MMA
Dana White explains why he’s not ready to crown Islam Makhachev as the GOAT just yet
Published
1 month agoon
Islam Makhachev has a chance to add to his already impressive resume when he defends his welterweight title for the first time at UFC 330 after already setting the record for the most title defenses in UFC lightweight history.
As if defending belts in two divisions isn't enough, Makhachev can also break Anderson Silva's record for the most consecutive wins in UFC history with both tied at 16 currently. For everything that Makhachev has achieved, it's easy to understand why he's already entering the conversation as possibly the greatest of all-time but UFC CEO Dana White isn't ready to hand him that crown just yet.
With Makhachev just days away from facing Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 main event, White prefers waiting at least until that fight ends before he starts stacking anymore accolades on Makhachev's resume.
“I don't think about that stuff until the fight happens,†White said during the Contender Series post-fight press conference. “When we see his performance on Saturday, let's see how it plays out, but obviously breaking [Anderson Silva's] record, you keep grinding, you keep fighting, you put your head down and just keep f*cking knocking guys down left and right, by the time you say ‘you know what? I'm done,' then we all figure out where he ends up in the big pictures. He's on the right path, that's for sure.â€
Makhachev is already the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and he can sit in even more rarified air if he defends his welterweight title on Saturday night.
But until that fight happens, White isn't ready to start making any kind of declarations about Makhachev joining the GOAT conversation along other all-time greats like Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre.
“He's got all the things there to be the guy,†White said. “I think we should talk about this Saturday night after the fight and see what we all thing based on his performance on Saturday and breaking the record.â€
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MMA
Video: All 7 UFC 331 finishes from a wild night in Los Angeles
Published
55 minutes agoon
September 21, 2026
MMA
UFC 334 odds: Ciryl Gane, Kayla Harrison favored in title fights
Published
2 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
334's lineup has been revealed, as have the opening odds.
In the main event, Ciryl Gane
is set to defend the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title against
Josh
Hokit on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The
card is co-headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Kayla
Harrison and Amanda
Nunes.
BetOnline has released its current odds for
both championship bouts, with Gane favored over Hokit and Harrison
favored over Nunes.
UFC 334 betting lines move for Gane-Hokit and
Harrison-Nunes
Gane opened at -150 and is now at -235. The Frenchman is favored to
beat the undefeated Hokit, who is currently listed at +195. Both
fighters secured finishes at
UFC Freedom 250 in their last outings. Gane was promoted to
undisputed champ after Tom
Aspinall vacated the belt.
The Harrison-Nunes line was originally released in November 2025
after they were announced for
UFC 324, with Harrison opening at -155 and Nunes at +135. The
fight fell through after Harrison sustained a neck injury and
they're finally set to collide in November.
The current women's 135-pound champ is now at -210, while the Hall
of Famer has dropped to +175.
MMA
Arman Tsarukyan crushes Mauricio Ruffy, strengthens UFC title-shot case
Published
4 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
Tsarukyan cemented his status as the No.1 contender at
lightweight in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship with a first-round knockout
win.
Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio
Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the dying seconds of the
opening round in UFC
331's co-main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, further
strengthening his case for a title shot.
Tsarukyan finishes Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the UFC
331 co-main event
Tsarukyan admitted the opening minutes of the bout were challenging
after Ruffy connected with some clean strikes, but he remained
confident that he would eventually find a finish.
“I feel great,†Tsarukyan said in a post-fight interview. “I was
looking for a finish and even the first round was kind of rough,
but I knew, like, I'm going to finish him. First punches, it's
always hard to defend because both of us, we're fresh. But Ruffy is
one of the best strikers, you know, we shouldn't forget about
that.â€
“The Batman†had swelling around his eye courtesy of a punch from
Ruffy, but managed to mix his martial arts and find the finish.
“I'm such a well-rounded fighter,†Tsarukyan added. “I know, like,
with wrestling, only wrestling, you cannot win the fights. You've
got to mix it up. I made the best statement that I could do
today.â€
“I made the best statement I could
today.”Arman
Tsarukyan (@ArmanUFC) let his
performance speak for itself tonight at #CryptoCom
#UFC331Complete Main Card Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/6GSVkvH0f4
Official Scorecards: https://t.co/2L2Ig3cENB pic.twitter.com/BygFCtUWWd
— UFC News (@UFCNews)
September 20, 2026
Video: All 7 UFC 331 finishes from a wild night in Los Angeles
UFC 334 odds: Ciryl Gane, Kayla Harrison favored in title fights
Arman Tsarukyan crushes Mauricio Ruffy, strengthens UFC title-shot case
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