Martial Arts News

Professional Fighters League and Most Valuable Promotions have officially merged in a massive development in the world of combat sports.

The new company will operate under the MVP banner, led by Co-Founders and Board Members Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Meanwhile, former PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and Board Member of the new league. MVP’s boxing business and blockbuster live events will continue under Bidarian. Existing PFL shareholders 885 Capital and affiliated entities Knighthead Capital Management will be the founding investors of the new league, committing new capital.

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The new league vows to work under a “fighter-first” philosophy, seemingly challenging rival Ultimate Fighting Championship. While the UFC has been severely criticized over minimum profit share for athletes, the new combat sports league promises equitable compensation. The new league also plans to encourage athletes to build their brands inside and outside of competi…

Early betting odds are out for Magomed Ankalaev’s next fight, should the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion take on fellow former titleholder Jiri Prochazka or reigning 205-pound king Carlos Ulberg.

Ankalaev bounced back from his title loss with a one-sided victory at UFC Abu Dhabi, finishing Bogdan Guskov in the final round of their main event clash to return to championship contention. Oddsmakers have now dropped the opening betting lines for the Russian’s next potential bout.

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Magomed Ankalaev betting odds emerge for potential UFC fights with Carlos Ulberg and Jiri Prochazka Ankalaev is the betting favorite against both Ulberg and Prochazka. If he’s awarded an immediate title shot against Ulberg, Ankalaev opens as a -190 favorite, while the Kiwi champion is listed as a +165 underdog, according to BetOnline.

However, with Ulberg currently sidelined with an injury and expected to return to the Octagon only next year, a title eliminator…

Real American Freestyle is heading back overseas with another star-studded lineup.

RAF recently announced that former Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Khamzat Chimaev and Tyron Woodley will headline RAF Moscow as the promotion continues its international expansion with an event in the Russian capital.

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RAF unveils key matchups for Moscow card RAF has confirmed two featured bouts for RAF Moscow, which takes place on Sept. 5.

Chimaev vs. Woodley will take center stage at the event. Chimaev, who previously held UFC middleweight gold, will make his second appearance under the RAF banner after taking on Dillon Danis in his promotional debut. Woodley is also set for his sophomore RAF outing, though the former UFC welterweight champion will first square off against Joaquin Buckley at RAF 12 on Aug. 22.

The matchup continues RAF's strategy of featuring current and former MMA stars in high-profile wrestling contests. RAF also confirmed a featured…

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White's response to a question during the UFC Belgrade press conference sparked criticism from fans online.

The exchange quickly circulated online, drawing responses from fans, many of whom slammed White for his answer when asked which fight he’s most interested in on the card.

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Dana White faces fan backlash after UFC Belgrade media exchange When White was asked which fight on the upcoming Fight Night card he’s most looking forward to ahead of the promotion’s debut in Serbia, the UFC head honcho snapped at the reporter.

“That is a sh*tty question, my friend,” White replied. “I just want a few holy sh*t moments, so hopefully we get a few of those.”

Some fans interpreted White's response as further evidence that he’s no longer as engaged with MMA amidst his growing involvement in other ventures.

“I wish a reporter would flat out ask him why he doesn’t care about the UFC anymore,” one user wrote in respons…

Daniel Cormier isn't letting Jon Jones rewrite their rivalry.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer has dismissed Jones' recent claim that the two privately buried the hatchet while filming a reality series in Thailand, insisting no such conversation ever took place.

Daniel Cormier rejects Jon Jones' reconciliation story Jones recently told ALF Global that Cormier admitted their rivalry was too lucrative for them to then publicly become friends, even if there were no lingering issues between them behind the scenes. “D.C.” rejected Jones' version of events, insisting the conversation never happened.

“That didn’t happen,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “We did not have that conversation... No. He’s just my enemy all the time. It just is what it is. It's OK. As I have told you before, you can go to bed at night with an enemy. You don’t need the happy fairy tale ending.”

While Cormier acknowledged that their rivalry generated significant paydays for …

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez knows his legendary career is slowly approaching its inevitable conclusion.

The former champion recently opened up about his retirement plans during an appearance on CBS Mornings, saying he will let his fitness determine how long to continue, not his age.

Canelo Alvarez opens up on boxing future and life beyond the sportAlvarez has already established himself as one of the sport’s most prominent figures with world titles in four weight classes. At 36, the Mexican icon believes he still has plenty left physically, but insists he won't ignore the signs when his body begins to slow down.

“When I'm there in the gym and I take a lot of punches and then my body doesn't respond in the same way, then I know,” Alvarez said. “I'm not going to go and fight with that kind of training. Because in the training, you can see everything in the training camp.”

Alvarez, who has more than 60 wins in his decorated career, also claimed that he has very little lef…

Diego Lima believes Ian Garry will shock the MMA world by knocking out Islam Makhachev in their upcoming title fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

While Makhachev is the clear betting favorite heading into UFC 330, the Chute Boxe coach believes the betting line fails to reflect just how dangerous Garry will be when the two collide on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

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Why Diego Lima believes Ian Garry's size, full training camp and all-around game could lead to a knockout of Islam Makhachev Speaking to Sherdog, Lima weighed in on the upcoming fight between Makhachev and Garry. He acknowledged that Makhachev has looked like a different fighter since moving to 170 pounds, particularly in his dominant title-winning performance against Jack Della Maddalena last year.

“Makhachev is definitely a special fighter. I was really impressed by what he did against Maddalena because he completely changed his fighting style after moving up…

The Most Valuable Promotions and Professional Fighters League merger already has top fighters rallying for a spot on their roster, including a former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight.

MVP and PFL recently announced a historic merger that has made waves in the world of combat sports. The new league will operate under the MVP banner, led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Meanwhile, former PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and Board Member of the new company.

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The new league vows to follow a fighter-first approach with equitable compensation for athletes, along with the opportunity to build their brands inside and outside of the cage.Muhammad Mokaev eyes new home after PFL-MVP mergerFormer UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev (17-0) is already rallying for a spot on the new league’s roster if they have a flyweight division. “If MVP & PFL Make 125 division I’m ready for long term deal,” Mokaev wrote on X.

Since MVP doesn’t have a full-fledge…

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Uros Medic believes he is unlikely to ever make headlines for controversial reasons.

Medic (13-3) is scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez (20-5) in front of a home crowd at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 in Serbia. Notably, Rodriguez will return to action for the first time since being imprisoned in Mexico for marijuana possession and Medic recently addressed the same.

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Uros Medic labels Daniel Rodriguez’s jail time ‘unfortunate’ Medic believes arrests like Rodriguez’s taint the image of MMA fighters, which is already far from perfect. The Serbian believes the media is already waiting for fighters to slip up. “The Doctor” is confident that he will never be in the news for controversies like run-ins with the law or substance abuse.

“It’s unfortunate that he had to go through stuff like that,” Medic told MMA Fighting. “Obviously, it was probably his fault. And I think that type of stuff puts a stain on all of our na…

Sean Strickland is open to a title rematch against Khamzat Chimaev.

Strickland (31-7) has been recovering from a shoulder injury since winning the middleweight title against Chimaev (15-1) at UFC 328 this past May. The champ recently revealed that his shoulder is recovering well before addressing Chimaev’s recent callouts.

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Sean Strickland mocks Khamzat Chimaev gassing out in first meeting Strickland joked about giving Chimaev weight-cutting lessons as “Borz” was visibly drained in their first meeting.

“Yall keep asking me when I'm gonna fight again,” Strickland wrote on X. “Shoulder is getting solid, need a little longer. As to who I'm fighting. Chimaev keeps running his fucking mouth. Want me to teach you how to cut weight so you can stop b*tching for a second L?”

Strickland was a massive underdog going into his title challenge against Chimaev at UFC 328. However, Chimaev was visibly fatigued in the second round and forced to abandon his wre…

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Archie Colgan is a serious threat to Usman Nurmagomedov’s title reign in the Professional Fighters League.

Usman is set to defend his lightweight title against Colgan in the main event of PFL New York on July 31 at UBS Arena in Long Island. Khabib believes the undefeated American is the toughest opponent of his cousin Usman’s career so far.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov breaks down Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Archie Colgan Khabib notes that Colgan has a strong wrestling base, which could neutralize Usman’s ground control. Nevertheless, the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer remains confident and recently revealed that Usman is well-prepared for the bout while breaking down the matchup.

“I think this is the toughest fight for Usman,” Khabib told Will Harris of Anatomy of a Fighter. “This guy's a real deal. He knows how to wrestle. He's tough, never lost. He's the toughest challenge for Usman, I think. Of course, Usman is in…

⚖️#PFLNY Official Weigh Ins

Your PFL Lightweight World Title Bout is official!

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Usman Nurmagomedov: 154.8 lbsArchie Colgan: 154.8 lbs #PFLNY | Friday, July 31st | 📺Prelims 4PM EST on the ESPN App | Main Card 7PM EST on ESPN pic.twitter.com/Fklf5Gu8SS — PFL (@PFLMMA) July 30, 2026 Professional Fighters League lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov's latest title defense is now official following the PFL New York weigh-ins.

The PFL New York main event will see Nurmagomedov (21-0, 1 NC) put his belt on the line against Archie Colgan. Both men had no trouble making championship weight, so the five-round fight will proceed. All other fighters made weight for the event, although we are still awaiting results for Khabib Nabiev and Jamelle Jones.

The 28-year-old Nurmagomedov is widely regarded as the PFL's best fighter. The undefeated lightweight champion previously held Bellator's belt since 2022 and won the inaugura…