Have an account?
Log in to check out faster.
The world of combat sports lit up this past weekend with top-tier action from UFC 314 in Miami, PFL World Tournament 2 in Orlando, and ONE Friday Fights 104 in Bangkok. The fights delivered drama, upsets, highlight-reel finishes, and defining moments that could shift the landscape of their respective divisions. Here’s a full breakdown and analysis of the events we previewed last week:
In a gritty and emotionally charged performance, Alexander Volkanovski reclaimed the vacant UFC Featherweight title by defeating Diego Lopes across five bruising rounds. Volkanovski weathered early adversity—suffering a knockdown and briefly losing vision in one eye—but showcased his signature toughness, fight IQ, and relentless pace to outpoint Lopes in a bout that had the Miami crowd roaring.
What made this victory even more significant is that it came just months after Volkanovski was brutally knocked out by Ilia Topuria. Many questioned if the longtime champion had taken too much damage, but Volk silenced all doubts with a warrior’s performance.
“I couldn’t see out of my left eye from the second round,” Volkanovski revealed post-fight. “But I wasn’t going to quit. I know who I am, and I know what I’m fighting for. This belt is going home with me again.”
With the featherweight strap once again around his waist, Volkanovski becomes the first male UFC fighter over the age of 35 to win a title in a division below welterweight. The win restores order at 145 lbs and reaffirms Volk’s place among the all-time greats.
As for Lopes, his stock likely rose in defeat. He had the champion in trouble early and proved he belongs among the elite. Expect him to bounce back quickly.
UFC President Dana White had high praise for Volkanovski’s performance: “That’s why he’s one of the best to ever do it. Most guys would’ve folded in there, but Volk’s got that champion DNA. He’s tough as nails.”
As for what’s next, Volkanovski has options. He could wait for a title defense against Yair Rodriguez, who impressed on the same card, or potentially face Ilia Topuria in a rematch if Topuria returns to featherweight. A superfight at lightweight isn’t off the table either, depending on how the division shakes out. One thing is clear—Volk’s legacy is far from over.
In one of the biggest surprises of the night, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett stopped Michael Chandler in the third round with a combination of surgical striking and fight-ending aggression. Pimblett, criticized in the past for lackluster performances against mid-tier opposition, came into this fight laser-focused.
He controlled the range early with sharp kicks and footwork, then ramped up the pressure in the third round with a flying knee that opened a gruesome cut above Chandler’s eye. The finish came shortly after via unanswered strikes.
Post-fight, Pimblett was brimming with confidence: “They all doubted me, but now they have to put respect on my name. I just beat one of the baddest men in the division. I’m coming for that belt—this isn’t just hype.”
Dana White echoed the buzz around Pimblett’s performance: “Paddy looked phenomenal. That was a legit win over a killer like Chandler. He’s arrived—he’s officially in the mix now.”. I just beat one of the baddest men in the division. I’m coming for that belt—this isn’t just hype.”
With this win, Pimblett not only earns the biggest victory of his career, but also puts himself in the conversation for a top-five opponent. And with Conor McGregor publicly teasing a fight with the winner, the Liverpool native may have just punched his ticket to a mega-fight.
Rodriguez dominated the former Bellator champ, using his reach and dynamic striking to control all three rounds. He called for a title fight in Guadalajara.
Reyes returned to form with a brutal first-round knockout, signaling that the light heavyweight contender may be back.
Silva continued his rise with a slick second-round ninja choke submission, further derailing Mitchell’s momentum.
Alves earned a razor-close decision in a tactical bantamweight battle. Higo came out strong in the first round, mixing in calf kicks and level changes, but Alves ramped up his pace in the second and third rounds, pressuring with combinations and forward movement. The result sets up Alves as a dark horse in the tournament, and with Higo’s pedigree, the win adds serious weight to Alves’ résumé. in a fight that saw both men have their moments. His pressure and volume likely swung the scorecards.
This weekend gave us clarity in some divisions and opened new questions in others. Volkanovski is back on top, Paddy Pimblett is now a real contender, and the PFL and ONE continue to showcase their own rising stars. With summer approaching, the stage is now set for some major matchmaking—and possibly a McGregor return.
Stay tuned.
I spent 20 years chasing my goal of becoming the best golfer in the world. I didn't achieve it, and I was left with nothing to my name. But I don’t regret it for a second, because it led me here. It gave me the lived experience to truly understand the athlete’s journey and to take the lessons I learnt and improve the lives of others walking the same path I once did.
Sport has been my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up with a world renowned sports photographer as father - David Cannon, meant I was surrounded by sport from day 1. I was fortunate enough to be sat on sidelines at iconic stadiums, visiting locker rooms at major events, and seeing the world through the lens of his iconic images. From a young age, I wasn’t just watching. I was dreaming. Not of becoming a fan, but of becoming the man lifting the trophy in the arena in front of a stadium full of fans. That one day, I would be the man my fathers camera would be pointed at.
Golf wasn't initially my chosen sporting profession. Rugby, Football and Cricket were initially my targets, but at 14, a knee injury changed the trajectory. Misdiagnosis and chronic issues disrupted my momentum in those sports but the dream of becoming a pro athlete never left me. It just found a new shape.
In 2002, I headed to The Open Championship to work for my father and Getty Images. Ernie Els who was my favorite players won that year in a playoff, and I remember watching that moment and deciding then and there: I was going to be a professional golfer. That was the new goal, and I chased it relentlessly for the next 20 years of my life.
I earned a golf scholarship to Wake Forest, one of the best golf programs in the United States. But after just two and a half semesters, I dropped out. A combination of health issues and an unshakable belief that I needed to focus solely on golf made the decision feel logical at the time. Looking back, it’s a classic mistake many athletes make, leaving education behind in pursuit of greatness, convinced that nothing else matters. I believed I was going to be a champion. I believed I didn't need education or some kind of backup plan, for that was some kind of admission of doubt that I was good enough to make it. If you're good enough, what need is there for another source of income or back up plan?
I was fortunate to have incredibly supportive parents who helped fund my early career. That support allowed me to jump into the professional game on the mini tours in America—tours that, in truth, are closer to high-stakes gambling than structured sport. A tournament week could easily cost $2,000. But I started well. I made $30,000 in my first four months and thought the sky was the limit.
But the mini tour world is ruthless. One missed cut, one bad round, and the momentum disappears. The cheques got smaller. The expenses didn’t. And I entered the cycle that defines so many professional athletes in sports, especially individual ones when working your way up the ladder. Fighting just to make enough to stay in the game another week. Never really making enough to invest in further resources, never playing well enough to attract sponsorships, stuck in a viscous cycle of so close but yet so far. Over the next 14 years, I played on seven different tours, across four continents and over 30 countries. I lived the athlete’s life, but the struggle never stopped.
I had good weeks. I qualified for elite tours like the Asian Tour, the European Challenge Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. I even played in 10 DP World Tour events with purses in the millions. I was always close, always good enough to stay in the game, but never quite able to break through. The “big week” or the breakthrough year never came. Financially I was treading water, stuck in a hamster wheel chasing that cheese. Taking everything I had and investing it in the next event, always think that would be the week everything changes.
Life was a constant state of flux. Staying in hotels, Air BnB's, with friends, or back at my mum’s house in England. I never had a place of my own. In the later years, I kept the dream alive with inheritance money left to me by my grandfather along with the continued support of my parents. In this regard I was incredibly fortunate. I was also lucky to have friends who helped out along the way in various forms such as accommodation, or simply by believing in me. Coaches and trainers gave me their time for free because they saw something in me. I’ll never forget that.
But from being a 22-year-old who made $30k in four months, I found myself at 36 with nothing to my name. 20 years working everyday to achieve my goals, traveling the world, competing in some of the biggest events in golf—and yet, 99% of the time, it was a financial struggle. The lifestyle, the constant travel, and necessity to prioritize my goals, made it virtually impossible to have a relationship or build anything stable outside of golf. I remember once being asked, very reasonably I might add, by a girl I was dating at the time, when we could live a 'normal life'. I told her I simply can't give a timeline due to the nature of the sport, and re-clarified my ambitions, to which she responded - 'ah but this is just a dream'. That experience shaped a belief I needed to be financially stable in order to date. Everything in my life became tied to my success in my sport. That is the reality though. I you want to date, get married, have a family, you do need to have to be able to provide some financial stability.
Like many athletes, I sacrificed everything in pursuit of that dream. And I don’t regret it. I gave it everything I had. The truth is, I wasn’t good enough. That’s part of sport. Just like in sport though, once of the most important things to be successful is to get back up and go again. Take what you learnt from you failures and be better for them.
And it’s exactly those lessons that I bring with me now to M2MMA. This is personal for me. I know what it feels like to be dedicated to a goal and end up with nothing which is unfortunately the harsh reality of so many professional athletes.
While I may have been left with nothing financially I did earn a vast amount of experience that has perfectly positioned me to take on the role I have now with M2MMA. While I once dreamed of winning millions of dollars and starting my own foundation to help get kids into sport and to assist athletes on their journey facing the same challenges I did, I now have that opportunity with M2MMA. Life might not have worked out as I once planned, the failures I experienced have taught me so much more than perhaps if I had been successful. That in fact they way things have turned out, I will be able to impact greater changes for good on more athlete's lives.
At M2MMA, we’re not just building a fight promotion. We’re building a support system I wish I had. Too often in sport, especially in individual disciplines, athletes are left to figure it out on their own. The promotions they compete for don’t offer guidance, mentorship, or planning. Once the performance is done, so too is the relationship. We believe that supporting an athlete beyond their performance on the night, and even outside of our promotion, benefits everyone, athletes, promotions, and the wider industry. We're creating financial education programs because most athletes, like me, never got any. We're offering mental health support because we know the cost of this life goes far beyond the body. We're designing career planning tools because athletes deserve more than a handshake at the end of the road.
I’ve lived the athlete’s struggle. And now with M2MMA I’m building solutions to make sure the next generation does better both in the arena and out than I did!
M2MMA is a revolutionary combat sports promotion that transforms the industry through cutting-edge innovation, advanced technology, and a steadfast commitment to athlete welfare. By integrating artificial intelligence, data-driven insights, and forward-thinking strategies, M2MMA enhances athlete safety, optimizes performance, and redefines the fan experience. Focusing on community engagement and fostering a dynamic future for combat sports, M2MMA stands at the intersection of technology and tradition, driving progress while honoring the sport's rich heritage.
The company is publicly traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) of NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "RLAB."
RLAB/M2MMA is majority controlled by M2Bio Sciences, which is also publicly traded on the Over-the-Counter market under the ticker symbol (OTC Pink: MRES)
GENERAL MANAGER OF M2MMA
Stay tuned for more updates as the world of combat sports continues to deliver thrilling action and compelling stories.