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Two-time Olympic judo champion and PFL star Kayla Harrison has signed with the UFC, per Dana White’s surprise announcement earlier this week, and is already set to face a former champion at 135lbs in April on a stacked UFC 300 card in Las Vegas. Given where she trains, the outside noise and criticism of her opposition in recent years, this move felt inevitable. Is the timing right now? Continue reading “Kayla Harrison’s UFC deal felt inevitable but recent events means arrival falls flat”
Dricus du Plessis got the job done as promised, mixing wrestling and subtle striking adjustments to outpoint Sean Strickland and become the new middleweight king before an inevitable Israel Adesanya callout. Prior, Raquel Pennington outsmarted Mayra Bueno Silva to seize the vacant women’s bantamweight title after Movsar Evloev’s career-best win over Arnold Allen. Continue reading “UFC 297: Dricus du Plessis seizes Sean Strickland’s middleweight title via split decision, Pennington claims vacant gold”
Riding a two-fight win streak, Quebec-born featherweight Charles Jourdain will make his first appearance at home in Canada come Saturday night against Sean Woodson on the UFC 297 prelims. Knowing better opportunities lay ahead should he continue winning, the 28-year-old can’t afford to get distracted here. Continue reading “Featherweight Charles Jourdain knows composure key in UFC 297 homecoming”
Magomed Ankalaev promised a statement showing and delivered a beautiful second-round knockout finish of Johnny Walker in their light-heavyweight main event, extending his unbeaten streak to 12 before calling for a shot at Alex Pereira’s newly-earned UFC title. Elsewhere, there were big wins for Brunno Ferreira, Mario Bautista and lightweight veteran Jim Miller on the main card. Continue reading “UFC Vegas 84: Ankalaev stakes claim for LHW title shot after R2 KO win vs. Walker”
One-time title challenger Magomed Anklaev and the unpredictable Johnny Walker are both talking a good game ahead of Saturday’s Fight Night main event at light-heavyweight, but which contender will reign supreme once and for all this time around to banish the controversy from their UFC 294 matchup? Continue reading “Ankalaev-Walker rematch headlines UFC Vegas 84 – both are saying the right things”
Riding a five-fight win streak since their main event ended abruptly after an accidental eye poke rendered him unable to continue, #2 welterweight Belal Muhammad has persistently poked Leon Edwards who now holds UFC championship gold three years later. If he gets his long-awaited wish at a title shot as expected, the 35-year-old cannot underperform as Colby did last month. Continue reading “Belal barking up an Edwards-shaped storm that very soon, he’ll have to back up”
After logging his fourth consecutive submission victory to cap a busy 2023 schedule at Paul Craig’s expense, #8 ranked middleweight contender Brendan Allen has a golden opportunity to do what he has publicly stated is his destiny: showcase his championship credentials against a one-time title challenger and catapult himself into the top-5 rankings at 185lbs in three months’ time.
Continue reading “Brendan Allen earns springboard shot at 185lbs against Marvin Vettori on Apr. 6”
Nine months after Max Holloway ended his perfect UFC run in the Briton’s first main event matchup, #3 ranked featherweight contender Arnold Allen looks to derail Movsar Evloev’s unbeaten streak during the first PPV card of 2024. Considering the 29-year-old’s title ambitions, he can’t afford to slip up against one of the division’s dark horses – whether the Russian has a big name or not. Continue reading “UFC 297: Arnold Allen cannot afford any missteps against unbeaten Movsar Evloev”
Colby ‘Chaos’ Covington has a third chance at seizing UFC championship gold this weekend against Leon Edwards in the UFC 296 headliner. Given he turns 36 in February and is relatively inactive as it is, this represents the former interim titlist’s final shot to scale the welterweight mountaintop against a champion who didn’t deem him a worthy challenger. Will he prove himself to be one? Continue reading “UFC 296: Last chance saloon for Colby Covington, and that suits him just fine”
Former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo made a winning Octagon return Saturday night, on a Fight Night card headlined by two first-round finishes for lightweight duo Arman Tsarukyan and Jalin Turner. While what’s next for Deus Da Guerra is unclear, his showing reminds just how quickly the divisional landscape – as well as the title picture – can change in an instant.
Continue reading “After impressive bantamweight debut, former flyweight champ Figueiredo trending upwards again”
Riding a five-fight win streak, #10 ranked middleweight Brendan Allen faces Paul Craig in Saturday’s main event and the 27-year-old believes his second headline slot in nine months shows the promotion’s faith in him as someone with championship potential. Paul Craig is no slouch and testing himself at a lower weight than his 205lb days, so this represents a fitting matchup. Continue reading “UFC Vegas 82: Brendan Allen feels main event slot shows belief in his title potential, but Paul Craig has little to lose”
Although UFC chief Dana White today reaffirmed a desire to rebook Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for the full heavyweight title next summer once Jones has fully healed after surgery on a torn pectoral tendon, new interim champion Tom Aspinall doesn’t want to wait a year to get the dream fight he’s been longing for against the two-division titlist. Ultimately, he might have no choice though… Continue reading “UFC 295: Aspinall appreciates Jones’ niceties, wants dream fight opportunity”
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