Month: August 2026

Usman Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has made some bold predictions.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) is currently a free agent, having exhausted his Professional Fighters League contract after defending his lightweight title against Archie Colgan. While the PFL has a 90-day exclusive negotiation window with Nurmagomedov, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is also looking to sign the undefeated Dagestani.

Advertisement

Usman Nurmagomedov’s manager predicts wins over Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira and other UFC contenders Abdelaziz wants Nurmagomedov to fight Ilia Topuria in his UFC debut if he signs with the promotion. The veteran manager believes Nurmagomedov would make the former two-division UFC champion quit.

Abdelaziz and Nurmagomedov both regard current UFC champion Justin Gaethje as the best lightweight in the world. However, Abdelaziz believes Nurmagomedov would dominate most other elite UFC contenders at 155 pounds.

According to Abdelaziz, Paddy Pimbl…

How to watch Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha: Paramount+, Sky Sports and the full Zuffa Boxing 10 lineup Zuffa Boxing is set to make its Irish debut Saturday at 3Arena in Dublin.

Here’s a brief rundown for those who want to watch the event.

Advertisement

How to watch Zuffa Boxing 10 in the United States Zuffa Boxing 10 will air live on Paramount+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Aug. 8.

Aaron McKenna (20-0) will have the home crowd rallying behind him as he takes on Italy’s Etinosa Oliha (21-0) for the vacant IBF middleweight title in the main event. Both boxers have 10 knockouts and will put their undefeated records on the line.

How to watch Zuffa Boxing 10 in the United Kingdom U.K. fans can watch the event live on Sky Sports at 7 p.m. BST.

Here’s a complete look at the card as of Aug. 6:

Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa OlihaCallum Walsh vs. Tyler DennyJoe Ward vs. Artjom KasparianSam Hickey vs. Brad AxeLouis Grenne vs. Daniel BuciucStevie McKenna vs. Owen O’Ne…

The early odds are out for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s next event in Los Angeles, set for Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena.

Joshua Van (17-2) will put his flyweight title on the line in a rematch against Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) in the main event of UFC 331. Pantoja defended the title four times before losing it to Van last December. The odds have their upcoming rematch as nearly a pick’em.

Advertisement

UFC 331 opening odds for Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja, Arman Tsarukyan and Gable Steveson Pantoja injured his arm while attempting to brace his fall after Van caught a kick and dumped him, prompting the referee to step in less than 30 seconds into the fight. Van has since defended his title with a final-round stoppage win over Tatsuro Taira. He is on a seven-fight winning streak since his lone UFC loss in 2024. The oddsmakers have it as a coin-flip matchup, with Van opening at -115 and Pantoja at -105, according to Bet Online.

Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan…

⚖️ #PFLCharlotte Official Weigh Ins

Bryan Battle: 185.6 lbsDalton Rosta: 185.8 lbs

Advertisement

Be there this Friday, August 7th🎟️https://t.co/LsiQ59XlNj #PFLCharlotte | Friday, August 7th | 📺 Prelims 6:30PM on the ESPN App | Main Card 10PM EST on ESPN pic.twitter.com/Oo1I9vOULx — PFL (@PFLMMA) August 6, 2026 The Professional Fighters League's return to North Carolina is officially set following the PFL Charlotte weigh-ins.

The 13-fight card will feature an important middleweight scrap as the main event. Headliners Bryan Battle and Dalton Rosta both made weight for their headliner, as each contender looks to get back into the win column. All other fighters also made weight for the mixed martial arts event.

Battle (12-3, 1 NC) was most recently seen inside the PFL cage in a losing effort to Johnny Eblen. The former middleweight champion submitted "The Butcher" with a face crank in under a round. The defeat broke a five-fi…

Charles Oliveira has vowed that Allan Nascimento’s legacy will live on through Chute Boxe following the death of his longtime teammate.

Wednesday, Aug. 5, marked a solemn day for the Brazilian gym as members of the Chute Boxe family gathered to pay their final respects to Nascimento. Teammates and coaches formed a guard of honor and applauded as Nascimento’s casket was carried by members of the academy.

Advertisement

Charles Oliveira says Chute Boxe will keep Allan Nascimento's legacy alive After Nascimento’s funeral, Oliveira shared an emotional message on his Instagram Stories while fighting back tears. The former lightweight champion and current BMF titleholder promised that Nascimento’s impact would continue to inspire the team.

“Allanzito, you were always an example of commitment, discipline and character to our team,” Oliveira said. “Be sure your legacy will never be forgotten. Now we have something even greater to fight for. Every time we step into the ca…

Michael Oliveira has no intention of following the growing trend of welterweights moving up to middleweight.

Fresh off an impressive Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in Serbia, the unbeaten Brazilian told Sherdog he plans to spend the remainder of his career competing at welterweight despite carrying significantly more weight outside camp.

Advertisement

UFC newcomer credits veteran specialist Rogerio Camoes Oliveira, who improved to 10-0 and recorded his ninth knockout victory at UFC Belgrade, acknowledged that making the welterweight limit is demanding. However, he said the process is manageable with the help of nutrition and weight-cut specialist Rogerio Camoes.

“I think because I arrived late to the weigh-in, a lot of people assumed I had trouble making weight,” Oliveira told Sherdog. “The odds in my favor even dropped, but the truth is everything is planned. I make 77 kilograms (170 pounds) without much difficulty, mainly because I work with Rogerio Cam…

Quillan Salkilld says his first main event in the Ultimate Fighting Championship fulfills a vision he has held since the beginning of his professional career.

Salkilld will headline UFC Vegas 120 against Mateusz Gamrot at Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 8.

Advertisement

How Quillan Salkilld earned his first UFC headliner against Mateusz Gamrot Since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Salkilld (12-1) has gone 5-0 in the UFC, recording four first-round finishes. A win over Gamrot (26-4) would firmly place him in the top tier of the division. He recently described headlining his first UFC event as a dream come true.

“I just keep thinking if I was to tell the version of me two years ago that I am going to be headlining an event in Vegas on the UFC card, I would be ecstatic,” Salkilld said in a recent interview.

The surging Australian lightweight added that while focused primarily on the task at hand, he also wants to embrace the opportunity an…

The Professional Fighters League has finalized the lineup for its upcoming event in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a middleweight clash set to headline the card.

PFL Charlotte takes place Aug. 7 at Bojangles Coliseum. The event will air live on ESPN in the United States.

Advertisement

Complete PFL Charlotte lineup features Bryan Battle, Dalton Rosta and full ESPN card The PFL has confirmed all the fights set to take place at the upcoming card. In the main event, Bryan Battle (12-3) will look to rebound after losing his PFL debut, taking on Dalton Rosta (11-3). The former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter exited the UFC after a string of weight misses despite going 7-1 inside the Octagon. Meanwhile, Rosta suffered back-to-back losses in his last two outings.

The co-main event features a light heavyweight matchup between Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (26-8-1) and Simeon Powell (12-2), while former title challengers Joshua Silveira (15-5) and Aaron Jeffery (16-…

Darren Till has labeled Ian Garry “fake” ahead of the Irishman’s first title bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Garry has emerged as a polarizing figure in recent years for a variety of reasons, including frequently switching gyms and allegations about his marriage. The former Cage Warriors champ’s recent claim that women are better suited to run the world is the latest remark that has drawn reactions from prominent fighters, including Till and Garry’s next opponent, Islam Makhachev.

Advertisement

Ian Garry's comments about women continue to fuel criticism ahead of UFC 330 Garry’s comments came during a recent podcast appearance in which he claimed that if men listened to women and let them take over the world, it would be a better place.

“If the world was run by women, we’d all live in a better world,” Garry said on the “High Performance” podcast. “If we just listened to them and let them take over, it would be an easier world.”

While Till, who ha…

Conor McGregor has taken the first step toward a successful recovery and Octagon return, undergoing surgery on his injured knee.

The former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder recently revealed that he successfully underwent surgery to repair the knee damage he sustained at UFC 329 in his rematch against Max Holloway.

McGregor expects to begin recovery after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus against Max Holloway McGregor damaged his ACL and meniscus with the first kick he threw against Holloway. The Irishman repeatedly fell to the canvas while throwing strikes, prompting a referee stoppage just 69 seconds into the bout. “Notorious” has taken to social media to update fans on his injury.

“Surgery went excellent!” McGregor wrote on his Instagram Stories. “I am confident!”

Notably, McGregor suffered the same injury to his other knee during his first bout against Holloway in 2013. He took nearly a year to return to action after that setback. He f…

Alexander Volkanovski is confident Movsar Evloev will be the next challenger for his Ultimate Fighting Championship title.

Volkanovski (28-4) was originally expected to defend his title against Evloev (20-0) after winning the vacant title against Diego Lopes last year to begin his second reign. However, Lopes, who had already lost to Evloev, was controversially booked for a rematch against Volkanovski, who defeated the Brazilian yet again in January.

Movsar Evloev’s undefeated UFC run has Volkanovski preparing for a potential featherweight title fight Volkanovski seems confident that his next title defense will be against Evloev, who is 10-0 in the UFC, although winning all his Octagon outings via decision. The Australian champ is currently in Thailand and putting in some wrestling work to prepare for the undefeated Russian.

“It’s pretty obvious it’s probably going to be Movsar,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “So, I get all that wrestling in nice and early. …

Four more bouts have been added to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming trip to Los Angeles, including Gable Steveson's second fight in the promotion.

The UFC announced that Steveson will meet Sean Sharaf in a heavyweight clash at UFC 331, while Robelis Despaigne returns to the Octagon against Tai Tuivasa. Also confirmed for the Sept. 19 event is a middleweight matchup pitting Ryan Gandra against Osman Diaz and a lightweight bout between Brian Ortega and Renato Carneiro.

Gable Steveson’s sophomore UFC bout, Renato Carneiro-Brian Ortega rematch among new additions to UFC 331 Following the announcement that UFC 331 will be headlined by Joshua Van's flyweight title rematch against former champion Alexandre Pantoja, the promotion dropped more additions to the undercard.

Steveson, who made his UFC debut against Elisha Ellison in July, is set to return against Sharaf, who’s 0-2 inside the Octagon. Despaigne returns to the UFC after rebuilding momentum outside the p…