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Caio Borralho believes former training partner Khamzat Chimaev beats Robert Whittaker in their upcoming matchup.

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Chimaev is scheduled to trade leather against Whittaker at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Borralho was Chimaev’s main sparring partner for a scheduled matchup against Nate Diaz in September 2022, a fight which never came to fruition. “The Natural” believes Chimaev’s opponents can’t gauge the true extent of “Borz’s” wrestling prowess until they are sharing the Octagon with him. Borralho notes that Chimaev is coming off a majority decision win over former champ Kamaru Usman, who has left behind ace grapplers like Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos and Gilbert Burns in his wake. While the Brazilian expects Chimaev to beat Whittaker, he isn’t completely counting “Bobby Knuckles” out given his championship history.

“I already training with him, spent some time in Sweden with him for his training camp against…

Belal Muhammad (24-3) recently dismissed Shavkat Rakhmonov’s (18-0) claims that he isn’t keeping his promise of being an active champion.

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Muhammad won the welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 this past July. Rakhmonov claims he has since received an offer to challenge “Remember the Name,” which he accepted. However, “Nomad” accuses Muhammad of turning down the booking, which was supposedly offered for UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to Rakhmonov, Muhammad rejected the offer due to the timeline. The undefeated Kazakh also accuses Muhammad of not being an active champion.

“Actually I’ve already been offered to fight Belal and I accepted the fight against Belal,” Rakhmomov told MMAFighting.com. “But unfortunately he declined to fight me due to timing issues. He wasn’t ready to defend is belt on that time. So we’ll see what’s gonna happen and when he’s gonna be ready. So I’ll be able to figh…

UFL 5: PHOENIX vs VEGAS is set for AUG 30 👊

Witness Phoenix coach Henry Cejudo and Vegas coach Frank Mir lead top-level talent in a battle for state supremacy 🏆

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🎟 - https://t.co/PprrSI1czQ | 📍 CHANDLER AZ | 🏟 Wild Horse Pass Casino pic.twitter.com/b0jhcwDpdb — United Fight League (@UnitedMMALeague) July 26, 2024 A year and a half after its first event, the United Fight League has ushered a new era in mixed martial arts. As the only MMA promotion to provide health insurance, life insurance and shares in the company to all of its signed fighters, the UFL vows to set the new standard for the fight business.

“We are the first combat sports league to offer health insurance and shares in the company to show that hey, if you help us build this idea, we’ll all win, we’ll all eat together,” UFL CEO Harrison Rogers told Sherdog.com. “It had only been a crazy idea. It’s been like twisting arms to get people to take a chance with…

Bellator MMA’s upcoming card in San Diego is down two fights.

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The promotion recently announced that Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno and Grant Neal vs. Khalid Murtazaliev are now off the Sept. 7 card. As a result, a women’s flyweight clash pitting Sumiko Inaba against Mackenzie Stiller has been elevated to the main draw. A reason for the cancellations was not revealed.

Bellator Champions Series San Diego takes place at Pechanga Arena and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alexandr Shabliy. The event will air in its entirety on Max beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Stots is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Danny Sabatello at Bellator 301 and is 8-1 since joining the promotion in 2019. Breno, meanwhile, hasn’t competed since April 2023, when he suffered a second-round submission defeat to Sabatello at Bellator 294.

Neal had a three-bout winning streak snapped on March 22, when he dro…

The PFL MENA semifinals have been finalized for Sept. 20 in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia.

After regular season events on May 10 and July 12, the brackets at featherweight, welterweight, lightweight and bantamweight remain largely intact with the exception of one 155-pound matchup. According to a release from the PFL, Abdullah Saleem has failed an in-competition drug test and has been removed from his semifinal bout against Omar Reguigui. As a result, Georges Eid will step in and face Reguigui.

PFL MENA 3 takes place at the promotion’s studio in Boulevard City and is headlined by a featherweight semifinal clash between Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Abdalrahman Alhyasat. In the co-main event, Jarrah Al-Silawi will lock horns with Omar El Dafrawy in a welterweight semifinal. Winners of the semifinal bouts will advance to a PFL MENA championship event later this year.

“We’re very excited to be heading into the playoffs of the inaugural PFL MENA season. Fighters in the ba…

Norma Dumont recently went off on Julianna Pena, who will receive the next UFC women’s bantamweight title shot.

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Pena is set to challenge Raquel Pennington for the bantamweight title in the co-main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to Dumont, Pena getting the next title shot is a slap in the face of the rest of the division. Dumont believes “The Venezuelan Vixen” has done nothing of significance to warrant a title shot.

Pena’s biggest claim to fame is a submission win over Amanda Nunes to win the bantamweight title at UFC 269 in 2021 in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport. Dumont claims Pena’s win over Nunes came on a night when the “Lioness” just wasn’t herself. Dumont also recalled Pena’s lopsided beatdown on the way to a unanimous decision loss against “The Lioness” in their rematch at UFC 277 in July 2022. Dumont believes it is really unfair that the upcoming title shot goes to P…

Getting lectured by a guy who drinks blood and wears a purse.. Dawg you had a mid life crisis and tattooed your entire body. The "the x community of intolerance" yall I'd hang out with you toxic trolls any day over this cunt... Go back to cutting yourself you fucking weirdo https://t.co/4CY2L7gypT

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) August 27, 2024

Sean Strickland has a developing beef with rapper/musician Colson Baker, who is professionally known as Machine Gun Kelly.

It all started with Strickland running into MGK at a Power Slap event back in February. The former UFC middleweight champ asked the rapper to dress like a man, also questioning actress Megan Fox’s rationale in choosing him as a partner.

“You guys what the f— is going on.......... Transformers Megan Fox is with that thing..... what the actual fuck has happened to the world?! What did I miss? Is she OK? Is this man the devil? [Megan Fox] are you ok? Do you need assistance?!” Read more about Ex-UFC Champ Sean Strickland Trades Barbs with Machine Gun Kelly

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Shavkat Rakhmonov considers himself the clear No. 1 contender for the next UFC welterweight title shot and believes Kamaru Usman should be ashamed to even compete in that race.

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The welterweight title recently changed hands with Belal Muhammad dethroning Leon Edwards via unanimous decision at UFC 304 in Manchester in July. Rakhmonov, Usman, Jack Della Maddalena and Edwards appear to be among the leading contender for the next shot at Muhammad.

However, Rakhmonov believes that while others are close, he is clearly the most deserving candidate with all 18 of his career wins coming via stoppage — six of them in the UFC.

“UFC thinks that I’m the No.1 contender and I should be next,” Rakhmonov told Submission Radio. “Because there’s no [other] clear contender anyway. I got 100% finishes, all wins on the UFC. So I rightfully should be next. Everyone else [is] also very close but I think they need couple of wins to get this title sho…

Miranda Maverick has issued a warning to Tracy Cortez ahead of their upcoming fight.

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Maverick and Cortez will trade leather in a flyweight matchup on Dec. 14 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida at UFC on ESPN 63, which also marks the promotion’s return to the city for the first time since 2019. The matchup was first announced by Maverick and confirmed by multiple outlets.

While announcing the fight, Maverick also issued her opponent a warning about fake eyelashes. Cortez is coming off a unanimous decision loss against former strawweight champ Rose Namajunas at UFC Denver this past July. The fight also saw Namajunas send one of Cortez’s fake eyelashes flying with a punch, a moment which was meme fodder for weeks after the bout. On Tuesday, Maverick cautioned her opponent against putting on fake eyelashes at UFC Tampa.

“[Rose Namajunas] got it last time; now it’s my turn,” Maverick wrote on Instagram. “I have a long time until the fight which…

Malcolm Wellmaker dropped the hammer.

The Faglier’s MMA rep was one of four hopefuls to nail down an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract during Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as he punched out Adam Bramhald in the first round of their bantamweight showcase on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Bramhald (13-3, 0-1 DWCS) crashed and burned 2:29 into Round 1, his 11-fight winning streak having run its course.

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Wellmaker (8-0, 1-0 DWCS) operated behind a punishing jab, absorbed a few leg kicks and waited for an opportunity to present itself. The Augusta, Georgia, native countered a jab from Bramhald with a crushing counter right hook and dropped the Asylum Vale Tudo where he stood. No follow-up shots were necessary.

Middleweight Marco Tulio will join Wellmaker on the UFC roster, along with featherweight Bogdan Grad and middleweight Andrey Pulyaev.

Chute Boxe’s Tulio buried Hexagone MMA champion Matthieu Letho Duclos with a spinnin…

Sherdog's coverage of Dana White's Contender Series Week 3 begins Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Round 1 Keith Peterson will be the ref for this flyweight affair. Duffy is starting the fight on his back with his feet resting on the fence, but he rolls into position at the last second. Duffy comes out throwing a variety of kicks before shooting for a takedown. Piccininni keeps his balance, gets an underhook and drives a knee into the midsection. They continue to trade knees against the fence and Peterson urges them to keep working. Piccininni pulls Duffy off the fence and gets a takedown. Duffy starts hunting for submissions immediately, and Piccininni stands over his grounded foe. Piccininni and just misses a big right hand. Duffy has an extremely active guard from bottom, and he forces Piccininni to defend a kneebar. Piccininni frees himself and they stand. Piccininni lands a quick left. Duffy leaps in with a knee and then connects with a heavy leg kick. Duffy goes up high…

The financial strain of being a professional mixed martial artist has become too much for Darren Stewart.

The 33-year-old Brit announced his retirement from MMA on Tuesday in a post on his Instagram account. According to Stewart, continuing to pursue a fighting career has become a burden on his family.

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“It hurts me to write this, but I think it’s time to call it a day,” Stewart wrote. “Not by choice, but I’m forced to because I’ve lost a lot to this game trying to survive, and I can’t do it no more. When UFC let me go I should have invested something, but instead I put all my eggs in one basket AGAIN to get back to the top and life has gotten even worse. I’ve got family, and it’s not fair on them stressing just to keep food on the table.

“I love fighting, and I don’t want to call it as I’m only 33, but I’m not getting any help financially. Spoke about it a few times, so not going to go into it. Maybe I’ll get into boxing if it ever arises, bu…

A lightweight bout pitting Myktybek Orolbai against Mateusz Rebecki has been added to the UFC 308 lineup.

Full Violence was first to report the pairing. UFC 308 takes place on Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a featherweight championship tilt between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.

A native of Kyrgysztan, Orolbai has been victorious in eight consecutive professional outings. The 26-year-old has kicked off his UFC tenure with back-to-back triumphs against Uros Medic and Elves Brener.

A winner on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, Poland’s Rebecki began his UFC career with three straight victories. However, a 16-bout professional winning streak came to an end in his last appearance at UFC on ESPN 56, where he fell to Diego Ferreira via third-round TKO.

Twenty-fight mixed martial arts veteran Andrew Osborne was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison for stabbing a man to death earlier this year.

According to a statement from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office (via via MMAjunkie.com), Osborne pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter this past Thursday. Osborne must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Osborne, 36, stabbed 47-year-old Brian Wilkinson to death inside at hotel room at Ocean Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 30. According to a separate report from NJ.com, Osborne stabbed Wilkinson in the head and neck and left the room wearing the victim’s shoes and pants. Osborne then fled with his wife to Philadelphia, where he was located by detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit and arrested.

Osborne competed as a pro MMA fighter from 2011 to 2017, compiling an 8-11 mark with one no contest. He fought…

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Randy Couture isn’t surprised about the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s spat with Francis Ngannou given his own history of the promotion.

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Ngannou exited the promotion as the heavyweight champion in January 2023 over a lengthy contract dispute. Couture, meanwhile, had a lengthy legal battle with the UFC in 2007, even publicly resigning for a brief period. Ngannou had fought for rights to simultaneously compete in boxing along with other stipulations like health insurance for fighters and an advocate to represent fighters at contract meetings.

Ngannou went on join rival promotion Professional Fighters League, where he will make his debut against the 2023 season heavyweight king Renan Ferreira on Oct. 18 in Saudi Arabia. Former UFC champ Israel Adesanya, who considers himself one of the first three Africa UFC champs along with Ngannou and Kamaru Usman, recently called out the promotion for trying to erase “The Predator’s” legacy.…

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Robert Whittaker advises Alex Pereira against moving down to middleweight to fight Dricus Du Plessis.

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Du Plessis defended his middleweight strap for the first time with a fourth-round submission win in an absolute war against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth on Aug. 17. Pereira was one of the many elite names who subsequently called for a clash against Du Plessis. The former middleweight champ and reigning light heavyweight champ expressed interest in moving back down to 185 pounds to challenge “Stillknocks.”

However, Whittaker, another former middleweight champ and top contender, would advise Pereira against it. Whittaker notes that Pereira’s potential cut to middleweight would drain him with the Brazilian now having been a staple at light heavyweight. While Pereira has been known to starch people on the feet, Whittaker highlights Du Plessis’ ability to get hit and stay standing. Whittaker further points out that Du Plessis’ p…

Mixed martial arts veteran Benji Radach, who competed for promotions such as the UFC, Strikeforce and the International Fight League, has died at 45 years old.

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Members of Radach’s family, including his brother, Beau, initially brought word of his passing on social media. The cause of death is currently unknown.

Radach compiled a 21-7 mark with one no contest over the course of 14-year professional tenure that began in 2001. The Washington native known as “The Razor” went undefeated in his first 10 bouts before signing with the UFC, where he enjoyed a three-bout stint before moving on to other organizations.

The well-traveled Radach notably went 5-1 with the IFL in 2007. His career also included stops in EliteXC, Bellator MMA, King of the Cage and WEC. Over the years, Radach squared off against the likes of Sean Sherk, Chris Leben, Gerald Harris, Murilo Rua, Scott Smith and Ovince St. Preux.

Outside of the cage, Radach added to his le…

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The surprise announcement that Khalil Rountree would be next in line to challenge Alex Pereira in the UFC 307 main event led to speculation that the reigning light heavyweight champion had snubbed top contender Magomed Ankalaev.

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That is not the case, according to Pereira. While Ankalaev is considered to be a difficult style matchup for the Brazilian, “Poatan” claims that the decision to postpone the bout came from the Dagestani standout himself.

“I always wanted to fight Ankalaev, and I made it very clear to the organization, but Ankalaev didn't want to fight me,” Pereira said on his YouTube channel. “I don't know why, if that's where he would fight, if he didn't want to fight... He's not a champion. He's not in the position to choose anything. I think it was an opportunity that appeared, and he didn't want to take advantage of it. He has his reasons, which I don't know what they are, but I come here to tell you that I'm not afrai…

All 10 fighters slated to compete on Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series made weight ahead of their bouts on Monday.

The Contender Series takes place on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and features a middleweight clash pitting Andrey Pulyaev (185) against Liam Anderson (185). The card airs on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Pulyaev will take a four-fight finishing streak into the matchup with Anderson. Most recently, the 26-year-old Russian scored a 77-second KO of Weldon Silva de Oliveira at Shlemenko Fighting Championship 9 in February. He has finished all but one of his eight career triumphs inside the distance.

A native of Rochester, New York, Anderson has also finished his last four professional fights. Three of those victories have occurred under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner, including a head kick KO of Maurice Morris on Feb. 23.

Contender Series Weigh-in Results:Andrey Pulyaev (185) vs. Liam Anderson (185)Bogdan Grad (145.5) vs…

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The 2024 Professional Fighters League season saw a new weight class open up, and as a direct result, a star was born in the women’s flyweight division.

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When the company announced the women’s flyweight division as part of its regular season in 2024, much attention was paid to newcomer Dakota Ditcheva, the 2023 PFL Europe champion. Now part of the global season, fans wanted to see how Ditcheva would transition to tougher challenges on the global roster, with more media and attention surrounding her. So far, it’s been nothing but success for both sides. That success has given Donn Davis and the PFL team an opportunity to consider adding more weight classes in the near future.

There has been no denying the success of Ditcheva in her 2024 regular season and playoff run. She would make quick work in all three of her fights this year, picking up first-round finishes against Lisa Mauldin and Chelsea Hackett in the regular season, then d…

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the business of the Professional Fighters League continuing to grow and expand, the decision makers have plenty to hang their hat on.

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With the launch of PFL MENA in 2024 and the announcement of PFL Africa coming in 2025 to add to the already established PFL Europe, the visions of Donn Davis, Peter Murray, and Co. continue to be met. During the PFL semifinals event in Washington, D.C., this past weekend, Davis spoke to the media covering a litany of topics, including his pride in the success of the PFL thus far.

Speaking to Sherdog.com in his scrum, Davis was asked about all the success and opportunities that the PFL offers in a variety of ways. Not only did he speak glowingly of the avenues the company has available but also how it is relatable to everyday people who are fighting to improve.

“Look, ‘What do you fight for?’ is on the steps to the cage,” Davis said. “Fighters are certainly fighting to a…

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Jiri Prochazka is plotting a move to middleweight after Dricus Du Plessis’ first title defense.

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Prochazka claims to have been considering the move leading up to Du Plessis’ UFC 305 main-event clash against former champ Israel Adesanya in Perth, Australia on Aug. 17. According to “BJP,” he would have stayed put at light heavyweight if Adesanya dethroned Du Plessis, as he has the same management as the Nigerian-born Kiwi. However, “Stillknocks” successfully defended his title with a fourth-round submission win in an entertaining title bout, hastening Prochazka’s planned move to 185 pounds.

However, Prochazka notes that the potential move isn’t due to him having a size or power disadvantage at light heavyweight. While the Czech has no problems staying a top contender at 205 pounds, he just wants to challenge himself in another weight class.

“I’ve been considering that if Adesanya wins, I’ll stay in the light heavyweight divisio…

It’s weird how this guy knows me…it’s like we’ve spent hours studying eachother’s moves and fought multiple times or sumn’. I mean that. 🫡 https://t.co/Up7U8DyT2Q

— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) August 25, 2024

Israel Adesanya claims Alex Pereira knows him all too well, which is no surprise considering the number of times they have traded leather throughout their stellar careers.

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Adesanya attempted to reclaim the middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis in the main event at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, on Aug. 17. Both fighters went to war in a bout that showed glimpses of both Adesanya’s most elite form and Du Plessis’ usual awkward brawling style. The South African eventually defended his title with a fourth-round submission win over Adesanya.

Adesanya’s former foe, Pereira, was keeping a keen eye on the fight and even mentioned a potential move back down to middleweight to challenge “Stillknocks” upon its conclu…

Cong Wang was a late addition to the list of bonus winners at UFC on ESPN 62.

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Wang set a high standard for the night in the first preliminary bout of the card against Victoria Leonardo at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. “The Joker,” who has appeared at the face-offs dressed as her moniker, took just 62 seconds to shut the lights out on Leonardo with a blistering right hand.

Wang understandably expected a $50,000 bonus for the highlight-reel finish, which was also the fastest by a debutant in UFC flyweight history. However, the undefeated Chinese standout was surprised to see her name missing from the list of bonus winners, which initially included “Performance of the Night” bonuses for Gerald Meerschaert and Michael Morales and “Fight of the Night” for Caio Borralho and Jared Cannonier. Wang expressed her disappointment on social media, promising an even flashier finish in her next performance, which got the attention of Dana White.

I…