Martial Arts News

Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Lucie Pudilova has patiently toiled away for her opportunity at a world title. But despite the setbacks and injuries, she vows that her sacrifices will pay off gloriously Saturday night.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for the opportunity to have this fight,” Pudilova told Sherdog.com. “I’ve battled through my injuries so I could be ready as fast as possible and still I’ve been kept waiting. But now I’m here. Finally.”

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Former UFC veteran Lucie Pudilova says years of injuries and postponed fights have prepared her to challenge unbeaten Oktagon champion Lucia Szabova Pudilova aims to shock the world when she challenges unbeaten Lucia Szabova for the Oktagon bantamweight title at Oktagon 92 at Stvanice Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic. This fight is six years in the making as Pudilova (17-11) has had the Oktagon flyweight and bantamweight double champion in her sights since 2020. Twice they were scheduled to fight…

#UFCBelgrade, we have a main event! @urketaraketa makes weight at 171 lbs

[ LIVE SAT AUG 1 at 1pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/0JUtyN6dcd

— UFC (@ufc) July 31, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's first-ever event in Serbia is officially set following the official UFC Belgrade weigh-ins.

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The 14-fight card is headlined by a welterweight battle between Uros Medic and Daniel Rodriguez. Both men had no issue making weight for the five-round affair. All other 26 fighters, including former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, also hit their marks without any drama.

A fan-favorite due to his constant finishes, Medic (13-3) is looking to impress in his first UFC main event. "The Doctor" is on a three-fight win streak that has seen him knock out Geoff Neal, Muslim Salikhov and Gilbert Urbina. 7-3 inside the Octagon, Medic officially weighed 171 pounds on the dot.

The 39-year-old Rodriguez (20-5) is a…

Jake Paul believes Most Valuable Promotions has taken its biggest step yet toward reshaping the combat sports landscape.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer addressed the landmark merger between MVP and the Professional Fighters League in a press release announcing the deal. The union will operate under the MVP banner, with Paul and Nakisa Bidarian serving as co-founders and board members, while former PFL CEO John Martin will oversee day-to-day operations as chief executive officer.

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Jake Paul explains vision behind MVP-PFL merger For Paul, the merger is the culmination of a vision that began with creating more opportunities for fighters than the traditional promotional model has offered.

“We started MVP to disrupt a broken model,” Paul said. “We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized stage to become global superstars. Joining forces with PFL accelerates that vision by a decade. We now have a scaled platform to give today's fans what they…

The Professional Fighters League CEO believes its merger with Most Valuable Promotions represents more than a business deal.

PFL and MVP officially announced that they had joined forces under the MVP banner in one of the industry's most significant shakeups. It will be led by MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, while former PFL chief executive officer John Martin will serve as CEO and a member of the board. Bidarian will continue overseeing MVP's boxing operations and marquee live events.

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John Martin explains vision for PFL-MVP merger Martin believes the merger combines two organizations that have each carved out unique positions in combat sports and gives the new company the scale to compete on a much larger stage.

“Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world’s No. 2 global MMA company, assembling one of the sport’s most elite fighter rosters while creating a world-class global business with premier media distribution across 34 …

Professional Fighters League and Most Valuable Promotions have officially merged in a massive development in the world of combat sports.

The new company will operate under the MVP banner, led by Co-Founders and Board Members Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Meanwhile, former PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and Board Member of the new league. MVP’s boxing business and blockbuster live events will continue under Bidarian. Existing PFL shareholders 885 Capital and affiliated entities Knighthead Capital Management will be the founding investors of the new league, committing new capital.

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The new league vows to work under a “fighter-first” philosophy, seemingly challenging rival Ultimate Fighting Championship. While the UFC has been severely criticized over minimum profit share for athletes, the new combat sports league promises equitable compensation. The new league also plans to encourage athletes to build their brands inside and outside of competi…

Early betting odds are out for Magomed Ankalaev’s next fight, should the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion take on fellow former titleholder Jiri Prochazka or reigning 205-pound king Carlos Ulberg.

Ankalaev bounced back from his title loss with a one-sided victory at UFC Abu Dhabi, finishing Bogdan Guskov in the final round of their main event clash to return to championship contention. Oddsmakers have now dropped the opening betting lines for the Russian’s next potential bout.

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Magomed Ankalaev betting odds emerge for potential UFC fights with Carlos Ulberg and Jiri Prochazka Ankalaev is the betting favorite against both Ulberg and Prochazka. If he’s awarded an immediate title shot against Ulberg, Ankalaev opens as a -190 favorite, while the Kiwi champion is listed as a +165 underdog, according to BetOnline.

However, with Ulberg currently sidelined with an injury and expected to return to the Octagon only next year, a title eliminator…

Real American Freestyle is heading back overseas with another star-studded lineup.

RAF recently announced that former Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Khamzat Chimaev and Tyron Woodley will headline RAF Moscow as the promotion continues its international expansion with an event in the Russian capital.

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RAF unveils key matchups for Moscow card RAF has confirmed two featured bouts for RAF Moscow, which takes place on Sept. 5.

Chimaev vs. Woodley will take center stage at the event. Chimaev, who previously held UFC middleweight gold, will make his second appearance under the RAF banner after taking on Dillon Danis in his promotional debut. Woodley is also set for his sophomore RAF outing, though the former UFC welterweight champion will first square off against Joaquin Buckley at RAF 12 on Aug. 22.

The matchup continues RAF's strategy of featuring current and former MMA stars in high-profile wrestling contests. RAF also confirmed a featured…

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White's response to a question during the UFC Belgrade press conference sparked criticism from fans online.

The exchange quickly circulated online, drawing responses from fans, many of whom slammed White for his answer when asked which fight he’s most interested in on the card.

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Dana White faces fan backlash after UFC Belgrade media exchange When White was asked which fight on the upcoming Fight Night card he’s most looking forward to ahead of the promotion’s debut in Serbia, the UFC head honcho snapped at the reporter.

“That is a sh*tty question, my friend,” White replied. “I just want a few holy sh*t moments, so hopefully we get a few of those.”

Some fans interpreted White's response as further evidence that he’s no longer as engaged with MMA amidst his growing involvement in other ventures.

“I wish a reporter would flat out ask him why he doesn’t care about the UFC anymore,” one user wrote in respons…

Daniel Cormier isn't letting Jon Jones rewrite their rivalry.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer has dismissed Jones' recent claim that the two privately buried the hatchet while filming a reality series in Thailand, insisting no such conversation ever took place.

Daniel Cormier rejects Jon Jones' reconciliation story Jones recently told ALF Global that Cormier admitted their rivalry was too lucrative for them to then publicly become friends, even if there were no lingering issues between them behind the scenes. “D.C.” rejected Jones' version of events, insisting the conversation never happened.

“That didn’t happen,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “We did not have that conversation... No. He’s just my enemy all the time. It just is what it is. It's OK. As I have told you before, you can go to bed at night with an enemy. You don’t need the happy fairy tale ending.”

While Cormier acknowledged that their rivalry generated significant paydays for …

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez knows his legendary career is slowly approaching its inevitable conclusion.

The former champion recently opened up about his retirement plans during an appearance on CBS Mornings, saying he will let his fitness determine how long to continue, not his age.

Canelo Alvarez opens up on boxing future and life beyond the sportAlvarez has already established himself as one of the sport’s most prominent figures with world titles in four weight classes. At 36, the Mexican icon believes he still has plenty left physically, but insists he won't ignore the signs when his body begins to slow down.

“When I'm there in the gym and I take a lot of punches and then my body doesn't respond in the same way, then I know,” Alvarez said. “I'm not going to go and fight with that kind of training. Because in the training, you can see everything in the training camp.”

Alvarez, who has more than 60 wins in his decorated career, also claimed that he has very little lef…

Diego Lima believes Ian Garry will shock the MMA world by knocking out Islam Makhachev in their upcoming title fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

While Makhachev is the clear betting favorite heading into UFC 330, the Chute Boxe coach believes the betting line fails to reflect just how dangerous Garry will be when the two collide on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

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Why Diego Lima believes Ian Garry's size, full training camp and all-around game could lead to a knockout of Islam Makhachev Speaking to Sherdog, Lima weighed in on the upcoming fight between Makhachev and Garry. He acknowledged that Makhachev has looked like a different fighter since moving to 170 pounds, particularly in his dominant title-winning performance against Jack Della Maddalena last year.

“Makhachev is definitely a special fighter. I was really impressed by what he did against Maddalena because he completely changed his fighting style after moving up…

The Most Valuable Promotions and Professional Fighters League merger already has top fighters rallying for a spot on their roster, including a former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight.

MVP and PFL recently announced a historic merger that has made waves in the world of combat sports. The new league will operate under the MVP banner, led by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Meanwhile, former PFL CEO John Martin will serve as CEO and Board Member of the new company.

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The new league vows to follow a fighter-first approach with equitable compensation for athletes, along with the opportunity to build their brands inside and outside of the cage.Muhammad Mokaev eyes new home after PFL-MVP mergerFormer UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev (17-0) is already rallying for a spot on the new league’s roster if they have a flyweight division. “If MVP & PFL Make 125 division I’m ready for long term deal,” Mokaev wrote on X.

Since MVP doesn’t have a full-fledge…