Should something force bantamweight kingpin Merab Dvalishvili out of UFC 311, challenger Umar Nurmagomedov would not be the least bit shocked. The undefeated Dagestani is set to mark the first threat to the Georgian's reign this year after his crowning at the expense of Sean O'Malley last September. They'll co-headline the opening pay-per-view event of […]
Former UFC prospect Paige VanZant is set to make her mixed martial arts comeback in 2025 under the banner of a new organization. The one highly touted "12 Gauge" started life on MMA's biggest stage 3-0 but had her momentum stalled by losses to the likes of Rose Namajunas and Michelle Waterson-Gomez. And a submission […]
Former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson has entered the new year with his sights firmly set on a return to the cage. Retirement has been on the lips of many when discussing Ferguson in recent times. The 40-year-old has lost eight straight fights, leaving him with the unwanted record for the longest losing skid […]
Veteran UFC featherweight contender Calvin Kattar will need to defend his spot in the rankings this year following a difficult period. After a battering at the hands of Max Holloway, Kattar (23-8) kept his name close to the title picture in 2022 by being on the opposite end of a destructive display against Giga Chikadze. […]
The UFC is set to return to Mexico in the first quarter of this year, and the promotion appears to be bringing a former title challenger with it in the form of Kelvin Gastelum. It's been a difficult few years for Gastelum (19-9, 1 NC). After going 2-5 across a seven-fight run that started with […]
UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili intends on living up to his "Machine" moniker in 2025. Dvalishvili will enter a new year with gold in his possession for the first time, having dethroned Sean O'Malley in the main event of UFC 306 at the Sphere this past September. But the Georgian won't have long to celebrate […]
While the year was far from smooth for the Professional Fighters League (PFL), its events still had plenty of memorable moments. 2024 marked the first year of PFL action post-acquisition of the Bellator MMA brand. Unfortunately, canceled events and disgruntled fighters have largely dominated headlines for the promotion, with champions Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix […]
The odds are in for the UFC's champions in 2025, and the betting line for one particular division has caused a stir… As always, titles are expected to change hands on mixed martial arts' biggest stage in the new year. DraftKings has the middleweight class as one in which a new kingpin could be crowned. […]
UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has been looking back on this year, and it's safe to say he's pleased with his accomplishments. In terms of his mixed martial arts career, Jones competed once in defense of his title last month in New York City. Within the iconic surroundings of Madison Square Garden, "Bones" finally shared […]
Of all the great pieces of art — from the Mona Lisa and The Kiss to The Scream and The Birth of Venus — I think we can all agree that nothing comes close to the esthetic of a perfectly done UFC/MMA event poster. And of all the great artists throughout history — from Leonardo […]
Jiří Procházka is aware of the mistakes he made during a brief stint as UFC light heavyweight champion in 2022. Procházka enjoyed a quick ascent to top spot on MMA's biggest stage, capturing UFC gold in just his third fight in the promotion. After knockouts of Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes, he submitted Glover Teixeira […]
UFC welterweight contender Ian Garry believes his performance in defeat against Shavkat Rakhmonov cemented him as second in the chasing pack. Garry had a late-notice opportunity to secure his first title shot on mixed martial arts' biggest stage earlier this month at UFC 310. He stepped in for the injured Belal Muhammad to face Shavkat […]
2024 saw some spectacular knockouts inside the UFC Octagon. With the calendar year at its conclusion, recent weeks and days have seen fans and pundits reflecting on what the past 12 months brought us in mixed martial arts. And the most enjoyable end-of-year discussion? The best KOs. Nothing beats a violent striking stoppage, and 2024 […]
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till will still be making his combat sports return next month. Since departing mixed martial arts' leading promotion following a defeat to then-future middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, which left him 1-5 across six fights since a main event win over Stephen Thompson, "The Gorilla" hasn't been too active […]
It seems that Roman Kopylov is doing everything he can to gain an advantage over Chris Curtis ahead of their middleweight clash at UFC Vegas 101 next month. MMA's leading promotion will kick off its schedule for 2025 with a UFC Fight Night at the Apex in Las Vegas on Jan. 11, where Kopylov and […]
It seems the UFC is taking the growing feud between upcoming opponents Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov very seriously. Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov are set to collide at the first pay-per-view of the new year, with the pair marking one of two championship fights scheduled for UFC 311 on Jan. 18. Before Islam Makhachev and Arman […]
UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval believes the magnitude of his next fight lends itself to a better environment than the Apex. 2024 was a successful year for the #1-ranked Royval, who entered it off the back of a disappointing performance in his title challenge against Alexandre Pantoja last December. First, a short-notice opportunity to run […]
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has firmly shut the door on the possibility of returning to welterweight, but he has left another door ajar… Whittaker will enter the new year off the back of a crushing defeat, having been submitted in the opening round by a brutal face crank at the hands of Khamzat […]
Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya isn't fazed about competing at a more low-key event to kick off his 2025 campaign. Having risen to prominence on MMA's biggest stage in quick time, "The Last Stylebender" competed on pay-per-view lineups 14 times in a row between his knockout win over Derek Brunson at UFC 230 […]
It would appear that Dan Hardy is onboard with the idea of PFL star Cédric Doumbé welcoming YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul to the cage. Paul has risen to prominence in combat sports courtesy of his efforts in the ring. The Cleveland native has built a professional record of 11-1 that's largely comprised of wins over aging […]
