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UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has concluded who is the better fighter between former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and reigning king Islam Makhachev. When it came to 155-pound competition, Khabib was the undisputed champion, but he and his trainer Javier Mendez long hailed someone else as the man to take over. Even though Charles Oliveira only had the title for a short period of time between the Dagestani's retirement and UFC 280 in October of last year, his protégé's high expectations were more than realised. Makhachev defeated Oliveira in the second round of the contest held in Abu Dhabi, extending his current winning run to 11. During a recent Believe You Me podcast interview with Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith, #5-ranked lightweight contender Michael Chandler was asked to choose the stronger fighter among Dagestan's two UFC lightweight titleholders. Prior to UFC 280, the former Bellator champion had been outspoken in questioning Makhachev's credentials and even predicted Oliveira would win. Chandler acknowledged Makhachev's qualities after being proven wrong. “Khabib is better. Only because we haven’t seen — I don’t know if I wanna call it aggression. I think it is aggression,” Chandler said. “When Khabib fought, and when he bear-hugged somebody, it was aggressive. Like, he wanted to break your spine. Islam, very effective, will take guys down. But with Khabib, it was like, ‘I wanna break your spine.” “I think there was a little bit of voice inflection where it made it sound like Khabib is 10 times better. I don’t think he’s 10 times better than Islam. But in my book, Islam just hasn’t proven that yet,” Chandler stated. With a great performance at UFC 284 the following weekend, Makhachev might slightly alter Chandler's perception. The current lightweight champion, "The Eagle," will defend his title against Alexander Volkanovski, another divisional champion. In the pound-for-pound rankings, the Dagestani will move up to first place with a win.

A star-studded roster of MMA luminaries will attend Bellator 290 to give MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko a grand send off. Emelianenko will undoubtedly be regarded as the finest MMA fighter who never took part in a UFC event. Fedor Emelianenko, a longtime MMA heavyweight GOAT contender, will main event Bellator 290 on February 4. The Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader will face off against "The Last Emperor" for the title. In their most recent encounter, which took place at Bellator 214 in January 2019, Bader won via first-round TKO after only 35 seconds. Since then, Bader's promotion career has been a rollercoaster, with wins against fighters like Lyoto Machida and Valentin Moldavsky while also suffering defeats to Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson. Emelianenko, meantime, has fought twice since the Bader defeat, defeating Timothy Johnson and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. In 2022, the Russian superstar fought just once. Josh Barnett, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Renzo Gracie, Royce Gracie, Dan Henderson, Matt Hughes, Rampage Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, and Chael Sonnen will all be at Bellator 290, according to Scott Coker, who made the announcement during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. After Bader's fight, the star-studded group will be on hand to recognise Emelianenko's career. Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, and Rampage Jackson, among others, were instrumental in the UFC's rise to prominence in the aughts. Dana White and "The Last Emperor" did start talks for him to join during Brock Lesnar's time as the UFC Heavyweight Champion. However, the Lesnar/Emelianenko dream fight never happened, much to the disappointment of the fans.

By promising to go to welterweight and serve as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, Michael Chandler has persisted in his quest to challenge Conor McGregor. Since joining the UFC, the veteran Bellator lightweight champion has been itching to square off against McGregor, and even three defeats in five exhibition matches haven't dimmed public enthusiasm for this type of matchup. Because of his aggressive fighting style, Chandler thinks a battle between him and the former UFC double champion would be epic. To bring McGregor back into the octagon, Chandler is prepared to compete against him at 170 pounds. Even though McGregor has grown considerably after fracturing his leg in an injury-TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, Chandler asserted that he is currently bulkier than the Irishman is currently. “I’m walking around almost 190 right now,” Chandler said on the “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping. “And I stay lean because I’m always training... “I’m not getting fluffy or fat, and I’m always around that 185-190 clip. So 170, for me, would be a dream come true. I don’t like making 155. The only reason I can make 155 is just good, old-fashioned 12 weeks of diet, exercise, discipline, and a little bit of dehydration at the end, so why not do 170? I still think I’m bigger than Conor at this point, even with his regimen that he’s been on.” Although no official agreement has been reached, McGregor has admitted that he will be The Ultimate Fighter's coach for Season 31. Michael Chandler is the most recent boxer to put his name in the running to stand collaboratively with the Irishman as a coach. Tony Ferguson has also made it known that he would be open to taking part in the same series. “The tension, the rivalry, the competition, the trash talk,” Chandler said. “Just the animosity that would be built up and then going into a training camp and then fight later on after the show. I want the fight. Everyone knows that. The fans want the fight, Dana has gone public saying he wants that fight, so the UFC wants the fight. … Man, huge fight. Can you imagine the first round?” Since discovering the news, enthusiasts have urged the UFC to approve Michael Chandler for the position of McGregor's opponent coach.

The Ultimate Boxing Experience: Undisputed Boxing Game Launches with a Bang! Get ready to step into the ring and experience the thrill of boxing like never before. The Undisputed Boxing Game has officially launched and it's already taking the gaming world by storm. With realistic graphics, fluid gameplay, and a roster of legendary boxers and current champions, this game has everything you need to live out your boxing dreams. The Key Features that Make the Undisputed Boxing Game a Knockout Realistic Graphics: Say goodbye to cartoonish graphics and hello to stunning, lifelike visuals that bring the action right to you. Smooth Gameplay: The controls are intuitive and responsive, allowing for a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience. Legends and Champions Roster: Choose from some of the greatest boxers of all time, or compete as a current champion. The choice is yours. Create Your Own Champion in Career Mode: Build your own boxer from the ground up and lead them to greatness in the Career Mode. Multiplayer Mayhem: Take on friends and other players from around the world in intense multiplayer matches. What Sets the Undisputed Boxing Game Apart from the Rest The Undisputed Boxing Game stands out from other boxing video games in its focus on realism. From the hyper-detailed graphics to the fluid controls, every aspect of the game has been designed to bring players as close to the real thing as possible. And with a roster of legendary boxers and current champions, players can relive some of the biggest moments in boxing history or create their own. Xbox Release: Get Ready to Knockout the Competition The game is already available on PC, but the excitement is far from over. An Xbox release is just around the corner, and Xbox gamers can look forward to even more excitement with exclusive content only available on Xbox. It's Time to Step into the Ring The Undisputed Boxing Game is the ultimate boxing experience. With its emphasis on realism and its impressive roster of top boxers, this game will have you hooked from the first punch. Whether you're a fan of the sport or just a fan of great video games, you don't want to miss out on this one.

Brandon Moreno, the flyweight champion, aims at bringing a UFC pay-per-view event to Mexico. For this purpose, Moreno plans to defend his championship for the first time against Alexandre Pantoja in his homeland. Pantoja is a competitor he has previously faced in defeat. Brandon Moreno has targeted a rematch against Pantoja in June. Following Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, the two-time UFC champion did admit that he is keen on the fight subject to the results of a knee MRI. But The Assassin Baby has revealed that he can tweak his plans and fight in September if UFC agrees to his wish, calling it an ideal scenario. “I would like to fight two more times this year – one in June and then again in November or December,” Moreno told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I was fighting three times a year. I had that rhythm before the whole thing with Figueiredo started, so I’d like to pick that rhythm back up. “But if UFC gives me the perfect excuse to wait until September for a pay-per-view in Mexico City, the launch of the Performance Institute (in Mexico), which I think this year gets launched, I think that’s an incredible excuse. I wouldn’t be surprised if they offer me, Pantoja, for the next one, so I think that would be the ideal scenario for me.” At UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the native of Tijuana defeated longtime opponent Deiveson Figueiredo to reclaim the flyweight championship. By way of a third-round TKO, Moreno was capable of ending their four-fight saga. Alexandre Pantoja is well-known to Brandon Moreno. Twice, the two 125-pounders have faced off. Their maiden encounter took place in an exhibition match during the 24th edition of The Ultimate Fighter in 2016 and once more at UFC Fight Night 129 two years after that. Moreno is now hoping to get an advantage over his enmity foe Pantoja after failing to do so both times. “When I fought him, and it’s not making excuses, Pantoja never fought the best Brandon Moreno at that time. I truly believe that, and I would love to prove that in the future.” Pantoja is not somebody that Moreno genuinely dislikes. However, Moreno and Pantoja interacted backstage following Moreno's victory at UFC 283. Moreno claimed during the post-fight media briefing that his former competitor was first extremely pleasant but transformed into a very little bit blunt.

The investigation into Conor Benn’s two failed drugs tests has been delayed due to a lack of cooperation from the boxer’s team. The WBC rankings body and a separate probe led by UK Anti-Doping and the British Boxing Board of Control are looking into the positive tests that resulted in the cancellation of Benn's October fight with Chris Eubank Jnr. Benn’s side submitted a 270-page dossier to the WBC inquiry, but they have not fully cooperated with the more meaningful UKAD and Board of Control investigation that will determine if Benn faces a doping ban. The Board of Control reportedly requested the dossier from Benn's team, but it has not been shared with their investigation. Benn has repeatedly protested his innocence over two failed tests for the female fertility drug clomifene. The positives were found in samples collected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association on July 25 and September 1 and have not yet been explained by the 26-year-old. Benn has indicated that contamination could be the cause, with his team believed to be exploring the links between the substance and heavy consumption of chicken eggs. Despite the lack of cooperation, Benn is set for an imminent return to the WBC rankings after receiving a favourable verdict in a conference call last week. Benn's legal effort is being spearheaded by Mike Morgan, the lawyer who famously got cyclist Chris Froome off a potential two-year ban. In a social media post last month, Benn said: “Been through hell and back. Thank God for science. The evidence doesn’t lie. No holes in the truth.” He wrote in a further tweet last week: “I’ve never taken a PED in my life and never would...there is a reason the WBC haven’t banned me, keep that energy when it’s all said and done and I’m proven innocent.” Benn has not yet been charged by any body and is free to continue fighting. The outcome of the investigations will determine the future of his boxing career.

The popular UFC fighter Nick Diaz claims he would have won the UFC championship if he hadn't been "f*cked over" during his career. After winning the inaugural WEC welterweight title in 2003 and defeating Robbie Lawler and Gleison Tibau, Diaz made his UFC debut in 2004. Before joining Strikeforce, the Stockton native competed for Pride and Elite XC. There, Diaz had great success, winning the organization's first 170-pound championship and successfully defending it three times before vacating it in preparation for an Octagon comeback. The UFC recently reflected on Diaz's 2011 armbar submission of "Cyborg" during his triumphant retention match against Evangelista Santos. Diaz posted the spectacular finish to his Instagram Story after getting tagged by a fan. The 39-year-old claimed he might have had a UFC belt, if not two, wrapped around his waist had events gone differently. “These motherf**kers are lucky. I got fu**ked over my whole career,” Diaz wrote. “Otherwise I have the UFC belt by now maybe both of them.” Diaz didn't have the best relationship with the UFC and the governing body of the sport; in particular, he received a $165,000 fine and a five-year suspension after testing positive for marijuana metabolites during his UFC 183 match against Anderson Silva. Even though he later got the sentence cut to 18 months and the fee to $100,000, Diaz still had to deal with another punishment in 2018 after three whereabouts failures by USADA. Diaz's strained relationship with the top MMA competitor even led to him teasing a move to Bellator and yelling, "F*ck UFC."

UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal alleges that Conor McGregor has "shot down" a massive superfight with him ahead of the Irishman's comeback to MMA. Following his second defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021, McGregor sustained a bad ankle injury that forced him to miss nearly two years of action. With only two victories in his last five UFC fights, the Dubliner has been somewhat dormant recently. However, McGregor has guaranteed an amazing comeback in 2023 now that he is fully recovered and prepared to fight. Former welterweight title challenger Masvidal was one of many UFC fighters to stake a claim as to why they should be the ones to welcome the 34-year-old back to the cage. Masvidal asserted on The MMA Hour on Monday that McGregor has declined to fight him and is perplexed as to why given the prominence and audience the match-up would generate. “I want Conor, but Conor doesn’t want me, it sucks,” he said. “He just doesn’t want it. Every time the UFC’s brought it up, he shoots it down. I don’t know why. I think I’m bigger. I think I’m quicker than him, and we both know I hit harder than him.” McGregor would make his comeback at some point in 2023, according to Dana White. However, as of right now, the UFC president has neither named an opponent nor a date in mind. White told The Daily Mirror in an interview that the star had recently finished filming a movie and had been sharing videos of himself working out.

Bellator 290 is anticipated to be a thrilling night. On February 4, Ryan Bader will face MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko to defend his heavyweight title. The Forum in Inglewood, California will host the event. The fight is a replay of their first meeting at Bellator 214, where Bader won the heavyweight Grand Prix and vacant Bellator heavyweight championship via first-round TKO over Emelianenko. Bellator 290 will be a momentous experience as well because after putting together a ridiculous 28-fight, eight-year unbeaten streak, "The Last Emperor" will be staging his final appearance. Considering his dominance in Pride, where he defeated several former UFC champions, he is acknowledged as one of the best heavyweight fighters in MMA history. On the other hand, Ryan Bader, who will be Emelianenko's final opponent, has steadily established his history at heavyweight but hasn't quite assembled a record that would qualify him as one of the greatest anyway. Almost everyone agrees that Emelianenko's accomplishment sets him in front of all fellow heavyweights in history. The current heavyweight champion in Bellator, however, considers a former college wrestling colleague, whose tenure was tragically cut short by several devastating injuries, to be the most skilled fighter he has ever witnessed perform in that category. “I would say Cain Velasquez [was the best] when he’s healthy, but the only problem is Cain couldn’t stay healthy for so long and didn’t have the résumé and the fights that Fedor did,” Bader told MMA Fighting. “I would say Cain could go out there and be the best heavyweight of all time. “If you’re going to put a label on somebody, I would say Fedor would be [the one]. He didn’t come over to the UFC but it’s not taking anything away from him. He built a legacy. He fought those guys [in Japan], beat a lot of those guys. But if you were to put [on a fight] on their best night, Fedor versus Cain, I’m going to take Cain.” Even with a professional career littered with lengthy absences due to injury, Velasquez nevertheless succeeded in winning the UFC championship twice and overcoming notable opponents like Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Velasquez endured numerous losses throughout his career and was forced to sit out for extended periods when he was unable to compete because his body literally couldn't handle it. Nevertheless, Bader maintains that at his very peak, Velasquez was completely dominant, and even during the infrequent intervals when he was capable of remaining fit, Velasquez often demonstrated this claim.

Burns and Masvidal will therefore face off in a huge welterweight co-main event at UFC 287 on April 8 after struggling to reach a deal for a long-awaited fight between the fan favorites' welterweights. Burns will engage in his second bout of the year after beating Neil Magny at UFC 283, and Masvidal will make his long-awaited comeback to end a three-fight losing streak. Both guys have been exchanging barbs on social networking sites and in media for months as the fight has been building. They have a schedule now, but Burns is not interested in a routine three-round fight. He believes Masvidal should have to defend the "BMF" championship he defeated Nate Diaz for at UFC 244 in November 2019 throughout the whole 25 minutes and five rounds. Burns presented Dana White, the president of the UFC, with the proposal and a photo of the silver BMF belt. If Gilbert Burns desires a five-round matchup against Jorge Masvidal for the BMF championship at UFC 287, the response is no. "Gamebred" is fine with a three-round co-main event except if the UFC would like to rework the contract Masvidal recently inked. “[If] they pay me BMF money, which the UFC ain’t going to up it up for more money, so sorry Gilbert,” Masvidal said Monday on The MMA Hour. “I already got my contract. I already signed my s***. I could give a f*** less.” Masvidal stated that he was hindered by several concerns, such as his pending criminal proceeding with Colby Covington, multiple health issues, and a lack of preparation time. Masvidal is attempting to fill in any holes in his wrestling that have been highlighted by prior rivals now that he is in an advantageous state. He promises to turn things around and start winning again to take Leon Edwards' gold.

Logan Paul has caused a buzz in the MMA world with his most recent social media post. Notably, the most recent post sparked rumors that Paul, who recently participated in the WWE's Royal Rumble, will join the UFC. The internet sensation has previously made suggestions that she would join the UFC and the MMA scene in general, but those claims were brushed aside as mere gossip. The internet sensation, who had been out of action recently due to an injury, unannouncedly appeared at WWE's first major event. His WWE homecoming has been tempered in light of his most recent Instagram post, though. Logan Paul tagged Dana White, the UFC president, on Instagram. The prizefighter who was formerly a YouTuber presented an unusual video in which all of his previously recorded discussions that had alluded to the signing of his UFC deal were given a special place. The internet sensation, who had been out of action recently due to an injury, unannouncedly appeared at WWE's first major event. His return to wrestling has been shelved in light of his most recent Instagram post, though. There are several indicators that a UFC contract will soon be signed. Notably, the video also included their more well-known conversation from the previous year with UFC CEO Dana White. Also included is the moment where he challenges Paddy Pimblett  posing as the British fighter's UFC debut, perhaps as a tease. Paul pleaded with the UFC president to sign him to the company during that particular conversation. Unexpectedly, White praised his skills in wrestling and boxing. As a result, White answered, "I'm not saying no." Therefore, we must wait and see what occurs tomorrow.

Jamahal Hill recently weighed in on Jon Jones, who is finally poised to return to the cage at heavyweight after a three-year absence. The freshly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion was questioned on a possible heavyweight matchup versus "Bones" in the future. Jones had previously owned the 205-pound belt that Hill now possesses. He never lost the strap in the cage, but he did give it up when he wanted to step up to heavyweight. After a long absence, Jones will make his comeback on March 4 when he competes against Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 285. Hill told the "Believe You Me" podcast that Jones is a big reason why he's had so much success in MMA, even if he's not sure when or how it would happen. “Yeah, 1,000% – I want to eventually build to a fight against Jon,” Hill said. “He’s the ultimate test. He was from the time that I came and decided I want to make this run. At first when it started it was Anderson Silva. He was the man. It was 2010 and things like that, but when he had his injury, I kind of fell off from the sport.” Hill will aim to defend his 205-pound belt in the near future. He has stated that former champion Jiri Prochazka should be his first opponent for the championship, although it is unclear whether Prochazka will be able to recover in time to compete by July or August.