Martial Arts News - Page 154 of 156 - Martial Arts Kleinanzeigen™

Coach Suggests Justin Gaethje Nearing Retirement: ‘This Is Our Last Run’

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.

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…

Ranked Heavyweights Collide at UFC Seattle on March 28

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…

Team ‘Poatan’ Claims Chimaev Fight Makes No Sense, Set Sights on One Name

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.

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…

Former Title Challenger Booked Against Rising Mexican Talent at UFC 327

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.

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 …

LFA to Broadcast 25 Live Events in 2026 on Vice TV

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.

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…

Former PFL CEO Peter Murray Departs Promotion After Brief International Stint

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.

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…

Michael Morales: Still Undefeated as a Professional

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…

Submission Specialist to Lock Horns with Local Favorite at PFL Madrid

Jake Hadley enjoyed a memorable PFL debut. | PFL MMA

Jake Hadley will have to go into hostile territory to earn his second Professional Fighters League victory.

The organization on Thursday announced that Hadley will square off against Spain’s Kevin Cordero in a bantamweight clash at PFL Madrid on March 20. The event takes place at Palacio Vitalegre in Madrid, Spain, and is headlined by a middleweight championship showdown between Costello van Steenis and Fabian Edwards. The card will air on the ESPN app in the United States.

A Strong First Impression A former Cage Warriors champion and a seven-time UFC veteran, Hadley his split his first two PFL appearances. “White Kong” enjoyed a spectacular promotional debut, when he tapped out Matheus Mattos with a third-round twister at PFL World Tournament 2 on April 11. The 29-year-old Englishman couldn’t continue that momentum in his second outing, as he dropped a unanimous verdict to Marcirley Alves at PFL World…

Ranked Flyweights Expected to Rematch at UFC Seattle

Alexa Grasso is looking for her first win since March 2023. | Getty/UFC

More than five years after their first encounter, Alexa Grasso and Maycee Barber are going to run it back.

Grasso and Barber will square off in a flyweight contest at UFC Seattle — also known as UFC Fight Night 271 — on March 28. Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing following an initial report from RealKevinK on social media. Barber defeated Grasso via unanimous decision in their initial meeting at UFC 258 on Feb. 13, 2021. UFC Seattle takes place at Climate Pledge Arena and airs on Paramount+.

Grasso had been slated to face Rose Namajunas at UFC 324 on Jan. 24 but pulled out of the fight due to an undisclsoed injury.On the Comeback Trail Grasso will be looking for her first victory since March 2023, when she upset Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285 to claim the 125-pound crown. After their rematch ended in a split draw, Grasso lost the trilogy bout via unanimous de…

Sean Strickland Felt Pressure from UFC to Accept Du Plessis Rematch While Injured

Sean Strickland came up short for a second time against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 | Getty/UFC

Sean Strickland says that he was less than 100% for his middleweight title rematch with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312.

After losing a contentious split-decision to Du Plessis in their first meeting at UFC 297, Strickland lost a more convincing unanimous verdict to the South African standout in his most recent outing last February. During an appearance on the "Kairouz Bros" podcast, he revealed that he felt pressured to accept the fight despite a lingering injury suffered outside the cage.

“I’m an idiot, you guys. I deserve this,” Strickland said. “Before the Dricus fight, I was f—king riding with [motocross athlete] Axell Hodges and I broke my shoulder,” Strickland said. “So I was in Colombia getting stem cells on my shoulder and they hit me up for the fight. The thing with the UFC, you don’t say no. They are pimps. You don’t say no to the mas…

‚The Hulk‘ vs. ‚Robocop‘ Rematch Booked for UFC 326

"The Hulk" made short work of Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 283. | Getty/UFC

Brunno Ferreira will attempt to author a repeat of a memorable Octagon debut at UFC 326.

After a proposed middleweight bout against Paulo Costa fell through for undisclosed reasons, “The Hulk” will lock horns with Gregory Rodrigues in a rematch on March 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ferreira confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from Laerte Viana. UFC 326 is headlined by a BMF title tilt between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira and airs on Paramount+.

Brazilian Middleweights Surging After earning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series in September 2022, Ferreira faced Rodrigues in his first promotional foray at UFC 283, winning via knockout at the 4:13 mark of Round 1. The 33-year-old Curitiba, Brazil, native is 6-2 in UFC competition overall and is coming off a 3-0 campaign in 2025 that concluded with a decision triumph over Marvin Vettori. Read more

Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier Announced as Coaches for Russian MMA Reality Show

Jones and Cormier are slated to serve as opposing coaches on an MMA reality show. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

It appears that Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will renew their rivalry as opposing coaches on a mixed martial arts reality show.

On Monday, ALF Reality announced via social media that Jones and Cormier will coach on the third iteration of the show. Noteworthy names such as Nate Diaz, Petr Yan, Khamzat Chimaev and Aljamain Sterling have served as coaches on the Russian show in previous years. A date for the new season was not revealed.

Jones was part of a past season that saw Nate Diaz involved in a brawl with one of the participating fighters. Diaz, Jake Shields and the rest of the team would leave the set and return home to California as a result. Jones was not involved in the incident.

😱Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier faced off.

Who could've thought this would happen. pic.twitter.com/iNGoyu0LzO

— Home of Fight (@Home…