Martial Arts News

Henry Cejudo and Merab Dvalishvili aren't done competing against one another after already squaring off in mixed martial arts and wrestling.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholders will meet for the third time when they headline RAF 12 on Aug. 22 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, with the Real American Freestyle lightweight crossover championship on the line.

Advertisement

Cejudo-Dvalishvili 3 replaces Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad as the RAF 12 headliner The rematch replaces Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad as the RAF 12 main event. Covington and Muhammad's match has been moved to RAF 13 on Sept. 19 at Watsco Center in Miami.

Cejudo and Dvalishvili collided on the wrestling mats at RAF Georgia on July 11 in Tbilisi. Cejudo raced out to an 8-0 advantage before Dvalishvili made a comeback in front of his home crowd to secure the victory. ‘The Machine’ is now 2-0 under the RAF banner, while Cejudo has split his two appearances, beating Urijah Fab…

Gillian Robertson believes her upcoming title bout is the culmination of an eventful and turbulent run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Robertson (17-8) takes on Mackenzie Dern (16-5) for the strawweight championship in the UFC 330 co-main event at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The challenger has claimed that it feels like her “destiny” to compete for and win the championship.

Advertisement

Gillian Robertson is excited by grappler vs. grappler matchup Robertson, who has 20 UFC fights on her record, has grown through several ups and downs during her time in the promotion. She competed on the 26th edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2017 and has 14 wins inside the Octagon, including 10 finishes. The Canadian is now riding a five-fight win streak.

Ahead of her maiden title fight, “The Savage” is eager to add championship gold to her UFC run and thrilled about the matchup against a fellow submission specialist.

“I think this matchup, since she […

Gillian Robertson slammed Mackenzie Dern ahead of their Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title bout.

The two are set to lock horns for Dern’s 115-pound championship at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. The champ recently claimed that she neither likes nor dislikes Robertson because they don't know each other well. The challenger has now accused Dern of backtracking on past comments.

Advertisement

Bad blood is brewing between Gillian Robertson and Mackenzie Dern Robertson (16-5) opened up about the tension between her and Dern (17-8) during media day ahead of UFC 330. The Canadian claims Dern previously downplayed her jiu-jitsu but isn’t carrying the same energy into fight week.

“She was making comments all through the camp about how she doesn't know me, she doesn't think my jiu-jitsu's good, and all this stuff,” Robertson said. “Now she's like, ‘Oh, no, it's not anything. It's not that I don't like her.’ I'm like, ‘Why are we trying to t…

Islam Makhachev’s team has strong camaraderie.

With Khabib Nurmagomedov at the helm, the Dagestani squad is known for their close bond. Nurmagomedov, Makhachev and their teammates consider each other “brothers.” With Magomed Zaynukov recently making a successful Ultimate Fighting Championship debut and Khabib’s cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov, potentially headed to the UFC, there’s no chance of them fighting one another.

Advertisement

‘We’re all brothers’: Islam Makhachev opens up about bond within Dagestani team Makhachev guarantees that lightweights Zaynukov and Usman, or any of their other teammates, will never fight each other. The former lightweight champ and reigning welterweight king can’t even fathom the idea of fighting his teammates, having essentially grown up together.

Makhachev was still climbing the rankings when Khabib was the UFC lightweight champion. Regardless, Makhachev could never imagine fighting “The Eagle,” who has been guiding him from the day…

Joe Rogan has once again criticized the Ultimate Fighting Championship's show-win system.

The longtime UFC commentator believes the promotion's standard pay structure leaves too much of a fighter's earnings dependent on the result, even when the outcome can be influenced by factors outside the athlete's control.

Advertisement

Joe Rogan argues UFC fighters should receive larger guaranteed purses instead of having significant pay tied to a win bonus Under the UFC's longtime payment model, fighters receive a guaranteed purse for competing and typically double their pay in victory, although individual contracts can vary significantly based on status and tenure. Rogan has long criticized this system.

“That is the most bullsh*t part of the UFC, you get both your paychecks [only if you win],” Rogan said on his podcast while speaking to former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling. “F*ck off. F*ck off with that. I hate it. That drives me nuts.”

Rogan believes athle…

Khabib Nurmagomedov credits Dana White for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s success.

Nurmagomedov recently praised White’s ability to separate business from personal relationships. “The Eagle” says White operates with cold blood, which allows him to make tough decisions that are often criticized. He believes it is White’s ability to make those decisions regardless of backlash that has made the UFC reach the pinnacle of success.

Why Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Dana White’s tough decisions pushed the UFC forward The former UFC lightweight champ says White is like an Italian mafia boss, for whom family always comes first. According to Nurmagomedov, in White’s case, the UFC comes before anything else. While Nurmagomedov acknowledges the contributions of several others in the UFC’s success, he believes White has always played the most pivotal role.

“[Dana] is very good at separating business and personal relationships,” Nurmagomedov told Lex Fridman. “For him, they wil…

Islam Makhachev says he doesn’t always get to fight as frequently as he'd like to.

Makhachev (28-1) puts his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title on the line for the first time against Ian Garry (17-1) at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The Russian returns nine months after winning the 170-pound belt and he wants to be more active going forward.

Advertisement

Islam Makhachev wants quicker UFC turnaround after Ian Garry title fight Makhachev says he wouldn’t mind fighting again this year if he doesn’t have any injuries. While he has been accused of inactivity previously, the Dagestani champion claims that he wants to fight as often as possible. The 34-year-old wants to make the most of the limited time he has left in his career.

Makhachev says that bookings are often delayed due to factors beyond his control.

“It’s not a problem for me if I don’t have any injuries, not cut much weight,” Makhachev told UFC Hall of Fam…

Bare Knuckle Boxing has added another second-generation boxer to its growing roster.

The promotion recently announced that Sharif Rahman has signed a multi-fight agreement, bringing the undefeated prospect into the bare-knuckle ranks while still in his prime.

Advertisement

Sharif Rahman joins BKB after building an undefeated 9-0 boxing record Rahman, 30, is the son of former two-time heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman and the brother of professional boxer Hasim Rahman Jr. His father famously stopped Lennox Lewis in 2001 to capture the heavyweight championship.

Known as “C3,” Rahman has compiled an unblemished 9-0 professional boxing record with four knockouts. The Baltimore native, who now resides in Las Vegas, will attempt to carry that unbeaten record into bare-knuckle competition.

“I've carried this family name my whole career and I've never lost,” Rahman said via press release. “Bare-knuckle is a new test, no gloves, no excuses, just pure skill and heart…

Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry have vastly different views on how much authority women should have.

Garry recently faced significant backlash for speaking about his feminine side in an interview. “The Future” admitted to crying while watching Disney movies and feeling more masculine by staying in touch with his feminine side. Garry also said that the world would be a better place with women running it and men simply listening to them.

Advertisement

Islam Makhachev has hilarious reaction to UFC legend needing wife’s approval to go to Dagestan Makhachev, although in jest, expressed opposite views on women having authority. The Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion invited Demetrious Johnson to Dagestan during a recent interview. When “Mighty Mouse” expressed safety concerns, Makhachev assured him that Dagestan is one of the safest places in the world.

Johnson then said that he would have to consult his wife on the matter. Makhachev laughed in disbeli…

The upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event has undergone a late change, with Eduardo Henrique stepping in to replace Jose Ochoa at UFC 330.

Ochoa was reportedly forced out due to an injury, leaving Charles Johnson without an opponent days before their bout at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. However, the promotion quickly found a replacement in Henrique, who will now make his UFC debut against Johnson.

Advertisement

Eduardo Henrique gets UFC debut against Charles Johnson after Jose Ochoa injury Henrique (15-2) will return to action after nearly nine months away. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance flyweight champion last competed in September 2025, earning a decision over An Tuan Ho on Dana White’s Contender Series. However, the victory wasn’t enough for a UFC contract.

The fighter also appeared on Season 33 of “The Ultimate Fighter” last year. Now, Henrique has the chance to make his UFC debut as a late replacement in UFC 330.

Johnson (19-9)…

The Professional Fighters League has finalized the lineup for its Aug. 22 event in Tampa, Florida.

PFL Tampa takes place at Benchmark International Arena, with mixed martial arts legend Cris Cyborg defending the women's featherweight championship against fellow Brazilian Ketlen Vieira in what is expected to be her final fight.

Advertisement

Cris Cyborg vs. Ketlen Vieira tops finalized PFL Tampa lineup Apart from Cyborg’s featherweight title defense, the PFL Tampa lineup also features former PFL lightweight champion Gadzhi Rabadanov (27-5-1) facing promotion newcomer Tracy Reeder (12-5).

Also on the main card, Gustavo Oliveira (13-2) will take on 2025 PFL world tournament champion Marcirley Alves (15-5) at bantamweight, while England's Luke Trainer (10-1), who has a five-fight winning streak, will face undefeated PFL newcomer Roland Dunlap (7-0) at light heavyweight.

Cris Cyborg’s final MMA bout headlines PFL Tampa: Tune in on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 10 p.m. …

While Mackenzie Dern is a strong, independent woman, she prefers her man running the show.

Dern puts her Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title on the line against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Ahead of the event, Dern addressed headliner Ian Garry’s recent comments about women running the world.

Advertisement

Mackenzie Dern discusses traditional relationships before her UFC 330 title defense Garry recently drew a variety of reactions from fans and fellow fighters for saying that the world would be a better place if women ran everything. However, the UFC women’s strawweight champion disagrees with Garry. Dern says that while women in her family are strong, she comes from a traditional background. Dern likes being protected and cared for by her man, though she wouldn’t hesitate to go to war alongside him if needed.

“I come from a little bit more traditional upbringing,” Dern said at…