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Tag: MMA

  • Firas Zahabi: If Khamzat Chimaev Trains With Me, He’ll Never Lose

    Firas Zahabi: If Khamzat Chimaev Trains With Me, He’ll Never Lose

    The former coach for the legendary Georges St-Pierre wants to ensure Borz never suffers defeat again.

    In the headliner of UFC 328, the Middleweight Championship was on the line between champion, Khamzat Chimaev and bitter rival, Sean Strickland. In the end, the two had a very close fight that would be awarded by split decision to Strickland to become a two-time Middleweight Champion in the UFC.

    After Firas Zahabi saw the fight, he put out a video on his YouTube Channel urging Chimaev to come train with him and that Zahabi could ensure that Borz would never lose another fight in his career ever again.

    “I’m begging you. Somebody get this out there,” Zahabi said on his YouTube channel. “Khamzat, come train with me. Come to Montreal. Come train with me. I promise you, if you come train with me, you’re not going to fade. I promise you. Come and train with me. Bring Arman Tsarukyan. Khamzat Chimaev, Arman Tsarukyan, come train with me. Come see how we prepare to make sure that your fitness level will be better than ever, your striking will be sweeter than ever, your footwork will be sweeter than ever. I promise you.

    “If Khamzat Chimaev, you come and train with me, this will never happen to you again. So I really hope he gets this message. Please come train with me and Georges St-Pierre, and we will make sure that we do our absolute best to get your hand raised, no matter what the cost, what the energy expenditure, how many hours we have to do, we will focus on you getting your hand raised. So, if Khamzat Chimaev is listening, or anybody who knows him, get this message to him. Please let him know he’s more than welcome, and I would love to have him as soon as possible training at my facility.”

    Chimaev had told Dana White that he wanted to move up to the Light Heavyweight division, despite that, rumors have surfaced that he wants a rematch for the gold in Abu Dhabi, no word yet on if that’s being planned.

    h/t to MMA Junkie for the transcription.

     

  • Nate Diaz To Dustin Poirier: Don’t Involve Me, You’re A P*ssy

    Nate Diaz To Dustin Poirier: Don’t Involve Me, You’re A P*ssy

    Nate Diaz did not keep his words light when asked about the opponent that got away in the UFC.

    Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz were originally scheduled to fight each other a few years back, however, that never happened when both sides could not come to a financial agreement and the negotiations for the bout fell out immediately with both men taking jabs at each other ever since.

    Diaz is set to compete on May 16 against Mike Perry in his first MMA bout since his last fight with the UFC where he submitted Tony Ferguson and departed from the promotion for the first time in over a decade.

    When asked about The Diamond, Diaz did not keep any words of his shy from his rival, in fact, he let him know the fight would still be on the table if Poirier never hung up the gloves following a retirement fight against Max Holloway.

    “I am (interested) if he f*cking gets in there and starts fighting people,” Diaz said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I don’t fight retired fighters. He jumped ship a little early, so it’s not someone that I’m that interested in. Get back in the game and start squabbling with people. Where the hell did you go? ‘I’ll come back for you now.’ No, don’t come back on account of me. Get some sleep. Get you some sleep. He got emotional when he fought somebody, and he’s like, ‘I’m retired. Oh, this was so great.’

    “A whole f*cking little lady moment where he needed to talk about his feelings and how he was all done with all this. And then he went, ‘Oh, what the f*ck did I do?’ Yeah, you were being a b*tch in your post-fight interview, and you set your gloves down and you shed a tear, and then two weeks later he’s like, ‘I want to fight Nate, I’ll come back for Nate.’ Like, you didn’t even leave, stupid. You f*cking p*ssed out. Don’t involve me in that sh*t. You’re a p*ssy. Get back in the game and start squabbling.”

    The bout between Diaz and Perry will take place on Netflix for MVP MMA’s first-ever card.

    h/t to MMA Junkie for the transcription.

  • UFC Fight Night Oklahoma City Announced For Saturday, July 18th, 2026

    UFC Fight Night Oklahoma City Announced For Saturday, July 18th, 2026

    Fight Night returns to OKC!

    Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced that they will be returning to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Saturday, July 18th, 2026, for UFC Fight Night from the Paycom Center.

    UFC sent out the following press release regarding their upcoming Fight Night Oklahoma City event:

    UFC FIGHT NIGHT OKLAHOMA CITY to be held Saturday, July 18 at Paycom Center

    Las Vegas – UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, in partnership with Paycom Center and Visit Oklahoma City, today announced UFC’s return to Oklahoma City on Saturday, July 18.

    UFC® FIGHT NIGHT OKLAHOMA CITY looks to deliver a can’t-miss card filled with thrilling matchups featuring some of UFC’s biggest stars, top contenders and rising prospects. Fans in Oklahoma can expect a night of excitement and entertainment as UFC continues to bring the best in mixed martial arts to cities around the world.

    “We are thrilled to return to an incredible destination like Oklahoma City,” said UFC Executive Vice President of Event Development Peter Dropick. “Thank you to Paycom Center and Visit OKC for their continued partnership and we look forward to delivering a great event this July.”
    “We are honored to host the first UFC event in Oklahoma in nearly 10 years,” said Paycom Center General Manager, Chris Semrau. “The community has been asking for this kind of event for years, and we’re very excited to finally bring the highest level of MMA back to Oklahoma City. This will surely be one of the major events of the summer for the region.”

    “Visit Oklahoma City is beyond excited for the return of the UFC to our market after many years,” said Visit OKC Vice President of Sports Development, Adam Wisniewski. “Our city takes pride in hosting the country’s most premier sporting events, and bringing another UFC Fight Night is something we are very much looking forward to adding to Oklahoma City’s resume. We can hardly wait to welcome thousands of fans to Oklahoma City and to assist in producing an event our city will talk about for years to come!”

    UFC® FIGHT NIGHT OKLAHOMA CITY marks the first UFC event in the region since UFC FIGHT NIGHT: CHIESA vs LEEon June 25, 2017 and will be the third overall event in Oklahoma City in UFC history, as it also hosted UFC FIGHT NIGHT: DIAZ vs GUILLARD on September 16, 2009.

    UFC’s return to Oklahoma City is part of TKO’s expanding network of partnerships with government and private stakeholders around the world who are eager to host UFC’s marquee live events, generating meaningful economic and cultural impact and delivering memorable experiences for fans.

    Ticket information will be announced soon. With UFC’s history of sellout events, fans are advised to register their interest early at ufc.com/OKC to secure their seats for this highly anticipated event.

  • Chris Weidman Named As Member Of The 2026 UFC Hall Of Fame Class

    Chris Weidman Named As Member Of The 2026 UFC Hall Of Fame Class

    A new inductee to the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Class has been announced.

    UFC has announced that former UFC Middleweight Champion, Chris Weidman has been named as a member of the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Class as part of the modern wing.

    The ceremony for the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Class will take place on Thursday, July 9th, 2026 as part of the 14th annual UFC International Fight week. UFC sent out the following press release regarding Weidman’s HOF Induction:

    CHRIS WEIDMAN NAMED TO UFC® HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2026

    Las Vegas – UFC® today announced that former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the Class of 2026. The 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 9, as part of the 14th Annual UFC International Fight Week.

    “Chris Weidman is one of the greatest middleweights in UFC history,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White. “Chris consistently competed against the best athletes in the world during his career, and his victories over Anderson Silva changed the landscape of the middleweight division forever. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

    Weidman will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 19th member of the Modern Wing. The Modern Era category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000, when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held. Other requirements include a minimum age of 35 or those who have been retired for one year or more.

    A veteran of 24 fights during his 15-year MMA career, Weidman registered a 16-8 (12-8, UFC), record, securing victories over UFC Hall of Famers Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Kelvin Gastelum (Fight Wing), as well as former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

    Weidman made his professional MMA debut on February 20, 2009, winning each of his first four fights in Ring of Combat before signing with UFC.

    Weidman made his UFC debut on the main card of UFC LIVE: SANCHEZ vs. KAMPMANN, which took place on March 3, 2011, at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. He would defeat his opponent, Alessio Sakara, via unanimous decision to launch his career inside the Octagon.

    Weidman would win his next four fights to earn a title shot against then-middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 162.

    UFC® 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN took place on July 6, 2013, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  Both Silva and Weidman entered the match on impressive winning streaks of 17 and 9, respectively. Having won 16 fights with UFC and 10 title defenses, Silva was aiming to secure a new record of most consecutive title defenses with a victory over Weidman.

    Weidman took control of the first round early with a takedown 30 seconds into the match with Silva countering from his back. Weidman continued landing shots from top position, but Silva reversed his heel hook position with two minutes remaining. Weidman and Silva would trade punches in the center of the Octagon for the remainder of the round, with Silva taunting Weidman with his hands on his hips to excite the crowd.

    Silva continued to taunt Weidman at the beginning of the second round, evading his punches and takedown attempts. With 3:46 remaining Weidman threw a flurry of punches, connecting on a left hook that knocked out Silva and ended the fight.

    Weidman’s KO victory over Silva is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history as Silva, then the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, was as one of MMA’s biggest stars.

    Weidman and Silva would meet five months later for a rematch at UFC® 168: WEIDMAN vs. SILVA 2, which took place on December 28, 2013, at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Weidman would win the rematch and defend the middleweight title after Silva broke his leg landing a kick to Weidman’s shin.

    Weidman would defend the middleweight title by winning his next two fights over Machida and Belfort, before losing his first fight to former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the co-main event of UFC 194 on December 12, 2015.

    Over the next eight years, Weidman would compete in 11 more bouts against the top ranked middleweights in the world, before retiring in December 2024 after a loss to Eryk Anders at UFC 310.

    Outside the Octagon, Weidman has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career, receiving Breakthrough Fighter of the Year in 2012 by the Fighters Only World MMA Awards and Fighter of the Year in 2013 by Yahoo! Sports, MMA Junkie and the Fighters Only World MMA Awards.

    A native of Baldwin, New York, Weidman began wrestling at a young age and became a New York state wrestling champion while attending Baldwin Senior High School. Following high school, Weidman earned NJCAA All-America honors at Nassau Community College in 2004 and 2005, before transferring to Hofstra. At Hofstra, he continued to thrive, becoming a two-time NCAA All-American in 2006 and 2007. Weidman currently serves as an analyst / commentator for UFC events broadcast on Paramount+.

    To view Weidman’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/34821

    To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOFFAQ. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

     

     

  • Thomas Gerbasi Named As Member Of The 2026 UFC Hall Of Fame Class

    Thomas Gerbasi Named As Member Of The 2026 UFC Hall Of Fame Class

    A new inductee to the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Class has been announced.

    UFC has announced that longtime UFC Writer and Editorial Director, Thomas Gerbasi has been named as a member of the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Class as a Contributor.

    The ceremony for the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Class will take place on Thursday, July 9th, 2026 as part of the 14th annual UFC International Fight week. UFC sent out the following press release regarding Gerbasi’s HOF Induction:

    THOMAS GERBASI NAMED TO UFC® HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2026

    Las Vegas – UFC today announced that longtime UFC writer and editorial director, Thomas Gerbasi, has been named to the UFC Hall of Fame class for 2026 as a Contributor. The 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 9, as part of the 14th Annual UFC International Fight Week.

    “Tom was a close member of the UFC family and a very talented writer,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White.

    If you’ve ever read anything at all on UFC.com, the UFC print magazine, or any number of official books on UFC, you’ve read the writing of Thomas Gerbasi. For almost two decades, Tom served as editorial director, head writer, and company historian for UFC, recording, reporting, and telling the tale of the world’s greatest sports organization as it unfolded in real time.

    A proud native New Yorker, Gerbasi graduated from St. John’s University and celebrated his life-long love of boxing in early web publications like HouseOfBoxing.com and MaxBoxing.com, where he quickly became recognized as an authority in the sport.

    In 2024, he was honored with the Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism from the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2022, he was inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame for his work as a journalist covering the sport. His final book Boxing: The 100 Greatest Fighters, was released in September 2025.

    His acumen in boxing and combat sports eventually caught the eye of UFC, where he would transfer his massive knowledge and immense credibility to the world of mixed martial arts. He authored several of the definitive works on the company, including UFC: A Visual History; The UFC Encyclopedia; and The Official UFC Fan Guide. He diligently kept meticulous biographies of every fighter and was recognized as the utmost authority both inside and outside of UFC.

    But arguably his biggest journalistic contribution was to UFC’s website, a place where week after week, month after month, and year after year, he told the stories of the men and women who stepped into the Octagon. He was guided by the mantra “tell the stories that only we can tell,” and demanded that his team do the same. Giving as much credence to a young new fighter on the early prelims as he did the most decorated of champions, Gerbasi’s words introduced the world to thousands of MMA athletes. He spent his days talking to each and every member of the UFC roster, who implicitly trusted him to tell their diverse and inspiring stories.

    Beyond the printed and digital media domains, Gerbasi’s contributions extended to the entire UFC organization, making his impact in departments as varied as public relations, creative, live production, and broadcast. In short, anytime strong, credible copy about UFC was needed, Tom was the guy.

    In addition to his own books and his invaluable contributions to UFC, Gerbasi’s work appeared in myriad publications, including The Ring Magazine, The Village Voice, The Independent, The Boston Herald, King, Uppercut, Women’s Boxing World, Boxing News, ESPN.com, and countless others.

    Outside of combat sports, Gerbasi was an avowed family man, caring for his wife, daughter, and two young granddaughters daily. He played goalie in an organized soccer league on Sundays and ran numerous marathons in his spare time. He loved music and celebrated great cuisine.

    To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOFFAQ. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

  • The 5 Greatest Crossover Athletes Who Competed in Both Pro Wrestling and Combat Sports

    The 5 Greatest Crossover Athletes Who Competed in Both Pro Wrestling and Combat Sports

    Some athletes pick a lane and stay in it. These five ignored the lane entirely. Each stepped into the scripted chaos of pro wrestling and the genuine danger of a combat sports cage, and performed at the top of both. Here’s who made it work.

    Brock Lesnar: The Blueprint for Crossover Dominance

    No one pulled off the wrestling-to-MMA switch with the same velocity as Brock Lesnar. He won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in just his fourth professional fight, 277 days after his UFC debut. For context, that’s less time than some fighters spend ranked in the top 15 without sniffing a title shot. Before that: NCAA Division I wrestling champion in 2000 with a 33–0 season, then WWE Champion at 25, the youngest ever at that point.

    The crossover is rare enough that analysts still track it — and fans following nepali casino app-style betting markets know dual-sport athletes generate outsized public interest well beyond pure MMA circles. Lesnar defended the UFC title twice: a TKO revenge win over Frank Mir at UFC 100 and a submission of Shane Carwin at UFC 116. His record finished 5–3, though his 2016 win over Mark Hunt was overturned to a no-contest after a failed drug test.

    His peak MMA run:

    • 2008: UFC debut loss to Frank Mir via kneebar
    • 2008: Defeated Randy Couture at UFC 91 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship
    • 2009: Submitted Mir in rematch at UFC 100
    • 2010: Survived Carwin’s first-round barrage, won by submission

    Ken Shamrock: The Man Who Was Actually Dangerous

    Before Lesnar made the jump look cool, Ken Shamrock made it look credible. He moved between wrestling and MMA before anyone had a framework for what that meant. ABC News called him “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” in the mid-1990s — either brilliant marketing or a genuine warning label, depending on the night.

    Shamrock became the first UFC Superfight Champion by defeating Dan Severn at UFC 6, founded the Lion’s Den camp, and won the King of Pancrase title in Japan, where results were real. His WWE Attitude Era run included the Intercontinental Championship and feuds with The Rock and The Undertaker. He’s an inaugural UFC Hall of Fame inductee, which is the sport’s way of saying he was there before there was even a sport. Fans who use Mel Bet for combat sports wagering will recognize Shamrock as one of MMA’s original marquee names.

    Ronda Rousey: The One Who Restructured Both Industries

    Rousey didn’t just cross over; she reshaped each side in sequence. She won judo bronze at the 2008 Olympics, the first American woman to medal in the sport at that level. She became Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion before the UFC even had a women’s division. When it created one, Rousey was its first champion.

    Six title defenses followed. Five were first-round finishes. Three came in under a minute. She retired from MMA at 12–2, then joined WWE in 2018:

    • Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam 2018
    • Headlined Evolution, WWE’s first all-women’s pay-per-view
    • SmackDown Women’s Championship twice after returning in 2022
    • Only woman to hold a championship in both the UFC and WWE

    She’s also the only woman to headline a pay-per-view in both companies. Nobody else can say that.

    Bobby Lashley: The Least-Discussed Crossover Success

    Lashley doesn’t get the attention Lesnar does, partly because he competed in smaller promotions. That undersells his record. A three-time NAIA Wrestling Champion, he went 15–2 in MMA, primarily in Bellator. His debut lasted 41 seconds. He built his fight career on the same amateur wrestling base as Lesnar — just without the UFC platform behind it.

    His WWE résumé stands on its own: ECW Champion, multiple WWE Championship reigns, top-of-card status through the 2020s. Maintaining credibility in both worlds, without the spotlight, is harder than it looks.

    Dan Severn: The Original

    Severn did something in 1995 nobody had done before: held an MMA championship and a pro wrestling championship simultaneously. He won UFC 5 in April 1995 while holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship — two belts, two different sports, one weekend. He later took the UFC Superfight Championship from Ken Shamrock.

    Career MMA record: 101 wins, 19 losses, 7 draws. That volume is unusual even for fighters who did nothing else. Severn competed when UFC rules were barely formed and weight classes didn’t exist. His cage performances proved something the combat sports world hadn’t accepted yet — elite amateur wrestlers were genuinely dangerous, not just athletic curiosities.

    Most fighters master one world. These five treated the second one as a reasonable next project.

  • Gilbert Burns Signs With UFC BJJ Following MMA Retirement

    Gilbert Burns Signs With UFC BJJ Following MMA Retirement

    Gilbert Burns is no longer a UFC fighter, but he will still be active with the UFC under a different banner. Today,MMAFighting broke the news that Gilbert Burns has signed with UFC BJJ.

    They noted that while UFC BJJ has not officially made the announcement, Burns is seemingly scheduled to debut in the bowl in the coming months. In April at UFC Winnipeg, Gilbert hung up the MMA gloves and called it a retirement after his loss against Mike Malott in the main event.

    Now, he enters back into the world of BJJ. Burns is of course no stranger to jiu-jitsu, winning gold at the IBJJF World Championship in 2011 and capturing the 2010 IBJJF no-gi world title.

    UFC BJJ’s next event is on May 21, headlined by Mikey Musumeci vs. Kevin Dantzler and Cassia Moura vs. Bia Basilio. Burns being signed could be announced then, if not before.

     

  • Sean Strickland Claims Submissions Are “Gay” Ahead Of UFC 328

    Sean Strickland Claims Submissions Are “Gay” Ahead Of UFC 328

    Sean Strickland is set to challenge Khamzat Chimaev for the UFC Middleweight Championship this Saturday at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.

    Ahead of the fight, fighters are doing media rounds this week and of course, Sean Strickland is one of them. He’s no stranger to saying off-the-wall, controversial things, and this week is no different. Sean Strickland has never had a submission attempted against him in any of his UFC fights. And he thinks it’s because submissions are gay.

    “Maybe because I’ve only fought men, I don’t know. […] I mean, dude, Submissions are fucking gay, dude. It’s like, they’re fucking gay. Like, I don’t, I’m sad that I have to potentially have to deal with a guy who wants to dry-hump my leg. But I’m also never really in a position for guys to do submissions, right? Like, I don’t want to go on my back, you know?”

    Khamzat Chimaev is known for his grappling. With a 15-0 record, he holds 6 of those wins by submission. There’s a good chance Sean gets taken down Saturday night.

  • Khamzat Chimaev Doesn’t Care About Being Pound For Pound #1

    Khamzat Chimaev Doesn’t Care About Being Pound For Pound #1

    Khamzat Chimaev is the current UFC Middleweight Champion. He’s the top dog in his division. But, when it comes to being #1 pound for pound in the entire UFC, he just doesn’t care.

    During an interview with UFC on Paramount, Khamzat was asked about being the best pound for pound, to which he replied “I don’t care about so much about that.”

    He continued on; “Why should I care about that stuff? I just came to make millions, smash somebody, be happy, go home, you know? So.”

    Theres always a dangerous mindset when a fighter is just there to fight, and not caring about all the outside noise. This Saturday, Khamzat Chimaev will look to continue his streak at UFC 328.

     

  • UFC Freedom 250 Headliners Meet President Trump, USA Belt Unveiled

    UFC Freedom 250 Headliners Meet President Trump, USA Belt Unveiled

    UFC Freedom 250 comes next month on June 14, 2026 on a special Sunday event. Headlining the card will be Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the UFC Lightweight Championship. In the co-main event, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will battle for the UFC Interim-Heavyweight Championship.

    Today, all four headliners met President Trump at the White House and accompanied him in the Oval Office where Trump put over the magnitude of each fighter. A comparative USA UFC Championship belt was also revealed, but it’s unclear if this is a comparative piece for Trump, or other plans are in tow for the title.

    The White House event is undoubtably UFC’s biggest show ever. During this meeting, renderings for the event were shown, granting fans a look at how the stage will be presented come fight night.