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Victoria Dudakova Apologizes for Slapping Husband After UFC Vegas 101 Loss

One of the lasting images from the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first event of 2025 was that of Victoria Dudakova slapping one of her coaches following a loss to Fatima Kline.

As it turns out, Dudakova has a more personal relationship with the object of her wrath: He’s also her husband. On Tuesday, Dudakova released a statement apologizing for the incident.

“The emotions have calmed down a bit,” Dudakova wrote on Instagram. “First of all, I would like to apologize to my husband and coach. I was upset that at such a difficult moment, he turned away from me and did not want to go into the cage. This is not an excuse and I am not looking for an excuse for myself. I did the wrong thing, I could not control my emotions. I set a bad example for athletes and the younger generation. I also want to apologize to sports fans. Thank you to everyone who stays with me in such a difficult situation.”

😳Victoria Dudakova slapped one …

PFL Officially Announces Tournament Format, $500K Payouts for Winners

You only get 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧.☝️

64 Fighters. Single elimination tournament 💰🏆

One Shot to WIN. One Shot to ADVANCE. One Shot at a WORLD TITLE#PFLWorldTournament pic.twitter.com/7YlTLgKPAB — PFL (@PFLMMA) January 15, 2025

As expected, Professional Fighters League is doing away with its season format in favor of grand-prix style tournaments in each weight class.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that it will be launching what is called its 2025 World Tournament beginning this April. The single-elimination brackets will feature eight fighters from eight different weight classes — heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and women’s flyweight. Winners will receive a $500,000 bonus, and according to a release, the PFL World Tournament will “pay out over $20 million in prize money” overall.

The first round of the tournament will begin in April, followed by semifin…

Arman Tsarukyan: Adriano Martins’ Win vs. Islam Makhachev Wasn’t ‘Lucky Punch’

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Arman Tsarukyan has high praise for Adriano Martins, the only man to beat Islam Makhachev.

Tsarukyan challenges Makhachev for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Las Vegas. In preparation, Tsarukyan is training with Martins, who dealt Makhachev his lone career loss in 2015.

Makhachev faced Martins in his sophomore Ultimate Fighting Championship outing in 2015, when he suffered a first-round knockout loss. With Makhachev having since taken over the lightweight division, many attribute that loss to a lucky shot from Martins. However, Tsarukyan doesn’t think so after sparring with the Brazilian veteran. According to “Ahalkalakets,” Martins holds natural power in his hands, which left him bleeding for two weeks after getting hit in sparring.

“I’ll tell you straight, his punch is insane,” Tsarukyan told Ushatayka (h/t Home of Fight). “It’s not just a lucky punch, as people say. He…

Nate Diaz Denies Alleged Elevator Encounter With Islam Makhachev

Nate Diaz and Team Makhachev threw water bottles at each other backstage 😳 #UFC310 pic.twitter.com/gr3TDd5abt

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 7, 2024

Nate Diaz claims he doesn’t remember meeting Islam Makhachev in an elevator.

Makhachev’s and Diaz’s teams recently got into a near-brawl over unclear reasons. Makhachev defends his title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The lightweight champ was in Las Vegas for a presser this past December when he came across Diaz, who was cornering teammate Kron Gracie against Bryce Mitchell at UFC 310.

Both teams hurled water bottles at each other and have later accused the other side of starting the altercation. Makhachev believes Diaz hurled the first water bottle, mistaking one of his teammates to be Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev also recently said that Diaz was respectful towards him when they allegedly met in an elevator a few mont…

Aljamain Sterling: Dvalishvili Will Have No Issues Grappling Nurmagomedov

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Aljamain Sterling thinks Merab Dvalishvili will retain his bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov.

Dvalishvili will defend his strap against Nurmagomedov in the co-main event at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Many expect Nurmagomedov to pose the biggest threat to Dvalishvili so far with his strong wrestling base and well-rounded skillset. However, Sterling believes fans are overestimating the level of competition from Nurmagomedov, at least in terms of the wrestling.

Nurmagomedov’s most high-caliber win so far came against Cory Sandhagen, who was able to defend the Dagestani’s takedown attempts multiple times. Based on that fight, Sterling doesn’t see Nurmagomedov posing a threat to Dvalishvili, who also comes from a grappling background.

“I mean if Cory Sandhagen could get ready, a guy who’s not coming from a grappling background at all – what do you think Merab is gonna do?” Sterling said on h…

Ex-Bellator Featherweight Champ Patricio Freire Released from PFL Contract

One of Professional Fighters League’s most vocal critics is now a free agent.

PFL chairman and founder Donn Davis announced via social media on Tuesday that Patricio Freire has been released from the promotion, and Sherdog.com subsequently confirmed the news with a promotion official. In recent months, Freire had been critical of both his contract and lack of activity since PFL purchased Bellator in late 2023.

“[The PFL] is all about opportunity,” Davis wrote. “I founded this company to create new great opportunities for top fighters. PFL has and will continue to do that for all top fighters who want to be here.”

We are releasing @PatricioPitbull @PFLMMA is all about opportunity

I founded this company to create new great opportunities for top fighters

PFL has and will continue to do that for all top fighters who want to be here #PFLMMA

— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) January 14, 2025

One of the top feat…

Exec Confirms End of Bellator MMA: All Content, Fight Events Will Be ‘PFL Branded’

ALL fighters now integrated and connected in one powerful roster

One Brand 👊@PFLMMA 👊One Roster

Professional Fighters League #PFLMMA pic.twitter.com/JcylkqFQSA — Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) January 14, 2025

The Bellator MMA brand is officially a thing of the past.

Professional Fighters League chairman and founder Donn Davis released a statement clarifying Bellator’s status on Tuesday, announcing that “all fighters [are] now integrated and connected in one powerful roster.” In short, that means the Bellator name will not be associated with any fighters or events under the PFL umbrella.

The full statement posted by Davis on social media is as follows:

Professional Fighters League acquired Bellator MMA one year ago primarily for its great fighter roster. The PFL brand has become synonymous with the “win and advance” format and product innovation. PFL has established itself as a premium brand doing things diffe…

Nathaniel Wood vs. Morgan Charriere, Three Other Bouts Confirmed for UFC London

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A featherweight clash pitting Nathaniel Wood against Morgan Charriere was one of four bouts announced for UFC London on Tuesday.

The Las Vegas-based promotion also confirmed the following three fights for the event: Nathan Fletcher vs. Caolan Loughran at bantamweight; Lone'er Kavanagh vs. Felipe dos Santos at flyweight and Jai Herbert vs. Chris Padilla at lightweight.

UFC London takes place at the O2 Arena on March 22 and is expected to be headlined by a welterweight scrap between ex-champ Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena.

A former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship champion, Wood has been victorious in four of his last five Octagon appearances. Most recently, “The Prospect” took a unanimous decision over Daniel …

Justin Gaethje Expects to Fight Dan Hooker at UFC 313

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Justin Gaethje (25-5) is preparing to return to action against Dan Hooker (24-12).

Gaethje is currently at a crossroads in his career. Gaethje has dropped two lightweight title bids, against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 and Charles Oliveira in 2022. “The Highlight” then bounced back with a decision win over Rafael Fiziev followed by a highlight-reel head kick KO against Dustin Poirier.

With a lightweight title shot still not in sight, Gaethje then took on Max Holloway in a BMF title fight at UFC 300 in April 2024. In a shocking upset, Holloway beat down Gaethje for five rounds, challenged him to a slugfest in the final seconds and knocked him out in a buzzer beater.

Gaethje is now back in training and already has a date and opponent in mind for his return. While he is yet to put pen to paper, the 36-year-old is in talks for a clash against Hooker at UFC 313 on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“So there’s no official fight …

Jiri Prochazka Believes He Can Beat Alex Pereira in Trilogy Fight

Jiri Prochazka is confident he can become a UFC champ once more.

Prochazka takes on Jamahal Hill at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles in a high stakes light heavyweight matchup. “BJP” initially won the title against Glover Teixeira in 2022 but vacated it months later due to a shoulder injury. He faced Teixeira’s protege, Alex Pereira, for the vacant title at UFC 295 in 2023, when he suffered a second-round TKO loss. While he bounced back with a stoppage win over Aleksandar Rakic, the Czech has since dropped his rematch against “Poatan” at UFC 303 in June 2024.

However, Prochazka claims to have since made significant changes in his lifestyle, which could propel him towards a third title fight with Pereira.

“I said that many times, and I mean that very seriously,” Prochazka told MMAjunkie.com. “Everything that I say, I mean very seriously. I believe that I’ve made improvements to my style, to my life, in everything so I can…

Khabib Nurmagomedov Shares Coaching Retirement Plan

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Khabib Nurmagomedov won’t step away from coaching until his teammates are done.

Nurmagomedov put Dagestan on the MMA world map with his spectacular reign at the top of the UFC lightweight division. However, “The Eagle” is only the leader of a long list of elite fighters trained by his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov retired from the sport in 2020 at the age of 32 after the death of his father due to COVID-19 complications. Nurmagomedov has since stepped into coaching shoes, guiding his teammates and cousins to world titles across every promotion in the world. While he once hinted at stepping away from coaching in 2023, the MMA GOAT contender couldn’t stay away for long.

Nurmagomedov has a busy fortnight ahead with three of his teammates competing in title fights. Islam Makhachev (26-1) defends his UFC lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) in the main event at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome i…

Robert Whittaker: There’s ‘Skill Gap’ Between Islam Makhachev, Arman Tsarukyan

👀Robert Whittaker says there is a 'skill gap' between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan:

“I just feel there is a skill gap. Islam is in a very good place right now. I find it very hard to see him getting defeated.”

🎥 @MMArcadePodcast ▫️ pic.twitter.com/5YSwG7Eeku — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 13, 2025

Robert Whittaker doesn’t think Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan are on the same level.

Makhachev puts his lightweight title on the line in a rematch against Tsarukyan in the main event at UFC 311 on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Tsarukyan previously dropped a hard-fought unanimous decision against Makhachev in his short-notice UFC debut in 2019. Tsarukyan has since lost only once in 10 outings and comes off a split-decision win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April 2024.

Meanwhile, Makhachev has defended his title three times since winning it against Oliveira in 2020. The Dage…

Holly Holm Granted UFC Release, Open to Boxing and MMA Options in Free Agency

It’s the end of an era for Holly Holm and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The former bantamweight queen has been granted her UFC release to explore other options. Ariel Helwani was first to report the news on Wednesday. According to longtime agent Lenny Fresquez, Holm could pursue fights in either MMA or boxing. Though she parted ways with the UFC with two fights left on her contract, there is no animosity between fighter and promotion.

“It’s been a great relationship,” Fresquez told the Albuquerque Journal. “This is just about Holly taking advantage of other opportunities in her last few fights.”

In addition to being a former UFC title holder, the 43-year-old Holm is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame who has compiled a 32-2-3 mark in the Sweet Science. Holm initially made the transition to MMA in 2011 and won seven consecutive bouts before making her UFC debut in 2015. “The Preacher’s Daughter” skyrocketed to stardom wit…

Broadcast Plans Revealed for PFL’s Road to Dubai Champions Series Event

🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🚨

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 13, 2025

The mystery surrounding broadcast details for Professional Fighters League’s Road to Dubai Champions Series event is no more.

The promotion announced Monday that Road to Dubai will live on Max in the United States — much like Bellator Champions Series Events in 2024. The 12-bout card will begin at 10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT.

Road to Dubai takes place at Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is headlined by a lightweight title clash between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes. In the co-main event, former Bellator light heavyweight king Vadim Nemkov will face Tim Johnson in a heavyweig…

Frontier Airlines Releases Statement Regarding Khabib Nurmagomedov Incident

A video of retired UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov being escorted off an Alaska Airlines flight has gone viral.

It appears staff reported feeling 'uncomfortable' with his apparent grasp of English as he sat in an exit row seat where he would need to assist in an emergency. pic.twitter.com/Bf7S7jLji6

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 12, 2025

Frontier Airlines has released its side of the story regarding an incident where UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from one of its flights over the weekend.

On Sunday, video surfaced of Nurmagomedov having an argument with a flight attendant about his seat on the exit row. The source of the disagreement appeared to be regarding Nurmagomedov’s ability to assist others in the event of an emergency. Though Nurmagomedov left the plane without incident, it prompted the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to call for an investigation into potential racial a…

Renzo Gracie, Hugo Duarte Announce Joint Competition to Be Held in Houston

#BJJ #Grappling #BJJTournament #NoGi #JiuJitsu #RenzoGracie #HugoDuarte #RGI #RenzoGracieInvitational #HugoDuarteLutaLivre #USALutaLivre #USALutaLivreNationals #LutaLivreAmericanNationals #LutaLivre #SubmissionWrestling #RGI2025 pic.twitter.com/5IavLmUf6Y

— USA Luta Livre (@usalutalivre) January 9, 2025

As initially reported in August 2023, former Brazilian rivals Renzo Gracie and Hugo Duarte have joined forces as partners at an academy in Texas.

“Definitely the world turns around. After years of war, I found out that one of my biggest rivals is such a unique person, and turned into a great friend and business partner,” Duarte told Sherdog.com.

“Those crazy times were very important to forge who we are today,” Gracie added. “A man is the enemy he has, and I have the honor and glory of having Hugo as enemy, because that motivated me to be stronger. One year after he came here to the United States, I´m pro…

Though Date Remains Unknown, Tom Aspinall Staying Sharp for Jon Jones Fight

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It should come as no suprise that Tom Aspinall is on board for a heavyweight title unification bout against Jon Jones.

After enjoying a break for the holidays, the interim heavyweight king recently returned to the gym with an eye on a future date against Jones.

“Got to get back to reality now and get back training for the biggest fight in MMA at the moment,” Aspinall said on his YouTube channel.

Aspinall has been lobbying for a title unification bout for months, long before Jones returned to action to dispatch Stipe Miocic via third-round technical knockout at UFC 309 on Nov. 16. In the aftermath of the bout, Jones indicated that a hefty financial offer might convince him to accept a fight against an opponent that he has otherwise been reluctant to acknowledge. For now, Aspinall doesn’t have any updates on negotiations for the bout, other than what is happening on his side — and that, of course, is the simple part.

“I …

UFC 311 Update: Newcomer Billy Elekana Steps in to Face Bogdan Guskov

Billy Elekana will replace Johnny Walker and square off against Bogdan Guskov at UFC 311.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the new light heavyweight booking on Monday. Walker recently revealed that he would be forced to withdraw from UFC 311 due to a “bad injury.”

A native of Apple Valley, California, Elekana has been victorious in seven of his eight professional outings since beginning his career in 2021. The 29-year-old has notably earned victories competing for Professional Fighters League and Legacy Fighting Alliance. In his lone appearance of 2024, Elekana stopped Jureall Simmons in the opening stanza at Lights Out Extreme Fighting 18 this past July.

After suffering a first-round submission loss to Volkan Oezdemir in his Octagon debut, Guskov has rebounded to score back-to-back KO/TKO wins against Zac Pauga and Ryan Spann in UFC competition.

UFC 311 takes place on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and is headline…

Leon Edwards vs. Jack Della Maddalena Expected to Headline UFC London

A welterweight showdown pitting ex-champ Leon Edwards against rising contender Jack Della Maddalena has been targeted to headline UFC London.

The booking was initially reported by Benny P, and MMAFighting.com has since confirmed that the bout is in the works. The UFC has not officially confirmed the booking. UFC London — also known as UFC Fight Night 255 — takes place on March 22 at the O2 Arena in London, England, and is also features a light heavyweight bout between Jan Blachowicz and Carlos Ulberg.

Edwards will return to action for the first time since relinquishing the 170-pound strap to Belal Muhammad in a unanimous decision defeat at UFC 304 this past July. Prior to that, “Rocky” had gone unbeaten in 13 consecutive Octagon appearances, a run that included successful title defenses against Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.

Della Maddalena, meanwhile, will carry a 17-fight professional winning streak into the matchup with Edwards. The 28-year-old Aussi…

Mackenzie Dern Adopting Patient Approach to Reaching UFC Championship Goal

While Mackenzie Dern entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship with a fair amount of hype behind her, it has taken some time for her to develop into more of a complete mixed martial artist.

That evolution was on display in the UFC Vegas 101 headliner on Saturday, as Dern outstruck Amanda Ribas on the feet before eliciting a tapout from her Brazilian foe with an armbar at the 4:56 mark of Round 3. The triumph allowed Dern to avenge a previous defeat against Ribas that occurred in October 2019. Though Dern believes she is improving in all facets, the ultimate goal remains the same.

“I feel like the striking and everything is setting up more of my jiu-jitsu. I feel like when I get a submission, it’s not because I was focusing on being a striker. But I think it means my striking and my takedowns are getting better. It’s giving me more opportunities to still get the fight to the ground,” Dern said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“I’m a…

Video: Khabib Nurmagomedov Removed from Plane After Dispute with Flight Attendant

A video of retired UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov being escorted off an Alaska Airlines flight has gone viral.

It appears staff reported feeling 'uncomfortable' with his apparent grasp of English as he sat in an exit row seat where he would need to assist in an emergency. pic.twitter.com/Bf7S7jLji6

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 12, 2025

Former UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov champion was apparently forced to exit a Frontier Airlines flight following a dispute regarding his seat in an exit row.

In a video uploaded from the TikTok account viceplayer28, Nurmagomedov is seen arguing with a flight attendant about his seat on the plane. The area of disagreement appears to be regarding Nurmagomedov’s ability to assist others in the event of an emergency. While Nurmagomedov did not agree with the flight staff’s assessment, he appears to exit the plane without further incident.

The conversation with the flight …

Carlos Prates Sends Warning to UFC Champ Belal Muhammad

Carlos Prates sends a message to Belal Muhammad 👀🔜

(via. IG / @thenightmare170) #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/isshDoAAVI

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 11, 2025

Carlos Prates (21-6) has lofty aspirations early into his Ultimate Fighting Championship career.

Prates recently sent a warning to Belal Muhammad after exchanging a few words with the welterweight champ last year. Muhammad was cornering teammate Charlie Radtke, who was riding a six-fight winning streak when he took on Prates at UFC Louisville in June 2024. “The Nightmare” finished Radtke with a devastating knee to the body in the closing seconds of the opening round. Muhammad’s reaction of a bewilderment immediately after was captured on camera. Prates walked towards the champ and exchanged a few words, which weren’t audible.

Prates recently reminded Muhammad of their exchange, warning him of a potential meeting soon.

“Remember my words champ,…

Giga Chikadze to Face David Onama at UFC Fight Night on April 5

Giga Chikadze (15-4) is set to return to action against David Onama (13-2).

Chikadze and Onama will trade leather in a featherweight matchup at a UFC Fight Night on April 5 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The matchup was first reported by @MagicM_MMABets on X. Onama subsequently confirmed the pairing via social media.

Chikadze started his UFC journey on a seven-fight unbeaten streak, a run that included a few spectacular finishes. However, the Georgian has since dropped two out of his last three, albeit against top-tier competition. “Ninja” last suffered a unanimous decision loss against Arnold Allen at UFC 304 in July 2024.

Meanwhile, Onama is riding a three-fight winning streak after going 2-2 in his first four UFC bouts. “Silent Assassin” is coming off a unanimous decision win over debutant Roberto Romero at UFC 309 this past November.

Mackenzie Dern Armbars Amanda Ribas in UFC Vegas 101 Headliner

The second verse was different from the first.

Mackenzie Dern avenged a 2019 decision defeat to Amanda Ribas and continued to reassert herself as serious contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division, as she submitted the Brazilian with an armbar in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 249 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Ribas (13-6, 7-5 UFC) raised the white flag 4:56 into Round 3.

The rivals traded strikes, takedowns and positional control through two competitive rounds. Ribas grounded the 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships gold medalist early in the third, only to slowly wander into danger. Dern swept into mount under threat of an armbar and pounded away with elbows and punches before once again isolating a limb. She sat back on the armbar, activated her hips with time running out and left Ribas no choice but to capitulate.

Meanwhile, American Top Team mains…

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