Martial Arts News

Khamzat Chimaev’s coach, Alan “Finfou” Nascimento, believes detractors will always find something to criticize no matter how good a fighter is.

Chimaev was originally scheduled to fight Paulo Costa at UFC 294 in 2023. However, an injured Costa was replaced by Kamaru Usman on nine days’ notice. While Chimaev earned a majority decision victory, Usman was arguably his toughest test to date. As Chimaev was visibly exhausted in the final round, many believe that Usman could have won if the fight had been a five-round bout. However, Nascimento explains that they had specifically prepared for a three-round fight, which is completely different than preparing for a five-rounder.

Chimaev finally went five rounds while challenging Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 last year. “Borz” ragdolled du Plessis for 25 minutes to earn a dominant, unanimous decision victory. While critics have stopped questioning Chimaev’s gas tank for now, he was slammed for a boring…

Vinicius Oliveira is calling out Aljamain Sterling for a featherweight matchup.

Oliveira had recently admitted that his days at bantamweight were numbered. Oliveira’s latest loss to Mario Bautista earlier this month was seemingly the final nail in the coffin. “LokDog” is now calling for a featherweight matchup against former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.

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“New category, common opponents with zero risk, fight more times in a year, make more money, reach the belt faster, not to mention that I’m hearing @funkmasterMMA has nightmares about me and already warned his friend @MerabDvalishvili about it — if he wants it, I want it,” Oliveira wrote on X.

Sterling downplayed the callout, saying:

“Lol bruuh… cmon man. Don’t do that.”

Oliveira responded:

“I want new challenges. You're still a champion, you spoke well of me, I admire that, but you're the only good guy in the 66kg weight class that I know, so t…

Anthony Hernandez believes he can overwhelm Khamzat Chimaev with his well-roundedness.

Hernandez is scheduled to headline UFC Houston against Sean Strickland on Feb. 21 in a potential middleweight title eliminator. A win over Strickland would potentially make “Fluffy” a frontrunner for the next middleweight title shot against Chimaev (15-0).

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Hernandez believes his grappling defense would hold up well against Chimaev’s relentless wrestling. However, Hernandez is not wary of going to the ground against “Borz.” Hernandez believes he is way more well-rounded than the champion, whose wrestling is his bread and butter.

“My grappling defense is really good,” Hernandez told New York Post Sports. “I think I can force [Khamzat] to have to stay on his feet. Honestly, even with him, I don’t give a f*ck where it goes, grappling, striking, standing up, he’s got one thing and I’ve got a f*cking arsenal. So I really don’t give a f*ck. I want my time to prove that …

Ronda Rousey will undergo extensive medical testing prior to her return fight vs. Gina Carano. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

A couple years ago, Ronda Rousey made a confession: That a history of concussions forced her to exit mixed martial arts.

Rousey hasn’t competed in MMA since a December 2016 loss to Amanda Nunes. During an Instagram Live session to promote her book “Our Fight” approximately two years ago, the Olympic judoka went in depth on her history of head trauma.

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“My concussion history that I had to keep secret for years, so I would be able to continue to compete and perform,” Rousey said. “That’s basically why I had to retire.”

Rousey was particularly tight-lipped about those issues during her UFC tenure, even after a knockout loss to Holly Holm in November 2015. That philosophy continued when she transitioned to sports entertainment.

“I think that there was just so much to [that loss], that I couldn’t talk about it in the…

Justin Jaynes went 1-4 during his UFC stint. | Getty/UFC

Justin Jaynes is just about out of chances.

The UFC veteran was suspended for 18 months during a Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting on Wednesday after testing positive for a cocaine metabolite in relation to his victory over Marlon Gonzales at Tuff-N-Uff 149 on Oct. 25. Jaynes, who will not be eligible to compete again until April 25, 2027, was also fined $200, which amounts to 40% of his purse for the bout.

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It was Jaynes’ third anti-doping violation in Nevada, but his first positive test for cocaine. Previously, the fighter known as “Guitar Hero” had failed drug tests for marijuana in June 2021 and for the diuretic furosemide in 2024. Though the marijuana test would no longer be penalized under current NSAC standards, the commission nonetheless vowed harsh consequences for Jaynes should he fail another drug test in the future.Zero Tolerance “I have a problem, the third dru…

Carlos Prates' next fight is likely to be revealed soon. | Getty/UFC

As Dana White said during the press conference at the most recent Zuffa Boxing event, the cards for the numbered UFC events in April, May and June are almost all decided.

The next steps of the welterweight division are among the most highly-anticipated decisions for UFC fans. After Spanish journalist Alvaro Colmenero leaked that Islam Makhachev is likely to fight Ian Garry next, The Fighting Nerds coach Flavio Alvaro told Sherdog.com that Carlos Prates may not fight Jack Della Maddalena as previously expected.

“Prates wanted to fight on the April or May card,” Alavaro said. “All I can say is that big news is coming about him soon. I personally wanted him to face Maddalena, but it looks like his new opponent will be announced soon.”

Alvaro did not offer further insight as to whether Michael Morales, Belal Muhammad or Kamaru Usman would be Prates’ next adversary.

Turning Point …

Last week, Dana White revealed that meetings to form the UFC White House card have already begun.

That statement piqued the curiosity of fans and journalists, starting a series of debates about possible big names that will headline the event. Very close to Ilia Topuria, Spanish journalist Alvaro Colmenero confirmed the lightweight's presence on the card, possibly headlining against Justin Gaethje. Colmenero also indicated that Islam Makhachev would defend the welterweight title at a later date, probably facing Ian Garry.

A Clear Path to VictoryAlthough he did not confirm the information, Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, did not refuse to analyze the possible confrontation between his athlete and the Irishman. In the American Kickboxing Academy coach's assessment, Garry is likely to struggle if the fight hits the canvas.

“Ian does well with Islam on his feet, he has reach and is unpredictable,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “On the ground, he does well, but doesn’t …

An influencer might have bitten off more than he could chew when he recently crossed paths with Tiki Ghosn.

At a party hosted by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, streamer Deen the Great filmed a confrontation with the Ghosn, a former UFC fighter who is a longtime friend and coach of Jackson. The interaction between the two quickly becomes testy, and Deen threatens to “slap the s—t” out of Ghosn. Shortly thereafter, Ghosn appears to land an elbow that knocks Deen out of the shot.

The two men were then separated, though it appeared that Deen wanted to continue the scuffle.

“Ex UFC fighter elbowing me for the clip knowing I’m intoxicated,” Deen wrote in a caption of the video. “ight bet.”

Ex UFC fighter elbowing me for the clip knowing I’m intoxicated… ight bet 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Bv7A5cqFcA

— DeenTheGreat (@DeenTheGreat) February 18, 2026 Contrast in Backgrounds Ghosn had 18 professional fights from 1998 to 2008, including bouts in the UF…

Conor McGregor is once again hinting that a comeback is imminent. | Bellator MMA

Conor McGregor might be one step closer to a UFC return — or maybe not.

In a since-deleted post on social media, the Irishman claimed that he had accepted a date and opponent for his next fight.

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“I have been offered an opponent and a date and I accept,” McGregor wrote. “Waiting on my contract.”

🚨 BREAKING: Conor McGregor revealed in a now-deleted tweet that he's been offered an opponent and date for his UFC return and has accepted the offer 👀 pic.twitter.com/QnozWDoLVK

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 18, 2026

McGregor has been lobbying hard for a spot on the UFC White House card on June 14. The timing of his post coincides with UFC CEO Dana White’s recent remarks that the card was in the process of being finalized. This past October, McGregor stated that his participation at the highly-anticipated event was a …

The lineup is complete for Professional Fighters League’s upcoming visit to the Steel City.

The promotion on Wednesday unveiled the full card for PFL Pittsburgh, which takes place on March 28 at the UPMC Events Center and is headlined by a middleweight bout pitting former champ Johnny Eblen against UFC veteran Bryan Battle. In the co-main event, Dalton Rosta will lock horns with Impa Kasanganay in another middleweight contest.

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𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Your full #PFLPittsburgh Fight Card 👊

What fight are you looking forward to on Saturday, March 28th! #PFLPittsburgh Tickets available now!🎟️ https://t.co/lHUajKu2eV #PFLPittsburgh | Saturday, March 28th | UPMC Events Center | Pittsburgh, PA | 📺 Streaming… pic.twitter.com/dycUfB4USg

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 18, 2026

Several other matchups were also confirmed for PFL Pittsburgh. In the opening main card bout, undefeated former Combate Global talent Lazaro Dayron will face 2…

Drew Dober. | Getty/UFC

The UFC 326 card has received a boost in the form of two long-tenured lightweights.

Drew Dober and Michael Johnson will meet in a 155-pound contest on March 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Dober confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. UFC 326 is headlined by a BMF title tilt between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. The event airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

Experience Counts Dober snapped a three-bout skid in his last outing when he scored a third-round TKO of Kyle Prepolec at UFC Vancouver this past October. The 37-year-old Nebraska native is tied for eighth on the promotion’s all-time knockout list with eight. He owns notable wins over the likes of Jamie Varner, Joshua Burkman, Nasrat Haqparast, Alexander Hernandez, Terrance McKinney and Bobby Green. Dober is 14-11 in the Octagon since making his debut in 2013.

Johnson, meanwhile, is in the midst of a three-fight winning st…

Ronda Rousey was the key figure behind bringing women into the UFC. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

While Ronda Rousey essentially convinced Dana White to allow women to fight in the Octagon more than a decade ago, she couldn’t persuade the UFC CEO to book a fight between her and Gina Carano in the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion in the present day.

On Tuesday, Most Valuable Promotions announced that Rousey and Carano will square off in a featherweight bout at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on May 16. The five-round contest will air on Netflix. According to the Olympic judoka, the bout has been in the works for quite some time.

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“I was nine months pregnant, and I saw a video of Gina Carano giving an interview and she didn’t look good,” Rousey told ESPN. “She gained an unhealthy amount of weight and my first thought was, ‘Oh my god, what can I do to help?’ The reason why I had that thought was because she’s the one woman not only…