Martial Arts News

Justin Gaethje has shut down a particular narrative that emerged after his win over Ilia Topuria.

Gaethje captured the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title at UFC Freedom 250, where Topuria’s corner called for a stoppage before the final round. While many fans and fighters later claimed that “El Matador” quit on the stool after the fourth round, Gaethje disagrees.

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Justin Gaethje says Ilia Topuria’s corner made the decision to stop the UFC title fight Gaethje pushed back on that narrative during a podcast appearance, saying the former two-division champion was unable to continue because of his condition and that his corner made the right call.

“He didn’t quit on the stool,” Gaethje said on the “One Night with Steiny” podcast. “His body was too compromised to continue fighting. He didn’t make the call; his coaches made the call because they’re there to protect him. My coaches are in my corner to protect me in those times.”

Topuria …

Rinya Nakamura doesn’t want to relive what he went through against Brady Hiestand.

Nakamura (10-2) was a heavy -325 favorite going into his Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight fight against Hiestand at UFC Vegas 121 on Sept. 26 in Las Vegas. However, Hiestand’s wrestling proved to be too much for Nakamura, who was controlled before being forced to tap to a rear-naked choke in the second round.

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Rinya Nakamura reacts to submission loss against Brady Hiestand at UFC Vegas 121 Nakamura vowed to bounce back in a social media post. The 31-year-old said he refuses to experience the feeling of another loss like the one he suffered against Hiestand.

“I will return having forged a martial arts style that is purer, more righteous, more beautiful, and stronger,” Nakamura wrote on Instagram. “Thank you, UFC, for the ultimate stage. I refuse to ever experience a feeling like this again.”

Nakamura was a highly touted undefeated prospect when he won…

Kevin Vallejos believes Ailin Perez beat Norma Dumont fair and square.

Perez (14-2) and Dumont (13-4) had plenty of bad blood heading into their Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight clash at UFC Vegas 121. However, the fight turned out to be a lackluster affair featuring plenty of clinching and stray jabs. Perez eventually earned a controversial decision victory, while Dumont expressed disbelief at the scorecards.

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Kevin Vallejos backs Ailin Perez’s decision over Norma Dumont and calls for a UFC title shot While many later criticized the judges’ decision, Vallejos believes Perez did enough to get her hand raised. When Uruguayan fighter Gaston Reyno defended Perez’s victory, Vallejos agreed on social media. He scored the fight 29-28 for Perez, as did all three judges. The UFC featherweight also called for a title shot for his fellow Argentine.

“I agree, I saw the fight 29-28 for Ailin,” Vallejos posted on X. “Impossible that it was a robbery.…

Former Bellator fighter Heather Hardy has sued Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions over her 2023 boxing rematch against Amanda Serrano.

Hardy, who competed under the Bellator banner from 2017 to 2019, went 2-2 in mixed martial arts during her stint with the promotion. The 24-3 boxer is now suing MVP over alleged post-fight medical complications following her defeat to Serrano.

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Heather Hardy alleges Amanda Serrano rematch caused permanent neurological damage Hardy’s lawsuit stems from her rematch with Serrano, which took place in August 2023 on the Paul-Nate Diaz card. Hardy claims she experienced blurred vision for several days after the fight. She later withdrew from a 2024 BKFC bout because of worsening vision issues and said doctors had warned that further head injuries could permanently affect her eyesight.

The bout was staged by Paul’s MVP, which has now been accused of “exploiting” Hardy’s difficult financial position to book an unsafe and…

Ailin Perez and Norma Dumont’s rivalry further escalated after their clash on Saturday.

Perez secured a unanimous decision over Dumont at Meta APEX in Las Vegas on Sept. 26, with all three judges scoring the bout 29-28 in her favor. The decision drew criticism online, with many arguing that Dumont deserved the nod.

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Ailin Perez and Norma Dumont keep their bitter rivalry alive after UFC Vegas 121 The animosity was palpable going into the fight and continued after the final horn. They previously traded barbs online, with Perez instigating some pre-fight drama by roping in Dumont's boyfriend, Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Marco Tulio. Dumont then threw condoms and money at Perez during the pre-fight faceoff ahead of UFC Vegas 121.

Following her decision win, Perez took another shot at Dumont on Instagram.

“Thanks for the condoms [Norma Dumont], but I did not need to use them to f*ck you,” Perez wrote on her Instagram stories. “Also, …

Tyson Fury has grown increasingly frustrated with the ongoing saga surrounding his bout against Anthony Joshua.

Disagreements over the promotional side of the event have once again threatened to derail the matchup. Fury insists he has done everything possible to make the fight happen. “The Gypsy King” has now slammed Joshua and Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn over their stance regarding Dana White’s involvement.

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Dana White’s involvement becomes the latest flashpoint in Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua Fury took aim at Joshua and Hearn in an interview with FurociTV, claiming that he has remained flexible throughout the negotiation process.

“I’ve been moving the goalpost all the time,” Fury said. “There’s nothing that I haven’t agreed to. Nothing. I’ll even tie concrete blocks to my boots to make this fight happen. There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do to make this fight happen.”

He then turned his attention to Hearn, who has repeatedly stated that Whi…

Dana White was left bemused by Max Kellerman’s explanation of his role in the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua saga.

Fury and Joshua are scheduled to meet Dec. 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, with the bout set to stream on Netflix. The matchup was announced by the streaming juggernaut as a collaboration between Turki Alalshikh and White’s Zuffa Boxing. However, Joshua’s camp and Eddie Hearn seemingly aren’t on board.

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Dana White disputes Max Kellerman’s description of his role in Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua Kellerman claimed during the Zuffa Boxing 11 broadcast that White’s involvement isn’t as a promoter but rather in an assisting role to Alalshikh.

“Dana White’s involvement in the fight, so people know, is purely in assisting Turki Alalshikh, who has been the engine behind just about every big fight in boxing over the last handful of years,” Kellerman said. “He’s assisting Turki in a personal capacity, not as a promoter.”

White was s…

Five rounds worthy of a bonus! #UFCVegas121 FOTN goes to @RaulRosasJr8 & Raoni Barcelos.

B2YB: @ToyoTires pic.twitter.com/zyzAC31wCI

— UFC (@ufc) September 27, 2026

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Despite a bizarre and frightening conclusion, Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos earned Fight of the Night honors for their bout at UFC Vegas 121, highlighting the promotion’s post-fight bonus recipients. Rosas defeated Barcelos in the Fight of the Night matchup, with both fighters receiving $100,000 bonuses for their performances.

In the fifth and final round, Rosas Jr. appeared to catch a second wind and stuffed his opponent’s takedown attempts. Midway through the frame, Rosas Jr. landed an inside trip of his own. Barcelos crashed to the canvas and was immediately knocked out, appearing to land on his head during the takedown.

Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos earned Fight of the Night after their UFC Vegas 121 battle The official time was 1:38 of…

🚨 Raoni Barcelos's coach Davi Ramos released a statement after #UFCVegas121.

"Hey guys, Raoni is fine, everything is alright, everyone can stay calm, he just went to do the tomography now, but everything is fine, we are here waiting for him, everyone can stay calm, thanks?" pic.twitter.com/QDBxFJSphm

— sito 🦍 (@sitoslimy5) September 27, 2026

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas for UFC Vegas 121, an entertaining event that featured nine fights ending inside the distance, including one by disqualification.

The headliner of the event, also known as UFC Fight Night 289, saw up-and-comer Raul Rosas Jr. compete in his first UFC main event against Octagon veteran Raoni Barcelos. In the opening rounds, Rosas Jr. (13-1, 7-1 UFC) looked lighter on his feet and quicker with his punches. Barcelos, in turn, relied on his wrestling background to take the action to the canvas. Even when put…

Sherdog's live UFC Vegas 121 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 289. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round: The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Sco…

Headlining his first event 🙌@RaulRosasJr8 weighs in at 136 lbs!

[ #UFCVegas121 LIVE SEP 26 at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/XKYj5qvsnj

— UFC (@ufc) September 25, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's latest Meta Apex event is now official after the UFC Vegas 121 weigh-ins.

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The five-round bantamweight main event is set after headliners Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos both made weight without issue. All other fighters also made weight, including Sedriques Dumas' late-notice opponent Luis Hernandez. The card will move forward with 12 fights.

This is a pivotal fight in the career of Rosas Jr. (12-1). The 21-year-old is coming off the biggest win of his career after beating Rob Font via decision. Now "El Nino Problema" will look to move from prospect to contender with another victory. The Californian fighter officially weighed 136 pounds for his first main event.

18 years older than his opponent i…

You never know what you are gonna see in the Bowl 👀#UFCBJJ11 | LIVE NOW on @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/iQxdvACOpV

— UFC BJJ (@ufcbjj) September 25, 2026

Mikey Musumeci turned in another strong performance at UFC BJJ 11, beating Bryce Mitchell.

Musumeci calls for more MMA grappling opponents after UFC BJJ 11 win “It was fun,” Musumeci said after his unanimous decision win over the UFC bantamweight. “I like that. I’m training MMA now so I like that. I want more MMA grappling opponents. I would prefer to do this style of grappling. It was way more fun for me.”

Other notable results on the card include Mason Stritzel’s win over Sebastian Zazueta via an inside heel hook, Jay Rodriguez’s inverted brabo choke against Kevin Behring and Daniel Deeder’s kimura against Kolby Gonzalez.

UFC BJJ 11 Results Mikey Musumeci def. Bryce Mitchell - Unanimous decisionMason Fowler vs. Nick Rodriguez - Split drawAurelie Le Vern def. Rana Willink - Unanimo…