Martial Arts News

As it turns out, one victory in MMA outside of the Ultimate Fighting Championship can be enough to earn a call to come back.

Management team First Round Management announced on Friday that their client, Robelis Despaigne (6-2), has been re-signed to the UFC. The soon-to-be 38-year-old ex-kickboxer has no return date announced, nor an opponent selected for his first appearance back.

Advertisement

Despaigne ran the table in Karate Combat in one year The Cuban appeared once in MMA following his UFC release, punching out Junior dos Santos in May at the inaugural MVP MMA event. This gave the 6-foot-7 striker his sixth first-round knockout across his six victories. On the way, Despaigne joined the striking-only Karate Combat league at the end of 2024 and punched out Dominik Jedrzejczyk in four seconds. Subsequent foes Marcos Brigagao and Roggers Souza could only survive a combined 20 seconds in the pit against him.

On the heels of those three speedy knockouts totaling …

THE FINAL FACE OFF! IT ALL GOES DOWN TOMORROW NIGHT! ??

?? Buy #JoshuaPrenga NOW at https://t.co/FoiaUucafv | July 25 | Danger Before Destiny ?? pic.twitter.com/c9oaZBBXQU

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 24, 2026

Advertisement

Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga both made weight for their upcoming heavyweight clash. Joshua faces off against Prenga in a crucial tune-up fight before a potential blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury.

Joshua (251) returns to action for the first time since stopping Jake Paul in December 2025. The former unified heavyweight champion enters the contest looking to build momentum ahead of a proposed clash with fellow Englishman Fury later this year.

Prenga, who weighed 261.4 pounds, steps into the biggest opportunity of his career. The Albanian veteran will look to spring a major upset and derail Joshua's plans for a blockbuster domestic clash. Prenga last won against Joe Jones in February.

The…

Spence returns after three years to face Tim Tszyu in his middleweight debut in Sydney Errol Spence Jr. (159) successfully made weight ahead of his long-awaited return to the ring as he prepares to face Tim Tszyu (159) in the middleweight main event on Saturday in Sydney.

Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) competes for the first time since suffering a technical knockout loss to Terence Crawford in their undisputed welterweight championship clash in July 2023. Following a three-year hiatus, the former unified welterweight champion returns with a new trainer in Ronnie Shields after ending his longtime partnership with Derrick James. Saturday's bout also marks his debut at the 160-pound middleweight limit.

Advertisement

Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs) enters the contest looking to score another signature victory as both veterans attempt to re-establish themselves among boxing's elite. The Australian will have home advantage as the bout takes place in Sydney.

The event is scheduled for …

A pivotal women's flyweight matchup has been removed from the next Ultimate Fighting Championship numbered event.

Erin Blanchfield's bout against Jasmine Jasudavicius has been scrapped from the Aug. 15 card at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia due to an injury on Blanchfield’s end, per MMA Junkie’s Nolan King. The promotion is reportedly looking to rebook the contest for a UFC Fight Night event on Oct. 17 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, instead.

Advertisement

Erin Blanchfield injury forces UFC 330 card change as UFC targets Edmonton rebooking The withdrawal marks the first time Blanchfield has been forced out of a fight during her UFC tenure. She is on a two-fight win streak, beating Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez in her most recent Octagon appearances.

Meanwhile, Jasudavicius was looking to build on a unanimous decision win over Karine Silva in April. With her clash with Blanchfield now being targeted for the next UFC event in Canada, she’ll h…

After 15 years, Darren Elkins is set for his final UFC bout. | 📷: Getty/UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has finalized the lineup for its next Fight Night at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, including Octagon veteran Darren Elkins’ final appearance in the promotion.

The card, headlined by Mateusz Gamrot and Quillan Salkilld, is scheduled for Aug. 8.

Advertisement

UFC Fight Night lineup features Darren Elkins vs. Yadier Del Valle and Gamrot vs. Salkilld Elkins (29-12) will square off against Dana White’s Contender Series alum Yadier Del Valle.

The 42-year-old has been on the UFC roster since 2010, earning memorable victories over the likes of Mirsad Bektic, Michael Johnson, Dennis Bermudez and Luiz Eduardo Garagorri. Furthermore, Elkins has shared the cage with several former champions and fan favorites, albeit in losing efforts, against Alexander Volkanovski, Charles Oliveira, Chad Mendes and UFC Hall of Famer Cub Swanson.

New matchups added …

Mateusz Gamrot (right) has reupped with the UFC. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Mateusz Gamrot has extended his stay in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Gamrot recently announced on X that he has signed a new multi-fight deal with the promotion, ensuring that his tenure will continue beyond his upcoming main event assignment.

Advertisement

Mateusz Gamrot signs a new UFC contract before facing Quillan Salkilld in the UFC Fight Night 284 main event. While he didn’t divulge the exact number of bouts on his new deal, Gamrot is ecstatic to continue fighting in the promotion. The Polish lightweight claims he’s “grateful” for the new contract and is excited for what lies ahead.

“I’ve signed a multi-fight deal with UFC! Another step begins in just two weeks, let’s gooo,” Gamrot wrote on X. “I’m grateful to the UFC for the trust and for recognizing my hard work. Thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to keep proving myself on the biggest stage in …

Rose Namajunas wants to rediscover her motivation before returning to competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The 34-year-old admitted during a recent podcast appearance that she has spent the past few months evaluating her future after multiple disappointing results and the lengthy recovery from injuries sustained in her last bout.

Rose Namajunas discusses injuries, recent losses and her UFC future Namajunas still intends to fight again, but she wants to make sure she has the right reason for returning. The former strawweight champion lost to Natalia Silva at UFC 324 in January and had to undergo surgery shortly after her fight with Silva to repair damage caused by an accidental eye poke.

“It was like a three-month process,” Namajunas said on the "Weighing In" podcast. “After the fight, I had to get this surgery right away. They put this weird silicone tube in my eye. It was a really easy surgery, though. It was just kind of uncomfortable. I couldn’t blow …

Alexander Poppeck (right) will make his UFC debut on Aug. 1. | 📷: PFL MMA

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming visit to Serbia will see new European talent make his Octagon debut.

Alexander Poppeck (21-5) recently signed with the UFC. The German is set to make his promotional debut against fellow UFC debutant Jovan Leka (13-2) at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 at Belgrade Arena.

Advertisement

Jovan Leka brings a six-fight winning streak into UFC Belgrade against Alexander Poppeck While Poppeck competes at light heavyweight, he will move up to heavyweight for his upcoming bout. Notably, the 34-year-old had suffered a knockout loss to Jamahal Hill on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2019.

One of the biggest names in Oktagon MMA, Poppeck is unbeaten in six outings (1 NC) since 2023, with four finishes. Meanwhile, Leka will have the Serbian home crowd rallying behind him and is on a six-fight winning streak with four finishes.

Leka earn…

Tyson Fury and Mariusz Wach face off ahead of their heavyweight fight. | 📷: Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty

Tyson Fury will give up a significant size advantage when he faces Mariusz Wach.

The former heavyweight champion weighed in at 265 pounds for the bout in Pattaya, Thailand, while Wach came in at a hefty 291.4 pounds, marking a 26.4-pound weight difference in favor of the Polish heavyweight.

Advertisement

Tyson Fury faces Mariusz Wach after surrendering his usual size advantage Fury acknowledged the size disparity after the weigh-in for his fight with Wach on July 24. "The Gypsy King" highlighted that he’s working his way back to his optimum fighting weight after a lengthy hiatus from the squared circle.

“I've never faced a man heavier than me,” Fury said at the weigh-in (via Sky Sports). “I'm very happy to be fighting. I'm not banking on any fight happening or not happening. I'm a fighter, I want to keep busy. I've had one fight in over two years…

Kamaru Usman is weighing options regarding his future in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

After suffering a one-sided loss to Dricus Du Plessis in the UFC Oklahoma City main event, the former welterweight champion admitted that retirement is now a legitimate possibility as he evaluates the next step in his career.

Advertisement

Kamaru Usman discusses retirement, Dricus Du Plessis loss and his UFC future Usman plans to consult his coaches before making a decision on his future. The Nigerian-American revealed that retirement is very much on the cards after his recent defeat.

“Right now, I just have to sit with the coaches, sit with the team, assess everything,” Usman said on the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast. “Assess the place where I’m at in my career. Just all in all, see whether it’s worth continuing to do this. Whether it’s worth continuing to put them through that.”

Usman explained that while previous defeats still left him with positives to build on, the…

Ismael Bonfim had a rough weight cut and missed the mark in his last outing.| 📷: Getty/UFC

Ismael Bonfim learned a lesson the hard way in his last fight.

Bonfim took on Chris Padilla in a lightweight bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship this past November. "Marreta" looked visibly weak and worn out as he weighed in at 161 pounds, missing the non-title lightweight limit by five pounds. The Brazilian was then picked apart by Padilla en route to a second-round stoppage loss.

Advertisement

Bonfim recently recalled the weight-cut fiasco ahead of his last bout and has made the necessary changes to avoid missing weight again.Ismael Bonfim details failed weight cut before Chris Padilla UFC loss Bonfim revealed that he had relied heavily on dehydration, leaving 22 pounds to cut on fight week. He decided to stop cutting weight after his neck started cramping on the day of the weigh-in. “I relied too much on dehydration,” Bonfim told MMA Fighting. “I go…

Justin Gaethje says Ilia Topuria must prove himself before a rematch. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Justin Gaethje believes Ilia Topuria has to work his way back into title contention.

Gaethje challenged Topuria for the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title at UFC Freedom 250. While Topuria was a massive betting favorite and nearly found a finish in the second round of their bout, Gaethje rallied to pile on the damage in the next two frames.

Advertisement

The fight ultimately ended due to a corner stoppage before the final round and Gaethje was crowned the new undisputed champion. Topuria subsequently vowed to make amends in a rematch on social media, but the Georgian-Spaniard will need to return to the win column before another title shot, according to the new lightweight king.UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje says Ilia Topuria must return to the win column Gaethje was recently asked if he would consider an immediate rematch against …