Martial Arts News

Ilia Topuria is confident that he will finish Justin Gaethje in the very first round. 

Topuria looks to defend his lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event at UFC White House on June 14. While the fight is scheduled for five rounds, Topuria doesn’t see it going past the first round. “El Matador” clarifies that he has the gas tank to go for way more than the 25 scheduled minutes if required. Topuria claims he knows how it feels to push past his breaking point. However, the undefeated Georgian-Spaniard is confident that he won’t need more than five minutes to finish Gaethje. Topuria just wants to make it a highlight-reel finish. 

Faith in His Skills “I have the stamina to go not for five rounds, but for five days,” Topuria told UFC on Paramount+. “I know how it feels when you’re tired, when you can’t do more, and you never give up. So I’m ready. But I have the complete faith that I am going to finish him in the first round. I ju…

Daniel Rodriguez has a story to pass down through generations. 

Rodriguez (20-5) is scheduled to headline UFC Belgrade against Uros Medic (13-3) on Aug. 1. The booking comes just months after Rodriguez was released from a Mexican prison. 

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Rodriguez was arrested for crossing the Mexican border with marijuana and ended up spending eight months in a prison in Tijuana. Rodriguez recently revealed how he ended up sharing a cell in jail with a cartel leader. Rodriguez was getting bitten by bedbugs while initially sharing a room with 20 guys. By then, the word had gotten around that “D-Rod” was a UFC fighter. A guard offered to shift Rodriguez to better accommodations in the jail for $7,000. Rodriguez then met with the guy who was the leader of a gang and had special arrangements in the jail. In addition to all the basic amenities, the leader’s cell also had a TV with a PlayStation. The gang leader offered Rodriguez to move into his cell for $3,000…

The record holder for the most heel hook submissions returns at UFC Abu Dhabi. 

Valter Walker is scheduled to meet Thomas Petersen in a heavyweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 282 on July 25 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. 

Collision CourseWalker (15-1) suffered his lone professional loss in his UFC debut in 2024. Aptly nicknamed “The Foot Hunter,” Walker has since scored five straight submission wins via heel hooks. The Brazilian has now tied the notorious Rousimar Palhares for the most heel hook submissions in UFC history. 

Meanwhile, Petersen (11-4) had only lost to Waldo Cortes-Acosta before making his UFC debut in 2024. However, “The Train” has since alternated between wins and losses, going 3-3 in the promotion. Petersen is coming off a majority decision win over the previously undefeated Guilherme Pat from this past April. 

Justin Gaethje is willing to risk taking damage to execute his game plan against Ilia Topuria. 

Interim champion Gaethje (27-5) challenges Topuria (17-0) for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC White House on June 14. Gaethje believes the most important thing he needs to avoid against Topuria is compromising his position. 

Topuria is coming off consecutive knockouts over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. Gaethje believes all three fellow legends made the mistake of going on their back foot against Topuria. With Topuria being known for his long combinations, Gaethje saw his opponents retreating after the first couple of punches. However, Gaethje is absolutely adamant about going forward against Topuria. “The Highlight” says he is even willing to risk taking some damage to avoid going backwards.

Forward at All Costs “It’s position,” Gaethje told UFC on Paramount+. “They got compromised. They got put on their back foot. The…

U.S. President Donald Trump believes the the UFC White House setup is impressive enough that it may become a permanent fixture.

Construction is currently underway to accommodate the historic UFC event set for June 14 on the South Lawn. Also known as Freedom 250, the card is being held on Trump’s 80th birthday and is part of a celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday. It’s currently unclear exactly how long the structure is supposed to remain on the White House lawn after the UFC leaves town.

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“Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889, it was built,” Trump said on TikTok. “It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair. They said, ‘You know, we sort of like it. Let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ And then they said let’s leave it up longer and longer and longer. Well, they never took it down.

“You know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of peop…

U.S. President Donald Trump believes the the UFC White House setup is impressive enough that it may become a permanent fixture.

Construction is currently underway to accommodate the historic UFC event set for June 14 on the South Lawn. Also known as Freedom 250, the card is being held on Trump’s 80th birthday and is part of a celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday. It’s currently unclear exactly how long the structure is supposed to remain on the White House lawn after the UFC leaves town.

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“Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower, 1889, it was built,” Trump said on TikTok. “It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair. They said, ‘You know, we sort of like it. Let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ And then they said let’s leave it up longer and longer and longer. Well, they never took it down.

“You know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of peop…

Ilia Topuria would welcome an opportunity to move up to welterweight after his next title defense. 

Topuria will put his lightweight title on the line for the first time against interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event at UFC White House on June 14. The undefeated Georgian-Spaniard has always teased a move up to welterweight to fight the champion, Islam Makhachev. Topuria recently doubled down on his aspirations of becoming a three-division UFC champion. Topuria would love the opportunity to move up for a title shot after his upcoming title defense against Gaethje. While some believe Topuria will have a size disadvantage at welterweight, “El Matador” believes there are no rewards without risks.

No Risk, No Champagne “Always, always. I want to collect a third belt, everyone knows that,” Topuria told UFC on Paramount+ . “And after this fight, if the UFC wants to give me the opportunity to move up to the welterweight division and fight against the curren…

The UFC Abu Dhabi card keeps getting more stacked. 

Former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg will take on Ramazonbek Temirov at UFC Fight Night 282 on July 25 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The promotion recently announced the pairing.

Erceg (14-4) started his UFC journey with three consecutive wins to earn a wild card title shot against Alexandre Pantoja in 2024. However, Erceg came up short against Pantoja, which also marked the beginning of a three-fight slump for the Australian. “Astro Boy” has since rebounded with victories over Ode Osbourne and Tim Elliott. 

Back from SuspensionMeanwhile, Temirov (19-3) is unbeaten in 11 straight outings since 2021. Temirov scored a first-round knockout win over C.J. Vergara in his UFC debut in 2024 and followed it up with a decision win over flyweight veteran Charles Johnson. “Temurlan” was suspended last year after testing positive for the banned substance Trimetazidine (TMZ). However, Temirov pres…

Usman Nurmagomedov doubts Conor McGregor will turn up at UFC 329. 

McGregor is scheduled to return to action after five years in a welterweight matchup against Max Holloway (27-9) at UFC 329 on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, Nurmagomedov doesn’t think McGregor will show up on fight night. In case McGregor does show up, Nurmagomedov believes he will lose to Holloway. The PFL lightweight champion believes five years is too long of a layoff for McGregor. However, Nurmagomedov believes MMA will benefit if McGregor manages to win. According to Nurmagomedov, McGregor will bring more fans to the sport with his exceptional mic skills.

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Good for the Sport “First of all, I don’t believe he is gonna come,” Nurmagomedov told Home of Fight “If he will, I don’t believe he’s gonna beat [Holloway]. Because five years he stayed away from the sport, this is too much, very long. If [Conor] beats [Holloway], it will be good for MMA. He will begi…

Justin Gaethje is going to have his whole family attending his fight at the White House. 

Gaethje (27-5) challenges Ilia Topuria (17-0) for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC White House on June 14. With seating arrangements being sparse for the special card, fans are wondering if the fighters’ family and friends will be allowed inside the White House. 

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Gaethje recently revealed that he has eight tickets for his parents and his three siblings, along with their partners, to attend the event. However, Gaethje is not sure if his family will be able to attend the entire event or whether they will only be allowed to attend his fight. Gaethje will also have his personal assistant, barber, strength and conditioning coaches, camera person, and some training partners watching the event on giant screens at the nearby Ellipse.A Family Affair “I’m going to have my parents there. I’m going to have my three siblings there, along with their hu…

Justin Gaethje isn't a fan of personalities like Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria. | Getty/UFC

Justin Gaethje is getting personal as his fight with Ilia Topuria draws near.

In a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia, the interim lightweight champion expressed his distaste for Topuria’s personality while also taking a thinly veiled shot at Topuria’s divorce from Giorgina Uzcategui.

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"All that guy is, is a gimmick," Gaethje said when asked about a Topuria video where the Georgian-Spaniard places a rose next to a mural of Gaethje. "He calls himself the king. He thinks he's a God. What an annoying little bastard. I couldn't imagine being in a room with him for 30 minutes listening to him talk about himself.

"And I can say this: I would leave him. That's all I'm saying. I would leave him. No way I would put up with his s—t.”

Topuria’s split from his ex-wife led to the undisputed 155-pound champion taking a hiatus until he was able t…

Daniel Marcos ended his UFC tenure on a high note. | Getty/UFC

Daniel Marcos didn’t take long to land on his feet.

The 33-year-old Peruvian bantamweight has signed with Professional Fighters League following his surprising release from the UFC. While the promotion has not announced the roster addition, Marcos did confirm the news on social media.

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Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

“Grateful to God for this new phase. Thanks to [PFL] for the trust and [Jason House] for the work that makes these moments possible,” Marcos wrote on Instagram (via Translate) “The signing is just the beginning. My language has always been the same: discipline, pressure and violence. The rest is just words. See you all soon.”

A Successful UFC Run After appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2022, Marcos went 5-1 with one no contest in UFC competition. He last appeared at UFC …