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Matt Brown scored himself another performance bonus — just not the kind you’re thinking of.

After 43 fights and nearly 20 years as a professional mixed martial artist, ‘The Immortal’ announced his retirement in March.

“Not doing it again. I’m out,” Brown wrote on X. “That’s the announcement. My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world.”

While Matt Brown was content with a no-frills announcement, the UFC still chose to pay tribute to ‘The Immortal’ courtesy of a highlight-reel that aired during Saturday’s event in St. Louis. As it turns out, Brown was on a date at the time and just happened the video package moments after arriving at his restaurant of choice.

Matt Brown confirms receipt of his ‘bonus’ on the MMA Hour

In addition to his posts on social media, Brown offered some extra insight during an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

“It actually wasn’t a first date. It was a second date, but we went to this restaurant and I had no idea that this restaurant would be playing the UFC. I didn’t even know there was a UFC going on. We sat down and it wasn’t even two minutes later they started playing the montage and she knew nothing about the UFC. When I first told her I was a UFC fighter, she was like, ‘Do you mean a boxer or WWE?’

“And then they started playing the montage and I struggled between having that heartwarming feeling and wanting to shed a little tear and then turning around, looking at her, and just flexing. She was actually pretty cool about it. She was a mature enough lady that she was nice about it and had respect for it, but she wasn’t crawling under the table right then like some girls would.”

Brown’s final appearance inside the Octagon came in May 2023 when he scored a first-round knockout against Cub Swanson at UFC on ABC 4.

Overall, he went 24-19 in MMA with 17 of his wins coming under the UFC banner.

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McFarlane Toys has signed a new licensing agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Per an official press release, the collectible toy company will “immortalize some of UFC’s most iconic athletes” via a collection of six-inch ultra-detailed and fully posable action figures in addition to a new line of digital collectibles.

“Since UFC burst onto the sports scene, this brand has been growing bigger and bigger every year,” said Todd McFarlane, Founder and CEO McFarlane Toys. “It now stands as one of the premiere brands in sports, as hundreds of millions of fans globally have embraced its thrilling, non-stop action. And now, for us to be able to do some cool things with authentic-looking figures, both physically and digitally, it’s going to be a real treat. I can’t wait!”

The new UFC action figures are expected to hit shelves and online retailers worldwide this fall. Digital products will be redeemable at mcfarlanetoys.digital, offering fans a way to seamlessly integrate their physical and virtual collections.

“We’re excited to partner with McFarlane Toys, one of the most respected manufacturers of intricate collectible figures in the industry,” said Tracey Bleczinski, Senior Vice President Global Consumer Products at UFC. “UFC fans are among the most passionate in all of sports and we are confident in McFarlane’s ability to deliver authenticity to our fans with a collection of unique, accurately crafted figures, inspired by some of UFC’s most elite athletes.”

Comic Book icon Todd McFarlane brings his stories to life with McFarlane Toys

Before founding McFarlane Toys in 1994, Todd McFarlane was an accomplished comic book artist best known for his work on Amazing Spider-Man and for creating the web-slinger’s fan-favorite villains Venom and Carnage. In 1992, McFarlane broke away from Marvel Comics and established Image Comics alongside six other popular artists, including Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld.

It was there that McFarlane introduced Spawn, a horror-fantasy series he first came up with in high school before giving it a 90s-style update. Spawn was a massive hit right out of the gate with issue #1 selling 1.7 million copies. The comic is still going to this very day, printing its 350th issue in February.

Two years after the launch of Image, McFarlane teamed up with Mattel to produce action figures based on his comic book characters. After the two couldn’t come to terms on how to make the toys, McFarlane reclaimed the rights and launched his own company, McFarlane Toys.

Over the last 30 years, McFarlane Toys has produced ultra-detailed figures for practically every property under the sun, including everything from comic book characters to film icons, sports figures, and even legendary musicians like KISS and The Beatles.

Will you be picking up McFarlane’s first line of UFC action figures when they hit the market later this year?

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Former undisputed UFC welterweight title challenger, Darren Till is finally set to make his return to combat sports amid months of continued speculation, with reports this Wednesday afternoon revealing the Liverpool striker is set to make his professional boxing debut on July 20. – taking on former WBC middleweight boxing titleholder, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

As per an initial report from Ariel Helwani, former UFC star, Till will make his professional boxing debut on the undercard of former heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson’s professional bout against Jake Paul – taking on ex-world gold holder, Chavez Jr. on July 20. in Arlington, Texas.

Darren Till set to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in boxing debut

“Darren Till will make his pro boxing debut on the Jake Paul x Mike Tyson Netflix card on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas,” Helwani posted on X. “His opponent will be Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (53-6-1, 1 NC). Fight will be contested at 190 pounds. Six, three-minute rounds.” 

Departing the UFC at the beginning of last year as he looked to nurse a slew of repetitive injuries, Till, a staple of Team Kaobon, had most recently suffered a third round rear-naked choke defeat to incumbent middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis.

As for Chavez Jr. – the son of former world champion and boxing Hall of Fame icon, Julio Cesar Chavez – has been sidelined for the past three years, taking home a decision win over David Zegarra in Culiacan. 

Earlier this same year, Chavez Jr. took on former UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva in Guadalajara, suffering a split decision loss to the mixed martial arts icon over the course of eight rounds.

Over the course of his often-tumultuous professional boxing career, former WBC middleweight champion has landed wins over the likes of Sebastian Zbik, Peter Manfredo Jr., Marco Antonio Rubio, and Andy Lee, and has also taken on compatriot, current gold holder, Canelo Alvarez.

Who wins in a July scrap: Darren Till or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.?

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Rekindling his rivalry with undisputed bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley earlier this month, former division titleholder, Aljamain Sterling claims if he was to stand opposite the Montana striker in a rematch, he would beat him – chalking up his loss last year to a bad night at the office.

Sterling, a former undisputed bantamweight champion and the sole gold holder in the division to rack up three consecutive successful title defense wins, saw his record-setting reign come to a halt last August at the hands of bitter rival, O’Malley.

Headlining in his second straight fight on the East Coast, Uniondale native, Sterling suffered a second round knockout loss to the Dana White’s Contender Series product, dropping his undisputed bantamweight crown as a result.

And since making a successful switch to the featherweight limit in the form of a unanimous decision shutout win over Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 last month, Sterling reignited his rivalry with O’Malley last week, labelling him a “sorry-a**” champion amid his war of words with his teammate, Merab Dvalishvili.

Aljamain Sterling confident of beating Sean O’Malley in rematch

Reflecting on his knockout loss to the polarizing O’Malley, Serra-Longo MMA staple, Sterling claimed if were to fight the current titleholder in rematch, he would put his life savings on the table that he would avenge said defeat.

“(Sean) O’Malley showed up that night,” Aljamain Sterling told Kanpai Media. “It was an off night for myself, and the better man won that night. That’s why we say, ‘Any place, anywhere, any time.’ Sometimes it’s your night, sometimes it’s not, and unfortunately for me, it just didn’t go my way.”

“But I do know that if I had a rematch, and as long as he waited from August to fighting ‘Chito’ (Marlon Vera) in March, you give me that time to recover, and prepare and to cut my weight the proper way, in a rematch, I would bet my life savings on that,” Aljamain Sterling explained. 

Linked with a return before the end of the year, Sterling has been floated as a potential opponent for Russian contender, Movsar Evloev, with the pair searching for a route to a title fight with incumbent featherweight best, Ilia Topuria.

As for O’Malley, the Montana native is expected to feature once again before the end of the annum, and has been linked heavily in recent weeks with a UFC 306 headlining feature at the Las Vegas Sphere against the above-mentioned, Dvalishvili. 

Would you like to see Aljamain Sterling fight Sean O’Malley again?

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Ronda Rousey loved seeing Travis Browne pummel her ex-boyfriend into retirement.

Before the former bantamweight women’s world champion walked away from mixed martial arts and married Browne, Rousey spent some time in a relationship with another former UFC heavyweight contender — Brendan Schaub.

While Rousey has stayed mostly tight-lipped about her time with Schaub, he has been fairly open about the past relationship, speaking about it on more than one occasion via his plethora of podcasts. However, Rousey recently offered some insight into the situation via her new book, Our Fight: A Memoir.

In it, Rousey reveals some of the struggles she faced while dating Schaub. Though she doesn’t name him specifically, ‘Rowdy’ provides enough details for fight fans to quickly identify who she’s talking bout.

“Travis had been training with us for a while when it was announced that his first fight as an official member of our team would be against my ex-boyfriend,” Rousey wrote. “My ex thrived on playing f*cked-up mind games with me when I had a fight coming up and insisted we hide that we were dating so he wouldn’t be labeled ‘Ronda Rousey’s Boyfriend.’

“As Travis headed into the match up, I pretended it wasn’t personal,” she continued. “I tried not to be overly involved or emotional. This wasn’t my fight. I was hoping he would win, but I was in training camp, so I didn’t really think too much more about it. That is until it was on live TV, and I lost my goddamn mind. Screaming at the top of my lungs, ‘Get him, Travis!’ while punching the arm of the person on the couch next to me.”

Ronda Rousey basks in seeing her ex-boyfriend getting beaten down

Travis Browne fought six more times following his first-round knockout of Brendan Schaub. He went 1-5, suffering finishes against Cain Velasquez, Derrick Lewis, and Aleksei Oleinik. Overall, Browne went 18-7-1 in his MMA career.

Schaub ultimately retired from the sport a year after his loss to Browne, closing out his career with a 10-5 record.

“When Travis knocked him out at the end of the first round, I didn’t think it could get any more gratifying,” Rousey said. “My ex covered up on the ground while Travis pounded away on him. The referee waved the match over. Then Travis, towering over the crumpled, semi-conscious body of my ex, leaned down and whispered something in his ear. His words were indiscernible to the camera, but I swore I could hear Travis’ voice saying, ‘Ronda says f*ck you.’”

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Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team has denied reports that the UFC Hall of Famer owes Russia’s Federal Tax Service more than $ 3 million.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the former lightweight world champion had multiple accounts frozen, including those associated with the MMA promotion Eagle FC and a charitable organization, due to his allegedly owing 306 million rubles, or $ 3.3 million.

According to TASS, a Russian news agency, Nurmagomedov’s team has called the reports “inaccurate.”

“The information about tax debt is inaccurate,” the statement read. “Khabib continues to engage in business projects and develop them” (h/t Championship Rounds).

Khabib Nurmagomedov facing serious penalties if found guilty

According to Article 199 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, tax evasion in the country is “punishable by a fine in the amount of 100 thousand to 300 thousand roubles ($ 1,094 to $ 3,284) or in the amount of the wage or salary, or any other income of the convicted person for a period of one to two years, or by an arrest for a term of four to six months, or by deprivation of liberty for a term of up to two years with or without deprivation of the right to hold specified offices or to engage in specified activities for a term of up to three years.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov has not competed inside the Octagon since securing his third-straight lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020. He walked away from the sport with a perfect record of 29-0.

Since retiring, ‘The Eagle’ has kickstarted multiple businesses, including a cell phone network dubbed Eagle Mobile, a supplement and water company, an MMA club, and his own MMA promotion. According to the site Mash.ru, Russian authorities were upset that Nurmagomedov had taken the money earmarked for taxes and diverted it into business ventures outside the country.

Preliminary examinations of his many businesses reportedly “uncovered irregularities in documents,” leading to a full audit and the subsequent freezing of his accounts.

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Unbeaten welterweight striker, Ian Garry appears to have given up on his pursuit of a potential title-eliminator against former champion, Colby Covington, and has now switched his focus to a clash against recent UFC addition, Michael Venom Page in a summer comeback.

Garry, the current number seven ranked welterweight contender, returned at UFC 298 back in February in Anaheim, turning in a close split decision win over Geoff Neal to improve to 14-0 as a professional.

As for former Bellator MMA championship challenger, Page, the London striker made his long-anticipated Octagon bow at UFC 299 back in March against Kevin Holland, turning in a one-sided unanimous judging win over the promotional staple. 

And staking his claim for a feature alongside compatriot, Conor McGregor at UFC 303 during International Fight Week, Garry has so far failed in his bid to secure a fight with outspoken contender, Covington – with the Clovis native appearing to move on from a clash with the Dubliner.

Ian Garry agrees to fight Michael Venom Page

In turn, Garry has revealed recently he’s agreed to fight the likes of Sean Brady as well as recent UFC St. Louis winner, Joaquin Buckley – and even recent promotional debutante, Michael Venom Page.

“I can only fight down in the rankings, and this is where I’ve got to show that I will fight anyone,” Ian Garry told talkSPORT during a recent interview. 

“I’ve said yes [to fighting against Michael Venom Page],” Ian Garry explained. “I’ve said yes to that name, him and his coaches are deciding because he seems a bit heavy to make weight in seven weeks’ time, but I’ve said yes.” 

Linked with a return at UFC 304 in July in a return to Manchester, former Bellator MMA star, Michael Venom Page name-dropped a potential fight with Garry on that card earlier this annum, as he hopes to make his way to a blockbuster fight with compatriot, Leon Edwards for gold. 

Who wins in a potential clash: Ian Garry or Michael Venom Page?

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The MMA journalist who asked UFC CEO Dana White to hook her up with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone for a branding session is snapping back at critics — namely MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani.

Following Saturday’s UFC St. Louis card, White addressed members of the media and was asked by one particular journalist about his competition bull, Twisted Steel. However, the conversation took a sharp turn off the rails when the woman, later identified as Abbey Wagoner of Mola Sport, asked if he could arrange a meeting with the UFC Hall of Famer so that he could brand her.

“Clout, for fun. I’ll be the girl BMF,” Wagoner responded when White asked why should would want to be branded by Cerrone.

Helwani, considered by many to be the gold standard of MMA journalism, chimed in on the incident, calling it an “embarrassing” moment for combat sports media.

“This is what the UFC wants at their ‘press conferences,’ Helwani wrote on social media. “Make no mistake about it. The sport has come so far. It has evolved so much. The UFC is on fire. The athletes are more talented than ever. The ‘media,’ however, has gone backwards. Embarrassing.”

Less than 24 hours later, Wagoner snapped back at Helwani online, explaining why she posed the unusual question. She also reminded Helwani that, despite his undeniable position as a pioneer in his field, he is not the “be-all-end-all” in combat sports journalism.

“What’s up fight fans? I just wanted to jump on here and address something real quick,” Wagoner said in a video on X. “You can hear it in my voice. I was at UFC Fight Night, Derrick Lewis vs. Nascimento. It was a good night. Some of you guys might recognize my voice from the post-fight press conference. I was the female reporter that asked Dana White about Twisted Steel and specifically about getting branded at the world finals.

“Ariel Helwani, I’ve got a lot of respect for you as a reporter and as a trailblazer in combat sports media because without you, I wouldn’t have the job that I have and a lot of people wouldn’t have the jobs that they have. But you need to recognize too that, yeah, you’re a journalist. You have a podcast. You talk to fighters. You and are in very different lanes and on top of that, you made it out to seem like I was asking an irrelevant question.

“Dana White has a very competitive PBR bucking bull that I’ve been following since November of last year. I’ve been chasing the ‘Cowboy’ story. The bull ride. The eight seconds for glory since they announced it. I was one of the first MMA reporters to actually give a sh*t about that story and I’m one of the only combat sports personalities that shows up at the PBR. Other than the Monster crew, I was the only one in Jacksonville covering Twisted Steel and I went out specifically to Albuquerque. So, maybe don’t question my relevancy or my right to be in that room without understanding everything that goes in.

“And maybe don’t clip the one part of the conversation that Dana took a little bit too far and that I rolled with. It’s news media. I am new, and you are not the be-all-end-all, Ariel.”

Wagoner Continues to Double Down on Usual Dana White Inquiry

With only 774 followers on X, Wagoner has no issues responding to practically everyone commenting on her video, doubling down on her antics at the post-fight press event and her message to Helwani.

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Shara Magomedov has called out Michel Pereira after the Brazilian knocked Ihor Potieria out of their fight at UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22.

Poteiria was set to face Magomedov on June 22, but he also stepped up on short notice to face Pereira at UFC 301 in Brazil. The hope was he would be healthy enough to fight again in June, but after he was finished in the first round, he would not be cleared to compete on June 22, so he was pulled from the fight.

Shara Magomedov calls for fight with Michel Pereira in Saudi Arabia

Following the news that Potieria was pulled from their fight, Magomedov took to social media to call out Pereira.

“[Michel Pereira] you damn acrobat, I lost my opponent because of you,” Magomedov wrote in an Instagram Story (via MMAMania). “Everyone knows that you can do backflips now, but UFC is not a circus. You made an illegal move, and now you have to (be) punished. Let us kick him out of the rankings and let me deal with this clown. Ship him to Saudi Arabia on June 22nd and I will board him.”

After the news that Potieria won’t be fighting Shara Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia, he also took to social media and called for the fight to be overturned due to the illegal kick.

“It’s a shame, but UFC suspended me from fighting for three months due to an illegal kick,” Potieria wrote on social media. “Perhaps there will be justice and this fight will be annulled.”

Of course, Pereira landed a somersault into a kick that appeared to hit Potieria in the head, but the ref didn’t stop it and just moments later he finished him with a submission.

Although Shara Magomedov has called out Michel Pereira for UFC Saudi Arabia, the callout will go unanswered as the Brazilian is set to return at UFC 302 on June 1 against Roman Dolidze.

Pereira will be fighting ahead of him in the rankings, while Magomedov doesn’t have his next fight booked. But, perhaps, in the future Magomedov will get to settle his differences with Pereira inside the Octagon.

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MMA reporters can be an odd bunch, and Dana White was definitely caught off guard by one very strange question that he was asked at the post-fight press conference for the fight night in St. Louis this past Saturday.

The fights were electric, and the atmosphere at the Enterprise Center was indeed special. Dana White said it felt like he was in the crowd of a pay-per-view event, and the fighters did not disappoint in providing some insane moments.

The fight night also broke a company record, with a gate valued at over two million dollars, the highest for any fight night before. This has even got Dana White chomping at the bit to “phase out” the UFC Apex and more consistently keep the UFC traveling the globe.

MMA reporter asks a freaky question that disturbs UFC president Dana White

Dana White was answering questions at the post-fight press conference and was caught off guard by a reporter with a strange fantasy.

“I’ve got one little challenge for Cowboy (Cerrone),” the female reporter said. “If you notice this BMF brand at the top of my hat, I got that custom branding iron, and I said if he did his ride, I was going to let him brand me, but now I just want to let him do it; what do you think about that?”

White was visibly confused by this question and gave a slightly uncomfortable laugh. “Did you say brand you?” White asked. “You and Cowboy were meant for each other. There’s no way in hell that I would make that happen; you’re crazy.”

The female reporter went on to say that she would like to be branded by Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone just for the “clout” and “fun” of it. Obviously, such a silly question can lead to scrutiny, and it certainly did for the female reporter.

The reporter wouldn’t just go down without a response, and later on, she would take to her social media channels and talk about what happened and the criticism she is now receiving.

What are your thoughts about the reporter asking to be branded?

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