Cageside Press Staff

Ahead of UFC’s White House Show, Topuria-Gaethje Gets Personal

Staff — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:34:12 +0000

Genuine or not — the UFC Freedom 250 main event was perhaps in need of a little something, after the card as a whole underwhelmed fans when first announced — the rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje appears to finally be heating up.

With their lightweight title unification bout less than a week away, Topuria, the UFC’s “undisputed” champ, and Gaethje, who holds an interim title (making the belt very much disputed) have begun trading barbs on social media.

In a recent interview with FOX Sports Australia, Gaethje, the lone American among the top four fighters on the White House card, took aim at Georgia’s Topuria, saying “All that guy is, is a gimmick,” and adding “He calls himself the king. He thinks he’s a God. What an annoying little bastard. I couldn’t imagine being in a room with him for 30 minutes listening to him talk about himself.”

He made it a little more personal by making a comment about Topura’s divorce from Giorgina Uzcategui earlier this year. “I can say this: I would leave him,” said Gaethje. “That’s all I’m saying. I would leave him. No way I would put up with his sh*t.”

Gaethje had a lot more to say about Topuria, the fight, and his training camp, which has included keeping an eye on the weather for the outdoor show. It’s the divorce comment that got under Topuria’s skin, not surprisingly.

“Justin crossed a line. What happened between my ex-wife and me is our business,” Topuria wrote on social media in response. “We may no longer be together, but she is the mother of my daughter. To everyone insulting her or speaking about things they know nothing about: show some respect. You don’t have to respect our relationship. But respecting someone’s mother should be one of the most basic codes in life. Be better.”

Topuria had more to say in an episode of UFC Embedded. “Actually, I thought he was a great guy. But since he crossed the personal line, he’s not going to have my respect; he’s not going to have my team’s respect,” he said of Gaethje, at one point flipping his rival off. “All I’m going to need is two minutes in the octagon with you, and I’m going to put you to sleep in front of your whole family, your country, in front of everyone.”

That, in turn, brought a social media response from Gaethje. “Proving my point. Insufferable little bitch boy. Never said a thing about your wife. You want to speak words to my father then act like I crossed some line. We already fighting buddy.”

Exactly when Topuria’s exchange with Gaethje’s father occurred is unclear, but the lightweight champion was quick to respond. “You should’ve kept your father out of this. He was the one calling me a short guy and saying you’d smash me, all while holding a beer in his hand. Then you started talking about my divorce and telling the world you wouldn’t want to be my roommate. Idiot.”

“First, we’re fighting, not dating. Second, I’m not looking for a roommate. When I put you to sleep and you’re lying there next to the rose, I’ll look at your father and ask him one simple question: Who’s the short one now? I’m gonna break you Justin.”

If you needed a narrative outside of “sheer violence” to pique your interest, there you have it folks. Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje throw down in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House this Sunday, June 14, 2026.

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Last-Minute Lawsuit Cites Trump Purchase of TKO Stock In Attempt to Stop UFC Freedom 250

Staff — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:41:35 +0000

UFC Freedom 250 is set to take place this coming Sunday on the White House lawn — though not if a recently filed lawsuit has anything to say about it.

Lawyers with the Public Integrity Project, who previously sued over Donald Trump’s approval of the sale of social media app TikTok, have filed suit against the UFC’s White House event. The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Paul Romano of Springfield, Virginia, a retired Air Force Sergeant and Vietnam War medevac veteran, and Susan Douglas of Alexandria, Virginia, a longtime civic activist and organizer, per a press release obtained by Cageside Press.

The lawsuit, the text of which Cageside Press has also obtained, almost immediately labels the card as “deeply corrupt,” adding that the event is “being organized by the UFC, whose chief executive, Dana White, is a close friend and ally of the President. The President is giving White and his company what none have enjoyed before: unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access.”

The lawsuit notes the sale of high-priced VIP Packages “for between $1 million and $1.5 million per head,” and that U.S. President Donald Trump stands to personally gain from the event, based on “Reporting published in late May revealed that earlier this spring, he purchased up to $50,000 worth of stock in TKO, UFC’s owner.”

The suit goes on to read that the so-called “claw” structure being constructed on the South Lawn of the White House for the show lacks congressional approval. “Under the National Park Service’s (“NPS” or “Park Service”) usual permitting regime, no special events of
any sort, including any sporting events, may be held on the South Lawn or at the Lincoln Memorial. Nor may structures be erected on the South Lawn without express authorization from Congress and a thorough environmental review.”

“Any erection of structures on national monumental grounds must be expressly
authorized by Congress, and, insofar as it constitutes a major federal action, must undergo
thorough National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) review,” the complaint later adds.

The lawsuit aims to secure “judicial relief for their [plaintiffs] injuries, uphold the rule of
law, and protect our nation’s most cherished monuments from corrupt exploitation.”

Given the event is just a week away, it’s unclear what if anything short of an emergency injunction is likely to stop it. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and targets both the National Parks Service and the United States Department of the Interior, who oversee the White House grounds.

“This is a profoundly corrupt scheme to enrich the President and his friends,” said Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project, in the aforementioned press release. “If this fight is allowed to proceed, it will be only the beginning, and our national monuments will become little more than branding opportunities for the rich and well-connected. We plan to stop that.”

UFC Freedom 250 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 14, 2026 at the White House, making in the first-ever professional sporting event to be held at the nation’s capitol.

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UFC Paris Announced for Accor Arena on September 5

Staff — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:29:27 +0000

As has become tradition in recent years, the UFC will return to Paris, France this September for a Fight Night event.

Promotion officials announced 2026’s UFC Paris card in a press release issued on Monday. The event will take place at the Accor Arena on September 5.

No fights have been announced for the card, though upcoming bouts with Ciryl Gane and Benoit Saint-Denis were highlighted in Monday’s press release.

The UFC made its debut in France in 2022, heading to Paris for a card headlined by heavyweights Gane and Tai Tuivasa. It has since returned to the French capital roughly the same time each year, with Gane headlining a second year, and Saint-Denis and Nassourdine Imavov each headlining once.

It remains to be seen if either Gane or BSD are available for the card. Gane fights at UFC Freedom 250 this Saturday in an interim heavyweight title fight; should he win, there’s virtually no chance his expected title unification bout with Tom Aspinall ends up on a Fight Night card. Saint-Denis, meanwhile, faces Paddy Pimblett at UFC 329 in July, which would leave him with a quick turnaround.

Nassourdine Imavov does not currently have a fight booked.

Per Monday’s press release, UFC fans can register their interest in the Paris card early via UFC.com/Paris to secure their tickets in advance.

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New Flyweight Champ Crowned, Laramie Wins Again at RIZIN Landmark 14

Staff — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 17:33:12 +0000

While Oktagon MMA and the UFC were in action Saturday, first up at the plate this weekend was RIZIN Fighting Federation, whose RIZIN Landmark 14 ran Saturday locally in Sendai, and Friday night into Saturday morning for western fight fans.

The night’s main event saw flyweight champion Hiromasa Ougikubo, a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter, looking to defend his title against fellow Japanese star Makoto Takahashi.

With victories over John Dodson and Jose “Shorty” Torres, Ougikubo had put together an impressive five-fight win streak culminating in claiming flyweight gold from Yuki Motoya. Yet in his first title defense, Ougikubo went the distance with Takahashi, and came out on the wrong side of a unanimous decision.

Takahashi avenged a prior loss to Hiromasa Ougikubo with the win, evening their career series. That could set up a rematch, though another fighter on the RIZIN Landmark 14 card could have something to say about that.

That would be Canadian flyweight standout Tony Laramie, brother of former UFC featherweight T.J. Laramie. Tony was paired up with ex-champ Yuki Motoya in the night’s co-main event, a fight that went the distance and saw Laramie win a spirited unanimous decision. Spirited and dominant; with RIZIN now featuring 10-point must scoring, Laramie picked up two 30-26 scores, and a 30-25.

The BTC and PFC champion is now 4-1 in RIZIN, and has won three straight. Having picked up a win over a former champion, it’s clear the Windsor, Ontario native is circling a title shot.

Full results from the RIZIN Landmark 14 card can be found below.

RIZIN Landmark 14 Results

Makoto Takahashi def. Hiromasa Ougikubo by unanimous decision (30-29,、30-27,、29-28)
Tony Laramie def. Yuki Motoya by unanious decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
Satoshi Kamiyama def. Ryo Sakai by TKO, Round 1, 1:16
Noah Bey def. Bilal Kai Haga by KO, Round 2, 0:10
Yusuke Yachi def. Isao Kobayashi by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Daichi Tomizawa def. Rui Kato by TKO, Round 1, 4:37
Naoki Tanaka def. Kaisei Kuroi by TKO, Round 1, 3:37
Seiya Inoue def. Koki Akada by KO, Round 3, 0:28
Hayato Kikuchi def. Taylan Yuasa by split decision (20-18, 19-19, 20-18) – ruleset states winner must be declared, 19-19 must awarded to Yuasa
Koya Saito def. Kazuki Yamagishi by TKO, Round 1, 1:25 – kickboxing
Sho Uchida def. Daichi Akahira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) – kickboxing
Yusuke Iwaki def. Sho Nakaizumi by KO, Round 3, 0:47

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Oktagon 89: Severino vs. Zhumagulov Full Results

Staff — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:55:44 +0000

Saturday’s Oktagon 89 main event was very much a story of redemption.

Both Igor Severino and Zhalgas Zhumagulov had seen their UFC runs go awry, albeit under very different circumstances. For Severino, biting an opponent during a fight had led to him being dropped by the company unceremoniously. No surprise, given the seriousness of the foul, but Severino leaned into the incident, adopting the nickname “The Hannibal” and wearing a Hannibal Lecter-style face mask ahead of fights.

Zhalgas Zhumagulov had no such controversy in the UFC. Rather, he just couldn’t catch a break. Too many questionable decisions were scored against him, eventually spelling the end of his time with the company.

Both would go on to sign with Oktagon, and both would win titles: Severino at bantamweight, Zhumagulov at flyweight. At Oktagon 89, Zhalgas Zhumagulov moved up, looking to become the company’s next double champ. Severino, meanwhile, was looking to take a bite out of another big-name opponent. Pun fully intended.

Former ranked UFC heavyweight Martin Buday was also on the card, against Oktagon mainstay Lazar Todev.

Where to Watch Oktagon 89

Oktagon 89 takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at the Tipos Arena in Bratislava, Slovakia. The full card streams live via Oktagon.tv staring at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results can be found below.

Oktagon 89: Severino vs. Zhumagulov Results

Main Card

Igor Severino (c) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov ends in a No Contest (low blow), Round 2, 2:26 – for the Oktagon MMA bantamweight championship
Jack Grant def. Ronald Paradeiser by submission (Scottish twister), Round 1, 1:44
Lazar Todev def. Martin Buday by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Robert Pukač def. Brian Manning by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Veronika Smolková def. Lisa Kyriacou by submission (arm-bar), Round 2, 3:04
Marek Bartl def. Jozef Wittner by TKO (knee/punches), Round 2, 3:46

Preliminary Card

Radovan Úškrt def. Ondřej Raška by KO, Round 1, 1:49
Rastislav Zvara def. Michal Novotný by TKO, Round 1, 2:15
Adam Pałasz def. Patrick Vespaziani by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:37
Karol Ryšavý vs. Daniel Schordje ends in a unanimous draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)
Ayton De Paepe def. Marco Novák by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Dastan Amangeldy def. Moktar Benkaci by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Eddie Hearn Won’t Let Tom Aspinall Fight Gane, Pereira for the “Kind of Money” in UFC Contract

Staff — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 03:25:04 +0000

UFC Freedom 250 is just over a week away, with the card set to take place at the White House in Washington, D.C.

An interim heavyweight title fight featuring Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane serves as the co-main event; undisputed champ (though he’ll be very disputed once that interim title is awarded) Tom Aspinall looms, set to return from an eye injury hopefully by the end of the year. Yet now under the management of boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who is a heated rival of UFC CEO and President Dana White these days, it seems Aspinall may not be fighting soon.

“I think it’s really interesting what’s happening in the UFC right now,” Hearn said in a recent media scrum at a Pili vs. Taylor press conference (h/t Bloody Elbow). “There is a monumental change for the swing of the business. They’ve got to be careful. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let Tom Aspinall fight for the kind of money that’s in his contract, to be involved in a fight against [Alex] Pereira or [Ciryl] Gane for literally one fiftieth of the revenue of that show. F*ck that! I won’t let him do it. And he’s not going to.”

“It’s time those UFC fighters stop being mugs and start to understand that these people are taking advantage of them. They deserve better. They don’t mind paying these fighters [boxers] all this money, but they won’t do it for the UFC fighters.”

“My advice for Tom Aspinall would be ‘don’t you dare take that fight for the money that’s in your contract. You are one of the biggest stars in UFC. That fight against Pereira or Gane is one of the biggest fights that the UFC can make, and you want to— I will tell you the number in time, if we get to that. UFC fans, everybody will be sick to their stomach about the money Tom Aspinall is supposed to get for that fight, for the revenue that exists for that fight. It’s not fair.”

It remains to be seen what sort of leverage Aspinall and Hearn have, short of simply tying up the division, given the UFC heavyweight champion is, as Eddie Hearn notes, under contract. The UFC, meanwhile, has failed to put together some of the biggest heavyweight fights possible in recent years, primarily match-ups featuring Jon Jones against all of Francis Ngannou, Tom Aspinall, and Alex Pereira.

The post Eddie Hearn Won’t Let Tom Aspinall Fight Gane, Pereira for the “Kind of Money” in UFC Contract appeared first on Cageside Press.

ONE Friday Fights 157 and The Inner Circle Live Stream and Results

Staff — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:55:58 +0000

One MMA bout in the Inner Circle and ONE Friday Fights 157 card, plus lots of Muay Thai action gave combat sports fans something to look forward to on Friday morning.

The ONE Friday Fights 157 Inner Circle main event featured a strawweight bout between Kongchai Chanaidonmueang and Valerii Strungari which headlined the 5-fight portion of the card.

Where to Watch ONE Friday Fights 157

ONE Friday Fights 157 takes place on Friday, June 5, 2026 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Inner Circle fights are available via the ONE Championship website, while the main card streams live on Youtube for western fight fans. Full results from the event can be found below; the action gets underway at 7:30AM ET, 4:30AM PT.

ONE Friday Fights 157 Results

Yodlekpet “The Destroyer” Or Atchariya defeats Saw Min Min via unanimous decision

Xavier Gonzalez defeats Payaksurin JP Power via knockout at 1:08 of round one

Kajornklai Sor Sor Toipadriew defeats Lamnamkhong BS Muaythai via unanimous decision

Petkongfa Wor Technoluangpusuang defeats Jomhod Wor Auracha via majority decision

Tepatip Champkhaomootod defeats Krungthai Torfunfarm via knockout at 1:48 of round one

Nongnuk Sor Dechapan defeats Alicia “Alita” Sanchez Saez via unanimous decision

Mahan Fotouhi defeats Tayo “The Beast” Zahir via TKO at 1:37 of round one

Jacob “Sombat” Thompson defeats Takuma Ota via unanimous decision

Nazareth “The Northstar” Lalthazuala defeats Jhon “The Protagonist” Brutas via TKO at 4:09 of round one

The Inner Circle

Kongchai Chanaidonmueang defeats Valerii Strungari via knockout at 1:32 of round one

Yuan Pengjie defeats Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi via unanimous decision

Banluelok Sitwatcharachai defeats Rak Erawan via knockout at 1:21 of round three

Rahim “Borz” Tcherchaiko defeats Zhang “Chinese Tiger” Jinhu via unanimous decision

Taiga “Black Samurai” Orii defeats Julian Mayorga via TKO at 3:03 of round one

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UFC Vegas 118: Muhammad vs. Bonfim Weigh-In Results

Staff — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:58 +0000

After returning to Macau, China last weekend it is back to the Meta Apex for UFC Vegas 118 on Saturday, with the UFC putting on an under-the-radar Fight Night event prior to the UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House on June 14.

The two biggest names on the UFC Vegas 118 card are of course the headliners: former welterweight champ Belal Muhammad is looking to shake off back-to-back losses (to Jack Della Maddalena and Ian Machado Garry) when he takes on rising Brazilian star Gabriel Bonfim. It is a big step up for Bonfim, who has won four straight bouts since a loss to Nicolas Dalby a few years back.

Brendan Allen faces off against Edmen Shahbazyan in the co-main event at middleweight, while Bryce Mitchell took on Santiago Luna — a massive step up for bantamweight Luna.

UFC Vegas 118: Muhammad vs. Bonfim Weigh-In Results

Main card

Welterweight: Belal Muhammad (170.5) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (170.5)
Middleweight: Brendan Allen (185.5) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (186)
Lightweight: Farès Ziam (156) vs. Tom Nolan (155)
Bantamweight: Bryce Mitchell (135.5) vs. Santiago Luna (136)
Light Heavyweight: Iwo Baraniewski (206) vs. Junior Tafa (206.5)*

Preliminary card

Catchweight (130lb): Matt Schnell (129.5) vs. Alessandro Costa (129.5)
Bantamweight: Marcus McGhee (136) vs. John Yannis (136)
Flyweight: Bruno Gustavo da Silva (126) vs. Édgar Cháirez (126)
Women’s Bantamweight: Priscila Cachoeira (135.5) vs. Chelsea Chandler (135)
Featherweight: Jordan Leavitt (145.5) vs. Joanderson Brito (145.5)
Women’s Flyweight: Jeisla Chaves (124) vs. Yuneisy Duben (125)
Women’s Strawweight: Ketlen Souza (116) vs. Ariane Carnelossi (116)

* Missed Weight

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King Green vs. Terrance McKinney Joins UFC 329

Staff — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:15:19 +0000

A mouth-watering lightweight match-up is joining UFC 329, this year’s International Fight Week centerpiece.

Joining McGregor vs. Holloway 2 will be King Green (35–17–1, 1NC) taking on Terrance McKinney (18-8), a youth versus veteran pairing that will almost certainly be a crowd pleaser.

Heavy.com’s Marcel Dorff first reported news of the match-up on Thursday, with McKinney confirming the booking a short time later.

“I can not describe how incredibly grateful I am for this opportunity to fight on the McGregor vs Holloway card,” McKinney wrote on social media. “Jesus is king from staying on someone’s floor to being a house owner now this let’s gooo #AllGloryToGod for the victory to come UFC 329.”

Green has shown he still has legs in the fight game as even at age 39, he’s been putting together wins. He’s picked up three straight victories, most recently submitting Jeremy Stephens. Green isn’t just finding success with fellow vets, however, as his current win streak has seen him defeat Daniel Zellhuber and Lance Gibson Jr.

McKinney, eight years Green’s junior, is 3-1 in his last four bouts and is coming off a finish of Kyle “The Monster” Nelson.

UFC 329 takes place on July 11, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The return of Conor McGregor, in a rematch with Max Holloway, headlines. The following match-ups have been reported for the event:

Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoît Saint Denis
Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez
Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong
Damian Pinas vs. César Almeida
Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III
Ryan Gandra vs. Zachary Reese
Ode’ Osbourne vs.Cody Durden
King Green vs. Terrance McKinney
Farid Basharat vs. Ethyn Ewing

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Oh Canada: UFC Ditches PPV North of the Border, Moves to Paramount+

Staff — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 23:56:33 +0000

Canadian MMA fans will no longer need to shell out hefty Pay-Per-View fees for UFC numbered events starting in 2027.

On Thursday, promotion officials announced that the UFC had signed a deal with Paramount+ (Paramount Skydance) to provide UFC numbered events, formerly sold on PPV, as part of their Canadian flavour of the streaming service.

The deal will only include numbered UFC cards, as Rogers SportsNet retains the rights to most (but not all) Fight Night events in Canada. It also only covers main cards, with the prelims expected to remain on their current broadcast home.

Still, it’s big news for Canadian MMA fans, and aligns the promotion more with their U.S. footprint, where all UFC content is carried on Paramount+.

The Paramount deal for the UFC’s Canadian numbered cards is set to run for six years, which would put the Canadian rights up for renewal at the same time the UFC’s deal with Paramount+ as a whole comes to an end.

The UFC returned to SportsNet in Canada, where it aired in the early 2010s, in 2024 after a stint on TSN. That year saw the promotion launch a multi-year partnership with the cable sports outlet, however the PPV model remained in place for the promotion’s largest events.

“Beginning in 2027, Paramount+ subscribers in Canada will get every UFC Numbered Event main card live, at no additional cost,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White in a press release issued on Thursday. “Paramount has been an incredible partner that understands the power of UFC, and together we’re going to make it easier than ever for fans in Canada to watch the biggest fights in the sport. I love Canada and I’m very excited for the fans to be able to enjoy the Paramount experience.”

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