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Manager Releases Statement on Controversial Fight Cancellation at UFC 324

Michael Johnson has been on the UFC roster since 2010. | Getty/UFC

Michael Johnson’s manager has released a statement regarding the cancellation of his fighter’s bout at UFC 324.

Johnson was scheduled to face Alexander Hernandez on Jan. 31 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, the lightweight contest was scrapped a few hours before the event when online oddsmakers flagged the bout for irregular betting patterns. Both UFC athletes have been quiet since then, but Dave Martin released a statement to Yahoo! Sports on Johnson’s behalf. The manager did not specifiy what might have caused the fight to garner that type of attention.

Hoping to Be Rebooked "We were obviously disappointed by the cancellation, as Michael had an outstanding training camp and was fully prepared to compete,” Martin stated. “That said, we understand and respect the UFC’s responsibility to protect the integrity of the sport. In today’s environment, particularly w…

Glover Teixeira: ‘Poatan’ Would KO Khamzat Chimaev Within Three Rounds

Former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira was in Las Vegas last Saturday, where he attended UFC 324 alongside Alex Pereira.

During a visit to the UFC Performance Institue, Teixeira met ex-lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. A video that went viral on social media and left many fans curious shows the two former champions doing a grappling training session. But according to the Brazilian, it wasn't a training session.

“Khabib is an idol of the sport. Everyone wants to be like him, Anderson, Jon Jones, ‘Poatan’ — they are all great idols. When I saw him there at the PI leading a training session for his students, I took the opportunity to ask him about a takedown he does by grabbing one leg,” Teixeira said. “Then he grabbed my arm and said come here and showed me, and we joked around a bit and he gave me some pointers. Obviously, all with great respect, because when Khabib speaks, we stop to listen.”

Texeira didn't give details of what was discuss…

Yoel Romero Withdraws From BKFC Knucklemania 6 Co-Main Event

A strong case of the flu has knocked Yoel Romero out of BKFC Knucklemania 6. | PFL MMA

Former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero won’t be competing at one of BKFC’s signature events as originally planned.

“The Soldier of God” has been forced to withdraw from a proposed clash against Lorenzo Hunt at BKFC Knucklemania 6 after contracting a “strong strain of the flu.” As a result, BKFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, David Mundell, will step in to face Hunt in a 199-pound catchweight affair.

Rebooking in the Works “Unfortunately I have to withdraw from my scheduled fight against Lorenzo Hunt at KM6 due to a very strong strain of the flu,” read a statement from Romero released through BKFC. “During my weight cut for RAF I felt my immune system was low, and I was feeling very weak. A few days after my Jan. 10 RAF match I started to experience severe flu symptoms.

“I am extremely disappointed but I’ve been unable to train and I need to make …

PFL Unveils Official Fighter Rankings System

Usman Nurmagomedov sits atop PFL's first pound-for-pound rankings. | PFL MMA

Professional Fighters League has released its first official rankings system ahead of its first event of 2026.

The league on Tuesday announced via release that its rankings will be “officiated and administered” by Combat Registry, “a leading global combat sports data and rankings organization used across top MMA promotions, including the UFC.”

The PFL rankings will track fighters across nine divisions, including a men’s pound-for-pound poll. The rankings will be determined by a panel of media and other industry experts who will cast their ballots after each PFL event. This voting process will operate independently of the PFL through Combat Registry. Champions will automatically be listed at the top of each respective division.

“These rankings provide a clear, objective snapshot of where each PFL division stands,” said PFL CEO John Martin. “By partnering with…

Former Invicta FC Champ Jillian DeCoursey Announces Retirement

She may have only needed 10 walks to the cage as a pro, but ex-Invicta Fighting Championships queen Jillian DeCoursey made them count.

On her social media on Thursday, DeCoursey announced her retirement from MMA competition. The 41-year-old atomweight had flirted with returning after dropping her belt in 2023 to Rayanne dos Santos, but efforts never materialized. A veteran of only Invicta and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship for the entirety of her pro career, she won a belt with the former and unsuccessfully vied for one with the latter.

First stepping into the cage as an amateur in 2014, the New York native rattled off eight nonprofessional victories opposite a single defeat. Along the unpaid circuit, DeCoursey battled future talents like Hilarie Rose, Marisa Messer-Belenchia and Lindsey VanZandt, beating all three. After taking a decision for an amateur belt in 2017, DeCoursey turned pro.Might Make ‘Fill in the Blank’ My New Fight NameThe fight…

Chase Hooper Gets Homecoming at UFC Seattle Against ‘Fearless’ Canadian

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is adding what should be a grappler’s delight to its March show in Seattle.

Per the organization on Thursday, Chase Hooper (16-4-1) and Lance Gibson Jr. (9-2) will toe the line at UFC Seattle, also known as UFC Fight Night 271. This lightweight affair on March 28 will serve as the first time Hooper has competed in his home state of Washington since he went 5-0 in the regionals from 2017 to 2018.

Submission specialist Hooper saw his five-fight, three-sub streak come to a crushing halt at the hands of Alexander Hernandez at UFC 319 in 2025. That knockout, the second of his young tenure as a pro, derailed the momentum built up by beating the likes of Jim Miller, Clay Guida and Jordan Leavitt. “The Dream” celebrates an even finish rate of 75%, with two-thirds of those stoppages coming by sub.

Gibson exceeds his upcoming foe’s finish rate by a few percentage points, although he comes in a few years older and fairly le…

UFC 324’s Jean Silva Makes Specific Prediction on His Upcoming Matchup

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Jean Silva is channeling his inner Babe Ruth.

Months after watching his 13-fight, over seven-year unbeaten streak fall to Diego Lopes, Silva (16-3) will return to the Octagon to open the UFC 324 main card in Las Vegas, where he faces Englishman Arnold Allen (20-3). Arriving to the “Fight Capital of the World” this past Saturday, Silva spoke with Brazilian outlet Ag.Fight and, as always, didn’t hide his goal.

“My tactic has no secret,” Silva declared. “I’m going to control the distance, hit him without throwing strikes, and when he makes a mistake, I’m going to knock him out. He’ll probably want to take me down in desperation, but this time I’m not going to do the spinning takedown. My prediction is to knock him out in the second round.”Rematch or Bust The Fighting Nerd opened his heart, acknowledging that the defeat in his last fight made him seek psychological help. With a new lease on life, the 29-year-o…

Justin Gaethje: ‘I’m Not Getting $1 More’ Under New UFC-Paramount Deal

Justin Gaethje has been one of the UFC's most entertaining fighters during his tenure. | Getty/UFC

The UFC will get $7.7 billion dollars over seven years from its new broadcasting deal with Paramount. According to Justin Gaethje, none of the promotion’s financial windfall is reflected in his fight purse for UFC 324.

The 14-time Octagon veteran discussed fighter pay during his media day session ahead of Saturday’s event. “The Highlight” pointed out that he hasn’t hit $1 million in bonuses despite being a frequent winner, and he also disputed Daniel Cormier’s recent claim that salaries were increasing across the board due to the new media rights deal.

“To have 14 bonuses and not equal up to $1 million is not right,” Gaethje said (video via MMAjunkie.com). “It’s not right. It should be a lot more than that and I should have had opportunities to do smarter things with my money but I don’t and I haven’t.

“I hear Daniel Cormier saying eve…

Dana White Dismisses McGregor-Masvidal UFC White House Rumors as ‘Goofy S–t’

UFC CEO Dana White says there is no truth to rumors of a clash between Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal being targeted for the White House.

Discussion around a fight between the two stars began to pick up steam on social media recently, and Masvidal only added fuel to the fire when he told MMAjunkie.com that he was “training for something big.”

During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, White quickly dismissed the possibility when informed that McGregor vs. Masvidal had become a hot topic on social media.

“You know what’s funny? In my algorithm on Instagram, I have nothing MMA,” White said. “Literally nothing MMA pops up.

“I don’t listen to any of the goofy s--t. It’s goofy s--t. The MMA world, I don’t listen to any of that s--t. So literally none of that is on my algorithm. Almost everything you see on the internet about our sport is wrong. It’s all wrong.”

As far as putting together the card for the White House, the UFC boss says that matc…

‘The Lazy King’ Receives New Opponent at PFL Road to Dubai

"The Lazy King" is 3-0 under the PFL banner. | PFL MMA

Abdoul Abdouraguimov will not be squaring off against Magomed Umalatov at PFL Road to Dubai as originally anticipated.

The Professional Fighters League on Tuesday announced that Umalatov has withdrawn from the welterweight bout for undisclosed reasons. As a result, Kendly St. Louis will step in and face “The Lazy King” on Feb. 7 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. PFL Road to Dubai is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alfie Davis and airs on the ESPN App in the United States.

A 35-year-old native of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, St. Louis split a pair of bouts under the PFL banner last year. After scoring a third-round submission of Mukhamed Berkhamov at PFL Tournament 5 on June 12, “The Highlander” suffered a first-round TKO defeat against Chris Mixan at PFL Tournament 9 on Aug. 15. St. Louis has also earned victories on t…

UFC 324’s Arnold Allen on Lengthy Layoff: ‘For the Last Year I Lost My Mind’

Arnold Allen hasn't fought since July 2024. | Getty/UFC

By the time Arnold Allen steps into the Octagon at UFC 324 on Saturday, more than a year and a half will have passed since his last fight.

The 31-year-old Englishman hasn’t competed since July 2024, when he defeated Giga Chikadze in a featherweight clash at UFC 304. That snapped a two-bout losing streak for Allen, who began his promotional tenure with 10 consecutive triumphs before dropping back-to-back outings against Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev.

After besting Chikadze, “Almighty” was eager to resume his ascent toward title contention at 145 pounds, but progress was derailed by a lingering shoulder injury that took a significant amount of time to heal. He admits that the layoff took its toll on him mentally.

“For the last year, I lost my mind trying to focus on the things I can do,” Allen told UFC.com. “My life is very career-driven, and I love my career — I want to give it t…

Conor McGregor Claims UFC Contract is Void with New Paramount Broadcast Deal

Conor McGregor could be in line for a new UFC contract. | Bellator MMA

If Conor McGregor is to be believed, the Irish star will be entering negotiations for a new UFC contract in the near future.

In an interview on a stream, the former two-division champion claimed that the new Paramount broadcast deal eliminates pay-per-view points, which will require a reworked UFC contract. McGregor is still targeting a return at the UFC White House card, though the event has yet to be confirmed.

“I’m warming up now for the White House fight,” McGregor said (via Happy Punch). “I’m gonna be at it, for sure. It’s gonna be insane, the White House card is gonna be.

“I’m going into negotiations with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in February. I’m very interested to go. They’ve actually got a new deal with Paramount, it’s worth $7.7 billion. So the company has [quadrupled] its profit, and my contract, essentially, is void right now because there’s n…

Nikolay Veretennikov Replaces Eric Nolan at UFC Fight Night 266

Nikolay Veretennikov is 1-3 in the UFC. | Getty/UFC

UFC Fight Night 266 has seen a change with less than three weeks to go before the event.

Eric Nolan was originally scheduled to face Jose Henrique Souza at UFC Fight Night 266 on Feb. 7. However, Nolan has pulled out and will now be replaced by Nikolay Veretennikov. Both fighters confirmed the bout via social media following an intial report from RealKevinK.

Veretennikov (13-7) has gone 1-3 in the UFC since his debut in 2024. The Kazakh will be making his UFC middleweight debut on short notice against Souza.

Meanwhile, Souza (8-1) suffered his lone professional loss in a failed bid for a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022. “Canela” has since racked up a three-fight winning streak on the regional circuit to earn his UFC contract.

Arslan Bilalov Wins LFA Heavyweight Title in LFA 224 Main Event

The Legacy Fighting Alliance crowned a new heavyweight champion in the LFA 224 main event.

Fighting for the vacant title were Matthew Adams and Arslan Bilalov, who sported a flawless 5-0 professional record coming in. Adams (5-2) gave up a takedown early, which allowed Bilalov to unload with punches. The Russian stayed in control by getting into mount position and bloodying "Bad" with elbows. Bilalov pivoted to a rear-naked choke in order to win the belt and advance to 6-0 as a pro. The tap came at 4:47 of the first round.

The co-main event saw welterweights Josiah Harrell and Bekmyrza Dosmatov battle for a likely title shot. In a wild fight full of scrambles and hard punches being thrown, it was the grueling pace of the undefeated Harrell (11-0) that proved to be too much. An exhausted Dosmatov (13-3) gave up mount in the final round and eventually succumbed to punches from "Muscle Hamster" at the 3:28 mark after his corner waved off the fight…

Featherweight Knockout Artists to Headline March 14 UFC Card

Come March 14, there should be a firefight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship cage.

The organization announced on Friday its headliner for its March 14 fight card that will be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Atop the UFC Fight Night 269 billing—also known as UFC Vegas 114—will be a 145-pound slugfest pitting Josh Emmett (19-6) against Kevin Vallejos (17-1). Vallejos subsequently confirmed his involvement in this March main attraction on his Instagram.

California’s Emmett has fallen on hard time as of late. The 40-year-old has dropped four of his last five, with his lone victory since 2022 a one-punch knockout of Bryce Mitchell. Otherwise, Emmett has fallen short to Yair Rodriguez and Youssef Zalal by submission, and dropped decisions to Ilia Topuria and Lerone Murphy. Before the struggles, “CC0” had amassed a five-fight win streak from 2019 to 2022, culminating in an interim title tilt against the aforementioned Rodriguez.

The streaking Vall…

UFC Heavyweight Suspended Until 2028 After Failed Drug Test

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Mohammed Usman could not escape the investigation of the anti-doping agents.

On Thursday, the UFC announced in a joint statement with drug-testing agency Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) that Usman has been suspended after testing positive for an exogenous source of testosterone. He was flagged on Sept. 8, 2025, which resulted in his removal from his bout against Valter Walker at UFC Fight Night 261 in October of last year. Additionally, Usman provided a false reason as to his failed test, resulting in additional sanctions.

As a result of that test and his admission of past use of the substance as well as BPC-157—an unapproved peptide designed to improve the recovery process, Usman will be suspended until April 2028. Normally, a fighter would receive a two-year sentence, but Usman added “aggravating circumstances” by attempting to falsely claim its source and his regular use. Thus, the CSAD issued a sentence…

Oktagon MMA 82 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

🔥 The OKTAGON 82 card is set!

15,000 fans have sold out PSD Bank Dome for the Tipsport Gamechanger final on Saturday.

💰 Engizek vs. Jotko 💰☄️ Palokaj vs. Hendin 🥋🥊 Ilbay vs. Ryšavý 💥

➕ Dulatov, Zawada, Ligocki and Bark

📺 https://t.co/TVP7NaEp1x | RTL+ | TVP Sport pic.twitter.com/p4EYE69014 — OKTAGON (@OktagonOfficial) January 13, 2026 Oktagon MMA's first mixed martial arts event of 2026 will feature the €1 million European MMA Champions League final, which is now official following the Oktagon MMA 82 weigh-ins.

Competing for €1 million are middleweight champion Kerim Engizek and UFC veteran Krzysztof Jotko. Both men weighed 185 pounds for the tournament finals, which is set for three rounds and will not have Engizek's championship on the line. All other fighters also made weight, with the exception of Daniel Ligocki, who came in a pound heavy for his tournament reserve bout against David Zawada.

En…

KSW 114 Weigh-in Results: Lightweight Title Fight Set

It's coming this Saturday 👀

Are you ready for the first card of 2026? 🔥

XTB #KSW114 | 🇵🇱 @CANALPLUS_SPORT | 🌍 KSWTV pic.twitter.com/91OLqWHTTQ — KSW (@KSW_MMA) January 14, 2026 Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki's first event of 2026 will see the mixed martial arts promotion's lightweight championship on the line, which is now official following the KSW 114 weigh-ins.

In the five-round main event, Salahdine Parnasse will look to defend his lightweight title against challenger Marcin Held. Both men hit championship weight, weighing 155 pounds on the dot. All other fighters on the nine-fight card also successfully made weight.

Parnasse (21-2) is riding a three-fight win streak since losing a welterweight title fight against Adrian Bartosinski. He's since gone back to lightweight and beat Valeriu Mircea to unify the titles before knocking out Wilson Varela and Marian Ziolkowski in title defenses. The French fighter will …

Top Contender Reveals UFC Forced Him to Prove Mexican Family History

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Anthony Hernandez claims the promotion asked him to show them his family’s papers.

On a Wednesday appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Hernandez discussed his upcoming headliner at UFC Houston against Sean Strickland. He also cracked into the 2025 middleweight championship affair when Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis, heavily criticizing the former. Additionally, he touched on a few notable issues, including a strange encounter with UFC brass and his outspoken use of cannabis.

Helwani brought up a post Hernandez made on social media showing him in fight shorts with the Mexican flag and a rooster on the side. Hernandez coined it his “fighting rooster,” while remarking that he did not know how to go about getting custom shorts and that the UFC even questioned him about his Mexican heritage.

“I wish,” he replied when asked if his colorful shorts would be part of his next fight kit. “I don’t know…

Dana White Lukewarm on Conor McGregor Return, Dismisses One Potential Foe

Ultimate Fighting Championship chief Dana White is not so certain that Conor McGregor will ever fight again.

Speaking with Complex News, the UFC President and CEO discussed a myriad of topics ranging from the oft-discussed UFC White House card to the state of a few divisions—and even briefly shrugged off a question about YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. White did not have many definitive answers, mostly suggesting that upcoming events need to play out to determine who faces whom, when and where.

Of note was a pair of questions about superstar McGregor, who has been on the shelf since breaking his leg in his unsuccessful rubber match with Dustin Poirier in 2021. The Irishman, who has since gotten married and also been the subject of many legal quagmires ranging from being found liable for sexual assault to ongoing investigations about striking various individuals, was once booked for a 2024 match with Michael Chandler that fell through. The two served…

Kayla Harrison Shares Post-Surgery Update Following UFC 324 Withdrawal

Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champ Kayla Harrison is starting the long road to recovery.

News broke Wednesday that Harrison, 35, required and underwent surgery on her herniated disc(s) in her neck. This ejected her from her co-main event championship tilt at UFC 324 against all-time great Amanda Nunes. Rather than slot in a replacement for Nunes on ultra-short notice, the organization will table the bout until later.

This withdrawal marks the first time that Harrison has pulled out of a fight in her pro career that started in 2018. The two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo picked up those awards in 2012 and 2016, and her skills translated to MMA to the point that she won not one but two million-dollar tournaments with Professional Fighters League to build a record of 14-0. While she suffered her first career loss at the hands of Larissa Pacheco in 2022, it came after she had already beaten the Brazilian twice prior.

Bouncing into th…

Veteran Broadcaster to Join CBS Sports Analyst Desk for UFC 324

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is adding a new name to its broadcast team.

Paramount, the new broadcast partner of the UFC, announced on Thursday that it would be adding one new member to the group of analysts that break down fights at the desk. Per the company, the remainder of the broadcast crew from the previous deal will continue as usual, ranging from Jon Anik, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier in the booth to Bruce Buffer on the microphone to Megan Olivi as the roving reporter and Din Thomas as the live analyst. One more talent will be joining the UFC 324 team.

Additional coverage will include the pre-pay-per-view—these cards now simply titled “numbered events” or “premium live events”—weigh-in show, hosted by Dan Hellie and joined by Laura Sanko, Cormier and Chris Weidman. Other standard coverage like the official and ceremonial weigh-ins will air on Paramount+, along with the event itself that Saturday.A New HostOn the desk, away from the act…

LFA 224 Weigh-in Results: 1 Fight Canceled

#LFA224 Face Off ⚔️

Takes place Friday, January 16th at the @MysticLake Casino Hotel in #PriorLake #Minnesota

📲 Main card live on @VICETV® at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.Prelims live on YouTube at 7:30pm ET #LFAFightNetwork

Meet the prospects: https://t.co/y05gTyWe3y pic.twitter.com/FWPgaGQVYy

— LFA (@LFAfighting) January 15, 2026 The Legacy Fighting Alliance kicks off 2026 with a heavyweight championship fight for the vacant title, which is now official following the LFA 224 weigh-ins.

Throwing down for up to five possible rounds are Matthew Adams and undefeated prospect Arslan Bilalov. Both men came in under the 266-pound heavyweight limit. As for the rest of the card, all fighters made weight with the exception of Jose Ferreira, who came in 5.8 pounds over the lightweight cap. As a result, his fight against Ednilson Barros Santos has been canceled.

The 28-year-old Adams is the slightly more experienced p…

Four Bouts Official for Rizin 52 on March 7

Rizin Fighting Federation has confirmed four bouts, including a super atomweight showdown between Saori Oshima and Keito Oyama, for its first event of 2026.

Rizin 52 on March 7 will also include the following three contests: Luiz Gustavo vs. Taisei Sakuraba at lightweight; Takaki Soya vs. Tony Laramie at flyweight and Viktor Kolesnik vs. Kazuki Aimoto at featherweight.

Rizin 52 takes place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo and is availabile on pay-per-view via Rizin.TV.

The promotion also announced that Rizin Landmark Vol. 13 will take place on April 12 at Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka Japan. No fights were confirmed for that event.

Oshima won her first four Rizin appearances to eventually earn a super atomweight title shot. “Little Giant” came up short in that opportunity, falling to women’s pound-for-pound stalwart Seika Izawa via unanimous decision at Rizin Landmark Vol. 12 this past November.

Oyama, who is more commonly known as “Kate Lotu…