Martial Arts News

A grand don't come for free.

Perennial Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Volkan Oezdemir made a statement on Instagram Friday revealing the news of his failed drug test. He does so prior to any statements from the organization or its anti-drug testing wing of Combat Sports Anti-Doping. In February, he failed an out-of-competition test for EPO. The Swiss athlete assumed full responsibility for his actions and explained in detail what took place in this unusual situation. The UFC and CSAD have yet to provide a public statement on the matter, but indicated to MMA Junkie that they worked alongside the World Anti-Doping Agency to review this matter.

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The former light heavyweight title challenger will be out of action for 16 months effective his failed testing date, with CSAD reducing his suspension from 18 months, two years or greater due to his alleged complete cooperation in handling the case. In his statements, Oezdemir indicated that he was app…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship had to dig deep to find someone to face Jan Blachowicz.

On Tuesday, the promotion indicated that the UFC Belgrade co-headliner of Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov would no longer be happening. Due to an injury to Khalil Rountree prior to his main attraction matchup against Magomed Ankalaev the week before, Guskov was pulled from that pairing and slotted against Ankalaev.

With Blachowicz needing a new dance partner, the organization announced on Friday that stepping up on a late notice will be Navajo Stirling (10-0). The two light heavyweights will tangle in the second-to-last match at UFC Fight Night 283, which will go down on Aug. 1 at the Belgrade Arena in the Serbian capital city.

From Guskov to Stirling: A Serbian filmThe former champ from Poland was expecting to rematch Guskov following a surprising majority draw in December. On the UFC 323 main card opener, Guskov dropped his foe in the second stanza and picked up a 10-8 score…

The Nigerian Nightmare at middleweight 🇳🇬@Usman84kg weighs in at 186lbs!

[ #UFCOKC | LIVE JULY 18 at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/HEThuZ1dMw

— UFC (@ufc) July 17, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship will look to put on a more satisfying main event than last week, as the UFC Oklahoma City card is now official following the official weigh-ins.

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The UFC OKC main event will see two former champions clash, as former welterweight king Kamaru Usman takes on ex-middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Both men successfully made weight for the five-round middleweight main attraction. As for the rest of the card, lightweight Chase Hooper and featherweight Ezra Elliott missed weight by 1.5 pounds for their respective fights. As a result, they'll each be fined 20% of their purses.

"The Nigerian Nightmare" enters his latest headlining bout after outwrestling Joaquin Buckley last year. That unanimous decision victor…

Jared Cannonier isn't bothered by the impression that he's become a gatekeeper in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's middleweight division.

A former title challenger and longtime contender at 185 pounds, Cannonier will look to defend his place in the rankings when he meets rising prospect Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18. Rather than viewing the matchup as a springboard for Duncan, "The Killa Gorilla" sees it as another opportunity to prove he still belongs among the division's elite.

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Jared Cannonier says facing Christian Leroy Duncan is another chance to protect his UFC middleweight ranking and restart his title pursuit While many veteran fighters see being a divisional gatekeeper as a negative, Cannonier is taking it in his stride. The 42-year-old acknowledges that he’s struggled with consistency in his last few bouts, which set up the clash against the 30-year-old Brit riding a four-fight win streak.

“So here I am, the g…

The Professional Fighters League has finalized the lineup for its upcoming event in Austin, Texas, with one late change to the main card.

The promotion recently announced that Levy Saul Marroquin has been removed from the PFL Austin card on July 18 at Moody Center. As a result, Joey Ruquet will now face former PFL featherweight champion Jesus Pinedo in a 145-pound bout.

Sergio Pettis withdrawal and Levy Saul Marroquin removal alter the PFL Austin lineupThe main event features former Bellator MMA middleweight king Johnny Eblen running it back with 2023 PFL light heavyweight tournament winner Impa Kasanganay for the interim PFL middleweight championship. The bout was booked after undisputed champion Costello van Steenis was forced to the sidelines with an injury.

The co-headliner has undergone a change, with Rafael do Nascimento stepping in to face 2024 PFL Europe bantamweight champion Lewis McGrillene-Evans following Sergio Pettis' withdrawal due to injury.

Else…

Khamzat Chimaev is eager to settle unfinished business with Sean Strickland.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion suggested on Instagram that Strickland is avoiding a rematch following their clash at UFC 328 earlier this year.

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Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev rematch talk heats up after UFC 328 Chimaev had previously claimed the 185-pound belt with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Dricus Du Plessis, using his renowned ground game to dethrone the South African. However, "Borz" then dropped the championship to Strickland in a lackluster performance that he seemingly gassed out in, picking up the lone blemish on his pro record.

In pursuit of a rematch, Chimaev has now shared four photos from his five-round battle with Strickland along with a brief caption.

“Someone is running, I'm ready, just tell me where and when I'll be there,” he captioned his post.

Strickland previously revealed that he is reco…

Kamaru Usman isn't limiting himself to a single division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The former UFC welterweight champion returns to middleweight against former champion Dricus Du Plessis in the UFC Oklahoma City main event on July 18. Rather than committing to one division, Usman says he’s interested in certain matchups across the 170 and 185-pound brackets.

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Kamaru Usman explains plans for welterweight and middleweight fights ahead of UFC Oklahoma City "The Nigerian Nightmare" snapped a three-fight skid with a unanimous decision over170-pound contender Joaquin Buckley in his most recent outing. Instead of staying at welterweight, he opted for a high-stakes matchup against du Plessis next. Usman wants to keep his options open, rather than restricting himself to just one division.

"For me, I've always said this. I'm a moneyweight fighter," Usman said in a recent interview. "So, it's not about '85 or '70. I can hit both. I'm not the bigge…

Dricus Du Plessis claims he forgot what losing felt like before his first defeat in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The former middleweight champion returns to action against ex-welterweight king Kamaru Usman in the UFC Oklahoma City main event on July 18, his first appearance since dropping the 185-pound championship to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last year. The defeat snapped an eight-year unbeaten streak dating back to a knockout loss during his time on KSW.

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Dricus Du Plessis reflects on losing the UFC middleweight title and his return against Kamaru Usman Ahead of his return to the Octagon nearly a year after his loss to Chimaev, du Plessis has opened up about losing his middleweight crown, revealing initial disappointment followed by a surge of motivation to regain the title.

“Yeah, so I haven't lost in quite some time -- eight years -- and I kind of forgot how it felt," du Plessis said in a recent interview. “Now, I know exactly why. I …

Demetrious Johnson has no regrets about walking away from mixed martial arts.

Unlike many fighters who continue competing well past their prime, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship and One Championship titleholder retired on his own terms after defending his One title in 2023. "Mighty Mouse" recently claimed that the transition has been easier because he never allowed fame to define him.

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Demetrious Johnson discusses UFC Hall of Fame induction and MMA retirement Johnson (25-4-1) is content with his career and retirement. Speaking on the UFC Hall of Fame red carpet, the new inductee revealed that having humility and staying humble served him well in the long run.

“I think for me, probably because my whole career, I've stayed humble and had humility. You know, I never let the lights get to me.”

Johnson then recalled winning the UFC flyweight title at UFC 152 before quickly returning to everyday life.

“After I'll have a big amazing fi…

Dricus Du Plessis believes that the winner of his upcoming bout deserves to fight Sean Strickland next for the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title.

The South African is set to face fellow former champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City on July 18. With both fighters gunning for another outing against current champ Strickland, du Plessis has laid out his case for a title shot.

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Dricus Du Plessis explains his path back to Sean Strickland Ahead of his fight with Usman, du Plessis discussed the title picture at middleweight. When asked whether the winner of his next bout should fight for the belt next, "Stillknocks" replied in the affirmative, citing how he already has two wins over Strickland.

“Absolutely, because I have defended my belt against two of the best fighters in the world, the current champion being one of them,” du Plessis said in a recent interview.

However, a win might not be enough, as du Plessis …

Jared Cannonier claims he has earned the right to get paid much more than the Ultimate Fighting Championship is currently paying him.

Cannonier is scheduled to fight at UFC Oklahoma City against Christian Leroy Duncan (14-2) in the co-main event. It will mark his 21st Octagon outing, having competed in the UFC since 2015, across three different divisions. Considering how many fights he has in the premier MMA promotion, he believes his compensation is below par.

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Jared Cannonier discusses UFC fighter pay, sponsorship changes and his middleweight career Cannonier would love all MMA fighters to earn more in general. However, "The Killa Gorilla" believes there are varying levels of skill sets even in the UFC. Considering his own pedigree, Cannonier believes he deserves a much better contract with the UFC.

“I would love to get paid more,” Cannonier told Full Send MMA. “I would love all of us MMA fighters to get paid more. But there is big differentiatio…

Ultimate Fighting Championship star Jon Jones is willing to “let bygones be bygones” to do business with Dana White.

They recently had a falling out. White was strongly backing Jones when the former two-division champion was being accused of trying to avoid interim champion Tom Aspinall. White kept assuring fans that Jones would eventually fight Aspinall. However, Jones ultimately vacated the belt, creating tension between himself and the UFC CEO.

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Jones (28-1) returned to the drug testing pool just weeks later, when plans for the UFC Freedom 250 were first mentioned. "Bones" repeatedly campaigned for a spot on the card, but failed to do so as White made it clear that Jones was never even in consideration to fight at the White House. This drew the ire of Jones, who claimed he was indeed in negotiations for the historic event and started publicly asking for his UFC release.Jon Jones addresses Dana White fallout after UFC Freedom 250 controversy The te…