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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

When it comes to the argument about who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Dana White finally conceded in January that Islam Makhachev had done enough to surpass Jon Jones, but his opinion might change again after UFC 313.

On Saturday night, Alex Pereira returns to action looking for the fourth consecutive defense of his light heavyweight title when he faces Magomed Ankalaev in the main event. Since winning the title with a knockout in 2024, Pereira has followed that up with three more devastating finishes and if he’s able to do the same thing to Ankalaev, it’s possible he takes over that top spot in the mythical pound-for-pound rankings.

“He’s one of the biggest stars in the sport right now, if not the biggest star in the sport,” White said about Pereira on First Take. “What makes this weekend great is Ankalaev is a very serious threat to him. This is probably the toughest fight he’s ever had. His team always talks about his takedown defense and that the fans don’t really know how good it is. We’re going to find out how good it is this weekend.

“This is a tough fight for Alex. Alex comes out of this the way he’s come out of every other fight, he might be the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”

Based on the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, Pereira currently sits at No. 2 behind Makhachev so it’s entirely possible that he could potentially jump to the top spot with a standout performance.

Ankalaev has long been considered one of the best light heavyweights in the world and he arguably should have already fought Pereira but timing and circumstances have prevented the matchup from happening until now.

The fight serves as Pereira’s fifth straight main event and seventh headlining spot overall since he joined the UFC roster back in 2021.

White praised Pereira for his rapid ascension up the ranks while providing fans with a new favorite fighter who always brings the action every time he competes. Add to that, White says that Pereira is ready and willing to face anybody the UFC throws at him — including potential fights at heavyweight.

“Alex is that guy for us right now,” White said. “The thing that people love about Alex is obviously his fighting style. He tries to knock your head off. People love that. He was on vacation in Australia and a fight fell out and we needed him. He literally left vacation and came and fought. This guy will literally fight anybody, anywhere, any time.

“He comes in, he’s pure violence. He tries to knock you out. Doesn’t duck anybody. Has moved up a weight class, is willing to move up to heavyweight and fight whoever.”

When it comes to heavyweight, Pereira has acknowledged on more than a few occasions that he’s interested in possibly challenging Jon Jones in a champion versus champion fight. Jones has also expressed interest in the fight and while White has shied away from that matchup in the past, he didn’t totally shut down the idea on Wednesday.

“He’s willing to fight [Jon Jones]. He’s willing to fight anybody right now,” White said about Pereira.

“Jones will fight anybody, too. Don’t let the internet fool you about Jon Jones. He does want to do [the fight with Alex Pereira].”

White added that he’s currently targeting “this summer” for Jones’ return, although it’s much more likely the UFC wants him to face Tom Aspinall next in a heavyweight title unification bout than throwing down with Pereira. Of course anything is possible, especially if Pereira torches Ankalaev and once again calls for the Jones fight as his next challenge.

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UFC

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Dana White has officially taken a huge step into the world of boxing.

On Tuesday, the UFC CEO alongside Saudi Arabian combat sports promoter Turki Alalshikh announced they have officially signed a deal to start a new boxing league under the TKO banner. WWE President Nick Khan is also part of the executive board.

“We have just done a deal to start a new boxing league with Turki, who absolutely loves the sport of boxing,” White said in a video on social media.

“I am very happy today,” Alalshikh said. “I am very happy today. I give the flag of boxing to the best man who can handle it. We have a tough job now, but I am sure he will be delivering to the people and the fans the magnificent league and get boxing great again.”

“The model is proven to deliver the fights that the fans want to see,” White said. “The best will fight the best and the fighters will continue to move up the rankings and become world champions. We will continue to make announcements on where you can watch and all the rest of the details on the business as we get closer to the launch.”

Saudi entertainment conglomerate Sela is also a partner in the deal, according to a press release. Sela was also involved in the recent Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois event at Wembley Stadium in London, as well as Terence Crawford’s title defense against Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles.

The announcement was a formality at this point, with TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro recently saying the organization was in negotiations with Saudi Arabia to fund a new boxing promotion. Shapiro also teased the possibility of two major cards that could take place in 2025 and 2026 as part of the deal.

““This is a strategic opportunity to reimagine the sport of boxing globally,” Shapiro said in Tuesday’s press release. “TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”

Alalshikh’s The Ring magazine shared the announcement, which featured more details of the agreement.

The new promotion will feature:

A highly structured system to develop new talent from around the world, including athlete combines and academies.

Access for all boxers to the UFC Performance Institute, the world’s leading combat sports performance training, research, rehabilitation, and nutrition center.

TKO’s production, media, and promotional expertise, to deliver both in-arena experiences and top-tier, state-of-the-art broadcasts to fans around the world.

In the past, White has frequently criticized boxing cards for being top heavy with little attempt to build compelling undercards for the fans, which he has always seen as a strength of the UFC business model.

Alalshikh dabbled in creating a more MMA-esque card with an event on Feb. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that was dubbed “The Last Crescendo.” The lineup featured multiple title bouts, headlined by a thrilling undisputed light heavyweight championship rematch between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.

It is not yet known what the new venture will be titled and fighter signings, dates, and locations are pending, with the announcement stating details are to “be revealed in the coming months.”

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Close Call
| BJPenn.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight brawlers Jalin Turner and Ignacio Bahamondes will go to war this weekend (Sat., March 8, 2025) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 313.

It’s always a little amusing when the promotion books two of the biggest men in the division opposite one another. Bahamondes has towered over all of his previous UFC opposition, but he’ll face a two inch height deficit here! These Lightweights have both likely seen 200 pounds at some point in the last six months, making a mockery of the entire theory behind weight classes.

Giant Lightweights aside, this is an intriguing striker’s delight match up. Turner has lost three of his last four despite hurting his opponent at some point in all of those bouts, whereas Bahamondes has won five of his last six in consistently highlight reel fashion. Turner has to halt the bleeding, whereas Bahamondes has a chance to jump up the ladder.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Turner vs. Bahamondes Betting Odds

• Jalin Turner victory: -108
• Jalin Turner via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Jalin Turner via submission: TBD
• Jalin Turner via decision: TBD
• Ignacio Bahamondes victory: -112
• Ignacio Bahamondes via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Ignacio Bahamondes via submission: TBD
• Ignacio Bahamondes via decision: TBD
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Turner Wins

“The Tarantula” is a serious problem on the feet. Not only is he rangy as hell, but Turner is seriously powerful with both his hands and feet. He fights well behind his straight punches, forcing opponents to try to walk him down (usually face-first into heavy connections).

Historically, Turner has struggled when forced to wrestle, an issue that’s unlikely to arise here, seeing as Bahamondes has yet to score a takedown in the Octagon. He’ll get the striking match he desires, and his advantage would appear to be boxing.

Twice now, Bahamondes has been touched up in the pocket by sharper boxers in Ludovit Klein and John Makdessi, both of whom managed to outland Bahamondes despite significant height and reach disadvantages. Seeing as Turner actually has the edge in those attributes, he should be working to establish the jab and build combinations from it. Longer exchanges will favor his tighter punching, and nobody just shrugs it off when Turner lands.

The other major focus should be countering kicks. Bahamondes is likely to try to overwhelm Turner with volume, but a few crisp counters down the middle can help calm all that down.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

How Bahamondes Wins

Bahamondes is an athletic striker with a background in amateur kickboxing. The Chilean prospect throws punches-in-bunches often punctuated by lovely kicks, and he’s proven to have both power and durability in spades.

The primary avenue to success here — besides simply clipping Turner with a big shot and putting him down, which could happen suddenly for either man — is volume. Bahamondes throws a lot of strikes and maintains that pace well into the second half of the fight. Turner, conversely, has been known to slow down, notably in his last two losses to Renato Moicano and Dan Hooker.

Bahamondes doesn’t have that issue. If a fight goes three full rounds, he tends to land over 100 significant strikes. He doesn’t have to be quite as reckless, but taking a page from the “Hangman” playbook and pressuring Turner with combos and body work seems like a good idea likely to pay off in the long run.

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Turner vs. Bahamondes Prediction

Despite the recent struggles, I’m still siding with Turner.

“The Tarantula” has only lost to elite, proven opposition throughout his recent struggles. He’s beaten a higher class of competition than Bahamondes has ever faced, regardless of outcome. In addition, I think Turner’s recent losses came down more to flaws in execution rather than skill set. With very minor adjustments, he could have scored the nod over Mateusz Gamrot or secured the knockout of Renato Moicano. At 29 years of age, Turner still has time to work out those kinks.

Bahamondes remains a good prospect, but Turner is simply better at this stage in their respective careers.

Prediction: Turner via decision

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Valentina Shevchenko is ready to give the people what they want.

In February, UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili successfully defended her title for the third consecutive time, winning a unanimous decision over Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312. Following her win, Zhang revealed her interest in moving up to challenge Shevchenko for the flyweight title, with UFC CEO Dana White even suggesting that might be next.

However, earlier this month the UFC announced that Shevchenko will instead defend her title against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 in May, and according to “Bullet,” that was always the plan.

“In my perspective, I knew that I’m going to face, I’m going to defend my belt against Manon,” Shevchenko told Ariel Helwani. “When Weili called me out, I thought it might be a slight change, but when UFC reached out with the final agreement for the fight, yeah, it was the same we had before all this happened.

“But yeah, I think Weili, she’s a great fighter and she showed that she can be successful for many years. She’s showed so many good fights, and I just want to congratulate her on her recent victory.”

Fiorot has been the top contender at flyweight for nearly a year, since winning a unanimous decision over Erin Blanchfield at UFC Atlantic City. But after she takes care of business against Fiorot, Shechenko says she’s more than happy to entertain a superfight with Zhang.

“I think it would be [an] amazing fight,” Shevchenko said. “I think it would be something that fans would love to see. Definitely, me being the person — I focus on the target. My next target is Manon. That’s why for me, it’s still a little bit further to think about. …

“I think making this fight, it’s going to be a huge fight for all the females [in the] sport, and all the right negotiations that have to be done leading to this fight,” Shevchenko added later. “I think this is all we have to be focusing on moving forward. But for now, let’s focus on the fight I’m going to have in two months in Montreal.”

UFC 315 which takes place on May 10 at Bell Centre in Montreal. In the main event, Belal Muhammad defends his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena, while Shevchenko puts her flyweight belt on the line against Fiorot in the co-main event.

TOP STORIES

Breakfast. Watch KSI smack Dillon Danis in the face with a pancake at Misfits Boxing 21 press conference.

Who? Curtis Blaydes admits he had no idea who Rizvan Kuniev was when UFC offered fight: ‘I had to Google him.’

Concern. Matt Brown reveals concerns for Alex Pereira ahead of UFC 313 amid distractions and several ‘favorable matchups.’

Day 1. Dustin Poirier explains how his wife helped mold him from ‘juvenile detention’ to UFC stardom.

Rematch. Leon Edwards wanted Belal Muhammad rematch at UFC 315, Muhammad responds.

Boxing. Ryan Garcia out to change his image ahead of Rolly Romero fight: ‘This is my first fight to get respect back.’

VIDEO STEW

Every Alex Pereira knockout.

UFC 313 Embedded, episode 2.

Alex Pereira training.

Just Gaethje fight week.

Rafael Fiziev interview.

Jack Slack breaking down Alex Pereira.

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

The most important Tweet of the week.

This is upsetting information. I am old.

UFC 313 artists series.

Chase Hooper learning the harsh realities of capitalism.

Trying to confirm that this is true, but it appears a fighter and his twin may have both competed as the same person in a tournament on the regional scene, which is incredibly MMA.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Raul Rosas Jr. (10-1) vs. Vince Morales (16-9); UFC Mexico City, March 29.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Man, really hope Shevchenko beats Fiorot because Shevy Truck vs. Zhang is a deserving superfight and it would be pretty epic. But Fiorot ain’t no joke.

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.

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UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes was left having to do some additional research when the latest assignment was slid across his desk.

Blaydes is set to return to action at this weekend’s UFC 313 pay-per-view, almost eight months on from his failed first title bid on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage last July in England.

Off the back of a crushing first-round knockout loss to Tom Aspinall, “Razor” will look to bounce back in his first appearance of 2025. And to do so, he’s tasked with defending his #5 spot on the heavyweight ladder against a newcomer to the Octagon.

Blaydes will top Saturday’s preliminary card opposite Rizvan Kuniev, a Dagestani heavyweight who followed a brief stint in the PFL with victory on Dana White’s Contender Series last August.

The booking came as a surprise to many. And it wasn’t just some in the fanbase who had to look up the man placed opposite Blaydes…

“I did (a double take), but like I always say, the money’s the same regardless if it’s Jon Jones or if it’s a debut guy,” Blaydes said during an interview with MMA Fighting. “The money’s the same so I’ll always be down.

“I had to Google him. I watched his fight on The (Dana White’s) Contender (Series), that’s really the only fight of his I watched. He looks like your traditional heavyweight — swings heavy and hopes to knock you out early.”

While his opponent may not be an established name in the UFC heavyweight division, Blaydes will no doubt still be motivated to ensure he doesn’t fall to the first losing skid of his career inside T-Mobile Arena on March 8.

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