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Former world title challenger Hank Lundy will make his bare-knuckle boxing debut against Jairo Santos in the main event of Bally’s Fightnight by BKB on Nov. 20 in Dover, Delaware.

BKB announced the welterweight matchup Thursday. The five-round contest will take place at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort, marking the promotion’s first event in Delaware.

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Hank Lundy faces Jairo Santos in professional bare-knuckle debut at BKB Fightnight on Nov. 20 Lundy compiled a 32-14-1 professional boxing record with 14 knockouts and challenged Terence Crawford for the WBO junior welterweight championship in 2016.

“I’ve been in some big fights throughout my boxing career, but making my BKB debut is a new challenge that I’m excited to take on,” Lundy said. “I’ve always been a fighter who comes forward and looks to put on a show, and that’s exactly what I plan to do inside the Trigon.”

Santos, 29, will also make his professional bare-knuckle boxing debut. The South Ca…

The betting odds for the two title bouts headlining the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming Abu Dhabi card suggest competitive matchups.

UFC 333 takes place Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev in the main event, while bantamweight champion Petr Yan faces Merab Dvalishvili for the third time in the co-main event.

Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev share identical odds; Petr Yan favored over Merab DvalishviliBetOnline Sports & Casino listed Volkanovski and Evloev at -110 apiece as of Oct. 14. Yan was a -180 favorite against Dvalishvili (+155).

Alexander Volkov (-130) was favored over Rizvan Kuniev (+110), while Azamat Murzakanov (-205) was favored over Dominick Reyes (+175). Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (-450) was the largest favorite among the nine listed matchups, with opponent Nikita Krylov at +355.

UFC 333 odds as of Oct. 14:Alexander Volkanovski (-110) vs…

Anthony Pettis will face Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat in a six-round bout on Jan. 23, 2027.

Most Valuable Promotions announced the matchup Wednesday. The 154-pound contest will headline “Goyat vs. Pettis: The Indian Uprising,” presented by IPBL Boxing and sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Council. Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai are under consideration as host cities, with a decision expected in November.

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Anthony Pettis seeks family redemption after Sergio Pettis' boxing loss in India Goyat (21-4-2, 9 KOs), 34, is a former WBC Asia champion who has competed internationally for more than a decade. He joined MVP in 2024 and defeated Brazilian influencer Whindersson Nunes by unanimous decision on the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson undercard.

Pettis captured the WEC lightweight championship in 2010 before winning the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title in 2013. He also defeated Roy Jones Jr. by majority decision in his professional boxing debut at …

Jairzinho Rozenstruik has signed with Fight Nation Championship.

FNC announced Tuesday that the former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight will make his promotional debut at FNC 37 on Feb. 6, 2027, in Munich. No opponent has been announced for “Bigi Boy.”

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Former UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik signs with Fight Nation Championship for Feb. 6 return Rozenstruik, 38, parted ways with the UFC in February 2025 after a unanimous decision loss to Sergei Pavlovich. His UFC victories include wins over Tai Tuivasa, Shamil Gaziev, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski.

Following his UFC departure, Rozenstruik (16-6) won two bouts in Dirty Boxing Championship, capturing its inaugural heavyweight title in August 2025.

His scheduled MMA return will end a two-year absence from the sport.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to build its final numbered card of 2026, adding two matchups to UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Carli Judice will face Maycee Barber at women’s flyweight, while unbeaten Quentin Pasley will make his promotional debut against Junior Tafa at light heavyweight. The UFC announced the additions Wednesday.

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Quentin Pasley, compared to Jon Jones by Dana White, makes UFC debut against Junior Tafa Judice (7-2) has won four consecutive fights and faces a significant step up in competition against Barber (15-3). The 27-year-old stopped Jeisla Chaves with a front kick to the body and follow-up punches in August, improving her UFC record to 4-1.

Barber will look to rebound from her March knockout loss to Alexa Grasso, which ended a seven-fight winning streak. The 28-year-old’s victories include wins over Karine Silva, Katlyn Cerminara and Amanda Ribas.

Pasley (4-0) earned his UFC contract on …

Callum Bisping, the son of Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, has suffered his first amateur mixed martial arts defeat.

The 25-year-old lost to John McCain by second-round technical knockout at Sundown 2 in Los Angeles last weekend. Footage of the finish has prompted comparisons to his father’s knockout losses.

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Callum Bisping loses to John McCain at Sundown 2 as fans recall Michael Bisping's UFC 100 defeat Callum’s amateur record fell to 2-1. The former NCAA Division II wrestler debuted with a unanimous decision victory in December, then earned a first-round technical knockout in April.

Footage of his latest bout has circulated online, with fans comparing the finish to Michael’s loss to Dan Henderson in their first meeting at UFC 100.

Michael has previously expressed reservations about Callum’s ambition to become a professional fighter, saying his eldest son has the intelligence to succeed in other fields. Neverthel…

Paddy Pimblett believes Ilia Topuria’s loss to Justin Gaethje will have a lasting impact on the former Ultimate Fighting Championship two-division titleholder.

Pimblett predicts Topuria will struggle to regain his previous form after his first professional defeat. The Englishman says losses early in his own career strengthened him mentally, while “El Matador” must navigate that experience in his prime on the sport’s biggest stage.

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Paddy Pimblett doubts Ilia Topuria will recover mentally from first MMA defeat to Justin Gaethje Topuria lost the lightweight championship to Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in June when his corner stopped the bout after four rounds. Pimblett, a longtime rival of the Georgian-Spanish fighter, believes the defeat at the White House will permanently affect him.

Speaking to All Out Fighting, the former Cage Warriors champion acknowledged Topuria’s skills but maintained that he would beat him.

“I respect him; he’s a very g…

Dana White has addressed speculation about the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title picture.

Unbeaten contenders Shavkat Rakhmonov and Michael Morales have hinted at a potential matchup, while Carlos Prates is considered the front-runner to challenge champion Islam Makhachev next. The UFC CEO stopped short of confirming either bout but said more announcements were coming.

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Dana White addresses 19-0 Shavkat Rakhmonov and Michael Morales as UFC welterweight title picture takes shape Both Rakhmonov and Morales have fueled speculation on social media. Asked about their rumored matchup and the welterweight title picture after Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, White offered few details.

“Could be, could be… If it was done, we would announce it, but yeah, we actually have a lot of cool stuff going on right now that we went over yesterday,” White said. “Yeah, we got a lot of good announcements coming up.”

Rakhmonov has…

Liz Carmouche says she got the better of Jena Bishop before their first professional meeting.

Carmouche (26-8) and Bishop (11-3) will fight for the inaugural Professional Fighters League women’s flyweight world title on Oct. 16 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Carmouche defeated Bishop in the 2025 PFL World Tournament final and says she previously submitted her during sparring.

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Liz Carmouche recalls emotional sparring session with Jena Bishop ahead of PFL Chicago title rematch According to Carmouche, Bishop visited her gym as a guest sparring partner when both were training in San Diego. Carmouche said she welcomed the challenge of grappling with Bishop, an established jiu-jitsu black belt.

Carmouche described Bishop as initially reluctant to engage but aggressive once the session began. She said Bishop cried after being submitted, a reaction that surprised her given the intensity of the sparring.

A flyweight title fight headlines PFL Chicago: T…

Josh Hokit isn’t interested in being a role model.

Hokit’s controversial remarks have drawn criticism from prominent figures in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, including CEO Dana White and veteran Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer.

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Josh Hokit defends UFC Freedom 250 remarks after Bruce Buffer calls for more class Buffer recently criticized Hokit’s postfight comments about former first lady Michelle Obama at UFC Freedom 250.

“I don’t like what he talks about,” Buffer told Kick streamer N3on. “He’s disrespectful. It’s like, show some class. The things he said at the White House, I didn’t appreciate that. Young people today don’t have a lot of role models. We live in a decaying society; the way people are acting.”

Hokit responded by questioning whether fighters should be viewed as role models. He contrasted his trash talk with what he described as criminal records and charges involving other UFC fighters.

“I talk trash in the Octagon, bu…

Paulo Costa has praised Ultimate Fighting Championship interpreter Fabiano Buskei for his work during Brazilian fighters’ interviews.

Buskei interprets for Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking fighters in the UFC. After Chael Sonnen commended his intelligence, Costa echoed the UFC Hall of Famer’s praise.

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Fabiano Buskei earns praise from Paulo Costa and Chael Sonnen for his UFC translations Responding to a social media post about Buskei, Sonnen praised his approach to the job.

“He downplays it well but that dude is a secret weapon,” Sonnen posted on X. “Very smart. Always has a plan.”

Costa agreed, saying Buskei’s word choices help fighters express themselves more effectively. “Borrachinha,” who speaks Portuguese and English, said understanding both languages gives him a greater appreciation for Buskei’s work.

“He really makes the fighter sound much better by choosing more appropriate words than the low-IQ fighter originally used,” Costa wro…

Mike Malott believes he is the main attraction at the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Canada.

Malott faces Joaquin Buckley in the main event of UFC Edmonton on Oct. 17 at Rogers Place. Buckley says he feels at home in Canada and has a larger fan base than Malott. The Canadian disagrees, viewing his higher-ranked American opponent as an opportunity to climb the welterweight rankings.

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Mike Malott disputes Joaquin Buckley's Canadian fan-base claim ahead of UFC Edmonton Malott noted that he has already headlined a UFC event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he stopped Gilbert Burns in April. He believes Buckley would not headline a UFC card in Canada without him.

“He’s a great fighter, Top 10 in the world for a reason, but as far as my name and notoriety in Canada, I’ve main-evented in Canada without him,” Malott told Full Send MMA. “He would never main event in Canada without me. He is in the main event because I’m the main event for this…

Asaf Chopurov credits Khabib Nurmagomedov with inspiring his interest in mixed martial arts.

Chopurov said Nurmagomedov’s discipline motivated him as a teenager. He later traveled to Dagestan for a training camp with Khabib’s father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

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Asaf Chopurov credits Khabib Nurmagomedov and recalls Abdulmanap's Dagestan camp ahead of UFC 333 debut Chopurov is scheduled to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut against Colby Thicknesse at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the bout, he discussed what inspired him to pursue MMA.

“When I was 14-15, first of all, I saw Khabib Nurmagomedov and how disciplined he was,” Chopurov told Ariel Helwani. “Then I also went to Dagestan and did a training camp with Abdulmanap, and this was really good motivation for me. After that, I just enjoying fighting. That's why I'm here.”

Chopurov (11-0) defended the UAE Warriors bantamweight title twice before sign…

Tanner Boser is questioning the qualifications of mixed martial arts judges.

While the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight acknowledges that judges usually score fights correctly, he says mistakes can have significant consequences for fighters’ careers.

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Tanner Boser questions MMA judging qualifications ahead of Jhonata Diniz fight at UFC Edmonton Boser faces Jhonata Diniz on Oct. 17 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. Ahead of the bout, he questioned whether judges without fighting experience are equipped to score MMA.

“They get way more right than they do wrong,” Boser said at UFC Edmonton media day. “But it’s just that when they get something wrong, it affects somebody’s life in a very, very significant way. It is what it is. It’s just an imperfect system… Who are the judges? Were they fighters? Because if they are not, you don’t really know your logic. Were they boxers? Because that’s kind of different too… But a lot of the time the ju…

Jasmine Jasudavicius wants to fight for an Ultimate Fighting Championship title on home soil.

Jasudavicius will have the Canadian crowd behind her when she faces Erin Blanchfield on Oct. 17 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. She views the matchup as a women’s flyweight title eliminator. With UFC 336 reportedly targeted for Toronto next year, Jasudavicius hopes a victory over Blanchfield will earn her a quick turnaround and a title shot in Canada.

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Jasmine Jasudavicius sees Erin Blanchfield fight at UFC Edmonton as path to Natalia Silva title rematch Valentina Shevchenko relinquished the 125-pound title because of injury, and Natalia Silva won the vacant championship at UFC 332 by defeating Cong Wang by unanimous decision. Jasudavicius believes beating Blanchfield on Saturday would warrant a rematch with Silva, calling the opportunity to challenge for the belt in Canada an “honor.”

“I think whoever wins this fight does expect a title shot,” Jasuda…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has reportedly declined to renew another undefeated fighter’s contract.

Farid Basharat (16-0) has been removed from the UFC roster, according to MMA Fighting. He earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 and went 7-0 in the promotion.

Farid Basharat exits UFC after 7-0 Octagon run as promotion reportedly declines to renew contractBasharat completed his contract with a victory over John Garza in July and wasn't offered a new deal. The Afghan-born British fighter also defeated Da’Mon Blackshear, Jean Matsumoto and Chris Gutierrez. Six of his seven UFC victories came by decision.

Basharat joins Muhammad Mokaev and Michael Page among fighters whose UFC contracts were not renewed despite winning streaks.

His brother, Javid Basharat, also left the UFC in February and has since joined the Professional Fighters League. Javid won his final UFC appearance, though he went 1-2 with one no contest in his last four bouts w…

Luis Francischinelli has joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division.

Francischinelli stopped William Rentz in the opening round on Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Oct. 13.

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Luis Francischinelli earns UFC contract with first-round TKO of William Rentz at DWCS Week 10 Rentz (8-3) immediately closed the distance, taking the 6-foot-6 Francischinelli (7-1) down with a body lock. Francischinelli threatened a heel hook and landed elbows from his back before returning to his feet.

Rentz secured another takedown, but Francischinelli quickly stood again. As Rentz pressed forward, the Brazilian dropped him with a counter left hook. Francischinelli followed him to the canvas and landed ground strikes to force the stoppage at 2:18 of Round 1.

UFC CEO Dana White praised Francischinelli’s performance, describing the 30-year-old as a “fun” addition to the 170-pound division.

“Luis,…

Gregory Foster outworked Jason Asher in a back-and-forth lightweight bout on Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10.

Foster (9-1) and Asher (5-1) each scored a knockdown in the opening round Tuesday at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Foster prevailed by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28 in his favor. Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White awarded the 34-year-old a contract.

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Gregory Foster defeats Jason Asher at DWCS as Dana White wishes hospitalized mother Barbara a speedy recovery Foster started fast, dropping Asher with a right hand before Asher answered with a spinning backfist that floored him. After a competitive second round, Asher took Foster down in the third and landed ground strikes that opened a cut above Foster’s right eye.

Despite the difficult final round, Foster was thrilled with his performance.

“Super happy, very proud of myself, very proud of my team,” Foster said in a postfight i…

Smilla Sundell defeated Aline Pereira to earn an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract at Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Week 10 of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10.

Sundell (3-0) outstruck Pereira (3-3) over three rounds in their women’s bantamweight matchup, earning a unanimous decision with three 29-28 scores.

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Smilla Sundell beats Aline Pereira at DWCS as Mick Maynard backs 21-year-old's UFC signing A former One Championship muay Thai titleholder, Sundell pressed forward from the opening bell, mixing her strikes to keep Pereira on the defensive. Her Brazilian opponent found success with counters and scored a takedown in the third round, but Sundell returned to her feet and resumed applying pressure until the final horn.

Sundell earned a contract despite UFC CEO Dana White’s reservations about her readiness. White initially wanted the 21-year-old to gain more experience outside the promotion, but matchmaker Mick Maynard persuaded him to sig…

The Professional Fighters League has updated the card for its return to Chicago.

Levan Khabalaev (6-0) will face Brock Hamer (5-1) after Morquez Forest (8-2) withdrew from PFL Chicago. The promotion announced the change on social media ahead of the Oct. 16 event at Wintrust Arena. Hamer will make his promotional debut against the unbeaten Khabalaev.

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A flyweight title fight headlines PFL Chicago: Tune in on Friday, Oct. 16 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The card will be headlined by a rematch between Liz Carmouche (26-8) and Jena Bishop (11-3) for the inaugural PFL women’s flyweight world championship. Unbeaten featherweight Timur Khizriev (18-0) will face Gabriel Braga (17-3) in the co-main event.

Updated PFL Chicago fight card: Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Bishop 2 headlines Oct. 16 event Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Bishop — Women’s flyweight championshipTimur Khizriev vs. Gabriel Braga — FeatherweightSarvarjon Khamidov vs. Rafael do Nascimento — BantamweightOua…

Douglas Lapa earned an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract with a technical knockout of Davi Cabral on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Lapa (7-0) faced Cabral (7-1) in a middleweight matchup in the DWCS Season 10 finale at Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday. After a competitive opening round, Lapa took control in the second and stopped Cabral 19 seconds into the third.

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Douglas Lapa, 27, earns UFC contract with third-round TKO of Davi Cabral at DWCS Season 10 finale Lapa entered as the betting favorite, but Cabral tested him early with powerful strikes and a guillotine attempt before Lapa worked his way back into the fight.

Lapa increased the pressure in the second round, landing combinations and thwarting Cabral’s takedown attempts. He carried that momentum into the final frame, dropping Cabral with a two-punch combination before follow-up ground strikes forced the stoppage.

“That man is a great jiu-jitsu guy,” Lapa said at the DWCS Season 1…

Josh Barnett is questioning Misfits’ financial strategy after Michael "Venom" Page described his lucrative new contract with the promotion.

Page said his three-fight deal with MF Sports’ Misfits will pay him more than he earned across his six bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Englishman claims he will earn seven figures per fight after the UFC opted against renewing his contract despite his 5-1 promotional record.

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Josh Barnett questions Michael 'Venom' Page's seven-figure Misfits contract claim, cites past MMA promotion failures Barnett responded on social media, questioning the accuracy of Page’s claims. The former UFC heavyweight champion warned that such spending could exhaust Misfits’ capital and jeopardize its future.

“Either Page is telling a very bold lie for publicity sake...” Barnett wrote on X. “Or [Misfits] has decided to run the same old formula of: jumping into the MMA market, overspending like mad, burning through all t…

Kayla Harrison believes her résumé surpasses Ronda Rousey’s.

Harrison (19-1) made the comparison on the “Deep Waters” podcast when asked how she would fare against Rousey in her prime. While the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight titleholder acknowledges Rousey’s contribution to the growth of women’s mixed martial arts, she believes she would beat “Rowdy.”

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Kayla Harrison doubts Ronda Rousey could submit her, cites two Olympic judo gold medals ahead of Amanda Nunes fight Harrison questioned the level of competition Rousey faced during her rise in MMA. Rousey won six UFC title fights.

“We learned the armbar at the same gym together,” Harrison said. “You think she's going to armbar me? Don't be disrespectful now. She did [so much for women’s MMA], but dominating women who picked up gloves three years ago at a cardio-kickboxing class and said, ‘I think I'm going to try this.’ She paved the way. I'm standing on her shoulders, a…

Dana White has dismissed Sean Strickland’s latest complaints about fighter pay.

Speaking to reporters after the final episode of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO addressed Strickland’s comments amid negotiations for his next title defense.

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Dana White disputes Sean Strickland's earnings claim, says UFC middleweight champion signed a new contract in May Strickland has expressed frustration over his proposed purse for a middleweight title rematch against Nassourdine Imavov. The champion recently said he was considering vacating the belt, moving to light heavyweight and fighting out his contract to pursue a boxing bout against Jake Paul.

Asked about Strickland at the DWCS 2026 Week 10 postfight news conference, White characterized the fighter’s public complaints as routine.

“I haven’t personally [spoken to Strickland], I’ve just heard through social media and stuff,” White said. “But when isn’t Sea…