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Dana White told the story behind UFC’s failed negotiations with Fedor Emelianenko. | 📷: Bellator MMA

Dana White doesn’t regret Fedor Emelianenko's failed move to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Emelianenko is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time who never fought in the UFC. White recently revealed that he wanted to make a fight between the Russian and Brock Lesnar. However, they failed to sign Emelianenko despite offering him a lot of money.

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Dana White discusses the failed UFC negotiations with heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko White claims that the offer was so massive that he and Lorenzo Fertitta were relieved that Emelianenko turned them down. The UFC head honcho doesn’t regret the failed negotiations.

“We never got a deal done with Fedor,” White said on "The Pivot" podcast.

“When me and Lorenzo got on the plane and left wherever we were, we looked at each other and said, ‘Thank God they said no,’ becau…

Demian Maia detailed Ian Garry’s adaptability before UFC 330. | 📷: Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog

Demian Maia believes Ian Garry is equipped to upset Islam Makhachev.

Garry (17-1) is scheduled to challenge Makhachev (28-1) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Maia recently discussed Garry’s preparation and dissected the matchup.

Ian Garry prepares for Islam Makhachev with help from Demian Maia ahead of UFC 330 Maia has been a crucial part of Garry’s fight camps since they first met at a seminar in Barcelona in 2023 and the jiu-jitsu legend recently revealed that he helped Garry in Spain before the Irishman went back to England to finish the final phase of his camp for UFC 330.

“Our partnership started in 2023,” Maia told Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso. “I went to teach a seminar at a friend's academy in Barcelona, and Ian and his wife reached out to me. He came to t…

Paddy Pimblett has never missed weight for a UFC bout. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Paddy Pimblett declared himself the “GOAT of weight cutting” in a recently released behind-the-scenes video.

Despite routinely drawing attention for the amount of weight he gains between bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, "The Baddy" has never failed to make the lightweight limit. As seen in his latest YouTube video documenting the days leading up to UFC 329, the Brit had a relatively comfortable weight cut and remained in high spirits throughout.

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Paddy Pimblett explains the discipline and mindset behind his UFC lightweight weight cuts Pimblett and his team gave detailed insight into his weight-cutting process in the former interim title challenger’s recent YouTube video. He emphasized that the key to always making weight is sticking to the necessary diet and training program throughout fight camp.

“I am the GOAT of weight cutting,” Pimblett said in the…

Jon Jones believes his legendary career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship could have been even greater if he had better control over his alcohol use.

The former two-division champion reflected on his career during a recent interview, admitting that his partying lifestyle during his prime contributed to many of the setbacks he experienced outside of the Octagon.

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Jon Jones reflects on UFC career setbacks and how alcohol affected his MMA legacy Jones, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, recently reflected on his antics outside the Octagon, which he believes caused several major career setbacks.

“I became a little bit of a party boy when I was young,” Jones said in an interview with Ring Magazine when asked what he would change about his career. “And sometimes I ask myself, ‘Jon, how much farther would you have been if you would have never started with the alcohol?’”

Jones won titles at both light heavyweig…

Joe Lauzon's long-awaited return to competition now has an opponent.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight announced on Instagram that he will face Braeden Kuykendall in a welterweight bout at BKFC 92, which takes place Aug. 29 at Fenway Park in Boston. This marks Lauzon's bare-knuckle debut as well as his first combat sports appearance in nearly six years.

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Joe Lauzon returns to combat sports against Braeden Kuykendall at BKFC 92 Lauzon took to Instagram to announce his upcoming fight at BKFC 92 slated for Fenway Park.

“Absolutely pumped to announce that I’ll be fighting for BKFC at Fenway Park on Aug. 29,” the Massachusetts native wrote on Instagram. “Fenway is one of the most iconic venues in the world, and getting to fight there in Boston is something I’m really excited about. This is going to be a crazy night, and I’d love to see a ton of familiar faces there.”

He returns against Kuykendall, who is yet to bag a victory und…

RAF co-founder Chad Bronstein remains confident that a matchup between Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad will come to fruition.

Covington and Muhammad are booked to meet in the co-main event of RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland after both earned victories at RAF 11. However, Covington later revealed that he would no longer entertain the matchup after an aggressive exchange at the post-event press conference.

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Real American Freestyle keeps Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad alive after controversy Following the announcement of Covington vs. Muhammad for the next RAF event, the pair collided at the post-event press conference. A war of words quickly escalated before Muhammad threw a kick towards Covington. Security had to intervene to stop the incident from turning into an all-out brawl.

“I thought there was going to be severe trash talk between the two of them,” Bronstein told MMA Fighting. “They don’t like each other. But I didn’t think there was going…

Dana White believes the Ultimate Fighting Championship emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic stronger because the promotion refused to stop evolving.

The UFC CEO reflected on the organization's response when the sporting world came to a standstill in the spring of 2020. While many organizations were forced to suspend operations, White said the UFC's priority was finding a way to continue staging events despite widespread shutdowns and travel restrictions.

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The UFC CEO recalls creating Fight Island after pandemic shutdowns threatened events During his recent appearance on "The Pivot" podcast, White said that the promotion had three priorities as they entered the pandemic. They wanted to keep every employee on payroll, fulfill their contractual obligations to fighters and continue delivering events for their broadcast partner, ESPN.

“I talked to the governor and told him I could put on fights,” White recalled, reflecting on the obstacles they faced. “I j…

Dustin Poirier is no longer associated with Bud Light following his arrest for public drunkenness.

After starring in commercials and publicly representing the company, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship interim lightweight titleholder revealed that Bud Light cut ties with him after his arrest at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Poirier believes it was for the better and that he didn’t need the “poison” in his life, having committed to sobriety long-term.

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The former UFC interim lightweight champion details the financial fallout from his arrest and commitment to quitting alcohol Poirier recently opened up about Bud Light, the alcoholic beverage company he previously represented as a brand ambassador, cutting ties with him following his arrest. The American got into an altercation with a police officer, who he threatened to fight and hurled a racial slur at, and was subsequently released on bail.

“They terminated my contract im…

Valter Walker isn't buying the hype surrounding fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweights Josh Hokit and Gable Steveson.

The Brazilian contender, who is set to collide with Thomas Petersen at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, dismissed both rising heavyweights in a recent interview, asserting that neither fighter has done enough in their careers to convince him that they are serious threats.

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Valter Walker says Josh Hokit fight could headline a UFC card Walker, who has won four of his past five fights, told MMA Fighting he would gladly take on either Hokit or Steveson next after his upcoming fight.

“I don’t think he’s a tough fight for me,” Walker said when asked about Hokit. “Honestly, I don’t think he’s the fighter people are making him out to be. Come on, he’s small. I’m not intimidated by that guy at all. Gable Steveson, Josh Hokit. People say, ‘He’s a monster, an Olympic wrestling champion.’ Man, I watched Gable’s debut, and I wasn’t that imp…

Logan Paul wants to pursue a Conor McGregor match. | 📷: Amanda Westcott/Showtime

Logan Paul believes Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor's recent injury could pave the way for a clash between the two, as he now considers the Irishman “incapable of fighting.”

McGregor returned to action following a five-year hiatus at UFC 329, headlining opposite former featherweight champion Max Holloway. However, their rematch only lasted 69 seconds after McGregor suffered a knee injury throwing his first kick.

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With McGregor far removed from his fighting prime, Paul wants to take him on.Logan Paul wants WWE to capitalize on Conor McGregor's fighting future During a recent episode of the "Impaulsive" podcast, Paul discussed the irony of McGregor’s slump after the Irish superstar previously took shots at professional wrestling and its biggest stars.

“Something I find so funny, he definitely has roasted the WWE and WWE superstars in th…

The Professional Fighters League and Rizin Fighting Federation are set to make history with a fight that will have two titles on the line.

PFL and Rizin just announced a cross-promotional championship fight for Super Rizin 5 on Sept. 10 at Kyosera Dome Osaka in Japan.

Rajabali Shaidullaev and A.J. McKee will fight for both the PFL and Rizin featherweight championships in Osaka Rizin Featherweight Champion Rajabali Shaidullaev (19-0) will face A.J. McKee (25-2) with both the Rizin and PFL featherweight titles on the line. Shaidullaev has finished all 19 of his career wins so far, 13 of them in the first round. The undefeated Kyrgyz champion has won and defended his title thrice in less than a year. Meanwhile, McKee is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.

“There have been several occasions in the past when a fighter has entered another organization and challenged for that promotion’s championship,” Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara said in a statement. “This time…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Ben Askren says his body simply ran out of gas in the final wrestling match of his decorated career.

Just over a year after surviving a life-threatening bout of pneumonia that resulted in a double lung transplant, the former UFC welterweight contender returned to the mat at RAF 11 in Milwaukee, where he dropped a 6-3 decision to ex-UFC champion Belal Muhammad.

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Ben Askren explains final wrestling loss to Belal Muhammad Askren had a dream start after taking a lead through the opening two periods. However, Muhammad rallied in the third, scoring a takedown and reversal before pulling away late. Reflecting on the match, Askren told FloWrestling that his body could not keep up.

“The match was going relatively well,” he recalled. “At the end of the second period, when I walked over to my corner, I’m like, ‘sh*t! My legs have nothing left.’ I’m gonna have a hard time being in my stance. I’m gonna have a hard ti…

One of kickboxing's fastest-rising talents appears ready to test himself in a new arena.

K-1 cruiserweight champion Thian de Vries revealed via Instagram Stories that he plans to transition to mixed martial arts after completing two more kickboxing bouts following his latest win in Japan.

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Thian de Vries on what’s next after kickboxing: ‘MMA is the future’ The Dutchman, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise in kickboxing, recently announced that he plans to move to MMA soon. While de Vries did not reveal when or with which promotion he intends to make his MMA debut, he indicated that he first intends to fulfill two remaining kickboxing commitments before making the switch.

“I am so f*cking happy and grateful guys,” the 25-year-old wrote in a new Instagram story. “It's been a tough year for me with injuries, a mental struggle sometimes. King of the Jungle is back, 2 more kickboxing fights and afterwards full focus on MMA, MMA is the future.”

He’ll loo…

Ilia Topuria was in a celebratory mood following Spain’s win against Argentina in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Just five weeks after losing the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, the former champion was spotted celebrating Spain's victory while wearing sunglasses.

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Spain's World Cup celebration sparks questions about Ilia Topuria's recovery Spain captured its second World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Lionel Messi’s Argentina, completing an impressive tournament run in which the European champions conceded just one goal across eight matches. Spain dominated possession against the former world champions as Argentina failed to create any meaningful opportunities of their own.

Topuria, who is of Georgian descent but was raised in Spain, joined supporters at a watch party, where he can be seen celebrating the victory with his son on his shoulder and many other Spanish fans.

Another …

Damian Pinas continues to generate buzz following his latest knockout victory in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Nova Uniao head coach Andre Pederneiras believes the surging middleweight is unlike anyone he has coached before.

Pinas bagged another UFC victory with a first-round knockout of Cesar Almeida at UFC 329. The Aruba native has now recorded nine knockouts in 10 professional victories, with one submission.

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Andre Pederneiras discusses Damian Pinas after UFC 329 knockout Pederneiras, who has spent more than three decades developing elite mixed martial artists, told Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso that he immediately recognized Pinas' potential when he arrived at Nova Uniao for a tryout in 2024.

“I've held pads for a lot of heavyweights, including elite strikers, and I've never seen anyone hit as hard as he does,” Pederneiras said. “Right away I realized he was a special talent, and from that moment on he started training with us ... Besides …

Oleksandr Usyk says plans are beginning to take shape for what he expects will be the final fight of his storied professional boxing career.

The former undisputed heavyweight champion is targeting one final marquee bout before calling time on his career. Deontay Wilder has emerged as the leading candidate, while Dana White's Zuffa Boxing is reportedly among the promotional options.

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Oleksandr Usyk says his retirement fight could take place in the United States against Deontay Wilder as Zuffa Boxing emerges as an option Speaking on Daily Mail’s "The Hook" podcast, Usyk revealed that his farewell bout is expected to take place in the United States against a high-profile opponent. He added that his last fight will either take place at the year-end or in early 2027.

“Maybe in New York, [in a] stadium. It’s going to be against a big name,” Usyk said. “This could be maybe early next year, or at the end of this year, maybe December.”

The Ukrainian was…

Dustin Poirier is concerned for Michael Chandler.

Poirier has openly expressed his dislike for Chandler previously, which ramped up in the aftermath of their 2022 clash in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. "The Diamond" slammed the former Bellator champion for the repeated use of illegal moves like fish-hooking. While they’ve since buried the hatchet, Poirier wants to see Chandler hang up the gloves.

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Michael Chandler’s UFC future questioned by former rival Dustin Poirier Chandler is 2-6 in the UFC, with wins over Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson, and his last victory came all the way back in 2022. He is on a four-fight skid and recently teased a move up to welterweight following a first-round knockout loss against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250.

Poirier believes moving up a weight class is a terrible idea for Chandler considering the damage he is already taking at lightweight.

“With all due respect, we've buried the hatchet and shook hands,…

Ian Garry believes defeating Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 would make his greatness "undeniable."

The Irish welterweight challenges Makhachev for the 170-pound title in the UFC 330 headliner on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Considering the Dagestani champion’s accolades, taking the title off him is a monumental feat, according to Garry.

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Ian Garry views UFC 330 clash with Islam Makhachev as a career-defining fight Ahead of their fight, Garry acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge, calling Makhachev the best fighter in mixed martial arts today.

“I know how good Islam Makhachev is,” Garry told High Performance. “I know how talented he is. He’s 29-1 in the sport. He’s a two-weight division champion. He’s the most successful lightweight champion of all time and had the most lightweight defenses of all time. He is the current welterweight champion of the world. He came up a division and won …

Ian Garry's recent comments comparing himself to Conor McGregor haven’t gone over well with Islam Makhachev's camp.

After "The Future" compared his upcoming fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship against Makhachev to McGregor's iconic featherweight championship victory over Jose Aldo, Makhachev's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, responded with a series of sharp posts on social media.

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Ali Abdelaziz addresses Ian Garry’s McGregor comparison ahead of UFC 330 Garry recently claimed that defeating Makhachev at UFC 330 would elevate him to the top of the sport, comparing the opportunity to McGregor's featherweight title win over Aldo in 2015.

Abdelaziz, however, dismissed those comparisons and questioned the Irishman's accomplishments inside the Octagon.

“I've been listening to Islam's opponent talking,” Abdelaziz wrote on X. “Here are the facts: He's 2-1 in his last three fights. He was almost knocked out by Prates and got saved by the bell. He has 10 w…

Paddy Pimblett has taken his rivalry with Ilia Topuria in the Ultimate Fighting Championship to a new level.

Pimblett (24-4) recently claimed to have bought the stool that Topuria (17-1) used in his corner during his loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.

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Paddy Pimblett turns his Ilia Topuria rivalry into a headline-making UFC moment The stool holds significant meaning given what happened in the fight. Topuria was a massive favorite when he put his lightweight title on the line against interim champion Gaethje at the White House. "El Matador" had even celebrated the day before the fight, as he’s done ahead of previous bouts as well.

However, Gaethje put on a brutal beatdown on Topuria in the third and fourth rounds, forcing his corner to stop the bout at the end of the penultimate frame. While it is unlikely that Topuria wanted the fight to end in a corner stoppage, Pimblett repeatedly claimed that the Georgian-Spaniard quit on the stool.

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Conor McGregor expects to return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship next year.

McGregor (22-7) shared an update on the injury he picked up in his recent loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329. "Notorious" suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee. The Irishman claims the injury is nearly identical to the one he suffered on his left leg in his first fight against Holloway in 2013, which he won via unanimous decision.

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Conor McGregor says his Max Holloway injury mirrors his first UFC meeting with Holloway Considering McGregor had taken less than a year to recover from his injury in 2013, he expects to return even sooner this time. The Dubliner also revealed that he can walk without crutches and do leg extension exercises.

“Update: It was ACL and meniscus,” McGregor wrote on X. “It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg. Quite shocking. I returned to competition within 9 months to fight Diego Bra…

Christian Leroy Duncan claimed the biggest victory of his Ultimate Fighting Championship career at UFC Oklahoma City, where he beat former title challenger Jared Cannonier.

Duncan extended his winning streak to five with a unanimous decision victory over Cannonier to further ascend the rankings. The Englishman landed several significant strikes against the 42-year-old veteran, who managed to make it all three rounds.

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Christian Leroy Duncan’s UFC Oklahoma City victory over Jared Cannonier strengthens his middleweight contender case Duncan put on a show with his striking arsenal in the UFC Oklahoma City co-main event and was especially effective with his spinning attacks, dropping Cannonier and rocking the American a few times.

“I knew Cannonier was tough, but for him to take some of the shots and keep fighting, it surprised me,” Duncan said in a post-fight interview, praising his counterpart's ability to absorb heavy shots. “He’s called 'The Gorill…

Kamaru Usman is disappointed with one of the judges’ scorecards in his loss to Dricus Du Plessis.

Usman (21-5) faced fellow former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion du Plessis (24-3) in a middleweight tilt in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City. The latter landed more significant strikes from the onset, with barely any wrestling success for Usman. While the former welterweight king found a second wind in the later rounds, it was too little too late, and du Plessis earned a lopsided unanimous decision victory.

Usman explains why he disagrees with Sal D'Amato's scorecard against Dricus Du Plessis While he accepts the result, "The Nigerian Nightmare" is bewildered by one of the scorecards. Judges David Sutherland and Mike Bell scored the fight 49-46 in favor of du Plessis, while judge Sal D’Amato had it 50-45 for the former middleweight champ.

Usman finished strong in the final round and had a strong showing in the third frame as well. He can’t comprehend what D’A…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Dricus Du Plessis returned to winning ways at UFC Oklahoma City.

Nearly a year after losing his middleweight belt to Khamzat Chimaev, du Plessis returned to action in a five-rounder against former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, earning a lopsided unanimous decision win. The South African’s return made him realize how much he loves and belongs in the sport.

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UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis explains his mindset after beating Kamaru Usman "Stillknocks" was clearly on top in the opening two rounds, with Usman finding his range in the third frame before du Plessis regained his momentum in the fourth. Usman found a second wind in the final round, but it was too little too late for "The Nigerian Nightmare,” who was on the wrong end of a 50-45, 49-46, 49-46 scorecard.

Having spent 11 months on the sidelines coming off a loss, du Plessis believes that one can forget what it’s like inside the Octagon during a l…