Tag: ufc

Daily Update: WWE shareholder suit update, lawsuit filed over UFC Freedom 250

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • Mexico City becomes the battleground of wrestling in September. We look at the strategies, the decisions going into a period when the city will host four major shows and seven major arena shows in eight days.
  • WWE attempts to counter program Forbidden Door with NXT Great American Bash. A look at the numbers the last time and trying to figure out why it would be tried again
  • The most publicized UFC show in history comes to the White House. Can it beat Rousey vs. Carano numbers, can it beat NFL numbers, how it got started and plans for the show.
  • AAA Noche de los Grandes, full review of the show and the make-up of the viewership and how it’s changed over the last year, as well as thoughts on the mask vs. mask match that tore down the house
  • The WWE stockholders lawsuit against the WWE key higher ups goes to trial this week. We look in depth of what is being asked, why, and give background on everything involved in the case
  • WWE Clash In Italy coverage and business numbers
  • Ben Askren wins Gaspard/Huber award and returns for one last match
  • Odds for King and Queen of the Ring
  • How much has Nielsen’s new ratings method hurt the value of pro wrestling on television? We have pretty much the figures, plus the shocking real comparisons for AEW Dynamite last week with recent years
  • Full ratings report for the pro wrestling programming, competition, comparisons, and more,.
  • Arena Mexico coverage with lots of big matches this coming week
  • NOAH tag team tournament news
  • Best of the Super Juniors coverage
  • Top young star getting shoulder surgery
  • Japanese MMA legend wins pro wrestling tournament
  • The future of Lucha Libre in 2036 on display this past week
  • Ticket sales for all the major upcoming pro wrestling shows this summer
  • A crazy indie story involving Jacques Rougeau
  • RAF booking a major event in Tbilisi
  • More on Damo & Nikki Cross buying Progress
  • Lots of Mick Foley AEW talk
  • How the Von Erichs viewed the A&E Biography
  • Another judge upset with TKO executives not saving evidence
  • McGregor return ticket prices go crazy, although not Knicks crazy
  • Robbiers in boxing or just bad judging
  • Notes on Smackdown going forward
  • Examing what Nick Khan said about 2024 WrestleMania plans
  • George Barrios claims he talked Vince McMahon into running Saudi Arabia after the Kashoggi death
  • Punk on talks to go back to WWE in 2018

This Week’s Back Issue

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Sunday Update

UFC Freedom 250 fan fest
Logo for UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest. (Image credit: UFC)

— Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about the WWE settlement, great weekend matches, Best of the Super Juniors, Jones vs. Cormier, Hulk Hogan documentary and more. Our week in review show with Garrett Gonzales is up on the site talking about WWE booking, Nick Khan comments, and much more.

— The shareholders’ lawsuit against Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, Paul Levesque, George Barrios and Michelle Wilson, that was to start tomorrow, has been settled, although not completely formalized. Brandon Thurston reported that the parties have informed the court that they will present the settlement for approval by Judge Travis Laster. The McMahon side really had to settle for a number of reasons that include the fear that a trial would end up worse for them, while the plaintiffs removed the risk of the trial going badly for them. The judge’s recent ruling showed that he felt the defendants lost a great deal of credibility due to their erasing messages after their own lawyers told them to preserve them. It looked bad for the WWE side but it was not a lock. The other from the McMahon side is that in the story of the sale, the Janel Grant lawsuit would have come up and he, and perhaps others, would perhaps give testimony that would hurt McMahon in that case.

— A lawsuit has been filed by Paul Romano, a retired Air Force Sergeant and Vietnam veteran, and Susan Douglas, a civic activist and organizer attempting to stop this coming Sunday’s UFC show. They claim it is a violation of federal law for profit sports promotions to run on the White House lawn. They claim it is a violation of national park service agreements which prohibit sports events on federal parks lands and that the staging set up on the White House lawn has had no congressional authorization, a requirement for building on federal parklands. They also complain about the cost to taxpayers of repairing the lawn. They also in the suit note that Trump purchased TKO stock. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, DC. They are not suing Trump or TKO, but suing the National Park Service, Regional Director of the National Park Service Jen Nersesian, Acting Director Jessica Bowron, the U.S. Department of the Interior and Doug Burgum, the secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

— Yoh won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament earlier today at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo over Kosei Fujita. It was an excellent match, very hot pro-Yoh crowd. The match was actually a much better technical version of A.J. Styles vs. John Cena from last year. Well, on the Yoh side where he did move after move of the top stars. Fujita did the usual Fujita. Yoh will face Douki for the IWGP jr. title soon, probably Dominion on 6/15. Also added to Dominion was Jake Lee vs. El Phantasmo in a no DQ match after an angle today.

— Hiroshi Tanahashi announced the fan awards for the tournament. Jun Kasai was voted Most Outstanding overall, Daiki Nagai was voted Best Fighting Spirit and Robbie X was voted Best Technical.

— Obviously if Steve Maclin asked for a release from his TNA contract, which he did last week and was approved, he’s likely headed to WWE or AEW.

— Arman Tsarukyan claimed today that he placed a $1 million bet on Justin Gaethje to win the UFC lightweight title from unbeaten Ilia Topuria at the White House show. Tsarukyan was on a live stream talking about betting $50,000 on the fight, but then got talked into making it $1 million. After all the issues with UFC fighters and gambling, this is not something that should be allowed.

— The best matches I’ve seen this weekend are Komander vs. Soberano Jr. from Friday night at Arena Mexico, Komander & Templario vs. Angel de Oro & Volador Jr. from last night at Arena Coliseo, Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Neon vs. Zandokan Jr. & Furia Roja & Difunto from Friday night which was Mistico’s return, and Yoh vs. Fujita.

— Challenges were issued on Friday for a Sammy Guevara & Beast Mortos ROH tag title defense against Villano III Jr. & El Hijo de Villano III. My impression is that match will take place this coming Friday night, but the lineup won’t be out until probably Monday or Tuesday.

— Komander goes for the hat trick tonight teaming with Mistico against Volador Jr. & Black Tiger in tonight’s main event. Tonight’s show also has Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr. vs. Mortos & Guevara in a non-title match. Lady Frost from MLW has been on the CMLL major shows all weekend.

— Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows won the A block in the NOAH Neo Global Tag League with a win over Tetsuya Naito & Bushi today in Hirosaki. They will face the B block winners on 6/16 at Korakuen Hall. Right now there is a three-way tie for first in the B block with Yoshiki Inamura & Stallion Rogers, Naomichi Marufuji & Kenoh, and Yuki Iino & Manabu Soya.

— Jun & Rei Saito won All Japan’s world tag team titles from Talos & Ren Ayabe yesterday in Kakuda.

— We’re looking for reports on the NXT weekend shows in Davenport, FL and Citrus Heights, FL as well as TV tapings for TNA in Denver, results, finishes and angles to [email protected]

— Not much in the way of Google searches this weekend with no major events. Yesterday’s UFC show did 110,000 searches. Nobody in general was talking much about wrestling as regarding active wrestling, Myla Grace was the most searched item with 2,000.

— Grand Slam Mexico, CMLL Anniversary, WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown and AAA TripleMania tickets all went on sale in the next two days. For Grand Slam Mexico, the cheapest seats are almost double that of last year, at $36, while the most expensive is up from $655 U.S. to $1,312. Anniversary tickets are $22 to $260. Raw and Smackdown are $73 to $891. TripleMania is $36 to $537.

— UFC has announced a new rankings system in the works that will reward performance and reflect results inside the Octagon and based on measurable performance instead of opinion or popularity. Good luck with that.

— Last Saturday’s Collision did 351,000 viewers and 0.07 in 18-49 in Nielsen panel ratings, a rare case for wrestling of being down in total audience but still up in 18-49 from the 360,000 and 0.05 from panel + Big Data.

— WWE returns to the U.S. tomorrow in Baltimore with Raw with Penta vs. Rey Mysterio for the IC title, and previously announced qualifying matches with Seth Rollins vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Talla Tonga vs. Ricky Saints and Liv Morgan vs. Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Chelsea Green.

— Jerry Jaffe, who was also Crazy Luke Graham Jr., is 79 today. Mick Foley turned 61. Ed Farhat, the original Sheik and one of the best drawing heels in history, was born 100 years ago today. His longtime manager, Abdullah Farouk/Grand Wizard/Ernie Roth, was born on this day in 1929. Superstar Billy Graham was born on this day in 1943. Howard Finkel was born on this day in 1950. Bulldog Don Kent passed away 33 years ago today at the age of 59. Charlie Harben passed away 33 years ago today at the age of 79. Earthquake John Tenta was 42 when he passed away 20 years ago today. Rocket Monroe was 69 when he passed away 16 years ago today. Mark Starr was 50 when he passed away 13 years ago today. The Iron Sheik was 76 when he passed away three years ago today.

 

UFC Fight Night 278 live results: Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Action inside the Octagon is back in the home of the UFC this weekend as UFC Fight Night 278 takes place at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

The main event is a five-round bout in the welterweight division as former UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad takes on Gabriel Bonfim. Muhammad is looking to end a two-fight losing skid and get back on a path to regaining the title he lost before his current skid. Bonfim is looking to firmly get into the title picture as he comes in having won four consecutive fights.

In the co-main event, middleweight contender Brendan Allen looks for his third straight win against Edmen Shahbazyan, winner of three straight fights. Also on the main card is a lightweight bout between Fares Ziam and Tom Nolan; a bantamweight fight pitting Bryce Mitchell against Santiago Luna; and a light heavyweight fight between Iwo Baraniewski and Junior Tafa.

PRELIMS | 5 PM ET | 2 PM PT

> Women’s Strawweights- Ketlen Souza (16-6, 3-3 UFC) vs. Ariane Carnelossi (15-4, 3-3 UFC)

Carnelossi comes forward to start and throws, connecting with a jab to the body. Souza lands a right hand. Carnelossi with a leg kick. Carnelossi with a quick combo. Souza connects with a solid right hand. Carnelossi with a quick flurry. Souza lands a right hand and Carnelossi goes down, and then Souza drops Carnelossi with a head kick as she was getting up and it is all over! What a finish by Souza!

Fight Result- Ketlen Souza def. Ariane Carnelossi by knockout (head kick) at 1:34 of Round 1

> Women’s Flyweights- Jeisla Chaves (6-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Yuneisy Duben (6-1 1 NC, 0-1 UFC)

They both land leg kicks and Duben lands a high kick. Duben lands a jab then a leg kick. Chaves with a right hand as they attack at the same time. They trade and Duben gets a brief takedown, but they get right to their feet. Duben with some foot stomps and Chaves lands a knee to the body and a right hand as they break the clinch. Duben lands a leg kick. They both kick at the same time. Chaves lands a leg kick. They trade in close range. Chaves lands a right hand. Duben lands a leg kick. Chaves with an overhand right. Chaves with a solid right hand. Duben grabs the body and pushes Chaves against the fence. They separate. 10-9 Chaves.

Duben lands a right hand. They clinch in the center as Duben was throwing. Chaves lands some knees as Duben pushes her to the fence. They separate and Chaves lands some solid combinations. Duben tries a spinning back fist but Chaves ducks under and gets the tie up. Chaves lands some knees before they separate. Chaves gets a brief takedown and has Duben pushed against the fence on the feet. Chaves scores another takedown. Chaves gets the back and locks in a rear-naked choke. Duben is fighting it off and Chaves eases it and lands a right hand. Chaves with some left hands from the back. Chaves continues to land shots from the back. 10-9 Chaves, 20-18 Chaves.

They both throw and Chaves gets Duben to the mat and has side back control. Duben grabs the fence and gets a brief warning. They stand and Chaves continues to hunt the takedown. They move to the center and Chaves lands some knees and connects with a right hand as they separate. Duben with a high kick and Chaves lands a jab and Duben slips to the mat, but gets up. They trade and Chaves scores a takedown as she grabs the body lock. Chaves takes the back. They get to their feet and Duben is able to score a takedown. Duben lands from the half-guard. Duben with more shots from the top as Chaves throws from the bottom. They scramble up late and trade some clinch knees. 10-9 Duben, 29-28 Chaves.

Fight Result- Jeisla Chaves def. Yuneisy Duben by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

> Featherweights- Jordan Leavitt (13-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Joanderson Brito (18-5-1, 6-3 UFC)

Leavitt shoots for a takedown as Brito throws a knee. They go to the mat with Brito on top as Leavitt is trying to work something from the guard. Leavitt is looking for a guillotine choke. They work to their feet and Leavitt lets go and looks for a takedown against the fence. Leavitt with some knees against the fence. They separate. Leavitt shoots for a takedown and pushes it against the fence. Leavitt lands a knee. Brito with some body shots as Leavitt lands a few knees. They trade knees against the fence and break the clinch. Brito lands a big right hand. Brito connects with more right hands. Leavitt shoots for a takedown and Brito grabs the neck and locks in a choke and Leavitt taps! Brito scores the submission out of nowhere.

Fight Result- Joanderson Brito def. Jordan Leavitt by submission (ninja choke) at 4:19 of Round 1

> Women’s Bantamweights- Priscila Cachoeira (13-8, 5-8 UFC) vs. Chelsea Chandler (6-4, 2-3 UFC)

Cachoeira backs Chandler up early with a big right hand, and then Chandler counters with an uppercut. Chandler lands a left hand. Cachoeira connects as she comes in and then throws Chandler to the mat. Cachoeira with some leg kicks and then Chandler is ordered to her feet. They clinch and both land knees. Chandler then drops Cachoeira with a left hand and jumps on the back. Chandler looks for a choke. Chandler lands some punches from the back. Chandler grabs the arm and locks in an armbar and Cachoeira taps!

Fight Result- Chelsea Chandler def. Priscila Cachoeira by submission (armbar) at 3:42 of Round 1

> Flyweights- #15 Bruno Silva (15-8-2 1 NC, 5-5 1 NC UFC) vs. Edgar Chairez (13-6 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC UFC)

Both working the jab early on. Chairez lands a jab and Silva counters with a right hand. Silva lands another right hand. Chairez with a leg kick. Chairez with a big right hand. Silva lands a combination but eats a big uppercut from Chairez. Chairez then lands a right hand. Chairez lands a big right hand and Silva goes to his butt, but gets right up. They trade in close range and Chairez lands the jab. Silva lands a right hand. Chairez lands an uppercut and Silva goes down. Chairez jumps on top and lands before taking the back and locks in a rear-naked choke and Silva taps! Chairez picks up an impressive win.

Fight Result- Edgar Chairez def. Bruno Silva by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:13 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- Marcus McGhee (10-2, 4-1 UFC) vs. John Yannis (10-4, 1-1 UFC)

McGhee coming forward and lands a pair of right hands. McGhee with a body kick. Yannis connects with a leg kick. Yannis with a body kick. McGhee lands a right hand. McGhee with a check hook. Both are connecting in close range. McGhee with a combination. McGhee working the jab from the southpaw position. McGhee with another combo and lands a right hand. McGhee lands inside the pocket. Yannis with a body kick then a right hook. 10-9 McGhee.

McGhee with a hard leg kick followed by a body kick. They trade leg kicks. Yannis connects inside the pocket. McGhee with a pair of right hooks. Yannis lands the jab. McGhee lands a combination. Yannis lands a right hook to the body. McGhee hurts Yannis with some body shots and connects with some head shots. Yannis lands a left hand and fires back with some stiff shots. Yannis lands to the body. McGhee lands to the body. 10-9 McGhee, 20-18 McGhee.

McGhee with a pair of body kicks. McGhee with a high kick. McGhee lands a pair of right hands. Yannis is pressing forward, but McGhee is landing off his back foot. Yannis with a right hand. McGhee with a short combination. McGhee lands a right hand and then a body kick. McGhee with a front kick. McGhee lands a jab. Yannis lands a right hand. McGhee with a jab. McGhee with a left hand. Yannis lands a body kick. 10-9 McGhee, 30-27 McGhee.

Fight Result- Marcus McGhee def. John Yannis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> 130-pound Catchweights- Matt Schnell (17-10 1 NC, 7-8 1 NC) vs. Alessandro Costa (15-5, 3-3 UFC)

Schnell with a body kick. They trade kicks. Schnell lands a leg kick. They both land big shots inside the pocket. Costa lands a right hand and Schnell is on wobbly legs. Schnell looks for a takedown as he goes down face first and Costa starts landing tons of punches from the back and it is stopped! Big finish from Costa to get the win.

Fight Result- Alessandro Costa def. Matt Schnell by TKO (punches) at 2:28 of Round 1

MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET | 5 PM PT

> Light Heavyweights- Iwo Baraniewski (8-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Junior Tafa (7-5, 3-5 UFC)

Baraniewski lands a leg kick. Baraniewski looks for a takedown as he pushes Tafa against the fence. Baraniewski with a knee and a right hand as they break. Tafa lands a right hand. Baraniewski lands a heavy calf kick. Baraniewski lands another leg kick and Tafa goes down. Baraniewski with a ton of right hands from the top and it is all over! What a finish by Baraniewski!

Fight Result- Iwo Baraniewski def. Junior Tafa by TKO (strikes) at 1:25 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- Bryce Mitchell (18-3, 9-3 UFC) vs. Santiago Luna (8-0, 2-0 UFC)

They both throw body kicks. Mitchell lands a left hand then a pair of leg kicks. Luna lands a right hand. Mitchell with a leg kick. Mitchell looks for a takedown and pushes it to the fence. Luna reverses and they scramble to the mat with Mitchell in the half-guard. Mitchell pressuring from side control. Mitchell isn’t really doing anything. Mitchell with more top pressure. Mitchell is able to get the full mount. Luna tries to reverse but Mitchell gets the back and looks for a choke. He lets go and lands from the mount. 10-9 Mitchell.

Mitchell lands a combination. Luna with a right hand. Mitchell pushes it to the fence as they tie up. Mitchell lands some knees. Mitchell with more knees. They scramble to the mat and Luna is on top inside the guard of Mitchell. They get to their feet. Luna with a combo. Mitchell looks for a takedown as he pushes Luna to the fence. Mitchell gets a takedown. Mitchell working from the top as he lands some short shots and looks for the mount position. Mitchell gets side control and lands punches. 10-9 Mitchell, 20-18 Mitchell.

Luna comes out firing punches but misses and Mitchell lands a high kick. Mitchell shoots for a takedown, but Luna ends up on top. Luna looks to attack the neck and is trying to get a D’Arce choke locked on. Mitchell escapes into side control and then immediately gets into the mount position. Mitchell looking to set up an arm-triangle choke. Mitchell continues to control from the top as he’s blocking Luna’s attempts to reverse. Both land on the mat. Mitchell gets the back and flattens Luna out looking for a choke. He lets go and lands some short punches. Luna spins and Mitchell is in the mount looking for an arm-triangle choke. He has it locked in and Luna taps in the final seconds!

Fight Result- Bryce Mitchell def. Santiago Luna by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:52 of Round 3

> Lightweights- #14 Fares Ziam (18-4, 8-2 UFC) vs. Tom Nolan (10-1, 4-1 UFC)

Nolan lands a leg kick. He lands another. Nolan with a high kick then a leg kick. Ziam grabs the leg and gets a takedown and grabs the neck for a guillotine choke but lets go and grabs the back. They stand and Ziam lands an elbow. Nolan with a body kick as Ziam lands a left hook. Nolan with a straight left hand before he scores a big takedown. Nolan lands from the top and gets into side control. Nolan gets into the guard of Ziam. Nolan gets Ziam to the fence and lands more punches from the top. Nolan looks for the neck as they start to scramble up. Nolan has the back and scores a big takedown and is in side control. Ziam is able to reverse and is now controlling from the top. Ziam takes Nolan’s back. Ziam tries a takedown but Nolan escapes. Ziam lands a combination and Nolan gets the clinch. 10-9 Nolan.

Nolan with a leg kick but eats a big three-punch combination from Ziam. Nolan gets the clinch along the fence. Ziam reverses position and lands a knee. Nolan reverses and has the double underhooks. Nolan with some knees and he lands on the break and Ziam slips to the mat. Nolan gets on top into the half-guard and lands an elbow. Ziam attacks the arm from the bottom. Nolan gets out and postures against the fence. They scramble to the knees and Nolan lands a pair of knees to the legs of Ziam. They get to their feet. Nolan has body control and lands a knee. Ziam with a right hand as they separate. 10-9 Nolan, 20-18 Nolan.

Ziam is pressuring Nolan to back up. Nolan lands a knee then looks for a takedown as he pushes Ziam against the fence and has the body lock. Nolan with a knee. Ziam scores a big takedown. Ziam takes the back of Nolan. Nolan rolls and Ziam is in side control. Ziam takes the back. Ziam lands but Nolan is able to reverse and is inside the guard of Ziam. Nolan with some elbows from the top. Nolan has back control as they stand and lands a knee. Nolan lands a knee. Ziam scores another takedown. Ziam with some knees from the back. Ziam lands a big elbow as they stand. 10-9 Ziam, 29-28 Nolan.

Fight Result- Tom Nolan def. Fares Ziam by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Middleweights- #4 Brendan Allen (26-7, 14-4 UFC) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (16-5, 9-5 UFC)

Allen throws but is unable to connect. Allen with a body kick. Allen lands a right hand. Allen lands a leg kick. They trade jabs. Allen with a body kick. Allen with a jab. They trade jabs. Both land a leg kick. They trade jabs. Allen with a quick combo as Shahbazyan misses a right hand. Allen shoots for a takedown and Shahbazyan stuffs it. Both land a knee as they tie up. They separate. Shahbazyan connects with a right hand. Shahbazyan with a double jab. Allen looks for a takedown but Shahbazyan defends. Shahbazyan with a double jab followed by a left hand. Allen lands a pair of leg kicks. Shahbazyan with a heavy combo late. 10-9 Allen.

Allen with a leg kick. Allen lands a right hand as Shahbazyan lands a jab. Allen with a right hand followed by a left hook. Allen with a leg kick. Shahbazyan lands a leg kick. Allen lands a right hand inside the pocket. That have an exchange in the pocket and Allen looks for a takedown, but Shahbazyan defends it. Allen with a stiff jab and lands a big right hand. They clinch and Allen with an elbow. Allen works the jab. Shahbazyan lands a right hand. Shahbazyan with a jab. Allen lands a right hand. They trade as Shahbazyan circles away. Allen with a leg kick as Shahbazyan lands a jab. They trade late. 10-9 Allen, 20-18 Allen.

Allen lands a combination. Allen with a right hand. Shahbazyan works the jab. Shahbazyan with another jab. Allen lands a leg kick. Allen lands a right hand. Shahbazyan lands a right hand to the body. Allen fires back with some punches and lands an elbow. They trade jabs. Shahbazyan with a right hand. They trade punches. Shahbazyan with a right hand. Allen lands a leg kick. Allen with a short combo and they trade right hands. Shahbazyan with a right hand but Allen fires back a big combination. Shahbazyan with the jab. Allen with a body kick. Allen lands a right hand followed by an uppercut. Shahbazyan gets the body lock and pushes it to the fence, but Allen lands as they separate. Allen with a short elbow. Shahbazyan lands a combo. Shahbazyan’s face is messed up. Allen gets a late takedown. They get up and have a big exchange late. 10-9 Allen, 30-27 Allen.

Fight Result- Brendan Allen def. Edmen Shahbazyan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

> Welterweights- #5 Belal Muhammad (24-5 1 NC, 15-5 1 NC UFC) vs. #11 Gabriel Bonfim (19-1, 6-1 UFC)

Muhammad with some early jabs. Muhammad lands a right hand. Bonfim with a body kick. Muhammad lands a right hand. Bonfim lands a body kick. Bonfim works the jab. Muhammad lands a right hand and then a combo. They trade leg kicks. Bonfim lands a body kick and they trade heavy right hands. Muhammad with a leg kick. Bonfim lands a left hook. They trade leg kicks. Bonfim with a high kick. 10-9 Bonfim.

Bonfim with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Bonfim lands another leg kick. Bonfim with a quick combo in close range. Muhammad lands a right hand. Bonfim with more calf kicks. Bonfim with another calf kick. Muhammad lands a left hand. Bonfim works the jab and Muhammad lands a leg kick. Bonfim with another leg kick and they have an exchange. Bonfim with the jab and both land a left hook. Muhammad lands a right hand. Bonfim lands another leg kick. He lands another. Bonfim with a double jab. Muhammad rushes in but Bonfim lands a counter combination. Muhammad sneaks in a head kick. Bonfim back to the calf kick. He lands another. Muhammad with a high kick. 10-9 Bonfim, 20-18 Bonfim.

Muhammad immediately shoots for a takedown but Bonfim defends. Bonfim lands a leg kick. Bonfim lands a right hand. Bonfim lands a leg kick. They trade in close range. Bonfim with another heavy calf kick. Muhammad with a body kick. Bonfim lands a big right hand and Muhammad loses his mouth piece. Herb Dean steps in and Muhammad puts it back in and they get back going. Bonfim with another right hand. They trade as Bonfim is pressuring. Bonfim lands another big right hand. Bonfim lands another right hand. 10-9 Bonfim, 30-27 Bonfim.

Bonfim lands the jab. Bonfim with another jab as Muhammad lands a right hand. Muhammad with a body kick. He lands another one. Bonfim lands a right hand as Muhammad lands a left hand. Muhammad’s nose is busted up. Bonfim lands a jab. He lands another. Muhammad with a body kick. Muhammad lands a right hand. They trade leg kicks at the same time. Bonfim with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Muhammad lands a body kick. Bonfim with a right hand. Muhammad lands a jab. Bonfim with a big right hand. They trade late. 10-9 Bonfim, 40-36 Bonfim.

They trade punches. Bonfim with a big right hand. Muhammad lands a body kick. Bonfim lands a right hand. Bonfim works the jab as Muhammad lands a right hand. They trade leg kicks. Bonfim with a body kick and Muhammad catches it and lands a right hand. Bonfim connects with another right hand. They trade jabs. They trade punches and kicks. Muhammad’s face is messed up some more. They trade and Muhammad with a jumping knee. 10-9 Bonfim, 50-45 Bonfim.

Fight Result- Gabriel Bonfim def. Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

The Rock not attending UFC White House event

Posted on by Joseph Currier

He was invited by Dana White, but Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson won’t be attending UFC’s upcoming event at the White House.

A recent feature story on White published by Time magazine noted that the UFC boss had invited several celebrities, including Johnson, to attend UFC Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C. Vanity Fair followed up by trying to find out if those celebrities would be attending, with a source telling them that Johnson will not be there. It wasn’t stated whether Johnson has a scheduling issue or a different reason for declining the invitation.

“A source close to The Rock tells Vanity Fair that he will not be attending,” Vanity Fair wrote. “Representatives for [Adam] Sandler, [Jared] Leto, and [Mario] Lopez say they won’t be either. Reps for the others did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House and UFC did not respond to requests for comment about the guest list.”

Tom Brady, Guy Ritchie, and Jason Statham were the other celebrities White mentioned as being invited to the June 14 show. UFC says there will be approximately 4,300 attendees in the crowd, including at least 1,200 active duty military members.

WWE involvement at UFC Freedom 250 weekend —

Johnson has a seat on the board of directors for TKO Group, the parent company of UFC and WWE. There will be some WWE wrestlers in Washington, D.C. that weekend with Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, Chelsea Green, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker announced for meet and greets at the UFC Freedom 250 fan fest.

The fan fest is taking place at The Ellipse just outside of the White House, while UFC is staging the actual fights on the White House’s South Lawn. Here is the announced main card:

UFC Freedom 250 (Sunday, June 14 on Paramount+) —

  • Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the UFC lightweight championship
  • Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight championship
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
  • Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
  • Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
  • Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
  • Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia

UFC, Paramount expand Canadian media rights deal to include numbered events/PPVs

Posted on by Josh Nason

UFC fans in Canada will soon be free from having to buy pay per views, aka numbered events.

Announced on Thursday, TKO and Paramount Skydance have expanded their existing media rights deal that will make Paramount+ the exclusive home for the main card of all 13 annual numbered events (fka PPVs in the U.S.) for the next six years.

One caveat: the deal doesn’t begin until 2027 as it will align with the seven year UFC/Paramount domestic contract that began at the start of 2026. That deal also includes Latin America and Australia, giving TKO full alignment for the next rights contract negotiations that will begin next decade.

Pointed out by MMA media member and commentator James Lynch in the video below, questions remain as to what this means for UFC’s future with Sportsnet where PPVs can currently be purchased in Canada in addition to Fight Nights, early prelims and prelims. Their multi-year deal kicked off in 2024, but it’s unclear if the deal was three years or more. Then, there is UFC Fight Pass where Canadian fans can also buy numbered events and watch Fight Nights and prelims.

UFC Fight Night 277 live results: Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

After a week off, UFC actions returns as the Octagon travels back to China for UFC Fight Night 277, taking place at the Galaxy Arena in Macau.

The main event is a five-round bout in the bantamweight division as Song Yadong takes on former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Both men are looking to get back into the win column following losses at UFC 324 in January, and a win here will get them right back into the title picture.

The co-main event is a light heavyweight battle pitting Zhang Mingyang against Alonzo Menifield with a spot in the 205-pound rankings on the line. Also on the main card is a battle of ranked heavyweights as Sergei Pavlovich battles Tallison Teixeira; a bantamweight fight between Kai Asakura and Cameron Smotherman; and a flyweight tilt pitting Alex Perez against Sumudaerji.

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> Women’s Strawweights- Loma Lookboonmee (10-4, 7-3 UFC) vs. Jaqueline Amorim (10-2, 4-2 UFC)

Lookboonmee lands a calf kick. Lookboonmee lands another leg kick. Amorim shoots for a takedown as she pushes Lookboonmee against the fence. Amorim has the body lock on as Lookboonmee is defending. Amorim drops down and attacks a leg as they scramble to the mat, but she ends up letting go and lands from the top. Lookboonmee with a few elbows from the bottom. Amorim passes guard to north-south position, but she moves back into side control and lands a couple of short punches. Amorim looking to attack an arm. Amorim locks in an armbar. It is in deep and Lookboonmee is trying to fight it off, but she ends up tapping! Amorim picks up the submission win.

Fight Result- Jaqueline Amorim def. Loma Lookboonmee by submission (armbar) at 4:04 of Round 1

> Featherweights- Zhu Kangjie (21-4 1 NC, 0-0 UFC) vs. Rodrigo Vera (21-1-1, 0-0 UFC)

Kangjie with a hard leg kick. They both land leg kicks at the same time. Kangjie lands to the body and both land a leg kick. Vera scores a takedown. Kangjie is able to get to his feet against the fence. Vera lands a knee as they separate. They trade leg kicks. Vera lands a left hook. Vera lands a big shot and Kangjie goes down. Vera starts landing on the mat and Kangjie is in lots of trouble and it is all over! Vera scores the big finish.

Fight Result- Rodrigo Vera def. Zhu Kangjie by knockout (punches) at 1:50 of Round 1

> Women’s Strawweights- #14 Angela Hill (18-16, 13-16 UFC) vs. Jingnan Xiong (19-2, 0-0 UFC)

Xiong lands a leg kick and Hill lands a punch that makes Xiong stumble. They clinch and Hill lands some knees against the fence. Hill lands a knee and Xiong connects with a combo as they break apart. They clinch back up and Xiong pushes Hill against the fence, but they break. Xiong lands a leg kick. Xiong lands and they clinch. Xiong with some body shots and Hill lands an elbow and some knees. They separate as Hill lands a head kick. They clinch again and Xiong lands a knee. They separate. Hill lands a flying knee followed by a right hand. Xiong with a spin kick to the body and then a right hand. They trade in close range. Hill with another flying knee and a high kick and then Xiong lands a pair of right hands. They trade before tying up. 10-9 Hill.

They trade kicks. Both land inside the pocket. Both are throwing punches and landing kicks. Hill lands a right hand and then a high kick. Xiong lands a big right hand with her back to the fence. Hill gets the clinch and scores a takedown into side control. Xiong scrambles out to her feet. Hill lands an elbow. Hill with a knee and they trade right hands. They trade in close range. Xiong with a combo and Hill fires back with a right hand. Xiong lands a spinning back fist. Hill lands a body kick. They trade inside the pocket as Xiong lands a rapid fire series of punches. They trade elbows. Hill lands a knee and grabs the neck for a guillotine choke. Xiong escapes and Hill lands a body kick. Hill with another knee. 10-9 Hill, 20-18 Hill.

Hill lands a knee. Hill is pressing forward and both connect. Hill lands a right hand. They trade in close range and Hill ends with a body kick. Xiong with a combo to the body. Hill connects with a right hand. Hill with a jumping knee. Xiong lands a spinning back fist. Xiong with a right hand. Hill with a leg kick followed by a jumping knee and a right hand. They trade in the pocket and Hill lands a pair of knees. Hill continues to press forward as both land. Hill gets the body lock against the fence. Hill landing from the back on the feet. They separate and Xiong lands a spinning elbow before they have an exchange to end it. 10-9 Hill, 30-27 Hill.

Fight Result- Angela Hill def. Jingnan Xiong by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Bantamweights- Rei Tsuruya (10-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Luis Gurule (11-3, 1-3 UFC)

Tsuruya works the jab and lands a left hand. Gurule with a right hand. Tsuruya hurts Gurule with a left hand and then grabs the back of Gurule. Tsuruya lands a knee as they go to the mat. Tsuruya with an elbow and then some big punches from the back. Gurule is covering up as Tsuruya is reigning down punches. Tsuruya is looking for a rear-naked choke. Gurule is able to escape as they get to their feet. Tsuruya has the back and gets a slam takedown, but they pop right up. Tsuruya jumps on the back and has a face crank on as they go to the mat and Gurule taps! Tsuruya picks up the submission win.

Fight Result- Rei Tsuruya def. Luis Gurule by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:19 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- Aoriqileng (26-12 1 NC, 4-4 1 NC UFC) vs. Cody Haddon (8-1, 1-0 UFC)

Aoriqileng lands a combo before Haddon scores a takedown. Haddon gets the back and starts working for a choke, but Aoriqileng is able to get free as Haddon lets go. Haddon landing from the top. Haddon starts landing some elbows and has Aoriqileng in trouble. Haddon with some more ground-and-pound as he’s landing lots of shots, though Aoriqileng is surviving. More big shots by Haddon as the round ends. 10-8 Haddon.

Haddon lands before looking for a takedown, but Aoriqileng defends. Haddon looks for it again, but Aoriqileng grabs the neck for a guillotine choke, but Haddon escapes. They get to their feet. Aoriqileng with an uppercut. Haddon gets the body lock and lands a knee and Aoriqileng goes down. Haddon starts landing lots of shots and it is all over! Haddon scores the big finish.

Fight Result- Cody Haddon def. Aoriqileng by TKO (strikes) at 2:11 of Round 2

> Welterweights- Ding Meng (35-9, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jose Souza (8-1, 0-0 UFC)

They trade leg kicks. Meng with a leg kick. Souza lands a leg kick. Souza lands a snap jab followed by a left hand and a right hand combination. Meng with an inside leg kick. They both land leg kicks at the same time. Meng with a leg kick. Meng with more leg kicks. Meng with more kicks as Souza lands a left hook. Souza with an uppercut. Meng lands a leg kick followed by a right hand. Meng with a right hand. Souza has switched stances and is slowing down as Meng lands another leg kick. 10-9 Meng.

Souza throws a kick, but Meng grabs it, though he lets go. Meng with a leg kick. Meng with a leg kick as he is chasing Souza around. They trade inside the pocket and Souza lands a big knee. Meng does land a counter left hook. Meng with an inside leg kick then another as Souza lands a jab. Souza lands a kick to the groin and timeout is called. They resume quickly. Meng with more leg kicks. Meng catches a kick and lands a leg kick. Souza with a left hand. Souza lands a jab and Meng with a leg kick and a few punches after. Meng with a body kick. 10-9 Meng, 20-18 Meng.

Souza with a body kick and Meng lands a right hand. Meng with more leg kicks. Meng lands a right hand. Meng with a leg kick. Meng lands a right hand. Souza with a left hand. Meng with a leg kick followed by another. Meng chasing Souza down and landing, though there is some damage around his eye. Meng lands a combo that backs Souza up. Souza is just circling around and not landing with much offense. Meng is missing a lot, though. Souza with a quick combo. Souza with a jab. 10-9 Souza, 29-28 Meng.

Fight Result- Jose Souza def. Ding Meng by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

> Middleweights- Yi Sak Lee (8-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Luis Felipe Dias (16-5, 0-0 UFC)

They trade leg kicks. Dias lands a combination. Dias with a right hand and Lee almost goes down, but is on shaky legs. Dias with a leg kick. They trade and Dias drops Lee with a right hand and finishes it off with several follow-up shots. What a finish by Dias!

Fight Result- Luis Felipe Dias def. Yi Sak Lee by TKO (punches) at 3:40 of Round 1

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> Flyweights- #11 Alex Perez (26-10, 8-6 UFC) vs. Sumudaerji (19-7, 6-4 UFC)

Perez comes out firing punches. Perez lands a right hand. Sumudaerji with a left hand to the body but Perez rushes in throwing. Sumudaerji lands a left hand then a leg kick. Perez with a right hand before he pushes Sumudaerji against the fence. Perez with some short knees. Sumudaerji lands an elbow as they break. Perez lands a flurry of punches. Sumudaerji with a high kick. Sumudaerji with a combo then he works the jab and lands a high kick. Timeout is called for an eye poke on Perez. They get right back to action. Perez comes out firing. He shoots for a takedown but Sumudaerji lands to defend. Perez shoots for a takedown, but Sumudaerji defends. Sumudaerji gets a takedown, but Perez rolls for a guillotine choke. Sumudaerji defends as the round ends. 10-9 Sumudaerji.

Sumudaerji drops Perez with a left hand. Sumudaerji starts landing from the top as Perez is defending. Sumudaerji gets to his feet and the referee orders Perez up. They trade and Perez looks to get Sumudaerji down, but he defends and they separate. Sumudaerji lands a kick to the groin and timeout is called. Perez is throwing up in a bucket, so, technically, this fight should be stopped. The fight is stopped after Perez is unable to continue following the five-minute timeout period.

Fight Result- Alex Perez vs. Sumudaerji ruled a no contest (accidental foul) at 1:45 of Round 2

> Welterweights- Jake Matthews (22-8, 15-8 UFC) vs. Carlston Harris (19-7, 4-3 UFC)

Matthews lands a combination. Harris fires back with punches. They both connect as Matthews comes in throwing. Both land again in close range. Matthews lands a right hand. Matthews lands a combo as Harris landed a leg kick. They clash heads before tying up. Matthews pushes it against the fence. They separate and Matthews lands a combination. Matthews wobbles Harris with a right hand. Matthews with an uppercut. Harris shoots for a takedown but Matthews defends. Matthews with a combination that connects. Both land and Matthews lands a big combination. Matthews with more big punches. Matthews lands two big right hands and they have a heavy exchange at the end. 10-9 Matthews.

Harris immediately shoots for a takedown, but Matthews defends and gets the mount. Matthews looks for a mounted triangle choke but ends up getting into side control. Matthews looks to attack the arm as he controls from the top. Matthews with some right hands. Matthews now looking to set up an arm-triangle choke. Harris looks for a guillotine choke from the bottom but Matthews easily pops his head out. Matthews lands from the half-guard. Matthews goes back for an arm-triangle choke but doesn’t have it fully locked on and lets go. Matthews back attacking an arm looking for a kimura. Harris lands an elbow to defend. 10-9 Matthews, 20-18 Matthews.

Harris lands a left hook. Matthews lands a right hand. Matthews lands a right hand and Harris goes down face first but he’s alert and Matthews gets on top. Matthews takes the back of Harris and lands as he has the body triangle locked on. Matthews ends up switching to controlling from the top. Matthews with an elbow from the top. Matthews with another elbow from the top as he’s controlling from the top. Matthews is pressuring Harris’ neck with his shoulder. Matthews gets the full mount. Matthews ends the fight on top. 10-9 Matthews, 30-27 Matthews.

Fight Result- Jake Matthews def. Carlston Harris by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27)

> Bantamweights- Kai Asakura (21-6, 0-2 UFC) vs. Cameron Smotherman (12-6, 1-2 UFC)

Asakura with a heavy calf kick. Asakura with a high kick. Asakura with a right hand and more kicks. Smotherman lands a counter punch. Asakura lands a right hand and Smotherman goes down for a moment but gets up. Asakura pounces and drops Smotherman with a left hand and it is all over! What a knockout by Asakura!

Fight Result- Kai Asakura def. Cameron Smotherman by knockout (punches) at 1:50 of Round 1

> Heavyweights- #3 Sergei Pavlovich (20-3, 8-3 UFC) vs. #15 Tallison Teixeira (9-1, 2-1 UFC)

Pavlovich hurts Teixeira early with some big punches and they back up to the fence as Teixeira is having trouble standing up. Pavlovich lands a right hand and Teixeira goes down and Pavlovich finishes it with shots from the top. Quick finish by Pavlovich.

Fight Result- Sergei Pavlovich def. Tallison Teixeira by knockout (punches) at :39 of Round 1

> Light Heavyweights- Zhang Mingyang (19-7, 3-1 UFC) vs. #15 Alonzo Menifield (17-6-1, 10-6-1 UFC)

Mingyang with a high kick. Menifield lands a calf kick and then clips Mingyang with a couple of punches. They tie up and Menifield pushes Mingyang against the fence. Mingyang with a knee. Mingyang gets the underhooks and reverses position and lands some knees. Mingyang with more knees. They break apart and Menifield lands a flurry of big punches. Both men then connect with right hands. Menifield looks for a takedown against the fence. Mingyang lands a big elbow and Menifield is hurt. Menifield recovers and lands a big right hand and Mingyang goes down. Menifield lands big shots as they stand. Menifield with more big punches and Mingyang goes back down and Menifield finishes him off! What a finish by Menifield!

Fight Result- Alonzo Menifield def. Zhang Mingyang by TKO (strikes) at 4:15 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- #5 Song Yadong (22-9-1 1 NC, 11-4-1 UFC) vs. #7 Deiveson Figueiredo (25-6-1, 14-6-1 UFC)

They’re being patient more than a minute in. Yadong lands a few leg kicks while Figueiredo has done nothing until nearly two minutes in when he lands a body kick. Yadong with a couple more leg kicks. Figueiredo lands a body kick. Yadong with a jab to the body. Figueiredo lands a right hand. Figueiredo looks for a takedown but Yadong stuffs it. Figueiredo looks for a single leg but Yadong escapes and lands a leg kick. Figueiredo lands a body kick. Yadong slips on a kick and Figueiredo gets into the guard of Yadong. Figueiredo with some short punches from the top. 10-9 Yadong.

Figueiredo with a high kick. Yadong lands a right hand. Yadong lands a few punches as both are still feeling each other out. Yadong lands a big right hand. Yadong lands a heavy leg kick. Yadong with a right hand. Yadong lands a high kick after a quick scramble to the mat. Yadong with a jab and a leg kick. Yadong with a high kick. Yadong with a leg kick and Figueiredo gets a takedown, but Yadong quickly locks in a guillotine choke and Figueiredo taps! Yadong picks up the big main event win.

Fight Result- Song Yadong def. Deiveson Figueiredo by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:42 of Round 2

Donald Trump purchased TKO stock in March ahead of June UFC event

Posted on by Josh Nason

U.S. President Donald Trump purchased between $15,000 – $50,000 in TKO stock in March, months ahead of the high-profile UFC event outside the White House on his birthday.

First noted by the Huffington Post, Trump bought the stock on March 25 according to a May 12 disclosure filing.

The June 14 event, dubbed UFC Freedom 250, will be held on the South lawn of the White House with an estimated 4000 in attendance (2900 White House/TKO guests and 1100 military members and their families), according to TKO COO Mark Shapiro on a recent investors call. WWE talent will take part in a fan fest prior to the show.

Given the relationship between Trump and TKO, namely his longtime friendships with UFC president Dana White and former WWE head Vince McMahon, the transaction has raised some eyebrows as has been the case with many of his financial transactions during his second term.

The outlet, and others, have noted his proclivity toward “purchasing stocks in companies ahead of actions by his own administration favorable to those same companies” while also stating that White House officials claim his financial advisors handle all decisions and not him.

Trump’s cabinet includes longtime friend and former WWE executive Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education and Robert F. Kennedy as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, notable as his niece is now under a WWE contract. Current WWE CCO Paul Levesque is a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

Charlotte Flair says she did not know about UFC White House fan fest signing

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Multiple WWE wrestlers, including Charlotte Flair, were recently announced for the Freedom 250 White House fan fest signing.

Despite the huge announcement and involvement of several WWE names, Flair recently revealed that she was not aware of the signing before she saw the social media announcement.

Speaking with TMZ’s Inside The Ring for a new interview, she addressed her appearance at the Freedom 250 signing.

“I saw online, and then I was like, ‘Well, I guess I won’t be wearing my Queen outfit that I had.’ I had my spray painted and bedazzled outfit that I was going to wear to the signing because it was just a signing,” Flair added. “Then it said White House signing and I’m like, ‘So, are we going to the White House?’ No, but I really did not know what we were doing until I saw it on Twitter. I was like, ‘Oh, oh.’ I guess my thoughts changed a little of what I had planned for the weekend.”

Which WWE wrestlers are set to be part of the UFC Freedom 250 fan fest signing?

On the May 18 episode of WWE Raw, it was announced that a few WWE wrestlers will be present at the UFC Freedom 250 fan fest on June 14, 2026, at the White House.

The meet and greet will feature several popular WWE names such as Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, Chelsea Green, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker.

Chelsea Green responds to backlash over UFC White House fan fest appearance

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On social media today, Chelsea Green responded to the backlash she’s received over being included in UFC’s Freedom 250 Fan Fest.

It was announced on Monday that several WWE names will have meet and greets at the fan fest, which is happening in Washington, D.C. during the weekend of UFC’s White House event. Green is among those set to appear, and she’s received criticism from fans given that the political stances she’s publicly taken do not align with those of the current administration.

One fan on X accused Green of prioritizing money over her support of trans rights. In response, Green framed this appearance as a job obligation and said she will continue to advocate for the causes she cares about.

“Doing my job and supporting the community are not mutually exclusive,” Green, who is originally from Canada, wrote. “I’ll continue to do what I can to advocate for human rights whether you approve or not. [heart emoji]”

Green is one of the wrestlers that WWE most frequently uses for public and media appearances like this. Last year, she received similar backlash from fans for speaking positively about Hulk Hogan on the day of his death and not addressing the racism controversy that Hogan was involved in. That situation led to Green taking a social media break due to name calling and death threats.

WWE wrestlers at UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest —

Green, Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker are the WWE wrestlers announced to appear at this event. It’s taking place from June 13-14, and having WWE stars present during the weekend is seemingly aimed at maximizing public interest given how significant this is to WWE & UFC parent company TKO. UFC is hyping its fight card as being the “most historic sporting event of all time.”

The fan fest will take place at The Ellipse just outside of the White House, with the June 14 fights set to be held on the White House’s South Lawn. At the fan fest, there will be a ceremonial weigh-in, live shows with UFC fighters, celebrity appearances, and live music including a concert by Zac Brown Band.

WWE names announced for UFC White House fan fest

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Several WWE names have been confirmed for the fan fest that’s being held during UFC’s Freedom 250 weekend.

It was announced on Monday that meet and greets with WWE stars would be part of the June 13-14 fan fest that’s taking place in Washington, D.C. during the weekend of UFC’s White House card. No specific names were mentioned in the initial announcement, but WWE confirmed on Raw last night those taking part will include Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, Chelsea Green, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker.

“Hey folks, get ready for two unforgettable days of non-stop action at the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest,” Michael Cole said. “Don’t miss immersive fan experiences, live shows featuring UFC athletes, celebrity appearances, exclusive on-stage music, and more. Plus, meet and greets with your favorite WWE Superstars including Charlotte Flair, The Miz, Trick Williams, Chelsea Green, The Usos, Tiffany Stratton, and Bron Breakker.”

The fan fest is being held at The Ellipse, a park located just outside of the White House. Tickets to the fan event are free, but attendees must request them and then enter a random draw that will determine who gets tickets.

WWE and UFC are sister companies under the TKO Group umbrella. This White House event is a significant moment for TKO, with UFC hyping it as the “most historic sporting event of all time.” It’s happening as part of the United States’ 250th birthday celebration. The actual fights will be held on the South Lawn at the White House.

UFC Freedom 250 (Sunday, June 14 on Paramount+) —

  • Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the UFC lightweight championship
  • Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight championship
  • Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
  • Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis
  • Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
  • Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
  • Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia

Colby Covington informs UFC that he has retired from MMA

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former interim UFC welterweight champion and controversial figure Colby Covington has informed the UFC that he has retired from MMA.

After it was first noticed on the UFC’s official website that he was tagged as retired, the news was later confirmed by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

Covington rose to fame by being an outspoken character, heavily leaning into being a supporter of Donald Trump and befriending the two-time U.S. president. He also leaned into making comments about fighters’ nationalities and other hot button issues as part of his persona.

He fought sparingly in recent years, last competing in December 2024 for his second straight defeat. Joining the UFC after starting his career 5-0, he won nine of his first ten in the Octagon, culminating with a win over Rafael dos Anjos for the vacant welterweight title, later stripped due to him being injured.

During his tenure, he earned three non-interim title shots, the last two coming considerably after his last win and fight in general which drew the ire of fans and his critics.

After a victory over Robbie Lawler to get to 15-1 in August 2019, the collegiate wrestling standout challenged then-champion Kamaru Usman five months later after a very tense buildup and lost via fifth round TKO, getting his jaw broken in the process. He returned nearly a year later with a win over Tyron Woodley before losing to Usman again more than a year later.

That led to the very heated rivalry with former American Top Team teammate Jorge Masvidal in a fight Covington won by unanimous decision in March 2022. The two later got into an altercation outside a Miami restaurant where Covington said Masvid.al sucker punched him. Masvidal was charged with aggravated battery and criminal mischief, later dropped to misdemeanor battery charges.

Covington then got another welterweight title shot, this coming in December 2023 against then-champion Leon Edwards in another heated buildup. Edwards picked up the decision win followed a year later by Covington falling to Joaquin Buckley by third round TKO.

The 38-year-old is currently part of Real American Freestyle and is 2-0 in wins over Luke Rockhold and Dillon Danis. He will face Chris Weidman later this month.

TKO exec addresses UFC passing on Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano: ‘More of a stunt than a meaningful MMA event’

Posted on by Josh Nason

TKO head Mark Shapiro is now on the record regarding why the UFC passed on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight that aired on Netflix this past Saturday.

Speaking at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference Monday, Shapiro said the reason UFC passed on Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano was it “more of a stunt than a meaningful MMA event” and one he thought wasn’t good for the sport after how it played out.

“(Netflix) wants big spectacle events and they saw this as a big spectacle event. We’re in the true MMA business on a meaningful, consistent basis. When we looked at this potential matchup, keep in mind there’s a real art and skill to matchmaking….The answers (he & Ari Emanuel) got back (from Dana White & Hunter Campbell) were that fight will be over in 20 seconds,” he said.

“I don’t believe a fight like that, just the way it played out, is really good for MMA especially because it’s Netflix and such an incredible global audience…that is going to sample, depending on what comes up on the front page, to go to that fight and think that’s what MMA is, I don’t believe is good for the sport long term. “We saw it that way and decided to pass on it,” while adding he didn’t want to take anything away from Rousey, her win, or the viewers the broadcast got.

There wasn’t much in the way of WWE news coming out of the 30-minute conversation other than Shapiro putting over ESPN in how they are promoting PLEs and that they are looking forward to when YouTubeTV finishes their authentication process with ESPN Unlimited. That was reported as hopefully being completed in August or September.

He did say that “We’ve added some cards for NXT because we we think have a couple stars that are about to pop and we want to give them more stage time, if you will.” Based on last week’s announcement about WWE house shows returning this summer, it appears more than likely he meant young talent called up from NXT that need more in-ring work on the main roster, hence the house shows.

TKO remains bullish on the Middle East for events, saying their partners want more events and “want to show the world they are still open for business.”

He talked about how title fights on UFC numbered events make them distinct from Fight Nights, signaling to consumers that it’s “something different” and that Paramount’s ad spends reflect that as well. When it comes to the PPV era, he said, “We’re past that” and want to be accessible to the broadest audience possible.

They are continuing to plan for UFC Freedom 250 and how it will be a big week for them with corporate partners and such. Attendance is going to be at 4000 people: 2900 White House and TKO guests and 1100 military members and their families. He did point out that U.S. president Donald Trump is a WWE Hall of Famer.

Overall, they are looking to get to $400 million in TKO site fees (what they call financial incentive packages”) due to a “pretty clear-cut strategy” in that they have premium content that is in demand and that “there needs to be government and private financial incentives that reflect the economic and cultural impact we bring to these cities and regions.”

WWE stars announced to attend UFC Freedom 250 weekend 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

WWE stars will be present for a meet and greet at UFC Fan Fest in June. 

UFC officially made the announcement via social media for Fan Fest on June 13 and 14 at the White House. The experience includes meet and greet with UFC fighters and WWE superstars. The names of the talents making an appearance remain unannounced. 

UFC and WWE share the same parent company with TKO Holdings. UFC fighters have attended WWE programs with ringside seats in the audience but no crossover of the two has ever transpired under the TKO banner. 

UFC Freedom 250 will take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14. 

The match card features: 

  • Lightweight Championship Bout: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
  • Heavyweight Interim Championship Bout: Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
  • Bantamweight Bout: Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
  • Lightweight Bout: Maurício Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
  • Middleweight Bout: Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
  • Featherweight Bout: Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia
  • Heavyweight Bout: Josh Hokit vs. Derrick Lewis

Conor McGregor’s UFC return announced

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The long-awaited return of UFC superstar Conor McGregor has officially been set.

McGregor, the former UFC Lightweight and Featherweight Champion, will return to the Octagon at UFC 329 on July 11 when he faces Max Holloway. It will headline UFC’s annual International Fight Week event, taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight was officially announced by Dana White on his Instagram during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 276 event on Paramount+ after being rumored for several weeks.

McGregor will be fighting for the first time since July 2021, when he suffered a broken lower tibia in a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, losing in the first round after the ringside doctor stopped the fight. It was McGregor’s second straight loss to Poirier, and he has just one win in his last four fights.

McGregor has had plenty of time in the limelight since then, appearing in the remake of Road House and becoming a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He also married his long-time partner, Dee Devlin, in a ceremony in December.

He also appeared as a coach on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler. The season was supposed to culminate in a fight between the two in June 2024, but McGregor pulled out of the fight due to a broken toe. He also served an 18-month suspension for failing to disclose his whereabouts under the UFC’s drug policy, with the suspension coming to an end in March.

McGregor and Holloway fought once before at a UFC Fight Night event in August 2013 in Boston. McGregor won that bout by unanimous decision. Both have since gone on to become decorated champions and future Hall of Fame fighters. That fight took place at 145 pounds, and the rematch will take place at 170 pounds.

The current UFC 329 card includes:
-Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
-Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint-Denis
-Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
-Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
-Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
-Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
-Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka
-Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez
-Cesar Almeida vs. Damian Pinas
-Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong
-Ode Osbourne vs. Cody Durden
-Zachary Reese vs. Ryan Gandra

UFC Fight Night 276 live results: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

A busy stretch of events for the UFC ends this weekend before a week off as the Octagon returns to the Meta Apex in Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 276.

The main event is a battle of ranked featherweights as Arnold Allen takes on Melquizael Costa in the five-round headliner. Allen is looking to get back into both the win column and the title picture following a loss to Jean Silva in January. Costa enters his first UFC main event riding a six-fight win streak and is coming off a big win over Dan Ige.

The co-main event is a featherweight clash pitting the exciting Doo Ho Choi against Daniel Santos. Also on the main card is a bantamweight bout between Malcolm Wellmaker and the debuting Juan Diaz; Modestas Bukauskas takes on short-notice debutant Christian Edwards in a catchweight fight; and welterweights Nikolay Veretennikov and Khaos Williams kick off the main card.

PRELIMS | 5 PM ET | 2 PM PT

> Women’s Strawweights- Shauna Bannon (7-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Nicolle Caliari (8-4, 0-2 UFC)

Caliari comes out throwing and Caliari gets a takedown as they scramble to the mat but get up and are clinched against the fence. Caliari gets another takedown and is working inside the guard of Bannon. Caliari landing some body shots. Caliari landing more from the top and looks to stand, but Bannon recovers full guard. Caliari controls and stands and lands some punches before getting to side control. Caliari is attacking an arm and looking to set up a kimura. Caliari lets go and lands a pair of knees to the body. 10-9 Caliari.

Caliari comes out landing a pair of leg kicks. Caliari pressing forward and grabs a leg, but lets go along the fence. Caliari has the leg and grabs the back against the fence. Caliari scores a takedown and is in the half-guard. Caliari working from inside the guard and lands. They are put on their feet. Bannon throws a body kick but Caliari grabs the body. Caliari lets go and Bannon lands another body kick before Caliari looks for a takedown. Bannon reverses to the top and lands from the half-guard. Bannon lands an elbow from the top. Bannon lands some elbows from the back late. 10-9 Bannon, 19-19.

Bannon lands a leg kick then a combination ending with a front kick. Bannon with a leg kick. Caliari lands a right hand as Bannon misses a spin kick. Caliari lands a combination to the body before they clinch against the fence. They separate and Caliari lands a stiff jab. Caliari gets Bannon to the ground and lands a big elbow from the top. Caliari lands some punches and elbows from the top. Caliari looking for an arm-triangle choke. She is squeezing and gets the mount and steps over and Bannon taps! Caliari picks up the submission win.

Fight Result- Nicolle Caliari def. Shauna Bannon by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:08 of Round 3

> Flyweights- Daniel Barez (17-7, 1-2 UFC) vs. Luis Gurule (10-3, 0-3 UFC)

They trade leg kicks. Barez lands a right hand. Gurule pressuring and lands a big flurry but Barez is able to grab control and has the back along the fence. Gurule escapes and lands a right hand. Barez gets a takedown and takes the back. Barez looks for a choke and looks for an arm-triangle choke as Gurule reverses to the top. Gurule is looking for an anaconda choke. Barez is able to defend and they scramble to their feet. Gurule lands a few right hands. They trade leg kicks. Barez shoots for a takedown and pushes Gurule to the fence. Gurule reverses position. Gurule with some left hands as they separate. Gurule lands a right hand. They both land late. 10-9 Gurule.

They trade to start the second. Barez lands a right hand. Gurule with a leg kick as Barez comes forward. They trade leg kicks. Barez hurts Gurule with a right hand. Gurule attacks a leg, but Barez escapes and lands some punches. Gurule recovers and they trade. Barez lands a right hand. They trade right hands and Barez lands a combination. Barez landing with more volume at the moment. Gurule lands a right hand. Gurule now starting to pick up the volume as he lands a hard jab and a hard right hand. Gurule wobbles Barez with a left hand and lands some big punches. Gurule is landing against the fence and Barez is hurt. Barez clinches but Gurule grabs the back and lands a German suplex. Gurule has the back and is landing along the fence. Barez gets to his feet. They separate and Gurule lands a right hand. Gurule lands a flurry against the fence. Gurule lands a right hand and another. 10-9 Gurule, 20-18 Gurule.

They trade inside the pocket as Gurule lands a leg kick. Gurule lands a pair of right hands and lands to the body against the fence. Gurule with some uppercuts and right hands. Gurule lands a big combination as Barez looked for a takedown opening. Gurule landing with way more volume as he keeps tagging Barez with short combinations. They trade punches in close range. Gurule lands a big left hand. Gurule lands a right hand. Gurule lands a combination. Barez with a pair of right hands. Gurule with a left hand. They trade punches. Both land at the end. 10-9 Gurule, 30-27 Gurule.

Fight Result- Luis Gurule def. Daniel Barez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Women’s Strawweights- Alice Ardelean (11-7, 2-2 UFC) vs. Polyana Viana (13-8, 4-7 UFC)

They both land a leg kick at the same time to start. They trade more kicks. Ardelean lands a right hand before they trade leg kicks. Ardelean lands another right hand and Viana says she was poked in the eye, but it was a punch and they keep going. They trade as Ardelean comes forward. Ardelean lands some shots. Viana lands an elbow. Ardelean with a big combo and Viana is swinging back. They clinch and Viana lands an elbow. Ardelean lands a big shot and Viana goes to her knees. She gets up and they trade inside the pocket. Viana lands a body kick. Ardelean with a right hand. Viana lands a body kick. Ardelean with a combination. Ardelean landing the bigger punches. They trade late. 10-9 Ardelean.

They trade and Ardelean scores a takedown. Ardelean is controlling from the half-guard, but there isn’t a ton of action going on. Viana lands some elbows from the bottom. Ardelean remains in the full guard of Viana and lands some shots from the top. They are told to work by the referee. Ardelean lands and all of a sudden Viana yells out a verbal submission and the fight is stopped. It looks like Viana hurt her leg or knee as Viana had the body triangle around Ardelean and Ardelean used her back to squeeze Viana’s legs backward and Viana started tapping. A very unique finish.

Fight Result- Alice Ardelean def. Polyana Viana by submission (capsule lock) at 4:36 of Round 2

> Middleweights- Cody Brundage (11-9-1 1 NC, 5-8-1 1 NC UFC) vs. Andre Petroski (13-5, 8-4 UFC)

Petroski lands a leg kick. Petroski with a body shot. Brundage lands a right hand. Petroski with a body kick. Brundage lands a right hand. Petroski lands a leg kick. Petroski with a calf kick. They trade kicks and Petroski lands a knee to the body. Petroski looks for a takedown and Brundage jumps for a guillotine choke. Petroski is in side control and not in danger. Petroski steps over into the mount and lands. 10-9 Petroski.

Brundage drops Petroski with a left hook and he starts teeing off from the top. Brundage landing a lot of shots as Petroski is trying to cover up. Brundage is connecting with big punches and Petroski is taking a lot of punishment and it is all over! Brundage picks up the big finish!

Fight Result- Cody Brundage def. Andre Petroski by TKO (punches) at :44 of Round 2

> Women’s Bantamweights- #5 Ketlen Vieira (15-5, 9-5 UFC) vs. #11 Jacqueline Cavalcanti (10-1, 5-0 UFC)

Vieira lands some right hands and Cavalcanti lands a pair of leg kicks and right hands. Cavalcanti with an inside leg kick. Cavalcanti lands a leg kick and Vieira lands a right hand. They trade punches. Vieira lands a right hand. Cavalcanti with an inside leg kick. Cavalcanti lands a combination. Cavalcanti with an inside leg kick. There is not much going on except Cavalcanti landing leg kicks. Vieira lands a combo. Cavalcanti lands a body kick. 10-9 Cavalcanti.

Vieira pushes it against the fence and lands some short knees to the legs of Cavalcanti. Vieira is trying for a takedown but Cavalcanti defends. Vieira is able to get her down, but Cavalcanti lands a few elbows from the bottom. Vieira gets into the full guard of Cavalcanti and lands a pair of left hands. Cavalcanti with short elbows from the bottom, but Vieira is keeping on top and landing some. Vieira remaining on top and continues to land. Vieira ends the round on top. 10-9 Vieira, 19-19.

Both looking for openings to start the second. Cavalcanti with a short leg kick. Vieira lands a jab. They trade right hands as Cavalcanti is pressuring. Vieira lands a jab as Cavalcanti lands a leg kick. Cavalcanti lands a right hand. Cavalcanti with a leg kick followed by a right hand. Cavalcanti lands a body kick. Cavalcanti lands a right hand and a body kick. Cavalcanti lands against the fence and lands a body kick. Cavalcanti with a right hand. 10-9 Cavalcanti, 29-28 Cavalcanti.

Fight Result- Ketlen Vieira def. Jacqueline Cavalcanti by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Lightweights- Tommy Gantt (11-0 1 NC, 0-0 UFC) vs. Artur Minev (7-0, 0-0 UFC)

Gantt immediately gets the clinch and lands some knees against the fence. Gantt scores a takedown and has the back as they get right back up. Gantt with some knees. They remain clinched up and Gantt keeps advantage as Minev lands to the body. Gantt gets it down for a moment and has the back. Gantt takes it back down but they get up. They remain tied up and Gantt lands a knee to the groin and timeout is called. They get back going and clinch back up with both battling for position. 10-9 Gantt.

Gantt gets the clinch control again and has the body lock. He is controlling Minev against the fence and lands some knees. Gantt gets a big takedown, but they get right up. Gantt keeps back control and lands some punches and knees. Gantt gets Minev down and lands punches from the back. Minev is flattened out and Gantt is landing and it is stopped! Gantt picks up the win.

Fight Result- Tommy Gantt def. Artur Minev by TKO (punches) at 2:51 of Round 2

> Light Heavyweights- Tuco Tokkos (11-5, 1-2 UFC) vs. Ivan Erslan (14-6 1 NC, 0-3 UFC)

Erslan lands a right hand. Tokkos lands a leg kick. Erslan lands an uppercut and Tokkos is stunned. Erslan gets the back along the fence. Erslan separates and lands a combination and then a right hand. They trade in close range and Ersland hurts Tokkos with an uppercut. Tokkos shoots for a takedown and they scramble. Tokkos has Erslan pressed against the fence. They scramble down and Tokkos has the neck as they stand. They separate. They trade punches. Tokkos shoots for a takedown but Erslan sprawls. They break apart. Tokkos lands a pair of jabs followed by a right hand. Erslan lands several right hands along the fence. Tokkos now lands some big shots. Tokkos lands a flurry and Erslan lands some shots. Tokkos lands late. Wild round. 10-9 Tokkos.

Erslan lands the jab early as they trade punches. Tokkos shoots for a takedown but Erslan easily defends and lands from the top. Erslan passes to side control. Erslan gets the back and lands some knees. Erslan lands punches from the back. They roll and Erslan is back on top and lands. Erslan with some left hands from the top. Erslan ends the round on top. 10-9 Erslan, 19-19.

Tokkos lands a leg kick. Tokkos with some short punches. Erslan lands a right hand. Tokkos with a body kick. Tokkos shoots for a takedown, but Erslan ends up on top. Erslan lands some left hands from the top. Erslan keeps on top and continues to land from inside the guard of Tokkos. Erslan lands a right hand. They stand and Erslan has the back and takes it down. Erslan lands from side control. Erslan with some punches from the back. 10-9 Erslan, 29-28 Erslan.

Fight Result- Ivan Erslan def. Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET | 5 PM PT

> Welterweights- Nikolay Veretennikov (14-7, 2-3 UFC) vs. Khaos Williams (15-5, 6-4 UFC)

They both come out swinging and landing. Williams lands a leg kick. Williams lands to the body and Veretennikov fires back with a right hand. Veretennikov with a quick combo. Williams rushes in and connects as they tie up against the fence. Williams lands some knees against the fence before they separate. Veretennikov lands a right hand. Williams connects with some big shots and Veretennikov goes down briefly. They get up but Veretennikov is still hurt. Williamslands a right hand and lands again and Veretennikov goes down and it is over! Williams gets the knockout win.

Fight Result- Khaos Williams def. Nikolay Veretennikov by TKO (punches) at 3:31 of Round 1

> Bantamweights- Timmy Cuamba (10-3, 2-2 UFC) vs. Bernardo Sopaj (12-3, 1-1 UFC)

Cuamba lands some early leg kicks. Sopaj lands a jab. Cuamba lands a body kick. Cuamba with another body kick. Sopaj with an inside leg kick. Cuamba with a left hook and Sopaj counters with a leg kick. Cuamba lands a left hand to the body of Sopaj. Cuamba with a right hand to the body followed by a leg kick. Sopaj lands a right hand. Cuamba with a combo to the body. Cuamba lands a right hand. Sopaj with a jab followed by a right hand. Sopaj shoots for a takedown and has the back along the fence. Sopaj jumps on the back and lands a left hand. Sopaj looks to get his arm under the chin but lets go. Sopaj with a neck crank. Cuamba gives a thumbs up. He survives. 10-9 Sopaj.

Cuamba lands a groin strike and timeout is called. They get back to action. Cuamba lands a right hook to the body. Cuamba lands to the body again. Sopaj looks for a takedown and pushes it against the fence. Cuamba defends and they separate. Cuamba lands a combination. Sopaj lands a leg kick. Sopaj drops Cuamba with a left hand and starts landing lots of punches. Cuamba is in trouble as Sopaj is landing tons of shots and now mixes in elbows. Sopaj gets the mount and continues to land as Cuamba is bleeding. Sopaj with more left hands and now locks in a choke and Cuamba taps! Sopaj picks up the submission.

Fight Result- Bernardo Sopaj def. Timmy Cuamba by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:25 of Round 2

> 215-pound Catchweights- Modestas Bukauskas (19-7, 7-5 UFC) vs. Christian Edwards (8-4, 0-0 UFC)

Bukauskas lands a leg kick. Edwards with a hard leg kick. Bukauskas lands a right hand. Edwards with a right hand. Edwards pushes Bukauskas against the fence. They separate. Edwards lands a leg kick and Bukauskas throws his hands, but Edwards pushes it back to the fence. Edwards lands short punches and a knee to the body. Bukauskas forces separation. Bukauskas lands a hard body kick. Bukauskas with a right hand. They trade left hands. Bukauskas with a body kick. Bukauskas with a thudding right hand. Edwards lands a body kick and another. Bukauskas fires back a body kick. 10-9 Bukauskas.

Edwards with a front kick. Bukauskas lands a combination. Bukauskas with a front kick and both land a right hand. Bukauskas lands a right hand and Edwards is on shaky legs. Edwards forces a clinch to recover. They separate after nothing happens. Bukauskas lands a big combination. Bukauskas lands a right hand and Edwards is hurt. Bukauskas tries to land but they tie right back up. They separate after little action. Bukauskas with a high kick. 10-9 Bukauskas, 20-18 Bukauskas.

They trade and Bukauskas with a groin strike, but Edwards says he can continue immediately. They trade punches inside the pocket. They tie up against the fence. Edwards is looking for a takedown. Edwards is just hanging on. He lands an elbow and goes back to hugging. Edwards with a shoulder strike. They break apart. Bukauskas with a left hook. Bukauskas lands a leg kick as Edwards lands a left hand. Bukauskas with a spin kick to the body. Edwards is pressing forward as Bukauskas is circling. Bukauskas lands a right hand. Edwards with a leg kick. 10-9 Edwards, 29-28 Bukauskas.

Fight Result- Modestas Bukauskas def. Christian Edwards by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Bantamweights- Malcolm Wellmaker (10-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Juan Diaz (15-1-1, 0-0 UFC)

Diaz lands a leg kick. Wellmaker with a body kick. Wellmaker lands another hard body kick followed by a leg kick. Wellmaker with another body kick. Wellmaker lands a body kick. Wellmaker with a jab as he continues to connect with kicks. Wellmaker with a leg kick. Diaz grabs the body lock and pushes it to the fence. Diaz drags it down but they get right up. Diaz gets a big takedown but Wellmaker gets right up. Wellmaker lands a knee to the body. They break apart and Diaz drops Wellmaker with a right hand and then lands a knee as Wellmaker is on the mat. Timeout is called for a potential foul. It hit the shoulder so it’s not a foul. 10-9 Diaz.

Neither is landing nearly a minute into the round. Wellmaker with a left hand. Wellmaker with a left hand to the body. Wellmaker lands a body kick. Diaz grabs the body lock and scores a takedown. Diaz has control as they get to their feet. They go back to the mat with Diaz on the back. Diaz is now in the half-guard of Wellmaker. Diaz has the back as they stand and he drags it back down. Diaz is working for a choke as he traps an arm. Diaz locks in a rear-naked choke and Wellmaker taps!

Fight Result- Juan Diaz def. Malcolm Wellmaker by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:08 of Round 2

> Featherweights- Doo Ho Choi (16-4-1, 5-3-1 UFC) vs. Daniel Santos (13-2, 4-1 UFC)

Santos lands a big body kick. Choi with a heavy calf kick. Santos lands a right hand. Choi lands a jab as Santos lands a body kick. Santos looks for a takedown but Choi defends and lands a knee. Choi with a big calf kick. Santos lands a body kick. Santos with a right hand and both swing inside the pocket. Choi with a left hook and Santos lands a combo. Santos with a right hand. Santos lands an uppercut. Santos connects and Choi hurts Santos with a right hand. Santos with a series of uppercuts. Choi works the jab and Santos lands a big flurry to the head and body. Santos with a couple of uppercuts. Santos looks for a takedown. Santos gets a takedown but they get right up and Santos lands to the body. 10-9 Santos.

Santos lands a leg kick. Santos with a spinning heel kick. They both land combinations. Choi lands a jab. Santos looks for a takedown but Choi defends. Santos has Choi pushed against the fence. They break apart and Choi lands a jab. They trade jabs. Santos lands a combination. Choi lands the jab. They trade punches. Santos lands a right hand and Choi lands a big jab. Choi lands a big right hand. Choi with another right hand. Choi lands a double jab. Santos looks for a takedown but Choi defends and grabs the neck. They scramble apart. Choi lands a big left hook. Santos is backing up. Choi works the jab and is opening up. Santos is tired. Choi lands to the body and then a liver shot drops Santos and it is all over! What a fight!

Fight Result- Doo Ho Choi def. Daniel Santos by TKO (punch) at 4:29 of Round 2

> Featherweights- #7 Arnold Allen (20-4, 11-3 UFC) vs. #12 Melquizael Costa (26-7, 7-2 UFC)

Allen lands a leg kick. Costa lands a body kick followed by a spin kick. Allen drops Costa with a big left hand. Costa is able to get up and they clinch. Allen scores a takedown. Costa looks for the neck, but Allen spins out and has the back. Allen lands a knee. They stand, but Allen has control of a leg and scores a takedown. Costa ends up on top and lands some left hands from the half-guard. Costa takes the back and lands some elbows. Costa rolls and looks to lock on a body triangle. They get to their feet and Costa has the back along the fence. Costa keeps back control as they scramble and jumps on the back on the feet. Allen escapes and lands some punches before getting neck control. Allen with some elbows as Costa attacks the leg. 10-9 Allen.

Allen lands a nice jab. Costa with a short body kick and then a leg kick. Costa lands a jab as Allen lands a leg kick. Costa lands a leg kick. Allen is pressing forward. Allen with a nice combination. Allen lands a jab. Costa with a leg kick. He lands another. Costa lands a combination. Allen with a jab. Costa goes to the mat and Allen lands some leg kicks before he stands. Allen lands a left hand. They trade punches. 10-9 Allen, 20-18 Allen.

They come out and trade as Costa connects with a combination. Costa lands a leg kick and a left hand. They trade leg kicks. Allen connects with a solid left hand. Costa with a pair of leg kicks. Costa lands a knee and both land a leg kick. Allen lands a solid left hand. Costa lands a left hand. Allen connecting more as he is pressing forward. Costa with a combination. Allen lands a double jab followed by a left hand. Allen with a big left hand and follows with a combination. Costa looks for a single leg but pulls guard and Allen lands from the top. Allen with a pair of big elbows. Allen gets to side control and lands a big elbow. Costa is giving up his back and Allen lands. Allen stands and Costa is ordered up. Allen with a big left hand. Costa lands a left hand. 10-9 Allen, 30-27 Allen.

Costa lands a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Allen with the double jab. Allen lands a solid combination. Costa lands a left hand. Allen fires back with a left hand. Allen with a left hand. Costa lands one. Allen hurts Costa again with a left hand and they tie up against the fence. Allen scores a takedown. Allen controlling from the top. They get to their feet. Allen lands a left hand. Costa with a knee to the body and Allen fires back with a left hand. Allen lands a body kick. 10-9 Allen, 40-36 Allen.

Costa comes out landing as he connects with a combiation. Allen is able to score a takedown and connects from the back. They stand with Allen still on the back of Costa. Allen scores a takedown. Costa gives up his back as he tries to get up. Allen has body control as they stand. Allen lands a knee. Allen gets another takedown and is controlling from the top. Allen with an elbow from the top. Costa looks for an arm for a kimura, but Allen steps over and takes the back. Costa falls back to slam Allen down to try and break the grip, but Allen hangs on and has full control. Allen lands from the back. Allen lands big shots from the back as they go the distance. 10-9 Allen, 50-45 Allen.

Fight Result- Arnold Allen def. Melquizael Costa by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)

Correction on TKO/Arizona deal for WWE events

Posted on by F4W Staff

Update —

Arizona Sports & Events Alliance has reached out to us to clarify that our original report is incorrect.

“While I was told the TKO/Arizona deal involved Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and SNME, a source with the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance said today that this report is inaccurate,” our Bryan Alvarez writes.

***********

Original report —

More info on TKO’s new deal with Arizona.

WWE’s parent company alongside the Arizona Sports & Event Alliance announced on Tuesday that they will bring seven events to the state that will include WWE, UFC, Zuffa Boxing, and Professional Bull Riding. Bryan Alvarez has some new details regarding what WWE would be bringing to the table in the deal.

“The new Phoenix agreement is for a Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and Saturday Night’s Main Event,” he writes.

WWE currently only has their event schedule set through Money in the Bank, which takes place on September 6 in New Orleans. They have yet to reveal locations for this year’s Survivor Series or the 2027 Royal Rumble.

Significant shows held in Arizona

Some prominent shows held in Arizona in the past include WrestleMania XXVI at State Farm Stadium back in 2010, which had the infamous second and final match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. It was also home to the 2019 Royal Rumble at Chase Field that saw Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins win that year’s Rumble matches.

UFC has also run events in Arizona, including UFC 274 back in May 2022 at the Footprint Center that saw Charles Oliveira defeat Justin Gaethje to retain the UFC lightweight title.