Welcome to UFC
For newcomers to one of most exciting combat sports in the world here is a brief introduction and to seasoned fight fans welcome back to the latest updates. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. UFC is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The largest MMA promotion in the world as of 2025, UFC produces events worldwide including in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. Presenting 11 weight divisions (eight men’s and three women’s) which abide by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. As of 2024, it had staged over 700 events. Dana White has been CEO of UFC since 2023 and president since 2001. Under White’s intelligent stewardship, the MMA promotion company has developed into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise.
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UFC February Fight Card Highlights
February 1 UFC Fight Night 250
February started with a bang at UFC Fight Night 250, ANB Arena Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the1st of the month. This event this was the promotion’s second visit to Riyadh and headlined by a middleweight bout between former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov.
The run up to the card proved volatile. There was a tasty lightweight bout between Jordan Leavitt and Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady scheduled for this event, but Leavitt withdrew for undisclosed reasons to be replaced by Bolaji Oki. Then one week prior to the event, Oki himself pulled out of the fight, and the bout had to be cancelled.
In the final reckoning, Imavov put Adesanya away with a destructive wrecking ball knockout in the second round. Consigning the Nigerian-New Zealand former two-time middleweight champion to his third defeat on the bounce following losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
Welterweight contender Michael “Venom” Page moved up a competition division for a one-off middleweight clash with fellow striker Shara Magomedov. The Brit was in decidedly good form, taking the Dagestani’s 0 on the scorecards.
Bouts including some prominent names set the stage for the headliners, including heavyweight force of nature Sergei Pavlovich beating Jairzinho Rozenstruik (unanimous decision), bantamweight Vinicius Oliveira with an entertaining unanimous decision over Said Nurmagomedov, and ranked flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius on show.
February 8 UFC 312
Top dollar entertainment for fans at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia as UFC 312 action closed out with two UFC champions retaining their titles in a brilliant main card.
The fight festival opened with veteran Jake Matthews busily putting Francisco Prado under constant pressure for the win before light heavyweights Jimmy Crute and Rodolfo Bellato scrapped out a competitive and assuredly entertaining majority draw. New boy Tallison Teixeira built up a head of excitement, as he rapidly took Justin “Bad Man” Tafa apart to the disappointment of a staunchly Aussie crowd. However, it did set things up nicely for the dual championship bouts at the top of the card.
Moving to the co-main event. Strawweight champion Zhang Weili adroitly managed the initial grappling assault from unbeaten challenger Tatiana Suarez with a commanding display to take control of the fight from the latter stages of the first round and dominate the contest in the remaining four rounds. While in the finale, Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title successfully for the second time, overpowering former champion and rival Sean Strickland throughout to secure a grand slam on the scorecards and another series in the bag.
February 15 UFC Fight Night 251
It was a headliner full of gritty determination and an ultimately miraculous performance, when Jared Cannonier took on Gregory Rodrigues at the UFC Apex Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Described as one of the most inspiring comebacks in recent times, as the 40-year-old Cannonier survived two knockdowns in the first round to fight back and stop ‘Robocop’ Rodrigues in the fourth at UFC Fight Night 251.
Rodrigues was hitting extremely hard and, in the zone, swinging big shots, yet Cannonier had been active among the best UFC middleweights for a long time, and that experience began to pay off, as he started to land blows in a solid response and the rest is history, as was Rodrigues.
Texas native, Cannier, speaking to UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier after the fight, described how he rebounded from his early setbacks to take the victory: “I was able to weather the storm, keep my composure, even in those really tough spots, and work my way back up to my feet. I’d rather die on my feet than die on my back,” he added. Which says much about his temperament, tenacity, and physical resilience.
In the co-main event, Youssef Zalas secured a unanimous decision victory over Calvin Kattar, while Edmen Shahbazyan was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus following his thunderous first-round knockout of Dylan Budka.
Upcoming Events in March
March 1 UFC Fight Night 253 UFC Apex Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Latest News: UFC Fight Night 253 is currently in need of a new headliner following the cancellation of the hugely anticipated flyweight contest between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape. Scheduled for March 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the bout has been shelved after Royval announced his withdrawal due to injury. The five-round fight was seen as a key matchup for the division, leaving Kape without an opponent as the UFC seeks to adjust the event lineup.
March 8, UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
March 22, UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Della Maddalena the O2 Arena, London, England
March 29, UFC Mexico on ESPN 64 Mareno vs Erceg Arena CDMX, Mexico City, Mexico
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