Issue 227

April 2026

Fighters Only’s social media editor, Paul Browne, picks out his highlights from the past month on MMA social media.

REPS MAKE IT SOUND BOOKED

Ian Machado Garry keeps feeding the same matchup into the algorithm like it’s already signed, and each time it lands a little heavier. Even Jon Anik backed him. It’s sheer repetition doing the promotional work for him. By now, the idea of him vs Islam Makhachev feels less like a callout and more like a scheduled announcement waiting to catch up. Some fighters wait for the fight to be made. Garry’s trying to make it by saying it often enough that everyone else starts repeating it for him.

ACCEPTED BEFORE IT EXISTED

Like Garry, Ilia Topuria is now at the stage where he’s accepting fights that live somewhere between rumor and press release. The White House card gets floated and Topuria is already in before the ink, the contract, or apparently the physical condition of his opponent catches up. Agree first, confirm later, and hope the other half of the matchup survives the timeline.

PROMISES WITH THREATS ATTACHED

Everyone wants a piece of Islam Makhachev, but he’s not one to rush to explain anything, clarify timelines or entertain accusations. He just left a line hanging there for Ilia Topuria like a receipt waiting to be cashed in. No urgency, no panic, just the quiet confidence of someone who assumes the ending is already written.

SAME TRAILER, NEW RELEASE DATE

Conor McGregor is back, promising a return again, which now feels less like breaking news and more like a scheduled rerun. The language is big, the energy is familiar, and the timeline remains politely undefined. Every few months, the switch gets flipped, the comeback gets teased, and at this point, the announcements have had more appearances than the return itself.

JULY UNTIL DANA SAYS SO

Islam Makhachev had his return casually scheduled for July by his own manager, only for Dana White to step in and shift it to August like he’s adjusting a meeting on a shared calendar. Same fight, same expectation, just a different month depending on who’s talking. It’s the kind of correction that reminds you nothing is real until the UFC says it is. Who will it be?