Kevin Holland stated he would like to avenge his losses, but explicitly refuses a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev. Brendan Allen, who previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev, visited his training camp for sparring sessions, with video footage showing the results. Carlos Ulberg announced he wants to face Magomed Ankalaev in 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 struggling to cope with Jiri Prochazka's recent loss, and footage emerged of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit, showing Hokit was much leaner in his earlier days.
Kevin Holland has gone on record ruling out a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, even as he expressed a broader desire to settle scores from previous defeats. The welterweight contender made clear that while revenge is on his mind in general, Chimaev is specifically not a fight he is willing to revisit.
Elsewhere in the middleweight division, Brendan Allen paid a visit to a training camp for sparring sessions with Chimaev, and video footage from those sessions has begun circulating. Allen, ranked fifth at middleweight with a 26-7 record, had previously gone on record claiming he would dominate the Kazakh contender. The thirty-year-old American, who trains out of Kill Cliff FC, averages 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per fifteen minutes, making him one of the more well-rounded grapplers in the division.
At light heavyweight, newly crowned champion Carlos Ulberg wasted no time identifying his preferred first title defense, calling out number-two-ranked Jiri Prochazka. Instead, Ulberg announced he wants Magomed Ankalaev as his first challenger. Prochazka, the thirty-three-year-old Czech fighter out of Jetsaam Gym Brno, carries a 32-6-1 record and an extraordinary reach of eighty inches. He lands 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy and sits at number two in the division. Sean O'Malley has apparently been vocal about his reaction to Prochazka's recent loss, with footage of his response drawing attention online.
Paulo Costa has moved up to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings following a move to the division and has called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. The Brazilian, nicknamed The Eraser, holds a 16-4 record and brings a striking output of 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy from his middleweight career. Separately, old college wrestling footage surfaced showing a much leaner Josh Hokit competing against Bo Nickal in his earlier athletic days.
Why it matters
- Holland closing the door on Chimaev reshapes the welterweight contender picture
- Ulberg targeting Ankalaev over Prochazka could shift the light heavyweight title picture significantly
- Costa's divisional jump and BMF callout adds an unpredictable element to the 205-pound landscape
