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Sean O'Malley believes the UFC, by itself, doesn’t want to restrict speech in any way. 

Sean Strickland knocked out Anthony Hernandez in the third-round of their UFC Houston headliner last Saturday. Known for his controversial and unhinged opinions, fans were eagerly waiting for Strickland’s post-fight press conference. The former UFC middleweight champion met the expectations by accusing Hernandez’s coach, Jim West, of grooming former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd. However, Strickland’s mic was muted soon after, and the press conference abruptly ended. 

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O’Malley believes the UFC’s new Paramount deal is responsible for Strickland’s presser getting cut short. During the ESPN era, UFC numbered events had to be purchased on a pay-per-view basis. Meanwhile, the Fight Nights could be viewed on an ESPN+ subscription. O’Malley recalls that there was absolutely no restriction on speech after numbered cards during the ESPN era. However, fighters woul…

Nassourdine Imavov vows to knock out Sean Strickland in a potential rematch. 

Strickland scored a massive upset win over Anthony Hernandez via a third-round knockout at UFC Houston last weekend. Imavov has since been calling for a chance to avenge his previous loss against Strickland. 

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Strickland replaced an injured Kelvin Gastelum against Imavov in 2023. The fight took place at light heavyweight as Strickland came in on five days’ notice. Strickland defeated Imavov via an emphatic unanimous decision. 

However, Imavov claims the fight would have played out differently under “normal conditions.” While Imavov is calling for a rematch against Strickland, the former champ is eyeing a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev. Imavov accuses Strickland of ducking him. “The Sniper” believes Strickland is scared of a brutal beatdown against him, but doesn’t mind being choked out by Chimaev.

‘He’ll End Up Unconscious’ “Of course he's ducking,” I…

Opinions are mixed regarding in the Brazilian MMA community regarding Conor McGregor's return. | Bellator MMA

Among the most debated topics in the MMA community today is the return of the biggest star in the history of the sport, Conor McGregor.

Away from MMA since 2021, when he was injured in a fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor left many people curious last week when he made an enigmatic post on his X account suggesting that his opponent at the White House will be an unknown. 

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“It´s a no name up next to me possibly, folks. And, as you know idgaf, I ACCEPT. Send the contract, lads,” he wrote.

Interestingly, Fighting Nerds coach Flavio Alvaro had said in an exclusive interview with Sherdog days before that fans could expect a huge fight for Prates.

"Something very, very big is coming for him and it will be announced soon, unfortunately I'm not yet authorized to say anything," said Alvaro.

Since Spanish journalis…

Sean O'Malley wants to renegotiate with the UFC before his current contract expires. 

O’Malley (19-3) recently revealed that he has only two fights left on his current UFC contract. According to “Suga,” the UFC doesn’t like fighters to exhaust their contracts as it opens the door for offers from competitors. However, O’Malley can’t imagine any other promotion that he would rather be in. Hence, O’Malley is looking forward to renegotiating with the UFC when he travels to Las Vegas next month. The former UFC bantamweight champion is expecting a bigger contract, especially since he is coming off a win.

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Show Him the Money “I have two fights left on my deal, so ideally I’ll probably go renegotiate,” O’Malley said on YouTube. “The UFC really doesn't like people fighting their contract out. Because that’s when you can start getting offers from other people. It’s like – where the f—k else you want to go? Typically, they don’t want you to fight your contr…

Demetrious Johnson believes Dana White wanted to show his competitors his might by signing Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing. 

Benn, who is still far from the pinnacle of boxing, recently made headlines by signing with Zuffa Boxing. Benn parted ways with longtime promoter Eddie Hearn and signed with Zuffa overnight for reportedly a $15 million one-fight deal. 

According to Johnson, Benn’s signing is a flex from the UFC head honcho. Johnson believes White isn’t concerned about the sustainability of deals like Benn’s. “Mighty Mouse” believes White just wanted to show his competitors what they are up against by signing Benn for $15 million.

Because He Can “$15 million for one fight is crazy,” Johnson said on YouTube. “Because, what’s gonna happen after this fight? Is the $15 million worth having Conor Benn? It's the first time I've heard of him. From what everybody tells me, he is a very good boxer. But is Khamzat Chimaev making $15 million? Is Ilia Topuria making …

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick believes what happens in the gym should stay in the gym. 

Sean Strickland (30-7) has been accusing middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) of inactivity for a while now. Chimaev claims Strickland is irked with him after getting submitted in the past while training together at Xtreme Couture. 

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Strickland scored an upset win by knocking out Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston last weekend. Strickland subsequently called for a title shot against Chimaev. Strickland claims Chimaev submitted him in a situational grappling spar. The former middleweight champ claims he made Chimaev quit training at Xtreme Couture. Strickland asked his teammates and his longtime coach, Nicksick, to back up his claims. Meanwhile, Chimaev claims he destroyed Strickland in sparring, and Nicksick is aware of it. 

See you soon boy 🤫

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) February 23, 2026 Better Left …

Georgio Poullas is confident that he will take down Arman Tsarukyan in their upcoming wrestling match. 

Tsarukyan and Poullas will meet in a wrestling match at RAF 6 on Feb. 6 at the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. Poullas does not doubt that he will take down Tsarukyan more than once.

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“At a certain level, anyone can take anyone down,” Poullas said in a recent interview. “So, can Arman take me down? Yeah, he has a chance to take me down. Can I take him down? Absolutely, I have a chance to take him down. I think I’m going to take him down multiple times. The question is, is he gonna get that $1,000? Can he take me down?... If you’re asking about a simple takedown, absolutely, 100 percent. I think I’m getting more than one takedown. I’m adding quite a few up, if you ask me.”A Challenge Worth More Than $1,000A former Division I wrestler from Cleveland State University, Poullas has gone viral on the internet with his “take me down for $1,000” video…

Josh Hokit has made a name for himself in a short time in the UFC. | Getty/UFC

Josh Hokit will be swimming in deep waters in his next Octagon apppearance.

The undefeated heavyweight prospect will lock horns with perennial contender Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 in Miami, the promotion announced Tuesday. A handful of other bouts — some previously reported — were also confirmed for the April 11 event: Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown at welterweight; Paulo Costa vs. Azamat Murzakanov at heavyweight and Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker at light heavyweight.

UFC 327 takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami and features flyweight title tilt pitting Joshua Van against Tatsuro Taira. It is currently unclear if Van vs. Taira will be the evening’s main event. The entirety of the card airs on Paramount+.

A Gap in Experience Hokit is undefeated in eight professional outings and has finished all of his opponents inside the distance. After earning a contract on Dana Whi…

Sean O’Malley isn’t happy about Conor Benn’s $15 million Zuffa Boxing deal. 

Zuffa Boxing is the latest venture of Dana White and TKO Group, the parent company of the UFC. Zuffa recently signed Conor Benn, reportedly for $15 million for a single-fight deal. Benn also changed sides overnight, parting ways with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, who basically shaped his career. As Hearn predicted, UFC fighters aren’t happy about Benn’s Zuffa deal. 

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O’Malley doesn’t even completely believe the report of Benn being signed for $15 million. The former UFC bantamweight champion says he has never heard of Benn. O’Malley isn’t happy about someone else reaping the benefits after he played a pivotal role in generating revenue for the UFC.

“I can’t imagine it being true,” O’Malley said on YouTube. “I don’t even know who Conor Benn is. I’ve never heard of him… It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC, build this name, create this character, b…

Aljamain Sterling is stepping in on short notice at RAF 6. | Getty/UFC

RAF wrestling is bringing in the best athletes from MMA.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is set to wrestle former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at RAF 6 on Feb. 28 at the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. Sterling replaces an injured Chad Mendes on short notice. 

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After a career spanning over 17 years, Henderson hung up his MMA gloves following a loss against Usman Nurmagomedov in 2023. “Smooth” has since competed in Karate Combat, boxing, and wrestling. Henderson most recently suffered a submission loss in a grappling match against Arman Tsarukyan at ACBJJ in September 2025. 

Meanwhile, Sterling has competed in various grappling matches while staying active in the UFC. “Funkmaster” has gone 2-1 since moving up to featherweight after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley in 2023. 

Champ vs. Champ

Read more about Former UFC champions set to clash at RAF 6 on Feb. 28

Fans anticipating a future blockbuster showdown between Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev might have to wait for the time being.

At the UFC Houston post-fight press conference this past Saturday, Dana White indicated that he preferred to see Chimaev defend his middleweight belt at least once before moving up to 185 pounds. However, the UFC CEO seemed more open to the possibility of “Poatan” moving up to heavyweight.

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“Pereira is one of those guys who always steps up and does what we need him to do. Whatever this guy wants to do, we’re going to work with him,” White said.Enjoying LifeMeanwhile, that same Saturday, some 5,000 miles away, the UFC light heavyweight champion posted a video enjoying the champions' parade at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, a major event on the Brazilian calendar that attracts millions of people. In a video shared on Instagram, the UFC heavyweight champion showed the VIP area where he was enjoying the party with some friends. Read more about ‘Poatan’ attends popular festival in Rio de Janeiro, awaits next move in UFC

Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision in 2015. | Esther Lin/Showtime

More than a decade after their first fight, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are going to run it back.

Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 will take place on Sept. 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas and will stream on Netflix, the streaming platform announced on Monday. After years of circling each other for a blockbuster bout, Mayweather and Pacquaio initially squared of in 2015, with “Money” winning a clear-cut unanimous decision.

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Mayweather, 48, hasn’t fought professionally since defeating former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor via 10th-round TKO in August 2017. However, the former champion has competed in a number of exhibitions, facing the likes of Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul, Mikuru Asakura and John Gotti III, to name a few. Mayweather, who owns a 50-0 professional mark, is expected to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout this April in the Congo.

The …

Ronda Rousey is ready to go head-to-head against the UFC as she promotes her comeback fight.

The former UFC bantamweight queen will compete for the first time since 2016 when she faces Gina Carano under the Most Valuable Promotions banner in a featherweight bout televised on Netflix on May 16. The fight has generated plenty of attention since it was announced last week, and a lot of that has to do with Rousey, who remains the biggest star in women’s MMA history.

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For Rousey, however, at least part of the narrative centers around her showdown with Carano providing some competition for the UFC.

"It's a dream fight and a superfight and everything, but I feel like the story and everything behind it is not just this fight," Rousey said in a video released by MVP on Monday.. "A lot of it is MVP vs. UFC. That's where I'm gonna f—-ing go real hard in the trenches.

"We're helping [the UFC] because they're suffering from a lack of competition. They can'…

Daniel Cormier is impressed with the version of Sean Strickland that showed up at UFC Houston on Saturday. 

Strickland was a massive underdog going into his middleweight headliner against Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston on Saturday. However, Strickland displayed his signature defensive striking masterclass from the opening bell, never letting “Fluffy” find his rhythm. Strickland folded Hernandez with a knee to the midsection in the third round and followed up with a barrage of punches, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.

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Cormier believes that the version of Strickland that defeated Hernandez could also pose a serious threat to the champion Khamzat Chimaev. “DC” recalls that a similar version of Strickland had shocked the world by dethroning Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title in 2023. Strickland lost his title to Dricus Du Plessis in his first defense and failed to reclaim it in their rematch. However, Cormier believes …

Paddy Pimblett isn’t happy that Benoit St. Denis has climbed above him in the rankings by beating Dan Hooker. 

St. Denis dominated Hooker en route to a technical knockout win at UFC 3255 last month. The win saw the Frenchman climb ahead of Pimblett to the No. 5 spot on the official UFC lightweight rankings. The fact that St. Denis overtook Pimblett by beating Hooker isn’t sitting well with the Liverpudlian. Pimblett is now calling for a matchup against St. Denis, which he bills as a matchup between Europe’s two best lightweights. However, Pimblett is willing to fight anyone that the UFC offers, be it Arman Tsarukyan or anyone from the fallout of the upcoming UFC 326 headliner between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira.

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Keeping Options Open “What pissed me off is that St. Denis has moved above me for beating that bum Dan Hooker… St. Denis sounds like a good fight to me,” Pimblett said on YouTube. “Europe’s two best lightweights going at it again…

Sean Strickland had some choice words about his opponent's coach on Saturday. | Getty/UFC

Sean Strickland drew fuel from his anger toward Anthony Hernandez’s coach, Jim West. 

Strickland (30-7) faced Hernandez in the main event at UFC Houston on Saturday. Unlike most of his other opponents, Strickland couldn’t find a reason to hate Hernandez. Strickland then directed his anger towards Hernandez’s coach, West. It certainly paid off as Strickland looked in his element en route to a third-round stoppage win over “Fluffy.”

Strickland subsequently accused West of grooming former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd. Strickland claims Ladd was still a minor when West started grooming her. However, Strickland’s tirade was cut short as his mic was muted, and the press conference abruptly ended.

On a Tirade “I kept thinking there’s no f—-ing way I’m gonna let this predator beat me and have a victory over me,” Strickland said. “So my motivation was thinking about Jim We…

Dana White doesn’t think similarly about every UFC champion planning to move up a weight class. 

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira reclaimed his title by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 last year, avenging a previous loss. Pereira is now eyeing a move up to heavyweight. White says “Poatan” has always stepped up for the UFC and deserves to do whatever he wants. White assures that the promotion will work with the Brazilian on whatever his next plan is.

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“He’s one of those guys who always steps up and does whatever we need him to do,” White said at the UFC Houston post-fight press conference. “Whatever that guy wants to do, we’ll work with him.”The Need to DefendHowever, White doesn’t think the same about middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev won the middleweight title via a dominant unanimous decision against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 last year. “Borz” is now eyeing a move up to light heavyweight to challenge Pereira. H…

Uros Medic had an eventful night at UFC Houston on Saturday. 

Medic (13-3) co-headlined the card against welterweight veteran Geoff Neal at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. “The Doctor” sent Neal to the shadow realm with a left hook to the temple in the very first round. 

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Medic revealed that he was congratulated by President Donald Trump immediately after his win. Trump lauded Medic for dispatching Neal, who was known for his durability until his last few losses. Medic, who was born in Serbia, also shares ethnic similarity to the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, who was born in Slovenia. Medic had also pleaded for the resolution of his immigration issues in his post-fight Octagon interview. Trump promised that the UFC welterweight would be free to travel. Medic was overwhelmed by the conversation, which seemed unreal initially.

“They brought me back,” Medic told the UFC. “Dana was in the office, as soon as I walked in,…

Paddy Pimblett believes his fight against Justin Gaethje might have played out differently had fouls been aptly penalized. 

Pimblett (23-4) and Gaethje (27-5) fought for the vacant lightweight title in the main event at UFC 324 last month in Las Vegas. Gaethje handed Pimblett a beating en route to a unanimous decision victory. However, the fight wasn’t entirely devoid of controversy. 

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Gaethje received a stern warning for poking Pimblett in the eye in the first round. Gaethje also dropped Pimblett late in the second round and “The Baddy” was barely saved by the bell. But replay showed that Gaethje blatantly poked Pimblett in the eye before dropping him in the second round. However, despite the previous warning, Gaethje didn’t have a point taken away.  Pimblett notes that the most damage he received from Gaethje was after he got poked in the eye and then dropped. The Liverpudlian came back strong and went on to went on to win the third ro…

Paul Hughes will fight on home soil this spring. | PFL MMA

A lightweight clash pitting Paul Hughes against Jay-Jay Wilson will headline Professional Fighters League’s return to Belfast, Ireland, the promotion announced Monday.

PFL Belfast takes place at the SSE Arena on April 16. The main card airs on ESPN2, the ESPN app and ESPN Deportes in the United States beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The prelims will be broadcast on the ESPN app at 2:30 p.m.. ET/11:30 a.m. PT. More bout are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

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Lightweight Contenders in Ireland A former Cage Warriors champion, Hughes was a high-profile free agent signee for the PFL in 2024. He has gone 2-2 under the PFL banner, with both of his losses coming against reigning lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. He notably defeated former Bellator MMA featherweight king A.J. McKee via split decision at PFL “Battle of the Giants” in October 2024.

Wilson, meanwhile, …

Paddy Pimblett had an uneasy feeling just before walking out for his fight against Justin Gaethje. 

Pimblett (23-4) faced his biggest step up in competition to date in Gaethje for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 324 last month. Despite an immense display of grit, Pimblett suffered a beatdown en route to a unanimous decision loss against Gaethje. 

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Pimblett says he is being lauded for the loss against Gaethje more than he has been praised for his seven UFC wins leading up to that. “The Baddy” also revealed that he got a weird feeling just before walking out for the fight. While Pimblett didn’t feel his usual confident self, he brushed off the feeling once his walkout music started playing. The Liverpudlian believes he might have been waiting too long backstage before walking out. Regardless, Pimblett had a perfect camp and weight cut and makes no excuses for his loss.Looking Back “I always watch me fights back,” Pimblett said on YouTube. …

Anthony Hernandez is taking his loss to Sean Strickland in stride.

“Fluffy” saw an eight-bout winning streak come to an end in the UFC Houston headliner, as he fell to Strickland via third-round technical knockout on Saturday at the Toyota Center. Hernandez struggled to match the volume of his opponent before a knee to the body from the ex-middleweight king set the stage for the finishing sequence. Strickland put the reeling Hernandez away with a barrage of punches at the 2:23 mark of Round 3.

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“First things first, thank you guys so much everyone who came out,” Hernandez said in an Instagram Story. “Showing me a lot of love, that was f—ing awesome. Players f—k up. I mean, I was on an eight-fight win streak. Felt like things were going smooth until I got hit with a f—king body shot. Sh— happens. Part of the game. Took six years for someone to finally beat me. I’ll be back.”Paying Respect While a victory could have made Hernandez next in line for 185-po…

Welterweights with championship aspirations will square off in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card on April 25.

The promotion announced on Saturday that Sean Brady will meet Joaquin Buckley in a 170-pound tilt at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card will also include a women’s bantamweight scrap pitting Norma Dumont against Yana Santos and airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

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Looking to Rebound Brady had a three-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Michael Morales at UFC 322 this past November. Prior to that, the Philadelphia Fight Factory representative had earned successive triumphs over Kelvin Gastelum, Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships title holder is 7-2 during his UFC tenure overall.

Buckley, meanwhile, saw a six-fight promotional winning streak come to an end at UFC Atlanta, where he dropped a five-round verdict to ex-champ Kamar…

Chris Duncan will get his first main event opportunity on April 4. | Getty/UFC

A pair of American Top Team stablemates will lock horns in the UFC Fight Night 272 main event.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Saturday that Renato "Moicano" Carneiro will lock horns with Chris Duncan in a five-round featherweight bout on April 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. UFC Fight Night 272 also includes a women’s strawweight showdown between Virna Jandiroba and Tabatha Ricci and will air on Paramount+.

“Moicano” was initially slated to face Brian Ortega at UFC 326 on March 7 before his opponent withdrew from the bout. After winning four straight fights from November 2022 to September 2024, Carneiro found himself in a short-notice lightweight title tilt against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. The Brazilian was submitted in the first round of that contest. He returned at UFC 317 this past June, where he dropped a unanimous verdict to Beneil Dariush.

Duncan, …