Blog

Criticism of Din Thomas isn’t slowing down.

Thomas announced his retirement from cornering following his fighter Gillian Robertson’s failed Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title bid against Mackenzie Dern at UFC 330. He did so on the post-show on live television, drawing significant backlash from both fans and fighters. While he’s since apologized for his handling of the situation, Thomas is still catching strays.

Advertisement

Din Thomas confirms he will corner Sean Brady after retiring from cornering Another fighter Thomas mentors, Sean Brady, is scheduled to take on Gabriel Bonfim in the main event of a UFC Fight Night on Nov. 7 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. While speaking about Brady on the “Deep Waters” podcast, Dustin Poirier jokingly reminded Thomas that he is retired from cornering.

“Well, he doesn’t corner anyone anymore,” Poirier said.

Chris Weidman then asked Thomas if he would be in Brady’s corner on Nov. 7. Thomas confirmed that he will…

Rolando Romero and Teofimo Lopez are set to trade leather on Aug. 22.Rolando Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez streams Aug. 22 on DAZN PPVHere’s a brief rundown for those who intend to watch the event:How to watch Romero vs. Lopez in the United States The Romero vs. Lopez card can be streamed on DAZN pay-per-view on Aug. 22 at 8 p.m.ET/5 p.m. PT in the U.S. The headliners are expected to make their ring walks at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. The event is also available with the DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription plan.

“Rolly” puts his WBA welterweight title on the line against Lopez in the main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Romero (17-2) is coming off a massive unanimous decision win over Ryan Garcia from last year. Meanwhile, Lopez (22-2) is moving up to welterweight after losing his WBO super lightweight title to Shakur Stevenson this past January. Lopez won the vacant title in 2022 and defended it five times before falling to Stevenson.

Here’s a look at the complete Romero vs.…

Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell has sought emergency custody of his teenage daughter, alleging that his ex-wife, Heidi Liddell, took the child from his home.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Liddell asked the Los Angeles County Superior Court this week to order the return of 14-year-old Guinevere and award him temporary sole physical custody of her and 13-year-old Charlie.

Advertisement

Former UFC champion files for temporary sole physical custody amid dispute over teenage daughter Liddell alleges that Heidi took Guinevere during his scheduled custodial time and has no intention of returning her. He further claims she moved the teenager to Orange County despite existing custody orders. Liddell said an earlier effort to obtain court approval to relocate both children to Newport Beach had failed.

The former UFC champion also accused his ex-wife of violating other custody arrangements, including failing to use their required …

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to California on Aug. 22.Anthony Hernandez vs. Gregory Rodrigues headlines the Aug. 22 UFC eventHere’s a brief rundown for those who want to watch UFC Sacramento:

Advertisement

How to watch UFC Sacramento in the United States The event goes down on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. U.S. fans can watch it on Paramount+, with the prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PDT, followed by the main card at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PDT.

UFC Sacramento will be headlined by a middleweight matchup between Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues. Hernandez (15-3) was riding a stellar eight-fight winning streak, with six finishes, that saw him leave the likes of Roman Kopylov, Michel Pereira, Brendan Allen and Roman Dolidze in his wake.

However, his run ended with a stoppage loss against Sean Strickland this past February. Meanwhile, Rodrigues (19-6) is on a three-fight winning streak with two first-round knockouts. “Ro…

Khabib Nurmagomedov says Ali Abdelaziz incites strong feelings in people, one way or the other.

While Nurmagomedov was managed by Abdelaziz throughout his Ultimate Fighting Championship career, their relationship extends beyond fighter and manager. Abdelaziz manages all Dagestani fighters from Nurmagomedov’s camp and shares a strong personal relationship with everyone. Furthermore, the UFC Hall of Famer’s successor, Islam Makhachev’s favorite person to prank is the Dominance MMA founder.

Advertisement

Nurmagomedov says getting to know Abdelaziz reveals the loyalty he values most Nurmagomedov recently said that people inevitably have strong feelings about Abdelaziz, whether good or bad. According to “The Eagle,” one can’t feel neutral towards the veteran manager. He believes people either strongly love Abdelaziz or hate him with equal fervor.

Nurmagomedov claims one needs to get to know Abdelaziz to appreciate him and that he’s incredibly loyal.

“Ali has on…

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s toughest fight wasn't entirely because of the opponent he faced.

Nurmagomedov recently revealed that the most challenging bout of his career was against Justin Gaethje in 2020. The Russian successfully defended his lightweight title by putting Gaethje to sleep with a triangle choke in the second round. While Nurmagomedov says he has never been pushed to his limits in a fight, he admits Gaethje came close.

Advertisement

Khabib explains why Justin Gaethje presented the toughest challenge of his undefeated career The fight was the toughest for Nurmagomedov due to several factors leading up to it. Most importantly, “The Eagle” lost his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, to Covid-19 before the bout. He claims it was difficult to stay composed after losing the person he was fighting for in the first place.

The training camp was also hard, as Nurmagomedov battled several injuries. However, the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer managed to …

Anthony Hernandez believes his loss to Sean Strickland showed him exactly what needs to change.

Hernandez will look to rebound Saturday when he headlines UFC Sacramento against Gregory Rodrigues at Golden 1 Center.

Advertisement

Anthony Hernandez details the changes he made after losing to Sean Strickland The middleweight contender spent part of his training camp at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, where he worked to address the issues exposed in the loss.

“I had to make some adjustments, as simple as that,” Hernandez said in a recent interview. “If you f*ck up, you're probably going to get f*cked up. So, it lays it right out for you nice and perfectly, what you got to adjust and fix.”

Hernandez, whose loss against Strickland came after eight straight wins, said he spent the summer away from his family to focus entirely on training, working alongside larger middleweights and sharpening his game.

“I moved away from my family for the full summer,”…

Roman Dolidze believes his light heavyweight bout against Reinier de Ridder is an intriguing clash of styles.

Dolidze is moving up to 205 pounds after spending most of his Ultimate Fighting Championship career at middleweight. The Georgian said the division suits him physically, particularly after years of dealing with the demands of making 185 pounds.

Advertisement

Roman Dolidze expects his grappling and physicality to be tested against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Sacramento Both Dolidze and de Ridder are primarily known for their grappling, and the former is excited by the matchup and opportunity to prove he’s better.

“I think stylistically this fight is very interesting because he's also a very good grappler,” Dolidze said at UFC Sacramento media day. “Tall, strong guy and not bad in striking. But I think I'm much more powerful and we'll compete, compare our grappling, let's see.”

Dolidze previously called for a fight against de Ridder when they were middlew…

Reinier de Ridder believes his light heavyweight move puts the fun back into fighting.

He’s competed at middleweight during his Ultimate Fighting Championship run so far. However, following back-to-back losses at 185 pounds, de Ridder committed to the 205-pound division after enduring six weight cuts in just over a year.

Advertisement

Reinier de Ridder explains why he left middleweight ahead of his Roman Dolidze fight at UFC Sacramento Ahead of his UFC light heavyweight debut against Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento, de Ridder opened up about the difficult weight cuts at middleweight that made the overall experience unenjoyable.

“It took all the fun out of fighting,” de Ridder said at UFC Sacramento media day. “I was basically dieting year-round, struggling to get close year-round, so it was time.”

The Dutchman said his body began showing the effects of repeated cuts, particularly after his first-round fight with Brendan Allen left him exhausted.

“I think …

Shanelle Dyer believes Elise Reed's striking style could leave her vulnerable when the two Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweights clash.

Dyer (7-1) returns to action at UFC Sacramento on Aug. 22 at Golden 1 Center against Reed (8-5), looking to build on her successful Octagon debut earlier this year. The British prospect stopped Ravena Oliveira in her UFC debut, earning a third-round technical knockout in March in London.

Advertisement

Shanelle Dyer explains why Elise Reed’s striking style could create finishing opportunities at UFC Sacramento In an interview ahead of their clash, Dyer explained why she believes Reed's style could lead to a knockout.

“Stylistically, this is a part of the matchup for me… My opponent, she has a low guard taekwondo style,” Dyer said. “She is a kicker, but I am a better kicker. I have been working so much. I don’t want to give up a lot of my game plan away. But she’s very susceptible to a knockout.”

Dyer added that she has…

Michael Page and Alexander Shlemenko will share the mat in their Real American Freestyle debuts.

The promotion recently announced that the two former Bellator fighters will meet at RAF 14 on Oct. 3 in Las Vegas.

Advertisement

Michael Page faces Alexander Shlemenko in his Real American Freestyle debut at RAF 14 Page is 4-1 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship since joining the promotion in 2024, with his lone loss coming via decision against Ian Garry. The British fighter previously spent much of his career with Bellator MMA, where he scored a series of highlight-reel knockouts and challenged for interim welterweight gold.

“Venom” is riding a three-fight win streak and is booked to compete at UFC Paris on Sept. 5 against Nursulton Ruziboev. Page has yet to find a finish inside the Octagon.

Meanwhile, Shlemenko brings extensive combat sports experience into his RAF debut. The 42-year-old has competed 87 times professionally, earning 35 knockout victories a…

Anthony Hernandez is firing on all cylinders ahead of his return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Hernandez will headline UFC Sacramento opposite Gregory Rodrigues in his home state. “Fluffy” was finished by Sean Strickland earlier this year and he’s desperate for his next bout to not go the distance.

Advertisement

Anthony Hernandez targets a finish against Gregory Rodrigues after his loss to Sean Strickland Hernandez compiled an eight-fight win streak before meeting Strickland in February. The former champion secured the stoppage against Hernandez in the third round at UFC Houston, halting the latter’s momentum. He’s now ready to put the loss behind him and make a statement in his Octagon return.

“I want to hurt somebody, man,” Hernandez said in a recent interview with UFC on Paramount Plus. “I want to finish somebody. I want to f*cking make somebody hate their f*cking life. I am not here to f*cking get a decision.”

Notably, Hernandez (1…

The Professional Fighters League’s upcoming event in Florida has undergone a late change.Nkosi Ndebele replaces Gustavo Oliveira against Marcirley Alves on Aug. 22Gustavo Oliveira is out of his scheduled bantamweight matchup with Marcirley Alves at PFL Tampa, with Nkosi Ndebele stepping in as the replacement. The card is scheduled to air live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.

Advertisement

Alves (15-5) will now face Ndebele (13-3) on Aug. 22 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa. The promotion did not provide a reason for Oliveira's withdrawal in its announcement. Alves was originally slated to face Oliveira after winning the 2025 PFL bantamweight world tournament. He will now meet Ndebele on short notice.

PFL Tampa is headlined by Cris Cyborg's women's featherweight championship defense against Ketlen Vieira.

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

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: New #PFLTampa Matchup…

Namo Fazil is at the center of several controversies after his failed bid at an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

Coming off a win on the inaugural Most Valuable Promotions MMA card, Fazil had a lot of hype going into his Dana White’s Contender Series outing against Kaik Brito. Fazil had also trash-talked quite a bit in the lead-up to the bout, in which Brito put him to sleep in the final round.

Advertisement

Robert Valentin alleges Namo Fazil tried to choke him during a confrontation in 2023 Fazil has since claimed that his performance was affected by an assault during his weight cut. He was allegedly confronted by 15 Chechens in his hotel room while cutting weight. The alleged attack was seemingly triggered by Fazil’s comments against Chechnya ahead of his win over Chechen fighter Yakub Sulimanov last year.

UFC middleweight Robert Valentin has since accused Fazil of attacking him in Thailand in 2023. Valentin had allegedly pushed away one of Fazil’s …

Henry Cejudo is set to compete in his third combat sport after accruing several accolades in wrestling and mixed martial arts.

The former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship champion is set to make his professional boxing debut against streamer Nurideen “Deen the Great” Shabazz on Sept. 26 in Miami, Misfits Boxing recently announced. The event will stream live on DAZN Boxing.

Advertisement

Henry Cejudo will face Deen the Great five weeks after his scheduled wrestling rematch with Merab Dvalishvili Cejudo's professional boxing debut comes just weeks after his latest scheduled wrestling appearance under the Real American Freestyle banner.

The 39-year-old is scheduled to face Merab Dvalishvili in a wrestling rematch at RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland. If he comes out uninjured, “Triple C” will have only five weeks to lock in for his professional boxing debut.

The Olympic gold medalist retired from MMA for a second time after losing to Payton Talbott in…

Kevin Vallejos claims he’s one win away from entering the featherweight title mix in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after the recent change to Noche UFC 4’s main event.

Jean Silva was originally scheduled to headline the fourth edition of Noche UFC against Yair Rodriguez on Sept. 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. However, Jose Delgado will now replace Rodriguez, who pulled out for undisclosed reasons.

Advertisement

Yair Rodriguez's withdrawal changes the stakes surrounding Jean Silva's next fight The matchup between Silva and Rodriguez was seemingly an unofficial featherweight title eliminator, with both top-ranked 145-pounders coming off wins in their last outings.

However, Delgado is still green in the UFC with a 4-0 Octagon record. Despite Silva’s ascent in the promotion, a win over Delgado doesn’t carry as much weight as beating the former interim champ. Vallejos recently hinted that he is expecting the next featherweight title shot with …

Jon Jones has fired back at Daniel Cormier after his longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship rival once again excluded him from the GOAT debate.

Cormier recently argued that Jones' history with performance-enhancing drugs prevents him from claiming the sport's top honor. Instead, “DC” pointed to former undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, citing the Russian's spotless record and lack of major controversies. Jones attributed this claim to “jealousy.”

Advertisement

Daniel Cormier cites Jones' PED history while making the case for Khabib Nurmagomedov After Cormier argued that Jones doesn’t belong in the GOAT conversation and brought up his lone defeat, a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill in a fight he was dominating, “Bones” took to social media to respond to his former foe.

“I started in the UFC so early that I didn't even know what the rules were,” Jones wrote. “The night I fought Matt was the first night I had ever even heard the term '12-…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters and champs have weighed in on whether Islam Makhachev has earned GOAT status.

The Russian defended his welterweight title for the first time at UFC 330, picking up his fifth defense overall in the UFC after a dominant run at lightweight. His latest win, a decision victory over Ian Garry, served as a record-breaker, with Makhachev now the leader for most consecutive wins in promotional history.

Advertisement

Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal have offered their takes on where he stands among the sport's greatest fighters.Chris Weidman questions Islam Makhachev's title defenses as Dustin Poirier backs Jon Jones for UFC GOAT In the latest episode of “Deep Waters,” Weidman, Poirier and Masvidal shared their thoughts on whether Makhachev has earned the right to be called the greatest fighter in UFC history. “I am not saying that yet,” Weidman said, responding to the question about Makhachev being the GOAT now…

Carlos Prates has clapped back at claims that he is scared of a fellow 170-pound contender.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight responded to Michael Morales after the Ecuadorian allegedly suggested that Prates was avoiding a fight with him. The Brazilian insists he has no issue facing Morales but believes his position as the higher-ranked contender warrants a title shot next.

Advertisement

Carlos Prates denies ducking Michael Morales and predicts a first-round knockout Shortly after Morales allegedly claimed that Prates was afraid to fight him, “The Nightmare” responded in a video posted online.

“If the guy has two arms and two legs like me, bro, I can fight him,” Prates said.

Prates then addressed Morales directly, making it clear that he would welcome the matchup if the UFC offered it.

“You say I am scared to fight you. I am not scared of a fight with you… I am the No. 1 contender, so I want to fight for the belt,” Prates said. “The UFC never…

Arman Tsarukyan believes fighters without exciting fighting styles need to somehow find a way to draw attention.

Tsarukyan recently emphasized the importance of building a profile outside the Ultimate Fighting Championship for fighters who are unable to find regular finishes or have control-heavy styles.

Advertisement

Arman Tsarukyan discusses controversy, UFC promotion and building a profile outside the cage Tsarukyan, who returns to the Octagon on Sept. 19 against Mauricio Ruffy in the UFC 331 co-main event, believes controversy can help fighters who don't naturally attract fans with their performances.

“If you’re a boring fighter inside the cage, controversies are important for you,” Tsarukyan said in an interview with Russian YouTube channel Vpiska. “Because if you’re not here, you’re not there; you get cut from the game fast. But if you’re a great fighter and you knock people out and show that, you don’t even need to talk English.”

The Armenian lightw…

Gillian Robertson has addressed her recent defeat and comments from longtime coach and mentor, Din Thomas.

Robertson suffered a unanimous decision loss to Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight queen Mackenzie Dern in her failed title bid at UFC 330 in Philadelphia.

Advertisement

Thomas later announced on the UFC 330 post-fight show that he’s stepping away from cornering fighters, saying he had taken Robertson as far as he believes she can go. The timing of the announcement subsequently drew criticism from both fans and fighters. Robertson has now finally weighed in on the same.Gillian Robertson says Din Thomas’ comments made her question his apology Robertson, giving a statement to Ariel Helwani, says she had no indication before the post-show broadcast that Thomas planned to make the announcement. “Prior to the broadcast, I didn’t see any sign of what was to be said,” Robertson said. “After the broadcast, he had said, ‘I will address this in the morning,’ fo…

Week 2 of the 10th Season of Dana White’s Contender Series exceeded expectations.Historic night in DWCS history as UFC signs six new fighters, including one in defeat Roman Puga (6-1) and Taner Trembley (7-1) kicked off the card in a featherweight clash. It was one of the most memorable fights in DWCS history, with both fighters repeatedly rocking each other. While Puga walked away with a unanimous decision victory, Trembley’s toughness was on full display.

Advertisement

Dana White was walking out to award Puga an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract when Sean Shelby insisted that Trembley be given one as well.

“It takes two to make a great fight,” White said while awarding both Puga and Trembley UFC contracts. “And this fight was absolutely incredible. And because it was such a great fight, I got to see so much well-roundedness and toughness from both guys. As soon as this fight was over, I said, ‘Send both these guys to the hospital right now.’ So Puga -- it’s …

Joshua Van hasn't forgotten the night Charles Johnson handed him the first loss of his Ultimate Fighting Championship career.

Over two years after being stopped by Johnson, Van has gone from prospect to UFC flyweight champion. The 24-year-old will return to the Octagon on Sept. 19, when he rematches former champion Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 331 main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Advertisement

Joshua Van details how KO loss to Charles Johnson ‘humbled’ him Van was stopped by Johnson via a third-round knockout in July 2024, a setback that remains the second and most recent loss of his professional career. He has since won seven straight fights and captured the flyweight championship from Pantoja before defending it against Tatsuro Taira.

Speaking to Paramount+, Van explained how the defeat changed his approach to training and discipline.

“Oh, for sure. I want to stay active,” Van said. “Like I say, that loss kind of humbled me in a way. So, I …

The lineup for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s next trip to Utah is taking shape.

Four bouts have been added to UFC 332, scheduled for Oct. 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Notably, no championship bouts have been announced for the card as yet, despite the title fights for UFC 333 already locked in and made public.

Advertisement

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Payton Talbott and Johnny Walker vs. Mick Parkin join UFC 332 Payton Talbott (11-1) will look to build on the biggest win of his career after defeating former two-division champion Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision in December last year. The 27-year-old will take on another former UFC champ, Deiveson Figueiredo (25-7-1), in his next bout. Talbott has won his last two fights since suffering the lone defeat of his career to Raoni Barcelos.

Meanwhile, Figueiredo will attempt to halt a two-fight skid. The former 125-pound champion has dropped four of his past five bouts, with his lone victory in that stretc…