Martial Arts News

👀🤼Chase Hooper doubts Shavkat Rakhmonov’s grappling skills:

“We just never seen him fighting grappler… He’s undefeated for sure, but let’s see him against good wrestler… before giving him shot for the belt.”

Advertisement

🎥 @Home_of_Fight ▫️ pic.twitter.com/TyAG1frW6t — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 11, 2024

Chase Hooper thinks Shavkat Rakhmonov has yet to show he is ready for an Ultimate Fighting Championship title shot.

Rakhmonov (19-0) was originally offered a welterweight title shot against Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 earlier this month before “Remember the Name” pulled out due to a bone infection. Muhammad was replaced by Ian Garry in a potential title eliminator against the fellow undefeated contender.

While Rakhmonov was a massive -290 favourite going into the fight, +215 underdog Garry gave him a run for his money. Although “Nomad” roped in a unanimous decision, he struggled to take Garry down throughou…

Global Fight League regular season begins in April.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/Dz28thyBvG

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) December 11, 2024

If it all comes to fruition, the Global Fight League could be an interesting new addition to the mixed martial arts landscape.

Advertisement

On Wednesday, promotion founder Darren Owen announced plans to launch a team-based MMA league with a season format beginning in April 2025. According to a release, the league will feature six teams in “major global markets.” There will be a draft on Jan. 24 to select the fighters to represent each team. The launch of the league was initially announced on the Ariel Helwani Show.

"Our new league is a logical evolution for MMA," Owen said in a release. "Our mission is to embrace fighters as true equitable partners from inception and, together, create a format that can be understood by any sports fan. I've had hundreds of conversations with MMA legends and ri…

Jack Shore is calling it a career before he turns 30.

Advertisement

The nine-time UFC competitor and former Cage Warriors champion announced his retirement via social media on Wednesday.

“As what may come as a surprise to a few I’ve decided to hang up the gloves on my professional fighting career,” Shore wrote on Instagram. “After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about what’s next it’s clear to me that my time with professional fighting is done. Although I had the chance to re-sign with UFC, I’ve decided my time’s done. I want to thank the UFC for letting me live out my childhood dream of fighting for the worlds biggest organization and against some of the best in the world, I’ve enjoyed every minute!

“From what started as a kid with a dream, led me to amateur titles, world titles and living out my dream of fighting in the UFC. I can truly say for every single fight I gave the training and the fights my all, never said no, never ask…

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙍𝙄𝙇𝙊𝙂𝙔 𝙂𝙊𝙀𝙎 𝘿𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙄𝙉 𝘿𝙐𝘽𝘼𝙄! 🇷🇺🇺🇸 @VadimNemkov runs it back with Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, @CoreyA_MMA at the Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday January 25!

Who gets their hand raised in this high stakes heavyweight co-main event? 🤔

Advertisement

BE THERE!… pic.twitter.com/JKepSPI1J5 — Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) December 11, 2024

Corey Anderson and Vadim Nemkov will square off for a third time early next year at Champions Series Dubai.

Anderson is a replacement for Ante Delija, who withdrew from the event. Champions Series Dubai takes place on Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes. Champion Series Dubai is the PFL’s rebranding of Bellator MMA, which it acquired at the end of 2023.

Anderson and Nemkov initially fought in the Bellator grand prix final in April 2022. Anderson appeared to be on hi…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Gregory Rodrigues will square off against Jared Cannonier in the UFC Fight Night 251 main event on Feb. 15.

MMA Mania was first to report the middleweight booking. UFC Fight Night 251 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and also includes a featherweight tilt pitting Edson Barboza against Steve Garcia. Read more

Former UFC star Nate Diaz is facing a misdemeanor battery charge for an alleged incident that occurred at a Las Vegas nightclub this past August.

Advertisement

According to a report from TMZ Sports, Diaz was involved in an alleged altercation on Aug. 24 while waiting to get into the Omnia nightclub at Caesars Palace. Diaz and his friends were reportedly holding up the line when a security guard approached the group. According to court documents, Diaz shoved the security guard and the man pushed back before the fighter hit him in the face with “an open right hand.”

A video of the alleged incident surfaced on social media earlier this year. In that footage, Diaz can be seen shoving a man in the face during the scuffle before the two are separated. The UFC veteran had left the scene by the time police arrived, per court documents. A misdemeanor battery charge was filed against Diaz in October. He could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.<…

Renato "Money Moicano" Carneiro is aiming high if he wins his next fight.

Advertisement

Moicano will take on Beneil Dariush at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Dariush is coming off consecutive stoppage losses against Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. While Carneiro doesn’t expect Dariush to be on his prime, the Brazilian will prepare for the best version of his opponent. Moicano plans on putting on a dominant display against the Assyrian-American at UFC 311.

“Even if I think he is not on his prime, I will train and prepare myself to the best version of Dariush,” Carneiro told Ariel Helwani. “Because I know he lost couple in a row and now it’s time to go for him. If he loses that one, he is going to be in a bad situation. I have something to say, ‘You will be in a bad situation because I’m not losing. I cannot afford to lose.’ Jan. 18 I’m going over there and finish, dominate and beat Beneil Dariush.”

Read more

[embedded content]

Arman Tsarukyan is excited to have his idol Khabib Nurmagomedov in the opposite corner at UFC 311.

Advertisement

Tsarukyan challenges Nurmagomedov’s teammate, Islam Makhachev, for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. “Ahalkalkets” previously suffered a hard-fought unanimous decision loss against Makhachev in his UFC debut back in 2019.

While Nurmagomedov was in attendance for the fight, he wasn’t cornering Makhachev back then. However, the lightweight GOAT contender will be in Makhachev’s corner for his upcoming defense against Tsarukyan at UFC 311. “The Eagle” will also be cornering his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov, who challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event of the night.

Tsarukyan was recently asked to choose between Nurmagomedov and Makhachev with both being at their peak. Having grown up being inspired by Nurmagomedov, Tsarukyan p…

Colby Covington says he’s going to “break” and “drown” Joaquin Buckley 😳

“He’s never been in a 5 round fight with an elite fighter like me… Saturday night I’m gonna drown this guy.”

Advertisement

🎥 @ufc #UFC #MMA #UFCTampapic.twitter.com/AEus9Gs3Zf — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 11, 2024

Colby Covington plans to take the soul out of Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa.

Covington and Buckley will headline UFC on ESPN 63 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Saturday. While Buckley is on an impressive winning streak, Covington believes “New Mansa” hasn’t fought anyone of his caliber in a five-round affair. “Chaos” claims to be in his prime, unlike the opponents Buckley has faced in the recent past.

Covington plans on taking Buckley into deep waters and drowning him on Saturday night.

“The fight just looks like me just completely breaking him,” Covington said in an interview with the UFC. “Taking him down, tak…

Ilia Topuria has attracted a lot of eyeballs at lightweight after announcing his plans to move up.

Advertisement

Topuria won the featherweight title with a vicious knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 this past February. The Spaniard then defended his throne by knocking out Max Holloway for the first time in his career at UFC 308 in October. While Diego Lopes was expecting the next title shot against Topuria, “El Matador” recently announced that we might have seen the last of him 145 pounds. The 27-year-old featherweight king, who is also the youngest champion in the promotion, plans to move up to lightweight and retire by 30. With lightweight champ Islam Makhachev already booked to defend his throne against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, Topuria is plotting a matchup against former champ Charles Oliveira in April or May.

Topuria’s lightweight plans have garnered a lot of attention from elite lightweight contenders. Perennially ranked Dust…

Your first bouts for #UFCLondon are signed!

🇵🇱 Jan Blachowicz vs Carlos Ulberg 🇳🇿🇵🇱 Marcin Tybura vs Mick Parkin 🇬🇧

Advertisement

🎟️ Get early access to tickets: https://t.co/slZM2gosSA pic.twitter.com/aYyqHyYs2e — UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) December 10, 2024

Former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will return to action against the streaking Carlos Ulberg at UFC London on March 22.

Additionally, Marcin Tybura will lock horns with Mick Parkin in a heavyweight clash on the same card. The promotion announced both bouts on Tuesday. A main event has not been confirmed for UFC London, which takes place at the O2 Arena.

Blachowicz will be competing for the first time since July 2023, when he fell to Alex -Pereira-224511">Alex Pereira via split decision at UFC 291. The Polish veteran was slated to face Aleksandar Rakic in a rematch at UFC 297 in January, but a shoulder injury that required two separate surgeries forced him t…

If Dricus Du Plessis had gotten his way, he would have been defending his middleweight crown against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312.

Advertisement

Over the weekend, it was announced that Du Plessis would face Sean Strickland in a championship rematch on Feb. 8 in Sydney, Australia. Du Plessis claimed the 185-pound belt with a split-decision triumph over Strickland at UFC 297 this past January.

“Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs Whittaker,” Du Plessis wrote on social media. “I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision. Like I said, I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy. He was promised the fight, so Strickland it is.”

Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs Withaker. I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision like I said I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the …