UFC News

Curtis Calhoun - April 22, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo was one of the first people to reach out to Conor McGregor after his former rival’s revealing comments. Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor and UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo shared one of the wildest rivalries in Mixed Martial Arts history in the prime of their careers. After Aldo reigned supremely over the UFC featherweight division for years, McGregor pulled off a one-punch knockout to dethrone Aldo at UFC 194.

Cole Shelton - April 22, 2026

Alexander Hernandez is just glad to be fighting again. Hernandez was supposed to fight Michael Johnson at UFC 324. However, on the day of the event, the bout was canceled. The UFC never gave a reason for the cancellation. But it came after notable betting‑line movement on the fight, as many wondered if Hernandez was dealing with an injury.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 22, 2026

Luke Rockhold doesn’t think much of Sean Strickland as a person, and he hopes Khamzat Chimaev steamrolls him. Chimaev is scheduled to put his UFC Middleweight Championship at stake against Strickland on May 9. The two will clash inside the Prudential Center in Newark for the UFC 328 headliner. There is some bad blood going into this one, with both men even threatening a potential street fight.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 22, 2026

Francis Ngannou’s coach admits he might be a bit too optimistic, but he’s not giving up on the idea of a UFC return. Ngannou had a tumultuous exit from the top MMA promotion in early 2023. While “The Predator” was the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion, he ultimately couldn’t come to terms on a new deal. Ngannou moved on to PFL MMA and had lucrative boxing matches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Now, Ngannou is no longer on the PFL roster.

BJ Penn Staff - April 22, 2026

Aiemann Zahabi still hasn’t signed a contract for his fight at UFC Freedom 250. Zahabi, from Canada, is one of the top contenders in the UFC bantamweight division at the moment. At UFC Freedom 250, which goes down on June 14 on the White House lawn, he is set to take a big step up against former champ Sean O’Malley.

BJ Penn Staff - April 22, 2026

It’s possible that Khamzat Chimaev and Brendan Allen will collide in the UFC Octagon in the next couple of years. That didn’t stop the pair from linking up for a sparring session. Chimaev, the reigning UFC middleweight champion, crossed paths with Allen, his division’s No. 4-ranked contender, at Santo Studio in California.

Curtis Calhoun - April 21, 2026

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka walked back his recent ‘mercy’ comments after his devastating loss at UFC 327. Jiri Prochazka’s quest to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight throne fell short in shocking fashion earlier this month at UFC 327. After a strong start against Carlos Ulberg, including a series of leg kicks that caused an Ulberg injury, Ulberg was able to rally in the first round to earn a come-from-behind knockout win.

Dylan Bowker - April 21, 2026

Christian Lee would be the best-equipped combatant out there to best Islam Makhachev in a mixed martial arts contest, according to a Canadian champion who previously earned statement wins in ONE Championship. The referenced fighter is James Nakashima, who is currently the Unified MMA lightweight champ after recently winning gold on Canada’s premier regional show. Nakashima has also been training with standout ONE fighters like Christian Lee and Adrian Lee in recent times. When mentioning his time working with ONE Championship royalty and what he has gleaned honing skills with such high-level mixed martial artists, Nakashima said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

Curtis Calhoun - April 21, 2026

Former UFC star Darren Till didn’t hold back in his most scathing criticism of Dana White since he parted ways with the UFC in 2023. UFC CEO Dana White’s most ambitious card yet is weeks away as the promotion looks ahead to hosting a fight card on the White House lawn this summer. UFC Freedom 250 is headlined by a lightweight title matchup between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, and features the return of Alex Pereira in an interim heavyweight title bout with Ciryl Gane.

Curtis Calhoun - April 21, 2026

UFC star Brian Ortega’s past romantic relationship with flyweight Tracy Cortez was rockier than fans, pundits, and fighters were led to believe. During the UFC’s illustrious history, there have been a few ‘power couples’ on the roster, including some coach/fighter relationships. Former UFC title challengers Thiago Santos and Yana Kunitskaya, along with Amanda and Nina Nunes, are just a few examples of couples you don’t want to mess with.

Cole Shelton - April 21, 2026

Darren Till has left Misfits Boxing and has signed with BKFC. The former UFC welterweight title challenger opted to sign a multi-fight deal with BKFC, and announced on The Ariel Helwani Show that his debut will come against Aaron Chalmers on May 30 at BKFC 90 in Birmingham, England. Ahead of his debut, Till said BKFC’s offer was something he couldn’t turn down.

Dylan Bowker - April 21, 2026

Alex Pereira is pursuing becoming a three division champion this Summer in the UFC and a former peer of his in the landscape of middleweight titleholders has weighed in on that. The combatant in question is Johnny Eblen who held the Bellator MMA belt during a time where ‘Poatan’ was holding the UFC crown at 185 pounds. During that prior time, Eblen addressed Alex Pereira in an interview context and said that he would beat Pereira 10 times out of 10 if they ever fought. When asked for his thoughts on Pereira’s attempt to become a three-division UFC champion and fight Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, Eblen said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 21, 2026

Aljamain Sterling believes a featherweight title opportunity looms if he scores a win at UFC Vegas 116. Sterling is scheduled to face Youssef Zalal on Saturday. Zalal is riding an eight-fight winning streak and he’s coming off a submission finish over Josh Emmett. Sterling was last seen inside the Octagon back in Aug. 2025, scoring a unanimous decision win over Brian Ortega.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 21, 2026

Dustin Poirier has revealed he’s still locked in under a UFC contract despite retiring. Poirier entered the Octagon for the final time back in July 2025. He took on Max Holloway in a trilogy bout in New Orleans. “The Diamond” fell short, losing via unanimous decision. Poirier has since served as an analyst for UFC events, including recent shows on Paramount+.

BJ Penn Staff - April 21, 2026

Magomed Ankalaev claims he won’t be shooting for any takedowns if he’s matched up with Khalil Rountree Jr. in the UFC light heavyweight division. Ankalaev is a former champ at 205 pounds. He has not fought since he lost the belt to Alex Pereira via first-round KO late last year, but his seemingly itching to get back to action.

BJ Penn Staff - April 21, 2026

For the first time since 2017, Colby Covington is not a ranked UFC welterweight. The three-time title challenger was finally booted from the top-15 by rising Canadian contender Mike Malott. Malott headlined last Saturday’s UFC card in Winnipeg, knocking out Gilbert Burns to earn his place in the rankings — at Covington’s expense.

Cole Shelton - April 20, 2026

Ilia Topuria was surprised by how bad Paddy Pimblett truly is. Topuria was paying close attention to the Justin Gaethje vs. Pimblett interim lightweight title fight, as whoever won that fight would be his next opponent. Heading into the fight, Topuria admitted he thought Pimblett would win, but was shocked at how bad ‘The Baddy’ truly is.

Curtis Calhoun - April 20, 2026

One of Gilbert Burns’ biggest rivals, former UFC champ Kamaru Usman, issued a classy message after the welterweight star’s retirement. UFC welterweight fan favorite Gilbert Burns hung up the gloves following a loss to Mike Malott at UFC Winnipeg on Saturday. After dropping his fifth consecutive fight, Burns opted to announce his retirement in the Octagon at UFC Winnipeg, despite no previous hints at ending his career.