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Marwan Rahiki has finished all his opponents inside the distance. | Getty/UFC

Saturday’s UFC Perth card has undergone a late change.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Wednesday that Jack Jenkins has withdrawn from a proposed featherweight clash against Marwan Rahiki due to an undisclosed injury. As a result, Ollie Schmid will step in on less than a week’s notice to face Rahiki.

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UFC Perth — also known as UFC Fight Night 275 — takes place at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia and is headlined by a welterweight showdown between Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates. The card airs in its entirety on Paramount plus beginning at 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT.Prospects Collide Rahiki enjoyed a successful Octagon debut, breaking Harry Hardwick’s jaw in a second-round technical knockout victory at UFC Fight Night 269 on March 14. The 23-year-old former Hex Fight Series champ is 8-0 as a professional, with all of his triumphs coming inside the distanc…

Arman Tsarukyan thinks the UFC doesn’t necessarily dislike drama from fighters. 

Conor McGregor (22-6) is credited for taking MMA to unforeseen heights, also becoming the sport’s greatest ever star in the process. While McGregor is known for his legendary trash talk, “Notorious” also arguably crossed some boundaries to promote his fights. 

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The most notable of McGregor’s build-ups was ahead of his UFC 229 clash against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Dubliner threw a dolly at a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other fighters at UFC 223 in 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. However, Tsarukyan doesn’t think the UFC was disappointed with McGregor’s actions. According to “Ahalkalakets,” it was the drama leading up to the fight that made McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov the biggest fight in UFC history.Selling the Drama “It’s good for the UFC,” Tsarukyan told Patrick Bet-David. “You think they didn’t like it? They liked it… The sport is getting bi…

Jake Paul claims Dana White was rooting against him early in his boxing career. 

Paul suffered his second professional loss against Anthony Joshua via sixth-round knockout this past December. Paul’s matchup against the former boxing world heavyweight champion was considered one of the biggest mismatches of recent times. 

White was surprised that the fight even came to fruition. The UFC head honcho said that anyone involved with the bout should be embarrassed. Responding to White, Paul recently recalled that the UFC didn’t have any weight classes in its early days, which allowed bizarre matchups like Keith Hackney vs. Emmanuel Yarborough. Paul also claims that White actively rooted against him early in his career. While Paul started his boxing career against fellow influencers, he first made headlines in the world of combat sports by knocking out UFC veteran Ben Askren in the first round of their bout in 2021. Paul claims White was funding Askren’s training t…

Carlos Prates is confident that a victory over Jack Della Maddalena in the UFC Perth headliner on Saturday will lead to a welterweight title shot.

“I think it’s the natural path. I just knocked out a former champion [Leon Edwards]. “If I can knock out another one, even more so fighting in his home country, I think the title shot will come,” Prates said in an interview with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana.

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The Fighting Nerds standout made it clear that he is prepared for the best version of the former champion.

“I’m coming prepared to face a guy who lost the belt and is coming full of hate and with the support of his fans to reclaim his belt and show that he’s alive in the division, ready to fight for five rounds in the toughest fight of his life,” Prates said. “I prepared for this, but I hope it won’t be. Hopefully I’ll land two punches in the first round and he’ll go with God.”

Planning Another Highlight Prates, who has been victorious in six…

Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t care about his opponents’ game plans. 

Chimaev’s close friend, Arman Tsarukyan, recently explained why the middleweight champion is different than most fighters. Tsarukyan claims that Chimaev never studies tape on his opponents. According to Tsarukyan, Chimaev is only focused on his own game plan in the fight. Chimaev is so confident in his skills that he doesn’t care about what his opponent is going to bring to the table.

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“Borz” is scheduled to defend his title against Sean Strickland (30-7) at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tsaruyan (23-3)  is currently helping Chimaev (15-0) in camp for his upcoming fight. Tsarukyan guarantees that he has watched more tape on Strickland than Chimaev has. Tsarukyan also admits that he naturally has a different approach than Chimaev,  watching a lot of tape on his opponent and making a game plan accordingly.Film Study Overrated? However, Chimaev…

Considered by many to be the greatest ju-jitsu coach in Brazil today, even called the Brazilian John Danahar, Melquizael Galvao was arrested on Tuesday in Brazil for suspected sexual crimes against female students in Manaus.

The father of Micael Galvão (Mica), considered the biggest name in jiu-Jjtsu in Brazil today, Melqui is also a civil police officer in the state of Amazonas.

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The temporary arrest was decreed after complaints gathered by the 8th Women's Defense Police Station (DDM), which is investigating reports of abuse involving at least three victims. According to the police, the complainants presented a recording in which the suspect indirectly admits to the incident and tries to prevent the case from going forward, with the promise of financial compensation. The 13-minute audio recording of Melquizael's plea to the victim's parents went viral throughout the jiu-jitsu community. In the recording, the coach acknowledges his mistake, swears rem…

Sean Strickland will try to recapture middleweight gold at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

Sean Strickland has serious bad blood with Khamzat Chimaev. 

Strickland (30-7) is scheduled to challenge Chimaev (15-0) for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland and Chimaev's beef leading up to the fight goes beyond the customary trash talk. 

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Chimaev recently said that Strickland would flee if he confronted him with his gang, as the former middleweight champion has no friends. Known for his controversial take on gun control, Strickland says he would just shoot Chimaev’s gang if they tried to jump him. 

Fighters with even long-standing beefs often bury the hatchet after sharing the Octagon. However, Strickland doesn’t think he will be cordial with Chimaev ever. According to Strickland, the loser of his fight with Chimaev will have to swallow a bitter pill and li…

Belocqua Wera helped mold Alex Pereira into the fighter he is today. | Belocqua Wera

If he manages to beat Ciryl Gane on June 14 at UFC White House, Alex Pereira will be the only fighter in history to win three belts in different divisions in the world's largest MMA promotion.

Before arriving in the UFC, Poatan had already been a double champion (middleweight and light heavyweight) in Glory Kickboxing. Most fans today associate Pereira with his current coaches, Glover Teixeira and Plinio Cruz, who was even elected coach of the year at the MMA Oscars in 2024. Despite always pointing out the importance of both in his career, “Poatan” never fails to recognize the importance of his first coach, Belocqua Wera.

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Ultimately, it was this renowned professional, the former coach of the Brazilian Kickboxing team, who had already trained the famous South American kickboxing champion Paulo Zorello, who extended a hand to him, recognized his talent,…

Aljamain Sterling could feel darkness setting in when Youssef Zalal caught him in a guillotine. 

Sterling (26-5) and Zalal (18-6) traded leather in the main event at UFC Fight Night 274 last Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. It was complete domination by Sterling, barring a brief guillotine scare in the third round. As Zalal caught Sterling in a guillotine, “Funkmaster” took him down, leading to an even tighter choke. However, Sterling maintained composure and defended the choke and went on to dominate the rest of the round and the fight to earn a unanimous decision win. 

Difficult to Breathe Sterling recently revealed that Zalal’s guillotine was substantially tight. “Funkmaster” even felt his vision clouding momentarily. However, the former bantamweight champion just didn’t have any quit in him. Sterling admits that he might have tapped to a similar choke in training.  

“It was tight,” Sterling told Home of Fight. “I could definitely feel my trachea; e…

Khamzat Chimaev’s mood can apparently shift within hours. 

Arman Tsarukyan is currently helping Chimaev for his upcoming fight. Tsarukyan recently revealed that Chimaev has polarizing mood swings. While Chimaev can be the funniest guy in a moment, he can turn into the scariest being within an hour. Tsarukayn claims it’s impossible to strike up a conversation with Chimaev sometimes, as “Borz” would only reply in monosyllables. However, on other days, Chimaev can keep talking for hours on end.

A Study in Contrasts “You can see him once being the funniest guy ever,” Tsarukyan told Patrick Bet-David. “But you can see him in one hour; he can be the scariest guy ever. He can change his moods so fast… Maybe because we’re fighters. Some days, you cannot even talk to him. ‘How are you?’ ‘Good.’ That’s it, he doesn’t talk. Some days, he never stops; he can talk for three to four hours.” 

Chimaev (15-0) is considered one of the scariest active fighters in the UFC. While…

Lumumba Sayers went 6-5 during his professional MMA career. | Isaac Hinds

Former Strikeforce competitor Lumumba Sayers was found guilty of murder and other charges on Monday, according to a statement by the Adams & Broomfield Colorado District Attorney's Office.

An Adams County jury found Sayers guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and attempt to commit tampering with physical evidence in relation to the fatal shooting of Malcolm Watson in Commerce City, Colorado, on August 10, 2024. Sayers is scheduled for sentencing with Judge Jeffrey Ruff on July 24.

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According to Denver7, Sayers testified that he did not shoot or kill Watson, but he did admit to carrying a gun with out concealed carry license. Meanwhile, the Denver Post reports that Sayers gun was never fired that day. Investigators believe that the gun used to kill Watson was “an untraceable 3-D printed or kit-built ghost gun.” That weapon has not bee…

Arnold Allen will look to regain some momentum on May 16. | Getty/UFC

Though the UFC will be holding a card on the same day as Most Valuable Promotions’ MMA debut on Neftlix, it wouldn’t be accurate to call it counterprogramming by the Las Vegas-based organization.

That’s the perspective of Arnold Allen, who will headline UFC Fight Night 276 against Melquizael Costa in a featherweight bout at the UFC Apex on May 16 in Las Vegas.

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“The fact it’s me and Melky headlining against them, I don’t think the UFC is really trying to compete,” Allen said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Not to put me and Melky down, but let’s be real. Star power, like, they ain’t trying to compete.”

The MVP card is headlined by a women’s featherweight clash between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, a matchup Rousey is touting as the biggest female fight ever. The event also includes Francis Ngannou’s return, as he takes on Philipe Lins in the heavyweight co-main eve…

Paddy Pimblett took a beating against Justin Gaethje. | Getty/UFC

While Paddy Pimblett displayed heart by going toe-to-toe against Justin Gaethje in the UFC 324 headliner, it wasn’t exactly the best tactical approach.

The end result was a unanimous decision defeat, as Gaethje battered “The Baddy” on the feet for the better part of five rounds to claim the interim lightweight crown. Pimblett might have been better served trying to make Gaethje grapple, but he wanted to prove a point against one of the sport’s top all-action competitors. As a result, it’s Gaethje who gets a chance to unify the lightweight title when he faces Ilia Topuria in the UFC White House main event on June 14.

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“To be honest, with the last fight, I think it was a little bit of me ego got in the way,” Pimblett said on his YouTube channel. “I wanted to knock him out. I wanted to strike with him and show everyone I can strike. I wanted a war. When you’re trying to take…

Arman Tsarukyan isn’t interested in remaining idle as he awaits word on his next UFC bout.

The lightweight contender has booked his fifth match under the Real American Freestyle banner, as he will square off against wrestling influencer Keelon Jimison — better known as “Mugzy” — at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas. The organization announced the pairing on Tuesday. RAF 9 is headlined by a heavyweight matchup pitting Gable Steveson against Alexander Romanov and airs via Fox Nation.

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No UFC, No Problem Tsarukyan is 4-0 in RAF competition since January, earning victories over the likes of Lance Palmer, Georgio Poullas (twice) and Urijah Faber. Since his most recent Octagon appearance, a first-round submission of Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar this past November, the 29-year-old Russian has competed in a couple of grappling matches in addition to his prolific efforts in RAF.

“Mugzy” has competed twice for the wrestling promotion, losing to Poullas at RAF 5 while bes…

Flyweight gold will be on the line at Rizin "Landmark Vol. 14.”

Hiromasa Ougikubo will defend his 125-pound crown against Makoto Takahashi in the evening’s main event on June 6 at Xebio Arena Sendai in Miyagi, Japan. The Japanese promotion recently announced the booking, along with several other bouts for the event.

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Ougikubo claimed the flyweight strap on New Year’s Eve, when he completed his run through the Rizin Fighting Federation grand prix with a unanimous decision triumph against Yuki Motoya. After suffering a three-bout losing streak from September 2022 to July 2023, the 39-year-old Japanese standout has rallied to win five consecutive outings — all via decision — under the Rizin banner.

Takahashi, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his last five fights. The 25-year-old American Top Team representative kicked off his 2026 campaign with a first-round submission triumph against Nkazimulo Zulo at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 13” on April 12. Read more about Flyweight title tilt headlines Rizin ‘Landmark Vol. 14’ on June 6

Dustin Poirier considers Ilia Topuria among the top five UFC lightweights in history. 

Poirier recently listed his top five UFC lightweights of all-time on “Deep Waters.” The list is as follows:

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Khabib NurmagomedovIslam MakhachevB.J. PennIlia Topuria Frankie Edgar

Poirier (30-10) is also considered one of the greatest lightweights who never tasted UFC gold. Poirier made failed title bids against Nurmagomedov and Makhachev. While Nurmagomedov stopped “The Diamond” with a rear-naked choke in 2019, Makhachev did the same with a brabo choke in 2024. 

A Credentialed Group Makhachev holds the record for the most title defenses (4) in UFC history. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov, Penn, and Edgar tie for the second spot with three defenses each. Meanwhile, Topuria (17-0) won the vacant lightweight title against Charles Oliveira last year and is scheduled to defend it for the first time against Justin Gaethje on June 14 at the White House. Topuria…

Aljamain Sterling thinks Youssef Zalal was almost looking past him. 

Zalal faced Sterling in the first UFC main event of his career last weekend at the Apex in Las Vegas. Despite Sterling being a former bantamweight champion, Zalal was a favorite going into the fight. However, Sterling thoroughly dominated Zalal on the ground, even landing the more damaging strikes on the feet, to earn a unanimous decision win. 

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For Sterling, Zalal’s confidence almost bordered on cockiness during fight week. Sterling believes Zalal felt that it was his time and started counting his chickens before they hatched. Despite having trained together in the past, Sterling thinks Zalal forgot what went down in the gym.The Wrong Aura “He had an aura about him – I didn’t know if it was cockiness or confidence,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “It’s always a very fine line with that… It almost felt like he was looking past me… He almost felt like it was his time,…

Jiri Prochazka is bothered about Carlos Ulberg’s latest comments. 

Ulberg (14-1) and Prochazka (32-6) fought for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 327 earlier this month in Miami. Ulberg compromised his knee early in the fight, and Prochazka looked to be en route to a sureshot win. However, “Black Jag” pulled out a slick combo out of thin air to knock Prochazka out clean. Prochazka subsequently said that he was going light after he saw Ulberg’s injured knee. 

However, Ulberg isn’t buying Prochazka’s claims of being merciful. Ulberg even said that Prochazka’s samurai persona, built on the Bushido code, is mostly a facade. According to Kiwi, he could sense fear in Prochazka when they faced off ahead of UFC 327. 

Responding to Ulberg, Prochazka took a dig at his previous profession of stripping. According to “BJP,” he couldn’t properly fathom that the fight had become easy after Ulberg compromised his knee. As for Ulberg’s accusations of prete…

Francis Ngannou believes his former foe Ciryl Gane is not a suitable matchup for Alex Pereira. 

Pereira (13-3) is set to face Gane (13-2) for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House on June 14. Pereira will look to create history by winning a UFC title in a third weight category. However, many, including Ngannou, consider Gane to be Pereira’s toughest test so far. 

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It will be a big move up for Pereira, who started his UFC career as a middleweight. Ngannou believes Gane is more well-round that Pereira. Gane is known for being unusually slick at heavyweight. Ngannou believes Pereira will find it difficult after moving up from light heavyweight to face a heavyweight striker who is faster than most light heavyweights.More Tools “I think Ciryl has more tools here,” Ngannou told Helen Yee. “Alex Pereira has his own style, Ciryl Gane has his own style. For me, it’s not a good matchup for Alex Pereira in terms of style. Basically, if he’s…

Davey Grant is brutally honest with himself. 

Grant (18-8) took on Dana White's Contender Series graduate Adrian Luna Martinetti at UFC Fight Night 274 last weekend. The highly touted Ecuadorian debutant was a sizeable favorite going into the bout against Grant. 

However, Grant overwhelmed Martinetti with his decades of experience, turning it into an ugly slugfest. Grant walked away with a unanimous decision while both fighters earned an extra $100,00 each for the “Fight of the Night.” 

Grant recently opened up on the juncture he is currently at in his career. The 40-year-old isn’t very hopeful of making a title run in the UFC before he retires. While Grant might enter the title picture with a series of knockouts, he says he isn’t “delusional.” Grant is focused on making a legacy of being entertaining, which leaves a long list of opponents open to the Englishman.

Staying Realistic “I’m not delusional,” Grant said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” …

Sean Strickland is unhinged with his teammates. 

Strickland is known for his controversial takes on gun control. The former middleweight champion has a large collection of guns and advises people to carry guns as well. Strickland’s teammate, Francis Ngannou, once asked him why he always carries a gun. Strickland hilariously told him to look at himself in the mirror.

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“So Francis asked me once why I carry a gun,” Strickland said on MVP Uncut. “I told him, ‘Look in the mirror.’”

Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champ, certainly cuts an intimidating figure. However, Strickland has other reasons to carry a gun. Strickland was once seen holding a domestic abuse suspect at gunpoint outside his home in Las Vegas. Strickland also found himself on the wrong end of a gun during a road rage incident. 

Big Fights on the Horizon Strickland and Ngannou are both currently in camp at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. Strickland (30-7) will chall…

Aljamain Sterling is not one to create a ruckus if he can help it. 

Sterling (26-5) dominantly defeated Youssef Zalal at UFC Fight Night 274 last weekend. Something unusual occurred at the pre-fight press conference that captured the attention of fans and pundits. Sterling had placed two bottles of his “Funk Harbor” liquor in front of him at the presser. However, a UFC staff member suddenly asked Sterling to remove the bottles, and “Funkmaster” obliged without any fuss. 

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Sterling recently revealed that he had permission from UFC executive Hunter Campbell to display his bottles, which he had been doing for his past few fights. Sterling claims he has barely had any issues with the UFC staff, barring a stray incident when he was bantamweight champion. Sterling says the UFC staff member who recently asked him to remove the bottles later made it up to him. According to Sterling, he could have easily gotten confrontational, but decided not to, a…

Islam Makhachev’s next title defense is seemingly set. 

Makhachev’s strength and conditioning coach, Seifulla Magomedov, was recently seen training the UFC welterweight champion. Magomedov also confirmed that Makhachev is now officially in camp for his next fight. While the camp started a few days back, Makhachev joined on Monday.

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Back to Work “The camp began a few days ago, but for Islam, it has really started today,” Magomedov told Red Corner MMA.

Makhachev (28-1) moved up from lightweight after defending the title four times, the most in the division’s history. Makhachev dethroned Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight title at UFC 322 this past November. Ian Garry and Michael Morales are currently jostling for the next title shot against Makhachev. Makhachev even expressed interest in Garry’s latest callout, claiming that he is just waiting on a contract. Meanwhile, Morales has hinted that he is not out of the picture yet by posting …

After his first scheduled Real American Freestyle appearance fell through, Merab Dvalishvili has been booked to face another accomplished former UFC champ on May 30.

The organization announced on Monday that Dvalishvili will face Frankie Edgar at RAF 9 on May 30 in Dallas. Dvalishvili was originally supposed to meet Henry Cejudo in the RAF 8 headliner before Cejudo suffered an injury just prior to their match. RAF 9 is headlined by a matchup between Gable Steveson and Alexander Romanov, while Colby Covington will square off against Chris Weidman in the co-main event. The event airs on Fox Nation.

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Dvalishvili, who is known for his relentless pace and grappling in the UFC, relinquished the bantamweight crown to Petr Yan in the UFC 323 headliner this past December. “The Machine” is expected to be granted a rematch against the Russian champion in the near future.

Edgar wrestled collegiately at Clarion University before transitioning to an MMA career. …