Month: Juni 2026

Oleksandr Usyk wants to go out with a bang.

Turning 40 years of age in January, unified heavyweight boxing champion Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs) has decided to relinquish his WBA, WBC and IBF belts. The Ukrainian wishes for those next in line to vie for his old belts, while he has his sights set on one final bout. He has not tipped his hat as to whether it would be a rematch against a former foe like Rico Verhoeven or Tyson Fury, or even if there would be any gold on the line for his final bout.

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Usyk took the boxing world by storm, crushing names like Tony Bellew and Chazz Witherspoon as a cruiserweight before moving up to the heaviest division. There, he picked up the WBO intercontinental strap from Derek Chisora in 2020, and looked nowhere but up. A year later, the 18-0 big man challenged Anthony Joshua for the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts, and he claimed them all by picking up a decision after 12 rounds of combat.Rematches upon rematches upon rematchesThe n…

Even as a child, Ilara Joanne knew fighting would be her destiny, despite not knowing the sacrifices that laid ahead. While preparing for her clash against former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Shannon Clark, “Arya Stark” fondly looks back at the events that brought her to this point.

“I left the interior of the Brazilian state of Ceara. I’m from the back country,” she shared with Sherdog in her native Portuguese.

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“When I arrived at the state capital, Fortaleza, I found a place to train. I started training in capoeira, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu. By the time I was 19, I had my pro debut. It’s when I decided this is how I’d be spending the rest of my life. As soon as I stepped off the cage, I told my coach that this is the life I wanted for me.”Ilara Joanne's road from rural Brazil to PFL San Diego Things haven’t been easy, but she feels it’s all been worth it. “From my Bellator debut in 2019 until now, I had to overcome multiple obstacles. I worked …

It seems that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has another batch of numbers it wants to share about its tentpole fight card.

Following the UFC White House card, also known as UFC Freedom 250, the organization was bullish on the expected number of the spectacle event. The promotion put out its first crop of numbers last week, announcing an average viewership number during the broadcast of about seven million in the U.S.

This tally by itself falls short to the numbers drawn by the first Netflix MMA show headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, which reportedly capped at 9.3 million active viewers. Both Rousey and promoter Jake Paul were quick to pounce on their numerical superiority, shrugging off the UFC as the biggest MMA league on in the world. Possibly in response to the criticism, the UFC has put forth a new crop of enhanced numbers with greater locational breakdowns and several new markets in which are now available for review.

UFC Freedom 250 claims 34 …

At 32 years of age, Ariane Lipski da Silva is now fully committed to the third major stage in her professional mixed martial arts career.

After showing great promise in the local Brazilian scene, the invitation came to join Poland’s famed Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki promotion. In the KSW, not only did she win their flyweight belt, she went on to defend it twice.

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Stage one completed.After years of UFC setbacks, Lipski believes best is to come The Ultimate Fighting Championship came calling in 2018, but a reported foot injury by booked opponent Maryna Moroz meant that her actual debut wouldn’t take place until the following year. In hindsight, it may have been an omen of things to come. Her Octagon tenure may hold some sort of record to the highest percentage of canceled bouts or opponent changes. In under 7 years, da Silva racked up a record of 6-8, with nine matchups being either canceled or postponed. Twice, da Silva could not compete. Seven other can…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Azerbaijan is set after the UFC Baku weigh-ins took place.

All 26 fighters made weight for UFC Fight Night 280. The 13-fight card sees the return of fan-favorite lightweight Rafael Fiziev, who always brings action to the Octagon. He'll clash with fellow contender Manuel Torres in a five-round fight.

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Fiziev (13-5) is looking to rebound from a TKO loss to Mauricio Ruffy earlier this year. It's been a rough stretch for the Kazakhstani fighter, who is just 1-4 in his last five fights. However, two of the losses came to current champion Justin Gaethje and a win over Ignacio Bahamondes shows that he is still dangerous. "Ataman" weighed 156 pounds on the dot.

Meanwhile, Torres (17-3) is riding a two-fight win streak into the main event. TKO victories over Drew Dober and Grant Dawson have shown how skilled "El Loco" truly is. However, a recent defeat to Bahamondes in 2024 is his latest setb…

The Professional Fighters League will hold a show in Saudi Arabia this year one way or another.

In May, the promotion was slated to post up at the Dhahran Expo in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Plans changed, and that card was scrubbed and bumped back to June 19 at Jeddah instead of Khobar. Via a press release on Thursday, the company will be shipping that fight event to the Boulevard Studios in Riyadh on July 10. The lineup of this show vs. the previous one in June will remain similar, with both Hattan Alsaif and Malik Basahel seated on the marquee.

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Alsaif will be looking to make her professional debut on this date, entering into her first paid bout against 1-1 Algerian Dania Ouhachi who has both won and lost her past matches by submission. Alsaif typically competes at 105 pounds to Ouhachi’s 125, so they will be meeting in the middle at a current unlisted catchweight in the main event.

Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, J…

Photo: Getty Images/UFC | Caption: Sherdog.com/Ben Duffy

Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, June 27 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.

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Viviane Araujo didn’t ask for easy assignments, nor is she getting one.

After a successful debut bout in the Professional Fighters League this past April, “Vivi” now prepares to clash with a nearly irresistible force when she meets fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship alumna Liz Carmouche on June 27 at PFL San Diego.

Carmouche is the PFL’s most recent flyweight tournament champion. The 16-year veteran holds notable wins over the likes of Jessica Andrade and Valentina Shevchenko, not to mention being on a 12-1 run since 2020. Araujo is keenly aware of the potential risks and rewards. Though no belt is up for grabs this weekend, an emphatic win would most likely catapult her to title contention.

Speaking in her native Portuguese, Araujo had nothing but praise for her next o…

Brunno Ferreira will look to return to the win column at UFC Baku. | Getty/UFC

Brunno Ferreira will look to return to the win column when he faces Ikram Aliskerov at UFC Baku on Saturday.

“Hulk” arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, with coach Andre “Dida” this past Thursday. Ferreira was initially supposed to face Aliskerov at UFC 318 last July before his opponent withdrew from the event due to injury. Instead, Ferreira submitted replacement opponent Jackson McKey in the first round.

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“That fight should have happened before, but Ikram hurt his foot six days before the fight. The opponent changed [then], but we had already studied his game a lot,” Dida, the Brazilian TKO head coach, told Sherdog.com. “I´m very impressed with the fans here. They are very excited about the event. Baku breathes fighting. They have a big statue of a wrestling champion on the street of the hotel.”

“‘Hulk' wanted to arrive on Thursday, so we can get totally adapted t…

"Cyborg" is set for one last hurrah in MMA. | PFL MMA

Cris Cyborg will end her decorated mixed martial arts career this summer under the Professional Fighters League banner.

“Cyborg” will defend her featherweight title against Ketlen Vieira in the PFL Tampa headliner on Aug. 22 at Benchmark, International Arena in Tampa, Florida, The promotion announced the bout on Wednesday. The PFL Tampa main card will air on ESPN beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

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Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

“PFL Tampa will be a special event as it hosts the retirement fight for our champion, Cris Cyborg,” said PFL CEO John Martin in a release. “She is a pioneer of not just women’s MMA, but mixed martial arts as a whole, and it has been a privilege for PFL to have her as a deserving champion. Now she headlines one final time in the PFL cage and will stand across from a proven challenger in Ketlen …

Javid Basharat is headed to the PFL. | Getty/UFC

Javid Basharat is among of host of new additions to the Professional Fighters League roster.

The league on Wednesday announced the addition of 18 athletes from nine weight classes and 14 countries. Basharat and fellow UFC veteran Daniel Marcos, whose signing was already reported, are among the most notable newcomers.

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Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Basharat went 4-2 with one no contest over the course of seven Octagon appearances after earning a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series. “The Snow Leopard” last competed at UFC Fight Night 266 on Feb. 7, when he took a unanimous verdict over Gianni Vazquez.

“At PFL, we are constantly growing and evolving our roster to ensure it remains one of the best and most competitive in the world,” PFL CEO John Martin said in a release. “With 18 new fighters announced toda…

Eddie Hearn has added another notable UFC star to his stable.

Welterweight contender Ian Garry announced that he has signed with Matchroom Talent Agency, the company run by Hearn, ahead of his title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on Aug. 15.

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“Congratulations Matchroom Talent Agency you’ve signed the future,” Garry wrote on Instagram. “I’m excited to announce Team Future just got bigger. Alongside Vayner Sports, I’ll be joining The Matchroom Talent Agency - who will now work across my commercial interests.”

Earlier this year, UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall signed with Matchroom. The deals differ in the fact that Garry’s agreement is only for marketing and commercial; the Irishman is still represented by Vayner Sports for management. Aspinall, meanwhile, is represented by Matchroom in all aspects of his career. In recent months, Hearn has engaged in a bitter feud with UFC CEO Dana White, as the two men often trade jabs online and in …

PFL MMA

Professional Fighters League is working diligently to connect with its fan base.

On Wednesday, the promotion announced the launch of the PFL Summer Series, which will occur over the course of the next five events. The initiative begins with PFL San Diego on Saturday and concludes with PFL Tampa on Aug. 22.

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Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

During that stretch, which also includes events in Austin, Washington D.C., New York and Charlotte, the PFL will host “a wide range of fan and media events, including athlete meet-and-greets, photo opportunities, watch parties, ceremonial face-offs, restaurant and bar takeovers, and more.”

Additional experiences for the PFL Summer Series are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Upcoming PFL Schedule Saturday, June 27 – PFL San Diego; Pechanga Arena, San DiegoSaturday, July 18 – PFL Austin; Moody Center, Austin,…