Blog

After fighting on home soil for the first time since 2017, Brandon Moreno wants to do it again in the near future.

“Hunter [Campbell], who really knows what I deserve? I don’t know what I deserve,” Moreno said in the Octagon after taking a five-round verdict over Steve Erceg in the UFC Mexico headliner on Saturday night. “But I really believe I can move the needle and let’s go for the pay-per-view in Guadalajara. Let’s f—ing go. Let’s f—ing do it!”

Moreno hadn’t fought in his home country since August 2017, when he fell to Sergio Pettis in UFC Fight Night 114 headliner. He became the first Mexican-born champion in promotion history when he defeated Deiveson Figueiredo in a flyweight title bout at UFC 263, and he remains one of the biggest MMA stars in Mexico despite having lost the belt on two separate occasions.

“I have so many emotions, man. The first time I fought here was 2017 against Sergio Pettis. It was a main event and I lost,” Moreno said at Satu…

Kyoji Horiguchi is headed back to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Japanese standout announced during Rizin 50 on Sunday that he is vacating his Rizin Fighting Federation flyweight belt to sign with the Las Vegas-based promotion, where he previously fought from 2013 to 2016. A date for Horiguchi’s UFC return was not revealed.

“I’m going to the UFC,” Horiguchi said. “I’m going to become the first Japanese UFC champion.”

🚨 2 BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS! 🚨

1️⃣ RIZIN Flyweight Champion, Kyoji Horiguchi, will vacate the title and go to the UFC.

(continued) pic.twitter.com/irhoyQZmmQ

— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) March 30, 2025

Horiguchi went 7-1 during his UFC tenure, with his only loss coming in a flyweight title bout against then champion Demetrious Johnson in April 2015. The 34-year-old American Top Team representative has gone 14-1 with one no contest under the Rizin banner, earning notable victories over the likes of Manel…

AND STILL!

A close fight, but Naoki Inoue is still your RIZIN Bantamweight Champion!

[ #RIZIN50 | https://t.co/SJYljaZ7L1 ] pic.twitter.com/HTu2J2B7pE — RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) March 30, 2025

Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion Naoki Inoue retained his title with a hard-fought victory against a familiar foe tonight in the main event of Rizin 50 in Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan. Inoue weathered a shaky final round and earned a split-decision win against challenger Yuki Motoya in a rematch from December 2020.

Inoue (19-4, 9-2 Rizin) needed only three minutes to submit Motoya (37-12, 1 NC; 12-8, 1 NC Rizin) when the pair first faced off at Rizin 26, but he had a much tougher fight on his hands against the veteran on Sunday. The first round was a good one for Inoue, who established his jab right away and used it to set up straight right hands that stifled Motoya’s movement and offense. Motoya took Inoue down with just over a minute…

Ilia Topuria claims the UFC has promised him a title fight next.

Topuria won the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 last year and defended it with a knockout over Max Holloway at UFC 308. “La Layenda” has since been contemplating a move to lightweight, which came to fruition last month.

While Topuria vacated his featherweight strap, his next matchup at lightweight is yet to be announced. Although the undefeated superstar has already proclaimed himself the lightweight king, champ Islam Makhachev is loathe to give him an immediate title shot. Even former champ and perennial contender Charles Oliveira is unwilling to fight Topuria before he proves himself at 155 pounds.

However, Topuria claims to have been promised a title fight next when he vacated his 145-pound belt.

“I’m not entirely sure what my next fight will be,” Topuria said during a recent press conference. “The only thing I’m sure of is that the UFC’s word is…

[embedded content]

Sean Brady isn’t even amused by the idea of a matchup against Colby Covington.

Advertisement

Brady submitted former champ Leon Edwards in the main event at UFC London earlier this month. Covington subsequently called Brady an easy matchup, offering to derail his hype train. However, Brady seemingly isn’t even taking “Chaos” seriously. The Philadelphia native dismissed the idea of a matchup against Covington, claiming he would “kill” the former interim champ. Brady noted that he recently dominated “Rocky,” who has already beat Covington.

“Leon’s took you down multiple times. Beat the s—t out of you,” Brady said on the Brady Bagz Show. “Did you see what I just did to Leon? What would I do to you bro? I would f---ing kill him. He’s not even getting anyone in the Top 15. He might not even have a f---ing job. When was the last time that you won a fight? You f---ing suck. Colby you’re a p---y. How you get punched on by [Jorge] Masvidal in public and …

Manuel Torres didn’t waste time in the UFC Mexico co-main event.

Advertisement

The Entram Gym product secured a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his first-round stoppage of Drew Dober in their lightweight showdown. Torres dropped Dober with a one-two and then sealed his victory with about 15 unanswered hammerfists to the side of the head as his opponent clinged to his leg. The official time of the stoppage came 1:45 into Round 1.

Elsewhere, Edgar Chairez pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” payment for a submission of C.J. Vergara in a featured flyweight matchup. Chairez set the stage for the finish by dropping his adversary with a left hook and follow-up blows. From there, he worked his way to the back, locked in a face crank and forced a tapout at the 2:30 mark of the opening period.

Earlier, David Martinez had a debut to remember, scoring a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for a finish of Saimon Oliveira in a main-card banta…

Brandon Moreno rose to the occasion yet again.

The two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight titleholder moved forward in his quest to reclaim the 125-pound throne with a five-round unanimous decision over Steve Erceg in the UFC on ESPN 64 headliner on Saturday at CDMX Arena in Mexico City. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it the same: 49-46 for Moreno (23-8-2, 11-5-2 UFC), who has posted three straight wins since his controversial Feb. 24 loss to Brandon Royval.

Advertisement

Erceg (12-4, 3-3 UFC) excelled in spurts, especially with his calling-card jab and sneaky front kicks to the body. However, he could not match Moreno’s aggression. The Fortis MMA star thumped Erceg repeatedly with overhand rights, worked his weapons to all levels and even mixed in strategic takedowns in the fourth and fifth rounds. While it was far from the comprehensive performance for which Moreno has become known, it was enough to get him past the game Aussie. Read more about Former Champion Brandon Moreno Downs Steve Erceg in UFC Mexico Headliner

Sherdog's live UFC Mexico coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC on ESPN 64. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mederos (-192), Hubbard (+160)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:

Advertisement

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Emmers (-340), Miranda (+270)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:The Official Result BETTING …

Even the toughest men have their limits.

Manchester Top Team prospect Ateba Abega Gautier found the off switch on Jose Medina and announced his arrival in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, as he felled the durable Bolivian with a knee strike in the first round of their featured UFC on ESPN 64 prelim on Saturday at CDMX Arena in Mexico City. Stopped by knockout for the first time in his 16-fight career, Medina (11-5, 0-2 UFC) met his end 3:32 into Round 1.

Advertisement

Gautier (7-1, 1-0 UFC) took his time and waited for an opening to present itself. He stunned Medina with a thudding left hook, pressed him backward with follow-up punches, closed the distance and brought the knee up the middle. Down went Medina. One look at the dazed Dana White’s Contender Series graduate was enough for referee Raul Porrata to intervene on his behalf.

The 22-year-old Gautier has won six fights in a row, all of them finishes.

Meanwhile, Chute Boxe rep …

The UFC 314 main card has taken a hit, as a welterweight bout pitting Geoff Neal against Carlos Prates has been removed from the lineup.

Advertisement

It was announced during the UFC Mexico broadcast on Saturday that Neal was forced to withdraw from the event due to injury. Prates will not remain on the card against a replacement opponent, but UFC commentator Jon Anik indicated that there could be big news involving the rising Brazilian star in the weeks to come.

UFC 314 takes place on April 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami and is headlined by a featherweight championship fight pitting Alexander Volkanovski against Diego Lopes. It is currently unclear what will replace Neal vs. Prates on the main card.

Neal snapped a two-bout skid in his last outing, when he defeated Rafael dos Anjos via first-round TKO at UFC 308 this past October. “Handz of Steel” is 8-4 during his promotional tenure.

Prates has emerged as a person of interest at 170 pounds after w…

Guadalajara, aquí vamos! 🇲🇽#UFC320 at Noche UFC presented by Bud Light on Saturday, September 13th!

Register your interest 👉 https://t.co/6FMnUziUQL pic.twitter.com/LwomeKpU82

— UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025

Advertisement

For the first time since its inception, Noche UFC will be heading to Mexico.

The promotion announced on Saturday that the third iteration of its celebration of Mexican Independence Day will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sept. 13. The first two editions took place in Las Vegas.

No bouts were announced for the event, but it is likely to feature a number of fighters from Mexico and other Latin American countries. According to Las Vegas-based organization, the upcoming Noche UFC will also be known as UFC 320 — likely a pay-per-view offering.

The first Noche UFC event — which was also known as UFC Fight Night 227 — took place on Sept. 16, 2023, and saw Valentina Shevchenko and Alex Grasso battle to a spli…

[embedded content]

The Rizin 50 main event is official, as both Naoki Inoue and Yuki Motoya hit their contracted marks ahead of their bantamweight championship bout on Sunday.

Advertisement

Inoue tipped the scales at 134.3 pounds, while Motoya checked in at 134.2 for the headlining clash. Rizin 50 takes place at Anabuki Arena Kagawa in Kagawa, Japan and is available for free via Rizin.TV.

Elsewhere, Spike Carlyle (160.9) missed weight for his lightweight bout against Takeshi Izumi (156.5). As a result, if Carlyle wins or the bout ends in a draw, the official result will be recorded as a no contest. Additionally, the fight will begin with a point deduction for Carlyle and he will forfeit 50% of his purse.

Inoue initially bested Motoya via first-round submission at Rizin 26 in December 2020. The 27-year-old Kill Cliff FC representative is coming off a 2-0 campaign in 2024 that saw him claim the vacant 135-pound throne with a first-round stoppage of Soo Chul K…

A proposed middleweight clash between Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum won’t be happening at UFC Mexico on Saturday as originally anticipated.

Advertisement

A few hours before the card, the Las Vegas-based promotion announced that the bout was canceled due to Pyfer coming down with an undisclosed illness. It is unclear if the fight will be rebooked at a later date.

"Just wanna say my heart is broken. I couldn't fight today. I got super sick and hopefully we can reschedule this fight for a few weeks from now," Pyfer wrote on his Instagram Stories. "Unfortunately comes with the territory of traveling outside the States. Never again. My apologies guys. We'll be back."

UFC Mexico — also known as UFC on ESPN 64 — will proceed with 12 bouts. The card, which takes place at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT and airs in its entirety on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Pyfer has been victorious in four of his five Octagon appearances and is coming off a fi…

🏆 Bo Nickal gives the edge to Khamzat Chimaev in a title fight against Dricus Du Plessis:

"I think the striking is pretty even. Khamzat has obviously massive advantage in grappling.

Advertisement

You just don't get strong grapplers like that competing. Dricus is not gonna have a gameplan… pic.twitter.com/A2nN53YvGf — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 27, 2025

Bo Nickal favors Khamzat Chimaev in a potential clash against Dricus Du Plessis.

Chimaev is likely to be the next title challenger at middleweight against Du Plessis. Nickal believes they are both even on the feet, while the champ might even have better cardio. However, Nickal believes it is Chimaev’s wrestling prowess that will give him an edge of “Stillknocks.”

Nickal claims that nothing can prepare Du Plessis for the skillset that “Borz” brings to the table. The former three-time NCAA Division I champ believes on he is on the same level as Chimaev when it comes…

First to the scale 💪

Brandon Moreno weighs in at 125 pounds ahead of tomorrow's #UFCMexico main event! pic.twitter.com/JftZLOAOmK

— UFC (@ufc) March 28, 2025 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns south of the border with 13 fights that are now official following the UFC Mexico weigh-in results.

Advertisement

Headlining the event is a flyweight main event featuring former titleholder Brandon Moreno going up against Steve Erceg. Both men successfully made weight for the fight, which could have major implications for the division moving forward. As for the rest of the card, the only fighter to miss weight was Ronaldo Rodriguez, who came in a pound over the flyweight limit for his fight against Kevin Borjas. As a result, Rodriguez will be fined 20% of his purse.

Moreno (22-8-2) got back into the win column in his last outing after winning a unanimous decision over Amir Albazi. Prior to the win, "The Assassin Baby" had lost his t…

Just like that, the Bader era for Bellator MMA and the Professional Fighters League is over.

On Wednesday, Ariel Helwani reported that Ryan Bader had parted ways with his organization, despite the heavyweight having one more fight on his deal. The departure was amicable, and Bader will now become a free agent. He confirmed this news on social media on Thursday, thanking both organizations for his time with them while pitching his upcoming film “The Smashing Machine.”

“Just an update…officially a free agent,” Bader wrote. “PFL and our team came up with terms we were both happy agreeing on with one fight remaining on contract. The Bellator run was one for the books. What a blast, and being surrounded by great people running that org. I’m still open to different opportunities in the fight game. The Smashing Machine movie will be released somewhat soon and it will be an exciting year for sure. Big thanks to [Bellator matchmaker] Mike Kogan for always treating the fight…

[embedded content] Gilbert Burns plans on digging deep into his bag of tricks to eject Michael Morales from the ranks of the unbeaten.

While Burns (22-8) enters his match with Morales (17-0) on a three-fight skid, the vaunted grappler still remains a ranked welterweight. The two 170ers plan on crossing swords at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, as part of UFC 315 on May 10. The 38-year-old told Sherdog that he has shaken some issues that plagued him in recent camps, and that his training partners have made him a more complete fighter as of late. He also weighed in on the landscape of his division and gave his thoughts on a few key matchups the Ultimate Fighting Championship is planning.

Advertisement

“I had some problems in the previous camps,” Burns admitted, “but now, I’m doing very well, and there are still six weeks until the fight. He has a [two-meter, or 79-inch] reach, and in my gym, I have a lot of sparring partners helping me with similar characteris…

𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙎… 𝙒𝙀’𝙍𝙀 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 𝘼𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉! 🇫🇷

The PFL returns to Paris for the fourth time on Saturday 24th May, with a STACKED card planned for the French fans!

Advertisement

Mansour Barnaoui meets the undefeated American standout Archie Colgan in a high stakes lightweight matchup, with… pic.twitter.com/EqtncKYb1x — PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) March 27, 2025 The Professional Fighters League has officially started populating its return to France this May.

At PFL Europe 2, which will take place at the Accor Arena in Paris on May 24, the organization has announced a pair of non-tournament tilts to take place on the billing. The bout order is still in flux, given that this event will also contain the league’s bantamweight bracket of four fights plus an alternate match at least. A key encounter on the billing sees Paris native Mansour Barnaoui (22-6) take on Archie Colgan (11-0) in a lightweight matchup outside of tournament parameters.

The well-trave…

A flyweight clash pitting Joshua Van against Bruno Silva has been rescheduled for UFC 316.

Marcel Dorff was first to report the pairing. Van and Silva were intially slated to meet at UFC 313 on March 8 before Silva withdrew from the event due to injury. UFC 316 takes place on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. A headliner has not been announced for the card.

Van remained on the UFC 313 card, where he defeated replacement foe Rei Tsuruya via unanimous decision. The 23-year-old Myanmar native has been victorious in six of his seven Octagon appearances overall, with his only defeat coming to Charles Johnson in July 2024.

Silva, meanwhile, had a four-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he fell to Manel Kape via third-round TKO at UFC Tampa. “Bulldog” had finished all four of his previous UFC opponents inside the distance.

今日の会見で追加のワンマッチも4試合発表させていただきました！どのカードも、男祭りに相応しいド派手な闘いが繰り広げられると思いますよ！何れにしても今週末のRISEさんの大会とRIZIN香川大会の試合の結果も踏まえて、未来の相手と、更なる追加の対戦カードをマッチアップします！… https://t.co/aqpjhUvcwW pic.twitter.com/Non1oW40Qs

— 榊󠄀原信行 Nobuyuki Sakakibara (@nobu_sakakibara) March 26, 2025

Several new bouts have been announced for Rizin Fighting Federation’s upcoming event on May 4.

Advertisement

At flyweight, current BKFC champ and former UFC title challenger John Dodson will lock horns with Takaki Soya, while outspoken Bellator MMA veteran Danny Sabatello will face Shinobu Ota at bantamweight.

Rizin "Otoko Matsuri" takes place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo and features a featherweight title tilt pitting Kleber Koike Erbst against Rajababil Shaidullaev. The event will also include a heavyweight grand prix.

A handful of other bouts have b…

PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE LLEGA A FOX SPORTS 🔥

*La PFL iniciará el jueves 3 de abril con la Primera Ronda de PFL World Tournament 2025...

Advertisement

👇MÁS DETALLES👇https://t.co/XdcfDudFC3 — FOX Sports MX (@FOXSportsMX) March 26, 2025

Fight fans South of the Border will now be able to get their Professional Fighters League fix in Spanish.

The PFL on Wednesday announced a multi-year broadcast partnership with Fox Sports Mexico to air all of the organization’s franchises: PFL World Tournament, Champions Series, PFL Europe, PFL MENA, PFL Africa and the PFL fight library. Fox Sports Mexico will also carry PFL programming such as pre- and post-fight shows, press conferences and weigh-ins. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. All content will be broadcast in Spanish.

Fox Sports Mexico airs a variety sporting events including soccer, NFL, MLB, UFC and Formula 1 racing. According to PFL CEO Peter Murray, the agreement could…

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

Former Alex Pereira rival Artem Vakhitov isn’t going to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Advertisement

Vakhitov is among the few men in the world who can boast a victory over Pereira. The Russian beat “Poatan” via majority decision under the Glory kickboxing banner in 2021, avenging a split-decision loss from earlier that year.

Following in Pereira’s footsteps, Vakhitov transitioned to MMA in 2023 and earned a UFC contract with a first round knockout on Dana White's Contender Series last year. However, Vakhitov the rare fighter who is going to pass on his contract from the Contender Series. Vakhitov revealed that the UFC has a standard pay structure for all contracts earned through the Contender Series. While Vakhitov understands the UFC’s strictness with protocols, he couldn’t turn down a much more lucrative contract that Glory offered. The former champ is now going to fight he…

Charles Oliveira believes Ilia Topuria needs a lesson in humility.

Advertisement

Topuria recently vacated his featherweight title and announced a move up to lightweight. While “La Leyenda” has always exuded confidence, he has never failed to back it up with action. Topuria continues the same with his lightweight move, recently proclaiming himself the champion of the division.

Since Topuria might not get an immediate title shot at 155 pounds, the Georgian-Spaniard’s name has been linked to a potential matchup against former champ Oliveira. However, “do Bronx” made clear that he isn’t willing to fight Topuria until he has proved himself at lightweight.

Topuria was recently honored in Spain with a street being named after him. Topuria was also asked about Oliveira’s comments and if he would take a walk with the Brazilian on the newly-named street.

“Actually yes, to give him a bit of culture and teach him something,” Topuria said. “I’m sure I would, because it…

👀🔥Kamaru Usman names ideal opponents for his return fight

"If I had to pick in order I would say Brady, Shavkat and Buckley. That what makes sense."

Advertisement

🎥 @pound4poundshow ▫️ pic.twitter.com/mqImUypRnh — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 25, 2025

Kamaru Usman recently listed potential opponents in order of preference for his next fight.

Usman would like to fight either Sean Brady, Shavkat Rakhmonov or Joaquin Buckley when he returns to action. Usman’s first preference would be Brady, who submitted Leon Edwards at UFC London last weekend. While Usman doubts Brady will be able to get past him, “The Nigerian Nightmare” believes the Philadelphia native’s title shot will be undeniable if he does.

“Honestly, what would make sense would be – If I had to pick the order, I would say Brady, Shavkat, Buckley,” Usman recently said on the “Pound4Pound” podcast. “That’s what makes sense. Because, winner of Brady and I, we …