Valter Walker has called for a fight with his own brother Johnny Walker in the UFC, and invited his sibling up to his weight class. The Brazilian competed at Karate Combat 59 on Friday night in Miami, where he submitted Zion Clark within a matter of minutes.
Ilia Topuria hasn’t even had time to settle into life as the lightweight champion, and already the conversation has switched to something bigger. Not just a defense or a superfight.
The UFC’s heavyweight division has long sold itself on spectacle. One punch power. Sudden finishes. Larger-than-life personalities. But recent roster shakeups have sparked a different kind of conversation — one centered not on knockouts, but on sustainability.
Beneil Dariush has reached the point in his career every fighter must face. After 12 years under the UFC’s banner and nearly a decade fighting the best lightweights on the planet, the veteran is openly admitting he doesn’t know how many chapters are left.
Welcome to Bloody Elbow’s daily round-up of MMA news This is your one-stop shop for the top five stories from February 13, 2026. There are no big fights this weekend, but plenty is going on with the world’s greatest sport.
Valter Walker scored a quick submission over the inspirational Zion Clark in their highly-publicized grappling match at Karate Combat 59. The UFC heavyweight had won his last four fights by heel hook, developing something of a ‘finishing move’.
The UFC Houston headliner was involved in one of the biggest upsets of all time five years ago today. Anthony Hernandez has been on a charge up the middleweight ladder in recent years, winning eight fights in a row en route to No.
Reinier de Ridder’s last UFC outing didn’t go according to plan. He had stormed into the UFC in 2024. Then, he quickly rattled off wins over names like Kevin Holland, Bo Nickal, and Robert Whittaker, stacking a 4-fight win streak fast enough that people were already whispering about title shots.
The UFC is rolling into Houston with its first stacked Fight Night live event on February 21 since UFC 271 in 2022. Headlining the card, Sean Strickland is set to collide with Anthony Hernandez in a middleweight showdown that could carry serious title implications.
The UFC’s White House event is not just another fight card; it’s a historic moment for the sport. That’s why the usual matchmaking rules might suddenly bend.
In the UFC, a victory does not always guarantee job security. While logic would suggest that having your hand raised keeps you employed, modern roster management is far more nuanced.
‘The Count’ is behind Islam Makhachev’s push for a White House fight over Justin Gaethje’s. On January 24, Gaethje beat Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 to become a two-time interim lightweight champion.
Conor McGregor continues to document his comeback journey on social media. The former dual-weight champion hasn’t fought since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021.
Mohammed Usman, brother of former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, was handed a suspension last month for violating the UFC Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for a banned substance.
Sean Strickland is booked for a big fight in a week. Set to lock horns against Anthony Hernandez in the main event of UFC Fight Night 267 in Houston, this victory might just put ‘Tarzan’ back in title contention.
There is no doubt that in the UFC, there are not always superfights that excite fans and draw millions of viewers. Currently, that superfight is the potential clash between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
Merab Dvalishvili has his eyes set on reclaiming the belt in 2026. The Georgian fighter, who once held the UFC bantamweight title with a record-breaking run, was dethroned at the end of last year.
In the UFC, there have been many fighters who became double champions. However, no one has become a champion in three divisions. Alex Pereira has flirted with this idea for a long time, and many feel he is the one who can do it.
Nearly four months after what turned out to be a cursed first undisputed heavyweight title defense, Tom Aspinall’s MMA future remains clouded with uncertainty.
The MMA community was thrown into chaos this week when baseless rumors about UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall allegedly vacating his title and being “exiled” from the promotion spread across social media — and a former UFC fighter bought it hook, line, and sinker.
Jon Jones' greatest of all time claim has been challenged, with Khabib Nurmagomedov given the nod ahead of him. The greatest of all time debate is rarely ever universally agreed upon by fanbases, and that remains the case in mixed martial arts.
Top-ranked flyweight contender Manel Kape has offered to fight disgruntled UFC Flyweight Champion Joshua Van in just a few weeks’ time. Alexandre Pantoja
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has been eyeing a move to the heavyweight division for several months. Pereira faced Magomed Ankalaev last October in a rematch of their UFC 313 main event.
Dustin Poirier is back in full training at American Top Team (ATT), just seven months after his retirement at UFC 318. The former interim lightweight champion originally bid farewell to the Octagon last July in New Orleans following a BMF title defeat to Max Holloway in their trilogy.
Jon Jones may have already fought his final fight even if he hasn’t fully admitted it yet. The former two-division UFC champion officially notified the Ultimate Fighting Championship of his retirement this past June, a move that elevated interim champion Tom Aspinall to undisputed heavyweight king.