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Jon Jones remains highly confident in his ability.

In a recent interview, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight and light heavyweight titleholder weighed in on how he believes a fight against fellow former two-division king Alex Pereira and a wrestling match against longtime rival Daniel Cormier would unfold, backing himself in both scenarios.

Jon Jones explains why he sees grappling as the deciding factor in a hypothetical fight with Alex Pereira Jones and Pereira were seemingly on a collision course when the latter announced his move up to heavyweight for UFC Freedom 250. However, with Jones’ ongoing stalemate with the UFC regarding his future, a fight against “Poatan” has fallen through.

Nevertheless, Jones cites size as a key factor at heavyweight, claiming his former opponents Stipe Miocic and Ciryl Gane are bigger than Pereira, who previously competed at 185 pounds.

“I watched Pereira train,” Jones said in an interview with AFL Global. “I …

Arman Tsarukyan will return to competition this weekend, though not inside the Octagon.

The top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender is set to face Indian fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria in a submission-only grappling match at a Hype Fighting event in Armenia, the promotion announced on Instagram.

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Arman Tsarukyan faces Ankit Baiyanpuria in a submission-only grappling match at Hype Fighting in Armenia Hype Fighting announced a submission-only grappling match between Tsarukyan and Baiyanpuria for their upcoming event in Yerevan, Armenia, on Aug. 1.

Tsarukyan has not competed in mixed martial arts since November last year, when he submitted Dan Hooker. The victory marked his return following a lengthy hiatus after earning a decision win over former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April 2024.

While his next UFC appearance remains unconfirmed, Tsarukyan has stayed active outside the promotion. The Ar…

Islam Makhachev's elite grappling continues to draw compliments.

Makhachev will look to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title against Ian Garry in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Ahead of his first title defense at 170 pounds, Porrada Training Center coach Ronny Markes has hailed Dagestan’s ability on the mat.

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Islam Makhachev’s grappling advantage before UFC 330 welterweight title defense Markes has worked with numerous high-level athletes at his Las Vegas gym, including Johnny Walker, Jessica Andrade, Alexander Volkov, Magomed Ankalaev and Kelvin Gastelum. Speaking to Sherdog, he offered insight into Makhachev's grappling prowess.

“I watched him train here at the P.I. against an ADCC champion, a Brazilian more than 10 kilograms [22 pounds] heavier, under grappling rules,” Markes said. “It was an incredibly tough session and Islam only lost by two or three points in that grappling sp…

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The Professional Fighters League has finalized the lineup for its July 31 event at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, featuring an 11-bout card headlined by a lightweight title fight.

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PFL New York is headlined by Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Archie Colgan. The card also features several notable matchups across the main and preliminary cards.PFL New York: All the details PFL New York will see undefeated champion Nurmagomedov (21-0) defend his lightweight crown against unbeaten contender Colgan (13-0) in the main event. In the co-headliner, top-ranked women's flyweight Dakota Ditcheva (15-0) returns after more than a year on the sidelines against Denise Kielholtz (9-5) in a bout with significant title implications at 125 pounds.

The main card also includes a light heavyweight matchup between Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (26-8-1) and Simeon Powell (12-2), while unbeaten lightweight prospect Amru Magomedov (10-0) squares off against Angel …

Islam Makhachev can do it all.

Makhachev recently gave two young men a stylistic makeover. He started by taking off one’s necklace and the other’s bracelet. The Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion then cropped off their curly locks of hair with a trimmer. The Dagestani assured them that the new hairdo suited them better.

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Islam Makhachev’s Dagestan team tradition returns ahead of UFC 330 The close crop hairstyle is mandatory in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team. The rule was laid down by the UFC Hall of Famer’s late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who initially honed the entire team in the mountains of Dagestan. Notably, Makhachev had once been thrown out of the gym for having long hair.

Makhachev took to his Instagram Stories to showcase the only hairstyle permitted in the team.

“Today, for these two brothers, we make good haircut. I swear you look better.”

Khabib also posted a video of his protege trimming their hair. Makhachev sh…

F1 star Lewis Hamilton was very disappointed with Jon Jones for an unexpected reason.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship double champ recently recalled an incident that led Hamilton to unfollow and block him on social media. Jones had joined Army Rangers on a hunting trip from a helicopter with rifles. He even managed to shoot a pig, which was donated to an underprivileged family. However. Hamilton was disappointed with Jones’ way of hunting.

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Jon Jones explains how Lewis Hamilton reacted to his helicopter pig hunt and why the F1 icon cut ties on social media Hamilton called Jones a “coward” for shooting the animal from a helicopter. The former F1 champ believes that animals should be hunted traditionally with spears or arrows, to give them a fighting chance.

“I went hunting years ago with a bunch of Army Rangers and we ended up hunting pigs from a helicopter using AR-15s,” Jones told ALF Global. “I was so proud of myself because I killed one…

Despite failing multiple drug tests, Jon Jones insists that he never used steroids.

Jones (28-1) is considered one of the greatest fighters in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. However, his legacy is marred by multiple anti-doping violations throughout his career. The former two-division champion recently reiterated past claims that he’s never taken performance-enhancing substances.

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Jon Jones’ UFC career remains tied to anti-doping controversies and GOAT debates Jones was stripped of the interim UFC lightweight heavyweight title after testing positive for clomiphene and letrozole following his win over Ovince St. Preux in 2016. He again tested positive for a turinabol metabolite in 2017, which led to his stoppage win over Daniel Cormier in their rematch being overturned to a no contest.

While Jones tested positive for the M3 metabolite of oral turinabol in 2018 following his win over Alexander Gustafsson, “Bones” wasn’t penalized as the subst…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Anthony Smith has been arrested on multiple charges.Anthony Smith remains in custody after his arrest in Nebraska on multiple criminal chargesSmith (39-22) was arrested in Sarpy County, Nebraska, on charges of terroristic threat, 1st degree false imprisonment and domestic violence causing serious bodily injury. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger currently remains in police custody in Sarpy County.

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Terroristic threat and 1st degree false imprisonment carry a maximum of three years in prison, plus fines and post-release supervision. Meanwhile, the domestic violence charge can result in a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Smith left the UFC on a three-fight slump following a loss to Mingyang Zhang last year. “Lionheart” returned to competition this past April, scoring a submission win in Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA.

🚨 Anthony Smith was arrested in Nebraska yesterday on thre…

Paulo Costa wants to bring excitement back to the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.

Costa (16-4) recently slammed former champions Jiri Prochazka and Magomed Ankalaev, calling Prochazka “dumb” for his loss to current champ Carlos Ulberg and labeling Ankalaev’s last bout “boring.” The former middleweight title challenger is now eyeing a title shot.

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Paulo Costa unloads on Magomed Ankalaev after UFC Abu Dhabi while making his case for a UFC light heavyweight title shot Following Ankalaev’s stoppage of Bogdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi, Costa has taken repeated shots at the Russian. Despite Ankalaev securing a late finish, their recent bout was lackluster, primarily due to Guskov backtracking throughout. Costa now claims the former 205-pound king is closer to getting cut from the roster than the title.

Costa also slammed Prochazka for his lapse in judgment against Ulberg, wherein the latter clearly suffered a leg injury in the op…

Jon Jones has mixed feelings about Dana White.

When recently asked to describe the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO in one word, Jones said White is an “asshole.” However, the former double champ made sure to emphasize that he describes White as such “right now” and clarified that he loves White for changing his life.

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Jon Jones explains why he called Dana White an 'asshole' after UFC split with Tom Aspinall The relationship between Jones and White soured amid the promotion’s efforts to book him against Tom Aspinall. “Bones” ultimately vacated the heavyweight championship, drawing the ire of the UFC head honcho. Nevertheless, White continues to proclaim Jones is the GOAT despite their past differences.

While their working relationship has seemingly hit a low point, Jones admits that he’ll always be grateful for the opportunities afforded to him by the UFC.

“Right now, I’ll say asshole,” Jones told ALF Global. “But I love him, no matter what.…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a contingency plan in place for the UFC 330 main event.

Undefeated welterweight contender Michael Morales has been tabbed as the official backup for the championship bout between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry, which headlines UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

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Michael Morales becomes UFC 330 backup for Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry title fight Morales (19-0) has confirmed that he has been instructed to make championship weight (170 pounds) and remain on standby should either Makhachev (28-1) or Garry (17-1) be forced to withdraw due to injury, illness or any other unforeseen circumstance.

The assignment marks another significant milestone for the Ecuadorian prospect, who has rapidly emerged as one of the division's top contenders. Morales has remained unbeaten through seven Octagon appearances and secured the biggest victory of his career with a first-round knockout of Sean Brady in No…

Sean Strickland has slammed fighter compensation in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Strickland recently detailed the financial plight of newly signed UFC fighters. The outspoken reigning middleweight champion also hit out at a UFC matchmaker and some of the promotion’s practices that have rubbed him the wrong way.

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UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland says aspiring fighters should understand the financial challenges of MMA During a recent appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show,” Strickland offered a blunt assessment of the life of the average UFC athlete, arguing that entry-level contracts and the financial realities of competing in the Octagon leave many fighters struggling to make ends meet despite reaching MMA’s biggest stage.

“When you’re a fighter, you’re so f*cking poor,” Strickland said. “Even in the UFC. UFC guys, they’re signing guys at like, 10 and 10, [$10,000] to show, [$10,000] to win, $20 grand. So, then you pay off your manager, …

Dakota Ditcheva is trying to forget about her hand injury as she prepares to return to action in the Professional Fighters League.

The unbeaten British standout meets former Bellator kickboxing champion Denise Kielholtz on July 31 at UBS Arena on Long Island, New York, marking her return after suffering a broken hand against Sumiko Inaba in 2025, an injury that sidelined her for more than a year.

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Dakota Ditcheva discusses confidence struggles before PFL fight with Denise Kielholtz Despite a 100% physical recovery from her injury, Ditcheva still struggles with the mental aspect of returning to competition. She recently admitted that the biggest hurdle has been regaining complete confidence in her repaired hand, especially having undergone reconstructive surgery.

“You have to try and forget about it,” Ditcheva said about her recovery after the surgery. “I’m doing everything I was doing before it was broken, so for now, it’s just the mind. I don’t hav…

Jake Paul has called out Dana White over his softened stance on boxing’s traditional organizations.

Ahead of Zuffa Boxing's launch in 2025, White repeatedly stated that the promotion had no interest in doing business with the WBA, WBC, IBF or WBO. However, following Zuffa Boxing 9, the promotion’s founder acknowledged that they would work with the aforementioned organizations depending on the circumstances, prompting a reaction from Paul on social media.

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Jake Paul criticizes Dana White’s changing stance on WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO partnerships When asked about working with the major sanctioning bodies at the recent Zuffa Boxing presser, White claimed that he’s willing to do so for certain boxers.

“On a case-by-case basis, trying to figure out what the fighters want and what their goals are, we will try to figure out whatever we can do to make those fights happen,” the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO said.

This drew an immediate response from …

Dan Hooker is eager to “ruin” Salahdine Parnasse’s Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The longtime UFC lightweight will square off against the former two-division KSW champion in the UFC Paris main event on Sept. 5 at Accor Arena. While the French standout looks to announce himself on the sport's biggest stage, Hooker plans to silence the home crowd.

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Dan Hooker targets Salahdine Parnasse’s UFC arrival in UFC Paris main event Hooker has revealed that the bout announcement was quickly followed by a barrage of hostile messages from Parnasse's supporters, including death threats.

“The death threats have been outrageous,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “I didn’t get it when I fought [Benoit St. Denis]. French people have been speaking French and telling me I’m going to die and telling me they’re going to kill me… Whoever this c*nt’s fans are, they’re outrageous. It’s going to feel pretty sweet to shut this kid’s lights out and making these guys eat …

Two Ultimate Fighting Championship-inspired crossover title bouts are officially headed to Real American Freestyle.

Rivalries involving Colby Covington, Belal Muhammad, Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo are set to headline the promotion's next two events. RAF recently announced that Dvalishvili will meet Cejudo in the main event of RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland, while Covington will defend his cruiserweight crossover championship against Muhammad at RAF 13 on Sept. 19 in Miami.

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Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad bring UFC rivalry to Real American Freestyle RAF 13 Both Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo and Muhammad vs. Covington will be contested for crossover championships, a division created to allow active and former UFC fighters to compete on the wrestling mats.

Covington became the inaugural cruiserweight crossover champion with a victory over UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. Muhammad confronted Covington during the post-event press co…

Zuffa Boxing founder Dana White hopes to add Gervonta Davis to the promotion's growing stable before potentially matching him up against Shakur Stevenson.

Following Zuffa Boxing 9 in New York, White addressed the possibility of booking a blockbuster showdown between Stevenson and Davis, revealing that he has already held discussions with the latter, having already signed the former.

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Zuffa Boxing’s Shakur Stevenson deal could lead to talks with Gervonta Davis White admitted that he has spoken to Davis and he’s definitely interested in working together in the future.

“I don’t know [about booking Tank vs. Shakur],” White said. “I do love Tank Davis. I’m actually a fan and we’ve talked to them. I don’t want to speak for him or whatever, but I have talked to him and I’m a fan.”

Stevenson recently signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, immediately fueling speculation about potential marquee matchups under the promotion's banner. A clash with D…

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White has shared a timeline for Conor McGregor’s recovery following the Irish star’s anticlimactic return at UFC 329.

McGregor’s long-awaited comeback lasted just 69 seconds as the former two-division champion suffered a knee injury in his rematch against Max Holloway with the first kick he threw. With one fight remaining in his contract, “Notorious” has begun his rehabilitation and has his sights set on his Octagon return. White has now weighed in on when McGregor will be back.

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Dana White updates Conor McGregor’s UFC return after ACL and meniscus injury Days after losing to Holloway, McGregor revealed that he suffered an ACL and meniscus injury. The Irishman later claimed that he’s targeting a return for the summer of 2027. Speaking to reporters following Zuffa Boxing 9, White revealed that McGregor is expected to be sidelined for a year.

McGregor recently shared a video on Instagram of his rehabilitation, …

Islam Makhachev believes he already knows Ian Garry’s strategy for their upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship title clash.

The reigning welterweight champion’s first title defense will be against Garry at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia and the Russian says he has spent his entire training camp preparing for his Irish counterpart’s evasive, movement-heavy fighting style.

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Islam Makhachev prepares for Ian Garry’s movement-heavy style ahead of UFC 330 welterweight title fight Ahead of his title defense, Makhachev broke down the matchup and Garry’s skill set. The former lightweight champ claims he’s prepared to chase “The Future” in their upcoming bout, given how the latter has mostly fought on the back foot.

“His skills: I just have to run in this camp too much because I have to follow him,” Makhachev told MMA Fighting. “He runs too much. I know his game plan. We always see his fights. He has the same style always. I will…

Ilia Topuria and his brother Aleksandre were in attendance for Guram Kutateladze’s engagement party.

Kutateladze recently got engaged to his partner, Erika Nielsen. Ilia and Aleksandre were seen rejoicing and congratulating their longtime friend and teammate. This is one of the few occasions the former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder has been spotted without sunglasses since his title loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250.

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Ilia Topuria's latest public appearance comes at Guram Kutateladze's celebration Kutateladze was a highly touted prospect going into his UFC debut in 2020 and lived up to the hype with a split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot. However, “Georgian Viking” endured an inconsistent UFC stint thereafter, going 3-3 in the promotion. He was released from the UFC following a loss to Kaue Fernandes last year and has since scored a first-round knockout win over fellow UFC veteran Victor Hugo on the regional circui…

Navajo Stirling doesn’t think he’s on a collision course with his training partners in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Stirling (10-0) is scheduled to face his biggest step up in competition so far in Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 in Serbia. Stirling accepted the fight on less than three weeks’ notice, after the former light heavyweight champion’s original opponent, Bogdan Guskov, accepted another short-notice booking.

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A win over Blachowicz moves the Kiwi closer to the title, which is currently held by his teammate, Carlos Ulberg (14-1). Despite former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker also being in the mix at 205 pounds, Stirling doesn’t see himself fighting either one of his teammates.Navajo Stirling discusses Carlos Ulberg, Robert Whittaker and the UFC 205-pound title picture Whittaker (28-9), who has been training at City Kickboxing lately, enjoyed a successful move up to the light heavyweight division, finishing Nikita Kryl…

Navajo Stirling believes Khamzat Chimaev is a one-dimensional fighter.

After Chimaev suffered the first loss of his professional career, the hype surrounding the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion has dampened. Stirling recently called him a “one-trick pony” and wants Chimaev to move up to light heavyweight so they can fight.

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Why Navajo Stirling Believes Khamzat Chimaev Isn't a Complete Fighter While Stirling acknowledges that Chimaev would bring much attention to the 205-pound division, the unbeaten Kiwi wants to expose how “Borz” isn’t a well-rounded fighter.

“I think he’s a bit of a one-trick pony,” Stirling told Full Send MMA. “I would love to fight him. I want to test my theory against someone like that. I would love for some bigger names to come to the division that could bring some hype.”

Chimaev was undefeated and a massive betting favorite going into his first middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 328…

Valter Walker has issued a warning to his heavyweight peers in the Ultimate Fighting Championship for when the fight hits the mat.

The Brazilian submission specialist continued his remarkable streak at UFC Abu Dhabi, forcing a tap from Thomas Petersen with a rare calf slicer in the first round. This marked only the fourth successful calf slicer in Octagon history and extended Walker's streak of sub victories to five straight.

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Valter Walker says he has an answer when opponents defend his heel hook. Walker (16-1) secured four consecutive wins via heel hooks going into UFC Abu Dhabi and added yet another leg-based submission conquest to his record with his victory over Petersen. “The Foot Hunter” later explained that the finish came after his American counterpart successfully defended the heel hook.

“If you’re ready for the heel hook, I have a variation to find a way to win the fight,” Walker said in a post-fight interview. “If the fight is on the gr…

Professional Fighters League CEO John Martin saw several fighters make a statement at PFL Washington D.C.

The PFL put on a show at CareFirst Arena in the American capital, where Thad Jean (12-0) and Ernesto Rodriguez (11-2) fought for the vacant welterweight title in the main event. Rodriguez accepted the matchup on 48 hours’ notice after Jean’s original opponent, Shamil Musaev, pulled out due to weight cut issues.

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The PFL CEO believes Shamil Musaev deserves the next title shot Jean survived a knockdown scare in the second round and pounded out an exhausted Rodriguez to earn a stoppage win in the third period. Martin appreciates Rodriguez for stepping up to save the main event, although the Cuban was originally supposed to fight Aaron McKenzie on the same card. Martin also praised Jean for accepting a sudden change of opponent and would like to see him defend his title against Musaev next.

“Let’s start with Ernesto… 48 hours ago, he was preparing …