Martial Arts News

The Ultimate Fighting Championship nearly beat its record set a few weeks ago.

Per a release from the UFC’s broadcast partner of Paramount+, the official viewership numbers for UFC 329 are now out. According to the release, viewers in the U.S. and Latin America combined for a whopping 15.9 million total viewers. The breakdown for the U.S. totaled 14.3 million while the other countries combined for 1.6 million on the streaming service. This total does not eclipse the 17 million reached by the UFC White House card

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Even as it brought in an average of 6.5 million average viewers, that tally falls far short of the number on the June 14 spectacle show. The UFC White House event saw 8.2 million average viewers—it has since corrected the number previously submitted of seven million—throughout that Sunday night, one where the event started late due to a weather delay.UFC 329 beat UFC White House in one major metricWhile the UFC White House show largely su…

Jake Paul believes a mixed martial arts debut could be in his future once he returns from the jaw injury that has sidelined him since losing to Anthony Joshua.

Paul recently revealed that he expects to be medically cleared for full-contact sparring within the next few weeks as he continues recovering from the broken jaw he suffered against Joshua last December. Apart from his return to boxing, "The Problem Child” said that he also plans to make his MMA debut under the Most Valuable Promotions banner.

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Paul says the proposed Nate Diaz matchup remains a possibility as MVP expands into MMA. Now weeks away from getting cleared for full-contact sparring, Paul has revealed that he is planning a switch to the cage, with Nate Diaz as the likely opponent. Notably, Diaz has already fought under MVP, losing to Mike Perry at the promotion’s inaugural MMA event.

“Maybe I'll do some MMA. We've got a lot of stuff with MVP coming soon, big promotions getting more i…

Scott Coker's new global mixed martial arts promotion has further strengthened its leadership team ahead of its planned 2027 launch.

The organization recently announced that longtime sports media executive Steve Bornstein has joined its advisory board. Bornstein will advise the promotion on media strategy, distribution, technology, fan engagement and commercial development as the league continues preparations for its inaugural season.

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Steve Bornstein joins Scott Coker's new MMA promotion According to a press release, Bornstein has joined an advisory group assembled to help guide the promotion's global rollout.

“Steve Bornstein is one of the great builders in the history of sports media," Coker said in the release. “His experience connecting fans to premium live sports is invaluable as we continue to build.”

Bornstein previously served as the youngest president and CEO in ESPN history. He later worked as president and CEO of NFL Network and execu…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's light heavyweight division is reportedly set to welcome an accomplished regional champion.

Reigning Legacy Fighting Alliance light heavyweight titleholder Lucas Fernando has signed with the promotion and is scheduled to make his Octagon debut against Rafael Tobias at UFC 330 on Aug. 15.

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Lucas Fernando gets second shot at UFC following Contender Series setback, per report Fernando (13-3), who featured on Dana White’s Contender Series three years ago, will finally get to fight in the famed Octagon, as reported by Guilherme Cruz.

He suffered a decision loss to Cesar Almeida on DWCS in 2023 and lost his next bout on LFA as well. The Brazilian then bounced back with four consecutive wins, with his last two bouts ending in finishes.

Meanwhile, Fernando’s opponent, Tobias (14-2), will be looking to notch his first UFC win at the next numbered event. He earned a UFC contract with a submission victory over Jair d…

Ultimate Fighting Championship star Alex Pereira’s criticism of referee Herb Dean hasn’t ceased following Michel Pereira’s UFC exit.

"Poatan" suggested that the officiating in his compatriot's unanimous decision loss to Sharabutdin Magomedov contributed to his departure from the promotion. The UFC Baku bout had its share of controversies, with Magomedov grabbing his opponent's hair without receiving a point deduction.

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Notably, Pereira previously slammed Dean over his loss to Ciryl Gane.Alex Pereira criticizes Herb Dean’s officiating after Michel Pereira’s UFC departure Michel had fought out his previous contract with the UFC and was offered a one-fight deal to take on Magomedov in the UFC Baku co-headliner, which he lost. Dean’s inaction towards the Russian’s repeated fouls has drawn the ire of the former two-division champion, who voiced his frustration in a lengthy Instagram post.

“They could have released him earlier, and maybe that would have …

Sports medicine physician Brian Sutterer believes there are early signs suggesting Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor's knee injury may not be as severe as initially feared.

McGregor injured his knee while throwing the first strike of his rematch with Max Holloway at UFC 329. The Irishman then struggled to stay upright and repeatedly fell over, prompting a referee stoppage over a minute into the bout. Dr. Sutterer, who has not treated or evaluated McGregor in person, has now shared his assessment.

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Brian Sutterer breaks down Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 knee injury signs, ACL concerns and possible recovery outlook The initial suspicion was that McGregor blew out his ACL at UFC 329. The commentators speculated an ACL injury and UFC CEO Dana White did the same at the post-fight presser.

McGregor recently shared a video of himself addressing fans, drawing a reaction from Dr. Sutterer on X. The latter noted that the former two-division cham…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt suffered a defeat at UFC 329, which he recently addressed on social media.

"No Love" shared an encouraging message on Instagram after picking up his third loss in four outings.

Cody Garbrandt addresses UFC 329 defeat against Adrian Yanez after latest MMA setbackGarbrandt broke his silence days after his loss at UFC 329 to Adrian Yanez via an Instagram post, in which he reflected on overcoming difficult moments rather than dwelling on the result.

“There are moments in life when hope fades, and the weight of endless problems makes the path unclear,” Garbrandt wrote in all caps. “But remember this -- you only lose when you choose to give up. Let your struggles be your fuel, not your downfall. Don't let the storm break you. Let it strengthen your will to rise and keep fighting.”

Garbrandt held the UFC bantamweight title from December 2016 to November 2017 but did not record a successful titl…

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Justin Gaethje isn't interested in running it back with Paddy Pimblett.

"The Baddy" emerged as one of the biggest winners at UFC 329 in Las Vegas and the Brit subsequently made it clear he’s keen on a rematch with Gaethje, who beat him earlier this year. However, "The Highlight" is seemingly eyeing other matchups.

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Justin Gaethje explains why he does not want a Paddy Pimblett rematch Pimblett rebounded from the first loss of his UFC career by submitting Benoit St. Denis in just 52 seconds. In his post-fight interview, he name-dropped several top-ranked lightweights for his next bout, and Gaethje was among his call-outs. The former BMF champion was asked about the same during his recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“Destined for each other, like, to fight again? No. No, no, no," Gaethje said.

Gaethje previously teased a potential fight against Conor McGregor if the Irishman emerged vi…

Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor doesn’t want the latest update to his professional record to be marked as a loss.

McGregor (22-7) returned after a five-year hiatus in a welterweight booking against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. His highly anticipated return ended anticlimactically as he injured his knee on the first kick he threw. “Notorious” was barely able to plant both feet firmly after the injury, leading to a stoppage loss just 69 seconds into the first round.

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Conor McGregor reflects on UFC 329 loss McGregor now wants his defeat to Holloway to be overturned to a no contest. The former UFC double champ also revealed that he’ll soon have the results of the scan of his injury. Notably, McGregor wants all bets on the fight to be returned.

“A few notes 1. I will have the results of the scan on my leg tomorrow. 2. The fight should be a no contest and all bets returned,” McGregor wrote on Instagram.

There’s growing d…

Even Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s favorite student, Islam Makhachev, wasn’t allowed concessions with his haircut.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father is credited with nurturing a team of elite fighters in the mountains of Dagestan, who are now taking over every major mixed martial arts promotion. He had a strict policy where every athlete had to cut their hair short.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov claims his father once threw out 50 people from the gym Abdulmanap’s son, Khabib, has repeatedly said that Makhachev was his father’s favorite student. The former lightweight champion recently recalled an incident when Makhachev was thrown out of the gym among 50 others because of their haircuts. However, some returned a while later after getting their hair cropped and among them was Makhachev. Khabib recalls his father allowing them in and acknowledging their desire to learn.

“There was this moment when father threw about 50 peopl…

Khabib Nurmagomedov had an insane gas tank during his run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and a new theory has surfaced as to how.

Khabib’s late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, is a revered pioneer of mixed martial arts in Dagestan, Russia. Abdulmanap’s childhood friend recently weighed in on his elite conditioning.

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A childhood friend says Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's extraordinary conditioning may have shaped Khabib's endurance While Abdulmanap was naturally fit growing up, he didn’t start training in combat sports until later in life. When he started training at an academy, he had to travel 13.5 miles every day on a bicycle. Abdulmanap would then run for 5 miles, in addition to two hours of wrestling training. His childhood friend believes this extraordinary level of cardio was inherited by Khabib.

“His functional fitness was on a very high level,” Abdulmanap’s friend told UFC Eurasia. “He had amazing stamina. Looking at him now, it’s as if …

Bogdan Guskov didn’t hesitate to accept a short-notice fight against former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Magomed Ankalaev.

Ankalaev was originally scheduled to headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 in a light heavyweight matchup against Khalil Rountree. However, Guskov stepped up on 14 days’ notice to replace Rountree, who pulled out due to an injury.

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Bogdan Guskov explains why he immediately accepted the UFC Abu Dhabi main event against Magomed Ankalaev Guskov (18-3) recently revealed that he took less than a minute to give his manager the nod to accept the booking against Ankalaev (20-2). He wasn’t the only fighter approached by the UFC to replace Rountree.

Guskov was originally scheduled to fight Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1. Blachowicz revealed that the UFC had also offered him the short-notice booking against Ankalaev. However, the former champion needed 24 hours to figure out whether he could make weight. The UFC decided …