Corey Anderson appeared to make a statement in his first heavyweight bout in years, making relatively easy work of Denis Goltsov to open up the PFL Champions Series 2 card portion of PFL Cape Town.
The fight started with both men exchanging jabs and low kicks, but it was Goltsov who initially controlled the clinch exchanges against the fence. Anderson reversed position and scored a takedown, controlling Goltsov along the cage. Despite Goltsov managing to get back to his feet multiple times, Anderson’s grappling pressure was relentless.
In round two, Anderson continued to press before scoring another takedown. This time, he was able to take advantage of Goltsov’s fatigue and get into full mount, landing ground-and-pound from there and side control until the ref stepped in.
Corey Anderson Stops Denis Goltsov At PFL Cape Town
Textbook performance from Corey Anderson. I had no idea how he'd look at heavyweight, but he dominated Denis Goltsov #pflchampionsseries
This was Anderson’s first fight since defeating Karl Moore for the Bellator light heavyweight championship last year. It was also his first heavyweight bout since competing on, and winning, season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter.
This was Goltsov’s first fight since finishing previously-unbeaten Oleg Popov to become the 2024 PFL heavyweight champion.
For the first time in four years, Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring and attempts to win gold once again, and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
Pacquiao is set to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pacquiao is of course known as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time, winning world championships in eight different divisions through his career. Pacquiao’s last welterweight title win over Keith Thurman in 2019 made him the oldest welterweight champion in the sport, as well as the first four-time welterweight boxing champion — which can improve to five times with a win tonight.
Pacquiao’s last fight came in August 2021, where he lost the WBA title to Yordenis Ugas.
Barrios defeated Ugas in September 2023 to capture the interim WBC welterweight title. He’d defend the interim title against Fabian Maidana in May 2024 before being promoted by the WBC to full champion after Terence Crawford moved up in weight. Barrios then battled Abel Ramos to a controversial draw to retain the title against on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul.
The WBC Super Welterweight Championship will be on the line in the co-feature bout of the evening in a rematch between defending champion Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu. The two first met in March 2024, with Fundora taking a split decision to win the WBO title and then-vacant WBC title.
Fundora retained the titles over Chordale Booker in March. Tszyu, meanwhile, came up short against Bakhram Murtazaliev for the IBF light middleweight title but defeated Joseph Spencer in April.
The Pacquiao vs. Barrios card is available on pay-per-view via both Amazon Prime and traditional cable broadcasters and will begin at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Prelims are available on Amazon Prime at 5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT. Ring walks for the main event are expected at approximately 11pm ET/8pm PT.
If you can’t watch the action, MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights below.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios Results & Highlights
Main Card:
WBC Welterweight Championship: Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios goes to a majority draw (115-113 Barrios, 114-114 x2)
WBC Super Welterweight Championship: Sebastian Fundora def. Tim Tszyu via TKO (corner stoppage) (Rd 7, 3:00)
Super Lightweight: Isaac Cruz def. Omar Salcido via unanimous decision (99-89 x2, 100-88)
What should have been an impressive win for Abdoulaye Kane in under a minute now turns to a disqualification loss as a result of a pair of fouls — one especially egregious — during the PFL Africa 1 card.
Abdoulaye Kane faced Joffie Houlton in a heavyweight first-round tournament matchup. The two had a brief exchange which resulted in Houlton crumbling to the mat, appearing to have been stunned.
Instead of going for the finish there, however, Kane stepped back and landed a knee to a clearly grounded Houlton, which is a foul.
Replay then showed that the initial pain from Houlton was not from a punch, but from an eye poke, meaning Kane actually committed back-to-back fouls.
The doctor entered the cage, and after observing Houlton for a few minutes, deemed Houlton could not continue, resulting in a disqualification of Kane.
Abdoulaye Kane DQ’d Following Illegal Strikes On Joffie Houlton At PFL Africa 1
Kane what an idiot all u had to do was punch him a few more times and it was over. That knee come from an IQ of a gold fish #PFLAfrica
Houlton, who has never seen the scorecards in any of his fights, now moves on to the semifinals of the PFL Africa heavyweight tournament (pending medical suspension and/or injuries).
Kane, who had finishes in his first three pro fights, loses for the first time in his career.
Abraham Bably put on a violent display in the first PFL event in Africa, finishing Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze at the literal final second of the first round with a devastating right hand.
Bably and Gnaze opened with striking exchanges, as Bably landed early shots and Gnaze presses for clinches. After some back-and-forth control early on, Bably overtook momentum with a right hand that stunned Gnaze. Bably would score a takedown and land devastating ground-and-pound that nearly earned him a stoppage — even as Gnaze got back to his feet.
Bably didn’t let up near the round’s end, however, and found the finish when he landed a right hand that landed on the button, crumbling Gnaze to the mat.
Abraham Bably KOs Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze With Powerful Right Hand At PFL Africa 1
Abraham Bably at the bell!😱#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/iPBUkJmUzM
With the win, Bably advances to the semifinals of the PFL Africa heavyweight tournament. The PFL Challenger Series alumnus now improves to 3-2 in the PFL after a pair of losses in PFL Europe last year.
UFC middleweight Paulo Costa has spoken openly about how he mixed things up following his defeat to Sean Strickland.
Once upon a time, Paulo Costa was considered to be the next big thing in mixed martial arts. After a series of impressive victories, he was given the opportunity to challenge Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight championship. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t quite go to plan, and he wound up being finished with relative ease by the man known as ‘Stylebender’.
Ever since then, he hasn’t really been himself. Paulo Costa has shown glimpses of brilliance but for the most part, he hasn’t been able to live up to the potential that everyone once believed he had. Tonight, he’ll return to the cage at UFC 318 where he will meet Roman Kopylov in what is something of a ‘do or die’ fight for him and his future in the promotion.
In his media day interview, Paulo Costa spoke about his loss to Sean Strickland and how that helped him to change his mentality.
Former UFC fighter Jon Jones has explained why he is actively considering a return to competitive mixed martial arts, just weeks after announcing his retirement.
Right now, Tom Aspinall is the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. He has that title because Jon Jones, the former champion, opted not to fight him, and instead decided to quietly retire. However, after the announcement that the UFC will be putting on an event at the White House next year, ‘Bones’ seems to have changed his stance – to the point where he is now openly thinking about a return to the cage.
Whether or not that comes to fruition, of course, remains to be seen. Jon Jones is easily one of the greatest fighters we’ve ever seen in MMA but even with that being the case, it’ll probably take some convincing for the UFC to trust him again. After all, he seemed to string them along for quite some time, and it was never really clear why he didn’t want to take on Aspinall in the first place.
In a recent interview, Jon Jones discussed the possibility of coming back and made it crystal clear that it’s on the table.
Jon Jones explains potential comeback
“I was retired. I felt like I was at a place where I’d done it all in the MMA space, and felt like there weren’t too many more challenges for me. I just wanted to do something more than championships and money.”
“Donald Trump mentioned that he wanted to have a fight at the White House garden, and that seems like such a huge opportunity. I’m a very proud American, I have a lot of close friends who are in the military. This is my act of, I can’t call it service, but to be able to entertain the country and the world at this level at the White House, it just means the world to me. So, I’m back.”
Former boxing world champion Amir Khan has offered to train Paddy Pimblett ahead of a potential title fight against Ilia Topuria.
As we know, Paddy Pimblett is easily one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts today. Whether you love him or hate him, nobody can deny that he’s done an incredible job of promoting himself – and he’s also worked incredibly hard to get better in the cage.
After his recent win over Michael Chandler, Paddy Pimblett was considered to be a top contender at lightweight. Now, after his long-time rival Ilia Topuria won the belt, it seems as if the UFC is interested in pushing that as the next big title fight at 155 pounds. The two even shared the octagon together following Topuria’s triumph over Charles Oliveira.
In a recent interview courtesy of Genting live casinos, the aforementioned Amir Khan noted that he’d be willing to help Paddy Pimblett improve his boxing ahead of a possible striking battle with Topuria.
Amir Khan offers to train Paddy Pimblett
“100% I’d like to offer Paddy Pimblett some boxing advice. I live in Dubai. I know he comes to Dubai here and there, if he ever needs any advice on the boxing aside, definitely, we’ll do some pad work with him, help him out on that as well. Show him some stuff.
“I like doing stuff like that, it’s all about helping and being there, helping each other and that makes me happy, when I know that I’ve gone and helped someone, especially in a fighting sport, because they’ve got a life on the line.
“They’re putting their life on the line and if you are there to help them in such a big fight like that, yeah, it would make me happy. It makes me happy, and I’ll do that for free as well.”
Former boxer George Groves has given his thoughts on whether or not UFC boss Dana White would be good for the sport.
As we know, Dana White’s first love in combat sports was boxing. He attempted to break in many years ago but instead, opted to go down the path of mixed martial arts. Ever since then, he’s helped grow the Ultimate Fighting Championship to a point where they are now considered to be one of the biggest sporting organizations in the world – and financially, that certainly isn’t an exaggeration.
In addition to that, Dana White is still very interested in the idea of getting into the boxing market. He’s dipped his toe in before but now, it seems like he’s more serious than ever. During a recent Q&A event with Midnite, George Groves gave his thoughts on the UFC’s model and White as a whole.
George Groves’ view on Dana White
“I always look at boxing from the boxer’s point of view and not the fan’s point of view. To get the very best fights you have to build fighters properly to get them being at their very best.
“So all these ‘Records don’t matter, put them in early,’ you ruin fighters by putting them in early in too tougher tests or 50/50 fights. Someone’s going to suffer.
“The money that the UFC fighters are paid compared to boxers is incomparable – it’s peanuts. That’s why anyone that gets a big enough name in the UFC transitions over to boxing like Conor McGregor or what not.
“I wouldn’t say he is good for boxing, but that’s from a boxer’s point of view and not a fan’s point of view. But I don’t think he’ll be able to complete boxing, I don’t think anyone can.”
UFC star Max Holloway has given his thoughts on Paddy Pimblett‘s chances if he is able to land a UFC title shot against Ilia Topuria.
As we know, Paddy Pimblett is one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts today. While a lot of people have often doubted his ability, the Liverpudlian’s dominant win over Michael Chandler made everyone realize that he is, in fact, the real deal. Now, the only question is this: will he jump the line and be thrust into a blockbuster title shot against rival Ilia Topuria?
It’s certainly possible, and it’s definitely what Paddy Pimblett wants. He believes that he has the answers necessary to put an end to the rise of ‘El Matador’ and while some will disagree with that assessment, ‘The Baddy’ has shown remarkable improvements throughout the course of his UFC tenure thus far.
In a recent interview, Max Holloway was asked about Paddy Pimblett and how that fight could play out.
Max Holloway’s view on Paddy Pimblett
“It’s MMA. It’s mixed martial arts. Anybody can win,” Holloway said. “Everybody can say we saw Paddy get cracked. I saw myself get cracked a bunch of times and when Ilia hit me, we saw what we saw. At the end of the day, it’s mixed martial arts. I think Paddy and their team will prepare right for that fight. I think they’ll have a game plan and he’s no slouch.
“A lot of people thought Paddy was this guy who just talks and runs his mouth and then he got to prove himself against a guy like [Michael] Chandler. He’s not a wrestler but he out-wrestled the wrestler, which was pretty crazy to see.”
“He’s super good,” Holloway said about Pimblett. “This is mixed martial arts. It’s what’s going on that day and whoever can apply their game plan that they’ve been doing, you never know.”
The rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois to determine an undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing goes down tonight, and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
All four of boxing’s heavyweight world championships will be at stake, as Usyk puts the WBA (Super), WBO, and WBC titles on the line in an attempt to reclaim the IBF belt from a familiar foe in Dubois. The fight takes place from Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Usyk and Dubois first met in August 2023 — Usyk’s first fight since beating Anthony Joshua to gain the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles and defend them in a rematch. While Dubois was strong to start, a controversial low blow call for a punch that landed on Usyk in the fifth round saw the momentum shift. Usyk went on to score knockdowns of Dubois in the eighth and ninth, finishing Dubois to retain the title.
About nine months later, Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to claim the WBC title and become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing since Lennox Lewis. Usyk also became the first heavyweight undisputed champion in the four-belt era, and he joined Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue in becoming a four-belt undisputed champion in a second weight class.
Usyk, however, was only undisputed champion for a month, as the IBF stripped Usyk, who went on to rematch with Fury and retain the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles. Dubois, meanwhile, defeated Filip Hrgović in June 2024 to become interim IBF heavyweight champion before being promoted to full-time champ. He then retained the IBF title in September with a strong knockout of Joshua.
The Usyk vs. Dubois 2 card is available on DAZN pay-per-view and will begin at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BST. Ring walks for the main event are expected at approximately 4:45pm ET/1:45pm PT/9:45pm BST. If you can’t watch the action, MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights below.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois 2 Results & Highlights
Undisputed Heavyweight Championship: Oleksandr Usyk def. Daniel Dubois via KO (R5, 1:08)
WBC Silver Heavyweight Championship: Lawrence Okolie def. Kevin Lerena via unanimous decision (99-91, 100-90 x2)
IBF Continental & WBA Continental Light Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Lapin def. Lewis Edmondson via majority decision (5-95, 96-94 x2)
PFL Cape Town presents a historic night for the PFL and Africa, as global MMA action has touched down in the continent with both the second edition of the PFL Champions Series and the first-ever PFL Africa event — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
A card in Africa has been a longtime coming for the PFL since its signing of Francis Ngannou in 2023 — with Ngannou being named a part-owner and chairman of PFL Africa. PFL Africa is the latest region-specific venture of the PFL’s, following its launch of PFL Europe in 2023 and PFL MENA in 2024.
This evening will simultaneously mark the second edition of PFL Champions Series — developed as part of the slew of changes made by PFL for 2025 that included the elimination of the Bellator brand.
Those championships will carry on, however, as seen in the main event of PFL Champions Series 2, as now-PFL middleweight champion Johnny Eblen defends the title against Costello Van Steenis.
Eblen won the then-Bellator middleweight title by defeating Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 282, retaining the belt against Anatoly Tokov at Bellator 290 and Fabian Edwards at Bellator 299. Since the PFL’s purchase of Bellator, Eblen scored a split decision win over Impa Kasaganay at PFL vs. Bellator Champions and retained against Edwards again at PFL Battle of the Giants last October.
Van Steenis comes into this title shot off two straight wins, submitting Gregory Babene at the Bellator Champions Series event in Paris in May 2024 before a 48-second head kick knockout of João Vitor Dantas at the PFL World Championships last fall.
Dakota Ditcheva, the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight champion and 2023 PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion, returns to action tonight against Sumiko Inaba, who defeated Saray Orozco and Mackenzie Stiller last year.
The PFL Africa 1 portion of the evening will see the African-focused promotion’s tournaments kick off with first-round heavyweight and bantamweight action.
PFL Cape Town begins with PFL Africa 1 action at 10am ET/7am PT on the PFL App, while PFL Champions Series 2 starts at 2pm ET/11 am PT on ESPN+. If you can’t watch the action, MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights below.
PFL Cape Town: PFL Champions Series 2: Johnny Eblen vs. Costello Van Steenis & PFL Africa 1 Results & Highlights
PFL Champions Series 2:
Middleweight Championship: Costello Van Steenis def. Johnny Eblen via submission (rear-naked choke) (R5, 4:51)
Juliet Ukah takes the first W of the day over Ceileigh Niedermayr!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/fnyXpzl8r0
Abraham Bably at the bell!😱#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/iPBUkJmUzM
The referee takes a point away from Frans Mlambo for the illegal blow to the back of the head.#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/CUEttVM5G9
The fight between Abdoulaye Kane & Joffie Houlton has been called off due to an illegal knee to the head by Abdoulaye Kane. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/IPv5B2eQlY
Things are heating up between Asiashu Tshitamba & Karim Henniene in Round 1 🔥#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/SC86uBcAw6
Karim Henniene is the ultimate showman 😂🙌#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/xzZkJ5vqtU
Jashell Ticha Awa comes out HOT! 🔥#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/JFcGstODRJ
Justin Clarke wins it by TKO due to advice from the doctor to stop the fight. He remains undefeated. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/KolLMHuCvy
Boule Godogo lands a BIG left hand! 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/KhhNN0b46g
Maxwell Djantou Nana & Mickaël Groguhe are throwing heavy blows in this one. 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/YUkUET7ukA
Maxwell Djantou Nana wins by unanimous decision! He will face Justin Clarke in the Heavyweight Semifinal. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/Q0dBmtnvPB
THAT'S IT! Nkosi Ndebele takes the W in Cape Town! #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/YuGcKrdWrw
Corey Anderson with the 2nd Round TKO!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 2pm on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Yi4lCZuUYV
WHO WANTS IT MORE?! Artur Zaynukov vs. Takeshi Izumi is heating up! 🔥#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 2pm on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/W6Mp2bbRto
AJ McKee lands a BIG body kick at the end of Round 1. Was Akhmed Magomedov saved by the bell? 👀#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/0477xISqHG
WHAT A FIGHT! This one will go to decision. 👀#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/zFyfGAU1ZV
Dakota Ditcheva comes out HOT. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/22nvTSM1pD
Dakota Ditcheva is showing off. 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/y5Kfs52Byj
WHO ELSE?! Dakota Ditcheva moves to 15-0!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Dmva6qQsCN
It's been a grappling match! Who do you have winning? 👀#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/qbGtpxvSLn
WHO WANTS IT MORE?! Eblen & Van Steenis refuse to get tired 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/hauQeUruKm
Costello Van Steenis lands a beautiful calf-kick!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/8xVr7X4BVM
WHAT A WAY TO END ROUND 4 😤 Costello Van Steenis refuses to give up!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/QHXLs8S9ZK
COSTELLO VAN STEENIS REAR NAKED CHOKE WITH 10 SECONDS LEFT!!#AndNew PFL Middleweight World Champion!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/eAby40lnU6
Winner by rear-naked choke #AndNew PFL Middleweight World Champion Costello Van Steenis!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/A7IXXWDdsM
UFC 318 is almost here, and we here at MMA News are here to provide you the latest on betting odds for the card.
The card takes place from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, July 19. The pay-per-view main card portion of the event will start at 10PM ET/7PM PT, with preliminary action starting at 6PM ET/3PM PT
The headline attraction for the event will feature the final fight in the career of Dustin Poirier, as he challenges Max Holloway for the BMF championship.
In the co-main event, former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa faces Roman Kopylov.
The pay-per-view card will also feature Kevin Holland facing Daniel Rodriguez, Dan Ige clashing with former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull, and Michael Johnson meeting Daniel Zellhuber.
UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 318 as of July 18 at 8pm ET, courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Lightweight: BMF Championship: Max Holloway (-142) vs. Dustin Poirier (+120)
Middleweight: Paulo Costa (+190) vs. Roman Kopylov (-230)
Welterweight: Kevin Holland (-625) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (+455)
Featherweight: Dan Ige (-225) vs. Patricio Pitbull (+185)
Lightweight: Michael Johnson (+455) vs. Daniel Zellhuber (-625)
Preliminary Card:
Bantamweight: Kyler Phillips (+124) vs. Vinicius Oliveira (-148)
Middleweight: Marvin Vettori (+164) vs. Brendan Allen (-198)
Welterweight: Francisco Prado (-148) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (+124)
Middleweight: Ateba Abega Gautier (-550) vs. Robert Valentin (+410)
Early Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Adam Fugitt (+470) vs. Islam Dulatov (-650)
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute (-355) vs. Marcin Prachnio (+280)
Heavyweight: Ryan Spann (-245) vs. Łukasz Brzeski (+200)
Middleweight: Brunno Ferreira (-550) vs. Jackson McVey (+410)
Women’s Flyweight: Carli Judice (-395) vs. Nicolle Caliari (+310)
The UFC may be without Sean Strickland for some time, depending on what the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) determines at an upcoming meeting.
The NSAC will be holding a meeting this coming Wednesday, July 23, and one of the topics for discussion will be an “extension of temporary suspension” for Strickland “for possible action.”
Sean Strickland is on the Nevada Athletic Commission's agenda for next week and it appears he's been suspended for that incident where he rushed in the cage at that Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas.
A temporary suspension for Strickland has been confirmed, meaning that Strickland is unable to compete in the UFC until a full punishment is determined and served.
Sean Strickland Temporarily Suspended For Tuff-N-Uff Incident, NSAC To Hold Hearing Wednesday
The suspension stems from an incident at a Tuff-N-Uff event last month that Strickland was present at. Strickland, along with fellow UFC fighter Chris Curtis, were in the corner of Miles Hunsinger, who was submitted by Luis Hernandez.
Following Hernandez’s win, Hernandez made taunts in the direction of Strickland Curtis, who stormed the cage for a confrontation. Strickland threw punches toward Hernandez, including one that appeared to land, before security intervened.
Diego Sanchez now finds himself caught up in a serious legal mess.
According to KRQE News, Sanchez was arrested in Albuquerque on Thursday after allegedly firing a gun from a moving vehicle as it drove past the scene of a highway crash in New Mexico.
Police intercepted the Jeep Gladiator shortly after the incident and confirmed that the former UFC lightweight title challenger was riding in the passenger seat. While he was taken into custody, the driver was not charged.
Although Sanchez initially denied firing the weapon, he did tell officers there was a gun in the backseat on the driver’s side. However, when police searched the vehicle, they found three rounds near the passenger seat and a black handgun stuffed into the back pocket of the driver’s seat.
The driver, who said he was simply giving the MMA veteran a ride home, told police that Sanchez fired the gun out of the window from the passenger seat and noted that the 43-year-old Albuquerque native began laughing during the incident.
Diego Sanchez is now facing two criminal charges: a fourth-degree felony for allegedly shooting at or from a motor vehicle without causing bodily harm, and a misdemeanor count for the negligent discharge of a deadly weapon.
Image courtesy: MMA Fighting
When Did Diego Sanchez Last Fight In The UFC?
Diego Sanchez secured his UFC contract in April 2005 by stopping Kenny Florian via TKO to become the inaugural middleweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 1. “Nightmare” quickly earned a reputation as one of the promotion’s most relentless fighters. His impressive run eventually led to his first UFC title shot against then-lightweight champion B.J. Penn at UFC 107 in December 2009, where he suffered a TKO loss.
After an up-and-down run across multiple weight classes, Sanchez made his final Octagon appearance at UFC 253 in September 2020, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Jake Matthews.
“Nightmare’s” last outing in combat sports came nearly three years later at BKFC: Knuckle Mania 3 in April 2023, where he suffered a loss to veteran boxer and future bare-knuckle champion Austin Trout.
We’re about 24 hours away from UFC 318, and MMA News is here to bring you the video from the ceremonial weigh-ins for the card!
UFC 318 takes place on July 19 from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The main event of the evening will feature Dustin Poirier, who makes the Octagon walk for the final time, challenge familiar foe Max Holloway to a trilogy bout with the BMF title on the line. Poirier is 2-0 against Holloway, having bested him at both UFC 143 and UFC 236. Poirier enters this fight off a loss in a lightweight title fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. Holloway won the BMF title from Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 but was knocked out by Ilia Topuria in a featherweight title clash at UFC 308.
The co-main event will see former middleweight title challenge Paulo Costa look to get back on winning ways against Roman Kopylov.
The rest of the main card sees Kevin Holland face Daniel Rodriguez, Dan Ige take on Patricio Pitbull, and Michael Johnson square off with Daniel Zellhuber.
All fighters for the card made weight. All the fights are on!
The ceremonial weigh-ins present the last opportunity for opponents to face off before they meet inside the Octagon. Check them out below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel!
We are just one day away from UFC 318, and we’ve got the official weigh-in results for you here at MMA News.
UFC 318 takes place from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. And in the main event, the UFC’s BMF title will be up for grabs again as New Orleans’ favorite MMA son takes his final walk to the Octagon — against another beloved MMA legend.
In the main event, BMF champion Max Holloway will place the title on the line as he faces Dustin Poirier in a trilogy bout. Poirier has won both fights in the set thus far, submitting Holloway at UFC 143 in Holloway’s UFC debut and scoring a decision over “Blessed” at UFC 236 to capture the interim lightweight title. Both men come into this bout off unsuccessful title challenges, with Poirier losing to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 and Holloway losing to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308.
The co-main event will see former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa back in action, as he takes on Roman Kopylov. Costa has lost four of his last five — after starting his MMA career undefeated — losing to former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland last year. Kopylov has won six of his last seven, including a finish of Chris Curtis in January.
The main card will also feature Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez, Dan Ige vs. Patricio Pitbull, and Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber.
UFC 318 Weigh-In Video, Results
UFC 318 takes place Saturday, July 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.
See above to watch the UFC 318 Weigh-In Show (beginning at 9:45 a.m. ET), and check out the full results below.
Main Card:
Lightweight: BMF Championship: Max Holloway (155) vs. Dustin Poirier (156)*
Middleweight: Paulo Costa (185) vs. Roman Kopylov (185)
Welterweight: Kevin Holland (170) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (170)
Featherweight: Dan Ige (145) vs. Patricio Pitbull (145)
Lightweight: Michael Johnson (155) vs. Daniel Zellhuber (156)
Preliminary Card:
Bantamweight: Kyler Phillips (135) vs. Vinicius Oliveira (135)
Middleweight: Marvin Vettori (186) vs. Brendan Allen (185)
Welterweight: Francisco Prado (170) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (169)
Middleweight: Ateba Abega Gautier (185) vs. Robert Valentin (186)
Early Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Adam Fugitt (171) vs. Islam Dulatov (171)
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute (205) vs. Marcin Prachnio (205)
Heavyweight: Ryan Spann (252) vs. Łukasz Brzeski (242)
Middleweight: Brunno Ferreira (186) vs. Jackson McVey (185)
Women’s Flyweight: Carli Judice (125) vs. Nicolle Caliari (126)
*Holloway and Poirier are allowed to weigh in at 156 due to the BMF not being a “true division”, as compared to division-specific titles
Shara Magomedov prepares to return to the cage next week and he has been getting in some great rounds with one of the featured fighters on this weekend’s UFC pay-per-view offering. As a recent guest on Bowks Talking Bouts, Robert Valentin touched on multiple topics leading into his battle with Ateba Gautier at UFC 318 on Saturday, July 19th.
Valentin has engaged in cross training efforts at Bangtao Muay Thai and Syndicate MMA (when out in Las Vegas). While getting in work in Thailand at Bangtao, Shara ‘Bullet’ is someone that Valentin has sharpened his tools with. When discussing some of the sparring rounds he has had with Shara Magomedov in recent times, Valentin said,
“Yeah, so Shara is coming to Phuket also already for a long time. As people know, he’s mainly a striker. So that’s a good place for him and in Bangtao, we get some good sparring in together. Yeah, working together for our upcoming fights. He’s fighting the week after me in Abu Dhabi. So it was perfect timing to kind of put our camps together and get in there and strike a little bit.”
Shara Magomedov’s upcoming test in Abu Dhabi
While Valentin prepares to do battle on the 19th, Shara Magomedov will have his own in-cage assignment on July 26th. At Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Magomedov returns to action in an intriguing middleweight matchup against former multi-division TKO champion Marc-Andre Barriault.
Barriault recently snapped a three fight losing skid and did so in emphatic fashion on home soil. The Quebec-born fighter secured a knockout victory less than ninety seconds into his bout against Bruno Silva at UFC 315 in Montreal. For Shara ‘Bullet’, Magomedov aims to rebound from the first professional loss of his MMA career against Michael ‘Venom’ Page on February 1st. The native of Russia aims to redicret the narrative to how fans were talking about him when Magomedov secured a stunning double spinning backfist finish in the second stanza against Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 last October.
Some are unsure as to who the next opponent for UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will be but a former member of Team Alexa Grasso has a defined interest in seeing Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili. Appearing on Bowks Talking Bouts ahead of his UFC 318 clash with Ateba Gautier, Robert Valentin touched on several subjects including his TUF tenure which gave him a path toward the octagon.
With Shevchenko serving as the opposing coach to Grasso during season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter, the two flyweights went on to fight with Shevchenko reclaiming her crown and then defending it against Manon Fiorot in May at UFC 315. Valentin was a member of Team Grasso when Alexa Grasso was still the reigning flyweight champion with Grasso also competing at UFC 315, losing to now-number one contender Natalia Silva. It would seem like Silva could possibly be next for Shevchenko considering the divisional meritocracy of it. But a superfight with dominant strawweight titleholder Zhang Weili has been something fans have long wanted to see.
As someone who also trains out of Bangtao Muay Thai as Weili does and when asked if we will get Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili next, Valentin said,
“I really hope so. I mean for the women’s MMA, this is the fight to make right now. Undoubtedly Zhang Weili, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining women in MMA ever. The way; how she fights is I think levels above what other women can show in the octagon. On the other side, Valentina is like maybe coming to the end of her career now and she also deserves big fights that will be remembered. I kind of feel like in her last fights, she kind of blasted through her competition.”
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili thoughts continued by Valentin
Further articulating his thoughts on the machinations of this possible MMA dream matchup with Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili, Valentin continued,
“Those fights they don’t really give her the value in terms of fans remembering her name as what she would deserve. A fight like Valentina versus Zhang Weili, that’s a historical fight. That’s going to bring a huge amount of fans to the sport. I mean China, big market. Russian speaking fans, huge market. Two of the best women to ever do it in MMA. There is no better matchup to make and both of these women deserve that spotlight and the fans deserve an entertaining fight which undoubtedly they will bring to the octagon.”
The BKFC made major signings last week, one of whom was former UFC and Bellator title challenger Yoel Romero. Romero has been seen as a welcome edition to the roster, with hope he will fit in well with the bare-knuckle style.
What may have gone under the radar, however, is that Romero had a run in with a man who is no longer on the BKFC roster as of last month — and that incident could have had a bad ending for Romero.
Last week, the YouTube account Ragdoll MMA released a video taking a look into former BKFC bantamweight champion Alberto Blas’ release from the promotion, which occurred on June 26.
In a statement BKFC President David Feldman announced that “a pattern of unprofessional behavior outside of competition” led the promotion to strip Blas of the bantamweight title and release him.
“There were multiple infractions that went into this decision,” the statement read. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Former BKFC Champion Alberto Blas Acquitted Of Second-Degree Murder After Stabbing Recent BKFC Signee Yoel Romero
While not directly mentioned by BKFC, one of the incidents in question involved a confrontation with Romero that saw him stab the “The Soldier of God” with a samurai sword in January 2022.
As explained by an anonymous source in the video, Blas and Romero had gotten into a verbal confrontation at the American Top Team gym. In the parking lot, Blas attempted to strike Romero with his car before retrieving a samurai sword from his trunk. He used the sword to reportedly strike Romero in the arms and hands.
Blas was charged in Florida on one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of battery. Blas, however, was found not guilty on both charges. While the charges were dropped in 2024, a stay-away order of protection one month after the incident ordered Blas not to be in contact with the victim — whose named is listed on the document as Romero.
Interestingly, as the video mentions, this press release from BKFC announcing Blas’ release came out hours after rival promotion Bare-Knuckle Boxing announced they had signed Blas to a multi-fight deal.
BKB President Mike Vasquez recently told MMA News that he questions the nature of Feldman’s press release, since it did not come out until after BKB signed Blas. He furthermore claimed that several former BKFC fighters have messaged him, claiming the promotion did not pay fighters on time.
Blas put out his own statement, claiming “While my record is not spotless, I stand by my reputation and wish to call this out for what it is: an insecure individual trying to save face while the company he built and subsequently sold off continues to spiral downward.”
Dustin Poirier will hope for his final UFC fight to be one that’s memorable — and he’ll get that with UFC 318, as he challenges Max Holloway for the BMF title in a trilogy bout that headlines the evening.
The moments won’t stop there for the Louisiana native, however.
On Wednesday, July 16, Poirier announced that legendary rapper Lil’ Wayne, who is also from Louisiana, will be accompanying him for his final walk-out.
“[Lil’] Wayne is walking me out, 100 percent,” Poirier said.
Lil’ Wayne To Lead Dustin Poirier To The Cage For Retirement Fight At UFC 318
This will be the third and final encounter between Poirier and Holloway, with “The Diamond” up 2-0. Poirier first met Holloway at UFC 143 — when a 4-0 and 20-year-old Holloway was making his UFC debut. Poirier submitted “Blessed” in the first round. Poirier and Holloway then faced off at UFC 236, with Poirier taking a decision over the then-featherweight champion to become interim UFC lightweight champion.
Poirier enters this fight off a loss to Islam Makhachev in a lightweight title fight that headlined UFC 302.
Holloway was finished for the first time since the original loss to Poirier — and knocked out for the first time in his career — when he faced Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title at UFC 308.
Holloway has been BMF champion since UFC 300, where he knocked out Justin Gaethje in highlight fashion. Gaethje had been champion since UFC 291, where he knocked out Poirier for the belt.
We’re in the middle of UFC 318 fight week, and we find ourselves just a couple of days away from Dustin Poirier making his final walk to the Octagon. Time to add to the build, and get some more hype around this card, with a good ol’ fashion question-and-answer session.
The seventh UFC pay-per-view event of the year goes down from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, July 19. UFC 318 will be headlined by a BMF title fight between defending champion Max Holloway and Poirier.
The co-main event will be a middleweight matchup that sees former title challenger Paulo Costa taking on up-and-comer Roman Kopylov.
The main card will also feature a welterweight matchup between Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez, the second UFC appearance of former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio Pitbull (as he takes on Dan Ige), and Michael Johnson meeting Daniel Zellhuber in a lightweight matchup.
Watch The UFC 318: Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3 Pre-Fight Press Conference
As per tradition, the UFC pay-per-view main card participants will be featured in a press conference during fight week. This is the opportunity for fighters to answer questions from media and fans, as well as potentially lay in some smack talk on their opponents.
UFC star Conor McGregor has reiterated that he is interested in the idea of returning to mixed martial arts for next year’s UFC White House card.
One thing we all know to be true is that Conor McGregor is a pretty controversial figure. Every week there seems to be a new claim about something that he’s done or something he’s said, and the Irishman just seems to roll with the punches. Alas, if he keeps going down this road, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to end particularly well for him.
One thing we haven’t seen is Conor McGregor actually competing in the cage. It’s been four years since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier and while he’s been close to a comeback since then, it’s never quite come to fruition. At this point, it’s hard to imagine it happening, especially given the kind of lifestyle that he leads.
Alas, in a short interview recently with The Schmo, Conor McGregor made it known that he wants to fight on the UFC White House card that was announced by Donald Trump and later confirmed by Dana White.
Conor McGregor looks ahead to UFC White House
Q: “The White House. Dana White said, ‘You and Jon Jones, that’s the real deal.’
A: “I’m going home. I’m going to get the head down. I’m going to rest. They’re testing me. I’m in the pool. I says, ‘Go tell him, man. I thought that’s what the pools are for — jumping in and out of.’ But I’m back in the pool. So, get ready and stay ready, ’cause damage will be done.”
UFC legend Dustin Poirier has spoken about how he’s been preparing for the last fight of his mixed martial arts career this weekend at UFC 318.
On Saturday night, Dustin Poirier will make the walk to the octagon for one last time. He will do so against Max Holloway, with ‘The Diamond’ hoping to go out by capturing the BMF championship. He currently holds a 2-0 record over Holloway in his career but as we know, ‘Blessed’ has gotten a lot better since the last time they fought – even if some people don’t want to believe that.
Dustin Poirier is a fan favorite and that much is an understatement. He has done some wonderful things for the sport of mixed martial arts and although he never claimed an undisputed title, that really doesn’t matter when you consider the body of work he produced.
He’s a legend of the game and you won’t find too many people who would disagree with that. In a recent interview, Dustin Poirier spoke openly about what he’s been doing in order to get ready for this final test.
Dustin Poirier reveals his current carnivore diet
“I’m ninety-something days completely sober – no alcohol, no marijuana. And for the last four, five months, I’ve kind of done the carnivore thing: meat and berries, little vegetables. Dude, I’m in the best shape ever. This is the lightest I’ve ever shown up to fight week.”
One thing we know for sure is this: DP is going to bring the best version of himself to the cage on Saturday in New Orleans.
British heavyweight boxer Daniel Dubois is predicting that chaos will unfold in his upcoming rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.
On Saturday night, Daniel Dubois will try and become the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He’ll do so in a highly anticipated rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, which is set to take place at Wembley Stadium. While a lot of people aren’t quite sure what to expect from the bout, the popular opinion seems to be that Usyk is still the favorite, despite the incredible knockout win that Dubois picked up over Anthony Joshua.
Regardless of who you’re backing, there’s no denying that this is an incredibly fascinating contest. These two men have very different styles but together, there’s an excellent chance they can make magic happen. For Daniel Dubois, he knows that the pressure is on the champion – or, at least, that’s how it seems.
In a recent face-off with Usyk, Daniel Dubois explained what he plans to do at the weekend.
Daniel Dubois predicts chaos in Oleksandr Usyk rematch
“I don’t want to even put it down to just being an old man. I’ve got to prove myself and bring chaos in the ring—what I bring and the force I have, that will be what’s needed. I stand more to gain. He’s at the end of his career. I stand more to gain from a win; getting all the belts, that means… that’s the start for me, really.”
“Chaos. For as long as it lasts.”
Get ready, folks, because this is going to be a banger.
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has answered the question of whether or not Jake Paul deserves respect in the boxing world.
We all know that Jake Paul is viewed as a controversial figure in the sport of professional boxing – and that much is an understatement. While he is undeniably an incredible promoter who has done wonderful things for women’s boxing in the last few years, his actual fights haven’t really garnered that much respect from the masses due to the nature of his opponents.
Of course, money talks in a lot of instances, and Jake Paul has certainly made a lot of that. As we look ahead to his future in the sport, it definitely feels like he’s got a few more tricks up his sleeves.
In a recent interview, Manny Pacquiao was asked about Jake Paul, and he gave a pretty interesting response.
Manny Pacquiao praises Jake Paul
“I respect him, you know? He’s trying his best. He’s working hard for his dream, and he wants to be a champion. So I respect that. Not everyone can do that, putting in the work, stepping in the ring… It’s not easy.”
It’s doubtful that this is a fight we’d ever see, especially given that Pacquiao is set to return for a world title match of his own this weekend. Still, it’s a big deal to see ‘The Problem Child’ receive respect from someone of his stature, and it speaks volumes to what he’s been able to achieve thus far. Watch this space.
