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Brandon Moreno weighing in at 125.5lbs 🇲🇽

[ #UFCMexico | SAT FEB 28 | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/P7X7Mu9fHm

— UFC (@ufc) February 27, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Mexico for the first time in 2026 this weekend.

Headlining the UFC Mexico card is a fight between former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and Lone'er Kavanagh. Both men successfully made weight for the five-round main event without any issue. All other fighters on the card also made weight, so it was an uneventful weigh-in for those looking for drama.

"The Assassin Baby" enters the fight looking to rebound from a TKO defeat to Tatsuro Taira. Prior to the setback, Moreno (23-9-2) had put together back-to-back wins against Steve Erceg and Amir Albazi. Just 32, the Mexican fighter will look to show that he has plenty left in the tank while impressing the fans in his home country. Moreno officially weighed 125.5 pounds for the fight.

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Two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Diego Lopes is looking for a new lease on life at lightweight.

After suffering his second championship defeat to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325, Lopes took the opportunity to spend three weeks with his family in Manaus, Brazil. On Wednesday, Lopes spoke with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, where he broke down his unsuccessful jaunt for the belt while giving the Aussie his laurels.

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“We did everything in our power and it wasn’t enough,” a resigned Lopes admitted. “I just have to admit that he is better. He moves well to the left and right. I’m not the first person to lose twice to him in a title fight, so I’m quite calm about it.”

After his failed second try for the 145-pound throne, rumors spread that the Brazilian by way of Mexico damaged one or both feet during the match. Lopes shed light on the injuries he sustained against Volkanovski, where there were no outright breaks but some min…

The Zuffa Boxing signing of Conor Benn has been a controversial topic this past week.

Benn reportedly received a $15 million contract for one fight, which is significantly more than most — if not all — UFC athletes earn on a per fight basis. Since Dana White is the head of both the UFC and Zuffa Boxing, that sparked plenty of criticism from fighters who go to work inside the Octagon. Former bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley was in disbelief that Benn would be paid that much, while Michael Page expressed disappointment that White would place such value on someone outside of the promotion where he “built his reputation.”

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However, during a quarterly financial call on Wednesday, TKO Group Holdings (the parent company of the UFC and Zuffa Boxing) president and chief operating officer Mark Shapiro attempted to quell some of that controversy by revealing that Benn’s signing was entirely funded by the company’s partners in Saudia Arabia, which includes ente…

A 21-year-old prospect with a 7-0 record will make her Octagon debut on less than a week’s notice at UFC Mexico City.

The Las Vegas-based promotion confirmed on Wednesday that Regina Tarin will replace the injured Sofia Montenegro and face Ernesta Kareckaite in a 130-pound catchweight bout this Saturday. UFC Mexico City — also known as UFC Fight Night 268 — takes place at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico and is headlined by a 125-pound scrap pitting Brandon Moreno against Lone’er Kavanagh. The card airs in its entirety on Paramount+, beginning with prelims at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT before moving on to the main draw at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

🚨OFICIAL🚨 Regina Tarín hace su debut en corto aviso en #UFCMexico

Talento del programa del UFC PI 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/MYHkOhdZHW

— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) February 25, 2026 A Dual Threat Tarin, who is nicknamed “Kill Bill,” has made her name on the regional circuit in Mexico, winning the Budo Sento…

Carlos Leal outdueled Chidi Njokuani at UFC Houston. | Getty/UFC

When he entered the Octagon this past Saturday to face Chidi Njokuani on the last fight of his UFC contract, Carlos Leal knew there was only one possible path: to win, and in a convincing way.

“I knew that my future depended on my performance, so I entered that Octagon thinking, no matter what happens, I can bleed, break myself, but I will keep moving forward in search of the knockout,” Leal told Sherdog.com.

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Leal, who defeated Njokuani via unanimous decision in their welterweight bout at UFC Houston, revealed that he broke his hand during the fight.

“It was right at the beginning of the second round. I was sure I had broken it when I landed a second punch to his head that got him dizzy,” Leal said. “Even in a lot of pain, I kept punching him with the broken hand. I fought like I was fighting for my life, and it was worth it.”

The Brazilian left the Octagon certain…

Joshua Van admittedly didn’t know that one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time was in the UFC. 

Van (16-2) won the flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja via a freak injury at UFC 323 this past December. “The Fearless” had sparked controversy in the lead-up to the fight by labellng Pantoja the greatest flyweight of all time. Fans instantly brought up Demetrious Johnson (25-4), who is widely considered not only the greatest flyweight, but arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time. Van later explained that he hadn’t watched much of Johnson’s fights and grew up watching Pantoja. 

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Not a Historian Van recently revealed that he wasn’t even aware that Johnson was in the UFC. The UFC flyweight champion only knew of “Mighty Mouse” from highlights of his viral flyweight knee knockout over Adriano Moraes.

“I swear to God, I didn’t know he was in the UFC,” Van said on the "Jaxxon Podcast.” “I saw him fighting in ONE Championship. His hig…

Carlos Prates doesn’t think he is the ideal return fight for Conor McGregor. 

McGregor has been teasing a return to competition once again, this time at the White House in June. Prates’ name has somehow been brought up in rumors as a welcome back matchup for McGregor. 

Prates clarified that he has yet to hear anything from the UFC about a potential fight against McGregor. While Prates would be honored to fight the former UFC double champion, he doubts that the matchup will come to fruition. Prates notes that McGregor hasn’t fought since 2021 and is likely retired from MMA. Prates believes McGregor wouldn’t be inclined to return against a dangerous welterweight like him. Prates doesn’t doubt that he would inflict serious damage on McGregor and believes “Notorious” ideally shouldn’t return against him.

A Bad Idea for a Comeback Fight “A lot you guys have been asking me about the Conor McGregor fight,” Prates said on Instagram. “And I didn’t get anything fro…

Israel Adesanya wants harsh laws for sucker punches in New Zealand. 

Adesanya’s teammate, Liufau Vake, popularly called Fau, was killed by a sucker punch in 2021. Vake and his brother Ika were attacked by four men outside a bar on Symonds Street in Auckland, New Zealand, on May 16, 2021. The 25-year-old Vake was punched on the side of the head by Daniel Havili when he wasn’t alert. Vake was unable to break the fall and hit his head on the side of the road, leading to a skull fracture and brain bleeding. Vake couldn’t recover despite undergoing surgery and passed away nine days later. 

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Havili pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison. Meanwhile, another assailant, Ofa He Mooni Folau, pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to six months’ home detention. 

Adesanya has since been working on making the laws harsher so people hesitate before punching someone. Adesanya further notes that one…

Logan Storley is undefeated in South Dakota. | PFL MMA

Logan Storley is headed home for his next Professional Fighters League appearance.

Storley will face Florim Zendeli in a featured welterweight attraction at PFL Sioux Falls on May 2, the promotion announced on Wednesday. The card takes place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and will also see former Legacy Fighting Alliance champ Cheyanne Bowers make her PFL debut against Sabrina de Sousa in a women’s flyweight encounter. The main card airs on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes in the United States beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims kick off on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

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A South Dakota native, Storley reached the finals of PFL’s 2025 welterweight tournament, where he lost a unanimous decision to Thad Jean last August. Storley is a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler and an ex-Bellator MMA interim welterweight champion who owns notable triumphs over the li…

Charles Oliveira was scared that his career was over after a mysterious injury in his first fight against Max Holloway. 

Holloway (27-8) will put his BMF title on the line in a rematch against Oliveira (36-11) in the main event at UFC 326 on March 7 in Las Vegas. The two lightweights had met for the first time more than a decade ago in a featherweight matchup in 2015. Oliveira was in visible agony after an attempted takedown in the opening round. While “do Bronx” got back to his feet, he kept holding his neck in pain, forcing the referee to step in. 

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Back then the injury was deemed to be an esophageal tear. However, Oliveira believes most people couldn’t explain his injury. The Brazilian recently revealed that he lost sensation on his left side following the injury, leading to talks of paralysis. Oliveira couldn't even feel the IV drip on his left arm inside the ambulance. The future lightweight champion admits being s…

Nassourdine Imavov hasn’t been guaranteed a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev. 

Imavov recently revealed that the UFC brass originally wanted to match him against Chimaev in December 2025. The potential timeline was later postponed to this past February, but Chimaev was injured. Imavov says that although matchmaker Mick Maynard recently reiterated his interest in the matchup, nothing has been confirmed yet.

Multiple Delays “No final news yet, no contract signed,” Imavov told MMAFighting.com. “One of the last discussions I had with Hunter Campbell and Mick Maynard in Qatar – They told me that they wanted to schedule the fight against Khamzat for December, then for February. But Khamzat got injured. We spoke recently with Mick Maynard, and they want to see the fight happen, but we don’t have final approval.”

Imavov (17-4) is widely considered the most deserving middleweight title contender with wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, Israel Adesany…

Robert Whittaker believes Max Holloway can’t lose the BMF  title. 

Holloway puts his BMF title on the line against Charles Oliveira in the main event at UFC 326 on March 7 in Las Vegas. While Whittaker doesn’t exactly understand what the BMF title signifies, he is sure that there is none more deserving of the honor than Holloway. Whittaker recalls Holloway's iconic point down in the final seconds of his fight against Justin Gaethje, and knocking him out in a buzzer beater. Whittaker believes no one except Holloway has the guts to invite their opponent to a slugfest in the final seconds of a fight that they were already winning convincingly. While “The Reaper” likes Oliveira, he is concerned that the Brazilian will suffer serious damage against Holloway.

Safety Concerns “I don’t think Max can lose that title,” Whittaker told Submission Radio. “You can’t be up five rounds and then point to the center of the Octagon — nobody else does that. Nobody else can. They d…

Dana White has confirmed the date for UFC White House is still the same. 

The UFC is set to stage a one-of-kind event at the White House in June. The date for the card was initially expected to be June 14, the birthday of President Donald Trump. But recent reports surfaced of the card being postponed to June 26. However, White has since refuted the rumors, assuring fans that the event will take place on June 14, Trump’s birthday.

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Media to Blame White wrote on Instagram Stories: “Media is so full of s—t. White House fight. Date is the same, Sunday, June 14.” 

The idea for the card was initially floated in June last year. The event will be held on the South Lawn of the White House, with potentially four to five title fights on the card. According to White, the $20 million budget for Noche UFC at the Sphere in 2024 is “ashtray money” compared to the cost of the White House card. A plethora of UFC stars have been calling for a spot on the car…

Michael Page was disappointed in the amount of money Zuffa Boxing shelled out for Conor Benn. | Getty/UFC

When the UFC broadcast deal with Paramount was announced, Michael Page took a wait-and-see approach rather than immediately celebrating the news.

Page’s skepticism turned out to be well founded when Zuffa Boxing, which is owned the same parent company as the UFC, made headlines in the combat sports world by signing Conor Benn to a one-fight deal worth a reported $15 million. While salary figures are rarely released these days, there are few, if any, athletes under the UFC banner who make that much for a single fight. Even with the new seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast rights deal in place, thus far it doesn’t appear that UFC purses have increased significantly.

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"It’s not something that I'm happy about," Page told Yahoo! Sports of the Benn signing. "What I would say is when the announcement of the Paramount, big-money partnership […

Brad Kohler (left) squared off against "Babalu" Sobral in 2000. | Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog.com

Brad Kohler once fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the pre-Zuffa era.

In the present day, he has big political aspirations in his home state. Kohler recently announced in a press release that he will be running for governor in Minnesota.

“Many of you know me as a former UFC heavyweight professional fighter and three-time MMA world champion,” Kohler stated. “Since then, I have been recognized as an author, inventor, small business owner and mentor. From the experiences in my life, the family values and standards I hold myself to, and my business background, I believe I am the best candidate for this office.

“…My relentless commitment to serving the people of this great state has driven me to pursue this opportunity to lead. As governor, I will focus on making Minnesota a better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

From Lowering the Boo…

Merab Dvalishvili is the latest UFC star to cross over the Real American Freestyle.

The organization announced on Tuesday that Dvalishvili will headline RAF 8 in Philadelphia on April 18. His opponent will be revealed at a later date. RAF 8 will stream exclusively on Fox Nation.

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“One of MMA’s most dominant champions is coming to wrestling’s new main stage,” read a post on social media.A Growing Talent Pool RAF, an unscripted professional wrestling league, has already enlisted the services of former and current UFC stars like Henry Cejudo, Arman Tsarukyan, Bo Nickal, Urijah Faber, Yoel Romero, Colby Covington and Michael Chandler, to name a few. The promotion’s upcoming event, RAF 6, takes place on Saturday in Tempe, Arizona and is headlined by a clash between Cejudo and Faber.

Over the course of a 14-bout winning streak from 2018 to 2025, Dvalishvili established himself as the UFC’s top bantamweight talent. “The Machine” captured 135-pound gold wit…

Sean O'Malley believes the UFC, by itself, doesn’t want to restrict speech in any way. 

Sean Strickland knocked out Anthony Hernandez in the third-round of their UFC Houston headliner last Saturday. Known for his controversial and unhinged opinions, fans were eagerly waiting for Strickland’s post-fight press conference. The former UFC middleweight champion met the expectations by accusing Hernandez’s coach, Jim West, of grooming former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd. However, Strickland’s mic was muted soon after, and the press conference abruptly ended. 

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O’Malley believes the UFC’s new Paramount deal is responsible for Strickland’s presser getting cut short. During the ESPN era, UFC numbered events had to be purchased on a pay-per-view basis. Meanwhile, the Fight Nights could be viewed on an ESPN+ subscription. O’Malley recalls that there was absolutely no restriction on speech after numbered cards during the ESPN era. However, fighters woul…

Nassourdine Imavov vows to knock out Sean Strickland in a potential rematch. 

Strickland scored a massive upset win over Anthony Hernandez via a third-round knockout at UFC Houston last weekend. Imavov has since been calling for a chance to avenge his previous loss against Strickland. 

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Strickland replaced an injured Kelvin Gastelum against Imavov in 2023. The fight took place at light heavyweight as Strickland came in on five days’ notice. Strickland defeated Imavov via an emphatic unanimous decision. 

However, Imavov claims the fight would have played out differently under “normal conditions.” While Imavov is calling for a rematch against Strickland, the former champ is eyeing a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev. Imavov accuses Strickland of ducking him. “The Sniper” believes Strickland is scared of a brutal beatdown against him, but doesn’t mind being choked out by Chimaev.

‘He’ll End Up Unconscious’ “Of course he's ducking,” I…

Opinions are mixed regarding in the Brazilian MMA community regarding Conor McGregor's return. | Bellator MMA

Among the most debated topics in the MMA community today is the return of the biggest star in the history of the sport, Conor McGregor.

Away from MMA since 2021, when he was injured in a fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor left many people curious last week when he made an enigmatic post on his X account suggesting that his opponent at the White House will be an unknown. 

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“It´s a no name up next to me possibly, folks. And, as you know idgaf, I ACCEPT. Send the contract, lads,” he wrote.

Interestingly, Fighting Nerds coach Flavio Alvaro had said in an exclusive interview with Sherdog days before that fans could expect a huge fight for Prates.

"Something very, very big is coming for him and it will be announced soon, unfortunately I'm not yet authorized to say anything," said Alvaro.

Since Spanish journalis…

Sean O'Malley wants to renegotiate with the UFC before his current contract expires. 

O’Malley (19-3) recently revealed that he has only two fights left on his current UFC contract. According to “Suga,” the UFC doesn’t like fighters to exhaust their contracts as it opens the door for offers from competitors. However, O’Malley can’t imagine any other promotion that he would rather be in. Hence, O’Malley is looking forward to renegotiating with the UFC when he travels to Las Vegas next month. The former UFC bantamweight champion is expecting a bigger contract, especially since he is coming off a win.

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Show Him the Money “I have two fights left on my deal, so ideally I’ll probably go renegotiate,” O’Malley said on YouTube. “The UFC really doesn't like people fighting their contract out. Because that’s when you can start getting offers from other people. It’s like – where the f—k else you want to go? Typically, they don’t want you to fight your contr…

Demetrious Johnson believes Dana White wanted to show his competitors his might by signing Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing. 

Benn, who is still far from the pinnacle of boxing, recently made headlines by signing with Zuffa Boxing. Benn parted ways with longtime promoter Eddie Hearn and signed with Zuffa overnight for reportedly a $15 million one-fight deal. 

According to Johnson, Benn’s signing is a flex from the UFC head honcho. Johnson believes White isn’t concerned about the sustainability of deals like Benn’s. “Mighty Mouse” believes White just wanted to show his competitors what they are up against by signing Benn for $15 million.

Because He Can “$15 million for one fight is crazy,” Johnson said on YouTube. “Because, what’s gonna happen after this fight? Is the $15 million worth having Conor Benn? It's the first time I've heard of him. From what everybody tells me, he is a very good boxer. But is Khamzat Chimaev making $15 million? Is Ilia Topuria making …

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick believes what happens in the gym should stay in the gym. 

Sean Strickland (30-7) has been accusing middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) of inactivity for a while now. Chimaev claims Strickland is irked with him after getting submitted in the past while training together at Xtreme Couture. 

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Strickland scored an upset win by knocking out Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston last weekend. Strickland subsequently called for a title shot against Chimaev. Strickland claims Chimaev submitted him in a situational grappling spar. The former middleweight champ claims he made Chimaev quit training at Xtreme Couture. Strickland asked his teammates and his longtime coach, Nicksick, to back up his claims. Meanwhile, Chimaev claims he destroyed Strickland in sparring, and Nicksick is aware of it. 

See you soon boy 🤫

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) February 23, 2026 Better Left …

Georgio Poullas is confident that he will take down Arman Tsarukyan in their upcoming wrestling match. 

Tsarukyan and Poullas will meet in a wrestling match at RAF 6 on Feb. 6 at the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. Poullas does not doubt that he will take down Tsarukyan more than once.

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“At a certain level, anyone can take anyone down,” Poullas said in a recent interview. “So, can Arman take me down? Yeah, he has a chance to take me down. Can I take him down? Absolutely, I have a chance to take him down. I think I’m going to take him down multiple times. The question is, is he gonna get that $1,000? Can he take me down?... If you’re asking about a simple takedown, absolutely, 100 percent. I think I’m getting more than one takedown. I’m adding quite a few up, if you ask me.”A Challenge Worth More Than $1,000A former Division I wrestler from Cleveland State University, Poullas has gone viral on the internet with his “take me down for $1,000” video…

Josh Hokit has made a name for himself in a short time in the UFC. | Getty/UFC

Josh Hokit will be swimming in deep waters in his next Octagon apppearance.

The undefeated heavyweight prospect will lock horns with perennial contender Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 in Miami, the promotion announced Tuesday. A handful of other bouts — some previously reported — were also confirmed for the April 11 event: Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown at welterweight; Paulo Costa vs. Azamat Murzakanov at heavyweight and Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker at light heavyweight.

UFC 327 takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami and features flyweight title tilt pitting Joshua Van against Tatsuro Taira. It is currently unclear if Van vs. Taira will be the evening’s main event. The entirety of the card airs on Paramount+.

A Gap in Experience Hokit is undefeated in eight professional outings and has finished all of his opponents inside the distance. After earning a contract on Dana Whi…