Kevin Holland stated he typically wants to avenge his losses but made an exception for Khamzat Chimaev, bluntly rejecting any rematch proposal. Brendan Allen, who had previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev in a fight, traveled to Chimaev's training camp for sparring sessions, with footage of their sessions now available. Carlos Ulberg announced he wants to face Magomed Ankalaev in his first title defense. Paulo Costa moved up to #7 in the light heavyweight rankings and called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. Sean O'Malley is reportedly struggling with Jiri Prochazka's recent loss. Additionally, college wrestling footage surfaced showing a match between Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit, revealing that Hokit was considerably slimmer in his earlier years.
Kevin Holland has publicly ruled out any future fight with Khamzat Chimaev, saying he normally seeks to avenge defeats but is willing to make a clear exception in this case. Meanwhile, Brendan Allen — who had previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev — traveled to Chimaev's training camp and got rounds in with him, and footage from those sparring sessions has since surfaced online.
Allen, the fifth-ranked middleweight at 30 years old, carries a 26-7 record fighting out of Kill Cliff FC. The American brings a well-rounded game built on active grappling, averaging 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, which made his willingness to test himself against Chimaev in the gym a notable story in itself.
Elsewhere in the division, Paulo Costa has climbed to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings after moving up from middleweight, where he sits thirteenth. The Brazilian, nicknamed "The Eraser," carries a 16-4 record and one of the sharper striking outputs in the sport — 6.26 significant strikes landed per minute at 58 percent accuracy. Costa has called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight, adding another layer of intrigue to his divisional experiment.
At light heavyweight, Carlos Ulberg announced he is targeting Magomed Ankalaev for his first title defense. Jiri Prochazka, the division's second-ranked contender, appears to factor into the broader shuffle, with reports suggesting Sean O'Malley is troubled by Prochazka's recent loss. The Czech fighter holds a 32-6-1 record, stands six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach, and lands 5.69 significant strikes per minute.
On a lighter note, college wrestling footage emerged showing a younger, considerably slimmer Josh Hokit competing against Bo Nickal, offering an early glimpse of two fighters whose careers have since taken very different paths.
Why it matters
- Holland's refusal closes off one potential booking for Chimaev and shifts focus to other available middleweight opponents
- Allen's sparring visit raises questions about how he matches up with Chimaev ahead of any potential sanctioned contest
- Costa's light heavyweight move and Ulberg's title defense targeting Ankalaev could reshape the top of a division already unsettled by Prochazka's recent result
