sportlive

Giga Chikadze heads into UFC Kansas City seeking a bounce-back performance, but he’s already lost the battle with the scale. The veteran featherweight contender—currently ranked No. 14 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—weighed in at 147 pounds at Friday’s official weigh-ins for Saturday’s event in Kansas City, Mo., one pound over the non-title limit (which includes a one-pound allowance). Opponent David Onama hit the mark at 146 pounds. It is not yet known if the Chikadze-Onama bout will proceed at a catchweight and, if so, how much of Chikadze’s purse will be forfeited as penalty. The top bouts on the card saw little drama on the scales, with welterweight headliners Ian Machado Garry (171) and Carlos Prates (170) both successfully making weight. Garry, No. 6 in the 170-pound division, looks to rebound from his first loss after losing a competitive decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov; on the other side, Prates is riding a hot streak of four straight wins to begin his UFC career, all by kn...

UFC welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry has taken an interesting shot at welterweight veterans Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. For Ian Machado Garry, Saturday night serves as a real opportunity for him to prove that he belongs amongst the elite at 170 pounds. He plans on taking out Carlos Prates which, if you’ve seen the Brazilian fight, is going to be no easy task. It may well be the toughest bout of the Irishman’s career to date, and that’s saying something given that he’s battled Shavkat Rakhmonov – although, Shavkat was reportedly injured at least during some of that fight. Either way, Machado Garry is an exceptional talent and he wants to prove that. He also wants to prove that the new generation of welterweight talent is here to stay, and that the veterans of the division are slowly being pushed out. In a recent interview, he had a few interesting things to say when it comes to the likes of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. Machado Garry goes after Usman and Covington “W...

Topuria vacated his featherweight belt on the UFC's promise of a title fight. After some deliberation from Team Makhachev, it would seem a deal is being finalized, with Topuria announcing his camp has begun. Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Arman Tsarukyan is a tougher challenge for Islam Makhachev than Ilia Topuria. "My personal opinion—it’s not that [Topuria] is dangerous, let’s just say Tsarukyan is more competitive. I think Arman is a tougher fighter than Topuria. Topuria’s a good fighter at 66 kg, but we’ve never seen him at 70. I believe Arman poses a bigger challenge for Islam than Topuria. I don’t know what kind of deal Topuria has with the UFC. But from Islam’s perspective, he’s already given chances to two 66-kg champions—and beat both. Now giving a third one… Let’s say Topuria moves up and gets an immediate title shot. Islam beats him. Then Topuria fights once more and loses again. So he’d have never been anyone at 70 kg, and Islam would...

No. 4-ranked UFC featherweight Movsar Evloev got candid on what he thought of former UFC featherweight champ Ilia Topuria's campaign to win the lightweight throne. After his title defense against Max Holloway back in October 2024, 'El Matador' willingly relinquished his 145-pound title with the hopes of moving up to 155 pounds and taking the title from dominant champ Islam Makhachev. In an interview with @sport24_u, a Russian news outlet on X, Evloev was asked if he thinks less of Topuria if he loses his title bid against Makhachev. Evloev said: "Well, if he [Topuria] loses to Islam [Makhachev], it won't take anything away from him. Because Islam is just on another level. Islam is bigger. Islam is the champion at a higher weight class. And Islam is also the P4P number one. So there's no shame in losing to Islam. It would be very silly to write him [Topuria] off just because he lost to Islam." When the reporter asked Movsar Evloev if something persona...

Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev will be fighting next, despite reports to the contrary, according to the champion’s coach. The passive mention of a prospective Du Plessis injury in an article by veteran journalist Kevin Iole last week sent rumors into overdrive. Iole simply mentioned that the middleweight champion might not be ready for UFC 317 due to a knock, but the rumor mill turned that into reports that he had a broken shin. Now, coach Morne Visser has confirmed that Du Plessis is not injured, and that he will be fighting Chimaev in his next world title defence. However, that fight won’t be at International Fight Week due to the UFC scheduling something else. Dricus Du Plessis injury reports shut down by coach As fans allowed their theories to run wild regarding Dricus Du Plessis, he and his team remained relatively silent on the topic. However, now his coach Morne Visser has opened up about exactly what the truth is, and his plans for a Khamzat Chimaev fight. “We’ve...

Ian Machado Garry thinks UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev would be a welcomed addition to welterweight. Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is eyeing a move up to 170 pounds to chase a second UFC belt, but would rather not fight current champion Belal Muhammad. If Muhammad loses his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena in their UFC 315 headliner on May 10, Khabib Nurmagomedov sees Makhachev likely moving up to fight for the title. Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who meets Carlos Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in Saturday's UFC on ESPN 66 headliner (ESPN2, ESPN+) at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., would have no issues with Makhachev cutting the line. "He can jump the queue if he wants to – he's Islam Makhachev," Machado Garry told CBS Sports. "He's the pound-for-pound No. 1. You've got to give respect where respect is due. If that man turns up and says, 'I want to be next,' I think everyone in the welterweight goes, 'OK.' And ...

Talks between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira for their UFC light heavyweight title fight rematch have seemingly stalled. Immediately after Ankalaev dethroned Pereira at UFC 313 to become the new light heavyweight champion, he accepted that an immediate rematch was the most likely outcome. The Russian champion then expressed his desire to fight ‘Poatan’ in August, however, Pereira’s injury revelation led to question marks regarding that date. Despite that, Ankalaev went on to excite fans as he hinted that Chicago has been set as the location with several cryptic posts about ‘The Windy City’. Magomed Ankalaev fears Alex Pereira will retire Although Magomed Ankalaev made several hints that the rematch had been officially agreed, he has recently worried fans with his post to Alex Pereira. “Alex Pereira, do you still like fighting? I have a feeling you are done,” Ankalaev posted on X. @AlexPereiraUFC do you still like FIGHTING? I have a feeling you are done. — Muhammad big ANK ...

Belal Muhammad has offered his official prediction for the rumored lightweight title clash between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev. Topuria vacated his featherweight belt on the UFC's promise of a title fight. After some deliberation from Team Makhachev, it would seem a deal is being finalized, with Topuria announcing his camp has begun. There's no guarantee Topuria fights Makhachev later this year, but this hasn't stopped pundits, and champions like Muhammad, from giving their predictions. UFC champ Belal Muhammad backs Islam Makhachev to upset Ilia Topuria Speaking with Submission Radio, Muhammad backed his friend and teammate Makhachev to win the fight. Belal Muhammad claims Islam Makhachev will finish Ilia Topuria by the second round. "I think he[Islam] will finish Topuria probably by the second round. " 🎥 @SubmissionRadio pic.twitter.com/AubDOurjJc — Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) April 24, 2025 "No [I don't think Topuria is a challenge], I th...

UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has shut down any concerns of him being injured. Du Plessis was rumored to be fighting Khamzat Chimaev at the end of June at International Fight Week. Yet,   it was then reported he was dealing with an injury, so the fight wouldn’t happen then. But, taking to his Instagram, Du Plessis has opened up on the reported injury, which he says is false. “Okey so everyone had their opinions and rumours and stories about a shin break and injuries etc,” Du Plessis wrote. “I found it all very entertaining, unfortunately none of it is true myself and @ufc already discussed a fight date and opponent, the June fight was never signed I did not pull out of any fight, I am the champion I know when I fight you as a contender just show up when we tell you to. Fight announcement coming soon stay tuned.” It’s good news that Du Plessis isn’t injured, and he revealed there is a fight announcement coming soon. It likely will be against Chimaev, but the date is ...

Chris Brown’s $500 million lawsuit against the producers behind a documentary that labeled him a “serial rapist and sexual abuser” heated up in court this week, In Touch can exclusively report. According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Ample, the company that produced the documentary Chris Brown: A History of Violence that aired on Discovery earlier this year, along with Warner Bros., which owns Discovery, fired back at Chris’ lawsuit. The producers denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Ample and Warner Bros,, along with one of the individual producers, argued free speech as their defense. Their lawyer argued, “[Chris’] claims are barred, in whole or in part, to the extent that any statements and/or alleged implications that form the basis for the claims could be interpreted as asserting verifiable facts, those facts are not materially false and/or are substantially true.” In addition, the producers said, “Plaintiff’s claims are barred, in whole or in part, because he is a...

Dillon Danis plans to put the nail in the coffin of Tony Ferguson’s MMA career. Danis (2-0), who is a part of GFL’s Team New York, takes on Team Los Angeles’ Ferguson (25-11) in a lightweight main event bout May 25 at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In his most recent outing, Ferguson suffered a UFC-record eighth consecutive loss when he was submitted by Michael Chiesa this past August. Danis aims to add to “El Cucuy’s” losing skid. “I’m going to retire Tony Ferguson and bury ‘El Cucuy’ in the same grave as his win streak,” Danis told MMA Junkie in a text message Tuesday. Danis was scheduled to face KSI in a 185-pound boxing match, slated to headline Misfits Boxing 21 on March 29 in Manchester, England. However, the bout was scrapped when KSI withdrew due to illness. The controversial jiu-jitsu practitioner hasn’t competed since boxing YouTube and WWE star Logan Paul in October 2023 – a fight he lost by disqualification. His last MMA fight came in June 2019 when he submitted Max Hu...

Demetrious Johnson sees a tough road ahead for Ilia Topuria. Topuria, the UFC featherweight champion, is set to make a move up to 155 pounds shortly, with a plan to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Recently, Topuria claimed officials have promised him an immediate title shot, though nothing has been announced by the promotion for Topuria nor Makhachev’s next bouts. In an interview with Submission Radio, Johnson shared his opinion on how the 155-pound title picture could shake out with Makhachev also having the option to chase a second title of his own depending on how the May 10 UFC 315 main event between welterweight champion Belal Muhammad—a friend and training partner of Makhachev’s—and Jack Della Maddalena goes. “I would put Islam Makhachev on ice and see what happens in this 170-pound division with Jack Della Maddalena vs. Belal Muhammad,” Johnson said. “If Jack is able to get past Belal Muhammad, I think you give Islam Makhachev the opportunity to go up to be doub...

Chael Sonnen thinks Alex Pereira immediately rematching Magomed Ankalaev is a bad idea. Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in the UFC 313 main event earlier this month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All signs are pointing to Pereira getting an opportunity to avenge his loss to Ankalaev next, but Sonnen warns him against that option. “Poatan” stuffed all 12 of Ankalaev’s takedowns, but was outstruck and controlled in the fight. Sonnen sees a rematch likely going the same way. “I’m a very big Alex Pereira fan, on a personal level, but also his work inside the cage,” Sonnen told Submission Radio. “I’ve got to tell you, there is nothing within that first fight – whether illness, injury, or a combination of both – there was nothing about that first fight that would lead a reasonable analyst to believe you’re going to have a different outcome in the second fight. … That first fight was 4-1. It was four ro...

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s son wasn’t aware of his father’s incredible career in the UFC as he was only three years old when the dominant Russian retired. During his reign over the UFC lightweight division, Khabib Nurmagomedov was widely regarded as the most dominant champion in the promotion’s history. Emphatic wins over the likes of Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier also firmly placed him in the conversation as the greatest lightweight fighter of all time. Despite his sheer dominance in the sport, ‘The Eagle’ shockingly retired in 2020 after defending his title against Justin Gaethje. Nurmagomedov’s son asked him hilarious question following retirement Since his retirement from competing in the sport, Khabib has carried on the legacy of his late father, Abdulmanap’s gym, becoming one of the best coaches in the sport. The 36-year-old is the head coach of the current UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, as well as Bellator lightweight king, Usman Nurmagomedov, and his brother, Umar ...

Former UFC title challenger Jorge Masvidal wants to fight Colby Covington again. It’s not exactly a secret that ‘Gamebred’ is currently preparing for his return to the cage. Last appearing in the octagon in early 2023, Jorge Masvidal retired following a unanimous decision loss to Gilbert Burns. However, after suffering a loss in the boxing match against   Nate Diaz   last summer, the welterweight set his sights on a return to the UFC. As of now, the former title challenger has no set date for his return, nor a return opponent. Earlier today, Jorge Masvidal appeared on  The Ariel Helwani Show  to discuss his planned comeback. There, the 40-year-old again took aim at his friend-turned-foe, Colby Covington. For his part, ‘Chaos’ is fresh off a return to the cage at UFC Tampa in December, where he was handed a stoppage loss by Joaquin Buckley. During the discussion with Helwani, ‘Gamebred’ mocked his former training partner’s recent loss. His comments come as ...