MMA

Alex Pereira's former LHW rival scolds him for recent Herb Dean criticism

Published

3 weeks ago

July 17, 2026

Alex Pereira's former LHW rival scolds him for recent Herb Dean criticism

Alex Pereira's former light heavyweight foe believes his post-fight attacks against referee Herb Dean are unwarranted.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira's bid to become the promotion's first three-division titleholder fell short at the hands of Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 last month. In their interim heavyweight title fight, Gane finished Pereira by Round 2 TKO to secure a rematch against undisputed champion Tom Aspinall.

Meanwhile, Pereira has gone on a social media rampage in the weeks following the Gane fight, claiming Gane landed several illegal blows in the finishing sequence of their bout. He's repeatedly slandered referee Herb Dean and called for the UFC to part ways with the longtime Mixed Martial Arts official.

Pereira has threatened to walk away from MMA if Dean continues to officiate high-profile fights. After middleweight Michel Pereira's surprising cut from the roster earlier this week, Pereira blamed Dean's indecisiveness at UFC Baku for Michel's split from the promotion.

One of Pereira's biggest rivals thinks the former two-division champ's loss to Gane was legitimate, despite several controversial moments.

Jan Blachowicz calls Alex Pereira's loss â€˜completely legitimate' despite controversies

In a recent interview with Home of Fight, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz reacted to Pereira's post-fight rants against Dean and Gane.

â€œWhat he has to say, he's gonna use it,â€ Blachowicz said of Pereira's post-fight remarks.

â€œBut he didn't look good in this fight, with all respect to him because I like him, I very much like Pereira. He didn't look good in this fight. He was heavy, slow. Ciryl was just better, even without these illegal punches.

â€œThey happened because (Gane) felt he could finish the fight,â€ he continued. â€œPereira was moving, so it's hard to (land) everything correctly. I like Alex a lot, but his loss against Ciryl was completely legitimate.â€ (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Pereira defeated Blachowicz by split decision in his UFC light heavyweight debut at UFC 291. Later that year, Pereira defeated Jiri Prochazka for the then-vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 295.

Do you agree with Jan Blachowicz's stance on Alex Pereira's loss? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

MMA

Allan Nascimento dies at 34 after apparent heart attack, UFC mourns

Published

6 hours ago

August 7, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Allan Nascimento dies at 34 after apparent heart attack, UFC mourns

The mixed martial arts world is mourning the sudden death of
Allan
Nascimento.

Nascimento (22-7) was reportedly found unresponsive on Monday, Aug.
3. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight suffered a heart
attack in his sleep and was pronounced deceased at the scene by
medical responders.

UFC and Chute Boxe pay tribute after flyweight Allan Nascimento
dies at age 34

The UFC posted a condolence message on social media.

â€œThis morning, Monday, Aug. 3, our beloved flyweight fighter, Allan
Nascimento, was found unresponsive after suffering an apparent
heart attack in his sleep. Despite the efforts of the responding
medical team, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Our thoughts
and deepest condolences are with Allan’s family, friends,
teammates, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult
time.â€

His team,
Chute Boxe, also took to social media to share a message.

â€œToday, our team loses much more than an athlete; we have lost a
warrior, a friend, a dedicated competitor, and an extraordinary
human being who earned the respect and admiration of all who had
the privilege of knowing him. Allan inspired on and off the mats
with his determination, humility, respect and fighting spirit.â€

Nascimento originally started competing in muay thai in 2008. Due
to his skinny frame, he earned the nickname â€œPuro Osso,â€ meaning
skin and bones. Nascimento transitioned to MMA soon after and paid
his dues on the regional circuit for a decade before making his UFC
debut in 2021. The 34-year-old went 4-2 in the UFC and was coming
off a narrow split decision loss against Mitch
Raposo in June.

This morning, Monday, August 3rd, our
beloved flyweight fighter, Allan
Nascimento, was found unresponsive after suffering an apparent
heart attack in his sleep. Despite the efforts of the responding
medical team, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Our thoughts and deepestâ€¦ pic.twitter.com/vlaBaBOyJr

â€” UFC (@ufc) August
3, 2026

MMA

Roberto Soldic announces free agency after ONE Championship contract expires

Published

6 hours ago

August 7, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Roberto Soldic announces free agency after ONE Championship contract expires

Roberto Soldic has entered free agency after his ONE Championship contract expired, the 31-year-old veteran announced Friday.

The former KSW two-division champion only fought three times under the ONE banner between 2021 and 2025, stopping Dagi Arslanaliev in spectacular fashion (watch here) in his most recent bout after a no-contest against Murad Ramazanov and a loss to Zebaztian Kadestam in previous appearances. â€œRobocop'sâ€ latest competition was a Sept. 2025 boxing match in Poland, when he knocked out Tomasz Adamek.

â€œThank you for the journey,â€ Soldic wrote in a statement posted on social media. â€œMy time with ONE has come to an end as my contract has officially expired. I want to thank ONE Championship from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity and the incredible experience. Every fight, every challenge, and every moment inside the cage has pushed me to become a better warrior and a better person.

â€œI've gained more than just fights â€” I've gained knowledge, respect, and memories that will last a lifetime. To my fans, thank you for your unconditional support through every high and low. You are the reason I keep fighting. This is not the end. This is the beginning of what's next. See you soon.â€

Soldic had a stellar run in KSW before joining ONE, winning eight of nine bouts and capturing belts at welterweight and middleweight. The sole loss in the KSW was a knockout against future UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis, one he avenged six months later with a knockout to recapture the 170-pound belt.

MMA

PFL Charlotte results: Battle vs. Rosta

Published

7 hours ago

August 7, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

MMA Fighting has PFL Charlotte results for the Battle vs. Rosta fight card from Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday night.

In the main event, former UFC standout Bryan Battle seeks his first PFL win as he takes on PFL middleweight veteran Dalton Rosta.

Following a 7-1 (1 NC) run with the UFC that was marred by weight misses, Battle parted ways with the promotion this past August and scored a pair of Dirty Boxing knockout victories before joining the PFL. He lost to former Bellator champion Johnny Eblen in his league debut, and now takes aim at Rosta, who seeks to stop a two-fight skid.

Light heavyweights Dovlet Yagshimuradov and Simeon Powell square off.

The PFL Charlotte prelim card kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with the main card following at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Check out the PFL Charlotte results below.

Bryan Battle vs. Dalton Rosta

Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov vs. Simeon Powell

Aaron Jeffery def. Josh Silveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Lewis McGrillen def. Brandon Lewis via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Josh Fremd def. Jhony Gregory via TKO (punches) â€” 1:44, Round 2

Denis Goltsov def. Hasan Mezhiev via TKO (head kick and punches) â€” 0:52, Round 1

Cheyden Leialoha def. Robbie Ring via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Cheyanne Bowers def. Elora Dana via submission (rear-naked choke) â€” 3:36, Round 1

Landry Ward def. Michael Boylan via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)