UFC news — SportsCatch

Topuria's shock loss to Gaethje jolts Anthony Joshua into career rethink

Anthony Joshua says watching Justin Gaethje dismantle Ilia Topuria at UFC White House forced him to reassess his own approach to boxing, cutting distractions and refocusing ahead of his July 25 fight with Kristian Prenga.

MMA Jul 15

Kai Asakura targets back-to-back UFC wins against Qileng Aori at Shanghai on Aug. 29

Former Rizin bantamweight champion Kai Asakura, fresh from his first UFC victory at UFC Macau in May, will face Chinese 135-pounder Qileng Aori at UFC Shanghai on August 29 in a bid to build his first win streak in the promotion.

MMA Jul 15

McGregor injures knee at UFC 329 as Chandler emerges as favourite for his next fight

Conor McGregor's long-awaited UFC comeback ended on the first kick of his rematch with Max Holloway at UFC 329, when a knee injury forced a stoppage and handed Holloway the win. Michael Chandler is now the 2/1 betting favourite to face McGregor in what would be the final bout of his current UFC contract.

MMA Jul 15

Dana White's Contender Series returns for a 10th season on August 11

Dana White's Contender Series launches its 10th season on August 11, with 10 Tuesday night episodes each featuring five bouts. The talent showcase has produced over 300 UFC contracts and four champions since its 2017 debut.

MMA Jul 15

UFC cuts Michel Pereira after four losses in five fights end six-year Octagon run

Michel Pereira has been released by the UFC following a unanimous decision loss to Sharabutdin Magomedov at UFC Baku, closing out a six-year stint in the promotion with a 10-6 Octagon record.

MMA Jul 15

Khabib credits PFL for shaping Usman Nurmagomedov into MMA's most wanted free agent

Khabib Nurmagomedov says his cousin Usman would not have made the UFC roster at 21, crediting the Professional Fighters League for giving the unbeaten lightweight champion the platform to become the sport's most coveted unsigned fighter.

MMA Jul 15

Cyborg reveals plan to start a family after retirement fight against Vieira at PFL Tampa

Cris Cyborg, 41, has confirmed she will retire from MMA after facing Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa on Aug. 22, with plans to start a family. The former UFC champion also has one boxing bout scheduled before closing out her competitive career.

MMA Jul 15

Du Plessis admits UFC 319 camp targeted a Chimaev who never showed up

Dricus du Plessis has revealed he spent his UFC 319 training camp preparing for Khamzat Chimaev's trademark aggressive scrambles, only for 'Borz' to adopt a static, control-based approach that surrendered nearly 22 minutes of ground time and cost du Plessis his middleweight title.

MMA Jul 15

Topuria's shock UFC defeat prompts Joshua to cut himself off before Prenga fight

Anthony Joshua has isolated himself from distractions after watching Ilia Topuria lose his lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. The British heavyweight, who faces Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah, says the result reminded him the fight game is "not a joke".

MMA Jul 15

Khabib reveals UFC contract bars him from fighting anywhere else — even in retirement

Undefeated former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has disclosed he remains bound by an exclusive UFC contract that would prevent him from competing for any other promotion, even decades after his 2020 retirement.

MMA Jul 15

Retired Poirier names Khabib as the strongest fighter he ever faced in UFC career

Dustin Poirier has named Khabib Nurmagomedov as the most physically imposing opponent of his career, saying the undefeated Russian felt like he 'weighed a 1000 pounds' during their 2019 lightweight title fight at UFC 242.

MMA Jul 15

Retired and unbeaten, Khabib claims his wrestling is sharper now than during his UFC title reign

Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired undefeated as UFC lightweight champion in 2020, says his grappling has improved dramatically since then and that he had not yet reached his prime when he walked away from the sport.

MMA Jul 15

Blachowicz dismisses Hill's heavyweight move as the result of an undisciplined diet

Jan Blachowicz has taken aim at Jamahal Hill's dramatic weight gain, insisting the former light heavyweight champion looks 'fat' because of poor diet rather than his ongoing knee injury recovery.

MMA Jul 15

Khabib warns Garry's height and elusive style pose real threat to Makhachev at UFC 330

Khabib Nurmagomedov has flagged Ian Garry's 6'4" frame and slippery style as genuine problems for Islam Makhachev ahead of their UFC 330 welterweight title fight on August 15 in Philadelphia, adding that a six-year age gap compounds the challenge.

MMA Jul 15

Two undefeated prospects earn UFC debuts on du Plessis vs. Usman card in Oklahoma City

Featherweight fighters Damien Anderson (5-0) and Ezra Elliott (7-0) have been added to UFC Oklahoma City this Saturday, making their promotional debuts on the undercard of the Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman middleweight main event.

MMA Jul 15

McGregor to host BKFC's World's Baddest Man bare-knuckle tournament series in 2027

Conor McGregor, sidelined by knee surgery, will host World's Baddest Man — a new BKFC documentary competition series featuring a global bracket-style bare-knuckle tournament — set to premiere in summer 2027.

MMA Jul 14

Junior dos Santos withdraws from grappling rematch with Fabricio Werdum on August 8

Junior dos Santos has pulled out of his scheduled grappling match against Fabricio Werdum at Kings Championship in Florianopolis, Brazil on August 8. The promotion has not yet confirmed whether Werdum will remain on the card with a replacement opponent.

MMA Jul 14

Dana White's Contender Series returns for season 10 in August with five-fight debut card

Dana White's Contender Series will launch its tenth season on 11 August, featuring five fights on the opening card. The show has previously produced four future UFC champions, including Sean O'Malley and Jamahal Hill.

MMA Jul 14

UFC cuts Michel Pereira after one-fight deal expires following Baku loss to Shara Magomedov

Michel Pereira has been removed from the UFC roster after losing a unanimous decision to Shara Magomedov at UFC Baku on June 27. The 32-year-old Brazilian departs with a 10-6 octagon record, having dropped four of his last five fights.

MMA Jul 14

Chandler defends McGregor after UFC 329 collapse: 'He's not a quitter'

Michael Chandler has dismissed conspiracy theories surrounding Conor McGregor's 69-second exit at UFC 329, insisting the Irishman did not fake a leg injury against Max Holloway to collect a paycheck in his first fight since 2021.

MMA Jul 14