“I think she deserves to come back and fight for the title straight. She’s been proved a lot, you know? She’s been proved for everybody,” Ricci said. “She’s the best in the division. So, I think she deserves to get the title shot, but we don’t know when. That’s the thing, everybody is waiting to see when Weili is going to come back.”

And while she’s waiting to hear of when the champ will come back and fight, Ricci has her own big fight on the horizon. A booking with the aforementioned Virna Jandiroba should put her firmly in the conversation for before or after Weili returns.

“It’s a huge step. You know, it put me right there to fight for the next, for the title next. So I was honored,” Ricci said. “I think if I have a good performance against Jandidova, it’ll put me right for the next. So I think it just depends how it’s going to be – the fight.”

Making this an exciting fight she feels will be easy. She thinks her advantages in each facet of the game should make for an undeniable, dominant performance that will leave no question in the bosses’ heads.

“I think I’m going to be a little bit more complete in this fight It’s going to be a lot of smarts and see who is going to find who first. I’m really excited and I’m going to be ready if it goes to the ground, I’ll be at home. If it stays on the top, I think I have a little bit more advantage on the strikes,” she said. “It ends with Baby Shark win and challenge for the belt.”

You can see “Baby Shark” stake her claim for a title shot as the co-main event of UFC Vegas 115. The fight card begins at 5pm EST and airs on Paramount+.

The post UFC Vegas 115’s Tabatha Ricci on Complicated Strawweight Title Picture appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I actually tore my meniscus again in my [last] fight with in the first round – this is my fourth meniscus surgery,” she explained. “I just went to pass guard and I felt the click and then my leg got stuck. That’s why round two, I didn’t look like round one because I couldn’t move. So I went and got that fixed. I tried to see if I could do it without surgery, but where the tear was, there’s no blood flow in that area. So I had to have surgery to get it removed.”

Not only was the time away necessary for her recovery, but she made some changes to her camp as well. After training near home in Texas for most of her life, she made the move out the fight capital of the world to improve her training. While she was originally hesitant about the move, she found a home with Eric Nicksick and gang.

“I moved out to Vegas. I’ve been training out in Vegas for about nine months. I feel like I’m at home,” Cowan said. “I obviously miss home a lot, but I’ve definitely found a second home at Xtreme [Couture] and at the [UFC] P.I. And I’m surrounded by people that I love, people that I trust. It’s been a good not a year that I didn’t want to take a year off, but it ended up being a very good thing because I was able to kind of grow with my new coaches and grow with my team.”

Not only has her training leveled up, but she’s now mentally in a better space as well. The sport, particularly with all of the injuries, had become more of a job and less of the thing she loved. Now it has returned to where she was at her best.

“It’s I almost lost my sense of reverence for the sport, because I was just like going from rushing from one injury to the next – almost that I was I was just waiting to get hurt again, like I lost my my like love for training. It was almost became a chore,” she said. “But I was able to change my mindset and kind of find my my love for the sport again. And so I’m having fun in training. I love all my training partners. I love being on the mats with the greatest fighters on the planet.”

You can see the fruits of this year outside of the cage when she takes on Alice Pereira at UFC Vegas 115. That fight takes place on the prelim portion of the card, which begins at 5pm EST on Paramount+.

The post UFC Vegas 115’s Hailey Cowan Talks Growth During Time Away appeared first on Cageside Press.

It’s a big night for Canadian MMA and the ladies side in particular, with Horth, Melissa Croden, and Jasmine Jasudavicius all joining the card.

For Squamish, B.C.’s Horth in particular, however, the fight represents a chance to crack the top 15 of the weight class. When the bout was booked, Aldrich was ranked #15 (she’s since bumped up a spot after Gabriella Fernandes was defeated at the end of March). It’s a fight that as been on Horth’s radar for a while. Or at least her team’s radar.

“She’s been in the UFC for around 10 years now, so there’s lots to see and some experience to gain from that. Obviously I’ve got coaches that are super nerdy and they love to just look at the top 15 and sort of like potentials,” Horth (9-2) told Cageside Press in a recent interview. “I don’t ever really do that myself. I kind of just let them handle that and I’m just the worker, I’m told to do what I do. That match-up is something I’m told my team has been looking at for a while, even just shortly after my last fight. Within days, that’s what they thought I was going to be offered.”

Turns out, her team was spot on. The fight was booked about six weeks out, a little after the Winnipeg card was announced.

“I think it’s a great fight, I think it’s an awesome opportunity for me, coming off of a couple good wins this last year and getting a crack at the top 15,” added Horth. “I think that’s sort of the ultimate plan when you make it to the UFC, is trying to be the best and trying to climb the ladder, whatever steps that they may give you. I think we’re [putting] ourselves into a good position for that.”

Jamey-Lyn Horth has always been up for a challenge. She’s not thrown by fighting a southpaw, for one, noting that “out of my pro career, I think three quarters of my fights have been against southpaws, so that’s nothing new to me.” And while Aldrich has the experience edge – she’s been in the UFC since around the time Horth herself went pro – Horth added that “I feel like I’ve kind of been a sponge to that myself in some ways. My whole fighting career, I’ve never been given a fight that was easy, I’ve always challenged myself. I’ve always been given, presented opportunities to find growth and succeeded in that.”

“Definitely not slacking off or not being prepared to see what she has to offer, but excited to go in there and prove again that I’m learning and evolving quite quickly as well.”

Late last year, Horth was awarded her black belt, and the Squamish native feels that rather than the culmination of her journey, “it’s the beginning. I feel like I’m a white belt again. I feel like this sport is forever changing and evolving.” Getting her black belt, added Horth, “showed that I’ve been putting in the work and I deserve it. And with that being said, I think what this belt has given me is just some confidence, that my team sees that I have what it is. I think after my last fight, you can kind of see that I’m settling into my confidence, and I’m figuring it out.”

Horth is coming into UFC Winnipeg with all cylinders firing. She’s won three of her last four fights, two straight, and is coming off her first finish in the promotion, against Tereza Bledá. Competing on the last card of 2025, she just missed the UFC’s new $25,000 finishing bonus, which launched this year.

“I was just outside of it,” Horth laughed. “I wish I’d had the opportunity to get a little bit more of a stylish finish. I mean, I’m just happy– I’ve said it before, I’ve scored sh*tty goals playing soccer and still won games. I’m just always grateful for the opportunity to be part of the UFC roster, and be able to show and provide some excitement for people as I get more and more fights.”

“Just missing that was a little bit of a sad day, but it is what it is. Everyone’s trying to fight for the same things, and some nights, unfortunately in December of last year, a lot of people showed up and they proved that they wanted it just as bad. So all props to the rest of the roster for getting better knockouts than me that night, but it’s just something to look forward to for the next one.”

Watch our full interview with UFC Winnipeg flyweight Jamey-Lyn Horth above. The card takes place on April 18, 2026 at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The post Jamey-Lyn Horth Feeling Like a White Belt Again, Sees Opportunity at UFC Winnipeg appeared first on Cageside Press.

“He’s good fighter. He fights till the very end,” Yakhyaev told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“Probably the reason is we were born in the region where there was a war. Born in the region and raised to weather the mountains. Our soul is pretty brave and hard,” he said.

The Chechen fighter spoke on his ability to finish fights, but didn’t make it sound very complicated.

“It’s natural and just the result of hard training,” he said.

With the upcoming bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland set for UFC 328 Yakhyaev spoke on his fellow Chechen and the title.

“So I think Khamzat’s going to win. Maybe (by) submission,” he said.

Watch the entire media day scrum with Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev above. He faces Brendson Ribeiro at UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday night.

The post Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev Backs Khamzat Chimaev, Eyes Win at UFC Vegas 115 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Man I’ve fought guys that were undefeated, myself I had the hype and been undefeated once. I’m out to show people with a win on Saturday why I’m here, why I deserve to be here, and i’ll show that people,” Ribeiro told reporters on Wednesday through a translator.

Ribeiro (17-9) made it clear he’s approaching this matchup with a different level of urgency following his most recent loss. For him, this isn’t just another fight, it’s a pivotal moment to prove he belongs.

“I’m not going to run away from him, never run away from anybody here in the UFC or in other promotions. There’s a big difference (between us),” he said.

“He wants to win. I NEED to win.”

Ribeiro also pointed to the preparation behind the scenes as a driving force heading into Saturday night. Beyond the stakes, he’s motivated to showcase the effort he and his team have invested throughout camp.

“Besides the pressure obviously to having to win there’s also the work that we put in. I wan to show people the work that we put into this fight,” he said.

“I want to show the people my work and the work of my team that we put on to come out with the win. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Brendson Ribeiro above. He faces Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev at UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday night.

The post Brendson Ribeiro Brings Urgency Into Clash With Rising Yakhyaev appeared first on Cageside Press.

The under-the-radar Fight Night card arrives one week after arguably the most entertaining event of the year, UFC Seattle, and a week prior to UFC 327, where Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg collide for the light heavyweight title vacated by Alex Pereira.

Headlined by Renato Moicano and Chris Duncan at lightweight, UFC Vegas 115 admittedly lacks a significant amount of star power. Arguably the biggest story attached to the event thus far has been the fact that when the headliner was announced, Moicano hadn’t even signed his contract.

That said, “Money” Moicano has been a consistent entertainer, and in the co-main event, Virna Jandiroba and Tabatha Ricci battle in a fight that could produce a future strawweight title challenger.

Weigh-ins for UFC Vegas 115 kick off Friday at 12PM ET, 9AM PT. Results can be found below.

UFC Vegas 115: Moicano vs. Duncan Weigh-In Results

Main card

Lightweight: Renato Moicano (156) vs. Chris Duncan (156)
Women’s Strawweight: Virna Jandiroba (116) vs. Tabatha Ricci (115.5)
Light Heavyweight: Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (206) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (205.5)
Bantamweight: Ethyn Ewing (135.5) vs. Rafael Estevam (136.5)*
Featherweight: Tommy McMillen (145.5) vs. Manolo Zecchini (145)
Featherweight: José Mauro Delano (144.5) vs. Robert Ruchała (146)

Preliminary card

Heavyweight: Guilherme Pat (250.5) vs. Thomas Petersen (251)
Flyweight: Alessandro Costa (125.5) vs. Stewart Nicoll (126)
Lightweight: Lando Vannata (156) vs. Darrius Flowers (156.5)*
Women’s Bantamweight: Alice Pereira (136) vs. Hailey Cowan (136)
Middleweight: Azamat Bekoev (186) vs. Tresean Gore (185.5)
Women’s Flyweight: Dione Barbosa (126) vs. Melissa Gatto (125.5)
Lightweight: Kai Kamaka III (155) vs. Dakota Hope (155)

* Missed Weight

The post UFC Vegas 115: Moicano vs. Duncan Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

That was a bit of a Cinderella story, with Wellmaker being a heavy favorite and Ewing stepping in on short notice. At UFC Vegas 115 this Saturday, he takes on Rafael Estevam, another undefeated foe.

Derailing a “hype train” like Wellmaker’s is something fight fans tend to talk about often. For Ewing, it was an opportunity to build himself up.

“The hype was cool, it’s fantastic, I am riding it, I’m using it to build my brand and my name, and to project myself in the rankings as quickly as possible,” explained Ewing (9-2) during this week’s UFC Vegas 115 media day. “But, I have a different opponent in front of me Saturday, and I have prepared above and beyond.”

He also scoffed at the suggestion by some fans that Wellmaker was “fraud checked” in their fight.

“I don’t think it’s a fraud check by any means. Nobody on the larger scene, I don’t want to say nobody, the majority of people didn’t know who I was,” noted Ewing. That said, his inner circle of coaches, teammates and friends knew exactly what he was capable of. “It’s not a fraud check. That guy’s a very large individual for the weight class, he’s very strong, he puts people out in a very savage fashion.”

“For me to go in there and do what I do, did what I did, it just proves who I am, what I’m capable of, what I bring to the table and that I’m a complete fighter. I’m ready for all of it. I’m a technical boxer, striker, I’m a technical grappler, I’m a mixed martial artist. I’m the best at everything.”

Ethyn Ewing has even more motivation to be the best these days. A month after his win over Wellmaker, his wife gave birth to a baby boy. He’s been on parental leave since, and is luckily on good terms with his bosses.

Having a newborn at home, meanwhile, has been a “lot of extra effort, a lot of extra time spent. The moments that I think I get to come home and rest and relax, the wife needs a break.”

Yet while he described his son as a “little monster” looking to grab at things as he explores the world around him, he acknowledged that fatherhood is likely the best thing he’s ever done.

“It’s a heightened level of effort and such, but it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done, it’s probably the greatest thing I’ll ever do. Madison Square Garden is cool, but having that little baby boy at home is that much better.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 115 media day appearance with Ethyn Ewing above.

The post UFC Vegas 115’s Ethyn Ewing: Wellmaker Win Not a “Fraud Check” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ricci’s fight with a grappler in Jandiroba had her fielding questions about Charles Oliveira during this week’s media day. Specifically about the criticism he received following the “BMF” title fight at UFC 326, which saw Oliveira dominant on the ground, though unable to finish Max Holloway. Ricci herself, however, comes from a grappling background, and isn’t one to put the ground game down.

Asked whether fighters appear to be under more pressure to finish in the modern UFC, Ricci (12-3) explained that it’s nothing new.

“I think the pressure is always there. Everybody wants to get a finish. I’m not going to force anything, I don’t think anybody has to,” she stated. “If you put hard work in, if you train hard, it’ll be there. You’ve just got to believe.”

Strawweight is in a transition period in the UFC right now. Mackenzie Dern defeated Jandiroba to win the title vacated by Weili Zhang when she moved up to flyweight. Yet with Zhang coming up short opposite Valentina Shevchenko, many expect the Chinese star to return to 115lbs.

“I do think Weili of course, I don’t know if she’s going to retire but she probably wants to retire as a champ,” noted Ricci. “So she does deserve to have a title shot back. We’ll see how it’s going to be, I’m just going to focus on my fight and be ready.”

Ricci has said that she wants a title fight with a win over Jandiroba, who has already fought once for the belt, this weekend. If that doesn’t come to pass, she’s also open to rematches with Yan Xionan, Loopy Godinez, or Gillian Robertson. “Yeah, any fight any time. Whatever takes me close to my goals, I’ll be willing to do it.”

Watch the full UFC Vegas 115 media day appearance by Weili Zhang above.

The post UFC Vegas 115: Tabatha Ricci Wants Title, But Open to Rematches appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Feel like I’m strong and tough as well. You know what I do.”

“I’m aware. That stuff gets to me. The information comes to my attention. I think it’s a number and these numbers are meant to be dissected and broken (down),” he said.

“Believe me, we’re going to put on a performance to get that done.”

It’s hard to make a quick rise in a stacked bantamweight division, and Estevam isn’t delusional enough to believe he’ll get a title shot soon. As a matter of fact he’s not in a rush whatsover.”

“I understand I just came up, right? I can see myself (come up) very slowly. Not rushing into anything,” he said.

“But I can see myself like two, four, six fights and I’m going and climbing up the rankings. I understand my place and I know that I’ll have to put in some work to do it.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Rafael Estevam above. He faces Ethyn Ewing at UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday night.

The post Rafael Estevam on Underdog Odds: ‘That Stuff Gets to Me’ Ahead of UFC Vegas 115 appeared first on Cageside Press.

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