UFC lightweight Tsarukyan, who was recently booted from a plane, and is set to be the backup for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, was seen trying to hop a security barrier after briefly speaking with preliminary card winner Namo Fazil.

After that didn’t work, he was seen backstage trying to confront Fazil, with MVP MMA co-found Nakisa Bidarian, a former UFC exec, present. He appeared to be escorted away following that scene.

Arman Tsarukyan just tried to jump the gate and fight Namo Fazil 😬

Then went backstage to confront him 😳

“He wants to talk, I wanna talk!” pic.twitter.com/PuZwCYCymK

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) May 17, 2026

Tsarukyan can’t seem to go a minute without causing controversy these days. He notoriously tackled Urijah Faber off-stage at a Real American Freestyle wrestling event, and head-butted UFC opponent Dan Hooker at their face-off appearance last year.

Fazil, who spent much of the week trash talking opponent Jake Babian as well as Mike Perry, who he said declined to fight him, had previously called out Tsarukyan. Of course, the fight isn’t likely to happen, given Fazil doesn’t compete for the UFC, where Tsarukyan is a contender and title fight back-up. However, he chose to call out the Armenian again in the cage at the Intuit Dome.

Saturday’s Rousey vs. Carano card was the first-ever MMA event on Netflix, though Namo Fazil’s fight actually closed out the Youtube portion of the event.

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Saturday’s showdown between two aging women’s MMA stars had a big-fight feel to it whatever you thought of its relevance in 2026. Yet, a decade ago would have been the opportune time to book the fight, but after years of super-fights fizzling from GSP vs. Anderson Silva to Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko, at least Rousey vs. Carano came to pass.

The fact that it was on Netflix with the potential to become to most-watched MMA event in history essentially meant it was bound to be at least a moderate success. The real question was, whether the card could be entertaining enough, and draw enough fans, to warrant future events.

With Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz also on the card, there were certainly reasons to tune it. Ngannou was paired up with Philipe Lines, a former UFC fighter and PFL star who appeared to earn the opportunity by default when a larger-name opponent (including Rico Verhoeven) could not be secured. Diaz was in a more memorable pairing at least, against fellow ex-UFC star and BKFC “King of Violence” Mike Perry.

Following Saturday May 16’s MVP MMA 1: Rousey vs. Carano, tune in live for the night’s post-fight press conference above.

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With the inaugural women’s bantamweight title in KSW hanging in the balance, the night’s co-main event saw Sara Luzar-Smajić battle Wiktoria Czyżewska across five rounds. Croatia’s Luzar-Smajić entered the fight with a 2-1 record in KSW, and was the clear underdog opposite Poland’s own Czyżewska.

In the main event, meanwhile, interim KSW middleweight champion Piotr Kuberski put his belt on the line against Michał Michalski. KSW star Artur Szczepaniak, meanwhile, was forced to pull out of a scheduled bout with Adam Masaev in advance of the fight, replaced with Michal Hir.

KSW 118: Kuberski vs. Michalski Results

Main Card

Piotr Kuberski (ic) def. Michał Michalski by TKO (punches), Round 1, 2:09 – for the interim KSW middleweight championship
Sara Luzar-Smajić def. Wiktoria Czyżewska by unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 48–47) – for the inaugural KSW women’s bantamweight championship
Valeriu Mircea def. Roman Szymański by TKO (punches), Round 2, 0:52
Marian Ziółkowski def. Aymard Guih by TKO (punches), Round 2, 4:36
Aleksander Winiarski def. Dawid Kasperski by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
Konrad Rusiński def. Tagir Machmudov by TKO (punches), Round 1, 2:45
Michał Dreczkowski def. Cedric Lushima by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)

Preliminary card

Steven Krt def. Daniel Kolasiński by TKO (elbows), Round 2, 2:40
Mateusz Wieczorek def. Michał Hir by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)

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Maybe it was time for Paul to give something back to mixed martial arts. And on Saturday, he did just that, with his Most Valuable Promotions banner hosting Rousey vs. Carano, the first-ever MMA event on streaming behemoth Netflix.

Lots has been written about the card, but if you don’t know by know, know this: The UFC was happy to pay Rousey and Carano for the fight, and had it booked for the end of 2025. However, when Carano needed more time to get ready (she later admitted to losing 100 pounds for the fight over a year and a half), the bout was scrapped thanks to the promotion shifting to Paramount+ and leaving Pay-Per-View behind them. The company, it seemed, no longer wanted to take the risk on guaranteed money, as the original offer to Rousey in particular, which she called the best of her career, relied on PPV points – bonus money based on how well an event sells.

Enter Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and their MVP label. They quickly snatched up the fight, signed up Mike Perry and Nate Diaz to face off, as well as lineal heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou. He’s yet to lose since exiting the UFC as champion (to be fair, he’s only fought once), and for a time was offered kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven. With the Dutch star opting to pursue boxing instead, ex-PFL and UFC heavyweight Philipe Lins stepped up instead.

Junior Dos Santos, Salahdine Parnasse, Phumi Nkuta and more also appear on the card, which, if successful, could very well lead to more shows down the line. It will all come down to how the admittedly aging main event, and some of the night’s big stars, perform however.

Consider Saturday a very important litmus test.

Where to Watch MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano

MVP MMA makes its debut on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA. The preliminary card streams live on Youtube starting at 6PM ET, 3PM PT and can be viewed below. Main card action gets underway at 9PM ET, 6PM PT on Netflix. Check below for full results from the event.

MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano Results

Main card (Netflix)

Ronda Rousey def. Gina Carano by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 0:17
Mike Perry def. Nate Diaz by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 2, 5:00
Francis Ngannou def. Philipe Lins by KO, Round 1, 4:31
Salahdine Parnasse def. Kenneth Cross by TKO, Round 1, 4:18
Robelis Despaigne def. Junior dos Santos by KO, Round 1, 2:01

Preliminary card (YouTube)

Namo Fazil def. Jake Babian by submission (d’arce choke), Round 2, 0:58
Adriano Moraes def. Phumi Nkuta by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 4:59
Jason Jackson def. Jefferson Creighton by knockout, Round 1, 0:22
David Mgoyan def. Albert Morales by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-27)
Aline Pereira def. Jade Masson-Wong by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Brandon Jenkins def. Chris Avila by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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While no title fight headlined Saturday’s Oktagon card, a grudge match between German featherweight Max Holzer and UFC/RIZIN vet Khalid Taha topped the card. Holzer, who was forced out of a September date with Taha, entered the bout a perfect 11-0. Taha had been a bit testy ahead of Oktagon 88 thanks to Holzer’s earlier withdrawal, making this one a little personal.

Heavyweight Simon Biyong, a Bellator, PFL, and RIZIN veteran, was also on the Oktagon 88 main card on Saturday. Biyong was paired up with Evgeny Orlov; both were looking for their first win in the promotion.

Where to Watch Oktagon 88

Oktagon 88 was set for the Zag Arena in Hannover, Germany on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The card streams live via Oktagon.tv starting at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results from the event can be found below.

Oktagon 88: Holzer vs. Taha Results

Main Card

Max Holzer def. Khalid Taha by TKO, Round 1, 3:14
Hugo Vach def. Teo Smith by KO, Round 1, 2:50
Simon Biyong def. Evgeny Orlov by TKO, Round 1, 3:45
Altin Zenuni def. Dawid Jarowienko by KO, Round 1, 0:52
Raphael Federico def. Haci Akseker by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Christian Draxler def. Daniel Makin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ivana Petrović def. Danielle Misteli by TKO, Round 1, 3:42
Justin Detzel def. Mate Kola by submission (suloev stretch), Round 3, 2:03
Bedirhan Kabak def. Imran Daurbekov by TKO, Round 3, 1:11
Jan Holzer def. Paul Kulze by TKO, Round 1, 1:54 – amateur bout

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The main event saw featherweight champ Tang Kai put his title on the line against Shamil Gasanov of Russia. Kai had won the belt in 2022 opposite Thanh Le, and defended it in a rematch in 2024. Last year, he lost a five round fight against Akbar Abdullaev, though he retained his title due to Abdullaev missing weight.

That was January 2025; at ONE Fight Night 43, nearly a year and a half later, Kai returned to face Gasanov, whose lone career loss had come to BJJ ace Garry Tonon a few years back.

Where to Watch ONE Fight Night 43

ONE Championship returns to the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, May 15, 2026 for ONE Fight Night 43. The full card streams live on Amazon Prime Video. Results from the event, which gets underway at 9PM ET, 6PM PT can be found below.

ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov Results

Tang Kai (c) def. Shamil Gasanov by TKO, Round 4, 2:41 – for the ONE featherweight MMA championship
Petchtanong Petchfergus def. Ben Woolliss by unanimous decision – kickboxing
Diogo Reis def. Yuki Takahashi by unanimous decision – submission grappling
Aslamjon Ortikov def. Jordan Estupinan by TKO, Round 2, 2:06- Muay Thai
Fabio Henrique def. Yosuke Saruta by TKO, Round 2, 0:39 – MMA
Nontachai Jitmuangnon def. Felipe Lobo by unanimous decision – Muay Thai
Lito Adiwang def. Eko Roni Saputra by TKO, Round 1, 0:34 – MMA
Luo Chao def. Denis Souza Jr. by split decision – kickboxing
Martyna Dominczak def. Johanna Persson by unanimous decision – Muay Thai

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The undefeated Pintos had picked up a handful of regional titles prior to making his LFA debut in his last fight, where he picked up a win over Regivaldo Carvalho (who happened to per fighting earlier on the LFA 232 card). Visconde for his part was 3-1 under the LFA banner, and had won three straight with two finishes in that span.

Where to Watch LFA 232

LFA 232 takes place at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut on Friday, May 15, 2026. The main card airs live on Vice TV starting at 9PM ET, 6PM PT following Spectation Sports and dark prelims. Full results from Friday’s event can be found below.

LFA 232: Visconde vs. Pintos Results

Main Card

Erick Visconde def. Gustavo Pintos by split decision (46-49, 49-46, 48-47) — for the vacant LFA featherweight championship
Vinicius Cenci def. Nate Ghareeb by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ansar Khamzaev def. Jordon Tague by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 1:36
Adam Livingston def. Kyle Pufahl by KO, Round 2, 3:58
Abbas Abasov def. Regivaldo Carvalho by KO, Round 2 at 1:56
Luis Francischinelli def. Travis Arrellano by TKO, Round 2, 2:04

Preliminary Card

Sophie Lang def. Ashley Barrett by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Elton Dedaj def. Melvin Jovel by KO, Round 2, 3:37
Rodrigo Brauna def. David Evenson by TKO, Round 1, 4:44
Austin Ross def. Trevor Linderman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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There’s never been much heat, if any at all, between headliners Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Especially with Rousey espousing her admiration for the women’s fighting pioneer and admitting that she wouldn’t have had a career in fighting were in not for Carano.

Truth be told, you can envision the pair going for a girl’s night after the fight. Not so for Namo Fazil and Jake Babian. The pair had an explosive back-and-forth at the MVP MMA press conference, alleging social media antics, hotel encounters, and even dragging Mike Perry and Nate Diaz into their bickering (Diaz, for one, requested his name be left out of it). The pair headline Saturday’s preliminary card on Youtube.

Former KSW double-champ Salahdine Parnasse, set to make his U.S. debut on the Netflix card on Saturday, put hands on opponent Kenneth Cross during their face off, pulling him into a clinch and laughing. They’ll get to clinch up for real soon enough.

The action goes down at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

Pereira vs. Masson-Wong

Fazil vs. Babian

Parnasse vs. Cross

Ngannou vs. Lins

Diaz vs. Perry

Rousey vs. Carano

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How a women’s fighting trailblazer wound up paired up against a UFC superstar is well-known by now: the UFC had the fight booked, but when they opted to go with Paramount+ as broadcaster, they chose to let it go. Pay-Per-View was gone, and with it, the bonus system that would have given Rousey the biggest payday of her career.

And so Jake Paul, Nakisa Bidarian, and their Most Valuable Promotions, best known for Paul’s freakshow boxing endeavors, stepped up to the plate. Securing a spot on Netflix, the world’s largest streamer, and adding names like Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and even KSW star Salahdine Parnasse to the event.

Rousey vs. Carano is an easy win with casual fans looking to kill a bit of time on Saturday night. Netflix has the numbers to generate plenty of eyeballs. Whether the card warrants a sequel will be one big question, with MVP planning between four and six events annually, at least to start, if all goes well.

MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano Weigh-In Results

Main card

Women’s Featherweight: Ronda Rousey (142) vs. Gina Carano (141.4)
Welterweight: Nate Diaz (168.6) vs. Mike Perry (169.6)
Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou (257) vs. Philipe Lins (220.6)
Lightweight: Salahdine Parnasse (154.8) vs. Kenneth Cross (155.4)
Heavyweight: Junior dos Santos (245.4) vs. Robelis Despaigne (258.8)

Preliminary card

Welterweight: Namo Fazil (170.8) vs. Jake Bobian (171)
Catchweight (130lb): Adriano Moraes (129) vs. Phumi Nkuta (130)
Welterweight: Jason Jackson (170.8) vs. Jefferson Creighton (168.2)
Featherweight: David Mgoyan (145.2) vs. Albert Morales (143.8)
Catchweight (130lb): Aline Pereira (128) vs. Jade Masson-Wong (129.2)
Catchweight (165lb): Chris Avila (164) vs. Brandon Jenkins (164.2)

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Whether star power, or brand recognition, matters more might be the question answered on Saturday. Netflix has Ronda Rousey, Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou, and rising stars like Phumi Nkuta and Salahdine Parnasse. The UFC has Arnold Allen vs. Melquizel Costa, Doo-Ho Choi, and Malcolm Wellmaker.

The ratings edge clearly favors Netflix based on the sheer number of subscribers and names involved – but UFC Vegas 117 could still punch up in weight.

Weigh-ins for the Las Vegas-based card, set for the Meta Apex, take place Friday morning starting at 12PM ET, 9AM PT. Results can be found below.

UFC Vegas 117: Allen vs. Costa Weigh-In Results

Main card

Featherweight: Arnold Allen (145.5) vs. Melquizael Costa (145.5)
Featherweight: Choi Doo-ho (146) vs. Daniel Santos (145)
Bantamweight: Malcolm Wellmaker (135.5) vs. Juan Díaz (135.5)
Catchweight (215lb): Modestas Bukauskas (213.5) vs. Christian Edwards (214.5)
Bantamweight: Timothy Cuamba (136) vs. Bernardo Sopaj (136)
Welterweight: Nikolay Veretennikov (170.5) vs. Khaos Williams (170.5)

Preliminary card

Light Heavyweight: Tuco Tokkos (205.5) vs. Ivan Erslan (205.5)
Lightweight: Thomas Gantt (156) vs. Artur Minev (155)
Women’s Bantamweight: Ketlen Vieira (136) vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (135.5)
Middleweight: Cody Brundage (185.5) vs. Andre Petroski (185.5)
Women’s Strawweight: Alice Ardelean (116) vs. Polyana Viana (115.5)
Flyweight: Daniel Barez (125.5) vs. Luis Gurule (125.5)
Women’s Strawweight: Shauna Bannon (115.5) vs. Nicolle Caliari (115.5)

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