MMA

Jake Paul wants to challenge the UFC; TKOs response wasnt what many expected

Published

2 months ago

August 6, 2026

Jake Paul wants to challenge the UFC; TKO's response wasn't what many expected

The
Ultimate Fighting Championship's parent company, TKO Group
Holdings, is unfazed by the recent merger between
Most Valuable Promotions and the
Professional Fighters League.

Following the announcement that Jake Paul's
promotion and the PFL will merge operations under the MVP banner
while continuing to promote boxing and MMA, TKO Group Holdings
President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro shared his views
on the latest major development in the combat sports industry.

TKO’s Mark Shapiro welcomes Jake Paul’s MVP-PFL merger, says
competition makes UFC stronger

The MVP-PFL union prompted questions about whether the combined
promotion could eventually challenge the UFC’s position atop the
sport. So far, UFC CEO Dana
White, several former fighters and now TKO Group Holdings' COO
have all rejected the idea that UFC could be surpassed.

Rather than dismissing the newly formed promotion, Shapiro
suggested that increased competition could ultimately benefit the
combat sports landscape.

An elite
middleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune in on Friday, Aug.
7 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

â€œI would say that clearly on an individual, standalone basis, these
promotions, both MVP and PFL, were not necessarily sustainable,â€
Shapiro said on a recent call with investors. â€œNow they've come
together and we'll see what they can conjure up. What we know is
that competition has always made us stronger and a rising tide
lifts all boats.â€

Shapiro’s comments were more measured than White's, who previously
dismissed the merged promotion as a serious threat.

The new company plans to absorb the PFL into the MVP brand while
maintaining separate boxing and MMA events. Paul has made his
intention to challenge UFC for the top spot clear. That ambition is
supported by MVP’s early momentum, including its inaugural MMA
event in May, which drew strong viewership on Netflix. Paul has
also teased another major MMA card for 2027, one that could
potentially feature his mixed martial arts debut.

MMA

Dustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight

Published

17 hours ago

October 6, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Dustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight

Dustin
Poirier will do whatever it takes to help his teammates.

Poirier recently recalled an incident in which he helped a teammate
make weight illegally. Poirier's friend was over the weight limit
for a fight in Mississippi, and the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship interim titleholder resorted to
manipulating the scale to help him.

Dustin Poirier details how he lifted an overweight teammate
during a Mississippi weigh-in

Fighters shed every bit of clothing and stand behind a towel when
they're close to the weight limit. Poirier stood behind the towel
with his teammate while everyone else was on the other side. â€œThe
Diamondâ€ claims he slightly lifted his friend so that he made
weight.

â€œOne time one of my buddies was fighting in Mississippi,â€ Poirier
said on the â€œDeep Watersâ€ podcast. â€œAnd they had the towel out, he
was naked, he was over [the weight limit]. I was behind the towel
with him. Everybody was in front. I grabbed a handful of hairy man
*ss cheeks and I lifted him up a little bit, got him on
weight.â€

Poirier (30-10) hung up his gloves after losing to Max
Holloway last year. He has since admitted that he misses
fighting and hasn't entirely ruled out a return.

Don’t say that @DustinPoirier doesn’t help
out his teammates ðŸ¤£ [ Deep Waters | LIVE NOW
https://t.co/xUDYk5Yr7K ] https://t.co/pSaLFqM3Hk

â€” UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
October 5, 2026

MMA

Dustin Poirier admits he helped teammate cheat scale to make weight

Published

17 hours ago

October 6, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Dustin
Poirier will do whatever it takes to help his teammates.

Dustin Poirier details how he lifted an overweight teammate
during a Mississippi weigh-in

Poirier (30-10) hung up his gloves after losing to Max
Holloway last year. He has since admitted that he misses
fighting and hasn't entirely ruled out a return.

Don’t say that @DustinPoirier doesn’t help
out his teammates ðŸ¤£ [ Deep Waters | LIVE NOW
https://t.co/xUDYk5Yr7K ] https://t.co/pSaLFqM3Hk

â€” UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
October 5, 2026

MMA

DWCS Results : LaGrange vs. Ariano

Published

17 hours ago

October 6, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

MMA Fighting has DWCS results for the LaGrange vs. Ariano fight card and more from the Meta APEX in

In the main event, Preston LaGrange tries to hand Nell Ariano (6-0) his first career loss in a light heavyweight competition. LaGrange (6-1) has won two fights via submission since his lone career defeat.

Former UFC employee Sal Everett faces fellow undefeated Ozzy Martin in a welterweight contest in the co-main event. Both Everett and Martin are 4-0 in the pro careers so far.

Check out DWCS results below.

Preston LaGrange def. Nell Ariano via KO (punch) â€” 2:24, Round 1

Sal Everett def. Ozzy Martin via KO (punch) â€” 1:57, Round 1

Roque Conceicao def. Alexander Chavez via submission (triangle choke) â€” 3:37, Round 1

Mateus Soares def. Ryuho Miyaguchi via TKO (punches) â€” 1:03, Round 1

Alivia Bierley def. Summer Onley via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Note: Tonight's event is the ninth week of DWCS in season 10. In this season, the UFC has awarded 38 deals through competition, including four last week.