Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters and champs have weighed
in on whether Islam
Makhachev has earned GOAT status.
The Russian defended his welterweight title for the first time at
UFC
330, picking up his fifth defense overall in the UFC after a
dominant run at lightweight. His latest win, a decision victory
over Ian
Garry, served as a record-breaker, with Makhachev now the
leader for most consecutive wins in promotional history.
Chris
Weidman, Dustin
Poirier and Jorge
Masvidal have offered their takes on where he stands among the
sport’s greatest fighters.
Chris Weidman questions Islam Makhachev’s title defenses as
Dustin Poirier backs Jon Jones for UFC GOAT
In the latest episode of “Deep Waters,†Weidman, Poirier and
Masvidal shared their thoughts on whether Makhachev has earned the
right to be called the greatest fighter in UFC history.
“I am not saying that yet,†Weidman said, responding to the
question about Makhachev being the GOAT now. “Because I'm still old
school… Title defenses mean a lot and you go back to Anderson
Silva or Demetrious
Johnson if we're ever talking about GOAT… I don't know if he's
there yet.â€
Poirier then chimed in, giving a definitive answer for who he
considers the GOAT.
“To me, Jon
Jones.â€
Masvidal, meanwhile, pointed to the level of competition Makhachev
faced during his lightweight title reign. While the former BMF
champ acknowledges Alexander
Volkanovski as one of the greats, he emphasized that many of
Makhachev’s 155-pound title defenses came against former
featherweights.
“Two of those title defenses at lightweight were to a ‘45er,â€
Masvidal said before Weidman pointed out that Charles
Oliveira also previously fought at 145 pounds.
Has Islam
Makhachev earned GOAT status? pic.twitter.com/38qMXm5ZTf
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount)
August 18, 2026
Mike Perry speaks out after suffering injury during upset loss to Brandon Jenkins: “Health is wealthâ€
ONE Championship
A fighter who built his name on toughness alone now stands one win away from the biggest statement of his career.
Har Ling Om headlines ONE SAMURAI 3 against reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka in an atomweight kickboxing bout when ONE SAMURAI 3 streams live from Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday, September 12.
Har Ling Om has won his last two appearances since joining the promotion, defeating Haruyuki Tanitsu and Khunsuk T1 Fight Academy, and a win over a reigning World Champion would immediately vault him into a different tier of recognition. His path to this stage began in Lethwei, Myanmar's toughest striking discipline, a background that shaped the relentless mentality he now brings into every fight.
Nadaka enters as the reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion, a credential that makes this non-title bout a chance for Har Ling Om to make the biggest statement of his career regardless of what is on the line for the champion himself.
Har Ling Om's Lethwei background faces its ultimate test
A win here would put a US$100,000 main roster contract firmly within reach and open the door to a future World Title opportunity of his own, exactly the path he has described as his ultimate goal heading into this stage of his career. A loss, on the other hand, would be a costly setback against a champion who rarely offers second chances.
For Nadaka, the stakes carry their own weight, since dropping a non-title bout to a determined challenger would raise immediate questions heading into future defenses of the belt.
Mike Perry speaks out after suffering injury during upset loss to Brandon Jenkins: “Health is wealthâ€
Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Bare Knuckle FC president David Feldman says they're actively monitoring Michael ‘Venom' Page's UFC status after his contract expired.
UFC welterweight Michael ‘Venom' Page's standing with the promotion remains unknown after his fourth straight win against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC Paris last weekend. Page, a former Bellator title challenger, was removed from the UFC's media rankings after his latest win, signaling a potential departure from the promotion.
Page's contract expired once he departed the Octagon on Saturday night, and it's uncertain whether or not the UFC will opt to sign him to a new contract. While earning recent victories in the cage, the lackluster, sluggish nature of his wins has turned off many fight fans.
Before Page signed with the UFC in 2023, he fought once in Bare Knuckle FC against Mike Perry in what turned out to be an instant classic fight. If Page isn't brought back to the UFC, his former promotion is interested in a reunion.
David Feldman confirms BKFC ‘interested' in re-signing Michael ‘Venom' Page
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, BKFC president David Feldman reacted to Page's reported removal from the UFC roster.
“I don't know if his contract is actually terminated,†Feldman said of Page.
“That's a pretty fast time to get his contract terminated, so I don't wanna make any moves on him yet, and say that's what we want. We would definitely welcome ‘MVP'. When he fought for us with Mike Perry, it was a pretty exciting match, and a lot of people actually thought he won that fight.
“You can't really be boring in BKFC, so it's hard for him to fight that type of fight in BKFC,†Feldman continued on Page. “We would be interested? Yes. I think BKFC will force excitement out of ‘MVP', and I think that the fans would love that.â€
What should be Michael ‘Venom' Page's next move? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Tom Aspinall issues statement on rumored UFC departure after coach's recent claims
Credit: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty
Polarizing combat sports star Dillon Danis' arm injury which forced him out of his scheduled Mike Perry clash was gruesome.
Dillon Danis and Bare Knuckle FC superstar Mike Perry were supposed to clash in the inaugural Duel Arena MMA main event last month in Florida. But just hours before the event, Danis withdrew from the fight due to an arm injury suffered during his final preparations.
Despite his brash nature, Danis seemed genuinely heartbroken at having to pull out of his clash with Perry in his MMA return. Perry went on to lose to short-notice replacement Brandon Jenkins in the Duel Arena 1 main event due to injury.
Danis shared initial footage of his injury showing a graphic laceration on his arm during Duel Arena 1 fight week. As Danis prepares for his potential combat sports return, he shared additional footage that showed the severity of the ailment.
Dillon Danis shares graphic footage of arm injury suffered ahead of Mike Perry fight
In a recent tweet, Danis shared the aftermath of his gruesome arm injury. You can watch the video he posted here.
Danis hasn't fought in Mixed Martial arts since submitting Warren Spencer in 15 seconds at Misfits 22 last year. He won the inaugural Misfits MMA light heavyweight championship after six years away from the cage.
In addition to his MMA aspirations, Danis remains a top name on the Real American Freestyle mats and will face off with Arman Tsarukyan next month. Danis lost back-to-back wrestling matches against Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev earlier this year.
As of this writing, it's uncertain how long Danis will need to recover from his arm injury, but he's expected to miss the rest of 2026. When he's ready to return to action, expect Danis to be a name to watch in 2027.
Would you want to see a Dillon Danis vs. Mike Perry MMA rebooking? Share your thoughts in the comments!