Martial Arts News

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a contingency plan in place for the UFC 330 main event.

Undefeated welterweight contender Michael Morales has been tabbed as the official backup for the championship bout between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry, which headlines UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

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Michael Morales becomes UFC 330 backup for Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry title fight Morales (19-0) has confirmed that he has been instructed to make championship weight (170 pounds) and remain on standby should either Makhachev (28-1) or Garry (17-1) be forced to withdraw due to injury, illness or any other unforeseen circumstance.

The assignment marks another significant milestone for the Ecuadorian prospect, who has rapidly emerged as one of the division's top contenders. Morales has remained unbeaten through seven Octagon appearances and secured the biggest victory of his career with a first-round knockout of Sean Brady in No…

Sean Strickland has slammed fighter compensation in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Strickland recently detailed the financial plight of newly signed UFC fighters. The outspoken reigning middleweight champion also hit out at a UFC matchmaker and some of the promotion’s practices that have rubbed him the wrong way.

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UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland says aspiring fighters should understand the financial challenges of MMA During a recent appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show,” Strickland offered a blunt assessment of the life of the average UFC athlete, arguing that entry-level contracts and the financial realities of competing in the Octagon leave many fighters struggling to make ends meet despite reaching MMA’s biggest stage.

“When you’re a fighter, you’re so f*cking poor,” Strickland said. “Even in the UFC. UFC guys, they’re signing guys at like, 10 and 10, [$10,000] to show, [$10,000] to win, $20 grand. So, then you pay off your manager, …

Dakota Ditcheva is trying to forget about her hand injury as she prepares to return to action in the Professional Fighters League.

The unbeaten British standout meets former Bellator kickboxing champion Denise Kielholtz on July 31 at UBS Arena on Long Island, New York, marking her return after suffering a broken hand against Sumiko Inaba in 2025, an injury that sidelined her for more than a year.

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Dakota Ditcheva discusses confidence struggles before PFL fight with Denise Kielholtz Despite a 100% physical recovery from her injury, Ditcheva still struggles with the mental aspect of returning to competition. She recently admitted that the biggest hurdle has been regaining complete confidence in her repaired hand, especially having undergone reconstructive surgery.

“You have to try and forget about it,” Ditcheva said about her recovery after the surgery. “I’m doing everything I was doing before it was broken, so for now, it’s just the mind. I don’t hav…

Jake Paul has called out Dana White over his softened stance on boxing’s traditional organizations.

Ahead of Zuffa Boxing's launch in 2025, White repeatedly stated that the promotion had no interest in doing business with the WBA, WBC, IBF or WBO. However, following Zuffa Boxing 9, the promotion’s founder acknowledged that they would work with the aforementioned organizations depending on the circumstances, prompting a reaction from Paul on social media.

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Jake Paul criticizes Dana White’s changing stance on WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO partnerships When asked about working with the major sanctioning bodies at the recent Zuffa Boxing presser, White claimed that he’s willing to do so for certain boxers.

“On a case-by-case basis, trying to figure out what the fighters want and what their goals are, we will try to figure out whatever we can do to make those fights happen,” the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO said.

This drew an immediate response from …

Dan Hooker is eager to “ruin” Salahdine Parnasse’s Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The longtime UFC lightweight will square off against the former two-division KSW champion in the UFC Paris main event on Sept. 5 at Accor Arena. While the French standout looks to announce himself on the sport's biggest stage, Hooker plans to silence the home crowd.

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Dan Hooker targets Salahdine Parnasse’s UFC arrival in UFC Paris main event Hooker has revealed that the bout announcement was quickly followed by a barrage of hostile messages from Parnasse's supporters, including death threats.

“The death threats have been outrageous,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “I didn’t get it when I fought [Benoit St. Denis]. French people have been speaking French and telling me I’m going to die and telling me they’re going to kill me… Whoever this c*nt’s fans are, they’re outrageous. It’s going to feel pretty sweet to shut this kid’s lights out and making these guys eat …

Two Ultimate Fighting Championship-inspired crossover title bouts are officially headed to Real American Freestyle.

Rivalries involving Colby Covington, Belal Muhammad, Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo are set to headline the promotion's next two events. RAF recently announced that Dvalishvili will meet Cejudo in the main event of RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland, while Covington will defend his cruiserweight crossover championship against Muhammad at RAF 13 on Sept. 19 in Miami.

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Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad bring UFC rivalry to Real American Freestyle RAF 13 Both Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo and Muhammad vs. Covington will be contested for crossover championships, a division created to allow active and former UFC fighters to compete on the wrestling mats.

Covington became the inaugural cruiserweight crossover champion with a victory over UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. Muhammad confronted Covington during the post-event press co…

Zuffa Boxing founder Dana White hopes to add Gervonta Davis to the promotion's growing stable before potentially matching him up against Shakur Stevenson.

Following Zuffa Boxing 9 in New York, White addressed the possibility of booking a blockbuster showdown between Stevenson and Davis, revealing that he has already held discussions with the latter, having already signed the former.

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Zuffa Boxing’s Shakur Stevenson deal could lead to talks with Gervonta Davis White admitted that he has spoken to Davis and he’s definitely interested in working together in the future.

“I don’t know [about booking Tank vs. Shakur],” White said. “I do love Tank Davis. I’m actually a fan and we’ve talked to them. I don’t want to speak for him or whatever, but I have talked to him and I’m a fan.”

Stevenson recently signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, immediately fueling speculation about potential marquee matchups under the promotion's banner. A clash with D…

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White has shared a timeline for Conor McGregor’s recovery following the Irish star’s anticlimactic return at UFC 329.

McGregor’s long-awaited comeback lasted just 69 seconds as the former two-division champion suffered a knee injury in his rematch against Max Holloway with the first kick he threw. With one fight remaining in his contract, “Notorious” has begun his rehabilitation and has his sights set on his Octagon return. White has now weighed in on when McGregor will be back.

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Dana White updates Conor McGregor’s UFC return after ACL and meniscus injury Days after losing to Holloway, McGregor revealed that he suffered an ACL and meniscus injury. The Irishman later claimed that he’s targeting a return for the summer of 2027. Speaking to reporters following Zuffa Boxing 9, White revealed that McGregor is expected to be sidelined for a year.

McGregor recently shared a video on Instagram of his rehabilitation, …

Ilia Topuria and his brother Aleksandre were in attendance for Guram Kutateladze’s engagement party.

Kutateladze recently got engaged to his partner, Erika Nielsen. Ilia and Aleksandre were seen rejoicing and congratulating their longtime friend and teammate. This is one of the few occasions the former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder has been spotted without sunglasses since his title loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.

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Ilia Topuria's latest public appearance comes at Guram Kutateladze's celebration Kutateladze was a highly touted prospect going into his UFC debut in 2020 and lived up to the hype with a split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot. However, “Georgian Viking” endured an inconsistent UFC stint thereafter, going 3-3 in the promotion. He was released from the UFC following a loss to Kaue Fernandes last year and has since scored a first-round knockout win over fellow UFC veteran Victor Hugo on the regional circui…

Navajo Stirling doesn’t think he’s on a collision course with his training partners in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Stirling (10-0) is scheduled to face his biggest step up in competition so far in Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 in Serbia. Stirling accepted the fight on less than three weeks’ notice, after the former light heavyweight champion’s original opponent, Bogdan Guskov, accepted another short-notice booking.

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A win over Blachowicz moves the Kiwi closer to the title, which is currently held by his teammate, Carlos Ulberg (14-1). Despite former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker also being in the mix at 205 pounds, Stirling doesn’t see himself fighting either one of his teammates.Navajo Stirling discusses Carlos Ulberg, Robert Whittaker and the UFC 205-pound title picture Whittaker (28-9), who has been training at City Kickboxing lately, enjoyed a successful move up to the light heavyweight division, finishing Nikita Kryl…

Navajo Stirling believes Khamzat Chimaev is a one-dimensional fighter.

After Chimaev suffered the first loss of his professional career, the hype surrounding the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion has dampened. Stirling recently called him a “one-trick pony” and wants Chimaev to move up to light heavyweight so they can fight.

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Why Navajo Stirling Believes Khamzat Chimaev Isn't a Complete Fighter While Stirling acknowledges that Chimaev would bring much attention to the 205-pound division, the unbeaten Kiwi wants to expose how “Borz” isn’t a well-rounded fighter.

“I think he’s a bit of a one-trick pony,” Stirling told Full Send MMA. “I would love to fight him. I want to test my theory against someone like that. I would love for some bigger names to come to the division that could bring some hype.”

Chimaev was undefeated and a massive betting favorite going into his first middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 328…

Conor McGregor wanted to put on a “generational beating” against Max Holloway, but is now set for another year sidelined with injury and rehabilitation.

McGregor’s return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship from a five-year hiatus ended disastrously, as he injured his knee with the first kick he threw. An anticlimactic stoppage soon followed, bringing an unfortunate end to the penultimate bout on his current UFC contract.

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The Irishman has now outlined when he’ll return to the Octagon.Conor McGregor targets summer 2027 for comeback “Notorious” recently posted a reel on Instagram, where he can be seen practicing his kick moments before making the walk at UFC 329, further addressing claims that he entered the bout with a pre-existing injury. The caption of his post revealed the timeline of his return, eyeing International Fight Week next year. “What was to be a generational beating is now to be reset,” McGregor wrote. “IFW 2027 The Last Dan…