov under a regional promotion.
“El Conquistador” now boasts a 6-1 record, with five of those victories coming by way of first-round finishes.
Meanwhile, Bekzat Almakhan aims to carry the momentum from his first-round knockout of Brad Katona at UFC 315 this past May. The 27-year-old Kazakh prospect made his Octagon debut earlier in March 2024 at UFC Vegas 87, where he fell short against former bantamweight title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision.
“The Turan Warrior” holds a professional record of 12-2, with 11 of his victories secured inside the distance by way of stoppage.
Mackenzie Dern’s title opportunity turned out to be just as much of a surprise to her as it was to many fans.
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed last week that strawweight champion Zhang Weili has relinquished her belt to pursue two-division glory, setting up a superfight with reigning flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
With Zhang stepping aside, Dern now finds herself booked for a high-stakes rematch against former rival Virna Jandiroba, as the two collide for the vacant 115-pound crown in the co-main event of UFC 321 on October 25 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Mackenzie Dern Reveals Surprise Discovery Of Title Shot On Instagram
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Mackenzie Dern opened up about her upcoming strawweight title clash with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321.
The No. 5 ranked contender admitted she was aware a championship opportunity was on the horizon, be it for interim gold or the undisputed crown, but revealed she discovered the final verdict at the same time as everyone else when the UFC made its announcement public.
“[The UFC] were kind of talking about the interim belt, and that was maybe three weeks ago, four weeks ago,” Dern said. “They were talking about it, but weren’t sure if they were going to do it. Then [we found out], ‘OK, they’re going to do it, [so] we’ll wait until they announce it.’ And then I found out by Instagram that it was going to be for the actual belt when Dana announced it.
“I texted [my manager] Tiki [Ghosn], ‘Wait, is it the real belt or the interim belt?’ [He said,] ‘Oh, it’s the real belt.’ So that was very recent, the change. We were happy with the interim belt — it’s still a belt and would be the next step to getting the [undisputed] belt. But the fact that it’s for the real belt definitely puts an extra happiness and gratefulness on it.”
"I found out by Instagram that it was going to be for the actual belt when Dana announced it."@MackenzieDern found out she'd be fighting for the strawweight title at the same time as everyone else. pic.twitter.com/ObeDLNR3lZ
Dern most recently competed at UFC Vegas 101 in January, where she avenged a previous setback against Amanda Ribas with a third-round submission victory. The 32-year-old American-born Brazilian has gone 4-4 over her past eight outings and currently owns a 10-5 record inside the UFC Octagon.
Lerone Murphy has his eyes set on Alexander Volkanovski after his massive UFC 319 win and foresees a featherweight title bid before 2025 wraps up. Murphy is on the heels of a viral knockout against highly hyped UFC debutant Aaron Pico in Chicago on UFC’s recent pay-per-view offering and seems hotter than ever with the kingpin of his weight category, Volkanovski, seeing him as the next up for a title fight.
The surging 145 pound contender specifically mentioned December as a month that seemed to align with what Volk was eyeing for his next fight date and Murphy seems game per a recent interview he did. This chat took place with Michael Bisping on the former UFC middleweight champion’s YouTube channel as Murphy said,
“Volk wants to fight in December. So, I think it’s going to be Las Vegas December. I’m waiting for a call anytime now, next few weeks to get it set in stone and then I’ll start my training camp.”
Lerone Murphy and his studying approach for Alexander Volkanovski bout
While Lerone Murphy has at times drawn the ire of certain MMA fans for a perceived lack of finishing ability, it seems like the British fighter has re-ignited a killer instinct with himself after the Aaron Pico finish a few weeks ago. Coming off a somewhat inauspicious, conservative performance against the heavy handed Josh Emmett in April, this co-main event win over the former Bellator MMA prospect was the exact kind of jolt that Murphy needed at this point.
In discussing that recent mindset shift on the aforementioned Believe You Me Podcast instalment, and how that informs a potential featherweight title bid against Alexander Volkanovski next, Murphy stated [via Bloody Elbow],
“I’m a technician, I watch a lot of tape on guys so I understand the flaws and I’m already seeing holes in Volkanovski’s game and I’m gonna exploit them.”
Anthony Hernandez is prepared for war against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Vancouver in what is a high stakes clash in the middleweight tilte contendership queue. During an interview with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, Hernandez touched on several subjects including how he attended UFC 319 and felt the perfromance was a boring one.
‘Fluffy’ has taken the approach of blaming Dricus du Plessis for why the UFC 319 headliner was dull in his eyes and hopes a win over RDR here in October can net him a title shot against newly minted champ Khamzat Chimaev who bested DDP in August. While observing the overall hierarchy of 185 pounds and specifically breaking down his upcoming fight against the former two division ONE Championship titleholder, Hernandez said,
“Man, like I said, if I got to beat every [] down the list to get to the [] belt, I’m going to do it. It is what it is. Another fight. It’s another road to cross. And it’s like he’s a cool guy. I really like him. We actually talked last weekend. We both got families. Let’s go kill each other and let’s get [__] paid, you know what I mean? Unfortunately, the taxes out there are crazy, so we won’t really get really paid. But if there’s some Canada people that want to bring us some weed, I’ll take that.”
Anthony Hernandez vs. Reinier de Ridder UFC Vancouver overview
Anthony Hernandez and Reinier de Ridder will engage in some Canada-based combat on October 18th as the promotion returns to Van city with a massive middleweight matchup. Hernandez vs. de Ridder pits the number six contender against the number four contender, respectively, and the victor has a strong chance at securing a potential middleweight title shot. Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho at UFC Paris is really the only other bout where the winner could leapfrog the UFC Vancouver headliner for a title crack.
Hernandez is coming off of a dominant win over Roman Dolidze with a fourth round submission win being scored over the impressive Georgian fighter. Conversely for de Ridder, he is on the heels of a split decision win over former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi in July.
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 three of season nine this week saw four prospects earn the opportunity to taste the Octagon’s bright lights.
The night got underway with a close, wild encounter that saw Tommy McMillen narrowly, controversially edge out a majority decision win over David Mgoyan. McMillen seemed to be in control of the grappling exchanges early on and had decent counters, but Mgoyan rocked him with a counter of his own. Mgoyan then knocked McMillen down a second time with a spinning elbow. Mgoyan scored a flash knockdown and tried to finish McMillen against the fence, but McMillen countered. The fight went to the ground, but Mgoyan remained in control, locking in a tight guillotine and landing strong elbows before the end of the first round.
McMillen battled back into the fight, stuffing a takedown and controlling the action before getting his striking going, opening cut a nasty cut around one of Mgoyan’s eyes. The two traded plenty in the third round, and though it seemed like Mgoyan had more in the tank, the judges felt McMillen’s striking was more effective, giving him the decision — and subsequently the UFC contract (though Mgoyan would also receive his win money).
Mandel Nallo also produced a highlight on the night, scoring a first-round knockout of Samuel Silva. Nallo got off to a hot start with his kicks before getting his striking going, landing a perfect right hand on the button to drop Silva out cold, earning himself a UFC contract.
Cezary Oleksiejczuk, brother of UFC light heavyweight Michal Oleksiejczuk, now joins his brother on the UFC roster after a dominant, but bizarre, first-round finish of Theo Haig. Haig tried to pressure with his grappling but struggled with Oleksiejczuk. Oleksiejczuk managed to get the fight to the mat and laid in some heavy ground-and-referee. Referee Gary Copeland initially called a time-out due to strikes to the back of the head; however, replay review showed the strikes to be legal, and with Haig deemed knocked out by them, the fight was called in Oleksiejczuk’s favor in the first round. The win earned him a UFC contract as well.
In the main event, Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani closed the night with impact, scoring a knockout of Jack Congdon in just 68 seconds. With the physical disadvantage, Lebosnoyani looked to get inside to work his striking. It would help to land a devastating head kick that put Congdon out on his feet before dropping him with a right hand to seal the deal — and seal himself a contract.
In a battle of alumni, TUF 33 alumnus Eduardo “Chapolin” Henrique, fighting on less than two weeks’ notice, defeated DWCS alumnus An Tuan Ho. Chapolin seemed to get the better of Ho in the opening round, but he may have been helped by a controversial knee that was not called a foul despite Ho being grounded. Chapolin only received a warning after the fact. Though Ho tried to get back into the fight, Chapolin dominated him with wrestling and damage on the ground over the next two rounds to sweep the scorecards. It, however, was not enough to earn him a UFC contract.
Insane sequence at #DWCS as Gary Copeland has just called off Cezary Oleksiejczuk vs. Theo Haig after calling a timeout to check for illegal strikes. Haig looked to be out but the whole situation was confusing.
Colby Covington gave a harsh reminder to a streamer of what it means to face a real fighter.
Covington has remained largely inactive in the Octagon in recent times, but outside of it, he has stayed busy by consistently live streaming and creating content through collaborations with fighters and social media personalities.
Most recently, one of those collaborations came when Chrogman, a social media personality known for staging street fights with followers, showed up at the UFC PI to test the former UFC interim welterweight champion, only to see the gamble backfire.
“Chaos” put $30,000 on the line, daring Chrogman to hold his own against him in training, but the challenge quickly turned into a nightmare for the Australian streamer. After allowing Chrogman ample chances to land a shot, Covington flipped the switch and unleashed a barrage of punishing body blows. The assault dropped the social media influencer to the canvas, and moments later, he was seen vomiting inside the cage.
The polarizing UFC star wasn’t done there, offering Chrogman another shot at the $30,000 if he could survive a single minute on the mats without being submitted. The attempt was short-lived, as Covington tapped him out not once but twice in quick succession. To his credit, Colby Covington later praised the streamer for having the guts to step up and take on the challenge.
Fans React To Colby Covington Dominating Chrogman In Painful Sparring Session
Colby Covington’s friendly yet ruthless beatdown of Chrogman drew a wave of mixed reactions from MMA fans. While some relished watching “Chaos” put the streamer in his place, others used the moment to poke fun at Covington’s recent setbacks and the downward slide of his career.
Many fans criticize the various fighters who have "pillow hands", but that would happen to us when fighting against them or worse things, if it is better to be behind a screen and be brave 😅😭🫣💀
“Chaos” has struggled to find consistency in recent years, fighting just six times since 2019 and compiling a 2-4 record during that stretch, which includes two failed bids for UFC gold.
UFC legend Michael Bisping is surprised to see Islam Makhachev being listed as a big favorite for his upcoming title fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
As we know, Jack Della Maddalena is the current UFC welterweight champion. At UFC 322, he will defend that belt for the very first time against Islam Makhachev, who is making the move up from the lightweight division. While Makhachev being favorite makes sense, JDM has obviously earned the right to be defending the strap after his win over Belal Muhammad.
In a recent video, Michael Bisping explained why he disagrees with Islam Makhachev being a notable favorite over Jack Della Maddalena.
Michael Bisping’s view on Jack Della Maddalena vs Islam Makhachev
“The crazy thing is that Islam Makhachev is quite a sizable favorite, and I think that’s a little bit disrespectful to Jack Della Maddalena,” Bisping told Bloody Elbow. “The man’s on an 18-fight win streak, he just beat Belal Muhammad, he defended all the takedowns there, he’s beaten grapplers before in the past.
“Yes, Islam Makhachev is incredible, and he’d be another contender for pound-for-pound No. 1, greatest of all time, whatever you want to call it. But Belal Muhammad was a perfect warm-up fight for Islam Makhachev.”
“With the boxing of Jack, if Islam was to stand with him, that would be a bad idea,” Bisping said. “With Jack’s boxing and the footwork that’s associated with boxing, that’s going to help, and that’s going to be very advantageous. He knows how to defend a takedown. He knows what he’s doing off his back. He can get back to his feet.
“Yeah, I understand why Islam is a slight favorite because he’s tried and tested and the greatest lightweight fighter that the sport has ever seen, but don’t be surprised if Jack Della Maddalena gets it done.”
UFC middleweight star Robert Whittaker has spoken openly about his hopes of getting back into the world title picture.
As we know, Robert Whittaker is a beloved member of the UFC roster. He is considered to be a fan favorite by many, and he’s a former world champion. However, after losses to Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder, many have questioned whether or not he still has what it takes to compete at the elite level.
Some believe Robert Whittaker should make the shift up to light heavyweight, whereas others want to see him try and turn things around at 185 pounds. Either way, he has a lot of fans out there, and he has plenty of people who are eager to see him bounce back.
In a recent interview, Robert Whittaker got honest about his championship ambitions moving forward.
Robert Whittaker opens up about his future
“The belt is kind of like a pipe dream at the moment after losing to De Ridder,” Whittaker told Submission Radio. “It’s another loss. It pushes me back into much further than I want to be from the title, the pathway to where I wanted to finish up. So right now my trajectory has kind of changed. I’ve got a few fights left. I want to enjoy the journey. I want to enjoy the fights.
“I want to enjoy the camp process. I want to enjoy fight week. I want to enjoy the fight itself. I want my family to be part of that. I want my boys and my kids to see the show, see the background of the big corporation that is the UFC, the most professional MMA tournament in the world through eyes nobody else can before I wrap things up. So that’s my biggest goal right now.”
UFC star Colby Covington has explained why he’s put a lot of focus on building his poker career as of late.
In the last few years, Colby Covington hasn’t exactly been at the top of his game. He’s suffered losses to Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley, leaving many to wonder what exactly is next for him. He’s made it clear that he still wants to compete, but it’s not yet known whether or not he can still mix it up with the very best at 170 pounds.
For Colby Covington, it’s all about picking his moment. Alas, while he’s clearly still interested in mixed martial arts, he’s also taken quite an interest in poker. In a recent interview, he explained why that’s the case.
Colby Covington discusses poker switch
“Yeah, I’m super competitive, you know, like I hate to lose more than I like to win. So, you know, every time I get on a poker table, I take it like a fight. You know, there’s a mental aspect to it. There’s, you know, adrenaline on the line. There’s a lot of pressure ’cause you want to win and make money. But ultimately, it’s just about competition. And I’m a big competitor. So, it’s a pleasure to be out here at the Celebrity Poker Tour.”
“I think the secret is just trying to breathe and relax and not show your emotions too well. You know, it’s tough though, you know, to keep the composure when you’re bluffing, like when you know you have a s****y hand, it’s tough. … I’ve laughed a couple times and people are like, ‘Why are you laughing? Are you weak? You’re weak. You’re laughing.’ I can’t help myself.”
UFC featherweight contender Lerone Murphy has spoken candidly about how he deals with online haters.
As we know, Lerone Murphy is one of the top featherweights on the planet. He has already achieved a great deal throughout the course of his career and as we look ahead to the immediate future, it seems as if he’s on the verge of earning a title shot against reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski.
He earned that right by knocking Aaron Pico out cold at UFC 319. For Lerone Murphy, this was the kind of statement win he needed to prove that he has what it takes to mix it up with the very best at 145 pounds.
In a recent interview, Lerone Murphy opened up on what it’s like to have to deal with critics.
Lerone Murphy discusses dealing with haters
“You can’t win in this game. There’s always going to be people that love your style, love your game, and there’s always going to be people that hate on you. So it is what it is.”
For Murphy, it’s all about pushing forward towards a brighter future. He’s already done some great things in MMA, but we all know what he really wants: UFC gold. Volkanovski is going to serve as stiff opposition, as is the case for everyone who goes up against the Australian sensation, but Lerone will believe that he has all the answers necessary to become just the fourth Englishman to win a world title in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje has claimed that when he was a teenager, he was able to take down UFC legend Georges St-Pierre.
As we know, Justin Gaethje is an absolutely electric fighter within the world of mixed martial arts. He has been able to accomplish some great things throughout the course of his career in the sport and as we look ahead to the future, it certainly feels like he’s gearing up for one more crack at the UFC lightweight championship.
Of course, Justin Gaethje has had a long run in combat sports, and it started before he even got into the sport of MMA. ‘The Highlight’ was an amateur wrestler once upon a time, and you could be forgiven for not realizing that, given how he tends to put his focus into his striking when he’s competing in the UFC.
As it turns out, though, Justin Gaethje’s exploits in wrestling seemingly led to him taking down a pretty big name – Georges St-Pierre.
🗣😳 Justin Gaethje reveals he once took down GSP when he was just 18 years old
“I was in college, wrestling. They brought some UFC fighters in and I took them down. Georges St-Pierre, I took him down when I was probably 18, and he was the champion at the time. I was a huge fan of the sport, we’d go to Buffalo Wild Wings, we’d sit there for six, eight hours, and watch fights. The entire card.”
For now, the focus for Gaethje is simple – he wants to secure a title fight against Ilia Topuria. Will it happen? We’ll have to wait and see.
Jon Jones has been cleared of all charges related to leaving the scene of a hit-and-run accident in New Mexico, according to a report from TMZ.
The Bernanillo County District Attorney’s Office reportedly has found “reason to believe [Jones’] alibi defense is credible” in the circumstances surrounding the February case. As a result, the office will not be pursuing charges against Jones.
The former light heavyweight and heavyweight UFC champion had been facing two charges stemming from the incident — one of leaving the scene of an accident and one count of use of telephone to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy or offend.
Jon Jones Cleared Of Charges From February 2025 Hit-And-Run
Jones was accused of leaving the scene of an accident in Albuquerque on Feb. 21. A woman “exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waist down” claimed Jones was the driver of the vehicle she was in but fled. A police officer reportedly had attempted to make contact with Jones through the usage of the woman’s cell phone but the result was Jones allegedly threatening the officers communicating with him.
In July, it was reported that Jones’ call records were subpoenaed by police, with Jones calling the woman 13 times between 2:17 a.m. and 11:34 a.m. the next morning, as well as a two-and-a-half hour gap in Jones’ location.
“From the very beginning, we explained that a woman made a false allegation against Jon in an effort to avoid being arrested for DWI,” Jones’ attorney, Christopher A. Dodd, stated. “Unfortunately, the police accepted that claim without properly weighing the facts.
“Once the relevant documents were finally disclosed by the police department, Jon’s cell phone records made it undeniably clear that he was nowhere near the scene of the crash. We are grateful that the district attorney’s office took the time to conduct a full and fair review of this case, which ultimately confirmed Jon’s innocence.”
Dodd added that he and his team are conducting their own investigation into the behavior of the police overseeing Jones’ case.
The day that these charges against Jones initially came out was the same day that Jones’ retirement from the UFC was announced by UFC CEO and President Dana White at the UFC Baku post-fight press conference. Tom Aspinall was promoted from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion, seemingly ending a long, drawn-out negotiations process between the parties for an undisputed title fight.
Luke Rockhold made some inflammatory comments about bare knuckle boxing as a sport and a legendary figure within the world of gloveless combat who weighed in on that characterization. Luke Rockhold infamously lost to Mike Perry at BKFC 41 when pronounced damage to the teeth of the former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion caused him to. Since then, Luke Rockhold has called bare knuckle a dumbass sport, said it’s not a fight, and things of that persuasion.
James Connelly clashes with Martin Reffell in the headliner of BKB 45 on September 6th with the former colelcting multiple BKB titles through his journey in this sport. Connelly was the latest guest on Bare Knuckle Bowker and when covering some of the negative comments that Rockhold had toward the sport of bare knuckle, James Connelly said,
“What I just said to you, mate, that they only find out when they’re in the first round of their first fight. What did Rockhold do? Bang, felt his teeth go, get me out of here. You know, some people will stick out and do the rounds and stuff like that. He found, mate, listen, everyone has their own opinion on the sport. Whether he; I’m not going to get offended if he calls bare knuckle a joke for a sport.”
“No mate, you couldn’t do it. Just like I ain’t done MMA, you know, different strokes for different folks. That’s exactly what it is. But that’s a prime example of someone that wanted a bare knuckle fight, probably probably thought it was going to be this, that, and the other, and found out it’s f***ing not, mate. You know, you can get your teeth knocked out.”
“You can’t get scars going across your face. You can come up messed up, mate. That’s why it’s a very; that’s why I say it’s a dirty and horrible sport and you’ve got to be well involved in it. The training; don’t come to this sport if you want to be known as a hard person and you want to have that sort of fear factor about you, man.”
“It’s not the sport, you know, there is guys out there, man, who wouldn’t say boo to anyone but when they get in that ring, mate, they they’ll just start slicing you up, mate, you know what I mean and stuff like that. The more calmer people, the people that train hard, keep their mouth closed, and you can talk a bit of smack. I’m not talking about that. People like to have a little back and forth and stuff like that.”
Luke Rockhold had “the wrong attitude” and got his teeth cracked, per Connelly
Continuing to expound upon how some fighters can enter this sport with a maligned valor component attached to it through the microcosm of Luke Rockhold, James Connelly continued,
“I’m talking about with that mentality about you want to come in here for anything other that I want to be a bare knuckle fighter. Luke Rockhold found out, you know, and what’s someone going to do when they do lose the fight and they almost lose their teeth? Call it a dumba** sport, you know, like they’re going to say try and like slag the sport off and use it as a term like that.”
“When really, mate, you went and had a go. You weren’t saying that before. He was all getting ready to have this fight. As soon as you got caught with that first bang, that first crack your teeth open, his teeth. He said didn’t want to lose his teeth. You know, I’m in a sport where I can’t use everything that I’ve used in my life. I use kicks, his MMA grappling and stuff like that. He said that.”
“He said, “I don’t know what a sport [this is]. I can’t use them.” But he knew what he was getting involved in before he used these just the bare knuckles, you know. So he’s a prime example of bare knuckle fighters coming in with the wrong attitude. You know, it’s an attitude and mentality based sport this is. You know what I mean? You see guys; like I spoke to boxers, mate, high quality boxers.”
“No, never would dream about doing a bare knuckle fight. They stick the gloves on, man, and be wrapping people up quickly. But yeah, a prime example that is saying that, Dylan, and it’s good that you mentioned that because it just validates what I just said. Do you know what I mean? About it being no joke of a sport and you’re going to need more than just wanting to be hard and wanting to be known as a bare knuckle fighter to be in it. To get anywhere in it, sorry.”
Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis are lined up for a curious clash in November with a UK legend in the sweet science offering up his overview of that bout. Speaking to Adventure Gamers, George Groves covered multiple subjects in the world of today including Paul’s latest November showcase on Netflix against ‘Tank’ Davis.
Last year, Paul had a massively successful fight on Netflix against Mike Tyson in November 2024 and looks to usurp it this year going from fighting a near sixty year old to fighting someone over seventy pounds smaller. The former WBA champion prefaced his statements on this bout by mentioning that he felt the controversial combat sports interloper is ultimately a net positive for combat sports as Groves said,
“Ultimately, when you add it all up, Jake Paul is good for boxing. He’s promoting now. He’s gone down the female boxing route. It feels like he’s promoting a lot of female boxing and he’s got a big presence. He gets people involved. He gets people invested. And he’s got Netflix at the table now, who are becoming a big broadcaster for boxing. A large part of boxing is about entertainment, and he’s very good at entertainment.”
Jake Paul may see “there’s levels to this game”, per Groves
That being said, George Groves emphasised what a huge opportunity this is for ‘Tank’ Davis who was seemingly on track for a rematch against Lamont Roach Jr. in an initial outing that saw Davis tested like never before inside the ring. When giving his overview of the machinations of the matchup between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis, Groves stated,
“I think he’s hit the lottery, hasn’t he? Everyone wanted that ticket to fight Jake Paul didn’t they? And he’s got it. Why has he got it? Probably because he’s half the size of Jake Paul. The thing is, there’s boxing and there’s boxing. Jake Paul is a very good sort of white collar-esque boxer, but there’s levels to this game. Gervonta Davis might chin him. He might be looking to slip and slide and wait. And that might be Jake Paul’s downfall.”
UFC Paris keeps its full slate of matchups intact.
On Monday, Fares Ziam revealed that he was forced to pull out from his scheduled lightweight clash with Kaue Fernandes on the upcoming Fight Night main card, citing the tragic passing of his grandmother. With “Smile Killer” out, Fernandes’ situation remained uncertain, with speculation on whether he would stay on the card or be rebooked later.
UFC Paris Bout Falls Apart After Fighter Steps Away Due To Family Tragedy https://t.co/YqIIoLVSiu
However, per a recent report from Al Zullino, Fernandes will remain on the UFC Paris card after securing a new opponent, as Cage Warriors featherweight champion Harry Hardwick has stepped up on just five days’ notice to salvage the matchup.
With Fares Ziam out, the UFC is working to keep Kauê Fernandes on the #UFCParis card, pairing him with Cage Warriors featherweight champion Harry Hardwick, multiple sources told me. pic.twitter.com/Dlaqky4GRM
Hardwick last competed at Cage Warriors 186 this past March, where he successfully defended his 145-pound title with a technical decision victory over Javier Garcia. “Houdini” is riding a nine-fight unbeaten streak and boasts a professional record of 13-3-1, with seven of his victories coming by way of finish.
Meanwhile, Fernandes was last in action at UFC London this past March, where he picked up a unanimous decision win over Guram Kutateladze, extending his momentum inside the promotion. The 30-year-old Brazilian first entered the Octagon at UFC São Paulo in November 2023, dropping a razor-close split decision to Marc Diakiese in his debut. He now carries a professional record of 10-2.
UFC Paris takes place this Saturday, September 6, at the Accor Arena in France with a stacked lineup of 14 bouts, featuring French talent throughout the card. The Fight Night will be headlined by a high-stakes middleweight clash between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, a matchup that could carry major title implications.
Meanwhile, the co-main event pits French favorite Benoît Saint Denis against surging lightweight prospect Mauricio Ruffy. Elsewhere on the card, seasoned featherweight Patricio Pitbull is set to welcome former two-division OKTAGON champion Losene Keita for his highly anticipated UFC debut.
Here is the confirmed lineup for UFC Paris:
Middleweight bout: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho
Lightweight bout: Benoit Saint Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Lightweight bout: Bolaji Oki vs. Mason Jones
Light heavyweight bout: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Paul Craig
Featherweight bout: Patricio Pitbull vs. Losene Keita
Lightweight bout: Kaue Fernandes vs. Harry Hardwick
Featherweight bout: William Gomis vs. Robert Ruchala
Light heavyweight bout: Oumar Sy vs. Brendson Ribeiro
Heavyweight bout: Marcin Tybura vs. Ante Delija
Welterweight bout: Rhys McKee vs. Axel Sola
Welterweight bout: Sam Patterson vs. Trey Waters
Middleweight bout: Brad Tavares vs. Robert Bryczek
Welterweight bout: Andreas Gustafsson vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov
