Martial Arts News

Cris Cyborg believes her rivalry with fellow former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ronda Rousey stemmed from the latter’s reluctance to face her at the height of their careers.

The current Professional Fighters League champion claims Rousey had every opportunity to accept a super-fight during her prime but chose not to.

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The history behind the UFC superfight fans wanted between Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey Cyborg reflected on her rivalry with Rousey in a new interview with Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso ahead of her retirement bout against Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa. The Brazilian legend also noted that if "Rowdy" wouldn’t fight her when they were both active and winning, she definitely wouldn’t accept a fight now.

“That was something the fans put together. Ronda had the opportunity to fight me when she was at her peak, and she didn't want to,” Cyborg explained of a fan-made poster that was rumored to be genuine. “If she didn't want it in her prime…

Michel Pereira is no longer on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster after his decision loss to Sharabutdin Magomedov at UFC Baku.

"Demolidor" leaves the promotion after building a 10-6 record inside the Octagon across two weight classes. However, he has lost four of his last five fights, ending his UFC run on a lackluster note.

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UFC parts ways with Michel Pereira after six-year Octagon run Pereira has exited the UFC after six years in the promotion. He made his UFC debut against Danny Roberts in 2019 and has since won 10 fights inside the Octagon. The 32-year-old completed his previous contract with a split-decision victory over Zachary Reese in February following a losing streak. He then signed a one-fight deal to face Magomedov in Azerbaijan.

His last appearance ended in a unanimous decision defeat. Pereira later criticized referee Herb Dean for not deducting points from Magomedov despite issuing multiple warnings for hair pulling. Magomedov…

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla believes there are correlations between mixed martial arts and basketball.

Mazzulla, who’s attended several Ultimate Fighting Championship events, was recently seen training MMA with esteemed coach Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. He has revealed that he looks up MMA gyms to train at while traveling through different cities during the NBA season.

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Joe Mazzulla uses MMA coaching practices in the NBA Mazzulla believes MMA helps him build a fighter mentality, which is required while taking on rival NBA teams in enemy territories.

“I think it just keeps you fresh, mentally and physically, so that when I'm helping the team, I have a little bit of that fighter mentality,” Mazzulla told Ariel Helwani. “It just helps grow a little bit of an edge, and every little bit helps.”

Mazzulla is also taking specific inputs from Nicksick about communicating with athletes. He believes there are similarities betw…

Dricus Du Plessis has opened up about his lone loss in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which came against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319.

The former UFC middleweight champion admitted that he spent his training camp preparing for fast-paced scrambles, only for Chimaev to adopt a far more conservative approach, which ultimately threw him off.

Dricus du Plessis revisits defeat to Khamzat Chimaev: ‘There was no scramble’ The South African lost to Chimaev in August of last year, giving up nearly 22 minutes of ground control time to “Borz.” Moreover, Chimaev followed the same pattern in every round: putting du Plessis into the crucifix position and occasionally landing short strikes from top position. Speaking to Submission Radio, "Stillknocks" explained how his opponent’s grappling approach took him by surprise.

“It's a style thing. The way he moved, it's something that I haven't seen, haven't felt, and it wasn't a strength problem at all,” du Plessis said. “It was just a…

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly’s old feud with Conor McGregor is still simmering after the former Ultimate Fighting Championship double champ suffered a crushing defeat at UFC 329.

MGK referenced his altercation with McGregor at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards while mocking the Irishman on social media.

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MGK revives his long-running feud with Conor McGregor after the former UFC champion's loss to Max Holloway. MGK, who refrained from publicly commenting on his infamous clash with McGregor at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at the time, ridiculed the fighter after his TKO defeat to Max Holloway at UFC 329. McGregor's Octagon return following a five-year hiatus ended in just 69 seconds as he appeared to suffer a knee injury while throwing his opening kick against Holloway. MGK shared a series of photos on Instagram after UFC 329, including one with McGregor throwing a punch at the musician during the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.

“Knees weak of old …

Dominick Cruz believes Conor McGregor’s return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship was motivated by more than financial gain, suggesting the former two-division champion was looking for a way to escape the lifestyle that produced his wealth.

McGregor suffered a knee injury with the opening strike he threw at UFC 329. The referee called a halt to the bout a little over a minute in, as "Notorious” was unable to plant both feet firmly while advancing and repeatedly fell over. This marks the second McGregor fight in a row that has ended in an anticlimactic leg injury, as his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier back in 2021 resulted in a bone break.

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The former UFC champion shares his theory behind McGregor’s comeback attempt Cruz spoke from experience, having dealt with several major injuries during his own career.

“We keep saying he doesn't need to come back because he's got the money, but I disagree,” Cruz said on the UFC 329 post-show on…

Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing has signed British heavyweight Johnny Fisher, who is set to headline Zuffa Boxing 11 at Copper Box Arena in London on Sept. 26.

Fisher’s former promoter, Eddie Hearn, has now explained how the boxer’s decision to join Zuffa Boxing came down to more than just a better payday.

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Eddie Hearn explains Johnny Fisher’s decision to join Zuffa Boxing Fisher (14-1, 12 KOs) has left Matchroom Boxing after five years to join White’s Zuffa Boxing, marking a monumental change in his career. Hearn dissected Fisher’s move in an interview with talkSPORT Boxing.

He explained that the move was influenced by Fisher’s desire for more manageable opponents following his first professional defeat. Hearn claimed that those types of matchups did not fit the Matchroom Boxing or DAZN product.

“If I headlined a show for Johnny Fisher against the guys he’s going to be fighting, I would be ridiculed,” Hearn said. “But you would be prepared to pay fo…

A pivotal bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division has been added to UFC 330, which is scheduled to take place at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15.

Charles Johnson (19-9) will square off against Jose Ochoa (9-2) at the next numbered event, set to be headlined by a welterweight championship fight between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry.

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Charles Johnson vs. Jose Ochoa UFC 330 matchup adds depth to flyweight division Johnson is among the most active fighters on the roster, having already fought thrice in 2026. However, he’s struggled for consistency, alternating between wins and losses across his last six bouts.

While he has finished the likes of Lone’er Kavanagh and current champion Joshua Van, he’s lost to Asu Almabayev, Alex Perez and Ramazonbek Temirov. “InnerG” announced the UFC 330 booking on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Ochoa will look to continue his ascent in the 125-pound division by defeating Johnson. The 25…

Phumi Nkuta's bid to overturn the lone loss of his professional career did not go in his favor.

The California State Athletic Commission on Monday denied Nkuta's appeal to overturn his technical submission defeat against Adriano Moraes at MVP: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. Nkuta argued that Moraes held a fight-ending choke beyond the final horn and that referee Herb Dean mishandled the sequence.

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However, the commission ruled there was insufficient evidence to change the official result.California State Athletic Commission denies Phumi Nkuta appeal after Adriano Moraes fight On May 16, Nkuta and Moraes clashed in a flyweight bout on the main card of MVP’s Rousey vs. Carano-headlined event. Near the end of the fight, Moraes had Nkuta in a choke. As the final bell rang, the former held on to the choke for what Nkuta claims was around 2.15 seconds after the horn. The official result was a technical submission victory for the former One Championship title…

Real American Freestyle has announced a new championship designed exclusively for elite crossover athletes from combat sports.

In a new social media post, RAF revealed details about the competition. The inaugural championship bout of the new crossover event will feature Arman Tsarukyan against former Ultimate Fighting Championship interim champion Colby Covington.

RAF Crossover Championship creates new path for combat sports athletes RAF has introduced the RAF Crossover Championship, developed exclusively for high-profile crossover athletes from combat sports. The first cruiserweight match will take place at RAF 11 in Milwaukee, featuring Tsarukyan and Covington.

The crossover will blend elite freestyle wrestling with MMA talent, offering marquee crossover matchups.

“A new championship arrives at RAF,” RAF Wrestling’s official X account posted. “Introducing the RAF Crossover Championship. Created exclusively for crossover wrestlers from across the world of comba…

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Michael Chandler has shut down claims that Conor McGregor went into UFC 329 knowing that he was injured, insisting that the Irishman still wants to fight him.

McGregor’s return following a five-year hiatus ended in disappointment as he suffered a knee injury seconds into his rematch with Max Holloway at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While the former two-division champion is set for another stint on the sidelines as he recovers from the injury, Chandler sees McGregor eventually returning to the Octagon, potentially against him.

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Michael Chandler explains why he believes Conor McGregor wanted to compete at UFC 329 After McGregor’s return to the UFC ended in anticlimactic fashion, Chandler came to his defense. The former Bellator MMA champion dismissed the claim that McGregor had an injury going into UFC 329.

“I would be absolutely surprised, like the most surprised on the planet, if Conor just showed up for a…

Benoit St. Denis had a rough outing at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Benoit St. Denis has released a statement addressing his loss to Paddy Pimblett.

St. Denis was the betting favorite going into his lightweight matchup against Pimblett in the co-main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas, as he was coming off a four-fight finish streak while his English counterpart was fresh off his first defeat in the UFC. However, "The Baddy" took just 52 seconds to put the Frenchman to sleep and end his win streak.

Benoit St. Denis reflects on his UFC 329 loss and promises a stronger return St. Denis apologized to his fans for letting them down after UFC 329. While he admits that the loss is hard to digest, "God of War" vows to bounce back stronger. He also hopes to avenge his loss to Pimblett someday.

“Thank you all for your support. I’m sorry for letting you down and for not delivering the victory we had hoped for,” St. Denis wrote on…