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Diego Lopes on Silva’s bet: “He’ll need that money after he loses.”
Alessandro Costa: “UFC won’t let Diego corner me earlier on the card.”
Dana White on boxing: “In 2026, I’m going to start my show — basically like Contender Series.”
Dana White says his long-teased boxing project will finally debut in 2026, built around a format he likens to Dana White’s Contender Series: top prospects vs. top prospects, steady activity, and clear pathways to bigger stages. White, partnering with Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh and leveraging TKO resources, believes a more centralized structure—and better weekly storytelling—can fix fragmented matchmaking.
The plan has skeptics, especially around the Ali Act’s guardrails and friction with sanctioning bodies. Still, White insists the roster is forming and that investors are aligned to fund deep cards—not just top-heavy main events.
Flyweight Alessandro Costa says the UFC will not allow headliner Diego Lopes to corner him earlier on the Noche UFC prelims due to scheduling conflicts. Costa, who faces short-notice foe Alden Coria, remains upbeat and expects Lopes to get the job done in the main event against Jean Silva.
Costa—now representing Mexico after a decade living there—hopes to bank a clean win on Saturday and jump right back in November, ideally rebooking the Edgar Chairez matchup that fell through.
Featherweights Diego Lopes and Jean Silva turned up the heat before Saturday’s Noche UFC 3 main event in San Antonio when Silva publicly offered to bet his entire purse that Lopes would fail to land a single takedown. Lopes declined the stunt but fired back with confidence, predicting he’ll finish Silva on fight night.
The Brazilian rivals headline at Frost Bank Center with major divisional stakes on the line. Lopes enters as a top-two contender by some rankings after a breakout year, while Silva’s knockout form and pace make him a live threat—and a lightning rod for pre-fight drama.
The UFC has agreed to a seven-year media rights agreement with Paramount+, worth a reported $7.7 billion, that will make the streamer the exclusive U.S. home of all UFC events beginning in 2026. The move ends the promotion’s ESPN era and phases out the traditional pay-per-view model for numbered cards in the United States.
TKO leadership characterized ESPN’s involvement in renewal discussions as minimal, while praising the network’s past partnership. Under the new deal, all 13 numbered events and 30 Fight Nights are slated to stream on Paramount+, with select marquee cards expected to air on CBS.
Week 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series (Season 9) delivered chaos and contracts on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Heavyweight Steven Asplund flattened Anthony Guarascio in just 0:16, the third-fastest KO in DWCS history, while featherweight Lerryan Douglas blasted Cam Teague in 0:36. UFC brass handed out five total contracts after a card that mixed lightning finishes with gritty comebacks.
Light heavyweight Freddy Vidal shocked Felipe Franco with a late rear-naked choke, but because he missed weight by 4 lb, he did not receive a contract; instead, Dana White offered him another chance later this season. In the opener, Carol Foro edged Shanelle Dyer in a barnburner—both women were rewarded with UFC deals for their performance.
Noche UFC 3 – Diego Lopes vs Jean Silva: Red-hot finishers collide. Can Lopes’ BJJ chains and front-foot boxing blunt Silva’s power and pace over five? (more…)
Noche UFC 3 – Rob Font vs David Martinez: Veteran jab-and-distance specialist meets Mexico’s surging “Black Spartan.” Can Font’s experience and shot selection cool Martinez’s power entries and counters? (more…)
Noche UFC 3 – Rafa García vs Jared Gordon: Pressure grappler vs high-volume boxer. Can García’s clinch rides and mat returns smother Gordon’s rhythm and pocket counters? (more…)