Kevin Holland stated he always wants to avenge his losses except against Khamzat Chimaev, emphatically refusing that matchup. Brendan Allen, who claimed he would dominate Chimaev, traveled to train at his camp with sparring footage now available. Carlos Ulberg declared he wants to face Magomed Ankalaev in his first title defense. Paulo Costa moved up to number 7 in the light heavyweight rankings and called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. Sean O'Malley is struggling emotionally with Jiri Prochazka's recent loss, and video surfaced of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit, showing a much leaner version of Hokit.
Kevin Holland has made clear he has no interest in running back his fight with Khamzat Chimaev, even as several other fighters are positioning themselves around the dangerous Chechen-Swedish contender heading into the spring.
Holland, speaking publicly, said he makes a point of wanting rematches after every loss — with one firm exception. When it comes to Chimaev, the answer is an emphatic no. The welterweight and middleweight veteran offered no ambiguity on the subject.
Meanwhile, fifth-ranked middleweight Brendan Allen has taken a different approach entirely. The 30-year-old American, who fights out of Kill Cliff FC and carries a 26-7 record, traveled to Chimaev's training camp and sparring footage from those sessions has begun circulating online. Allen previously stated he believed he would dominate Chimaev, and the trip suggests he is backing that confidence with action. Allen averages 1.56 takedowns per fifteen minutes and attempts more than one submission per fifteen minutes, making him one of the more credible grappling threats at 185 pounds.
At light heavyweight, New Zealand's Carlos Ulberg has staked out a clear ambition: a title shot against champion Magomed Ankalaev in what would be Ankalaev's first defense.
Also in the light heavyweight mix is Paulo Costa, who has moved up to number seven in the division's rankings despite being listed at number 13 at middleweight in the verified data. The Brazilian slugger, nicknamed The Eraser, carries a 16-4 record and lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — numbers that would translate as genuine threat at any weight. Costa has called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt contest, an unusual target made more intriguing by recently surfaced footage of a college wrestling match between Hokit and Bo Nickal that shows Hokit in notably leaner condition than he appears today.
Why it matters
- Holland's public Chimaev refusal narrows the matchmaking picture for one of the division's most feared contenders
- Allen's camp visit keeps the Chimaev-Allen narrative alive and adds a credible grappling angle
- Ulberg targeting Ankalaev puts a name to the light heavyweight title picture's next potential challenger
- Costa's cross-divisional move to light heavyweight adds a high-volume striker to an already crowded top ten
