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1+ hour, 1+ min ago (418+ words) The UFC heavyweight division may be in limbo for longer than anticipated. That's because its champion, Tom Aspinall, is still struggling to recover from a gruesome eye injury suffered at UFC 321 during his fight against Ciryl Gane in October. This incident resulted in the fight being ruled a No Contest, capping off an otherwise exciting card in Abu Dhabi. The biggest loser from the ordeal was Aspinall himself. Speaking to longtime MMA journalist Ariel Helwani of Yahoo Sports' Uncrowned Combat, Aspinall broke down his recovery timeline since the fight transpired alongside his relationship, or lackthereof, with UFC brass. According to Aspinall, the UFC has been radio silent during the fallout from the fight. "[Dana White] hadn't spoken to me, and he was already giving updates on my health. He had no idea what had gone on," Aspinall told Helwani Tuesday....

1+ hour, 38+ min ago (176+ words) Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has thrown his support behind the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. The legislation -- which was initially proposed by Congressman Brian Jack (R-Georgia) and Sharice Davids (D-Kansas) -- is backed by UFC CEO Dana White and his Zuffa Boxing promotional outfit to make amendment changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, established and enacted in 2000 to protect boxers from exploitation. Tyson, 58, is a longtime friend of White. Tyson also suggested that the Revival Act would provide greater protection and compensation for boxers. "The requirement for mandatory health insurance is equally critical -- no fighter should ever have to choose between paying medical bills and pursuing their career. I've seen too many of my peers face that impossible decision," he said in the statement. Representatives from Zuffa Boxing have maintained to ESPN that the new act won't…...

1+ hour, 40+ min ago (1098+ words) The fact that Merab Dvalishvili is back in Las Vegas, readying to defend his bantamweight title again in the main event of UFC 323 this weekend against Petr Yan would be alarming if it wasn't becoming the norm for the man with the most apt nickname in the UFC right now. It's an unprecedented moment, but exactly what the ruler of the 135-pound weight class said he was hoping to do even before he stepped in with Sandhagen. "It feels good to be back," Dvalishvili said on Tuesday, just a few days out from his rematch with Yan. "I like to be busy, and other than the weight cuts, everything is beautiful. "It means a lot for me because I love fighting and I want to be busy," he added regarding his historic fourth title defense in 2025. "Thank you a lot…...

2+ hour, 25+ min ago (369+ words) Training clip of Gina Carano working with coach John Wood sparks new questions as Ronda Rousey discussions circulate. Carano's timing added even more curiosity because the video landed right after news broke that Rousey is in talks for a boxing match with Katie Taylor in 2026. Followers quickly connected the moments and began asking if another pioneer of women's MMA is also preparing for something new. Cris Cyborg added to the attention by jumping into the replies on X and offering Carano, in her words, "some help with camp." Cyborg and Carano shared a historic moment in 2009 when they became the first pair of women to headline a major mixed martial arts event under the Strikeforce banner. The responses from fans were enthusiastic, with many saying they were impressed by Carano's movement and technique. One comment that stood out read, "Gina…...

3+ hour, 45+ min ago (216+ words) Unified middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly returned an adverse analytical finding for the banned substance meldonium in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Assocation (VADA) test conducted on Nov. 15. Alimkhanuly, who held the WBO and IBF middleweight titles, was scheduled to face WBA champion Erislandy Lara in a three-belt unification bout on Saturday's Lamont Roach vs. Issac "Pitbull" Cruz co-feature, but the fight has now been cancelled. The Kazakh responded to the news on social media: "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don't know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest." Alimkhanuly stopped Danny Dignum to win the WBO interim title in May 2022 and was upgraded to full…...

3+ hour, 56+ min ago (28+ words) A former world champion on Jai Opetaia's undercard isn't sure if Huseyin Cinkara is crazy for "poking the bear," but hopes the challenger lives up to his words....

4+ hour, 8+ min ago (417+ words) Tom Aspinall is still recovering from the eye poke. That abruptly ended his first defense as undisputed UFC heavyweight champion against Ciryl Gane in October, and the incident has reignited a long-running debate in MMA: what can actually be done about eye pokes? The foul, which occurred in the UFC 321 main event, turned a marquee title fight into a no-contest and left fans. Fighters, and officials frustrated. While some have renewed calls for equipment redesigns or rule overhauls, UFC CEO Dana White says the real solution might be much simpler and harsher. In the Gane fight, the referee did correctly call the eye poke and paused the action, but there was no immediate penalty issued to Gane. Aspinall, clearly compromised, was eventually unable to continue, leading to the no-contest ruling. As is often the case. The controversy didn't just center…...

4+ hour, 17+ min ago (223+ words) From Olympic bronze to retirement: Aidan Walsh on quitting the ring, his boxing sister Michaela and why he'd rather be "punched all day than emotionally bullied". When Aidan Walsh announced his retirement from boxing last month, and said he was doing so with relief, it was clear his relationship with the sport is complicated. There were great days, not least winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and representing Ireland at the highest stage with sister, and fellow boxer, Michaela. But there were dark days too, when he struggled under the pressure of performing and suffered under the emotional jabs of some of the coaches he encountered. He joined Tara and Declan on the pink sofa to talk about why he's delighted to quit, how the smell of boxing gloves makes him stressed and why he doesn't know exactly…...

4+ hour, 39+ min ago (373+ words) Janibek Alimkhanuly has won all 17 of his professional fights Janibek Alimkhanuly has tested positive for a banned substance before his scheduled middleweight unification bout against Erislandy Lara on Saturday. The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) says it has been informed of the Kazakh fighter's failed test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) and an internal investigation is under way. Alimkhanuly, who holds the IBF and WBO titles, has been pulled from the bout against WBA champion Lara and replaced by Venezuela's Johan Gonzalez, according to American media. It has been reported the banned substance is meldonium, a performance-enhancing drug which can boost an athlete's endurance. It has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) since 2016. Alimkhanuly's 'A' sample returned an adverse analytical finding, and the fighter has requested that a second 'B' sample be tested. Writing on X, Alimkhanuly said…...

4+ hour, 40+ min ago (479+ words) The co-creator of the UFC goes out of his way to try and prevent fights from becoming dull to watch. It's the very nature of sport across any level that it's not always going to be the kind of edge-of-your-seat entertainment that creates fans in the first place. In 2025, some of the most impressive wins of the year in the UFC haven't made for the best viewing experience. UFC 322 was a great example of this, with Islam Makhachev dominating Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko completely shutting down Zhang Weili. The co-creator of the promotion recently gave his thoughts on some big recent matchups not living up to expectations while revealing how he chooses to counter this. In a recent exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, Campbell McLaren spoke about the early days of the UFC, where the concept was to…...