Bryan
Battle is ready to welcome Jake Paul to
MMA, but doesn’t believe the YouTuber-turned-boxer wants to face
him.

The
Professional Fighters League middleweight defeated Dalton
Rosta by split decision in the main event of
PFL Charlotte at Bojangles Coliseum, securing his first victory
under the PFL banner after losing to Johnny
Eblen in his promotional debut. After the fight, he discussed
the prospect of fighting Paul.

Bryan Battle welcomes Jake Paul fight but doesn't see it
materializing

Following the win over Rosta, Battle was asked about the
possibility of sharing the cage with Paul, whose
Most Valuable Promotions recently merged with the PFL in a
landmark deal that will bring the two combat sports brands under
the MVP banner.

“I would,†Battle answered. “I don't think Jake Paul would fight
me. But I would fight Jake Paul for sure.â€

The call-out comes as Paul remains a central figure in the newly
formed MVP-PFL operation. Although he's only competed in boxing so
far, he has repeatedly discussed eventually making his MMA debut.
Meanwhile, Battle went 7-1 in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship but exited the promotion
following a string of weight misses. He's now 1-1 in the PFL.

Bryan
Battle vs. Jake Paul??
👀#PFLCharlotte
| Main Card LIVE NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/a2SZfUqpcr

— PFL (@PFLMMA)
August 8, 2026

Quillan
Salkilld vaulted into the top tier of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division with his
impressive win over Mateusz
Gamrot.

The
Dana White's Contender Series alum is now 6-0 inside the
Octagon after submitting Gamrot in the first round of the
UFC Vegas 120 main event at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Quillan Salkilld had to overcome nerves before maiden UFC main
event

Salkilld called out Gamrot after his win over Beneil
Dariush. It was expected to be a challenging matchup, given the
Polish 155-pounder's wrestling credentials and durability. However,
Salkilld shut down Gamrot's offense before taking his counterpart's
back, locking in a rear-naked choke and forcing the tap in his
first UFC main event.

The Australian recently detailed how nervous he was before the
bout.

“I sh*t myself, yeah,†Salkilld said in a post-fight interview. “I
was nervous… I tried to stay as calm as possible and I think I did
a pretty good job actually of staying poised in there. I was just
focusing on having fun.â€

Salkilld called for a top-ranked opponent after beating Gamrot, but
opted against naming names.

“I just get into the zone.â€

Quillan
Salkilld (@quillansalkilld)
stayed composed in his first main event and sent a statement with a
first-round submission win.
#UFCVegas120

Complete Main Card Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/2SMuf803ZZ

Official Scorecards: https://t.co/jjYl26N5J0 pic.twitter.com/JpBJ8O7zZ2

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
August 9, 2026

Matt
Brown recently went off on fans for mocking Anthony
Smith's recent run-in with the law.

Smith was arrested in Sarpy County on charges of domestic assault
causing serious bodily injury, first-degree false imprisonment and
terroristic threats. He allegedly forced his wife into a car and
tried to run her over when she managed to get out. Witnesses who
helped Smith's wife and children reportedly heard gunshots from
inside the retired veteran's house.

Matt Brown slams Anthony Smith backlash: ‘We don't know what
happened'

While Brown isn't downplaying the gravity of the incident, he
doesn't like the nature of the backlash Smith is facing from fans.
He notes that further details of the incident are yet to come
out.

“I'll tell you, what turned me off on this whole thing was the fan
reaction, when I read the comments… These motherf***ers need to lay
off Anthony Smith,†Brown said on the latest episode of “The Fighter vs. The
Writerâ€.

Brown believes the incident can be treated seriously without fans
kicking Smith while he's down. The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight isn't defending
Smith's actions in any way, but he refuses to let this one episode
define the UFC analyst.

“That doesn't mean I'm going to defend what happened,†Brown added.
“We don't know what happened yet… We weren't there and neither were
a 100% of the people that are confidently judging his life from
headlines and social media posts. Headlines and social media posts
are not real life. I know Anthony personally. I know his character,
know he's a good dude. That doesn't mean good people don't make
serious f***ing mistakes. I'm not gonna pretend either that this
one moment tells the complete story of who he is. We could take
this whole thing seriously without defaming Anthony Smith. Without
making jokes, attacking his family, calling him different names and
celebrating someone's downfall.â€

A Sarpy County judge set Smith's bond at $500,000 and also ordered
him to have no contact with his wife. Notably, Smith's wife has
since released a statement in support of “Lionheart.â€

Matt Brown
blasts toxic reaction to Anthony
Smith's recent arrest:

“I know Anthony personally. I know his character. know he's a good
dude. That doesn't mean good people don't make serious f*cking
mistakes.”

(🎥 @DamonMartin)
pic.twitter.com/DR79oLLYf0

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting)
August 9, 2026