Day: 10. März 2025

Frank Mir’s proposed Global Fight League debut is likely in jeopardy after he recently underwent emergency spinal surgery.

Advertisement

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator MMA veteran revealed details of the procedure in a recent Instagram post.

“I wanted to take a moment to update you on my health and share a bit about my recent journey. As many of you know, I’ve been dedicated to martial arts since I was just four years old. My love for hard training has driven me to push my limits as a professional athlete. However, this passion comes with its challenges,” Mir wrote. “Recently, I faced a significant hurdle: I underwent an emergency spinal fusion and laminectomy of my entire thoracic spine. Although it was a tough decision, I’m happy to report that the surgery was a complete success!

“Now, I’m diving into rehabilitation and focusing on my recovery. This is just another challenge that I intend to overcome, and I’m committed to coming back st…

Irish star Paul Hughes will be at the top of the card when Professional Fighters League heads to Belfast on May 10.

Advertisement

Hughes will headline PFL Europe Belfast at the SSE Arena, which will also include the first set of PFL Europe tournament fights for 2025. An opponent for Hughes was not announced.

“All my career I’ve said I will main event The SSE Arena, and we’ve made my dream into a reality,” Hughes said in a release. “Belfast, I’m coming to put on a show for my people, and I will show you how much your support means to me. It’s time to get to work.”

A former Cage Warriors champion, Hughes was a prized free agent before signing with the PFL in 2024. He made his presence felt at PFL “Brace for Impact” last October, when he defeated ex-Bellator MMA featherweight champ A.J. McKee via split decision. “Big News” then challenged Usman Nurmagomedov for the lightweight belt at PFL Road to Dubai, losing a narrow majority decision in one of the best…

[embedded content]

A potential clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall appears to be closer to becoming a reality.

Advertisement

While Aspinall is the interim champ, Jones has long delayed a heavyweight title unification bout against the Englishman. There were even talks of former light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira surpassing Aspinall for a superfight against Jones.

However, that discussion seems to have ended after Pereira lost his title to Magomed Ankalaev via a unanimous decision at UFC 313 on Saturday. UFC CEO Dana White also acknowledged the same and confirmed that Jones will fight Aspinall. While hopes of the matchup were initially bleak, White now claims that Jones as agreed to the bout and the promotion is looking for a date and place. White also reiterated a previous statement that the plan is to hold Jones vs. Aspinall sometime in the summer.

“Jon Jones definitely wants the fight, just when and where is what we’re working on now,” White said at…

[embedded content]

Paddy Pimblett plans on chasing a big payday if he wins a UFC title.

Advertisement

The Liverpudlian, who faces Michael Chandler at UFC 314, is targeting a Top 5 opponent next and hopes to earn a title shot with a win. Pimblett would then like to defend his title against Conor McGregor in front of his home fans at the Anfield Stadium, home of the Liverpool football club.

However, Pimblett also has his eyes on a latest addition to the lightweight roster, Ilia Topuria. Pimblett called Topuria “hand sanitizer boy,” referring to the their altercation ahead of UFC London in 2022.

“My plan is to fight with Top 5 opponents, then fight for the belt… And then my first title defense could be Conor McGregor in Anfield,” Pimblett told Shakiel Mahjouri. “That is perfect because that’s where the money is… But obviously I want to batter hand sanitizer boy. I want to show him how small he is and show him that he’s got little man syndrome.”

Pimblett…