UFC News

Dylan Bowker - January 7, 2026

Dan Ige will return to the cage next month and will battle a surging contender as part of UFC’s next trip into Texas. Ige will clash with Melquizael Costa at UFC Houston, which transpires on February 21st. UFC Fight Night 267 emanates from the Toyota Center. Costa authored four emphatic wins last year and improved his UFC-specific record to 6-2 with this looming bout with ’50 K’ being his biggest test in the octagon to date. That 2025 run was bookended by a pair of finishes over Andre Fili and Morgan Charrière with a guillotine choke and head kick, respectively. In between that stretch, Costa recorded a pair of unanimous decision wins over Julian Erosa and Christian Rodriguez.

Curtis Calhoun - January 7, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier says a recent video message from Jon Jones leads him to believe his desired ‘friendship’ isn’t authentic. Former UFC two-division champion Jon Jones wants to begin a cordial relationship with two-time rival Daniel Cormier during their time coaching together on ALF Reality 3.

Curtis Calhoun - January 7, 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is an avid fan of UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis. Mike Tomlin is a massive fan of UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis.

Cole Shelton - January 7, 2026

Tim Welch, the head coach of Sean O’Malley, has an intriguing prediction for ‘Suga’s’ UFC 324 fight. O’Malley is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 324 on January 24 against Song Yadong in an intriguing fight. Heading into the bout, O’Malley is a -215 favorite while Yadong is a +164 underdog on FanDuel.

Dylan Bowker - January 7, 2026

Ciryl Gane was en route to winning UFC gold before the errant eye poke at UFC 321 and would unseat Tom Aspinall if a rematch is booked. This, according to a surging PFL star who gets in work with Gane. The combatant in question is Pouya Rahmani, who battles Karl Williams at PFL Dubai: Nurmagomedov vs. Davis on February 7th. When referencing his work in the training room with Gane and his thoughts on the heavyweight title clash controversy in October, Rahmani said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

Dylan Bowker - January 7, 2026

Gable Steveson continues to navigate the nascent stages of his MMA career. With Jon Jones providing the Olympic gold medalist wrestler with guidance throughout. A former-ranked UFC heavyweight contender thinks that perhaps some prolific greats like Demetrious Johnson or Georges St. Pierre might be better served to guide the fledgling fighting career of Steveson, though. This was expressed by Brendan Schaub on his YouTube channel during a recent episode of The Schaub Show. Touching upon this situation, with an excerpt of his podcast posted to X account @RedCorner_MMA, Schaub said,

BJ Penn Staff - January 7, 2026

Michael Morales is one of the best fighters in the UFC welterweight division right now, but his undefeated record has been called into question by a very reputable source. Morales, from Ecuador, sports a perfect 19-0 record according to the UFC. However, combat sports record-keeping database Tapology recently unearthed footage of Morales being knocked out in a fight on a South American reality show, similar to The Ultimate Fighter.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Jon Jones is hopeful that he and Daniel Cormier can officially bury the hatchet of their longstanding feud during their reality show stint. Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will go to battle for the third time as coaches on ALF Reality 3, a spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter, later this year.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Former UFC star Ben Askren expressed self-humor when reflecting on his lengthy medical scare last year with a double lung transplant. Former UFC star Ben Askren was on death’s doorstep as he underwent a double lung transplant following a bout of pneumonia stemming from a staph infection. Almost a full year after Askren was hospitalized, Askren looks well recovered from his ailments, and a potential combat sports comeback isn’t out of the question.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Former BMF champion Justin Gaethje raised concerns about his health after a mid-camp photo went viral ahead of UFC 324. Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will fight for the interim lightweight title later this month at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Amidst Ilia Topuria’s ongoing hiatus, Gaethje and Pimblett will headline UFC 324 to kick off the UFC’s new broadcasting partnership with Paramount+.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor targeted a familiar foe for his planned fighting return later this year. It’s been almost five full years since Conor McGregor appeared in the UFC Octagon. After suffering a leg injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor took a long absence from competition before his previously booked return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303.

Curtis Calhoun - January 6, 2026

UFC women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber doesn’t feel safe in the cage if referee Mark Smith officiates any of her future fights. Maycee Barber turned in a bounce-back performance in the Octagon at UFC 323 last month against Karine Silva. Following a medical scare earlier in the year that forced her out of her main event fight against Erin Blanchfield, it was uncertain whether or not Barber would continue fighting.