Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press following the card at the Meta Apex, White also noted that Apodaca, who he later signed to the UFC, “never acted like a 6000 to 1 underdog.”

White, who actually encouraged Mir (the biggest favorite in Contender Series history) to attend college prior to persuing MMA, noted that “you guys all heard what her goals were over the next several years. And again, like I said out there, [Michael] Bisping nailed it and said the difference in this fight is deep waters. Bella’s never been there, and Alex has.”

Mir wound up losing a unanimous decision, with anyone who bet on Apodaca picking up serious money. “That fight right there would have paid for your whole year of gambling. Nobody in this sport is that big of an underdog, ever.”

White also touched on how difficult it is to go undefeated in MMA. Mir fell to 4-1 with the loss. Few big stars in the sport maintain perfect records. Georges St-Pierre lost twice, though he would avenge both. Jon Jones technically has a DQ loss against Matt Hammill, though the 12-6 elbows that cost him the fight are now legal in modern MMA. Khabib Nurmagomedov retired 29-0.

White used Jones as the example. “To come in and just go undefeated, it’s very hard to do in this sport. That’s why, when its done— he’s undefeated. And when you think about the killers that Jon Jones fought when he was a young guy in this sport. And there’s more than just his physical attributes. There’s the mental and the first fight with [Alexander] Gustafsson, when he got his deep water experience, how he reacted to that and overcame it, these are all things that are part of this game.”

Whether Bella Mir makes a quick turnaround, or takes time away to shore up her game, is something Dana White is leaving up to the fighter, and her father, UFC legend Frank Mir. “That’s up to her and her father. That’s up to them.”

Watch the full Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 3 post-fight press conference with Dana White above.

The post Dana White Reacts to Bella Mir’s Loss on DWCS appeared first on Cageside Press.

Uriel (8-2) pulled off a standing guillotine choke against Mario Piazzon on week three of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, earning a finish in under a minute. The choke surprised many, including White himself, who didn’t expect it to work, only to later admit he’d been proven wrong.

Following the event, “Urso” (that’s Portuguese for “bear”) suggested he was ready to go again immediately.

“I’ll be ready. Tomorrow. All you have to do is make the call,” Uriel told media outlets including Cageside Press, speaking via translator. “In Brazil, we say, the 1-800 call. 1-800, call the bear, and I’ll be there.”

Uriel and Piazzon got into a bit of a scuffle at weigh-ins, and that’s something the heavyweight also addressed post-fight on Tuesday.

“I’m not that kind of athlete, to do the what do you call it, trash talk? Well I’m not that kind of guy,” stated Uriel. “We’re very automatic in our reactions. And when he came close to me, I just had that reaction. I even ended up touching him. It’s something that happened, and that’s not me.”

Luckily, it doesn’t appear there will be any consequences for the newly signed UFC athlete. “Nobody came to talk to me.”

Watch the full Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 3 post-fight press conference with Guilherme Uriel above.

The post Guilherme Uriel Ready for UFC Debut “Tomorrow.” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mir is the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, and is someone Dana White himself as been singing the praises of lately, even suggesting she could compete for Zuffa Boxing and UFC BJJ as well (she has already turned up under the UFC BJJ banner, in fact). With the women’s bantamweight division badly in need of stars, Mir arrives at the perfect moment, assuming she can capitalize on her Contender Series opportunity.

Booked opposite Alex Apodaca, Mir opens at the biggest favorite among female fighters in Contender Series history, so if all goes according to plan, she’ll be UFC-bound shortly.

Weigh-ins for DWCS Season 10 Week 3 took place on Monday in Las Vegas, with no hiccups at the scale. Full results from the official weigh-in can be found below.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 3 Weigh-In Results

Women’s bantamweight: Bella Mir (136) vs. Alex Apodaca (135.5)
Heavyweight: Mario Piazzon (238) vs. Guilherme Uriel (241.5)
Welterweight: Gary Balletto (169) vs. Sean Clancy Jr. (170)
Welterweight: Ronald Humphrey (169) vs. Alexis Miranda (170)
Middleweight: Nick Galanti (185) vs. Carlos Petruzzella (185.5)

The post Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 3 Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

That main event had Hernandez fighting at home in California, but it was Brazilian Rodrigues coming away with a hard-fought decision victory after five rounds. The fight was a close one, with two judges scoring it 48-47 Robocop, and was heated enough to take home Fight of the Night honors.

The accompanying $100,000 might take some of the sting off the loss for Hernandez, who has now lost two straight.

Carli Judice also picked up bonus cash care of her body kick TKO of Jeisla Chaves. The victory marks Judice’s fourth straight, with flyweight “Crispy” earning three post-fight bonuses in that span. She’s almost certain to crack the divisional rankings at 125lbs later this week.

The other Performance of the Night bonus at UFC Sacramento went to MarQuel Mederos, for his standing TKO of Mason Jones.

All four bonus-winners pick up 100K for their efforts, while the night’s other finishers all get $25,000 for their stoppages. Those are Reinier de Ridder, Anthony Wint, Jamall Emmers, Shamil Gaziev, Chris Padilla, Marcio Barbosa, Jackson McVey, and Shanelle Dyer.

The post Headliner Takes FOTN, Judice Bags Another Bonus at UFC Sacramento appeared first on Cageside Press.

Jean Silva (17-3) remains in the headliner, but the Brazilian featherweight will now face off against the rising Jose Miguel Delgado (12-2) of Mexico. The event takes place at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ on September 12, 2026.

Promotion officials announced the booking on Saturday. News of the switch-up was previously reported by MMA Fighting.

Silva has just a single loss in the UFC, against two-time title challenger Diego Lopes. “Lord” Silva bounced back from that setback, which came at Noche UFC in 2025, by earning a unanimous decision over England’s Arnold Allen this past January.

Delgado likewise has just one loss inside the octagon, and has earned back-to-back decision victories over Austin Bashi and Andre Fili. With the addition of Jose Miguel Delgado to the main event, this year’s Noche UFC card, celebrating Mexican Independence, breaks down as follows:

• Jean Silva vs. Jose Miguel Delgado
• Brandon Moreno vs. Joseph Morales
• Tommy McMillen vs. Marwan Rahiki
• Manon Fiorot vs. Alexa Grasso
• Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Curtis Blaydes
• David Martínez vs. Dan Ige
• Tim Elliott vs. Édgar Cháirez
• Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Muslim Salikhov
• JJ Aldrich vs. Regina Tarin
• Drakkar Klose vs. Thomas Gantt
• Rodrigo Vera vs. Ramiro Jimenez
• Yousri Belgaroui vs. Djorden Santos
• Rafa García vs. Rong Zhu

The post Jean Silva vs. Jose Miguel Delgado Announced as New Noche UFC Main Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

During Saturday’s UFC Sacramento Fight Night broadcast on Paramount+, promotion officials revealed that, as expected, the octagon will touch down in New York City in November. A trip to Madison Square Garden has become an annual tradition over the past several years.

In addition, the final numbered card of the year will take place in Las Vegas in December.

No fights were announced for either card. UFC 334 takes place on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY while UFC 335 does down on Dec. 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

New York cards have traditionally become some of the biggest in the promotion’s history since MMA was legalized in the state. That includes Conor McGregor dethroning Eddie Alvarez to become the UFC’s first simultaneous double-champ at UFC 205 in 2016, and Georges St-Pierre returning from an extended absence to dethrone Michael Bisping for middleweight gold the following year.

The promotion has launched a page on their official website where fans can register to receive information about early access to tickets.

Las Vegas and the T-Mobile Arena have become a frequent year-end destination for the company as well.

The post UFC 334 for New York, UFC 335 for Las Vegas Announced appeared first on Cageside Press.

Vieira, a former UFC bantamweight title challenger, had been set to face champion Cris Cyborg for the PFL women’s featherweight championship. However, with Vieira hitting the scales seven pounds over the title fight limit, the league had little choice in the matter. The main event now continues as a catchweight of sorts: for Cyborg, the title is still on the line, meaning she can still lose it.

While Vieira has fought mainly as a bantamweight, she also blew weight for a 2025 144lb catchweight fight with Macy Chiasson, as well as for a bantamweight bout with Yana Santos in 2021. Neither of those misses, however, was nearly as bad as what transpired on Saturday.

Vieira later released a statement on the matter to MMA Fighting, saying that “I had severe pain in my kidneys and stomach since last night. I felt really sick throughout the entire night. Master ‘Dedé’ [André Pederneiras] slept in my bed with me, massaging my back so I could get some sleep.”

“This morning, I felt sick again and had another severe episode. I can’t explain why this happened. I was doing well on weight, I’m a bantamweight fighter, and it had nothing to do with my weight. I was in a lot of pain, and ‘Dedé’ wouldn’t let me continue losing weight. I was doing well and sweating properly, but then I had this very severe episode, and [Pederneiras] chose to prioritize my health.”

Vieira is making her promotional debut in the bout.

PFL Tampa Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Featherweight: Cris Cyborg (c) (145) vs. Ketlen Vieira (152.2)* – originally for the PFL women’s featherweight championship, Vieira ineligible to win title
Lightweight: Gadzhi Rabadanov (156) vs. Tracy Reeder (155)
Women’s flyweight: Taila Santos (125.6) vs. Sabrinna de Sousa (125)
Light heavyweight: Luke Trainer (205.6) vs. Roland Dunlap (205.8)

Preliminary Card

141lb Catchweight: Marcirley Alves (141.8 lbs)* vs. Nkosi Ndebele (140.4)
Bantamweight: Magomed Magomedov (136) vs. Daniel Marcos (135.6)
Bantamweight: Movsar Ibragimov (136) vs. Javid Basharat (136)
Lightweight: Dakota Bush (155.8) vs. Morquez Forest (155.8)
Lightweight: Natan Schulte (156) vs. Artur Zaynukov (155.6)
Lightweight: Gino Van Steenis (156) vs. Robert Watley (155.4)
Welterweight: Eoin Sheridan (170.8) vs. James Vake (170.8)

* fighter missed weight

Update: Per a statement by Cris Cyborg, she will still be eligible to retain her title, and will lose the belt should she lose to Vieira at PFL Tampa

The post Viera 7lbs Over for PFL Tampa, No Longer Fighting Cyborg for Title appeared first on Cageside Press.

The card’s main event sees Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez looking to bounce back from a loss against Sean Strickland that had snapped an impressive eight-fight win streak that had put him firmly in title contention.

“Robocop” Rodrigues will be standing opposite him, a hard-hitting fan favorite who has claimed victory in his last three fights, with two by knockout.

Also on the card, a pair of former middleweights turned light heavyweights, with Reinier de Ridder returning to the division for the first time as a UFC athlete, going up against Roman Dolidze. RDR was a former ONE double-champ at middleweight and light heavyweight, with the weight cut to 185lbs becoming too draining. Dolidze had moved up in weight previously.

Weigh-ins for UFC Sacramento take place Friday, results can be found below.

UFC Sacramento: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues Weigh-In Results

Main card

Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez (186) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (185)
Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac (257) vs. Vitor Petrino (246)
Light Heavyweight: Reinier de Ridder (205) vs. Roman Dolidze (206)
Lightweight: MarQuel Mederos (156) vs. Mason Jones (156)
Women’s Flyweight: Carli Judice (125.5) vs. Jeisla Chaves (124.5)
Heavyweight: Anthony Wint (231) vs. Terrance Chatman (266)

Preliminary card

Featherweight: Jamall Emmers (143.5)  vs. Lerryan Douglas (145.5)
Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu (244) vs. Shamil Gaziev (261)
Lightweight: Chris Padilla (156) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (155.5)
Featherweight: Márcio Barbosa (145.5) vs. Ryan Kuse (144.5)
Lightweight: Gauge Young (155.5) vs. Stanley Dorsainvil (155.5)
Middleweight: Wesley Schultz (186) vs. Jackson McVey (185)
Women’s Strawweight: Shanelle Dyer (116) vs. Elise Reed (115)

The post UFC Sacramento: Hernandez vs. Rodrigues Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I eat two meals a day, as tiny as possible, just trying to get down,” explained de Ridder (21-4) during Wednesday’s UFC Sacramento media day, adding that things are much different now that he’s returning to light heavyweight. “This time, I can just have breakfast. I’m still eating good of course, but bigger portions. And it makes recovery so much better as well. I’ve been able to go hard, train hard twice a day. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to train this hard.”

A former ONE Championship double champion at both middleweight and light heavyweight, de Ridder noted that it was repeated weight cuts that impacted him, more than the weight being shed itself. Leading to poor performances, and serious side effects.

“The amount of weight cuts is what messed me up. Because you see this with all the guys who did big weight cuts like I did to get to 185- you can do it twice a year, maybe three times a year, more than that it’s just not possible. Everything goes to sh*t, your body goes to sh*t, your hormonal levels go to sh*t. Everything goes in the trash.”

RDR added that after his fight with Brendan Allen, he had to stop training completely. “I was out of breath when I walked up the stairs.” And he had doubts, initially, if he’d ever make it back. “Those first six weeks just were terrible. Just doubt everywhere. Can I get my body back to normal at all.”

Facing Roman Dolidze at UFC Sacramento this Saturday, the Dutch star noted that the right kind of win could see him fast-tracked to the top of the 205lb division.

“If I do well and I put him away, I think it’ll give me a chance to fight in the top 10 next. It’s a new start, it’s basically like when I came into the UFC, I was fighting a vet in my first fight as well, and I feel the same. If I can put another run like this together, I’ll be up on the top quickly, hopefully.”

Watch the full UFC Sacramento media day appearance by Reinier de Ridder above.

The post UFC Sacramento: Reinier de Ridder on the Problems With Big Weight Cuts appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ahead of his UFC Sacramento matchup with Reinier de Ridder on Saturday night, Dolidze believes leaving the cut to 185 behind could help his health, extend his career and allow him to show the best version of himself inside the cage.

“It was how I was feeling my body. Mentally I’m always ready to cut weight, nothing can stop me, it’s all mental game I think. How I was gaining weight back and how I was in the fight, I didn’t like myself,” Dolidze told reporters on Wednesday.

“It’s why I fought, to prolong my career, I think it’s much better to move up weight class. Started (at) 205 in UFC. I had two fights and after moved to 185, fought one time, back with Anthony Smith. I think it’s smart decision to fight 205 for my health.”

Dolidze has spent time competing at both middleweight and light heavyweight, but he doesn’t believe the weight class changes who he is inside the cage. Whether he’s fighting at 185 or 205 pounds, Dolidze carries the same mentality with him.

“There is no difference, I am who I am, and I’m always fighter. No matter what’s going on in my life or how things are going. I’m fighting for life, not for fighting,” he said.

Fighter burnout can become a real concern after years of training camps and fights, but Dolidze took an unusual path into MMA. After getting a late start and skipping the amateur ranks entirely, he hopes that when his body and mind finally tell him it’s time to stop, he’ll be willing to listen.

“I never had amateur career. (I went) directly pro. First fight, pro fight. First time in my life I wear gloves probably I was 27-years-old. 28 was first fight where I fought MMA professional. In two years, only 6 fights, I signed with UFC,” he said.

“That’s all my career. I hope I will have enough (will power) when it will be time to say stop Roman. I never have stop in my head, but I hope I will understand the right time.”

As for what comes after UFC Sacramento, Dolidze isn’t spending much time thinking about specific names. After years of facing top competition, he believes whoever comes next is simply another opponent standing in his way.

“They are all opponents, my future opponents, of course. I don’t really care what is their name, but all these guys are my opponents. Already I’m fighting only top guys probably 4 years. Only top guys, top level,” he said.

“Who cares who’s next.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Roman Dolidze above. He faces Reinier de Ridder at UFC Sacramento on Saturday night.

The post Roman Dolidze Prioritizes Health With Move To 205 Ahead Of RDR Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.