Ilia Topuria thinks Justin Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett is next. Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks Russian fighters are getting stonewalled.

Mixed Martial Arts

Justin Gaethje has absolutely zero plans on fighting should his next opponent be Paddy Pimblett.

“Absolutely not. If that’s the route that they want me to take then I don’t believe that they need me anymore. I’m going to be upset about that. Best case scenario I beat Topuria this year, defend it against [Max Holloway] on the White House lawn then retire with the BMF and the championship belts.”

Reinier de Ridder, who fights at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26, 2025 against Robert Whittaker in the main event, plans to stay ready after just in case Khamzat Chimaev pulls out of his bout against UFC Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025 in Chicago, IL. 

Robert Whittaker says Dana White paid for his new teeth after the injury suffered at UFC 308 against Khamzat Chimaev. 

UFC Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is looking to make UFC 321 on October 25, 2025 the last time Ciryl Gane gets a title shot; this is Gane’s third attempt at UFC Heavyweight gold. 

UFC Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria with harsh words for contender Arman Tsarukyan.

“First of all who gives a f**k about him?”

Ilia Topuria thinks the UFC will try to push for Justin Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett as his next fight.

“There’s not even a conversation about Arman.”

Petr Yan is no longer interested in a rematch with Sean O’Malley – has his sight set on the winner of Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 on October 4, 2025. Yan is open to an O’Malley fight if he’s somehow back in the title conversation though. 

UFC Light Heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev says he’s stopping Alex Pereira in their rematch this time around. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Russian fighters are being stonewalled by the UFC.

“I think that feeling started in the last couple of years, they didn’t give Evloev the shot at 9-0. They were stalling Ankalaev too. Then there’s the whole situation with Mokaev. All of it together, it definitely creates that impression.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov on whether Ilia Topuria could be the next Conor McGregor. 

Boxing

Darren Till and Luke Rockhold face-off. They fight at Misfits Boxing 22 on August 30, 2025 in Manchester, UK. 

TKO Boxing has been approved for their promoter’s license in the state of Nevada making Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford on September 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV for the undisputed super middleweight title.

Culture

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that EU-U.S. trade negotiations are progressing with potential decisions expected soon. The talks aim to avoid a looming 30% U.S. tariff on EU exports, set to take effect if no deal is reached by August 1, 2025. Recent developments suggest a possible compromise involving a 15% tariff similar to a U.S.-Japan agreement. Both French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed cautious optimism about the outcome.

Internal documents reveal that the Canadian government blocked access to streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video not due to network strain, but because they were seen as a ‘people management’ issue. In December, Shared Services Canada restricted access to these platforms for 45 federal departments. Officials stated the services offered no business value and were not considered work tools. The documents offer new context behind the move, highlighting concerns beyond technical performance.

Donald Trump faced renewed scrutiny after reports emerged that his name appears in U.S. Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein, prompting a Congressional subpoena for Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony. The White House denied claims that Trump had been informed about his inclusion in the files and dismissed the reports as politically motivated attacks. Trump responded by filing a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting and the White House banned one of its reporters from Air Force One. The Justice Department’s decision to end the Epstein investigation sparked backlash among Trump supporters and reignited speculation about his past ties to Epstein.