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Jean Silva believes he will jump the queue ahead of Movsar Evloev for the next UFC featherweight title shot. 

Silva considers himself next in line for a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. However, standing in his way is Evloev, who has long been the top contender at 145 pounds. Volkanovski has also repeatedly acknowledged the undefeated Russian as the most deserving title contender. However, Silva doesn’t think Evloev will get the next title shot. While Silva is eyeing a title shot next, he is willing to take one more fight if he needs to.

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“I’m the next one in line for the title,” Silva told MMAjunkie.com. “I’m the next one that’s gonna get that belt. I’m taking that belt back to Brazil. Hunter’s helping me with that. My manager Ivan is helping me out with that. Dana as well… They’re giving me the path to that… I think the chances of Evloev fighting Volkanovski by the end of the year are slim. And if Volk wants to fight somebody, I’ll be …

Don’t expect to see Justin Gaethje in the Octagon again this year. 

Gaethje (28-5) recently dethroned Ilia Topuria in a massive upset at UFC White House to win the undisputed lightweight title. “The Highlight” had previously won the interim title against Paddy Pimblett this past January. Gaethje notes that it is already a rarity to see him compete twice in a year. Gaethje revealed that it is highly unlikely for him to compete again in 2026.

Hiatus Loading“I already fought twice this year,” Gaethje said on "The Pat McAfee Show.”. “Very, very rarely do you get me twice in one year. So there’s very, very, very small chance that I would ever consider fighting this year again.”

Gaethje has never fought more than twice a year in the UFC. The newly-crowned lightweight champion had competed only once each in 2024 and 2025. Gaethje’s win over Topuria marked his third bid for the undisputed title. There was speculation about the 37-year-old retiring if he had lost against…

Khabib Nurmagomedov is supporting an underdog in the FIFA World Cup 2026. 

Nurmagomedov (29-0) recently shared his predictions for the ongoing soccer World Cup in North America. While Nurmagomedov isn’t supporting Germany, he believes the former four-time champions will lift the trophy again in 2026. “Eagle” believes the Netherlands will end up as the runner-up, with Spain following in third place.

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“Who will win the World Cup? Germany. I am not rooting for them, but I think Germany is the number one favorite,” Nurmagomedov told Okko Sport (translation via Red Corner MMA). “I would put the Netherlands in second. And Spain in third.”Talking Futbol However, Nurmagomedov doesn’t think any of the top goal scorers will be from Germany. The former UFC lightweight champion’s top five goal scorers include France’s Kylian Mbappe, Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez, Brazil’s Vinicius Jr., Portugal’s Joao Felix and England’s Harry Kane.

“Let me give you my Top …

Sean O'Malley believes Aleksandre Topuria doesn’t like him. 

O’Malley (20-3) defeated Aiemann Zahabi via a second-round knockout at UFC White House earlier this month. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria lost his lightweight title to Justin Gaethje in a massive upset on the same card. Ilia’s elder brother, UFC bantamweight Aleksandre, cornered his brother at the White House. 

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O’Malley came across Topuria and his team backstage at the White House. While O’Malley and Ilia have traded barbs in the past, “Suga” believes there are no hard feeling between them. However, O’Malley believes Aleksandre doesn’t like him. O’Malley claims that while he shook hands with Ilia’s entire team, Aleksandre refused to acknowledge him.Lingering Animosity “If Ilia’s heard me talk about him, he knows I think he is one of the greatest of all time,” O’Malley said on Tim Welche’s YouTube channel. “I made a couple of short jokes, he’s made fun of me, like, ‘Ugly tattoo.’... But h…

Professional Fighters League featherweight Alexei Pergande has accused Ian Garry of lying. 

The spat started with Pergande posting a video of a training session where he took Garry down. Garry unfollowed Pergande on Instagram after the clip went viral. Replying to a fan, Garry said that he unfollowed Pergande because “Russian DNA” had filmed their training session without consent. Garry also accused Pergande of continuing to film even after he was asked not to.

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“Because he filmed me without permission, then secretly kept filming me after I asked him to stop and has been editing and reposting the same session for four years,” Garry wrote. “I liked the kid but respect when someone says no to filming you.” 

However, Pergande (8-0) completely denies Garry’s accusations. Pergande says his fiancée was filming the session in the presence of Garry’s wife and UFC middleweight Chris Curtis. According to Pergande, he was never asked to stop filming …

Japan’s own 🇯🇵@Kyoji1012 | 125 lbs

[ #UFCVegas119 | SAT JUNE 20 | 8pmET LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/f0MYUyBKXT

— UFC (@ufc) June 19, 2026 A key flyweight rematch with Ultimate Fighting Championship title implications is now official following the UFC Vegas 119 weigh-ins.

The main event of UFC Fight Night 279 sees Kyoji Horiguchi and Manel Kape clash for a second time. Both men made weight for the rematch, which comes nearly a decade after the two met during the 2017 Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix. As for the rest of the card, all fighters made weight with the exception of Kevin Borjas, who will be fined 20 percent of his purse for coming 3 pounds overweight for his flyweight bout against Andre Lima.

Horiguchi (36-5, 1 NC) won the initial fight, submitting "Starboy" with an arm-triangle choke in the third round. "Karate Kid" enters the rematch on an eight-fight unbeaten streak and is 2-0 since returning to the UFC. Hori…

Meet Pedro Valente Jr., the only person in attendance at both UFC 1 and UFC White House: Freedom 250.

The eldest son of one of Helio Gracie's most respected disciples, Pedro Valente (1938-2016), Pedro Valente Jr. can declare that he is the only eyewitness who was at the first UFC event in 1993 in Denver and at UFC at the White House in 2026.

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“It was a unique emotion to see where this sport has come,” Valente told Sherdog. “I couldn't help but remember the tribute that Rorion [Gracie] paid to his father in the center of the Octagon at UFC 1. The old man would certainly be very emotional to see where it has come.”

Along with his brothers, Joaquim and Guilherme, Valente leads the Valente Brothers Jiu-Jitsu academy in Miami, which counts among its students children and grandchildren of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

“We ended up creating a bond of friendship beyond the mats, which is why we were invited,” Valente said.

According to him, the ide…

Professional Fighters League is bringing a lightweight showcase bout to PFL New York in Long Island with a bit of hometown cooking. The promotion has confirmed to Sherdog that undefeated Longo’s MMA product Levan Khabalaev (5-0) will lock horns with fellow New Yorker Ryan Gerena (4-1).

Russia’s Khabalaev has had his last three fights in recognizable promotions Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Legacy Fighting Alliance, picking up finishes in two of those three wins.

Gerena has spent his entire professional career fighting for Flex Fight Series, and after losing his professional debut, he has won four fights in a row, leading him to get the call from the PFL. Of his four victories, three of them have come by way of stoppage, while he’s also gotten one victory by way of decision.

PFL New York will be headlined by a lightweight title fight pitting champ Usman Nurmagomedov (21-0) against Archie Colgan (13-0). Also on the card, superstar Dakota Ditcheva …

Erin Blanchfield is 8-1 in the UFC. | Getty/UFC

A pair of flyweights looking climb into title contention will square off at UFC 330.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Wednesday that Erin Blanchfield will meet Jasmine Jasudavicius in a 125-pound clash at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. UFC 330 is headlined by a welterweight title tilt between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry, while Mackenzie Dern will defend her strawweight crown against Gillian Robertson in the evening’s co-main event.

A Common Foil Blanchfield has been victorious in eight of her nine Octagon appearances. That lone defeat, a unanimous decision setback against Manon Fiorot in the UFC on ESPN 54 headliner in March 2024, has kept “Cold Blooded’ on the outskirts of a title shot. The 27-year-old New Jersey native has since rebounded to post back-to-back triumphs over Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez.

Jasudavicius has also had her momentum halted by Fiorot. After winnin…

Jamahal Hill's light heavyweight tenure was highlighted by a title victory over Glover Teixeira. | Getty/UFC

Jamahal Hill is leaving the light heavyweight division.

The former UFC champ announced plans to move to heavyweight on his YouTube channel. The 35-year-old known as “Sweet Dreams” hasn’t competed since June 2025, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Khalil Rountree in the UFC on ABC 8 main event. Hill has been sidelined by a knee injury since then.

"I'm going to go ahead and say it now: I'm going to heavyweight," Hill said. "That's the announcement, breaking news. So, I'm officially going to say it: I'm going to heavyweight. It's been something I've been working on now for a few months, putting on the necessary weight and putting on the muscle and everything like that to move up.

"Yeah, wouldn't it be better if I came back and went and won the heavyweight title? I think that means more than winning the light heavyweight title again…

The day after recording a video for his channel criticizing Herb Dean's refereeing in his UFC White House fight with Ciryl Gane, Alex Pereira spoke with fellow Brazilian Renato "Moicano" on his YouTube channel.

In a nearly 30-minute conversation, Poatan reacted to the video posted by Dean explaining exactly where the area where strikes are prohibited is located, clarifying his decision.

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"This video is a joke. The guy puts a coin and says here you can't hit, but there's an area around it where you put a limit. The fact is that if he signaled during the fight, my opponent would certainly think about the possibility of the fight being stopped there," said Pereira, reiterating his desire to see the referee penalized. "Something needs to happen. Dana doesn't fire fighters, why not referees?”No More DeanThe Brazilian did not mention appealing to the athletic commission to change the fight result to no contest, but made it clear that he will no longer acce…

Islam Makhachev will make his first welterweight title defense at UFC 330. | Getty/UFC

Some championship hardware will be at stake when the Octagon touches down in the City of Brotherly Love later this summer.

The Las Vegas-based promotion confirmed that UFC 330 will be headlined by a welterweight title tilt between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry, while Mackenzie Dern will defend her strawweight crown against Gillian Robertson in the evening’s co-main event. Both matchups have been rumored for quite some time but had not been officially announced by the UFC until Wednesday. UFC 330 takes place on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

After a successful reign at 155 pounds that included four successful title defenses, Makhachev moved up to welterweight at UFC 322, where he claimed that division’s belt with a dominant five-round verdict against Jack Della Maddalena this past November. The 34-year-old Dagest…

A Professional Fighters League event slated for Friday in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia has been postponed just days before the event.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that PFL MENA 10 has been “postponed until further notice.” The PFL is evaluating future dates for the event and will provide an update as soon as more information is available.

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Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

“The decision is based on internal operational and event readiness considerations, as we continue to ensure the highest standards of delivery,” the release states. “We remain committed to hosting PFL MENA in Jeddah and look forward to welcoming fans for what promises to be another exciting night of world-class mixed martial arts action."

PFL MENA 10 was scheduled to be headlined by Hattan Alsaif making her professional MMA debut against Dania Ouhachi in a 110-pound catchweight clash. The event was also expected…

Conor McGregor believes the UFC didn’t want him to return to competition at welterweight. 

McGregor (22-6) returns from a five-year hiatus in a welterweight tilt against Max Holloway (27-9) at UFC 329 on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. There were brief rumors of McGregor potentially returning against surging welterweight contender Carlos Prates.

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McGregor recently confirmed that Prates had indeed been suggested to him as an opponent. “Notorious” claims he verbally accepted a matchup against Prates. However, McGregor claims he didn’t receive any contract after accepting the booking. McGregor believes the UFC wanted him to return at lightweight. According to McGregor, the UFC brass was suggesting tough matchups for him to scare him away from the welterweight division.Ready and Willing “They said to me about [Prates],” McGregor said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I said, ‘Yeah, no problem. Send the contract.’ So I’m saying yeah for about …

Israel Adesanya believes Arman Tsarukyan needs to be more dialed in to reach the pinnacle of the sport.  

Tsarukyan (23-3) is among the most popular stars in the UFC today, partly due to his regular appearances with social media inlfuencers like Sneako, N3on, and Nina Marie-Daniele. Adesanya believes Tsarukyan needs to spend more time training instead of hanging out with streamers if he wants to reach the very top of the sport. Adesanya admits that Tsarukyan’s popularity has skyrocketed due to his social media. However, the former middleweight champion believes Tsarukyan might find himself sidelined from the UFC lightweight title picture yet again.

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Choosing Priorities “[Arman’s] streaming… Look, he knows how to train, he knows what to do but, to be at the top-top of the game, you can't be hanging out with Sneako and N3on on the regular,” Adesanya said on "The Mightycast.” “You gotta be in the gym… You gotta be at least as active as possible…

Not everyone counted out Justin Gaethje ahead of his fight against Ilia Topuria. 

Gaethje (28-5) challenged Topuria (17-1) for the undisputed lightweight title in the main event at UFC White House last weekend at the White House. Gaethje was as big as a +500 underdog on some sportsbooks going into the fight. 

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However, Francis Ngannou thought the oddsmakers were being unfair to Gaethje. The former UFC heavyweight champion couldn’t fathom why Gaethje was such a massive underdog, considering “The Highlight” always put on a show even in his losses. Ngannou put his money on Gaethje, who made Topuria’s corner throw in the towel at the end of the fourth round. Gaethje finally won the much deserved undisputed title in his third attempt. Ngannou thanked the newly crowned lightweight champion for making his week.A Beautiful Week“I bet on Gaethje,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports. “I saw these odds and I’m like, ‘Something’s wrong with these bookmakers.’ Lik…

Dalton Rosta is 2-2 under the PFL banner. | PFL MMA

A middleweight bout pitting Bryan Battle against Dalton Rosta will headline PFL Charlotte on Aug. 7.

Professional Fighters League announced the pairing on Wednesday. The event takes place at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, and also includes two other confirmed 185-pound pairings: Joshua Silveira vs. Aaron Jeffery and Josh Fremd vs. Jhony Gregory. The PFL Charlotte main card airs on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

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Top notch featherweights headline PFL San Diego: Tune in Saturday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Battle signed with PFL last year following a UFC stint where he went 7-1 with one no contest but was plagued by issues making weight. “The Butcher” faced former middleweight champ Johnny Eblen in his organizational debut, falling via first-round submission at PFL Pittsburgh on March 28.

Anchored at American Top Team, Rosta has split four PFL appearanc…

Youssef Zalal is eyeing a matchup against Kevin Vallejos. 

Zalal recently called out Vallejos for his previous comments. “The Moroccan Devil” believes he will give Vallejos a reality check if they meet inside the Octagon.

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“Let that guy talk, I hope they give me his name,” Zalal told Home of Fight. “I want to see that contract. I’ll show him the ‘kid that runs, the kid that circles, and is not fun to fight’... I can’t wait to give him a reality check and show him there’s levels to this.”On a Collison Course? Zalal’s (18-6) first UFC run ended in 2022 after going winless in four straight outings. However, Zalal returned to the UFC in 2024 after three consecutive first-round finishes on the regional circuit. Zalal went undefeated in five straight outings, with four finishes, in his second UFC stint. Zalal’s impressive run ended with a lopsided decision loss against Aljamain Sterling this past April.

Vallejos was rooting for Sterling to defeat Zal…

Alex Pereira wasn’t expecting the reaction that Jon Jones had to his loss against Ciryl Gane. 

Pereira faced Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House last weekend. Gane hurt Pereira in the second round and finished him on the feet, albeit not without the controversy of some illegal blows. 

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Jones reacted to Pereira’s loss by posting a video of himself wearing a GOAT necklace, signifying the greatest fighter of all time. Pereira was admittedly surprised by Jones’ reaction to his loss. Pereira doesn’t understand why Jones chose to kick him while he was down. Pereira also notes that he had never shown anything but respect towards “Bones.” Despite the reaction, “Poatan” claims he will continue being a fan of Jones.A Confusing Reaction “To be honest, I was very surprised,” Pereira said on YouTube. “If I was one of the guys that provoked him, then lose, and then he goes and says something, I’d understand. But I’ve never spoken bad…

Alexander Volkanovski believes Arman Tsarukyan didn’t make a wise decision by not weighing in as the backup fighter for the main event of the UFC White House card. 

Tsarukyan (23-3) was officially the backup fighter for the lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 last weekend at the White House. However, Tsarukyan had previously clarified that he would only weigh in as the backup fighter if he saw some serious chance of someone pulling out. “Ahalkalakets” eventually chose not to weigh in as the backup and wrestled Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 instead. Meanwhile, Diego Lopes, who was already scheduled to fight Steve Garcia in a featherweight matchup at the White House, also weighed in as the backup for the main event between Topuria and Gaethje.

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Volkanovski believes Tsarukyan hurt his chances in the UFC by choosing not to weigh in as the backup. According to the UFC featherweight champion, the UFC likes comp…

“The back of the head” is a tricky area in MMA, according to Herb Dean. 

Cyril Gane (14-2) and Alex Pereira (13-4) clashed for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House. Gane hurt Pereira with a jab early in the second round and swarmed him with punches. As Pereira dropped to the canvas, Gane landed multiple blows to the back of the head without any warning from Dean, who was the referee. While Pereira got back to his feet, Gane finished him soon after with a vicious flurry. 

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Dean has faced severe backlash for allowing Gane’s shots to the back of Pereira’s head, which have been widely deemed illegal. Pereira also holds Dean partly accountable for his loss, especially after emphasizing illegal blows to the back of the head during the rules meeting before the fight. 

Dean has now defended his stance while elaborating on the rule. According to Dean, the rule should actually be called illegal blows to “the nape of the neck.” Dean…

Justin Gaethje entered the White House as the UFC's biggest underdog and left as the biggest winner of the night. After ending Ilia Topuria's undefeated streak, Gaethje took home his belt and two bonuses.

The American's ground coach, Jorge Santiago, spoke with Sherdog.com on Monday about the victory and revealed interesting details about what went on behind the scenes at UFC White House. Having won belts in organizations such as Sengoku and Strikeforce, the Brazilian revealed that he was moved by the show.

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"It was a unique experience. There will never be a show like this. I never imagined seeing the political capital of the USA closed to our sport. Everything was approved by the Secret Service. After all, they had already tried to assassinate the president twice, so it was an impressive level of care. We would pass through a gate and there was an FBI clearance; when we got in the car we couldn't talk to the agents or we would have to go back and do …

Conor McGregor is set for his long-awaited return at UFC 329. | Getty/UFC

Conor McGregor apparently has a timeframe in place for his next two UFC bouts.

McGregor is scheduled to return for the first time since July 2021 when he faces Max Holloway in a welterweight contest at UFC 329 on July 11. In an interview on "The Ariel Helwani Show," the former two-division champion revealed that he has two fights left on his current deal — and the date for his final bout is also tentatively in place. However, McGregor isn’t necessarily pleased by the potential layoff between those two bookings.

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"Right now, I am contracted, and I have both dates," McGregor said. "I have both dates for my fights. I have July 11 and I have – where would you think they would put me back in? When would you think they would put me back in? April 2027. It's almost a year later. That's ridiculous to me. No? This is the way the contract was done. I have my second dat…

It was a frustrating night for "Poatan" at UFC White House. | Getty/UFC

While Alex Pereira admits that Ciryl Gane rocked him in their UFC White House matchup, the Brazilian star also believes what followed deserved some closer examination.

“Poatan” was on the defensive after being hurt by a Gane jab in their interim heavyweight title bout on Sunday, but during the ensuing salvo, “Bon Gamin” appeared to land multiple 12-to-6 elbows to the back of his opponent’s head. While Pereira did return to his feet, Gane ultimately finished the job with more powerful punches at the 1:27 mark of Round 2.

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In a video on YouTube, Pereira addressed the loss as well as Dean’s officiating in the heat of the moment.

“Putting myself in the referee’s shoes, my opponent’s there and catches me, I drop, he starts striking,” Pereira said. “The ref is watching that they are illegal shots, but he thinks like this, ‘How am I going to stop this fight?’ It’s illegal,…