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Javier Mendez isn’t excited about Ilia Topuria’s lightweight plans.

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Topuria recently said that he might be done competing at featherweight after only one title defense. The undefeated champ wants to instead move up to lightweight and fight Charles Oliveira with reigning 155-pound title holder Islam Makhachev already booked for his next defense.

Makhachev puts his belt on the line against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. While Topuria has taken multiple shots at Makhachev in the recent past, Mendez, the Dagestani’s long-term coach, isn’t paying heed just yet. Mendez is more focused on Makhachev’s upcoming defense against “Ahalkalakets,” whom he already beat via a hard-fought unanimous decision in 2019.

Mendez also reiterated Makhachev’s double-champ aspirations with a possible move up to welterweight. At the end of the day, Mendez promises Makhachev will ac…

⚡️ Bryce Mitchell got a DM from his future wife after Bryce had an interview with Tucker Carlson.

They ended up getting married and now their son is named after Tucker! 👏🎥 @dc_mma pic.twitter.com/bvw0FmVPtu

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 15, 2024

Bryce Mitchell has Tucker Carlson partly to thank for the beautiful family he has today.

Mitchell is quite an interesting character in several ways. The UFC featherweight is a flat earther who loves farming and lives a secluded life on his ranch in Arkansas. Mitchell is married to Erin Handlow, with whom he had a son earlier this year. “Thug Nasty” named his son Tucker after Carlson, whom he credits for helping him connect with Handlow.

While Mitchell has done multiple interviews with Carlson over the years, a particular one from 2022 went viral due to “Thug Nasty’s” wild theories and views on the government. Mitchell revealed that Handlow messaged him on Instagram after wa…

Joaquin Buckley kept things short and sweet during his appearance at the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

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“New Mansa” secured his sixth consecutive triumph in the evening’s main event, earning a technical knockout victory via doctor stoppage against Colby Covington at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. When he addressed media after the card, Buckley answered just one question but did manage to address of number of topics in his response.

“My first main event was a big success,” Buckley said. “I feel like the whole card was very successful, getting a lot of knockouts. I feel like my fight shouldn’t have been stopped. It is what it is. You’ve got to protect the fighters. I feel like 2025 is definitely my year and we definitely taking over. With this being said, this is on a six-fight winning streak. I’ve got eight knockouts within the UFC.

“I feel like I’ve done enough to really put myself in a position to, yet again, fight…

Cub Swanson knows he has the ideal opportunity to ride off into the sunset on a high note — but he isn’t closing the door on his mixed martial arts career just yet.

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The 41-year-old WEC veteran authored a memorable performance in the UFC Tampa co-main event on Saturday night, as he knocked out hometown favorite Billy Quarantillo at the 1:36 mark of Round 3 following a back-and-forth battle that garnered “Fight of the Night” honors. In his post-fight interview, Swanson revealed that he had told his wife beforehand that “this might be the last one.” However, he also acknowledges that the fighting itch won’t go away completely.

“I’m always going to be tempted. We’ll see how I heal up,” Swanson said at the post-fight press conference. “I’ve got three little kids that are getting a little bit older now and definitely want my attention more. I’ve got a bunch of fighters, my Team Bloodline, my guys I manage and coach. I put a lot of effort into them and t…

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Dana White is supremely confident that Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will square off in the Octagon, so much so that he is willing to guarantee the heavyweight title fight happens at some point next year.

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“Yeah, I’ll say 100 percent [guaranteed],” White said at the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

Aspinall recently revealed that he had a conversation with the UFC CEO at UFC 309, where White assured him that he would get his desired showdown with Jones sometime down the road.

Jones returned to action in the UFC 309 headliner, where he dispatched Stipe Miocic via third-round technical knockout in the evening’s main event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16. It was a fight that Jones insisted on keeping intact even after Aspinall become the promotion’s interim heavyweight king and defended the strap over the course of the past year while the New Mexico resident healed from a pectoral injury. In the aftermath…

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Jan Blachowicz is attending a secret training camp for his upcoming fight.

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Blachowicz is scheduled to fight Carlos Ulberg at UFC Fight Night 255 at the O2 Arena in London on Feb. 22. While the former light heavyweight champ primarily has a striking-heavy game, Blachowicz won’t hesitate to use his wrestling if needed. Although Blachowicz will be returning to the Octagon after a hiatus of more than a year and a half, the matchup against Ulberg could be a potential title eliminator. And the Polish powerhouse plans to focus on rallying for a title shot if he gets his hand raised.

“He [is a] standup fighter, I am standup fighter,” Blachowicz recently told James Lynch. “But you know, if I have to go use my wrestling, I will go and do it. It’s MMA, so… But I like fighting standup so for sure people are gonna see a lot of punches…I would like to win before time… I think if I win this fight in a good way, anyway I will start talking only a…

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚔️ Aljamain Sterling is looking to fight Brian Ortega or return in March on the UK card and fight Arnold Allen.

🎥 @Home_of_Fight pic.twitter.com/Rraprn2Ux2

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 14, 2024

Aljamain Sterling is aiming up the rankings despite a recent loss.

Sterling took on undefeated featherweight contender Movsar Evloev on the prelims at UFC 310 earlier this month. While “Funkmaster” dropped a unanimous decision against Evloev, the Russian arguably faced his toughest test to date.

Sterling isn’t even considering it a complete loss based on his performance. The former bantamweight champ doesn’t think he deserves to fight down the rankings after splitting his first two 145-pound appearances.

Sterling recently called out Arnold Allen, which would ideally go down at the O2 Arena for the UFC’s return to London on March 22. Sterling is otherwise eyeing former title challenger Brian Ortega within the sam…

CUB SWANSON WITH THE WALK-OFF K.O. 💥 #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/21HA1szYbt

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2024

Cub Swanson and Billy Quarantillo put on a show for the folks in Tampa on Saturday night.

As a result, the featherweight combatants took home “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their co-main event clash at UFC Tampa. Both fighters had their moments in a back-and-forth affair, but it was Swanson who put a lasting stamp on the bout when he rendered Quarantillo unconscious with a right cross 1:36 into Round 3.

Meanwhile, Dustin Jacoby earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his knockout of Vitor Petrino in a featured light heavyweight affair. After a measured opening 10 minutes, Jacoby found his desired opening in the final frame, when he dropped his Brazilian foe with a right cross and sealed his victory with a few follow-up shots at the 3:44 mark of the period.

Finally, Michael Johnson …

Pools of blood on the Octagon floor provided proof of Joaquin Buckley’s dominance.

“New Mansa” moved ever closer to title contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division, as he stopped Colby Covington on a cut in the third round of their UFC on ESPN 63 main event on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Referee Dan Miragliotta waved it off on the advice of the cageside physician 4:42 into Round 3.

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A late replacement for Ian Garry, Covington (17-5, 12-5 UFC) encountered immediate difficulty. Buckley (21-6, 11-4 UFC) hacked open a cut on his right eyelid with a slashing uppercut in the first round and turned up the heat from there. Power punching combinations paired with excellent takedown defense paved the way to the most significant victory of his career. The wound grew in size and depth as the minutes passed, and Covington was warned after the second round that the fight was on the verge of being halted. Buckley continu…

Bantamweight bully Lewis McGrillen-Evans (10-1) could be one of the most exciting additions to the Professional Fighters League Global roster next season after the Manchester native won the organization’s European bantamweight title with an outstanding second-round TKO over Alexander Luster at the PFL Europe 2024 Finals in Lyon, France.

McGrillen opened the fight very strong, dropping the German with a left hook, but Luster wouldn’t go away quietly. Luster shook off the cobwebs and cut McGrillen over his eye with his own heavy shots, and just like that, it was on. The two warriors slugged it out until the Manchester Top Team standout put Luster (9-2) flat on his back with another picture-perfect left hook. It would only take a few more finishing blows to cap off the performance. At 24, McGrillen–Evans could be a rising star in the PFL. Last season, he was stopped short of PFL Europe glory, but he redeemed himself on Saturday with an unforgettable performance.

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Michael Johnson still has more than enough firepower to make noise in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 finalist punched out former Brave Combat Federation champion Ottman Azaitar in the second round of their featured UFC on ESPN 63 prelim on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. In his first appearance since July 15, 2023, Azaitar (13-3, 2-3 UFC) crashed and burned 2:03 into Round 2.

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A tepid and mostly uneventful first five minutes gave way to a highlight-reel finish for one of the UFC’s most seasoned competitors. Azaitar set off a wild exchange in the center of the cage, showing no regard for his own safety. Johnson (23-19, 15-15 UFC) ducked out of danger and cut loose with a crushing right hook on the counter. Azaitar was out before he hit the mat, where he was met with a few more punches before referee Jason Herzog could cordon off the scene.

Meanwhile, Bandog Fight Club star Joel …

Professional Fighters League will conclude its historic year with the PFL Europe 2024 Finals in Lyon, France. Sherdog’s live coverage will kick off with the first bout at 11 a.m. ET.

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Play-by-play unavailable due to technical issuesThe Official Result Oscar Ownsworth def. Claudio Pacella via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) PFL Europe Welterweight Showcase Bout:Brice Belghazi (167.5) vs. Eoin Sheridan (170.8) Round 1 Ireland’s towering Sheridan and Lyon hometown favorite Belghazi face off, with Dan Movahedi the third man in the cage. Belghazi rushes straight in, clinches and shoves Sheridan to the fence, where he launches a couple of knees up the middle. Sheridan reverses him, knees him and fights off a takedown attempt. Sheridan then uses a trip of his own, to deposit the Frenchman on the canvas at the base of the fence. Belghazi kicks him off and they return to the feet, still clinched against the cage. Two minutes down, and Sheridan turns Belgh…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 63 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The event is also known UFC Tampa. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Knutsson (-230), Rodriguez (+190)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Taveras (-130), Grant (+110)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian K…

#UFCSaudiArabia is back with a BANG 💥@Stylebender vs @Imavov1 @Shara_Bullet77 vs @MichaelPage247

[ #RiyadhSeason | @RiyadhSeason ] pic.twitter.com/wCKv38qCmg

— UFC (@ufc) December 14, 2024

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A middleweight showdown pitting Israel Adesanya against Nassourdine Imavov will serve as the headliner for UFC Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1.

Additionally, Michael Page will square off against Sharabutdin Magomedov in another middleweight clash in the co-main event. UFC CEO Dana White announced the bouts on Saturday. UFC Fight Night 250 takes place at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and also includes a heavyweight tilt between Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Adesanya will be competing in his first non-title fight since he bested Anderson Silva at UFC 234 on Feb. 9, 2019. “The Last Stylebender” has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances and is coming off a fourth-round submission defeat against Dricus Du Pless…

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Tom Aspinall (15-3) claims he has been guaranteed a fight against Jon Jones (28-1).

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Jones was originally scheduled to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023 before being forced out with an injury. Tom Aspinall went on to knock out Sergei Pavlovich in an interim title fight on the same card.

With no timeline in sight for Jones’ return at that point, Aspinall initially called for “Bones” to be stripped off the title. The Brit later changed tune and started calling for a title unifier upon Jones’ return. However, Jones remained adamant on preserving his matchup against Miocic, whom he defeated via third-round stoppage at UFC 309 last month.

Despite Aspinall having even defended his title against Curtis Blaydes in the meantime, Jones is still loathe to fight the interim champ. While Jones was teasing retirement leading up to UFC 309, he is now plotting a mega fight against former champ Alex Pereira . Jon…

Curtis Blaydes (18-5) will welcome debutant Rizvan Kuniev (12-2) to the Octagon at UFC Seattle.

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Blaydes and Kuniev will meet in a heavyweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 252 on Feb. 22 at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Multiple outlets have confirmed the pairing after the matchup was first reported by Kuniev’s teammate Jairzinho Rozenstruik in an interview with James Lynch.

Blaydes challenged Tom Aspinall for the interim title in a rematch at UFC 304 this past July. “Honey Badger” knocked out Blaydes in just one minute, also avenging his lone UFC loss, where he blew his knee in the opening seconds back in 2022. Meanwhile, “Razor” has now sandwiched a win over Jailton Almedia between losses against Sergei Pavlovich and Aspinall.

Kuniev earned his UFC contract with a first round technical knockout win over Hugo -Cunha-52825">Hugo -Cunha-227763">Hugo Cunha on the Dana White's Contender Series this past August. While Kuniev entered D…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship completes its 2024 schedule this weekend with UFC on ESPN 63, which is now official after the weigh-ins took place.

All 26 fighters made weight for the promotion's final card of the year. Headlining the card is a fight between welterweight contenders Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley. Both men came in weighing 171 pounds for the five-round main event. In total, the card will feature 13 fights.

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Covington (17-4) will look to bounce back into the win column after coming up short in a title fight against Leon Edwards. "Chaos" has now lost two of his last three fights, with a win against Jorge Masvidal coming in between decision losses to Edwards and Kamaru Usman. The 36-year-old's best days are likely behind him, but we'll see how much he has in the tank in his lone fight of 2024.

Meanwhile, this marks the biggest fight in the career of Buckley (20-6). "New Mansa" is riding an impressive five-fig…

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A busy year for the Professional Fighters League wraps up on Saturday as the PFL Europe 4: 2024 Finals will take place.

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The event features four championship fights in the welterweight, lightweight, bantamweight and women's flyweight divisions. However, the card will be headlined by a welterweight showcase fight between Laureano Staropoli and Abdoul Abdouraguimov. All fighters successfully made weight, so the card will move forward with 12 fights.

Staropoli (13-6) enters the fight looking to rebound from a loss to Murad Ramazanov. Prior to the setback, "Pepi" had put together four straight wins. Meanwhile, Abdouraguimov (18-1, 1 NC) is riding eight straight victories into the main event. "The Lazy King" most recently won a split decision over Jack Grant. Staropoli came in at 170.8 pounds, while Abdouraguimov came in at 170.6 pounds.

PFL Europe 4: 2024 Finals will air live on Dazn starting at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

PFL Europ…

I will not leave the title vacant. The decision to move up to the next category is entirely mine. I haven't had any conversations with the UFC yet, so everything is still to be decided. Stop celebrating because I’m not going anywhere. I have conquered my division and I will do…

— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) December 12, 2024

Ilia Topuria is being cryptic about his plans to move up to lightweight.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight king recently revealed that we might have seen the last of him at 145 due to a lack of fresh challengers. Topuria (16-0) said he plans to move up to lightweight and face Charles Oliveira, eventually win the title and retire before he turns 30. “El Matador” attracted the attention of lightweights like Dustin Poirier, Paddy Pimblett and Renato “Money” Moicano by announcing his plans to move up to 155. Meanwhile, Diego Lopes, who was originally rallying for a featherweight title sh…

💥💥💥 ANNOUNCEMENT 💥💥💥10th Anniversary ⚡️ #RIZIN_DECADE🥊 Announcement: Joint Public Training Session 🥊

📆 Date: Saturday, December 14th, starting at 10:00 PM CT📍 Location: Somewhere in Tokyo

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✅ Participating Fighters:👑 Chihiro / 👑Satoshi / Motoya / Akimoto… pic.twitter.com/b2Cyvk2uhN — RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) December 11, 2024

Rizin Fighting Federation has put together an interesting card for New Year’s Eve.

Rizin 49 “Decade” goes down at Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo on Dec. 31. The card will be headlined by lightweight champ Roberto Satoshi de Souza (17-3) putting his belt on the line against former featherweight champ Vugar Karamov (20-5).

Souza is coming off back-to-back first round knockout wins and is 3-2 in his last five with both losses coming in promotional crossovers with Bellator stars A.J. McKee and Patricky Freire. Meanwhile, Karamov lost his featherweight title via a knockout against Chihiro Suzuki at …

🚨 Deiveson Figueiredo says he's willing to go back down to flyweight and fight Alexandre Pantoja for the belt 👀

"Since [Pantoja] is looking for someone, I think I'm the best option. I'm available man...

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In my entire career in the UFC, I only missed weight once... If I have… pic.twitter.com/SUJW8gJH2l — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 11, 2024

Alexandre Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo are teasing an Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight rematch.

Pantoja (29-5) has defended his flyweight strap thrice since winning it against Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 last year. “The Cannibal” most recently choked out two-time Rizin Fighting Federation champ Kai Asakura who received an immediate shot at UFC 310 earlier this month after signing with the UFC. This is mostly due to a lack of flyweight challenges for Pantoja, apart from running it back with Moreno or Royval.

However, a new contender has seemingly entered …

👀🤼Chase Hooper doubts Shavkat Rakhmonov’s grappling skills:

“We just never seen him fighting grappler… He’s undefeated for sure, but let’s see him against good wrestler… before giving him shot for the belt.”

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🎥 @Home_of_Fight ▫️ pic.twitter.com/TyAG1frW6t — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 11, 2024

Chase Hooper thinks Shavkat Rakhmonov has yet to show he is ready for an Ultimate Fighting Championship title shot.

Rakhmonov (19-0) was originally offered a welterweight title shot against Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 earlier this month before “Remember the Name” pulled out due to a bone infection. Muhammad was replaced by Ian Garry in a potential title eliminator against the fellow undefeated contender.

While Rakhmonov was a massive -290 favourite going into the fight, +215 underdog Garry gave him a run for his money. Although “Nomad” roped in a unanimous decision, he struggled to take Garry down throughou…

Global Fight League regular season begins in April.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/Dz28thyBvG

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) December 11, 2024

If it all comes to fruition, the Global Fight League could be an interesting new addition to the mixed martial arts landscape.

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On Wednesday, promotion founder Darren Owen announced plans to launch a team-based MMA league with a season format beginning in April 2025. According to a release, the league will feature six teams in “major global markets.” There will be a draft on Jan. 24 to select the fighters to represent each team. The launch of the league was initially announced on the Ariel Helwani Show.

"Our new league is a logical evolution for MMA," Owen said in a release. "Our mission is to embrace fighters as true equitable partners from inception and, together, create a format that can be understood by any sports fan. I've had hundreds of conversations with MMA legends and ri…

Jack Shore is calling it a career before he turns 30.

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The nine-time UFC competitor and former Cage Warriors champion announced his retirement via social media on Wednesday.

“As what may come as a surprise to a few I’ve decided to hang up the gloves on my professional fighting career,” Shore wrote on Instagram. “After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about what’s next it’s clear to me that my time with professional fighting is done. Although I had the chance to re-sign with UFC, I’ve decided my time’s done. I want to thank the UFC for letting me live out my childhood dream of fighting for the worlds biggest organization and against some of the best in the world, I’ve enjoyed every minute!

“From what started as a kid with a dream, led me to amateur titles, world titles and living out my dream of fighting in the UFC. I can truly say for every single fight I gave the training and the fights my all, never said no, never ask…