Scott Coker has officially unveiled the name and format of his new
mixed martial arts promotion.

Ki MMA will launch in the first quarter of 2027 under Coker and
Peter Y. Levin, with events planned across North America, Europe,
Asia and South America. The organization had previously announced
plans for a new global league backed by Coker, with a tournament
format central to the project.

Scott Coker and Peter Y. Levin detail Ki MMA’s 2027 launch and
World Grand Prix

Coker and Levin shared the details about the new promotion via a
press release. The inaugural Ki MMA World Grand Prix will feature
32 featherweights divided into four eight-man continental
tournaments. Each regional tournament will use a single-elimination
format, with the four continental champions advancing to a
one-night World Grand Prix Final.

The final event will feature two semifinals followed by the
championship bout, so the inaugural Ki MMA champion will need to
win five fights.

“We’re giving fighters across four continents a clear path to
becoming our first World Grand Prix champion,” Coker said. “We want
to build stars while staying true to the discipline, character and
respect that drew us to martial arts in the first place.”

Additionally, Ki MMA will feature “Super Fights” involving
established fighters, along with additional bouts across multiple
weight classes. All fights will take place inside a ring.

“We’re building Ki MMA for the long term, with the resources, team,
and discipline to grow responsibly,” Levin added.

Tom
Aspinall has vacated the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title due to ongoing
complications from an eye injury that has sidelined him for nearly
a year.

Aspinall hasn’t competed since his bout against Ciryl Gane
ended in a no contest last October. Gane accidentally poked him in
both eyes and the Brit subsequently underwent multiple eye
procedures. He still hasn’t received medical clearance to return to
the Octagon and has opted to relinquish the championship.

Tom Aspinall explains why he relinquished the UFC heavyweight
championship

Aspinall took to Instagram to share a lengthy message announcing
his decision to vacate the title amid recent complications with his
right eye. The former champion revealed that he had previously
agreed to a fight date and resumed sparring before an accident
caused further damage.

“I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring,
feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further
damage to my right eye,” Aspinall wrote on Instagram. “Ongoing
complications with my eyes mean I cannot get medically cleared to
fight right now. I’ve had multiple surgeries, accidents, and
infections, and done everything possible to get back to
competing.”

Rather than further stalling the heavyweight division, Aspinall has
opted to give up his belt.

“I’ve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title,”
Aspinall added. “I’ve asked the UFC to allow me to make this
statement because I don’t want to hold the heavyweight division up.
I know what it’s like to have your career put on hold, and I want
the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the
title.”

Aspinall also clarified in his post that he isn’t walking away from
the sport and looks forward to returning to action.

“I’ll be back as soon as I’m medically able to be,” Aspinall wrote.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this
absolute nightmare.”

One fighter will have a chance to earn an extra $50,000 when the

Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Los Angeles on Sept.
19 for UFC
331.

UFC CEO Dana
White recently announced that a special “proper chaos bonus”
will be awarded to a fighter at Crypto.com Arena. The additional
prize is being introduced in conjunction with the Paramount+ series
“MobLand.”

Dana White will personally decide who earns the UFC 331 ‘proper
chaos’ bonus

White announced the bonus in partnership with Paramount+’s
“MobLand” on Instagram. The bonus will be separate from the
promotion’s standard $25,000 finishing bonus and $100,000 awards: a
Fight of the Night bonus and a few Performance of the Night
bonuses.

White hasn’t established specific criteria for the new award,
saying the decision will ultimately be his.

“Long before I did a deal with Paramount, I’ve been telling you
guys I’m a huge fan of ‘MobLand.’ It is one of the best shows on
television,” White said in an Instagram video. “So, for one night
only, we’re bringing a little proper chaos into the Octagon. At UFC
331, we are unlocking the proper chaos bonus. $50,000 awarded to
the fighter who I think deserves it most.”

UFC 331 will be headlined by a flyweight championship rematch
between Joshua Van
and former champion Alexandre
Pantoja. A five-round lightweight bout with title implications
co-headlines the card, pitting Arman
Tsarukyan against Mauricio
Ruffy.

Josh
Hokit has called for a title shot after Tom
Aspinall vacated the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight belt.

Aspinall relinquished the title after ongoing eye-related
complications prevented him from receiving medical clearance to
return to the Octagon. Hokit claims a matchup between himself and
interim champ Ciryl Gane
should now determine the next heavyweight king.

Josh Hokit targets Ciryl Gane as UFC heavyweight division moves
on from Tom Aspinall

Shortly after Aspinall announced his decision to vacate the
heavyweight title, Hokit called for a fight against Gane on social
media.

“The fans deserve Me vs Gane,” Hokit wrote on X. “I’ll give Ciryl
what he has coming. If Alex can win 1 fight in my weight class,
I’ll give it to him too, early ‘27. I’ll be the most active champ
in the company.”

Both Gane and Hokit recorded stoppage victories at
UFC Freedom 250, where “Bon Gamin” beat Alex
Pereira to win the interim heavyweight title and “The
Incredible Hok” knocked out Derrick
Lewis.

Notably, Pereira has also called out Gane. “Poatan” recently took
to Instagram to campaign for a rematch with the Frenchman, claiming
that illegal shots to the back of his head played a pivotal role in
the finishing sequence when they collided at the White House
event.

Renato
“Money” Moicano vs. Brian
Ortega is no longer part of the upcoming
Ultimate Fighting Championship numbered event.

Ortega has suffered an injury, forcing the cancellation of the bout
scheduled for UFC
331 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sept. 19. While
“T-City” nurses his injury, Moicano has a new matchup and will now
headline a Fight Night in Las Vegas in October.

Brian Ortega’s injury cancels Moicano fight before UFC 331

After his bout with Ortega was pulled from UFC 331, Moicano’s next
opponent was announced. The Brazilian is now set to face Tom Nolan in
the main event of the
UFC Fight Night card on Oct. 31 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Ortega took to social media to reveal details of his injury. A deep
cut has forced him out of his UFC lightweight debut and he had to
get stitches above his left eye.

“I have to pull out of the fight because of the stitches in my
eye,” Ortega wrote on Instagram. “I’m on weight, I’ve been training
my *ss off, and this has honestly been one of the best camps I’ve
ever had.”

UFC 331 now has 12 fights on deck, with Gable
Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
now opening the main card. Joshua Van
vs. Alexandre
Pantoja 2 headlines UFC 331, with Van defending the UFC
flyweight championship against the former champ in a rematch after
an anticlimactic ending to their first meeting, in which Pantoja
suffered an early arm injury.

Ryan
Garcia has slammed Oscar De La Hoya over the promoter’s absence
from his latest fight.

Garcia defended his WBC welterweight championship against Conor
Benn on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas, stopping the Englishman in the
second round. De La Hoya wasn’t in attendance despite Garcia
previously expressing a desire to have his longtime promoter walk
him to the ring.

Ryan Garcia says Oscar De La Hoya had a seat for his Conor Benn
fight but didn’t attend

Despite De La Hoya being at loggerheads with
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO and Zuffa Boxing co-founder
Dana
White for years, the latter has reiterated that he didn’t
prevent the former from attending the event. The Golden Boy
promoter had been invited and even offered VIP access.

However, he didn’t attend the event. Garcia initially appeared
unfazed by De La Hoya’s absence. Days later, however, the champion
was far more critical.

“Honestly, nobody wanted him there,” Garcia told Ariel Helwani.
“Sometimes you’ve got to pick your battles; it’s not really a
battle I really want to pick right here. I wish Oscar was there, I
wish he walked out with me and I wish he would’ve been ringside no
matter what.”

According to Garcia, De La Hoya was allowed to attend but opted
against it.

“That would’ve shown his love for me just like I had imagined
someone who has been with me the entire time to do,” Garcia said.
“They did have a seat for you though, and you didn’t take that
seat. I don’t respect that and that disappointed me.”

Garcia further revealed that he hasn’t heard from De La Hoya since
the fight.

“I don’t know why he’s like that; he just doesn’t want to show up
for the people he’s supposed to love,” Garcia said. “I don’t know;
he’s weird, bro. He’s missing a part of himself… It’s really
disappointing. Where’s your maturity?”

Mauricio
Ruffy enters the biggest fight of his career as a sizable
underdog, but the Brazilian’s former and current team are confident
he has the tools to spring an upset.

Ruffy will meet Arman
Tsarukyan in the co-headliner of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming event in Los Angeles.
His former coach,
Fighting Nerds’ Pablo Sucupira, and his new teammate, UFC
featherweight champ Alexander
Volkanovski, view the matchup as the perfect opportunity to
make a statement.

Pablo Sucupira backs Mauricio Ruffy to score a statement
knockout against Arman Tsarukyan

Sucupira claims the odds might reflect an overemphasis on Ruffy’s
loss to Benoit St.
Denis, in which the former was taken down and finished. The
Brazilian coach explained that the loss to St. Denis was an outlier
and that the likes of Michael
Chandler and Rafael
Fiziev failed to secure takedowns against Ruffy.

“I don’t just think Ruffy is going to win; I think he’s going to
send a message by knocking Arman out,” Sucupira told Sherdog.
“Michael Chandler and [Rafael] Fiziev also tried, but nobody was
able to take him down.”

Volkanovski, who’s taken Ruffy under his wing and trained with him
extensively in preparation for UFC
331, has high praise for the lightweight’s improved takedown
defense.

“He is on another level concerning takedown defense,” Volkanovski
said in the UFC 331 “Countdown” preview. “It’s going to be very
important with guys like Arman, probably one of the best wrestlers
in the UFC. But if you’re going for shots and you know that’s your
only chance to grab a hold of him and that’s not happening, and all
of a sudden, you’ve got Ruffy in your face, that’s a big, big, big
problem to have.”

Dana White’s Contender Series returns on Sept. 15 for
Week 6 of Season 10, with five more matchups set to go down at
Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Dana White’s Contender Series Week 6 is official with Zevan
Hunt vs. Mayton Perea

The Week 6 lineup features fights across the featherweight,
middleweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions, with Zevan Hunt
(170) and Mayton
Perea (171) set to headline the card. Additionally, Oscar
Ravello (184.5) takes on Igor
Cavalcanti (184.5) and Akbar
Abdullaev (155) meets Ednilson
Barros Santos (156).

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10 Week 6 weigh-in
results

Mayton
Perea (171) vs. Zevan Hunt
(170)
Igor
Cavalcanti (184.5) vs. Oscar
Ravello (184.5)
Akbar
Abdullaev (155) vs. Ednilson
Barros Santos (156)
Luis
Hernandez (185) vs. Hugo
Guillon (185)
Tyshawn
Williams (146) vs. Antonio
Monteiro (145.5)

Bare Knuckle Boxing will make its Mexico debut on Sept. 19, with a
pair of world championship fights topping the promotion’s BKB 59
card in Tijuana.

The event, which is being held in partnership with Zanfer Boxing,
will feature seven bouts on the main card and five additional
matchups on TikTok Live.

BKB 59 features Julian Fernandez vs. Dan Podmore and two world
title fights

Julian “El Guerrero Mexicano” Fernandez will defend the BKB super
cruiserweight championship against former three-division
titleholder Dan “Big Pod” Podmore in the main event at Auditorio
Municipal. The vacant BKB super flyweight championship will be
contested in the co-main event when Cecy Ulloa meets Andy “The
CrAsian” Nguyen.

BKB 59: All the fights

BKB 59 Main Card

BKB super cruiserweight world championship main event: Julian
Fernandez vs. Dan Podmore
BKB super flyweight world championship co-main event: Cecy Ulloa
vs. Andy Nguyen
Super middleweight: Romario Ovalle vs. Marco Chino Villa
Cruiserweight: Pablo Felipe Anguiano vs. Ricardo Ramses Rueda
Lightweight: Adrian Gonzalez vs. Javier Santiago Valverde
Lightweight: Felipe Abraham Huerta vs. Erick Eduardo Soria
Heavyweight: Jonathan Duran vs. Kevin Millan Sanchez

BKB 59 TikTok Live Bouts

Heavyweight: Jesus Navarrete vs. Jose Munoz
Super heavyweight: Jovani Misael Sanchez vs. Ramon Olivas
Super middleweight: Sergio Zarate vs. Rolando Paredes
Super welterweight: Jesus Rodriguez vs. Ricardo Ibarra
Super welterweight: Eduardo Pineda Gonzalez vs. Mauricio Anaya

The main card is scheduled to air on VICE TV and Telemundo in the
United States, and TalkSPORT in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Khamzat
Chimaev could take another hiatus from the Octagon if the

Ultimate Fighting Championship fails to offer him a fight by
the end of the year.

The former UFC middleweight champion had initially targeted a
return in October in Abu Dhabi. Chimaev now says he’s reached a
point where he may take time away from competition to address
several lingering health issues.

Khamzat Chimaev says lingering injuries could force a break
from UFC competition

Speaking to Adam Zubayraev, Chimaev revealed that he might take a
break if he doesn’t get a fight by the end of 2026 to address some
niggling health issues. “Borz” doesn’t want to compete compromised
again, having done so several times previously.

“If nothing happens in October or December, I think I’ll take a
little break,” Chimaev said. “I have a lot of injuries that I need
to get treated. I’ve been putting off my surgeries, putting them
off, putting them off, and I go into every fight with some kind of
problem. I don’t really like talking about my problems or injuries.
People already know that I get sick often. That’s just how it is
with me.”

Chimaev has been campaigning for a title shot and rematch with
current champ Sean
Strickland, but with Nassourdine
Imavov strongly rumored to be the next middleweight title
challenger, the Chechen will need to fight a fellow 185-pound
contender if he wants to compete this year.

Conor
McGregor is making progress in his recovery from the knee
injury that forced an anticlimactic end to his Octagon return.

McGregor ended a five-year hiatus from action in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship at
UFC 329, where a knee injury prompted a referee stoppage just
69 seconds into the bout. He damaged his ACL and meniscus, having
recently undergone surgery to commence his recovery and
rehabilitation.

Conor McGregor continues recovery from knee injury suffered at
UFC 329

McGregor was spotted using crutches, with a fresh scar on his knee,
by TMZ. The Irishman was photographed leaving
Gravitas, a members-only spot in Beverly Hills.

The former two-division champion has one fight left on his current
UFC contract. He’s eyeing his Octagon swansong for the summer of
2027, previously revealing on social media that next year’s
International Fight Week is his targeted return date.

Jean
Silva claims his victory over Jose
Delgado unfolded almost exactly as his team predicted.

Silva made a statement in his second
Ultimate Fighting Championship headliner, submitting Delgado in
the main event of
Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 12 in Glendale, Arizona. The Brazilian
later revealed that he and his team prepared specifically for the
sequence that ultimately ended the fight.

Fighting Nerds prepared Jean Silva for the sequence that
submitted Jose Delgado

Silva locked in a one-arm rear-naked choke to force the tap from
Delgado in the third round of their clash. “Lord” says his
Fighting Nerds coaches had him ready for all the threats
Delgado poses and identified the route to victory long before fight
night.

“It’s crazy to say this, but it went just as we rehearsed back at
home,” Silva said in a post-fight interview. “We knew exactly what
was going to happen, the way that he was going to charge, the
position that he was going to have and the way we were going to
finish it.”

Silva called for a title shot following his win over Delgado,
eyeing the winner of Alexander
Volkanovski vs. Movsar
Evloev, scheduled for
UFC 333.