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Arnold Allen will look to regain some momentum on May 16. | Getty/UFC

Though the UFC will be holding a card on the same day as Most Valuable Promotions’ MMA debut on Neftlix, it wouldn’t be accurate to call it counterprogramming by the Las Vegas-based organization.

That’s the perspective of Arnold Allen, who will headline UFC Fight Night 276 against Melquizael Costa in a featherweight bout at the UFC Apex on May 16 in Las Vegas.

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“The fact it’s me and Melky headlining against them, I don’t think the UFC is really trying to compete,” Allen said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Not to put me and Melky down, but let’s be real. Star power, like, they ain’t trying to compete.”

The MVP card is headlined by a women’s featherweight clash between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, a matchup Rousey is touting as the biggest female fight ever. The event also includes Francis Ngannou’s return, as he takes on Philipe Lins in the heavyweight co-main eve…

Paddy Pimblett took a beating against Justin Gaethje. | Getty/UFC

While Paddy Pimblett displayed heart by going toe-to-toe against Justin Gaethje in the UFC 324 headliner, it wasn’t exactly the best tactical approach.

The end result was a unanimous decision defeat, as Gaethje battered “The Baddy” on the feet for the better part of five rounds to claim the interim lightweight crown. Pimblett might have been better served trying to make Gaethje grapple, but he wanted to prove a point against one of the sport’s top all-action competitors. As a result, it’s Gaethje who gets a chance to unify the lightweight title when he faces Ilia Topuria in the UFC White House main event on June 14.

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“To be honest, with the last fight, I think it was a little bit of me ego got in the way,” Pimblett said on his YouTube channel. “I wanted to knock him out. I wanted to strike with him and show everyone I can strike. I wanted a war. When you’re trying to take…

Arman Tsarukyan isn’t interested in remaining idle as he awaits word on his next UFC bout.

The lightweight contender has booked his fifth match under the Real American Freestyle banner, as he will square off against wrestling influencer Keelon Jimison — better known as “Mugzy” — at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas. The organization announced the pairing on Tuesday. RAF 9 is headlined by a heavyweight matchup pitting Gable Steveson against Alexander Romanov and airs via Fox Nation.

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No UFC, No Problem Tsarukyan is 4-0 in RAF competition since January, earning victories over the likes of Lance Palmer, Georgio Poullas (twice) and Urijah Faber. Since his most recent Octagon appearance, a first-round submission of Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar this past November, the 29-year-old Russian has competed in a couple of grappling matches in addition to his prolific efforts in RAF.

“Mugzy” has competed twice for the wrestling promotion, losing to Poullas at RAF 5 while bes…

Flyweight gold will be on the line at Rizin "Landmark Vol. 14.”

Hiromasa Ougikubo will defend his 125-pound crown against Makoto Takahashi in the evening’s main event on June 6 at Xebio Arena Sendai in Miyagi, Japan. The Japanese promotion recently announced the booking, along with several other bouts for the event.

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Ougikubo claimed the flyweight strap on New Year’s Eve, when he completed his run through the Rizin Fighting Federation grand prix with a unanimous decision triumph against Yuki Motoya. After suffering a three-bout losing streak from September 2022 to July 2023, the 39-year-old Japanese standout has rallied to win five consecutive outings — all via decision — under the Rizin banner.

Takahashi, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his last five fights. The 25-year-old American Top Team representative kicked off his 2026 campaign with a first-round submission triumph against Nkazimulo Zulo at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 13” on April 12. Read more about Flyweight title tilt headlines Rizin ‘Landmark Vol. 14’ on June 6

Dustin Poirier considers Ilia Topuria among the top five UFC lightweights in history. 

Poirier recently listed his top five UFC lightweights of all-time on “Deep Waters.” The list is as follows:

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Khabib NurmagomedovIslam MakhachevB.J. PennIlia Topuria Frankie Edgar

Poirier (30-10) is also considered one of the greatest lightweights who never tasted UFC gold. Poirier made failed title bids against Nurmagomedov and Makhachev. While Nurmagomedov stopped “The Diamond” with a rear-naked choke in 2019, Makhachev did the same with a brabo choke in 2024. 

A Credentialed Group Makhachev holds the record for the most title defenses (4) in UFC history. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov, Penn, and Edgar tie for the second spot with three defenses each. Meanwhile, Topuria (17-0) won the vacant lightweight title against Charles Oliveira last year and is scheduled to defend it for the first time against Justin Gaethje on June 14 at the White House. Topuria…

Aljamain Sterling thinks Youssef Zalal was almost looking past him. 

Zalal faced Sterling in the first UFC main event of his career last weekend at the Apex in Las Vegas. Despite Sterling being a former bantamweight champion, Zalal was a favorite going into the fight. However, Sterling thoroughly dominated Zalal on the ground, even landing the more damaging strikes on the feet, to earn a unanimous decision win. 

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For Sterling, Zalal’s confidence almost bordered on cockiness during fight week. Sterling believes Zalal felt that it was his time and started counting his chickens before they hatched. Despite having trained together in the past, Sterling thinks Zalal forgot what went down in the gym.The Wrong Aura “He had an aura about him – I didn’t know if it was cockiness or confidence,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “It’s always a very fine line with that… It almost felt like he was looking past me… He almost felt like it was his time,…

Jiri Prochazka is bothered about Carlos Ulberg’s latest comments. 

Ulberg (14-1) and Prochazka (32-6) fought for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 327 earlier this month in Miami. Ulberg compromised his knee early in the fight, and Prochazka looked to be en route to a sureshot win. However, “Black Jag” pulled out a slick combo out of thin air to knock Prochazka out clean. Prochazka subsequently said that he was going light after he saw Ulberg’s injured knee. 

However, Ulberg isn’t buying Prochazka’s claims of being merciful. Ulberg even said that Prochazka’s samurai persona, built on the Bushido code, is mostly a facade. According to Kiwi, he could sense fear in Prochazka when they faced off ahead of UFC 327. 

Responding to Ulberg, Prochazka took a dig at his previous profession of stripping. According to “BJP,” he couldn’t properly fathom that the fight had become easy after Ulberg compromised his knee. As for Ulberg’s accusations of prete…

Francis Ngannou believes his former foe Ciryl Gane is not a suitable matchup for Alex Pereira. 

Pereira (13-3) is set to face Gane (13-2) for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House on June 14. Pereira will look to create history by winning a UFC title in a third weight category. However, many, including Ngannou, consider Gane to be Pereira’s toughest test so far. 

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It will be a big move up for Pereira, who started his UFC career as a middleweight. Ngannou believes Gane is more well-round that Pereira. Gane is known for being unusually slick at heavyweight. Ngannou believes Pereira will find it difficult after moving up from light heavyweight to face a heavyweight striker who is faster than most light heavyweights.More Tools “I think Ciryl has more tools here,” Ngannou told Helen Yee. “Alex Pereira has his own style, Ciryl Gane has his own style. For me, it’s not a good matchup for Alex Pereira in terms of style. Basically, if he’s…

Davey Grant is brutally honest with himself. 

Grant (18-8) took on Dana White's Contender Series graduate Adrian Luna Martinetti at UFC Fight Night 274 last weekend. The highly touted Ecuadorian debutant was a sizeable favorite going into the bout against Grant. 

However, Grant overwhelmed Martinetti with his decades of experience, turning it into an ugly slugfest. Grant walked away with a unanimous decision while both fighters earned an extra $100,00 each for the “Fight of the Night.” 

Grant recently opened up on the juncture he is currently at in his career. The 40-year-old isn’t very hopeful of making a title run in the UFC before he retires. While Grant might enter the title picture with a series of knockouts, he says he isn’t “delusional.” Grant is focused on making a legacy of being entertaining, which leaves a long list of opponents open to the Englishman.

Staying Realistic “I’m not delusional,” Grant said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” …

Sean Strickland is unhinged with his teammates. 

Strickland is known for his controversial takes on gun control. The former middleweight champion has a large collection of guns and advises people to carry guns as well. Strickland’s teammate, Francis Ngannou, once asked him why he always carries a gun. Strickland hilariously told him to look at himself in the mirror.

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“So Francis asked me once why I carry a gun,” Strickland said on MVP Uncut. “I told him, ‘Look in the mirror.’”

Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champ, certainly cuts an intimidating figure. However, Strickland has other reasons to carry a gun. Strickland was once seen holding a domestic abuse suspect at gunpoint outside his home in Las Vegas. Strickland also found himself on the wrong end of a gun during a road rage incident. 

Big Fights on the Horizon Strickland and Ngannou are both currently in camp at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. Strickland (30-7) will chall…

Aljamain Sterling is not one to create a ruckus if he can help it. 

Sterling (26-5) dominantly defeated Youssef Zalal at UFC Fight Night 274 last weekend. Something unusual occurred at the pre-fight press conference that captured the attention of fans and pundits. Sterling had placed two bottles of his “Funk Harbor” liquor in front of him at the presser. However, a UFC staff member suddenly asked Sterling to remove the bottles, and “Funkmaster” obliged without any fuss. 

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Sterling recently revealed that he had permission from UFC executive Hunter Campbell to display his bottles, which he had been doing for his past few fights. Sterling claims he has barely had any issues with the UFC staff, barring a stray incident when he was bantamweight champion. Sterling says the UFC staff member who recently asked him to remove the bottles later made it up to him. According to Sterling, he could have easily gotten confrontational, but decided not to, a…

Islam Makhachev’s next title defense is seemingly set. 

Makhachev’s strength and conditioning coach, Seifulla Magomedov, was recently seen training the UFC welterweight champion. Magomedov also confirmed that Makhachev is now officially in camp for his next fight. While the camp started a few days back, Makhachev joined on Monday.

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Back to Work “The camp began a few days ago, but for Islam, it has really started today,” Magomedov told Red Corner MMA.

Makhachev (28-1) moved up from lightweight after defending the title four times, the most in the division’s history. Makhachev dethroned Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight title at UFC 322 this past November. Ian Garry and Michael Morales are currently jostling for the next title shot against Makhachev. Makhachev even expressed interest in Garry’s latest callout, claiming that he is just waiting on a contract. Meanwhile, Morales has hinted that he is not out of the picture yet by posting …

After his first scheduled Real American Freestyle appearance fell through, Merab Dvalishvili has been booked to face another accomplished former UFC champ on May 30.

The organization announced on Monday that Dvalishvili will face Frankie Edgar at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas. Dvalishvili was originally supposed to meet Henry Cejudo in the RAF 8 headliner before Cejudo suffered an injury just prior to their match. RAF 9 is headlined by a matchup between Gable Steveson and Alexander Romanov, while Colby Covington will square off against Chris Weidman in the co-main event. The event airs on Fox Nation.

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Dvalishvili, who is known for his relentless pace and grappling in the UFC, relinquished the bantamweight crown to Petr Yan in the UFC 323 headliner this past December. “The Machine” is expected to be granted a rematch against the Russian champion in the near future.

Edgar wrestled collegiately at Clarion University before transitioning to an MMA career. …

Two prominent names will grace the cover of EA Sports’ latest UFC game.

The company announced on Monday that former two-division champion Alex Pereira and ex-featherweight king Max Holloway will get featured billing for “UFC 6,” which marks the first release since the fifth version in 2023. The game is slated for a June 12 release — two days before the UFC White House card.

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Two ways to be dangerous ⚠️@AlexPereiraUFC on the Standard Edition.@BlessedMMA on the Ultimate Edition.#UFC6 preorders are now live 🎮 https://t.co/OKmxT2IWCI

Full reveal coming soon 👀 pic.twitter.com/BmTHOJOSxb

— EA SPORTS UFC (@EASPORTSUFC) April 27, 2026 Star Power on the Box Pereira, a former 185- and 205-pound champ, will make his bid to become a three-division title holder when he faces Ciryl Gane for interim heavyweight gold in the UFC White House co-main event. “Poatan” has emerged as one of the promotion’s biggest stars since coming t…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will break new ground later this summer.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Monday that the Octagon will head to Belgrade, Serbia for an event on Aug. 1. A venue and headlining attraction were not revealed for what is expected to be a UFC Fight Night card.

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The UFC currently has a pair of Serbian fighters under contract: Uros Medic and Dusko Todorovic. Medic made a passionate plea for the organization to head to his home country following a first-round knockout of Geoff Neal at UFC Houston on Feb. 21.Calling His Shot"Belgrade, Serbia. UFC this summer. Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards if he’s available,” Medic said in his post-fight interview. Let’s get this work in. I’m gonna knock him out — and a guy after him and a guy after him. I’m knocking everybody out.”

Just what The Doctor ordered 🇷🇸 🥼@Urketaraketa spoke #UFCBelgrade into reality 👏 👊 pic.twitter.com/Xwsui6V1kp

— UFC Europe (@UFC…

Raoni Barcelos earned his fifth straight UFC win on Saturday. | Getty/UFC

After taking a split-decision victory over Montel Jackson at UFC Fight Night 274 on Saturday, Raoni Barcelos is confident that he will finally enter the bantamweight rankings on the heels of his fifth consecutive triumph.

“I knew that would be a war,” Barcelos told Sherdog.com. “Montel was having good distance control, but I’m a complete fighter, so I used my wrestling to neutralize him. I finished two rounds with a choke on his neck. Unfortunately I wasn't able to submit him, but I got the ‘W.’ Since he was 14th in the rankings I know that from now on the challenges will be even harder.”

The son of legendary master Laerte Barcelos, who competed both in jiu-jitsu and wrestling, Raoni grew up competing since he was 8 years old in both styles and earned five national titles in wrestling, four national championships in BJJ and a silver medal in BJJ nationals as a black belt. Barcelos…

Artem Vakhitov doesn’t think Alex Pereira is naturally built for heavyweight. 

Pereria is scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House on June 14. Vakhitov, the last man to beat Pereira in kickboxing, recently trained with Gane. While Vakhitov was previously skeptical about Gane, he has now changed his mind about “Bon Gamin.” Vakhitov is impressed with Gane’s overall skillset and favors the Frenchman to beat “Poatan.”

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“Before I came to train with Ciryl Gane, I was a little suspicious regarding his style, his preparations,” Vakhitov told Standmeup. “But when I went there, I really felt that the guy is totally on a different level. When I saw his team, how he was preparing, how he did everything well, his timing, feeling the distance, stamina, his striking, he has everything. Now he has to work on his psychological and mental things. Now I’ve changed my mind, I think it’s 70-30, he really can get it.” Hea…

Conor McGregor is yet again doubling down on a UFC return. 

According to recent reports, McGregor (22-6) is likely to return for a fight against Max Holloway this summer. The former UFC double champ recently posted training pictures while assuring fans of a return.

“Legs still sharper than a guillotine. Training with the young wolves, sharpening the blade,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “The return is coming whether they like it or not.”

A History of Broken Promises However, this is not the first time McGregor has teased a return to action. “Notorious” hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in a trilogy loss against Dustin Poirier in 2021. McGregor has since teased a return to the UFC on multiple occasions but failed to deliver. The Dubliner was even matched up against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024, but pulled out due to a toe injury. McGregor was also rallying for a spot on the UFC White House card in June, which didn’t materialize. However, Dana White cu…

Paulo Costa and Josh Hokit have seemingly forged a new friendship. 

Hokit is making headlines in the UFC by cutting WWE-esque promos and backing it up with his performances. “The Incredible Hok” recently defeated Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 to earn both “Performance of the Night” and “Fight of the Night” bonuses. The same card also saw Paulo Costa finish a previously undefeated Azamat Murzakanov in a massive upset. 

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At President Donald Trump’s insistence, Hokit was immediately booked against Derrick Lewis for the UFC White House card on June 14. Costa subsequently offered to replace Lewis against Hokit. “Borrachinha” also accused Hokit of robbing him of a bonus at UFC 327. However, Costa has since seemingly dropped the idea of fighting Hokit. Hokit recently collaborated with Costa on an Instagram post. Hokit shared a clip of himself cutting a promo at the UFC 327 pre-fight press conference, where Costa can be seen laughing.Did We Just Become…

Carlos Ulberg is satisfied with his ongoing recovery.

Ulberg (14-1) traded leather with Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 327 earlier this month in Miami. Ulberg evidently compromised his knee early in the fight, and victory seemed to be a mere inevitability for Prochazka. However, “Black Jag” caught Prochazka with a clean combo and finished him to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. 

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Six days later, Ulberg underwent surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee. This led to concern about Ulberg potentially having to vacate his title due to inactivity. However, the Kiwi is recovering impressively at the UFC Performance Institute, under the supervision of Dr. Heather Linden, UFC’s vice president of sports medicine. Ulberg is happy with the progress in his recovery. While Ulberg initially expected to take six to eight months to fully recover, he hinted that he might recover faster.Healing Fast “I've done the groundwork,…

Francis Ngannou believes promotions are to blame for the downfall of heavyweight MMA in recent times. 

While the heavyweight division once used to be the crown jewel of MMA promotions, that is no longer the case. With barely any competition left at the highest level, the UFC is widely considered the biggest promotion. Even the UFC has been unable to get things working smoothly for its heavyweight division. 

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Ngannou (18-3) believes “mismanagement” has led to the current plight of the heavyweight division. Ngannou clarifies that he is not blaming the managers of fighters, but rather the promotions. The former UFC heavyweight champion notes that current heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is not on the best terms with the UFC.

“I would say mismanagement,” Ngannou told The Schmo. “There is a lot of mismanagement that sometimes gets stuff screwed up. That’s where we’re at today… Like Tom Aspinall is having troubles… When I said mismanagement, I …

Boxing is not a priority for Tom Aspinall right now. 

Aspinall has long been teasing a transition to boxing. While Aspinall seemed really keen on a move to boxing until recently, the UFC heavyweight champion has now changed tune. Aspinall recently confirmed that he isn’t focused on boxing right now as he still has lots left to do in the UFC.

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“To be honest, I’m not thinking about boxing that much right now,” Aspinall said in a recent interview (via unforgettable.mma). “I’ve got more stuff to do with the UFC.”Ongoing TensionsAspinall’s (15-3) potential move to boxing was highlighted even more during his ongoing rift with the UFC.. As the interim champion, “Honey Badger” kept waiting for a title unifier against Jon Jones, who retired last year after stalling the heavyweight division for more than a year. Aspinall was subsequently promoted to interim champion and booked to defend his title for the first time against Ciryl Gane at UFC 320 last year.…

A highly-anticpated heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is in the works for the end of this year.

Ring Magazine reported on Monday that Fury vs. Joshua is a “done deal” and will take place in the fourth quarter of 2026 on Netflix. Prior to that bout, Joshua will square off against Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Albania’s Prenga has won 13 consecutive bouts dating back to 2017. That tuneup fight will air on DAZN.

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✅ DONE DEAL ✅

🥊 Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua📆 Q4, 2026📺 Netflix pic.twitter.com/tgxb9VDMQB

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) April 27, 2026 Don’t Call It a Comeback Fury (35-2-1), who is regarded as one of the sport’s all-time great heavyweights, returned from his latest retirement to take a clear-cut unanimous decision over Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11. He owns victories over the likes of Deontay Wilder, Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, amo…

Coach Ben Vickers has high expectations for Tai Tuivasa.

Tuivasa (14-9) is scheduled to fight Louie Sutherland (10-5) in front of home fans at UFC Perth on Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Tuivasa had shifted his training base to Dubai in 2021. However, amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Tuivasa has returned to his home country to train with Vickers at Scrappy MMA in Perth. 

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Vickers says that while people barely see beyond Tuivasa’s entertaining persona, “Bam Bam” is an exceptional fighter. Vickers believes Tuivasa still has a lot more to show, which will be evident at UFC Perth. According to Vickers, “Bam Bam” is currently in good shape and motivated. Vickers also believes Tuivasa still has it in him to make another title run despite his recent losing streak. Vickers expects a more technical version of Tuivasa at UFC Perth.‘He’s Blown My Mind’“People see this larger than life character… he is a phenomenal martial artist,” V…