A welterweight matchup between Rhys McKee
and Ernesto
Rodriguez has been added to the
Professional Fighters League's upcoming event in Dubai.

McKee will meet Rodriguez on Nov. 14 at
PFL Dubai as the Northern Irish fighter looks to build momentum
in the welterweight division. He made a successful PFL debut in
April, while his Cuban-American counterpart is 1-1 in the
promotion.

Rhys McKee sees major stakes in his PFL Dubai fight against
Ernesto Rodriguez

McKee (15-7-1) endured two unsuccessful stints in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, going 0-2 and 1-3 on either
side of a championship run with
Cage Warriors.

He returned to the win column in his PFL debut at the promotion's
Belfast event in April, earning a decision victory over Alex
Lohore. “Skeletor†is excited about the stakes of his upcoming
bout and believes a victory could earn him a place in the
rankings.

“I’ve seen how big an event is there and know it’ll be a special
night, having a fight that will put me straight into the rankings
with a tough opponent in Ernesto; it’s all to play for,†McKee said
(via BBC).

Meanwhile, Rodriguez enters the matchup looking to rebound from his
short-notice defeat to Thad Jean in
July. He challenged Jean for the PFL welterweight title but lost
via technical knockout in the third round.

ð™’ð™€ð™‡ð™ð™€ð™ð™’ð™€ð™„ð™‚ð™ƒð™ ð™Žð™ƒð™Šð™’ð˜¿ð™Šð™’𙉠ð˜¼ð™ ð™‹ð™ð™‡ ð˜¿ð™ð˜½ð˜¼ð™„

#7 ranked Ernesto
Rodriguez returns on Saturday, November 14th clashes with
Rhys
McKee at PFL Dubai in a fun Welterweight matchup!

It all goes down LIVE from the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai 🇦🇪#PFLDubai
| Saturday… pic.twitter.com/eewsq6ywK0

— PFL (@PFLMMA)
September 30, 2026

Deiveson
Figueiredo has been training in Thailand in preparation for his
next bantamweight challenge.

The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight titleholder will face
Payton
Talbott at UFC
332 on Oct. 3 in Salt Lake City. After suffering four defeats
in his last five fights, the Brazilian has spent his latest
training camp in Thailand sharpening his muay thai.

Deiveson Figueiredo sharpens Muay Thai and grappling for Payton
Talbott

Speaking to Sherdog, Figueiredo said the trip was initially
intended as an opportunity to spend a month training and
experiencing Thailand before the UFC presented him with the matchup
against Talbott.

“Actually, I came here to spend a month sharpening my muay thai and
experiencing Thailand, which had been a longtime dream of mine,â€
Figueiredo said. “When I got here, the UFC offered me this fight,
so I decided to do my entire camp here.â€

Figueiredo worked on his striking with Phuket Fight Club head coach
Leo Elias while also training with wrestlers at the gym to sharpen
his grappling.

“Elias is everything people say he is,†Figueiredo said. “We worked
a lot on striking volume. I also got a lot of help from fighters
from Chechnya, Dagestan and Uzbekistan when it came to grappling. I
was able to learn a lot from them.â€

“Deus Da Guerra†believes he is prepared for wherever the fight
with Talbott takes place.

“I always look to mix things up. What I can say is that I'm ready
to neutralize Talbot's game, wherever the fight takes place.â€

Body language expert Inbaal Honigman believes Anthony
Joshua appeared more composed than Tyson Fury
during their first pre-fight faceoff.

Joshua and Fury are set to clash on Dec. 11 at Principality Stadium
in Cardiff, Wales. The two came face-to-face for the first time
ahead of their fight at a press conference Wednesday at Olympia
Exhibition Center in London. Honigman offered her interpretation of
the body language displayed by Joshua and Fury.

Body language expert Inbaal Honigman points to several Tyson
Fury behaviors during his first Anthony Joshua faceoff

According to Honigman, both Fury and Joshua initially appeared
confident while posing side by side. However, she interpreted
changes in Fury's behavior during the faceoff as possible signs of
nervousness or insecurity. Honigman pointed to Fury standing on the
tips of his toes, flexing his fingers and chewing while speaking as
examples.

By comparison, Honigman characterized Joshua as calm and composed.
Based on those observations, she believes Joshua is mentally better
prepared for the fight and has a better chance of winning.

“When they pose side by side, both men appear confident, standing
in a solid stance, legs strong, shoulders square, feet
shoulder-width apart — this ‘planted’ stance indicates a
self-assured attitude,†Honigman said. “But Fury then engages in
some childlike behavior, standing on the tips of his toes and being
playful, which shows that he’s a little less secure than Joshua.
Fury’s fingers flex a bit, which is a sign of nerves — unlike
Joshua, who is in complete control over his physical body, which is
a sign that he’s mentally on top, too. Fury is seen to be chewing
while he talks — perhaps a bit of gum, perhaps just a nervous,
tense jaw. While Joshua’s smile remains calm and unmoving. Fury’s
eyes dart from side to side when he talks about AJ, showing that
he’s nervous. AJ’s peaceful facial expression is a sign that he is
not afraid at all. Joshua’s serenity means that he’s better
prepared for the match than Fury is and has a better chance of
winning.â€

Fury (36-2) defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov in April to rebound from
back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. “The Gypsy
King†also won his tune-up fight against Mariusz Wach in July.
Meanwhile, Joshua (30-4) knocked out Jake Paul
last year to rebound from a knockout loss against Daniel
Dubois. Joshua survived two early knockdowns in his tune-up
fight against Kristian Prenga before scoring a second-round
knockout in July.