Martial Arts News

Nassourdine Imavov vows to knock out Sean Strickland in a potential rematch. 

Strickland scored a massive upset win over Anthony Hernandez via a third-round knockout at UFC Houston last weekend. Imavov has since been calling for a chance to avenge his previous loss against Strickland. 

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Strickland replaced an injured Kelvin Gastelum against Imavov in 2023. The fight took place at light heavyweight as Strickland came in on five days’ notice. Strickland defeated Imavov via an emphatic unanimous decision. 

However, Imavov claims the fight would have played out differently under “normal conditions.” While Imavov is calling for a rematch against Strickland, the former champ is eyeing a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev. Imavov accuses Strickland of ducking him. “The Sniper” believes Strickland is scared of a brutal beatdown against him, but doesn’t mind being choked out by Chimaev.

‘He’ll End Up Unconscious’ “Of course he's ducking,” I…

Opinions are mixed regarding in the Brazilian MMA community regarding Conor McGregor's return. | Bellator MMA

Among the most debated topics in the MMA community today is the return of the biggest star in the history of the sport, Conor McGregor.

Away from MMA since 2021, when he was injured in a fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor left many people curious last week when he made an enigmatic post on his X account suggesting that his opponent at the White House will be an unknown. 

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“It´s a no name up next to me possibly, folks. And, as you know idgaf, I ACCEPT. Send the contract, lads,” he wrote.

Interestingly, Fighting Nerds coach Flavio Alvaro had said in an exclusive interview with Sherdog days before that fans could expect a huge fight for Prates.

"Something very, very big is coming for him and it will be announced soon, unfortunately I'm not yet authorized to say anything," said Alvaro.

Since Spanish journalis…

Sean O'Malley wants to renegotiate with the UFC before his current contract expires. 

O’Malley (19-3) recently revealed that he has only two fights left on his current UFC contract. According to “Suga,” the UFC doesn’t like fighters to exhaust their contracts as it opens the door for offers from competitors. However, O’Malley can’t imagine any other promotion that he would rather be in. Hence, O’Malley is looking forward to renegotiating with the UFC when he travels to Las Vegas next month. The former UFC bantamweight champion is expecting a bigger contract, especially since he is coming off a win.

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Show Him the Money “I have two fights left on my deal, so ideally I’ll probably go renegotiate,” O’Malley said on YouTube. “The UFC really doesn't like people fighting their contract out. Because that’s when you can start getting offers from other people. It’s like – where the f—k else you want to go? Typically, they don’t want you to fight your contr…

Demetrious Johnson believes Dana White wanted to show his competitors his might by signing Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing. 

Benn, who is still far from the pinnacle of boxing, recently made headlines by signing with Zuffa Boxing. Benn parted ways with longtime promoter Eddie Hearn and signed with Zuffa overnight for reportedly a $15 million one-fight deal. 

According to Johnson, Benn’s signing is a flex from the UFC head honcho. Johnson believes White isn’t concerned about the sustainability of deals like Benn’s. “Mighty Mouse” believes White just wanted to show his competitors what they are up against by signing Benn for $15 million.

Because He Can “$15 million for one fight is crazy,” Johnson said on YouTube. “Because, what’s gonna happen after this fight? Is the $15 million worth having Conor Benn? It's the first time I've heard of him. From what everybody tells me, he is a very good boxer. But is Khamzat Chimaev making $15 million? Is Ilia Topuria making …

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick believes what happens in the gym should stay in the gym. 

Sean Strickland (30-7) has been accusing middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) of inactivity for a while now. Chimaev claims Strickland is irked with him after getting submitted in the past while training together at Xtreme Couture. 

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Strickland scored an upset win by knocking out Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston last weekend. Strickland subsequently called for a title shot against Chimaev. Strickland claims Chimaev submitted him in a situational grappling spar. The former middleweight champ claims he made Chimaev quit training at Xtreme Couture. Strickland asked his teammates and his longtime coach, Nicksick, to back up his claims. Meanwhile, Chimaev claims he destroyed Strickland in sparring, and Nicksick is aware of it. 

See you soon boy 🤫

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) February 23, 2026 Better Left …

Georgio Poullas is confident that he will take down Arman Tsarukyan in their upcoming wrestling match. 

Tsarukyan and Poullas will meet in a wrestling match at RAF 6 on Feb. 6 at the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. Poullas does not doubt that he will take down Tsarukyan more than once.

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“At a certain level, anyone can take anyone down,” Poullas said in a recent interview. “So, can Arman take me down? Yeah, he has a chance to take me down. Can I take him down? Absolutely, I have a chance to take him down. I think I’m going to take him down multiple times. The question is, is he gonna get that $1,000? Can he take me down?... If you’re asking about a simple takedown, absolutely, 100 percent. I think I’m getting more than one takedown. I’m adding quite a few up, if you ask me.”A Challenge Worth More Than $1,000A former Division I wrestler from Cleveland State University, Poullas has gone viral on the internet with his “take me down for $1,000” video…

Josh Hokit has made a name for himself in a short time in the UFC. | Getty/UFC

Josh Hokit will be swimming in deep waters in his next Octagon apppearance.

The undefeated heavyweight prospect will lock horns with perennial contender Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 in Miami, the promotion announced Tuesday. A handful of other bouts — some previously reported — were also confirmed for the April 11 event: Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown at welterweight; Paulo Costa vs. Azamat Murzakanov at heavyweight and Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker at light heavyweight.

UFC 327 takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami and features flyweight title tilt pitting Joshua Van against Tatsuro Taira. It is currently unclear if Van vs. Taira will be the evening’s main event. The entirety of the card airs on Paramount+.

A Gap in Experience Hokit is undefeated in eight professional outings and has finished all of his opponents inside the distance. After earning a contract on Dana Whi…

Sean O'Malley isn’t happy about Conor Benn’s $15 million Zuffa Boxing deal. 

Zuffa Boxing is the latest venture of Dana White and TKO Group, the parent company of the UFC. Zuffa recently signed Conor Benn, reportedly for $15 million for a single-fight deal. Benn also changed sides overnight, parting ways with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, who basically shaped his career. As Hearn predicted, UFC fighters aren’t happy about Benn’s Zuffa deal. 

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O’Malley doesn’t even completely believe the report of Benn being signed for $15 million. The former UFC bantamweight champion says he has never heard of Benn. O’Malley isn’t happy about someone else reaping the benefits after he played a pivotal role in generating revenue for the UFC.

“I can’t imagine it being true,” O’Malley said on YouTube. “I don’t even know who Conor Benn is. I’ve never heard of him… It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC, build this name, create this character, be…

Aljamain Sterling is stepping in on short notice at RAF 6. | Getty/UFC

RAF wrestling is bringing in the best athletes from MMA.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is set to wrestle former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at RAF 6 on Feb. 28 at the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. Sterling replaces an injured Chad Mendes on short notice. 

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After a career spanning over 17 years, Henderson hung up his MMA gloves following a loss against Usman Nurmagomedov in 2023. “Smooth” has since competed in Karate Combat, boxing, and wrestling. Henderson most recently suffered a submission loss in a grappling match against Arman Tsarukyan at ACBJJ in September 2025. 

Meanwhile, Sterling has competed in various grappling matches while staying active in the UFC. “Funkmaster” has gone 2-1 since moving up to featherweight after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley in 2023. 

Champ vs. Champ

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Fans anticipating a future blockbuster showdown between Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev might have to wait for the time being.

At the UFC Houston post-fight press conference this past Saturday, Dana White indicated that he preferred to see Chimaev defend his middleweight belt at least once before moving up to 185 pounds. However, the UFC CEO seemed more open to the possibility of “Poatan” moving up to heavyweight.

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“Pereira is one of those guys who always steps up and does what we need him to do. Whatever this guy wants to do, we’re going to work with him,” White said.Enjoying LifeMeanwhile, that same Saturday, some 5,000 miles away, the UFC light heavyweight champion posted a video enjoying the champions' parade at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, a major event on the Brazilian calendar that attracts millions of people. In a video shared on Instagram, the UFC heavyweight champion showed the VIP area where he was enjoying the party with some friends. Read more

Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision in 2015. | Esther Lin/Showtime

More than a decade after their first fight, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are going to run it back.

Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 will take place on Sept. 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas and will stream on Netflix, the streaming platform announced on Monday. After years of circling each other for a blockbuster bout, Mayweather and Pacquaio initially squared of in 2015, with “Money” winning a clear-cut unanimous decision.

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Mayweather, 48, hasn’t fought professionally since defeating former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor via 10th-round TKO in August 2017. However, the former champion has competed in a number of exhibitions, facing the likes of Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul, Mikuru Asakura and John Gotti III, to name a few. Mayweather, who owns a 50-0 professional mark, is expected to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout this April in the Congo.

The …

Ronda Rousey is ready to go head-to-head against the UFC as she promotes her comeback fight.

The former UFC bantamweight queen will compete for the first time since 2016 when she faces Gina Carano under the Most Valuable Promotions banner in a featherweight bout televised on Netflix on May 16. The fight has generated plenty of attention since it was announced last week, and a lot of that has to do with Rousey, who remains the biggest star in women’s MMA history.

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For Rousey, however, at least part of the narrative centers around her showdown with Carano providing some competition for the UFC.

"It's a dream fight and a superfight and everything, but I feel like the story and everything behind it is not just this fight," Rousey said in a video released by MVP on Monday.. "A lot of it is MVP vs. UFC. That's where I'm gonna f—-ing go real hard in the trenches.

"We're helping [the UFC] because they're suffering from a lack of competition. They can'…