Martial Arts News

Islam Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, has hailed one of his students' ability to mimic Ian Garry ahead of the upcoming welterweight title clash in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Makhachev (28-1) looks to defend his 170-pound championship for the first time against Garry (17-1) at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Garry is known for excellent distance management and long-range strikes. However, Mendez already has who he believes is the perfect fighter to emulate the Irishman’s style in their team.

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Islam Makhachev’s coach names ‘perfect’ Ian Garry training replica Mendez is confident that another one of his pupils, Usman Nurmagomedov, can copy almost any style. The American Kickboxing Academy head coach recently revealed that the Professional Fighters League lightweight champion is one of Makhachev’s primary training partners, closely mimicking Garry’s style.

A middleweight title fight headlines PFL Austin: Tune on …

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion Islam Makhachev's coach, Javier Mendez, claims his pupil is open to a fight against Max Holloway.

This comes after Holloway’s win at UFC 329, where he faced Conor McGregor at welterweight. “Blessed” emerged victorious, albeit with their rematch ending in anticlimactic fashion as McGregor suffered an early injury. Mendez believes that neither Makhachev nor Holloway would refuse a matchup against the other.

Javier Mendez discusses a potential Islam Makhachev vs. Max Holloway UFC matchup after UFC 329 Ahead of his UFC 329 bout on July 11, Holloway expressed his desire to fight Makhachev. Despite being beaten and thoroughly outgrappled by Charles Oliveira earlier this year, Mendez knows that Holloway will not stop pursuing a fight with the current 170-pound king. He also believes that his fighter would not back down from the challenge if UFC pushes for it.

“Whatever the UFC wants to do, Islam’s going to say yes and Max …

Charles Oliveira is campaigning for a UFC lightweight title shot against Justin Gaethje.| 📷: Getty/UFC

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Charles Oliveira is using unique tactics to call for a title shot against Justin Gaethje.

Oliveira was in attendance for Conor McGregor’s (22-7) return to action after five years against Max Holloway (28-9) at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas. However, the bout ended in disappointment when McGregor injured his knee on his first kick, forcing the referee to step in just over a minute into the opening round.

Charles Oliveira campaigns for a UFC lightweight title shot against Justin Gaethje after UFC 329 Holloway was plotting a lightweight title shot and a rematch against Gaethje if he secured a victory over McGregor. Despite the anticlimactic nature of the fight, the Hawaiian still called for his shot against “The Highlight” at the post-fight press conference. Meanwhile, Oliveira started spamming the comments…

Brandon Moreno will collide with Joseph Morales at UFC Noche 2026. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will reportedly make his return to the Octagon against "The Ultimate Fighter 33" winner Joseph Morales at Noche UFC on Sept. 12. The bout was first reported by Marcel Dorff.

The 125-pound clash is expected to take place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Moreno enters the matchup looking to halt a two-fight skid after losses to Tatsuro Taira and Lone’er Kavanagh in consecutive appearances. Morales, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to cause a major upset and climb the rankings in his second UFC stint.

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Brandon Moreno will reportedly face Joseph Morales at Noche UFC on Sept. 12 Moreno (23-10-2) remains one of the most accomplished competitors in flyweight history. His record features victories over Brandon Royval, Deiveson Figueiredo, Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi, amon…

Conor McGregor has broken his silence on what happened at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Conor McGregor assures fans that he was not injured heading into his return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

McGregor (22-7) returned after a five-year hiatus against Max Holloway (28-9) at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas. The return of the sport’s biggest star couldn’t have ended more anticlimactically. McGregor injured his right knee with the very first kick he threw and could barely stand thereafter, forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest, hardly over a minute into the fight.

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Conor McGregor says he was healthy before UFC 329 knee injury Fans have since speculated as to whether McGregor was already injured heading into the fight. “Notorious” was also seen stumbling while taking off his shoes before entering the Octagon. However, the former two-division UFC champion claims he had no injuries before the fight.

“I was so sha…

Bryce Mitchell will become the first active Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter to take on a UFC BJJ champion, Mikey Musumeci.

Mitchell will square off against Musumeci in a non-title clash, which serves as the headliner for UFC BJJ 11. It will be contested at featherweight, which means Musumeci will move up a division to face Mitchell. UFC BJJ light heavyweight champion Mason Fowler will defend his crown against Nicky Rod in the co-main event.

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UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell faces UFC BJJ champion Mikey Musumeci in historic featherweight matchup Musumeci enters the matchup unbeaten under the UFC BJJ banner after previously enjoying a perfect run in One Championship. The five-time IBJJF black belt world champion (four times in Gi and once in No-Gi) captured the UFC BJJ bantamweight title before successfully defending it three times. His four UFC BJJ appearances after UFC Fight Pass Invitational 9 have resulted in three heel hooks and one foot lo…

Terrance McKinney took issue with his bout being stopped with seconds left in the round. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Terrance McKinney claims his UFC 329 fight with King Green should have gone to the next round.

The main card opener was stopped by referee Kerry Hatley just seconds before the first round concluded. He stepped in after Green landed a body shot and McKinney turtled up against the fence, albeit still covering his head. “T.Wrecks” has now addressed what he believes was an early stoppage but sees the positives in his performance.

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McKinney reflects on the King Green loss, the controversial stoppage and what he'd change McKinney started strong, walking down Green with his typical early forward pressure. He even came close to submitting the seasoned veteran, who ultimately escaped before finding the finish moments later to conclude a chaotic one-round bout. McKinney recently reflected on his perf…

Islam Makhachev (left) appeared to have some fun at Conor McGregor’s expense. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Islam Makhachev poked fun at Conor McGregor following the Irishman’s anticlimactic defeat to Max Holloway.

McGregor suffered a knee injury with the very first strike he threw in his rematch with Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. He couldn’t plant both feet properly thereafter and the referee subsequently intervened, calling a halt to the action. Makhachev has now mocked the former two-division champion.

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Islam Makhachev posts 'Conor beat Conor' after Max Holloway stops McGregor at UFC 329 Makhachev has addressed the result of UFC 329’s main event, wherein his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov’s bitter rival failed to return to the win column. UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski posted his live reaction to the injury on Instagram and Makhachev commented with a laughing emoji underneath. Read more

Terence “Bud” Crawford has addressed Conor McGregor’s anticlimactic return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

McGregor’s return to the Octagon ended in just 69 seconds at UFC 329. The former two-division champion seemingly injured his right knee in the opening sequence of the fight, leading to a stoppage from the referee as he was unable to continue.

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UFC CEO Dana White subsequently speculated that it could be an ACL-related issue, an unfortunate occurrence considering McGregor’s last bout before UFC 329 also ended in a leg injury.Terence Crawford says Conor McGregor's UFC 329 injury was 'God punish them' after the former champion's 69-second loss. Crawford, who has gone back and forth with McGregor previously, believes the Irishman got what was coming his way. The unbeaten boxer and the MMA superstar were once rumored to be squaring off in a two-fight crossover series across both combat sports, and McGregor claimed Crawford turn…

Gable Steveson said he would welcome a fight with Josh Hokit. | 📷: Getty/UFC

After a dominant win in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, Gable Steveson has responded to Josh Hokit’s trash talk.

Steveson defeated Elisha Ellison at UFC 329, extending his professional record to 4-0 and recording his fourth straight first-round finish. Hokit, who’s emerged as one of the most polarizing figures in the UFC, has issued threats to Steveson and his mentor, Jon Jones, drawing a reaction from the Olympian.

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Gable Steveson responds to Josh Hokit after dominant UFC 329 victory Hokit took to X to share a clip from one of Steveson’s pre-fight interviews wherein the latter questioned the former’s skills. “The Incredible Hok” listed his many athletic achievements before suggesting that both Steveson and Jones steer clear of him.

“Remember, this ain’t wrestling,” Hokit wrote on X. “If anyone signs up to face me in a fist fight, better have a go…

Chael Sonnen says you can stick a fork in Conor McGregor: He's done. | 📷: Jason Burgos/Sherdog

Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor’s Ultimate Fighting Championship career took a major hit following the anticlimactic loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329.

McGregor suffered a knee injury seconds into his rematch with Holloway. He then wasn’t able to find stability and repeatedly fell while attempting strikes, prompting the referee to stop the bout. With the Irishman’s last two main events ending in unfortunate injuries, Sonnen questions whether he can headline another card.

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‘You cannot main event him’: Chael Sonnen on Conor McGregor In McGregor’s last outing prior to UFC 329, he suffered a leg break in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021. A lengthy stint on the sidelines ensued before the Holloway rematch came together. According to Sonnen, there were no takeaways from the former two-division champ’s return.

“It was one of th…

Conor McGregor’s coach has weighed-in on the outcome at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, has squashed rumors of a pre-existing injury going into the Ultimate Fighting Championship star’s Octagon return at UFC 329.

McGregor rematched Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329, but injured his knee in the opening sequence. After he struggled to stay upright, the referee stopped the bout, leading to an anticlimactic conclusion to the fight card.

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John Kavanagh details McGregor’s injury after comeback fight ends early Kavanagh took to Facebook to discuss McGregor’s injury following the defeat to Holloway at UFC 329. The former two-division champion’s longtime coach shed light on the post-fight mood and reiterated McGregor’s claim that he wasn’t injured going into the bout.

“Devastated,” the SBG Ireland head coach wrote in a Facebook post (via ESPN). “That opening jump switch kick was drilled daily for month…