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Sean O’Malley isn’t happy about Conor Benn’s $15 million Zuffa Boxing deal. 

Zuffa Boxing is the latest venture of Dana White and TKO Group, the parent company of the UFC. Zuffa recently signed Conor Benn, reportedly for $15 million for a single-fight deal. Benn also changed sides overnight, parting ways with Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, who basically shaped his career. As Hearn predicted, UFC fighters aren’t happy about Benn’s Zuffa deal. 

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O’Malley doesn’t even completely believe the report of Benn being signed for $15 million. The former UFC bantamweight champion says he has never heard of Benn. O’Malley isn’t happy about someone else reaping the benefits after he played a pivotal role in generating revenue for the UFC.

“I can’t imagine it being true,” O’Malley said on YouTube. “I don’t even know who Conor Benn is. I’ve never heard of him… It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC, build this name, create this character, b…

Aljamain Sterling is stepping in on short notice at RAF 6. | Getty/UFC

RAF wrestling is bringing in the best athletes from MMA.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is set to wrestle former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at RAF 6 on Feb. 28 at the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona. Sterling replaces an injured Chad Mendes on short notice. 

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After a career spanning over 17 years, Henderson hung up his MMA gloves following a loss against Usman Nurmagomedov in 2023. “Smooth” has since competed in Karate Combat, boxing, and wrestling. Henderson most recently suffered a submission loss in a grappling match against Arman Tsarukyan at ACBJJ in September 2025. 

Meanwhile, Sterling has competed in various grappling matches while staying active in the UFC. “Funkmaster” has gone 2-1 since moving up to featherweight after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley in 2023. 

Champ vs. Champ

Read more about Former UFC champions set to clash at RAF 6 on Feb. 28

Fans anticipating a future blockbuster showdown between Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev might have to wait for the time being.

At the UFC Houston post-fight press conference this past Saturday, Dana White indicated that he preferred to see Chimaev defend his middleweight belt at least once before moving up to 185 pounds. However, the UFC CEO seemed more open to the possibility of “Poatan” moving up to heavyweight.

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“Pereira is one of those guys who always steps up and does what we need him to do. Whatever this guy wants to do, we’re going to work with him,” White said.Enjoying LifeMeanwhile, that same Saturday, some 5,000 miles away, the UFC light heavyweight champion posted a video enjoying the champions' parade at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, a major event on the Brazilian calendar that attracts millions of people. In a video shared on Instagram, the UFC heavyweight champion showed the VIP area where he was enjoying the party with some friends. Read more about ‘Poatan’ attends popular festival in Rio de Janeiro, awaits next move in UFC

Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision in 2015. | Esther Lin/Showtime

More than a decade after their first fight, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are going to run it back.

Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 will take place on Sept. 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas and will stream on Netflix, the streaming platform announced on Monday. After years of circling each other for a blockbuster bout, Mayweather and Pacquaio initially squared of in 2015, with “Money” winning a clear-cut unanimous decision.

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Mayweather, 48, hasn’t fought professionally since defeating former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor via 10th-round TKO in August 2017. However, the former champion has competed in a number of exhibitions, facing the likes of Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul, Mikuru Asakura and John Gotti III, to name a few. Mayweather, who owns a 50-0 professional mark, is expected to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout this April in the Congo.

The …

Ronda Rousey is ready to go head-to-head against the UFC as she promotes her comeback fight.

The former UFC bantamweight queen will compete for the first time since 2016 when she faces Gina Carano under the Most Valuable Promotions banner in a featherweight bout televised on Netflix on May 16. The fight has generated plenty of attention since it was announced last week, and a lot of that has to do with Rousey, who remains the biggest star in women’s MMA history.

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For Rousey, however, at least part of the narrative centers around her showdown with Carano providing some competition for the UFC.

"It's a dream fight and a superfight and everything, but I feel like the story and everything behind it is not just this fight," Rousey said in a video released by MVP on Monday.. "A lot of it is MVP vs. UFC. That's where I'm gonna f—-ing go real hard in the trenches.

"We're helping [the UFC] because they're suffering from a lack of competition. They can'…

Daniel Cormier is impressed with the version of Sean Strickland that showed up at UFC Houston on Saturday. 

Strickland was a massive underdog going into his middleweight headliner against Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston on Saturday. However, Strickland displayed his signature defensive striking masterclass from the opening bell, never letting “Fluffy” find his rhythm. Strickland folded Hernandez with a knee to the midsection in the third round and followed up with a barrage of punches, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.

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Cormier believes that the version of Strickland that defeated Hernandez could also pose a serious threat to the champion Khamzat Chimaev. “DC” recalls that a similar version of Strickland had shocked the world by dethroning Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title in 2023. Strickland lost his title to Dricus Du Plessis in his first defense and failed to reclaim it in their rematch. However, Cormier believes …

Paddy Pimblett isn’t happy that Benoit St. Denis has climbed above him in the rankings by beating Dan Hooker. 

St. Denis dominated Hooker en route to a technical knockout win at UFC 3255 last month. The win saw the Frenchman climb ahead of Pimblett to the No. 5 spot on the official UFC lightweight rankings. The fact that St. Denis overtook Pimblett by beating Hooker isn’t sitting well with the Liverpudlian. Pimblett is now calling for a matchup against St. Denis, which he bills as a matchup between Europe’s two best lightweights. However, Pimblett is willing to fight anyone that the UFC offers, be it Arman Tsarukyan or anyone from the fallout of the upcoming UFC 326 headliner between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira.

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Keeping Options Open “What pissed me off is that St. Denis has moved above me for beating that bum Dan Hooker… St. Denis sounds like a good fight to me,” Pimblett said on YouTube. “Europe’s two best lightweights going at it again…

Sean Strickland had some choice words about his opponent's coach on Saturday. | Getty/UFC

Sean Strickland drew fuel from his anger toward Anthony Hernandez’s coach, Jim West. 

Strickland (30-7) faced Hernandez in the main event at UFC Houston on Saturday. Unlike most of his other opponents, Strickland couldn’t find a reason to hate Hernandez. Strickland then directed his anger towards Hernandez’s coach, West. It certainly paid off as Strickland looked in his element en route to a third-round stoppage win over “Fluffy.”

Strickland subsequently accused West of grooming former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd. Strickland claims Ladd was still a minor when West started grooming her. However, Strickland’s tirade was cut short as his mic was muted, and the press conference abruptly ended.

On a Tirade “I kept thinking there’s no f—-ing way I’m gonna let this predator beat me and have a victory over me,” Strickland said. “So my motivation was thinking about Jim We…

Dana White doesn’t think similarly about every UFC champion planning to move up a weight class. 

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira reclaimed his title by knocking out Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 last year, avenging a previous loss. Pereira is now eyeing a move up to heavyweight. White says “Poatan” has always stepped up for the UFC and deserves to do whatever he wants. White assures that the promotion will work with the Brazilian on whatever his next plan is.

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“He’s one of those guys who always steps up and does whatever we need him to do,” White said at the UFC Houston post-fight press conference. “Whatever that guy wants to do, we’ll work with him.”The Need to DefendHowever, White doesn’t think the same about middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev won the middleweight title via a dominant unanimous decision against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 last year. “Borz” is now eyeing a move up to light heavyweight to challenge Pereira. H…

Uros Medic had an eventful night at UFC Houston on Saturday. 

Medic (13-3) co-headlined the card against welterweight veteran Geoff Neal at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. “The Doctor” sent Neal to the shadow realm with a left hook to the temple in the very first round. 

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Medic revealed that he was congratulated by President Donald Trump immediately after his win. Trump lauded Medic for dispatching Neal, who was known for his durability until his last few losses. Medic, who was born in Serbia, also shares ethnic similarity to the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, who was born in Slovenia. Medic had also pleaded for the resolution of his immigration issues in his post-fight Octagon interview. Trump promised that the UFC welterweight would be free to travel. Medic was overwhelmed by the conversation, which seemed unreal initially.

“They brought me back,” Medic told the UFC. “Dana was in the office, as soon as I walked in,…

Paddy Pimblett believes his fight against Justin Gaethje might have played out differently had fouls been aptly penalized. 

Pimblett (23-4) and Gaethje (27-5) fought for the vacant lightweight title in the main event at UFC 324 last month in Las Vegas. Gaethje handed Pimblett a beating en route to a unanimous decision victory. However, the fight wasn’t entirely devoid of controversy. 

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Gaethje received a stern warning for poking Pimblett in the eye in the first round. Gaethje also dropped Pimblett late in the second round and “The Baddy” was barely saved by the bell. But replay showed that Gaethje blatantly poked Pimblett in the eye before dropping him in the second round. However, despite the previous warning, Gaethje didn’t have a point taken away.  Pimblett notes that the most damage he received from Gaethje was after he got poked in the eye and then dropped. The Liverpudlian came back strong and went on to went on to win the third ro…

Paul Hughes will fight on home soil this spring. | PFL MMA

A lightweight clash pitting Paul Hughes against Jay-Jay Wilson will headline Professional Fighters League’s return to Belfast, Ireland, the promotion announced Monday.

PFL Belfast takes place at the SSE Arena on April 16. The main card airs on ESPN2, the ESPN app and ESPN Deportes in the United States beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The prelims will be broadcast on the ESPN app at 2:30 p.m.. ET/11:30 a.m. PT. More bout are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

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Lightweight Contenders in Ireland A former Cage Warriors champion, Hughes was a high-profile free agent signee for the PFL in 2024. He has gone 2-2 under the PFL banner, with both of his losses coming against reigning lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. He notably defeated former Bellator MMA featherweight king A.J. McKee via split decision at PFL “Battle of the Giants” in October 2024.

Wilson, meanwhile, …

Paddy Pimblett had an uneasy feeling just before walking out for his fight against Justin Gaethje. 

Pimblett (23-4) faced his biggest step up in competition to date in Gaethje for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 324 last month. Despite an immense display of grit, Pimblett suffered a beatdown en route to a unanimous decision loss against Gaethje. 

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Pimblett says he is being lauded for the loss against Gaethje more than he has been praised for his seven UFC wins leading up to that. “The Baddy” also revealed that he got a weird feeling just before walking out for the fight. While Pimblett didn’t feel his usual confident self, he brushed off the feeling once his walkout music started playing. The Liverpudlian believes he might have been waiting too long backstage before walking out. Regardless, Pimblett had a perfect camp and weight cut and makes no excuses for his loss.Looking Back “I always watch me fights back,” Pimblett said on YouTube. …

Anthony Hernandez is taking his loss to Sean Strickland in stride.

“Fluffy” saw an eight-bout winning streak come to an end in the UFC Houston headliner, as he fell to Strickland via third-round technical knockout on Saturday at the Toyota Center. Hernandez struggled to match the volume of his opponent before a knee to the body from the ex-middleweight king set the stage for the finishing sequence. Strickland put the reeling Hernandez away with a barrage of punches at the 2:23 mark of Round 3.

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“First things first, thank you guys so much everyone who came out,” Hernandez said in an Instagram Story. “Showing me a lot of love, that was f—ing awesome. Players f—k up. I mean, I was on an eight-fight win streak. Felt like things were going smooth until I got hit with a f—king body shot. Sh— happens. Part of the game. Took six years for someone to finally beat me. I’ll be back.”Paying Respect While a victory could have made Hernandez next in line for 185-po…

Welterweights with championship aspirations will square off in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card on April 25.

The promotion announced on Saturday that Sean Brady will meet Joaquin Buckley in a 170-pound tilt at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card will also include a women’s bantamweight scrap pitting Norma Dumont against Yana Santos and airs in its entirety on Paramount+.

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Looking to Rebound Brady had a three-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Michael Morales at UFC 322 this past November. Prior to that, the Philadelphia Fight Factory representative had earned successive triumphs over Kelvin Gastelum, Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships title holder is 7-2 during his UFC tenure overall.

Buckley, meanwhile, saw a six-fight promotional winning streak come to an end at UFC Atlanta, where he dropped a five-round verdict to ex-champ Kamar…

Chris Duncan will get his first main event opportunity on April 4. | Getty/UFC

A pair of American Top Team stablemates will lock horns in the UFC Fight Night 272 main event.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Saturday that Renato "Moicano" Carneiro will lock horns with Chris Duncan in a five-round featherweight bout on April 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. UFC Fight Night 272 also includes a women’s strawweight showdown between Virna Jandiroba and Tabatha Ricci and will air on Paramount+.

“Moicano” was initially slated to face Brian Ortega at UFC 326 on March 7 before his opponent withdrew from the bout. After winning four straight fights from November 2022 to September 2024, Carneiro found himself in a short-notice lightweight title tilt against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. The Brazilian was submitted in the first round of that contest. He returned at UFC 317 this past June, where he dropped a unanimous verdict to Beneil Dariush.

Duncan, …

The UFC allegedly offered Ronda Rousey a massive pay-per-view deal but not a guaranteed fight purse. 

Rousey (12-2) is scheduled to fight fellow veteran Gina Carano (7-1) on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. The fight will take place on a Netflix card under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. 

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Rousey revealed that she was originally in talks with the UFC for her return to MMA after nearly a decade. According to “Rowdy,” Dana White offered her the highest percentage of pay-per-view shares in UFC history. However, White wanted more time to confirm the deal. Things permanently changed when the UFC’s ESPN deal ended last year, marking the end of the pay-per-view model as well. The UFC made a multi-billion dollar deal with Paramount, switching to a subscription-based streaming model starting in 2026.A Shift in FocusRousey claims that after the pay-per-view era ended, the UFC did not want to pay her the guaranteed amount th…

Islam Makhachev believes Usman Nurmagomedov is as good as any UFC lightweight. 

While most elite fighters of Makhachev’s team are in the UFC, Nurmagomedov is making waves in the Professional Fighters League. The undefeated PFL lightweight champion is inevitably being compared to top-tier UFC lightweights. Makhachev knows Nurmagomedov’s true potential, having trained with him since childhood. The UFC welterweight champion believes Nurmagomedov can pose a serious threat to the best UFC lightweights. 

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Nurmagomedov has one fight left on his current PFL contract, which will expire at the end of 2026 regardless of whether he fights again. While Makhachev believes Nurmagomedov is already ready for the UFC, he doesn’t want his teammate to rush things. Makhachev believes it will be the perfect time for Nurmagomedov’s UFC career once his PFL contract expires in 2026.Plenty of Time Ahead “Honestly, I don’t think Usman is any worse than anyone [in the…

The level of competition Alden Coria faces in training is difficult match for his opponents inside the Octagon. 

Coria recently made his sophomore Octagon appearance in a flyweight matchup against Luis Gurule at UFC Houston on Saturday. Coria displayed impressive range control, picking his opponent apart from a distance, to earn a unanimous decision victory. 

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Coria says the fight went exactly how he had expected. “Cobra” knew that Gurule was a tough customer and difficult to dispatch within three rounds. Coria knew that Gurule would pressure him from the onset, which he did. However, Coria trains with UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van, who is known for his pressure. Having trained with the champion of his division, Coria says it’s difficult to match Van’s pressure.No Surprises“It was exactly how I expected it,” Coria told the UFC. “I knew this guy was gonna be very tough, hard to get him out of there. That’s what he brought, really brough…

Professional Fighters League on Thursday revealed two bouts for its April 11 event at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

Headlining “The Windy City” card will be former Bellator MMA bantamweight king Sergio Pettis (25-7) against undefeated 135-pound prospect Mitchell McKee (10-0).

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Pettis was last seen in competition with an incredible knockout of Magomed Magomedov back in October. McKee will be making his major league debut following a stint in the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

The event’s co-feature will host a middleweight clash pitting Jordan Newman (8-0) against former LFA two-division champion Joshua Silveira (15-5).

April 11’s main card will air live in the U.S. on cable network ESPN2 at 9:00 p.m. ET. The prelims will stream exclusively in the ESPN app via subscribers who have access to the ESPN Unlimited plan. Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, Feb. 20 through Ticketmaster.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗢𝗠 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗦@sergiopettis makes hi…

There came a moment when Khamzat Chimaev’s coach, Alan “Finfou” Nascimento, knew that his fighter could control the animal inside him.

Nascimento believes Chimaev substantially changed ahead of his fight against Robert Whittaker in 2024. While Chimaev once flipped off the crowd after missing weight by 7.5 pounds, “Borz” wore glasses and was respectful towards everyone going into his fight against Whittaker. This even had fans worried as they thought the wild and often unruly fighter had lost his hunger and aggression.

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However, Nascimento wasn’t worried as he had been observing Chimaev change since the birth of his son a year ago. Nascimento assured others that, while Chimaev previously used to be controlled by the animal inside him, he was now in control of the beast and would unleash it when needed. Chimaev proved “Finfou” right by breaking Whittaker's jaw with a face-crank in the first round to earn a stoppage win.

“The biggest change in Khamzat …

Usman Nurmagomedov says the shoes of their late coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, have been filled nicely by his son, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Usman, Khabib, Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov and their entire team, filled with elite fighters, were initially trained by Abdulmanap in the mountains of Dagestan.

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Abdulmanap later brought the team to the U.S. to train at American Kickboxing Academy under Javier Mendez. Khabib retired as undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion after the death of his father in 2020. “The Eagle” has since taken up the responsibility of guiding the team alongside Mendez.

Usman believes Khabib has fit into Abdulmanap’s role extremely well. The Professional Fighters League lightweight champion says his cousin Khabib knows exactly how much a fighter must be pushed in training. With the team being filled with champions from every major MMA promotion, one would expect that they would train adequately by themse…

Raul Rosas Jr. doesn’t want to keep fighting after he achieves all his goals.

Rosas Jr. is the youngest ever fighter to enter the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 21-year-old recently revealed that, like most modern mixed martial arts stars, he eventually wants to be a two-division champion. If “El Nino Problema” can win a second title and defend it a couple of times by 25, he will consider retirement.

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Rosas Jr. clarified that he will continue past that age if he doesn’t accomplish all his goals by then. However, if he becomes a two-division champion, Rosas Jr. doesn’t want to keep fighting hungry opponents who want what he has already achieved.

“If I accomplish all my accomplishments by 25, like if I’m already able to try to challenge for the second belt on the second division and defend it a couple of times, if I still haven’t done that, then I’m gonna keep going,” Rosas Jr. told Dominick Cruz. “But if I’ve done what I wanted to do, I don’t wa…

Khamzat Chimaev had to part with his lucky shorts after joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Chimaev’s (15-0) longtime grappling coach, Alan “Finfou” Nascimento, recently recalled giving his fighter a pair of shorts that would stay with him for a long time. “Finfou” gave Chimaev his own shorts ahead of his amateur debut against Khaled Laallam in 2017. While Nascimento wanted his shorts back if Chimaev lost, the future UFC champion was certain that he would win. Chimaev washed the shorts and hung them up to dry before sewing a patch of his coach’s logo on them.

Chimaev went on to submit his opponent in the first round with a brabo choke. Chimaev’s talent was evident in his first fight, and “Borz” turned pro the following year after two more amateur wins. “Finfou” recalls that Chimaev used to wear the same pair of shorts for every fight before he entered the UFC. Chimaev was inactive for a while during the COVID-19 pandemic when his manager suddenly secured a UFC…