Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is on the hunt for her second divisional title as she’s moving up to 125 pounds for her next bout.

Originally reported by MMA Junkie, the UFC Europe Twitter account confirmed that “Thug” will battle French mixed martial artist Manon Fiorot on September 2 as part of the Octagon’s return to Paris, France. The flyweight tilt is Namajuna’s first of her illustrious 11-5 professional career. Fiorot, known as “The Beast,” is a career 125-pounder and will enter the contest with a 10-1 record, which includes six KO/TKO victories.

Namajunas hasn’t competed since losing her 115-pound strap in May 2022 to Carla Esparza at UFC 274 via split decision. The defeat halted her three-fight winning streak which included back-to-back victories over Weili Zhang that saw Thug become a two-time strawweight queen.

On the other end, Fiorot last fought in October 2022 when she bested former 125-pound title challenger Katlyn Chookagian by unanimous decision at UFC 280. The Beast is 5-0 as a UFC athlete, which includes a unanimous decision nod against another ex-title challenger, Jennifer Maia, in March 2022.

Fiorot is ranked No. 2 in the division, per the official UFC standings, and Namajunas sits as the No. 2 strawweight. No. 1-ranked flyweight Valentina Shevchenko has been linked to Alexa Grasso, the woman who took her 125-pound belt in March at UFC 285, for an instant rematch. A fight has yet to be confirmed by the promotion. But considering their rankings, the winner of Namajunas vs. Fiorot could produce the next opponent for the winner of Grasso vs. Shevchenko.

Fiorot Was Eyeing a Potential Matchup With Namajunas

The Beast spoke with MMA Junkie in December about the possibility of fighting Namajunas. Fiorot said she didn’t care who she battled next, but that she wanted to clash with somebody in August.

“Waiting on Valentina is not an option for me, because I really want to fight in August,” Fiorot said. “In my mind, in my mindset, I say to everyone I will beat Valentina. So if I say that, I can win against anybody in the division. So I don’t care who I fight in August. I don’t know against who, but I heard two weeks or three weeks ago that Rose (Namajunas) wants to move up to the flyweight division. I’m the No. 1 contender, so if she comes, she has to fight me. Then after we can see.”

“For now, I don’t care about my next opponent – I will take everyone in the division,” The Beast continued. “I want a main event fight to keep some eyes on me and get some experience before I fight for the belt.”

Ciryl Gane vs. Serghei Spivac is Slated to Headline UFC Paris

Although Fiorot told the outlet she wanted to serve as the final act for her next event, former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane — the man who headlined the UFC’s debut in France last year — will do so instead.

Gane is coming off a loss to Jon Jones in what was his second attempt to become the unified heavyweight king. He’ll look to protect his No. 1 ranking by halting the momentum of No. 8 Serghei Spivac, who is riding a three-fight win streak that includes a submission over Derrick Lewis.

Former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier is fighting for the “BMF” title next month. But the current 155-pound king, Islam Makhachev, has no respect for the ceremonial belt.

“The Diamond” and Justin Gaethje are scheduled to headline UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 29. For the second time, the BMF — which stands for “Baddest Motherf*****” — belt will be contended for. Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz dueled for the strap in November 2019 at UFC 244 and Masvidal came out on top via doctor’s stoppage.

“Gamebred” retired from mixed martial arts in April 2023 after suffering his fourth consecutive defeat since winning the BMF title. Since his belt was never put on the line in any of his contests, he was still considered the BMF champ by the promotion. But with him walking away from Octagon, it became vacant.

Enter Poirier and Gaethje — two of the most popular action fighters in sports. But, the fight isn’t just about the BMF strap. According to the official UFC standings, Poirier is ranked No. 2 at 155 pounds and “The Highlight” sits at No. 3. With an impressive win, the Diamond or Gaethje could solidify themselves as Makhachev’s next opponent.

Islam Makhachev Has No Desire to Fight for the BMF Strap

Well, don’t expect Makhachev to care about claiming the victor’s BMF  belt as his own.

“If Dustin Poirier beats Justin Gaethje, and he’s gonna fight next for the lightweight title, he’s gonna come with [the] BMF title?” Makhachev asked while speaking with Daniel Cormier in a video posted to “DC’s” YouTube channel on June 12. “He’s going to come to Abu Dhabi with BMF title?”

“I don’t want this s***,” Makhachev continued. “BMF, what is this?

“This belt’s for the bums. First time who fought for this belt? [Masvidal] and Nate Diaz —  the people who never can be champion, you know? They give him some belt. Guys, ‘Be happy, fight for BMF.’”

Although nothing is official, it’s been largely speculated that Makhachev’s second title defense will take place in October at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Makhachev could serve as the headlining act against the winner of UFC 291’s main event. Or, the promotion may elect to grant Charles Oliveira an opportunity to win back his old belt.

Oliveira, who Makhachev defeated in October to become the 155-pound king, recently bounced back in a big way. He fought No. 4 Beneil Dariush during the UFC 289 co-main event on June 10, and “Do Bronx” left the cage with a first-round TKO win.

Dustin Poirier & Justin Gaethje Have Both Tried to Become the Undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion Twice

Even though both Poirier and The Highlight have held interim gold, they’ve never been the undisputed lightweight champion. Poirier sought to unify the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019 after winning the interim strap earlier that year. However, “The Eagle” took him out during the third round of their main event match at UFC 242.

Fast forward two years and The Diamond once again vied for the title. He drew Oliveira and was finished via rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC 269 headlining tilt in December 2021.

Like Poirier, Gaethje’s first opportunity to earn unified gold came when he was the interim champion. He fought Nurmagomedov in October 2020 at UFC 254 and the fight was over within the first two rounds after The Eagle sunk in a triangle choke.

Gaethje then looked to defeat Oliveira to claim the 155-pound championship, but he was bested via first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 274 in May 2022.

Charles Oliveira got back in the win column at UFC 289 with a spectacular knockout victory against Beneil Dariush and already has his sights set on a rematch with Islam Makhachev.

Oliveira made quick work of Dariush, knocking him out in the final minute of the first round. The former champ now wants his belt back and called out Makhachev after the win.

“I want to be champion,” Oliveira said. “Who’s the champion? He’s got the belt? That’s it? Let’s go.”

Makhachev was watching the fight closely and tweeted out his response on Twitter.

“Congrats Charles,” Makhachev wrote. “But still there’s levels in this game.”

Makhachev was able to stop Oliveira in the second round via arm-triangle choke in their bout in October of 2022. But the Brazillian is ready for Round 2 against Makhachev and fired back on social media.

“Thank you. Levels are part of the game,” Oliveira wrote in response. “See you soon.”

Nothing is official until the fight is booked but UFC president Dana White made it pretty clear that a rematch between Oliveira and Makhachev is what’s coming down the pipe.

“He looked like a world-beater tonight, and I’m excited for him and Islam to fight again,” White told reporters during the postfight press conference. “It’s the thing that makes sense. I’ll tell you on Tuesday. But yeah, I mean, let’s not play games; that fight makes sense. That’s the fight that should happen. And I’m excited to see it again.”

Dana White: Oliveira-Makhachev Rematch is Fight to Make

There has been a bit of doubt that Oliveria would get Makhachev next, even with a win. Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, threw out a few other fighters who should get the opportunity before Oliveria, including Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, who are scheduled to face off at UFC 291.

“I think it’s gonna be Gaethje or Dustin that’ll get the shot if Beneil doesn’t win,” Mendez said. “Beniel wins, he gets the shot. I want Beneil, only because he’s a great challenge and he deserves it. But if Charles wins, then, hey, good for him too. Then Charles will probably have to fight one more time.”

However, with the impressive victory against Dariush — the No. 4 contender — it makes too much sense for White to pass up.

“There’s a lot of things that go into consideration for the next [title] fight,” White said. “I mean, I’m sitting here talking to you about him right now, and I don’t even know what’s wrong with him. I don’t know where he’s at and what he’s got planned over the summer. The list goes on and on of things that factor into how fights are made. But I’m just telling you right here right now [Makhachev vs. Oliveira] is a fight I’d like to see again.”

Charles Oliveira Racks Up Another Bonus at UFC 289

Oliveira continues to cash in thanks to his performances. He took home a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, which was the 13th of his career. It broke a tie with Donald Cerrone for most post-fight bonuses earned.

Oliveira also earned some cred with his fellow fighters, although it won’t be making his wallet any fatter. Multiple big names responded to his win on social media.

“Charles so F–king fun to watch!” Sean O’Malley tweeted.

Belal Muhammad also chimed in saying: “Man Charles got bricks in his hands.”

UFC 290 is scheduled for July 8 and will see AlexanderVolkanovski take on YairRodríguez in the main event.

Julianna Pena won’t get a chance at a trilogy fight with Amanda Nunes and she’s not happy about it.

Nunes called it a career following her dominant victory against Irene Aldana at UFC 289.

“Double champion forever,” Nunes said. “This is the perfect night to retire.”

Pena was originally scheduled to face Nunes at the event but had to pull out after breaking her ribs. With Nunes laying down her gloves in the octagon, it’s an opportunity Pena won’t get back. The “Venezuelan Vixen” unleashed on Nunes in a series of tweets following the announcement from Nunes.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Pena tweeted, which was her first message on the platform in weeks.

She continued with some sharper comments.

“I scared you so bad into retirement. Personally, Congratulations. Professionally, wtf was that?” Pena tweeted.

Prior to Nunes’ announcement, Pena had been adamant that the trilogy would happen, citing her win inside the distance at UFC 269.

“She did not stop me. I was able to stop her, I was able to put her in the hospital, and nobody else can say that,” Pena said at the UFC’s fan Q&A in Vancouver on June 9. “I said that she was one foot out the door already and that she was already planning her retirement and going off into the sunset — and not if I have my way. Absolutely not. I’m not done with her. This is unfinished business.”

Amanda Nunes on Julianna Pena: ‘I Can Kick Her A** Anytime I want’

Pena shocked Nunes in December of 2021 with a win by submission. Nunes roared back in July of 2022, winning by unanimous decision to get her belt back. Nunes has been weighing retirement for a bit but knew for a certainty she couldn’t do it without getting her belt back from Pena.

“I decided to not retire, because if I retire, I leave my belt with Julianna,” Nunes told reporters on June 8. “No way. No way. It can be with somebody else, but with Julianna, no.”

Pena was thoroughly dominated in her last bout against Nunes, with the scorecards reading 50-45, 50-43 and 50-44. But that hasn’t kept her from talking her share of smack lately, questioning the Nunes’ star power.

“Ronda [Rousey] had such a massive following. She was main-eventing everything. And then if you go to Amanda’s last seven fights, she’s only main-evented twice,” Pena said. “One of them was because of an injury … and the second one was me — and this third one was going to be me but I had to fall out due to injury myself. Me beating her made her relevant again because she hasn’t had the ability to main event in any of her title fights.

Dana White Not Shocked by Amanda Nunes Retirement

The UFC loses one of its largest draws on the women’s side with Nunes stepping away but Dana White was not shocked by the announcement.

“This must be what Amanda wants,” White said in the postfight news conference. “I’m definitely happy for her. Would I like to see her stick around and do some more? Absolutely. I love the kid. She’s been incredible to work with. She’s been such a good human being and great champion.”

Nunes calls it a career with an unrivaled resue. She has the most wins in UFC women’s history (16); the most UFC title fight wins among women in history (11); and the most finishes in UFC women’s history (10).

UFC president Dana White is more than willing to put on a superfight between Jon Jones and Tyson Fury.

Since Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, took Joe Rogan to task for suggesting Jones, the UFC’s heavyweight king, could beat him in a fight, a match between the two has been a hot topic in the combat sports world. Fury called Jones out for a boxing bout, and “Bones” beckoned “Gypsy King” to meet him inside the Octagon.

When asked about Jones during the UFC on ESPN 45 post-fight press conference on June 3, White take it upon himself to address Fury’s belief that he could trounce Jones, but has also stated he’d only meet him in a boxing bout — not MMA.

“One of the things that I want to kind of point out to you guys that happened recently,” White said to the media, “and I like Tyson Fury — I have a great relationship with Tyson Fury. So, there’s this debate right now about the baddest man on the planet, right?

“Jon Jones is the baddest man on the planet. There’s no doubt about it. So, when you talk about who the baddest man on the planet is, if two guys fought — in a fight — who would win? If you want to discuss another possible baddest man on the planet, it would be Tyson Fury in a boxing arena. And we all know if Jon Jones boxed Tyson Fury, Tyson Fury wins. All these boxing guys want to talk about this and they want to keep it in the ring. I’m telling Tyson Fury, whom  I respect very much,  if you really want to find out who the baddest man on the planet is, I will make that fight. I will make Jon Jones versus Tyson Fury in the Octagon.”

Dana White Wants to Give Tyson Fury the Opportunity to ‘Answer the Question’

White when on to say that he’d “figure out” how to pay Fury for the bout, like he did when Floyd Mayweather Jr. boxed Conor McGregor in 2017. “We’ll figure out how to pay you too, Tyson,” White said. “The offer is out there if you want to do it in the UFC. I know he was messing around with MMA for a little while there. Let’s do it. Let’s answer the question.”

“You want the title of the baddest man on the planet?” White continued. “Let’s do it. I’m in.”

Fury last competed in December when he retained his heavyweight strap by stopping Derek Chisora via TKO.

Dana White Wants Jon Jones’ First Heavyweight Title Defense  to Take Place New York City in November

The promotion is planning its annual trip to New York City for November. And White confirmed to the media that he hopes Bones will be at the top of the bill against “somebody.”

“People keep asking us about the fights that are happening in the fall — we’re still making fights for the summer,” White said. “Obviously, we have plans and targets, and what we would like to happen. And you guys are already aware. I would like November, Jon Jones to fight somebody in Madison Square Garden.”

Jones has been linked to former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic for his first title defense. However, fighter-turned-analyst Chael Sonnen recently told Brendan Schaub that top-ranked contender Sergei Pavlovich was rumored to be next up for Bones, not Miocic.

White did not confirm who he’s planning to schedule opposite Jones. Bones earned heavyweight gold in March when he ended his three-year hiatus and submitted Ciryl Gane in the first round of their UFC 285 headlining clash.

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor said he was tired of his inconsistency and hoped to compete three or four times a year moving forward.

In an interview with UFC’s Megan Olivi published on May 30, “Notorious” said he was clamoring to get back inside the Octagon after a nearly two-year absence from fighting — and once he does, he said, he will take on a busy MMA schedule.

“Megan, one is not [enough] — I want four, three [or four],” McGregor said about the number of times he wants to fight per year. “If we can get to where we need to get to, three or four a year is perfect. One is madness. And it’s been one, one, one on then one year off, one on then one year off. And then obviously with the leg, it’s been a bit longer. It is what it is.”

His last competition was in July 2021, when he broke his leg fighting Dustin Poirier. McGregor has been linked to a comeback bout against Michael Chandler later in 2023. The two combatants coached opposite each other on “The Ultimate Fighter,” which premiered on May 30 on ESPN and ESPN+. UFC’s Dana White said on May 20 that fans could expect an announcement about a McGregor-Chandler bout “sometime during the airing of the show.”

“Amen. Amen in ancient Hebrew translates to ‘so be it.’ In other words, amen — so be it. God has it. It’s God’s plan,” McGregor told Olivi. “So, I’m happy where I’m at. I’m going to keep doing my thing. Keep training, keep getting better. Keep focusing on what I can do. And then sooner or later, if that’s what the focus is on what you can do, sooner or later you’re going to be able to do everything. So that’s kind of where I’m at right now. I’m in a great spot.”

Conor McGregor Said His Comeback Will Be ‘Greatest Return in Combat Sports’

Considering McGregor is the biggest star mixed martial arts has ever produced, and he’s coming off a brutal injury, the Irishman believes that his performance inside the cage against Chandler will be marked in the history books.

“You know, not only just the return, Megan,” McGregor said, “the greatest return in combat sports. I’m going to kick this guy in the head. He’s just tailor-made for being kicked all over the place and that’s what I’m aiming for. I’m aiming to wrap this steel bar around the opponent. And you’re going to see a visual of the leg hanging off and then you’re going to see a visual of a head hanging off. So, I’m excited for that and motivated for it — steady, making my way towards it.”

McGregor will be 35 in July.

Conor McGregor Is Looking to Make a ‘Run’ But Hasn’t Publicly Committed to a Weight Class

Notorious has put on noticeable muscle mass during his time away from the sport. So, even though he’s the promotion’s former lightweight and featherweight champion, nowadays he’s looking like a welterweight.

Still, McGregor didn’t commit to a weight division when speaking with Olivi. He said that lightweight was still an option, and he even expressed interest in battling current 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski. Chandler has said on several occasions that he’ll meet the Irishman at whatever weight he chooses.

“What do I hope for in this world, Megan?” McGregor continued. “I hope for 100 more fights. I hope for consistency. I hope for a run. I’ve had this on off, on off, for the last while. I just want to get this nice consistency going. And I’m hoping now when I come back this is where it’s at.”

Including his 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., McGregor has only competed six times since becoming the UFC’s first-ever simultaneous two-division champion in 2016.

No. 6-ranked UFC middleweight Dricus Du Plessis is in the crosshairs of 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya. But, instead of campaigning for a title fight, he elected to take a match with former divisional king Robert Whittaker.

After “The Last Stylebender” took back his belt from Alex Pereira in April at UFC 287, he said he wanted to “torture” the South African for his comments about being a better representative for Africa than him. Adesanya was born in Nigeria but lives in New Zealand.

Because of their beef, and the fact that Adesanya holds a win over every fighter ranked ahead of Du Plessis at middleweight, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see the promotion offer “Stillknocks” a shot at gold. Instead, Du Plessis will battle “The Reaper” at UFC 290 on July 8 in what is billed as a title eliminator.

When recently speaking with Submission Radio, Du Plessis said that although he would have accepted a championship tilt in July, he was ultimately offered Whittaker. And instead of declining it and campaigning for Adesanya, he jumped at the opportunity to cement himself as the next bonafide 185-pound title contender. Even if it’s perhaps not the most calculated move.

“A lot of people are saying it’s not the smartest move to fight Whittaker,” Du Plessis said. “100 percent — I agree with that. I agree it’s not the smart move, but I’m not here to be smart. Otherwise, I would’ve stayed in school and finished my studies and maybe go work at a bank, wore a suit to work every day, and did some corporate life. But that’s not the life I chose. I chose to be a warrior. I chose to be an entertainer, and at the end of the day, I’m a fighter. And that’s what I do: I fight.”

Du Plessis Wants His Octagon Performances Earn Him a Title Fight, Not His Conflict With Adesanya

Boasting an impressive 19-2 professional mixed martial arts record, Stillknocks is riding a seven-fight win streak and is undefeated as a UFC athlete. He earned back-to-back wins over Derek Brunson and Darren Till, which elevated him to the No. 6 spot.

And Du Plessis told the outlet that he wants his work inside the Octagon to earn him a contest with The Last Stylebender — not his mouth.

“I don’t want to get that title shot based on some hype created by — I don’t even know what — some guy who has the title who’s behaving like a little child and overreacting and now the fight is happening because of that,” Du Plessis said. “I want to deserve my title shot. I don’t want to be handed a title shot. I’m going to deserve my belt, and that’s why I wanted that Whittaker fight.”

Whittaker Is 1 of Only a Few Fighters Who Isn’t a Champion But Is Ranked Pound-for-Pound

If Du Plessis gets past Whittaker in July, he’ll be hard to deny. The Reaper is one of the most respected combatants in the game and is ranked No. 15 in the men’s pound-for-pound standings.

He’s 24-6 and is 4-1 in his last five outings. Whittaker is 0-2 against Adesanya, but if he beats Du Plessis, he’ll likely battle Adesanya in a trilogy match before the end of the year.

Conor McGregor says his fight with Michael Chandler is happening and that the date for his UFC return will be announced soon.

McGregor and Chandler are facing off as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. His scrap with Chandler has been in question because he still hasn’t re-entered the UFC’s anti-doping program. McGregor has to go through six months of drug testing to get back in the octagon, although he’s claimed previously that he was granted an exemption. USADA has disputed that claim.

McGregor isn’t too concerned about the drug-testing issue and told reporters that it’s been taken care of.

“That’s done, man. That’s done. Year end, I’m back in that cage having competed,” McGregor told reporters on Friday. “I’m gearing up ready to go.”

The Irishman added that the date for his fight with Chandler will be announced during The Ultimate Fighter, which is set to debut on May 30.

“[The fight against] Michael Chandler, it will be announced during The Ultimate Fighter,” McGregor said. “The Ultimate Fighter is airing in a couple of days on ESPN, and by the time that show finishes, we’ll have a date and it will be set for the fans.”

McGregor has yet to re-enter the testing pool, per MMAFighting.com.

Conor McGregor Eyeing Boxing Match With Canelo Alvarez

McGregor’s plans for the future include another foray into the world of boxing. He previously fought Floyd Mayweather in a much-hyped affair and now has his sights set on Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Canelo is coming off a successful undisputed title defense over John Ryder. McGregor feels like he could handle Canelo if they put on the gloves.

“I’m a southpaw, Ryder was a southpaw, Billie Joe [Saunders] was a southpaw,” McGregor said. “I’ve seen methods, I’ve seen things I’d do and I know he’s waning. I’d fight Canelo no f***ing problem. No problem.”

It’s quite the idea but McGregor should be focused on getting his UFC career back on track. He has just one win to his name since 2016 — a first-round knockout of Donald Cerrone in 2020. As an aside, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn doesn’t see McGregor boxing someone like Jake Paul, or even his old UFC nemesis Nate Diaz. Paul and Diaz are set to square off in August.

“Jake Paul, Nate Diaz, I dunno but I don’t think he needs to do it. He’s made his money, he’s a great mixed martial artist,” Hearn said. “You don’t want to go in there and lose to someone you don’t really like. It’s one thing losing to Floyd Mayweather, you don’t want to lose to a plonker.”

Michael Chandler Doubts Conor McGregor Pulls Out of Fight

Chandler has expressed some doubt about the fight happening with McGregor but ultimately feels like the former featherweight and lightweight champ won’t pull out. He has too much to lose by building the hype and then backing down.

“It definitely makes the show better if you know when the fight’s happening,” Chandler told Thiccc Boy. “Conor came out the other day and said there’s gonna be a fight announcement soon or a date soon, so I think I won’t really get nervous or anything about it until June 1.

“Conor loves the sport of mixed martial arts, he loves being the guy, he loves being in the bright lights and those stadiums and whatnot. So, I think he’s coming back. He can’t do all this and not come back.”

Chandler is also looking to get his path to a title shot. He’s lost three of his last four, most recently falling to Dustin Poirier in November of 2022 via submission.

UFC color commentator and renowned podcaster Joe Rogan drew the ire of heavyweight boxing king Tyson Fury this week.

Fury took to social media to launch an attack on the “Joe Rogan Experience” host for his comments about the “Gypsy King” being “locked in a room” with Jon Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion who is regarded by many as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

In short, Rogan said Fury didn’t “have a f****** chance in hell of making it out of that room,” pointing to “Bones” being the superior fighter. And well, the 33-0-1 professional boxer took offense to Rogan’s assessment.

“I’m the baddest man on the planet,” Fury said in a recent video. “I heard Joe Rogan say something about me, and I’ve been off all the social medias and didn’t reply to that little p****. That little f****** m***** — bald-headed m*****. I heard him say that Jon Jones could f*** me up if we were in the room together.

“I don’t think so. Not a man born from a mother could f*** me up, in a room, on our own. Whatever happens in that room, I’d be walking out. Not a f****** problem.”

‘The Threat of the Takedown Looms So Large,’ Rogan Said About Jones Fighting Fury

Rogan made the Fury vs. Jones comments while speaking with comedian Andrew Schulz in March during episode No. 1960 of his popular podcast. The show was recorded a few weeks after Bones made his Octagon return and captured the heavyweight strap by defeating top-contender Ciryl Gane within just over two minutes.

Calling Jones “the GOAT,” Rogan said: “No one thinks Tyson Fury could beat Jon Jones in a fight.”

“Isn’t that f****** interesting,” Schulz replied.

“No one thinks that,” Rogan reiterated. “Tyson doesn’t think that. You want to talk about who’s the baddest man on the planet? If Jon Jones and Tyson Fury are locked into a room, I’m pushing all of my chips on black.

“Let me tell you something,” Rogan laughed, “Tyson Fury is an amazing boxer. He doesn’t have a f****** chance in hell of making it out of that room. He has no chance of making it out of that room. Zero chance. He would have to catch Jon immediately with one punch, and I just don’t see that happening, man.”

Jones used his wrestling and grappling to dominate the kickboxing savant. He caught the Frenchman with a guillotine choke at 2:04 in the opening round of their UFC 285 main event on March 4. And Rogan sees Bones’ ground game being too much for Fury, too.

The threat of the takedown looms so large,” Rogan continued. “That shot will come so unexpectedly. When he gets his hands around you, you’d be so stunned.”

Bones May Defend His Belt Against Stipe Miocic Later This Year

Although nothing is official, Jones and former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic have been rumored to be linked to a match in November at Madison Square Garden. It would mark Bones’ first title defense north of light heavyweight.

For Fury, he’s champing at the bit to get back into the ring. “I’m looking to fight anybody, any time, any place, anywhere,” Fury said in another recent video. “I cannot wait to fight [Oleksandr] Usyk, [Anthony Josha] — whoever’s out there, I’m f****** you up. Because I am the baddest motherf***** on the planet.”

Earlier this month, BJJ ace Kron Gracie turned out a performance that was roasted by the MMA community. And he’s finally broken his silence about the UFC 288 featherweight tilt.

Gracie drew the ire of fighters, fans and analysts alike after his abysmal showing against Charles Jourdain at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on May 6. According to UFC Stats, Gracie only landed 32 of 57 significant strikes thrown compared to Jourdain’s 80 of 168 spread. He spent the entirety of the three rounds trying to take the fight to the mat, with little output and success. Jourdain took home a unanimous decision victory for his effort while Gracie became the MMA community’s public enemy No. 1.

The fight was likened to an old-school matchup between striker and grappler, with the grappler unwilling to engage on the feet in any meaningful capacity. When speaking with the media at the UFC 288 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said “it was like coming out of a time capsule in 1995,” and that Gracie’s work in the Octagon that night was “very limited.”

Twitter wasn’t as kind as White, however. “Kron Gracie has no business being on the UFC roster,” MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin tweeted. “It’s harsh but he’s just so unbelievably one-dimensional.”

UFC 155-pound combatant John Makdessi tweeted: “This is horrible to watch.”

“That fight actually made me sad,” No. 12-ranked UFC featherweight Sodiq Yusuff wrote. “Maybe dude just needed money.”

Gracie Said He Tried to Please the BJJ World Inside the Cage

Around a week later, Gracie shared on social media that he had received “bad” advice ahead of the match, which led him to try and “please the Jiu-Jitsu community.”

And he vowed that he would approach mixed martial arts differently his next time out.

“In a lifetime of fighting, it’s always been a fight to the death,” Gracie wrote via Instagram Story on May 15. “Understand the [situation] and willing to limit myself, even that being said I threw no punches because of bad [advice] and [tried] to please the [jiu-jitsu] community two [days] before my fight, first fight in my life I didn’t throw a punch — going back to my old ways.”

All in all, the renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu name holds a professional MMA record of 5-2, which includes wins over Alex Caceres and Tatsuya Kawajiri. May 6 marked his first competition since October 2019, and he had hoped to bounce back from his unanimous decision defeat to division staple Cub Swanson. However, he was handed his second straight defeat. Each of Gracie’s five victories has come via submission.

Jourdain Halted His Two-Fight Skid By Besting Gracie

Jourdain was also in search of a much-needed win as well. He entered the main card battle riding a two-fight losing streak, which included his most recent defeat: a unanimous decision to Nathaniel Wood in September.

Although it wasn’t an exciting affair, “Air” did what he had to do to notch a win over a legendary BJJ name like Kron Gracie. With the win, he improved his mixed martial arts record to 14-6-1.

Longtime UFC combatant Matt Brown called out Conor McGregor after he tied the promotion’s knockout record on Saturday.

Brown dueled fellow Octagon veteran Court McGee during UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almedia on May 13, and “The Immortal” earned his 13th KO in the organization during the opening frame — tying heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis for the record.

McGregor reacted to Brown’s triumph via Twitter. “Matt Brown, at 42 years of age, now holds the joint highest KO’s inside the UFC with 13KO’s,” McGregor tweeted. “Him and ‘The Beast’ Lewis are tied. I hold 8 KO’s inside the UFC currently, at 34 years of age. I’m getting this record.”

Well, Brown took notice of “Notorious” eyeing the KO record, and he shared an idea in response. “I’ll fight you for it,” The Immortal tweeted. At the time of publication, McGregor has yet to answer Brown.

McGregor has been linked to Michael Chandler for a contest later this year — after their season of “The Ultimate Fighter” finishes airing on ESPN this summer — but, a venue or date hasn’t been confirmed by the UFC. With the win on Saturday, Brown improved his professional mixed martial arts record to 24-19 and his promotional record to 17-13.

Brown Recently Speculated That McGregor Could Walk Away From Fighting Soon

It’s been nearly two years since Notorious made the walk to the cage. And Brown said to MMA Fighting in February that if Chandler hands McGregor a devastating loss, the Irishman may elect to leave his gloves inside the Octagon.

“I have a hard time seeing [Conor] fighting again if he comes back and he loses, especially a bad loss like that,” Brown said. “He doesn’t have any reason to [fight again]. He’s coming back because he loves fighting and he wants to put on a show and he wants to be a champion again, I’m sure.

“I can’t imagine him having the motivation to fight again if he comes back and gets knocked out by Michael Chandler.”

The Immortal said “Iron” has the capability of using his patented power to retire McGregor. “I think if [Chandler] does that, he uses that experience to his advantage, this might be his fight and we don’t see Conor again,” Brown said. “He might send Conor into retirement.”

McGregor vs. Chandler May Come Down to Their UFC Activity, Brown Said

Brown then gave his analysis on the McGregor vs. Chandler matchup, a bout that will likely take place at 170 pounds. Iron has fought three times since Notorious broke his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. And Octagon activity could be his key to victory, The Immortal speculated.

“I expect Conor to come back strong,” Brown said. “I think he’s going to look great. I’m excited to see Conor again actually. I know he’s gotten really big here the past few years and he’s been out of the USADA pool and all of that’s going to be advantageous for him.

“The only thing is he hasn’t fought. We all talk about ring rust all the time. Some people say it’s not real, some say it is and there’s different debates and opinions on that but when you’re out as long as Conor’s been out, dealing with what he’s been going through and then he came back after a long layoff. He’s just been so inactive the past few years. Chandler’s been very active so he’s going to have a huge advantage straight up off of that.”

Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya couldn’t “hang” with Colby Covington inside the Octagon, the latter told MMA Fighting in a recent interview.

“Absolutely [I’d still love that matchup], I think that’s a huge fight and it’s a fight of high magnitude,” Covington said. “I like the matchup, to be honest. I don’t think he can hang with me. I think I take him down, I beat him from pillar to post and I just break him inside that octagon. He can’t hang with the cardio king. He’s not ready for raw American steel and twisted sex appeal.”

“I would love that fight, champion vs. champion, USA vs. wherever he’s from New Zealand or whatever, let’s get this going.”

Covington is preparing for his third shot at UFC welterweight gold. Although the bout isn’t official, promotion president Dana White has said on multiple occasions that “Chaos” is next up for 170-pound king Leon Edwards, and the match is expected to take place later this year.

Covington Would Shoot for ‘5000 Takedowns’ if He Fought Adesanya

Covington fully expects to become the welterweight division’s undisputed belt holder in 2023. And if he had the opportunity to move up in weight and take on “The Last Stylebender,” he said he’d overwhelm Adesanya with his wrestling game.

“I don’t think he wants to fight a high-level wrestler like me, someone that can just keep up and be in his face the whole entire time, pressuring him,” Covington said. “I’m not just going to shoot one takedown, I’m going to shoot 5,000 takedowns and be in your face and break you.

“If that’s what the UFC wants to do, I’m here. I’m a company man, I’m a businessman so I care about the company and whatever the company wants to do, I want to do the biggest and best business for the company, the UFC, the greatest organization in the world.”

Covington Said It Was a ‘Very Realistic Possibility’ That He’d Fight ‘Weight Bully’ Islam Makhachev

Covington is eyeing another potential fight with a current UFC champion. Specifically, Chaos wouldn’t shy away from a tilt with 155-pound kingpin Islam Makhachev, who he called a “weight bully.”

“I think it’s a very realistic possibility,” Covington said. “There were conversations backstage in the past that we had about [a fight with Makhachev], and if I could make 155 because I’m not a big 170 [pounder]. I don’t cut much weight – 15-20 pounds max if I’m just completely eating as much as I can stuff in my face.

“So I know we probably walk around at the same weight, he’s just a weight bully. He’s cutting all that weight to get the advantage at lightweight because there’s no wrestlers, there’s no guys that can give him any trouble. So of course, he wants to be in that division, the same division his daddy Khabib [Nurmagomedov] used to own.

“There’s a reason Khabib never came to 170, fought at welterweight because King Colby’s here and he knows I’ll stop his wrestling and punch him in the face until he quits.”

A battle of two bantamweight greats went down as the UFC 288 headliner on Saturday night. And the reigning 135-pound king, Aljamain Sterling, fended off Henry Cejudo’s campaign to regain the belt he never lost.

The two met at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on May 6. They competed for five, hard-fought rounds which saw both men utilize their striking, and high-level wrestling and grappling to earn the judges’ nod.

In the end, “Funk Master” edged the scorecards via split decision (47–48, 48–47, 48–47). He notched his third consecutive bantamweight title defense and extended his 135-pound win streak to nine — both UFC records.

Cejudo, who fought for the first time in three years, had his six-fight streak halted. During the UFC 288 broadcast, No. 2-ranked contender “Sugar” Sean O’Malley faced off with Sterling, setting up the next divisional title fight.  When “Triple C” had his time with the microphone, he said he wasn’t sure if he’d continue competing in mixed martial arts.

Conor McGregor Takes Aim at Cejudo During & After the Fight

Conor McGregor, who has publicly feuded with Cejudo online several times, was watching the event. And he took multiple opportunities to rip on “Triple C.” “16 wins 2 losses,” McGregor tweeted mid-way through the fight. “Guy is a novice in MMA.”

“Mastermind stuff hahaha,” he continued.

After the decision was read by Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer, McGregor tweeted: “Easiest money I’ve ever made. Not a scratch on Aljo! Congrats Funkmaster! Good little fighter is Henry but give it a rest with these agendas all the time. The guy is sub 20 fights in his career. His little feints an all ahaha omg please teach me mastermind lol. Done the splits like a stripper and got dumped on his ass he did hahaha oh lord it’s tasty.”

“Notorious” then tweeted that he scored the match 4-1 in favor of Sterling.

He then posted a video on Twitter of himself trolling Cejudo’s “f****** genius” striking technique. Watch below:

McGregor’s technique talk may stem from the times when Cejudo has posted content about Notorious’ striking. For example, after the irishman posted a video of himself hitting pads ahead of his trilogy match with Dustin Poirier, Cejudo tweeted: “Everything is done naked. No fakes, no faints, no level changes. But you think your going to get a different result. You work to much on combinations where you should be working entries, set ups, and setting traps. Just a tip from the goat. Mahhhh.”

See the video and Cejudo’s words below:

MMA World Reacts to the UFC 288 Main Event

Here are a few reactions to the fight from the MMA world:

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson tweeted: “Great fight congratz to @funkmasterMMA great game plan and execution!! keep you heard @HenryCejudo.”

Top-ranked UFC middleweight Derek Brunson tweeted: “Since when did triple C become a fan favorite ? (Laughing emojis) took some Time off and reminded people How much they miss you (laughing emoji).”

“Sterling vs Cejudo was incredibly close, no matter who you scored it for,” MMA bettor Luca Fury tweeted. “Don’t cry robbery no matter which side you were on. That’s a very close one that deserves a rewatch before final judgement. The line being a dead even pick ‘em was correct — toss up type of bout. #UFC288

UFC welterweight contender Michael Chiesa wrote: “Hey @felderpaul, you owe me two sandwiches now. Thank you @funkmasterMMA.”

English UFC star Paddy Pimblett was called out by Matt Frevola on Saturday night after “The Steamrolla” picked up the biggest win of his career.

Frevola battled No. 14-ranked lightweight Drew Dober during the UFC 288 preliminary card on May 6, and the American notched his third straight victory by taking out Dober via first-round TKO. Frevola will likely become a ranked combatant when the official UFC standings update next week. But, he’s looking for a match with “The Baddy,” who remains unranked at 155 pounds.

“Listen up, Paddy Pimblett, you absolutely suck,” Frevola said during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan inside the Octagon. “Stop being a b**** and let’s fight. Alright? You’re on a four-fight win streak, I’m on a three-fight win streak. You’re in the UFC, you can’t pick and choose your fights. You’ve got to fight who the fans want to see you fight. Let’s go.”

Then, looking out to the sold-out crowd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Frevola asked: “Who wants to see Paddy Pimblett and The Steamrolla? Let’s go. Who wants it? Let’s go, bro. The time is now.”

Frevola’s callout was met by thunderous applause. At the time of the writing, Pimblett has yet to respond to The Steamrolla’s challenge. Frevola improved his professional mixed martial arts record to 11-3-1 at UFC 288, which includes four wins via KO/TKO and three by submission.

The Baddy (20-3) is currently recovering from ankle surgery and hopes to make his fighting comeback by the end of the year.

Pimblett Wants a Rematch With Jared Gordon

The Baddy last fought in December at UFC 282 when he bested Jared Gordon by unanimous decision. However, many viewers scored the fight for “Flash,” which has left Pimblett wanting to silence the doubters by earning a decisive victory over the American.

“I want to punch his head in toward the end of the year,” Pimblett said in March. “I am going to run it back. I hope he beats Bobby Green, because I’ll snap his arm for him in a round. Had a boxing match with him and I still won, because you’re s***.

“I hope he watches this. You’re f****** dog s***. At my worst, you couldn’t beat me at your best. Injured, everything going wrong. And you couldn’t beat me on my worst day, and I beat you on your best, because you’re a little bum.”

Gordon (19-6, one no-contest) competed against Green on April 22 during UFC Fight Night 222. Unfortunately, the two men collided heads during the opening frame which led to a no-contest ruling after Flash became severely compromised by the unintentional and illegal blow.

Frevola Is 5-3-1 Inside the Octagon Since Debuting in 2018

Frevola has been in the UFC since 2018 when he earned a promotional contract for his victory over Jose Flores during Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He dropped his UFC debut to Marco Polo Reyes by knockout later that year before fighting Lando Vannata to a draw in his next outing.

He put together a two-fight victory streak, which included a win against Jalin Turner, before losing back-to-back matches to Arman Tsarukyan and Terrance McKinney. Since then, The Steamrolla has only known victory, defeating Genaro Valdez, Ottman Azaitar and Dober.

A photo featuring one-half of the UFC 288 co-main event, Belal Muhammad, has been making its rounds on social media. And if the photo hasn’t been doctored, it’s a cause for concern.

CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri shared a photo on Twitter of Muhammad standing in front of a green screen during fight week, and he’s sporting what appears to be an extremely swollen ankle. As Mahjouri noted, it’s unclear if the image has been altered. See the photo below via the embedded tweet:

Now, some pointed out that his ankle appeared normal later in the week. Sharing a photo of “Remember the Name” at the official weigh-in ceremony on Friday, one user tweeted: “It looked fine here so I wonder what’s going on.” See below:

Muhammad and Gilbert Burns took the five-round duel on short notice. After the original co-headliner for the Newark fight card featuring lightweights Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush was postponed, the two top-ranked welterweights stepped up to fill the slot with around two weeks’ notice.

Muhammad or Burns Can Earn a Title Fight With a Victory on Saturday Night

https://www.youtube.com/live/jF36NAkKq0U?

UFC President Dana White confirmed at the UFC 288 pre-fight conference that the winner will receive the next crack at 170-pound gold behind Colby Covington.

Muhammad is currently ranked No. 4 according to the UFC’s official standings, and Durinho is right behind him at No. 5. Although nothing is officially on the calendar, the UFC boss has stated on multiple occasions that welterweight champion Leon Edwards’ second title defense will be against “Chaos” later this year.

“You look at these two guys, where they sit in the rankings, to come out and risk everything the way that they are so that they can be in line for a title shot is huge,” White told The Schmo after the press conference. “And I love guys like this. Both these guys are savages.”

Muhammad on Why He Accepted the Short-Notice Fight: ‘That’s All They Need to Tell Me’

Muhammad spoke with Mahjouri ahead of his May 6 clash with Burns. And he explained why taking the match with Burns, who defeated Jorge Masvial around a month ago inside the Octagon, was worth risking his nine-fight unbeaten streak.

“There’s always that moment where you’re like, ‘Is it really worth it? What am I getting? What am I gaining from it?’ I don’t need a fight,” Muhammad said. “I’m on an eight-fight winning streak. I don’t need to take a two-week notice fight to fight a guy who is No. 5 in the world who just had a camp. He has everything to gain from it. I’m ranked higher than him. He just had a camp and didn’t get injured in his fight. It was an easy fight for him. People can say, ‘Gilbert Burns is the man.’ But I’m like, ‘Bro, he just beat Neil Magny easily and in one round. Then he beat Masvidal pretty easily.’

“That’s every fighter’s dream to have two fights off of one camp. That’s the money shot right there. That’s the best. For me, it’s like, ‘What am I gaining from it?’ It’s not about monetary value for me. It’s about the gold. Is this going to be the one that’s going to give me the gold next? Is it the one that’s going to get me the title shot?

“That’s all they needed to tell me. If my next fight is going to be for the title, then I’m 100% in.”

UFC president Dana White hasn’t said much about the upcoming boxing match featuring his former fighter, Nate Diaz, and someone he has a history of bad blood with, Jake Paul. But, he took a jab at “The Problem Child” earlier this week.

The promotion’s president was featured on “The Jim Rome Show” ahead of Saturday’s UFC 288 event. And when he was asked about the DAZN match on August 5, White pointed out Paul’s last loss — he dropped a decision to undefeated boxer Tommy Fury in February — and the fact that he decided to pair up with another aging mixed martial artist following the defeat.

“I don’t know, man,” White said. “I’ve been trying not to… you know, I like Nate. Nate and I have a good relationship. It’s just — you know, listen — Jake Paul went out and fought a real boxer who was his age, his weight. And he lost. So as soon as he loses, he goes back to a 40-year-old MMA fighter who’s smaller than him, not his weight. It’s just, listen, it’s just one of those fights I know that some people are into this. It’s just not what I’m into. It’s not my thing.”

Paul (6-1) holds boxing wins over former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, ex-UFC welterweight king Tyron Woodley and former ONE and Bellator 170-pound champion Ben Askren. All of The Problem Child’s victories came after the combatants had finished their time with the world’s leading MMA promotion and following their physical primes.

Diaz Is Facing a Felony Charge, Unclear if It Will Affect the Fight

Diaz turned himself in to New Orleans police last week after he was featured in a viral video choking a man unconscious, who was later identified as TikTok creator Rodney Petersen during a street brawl. He’s currently out on $10,000 bond and has stated he used the guillotine choke as self-dense.

However, he was hit with a second-degree battery charge, a felony in Louisiana that could land Diaz in jail for up to eight years, with or without hard labor, if convicted. The charge also carries up to a $2,000 fine.

Diaz’s Charge Prompted a Challenge from KSI

The incident occured after a Misfits Boxing event on April 21 in the city. And after Diaz was issued an arrest warrant, YouTuber KSI took to Twitter to toss his name out as a potential replacement for Diaz should he not make it to the fight — something Paul obliged.

“Well, if that mean Jake won’t have an opponent in August… Then I’ll gladly come as the replacement after I KO Joe Fournier in May,” KSI tweeted.

“Great,” Paul responded to KSI, his bitter rival. “I accept you as the backup opponent. Fight is at 185. There are no rehydration clauses. Stay in shape and we will give you a call if needed. Thanks buddy for being so humble and committed.”

Diaz then took notice of the two social media influencers’ words, tweeting: “Lol why Dont u to scared p***** just fight each other august. I’ll fight someone who can really fight.”

The UFC 288 co-main event between Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns will produce the next welterweight title contender behind Colby Covington, according to promotion president Dana White.

White has verified on several occasions that “Chaos” will fight 170-pound king Leon Edwards later this year. And during the UFC 288 pre-fight conference on Thursday, White revealed that Saturday night’s victor will get “100 percent” get a crack at gold.

“You look at these two guys, where they sit in the rankings, to come out and risk everything the way that they are so that they can be in line for a title shot is huge,” White then said to The Schmo after the presser. “And I love guys like this. Both these guys are savages.”

The five-round co-headliner came together with only a few weeks’ notice after the original fight slated for the spot, the lightweight spectacle between ex-champion Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush, was postponed to UFC 289 next month.

Muhammad currently sits at No. 4 in the official UFC 170-pound standings, and Burns holds the No. 5 spot. A win would undoubtedly solidify either man’s claim for a championship tilt considering No. 3 Khamzat Chimaev is presumably moving to middleweight and No. 1 Kamaru Usman is coming off back-to-back losses to Edwards.

Edwards Won’t Be Ready to Fight Until Until the Fall

The UFC is heading back to London, England, in July. However, Edwards won’t be headlining the event in front of his countrymen. But, “Rocky” told MMA Fighting in a recent interview that the summer is “too soon” for him to make his return considering he defended his belt against Usman in March.

“July is 100-percent too soon,” Edwards said. “I fought in March, just under a month ago, and I’m still dealing with injuries and stuff that I had to deal with before I even consider getting back into a training camp. If I’m fighting in July, that means I’m going back into training camp next week, and that’s just not possible.

“I will look toward the back end of the year. I would love to do Abu Dhabi in October. I think that would be a great time frame for me to compete, but there’s actually no clear No. 1 contender. There’s no one actually out there that’s actually earned it. There’s guys coming off two losses, one win. There’s guys that [have] one win, one loss. It’s a difficult time in the welterweight division. So now I’ve just got to look towards business. I will sit back, talk to the UFC, talk to my team and see what’s best.”

White Isn’t Sure Where & When Edwards vs. Covington Will Take Place

While speaking with The Schmo, the UFC president confirmed the fight was off the table for the July 22 Fight Night event across the pond. In fact, White isn’t sure when the welterweight battle will go down.

“I don’t know where it’s going to be,” White said. “Obviously, it’s insane for us not to do that fight in London, but I don’t know how this whole thing is going to play out. That’s why we were going back to London with this fight until it fell apart. We’ll see — I’ll have to deal with that as we get closer to it.”

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman wants to fight Khamzat Chimaev. But, promotion president Dana White isn’t interested in seeing the contest.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” spoke with ESPN earlier this week about the potential pairing. Over a month after his failed attempt at retaking his strap from Leon Edwards at UFC 286, Usman said he was all in on “having fun” in the latter part of his mixed martial arts career. And that includes scrapping with the undefeated “Borz.”

“A fight with myself and Khamzat? Boom,” Usman said. “I’m kind of in a place now where I’m having fun with it, and what’s the biggest, funnest, most intense fight that really makes me feel something? That’s a fight right there. That could headline a pay-per-view.”

“He’s a fighter and I’m a fighter at the end of the day,” Usman continued. “I fight these guys’ heart, not their weight. I’ve been able to deal with middleweights and light heavyweights in the gym. And if he wants a shot at the welterweight strap, you kind of have to give a little bit and show I can get down there and do it. But if it’s up a weight, potentially.”

‘I Don’t Like the Usman Fight’ for Chimaev, White Said

Although Chimaev is ranked within the top five of 170 pounds, the UFC president made it clear to The Schmo on Thursday that Borz is heading north of welterweight following his nearly 10-pound weight miss in September. White also threw water on the idea of the Usman vs. Chimaev showdown.

“We’ve been looking at a lot of different opponents for Khamzat,” White said. “But, yeah — I do not like the Usman fight. And I told Usman that. I don’t do catchweights. Catchweights don’t mean anything. There’s nothing interesting or exciting about them because, at the end of the day, when the fight’s over, neither guy really advances in any way, shape or form.”

Chimaev has been linked to a clash with former middleweight title contender Paulo Costa in October. But when he was asked to verify the rumor, the UFC president didn’t bite. “I don’t know what’s going on with him right now,” White said. “We’re trying to figure it out. We’ll get him figured out soon.”

Usman Is Also Open to Scrap With Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson & Conor McGregor

The Nigerian Nightmare floated a few more names as potential Octagon opponents, namely Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Conor McGregor.

“There aren’t a ton [of interesting] fights. I’m being honest with you,” Usman said. “[Chimaev] is No. 1, biggest one out there. [Thompson] is the last guy from my era who I haven’t fought. We were kind of on a collision course and kept missing each other. That’s an intriguing fight. A crazy style to deal with.

“And a crazy one, Conor has always said he wanted a third title. When I was champion, you can’t just waltz up, skip everybody and fight for the belt. You have to show some legitimacy. What’s better legitimacy than fighting the No. 1 guy in the division?”

Nate Diaz found some unlikely support from UFC rival Jorge Masivdal over his street fight in New Orleans.

Video emerged in late April of Diaz putting someone to sleep with a choke in the streets of New Orleans. He’s facing potential second-degree battery charges, per MMAFighting.com.

Diaz and Masvidal faced off at UFC 244 for the “BMF” belt. Masvidal knows a thing or two about getting into scraps outside of the octagon but believes Diaz did the right thing considering the situation.

“I haven’t seen like all the camera angles and this and that, but from what I know and from what I’ve seen, it looks like that dude attacked Nate, and Nate defended himself, and instead of punching him in the face and breaking his jaw, he was very cool about it and just like put him to sleep, like, ‘Yo, chill out, don’t get crazy,’” Masvidal told MMA Fighting. “I don’t know, I saw that he got hit with some charges and stuff. I think that’s bulls***.

Diaz’s representative Zach Rosenfield issued a statement on the situation, saying Diaz was acting in self-defense.

“Nate’s attorney looks forward to presenting all of the facts about this incident to the District Attorney which clearly demonstrate that a trained fighter named Rodney Petersen aggressively pursued Nate with the intention of engaging him and once doing so, Nate acted entirely in self-defense,” Rosenfield said in a statement, via Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie.

Jorge Masvidal Leaves Door Open on UFC Comeback

Masvidal called it a career after falling to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 — his fourth consecutive loss. Gamebred admits he has lost a step but isn’t saying he’ll never fight again.

“I’ll never say like, ‘I’ll never come back’ because I love this sport so much,” Masvidal told ESPN. “I have so many great memories that just fill me and will stay with me forever about this sport. So, I’ll never say I can’t come back.”

There’s always a chance that Masvidal finds another outlet for his skill set and professional wrestling is something he could consider.

“If it’s AEW, if it’s WWE, if it’s at a parking lot, at KFC; as long as they pay me, we can play,” Masvidal ESPN in a recent interview. “I’ll go over there right now, right now, and domesticate the f**k outta these pro wrestlers. They need some discipline and direction over there. I’m the dude to do it to them.”

Jorge Masvidal Expects Good Fight Between Burns, Muhammad at UFC 288

Burns, Masvidal’s last opponent, is getting back in the octagon in a hurry, facing Belal Muhammad less than a month after taking care of Gamebred. Masvidal and Burns had a brief spat after their clash but he very much respects his ability.

“I think it’s going to be a good fight for [Burns] – tough,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie. “I think Belal has, in the cardio department, more advantages in the grappling, I think. Gilbert has different weapons with a little bit better power than Belal. So I think it’s going to be a very interesting, good fight.”

The odds go with what Masivdal is saying. Burns is the slight favorite at -125.

Michael Chandler is confident Conor McGregor won’t skip out on their date in the octagon but was clear that it would be a “stain” on the UFC superstar’s legacy if he did.

Chandler and McGregor are slated to meet up at some point after serving as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. However, McGregor has yet to re-enter the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool, which is putting a delay on their potential matchup.

Chandler gave his point of view on the situation on if the fight will ever go down.

“Conor says one thing, USADA says another,” Chandler told ESPN. “Conor [likes to] publicly be in spats, whether it be Dana here and there, sponsors here and there, people who it doesn’t even make sense for him to be picking fights with, different weight classes, different organizations, all kinds of stuff. It’s all just a big show. I don’t know what the understanding is. I could see it very well being just two clean tests. I have no problem with it being two clean tests. I could care less. If you do two clean tests, sounds to me like you’re clean. At this point, who am I to say what the stipulations are? I’m ready for him to be cleared or at least get that answer. At this point, we don’t have an answer.”

Michael Chandler on McGregor: ‘I Think He’s Coming Back’

The fight with McGregor is set to be a huge payday for Chandler but it’s very much up in the air. Chandler thinks it would be a big blow to McGregor’s reputation and legacy if he backed out at this point.

“Conor, to his core, really is romantic about combat sports or the sport of mixed martial arts. He loves it,” Chandler said. “I think he’s coming back. It sure would be a huge stain on his legacy leading everyone down a road, making people think he’s coming back, and then kind of chickening out.”

McGregor hasn’t fought since July of 2021, when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier. He’s lost three of his last four fights in the UFC. Chandler has been on a similar skid, losing three of four, albeit against some elite opponents. He’s confident that he’d be able to finish McGregor inside the distance.

“I finish him in the second round by clean KO and his head bounces off the canvas. I’m going out there pick him apart. Pick him up put him down, beat him in any way that I want to.”

Conor McGregor’s Claim Over Testing Disputed

There’s been some mixed messaging on what it will take for McGregor to get back into the ring. The Irishman shared previously that he’ll need just two clean tests to fight.

“There’s hurdles and what not, but we’re in constant communication [with USADA] and there’s an interview scheduled and a meeting happens and then it will be official,” McGregor told The MMA Hour. “But the six months thing, what they had said was two clean tests and off I go, so I assume it won’t be too long.”

The USADA issued a statement following McGregor’s comments, pushing back against his assertion.

“While the rules permit the UFC to make an exception to the six-month rule in exceptional circumstances, when the strict application of the rule would be manifestly unfair to the athlete, our position, which we have made clear, is that Conor should be in the testing pool for the full six-month period,” the statement read, per TSN Sports MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter.

Mike Perry, a former UFC fighter who is now the face of bare-knuckle boxing, showed off the fist he used to knock the front tooth out of former multiple-promotion MMA champion Luke Rockhold last weekend at BKFC 41.

“Platinum” and Rockhold during the event’s headlining act in Broomfield, Colorado, on April 29. And the referee called off the fight during the second round after Rockhold signaled that he wanted out of the match. It was later revealed that Perry had damaged Rockhold’s teeth, leading to the stoppage.

When speaking with TMZ, Perry showed that his knuckle had sustained a large cut which he needed stitches to close. Take a look at Perry’s fist via the embedded YouTube video below:

“I knew I landed a really good shot,” Perry said. “I don’t even think I slowed down and was like, ‘Oh, he took that really well. He took that shot.’ All I remember thinking was that I can’t wait to land whatever shot that was. Because look, his teeth went into my knuckles. And I’ve got a few stitches there.

“And I just remember feeling my hand when I hit him in the mouth, and that tooth went in. It didn’t slow me down, and I just remember feeling like, ‘I can’t wait to land that again.’ Whatever that was, I want to him with it again right now.’

“He tried hard not to let me. But, the gap was closing on him. It was closing and closing, he was running away.”

Perry Said Rockhold ‘Had No Choice’ But to ‘Quit’

Rockhold entered his bare-knuckle boxing debut with zero intention to quit. But, Platinum said he left the American with “no choice” but to do so.

“He was trying to find somewhere to go,” Perry continued. “And there was no escape, and that was the only way out is that he had to say, ‘Look, I can’t even bite down on my mouthpiece. The pain is too significant, it’s too severe in my mouth. I have to stop here.’

“And he kept saying how he wasn’t a quitter, he wasn’t going to quit. And, he had no choice.”

Platinum Said He Thought He Was in For a Longer War With Rockhold

Perry admitted to TMZ that he thought his fight with Rockhold would be longer and more difficult. Along with his preparation, Perry said Rockhold’s mistakes inside the ring led to the early stoppage.

“Man, I respected him before the fight,” Perry said of Rockhold. “I thought I was in for a much tougher challenge. I expect to have a tougher challenge in my future. I feel like as great as I did, was that all the hard work that I put in — it wasn’t just his mistakes. It was everything that I did to get there and do what I have been training to do, which was bust the teeth outta his mouth.

“I do respect him, but I feel like there were mistakes made for a guy of his caliber, for having two world titles and for having the knowledge in the sport that he has. I feel like there were small mistakes that were made, that possibly made a big difference. Really, he just didn’t know what he was getting in there with, didn’t know what he was getting into with me. And like, how do you not know what you’re getting into with me?”

In a post on Instagram after BKFC 41, Rockhold said he wasn’t “done” fighting, but that “some gloves would be nice,” alluding to his venture in bare-knuckle boxing was over.

The world’s most famous mixed martial arts combatant, Conor McGregor, has been challenged to the “No. 1 fight in the world” by former UFC star Mike Perry.

“Platinum” is 3-0 as a BKFC athlete since parting ways with the UFC in 2021. He picked up a big win over former UFC and Strikeforce 185-pound king Luke Rockhold in his bare-knuckle main event last weekend in Broomfield, Colorado, and McGregor was in attendance for it.

Perry called out McGregor while being interviewed post-fight, which led to “Notorious” entering the ring and engaging in a face-off with Platinum. Perry is now a free agent but has expressed his desire to continue with striking-only combat sports, and when recently speaking with TMZ Sports, Platinum said he wanted to “throw hands” with the Irishman.

“Absolutely, I’ll put them on the line,” Perry said about his self-made ‘Platinum’ championship belt. “I think a fight looks very entertaining. The build-up, the s*** talk. We’ve both been professionals in this business a long time and everyone knows who he is. He’s at the top of that list of professional fighters and athletes — big business marketing standpoint from that.

“I’ve got some big people pushing behind me who would want to make something like this happen. They believe in me and my attributes, and my capabilities in the sport of bare-knuckle boxing.

“He’s still in with the UFC. Let’s hope he beats Michael Chandler and then we can really make the biggest fight in the world” ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry versus ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor.

Of course, it’s unclear what the state of McGregor’s contract with the UFC is, specifically how many fights he has left under the exclusive deal. But, it’s not off the table that the promotion would co-promote with another body as they did for Notorious’ boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017.

Perry Said He Looked ‘Bigger’ & ‘Tougher’ Than McGregor

Notorious has put on a lot of size since his featherweight days. And with his upcoming fight with Michael Chandler presumably taking place at welterweight, McGregor doesn’t seem keen to fight lower than 170 pounds anytime soon. That bodes well for Platinum, who scrapped with Rockhold at 185 pounds.

Still, Perry said that he looked “bigger” and “tougher” than Notorious when they went eye to eye after the BKFC 41 headliner concluded.

“I think I looked a little bit bigger, a little bit tougher,” Perry said. “I had a pump going on from the fight I just had. You know, he had his suit on. It was covering up some of his muscles. But, we looked very similar in size. I know he’s long and rangy. He’s my height-ish, so he’s going to be faster and sharper than Luke was.

“Can he hit as hard? Can my platinum head and jaw-line take that left hand? I believe it can. And it’s the same thing that happened to Luke, man. It’s just a matter of time when I close that range on you, and I land those devastating shots.”

Perry Praised Himself as a Litmus Test for Combat Sports Greats

Platinum said that if a combatant wants to be known as “one of the greatest fighters on the planet,” they should be foaming at the mouth to fight him.

“The world knows that he was a serious threat, a very strong competitor – two-time world champion,” Perry said of Rockhold. “And I made it look easy. I look like, if you’re a fighter and you want to be considered and recognized as one of the greatest fighters on the planet, then you’ve gotta want to see yourself facing off against me.”

Ex-UFC heavyweight fighter Ben Rothwell wants a crack at Alan Belcher’s BKFC heavyweight strap next, but “Big Ben” says the former 185-pound mixed martial artist may try and dodge him.

Belcher, who debuted in bare-knuckle boxing as a heavyweight in 2021 and won the belt in February, was in attendance for Rothwell’s performance last weekend against Josh Copeland at BKFC 41 in Broomfield, Colorado. After defeating the hometown hero via corner stoppage, Rothwell was interviewed inside the ring and called for a title fight against Belcher. “The Talent” was shown on the broadcast during Big Ben’s time with the microphone, which added more promotional fuel to the fire.

Rothwell was a guest on MMA Fighting’s “The MMA Hour” on Monday. The 2-0 bare-knuckle fighter told host Ariel Helwani that there was a “big problem” with the possible championship content, namely the size difference.

Big Ben tipped the scale at 287 pounds last week, and Belcher weighed in at 230.6 pounds for his title-winning effort against then-champion Arnold Adams in his last outing at BKFC 36.

Belcher Has an ‘Attitude’ & Issue With Weight Difference, Rothwell Said

Big Ben said he told BKFC president Dave Feldman that he could fight at 285 pounds. But with over a 50-pound discrepancy, Rothwell said The Talent isn’t “too keen on fighting” him.

“His attitude, man,” Rothwell said. “He’s just kind of not who I thought he was. He’s having problems. He’s a talented fighter, but outside of it, he’s just kind of saying some really silly s*** to me. He’s run into me a couple times. He’s saying stuff that I’m like, ‘Are you serious right now?’

“He has a problem with the weight class,” he continued. “So that’s a big problem. He goes, ‘I’m 220 pounds.’ Well, that’s your problem. I go, ‘Get out of the heavyweight division then.’ What’s your problem?”

Rothwell Guaranteed He Could Make 285 Pounds, Said Belcher Has to Fight Him

Fighters must weigh more than 210 pounds to be considered a heavyweight in the premier bare-knuckle organization. And Rothwell, who said he typically walks around at over 300 pounds, is willing to do himself  “a favor” and cut some weight. Further, the 39-14 professional MMA combatant said Belcher had to fight him, so the champ needs to “shut up about it.”

“There’s a big thing going on right now about that whole thing,” Big Ben said, “because each state commissions it differently, or they’re saying different weight classes. So far, most of the states I’ve talked to were like, ‘Hey, it’s whatever BKFC says. We’ll take after boxing.’ But then some of the states apparently don’t do boxing or MMA, so they don’t know how to regulate it, so they don’t know if they should use this weight class or that. Whatever the case is, Dave [Feldman] said, ‘You be 285.’ I go, ‘I’ll be 285. Make that your limit.’

“I’ll be honest with you — come on, man, I’m not ripped — I think I can do myself a favor and cut down a little bit,” Rothwell continued. “During the UFC tenure though, I was walking around at 285 most of the time. I think it’s OK, I can get down there. And then I don’t have to worry about cutting weight and I’ll still be 285 pounds, I’m still dangerous.

“I’ll be 285 and then that’s it, it’s settled. So I’m like, ‘Belcher, that’s the weight limit. I’ll be 285, dude. You’re the champion of this division. You’ve got to fight me. So shut up about it.’”

Julianna Pena is out of her main event title fight against Amanda Nunes, which was scheduled for UFC 289.

The announcement was made by UFC president Dana White in a video posted to social media, laying out that Irene Aldana would be taking Pena’s place against Nunes.

“Julianna Pena was taking on Amanda Nunez on June 10 in Vancouver. Unfortunately, she broke her ribs, she cannot compete,” White said. “We have Irene Aldana, who’s coming in winning four of her last five, and three of those were finishes. We could have another Mexican world champion ladies and gentlemen.”

The fight between Pena and Nunes would have completed their trilogy, with each fighter winning one apiece. Pena shocked Nunes in December of 2021 with a win by submission. Nunes roared back in July of 2022, winning by unanimous decision to get her belt back.

Amanda Nunes Thought Irene Aldana Was Next

The replacement is not surprising. Nunes expressed previously that she thought Aldana would be next for her — not an immediate rematch with Pena.

“I always say I leave it to what UFC decides,” Nunes told ESPN. “I’m ready, I’ve been training, I’m healthy. So, whatever UFC wants to do, I’m ready. I love to do this, I love to fight. I’m here to defend my belt, and Julianna wants it again, I don’t have any problems with defending my belt against her.

“I did [think it would be Aldana]. I thought it was gonna be her. Everything changed to Julianna and I was okay with it, too. No matter what, whatever UFC showed me the opponent, I’m gonna be happy to defend my belt.”

The 35-year-old Aldana is 14-6 in her career, her most recent loss coming to Holly Holm in 2020. But she’s had a solid run and has a pair of first-round finishes on her resume against Yana Santos and Ketlen Vieira over her last four wins.

Julianna Pena Said UFC Forced Amanda Nunes to Fight Her

Pena was thoroughly dominated in her last bout against Nunes, with the scorecards reading 50-45, 50-43 and 50-44. But that didn’t keep her from talking a little smack, saying that “The Lioness” was trying to dodge her.

“She said I had to go fight Irene [Aldana] to fight for the belt against her,” Pena said on the “MMA Hour” in April. “But I don’t know how Irene comes up in this conversation at all. We’re 1-1. This is the biggest women’s MMA fight in history. It’s a Rocky story.

“I think the UFC knows that. I think the UFC knows that they know how to do business, they know how to do big business and make big fights. It’s the only fight that I called for. And I said, ‘You know what, if you don’t want to fight me, Amanda, which the brass told me directly, she does not want to fight me.”

Pena said that the UFC told Nunes that she had to fight her or she’d be stripped of the bantamweight belt.

“They said that if she didn’t fight against me that she would be stripped, and so she had no choice but to fight me. She doesn’t wanna fight me,” Pena said. “They told me she doesn’t want to fight me, and she’s being forced to fight me, because this is the only fight that makes sense.”

Pena will be watching the title fight carefully to see who her next opponent could potentially be.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou’s time as a free agent could be coming to an end soon.

Ngannou has not fought since January of 2022, when he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Following the fight, he wasn’t able to agree to a contract extension with the UFC and vacated his title.

Ngannou is looking for big money but the 36-year-old big man has not fielded an offer that meets his standard. ONE Championship is the most recent organization to drop out of the running for Ngannou, with CEO Chatri Sityodtong announcing they were withdrawing from bidding for his services.

“I met with Francis yesterday for almost three hours,” Sityodtong told the South China Morning Post. “ONE has decided to withdraw from the process of bidding for Francis Ngannou’s services. After careful reflection, we decided not to submit our final offer. Francis is a good guy and a good champion. I wish him continued success and happiness.”

Helwani: Francis Ngannou ‘Very Close’ to New Deal

Veteran UFC reporter Ariel Helwani reached out to Ngannou after the ONE news and got “The Predator’s side of the story. He revealed there’s a deal in the works.

“Francis is very close to signing a new deal with another promotion. And according to Francis, he was very upfront about this,” Helwani said on “The MMA Hour” on Monday. “And so they left the meeting on good terms, but both of them came to an understanding that because he had already kind of verbally committed to someone, more than likely he’s not going to ONE.”

Helwani added that Ngannou could sign somewhere this week and believes Sityodtong was trying to save face with his statement.

“I think [Sityodtong] did the old PR move where you get ahead of it and you tell your side of the story and you make it seem like you’re walking away, as opposed to you couldn’t come to terms cause he had a deal or he wanted something else,” Helwani said.

So where is the former champ heading? Helwani isn’t certain but believes the PFL is a front-runner based on his conversations with Ngannou.

“I thought it was really interesting when I asked him [Ngannou] about PFL, that was the one that really got him fired up,” he said.

No UFC Return in the Cards for Francis Ngannou

The UFC offered Ngannou record money, per president Dana White. But things went sideways and White shut the door on Ngannou returning.

“We worked with this guy for two years, we tried to get him a fight,” White said on the “Pat McAfee Show.” “He’s absolutely impossible to deal with. No, he’ll never be in the UFC again.

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is eyeing a fight with No. 3-ranked 170-pounder Khamzat Chimaev next.

That’s what “The Nigerian Nightmare” revealed while recently speaking with ESPN.

In March at UFC 286, Usman (20-3) was faced with his second straight defeat to Leon Edwards, the man who took his welterweight strap at UFC 278 last August. The 35-year-old mixed martial artist will have to get to work taking out top contenders should he want another crack at reclaiming his throne.

But, Usman said that he’s “having fun” with his career, and he’s ready to take on big names that excite fans, even if it means “potentially” meeting Chimaev at middleweight.

“A fight with myself and Khamzat? Boom,” Usman said. “I’m kind of in a place now where I’m having fun with it, and what’s the biggest, funnest, most intense fight that really makes me feel something? That’s a fight right there. That could headline a pay-per-view.”

“He’s a fighter and I’m a fighter at the end of the day,” Usman continued. “I fight these guys’ heart, not their weight. I’ve been able to deal with middleweights and light heavyweights in the gym. And if he wants a shot at the welterweight strap, you kind of have to give a little bit and show I can get down there and do it. But if it’s up a weight, potentially.”

Chimaev (12-0) was supposed to fight Nate Diaz at welterweight in his last outing, but he missed the division’s limit by nearly 10 pounds ahead of their UFC 279 clash in September. It’s unclear what weight class Chimaev will compete in next.

Usman Also Threw Out Stephen Thompson & Conor McGregor as Possible Opponents

The Nigerian Nightmare reiterated that Chimaev is at the top of his list for his comeback opponent. But, he also shared that scraps with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Conor McGregor were enticing as well.

“There aren’t a ton [of interesting] fights. I’m being honest with you,” Usman said. “[Chimaev] is No. 1, biggest one out there. [Thompson] is the last guy from my era who I haven’t fought. We were kind of on a collision course and kept missing each other. That’s an intriguing fight. A crazy style to deal with.

“And a crazy one, Conor has always said he wanted a third title. When I was champion, you can’t just waltz up, skip everybody and fight for the belt. You have to show some legitimacy. What’s better legitimacy than fighting the No. 1 guy in the division?”

Usman Said There Has Been ‘No Finality’ Between Him & Edwards

Although the Nigerian Nightmare is 1-2  against Edwards, which includes a devastating head kick knockout loss, he still has unfinished business with him, telling ESPN that there was “no finality” to their trilogy bout.

“I still felt there was no finality to that fight,” Usman said. “I mean, the rest of the world kind of feels like it, but you know, props to him that he has the belt but I need finality. I need you to show me you are better than me from start to finish.”

Edwards and Usman fought through all five rounds of their headliner in March and Rocky walked away with a majority decision (48–46, 48–46, 47–47).

Top-ranked UFC featherweight Arnold Allen put on a valiant effort against ex-champion Max Holloway, but the Englishman is “not proud” of his Octagon performance.

“Almighty” (19-2) looked to extend his win streak to 13 while solidifying himself as the division’s next title contender by besting Holloway during the UFC on ESPN 44 main event on April 15. But after five rounds of action, “Blessed” earned the judges’ nod via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 48–47).

Allen appeared on MMA Fighting’s “The MMA Hour” on Monday and he admitted that the judges got it right. But after rewatching the match, Almighty said the contest was a lot closer than he thought it was after the final round ended on fight night.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought,” Allen said. “I didn’t feel like the winner after and I don’t now but it’s not as bad as I thought. A lot of people said I should be proud ‘oh he did five rounds and pushed the pace on Max.’ I’m not proud of myself. I expect a lot more from myself.

“He is who he is and he’s one of the best if not the best guy in the division of all time. He’s going to be a Hall of Famer, he’s great but that doesn’t make me feel any better because I expect more out of myself. It’s a little more frustrating because I know I could have done better. I should have done better.”

So, don’t expect Allen to walk around feeling like he earned a “moral victory” by taking rounds from Holloway. “There’s no victory,” Almighty continued. “I got half my pay, I lost my winning streak, I missed out on a title shot. There’s no moral victory.”

Allen Is Open to Rematching the ‘Legend,’ Holloway, Down the Line

Allen is still ranked within the top five of featherweight — one of the promotion’s deepest divisions. He sits at No. 4 and the fighter is champing at the bit to right the wrong of his last outing. With wins over names like Calvin Kattar and Dan Hooker, Allen is still on the shortlist for title contention.

And he’s also not that far off from potentially rematching Holloway one day.

“It’s a positive in a way because I know I can do so much better,” Allen said. “He’s the five round cardio king. The first five rounder I’ve done, it was no problem. Preparation could have been better, maybe a bit smarter, a bit fitter. Body could have held up better in certain things but no excuses but things could have been better.

“There’s better to come. He said it after, maybe we’ll fight again. Max is a cool guy. He’s a legend.”

Allen Expected Holloway to Utilize Much More Forward Movement

Holloway is a fighter known for his relentless pressure and volume striking, and he holds to UFC’s all-time record for most significant strikes landed with 3,122.

So, it’s not a surprise to hear that Allen’s focus in training camp was to deal with Blessed’s attack. However, Holloway took a much more even-keel approach to the fight, which Almighty didn’t anticipate.

“The whole camp was based on someone coming forward with pressure and the first sort of exchange, he came out and backed up and stopped moving,” Allen explained. “It’s like huh, that’s not what we prepared for, in that sense.

“The only thing that surprised me is he just didn’t pressure so much. The whole game was the counter him coming forward and I was the one coming forward chasing him. Very good game plan by them. I don’t know if it’s lessons to learn. Things could be better.”

Former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold got a taste of bare-knuckle boxing on April 29, and hinted he’ll likely stick to a gloved combat sport after he suffered a gruesome facial injury.

“Well f***, what can I say?” Rockhold said in an Instagram video while showing a nasty cut on his lip and a broken front tooth. “You can check bare knuckle off the list — some crazy s***. Those little knuckles got me square on the front two. Maybe a beard, maybe a better mouthpiece. It’s a good fight. It’s a shame it had to end that way. Motherf******, Mike, you tough bastard. Congrats. Thanks to my sponsors, thank you to the people. I’m not done — some gloves would be nice, though.”

Rockhold’s bare-knuckle debut was called off by the referee in the second round after the American was unwilling to engage with his opponent, Mike Perry, after pointing to his mouth. After the fight, the headline bout at BKFC 41 in Broomfield, Colorado, promotion president David Feldman confirmed to the media that his teeth “definitely got messed up pretty good,” but that’s all the detail fans had until Rockhold’s Instagram post the following morning.

Rockhold Is in Search of His First Combat Sports Win Since 2017

Rockhold, who turns 39 in October, made it clear in the video that he doesn’t intend on heading back to retirement yet. He had announced he was walking away from fighting after his last loss — a unanimous decision defeat to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 in August 2022. But instead of quitting altogether, he left UFC and signed a one-fight deal with BKFC.

Now that Rockhold is once again a free agent, it’s unclear where he goes from here. He’s 1-4 in combat sports since dropping his UFC 185-pound strap to Michael Bisping in June 2016, with his sole win in the stretch coming in his next fight, a September 2017 match against David Branch. He won that fight by knockout.

Rockhold has a professional mixed martial arts record of 16-6, which includes six wins via KO/TKO and eight by submission.

Perry ‘Was Shocked” With the Result of His BKFC 41 Fight

Perry, who was 2-0 in bare-knuckle fighting heading into the bout against Rockhold, told reporters after the fight that he was “shocked” with how the fight ended. “I was ready for another round,” Platinum said. “I was just shocked because I was like, ‘Man, that was too easy after all that hard work.’

“I think I was just getting into the fight,” said Perry, who is 31 years old. “I was just digging into the body shots. He wasn’t liking it. I jabbed him once and he didn’t like it.”

Perry, who had a 14-8 record in mixed martial arts before his UFC contract expired in October 2021, was stung in the opening frame by Rockhold. But, the fact that Platinum took the punch gave him more confidence that he could handle the power of the bigger fighter. “Your size and your weight, I’m still Platinum at the end of the day,” Perry said.

Former two-time UFC title challenger Jorge Masvidal believes his ex-opponent, Nate Diaz, will get the better of Jake Paul in their upcoming boxing match.

Diaz and “The Problem Child” are scheduled to compete in a 185-pound catchweight bout on August 5 via DAZN pay-per-view. The match at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, will mark Diaz’s first fight outside of the UFC since 2006. And it will also make be professional boxing debut.

Paul is 6-1 as a licensed pro and he’ll look to bounce back from his split decision defeat to Tommy Fury earlier this year.

When speaking with MMA Junkie in a recent interview, Masvidal predicted his longtime rival would defeat Paul even though the mixed martial artist will give up size and youth to The Problem Child.

“It’s just the time of it,” Masvidal said. “Jake’s obviously a lot younger than Nate. If Nate’s in his prime, I think he smokes Jake. But Nate’s been out of it for a while. I don’t know what kind of shape his lifestyle is like outside a serious training camp. He hasn’t been in a training camp in a while, so I don’t know. I think the odds are a lot on him. Jake’s been competing and Jake’s naturally a lot bigger, but all that being said, I think Nate just finds a way to tough-guy it out and just beat up Jake and break him down. I think Jake will run a lot.”

Diaz Is Facing a Felony Charge That Carries Jail Time, Has Maintained His Innocence

Diaz is currently facing a second-degree battery charge after he was filmed choking a man unconscious in New Orleans last weekend. Diaz has maintained his innocence as multiple statements from his team declare that the fighter used self-defense to subdue the man.

TikTok creator Rodney Petersen has been identified as the individual who was put out by Diaz during a street brawl after a Misfits Boxing event.

Diaz turned himself in to the New Orleans police on Thursday morning after he was issued an arrest warrant a few days prior. He’s currently out of custody on a $10,000 bond. Second-degree battery is a felony charge in Louisianna, and with it, Diaz could face up to eight years in prison with or without hard labor, as well as a fine upwards of $2,000.

Diaz’s Match With Paul in Jeopardy?

It’s unclear if Diaz’s legal battle will impact his fight with Paul. But after news broke that Diaz was hit with an arrest warrant, YouTuber KSI threw his name out as a potential replacement for the Stockton, California, fighter.

“Well, if that mean Jake won’t have an opponent in August… Then I’ll gladly come as the replacement after I KO Joe Fournier in May,” YouTuber KSI tweeted.

Paul replied to KSI, his bitter rival, writing: “Great. I accept you as the backup opponent. Fight is at 185. There are no rehydration clauses. Stay in shape and we will give you a call if needed. Thanks buddy for being so humble and committed.”

Diaz then chimed in. “Lol why Dont u to scared p***** just fight each other august,” Diaz tweeted. “I’ll fight someone who can really fight.”

Mixed martial arts superstar Nate Diaz is facing a second-degree battery charge, and Jorge Masvidal recommended a big-name lawyer to represent him.

Although the two have a heated rivalry stemming from when they shared the Octagon in 2019, Masvidal told MMA Junkie that celebrity lawyer Brad Cohan was just a call away for Diaz. Diaz is currently out on $10,000 bond after turning himself over to New Orleans police on Thursday morning. He was hit with the felony charge after a video went viral of him choking out a man on a street in the city last weekend.

A few days later, police issued a statement revealing that Diaz had been issued an arrest warrant. Well, Masvidal, who is currently engaged in a legal battle with Colby Covington after he was accused of punching “Chaos” multiple times outside of a restaurant in Miami last year, threw his support at Diaz.

“Nate Diaz if you see this, I’ve got a top lawyer in the country who wants to represent you,” Masvidal said. “His name is Brad Cohan. Have your people get in touch with him. He wants to take care of you. The dude is the man. I just remembered he has told me that. I don’t talk to Nate Diaz, but my boys at MMA Junkie can give him the message. Brad Cohan is the man.”

Notably, Cohan represented Lil Wayne and Kodack Black when they received pardons from former US President Donald Trump in 2021.

Masvidal Said ‘You’ve Got to Respect Every Threat’ in Regard to Diaz’s Actions

TikTok influencer Rodney Petersen has been identified as the man who was choked unconscious by Diaz after a Misfits Boxing event. Diaz claimed in a statement that his actions were a product of self-defense, and video of the incident features Petersen approaching Diaz before the two got into it.

“What it looked like to me is this dude ran up on Nate, and you’ve got to respect every threat,” Masvidal continued.

“It looked like it was self-defense. But I don’t know. I didn’t see the whole video, I just saw one sh*tty angle so I don’t want to say too much. I just want to say: You can’t run up on people. You can’t violate people’s personal space and feel it’s cool to get away with. As good of an ass-kicking machine as I am, I give everyone their personal space. I don’t invade nobody, even if I have to ask, ‘Where’s the train stop?’ or something – I do it from a safe distance. You don’t want to be invading space cause you just don’t know.”

Diaz’s Team Says They Will Work to Prove His Innocence

In a statement provided to MMA Junkie, Diaz’s representative Zach Rosenfield said the fighter’s team was assembling proof that he was defending himself.

“Nate voluntarily turned himself in to the New Orleans Police Department this morning approximately at 7:10AM CT,” Rosenfield said. “We continue to look forward to presenting all the evidence and videos that show Nate was acting in self-defense.”

Second-degree battery is a felony charge in Louisiana, and it carries with it up to eight years in prison, as well as the potential of hard labor and a fine upwards of $2000, per Ambeau Law Firm.