SportsCatch

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

Alex Pereira blasts Herb Dean after Michel Pereira's UFC release over unchecked hair-pulling foul

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has publicly blamed referee Herb Dean for compatriot Michel Pereira's departure from the promotion, arguing that Dean's failure to penalise Sharabutdin Magomedov for repeated hair-pulling fouls at UFC Baku cost Michel his UFC contract.

MMA Jul 16

McGregor's UFC 329 knee injury may be less severe than first feared, doctor says

Sports medicine physician Brian Sutterer has offered cautious optimism over Conor McGregor's knee injury sustained at UFC 329, noting the absence of a brace and his range of motion suggest it may not be a high-grade ligament tear.

MMA Jul 16

Garbrandt responds to UFC 329 loss with defiant Instagram message after third defeat in four fights

Cody Garbrandt has broken his silence following his loss to Adrian Yanez at UFC 329, posting a reflective message on Instagram. The former bantamweight champion has now gone 4-8 since holding the 135-pound title in 2016-17.

MMA Jul 16

McGregor demands no contest after knee injury ends UFC 329 return in 69 seconds

Conor McGregor is pushing to have his stoppage loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 overturned to a no contest, claiming a knee injury sustained on his first kick rendered the fight invalid. The former double champion also wants all bets on the bout refunded.

MMA Jul 16

Guskov reveals Blachowicz and Costa turned down Ankalaev before he stepped up in 30 seconds

Bogdan Guskov accepted a short-notice main event against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi within 30 seconds, after both Jan Blachowicz and Paulo Costa declined the fight on 14 days' notice.

MMA Jul 16

Dumas departs UFC with 3-5 record after felony conviction and two-fight skid

Sedriques Dumas has left the UFC after a three-year stint that saw the once-unbeaten prospect go 3-5 (1 NC) inside the Octagon. His time with the promotion was overshadowed by a 2025 felony arrest and a subsequent no-contest plea.

MMA Jul 16

Strickland rates Amosov's grappling above Chimaev's after American Top Team session

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland trained with Yaroslav Amosov at American Top Team and declared the Ukrainian welterweight a better grappler than Khamzat Chimaev, the man Strickland dethroned at UFC 328 in May.

MMA Jul 16

Michael Page faces streaking Ruziboev as UFC Paris card takes shape

Michael Page (25-3) returns to the Octagon on 5 September at Accor Arena in Paris, where he meets Uzbek middleweight Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9) in a clash of two fighters riding three-fight winning streaks. The card also features undefeated heavyweight prospect Mario Pinto, home favourite Oumar Sy, and several other European matchups.

MMA Jul 16

Ben Askren to retire after RAF 11 bout, one year on from double lung transplant

Ben Askren has confirmed his match against Belal Muhammad at RAF 11 in Milwaukee will be his last, coming just one year after the former UFC fighter underwent a double lung transplant following a life-threatening bout of pneumonia.

MMA Jul 16