Martial Arts News

It was a frustrating night for "Poatan" at UFC White House. | Getty/UFC

While Alex Pereira admits that Ciryl Gane rocked him in their UFC White House matchup, the Brazilian star also believes what followed deserved some closer examination.

“Poatan” was on the defensive after being hurt by a Gane jab in their interim heavyweight title bout on Sunday, but during the ensuing salvo, “Bon Gamin” appeared to land multiple 12-to-6 elbows to the back of his opponent’s head. While Pereira did return to his feet, Gane ultimately finished the job with more powerful punches at the 1:27 mark of Round 2.

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In a video on YouTube, Pereira addressed the loss as well as Dean’s officiating in the heat of the moment.

“Putting myself in the referee’s shoes, my opponent’s there and catches me, I drop, he starts striking,” Pereira said. “The ref is watching that they are illegal shots, but he thinks like this, ‘How am I going to stop this fight?’ It’s illegal,…

The FBI revealed on Tuesday that it was able to halt a potential terrorist threat that targeted the UFC White House event and its attendees this past Sunday.

According to Fox News, the alleged plan included using explosive-laden drones to force an evacuation, where crowds would be directed toward an area with snipers in place. The group included a “second wave,” which planned to storm the White House gate, per the report.

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As of Monday, five people were in custody — with 23 in total identified as part of the alleged terrorist plot. One of those arrested was 19-year-old Tycen Proper, of Danville, Ohio, who according to the Columbus Dispatch, is charged in U.S. District Court in Columbus with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, attempted murder of any officer or employee of the United States, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and receipt or transfer of a firearm used to commit a felony.

Proper has be…

Anthony Smith believes Ilia Topuria should return quickly to recover from the loss against Justin Gaethje. 

Topuria (17-1) put his lightweight title on the line against Gaethje (28-5) in the main event at UFC White House on Sunday. While Topuria was a massive favorite, Gaethje bloodied up “El Matador” in the first round. Topuria briefly rebounded in the second round but apparently exhausted himself hunting a finish. Gaethje unleashed brutal punishment in the third round. However, Topuria showed immense heart in getting off the stool for the fourth round, where he absorbed even more damage. Topuria’s corner had seen enough to throw in the towel at the end of the fourth round. Gaethje shocked the world by winning the undisputed title in his third attempt in one of the greatest upsets in UFC history. 

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Smith believes the best way for Topuria to mentally recover from his first career loss is to return to competition as soon as he can. According …

Arman Tsarukyan believes no one in the lightweight division can beat him right now. 

Justin Gaethje (28-5) challenged Ilia Topuria (17-1) for the undisputed lightweight title at UFC White House last weekend. Gaethje handed Topuria a brutal beating, forcing a corner stoppage at the end of the fourth round. “The Highlight” became the undisputed lightweight champion in one of the greatest upsets in UFC title fight history. 

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Currently rallying for the next lightweight title shot, Tsarukyan (23-3) believes he is equipped to beat both Gaethje and Topuria. If Tsarukyan is champion by the time Topuria recovers, “Ahalkalkets” would like to hand him a beating worse than Gaethje did. Tsarukyan currently doesn’t see any threat in the lightweight division since former champ Islam Makhachev moved up to welterweight.Supremely Confident “I want to beat Justin Gaethje. I want to beat everybody,” Tsarukyan said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “And when Ilia is …

Ciryl Gane’s penchant for landing illegal blows undoubtedly has his opponents concerned. 

Gane (14-2) faced Alex Pereira (13-4) for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event at UFC White House on June 14. Gane rocked Pereira with a jab early in the second round and followed up with vicious shots, forcing “Poatan” to turtle-up. Gane then dropped multiple 12-to-6 elbows at the back of Pereira’s head, which are officially illegal blows. However, there was no acknowledgement from referee Herb Dean that any of the blows landed by Gane were illegal. While Pereira still managed to return to his feet, Gane, smelling blood, followed up with a vicious flurry to secure a standing technical knockout. 

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Foreshadowing? Sean O'Malley knocked out Aiemann Zahabi in the second round of their bantamweight matchup on the same card. “Suga” revealed that Pereira was specifically reminding the referee about illegal back of the head shots during the rules …

Arman Tsarukyan believes Justin Gaethje has found the proverbial second wind in his career. 

Gaethje (28-5) reached the pinnacle of his career by dethroning Ilia Topuria (17-1) to win the undisputed lightweight title at UFC White House last weekend. “The Highlight” survived an onslaught in the second round, while battering Topuria for the rest of the fight, forcing his corner to throw in the towel after the fourth round. 

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There were speculations about Gaethje retiring if he lost to Topuria at the White House. However, the 37-year-old announced that he had promised his mom not to decide on retirement immediately after winning the title. Tsarukyan (23-3) urges Gaethje not to retire. Tsarukyan believes Gaethje still has a couple of years left in him, judging by how good he looked last weekend. Tsarukyan notes that Gaethje looked almost unscathed despite taking hard shots from Topuria. Tsarukyan is considered the frontrunner for the next lightw…

Daniel Cormier claims the now-deleted screenshots of alleged chats with Eric Trump were not shared by him. 

The alleged screenshots were shared from Cormier’s X account on Sunday before promptly being deleted. The posts showed President Donald Trump’s eldest son asking Cormier for insider information regarding fights at UFC White House which went down at the White House on Sunday. Eric Trump even allegedly asked “DC” if any of the fights were rigged. While posting the screenshots, Cormier wrote that he wouldn’t be silenced. Eric Trump later dismissed the alleged texts as fake and AI-generated. 

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‘Why Would I Do That?’ Cormier has also subsequently denied posting the screenshots. The former UFC double champ turned commentator claims they were “not real.” Cormier says his social media was hacked.

“Not real,” Cormier said (via Nicolas Ballasy). “I can’t believe you guys believed that. Who believes that?... I got hacked or something like tha…

Arman Tsarukyan believes Ilia Topuria will take a lot away from his loss to Justin Gaethje. 

Topuria was a massive favourite going into his lightweight title defense against Gaethje at UFC White House on Sunday at the White House. “El Matador” also exuded a level of confidence bordering on cockiness going into the fight. 

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However, Gaethje brutally beat up Topuria, forcing his corner to throw in the towel at the end of the fourth round. “The Highlight” handed Topuria his first-ever professional loss in a monumental upset. Tsarukyan believes Topuria’s lesson in humility will teach him to avoid overconfidence. According to “Ahalkalakets,” Topuria was more focused on his media obligations than his training, going into the fight against Gaethje.A Lesson in Humility “I think this loss is going to teach him a lot of lessons — not to be overconfident and to respect your opponent,” Tsarukyan said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “And keep grinding. I th…

Petr Yan claims the UFC didn’t give Sean O'Malley a title shot against him because they didn’t want to see “Suga” take a beating at the White House. 

O’Malley took on Aiemann Zahabi in a bantamweight tilt at UFC White House last weekend. Despite taking some brutal inside leg kicks from Zahabi, O’Malley knocked out the Canadian in the second round. O’Malley then called for a title shot against Yan. 

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However, Yan claims he had already agreed to defend his title against O’Malley at the White House. “No Mercy” believes the UFC didn’t make the matchup because the promotion wanted to make sure that O’Malley won at the White House.Favorable Matchmaking? “The UFC were afraid for you!” Yan wrote on his Instagram Stories. “They needed to be sure that you would win in the White House! They didn't want you to get beaten in the White House! I gave my consent! That's why they gave you someone you can at least handle!”

O’Malley (20-3) defeated Yan (20-…

Arman Tsarukyan vows to back up his words with action. 

Justin Gaethje challenged Ilia Topuria for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC White House on Sunday at the White House. A massive underdog going into the fight, Gaethje handed Topuria a brutal beating, forcing his corner to throw in the towel at the end of the fourth round. 

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Tsarukyan had placed a massive $1 million bet on Gaethje for a payout of $5.7 million. “Ahalkalakets” had promised to buy Gaethje a RAM truck if he defeated Topuria. Tsarukyan now confirms he will honor his promise to Gaethje. Tsarukyan is scheduled to compete in a wrestling match against Colby Covington at RAF 11 on July 18 in St. Louis, Missouri. Tsarukyan says he will buy Gaethje a truck after his wrestling match.Reaping the Rewards “Of course,” Tsarukyan said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I just checked what color he wants... I'm competing on July 18 in St. Louis, and after St. Louis, I'm going to b…

Ilia Topuria has nothing but praise for Justin Gaethje after suffering his first career defeat.

“El Matador” relinquished the lightweight crown to Gaethje in the UFC White House headliner on Sunday night, falling to his American adversary via fourth-round technical knockout when his corner waved off the fight. After looking nearly invincible for the majority of his professional tenure, Topuria was bloodied and battered by one of the sport’s most respected veterans.

The Georgian-Spaniard acknowledged as much in a post on Instagram.

“Justin, congratulations. You said you’d leave your mark on my face… and you did,” Topuria wrote. “You took the sight from my right eye in the first round, and by the end of the second, from my left too.

“No excuses. I had one of the best camps of my life. I came in sharp, prepared, and ready. Last night was your night. That’s the nature of this game. Glory and pain walk side by side.”

Another Chapter Yet to Come? Topuria emer…

Josh Hokit's latest UFC victory was accompanied by some controversial post-fight comments. | Getty/UFC

Josh Hokit is making waves in the UFC’s heavyweight division, but some of his recent post-fight remarks aren’t scoring him any points with promotion officials.

Hokit improved to 4-0 in the Octagon with a second-round stoppage of Derrick Lewis at UFC White House on Sunday in Washington, D.C. Hokit, who has gained attention for his cringe-worthy pro wrestling schtick, took a different route when speaking with Joe Rogan following his latest victory. During the segment, Hokit praised President Donald Trump, gave thanks to God and continued his verbal assault toward former two-division champion Alex Pereira before shifting gears entirely.

“Lastly, Michele Obama is a man,” Hokit said. “Am I right, America?”

White House UFC fighter Josh Hokit just said:

“Michelle Obama is a man… am I right America?”

How are you enjoying Trump…