Martial Arts News

[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,…

Vinicius Oliveira authored a memorable comeback in his featherweight debut at UFC Fight Night 279.

After Andre Fili hurt him with body kicks early in their bout this past Saturday, “LokDog” rallied for a second-round technical knockout victory, earning a $100,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus in the process.

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Vinicius Oliveira gets the finish

Featherweight Lokdog is nasty #UFCVegas119 https://t.co/3OvbH5d3u3

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 21, 2026 “The tactic against Fili was to use kicks to take away his base. It was working until I felt my foot when I kicked his shin. Then I felt my ribs when he hit me with two kicks,” Oliveira told Sherdog.com.

Oliveira revealed that his corner motivated him to persevere through adversity.

“They were yelling, ‘Go forward, keep attacking, you’re tough.’ At that moment, a movie played in my head,” Oliveira recalled. “In my second-to-last fight, I had a loss, and …

Josh Hokit wants Herb Dean as the referee if he fights Ciryl Gane in the future. 

Dean has recently faced backlash for his officiating in Alex Pereira’s loss against Gane at UFC White House. Gane finished Pereira in the second round to win the interim heavyweight title earlier this month. However, Gane apparently used multiple shots to the back of Pereira’s head, without Dean issuing any warning. Gane has previously been accused of using illegal shots when his title challenge against Tom Aspinall ended in a no-contest due to a double eye poke by the Frenchman. 

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However, surging heavyweight contender Hokit (10-0) is unbothered about illegal shots from Gane (14-2) if they fight. “The Incredible Hok” specifically wants Dean as the third man in the Octagon if he fights Gane.

“The Incredible Hok's eyes would break Ciryl Gane's fingers and the back of my head would shatter his elbow. I insist that Herb ref our fight,” Hokit wrote on X.

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Alexander Volkanovski believes Alex Pereira absorbed illegal shots in his loss against Ciryl Gane. 

Pereira (13-4) fought Gane (14-2) for an interim heavyweight title earlier this month at UFC White House. While Gane finished Pereira in the second round, it was not without controversy. “Bon Gamin” was seen landing multiple illegal shots to the back of Pereira’s head without any warning from referee Herb Dean. Pereira has since called for fighters to raise their voice for referees to be held accountable for illegal shots. 

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Speaking Out Volkanovski has now extended his support to Pereira. Volkanovski believes Dean should have severely warned Gane while he was hitting “Poatan” on the back of the head.

“Herb, I love you, mate, but you should have been pretty vocal, ‘Watch the back of the head.’... I don't want to throw shade on people, but there was a lot of back of the head shots,” Volkanovski said on YouTube. “If it was someone I didn't lik…

Josh Hokit stands by his controversial comment on Michelle Obama. 

Hokit (10-0) knocked out Derrick Lewis earlier this month at the UFC White House. Known for expressing outrageous opinions, “The Incredible Hok” called former first lady a man in his post-fight interview at the White House. Hokit has since faced a lot of backlash for unprovokedly targeting Mrs. Obama. 

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However, Hokit refuses to back down. Hokit claims he was trying to compliment Mrs. Obama by calling her a man. According to Hokit, his comment was also a display of freedom of speech in America. Hokit vows to never backtrack on his comments, regardless of how controversial they are.Never Backing Down “I thought I was giving her a compliment,” Hokit said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I don't think anyone viewed it as Michelle Obama being a man. It's more like she knows how to deal with adversity, she knows how to work hard like a man when the times get tough. I thought it was a…