UFC News
Muhammad Mokaev reveals he rejected offers from PFL and ONE Championship to focus on UFC return: "They called me"
Josh Evanoff - February 19, 2025
Undefeated flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev is still focused on a return to the UFC. ‘The Punisher’ became one of the UFC’s most-hyped prospects at 125 pounds starting in 2022. Holding an undefeated 6-0 record, Muhammad Mokaev quickly notched wins over the likes of Charles Johnson, Tim Elliott, and Alex Perez. His winning streak earned him a crack at fellow contender Manel Kape last summer at UFC 304 in Manchester.
Dricus Du Plessis says Khamzat Chimaev fight cements his legacy even though he isn't a "boogeyman" anymore
Cole Shelton - February 19, 2025
UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t think Khamzat Chimaev is the boogeyman people think he is. After Du Plessis defended his middleweight title with a decision win over Sean Strickland, the expectation was he would face Chimaev next. It’s an intriguing matchup as many view Chimaev as the boogeyman, but he doesn’t think that is the case.
Caio Borralho reacts to Sean Strickland being at odds with coach Eric Nicksick
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 19, 2025
Caio Borralho has weighed in on the Sean Strickland situation with his coach Eric Nicksick. Many fans were surprised by how critical Nicksick was of Strickland during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. The Xtreme Couture head coach clearly felt Strickland’s effort in his rematch against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 was uninspired. Nicksick went as far as to say he trains world champions and Strickland needs to decide what he wants to do going forward.
Popular UFC fighter says he will never compete in bare knuckle boxing
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 19, 2025
When it comes to fighting under bare knuckle rules, you can count one UFC veteran out. The bare-knuckle boxing scene has exploded in recent times. BKFC President David Feldman can take a bulk of the credit thanks to how he’s promoted the sport and his company. Recently, BKFC KnuckleMania V drew 17,762 fans inside the Wells Fargo Center. This set a record for the most attended combat sports event in Philadelphia.
Steve Erceg explains why he's so excited to fight Brandon Moreno
Harry Kettle - February 19, 2025
UFC flyweight contender Steve Erceg has explained why he’s so excited to battle it out with Brandon Moreno in his next fight. Since arriving in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Steve Erceg has been on quite the rollercoaster ride. Following a 3-0 start, he managed to vault himself into a title fight against Alexandre Pantoja. The two battled it out at UFC 301, and unfortunately for Steve, he came up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision defeat.
Alexa Grasso set for flyweight return at UFC 315
Harry Kettle - February 19, 2025
Former UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso is set to make her return to the Octagon later this year at UFC 315. Over the course of the last few years, Alexa Grasso’s career has been focused on one person – Valentina Shevchenko. She defeated her for the belt back at UFC 285, then retained the belt as a result of a draw six months later. Then, at UFC 306 in September, Shevchenko was finally able to reclaim the strap at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Paige VanZant reacts to Austin Vanderford taking short notice fight at UFC Seattle
Harry Kettle - February 19, 2025
Paige VanZant has reacted to her husband Austin Vanderford taking a short notice fight against Nikolay Veretennikov at UFC Seattle. For many years, Austin Vanderford has enjoyed a solid mixed martial arts career outside of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He even managed to work his way up to a Bellator title shot against Gegard Mousasi, although he was unable to capture the gold. Still, he’s had a great run in his own right, with a lot of people recognizing him for his own abilities as opposed to him just being married to Paige VanZant.
Daniel Cormier defends Jon Jones after bizarre Instagram video goes viral
Harry Kettle - February 19, 2025
UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has defended Jon Jones after the latter was involved in a strange Instagram video recently. We all know that Jon Jones is the definition of a wild card. He constantly says and does things that confuse the masses, with the majority of fans often questioning whether or not all of his actions over the years have severely tainted his legacy. Either way, though, he’s still considered by many to be one of the greatest of all time.
Stephen Thompson calls to welcome back Donald Cerrone to the UFC: "That’s what I’m kind of shooting for"
Cole Shelton - February 18, 2025
Stephen Thompson is looking to welcome back Donald Cerrone to the UFC. Cerrone recently came out and said he’s looking to return after re-joining the testing pool. With ‘Cowboy’ planning a comeback, Thompson thinks he is a logical opponent for the fan-favorite.
Former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford signs with the UFC, set for short-notice debut in Seattle on Saturday
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2025
Former Bellator middleweight title challenger Austin Vanderford is now a member of the UFC. ‘The Gentleman’ has found a way to make a name for himself outside of MMA’s leading promotion. Debuting in 2017, the former collegiate wrestler quickly found success. In the summer of 2018, Austin Vanderford found himself on the Dana White Contender Series. Despite scoring a decision win over Angelo Trevino, he wasn’t signed by the UFC.
Eric Nicksick admits he made a mistake criticizing Sean Strickland publically following UFC title loss: "A miscalculation"
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2025
Eric Nicksick has some regrets about how he handled Sean Strickland’s UFC 312 title loss. ‘Tarzan’ is fresh off his return to the octagon earlier this month in Australia. In the main event of UFC 312, Sean Strickland met Dricus du Plessis in a rematch of their classic last January. While their first meeting was a back-and-forth war, their second clash was incredibly lopsided. ‘Stillknocks’ dominated Strickland across five rounds, handing the former champion a lopsided decision loss.
Dricus du Plessis laughs off Belal Muhammad's threat of a middleweight move: "Have you seen the size of the man?"
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2025
UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis isn’t worried about Belal Muhammad. ‘Stillknocks’ is fresh off his return to the cage at UFC 312 earlier this month. Back for the first time since submitting Israel Adesanya last fall, Dricus du Plessis again met Sean Strickland. While their bout last January was a barnburner that ended in a split-decision, the second outing couldn’t be more different. Du Plessis dominated ‘Tarzan’ across five rounds, ultimately earning a lopsided decision win.
Gregory Rodrigues reveals he had "serious issues" going into Jared Cannonier fight: "My body just wasn’t responding"
Cole Shelton - February 18, 2025
Gregory Rodrigues wonders how his UFC Vegas 102 main event would have played out if he was healthy. Rodrigues entered his first main event as the betting favorite, and early on he had success. He dropped Jared Cannonier twice in the first round, but he couldn’t put Cannonier away. Cannonier then rallied and stopped Rodrigues early in the fourth round.
WATCH | UFC lightweight King Green confronts TJ Dillashaw over Anthony Smith comments
BJ Penn Staff - February 18, 2025
UFC lightweight King Green is going to bat for Anthony Smith following some harsh criticism from former bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw. During a 2024 appearance on the JAXXON podcast, Dillashaw questioned “Lionheart” Smith’s heart, claiming he “gives up” in his fights.
Dan Hooker expects to be stretchered out following UFC 313 fight against Justin Gaethje
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 18, 2025
Dan Hooker believes that win or lose, he’ll be feeling the aftermath of his clash with Justin Gaethje. Hooker and Gaethje will be sharing the Octagon in the co-main event of UFC 313. The bout will be taking place on March 8th. Hooker is looking for his fourth win in a row. A victory over Gaethje would also be the biggest win of “The Hangman’s” pro MMA career.
Islam Makhachev isn't afraid of Ilia Topuria, says UFC Hall of Famer
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 18, 2025
One UFC Hall of Famer says that Islam Makhachev has no fear of fighting Ilia Topuria. Makhachev is the reigning UFC lightweight champion, while Topuria holds the featherweight gold. Topuria has expressed interest in a champion vs. champion showdown, but Makhachev has let it be known that he prefers to go after “champ-champ” status. “El Matador” believes Makhachev is avoiding a fight against him.
Henry Cejudo disputes the idea that Sean O’Malley is some kind of pay-per-view king: “His fights don’t do sh*t, man”
Harry Kettle - February 18, 2025
Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo has disputed the idea that fellow former champ Sean O’Malley is a pay-per-view draw. We all know that Sean O’Malley is a big star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has done some incredible things during his time with the promotion, and that much is an understatement. From viral knockouts to winning and defending the bantamweight championship, he is the definition of a household name.
MMA fans question Urijah Faber's comeback
Harry Kettle - February 18, 2025
Mixed martial arts fans have questioned the prospect of Urijah Faber making his return to the sport with GFL. Throughout the course of his iconic career, Urijah Faber has done some wonderful things in mixed martial arts. From competing to coaching, he’s a fairly iconic figure – especially in the smaller weight classes. In the eyes of many, he’s one of the greatest fighters to have never captured UFC gold.




