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 in a fight, traveled to Chimaev's training camp for sparring sessions with results shown on video. Carlos Ulberg announced he wants to face Magomed Ankalaev for his first title defense. Paulo Costa moved up to seventh 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 loss, and footage surfaced of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and a slimmer Josh Hokit.
Kevin Holland has publicly ruled out a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, even as he expressed a desire to settle other scores on his record. The comments come amid a busy stretch of middleweight and light heavyweight storylines that are reshaping the landscape across two divisions.
Holland's refusal puts a hard stop on one of the more talked-about potential rematches in the 185-pound division. Separately, fifth-ranked middleweight Brendan Allen made his position on Chimaev more than theoretical. Allen, who had previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev in a fight, traveled to Chimaev's training camp and put that confidence to the test in sparring sessions. Footage of those sessions has since surfaced. Allen, 30, carries a 26-7 record and brings a well-rounded skill set to any camp environment, averaging 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside 3.59 significant strikes landed per minute.
In the light heavyweight division, Carlos Ulberg has set his sights on Magomed Ankalaev as his preferred first title defense opponent, signaling where the new champion wants to take his reign.
Meanwhile, thirteenth-ranked light heavyweight Paulo Costa — listed at 16-4 and fighting out of Brazil — has moved up from middleweight and wasted little time making noise, calling out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. The 35-year-old Costa has long been one of the sport's most aggressive strikers, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy.
Sean O'Malley has also been vocal about being emotionally affected by Jiri Prochazka's recent loss. Prochazka, the Czech Republic's second-ranked light heavyweight at 32-6-1, had built a reputation as one of the sport's most electric fighters with a six-foot-three frame, an 80-inch reach, and 5.69 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Holland's refusal to face Chimaev narrows the rematch pool and leaves a marquee matchup off the table
- Allen's sparring visit to Chimaev's camp keeps their potential fight in the public conversation ahead of any official booking
- Costa's move to light heavyweight and a BMF callout suggests a new strategic direction for the Brazilian veteran
- Ulberg targeting Ankalaev gives the light heavyweight title picture a clearer short-term direction
