Martial Arts News

Ian Garry is taking shots at Islam Makhachev and his team. 

Garry is considered to be among the frontrunners for the next welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev. However, Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently claimed that the UFC is considering another massive matchup for the champion not involving Garry.

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“This is, I can tell you, the UFC working on a big fight Islam Makhachev  and [Ian’s]  name is not involved,” Abdelaziz wrote on X. “Much bigger. One of the biggest fight in the UFC right now they can make. Stay tuned.”

This is, I can tell you, the UFC working on a big fight Islam Makhachev and ian name is not involved. Much bigger. One of the biggest fight in the UFC right now they can make. Stay tuned.😉

— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) March 2, 2026 Garry refuted Abdelaziz’s statement. 

“No they’re not.”

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Abdelaziz then slightly changed tune, saying Garry is st…

Khamzat Chimaev was allegedly ready to back up Arman Tsarukyan on a moment’s notice after the brawl at RAF 6.  

Chimaev and Tsarukyan have long been training partners and friends. Tsarukyan faced Georgio Poullas in a wrestling match at RAF 6 last weekend. Tsarukyan repeatedly accused Poullas of playing dirty, and the social media wrestling star was even penalized on points. Tsarukyan defeated Poullas by points and proceeded to punch him, which led to a brawl on the mats. Chimaev, who was watching the match on television, was seen quietly smiling as the arena erupted in chaos. 

Tsarukyan revealed that Chimaev immediately called him and offered to fly to Tempe, Arizona, to back him up. However, Tsarukyan turned down the idea and urged Chimaev to calm down. Tsarukyan admits that he and Chimaev together in a brawl is a bad idea. Tsarukyan claims “Borz” is the crazier of the two. According to “Ahalkalakets,” Chimaev is not seen engaging in brawls, as people are mo…

Arman Tsarukyan was disappointed with the overall officiating at RAF 6. 

Tsarukyan faced Georgia Poullas in the co-main event at RAF 6 last weekend. Tsarukyan repeatedly accused the social media wrestling star of using dirty tactics. While the referee penalized Poullas on points, he wasn’t disqualified. Tsarukyan eventually defeated Poullas and punched him, leading to a massive brawl. 

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Tsarukyan was not only disappointed with the refereeing in his fight, but also with the judges. “Ahalkalakets” says the judges did a terrible job throughout the night, especially in the matchup between Mahamedkhabib “Kadik” Kadzimahamedau and Evan Wick. A four-time Division I All-American, Wick defeated the Belarusian Olympic silver medalist via tech fall (13-2). Tsarukyan accuses the judges of awarding Wick points unfairly.

“Maybe 20 times he was trying to poke my eyes, break my fingers, and I showed it to the referee, the referee shouldn’t do that,” Tsaruk…

Charles Oliveira doesn't expect Max Holloway to pose much of a submission threat at UFC 326. | Getty/UFC

Eleven years after their first encounter in the main event of UFC Fight Night 74 in Canada, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway will face each other again on Saturday.

This time the fight will take place in Las Vegas in UFC 326 main event, and the BMF title will be at stake. Shortly before boarding a plane at São Paulo airport with his team on Sunday, Charles Oliveira spoke with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana and assured him that he is arriving for this rematch in the best condition of his career.

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“Renting a house 800 meters from Chute Boxe made all the difference,” Oliveira said. “When I came from my house in Guarujá, I had to wake up at 6 a.m. to get to training at 11 a.m. Living next to the gym, I could wake up at 10 a.m. to get to training at 11 a.m. In other words, I was able to rest more and recover better for the training ro…

Patrick Habirora is a star on the rise in PFL. | PFL MMA

Undefeated Professional Fighters League prospect Patrick Habirora will look to add a significant feather to his cap when he returns to action in his home country.

The promotion announced on Monday that Habirora will lock horns with former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in the PFL Brussels main event at ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium, on May 23. Henderson will be returning to active competition for the first time since March 2023. Habirora vs. Henderson will be contested at 170 pounds.

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Prospect vs. Veteran Habirora has been victorious in his first eight professional outings, finishing all but one via knockout or technical knockout. In 2025, he scored first-round KO victories against UFC veterans Danny Roberts and Kevin Jousset in his two PFL appearances.

A former UFC lightweight champion, Henderson hasn’t competed in MMA since March 2023, when he suffered a first-ro…

Lone'er Kavanagh earned the biggest win of his career on Saturday in Mexico City. | Getty/UFC

Lone'er Kavanagh was originally supposed to face Bruno Silva on March 14, but when the UFC came calling to offer a former champion in hostile territory on short notice, the British prospect didn’t hesitate.

The gamble paid off, as Kavanagh took a five-round verdict over Brandon Moreno in the UFC Mexico headliner at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Saturday night. In victory, Kavanagh was able to rebound from a knockout loss to Charles Johnson in his last outing at UFC Shanghai this past August.

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“Sometimes you’ve just got to say f—k the fear and do it,” Kavanagh said told the UFC. “Believe in yourself, believe in the people behind you and let the rest write itself.”

Kavanagh outworked Moreno on the feet behind his jab and impactful low kicks, and he stuffed all eight of his opponent’s takedown attempts over the course of the 25-minute affair. St…

While Charles Oliveira catches crabs for fun now, that was not always the case. 

Oliveira recently revisited the coastal town of Guaruja, Brazil, where he was raised. Oliveira also went crab hunting, an activity he initially started for fun as a kid. However, “Do Bronx” gradually started catching crabs to make money to help his family and his MMA career. Oliveira recalls that he would also give his grandmother some crabs. The former UFC lightweight champion now has the luxury of going crab catching as a hobby. As Oliveira digs in the mud for crabs, he says he is in his “natural habitat.” 

A Way of Life“Right now we’re at Claudevan’s ranch,” Oliveira said in a UFC Countdown video. “I have been coming here since I was a kid. This is where we go fishing, catch crabs, and reconnect with nature a bit. At first, I’d just do it for fun with my friends and uncles when I lived here. Later on, I started doing it to make some money to help with competitions and my family…

Merab Dvalishvili wants to see a fair wrestling match between Georgio Poullas and Arman Tsarukyan. 

Tsarukyan and Poullas met in a wrestling match at RAF 6 on Saturday. The match was chaotic from the onset, with Tsarukyan accusing Poullas of repeatedly slapping him. Tsarukyan defeated Poullas on points and decided to take revenge by punching him. Members of both teams immediately spilled onto the canvas as the whole place erupted into a massive brawl 

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Dvalishvili, who was also attending the event, wants to see a rematch against Tsarukyan and Poullas. While Dvalishvili admits that the drama was fun to watch, he wants to see the winner between Tsarukyan and Poullas in a fair match. Dvalishvili urged Poullas to make peace with Tsarukyan and book a rematch.

“First, I want you and Arman to shake hands and make this rematch again,” Dvalishvili told Poullas. “I know you guys were slapping each other, it was fun to watch, but now I want to see th…

Dana White believes money is not the key to happiness. 

White recently shared some life advice with viral street photographer Peter Fouad, who goes around asking for life advice from famous personalities. White says if someone is unhappy when they are broke, they will likely be unhappy even when they are rich. White advises people to find something they like doing and try to be happy doing it every day. The UFC head honcho claims some of the happiest times of his life were when he was broke.

‘Money Changes Everything’“If you’re miserable when you’re broke, you’re gonna be really miserable when you make some money,” White said. “The key to life is be happy. Figure out what you like to do, get up and do it every day, and be as happy as you can possibly be. Some of the happiest times of my life was when I was broke. Money changes everything, I think. Not always [for the better]. If you’re happy when you’re broke, you should be happy when you have some money.”

White …

Aljamain Sterling claims he never gets opponents of his choice. 

Sterling defeated former UFC champion Benson Henderson in a wrestling match via fall at RAF 6 on Saturday. The former UFC bantamweight champion is now calling for a featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. Sterling also slammed Diego Lopes’ performance in his title rematch against Volkanovski at UFC 325 this past January.

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“I’ve been with the company since 2014, been calling my shot, defending the belt the most in the bantamweight division,” Sterling said at the said at the RAF post-fight press conference. “Give me my f——ing shot. I deserve a shot at the title, OG vs OG. I’m smarter than all these dumb motherf—-ers out there… Diego Lopes gets a f—-ng rematch, and he goes out there and fights worse after actually doing decent in the first fight. He can’t figure out how to do a lateral step to cut the cage.” ‘I’ve Never Turned Down Anybody’ Sterling is also ready …

Bobby Green wants a shot to compete at the UFC’s White House card. 

Green was a sizeable underdog going into his lightweight matchup against an up-and-coming Daniel Zellhuber at UFC Mexico on Saturday. Green led the dance from the opening bell and completely outstruck Zellhuber before knocking him out late in the second round in front of his home fans. 

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When asked about his next potential opponent, Green called for Nate Diaz to be re-signed to the UFC. However, Green later changed tune and called for a matchup against Michael Chandler at the White House in June.‘I’m a Great American’ “Michael Chandler at the White House, that would be dope,” Green said in an interview with the UFC. “I’d love to be on the White House lawn. I’m a great American. I want to show for the Black folks and say, ‘Hey America, this is what a standup Black American looks like.’ I’m showing the example to America and saying, ‘Hey, this is who I am. I represent America…

Dana White isn’t shy about his political alignment. 

White is an avid supporter of President Donald Trump and even actively campaigned for him in the 2024 elections. White’s relationship with Trump goes way back to when the UFC was on the verge of bankruptcy. While the sport was being condemned as “human cockfighting,” Trump opened the doors of his casino to host UFC fights. Trump has since been closely associated with White and has become a regular at major UFC events. 

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White’s unabashed political tie with Trump inevitably poses the question of whether it will affect the UFC fan base. However, White isn’t one to take the road to safety by being non-political. The UFC president and CEO says that people with opposing political opinions can just be authentic without agreeing with each other.‘Just Be Authentic’“How about you be authentic and just be yourself? Just be authentic,” White told CBS Sunday Morning. “You don’t have to agree with me …