Issue 227
March 2026
Paul Browne jumps into the Fighters Only wayback-when machine to recap the best of mixed martial arts in March 2026
Prochazka Eyes Redemption, Says Pereira Rematch Will Come
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has officially vacated his 205-pound title, the promotion confirmed last week, clearing the way for a new champion to be crowned at UFC 327 in Miami on April 11.
While no formal announcement has been made regarding Pereira’s next move, the prevailing expectation is that he will transition to the heavyweight division.
In the wake of the vacancy, former champion Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is set to face rising contender Carlos Ulberg (13-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) for the vacant belt in the UFC 327 main event.
Prochazka, who originally captured the light heavyweight title in 2022, relinquished the belt later that year due to a long-term shoulder injury. Since returning, he has had two opportunities to reclaim the championship but fell short both times against Pereira in 2023 and 2024.
Appearing this week on The Ariel Helwani Show, Prochazka addressed Pereira’s decision to vacate the title and said he was not caught off guard by the move.
“I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised,” Prochazka said. “I think it's like (a) gentleman (thing). Gentlemen think about when you go up (a weight class) - and he wants to go up - that it's normal to release the title.”
Although Prochazka understands the reasoning, he admitted he had hoped for a different scenario.
“Yeah, that's the thing what I hoped for,” Prochazka said when asked if he was disappointed not to face Pereira again. “(Of the) possible opponents for me, there were Ulberg or Pereira. I wanted just one of these two for a title fight, because I think other fighters don't deserve it, and I made enough to take back what's mine.”
Instead, Prochazka will attempt to regain the belt against Ulberg, one of the division’s fastest-rising contenders.
When asked whether winning the championship matters more than avenging past losses, Prochazka was clear in his priorities.
“That's right,” he said. “I think, I believe, sooner or later, Alex Pereira will come in my way.”
As for what motivates him most at this stage of his career, Prochazka emphasized performance over opponent.
“Right now, my dream scenario is to do the best fights, best performances, to be, to be proud of myself, to be proud of my victories and all the performances,” he said. “That's all my career. Only one rule, to do the best, do the best performance, do the best preparation. And I think it works.”
UFC Reveals Main Card for “Freedom 250” White House Event
The much-anticipated lineup for the upcoming UFC White House event was finally revealed Saturday night. Speculation has been rife surrounding “UFC Freedom 250,” which is set to take place on the White House lawn on June 14, and confirmation of the main card finally arrived during the broadcast of UFC 326.
Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is set to return in the main event, where he will take on Justin Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), who recently defeated Paddy Pimblett to win the 155-pound interim title.
In the co-main event, Alex Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will compete at heavyweight for the first time. The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion, who vacated his 205-pound title just last week, had been strongly rumored to face Jon Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) but will instead meet Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for the interim belt.
Also on the card, former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) takes on rising Canadian star Aiemann Zahabi (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), while Mauricio Ruffy (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) faces Michael Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC).
Bo Nickal (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will face Kyle Daukaus (17-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) in an all-American clash, while two-time featherweight title contender Diego Lopes (27-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC) meets rising star Steve Garcia (18-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in the main card opener.
Fights Confirmed So Far:
Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane
Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi
Mauricio Ruffy vs. Michael Chandler
Bo Nickal vs. Kyle Daukaus
Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia
Bo Nickal Says Colby Covington Turned Down Fight at UFC White House Event
Bo Nickal claims that Colby Covington declined an opportunity to face him at the UFC’s upcoming White House card.
Nickal is scheduled to fight Kyle Daukaus at “UFC Freedom 250,” at the White House on June 14. The bout comes months after a heated public exchange between Nickal and Covington at the Real American Freestyle 5 post-event press conference in January.
Following that confrontation, it appeared the two could settle their differences inside the Octagon. However, when the card for the White House event was officially announced over the weekend, Covington’s name was absent.
Speaking Monday on The Ariel Helwani Show, Nickal said he pushed for the matchup and believes the UFC attempted to make the fight happen.
“Colby was a guy that wasn't really on my radar until the Real American Freestyle event in January,” Nickal said. “And he kind of spouted off about me quite a bit. And I was like, ‘OK, well, we can fight.’ And then post-match for him, he said that he wanted to move up to middleweight and fight at 185. So I was like, ‘Wow, this is perfect. Everything's lining up and let's do it.’”
Nickal said he requested the fight and believes the promotion approached Covington about the matchup.
“So obviously I asked for him and the UFC tried to make the fight,” Nickal said. “I know they talked to him extensively. Long story short, he just wouldn't do it.”
According to Nickal, Covington may have even been given an ultimatum if he wanted to compete at the historic event.
“I think (the UFC) even told him, like, ‘If you want to be on this (White House) card, you have to fight Bo,’” Nickal said. “And he said no. So he would rather be a coward and not fight me than be on the White House card, which is a once-in-a-lifetime—well, once-ever—opportunity.”
Nickal also questioned Covington’s decision given the former welterweight title challenger’s long-standing public support for former U.S. president Donald Trump.
“What's wild to me about that is that he has made his persona into the Trump guy, right?” Nickal said. “Every chance he's wearing the hat, he went over the top with it when not a lot of athletes were doing that, especially back in like 2018 and 2019. And now you get the opportunity to fight there and you don’t take it.”
Nickal further insisted that the UFC definitively offered Covington the bout, pushing back on claims that the fight was never formally proposed.
“A hundred percent,” Nickal said. “He tried to lie and say, ‘this, that, blah, blah, blah.’ They a hundred percent offered him, tried to make the fight, and then he was in the media saying, ‘Oh, I would fight Bo.’ Well, they offered him the fight for a fact. So, you know, I just don't understand why he didn't take it at that point, if he's saying this stuff in the media.”
Instead, Nickal will move forward with his fight against Daukaus at UFC Freedom 250, while questions remain about whether his rivalry with Covington will eventually play out inside the Octagon.
Chimaev vs. Strickland Confirmed as Dana White Announces Multiple Fights
Dana White teased a host of fight announcements on Thursday evening, and he certainly fulfilled that promise.
As part of the barrage of announcements delivered by White in a segment shot at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, the UFC president confirmed that Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland will face off for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 328, which is set to take place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 9.
White also confirmed multiple other headline bouts in the lead up to the UFC’s massive “freedom 250” event at the White House on June 14.
Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is set to take on rising star Youssef Zalal in a fascinating matchup at the Apex on April 25, while Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa will also headline an event at the UFC’s home base on May 16.
Song Yadong is set to headline when the UFC returns to his homeland of China on May 30, while former welterweight titleholder Belal Muhammad draws Brazilian contender Gabriel Bonfim in the headline bout at the Apex a week later on June 6.
Complete List of UFC Fight Announcements:
UFC Winnipeg (April 18, Winnipeg, Canada):
Charles Jourdain vs. Kyler Phillips (Bantamweight, co-main event)
Mandel Nallo vs. Jai Herbert (Lightweight)
JJ Aldrich vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth (Women’s flyweight)
Meta Apex, April 25 (Main event):
Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal (Featherweight)
UFC Perth, May 2 (Co-main event):
Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld (Lightweight)
UFC 328 (May 9, Newark, New Jersey):
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland (Middleweight Championship)
Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes Acosta (Heavyweight)
Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley (Welterweight)
Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov (Light Heavyweight)
King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens (Lightweight)
Ateba Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz (Middleweight)
Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Djorden Santos (Middleweight)
Meta Apex, May 16 (Main event):
Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa (Featherweight)
UFC Macau (May 30, Macau, China):
Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (Bantamweight, main event)
Zhang Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield (Light Heavyweight)
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira (Heavyweight)
Alex Perez vs. Sumudaerji (Flyweight)
Meta Apex, June 6 (Main event):
Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim (Welterweight)
Alex Pereira Signs New 8-Fight UFC Deal, Eyes Historic Third Title
Alex Pereira has secured his future with the UFC in a major way.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday, the former two-division champion revealed that he has signed a new eight-fight deal with the promotion. The announcement comes as Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) prepares for a historic move up to heavyweight.
Pereira recently vacated his light heavyweight title and is set to face Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for the interim heavyweight championship at UFC Freedom 250, scheduled for June 14 at the White House. If victorious, “Poatan” would become the first fighter in UFC history to win titles across three different weight classes, having already held belts at middleweight and light heavyweight.
Discussing the new contract, Pereira expressed strong satisfaction with the terms and gratitude toward UFC leadership.
“They gave me a new contract. I'm really, really happy with my new contract,” Pereira said. “I actually want to thank Mick (Maynard), Hunter (Campbell) and Dana White for it. So with this new deal that they gave to me, I don't care about letting go of the belt or anything like that.”
He continued by emphasizing how well he feels he has been treated under the new agreement.
“The way that they gave me this last contract was so good that I let it open for them to do whatever they want. It doesn't matter,” he said. “Absolutely.”
Pereira confirmed the deal spans eight fights, beginning with his upcoming heavyweight debut on June 14.
“How many fights? Eight fights. And this would be the first. June 14th is one? Yes.”
With a long-term contract secured and a chance to make UFC history ahead of him, Pereira now turns his focus to Gane and the opportunity to cement his legacy in unprecedented fashion.
Volkanovski Fires Warning After Evloev Beats Murphy at UFC London
Movsar Evloev strengthened his case for a UFC featherweight title shot on Saturday night, earning a hard-fought majority decision over Lerone Murphy in the main event at UFC London inside the O2 Arena.
The unbeaten Russian (20-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) extended his unbeaten Octagon record in a closely contested five-round battle that many observers viewed as a de facto No. 1 contender matchup. Despite the victory, questions remain about Evloev’s finishing ability, as he has yet to secure a stoppage win in his UFC career, a historically unusual milestone for a fighter with such a lengthy undefeated run inside the promotion.
Known for his elite wrestling, Evloev took an unexpected approach early in the fight. He opted to stand and trade with Murphy across the opening three rounds before leaning more heavily on his grappling in the championship rounds, where he completed nine of ten takedown attempts to seal the decision.
The strategic shift drew attention from fans and analysts alike, with some suggesting Evloev may have been attempting to address criticism of his fighting style or demonstrate a more well-rounded skill set to UFC matchmakers.
Featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski (28-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) weighed in on Evloev’s performance during the UFC London post-show, questioning the challenger’s reluctance to immediately utilize his wrestling advantage.
“One thing I will touch on as well is…I don't know…I felt like he didn't want to push the wrestling,” Volkanovski said. “He wanted to stand up and maybe prove himself on the feet. I don't know if that was to prove it to himself and to everyone that he can stand, or whether he maybe felt forced.”
While Volkanovski acknowledged Evloev’s skill set, he made it clear that he expects a complete effort if the two meet for the title.
“I don't want any excuses when we fight,” Volkanovski added. “I want him to try everything he can. I want him to try and take me down because I won't let it happen and he'll be forced to fight on the feet because of my takedown defense.”
The reigning champion also dismissed any notion that Evloev might hold back in a potential title bout.
“I don't want him, when I do get my hand raised, to be like, ‘oh, you know, I was trying to impress the fans,’” Volkanovski said. “I don't want none of that. Don't worry, they will be impressed because no one's holding me down and we'll be standing on the feet.”
Cory Sandhagen Rips O’Malley’s ‘Easiest Fight’ Mentality
Cory Sandhagen didn’t hold back when addressing his long-standing desire to fight former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley, making it clear he believes the matchup is both logical and overdue.
Speaking this week in an interview with Daniel Cormier, Sandhagen (18-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) said a fight with O’Malley (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) is “the only fight that makes sense” for both fighters, while also questioning O’Malley’s willingness to take the bout.
“It’s the only fight that makes sense for the both of us,” Sandhagen said. “I know that I’m better than him, and I want to go beat him, and I want to prove that I’m the better striker. I’m the better fighter just all around in general.”
The matchup had appeared to be gaining traction for the UFC’s June 14 event at the White House, but those plans shifted when O’Malley was instead booked to face Aiemann Zahabi.
Sandhagen, who has gone 1-2 in his last three fights with losses to Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili, acknowledged O’Malley’s abilities but took issue with what he sees as a calculated approach to matchmaking.
“Sean’s been on the record for being like, ‘This is a business to me. I want to take the easiest fight for the most amount of money,’” Sandhagen said. “Sean, as a person, I’m not going to carry any hatred towards him or jealousy or anything like that. I like Sean as a person. As a fan, I don’t think the way that that type of character or whatever is interesting or inspiring at all.”
Sandhagen contrasted that mindset with his own career choices, pointing to his willingness to take high-risk fights as a core part of his identity as a fighter.
“I think that one of the biggest gifts that we have as athletes to give to people is inspiration to go do something cool with your life too,” he said. “That means stepping up to the plate, taking big risks, like I have in my entire career.”
He added: “Why would you take a fight against Umar, he’s down in the rankings? Because if I win, then I get to inspire a bunch of people. If I go out and I beat Merab, I get to inspire a bunch of people because I know that I took the hard road to get here. O’Malley’s not about that life; so I can’t be a fan of that dude in that way on a personal level.”
Despite the criticism, Sandhagen stopped short of making it personal, emphasizing that his disagreement with O’Malley is rooted in philosophy rather than animosity.
“I think he’s good; I think he’s just a normal other human being trying to do his best in life and he has his values,” Sandhagen said. “But as a fan, I just can’t respect that much.”
Still, Sandhagen made it clear he believes O’Malley is actively avoiding the matchup.
“Watch the way that he answers all of the questions,” he said. “From his perspective, it’s like, ‘Cory’s a tough fight. Why would I take a tough fight when I could take an easier fight and make just as much money?’ That’s not the type of thinking that I walk around in life with.”
“So we’re just different and that’s okay,” Sandhagen continued. “But yeah, I definitely think he doesn’t want that fight, or else I think it’d be booked by now.”
Jon Anik Backs Ian Machado Garry as Next Challenger for Islam Makhachev
Speculation is intensifying around who will be the first fighter to challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight championship, and two names have risen to the forefront: Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales.
Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) captured the 170-pound title in emphatic fashion at UFC 322 in November, defeating Jack Della Maddalena in his divisional debut after a dominant run at lightweight. With the belt now secured in a second weight class, attention has quickly shifted to his first title defense and the contenders lining up behind him.
Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) appears to be the leading candidate. The Irishman rebounded strongly in 2025 after suffering the first loss of his professional career to Shavkat Rakhmonov late in 2024. He responded with back-to-back victories over Carlos Prates and former champion Belal Muhammad, reestablishing himself as a top contender in the division.
Morales (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), however, has made a compelling case of his own. The undefeated Ecuadorian delivered the biggest win of his career at UFC 322, defeating Sean Brady in a breakout performance at Madison Square Garden, the same night Makhachev claimed the title.
UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik weighed in on the developing title picture during a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, acknowledging the uncertainty behind the promotion’s decision-making process.
“Sometimes I just throw my hands up and wonder what exactly is the internal promotional metric or the driving force that would give Ian Machado Garry this title shot as opposed to say Michael Morales?” Anik said. “Is it a match-up thing? Do they maybe make more money if one guy’s the champion? I don’t exactly know.”
Despite Morales’ undefeated record and his high-profile win over Brady, Anik suggested that Machado Garry’s overall résumé may give him the edge.
“I think, straight meritocracy, based on the body of work, despite the Ecuadorian Morales’ undefeated record and the wildly sensational win over Sean Brady, I think, based upon the body of work for Machado Garry, his willingness to step up all the time… I just feel like Makhachev versus Machado Garry is the fight,” Anik said.
He also pointed to the stylistic intrigue of that potential matchup while maintaining that Morales remains a future title challenger.
“I think it’s a fascinating stylistic matchup as well,” Anik added. “I think Morales eventually is going to get there. Looks like an absolute world beater… but I think Machado Garry is going to be the guy and I think he’s the most deserved.”
“‘Thank You for the Memory’: Pyfer Praises Adesanya After Career Win”
Joe Pyfer delivered the biggest victory of his career on Saturday night, stopping former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the second round of their main event bout at UFC Seattle inside Climate Pledge Arena.
The emphatic finish marked a major milestone for Pyfer (16-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who has rapidly climbed the ranks and now positions himself among the elite in the middleweight division. For Adesanya (24-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC), widely regarded as one of the most accomplished strikers in UFC history, the loss represents his fourth consecutive defeat.
In the lead-up to the fight, Pyfer spoke openly about finding faith, a theme that carried into his post-fight remarks. Despite the decisive nature of his victory, Pyfer expressed deep respect and admiration for Adesanya during an interview with Full Send MMA.
“I love you, brother,” Pyfer said. “Thank you for that opportunity to share history with you, to make a great memory in my life. I know you're set, so that makes me feel a little better. I know you're good. Life after fighting, you're good.”
Pyfer continued by praising Adesanya’s character and openness, particularly in their interactions surrounding his personal beliefs.
“But thank you so much, brother. You're a class act,” he said. “Thank you for being receptive to my kindness and my faith and even asking what happened. There's not many real ones like you, brother.”
Looking ahead, Pyfer even floated the idea of training alongside the former champion, signaling both respect and ambition as he eyes the next phase of his career.
“I would love to come train and learn from you, especially now that I'm at the top of the food chain as one of the best in the world,” Pyfer added. “I would love to come train with you.”
Francis Ngannou Sees Tough Test for Pereira in Gane Matchup
Alex Pereira will be looking to make history when he challenges Ciryl Gane for the UFC interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom Fights 250, scheduled for June 14 at the White House.
Already a two-division champion at middleweight and light heavyweight, Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) now has the opportunity to make history. A victory over Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) would make him the first fighter in UFC history to capture championship titles in three different weight classes.
The matchup presents a compelling stylistic clash. Pereira is widely regarded for his power, while Gane is known for his speed, movement, and technical versatility, attributes that have made him one of the most elusive heavyweights in the division.
Former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (who beat Gane in a title unification back back in 2022) this week shared his thoughts on the fight in an interview with TMZ Sports
“It's going to be an interesting fight,” Ngannou said. “I think Alex Pereira is very tough. He's big enough. He's a heavyweight. But in this scenario, the position shifted a little bit because Ciryl Gane here looks more with a strategy of a lighter person because he moves a lot. He's fast and I think Alex Pereira will be like most stiff, stable and strong, solid.”
Ngannou pointed to Gane’s movement and distance management as key factors that could define the outcome.
“Cyril will be more fast moving around. That's his technique. He's good at that,” Ngannou continued. “And then it's going to be very difficult for Alex Pereira to even get close to the distance to figure out what he can do. Like just to get in the distance, you know, to get close to that, to close that distance, which Ciryl will be managing very well to keep the distance, pick apart, get him frustrated. He's good at that. I think he's a very good matchup for Ciryl.”
