Gable Steveson may be, without exaggeration, the most blue chip prospect to ever be signed into the UFC.

He’s not only excelled in one discipline, but he’s spent time at the highest level in other arenas. His 2021 Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling is complimented by two NCAA titles. He was briefly signed to the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings and played several games with the practice squad. Finally, he spent three years working with the WWE where he had several dark matches and one televised match on their NXT program. Compared to his contemporaries to come over to MMA from other disciplines, he carries more credentials than nearly all of them.

Oh, did we mention he’s also a close teammate of one of the consensus greatest MMA fighters of all-time in Jon Jones?

So far he’s only had three MMA fights (and one bout under the hybrid rules of Jones’ Dirty Boxing promotion) and they’ve all ended within the first round in his favor. It is a touch more experience than the likes of other super prospects like Bo Nickal, Kayla Harrison, and Aaron Pico had before they entered the big leagues of a major MMA promotion. But he certainly carries far more attention going into one of the biggest events of the year.

GABLE STEVESON 13 SECOND KO 😳

Jon Jones loving it 👀 pic.twitter.com/E0YgXNODSn

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 31, 2025

He is, as many super prospects being pushed into the spotlight quickly are, a huge risk for the promotion. On the one hand, He could well develop into the newest heavyweight contender and potentially one of the most dangerous fighters ever seen given his vast pedigree in wrestling. On the other, his lack of experience could be exposed by his foes and throw the proverbial bucket of cold water on his aspirations in MMA before they’ve really had a chance to take flight.

But that is the world Steveson has created with his success. Today’s wirelessly connected world makes it impossible for him to cut his teeth anonymously on the regional scene, especially given his high profile. Furthermore, said stardom also means that he is almost certainly being underpaid competing in anything less than a global promotion with a budget to compensate him for the attention he brings. In short, the only option for him is to either sink or swim in the UFC if he intends to be a professional mixed martial artist.

For night one at least, Steveson has been given as hand-picked an opponent as can be hoped for. The 5-2 Elisha Ellison was set for a Dana White’s Contender Series bout last year but the promotion ended up cancelling his bout and rebooking him against the same opponent immediately in the UFC last September. Ellison lost that bout by first round finish and could already be fighting for his UFC job before it’s really even begun.

Could the UFC find another Ellison should Steveson be victorious? Perhaps. But the fact remains he could be called out by veterans looking to expose his inexperience sooner rather than later. Then, should he not take such bouts as he continues to build experience, the narrative will quickly change as to when will he take on bigger name opponents that will test his abilities.

He is as athletically talented and gifted as anyone who’s ever entered the UFC. He is too decorated not to take a risk on. The only thing now is to see if the sum of all the pieces does translate into “the next big thing” in MMA.

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Speaking with Cageside Press during the PFL’s Summer Series kickoff, Rosta reflected on his last outing, which saw him finished by Kasanganay.

“At the end of the day when I look at that fight, I was fighting smart up until I wasn’t, I was fighting well up until I wasn’t,” stated Rosta (11-3). “Same story with the fight before that. F*ck Fabian Edwards. I just can’t do that going forward. I gotta fight smart, and I can’t turn sh*t into a coin flip.”

Rosta recognizes that in his fight with Impa Kasanganay, he was throwing to take his opponent’s head off, and slipped because of it. That sort of wild approach backfired, and adjustments must be made. Still, he remains in the mix at a time where the PFL’s middleweight division is arguably its hottest.

“I’m still right in the mix. A win over Bryan Battle, I’m right there. I’m one fight away, if that. With the performance I put on Bryan Battle, people are going to be like ‘aww he lost two in a row, why would you give him a title shot after that?’ It could f*cking happen. When the numbers make sense, it’s a business at the end of the day, and there’s really nobody else in line.”

As Rosta pointed out, Fabian Edwards just lost, while Johnny Eblen and Impa Kasangany are fighting for an interim belt. “Who’s next after that? It could be me. They could make me do one more, but I guarantee you I’m not far out. And this one’s gonna put me right back in the mix.”

Rosta started his career a perfect 8-0, and avenged his first loss to Aaron Jeffery. In the gym, alongside the likes of Johnny Eblen, he’s acquitted himself well. “When I’m at my best, I’m the best on the planet period, and I whole-heartedly believe that,” stated Rosta. He feels that even Eblen will attest to his skills, it’s just a matter of showing he can put it all together in a fight.

“It’s just about putting that into play. I can do it at practice, I see what my potential is, I can see what I’m capable of, but for some reason it hasn’t been translating. So we gotta make it translate,” admitted Rosta. “I don’t know what the answer is. Hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but I’m going to keep working hard anyway, I’m going to keep knocking on that door, and if nobody lets me in, I’m going to kick the b*tch down.”

Watch our full interview with PFL Charlotte’s Dalton Rosta above. The event takes place on August 7, 2026 at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC.

The post PFL Charlotte’s Dalton Rosta: “I’m Still Right in the Mix” appeared first on Cageside Press.

It will have been nearly a year between fights for the undefeated Jean (11-0), a breakout star for the Professional Fighters League last year. “I wanted to get into the cage in January. I wanted to get back beginning of the year, but it’s up to the PFL at the end of the day when it comes to when I fight because I am fighting with the PFL,” he told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “At the same time, I’m happy that I’m fighting now and not then, because I’m ready. I’m ready.”

Jean was not expected to win last year’s World Tournament at lightweight, especially not with former Bellator stars (and champions) Logan Storley and Jason Jackson in his way. Instead, he beat both, along with the talented Mukhamed Berkhamov. That tournament win, worth half a million dollars, allowed Jean to reinvest in himself.

“Because of the tournament, I was able to go into the gym full time. After the tournament, yeah I took a little vacation, I took a month off, and I went right back to it,” stated Jean. “It was every day. It is my job, it is my career. You have to take it as if it’s nine to five. And it’s not a nine to five. I’m only in there a couple of hours out of the day. Yeah it’s spread out throughout the day, but it’s only a couple of hours, I would say four hours a day that I’m training, and most people are at work for nine, eight to nine hours.”

In other words, Jean knows he’s in a good place. He also added that he’s not just a “fight camp” type of fighter. “I don’t just go into the gym once I have a fight camp. I’m constantly in the gym trying to get better, trying to level up my skills, trying to make sure that I am on top of my game.”

With the vacant welterweight title on the line, Jean is now tasked with Shamil Musaev next. The match-up isn’t entirely a surprise, but still a weird quirk. Musaev is coming off a loss to Ramazan Kuramagomedov, but Kuramagomedov chose to retire immediately after their fight. The bout, however, helped Jean learn a little about his upcoming opponent.

“Shmail was undefeated before that. We all took away something, that he can be beaten. And that he accepts pressure, and he’s not really good under pressure,” suggested Jean. “Unless you’re someone like Logan Storley. When Logan Storley was applying pressure to him, Logan Storley had one thing on his mind. What? Take him down. So what did Shamil Do? He what, hit him with the uppercut? And that’s what rocked Logan Storley.”

Ramazan Kuramagomedov mixed up striking and clinching instead, “and that’s what I think threw Shamil off, is that yeah, one this is good pressure, but at the same time, he’s not going right down for the legs.”

“We figured some things out. There are more things to it, but we figured out one thing. And not just me, but we all did,” Jean finished.

Watch our full interview with PFL Washington headliner Thad Jean above.

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For Battle, it’s his second straight headlining assignment in the PFL, despite losing to Johnny Eblen in Pittsburgh earlier this year. The former winner of The Ultimate Fighter and UFC contender addressed that opportunity during the recent PFL Summer Series kickoff.

“Fighting in Charlotte, there is really, I’mma do my best, but there’s not enough words in the dictionary to properly summarize how I feel. Not only getting prepared to fight in Charlotte but what happens when I fight in Charlotte, and even afterwards,” Battle (12-3, 1NC) told Cageside Press and other media outlets. “Even though it’s been years since the last time, people still come up to me and talk about the last time I fought in Charlotte.”

The last time Battle fought at home in Charlotte, he knocked out Gabe Green, earning a Performance of the Night bonus in the process. This time around, he believes that “all the ingredients are there for something magical to happen, not just to be a fight but to be a moment. A moment that sticks with people for an extended period of time.”

“This opportunity is one where, to go back-to-back main events even winning is tough, but to get another main event coming off of a loss is huge. It’s just a chance for redemption.”

Between his UFC and MMA run, Battle competed in a different rule set in Dirty Boxing. This time, he’s made his debut, is coming off an MMA fight, and has had a full camp, including training at The MMA Lab in Phoenix. “No excuses, let’s get after it this time.”

Battle, who struggled with his weight in the UFC, admitted that he’d like another crack at Johnny Eblen, who submitted him in his PFL debut. “Johnny’s a really good fighter, with that being said, I want the rematch desperately. I still think I’m a better fighter.” Still, there’s great benefit to getting right back on the horse. “We all saw what happened, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to move on. A quick turnaround and a prime spot, a quick turnaround and a prime spot in my home town as the main event. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

His date with Dalton Rosta, meanwhile, is one Battle feels could end early. “I see the knockout as inevitable. Dalton is another guy, another main event type talent, he’s a stud. But stylistically, I think this more so bodes in my favor,” Battle suggested. “If I come there on the top of my game, hitting all my marks, I come in there and I look good— if you see abs when I walk in, it’s a wrap, you feel me?”

Watch the full media appearance by PFL Charlotte’s Bryan Battle above.

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The undefeated English flyweight is 15-0, but after winning the PFL Europe tournament in 2023 and PFL Global season in 2024, she has fought just once, picking up a victory over Bellator alum Sumiko Inaba last year.

Ahead of this past weekend’s PFL San Diego, a card she noted had “two really good fights for the flyweight division,” Ditcheva spoke with Cageside Press about her return.

“I used to watch Denise when she used to fight in GLORY, when she used to fight in Bellator,” noted Ditcheva, who jumped to MMA in 2021 after competing in Muay Thai for years. “So I’ve watched her for a long time, I really like her striking style.”

“It’s just crazy that we’re now facing each other, which is really strange for me. But I’m excited. She’s an aggressive fighter, really nice striking style but we’ll see what happens on the night.”

After spending much of the past 12 months dealing with injury — the fight with Kielholtz was initially announced for February — Ditcheva also noted that the division has been far from stagnant.

“I’ve been upset that I’ve been out for so long, but the division’s kept moving, and now I’ve come back and everyone’s ready,” she told us. “They’re all calling me out.”

With Liz Carmouche picking up a victory on Saturday in San Diego, a Dakota Ditcheva win next month feels like it could set up a title fight between to two later in the year. Former foe Jena Bishop also picked up her second victory of 2026, submitting Ariane Lipski da Silva, with more success potentially putting a rematch in play.

Watch our full interview with PFL New York’s Dakota Ditcheva above.

The post Dakota Ditcheva on Time Away: “The Division’s Kept Moving” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Eblen was a big part of Sean Strickland’s camp and corner for his fight with Khamzat Chimaev, and got considerable kudos for the work he put in there, including from the two-time UFC middleweight champion himself.

Speaking with Cageside Press as the PFL’s Summer Series kicked off, the former Bellator MMA middleweight champion told us that being part of Strickland’s big night “was just a lot of fun. I felt like I was a part of a sports history moment, especially him being such a big underdog, and Chimaev, everybody kind of counting Sean out. Just being a part of that camp, being a part of that corner and being a part of that night, it was just truly awesome. You don’t get very many nights like that, where you get to experience that.”

Eblen (17-1) was supposed to be fighting Costello van Steenis at the Moody Center in Austin on July 18, only for the current PFL middleweight champ to pull out. Now, he rematches another former foe, Impa Kasanganay. Yet while he wants the belt again, he’s not hyper-focused on van Steenis.

“I just take each and every fight one by one. I know I want to get the belt back, and I want to get that rematch with Costello, but if it doesn’t ever happen, it doesn’t ever happen. I don’t care. At the end of the day I’m a fighter, and I just want to fight want to make money. That’s all I really care about. And also I’m a martial artist, I just want to get better at my craft.”

“I think it’s the best for the company and best for a storyline; for us to have a rematch and for it to happen in this next fight, it would have been huge,” continued Eblen. “Because that’s the rematch everyone’s looking for, it’s the biggest fight you can make outside of the UFC, or the biggest fight you can make in the PFL. But it is what it is. He wanted to push it, so now I’m fighting Impa, and I think that’s the next biggest fight you can make.”

Eblen earned a split decision victory in his first fight against Kasanganay a couple of years back, part of the PFL vs. Bellator head-to-head event. And he sees a path to victory again.

“I’ve just got to fight smart, don’t get hit with his right hand, and mix it up. That’s all I need to do.” Eblen foresees victory regardless of whether the finish comes or not, but believes he can end Kasanganay’s night early. “When I see the finish, I’ll take it.”

Watch our full interview with PFL Austin headliner Johnny Eblen above.

The post PFL Austin: Johnny Eblen Wants Belt, Doesn’t Care About Van Steenis Rematch appeared first on Cageside Press.

Cyborg (29-2, 1NC) is looking for her thirtieth win in professional MMA when she takes on former UFC contender Vieira in the main event on August 22 in Tampa, Florida. That’s a nice round number, and something that has yet to be achieved by a female fighter in a major promotion (Amanda Nunes has 23 wins, Jessica Andrade 26).

Discussing the situation she finds herself in with media outlets including Cageside Press as the PFL kicked off its Summer Series this past week, Cyborg noted that in reality the bout is the last she’s contractually obligated for.

“It is my last fight, last fight on my contract, but of course after my fight I want to sit down with my family, my team. We have a lot of plans outside MMA life, but I’m very excited, just focused on doing my best this next fight.”

Of course, there are other possibilities, including boxing, and Netflix’s MVP MMA. Names like Holly Holm and Miesha Tate were suggested, with Cyborg telling Cageside Press that boxing is still very much in play.

“I can tell you, I’m gonna be making after, some boxing fights. I still have a dream, fight for the WBC belt and I’ve been training,” she stated. “I just got my WIBA belt in boxing. But I wanna just think about Ketlen next. I want to see how I feel, see how camp is going, how my body feels.”

MMA may still be in the cards as well. It seems to all come down to opportunities, and how her body feels. On that front, Cyborg noted that health-wise, she’s had a fortuitous run. “I love what I do, and I’m doing this for so long, but I’m really very blessed about not having any bad injuries the whole career. But I really just want to feel this fight, how it’s going to be and then that’s it.”

The 40-year old Brazilian, who now calls California home, added that she feels “blessed to have the opportunity to fight one more time.” And over the past five years or so, she’s been treating every fight like it could be her last. “I always think, me and my team, ‘Cris, enjoy every single moment, because there’s gonna be a time you’re not going to have more. So enjoy being in the ring, enjoy training, it could be a the last.’ So every fight [for] five years, I say ‘it could be the last, it could be the last.’ That has me very excited for this fight. Happy.”

Watch Cris Cyborg’s full media appearance ahead of PFL Tampa above.

The post Cris Cyborg Leaving the Door Open for More Past PFL Tampa appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Friday morning the PFL conducted the weigh ins for their return to Southern California as the athletes took to the scales to make their bouts official.

In the headliner, former Bellator champion AJ McKee faces the undefeated newcomer Salamat Isbulaev who enters the bout following a victory over former tournament champion Jesus Pinedo. PFL CEO John Martin recently expressed in interviews that the winner between McKee and Isbulaev will most likely fight for the vacant title in their next bout.

The undercard also features action in the women’s flyweight division as former longtime Bellator champion Liz Carmouche takes on fellow UFC veteran Viviane Araujo while another UFC veteran in Ariane da Silva takes on perennial contender Jena Bishop.

In other action, former Bellator Grand Prix finalist Alexandr Shabliy will face recent title challenger Alfie Davis to round out the main card.

The event will take place at the Pechanga Sports Arena in San Diego tomorrow night.

PFL San Diego: McKee vs. Isbulaev Weigh-In Results

Main card

Featherweight: AJ McKee (145.6) vs. Salamat Isbulaev (145.8)
Flyweight: Liz Carmouche (126) vs. Viviane Araujo (125.8)
Lightweight: Alexandr Shabliy (155.8) vs. Alfie Davis (156)
Light-Heavyweight: Abraham Bably (205.6) vs. Rob Wilkinson (205.8)

Preliminary card

Featherweight: Khasan Magomedsharipov (145.8) vs. Joshua Weems (146)
Flyweight: Ariane Lipski da Silva (126) vs. Jena Bishop (125)
Bantamweight: Justin Wetzell (135.6) vs. Sarvarjon Khamidov (137.6)*
Flyweight: Shannon Clark (125.4) vs. Ilara Joanne (124.8)
Bantamweight: Cobey Fehr (135.8) vs. Daniel Bzdigian (135.6)

* Missed weight

The post PFL San Diego: McKee vs Isbulaev Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

This time out, the #2-ranked McKee (24-2) has been paired up with Salamat Isbulaev, an undefeated, 10-0 featherweight who already has a victory over Jesus Pinedo in the PFL.

There was a point when McKee was on the market, his services up for grabs with the UFC and others in play. Ultimately, he opted to re-sign with the PFL, who scooped up his old home, Bellator MMA, a few years back. In a recent interview, McKee told Cageside Press that “PFL’s got a thick roster as well. They’ve got a lot of up-and-comers like Isbulaev himself. I’m looking forward to doing what I do best, which is kick ass and take names.”

In Isbulaev, McKee sees a skilled wrestler, but questioned the Russian-Kazakh’s striking. “I think he’s got good wrestling, pretty good jiu-jitsu from what I’ve seen,” allowed McKee. “Little sus on the feet, I think he blends his wrestling with his striking. I saw that with Pineda, they had what, three minutes before he even engaged? This ain’t gonna be a fight where we’re taking three minutes to engage.”

“It’s execute, execute, execute all the way. So I’m going to get in there and I’m going to get on him, and we’ll see how things go.”

PFL CEO John Martin has suggested that Saturday’s PFL San Diego main event between AJ McKee and Salamat Isbulaev could very well be a title eliminator. While McKee isn’t looking past his opponent, it’s clear the title is on his mind. Right now, the belt is vacant, and only Timur Khizriev sits ahead of McKee himself.

“I don’t like to look ahead, but at the end of the day, I genuinely don’t care who it is, when it is, where it is. I’m just looking forward to becoming world champion again, and holding that world title around my waist.”

Watch our full interview with PFL San Diego headliner AJ McKee above.

The post PFL San Diego: AJ McKee Feels Isbulaev “A Little Sus on the Feet” appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Professional Fighter’s League announced that they have added a whopping twenty new athletes to their roster ahead of their summer series that will span across six events between June and August. The list features fighters from across the globe with veterans who have experience in Dana White’s Contender Series, Cage Warriors, and more.

Lors de son dernier combat, il s’était fait étrangler par Javid Basharat (🇦🇫) après l’avoir traité de « terroriste » à la pesée. pic.twitter.com/jzVLJ3ux6U

— MMA TIME (@MMA__TIME) November 23, 2023

Amongst the notables is bantamweight Javid Basharat, the brother of undefeated UFC contender Farid Basharat. Basharat is a UFC veteran himself who left the promotion after a 3-2-1 run that saw him enter the company through DWCS in 2021 where he won a contract in his second appearance on the program. Recently, Basharat was not re-signed following a victory over new signee Gianni Vazquez in February. Prior to that, “The Snow Leopard” had lost to longtime veteran Ricky Simon and current top contender Aiemann Zahabi.

Another major signing for the company comes in the form of Leon Hill of Ireland. The 30 year-old welterweight boasts a 10-2 record and enters the PFL on a four fight win-streak. “The Professional” has been building experience recently under the Cage Warriors banner where his last seven fights have been with the company. He last fought in February where he scored a second round finish.

The women’s divisions will also be adding depth as it was announced that they had also signed Combate Global veteran Lucero “Loba” Acosta. The Mexican prospect with a 6-2 developed as a professional from the ground up by Combate Global as she fought her lone amateur fight with the company back in 2019 and all her subsequent fights as a pro came under the banner. Outside of the cage, Acosta brings a strong online presence with 480k followers on Instagram. Acosta last fought in April of 2025.

No bouts for the new signees have ben announced yet but it is expected that they will come soon as more events continue to be made official in the coming months.

The complete list of signees is as follows:

• Leon “The Hitman” Hill (10-2), Ireland, Welterweight, 30yo
• Lucero “La Loba” Acosta (6-2), Mexico, Flyweight, 31yo
• Moustapha Diakhaté (5-0-1), Senegal/Belgium, Light Heavyweight, 25yo
• Valeria “Foxy” Ramirez (10-1), Argentina, Strawweight, 26yo
• Cassio Barao (10-1-1), Brazil, Lightweight, 30yo
• Javid “The Snow Leopard” Basharat (15-2-0, 1 NC), Afghanistan/England, Bantamweight, 30yo
• Roland “The Dream” Dunlap (7-0), Wisconsin U.S., Light Heavyweight, 33yo
• Avery Guidebeck (3-0), Iowa U.S., Lightweight, 19yo
• Ilian “The Gorilla” Bouafia (8-1), France, Middleweight, 29yo
• Trukon “The Carolina Gamedog” Carson (6-1), North Carolina U.S, Welterweight, 
• Brandon “Snatch” Brachet (9-1), France, Lightweight, 21yo
• “Mad” Max Metzgar (6-0), Illinois U.S., Lightweight, 29yo
• Daniel “Soncora” Marcos (18-1, 1 NC), Peru, Bantamweight, 33yo
• Hasan Mezhiev (14-0), Latvia, Heavyweight, 33yo
• Jonathan “War Hawk” Piersma (12-3), New York U.S., Welterweight, 30yo
• Marina “Armata” Merchuk (7-2), Russia, Strawweight, 30yo
• Felipe “Capanema” Oliveira (8-1), Brazil, Featherweight, 22yo
• Zacharia “Zach” Nishimwe (4-0), Burundi, Light Heavyweight, 24yo

The post PFL Announces 18 New Signees Ahead of Summer Series appeared first on Cageside Press.