Issue 216
April 2025
Paul Browne jumps into the Fighters Only wayback-when machine to recap the best of mixed martial arts in April 2025.
Kayla Harrison Promises To Dominate Julianna Peña At UFC 316
One of the most decorated athletes in female combat sports history, Kayla Harrison is just one fight away from adding a UFC championship belt to her impressive résumé.
Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) won two Olympic gold medals in judo before transitioning to mixed martial arts in 2018. She made an immediate impact in the PFL smartcage, winning the organization's world tournaments in both 2019 and 2021, competing at 155 pounds.
After fulfilling her contract with the PFL, the 34-year-old made headlines last year by announcing she was set to sign with the UFC and move down two weight classes to compete in the bantamweight division.
Harrison dominated and submitted former champion Holly Holm in her Octagon debut at UFC 300 last June, then went on to secure a decision victory over Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 in October. She is now set to face Julianna Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in a bantamweight title fight at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, on June 7.
Peña became champion for the second time in October when she dethroned Raquel Pennington. While that achievement makes her one of the most credentialed female fighters in UFC history, Harrison isn't convinced that "The Venezuelan Vixen" belongs among the sport's all-time best.
"We'll find out", Harrison responded when asked this week by Ariel Helwani just how highly Peña ranks among the great female fighters in UFC history. "I mean, you know, there's always that little bit of unknown when you fight a new opponent. So, yeah, I think that like skill wise, I don't think she's the top of the top. But I think in terms of like heart and maybe experience, you know, she's got some good experience and she's definitely got confidence. I would argue cockiness maybe. So, yeah, she's going to be...I don't know. We'll see".
Kayla Harrison Thinks Juliana Peña Is "Just Pretty Dumb Sometimes"
Peña has never shied away from the opportunity to throw shade at Harrison. From accusations of steroid use to finding fault with her performance against Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307, the champion has been vocal and persistent in her criticism of the former Olympian.
However, Harrison isn't bothered by Peña's words.
"I mean, okay, like I want to have a lot of respect for Juliana because she's a single mom", Harrison said. "She's like a veteran of the sport. She like scratched and clawed her way to the top. She believed in herself when nobody believed in her. Like, I really want to have like I want to have admiration for her. And I think probably deep down I do.
"And I love that she's like confident and she says what she thinks. And but she's just pretty like dumb sometimes. So it's hard. It's difficult. I mean, just like some of the stuff she's just like, you know, cheesy, like very cringe. You know, she reminds me a lot of like Henry (Cejudo), like trying so trying too hard a little bit, trying too hard".
She may still be acclimating to a new weight class, but Harrison has looked imperious inside the Octagon so far, and she expects that trend to continue when she faces Peña at UFC 316.
"Yeah, I think I'm just going to dominate", she replied when Helwani asked for a prediction for June 7. "I think I'm going to go out there and instill my will. I think she's going to try and pressure and, like, maybe, you know, she's nuts. Like, I'll give her that. She's got heart and she's nuts. She'll just keep coming forward. And I think that I'm going to fight a smart fight and whoop her ass."
Paddy Pimblett Reveals He Took A Paycut To Sign With The UFC
As he prepares to step into the Octagon this weekend for the most important fight of his career, Paddy Pimblett has been reminiscing about the time he rejected a contract offer from the UFC.
UK star Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC), who faces Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in the co-main event at UFC 314 this Saturday, fought in the iconic yellow gloves of Cage Warriors for the majority of his professional career before finally signing with the UFC in 2021.
After winning the Cage Warriors featherweight title in 2016, the UFC came calling, but "The Baddy" rejected their advances. The Liverpool native wanted to take some time to mature as a fighter and chose to stay with Cage Warriors instead.
Pimblett revealed that not only did the decision make sense from a developmental perspective, but also from a financial one. The contract offer he received from Cage Warriors far exceeded the one the UFC had extended, and he certainly doesn’t regret his choice to stay with the UK-based promotion.
“When I got offered the first (UFC) contract, I got offered a new Cage Warriors’ deal, and that deal was worth more than the base contract for the UFC – and I’ve done a lot with that money,” Pimblett said during this week during an appearance on the Full Send Podcast. “I saved that money over the years to get a house deposit myself and pay my mum’s mortgage off. I’ve done a few things like that, and that money’s done a lot for me over the years.
"I’m very thankful for Cage Warriors. They set me up for the start of my adult life really, because that’s when I was 21 when I first started to get that wage".
Pimblett finally signed with the UFC five years later, where he remains unbeaten to this day. He has grown stronger with each fight inside the Octagon and has become a household name. However, he revealed that he had to back himself in the early days by accepting a pay cut when signing with the world leader.
“When I first signed with the UFC, I took a pay cut", the 30-eyar old revealed. "The UFC standard deal is ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win). I signed for a pay cut at first. My first two fights were 10/10 and then 12/12, and obviously after I won my second fight we got a new deal, and it went up.”
Aaron Pico Signs With The UFC, Reveals Movsar Evloev Fight Was "Very Close" To Happening
Former Bellator star Aaron Pico has signed with the UFC, as he revealed in a social media post this week.
Pico (13-4) was a decorated amateur boxer and freestyle wrestler before transitioning to MMA. He made his professional debut in the Bellator cage back in 2017.
Every fight of his career to date has taken place under the Bellator/PFL banner. However, after securing his release from his PFL contract, the Jackson-Wink MMA standout announced that he will be competing in the UFC's featherweight division moving forward.
“After years of hard work, dedication, and unwavering belief, I’ve officially signed with the UFC!” Pico wrote on Instagram. “This is more than just a dream come true; it’s the beginning of a new chapter. Thank you to my family, my managerAli Abdelaziz, coaches, training partners, and everyone who has supported me on this journey. Your belief in me has fueled my fire. The ultimate goal? To become the UFC champion. I’m ready to work harder than ever before to make that a reality.”
It had been speculated earlier this week that Pico would be facing unbeaten contender Movsar Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) at the UFC Apex on May 17th, and while that fight isn't happening, it seems the fight was certainly being discussed behind the scenes.
"Yeah, it was real", Pico said during an interview with MMA Junkie on Wednesday. "I mean, I got a phone call from (Pico's manager) Ali saying, 'Hey, can you fight April 17th?' And I said, 'Of course'. And then I just said, 'Who am I fighting against?' And he said, 'Movsar', and I said, 'Of course, that's a great fight for me...you know, I don't think he knows how good my wrestling is'. And he said, 'OK, I agree too'.
"So I don't know. It was pretty close. I was a little bit surprised, but ultimately it's not happening. But it was a good sign that they were entertaining the idea of fighting a guy so highly ranked. For him, it was kind of hard because, you know, he's number four. I'm just coming in. I can understand why he probably got advice not to ultimately take it. But he did say yes, but I'm sure he got with his team and they said, 'What are you doing? Just wait.' So nothing but respect".
Ilia Topuria Aims To Submit Makhachev — And Send A Message To Khabib
Ilia Topuria is eagerly anticipating a future showdown with both Islam Makhachev and his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Known as "La Leyenda," Topuria is making the move up to the lightweight division with one goal in mind: capturing the 155-pound title currently held by Makhachev. After holding the featherweight championship, Topuria is set to vacate that belt officially this Saturday, clearing the way for Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes to battle for it in the UFC 314 main event.
While a bout between Topuria and Makhachev hasn’t been confirmed yet, the Spanish-Georgian fighter has repeatedly brought up the potential clash. Speaking on the PBD Podcast, he shared his thoughts on how he matches up with the UFC’s top pound-for-pound talent — and didn’t hesitate to send a message to Khabib as well.
“You ask me, I feel that I have the advantage in everything,” Topuria said. “This is what I truly believe. Me, personally, I would ask him, ‘What’s your favorite submission?’ Whatever, I don’t know, D’Arce choke. I’m going to submit you with that.”
“I take him close to Khabib. I will submit him closer to Khabib. Khabib used to take people on his shoulder, take them down, and talk to Dana. I will do it to Khabib. I will take [Makhachev] and then talk to Khabib. Khabib, I have to do it.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov has expressed that he’d like to see Ilia Topuria prove himself in the lightweight division before getting a title shot against Islam Makhachev. Both fighters boast impressive records: Topuria remains undefeated at 16-0, with his recent knockout victories over MMA icons Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway solidifying his elite status. Makhachev, meanwhile, is riding a 15-fight win streak dating back to 2015, which includes five successful title defenses.
While Topuria has yet to receive confirmation about his lightweight debut, he’s confident that UFC President Dana White won’t require him to compete in a title eliminator first.
“[White] wouldn’t tell me that,” Topuria said. “He would say for the belt.”
“There’s no way I have to fight to the No. 1 contender,” Topuria continued. “I have to fight directly for the belt. Personally, I don’t know, I hope in summer, maybe in September.”
Topuria isn’t bothered by Nurmagomedov questioning whether he deserves a title shot, noting that they’re simply approaching the situation from different perspectives.
“He’s saying that I don’t deserve it, but he’s saying it from a fighter’s perspective,” Topuria said. “As a promoter, it works a little bit different.”
Amanda Nunes To Be Inducted Into UFC Hall Of Fame
The most successful female fighter in the history of mixed martial arts, Amanda Nunes, is set to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame later this year.
Former two-division UFC champion Nunes (23-5 MMA, 16-2 UFC) was completely surprised by the announcement, which came during the broadcast of Saturday's UFC 314 event at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
“The Lioness” will be inducted as part of the 2025 Hall of Fame class on June 28 in Las Vegas.
Nunes competed inside the Octagon from 2013 to 2023. During her tenure, she captured both the bantamweight and featherweight titles, reigning supreme over both divisions simultaneously.
She fought in a record twelve consecutive title fights before announcing her retirement following a dominant win over Irene Aldana in June 2023.
Nunes first claimed the bantamweight title in 2016, submitting Miesha Tate in the opening round of their clash at UFC 200. She then went on to knock out women’s MMA trailblazer Ronda Rousey in under a minute later that year.
After successfully defending her belt against Valentina Shevchenko and Raquel Pennington, Nunes moved up to challenge then-featherweight champion Cris Cyborg at UFC 232.
A quickfire knockout victory made Nunes the first female two-division champion in UFC history. She suffered only one more loss in her career—to Julianna Peña in 2021—but avenged that defeat six months later.
Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who now holds the bantamweight title Nunes vacated upon retiring, is set to face Nunes’ former training partner Kayla Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the co-main event at UFC 316 on June 7. Speculation has been growing that Nunes might be tempted to return to the Octagon in the near future.
UFC President Dana White was asked at Friday’s UFC 314 ceremonial weigh-ins whether he’d be open to Nunes coming out of retirement to face the winner of that bout later this year. As the camera cut to Nunes, seated in the VIP section, she nodded in agreement.
White has often said he believed Nunes retired too early, and her potential return could inject some much-needed excitement into the UFC’s 135-pound division.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: "Islam Wants To Fight At 170"
The list of UFC lightweights calling for a chance to fight Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) continues to grow, but we still seem no closer to finding out who the 155-pound champion will face next.
Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov—who coaches Makhachev—teased a possible move up to 170 pounds for the champ. However, he said the switch would depend on the outcome of the upcoming welterweight title fight between Jack Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and his team’s occasional training partner, Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC).
“Islam wants to fight at 170", Khabib told Adam Zubayraev in an interview on his YouTube channel, "but we can’t go up there because Belal is the champion who is very close to us. We can’t exchange our relationships for belts. That’s not the way we are. Those who offer us this just don’t look at things the way we do so we have different views in this case.
“If Maddalena was the champion, Islam would fight him for sure. As far as I see it, the UFC are waiting for the event in May where Belal and Maddalena are set to fight each other. I really want with all my heart Belal to win, but if Maddalena wins, I think the UFC may offer Islam this fight for the title at 170.”
Khabib Rates The UFC Lightweight Contenders
Makhachev was originally scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) at UFC 311 in January, but the bout fell through at the eleventh hour when the Armenian challenger withdrew due to a back injury.
Makhachev went on to submit late replacement Renato Moicano with relative ease, and Tsarukyan now reenters the growing list of contenders at 155 pounds—a list that now includes former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC).
“La Leyenda” recently vacated the 145-pound title and is hoping to be the next to face Makhachev, but Khabib believes Tsarukyan is more deserving of the next title shot.
“I think Tsarukyan would be more competitive", Nurmagomedov said. "I think Arman is a more solid fighter than Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145 but we haven’t seen him at 155 yet. I expect Arman to be more competitive against Islam at 155 than Topuria."
Makhachev fought and defeated Topuria’s predecessor at 145 pounds, Alexander Volkanovski, twice in 2023. Topuria recently revealed he was promised a title shot upon moving up to 155 pounds, but Nurmagomedov doesn’t believe it’s in Makhachev’s best interest to face another featherweight champion.
“I have no idea what kind of agreements Topuria might have with the UFC, but from Islam’s point of view he has already given the featherweight champion a shot twice and Islam won on both occasions", said the former lightweight great. "Should he give them a third chance? Ok, let’s imagine Topuria gets his chance, fights Islam for the belt. Islam beats him, Topuria gets another fight and loses again. So that would mean he is a nobody at 155 and Islam beat a man who is a nobody at 155. So it matters for his legacy, his resume.
"I understand the risks for Islam too. That’s why Islam said, ‘Let him take a fight, let him become a real contender’. Islam would fight anyone. Islam said: ‘I would fight any fighter’. Ok…one, two…then they want to give us the featherweight champion for the third time? I am sorry, but Islam has his say in this conversation too as the pound-for-pound number one fighter. He's the best fighter and when he fought the 145-pound champion he flew over to Australia and fought him in his backyard.
"That’s why we as a team see Topuria as a really good fighter. He’s the champion, he defended his title, he beat very serious fighters, but all of them fight at 145 pounds. Even Holloway could do nothing when he moved up to 155 pounds."
Ilia Topuria Details His Struggles At Making 145-Pound Weight Limit
As soon as the first punch was thrown in last Saturday’s UFC 314 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, Ilia Topuria was no longer the UFC featherweight champion.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) recently announced that he plans to make a permanent move up to the lightweight division, with reigning champion Islam Makhachev (29-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) clearly in his sights.
Although there has been plenty of speculation that “La Leyenda” could be granted an immediate title shot at 155 pounds, he is still waiting to hear from UFC matchmakers about what’s next.
Now back in the role of a hungry challenger, Topuria appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience this week, where he opened up about the ongoing struggle of consistently making the 145-pound limit.
"I walk around 80, 82 (kilograms)", Topuria told host Joe Rogan. "(Making weight) was the hardest part of my training for the fight game, for me. I wasn't enjoying at all the last couple (of) fights that I had because it's like I had to become more professional in the weight cut than in a fight game, you know? And it was taking a lot of time and energy from me.
"And I'm like, 'my dream is to become a world champion', I want to end up this chapter that I have, that I started in 145, and now it's time to really enjoy it and I'm very excited about that.
"I started fighting in the bantamweight division before (signing with) the UFC like in Cage Warriors when I was fighting in the Cage Warriors. I actually missed the weight also when I was fighting for the belt. I was fighting at that time in the bantamweight division, then I kept fighting in the featherweight and now I'm in the lightweight. I hope I I don't end up fighting in the Welterweight!"
Topuria pointed to one of his predecessors at the top of the UFC featherweight division, Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), as an example of another champion who suffered greatly from cutting too much weight. He also revealed the harrowing extent of his own struggles during the process.
"He also suffered a lot with the weight cuts", the Spanish-Georgian said of "The Notorious". "That's also a big damage for your body. That's also (one of the) reasons why I changed the weight class. because I realised that my health is the most important thing in my life. You can have everything in this life but if you are not healthy, you don't have anything
"You sometimes feel that you're really going to die. I wasn't able to sleep (for) 48 hours at all because I was so dehydrated. My body was so skinny, I was dreaming about water, about food, about everything. My social media was (just showing me) food, food, food. At that moment you don't give a f**k about anything material."
"You Have To Have Me Fight" - Dakota Ditcheva Voices Her Frustration At The PFL
Dakota Ditcheva's strength of schedule since signing with the PFL in 2022 has been nothing short of remarkable.
Ditcheva (14-0) has competed inside the PFL SmartCage nine times in just over two years. She won the PFL Europe tournament in 2023 before capturing the organization’s world championship—and the $1 million prize that comes with it—in 2024.
“Dangerous” hasn’t fought since finishing Taila Santos to claim the PFL world title last November. The 26-year-old is starting to grow frustrated as she waits to find out who—and when—she’ll fight next.
"The belt's amazing, but for me, I want to fight, you know?", Ditcheva said this week during an interview with MMA Junkie. "I loved fighting four times last year, the year before that, I fought three times. The year before that, I fought four times, so I've always been a really active fighter. So this for me now, especially not having anything even lined up is really like mentally challenging for me. Like I've really got to just believe in the process and let everything happen how it should. It's testing me for sure."
Ditcheva, who trains at American Top Team in Florida, admits it was frustrating watching many of her teammates prepare for the PFL 2025 World Tournament. The experience led her to seek refuge with a trip back home to her native Manchester, England.
"That's probably why I went home because at the start of the year I was here in Florida training with nothing lined up", Ditcheva admitted. "Seeing everybody train for this tournament, it was really disheartening for me. So I went home, refreshed a little bit. Now I'm back, ready to get back in the gym and hopefully something will come up by then."
There had been speculation that “Dangerous” might be included in this year’s flyweight tournament, but the competition got under way just over a week ago—without her or Taila Santos, who withdrew due to an injury at the eleventh hour. With many of the organization’s female fighters now tied up in the tournament, Ditcheva is growing increasingly frustrated on the sidelines.
"I'm in contract and you guys have to have me fight", Ditcheva said. "I know that they will pull something out the bag, there's just been a lot of changes obviously this whole year has been a big change for them, so I'll trust that they they bring something for me.
"I get it's hard for PFL, you know?They've put all the girls in the tournament and then now they need to find someone that's that's gonna kind of give me good competition. (They) can't give me someone that's just kind of signed to the PFL and not really had that much experience because it doesn't make sense.
"I've just beat (Taila) Santos (very easily). I think that's another thing that I have to understand is like if I'd had a five-round war with Santos, there would have been a few more people in there that would have been more of a match (for me), but I walked through (her), I walked through everyone last year so it just puts them in a difficult position now and I get it. But I'm sure they'll work to find someone."
Dricus Du Plessis Rubbishes Injury Rumors, Teases Fight Announcement
UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has moved to debunk rumors that he suffered a catastrophic injury and is unable to defend his title.
It had been speculated that Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) was set to face Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) at UFC 317 on June 28.
Another top contender in the middleweight division, Caio Borralho (17-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), revealed during an interview with AG Fight last week that he had heard Du Plessis had broken his shinbone and would therefore be unavailable to face Chimaev during International Fight Week.
This sparked an entertaining back-and-forth between Chimaev and Borralho, with "Borz" sharing pictures online of the two sparring — including one where he had secured a rear-naked choke on the Brazilian.
Both fighters have been calling for the opportunity to face each other, possibly for an interim title at UFC 317, should the champion be unavailable. However, Du Plessis addressed the rumors this week in a post on his Instagram account, aiming to put the speculation to rest.
"Okey so everyone had their opinions and rumours and stories about a shin break and injuries etc", Du Plessis wrote. "I found it all very entertaining, unfortunately none of it is true myself and @ufc already discussed a fight date and opponent, the June fight was never signed I did not pull out of any fight, I am the champion I know when I fight you as a contender just show up when we tell you to. Fight announcement coming soon stay tuned. #preparetobeamazed #stillknocks????."
Du Plessis was most recently in action at UFC 312 in February, where he made the second successful defense of his title, outpointing former champion Sean Strickland over five rounds.
He had previously defeated Strickland at UFC 297 twelve months earlier to win the belt, before going on to submit another former champion, Israel Adesanya, in his first title defense later that year.
Report: Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway III Set For UFC New Orleans
UFC legends Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier are set to meet for the third time inside the Octagon on July 19.
The bout, which is expected to be the final fight of Poirier’s career, is scheduled to headline UFC 318 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, in Poirier’s home state of Louisiana. The fight will be for the BMF title.
Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8, 1 NC UFC) revealed after his most recent fight—a submission loss to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev—that his next appearance would be his last.
There was plenty of speculation regarding who his final opponent might be. “The Diamond” admitted he had hoped to face either Justin Gaethje or Ilia Topuria, but the UFC ultimately decided on Holloway.
“I was asking Hunter [Campbell] for Gaethje,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “We’re 1-1, and I wanted to close out that trilogy. For some reason, they really wanted this fight. That’s cool because I respect Max for my last fight.”
“When Ilia said he was going to 155, I texted the UFC and said, ‘Hey, let me know what’s going on with this guy.’ But they never entertained it. They told me it’s not happening and they wanted Max.”
Former UFC featherweight champion Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) returns to the lightweight division following a failed bid to reclaim the 145-pound title last October. “Blessed” suffered a devastating knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in that bout.
Before that, Holloway delivered one of the most impressive performances of his career, dominating Justin Gaethje in the co-main event at UFC 300 and capping it off with one of the most jaw-dropping finishes in UFC history—flattening “The Highlight” in the final seconds of the fight.
Poirier and Holloway first faced off back in 2012, in what was Holloway’s UFC debut. Poirier submitted the Hawaiian in the first round—a result that remains the only submission loss of Holloway’s career.
They met again in 2019. At the time, Holloway was the reigning UFC featherweight champion and temporarily moved up to 155 pounds to challenge Poirier at UFC 236. Poirier outpointed Holloway over five rounds to earn the unanimous decision victory.
