Martial Arts News

Carlos Ulberg has a pitch for how the Ultimate Fighting Championship should handle the light heavyweight title mix.

The reigning champion believes none of the division's top-ranked contenders have done enough to earn a title shot, so he proposed a solution, essentially laying out a four-man tournament to determine his next opponent.

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Carlos Ulberg’s UFC matchmaking idea targets Magomed Ankalaev, Jiri Prochazka and more Ulberg took on the role of a matchmaker and offered some suggestions for how the top of the division should be matched up to determine the next title challenger in a new Instagram post. This came shortly after Magomed Ankalaev's win at UFC Abu Dhabi, where the Kiwi was in attendance.

"After last night's fights, here's my thoughts," Ulberg wrote on Instagram. "Ankalaev vs. Jiri. Give them both full camps. It's a fight the division deserves, and stylistically, it's one the fans would love to see. Costa vs. Rountree. That's a wildcard. …

THAD JEAN GAVE 110% 🔋

WHAT A BATTLE#PFLDC | Main Card LIVE NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/iTAj3uzkjn

— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 26, 2026

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Thad Jean overcomes late replacement Ernesto Rodriguez after Shamil Musaev withdraws to capture the PFL welterweight championship Carefirst Arena in Washington, D.C., was the venue for Professional Fighters League's latest “Summer Series” fight night on Saturday, July 25.

In the main event, two of the top welterweights in the world were due to battle it out as 2025 tournament champion Thad Jean was set to fight 2024 tourney king Shamil Musaev, but the latter had complications with his weight cut and was replaced by Ernesto Rodriguez.

We were initially scheduled to an incredible fight on paper, but what we got in practice was somehow even more special as Jean and Rodriguez went to war from the bell. Jean was rattled by Rodriguez right hands multiple times in the opening frame, but gave a…

Getty Images/UFC

It wasn’t especially compelling viewing, but Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1) showed beyond a doubt that he is simply too much for the vast majority of light heavyweights to handle.

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In the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday at Etihad Arena, the recently dethroned champ faced Bogdan Guskov (18-4-1), who was promoted from next week’s Belgrade card to headliner duty when Khalil Rountree withdrew from the fight last month. Guskov had the opportunity to jump the line to a title shot if he could defeat Ankalaev, but there never appeared to be even the slightest chance, as the Dagestani dominated virtually every moment of the fight.

The first round was a tense affair, as Ankalaev employed his usual methodical approach on the feet while Guskov constantly switched stances and moved in and out of range, looking for an opportunity to land one of his trademark power shots. The haymaker never came, but Guskov landed enough kicks to…

Sherdog's live UFC Abu Dhabi coverage will begin Saturday at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 281. Round 1 Good morning, Vietnam Abu Dhabi! Hey, this is not a test. This is rock and roll. Time to rock it from the Nile delta to the UAE. Is that me, or does that sound like an Elvis Presley movie? Viva Yas Island. Yas Island me, Yas Island me, why don’t they get a…anyway, it’s time for the breakfast of champions: fist fighting in the early morn. The show opens with a bantamweight battle that may make referee Mike Beltran relieved as it might end in the blink of an eye. Gibson (21-12, 3-7 UFC) has his back against the wall in his second UFC stint, while Hussein (15-2, 0-0 UFC) is going to try his utmost to make a good first impression. Solid sportsmanship from the two is on display as the athletes gladly touch ‘em up to begin our day. Hussein, the shorter man, comes out of his corner reaching out his jab. Gibson swats him back with hooks that are …

Sherdog's live PFL Washington D.C. coverage will begin Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

A welterweight title fight headlines PFL Washington DC: Tune on Saturday, July 25 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores th…

Salahdine Parnasse has officially been announced as one of the headliners for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's upcoming trip to Paris.Salahdine Parnasse finally enters the UFC after championship run in KSW During the UFC Abu Dhabi broadcast, the promotion revealed that the highly-touted prospect will take on Dan Hooker at UFC Paris. A former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki lightweight and two-time featherweight titleholder, Parnasse (23-2, 0-0 UFC) has long been regarded as one of the best fighters outside the UFC. In his most recent outing, under the MVP MMA banner, he stopped Kenneth Cross with punches at the 4:18 mark of the opening round. Parnasse is riding a five-fight winning streak, including a victory over UFC veteran Marcin Held.

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Octagon veteran Hooker (24-14, 14-10 UFC) looks to bounce back after consecutive losses to Benoit St. Denis and Arman Tsarukyan. On both occasions, "The Hangman” has been finished in Round 2, with elbows and punches by St.…

Ready to impress 💪@AnkalaevM weighs in at 205.5 lbs

[ #UFCAbuDhabi | SAT JULY 25 | 12pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/V2ZbKcGmiz

— UFC (@ufc) July 24, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Abu Dhabi is now official following the UFC Abu Dhabi weigh-ins.

Headliners Magomed Ankalaev and Bogdan Guskov both successfully made light heavyweight for their upcoming five-round fight. All other fighters also successfully hit their marks in what was an uneventful weigh-in from a drama perspective. Saturday's card will feature 13 fights in total.

"Big Ank" returns to the promotion for the first time since losing the light heavyweight championship back to Alex Pereira. The Russian lost the belt via TKO in just 80 seconds. Prior to the setback, Ankalaev (20-2-1, 1 NC) hadn't lost a fight since 2018 and put together wins over Pereira, Aleksandar Rakic, Anthony Smith and more. Ankalaev officially weighed 205.5 pounds for th…

This sport always seems to find a way.

With outlet Happy Punch in conjunction with MMA matchmaker Dean Toole and newly created organization Duel, they released a fight poster on Friday announcing an MMA event in August. Atop the “Duel: Arena” billing, one where there is but a single bout announced thus far, will see Mike Perry (15-8) throw down with Dillon Danis (2-0) at 170 pounds. The organization, formed by online crypto casino Duelbet, has indicated that there will be MMA matches alongside kickboxing and boxing. It will all be contained in a ring at the Kia Arena in Orlando on Aug. 29.

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Reaction to the fight itself has been overwhelmingly negative, with Ultimate Fighting Championship cutman Brad Tate as well as fighters Philip Rowe, Charles Johnson and Jorge Masvidal all responding quickly to the Instagram announcement post. Some have already campaigned to either join the card themselves or push for their friends or training partners to get involv…

⚖️ #PFLDC Official Weigh Ins

PFL Welterweight World Title is official!Thad Jean: 169.2 lbsErnesto Rodriguez: 169.8 lbs#PFLDC | Saturday, July 25th | 📺Prelims 8PM EST on the ESPN App | Main Card 10PM EST on ESPN pic.twitter.com/XBkybqUk8L

— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 24, 2026 The Professional Fighters League welterweight championship will be on the line this Saturday after the PFL DC weigh-ins made it official today.

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Headlining the eight-fight mixed martial arts event is the title fight between welterweight king Thad Jean and late-notice challenger Ernesto Rodriguez. Both men made weight for the fight, which came together after would-be challenger Shamil Musaev bowed out due to weight-cutting issues. All other fighters on the card also successfully made weight.

The undefeated Jean has a perfect 11-0 record as a pro. Just 28, "Silverback" already has seven wins inside the promotion. The American most recently beat Logan Storl…

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.

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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

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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.

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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 …