Kevin Holland stated he wants to avenge his losses but explicitly refused any proposition to rematch Khamzat Chimaev. Brendan Allen, who had previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev in a fight, traveled to Chimaev's training camp for sparring sessions, with results shown on video. Carlos Ulberg declared he wants to face Magomed Ankalaev in his first title defense. Paulo Costa rose to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings and called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. Sean O'Malley is reportedly having difficulty dealing with Jiri Prochazka's loss, and footage emerged of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickel and Josh Hokit showing a much leaner version of Hokit.
Kevin Holland made headlines this week by publicly shutting down any possibility of a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, even as he acknowledged he has losses he wants to avenge elsewhere on his record. The comments came alongside a flurry of other middleweight and light heavyweight news, including footage of Brendan Allen sparring inside Chimaev's own training camp.
Allen, ranked fifth in the middleweight division at 30 years old, had previously gone on record claiming he would dominate Chimaev in a fight. The American Kill Cliff FC representative then traveled to Chimaev's camp for sparring sessions, with video of the sessions surfacing publicly. The 26-7 Allen is a well-rounded threat who averages 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him one of the more dangerous grapplers in the division.
Elsewhere in the middleweight picture, Paulo Costa, nicknamed "The Eraser," has climbed to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings despite being listed in the verified data as ranked 13th at middleweight. The 35-year-old Brazilian strikes at a high volume, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, and he has called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. Footage also emerged of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickel and a notably leaner Hokit.
At light heavyweight, Carlos Ulberg declared he wants Magomed Ankalaev as the opponent for his first title defense. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka, the Czech striker ranked second in the division with a 32-6-1 record, appears to be generating concern among his supporters, with Sean O'Malley reportedly struggling to process Prochazka's recent loss.
Why it matters
- Holland's refusal to fight Chimaev again closes off a high-profile rematch in an already crowded middleweight division
- Allen's sparring visit raises questions about his relationship with Chimaev's camp heading into any potential future booking
- Ulberg targeting Ankalaev would set up a significant light heavyweight title challenge with major rankings implications
- Costa's callout of Hokit for a BMF fight adds another layer of intrigue to an already busy 185-pound and 205-pound landscape
