issue 230
July 2026
Paul Browne jumps into the Fighters Only wayback-when machine to recap the best of mixed martial arts in June 2026.
Paddy Pimblett spotted Ilia Topuria ducking after his first loss and decided it was the perfect time to empty the clip. Forget taking the high road. Paddy took the scenic route through every insult he could find before pitching Justin Gaethje for the rematch.
On social media, timelines are filled with victory laps and post-fight pile-ons. However, Khamzat took the rare route of reminding everyone that celebrating another fighter's downfall isn't the path to greatness. It's an unusual stance in a sport where memories are short and schadenfreude lasts forever.
Ian Machado Garry has discovered that the sweetest words in MMA aren't “and new,” they might be “I told you so.” For months he kept repeating the same message while everyone else played fantasy matchmaker. Now he's victory-lapping the prediction with a simple “Believe Me Now?” It's less a celebration than a reminder that persistence is a promotional strategy.
THE NEVER RETIRES NEVER RETIRES
Jon Jones has turned retirement into a part-time job. One minute he's gone, the next he's telling everyone he's helping Gable Steveson prepare for camp, moving like he never left, and giving the stem cells an unsolicited performance review. Jones has mastered the comeback tease without actually announcing a comeback.
Khamzat Chimaev doesn't really do negotiations. His version of fight promotion is to publicly accuse Sean Strickland of running, then remind him he'll beat him anyway. Most fighters sell pay-per-views. Chimaev is in the business of selling impending doom in ways that it somehow sounds like a public service announcement.
...
