It is safe to say that a UFC champion serves as the face of their division and is expected to welcome any and all challengers for their belt. However, personal relationships can sometimes complicate that duty, with some fighters unwilling to step into the Octagon against close friends.
Ciryl Gane quickly rose through the ranks in the heavyweight division upon his professional debut. Even before he was signed to the UFC in the summer of 2019, he already had a championship belt on his mantle at home.
Tom Aspinall believes the UFC heavyweight division will flourish in the next few years. The 265lb weight class has been bereft of stars and top contenders for quite some time.
Ante Delija has finally arrived in the UFC, making his promotional debut on Saturday with a monstrous knockout of Marcin Tybura. The moment had been a long time coming for the Croatian, who had been supposed to join nearly five years ago.
The UFC rewarded four fighters with $50,000 performance bonuses following UFC Fight Night 258 at Accor Arena in Paris. Each honoree delivered highlight-reel moments that lit up the French crowd and shook up their divisions.