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Former UFC featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes has announced that his upcoming fight against former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez could be his last in combat sports. The co-main event of BKFC 41, which takes place on April 29 at Denver's 1STBANK Centre, features Mendes taking on fellow UFC veteran Eddie Alvarez. However, Mendes has made it clear that he has "zero interest" in pursuing a Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship title after this bout. Mendes last competed in MMA in 2018 when he lost to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 232. He then signed with BKFC and made his debut in 2021. He has been inactive since then and hasn't fought in either MMA or BKFC. The 37-year-old defeated Joshuah Alvarez impressively in his BKFC first appearance, but if his next bout doesn't bring him a sizable payday, he could hang up his gloves. “I don’t know. This honestly might be the last fight,” Mendes said in an interview with War Sports. “We’ll just kind of see how this one goes. But I mean, the plan in my mind is probably to hang them up after this. We’ve just gotta see how this fight goes, and we’ll go from there. I keep saying that, but money talks. I already told the wife this is likely to be the last one.” He continued, “If we go out there and get a quick knockout, I might toy with one more.” On the other hand, Eddie Alvarez is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Ok Rae Yoon at ONE on TNT 4 in April 2021. The 37-year-old has expressed interest in competing in BKFC and then signed in March 2023 with the promotion for a potential debut. Mendes could potentially set himself up for a championship battle with double champion Luis Palomino with a victory over Alvarez. Mendes, though, clarified that wasn't what he was wanting. Mendes and Alvarez are both known for their aggressive fighting styles and excellent grappling skills, making this an exciting matchup for fans of both MMA and BKFC. It remains to be seen if Mendes will indeed retire after this fight. Regardless of the outcome, the former UFC featherweight title challenger has left a lasting impact on the sport and will be remembered as one of the most exciting fighters of his generation.

Former UFC middleweight Sam Alvey recently disclosed that the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) refused to pay him what he needed to go through a fight camp, instead directing him to an alternate Russian promotion. Alvey spoke ahead of his scheduled match at the B2 Fighting Series: 183 on May 27 about his conversations with BKFC to fight in their organization and their refusal to pay him what he required. He stated, "Everyone talks about bare-knuckle boxing... I said, "Hell yeah, I love boxing. I love all that. Let's freaking do it." And then they say, "Well, we're not going to pay you. We're not going to pay you much." I asked, "What will you pay me? “I need to do a camp, I need to support my family... [BKFC said] We can't pay you, but Russia, they do bare-knuckle boxing and they're looking for boxers right now." He spent about eight years in the world's leading MMA promotion, making his promotional debut in August 2014 and was released in August of last year. Sam Alvey rose to prominence after breaking the UFC's record for the longest winless streak with eight losses and one draw. On May 27, Alvey will square off against Cameron Graham. Graham has a five-win, twelve-loss record.

Ryan Garcia claims he'll stake his entire purse on his fight against favorite Gervonta 'Tank' Davis this Saturday, April 22nd, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although Ryan stated that he is ready to have contracts set up to gamble his money, there is no way that he and Gervonta (28-0, 26 KOs) will be willing to wager on the outcome of their twelve-round Showtime PPV main event. With the amount of strength, these two have, the fight might be decided by who lands the first clean headshot. Tank is known for knocking out opponents with single shots, but so is Ryan. Given how much money these two will make, they will not want to risk it on a gamble. Here is the full conversation: Ryan Garcia: Look at all you guys. I’m all by myself. I just did the work. You guys are playing games. I put the work in already today,” said Ryan on Instagram live. “You ain’t even ready for me. You can’t even talk. You on pause right now. Shut up. I’m going to work you. What do you want to bet” Gervonta Davis: “The whole thing.” Ryan: “Yeah, I’m down.” Gervonta: “The whole purse.” Ryan: “The whole purse.” Gervonta: “That’s a bet.”

Now that he has overcome Joe Joyce, Zhang Zhilei would appreciate the chance to shock another heavyweight who is undefeated and is promoted by Frank Warren's business. A fight against WBC champion Tyson Fury, who is anticipated to return to the ring this summer, would be welcomed by the newly crowned WBO interim champion. Before China's Zhilei halted Fury in the sixth round at Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday night due to serious swelling around his right eye, Warren and Bob Arum, his co-promoter, had discussed Joyce as a potential opponent for Fury. “Let’s do that,” Zhilei said through a translator when asked about facing Fury during a post-fight interview with IFL TV. “If my team says that, let’s do that. I can go either way.” The 6-foot-6, 278-pound Zhilei predicted he would knock out Fury if given the opportunity. “Tyson Fury doesn’t have that chin,” Zhilei said. “He will go down.” Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) isn't the only opponent Zhilei (25-1-1, 20 KOs) gets to choose from, but he might have a commitment to fulfil under a contract. He had a rematch clause in his contract for the fight with Londoner Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), whose team risked Joyce's status as one of Oleksandr Usyk's obligatory challengers by selecting the 13th-ranked Zhilei for an optional defence of his WBO title. According to the terms of their contracts, the rematch does not have to happen immediately away, but in the end, Joyce will decide whether he wants to face Zhilei straight away. Joyce would run the danger of Zhilei losing and never getting the rematch he is entitled to if he were to fight Fury or someone else. By defeating Joyce, Zhilei, the Olympic silver medallist from 2008, took Joyce's place as the WBO's required challenger for Usyk's WBO belt. According to the rotational system established by the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO, Ukraine's Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) would be required first to make a mandatory defence of his WBA title against London's Daniel Dubois. If Usyk were to defeat Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs), who has the secondary WBA title, he would next have to face Filip Hrgovic (15-0, 12 KOs), the obligatory challenger for the IBF, before Zhilei's time as the WBO's mandatory challenger. Zhilei, who turns 40 on May 2, understands that defeating the 6-foot-6, 256-pound Joyce totally transformed his life. “This is the beginning,” Zhilei said. “I’m going for the title.”

Deontay Wilder's head trainer, Malik Scott, would want to see his fighter box Anthony Joshua, another former world champion. Joshua made his return to the ring earlier this month, defeating Jermaine Franklin in a twelve-round unanimous decision. Since he defeated Robert Helenius in the first round at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, in October of last year, Wilder has not competed. Wilder is mulling his options at the moment, but Scott views Joshua as the fight to make right now. "I'm very, very big on Deontay fighting Anthony Joshua. I believe that it's good not just for boxing. It's good for so many reasons. It's a treat to society. I believe that Deontay fighting Anthony Joshua is that type of fight that motivates not just the little kid in the inner city that's trying to make it to the top to provide for their family, but also the businessman," Scott told IFL TV. "It's good for mankind. It would be a real tragedy if this fight doesn't happen. That's the fight I'm polling for every time someone asks me what's next for Deontay. We'll see. Deontay wants to fight. I want to fight. This whole side here wants to fight. We want to see what AJ does now. The ball is kind of in his court. We are ready." No information has been provided on Joshua's next fight. He was supposed to come back in the summer. That scenario doesn't appear to be true, since Joshua recently announced on social media that his next bout won't take place until December. 'My next fight is scheduled for December. Not ideal but everything is part of a bigger picture,' Joshua wrote on Instagram.

UFC Kansas City provided some thrilling action. However, Daniel Cormier is dissatisfied with some of the judging displayed. Cormier was calling the action from cageside at UFC Kansas City, where Max Holloway defeated Arnold Allen in the main event. The card, however, got off to a shaky start with the opening fight between Joselyne Edwards and Lucie Pudilova, in which Edwards received a decision win that many believed she didn't deserve. In the heat of the moment, Daniel Cormier did not hesitate to express his displeasure with the judging decision in the Edwards vs. Pudilova fight. During the bouts, he tweeted about how bad the night would be if those early warning signs persisted. Cormier would then follow up with a video on his YouTube channel after the event. The former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion turned pundit made it obvious that, as much as he admires Joselyne Edwards, he disagreed with the judges' assessment of the fight. "Let's not even talk about (Joselyne Edwards vs Lucie Pudilova). Some of the absolute worst judging I have ever seen in my entire life," Cormier said. "I have nothing against Joselyne Edwards, but she won that fight. I don't know how she won that fight. She got beat, it is what it is."

Max Holloway, former featherweight champion of the UFC, has set his sights on his next opponent, and it's none other than "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung. After his impressive victory over Arnold Allen at UFC Kansas, Holloway expressed his desire to take on the Korean fighter. This past weekend night, Holloway competed, facing up against Arnold Allen in the Kansas City, Missouri, T-Mobile Centre. Allen put forth a solid performance, but Holloway ultimately outperformed him on the feet. By prevailing by unanimous decision, "Blessed" ended Arnold's 12-fight unbeaten run. If Holloway stays at featherweight, there remain a few new challengers he can oust like he defeated Arnold, or there are also a few experienced fighters he has yet to face in the cage. Chang Sung Jung is a fellow veteran by that name. Some of the very few fighters at the highest level of the weight category that Holloway hasn't faced is "The Korean Zombie." During the UFC Kansas City post-fight press conference, Holloway told Alex Behunin that: “Korean Zombie, that’s the only guy of my time, with the older guys, that I didn’t get to fight,” Holloway told reporters at the UFC Kansas City post-fight press conference. “I would love that fight. There’s a fight in my agents’ country, Australia. Australia is supposed to be happening sometime, we don’t know when, and if Korean Zombie wants it he can get it. I would love to fight him. That’s one of the guys I grew up watching. “I’m kind of tripping on how we didn’t fight yet. How did we not fight? If that’s one of the guys, that’s one of the guys. I would love to share the octagon with him. He’s one of the OGs that I didn’t get to fight, and we came up in the same era, and we didn’t fight each other.” After Jung was unable to unseat Alex Volkanovski for the UFC Featherweight Championship in April 2022, MMA fans originally believed they had witnessed the conclusion of Jung's professional MMA tenure. Finally, "The Korean Zombie," said on social media that, despite his inability to set long-term objectives, he would still like to engage in combat in the octagon at least once more. His intention to take part in Seoul, South Korea, was also mentioned. A fight between Holloway and The Korean Zombie would be a dream match-up for fans, as both fighters are known for their striking prowess and ability to put on exciting fights. Holloway's high-volume striking and relentless pace would be matched against The Korean Zombie's powerful punches and unorthodox style. In the meantime, Holloway can bask in the glory of his impressive victory over Allen, which saw him showcase his trademark striking skills and dominant performance over three rounds. With his sights set on The Korean Zombie, Holloway will be looking to continue to build his winning streak and make a statement in the featherweight division.

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and ONE Heavyweight Champion Arjan Bhullar could collide. Ngannou is still a free agent after leaving the UFC earlier this year. Ngannou is yet to sign with another MMA company three months after his tenure with the UFC ended. Ngannou plans to compete in boxing next but has been in negotiations with the PFL and ONE about maybe returning to MMA. Most likely, Ngannou might get the contractual freedom he wants from both the PFL and ONE. However, the competition level at heavyweight is undoubtedly higher in ONE than in the PFL. If Ngannou decides to sign with ONE, Bhullar would gladly accept a future title defense against him. Bhullar made his pitch to Ngannou to join ONE during a recent interview with MMA Fighting. “He’s conquered the West, let’s bring him out to the East. I have no problem with this," Bhullar said of facing Ngannou. "People are scared of him as well, but if you’re a fighter and you’re a champion, it doesn’t matter who it is, you step up. I might win, I might lose, but I will always step on that line, I will always sign the contract. I’m a man at the end of the day. "They’re nuclear bombs, I get that, but if you have a nuclear bomb and you can’t land it, what are you gonna do?" Bhullar continued. "Same thing with Anatoly. If your delivery system isn’t there to land a bomb, you can sit at home with your bomb. It means nothing. I don’t get hit. I’ve got that grappling,” Later this year, Bhullar will defend his ONE heavyweight title against Anatoly Malykhin. They were set to fight last month, but a series of issues forced the bout to be postponed.

London's Copper Box Arena Zhilei Zhang, a Chinese southpaw, stunned hometown favourite Joe Joyce, an undefeated fighter (15-1, 14 KOs), in the sixth round by shocking TKO to score the most significant victory of his career. In the opening two rounds, Zhang stunned Joyce with devastating left hands. Joyce attempted to increase his offensive output in the subsequent round, but his inability to see Zhang's left hand slowed him down. As Joyce's right eye started to swell in rounds four and five, Zhang started to successfully hit his shots from close range and used his high guard defence to avoid retaliation. Joyce was stepping up his game and throwing his customary assortment of hard punches, but Zhang was connecting with the bigger blows. After two inspections from the ringside doctor, referee Howard Foster was forced to end the fight at 1:23 of round six. Zhang said, “Today belongs to me. It belongs to everyone who showed up. It belongs to every Chinese person who showed up today. “I’m 39 years old. But I’m disciplined. I train hard. The next step is for me to fight for a world title." After falling to Filip Hrgovic in a contentious twelve-round decision in their IBF semifinal eliminator, Zhang recovered with a win over Joyce. Zhang now holds the WBO interim heavyweight title after defeating Joyce, putting him in line for an automatic shot at Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO, IBF, IBO, and WBA world champion. Since Usyk's next required duty is to the WBA and "regular" champion Daniel Dubois is in talks to challenge him before the year is out, Zhang will need to remain active in the interim. And should Usyk triumph, Hrgovic—the IBF's required challenger—would come next.

Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira suffered a minor injury that forced him out of UFC 288 next month. News of Oliveira's withdrawal was first reported by ESPN Deportes. Oliveira was supposed to face Beneil Dariush in a pivotal lightweight co-main event. The winner could've gotten the next title shot against Islam Makhachev. As of now, the UFC is reportedly planning to schedule the bout for a new date later this year. The promotion could potentially schedule it for either UFC 289 or UFC 290, depending on the severity of Oliveira's injury. It's a frustrating setback for Oliveira, who had seemed highly motivated for his clash with Dariush. With the Oliveira fight, Dariush, who has long demanded a shot at the lightweight belt, will probably remain unaltered. He has a winning streak of eight matches, most recently over Mateusz Gamrot in October. Dariush entered the lightweight title race by defeating opponents like Tony Ferguson, Drakkar Klose, and Drew Dober. At UFC 280, Oliveira was defeated by Makhachev for the vacant lightweight championship. Following a disastrous weight cut before his UFC 274 match against Justin Gaethje, he was stripped of the lightweight championship.

Max Holloway, one of the UFC's most beloved fighters, returned to the octagon with a vintage performance, defeating Arnold Allen in a dominant showing at UFC Kansas City. After a string of setbacks and losses, Holloway proved that he is still one of the best fighters in the world with this impressive win. The final scores were 49-46, 49-47, and 48-47, with Holloway receiving the victory and, at 145 pounds, regaining the lead in the championship race. The arena was buzzing as Holloway and Allen faced off in the ring. Holloway's lightning-fast combinations and fancy footwork were a sight to behold, but Allen was no slouch either, chasing him down and looking to land some power shots. Despite taking some heavy left hooks early on, Holloway kept his cool and switched his focus to punishing Allen's midsection with body shots that echoed throughout the arena. With superior speed and a seemingly endless arsenal of strikes, Holloway kept landing crisp, clean hits while easily dodging Allen's attempts to counter. As the fight entered its final round, Allen's coaches urged him to go for broke and try to finish the fight with a knockout blow. And while he gave it his all, Holloway was more than up to the challenge, trading punch-for-punch and even dropping Allen to the ground in the final moments of the fight. It was a grueling 25-minute battle that left both fighters battered and bruised, but in the end, it was Holloway who emerged victorious, embracing Allen in a show of mutual respect and admiration. “Arnold Allen hits like a truck,” Holloway said of his opponent. “My modeling career is in jeopardy because of you. “It was like 10 seconds, five seconds [left in the fight], it was a re-enactment of Ricardo Lamas [fight]. I know he saw that moment, I wanted to remake that moment. It was fun. Dude is durable, he wanted to go all the way and I welcome that.” For Holloway, this win was about more than just getting back in the win column. It was a reminder of why he is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, a testament to his dedication, hard work, and unwavering spirit. And for fans, it was a thrilling showcase of the kind of talent and heart that makes mixed martial arts such a compelling sport. As Holloway celebrates this victory, he looks toward the future with renewed confidence and determination. With his sights set on regaining the featherweight title, there's no doubt that Holloway will continue to deliver electrifying performances that will leave fans on the edge of their seats. “Max has been around a long time, he’s been one of the best in the world for a long time,” Allen said. “He inspires me.” For now, we can all revel in the joy of seeing Holloway back to his old self, delivering the kind of vintage performance that has made him a legend in the sport. Congratulations to Max Holloway on a spectacular win, and here's to many more exciting fights in the years to come.

In a stunning display of skill and power, Edson Barboza delivered a devastating knockout to Billy Quarantillo at UFC Kansas City, sending shockwaves through the arena and leaving fans in awe. Barboza sought to establish the pace immediately with lightning-fast kicks and strong hands, but Quarantillo cleverly made an effort to bridge the gap and force the Brazilian to think about his grappling. Barboza managed to avoid Quarantillo while launching him with a few vicious legs kicks right away that had a significant effect. Unafraid to advance, Quarantillo even caught Barboza with a hard blow to demonstrate that he wasn't a lightweight on his feet anymore. Barboza was pulled back into the cage as Quarantillo pressured his opponent, and he then attempted to take down Barboza by throwing a series of blows. With a knee that struck squarely in the target and sent Quarantillo to the ground and out into the thin air, Barboza made him suffer. “I train exactly this move for eight weeks,” Barboza said about the finish. “Please, [I want to fight] somebody in front of me in the rankings. Edson Barboza is still alive. I’m in the best shape of my life and I promise the next one is going to be much, much better.” The crowd erupted in cheers as Barboza raised his arms in victory. It was a performance that will be remembered for years to come, a reminder of the incredible skill and athleticism that makes mixed martial arts such an exciting sport to watch. For Quarantillo, it was a disappointing loss, but he can hold his head high knowing that he gave it his all. Barboza, on the other hand, has solidified his place as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, and fans can't wait to see what he'll do next. As the dust settles on UFC Kansas City, one thing is clear: Edson Barboza is a force to be reckoned with, and his opponents will have to be at the top of their game if they hope to defeat him. It's a thrilling time to be a fan of mixed martial arts, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for this incredible sport.