Martial Arts Videos

Patricio Freire came up short against Aaron Pico at UFC 327. | Getty/UFC

Three days after suffering a unanimous decision defeat against Aaron Pico at UFC 327, Patricio Freire posted a video on Instagram thanking fans for their support and providing more details about the fight held last Saturday.

"Congratulations to my opponent, he was well-trained and very fast," the Brazilian acknowledged at the beginning of the video.

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Freire then addressed a common observation that his overall performance dropped after a strong opening stanza. As it turns out, there was a good reason for that.

“I saw many analysts saying that I started the first round well and had a very strong drop in performance from the first to the second,” he said. “In reality, right at the beginning of the second round, I took a clean punch to the eye, with my eye open, a jab and straight punch sequence, and it ended up fracturing the orbital bone along with the side of my no…

Mike Malott gets his first UFC headlining opportunity on Saturday. | Getty/UFC

If it wasn’t for one “bad minute,” Mike Malott might still be an undefeated fighter in UFC competition.

Likely up on the scorecards against Neil Magny at UFC 297, the 34-year-old Canadian faded badly in the waning moments en route to losing via technical knockout at the 4:45 mark of Round 3. What turned out to be a monumental comeback for Magny was a learning experience for Malott.

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“Ran into an issue in that one fight I lost; stuff came up in that one and I grew a lot from it, learned to humble myself in certain ways,” Malott told UFC.com. “I know I’m an elite-level fighter, but recognizing that ‘Hey man — sometimes you’re fighting the best guys in the world and you don’t need to force a finish’ [is really important]. I didn’t need to force a finish in that fight; I could have coasted to a decision and won, and looking back, that’s one of the things I changed……

Mark Hunt was arrested on alleged domestic violence charges on Tuesday. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Former UFC and Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight Mark Hunt was arrested on domestic violence charges in Australia, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hunt was arrested in the Northern Rivers region of Australia on Tuesday evening on charges of stalking or intimidation with intent to cause physical harm. Per the report, Hunt allegedly threatened to physically assault a family member at the property. The 52-year-old was denied police bail ahead of a court appearance on Wednesday.

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It revealed during Wednesday’s testimony, according to the report, that Hunt was helping the family member with an unspecified task when he began acting in an “intimidating and berating manner” that caused “fear and distress” for the woman and another witness. Hunt also allegedly previously sent the woman a threatening text: “I’m just going to murder you…

Carlos Ulberg lost the UFC belt he won on Saturday night in Miami. | Getty/UFC

Carlos Ulberg apparently misplaced a key piece of hardware during the euphoria of his championship celebration.

“I lost the belt, bro,” Ulberg told Fox Sports Australia on Monday.

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Ulberg defeated Jiri Prochazka via first-round knockout in the UFC 327 headliner at the Kaseya Center in Miami, capturing the vacant light heavyweight title in the process. The City Kickboxing stalwart didn’t seem too concerned regarding the whereabouts of his belt, as he speculated that it was likely left behind at some point during a night of partying.

I don’t know exactly where it is,” Ulberg said. “Initially after winning, the plan was to not have a drink. But you know how these things go, right? First, someone gives you a champagne to celebrate. Then one thing leads to another and you’re doing shots. So it’s ‘OK, I’ll have another, and another, and another …’

“We’ve got …

Lorenz Larkin recently suffered a knee injury that will keep him off the MVP Netflix card. | Dave Mandel

Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA card has suffered its first setback.

UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Lorenz Larkin announced on Tuesday that he has been forced to withdraw from the May 16 event slated for the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Larkin was scheduled to face former Bellator champ Jason Jackson in a welterweight bout. It’s currently unknown if a Jackson will receive a replacement opponent.

Injury Woes "I'm sorry to all the fans but I had to pull out of the Netflix card due to knee injury," Larkin wrote on Instagram Stories. "Will be rehabing it back to 100% and will be back.”

Larkin, 39, hasn’t competed in MMA since 2024 when he earned a pair of first-round stoppage victories over Alan Dominguez and Levan Chokheli. More recently, “Monsoon” split a pair of bouts under the Karate Combat banner in 2025.

The 35-year-old Jackson last appeared…

The Octagon will return to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time in more than seven years this summer.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Tuesday that /events/UFC-330-August-15-112557 will take place at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. No bouts were confirmed for the card, but the event is expected to include a title fight atop the bill, per a release.

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“Pennsylvania is thrilled to host UFC 330 in Philadelphia, the first time a championship bout is coming back to the Commonwealth in fifteen years,” said Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro. “This is a huge year for Pennsylvania – all eyes are on the Commonwealth as we celebrate America 250 and host some of the biggest sporting events in the world in the place where it all started. From UFC and March Madness to the FIFA World Cup and the NFL Draft, we’re excited to host world class sporting events that will bring with them incredible opportunities for our businesses, …

Josh Hokit is making a name for himself in the UFC. | Getty/UFC

Josh Hokit’s most recent performance has earned him some respect in the eyes of oddsmakers.

According to BetOnline.ag, Hokit is currently a -300 favorite against Derrick Lewis in their heavyweight clash at the UFC White House card. Lewis, meanwhile, checks in as a +250 underdog. The odds are subject to change as the fight approaches.

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Hokit emerged as a star at UFC 327, where he took a unanimous decision triumph over Curtis Blaydes in a “Fight of the Year” candidate. “The Incredible Hok” is 9-0 as a professional — including three triumphs under the UFC banner.

The booking against Lewis came together as the UFC 327 card took place. UFC CEO Dana White revealed that President Donald Trump, who was seated cageside, asked why Lewis wasn’t part of the White House event. After Hokit’s standout effort against Blaydes, booking the upstart prospect against the UFC’s all-time knockou…

Max Griffin boasts a wealth of UFC experience. | Getty/UFC

There will be a significant gap in big-fight experience when Max Griffin and Victor Valenzuela lock horns on April 25.

Griffin, an 18-time Octagon veteran, and Valenzuela, a promotional newcomer, will meet in a welterweight contest at UFC Fight Night 274. The bout was first reported by MMAFighting.com. UFC Fight Night 274 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a bantamweight scrap pitting Aljamain Sterling against Youssef Zalal.

Veteran vs. Rookie Griffin has last three of his last four outings. Most recently, the 40-year-old Californian dropped a split verdict to Chris Curtis at UFC on ESPN 70 on July 12. Griffin is 8-10 during his UFC tenure, with notable wins over the likes of Tim Means, Carlos Condit and Mike Perry.

Valenzuela, meanwhile, suffered a second-round TKO loss to Michael Oliveira on Dana White’s Contender Series last October. He has since rebounded with a stopp…

Most Valuable Promotions could be in it for the long haul when it comes to staging mixed martial arts events.

Of course, much will hinge on the company’s May 16 debut: a Netflix card at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. MVP’s MMA debut also features a number of notable names such as Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, Junior dos Santos and Muhammad Mokaev, to name a few.

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MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian recently discussed the organization’s future in an interview with the Sports Business Journal and admitted that the promotion is interested in MMA beyond one-off events.

“I think a lot of it depends on May 16, right?” Bidarian said. “We’re putting a lot of fire power, star power, distribution to the event. If it works, and I’m very confident it will work, yes -- MVP will be involved in MMA over the long term.”

Netflix will provide MVP will a significant platform for its debut event. The Jake Paul vs. Mi…

Paulo Costa was impressive in his move up to light heavyweight. | Getty/UFC

Two-time “Coach of the Year” honoree Rafael Cordeiro was impressed by Paulo Costa´s performance at UFC 327.

According to Kings MMA founder, Costa should stay in the light heavyweight division following his third-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Azamat Murzakanov this past Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

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“‘Borrachinha’ is a guy that, love him or hate him, you will like to see his fights. And give me three names of the division that sell fights like him,” Cordeiro told Sherdog.com.

Based on his performance last Saturday, where he knocked out Murzakanov with a head kick in the third round, the former Chute Boxer believes that Costa would also beat Jiri Prochazka if he was fighting for the interim title. Prochazka suffered a first-round knockout loss to Carlos Ulberg in clash for the vacant light heavyweight strap at UFC 327. However, Ulberg co…

Fares Ziam has won six straight in UFC competition. | Getty/UFC

Two lightweights looking to make a statement will square off at UFC Fight Night 278.

Fares Ziam will lock horns with Tom Nolan in an intriguing 155-pound matchup on June 6 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from MMA Odds Breaker. UFC Fight Night 278 is headlined by a welterweight showdown between Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim and airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

On a Roll Ziam has been victorious in six consecutive Octagon appearances. The 29-year-old Frenchman is coming off a 2-0 campaign in 2025 in which he defeated Mike Davis via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 250 and scored a second-round TKO over Nazim Sadykhov at UFC 323. The Frenchman known as “Smile Killer” is 8-2 in the Las Vegas-based promotion overall.

Australia’s Nolan has won four straight contests since dropping his UFC debut against Nikol…

Curtis Blaydes gave everything he had against Josh Hokit at UFC 327, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.

The 35-year-old heavyweight veteran dropped a unanimous decision to Hokit in a “Fight of the Year” contender on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. After nearly being finished early by his upstart opponent, Blaydes rallied for a strong finish in Round 1. However, Hokit gradually took control over the final 10 minutes to capture a unanimous decision triumph in a memorable slugfest.

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Blaydes paid tribute to his opponent in a brief statement on social media.

“Emptied the clip, threw the gun,” Blaydes wrote on Instagram. “That SOB is tougher to kill than he looks.”

One for the Record Books When all was said and done, Blaydes (177) and Hokit (174) combined to land 351 significant strikes, the most ever for a three-round UFC heavyweight fight. They also set a record for most combined significant strikes attempted (595). The bout took its toll on Bla…

Daniel Rodriguez is ready to resume his career after spending eight months in Mexican jail. | Getty/UFC

UFC welterweight Daniel Rodriguez paid dearly for attempting to take marijuana into Mexico.

Shortly after defeating Kevin Holland at UFC 318 last July, Rodriguez planned a vacation to Rosarito, Mexico, to celebrate his victory. However, “D-Rod” was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border for possession of weed, and he ended up spending the past eight months in Mexican prison. The 39-year-old Californian was finally released last week. During an appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show,” Rodriguez detailed his experience.

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“This is my first time in Mexican jail and I can tell you one thing for sure, it’s the worst possible situation,” Rodriguez said. “Fortunately, I was able to make the best of it. I was able to pull a couple of strings and get a little bit of workout equipment there and I was able to work out and try and stay in shape, but i…

Cub Swanson enjoyed a memorable farewell at UFC 327. | Getty/UFC

Cub Swanson went out on a high note.

The 42-year-old Palm Springs, California, native wrapped up a 22-year mixed martial arts career at UFC 327, where he defeated Nate Landwehr via technical knockout 4:06 into Round 1 of their featherweight clash at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday night. Swanson made it look easy against the former M-1 Global champion, dropping him twice en route to earning the stoppage.

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“I wasn't expecting that,” Swanson told the UFC. “I was really worried about him picking up the pace late in the fight. And I was expecting him to to come after me a little bit more. And I was trying to calm it down. And so once I kind of realized that he wasn't having a lot of success, I was like, all right, I need to I need to start pulling the trigger.”

Farewell fights don’t always go as planned, but with his family in attendance, Swanson couldn’t have scripted …

Plenty eyes will be on Gable Steveson at UFC 329. | Mexico Fight League

Gable Steveson isn’t doing anything to temper the hype ahead of his highly-anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The promotion announced on Saturday that Steveson has signed to make his first Octagon foray at UFC 329 on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. An heavyweight opponent for Steveson is expected to be announced at a later date.

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Ready for the Next Step "Man, I feel amazing," Steveson told the UFC after his signing was annoucned. "This is going to be the biggest debut on earth and I'm ready. The butterflies, the jitters, it's all part of the game, and I'm ready to take that big step to the UFC and do what I need to do. Man, I think International Fight Week is going to be crazy. You know, maybe a crazy headliner that might come back that you guys might know so, who knows?”

As for the “crazy headiner,” Steveson is likely referencing the re…

Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker was a forgettable affair. | Getty/UFC

While Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker seemed like a surefire candidate to deliver a spectacular finish, the light heavyweight bout did not meet expectations.

Reyes defeated Walker in a forgettable split decision on the UFC 327 main card on Saturday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The contest drew boos from a restless audience as both fighters offered llittle in the way of meaningful offense over the course of the 15-minute affair.

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Reyes’ last three UFC victories had all come via knockout or technical knockout, but the former 205-pound title challenger defended his performance, citing his opponent’s finishing potential.Money Over Entertainment "He's super dangerous, so if I go crazy, I'm going to run into something," Reyes said at a post-fight media scrum (transcription via MMAjunkie.com). "I did get a concussion less than six months ago. I probably shouldn't h…

It was an unforgettable night for Carlos Ulberg at UFC 327. | Getty/UFC

Carlos Ulberg may have essentially been fighting on one leg in the UFC 327 main event, but that didn’t prevent him from achieving his goal.

Despite being hobbled with an apparent right knee injury, “Black Jag” dropped Jiri Prochazka with a left hook and finished his opponent with follow-up punches at the 3:45 mark of Round 1 to claim the vacant light heavyweight crown on Saturday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

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“The whole thing was, nothing was going to stop me. Nothing was going to stop me when I was in that Octagon,” Ulberg said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “Although we knew we had this issue with the leg, I knew that nothing was going to stop me from getting that win.”

There was no immediate prognosis for the injury, though speculation was that Ulberg might have suffered a torn ACL.

“We don't know yet what's wrong with it,” he said. “I think …

Paulo Costa vanquished the previously undefeated Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327. | Getty/UFC

There’s been a theme to Paulo Costa’s recent victories in the UFC.

After an impressive knockout over Azamat Murzakanov in the UFC 327 co-main event, his second victory over a Russian opponent in 10 months (he also defeated Roman Kopylov at UFC 318), Costa revealed to Ag.Fight’s Diego Ribas that he would love to face a third “Russian” next.

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“Two Russians, two southpaws in a row, and I would be glad if UFC had a third one to offer me,” Costa said in a video interview. “[Khamzat] Chimaev. Actually he is a Gourmet Chechen, not Russian. But it doesn’t matter. The UFC knows how much I want to face him.”

When asked about his post-fight conversation with U.S. President Donalt Trump, Costa said it was a private talk about a “friend in common” — likely former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro or his son, Flavio Bolsonaro, who will be running in next nat…

Perhaps attending UFC 327 in person made Jon Jones reconsider his recent statement that he was done with fighting.

“I’m not sure if I’m retired or not,” Jones said in an interview with UFC Brasil. “I’m just taking it day by day just trying to kind of figure out my body and how I feel, things like that. I’ll tell you what, being here at the UFC right now definitely has given me this fire that I haven’t felt in a little bit, so it feels very good to be here.”

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“Bones” hasn’t competed since November 2024, when he defended the heavyweight crown with a third-round stoppage of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. While UFC CEO Dana White expressed confidence that a Jones-Tom Aspinall championship matchup would be booked, that pairing never came to fruition. Jones briefly retired last June only to re-enter the drug testing pool when plans for the UFC White House card were announced.

Perspectives on how close Jones was to reaching an agreement to compete at the June…

Curtis Blaydes took a beating at UFC 327 | Getty/UFC

Engaging in a “Fight of the Year” candidate took its toll on Curtis Blaydes.

The longtime heavyweight contender squared off against prospect Josh Hokit on the UFC 327 main card at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday night. While both combatants boast wrestling backgrounds, the bout turned into a slugfest in which Blaydes (177) and Hokit (174) combined to land the most significant strikes in a three-round fight in UFC heavyweight history.

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Hokit appeared to wobble Blaydes on more than one occasion, but “Razor” was never dropped. However, Hokit got stronger as the fight progressed, ultimately earning a hard-fought unanimous decision victory.The Cost of Doing Business As for Blaydes, he will likely be sidelined for quite some time as he recovers from the injuries suffered in the memorable contest. Blaydes’ management team at Vayner Sports revealed to MMAjunkie.com that the fighter sust…

Jiri Prochazka got caught by a left hook at UFC 327. | Getty/UFC

Jiri Prochazka may long regret the UFC 327 headliner as the one that got away.

With the vacant light heavyweight title on the line and Carlos Ulberg hobbled by an apparent knee injury, Prochazka suffered a shocking knockout loss 3:45 into the opening stanza on Saturday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami. In the aftermath of the defeat, Prochazka lamented a missed opportunity while also hinting that he may have let up once he realized his opponent was injured.

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It was the same sentiment for Prochazka both in his immediate post-fight interview and then in a video update he later provided via social media.

“Just checking the jaw in the hospital,” Prochazka said on his Instagram Stories. “Big apologies for my performance tonight. I still can’t understand this. My stupid mercy in the fight and that cost me this fight.

“I would like to fight a rematch. Because that was my…

Health permitting, Josh Hokit has earned himself a spot at the UFC White House event. | Getty/UFC

At the request of President Donald Trump, the UFC White House card will have one more fight than originally anticipated.

UFC CEO Dana White announced on Saturday that Derrick Lewis will square off against Josh Hokit at the June 14 event. UFC White House takes place on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., and is headlined by a lightweight title tilt pitting Ilia Topuria against Justin Gaethje. In the co-main event, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will vie for the interim heavyweight belt.

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Just prior to the announcement, Hokit had emerged from a three-round war against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 with a unanimous decision triumph. “The Incredible Hok” is 9-0 as a professional — including three triumphs in the UFC. Blaydes was by far the most significant victory of Hokit’s career to date, and the bout also stands out as a potential “Fight of the Ye…

Heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson is officially taking his talents to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

During the UFC 327 broadcast on Saturday night, it was announced that Steveson had signed with the Las Vegas-based promotion. He will make his debut at UFC 329 during International Fight Week against an as-yet-to-be-named opponent. Steveson was in attendance at UFC 327 in Miami when the announcement was made.

THE NEWEST ADDITION 🚨

Gable Steveson is officially signed and will be fighting at #UFC329! pic.twitter.com/mUVJsFUskK

— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2026 Making Waves Steveson is regarded as one of the top prospects in all of MMA. The 25-year-old, who has worked extensively with former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones, is 3-0 in MMA bouts — finishing all of his opponents inside of a round. Prior to focusing on fighting, Steveson tried his hand at both professonal wrestling and the NFL.

Steveson last appeared at Mexico Fight…

Rajabali Shaidullaev continues to dominate the competition in Rizin. | Rizin FF

Rajabali Shaidullaev is one of MMA’s most talented fighters outside of the UFC. The 25-year-old Kyrgyz warrior kept his unblemished record intact and easily retained his featherweight title with a first-round TKO victory in the Rizin Fighting Federation “Landmark Vol. 13” main event on Sunday in Fukuoka, Japan.

Shaidullaev (19-0, 7-0 Rizin), who has run into a shortage of challengers on the Rizin roster, was matched up against striker Yuta Kubo (5-3, 1 NC; 5-3, 1 NC Rizin) in a rematch from their first meeting at the end of 2024. That first fight ended in a TKO triumph for Shaidullaev, and he captured his Rizin featherweight title four months later, but it was also the only time in his Rizin career so far that he was taken into a second round.

Perhaps motivated to make a statement with an even more dominant victory, Shaidullaev did just that in the rematch. After engaging in a…