UFC News

Dylan Bowker - February 21, 2026

Sean Strickland has already hit the high-water mark of his MMA career, according to a former foe who clashed with him in the UFC. The combatant in question is Krzysztof Jotko, who fell short to Strickland by way of unanimous decision during their UFC Fight Night bout in May 2021. Jotko recently won the Tipsport Gamechanger tournament and has been carving out a strong path within the European MMA powerhouse, Oktagon MMA. When asked for his thoughts on Strickland’s upcoming fight with Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez at UFC Houston, Krzysztof Jotko said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

Curtis Calhoun - February 20, 2026

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van will fight one of the division’s most exciting young contenders in his first title defense later this year. Despite being weeks removed from his UFC flyweight championship win, titleholder Joshua Van wants to waste little time in booking his first title defense. Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja to win the belt at UFC 323 after Pantoja suffered an injury just minutes into their fight.

Curtis Calhoun - February 20, 2026

Dana White got the upper hand over Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn in the latest chapter of their budding rivalry. Zuffa Boxing head Dana White and Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn have formed one of the sport’s newest rivalries in fight promotion. The two sides have traded barbs for weeks since White officially launched Zuffa Boxing earlier this year.

Curtis Calhoun - February 20, 2026

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub believes Tom Aspinall’s now-checkered relationship with fans can be attributed to Dana White. Undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s first title defense ended disastrously as his fight with Ciryl Gane was ruled a no-contest at UFC 321 last year. After suffering from several eye pokes deemed accidental, Aspinall was unable to continue fighting, and the fight was abruptly stopped just minutes into the bout.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 20, 2026

Islam Makhachev isn’t sold on Ilia Topuria being a threat to him in the 170-pound division. Makhachev and Topuria have yet to cross paths inside the Octagon. After capturing the UFC Featherweight Championship and successfully defending the gold against Max Holloway, “El Matador” moved up in weight to challenge for the vacant lightweight title. Makhachev relinquished the 155-pound gold to pursue the welterweight championship.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 20, 2026

The UFC Houston weigh-ins saw every fighter hit their target. The main event middleweight clash between Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez is intact. Strickland had some struggles during the weight cutting process, but it didn’t prevent him from hitting the 185-pound mark. Hernandez clocked in at 186 pounds, making Saturday’s headliner official. Co-headliners Uros Medic and Geoff Neal also made weight for their welterweight battle. Medic tipped the scales at 171 bouts, while Neal’s weight was 170.5 pounds.

BJ Penn Staff - February 20, 2026

Sean Strickland seemingly had a very difficult weight cut for his next UFC fight. Strickland, a former middleweight champion, will return to the action in the main event of UFC Houston on Saturday night. His opponent will be surging, No. 4-ranked contender Anthony Hernandez.

BJ Penn Staff - February 20, 2026

A UFC fight is a difficult challenge under the best of circumstances. However, one former fighter decided to take things up a notch by dropping LSD—a powerful hallucinogen—before walking to the Octagon. The fighter in question is Blake Bilder, a featherweight who fought four times in the Octagon.

Harry Kettle - February 20, 2026

UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has reacted to Ian Machado Garry going to Georgia to train. Right now, Islam Makhachev sits at the top of the mountain as one of the best pound for pound fighters in mixed martial arts. He has proven that time and time again throughout the course of his career, and most recently, he took another step towards immortality by winning his second world title in the UFC in the welterweight division.

Curtis Calhoun - February 19, 2026

Joaquin Buckley and Sean Strickland went at it on social media over the former UFC champ’s use of a racial slur on a recent live stream. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is hours away from one of the most important fights of his career, but he’s still stirring up controversy away from the cage.

Dylan Bowker - February 19, 2026

Charles Oliveira will lean right into a fire-fight if Max Holloway hits his now infamous point down inside the confines of the cage when they compete. At UFC 326, the two will run it back for a rematch with Oliveira aiming to capture Holloway’s BMF title in the headline attraction of the numbered event. On March 7th, ‘do Bronx’ aims to even up the series with Holloway after Oliveira lost the first fight against ‘Blessed’ after sustaining an injury during a UFC Fight Night card in Western Canada. The Holloway point down has become a signature gesture to call on opponents for a throwdown, with top names like Justin Gaethje ending up on the wrong end of a highlight reel after indulging in the former UFC featherweight champion’s request.

Curtis Calhoun - February 19, 2026

UFC middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov didn’t take long to hit back at Sean Strickland’s taunts at UFC Houston media day. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is hours away from arguably the most important fight of his career this weekend at UFC Houston. Strickland and surging middleweight star Anthony Hernandez headline a stacked card in the Lone Star State, with a potential middleweight title shot on the line.

Curtis Calhoun - February 19, 2026

Former two-division UFC champ Amanda Nunes didn’t hold back in responding to Sean Strickland’s controversial remarks on female fighters. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is known to make headlines in and out of the cage. Ahead of many of his UFC fights, Strickland has made controversial comments about women, homosexuals, politics, and other issues that draw strong reactions from fight fans.

Curtis Calhoun - February 19, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier isn’t buying the narrative that Ciryl Gane’s integrity is tainted after he eye-poked Tom Aspinall. UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s first undisputed title defense ended in a disaster as his UFC 321 bout with Ciryl Gane last year was ruled a no-contest after multiple eye pokes. Four months and counting since the fight, Aspinall continues to recover from multiple eye injuries stemming from the fight, and recently underwent surgeries on both eyes.

Curtis Calhoun - February 19, 2026

Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson believes he could compete with the UFC’s top heavyweights just three fights into his MMA career. Gable Steveson’s young MMA career is one of the most intriguing storylines of combat sports in 2026. As Steveson prepares to fight in his third MMA bout on Thursday night at Mexican Fight League 3, the Olympic gold medalist’s hype continues to skyrocket.

Cole Shelton - February 19, 2026

Joe Pyfer will be paying close attention to the UFC Houston main event. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is set to take on Anthony Hernandez in a pivotal fight at middleweight. Heading into the fight, Hernandez is a sizable betting favorite, but Pyfer believes it will be Strickland who dominates Hernandez to get a win.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 19, 2026

Daniel Cormier isn’t beating Jon Jones at anything if the co-founder of Real American Freestyle (RAF) is to be believed. Cormier and Jones have been at odds for over a decade. The two even brawled during a press event before their first fight inside the Octagon. Jones defeated Cormier via unanimous decision in early 2015. “Bones” stopped Cormier in their 2017 rematch, but the result was changed to a no contest after Jones failed a drug test for turinabol.

Harry Kettle - February 19, 2026

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has defended Tom Aspinall as fans continue to go after him on social media. When you talk about guys who have been unlucky in this sport, Tom Aspinall is up there with the best of them. After years of fighters not wanting to face him, he finally got his shot in the UFC and immediately shot up the rankings at heavyweight. Then, he blew out his knee, forcing him out of action for a year, before he returned and eventually became the UFC heavyweight champion.