UFC 324 kicked off the promotion's Paramount era with an absolute thriller, as Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett went to war for five rounds. Gaethje eventually came out on top, securing the interim lightweight ****** le, but the fight wasn't without its controversies.
Several eye pokes and a low blow suffered by Pimblett had fans questioning the referee's decision not to take a point away, especially after two judges scored the contest 49-46. Beyond the officiating debate, another talking point was Pimblett's decision to trade strikes with one of the division's most dangerous punchers instead of making better use of his grappling.
Given his Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials, many felt he left a major weapon unused. The Liverpudlian has since admitted that he could have approached things differently. Now, with Gaethje having become the undisputed 155lbs champion after beating Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, Pimblett has opened up about what he would change if the two ever crossed paths inside the Octagon again.
In a recent interview with How U Livin J Piven, Pimblett admitted that he would take a completely different approach if he ever got another shot at Gaethje. "Yeah, if I fought him again, I'd shoot in within 10 seconds. I'd love to get that rematch. If I fought him again, I'd shoot in the first 10 seconds, put him on his back, and choke his ****** out."
That would arguably be a much smarter game plan for the Liverpudlian, who reminded everyone of his grappling prowess with a spectacular comeback at UFC 329.

#pimblett #admitted

The bitter saga between Francis Ngannou and Dana White continues nearly four years after the Cameroonian parted ways with the UFC. For the unversed, Ngannou left the promotion in January 2023 after fighting out his contract, with negotiations breaking down over his desire to pursue boxing and other contractual demands.
White has repeatedly claimed that Ngannou is not a nice person to deal with and that he would never do business with him. Now, he has admitted that he was rooting against Ngannou when the heavyweight champion defended his ****** le against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
For the unversed, the fight took place in January 2022 and marked Ngannou's final Octagon appearance. The Cameroonian successfully defended his heavyweight crown before leaving the UFC after negotiations failed to reach an agreement that would keep him with the promotion.
ALSO READ: Justin Gaethje Breaks Down Ilia Topuria's Emotional and Technical Flaws at UFC Freedom 250
White even considers Ngannou as unlikable as Oscar de la Hoya, his longtime promotional rival. During an interview with BigBoyTV, he said, "Listen, Ngannou is on my Oscar De La Hoya list. Look at the history of Francis Ngannou and the other companies he's been with since. He's a bad guy, man. He's a bad guy. I'm just at a point in my life where I don't want to do business with bad guys. I just don't."

#ngannou

Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let's start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.
Paulo Costa requested UFC release multiple times with only one fight left on contract – 'I'm very professional': At 35 years of age, maybe Paulo Costa thinks he can cash out in the boxing ring before his career is up? I'm not sure what MMA promotion would pay him significantly more than his current UFC contract.
Paddy Pimblett details hatred of Ilia Topuria: 'I want to inflict pain on his life': It really is remarkable that two random undercard fighters started beefing and then ended up as two of the sport's biggest stars years later.
Justin Gaethje breaks down Ilia Topuria's fatal flaws during UFC White House fight: 'He made terrible mistakes': Gaethje actually offers some interesting insight into Topuria's movement here, good stuff.

#paulo #fight #years #midnight

Eddie Alvarez has an interesting opinion on who could be more trouble for UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
As Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) takes the rest of 2026 off after an upset ******* le win over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy will battle in a potential No. 1 contender bout at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Although Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is more well rounded and has the far better resume than Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Alvarez sees Ruffy being a tougher challenge for the champion.
"I actually like Justin's chances a lot against Arman," Alvarez told MMA Junkie. "I think that style against Arman, that's an easier style. I think that's an easier style for Justin than against Ruffy. I think if Arman and Ruffy fight, I think Arman probably wins. But the style matchup that's worse for Gaethje is against Ruffy. Even though it's MMA math and Ruffy loses against Arman, I think Justin has an easier time with Arman."
Former UFC lightweight champion Alvarez broke down why he sees Ruffy presenting a tougher challenge for Gaethje.

#arman #gaethje #tsarukyan

Surging heavyweight Josh Hokit went on tirade on social media after former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira posted a video campaigning for a rematch with Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt.
In a series of X posts targeting Pereira and making his case for the next shot at Gane, Hokit criticized the idea that Pereira and Ilia Topuria could challenge for belts next after both got finished by Gane and Justin Gaethje this past June at UFC White House, respectively.
"As a fan, that fight makes no ***** sense," wrote Hokit, who finished Derrick Lewis on that same card. "I watched you get demolished. How about a more favorable match up like Sergei [Pavlovitch] who is basically a striker & way less athletic than Ciryl. How about you get one ***** win in this weight class before you are gifted another ***** le shot."
"Growing up, I loved the UFC & all of its fighters," he continued on a separate post. "So it gives me great pleasure to use my platform today to speak the truth: neither Ilia Topuria nor Alex Pereira deserve a ***** ***** le shot in their next fight. They both got handily destroyed. Make them earn it and fight their way back like everyone else."
Hokit argued that Tom Aspinall's manager Eddie Hearn is "obviously" stalling to "buy time in contract negotiations" instead of working on a deal for a ***** le unification bout with Gane. Hokit suggests, then, booking him versus Gane on the upcoming Madison Square Garden show November in New York, while Pereira battles Pavlovich on the same card.

#fucking #ciryl

It has been nearly three months since Alex Pereira's bid to become a UFC champion in a third weight class came to a brutal halt at UFC Freedom 250. Ciryl Gane delivered a statement-making performance to score a second-round knockout in the historic White House co-main event.
The win was a huge moment for Gane, who became just the second fighter in UFC history to win two interim ***** les in the same division. More importantly, it put the French heavyweight in line for a highly anticipated rematch with undisputed champion Tom Aspinall.
However, much of the post-fight discussion wasn't about Gane's performance. Instead, the spotlight quickly turned to the 11 finishing shots he landed on Pereira, with seven appearing to connect to the back of the head and being deemed illegal.
ALSO READ: Ilia Topuria Breaks Down First Career Loss to Justin Gaethje in Deeply Personal 9-Part Essay
Pereira has since repeatedly called out referee Herb Dean and even demanded that he be removed from officiating his future fights. So far, though, nothing has changed on that front, and it appears Pereira is ready to put the controversy behind him and focus on what comes next.

#since #champion #performance #freedom

Paddy Pimblett has opened up about rumors of him facing Ilia Topuria next.
It took just 52 seconds for Paddy 'The Baddy' to catch Benoit Saint Denis in a choke and render him unconscious. Arguably his greatest display inside the octagon against one of the division's elite, the Brit has been in limbo since July. No fight announcement, and reportedly no talks have taken place since the 28-year-old's showstopping performance in Las Vegas.
While comfortable enjoying life away from the octagon, Paddy Pimblett has **** le aspirations and is seeking the ultimate success under the UFC banner. Likely one fight away from another chance to achieve his dreams, Pimblett has been rumored to face long-term rival Ilia Topuria next.
A win in that fight would undoubtedly earn him a shot at the lightweight throne, but is the fight happening? According to Pimblett, no talks have taken place regarding any future opponents.
"I'd love to smash his head in, lad," Pimblett said about Topuria. "But we need to wait and see… Nothing [has been discussed] yet. No one's spoken to me about it, so we'll see what happens."

#topuria #next

UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje still welcomes a fight with Conor McGregor.
Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) has been hurling insults towards McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) for years, but a fight never materialized. Despite McGregor's injury layoff, Gaethje remained open to the fight, but McGregor returned from five years away in a welterweight bout against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in July.
He blew out his knee in the opening seconds of the fight in a TKO loss, and is expected to be sidelined for a year. Gaethje on the other hand, upset Ilia Topuria to claim the lightweight ******* le at UFC Freedom 250. Despite their opposing career trajectories, Gaethje would still take that fight.
"If it came to my table, I would entertain it, but I would doubt that," Gaethje told Sports Illustrated (h/t Freak MMA) of McGregor. "He's going through his own stuff. I don't even want to sh*t on that guy anymore. I've done it, and that doesn't work because I've tried."
Gaethje announced after his ******* le win that he won't compete again in 2026. But even if he changed his mind, he reveals he probably couldn't.

#despite #lightweight #title #even

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov had some choice words for the UFC's top-ranked lightweights.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is a free agent after retaining his belt with a first-round knockout out Archie Colgan at PFL New York last month. The 28-year-old is looking to either re-sign with the PFL or ink a deal with the UFC.
Nurmagomedov has beaten all of PFL's top lightweights, including Paul Hughes twice. He disagrees with the notion that the best fighters are only in the UFC, and picked apart the current rankings and matchups that have taken place in the octagon.
"There's a narrative that if you don't compete in the UFC, you're not on that high level, and I don't agree with that," Nurmagomedov told Sport24 (h/t Red Corner MMA). "Just look at the guys who are in the UFC top 10. They just keep fighting each other and maintain their top-10 spots. Benoit Saint Denis, he was 4-0 then lost to Dustin Poirier, then he lost to (Renato) Moicano, and won three times after that, and then lost in the first round within 30 seconds (vs. Pimblett), but he's still in the top five, oddly enough.
"Pimblett lost to a 37-year-old veteran, but he's the No. 1 contender now, right? Or No. 2. 17-0 Topuria, who had been praising himself as the greatest, he lost, quit on the stool, saying he wasn't going to continue. Arman (Tsarukyan), he lost to (Mateusz) Gamrot, he lost to Islam (Makhachef). He is just waiting it out, fighting once a year and saying he's the best fighter in the world. While he fought twice, I defended my **** le four times. The UFC PR machine is very powerful. The brand is very solid, but I wouldn't say they all put on such great fights."

#pimblett #twice

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov hasn't entered the UFC yet, but he's already talking trash about the quality of opposition he may face when he gets there.
Nurmagomedov fought the last fight on his PFL contract last month, and recently revealed he turned down a $2 million per fight offer from the organization in order to wait out the 90 day exclusive negotiation period and see what other promotions might offer him. Promotions like the UFC, where he could finally get his due as one of the best lightweights in the world.
In an interview with Sport24, Usman pushed back on the idea that the top fighters are all in the UFC.
"They say if you don't fight in the UFC, it's not the same level. I disagree with this," he said. "Just look at the guys in the UFC who sit in the top 10 and they just fight amongst themselves and keep the top ten closed. For example, Benoit Saint Denis. Won 4, lost to Dustin Poirier, lost to 'Money' Moicano, lost 3 more. Lost in 30 seconds. [Michael] Chandler. Top 15. He's there. Lost to [Paddy] Pimblett."
"[Ilia] Topuria, who praised himself endlessly, lost. Quit on the stool. Said 'I don't wanna continue.' Arman [Tsarukyan] lost to [Mateusz] Gamrot, and he lost to Islam [Makhachev]. He sits, waits a year, fights once, and says that he is the best wrestler in the world. While he had two fights, I made four ****** le defenses."

#fight #promotions #best #World

Umar Nurmagomedov thinks his brother, Usman Nurmagomedov, can compete with the UFC's best.
Usman (22-0), who became a free agent after knocking out Archie Colgan at PFL New York last month, could be UFC bound if he opts not to re-sign with PFL. His older brother Umar raved about his work ethic, and thinks he's ready for the elite of the UFC's lightweight division – including champion Justin Gaethje.
"He's an amazing fighter, and I'm a huge fan of his," Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie of Usman. "I like how he spars, how he works, how he does everything as a professional. And even in the cage, he shows he's a high-level fighter. I think he can be competitive with anybody in the world.
"Sometimes people think in other promotions, (they're) bad fighters, but it's not like that. For example, Shabliy is one of the toughest guys, Alexandr Shabliy. Even Arman (Tsarukyan) knows that because he sparred with him a lot. He knows how he's tough, and I think Usman can compete with anybody in the world. Gaethje, Ilia (Topuria), Arman, (Mauricio) Ruffy, anybody."
Their teammate, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, has openly said he wants to see Usman in the UFC. Nurmagomedov on the other hand, wasn't as direct with his opinion.

#arman

Could UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski retire after his next fight? It depends.
Volkanovski is set to defend his ******* le against Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC 333 (Paramount+) on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. With roughly two months until the fight, Volkanovski, who turns 38 on Sept. 29, is open about the fact that retirement is a possibility.
"If things go terribly wrong, all right, we're done," Volkanovski said in an interview with Australia's 10 News. "If things go very well like the last one, no damage, go through, all right, we'll keep it rolling."
Volkanovski (28-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) is in his second reign as 145-pound champion. During his first ******* le run, he defended the belt five time before Ilia Topuria knocked him out with a punch in February 2024, his second consecutive defeat by knockout after Islam Makhachev finished him with a head kick and punches four months earlier in a lightweight ******* le fight.
Many observers wondered then if Volkanovski was nearing the end of his career, but after Topuria vacated the featherweight ******* le, Volkanovski regained it by defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314 and then successfully defended against Lopes in their rematch at UFC 325 this past February. Volkanovski will seek his second ******* le defends when he meets undefeated Evloev, who is 20-0 overally and 10-0 in the UFC.

#champion

UFC 333's headlining fights are set with a long-awaited matchup between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev, and Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili settling the score in a trilogy bout.
The UFC officially announced the fights during Saturday's UFC 330 broadcast, with Volkanovski's featherweight ***** le defense against Evloev being marked as the main event for the Oct. 24 event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski (28-4) seeks the second successful defense of his second reign, while Evloev finally gets his championship opportunity after going 20-0 in his pro career.
Yan (20-5) delivered arguably the best performance of 2025 when he defeated Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323 to reclaim the bantamweight ***** le, snap Dvalishvili's 14-fight win streak, and avenge a loss from their first meeting in 2023. "No Mercy" has now won four straight fights following a career-worst three-fight skid and looks to put the stamp on his rivalry with Dvalishvili.
For Dvalishvili (21-5), he is coming off of a well-deserved layoff after successfully defending his belt three times in 2025 before Yan foiled his attempt to become the first UFC fighter to record four successful defenses in a calendar year. Prior to that loss, Dvalishvili's seven-year unbeaten streak included victories over Yan, Jose Aldo, Sean O'Malley, Henry Cejudo, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Cory Sandhagen, among others.
All four headlining fighters hold spots in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings, with Yan at 3, Volkanovski at 5 (tied with Tom Aspinall and Ilia Topuria), Dvalishvili at 8 (tied with Sean Strickland) and Evloev at 19.

#dvalishvili

Finally, Movsar Evloev has gotten his long-awaited shot at the UFC featherweight ******* le.
The undefeated Russian fighter is set to challenge champion Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 333 – which is set to go down on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi. MMA Junkie confirmed the news with multiple sources following a report from Вестник ММА, and the UFC made it official during Saturday's UFC 330 broadcast.
This bout marks the second ******* le defense of Volkanovski's (28-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) second reign as UFC featherweight champion. Volkanovski initially held the belt from 2019 to 2023, becoming one of the greatest featherweights of all time. He lost the belt by KO to Ilia Topuria in 2024, and then recovered it when Topuria moved up to lightweight in a vacant ******* le fight against Diego Lopes in April 2025. Volkanovski went on to defend the belt this past February in a rematch against Lopes.
Evloev (20-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) has been pursuing the UFC ******* le for well over seven years. Despite being considered by many the No. 1 contender in the featherweight division for a couple of years now, Evloev has yet to get a crack at the ******* le. He's gone 20-0 in his professional MMA career, with half of those wins being under the UFC banner. In his last outing back in March, Evloev defeated Lerone Murphy in a majrity decision.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev – for featherweight ******* le

#evloev #title #belt #alexander

Arman Tsarukyan knows that nothing in the fight game is guaranteed.
19 months ago, Tsarukyan was set to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight ******* le at UFC 311; however, during fight week, Tsarukyan suffered an injury that forced him out of the bout. Tsarukyan's last-minute withdrawal and subsequent outside-the-cage issues led the UFC to pass him over for a ******* le shot on several occasions, even after he weighed in as a backup fighter for the vacant ******* le fight at UFC 317 and then finished Dana Hooker at UFC Qatar in November.
Now, Tsarukyan is set to face Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event of UFC 331 next month, and even if he wins, "Batman" knows that still might not ensure his next fight is for the belt.
"In this sport, not everything is guaranteed," Tsarukyan told MMA Fighting. "You've got to be ready; you've got to beat [anyone]. If they give me one more fight, I'll beat; 10 more fights, I'll beat, and eventually I'll become a champion."
Tsarukyan had hoped that his next outing would be for the lightweight ******* le; however, after Justin Gaethje upset Ilia Topuria at UFC White House to claim the belt, "The Highlight" made it clear he had no interest in fighting again in 2026. As such, Tsarukyan made the easy choice to stay active.

#you 've

Daniel Cormier wants Ali Abdelaziz to pump the brakes on PFL champion Usman Nurmagomedov's chances against top UFC lightweights.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is a free agent after knocking out Archie Colgan in the first-round of the PFL New York main event earlier this month. If Nurmagomedov does end up signing with the UFC, his manager, Abdelaziz, claimed on the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast that he would have his way with Ilia Topuria, Paddy Pimblett, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway – which Cormier thinks is an absurd statement to make.
"I get it, that's your guy, you're a promoter, but you're speaking about the absolute best guys in the world," Cormier said on his YouTube channel. "Now, to have faith and think Usman Nurmagomedov can fight these guys, absolutely. ... I think Usman Nurmagomedov is special. I think Usman Nurmagomedov, if he comes to the UFC, immediately becomes one of the top contenders in the organization. I have seen this young man train. I have seen him work. I know that he has championship-level experience."
While Nurmagomedov got some of that championship-level experience through two tough outings against Paul Hughes, Cormier said the UFC would be a step up in competition.
"As good as the Irish kid is, the UFC guys are better," Cormier said. "So you would imagine that these fights would be ultra competitive, but that's the beauty in having a guy separate himself from the world in a different organization. That's the beauty because while what Ali says is very out there, when he looks at that group of fighters, he would expect that because that's all they've really done. Umar has done very well. Khabib dominated; Islam has dominated.

#cormier #think #pound

Demetrious Johnson hopes Usman Nurmagomedov secures a big bag if he joins the UFC.
Lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (22-0) completed the final fight of his PFL contract when he knocked out Archie Colgan in this past Friday's PFL New York main event at UBS Arena.
During his post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov jokingly confronted Jake Paul about his digs towards UFC fighter pay in wake of PFL's merger with MVP.
"If I was Dana, I would pay Usman Nurmagomedov whatever the f*ck he wants to take him away from the PFL merger because you're stealing a star from their organization," Johnson said on his YouTube channel. "I like the position that Usman is in.
"He's beaten everybody over there, and if he is an athlete that wants to test himself against the best in the lightweight division, I think it would be sick to have him fight in the UFC lightweight division when you've got Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria ... there are some good fights over there."

#nurmagomedov #fight #johnson

Justin Gaethje isn't done fighting just yet, but he'll need a massive fight to lure him back into the cage.
Gaethje is coming off an epic performance at the UFC White House event, beating down heavy favorite Ilia Topuria to capture the lightweight ****** le. There was some talk of retirement following that win. Gaethje has talked about this being his final run. And in a new interview with MMA Junkie, his manager Ali Abdelaziz shared his thoughts on what's next for "The Highlight."
"2027, we'll see Justin Gaethje fighting," Abdelaziz said. "He's fought two times this year. He deserves the time off. He's still the lightweight champion, undisputed, and I think all these guys have to chase him. But he wants to be in a big fight. A big, big fight. What is the big fight? Who decides that? It's Dana White who decides what's the biggest fight they can make."
As far as Abdelaziz is concerned, Gaethje has already accomplished enough to retire happy. But he won't stop his client from capitalizing on his current position to make a whole lot of money.
"I would like to see Justin Gaethje [retire]," Abdelaziz said. "If he retired today, I will be so happy because he did everything. And if he wants to choose to fight one more time, he can fight one more time because ****** ody tells him what to do. He's the boss."

#gaethje #lightweight

Perhaps Justin Gaethje is willing to stick around for some big fights.
Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) likely cemented his status as a UFC Hall of Famer when he claimed undisputed lightweight gold by stunning Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June. "The Highlight" pondered retirement, but it didn't take long for him to walk back that thought – even though the likes of Georges St-Pierre are encouraging him to.
Lightweight contenders, such as Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, are all options for Gaethje's next fight, but are they what he's looking for?
"(In) 2027 we will see Justin Gaethje fighting," Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. "He fought two times this year. He deserves the time off. He's still the lightweight champion, undisputed, and I think all these guys have to chase him. But he wants to be in a big fight – a big, big fight. What is the big fight? Who decides that? It's Dana White who decides what's the biggest fight they can make."
From the WSOF ****** le to the BMF belt to now UFC lightweight champion, Abdelaziz said his longtime client has done it all.

#perhaps #hall

TommyMcMillen claims AlexanderVolkanovski has no path to victory against him.

McMillen is currently one of the most hyped featherweight prospectson the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster. The undefeated28-year-old is high in confidence, as reflected in his recentcomments about the reigning champion in his division.
McMillen is open to fighting Volkanovski next for the right amountof money. "Gun" doesn't think the 37-year-old UFC featherweightchampion can beat him and the same goes for any other145-pounder.

"I'll take Volk. He's like 42 years old, he's 5'5", what's his pathto victory?" McMillen said on the One Night with Steiny podcast."He's gonna bang with me for five rounds? I've never even seen afourth or fifth round; those are gonna be my best rounds. If theUFC came to me and paid the right amount of money, yes, I'll gostep in there and fight anybody in the top 15, knowing I can win.There's not a man at 145 pounds that I don't look at and be like,'Oh, I know I can beat him.'"

McMillen (11-0) has earned $100k bonuses for both of his UFC winsso far. He also set the record for landing the most significantstrikes in a three-round UFC fight (513) in his recent win overAlbertoMontes. His contract-winning performance on Dana White's Contender Series remains his only bout that hasgone the distance.

Meanwhile, Volkanovski (28-4) defended the featherweight **** le fivetimes in his first **** le run before losing it to IliaTopuria in 2024. "The Great" has since won the vacant **** le anddefended it against DiegoLopes. While there's no official confirmation as yet, theAustralian has indicated that unbeaten contender MovsarEvloev is next in line for the belt.

#title #i 'll #contender #year

Paul Hughes hopes to get one more shot at PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.
Hughes (14-3) suffered two close **** le losses to Nurmagomedov, with their rematch at PFL Champions Series 2 sparking debate on the decision. He was scheduled to headline PFL Belfast against Jay Jay Wilson in April, but a knee injury, which required surgery, forced him out of the bout.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is now a free agent after retaining his lightweight **** le with a first-round TKO of Archie Colgan at PFL New York this past Friday, making it a possibility that Hughes never gets his wish of a trilogy.
"First of all, Nurmagomedov, first-round knockout, I knew you'd win," Hughes said on his "X." "Different level than Colgan. In fact, different level than most lightweights in the world to be honest. Obviously, a lot of questions where his future lies. If it's UFC, I don't think anyone gives him many problems in the top 15 other than certain stylistic matches like (Ilia) Topuria, (Max) Holloway. Anyway, if he sticks around at PFL, obviously we have a lot of history there.
"I think the MMA world is in agreement that we're one each right now. Second fight, close. I took full responsibility for it at the time. I did not train for six weeks before that fight. I've just done back-to-back surgeries because of injuries. I believe 100 percent I have the beating of that man. I know that that trilogy can happen down the line. May sound absolutely deluded, I know a lot of people are going to think that."

#hughes #colgan #title

UsmanNurmagomedov and IliaTopuria could be on a collision course, and the Russian'smanager has now weighed in on the matchup.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) is the most sought-after free agent in mixedmartial arts presently. The undefeated Professional Fighters League lightweight exhausted his currentcontract with the promotion by defending his ****** le with a knockoutwin over ArchieColgan at PFL New York.

Usman's manager has now addressed how he'd fare against the formertwo-division Ultimate Fighting Championship ****** leholder.
Topuria (17-1) was the fastest-rising fighter in the sport untilhis ****** le loss to JustinGaethje at UFC Freedom 250, the first defeat of his pro career. Despitebeing no longer unbeaten, he remains one of the biggest stars inthe UFC.

Ali Abdelaziz manages both Gaethje and Nurmagomedov. With rumors ofNurmagomedov looking to sign with the UFC now circulating,Abdelaziz predicts that the Dagestani standout will stop Topuria bythe fourth round, as Gaethje did.

"I told everyone before that Justin Gaethje would beat IliaTopuria," Abdelaziz wrote on X. "And I'm telling you today: UsmanNurmagomedov will stop Ilia Topuria within four rounds."

It remains to be seen whether Nurmagomedov re-signs with the PFLamid their merger with Jake Paul'sMost Valuable Promotions. Notably, DanaWhite confirmed the UFC's interest in the 28-year-old followingUFC Belgrade.

#topuria #gaethje #title #russian 'smanager

Terence "Bud" Crawford has addressed ConorMcGregor's anticlimactic return to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

McGregor's return to the Octagon ended in just 69 seconds atUFC 329. The former two-division champion seemingly injured hisright knee in the opening sequence of the fight, leading to astoppage from the referee as he was unable to continue.

UFC CEO DanaWhite subsequently speculated that it could be an ACL-relatedissue, an unfortunate occurrence considering McGregor's last boutbefore UFC 329 also ended in a leg injury.
Crawford, who has gone back and forth with McGregor previously,believes the Irishman got what was coming his way. The unbeatenboxer and the MMA superstar were once rumored to be squaring off ina two-fight crossover series across both combat sports, andMcGregor claimed Crawford turned down a $200 million deal, whichthe latter has since dismissed.

"It's crazy when they talk sh*t to me God punish them," Crawfordwrote on X.

This isn't the first time Crawford has addressed an MMA result.After IliaTopuria suffered the first defeat of his professional career atUFC Freedom 250 to JustinGaethje, "Bud" questioned the hype behind "El Matador" goinginto the historic White House event. Notably, Topuria hadpreviously claimed he could beat Crawford in boxing.

"This the guy that said he would knock me out and whoop me andShakur at the same time?" Crawford posted after UFC Freedom250.

LAS VEGAS – Paddy Pimblett is certain the UFC lightweight **** le is in his future.
Pimblett (24-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC) bounced back from his interim **** le loss to Justin Gaethje by making quick work of Benoit Saint Denis (18-3 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. When asked what he'd like next, he didn't have a specific name in mind, but he made sure to voice his UFC championship ambitions.
"I want to be a world champion," Pimblett said at the UFC 329 post-fight press conference. "I want to be the undisputed champion of the world. I want to be the first-ever world champion from Liverpool, and I'm going to do that. I know that's in my destiny. I know it's in my fate. Whether it's the next fight or the next 10 fights, I'm going to be a world champion. It's that simple. If you want me to fight Justin (Gaethje) next, if you want me to fight posh boy (Arman Tsarukyan) next, if you want me to fight 'chorizo' (Ilia Topuria) next, if you want me to fight Charles (Oliveira) next, anyone can get it."
Pimblett entered UFC 329 as an underdog, and highly-doubted by many. For him, it's another day at the office, as he feels history repeats itself with him.
"Yeah, the goalposts will get moved," Pimblett said. "Everyone will say, 'Huh, BSD was sh*t anyway.' You know what I mean? When two days ago it was, 'BSD, he's going to smash Paddy. His grappling is way better. He's got too much power for him,' this and that. People just love moving the goalposts with me, and I don't give a f*ck. Move them all you want. As long as I keep winning, I keep getting paid and keep making steps toward being a world champion. You can say what you want. Anyone can say what they want about me. Simple."

Paddy Pimblett might have stolen the show at UFC 329.
On a card headlined by the return of Conor McGregor facing longtime rival Max Holloway, Pimblett set the bar high for highlight of the night with a stunning submission win over Benoit Saint Denis in under 60 seconds. This was Pimblett’s first fight since seeing his unblemished UFC record spoiled by Justin Gaethje this past January and he wasted no time reminding fans and pundits that he is a legitimate lightweight ******* le contender.
Pimblett put Saint Denis to sleep to win his 10th fight in his last 11 appearances and he wowed his peers, with featherweight veteran Billy Quarantillo writing on Twitter, “Quick submission Paddy is the real deal.” Kenny Florian and Glover Teixeira, a couple of retired stars who know a thing or two about grappling, were also effusive in their praise for “The Baddy.”
The performance was so impressive, UFC veteran Matt Brown suggested that it’s time for Pimblett to have his long-awaited showdown with former two-division champion Ilia Topuria.
“Ilia vs. Paddy next?” Brown wrote on Twitter. “Easiest matchmaking ever right?”

Paddy Pimblett may have burned more energy during his UFC 329 walkout than the fight itself.
In the co-main event Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Pimblett (24-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC) slept Benoit Saint Denis (17-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) with a D'Arce choke a mere 52 seconds into their highly-anticipated lightweight clash.
The fight was simple in terms of how it played out. Saint Denis shot for a takedown early and was immediately caught in a choke. Pimblett made some adjustments, most notably sitting his rear on the canvas with the choke locked in. Saint Denis tried to escape – but instead his consciousness escaped him.
Pimblett, 31, bounces back big from an interim ****** le fight loss to Justin Gaethje in January. The loss was his first in the UFC and snapped a nine-fight winning streak. It aged well, however, as Gaethje claimed undisputed gold against Ilia Topuria in June.
Saint Denis, 30, loses by submission for the first time in his career and has a four-fight winning streak snapped.

Dricus DuPlessis has accused former Ultimate Fighting Championship ****** leholder KamaruUsman of delaying their bout.

While Usman and du Plessis are now confirmed to be squaring off atUFC Oklahoma City on July 18, the latter claims "The NigerianNightmare" wasn't keen on the matchup. Ahead of the two formerchampions' clash, du Plessis has revealed that the UFC had toconvince Usman to sign the contract.
The UFC Oklahoma City main event announcement was left until the11th hour, despite du Plessis claiming weeks earlier that he'd beenoffered a fight and was waiting for his opponent to sign thecontract. With the Fight Night headlining bout now confirmed,"Stillknocks" has opened up about how it came together.

"He didn't want to sign the contract. I know that for a fact," duPlessis said in an interview with Fight Forecast. "I spoke to theUFC and they said, 'We finally convinced him to sign.' If you needconvincing to sign, that's a problem, but I can't blame him. Iwould also not want to fight me right now. It would be the smartmove not to sign the fight, but let's go."

While Usman is a couple of years removed from his dominantwelterweight ****** le run, du Plessis isn't counting out theNigerian-American, especially considering how Usman's teammateJustinGaethje defeated the far younger IliaTopuria at UFC Freedom 250.

"We've been talking about the fight for a long time. He's mentionedthe fight way before we made the fight and I said, 'Well, cool.I'll take that fight.' Now people will say, 'Why don't you fight[Nassourdine] Imavov?' I don't mind that fight either," he added."I want to fight somebody that gets me to my ****** le again. KamaruUsman, yes, he's a bit older, but now you look at what [Justin]Gaethje just did, so that throws that argument out the windowimmediately."

Justin Gaethje is reaping the benefits of winning the UFC lightweight ******* le off Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 last month, which includes a recent visit to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to celebrate his victory.
Last month’s UFC White House card was a smashing success. Not only did the Paramount+ card do incredible numbers worldwide, but the weather held, every fight delivered a knockout, and Gaethje — an American underdog — won his main event clash with Topuria. Most experts picked Topuria to walk through Gaethje like he had against other UFC greats like Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira.
Fortunately for Gaethje, he fought the fight of his life. “Highlight” had to overcome some early adversity against Topuria, but for the most part he was on his bicycle from the opening bell. Eventually, the damage piled up and Topuria wasn’t able to get off his stool entering the fifth round. Gaethje walked away with UFC’s undisputed lightweight ******* le and one of the biggest upsets over the past five years.
Earlier this week, Gaethje continued his celebration tour by going back to the White House. Trump was there to welcome Gaethje and his parents with open arms while sharing the moment on social media. Check it out below:
“Justin Gaethje came to the Oval Office to celebrate, with his parents, his great victory two weeks ago.

Ahead of Ian Garry'stitle fight against IslamMakhachev, DanielCormier has weighed in on the Irishman's mindset.

Garry is confident about beating Makhachev and recently predicted alate stoppage when they square off in the main event of UFC 330at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. Cormier opinedthat this approach could spell trouble for "The Future."
Cormier isn't a fan of Garry wanting to show off all his skills inevery aspect of MMA before finding a late finish. The UFC Hall ofFamer said on his YouTube channel:

"Sometimes, a person is misguided in their thoughts, and whenthey're misguided in their thoughts, they set themselves up for avery, very bad night or a bad result. I'm not saying Ian Garrycannot beat Islam Makhachev. What I'm saying is you've got to takethat as it comes. You can't try to say, 'I want to beat the No. 1pound-for-pound fighter in the world in a certain round because Idon't want it to be a fluke.' If you win, it does not matter howyou win."

The former two-division champion claims that it shouldn't matter toa fighter if others consider their victory a fluke. All thatmatters is the result, whether it comes in the opening round or thefifth. He then encouraged Garry to let go of pre-fightpredictions.

"I would encourage him to let go of the idea that you want to callyour shot, and you call your shot later in the fight so that peopledon't have an opinion of what happened. It doesn't matter whathappens if you beat the best fighter in the world across all weightclasses, pound-for-pound. It doesn't matter how you win. It onlymatters that you win. And if Ian Garry wins by a fast knockout, ifIan Garry wins by submission, or if Ian Garry wins by decision, itdoesn't matter."

Garry is a sizable betting underdog heading into the Makhachevfight. However, the last two men's championship bouts in theUltimate Fighting Championship have resulted in upsets, withSeanStrickland beating KhamzatChimaev at UFC 328and JustinGaethje defeating IliaTopuria at UFC Freedom 250.

The UFC Freedom 250 main event was memorable for many reasons.
Justin Gaethje became the undisputed UFC lightweight champion by leaving Ilia Topuria on his stool after the conclusion of Round 4. It was a spectacular comeback from an early scare, as Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) was badly hurt by a Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) body shot.
Resilient as ever, Gaethje managed to weather the storm, and turn the tide of the fight in Round 3, leaving Topuria battered and bloodied like never before. There was controversy with a ringside doctor attempting to call the fight off, but after some debating, the fight continued into Round 4. That's where Gaethje continued to add damage to the previously unbeaten Topuria. The fight would conclude before Round 5, after Topuria's corner called the fight off.
In a special behind-the-scenes documentary, "UFC Fight House: The Biggest Fight in History" by Fox Nation, the stoppage was captured, along with UFC CEO Dana White and US president Donald Trump's immediate reactions to the main event's final moments.
You can watch a clip of the documentary in the video above. The full video, which takes a special look at the event's early planning stages through to its completion, is available on Fox Nation.