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Ian Garry believes Islam Makhachev is significantly shorter than he is, despite the minimal height difference at their first face-off.

Garry (17-1) is set to challenge Makhachev (28-1) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. At 6-foot-3 tall, Garry officially has a 5-inch height advantage over Makhachev. However, they were nearly eye-to-eye when they faced off for the first time in front of the iconic Rocky statue in Philly.

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Ian Garry addresses lack of height difference in first face-off with Islam Makhachev Garry claims Makhachev was wearing high heels to nullify the height difference. The Irishman is sure that he’ll be significantly taller during the ceremonial weigh-in face-offs, where they both have to wear the same type of shoes.

“He was wearing high heels,” Garry said in an interview with Paramount+. “He was wearing stilettos. Wait till you see Friday night when …

Ian Garry felt like Islam Makhachev didn’t want to be at their first face-off.

Makhachev (28-1) defends his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title against Garry (17-1) at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Makhachev and Garry recently faced off for the first time in front of the iconic Rocky statue in Philly, where the challenger perceived nerves on the champ’s part.

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Ian Garry on face-off with Islam Makhachev: ‘He didn’t want to be there’ Garry claims to have felt some “nervous energy” from the Dagestani champion. However, he also admitted that it was an unofficial face-off and the one that actually matters is the official one at the ceremonial weigh-ins, after they’ve made weight.

“I just kind of felt like yesterday he didn’t want to be there,” Garry said at UFC 330 media day. “He didn’t want to be at the face-off. I sensed a little bit of nervous energy from him. But they are face-offs; they are fake, they are …

Carlos Prates believes Mauricio Ruffy's loss to Benoit St. Denis doesn’t accurately reflect his teammate's ability.

Ruffy is set to face Arman Tsarukyan next and is currently a sizeable underdog. However, Prates is confident in his countryman and recently addressed his lone defeat in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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Carlos Prates praises former teammate Mauricio Ruffy, claims BSD loss was an outlier Speaking on AgFight's “Direto de Vegas” podcast, Prates recalled being present during fight week for Ruffy's bout with St. Denis. He claims he witnessed circumstances surrounding the loss that he won't publicly discuss.

“I was there the week of the fight with BSD and I saw what happened, but since Ruffy hasn’t talked about it, I’m not going to talk about it either,” Prates said. “I can only guarantee that wasn’t Ruffy in that Octagon.”

Prates says Ruffy’s takedown defense is the best at the Fighting Nerds gym, insisting that if his former team…

Dana White believes many NFL players could find success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship if they transitioned to mixed martial arts.

Yet another former NFL player recently earned a UFC contract. Former New York Jets linebacker Anthony Wint headlined Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026 against Matthew Adams. Wint made quick work of Adams, finishing him with ground-and-pound in just 34 seconds to earn a UFC contract. As Wint refuses to leave Las Vegas until his first UFC fight is booked, White is looking to put him on the UFC Sacramento card on Aug. 22.

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Dana White weighs in on NFL players in the UFC after Anthony Wint wins contract on DWCS White believes a lot of NFL players could have achieved the pinnacle of success in the UFC if they had trained MMA since childhood. The UFC CEO particularly mentioned Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who he’s friends with. White is confident that Crosby could have been a UFC champion if he…

Only one victor didn’t impress Dana White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship matchmakers on Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026.Joseph Kropschot, Tom Pagliarulo, Bilal Hasan and Anthony Wint earn UFC contracts at DWCS 2026 Week 1Joseph Kropschot (9-3) opened the action in a middleweight outing against Jonathan Kunneman (10-1). Kropschot dislocated Kunneman’s elbow with an armbar in the final seconds of the fight. He earned a unanimous decision win after his opponent refused to tap. Kropschot’s intent to finish was enough for White to give him a UFC contract.

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“When he got that armbar, I said, ‘I’m gonna give him a shot.’ 31 years old, he went for the finish. I’m always looking for guys to finish,” White said. “That fight should have been finished… Joseph, you went for it and you swayed me and changed my mind. Congratulations.”

Tom Pagliarulo (11-2) was the second fighter to earn a contract on Week 1. The featherweight prospect finished Anan…

One of Alexandre Pantoja’s coaches is excited about the former champ’s Octagon return.

Nearly eight months after losing his Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title to Joshua Van due to an arm injury in the opening minute of their UFC 323 matchup, Pantoja will have an opportunity to reclaim the belt when the two meet again in the UFC 331 main event on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

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According to American Top Team strength and conditioning coach Everton Oliveira, the injury hasn’t impeded Pantoja's development.Everton Oliveira details Alexandre Pantoja's recovery ahead of returnPantoja was a dominant champion going into his title defense against Van last year. However, after the challenger caught his kick, “The Cannibal” used his forearm as a frame while falling to the canvas. An awkward landing saw Pantoja immediately indicate that his arm was injured, prompting the referee to step in.

“It was an extremely positive surprise th…

Craig Jones has laid out how Ian Machado Garry can avoid getting smothered by Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev (28-1) and Garry (17-1) square off on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, where the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title will be on the line in the UFC 330 main event. The Russian champion is a massive betting favorite owing to his grappling prowess and Jones recently broke down how the Irish challenger should deal with the wrestling offense coming his way.

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Craig Jones points out the key to handling Islam Makhachev’s takedowns In a recent video posted to the B-Team YouTube channel, Jones dissected how defensive positioning is the key to stuffing Makhachev’s takedowns. In a technical breakdown of the matchup, the Australian focused on the champion's single-leg entries and the importance of what happens when he gets hold of an opponent's leg.

Jones claims that rather than simply wrapping up a single leg and driving forwar…

Jamahal Hill isn't interested in easing his way into the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.

The former light heavyweight champion plans to move up to heavyweight later this year, targeting the most polarizing fighter in the division, Josh Hokit. “Sweet Dreams” wants to break into the top tier of the division rather than work his way up the rankings as he did at 205 pounds.

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Jamahal Hill wants a Top 5 test as he begins his UFC heavyweight run Hill (12-4) revealed earlier this year that he’s committing to the heavyweight division after a bittersweet run a division below. While he went on to win the 205-pound belt by defeating Glover Teixeira, injuries and a three-fight losing streak soon followed. He now wants to earn a spot in the heavyweight division that puts him close to a title shot.

“Top 5 – I'd love to fight the Top 5,” Hill said told media outlets (via MMA Junkie). “I feel as though even if I continued fighting at light heavy…

Dana White has been closely involved in Bella Mir's development for years.

The daughter of former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder Frank Mir is set to compete on Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026. White recently addressed her career progression and aspirations.

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Dana White hypes up ‘special’ Bella Mir ahead of her DWCS bout Bella (4-0) will fight for a UFC contract on DWCS on Aug. 25, against Alex Apodaca (3-1), with the two bantamweights set to headline the card. White was recently asked about the former and had nothing but praise, revealing that he’s been closely monitoring her career for four years.

“Yeah, I'm very excited about Bella,” White said at the DWCS 2026 Week 1 post-fight press conference. “I've been very involved in her life the last four years.”

Bella has previously revealed that she hopes to become the first UFC fighter to compete in the Olympics while also pursuing championships across multi…

Ian Garry has a “burning desire” to prove himself against the best fighters in the world.

The Irish welterweight contender, who challenges Islam Makhachev for the Ultimate Fighting Championship 170-pound title in the UFC 330 main event, recently opened up about what drives him.

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Ian Garry channels fighting Irish spirit before first UFC title shot Ahead of his title clash on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Garry discussed his motivation in a pre-fight promotional video shared by Paramount+.

“I just have a burning desire inside my soul to prove to myself and the world that I am the best ever,” Garry said. “This is a vicious, violent game. And it’s beautiful. You’ve got to be insane mentally to be able to go out and do this.”

He added that his country’s fighting spirit is embedded deep within him.

“I’m a fighter at heart,” Garry added. “I’m born and bred in Dublin, Ireland. We’re called the fighting Irish for a reason. It's…

Islam Makhachev showed off his fishing skills ahead of his maiden title defense at welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Before facing Ian Garry (17-1) at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Makhachev (28-1) has been enjoying his off-time while based in New Jersey. While he frequently fishes back in his home country and while doing training camps in the United States, the Russian’s resolve was recently tested by a shark.

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Islam Makhachev reels in shark before UFC 330 clash with Ian Machado Garry Makhachev has now done two training camps on the East Coast, with New Jersey serving as the Dagestani’s team’s base. Notably, the former lightweight champ did his training camp in Jersey last year ahead of the welterweight title-winning effort against Jack Della Maddalena in New York. Fishing has emerged as one of his favorite pastimes when he isn’t training.

The latest episode of the UFC's “Embedded” video series on You…

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White has teased the promotion's next big unique event.

Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” White revealed that the UFC’s head of production, Craig Borsari, has pitched another unconventional venue concept. White stopped short of providing details, but said he remains excited about the idea and could unveil it on McAfee's program if the necessary groundwork comes together.

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Dana White teases next unconventional UFC venue after Sphere and White House events After staging UFC 306 at Las Vegas’ Sphere and UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington, D.C., White has revealed that another unconventional event is in the works, although it’s still in its early stages.

“There will never be anything like the White House ever again,” White said. “That night, we already had high expectations for it. I was blown away; it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever been a part of. Being there live was amazing. But now, my head of…

Ian Garry says he had no intent of starting a feud with Khamzat Chimaev.

Garry defeated Belal Muhammad last November, with Arman Tsarukyan finishing Dan Hooker in the main event of the same card in Doha, Qatar. Chimaev, who was in Tsarukyan’s corner, then had an altercation with Garry backstage, which “The Future” recently revisited.

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Ian Garry recalls Khamzat Chimaev altercation Garry shook hands with the entire team and also patted Chimaev on the back. The latter then seemingly felt provoked and pushed Garry before security stepped in.

Garry recently shared his side of the story, claiming he had no malicious intent when he was greeting Chimaev and his entire team. The Irishman also notes that Chimaev didn’t immediately react when he patted him. Garry claims Chimaev was fired up only after people stepped in between them. He believes Chimaev would have gotten physical when they were in proximity if he really wanted to.

“Me and Khamzat aren’t bo…

Anthony Wint has put the Ultimate Fighting Championship boss on notice after his win on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Wint (7-0) took on Matthew Adams in the main event of DWCS 2026: Week 1. He took hardly over half a minute to reverse a takedown and land vicious ground-and-pound to secure a finish. “Bow Down” subsequently earned a UFC contract, which he wants to capitalize on immediately.

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Dana White targets UFC Sacramento for Anthony Wint after Contender Series win Wint later revealed that he has warned Dana White that he’s going to stay in the UFC CEO’s house until he has his first fight booked in the promotion. The former New York Jets linebacker says MMA fights are easy work for him after analyzing plays in 40 seconds in his football career.

“They don’t pay me by the hour,” Wint said in his post-fight interview. “I told Dana he got two options: I’m not going home – Either he finds me a fight, or I stay at Dana’s house… I played football my w…

The Bilal Hasan hype train gathered even more momentum following his contract-winning effort on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Hasan (9-0) faced India’s Mridul Saikia (9-2) in a flyweight matchup on Week 1 of DWCS 2026. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships flyweight titleholder was a -5000 favorite, the biggest in DWCS history, going into the fight.

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Bilal Hasan says being the betting favorite throughout his career aided him going into DWCS bout Hasan proved the oddsmakers right by flooring Saikia with a brutal right hand in just 45 seconds. Following a few follow-up shots, the referee stepped in.

Hasan earned an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract and high praise from Dana White, who can’t wait to see him fight in the UFC. Having been a favorite for most of his regional career, Hasan says he didn’t feel any added pressure going into his Contender Series outing. The undefeated 25-year-old thanked his parents for the sacrifices they have…

Tom Pagliarulo’s career aspirations are finally coming to fruition.

Pagliarulo (11-2) took on Ananias Mulumba in a featherweight clash on Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026. “The Phenom” left it all in the cage, finishing Mulumba with ground-and-pound in the final seconds of the fight, earning an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract for his efforts.

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‘Most afraid I’ve ever been’: Tom Pagliarulo details how his team helped him stay focused ahead of DWCS Week 1 Pagliarulo admits that he was very nervous throughout fight week. However, his coaches and teammate, UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, helped him stay dialed in. The 29-year-old is glad to have finally made it to the biggest stage in MMA, even if it came a little later than he expected.

“This is the most afraid I’ve ever been in my life, all week,” Pagliarulo said in his post-fight interview. “My coaches and Cory Sandhagen back home kept me locked in. Just reminded me to go be me, …

Joseph Kropschot can’t believe his opponent refused to tap to his submission attempt on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Kropschot kicked off the DWCS 2026 Week 1 action in a middleweight clash against Jonathan Kunneman. He maintained higher output while his opponent desperately looked for a Hail Mary overhand right. Kropschot also locked in an armbar in the final seconds of the fight that looked deep enough to secure a finish.

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Joseph Kropschot revisits ‘gross’ injury to opponent on DWCS Kunneman, perhaps too tough for his own good, refused to tap. Kropschot eventually dislocated Kunneman’s arm before walking away with a unanimous decision win. The victor subsequently said that he can’t believe his opponent didn’t tap to the armbar.

“I cannot believe he didn’t tap,” Kropschot said in his post-fight interview. “That bent like at the right angle. Gross.”

Kropschot (9-3) was on a four-fight finishing streak going into his DWCS opportunity, where he …

Payton Talbott could have another former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder standing opposite him in his next bout.

Talbott (11-1) is reportedly set to face former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (25-7-1) at UFC 332 on Oct. 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Brazilian reporter Leo Guimaraes claims that the matchup is being worked on and is yet to be finalized.

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Payton Talbott and Deiveson Figueiredo’s contrasting journeys to UFC 332 Talbott and Figueiredo enter the rumored matchup at different points in their careers. The former has not competed since earning a unanimous decision victory over former two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 323. The 27-year-old rebounded from the lone loss of his career, a decision defeat to Raoni Barcelos, with wins over Felipe Lima and Cejudo.

Before the Barcelos defeat, Talbott finished his first three UFC opponents, including a 19-second knockout.

Meanwhile, Figueiredo made the move to ba…

Stephen Thompson is looking to end his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract with a bang.

Thompson (17-9-1) recently revealed that he has one fight left in his current UFC contract. “Wonderboy” is looking to fight out his deal at the UFC’s annual New York City card in November at Madison Square Garden, which will likely be UFC 334.

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Stephen Thompson targets Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden with one fight remaining on his UFC contract Thompson is going through the welterweight roster to scout an opponent who can deliver a potential banger with him.

“Madison Square Garden, Nov. 14, got to make it happen,” the former title challenger told Home of Fight. “I’ve actually got one fight left in my contract. We’re looking at November… We’ll see who we get. We’re kind of looking at the roster, trying to find out a good fight. A good barnburner, if you will, for that card.”

While Thompson never tasted UFC gold despite two attempts against Tyron Woodley…

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— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) August 11, 2026 With a crowd of more than 10,000 fans at Toyota Arena Tokyo, Rizin Fighting Federation put on Rizin 54 on Tuesday in Tokyo. The card was headlined by a featherweight title eliminator between top MMA prospect Kyoma Akimoto and former Rizin champion Kleber Koike Erbst.

After three hard-fought rounds, Akimoto (13-1, 8-1 Rizin) emerged victorious, while Erbst (35-10-1, 1 NC; 10-5, 1 NC Rizin) may have seen his path back to the title derailed.

Koike was active with kicks in the first round and landed dozens to Akimoto’s legs and midsection during the first two minutes alone. Akimoto stayed calm as Koike chased him w…

Marwan Rahiki believes Tommy McMillen’s record-setting performance reflects a lack of knockout power.

Rahiki (9-0) and McMillen (11-0) will put their undefeated records on the line at Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. In his last outing, McMillen set a new record for significant strikes in an Ultimate Fighting Championship three-round bout, but Rahiki is far from impressed.

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Marwan Rahiki questions Tommy McMillen’s knockout power ahead of Noche UFC 4 Rahiki welcomed the matchup despite the relatively short turnaround. He’s 2-0 in the UFC and is excited at the prospect of fighting McMillen, who also has a ton of hype behind him.

“I was surprised, but at the same time, I'm not that surprised,” Rahiki told MMA Junkie. “This is the most exciting fight I've ever had. The first time I heard the name, I was like, 'Wow.' So happy -- I don't remember myself being so happy with a fight, with the opponent. I've always wante…

Daniel Cormier believes Ali Abdelaziz may be getting carried away with his assessment of Usman Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) recently completed his Professional Fighters League contract in emphatic fashion, stopping Archie Colgan in the opening round at PFL New York.

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The undefeated lightweight is now a free agent and Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White has indicated that his promotion is interested.Daniel Cormier says Usman Nurmagomedov will have his work cut out for him in the UFC Abdelaziz has made lofty predictions about what Nurmagomedov could accomplish against the UFC's elite. The veteran manager has claimed that the undefeated Russian would finish the likes of Ilia Topuria, Paddy Pimblett, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, expectedly leaving out his other client, Justin Gaethje, the reigning UFC lightweight champ.

Cormier acknowledged Nurmagomedov's considerable talent but believes there is a major difference between dominat…

Arman Tsarukyan’s coach believes Mauricio Ruffy presents a more dangerous and versatile striking threat than Ilia Topuria.

Tsarukyan will look to defend his spot in the lightweight rankings when he takes on Ruffy in the co-main event of UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Sept. 19. Ahead of the fight, Marcos da Matta broke down Ruffy’s skillset and how it compares to Topuria’s.

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Marcos da Matta says Mauricio Ruffy brings more striking weapons than Ilia Topuria Speaking to Brazilian YouTube channel Podcast Connect Cast, the American Top Team coach praised Ruffy's striking arsenal and addressed the upcoming lightweight clash.

“Everyone knows Arman's strengths and Ruffy's strengths,” Da Matta said. “Arman's strengths are grappling, ground-and-pound and jiu jitsu, while Ruffy is obviously an excellent striker.”

“Parrumpa” then discussed how Ruffy’s variety of strikes makes him more dangerous than Topuria, who primarily relies on boxing combinations and leg …

Malki Kawa has fired back at Ali Abdelaziz over his assessment of Ilia Topuria.

Abdelaziz recently suggested that Usman Nurmagomedov, who is currently a free agent, would force Topuria to quit if the two were to fight. The comments came after Nurmagomedov defended his Professional Fighters League title against Archie Colgan and are clearly a dig at Topuria’s loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.

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Ilia Topuria’s manager slams Ali Abdelaziz, hypes up former double champ’s comeback Nurmagomedov extended his perfect record to 22-0 with his first-round knockout victory at PFL New York. Abdelaziz subsequently claimed that the unbeaten Russian would beat Topuria during his appearance on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. Kawa responded by claiming that Topuria could “annihilate” Abdelaziz’s entire roster.

“You've got this guy, he's sitting there with two of his clients, and one of them happens to be Usman,” Kawa said in a social media post. “They're sitti…