Martial Arts News

A controversial stoppage is creating headlines in boxing again.

Abdullah Mason (21-0) put his WBO lightweight title on the line against Albert Bell (28-1) on Saturday at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. Mason, 22, the youngest current boxing world champion, didn’t find momentum in the early rounds. However, the Cleveland native turned the tide in the latter rounds, scoring two knockdowns, the second of which led to the stoppage, albeit not without controversy.

Advertisement

Mason dropped Bell with a left hook early in the final frame that didn’t appear to have connected flush. Just as Bell got back to a knee, referee Mark Nelson shockingly stopped the fight with protests from the challenger. The stoppage faced severe backlash from fans as Bell seemed to have gone down from exhaustion rather than the impact of Mason’s shot.Referee's shocking stoppage overshadows Abdullah Mason's title defenseThe boxing world has hardly healed from Rico Verhoeven’s controversial st…

Ilia Topuria seems to be taking his first professional loss well.

Topuria (17-1) was a massive favorite going into his Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title unification bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. However, Gaethje pulled off the upset, leaving “El Matador” bloodied up and struggling to see.

Advertisement

This forced his corner to stop the fight after the fourth round. Topuria was seen trying to cover his face as he left the Octagon with his brother, Aleksandre Topuria, by his side.Ilia Topuria is in good spirits and healing fast Apart from suffering the first loss of his professional career, Topuria repeatedly predicted a first-round knockout win and celebrated a day before fight night, adding to the weight of the defeat. Nevertheless, he’s in high spirits less than a month after his loss to Gaethje, and he’s healed considerably. The former two-division champ was recently seen rejoicing with his team. While Topuria’s nose still appe…

Professional Fighters League star Impa Kasanganay claims the PFL has the strongest crop of middleweights.

Kasanganay is set to face former middleweight champion Johnny Eblen at PFL Austin on Saturday, July 18, for the interim middleweight title, the first-ever interim championship fight in PFL history. Ahead of the bout, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship talent has reiterated his belief that his current promotion’s 185-pound roster is as good as it gets.

Advertisement

Impa Kasanganay explains why he rates the PFL middleweight division above the rest Kasanganay believes that the top tier of PFL’s middleweight division is a reflection of the best 185-pounders in the world. In a promotional video posted by the PFL on X, "Tshilobo" said:

“What makes this matchup so competitive, you know, is the best middleweights in the world, right? I mean it. Across organizations, you say, OK, who are the best guys at what they do? I’m there, Johnny’s there, and you see …

Ian Garry is looking to surpass his idol, Conor McGregor, as the face of Irish mixed martial arts.

Garry takes on Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Not only is he eager to pull off an upset, but he also hopes to put the spotlight back on Irish MMA.

Advertisement

Ian Garry's UFC 330 fight against Islam Makhachev could reshape Irish MMA Despite McGregor being one of the biggest names in professional sports, Garry believes that he can outshine the former two-division champion to become the face of Irish MMA. Moreover, he wants to bring the UFC back to his home country. “The Future” said at a promotional event for Matchroom Talent Agency:

“I want to be the type of guy that brings the UFC back to Ireland. It's been a long time. I've been carrying this flag for Irish MMA for a long, long time. With my next fight, I'll be the most victorious Irishman in UFC history. I'll have 11 wins.”

Notably, both Mc…

Ahead of Ian Garry’s title fight against Islam Makhachev, Daniel Cormier has weighed in on the Irishman’s mindset.

Garry is confident about beating Makhachev and recently predicted a late stoppage when they square off in the main event of UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. Cormier opined that this approach could spell trouble for “The Future.”

Advertisement

Daniel Cormier believes Ian Garry’s mindset could lead to a ‘bad night Cormier isn’t a fan of Garry wanting to show off all his skills in every aspect of MMA before finding a late finish. The UFC Hall of Famer said on his YouTube channel:

“Sometimes, a person is misguided in their thoughts, and when they're misguided in their thoughts, they set themselves up for a very, very bad night or a bad result. I'm not saying Ian Garry cannot beat Islam Makhachev. What I'm saying is you've got to take that as it comes. You can't try to say, 'I want to beat the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in th…

Joe Lauzon doesn’t know the details of his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract despite signing with BKFC.

Lauzon (28-15) is scheduled to make his BKFC debut on Aug. 29 at Fenway Park in Boston, the iconic home of Major League Baseball’s Red Sox franchise. Lauzon’s opponent is yet to be determined.

Advertisement

Lauzon recently detailed his conversation with UFC executive Hunter Campbell about signing with BKFC. While Lauzon hasn’t fought since 2019, his contract with the UFC hasn’t officially expired. The UFC has now written a letter allowing Lauzon to compete in BKFC. However, despite signing a multi-fight contract with the BKFC, Lauzon isn’t sure if he is officially out of his UFC contract.

“I emailed the UFC, I’m like, ‘What’s the status of my contract?’... I think they didn’t cut me out of respect more than anything,” Lauzon told MMA Fighting. “I talked to Hunter on the phone and told him what I wanna do. He’s like, ‘We love you. Every time you come out,…

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammate believes the former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion will never compete in any combat sport again.

Zubaira Tukhugov (20-6) is scheduled to meet former UFC foe Elves Brenner in a no-gi grappling match at ACBJJ 21 this weekend in Moscow. Ahead of the matchup, Tukhugov revealed that Nurmagomedov isn’t very excited about the idea of his return to competition.

Advertisement

Nurmagomedov has been persuading Tukhugov to retire, suggesting that he just continue training to stay in shape. The latter told Red Corner MMA: “He laughed and was like, ‘Why do you need this?’ Leave the sport and just train for yourself. He’s been persuading me to retire for a long time.”Zubaira Tukhugov on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s future Nurmagomedov (29-0) retired from mixed martial arts as the undefeated, undisputed UFC lightweight champion in 2020. Despite multiple attempts by Dana White to bring him out of retirement, “The Eagle” has stood firm o…

Tracy Cortez believes her move to Mexico City has made her a better athlete.

Cortez is scheduled to fight Cong Wang at UFC 329 9 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Cortez’s longtime coach Santino Defranco retired from coaching following her loss against Erin Blanchfield this past November. Cortez subsequently parted ways with the Fight Ready gym in Scottsdale, Arizona. Cortez has since moved to Mexico City to train at the UFC Performance Institute for her upcoming bout.

Advertisement

Cortez claims she is still on good terms with the Fight Ready team. However, the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight believes she outgrew them, fuelling her move to Mexico City. The move has not only helped Cortez develop as an athlete, but also helped her connect deeper to her Mexican roots.Tracy Cortez departure from Fight Ready and coaching split explained “Obviously, I know I’m on good terms with them, but I just felt like I outgrew them… It's just one of those thing…

Dzhihad Yunusov has reportedly passed away while fighting for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Yunusov was embroiled in controversy this past May after alleged footage emerged of him assaulting two of his neighbors. Yunusov reportedly threw coffee at an elderly woman and also assaulted her daughter when she intervened.

The feud allegedly started when Yunusov asked his neighbour to reposition her security camera so it no longer recorded his door. Yunusov was subsequently expelled from the Akhmat Fight Club, which Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov owns.

Yunusov enlisted in the Russian army soon after. According to reports, Yunusov was initially expected to serve his time away from the front lines. However, Yunusov was reportedly dispatched to the warzone after a falling out with leadership.

Yunusov (19-8) had last competed in 2024 under the ACA banner.

OK, I've got the context. The woman is Yunusov's neighbour and she installed a camer…

Ian Garry is drawing inspiration from Sean Strickland ahead of his maiden title bid in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Garry (17-1) believes he can pull off an upset and emerge victorious when he takes on welterweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1) in the main event of UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. The Irishman is high in confidence, especially considering the last two numbered events ended in big upsets.

Ian Garry is looking to replicate Sean Strickland’s success Garry questions those who aren’t giving him a chance against Makhachev and points to Strickland’s win over the previously unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.

“If people think when Sean Strickland goes out and beats Khamzat Chimaev and upsets the apple cart, and no one expected, no one can sit here and think that it's impossible that I can beat Islam Makhachev,” He told Paul Browne.

“The Future” added that he’s a far more well-rounded fighter than Strickland and that t…

Paddy Pimblett recently reflected on his infamous post-fight incident while competing for Cage Warriors.

After a 2016 title fight in London, Pimblett suffered a memorable mishap during his post-fight interview due to a pre-fight mistake. He has now shed light on his worst weight-cutting gaffes, one of which ultimately led to the viral moment.

Advertisement

Paddy Pimblett reflects on infamous vomiting clip Pimblett vomiting soon after his 2016 featherweight title fight against Julian Erosa at Cage Warriors “Unplugged 1” remains one of his standout memories from fighting in the England-based promotion. He secured a decision win, but his pre-fight meal got the better of him during the post-fight interview. He recalled on his YouTube channel:

“When I spewed in the cage [after fighting Erosa], it wasn’t because of the refuel; it was just because of being an idiot before I went to the venue. Before I went to the venue, I went to Starbucks or Costco… I got a hot chocol…

Terence “Bud” Crawford has shut down Conor McGregor’s claims about a $200 million offer.

McGregor has previously said that a two-fight crossover offer was on the table courtesy of Turki Al-Sheikh. However, according to the Irishman, Crawford turned it down. The unbeaten boxer has now clarified whether the offer was real.

Crawford has revealed that there was no serious offer for a two-fight deal comprising a boxing and a mixed martial arts bout against McGregor.

“That was a lie. It was cap. It wasn’t never no $200 million offer,” Crawford told Ariel Helwani. “They asked me would I do it, and I told them, ‘You ain’t about to be kicking on me, Conor.’ We were on FaceTime, and I did tell him that. But they didn’t say, ‘Hey, you got $200 million. You fight him in boxing and MMA.’ That was never the case. If it was said to me, I could say there was an offer, but if nothing is previewed to me, I can’t say what is what. He’s making up numbers, in my head.”

Terence Cr…