Although Chuck Liddell’s rivalry with Tito Ortiz is potentially the biggest feud of his career, in what ended in Liddell scoring a brutal KO over Ortiz, he also had a long feud with former two-weight world champion Randy Couture.

The two first clashed in 2003 at UFC 43: Meltdown, and ‘The Natural’ scored a round three finish over ‘The Iceman’, winning the UFC light heavyweight title.

Chuck Liddell scored brutal KO over Randy Couture during epic rematch

After his loss to Couture, Liddell went on to bounce back from the loss with a win over Alistair Overeem, followed by a loss to Rampage Jackson.

Again, though, as he did many times throughout his career, ‘The Iceman’ bounced back with back-to-back wins over the aforementioned Ortiz and Vernon White.

That earned him a rematch against Couture for the UFC light heavyweight title in what went on to be an incredible fight, which ended in a Knockout of the Year.

For their rematch, Liddell made some fight-changing adjustments, coming out with a wider stance and being well prepared for Couture’s big shots.

Early on, Liddell had some great success counter-punching Couture as he came forward. Then, just under halfway through the very first round, Liddell landed a huge right hand that folded Couture to the ground.

‘The Iceman’ followed up with a huge ground strike, which put ‘The Natural’ out cold.

The UFC legends went on to settle the rivalry with a trilogy

Just under a year later, whilst Liddell was still reigning as the 205lb champion, the two met again at UFC 57.

After defending his title against Jeremy Horn, the Californian rapidly became the promotion’s biggest star.

And after once again knocking out Couture in their trilogy fight, ‘The Iceman’ cemented himself as one of the greatest of all time at 205lbs, putting an end to his rivalry with ‘The Natural’.

Edwards has already back in the gym working on developments to his game following two difficult defeats. He is currently in Orlando to corner his brother Fabian, who takes on 2023 champion Impa Kasanganay in the quarter-finals of the $500,000 PFL World Tournament.

Leon Edwards plotting return to the octagon in late 2025

After his two defeats, Leon Edwards has returned to the gym to continue working on his skillset and come back stronger for his return to the octagon. First, however, he will be focused on his brother Fabian Edwards’ efforts in the PFL World Tournament.

A successful run in the three-fight knockout competition would see Fabian fight on Friday night, then again in late June before a final at the end of August. That would allow Leon ample time to refocus on his own career and get ready for another charge towards the title.

“I think it will be a bit of both,” Fabian told Bloody Elbow of his brother’s plans. “Obviously he’s in training for himself just developing and pushing and fixing whatever he needs to fix and then helping me alongside that. Develop, help me, then look for a fight probably end of the year.

“He’s been around watching my sparring, he’s flown out with me to Florida and he’s alright. He’s around the family and everyone and that’s about it… The UFC has never done us any favors in terms of the match-ups.

“They’ve never though ‘okay stylistically, they’re a good matchup for Leon,’ they’ve always thought about it like ‘who can we give him to not have him win?’ They’ve been successful with the last two but we just keep pushing.

“Our coaches just say ‘keep winning, then they can’t deny you’. That’s what he done. He kept winning, got himself a title and defended it. Not many people can say they’ve done that so you can’t erase that from history.”

Fabian Edwards opens up about brother’s defeats

It’s been a difficult year for the Edwards family, going 0-3 in their efforts in the UFC and PFL cages. Leon was defeated by Muhammad and Brady, while Fabian’s second chance at Johnny Eblen’s Bellator belt was similarly unsuccessful.

The circumstances have lit a fire under Fabian, who opened up about how he and his brother have handled defeat in the past year.

“Any fight we enter we never think to ourselves ‘we’re going to lose’,” Edwards continued. “Obviously it was tough because stylistically it was a tough matchup and Brady has grown from his loss a few years ago.

“So we knew it would be tough but that’s just how it goes… If he went out there and got his head broke then maybe it would be worse. But going out and not being able to do what we knew he could do is a hard thing to swallow but that’s the game that we chose.”

After Dvalishvili went on to defend his title against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, the promotion went on to announce that a rematch between Dvalishvili and O’Malley will take place at UFC 316.

Following his first loss to ‘The Machine’, O’Malley made some huge lifestyle changes, with one of them being that he gave up social media to put more time into his recovery.

Sean O’Malley trains with Israel Adesanya ahead of UFC 316

As well as making some key lifestyle changes ahead of his rematch against the dominant Georgian, ‘Suga’ has also got some training in with fellow UFC star, Israel Adesanya.

O’Malley and Adesanya both had their come-up at a similar time and were once regarded as two of the biggest stars in the sport outside of Conor McGregor.

Unfortunately, Adesanya is seemingly coming towards the end of his time at the top, now on a three-fight losing streak after his recent loss to Nassourdine Imavov.

In an attempt to change the trajectory of his recent fights, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has linked up with O’Malley at ‘The Suga Factory’ to get some work in with the former bantamweight champion and his coach, Tim Welch.

In a video on his Instagram story, Adesanya practiced his combos on the pads with Welch, whilst also sharing the cage with O’Malley at the 30-year-old’s own facility.

Fans accuse O’Malley of Dana White privilege

When the promotion announced the rematch between O’Malley and Dvalishvili, fans criticised the matchmaking, claiming that ‘Suga’ didn’t deserve an immediate rematch.

Despite that, O’Malley responded to the criticism, claiming that this time around it is going to be a completely different fight because he is not going into it injured.

It is nothing new for the 30-year-old to be accused of favorable matchmaking, as he has received those comments throughout the entirety of his UFC career.

Just moments later during the post-fight show Rogan, whose day job is stand-up comedy, attempted to do an impression of Pimblett’s distinctive Liverpool accent. It went so poorly that viewers roasted him across social media and are now calling for him to give up on commentary.

Joe Rogan’s disastrous Paddy Pimblett impression has fans calling for UFC retirement

Following Paddy Pimblett’s dominant win over Michael Chandler, Joe Rogan was giving analysis on the desk alongside legendary two-weight champion Daniel Cormier and renowned commentator Jon Anik. He noted how ‘fun’ the Brit was, and what a fan he was of his trash talking.

However, at one point he did an impression so bad that fans quickly took to social media demanding that he give up on UFC commentary altogether. Social media clipping page Happy Punch shared the video with the caption “Joe Rogan gotta retire after that Paddy Pimblett impression on the UFC broadcast.”

Fans agreed with the sentiment, writing in the comments section that he should have been gone long before even that moment. “He should’ve retired over half a decade ago,” one fan wrote. “He’s a low IQ casual.”

Another added that it was “one of the worst impressions of anybody I’ve ever seen”. Others blamed Cormier and Anik for laughing along, saying: “And both of his ‘friends’ busted out laughing, so plastic, sometimes you need a [Michael] Bisping to say stuff like ‘wtf was that Joe?’”

Joe Rogan had to explain x-rated Paddy Pimblett moment to UFC legend

Another hilarious part of the post-fight show on ESPN came when Cormier appeared confused about Pimblett’s brand of trash talk. The Scouser refers to his rivals as ‘helmets’ and ‘sausages’, which often have different, more crude, meanings.

As a career comedian who has travelled the world performing to thousands, Rogan was able to quickly explain. However, he had to severely mince his words to make it television appropriate given that they were on ESPN in America and TNT Sports in the UK.

“It means the head of your, you know,” Rogan gestured, while Anik also noted Pimblett’s similarly phallic imagery in calling his rivals ‘sausages’. “They call it a bell end, it’s a helmet, you get it?” he continued, which left Cormier in hysterics.

A loss to Umar Nurmagomedov last August derailed Sandhagen’s title push but he’s looking to get back on track on May 3 where he faces former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

The next title fight in his division was met with criticism after some fans questioned why Sean O’Malley was getting a rematch with Merab Dvalishvili having not fought since he lost the title at UFC 306.

With the #4-ranking next to his name, the 32-year-old is now taking extra steps to try and elevate his stock so that he can work his way into the title picture once again.

Cory Sandhagen receives fashion advice from his ‘brand manager’ in new skit

Along with the injury narratives that surrounded his first fight with Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley is such a big star for the UFC that him receiving a rematch for the title isn’t that surprising.

Cory Sandhagen has been a highly respected contender for several years but he’s not the kind of larger than life personality that is going to start making lots of noise to try and get ahead of the other names in the division.

‘The Sandman’ usually lets his actions inside the Octagon do all the talking for him, for better or worse, but that stance could be changing.

Ahead of his main event clash with Deiveson Figueiredo in Iowa, Sandhagen has been documenting his preparations via his “Stupid Fight Vlogs” series on his YouTube channel.

The latest instalment saw the American looking to bring a new member into his team who can help him raise his profile so that it isn’t just his fighting ability that he’s known for.

In a brilliant skit, Sandhagen took on some advice from his newly hired “brand manager”.

“I took what you said about me last week where we’re trying to get away from me being awkward, weird and r——- so I stopped making as many Instagram posts and stuff like that like you told me to do but I don’t know, it kind of just feels really inauthentic.

“I don’t know why I have to have a brand. Look, I don’t understand the brand thing but I’m gonna trust you. Just tell me what to do so that I can just get title fights, that’s really all that I give a s— about.”

After putting full faith in his brand manager, Sandhagen comes on screen sporting a new look that has been designed for him which sees him wearing low trousers, a white vest, chains and sunglasses.

“Dude, I don’t know about this. I feel like I look really stupid. This is what we’re going for bro? I feel like Sean O’Malley in the 9th grade.”

Comedy skits will unironically help Cory Sandhagen

Whilst Cory Sandhagen hiring a brand manager is obviously him making a self-deprecating joke, videos like this allow fans to see more of his personality and sense of homor.

Everyone already knows that he’s one of the best fighters in the world at 135-pounds but for whatever reason, things haven’t fallen into place for him to win UFC gold and those opportunities don’t come around often.

With Merab Dvalishvili fighting Sean O’Malley next with the likes of Petr Yan also being in the mix, Sandhagen could end up waiting even if he does beat Deiveson Figueiredo on May 3.

The one thing that is in his favor is that he’s one of the few top names who hasn’t faced Dvalishvili so he could be a fresh matchup for ‘The Machine’ if the Georgian keeps hold of the title.

Winning more fans over and getting people invested in his career will only help his case.

Renowned for his aggression and unrelenting will to win, the warrior amassed a massive fan base spanning across his homeland, into Thailand, and across the United States, with the world’s number one podcaster taking an interest in what he brought to the ring.

With the pair sharing a mutual respect, they both jumped at the opportunity to spar with one another.

WOW: Joe Rogan reveals secret one of the greatest of all time used to become a UFC legend

John Wayne Parr loved sparring Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan once fended off an entire street gang who threatened to rob him. So, it’s fair to say he knows how to look after himself.

However, in the presence of John Wayne Parr, he was a mere student, learning from a master of the art of eight limbs.

‘The Gunslinger’ has now opened up about his crazy trip to America to feature on the UFC commentator’s podcast, and how it resulted in the pair having a playful sparring session.

In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, Parr explained: “I was very lucky to be on the podcast twice and once on the Fight Companion. I don’t know how it happened, but years ago, there was a hashtag of get John Wayne on Joe Rogan and that went for a few weeks.

“Then, all of a sudden, Joe Rogan replied, saying, ‘I’d love to get John Wayne on, I’m a big fan’. I sent him a DM, saying, ‘Hey, I’m John Wayne, is there any chance I can book in’? He said, ‘Yeah, for sure’.

“So, I went to the airport, turned my phone off, and flew to America. When I turned my phone on, there was a message from Joe, saying, ‘I know we have the podcast tomorrow, but we’re doing the Fight Companion tonight, do you want to come to the studio and do it with us’?

“So, I grabbed my bag, and went straight to the studio. After the Fight Companion, Joe goes, ‘That was cool, tomorrow morning, do you want to come to my house and do a training session, and then we’ll do the podcast in the afternoon, and we’ll have something to talk about’? I said, ‘Yes, I can do that for sure’.

“I got to his house, and I didn’t want to be intimidated by Joe’s superstardom, so I just treated it like a normal PT. It was so cool. For a whole hour, we went through techniques and theories of how to throw different things.

“At the end, I asked, ‘Is there any chance we can do a light round of sparring, just for fun, so I can say I sparred you’? He goes, ‘I’ve got a bit of a bulging disc, but I’m happy to move around’.

“We did three minutes, just fun, moving around and having a bit of a giggle. I said, ‘Do you mind if I put this on YouTube’? He goes, ‘Yeah, go for it’.

“So, I shared the sparring round, and the amount of comments was just ridiculous; everyone was just badmouthing Joe, saying how bad he was with the technique. I was pretty good at the time, so it’s not like it was Joe’s fault, plus Muay Thai is very different.

“So, the second time I did the podcast, ‘I said, Joe, I felt so bad, did you see the comments from when we sparred that time’? He goes, ‘I never look at the comments, if you do that, you’re crazy’. I said, ‘Thank goodness you didn’t because they were so bad’.

“People think that sparring is a fight, when it’s just two blokes having a little move around and a giggle. It’s very sad.”

John Wayne Parr has become a stand-up comedian

Fighting isn’t the only thing Parr and Rogan have in common, with the Thai boxer now transitioning to the world of comedy.

He laughed: “I moved a lot as a kid. I went to 11 different schools. So, every time I moved, I always found being the funny guy would save me from being beaten up by the bullies. No one wants to beat up the funny guy.

“My dad was funny too, and I always liked how people reacted when he would tell jokes. I was like, ‘One day, I wanna be like my dad’.

“This year, I decided to put on my white belt and actually have a go at it. I’ve done three nights so far, and they’ve been so much fun.

“If I can walk out in front of 100,000 people and go and fight a crazy Thai, walking out in front of 100 people and telling some jokes, the worst thing that can happen is that they don’t laugh. Whereas when you fight a Thai that’s trying to kill you, it’s a lot more painful. So, what can go wrong?”

Unfortunately for Covington, though, he was utterly butchered by Buckley, who subsequently went on to score the doctor stoppage win after cutting ‘Chaos’ open.

Since then, the controversial welterweight has been out of action and seemingly doesn’t have much to return for.

Covington makes shocking career admission after recent run-in

With the 37-year-old out of camp and seemingly waiting for his next opportunity, he has been attending events and attempting to keep his name relevant.

This past Saturday at UFC 314, Covington had a backstage altercation with Paddy Pimblett following Pimblett’s impressive win over Michael Chandler.

Covington attempted to explain his side of the altercation after Pimblett accused him of trying to stay relevant and steal his limelight after a big win.

During his time off from fighting, Covington has attempted to keep his fanbase in the loop by live streaming consistently on Kick.

The former interim champion has done multiple live streams at the UFC Performance Institute, and his live stream captured an almost altercation between him and his former teammate.

And with that, Covington has made a shocking admission that he would prefer to become the number one streamer in the world over becoming a UFC champion.

“(I’d rather be) number one streamer because they get paid a little more money, and they don’t have to get hit in the face, so,” Covington said during a live stream with internet personality Neon.

Will Colby Covington return to the UFC in 2025?

Although a large majority of the UFC fanbase doesn’t seem particularly interested in Covington returning to action, he has recently stated that he would like to return for International Fight Week at the end of June.

With that, the controversial welterweight admitted that he would like to fight either Nick or Nate Diaz in what he believes would be a big fight.

Despite that seeming unlikely, Nate Diaz has previously teased a return to the promotion, and it seems sooner rather than later that the Stockton brawler will make his comeback.

However, this didn’t stop the controversial star from putting his spot in the rankings on the line against one of the most dangerous rising contenders in the division.

Machado Garry will face Carlos Prates in the main event of the Octagon’s return to Kansas City on April 26 in a great matchup between two lethal strikers.

Prates was originally set to face Geoff Neal at UFC 314 but after that fight fell through, he received an even bigger opportunity to take on the #7-ranked contender.

Ian Machado Garry labels Carlos Prates a ‘quitter’ after watching footage of a previous stoppage loss

Ian Machado Garry has received some criticism in the past for the way that he has spoken about his opponents before sharing the Octagon with them.

His prior comments positioned him as the heel ahead of his bouts with both Geoff Neal and Neil Magny though he has been able to swing public opinion back in his favor in recent times.

In a recent video put out by the 27-year-old, he commentated over footage of Carlos Prates from earlier on in his career.

‘The Nightmare’ is currently riding an 11-fight win streak with 10-consecutive knockouts, four of which came inside the Octagon last year after he debuted in February.

Prates does have some losses on his record though he has clearly made significant improvements in recent years having not lost since 2019.

The Brazilian has been stopped by strikes twice in his career and Machado Garry is confident that he can take this tally up to three by derailing the hype train.

In the video, the Irishman watches back one of Prates’ knockout losses where after withstanding some punishment, he seemingly calls the fight off himself by making it clear that he can’t continue.

Machado Garry was extremely critical of his next opponent’s actions regardless of how far he has come since that stage of his career.

“Here look at this, this is a video of Carlos Prates and his true fighting spirit, it’s called being a quitter. He had just been beaten up all of the rounds prior. Puts his hand up, shakes his head, says, ‘I’m done,’ and then just drops to the ground in absolute despair because he knows that deep down, he’s not a fighter.”

Fighters used to also criticize Charles Oliveira for the same thing

Whilst this footage of Carlos Prates doesn’t paint him in the best light, a lot has changed since then and he’s clearly come into his own as a fighter over the past few years.

A man that Ian Machado Garry knows very well, Charles Oliveira, was often criticized for similar things with his opponents questioning whether he had the neccesary heart to compete at the highest level.

‘Do Bronx’ silenced these accusations later on in his career by coming out on top in several firefights during his incredible lightweight title run.

Machado Garry saying scathing things about his opponents isn’t anything new but he might be in for a shock if he believes that Prates will be easy to discourage given his current winning streak and momentum.

Despite that, ‘Poatan’ went on to lose his 205lb title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, which Prochazka reacted to by calling for fights against either one of them.

Unfortunately for Prochazka, though, a rematch between Pereira and Ankalaev is seemingly going to be booked imminently, leaving him needing another fight.

Prochazka shows off more bizarre training methods

Although the former light heavyweight champion is a favorite amongst some fans, he continuously frustrates a large majority of the UFC fanbase.

Ever since joining the promotion, Prochazka’s training methods have continuously been criticised as they are the most unique and bizarre methods in the sport.

The Czech fighter often locks himself in a dark room for several days with no food or water ahead of some of his big fights, which always sparks conversation amongst the fanbase.

However, following disappointing losses to Pereira, fans implored Prochazka to stick to traditional training methods.

Despite that, the 32-year-old shared a video on his social media accounts earlier this week of him training while blindfolded.

“Where there is a will, there is a way. There is a huge potential for this type of training, using all of the senses to have the sharpest weapons,” Prochazka said.

“But the correct way of this training is essential, like everywhere. Believe what you’re doing, absolutely. Time to evolve,” he continued.

“You are my favorite fighter, brother. But what the hell are you doing?” one fan commented.

“That’s cool, but can you go back to actual training?” another fan reacted.

“Never once seen this guy in a gym, he just moves through the wilderness fighting trees and woodland spirits,” a third fan said.

What is next for Jiri Prochazka?

Although Prochazka was hopeful of claiming a title shot, that is not going to happen for him next, and he will likely need at least one more win before he is afforded another title fight.

Recently, at UFC London, Carlos Ulberg pulled off the biggest win of his career thus far against former champion Jan Blachowicz.

With Ulberg now ranked at number three, a fight between him and Prochazka would make a lot of sense to dictate the next title challenger.