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Image: Ares FC

The French mixed martial arts scene is entering a new era as the investment fund behind Ares Fighting Championship has acquired a controlling stake in Hexagone MMA.

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According to French newspaper L’Equipe, investment fund Slam is now controlling the two major MMA promotions in France, Ares and HXMMA. Described as a fund dedicated to investment opportunities “at the intersection of sport, luxury, art, and music,” Slam is managed by European investment firm Trail. For the moment, Ares and HXMMA will not merge, as the two promotions will continue operating as separate entities.

"Today, we are clearly the number one in France. The next step will be Europe,” (translation by the author) Trail founder and CEO Xavier Marin told L’Equipe, setting a three-year timeline to become Europe’s leading MMA organization. While it has held events outside Paris, Ares has historically been tied to the French capital. Its origins are closely…

The lineup is nearly complete for Professional Fighters League’s upcoming trip to Jeddah, Saudia Arabia.

The promotion confirmed eights for the upcoming card on Tuesday. PFL MENA: Jeddah takes place on June 19 at King Abdullah Sports City Indoor Arena and is headlined by Hattan Alsaif making her professional MMA debut against Dania Ouhachi in a 110-pound catchweight clash. In the co-feature, Malik Basahel will face Imad El Azami in a flyweight showcase bout.

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هتان السيف تخوض أول نزال احترافي في مسيرتها، ومالك باسهل يعود من جديد أمام الجمهور السعودي، في ليلة "لا خوف… لا رحمة" المليئة بالمواجهات القوية في جدة 🇸🇦

التذاكر متاحة الآن 🎟️ الرابط في البايو 🔗#PFLMENA10 | الجمعة ١٩ يونيو | جدة pic.twitter.com/x22V4Z89Wc

— PFL MENA (@PFLMENA) May 19, 2026

PFL Mena: Jeddah will also include opening round tournament action at both featherweight and welterweight. More bouts are expected to be announced soon, per a release.<…

Dana White is opposed to open-air UFC events for a reason. 

The UFC is hosting a one-of-a-kind event on President Donald Trump’s birthday on June 14 at the White House to celebrate America’s 250th year of independence. White recently revealed that, among other issues, the UFC’s production team is currently trying to figure out how to deal with gnats. 

White, who is a close ally of Trump, was recently invited to dinner at the Rose Garden of the White House. White was immediately concerned to see the number of gnats there. The issue is likely to be aggravated further under the bright lights at UFC White House. White immediately called his head of production to discuss the issue and make sure fighters don’t have gnats swarming them at the event on June 14. White notes that he has always been opposed to open-air events for reasons like these.

Pest Control“President Trump just opened the Rose Garden two nights ago, and he invited me to dinner there,” White t…

Dustin Poirier thinks Nate Diaz has lost the right to talk trash after his performance against Mike Perry. 

Diaz (21-14) faced Perry at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" last weekend in Los Angeles. Diaz had no answers while taking a brutal beating from Perry. Perry left Diaz a bloody mess, forcing his corner to throw in the towel at the end of the second round.

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Poirier (30-10) was unimpressed by Diaz’s performance against Perry. To Poirier, it looked like Diaz didn’t want to be inside the cage after returning to MMA for the first time since 2022. While Poirier and Diaz were scheduled to fight twice in the past, the matchups never came to fruition due to various reasons. Despite Poirier’s retirement last year, “The Diamond” is open to a return only for a matchup against Diaz. Regardless of Diaz’s underwhelming performance against Perry, Poirier is still interested in fighting the Stockton, California, native and promises to knock him …

Some UFC veterans think the odds are heavily stacked against Conor McGregor in his return. 

McGregor (22-6) is scheduled to return for the first time since 2021 against Max Holloway (27-9) at UFC 329 on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Former foe Dustin Poirier, who beat McGregor twice, believes “Notorious” only has a “puncher’s chance” against Holloway. Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman agrees with Poirier, giving McGregor only the first couple of minutes to potentially finish Holloway.

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“The only chance Conor really has is to knock out Max,” Weidman said on Deep Waters. “And probably in the first or second round.”Limited Time to Make an ImpactWhile Jorge Masvidal agrees with Poirier and Weidman, he doesn’t thinks McGregor only has a chance in the first couple of minutes of the fight.

“Second round, not even… He’s got two minutes,” Masvidal said.

Weidman noted that McGregor is going up against a volume puncher, who h…

Dustin Poirier recently analyzed the upcoming matchup between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit St. Denis.

Pimblett (23-4) is scheduled to fight St. Denis in a lightweight matchup at UFC 329on July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Poirier is backing Pimblett to beat St. Denis. Poirier notes that Pimblett’s chin survived the test in the Liverpudlian’s last loss against Justin Gaethje. Poirier believes Gaethje would have knocked out St. Denis had they fought.

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Having shared the Octagon with St. Denis, Poirier claims the Frenchman isn’t very clean on the feet. “The Diamond” believes Pimblett’s striking, which he finds better than St. Denis,’ will be the deciding factor. However, Poirier also acknowledges that St. Denis isn’t scared to take risks to land his own shots.An Edge on the Feet “I got Paddy… I just compare it to the Gaethje fight,” Poirier said on Deep Waters. “I think if BSD fought Gaethje, Gaethje would stop him on the feet. Paddy took it and was…

Alex Pereira believes Josh Hokit doesn’t get along well with anyone. 

Pereira is scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House on June 14. Meanwhile, Hokit is scheduled to fight Derrick Lewis in a heavyweight matchup on the same card. 

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During a promotional presser for UFC Freedom 250 at Newark last month, Hokit went on an unprovoked rant against Pereira. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria looks to defend his lightweight title on the same card against interim champion Justin Gaethje on the same card. Topuria was sitting next to Pereira at the presser when Hokit launched his tirade. With a fast-growing friendship between the Topuria and Pereira, “El Matador” stood up to defend his friend against Hokit’s insults. While Pereira isn’t fluent in English, Topuria was enraged when Hokit said he would “Chama on Pereira’s Mama.” Topuria told Hokit that Pereira doesn’t need to answer him before throwing a bottle of water at t…

Herb Dean believes he made the right call in the fight between Phumi Nkuta and Adriano Moraes.

Dean was the third man in the cage when Nkuta and Moraes clashed in a bantamweight tilt at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" last weekend in Los Angeles, California. While it was a competitive fight, Nkuta was apparently edging past Moraes in the final round. 

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However, Moraes caught Nkuta in a guillotine with 10 seconds left in the fight. While Nkuta tried to survive till the bell, Moraes held on to the choke for a few moments after the final bell despite Dean’s intervention. As Nkuta was choked unconscious, Dean took a long look at the replay before declaring it a submission win for Moraes.  

The controversial ending faced massive backlash from fans and pundits alike. However, Dean recently defended his call of a submission win for Moraes. Dean explains that he is usually focused on a fighter's limbs when they are caught in a ch…

Most Valuable Promotions didn’t manage to satisfy every fighter on its first MMA card.

Jake Paul’s MVP hosted its first MMA card last weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles,. Jason Jackson knocked out Jefferson Creighton just 20 seconds into their welterweight clash on the card. 

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However, Jackson believes he wasn’t appreciated enough while going into the fight as well as for his performance. The former Bellator champion believes he didn’t deserve to be on the prelims. While Jackson had told his friends and family that his fight would be broadcast on Netflix, the prelims were available for free on YouTube. 

Francis Ngannou earned the $100,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his first round knockout win over Philipe Lins. Jackson thinks that was a foregone conclusion with Ngannou weighing 34 pounds more than Lins. With all respect to Ngannou, Jackson believes he should have earned the performance bonus instead of “The Predator.”

…

Claressa Shields is banned from all Most Valuable Promotions events until further notice. 

Shields was in attendance at MVP’s first MMA event last Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. The three-division women’s boxing world champion confronted fellow boxer Alycia Baumgardner backstage and slapped her. 

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🚨‼️Claressa ShieldsCONFRONTS & SLAPSALYCIA BAUMGARDNER LAST NIGHT‼️🚨👋👀👀#Boxing🥊🥊🥊🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/rY0C43ha9T

— Dan The Boxing Man (@dantheboxingman) May 18, 2026

Shields didn’t show any regret and accused Baumgardner of disrespecting her. Meanwhile, Baumgardner said that she showed restraint as a professional. “The Bomb” also accused Shields of displaying repeated hostility against fellow women and instigating fights.

“When your purpose is to elevate, there will always be people who attempt to pull you down to the level from which they operate,” Baumgardner wrote on X. “…

Junior dos Santos will be sidelined indefinitely following a brutal knockout loss at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano” this past Saturday.

The former UFC heavyweight king was stopped by Robelis Despaigne 2:59 into the opening round of their main card bout at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. It was dos Santos’ first appearance since winning the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA heavyweight crown with a stoppage of Alan Belcher in March 2024. As a result of the knockout, “Cigano” will need neurological clearance before he can return to active competition. At a minimum, he is suspended 45 days with 30 days no contact.

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Robelis Despaigne JUST SLEPT Junior dos Santos IN ROUND 1 🔥#RouseyCarano is LIVE now only on Netflix 👊 pic.twitter.com/07RpIS7wSQ

— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) May 17, 2026

The California State Athletic Commission recently released a full list of medical suspensions from the event. Everyone on the …

Colby Covington was a controversial figure during his UFC tenure. | Getty/UFC

Colby Covington appears to be calling it a career — at least in MMA.

Multiple outlets confirmed that “Chaos” has informed the UFC of his retirement after the promotion listed the former welterweight title challenger as “retired” on its official website. Social media account UFC Roster Tracker was first to bring word that Covington was no longer part of the UFC roster.

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Covington hasn’t competed in MMA since December 2024, when he suffered a third-round TKO defeat to Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 63. The 38-year-old Springfield, Oregon, native lobbied hard for a spot on the UFC White House but was ultimately not included in the June 14 event. After the fight card was announced, Covington admitted that his relationship with the UFC had gone downhill in recent months and claimed that fighters typically have “no say” in negotiations.Shifting Focus Covington has …

Nate Diaz still has plenty of fight left in him. | Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix

Nate Diaz ended first MMA fight in nearly four years covered in blood.

After two fairly lopsided rounds in the Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano"co-main event, Diaz’s corner waved off the fight against Mike Perry, giving the BKFC “King of Violence” an emphatic TKO victory against a man who emerged as biggest stars of the sport over the past decade-plus.

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While the bout wasn’t especially competitive, the Stockton, California, native remains defiant regarding his fighting future. When Diaz is ready to retire, he vows that it won’t be a public spectacle — and that day doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon.

"The show goes on," Diaz said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. "I felt the same way as when I lost when I was younger and the same as the last time. I don't have a checkout time, you know what I'm saying? That s—t’s forever.

…

Gina Carano's MMA return didn't last as long as she would have liked. | Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix

Gina Carano’s first mixed martial arts appearance in nearly two decades was abbreviated, to say the least.

The Strikeforce and EliteXC veteran was quickly taken down and submitted by Ronda Rousey just 17 seconds into the MVP MMA main event this past Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Considering Rousey’s penchant for quick victories — she had eight previous wins in less than a minute — it shouldn’t have been all that surprising.

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Carano reflected on the experience during her post-fight interview.

"I wanted that to last longer. I felt like I was so ready. I felt so good. I've never felt that good, but I haven't been here for 17 years. I wanted to hit her,” Carano said. “I’ll probably feel [unfulfilled] later, but right now getting in the cage was a victory. Getting here after 17 years was a victory. Fighting a legend was…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Abu Dhabi this summer.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Monday that a Fight Night event will take place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on July 25. Fights will be announced in the coming weeks for a card that will air in its entirety on Paramount+.

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The UFC’s partnership with Abu Dhabi dates back to 2010. The country gained attention for its “Fight Island” moniker when the promotion held events there during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it typically remains an annual Octagon destination.Recent HistoryLast year, UFC on ABC 9 took place at Eithad Arena in Abu Dhabi on July 9 and saw Reinier de Ridder defeat Robert Whittaker via split decision in the main event. More recently, UFC 321 took place at the same venue, where the main event ended in controversy when a Ciryl Gane eye poke rendered Tom Aspinall unable to continue in the first round of their heavyweight title bout.

Read more about UFC announces return to Abu Dhabi for Fight Night event on July 25

Considered one of the most popular UFC fighters in Brazil today Carlos Prates was recently invited to appear on one of Brazil's most popular podcasts: Podpah, a YouTube channel with almost 10 million subscribers.

In a two-hour conversation, Prates drank four beers and smoked two cigarettes, reminiscing about his entire journey and eliciting laughter from both hosts with his usual candor. According to The Fighting Nerds product, his entry into fighting was an alternative found by his mother due to his difficulties at school.

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“My mother is a teacher, and since I was very difficult and had learning difficulties, she decided to take me to a psychologist when I was 8 years old, where I was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder),” Prates said. “Once she saw me engrossed in watching a DVD of Wanderlei Silva fighting Yuki Kondo in Pride, and noticed my interest in fighting, [she] decided to enroll me in a muay thai school.”

In mar…

Ilia Topuria believes his altercation with Josh Hokit could have turned physical without the presence of security. 

Topuria puts his lightweight title on the line against interim champion Justin Gaethje in the main event at UFC Freedom 205 on June 14 at the White House. Meanwhile, Hokit is scheduled to fight Derrick Lewis in a heavyweight tilt on the same card. 

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Topuria and Hokit got into an altercation during a promotional presser for the event earlier this month in Newark, New Jersey. Hokit launched an unprovoked tirade on Alex Pereira, who fights Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title on the same card. Pereira and Topuria had traveled together to visit President Donald Trump just ahead of the presser. Topuria, who was sitting next to Pereira, stood up to defend “Poatan” against Hokit’s rant. Things heated up when Topuria threw a glass of water at Hokit. However, security personnel intervened before things could escalate. ‘I Co…

Jon Jones thinks the UFC has serious competition. 

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions hosted their first MMA card on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. The card was promoted as a genuine threat to the UFC’s monopoly at the top tier of MMA. 

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Jones, who attended the event, believes it was better than UFC cards. Despite having been champion in two weight classes in the UFC, Jones claims he never attended an event like the one hosted by MVP.‘Absolutely Unbelievable’ “I think the MVP promotion was absolutely unbelievable,” Jones said. “I think it was actually better than the UFC. I've never been at such a promotion. I mean they had the fog machines and TVs absolutely everywhere. Great fighters.” 

While the MVP card had some up-and-coming talent, the major fights certainly didn’t have the best fighters in the world. A 39-year-old Ronda Rousey submitted 44-year-old Gina Carano in the main event of the night. Meanwhil…

Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili believe their training partner, Phumi Nkuta, was robbed on the MVP MMA card.

Nkuta (11-1) took on Adriano Moraes (22-6) in a bantamweight outing at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. While Nkuta picked apart Moraes on the feet, the former ONE Championship champion had the edge on the ground. The highly competitive fight met with a controversial ending in the final round. 

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Moraes secured a rear-naked choke in the final second of the fight. While Nkuta seemed to be in his senses till the final bell, Moraes held on to the choke even for a few seconds, even after the bell, despite referee Herb Dean intervening. Nkuta was choked out unconscious, and it was declared a submission win for Moraes. 

The fight gave Dvalishvili immediate flashbacks of his controversial loss against Ricky Simon in 2018. While “The Machine” was dominating the fi…

The Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz rivalry was one of the UFC's best. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Conor McGregor still hasn’t dismissed the idea of a trilogy fight against Nate Diaz.

Diaz (21-14) took on Mike Perry at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" on Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Diaz had barely anything to offer while suffering a one-sided beatdown against Perry. Diaz was so bloodied up by the end of the second round that his corner decided to throw in the towel. 

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Diaz was originally in talks with the UFC for a return to MMA in a trilogy fight against McGregor. After Diaz’s performance against Perry, McGregor says he knows why his former foe didn’t accept the trilogy matchup. However, “Notorious” hasn’t completely given up on a potential rubber fight against Diaz.

“I see why [Nate Diaz] didn’t take the fight lol,” McGregor wrote on X. “Anyway here’s to when I get my hands on you, you lanky strea…

Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA card is getting mixed reactions from fans and pundits. 

While Jon Jones called it better than the UFC, the card failed to impress fellow UFC veterans Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren. Askren found the card full of lopsided matchups. While Askren understands the importance of highlight reels, the former Bellator MMA and ONE Championship champion believes competitive fights are what matchmakers should aim for.

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“Incredibly one-sided is the biggest thing that comes to mind,” Askren said on a podcast with Cormier. “You know, there wasn't a singular fight that was moderately competitive on the card. And, you know, we need the highlights, we need the knockouts, we need these spectacular things, but the best thing we can get is a back-and-forth fight.” No Star Building Cormier noted that one-sided matchups don’t work for MMA unlike boxing, where stars are built by letting them walk through a plethora of underskille…

Most Valuable Promotions’ contracts are seemingly not lucrative enough for everyone. 

Salahdine Parnasse is eyeing a UFC contract after an impressive win at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano" on Saturday. Parnasse took on Kenneth Cross in a lightweight matchup on the card. Parnasse picked apart Cross before finishing him in the first round.

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Parnasse’s team has since expressed interest in a UFC contract. Parnasse’s manager, Stephane Chaufourier, wrote on an Instagram post tagging Dana White and the UFC: “We've done our part. The ball is in your court…”

Parnasse has amassed impressive experience on the regional circuit at just 28 years of age. The former KSW two-division champion has finished 15 of his 23 pro wins so far, while just conceding two losses. 

A Significant Gap Parnasse reportedly earned $70,000 for his fight against Cross, which is a huge discrepancy compared to main event fighters Ronda Rousey’s $2.2 million…

Jon Jones believes he would surprise people with his boxing skills. 

Jones attended Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano” on Saturday in Los Angeles, California. Francis Ngannou knocked out Philipe Lins in a heavyweight matchup on the card and subsequently called out Jones. While Jones expressed interest in the matchup, he noted that he needs to be released from the UFC first. 

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Jones is optimistic about his UFC release if he goes through the right channels. Jones recently revealed that he wants to transition to boxing.A Chance to Show Other Skills? “I think getting out of my UFC contract is very very possible,” Jones said.”I need to find the right people and go through the right channels… I really wanted to box. If I put all of my energy into my hands, my combinations, my punching power, I think I would surprise a lot of people. I would love to box.”

Jones (28-1) is currently having a falling out with the UFC. Jones retired as the…

Jean Silva got the better of Kevin Vallejos on the Contender Series. | Getty/UFC

Kevin Vallejos believes he can avenge his loss against Jean Silva in a rematch. 

Vallejos suffered his lone professional loss against Silva in his first Dana White's Contender Series opportunity in 2023. While Silva quickly rose to stardom in the UFC, Vallejos finally earned his UFC contract in his second Contender Series outing in 2024. 

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Silva finished his first five UFC opponents before suffering a loss in a featherweight title eliminator against Diego Lopes last year. Silva has since rebounded with a win over fellow contender Arnold Allen this past January. Making a Name for Himself Meanwhile, Vallejos has racked up four UFC victories with three finishes. The 24-year-old Argentinian prospect established himself as a star in his own right with a first round knockout win over Josh Emmett in his first UFC main event this past March. Vallejos…