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Myktybek Orolbai looked like a dog playing with a chew toy.

The surging Kyrgyzstani welterweight took another step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s loaded 170-pound weight class with a three-round unanimous decision over Chris Curtis in their featured UFC Fight Night 269 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Orolbai (16-2-1, 5-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks from the cageside judges.

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Curtis (32-13, 6-5 UFC) was a man with no answers. Orolbai closed the distance and completed one takedown after another, effectively smothering the former CES MMA champion across 15 non-competitive minutes. Every time Curtis managed to stand, his opponent was there to return him to the mat. Orolbai progressed to the back on multiple occasions and threatened the neck with rear-naked chokes but mostly chose to play it safe and dominate the battle with superior grappling.

Meanwhile, CM System mainstay Vitor Petrino called u…

Cory Sandhagen believes Merab Dvalishvili rushed into his rematch against Petr Yan.

Dvalishvili (21-5) defeated Yan (20-5) via a lopsided unanimous decision in their first matchup in 2023. While Dvalishvili won the bantamweight title soon after, Yan hasn’t lost a fight since. Yan earned a chance to avenge the loss in a rematch against Dvalishvili at UFC 323 this past December. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili looked to defend his bantamweight title for the fourth time in a year in his rematch against Yan. Dvalishvili made a two month turnaround from a successful title defense against Sandhagen in October. Yan put on a technical masterclass, outclassing Dvalishvili in every aspect to earn a huge upset win. 

Sandhagen admits he expected Dvalishvili to win the rematch against Yan. However, Sandhagen believes “The Machine” slightly underestimated Yan in making a quick turnaround for the rematch. Yan is currently recovering from a back surgery and is expected to face Dvalishvil…

Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t think Khamzat Chimaev has any right to call a fight boring. 

Max Holloway put his BMF title on the line against Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 earlier this month. Oliveira dominated Holloway on the ground to earn a unanimous decision win. Despite Oliveira’s dominant performance, some felt that the performance didn’t do justice to the BMF title. Chimaev also mocked the fight for lack of entertainment.

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“This was crazy highlight fight,” Chimaev wrote.

This was crazy highlight fight 😂

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) March 8, 2026 Du Plessis slammed Chimaev for criticizing the fight. Du Plessis believes “Borz” doesn’t have the right to call out a fight for inactivity after their clash at UFC 319 last year. Du Plessis defended Oliveira’s performance, citing the Brazilian’s constant submission threats.Pot, Meet Kettle “I saw Khamzat commenting and saying how boring that fight was,” Du Plessis told Fig…

Carlos Prates believes former foe Ian Garry has the best chance of dethroning Islam Makhachev. 

Prates believes Garry’s well-rounded skillset and elite movement can make for a competitive fight against Makhachev. While Garry has lost to an elite grappler in Shavkat Rakhmonov, Prates believes a potential matchup against Makhachev will be different. Competing with Garry for the next welterweight title shot is Michael Morales. However, Prates believes Makhachev will successfully defend his title against Morales.

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An Intriguing Challenge “I think Ian Garry,” Prates told Red Corner MMA.”I think it’ll be little bit different [than the Shavkat fight]. Because Ian Garry knows how to move a lot, how to be really competitive in any place, on the ground or stand up. So I think that fight would be interesting.”

Makhachev dethroned Jack Della Maddalena to the welterweight title at UFC 322 last November. Prates also entered the welterweight title picture by k…

Colby Covington believes the UFC has become lackadaisical after the Paramount deal. 

The UFC is set to host a one-of-a-kind event on President Donald Trump’s birthday, June 14, at the White House lawn. The card, billed as Freedom 250, is a tribute to America’s 250th year of independence. An avid supporter of Trump, Covington had been rallying for a spot on the card ever since it was first mentioned last year. However, when the card was announced last weekend, Covington left out. 

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Covington can’t comprehend why he isn’t a part of the White House card. “Chaos” believes the UFC has disappointed its hardcore fanbase with the White House lineup. According to the former welterweight title challenger, the UFC has become indifferent since landing the $7.7 billion deal with Paramount. Covington even makes a lofty prediction that the RAF 7 wrestling event on March 28 will be bigger than the White House card.‘It’s Just Sad’ “It doesn’t make sense to …

Cory Sandhagen believes Sean O'Malley has the privilege of choosing his opponents. 

Sandhagen (18-6) has been calling out O’Malley (19-3) for a matchup, which would be a striking treat for fans. Instead, O’Malley is now booked to fight Aiemann Zahabi at UFC White House on June 14. 

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Sandhagen holds Sean O’Malley responsible for them not being booked against each other. O’Malley claims he was never offered Sandhagen for the White House. However, Sandhagen believes that’s not how it works for “Suga.” Sandhagen thinks O’Malley has the privilege of rejecting and picking fights of his choice. According to Sandhagen, not mentioning his name specifically was a clear duck from O’Malley. Sandhagen has now given up hope of the O’Malley matchup after multiple callouts. “The Sandman” also believes O’Malley will retire if he loses to Zahabi or even if he doesn’t see a certain route to a title run next.‘A Cop-Out Punk Move’ “I don’t think the dude’s ever …

Belal Muhammad doesn’t think there will be any real MMA fans at the UFC White House card.

The UFC will host a one-of-a-kind event at the White House on President Donald Trump’s birthday, June 14, on the South Lawn of the White House. The card, billed as Freedom Fights 250, will be a celebration of America’s 250th year of independence. 

Muhammad recently compared the event to “The Hunger Games,” the dystopian series of movies based on the books written by Suzanne Collins. The movies portray a survival competition where participants must fight to the death until the last man stands. Muhammad recalls a scene from the first movie where the protagonist Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, goes for her tryouts, while uninterested rich patrons go on with their discussions. Muhammad believes the White House crowd will also not be paying much attention to the action inside the Octagon, barring the occasional highlight-reel knockout.

No Real Fans “It’s not op…

Patricio Freire sees a major chink in his upcoming opponent’s armor. 

Freire (37-8) is scheduled to fight fellow Bellator MMA alum Aaron Pico in a featherweight matchup at UFC 327 on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. While Freire respects Pico’s overall skill set, he sees a major flaw in his chin. Freire will look to exploit Pico’s chin and end the fight with a single shot.

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“He has a lot of gifts as a fighter,” Freire told MMAjunkie.com. “But he has a fatal flaw, which is: Whenever he gets hit with a hard shot, he goes down. So that’s something that I’m hoping to exploit in our fight. But aside from that, he is a great fighter.”

Three of Pico’s (13-5) five career losses have come via knockout. The 29-year-old made his UFC debut as a highly touted training partner of Khamzat Chimaev last year. Pico faced Lerone Murphy in a potential featherweight title eliminator at UFC 319 in August. Murphy knocked out Pico with a highlight reel …

Arman Tsarukyan continues to stay active in grappling competitions.

Tsarukyan is reportedly set to face Dillon Danis in a grappling match at Hype FC on April 8 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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“Arman will be in São Paulo on April 8, and his opponent will be Dillon Danis,” Hype FC CEO Armand Martirosian told Red Corner MMA. “The odds of it happening are 99.9%.”Staying Busy Tsarukyan has become a mainstay of Hype FC cards, starting with his grappling match against Sharabutdin Magomedov in Armenia last year. Tsarukyan was originally scheduled to face Georgio Poullas in a grudge rematch at Hype FC in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, last weekend. However, Poullas pulled out and was replaced on short notice by Muhammad Mokaev, who suffered a submission loss against Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan will face Poullas in a rematch at RAF 7 on March 28, hardly over a week before his clash against Danis at Hype FC. 

Meanwhile, Danis has gained notoriety over the years for getting into …

Undefeated Legacy Fighting Alliance standout Christian Natividad looked to earn a title fight or a UFC signing by impressing against Adrian Garcia in the LFA 228 main event.

Both men came out looking to strike initially, with the pressure and body work of Natividad (9-0) being an early highlight. However, the grappling of Garcia (10-4-1) proved to be his undoing, as "The Hawaiian Punch" was able to easily control his opponent on the ground. Garcia spent most of the last two rounds defending submission attempts and had little to offer in terms of offense. After 15 minutes, the judges awarded Natividad a unanimous decision victory with three 30-27 scorecards in his favor.

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Bantamweight prospect Amari Sengsavanh came into the night's co-main event undefeated but was at a weight disadvantage after opponent Carlos Tardio came in 4.4 pounds overweight. Sengsavanh (8-1) was unable to make his opponent pay for his unprofessionalism, as Tardio (12-2) was …

First to the scale ⚖️@JoshEmmettUFC weighs in at 146 lbs!

[ #UFCVegas114 | LIVE TOMORROW at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/rln4jOV211

— UFC (@ufc) March 13, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's busy March continues with its latest card from the Meta Apex, which is now official after the UFC Vegas 114 weigh-ins.

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Headlining UFC Vegas 114 is a featherweight tussle between the hard-hitting Josh Emmett and surging contender Kevin Vallejos. Both men successfully made weight for the five-round fight. All of the rest of the fighters also hit their marks without issue for the 14-fight card.

Emmett (19-6) is in desperate need of a win, as he's 1-4 in his last five fights. Sandwiched between losses is a devastating knockout over Bryce Mitchell, though. The 41-year-old "CC0" most recently submitted to an armbar from Youssef Zalal. The Team Alpha Male product weighed 146 pounds on the dot for his 26th career figh…

Aljamain Sterling is chasing title dreams at featherweight. | Getty/UFC

A featherweight clash with title implications is set for UFC Fight Night 274.Ex-Champ vs. Rising Star Ex-bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will lock horns with the streaking Youssef Zalal in a key 145-pound clash at UFC Fight Night 274. Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing following an initial report from Leo Guimaraes. UFC Fight Night 274 takes place on April 25 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on Paramount+.

Sterling, 36, is 2-1 since moving up from 135 pounds. “Funk Master” is coming off a five-round verdict over Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai in a bout that was moved to a catchweight after his opponent missed weight. Sterling’s other featherweight appearances include a victory over Calvin Kattar and a loss to Movsar Evloev.

Zalal is in the midst of an eight-fight professional winning streak that includes five consecutive victories inside the Octagon. In his most recen…

It appears that Reinier de Ridder is headed to the light heavyweight division.

The former ONE Championship two-division title holder lost his second consecutive Octagon appearance at UFC 326 last Saturday, falling to Caio Borralho via unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In a video post to his Instagram account, “The Dutch Knight” revealed that his next fight is likely going to be at 205 pounds.

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Moving on Up “I came up a little short. I think it could have gone either way but I’m happy that I got my body back most importantly. I was able to go three hard rounds. I think I have a lot more to show,” de Ridder said.

“I brought you guys doughnuts because I need you guys heavy, I need you guys strong because I’m coming at 205 [pounds], baby.”

Competing in higher weight classes is nothing new for de Ridder, who fought as high as heavyweight in ONE. De Ridder began his Octagon tenure with four consecutive triumphs to emerge as a con…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are joining forces.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Wednesday that the UFC will visit FBI Special Agent Academy in Quantico, Va. on March 14 and 15 to host a seminar for academy students and senior FBI staff.

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Curent and former UFC athletes that are expected to be in attendance include Justin Gaethje, Jorge Masvidal, Chris Weidman, Claudia Gadelha, Michael Chandler, Manel Kape and Renzo Gracie. UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard will also be part of the proceedings.

According to a release, the UFC talent “will provide insight into how they train for competition, as well as demonstrate specific techniques and tactics, offering a unique perspective to the students as they prepare to enter the field office.”

“I’m thrilled to announce this historic seminar between the FBI and the UFC at Quantico,” said FBI director Kash Patel. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our …

Valentina Shevchenko is arguably the top women's talent in MMA today. | Getty/UFC

Valentina Shevchenko has taken exception to Ronda Rousey’s speculation regarding her use of OnlyFans.

One of the statements that raised eyebrows during Rousey’s rant about UFC fighter pay during Tuesday’s MVP press conference was in regards to Shevchenko needing to use OnlyFans as an additional source of income.

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“It’s why so many of their top athletes are leaving to go and find pay elsewhere,” Rousey said of the UFC. “It’s why their champions like Valentina are selling pictures of their titties on OnlyFans. These people, a lot of them at the ground level, they can’t support their families. They’re living poverty-level fighting full-time.”Out of Touch? Once Shevchenko got wind of those comments, she issued a scathing response to Rousey via social media, indicating that the former UFC bantamweight champion might be out of touch with how the platform can be …

Joaquin Buckley wants to go back to the early days of the UFC. 

Buckley recently proposed an open-weight tournament for the BMF title. Buckley suggests that the only requirement to compete in the tournament should be to sign up for it.

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“I think they should keep [the BMF title],” Buckley said on Instagram. “But the only thing about the BMF title, you gotta run it tournament-wise, open weight class. Any person that wants to sign up for it, you can fight for it. But you can fight heavyweight, you can fight flyweight, it don’t matter… But you really prove that you’re the baddest motherf—-er.”BMF Bracket Buckley played matchmaker, suggesting matchups for the quarterfinals:

Max Holloway vs. Islam Makhachev Kevin Holland vs. Joaquin Buckley

Jon Jones vs. Jiri Prochazka
Alex Pereira vs. Paulo Costa

The significance of the BMF title has always been vague. The idea was proposed by Nate Diaz, and Jorge Masvidal defeated him to win the ti…

Alexander Volkanovski says that the BMF title is not like any other UFC belt. 

Charles Oliveira (37-11) defeated Max Holloway (27-9) to win the BMF title in the main event at UFC 326 last weekend. Oliveira dominated Holloway on the ground for over 20 minutes en route to a unanimous decision win. While Oliveira threatened submissions, he didn’t land any significant damage on Holloway. 

Despite the dominant win, Oliveira’s performance received mixed reactions from fans and pundits. While some defended the lopsided win, others didn’t see it as befitting of the BMF title.

Something Completely Different Volkanovski understands that one must do everything to win in a fight. However, the featherweight champion notes that the BMF title is not like other UFC titles of the champions of different weight classes. Volkanovski notes that the title was created in the first place for fighters willing to put on a show. While Volkanovski lauds Oliveira’s incredible perfor…

Francis Ngannou wants UFC fighters to push for the sunset clause in their contracts. 

The sunset clause means a fighter’s contract with the UFC expires after a certain time period, regardless of whether they fight or not. The sunset clause is what allowed Ngannou to leave the UFC in 2023 after yearlong failed contract negotiations.  

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UFC fighter pay and contracts are once again making headlines after the announcement of the White House card. Despite having rallied for a spot on the card for a year, Jon Jones has been left out. Jones has since publicly called for his release from the UFC. Ngannou advises UFC fighters to include the sunset clause in their contracts, to allow them the freedom to leave after a certain period if they want.‘I’m Not Signing My Life Off’ “The sunset clause. Because we have to understand, the key here is the freedom, it’s not the money,” Ngannou said at media scrum. “You can convert your freedom to money,…

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions’ doors are open to Jon Jones. 

Jones is currently having a bitter falling out with the UFC over a White House card snub. Amidst Jones publicly calling for his UFC release, Paul welcomes “Bones” to MVP. “The Problem Child” promises to pay Jones what he deserves.

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The Allure of a Proper Payday “100%. Jon, you’re always welcome to come over to MVP,” Paul told Netflix. “We’ll get it popping, and we’ll get you paid what you deserve.”

Jones kept the UFC heavyweight division hanging for over a year, while Dana White promised that he would fight interim champion Tom Aspinall. However, Jones unceremoniously retired in June 2025 without fighting Aspinall. Plans for the White House card were announced weeks following Jones’ retirement. The former two-division champion immediately returned to the drug testing pool and has since been rallying for a spot on the UFC White House card. 

While White always sounded…

Josh Emmett believes his upcoming opponent has been matched up against him too soon. 

Emmett (19-6) will headline the fifth UFC Fight Night of his career against Kevin Vallejos (17-1) at UFC Fight Night 269 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. Emmett is 17 years older than the 24-year-old Argentinian, who goes into the first UFC headliner of his career.

Emmett believes experience will be a deciding factor in his upcoming fight against Vallejos. Having shared the Octagon with some of the best in the sport, Emmett believes Vallejos has nothing to offer that he hasn’t seen yet. While Emmett respects Vallejos, he believes “El Chino” is being pushed too fast up the rankings.

Experience Counts “It’s gonna be a huge difference,” Emmett told the UFC on Paramount. “I’ve been in there with some of the best fighters there are. And there’s nothing that he’s gonna do or show me that I haven’t already seen. I give him all the respect in the world, tough kid. But I think t…

Michael Morales claims to have beaten Ian Garry in the race for the next welterweight title shot. 

Morales recently shared a morphed image of himself signing the contract opposite welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.

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“Sorry, Ian... Dana knows who really deserves the shot,’ Morales wrote in the caption.A Rising Star Sean Brady at UFC 322 last November. Makhachev also dominantly dethroned Jack Della Maddalena to win welterweight gold on the same card. Meanwhile, Garry defeated former champ Belal Muhammad a week later at UFC Qatar to make a claim for the next title shot. 

Garry was originally being considered the frontrunner for the next title shot against Makhachev. However, Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently claimed that the UFC was considering a big matchup without Garry in the mix. The most anticipated matchup in the UFC is currently Makhachev vs. Topuria. However, the White House card was announced last weekend, with Topur…

Brazilian fans who braved traffic and rain to reach Barra da Tijuca and see UFC stars like Arman Tsarukyan, Carlos Prates, Jean Silva and Valter Walker up close at the Hype FC Brazil press conference on Tuesday witnessed an absolutely chaotic scene.

Guided by masters of ceremonies Prates and Walker, the fighters who came to Rio de Janeiro for the event were divided between engaging in fights and feeling embarrassed. Athletes such as Edson Barboza, Sharabutdin Magomedov, Tsarukyan and Muhammad Mokaev, laughed off the melee.

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Silva and Bryce Mitchell, who will grapple in co-main event, started by feigning animosity and pushing each other during a previous face-off in a front of famous local beach. This time in the arena, amid the chaos that ensued during the altercation between Joilton Peregrino and Lev Sarkisyan, they ended up laughing while embracing.

😅 Hype FC basın toplantısında kavga çıkıyor. Prates, Arman ve Jean Silva du…

Islam Makhachev says he will fight Ilia Topuria for free someday. 

UFC fans have been eagerly waiting for a matchup between Makhachev (28-1) and Topuria (17-0) for a while now. When Dana White promised one of the biggest possible matchups at the White House, fans inevitably thought of Makhachev and Topuria. 

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However, Justin Gaethje is now scheduled to challenge Topuria in a lightweight title unifier in the main event at UFC White House on June 14. Soon after the card was announced, rumours surfaced that the original plan was to book Makhachev vs. Topuria for the welterweight title at the White House. Makhachev allegedly withdrew from the matchup a day before the card was announced. Dana White refuted the rumor that Makhachev vs. Topuria was the original plan. However, the UFC head honcho says that Makhachev is injured. ‘We’ll Do It For Free’ Meanwhile, Topuria recently accused Makhachev of making an excuse to duck him. “El Matador” cl…

RAF 7 certainly has the makings for some high-voltage drama.

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington will face Dillon Danis in a wrestling match at RAF 7 on March 28 in Tampa, Florida. Covington is known as one of the most ruthless trash talkers in UFC history, often dragging in his opponents’ families. Meanwhile, Danis has gained notoriety over the years by stirring up trouble at combat sports events with his mere presence. Danis originally rose to fame as a grappling partner of Conor McGregor. While the two seemingly have drifted apart over time, “El Jefe” managed to stay relevant by regularly getting into brawls. 

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Danis competed twice in MMA from 2018 to 2019, winning both bouts via submission under the Bellator banner. Danis fought Logan Paul in a boxing match in 2023, which ended in a massive brawl after “El Jefe” caught Paul in a headlock. Danis recently became the Misfits MMA light heavyweight champion with a submission …