Blog

Conor McGregor continues to tease his UFC return. | Getty/UFC

The timeline may have shifted yet again for Conor McGregor’s proposed Octagon return.

The Irish star once claimed that fighting on the UFC White House card was a "done deal,” but that no longer seems to be the primary target.

Advertisement

"I am in negotiations with the Ultimate Fighting Championship about the bout, either the White House or thereabouts," McGregor told Drink Litt. "Sometime in the summer, McGregor will return.”

🚨 Conor McGregor says he’s in negotiations with the UFC to fight this summer 👀

“I am in negotiations with the UFC about the bout, either the White House or thereabouts. Sometime in the summer, McGregor will return.”

(via IG / drinklitt) pic.twitter.com/VFS4jaVCiL

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 3, 2026 Same Story, Different Date Last month in a tweet he later deleted, McGregor claimed that he had been offered a d…

Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas are going to run it back — under a slightly different rule set.

Hype FC announced on Tuesday that Tsarukyan and Poullas will meet in a submission-only grappling match on March 11 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The match will be contested over 10 minutes. Tsarukyan had already been confirmed for the event but was awaiting an opponent. The card will also see Jorge Masvidal face Sharabutdin Magomedov in another grappling match, while UFC featherweight Jean Silva is also expected to compete on the card.

Advertisement

Capitalizing on the Heat Tsarukyan and Poullas initialy squared off in a chippy wrestling match at Real American Freestyle 6 this past Saturday in Tempe, Arizona. While Tsarukyan emerged victorious, the real drama began after the conclusion of the match, when the UFC lightweight tackled his foe to the mat and threw a punch. That led to a full-scale melee in the arena, as Tsarukyan and Poullas were seperated during t…

It's been more than a decade since Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira first squared off. | Josh Schaefer/Sherdog.com

Since their first fight in 2015, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway have followed parallel paths in different divisions.

While Holloway continued his winning streak at featherweight, defeating Jose Aldo by technical knockout at UFC 212 to take the belt from the fighter considered to be the GOAT of the division, Charles migrated to Chute Boxe, moved up to lightweight, restarted his career and after a sequence of eight victories, won the division’s belt by knocking out Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in 2021.

Advertisement

In 2026, the two legends will face each other again in the UFC 326 headliner, disputing the BMF belt that the Hawaiian has held since 2024 after beating Justin Gaethje and Dusin Poirier. Holloway has been pointed out as a slight favorite in the odds, but the only certainty is a very exciting fight. At least that is the opini…

Arman Tsarukyan believes the UFC shouldn’t be disappointed about his brawl with Georgio Poullas. 

Tsarukyan has been accused of unruly behavior more than once. The UFC lightweight contender faced Poullas in a wrestling match at RAF 6 last weekend. Poullas tried to slap Tsarukyan, poke his eyes, and grab his fingers, all of which are considered illegal moves. Tsarukyan eventually beat Poullas by points and landed one clean punch on the ground. The entire place erupted in absolute chaos as members of both teams flooded the mats. While security was quick to intervene, the brawl took a while to subside. 

Advertisement

While the UFC has accused Tsarukyan of poor discipline in the past, “Ahalkalakets” believes they won’t be unhappy about the RAF brawl. Tsarukyan argues that he maintained his calm throughout the match while Poullas repeatedly tried to provoke him. Tsarukyan believes the UFC should be happy that he refused to get beaten up by a freestyle wrestle…

Paulo Costa is ready to fight Khamzat Chimaev in any weight class. 

Costa (15-4) will face Azamat Murzakanov (16-0) in a light heavyweight clash at UFC 327 on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. While Costa is unsure whether he will continue at light heavyweight, “Borrachinha” is confident that he can still make middleweight whenever he wants.  

Advertisement

Costa believes he can call for a middleweight title shot against Chimaev with a convincing win over undefeated Murzakanov. The former middleweight title challenger also doesn’t mind waiting for Chimaev at light heavyweight.‘I Can Fight Him in Both Divisions’ “[Khamzat] is the champion right now,” Costa said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I think after a good victory against Azamat on April 11, I get back at middleweight to be in line to fight him. Or I can wait for him at 205. I can fight him in both divisions.” 

Chimaev dominantly defeated Dricus Du Plessis to win the middleweight tit…

Merab Dvalishvili is determined to fight Petr Yan next, regardless of how long it takes. 

Dvalishvili (21-5) put his bantamweight title on the line for the fourth time in a year in a rematch against Yan (20-5) at UFC 323 this past December. Yan outclassed Dvalishvili in every aspect to earn a huge upset win via unanimous decision. Dvalishvili claims the UFC has guaranteed him a trilogy fight against Yan. However, Yan underwent lumbar surgery this past January, and his return timeline currently remains uncertain. 

Dvalishvili defeated Yan in their first outing in 2023. Dvalishvili is now 1-1 head-to-head against “No Mercy” after losing his title in their rematch. Dvalishvili wants to settle the trilogy against Yan in his next outing, no matter when the champion might return. “The Machine” believes the matchup is worth the wait and doesn’t want to fight anyone else in the meantime.

‘It’s Worth the Wait’ “I’m waiting for Petr Yan because this fight makes se…

Jiri Prochazka ideally wouldn’t have fought so close to the expected date of the birth of his first baby. 

Prochazka is set to fight Carlos Ulberg for the light heavyweight title in the main event at UFC 327 on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Meanwhile, Prochazka and his girlfriend are expected to have their first baby, a girl, between April 13 and April 15. 

Prochazka recently revealed that the originally expected date for him to fight was on May 11. However, Prochazka’s girlfriend gave him permission to fight on that date only for a massive matchup. Prochazka then started negotiating with the UFC for a title fight, which is now scheduled even closer to the expected date of the birth of his girl.

It Has to Be a Big Fight “I would like to rather fight later, in June or whenever,” Prochazka said on "The Ariel Helwani Show.” “One month after the birth [of my baby] will be the best. My girlfriend told me, ‘If you have the title fight 11th of …

Ben Askren didn’t mince his words while reacting to Georgio Poullas’ wrestling match against Arman Tsarukyan. 

Poullas is a former collegiate wrestler who rose to fame by offering random people $1,000 to take him down. Poullas faced Tsarukyan, who is considered among the best wrestlers in the UFC, in a freestyle wrestling match at RAF 6 last weekend. 

Poullas started slapping Tsarukyan, poking his eyes, and grabbing his fingers from the beginning of the match. Askren, a former Olympian, expressed his thoughts while watching the match live. Askren thinks Poullas is an average wrestler who was afraid of getting exposed against Tsarukyan. “Funky” predicted that Poullas’ best chance to win was to make Tsarukyan angry enough to get him disqualified.Average at Best “Georgio is a very average wrestler,” Askren said. “If you look at his college record, it’s not very good. And I think he’s afraid of getting exposed. And I think his best way to win is to get Arman mad a…

Ian Garry is taking shots at Islam Makhachev and his team. 

Garry is considered to be among the frontrunners for the next welterweight title shot against Islam Makhachev. However, Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently claimed that the UFC is considering another massive matchup for the champion not involving Garry.

Advertisement

“This is, I can tell you, the UFC working on a big fight Islam Makhachev  and [Ian’s]  name is not involved,” Abdelaziz wrote on X. “Much bigger. One of the biggest fight in the UFC right now they can make. Stay tuned.”

This is, I can tell you, the UFC working on a big fight Islam Makhachev and ian name is not involved. Much bigger. One of the biggest fight in the UFC right now they can make. Stay tuned.😉

— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) March 2, 2026 Garry refuted Abdelaziz’s statement. 

“No they’re not.”

Many Options

Abdelaziz then slightly changed tune, saying Garry is st…

Khamzat Chimaev was allegedly ready to back up Arman Tsarukyan on a moment’s notice after the brawl at RAF 6.  

Chimaev and Tsarukyan have long been training partners and friends. Tsarukyan faced Georgio Poullas in a wrestling match at RAF 6 last weekend. Tsarukyan repeatedly accused Poullas of playing dirty, and the social media wrestling star was even penalized on points. Tsarukyan defeated Poullas by points and proceeded to punch him, which led to a brawl on the mats. Chimaev, who was watching the match on television, was seen quietly smiling as the arena erupted in chaos. 

Tsarukyan revealed that Chimaev immediately called him and offered to fly to Tempe, Arizona, to back him up. However, Tsarukyan turned down the idea and urged Chimaev to calm down. Tsarukyan admits that he and Chimaev together in a brawl is a bad idea. Tsarukyan claims “Borz” is the crazier of the two. According to “Ahalkalakets,” Chimaev is not seen engaging in brawls, as people are mo…

Arman Tsarukyan was disappointed with the overall officiating at RAF 6. 

Tsarukyan faced Georgia Poullas in the co-main event at RAF 6 last weekend. Tsarukyan repeatedly accused the social media wrestling star of using dirty tactics. While the referee penalized Poullas on points, he wasn’t disqualified. Tsarukyan eventually defeated Poullas and punched him, leading to a massive brawl. 

Advertisement

Tsarukyan was not only disappointed with the refereeing in his fight, but also with the judges. “Ahalkalakets” says the judges did a terrible job throughout the night, especially in the matchup between Mahamedkhabib “Kadik” Kadzimahamedau and Evan Wick. A four-time Division I All-American, Wick defeated the Belarusian Olympic silver medalist via tech fall (13-2). Tsarukyan accuses the judges of awarding Wick points unfairly.

“Maybe 20 times he was trying to poke my eyes, break my fingers, and I showed it to the referee, the referee shouldn’t do that,” Tsaruk…

Charles Oliveira doesn't expect Max Holloway to pose much of a submission threat at UFC 326. | Getty/UFC

Eleven years after their first encounter in the main event of UFC Fight Night 74 in Canada, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway will face each other again on Saturday.

This time the fight will take place in Las Vegas in UFC 326 main event, and the BMF title will be at stake. Shortly before boarding a plane at São Paulo airport with his team on Sunday, Charles Oliveira spoke with Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana and assured him that he is arriving for this rematch in the best condition of his career.

Advertisement

“Renting a house 800 meters from Chute Boxe made all the difference,” Oliveira said. “When I came from my house in Guarujá, I had to wake up at 6 a.m. to get to training at 11 a.m. Living next to the gym, I could wake up at 10 a.m. to get to training at 11 a.m. In other words, I was able to rest more and recover better for the training ro…

Patrick Habirora is a star on the rise in PFL. | PFL MMA

Undefeated Professional Fighters League prospect Patrick Habirora will look to add a significant feather to his cap when he returns to action in his home country.

The promotion announced on Monday that Habirora will lock horns with former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in the PFL Brussels main event at ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium, on May 23. Henderson will be returning to active competition for the first time since March 2023. Habirora vs. Henderson will be contested at 170 pounds.

Advertisement

Prospect vs. Veteran Habirora has been victorious in his first eight professional outings, finishing all but one via knockout or technical knockout. In 2025, he scored first-round KO victories against UFC veterans Danny Roberts and Kevin Jousset in his two PFL appearances.

A former UFC lightweight champion, Henderson hasn’t competed in MMA since March 2023, when he suffered a first-ro…

Lone'er Kavanagh earned the biggest win of his career on Saturday in Mexico City. | Getty/UFC

Lone'er Kavanagh was originally supposed to face Bruno Silva on March 14, but when the UFC came calling to offer a former champion in hostile territory on short notice, the British prospect didn’t hesitate.

The gamble paid off, as Kavanagh took a five-round verdict over Brandon Moreno in the UFC Mexico headliner at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Saturday night. In victory, Kavanagh was able to rebound from a knockout loss to Charles Johnson in his last outing at UFC Shanghai this past August.

Advertisement

“Sometimes you’ve just got to say f—k the fear and do it,” Kavanagh said told the UFC. “Believe in yourself, believe in the people behind you and let the rest write itself.”

Kavanagh outworked Moreno on the feet behind his jab and impactful low kicks, and he stuffed all eight of his opponent’s takedown attempts over the course of the 25-minute affair. St…

While Charles Oliveira catches crabs for fun now, that was not always the case. 

Oliveira recently revisited the coastal town of Guaruja, Brazil, where he was raised. Oliveira also went crab hunting, an activity he initially started for fun as a kid. However, “Do Bronx” gradually started catching crabs to make money to help his family and his MMA career. Oliveira recalls that he would also give his grandmother some crabs. The former UFC lightweight champion now has the luxury of going crab catching as a hobby. As Oliveira digs in the mud for crabs, he says he is in his “natural habitat.” 

A Way of Life“Right now we’re at Claudevan’s ranch,” Oliveira said in a UFC Countdown video. “I have been coming here since I was a kid. This is where we go fishing, catch crabs, and reconnect with nature a bit. At first, I’d just do it for fun with my friends and uncles when I lived here. Later on, I started doing it to make some money to help with competitions and my family…

Merab Dvalishvili wants to see a fair wrestling match between Georgio Poullas and Arman Tsarukyan. 

Tsarukyan and Poullas met in a wrestling match at RAF 6 on Saturday. The match was chaotic from the onset, with Tsarukyan accusing Poullas of repeatedly slapping him. Tsarukyan defeated Poullas on points and decided to take revenge by punching him. Members of both teams immediately spilled onto the canvas as the whole place erupted into a massive brawl 

Advertisement

Dvalishvili, who was also attending the event, wants to see a rematch against Tsarukyan and Poullas. While Dvalishvili admits that the drama was fun to watch, he wants to see the winner between Tsarukyan and Poullas in a fair match. Dvalishvili urged Poullas to make peace with Tsarukyan and book a rematch.

“First, I want you and Arman to shake hands and make this rematch again,” Dvalishvili told Poullas. “I know you guys were slapping each other, it was fun to watch, but now I want to see th…

Dana White believes money is not the key to happiness. 

White recently shared some life advice with viral street photographer Peter Fouad, who goes around asking for life advice from famous personalities. White says if someone is unhappy when they are broke, they will likely be unhappy even when they are rich. White advises people to find something they like doing and try to be happy doing it every day. The UFC head honcho claims some of the happiest times of his life were when he was broke.

‘Money Changes Everything’“If you’re miserable when you’re broke, you’re gonna be really miserable when you make some money,” White said. “The key to life is be happy. Figure out what you like to do, get up and do it every day, and be as happy as you can possibly be. Some of the happiest times of my life was when I was broke. Money changes everything, I think. Not always [for the better]. If you’re happy when you’re broke, you should be happy when you have some money.”

White …

Aljamain Sterling claims he never gets opponents of his choice. 

Sterling defeated former UFC champion Benson Henderson in a wrestling match via fall at RAF 6 on Saturday. The former UFC bantamweight champion is now calling for a featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. Sterling also slammed Diego Lopes’ performance in his title rematch against Volkanovski at UFC 325 this past January.

Advertisement

“I’ve been with the company since 2014, been calling my shot, defending the belt the most in the bantamweight division,” Sterling said at the said at the RAF post-fight press conference. “Give me my f——ing shot. I deserve a shot at the title, OG vs OG. I’m smarter than all these dumb motherf—-ers out there… Diego Lopes gets a f—-ng rematch, and he goes out there and fights worse after actually doing decent in the first fight. He can’t figure out how to do a lateral step to cut the cage.” ‘I’ve Never Turned Down Anybody’ Sterling is also ready …

Bobby Green wants a shot to compete at the UFC’s White House card. 

Green was a sizeable underdog going into his lightweight matchup against an up-and-coming Daniel Zellhuber at UFC Mexico on Saturday. Green led the dance from the opening bell and completely outstruck Zellhuber before knocking him out late in the second round in front of his home fans. 

When asked about his next potential opponent, Green called for Nate Diaz to be re-signed to the UFC. However, Green later changed tune and called for a matchup against Michael Chandler at the White House in June.

‘I’m a Great American’ “Michael Chandler at the White House, that would be dope,” Green said in an interview with the UFC. “I’d love to be on the White House lawn. I’m a great American. I want to show for the Black folks and say, ‘Hey America, this is what a standup Black American looks like.’ I’m showing the example to America and saying, ‘Hey, this is who I am. I represent America.’”

Green (3…

Dana White isn’t shy about his political alignment. 

White is an avid supporter of President Donald Trump and even actively campaigned for him in the 2024 elections. White’s relationship with Trump goes way back to when the UFC was on the verge of bankruptcy. While the sport was being condemned as “human cockfighting,” Trump opened the doors of his casino to host UFC fights. Trump has since been closely associated with White and has become a regular at major UFC events. 

Advertisement

White’s unabashed political tie with Trump inevitably poses the question of whether it will affect the UFC fan base. However, White isn’t one to take the road to safety by being non-political. The UFC president and CEO says that people with opposing political opinions can just be authentic without agreeing with each other.‘Just Be Authentic’“How about you be authentic and just be yourself? Just be authentic,” White told CBS Sunday Morning. “You don’t have to agree with me …

Khamzat Chimaev seemingly wants to make his first UFC middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland. 

Chimaev recently called for a wrestling match against Colby Covington at RAF.

Advertisement

“Next RAF I will make American boy humble again colbiclown let’s go,” Chimaev wrote.

Next RAF I will make American boy humble again colbiclown let’s go 🦾😂

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) March 1, 2026 When a fan asked if Chimaev is currently injured, the middleweight champion said that he is waiting for Strickland. 

“No I waiting for [Strickland],” Chimaev replied.

No I waiting for strikiland

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) March 1, 2026 Grudge Match Brewing? Strickland responded with an American flag, expressing his interest in the booking.

👊🇺🇲 https://t.co/NcMepsZbts

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) March 1, 2026

Chimaev won the middleweight title against D…

Bad blood between Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas erupted into a post-fight brawl at Real American Freestyle 6 in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday.

pic.twitter.com/GucttN4zpk

— ً. (@C0MB4TT) March 1, 2026

Advertisement

Tsarukyan defeated Poullas via decision in a wrestling match that featured a number of chippy moments, including a backhanded slap from the UFC lightweight. When the match concluded, Tsarukyan shoved Poullas down and landed a right hand and a knee before he was separated from his opponent. At that point, chaos ensued as people rushed the mats.Poullas, Tsarukyan React “Unfortunately, I was jumped,” Poullas said on social media. “But as you guys saw my 62-year-old dad and both my brothers came to my rescue. That’s the way we were brought up. To fight for each other no matter what. We were outnumbered by like 12 Armenians and they came out running, fighting with me, fighting for me. So that’s f—king love. That’s how we were rai…

Jon Jones' last Octagon appearance came in November 2024. | Getty/UFC

Jon Jones may still get his wish of fighting at the UFC’s White House event before all is said and done.

During a meet and greet at the Brook Casino in New Hampshire, the former two-division champion revealed he was in still talks with the promotion to compete on the highly-anticipated card.

Advertisement

”I’m in negotiations with the UFC about this White House thing, as well,” Jones said (video via Championship Rounds). “I’m a very, very, very proud American, and I cannot wait to represent one more time. So, we’ll see what happens.”

🚨 Jon Jones reveals he's in talks to fight on the UFC White House card 👀

"I'm in negotiations with the UFC about this White House [fight] as well. I'm a very proud American, and I cannot wait to represent one more time." pic.twitter.com/5dySHjvDc4

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 1, 2026

Jones hasn’t foug…

Francis Marshall is reaping the harvest of his hard work. 

Marshall faced Erik Silva in a featherweight matchup on the prelims at UFC Mexico on Saturday at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. Marshall justified his heavy favorite status by submitting Silva with a rear-naked choke in the very first round. Marshall revealed that while he originally planned to spend some more time on his feet, his opponent’s wild haymakers caught him off guad. When Marshall heard his corner calling for a double leg, he didn’t hesitate.

Advertisement

“I would have liked to stay on the feet a little bit more but he was throwing some wild stuff at me that I wasn’t really expecting,” Marshall said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “So safe bet, heard coach from the corner saying, ‘Jab-double leg.’ Listened to what coach said, jab-double leg, and from there I know my grappling is very high level. So I was just able to secure the finish there.”Singular Focus Marshall (9-3) w…