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21+ min ago (319+ words) Alexandre Pantoja lost his flyweight title at UFC 323, after suffering a horrific arm injury in his co-main event fight with Joshua Van. Pantoja, 35, fell to the canvas after landing a head kick on Van, helped along a little by a push from the challenger. When he tried to post on his arm, it appeared to snap, a dislocation or break from all appearances. Now, "The Cannibal" has spoken out, and promises that he'll be back sooner than fans would think. Pantoja posted a number of messages on social media in the wake of the fight, including one in a video with his arm in a sling. "I've been through worse. I'll come back even stronger, you can be sure of that. Thank you for the messages," Pantoja posted shortly after the bout's conclusion. On Sunday, the Brazilian posted a second…...

44+ min ago (288+ words) Fares Ziam: The Technical Striker Fares Ziam (17-4) is known for his disciplined kickboxing and tactical approach inside the octagon. He boasts a five-fight win streak, with notable victories including a split decision over Claudio Puelles and a knockout against Matt Frevola. Ziam's range-based kickboxing allows him to keep opponents at bay, utilizing a diverse arsenal of strikes such as jabs, teeps, and calf kicks. Ziam's ability to control distance will be crucial against Sadykhov, who thrives in close-range exchanges. If Ziam can maintain his composure and avoid getting trapped in the pocket, he stands a solid chance of outpointing his opponent over three rounds. Nazim Sadykhov: The Aggressive Finisher On the other hand, Nazim Sadykhov (11-1-1) enters UFC 323 with a four-fight win streak, showcasing his finishing ability with eight knockouts to his name. His last fight ended in a second-round knockout…...

45+ min ago (321+ words) Former UFC champion faces streaking contender in Houston Sean Strickland is back in the main event spotlight. During Saturday's UFC 323 broadcast, it was announced that Strickland (29-7) is set to fight Anthony Hernandez (15-2, 1 NC) in the middleweight main event of UFC Houston, which takes place at Toyota Center on Feb. 21. UFC Houston marks the promotion's first visit to the city since February 2022. Strickland returns for the first time in a year after losing a middleweight championship rematch to Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 312 this past February. His 2025 was cut off by a suspension that was handed down after he jumped a cage at a Tuff-N-Uff event in June and attacked Luis Hernandez following Hernandez's win over Strickland's teammate Miles Hunsinger. Prior to that incident, Strickland went on a dramatic run that saw him upset Israel Adesanya to…...

56+ min ago (484+ words) LAS VEGAS " Petr Yan stunned Merab Dvalishvili with a dominating effort to capture the bantamweight championship by unanimous decision at UFC 323 on Saturday night. With punishing strikes and several crushing kicks to the rib cage, Yan (20-5) ended Dvalishvili's 14-match winning streak. "I'm very happy to stand here with the championship belt, thank you to all the fans," Yan said, through an interpreter. "I worked so hard, I prepared so hard for this moment." Dvalishvili (21-5) hadn't lost since April 21, 2018, when Ricky Simon won by submission. It was his fourth title match of 2025. Yan exacted revenge for his last loss when Dvalishvili defeated the 32-year-old by unanimous decision on a UFC Fight Night card on March 11, 2023. Dvalishvili, 34, closed a -425 favorite, which meant a bettor laid $425 to $100 at BetMGM. Anyone wagering $100 on Yan would have won $320. "I lost today," Dvalishvili said. "Congratulations to…...

56+ min ago (484+ words) LAS VEGAS " Petr Yan stunned Merab Dvalishvili with a dominating effort to capture the bantamweight championship by unanimous decision at UFC 323 on Saturday night. With punishing strikes and several crushing kicks to the rib cage, Yan (20-5) ended Dvalishvili's 14-match winning streak. "I'm very happy to stand here with the championship belt, thank you to all the fans," Yan said, through an interpreter. "I worked so hard, I prepared so hard for this moment." Dvalishvili (21-5) hadn't lost since April 21, 2018, when Ricky Simon won by submission. It was his fourth title match of 2025. Yan exacted revenge for his last loss when Dvalishvili defeated the 32-year-old by unanimous decision on a UFC Fight Night card on March 11, 2023. Dvalishvili, 34, closed a -425 favorite, which meant a bettor laid $425 to $100 at BetMGM. Anyone wagering $100 on Yan would have won $320. "I lost today," Dvalishvili said. "Congratulations to…...

1+ hour, 1+ min ago (448+ words) Dec 7, 2025 | 11:43 AM EST For years, Alexandre Pantoja ruled the 125-pound division, establishing himself as nearly unbeatable. During his reign, he defeated top contenders such as Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura, and Kai Kara-France, cementing his legacy with legendary performances. Van has openly admitted he is a fan of the former champ. Even though Dana White & Co. have not announced a rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja, "The Fearless" insists, "Pantoja deserves a rematch." "Man, it"s bittersweet, you know what I mean?," said Joshua Van in a post-UFC event interview with Dan Hellie and Chris Weidman.Cause, like I said, man, he"s the greatest of all time in my eyes, and I really wanted to feel what he"s like in the cage and things like that. So, man, it"s just crazy that that…...

1+ hour, 45+ min ago (300+ words) Henry Cejudo retired following his unanimous decision loss to Payton Talbott Henry Cejudo wanted to go out on his shield for the final fight of his career at UFC 323, and he can definitely consider that mission accomplished. The former two-division UFC champion engaged in a three-round war with Payton Talbott while absorbing 156 strikes across three rounds. By the time the final horn sounded, Cejudo sported a nasty cut under his eye and significant swelling from the damage done, but he certainly provided a show. While obviously not the result he wanted, Cejudo returned for one more fight after his previous outing against Song Yadong ended in disappointing fashion due to some nasty eye pokes that left him unable to continue. Cejudo ultimately lost a technical decision that night and decided he didn't want his career to end on that note....

1+ hour, 58+ min ago (450+ words) With punishing strikes and several crushing kicks to the rib cage, Yan (20-5) ended'Dvalishvili's 14-match winning streak. "I'm very happy to stand here with the championship belt, thank you to all the fans," Yan said, through an interpreter. "I worked so hard, I prepared so hard for this moment." Dvalishvili (21-5) hadn't lost since April 21, 2018, when Ricky Simon won by submission. It was his fourth title match of 2025. Yan exacted revenge for his last loss when Dvalishvili defeated the 32-year-old by unanimous decision on a UFC Fight Night card on March 11, 2023. Dvalishvili, 34, closed a -425 favorite, which meant a bettor laid $425 to $100 at'BetMGM. Anyone wagering $100 on Yan would have won $320. "I lost today," Dvalishvili said. "Congratulations to him." In the co-main event, challenger'Joshua Van won the flyweight belt'from former champion Alexandre Pantoja with a TKO just 26 seconds into the first round after a…...

2+ hour, 22+ min ago (623+ words) Dec 7, 2025 | 10:23 AM EST Last night at the T-Mobile Arena, Alexandre Pantoja's fifth title defense took a shocking and dramatic turn. In front of thousands of fans, the Brazilian injured his arm while performing a break fall against Joshua Van just 26 seconds into the bout, dealing a severe blow to his reign. The unexpected end to Pantoja's reign immediately sparked calls from fans across social media. According to reports, during the post-fight broadcast, the UFC's chief medical physician revealed that Alexandre Pantoja's shoulder popped back into place on its own immediately after the injury. However, doctors still need to conduct a few additional tests. Despite the callout for a rematch, Dana White & Co. are not in the mood, as they are already focusing on UFC Japan next. Earlier this year, the UFC expanded into Qatar and Azerbaijan, and now the promotion…...

2+ hour, 34+ min ago (151+ words) After Tom Aspinall's first UFC heavyweight title defense ended prematurely due to an accidental eye poke from Ciryl Gane, UFC President Dana White moved to clarify his position regarding the incident. Speaking after UFC 323, White made it clear that he never intended to criticize Aspinall or question his decision. Dana White says he never meant to paint Tom Aspinall in a negative light when addressing his eye injury vs. Ciryl Gane. " MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 7, 2025 Despite the injury leaving Aspinall's exact return date uncertain, White expressed confidence in the champion's determination. "I'm sure he's upset and fired up," White remarked. "He'll get better and we'll get him back in there." via MMAFighting The UFC and Aspinall's team continue to monitor his progress closely, aiming for a safe recovery and a potential rematch with Gane once Aspinall is cleared to compete....