Max Holloway has shared his thoughts on what could come next for him after reflecting on UFC 326 in a recent video.

It comes after Charles Oliveira’s win over Holloway, which saw some fans head for the exits early due to the one-sided nature of the BMF title fight.

Although ‘Do Bronx’ was in control from start to finish, there were questions about whether the fight matched up to the usual standards expected of that title.

Max Holloway is open to any weight class for a potential Conor McGregor rematch

After his brief social media message following the fight, Max Holloway shared more of his thoughts on the aftermath of UFC 326 in a video posted to his YouTube channel.

‘Blessed’ mentioned that there are a few things he needs to take care of before reaching out to the UFC about booking another fight.

He didn’t commit to any specific opponent but did mention that a rematch with Conor McGregor interests him, no matter which division it happens in.

“I mean, Conor’s there, you know. Conor’s got one over me,” he said. “He’s talking about coming back. I’m coming off of a loss, I mean it would look pretty fun to get that one back with him.

“So, we’ll see what happens. I know a lot of people are worried about the weight and this and that but if he doesn’t want to cut weight, then I don’t want to cut weight,” Holloway continued. “We can do it at any weight to be honest. It’s just about getting it back.”

The two first met in 2013, with McGregor winning by unanimous decision early in his UFC career. Before UFC 326, McGregor had hinted that he could face the winner of the BMF title bout based on conversations with those around him in the promotion.

Certainly, given their history and fighting styles – not to mention OliveIra isn’t as much of a draw as Max – this would be a far better fit for ‘The Notorious.’

“Sign me up man,” Holloway said. “If 155 is kind of busy right now, we don’t know who to pick, I know Conor keeps talking about coming back. That’d be a fun fight. That fight really excites me and weight wouldn’t be an issue.”

Max Holloway and Conor McGregor’s timelines could clash

Conor McGregor mentioned International Fight Week as a more likely return date, especially after the UFC White House card was announced.

In his video, Max Holloway explained that he needs to complete all his medical procedures before even thinking about another training camp.

Holloway also said he plans to fight again in 2026 but has other obligations to handle before focusing fully on training.

“I got a bunch of work things I actually have to do outside of fighting,” he said. “After that, take a little vacay and then wait for news like I said from my team”, he concluded.

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Dana White may have quietly introduced a new way to reward UFC fighters. While official bonuses remain limited, other athletes are now receiving extra payments behind the scenes.

The situation came to light after Vitor Petrino’s win over Steven Asplund at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos. Despite a strong performance, Petrino did not receive one of the standard post-fight bonuses.

Instead, the Brazilian revealed he was still compensated. White’s move raised eyebrows amid ongoing criticism around fighter pay.

Dana White quietly rewarding fighters outside official bonuses

The details were confirmed by Petrino’s coach Cristiano Marcello during an appearance on the Connect Cast podcast.

“Petrino told us that Dana [White] gave him some money in the locker room, since he didn’t get the bonus, right?” host Alexandre Lemos asked.

Marcello replied: “He did. We were on the plane and Vitor was like, ‘Look at that, master, how great.’ It was well deserved. I believe his opponent also got one, and deservedly so.”

It points to a possible response from the promotion to long-standing criticism over fighter pay, offering flexibility without changing the official bonus structure, that was already expanded this year.

What’s next for Vitor Petrino?

Since moving up to heavyweight, Petrino has secured three consecutive victories, continuing his steady rise.

His next challenge could be a bout with fellow Brazilian Valter Walker. The two have already exchanged words, adding heat to a potential match-up.

Walker enters the contest on a four-fight win streak, all secured by heel hook submission. Petrino, meanwhile, holds a 7-2 UFC record, while Walker stands at 4-1.

It sets up a compelling clash featuring momentum, KO potential, and finishing ability.

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Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy have both maintained their unbeaten records, though each has taken a very different approach to get there.

After some travel issues, Evloev finally arrived in London. Both fighters made weight on Friday morning, confirming Saturday’s main event.

This time around, the stakes are much higher than when they last shared a training mat. This isn’t just about preparation anymore; it’s about taking a step closer to a title shot.

The head-to-head record tells an interesting story. The pair have trained together before, and according to Murphy’s coach, Kieran Keddle, the sessions were quite even. But Evloev disagrees, saying he came out ahead every time.

Murphy is known for his knockout power—his last three wins have all come by stoppage within two rounds. Evloev hasn’t finished an opponent since 2018 but remains unbeaten thanks to his grappling skills and ability to control fights over the full distance.

Evloev’s journey to this point hasn’t been smooth either. He lost his original opponent and then faced further setbacks when his replacement pulled out due to visa issues. Now back in England after some travel headaches of his own, he’ll need to be fully focused against a highly motivated challenger like Murphy.

Why Murphy could have a hard time stopping Evloev’s wrestling

Evloev may not have the highest takedown success rate at 48%, but he still manages to land nearly five attempts per fight, according to UFC Stats.

His wrestling has been the foundation of his success in the Octagon so far, and just looking at the numbers, Murphy hasn’t exactly shown himself to be a brick wall against it.

Before he put Aaron Pico away with that highlight-reel knockout last August, he had already been taken down twice, dropping his overall defence rate to just 51%.

The numbers themselves aren’t especially alarming, but it’s worth noting that fighters like Gabriel Santos and Makwan Amirkhani both managed to land five takedowns each against ‘The Miracle’.

It’s something fans at The O2 will be keeping an eye on. No one wants to see Murphy stuck on his back for 25 minutes straight.

Still, despite what the stats say about his takedown defence, Murphy has found ways to win. He’s riding a ten-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC, and there’s a stat that highlights exactly how he pulls it off.

Lerone Murphy has never lost a round past the first inside the octagon

Movsar Evloev is clearly an elite featherweight, but being the only fighter in UFC history to go 9-0 with no finishes in their first run has held him back.

If Evloev is going to win at UFC London, it will likely come by decision, meaning he’ll need to repeatedly get Murphy down and keep him there throughout five rounds.

‘The Miracle’ might have to go through some frustrating rounds, but one thing on his side is that he’s never lost round 2, 3, 4, or 5 of any of his UFC fights on two of the three scorecards.

Whether overcoming a tough start against Dan Ige or dominating Edson Barboza from start to finish, Murphy’s style means he doesn’t fade as fights go on.

It seems unlikely that Evloev will stop Murphy, and that could give the Russian issues late on, especially if he’s had to expend a lot of energy to win the early rounds.

The Brit might not have a track record for stopping opponents late, but this doesn’t appear to be a matchup where he needs an early finish or risks getting shut out either.

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Conor McGregor’s path back to the UFC has cleared up a bit.

The former two-division champion hasn’t been in the octagon since he broke his leg during his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

McGregor’s failed comeback attempt against Michael Chandler last year sparked new rumours about a return, but nothing materialised.

But a return seemed off the table when he received a suspension, ruling him out until well into 2026.

Conor McGregor now eligible after completing 18-month UFC anti-doping suspension

McGregor was handed an 18-month ban for violating the UFC’s anti-doping policy.

‘The Notorious’ missed three scheduled drug tests in 2024. According to a statement published on UFC.com, McGregor failed to provide biological samples on June 13, September 19, and September 20.

A toe injury forced McGregor to withdraw from his UFC 303 bout with Michael Chandler just a day before the first missed test.

McGregor took responsibility for the violations and received an 18-month suspension, backdated to the date of his third missed test.

The suspension has now expired, making McGregor eligible to compete again as of Friday, March 20, 2026.

Conor McGregor expected to return in Las Vegas after missing White House card

McGregor had been hoping to make his comeback on the White House lawn this June, but that won’t be happening.

The full UFC White House card was released earlier this month, with both McGregor and Jon Jones left out of the lineup.

Before the official announcement, ‘The Notorious’ had already indicated he’d been passed over, suggesting the UFC preferred to hold his return for a bigger arena event where they could maximise revenue.

With that in mind, attention has shifted toward International Fight Week in Las Vegas later this year. It looks increasingly likely that’s where he’ll finally step back into the Octagon.

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Netflix’s first ever MMA event will also be a career first for headliner Gina Carano.

Carano, who hasn’t fought since 2009, will take on Ronda Rousey in the main event at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on May 16.

The UFC chose not to host Rousey’s comeback bout, so her return will headline a Netflix card promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. It marks both Netflix’s and Carano’s debut in this kind of role.

But it won’t just be the streaming platform stepping into new territory — there are more firsts to come over the next few weeks.

Gina Carano reveals this is the first time she’s had a proper plan for a fight

Carano is widely viewed as one of the early trailblazers in women’s MMA, putting together a 7-1 record with stops in EliteXC and Strikeforce along the way.

Despite that, the 43-year-old says she never once fought with a real strategy in mind—even against someone like Cris Cyborg, her last opponent before stepping away from the sport.

Speaking on the JAXXON Podcast, Carano said: “Well, to be very honest, I was a bit crazy, a little out of my mind in my 20s. I was fighting out of a place of survival. I was fighting out of a place of—nobody ever really game-planned me for a fight.”

“Nobody ever sat me down and was like, ‘OK, this is your opponent, this is what you’re going to do.’ It was always me going and being like, ‘OK, get up from the bottom.’

“From the moment I started we’d go to smokers and you just show up and fight whoever’s in that gym. I remember showing up one time to a smoker and there was this dude. Very intimidating. Weighing in at 165 (pounds) and I was probably around 145 at that time… At smokers you just fight whoever’s there.

“But like no,” Carano continued. “Nobody ever planned me. We’re game planning now… It’s really cool to actually have a game plan for an actual person.”

Cyborg handed Carano her only loss—a first-round knockout—and that defeat also turned out to be her final appearance before moving on from MMA.

This time around though she looks determined not to leave anything to chance as she prepares alongside coach John Wood for what could be one last run under the lights.

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed the surprise decision to start with James Trafford as his goalkeeper against Arsenal this weekend.

Man City take on the Gunners in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, and it seems Guardiola is prepared to stick with his cup ‘keeper even for this hugely important game.

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The Spanish tactician, speaking at his press conference today, was asked about starting with Trafford over his usual no.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma, and confirmed he would be doing so.

As per BBC Sport, Guardiola said Trafford would be starting and described it as a “big moment for the team.”

James Trafford’s difficult time at Manchester City so far

Trafford joined City from Burnley in the summer, but Donnarumma joined from Paris Saint-Germain not long after.

It perhaps looked initially like Trafford would be Guardiola’s first-choice ‘keeper this season, but it hasn’t worked out that way.

The 23-year-old is a fine talent who will probably feel he could be starting for a number of other Premier League clubs, so it will be interesting to see what he decides about his future this summer.

Still, for the time being Trafford will be given the chance to make himself a hero this weekend.

What about Arsenal’s goalkeeper for the cup final?

Interestingly, it also wouldn’t be too surprising if Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also neglected to use his usual no.1 ‘keeper for this game.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has played for Arsenal in all of their League Cup and FA Cup games so far, so that would probably suggest he’ll be in the starting XI on Sunday as well.

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All in all, these decisions seem slightly risky, with Donnarumma performing superbly against Arsenal in last season’s Champions League semi-finals when he was still at PSG.

David Raya is also a top performer for AFC, so could be missed in this important game when silverware is up for grabs.

The post Brave or stupid? Guardiola confirms this Man City star will start Carabao Cup final vs Arsenal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker have gone from bitter rivals to training partners within the space of a few years.

It’s been over a year since Adesanya’s last fight, but he’s finally set to return at UFC Seattle, where he’ll face Joe Pyfer in the main event.

The former middleweight champion has dropped three straight fights and was most recently knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov.

As he gets ready for his comeback, Adesanya has been working alongside an old rival, Robert Whittaker.

Robert Whittaker helping Israel Adesanya’s camp for UFC Seattle

Israel Adesanya’s return to the UFC is just around the corner, and he’s not coming alone. Robert Whittaker, once a rival, is now a training partner helping him prepare for Joe Pyfer in Seattle.

The two first clashed in 2019 when Adesanya knocked out Whittaker in the second round to become middleweight champion. They met again three years later, with Adesanya winning by decision.

But their relationship has changed since then. They’ve become friends and even training partners, with Whittaker joining Adesanya’s camp for his comeback fight.

“Rob, man, honestly, one of the best dudes in the game,” said Adesanya on his YouTube channel. “Not just fight-wise – one of the GOATs at middleweight from this area of the world – but also just a good human being.”

Whittaker is also trying to turn things around after two straight losses and may be moving up to light heavyweight soon. There are rumors that his next opponent could be Magomed Ankalaev in July.

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Hello everyone, and welcome back for another week of rankings in the UFC. With UFC Vegas 114 being one of the best fight cards all year, it was fun for all of us UFC fans. With UFC London this Saturday, there are no fights that will affect these rankings, other than the main event, which could land either Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy a title shot. That being said, let’s get to the rankings for this week. Have a great day, everyone, and may the fights be with you.

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10. Joshua Van:

Joshua Van remains at the tenth spot as he gets ready for his next fight, which is on April 11th at UFC 327. His opponent will be Tatsuro Taira, who punched his ticket by submitting Hyun-sung Park and knocking out Brandon Moreno, who lost to Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC Mexico. Look for this match to be a banger with everyone saying that Taira will be the new champ. I don’t agree, but my official pick will not be made until the Fight Club show that week. 

9. Petr Yan:

Petr Yan did the unthinkable by defeating Merab Dvalishvili in their title match at UFC 323. Yan now moves up to ninth overall this week as part of the shake-up I’ve wanted to do after UFC 324 and UFC 325. However, even though Yan won the title, he will most likely be handing it back to Dvalishvili in their rematch sometime in the future. That may be a bold call, but that’s what we do in the Fight Club of Pain.

8. Max Holloway:

Max Holloway lost his BMF Championship to Charles Oliveira, which now opens things up for Holloway. With Topuria vs. Gaethje in June, I could see Holloway asking for a title shot against the winner of this match. Holloway has fought both of these athletes, but Dan from the Fight Club of Pain always says that Holloway deserves a rematch in his own division, instead of making a weight cut like last time, to fight Topuria.

7. Charles Oliveira:

Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira is the new BMF Champion in the world after systematically taking apart Max Holloway at UFC 326, last Saturday. With Topuria already scheduled to fight in early summer, you could see Oliveira defend his BMF title against Conor McGregor sometime this fall. I feel that with all the online banter that has been going on, this fight makes sense for Oliveira at this stage of his career.

6. Merab Dvalishvili:

Merab Dvalishvili lost his title to Petr Yan in the main event at UFC 323. Unlike their first matchup, Dvalishvili didn’t secure as many take-downs as they did in their first fight, which led to Yan smacking him up till he was bloodied. There are already whispers in the wind that the rematch will be scheduled soon, so until then, we’ll wait for the third saga in this feud. For now, Dvalishvili is my sixth-ranked fighter on this list.

5. Alex Pereira:

Alex Pereira stays at fifth on this list with so much more potential for him in the future. Of course, Pereira won his title back at UFC 320 by finally throwing his reverse punch, which hit Magomed Ankalaev so bad that his knees buckled immediately. Since then, Pereira has vacated his title, which is now up for grabs between Jiri Procházka and Carlos Ulberg at UFC 327 on April 11th. For Poatan, he’ll be facing Ciryl Gane on the White House card on June 14th for the Interim Heavyweight Championship. CHAMA!

4. Khamzat Chimaev:

Khamzat Chimaev stays at the fourth spot with a fight finally scheduled for him once Ramadan is done. That fight will be against Sean Strickland, who knocked out Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston. Since then,  Strickland has launched numerous attacks on social media that gave Dana White no choice but to give him another title shot. That fight will happen on May 9th in New Jersey, at UFC 328. You can expect a war in this match, so be ready.

3. Alexander Volkanovski:

Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski moves up to third as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, after defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 325. Now that we’re past that match, Volk has said that he wants to fight someone who deserves it. Jean Silva looks like he could get a shot this year, but that will only happen once the match between Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy happens. That match was scheduled yesterday for UFC Fight Night in London, on March 21st. 

2. Ilia Topuria:

Ilia Topuria has slipped to second on this list after Islam Makhachev dominated Della Maddalena. However, Topuria is back and will be headlining UFC Freedom 250, which is happening at the White House on June 14th. His next opponent is none other than Justin Gaethje, who won the interim Lightweight Championship against Paddy Pimblett. 

1. Islam Makhachev: 

Islam Makhachev is now the number one, pound-for-pound fighter in the world, after he easily dispatched Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Not only did he dominate JDM, but he became the 11th fighter to claim a belt in another division. Now that I’ve seen the Death Vader of the UFC smash a man, we can only hope that next year we get another super match between Makhachev and another opponent. The rumors are out that it could be Kamaru Usman, which would be fantastic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Michael Morales gets the bid. Until then, let’s all hail Lord Makhachev as the best fighter in the world. SMESH!

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