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[embedded content] The vacant Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title will be up for grabs this weekend after both title challengers made weight following the UFC 327 weigh-ins.

Competing for the vacant 205-pound crown are former champion Jiri Prochazka and the streaking Carlos Ulberg. Both men had no issue making championship weight for the five-round title fight. All other fighters also made weight for the card, with the exception of Chris Padilla, who came in two pounds heavy for his lightweight bout against MarQuel Mederos. The fight will continue with Padilla being fined 20% of his purse.

A fan-favorite inside the Octagon, Prochazka (32-5-1) is coming off impressive knockouts of Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree. The former champ's only two defeats inside the UFC are to Alex Pereira. "BJP" will look to regain the belt he originally won in 2022 against Glover Teixeira and officially weighed 203 pounds, or two pounds under the limit.

Meanwhile,…

After a four and a half-year stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and two appearances in the Professional Fighters League, Rodrigo Nascimento wants to hit the reset button against a familiar face in the PFL.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Brazilian will rematch Alexander Romanov when their heavyweight prelim buoys the PFL Chicago undercard this Saturday at Wintrust Arena. Nascimento was cut by the UFC after he lost a unanimous decision to the hulking Moldovan in 2024.

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A world class bantamweight clash headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in LIVE, Saturday, April 11 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

“We learned a lot from that,” he told Sherdog.com. “We’re always learning and innovating. After I left the UFC, I came to understand that being an athlete wasn’t only about fighting in the UFC’s Octagon. Being an athlete requires interactions with the public and finding other means to stay in touch with the fans. Now, I’m always posting videos and having live sessions. I’m…

⚖️PFL Chicago Official Weigh Ins are underway!

PFL Chicago Bantamweight Main Event:Sergio Pettis: 134.4Mitch McKee: 135.6

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PFL Chicago will air LIVE on ESPN 2 on Saturday, April 11th!#PFLChicago | Saturday, April 11th | Wintrust Arena | Chicago, Illinois | Early Card 6PM EST… pic.twitter.com/hDa408pPHk — PFL (@PFLMMA) April 10, 2026

A world class bantamweight clash headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in LIVE, Saturday, April 11 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The Professional Fighters League returns to Illinois on Saturday with 11 fights, which are now all official following the PFL Chicago weigh-ins.

The PFL Chicago main event will see Sergio Pettis look to go 3-0 inside the promotion at the expense of the undefeated Mitchell McKee. Both men had no issue making bantamweight. Two fighters missed their marks as Shanna Young came in 2.2 pounds over for her fight against Viviane Araujo, and Dashiande Harris-Moore was 3 pounds over…

One of the Professional Fighters League’s highest-ranked flyweights will be welcoming a new fighter to the roster next month.

Per sources close to the situation, the PFL has booked a women’s flyweight tilt pitting Taila Santos (22-4) against Qihui Yan (25-5) for the upcoming PFL Sioux Falls event. The two ladies will battle it out inside of the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on May 2. Local athlete Logan Storley will serve in the main attraction as he takes on Florim Zendeli.

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A bantamweight world title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in LIVE, Saturday, April 11 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

After six-month suspension for oxandrolone and clenbuterol metabolites—anabolic agents prohibited both in and out of competition—knocked her out of competing in 2025, Santos will return to action for the first time since late 2024. The Brazilian saw her PFL tournament season come to a crashing halt as she suffered her first career stoppage loss to the…

MAIN EVENT FACE OFF IN PRETORIA!@nkositheking1 and @micheleclemente_thearrow lock horns ahead of their explosive Bantamweight showcase this Friday!

South Africa vs Italy.. Who you got?

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🎟️ TICKETS ALMOST SOLD OUT —SECURE YOUR SPOT NOW: https://t.co/fHRFuKTnRa#PFLPretoria |… pic.twitter.com/ELTw1QRgng — PFL Africa (@PFLAfrica) April 7, 2026 The Professional Fighters League returns to South Africa for its first PFL Africa event of 2026, which is now official following the PFL Africa: Pretoria weigh-in results.

Headlining the card is a bantamweight fight between Nkosi Ndebele and Michele Clemente. Both main event fighters made weight, as did all eight of the welterweight tournament participants. However, two strawweights didn't hit their marks as both Felista Mugo and Jane Osigwe came in overweight for their respective prelim fights, which will move forward with each woman being fined a percentage of their purse.

N…

If there is any consolation, no Ultimate Fighting Championship title will be tied up this season.

The latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” its 34th numbered season, will commence this summer. The first episode will launch on June 14, the date of the UFC White House event, with the rest of the episodes coming out via Paramount+ on Tuesdays until it concludes. The UFC issued a press release regarding this latest season of the reality show, one that has served as the catalyst for many a high-level career ranging from T.J. Dillashaw and Rose Namajunas to Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans. It has not yet indicated the Finale date.

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Season 34 will be titled “Team Cormier vs. Team Bisping” because of its coaches, Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping. The former coached Season 33 against Chael Sonnen in 2025 and his team ended up winning the welterweight bracket, while Sonnen and pupil Joseph Morales took home the six-figure contract for their side. This se…

All those who purchased tickets for this now rescheduled Professional Fighters League event will be given full refunds.

A bantamweight world title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in LIVE, Saturday, April 11 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

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Per a release from the organization on Thursday morning, the PFL has been forced to reschedule its PFL MENA event that was booked for May 8. It was to have commenced the third MENA tournament, as pertaining to the Middle East/North Africa region, at the Dhahran Expo in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. No reason has been given at the time, with the PFL promising details at a later date.

The promotion states that it plans on rescheduling all of the fights booked for the May 8 show to the newly established date, one that has not been announced. It does not indicate whether this PFL MENA season opener will be staged in Khobar, and instead noted that it will return to the city later this year. As mentioned earlier, all tickets will be …

[embedded content] A bantamweight world title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in LIVE, Saturday, April 11 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Aureo Cruz believes he was built for the main stage.

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The 29-year-old Angolan lightweight will make his Professional Fighters League debut when he faces Abdoul Razac Sankara as part of the 2026 PFL Africa 1 undercard on Friday at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. Cruz took something of a roundabout route to mixed martial arts.

“I was influenced by various schoolmates who already practiced a variety of martial arts,” he told Sherdog.com. “It piqued my interest. I started in karate at 11 years old. That didn’t last too long. By age 17, I started training for self-defense. My self-defense teacher was also my Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach. I started competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and became the national vice champion.”

One of Cruz’s coaches, Shido Boris Esperanca, introduced him to full-contact fighting.

“I starte…

Defeating Cody Garbrandt was one of the high points of Pedro Munhoz's UFC career. | Getty/UFC

Pedro Munhoz is ready to move on to the next phase of his career.

The 39-year-old UFC bantamweight veteran revealed via Instagram that he has requested his release from the Las Vegas-based promotion. “The Young Punisher” hasn’t competed since November 2024, when he dropped a unanimous verdict to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Fight Night 246.

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A New Direction “Since 2014, I’ve been part of the UFC, building my name, proving myself, and showing what I’m capable of inside that octagon. After 32 fights, I can proudly say I’ve never been submitted or knocked out. I’ve always stepped in there with heart, discipline, and respect for the game,” Munhoz wrote.

“There comes a point in life when you don’t just stay comfortable, you take control of what’s next. Right now, I feel it’s time to take a new direction, explore different opportunities, and focus on othe…

Curtis Blaydes is the UFC's all-time leader in takedowns at heavyweight. | Getty/UFC

When Curtis Blaydes initially got the offer to fight Josh Hokit at UFC 327, he admittedly didn’t know anything about his opponent.

“My thoughts were: ‘Who is this guy?’” Blaydes told UFC.com. “Also, I’ll take the money. I knew otherwise I’d have to wait a little longer and we’re trying to make some moves this year.”

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Hokit has combined performance in the cage — he’s 8-0 with two first-round finishes in the UFC — with a pro-wrestling style schtick that has drawn plenty of attention, though not all of it has been positive. Most recently, “The Incredible Hok” had a verbal confronation with Jiri Prochazka before unveiling his latest personalat UFC 327 media day.

It’s nothing new, according to Blaydes, who adds that Hokit’s ability to promote pales in comparison to some of his more celebrated predecessors.

“There’s Chael Sonnen, he’s like the OG, then…

Dana White normally won’t entertain holding a fight card outdoors. However, he will make an exception for a once-in-a-lifetime UFC card at the White House.

The UFC White House card will take place on June 14 on the South Lawn and is headlined by a lightweight title clash between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. In the co-main event, Alex Pereira will face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight crown.

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If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the card will move forward — with one exception.

“[If it rains] we're fighting," White told Adin Ross. "If it f—ing snows, we're fighting. Nothing will stop this show going that night. It can f—ing rain – Lighting is the only thing. We'd have to wait it out. We'd have to wait the lightning out and then do the fight.

"This is why I don't like doing things outside. Rain would suck. Heavy winds will suck. If it's muggy and bugs. All this kind of sh— is the stuff you have to deal with when you do it outside, but we'r…

Demetrious Johnson couldn’t overcome a significant size disadvantage during a recent grappling session with Khamzat Chimaev.

The former UFC flyweight champion posted a video on Instagram of the two fighters training together on the mats. “Mighty Mouse” began the encounter sounding confident.

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“Did Arman [Tsarukyan] tell you I was good? Arman tell you I was strong?” Johnson said.

“Maybe for him, yeah,” Chimaev replied.

It didn’t take long for Chimaev, the reigning UFC middleweight champion, to lock in a brabo choke to force a tap from Johnson. The time of the submission was 47 seconds.

Being Realistic “You guys are like ‘man, why did he pull guard?’” Johnson said. “Do you think I’m going to shoot a f—-ing takedown on Khamzat Chimaev?”

Johnson will be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame as part of International Fight Week this July. In addition to a lengthy reign as UFC flyweight king, “Mighty Mouse” was also a 135-pound title holder in O…

Josh Hokit is doing whatever he can to gain attention.

The heavyweight prospect was a hot topic during UFC 327 media day, though not necessarily for positive reasons. First, Hokit was captured on video by Gifdsports having a verbal altercation with light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka.

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Josh Hokit cosplaying as a Mexican gets into it with Jiri Prochazka at #UFC327 media day pic.twitter.com/sz6VSvUyso

— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 8, 2026

“Stay where you are,” Prochazka said.

“I’ll cut you up with this lightsaber, homie,” Hokit said, prop in hand. “And then ---ing stitch your head on Alex Pereira’s body, homie.”

It’s unclear what led to the brief altercation.

From there, Hokit proceeded to cut a couple of bizarre promos — even by his standards — during his media day session. “The Incredible Hok” has become well known for his pro-wrestling inspired interviews during his UFC tenure.

Read more about Josh Hokit confronts Jiri Prochazka, unveils bizarre persona at UFC 327 media day

Darren Till’s combat sports journey will continue in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

The promotion on Wednesday that Till will make his debut at BKFC 90 in Birmingham, England against an as yet-to-be-determined opponent. The UFC veteran is expected to compete at 185 pounds. Ariel Helwani was first to report the news.

Earlier this week, Till announced that he was parting ways with Misfits Boxing, with an announcement regarding his next move coming soon. “The Gorilla” went 3-0 while capturing a title during his stint under the Misfits banner. He stated that a return to the organization down the road was a possibility.

Till emerged as a star early in his UFC career thanks to victories over welterweight stalwarts such as Donald Cerrone and Stephen Thompson. After suffering a second-round submission defeat against Tyron Woodley in a 170-pound title bout in September 2018, the Liverpool native was never the same, ending his promotional tenure with losses in four o…

Dana White once allegedly forgot where he parked his Ferrari. 

Chael Sonnen was recently interviewing Steve Garcia, who fights Diego Lopes at the White House on June 14. Sonnen correctly guessed that Garcia was at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Sonnen then recalled a story from when he stayed a week at the Palace Station. 

Sonnen claims he saw a black Ferrari parked in the fire parking lane outside the hotel. The former UFC light heavyweight stayed a week at the hotel and never saw the car move. Sonnen claims he somehow guessed that the car could be Dana White’s. When Sonnen asked White if he had parked his car at the Palace Station, the UFC head honcho allegedly thanked him. White had seemingly forgotten where he had parked his Ferrari for two months. White then told one of his men to immediately get the car back.

Vegas Tales“I get to the Palace Station, there’s this beautiful black Ferrari right out front where the Uber drops me off,”…

Steve Garcia thinks Alexander Volkanovski is no longer the same fighter that he used to be.

Garcia is scheduled to fight Diego Lopes at UFC White House on June 14. Garcia wants to call for a title shot against Volkanovski if he gets past Lopes. Garcia believes Volkanovski should ideally retire now. However, if Volkanovski doesn’t retire, “Mean Machine” vows to make the 37-year-old hang up his gloves if they meet inside the Octagon. While Garcia isn’t looking past Lopes, he sees chinks in Volkanovski’s armor now.

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Championship Dreams “I’m calling for that strap,” Garcia said on the "Smash Cast” podcast. “Give me that strap, that’s what I want. Honestly, I feel like Volk should retire. Because if he doesn’t, I’m gonna retire him… But again, I got a huge tall task ahead of me. I’m not gonna look past Diego Lopes, that would be stupid to do it. But in my head every time I see Volk, I’m like, ah, he’s not the Volk of old. And there’s ways to beat this guy.…

Jiri Prochazka is the true embodiment of the samurai lifestyle. 

Prochazka is scheduled to fight Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 327 on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Prochazka recently put his hand on a nest of Mexican ants as part of his training. The Czech star says the bites were not the most painful that he has experienced so far. According to Prochazka, one must experience and overcome pain to become stronger.

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Find the Strength “I tried to feel the bites of these Mexican ants,” Prochazka told the UFC. “This one from the video, they were not so painful. These ones, which were in the grass, those were painful bites. If you are looking for strength, you have to find the strength in animals, places, feel the pain, overcome the pain.” 

Prochazka (32-5) is one of the most unorthodox personalities to have ever graced the sport. A strict follower of the Bushido code, “BJP” often engages in bizarr…

Joe Pyfer is not a fan of Khamzat Chimaev. 

Sean 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. While Chimaev is a heavy favorite, many believe Strickland could pose a serious threat to the Chechen-born champion. 

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Pyfer wants Strickland to defeat Chimaev. Pyfer doesn’t like the inactivity of Chimaev, who is set to defend his title for the first time since winning it against Dricus Du Plessis in August 2025. Pyfer believes Strickland’s elite defense will be his strongest weapon against Strickland. While Strickland has lost twice against Du Plessis, Pyfer believes the South African was a stylistically unsuitable matchup for Strickland.Defense Wins Championships? “I want Sean Strickland to win,” Pyfer said on the "Death Row MMA” podcast. “I don’t like the inactivity of Khamzat… I think more than anything, Sean’s got good …

Belal Muhammad and Kamaru Usman’s common manager, Ali Abdelaziz, must be in a tough spot. 

Muhammad is scheduled to fight surging welterweight contender Gabriel Bonfim at UFC Fight Night 278 on June 6 at the Apex in Las Vegas. Muhammad claims Bonfim and Usman were two potential opponents initially mentioned to him by his manager. However, Muhammad was almost certain he would have to fight Bonfim, as he knew Usman wouldn’t accept. 

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Muhammad even plans to tell Abdelaziz in person that he is protecting Usman. However, Muhammad also understands Abdelaziz’s predicament. Muhammad notes that Usman is one of the most high-profile fighters that Abdelaziz has managed over the years. However, Muhammad believes “The Nigerian Nightmare” is at the tail end of his career, where he has to wait for a perfect matchup.

Usman was initially rallying for a welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev, who is also managed by Abdelaziz. However, Muhammad beli…

Dominick Reyes sees an upside to fighting on the same card that has a title fight. 

Reyes (15-5) is scheduled to fight fellow veteran Johnny Walker (22-9) in a light heavyweight matchup at UFC 327 on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg will fight for the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event of the same card. 

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Reyes believes there is an advantage of fighting on the same card where the title is on the line. According to “The Devastator,” we live in a world of recency bias. Reyes believes a highlight-reel win over Walker will make him relevant in the title picture since the title goes on the line just a couple of fights later.Planning to Put on a Show “I win this fight, I would have won four of my last five, so it’s pretty damn good,” Reyes told MMAjunkie.com. “The cool thing about fighting on the title fight card is a relevancy thing. We live in a world of, ‘What have you don…

Ian Garry is hungry for a welterweight title shot. | Getty/UFC

Ian Garry doesn’t miss any opportunity to rally for a title shot against Islam Makhachev. 

Garry is considered a frontrunner, along with Michael Morales, for the next welterweight title shot against Makhachev. However, a matchup between Makhachev and lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is arguably one of the most anticipated matchups in modern MMA history. A fight between Topuria and Makhachev was rumoured to be the original plan for the UFC White House card in June. However, Topuria will now defend his title against interim champion Justin Gaethje at the White House on June 14. 

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Topuria hinted that he was originally scheduled to fight Makhachev, who pulled out. Makhachev recently denied Topuria’s accusations, claiming to have accepted the fight. Makhachev instead accused Topuria of demanding an unrealistic amount of money, and pulling out when the UFC didn’t meet h…

Paulo Costa can’t wait to get rid of his worst investment.

Costa recently revealed that he regrets buying an old BMW in Las Vegas. The UFC star did not expect the amount of wear and tear the car has undergone, leading to perpetually high maintenance costs. “Borrachinha” can’t wait to sell the old car.

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Buyer’s Remorse“I bought an old BMW in Las Vegas,” Costa told t UFC on Paramount+. “I think it was the worst thing because it has a lot of damage, and the maintenance is so high. We spent a lot of money on that. I can’t wait to sell it.”

Costa (15-4) is scheduled to fight undefeated light heavyweight contender Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327 on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The Brazilian is coming off an upset win over Roman Kopylov that saw him rebound from consecutive losses against Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland. However, Costa displayed two of his best performances in the losses against Whittaker and Strickland.

Meanwhi…

Carlos Ulberg has won nine straight UFC bouts. | Getty/UFC

Jiri Prochazka is one of the most unorthodox fighters in the sport, which can make game planning something of an interesting process.

The was the challenge Carlos Ulberg faced as he prepared to face Prochazka for the vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 327 main event on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. At the same time, the City Kickboxing standout has been eyeing Prochazka as a potential opponent for quite some time as he made his way toward the top of the 205-pound division.

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“There's no real preparing for a particular fighter like Jiri. He's very unpredictable,” Ulberg told the UFC.  “We do have some looks that can give us what we need for this particular fight. It was a short notice to take this fight on, especially it being a world title fight, five rounds.

“But we've been preparing for this fight for years now. We've seen it happen. We've seen that …

Gable Steveson has an opponent for his Real American Freestyle debut.

The two-time NCAA national champion and Olympic gold medalist will square off against Alexander Romanov in the RAF 9 main event on May 30 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The organization announced the match on Tuesday. Additionally, Colby Covington will meet Chris Weidman in the RAF 9 co-headliner. The event streams on Fox Nation.

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A Highly-Anticipated Debut While his wrestling background is well known, Steveson is also one of the top prospects in all of MMA. The 25-year-old, who has worked extensively with former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones, is 3-0 in MMA bouts — finishing all of his opponents inside of a round. Prior to focusing on fighting, Steveson tried his hand at both professonal wrestling and the NFL.

Romanov went 7-3 during a 10-bout UFC stint to 2024. The 35-year-old Moldovan has since joined Professional Fighters League and is currently scheduled t…