MMA

Former Bellator title challenger suspended for cocaine metabolite finding

Published

2 months ago

August 27, 2026

Former Bellator title challenger suspended for cocaine metabolite finding

Alejandra
Lara has been suspended and fined by the Nevada Athletic
Commission after reportedly testing
positive for a cocaine metabolite.

The commission recently announced that Lara settled for a
nine-month suspension stemming from a positive test for
benzoylecgonine. She was also fined $412.50 and ordered to pay
$250.60 in legal fees.

Alejandra Lara reportedly tested positive for cocaine
metabolite benzoylecgonine

Lara will become eligible to return on Jan. 24, 2027. The
32-year-old Colombian reportedly tested positive in connection with
her April 24 bout at Tuff-N-Uff
153. Lara lost the fight to Jaleen Robledo via third-round
guillotine.

The defeat dropped Lara’s record to 12-10 and she's gone 3-3 since
departing Bellator
in 2023.

Lara spent much of her Bellator tenure competing in the promotion’s
women’s flyweight division. She went 3-6 inside the organization
and challenged Ilima-Lei
Macfarlane for the Bellator women’s flyweight title in June
2018. Lara lost the bout via third-round armbar.

MMA

Nina Drama denies being forced to wear hijab for Movsar Evloev interview

Published

8 hours ago

October 27, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Nina Drama denies being 'forced' to wear hijab for Movsar Evloev interview

Nina-Marie Daniele says she wore a hijab for her interview with
Movsar
Evloev out of respect.

Evloev is scheduled to challenge Alexander
Volkanovski for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Daniele's
decision to wear a hijab while interviewing the Muslim fighter drew
criticism online, prompting her response.

Nina-Marie Daniele explains why she wore a hijab for Movsar
Evloev interview ahead of UFC 333

During the interview, Evloev said his religious beliefs would
prevent him from looking at her if she were dressed less modestly.
Daniele defended her choice, explaining that she wanted to make him
comfortable. She also said participation in her interviews is
voluntary and that no one forced her to wear the hijab.

â€œAt the end of the day it's always about respect,â€ Daniele wrote on
X. â€œI have so much respect for all my Muslim friends. I love
learning about cultures and I'm so grateful for the UFC for giving
me the opportunity to travel the world. Some people are offended
and that's fine, this came from a place of respect and wanting to
be able to make Movsar
Evloev comfortable in our interview. My interviews are not
â€˜mandatory' and never were, the fighters that show up show up
because they want to and I was in no way shape or form â€˜forced' to
do anything. Thank you to Movsar and his team for giving me the
opportunity to show the fans a different side of him! I'm so happy
people are enjoying the interview!â€

At the end of the day it's always about
respect. I have so much respect for all my Muslim friends. I love
learning about cultures and I'm so grateful for the UFC for giving
me the opportunity to travel the world. Some people are offended
and that's fine, this came from a place of respect and wanting to
be able to make Movsar
Evloev comfortable in our interview. My interviews are not
â€œmandatoryâ€ and never were, the fighters that show up show up
because they want to and I was in no way shape or form â€œforcedâ€ to
do anything. Thank you to Movsar and his team for giving me the
opportunity to show the fans a different side of him! I'm so happy
people are enjoying the interview!

â€” Nina-Marie Daniele (@Ninadrama)
October 21, 2026

MMA

Arman Tsarukyan wrestles Anthony Pettis in RAF 15 main event

Published

9 hours ago

October 27, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Arman Tsarukyan wrestles Anthony Pettis in RAF 15 main event

Anthony Pettis is out of his scheduled RAF debut against Donald Cerrone and is instead hunting bigger game.

On Tuesday, Real American Freestyle announced that Pettis will challenge Arman Tsarukyan for his RAF middleweight crossover title in the main event of RAF 15, which takes place on Nov. 28 at NOW Arena in Chicago.

RAF 15 was originally set to be headlined by Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong. That bout now serves as the co-main event.

MMA Fighting confirmed that Tsarukyan is still wrestling Neiman Gracie at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14 in a non-title bout. Meanwhile, Donald Cerrone is now out of RAF 15 altogether.

Tsarukyan won the vacant RAF crossover middleweight title this past weekend with a tech fall over Dillon Danis at RAF 14 in Las Vegas.

Pettis, meanwhile, has never competed in freestyle wrestling before, and last competed in any combat sport in 2024, losing a unanimous decision to Chris Avila in a boxing match.

Mike Heck contributed to this report.

MMA

Morning Report | Paddy Pimblett: Movsar Evloev ‘quit’ in loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333

Published

19 hours ago

October 27, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Morning Report | Paddy Pimblett: Movsar Evloev ‘quit’ in loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333

Movsar Evloev, 20-0 no longer. But apparently, his UFC 333 loss to Alexander Volkanovski is deeper than that.

The top featherweight contender updated his Instagram bio following his disappointing knockout defeat at the hands of Volkanovski, but not to 20-1.

Instead, Evloev is now “0-1,” signaling a new beginning, perhaps? At 32, Evloev is not a young man in the 145-pound division, but perhaps there’s still room for him to grow and even if he can’t beat Volkanovski, can he hang around long enough for Volkanovski to exit and then step into his place as a future champion?

What do you all think of Evloev’s profile tweak?