Darren Till compares Alex Pereira’s power to the late Anthony Johnson following UFC 281 title win

It’s been a long, long time since Alexander Volkanovski has been a betting underdog. The reigning UFC featherweight champion has been one of the most dominant forces in MMA since joining the UFC in 2016, racking up a 12-0 record and four defenses of his 145-pound belt en route to becoming the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. Naturally, he’s been the betting favorite for the majority of that run. But that will change on Feb. 12 when Volkanovski vaults up to 155 pounds to challenge UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for two-division glory in the main event of UFC 284.

Matchroom Boxing exec Eddie Hearn may not get along with Jake Paul right now, but he’s picking “The Problem Child” over Tommy Fury. On Wednesday’s The MMA Hour, Hearn said Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury, is “unbelievably limited” and will crack under the pressure of Paul’s mental warfare.

RIO DE JANEIRO - Conor McGregor hasn’t won a fight in more than three years, but he’s still seen by Brazilian UFC stars as a very profitable and winnable foe inside the octagon. UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira was one of the UFC 283 guest fighters part a...

Ryan Bader is quietly building his own legacy at heavyweight, but he’s not quite put together the résumé where he could be considered among the best ever. As it stands, Bader’s upcoming opponent Fedor Emelianenko is most commonly called the the greatest of all-time at heavyweight after putting together a ridiculous 28-fight, eight year unbeaten streak, which included his stint as a PRIDE champion.

By the time fighters step into the cage late Saturday at the UFC APEX, Laura Sanko will have put in three days of preparation to call the action at UFC Vegas 68. The gig is new for Sanko, 40, who’s set to be the first female color commentator in modern UFC history. The routine and the nerves are not.

Johnny Eblen only has 12 fights on his resume, but his head coach believes he’s already the best middleweight in the sport, regardless of promotion. Mike Brown has worked with Eblen since the current Bellator champ first started training at American Top Team. He’s seen plenty of talent over the years as both a fighter and a coach at the famed gym. While Eblen still has a lot of room to grow, Brown believes the undefeated Eblen has already done enough to prove he sits at the head of the table in the middleweight division.

Fedor Emelianenko has the opportunity to have one of the best retirement stories in the history of MMA as he challenges for the Bellator heavyweight championship on Saturday. Ahead of Emelianenko’s final fight against champ Ryan Bader in the main event of Bellator 290, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew preview the matchup and discuss why “The Last Emperor” could get it done in his swan song, Johnny Eblen’s opportunity to boost his star potential against Anatoly Tokov in the co-main event, the super-fun main card opener between Sabah Homasi and Brennan Ward, the impact of being on CBS, and more.

The Mixed Martial Arts Hour is back in your life! Below is a rundown of Wednesday’s show, which begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. UK time. 1 p.m. ET: A preview of this weekend’s upcoming events including Bellator 290 and UFC Vegas 68.

Who is Fedor Emelianenko and why is he so revered?. Ahead of Emelianenko’s retirement fight against Ryan Bader on Saturday night, MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti and E. Casey Leydon explain the legend of “The Last Emperor” and the story behind one of the most celebrated heavyweights in MMA history.

DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of the most exciting and influential fighters in MMA history, and on the second episode of 2023, the MMA Fighting crew remembers the best of Fedor Emelianenko as he prepares for the final fight of his legendary career. Starting his career in 2000,...

Two-time UFC title challenger Jorge Masvidal said he cut loose his longtime management firm when he decided he didn’t need them to negotiate his deals. On Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Masvidal indicated he wasn’t getting his money’s worth and decided on a “100 percent split” with First Round Management this past December. Masvidal was part of a star roster that once included UFC champs Jon Jones and Demetrious Johnson, but he said he is now “basically” self-managed.

Derrick Lewis welcomes any opponent, but there’s one face he doesn’t want to see in the cage with him: Referee Dan Miragliotta. The veteran official has been the in-cage official for Lewis’ past two fights, which both ended in Lewis losing via knockout. This Saturday, Lewis fights Serghei Spivac in the main event of UFC Vegas 68 and he’s ready to protest if Miragliotta is assigned to his fight again.

Originally set to headline UFC Vegas 69, Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon Vera has been rescheduled to front a March 25 UFC event. UFC President Dana White confirmed a report from SI.com about the rebooking of the fight, which takes place at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. It’s unclear at...

Saturday marks the end of one era as heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko makes his last appearance in the cage – and the beginning of another as Bellator makes its broadcast TV debut. Emelianenko rematches heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in his retirement fight, hoping to go out on a high...

Over the last few days, a slew of massive fights have been announced for the UFC, including two big ones for UFC 287 with Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2, and Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal. On Monday evening, another big fight was confirmed in the featherweight division between Max Holloway and Arnold Allen for the main event of the promotion’s April 15 fight card. While the matchup is great on paper, was it the right fight to make for the division?

With a historic event for Bellator MMA this Saturday, it is putting its best foot forward in the heads up battle with the UFC, which includes the final fight of Fedor Emelianenko’s legendary career, along with the sendoff “The Last Emperor” will receive. On an all-new edition...

After taking a week off, the UFC is back and, for the first time in 2023, so is Bellator! UFC Vegas 68 takes place late on Saturday and is headlined by a heavyweight title between Derrick Lewis and Sergey Spivak. But before that, all-time great Fedor Emelianenko makes the final walk of his career, challenging Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title at Bellator 290. As always, the No Bets Barred boys are back, covering all the best betting angles for both cards.

The UFC is discussing a potential clash between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush for later this year, and “Benny’s” teammate Neiman Gracie likes Dariush’s chances against the jiu-jitsu ace. A member of the family that has founded Brazilian jiu-jitsu and created the UFC three decades ago,...

For the final time in a legendary career that spans two decades, Fedor Emelianenko will make the walk to compete in an MMA fight. On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel discusses the swan song for “The Last Emperor” when he faces Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title in the main event of Bellator 290, and the fight card as a whole which will serve as the Bellator debut on CBS. Additionally, topics include Dana White’s big announcement this past Friday regarding UFC 287, including Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 in the headliner, along with Gilbert Burns vs. Jorge Masvidal at the April 8 event, Max Holloway’s return to the octagon against Arnold Allen at the UFC’s April 15 event, this Saturday’s UFC Vegas6 8 card headlined by Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac, and more.

Gilbert Burns hasn’t given up hope on a five-round fight against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287, though he concedes it probably won’t happen. Just days after their matchup was announced for the April 8 card, the one-time UFC welterweight title challenger requested a 25-minute co-headliner. Masvidal quickly shot down that idea, adding he’d already signed his bout agreement and wasn’t interested in a five-round fight unless the UFC pays him “BMF money.”