Pimblett earned the biggest win of his UFC career by finishing Michael Chandler in the UFC 314 co-main event last weekend in Miami. He remains unbeaten in his UFC tenure and, after beating Chandler, is on the verge of entering the lightweight title mix.

Pimblett called out Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. A matchup with Poirier is unlikely amidst recent reports that the former title challenger’s retirement fight will take place for the BMF belt.

Charles Oliveira defiant in response to Paddy Pimblett’s callout

But Pimblett, arguably the biggest star in UK MMA alongside Tom Aspinall, isn’t shying away from the division’s biggest challenges after UFC 314. A matchup with Oliveira would make a lot of sense, not only for the division’s title picture but also featuring two fan favorites.

On the other hand, Oliveira isn’t keen on facing Pimblett next.

During a recent interview with Portal do Vale Tudo, Oliveira answered Pimblett’s callout at UFC 314.

“I’m looking for the title. I don’t run away from anyone, I never have. I’m not going to run away now,” Oliveira said. “I’m ready to fight any of these guys. I respect them all, but I’m going to set my own pace and my own game. So why not? If it’s for the title, why not fight Topuria?

“I’m looking for the title. I don’t want to fight another fight just to wait for the title, no. That doesn’t interest me, I want to fight for the title…I don’t even think about [Pimblett]. I’m thinking about a title, so I can’t be thinking about the guys who are below me.

“[Paddy] is a tough kid, a kid who’s on the rise. But I’m not even thinking about that.”

Oliveira could potentially face Islam Makhachev in the next lightweight title matchup, if Ilia Topuria doesn’t get the next nod. A clash between Topuria and Oliveira has also been tossed around amidst speculation that Makhachev could vacate the belt for a run at welterweight.

Pimblett has also traded barbs with Tsarukyan in recent days, after Pimblett mocked Tsarukyan for his short-notice pullout at UFC 311. Tsarukyan doesn’t seem interested in a clash, but he’ll need to win at least one more fight before making another title shot case.

Paddy Pimblett’s rival unimpressed by UFC 314 finish

Another interesting element of the discussion surrounding Pimblett’s next fight is Topuria. Pimblett and Topuria have had a long-standing feud, stemming from their scrap at a fighter hotel in London in 2022.

While many praised Pimblett for his performance at UFC 314, Topuria wasn’t one of them. He believes Pimblett’s win was a product of Chandler’s slide from his physical prime, instead of a signature victory.

As the mystery surrounding Pimblett and Oliveira’s next fights persists, a matchup between them could be on the table for the matchmakers. But for now, Oliveira is focused on other ventures.

Instead of entering the Octagon against Michael Chandler, a bout he withdrew from due to injury last summer at UFC 303, Conor McGregor now has sights set on the political ring.

McGregor hopes to become the president of Ireland someday, meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on St. Patrick’s Day to discuss immigration problems his country is currently having.

Despite fanfare for ‘President McGregor’, the former two-division UFC Champion isn’t going to able to run for office anytime soon.

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What’s stopping Conor McGregor from running for president?

Referred to as ‘the most famous living Irishman’ in the world, Tucker Carlson asked McGregor what’s holding back from running for president of Ireland.

“There’s stipulations,” McGregor explained.

“You have to get four county councils which are controlled by the government parties or you have to get 20 nominations of the Oireachtas which are all mostly party affiliates.

“Can’t just run for president,” McGregor said.

“So, how is it a democracy?” Carlson asked.

“We are not a democratic country,” McGregor replied.

The country Ireland is a unitary parliamentary republic with a President, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and Oireachtas (Parliament).

Conor McGregor says Ireland is ‘very close to losing its Irishness’

A native of Crumlin, Conor McGregor is the first and only Irish fighter to win a UFC Championship, let alone two. He won the featherweight belt off Jose Aldo in 2015 and the lightweight belt a year later against Eddie Alvarez.

After a legendary career in the UFC, McGregor recently made a retirement admission in pursuit of a presidential run which would take a seven-year term if the Irishman somehow pulled it off.

One of his issues with the current state of Ireland?

“The overspending that’s going on,” McGregor said.

“This is our public wealth being being administered into private hands, enriching people to bring in this influx of illegal mass migration that is changing the fabric of my country.

“Ireland is very close to losing its Irishness, and we will not let that happen.”

Conor McGregor’s previous comments on Ireland’s immigration influx were condemned by Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin after his St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. Martin posted to ‘X‘ McGregor’s remarks ‘do not reflect the views of the people of Ireland’.

Before the disappointing end to his time in the UFC, Silva was one of the biggest stars in combat sports and was one of the UFC’s early dominant forces. He set numerous records when he held the UFC middleweight championship, a title he didn’t relinquish for seven years.

Silva, who teased a ‘dream’ boxing match with Roy Jones Jr. during his UFC tenure, got the chance to enter the ring after his UFC contract ended.

Anderson Silva outboxed the son of an icon after his UFC departure

Silva competed in two boxing matches before making his way to the UFC, splitting fights with Julio Cesar De Jesus and Osmar Luiz Teixeira. In June 2021, Silva was booked against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for an eight-round bout that few felt he had a chance to win.

But Silva shocked the masses when he proved to be a tougher test for Chavez than most expected.

Silva showcased elite head movement and technique reminiscent of his UFC championship prime. The old Silva rose to the forefront during the fight, as he taunted and frustrated Chavez for eight rounds.

After a closely-contested fight, the judges’ scorecards went in Silva’s favor as he took home a split decision victory. The win marked a new chapter in Silva’s legendary combat sports career, leading to a knockout boxing win over UFC legend Tito Ortiz and securing a fight with Jake Paul.

Silva hasn’t competed since an exhibition boxing match with Chael Sonnen last June. As for Chavez, he’s hoping to hand Paul one of the lone blemishes of his boxing career.

Jake Paul’s next boxing opponent named after Canelo Alvarez bout fell apart

Paul and Chavez will fight on June 28th in Anaheim, CA. It’s Paul’s first boxing booking since defeating heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in November.

Paul was briefly in talks to face off with Canelo Alvarez, but negotiations fell well short of the finish line as Riyadh Season signed Alvarez to a multi-fight contract. Alvarez will return next month against William Scull as he prepares for a super fight with Terence Crawford in the Fall.

Coincidentally, Chavez’s last boxing match came against Silva’s last UFC foe, Hall, last July. He won the fight by unanimous decision and has won three of his last four fights overall.

Ditcheva captured the 2024 women’s flyweight championship by knocking out former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in November. She capped off a four-fight run in 2024 with a $1 million grand prize and a belt to add to her unbeaten resume.

Ditcheva was surprisingly left out of the 2025 World Tournament, potentially to save her for a big-name matchup on one of the PFL’s targeted pay-per-view events. But most of the biggest female names in the PFL are preoccupied with the World Tournament format, further delaying Ditcheva’s return to the cage.

Dakota Ditcheva is the latest PFL star to express concerns about return uncertainty

Ditcheva is one of several marquee names to publicly question the PFL matchmakers for their inactivity. Johnny Eblen, Corey Anderson, and others have taken to social media to express their displeasure.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Ditcheva opened up on how she’s handling one of the longest hiatuses of her career.

“I’ve always been a really active fighter, so this for me now, especially not having anything even lined up, is really mentally challenging for me,” Ditcheva said. “I really have to just believe in the process…it’s a test for sure, that’s probably why I went home because at the start of the year I was in Florida training, nothing lined up, seeing everybody train for this tournament and it was really disheartening for me…

“I’m gutted I don’t have anything just yet…haven’t heard about any shows, my management is in contact with them all the time…so I’m just waiting and being patient.”

Ditcheva’s inactivity in 2025 is in stark contrast to her 2024 run, with four fights in seven months. Three of her four victories last year were finished in the first round.

Ditcheva has repeatedly teased a future move to the UFC, adding to questions regarding the PFL’s lack of urgency to book her a fight. When her current PFL contract comes to a close, she’ll likely be a top target on the free agent market.

PFL head sent Kayla Harrison a classy message ahead of UFC 316 title fight

One of the PFL’s former superstars, Harrison, will compete for the UFC women’s bantamweight title at UFC 316 in June. After a 2-0 run in her UFC tenure, Harrison has emerged as one of the biggest female talents on the current UFC roster.

After Harrison left the PFL last year, PFL co-founder Donn Davis didn’t take her split from the promotion well. Davis lambasted Harrison for leaving the PFL without matchups with the likes of Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco.

But Davis has changed his tune in recent weeks, sending Harrison a classy message on social media ahead of the latter’s title fight. Harrison and Julianna Pena will clash in the co-main event at UFC 316.

If the PFL wants to avoid a similar fate with Ditcheva, they’ll need to book her a fight sooner rather than later, or else the UK star’s future free agency could be a messy one.

Granted, Paul’s last opponent the legendary Mike Tyson was 58 years old but the former heavyweight champion and YouTuber-turned-boxer put on the most-streamed sporting event of all time on Netflix last November.

Paul’s lackluster decision win over Tyson drew in a record 108M viewers worldwide.

Now, the 28-year-old is set to box former WBC Champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28th on DAZN pay-per-view.

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Ilia Topuria credits Jake Paul: ‘He makes you go to the TV’

A PPV headliner in his last two fights against Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, former UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria likes what he sees from Paul, whose next opponent was nearly Canelo Alvarez.

While other fighters like Michael Bisping pile on Paul for fighting much older foes and his social media antics, Topuria says the American is due credit for stepping into the ring and all the eyes he brings in because of it.

“You have to respect that,” Topuria said of Paul on The Full Send Podcast.

“One way or another, he makes you go to the TV and watch him fight.

“You have to give him his credit, you know?”

Ilia Topuria challenges Jake Paul’s critics to do the same

Paul started his pro career in 2020 by boxing YouTuber AnEsonGib and NBA star Nate Robinson before gradually increasing his competition against former MMA champions Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and a 47-year-old Anderson Silva, one of the all-time greats.

A boxer with a 11-1 record, Paul still gets a ton of hate to this day with many fans hoping to see him get knocked out.

“A lot of people say ‘he’s a YouTuber’… Do the same thing,” Topuria said of Paul’s critics.

“Do it. Try to do it…

“The people doesn’t understand how difficult it is to [fight].”

Topuria continued.

“You have so many things going on on Saturday. Concerts, you can go and watch a movie, so many things… why someone has to choose you to stay at home or go to the stadium and watch your fight.

“You have to have that ability, and he has it, and you have to respect that,” Topuria said of Paul’s drawing power.

Rogan, a longtime Mixed Martial Arts fan and practitioner, is also a historian of knowledge when it comes to the greatest combatants to ever appear in the Octagon. He’s seen the best and the worst of what MMA has to offer, including some of the sport’s most powerful strikers.

But for Rogan, one man stands above the rest.

Joe Rogan says Alex Pereira hits harder than ‘anyone’ in MMA and boxing history

Rogan had a front row seat to see some of the most wicked knockouts in UFC history, at the hands of all-time juggernauts like Francis Ngannou, Rampage Jackson, and Sean O’Malley. Before Ngannou parted ways with the UFC in 2023, he treated fans to sheer destruction inside the Octagon.

Not even Ngannou can compare with the power of a current UFC superstar, in Rogan’s opinion.

During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan explained the sheer ferocity of former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

“Alex Pereira is the scariest kickboxer that’s ever competed in the sport,” Rogan said of Pereira. “The one guy above all that if he hits you once, you’re dead…out of all the guys I’ve ever seen fight, I don’t think anybody I can say that more than that guy. Including in kickboxing, in everything! He has more power than anybody I’ve ever seen…

“Except Francis Ngannou, but Francis Ngannou is 265 [pounds], but weight class to weight class, Francis can put anybody out too, but he’s not at the same skill level as ‘Poatan’…that dude’s terrifying, absolutely terrifying. That power is from God; he’s got a weird gift that’s just different from anyone.”

Pereira earned ‘Fighter of the Year’ honors by amassing three finishes in 2024, with all three wins coming in pay-per-view main events. His TKO win over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 came on weeks’ notice after Conor McGregor‘s withdrawal from the card.

Pereira’s UFC light heavyweight title reign came to a screeching halt courtesy of Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 last month by unanimous decision. Despite the abrupt end to his light heavyweight reign, Pereira will likely get another chance at championship glory later this year.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 2 is the fight to make at light heavyweight

Almost immediately after the UFC 313 main event, Pereira and Ankalaev verbally agreed to a rematch later in 2025, potentially in Chicago after Ankalaev’s recent teases. Ankalaev hasn’t lost a fight since his promotional debut against Paul Craig in March 2018, and is on a 14-fight unbeaten streak.

Before the loss to Ankalaev, Pereira was in line for potential super fights with the likes of Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. But as he prepares to potentially get the light heavyweight belt back, his heavyweight aspirations are on the shelf.

While Rogan holds Ngannou and other knockout artists in elite standing, no one compares to Pereira. He’ll look to earn another highlight in his return later this year.

Chavez Jr. Paul’s most experienced opponent thus far. The boxers are set to meet in a cruiserweight bout on June 28th in Anaheim, California on DAZN pay-per-view.

Jake Paul will go head-to-head with the UFC as the UFC 317 pay-per-view takes place on the same night, capping off what should be a massive International Fight Week.

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Jake Paul to make Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. ‘proud’ with KO of son

Chavez Jr. years past his prime at 39 years old, the YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul still takes pride with his next fight, the name value behind it and what he has been able to accomplish in his boxing career in such a short span of time.

“Five years ago, I stepped into the ring for my pro debut after 1 amateur fight, and every fight since has been a step towards becoming world champion,” Paul wrote on Instagram on Friday.

“I just defeated the baddest man on the planet and broke multiple records, and now I’m going against a former world champion with 54 wins who Canelo could barely beat.”

Canelo Alvarez dominated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to a unanimous decision victory in 2017.

“Chávez Jr. is Mexican, but I, El Gallo De Dorado, mexi-CAN knock him tf out.

“On Saturday, June 28, live on DAZN pay-per-view, I will defeat Julio and make Chávez Sr. proud in ways Jr. never has. Viva La Puerto Rico.”

Paul began his pro career in 2020, destroying YouTuber AnEsonGib and former NBA star Nate Robinson in the ring before he started fighting former UFC stars.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. warns Jake Paul: ‘I’m not some YouTuber or UFC fighter’

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has exchanged wins and losses in recent years with one of his worst performances turned in against former UFC Middleweight Champion (and former Jake Paul foe) Anderson Silva in 2021 where he lost by decision.

His father, Chavez Sr, had called for his retirement if he wasn’t going to prepare correctly.

Fresh off a win over ex-UFC fighter and Silva slayer Uriah Hall on Paul’s undercard last summer, Chavez Jr. sent a message to his upcoming opponent.

“Jake Paul – YOU DON’T play [boxing],” Cesar Chavez Jr. wrote on Instagram.

“I am not some youtuber or UFC fighter or beating up old retired Boxers !

“I am a real Former Boxing World Champion and June 28 you will find out what it is like to be in with real Mexican style !! Viva Mexico.”

Jake Paul has boxing wins over the likes of former MMA champions Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and the aforementioned Anderson Silva, one of the greatest fighters of all time.

Ulanbekov’s ranked #10 in the UFC flyweight division with a 16-2 record. The Dagestan-native has only lost once in the UFC – a very controversial fight against ‘The Ultimate Fighter 24’ winner Tim Elliott in 2022.

Going the full distance, Elliott defeated Ulanbekov by unanimous decision, cheating along the way.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov told Tagir Ulanbekov to grab opponent’s glove after Tim Elliott did it first

At UFC 272 with coach Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, Ulanbekov says Elliott grabbed the inside of his glove, holding him in place while he ate a punch to the face.

“Tim just put his fingers in my gloves and I couldn’t pull it back,” Ulanbekov told Red Corner MMA.

“I was trying to get it out and he was punching me. It had never happened to me before.”

Elliott’s illegal glove grab was caught on replay with UFC commentator Joe Rogan calling the move ‘so dirty’.

“I couldn’t take him down,” Ulanbekov continued. “I can’t tell the referee that he’s grabbing my glove. I was shouting to Khabib, ‘Hey, he’s grabbing my glove!’ and he shouted back at me, ‘Grab him too!’

“[Khabib] added that legendary phrase, he was like, ‘Grab his glove too and punch him back!’”

Tagir Ulanbekov calls Tim Elliott ‘dirty fighter’ for eyepoke that left him injured for two weeks

Apparently, the glove grab isn’t the only thing that bothers Ulanbekov about the Tim Elliott fight.

The flyweight contender took issue with a brutal eyepoke from Elliott, one the referee didn’t notice, calling out his former foe for his ‘dirty’ tactics.

“That guy is a very dirty fighter,” Ulanbekov said of Elliott.

“Very dirty, for real.

“I pushed him to the fence the ref didn’t see that and put a thumb in my eye as deep as he could.

“He scratched my retina or something like that. My eye was really bad two weeks after that…”

On a three-fight win streak since then, Tagir Ulanbekov is set to face off against former Bellator and RIZIN Champion Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC Baku on June 21st.

Now, he has an MBA from Harvard and just started on the athlete program at one of the big four accounting firms; EY. He faces Fabian Edwards tonight in Orlando to kick off the 2024 Global Season, but his ambitions stretch far beyond the confines of a cage.

Impa Kasanganay explains what spurred him on while living in car

Following his exit from the UFC, Impa Kasanganay had to rebuild his career from scratch. After a run through different promotions, he ended up on the PFL Challenger Series, earning himself a spot in the 2023 season which he won to become a millionaire.

He came within one fight of replicating the feat last year, while also coming within one judges’ scorecard of beating Bellator champion Johnny Eblen in Saudi Arabia. Now, he is relishing the chance to take on Fabian Edwards and his famed fighting family that includes former UFC champion Leon.

“When I was hitting the bag at one in the morning when I first started training, that was what I prayed for,” he told Bloody Elbow in an exclusive chat. “I was sleeping in my car before training sessions and then I actually lived in my car.

“Those sort of things are what you prayed for, to fight at the top of the top… To be a part of that and have the opportunity, the honor and privilege to go after that big game hunt? That to me is awesome, I always visualize myself hunting, owning a ranch and home-grown cultivating everything that I eat.

“When you get that big game that you can take out and kill and put the food on your family’s table there’s something special about that. It’s what makes men men in a sense, I think.

“You want to dominate, you don’t just want to do good or get in a scrap, you want to dominate that person, kill them and move forward. So that’s why I’m interested in a guy like Fabian, he’s been in there with some of the best; Johnny Eblen twice, Mike Shipman, Costello Van Steenis, goodness gracious.

“And he’s trained with such solid minds. The way his family helped his brother Leon get the title? There’s something special about that, right? I’ll claim the victory, shake his hand and move forward but it will be a really cool feather in my cap.”

Impa Kasanganay plots has ‘billion dollar deals’ in mind for finance career

While most fighters could only dream of making seven figures and winning a world title in their entire career, Kasanganay has much broader ambitions. He completed an MBA in Harvard last year, and now wants to make a splash in the finance world as part of EY’s program for elite athletes.

“I lost that last fight and I knew that wasn’t me,” he continued. “Now it’s like ‘okay, ground yourself and go’. So these last six months I’ve been doing a lot of inner work, faith work, life work and business, all while staying active and now it’s time to start enjoying the fruits of the labor.

“To me, fighting is short-sighted and the goal is to be a multi-trillionaire. In a sense, a million dollars is good. Especially in a crowd of people making tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands. I don’t want to be in that group only.

“I want to be in the rooms with people who make hundreds of millions of dollars in deals – billions of dollars in deals. You can help so many people with that; your future family, yourself and so many others.

“To me, every challenge is about being the best at it. If you make a million dollars, are you the best at making money? No. If you become a champion, then you’re the best fighter. So everything I do I want to be the best at.

“That gives me a challenge for business, a challenge for life, something special. You can change your life and your family’s life and other people’s lives. But when it comes to fighting, that’s not for the money necessarily. I want to be the top warrior.”

In UFC commentator Joe Rogan’s eyes, Pereira is the scariest kickboxer of all time for his ferocious KO power, which makes Adesanya’s latest feat all the more impressive.

Israel Adesanya crossed paths with ‘Poatan’ a fourth time at UFC 287 in Apr. 2023, needing two rounds to close out a seven-year rivalry. Adesanya shelled up against Pereira’s attacks by expertly countering inside the pocket to KO Pereira in devastating fashion.

Joe Rogan says Israel Adesanya had one of the greatest speeches of all time

After the fact, Adesanya immediately celebrated by firing imaginary arrows into Pereira and gave Joe Rogan an unforgettable post-fight interview while still inside the Octagon.

“I hope every one of you can feel this level of happiness just one time in your life,” Adesanya took over the microphone following his win over Pereira.

“You will never feel this level of happiness if you don’t go for something. When they knock you down, when they try to s*** on you. They try to put their foot on your neck. If you stay down, you will never ever get that result.

“Fortify your mind and feel this level of happiness as you rise one time in your life. I’m blessed to be able to feel this shit again and again and again…

“One of the greatest speeches of all time,” Rogan said of Adesanya’s post-fight interview.

“It sounds like like 15 writers sat in a room and came up with the perfect lines,” Rogan added.

Joe Rogan: ‘You could never script that better in a movie’

Looking back on the night Israel Adesanya won back his title, Rogan says UFC 287 was an all-time moment for ‘The Last Stylebender’ – his legacy forever solidified through his actions and words.

“I bet that just came out of the moment,” Rogan said of Adesanya’s speech.

“I didn’t even ask him. I should ask him next time I talk to him

“It was just right there. It was a perfect event for him. It was perfect.

“The way it went down was perfect,” Rogan continued. “You could never script that better in a movie. To see him flattened out out cold and then put arrows in his unconscious body…”

Alex Pereira was Israel Adesanya’s last win in the UFC, the former UFC Middleweight Champion losing his next three fights after that. With positive talks from his coach, Adesanya hopes to fight again in 2025.