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Victor Valenzuela got a second chance at a UFC career and made the most of it.

Valenzuela (14-4) made his UFC debut in a welterweight clash against Max Griffin (20-13) at UFC Fight Night 274 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. Despite getting knocked down, Valenzuela fought back and earned a unanimous decision win in a violent affair. 

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Valenzuela initially got a chance at a UFC career on Dana White's Contender Series last year. However, the Chilean prospect suffered a second-round stoppage loss against Michael Oliveira. Valenzuela recently revealed that he had nearly given up on a UFC career following his loss on the Contender Series. However, Valenzuela’s teammates assured him that more opportunities would come his way if he continued to work hard. “Psicosis” bounced back with a stoppage win over Yusaku Kinoshita on the regional circuit last month. Just weeks after his win over Kinoshita, Valenzuela was offered an opportunity to make his UF…

Cody Durden’s wife, Brittany Durden, has always been a huge support system for him. 

Durden faced Jafel Filho on a week’s notice at UFC Fight Night 274 at the Apex in Las Vegas. Durden was a massive +350 underdog going into his clash against Filho. However, Durden earned a huge upset win via unanimous decision in a closely-contested bout. 

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Durden says that while most fans counted him out, his wife believed in him. While Durden flew down from his training camp at American Top Team in Florida, his wife traveled from Atlanta to join him in Vegas. “Custom Made” says that his wife is an integral part of his team, ready to share the wins and losses with him.

“A lot of people didn’t believe in me, 8-to-1 underdog,” Durden said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “But the only person that mattered, believed in me, and that was me and my beautiful wife. She packed her stuff up, came from Atlanta, I came from Florida from training camp and we j…

Jackson McVey has finally picked up his first UFC win. 

McVey (7-2) took on Sedriques Dumas (10-5) in a middleweight clash at UFC Fight Night 274 in Las Vegas. “The Moose” forced Dumas to tap with a brabo choke a little more than two minutes into the fight.

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This marked McVey’s first win in the UFC. McVey had finished all six of his previous outings in the first round when he signed with the UFC last year. However, McVey’s success on the regional circuit did not translate into the UFC. McVey suffered his first professional loss against Brunno Ferreira via a submission in his UFC debut at UFC 318 last year. McVey went on to suffer another submission loss in his sophomore UFC outing against Zachary Reese this past November. Staying Focused McVey learned a big lesson from his early UFC losses. McVey notes that UFC, being the biggest platform, brings a lot of extra noise along with opportunities. McVey says that it is essential to cut out the n…

Michelle Montague isn’t too impressed with her win over Mayra Bueno Silva.

Montague took on Silva in the prelims at UFC Fight Night 274 in Las Vegas. While Montague dominated Silva on the mat for the most part, the former title challenger had her moments in the second round. Montague earned a unanimous decision win after three rounds to notch her second UFC victory in as many outings. 

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Montague admits that she was mentally tested against “Sheetara.” However, Montague doesn’t credit Silva for much. Montague believes she made mistakes, which let Silva had her brief moments. The undefeated Kiwi looks forward to training outside of camp, where she can focus on tidying up her stand-up game.Fight Night Takeaways “I definitely got tested in there mentally,” Montague said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “It’s not like she was doing anything crazy, I was just doing things that I know better than to do… Good things to take, bad things to take… I’…

Coach Cub Swanson flipped a mental switch in Rafa Garcia. 

Garcia took on Alexander Hernandez  (18-9) in a lightweight clash at UFC Fight Night 274 in Las Vegas. While Hernandez showed immense grit, Garcia battered him increasingly as the fight progressed to earn a unanimous decision win. 

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Garcia (19-4) subsequently thanked his coach, Swanson, who is running things at Team Bloodline in Costa Mesa, California, since his retirement from professional competition. Swanson urged Garcia to get “mean” before heading into the final round against Hernandez. Garcia revealed that the UFC veteran has been instilling the “mean mentality’”in him for a while. While Garcia is naturally a “nice” person, he credits Swanson for teaching him to be “mean” inside the Octagon. Not a man of many words, Garcia stays far away from trash talk or other antics outside the Octagon. Garcia says that Swanson advised him to stay true to his nature instead of trying t…

Joselyne Edwards did some deep introspection before the biggest win of her career so far.

Edwards faced her biggest step up in competition in Norma Dumont in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 274 in Las Vegas. Edwards earned a hard-fought unanimous decision win after three rounds of back-and-forth action. 

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Edwards subsequently emphasized her newfound skillset of patience. Edwards revealed that she has recently developed a reading habit and the practice of meditation. The 30-year-old has also been reassessing herself based on her past performances. While Edwards has four losses in her UFC career, the Panamanian believes they were mostly due to her being “dumb” and not learning from her mistakes. Edwards has also leared to enjoy her own company while self-reflecting and planning her future.Self Evaluation “I have developed the virtue of patience in my game,” Edwards said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “I now know when to work for thing…

UFC CEO Dana White had a “unique” experience at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. 

Minutes after the dinner began at the Washington Hilton Hotel, President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, were evacuated due to an alleged shooting incident. A well-known ally of Trump, White was sitting close to the president’s table when the incident occurred. While most attendees ducked for cover, White allegedly stayed up to soak in every moment of the surreal experience. White says that uniformed officers even came over to the table he was sitting to look for the shooter.

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Taking It All In “It started to get noisy,” White told USA Today. “Tables getting flipped over, guys running in with guns. They were telling me to get down, I didn’t get down. It was f—-ing awesome. I literally took every minute of it in. And it was pretty crazy, unique experience… We were sitting right in front of where the president was. Nobody got tackled. Guys …

Ryan Spann put Marcus Almeida to sleep. | Getty/UFC

Ryan Spann seems to be acclimating nicely to the heavyweight division.

“Superman” earned a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his knockout of Marcus Almeida in a featured heavyweight bout at UFC Vegas 116 on Saturday night. Spann rendered his grappling-minded opponent unconscious with a two-punch combination at the 2:10 mark of Round 2, the second consecutive stoppage victory for the converted light heavyweight.

Meanwhile, Jackson McVey garnered the evening’s other $100,000 “Performance of the Night” award by securing the card’s only other finish. McVey put opponent Sedriques Dumas on the defensive with some heavy punches on the feet, powered into top position and eventually created an opening for a brabo choke — bringing an end to the middleweight bout 2:14 into the opening stanza.

Getting Better with Age Finally, Davey Grant and Adrian Luna Martinetti received “Fight of the Night” honors…

Michael Morales recently hinted that he is still in the race for the next welterweight title shot. 

Morales (19-0) and Ian Garry (17-1) are widely considered the most likely contenders for the next UFC welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev (28-1). While both have been calling out Makhachev, Garry has been more persistent lately. 

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Garry recently called out Makhachev, even accusing the champion of inactivity. Makhachev responded by clearly expressing interest in the matchup for the first time. The Dagestani star said that he is merely waiting to sign the contract. 

Meanwhile, MMA journalist Alvaro Colmenero recently reported that negotiations are underway for Garry to challenge Makhachev for the title next. According to Colmenero, the booking is being targeted for UFC 330 in August in Philadelphia. Colmenero further claimed that Morales is already out of the race for the next title shot.

“I said it a while back, but the f…

Sherdog's live UFC Vegas 116 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 274. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Polastri (-225); Alencar (+190)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Valenzuela (-140); Griffin (+115)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Resu…

Paulo Costa isn’t buying Jiri Prochazka’s “mercy” narrative for his title loss against Carlos Ulberg. 

Prochazka (32-6) and Ulberg (14-1) clashed for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 327 earlier this month in Miami. Ulberg visibly injured his right knee early in the first round, and it seemed Prochazka’s victory was only a matter of time. However, Ulberg caught Prochazka flush with a combination and finished him in one of the biggest come-from-behind wins of recent times. 

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Prochazka later claimed that he was showing mercy after he saw that Ulberg’s knee was compromised. Costa thinks Prochazka chose the wrong word to describe his demeanor. “Borrachinha” believes Prochazka got emotional when he saw Ulberg’s injured leg and started playing around. According to Costa, the Czech wasn’t taking the fight seriously when he noticed Ulberg’s compromised leg. However, Costa doesn’t think Jiri was being merciful as he was clearly trying to fini…

Jack Della Maddalena believes he will finish Carlos Prates in deep waters. 

Maddalena will face surging contender Prates in front of a home crowd in the main event at UFC Perth on May 2 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Maddalena notes that both he and Prates look to get into a flow state, which will ensure action from the opening bell. The Australian believes fans will get more than 20 minutes of action as he will finish Prates late in the final round.

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'A Violent Flow “We both sort of get into a flow… Both of us get into a violent flow,” he told MMAjunkie.com. “I think it’s gonna be fireworks. There’s definitely not gonna be much dancing around. I think the first minute we’re definitely gonna engage. We’re gonna engage and see who’s the better fighter and then build into the five rounds… I think I’m gonna take him out fifth round. I’m gonna get the finish deep in the fight.” 

Maddalena (18-3) earned a sort of wild-card title shot agai…

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier won’t be burying the hatchet any time soon.

Jones and Cormier are currently starring as rival coaches on ALF Global, popularly known as the Russian version of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Two of the fiercest rivals in UFC history, Jones and Cormier continue to beef even after hanging up their gloves. 

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Cormier recently slammed Jones during reality show filming for using PEDs for their rematch at UFC 214 in 2017. Cormier mocked Jones for using steroids despite being taller and 8 years younger than him.

“200 centimers height, 8 years age difference, still so insecure that he stuck a needle in his ass,” Cormier said.

Cormier’s (22-3) rivalry with Jones (28-1) extends beyond the Octagon. Even years after his retirement, Cormier says that he doesn’t want the “negative” energy of Jones around him. Jones successfully defended his light heavyweight title against Cormier via unanimous decision in their first clash at UFC 18…

Ian Garry isn’t giving up on his title shot aspirations any time soon. 

Garry is considered among the frontrunners for a UFC welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev. “The Future” has aimed multiple shots at Makhachev since the Dagestani star became the champion last year. Garry continues to callout Makhachev at regular intervals, while also slamming him for inactivity. Garry recently called out the champion for “princess” behavior while rallying for a title shot.

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“First you say you have a hand injury, Dana said August, you’re saying July - I’ve been ready since you last turned me down in May,” Garry wrote on Instagram. “We’re all waiting on you princess.” Ready and Willing Makhachev is seemingly open to defending his title against Garry. The champion hinted that he is healthy and waiting for a contract.

“Don’t worry about my injuries,” Makhachev responded. “I’m ready at any time. I’m waiting for the contract.”

Read more about Islam Makhachev responds to Ian Garry: ‘I’m ready at any time’

Jorge Masvidal and Chael Sonnen are involved in an unexpected beef. 

Sonnen (31-17) recently accused Masvidal (35-17) of promoting a false narrative about a potential return to the UFC. Masvidal responded by mocking Sonnen for his history of PED use. Masvidal says Sonnen’s greatest achievement is nearly ending Anderson Silva’s spectacular title run at UFC 117 in 2010 before getting submitted by “The Spider” in the last round. Masvidal also notes that Sonnen was caught using PEDs for the fight against Silva. While Sonnen has failed drug tests three times in his career, Masvidal proudly boasts his clean record.

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A Clean History “This motherf—-er has some nerve,” Masvidal said on the "Death Row MMA” podcast . “He’s transitioning into a woman; he’s talking s—t to me… Now that he’s a lesbian, he thinks I can’t slap him. I’ll still slap the f—k out of you, Chael… I can’t take this guy seriously. The greatest thing he did was fight Anderson Silva, still…

Paulo Costa is eager to welcome Khamzat Chimaev to light heavyweight. 

Chimaev (15-0) won the middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 last year. “Borz” is now scheduled to defend his title against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Chimaev has clearly expressed his interest in moving up to light heavyweight soon after. 

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Chimaev’s longtime foil Costa is waiting with open arms to welcome him at light heavyweight. While a fight between the two is yet to come to fruition, Costa and Chimaev have traded barbs with each other on several occasions over the years. Costa believes a light heavyweight clash against him with be even worse for Chimaev than a middleweight bout would be. Having recently moved up to 205 pounds, Costa considers himself even more dangerous there. “Borrachinha” notes that he doesn’t have to lose any muscle mass for light heavyweight. The Brazilian vows to make Chi…

UFC veteran Tim Means was recently arrested after an altercation with his daughter.

Means was arrested on Wednesday from his home in Tijeras, New Mexico, on charges of abandonment or abuse of a child. He was released on Friday on own recognizance. The The Albuquerque Journal was first to reveal details of the incident.

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Means’ 17-year-old daughter told the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office that the dispute with her father started over household chores. Means allegedly got violent and head butted his daughter, leading to bleeding from the nose. The UFC welterweight also allegedly grabbed his daughter by her neck and pinned her in the kitchen while she was trying to gather her things and leave. Means’ daughter claims he threw a potato at her while she tried to get away. The complaint also states that Means punched his daughter with a closed fist on the right side of her cheek.

According to court records, the teen had red marks on her neck, blood…

Eddie Hearn believes Dana White doesn’t know what he is doing with Zuffa Boxing. 

Zuffa Boxing is the latest venture of UFC parent company TKO. Zuffa was initially billed as a boxing league that would function like the UFC, with the best fighters competing under a single banner. However, Hearn, White’s archrival, doesn’t think Zuffa has played out as planned. Hearn believes the UFC brass is too arrogant to realize what their competitors are doing in boxing. Hearn notes that Zuffa has barely put any superstars in action yet. Hearn also slammed Zuffa for being stuck at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, instead of hosting events in bigger arenas.

Stuck in Neutral“These guys, very smart, very powerful,” Hearn told Fight Hub TV. “I don’t think they know what they’re doing in boxing. I think they’re just kind of like, ‘Sign him, sign him. Oh, we need some welterweights.’ When they started the whole thing, it was this league. The new league for boxing. Where is the league? We’re…

The Funk Master is ready 🤝@FunkMasterMMA | 146 lbs

[ #UFCVegas116 | APRIL 25 | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Qem9FGk3Ii

— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2026 Friday's UFC Vegas 116 weigh-ins were little more than a formality as all 26 athletes properly made weight.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will return to the Octagon this Saturday. Taking on "Funk Master" in the five-round headliner is Youssef Zalal. Both men successfully made the featherweight limit without issue. All other fighters on the card also hit their marks, so UFC Fight Night 274 will move forward with 13 official matches. As a note, Nevada decided to change its weigh-in policies once again, allowing for a two-hour weigh-in window for this event and all events in the state going forward.

The main event marks the first fight of 2026 for Sterling (25-5). The former 135-pound champion is coming off a unanimous decision …

The Professional Fighters League is making its first trip to the city discovered by the Germans in 1904, one named after a whale’s [redacted].

Initially claimed by Spain in the 1500s with a mission built there in the 1700s, the Californian city was admitted along with the rest of the state to the U.S. in 1850. That would San Diego, the staging ground of the PFL card on June 27. Fights will play out inside of the Pechanga Arena in the organization’s first jaunt to California since PFL 9 2018. The promotion confirmed this date for the first June date it has marked on the calendar, as well as one fight on its billing.

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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.

Serving in the main attraction of PFL San Diego is a potential featherweight title eliminator—the division has no champion, so the victor may be in line for the next crack at gold. Former Bellator MMA champ A.J. McKee (24-2) will c…

Nothing quite gets the blood flowing in the combat sports world like a tournament.

Rizin Fighting Federation made a trio of big announcements on Thursday ahead of what it plans to be a massive fall. For starters, it put Rizin 54 on the books, which is set to go down at the Toyota Arena in Tokyo on Aug. 11. No fights are official for the event, although it did schedule the first round of the 2026 heavyweight tournament for that date.

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Three of the four big men are official for that tournament, with Rizin possibly hashing the fourth member out at an upcoming Landmark event. First repping the largest standard weight class will be karateka Mikio Ueda (5-3), who put himself on the map in 2021 by attempting to complete the 100-man kumite where he had to fight and defeat 100 different fighters in consecutive combat. Ueda reached the 60th athlete and the doctor ruled he could no longer continue. As a Rizin fighter, the 30-year-old has notched four knockouts u…

The Professional Fighters League will be moving its upcoming card in the Middle East a hop, skip and 800km down the road.

Earlier in April, the organization elected to reschedule its first PFL MENA card of the year. The show was initially set for the Dhahran Expo in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, on May 8. On Thursday, it was bumped to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for May 24. Additionally, PFL MENA first event in 2026 has changed its additional title from “Rise of the Gulf” to “Pride of Arabia,” and it will feature most of the fights from the initial billing plus a few amateur showcases.

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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.

Earlier in the year, the PFL was planning on scaling back its bantamweight division in the MENA region to run three brackets at featherweight, lightweight and welterweight. Of those three, featherweights and lightweights will be having their various quarterfinal mat…

Greg Jackson won't be in the corner of Josh Hokit or Steve Garcia at UFC White House. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Two Jackson-Wink MMA athletes will be without one of their primary coaches on the biggest stage of their careers to date.

According to a report from the Albuquerque Journal, Greg Jackson will not corner Josh Hokit or Steve Garcia in their bouts at UFC White House on June 14. Hokit initially revealed the news on social media, saying that Jackson wouldn’t be present for “personal reasons.” Hokit will face Derrick Lewis at heavyweight, will Garcia will square off against Diego Lopes in a featherweight tilt.

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My coach Greg Jackson will not be coaching me on the White House fight for personal reasons… I don’t have a coach now… will the ring girls corner me please… tag them for me🙏

— The Incredible Hok (@Josh_HokitUFC) April 18, 2026 Sitting This One Out This week, Jackson confirmed to the Journal via…

Francis Ngannou will return to MMA on May 16. | PFL MMA

One of the bigger “what if” fights in recent MMA history was a potential heavyweight booking between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.

While both men were once under the UFCbanner, the bout never came to fruition, as the promotion had difficulties negotiating with both men at various times during their respective tenures. According to Ngannou, Jones was never a realistic possibility while he was in the UFC.

“It was never really on the table, so I don’t have to be disappointed. The only time that he seems like a possibility was when he was used as bait, something to bait me,” Ngannou told ESPN.

Ngannou eventually left the UFC, vacating the heavyweight title in the process. He then signed with Professional Fighters League, which allowed him to compete in lucrative boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua prior to his debut. In his lone PFL appearance, “The Predator” knocked out Renan Ferrei…