Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane put on a solid performance in the four minutes leading up to the eye poke that triggered an eventual no contest result against Tom Aspinall on Saturday. Gane entered the fight riding a two-fight winning streak since first round stoppage loss to Jon Jones for the title back in March of 2023. Gane had stopped Sergehi Spivac and edged out Alexander Volkov with a unanimous decision since then.

Without a definitive ending and with the bout stopping so early on into the title fight, it’s obvious that this one needs to be ran back immediately. Aspinall retained the belt; Gane headed into this fight ranked at #1 in the division. UFC brass should just rebook this one for the main event of another PPV. Goal is likely: get this fight on a PPV card before the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Ciryl’s next fight: Tom Aspinall Rematch

Virna Jandiroba

Mackenzie Dern topped Virna Jandiroba in a hard fought five-round unanimous decision to capture the vacant UFC Strawweight title. Jandiroba had her moments, especially early on in the fight, but Dern was able to rally and take over. Virna came into the bout ranked at #1 in the division (tied with Tatiana Suarez), while Dern was ranked at #5. The loss snapped a 5-fight win streak for the 37-year-old dating back to her 2021 loss to Amanda Ribas.

Jandiroba is now 8-4 in the UFC, with two of her losses with the promotion coming against Mackenzie. Within the last couple years, Jandiroba has fought nearly every fighter currently ranked in the top 5 of the division, Suarez is the only one that she hasn’t fought- but Tatiana with likely fight for the belt next. Even though the pair have had two cancelled bouts. But a fresh opponent would be Tabatha Ricci.

Ricci was last in action back in July when she stopped Amanda Ribas in the second round of their bout.; Before that, Ricci lost to Yan Xiaonan. Tabatha is currently ranked at #8 in the division and doesn’t have a fight booked. With a 7-3 record in the UFC and some shared opponents, this is a fight that makes a lot of since. Could be high on the main card of a PPV or a fight night card with the winner propelling themselves toward a title shot conversation.

Virna’s next fight: Tabatha Ricci

Mairo Bautista

Umar Nurmagomedov weathered a few moments of adversity on Saturday and secured a unanimous decision win against Mario Bautista. Mario had been riding an impressive 8-fight win streak with his last loss coming in early 2021 against Trevin Jones. Bautista entered the fight ranked at #9 in the division while Umar was all the way at #2.

There’s a scenario where Bautista is paired up with a fighter like Marlon Vera, though not sure if that’s the right matchup for Bautista at this point. It makes a lot of sense from a timing standpoint and the two have already had two scheduled bouts fall through earlier this year. Vera’s ranked at #8 in the division and is coming off a split decision loss to Aiemann Zahabi recently. That said, another option would be against #5 ranked, Song Yadong. Song’s coming off a technical decision to Henry Cejudo in February and is 3-2 in his last five. His two most recent losses are to elite competition (Petr Yan, Cory Sandhagen). Leaning towards Chito- but expect Song or anyone else in the top 15 for an exciting fighter like Bautista. His stock is still rising.

Mairo’s next fight: Song Yadong or Marlon Vera

Jailton Almedia

Jailton Almedia was edged out by Alexander Volkov in a controversial split decision on the main card of UFC 321. Almedia entered the fight ranked at #5 in the heavyweight division while Volkov was ranked at #2. Almedia is now 2-2 in his last four fights, stopping both Alexandr Romanov and Serghei Spivac after losing to Curtis Blaydes last March.

Jailton is now 8-2 with the promotion since being signed off the Contender Series in 2021. The best fight for Jailton to take moving forward is against Sergei Pavolvich. Sergei is ranked at #3 in the heavyweight division and is 8-3 with the promotion. In his last five fights he has an identical record to Alemdia going 3-2. They also share some common opponents as Pavlovich’s last loss was against Alexander Volkov in 2024. Both fighters also recently took on Curtis Blaydes. Pavlovich is currently riding a two-fight win streak as he scored a pair of unanimous decisions earlier this year, against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Jailton’s next fight: Sergei Pavlovich

Aleksandar Rakic

Azamat Murzakanov stayed perfect as he opened up the UFC 321 main card on Saturday with a first round stoppage of Aleksandar Rakic. Rakic now moves to just 6-5 with the promotion and has lost his last four fights. Aleksandar was stopped in all but one of those losses. It’s been absolutely abysmal for Rakic since 2022 when he suffered a horrific knee injury in his fight with Jan Blachowicz. It took nearly two full years for Rakic to recover and make his return. It’s truly been all downhill from there for the now 33-year-old light heavyweight.

But there is still tread left on the tires! Rakic came into this fight ranked at #7 in the division while Murzakanov was ranked at #10. Rakic doesn’t necessarily need a gimmie fight per se, but it’s imperative that he gets back into the win column against a ranked opponent or potentially face the promotional axe.

Next fight for Rakic should be against Nikita Krylov. Nikita is ranked at #13 in the division and has lost his last two fights. (Pair of first round stoppage losses, Dominick Reyes, Bogdan Guskov). Kryolv was last in action in July against Guskov, but both of those losses have come within the calendar year of 2025. Krylov even had a fight booked against Azamat before those bouts (Azmat withdrew). Krylov’s last win came in 2023 against Ryan Spann. He needs to get in the win column, badly. So does Rakic. A scrappy fight between two 33-year-olds, still in their primes but have had multiple hiccups along their journey.  Winner would get a top 10 ranking. A devastating loss could mean being on the dreaded shortlist.

Aleksandar’s next fight: Nikita Krylov

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Murzakanov was holding that #10 spot to start the night, while Rakic entered ranked #7.

Rakic landed a solid kick to the body inside of the opening minute, as Murzakanov worked on finding a way inside on the taller, longer man. Rakic then opted to level change, shooting for a takedown and putting Murzakanov on the fence. That didn’t happen, though they did go down ever so briefly a bit later.

Azamat Murzakanov, however, eliminated all thought of takedowns moments later. And ended Aleksandar Rakic’s night. Murzakanov absolutely floored Rakic, landing a short right hand on the way in. Rakic’s head snapped back and he hit the dirt, no question that the fight was over. One follow-up strike landed as Rakic covered up, but the ref was already jumping in.

The biggest win of Murzakanov’s career to date will see him jump up the rankings a few days from now; he improves to 16-0, with six of those victories coming inside the octagon. “You all doubted me. I told you, I told you not to doubt me,” Murzakanov exclaimed following the fight. “I told you, I’m going to be fightin for the title.”

Official Result: Azamat Murzakanov def. Aleksandar Rakic by TKO (punch), Round 1, 3:11

The post UFC 321: Azamat Murzakanov Crumbles Aleksandar Rakic, Improves to 16-0 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I was very happy about the offer when I heard Rakic. Without any hesitation, we accepted the fight immediately.”

Murzakanov exuded confidence when discussing how he matches up against the #7-ranked Light Heavyweight,

“If I didn’t think I had a good way of winning this beautiful fight, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here,” Murzakanov said.

The Russian also didn’t care for any of the changes Rakic made in training and team ahead of this fight, blowing them off as potentially meaningless.

“That’s his problem. I don’t care at all what he changes or what he adds.”

Murzakanov added, “He can say and think whatever, but in the fight itself, everything’s very different. It’s not the camp anymore. It could have been all for nothing; it could have been all a waste.”

Murzakanov (15-0) hasn’t gained much hype or attention as you’d expect for someone with an unblemished record. While not being much of a talker, he expects it will come with continued strong performances and results.

“When it comes to the UFC I think still to this day it’s more important to show good fights and to fight well. This whole media thing that everyone is after the media hype and stuff, I feel like it comes eventually, it comes with the wins.”

Murzakanov continued, “I think the results and the way you fight are more important than how much you say in the media.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Azamat Murzakanov above. He faces Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 321 on Saturday night.

The post Azamat Murzakanov Thrilled for Rakic Matchup, Unimpressed by Rakic’s Adjustments appeared first on Cageside Press.

Following a three-fight losing streak and multiple injuries that saw him exit the title picture, Rakic left his former gym. He now trains in Serbia, the country he represents, with a new team and a friend of 15 years now coaching him. This move wasn’t a surprise for Rakic, who believed “it was only a matter of time before we’re gonna work together.”

With this move came sacrifice, as the trips separate him from his family for longer periods of time. Since the switch in February, Rakic has been committed to proving he still belongs in the UFC title picture due to his changes.

“I really can say that I’ve changed as a person, as a fighter. How I see MMA and the sport has changed, my coach changed it.

When asked about why the switch occurred, Rakic said he needed to focus on himself:

“After that Ankalaev fight, I rewatched the fight and I talked to them. And I just needed to be selfish in that moment to see where I’m at.”

Having fought the best of the best in the division, many are wondering whether Murzakanov (15-0) will be ready for the level and experience that Rakic (14-5) brings. No matter where the fight ends up, Rakic is confident in his skills and future as a title challenger,

“We’ll see where the fight goes. I will have answers to his actions. He’s undefeated for a reason, but on Saturday, I will be the first guy to put the 0 away. It will be a great start to get a title fight in the future.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Aleksandar Rakic above. He faces Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 321 on Saturday night.

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From Khabib retiring in the cage to Glover Teixeira becoming the oldest first-time UFC champion and Islam Makhachev getting highlight-reel finishes, this time of the year is an exciting one for UFC fans.

This year was no different, but while people will remember the big winners, there are still exciting things ahead for the fighters who were not victorious this past Saturday.

Max Holloway

At the post-fight press conference, Holloway said he would like to move up to lightweight and return around International Fight Week next summer. An eight to nine-month layoff and an easier weight cut are two things that should help him recover from such a brutal finish.

By then, the lightweight division could look very differently than it does right now, so it is hard to predict which matchup will make the most sense for Holloway next summer. Fans would not say no to a  third fight with Dustin Poirier or a rematch with Justin Gaethje. Fights with Dan Hooker, Renato Moicano or even Paddy Pimblett would also be fun. He is a fan favourite that can make any matchup exciting so there is no wrong answer.

In the end, the option that makes the most sense is a rematch with Charles Oliveira, win or lose against Michael Chandler next month. Holloway and Oliveira are two all-time greats who met earlier in their careers, but the fight lasted less than two minutes when Do Bronx suffered a micro-tear in his esophagus. We deserve a full fifteen, if not 25-minute version of that fight.

A rematch ten years in the making between two legends.

Holloway’s next fight: Charles Oliveira

Robert Whittaker

It was strange seeing Whittaker, who had never been submitted in his career at middleweight before, tap so quickly to Khamzat Chimaev’s neck crank. But a photo of his shattered jaw released a couple hours after the fight gave fans all the explanation they needed for that quick tap.

It is unclear how long The Reaper could be out with such a gnarly injury. Also, Chris Curtis is currently the only ranked middleweight with a fight scheduled, so Whittaker cannot even be projected the fight the winner of any fight booked right now.

That means the only fighter whose timeline should align with the Australian’s is the one who won in last week’s main event. Anthony Hernandez put on a beating on Michel Pereira, but that is still a fight that went over 20 minutes and should see him take some time off. Fluffy is used to relatively long layoffs as he has been averaging nearly nine months between fights during this 6-fight win streak he is on.

Whittaker’s next fight: Anthony Hernandez

Aleksandar Rakic

Rakic has only been facing top competition lately, but the fact of the matter is he has now lost three straight fights and his last win dates back to when Pay-Per-View events were still held at the UFC Apex. He is still clearly a very good light-heavyweight, but he needs a step back in competition.

There are only four fighters ranked between 6^th and 15^th who are not currently booked at 205 pounds. One of them is Khalil Rountree Jr. who needs some serious time off after the beating he took from Alex Pereira earlier this month. Then there is Johnny Walker who teased a move to heavyweight and Alonzo Menifield at number 15 on a two-fight skid with no case for fighting this far up the rankings.

That leaves Bogdan Guskov. He lost his debut on short notice against Volkan Oezdemir but has since responded with two straight knockout wins. He is a good test to see where Rakic is at right now in his career.

Rakic’s next fight: Bogdan Guskov

Dan Ige

Ige a very respected fighter who represents a tough test for anyone as shown by how much he pushed Lerone Murphy this weekend. However, being near the tail-end of the top 15 and now looking at consecutive losses, Ige’s next opponent should come outside the rankings.

Featherweight does not lack options when it comes to up-and-coming fighters on winning streaks looking to break into the rankings. Joanderson Brito, who was once on a five-fight finishing streak, kept calling for a fight with Ige but never got it. It would be poetic for the man who most recently beat him to actually get that matchup.

William Gomis, who won a controversial split decision over Brito in Paris a month ago, is now on a four-fight win streak. With the recent MMA boom happening in France, the UFC might look to push some of their French talents into the rankings.

Ige’s next fight: William Gomis

Armen Petrosyan

With the Armenian’s kickboxing background, it was not surprising to see him opt to strike with Shara Bullet, though he ultimately paid the price for it. The UFC picked him to fight Magomedov, because they could count on him not grappling with their new star. Shara Bullet is at his most fun when he is striking and that also rings true for Petrosyan.

Being on the wrong end of such a spectacular knockout should sideline Petrosyan for quite some time. By the time he is ready to comeback, timing should work out for him to face the winner of Abdul Razak Alhassan and Cesar Almeida, a fight that was announced for January 11^th at the Apex. Whoever wins should make for a fun matchup with Petrosyan.

Petrosyan’s next fight: Winner of Alhassan/Almeida

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Of course as is often the case in the UFC, nothing was certain, and Alex Pereira had just defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. earlier in the month. Ankalaev had been passed over for that fight, but a win over Rakic would certainly keep him in the mix.

As for Rakic, a shot at gold was unlikely win or lose, given he entered the night on a two-fight skid.

While Ankalaev opened the fight with a left hand, it was Rakic going upstairs with a kick, though blocked, that immediately set the tone. Rakic’s kicks both low and high were connecting with audible cracks; Ankalaev’s kicks were comparatively softer. The pair slowly circled the cage, trading mostly single strikes. Soon, Ankalaev found a home for his left hand. His right hand was in play as well, though Rakic threatened with another head kick near the midway mark of the round. That head kick would come again with 90 seconds left in round one, but once again it was blocked.

Round two found Ankalaev firing an upwards elbow early, and otherwise looking to find a way in on Rakic. Rakic was constantly moving, circling the cage and forcing Ankalaev to try to cut him off at angles. “Rocket” Rakic also made us of his right hand, while Ankalaev looked to land a power shot, while adding in the odd kick. With the midway mark of the second approaching, Ankalaev tagged the body, which seemed to leave Aleksandar Rakic in some discomfort. He went on the defensive, leading to Ankalaev turning up the heat a little. A much better round for Magomed Ankalaev, after a close first frame.

The third came with one of two scenarios in play: Ankalaev was either up two rounds (his corner held that belief), or the fight was tied. Rakic got his kicks going early, and again settled on circling on the outside. Ankalaev, however, caught him just under a minute in, landing a solid left hand. Rakic survived, shot in for a leg, and had Ankalaev hopping. He hopped right back to the fence, in fact, but couldn’t complete the single-leg takedown. Anaklaev would reverse, only for Rakic to reverse again, the fight having turned into a grueling grappling battle. A few knees were traded in the clinch, but no finish would come, and Ankalaev would go on to claim the decision victory.

After the fight, Magomed Ankalaev complained that Rakic’s strange striking style had left him struggling to engage. He then called for a title shot. “I think I’ve done everything to deserve the next title shot. I’d like to talk to Alex [Pereira, light heavyweight champ], I’d like to tell him ‘stop running away from me.’ We should fight.”

Official Result: Magomed Ankalaev def. Aleksandar Rakic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC 308: Magomed Ankalaev Beats Aleksandar Rakic, Tells Poatan to “Stop Running” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Rakic (14-4) is coming off losses to Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka. Ankalaev, in contrast, was the man many felt deserved the title shot Khalil Rountree Jr. got earlier this month. But Ankalaev’s style (and lack of personality) hasn’t done him any favors in a promotion that continues to stray from meritocracy. Enter Rakic, in a bit of a surprise match-up.

“I really don’t know what went back and forth with Magomed, his manager and the UFC. Only the UFC knows why they decided Khalil to fight against [205lb champ Alex] Pereira,” Rakic stated during the UFC 308 media day on Wednesday. “But what makes me really happy is the UFC gave me Ankalaev, and I honestly believe if I didn’t put a good fight on UFC 300, it doesn’t matter the result, I would never get that fight.”

“When I got the fight against Ankalaev, the name, I immediately said yes. Because he’s #2-ranked, behind Jiri Prochazka, who lost twice against Pereira. So this is the best match-up for me. And stylistically, it’s going to be a better match-up for me than Jiri Prochazka.”

There’s a possibility Rakic could steal a potential title shot, however unlikely it would be off a single win. Still, on that front, Rakic proclaimed that “it’s time to remember, the fans and the people, who ‘The Rocket’ was back in the day. I’m ready to crash the party on Saturday and mix things up.”

With a fair bit on the line, from a 0-3 skid to a possible title shot, you can imagine the pressure Aleksandar Rakic might be under. Or maybe not. Rakic himself suggest there’s no pressure on him ahead of Saturday.

“I have no pressure at all. I’m ranked #5, he’s ranked #2. Yes, probably this fight is going to be a number one contender’s fight, but you never know. We’ll see what the UFC decides,” he explained. “I’m in Abu Dhabi, kind of like in enemy territory. It’s the territory of Magomed Ankalaev, and he needs to have pressure, not me. I got in, being ice cold, and see my chances where I can. Finish the fight if I can. If not, my mentality and my plan for this fight is just to go in and dominate from second one to the end of the fight.”

Watch the full UFC 308 media day appearance by Aleksandar Rakic above.

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That doesn’t mean he isn’t wary of his opponent trying to steal his title shot in Abu Dhabi.

“Every fighter that comes out against me they all come out there with the thought of winning,” Ankalaev told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“When the cage closes somehow things don’t go the same way that they plan to do it. For me I am sharp, I’m ready to do what I need to implement my game plan and then we’ll see what happens in the fight.”

Ankalaev (19-1-1) has said that he feels Rakic will be a tougher fight than one against the UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. He feels Rakic is much more well-rounded.

“It’s not like he’s like that tough, but the fact is he’s well-rounded. He does have striking, he does have the ground game, right? When it comes to the champion he’s just got the strikes. We know those strikes and we haven’t seen him wrestle ever,” he said.

Ankalaev has been out of character in the lead up to this fight. He’s taken to social media to fire back at fellow fighters who criticize him.

“We decided that we have to be much more vocal than we were before because it’s been like two years I’ve been waiting for a title fight? So now we figured that, if people are throwing some kind of comment towards me, we have to comment back,” he said.

“If people are calling us out then we have to call them back out or accept their callouts. We have to keep moving forward and we have to do it by being more vocal.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Magomed Ankalaev above. He takes on Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 on Saturday.

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With Prochazka hailing from the Czech Republic and Rakic from nearby Austria, the pair were certainly two of the most talented fighters from the region. But what Saturday’s 205lb contest really signified was the return of a contender to the light heavyweight mix: Prochazka from his loss to Alex Pereira, and Rakic from both in-cage setbacks and injury.

Early on, Rakic made his game plan clear. Much like Pereira had before him, Rakic tore of Prochazka’s leg, to the point that it appeared compromised inside of the round. Thanks to hampering the mobility of the former champ, Rakic was able to beat him to the punch, quite literally, on the feet as well. Prochazka didn’t really get going until late in the round, eating a right hand then tagging Rakic himself, and following it up with a flying knee that fell short.

Jiri Prochazka fired a head kick, which was subsequently blocked, early in round two. Rakic answered with his go-to weapon, his right hand. The Austrian landed another moments later, grazing with an elbow as well. Prochazka went on the attack about 90 seconds in, drawing Rakic into a firefight and throwing another, blocked, head kick. The onslaught would continue, and Rakic was soon turtling up. Prochazka continued to pour it on, chasing him across the cage, lefts and rights hitting home, followed by a knee. At one point, Prochazka essentially pushed Rakic to the mat, and got on top, landing a considerable downpour of ground n’ pound until ref Herb Dean saw fit to stop the fight.

THIS FIGHT IS INSANE!!!! #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/M4ekB4JLTP

— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2024

After the win, Prochazka addressed the talk of him not being a Samurai, that had been directed at him by Rakic. The Czech said that while he wasn’t a Samurai, he lived by their ideals, and wanted the winner of the UFC 300 main event next.

Official Result: Jiri Prochazka def. Aleksandar Rakic by TKO, Round 2, 3:17

The post UFC 300: Jiri Prochazka Batters Aleksandar Rakic, Calls for Title Shot appeared first on Cageside Press.

Rakic (14-3) will now fight Jiri Prochazka in the featured preliminary card bout at the massive UFC event in Las Vegas. Despite being two years out of action due to an ACL injury, Austria’s Rakic doesn’t feel like he’s coming off an extended layoff.

“Almost two years not competing, but to be honest it doesn’t feel like it. It feels for me like five, six months,” Rakic told media outlets including Cageside Press on Wednesday. “What a comeback to have, on the biggest card of the year.”

“Those two years just put oil on the fire,” he added.

There’s a personal beef of sorts between Rakic and his opponent heading into UFC 300, which at the least has made the war of words interesting. “Me and Jiri had some back-and-forth beef on Twitter. He’s from Europe, I’m from Europe, he’s living not far away from where I live. So let’s find out who the King of Europe is, and later on, the King of the World is,” Rakic suggested.

Prochazka has downplayed and dismissed the “King of Europe” concept, and addressed the trash talk of Rakic later in the day on Wednesday. Rakic himself seems to feel that if things are personal between them, it’s on Prochazka’s side.

“He took it personal a couple of years ago, but I really don’t care.” After Blachowicz cancelled their prior engagement, Rakic “immediately” called out Prochazka, and after some back-and-forth on a date, “[UFC matchmaker] Mick Maynard made the offer, let’s do it at UFC 300, and I was a hundred percent in.”

“It’s going to be a hard fight, for me also and for him as well. He feels very good in chaos, and I’m a guy who can settle the chaos,” Rakic added. “That’s going to be an amazing fight.”

The words that have appeared to irk Prochazka the most, however, were Rakic’s claim that the Czech is a “fake Samurai,” something he elaborated on while speaking with Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“I said he’s a fake Samurai, because you cannot become a Samurai after just reading a book, that his coach gave to him, and live this spirit. If you are a Samurai, you need to live this for a long time and not for the last two, three years. So that’s why I said he’s a fake Samurai.”

Watch the full UFC 300 media day appearance by Aleksandar Rakic above.

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