MMA News

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 29, 2025

Song Yadong has made a significant adjustment that he believes will pay dividends when he faces Sean O’Malley. Yadong and O’Malley have been booked for a UFC 324 showdown on Jan. 24. The bout will be a part of UFC’s first event under the Paramount+ streaming deal. The card is being headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 29, 2025

As UFC enters the Paramount era, discussions about fighter pay have resurfaced. Many have wondered how the athletes will benefit without the pay-per-view model. UFC CEO Dana White didn’t share much details, but he did tell reporters that payouts for fighters will increase.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 29, 2025

Don’t count Justin Gaethje out at UFC 324, at least that’s what one MMA legend cautions. Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett are scheduled to collide in the main event of UFC’s debut on Paramount+. They will be battling for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship on Jan. 24. Pimblett is the favorite going into the title fight, but Gaethje is always a threat.

Harry Kettle - December 29, 2025

MMA and wrestling legend Ben Askren has taken the time to reflect on his journey in the last six months following his double lung transplant. As we know, Ben Askren has endured the toughest year of his life in 2025. Six months ago, Ben was admitted to the hospital due to a case of “severe pneumonia” that had developed as a result of a staph infection. The man himself later revealed that he had flatlined four times during his hospital stay and that he had also lost 50 pounds.

Harry Kettle - December 29, 2025

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed that he is set for double eye surgery after the injuries he suffered at UFC 321. As we know, earlier this year, Tom Aspinall suffered a nasty double eye injury at the hands of Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321. It meant that Tom was unable to continue with the contest, and despite Gane being the one who committed the foul, the Englishman was the one who received a great deal of criticism for how it all played out.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 28, 2025

Islam Makhachev believes it’s only a matter of time before he has a confrontation with Ilia Topuria. Topuria recently told eldoberdanMMA that he thinks Makhachev and his team are “cocky and arrogant.” He expressed his desire to submit Makhachev in front of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Topuria took things a step further and dared Nurmagomedov to end his retirement before claiming he would step on “The Eagle’s” head.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 28, 2025

Robert Whittaker is considering a possible light heavyweight move, and he’s aware of the naysayers. Whittaker, a former UFC Middleweight Champion, recently turned 35 and he has said he doesn’t envision competing in MMA for much longer than another year. He has expressed interest in transitioning to the boxing world, so perhaps he has more years ahead in combat sports.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 28, 2025

In another world, Islam Makhachev’s next title fight would’ve headlined UFC 324. UFC’s debut on Paramount has been set for Jan. 24. While the interim lightweight title fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje is set to headline, it doesn’t appear to be UFC’s first choice.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 28, 2025

Israel Adesanya wants his former rival Alex Pereira to keep winning until he’s ready to retire. Adesanya and Pereira had a well documented rivalry in combat sports. After a pair of kickboxing matches, “Poatan” stopped Adesanya to capture the UFC Middleweight Championship. The win put Pereira at 3-0 against Adesanya, who responded by knocking Pereira out to regain the 185-pound gold.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 28, 2025

Darren Till has voiced his displeasure over Paulo Costa’s withdrawal from the UFC 326 card. Costa was scheduled to face Brunno Ferreira inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 7. “Borrachinha” was quickly pulled from the card due to undisclosed reasons. The news caught Till’s attention and “The Gorilla” did not mince words.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 28, 2025

A former UFC champion believes that Tyron Woodley’s desire to fight isn’t at the level it once was. Woodley hasn’t seen the success he once had in combat sports since 2018. “The Chosen One” lost four bouts in a row following a UFC Welterweight Championship run. He has now gone 0-3 as a professional boxer with two losses to Jake Paul and a second-round TKO defeat to 50-year-old UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva.

BJPENN.COM Staff - December 26, 2025

The last twelve months tested Johan Ghazali in ways the teenage phenom never expected. But the Malaysian-American striker wouldn’t change a thing. Ghazali faces Sean Climaco at ONE Fight Night 39 on Friday, January 23, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The 19-year-old flyweight Muay Thai contender enters the new year with battle-tested wisdom and a chip on his shoulder.

Curtis Calhoun - December 26, 2025

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya teased significant stylistic changes in his upcoming return to the Octagon in 2026. It’s been almost a full year since former UFC champion Israel Adesanya stepped foot into the Octagon. Adesanya, who has lost four of his last five fights, hasn’t competed since a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia in February.

Curtis Calhoun - December 26, 2025

Longtime UFC and combat sports analyst Joe Rogan wants Jake Paul to strongly consider hanging up the gloves after fighting Anthony Joshua. Jake Paul’s second-career loss was his first stoppage defeat, as the polarizing boxer/influencer lost to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua by sixth-round TKO earlier this month. Paul accepted the fight with Joshua after he was originally booked to face Gervonta Davis, who was then forced out of the event due to legal issues.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 26, 2025

Islam Makhachev is doubling down on his desire to fight Kamaru Usman next. Makhachev captured the UFC Welterweight Championship in a dominant performance against Jack Della Maddalena back in November. Top 170-pound contenders such as Michael Morales and Ian Machado Garry have emerged and both seem to be viable options to fight Makhachev next.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 26, 2025

Joe Rogan has been hearing some rumors regarding Alex Pereira’s next fight. Pereira is the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, but it appears his interest is in a heavyweight showdown. “Poatan” had been pounding the table for a dream fight against Jon Jones at the UFC White House event. That hope may have been dashed, as Pereira recently claimed he will not be fighting on the card.

Dylan Bowker - December 25, 2025

Conor McGregor’s rise and fall, to a degree, informed the same movement pattern of how MMA was received in Ireland, according to another two-division MMA titleholder from the Emerald Isle. Will Fleury will defend his OKMMA heavyweight championship against former champ Martin Buday at Oktagon 81 on December 28th. Fleury looks to have a huge victory here after a big win in late December last year in Prague. That 2024 victory saw Fleury capture the OKMMA light heavyweight title.

Dylan Bowker - December 25, 2025

Nakisa Bidarian drew an interesting comparison between Zuffa Boxing and Power Slap when discussing some of the upcoming endeavors from Bidarian’s old business associate, Dana White. During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the Most Valuable Promotions figurehead touched on several subjects in the wake of MVP’s latest Netflix broadcast, which saw Anthony Joshua stop Jake Paul inside the distance. The debut of Zuffa Boxing is set to go down, reportedly before UFC 324, and is around a month away, with little to no announcements in terms of bouts. When asked what the MVP promoter makes of the state of Zuffa Boxing at this juncture, with a clip from the overall interview posted by X user @jedigoodman, Bidarian said,