Cassia Moura and Adele Fornarino put on a show at UFC BJJ 12, but their entertaining title bout wasn’t without controversy. After dominating their respective opponents in the opening rounds, two of the best grapplers in the world faced off in the tournament finals for the inaugural UFC BJJ flyweight title. The highly anticipated match […]

Welcome to Midnight Mania! Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. Insomnia Yeah … even with a point deduction for hitting below the belt, this is a 10-8 round for Colby Covington. They’re both range strikers, but I would consider Imavov a […]

UFC Halloween card got bloody three weeks early. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight Gaston Bolanos has withdrawn from his upcoming fight against Francis Marshall, scheduled for UFC Vegas 123 on Oct. 31, 2026, inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bolanos revealed the unfortunate news on social media Thursday, sharing a graphic photo of a […]

“All-In” is looking forward to testing another prospect. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contender Brendan Allen returns to action against red-hot up-and-comer Christian Leroy Duncan in the main event of UFC Vegas 122 this weekend (Sat., Oct. 10, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Once again, Allen has been tasked with defending his […]

“The Maniac” doesn’t know what is going on. Top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight contender Marcus McGhee scored a nasty first-round knockout over Octagon newcomer Anthony Romero at UFC 332 this past weekend (Sat., Oct. 3, 2026) inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. On paper, McGhee’s path forward should be obvious. He has […]

Event: Misfits Boxing: Essex vs. DapperDate: Sat., Oct. 10, 2026Location: Copper Box Arena in London, EnglandBroadcast: DAZN (sign up here)Start Time: 1 p.m. ET Misfits Boxing Main Event On DAZN: Super Middleweight.: Joey Essex vs. Daniel “Dapper Laughs” O’Reilly Misfits Boxing Main Card On DAZN (1 p.m. ET): Heavyweight.: Plinio Cruz vs. Gary Olive (Chase […]

Josh Hokit has parlayed his shtick and a chaotic fight style to earn a UFC heavyweight title shot at Madison Square Garden. On November 24 he’s scheduled to face Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 334. This would be only Hokit’s sixth trip to the Octagon and eleventh pro fight. The 28-year-old former […]

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. So too might be the waist that holds the belt. UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has been ‘crashing out’ lately — his words not mine — about his current situation. He said his “heart’s not in MMA” anymore and that he wants to switch over to boxing. […]

Christian Leroy Duncan meets Brendan Allen at the META APEX on Saturday night, in what might be the worst card the UFC has ever put on. Now, that’s not saying much, considering the last card at the APEX was also one of the worst cards ever put on (on paper). Of course UFC Vegas 121 […]

Joe Rogan has signed an insane nin-figure deal with Spotify — again. Rogan made headlines back in 2020 when he signed an exclusive 3.5 year deal with Spotify for over $100 million dollars. Despite almost getting cancelled during the pandemic, Spotify re-upped with the comedian and UFC color commentator for another $250 million in 2024. […]

Real American Freestyle’s (RAF’s) big Abu Dhabi debut is quickly becoming the most stacked card in the promotion’s short history with the addition of even more big MMA names. RAF Abu Dhabi goes down on Saturday, November 14th from Etihad Arena in the U.A.E. and featured a main event between cruiserweight crossover champion Colby Covington […]

What year is it?!? Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama, better known as “Sexyama,” will compete in his final mixed martial arts (MMA) fight against former opponent and original Ultimate Fighter cult hero Chris Leben at BLACK COMBAT 17: VANTABLACK next month (Sat., Nov. 21, 2026) inside Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South […]

Sean Strickland is ready to trade UFC gold for Jake Paul money. The reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion has threatened to surrender his 185-pound title, move up to Light Heavyweight, and burn through the remaining fights on his contract after becoming increasingly frustrated with his pay. “I gotta be honest: unless things change […]

Real American Freestyle (RAF) is continuing with its goofy matchmaking. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will make his RAF debut against longtime fan favorite Donald Cerrone, who will also be competing for the promotion for the first time at RAF 15 on Sat., Nov. 28, 2026, inside NOW Arena in Chicago, […]

One year ago, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight prospect, Malcolm Wellmaker, looked like one of the promotion’s next breakout stars. “The Machine” was coming off consecutive highlight-reel, first round knockouts over Cameron Saaiman and Kris Moutinho (watch highlights), seemingly announcing himself as a serious threat at 135 pounds. Then, one month later, all that momentum […]

Alivia Bierley won her Contender Series fight against Summer Onley last night. However, the unanimous decision victory wasn’t enough to snag her one of those entry-level UFC deals. Bierley came into her tryout fight with a pretty interesting backstory. Her video package discussed how she came to martial arts after being in a domestic abuse […]

Herb Dean has not had a great year. This year the veteran referee has been subjected to some very public criticism from some very high profile figures in the sport. Additionally, Dean has been noticeably booed by crowds when being announced and mercilessly mocked on social media. The latest incident to cause blow back for […]

This weekend, during UFC 332, it was announced that December’s UFC 335 would be headlined by Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes for Oliveira’s BMF title. This will be Lopes’ lightweight debut with the promotion, having contended for the featherweight title on two occasions. Lopes talked to Yahoo Sports about his move to 155 lbs and […]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are finally slated to meet at the end of the year. And, you likely also know that the buzz and drama around this fight is being mostly generated by the squabbling between Dana White and Eddie Hearn. These two have […]

Is Shavkat back? In the last few years the UFC’s welterweight division has matured into one of the deepest, and most dangerous, shark tanks in the promotion. The rise of killer contenders for Islam Makhachev’s crown has developed during a time when possibly best among those rising stars has been sitting on the sideline. Back […]

UFC 335 got a big addition this weekend with the news breaking that Alex Pereira would be fighting Sergei Pavlovich. That’s scheduled to go down on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. The headliner for that event will be a BMF title fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes. Pereira returns to the heavyweight […]

Dana White was at his favorite event last night (the one with his name on it). And he got to hand out minimum contracts to fighters who managed to impress him the most. Last night that included someone who had been working as his personal assistant. After the show White took questions from reporters. Predictably […]

Here’s your open thread for Wednesday. Also, we got an app! MMA ADJACENT Sabaki Challenge is still a thing, apparently. TOTALLY OFF TOPIC I’m really proud of my blog that I build from the ground up, but when it comes to making things with my hand… I’m not great. I’d love to learn, though. GAME […]

This weekend (Sat., Oct. 10, 2026), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return home to Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 122. I don’t care how many knockouts happened last week at UFC 332 (record setting!), we’re in the midst of a UFC slump. There hasn’t been a particularly meaningful fight in the […]

The war between Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn and UFC / Zuffa Boxing head Dana White continues, and Hearn believes the boxing side of things is distracting White and parent company TKO from running the UFC properly. Hearn made an appearance on the Ariel Helwani show on Tuesday and discussed White and TKO’s continued insistence on […]

Dana White is once again pushing back on Eddie Hearn’s claims that he’s not a part of the Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury fight. White has been insisting for months that he’s the promoter for the event. Hearn has Anthony Joshua’s contract in hand which states White and UFC parent company TKO are not allowed […]

UFC BJJ 12 happens on THURSDAY (October 8, 2026) inside the UFC’s Meta Apex venue in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be topped by two title bouts. The promotion will conclude a four-woman tournament to crown their inaugural UFC BJJ flyweight champion, and they will now host what is clearly the best possible match […]

Valentina Shevchenko is undeniably one of the greatest female fighters of all time. “Bullet” won her first UFC title in December 2018 and defended gold less than a year ago. Between two separate title reigns, Shevchenko has defended her belt an outstanding nine times. Even late into her 30s, Shevchenko’s grasp on her title has […]

Welcome to Midnight Mania! Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of 2026. Insomnia First thoughts on the Alex Pereira vs. Sergei Pavlovich matchup? I remain torn. Dustin Poirier is a team player, and weight cuts are a nudity-filled game. I hope Valentina Shevchenko is able to […]

It’s that time again! Contender Series is back with 10 straight weeks of mixed martial arts (MMA) action, streaming at 7 p.m. ET TONIGHT (Tues., Oct. 6, 2026) on Paramount+. In the main event, Preston LaGrange (6-1) — a career Middleweight — steps up on short notice to take on France’s Nell Ariano (6-0) in […]

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) employee Sal Everett likely punched his ticket from backstage to the Octagon by knocking out Ozzy Martin with a nasty combination tonight (Tues., Oct. 6, 2026) during Week 9 of Contender Series Season 10 inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both Welterweights got after it immediately, trading hard kicks in […]

Talk about climbing the “corporate” ladder. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) employee, Salhahuddin “Sal” Everett, will attempt to trade his company badge for a UFC contract tonight (Tues., Oct. 6, 2026) when he battles fellow undefeated Welterweight prospect, Ozzy Martin, on Week 9 of Contender Series inside Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada (full results here). […]

Re-do! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight fan favorite Niko Price returns to action for one final fight against Leon Shahbazyan on the UFC Vegas 122 “Prelims” this weekend (Sat., Oct. 10, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Price originally retired at UFC Seattle earlier this year, but his farewell did not exactly go […]

George Staines won a UFC contract by stopping Loai Abushaar on Dana White’s “Contender Series” last week in Las Vegas, pushing the undefeated Englishman to 11-0 with four finishes. Staines trains with UFC lightweight superstar Paddy Pimblett and “The Baddy” was on hand to help Staines slim down to the lightweight limit. If you thought […]

UFC fan favorite Edson Barboza may be done with his face-punching career, but the 40-year-old lightweight is not ready to sit on the couch and get fat just yet. Instead, Barboza will hit the mats for Absolute Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ), which holds Gi and No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournaments, super fights, and mixed […]

Event: UFC 335: “Oliveira vs. Lopes”Date: Sat., Dec. 12, 2026Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NevadaStart times: Prelims Card Start Time at 5 p.m. ET | Main Card Start Time at 9 p.m. ETStreaming platform: Paramount+ (watch here) UFC 335 Main Event on Paramount+: 155 lbs.: BMF Champion Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes UFC 335 Main […]

Top-ranked Light Heavyweight contender Paulo Costa is not happy with the UFC. The Brazilian fan favorite should be in a good place right now. He’s riding consecutive wins for the first time this decade, having beaten up Roman Kopylov in a return to vintage “Borrachinha” form last year before suddenly jumping up to 205 pounds […]

Welcome to Midnight Mania! Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. Insomnia There is absolutely zero chance that Nassourdine Imavov puts up $500k of his own money. Does he have a wealthy benefactor in his corner? Payton Talbott has some of the […]

For the troops! Top regional promotion Fury Fighting Championship took its show outside its home state of Texas this past weekend, staging a special event at Minot Air Force Base in Minot, North Dakota. In the Fury FC 125: Fight Force main event, former PFL tournament finalist and UFC hopeful Dilano Taylor starched Nick Meck […]

The UFC Meta Rankings have been updated following the UFC 332 MMA event last weekend in Salt Lake City, and top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) prospect Payton Talbott has snatched former two-time Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo’s spot in the rankings, knocking him out of the rankings, just like he knocked him out in Utah (watch […]

One final goodbye. Court McGee officially closed the book on his mixed martial arts career following his third-round technical knockout loss to Eric Nolan at UFC 332 this past weekend (Sat., Oct. 3, 2026) inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. McGee announced his retirement inside the Octagon immediately after the defeat, ending a […]

Lies? Top Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott scored the biggest victory of his career when he ran through former two-time Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332 this past weekend (Sat., Oct. 3, 2026) inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah (watch highlights). Immediately afterward, Talbott called out former Bantamweight champion […]

Chase DeMoor, the influencer who beat the crap out of social media slimeball Andrew Tate, withdrew from his Misfits Boxing co-main event against Alex Pereira’s head coach, Plinio Cruz, on Sat. night (Oct. 10, 2026) at Copper Box Arena in London, England. DeMoor was defending his Misfits Boxing heavyweight title. Instead, Cruz will fight DeMoor’s […]

Former UFC 170-pound title challenger Ian Machado Garry challenged No. 3-ranked welterweight contender Michael Morales to a main event showdown on Nov. 28 in Saudi Arabia. Morales said yes. But what happens in the headlines versus what gets done behind the scenes may be entirely different matters. That’s according to a recent social media rant […]

Former UFC middleweight Sam Alvey, who resurrected his combat sports career in Karate Combat, will transition to the world of bare knuckle boxing after signing a multi-fight deal with BKFC. His first fight will take place at the promotion’s Dec. 4 event in Hershey, Pa., against an opponent to be named. “The first BKFC event […]

Marlon Vera finally got a second crack at Jose Aldo and thankfully, he didn’t have to “accept death.” “Chito” and “Junior” headlined the Hype Ecuador grappling event on Sunday night (Oct. 4, 2026) at Coliseo General Rumiñahui in Quito. The contest was submission-only and declared a draw after time expired. Aldo previously defeated Vera at […]

UFC middleweight prospect Ateba Gautier was the betting favorite against Roman Kopylov heading into UFC 332 last weekend in Salt Lake City and for good reason. Gautier, 24, was 5-0 under the UFC banner with four brutal knockouts and carried significant advantages in both height and reach. I guess Kopylov didn’t get the memo. The […]

Hello all! It’s Monday and that means it’s time to send in your questions for this week’s mailbag. If you have something you want us, the folks at MMA Mania, to answer — please put them in the comment section below. We’ll take any questions you’ve got and do our best to answer them all […]

Here’s your open thread for Monday. Also, we got an app! MMA ADJACENT Well, this is satisfying. TOTALLY OFF TOPIC I can’t swim in the ocean and it’s all Jaws’ fault. GAME TIME Pretty challenging. 18/22. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

UFC 332 went down this past weekend (Sat., Oct. 3, 2026) inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, leaving several fighters feeling the post-fight blues thanks to a record-setting night of knockouts. Among the batch of losers was Wang Cong, who came up short in her championship aspirations after being out-classed by Natalia Silva […]