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Khamzat Chimaev could finally return to action in Abu Dhabi.

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White indicated that the middleweight is being considered, like many fighters, for UFC 333, although no bout has been finalized.

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Khamzat Chimaev pushes for UFC return as Dana White weighs UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi Chimaev recently took to social media, seemingly eager to return to the Octagon.

“What are we waiting for? I want to fight,” he wrote on X while tagging the UFC boss.

White addressed Chimaev's future following Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026 after being asked about the X post from the former champion calling for a return to action.

“I didn't see it,” White said. “Yeah, I mean, he's always in conversation to fight. The whole roster is. I mean, everybody, in a perfect world, everybody fights three times a year.”

Chimaev lost the middleweight title to Sean Strickland earlier this year, suffering the first loss of his pr…

Dana White isn't interested in getting dragged into the latest round of Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua negotiations and has little patience for Eddie Hearn’s comments.

Reports recently surfaced claiming Fury and Joshua have agreed to meet Nov. 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. When asked about the reported date and venue, the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO offered a noncommittal response before turning his attention to Hearn.

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UFC CEO Dana White brushes off Eddie Hearn during Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua negotiations Speaking after Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026, White responded to reports of Joshua-Fury negotiations and recent comments from Hearn.

White was asked about reports that Hearn still wants the fight staged in the United Kingdom and had raised the possibility of legal action if Joshua were booked without a contractual agreement. The UFC boss said he has largely stopped paying attention to Hearn's public comments. Read more about Dana White has stopped listening to Eddie Hearn amid Fury-Joshua talks

Kaik Brito had some tricks up his sleeve in his fight against Namo Fazil.

Brito (20-6) took on a surging Fazil in a welterweight matchup in the main event of Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026. While Brito looked dangerous early in the fight, Fazil’s pressure put him on the back foot as the bout progressed.

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However, Brito shut Fazil’s lights off with a vicious right hand early in the third round to earn an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract. He notably planned to pull off the finish right in front of UFC CEO Dana White.Kaik Brito details Namo Fazil knockout that secured UFC contract Brito knows that it looked like he was leaving everything in the Octagon in the back-and-forth bout. However, the Brazilian claims he was waiting for the right moment.

In the final round, when his back was against the cage, Brito noticed he was fighting close to White. That’s when he decided to launch the missile of a right hand that flattened Fazil. He…

The next crop of Ultimate Fighting Championship hopefuls are ready for Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10.

DWCS returns for Week 2 with five bouts scheduled as fighters look to impress UFC CEO Dana White and the promotion’s matchmakers. UFC contracts are up for grabs for those who stand out.

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Full Dana White’s Contender Series Week 2 weigh-in results

All 10 fighters made weight for the card. The action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Paramount+.

Here are all the weigh-in results ahead of DWCS Week 2:

Welterweight Featured Bout: Namo Fazil (170.5) vs. Kaik Brito (169.5)Middleweight: Douglas Henrique Rodrigues (183.5) vs. Trent Miller (185.5)Lightweight: Logan Paxton (155) vs. Cristian Perez (155)Light Heavyweight: Alik Lorenz (205) vs. Mahamed Aly (205.5)Featherweight: Roman Puga (144.5) vs. Taner Trembley (145)

The fighters of #DWCS Week 2 have weighed in to make it official for Tuesday. Read more about DWCS Week 2 official after all 10 fighters make weight

Conor McGregor has several options once he fulfills his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

The former two-division champion has one fight remaining on his current UFC deal, although an ACL and meniscus injury suffered in his recent rematch with Max Holloway is expected to keep him sidelined well into 2027. Once that obligation is fulfilled, BKFC chairman Dave Feldman believes McGregor could make the move to bare-knuckle boxing.

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Conor McGregor could join BKFC after completing final UFC fight McGregor underwent surgery earlier this month and will have to complete his recovery before returning to the Octagon. Once he’s out of contract and enters free agency, the head of BKFC claims the Irishman wants to compete in the promotion.

“He’s really looking forward to coming back and getting that last fight under his belt,” Feldman told SunSport. “So that way it clears him up for the ability to fight in the BKFC. And I really do think you see that happe…

Arman Tsarukyan believes Charles Oliveira never wanted their rematch.

Tsarukyan was rumored to be booked against Oliveira on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles, but the matchup was scrapped before the Ultimate Fighting Championship officially announced the card. He will instead meet surging Brazilian contender Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331.

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Arman Tsarukyan believes Charles Oliveira preferred a potential Diego Lopes fight Tsarukyan questioned Oliveira's withdrawal during a recent interview, saying the UFC told him the Brazilian needed time away from training following the recent death of his longtime Chute Boxe teammate, Alan Nascimento.

“I was supposed to be fighting Charles Oliveira in the co-main event, five rounds, when I was in the mountains they called me and said ‘We’ve got a new name for you,’” Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani. “I said, ‘No problem.’ [The reason the UFC gave for the withdrawal] was because Charles’ friend died and he cannot train. But I don’t…

Carlos Prates is high in confidence following Islam Makhachev’s latest title defense.

Prates was in attendance at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia as Makhachev defeated Ian Garry by unanimous decision to retain the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title in the UFC 330 main event. The Brazilian is certain he’ll knock out the Russian champ when they lock horns.

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Carlos Prates vows to knock out UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev Makhachev was pushed to the limit by Garry and needed a dominant final round to seal the decision win. However, many of his takedowns and submission attempts were shut down by the challenger. This marks Makhachev’s second decision win in as many welterweight bouts after finishing most of his challengers at lightweight.

After the event, Prates made a bold claim, vowing to put the Dagestani pound-for-pound king to sleep.

“I will knock you out, bro,” Prates said. “I will knock you out. I will bring that b…

Conor McGregor has reacted to Ian Garry’s post-fight mindset after the latter’s unsuccessful bid for welterweight gold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Garry recently suffered just the second loss of his professional career, dropping a unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia. Following the loss, McGregor offered some encouragement to his compatriot.

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Ian Garry stays defiant after losing UFC title fight to Islam Makhachev Garry remained defiant after the defeat, insisting that Makhachev was simply the better man on the night and vowing to learn from the experience. In a social media post the following day, “The Future” reiterated his positive outlook after the loss. Responding to the video, McGregor praised Garry.

“Champion mindset!” McGregor wrote in the comments.

McGregor had previously backed Garry to pull off a major upset, predicting before UFC 330 that the fellow former Cage Warriors champ wo…

Anthony Smith has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges stemming from a July domestic incident in Nebraska.

Court records confirmed Smith's plea, resulting in the cancellation of an arraignment scheduled for Aug. 17. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title challenger is now due back in court for a status hearing Sept. 21 in Sarpy County.

Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith faces four felony charges stemming from an alleged July domestic incident in Gretna, Nebraska Smith faces one Class 2 felony count involving an attempted Class 1 offense, a terroristic-threats charge and two counts of first-degree false imprisonment, all classified as Class 3A felonies. A Class 2 felony in Nebraska can carry a prison term of one to 50 years, while Class 3A felonies carry up to three years of imprisonment and 18 months of post-release supervision.

Prosecutors allege that Smith became involved in an altercation with his wife at a Gretna, Nebraska, ba…

Islam Makhachev has responded to Max Holloway's criticism of his post-fight celebration.

Makhachev successfully defended the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title against Ian Garry at UFC 330, earning a unanimous decision win in Philadelphia. The Russian was seen holding two belts as he was announced the victor, which Holloway called into question.

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Islam Makhachev answers Max Holloway’s criticism after UFC 330 Holloway was quick to question Makhachev posing with two belts despite vacating his lightweight title last year.

“Why the f*ck do you have two belts? For aura? You’re just defending one belt, bro,” Holloway said during a recent Kick stream.

Makhachev was quick to react, taking a sly dig at the former featherweight and BMF champ.

“I don’t know bro,” Makhachev commented on Instagram. “It’s even too heavy to hold. But you don’t understand, sorry.”

Makhachev vacated the lightweight championship last year after four s…

Din Thomas has apologized to Gillian Robertson after drawing criticism for his comments following his pupil’s failed title bid in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Thomas, Robertson’s longtime mentor, announced during the UFC 330 post-show that he’s done cornering fighters and that he took “The Savage” as far as he could. The former UFC fighter drew backlash for the timing of his remarks, with both fans and fighters calling him out.

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Din Thomas regrets timing of comments after Gillian Robertson’s UFC 330 title loss Thomas suggested that Robertson had reached her ceiling in the sport after getting thoroughly dominated by Mackenzie Dern. He then claimed that he’s stepping away from being a cornerman, citing the fight week responsibilities, drawing the ire of many. Thomas addressed the controversy on “Deep Waters,” admitting the timing was inappropriate.

“Saturday night was the most inappropriate time for me to bring up that I did not want to corner …

Islam Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, has nothing but praise for Ian Garry.

Makhachev (29-1) put his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title on the line against Garry (17-2) at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The challenger pushed the champ to the limit, stuffing multiple takedown and submission attempts, but ultimately lost via decision.

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Ian Garry earns praise from Islam Makhachev’s coach after pushing the champion at UFC 330 While Makhachev was able to take Garry down, he wasn’t able to control the Irishman as he did against his previous opponents. Makhachev even missed several takedown attempts altogether. Furthermore, Garry showed no signs of fatigue throughout the bout and appeared to be the fresher fighter the deeper the fight went, while the champion’s face was heavily bruised.

Mendez was impressed with Garry’s valiant display and believes the former Cage Warriors champ should remain the No. 1 welterweight contender on the UFC’s offici…

Henry Cejudo believes Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t do enough in his career to be considered one of the greatest of all time.

While Nurmagomedov is widely considered among the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history, Cejudo argues that “The Eagle” only defended the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title thrice. “Triple C” believes its only title wins and defenses are to be considered for making it to the GOAT list and the Russian’s retirement at 32 leaves many unanswered questions.

Henry Cejudo argues Khabib Nurmagomedov's three UFC title defenses aren't enough for GOAT status Nurmagomedov’s teammate and successor, current pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev, defended his welterweight title against Ian Garry at UFC 330. Cejudo believes Makhachev, in pursuit of his fourth title defense overall in the UFC, would have dropped significantly on the pound-for-pound list if he had lost against Garry.

“No, Khabib is not there, bro,” Cejudo said on the “Pound 4 …

Islam Makhachev has named the ideal next challenger for his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title.

Makhachev retained his belt with a hard-fought victory over Ian Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The Russian revealed that Carlos Prates is the preferred next opponent after recording his first title defense at welterweight.

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Islam Makhachev backs Carlos Prates for next UFC welterweight title shot Prates and Michael Morales, who were both in attendance at UFC 330, are in the running for the next title shot, with Makhachev believing the Brazilian currently has the stronger case. He dismissed Shavkat Rakhmonov, who’s been sidelined with injuries since December 2024, and Morales, who hasn’t been as active as Prates.

“If you ask me today, Shavkat [Rakhmonov] is not fighting; Prates is still fighting, still active,” Makhachev said during the Paramount+ post-fight show. “Morales also is good, but I don’t remember the last time he fought. If you …

Daniel Cormier wants Usman Nurmagomedov to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The former two-division UFC champion recently crossed paths with Nurmagomedov at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The unbeaten Dagestani is now a free agent after exhausting his contract with the Professional Fighters League and Cormier has directly challenged him to test himself against the UFC's best.

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Daniel Cormier wants PFL free agent Usman Nurmagomedov to face the UFC's best Nurmagomedov (22-0) stopped Archie Colgan in the final bout of his PFL contract. Amidst the promotion’s merger with Most Valuable Promotions, he’ll likely be offered a bumper new contract to return, as PFL still has a limited exclusive negotiation window before the UFC can make an offer.

Nurmagomedov appeared to question the level of competition available to him in the UFC, calling top-ranked lightweights “bums” while talking to Cormier after UFC 330. The Hall of Famer then claimed t…

Cris Cyborg has accomplished just about everything there is in women’s mixed martial arts and she recently discussed what drives her.

Cyborg returns to action Aug. 22 to defend the Professional Fighters League women's featherweight championship against Ketlen Vieira in the main event of PFL Tampa at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa in what will reportedly be her MMA retirement fight.

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Cris Cyborg reflects on her career approach before PFL Tampa Cyborg has established herself among the sport's elite. With championships across multiple major promotions and more than two decades of competition behind her, the Brazilian has increasingly focused on the impact she can have on women's mixed martial arts.

In a video posted by the PFL, Cyborg explained one of the biggest motivations of her career: making women’s MMA exciting.

Cris Cyborg’s final MMA bout headlines PFL Tampa: Tune in on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

“A lot of peo…

The early betting lines are in for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s next trip to Abu Dhabi.

The promotion announced UFC 333's lineup during the UFC 330 broadcast, with Alexander Volkanovski set to defend his featherweight championship against Movsar Evloev. In the co-headliner, Petr Yan will run it back with Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout for the bantamweight championship.

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Furthermore, with Islam Makhachev retaining his welterweight title at UFC 330, odds for his next bout have also dropped.Both defending champions at UFC 333 open as betting favorites; Islam Makhachev favored against top welterweightsUFC 333 is set for Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi and BetOnline Sports has released odds for both title fights on the card. Volkanovski, the reigning 145-pound champ, opened as a slight favorite at -130 against the unbeaten Evloev (+110). Meanwhile, Yan is a larger favorite at -170 against Dvalishvili (+150) for their third meeting. Their two bouts so f…

Mackenzie Dern has already started looking ahead after defending her Ultimate Fighting Championship title.

Dern (17-5) thoroughly outclassed Gillian Robertson at UFC 330, using her grappling to secure a unanimous decision and retain the strawweight belt in Philadelphia. She’s now name-dropped who could be next in line for a title shot.

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Mackenzie Dern names Weili Zhang, Tatiana Suarez and Lupita Godinez as possible UFC title challengers When asked in a post-fight interview who she could face next, Dern initially admitted she’s unsure. She claimed the next challenger for the 115-pound throne could be Tatiana Suarez (12-1), Lupita Godinez (14-6), or former champ Weili Zhang (26-4).

“I know there’s Tatiana, Weili… Who else? Lupita could be coming up pretty soon,” Dern said.

Godinez is unlikely next in line, having lost three of her last five bouts. Moreover, the Mexican contender has already lost to Dern.

Suarez previously challenged for UFC gold…

Ian Garry has no intention of dwelling on his failed title bid in the Ultimate Fighting Championship against Islam Makhachev.

Garry came up short against Makhachev in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia, dropping a unanimous decision after a hard-fought five-round battle. The Russian retained the welterweight championship and extended his winning streak in the UFC to 17 straight victories, a new record. Nevertheless, the challenger is encouraged by his performance and what the future holds for him.

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Ian Garry addresses UFC 330 loss and promises to come back stronger Garry believes his performance against Makhachev showed that he belongs at the highest level of the sport.

“Tonight wasn’t my night,” Garry said on Instagram. “I feel great, I did great, Islam was just better than me tonight and that’s OK. I want everybody who loves me and supports me and wants to see me do better; I want you to know that I’m going to be back.”

The former Cage Wa…

Islam Makhachev has nothing but respect for Ian Garry and the Irishman’s preparation for their title bout.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight king retained his belt with a hard-fought victory over Garry in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia. The challenger pushed the champ to the limit and the latter recently revealed what made the five-rounder so challenging.

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How Ian Garry’s patient approach frustrated Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 Makhachev claims Garry’s lack of output on the feet made the matchup a tricky puzzle to solve.

“Very hard to fight with someone who stands… No working, just standing and waiting,” Makhachev said in a post-fight interview. “Very difficult. He prepared himself well for the fight; he gave me a hard time, but no matter. From the first second to the last second, I am going to war. I am going to win, doesn’t matter how.”

Later, at the post-fight presser, Makhachev revealed that Garry caught him with an in…

Ian Garry’s failed title bid didn’t deter him from lecturing Michael Morales backstage.

Morales (19-0) was in attendance when Garry (17-2) challenged Islam Makhachev (29-1) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330. Despite suffering a unanimous decision loss, Garry gave Makhachev a tough test and took a moment backstage to talk to potentially the next challenger to the 170-pound title, Morales, who weighed in as a backup for UFC 330.

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Ian Garry calls for new wave of fighters to avoid trash talk while confronting Michael Morales Garry confronted Morales backstage about their recent feud while the undefeated Ecuadorian barely responded.

“All the s*** you talk, it's OK. Make sure you back it up,” Garry said. “I don't know whatever story you made up about meeting me; I've never encountered that sort, you know that, right? Listen, you're a good fighter. Show up, keep winning, and you can do anything. Does tha…

Neil Magny believes he can close the gap on Jim Miller for the most wins in Ultimate Fighting Championship history.

Magny (32-14) scored a second-round stoppage win over Ramiz Brahimaj at UFC 330. The win saw him surpass Max Holloway and tie Charles Oliveira for the second-most wins in UFC history (25). Magny is now only behind Miller (28). “The Haitian Sensation” believes he will eventually tie or break Miller's record.

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Neil Magny moves within three wins of Jim Miller after UFC 330 Magny has fought the who’s who of the UFC welterweight division since making his debut in the promotion in 2013. The 39-year-old is the unofficial gatekeeper to the top tier of the division, having shared the cage with all current 170-pound championship contenders and derailed several hype trains previously. Still going strong, he sees himself eventually becoming the all-time leader for Octagon wins.

“I think Father Time is working in my favor to catch up to Jim,” Magny…

Lucas Fernando likely wouldn’t have debuted in the Ultimate Fighting Championship if not for his wife.

Fernando (14-3) made his promotional debut against Rafael Tobias at UFC 330. He put on a striking clinic before dropping Tobias with a knee to the body and finishing him with vicious follow-up shots in the third round.

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Lucas Fernando rebounded from DWCS and LFA losses to earn his UFC opportunity Fernando called his wife during the post-fight press conference and said he couldn’t wait to return to her in Brazil after being in the U.S. for a month. He also credited his wife for talking him out of quitting mixed martial arts after his loss on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023. While Fernando was skeptical about fully committing to the sport after his defeat, his wife convinced him to pursue his dream of a UFC career.

“My wife, I miss her a lot,” Fernando said at the post-fight presser. “I’ve been in the United States for a month training, so I c…

Neil Magny added another milestone to his Ultimate Fighting Championship career at UFC 330.

The welterweight veteran defeated Ramiz Brahimaj, rallying from an early scare to score a second-round technical knockout at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, to pick up his 25th win in the promotion.

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Neil Magny's 25 UFC wins trail only Jim Miller after UFC 330 With 25 Octagon victories under his belt, Magny is now tied with former lightweight champ and reigning BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira in second place, behind only Jim Miller (28). Furthermore, he’s finished his last three wins, which he highlighted in a post-fight interview.

“Man, it feels great,” Magny said. “This puts me at 3-1 in my last four fights; all three wins came by finish, so I feel like I am in a very good position. I feel pretty good about it.”

The 39-year-old has been on the UFC roster since 2013, developing a reputation as a gatekeeper to the top tier of the welterweight div…