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This departing Ultimate Fighting Championship talent is sticking to his guns of title or bust.

Surprising fans and media with a sudden announcement on Thursday, UFC welterweight Themba Gorimbo (14-7) has decided to hang up his gloves. The Zimbabwe-born Gorimbo last competed mere weeks ago, dropping a split call to Jonathan Micallef to lose his third straight. Posting on Instagram giving his thanks to supporters and farewell to the sport, Gorimbo declared that if he could not be a champion, he would not continue.

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Gorimbo made waves in the community by declaring after his first UFC victory—a decision over Takashi Sato in 2023—that he was flat broke, with a mere $7.49 in his bank account. This garnered the attention of pro wrestling superstar-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who explained that hearing Gorimbo’s story reminded him of his own difficulties coming up as an athlete, right down to seven-dollar similarity. Johnson surprised Gorimbo by …

Ahead of what could be its largest show to date, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has worked with its broadcast partner on some special programming.

Via a release on Thursday from the UFC’s broadcasting partner of Paramount, a documentary focusing on part of Ilia Topuria’s fighting career will be releasing on its streaming platform. The doc will drop on June 1 on Paramount+, a couple weeks before the UFC White House event which is headlined by Topuria against Justin Gaethje for the unified lightweight throne.

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This specific documentary, titled “Topuria Matador,” will cover two major fights of Topuria. The spotlight will first shine on his match with Josh Emmett, which marked only the second time he had gone the distance as a pro. After beating Emmett, “The Matador” claimed a featherweight title shot and cashed it by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski—this is what the documentary will lead to as it progresses.A man of many upbringingsIn addition to…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Azerbaijan has taken a hit.

On Thursday, perennial middleweight contender Vettori (19-10-1) posted on Instagram that he would no longer be competing at UFC Baku, also known as UFC Fight Night 280. The Italian suffered a rib injury that does not need surgery but will prohibit him from appearing on June 27. He was slated to face Ismail Naurdiev (25-8) at the National Gymnastics Arena in the capital city of Azerbaijan either as the main card opener or preliminary headliner.

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Vettori explained, “Unfortunately I’m here to tell you that a few days ago, I got hurt on my rib. I did an MRI and it came back today showing that the rib is broken, so I won’t be fighting June 27. I was really looking forward to this fight. I moved from Florida to California for this camp. I wanted to get back to my roots, train with Beneil [Dariush], train with Julian for my boxing, train with Chase for my conditioning.”

“The Itali…

Scott Coker is back.

Per a press release and post on social media on Thursday, the former head of Strikeforce and Bellator MMA announced himself as returning to run a new MMA organization yet to be named at this time. Based on the email correspondence, it may be coined some variation of “Strike MMA,” but that could be a working title. To garner support to put together a new MMA league, Coker has teamed up with several deep-pocketed investors and names familiar with the entertainment industry.

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Of note, Kevin Kay, former President of Paramount as well as Spike TV, will be on the investor and advisory group running this org. He has also gained the support of ex-Viacom chief financial officer Wade Davis, former Sony Pictures TV chair Steve Mosko, owner of D.C. United and a massive asset management company Steve Kaplan. In terms of household names, skateboarding icon Tony Hawk will also be chipping in. This promotion will be formed as a collaborative effo…

Khamzat Chimaev lost a split decision to Sean Strickland at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

Dricus Du Plessis isn’t buying the notion that Khamzat Chimaev was hindered by a weight cut ahead of his championship defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 328.

Chimaev looked drained at weigh-ins ahead of the bout, and after the loss, both Arman Tsarukyan and his brother, Artur, claimed that the Chechen fighter’s performance was affected by the cut. “Borz” appeared to gas out significantly on a failed takedown in Round 2, though he recovered to make the fight compeitive in what was ultimately a split-decision defeat.

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Du Plessis, who lost the middleweight belt to Chimaev in a lopsided decision at UFC 319 last August, wasn’t swayed by the explanations.

“I think this whole weight cut excuse is ridiculous, to be honest with you,” Du Plessis said in an interview with Fight Forecast “I think Tsarukyan said he cut 12 pounds in the 24 hours. Those are rookie numbers…

Floyd Mayweather has a couple of pending fall dates. | Sean Michael Ham/Mayweather Promotions

Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson are still expected to square off this year, but the exhibition boxing match will take place later than anticipated.

That’s according to a press release from CSI Sport/Fight Sports, which claims to have secured agreements from both boxers. While previous reports had Mayweather vs. Tyson scheduled for April 25 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the release states that the bout was slated for May 30. However, the booking was postponed as Tyson recovers from a broken hand.

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Mike Tyson Vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Is Onhttps://t.co/xiKjv5BApV

— FIGHT SPORTS (@FIGHTSPORTS) May 20, 2026

A date, venue and broadcast plans are expected to be announced soon.

Complications Abound There could be a conflict with the exhibition, as Mayweather is also supposed to face Manny Pacquiao in a remat…

John Wood thinks it's possible he works with Gina Carano for another fight. | Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix

After nearly 17 years away, Gina Carano only got to spend 17 seconds in the cage in her mixed martial arts return.

Carano succumbed to a Ronda Rousey armbar in the main event of Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA card this past Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. In her post-fight interview, Carano admitted that she would have liked a chance to show more in her first fight since Aug. 15, 2009. Coach John Wood, who led Carano’s camp, also believes that she might have more to prove before she walks away from the sport for good.

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"I do not believe that that itch has been scratched yet for Gina, but we'll see," Wood told Home of Fight. "There's a lot of things already coming at her. I could tell you, behind the scenes, there's a lot of activity already, so ultimately the decision is hers. It was never a need for money. …

Manel Kape will face Kyoji Horiguchi atop the UFC Fight Night 279 card. | Getty/UFC

The card for UFC Fight Night 279 appears to be nearing completion.

The Las Vegas-based promotion recently confirmed 11 bouts for the June 20 event, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a rematch between Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi. The card will air in its entirety on Paramount plus beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

Kape has been victorious in seven of his last eight promotional appearances. “Starboy” is coming off a first-round knockout of former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval at UFC on ESPN 73 on Dec. 13.

A former UFC flyweight challenger, Horiguchi has won back-back-to-back outings since returning to the Las Vegas-based organization. In his most recent outing, “Karate Kid” outpointed Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 266 on Feb. 7.

UFC Fight Night 279 Card Manel Kape vs. Kyoji HoriguchiFarid Basharat vs. Ethyn EwingKar…

Regardless of the outcome of the next welterweight title fight, Carlos Prates is confident that he will get a shot at the one after that. 

Rumors suggest that Islam Makhachev will put his welterweight title on the line against Ian Garry this summer. Prates is confident that he will get a title shot against the winner of that fight. However, it could mean a long period of inactivity for Prates if Makhachev wins, as the Dagestani champion doesn’t fight very often. Meanwhile, a win for Garry should ideally lead to an immediate rematch for Makhachev. 

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However, Prates doesn’t think that’s how it will play out. Prates had a conversation with the UFC brass, the details of which he refuses to divulge. However, the Brazilian firmly believes he will get the shot regardless of the winner of the fight between Makhachev and Garry.

“I don’t think they’re gonna do a rematch if Makhachev loses,” Prates said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I talked with Da…

Ethyn Ewing has made a habit of knocking off highly-touted opponents. | Getty/UFC

Ethyn Ewing will look to hand another undefeated fighter his first professional loss next month. 

Ewing is set to face Farid Basharat at a UFC Fight Night event on June 20 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was announced by the promotion on Tuesday. 

Building a Reputation Ewing (10-2) has built a career out of derailing undefeated opponents’ hype train. Ewing is currently undefeated in 10 straight outings since dropping his first two professional fights. “The Professor Finesser” was a massive +550 underdog when he made his UFC debut on 48 hours’ notice against then-unbeaten prospect Malcolm Wellmaker last year. Ewing put on a clinic to earn a massive upset win via unanimous decision. Ewing repeated his success this past April by handing Rafael Estevam his first professional loss in another upset. 

Meanwhile, Basharat (15-0) has six UFC wins to his name s…

Francis Ngannou recently crossed paths with his first promoter, Stephane Chafourier. 

Ngannou (19-3) knocked out Philipe Lins in the first round of their heavyweight clash at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" card last weekend in Los Angeles. Chafourier was there to manage his fighter, Salahdine Parnasse, who also scored a first-round knockout win over Kenneth Cross. 

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Blast from the Past Ngannou came across Chafourier backstage at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Ngannou revealed that Chafourier was his first promoter. Ngannou recalls not being paid anything for his first fight, which was a free tournament. However, “The Predator” was thrilled when he received 2,000 euros ($2,323) for his second fight. Ngannou recalls going to a corner and immediately counting his money.

“Mr. Chafourier. This is my first promoter,” Ngannou said while talking to Chafourier. “First fight, free tournament. Second one, I won 2,000 euros. I was so ha…

Carlos Prates does not plan on fighting for much longer. 

Prates recently revealed that he ideally plans to retire by the age of 35 or 36. The Brazilian welterweight contender claims to have nearly 140 bouts on his resume in his amateur and professional career combined. Prates further revealed that his body has sustained a lot of wear and tear over the years. “The Nightmare” has to wait for 20 minutes after waking up everyday before he can move normally. Prates claims his feet, back and neck are all somewhat damaged. However, Prates won’t rule out the idea of competing even later if the fight purse is lucrative enough.

Pain Every Day “I want to leave before [40]. Maybe 35 or 36,” Prates said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I have almost 140 fights. When I wake up and get out of my bed, I cannot walk well. I need to wait 20 minutes for my back to stop [hurting], my feet. Everyday. Both my feet, my back and neck are also bad… Let’s see how many zeros they’re gonna put on…

Salahdine Parnasse is dreaming big after his win last Saturday. 

Parnasse took on Kenneth Cross in a lightweight tilt at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" last weekend in Los Angeles,. Parnasse put on a beating on Cross before knocking him out in the final minute of the first round. 

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Aiming High The Moroccan-French fighter subsequently expressed interest in signing with the UFC. However, Parnasse seemingly wants to keep all his options open. Parnasse’s team recently posted a photo of him with Dustin Poirier on an MVP fight poster.

“Open season. He’s the one we want. Respectfully,” the caption read. “The hunt is on.”

Parnasse (23-2) is currently riding a five-fight winning streak. The 28-year-old has amassed an impressive record at Polish promotion KSW, where he became a two-division champion. Meanwhile, Poirier (30-10) retired following a loss to Max Holloway last July. “The Diamond” has made it clear that he will only …

Fatima Kline believes she can leapfrog up the rankings with a finish in her next fight. 

Kline is scheduled to fight Amanda Ribas in a strawweight clash at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Kline is keen on stopping Ribas inside the distance. “The Archangel” believes she won’t be very far from the title picture with a finish over Ribas. The 25-year-old wants to start calling out Top 5-ranked strawweight contenders if she finishes Ribas.

Looking to Make a Statement “I want to finish Amanda… Finishing Amanda puts me very close [to the title],” Kline told Home of Fight. “I know Tatiana [Suarez] just won her fight, I know Gillian Robertson just won her fight. This division is wide open for me to take it and run with it. And that’s exactly what I plan on doing. I really want to get close to the Top 5, and I want to start taking out names and showing people that this is my division.”

Kline (9-1) suffered her lone professional loss against Jasmine J…

Carlos Prates believes Mauricio Ruffy is capable of doing well even after parting ways with The Fighting Nerds team. 

Prates, Ruffy, Jean Silva and Caio Borralho quickly rose to success in the UFC as the Fighting Nerds, sporting the nerd glasses as their symbol. The team grew under the tutelage of head coach Pablo Sucupira in São Paulo, Brazil. 

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However, Ruffy briefly parted ways with the team following his first UFC loss against Benoit St. Denis last year. Ruffy joined City Kickboxing in New Zealand for his last fight against Rafael Fiziev, whom he knocked out this past January. Ruffy has since officially parted ways with the Fighting Nerds team. Prates harbors no hard feelings towards Ruffy despite the latter leaving the team. Ruffy is scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC White House on June 14. Prates believes Ruffy will defeat Chandler and eagerly awaits the fight.Cheering on His Former Teammate “He has his own team,” Prates sai…

There were plenty of eyes on Most Valuable Promotions’ MMA debut on Neftlix.

According to a release from MVP, viewership peaked at 17 million for the featherweight headliner between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano while drawing an average of 12.4 million viewers globally. In the United States, the fight card averaged 9.3 million viewers with a peak of 11.6 million for the evening’s headliner, making it “the most watched MMA event ever in the U.S,” per a release.

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In addition to Rousey vs. Carano, MVP’s debut card featured a marquee co-main event between Mike Perry and Nate Diaz as well as a heavyweight showdown between former UFC champ Francis Ngannou and Philipe Lins. Both Rousey vs. Carano and Ngannou vs. Lins ended inside of a round, while Perry forced a corner stoppage against Diaz after two frames.

"The event also generated over 410 million impressions across MVP’s owned social channels, a live gate exceeding $2.2 million, and saw terrific commer…

Logan Storley was arrested in Florida on Monday. | PFL MMA

Logan Storley was arrested for sexual battery in Florida a little more than two weeks after his most recent Professional Fighters League appearance.

According to the Miami Herald, Storley was arrested in Key West early Monday morning after he sexually assaulted a woman in an alley. Storley was booked into Monroe Country’s (Florida) jail before being released on $50,000 bond.

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A police report states that Storley met the woman at a three-story establishment called the Bull and Whistle, which includes a third level rooftop bar known as the Garden of Eden where clothing is optional.

Storley tried to dance with the woman on the second story bar, but she told detectives she “wanted to get away.” The fighter then invited the woman to the third story to “get naked,” an offer she initially declined. However, the woman eventually did go to the third floor, where she danced with another …

After a rough UFC stint, Robelis Despaigne may have found new life in MMA this past Saturday. | Getty/UFC

Netflix's MMA debut, with a number of big stars, stole a good portion of the UFC's audience last Saturday.

Retired ex-UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum was rooting for former foe Junior dos Santos against Robelis Despaigne at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano,” but he believed the Cuban striker deserved to be favored. Despaigne defeated dos Santos via first-round KO on Saturday’s main card.

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“I had a great rivalry with ‘Cigano,’ but after our last fight we became friends. When I saw the Cuban's fights in Karate Combat, I commented in the WhatsApp group where Rafael Cordeiro, Lyoto and Wanderlei are. All the support is for daddy ‘Cigano,’ but I don't think it's going to happen,” said Werdum, who after having his expectation confirmed made a point of calling his friend at the end of the fight.

“I sent him a message…

The lineup is set for Professional Fighters League’s first event in Lagos, Nigeria.

The promotion announced the 13-bout card on Tuesday. PFL Africa: Nigeria takes place at the Eko Convention Center on June 13 and is headlined by featherweight showcase pitting Nigeria’s own Wasi Adeshina against Spain’s Nacho Campos. In the co-main event, Patrick Ocheme will lock horns with Ayinda Octave in a first-round lightweight matchup.

THE MAIN EVENT | ADESHINA VS CAMPOS 🇳🇬🇪🇸

PFL Africa 2025 Featherweight Champion Wasi “The Nigerian Jaguar” Adeshina (10-3) takes on Spain’s lethal tactical threat Ignacio “Nacho” Campos (7-2) under the Lagos lights.

This is a massive Main Event, the kind of fight you don’t just… pic.twitter.com/1L9d1EVjek

— PFL Africa (@PFLAfrica) May 19, 2026

The rest of the card includes first-round tournament matchups at bantamweight and lightweight as well as showcase bouts at middleweight, light heavyweight and women…

Image: Ares FC

The French mixed martial arts scene is entering a new era as the investment fund behind Ares Fighting Championship has acquired a controlling stake in Hexagone MMA.

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According to French newspaper L’Equipe, investment fund Slam is now controlling the two major MMA promotions in France, Ares and HXMMA. Described as a fund dedicated to investment opportunities “at the intersection of sport, luxury, art, and music,” Slam is managed by European investment firm Trail. For the moment, Ares and HXMMA will not merge, as the two promotions will continue operating as separate entities.

"Today, we are clearly the number one in France. The next step will be Europe,” (translation by the author) Trail founder and CEO Xavier Marin told L’Equipe, setting a three-year timeline to become Europe’s leading MMA organization. While it has held events outside Paris, Ares has historically been tied to the French capital. Its origins are closely…

The lineup is nearly complete for Professional Fighters League’s upcoming trip to Jeddah, Saudia Arabia.

The promotion confirmed eights for the upcoming card on Tuesday. PFL MENA: Jeddah takes place on June 19 at King Abdullah Sports City Indoor Arena and is headlined by Hattan Alsaif making her professional MMA debut against Dania Ouhachi in a 110-pound catchweight clash. In the co-feature, Malik Basahel will face Imad El Azami in a flyweight showcase bout.

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هتان السيف تخوض أول نزال احترافي في مسيرتها، ومالك باسهل يعود من جديد أمام الجمهور السعودي، في ليلة "لا خوف… لا رحمة" المليئة بالمواجهات القوية في جدة 🇸🇦

التذاكر متاحة الآن 🎟️ الرابط في البايو 🔗#PFLMENA10 | الجمعة ١٩ يونيو | جدة pic.twitter.com/x22V4Z89Wc

— PFL MENA (@PFLMENA) May 19, 2026

PFL Mena: Jeddah will also include opening round tournament action at both featherweight and welterweight. More bouts are expected to be announced soon, per a release.<…

Dana White is opposed to open-air UFC events for a reason. 

The UFC is hosting a one-of-a-kind event on President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14 at the White House to celebrate America’s 250th year of independence. White recently revealed that, among other issues, the UFC’s production team is currently trying to figure out how to deal with gnats. 

White, who is a close ally of Trump, was recently invited to dinner at the Rose Garden of the White House. White was immediately concerned to see the number of gnats there. The issue is likely to be aggravated further under the bright lights at UFC White House. White immediately called his head of production to discuss the issue and make sure fighters don’t have gnats swarming them at the event on June 14. White notes that he has always been opposed to open-air events for reasons like these.

Pest Control“President Trump just opened the Rose Garden two nights ago, and he invited me to dinner there,” White t…

Dustin Poirier thinks Nate Diaz has lost the right to talk trash after his performance against Mike Perry. 

Diaz (21-14) faced Perry at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" last weekend in Los Angeles. Diaz had no answers while taking a brutal beating from Perry. Perry left Diaz a bloody mess, forcing his corner to throw in the towel at the end of the second round.

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Poirier (30-10) was unimpressed by Diaz’s performance against Perry. To Poirier, it looked like Diaz didn’t want to be inside the cage after returning to MMA for the first time since 2022. While Poirier and Diaz were scheduled to fight twice in the past, the matchups never came to fruition due to various reasons. Despite Poirier’s retirement last year, “The Diamond” is open to a return only for a matchup against Diaz. Regardless of Diaz’s underwhelming performance against Perry, Poirier is still interested in fighting the Stockton, California, native and promises to knock him …

Some UFC veterans think the odds are heavily stacked against Conor McGregor in his return. 

McGregor (22-6) is scheduled to return for the first time since 2021 against Max Holloway (27-9) at UFC 329 on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Former foe Dustin Poirier, who beat McGregor twice, believes “Notorious” only has a “puncher’s chance” against Holloway. Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman agrees with Poirier, giving McGregor only the first couple of minutes to potentially finish Holloway.

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“The only chance Conor really has is to knock out Max,” Weidman said on Deep Waters. “And probably in the first or second round.”Limited Time to Make an ImpactWhile Jorge Masvidal agrees with Poirier and Weidman, he doesn’t thinks McGregor only has a chance in the first couple of minutes of the fight.

“Second round, not even… He’s got two minutes,” Masvidal said.

Weidman noted that McGregor is going up against a volume puncher, who h…