Jones owns Steveson's ugly cage exit

The UFC 331 fallout dominated Monday, but the freshest thread was the wreckage around Gable Steveson: he bolted from the cage before the result was read, and Jon Jones stepped up to take the blame. Away from the recriminations, Paulo Costa turned a contract dispute into a public ultimatum, the post-331 rankings were made official, and PFL filled out its final Dubai card.

Jones takes the blame as Steveson's meltdown draws piling-on

Jon Jones said it was his call to rush Gable Steveson straight to the back after the 12-second KO by Sean Sharaf, explaining the booed cage exit that saw Steveson leave before Bruce Buffer read the result. Henry Cejudo urged Steveson to take a full year off to fix his striking defense, while Israel Adesanya and Joe Rogan told him to log off and get back in the gym. Valter Walker argued the fight-week abuse over Steveson's 2019 allegations 'mentally f***ed' him before the loss.

Why it matters: The most-hyped wrestling prospect the UFC has signed just cratered on his biggest night, and how he handles the fallout — and the striking holes everyone now sees — will define whether he's a future contender or a cautionary tale.

Costa gives UFC an ultimatum; Ankalaev volunteers as the 'get-out-of-jail-free card'

Paulo Costa went public with his contract standoff, laying out three options for chief business officer Hunter Campbell: honor the three-round fight already in his deal, offer a five-round light heavyweight bout in six weeks with raised pay, or release him now. Costa, coming off finishes of Roman Kopylov and Azamat Murzakanov and already linked to boxing manager Eddie Hearn, has one fight left. Ex-champ Magomed Ankalaev volunteered, telling Costa a win over him means free agency and millions while a loss was expected anyway.

Why it matters: It's another Hearn-managed fighter openly feuding with the UFC over money and terms, and it exposes a stalled light heavyweight division with champion Carlos Ulberg sidelined into 2027.

Post-331 rankings made official: Aspinall drops to No. 1, Chito Vera back in the mix

The UFC rankings were formally updated after UFC 331, with Ciryl Gane installed as heavyweight champion and Tom Aspinall demoted to No. 1 following his decision to vacate over his eye injury. Marlon Vera re-entered the bantamweight top 15 after beating Charles Jourdain, while Edmen Shahbazyan, Alonzo Menifield and Casey O'Neill also climbed. Israel Adesanya offered sympathy for Aspinall, calling him a champion who 'did it the right way,' as recovery updates continued to circulate.

Why it matters: The heavyweight picture is now official on paper even as fans debate a champion crowned without a fight, and the divisional reshuffles set up the next round of matchmaking.

PFL books Habirora-El Dafrawy for its final Dubai card before the MVP merger

PFL added a ranked welterweight co-main event for its Nov. 14 show at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena, pairing undefeated Belgian prospect Patrick Habirora (9-0) against former PFL MENA champion Omar El Dafrawy (16-6). Habirora has knocked out three straight former UFC fighters, including a 20-second finish of Benson Henderson in May. The card, PFL's last in Dubai before merging with Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, is headlined by Vadim Nemkov's heavyweight title defense against Sergey Bilostenniy and also features Abubakar Nurmagomedov's return.

Why it matters: It's a real building block for one of the PFL's most dangerous young finishers, on the promotion's final Dubai date before a restructuring that reshapes its 2027 landscape.

Kape stakes his claim to Van: 'I'll make this fight look easy'

Manel Kape moved to the front of the flyweight title queue after Joshua Van's decision win over Alexandre Pantoja, promising to 'paint a masterpiece' against the champion and even joking he'll weigh 160 pounds by fight night. On a four-fight knockout streak, Kape opened as roughly a -200 favorite, making Van an underdog for a title defense that isn't yet booked. Daniel Cormier endorsed Kape as a genuine threat, noting he brings the one thing Van's recent grappling-heavy opponents lacked: one-punch power.

Why it matters: After surviving Taira and Pantoja, Van's next likely challenge is a pure striker who can end it in an instant — the first matchup where the champion isn't the sharpest hitter in the cage.

Also worth a look

Browse previous days →