MMA
Fatima Kline calls out former champion and former title challenger
Published
2 months agoon
Four
straight victories have Fatima Kline chasing elite competition. |
📷: Dave Mandel/Invicta FC
Fatima
Kline is aiming high after her latest win in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Kline earned a dominant unanimous decision win over Tabatha
Ricci at
UFC Oklahoma City. She is now eyeing either former strawweight
champion Weili Zhang
or former title challenger Tatiana
Suarez. While Kline has had only five UFC fights, “The
Archangel” believes her dominant performance against Ricci warrants
a high-profile matchup against Weili or Suarez next.
Fatima Kline believes she’s ready for Weili Zhang right
now
While Kline admits that Zhang and Suarez have more experience, she
believes she can compensate with her skills. The 26-year-old is
confident that she can hold her own against the best in the
world.
“It seems like everybody thinks my greatest challenge would be
Weili,†Kline told Ariel Helwani. “I think I can beat the best in
the world, so I’d be more than happy to take that, but I could see
Tatiana as well… After a performance like I had, I do expect it to
happen immediately… I think skillset-wise I can compete at the top
of the division. Sure, they might have more experience than me, but
I don't think in any way they have more skill than me. And that's
why I think I can beat the best in the world.â€
Kline (10-1) has won four straight bouts, with two finishes, since
her lone professional loss in her UFC debut in 2024.
Zhang (26-4) won the strawweight title for the second time in 2022
and defended it thrice before moving up to flyweight. The Chinese
star hasn't fought since coming up short against Valentina
Shevchenko in her flyweight title bid this past November.
Meanwhile, Suarez (12-1) rebounded with a two-fight winning streak
since suffering her only professional loss in a failed strawweight
title bid against Zhang last year.
Fatima
Kline calls for Zhang Weili or Tatiana
Suarez next:“It seems like everybody thinks my greatest challenge would be
Weili… I think I can beat the best in the world, so I’d be more
than happy to take that, but I could see Tatiana as well.” pic.twitter.com/V7uOdJNTVC— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
July 22, 2026
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MMA
Daniel Cormier thinks Manel Kape is serious threat to Joshua Van's UFC title run: "Manel has the power to knock him out"
Published
7 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
Zuffa LLCCould Joshua Van be in for his most dangerous challenger yet in the form of Manel Kape?
Van left no doubt that he is the true 125-pound king when he defeated Alexandre Pantoja in their UFC 331 rematch this past Saturday. Van won the championship in his first encounter with Pantoja due to an injury. He went on to have a successful title defense against Tatsuro Taira, but many felt the rematch with Pantoja was his first real test at an elite level.
Ultimately, Van shined bright and solidified his place at the top of the mountain. A dominant final round of a competitive five-round affair sealed the deal, and Van was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
A new test will emerge for Van, and the general consensus is that Kape will be become the new No. 1 contender for the flyweight gold. In a post-UFC 331 reaction video, Daniel Cormier said he thinks Kape is a credible threat to Van's title reign (h/t MMAJunkie).
“My guess is he's going to fight Manel Kape,†Cormier said. “He has been through now all the grapplers in the division, so he will not have to deal with that threat. The one area that Manel possesses that most don't is Manel has the power to knock him out. That's the difference. Manel can knock him out if he gets the opportunity.
“But in terms of a stylistic challenge, going through Taira, going through Pantoja back-to-back, he's already dealt with what most people thought would have been the biggest issue for Joshua Van, and that's the wrestling, and he passed those fights with flying colors, finishing Taira, and then tonight beating Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision.â€
UFC CEO Dana White had significant praise for Van following Saturday's event. He called the 125-pound titleholder the “greatest thing†to happen to the flyweight division in the modern era. Kape plans to spoil the party if he does indeed get dibs next.
Do you think Manel Kape would be Joshua Van's most dangerous challenger thus far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Video: All 7 UFC 331 finishes from a wild night in Los Angeles
Published
8 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
MMA
Arman Tsarukyan wants Ilia Topuria fully healed before potential grudge match: "Once I become champion, we'll talk"
Published
8 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
Zuffa LLCArman Tsarukyan believes a clash with Ilia Topuria is inevitable, but he doesn't think it should happen until “El Matador†is 100 percent ready to go.
Tsarukyan made perhaps the ultimate case for a lightweight title shot when he knocked out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round of their UFC 331 fight with an elbow. “The Batman†extended his winning streak to six, and four of those victories have been finishes. Even longtime UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes Tsarukyan can no longer be denied a title fight against Justin Gaethje next.
Prior to Tsarukyan's win over Ruffy, UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik said he believes there have been discussions within the UFC brass about potentially booking a title rematch between Gaethje and Topuria. In the aftermath of UFC 331, Tsarukyan told Sport24 that he'll be willing to fight Topuria, but only after he gets his hands on Gaethje and captures the 155-pound gold (via Home of Fight).
“Let Ilia see an ophthalmologist and take some time to fully recover, maybe another four or five months,†Tsarukyan said. “Once I become champion, we'll talk. I'd be happy to fight him.â€
Topuria was battered to the point where he suffered a broken orbital in his lightweight title loss against Gaethje in the UFC Freedom 250 main event back in June. “El Matador†accused Gaethje of loading his gloves, but UFC CEO Dana White has dismissed that claim.
It's hard to imagine Tsarukyan's next fight not being contested for a UFC championship, but he won't be getting one until at least 2027. Gaethje has said that both his hands haven't fully healed stemming from injuries suffered in the victory over Topuria, and he doesn't plan on fighting again for the remainder of 2026.
Do you think we'll see Arman Tsarukyan vs. Ilia Topuria at some point next year? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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