Kevin Holland stated he wants to avenge his losses but categorically refuses a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev. Brendan Allen, who previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev, visited his training camp for sparring sessions with footage now released. 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 for a BMF title fight. Sean O'Malley is struggling to cope with Jiří Procházka's recent loss, and footage emerged of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and an notably slimmer Josh Hokit.
Kevin Holland has ruled out a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev as he looks to settle other scores, while a collection of notable storylines across multiple divisions surfaced around the April 14 news cycle.
Holland, who suffered a loss to Chimaev in their previous meeting, stated publicly that he intends to avenge his defeats — but a second fight against the Chechen-Swedish contender is not among his options. He made clear the door is firmly closed on that matchup.
Brendan Allen, the fifth-ranked middleweight, had previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev if given the chance. Now sparring footage from Allen's visit to Chimaev's training camp has been released, offering a look at how that bold prediction held up in practice. Allen carries a 26-7 record and brings a well-rounded game to the cage, averaging 1.56 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside solid striking output.
Why it matters
- Allen's sparring footage adds a real-world dimension to his verbal callout of Chimaev and could influence how the middleweight picture develops
- Carlos Ulberg reportedly wants Magomed Ankalaev next for his first light heavyweight title defense, setting up a potential blockbuster at the top of the division
- Paulo Costa, listed at thirteenth in the middleweight rankings, has moved up to seventh in the light heavyweight rankings and is calling for a BMF title fight — a significant divisional shift for the 35-year-old Brazilian, who lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy
- Footage of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and a noticeably slimmer Josh Hokit has emerged, providing an early glimpse of the 30-year-old American Top Team product who now holds a 9-1 professional record and averages 3.1 takedowns per 15 minutes
Elsewhere, Sean O'Malley has been vocal about his reaction to Jiří Procházka's recent loss, adding another layer of personality-driven conversation to an already busy week across the sport.
