Middleweight title picture jams up before OKC

The UFC heads to Oklahoma City this weekend with former champions Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman meeting at middleweight, and both are already lobbying champion Sean Strickland while Khamzat Chimaev demands a rematch. Off the cards, UFC 329's McGregor return drew nearly 16 million viewers despite a 69-second main event, and Justin Gaethje was passed over for a Fighter of the Year ESPY.

Du Plessis-Usman winner eyes Strickland as Chimaev demands rematch

Former champions Dricus du Plessis (23-3) and Kamaru Usman (21-4) headline UFC Oklahoma City on Saturday, July 18, with both men openly campaigning for a shot at middleweight champion Sean Strickland. Du Plessis, coming off his title loss to Chimaev, says he took the Usman fight specifically to prove himself against a wrestler and holds two wins over Strickland; Usman, moving up from welterweight, is chasing two-division champion status. Meanwhile Khamzat Chimaev posted 'I'm ready' in another plea for a Strickland rematch, which du Plessis dismissed as 'ridiculous' given Chimaev has no title defenses.

Why it matters: A crowded 185-pound picture with no clear next challenger means Saturday's result, and how emphatic it is, could reorder the entire division behind Strickland.

McGregor's return pulls UFC 329 to nearly 16 million viewers

Paramount+ says UFC 329, headlined by Conor McGregor's return against Max Holloway, reached 15.9 million total viewers across the U.S. and Latin America, per Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. That falls just short of last month's UFC White House event (17 million) but peaked at 8.3 million concurrent streams, the second-biggest live event in Paramount+ history behind Super Bowl LVIII. The main event lasted only 69 seconds after McGregor injured himself, and the card went head-to-head with a World Cup quarterfinal.

Why it matters: Even a farcically short main event drew White House-adjacent numbers, underscoring how much raw drawing power McGregor still holds for the UFC's streaming era.

Crawford beats Gaethje for Fighter of the Year ESPY

Retired boxer Terence Crawford won the 2026 ESPY for Best Fighter, beating out lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, the lone MMA nominee, plus boxers Claressa Shields and Gabriela Fundora. Gaethje had been a heavy betting favorite following his upset TKO of Ilia Topuria at UFC White House and his win over Paddy Pimblett, but Crawford's win over Canelo Alvarez carried the vote. Gaethje's manager Ali Abdelaziz called the result 'mind blowing,' noting Gaethje won two fights in six months as an underdog.

Why it matters: With MMA and boxing lumped into one combat-sports category since 2018, even a career-defining title run wasn't enough to top a boxing legend, a reminder of where the sports still rank in mainstream awards voting.

Blachowicz draws unbeaten Navajo Stirling at UFC Belgrade

The UFC has booked former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (29-11-2) against unbeaten contender Navajo Stirling (10-0) in the co-main event of its first card in Serbia on August 1 at Belgrade Arena. Blachowicz was left without an opponent after Bogdan Guskov was pulled up to face Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi. Stirling, a City Kickboxing product on a five-fight win streak coming off a TKO of Ion Cutelaba, makes a quick turnaround for his first crack at a former champion. Uros Medic vs. Daniel Rodriguez headlines.

Why it matters: It's a classic gatekeeper test: the 43-year-old ex-champ returning from a torn meniscus against one of the division's fastest-rising 205ers, with real ranking stakes for Stirling.

Jon Jones keeps UFC door open, still in testing pool

Jon Jones (28-1) confirmed he remains under UFC contract and in the drug-testing pool, saying the promotion is contractually obligated to offer him fights and that he'll 'answer the call' if it comes. Jones, who cornered Gable Steveson at UFC 329 and turns 39 on Sunday, said his priority is being a father for now but sounded his most open to a return since the failed White House talks. He also downplayed his feud with Dana White, calling him a 'homie for life' and stressing they can still do business.

Why it matters: A Jones return still looms over the heavyweight division, and his thawing relationship with White keeps a superfight, most obviously against Tom Aspinall, theoretically alive.

ONE returns to Bangkok with Di Bella-Zhang title rematch and Crevar

ONE Championship runs two Lumpinee Stadium cards this week, headlined by The Inner Circle 22, where strawweight kickboxing champion Jonathan Di Bella (15-1) defends against Zhang Peimian (20-5) in a rematch nearly four years in the making. The card also features 19-year-old grappling phenom Helena Crevar, the No. 1 pound-for-pound women's grappler, moving up in weight against Paige Clymer. On ONE Fight Night 45, Scottish Muay Thai striker Stephen Irvine debuts on the global roster in a flyweight co-main against Suablack Tor Pran49, who missed weight twice before making the limit on his third try.

Why it matters: ONE's Muay Thai and grappling pipeline keeps producing crossover names like Crevar, who is openly angling for super fights against MMA's biggest women's stars.

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