Kevin Holland has emphatically stated he has no interest in a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, saying he always wants to avenge his losses except in Chimaev's case. Meanwhile, 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. In other news, Carlos Ulberg stated he wants to face Magomed Ankalaev in his first title defense. Paulo Costa has risen to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings and called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. Sean O'Malley is reportedly struggling emotionally with Jiri Prochazka's recent loss, and video has surfaced of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and Josh Hokit, showing a much leaner version of Hokit.
Kevin Holland has made it clear he wants no part of a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, going on record to say that while he typically seeks to avenge every loss in his career, Chimaev is the sole exception. The statement drew attention this week alongside separate footage showing middleweight contender Brendan Allen traveling to Chimaev's training camp for sparring sessions, results of which were captured on video.
Allen, who had previously gone on record saying he would dominate Chimaev in a fight, is ranked fifth in the middleweight division and carries a 26-7 record. The 30-year-old American, who trains with Kill Cliff FC, is one of the more well-rounded threats in the division, averaging 1.56 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts in the same span. His willingness to walk into Chimaev's gym adds an interesting layer to his earlier comments.
Elsewhere in the 205-pound division, Carlos Ulberg stated that Magomed Ankalaev is his preferred opponent for a first title defense, while Paulo Costa has made a surprising move up to light heavyweight and now sits at number seven in that ranking. The Brazilian, known as "The Eraser," carries a 16-4 record and one of the more active striking outputs in combat sports, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy during his middleweight tenure. Costa has called out Josh Hokit for a BMF belt fight. Adding a footnote to the Hokit conversation, old college wrestling footage surfaced showing Bo Nickal competing against a noticeably leaner version of Hokit.
Finally, Sean O'Malley has reportedly been affected emotionally by the recent loss suffered by Jiri Prochazka, the Czech light heavyweight ranked second at 33 years old with a record of 32-6-1 and one of the sport's most aggressive output profiles at 5.69 significant strikes per minute.
Why it matters
- Holland's refusal closes off a high-profile middleweight rematch, narrowing Chimaev's potential dance partners
- Allen visiting Chimaev's camp publicly after bold claims raises questions about where that middleweight rivalry stands
- Costa's move to light heavyweight at number seven reshapes the 205-pound contender picture
- Ulberg naming Ankalaev as his target sets an early direction for the light heavyweight title picture
