Author: Andrew Rogers

Rumors are growing that Paddy Pimblett could face Ilia Topuria for the UFC lightweight title early next year as part of the promotion’s first event under its new deal with Paramount in 2026. Topuria captured the vacant title by knocking out Charles Oliveira earlier this year, and although Dana White dismissed their post-fight faceoff as unplanned, speculation about a showdown has persisted. Speaking to James Sweetnam, Pimblett said he would relish the matchup and predicted he’d dominate the Spanish champion. “I’d absolutely smash his face in,” Pimblett said. “People put him on a pedestal like he’s amazing, but I’ll bring…

Jake Paul’s next opponent remains uncertain after reported issues with Gervonta Davis, but one surprising name — Francis Ngannou — has drawn attention and debate. Former UFC champion Michael Bisping weighed in on the potential matchup, calling it a “car crash” fight that would still be a win-win for Paul. While Bisping doubts the bout will actually happen, he said Paul would gain “a lot of respect” for stepping into the ring with the former UFC heavyweight king. “For Jake Paul, it would almost be worth the risk,” Bisping said. “Even if he lost — which he would — people…

Cody Durden’s new four-fight UFC contract is off to a rough start after he suffered his third consecutive defeat at UFC Vegas 110, tapping out to Allan Nascimento in the second round. Durden, who took the 130lb catchweight bout on a week’s notice, started well but was caught in an Anaconda choke after a failed takedown attempt. The 34-year-old was forced to submit within seconds, marking the fifth submission loss of his career and dropping his record to 1–5 in his last six fights. Nascimento, now on a four-fight winning streak, used his post-fight interview to call out former title…

Five years ago today, one of the greatest UFC careers came to a close when Anderson Silva suffered a knockout loss to Uriah Hall. Silva, widely regarded as one of MMA’s all-time greats, held the UFC middleweight title for a record 2,457 days between 2006 and 2013. After his legendary reign ended with two defeats to Chris Weidman, “The Spider” managed just one more win before his final bout in 2020. Facing Hall inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Silva was stopped in the fourth round of what became an emotional farewell. Hall, long inspired by Silva’s creative striking,…

With just weeks to go before Jake Paul’s exhibition fight against Gervonta Davis, ticket sales appear to be struggling — prompting major price cuts. Originally planned for Atlanta, the matchup was moved to the 20,000-seat Kaseya Center in Miami, but fan interest has been far lower than expected. The cheapest tickets have dropped from $223 to around $91, while ringside seats have been cut from $5,000 to about $2,700. Despite the hype surrounding both fighters, the crossover bout has been criticized as a mismatch. Paul, fresh off a decision win over Julio César Chávez Jr., will face the much smaller…

Just days after his record-setting win at UFC 321, heavyweight contender Valter Walker has shocked fans by returning to the gym — despite breaking his leg during the fight. Walker made history at the event in Abu Dhabi, submitting Louie Sutherland with a heel hook to notch his fourth consecutive victory via the same move, tying Rousimar Palhares for the most heel hook wins in UFC history. However, in a cruel twist, Walker later revealed he had suffered a fractured fibula, sharing an X-ray of the injury and confirming a recovery time of five to six weeks. Despite the setback,…

Fresh off winning the strawweight title at UFC 321, Mackenzie Dern says she’s ready to face the toughest challengers — and has her sights set on former champion Zhang Weili. Dern, who submitted Virna Jandiroba to claim the vacant belt, told Ariel Helwani she doesn’t want to be a “baby champion.” Instead, she aims to “beat the best,” naming Zhang and Tatiana Suarez as likely contenders. “If Zhang wins or even if she loses to Valentina [Shevchenko], she still makes sense because of her resume,” Dern said. The 30-year-old jiu-jitsu ace, now the second ADCC gold medalist to hold a…

UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear that Ronda Rousey will always have a place in the sport she helped build, insisting she’s welcome at any UFC event despite her long absence from the spotlight. Rousey, a UFC Hall of Famer and the promotion’s first women’s bantamweight champion, has not attended a UFC event since her retirement in 2016 following knockout losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. In 2024, she admitted she stayed away because she felt “vilified” by MMA fans and media. “I’m pretty sure if I walked into the arena I’d be booed,” Rousey said last…

Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr has stirred debate by claiming Terence Crawford has surpassed Floyd Mayweather in terms of ambition and willingness to take risks. Mayweather retired unbeaten at 50-0 after defeating Conor McGregor in 2017 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. But Jones argued that while Mayweather was technically brilliant, he often avoided the toughest challenges available. “To me, [Crawford] is, because he challenges himself,” Jones said. “Floyd’s one of the best ever — slick, sharp, and smart — but he never really challenged himself. Crawford does.” Crawford, who became a…

Alexander Volkov moved one step closer to another UFC heavyweight title shot after earning a disputed split-decision win over Brazil’s Jailton Almeida at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. The Russian veteran, who has long campaigned for another crack at the championship, benefited from a scorecard many fans and pundits called questionable. Almeida opened strong, securing an early takedown with a high-crotch lift and controlling the first round on the mat. Volkov, however, turned the tide late in the frame, reversing position and landing heavy ground strikes — some appearing to hit the back of Almeida’s head. The Brazilian seemed to…