Kevin Holland stated he would like to avenge most of his losses, but explicitly refused a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev. Carlos Ulberg announced he wants to face Magomed Ankalaev for his first title defense. Paulo Costa moved up to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings and called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. Sean O'Malley is reportedly struggling emotionally after Jiri Prochazka's recent loss. The post also included footage of Brendan Allen sparring with Chimaev at his camp after previously claiming he would dominate him, as well as old college wrestling footage of Bo Nickal versus Josh Hokit.
Kevin Holland made clear he has no interest in a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, even as he acknowledged wanting to avenge most of the other losses on his record. Meanwhile, newly crowned light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg named Magomed Ankalaev as his preferred opponent for a first title defense, and Paulo Costa called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight after climbing to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings.
Holland's blunt refusal of the Chimaev rematch stands out given his otherwise open attitude toward righting past defeats. No further explanation was offered for singling out that particular fight.
Carlos Ulberg's callout of Ankalaev sets the stage for what could be a marquee light heavyweight title bout, though no official booking has been announced. Separately, Jiri Prochazka — ranked second at 185 centimeters tall with an 80-inch reach and a record of 32-6-1 — has reportedly left Sean O'Malley in an emotional state following Prochazka's recent loss. Prochazka averages 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, making his defeats notable events in the division.
Costa, who normally competes at middleweight where he sits thirteenth in the rankings at 16-4-0, is pushing for a cross-divisional novelty bout against Hokit with BMF gold on the line. The 35-year-old Brazilian lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, among the higher output figures in the sport.
Also making rounds online was footage of fifth-ranked middleweight Brendan Allen sparring inside Chimaev's training camp — notable given Allen had previously claimed he would dominate the Chechen fighter. The 30-year-old American, who holds a 26-7-0 record and averages 1.56 takedowns per 15 minutes, appeared to be testing himself against one of the division's most feared competitors. Old college wrestling footage of Bo Nickal facing Josh Hokit also circulated alongside the other clips.
Why it matters
- Holland's Chimaev refusal removes a natural welterweight or middleweight rematch from the table
- Ulberg targeting Ankalaev shapes the immediate future of the light heavyweight title picture
- Costa's light heavyweight callout adds an unpredictable cross-divisional element to the 205-pound rankings conversation
