Martial Arts News

Bogdan Guskov considers Magomed Ankalaev the best light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Guskov (18-3) is scheduled to fight Ankalaev (20-2) in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. Guskov stepped up to accept the fight on 14 days’ notice after Ankalaev’s original opponent, Khalil Rountree, pulled out due to an injury.

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If he comes out on top, Guskov is eyeing championship gold.Guskov breaks down Ankalaev’s standing after Alex Pereira rematch loss Despite Ankalaev not being the current champion, Guskov still considers the Russian the best 205-pounder. The surging Uzbek contender believes Ankalaev just had a “bad night at the office” in his rematch against Alex Pereira, in which he lost the title. As such, a win over the former champion warrants a title shot, according to the 33-year-old. “For me, Magomed is the strongest guy in our division,” Guskov told MMA Junkie. “Second fight with Pereira is j…

Jay Alderete doesn’t regret his celebration following his win over former Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete Cameron Smotherman.

Alderete took on Smotherman in a bantamweight matchup at Fury FC 121 in Houston. Alderete dropped Smotherman with a head kick before putting him to sleep with a brabo choke in the second round. He followed up with a crotch grab celebration and chirped away at his counterpart, who had to be held back by security.

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The undefeated Fury FC prospect says Smotherman's corner provoked his post-fight taunt Alderete recently revealed the details of their verbal exchange after the fight. Smotherman had claimed to have never heard of Alderete before their bout. The latter made sure to remind the former UFC fighter that he would never forget the name.

“He said he doesn’t know nothing about me,” Alderete told MMA Fighting. “He doesn’t understand the hype… I ran up, and I told him, ‘I told you you were going to remember the name to…

Magomed Ankalaev ignored his team's calls for him to pull out of the Alex Pereira rematch.

Ankalaev won the Ultimate Fighting Championship 205-pound title against Pereira in their first matchup at UFC 313 in March 2025 in dominant fashion. The Russian then put his title on the line against Pereira in their immediate rematch at UFC 320 in October. "Poatan" knocked out Ankalaev in just 80 seconds to reclaim his strap.

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The Russian has now divulged the obstacles he overcame ahead of the rematch.Magomed Ankalaev says health issues led his team to urge him to withdraw from UFC 320 against Alex Pereira Ankalaev’s team and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, claimed that he was not fully fit going into the rematch against Pereira. Abdelaziz said that Ankalaev had decided to go ahead with the fight despite being advised otherwise by his team. Ankalaev recently admitted that he was dealing with health issues going into UFC 320. The former light heavyweight champion …

Dana White told the story behind UFC’s failed negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko. | 📷: Bellator MMA

Dana White doesn’t regret Fedor Emelianenko's failed move to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Emelianenko is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time who never fought in the UFC. White recently revealed that he wanted to make a fight between the Russian and Brock Lesnar. However, they failed to sign Emelianenko despite offering him a lot of money.

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Dana White discusses the failed UFC negotiations with heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko White claims that the offer was so massive that he and Lorenzo Fertitta were relieved that Emelianenko turned them down. The UFC head honcho doesn’t regret the failed negotiations.

“We never got a deal done with Fedor,” White said on "The Pivot" podcast.

“When me and Lorenzo got on the plane and left wherever we were, we looked at each other and said, ‘Thank God they said no,’ becau…

Demian Maia detailed Ian Garry’s adaptability before UFC 330. | 📷: Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog

Demian Maia believes Ian Garry is equipped to upset Islam Makhachev.

Garry (17-1) is scheduled to challenge Makhachev (28-1) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Maia recently discussed Garry’s preparation and dissected the matchup.

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Ian Garry prepares for Islam Makhachev with help from Demian Maia ahead of UFC 330 Maia has been a crucial part of Garry’s fight camps since they first met at a seminar in Barcelona in 2023 and the jiu-jitsu legend recently revealed that he helped Garry in Spain before the Irishman went back to England to finish the final phase of his camp for UFC 330.

“Our partnership started in 2023,” Maia told Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso. “I went to teach a seminar at a friend's academy in Barcelona, and Ian and his wife reached out…

Paddy Pimblett has never missed weight for a UFC bout. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Paddy Pimblett declared himself the “GOAT of weight cutting” in a recently released behind-the-scenes video.

Despite routinely drawing attention for the amount of weight he gains between bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, "The Baddy" has never failed to make the lightweight limit. As seen in his latest YouTube video documenting the days leading up to UFC 329, the Brit had a relatively comfortable weight cut and remained in high spirits throughout.

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Paddy Pimblett explains the discipline and mindset behind his UFC lightweight weight cuts Pimblett and his team gave detailed insight into his weight-cutting process in the former interim title challenger’s recent YouTube video. He emphasized that the key to always making weight is sticking to the necessary diet and training program throughout fight camp.

“I am the GOAT of weight cutting,” Pimblett said in the…

Jon Jones believes his legendary career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship could have been even greater if he had better control over his alcohol use.

The former two-division champion reflected on his career during a recent interview, admitting that his partying lifestyle during his prime contributed to many of the setbacks he experienced outside of the Octagon.

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Jon Jones reflects on UFC career setbacks and how alcohol affected his MMA legacy Jones, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, recently reflected on his antics outside the Octagon, which he believes caused several major career setbacks.

“I became a little bit of a party boy when I was young,” Jones said in an interview with Ring Magazine when asked what he would change about his career. “And sometimes I ask myself, ‘Jon, how much farther would you have been if you would have never started with the alcohol?’”

Jones won titles at both light heavyweig…

Joe Lauzon's long-awaited return to competition now has an opponent.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight announced on Instagram that he will face Braeden Kuykendall in a welterweight bout at BKFC 92, which takes place Aug. 29 at Fenway Park in Boston. This marks Lauzon's bare-knuckle debut as well as his first combat sports appearance in nearly six years.

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Joe Lauzon returns to combat sports against Braeden Kuykendall at BKFC 92 Lauzon took to Instagram to announce his upcoming fight at BKFC 92 slated for Fenway Park.

“Absolutely pumped to announce that I’ll be fighting for BKFC at Fenway Park on Aug. 29,” the Massachusetts native wrote on Instagram. “Fenway is one of the most iconic venues in the world, and getting to fight there in Boston is something I’m really excited about. This is going to be a crazy night, and I’d love to see a ton of familiar faces there.”

He returns against Kuykendall, who is yet to bag a victory und…

RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein remains confident that a matchup between Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad will come to fruition.

Covington and Muhammad are booked to meet in the co-main event of RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland after both earned victories at RAF 11. However, Covington later revealed that he would no longer entertain the matchup after an aggressive exchange at the post-event press conference.

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Real American Freestyle keeps Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad alive after controversy Following the announcement of Covington vs. Muhammad for the next RAF event, the pair collided at the post-event press conference. A war of words quickly escalated before Muhammad threw a kick towards Covington. Security had to intervene to stop the incident from turning into an all-out brawl.

“I thought there was going to be severe trash talk between the two of them,” Bronstein told MMA Fighting. “They don’t like each other. But I didn’t think there was going…

Dana White believes the Ultimate Fighting Championship emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic stronger because the promotion refused to stop evolving.

The UFC CEO reflected on the organization's response when the sporting world came to a standstill in the spring of 2020. While many organizations were forced to suspend operations, White said the UFC's priority was finding a way to continue staging events despite widespread shutdowns and travel restrictions.

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The UFC CEO recalls creating Fight Island after pandemic shutdowns threatened events During his recent appearance on "The Pivot" podcast, White said that the promotion had three priorities as they entered the pandemic. They wanted to keep every employee on payroll, fulfill their contractual obligations to fighters and continue delivering events for their broadcast partner, ESPN.

“I talked to the governor and told him I could put on fights,” White recalled, reflecting on the obstacles they faced. “I j…

Dustin Poirier is no longer associated with Bud Light following his arrest for public drunkenness.

After starring in commercials and publicly representing the company, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship interim lightweight titleholder revealed that Bud Light cut ties with him after his arrest at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Poirier believes it was for the better and that he didn’t need the “poison” in his life, having committed to sobriety long-term.

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The former UFC interim lightweight champion details the financial fallout from his arrest and commitment to quitting alcohol Poirier recently opened up about Bud Light, the alcoholic beverage company he previously represented as a brand ambassador, cutting ties with him following his arrest. The American got into an altercation with a police officer, who he threatened to fight and hurled a racial slur at, and was subsequently released on bail.

“They terminated my contract im…

Valter Walker isn't buying the hype surrounding fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweights Josh Hokit and Gable Steveson.

The Brazilian contender, who is set to collide with Thomas Petersen at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, dismissed both rising heavyweights in a recent interview, asserting that neither fighter has done enough in their careers to convince him that they are serious threats.

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Valter Walker says Josh Hokit fight could headline a UFC card Walker, who has won four of his past five fights, told MMA Fighting he would gladly take on either Hokit or Steveson next after his upcoming fight.

“I don’t think he’s a tough fight for me,” Walker said when asked about Hokit. “Honestly, I don’t think he’s the fighter people are making him out to be. Come on, he’s small. I’m not intimidated by that guy at all. Gable Steveson, Josh Hokit. People say, ‘He’s a monster, an Olympic wrestling champion.’ Man, I watched Gable’s debut, and I wasn’t that imp…