Kevin Holland stated he wants to avenge his losses but explicitly refuses a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev. Brendan Allen, who had claimed he would dominate Chimaev, visited his training camp for sparring sessions with results shown on video. Carlos Ulberg announced he wants to fight Magomed Ankalaev for his first title defense. Paulo Costa moved up to seventh in the light heavyweight rankings and called out Josh Hokit for the BMF belt. Sean O'Malley is reportedly struggling with Jiri Prochazka's loss, and footage emerged of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit from when Hokit was considerably leaner.
Kevin Holland made clear this week that he is willing to chase down the fighters who have beaten him — but Khamzat Chimaev is not on that list, as the welterweight publicly ruled out a rematch with the Chechen-Swedish contender.
The news arrives alongside a notable development involving Brendan Allen, the fifth-ranked middleweight who had loudly predicted he would dominate Chimaev if the two ever shared a cage. Allen, who carries a 26-7 record and operates out of Kill Cliff FC, visited Chimaev's training camp and participated in sparring sessions, with video of the sessions subsequently surfacing online. The 30-year-old American is one of the more well-rounded middleweights in the division, averaging 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per fifteen minutes alongside a respectable 3.59 significant strikes landed per minute.
Elsewhere in the light heavyweight division, Carlos Ulberg announced he is targeting Magomed Ankalaev for his first title defense, while Paulo Costa confirmed a move up from middleweight to light heavyweight and issued a callout for Josh Hokit, framing it as a pursuit of the BMF belt. Costa, ranked thirteenth at middleweight at 35 years old, brings a punishing offensive game — 6.26 significant strikes landed per minute at 58 percent accuracy — to the heavier division. Additionally, footage emerged of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and a considerably leaner Josh Hokit, drawing renewed attention to Hokit's background on the mat.
Sean O'Malley was also reported to be affected by Jiri Prochazka's recent loss. Prochazka, the second-ranked light heavyweight at 33 years old, holds a 32-6-1 record and is known for his explosive output of 5.69 significant strikes per minute with an 80-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Holland's refusal keeps the Chimaev rematch conversation alive without moving it toward a booking
- Allen's camp visit adds a tangible dimension to his earlier prediction and raises questions about what the footage reveals
- Costa's divisional move and the Ulberg-Ankalaev callout signal a crowded and competitive light heavyweight landscape ahead
