Browsing: MMA

The UFC’s annual November stops in New York City have always been special.

Saturday night’s card at Madison Square Garden was no exception to the rule.

UFC 322 was easily one of the best MMA cards of the year. It might have even been the best, flat out.

The main event was contested at welterweight, with new champion Jack Della Maddalena defending his belt against Islam Makhachev. Makhachev was making his debut in the division after a long reign as lightweight champion, and was seeking to usurp Ilia Topuria’s spot atop the UFC’s pound-for-pound list by becoming a two-division champ himself.

In the end, that’s just what he did, and he made it look effortless.

Early in the opening round, Makhachev completed his first takedown of the fight, and it was effectively all over from there. He repeatedly took the welterweight champion down over the course of the contest, and at the rare times the action was on the feet, the takedown threat gave him leeway to do whatever he wanted. What he chose to do was batter Della Maddalena’s legs with kicks, which only made his subsequent takedowns come more easily.

Della Maddalena miraculously survived to the final bell, but by that point, he looked utterly defeated, and the result was inevitable. Makhachev was the winner by unanimous decision and is now a two-division UFC champion. His victory wasn’t as quick as Ilia Topuria’s June win over Charles Oliveira, but it was just as one-sided. It was also his sixteenth in a row, which ties Anderson Silva’s record for the longest win streak in UFC history.

“This is the dream,” Makhachev told commentator Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview. “All of my life for these two belts. I’m really happy. The belts are so heavy. I like it. I worked hard for this moment.

Makhachev’s welterweight title win comes at a very exciting time. The division is currently flooded with new and exciting title contenders, two of whom jumped to the very front of the line at UFC 322.

First up, cigarette-smoking knockout artist Carlos Prates scored a vicious, second-round KO over Leon Edwards, a former champion who recorded two title defenses at the height of his powers.

In the very next fight, undefeated Ecuadorian finisher Michael Morales shook up the rankings with a first-round knockout of No. 1 contender Sean Brady.

He and Prates could both conceivably get the first crack at Makhachev. The winner of next weekend’s Ian Machado Garry vs. Belal Muhammad fight could too, as could the returning Shavkat Rakhmonov or Kamaru Usman.

In other words, Makhachev’s work is seemingly far from done.

That is not the case for flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who blew away one of her last remaining challenges in the UFC 322 co-main event. Shevchenko, who has beaten every contender worth mentioning over the course of two title reigns, was believed to be facing one of her toughest challenges in New York City, as she faced down former strawweight champ Zhang Weili.

Unlike Makhachev, Zhang failed to become a two-division champ and, in fact, did little of anything, as she was torn up on the feet and easily controlled on the mat by Shevchenko. It was a clear-cut, unanimous-decision victory for the flyweight queen.

“I was preparing for this fight as the hardest challenge in my life,” Shevchenko said after her dominant win. “This is what I call the art of martial arts. When they are here in front of me, they cannot do anything.”

While there aren’t many challenges left for Shevchenko at flyweight, there are still a few contenders she’s yet to face. That includes Natalia Silva, as well as Erin Blanchfield, who asserted herself as a title threat on the UFC 322 undercard. She was returning to action against Tracy Cortez, and improved to a solid 8-1 in the Octagon with a second-round submission win.

UFC 322’s lopsided championship fights and statement-making contenders will no doubt dominate MMA fans’ conversation in the coming weeks. However, that’s definitely not all the card gave us to talk about. The remainder of the event produced many other memorable moments.

Chief among those was an impressive victory from French lightweight contender Benoit Saint-Denis, who knocked out well-rounded veteran Beneil Dariush with a left hook in just 16 seconds. It was his third win in a row after dominant showings against Kyle Prepolec and Mauricio Ruffy, and it gave him a big push up the lightweight ladder.

Middleweight prospect Bo Nickal also made a huge statement in New York City. Nickal started 2025 as one of the most hyped fighters in MMA, but after a devastating stoppage loss to Reinier de Ridder in his first fight of the year, he entered his Saturday fight with Rodolfo Vieira in a must-win situation. He got the job done in style, leveling his foe with a third-round head kick. It was easily the most impressive win of his MMA career to date.

All in all, UFC 322 was a card with a little bit of everything—and one that cemented two legendary fighters amongst the greats of the sport. We can debate about the card’s place among the year’s best all night, but there’s no question it carried on the time-honored tradition of unforgettable MMA action inside Madison Square Garden.

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The MMA world has lost an important figure.

Duke Roufus, the man behind Roufusport, has passed away at the age of 55. His death was announced by Roufusport coach Scott Joffe, who wrote on Facebook that Roufus passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday.

Joffe wrote:

“Today, the Roufusport family and martial arts world was stunned by the heartbreaking news that Duke Roufus, world-renowned top MMA coach, founder, and namesake of Roufusport MMA Academy, passed away peacefully in his sleep. Duke was more than a celebrated trainer and champion kickboxer—he was a mentor, innovator, father and friend whose influence transformed the landscape of mixed martial arts. His knowledge, charisma, and passion inspired countless fighters to reach heights they never imagined possible. From world champions to first-day students, everyone who crossed his path felt his genuine care and unwavering belief in their potential. His loss leaves an irreplaceable void in the sport and in the hearts of all who knew him.

Though we grieve deeply, Roufusport MMA Academy will continue forward, driven by Dukeâ€s enduring philosophy and commitment to excellence. The culture he built—rooted in respect, hard work, and family—will live on through the fighters, coaches, and students who proudly carry his torch. His impact will echo in every strike, every lesson, and every victory that bears the Roufusport name.

Champions. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

My fantastic business partner for 29 years…”

A cause of death has not been revealed.

Roufus, who transitioned from kickboxing to coaching in 2008, helped train numerous MMA stars, including Tyron Woodley, Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis, Ben Askren, and Stephan Bonnar. He also coached CM Punk for his two UFC fights, with Punk traveling from Chicago to Milwaukee to train with the Roufusport team.

Punk commented on the news of Roufusâ€s passing on Instagram, writing: “Waking up in Japan trying to process the news. Itâ€ll take a while. You made me a better person, coach.â€

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:In this weekâ€s The Fix Mailbag with PWTorch VIP analyst Todd Martin and host PWTorch editor Wade Keller, they answer emails from VIP members on the following topics:

• Who was the best in the underdog role among a list of names including Mikey Whipwreck, Sean Waltman, Jeff Hardy, and more
• Which recent wrestler “hot take” was the worst: Bully Ray wanting The Miz added to A.J. Styles vs. John Cena, Gail Kim’s thoughts on Riho’s presentation, Dutch Mantel on Mercedes Mone being overrated, or Stevie Richards on Kyle Fletcher being “almost good enough for NXT.”
• Could The Rock return to WWE with an MMA gimmick based on his “Smashing Machine” performance?
• What now for Oba Femi? Main roster? Royal Rumble? First feud? Heel or face? What title first?
• Latest legal update on Raja Jackson
• John Cena vs. A.J. Styles: Did it feel more like an exhibition than an actual match?
• What would be the best change to Collision? A brand split? A different format? Other?
• If you could only keep one, would you rather have Kyle Fletcher or Logan Paul if the goal was a long-term bankable main event career?
• Is AEW announcing really undercutting the product?
• Is it okay to abandon your home sports team? What if it’s the New York Jets?
• Could Chris Jericho be a good addition to the new Seth Rollins-free Paul Heyman group?
• Is today’s pro wrestling style really something that needs to be made safer, as Wade has been advocating?
• If Jericho returns to WWE, is it one more wrestler eating up TV time who is older coming at the expense of the next Cody or Sami Zayn push that could actually spark business?
• Should Jon Moxley take time off from AEW after WrestleDream?
• Why does Heyman have chemistry with some wrestlers, but not others, including Seth?
• Should Don Owens put the title on the Portland Frog?

View the list of books Todd Martin has reviewed with their placements from Tier 1 to Tier 5. CLICK HERE

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Raven has become such a devoted fan of MMA that he now watches it religiously.

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former WWE Superstar shared his passion for MMA, telling the host that he prefers watching the sport over professional wrestling.

“You know, thereâ€s so much wrestling on TV right now — I get it, itâ€s just too much for me sometimes. I try to watch MMA instead,†Raven explained.

The former ECW World Champion revealed that heâ€s been an MMA fan ever since the original HBO documentary on Mark Kerr, The Smashing Machine, was released.

“Iâ€ve been a huge fan ever since The Smashing Machine, the Mark Kerr documentary, came out. Thatâ€s what really got me into it. And now itâ€s come full circle with The Rockâ€s movie about the same story,†he said.

Raven drops his MMA knowledge

Elsewhere in the interview, Raven showcased his MMA expertise, much to Helwaniâ€s amazement. The pro wrestling icon revealed that he doesnâ€t just stick to watching UFC but also follows other promotions such as ONE Championship and PFL.

When asked whether heâ€d like to see Alex Pereira face Jon Jones or stay in his current weight division, Raven said heâ€d prefer to see Pereira take on Tom Aspinall.

“Honestly, I want to see him (Pereira) fight Tom Aspinall, but the size difference is huge. You know what I mean? I want to see him win three belts,†he said.

Fans can check out his full comments here.

Unbelievable. Raven shares that he prefers watching MMA to pro wrestling:

“There’s so much wrestling on TV. It’s just too much for me.

I try to watch MMA. I’ve been a humongous fan since Mark Kerr’s documentary Smashing Machine came out. That’s what turned me on to being an MMA… pic.twitter.com/0tFocqcgrO

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 8, 2025

READ MORE: Raven Diagnosed With Early-Onset Parkinsonâ€s Disease

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Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey walked away from MMA nearly a decade ago, but it sounds like she’s rediscovering her passion for the sport.

Rousey posted a video on Instagram showcasing her progress since returning to MMA training after giving birth to her daughter in January, and she wrote in the caption that she’s fallen back in love with the grind.

“From 8 weeks after having a baby and 8 years of stepping away from MMA to 8 months postpartum and finding my love for it again,” Rousey wrote in the caption.

The 38-year-old admitted that she was self-conscious about her diminished skills since stepping away from MMA following her loss to Amanda Nunes in 2016 and experiencing her current postpartum issues. However, she said her joy for the sport has returned over the past few months.

“The first clip is my first session working with @aj_mma I was super self conscious, embarrassed of how much I regressed, and honestly trying my very best not to pee my pants throwing punches so soon after having baby PÄ’Å«,” Rousey stated. “Second clip was yesterday, I’ve never laughed or smiled so much on the mat as I do these days. The last 6 months have been an absolute blast, feels like I have so much left to grow, and without the weight of the world on my shoulders nothing is holding me back.”

Rousey’s revelation comes amid the UFC’s announced plans for an event at the White House in 2026. The company recently released the first renderings to show what the event would look like.

Rousey even caught the attention of former rival Cris Cyborg, who expressed interest in finally settling their differences in a fight:

It remains to be seen if Rousey’s return to training will lead to an official fight, but the UFC undoubtedly would move mountains to get her back into the Octagon if she’s interested. The White House card would be the biggest spectacle for her potential return.

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Ronda Rousey left the world of MMA back in 2016 after a series of devastating losses. Since then, sheâ€s always had a complicated relationship with MMA. However, it seems Cris Cyborg is now pushing Ronda Rousey to come out of retirement for another MMA fight.

Ronda Rousey took to her Instagram and uploaded a video, stating that after giving birth and being away from MMA for eight years, sheâ€s found her passion for the sport again just eight months postpartum.

Rousey said her first training session left her feeling self-conscious and embarrassed about how much sheâ€d regressed, even worrying about postpartum issues like not peeing during punches.

But in a clip from yesterday, she said sheâ€s never smiled or laughed so much on the mat. The last six months have been a blast, and now free of outside pressure, she feels like nothing can hold her back as she keeps growing.

“From 8 weeks after having a baby and 8 years of stepping away from MMA to 8 months postpartum and finding my love for it again.
The first clip is my first session working with @aj_mma I was super self conscious, embarrassed of how much I regressed, and honestly trying my very best not to pee my pants throwing punches so soon after having baby PÄâ€Å«.

Second clip was yesterday, Iâ€ve never laughed or smiled so much on the mat as I do these days. The last 6 months have been an absolute blast, feels like I have so much left to grow, and without the weight of the world on my shoulders nothing is holding me back.

“What we learn with pleasure we never forget†Alfred Mercierâ€

MMA legend Cris Cyborg took to Twitter and responded to Ronda Rousey saying she has regained her love for MMA, as she made it clear she wants Rousey to come out of retirement and fight her, saying, “CyborgXRondaâ€

Whether Ronda Rousey comes out of retirement or not, Cris Cyborgâ€s open challenge has already created a lot of hype in the combat sports world. A fight between these two legends would be huge and could attract massive attention from both MMA and pro wrestling fans. So weâ€ll have to see what will happen in the end.

Would you like to see Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg finally happen? or do you want to see her return to WWE instead? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

September 21, 2025 5:49 pm

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