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Islam Makhachev believes teammate Usman Nurmagomedov will have to compromise on his salary if he moves to the UFC from the Professional Fighters League. 

Nurmagomedov (20-1) is considered one of the best lightweights in the world, regardless of promotion. Nurmagomedov’s current PFL contract will expire after he puts his lightweight title on the line against Archie Colgan at PFL New York on July 31 at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. 

There has been speculation about Nurmagomedov potentially signing with the UFC after his current PFL contract expires. Makhachev (28-1) believes Nurmagomedov needs to move to the UFC to fully realize his potential against a higher caliber of opponents. However, Makhachev claims that Nurmagomedov is getting a hefty payday in the PFL, which the UFC is unlikely to pay. According to Makhachev, Nurmagomedov still has ample time to sign another PFL contract and move to the UFC later in his career to build his legacy. The UFC …

Murtazali Magomedov had help from a UFC veteran for his spectacular debut on Saturday. 

Magomedov (11-0) made his promotional debut against Melsik Baghdasaryan (8-4) at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. While Baghdasaryan landed some powerful strikes early, Magomedov took him down quickly and started looking for a rear-naked choke. As Baghdasaryan tried to turn into Magomedov, the Kyrgyz prospect locked in a modified twister to secure a submission win at 1:17 of the opening round. Magomedov scored the fourth twister submission in UFC history in his debut in the promotion. 

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Magomedov subsequently said that he had been specifically training the twister in the gym for a long time. The undefeated featherweight prospect further revealed that he learned the move from former UFC flyweight, Askar Askarov.

“I work this technique long time,” Magomedov said. “My brother, Askar Askarov teach me this technique.” 

Making…

Vinicius Oliveira wants a ranked opponent next after his successful debut at featherweight. 

Oliveira (24-4) made his featherweight debut against Andre Fili (25-14) at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Oliveira survived some heavy kicks to the body from Fili in the first round. However, “LokDog” hurt Fili with a 1-2 before unleashing a brutal barrage of shots to secure a stoppage win late in the second round. 

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Eager to Climb Oliveira subsequently called for a matchup against Josh Emmett, who is No. 15 in the official UFC featherweight rankings. However, the Brazilian would ideally prefer a higher-ranked opponent as he himself was ranked higher at bantamweight.

“If the UFC want to give me Josh Emmett, Top 15, I’ll be ready to fight with him,” Oliveira said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “But I hope the UFC give me a Top 12 opponent, but I don’t know who. In my former division, bantamweight, I was Top 1…

Navajo Stirling had to face adversity like never before against Ion Cutelaba. 

Stirling arguably faced his biggest step up in competition against Cutelaba at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Cutelaba caught Stirling in a standing guillotine early on, eventually dragging him to the ground. While Cutelaba’s guillotine seemed seriously threatening at one point, Stirling managed to pull his head out. Both fighters were going back and forth in the second round before Stirling reversed a takedown and unleashed lethal ground-and-pound on a seated Cutelaba to secure a stoppage win. 

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Stirling subsequently revealed that he had never faced adversity like he did when Cutelaba jumped the guillotine. The undefeated Kiwi believes the experience of surviving that adversity will add to his mental arsenal. However, Stirling notes that while he faced such a threat in a fight for the first time, he regularly drills being in stressful positions at …

Christian Rodriguez’s late coach, Duke Roufus, taught him the move that helped him finish Hyder Amil. 

Rodriguez (13-4) took on Amil (11-3) in a featherweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. “CeeRod” dropped Amil with a flush shin-to-chin head kick in the opening round. While Amil miraculously remained conscious, Rodriguez immediately choked him out cold with a guillotine. 

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Rodriguez revealed that the head kick was always a staple move while training under his late coach.

“My coach who passed away in October, his name was Duke Roufus, he was a kickboxing legend,” Rodriguez said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “He was known for head kicks… When people kind of start defending like a boxer, the head kick will always be there. And it worked out perfectly. It’s something that he passed on to me, and I still have that knowledge. So, that’s something we capitalized on.”

Feeling Rejuventated Rodriguez’s win ov…

Beatriz Mesquita wants to bring the iconic Brazil-Argentina rivalry to the Octagon. 

Mesquita (8-0) took on Melissa Mullins (7-3) in a women’s bantamweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Mullins rocked Mesquita in the opening round and surprisingly chose to take the fight to the canvas. As Mullins postured up to drop an elbow, “Bia” locked up an armbar to earn a quick tap. 

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Mesquita subsequently aimed high with a callout of Ailin Perez. Explaining her callout, Mesquita said that he wants to jump up the UFC.com rankings, where Perez is currently at No. 5. The undefeated Brazilian also said that she doesn’t like the attitude of Perez, who is known for celebrating her wins by twerking. Mesquita further believes that it’ll be an interesting matchup against the Argentinian to translate the age old Brazil-Argentina soccer rivalry into the Octagon.‘I Don’t Like Her Attitude’ “Honestly, I want to end up in the Top 10, Top …

Herb Dean is again involved in a controversy regarding illegal shots. 

Dean was the third man in the Octagon when Andre Fili (25-14) welcomed Vinicius Oliveira (24-4) to the featherweight division at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Oliveira managed to survive the first round despite being visibly hurt by body kicks from Fili. “LokDog” went all guns blazing late in the second round after stunning Fili. Oliveira rained a vicious barrage of shots on Fili, forcing Dean to step in just before the bell in the second round. 

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Uh oh… Herb Dean has another fight where the fighter was hitting the back of the head and then he stopped it… Fili bleeding like hell on the back of his head! #UFCVegas119 pic.twitter.com/QwrV0YUpc5

— John (@MrJohnnytokes) June 21, 2026 Controversy Strikes Again However, some of the shots landed by Oliveira in the finishing sequence appeared to be on the back of the head, which is …

Manel Kape took home an extra $100K on Saturday night. | Getty/UFC Manel Kape has his revenge, and he’s also $100,000 richer for his efforts.

“Starboy” secured a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his third-round stoppage of Kyoji Horiguchi in the UFC Vegas 119 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Kape put his foe on wobbly legs with a counter right, then unleashed a barrage on his grounded adversary — including a vicious uppercut from behind — that brought a halt tot he contest 2:42 into Round 3. Kape avenged a 2017 submission loss to Horiguchi that occurred under the Rizin banner.

An Impressive Debut Elsewhere, promotional newcomer Murtazali Magomedov earned a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” check after making short work of Melsik Baghdasaryan in a featured featherweight affair. Magomedov elicited a tapout 1:17 into the opening stanza with a twister, only the fourth such submission in UFC history.

Finally, Vinicius Oliveira and …

Dricus Du Plessis will return at UFC Oklahoma City. | Getty/UFC

Oklahoma City is getting a marquee middleweight matchup.

Dricus Du Plessis will square off against Kamaru Usman in a matchup of former title holders in the UFC Oklahoma City headliner, the Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Saturday. The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 281, takes place at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

High Stakes Affair Du Plessis hasn’t competed since last August, when he relinquished the middleweight crown in a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Prior to that, the South African standout was 9-0 in the Octagon, earning notable victories against the likes of Sean Strickland (twice), Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson and Darren Till.

Usman is back in action for the first time since he outpointed Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 69 headliner last June. While there were…

Manel Kape marked his territory as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s number one contender in waiting at 125 pounds.

The Xtreme Couture rep punched out Kyoji Horiguchi in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 279 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Kape (23-7, 8-3 UFC) slammed the door 2:42 into Round 3, avenging his Dec. 31, 2017 submission defeat to the former Rizin Fighting Federation and Bellator MMA champion.

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Horiguchi (36-7, 9-2 UFC) stayed a step ahead of “Starboy” from a tactical standpoint through much of the first 10 minutes. In fact, he secured a takedown and spent almost the entire second round grinding away on Kape from top position. However, Horiguchi’s inability to inflict any real damage proved costly. Kape clipped him with a right hook midway through Round 3, pushed him to all fours and snuck a devastating uppercut underneath the armpit that prompted the stoppage.

Meanwhile, surging City Kickboxing prospect N…

Sherdog's live UFC Vegas 119 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 279. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Collins (-160); Tanzilovi (+140)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rosa (-115); Santos (+100)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round…

Beatriz Mesquita’s otherworldly ground skills were there when she needed them most.

The undefeated American Top Team star remained unbeaten and continued her climb in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division, as she disposed of Melissa Mullins with an armbar in the first round of a featured UFC Fight Night 279 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Mesquita (8-0, 3-0 UFC) drew the curtain 3:16 into Round 1.

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Mullins (7-3, 2-3 UFC) nearly sprang the upset. She dazed Mesquita with a left hook, then closed in on the 10-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion with follow-up punches. Putting the icing on the cake proved problematic. The resourceful Mesquita lured her opponent into her venomous guard, cleared the cobwebs and snatched the armbar. Mullins fought briefly to free herself but had no choice but to tap.

Meanwhile, ex-Inka Fighting Championship titleholder Kevin Borjas outstruck the heavily favored and previous…

Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov fought to a majority draw in their first meeting. | Getty/UFC

Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov have a little bit of unfinished business to handle.

The light heavyweights will square off in a rematch at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1, the promotion recently announced. Blachowicz and Guskov initially battled to a majority draw at UFC 325 this past December. A rematch was slated for UFC 328 on May 9, but Blachowicz was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury.

UFC Belgrade — also known as UFC Fight Night 283 — takes place at Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, and is headlined by a welterweight showdown pitting Uros Medic against Daniel Rodriguez. The card will air in its entirety on Paramount+.

A Difficult Road A former light heavyweight champion, Blachowicz is just 1-3-2 in his last six Octagon appearances dating back to October 2021. However, the 43-year-old Pole has squared off against only the division’s best during tha…

Jean Silva believes he will jump the queue ahead of Movsar Evloev for the next UFC featherweight title shot. 

Silva considers himself next in line for a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. However, standing in his way is Evloev, who has long been the top contender at 145 pounds. Volkanovski has also repeatedly acknowledged the undefeated Russian as the most deserving title contender. However, Silva doesn’t think Evloev will get the next title shot. While Silva is eyeing a title shot next, he is willing to take one more fight if he needs to.

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“I’m the next one in line for the title,” Silva told MMAjunkie.com. “I’m the next one that’s gonna get that belt. I’m taking that belt back to Brazil. Hunter’s helping me with that. My manager Ivan is helping me out with that. Dana as well… They’re giving me the path to that… I think the chances of Evloev fighting Volkanovski by the end of the year are slim. And if Volk wants to fight somebody, I’ll be …

Don’t expect to see Justin Gaethje in the Octagon again this year. 

Gaethje (28-5) recently dethroned Ilia Topuria in a massive upset at UFC White House to win the undisputed lightweight title. “The Highlight” had previously won the interim title against Paddy Pimblett this past January. Gaethje notes that it is already a rarity to see him compete twice in a year. Gaethje revealed that it is highly unlikely for him to compete again in 2026.

Hiatus Loading“I already fought twice this year,” Gaethje said on "The Pat McAfee Show.”. “Very, very rarely do you get me twice in one year. So there’s very, very, very small chance that I would ever consider fighting this year again.”

Gaethje has never fought more than twice a year in the UFC. The newly-crowned lightweight champion had competed only once each in 2024 and 2025. Gaethje’s win over Topuria marked his third bid for the undisputed title. There was speculation about the 37-year-old retiring if he had lost against…

Khabib Nurmagomedov is supporting an underdog in the FIFA World Cup 2026. 

Nurmagomedov (29-0) recently shared his predictions for the ongoing soccer World Cup in North America. While Nurmagomedov isn’t supporting Germany, he believes the former four-time champions will lift the trophy again in 2026. “Eagle” believes the Netherlands will end up as the runner-up, with Spain following in third place.

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“Who will win the World Cup? Germany. I am not rooting for them, but I think Germany is the number one favorite,” Nurmagomedov told Okko Sport (translation via Red Corner MMA). “I would put the Netherlands in second. And Spain in third.”Talking Futbol However, Nurmagomedov doesn’t think any of the top goal scorers will be from Germany. The former UFC lightweight champion’s top five goal scorers include France’s Kylian Mbappe, Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez, Brazil’s Vinicius Jr., Portugal’s Joao Felix and England’s Harry Kane.

“Let me give you my Top …

Sean O'Malley believes Aleksandre Topuria doesn’t like him. 

O’Malley (20-3) defeated Aiemann Zahabi via a second-round knockout at UFC White House earlier this month. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria lost his lightweight title to Justin Gaethje in a massive upset on the same card. Ilia’s elder brother, UFC bantamweight Aleksandre, cornered his brother at the White House. 

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O’Malley came across Topuria and his team backstage at the White House. While O’Malley and Ilia have traded barbs in the past, “Suga” believes there are no hard feeling between them. However, O’Malley believes Aleksandre doesn’t like him. O’Malley claims that while he shook hands with Ilia’s entire team, Aleksandre refused to acknowledge him.Lingering Animosity “If Ilia’s heard me talk about him, he knows I think he is one of the greatest of all time,” O’Malley said on Tim Welche’s YouTube channel. “I made a couple of short jokes, he’s made fun of me, like, ‘Ugly tattoo.’... But h…

Professional Fighters League featherweight Alexei Pergande has accused Ian Garry of lying. 

The spat started with Pergande posting a video of a training session where he took Garry down. Garry unfollowed Pergande on Instagram after the clip went viral. Replying to a fan, Garry said that he unfollowed Pergande because “Russian DNA” had filmed their training session without consent. Garry also accused Pergande of continuing to film even after he was asked not to.

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“Because he filmed me without permission, then secretly kept filming me after I asked him to stop and has been editing and reposting the same session for four years,” Garry wrote. “I liked the kid but respect when someone says no to filming you.” 

However, Pergande (8-0) completely denies Garry’s accusations. Pergande says his fiancée was filming the session in the presence of Garry’s wife and UFC middleweight Chris Curtis. According to Pergande, he was never asked to stop filming …

Japan’s own 🇯🇵@Kyoji1012 | 125 lbs

[ #UFCVegas119 | SAT JUNE 20 | 8pmET LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/f0MYUyBKXT

— UFC (@ufc) June 19, 2026 A key flyweight rematch with Ultimate Fighting Championship title implications is now official following the UFC Vegas 119 weigh-ins.

The main event of UFC Fight Night 279 sees Kyoji Horiguchi and Manel Kape clash for a second time. Both men made weight for the rematch, which comes nearly a decade after the two met during the 2017 Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix. As for the rest of the card, all fighters made weight with the exception of Kevin Borjas, who will be fined 20 percent of his purse for coming 3 pounds overweight for his flyweight bout against Andre Lima.

Horiguchi (36-5, 1 NC) won the initial fight, submitting "Starboy" with an arm-triangle choke in the third round. "Karate Kid" enters the rematch on an eight-fight unbeaten streak and is 2-0 since returning to the UFC. Hori…

Meet Pedro Valente Jr., the only person in attendance at both UFC 1 and UFC White House: Freedom 250.

The eldest son of one of Helio Gracie's most respected disciples, Pedro Valente (1938-2016), Pedro Valente Jr. can declare that he is the only eyewitness who was at the first UFC event in 1993 in Denver and at UFC at the White House in 2026.

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“It was a unique emotion to see where this sport has come,” Valente told Sherdog. “I couldn't help but remember the tribute that Rorion [Gracie] paid to his father in the center of the Octagon at UFC 1. The old man would certainly be very emotional to see where it has come.”

Along with his brothers, Joaquim and Guilherme, Valente leads the Valente Brothers Jiu-Jitsu academy in Miami, which counts among its students children and grandchildren of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

“We ended up creating a bond of friendship beyond the mats, which is why we were invited,” Valente said.

According to him, the ide…

Professional Fighters League is bringing a lightweight showcase bout to PFL New York in Long Island with a bit of hometown cooking. The promotion has confirmed to Sherdog that undefeated Longo’s MMA product Levan Khabalaev (5-0) will lock horns with fellow New Yorker Ryan Gerena (4-1).

Russia’s Khabalaev has had his last three fights in recognizable promotions Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Legacy Fighting Alliance, picking up finishes in two of those three wins.

Gerena has spent his entire professional career fighting for Flex Fight Series, and after losing his professional debut, he has won four fights in a row, leading him to get the call from the PFL. Of his four victories, three of them have come by way of stoppage, while he’s also gotten one victory by way of decision.

PFL New York will be headlined by a lightweight title fight pitting champ Usman Nurmagomedov (21-0) against Archie Colgan (13-0). Also on the card, superstar Dakota Ditcheva …

Erin Blanchfield is 8-1 in the UFC. | Getty/UFC

A pair of flyweights looking climb into title contention will square off at UFC 330.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Wednesday that Erin Blanchfield will meet Jasmine Jasudavicius in a 125-pound clash at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. UFC 330 is headlined by a welterweight title tilt between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry, while Mackenzie Dern will defend her strawweight crown against Gillian Robertson in the evening’s co-main event.

A Common Foil Blanchfield has been victorious in eight of her nine Octagon appearances. That lone defeat, a unanimous decision setback against Manon Fiorot in the UFC on ESPN 54 headliner in March 2024, has kept “Cold Blooded’ on the outskirts of a title shot. The 27-year-old New Jersey native has since rebounded to post back-to-back triumphs over Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez.

Jasudavicius has also had her momentum halted by Fiorot. After winnin…

Jamahal Hill's light heavyweight tenure was highlighted by a title victory over Glover Teixeira. | Getty/UFC

Jamahal Hill is leaving the light heavyweight division.

The former UFC champ announced plans to move to heavyweight on his YouTube channel. The 35-year-old known as “Sweet Dreams” hasn’t competed since June 2025, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Khalil Rountree in the UFC on ABC 8 main event. Hill has been sidelined by a knee injury since then.

"I'm going to go ahead and say it now: I'm going to heavyweight," Hill said. "That's the announcement, breaking news. So, I'm officially going to say it: I'm going to heavyweight. It's been something I've been working on now for a few months, putting on the necessary weight and putting on the muscle and everything like that to move up.

"Yeah, wouldn't it be better if I came back and went and won the heavyweight title? I think that means more than winning the light heavyweight title again…

The day after recording a video for his channel criticizing Herb Dean's refereeing in his UFC White House fight with Ciryl Gane, Alex Pereira spoke with fellow Brazilian Renato "Moicano" on his YouTube channel.

In a nearly 30-minute conversation, Poatan reacted to the video posted by Dean explaining exactly where the area where strikes are prohibited is located, clarifying his decision.

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"This video is a joke. The guy puts a coin and says here you can't hit, but there's an area around it where you put a limit. The fact is that if he signaled during the fight, my opponent would certainly think about the possibility of the fight being stopped there," said Pereira, reiterating his desire to see the referee penalized. "Something needs to happen. Dana doesn't fire fighters, why not referees?”No More DeanThe Brazilian did not mention appealing to the athletic commission to change the fight result to no contest, but made it clear that he will no longer acce…