Martial Arts News

Ilia Topuria is a big favorite against Justin Gaethje. | Getty/UFC

As one might expect, Ilia Topuria is a considerable betting favorite against Justin Gaethje in the UFC White House main event.

According to online oddsmaker BetOnline.ag, Topuria is listed as a -600 favorite heading into the lightweight championship unification bout. Gaethje, the interim 155-pound champ, checks in as a +425 underdog. Odds are subject to change as the event approaches.

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Topuria began his UFC tenure at 145 pounds, where he captured championship gold with a knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. He defended the strap with a first-round KO of Max Holloway at UFC 308 before vacating the belt to move up to lightweight. “El Matador” claimed the vacant 155-pound throne with a first-round KO of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 this past June.

Gaethje, meanwhile, will be making his third attempt at undisputed lightweight gold after coming up short against Khab…

Francis Ngannou will return to MMA competition in May. | PFL MMA

It didn’t take long for Francis Ngannou to find a new home.

The former UFC heavyweight champion will return to MMA competition when he faces Philipe Lins in the co-main event of a Most Valuable Promotions card on Netflix on May 16. The card takes place at the Intuit Center in Los Angeles and is headlined by a women’s featherweight clash between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano.

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Ngannou was released from his Professional Fighters League contract late last week. The Cameroonian-born Frenchman competed once for PFL in three years, knocking out Renan Ferreira at the “Battle of the Giants” in October 2024. Ngannou has won his last seven MMA appearances — six of which came under the UFC banner. “The Predator” has also competed twice in professional boxing since parting ways with the UFC in 2023, losing a decision to Tyson Fury and suffering a knockout loss against Anthony Joshua.…

Charles Oliveira was in complete control against Max Holloway. | Getty/UFC

After winning all five rounds against Max Holloway to capture the BMF belt in the main event of UFC 326 on Saturday in Las Vegas, Charles Oliveira made a point of repeating the gesture from his last victory at UFC Rio, going straight from the Octagon to talk to the UFC Brazil broadcast team.

This time, however, Demian Maia, a key figure in his camp for Holloway and Mateusz Gamrot, was not on the broadcast team. Even so, Oliveira made a point of thanking him.

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“Demian, you told me: ‘Calm down, no rush’. Sorry for not getting the submission, but I think I did 100% of what we trained: control, stick to him and not give him any opportunity to work,” explained the Brazilian, who was positioned next to commentators Vitor Miranda, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and announcer Andre Azevedo.

While in Europe on a seminar tour, Maia spoke with Sherdog.com about the tactic discu…

Sharabutdin Magomedov has a message for Jorge Masvidal after their grappling matchup fell through. 

Magomedov and Masvidal were scheduled to meet in a grappling match at Hype FC on March 11 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. However, Masvidal has pulled out of the matchup due to undisclosed reasons. UFC veteran Edson Barboza now steps up to grapple Magomedov on short notice. 

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Magomedov accuses Masivdal of ducking him. Responding to a previous callout, “Shara Bullet” warns that Brazil is not Masvidal’s hometown of Miami.

“Jorge, amigo, Brazil is not Miami, Russia is not Miami,” Magomedov said on Instagram. “Don’t play with the pirate.

Stay on the Beach “You made the right decision running away from meeting me on March 11 in Rio,” Magomedov added in a written response. “Because after that trip, you might not have come back the same man. You would have had to answer for the words you sent my way. And deleting that video... wouldn't have saved you…

Israel Adesanya is rooting for his former foe to become a three-division champ. | Getty/UFC

Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira have shared one of the healthiest rivalries in combat sports history. 

Pereira is scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane (13-2) for the interim UFC heavyweight title in the co-main event at Freedom Fights 250 on June 14 at the White House. Adesanya is backing his former foe Pereira to defeat Gane. While Adesanya knows that Gane has elite movement, he believes “Poatan” can shut the Frenchman’s lights out. 

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“I hope Alex wins,” Adesanya said on YouTube. “Gane’s no joke. Gane can dance around, Gane’s slick. But I think Alex can knock him out.”A Storied Rivalry Pereira (13-3) defeated Adesanya (24-5) twice in Glory Kickboxing, even handing him his only kickboxing knockout loss. While Adesanya transitioned to MMA and went on to become the UFC middleweight champion, Pereira’s career became somewhat stagnant. However, …

Charles Oliveira advises Dan Hooker to focus on his own career. 

Oliveira won the BMF title with a dominant unanimous decision against Max Holloway at UFC 326 on Saturday. “Do Bronx” then teared up inside the Octagon with his parents, who attended his fight in the U.S. for the first time.

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However, Hooker thought Oliveira’s emotional outburst was not befitting of the title of the BMF.

“Crying while receiving the BMF is gay,” Hooker wrote on social media in a pair of since-deleted tweets.

“BMF doesn't exist anymore, it died with those bitch ass tears”

Focus on Your Own Career Responding to Hooker, Oliveira joked that “The Hangman” is probably in love with him. Oliveira accused the Kiwi of constantly taking digs at him and trying to find content related to him. Oliveira advises Hooker to focus on fighting instead.

“I think Dan Hooker’s in love with me, I truly do,” Oliveira said at the UFC 326 post-fight press conference. “He’s always …

Sean O'Malley was specifically embarrassed about one thing in his two losses against Merab Dvalishvili. 

O’Malley recently appeared as a guest on the podcast of YouTuber Matan Even, who is known for riling people up with his weirdness. Matan questioned the point of the 5’11” O’Malley’s height advantage if he lost against a shorter fighter like Dvalishvili. O’Malley admitted that one of the most embarrassing parts of his losses against Dvalishvili was that the Georgian was significantly shorter. However, O’Malley also acknowledged that “The Machine” is extremely strong.

Strength vs. Height “One of the most embarrassing parts about losing is when they're f—-ing under 5'5"... Merab is a strong f——er,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley (19-3) won the bantamweight title against Aljamain Sterling and defended it only once against Marlon Vera before losing it to Dvalishvili (21-5). While Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley via an emphatic decision in their first meeting in 2024, he made …

A planned booking between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria reportedly fell through at the last minute. 

Interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje will fight the champion Ilia Topuria in the main event at the UFC White House card, also billed as Freedom Fights 250, on June 14. According to the latest rumors, the original plan was for Topuria to challenge Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title in the main event. 

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Irati Prat of Marca reported that the UFC received information at the last minute that Makhachev wouldn’t fight at the White House. Prat notes that Dana White had mentioned a fight falling through, and UFC matchmakers suddenly had long faces at the UFC 326 ceremonial weigh-ins amid hushed whispers. Prat further noted that even Gaethje acknowledged that he was originally told that he would not fight at the White House.

“On Friday night, it was announced that Islam would NOT fight. Dana White's comments about a fight falling …

Max Holloway was rewarded for showing incredible submission defense against Charles Oliveira.

Holloway put his BMF title on the line against Oliveira in the main event at UFC 326 on Saturday. “Blessed” was dominated by Oliveira on the ground for over 20 minutes en route to a unanimous decision loss.

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Silver Linings However, Holloway received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt later that night for showing incredible submission defense against a specialist like “Do Bronx.”

Holloway’s grappling coach, Pedro Sauer, a former student of the legendary Rickson Gracie, wrote on Instagram: “Our new black belt, after demonstrating an incredible defense at [UFC 326].

The BMF title fight at UFC 326 received mixed reactions from fans and pundits. While some praised Oliveira’s dominant win, others questioned if it was a performance befitting the BMF title. 

There will be a sizeable weight discrepancy between the two main event grapplers at Hype FC. 

UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan will grapple former UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev in the main event at Hype FC on March 11 at the Farmasi Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 

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Controversial Histories Tsarukyan (23-3) has been active in grappling tournaments as he remains sidelined from the UFC lightweight title picture. Tsarukyan most recently competed in freestyle wrestling against social media grappling star Georgio Poullas, who seemingly committed multiple fouls during the match at RAF 6. Tsarukyan won the bout and punched Poullas, leading to absolute chaos in the arena. Tsarukyan was originally matched up in a submission grappling rematch against Poullas at Hype FC on March 11. However, the bout fell through soon after as Poullas pulled out, citing his preference to compete under RAF. Tsarukyan and Poullas are now scheduled to meet in a r…

Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk engaged in a clash for the ages at UFC 248. | Getty/UFC

A clash that is widely regarded as the greatest women’s fight of all time will be headed to the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Saturday that the first meeting between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame’s “Fight Wing” as part of a ceremony this summer. It’s the first-ever women’s bout to enter the UFC Hall of Fame.

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“The fight between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Weili Zhang at UFC 248 is one of the greatest fights I’ve ever seen,” said U CEO Dana White in a release. “This fight was incredible. You had two talented savages that wanted the strawweight title more than anything and neither one of them backed down during this fight. I knew this was going to be a badass fight and it absolutely delivered. Congrats to Joanna and Weili on a fight that will always be remembered!”An In…

Tom Aspinall is looking forward to facing Ciryl Gane or Alex Pereira down the road. | Getty/UFC

Tom Aspinall remains on the mend following eye surgery, but he’ll be an interested observer when Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane square off for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House on June 14.

Aspinall made his first title defense against Gane at UFC 321 this past October, but the bout was halted in the first stanza after Gane poked the reigning champ in both eyes. It has been a lengthy ordeal for Aspinall to recover from the fouls, despite skepticism that he was looking for a way out of the fight. At the moment, Aspinall understands why the promotion booked Pereira and Gane for an interim belt.

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"I mean, who else is going to fight? The division's on its ass," Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. "There's not many big fights to make, is there? So they've got to do what they've got to do.”Waiting for Clearance While the last update reg…