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For the first time in his Ultimate Fighting Championship career, Johnny Walker will not have to cut weight for a fight.

Towering 6-foot-5 Brazilian striker Walker (22-10, 1 NC) has elected to move back to heavyweight, a division in which he competed at for a few years earlier on in his career but no later than 2018. Cutting a massive amount of weight and reportedly walking around at 245 pounds or so, the 34-year-old has not missed weight since joining the promotion. He relocates up in weight, per MMA Mania on Thursday, to face Ante Delija (26-8) at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1. Opponent Delija has since confirmed the pairing on his Instagram Stories on Friday.

Walker has struggled as of late, winning once in his last five outings. Since a no contest with future champ Magomed Ankalaev in 2023—and a rematch less than three months later that spelled disaster for Walker—Walker has gotten his raised a single time when he stopped surging Mingyang Zhang with leg kicks and punches…

For the past two years, Gadzhi Rabadanov has been a staple in the Professional Fighters League’s lightweight division, competing in back-to-back tournaments, winning in the 2024 PFL Season. Although he came up short last year, losing in the championship to Alfie Davis, Rabadanov is ready to move forward and get back to being the best version of himself under the new format with sans tournament and new division rankings.

Rabadanov returns to action May 2 at PFL Sioux Falls in a co-main event showdown against former PFL Europe champion Aleksandr Chizov, a big time matchup for both parties. Speaking to Sherdog.com ahead of his fight, Rabadanov expressed his excitement for the change in format, as well as his approach for his path back into the title picture.

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“I’m excited; after I had surgery, I rested, recovered and now I’m very healthy,” Rabadanov said. I’m very excited to be back in the cage again. I think the time off since my last fight has helped …

[embedded content] The World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization cruiserweight world championship will be on the line tomorrow as David Benavidez vs. Gilberto Ramirez is now set following the official weigh-ins.

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo weekend, the anticipated 12-round boxing fight will take place in Las Vegas on Saturday. The fight sees Benavidez, an undefeated two-division world champion, move up in weight for another championship shot against Ramirez, who holds two cruiserweight world titles. Both men had no issue making weight for the championship showdown.

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Benavidez (31-0), who has held world championship status in the super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, looks to continue challenging himself. "The Mexican Monster" most recently knocked out Anthony Yarde and David Morrell. A heavy favorite priced at 2/7, Benavidez weighed 196.8 pounds.

Looking to retain his belts and cause a stir in the boxing world with an upset …

If Ultimate Fighting Championship fans already weren’t excited enough for the summer, the “Bud Light UFC Summer Series” is here to pump things up.

Bud Light, the UFC’s official beer sponsor, launched the “Bud Light UFC Summer Series” that will feature three numbered UFC events, two Fight Nights and additional cards to keep fans engaged.

The series will be featured at UFC 328 in Newark, UFC 329 in Las Vegas, UFC 330 in Philadelphia, and two Fight Nights, which are yet to be announced.

The platform will feature a Bud Light Summer Concert at the Toshiba Plaza, outside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, on July 10. Limited edition Bud Light cans featuring the UFC logo and an Octagon are now up for sale at retailers. Bud Light will also make content featuring UFC stars. There will also be special co-branded arena cups and LED boards available at specific venues.

Todd Allen, SVP of Marketing for Bud Light at Anheuser-Busch, said: “It's going to be a summer unlik…

Aleksandr Chizov achieved his highest level of success in the Professional Fighters League when he won the PFL Europe lightweight tournament in December and picked up two finishes during his three-fight run to the title. It was only a matter of time before the powers that be brought him onto the global roster.

The 28-year-old Latvian gets a major step up in that regard when he takes on Gadzhi Rabadanov in the PFL Sioux Falls co-main event on Saturday at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. Rabadanov was a 2024 PFL tournament winner and marches into the match with victories in 12 of his past 13 appearances. It serves as stern challenge for Chizov.

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A world class welterweight clash headlines PFL Sioux Falls: Tune in Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

“I’m feeling great,” he told Sherdog.com. “For me, it’s a dream come true. Since day one when I started to compete in MMA, I wanted to fight in the United States. Listen, I am from Latvia. It’s a sm…

A youthful appearance hides the fact that Leandro Higo has quite literally pursued his passion for decades. He made his pro debut at the age of 17 and has fought virtually everywhere since, from Jungle Fight, the Resurrection Fighting Alliance and the Legacy Fighting Alliance to “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 4 and Bellator MMA.

Higo now readies himself for his second appearance under the Professional Fighters League flag, as he will face Magomed “Tiger” Magomedov in a PFL Sioux Falls bantamweight showcase on Saturday at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. It has been quite a journey for the 37-year-old Brazilian.

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A world class welterweight clash headlines PFL Sioux Falls: Tune in Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

“It’s been 20 years since my debut, when I started fighting vale tudo in my hometown of Mossoro,” Higo told Sherdog.com. “I started out without any expectations. It was just a dream. I couldn’t imagine getting as far as I …

Karl Williams knows the drill.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound heavyweight will set out in search of his second Professional Fighters League victory when he squares off with Maxwell Djantou Nana as part of the PFL Sioux Falls undercard this Saturday at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota. Williams, 36, holds a 1-3 record with the promotion and last competed on Feb. 7, when he tapped to a second-round arm-triangle choke from Pouya Rahmani at PFL Dubai. It was his fourth consecutive defeat dating back to his exit from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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A world class welterweight clash headlines PFL Sioux Falls: Tune in Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Williams makes no excuses for his recent run of adversity.

“The results have been the results, and every time it’s like that, I can only control what I can control,” Williams said. “I go into the gym, [and] I work as hard as I can [and] get with the best training partners. I’ve been training with …

Liz Carmouche won the PFL flyweight tournament in 2025. | PFL MMA

A women’s flyweight tilt with championship implications will serve as the PFL San Diego co-headliner.

Liz Carmouche will square off against Viviane Araujo on June 27 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, the promotion announced on Wednesday. Carmouche is currently No. 2, while Araujo checks in at ninth in Professional Fighters League’s 125-pound rankings. PFL San Diego is headlined by a featherweight clash pitting A.J. McKee against Salamat Isulaev. The PFL San Diego main card airs on ESPN 2 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while the prelims will be broadcast via the ESPN app at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Championship Credentials A San Diego native, the 42-year-old Carmouche comes off a 3-0 campaign in 2025 in which she won the PFL flyweight tournament. During that run, ‘Girl-Rilla” bested Ilara Joanne, Elora Dana and Jena Bishop — earning two of her victories via knockout or technical knockout. Carmouche is a …

Marwan Rahiki has finished all his opponents inside the distance. | Getty/UFC

Saturday’s UFC Perth card has undergone a late change.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Wednesday that Jack Jenkins has withdrawn from a proposed featherweight clash against Marwan Rahiki due to an undisclosed injury. As a result, Ollie Schmid will step in on less than a week’s notice to face Rahiki.

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UFC Perth — also known as UFC Fight Night 275 — takes place at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia and is headlined by a welterweight showdown between Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates. The card airs in its entirety on Paramount plus beginning at 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT.Prospects Collide Rahiki enjoyed a successful Octagon debut, breaking Harry Hardwick’s jaw in a second-round technical knockout victory at UFC Fight Night 269 on March 14. The 23-year-old former Hex Fight Series champ is 8-0 as a professional, with all of his triumphs coming inside the distanc…

Arman Tsarukyan thinks the UFC doesn’t necessarily dislike drama from fighters. 

Conor McGregor (22-6) is credited for taking MMA to unforeseen heights, also becoming the sport’s greatest ever star in the process. While McGregor is known for his legendary trash talk, “Notorious” also arguably crossed some boundaries to promote his fights. 

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The most notable of McGregor’s build-ups was ahead of his UFC 229 clash against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Dubliner threw a dolly at a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other fighters at UFC 223 in 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. However, Tsarukyan doesn’t think the UFC was disappointed with McGregor’s actions. According to “Ahalkalakets,” it was the drama leading up to the fight that made McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov the biggest fight in UFC history.Selling the Drama “It’s good for the UFC,” Tsarukyan told Patrick Bet-David. “You think they didn’t like it? They liked it… The sport is getting bi…

Jake Paul claims Dana White was rooting against him early in his boxing career. 

Paul suffered his second professional loss against Anthony Joshua via sixth-round knockout this past December. Paul’s matchup against the former boxing world heavyweight champion was considered one of the biggest mismatches of recent times. 

White was surprised that the fight even came to fruition. The UFC head honcho said that anyone involved with the bout should be embarrassed. Responding to White, Paul recently recalled that the UFC didn’t have any weight classes in its early days, which allowed bizarre matchups like Keith Hackney vs. Emmanuel Yarborough. Paul also claims that White actively rooted against him early in his career. While Paul started his boxing career against fellow influencers, he first made headlines in the world of combat sports by knocking out UFC veteran Ben Askren in the first round of their bout in 2021. Paul claims White was funding Askren’s training t…

Carlos Prates is confident that a victory over Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC Perth headliner on Saturday will lead to a welterweight title shot.

“I think it’s the natural path. I just knocked out a former champion [Leon Edwards]. “If I can knock out another one, even more so fighting in his home country, I think the title shot will come,” Prates said in an interview with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana.

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The Fighting Nerds standout made it clear that he is prepared for the best version of the former champion.

“I’m coming prepared to face a guy who lost the belt and is coming full of hate and with the support of his fans to reclaim his belt and show that he’s alive in the division, ready to fight for five rounds in the toughest fight of his life,” Prates said. “I prepared for this, but I hope it won’t be. Hopefully I’ll land two punches in the first round and he’ll go with God.”

Planning Another Highlight Prates, who has been victorious in six…

Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t care about his opponents’ game plans. 

Chimaev’s close friend, Arman Tsarukyan, recently explained why the middleweight champion is different than most fighters. Tsarukyan claims that Chimaev never studies tape on his opponents. According to Tsarukyan, Chimaev is only focused on his own game plan in the fight. Chimaev is so confident in his skills that he doesn’t care about what his opponent is going to bring to the table.

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“Borz” is scheduled to defend his title against Sean Strickland (30-7) at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tsaruyan (23-3)  is currently helping Chimaev (15-0) in camp for his upcoming fight. Tsarukyan guarantees that he has watched more tape on Strickland than Chimaev has. Tsarukyan also admits that he naturally has a different approach than Chimaev,  watching a lot of tape on his opponent and making a game plan accordingly.Film Study Overrated? However, Chimaev…

Considered by many to be the greatest ju-jitsu coach in Brazil today, even called the Brazilian John Danahar, Melquizael Galvao was arrested on Tuesday in Brazil for suspected sexual crimes against female students in Manaus.

The father of Micael Galvão (Mica), considered the biggest name in jiu-Jjtsu in Brazil today, Melqui is also a civil police officer in the state of Amazonas.

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The temporary arrest was decreed after complaints gathered by the 8th Women's Defense Police Station (DDM), which is investigating reports of abuse involving at least three victims. According to the police, the complainants presented a recording in which the suspect indirectly admits to the incident and tries to prevent the case from going forward, with the promise of financial compensation. The 13-minute audio recording of Melquizael's plea to the victim's parents went viral throughout the jiu-jitsu community. In the recording, the coach acknowledges his mistake, swears rem…

Sean Strickland will try to recapture middleweight gold at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

Sean Strickland has serious bad blood with Khamzat Chimaev. 

Strickland (30-7) is scheduled to challenge Chimaev (15-0) for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland and Chimaev's beef leading up to the fight goes beyond the customary trash talk. 

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Chimaev recently said that Strickland would flee if he confronted him with his gang, as the former middleweight champion has no friends. Known for his controversial take on gun control, Strickland says he would just shoot Chimaev’s gang if they tried to jump him. 

Fighters with even long-standing beefs often bury the hatchet after sharing the Octagon. However, Strickland doesn’t think he will be cordial with Chimaev ever. According to Strickland, the loser of his fight with Chimaev will have to swallow a bitter pill and li…

Belocqua Wera helped mold Alex Pereira into the fighter he is today. | Belocqua Wera

If he manages to beat Ciryl Gane on June 14 at UFC White House, Alex Pereira will be the only fighter in history to win three belts in different divisions in the world's largest MMA promotion.

Before arriving in the UFC, Poatan had already been a double champion (middleweight and light heavyweight) in Glory Kickboxing. Most fans today associate Pereira with his current coaches, Glover Teixeira and Plinio Cruz, who was even elected coach of the year at the MMA Oscars in 2024. Despite always pointing out the importance of both in his career, “Poatan” never fails to recognize the importance of his first coach, Belocqua Wera.

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Ultimately, it was this renowned professional, the former coach of the Brazilian Kickboxing team, who had already trained the famous South American kickboxing champion Paulo Zorello, who extended a hand to him, recognized his talent,…

Aljamain Sterling could feel darkness setting in when Youssef Zalal caught him in a guillotine. 

Sterling (26-5) and Zalal (18-6) traded leather in the main event at UFC Fight Night 274 last Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. It was complete domination by Sterling, barring a brief guillotine scare in the third round. As Zalal caught Sterling in a guillotine, “Funkmaster” took him down, leading to an even tighter choke. However, Sterling maintained composure and defended the choke and went on to dominate the rest of the round and the fight to earn a unanimous decision win. 

Difficult to Breathe Sterling recently revealed that Zalal’s guillotine was substantially tight. “Funkmaster” even felt his vision clouding momentarily. However, the former bantamweight champion just didn’t have any quit in him. Sterling admits that he might have tapped to a similar choke in training.  

“It was tight,” Sterling told Home of Fight. “I could definitely feel my trachea; e…

Khamzat Chimaev’s mood can apparently shift within hours. 

Arman Tsarukyan is currently helping Chimaev for his upcoming fight. Tsarukyan recently revealed that Chimaev has polarizing mood swings. While Chimaev can be the funniest guy in a moment, he can turn into the scariest being within an hour. Tsarukayn claims it’s impossible to strike up a conversation with Chimaev sometimes, as “Borz” would only reply in monosyllables. However, on other days, Chimaev can keep talking for hours on end.

A Study in Contrasts “You can see him once being the funniest guy ever,” Tsarukyan told Patrick Bet-David. “But you can see him in one hour; he can be the scariest guy ever. He can change his moods so fast… Maybe because we’re fighters. Some days, you cannot even talk to him. ‘How are you?’ ‘Good.’ That’s it, he doesn’t talk. Some days, he never stops; he can talk for three to four hours.” 

Chimaev (15-0) is considered one of the scariest active fighters in the UFC. While…

Lumumba Sayers went 6-5 during his professional MMA career. | Isaac Hinds

Former Strikeforce competitor Lumumba Sayers was found guilty of murder and other charges on Monday, according to a statement by the Adams & Broomfield Colorado District Attorney's Office.

An Adams County jury found Sayers guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and attempt to commit tampering with physical evidence in relation to the fatal shooting of Malcolm Watson in Commerce City, Colorado, on August 10, 2024. Sayers is scheduled for sentencing with Judge Jeffrey Ruff on July 24.

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According to Denver7, Sayers testified that he did not shoot or kill Watson, but he did admit to carrying a gun with out concealed carry license. Meanwhile, the Denver Post reports that Sayers gun was never fired that day. Investigators believe that the gun used to kill Watson was “an untraceable 3-D printed or kit-built ghost gun.” That weapon has not bee…

Arnold Allen will look to regain some momentum on May 16. | Getty/UFC

Though the UFC will be holding a card on the same day as Most Valuable Promotions’ MMA debut on Neftlix, it wouldn’t be accurate to call it counterprogramming by the Las Vegas-based organization.

That’s the perspective of Arnold Allen, who will headline UFC Fight Night 276 against Melquizael Costa in a featherweight bout at the UFC Apex on May 16 in Las Vegas.

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“The fact it’s me and Melky headlining against them, I don’t think the UFC is really trying to compete,” Allen said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Not to put me and Melky down, but let’s be real. Star power, like, they ain’t trying to compete.”

The MVP card is headlined by a women’s featherweight clash between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, a matchup Rousey is touting as the biggest female fight ever. The event also includes Francis Ngannou’s return, as he takes on Philipe Lins in the heavyweight co-main eve…

Paddy Pimblett took a beating against Justin Gaethje. | Getty/UFC

While Paddy Pimblett displayed heart by going toe-to-toe against Justin Gaethje in the UFC 324 headliner, it wasn’t exactly the best tactical approach.

The end result was a unanimous decision defeat, as Gaethje battered “The Baddy” on the feet for the better part of five rounds to claim the interim lightweight crown. Pimblett might have been better served trying to make Gaethje grapple, but he wanted to prove a point against one of the sport’s top all-action competitors. As a result, it’s Gaethje who gets a chance to unify the lightweight title when he faces Ilia Topuria in the UFC White House main event on June 14.

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“To be honest, with the last fight, I think it was a little bit of me ego got in the way,” Pimblett said on his YouTube channel. “I wanted to knock him out. I wanted to strike with him and show everyone I can strike. I wanted a war. When you’re trying to take…

Arman Tsarukyan isn’t interested in remaining idle as he awaits word on his next UFC bout.

The lightweight contender has booked his fifth match under the Real American Freestyle banner, as he will square off against wrestling influencer Keelon Jimison — better known as “Mugzy” — at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas. The organization announced the pairing on Tuesday. RAF 9 is headlined by a heavyweight matchup pitting Gable Steveson against Alexander Romanov and airs via Fox Nation.

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No UFC, No Problem Tsarukyan is 4-0 in RAF competition since January, earning victories over the likes of Lance Palmer, Georgio Poullas (twice) and Urijah Faber. Since his most recent Octagon appearance, a first-round submission of Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar this past November, the 29-year-old Russian has competed in a couple of grappling matches in addition to his prolific efforts in RAF.

“Mugzy” has competed twice for the wrestling promotion, losing to Poullas at RAF 5 while bes…

Flyweight gold will be on the line at Rizin "Landmark Vol. 14.”

Hiromasa Ougikubo will defend his 125-pound crown against Makoto Takahashi in the evening’s main event on June 6 at Xebio Arena Sendai in Miyagi, Japan. The Japanese promotion recently announced the booking, along with several other bouts for the event.

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Ougikubo claimed the flyweight strap on New Year’s Eve, when he completed his run through the Rizin Fighting Federation grand prix with a unanimous decision triumph against Yuki Motoya. After suffering a three-bout losing streak from September 2022 to July 2023, the 39-year-old Japanese standout has rallied to win five consecutive outings — all via decision — under the Rizin banner.

Takahashi, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his last five fights. The 25-year-old American Top Team representative kicked off his 2026 campaign with a first-round submission triumph against Nkazimulo Zulo at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 13” on April 12. Read more about Flyweight title tilt headlines Rizin ‘Landmark Vol. 14’ on June 6

Dustin Poirier considers Ilia Topuria among the top five UFC lightweights in history. 

Poirier recently listed his top five UFC lightweights of all-time on “Deep Waters.” The list is as follows:

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Khabib NurmagomedovIslam MakhachevB.J. PennIlia Topuria Frankie Edgar

Poirier (30-10) is also considered one of the greatest lightweights who never tasted UFC gold. Poirier made failed title bids against Nurmagomedov and Makhachev. While Nurmagomedov stopped “The Diamond” with a rear-naked choke in 2019, Makhachev did the same with a brabo choke in 2024. 

A Credentialed Group Makhachev holds the record for the most title defenses (4) in UFC history. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov, Penn, and Edgar tie for the second spot with three defenses each. Meanwhile, Topuria (17-0) won the vacant lightweight title against Charles Oliveira last year and is scheduled to defend it for the first time against Justin Gaethje on June 14 at the White House. Topuria…