Magomed Ankalaev Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Alexander K. Lee is an editor for MMA Fighting who has been covering combat sports since 2014. Magomed Ankalaev is locked in for his long-awaited duel with Alex Pereira. During Saturday’s UFC 311 broadcast,…

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira clarifies that he was never ducking Magomed Ankalaev. Ankalaev (20-1-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) has been heavily campaigning to fight Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), but was passed up for a title fight on several occasions. He was convinced that…

Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco hopes to turn victory over Steven Nelson on Saturday into a title fight. Pacheco – ranked No. 1 by the WBO, No. 3 by the WBA and No. 6 by the IBF – will meet Nelson at The Cosmopolitan in…

WBO welterweight titleholder Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan are heading closer to the next installment of their feud. Las Vegas-based Mayer outscored Ryan last September at The Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City via majority decision in a superb contest – but…

UFC 313 now has one of those matchups that gets the “That has Fight of the Night written all over it” attachment. Justin Gaethje wanted a fight against Dan Hooker. He wanted it at UFC 313. If you have 13 post-fight bonuses in 13 UFC…

Alex Pereira Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Alexander K. Lee is an editor for MMA Fighting who has been covering combat sports since 2014. Alex Pereira has his first fight of 2025. “Poatan” is set to headline UFC…

Featherweight Stephen Fulton has an opportunity to become a two-division world champion but first must go to war against Brandon Figueroa to achieve that. Philadelphia’s Fulton, 30, might have won his first encounter with Texas-based Figueroa at junior featherweight four years ago, but on February…

Ryan Garcia strongly indicated in a Friday post on his X social media account that his next opponent will be recent WBA junior welterweight titleholder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. “I’m bringing a[n] explosive fight in my … comeback. Pit bull has always been considered a tough…

Diego Pacheco feels he’s ready for a world title fight in 2025 Melina Pizano/ Matchroom Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006. Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco will…