SportsCatch

Du Plessis insists UFC OKC win over Usman must earn him a third Strickland title shot

Dricus du Plessis faces former champion Kamaru Usman in the UFC Oklahoma City main event on July 18, with the South African arguing that the winner — and the manner of victory — deserves next crack at Sean Strickland's middleweight title.

MMA Jul 17

Cannonier demands million-dollar UFC deals after seven years in the top ten

Jared Cannonier has called out the UFC over fighter pay, arguing that seven to eight years as a perennial middleweight contender earns him million-dollar contracts — not the six-figure deals he currently receives.

MMA Jul 17

Adesanya claims pre-fight footage shows McGregor entered UFC 329 injured

Israel Adesanya says video from Conor McGregor's pre-fight inspection reveals the Irishman avoided putting weight on his right leg before losing to Max Holloway in 69 seconds at UFC 329 — contradicting McGregor's own denial of a pre-existing injury.

MMA Jul 17

Jones says he can 'let bygones be bygones' with White as UFC return looms

Jon Jones has publicly softened his stance toward UFC president Dana White, telling Ring Magazine the two can always 'do business together' despite their recent falling out over UFC Freedom 250 and his heavyweight title vacancy.

MMA Jul 17

Jon Jones open to MMA bout with Usyk but dismisses boxing as self-handicapping

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has ruled out a boxing match with Oleksandr Usyk, but says he would welcome the Ukrainian into the MMA cage, citing Usyk's wrestling background and questioning whether he qualifies as a complete fighter.

MMA Jul 17

Jon Jones backs Ciryl Gane to dethrone Tom Aspinall in heavyweight unification rematch

UFC legend Jon Jones has predicted Ciryl Gane will defeat Tom Aspinall in their upcoming heavyweight title unification bout, citing the Frenchman's soaring confidence after his interim title win over Alex Pereira.

MMA Jul 17

Guskov calls training partner Walker 'a moron' after bizarre pre-fight prank

Bogdan Guskov has laughed off a crude on-camera prank by teammate Valter Walker ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, calling the Brazilian 'our own moron' while preparing for a short-notice main event against Magomed Ankalaev.

MMA Jul 17

Usman targets Strickland or Makhachev title shot with upset win over Du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City

Kamaru Usman says a win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City on Saturday must lead to a UFC title fight — either against Sean Strickland at middleweight or Islam Makhachev at welterweight.

MMA Jul 16

Tsarukyan meets Covington in RAF 11 crossover title main event this Saturday

Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington headline RAF 11 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Saturday, competing for the inaugural RAF Crossover title in a catchweight bout. Ben Askren also returns to face Belal Muhammad a year after a double-lung transplant.

MMA Jul 16

UFC 329 sets simultaneous-viewers record despite falling short of White House card total

UFC 329 drew 15.9 million total viewers across the U.S. and Latin America and set a new peak of 8.3 million simultaneous viewers — a promotion record — though both figures trailed the UFC White House event from June 14.

MMA Jul 16

McGregor's UFC 329 return draws 15.9 million viewers despite 69-second main event

UFC 329, headlined by Conor McGregor's comeback after five years away, reached 15.9 million total viewers across the U.S. and Latin America — narrowly behind last month's UFC White House event but setting a new Paramount+ record for concurrent live streams.

MMA Jul 16

Teenage grappling world No. 1 Helena Crevar opens door to MMA crossover super fights

At 19, Helena Crevar holds the No. 1 pound-for-pound women's grappling ranking and remains unbeaten in 2026. The John Danaher black belt says she would welcome super fights against top MMA names as she targets ADCC gold and further ONE Championship appearances this year.

MMA Jul 16

Du Plessis dismisses Chimaev rematch talk as 'ridiculous' ahead of Usman fight

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has rejected calls for Khamzat Chimaev to receive an immediate title rematch against Sean Strickland, insisting he will let his performance against Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City do the talking.

MMA Jul 16

Crawford edges Gaethje to claim Fighter of the Year ESPY despite UFC title run

Justin Gaethje's remarkable rise to undisputed UFC lightweight champion wasn't enough to secure the Fighter of the Year ESPY, as boxer Terence Crawford claimed the award at ESPN's 2026 ceremony on Wednesday.

MMA Jul 16

Jake Paul targets Nate Diaz MMA debut and Mayweather rematch as broken jaw heals

Jake Paul says he is weeks away from being cleared to spar after suffering a broken jaw in his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, with Nate Diaz topping his MMA wish list and Floyd Mayweather among the boxing names in early discussions.

MMA Jul 16

Covington refuses to pile on injured McGregor while blasting Poirier as 'fake nice guy'

Colby Covington has offered a measured response to Conor McGregor's knee injury at UFC 329, declining to criticise the Irishman while taking aim at Dustin Poirier for calling McGregor a 'dirtbag' shortly after the loss.

MMA Jul 16

McGregor demands UFC 329 loss to Holloway be ruled a no-contest after knee injury

Conor McGregor is calling for his TKO defeat to Max Holloway at UFC 329 to be overturned to a no-contest, citing the knee injury he suffered in the opening minute. Regulatory precedent makes the request extremely unlikely to succeed.

MMA Jul 16

Jake Paul eyes MMA debut against Nate Diaz once jaw injury clears

Jake Paul has revealed plans to make his MMA debut under the Most Valuable Promotions banner, naming Nate Diaz as his preferred opponent. The move hinges on Paul recovering from the broken jaw he suffered against Anthony Joshua last December.

MMA Jul 16

Scott Coker's new MMA promotion lands former ESPN and NFL Network CEO Steve Bornstein

Steve Bornstein, the former president and CEO of both ESPN and NFL Network, has joined the advisory board of Scott Coker's unnamed global MMA promotion, which is targeting a 2027 launch.

MMA Jul 16

LFA light heavyweight champion Lucas Fernando booked for UFC 330 debut against Rafael Tobias

Reigning LFA light heavyweight titleholder Lucas Fernando has signed with the UFC and will make his Octagon debut against Rafael Tobias at UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia, according to a report by Guilherme Cruz.

MMA Jul 16