The first finish of the UFC’s 2025 calendar has been delivered, and it came in some brutal fashion, as Fatima Kline scored a win over Victoria Dudakova during the UFC Vegas 101 prelims. And it’s safe to say that the Russian didn’t take the result well… Both women delivered powerful shots during the opening frame, […]
The first finish of the UFC’s 2025 calendar has been delivered, and it came in some brutal fashion, as Fatima Kline scored a win over Victoria Dudakova during the UFC Vegas 101 prelims.
And it’s safe to say that the Russian didn’t take the result well…
Both women delivered powerful shots during the opening frame, but Kline appeared to gain control as time went on.
Then, with Dudakova grounded late in the second, Kline landed some hard ground-and-pound to force the referee to step in and wave off the contest.
Kline Scores First Octagon Win With Ground & Pound At UFC Vegas 101, Dudakova Slaps Cornerman
What else is noteworthy occurred in the losing corner following the fight. It appeared that Dudakova slapped one of her cornermen after he attempted to console her.
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is infamously known for his rise to stardom in the Octagon, as well as his antics and controversies inside and out of the cage. But for one day, the Irishman took his talents from the cage to the pitch. McGregor laced up his cleats earlier today and joined Black […]
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is infamously known for his rise to stardom in the Octagon, as well as his antics and controversies inside and out of the cage. But for one day, the Irishman took his talents from the cage to the pitch.
McGregor laced up his cleats earlier today and joined Black Forge FC, taking on Harding FC in a Premier Division matchup for the United Churches Football League (UCFL), an amateur soccer league in Dublin.
While the game ended in a 1-1 draw, it took notoriety for not only the fighter’s appearance, but the hard-nosed intensity and aggression that he brought to the field.
“I break jaws with my shoulder, and noses,” McGregor posted to social media. “I get the ball any pitch, anywhere. Moses”
Conor McGregor Joins Up With Black Forge FC In Amateur Soccer Appearance
McGregor has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the last couple of months. He was recently made by an Irish jury to pay over $250,000 to a woman, Nikita Hand, who was civilly suing the polarizing fighter. Hand accused McGregor of a December 2018 sexual assault.
The Dublin native’s controversies resulted in another soccer team, Drogheda United, distancing themselves from the UFC star in a statement after the former two-division champ posted a photo of himself holding the team’s recently won FAI Cup.
Despite rumors the past two years of a fight with Michael Chandler, “The Notorious” has not been seen in the UFC since his July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
Whoever is interested in obtaining the US television rights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will be paying more than a pretty penny. Per a new report from Bloomberg, the UFC is looking to obtain a TV rights deal in the United States that will give them more than $1 billion per year. The UFC’s […]
Whoever is interested in obtaining the US television rights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will be paying more than a pretty penny.
Per a new report from Bloomberg, the UFC is looking to obtain a TV rights deal in the United States that will give them more than $1 billion per year.
The UFC’s current deal with ESPN expires at the end of the year. The two parties originally agreed to a five-year deal worth approximately $1 billion total back in 2018 before a contract extension that made the deal worth about $450 million a year.
According to reports, ESPN is interested in re-upping its rights with the leading MMA promotion in the world but will face stiff competition from Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as YouTube and the Netflix and Amazon Prime streaming services. ESPN and TKO, the UFC’s parent company, are currently in the midst of an exclusive negotiating period that lasts until mid-April.
Scoop: UFC is looking for $1B+ a year for its next media deal. Its exclusive negotiating window with ESPN begins next week.https://t.co/6VWECVQ18R
“We started on ESPN seven years ago and had a rocky relationship in the beginning,” UFC CEO Dana White told Bloomberg TV in November. “But now I couldn’t be happier at ESPN, it’s a great relationship and I wouldn’t mind staying with them.”
UFC Seeks More Than $1 Billion In New TV Rights
What makes the UFC’s broadcasting services in the country so valuable is that the UFC is the only major sports broadcasting rights that are available for the foreseeable future. The NBA locked up new television contracts last year, while leagues like the NFL and MLB are already early into new broadcasting contracts.
The UFC’s partner in TKO, the WWE, just started its new broadcasting rights, with its Monday Night Raw program having its Netflix premiere just this past Monday. The partnership, as well as Netflix’s previous ventures into live programming last year with NFL games and the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, giving speculation that the UFC could be interested in partnering with Netflix.
Amazon Prime has recently been the broadcasting home to ONE Championship Fight Night cards in the U.S.
There is also the chance that the UFC may split its broadcasting rights like the other U.S. major sports leagues do. This could see, for example, UFC pay-per-views heading to one platform, while UFC Fight Night cards and other programs such as Dana White’s Contender Series and The Ultimate Fighter, heading elsewhere.
Diego Lopes could be finally getting his chance to headline a UFC event for the first time. The surging UFC featherweight sensation enjoyed a stellar run last year, racking up three consecutive victories inside the Octagon. His most recent outing was at UFC 306 in September, where he claimed a commanding unanimous decision victory over […]
Diego Lopes could be finally getting his chance to headline a UFC event for the first time.
The surging UFC featherweight sensation enjoyed a stellar run last year, racking up three consecutive victories inside the Octagon. His most recent outing was at UFC 306 in September, where he claimed a commanding unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Brian Ortega.
It seems the 30-year-old Brazilian is already forging ahead with his journey, as he revealed in a social media post on Wednesday that he has officially begun training for his first fight of 2025. From the looks of it, he’s landed the big-name opponent he’s been aiming for.
According to a recent report from Home of Fight’s Jake Noecker, Lopes is in line to face off against former interim 145-pound champion Yair Rodríguez in the headlining bout at UFC Mexico City. The upcoming Fight Night event is slated for March 29 at the Arena CDMX in Mexico.
Canadian reported Ariel Helwani later clarified the extent to which the bout is a done deal, noting that it’s one of the options for the main event in Mexico but is “far from set.”
While we are at it, the Mexico City main event is far from set, I’m told.
Could it be Lopes x Rodriguez? Sure. It’s been discussed. But prelim talks at the moment. Others have been discussed, too. Work in progress.
Perfect scenario for Lopes is fighting the winner of Topuria…
Rodriguez has been on the sidelines since his third-round submission loss to Ortega in February 2024. He’s now on a two-fight skid, with his slide beginning after a knockout defeat to Volkanovski in their title unification bout at UFC 290 in July 2023.
“El Pantera” secured the interim title at UFC 284 in February 2023, delivering a dominant third-round submission victory over Josh Emmett.
Merab Dvalishvili harbors no ill will toward his former training partner, even though he has joined forces with his rival. “The Machine” is poised to put his bantamweight title on the line for the first time against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event at UFC 311, taking place on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome […]
Merab Dvalishvili harbors no ill will toward his former training partner, even though he has joined forces with his rival.
“The Machine” is poised to put his bantamweight title on the line for the first time against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event at UFC 311, taking place on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The buildup to this fight has been brimming with palpable tension, as Nurmagomedov has been vocal in his pursuit of a title shot for some time. While Dvalishvili initially seemed hesitant to accept the challenge, the matchup was ultimately confirmed.
Interestingly, a recent social media post from Georgian journalist Giorgi Kokiashvili has injected even more drama into the upcoming matchup. Kokiashvili revealed that Magdi Amachov, the former teammate of the reigning 135-pound champion, is now lending his support to “The Young Eagle” in preparation for UFC 311.
This comes after Dvalishvili had previously helped Amachov settle in the United States, even offering him accommodation.
This pic broke my heart a little bit.
Magdi Amachov is helping Umar Nurmagomedov to prepare for Merab Dvalishvili.
Merab helped Magdi to live like a human being in the US. He didn't had a home and Merab gave him a room for free in his own house and helped a lot.
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Dvalishvili weighed in on the ongoing situation with Amachov, emphasizing that he holds no animosity towards his former training partner.
“The Machine” explained that Amachov’s decision to join Nurmagomedov’s fight camp was motivated by a desire to support his Dagestani compatriot, rather than any personal conflict.
“I love him and I did help him but I didn’t do it because I own him you know? He’s a big man and he can do whatever he wants,” Dvalishvili said. “He’s from Dagestan, and I know he loves Islam Makhachev, I know he loves Khabib Nurmagomedov, of course Umar Nurmagomedov. They call each other Muslim brothers, and I’m not surprised, of course. That’s his country, that’s his friends. I mean, I will not do that, but I will also not judge him. I love him, and I understand this, and I’m not mad at him. That’s OK.”
Dvalishvili captured the bantamweight title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 in September 2024. He is riding high on an 11-fight unbeaten streak.
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024, extending his undefeated streak to six straight wins inside the Octagon.
With UFC 311 just a week away, uncertainty looms over the events venue as reports suggest the ongoing crisis in Los Angeles has thrown the event’s location into uncertainty. The UFC is set to open its 2025 pay-per-view slate with an action-packed fight lineup. Scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, […]
With UFC 311 just a week away, uncertainty looms over the events venue as reports suggest the ongoing crisis in Los Angeles has thrown the event’s location into uncertainty.
The UFC is set to open its 2025 pay-per-view slate with an action-packed fight lineup. Scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the card is topped by two high-profile title clashes.
In the main event, UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev will defend his belt against Arman Tsarukyan, while the co-main event features Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili defending his title against Umar Nurmagomedov.
However, one pressing challenge facing Dana White and Co. is the raging wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, which have sparked uncertainty within the MMA community about whether UFC 311 will proceed as planned at the Intuit Dome. The natural calamity has already claimed over 10,000 homes and taken at least 11 lives. The once-thriving Pacific Palisades area has been almost completely destroyed, and the fires have now spread to the iconic Hollywood Hills, just a mere 20 miles from the UFC 311 venue.
According to veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, the UFC has been assessing the situation regarding UFC 311 next Saturday. As of now, the highly anticipated event is set to proceed at the Intuit Dome. However, the promotion is keeping a vigilant eye on the unfolding crisis and stands prepared to relocate the event if necessary.
Helwani revealed that talks about postponing the card have not taken place. If a venue change is required, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, is reportedly the leading contingency option, though the UFC has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
UFC has had talks about the status of UFC 311 next weekend, I’m told.
UFC 311 is currently slated for the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Obviously, that region is facing a devastating wildfire crisis at the moment.
The NFL announced yesterday that they are moving the Rams x…
Numerous public events across Los Angeles County have already been called off for the weekend, as local resources are overwhelmed in an effort to control the growing damage. An official statement from the Intuit Dome confirmed that the two events slated for the arena have either been canceled or rescheduled.
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Conor McGregor putting his MMA training to good use on the soccer pitch 
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