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PFL returns to Saudi Arabia on June 19 with Hattan Alsaif, Malik Basahel

It was always a question of when, not if, the Professional Fighters League would hold a fight card in Saudi Arabia this year.

Via press release on Thursday, the organization announced that June 19 would be the date of the next Saudi Arabian fight card run by the PFL. The event, which is currently listed as PFL MENA 10, does not currently have a headliner or billing set. Fights will go down at the King Abdullah Sports City Indoor Arena in Jeddah. The promotion announced that a pair of local athletes would be competing at the event, with one of the two making their professional debuts.

Currently 3-0 as a professional, the PFL has indicated that Jeddah native Malik Basahel will absolutely be part of the lineup. He does not yet have an opponent announced, with that news coming soon. A longtime amateur, Basahel dabbled in the PFL three times as an unpaid athlete until he flipped the switch in May 2025 to enter the professional ranks. Over the course of …

Exclusive: ‘Borrachinha’ lays out options across three divisions for next bout

Despite not winning a performance bonus for his victory over Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327, Paulo “Borrachinha” Costa has nothing to complain about regarding the fruits of his labor.

With a long history at middleweight and now ranked No. 7 by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the light heavyweight division, Costa feels he has a real chance of competing for the 205-pound interim belt soon with champ Carlos Ulberg recovering from a serious knee injury. He has also been called out by former champion Jiri Prochazka.

And the Brazilian's range of possibilities doesn't end there. After challenging Josh Hokit for “stealing his bonus” at UFC 327 and receiving a positive response from the American, a match at heavyweight has also become an option for Costa.

“I have one more fight on my UFC contract and thank God there are plenty of options,” Costa said. “I can fight in all three divisions.”

When asked who he would select between Hokit, Prochazka and m…

Costello van Steenis, Johnny Eblen rematch booked for July at PFL Austin

Johnny Eblen has waited patiently, and will now get his shot at redemption 364 days after losing his crown.

That moment will come on July 18 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas, as the Professional Fighters League on Wednesday revealed its plans for a rematch pitting PFL middleweight champion Costello van Steenis against the man he dramatically upset almost a year ago to the day.

“This is the fight that fans have been asking for since the moment Costello secured the rear-naked choke in the final seconds of their first world championship fight,” PFL CEO John Martin stated in a news release. “There were a lot of opinions about how that fight ended, and both fighters have something to prove. Now we have a massive rematch with everything on the line, validation for ‘The Spaniard,’ or redemption for ‘Pressure.’ I can’t wait to see how it plays out on July 18.”

Eblen (17-1) was widely considered to be one of the best middleweights in the world before…

Khamzat Chimaev shares unseen sparring footage with Sean Strickland

Khamzat Chimaev has shared a glimpse of his sparring with Sean Strickland.

Chimaev will put his middleweight title on the line against Strickland in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. There is some serious beef between Chimaev and Strickland from their time training together.

Chimaev (15-0) briefly trained with Strickland (30-7) at the Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas. Things allegedly went sour between the two after Strickland made insensitive comments about Chimaev’s homeland of Chechnya. Strickland claims Chimaev didn’t show up when invited to settle things like men. Meanwhile, Chimaev says those who saw them train together know what went down.

Chimaev also made Strickland tap out in sparring, which the American admitted in a previous interview with “The Schmo.” However, Strickland has since dismissed it as a situational grappling session.

Strickland has recently accused Chimaev of bullying lesse…

Sean Strickland no fan of Josh Hokit’s ‘fake’ promotional style

While both are known for their trash talk, Sean Strickland is not a fan of Josh Hokit.

Hokit has quickly risen to stardom in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, cutting pro wrestling-style promos. “The Incredible Hok” also toes the boundary at times, like saying Curtis Blaydes’ parents knew the exact position of coitus to have ugly offspring.

Strickland, who is known for his controversial trash talk, believes Hokit’s style is fake and fabricated. Strickland claims he instantly shuts off clips of Hokit whenever they pop up on his feed. Strickland is also not a fan of Hokit interviewing random people on the streets. However, Strickland has nothing personal against Hokit and even likes him as a person. Strickland further admits that while he may not like it, Hokit’s style is seemingly working as it has landed him a spot on the UFC White House: Freedom 250 card.

“I respect him for doing it,” Strickland said on UFC on Paramount. “To me, it’s too much.…

Khamzat Chimaev unbothered by Sean Strickland’s death threats

Khamzat Chimaev is unfazed by Sean Strickland’s trash talk days before their UFC 328 clash.

Chimaev (15-0) will look to defend his middleweight title against Strickland (30-7) in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. While Strickland’s trash talk is bordering on sinister, Chimaev has an unusually calm aura heading into the fight.

Strickland recently said that he would confront Chimaev in the hotel lobby if both the teams are treated unfairly by the UFC. However, Chimaev claims he has been waiting in the lobby for three days with no sign of Strickland. UFC head honcho Dana White said there will be no face-off between Chimaev and Strickland and that security will be increased for safety. Chimaev believes the extra security is for Strickland’s safety, not his own.

Strickland also threatened to shoot Chimaev and his team if they try to jump him. Responding to Strickland’s death threats, Chimaev says he is not sc…

Islam Makhachev breaks down UFC welterweight title contenders

Carlos Prates should not count himself out of the next Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title shot just yet.

Prates, Michael Morales, Ian Garry and Kamaru Usman are all in the running for the next welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev (28-1). Prates dominantly beat down Jack Della Maddlena en route to a third-round stoppage win at UFC Perth last weekend and subsequently claimed that Makhachev is set to defend his title against Garry in August. “The Nightmare” said that he is willing to wait for the winner of that bout, which was allegedly confirmed. However, Makhachev says no one from the UFC has said who his next opponent will be. According to Makhachev, there are still four contenders in the running for the next title shot, including Usman, who himself admitted that he is out of the race.

“The UFC haven’t informed me yet, but there’s been a lot of rumors about me fighting Ian Garry next,” Makhachev told Red Corner MMA. “Yet, I…

Former foe says first round will be critical in UFC 328 main event

Dricus Du Plessis’ opinion certainly holds water when it comes to Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland.

Chimaev is set to put his middleweight title on the line against Strickland in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Having shared the Octagon with both Chimaev and Strickland, Du Plessis recently broke down how the fight might play out.

While Du Plessis doesn’t doubt that Strickland will be taken down, he believes the American is physically stronger than Chimaev and has the skills to return to his feet. While Chimaev hits hard, Du Plessis believes he is too predictable to catch someone like Strickland, who is known for his defense, with a lucky shot. According to Du Plessis, if Strickland gets up more than a couple of times in the first two rounds, the fight won’t go Chimaev’s way. However, Du Plessis thinks Chimaev will dominate if he can control Strickland on the ground throughout the first round.

“I kno…

Luke Rockhold accuses Sean Strickland of beating down training partners

Sean Strickland is getting the same accusations hurled at him that he aimed at Khamzat Chimaev.

Strickland (30-7) will challenge Chimaev (15-0) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. There is serious bad blood between Strickland and Chimaev from their days training together at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts.

Strickland recently accused Chimaev of bullying average fighters in the gym. Strickland claims he always wants to test himself against the best fighters he’s surrounded by. However, Strickland says that Chimaev picks an average fighter and tries to establish himself as a bully.

However, Chimaev’s training partner, Luke Rockhold, accuses Strickland of the same. Rockhold recently minced no words while expressing his dislike for Strickland. According to Rockhold, he knew the kind of person Strickland was when he first joined him in training during the Covid…

Dana White stands by UFC’s use of artificial intelligence for promos

Criticism won’t deter Dana White from using artificial intelligence for Ultimate Fighting Championship promotional material.

White recently revealed that the latest UFC White House: Freedom 250 promo was entirely made with AI. White further elaborated that even his voiceover was done with AI, without him having to visit the sound booth even once. White clarified that the only real footage in the promo are clips from previous fights.

“The White House promo that we just did is AI,” White said on the Katir Miller podcast. “The whole promo is AI, even my voice isn’t my real voice. My guys put together the whole promo for the White House without one guy going into the sound booth; filming or anything. The only thing that’s real is the fight footage… It’s not the future, it’s now. It’s already happening.”

The UFC has been facing backlash from fans and fighters for using AI for its promotional videos. UFC lightweight Renato “Money” Moicano considers it …

Fascinating lightweight, middleweight headliners set for UFC Baku

The Ultimate Fighting Championship Baku card is shaping up to be a fan-friendly spectacle.

Lightweights Rafael Fiziev and Manuel Torres will headline UFC Baku on June 27 at National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Fiziev (13-5) racked up a six-fight winning streak after suffering his first pro loss in his Octagon debut in 2019. However, Fiziev has since dropped four of his last five, although all the losses came against elite opponents. “Ataman” most recently suffered a brutal knockout loss against Mauricio Ruffy in January.

Meanwhile, Torres (17-3) has finished all five of his UFC wins inside the first round. Torres’ lone UFC loss came against Ignacio Bahamondes, who lost to Fiziev. “El Loco” has since rebounded with wins over Drew Dober and Grant Dawson. While the Mexican was scheduled to face Beneil Dariush at UFC 327 last month, he was forced out due to injury.

The co-main event at UFC Baku will feature middleweight strikers Shara…

Say what? Conor McGregor hints at move to middleweight division

Conor McGregor will be keeping a keen eye on the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title fight.

Khamzat Chimaev will put his middleweight title on the line against Sean Strickland in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. McGregor expressed excitement about the fight on X, formerly known as Twitter, while laying claim to the middleweight belt.

“Very excited for the Newark, New Jersey @ufc card, with my 185lb @ufc title on the line! TUNE IN ON @UFConParamount 💰”

Considering McGregor (22-6) started his UFC career at featherweight, a middleweight move will be a massive jump for the Irishman. While McGregor won the featherweight and lightweight titles, he defended neither. “Notorious” won his last UFC fight at welterweight against Donald Cerrone in 2020. McGregor then suffered consecutive stoppage losses against Dustin Poirier, suffering a leg injury in his most recent outing in 2021. While M…

Carlos Prates visualized win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth

Do vision boards work? Ask Carlos Prates.

Prates (24-7) took on former champion Jack Della Maddalena (18-4) at UFC Perth last weekend. Prates picked apart Maddalena, leaving the gritty Australian wincing in pain by the third round. “The Nightmare” inflicted relentless punishment until Maddalena crumbled.

Prates recently revealed that he had “manifested” his win over Maddalena. Prates showed scribblings on his mirror that said he would beat Maddalena and be a champion someday. Prates said on Instagram:

“What happened on Saturday was already written a long time ago. ‘I’m going to knock out Jack Della Maddalena.’ ‘I’m going to beat JDM.’ ‘I’m going to knock out JDM.’ This was already written a long time ago. ‘I’m going to become a champion,’” as translated by Championship Rounds on X, formerly known as Twitter.

While vision boards serve as a source of affirmation and motivation, one’s dreams can only be manifested into reality by hard work. Pra…

Dustin Poirier says he would end retirement only for fight against one man

Nate Diaz is the only matchup desired enough for Dustin Poirier to come out of retirement.

A matchup between Poirier and Diaz is one of the most anticipated bouts that never came to fruition. However, Poirier is still willing to come out of retirement to fight Diaz.

Poirier and Diaz were scheduled to fight at UFC 230 in 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The fight fell through as Poirier was allegedly forced out due to a hip injury. However, Poirier claims the narrative was slightly manipulated. According to “The Diamond,” he was willing to fight Diaz, who was having negotiation issues with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Poirier claims the UFC offered him alternative opponents for UFC 230. However, Poirier only wanted to fight Diaz, or have a hip surgery instead of fighting anyone else. Poirier claims Diaz manipulated the narrative and blamed him for the fight falling through.

“I still wanna whip Nate’s a**... I’ll come back to fight h…

Quillan Salkilld: Why I called out Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Perth

Quillan Salkilld has always imagined competing against fighters like Mateusz Gamrot.

Salkilld knocked out Beneil Dariush in the first round of the co-main event at UFC Perth last weekend. Salkilld subsequently called for a matchup against Gamrot. Explaining his callout, Salkilld says that he is a fan of Gamrot’s scrappy style of wrestling. The Australian has also recently watched a lot of tape of Gamrot’s 2022 loss to Dariush. Considering Gamrot’s slot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s official rankings, Salkilld believes it is a good time for him to fight the Pole. While Salkilld is known for his knockout power, he wants to test himself on the mat against Gamrot.

“I love watching Gamrot,” Salkilld told MMA Junkie. “I like the wrestling style; he has an exciting wrestling style where he just hits scrambles. And I was watching him vs. Beneil many times leading up to the Beneil fight. He is the kind of fight I’ve always pictured myself having. He just had a good …

Jorge Masvidal: Movsar Evloev on a ‘different level’ than Alexander Volkanovski

Jorge Masvidal believes his American Top Team stablemate Movsar Evloev has a different kind of momentum.

Evloev is currently considered the frontrunner for the next featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. Masvidal recently predicted that Evloev will dethrone Volkanovski in a potential fight. Masvidal notes that he had also correctly predicted Evloev’s last win over fellow contender Lerone Murphy. According to “Gamebred,” Evloev will only become more dangerous soon as he peaks physically.

“I’m saying it here right now. Movsar beats Volkanovski… I said he was going to beat Murphy,” Masvidal told UFC on Paramount. “I love Volk. But right now, Movsar is on a different level… That gear that Movsar has… And it’s only going to get tougher for people because he is coming more into his groove, more into his prime physically. I think he beats Volk right now.”

Despite being widely considered the top featherweight contender for a long time, Evloev (20-0) has…

Brendan Allen reacts to Sean Strickland’s latest controversial comments

Brendan Allen wants to avenge his loss against Sean Strickland.

Strickland is scheduled to challenge Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Allen is currently training with Chimaev to prepare for his upcoming fight against Edmen Shahbazyan.

Strickland recently went on an unprovoked tirade against Allen. Strickland called Allen a woman who isn’t worth training with. Strickland also said that his training partner Johnny Eblen could “f*ck” Allen if he wanted to, though Eblen clearly said he doesn’t intend to.

Allen says he doesn’t even know where Strickland’s hatred against him stems from. Allen also doesn’t think highly of Eblen, who is considered one of the best fighters outside the UFC. Allen believes his Kill Cliff FC training partner, Impa Kasanganay, was robbed off a win against Eblen in 2024. “All-In” also notes that his training partner Costello van Steenis …

Sean Brady claims Michael Morales bout was in danger of being canceled

Sean Brady recently made some shocking claims about his UFC 322 fight against Michael Morales.

Brady took on fellow welterweight contender Morales at UFC 322 this past November at Madison Square Garden in New York. Morales looked nearly flawless while knocking Brady out in the first round. While Brady blames only himself, he claims he wasn’t fully focused on his fight against Morales.

Brady recently revealed that he was told that the fight was off a couple of days before it happened. While Brady didn’t divulge many details, he says it was something to do with the medicals. According to Brady, the matchup was tentative for a couple of days and was only confirmed just hours before he left for the arena.

“I won’t say too many details, something with the medicals to where we found out on Thursday that the fight might not happen,” Brady recently told MMA Fighting. “So it was a lot up in the air for the next two days if this fight was even going to happen…

Robert Whittaker: Why Khamzat Chimaev will steamroll Sean Strickland at UFC 328

Robert Whittaker believes the UFC 328 headliner will be a one-sided fight.

Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) is scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland (30-7) in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Chimaev is a massive -590 favorite going into the fight against Strickland, a +390 underdog.

However, Strickland’s trash talk and confidence almost make one doubt the odds. Many fans and pundits are also not counting Strickland out due to his elite defensive wrestling.

Chimaev’s former foe, Whittaker, admits that Strickland’s trash talk almost convinces him that the American can pull off an upset. However, having shared the Octagon with Chimaev, Whittaker does not doubt that “Borz” will take Strickland down. While there used to be concerns about Chimaev’s gas tank, Whittaker notes that the undefeated champion diminished that perception in his dominant, unanimous decision title win over Dricus Du …

Alex Pereira favors one man to win in Chimaev-Strickland UFC 328 main event

Alex Pereira is far from impartial when it comes to the UFC 328 main attraction.

Sean Strickland (30-7) is scheduled to challenge Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 328. The two will collide on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. To get some hard sparring in, Strickland roped in Pereira to help finalize his camp. The two former foes collided at UFC 276 in 2022, with “Poatan” crushing Strickland in the first round. An unlikely friendship bloomed from the one-sided shellacking.

Due to their growing kinship, Pereira will be rooting hard for friend Strickland. “Poatan” says he had learned a lot since he started working with Strickland a few years ago, so much so that he has become a cornerman for Strickland. Pereira lauded Strickland’s precise jab as one of the American’s best weapons, while prognosticating that the jab and front kick will be key weapons against Chimaev’s wrestling pressure. Pereira said on a UFC 3…

Champion’s brother deftly breaks down Justin Gaethje’s fight style

Aleksandre Topuria, the brother of Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight king Ilia Topuria, knows exactly what Justin Gaethje will bring to the table.

Undefeated wrecking machine Ilia (17-0), 29, is scheduled to defend his UFC 155-pound title against interim beltholder Gaethje (27-5) at the UFC White House card on June 14. Aleksandre, who has always been a vital part of Ilia’s camp, recently joined him in Miami for the next phase of his brother’s training.

In a thorough video on Ilia’s YouTube channel, the elder brother—by a year—Aleksandre broke down Gaethje’s style and approach. According to the bantamweight who is now 2-0 in the UFC, Gaethje can become predictable and also leaves himself open when engaging. The specific methods of Gaethje’s offense were also analyzed by the fighter, who remarked that Gaethje tends to load up and give foes opportunities to beat him to the punch.

“Justin Gaethje picks his shots when you stand in front of him,” the 30-year-…

Michael Morales pitches potential title eliminator matchup at 170 pounds

Even after the dramatic happenings of the UFC Perth headliner, there remains a logjam in the welterweight title picture.

In an effort to separate himself from the crowded pack of contenders at 170 pounds, Prates annihilated former champ Jack Della Maddalena in the third round of a fairly one-sided beating. “The Nightmare” dropped the Aussie once in the second round and twice in the third to complete his rout, one that saw him outland his foe by 46 to 1 in the last round of their collision.

The victor wants nothing else than a Ultimate Fighting Championship championship pairing, but he might have to wait. Rumors are swirling, with Prates the originator of at least one, that Ian Garry will be challenging Islam Makhachev for the belt at UFC 330 in August. Additional options for contention include Michael Morales, Sean Brady, Ilia Topuria should he get past Justin Gaethje in June. Kamaru Usman was even floated as a potential option to face Makhachev nex…

Sean Strickland: How I am going to frustrate Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328

Sean Strickland believes he can get up if he is taken down by Khamzat Chimaev.

Strickland is scheduled to challenge Chimaev for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. While Chimaev is known for his suffocating brand of wrestling, Strickland has elite takedown defense.

Fans and pundits are divided about how the UFC 328 headliner might play out. While some expect complete domination from Chimaev, who is the favorite, others believe Strickland might be the only answer to the undefeated Chechen-born champion.

Having trained together in the past, Strickland believes Chimaev knows that he can’t keep him on the ground for long. Strickland believes he can counter-wrestle Chimaev and get top control. Strickland predicts that “Borz” might even resort to a stand-up battle if he fails on multiple takedown attempts. If the fight stays on the feet, Strickland believes he will be able to have his w…

‘UFC White House: Freedom 250’ press conference scheduled for Friday

UFC 328 fight week will have a promotional press conference for UFC White House: Freedom 250.

The UFC White House card, billed as Freedom Fights 250, is a one-of-a-kind event celebrating America’s 250th year of Independence. The event will go down on President Donald J. Trump’s 80th birthday, June 14, at the South Lawn of the White House.

The card is a star-studded affair including some of the biggest names in the sport. Ilia Topuria will look to defend his lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will clash for the interim heavyweight title in the co-headliner. The bill also includes Sean O’Malley, Diego Lopes, Derrick Lewis, Josh Hokit and others.

The UFC is hosting a press conference with all the fighters on the White House card on Friday, May 8 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The presser will begin at 4:30 pm ET and will be open to the public. The event will…

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