Martial Arts News

Even Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s favorite student, Islam Makhachev, wasn’t allowed concessions with his haircut.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father is credited with nurturing a team of elite fighters in the mountains of Dagestan, who are now taking over every major mixed martial arts promotion. He had a strict policy where every athlete had to cut their hair short.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov claims his father once threw out 50 people from the gym Abdulmanap’s son, Khabib, has repeatedly said that Makhachev was his father’s favorite student. The former lightweight champion recently recalled an incident when Makhachev was thrown out of the gym among 50 others because of their haircuts. However, some returned a while later after getting their hair cropped and among them was Makhachev. Khabib recalls his father allowing them in and acknowledging their desire to learn.

“There was this moment when father threw about 50 peopl…

Khabib Nurmagomedov had an insane gas tank during his run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and a new theory has surfaced as to how.

Khabib’s late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, is a revered pioneer of mixed martial arts in Dagestan, Russia. Abdulmanap’s childhood friend recently weighed in on his elite conditioning.

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A childhood friend says Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's extraordinary conditioning may have shaped Khabib's endurance While Abdulmanap was naturally fit growing up, he didn’t start training in combat sports until later in life. When he started training at an academy, he had to travel 13.5 miles every day on a bicycle. Abdulmanap would then run for 5 miles, in addition to two hours of wrestling training. His childhood friend believes this extraordinary level of cardio was inherited by Khabib.

“His functional fitness was on a very high level,” Abdulmanap’s friend told UFC Eurasia. “He had amazing stamina. Looking at him now, it’s as if …

Bogdan Guskov didn’t hesitate to accept a short-notice fight against former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Magomed Ankalaev.

Ankalaev was originally scheduled to headline UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 in a light heavyweight matchup against Khalil Rountree. However, Guskov stepped up on 14 days’ notice to replace Rountree, who pulled out due to an injury.

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Bogdan Guskov explains why he immediately accepted the UFC Abu Dhabi main event against Magomed Ankalaev Guskov (18-3) recently revealed that he took less than a minute to give his manager the nod to accept the booking against Ankalaev (20-2). He wasn’t the only fighter approached by the UFC to replace Rountree.

Guskov was originally scheduled to fight Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1. Blachowicz revealed that the UFC had also offered him the short-notice booking against Ankalaev. However, the former champion needed 24 hours to figure out whether he could make weight. The UFC decided …

Sedriques Dumas’ underwhelming run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has come to an end.

Dumas (10-5) is no longer on the UFC roster, although it is unknown whether he was released or if his contract wasn’t renewed after expiry. He was a highly touted, undefeated prospect upon joining the UFC in 2023. However, the Florida native went 3-5 (1 NC) inside the Octagon.

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How Sedriques Dumas went from unbeaten prospect to UFC departure Dumas’ UFC journey will be marred by his arrest in April 2025 on several felony charges, including home invasion, battery, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He never won a fight in the UFC after his arrest and exits the promotion on a two-fight losing streak. Dumas suffered a submission loss to Jackson McVey in his last UFC outing this past April.

His UFC release comes in the aftermath of his sentencing this past June. Three of the five pending charges against Dumas were reportedly dropped, while “The Reap…

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Sean Strickland is always quick to commend his training partners and he did so again recently while taking a shot at Khamzat Chimaev.

Strickland (31-7) is currently helping Johnny Eblen prepare for his next bout at American Top Team in Florida, where Yaroslav Amosov (30-1) trains. He managed to get in some grappling rounds with the Ukrainian welterweight and claims his ground game is superior to Chimaev’s.

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“He has better grappling than Chimaev,” Strickland said after their training session.

“Hard partner, hard champion, but crazy, funny crazy,” Amosov said on his YouTube channel.

Strickland was a massive underdog going into his middleweight title challenge against Chimaev at UFC 328 this past May. However, Chimaev was visibly gassed out in the second round and was forced to abandon his wrestling-heavy style. Strickland then outworked “Borz” on the feet en route to a decision win.

Me…

OUI OUI 🇫🇷

Michael Venom Page & Nursulton Ruziboev will clash at middleweight at #UFCParis 🤩

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[ September 5 | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/HbzdoPnFrU — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) July 15, 2026

Michael Page is among the latest additions to the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Paris.

Several matchups, mostly featuring European fighters, have been finalized for UFC Paris on Sept. 5 at Accor Arena in Paris, France.The UFC announced several new fights for its Sept. 5 event in France Page (25-3) will take on Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9) in a middleweight bout at UFC Paris. The Englishman is 4-1 in the UFC and currently on a three-fight winning streak. Despite a commendable Octagon record, “Venom” has been severely criticized for the lackluster nature of his recent outings. Meanwhile, Ruziboev is 5-1 in the UFC with four finishes. The Uzbek middleweight is currently on a three-fight…

Veteran global sports executive Loren Mack has joined BKB in a landmark role. | 📷: Jonathan Wong/South China Morning Post/Getty

Bare Knuckle Boxing has made an important signing to its executive team, inking veteran global sports executive Loren Mack as the chief marketing officer and executive vice president of strategy.

Founded by entrepreneur Mike Vasquez and former professional fighter Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris, Mack has joined BKB after his most recent run with the Professional Fighters League, where he served as senior vice president of communications. BKB announced the hiring of Mack with an official press release sent Wednesday morning ahead of its upcoming show in Los Angeles on July 18. Per the release, Mack will oversee global brand strategy and much more.

Loren Mack brings UFC, ONE Championship and PFL experience to Bare Knuckle Boxing “As chief marketing officer and executive vice president of strategy, Mack will oversee BKB global brand stra…

Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Islam Makhachev is in for a tricky outing against Ian Garry.

Makhachev (28-1) is set to defend his welterweight title for the first time against Garry (17-1) in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Makhachev’s friend and mentor, Nurmagomedov, notes that his protégé has never faced an opponent as tall as Garry.

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Why Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Ian Garry is a difficult matchup for Islam Makhachev Nurmagomedov admits that Garry’s elusive style is a difficult puzzle to crack. “The Eagle” further notes that Makhachev, nearing 35, is six years older than Garry. According to the former unbeaten lightweight champion, the stylistic threat from Garry, combined with the age difference, makes it a difficult matchup for Makhachev.

“We’ve never faced an opponent this tall - 193 cm [6'4"],” Nurmagomedov said on the "Smol Talk" podcast. “We'll have to…

A matchup pitting a former Rizin Fighting Federation champion from Japan against a Chinese 135-pounder is confirmed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming visit to Shanghai.Kai Asakura seeks back-to-back UFC wins against Qileng Aori in ShanghaiAfter a stellar run in Rizin, Kai Asakura suffered back-to-back defeats at flyweight upon joining the UFC. He then moved up to bantamweight and picked up his first win in the promotion. Asakura will now look to compile a win streak when he takes on Qileng Aori at UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29.

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Aori enters the bout with a 4-5-1 UFC record. He has struggled for consistency, with just two wins in his last six outings. The 33-year-old is coming off a TKO defeat to Cody Haddon in May.

Meanwhile, Asakura will look to build momentum after recording his maiden UFC win in May. He knocked out Cameron Smotherman at UFC Macau, marking his 17th finish in 22 career wins. Flyweight is firmly in the rear-view mirror for t…

Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor will host a new Fox Nation original series centered around Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship beginning in 2027.

Fox Nation announced on Monday that it has partnered with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and BKFC co-owner McGregor for a new original documentary competition series titled "World's Baddest Man." The show is scheduled to premiere in the summer of 2027 and will culminate with a live championship finale.

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World’s Baddest Man’ brings Conor McGregor and BKFC together for a combat sports competition According to Monday's announcement, McGregor will serve as the host and a prominent on-screen presence throughout the new Fox Nation series as fighters from around the world compete in a bracket-style tournament for the right to be crowned the "World's Baddest Man."

“Conor McGregor is one of the most recognizable figures in combat sports, and we're excited to partner with him on a bold new…

Conor McGregor's return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ended in disappointment, but speculation surrounding his next opponent has already begun following his injury at UFC 329.

“Notorious” suffered a knee injury on the opening kick he threw in his rematch against Max Holloway, who was then declared the victor. BetOnline.ag has now released odds for McGregor's next fight, which will serve as the final bout on the former two-division champion's current UFC contract.

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Michael Chandler opens as favorite for Conor McGregor’s next fight Michael Chandler has opened as the betting favorite at 2/1 to face McGregor next. The long-discussed matchup between the two former opposing “The Ultimate Fighter” coaches was originally set to go down in 2024 before McGregor withdrew because of injury.

A trilogy bout with Holloway follows at 3/1. With their rivalry at 1-1, a rubber match could be on the cards. Moreover, “Blessed” repeatedly called for th…

Dana White’s Contender Series will return for its 10th season on Aug. 11, with all episodes set to stream exclusively on Paramount+.

The long-running talent showcase will once again give aspiring mixed martial artists the opportunity to earn an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract by impressing the UFC President and CEO, as well as the promotion's matchmakers.

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Dana White's Contender Series returns for Season 10 Season 10 will consist of 10 Tuesday night episodes beginning on Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Each episode will feature five bouts, with every episode streaming exclusively on Paramount+.

Since its debut in 2017, DWCS has become one of the UFC's primary talent pipelines. Across its first nine seasons, along with Dana White's Contender Series: Brazil, the series has awarded more than 300 UFC contracts.

Furthermore, the show has also produced four UFC champions: Sean O'Malley, Jamahal Hill, Jack Della Maddalena and current light h…