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Anthony Smith On Retirement Fight Coming Against Unranked KO Artist: ‘I Was Very Shocked’

While initially surprised by the matchup chosen to be his last, UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith says he now understands it. Smith announced his plans for one final farewell fight on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage after falling to a third loss in his last four fights in December 2024. He was knocked out by […]

While initially surprised by the matchup chosen to be his last, UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith says he now understands it.

Smith announced his plans for one final farewell fight on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage after falling to a third loss in his last four fights in December 2024. He was knocked out by Dominick Reyes at UFC 310, a result that came five months on from another setback to middleweight contender Roman Dolidze.

With that, 2025 will mark the year in which “Lionheart” retires. And he’ll do so opposite a curious choice of opposition.

It was recently announced that Smith will hang up the gloves at UFC Kansas City this coming April, where he’ll meet an opponent who rides a streak of 11 first-round finishes in the form of Chinese prospect Zhang Mingyang.

During the latest episode of his On Paper podcast, Smith admitted to being “shocked” at first when the bout was presented to him. But while many see him as the UFC’s sacrificial lamb as the promotion looks to build the “Mountain Tiger,” the 36-year-old former title challenger doesn’t see it that way.

“I didn’t have any suggestions, but I was very shocked with the matchup, for sure,” Smith said. “That wasn’t a bad thing, I just was not expecting that one, but once I kind of looked into him a little bit and sat on it, it makes a lot of sense why they would go in that direction.

“I have a lot of conversations with these guys — and if they did (book the fight for Zhang to win), they’re probably not going to tell me — but Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have always told me that they don’t care who wins. They want good fights. They want interesting matchups. And they put people in positions and it’s up to you to do what you what you do with it,” Smith continued. “Of course, we can think of people that were favorably matched and put in some better positions than others, but I’ve known Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby and those guys a really long time and they’ve always been pretty straight-up with me, even in times that I don’t like it.”

UFC Kansas City remains without a main event as of now, but names like Giga Chikadze, Michel Pereira, and Ikram Aliskerov are among those slated to join Smith’s retirement fight on the April 26 lineup.

Tom Aspinall Touts ‘Unstoppable’ Teammate’s Preparation Ahead Of UFC Seattle Return

Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall expects one of his teammates to put on a show at Saturday’s UFC Seattle event. Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back in the state of Washington this week, where top 10 flyweights Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong will top an intriguing-looking UFC Fight Night lineup. Among the notable […]

Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall expects one of his teammates to put on a show at Saturday’s UFC Seattle event.

Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back in the state of Washington this week, where top 10 flyweights Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong will top an intriguing-looking UFC Fight Night lineup.

Among the notable names set to compete on the preliminary card is Modestas Bukauskas, a Lithuanian-British light heavyweight who has won five of his last six contests inside the cage.

Since returning to the UFC off the back of a stint in Cage Warriors, “The Baltic Gladiator” has gone 3-1, with the sole loss on that run coming by way of knockout to Vitor Petrino.

After bouncing back in 2024 with an impressive submission victory over Marcin Prachnio on home soil, Bukauskas will look to make it back-to-back triumphs when he meets Raffael Cerqueira at UFC Seattle on Feb. 22.

And Aspinall, for one, seems fully confident in his teammate.

The heavyweight star re-shared promotional material posted by the UFC Europe account to his Instagram Stories, providing some insight into his fellow countryman’s preparation for the upcoming event.

“This guy has looked unstoppable in the gym. Tune in this Saturday”

With that said, Aspinall will no doubt have a close eye on proceedings when Bukauskas makes the walk at UFC Seattle inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

While “The Baltic Gladiator” is days away from his next outing, Aspinall remains without a date in the calendar. He’s continued to push for a unification showdown with heavyweight champ Jon Jones, but the UFC is yet to confirm whether that will go ahead in 2025.

Muhammad Mokaev Still Confused By Dana White’s Claim About His UFC Exit: ‘Never Pulled Out…Never Missed Weight’

Flyweight fighter Muhammad Mokaev says he’s none the wiser as to true reasons behind his shock departure from the UFC last year. Mokaev surprisingly found himself outside of the sport’s leading promotion shortly after his win at UFC 304 in Manchester last July. In a lackluster affair, the Dagestan-born Brit outpointed Manel Kape to move […]

Flyweight fighter Muhammad Mokaev says he’s none the wiser as to true reasons behind his shock departure from the UFC last year.

Mokaev surprisingly found himself outside of the sport’s leading promotion shortly after his win at UFC 304 in Manchester last July. In a lackluster affair, the Dagestan-born Brit outpointed Manel Kape to move to 13-0 as a pro and 7-0 in the UFC.

With a victory over “Starboy,” Mokaev was anticipating a potential title shot. But seemingly owing to his conduct behind the scenes, “The Punisher” was instead let go after fighting out his contract.

The 24-year-old was quick to complain about the decision publicly, even offering to fight for free if it would allow him back into the UFC. His efforts evidently fell on deaf ears, however, and he’ll need to put the work in outside of the Octagon to stake his claim for a new deal.

While the exact nature of the UFC’s decision remains undisclosed, Dana White did imply that “The Punisher” was difficult to work with, a sentiment shared by the matchmakers.

During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Mokaev reflected on the UFC CEO’s remarks, admitting he’s still baffled by what he did wrong.

“Still today, I don’t understand the real situation,” Mokaev said. “Of course, there was a beef (with Kape) in the hotel and stuff, but I really don’t know. Maybe there’s a miscommunication between my team and UFC.

“I really don’t know. Like, difficult which way?” Mokaev said regarding White’s claim he was not an easy fighter to work with. “Seven fights under two years, four finishes, never pulled out from the fight, never missed weight.”

Post-UFC exit, Mokaev made his return to one of his former organizations, competing at Brave CF 91. After his original opponent withdrew, the Dagestan-born Brit shared the cage with replacement Joevincent So on two days’ notice last December.

“Chain” didn’t last long, falling by way of submission in under two minutes after being dragged down and locked in a D’arce choke.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Mokaev, as well as the specifics of his contractual agreement with Brave CF.

UFC Veteran Who Became First To Beat Colby Covington Parts Ways With The Promotion

Warlley Alves, the first man to defeat Colby Covington in professional mixed martial arts, has left the UFC after a decade under its banner. Alves joined the UFC as an undefeated athlete, winning The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 in 2014. He went on to compete 16 times inside the Octagon, emerging victorious from eight of […]

Warlley Alves, the first man to defeat Colby Covington in professional mixed martial arts, has left the UFC after a decade under its banner.

Alves joined the UFC as an undefeated athlete, winning The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 in 2014. He went on to compete 16 times inside the Octagon, emerging victorious from eight of those fights.

By far the most prominent name on his record’s win column is Covington. The 34-year-old submitted “Chaos” at UFC 194 in 2015, ending the then-future interim welterweight champion’s undefeated run in the sport.

Warlley Alves(9-0) vs Colby “Chaos” Covington(8-0)

UFC 194: Aldo vs McGregor

December 12th 2015

Covington found out about Alves’ guillotine the hard way pic.twitter.com/5km8haQkRK

— Underrated Tribal Chief (@MMAUnderrated) December 12, 2024

While that result left Alves with a perfect 4-0 UFC record, he struggled with consistency across his remaining years in the UFC.

And his stint on MMA’s biggest stage ends off the back of four straight losses, the most recent of which came via decision at the hands of Abusupiyan Magomedov inside the Apex last May.

The Brazilian’s UFC departure was first reported by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz. It remains to be seen what comes next in MMA for Alves, who is a free agent after a decade-long tenure with the sport’s leading promotion.

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire Joins UFC: Former Bellator Champ Eyes Featherweight Gold

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in Bellator history, has officially signed with the…

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in Bellator history, has officially signed with the UFC after his recent release from the PFL. The 37-year-old Brazilian fighter, a three-time Bellator Featherweight Champion and former Lightweight Champion is set to bring his impressive resume and skills to the UFC’s featherweight division.

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire Signs with the UFC

Patricio Freire’s move to the UFC follows months of speculation and public calls for his release from the PFL. After Bellator was acquired by the PFL in late 2023, Freire expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of fight opportunities and requested an unconditional release. PFL Chairman Donn Davis confirmed Freire’s release earlier this year, allowing him to explore new opportunities in mixed martial arts’ premier promotions.

Patrício “Pitbull” Freire achieved an extraordinary list of accolades during his tenure in Bellator MMA. He was a three-time Bellator Featherweight World Champion and also held the Bellator Lightweight World Championship, making him the second fighter in the promotion’s history to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously. In addition, he won the Bellator Season Nine and Season Four Featherweight Tournaments, further solidifying his dominance in the division.

Freire holds numerous records in Bellator, including the most wins in the promotion’s history (24), the most title wins (15), and the most fights (30). In the featherweight division specifically, he has the most wins (23), most knockouts (8), and is tied for the most finishes (13, alongside A.J. McKee). Across all divisions, he is tied with Michael Chandler for the most finishes in Bellator history with 15.

Known for his knockout power, Freire has already set his sights on top-tier competition in the UFC. He has publicly expressed interest in facing fighters such as Alexander Volkanovski, Ilia Topuria, and Diego Lopes, signaling his ambition to climb quickly within the division. “I want that belt,” Freire stated during a recent interview, emphasizing his readiness to compete against elite opponents.

UFC President Dana White had previously hinted at interest in signing Freire, acknowledging his status as one of MMA’s most accomplished free agents. With Freire now officially part of the UFC roster, fans eagerly await his debut and potential matchups against some of the sport’s biggest names.

Francis Ngannou’s Fight for Freedom: Why the UFC’s Biggest Star Walked Away

Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, made headlines with his departure from the UFC in January 2023, citing…

Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, made headlines with his departure from the UFC in January 2023, citing a desire for freedom and principles over financial gain. Ngannou’s decision to leave the organization came after a year-long negotiation process that failed to address his requests.

Francis Ngannou Leaving the UFC

Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou was trying to use his influence as UFC heavyweight champion to negotiate for health insurance and the ability to pursue sponsorship deals for all fighters. Speaking about his departure, Ngannou remarked, “It doesn’t matter how much [money] is in that contract, I am not free. I have no power”

Francis Ngannou has publicly stated that he lost over $1 million due to the UFC’s sponsorship restrictions. Specifically, the UFC’s exclusive deal with Crypto.com prevented Ngannou from securing a lucrative sponsorship offer from a competing cryptocurrency platform, reportedly Coinbase. Ngannou expressed frustration over the UFC’s policies, which barred fighters from pursuing their own sponsorship deals for in-octagon appearances. He criticized the organization for exploiting sponsorship opportunities for its own benefit while limiting fighters’ ability to earn independently.

After leaving the UFC, Ngannou signed with the PFL in May 2023. The deal includes not only competition but also roles as chairman of PFL Africa and a member of its global advisory board. He gets paid tens of millions per fight and also guarantees at least a two-million payday for his opponent. With the PFL, Francis Ngannou is also free to box and he has competed in two blockbuster boxing matches against heavyweight royalty.

Francis Ngannou PFL 1 1 — Photo by Tim Wheaton

“I was always fighting for the freedom and the opportunity to not have something in my way… It’s my right. And I claim that.” Ngannou explained on self-determination.

From working in a sand quarry as a child in Cameroon to being homeless on the streets of Paris, he rose to become one of the most feared fighters in mixed martial arts. Reflecting on his struggles, he said, “I was doing a lot of push-ups and a lot of abs. And running from the cops. That was keeping you fit. Running from the cops can keep you fit more than ever”

Now, with the PFL, Francis Ngannou defeated the towering Brazilian Renan Ferreira by way of knockout to earn the heavyweight title. By walking away from the UFC at the height of his career, stood up for his principles and also set a precedent for fighter autonomy in combat sports.