Author: Andrew Rogers

Despite late disruption to the card, UFC 324 is shaping up to have major title implications for one of its biggest names. Former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has confirmed that she has been told a win this weekend will earn her a long-awaited shot at flyweight gold. The promotion’s first event of 2026 has already been hit by setbacks. Women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison was forced out of her January 24 bout through injury, leading to the cancellation of the co-main event just days before the show. Another high-profile matchup also collapsed when former champion Alexa Grasso withdrew, prompting…

Olympic champion Gable Steveson will fight Hugo Lezama on February 19 at Mexico Fight League 3 in Monterrey. The bout marks Steveson’s toughest test after two rapid knockout wins in his MMA debut year. Lezama brings an 11-3 record, a major step up from Steveson’s previous opponents. Former UFC fighter Matt Brown believes Steveson could already beat elite heavyweights.

The UFC’s most ambitious event of 2026 is shaping up to be unlike anything the sport has seen before. Planned as a national celebration on the White House lawn on June 14, the so-called UFC White House card is expected to feature some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts. Since President Donald Trump publicly announced the event, fighters across the roster have been campaigning for a spot on what many believe will be the most high-profile UFC card ever staged. Former two-division champion Conor McGregor has expressed interest in returning after a five-year absence, while Jon Jones reportedly…

Andy Ruiz Jr., the first man to stop Anthony Joshua, has apologised after injuring a streamer during a sparring session. Ruiz said he was not trying to “go hard” after a right hand dropped the streamer Oblivion, who was wearing headgear, with footage appearing to show his jaw cracking on impact. Ruiz, who shocked the boxing world by stopping Joshua at Madison Square Garden in 2019, said he regretted stepping into the ring and insisted the damage was accidental. Oblivion later said he briefly blacked out following the punch. The former heavyweight champion has fought sparingly since his upset win…

Diego Lopes has said he would accept a trilogy fight with Alexander Volkanovski if he defeats him in their rematch at UFC 325, a stance that may frustrate other contenders at 145 pounds. The decision to book Lopes for another title shot less than a year after his loss to Volkanovski sparked criticism, particularly with unbeaten contenders such as Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy still waiting. Dana White has dismissed the backlash, telling fans they do not have to watch if they dislike the matchup. Lopes has defended his position by pointing to his reliability and willingness to accept any…

Abdulrashid Sadulaev, the two-time Olympic gold medalist once publicly endorsed for a UFC signing by Khabib Nurmagomedov, has instead joined the rapidly growing wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle (RAF). Sadulaev, widely regarded as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all time, won Olympic gold in 2016 and again in 2022, and owns victories over elite opponents such as Kyle Snyder. Last year, Nurmagomedov urged Dana White to sign the Russian star, even suggesting a blockbuster matchup with Jon Jones. Despite that high-profile endorsement, any immediate move into MMA is now off the table. RAF confirmed Sadulaev’s signing on Thursday,…

Tyson Fury has sparked lively debate among boxing fans after sharing his personal list of the top 10 hardest punchers in heavyweight history ahead of his planned 2026 comeback. The former world champion, who announced his return just over a year after retiring, last fought in December 2024 when he lost a rematch to Oleksandr Usyk. Despite that setback, Fury has been strongly linked with a potential fight against current WBO champion Fabio Wardley. Fury, never known primarily for knockout power himself, has shared the ring with some of boxing’s most feared punchers. Topping his list was former rival Deontay…

Bryan Battle will make his PFL debut later this year following his departure from the UFC, facing a major test in his return to mixed martial arts. Battle was released by the UFC last year after missing weight twice, but quickly rebuilt momentum with two wins at middleweight in Dirty Boxing Championship events promoted by Mike Perry and Jon Jones. Now fully committed to MMA again, he is stepping straight into elite competition. PFL chief executive John Martin confirmed that Battle will headline PFL Pittsburgh against former Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen. Eblen had been unbeaten before suffering a surprise…

Bo Nickal has launched a scathing attack on Colby Covington following a tense public clash that erupted during fight week. The dispute began at a press conference for a Real American Freestyle event, where Covington verbally targeted Nickal despite competing in a separate bout. Covington went on to defeat Luke Rockhold, then called for a wrestling match with Georges St-Pierre, while also drawing a sharp response from Nickal. Nickal offered to fight Covington at the proposed UFC White House event in June, especially after Covington suggested he may move up to middleweight. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Nickal said the matchup…

Puerto Rican boxer Nestor Bravo produced a devastating early Knockout of the Year contender just 10 days into 2026. Fighting on the undercard at the Barclays Center in New York, Bravo floored Mexico’s Pedro Campa with a vicious left hook in the second round. Campa collapsed face-first onto the canvas, unable to continue after one of the year’s most brutal finishes so far. The win moved Bravo to 24-1 as a professional, with 17 knockouts, and marked a strong rebound from his split-decision loss to Xolisani Ndongeni last March. The knockout quickly spread across social media, with fans already labeling…