Martial Arts News

Chael Sonnen recently extended his support to Arman Tsarukyan. 

Tsarukyan (23-3) has been denied a lightweight title shot despite being widely regarded as the most deserving contender. Tsarukyan was originally scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 311 last year. However, Tsarukyan pulled out due to an injury a day before the fight, disappointing the UFC 

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As Dana White promised, Tsarukyan was sidelined when Makhachev vacated his belt and moved up. Ilia Topuria defeated Charles Oliveira to win the vacant title while Tsarukyan weighed in as the backup. While Tsarukyan kept rallying for a title shot, Topuria seemed interested in fighting Paddy Pimblett. Tsarukyan thought a title shot would be undeniable when he finished Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar this past November. However, Tsarukyan was sidelined again when Topuria announced a short hiatus from action for personal reasons. “Ahalkalakets” has to keep waiting whil…

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweights Paddy Pimblett and Dan Hooker have made it clear their past friendship is over.

During an interview with The MMA Guru on Thursday, Pimblett appeared and took shots at a few other names in his division. When discussing the UFC 324 headliner of himself against Justin Gaethje, Pimblett dismissed the idea of Gaethje, 37, being too old and therefore less dangerous. “The Baddy” invoked Hooker’s name in comparison, stating that the American was just two years the elder of the Kiwi, and tossed a dagger at Hooker for getting submitted by Arman Tsarukyan last year.

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“A lot of people are saying like Justin Gaethje, he’s old, and that lad is two years older than Dan Hooker,” Pimblett observed, before taking a dark turn. “Dan Hooker’s like two years younger than him…Dan Hooker couldn’t grapple a f---ing rapist off his ma.”

“The Hangman” got wind of Pimblett’s remark, and he was incensed. Sharing a video on social media…

According to his chief corner, Ultimate Fighting Championship fan-favorite Justin Gaethje is on a gold-or-bust mission.

Former interim lightweight champion Gaethje has amassed a litany of post-fight bonuses in his storied UFC tenure thus far, accounting for 14 additional checks across his 14 appearances. He also claimed the symbolic “BMF” title in 2023, wrecking Dustin Poirier in their rematch to claim the silver belt. He has not, however, achieved his goal of an undisputed championship. Given current 155-pound king Ilia Topuria’s struggles outside the cage, there is the potential for Gaethje’s next collision—against Paddy Pimblett for the interim crown—to have even greater stakes.

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Gaethje vs. Pimblett will headline the promotion’s first event, UFC 324, on the Paramount+ service to kick off the seven-year deal the UFC made with Paramount. The 37-year-old has hinted at retiring in the past, suggesting that he does not have many fights left in him. On…

Editor's note: The article has been updated at 2:45 p.m. ET to add extra context regarding Valter Walker's response to the matchup news.

Top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Marcin Tybura better watch his legs or he’ll find himself limping home.

Per an initial report on Thursday from MMA Mania, Tybura (27-10) and Valter Walker (15-1) will trade blows inside the Octagon on March 28. The two big men will go at it on the UFC Seattle card, also known as UFC Fight Night 271, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Washington state’s largest city. This news has since been confirmed by both athletes on their respective Instagram pages.

While Tybura first revealed the bout information, Walker chided him for releasing it while referencing Brazilian folklore. The mythical figure "Sucupira" is one that lives in the forest, and his feet are turned backward.

“Why, Marcin Tybura, did you spill our secret too soon,” Walker wrote, with translation via Google Trans…

Ultimate Fighting Championship beltholder Alex Pereira and his team believe they can call the shots on who is next for him.

Fans of “Poatan” early await his next challenge, after reclaiming the light heavyweight throne in October 2025. Pereira exacted revenge on Russia’s Magomed Ankalaev, knocking him out in 80 seconds to avenge a defeat suffered months earlier. This made the former kickboxer the third man to hold the 205-pound title twice, joining Randy Couture and Jon Jones on that illustrious list.

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While Pereira recovers from an apparent foot injury sustained in the Ankalaev rematch, the UFC is rumored to be lining up a likely title eliminator in the form of Carlos Ulberg against Jiri Prochazka. Other potential foes include newly minted middleweight king Khamzat Chimaev, who has threatened to move up in weight, as well as a possible “Poatan” move to heavyweight to try to make major MMA history as a champ in three divisions.

A third option, and t…

With Weili Zhang temporarily in another division, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s strawweight title picture may be wide open.

Two-time champ Zhang surrendered her 115-pound belt after beating Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in early 2025. When she relocated to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight, she left behind a throne later assumed by Mackenzie Dern after she outworked Virna Jandiroba. Suarez (11-1), in her second outing since suffering her first pro defeat, has been matched against Lupita Godinez (14-5) at UFC 327. The two will tangle on April 11 at the currently unconfirmed event likely held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, with the news of this booking first reported by ufc_mma_wmma_wwrestling on Instagram on Wednesday night.

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A Title Shot Could Loom for the Victor Both ladies winning their last bout—Godinez currently rides a two-fight win streak—leads this high-stakes affair into one that might come with a championship opportunity for the …

Editor's note: The article has been updated at 5:15 p.m. ET to add additional comments from LFA CEO Ed Soares.

It appears the Ultimate Fighting Championship is not the only noteworthy MMA organization changing broadcast partners this year.

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On Thursday, Legacy Fighting Alliance announced that it would be linking up with Vice TV for the entirety of 2026. Per the agreement, Vice TV will broadcast 25 live events throughout the year, the first of which LFA 224 on Jan. 16 in Prior Lake, Minnesota.

For several years prior, the LFA operated with its events airing on UFC Fight Pass. While the rumors that Fight Pass was disintegrating proved unfounded, a few leagues did change their arrangements including this company, as well as Unified MMA and Samourai MMA in Canada. UAE Warriors and Lux Fight League both reportedly re-upped their deal with UFC Fight Pass, with unconfirmed claims that the UFC had changed the terms.

LFA is Back on Television Before it wo…

Ex-Professional Fighters League CEO Peter Murray is no longer part of the organization.

Per a release on Thursday, the promotion announced that Murray, one of the founding CEOs when World Series of Fighting rebranded to PFL, has left the company. Murray initially joined in 2018 as a former executive of William Morris Endeavor, where he oversaw a litany of changes to the fight league including establishing a tournament system. He also oversaw the absorption of Bellator MMA after its purchase, which resulted in many Bellator staffers being brought over to help run PFL.

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In July 2025, the PFL restructured its top leadership roles, shifting then-head Murray to its international branch. Replacing him was John Martin, who previously served as Chief Financial Officer for Time Warner as well as the chairman of Turner. Murray was placed in charge of developing the other leagues under the PFL umbrella, including PFL Europe, PFL MENA, PFL Africa and the potentia…

Sometimes, taking no action at all is the best course of action.

The success of “The Ultimate Fighter” has long been credited as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s gateway into the mainstream. Beyond cultivating a new generation of fighters and fans, the series inspired production companies around the world to create their own adaptations of the mixed martial arts reality television format. Eleven years after first season of TUF first aired, a similar concept emerged in Quito, Ecuador, with the launch of a new MMA reality series titled “Ultima Pelea.”

“Ultima Pelea” aired for four seasons on Ecuadorian television network CNT Sports. The program featured young, up-and-coming Ecuadorian mixed martial artists competing in exhibition bouts contested over two five-minute rounds. Among the participants in the second and fourth seasons was Michael Morales, who would later rise to prominence as a top-ranked UFC welterweight title contender. At the time of filming the second s…