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Gable Steveson is 3-0 in MMA bouts. | Mexico Fight League

Gable Steveson’s first UFC appearance is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated debuts in recent memory.

It was recently announced that the Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA national champion will make his first Octagon foray at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas. Steveson’s first UFC opponent — which has yet to be announced — remains a hot topic of discussion as thet fight approaches.

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According to UFC CEO Dana White, the promotion will make sure to find an appropriate opponent for the highly-touted prospect.A Different Level "CM Punk fought here – we'll find somebody," White said on Saturday at the UFC Winnipeg post-fight press conference. "I don't know if we go after a top 15 guy. I say this to you guys all the time: The UFC jitters are real. I don't care how you've competed or where or what you've done. When you come here, it's a different level.

"Our m…

Carlos Ulberg isn’t the only fighter who could be on the shelf for an extended period following UFC 327.

Ulberg was one of six fighters who received an indefinite suspension following the April 11 event at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The Florida Athletic Commission recently released a full list of medical suspensions from UFC 327. The exact nature of each suspension was not revealed.

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Ulberg recently underwent surgery after suffering a torn ACL early in his light heavyweight championship fight against Jiri Prochazka. Despite that injury, “Black Jag” was able to finish his opponent with a left hook and follow-up punches 3:45 into the opening stanza. Prochazka also received an indefinite suspension following the bout. Both Ulberg and Prochazka must received medical clearance before returning to active competition.

Four other fighters from UFC 327 also received indefinite terms: Azamat Murzakanov, Curtis Blaydes, Dominick Reyes and Johnny Walker. Blayde…

While Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber via technical fall at Real American Freestyle 8 on Saturday, it wasn’t the result of the match that attracted attention over the weekend.

Instead, one moment stood out: When Tsarukyan attempted a takedown that resulted in him driving Faber all the way off stage and onto the concrete floor on Saturday in Philadelphia. Fortunately, neither man was hurt in what could have been a scary moment.

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Arman Tsarukyan is a psychopath 🤣 https://t.co/Odg1fCYXrC pic.twitter.com/qbXagyyESp

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 19, 2026

"I don't control myself so much, so if something happens it not like I thinking about something that happened from my mind," Tsarukyan said after the match (via MMAFighting.com). "Thank god Urijah didn't get hurt and we went viral again. So we need that.”

Faber, meanwhile, provided an update via social media while poking fun at his opponent.

“He’s got all t…

Gilbert Burns called it a career on Saturday. | Getty/UFC

Retirement wasn’t initially part of the plan for Gilbert Burns heading into UFC Winnipeg.

However, those plans changed after the former welterweight title challenger suffered a third-round technical knockout loss to Mike Malott in Saturday’s main event at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Burns laid down his gloves in the Octagon at the conclusion of the bout. It was the 39-year-old Brazilian’s fifth consecutive loss within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

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“I was crazy confident I was going to get the win,” Burns said on the Paramount+ post-fight show. “I was 1,000 percent confident that I was going to win. I knew if something goes wrong, I don’t want to do this no more. Not because of anyone. Because I’m not showing my 100 percent. Maybe the age or whatever but I feel a little stuck. The fire is still there but I’m still a little stuck. I cannot let go.

“If I…

John Yannis felt he had a point to prove at UFC Winnipeg. 

Yannis (10-4) opened the action against Canada’s Jamie Siraj (14-4) in a bantamweight clash at the Canada Life Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Saturday. Coming off a loss in his UFC debut, Yannis felt he had a point to prove in his sophomore outing in enemy territory. Yannis knocked out Siraj in front of the latter’s home crowd in the very first round.

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“Came from a loss, so I felt I had something to prove coming into enemy territory,” Yannis told the UFC. “Feels good, couldn’t have asked for a better night.”

Yannis suffered a first-round submission loss against Austin Bashi in his short-notice UFC debut at featherweight last year. However, “The Juice” believes he is one of the best bantamweights with a full camp. Winning in enemy territory is also nothing new to Yannis. Yannis claims he was ruining his opponents’ homecomings on the regional scene, which translated to the bigge…

Robert Valentin felt he just couldn’t lose at UFC Winnipeg. 

Valentin (11-6) took on Canadian debutant Julien Leblanc (10-3) in a middleweight bout at the Canada Life Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Saturday. Valentin looked for his first UFC win, having lost all three of his previous fights in the promotion. However, Valentin didn’t let the pressure get to him this time, unlike in his previous fights. “Robzilla” also had the added motivation to win for his late mother, who passed away last November. The Swiss fighter scored a first-round submission win over Leblanc to make his mother proud.

“I had all of this pressure and it led me to not enjoying the moment,” he told the UFC. “I went back to having fun with my everyday workouts and being around people. And another big thing that motivated me is the passing of my mom. I just know that she’s watching and she’s proud of me not matter what. I couldn’t lose today… I know momma’s up there watching and she’s …

Jasmine Jasudavicius believes her unsatisfactory win at UFC Winnipeg is a blessing in disguise. 

Jasudavicius (15-4) took on fellow veteran Karine Silva (19-7) in a flyweight clash in front of her home crowd at the Canada Life Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Saturday. Jasudavicius picked up a unanimous decision win in a bout mostly marked by inactivity.  Jasudavicius isn’t impressed with her performance at UFC Winnipeg. However, having never lost two fights in a row in her entire career, the Canadian is glad to bounce back from a loss in her last outing.

More to Prove “Not too impressed with my performance,” she told the UFC. “I know it was kind of boring. But back in the win column, still climbing my way to the top. I know that I have more to prove and better to show. But we’re back, baby.”

Jasudavicius was under a ton of pressure to return to the win column at UFC Winnipeg. The 37-year-old feels that the underwhelming win is a blessing in disguise. …

Paulo Costa isn’t above kicking a man when he is down, albeit in good humor. 

Costa (16-4) took on Azamat Murzakanov (16-1) in a light heavyweight clash at UFC 327 earlier this month. Costa was a sizable underdog going into the fight against the previously undefeated Russian finisher. However, “Borrachinha” showed why he is perennially a top contender as he never let Murzakanov get his game going. Costa pieced Murzakanov apart before finishing him with a head kick and a few follow-up shots in the third round. 

Costa recently took a dig at Murzakanov over his comments in the lead up to their fight.

“April 11 Paulo Costa is dead,” Murzakanov wrote on X ahead of UFC 327. “I will get justice for all of Brazil.”

Nothing But Crickets However, there had been radio silence from Murzakanov on social media since Costa handed him his first professional loss. Costa couldn’t help taking a dig at Murzakanov’s absence from social media.

“Hi bro, how are you? You'…

Jai Herbert believes his will to win made all the difference at UFC Winnipeg. 

Herbert (14-6) took on promising debutant Mandel Nallo (14-4) in a lightweight clash at Canada Life Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on Saturday. Nallo hurt Herbert early on with head kicks, even partially dropping him with a right hand. However, Herbert survived the onslaught and returned favour by dropping the Canadian with a right hand. While Nallo managed to return to his feet, “The Black Country Banger” dropped him again with a clean combination and rained brutal ground-and-pound to secure the finish. 

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Herbert admits that his game plan went out of the window in the wild affair that lasted barely over two minutes. Herbert claims he had decided to win when he entered the Octagon against Nallo. Even when Nallo hurt Herbert early, the Englishman knew he would come from behind and get the win unless he was knocked out cold.‘I Just Had the Will’ “I have never …

Dana White is trying his best to secure the best treatment possible for Canadian mass shooting victim Maya Gebala. 

Gebala’s name has been in the UFC Octagon for the past few months. Gebala, 12, was shot in the head and neck during one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history in Tumbler Ridge this past February. White reached out to the family, offering help, when he heard the news. Gebala’s parents want to provide her with the best medical care possible, likely in the U.S. While it was recently reported that Gebala will be treated in Los Angeles, White claims that the procedure is not as simple as it seems. While the UFC head honcho has stepped in to help with his team, he seems annoyed with the complications regarding treating Gebala in the U.S. However, White promises that he and his team are working on it.

Not as Easy as it Sounds“I saw it on the news, and I reached out to the family,” White said at the UFC Winnipeg post-fight press conference. “I wo…

Khamzat Chimaev has signed with Real American Freestyle weeks ahead of his first UFC title defense. 

Chimaev’s signing was announced during the RAF 8 broadcast on Saturday. The UFC middleweight champion is expected to make his debut at RAF 10 on June 13 in St. Louis. 

Chimaev’s close friend Arman Tsarukyan defeated Urijah Faber via technical fall (13-1) at RAF 8. Tsarukyan has been extremely active at RAF while he remains sidelined from the UFC lightweight title picture.  Meanwhile, Chimaev (15-0) is scheduled to defend his middleweight title for the first time against Sean Strickland (30-7) in the main event at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Chimaev dominantly dethroned Dricus Du Plessis to win the title at UFC 319 last year. 

The Wolf is Coming

The Wolf is coming to RAF. pic.twitter.com/F1niSf7osV

— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) April 19, 2026

Four fighters walked away with bonuses at UFC Winnipeg.

Mike Malott (14-2) took on veteran Gilbert Burns (22-10) in front of a home crowd in the main UFC Winnipeg main event on Saturday. Malott picked apart Burns from the opening bell and gradually broke the Brazilian down before finishing him in the third round. Malott earned a $100k Performance of the Night bonus for his victory over “Durinho.” Meanwhile, Burns laid down his gloves following a seven-fight slump to wrap up his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure that spanned more than a decade.

Canada’s Charles Jourdain (18-8) took on Kyler Phillips (12-5) in a bantamweight tilt in the co-main event. While Phillips tried to control Jourdain on the ground, “Air” scrambled throughout the fight, never accepting bottom position. Jourdain also put on an entertaining display with flying knees and rolling thunders, eventually landing more damage to earn a unanimous decision win. The bout was awarded the Fight of the Nigh…

Mike Malott proved he could more than handle the stressors of a top-of-the-ticket assignment in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The burgeoning Niagara Top Team star put away Gilbert Burns with punches in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 273 headliner on Saturday at the Canada Life Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Malott (14-2-1, 7-1 UFC) brought it to a decisive close 2:08 into Round 3, as he logged the most significant victory of his 17-fight career.

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Burns (22-10, 15-10 UFC) tried and ultimately failed to keep the Canadian at bay with leg kicks. Malott employed bulletproof takedown defense and chipped away at the four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion with accurate combination punching. By the time the middle stanza rolled around, damage had begun to build on Burns’ face. Malott dropped the Kill Cliff Fight Club mainstay with a right uppercut and left hook, allowed him to stand, reset and resumed his assault. An overhand right droppe…

Sherdog's live UFC Winnipeg coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 273. Jamie Siraj (136) vs. John Yannis (136) BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Siraj (-250); Yannis (+200)Round 1 It’s Canada against the world in this rough UFC Fight Night card that may yet deliver in terms of action but is sorely lacking in the rankings-relevance department. Nevertheless, we persist, as there are 43 fight cards to punch through this year and a fight fan does not dine on caviar alone. The ground turkey of a fight card provides 12 matches, with nine of those featuring a Canadian athlete against a foreign adversary. The first fight of the night is one of those bouts when newcomers collide, as Siraj (14-3, 0-0 UFC) reps his home country against Texas-based Yannis (9-4, 0-1 UFC) at 135 pounds. Drawing the first assignment of the evening is referee Chris Desautels. The combatants touch ‘em up to seal the cage around them, and it’s time for …

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Arman Tsarukyan just cannot seem to avoid making headlines wherever he goes.

On Thursday, Russian journalist Adam Zubayraev posted a video purportedly showing Tsarukyan’s ejection from an American Airlines commercial aircraft. Per Zubayraev, he and two friends—American Airlines later noted four individuals were involved—were forced to disembark the flight before departure. The initial reason given was that Tsarukyan would not get off his phone during the takeoff procedure, despite the airline staff telling all fliers that they must disable all electronic devices or place them on airplane mode.

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Tsarukyan and his team were en route from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. The fighter still plans on headlining Real American Freestyle 8, the professional wrestling organization which has gained crossover interest from athletes domestic and abroad. Tsarukyan will be wrestling Urijah Faber in their main attraction on Satu…

Professional Fighters League will next be stopping off in South Dakota in a couple weeks.

The organization completed its lineup of 12 matches for its PFL Sioux Falls offering on May 2. The fights are scheduled to take place inside of the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota’s most populous city of Sioux Falls—it is not, however, its capital, as that honor falls to Pierre. Capping off the jaunt to the home state of Mount Rushmore will be a local staple against a PFL Europe champ, as Logan Storley (18-4) looks to defend home turf against Albania’s Florim Zendeli (9-1-1).

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Interim Bellator MMA welterweight titlist Storley was absorbed into the PFL following the merger, joining its roster in 2024. After getting knocked out by the first time in his career at the hands of Shamil Musaev, Storley turned things around to enter the final welterweight bracket of the main tourney. While he reached the finals, Thad Jean turned him away on the scorecards.

It has bee…

Main event ready 💪@GilbertDurinho | 171 lbs

[ #UFCWinnipeg | APRIL 18 | 8pmET LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ou3V3Bjxzp

— UFC (@ufc) April 17, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Canada is now officially set following the UFC Winnipeg weigh-ins.

Headlining the UFC Fight Night event is a welterweight fight between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott. Both men successfully made weight for the five-round bout, which sees them meet at very different points in their careers. All 12 bouts are now official after every fighter on the card made their contracted weight.

Burns (22-9) enters his latest UFC main event in desperate need of a win. "Durinho" has come up short against the cream of the crop at welterweight as Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady and Michael Morales all handily defeated the 39-year-old. The fan-favorite Brazilian fighter will look to show he still has gas in the tank against a less-…

If anyone knows just how bad Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champ Carlos Ulberg’s injury is, it is someone who is going through the same thing.

The newly minted 205-pound king Ulberg starred in one of the most remarkable and improbable scenes in recent memory when he sustained a major injury to his knee in his championship bout atop UFC 327. What very well could be a serious ligament rupture was no reason for Ulberg to quit the fight, as he continued fighting and managed to knock out Jiri Prochazka to claim the vacant belt. His timetable for recovery is currently unknown, but he has already completed surgery, posting about it on Thursday on his Instagram Stories.

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Ulberg is far from the only top-tier fighter to go through this, and not even the lone combatant to blow out his knee recently. Former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos ruptured his ACL in his last outing, succumbing to the knee injury 90 seconds into his UFC 308 conte…

If the lineup holds together, the next Professional Fighters League card in Europe will have the majority of red corner athletes sporting surnames starting with the letter “a.”

Per a press release on Thursday, the PFL has finalized its 12-fight lineup for the May 23 show at the ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium. PFL Brussels will be headlined by a non-title, non-tournament main event pitting undefeated Belgian up-and-comer Patrick Habirora (8-0) against 42-year-old former champion Benson Henderson (30-12).

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Making his pro debut in January 2024, Habirora has rattled off eight victories, seven inside the distance, including four under the PFL Europe banner. The 25-year-old exploded onto the PFL scene last year thanks to a pair of first-round knockouts of Danny Roberts and Kevin Jousset. He has only fought beyond the first round twice as a professional.

While Habirora got his start at the beginning of 2024, it has been since March 2023 that Henderson ha…

This time, it was Darragh Kelly who got mauled.

Taking over for Paul Hughes in the PFL Belfast main attraction, Kelly (9-1, 2-1 PFL) put his flawless record on the line in a dangerous lightweight outing against Jay-Jay Wilson (12-2, 2-1 PFL). Kelly may not have closed as the betting favorite, as lines moved quite closely coming into fight night, but he was the favored man at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Fans were on the side of the “Moville Mauler” from the get-go, even with Wilson attempting to win the crowd over with his walkout of Neil Diamond’s singalong “Sweet Caroline.” All that proved for naught when Wilson smashed Kelly in the ribs with his shin and knocked Kelly into unconscious with his left hand.

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The main event for Professional Fighters League’s second trip to Northern Ireland did not end quite as successfully for local audiences as their first, when the aforementioned Hughes smashed his foe in 42 seconds. Wilson proudly s…

Sherdog's live PFL Belfast coverage will begin Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

A high-stakes lightweight clash headlines PFL Belfast: Tune in Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

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Round 1 Women’s flyweights kick off festivities at PFL Belfast, as Hackett (4-3-1, 1-2 PFL) squares off with a promotional newcomer in Vazquez (8-2, 0-0 PFL) at 125 pounds. Bryan Miner officiates. No glove touch between the two participants. Hackett claims the center, paws with her jab and whiffs on an inside leg kick. Slow start through the first 30 seconds, as they circle each other in the middle of the cage. Hackett misses on an overhand right. The Aussie feints, ducks in and out of the pocket and lands with a body kick. Vazquez not offering much in return. Inside leg kick from Hackett. Vazquez blocks a head kick and stomps at the lead leg. They exchange right hands, though neither woman landed cleanly. Outside leg kick from Hackett, who then slips out of range. Vazquez s…

At times, it seems like Ronda Rousey is more focused on waging war against anyone other than Gina Carano.

While Rousey will square off against Carano in the main event of a Most Valuable Promotions card on Netflix on May 16, “Rowdy” took aim at fellow judoka Kayla Harrison during a press conference on Wednesday. During a recent interview on the ”Death Row MMA” podcast, Harrison, the current UFC bantamweight queen, expressed disappointment that Rousey vs Carano has been touted by some as the biggest fight in women’s MMA history. Harrison also called Rousey “irrelevant.” Harrison was supposed to face Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 before she had to withdraw from the event to undergo neck surgery.

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Rousey was in prime form as she fired back at Harrison during Wednesday’s promotional event.

“If she thinks that her fight is the biggest women’s fight of all-time, why is she getting paid less now than I was 10 years ago?” Rousey said. “So riddle me this, bitch,…

Professional Fighters League’s return to Belfast is now official, as all 24 fighters slated to compete made weight without issue on Wednesday.

PFL Belfast takes place on Thursday at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern, Ireland and is headlined by a ligthweight clash between Darragh Kelly (155.3 pounds) and Jay-Jay Wilson (156). The prelims air on the ESPN app at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT, while the main card airs on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

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⚖️PFL Belfast Official Weigh In

Lightweight Main EventDarragh Kelly: 155.3 lbsJay Jay Wilson: 156#PFLBelfast | Thursday , April 16th | SSE Arena | Belfast, N. Ireland | Early Card 3PM EST on ESPN App | Main Card 7PM EST | ESPN 2 pic.twitter.com/xD8cLZKLYz

— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 15, 2026

Ireland’s Kelly is unbeaten in nine professional outings. He went 2-0 under the PFL banner in 2025, scoring submission victories against Mike Hamel and Bakhtiyar Abdulloev. “The Moville Mauler” a…

Gina Carano fighting in the UFC never became a reality. | Dave Mandel

Before Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey were booked to fight on Netflix as part of Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event, there was some discussion that the fight might happen under the UFC banner.

According to Rousey, that possibility ended with the Paramount deal — which eliminated the UFC pay-per-view model for numbered events. Now, Rousey and Carano will meet on May 16 as part of the first ever MMA card on Netflix.

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It wasn’t the first time Rousey vs. Carano in the UFC was discussed. When “Rowdy” was still UFC champion, Dana White confirmed that there were discussions to bring Carano into the promotion for a high-profile fight between the two stars more than a decade ago. Ultimately, the bout didn’t come to fruition.

As for Carano, she admits that competing in the UFC would have been a big deal.

“I really wanted to. I really wanted to do the UFC, make that w…