July 25, 2025

Information collected & summarized by:

Reinier de Ridder Hands Bo Nickal His First Pro Loss

Reinier de Ridder delivered a career-defining performance in May at UFC on ESPN 67, handing middleweight prospect Bo Nickal his first professional defeat via second-round TKO after controlling the contest from start to finish. The former ONE Championship champion, now 3–0 in the UFC, used superior grappling and ground-and-pound to derail Nickal’s unbeaten streak.

De Ridder’s victory has vaulted him into the main event at UFC on ABC 9 in Abu Dhabi, where he will challenge former champion Robert Whittaker this Saturday at the Etihad Arena.

McGregor Delivers Final ‘Pea Head’ Dig as Poirier Calls It Quits

Conor McGregor offered a bittersweet salute to longtime rival Dustin Poirier on social media after Poirier’s unanimous-decision defeat to Max Holloway at UFC 318. While McGregor praised the bout as “awesome scrappers,” he couldn’t resist resurrecting the “Pea head” nickname he coined in 2014.

Poirier, who challenged for UFC gold twice and cemented himself as one of the division’s most consistent contenders, announced his retirement following the loss. McGregor’s final jab underscores both fighters’ storied rivalry and marks the end of one of MMA’s most enduring chapters.

Trending Newsletters in Nail

California State News

303 new followers today

Capitol Brief

290 new followers today

SCOTUS Daily Brief

283 new followers today

View More Topics

Dvalishvili Seeks Third Title Defense Against Sandhagen at UFC 320

Merab Dvalishvili will look to cement his place in UFC history by making a third title defense in 2025 against surging challenger Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC 320. The bout takes place Oct. 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) has rattled off 13 straight wins, including back-to-back triumphs over Umar Nurmagomedov and former champ Sean O’Malley. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) earned his shot with an injury-TKO of Deiveson Figueiredo and carries a 4-of-5 run into what could be his first world title.

Adesanya Backs Della Maddalena to Upset Makhachev

Israel Adesanya has thrown his support behind teammate Jack Della Maddalena in the highly anticipated clash with Islam Makhachev, believing the Australian’s composure and scrambling could neutralize the Dagestani champion. Adesanya cited Della Maddalena’s stoic focus and proven ability to recover from takedowns—traits that have served him well en route to the UFC welterweight title.

Makhachev, moving up 15 pounds from lightweight, brings elite wrestling and power, but has shown vulnerability against boxers-wrestlers like Dustin Poirier and Alexander Volkanovski. Adesanya says JDM’s scrambles and footwork could be the blueprint for an upset when they collide later this year.

Mitchell and Blackshear Highlight Rare Twister Finishes in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI — UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi will feature an undercard spectacle as two of the promotion’s only three fighters to ever secure a Twister submission—Bryce Mitchell and Da’Mon Blackshear—return in high-profile bantamweight bouts. Mitchell, who pulled off the second Twister in UFC history against Matt Sayles in 2019, meets Said Nurmagomedov on the featured prelims. Meanwhile, Blackshear, the third Twister ace after his Apex triumph over Jose Johnson, faces veteran Davey Grant earlier in the evening.

These rare, neck-twisting finishes make both men must-watch attractions ahead of the middleweight title eliminator main event, and should they both prevail, a historic Twister-themed showdown looms on the horizon.

Newsletter you might like

Electric Drive

Stay ahead of the curve with the latest EV technology, market trends, and sustainable driving news.

LLM Digest

Stay ahead of the curve with the latest news about Large Language Models

Electric Drive

Stay ahead of the curve with the latest EV technology, market trends, and sustainable driving news.

LLM Digest

Stay ahead of the curve with the latest news about Large Language Models

Explore More

Unsubscribe

Terms & Conditions

De Ridder Shocks Bo Nickal, Secures First UFC Main Event vs. Whittaker