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Marvin Vettori will be back in action this summer. | Getty/UFC

The UFC Baku lineup continues to take shape.

The Las Vegas-based promotion on Tuesday confirmed a handful of matchups for the event, including a pair of intriguing middleweight tilts: Marvin Vettori vs. Ismail Naurdiev and Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk.

Other announced pairings, some of which have been previously reported include: Nazim Sadykhov vs. Matheus Camilo at lightweight; Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson at flyweight and Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Andrey Pulyaev at middleweight.

UFC Baku takes place at National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan, on June 27 and is headlined by a lightweight clash pitting Rafael Fiziev against Manuel Torres. The card will air in its entirety on Paramount+.

Middleweight Mania A middleweight title challenger in 2021, Vettori will look to snap a four-bout losing streak when he squares off against Naurdiev. “The Italian Dream” went 0…

Zabit Magomedsharipov holds the UFC partially responsible for his premature retirement. 

Magomedsharipov (18-1) is one of the biggest “what ifs” in MMA history. From elite striking to grappling, the Dagestani standout could seemingly do it all. However, Magomedsharipov fought for the last time in 2019 and officially retired in 2022 to pursue a career in medicine. 

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Magomedsharipov recently opened up about his premature retirement. Magomedsharipov blames multiple fight cancellations, which eventually took a toll on him. Magomedsharipov particularly notes that he had multiple fights against fellow featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez canceled. After going through multiple training camps and weight cuts, only to have Rodriguez pull out at the last minute, Magomedsharipov had enough. 

Rodriguez was even briefly released from the UFC after allegedly refusing to fight Magomedsharipov. While Rodriguez was supposed to fight  Magomedsha…

Nassourdine Imavov admits that he takes certain things personally.

Sean Strickland dethroned Khamzat Chimaev in a shocking upset to win the middleweight title via a closely-contested split decision at UFC 328 last weekend in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland had insulted Chimaev’s race, ethnicity and religion in the lead-up to the fight. However, the two showed mutual respect after the fight, and Strickland apologized for going too far with the trash talk. Strickland justified his words saying he was trying hard to sell the fight.

Strickland has since expressed interest in defending his title against Imavov, who vows to knockout the newly-crowned middleweight champion. Responding to Imavov’s comments, Strickland said that he can’t avoid racism. However, Imavov warns Strickland that he has certain boundaries when it comes to trash talk. The Frenchman says that targeting his religion, family and nation won’t be forgiven as a marketing gimmick. Unlike the narrative with Chim…

Nate Diaz isn't a fan of artificial beef in combat sports. | Noah Red & Alexis Contreras

Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev have raised questions about fake rivalry. 

Strickland dethroned Chimaev via split decision to win the middleweight title at UFC 328 last weekend. While there appeared to be serious bad blood between the two leading up to the fight, it didn’t reflect in the bout. Strickland and Chimaev also quashed their beef after the fight, hugging it out inside the Octagon. Strickland further admitted to crossing boundaries with his trash talk to sell the fight and apologized to Chimaev for the same. 

Nate Diaz isn’t impressed by how things played out between Strickland and Chimaev. Diaz (21-13) is set to return to MMA against Mike Perry (14-8) at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. While Diaz admits that he is not best friends with Perry, he refuses to build up a fak…

Yaroslav Amosov’s UFC 328 camp was going too perfectly, until it wasn’t. 

Amosov took on Joel Alvarez in a welterweight booking at UFC 328 last weekend in Newark, New Jersey. Amosov barely broke a sweat while dominating Alvarez on the ground before submitting him in the second round. The Ukrainian star also earned a $100,000 performance bonus for his win. 

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Amosov recently revealed that he had suffered a massive black eye in sparring just a couple of weeks before UFC 328. While Amosov usually suffers minor cuts and bruises during fight camp, this one was going so well that it almost had him worried. Amosov was assured that everything was in place when he suffered a black eye just two weeks before fight night.No Such Thing as Perfect “If this video gets posted, it will be after the fight,” Amosov said on social media. “There’s no perfect camp, every time I’m in camp, something happens to me always: a minor cut, a minor injury. Something that d…

Thomas Gantt will make his UFC debut on Saturday. | Getty Images/DWCS

Undefeated debutants will trade leather at UFC Fight Night 276. 

Contender Series graduate Thomas Gantt was originally scheduled to fight Trey Ogden at UFC Fight Night 276 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. However, Ogden was forced out with an injury just five days before the fight. The UFC has found a replacement in Artur Minev, who will now take on Gantt. Marcel Dorff was first to report the new booking.

A Penchant for Finishing Gantt (11-0) has finished 10 of his 11 pro wins so far with an equal number of knockouts and submissions. The undefeated 33-year-old earned his contract with a first-round submission win on the Contender Series in September 2025. 

Meanwhile, Minev (7-0) has finished six of his seven pro wins so far. The undefeated Ukrainian last fought in a 165-pound catchweight bout under the Fury Fighting Championship banner ib Jan. 18.

Luke Rockhold believes Khamzat Chimaev would dominate most fighters at light heavyweight. 

Chimaev (15-1) put his middleweight title on the line against Sean Strickland (31-7) in the main event at UFC 328 last weekend. While Chimaev was a massive favorite, Strickland scored an upset win via split decision, handing the Chechen-born fighter his first professional loss. 

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Chimaev abandoned his wrestling after a desperate takedown attempt failed in the second round. “Borz” was also visibly drained during the weigh-ins, with many accusing him of even failing to make weight. Dana White said that Chimaev allegedly told him after the fight that he wants to move up to light heavyweight. Right the Wrong Rockhold, who trains with Chimaev, was backing “Borz” to dominate Strickland. Rockhold believes Chimaev will dominate most light heavyweights with his wrestling. However, Rockhold doesn’t want Chimaev to move up without avenging his loss against St…

In official parlance, he’s the UFC’s chief business officer. In more informal settings, he’s often referred to as the UFC’s lawyer.

For Ronda Rousey, Hunter Campbell might as well be public enemy No. 1. During an appearance on "The Ariel Helwani Show” on Monday, Rousey recalled her dealings with Campbell as the UFC considered booking a fight between the former bantamweight queen and Gina Carano.

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Ultimately, Rousey and Carano will lead Most Valuable Promotions first MMA foray on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The card, which includes a number of notable names in addition to Rousey and Carano, will air on Netflix. While Ronda Rousey maintains a good relationship with Dana White even after negotiations with the UFC fell apart, the same can’t be said for Campbell.

"It wasn't personal. Well, with Hunter it was personal because he was just a f—ing asshole about it. He was just being such a chauvinist prick,” Rousey said. “He was being so d…

Jake Paul is still recovering from his fight against Anthony Joshua. | Esther Lin/Most Valuable Promotions

Fighting Anthony Joshua could have long-term ramifications for Jake Paul.

The YouTube personality turned boxer squared off against Joshua on Dec. 19, when he suffered a broken jaw during a sixth-round knockout loss. Paul agreed to face the British heavyweight, a much larger opponent, when a fight against Gervonta Davis fell through.

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While Paul has been front and center as his company enters the MMA business with this Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" card, news about his own fighting career has been put on hold for the time being. In an interview on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Paul revealed that his jaw is still healing.

“I'm getting some new scans here in a couple of days of the jaw to get an update on the healing process. We'll see what my doctors say,” Paul said. “I think I'll be able to get a more accurate timeframe …

Charles Oliveira has hinted that a Brazilian UFC event is in the works for later this year. | Getty/UFC

Charles Oliveira made an interesting statement while giving a backstage interview at UFC 328.

Speaking to UFC Brasil reporter Evelyn Rodrigues, the BMF title holder hinted that the promotion could return to Brazil before the end of 2026.

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"I still don’t know when it will be my return,” Oliveira said. “It can be August, September or even in October when I was told that UFC is planning an event in Sao Paulo. If they need me to fill up the house, I´ll be ready.”Nothing Official The interview drew an immediate reaction on social media from Brazilian fans, since the UFC has not yet announced plans for an event in the country this year. Sherdog.com spoke to UFC sources in Brazil who did not officially confirm Oliveira´s statement.     

“Do Bronxs” finished the interview by correctly predicting the outcome of the UFC 328 mai…

Gilbert Burns believes Khamzat Chimaev's weight cut played a big part in his struggles at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

Gilbert Burns had a pretty good idea of how the UFC 328 main event would play out.

Widely regarded as Khamzat Chimaev’s first difficult test in the Octagon in their UFC 273 bout, Burns released a video on YouTube last week breaking down the middleweight title bout between “Borz” and Sean Strickland. Burns predicted that Chimaev would have a difficult weight cut and also revealed that Strickland had impressed some Brazilian jiu-jitsu aces with his high skill level on the ground.

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"He trained with some aces of UFC BJJ like Vagner Rocha and his son Aquile, that couldn't submit him, and I don’t believe Chimaev will,” Burns said in the video. "When I saw a video from Arman Tsarukyan saying that [Chimaev] lost 20 kilograms [44 pounds] I knew [the weight cut] would be hard.”  

After Strickland upset Chimaev to recaptur…

Jiri Prochazka wants fighters to walk the talk. 

Khamzat Chimaev put his middleweight title on the line against Sean Strickland in the main event at UFC 328 on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey. There appeared to be serious bad blood between the two leading up to the fight. However, Chimaev and Strickland surprised fans by touching gloves and exchanging smiles before the opening bell. 

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While Chimaev (15-1) dominated Strickland (31-7) on the ground in the first round, the tide turned in the second round. Chimaev completely discarded his wrestling following a failed shot in the second round, while Strickland gradually took over. Although Chimaev held his own on the feet, Strickland did enough in the judges’ eyes to earn a split decision victory in a huge upset. Strickland and Chimaev also showed mutual respect after the fight. A Warrior's Duty Prochazka called out Chimaev for failing to back up his trash talk with action. While Chimaev had p…

Athletes competing on the upcoming UFC White House card will be wearing some special fight gear for the event.

The promotion announced on Monday that all fighters will wear red, white and blue-themed gear for the June 14 card, which is also known as UFC Freedom 250. The special uniforms are created in colaboration with Venum, the UFC’s official outfitter. Complex Sports provided a first look at the fight kits via Instagram.

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A description of the commemorative fight kits, via a release, is as follows:

A bold red, white, and blue palette is brought to life through dynamic, flowing linework that conveys movement, intensity, and the energy of competition at the highest level on the world’s biggest stage.  A defining element of the design is a bespoke badge featuring the official White House logo, an unmistakable mark of the occasion. More than a detail, it anchors the kit in history and elevates it into a true commemorative artifact.

Read more about Special edition fight kits unveiled for UFC White House card

Jean Silva had to issue a quick clarification after his post about Alex Pereira was misinterpreted by fans. 

Sean Strickland challenged Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title at UFC 328 on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland earned a hard-fought unanimous decision win, handing Chimaev his first professional loss. Strickland has now pulled off two of the biggest upsets in his two title fight wins against Chimaev and Israel Adesanya. 

Silva subsequently shared a post of Pereira knocking Strickland out cold in 2022. Silva wrote in quotes: "Fast tracked to a title.”

"Fast tracked to a title" https://t.co/Y1myWIdZ7v

— Jean "Lord" Silva (@Jeansilvamma96) May 10, 2026 A Simple Misunderstanding Silva immediately faced backlash from fans who failed to understand the sarcasm. Silva then explained that he was sarcastically mocking those who accused “Poatan” of being favored by the UFC.

“I'm clearly …

Nothing appeared to be amiss with Sean Brady at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

The betting odds shifted drastically just hours before Sean Brady’s UFC 328 clash against Joaquin Buckley. 

Brady (19-2) took on Buckley (21-8) in a welterweight tilt at UFC 328 on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Brady had opened as a -250 favorite on the sportsbooks against Buckley, a +210 underdog. However, the odds started shifting bizarrely just hours before the fight, with Brady closing as a +220 underdog and Buckley a -180 favorite. Fans and pundits immediately started suspecting foul play due to the shifting odds. However, Brady allayed all fears by dominating Buckley on the ground for three rounds to earn a unanimous decision win.

Unless a fighter knowingly takes a dive, odds usually shift drastically if news leaks from camp about an injury. Brady revealed that the UFC contacted him hours before the fight to ask about his health. While Brady’s wife…

Joe Pyfer doesn’t want to fight in his hometown if he is not in the main or co-main event.

The UFC returns to Philly with UFC 330 on August 15 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pyfer (16-3) was born in Philadelphia and has trained there at Balance Studios to this day. Coming off a huge win in the main event of UFC Seattle against Israel Adesanya, Pyfer expects to be the main event in his hometown. However, rumors are circulating that Islam Makhachev could put his welterweight title on the line against Ian Garry in the main event at UFC 330. Pyfer says he doesn’t even want to be on the card if he is not in the main event. 

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No Hometown Love Since numbered UFC main events are usually title fights, “Bodybagz” is willing to settle for the co-main event. However, there has been radio silence from the UFC with hardly a couple of months left for UFC 330.

“I'm pissed... I should be the main event of Philly... I have no interes…

It was a rough night at the office for Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

Joaquin Buckley’s words are coming back to bite him after his UFC 328 loss against Sean Brady. 

Buckley took on Brady in a welterweight matchup at UFC 328 on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey. It was complete domination from Brady for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory. 

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Former foe Kevin Holland isn’t above kicking Buckley when he is down. Often known for being brash, Buckley was oozing confidence with his trash talk in the lead up to the fight. Holland posted a clip of Buckley saying that Brady is the easiest stylistic matchup of his career. “New Mansa” even went as far as saying that he wouldn’t even need to train properly for Brady.

“Brady Butch easy money. I ain’t gonna train for him,” Buckley said. “I’ll do whatever for this fight camp, I ain’t gonna lie to you. Stylistically, this is the best fight I ever had. I ain’t gotta do…

Josh Hokit claims Sean O'Malley missed an opportunity that he had set up for “Suga.”

Hokit and O’Malley are both a part of UFC Freedom 250 scheduled for June 14 at the White House. Hokit and O’Malley recently shared the dais during a UFC Freedom 250 pre-fight press conference at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 

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Hokit, who is playing the UFC ’s latest heel, targeted Derrick Lewis and Alex Pereira at the press conference. Ilia Topuria stood up in Pereira’s defense and ended up having a back-and-forth with Hokit, who was then escorted out of the media event. Meanwhile, O’Malley sat through it all unfazed right between Hokit and Topuria. Missed Opportunity Hokit claims he had set up a perfect opportunity for O’Malley to plot a future matchup against Topuria. However, Hokit accuses the fellow American of missing the opportunity by playing “too cool.” “The Incredible Hok” hopes O’Malley doesn’t regret the missed opportunity.

“Imag…

Paulo Costa has aimed a barrage of shots at Khamzat Chimaev after UFC 328. 

Chimaev put his middleweight title on the line against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey. While Chimaev dominated the first round on the ground, Strickland found his momentum in the second and third rounds. After closely-contested championship rounds, Strickland roped in a split-decision victory in a monumental upset. 

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Costa, who has had beef with Chimaev in the past, issued multiple callouts to “Borz” after his first professional loss. Costa posted an AI-generated video of himself knocking out Chimaev in a sauna room. The video also contains a glimpse of Costa and Chimaev’s altercation at the UFC Performance Institute, dating back to 2022.

“Gourmet Chechen, next time nobody will stop me from ripping your skin off!” Costa wrote.

Costa was training with the UFC PI in 2022 when Chimaev walked out of the sauna with his gang and allegedly…

Manel Kape is giving Joshua Van his flowers. 

Van (17-2) put his flyweight title on the line against Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event at UFC 328 on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey. “The Fearless” showed excellent takedown defense while picking Taira apart on the feet en route to a fifth-round stoppage win. Many had refused to consider Van a legitimate champion after he won the title against Alexandre Pantoja due to an injury last year. 

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As Van left no doubt in his first title defense, Kape took a shot at the champion’s haters. Kape believes the only reason fellow flyweights slammed Van is jealousy. Kape congratulated Van on his win over Taira. 

Kape further noted that he had an involuntary role to play in Van’s rise to title contention. Kape and Brandon Royval were originally scheduled to fight in 2025, before Royval pulled out due to an injury. While the matchup was postponed to UFC 317 in June, this time, Kape was forced out with a…

Joshua Van silenced the doubters at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

For some, Joshua Van’s injury-shortened victory over Alexandre Pantoja last December was always going to be accompanied by an asterisk.

After all, the flyweight title fight barely had a chance to unfold before Pantoja suffered an arm injury 26 seconds into Round 1 at UFC 323. While Van celebrated becoming a champion, he still had something to prove heading into his first title defense against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 on Saturday. Van delivered in that regard, weathering some early adversity en route to a fifth-round technical knockout victory over the Japanese standout in the evening’s co-headliner at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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“I feel great. I think I have proof that I am a world champion, you know,” Van said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “Shout out to [Taira], nothing but respect to him. He’s a tough motherf—er.

While Taira was able to impose his w…

Dricus Du Plessis just re-entered the UFC middleweight championship picture almost by default.

The South African suffered a lopsided decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in their title clash at UFC 319 last August, so one could excuse him if he was cheering for Sean Strickland on Saturday night. Strickland delivered in a big way, upsetting Chimaev via split decision to reclaim the 185-pound belt in the UFC 328 headliner at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Du Plessis, of course, is 2-0 against Strickland. “Stillknocks” captured 185-pound gold with a split-decision triumph over Strickland at UFC 297 in January 2024, and he successfully defended the strap with a more convincing five-round verdict in their rematch at UFC 312 in February 2025.Just As He Expected Du Plessis reacted to Strickland’s win on the UFC’s Instagram account, claiming that he expected his rival to perform the way he did against the Chechen grappler.

“Fight went exactly t…

The lineup is official for Most Valuable Promotions first mixed martial arts event.

The organization recently unveiled the bout order for Saturday’s card, which takes place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. One notable change to the original lineup is that Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry has been elevated to the evening’s co-main event, while Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins will now be the third from last fight on the card.

Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" is headlined by a five-round featherweight clash pitting Ronda Rousey against Gina Carano. The main card airs on Netflix at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on the MVP YouTube channel and Tudum at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Rousey, 39, was one-half of the first-ever women’s bout in the UFC, when she claimed the bantamweight crown with a first-round submission of Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 in February 2013. That was part of a 12-fight winning streak by Rousey to begin her MMA career, as she emerged as one o…

Sean Strickland fought at less than 100% at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

If it seems like Sean Strickland was even more relliant on his jab than usual at UFC 328, well, there might be a reason for that.

Strickland regained the middleweight title with a split-decision triumph over Khamzat Chimaev in Saturday’s main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. After being grounded for the majority of Round 1, Strickland gradually built momentum by turning the fight into a standup battle — where he was able to outduel his Chechen rival. Still, Strickland wasn’t 100% during his upset victory due to an injury he sustained while sparring former Bellator champ Johnny Eblen.

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"You guys want to hear something funny?" Strickland said at the post-fight press conference. "So on Tuesday, I'm sparring Johnny, that motherf—er, the PFL champ. And I'm at Plinio's gym, Cruz's gym, and he f—ing shoots on me, and I hit his brick-ass wall, and I separated my…