The Brit was on a trajectory to arguably becoming the best heavyweight in UFC history, but a no-contest outing against Ciryl Gane flipped the support and the greatest of all time claims on its head. Still holding UFC gold, the 32-year-old was the target of backlash, with most believing that he intentionally opted out of his fight against the Frenchman after an uncommonly slow start.

Unable to prove them wrong inside the octagon, Tom Aspinall has been forced to wait in limbo since the curtain closed on his UFC 321 title defense back in October 2025. Now, six months later, Aspinall has announced his return to the gym with eyes on a redemption arc in the cage.

"Not had a lot going on, just been back in the gym doing a little bit of light training," Aspinall said in a video on YouTube. "Still waiting to get fully cleared for contact on my eye. But we are back in the gym doing a little bit, and we'll be showing you a bit of that later in the week."

The UFC has put plans into action to move ahead with the heavyweight division in Tom Aspinall's absence. Alex Pereira will attempt to make history when he contends for a title in a third division, but to do so he must first beat the always-dangerous Ciryl Gane.

An interim title has been placed on the line for the Pereira vs. Gane bout, with the winner likely being matched up against the undisputed champion, Aspinall, once he's cleared to compete.

As he pushed ahead with his recovery and subsequent return to the octagon, Tom Aspinall focused on punching bag drills and some light grappling exchanges with his training partner during his time back in the gym.

"Back in, a bit of light training," Aspinall continued. "All good, though. Back into it. Light. Still waiting to be cleared to do contact properly."

The 56-year-old has been key in the growth of mixed martial arts. The sport lacked mainstream appeal before White and co. got involved, birthing one of the true powerhouses in modern-day combat sports. Despite the work he has done to get the UFC to where it is today, the company's CEO is regularly blamed for some of the promotions' shortcomings.

The company is far from perfect, and both fans and fighters have raised many issues over almost 33 years of its existence. One issue that has persisted in the UFC is the pay structure, and Dana White has long been accused of treating his athletes poorly. However, White recently admitted to completely removing himself from contractual negotiations, citing a lack of fun and a career-focused transition as the reason.

"With these guys, whenever anything would go wrong in their personal life, we were the first phone call they would make, and you know, things like that," White said. "And obviously, it's grown. I have completely removed myself from the negotiating part of fighter contracts."

"I got to a point where, just, this isn't fun anymore, man. I'm lucky that I'm at a point in my life and in my career where I can just deal with the fun stuff that I like to do."

There has been a notable shift in focus away from the UFC by Dana White. The businessman has ventured into several other combat sports, with Power Slap and Boxing two of his more recent passion projects.

As Zuffa Boxing begins to pick up steam and create its own fanbase, White has revealed that he is a little more hands-on with the newly-founded boxing organization.

"Now, you know, I'm getting into boxing," White continued. "We just started signing guys, and we're coming up. This Sunday will be our third event that we've done, and these boxers are like, we've never been treated like this. We actually feel like real athletes... We have a performance institute where they come in, and everything is done for them. They train, the food, the supplements... It's been a great ride."

During a recent fan question and answer session, Du Plessis was asked which fighters he admired and why. "Stillknocks" listed mostly retired fighters but there was one active UFC roster member that made the list.

"There's a lot of reasons for a lot of guys," Du Plessis told Fight Forecast. "There's guys like Jose Aldo, who has been my favorite fighter when I started getting into that sport alongside Anderson Silva, just because he was my weight and how incredible he was.

"But a guy like Aldo, you know, being so dominant for so long, taking that loss to Conor [McGregor], which was obviously devastating. I mean it was 13-second KO for the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world," Du Plessis continued.

"Then almost steps away a little, comes back at his age, changes weights at that age, and just puts on a tear. Doesn't become champion but still in that conversation. It's very admirable."

While it was Aldo's longevity and tenacity that stood out to Du Plessis, he admired one for their fighting style, and he headlines the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House in June.

"When it comes to fighting styles, a guy like [Justin] Gaethje. I love his fighting style. Just the way he goes out there caution to the wind," Du Plessis said. "I feel like I do that as well because that's what we're in there for is to go and fight.

"A guy like Conor. Conor McGregor, say what you will about the guy, he's been somebody that I've looked up to since I was a teenager. I mean, everybody, some people have their opinion. Without him, the sport wouldn't be where it is today," the South African said.

"He changed the whole game as one single guy. And everybody says you can't be bigger than the sport. He was."

In a recent interview, Topuria accused Makhachev of refusing to fight him at the White House event. Makhachev responded to Topuria's allegations in a social media post on Monday saying it was Topuria that prevented the matchup from happening.

"I’m tired of hearing made-up stories from Topuria and his team. I got the call and accepted the fight at the White House," Makhachev wrote on X. "The next day, I was told he asked for an unrealistic purse. The UFC declined, and he pulled out. That’s it nothing more to it. Even his manager confirmed it.

"Ilia, stop talking. Every interview you give tells a different story. You pulled out, and you know it."

I’m tired of hearing made-up stories from Topuria and his team.
I got the call and accepted the fight at the White House. The next day, I was told he asked for an unrealistic purse. The UFC declined, and he pulled out. That’s it nothing more to it.
Even his manager confirmed it.…

— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) April 7, 2026

Topuria headlines the UFC Freedom 250 event on June 14 against interim champion Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout. UFC CEO Dana White recently revealed that Makhachev is dealing with a hand injury. Makhachev is eyeing a July return to the octagon.

The Armenian has become somewhat of an internet sensation during his hiatus from the UFC. Instead of making a name for himself inside the octagon, the 29-year-old has been making friends with popular streamers and getting as many eyes on him as possible. The time away from competing has been beneficial to his reputation, but he hasn't been completely idle.

During his absence from fighting in the cage and his subsequent social media tour, Arman Tsarukyan has found success in Real American Freestyle, a newly-founded wrestling promotion showcasing some of the best the sport has to offer. As they attempt to promote elite-level wrestling to a more mainstream audience, Tsarukyan has arguably emerged as the standout name on the mats.

The UFC ace has amassed a perfect 3-0 start to life in RAF, but could face stiff competition in the future. His grappling brilliance has caught the attention of Colby Covington, who also has a positive 2-0 record in the company.

Both men have been caught in an escalating war of words, and the interest in their potential match is beginning to grow. According to reports, the UFC is preventing any chance of the two colliding under the RAF banner, but that hasn't stopped Tsarukyan's verbal assault on Covington.

In 2022, Colby Covington was assaulted outside of a restaurant by Jorge Masvidal in the streets of Miami. The two fought just weeks before the events of March 21, but their feud transcended the octagon, leading to the assault. Covington has since decided to press charges against Masvidal, seeking damages in excess of $50,000.

Amid the news of the lawsuit, Arman Tsarukyan took to social media to taunt 'Chaos'.

"The real king of Miami," Tsarukyan wrote on Instagram in an attempt to draw a reaction out of Covington. "Don't worry, I don't sue when I get in a fight."

View this post on Instagram

The former interim lightweight title challenger went to a local McDonald's in England and ordered every item on the menu in the drive-thru. "The Baddy" ate each item and then rated them. The McDonald's menu options in England are different than in the U.S. and their ice cream machines work.

Pimblett's favorite McDonald's offerings were the double Big Mac with bacon and the triple cheeseburger. He also pointed out that the McFlurry "never disappoints."

Pimblett last fought at UFC 324 in January. He headlined the first UFC event of the Paramount + era against former interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. Pimblett suffered his first UFC loss and would like to return at International Fight Week in July.

The other driver, Bryan Beltran, posted the video to Instagram providing his side of the story, accusing Jones of nearly hitting his vehicle "3 times." Beltran flipped Jones off before he realized it was the former light heavyweight and heavyweight UFC champion.

"I know it’s John Jones i didn’t know who it was when i flipped him off but definitely realized who it was quick," Beltran wrote in his description of the incident. In the video, Jones gets out of his vehicle to confront Beltran. He casually walked over and said, ”You gotta calm down, bro. You gotta relax yourself, bro.” Jones flipped Beltran off before calming walking away.

This guy got into a road-rage incident with Jon Jones 😳

🗣️ Jon Jones: “You gotta calm down bro. You gotta relax yourself bro.” 😬

(via IG / bryanbeltran06) pic.twitter.com/g8qOyUmwkK

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 5, 2026

Jones released a statement via social media following the video going viral. He accused Beltran of "trying to intimidate'" him by continually revving his engine and that the was simply standing up for himself.

"This kid proceeded to chase my car down for two blocks, revving his engine and trying to intimidate me. I am glad this happened to me and not one of the senior citizens in our community. I am proud of myself for standing up for myself and not allowing that kind of bullying or intimidation," Jones wrote on X.

This kid proceeded to chase my car down for two blocks, revving his engine and trying to intimidate me. I am glad this happened to me and not one of the senior citizens in our community. I am proud of myself for standing up for myself and not allowing that kind of bullying or… https://t.co/kEd5ejCQ2q

— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) April 5, 2026

UFC 327 takes place on Saturday, April 11 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The event is headlined by a bout for the vacant light heavyweight championship. Former titleholder Jiri Prochazka take on the surging No. 3 ranked Carlos Ulberg.

UFC 327 Embedded - Episode 1

Prochazka enters the fight coming off back-to-back wins. Ulberg brings with him a nine-fight winning streak.

UFC 327 Countdown - Full Episode

Beltran posted a video to Instagram showing Jones approach him in a parking lot. Beltran gave his account of the situation in the caption to the video.

"Driving up Central close to Eubank when i was almost hit 3 times by the truck even after i revved my car at him the first time it almost happened he still almost hit me twice after that so I flipped him off then he proceeded to stop in the middle of the road back up and come into the same parking lot.

The night before another guy in a truck pulled out infront me so this was pretty annoying considering it was the second time a guy in a truck cant drive…i guess those are ABQ drivers for you stay safe.

Btw i know it's John Jones i didn’t know who it was when i flipped him off but definitely realized who it was quick!🤣 no hate or hard feelings towards my guy John but i think he might need to take some driving classes cause he almost him multiple times😅. Hopefully soon i make another video where we can maybe shake hands and “squash the beef”😂😂 lol."

This guy got into a road-rage incident with Jon Jones 😳

🗣️ Jon Jones: “You gotta calm down bro. You gotta relax yourself bro.” 😬

(via IG / bryanbeltran06) pic.twitter.com/g8qOyUmwkK

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 5, 2026

In the video, Jones casually gets out of his vehicle to confront Beltran. He casually walked over and said, ""You gotta calm down, bro. You gotta relax yourself, bro." Jones flipped Beltran off before calming walking away.

Jones, 38, retired from fighting in June 2025 after defending the heavyweight championship against former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic. He lobbied to be part of the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House on June 14 but was denied the opportunity,

The event was headlined by a lightweight bout between former title challenger Renato Moicano and the red hot Chris Duncan.

UFC Vegas 115 Post-Fight Press Conference

Moicano entered the bout ranked No. 10 in the division and coming off back-to-back loses desperately looking to get back in the win column. Duncan was looking to jump into the rankings and add to his four-fight winning streak with a victory over his teammate "Money Moicano."

Duncan landed two leg kicks to start the fight followed by another. Moicano inched forward and connected with a right hand. Duncan continued to use leg kicks. Moicano clinched and they worked for position along the cage before separating. Duncan shrugged off a takedown attempt. Moicano connected with a right hand. Moicano caught a kick and drove forward looking to get the fight to the canvas. Duncan stayed standing and circled free. Moicano's jab began landing regularly. He began to mix in teep kicks. MMAWeekly scored the opening round 10-9 for Moicano.

Moicano took the center of the cage and went back to utilizing his jab. Duncan lands a left hand. Duncan began bleeding from his nose. Moicano connected with a counter left hook that sat Duncan down. Moicano quickly took his back and hammered away with hammer fists. He applied a body triangle and delivered right hands to the body and head. Moicano locked on a rear-naked choke that forced Duncan to tap out.

The official time of the submission win was 3:14 of the second round.

Jandiroba entered the bout ranked No. 3 hoping to rebound from a loss to newly crowned champion Mackenzie Dern in her last outing for the then-vacant championship. Ricci made the walk to the octagon coming off a TKO win over Amanda Ribas looking to build on the momentum.

Ricci circled on the outside while Jandiroba took the center of the cage. They exchange righted hands. Jandiroba quickly changed levels and secured a takedown. Ricci worked her way back to her feet but Jandiroba kept the pressure on and pulled her back to the canvas. Ricci stood along the cage and they separated. Jandiroba looked to get the fight back to the ground. Ricci defended the takedown attempt. Ricci connected with a right hand. Jandiroba clinched and took Ricci's back. Ricci worked to shake Jandiroba off but could not. Jandiroba delivered short left hands to the body. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Jandiroba.

Ricci delivered a leg kick. Jandiroba responded with a left hand. Jandiroba changed levels and took Ricci down. Ricci delivered elbows from the bottom. Jandiroba delivered short punches to the body and moved to half guard. She continued to land to the body. Ricci was active off her back and kicked Jandiroba off. A right hand landed for Jandiroba that knocked Ricci down. Ricci quickly got back to her feet. She clinched and delivered a knee to the body. They separated in the closing seconds. Jandiroba secured a takedown. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Jandiroba.

Ricci came out letting her hands go in the third. She stuffed a takedown attempt and gained top position. Jandiroba scrambled back to. her feet. Ricci connected with a leg kick and shook off a takedown attempt. Jandiroba landed a combination. Ricci partially landed a head kick. Jandiroba clinched but they separated seconds later. Jandiroba secured a takedown and took Ricci's back. She delivered left hands. Ricci reversed the position at the bell. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Jandiroba.

The Judges scored the fight for Jandiroba via unanimous decision. The scorecards read 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.

Moicano enters the bout ranked No. 10 in the division and coming off back-to-back loses desperately looking to get back in the win column. Duncan will be looking to jump into the rankings and add to his four-fight win streak with a victory over "Money Moicano."

UFC Vegas 115 Start Times

• Main Card begins at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+
• Preliminary Card begins at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount +

UFC Vegas 115 Official Results

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)

• Renato Moicano def. Chris Duncan via rear-naked choke at 3:14, Round 2
• Virna Jandiroba def. Tabatha Ricci via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Brendson Ribeiro via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:52, Round 1
• Ethyn Ewing def. Rafael Estevam via TKO (punches) at 1:44, Round 3
• Tommy McMillen def. Manolo Zecchini via TKO (punches) at 3:37, Round 1
• Jose Delano def. Robert Ruchala via unanimous decision (30–26, 29–27, 29–27)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)

• Thomas Petersen def. Guilherme Pat via majority decision (28–28, 29–27, 29–27)
• Alessandro Costa def. Stewart Nicoll via TKO (punch to the body) at 4:56, Round 2
• Darrius Flowers def. Lando Vannata via TKO (punches) at 0:52, Round 2
• Alice Pereira def. Hailey Cowan via KO (knee) at 4:24, Round 2
• Tresean Gore def. Azamat Bekoev via Technical Submission (guillotine choke) at 3:27, Round 2
• Dione Barbosa def. Melissa Gatto via majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Kai Kamaka III def. Dakota Hope via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Those who have opposed 'Poatan' throughout his MMA journey haven't had much success. The South American has been a force since switching from kickboxing, having one of the quickest rises from obscurity to superstardom in the UFC. Less than five years after joining the company, the 38-year-old has the chance to become the first UFC fighter to hold gold in three separate divisions, but the belief in his ability continues to be questioned.

While not many will argue against Alex Pereira's striking prowess, his lack of grappling leaves lingering doubts about his potential. Despite being a standup-focused competitor, Pereira was confident that he could pose enough threat to Jon Jones should they ever fight. Rumors of the matchup generated much debate, and one man who sided with Jones, to Pereira's annoyance, was fellow Brazilian Melquizael Costa.

Speaking to Connect Cast, the UFC featherweight announced Jones as his winner in the fantasy fight against Pereira.

"Jon Jones would smash [Alex Pereira]," Costa said. "He'd take him down to the ground, man. It'd be over. Everyone has a chance, sure, but I don't think 'Poatan' would be the favorite. But he has a chance."

The comments received backlash from fans who disagreed with Costa's perceived disrespectful dismissal of his fellow countryman.

Attempting to justify his statement, Melk Costa shared a message.

"Never ask me a question thinking I will stay on top of the wall," Costa stated. "If this fight happens it will be two Goats fighting, the best striker vs. the best grappling. And yeah I think [Jon Jones] would win."

Jon Jones arguably has the strongest case in the sports history to be called the greatest of all time. Choosing Jones to beat anyone feels like a safe bet, but Alex Pereira wasn't thrilled with Costa's allegiance.

Instead of ignoring Costa's opinion, Pereira raised his concerns.

"[Melquizael Costa] bro you root for whoever you want and it's all right!" Pereira responded. "F***ed up is saying something you don't even know and as if I did something to you. When I was at the LFA and you were going to fight and the day before and you came and turned your phone on my face when I was at the hotel drinking coffee and I was chewing, you didn't even ask if you could and I say in the moral you had to ask me if I could record a video, maybe you'd get mad I called your attention."

"But I thought you weren't mad because we were having dinner together in Mexico and I was giving you strength because you were crying because you lost the fight, and now when you win two fights you're the almighty. Bro I can lose 8 matches in a row!"

View this post on Instagram

The event is headlined by a lightweight bout between former title challenger Renato Moicano (20-7-1) and the red hot Chris Duncan (15-2). Moicano was the first fighter to weigh in and tipped the scales at 156 pounds. Duncan officially came in at the same weight, 156 pounds.

Rafael Estevam and Darrius Flowers each came in a half pound heavy for their bouts. Both fighters were fined 20% of their fight purses. Yakhyaev missed weight by a pound in his initial try but decided to try and shed the extra weight. He successfully made weight at 206 on his second attempt.

UFC Vegas 115 Weigh-In Video

UFC Vegas 115 Official Weigh-In Results

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)

• Renato Moicano (156) vs. Chris Duncan (156)
• Virna Jandiroba (116) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115.5)
• Brendson Ribeiro (205.5) vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev (206)
• Rafael Estevam (136.5)** vs. Ethyn Ewing (135.5)
• Tommy McMillen (145.5) vs. Manolo Zecchini (145)
• Jose Delano (144.5) vs. Robert Ruchala (146)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)

• Guilherme Pat (250.5) vs. Thomas Petersen (251)
• Alessandro Costa (125.5) vs. Stewart Nicoll (126)
• Darrius Flowers (156.5)* vs. Lando Vannata (156)
• Hailey Cowan (136) vs. Alice Pereira (136)
• Azamat Bekoev (186) vs. Tresean Gore (185.5)
• Dione Barbosa (126) vs. Melissa Gatto (125.5)
• Dakota Hope (155) vs. Kai Kamaka III (155)

The event is headlined by a lightweight bout between former title challenger Renato Moicano (20-7-1) and the red hot Chris Duncan (15-2). Moicano was the first fighter to weigh in and tipped the scales at 156 pounds. Duncan officially came in at the same weight, 156 pounds.

UFC Vegas 115 Main Event Weigh-In Video

"I feel every fight is the biggest fight of my career so far," Ricci said during the UFC Vegas 115 Media Day. "That's what I want. I'm going to go vicious as I can. Try to get my best performance of the night and get my challenge for the belt."

Ricci will enter the UFC Vegas 115 co-main event at Meta Apex ranked No. 7 in the division and coming off a TKO win over Amanda Ribas last July. Outside of former two-time titleholder Zhang Weili, who relinquished the title to move up a weight class to challenge for a second divisional championship, there's no leading contender to face newly crowned champion Mackenzie Dern.

"I do think Weili of course wants to - I don't know if she's going to retire, but if she do, she probably wants to retire as a champ. So she deserves to have a title shot back," Ricci said.

If Weili faces Dern next, Ricci's willing to entertain taking a fight against another contender if it gets her closer to a title bout.

"Any fight, any time. Whatever takes me closer to my goals, I'll be willing to do it," she said.

Masvidal and Covington used to be teammates, training partners and best friends. The two fought in the UFC 272 main event on March 5, 2022, just weeks before the incident.   Covington defeated Masvidal by unanimous decision but his comments about Masvidal's children in the build up to the fight enraged Masvidal.

Masvisdal waited for Covington outside of a steakhouse in Miami, and when Covington exited the established he “ambushed” him without warning. Covington had felony charges dropped after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge in a plea deal with Florida prosecutors.  

Covington, through his attorney Javier A. Finlay, filed a civil suit over the "unprovoked" attack. In the court documents, Finlay claimed his client “suffered bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, physical impairment, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment.” Covington seeks "all allowable damages and for such other and further relief, in law or in equity” that “may be justly entitled.”

Masvidal retired from mixed martial arts in April 2023 after suffering four consecutive losses. He returned to the boxing ring in 2024 against Nate Diaz and intends to make an octagon return this year.

Covington has fought twice since the incident with Masvidal, losing to Leon Edwards and Joaquin Buckley.

"There's a lot of talk going around right now. Should Adesanya retire? And the answer is very obvious. Yes. Of course," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. "But it a fighter's mind, it's a lot more complicated."

"I feel that a timeline is so important. Let me take you back to Adesanya with a childhood dream to get notoriety, to get respect within his community, to win championships if possible, to make some money if possible. He succeeded. He checked all of those boxes," Sonnen said. "So, now you're got to ask yourself, why are you fighting?"

Adesanya, 36, isn't old for the fight game, but he has a lot of miles on the odometer. He began his fighting career in 2010 as a kickboxer and fought 80 times amassing 75 wins and 5 loses. In 2012, "The Last Stylebender" made his mixed martial arts debut. Two years later, he fought six professional boxing bouts winning five of them before transitioning full-time to MMA. His UFC Seattle loss to Joe Pyfer was his 30th MMA fight.

"It's very hard to stop. It's a lifestyle. It's what you do," said Sonnen. "From Adesanya's standpoint, he is not going to be remembered for how his last fight went, but he thinks that he will."

"It's not how he's going to be remembered. It's not. He's going to be remembered accurately, which is the greatest middleweight I've ever seen ... That's how he's going to be remembered. He's made enough money. He's got enough fame. He's got the accomplishments."

"If you're asking, can he still do it? That's a very different question than should he? That's a very different question," continued Sonnen. "Yeah, Izzy should retire, not because he can't do it, but because he's already done all of it."

"Just another typical day in my life," he captioned the social media post. "What a good day and what a stupid accident," Dvalishvili said in the video.

"12 years after, my nose is f*cked up even worse. As you see, it's more cracked in the same direction."

Dvalishvili revealed that he broke his nose in two places. The imagery from the injury showed the damage of a life of fighting. Despite the badly broken nose, Dvalishvili intends to take on former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo in the RAF 8 main event on April 18 in Philadelphia.

"I did my x-ray and the x-ray shows that my nose is broken at two places," Dvalishvilil said. "I just saw (the) doctor, nose surgeon and he said he will fix my nose and again make straight. He has to break other bones too. And it will take one more year to heal up. Of course, I don't want to do that. Otherwise, he says, keep it that way and you can do surgery after your retirement. I said, I'm not going to retirement in the next 20 years, so I guess I'm going to keep my nose even more cracked than it used to be before and I'm going to deal with it. And I'm still going to compete at wrestling tournament against Henry Cejudo at RAF. That's it."

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Adesanya will turn 37 in July. Considering what he's accomplished and his recent results, some are calling for him to hang up the gloves including MMA great Demetrious Johnson.

"For me, he's been a middleweight champion. He's defended the belt multiple times. He has plenty of money. He's so talented. He can dance. He's a DJ. Anything he does, he's going to be successful," Johnson told The Ariel Helwani Show.

"So for me, I feel like what made me so in fighting was one, I viewed it was a job. Two, I needed f*cking money, right? When you're poor and you're broke, you have a different mindset. When I was cutting weight and I had to cut eight and a half pounds ... I was like, I'm not f*cking giving not a dime away to the commission, or my opponent. I'm going to make f*cking weight. There's a different mindset that goes on when you ain't got money," continued Johnson.

"I'm not saying that now that he has money the mindset has changed but he's fighting somebody else who's trying to get to his level. So for me, I'm just like you've done everything. Just walk away from the sport. But I think that's so hard for mixed martial artists or any professional athlete. And I think for me, when I see him fight, I'm like, 'God, you don't need to f*cking fight."

When asked directly if he thinks Adesanya should retire, Johnson responded, "I would if I was him. I would."

"I would like to see him retire. There's nothing else for him to do in mixed martial arts. I think he's done everything ... I think he deserves to relax and enjoy himself and find something else."

Rousey became the  first American woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo by taking home the bronze in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Four years later, Harrison would win the gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics and followed it up with another gold medal in the 2016 games.

While Harrison holds the UFC women's 135-pound championship, Rousey stepped away from the sport in 2016 after suffering back-to-back knockout losses. "Rowdy" stunned the sports world when she announced that she's returning to the cage this summer against fellow women's MMA pioneer Gina Carano on Netflix.

"I don't think we should talk about this because I don't think I have anything nice to say," Harrison said about Rousey's return during an appearance on Death Row MMA.

"She said this is the best female fight of all time, Harrison said. "How old is Gina, though? She hasn't fought in 17 years. Like, shut up."

Rousey has been promoting the May 16 event by making the media rounds. Harrison maintains that Rousey has been taking a lot of creative liberty with some of the stories she's been telling.

"I saw something the other day ... Ronda was like talking about back in the day. So, in judo we have this thing called like they put a red sash on you. It's not. It's Ippon Dori. So, like they put a red sash on you and you're out in the middle and it's live goes. Sorry, there's no red sash. It's just Ippon Dori. If you throw, whoever wins stays, right?

"King of the hill, last man standing. No time limit. Like, we could have a 30 second go because I throw you, or 30 minutes," Harrison explained. "And so she's like online telling this story about how like, 'Yeah. I had a lot of pride so I'd be out there for an hour and then finally, you know, with these girls and a 90 kilo guy would take pity on me and come out and throw me.' I'm like, dude, that is like literally a blatant f*cking lie. Like now you're just making shit up that never happened."

Harrison was scheduled to face former two-time titleholder Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 in January. Harrison was forced out of the bout due to herniated discs in her neck that required surgery to repair. She continues to recover.

The former two-division UFC champion last fought at UFC 264 in July 2021, losing to Dustin Poirier after suffering a broken leg in the final seconds of the opening round. He’s teased an octagon return for years but it has yet to came to fruition.

The 37 year-old was scheduled to make the walk at UFC 303 in July 2024 against Michael Chandler but pulled out of the event citing a toe injury. This July could see the Irishman back inside the cage.

"Possibly," White said when asked if McGregor was fighting in July during the UFC Seattle Post-Fight Press Conference. "Nothing is done. Nothing's even remotely close to being done."

While negotiations may not be close to being finalized, White is 'optimistic' McGregor will be back inside the octagon sooner rather than later.

"I was pretty optimistic at the end of last year. So, end of last year going into this year, I'm still confident," said White.

It's unclear what weight class McGregor will compete in if or when he fights again. The UFC 303 matchup against Chandler was scheduled to take place in the welterweight division. McGregor has fought three times in the 170-pound weight class during his UFC career, twice against Nate Diaz and once against Donald Cerrone.

"The Last Stylebender" was stopped in the second round by Joe Pyfer in last Saturday's UFC Seattle main event and former champion Michael Bisping would have liked to see the 36 year-old Adesanya retire following the loss.

"I wish in a way that Israel would have retired on Saturday night, okay? And say, 'You know what? I did it. I achieved my goals. I got here. I was a champion in kickboxing. I came over to mixed martial arts I was able to beat all these fighters. I was able to stop takedowns. I was able to become a champion, a dominant champion. I've made money. I've built a brand for myself. I've opened up doors to a great post-fight career. Thank you for everything. Thank you for the support from everyone all over the world,' and put the gloves down in the octagon," Bisping said on his YouTube channel.

"But he didn't say that. He said he's coming back again and again and again. And you know what? Fair play to the guy," continued Bisping. "He took some heavy shots from Joe Pyfer. Right? And back in the day, that wouldn't have happened, okay? Because he's getting older and he's slowing down. But of course, as fighters we sometimes need protection from ourselves. I'm not saying I disagree with Israel Adesanya for not retiring. I would have liked to have seen it because I think he's given this sport enough."

Regardless what happens in the remainder of Adesanya's fighting career, his legacy has been etched in stone. He's a two-time UFC champion. He was inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame last year. No amount of losses will erase that.

Grasso connected with a clean left hand that rendered Barber unconscious. Before Barber's body hit the canvas, Grasso locked on a rear-naked choke. The referee immediately stepped in and Barber was left on her back, eyes wide open on the octagon canvas.

COUNTER LEFT LANDS PERFECTLY 🤯@AlexaGrasso wins in round 1 with a perfect shot & RNC!

[ #UFCSeattle | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/e2F5yBN4oP

— UFC (@ufc) March 29, 2026

"Barber was on a seven-fight win streak. Grasso fought like the champion that we remember. She's a great boxer. She said she's been injured in these last couple of fights. She said healthy, she's hell on wheel," Cormier said on his YouTube channel.

"She proved that. She not only did away with Barber's win streak. It was violent, man. Watching her land that left hand that put her down and how quickly she jumped on that rear-naked choke. Dana White told me, and I agreed, this was the finish of the year," continued the former champion.

"Before Maycee was even able to fall backward flat, Alexa was choking her out. And then Barber laid on the ground for a good five minutes before they were able to move her because she was so out of it. That was amazing."

Grasso connected cleanly with a left hand that rendered Barber unconscious. As Barber crumbled to the canvas, Grasso locked on a rear-naked choke. The referee immediately stepped in but Barber was left on her back, eyes wide open for an uncomfortable amount of time.

COUNTER LEFT LANDS PERFECTLY 🤯@AlexaGrasso wins in round 1 with a perfect shot & RNC!

[ #UFCSeattle | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/e2F5yBN4oP

— UFC (@ufc) March 29, 2026

On Sunday, Barber released a video statement via social media addressing the knockout loss.

"God Is Good All of the Time. No place else I would have rather been last night even tho I don’t remember much," she captioned the video. "This is just another piece of the story. Thank you to the @ufc for the opportunity and congratulations @alexa_grasso. Love you all I will be back!!"

"Well, this is not the post or video I wanted to be making today, but I wanted to come on here and say thank you to the UFC and thank you to Alexa for the opportunity," Barber said in the video.

"I wanted to go out there and get my opportunity, get my rematch and dominate and get the win back. And unfortunately, it was not my night. I got caught, and Alexa did an amazing thing. She's a phenomenal fighter. And I don't really remember a whole lot. All I know is every time I go on social media I look like I'm dead, and that's not a very fun thing to see. So, I've been trying to stay off social media but I also wanted to come on here and at least tell you guys that I am okay.

"I am very blessed to live the life that I do. As tough as it is, going out there and being able to do that, what I did last night, was still one of the greatest nights of my life. Despite all of that, that's still one of the better nights of my life I've ever had. I've had some pretty tough days. That was still one of the greatest days of my life, to be able to walk out there and to be able to do what I've done. I will be back."

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Four losses in a row is a difficult position for any fighter. Some have suggested the 36 year-old Adesanya give retirement serious consideration, but he has no intention of hanging up the gloves just yet.

"You keep going, again and again and again and again and again," Adesanya said when asked how he moves forward from here in his Octagon Interview with Daniel Cormier.

"I'm not f*cking leaving. You will never stop me. I might get beaten, but I'll always remain undefeated."

Adesanya won the 185-pound championship at UFC 236 in April 2019 by defeating late replacement Kelvin Gastelum. He successfully defend the belt five times before losing to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022. He'd get revenge with Pereira in the rematch at UFC 287 in April 2023 becoming the first two-time UFC middleweight titleholder.

During his Octagon Interview immediately following the win, Pyfer revealed that he considered killing himself just weeks prior.

"It's like I could see this moment happening. I almost took my own life a couple of weeks ago," an emotional Pyfer said. "I found God, and I hate crying man. So, I'm going to keep it together. God restored me baby. That's the only reason I'm here ... All glory to God for this victory, or else I'd be dead in a ditch somewhere."

During the post-fight press conference, Pyfer opened up more about his personal struggles with mental health.

"I was born into chaos and a messed up family as many children are. It's not like mine's super special compared to anybody else's. But I was a victim of my own self destruction," he said.

"I had lust issues. I had just this toxic cycle of coping. Nothing drug related or anything like that, but I had a dream where I was disgusted about who I was. I broke a lot of people's hearts around me and particularly one person that I will never hurt again. Sh*t man, I (was) just disgusted with myself. I went and got therapy."

Check out highlights of all nine of the UFC Seattle stoppages.

All Nine UFC Seattle Finishes - Highlights

The 13-bout fight card featured 9 finishes, including finishes in every main card match. Two "Performance of the Night" bonuses were awarded and "Fight of the Night" honors bestowed.

Main event fighter Joe Pyfer earned a bonus for his second-round stoppage of former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. After several spirited exchanges, Pyfer secured a takedown and mounted "'The Last Stylebender." He then flatted out Adesanya after Adesanya rolled. From there, Pyfer hammered away with punches until the referee was forced to stop the action.

Former women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso banked a bonus for first round knockout of Maycee Barber in the fight card's co-main event. A straight left hand put Barber down midway through the opening frame. Grasso snapped Barber's seven-fight winning streak and took home and extra $100,000.

Fight of the Night honors went to lightweight match between Tofiq Musayev and Ignacio Bahamondes. The two fought in the featured preliminary card bout. Musayev won via unanimous decision.

Each of the previously mentioned fighters took home an extra $100,000 in bonus money. Every other fighter that won their fights via stoppage banked $25,000.

Following the fights, the big winners will answer questions during the post-fight press conference.

UFC Seattle Post-Fight Press Conference

Adesanya entered the bout having lost his three previous fights. Pyfer made the walk to the octagon on a three-fight winning streak having won eight of his last nine bouts.

Pyfer took the center of the cage. Adesanya landdd first with an outside leg kick. Pyfer bounced on the outside before closing the distance and looking for a takedown. They worked for position along the cage. Adesanya circled free but Pyfer landed an uppercut on the break. Pyfer connected with a combination.

Adesanya pawed with his jab. He continued to land leg kicks. Adesanya landed a right followed by a knee. Pyfer fired back with a right hand. Pyfer connected with a left hook. Pyfer looked to get the fight to the ground but Adesanya defended the takedown attempt. Pyfer began targeting the body of Adesanya. Adesanya connected with a hard leg kick. Adesaya mixed it up with a right hand followed by a kick to the body. Pyfer secured a takedown in the closing seconds. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Pyfer.

Adesanya took the fight to Pyfer to start the second. He continued to utilized leg kicks. Pyfer was accidentally poked in the eye and given time to recover. Pyfer clinched and worked for a takedown. Adesanya pushed him away. They exchanged right hands. Adesanya connected with a clean right hand. Adesanya pressured Pyfer. Pyfer connected with a left. Adesanya responded with a combination. Pyfer secured a takedown and advanced to the mount. Adesanya rolled. Pyfer worked for a rear-naked choke. Pyfer delivers elbows. He flattened Adesanya out. Pyfer hammered away with punches until the referee stopped it.

The official time of the stoppage was 4:18 of the second round.

The two first fought at UFC 258 in February 2021 with Grasso defeating Barber via unanimous decision. Grasso entered the but coming off back-to-back losses while Barber make the walk to the octagon inside Climate Pledge Arena riding seven-fight winning streak.

Grasso connected first with an outside leg kick. Grasso landed a jab and stayed in boxing range. They exchanged gloves. Grasso pressed forward with a three-punch combination. Grasso connected with a clean left hand that crumbled Barber. Grasso immediately jumped on a rear-naked choke. Barber was out before the choke.

It was a straight left hand counter that put Barber down. The stoppage was ruled a knockout. The official time of the finish was 2:42 of the first round.

UFC Seattle Start Times

• Main Card begins at 8 p.m. on Paramount+
• Preliminary Card begins at 5 p.m. on Paramount+

UFC Seattle Official Results

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)

• Joe Pyfer def. Israel Adesanya via TKO (punches) at 4:18, Round 2
• Alexa Grasso def. Maycee Barber via KO (punch) at 2:42, Round 1
• Michael Chiesa def. Niko Price via Submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:03, Round 1
• Lerryan Douglas def. Julian Erosa via KO (punches) at 3:33, Round 1
• Yousri Belgaroui def. Mansur Abdul-Malik via TKO (punches and knee)
• Terrance McKinney def. Kyle Nelson via TKO (head kick and punches) at 0:24, Round 1

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)

• Tofiq Musayev def. Ignacio Bahamondes via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–27, 30–27)
• Lance Gibson Jr. def. Chase Hooper via TKO (knees) at 2:56, Round 1
• Tyrell Fortune def. Marcin Tybura via unanimous decision Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)
• Casey O’Neill def. Gabriella Fernandes via TKO (punches) at 3:09, Round 1
• Navajo Stirlingn def. Bruno Lopes via TKO (punches and elbows) at 4:05, Round 2
• Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez ended in a Draw (majority) (29–28, 28–28, 28–28)
• Alexia Thainara def. Bruna Brasil via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)

The fight card  is headlined by a middleweight match between former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya (24-5) and No. 14 ranked Joe Pyfer (15-3).

UFC Seattle Final Face-Offs Video

The fighters officially weighed in on Friday morning at the host hotel. Pyfer was the first fighter to weigh-in and tipped the scale at 186 pounds. Adesanya came in at the same weight, 186 pounds.

UFC Seattle Ceremonial Weigh-In Video

The fight card is headlined by a middleweight match between former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya (24-5) and No. 14 ranked Joe Pyfer (15-3). Pyfer was the first fighter to weigh-in and tipped the scale at 186 pounds. Adesanya came in at the same weight, 186 pounds.

UFC Seattle main event weigh-in video

The fight card is headlined by a middleweight match between former two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya (24-5) and No. 14 ranked Joe Pyfer (15-3). Pyfer was the first fighter to weigh-in and tipped the scale at 186 pounds. Adesanya came in at the same weight, 186 pounds.

Making weight in style 🤩@Stylebender weighs in at 186lbs!

[ #UFCSeattle | TOMORROW 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/S6bwvXMtCF

— UFC (@ufc) March 27, 2026

Main Event Joe 💪@Joe_Pyfer96 | 186lbs

[ #UFCSeattle | TOMORROW 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/NXMYCmdeba

— UFC (@ufc) March 27, 2026

UFC Seattle Official Weigh-In Results

MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)

• Israel Adesanya (186) vs. Joe Pyfer (186)
• Maycee Barber (125) vs. Alexa Grasso (126)
• Michael Chiesa (170) vs. Niko Price (170)
• Lerryan Douglas (146) vs. Julian Erosa (145)
• Mansur Abdul-Malik (185) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (186)
• Terrance McKinney (156) vs. Kyle Nelson (156)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)

• Ignacio Bahamondes (155) vs. Tofiq Musayev (155)
• Lance Gibson Jr. (156) vs. Chase Hooper (155)
• Tyrell Fortune (259) vs. Marcin Tybura (248)
• Casey O'Neill (124) vs. Gabriella Fernandes (125)
• Bruno Lopes (204) vs. Navajo Stirling (204)
• Ricky Simon (135) vs. Adrian Yanez (135)
• Bruna Brasil (115) vs. Alexia Thainara (115)

"The story I'm going to write this weekend is after a year off he comes back and just performs better than he ever has, or just like he did. So, when I'm done this weekend I want people to be like, ''Wow. How did I ever doubt him? How did I ever think he was done? Like, what the f*ck was I thinking," Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. "So yeah, that's the story I want to write this weekend."

"The Last Stylebender" enters this weekend's main event match having lost three consecutive fights and four of his last five. It's been 13 months since he last fought and he's eager to get back to doing what he does best.

"I have missed fighting, but I think the sport has missed me," Adesanya said during the UFC Seattle Media Day. "I was one of the last, you know, real ones who was active, not trying to hold the belt for no reason, fight everybody. So yeah, I'm just happy to be back."

"This is like a classic tale because I've watched this game so long. This is the classic tale of when they try and get, you know, the old guard and give them a young dog," said Adesanya. "I've seen how this goes. I've seen this is just the cycle. And sometimes, us old fellas, or older guys stop them in their tracks."

"I'm going to write my own story."

TKO Group Holdings, formed by parent company Endeavor, is a premier sports and entertainment company responsible for the merger between the UFC and WWE. The affiliation between the two companies has been a success. Both the UFC and WWE have seen revenue growth and financial benefits, though aside from the occasional crossover, fans have yet to see a significant benefit from the deal.

Believing the merger has birthed more greed within the organizations, Ronda Rousey decided to speak out as a voice for her fellow athletes. After the announcement of her blockbuster clash against Gina Carano as the headlining act in Netflix's inaugural MMA event, Rousey lashed out at TKO for not seeing the value in entertaining her return to the octagon and highlighted fighter pay as a glaring negative within the UFC.

Since her verbal attack, neither the UFC, TKO, nor WWE has publicly issued a response. In a separate attempt to get a reaction from the moguls within each company, Rousey sent them a 'f*** you' message after her feature at AEW Revolution.

"I've never been to an AEW pay-per-view, so I don't really know what to expect so much. But I'm thinking like a less restrictive, more adult version of WWE, which sounds like a good time," Rousey said during the behind-the-scenes look into her AEW debut. "Those are all very good descriptions, I feel."

Founded in 2019, All Elite Wrestling, better known as AEW, became the first major competitor to WWE and its monopoly over pro wrestling in decades. AEW took a different route to sports entertainment, instead focusing on drawn-out storylines and a more adult-oriented approach, opposed to the WWE's child-friendly product.

Several superstars have swapped between the two promotions, but Ronda Rousey's outing, despite being a free agent, was among the most shocking. According to Rousey, her AEW appearance decision was partly down to her hatred for TKO.

"And it's kind of a cool little bit of a, like, little bit of a f*** you to the TKO group," Rousey continued. "Which is kind of funny because WWE is on Netflix, but I kind of figured it'd be easier to ask for forgiveness instead of permission on this one. Like, I'm promoting your show. It's fine. We didn't advertise it. It's not like we boosted the ratings of it, so it should be fine."

Of course, former Olympic gold medalist and two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua replaced Davis and the match was no longer an exhibition. Joshua stopped Paul in the sixth round via TKO leaving the influencer-turned-boxer with a broken jaw.

Ngannou is booked by Paul's Most Valuable Promotions to face Philipe Lins in the Rousey vs. Carano co-main event on May 16, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Paul hopes to meet Ngannou in the boxing ring next.

"I'm definitely going to keep on fighting. We'll see how the jaw continues to heal up," Paul told Sky Sports Boxing. "I would say there's a long list of opponents. I think most recently, Francis Ngannou was talking a lot of smack.

"I think that's an easy fight for me," said Paul. "I think he's a terrible boxer. I maybe want to go back up to heavyweight and knock him out like Joshua did and render him unconscious. And he knows I lasted longer than him against Joshua and didn't get put out."

Ngannou faced Joshua in March 2024 and was brutally knocked out in the second round. Paul lasted until the sixth frame against "AJ" but he and Ngannou had vastly different approaches to the match.

While Paul wants to fight Ngannou and Ngannou stated during the Rousey vs. Carano KickOff Press Conference that he wanted 'beat Paul's a**,' Paul isn't confident Ngannou would take the bout.

"I think he maybe wouldn't do the fight because I think deep down he wouldn't want to get embarrassed. So, to me, that's a fun one on the list," Paul said.

At the time, in his mid-20s and considered one of the young guys in the promotion, the South Dakota native was one of the standout names in the WWE during the early 2000s. Lesnar sat alongside global stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Goldberg, The Rock, and many others, as a true ticket seller for professional wrestling. However, burnout, travel schedule, and other factors were key to his departure from the entertainment business.

His absence left a Brock Lesnar-shaped hole for fans, but that was quickly filled when he announced his venture into mixed martial arts. Many believed that if he could capitalize on his NCAA wrestling background inside the cage, Lesnar would undoubtedly become a star in the sport, but Dana White almost passed up on the opportunity.

According to Lesnar, the UFC CEO failed to return his calls, forcing the ambitious grappler to pursue other methods to get in touch with White.

"Dana White wanted nothing to do with me," Lesnar revealed. "No, no. He wouldn't return my phone calls. Yeah, so, what happened was, I fought at the LA Colosseum for K-1 Dynamite, and then I wanted to get into the big leagues. And there was only one big league at the time, and it was the UFC. So, my team reached out and wanted to do something with the UFC."

"This is the stuff you have to do. I bought four nosebleed tickets to the MGM. Randy Couture was headlining against Gabriel Gonzaga for the heavyweight championship. I sat there in the stands through the entire event, and as soon as Randy won that fight, I scaled the security and ran to the octagon and grabbed Dana. I introduced myself. I said, 'I'm Brock Lesnar.' And we went to the back, and he says, 'Well, listen, I'll give you a shot.'"

"So he gave me a one-fight deal. I said take a gamble on me, and so he gave me a one-shot deal, and I lost that fight against Frank Mir. I went back to the locker room, and I was like I screwed it up. And Dana comes in, and he's like, because they know the pay-per-view buys instantly, right? So, the numbers must have been really, really good. At that point, Dana is like, 'Nope, you're not done.' And then the next day, we negotiated a real contract."

Having already become a household name in sports entertainment, leading up to his spot in the UFC, refusing to sign Brock Lesnar would likely have seen unparalleled backlash befall Dana White.

Despite having to go to great lengths to get himself into the UFC and later becoming a success for the organization, Lesnar agrees with White's hesitation to sign him.

"Because I had no credibility, and I don't blame him. I was an amateur wrestler and a fake entertainer, you know. And so, he didn't care, you know. I fought a tomato can my first fight. I beat him in 90 seconds, and it's whatever. I didn't prove myself yet."

"[Dana White] threw me to the wolves. He said, 'I'm not giving you any easy fights.' My first fight is against Frank. He's a, I don't know how many times, defending champion at the time. A lethal dude. He almost broke my leg in half, right. So, he's the real deal. So, it was just one of those things where I had to prove myself to him."

Brock Lesnar talks getting a deal with the UFC and how Dana White wanted nothing to do with him at first.

Full podcast here:https://t.co/87F6B0qAbT pic.twitter.com/oTTU7JFROP

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) March 24, 2026

As the Rousey vs. Carano fight card filled out with bout announcements, comparisons between the Most Valuable Promotions event and the UFC Freedom 250 fight card at the White House have been predictably made, including by Rousey.

"Rowdy" used to be the face of the UFC but has become one of the fight promotion's most outspoken critics. On Tuesday, Rousey called the UFC White House event an 'oligarch schmooze fest.'

"I know I’m biased but I can’t remember ever seeing a single card more stacked than this in mma history. This is what happens when fighters come together and bet on themselves - change is coming, we are not expendable - WE ARE THIS BUSINESS," Rousey wrote on Instagram.

"This is a fight card for EVERYONE, not some oligarch schmooze fest (*cough* #whitehousecard *cough!), tickets start at just $88 @intuitdome!!!"

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Rousey, 39, last fought in December 2016. Carano, 43, hasn’t fought since August 2009, but they both remain household names. The UFC Freedom 250 fight card takes place on June. 14, on the White House lawn. The event is closed to the public, but fans can acquire tickets to view the fights from a nearby park expected to hold up to 85,000 spectators.

The Irishman was expected to return at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler in June 2024, but pulled out of the fight citing a toe injury.

“The rumours are true,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “Mr. Confidence returns to save fighting again! Call your grandma! Nanny, we did it! 

“Watch and pay me. F— you, pay me. You fat Irish p—-, you don’t have my money. I put your brain to sleep. See ya’s in the Casinos after, the Mac loves yas all, I got love for yas all it’s an honor it’s light work it’s easy.

“FOR LIFE AND ETERNITY, IT’S MCGREGOR! BIG MONEY MAC DADDY MCGREGOR I EXPECT FAWNING OF THE HIGHEST FOR LIFE. I DO THIS FIGHT GAME EASY PEEZY 🥋 THE SOUND OF MY SHOTS OFF THE HEAD GO “BING” in green dot laser form. Go BHB! 😉

“Watch divine magic when I fight 🙏✨ Hey @paramountplus, see you guys soon I’m so excited! And Born Ready. The Notorious Conor McGregor”

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McGregor last fought at UFC 264 in July 2021, losing to Dustin Poirier after suffering a broken leg in the final seconds of the opening round. He’s teased an octagon return for years but it has yet to came to fruition. 

Jones actively lobbied for the opportunity. UFC CEO Dana White stated early on that he would not put Jones on the White House fight card but UFC matchmakers reached out to Jones with potential matchups. Ultimately Jones was not chosen by the fight promotion to compete at the historic event.

Jones went public with his greivences and accused the UFC of 'low balling' with their offer. According to Jones, he cut his asking price in half but was denied. He also asked to be released from his contract.

UFC analyst, insider and former multiple-time title challenger Chael Sonnen weighed in on the situation and believes the fight promotion didn't need "Bones."

"Jon Jones did not choose to take less at the White House card. He chose to get nothing," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. "Terry Brands has a very famous saying, and Jon Jones would have heard it because Jon's a wrestler. And it's quite simply this. 'If you can't get what you want, you take the next best thing.

"And Jon came out and revealed that he was willing to take substantially less than he was going to get for the [Tom] Aspinall fight. He was willing to do the [Alex] Pereira fight for $15 million. And right there was a bit of a concern for me because the average fan is never going to see $15 million. So, when you come to the fans for help, they're just not going to have any sympathy for you," continued Sonnen.

"The UFC did not need Jon Jones. That is the biggest story of this entire thing. Look, the UFC has one version. Jon has a different version. Somebody is lying ... But it doesn't matter who. I mean, we don't have to get to the bottom of this. The bottom of this is very simple. The UFC did not need Jon Jones. And there's nothing rude or cruel about that.

"The UFC has many times wanted Jon Jones, when Jon Jones was even the champion of the world, but they couldn't have him and we moved on seamlessly."

Top 145-pound contender Movsar Evloev seemingly earned a title shot with his majority decision win over No. 3 ranked Lerone Murphy in the UFC London main event last Saturday. The fight was billed as  a title eliminator bout.

Volkanovski tuned in for the match and thought Evloev succumbed to pressure with his game plan. "The Great" believes the undefeated Evloev tried to be 'more exciting,' but didn't pull it off.

"Interesting sort of fight. One thing that I was quite surprised with was Movsar wanting to stand," Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. "I feel like, you know, he said, he was acting like (it was) a bit of the game plan and I felt like it was forced. Whether forced, I'm not saying the UFC told him he had to do it, but maybe he just felt that pressure and was like, 'I can't just keep wrestling. They're not going to give me a shot. I'm going to have to stand.' Which he ended up winning anyway. I thought he looked like the better fighter. Lerone maybe looked a little bit better in the first half, but not much was happening.

"It was funny because Mosvar, as soon as he wanted to grapple and wrestle, even then it wasn't like he just shot for those. It was more, because he literally didn't want to do it, but he'd fire and he was there and would just grab, and the takedown was just sort of there. The opportunity was there and it was just instinct and he would get him down so easy," continued Volkanovski. "He wasn't able to hold him very easily, but he still controlled him quite comfortably."

Jerone Murphy is not Alexander Volkanovski, though. And the champion pointed that out in a strong message to the top contender.

"Obviously that fight was No. 1 contender," Volkanovski said. "I don't care about it because it ain't going to be a boring fight with me because you ain't holding me down. I can guarantee you that. That's one thing that I'm very confident in," Volkanovski said.

"One thing I did say, I said in the post-show when I did like a live feed, a live post-reaction show. It was through the UFC straight after the show. And I'm just saying to him, I'm like, I don't want you to feel like you have to strike with me and all this. I don't want any excuses. I want you trying to spam the wrestling because I know you ain't going to get them. If you did get me to the ground, I'm bouncing straight back up and I'm going to force you to fight on the feet anyway," continued the champion.

"That's why I know that style ain't going to be boring when you're fight me because no one going to sit there and control me in a position. If anything, if he wants to try and take me down, I bet you I end up on top and do more damage than him in that aspect anyway ... I want him to do whatever he thinks he can. I want him to just try and win. He's obviously a winner. He knows how to win. And I want him to try that with me just to show him, yeah, you know how to win but not against me. You don't know how to win against me. And I can really prove that. I'm very confident in that."

Late in the second round, Pereira began pressuring Adesanya looking for a finish and Adesanya connected with a perfectly timed right hand that sent “Poatan” crashing to the canvas.  “The Last Sylebender” had gotten his revenge and became a two-time middleweight titleholder.  Take a look back at devastating knockout.  

Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira 2 Full Fight Video

In view of a hostile crowd at the O2 Arena in England, the Russian bettered his previously undefeated opponent, Lerone Murphy, claiming a unanimous decision victory on enemy territory. Despite being the first man to beat the Brit, likely setting himself up for a future title opportunity, the 32-year-old has been the target for criticism from his fellow featherweights.

After extending his record to a perfect 20-0, Movsar Evloev thanked Dana White and the UFC for the opportunity to face Murphy in the UK.

"Saturday night, I had so much fun inside the octagon, and I felt absolutely no pressure," Evloev said in a post on social media. "It wasn't easy getting there, but once I stepped inside, I felt like a kid in the park. I want to thank the UFC for giving me the opportunity to headline in such a big arena, and I can't wait to do it again. Thank you, Dana White, Sean Shelby, [and] Mr. Hunter Campbell."

Saturday night, I had so much fun inside the Octagon, and I felt absolutely no pressure. It wasn’t easy getting there, but once I stepped inside, I felt like a kid in the park. I want to thank the UFC for giving me the opportunity to headline in such a big arena, and I can’t wait…

— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) March 23, 2026

Movsar Evloev later addressed his doubters' comments. Many believe the mainstay in the 145 lbs division has done enough within the company to earn his first shot at UFC gold.

Learning his trade under the American Top Team banner, Evloev has won each of his 10 fights inside the octagon, beating some elite talent during that run. Determined to compete against Alexander Volkanovski and become the sixth name to hold the undisputed title in the division, Evloev has retaliated to the backlash he has received from his fellow fighters.

"This is for all my haters," Evloev continued. "A couple of the opponents I beat had a lot to say bout me, and they weren't very nice. A couple of the others were respectful. Either way, you love me or hate me, I'm going to be a champion, and you will not. I'm only focused on winners. Losers stay focused on winners, and you already lost."

This is for all my haters. A couple of the opponents I beat had a lot to say about me, and they weren’t very nice. A couple of the others were respectful. Either way, love me or hate me, I’m going to be a champion, and you will not. I’m only focused on winners. Losers stay…

— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) March 23, 2026