Ulberg rejects the interim belt, wants a tournament

UFC Abu Dhabi's fallout drove the day, but the sharpest new thread was atop light heavyweight, where champion Carlos Ulberg waved off an interim belt and sketched a tournament to pick his 2027 challenger. Away from the octagon, Zuffa Boxing landed at Madison Square Garden behind an Edgar Berlanga comeback, and RAF turned two UFC rivalries into wrestling main events. On the undercard, Dagestan's "John Pork" and a 10-0 Russian both announced themselves.

Ulberg waves off an interim belt, pitches a 205 tournament

With his own return not expected until early 2027 as he rehabs a torn ACL, light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg came out against an interim title after UFC Abu Dhabi, instead proposing a mini-tournament: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Jiri Prochazka and Paulo Costa vs. Khalil Rountree, winners advancing to face him. Ankalaev, fresh off his fifth-round TKO of Bogdan Guskov, floated a grudge match with Costa for UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi in October. Daniel Cormier argued the finish alone already earned Ankalaev the next crack at the belt.

Why it matters: The 205-pound title is frozen until 2027, and how the UFC bridges the gap — interim belt, tournament, or a holding pattern — decides whether Ankalaev waits or has to fight again first.

Berlanga climbs off the canvas to stop Butler at Zuffa Boxing 9

At Zuffa Boxing 9 inside Madison Square Garden's Infosys Theater, Edgar Berlanga recovered from a second-round knockdown to break down Canada's Steven Butler and force a seventh-round TKO in a super middleweight brawl, rebounding from his 2025 KO loss to Hamzah Sheeraz. In the co-main, former super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins pitched a 100-90 shutout of Ricardo Salas in his welterweight debut. On the prelims, Vladyslav Sirenko knocked out Otto Wallin with one second left in the tenth round.

Why it matters: Dana White's TKO-backed boxing venture keeps stockpiling name fighters, and Berlanga and Hitchins give it two marketable American stars to headline future cards.

RAF turns UFC grudges into main events: Covington-Muhammad, Cejudo rematch

The wrestling promotion RAF made two grudge matches official. Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo 2 tops RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland for the inaugural Lightweight Crossover title, a rematch just six weeks after Dvalishvili's come-from-behind win. Colby Covington defends his Cruiserweight Crossover belt against Belal Muhammad at RAF 13 on Sept. 19 in Miami — a booking rooted in the brawl Muhammad sparked at the RAF 11 post-fight press conference in July. Both cards stream on Fox Nation.

Why it matters: RAF is leaning hard on UFC name recognition and real bad blood to sell its crossover belts, converting octagon rivalries into mat matchups without touching its elite dedicated wrestlers.

'John Pork' delivers on the hype, sets sights on Topuria

Dagestan's Magomed 'John Pork' Zaynukov justified his viral buildup on his UFC debut, battering fellow unbeaten Damian Rzepecki with elbows and front kicks over three rounds for a shutout decision to move to 9-0. He immediately called out former lightweight champ Ilia Topuria, needling Rzepecki's ties to Topuria's camp. Mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov's first note after the win was that Zaynukov shouldn't have missed a takedown.

Why it matters: The Nurmagomedov gym's prospect pipeline keeps producing lightweights, and Zaynukov's meme following plus a ready-made Topuria feud hand the UFC a marketable new 155er.

Saidov's 10-0 statement finish leaves Jacoby fearing a broken arm

Unbeaten Russian light heavyweight Muhammad Saidov made a statement UFC debut, overwhelming 20-fight octagon veteran Dustin Jacoby with punches, knees and head kicks for a second-round TKO to improve to 10-0 with nine finishes. Jacoby, who had entered on a three-fight knockout streak, said afterward he believes he broke his right arm early in the fight and would get X-rays once home.

Why it matters: A thin light heavyweight division just gained a genuine finisher, and handing a hot veteran his first stoppage loss in years is the kind of debut that fast-tracks a prospect.

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