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Bella Mir says her mother was simply overwhelmed following her loss on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Mir (4-1) was a -6000 favorite, the biggest in DWCS history, going into her fight against Alex Apodaca (5-1) on Week 3 of Season 10. However, Apodaca earned a closely contested unanimous decision win over Mir in one of the biggest upsets ever to earn an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

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Mir’s mother, Jennifer Mir, lashed out at Apodaca and the judges over social media following her daughter’s loss. Jennifer later apologized to everyone while saying that her reaction was in defense of the hate Bella was facing on social media after the loss.Bella Mir says emotions and drinking fueled Jennifer Mir’s reaction to Alex Apodaca loss Addressing her mother’s comments, Bella says that it was just her protective instinct. Bella further jokes that her mother made it slightly easier by diverting all the hate onto herself. “My mom commenting on stuff obv…

Adam Livingston believes he can sell out Madison Square Garden.

Livingston (8-1) opened Week 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026 with a lightweight matchup against Hunter Smith (8-2). He went toe-to-toe in a slugfest against Smith for three rounds, earning an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract in his second DWCS opportunity.

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Adam Livingston targets UFC’s November MSG card after earning his contract on DWCS Livingston says he wasn’t in his best shape when he came up short in his first DWCS appearance last year. The 25-year-old believes he is gradually coming into his prime now. Livingston also aimed high by calling for a main card opener spot at the UFC’s Madison Square Garden card in November. The New Yorker believes he has enough fans to sell out MSG by himself.

“This is my f*cking time, guys,” Livingston said in his post-fight interview. “I’m 25 years old now, I’m growing into my body, I’m a f*cking man now. Last time I was 23, coming …

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholders recently shared their negative experiences with USADA.

Chris Weidman, Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier had plenty of stories to tell when a recent discussion on the “Deep Waters” turned toward their experiences with the UFC’s former drug-testing partner.

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Chris Weidman, Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier recount surprise USADA testing encounters The former UFC stars shared tales of surprise visits, missed testing windows and some very inconvenient restroom situations in the latest edition of “Deep Waters.” Weidman recalled one occasion when testing agents tracked him down during a round of golf.

“I was golfing one time and so they had to come to the golf course and they waited for me at the turn,” Weidman said. “I had to go take pee and blood and my boys had to wait for me to do it, because once they see you, you can’t leave their eyesight.”

The former UFC middleweight champion also recalled rec…

Caio Borralho has weighed in on how the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title picture could play out.

“The Natural” is targeting a return for November or December after recovering from a rib injury that forced him out of his scheduled bout with Joe Pyfer at UFC 330. Ahead of his return, he broke down the championship mix at 185 pounds and how he believes it’ll unfold.

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Borralho backs Nassourdine Imavov to challenge Sean Strickland next Borralho has revealed that he is already back to full training and expects to begin another fight camp in the coming weeks. He believes he needs one or two more victories before challenging for the championship.

“I think one or two more on the way to the belt,” Borralho told MMA Fighting. “I’m just waiting for the name. But we have Pyfer, we have Brendan Allen. Both of them I can fight. They can fight between two of them, or I can fight both of them. I think we’re in the top of the division, so anyone that…

Javier Mendez was left stunned by Yadong Song’s knockout victory against Umar Nurmagomedov in their recent Ultimate Fighting Championship main event clash.

Mendez, who wasn’t in Nurmagomedov's corner at UFC Shanghai, revealed his immediate reaction to the finish. The veteran coach also pointed out his pupil’s error before reiterating his stance that the Dagestani bantamweight will eventually claim UFC gold.

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Javier Mendez explains the takedown error that left Umar Nurmagomedov vulnerable to Song Yadong Mendez was shocked by Song’s uppercut knockout, opening up about his raw reaction to the finish in an interview with Submission Radio.

“When it happened, my mouth just dropped,” Mendez said. “I'm like, ‘What the hell happened?’ And I was in shock myself because I love him so much.”

The American Kickboxing Academy head coach then broke down what led to the finish, claiming that Nurmagomedov's head placement was incorrect as he shot for a takedo…

Arman Tsarukyan was originally preparing for a different opponent before Mauricio Ruffy stepped up.

Tsarukyan recently revealed how his matchup with Ruffy came together during an appearance on the “Deep Waters” podcast. According to the lightweight contender, he had already agreed to face former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Charles Oliveira in a rematch and had begun his training camp in Armenia when he was informed of the change.

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Tsarukyan says Charles Oliveira was originally lined up for a UFC 331 rematch Tsarukyan explained that the tragic death of Oliveira’s teammate, Allan Nascimento, prompted the change of opponent for the UFC 331 co-headliner.

“I said yes, versus Oliveira,” Tsarukyan said. “I said yes and then I started my training camp in Armenia. And then Oliveira’s friend died and then they said, we’re looking for the new one. Then Ruffy came up and I said, yeah. Because already in the camp and I need one fight, because this…

Carlos Prates has a rather unconventional prediction for how a showdown with Islam Makhachev will unfold.

Prates claims that if he fights Makhachev, who recently defeated Ian Garry to retain his title, he would spend the early portion of the fight getting dominated by the Russian's wrestling before turning the tables late and claiming the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title via knockout.

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Carlos Prates explains why UFC 330 made him more confident against Islam Makhachev Prates, the frontrunner for the next title shot at 170 pounds, expects Makhachev's grappling to create problems early, but believes he can weather the storm and find a late finish.

“I think I’m going to start by getting smashed and the first time I manage to get back to my feet and start hurting him, I’m going to knock him out somewhere around the fourth or fifth round,” Prates told Gilbert Burns.

UFC 330’s main event between Makhachev and Ian Garry has further so…

Umar Nurmagomedov isn't dwelling on his first-ever knockout loss.

Nurmagomedov was finished by Yadong Song in the second round of their main event clash on Aug. 29, marking his second defeat in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Despite now being out of title contention and likely taking an extended break before his next bout having been slept by Song, the Dagestani isn’t letting the result discourage him.

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Umar Nurmagomedov is already back in the gym after UFC Shanghai loss to Yadong Song After his loss to Song at UFC Shanghai, Nurmagomedov assured fans that he’s alright and revealed that he’s already back in the gym. He claims that he won’t let the result affect his mentality.

“Stay strong and thankful to God always,” Nurmagomedov wrote in an Instagram post. “I have no plans to lose heart or withdraw into myself. I got up and shook off the dust. I’m back in the gym and getting back to work.”

Nurmagomedov also reiterated that fans shouldn’t…

Muhammad Mokaev is campaigning for a return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Mokaev (17-0) recently took to social media to remind UFC CEO Dana White of a challenge the latter issued following the former’s controversial exit from the promotion. The unbeaten flyweight has racked up several wins across different disciplines since leaving the UFC in 2024 and now wants another shot in the premier mixed martial arts organization.

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Muhammad Mokaev points to championships outside the UFC in message to Dana White Mokaev recently added yet another win to his resume with a decision victory over Moris Boleian to claim ACBJJ’s 60kg division title. He has won four MMA fights since departing the UFC, capturing the Brave CF flyweight championship in November before picking up another finish in the Spanish promotion, WOW. He has also competed in Karate Combat last year, securing a second-round stoppage victory.

After his jiu-jitsu win over Boleian at ACBJJ 2…

Javier Mendez doesn't agree with Dana White's assessment of Ian Garry's performance against Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev retained the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title with a unanimous decision win over Garry in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15. White later criticized the Irish challenger for being too passive and overly respectful, which he believes cost him the fight.

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Javier Mendez praises Ian Garry’s strategy in UFC 330 loss to Islam Makhachev Mendez has a different take on Garry’s strategy against Makhachev. While he understands the UFC CEO’s point of view, the American Kickboxing Academy head coach commended Garry’s approach.

“From that perspective, I get where he [Dana White] is coming from, but he doesn't understand the mentality of a fighter and what Ian pulled off,” Mendez said. “If he understood that, then he'd have a different outlook on it like I do.”

Mendez acknowledged that the fight was lackluster, but Garry’s s…

Frank da Silva Castro’s luck has seemingly deserted him, as a second chance on Dana White’s Contender Series has now fallen apart.

Castro (8-0-1) was originally scheduled to fight An Tuan Ho on DWCS last year. However, he withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Eduardo Henrique. He maintained his undefeated record with a win on the regional circuit earlier this year to earn another shot at an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

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Frank da Silva Castro is reportedly out of DWCS Week 5 against Colton Loud Castro was scheduled to face Colton Loud (7-1) in Week 5 of DWCS 2026 on Sept. 8 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. However, he has reportedly been forced out of the matchup due to visa issues.

Still just 22 years old, the unbeaten Brazilian bantamweight has plenty of time to make it to the UFC, but will likely need to return to the regional scene and pick up more wins while his visa issues get sorted out.

Castro will now be replaced…

Aboubakar Younousov blames his surname for a missed opportunity to make an Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

Younousov (8-0) claims he was willing to step up on short notice to fight Nathaniel Wood (23-6) at UFC Paris after the Englishman’s original opponent withdrew from the upcoming event. He claims Wood allegedly turned down the matchup, viewing it as a risky move.

Aboubakar Younousov says Nathaniel Wood rejected short-notice UFC Paris fight Younousov, the Ares FC bantamweight champion, was even willing to move up a weight class to face Wood. He believes Wood turned down the matchup as certain surnames, primarily those that originate from the Caucasus regions, are feared across mixed martial arts.

“As you know, another fighter ultimately stepped in as a replacement because Nathaniel Wood refused to face me,” Younosov wrote on Instagram. “Yet, the odds were stacked in his favor: weight, training camp, and experience. Honestly, I’m actually pleased about it, beca…

Vitor Petrino isn’t letting Valter Walker's latest jab go unanswered.

Petrino (15-2) extended his win streak to four with a unanimous decision over Serghei Spivac on Aug. 22 to further ascend the heavyweight rankings. Walker (16-1), who’s also among the top-ranked heavyweights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, took a shot at Petrino on social media by posting a photo from his recent fight, labeling it boring.

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Petrino has now fired back.Vitor Petrino says he has repeatedly asked the UFC to book Valter Walker In a recent interview with Sherdog's Marcelo Alonso, Petrino responded to Walker’s comments about his fight with Spivac, claiming that he’s campaigned for a matchup against the grappling specialist many times, to no avail.

“That guy is a clown. Nobody respects him. I don’t even want to talk about him much,” Petrino said. “I’ve asked for that fight several times and I don’t know why the UFC hasn’t made it happen.”

Petrino's interest in…

Alexandr Shabliy will return to action at PFL Chicago.

Shabliy is scheduled to return to the cage in a lightweight matchup at the promotion's Oct. 16 event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The Russian last competed in June against Alfie Davis, which saw him bounce back from his defeat to Usman Nurmagomedov.

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Alexandr Shabliy faces Landry Ward on Oct. 16 at PFL Chicago Shabliy (25-4) has lost just once since 2017 and was on a nine-fight win streak before coming up short against Nurmagomedov, the most recent PFL lightweight champ. He’ll look to compile another win streak when he returns at PFL Chicago.

A flyweight title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN.

His upcoming opponent, Landry Ward (11-3), is coming off a split-decision victory over Michael Boylan in his PFL debut on Aug. 7 and has won his last three fights.

The matchup joins a PFL Chicago card headlined by the women's flyweight title remat…

Kai Asakura is reinvigorated at bantamweight following a rocky start in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Asakura stopped Qileng Aori with a second-round technical knockout at UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29. The Japanese star is now 2-0 in the UFC bantamweight division after losing his first two UFC fights via submission at flyweight. He detailed how his approach has changed since the move up and broke down his finishing move against Aori soon after the victory.

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Kai Asakura says bantamweight gives him more power, speed and confidence Asakura claims that he can be more assertive with his offense at 135 pounds, a significant improvement on how he felt while competing at 125 pounds.

“At bantamweight, I have more power and I have more speed,” Asakura said in a post-fight interview. “So, I feel like I can fight with more confidence than at flyweight.”

He also broke down the sequence that led to the finish.

“There were two things,” Asakura added. “The …

Bilal Hasan believes fighting is more than a career and sees it as a way of giving back.

Hasan made a memorable Ultimate Fighting Championship debut at UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29, stopping fellow promotional newcomer Nilson Rojas in the second round, earning a Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts. He recently revealed what drives him both in and out of competition.

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Bilal Hasan discusses his purpose after UFC Shanghai debut victory The first round between Hasan and Rojas was closely contested. The former pulled ahead in the second round and eventually found the finish, dropping his opponent with a counter-right hand before finishing with a follow-up strike to cap off an eventful Octagon debut.

Speaking after the fight, Hasan explained the deeper meaning he attaches to fighting.

“I don't want to get all religious or spiritual or anything like that, but I feel like we're all put on this earth to give back in some way,” Hasan said in a po…

Zabit Magomedsharipov claims Yadong Song’s finish against Umar Nurmagomedov is down to “bad luck.”

Nurmagomedov suffered his second professional defeat, his first-ever via a finish, on Aug. 29, when Song stopped him with a right uppercut in the second round of their main event clash in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Nurmagomedov’s compatriot, Magomedsharipov, is backing him to bounce back stronger and claims every fighter is susceptible to flash knockouts.

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Zabit Magomedsharipov backs Umar Nurmagomedov after his first knockout loss Magomedsharipov was asked about the result ahead of his submission grappling match at ACBJJ 22. The former UFC fighter said he viewed the knockout as a matter of luck rather than a sign of a deeper issue.

“I believe Umar will be back. I see no problem there,” Magomedsharipov said at the ACBJJ 22 press conference. “Anyone can experience that. It is what it is. I think it was bad luck. He was well prepared for the figh…

Yadong Song’s team planned for an uppercut finish throughout training camp.

Song firmly put himself in title contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship with the biggest victory of his career, finishing Umar Nurmagomedov in the second round of the UFC Shanghai headliner. The Chinese bantamweight’s coaches identified the route to victory long before fight night.

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Yadong Song explains the preparation behind his UFC Shanghai knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov After his knockout victory, Song revealed he had specifically prepared the uppercut as a counter to Nurmagomedov's takedown attempts. “The Kung Fu Kid” claimed that his boxing coach identified where the Dagestani was vulnerable and they repeatedly worked on the finishing sequence he pulled off at UFC Shanghai.

Song explained that his team anticipated Nurmagomedov shooting with his head dipping towards the left side and worked on counters to that movement.

“My boxing coach, Rudy Hernandez, he …

Sedriques Dumas had an eventful night at Duel Arena 1.

Dumas (10-5) attended Duel Arena 1 on Aug. 29 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter is no stranger to controversy and got into a brawl at the event, requiring intervention from security.

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Sedriques Dumas gets involved in crowd brawl at Duel Arena 1 Mike Perry suffered a huge upset loss against Brandon Jenkins in the main event, while Paul Miller earned a split decision win over Ben Azoulay. A brawl broke out in the stands after the fight between Miller and Azoulay. Dumas was seen taking down a fan dressed in a joker costume before security separated them.

Dumas was arrested last year in Escambia County, Florida, on charges of home invasion, battery and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Dumas fought three more times in the UFC before being released in July shortly after he was sentenced on those charges.

Three of the charges against …

Usman Nurmagomedov has addressed his brother Umar Nurmagomedov's knockout loss to Yadong Song and the discourse surrounding his immediate actions after seeing his brother hit the canvas.

Song flatlined Umar with an uppercut in the second round of their bantamweight clash in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Just as Song ended the UFC Shanghai headliner with some follow-up hammer-fists, Usman stormed the cage to check on his brother.

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Song began celebrating and briefly crossed paths with a concerned Usman, who seemingly loaded up an instinctive elbow strike in the heat of the moment, but didn’t follow through.Usman denies trying to hit Yadong Song after rushing toward the cage following Umar Nurmagomedov’s knockout Usman took to social media in the aftermath of UFC Shanghai to address his brother’s first-ever professional loss via a finish and also touched on fans accusing him of trying to hit a celebrating Song. The Professional Fighters League st…

Dan Hooker believes he’s the perfect fighter to welcome other lightweights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Hooker (24-14) is scheduled to welcome former two-division KSW champ Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) to the UFC in enemy territory at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. With the Professional Fighters League looking to retain Nurmagomedov (22-0) and the UFC rumored to have strong interest in the Russian, Hooker is willing to take on the unbeaten lightweight.

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Dan Hooker offers to welcome Usman Nurmagomedov to the UFC for ‘danger money’ Nurmagomedov is currently the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial arts after having exhausted his PFL contract. With the Dagestani hinting at a UFC signing, Hooker believes he is the ideal opponent for the latest PFL lightweight champ’s Octagon debut.

While some fans are calling for a matchup between Nurmagomedov and Ilia Topuria, Hooker is certain Topuria won’t take the risky matchup. The UFC veteran also believ…

Ce Liu claims he has unfinished business with Junior Tafa.

Liu (4-1) was scheduled to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut against Tafa (7-6) in front of a home crowd in Shanghai, China, on Aug. 29. However, Tafa withdrew due to undisclosed reasons five days before fight night and was replaced on short notice by Levi Rodrigues, who suffered a first-round knockout loss to Liu.

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Ce Liu calls for Junior Tafa fight after first-round UFC Shanghai knockout The Liu vs. Rodrigues bout was a fast-paced back-and-forth affair, with both fighters having moments of success before Liu piled on the pressure in the final minute of the first round. The Chinese light heavyweight ultimately flatlined his Brazilian counterpart, opening his account in the UFC in style.

Liu subsequently called for a rebooking against Tafa.

“I want to challenge someone -- my last opponent,” Liu said backstage after his win. “I want to settle the score with him in our next m…

TOTAL MADNESS AT #UFCShanghai🤯@SongYadongLFG with the biggest moment of his career!!! pic.twitter.com/op48pu2a62

— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2026 After close to nine years in the UFC, and several ups and downs, Yadong Song earned the biggest win of his career tonight in front of an arena full of supporters at UFC Fight Night 286 in Shanghai, China. The Chinese superstar viciously knocked out heavy favorite Umar Nurmagomedov in the second round of their bantamweight headliner, which brought the elated crowd to its feet and capped off an excellent night of fights.

Song (24-9-1, 1 NC; 13-4-1 UFC) caught a kick and snapped Nurmagomedov’s (20-2, 8-2 UFC) head back with a counter right cross in the first round. Nurmagomedov took Song down and escaped from a guillotine choke. He stayed on top until he tried to transition to Song’s back, which allowed Song to stand up and the fight stayed on the feet until the bell. Song stuffed a takedown attempt in the…

SONG YADONG JUST KNOCKED Umar Nurmagomedov OUT COLD 😱😱😱 #UFCShanghai📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/0xJt9yUjdc

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 29, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to China concluded with four fighters receiving performance bonuses.

Following UFC Shanghai, UFC senior vice president and head of Asia, Kevin Chang, announced the fight of the night and two performance of the night awards. In the third visit to the venue, the promotion saw a total of 10 finishes, with a massive one in the main event.

Yadong Song, Bilal Hasan, Ce Liu and Levi Rodrigues earn UFC Shanghai bonuses Yadong Song walked away $100,000 richer after defeating Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event. In a fight that lasted just around two rounds, the Chinese fighter overcame a vicious Nurmagomedov. After seemingly losing to the Dagestani fighter in the opening stanza, the “Kung Fu Kid”landed a brutal right uppercut behind his op…