Dan Hooker would like to see the whole ‘BMF' championship put to rest for now.
MMA
Nico Carrillo's kickboxing gamble could put him on a path to history
Published
3 months agoon
ONE ChampionshipA newly crowned champion is stepping into unfamiliar territory instead of taking a victory lap.
Nico Carrillo makes his ONE Championship kickboxing debut against Chinese newcomer Zhou Jiaqiang at ONE Fight Night 46, broadcasting live in US primetime this Friday, August 14, from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. The 27-year-old Scot went from interim titleholder to undisputed ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion last month. This happened after Tawanchai PK Saenchai vacated the belt to continue rehabbing a serious leg injury.
Carrillo earned that opportunity by outworking Shadow Mavinn across five rounds at ONE Fight Night 40 in February. He now carries a 29-4 record and a relentless finishing instinct into this new discipline. A win over Zhou would put him on course to chase two-sport World Champion status. It would also add kickboxing gold to a Muay Thai throne he now holds outright.
“Nothing has changed. I have an opponent in front of me that I have to deal with, and I'm locked on that task. The news of me being officially crowned has nothing to do with this fight camp,†he said.
Nico Carrillo eyes bigger picture beyond Friday
Carrillo has already mapped out a path that extends well past this weekend, with plans to defend his Muay Thai title later this year before pursuing an MMA debut in Qatar as early as March, part of a renewed three-year partnership between ONE Championship and Visit Qatar.
Stacking disciplines immediately after inheriting undisputed gold is a bold call, but it fits a fighter who has built his career on seeking out the toughest available test rather than the safest one.
“I'm already a ONE World Champion, and the next obvious step is to become a two-sport World Champion, kickboxing or MMA alongside Muay Thai. For now, it's one step at a time,†he said.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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MMA
Arman Tsarukyan sets one condition for fighting Alexander Volkanovski
Published
13 hours agoon
November 3, 2026
Tsarukyan is open to fighting Alexander
Volkanovski, provided
Ultimate Fighting Championship gold is at stake.
Volkanovski (29-4) defended the featherweight title with a
technical knockout victory over Movsar
Evloev at
UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi before expressing interest in returning to
lightweight. With champion Justin
Gaethje uncertain about his future, Volkanovski offered to face
Tsarukyan (24-3) for the vacant title if Gaethje retires.
Arman Tsarukyan reminds Alexander Volkanovski how Islam
Makhachev rematch ended
Tsarukyan said the championship matters more to him than the
opponent.
“I'm ready for everyone,†Tsarukyan told Yavuz Saynomo. “For me, it
doesn't matter who I'm gonna fight; I just want to fight for the
title.â€
Volkanovski has expressed confidence that he can counter
Tsarukyan's wrestling and avoid being held down. Tsarukyan
responded by recalling the Australian's knockout loss to Islam
Makhachev.
“He said Islam Makhachev cannot knock him out, too,†Tsarukyan
added.
Volkanovski has twice challenged Makhachev for the lightweight
championship. He lost their first meeting by unanimous decision
before Makhachev finished their rematch with a head kick and
follow-up punches.
Tsarukyan remains confident that his next bout will be for the
title. If Gaethje retires, “The Batman†expects to compete for the
vacant belt.
“I have a title fight next,†Tsarukyan reiterated. “Either Justin
Gaethje. If he is retired, someone else.â€
MMA
Dan Hooker blames Charles Oliveira, UFC for tarnishing ‘BMF’ title: ‘He killed it’
Published
14 hours agoon
November 3, 2026
The symbolic title is up for grabs again on Dec. 12 at UFC 335, when champion Charles Oliveira faces Diego Lopes in the main event. Oliveira won the belt with a dominant decision win over Max Holloway at UFC 326, but received criticism for his grappling-heavy performance, which was considered to be against the spirit of the BMF belt.
Hooker agrees that Oliveira, and his newly won title, lost some luster that night.
“It was cool for a bit and then he kind of made it not cool,†Hooker told Submission Radio. “I think he killed it.â€
The BMF championship was innovated by former UFC star Nate Diaz, who cut a fiery promo after a win at UFC 241 that led to he and Jorge Masvidal fighting to become the inaugural titleholder at UFC 244, where Masvidal defeated Diaz. Justin Gaethje later defeated Dustin Poirier for a vacant title, with Holloway subsequently claiming the belt with an all-time great performance at UFC 300.
Hooker believes the promotion has strayed far from the original purpose of the title.
“You know where they f*cked it up?†Hooker said. “They should have kept it like Nate Diaz, Masvidal kind of shit. They completely f*cked it when they were like – They had badass motherf*ckers fighting for it like that, but then it should be the guys that want to throw down and just talk shit as well. That was kind of like me, Bobby Green, could lose 20 times and he's still a BMF contender. Then they had Max do it, and he's like the nicest guy in the f*cking world.
“Talk shit. Say you're going to knock the other guy's head off, that was like our belt. That was the guys whose careers are a f*cking mess. ‘Gamebred' was hot and cold for a minute, Nate Diaz, all our records are a f*cking mess. It's going to be a lot harder for us to get our hands on the nice, shiny, clean one. That's what I'm saying, they let too many nice guys have a crack.â€
That said, Hooker looks forward to the Oliveira vs. Lopes matchup, even if the BMF belt's involvement feels perfunctory. Hooker fights Brian Ortega at UFC Qatar on Nov. 21, and if both he and Lopes are victorious, he sees a scenario where he challenges Lopes for the title next.
“For some reason, they're adamant on this BMF belt sticking around and just having another belt to put up for grabs, but yeah, I like that fight,†Hooker said. “I feel like Diego Lopes is a strong contender for that. As he says, he doesn't feel like he's going to get another crack at Volk. He doesn't feel like it's just around the corner, so I like the fight, definitely.â€
“That's why I wanted this fight [vs. Ortega],†Hooker continued. “I feel like I can beat Brian Ortega, but now, Diego Lopes beating Charles Oliveira, I feel like that's a much bigger ask. But yeah, I like that fight, for sure.â€
MMA
Report: Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Michelle Montague postponed to UFC 335 on Dec. 12
Published
1 day agoon
November 2, 2026
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