Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will face surging challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City on Sunday. Pereira has successfully defended his title twice, while Rountree Jr. enters the fight on a five-fight winning streak. The event also features several other exciting matchups, including Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Pena and Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista.
ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Alexis Nicolas will defend his title against former champion Regian Eersel at ONE Fight Night 25, a highly anticipated rematch of their first encounter where Nicolas stunned Eersel to capture the belt. The event, taking place on October 5th in Bangkok, Thailand, promises to be a thrilling night of action with a full card of Muay Thai and MMA bouts.
Merab Dvalishvili will challenge reigning bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley for the title at UFC 306 on September 15th. The fight has been brewing for months, with Dvalishvili finally getting his chance after years of calling out O’Malley. The fight is set to be an exciting clash of styles between the two highly ranked fighters.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has banned mixed martial arts (MMA), deeming it incompatible with Islamic law. This decision comes after an investigation by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, which found MMA to be too violent and potentially harmful. The ban is part of the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law, which has seen other restrictions implemented since their return to power in 2021.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to return to Macau in November 2024, hosting UFC Fight Night Macau at the Galaxy Arena. This event marks a significant step in bolstering Macau’s reputation as a premier destination for sports tourism, attracting a global audience of sports enthusiasts and contributing to the region’s economic growth.
South African Dricus du Plessis retained his middleweight championship at UFC 305, defeating Israel Adesanya by submission in a hard-fought battle. Despite taking significant body shots, du Plessis secured a takedown in the fourth round and forced Adesanya to tap out with a choke hold.
Serghei Spivac secured a dominant first-round submission victory over Marcin Tybura in the main event of UFC Fight Night, avenging his previous loss and propelling himself closer to a title shot. The card also saw impressive wins from Chepe Mariscal and Chris Gutierrez.
Merab Dvalishvili’s long-awaited title shot against Sean O’Malley is finally happening at UFC 306. The event will also feature a trilogy fight between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko. UFC 304 saw Belal Muhammad dethrone Leon Edwards for the welterweight title, and Tom Aspinall defended his interim heavyweight title against Curtis Blaydes.
Virna Jandiroba secured a dominant victory over Marina Rodriguez via submission in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Jandiroba’s armbar forced Lemos to tap out with just seconds remaining in the second round, marking her second loss in three fights. The event also featured several other exciting knockout victories.
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has pleaded not guilty to assault and interference with communication charges stemming from an alleged altercation with a drug tester at his New Mexico home. Jones maintains his innocence, claiming the accusations are baseless and that he was simply frustrated by the tester’s professionalism. The incident occurred during a drug test in March, and Jones has vowed to fight the charges.
