Yousri
Belgaroui is sharpening his skills with Alex
Pereira ahead of his biggest test in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship so far.

Belgaroui is scheduled to face Caio
Borralho in a middleweight bout at UFC
334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The
Dutchman recently opened up about his preparation for the bout at

Teixeira MMA, detailing the benefits of his training with
former UFC champions Pereira and Glover
Teixeira.

Yousri Belgaroui opens up about ‘growing every day’ with former
UFC champs

Belgaroui believes his skills are improving every day. The former
kickboxer, who fought Pereira thrice during their kickboxing days,
considers “Poatan” the best striker in the world. Furthermore,
Belgaroui is honing his ground game with Teixeira, noting that
while most strikers rely on jiu-jitsu on the ground, the former
light heavyweight champion is helping him transition to grappling
through wrestling.

“I have been growing every day,” Belgaroui said in a prefight
interview. “We always make it hard training. The striking from Alex
is the No. 1 striking in the world ever. And Glover’s wrestling.
So, together, they help me so much. And Glover’s wrestling style,
instead of just the jiu jitsu, which a lot of strikers go into. For
me, that transition phase, that wrestling phase is so important and
added to my game, that made me who I am.”

Belgaroui defeated Pereira in their first kickboxing fight in 2017.
Pereira then stopped Belgaroui in their rematch and knocked him out
in their trilogy fight in 2018.

Belgaroui (11-3) won his UFC contract on
Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024 and has since finished
all three of his opponents. Meanwhile, Borralho (18-2, 1 NC) has
only lost to fellow contender Nassourdine
Imavov in nine UFC outings and is coming off a win over
Reinier
de Ridder.

Amanda
Nunes believes Norma
Dumont should’ve fought out her
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

Dumont announced on Wednesday that she has parted ways with the
UFC. She also revealed that she has left the promotion despite
having two fights left on her contract. According to Dumont, she
had already been told the UFC wasn’t planning to renew her contract
after it expired.

Why Amanda Nunes disagrees with Norma Dumont’s UFC
departure

Nunes believes Dumont made a “bad decision” by leaving the UFC.
According to the former two-division champion, Dumont should’ve
tried to prove to the promotion that she belongs on the roster.

“Norma did very bad decision in her life to leave UFC,” Nunes said
at media day ahead of UFC
334. “She had two more fights. If I was her, I would have
proved to UFC, I belong here. I feel going away from UFC is not a
good decision.”

Dumont (13-4) was on the cusp of title contention before dropping
her last two fights. She claims she has received an offer for a
direct title shot in another promotion and a lucrative boxing bout,
revealing on social media that she’s leaning towards the
latter.

Meanwhile, Nunes (23-5) is returning after a three-year hiatus to
challenge Kayla
Harrison (19-1) for the bantamweight title at UFC 334 on Nov.
14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Hall of Famer has
hinted at defending the title if she beats Harrison.

Kevin
Vallejos wants to team up with Aljamain
Sterling before they collide inside the
Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon.

Vallejos (18-1) and Sterling (26-5) are scheduled to fight at

UFC Qatar on Nov. 21. However, following the recent altercation
between Sterling’s close friend and teammate Merab
Dvalishvili and Usman
Nurmagomedov at an Abu Dhabi hotel, Vallejos jokingly asked
“Funk Master” to join him in avenging Dvalishvili.

Kevin Vallejos‘ message to Aljamain Sterling following Merab
Dvalishvili-Usman Nurmagomedov Abu Dhabi altercation

Dvalishvili was jumped by Nurmagomedov and his entourage while the
former UFC bantamweight champion was shooting a video. Nurmagomedov
slapped Dvalishvili and an all-out brawl ensued. “The Machine”
later took to social media to reveal cuts and bruises he sustained
during the altercation.

Reacting to the same, Vallejos asked Sterling where he was so they
could “beat up the bad guys.”

“We are in Qatar,” Vallejos wrote on X. “Sterling where are you?
Let’s go to Abu Dhabi and beat up the bad guys.”

While Vallejos’ response to the viral incident is light-hearted,
other fighters slammed Nurmagomedov for his actions, including
Ilia
Topuria, Sean
Strickland, Gilbert
Burns and Dakota
Ditcheva.

Islam
Makhachev claims Merab
Dvalishvili started the feud that led to his recent altercation
with Usman
Nurmagomedov.

Makhachev’s teammate attacked Dvalishvili at a fighter hotel in Abu
Dhabi. Nurmagomedov had a full entourage, while Dvalishvili was
outnumbered, with only one friend by his side. Dvalishvili
sustained cuts and bruises ahead of his match on Real American
Freestyle against Marlon
Moraes, but Makhachev claims the Georgian had it coming.

Islam Makhachev says Merab Dvalishvili started feud behind Abu
Dhabi attack

Makhachev notes that Dvalishvili had attacked a friend of theirs, a
Dagestani fighter, Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov, at RAF Georgia in
July.

“To those who are now condemning Usman and the guys, why did you
remain silent when Merab inexplicably struck a Dagestani wrestler
and insulted his honor?” Makhachev wrote on Instagram stories. “The
man approached him to talk without any malicious intent. What
happened today Merab started in his homeland by allowing himself to
hit a guest and insulted his mother.”

Dvalishvili’s feud with the Dagestani squad stems from his rivalry
with Usman’s brother, Umar
Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili repeatedly accused Umar of receiving
privileges for being Khabib
Nurmagomedov’s cousin.

While Dvalishvili was initially unwilling to put his
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title on the line
against Umar, he successfully defended it against the previously
undefeated Dagestani last year. Umar’s friend Gadzhimagomedov
approached Dvalishvili at RAF Georgia and told him to stop
badmouthing Umar when he wasn’t even present at the event.
Dvalishvili then slapped Gadzhimagomedov, leading to a brawl.

Nina Marie Daniele was repulsed by Usman
Nurmagomedov’s recent altercation with Merab
Dvalishvili.

Nurmagomedov is facing backlash after attacking Dvalishvili in a
hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi. In a viral video of the incident,
Nurmagomedov approaches Dvalishvili from behind and slaps him. This
led to a full-fledged brawl, with Dvalishvili and his friend being
outnumbered by Nurmagomedov’s entourage. Both Dvalishvili and his
friend were left with cuts and bruises.

Why Nina Drama wants Usman Nurmagomedov banned from the
UFC

Daniele, also known as Nina Drama, is a close friend of Dvalishvili
and is calling for Nurmagomedov to be banned from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. Daniele believes the mixed
martial arts free agent had preplanned the attack, as one of his
teammates started filming the incident just before he slapped
Dvalishvili.

Daniele also notes that Dillon
Danis was banned from attending UFC events after an altercation
with Nurmagomedov’s teammates last year at Madison Square Garden.
She believes it is only fair that Nurmagomedov should also be
banned from UFC events.

“Merab Dvalishvili is like a brother to me,” Daniele wrote on X.
“Seeing that video of him getting attacked made me sick to my
stomach. Those cowards must pay for what they did. A premeditated
attack, with their phones already filming. A bunch of degenerates.
The UFC banned Dillon Danis after HE got attacked, jumped by 20
guys when it was just him and his brother and they did nothing to
them? I really hope the UFC bans Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends
from ever stepping foot in inside the UFC. He tried to elbow Song
after he jumped the cage… Just because he has the last name doesn’t
make him above anyone else.”

Nurmagomedov (22-0, 1 NC) is one of the most sought-after free
agents in MMA. The former
Professional Fighters League lightweight champion’s contract
with the promotion expired after successfully defending his title
against Archie
Colgan this past July. Nurmagomedov had an exclusive 90-day
negotiation window with the PFL, which expired last month.

Norma
Dumont has parted ways with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship despite having two bouts left on
her contract.

Dumont (13-4) has announced that she is no longer in the UFC,
saying she already knew the promotion wouldn’t renew her contract
when it expired. She revealed that she had already discussed her
UFC exit with her fiancée and fellow UFC fighter, Marco Tulio
(14-3), with whom she wants to start a family after leaving the
UFC.

Norma Dumont addresses UFC exit, reveals potential boxing
retirement fight

Dumont also revealed that she has received an offer from another
mixed martial arts promotion to compete for a title, as well as
another offer to compete in boxing. The 36-year-old admits the
boxing offer is more lucrative and she’s seriously considering
taking it.

“I’m here to announce my official departure from the UFC,” Dumont
said on Instagram. “I want to say that I’m very grateful for all
these years — it was eight years with them, it was wonderful for
me, it’s where I built my career, it’s where I built my financial
life, I changed my life and the lives of the people around me, I
met Marco Tulio, so for me it was something incredible that made me
very happy for many years. But I think now I need to breathe in new
places… I still had two fights left on my contract with the
organization, but since before my last fight, when there were still
three fights remaining, I already had information that the UFC
probably wouldn’t renew once those fights were over. So, I had
already agreed with Marco that I would retire by the end of next
year, maybe sooner, because we want to build our family… And we
came to the conclusion that it’s time to breathe different air, and
we’ve already been approached by other opportunities. One is in
MMA, fighting for a belt, and another is in boxing. Both offers are
very good, but I confess I’m more inclined toward boxing. It would
be an incredible opportunity and I think you’ll see me in boxing
next year. Financially, it’s worth it, and I think I’ll have a lot
of fun. Since I got this offer, I’ve even been excited to get back
to training, but for now I still can’t give any details. I leave my
thanks to the organization and to the fans.”

Dumont made her UFC debut in 2020 and went 9-4 in the promotion.
“The Immortal” exits the UFC on a two-fight skid. She most recently
suffered a unanimous decision loss to Ailin Perez
this past September, which she believes she won.

Jon Anik will continue as an
Ultimate Fighting Championship commentator for the foreseeable
future.

UFC and its broadcast partner Paramount+ have announced that Anik
has signed a multi-year extension to continue as a UFC play-by-play
commentator. Anik says there is no other organization he would
rather work with than the UFC.

Jon Anik’s 15-year UFC commentary career continues

Anik is one of the UFC’s most respected commentators. He signed
with the promotion in 2011 and quickly grew into a trusted
commentator known for his enthusiasm and meticulous research. His
new deal kicks off at UFC
334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Thanking the athletes and sharing his excitement for the future,
Anik said via a press release:

“I am beyond grateful for these last 15 years with the UFC. I’ve
had the chance to learn from and work with so many talented people.
There is no live production team in all of television that I would
rather go to bat for and I will never take this seat for granted.
Eternal thanks to the MMA athletes, who fight and train so hard and
allow so many of us fans to work in the sport we love. I am so
excited to be a part of what this monster organization does moving
forward.”

Jindrich Janecka went into
cardiac arrest during his bout against Tomas
Skalicky at Cage Game 2, according to Oktagon
MMA chief medic Norbert Bidrman.

Janecka appeared hurt after a kick to the body and was later
knocked out by a punch. The bout took place under Oktagon MMA’s
stand-and-bang rules, which prohibit ground fighting.

Oktagon MMA chief medic describes CPR, defibrillation and
Janecka regaining consciousness at Cage Game 2

Bidrman said the medical team performed CPR, delivered a shock and
administered oxygen. Janecka regained consciousness in the cage and
was able to speak with the team before an ambulance took him to the
hospital. Bidrman said a blow to the chest may have triggered an
abnormal heart rhythm, but the cause had not been confirmed.

“I’m the head medic here at Oktagon. We just had a very emergency
situation here, where one of the fighters, specifically Jindra,
went into a sudden cardiac arrest. After some cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, we delivered a shock. He was given oxygen and
brought back to life. He is fully oriented to place, time, and
person. And BRNO, the ambulance service, whom we greatly thank for
arriving on time, has taken him over, and he is now already at the
hospital. Jindra, I want to repeat, was already fully conscious in
the cage. He was communicating with us. And now we just want to
find the cause of why this happened. Most likely this could have
been some kind of arrhythmia caused by a blow to the chest that he
received earlier,” Bidrman said in a statement shared on X.

Merab
Dvalishvili says Usman
Nurmagomedov, Umar
Nurmagomedov and several of their associates attacked him and a
friend in a hotel lobby in Abu Dhabi ahead of his scheduled
wrestling match at RAF Abu Dhabi.

The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion said in an
Instagram post that a group of about 20 people approached him and
his friend from behind during an interview for the event.
Dvalishvili appeared with blood on his face in the video, and his
friend appeared to be injured.

Merab Dvalishvili alleges he and a friend were attacked in Abu
Dhabi ahead of RAF

“Was doing an interview for RAF in hotel lobby and Usman and his
buddies came up from behind and started punching me and my young
friend,” Dvalishvili wrote in the caption accompanying his video.
“Security was holding me — they kept kicking us when we were down
like losers.” “What a sneaky way, just two of us, me and my friend came here in
Abu Dhabi, and Usman Nurmagomedov and his friends came like snakes
from behind,” Dvalishvili said in the video. “What kind of fighters
you guys are? What kind of man does this? If you want to talk and
fight, let’s do it the real way.”

Dvalishvili also accused Umar Nurmagomedov of taking part.

“I just came here in Abu Dhabi and then Usman, Umar, and his
friends came in a sneaky way and tried to beat us. So many guys,”
he continued.

Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision in
their bantamweight title fight at
UFC 311 in January 2025.

“I’m fine,” Dvalishvili said. “All my friends and family, I’m
f***ing fine, I’m a fighter. This is nothing for me. Again, it
shows what kind of people you guys are.”

Dvalishvili is scheduled to face Marlon
Moraes in a wrestling match at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14 at
Etihad Arena.

Josh
Hokit says he isn’t dwelling on the possibility of fouls ahead
of his heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane
at UFC
334.

Hokit (10-0) will challenge Gane on Nov. 14 at Madison Square
Garden in New York. Asked whether he considers Gane a dirty
fighter, Hokit said he hadn’t given it much thought, then described
how he might retaliate if fouled.

Josh Hokit describes escalating hypothetical retaliation for
fouls ahead of Ciryl Gane title fight

“I mean, it doesn’t matter. I don’t even want to put too much
thought into it,” Hokit said in an interview posted by UFC on
Paramount+. “My mentality is, if he hits me in the back of the
head, I’m hitting him, I’m poking him in the eyes.”

Hokit then escalated the hypothetical beyond the fight, invoking
violence against Gane’s family.

“If he pokes me in the eye, I hit him low. He hits me low, I gotta
stab him now,” Hokit said. “He stabs me, I’m shooting him, he
shoots me. I’m finding his family, killing them. He finds my
family, kills them. I gotta go to France, I’m conquering his whole
f**king country. That’s the mentality, at least.”

Hokit is coming off a second-round TKO victory over Derrick
Lewis at
UFC Freedom 250. On the same card, Gane stopped Alex
Pereira to win the interim heavyweight title. He became
undisputed champion after Tom
Aspinall vacated the belt.

Croatian bare-knuckle boxing champion Marko
Martinjak has little concern for protecting his hands when he
steps into the Trigon. His priority is delivering punches with
maximum force, an approach that has helped him compile a 13-2
record.

On Nov. 14, Martinjak will defend his BKB bridgerweight title
against England’s Matty Askin at London’s O2 arena. Despite facing
a British opponent, the 35-year-old Zagreb native expects to feel
at home.

Marko Martinjak promises an aggressive approach against Matty
Askin in his BKB bridgerweight title defense

“It’s in England, but I’m at home there. This is my second fight at
the O2.”

Known as „The Emperor of Bare Knuckle“ and „Marvelous,“ Martinjak
credits his success to speed, aggression and an uncompromising
offensive style.

“Every punch I want to land is going full throttle. If I hurt my
hands, I don’t really care.”

Martinjak began practicing taekwondo at age 6 before switching to
soccer and eventually boxing at 14. Three decades after entering
martial arts, he believes he has reached his competitive peak.

“I think right now I’m in my prime. For a couple of years more, no
one is gonna beat me.”

Unlike his earlier years as a professional boxer, when he struggled
financially, Martinjak now earns enough through sponsorships and
fight purses to devote himself entirely to training.

“I’m a full-time fighter. I live and breathe boxing.”

His success has also brought him closer to Croatian combat sports
legend Mirko “Cro
Cop” Filipovic.

Martinjak said their friendship dates to his childhood, when he
attended Cro Cop’s seminars. Last year, they met at a shopping mall
while Martinjak was recovering from a broken hand sustained during
a bridgerweight title fight.

Cro Cop invited him to serve as a sparring partner for a proposed
boxing match against Russian MMA legend Fedor
Emelianenko.

Although the bout never materialized, Martinjak remains willing to
help if the matchup is revived.

“If Mirko needs a sparring partner for Fedor, if that fight
happens, I will go train with him.”

Beyond defending his championship, Martinjak looks forward to
representing Croatia before an unusually large contingent of
supporters.

With Croatia’s national soccer team scheduled to face England at
Wembley Stadium during the same international window, Martinjak
expects 100 to 150 friends and supporters to attend his fight.

“Representing my country on a big stage is always a privilege.”

Martinjak’s journey to championship success has included serious
setbacks.

Before establishing himself in bare-knuckle boxing, he spent
approximately three years in prison, a period he attributes to poor
influences and decisions made while working as a nightclub security
doorman.

Now married with children, Martinjak views those experiences as
lessons in patience and discipline.

“Everything that is easily earned will easily disappear – quickly.
Nothing happens overnight.”

Those lessons have helped shape a fighter who transformed himself
from a professional boxing journeyman into a bare-knuckle
champion.

With another title defense approaching, Martinjak has no intention
of abandoning the aggressive style that brought him success.

“Thanks to my friends, my family and my supporters. Watch me on
Nov. 14 when I come for another KO.”

Jake
Paul and Cedric
Doumbe exchanged insults and knockout predictions Tuesday
during a heated press conference promoting their Dec. 24 boxing
match at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The eight-round cruiserweight bout, contested at 200 pounds with
10-ounce gloves, will mark Paul’s first professional fight in
Dubai. The matchup pits the social media star-turned-boxer against
a former two-time Glory kickboxing world champion and
Professional Fighters League MMA contender.

Jake Paul and Cedric Doumbe trade knockout predictions ahead of
their Dec. 24 boxing match in Dubai

Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) and Doumbe (1-0 boxing) came face-to-face at
Pavilion Cambon in Paris, where both fighters promised to deliver a
knockout on Christmas Eve.

Paul dismissed Doumbe’s extensive combat sports experience, arguing
that his opponent’s kickboxing and MMA accomplishments would not
translate into success inside the boxing ring.

„Kickboxing will not help him, people. On Dec. 24, the legs will
just be used for transportation. This is boxing. He’s gonna learn a
very, very hard lesson. And at the end of the day, he’s still a
tune-up fight for me.“

Doumbe, who owns a 75-7-1 kickboxing record with 45 knockouts and a
6-1 MMA record with six knockouts, responded by questioning Paul’s
legitimacy as a boxer.

„This guy is a joke. He’s a very great YouTuber, but he’s not a
fighter. He’s not even a good boxer.“

The French fighter said he was more concerned about making the
cruiserweight limit than preparing for Paul’s abilities.

„I’m not training to beat him. I’m training to lose weight. That is
why I’m training.“

Despite the verbal exchanges, Paul acknowledged Doumbe’s striking
credentials and said he was taking the matchup seriously.

„He’s a KO artist. He’s a two-time world champion. He’s the highest
of his pedigree.“

A
heavyweight title fight headlines PFL Dubai: Tune in on Saturday,
Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. ET on the ESPN app.

Paul predicted he would finish Doumbe in the third or fourth round,
citing what he described as defensive weaknesses and predictable
punches.

Doumbe offered a different outlook, suggesting he could end the
fight early or extend it into the later rounds.

„Oh, I knock him out in the second round, or I knock him out in the
seventh or eighth round.“

The stakes became personal when Paul was asked whether he would
retire from professional boxing if Doumbe defeated him.

„100% retiring if I lose to this guy. Sure, like 100%. For sure.
For sure, for sure.“

Paul also reiterated his ambition to become a boxing world champion
within the next two to three years, describing the upcoming fight
as another step toward that goal.