Author: Andrew Rogers

Song Yadong has hinted that he will face either Sean O’Malley or Umar Nurmagomedov when the UFC launches its Paramount+ era at UFC 324 on January 24, 2026. The No. 5-ranked bantamweight revealed on Douyin (China’s TikTok) that he has signed a bout agreement for UFC 324, naming O’Malley and Nurmagomedov as the two possible opponents. The post was later shared by MMA reporter Chris Presnell. Song hasn’t fought since February at UFC Seattle, where he defeated Henry Cejudo by technical decision after an eye poke ended the bout. Both potential opponents have expressed interest in facing him: The bantamweight…

Ilia Topuria continues to dismiss the idea of defending his lightweight title against top contender Arman Tsarukyan, despite growing calls for the matchup. Topuria has repeatedly said he wants nothing to do with Tsarukyan after the Armenian withdrew on short notice from a planned January title fight. Even after Tsarukyan’s dominant win over Dan Hooker on 22 November, the champion remains uninterested. Instead, Topuria has narrowed his list of preferred opponents to just two names: Paddy Pimblett or Islam Makhachev. Speaking with Alvaro Colmenero, Topuria made it clear that his dream matchup would be a welterweight title bout against newly…

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has given a refreshingly honest take on the idea of boxing Jake Paul, following claims from Paul that the two sides once discussed a potential matchup. Paul, who is now preparing for a shock bout against former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, recently said Pereira was “down” to fight him but unable to proceed because of his UFC contract. Pereira had been called out by Paul after the YouTuber-turned-boxer defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., though talks never materialised. Speaking to TMZ Sports, Pereira said he sees a fight with Paul as a genuine challenge for…

Dan Hooker wasted no time looking ahead to his next fight after being submitted by Arman Tsarukyan in the second round at UFC Qatar. The New Zealander, whose three-fight win streak came to an end, set his sights on Renato Moicano during his first interview after the defeat. Moicano, a former title challenger, is coming off back-to-back losses — a submission to Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 and a decision defeat to Beneil Dariush at UFC 317. Hooker jokingly pitched the matchup with trademark self-deprecating humour. “It’s a good fight. We both suck,” he told The Mac Life, laughing. “We…

Ian Machado Garry believes a dominant performance at UFC Qatar will secure him a welterweight title shot in 2026—and he already has an unconventional plan for preparing to face Islam Makhachev. Before Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker headline the event, Garry will take on former champion Belal Muhammad in Doha. Confident that a win will propel him to the top of the contender list, the Irishman has been thinking ahead to what it would take to dethrone the seemingly unstoppable Makhachev. His answer: training in Georgia. Garry revealed during fight week that he intends to travel to the country to…

Lucas Browne, a former WBA heavyweight boxing champion with experience in both boxing and MMA, has revealed the unexpected way he entered the world of bare-knuckle fighting. Browne, who once faced UFC legend Daniel Cormier early in his career, is now preparing to challenge Gustavo Trujillo for the BKB heavyweight title on 22 November in Florida. But his arrival in bare-knuckle boxing wasn’t part of a planned career move. He told Bloody Elbow that he initially travelled to the UK simply to help a friend, Matt Floyd, who needed someone to take part in an exhibition match after an opponent…

Jack Della Maddalena has broken his silence following his one-sided loss to Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 322, where he was defeated over five dominant rounds and lost the welterweight title. The Australian, who hadn’t suffered a defeat in more than a decade, struggled to cope with Makhachev’s world-class grappling throughout the bout. The performance drew criticism from some fans, given the high expectations heading into the fight. Della Maddalena has now issued his first public statement, sharing photos from fight week alongside a brief message: “Thanks to those always supporting. Islam is one of the greats…

Bo Nickal delivered a spectacular response to his critics at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden, knocking out Rodolfo Vieira with a head kick in the prelims. The emphatic win helped erase doubts that followed the first loss of his MMA career earlier this year. Eager to maintain momentum, the 29-year-old hopes to return to action quickly — but he admits he may delay his next fight for a major opportunity. Nickal is considering holding off until June 2026 to secure a spot on the planned UFC event at the White House. “I would love to get back in there…

Benoit Saint-Denis made a huge statement at UFC 322, knocking out Beneil Dariush in just 16 seconds and putting himself firmly back into the lightweight title mix. But the French finisher has bigger ambitions than just the divisional belt. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Saint-Denis revealed that, alongside chasing Ilia Topuria’s lightweight championship, he wants Max Holloway’s BMF title as well. “My absolute goal is to get that BMF and that lightweight belt,” he said. “Two huge titles for one division.” Holloway claimed the BMF title in July at UFC 318, beating Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight and…

Anthony Joshua has just secured one of the biggest paydays of his career – a reported £50m (about $65m) to fight Jake Paul – yet the former heavyweight champion is already asking for an unexpected bonus: a free Netflix login. Joshua was originally set for a low-profile December fight worth around $1m after more than a year out of the ring. Instead, he now finds himself headlining a blockbuster Netflix card against Paul, earning tens of millions on top of an already vast career fortune estimated at $152m. But despite the astronomical cheque, Joshua took to Instagram with a tongue-in-cheek…