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Islam Makhachev believes Merab Dvalishvili has never been happy for him.

Makhachev (29-1) defended his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title for the first time with a unanimous decision win over Ian Garry at UFC 330. Makhachev’s team raised the Russian flag inside the Octagon while he was being declared the winner, drawing the ire of Dvalishvili.

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Makhachev says Dvalishvili has never been happy about his success ahead of Yan-Dvalishvili III Dvalishvili (21-5) was clearly unhappy to see the Russian flag raised in the Octagon. “The Machine” claims it is unfair, as he is allegedly not allowed to raise the Georgian flag after wins. Dvalishvili also argues that the Russian flag is banned from most sporting events due to the ongoing war with Ukraine.

Responding to Dvalishvili, Makhachev says that the former UFC bantamweight champion has never been happy to see him succeed. Makhachev notes that Petr Yan raised the Russian flag after dethroning …

Even elite athletes should leave certain jobs to medical professionals.

Just one week after defending his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title against Ian Garry at UFC 330, Makhachev was in the corner of a longtime teammate, Professional Fighters League athlete Magomed Magomedov.

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Makhachev tried to pop Magomedov’s shoulder back in place after an apparent in-fight dislocation, drawing a reaction from a real doctor online.Dr. Brian Sutterer critiques Makhachev’s response to Magomed Magomedov’s apparent shoulder injuryMagomedov faced former UFC bantamweight Daniel Marcos in the latter's promotional debut at PFL Tampa. The Russian seemingly suffered a shoulder dislocation and during the break between rounds, Makhachev attempted to put it back into position.

Despite the attempt, the shoulder remained a problem for Magomedov going into the third round and Makhachev ultimately had to call for the fight to stop, throwing in the towel. The U…

The Costello van Steenis vs. Johnny Eblen rematch is the biggest fight in Professional Fighters League history, according to the promotion's CEO.

In an interview posted by the PFL on X, John Martin reflected on the rivalry between Eblen and van Steenis, revealing his disappointment with the injury that forced their scheduled rematch to be postponed. He also recalled the chaotic scene that followed Eblen's interim title victory over Impa Kasanganay.

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John Martin points to the bad blood behind Johnny Eblen and Costello van Steenis’ postponed title rematch After Eblen won his fight against Kasanganay, van Steenis unexpectedly entered the cage, setting the stage for a dramatic title unification showdown. Martin's comments suggest the promotion still sees the matchup as a major attraction.

“That was a skirmish in the cage afterwards when Costello unexpectedly climbed in,” Martin said. “And I got a little nervous.” The PFL CEO also recalled Eblen telling …

Professional Fighters League CEO John Martin had nothing but praise for Cris Cyborg after her victory in Tampa, Florida.

Martin hailed Cyborg's performance against Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa and called the Brazilian superstar the most accomplished women's MMA fighter in history. Despite the fight being closely contested, Martin believes Cyborg did enough to earn the victory. He also claims a switch to boxing is possible amidst the promotion’s merger with Most Valuable Promotions.

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Cris Cyborg vs. Claressa Shields in boxing is certainly a possibility with PFL-MVP merger Martin did not hold back on his appreciation for Cyborg after her PFL win against Vieira.

“If you've never seen Cris Cyborg fight before, hopefully you can get an appreciation and an understanding of what a legend this fighter is,” Martin said in a post-fight interview. “The most accomplished women's MMA fighter in history. She had a really tough fight tonight, but for five rounds, …

Chris Padilla already has an opponent in mind for his next Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.

Padilla (18-6-1) submitted Nasrat Haqparast with an arm-triangle choke at 4:59 of the third round on the UFC Sacramento undercard, extending his UFC record to 5-0-1. He now wants to face veteran UFC star Jim Miller.

Padilla wants to test himself against Miller after submitting Nasrat Haqparast at UFC Sacramento “I need Jim Miller, man,” Padilla told Heidi Androl after his win. “You know, it's a veteran, man. He's been in the game for a really long time. I watched him growing up as a little maggot. So, I just want that, you know what I'm saying? I want fights that are going to give me that little tingle. I got to live my dream, and here I am. The new generation is coming up and I'm here to slaughter every one of them.”

Miller, who debuted in the UFC back in 2008, is coming off a submission victory over Jared Gordon in May, which saw the 42-year-old further extend the record …

Gregory Rodrigues claims his experience and patience helped him avoid a collapse against Anthony Hernandez.

“Robocop” earned a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Hernandez in their recent Ultimate Fighting Championship main event, surviving his opponent’s constant pressure to secure the victory. Rodrigues explained his approach during a post-fight interview after UFC Sacramento, detailing the mental hurdles he had to overcome in the bout.

Rodrigues says patience and experience kept him composed in the UFC Sacramento main event Rodrigues admitted that he has faded and fatigued in earlier bouts in the UFC. While he was doing significant damage with calf kicks against Hernandez, the latter’s relentless wrestling never ceased, despite fighting out of southpaw for the majority of the later rounds. Rodrigues claims he wasn’t discouraged by Hernandez's durability.

“I started calf kicks. I couldn't finish. He came back,” Rodrigues said. “He hit me really good, but I put…

Anthony Smith has spoken publicly for the first time since his arrest in Nebraska.

Smith recently returned home and posted a message on social media days after pleading not guilty to four felony charges stemming from a July incident involving his wife. His message was accompanied by an image of the former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter alongside his family.

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Former UFC contender speaks publicly after pleading not guilty to four felony charges in Nebraska The incident involved an altercation with his wife that eventually received police intervention. Smith has since returned home and shared a family photo alongside his message.

“Happy to be home with my household full of ‘whys,’” Smith wrote on Instagram. “I’ll be able to tell my story someday soon. Until then…you guys just keep making it up as you go. Character is revealed in chaos.”

Smith faces one Class 2 felony charge, one count of terroristic threats and two first-degree false-impr…

Dana White acknowledged that a serious incident involving Namo Fazil occurred behind the scenes, but declined to discuss the details of what happened.

Fazil alleged last week that he was confronted by a group of Chechens while preparing for his Dana White’s Contender Series bout with Kaik Brito. According to Fazil, the incident interrupted his weight cut and escalated into a physical altercation that eventually drew police attention. The Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO has now addressed the incident.

White acknowledges the promotion addressed an incident Fazil says became physical during Contender Series fight week White was asked about the incident at the UFC Sacramento post-fight press conference and acknowledged that the promotion is aware of what happened.

“You guys have no idea how much sh*t goes on in this business behind the scenes and I said at the press conference that we had kind of a weird week here,” White said.

White was also asked whether UFC f…

Anthony Hernandez is now on a two-fight skid in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and he’s accused his latest opponent, Gregory Rodrigues, of “cheating.”

Rodrigues beat Hernandez by unanimous decision in a grueling five-round bout at UFC Sacramento. Both middleweights earned Fight of the Night honors, but “Fluffy” has since accused Rodrigues of grabbing his gloves during their grappling exchanges.

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Hernandez claims Rodrigues repeatedly grabbed inside his gloves during their Fight of the Night While Hernandez praised “Robocop” for his toughness, he also accused Rodrigues of grabbing his gloves as many as four times during their fight to gain an advantage.

“I hit him a few times, I rocked his sh*t, he’s a tough son of a b*tch,” Hernandez said at the post-fight press conference. “I hit him with everything and the kitchen sink, hit him with some hard elbows, f*cker was cheating and grabbing the inside of my gloves and I told [referee] Herb [Dean] that…

Reinier de Ridder claims that the fight week ahead of his bout against Caio Borralho was the worst of his career.

The Dutchman suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss in a middleweight matchup against Borralho this past March, his last outing at 185 pounds. He recently revealed that he had already decided to move up to the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division during fight week ahead of that bout.

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De Ridder decided to leave middleweight during his weight cut before facing Caio Borralho The former two-division One Championship titleholder recently recalled the days leading up to the defeat to Borralho. He was coming off a stoppage loss to Brendan Allen, in which he visibly gassed out, prompting a corner stoppage before the final round. “The Dutch Knight” has now revealed that the weight cut for the Borralho fight was even worse than the one that preceded the Allen bout.

“It was before the fight, during the weight cut I said, …

Two names came to mind for Gilbert Burns when asked about who possesses the best jiu-jitsu in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Burns (22-10) himself was a feared jiu-jitsu artist with nine career submissions. “Durinho” complimenting someone’s jiu-jitsu certainly carries weight and he recently revealed that two of his compatriots have the best grappling in the UFC, although in different aspects.

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Charles Oliveira gets Burns’ nod for MMA jiu-jitsu, while Diego Lopes stands out in the pure form Burns believes Charles Oliveira has the best MMA-focused jiu-jitsu in the UFC. However, he notes that MMA-focused jiu-jitsu is very different from pure jiu-jitsu, with the striking aspect completely out of the equation. According to the former fighter, Diego Lopes has the best pure jiu-jitsu game.

“Pure jiu-jitsu – that’s a different question,” Burns told MMA Fighting. “Because jiu-jitsu in the UFC, I would say Charles [Oliveira] is up there. But pure jiu-jit…

30 WINS FOR CRIS CYBORG 🏆

Cris Cyborg defeats Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision in what could be one of the final fights of her illustrious career.#PFLTampa presented by @visitspc | 📺LIVE NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/9J8QPCSCWy

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 23, 2026

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Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, played host to the Professional Fighters League on Saturday night, as the promotion concluded its Summer Series with an entertaining card.

In the PFL Tampa main event, the legendary Cris Cyborg potentially competed for the final time when she faced longtime UFC bantamweight contender Ketlen Vieira. Because Vieira missed weight, only Cyborg was eligible to win the PFL women’s featherweight title.

Ketlen Vieira gives Cris Cyborg a major test in the PFL title fight The fight delivered in impressive fashion. Cyborg spent much of the opening 10 minutes circling and picking her shots, while Vieira answered with …

RIGHT TO THE BODY 😮‍💨

Carli Judice's striking is SERIOUS in the women's flyweight division!

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[ #UFCSacramento | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/OC6A04x7Kk — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 23, 2026

An action-packed UFC Sacramento has successfully concluded with a total of 10 finishes, and four fighters will walk out $100,000 richer.

Following the 13-fight card, the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White handed out a Fight of the Night and two Performance of the Night bonuses. Interestingly, seven bouts ended in the first round, three of those lasted less than two minutes.

Gregory Rodrigues, Anthony Hernandez, Carli Judice and MarQuel Mederos earn UFC Sacramento bonuses The Fight of the Night honors went to the main-eventers, Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues, for their hard-fought five-round battle. Although Rodrigues looked in control through the bout, Hernandez did manage …

Robocop letting the right hands fly 👊

[ #UFCSacramento | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/LgwoSduStk

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 23, 2026

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An entertaining night of fights concluded with one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s best main events of the year at UFC Fight Night 285 in Sacramento, California.

UFC Sacramento was headlined by an excellent middleweight matchup between Gregory Rodrigues (20-6, 11-3 UFC) and Anthony Hernandez (15-4, 1 NC; 9-4 UFC), which ended with Rodrigues earning the victory and Hernandez’s stock rising in defeat.

Hernandez kept Rodrigues tied up in clinches against the cage for most of the first round but was unable to take him down. Rodrigues landed a strong right hand that backed up Hernandez, who responded with a combination before clinching once more. Late in the round, “Robocop” connected with an uppercut and two elbows to the side of Hernandez’s head…

Sherdog's live PFL Tampa coverage will begin Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Cris Cyborg’s final MMA bout headlines PFL Tampa: Tune in on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the rou…

Sherdog's live UFC Sacramento coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 285. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Dayne Fox scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Dayne Fox scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Dayne Fox scores the round: The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Dayne Fox scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Dayne Fox scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Dayne Fox scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Dayne Fox scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scor…

7 pounds?!

😳😳😳

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Chute Boxe ⭐️ style…We don’t care.

Porrada

See you tomorrow @ketlenvieiramma pic.twitter.com/30ohmH1ki2 — CrisCy₿org.com Aug22 on ESPN (@criscyborg) August 21, 2026 Cris Cyborg's PFL featherweight world championship won't be on the line in her retirement fight after her opponent unprofessionally missed weight.

PFL Tampa is now headlined by a non-title fight due to Ketlen Vieira unprofessionally coming in 7.2 pounds over the featherweight limit. The fight will move forward, although Vieira will be fined a percentage of her purse and won't be able to win Justino's title. "Cyborg" responded to the weight miss by saying, "Chute Boxe style. We don't care. Porrada. See you tomorrow."

One of the greatest women's mixed martial artists of all-time, Justino enters what might be her final MMA fight with a professional record of 29-2. The Brazilian is 8-0 inside Bellator and PFL and previously held …

186lbs for Fluffy!

Anthony Hernandez is on weight for his hometown main event!

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[ #UFCSacramento is LIVE AUG 22 at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/z8cJ3PU9iR — UFC (@ufc) August 21, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to Sacramento is now official following the UFC Fight Night 285 weigh-ins.

The main event of UFC Sacramento will see middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez take on tested veteran Gregory Rodrigues. Both men had no issue making weight for the five-round fight. In fact, all 26 fighters on the card successfully hit their marks.

Hernandez (15-3, 1 NC) is looking to bounce back after a deflating TKO defeat to Sean Strickland earlier this year. The setback derailed an impressive eight-fight win streak for "Fluffy." The American is just 32, so he'll look to grow from the defeat to the now-champion. Hernandez weighed in at 186 pounds on the dot.

Rodrigues (19-6) is the older …

Eoin Sheridan has a tall, slender frame that poses issues for opponents. | 📷: PFL MMA

Holding a 5-0 professional record with three victories under the Professional Fighters League banner, Eoin Sheridan is just getting started, but he believes the stage is already set for his rise. Sheridan will return to action against James Vake in a welterweight showcase bout at PFL Tampa, where he hopes to move closer to championship contention.

The final event of the PFL Summer Series will be headlined by Cris Cyborg welcoming Ketlen Vieira to the promotion in a women’s featherweight title fight. The card will also feature several rising prospects. In an interview with Sherdog.com, Sheridan discussed his immediate future and what fans should expect from his matchup with Vake.

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Eoin Sheridan faces James Vake at PFL Tampa with a 5-0 professional record Now ranked in the Top 10, Sheridan believes he is beginning an exciting journey toward the top of a …

Dakota Bush made a 34-second statement in his PFL debut. | 📷: PFL MMA

Fresh off a 34-second knockout victory in his PFL debut earlier this year, lightweight Dakota Bush will return to action at PFL Tampa, where he’ll take on Morquez Forest in a showcase bout. Bush will look to build on his momentum. Having previously competed in Legacy Fighting Alliance and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bush feels he has found a home in Professional Fighters League. His arrival comes as the company merges with Most Valuable Promotions and opportunities emerge throughout the roster.

In an interview with Sherdog.com, Bush discussed his arrival in the PFL, his future in a fast-moving division and the timing of his opportunity.

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Dakota Bush targets Morquez Forest and the PFL lightweight rankings after his explosive promotional debut “It’s been amazing, man,” Bush said about his arrival to the PFL. “It just kind of validated what everyone around me…

Alexandre Pantoja believes his accolades warrant more respect than he receives.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight titleholder will have an opportunity to reclaim the title against Joshua Van at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles. He suffered an arm injury early in their first meeting in December last year and has been focused on recovery and his Octagon return ever since.

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Alexandre Pantoja says an early arm injury defines his view of first Joshua Van fight Pantoja believes his title loss is sometimes portrayed as though Van simply beat him, which the Brazilian disputes.

“He not beat me, you know?” Pantoja said in a recent interview. “I know like an athlete, I lose the fight, I know I lose my belt, I'm not my champion anymore, but it's not someone beat me.”

Pantoja also pointed to his strength of schedule at 125 pounds, noting that he has faced much of the division's elite, defeated some opponents multiple times and put togethe…

Mauricio Ruffy is not shying away from the biggest challenge of his Ultimate Fighting Championship career.

Ruffy will face Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC 331 five-round co-main event on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Tsarukyan is widely regarded as one of the lightweight division’s elite wrestlers, making Ruffy’s ability to keep the fight standing one of the matchup’s central questions.

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Mauricio Ruffy expects Arman Tsarukyan’s wrestling to test his preparation at UFC 331

Ruffy has emphasized that he wants his actions to do the talking when he faces Tsarukyan.

“Talking, anyone can talk, but I like to walk, the actions do the talking,” Ruffy told UFC on Paramount.

Ruffy said he had already been training extensively before the matchup was finalized, including a stint in Thailand following UFC Freedom 250.

The Brazilian expects Tsarukyan’s wrestling to be a major factor but believes his preparation will speak for itself.

“…

Jon Jones is exploring additional stem cell treatment as he looks to regain some of the mobility he has lost over the years.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight and heavyweight champion recently revealed plans for additional treatment after speaking with Joe Rogan, who told him about his own experience with the therapy. He also revealed that depending on the result, a return to fighting could be in the cards.

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Jon Jones says Francis Ngannou's callout and the heavyweight landscape have reignited his desire to fight Jones said Rogan introduced him to Ways2Well and told him he had experienced improved movement after receiving stem cell treatment there.

“You never know what’s going to happen in life. I just talked to Joe Rogan the other day, and he’s like, ‘I’ve got some friends out at a place called Ways2Well, who gave me some initial stem cells and I have been moving around way better than I used to’,” Jones told Sporf.

Jon…

Paddy Pimblett wants to fight Arman Tsarukyan or Ilia Topuria next 👀 pic.twitter.com/ycHj3RRzRr

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 20, 2026

Paddy Pimblett has weighed in on fellow top-ranked lightweights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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Pimblett recently discussed the lightweight title picture on the “Green Light” podcast, explaining that his approach to trash talk depends on his opponent. While he’ll remain respectful towards UFC veterans, the Liverpool native recently vowed to “terrorize” Topuria or Tsarukyan should he get matched up against either one.Paddy Pimblett explains why Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan get a different kind of trash talk Pimblett has nothing but respect for the likes of Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway. “The Baddy” claims his venomous trash talk is only directed at those he genuinely dislikes.

“If I fight Ilia or Arman, I’m gonna absolutely rinse their lives. I’m gonna ab…