Category: Featured

UFC Fight Night 249 video: Mackenzie Dern, Amanda Ribas make weight in Las Vegas

The main event for the UFC’s first show of the new year is official after the headliners made weight Friday.

LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC’s first show of the new year is official after the headliners made weight Friday.

Ahead of UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, women’s strawweight standouts Mackenzie Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and Amanda Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) stepped on the scale for their rematch at the official weigh-ins.

Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

UFC Fight Night 249 weigh-in results, live video stream

Check out the UFC Fight Night 249 weigh-in results from Las Vegas, featuring Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas 2.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+) fighter weigh-ins at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which kick off at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Among those weighing in are women’s strawweight standouts Mackenzie Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and Amanda Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC), who meet in a rematch in the main event, and Carlston Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC), who fight in the welterweight co-feature.

The full UFC Fight Night 249 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Mackenzie Dern (116) vs. Amanda Ribas (116)
  • Carlston Harris (170) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (171)
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan (185.5) vs. Cesar Almeida (185.5)
  • Chris Curtis (185.5) vs. Roman Kopylov (185.5)
  • Austin Bashi (145.5) vs. Christian Rodriguez (145)
  • Uros Medic (171) vs. Punahele Soriano (171)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Felipe Bunes (126) vs. Jose Johnson (128.5)*
  • Ihor Potieria (188)** vs. Marco Tulio (185.5)
  • Thiago Moises (155.5) vs. Trey Ogden (155.5)
  • Preston Parsons (171) vs. Jacobe Smith (170.5)
  • Nicolle Caliari (125.5) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (126)
  • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (205) vs. Bruno Lopes (205.5)
  • Viktoriia Dudakova (116) vs. Fatima Kline (116)
  • Nurullo Aliev (155.5) vs. Joe Solecki (155)

* Johnson missed flyweight limit by 2.5 pounds; fine amount TBD
** Potieria missed middleweight limit by 2 pounds; fine amount TBD

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

Joe Rogan retracts ‘bullsh*t’: ‘I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor’ about Jon Jones

Joe Rogan walked back what he says is a falsehood from his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it’s not factual.

[autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag] on Thursday walked back what he now says was a falsehood he reported on his podcast and said he “felt obligated to tell everybody” it was not factual.

On his his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, Rogan recently said heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] is rumored to be seeking $30 million to fight interim champ Tom Aspinall, “and the UFC is going to pay it, hopefully. I hope they pay it.”

Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) has been dismissive of Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) and wants to be paid handsomely for a title-unification bout. Despite his reluctance to fight Aspinall next after he finished Stipe Miocic this past November at UFC 309, Dana White guaranteed that the fight will happen this year.

But after Rogan went public with the $30 million number he now says was merely a rumor, it caused enough of a ripple effect that UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] reached out to Rogan to refute the claim.

“I had heard a rumor that Jon Jones wanted $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall. And I did hear that rumor. And I did hear that the UFC said yes,” Rogan said on his latest podcast. “But that’s not true. Dana contacted me and said that rumor is bullsh*t. So I felt obligated to tell everybody that was a fake rumor. … We did that podcast two weeks ago; I don’t remember who told me that.”

In the wake of admitting to reporting the rumor and retracting it, Rogan now said he thinks the MMA collective – the UFC brass, Aspinall’s side, the media, presumably – should give Jones space to decide what he wants his next move to be, rather than speculating and, perhaps, putting pressure on him to make a move.

“Apparently Jon is thinking about retiring,” Rogan said. “… He should think about it. Give the man all the time he wants. He can fight whenever he wants to fight. That’s Jon Jones – he’s the GOAT. So leave him alone. If he decides one day to come back and he comes back and he wants to fight Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title … The question is, how long are you allowed to hold onto that title before they start having that conversation?”

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PFL ditches $1 million winner, season points format for 2025

The PFL’s big photo op checks might stay the same size if they’re back this fall, but the numbers on them will be noticeably smaller.

The PFL’s big photo op cardboard checks might stay the same size if they’re back this fall, but the numbers on them will be noticeably smaller.

The promotion made its name on a season format in which fighters must qualify for a playoff tournament, and the winners of those tournaments, over six divisions, took home $1 million. It allowed the PFL to say it had, arguably, some of the biggest disclosed paydays in the game.

But $1 million division winners now will be a thing of the past for the PFL. Season champions will get a bonus check for $500,000 now on top of their contracted earnings leading up to the championship bout.

In addition, the PFL no longer will operate its regular season with points-based results to determine playoff qualification and seeding. In previous seasons, fighters in each division had two regular season fights in which they could earn points – 3 for a win with up to 3 possible bonus points based on a finish and the round.

MMA Junkie confirmed the changes with people with knowledge of the PFL’s new contract language. The people asked to remain anonymous since the PFL has not made a public announcement of the changes, which first were reported by Al Zullino on social media.

The changes are likely to lead to a shift in the type of names who wind up in the individual division fields. The season formats now are expected to be more prospect-based than they have been previously, with bigger stars fighting on bigger events, rather than working their way through the season.

The PFL in 2024 absorbed the Bellator roster and also brought in superfight titles, which were won by Francis Ngannou and Cris Cyborg. Since 2018, the PFL has had six full seasons, each with six $1 million winners at the end of it. The 2024 group of six all were new champions.

UFC Fight Night 249: Make your predictions for Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 249 event in Las Vegas.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 249.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those reader consensus picks will be part of the main card staff predictions we release ahead of UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Make your picks below.

Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki

Records: Aliev (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Solecki (13-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Past five: Aliev 5-0, Solecki 2-3
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Aliev -425, Solecki +330

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-nurullo-aliev-vs-joe-solecki_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline

Records: Dudakova (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Kline (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Past five: Dudakova 4-1, Kline 4-1
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Dudakova +550, Kline -800

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-viktoriia-dudakova-vs-fatima-kline_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes

Records: Gadzhiyasulov (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Lopes (13-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Gadzhiyasulov 5-0, Lopes 4-1
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Gadzhiyasulov -225, Lopes +185

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-magomed-gadzhiyasulov-vs-bruno-lopes_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Nicolle Caliari vs. Ernesta Kareckaite

Records: Caliari (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Kareckaite (5-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Past five: Caliari 4-1, Kareckaite 3-1-1
Division: Women’s flyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Caliari +240, Kareckaite -300

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-nicolle-caliari-vs-ernesta-kareckaite_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Preston Parsons vs. Jacobe Smith

Records: Parsons (11-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC), Smith (9-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Parsons 2-3, Smith 5-0
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Parsons +280, Smith -355

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-preston-parsons-vs-jacobe-smith_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden

Records: Moises (18-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC), Ogden (18-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Past five: Moises 3-2, Ogden 3-2
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Moises -200, Ogden +165

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-thiago-moises-vs-trey-ogden_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Ihor Potieria vs. Marco Tulio

Records: Potieria (20-7 MMA, 2-5 UFC), Tulio (13-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Potieria 1-4, Tulio 5-0
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Potieria +380, Tulio -500

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-ihor-potieria-vs-marco-tulio_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson

Records: Bunes (13-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Johnson (16-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Past five: Bunes 3-2, Johnson 3-2
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Bunes +160, Johnson -190

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-felipe-bunes-vs-jose-johnson_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano

Records: Medic (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Past five: Medic 3-2, Soriano 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Medic -200, Soriano +165

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-uros-medic-vs-punahele-soriano_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez

Records: Bashi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Past five: Bashi 5-0, Rodriguez 4-1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Bashi -265, Rodriguez +215

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-austin-bashi-vs-christian-rodriguez_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov

Records: Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Past five: Curtis 2-3, Kopylov 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Curtis +215, Kopylov -265

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-chris-curtis-vs-roman-kopylov_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida

Records: Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC), Almeida (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Past five: Alhassan 2-3, Almeida 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Alhassan +240, Almeida -300

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-abdul-razak-alhassan-vs-cesar-almeida_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Carlston Harris vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Records: Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC)
Past five: Harris 3-2, Ponzinibbio 1-4
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Harris -110, Ponzinibbio -110

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-carlston-harris-vs-santiago-ponzinibbio_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas

Records: Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
Past five: Dern 2-3, Ribas 2-3
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Dern No. 7, Ribas No. 14
Odds (as of 01.06.25): Dern +180, Ribas -220

[opinary poll=”whats-your-pick-for-mackenzie-dern-vs-amanda-ribas_mmajunkie” customer=”mmajunkie”]

UFC Fight Night 249 fight card (as of Jan. 6, 8 p.m. ET)

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates
  • Cody Garbrandt vs. Miles Johns
  • Denise Gomes vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
  • Bernardo Sopaj vs. Ricky Turcios
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Luana Pinheiro vs. Gillian Robertson

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Nicolas Dalby vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
  • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dusko Todorovic
  • Charlie Radtke vs. Matthew Semelsberger
  • Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Cody Stamann
  • Melissa Mullins vs. Klaudia Sygula
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Cortavious Romious
  • Tresean Gore vs. Antonio Trocoli

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

Daniel Cormier doubts UFC pays Jon Jones $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall

Daniel Cormier thinks UFC champ Jon Jones making $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall would be a stretch.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] making $30 million to fight [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] would be a stretch.

UFC commentator and popular podcaster Joe Rogan said he heard that Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) is asking for $30 million to take on interim champ Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in a title-unification bout that Dana White guarantees happens in 2025.

Cormier, a former UFC dual-champion and two-time opponent of Jones, headlined plenty of big pay-per-view events during his career. He shared insight on his paydays as champion and what UFC’s negotiations with Jones could look like.

“I’ll tell you guys, as a person who has been involved in big fights, a person who has sold pay-per-views, a person who at his time was at the top of the pay scale in the UFC as the heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, $30 million was literally a world away from anything we were making,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.

“I remember when I got paid in New York, I got a big bump to take a fight on three weeks’ notice, which ultimately became my salary, and people were astounded with the number. But I will tell you it was a fraction of what that number that he’s asking for is. It was nowhere near that. But I’ve heard now rumors that the higher-end guys are making more. The Israel Adesanya, the Jon Jones, the Stipe Miocic. I heard that Stipe Miocic made big money for the last fight.”

Looking at Jones’ past pay-per-view and gate numbers, Cormier thinks $30 million isn’t necessarily an outlandish ask – although he doesn’t see him getting paid exactly that number.

“Rogan thinks that the UFC will pay the $30 million to get Jon Jones in there with Tom Aspinall,” Cormier said. “I’m not sure he gets to $30 (million), but if you ask for 30 and you end up with 20 or you get 15, that’s a win for Jon Jones on his way out.”

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Jon Jones ducking Tom Aspinall? Actually just a ‘stroke of genius,’ says Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping praises UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ negotiation tactics for a potential Tom Aspinall fight.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] praises UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ negotiation tactics before he potentially fights [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].

Jones has been dismissive of interim champ Aspinall and wants to be paid handsomely for a title-unification bout. Despite his reluctance to fight Aspinall next after finishing Stipe Miocic this past November at UFC 309, Dana White guaranteed that the fight will happen this year.

Bisping thinks Jones’ (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) plan is coming to fruition. He asked for “f*ck you money” to fight Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), and he may just get that.

“As we know, Jon Jones kind of shied away from fighting Tom Aspinall leading up to the Stipe fight, which was an absolute stroke of genius in terms of marketing, because it drove the demand through the roof, sky high, made it the fight that everybody wants to see,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Well, guess what? The man is going to get paid properly more than likely. That’s the rumor.”

Jones seeking how much to fight Aspinall?

That rumor stemmed from UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan, who revealed the number that he heard Jones is asking for.

“I think its’s going to be Aspinall. I think they’re trying to come to some sort of an agreement,” Rogan said on a recent episode of his “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “The rumor is that he wants $30 million, and the UFC is going to pay it hopefully. I hope they pay it.”

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Bo Nickal boasts of clear advantages over Khamzat Chimaev in potential UFC fight

Bo Nickal remains supremely confident that he’d beat Khamzat Chimaev at his own game if they ever fight each other.

UFC middleweight standout [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] remains confident in a potential matchup against [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

Nickal (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who was a three-time national champion wrestler at Penn State, insists that Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) won’t be able to match him in grappling. He also thinks with Chimaev’s explosive starts, such as when he quickly submitted Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, he’ll eventually slow down when he fails to keep him on the mat.

”I don’t think there’s really a guy in the world at 86 kilos that can beat me in wrestling,” Nickal said on his YouTube channel. “I think that he’s (Chimaev) good, he’s got skills, but his biggest thing that’s going to crush him, especially in a fight against me is, dude, you’re going to get tired. You’re going to go like this (down), and I’m going to go like this (up) as the fight goes on.

“And you’re not going to take me down, which is your best attribute. So you’re going to have to strike with me. I’m probably going to be able to take you down. Maybe I don’t hold you down on the ground forever, but I can hold you down there for a little bit, and the longer the fight goes, the worse it’s going to get.”

Nickal, Chimaev ‘aligned from Jump Street’

Chael Sonnen, who recently revealed his wish list for 2025 on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Daniel Cormier, wants to see Chimaev vs. Nickal happen sooner rather than later, despite the pair being far apart in the UFC middleweight rankings.

”I’ve got to get Bo Nickal and Chimaev. I can’t keep these guys separated forever,” Sonnen said. “We’re told that we don’t get to see this fight because of the discrepancy in the rankings. Now Chimaev has put himself in a spot to go fight for a title.

“Those two have been aligned from Jump Street. … Chimaev’s undefeated, Bo’s undefeated. Chimaev’s good with the wrestling, Bo’s good with the wrestling, Chimaev’s got a bunch of fans, that’s up and coming as a future title contender, check, check, and check for Bo. I don’t know why we’re keeping them apart when we got guys under contract. Make the fight.”

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UFC CEO Dana White joins Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta board of directors

Mark Zuckerberg has added UFC CEO Dana White to Meta’s board of directors.

UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] is now in business with [autotag]Mark Zuckerberg[/autotag].

Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc., announced Monday the UFC CEO has joined the company’s board of directors along with John Elkann, CEO of Exor; and Charlie Songhurst, former General Manager and Head of Global Corporate Strategy at Microsoft.

“Dana, John and Charlie will add a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with AI, wearables and the future of human connection,” Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, said in a news release.

White, who’s mainly known for his work with the UFC, which spans over two decades, showed eagerness for the new venture.

“I’ve never been interested in joining a board of directors until I got the offer to join Meta’s board,” White said. “I am a huge believer that social media and AI are the future. I am very excited to join this incredible team and to learn more about this business from the inside. There is nothing I love more than building brands, and I look forward to helping take Meta to the next level.”

The announcement may not come entirely out of left field. Zuckerberg is a public fan and supporter of the UFC, and in recent years has been attending events, and seen hanging out with fighters and White himself. He even was one of the cornermen for Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298. In addition, the UFC also used to stream its preliminary card fights on Facebook Live.

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Michael Bisping recalls stress of passing pre-fight commission exams with one eye

It wasn’t always easy for UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping to be cleared to compete with only one eye.

It wasn’t always easy for UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[autotag] to be cleared to compete with only one eye.

Bisping currently wears a cosmetic eye after a detached right retina, courtesy of a 2013 head-kick knockout loss to Vitor Belfort, eventually led to full blindness on his right side. He would go on to continue fighting for another four years with vision problems and was even able to capture the UFC title with a knockout of Luke Rockhold in 2016.

But how was Bisping cleared to compete? “The Count” described the stressful process.

“I just lied my ass off in every test,” Bisping said on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “I even had a stupid little code, like me and (Jason) Parillo, I would pass the test somehow, but then even on site, the commission, at the day of the weigh-ins, they want to check your vision. I was always terrified that they were going to say – because I didn’t have this (cosmetic eyeball) then. … My eye looked terrible. It looks even worse now. It looked a little bit better back then, but you could clearly see when you looked at the eye that it wasn’t healthy.

“I would think all they got to do was cover that (left) eye and say, ‘How many fingers?’ And then I’m f*cked. So every training camp, the fight was the easy part because I was always terrified. I’m spending all this money on a training camp, I’m putting all this effort into it, I’m going to fly off to wherever it is, and the day before the fight I’m going to be pulled from the fight. The stress was so major. When I would get past the weigh-ins, I was like, ‘Oh my God, relief. Now I know I could fight.'”

Bisping would go on to hang up his gloves in May 2018 after back-to-back stoppage losses to Georges St-Pierre, and Kelvin Gastelum in November 2017.

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