Bella Mir stunned in biggest Contender Series upset ever

Contender Series delivered the shock of the year as Bella Mir, a -6000 favorite, was outworked and bloodied by +1500 underdog Alex Apodaca in the biggest upset in DWCS history. Away from the cage, Charles Oliveira pitched a three-belt Gaethje rematch and Islam Makhachev mapped out his exit, while Shogun Rua and Darren Till lined up crossover fights on the way out of MMA.

Bella Mir bloodied in biggest DWCS upset as White hands out five contracts

Bella Mir, daughter of former UFC champ Frank Mir and the largest betting favorite in Contender Series history at -6000, dropped a unanimous decision (three 29-28 cards) to +1500 underdog Alex Apodaca in the Week 3 main event at Meta Apex. Apodaca stuffed takedowns, outstruck the fading prospect and left her bloodied to hand Mir the first loss of her career; pros piled on afterward. Dana White still signed five fighters off the card, including first-round finishers Guilherme Uriel, Ronald Humphrey and Nick Galanti.

Why it matters: The most-hyped women's prospect in years got a brutal reality check at 23, and the manufactured 'best athlete of all time' narrative collapsed in 15 minutes — a reminder that name and odds mean nothing once the cage closes.

Oliveira pitches three-belt Gaethje rematch, rejects Pimblett and Arman

BMF champion Charles Oliveira says he's next in line for Justin Gaethje and wants their UFC 274 sequel with the lightweight title, BMF belt and Gaethje's commemorative White House belt all on the line. Oliveira dismissed title eliminators against Arman Tsarukyan or Paddy Pimblett, saying he'll wait until Gaethje is ready even if that means early 2027. He confirmed the UFC offered him Mauricio Ruffy but he turned it down over short notice; Ruffy now faces Tsarukyan at UFC 331.

Why it matters: Oliveira is trying to leapfrog the Tsarukyan-Ruffy winner on story value alone, and the UFC's answer will decide whether the lightweight title picture runs through merit or marketing.

Makhachev eyes three more fights and a Prates defense before retiring

Fresh off breaking Anderson Silva's UFC record with his 17th straight win over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330, welterweight champ Islam Makhachev says he has 'at least three more very hard and exciting fights' left and wants to reach a 20-win streak before walking away. The 34-year-old admitted the Garry bout was tougher than expected and named Carlos Prates as his preferred next defense, with Michael Morales and Shavkat Rakhmonov also looming.

Why it matters: Unlike GST-Pierre, Khabib or Jones, the pound-for-pound king is signing up to run the welterweight gauntlet rather than protect his legacy — the surest path to settling the GOAT debate for good.

Shogun Rua plans to retire after Glover Teixeira boxing match

Former UFC and PRIDE champion Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua says his Saturday boxing bout against Glover Teixeira at Spaten Fight Night 3 in Sao Paulo will likely be the last time he competes. The two ex-champions retired from MMA on the same night at UFC 283 in January 2023, and Rua came out of retirement only to check this crossover off his list. Head coach Andre Dida is barred from the arena over a brawl at last year's Spaten event.

Why it matters: A genuine send-off for one of the most beloved fighters of the PRIDE and early-UFC light heavyweight eras, closing the book on a rivalry two decades in the making.

Darren Till says he'll fight Yoel Romero on a torn ACL at BKFC 94

Darren Till revealed he is 'still walking around with a torn ACL' — plus a torn MCL in the other knee — ahead of his Sept. 26 bare-knuckle main event against Yoel Romero at BKFC 94 in Manchester. The 33-year-old, who last fought MMA in a 2022 loss to Dricus du Plessis, says he's delaying knee surgery to cash in on bare-knuckle and boxing bouts but hasn't closed the door on an MMA return once he's healthy.

Why it matters: Till remains one of the sport's biggest UK draws, and the injury details underline how far his body has kept him from the Octagon even as promoters keep dangling a comeback.

Shara Magomedov to wrestle Neiman Gracie on Chimaev's RAF Moscow card

UFC middleweight Shara 'Bullet' Magomedov (17-1) will make his Real American Freestyle debut against former Bellator title contender Neiman Gracie at RAF Moscow on Sept. 5 at VTB Arena. Gracie, a fourth-generation member of the Gracie family, steps in after original opponent Alexander Shlemenko was reshuffled to an October card. The event is headlined by Khamzat Chimaev's wrestling bout with Tyron Woodley.

Why it matters: RAF's rapid crossover pull continues, pulling active UFC contenders and a Gracie onto its expanding international slate as the wrestling promotion pushes past its first year.

Rodrigues reveals infection outbreak among health issues in Sacramento camp

Gregory Rodrigues detailed a brutal training camp before his UFC Sacramento win over Anthony Hernandez, initially citing a herpes outbreak — later edited to 'a lot of infections outbreak' — alongside a dislocated finger, a locked-up back and a weakened immune system. It's unclear whether any contagious skin issue was active during fight week or flagged to the California commission; comparable cases have scrapped bouts on fight day. Rodrigues still dropped Hernandez three times and has called for Dricus du Plessis.

Why it matters: Suspected skin infections have pulled fighters off cards this year, so a champion-tier contender publicly disclosing one after competing raises real commission and safety questions.

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