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Jon Jones didn’t have difficulty choosing between two of the greatest soccer players of all time.

Jones (28-1) was recently asked to pick between soccer legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, siding with the former for one simple reason. “Bones” revealed that he has built a friendship with Ronaldo over Instagram DMs.

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“I’m going with Ronaldo, all day, 'cause Ronaldo writes to me,” He told a fan in an Instagram video. “We have an open dialogue on Instagram. We DM each other every once in a while. So, I have a good relationship with Ronaldo. Gotta go with my friend.”Jon Jones explains why Cristiano Ronaldo beat Lionel Messi in his soccer GOAT debate Jones isn’t the only mixed martial arts fighter Ronaldo has a friendship with. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star also has regular communication with Khabib Nurmagomedov and is a stakeholder in Ilia Topuria’s MMA promotion, The Way of the Warrior.

Ronaldo was even spotted sitti…

Dustin Poirier wants to make amends for the behavior that led to his arrest.

Poirier (30-10) was recently arrested at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after threatening to fight a police officer and being denied permission to board a flight. He was admittedly drunk when he approached the airport desk. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight believes the desk agents denied him entry and called the police after seeing him intoxicated.

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Dustin Poirier’s airport arrest and apology to the police officer involved Poirier recently issued an apology to the desk agents with whom he got into an altercation. “The Diamond” has also asked his lawyer to acquire the contact details of the police officer he threatened to fight and called a racial slur.

Poirier now wants to contact the officer to let him know what a great job he did. He admits that things could have taken a turn for the worse if it hadn’t been for the police officer…

Sean Strickland doesn’t understand depression.

Ultimate Fighting Championship fan-favorite Dustin Poirier was recently prohibited from boarding a plane and subsequently arrested for alleged public drunkenness. Addressing the incident, “The Diamond” has opened up about his battle with depression.

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However, Strickland is having none of it.Sean Strickland criticizes Dustin Poirier’s comments about depression and mental health The UFC middleweight champion says Poirier is not allowed to be depressed, as he is rich and loved by many. The former middleweight champion wrote on X:

Dustin "Im depressed" bro what? Youre rich and loved by thousands of people.. Youre not allowed to be depressed...

What you did is got kicked off a flight and tried to fight a cop....relax it happens to the best of us #IGBBMN

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 6, 2026

Strickland then slammed how those with a stable life are being depress…

Joe Lauzon doesn’t know the details of his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract despite signing with BKFC.

Lauzon (28-15) is scheduled to make his BKFC debut on Aug. 29 at Fenway Park in Boston, the iconic home of Major League Baseball’s Red Sox franchise. Lauzon’s opponent is yet to be determined.

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Lauzon recently detailed his conversation with UFC executive Hunter Campbell about signing with BKFC. While Lauzon hasn’t fought since 2019, his contract with the UFC hasn’t officially expired. The UFC has now written a letter allowing Lauzon to compete in BKFC. However, despite signing a multi-fight contract with the BKFC, Lauzon isn’t sure if he is officially out of his UFC contract.

“I emailed the UFC, I’m like, ‘What’s the status of my contract?’... I think they didn’t cut me out of respect more than anything,” Lauzon told MMA Fighting. “I talked to Hunter on the phone and told him what I wanna do. He’s like, ‘We love you. Every time you come out,…

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammate believes the former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion will never compete in any combat sport again.

Zubaira Tukhugov (20-6) is scheduled to meet former UFC foe Elves Brenner in a no-gi grappling match at ACBJJ 21 this weekend in Moscow. Ahead of the matchup, Tukhugov revealed that Nurmagomedov isn’t very excited about the idea of his return to competition.

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Nurmagomedov has been persuading Tukhugov to retire, suggesting that he just continue training to stay in shape. The latter told Red Corner MMA: “He laughed and was like, ‘Why do you need this?’ Leave the sport and just train for yourself. He’s been persuading me to retire for a long time.”Zubaira Tukhugov on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s future Nurmagomedov (29-0) retired from mixed martial arts as the undefeated, undisputed UFC lightweight champion in 2020. Despite multiple attempts by Dana White to bring him out of retirement, “The Eagle” has stood firm o…

Tracy Cortez believes her move to Mexico City has made her a better athlete.

Cortez is scheduled to fight Cong Wang at UFC 329 9 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Cortez’s longtime coach Santino Defranco retired from coaching following her loss against Erin Blanchfield this past November. Cortez subsequently parted ways with the Fight Ready gym in Scottsdale, Arizona. Cortez has since moved to Mexico City to train at the UFC Performance Institute for her upcoming bout.

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Cortez claims she is still on good terms with the Fight Ready team. However, the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight believes she outgrew them, fuelling her move to Mexico City. The move has not only helped Cortez develop as an athlete, but also helped her connect deeper to her Mexican roots.Tracy Cortez departure from Fight Ready and coaching split explained “Obviously, I know I’m on good terms with them, but I just felt like I outgrew them… It's just one of those thing…

Dzhihad Yunusov has reportedly passed away while fighting for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Yunusov was embroiled in controversy this past May after alleged footage emerged of him assaulting two of his neighbors. Yunusov reportedly threw coffee at an elderly woman and also assaulted her daughter when she intervened.

The feud allegedly started when Yunusov asked his neighbour to reposition her security camera so it no longer recorded his door. Yunusov was subsequently expelled from the Akhmat Fight Club, which Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov owns.

Yunusov enlisted in the Russian army soon after. According to reports, Yunusov was initially expected to serve his time away from the front lines. However, Yunusov was reportedly dispatched to the warzone after a falling out with leadership.

Yunusov (19-8) had last competed in 2024 under the ACA banner.

OK, I've got the context. The woman is Yunusov's neighbour and she installed a camer…

Ian Garry is drawing inspiration from Sean Strickland ahead of his maiden title bid in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Garry (17-1) believes he can pull off an upset and emerge victorious when he takes on welterweight champion Islam Makhachev (28-1) in the main event of UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. The Irishman is high in confidence, especially considering the last two numbered events ended in big upsets.

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Ian Garry is looking to replicate Sean Strickland’s success Garry questions those who aren’t giving him a chance against Makhachev and points to Strickland’s win over the previously unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.

“If people think when Sean Strickland goes out and beats Khamzat Chimaev and upsets the apple cart, and no one expected, no one can sit here and think that it's impossible that I can beat Islam Makhachev,” He told Paul Browne.

“The Future” added that he’s a far more well-rounded fighter than …

Paddy Pimblett recently reflected on his infamous post-fight incident while competing for Cage Warriors.

After a 2016 title fight in London, Pimblett suffered a memorable mishap during his post-fight interview due to a pre-fight mistake. He has now shed light on his worst weight-cutting gaffes, one of which ultimately led to the viral moment.

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Paddy Pimblett reflects on infamous vomiting clip Pimblett vomiting soon after his 2016 featherweight title fight against Julian Erosa at Cage Warriors “Unplugged 1” remains one of his standout memories from fighting in the England-based promotion. He secured a decision win, but his pre-fight meal got the better of him during the post-fight interview. He recalled on his YouTube channel:

“When I spewed in the cage [after fighting Erosa], it wasn’t because of the refuel; it was just because of being an idiot before I went to the venue. Before I went to the venue, I went to Starbucks or Costco… I got a hot chocol…

Terence “Bud” Crawford has shut down Conor McGregor’s claims about a $200 million offer.

McGregor has previously said that a two-fight crossover offer was on the table courtesy of Turki Al-Sheikh. However, according to the Irishman, Crawford turned it down. The unbeaten boxer has now clarified whether the offer was real.

Crawford has revealed that there was no serious offer for a two-fight deal comprising a boxing and a mixed martial arts bout against McGregor.

“That was a lie. It was cap. It wasn’t never no $200 million offer,” Crawford told Ariel Helwani. “They asked me would I do it, and I told them, ‘You ain’t about to be kicking on me, Conor.’ We were on FaceTime, and I did tell him that. But they didn’t say, ‘Hey, you got $200 million. You fight him in boxing and MMA.’ That was never the case. If it was said to me, I could say there was an offer, but if nothing is previewed to me, I can’t say what is what. He’s making up numbers, in my head.”

Terence Cr…

Conor McGregor is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for his Octagon return.

McGregor’s five-year hiatus will come to an end when he takes on Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Irishman believes that putting in the hard yards and staying “quiet” is a sign of confidence ahead of his return.

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Conor McGregor describes quiet training camp for UFC 329 With his rematch with Holloway fast approaching, McGregor is feeling the benefits of a solid training camp. He claims his team’s “no flash” approach in preparation for UFC 329 will aid him going into the bout.

“I feel great. I feel absolutely amazing. Stellar,” The former two-division champion told The Mac Life. “The work has been exceptional. No corners cut. You know, no flash. We’ve been quiet this camp, and we’ve been at work. So, that’s confidence. If there’s a lack of confidence, you need to share things to get this ego boost. We don’t need it. We’ll do it on th…

Paddy Pimblett believes Ilia Topuria is just too small a lightweight.

Topuria (17-1) won and defended the featherweight title once before moving up to lightweight. Topuria was a massive favorite when he put his lightweight title on the line against Justin Gaethje (28-5) at UFC Freedom 250 last month.

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However, Gaethje battered Topuria and bloodied him up, forcing his corner to throw the towel after four rounds.The Ilia Topuria lightweight debate Pimblett (23-4) had originally been eyeing a title shot against Topuria. However, Gaethje defeated “The Baddy” to win the interim title earlier this month. Pimblett believes he would send Topuria back to featherweight if they were to fight now. The Liverpudlian notes that there are weight classes for a reason. Pimblett also believes it was Gaethje’s destiny to beat him and win the title against Topuria as an American at the White House.

“I always say we have weight classes for a reason,” Pimblett told Spinni…

Josh Emmett is looking to return to the lightweight division as he enters the twilight of his career.

The 41-year-old started his run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship competing at 155 pounds before dropping down and committing to featherweight back in 2017. Now on a three-fight losing streak, the American is eyeing a move back up.

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Josh Emmett reflects on ‘crazy’ weight cut at featherweight Emmett went as far as competing for the interim featherweight championship, but he’s now lost five of his last six bouts. He recently admitted that the weight cut is “crazy” and revealed his desire to switch to the lightweight division.

“I’ll definitely fight before the end of the year,” Emmett told MMAFighting. “I’m enjoying some things that I’ve wanted to do for a while, so I’m doing that right now. Maybe anywhere from October to early December, and I might go back up to 155. Just that the cut to ‘45 is just crazy.”

“It’s so hard, and I think it is …

Diego Lopes celebrates following his win at "UFC Freedom 250." | 📷: Getty/UFC

Diego Lopes is pondering a change of scenery.

The two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title challenger is debating leaving the weight class, claiming that he wants to compete at lightweight in his next fight. Lopes last fought at UFC Freedom 250, where he finished Steve Garcia.

Diego Lopes lightweight move and UFC featherweight title picture While Lopes is still among the top featherweights, two losses to current champion Alexander Volkanovski puts him far from title contention, and his next move potentially opens up new possibilities.

“It’s a little difficult.,” Lopes told MMA Fighting. “As long as Volkanovski doesn’t retire, it’s going to be hard to get another title shot. I’d have to be rooting for him to lose, but I’d rather see him retire as champion because he was such a great champion for the division. I’m definitely in a bit of a tough spot.”

…

Despite coming up short in his two previous attempts at undisputed gold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Justin Gaethje never lost faith.

Gaethje became an undisputed champion for the first time at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington, D.C., and it wasn’t an easy path. After nearly being finished in the second round courtesy of a body shot, Gaethje rallied and bounced back to beat Ilia Topuria in a massive upset in the main event.

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Gaethje previously lost by submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira in championship bouts, in addition to losing the BMF belt via knockout to Max Holloway. Nevertheless, “The Highlight” always knew he’d achieve his goals.Justin Gaethje reflects on his path to gloryDuring the latest episode the “What Hones You” podcast, Trevor Wittman, Gaethje’s coach, asked the champ about the doubts he had regarding whether he’d actually become an undisputed champion. The UFC lightweight replied, “I mean, …

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has added several new bouts to UFC 330, which goes down in Philadelphia on Aug. 15.UFC 330 adds more firepowerIn his second fight since a brief retirement, Jalin Turner returns to action against Kaue Fernandes. Also on the card, veteran welterweight Neil Magny will take on Ramiz Brahimaj. Furthermore, Geoff Neal will lock horns with Chidi Njokuani and Mansur Abdul-Malik will aim to return to winning ways against Dustin Stoltzfus.

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UFC 330 is to be headlined by Islam Makhachev defending his welterweight title against Ian Garry. Mackenzie Dern will defend her strawweight title against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event.

Other fights on the card include ranked flyweights Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius colliding, Jeremiah Wells taking on Myktybek Orolbai at welterweight, Vicente Luque against Tresean Gore at middleweight and veteran lightweight Edson Barboza toeing the line with Esteban Ribovics.

UFC 33…

Mario Bautista doesn’t want to leave it up to the judges in his upcoming fight.

Bautista is set to take on Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight matchup at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He believes Sandhagen has a clear wrestling disadvantage against him, and plans to push the pace early.

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Mario Bautista On His Game Plan For Cory Sandhagen With his last fight being a decision loss, Bautista doesn’t want to let Sandhagen use his evasive movement to bank rounds. Their upcoming clash being a three-rounder, he is eager to avoid leaving it to the judges.

Eyeing a definitive finish, Bautista told Home of Fight: “I’m gonna be hunting that finish. I think it’s obvious where he’s not really the best, which is on the mat. So I’m gonna be hunting for that finish. Pushing hard. We got three rounds. So I’m gonna have to get on the gas right away. I can’t just let him get away with a decision and run around or anything. I think it’s gonna be an exc…

Valter Walker has Rousimar Palhares-esque plans for Josh Hokit.

Hokit’s rapid rise to stardom in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been fueled by his brazen trash talk that has fans divided. Walker recently noted that the American heavyweight had insulted his home country of Brazil ahead of his Dana White’s Contender Series fight against Guilherme Uriel last year.

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Walker believes he will eventually cross paths with Hokit inside the Octagon. Known for his heel hook submissions, the Brazilian is confident that he will catch “The Incredible Hok” with one.

Furthermore, he claims he doesn’t want to let go even if Hokit taps. Walker wants to send the American to surgery for a broken foot. However, he might have to reconsider if doesn’t want to get banned forever like Palhares, who was notorious for holding on to leglocks far too long.

Walker told Home of Fight: “This guy is no problem for me. This guy, Josh Hokit, I can break his leg. But pleas…

Jon Jones advises Ilia Topuria to be honest with himself in the aftermath of his first professional loss.

Topuria (17-1) was a massive favorite going into his title unification bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 last month. However, the latter handed “El Matador” a brutal beating, forcing his corner to stop the fight after the fourth round. While Gaethje finally captured gold in his third crack at the crown, Topuria suffered his first career loss.

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Ilia Topuria’s first UFC loss and Jon Jones’ comeback advice Jones, who is essentially undefeated with his lone career loss being a controversial disqualification, believes Topuria can come back stronger from the defeat. “Bones” claims to have heard that the former two-division champion is humble and honest in defeat, and believes acknowledging one's own mistakes instead of making excuses is the key to returning from a loss.

Jones told Red Corner MMA: “Ilia’s gonna be in a good position. He ha…

Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev didn’t know the most popular YouTuber in the world until recently.

Yakhyaev has drawn plaudits with a series of impressive finishes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, fans also noticed similarities between Yakhyaev and YouTube sensation Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast.

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Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev’s UFC record and MrBeast comparisons Yakhyaev recently revealed that he had no idea who MrBeast was before he caught wind of the online comparisons following his knockout win over Raffael Cerqueira at UFC Qatar this past November. After checking out MrBeast, Yakhyaev doesn’t think he looks like the YouTuber and isn’t enjoying the comparisons.

He even jokes that MrBeast needs to shave off his mustache, telling Red Corner MMA, “To be honest with you, I didn’t even know who he was. But after the fight in Qatar, when they started making those comparisons, I checked him out and found out that he’s some vlogger who’s popula…

😅 Jon Jones reacts to Alex Pereira loss with a video of himself wearing a goat necklace.

It took Jones a few minutes to finish Ciryl Gane. pic.twitter.com/IZBdgLKwOB

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 15, 2026

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Jon Jones claims he meant no disrespect to Alex Pereira with his GOAT necklace video.

Pereira (13-4) looked to create history by winning a third Ultimate Fighting Championship title when he fought Ciryl Gane for interim heavyweight gold at UFC Freedom 250 last month. However, Gane stopped Pereira in the second round.

In the immediate aftermath of Pereira’s loss, Jones (28-1) shared a video of himself sporting a GOAT necklace, drawing backlash for kicking Pereira while he was down. Even “Poatan” was surprised by Jones’ post, considering they have only shared mutual respect in the past.Jon Jones and Alex Pereira’s GOAT debate after UFC loss Jones recently clarified that the video wasn’t aimed at Pereira.…

Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, appreciates Aleksandre Topuria’s cornerwork.

Gaethje (29-5) challenged Aleksandre’s brother, Ilia Topuria (17-1), for the undisputed lightweight title at UFC Freedom 250 last month. While Ilia was a massive favorite, Gaethje viciously piled on the damage in the third and fourth rounds.

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Despite showing immense grit to fight through Gaethje’s offense, Ilia was barely able to see at the end of the fourth round, prompting Aleksandre to force a stoppage before the fifth. Notably, the ringside doctor seemingly came close to stopping the bout at the end of the third round.Trevor Wittman discusses Aleksandre Topuria’s decision to stop Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje Wittman lauds the concern that Aleksandre had for his brother. While some of the conversations in the Topuria corner were lost in translation, the veteran coach claims Ilia had made it clear that he couldn’t continue after a point. Wittman believes an athle…

Josh Hokit is trying to set himself up for a heavyweight title shot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Heavyweight king Tom Aspinall has been sidelined due to an eye injury suffered in his first title defense against Ciryl Gane last October, which ended in a no contest. Gane then won the interim title with his technical knockout victory over Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, and Hokit has now addressed all the aforementioned heavyweights.

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Gane’s win over Pereira wasn’t without controversy, as yet another foul from the Frenchman became a talking point in the aftermath. “Poatan” alleges strikes to the back of his head played a key role in the finishing sequence and has since repeatedly berated veteran referee Herb Dean for his handling of the situation.

Hokit has now taken to social media to mock Pereira’s complaints. He also recommended that the UFC cut Aspinall from the roster. The unbeaten heavyweight believes Gane made Aspinall quit and that …

Sean O'Malley is eager to run it back with Petr Yan after knocking out Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250.

Yan, the current Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion, and former champion Merab Dvalishvili are expected to square off in a trilogy fight next, and O’Malley, who has a win over Yan, wants to take on the Russian.

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Sean O’Malley Talks Petr Yan Rematch After UFC Freedom 250 “I’ve been hearing Petr and Merab are going to fight for a long time — still nothing booked,” O’Malley told Kamaru Usman on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “I don’t know if it’s Merab’s nose or Petr’s back. It sucks. One of those guys is obviously holding it up, and I don’t think it’s Merab. I think Merab would fight with his arm cut off. So, I think Petr is probably just dealing with some injuries.”

O’Malley admitted that if Yan is dealing with injuries, he should take more time before facing Merab. “You can’t fight Merab on half-a**ed camps,” he added. “You need a…