7/5/25: Donald Trump, UFC Hope To Host Fights At White House In 2026
Also: PFL MENA results, and more
Welcome to a Saturday edition of the Knockdown Daily. It’s been a super busy week for me work-wise, which explains why a newsletter hasn’t come out for a few days. Luckily, I recently got the chance to catch up on the latest top headlines and also catch Friday’s PFL MENA card for this newsletter! Today’s issue has a catch-up on all of the top MMA stories from this week thus far, plus some smaller stuff you might’ve also missed.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more of the latest headlines, including news from PFL Europe and anything else that breaks on Saturday. Let’s begin.
Donald Trump, UFC Hope To Host Event At White House In 2026
UFC has opened its doors to U.S. President Donald Trump on countless occasions, giving him a significant spotlight amid his political comeback in recent years. Soon, it seems he plans to return the favor.
Speaking at an event earlier this week, Trump pitched the idea of hosting UFC fights at the White House next year to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary.
“We’re gonna have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House,” Trump said, later on mentioning that he’d like up to 25,000 in attendance for a championship bout at the location.
A UFC spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that the promotion plans to host such an event, and that details would emerge “in due time.”
To say Trump and the UFC have ties would be an understatement. Trump utilized UFC events as part of his campaign trail in 2024, appearing at high-profile pay-per-view attractions where he would receive loud ovations from the right-leaning fanbase and a massive, uncritical spotlight on the event’s broadcast.
Many critics point to Trump’s association with the UFC as part of his attempt to attract younger male voters, a demographic which played a role in helping him defeat Democratic candidate Joe Biden last fall.
When Trump made his acceptance speech on the night of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, one of the few others who got to appear on the microphone was UFC CEO Dana White.
White has also previously appeared at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Republican National Conventions to speak in favor of Trump.
Even before Trump’s comments this week, it had been clear that his ties to the UFC didn’t come to an end after his latest campaign wrapped up. He has been spotted at a pair of events hosted by the promotion since winning his re-election, most recently at UFC 316 in June.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who was appointed by Trump, floated the idea earlier this year that the UFC could help improve physical fitness among the agents he oversees.
UFC’s partnership with Trump has been an exchange of sorts. The fight promotion helped keep eyes on Trump as he looked to move on from the January 6th, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and push for a second run as President.
In exchange, the promotion has become the President’s sport of choice, so much that he sees its events as a way to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary in a year’s time.
Omar El Dafrawy Closes Out PFL MENA Card With 75-Second Submission Win
PFL’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) tour hosted its second event of 2025 on Friday night, kicking off year-long tournaments in the welterweight and bantamweight classes.
The event, from the Green Halls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was headlined by a quick win from 2024 MENA Welterweight Champion Omar El Dafrawy, who returned with a 75-second win over Italian vet Daniele Miceli in non-tournament action.
After escaping a Von Flue choke, El Dafrawy caught Miceli in a triangle choke for a tap just seconds into the main event bout. The finish continued an impressive PFL run for El Dafrawy, who previously scored a trio of wins—including a pair of stoppages—to become the regional brand’s top welterweight name in 2024.
Before the lightning-fast win for El Dafrawy, eight tournament bouts took place in Riyadh. Here’s a quick rundown of everything that happened:
2024 Welterweight Finalist Alaqraa Begins Second Campaign
The welterweight tournament included a massive finish win for Amir Fazli, as well as scorecard wins for the returning Mohammad Alaqraa, Mohamed Zarey, and Badreddine Diani.
2024 PFL MENA finalist Mohammad Alaqraa started his second quest toward gold in the promotion, using his control to defeat Omar Hussein via decision. After suffering his first pro loss in the championship round of last year’s tournament, 25-year-old prospect Alaqraa is off to a strong start in 2025.
While a left hook dropped him in the first round, Mohamed Zarey turned things around in the second and third rounds against Ayman Galal for a unanimous decision win. Zarey showed his well-rounded skillset as the fight progressed, out-landing Galal with an aggressive and advancing style, and keeping him on the ground for a large portion of the final round.
Badreddine Diani outlasted a tiring Ahmed Darwish in a back-and-forth welterweight war, out-landing him for a unanimous decision victory after three rounds. Darwish, the less experienced of the two, started to struggle with his cardio by the halfway point of the bout.
Amir Fazli seemed to be losing a fight on his back foot, but none of that mattered after he wiped Rostem Akman out with an overhand right in the second round for a finish victory. Fazli is already having a better year than his 2024 PFL MENA campaign, where he took a pair of losses.
Benkaci Scores 57-Second Win In Bantamweight Tournament
At bantamweight, it was Moktar Benkaci, Xavier Alaoui, Nawras Abzakh, and Islam Youssef who made it past the opening round, three of whom earned their victory in highlight-reel fashion.
33-year-old veteran Moktar Benkaci steamrolled Marcel Adur in his bantamweight quarter-final, stumbling him with a left hook to the body for a finish in just 57 seconds. Benkaci enters the semi-finals as one of the favorites, possessing tons of experience in MMA and, of course, as he demonstrated Friday, fight-ending power.
Tristar Gym talent Xavier Alaoui put together a thorough three-round performance against Ayman Galal, outworking him both on the feet and on the ground to earn a decision win. Alaoui is on his second PFL MENA run, coming back after getting eliminated in the quarter-final round last year.
Returning PFL MENA competitor Nawras Abzakh floored Ali Yazbeck with a combination of punches and a knee, causing a stoppage in the second round of their quarter-final fight. The performance put Abzakh back into the win column after taking a tough loss to 2024 MENA bantamweight champ Ali Taleb last year.
Short-notice bantamweight bracket addition Islam Youssef put an end to his competitive quarter-final fight with a massive second-round finish, handing fellow tournament alternate Benyamin Ghahreman his first pro loss with a jumping knee to the head. Youssef caught Ghahreman off guard after the fight emerged from a ground position, allowing him to put him out cold with the blow. The finish got some coverage in the press, as it’s probably a “Knockout of the Year” contender.
Here are the quick results from Friday’s card in Riyadh:
Bout 11: Omar El Dafrawy def. Daniele Miceli via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 1, 1:15)
Bout 10: Mohammad Alaqraa def. Omar Hussein via Decision, Unanimous (Welterweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 9: Hattan Alsaif def. Nour Al Fliti via TKO, Injury (RD 2, 2:24) (Amateur)
Bout 8: Mohamed Zarey def. Ayman Galal via Decision, Unanimous (Welterweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 7: Xavier Alaoui def. Ziad Ayman Mokhtar via Decision, Unanimous (Bantamweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 6: Moktar Benkaci def. Marcel Adur via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:57) (Bantamweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 5: Badreddine Diani def. Ahmed Darwish via Decision, Unanimous (Welterweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 4: Amir Fazli def. Rostem Akman via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:34) (Welterweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 3: Nawras Abzakh def. Ali Yazbeck via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:50) (Bantamweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 2: Islam Youssef def. Benyamin Ghahreman via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:55) (Bantamweight Quarter-Final)
Bout 1: Abdalrahman Alhyasat def. Anthony Zeidan via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 2:50)
‘Contender Series’ Alum Matt Dixon Stops Alex Sanchez Early To Advance on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
Former “Contender Series” competitor Matt Dixon’s second chance at a UFC contract remains alive.
Dixon scored a first-round finish win against Mexican prospect Alex Sanchez on Tuesday’s episode of “The Ultimate Fighter,” advancing him past the quarter-final round of the season’s welterweight bracket.
Dixon pressured Sanchez on the feet throughout the first round, advancing forward with hard punches. While Sanchez responded with solid shots while on the backfoot, he eventually got caught by a left hook from Dixon, which put a sudden end to the bout.
Dixon suffered an upset loss on the “Contender Series” back in 2020, tiring out and getting stopped late by Orion Cosce. He has since bounced back from that sole pro loss with a pair of wins on the regional scene, both via first-round finish.
Fighting through the eight-man welterweight bracket has provided another chance for Dixon to get onto the UFC roster nearly five years after he missed out on his last opportunity to join the promotion.
Sanchez entered this season with a long series of big performances on the regional scene, including title victories in Combate Global and Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat. Coach Daniel Cormier grilled him following his loss, shouting at his team about how they shouldn’t back up during fights.
The final flyweight quarter-final bout of the season will take place next Tuesday, with former Anthony Pettis FC champ Roybert Echeverria facing Tumelo Manyamala.
Echeverria has fought around the U.S. regionals since 2020, initially making a name for himself in Titan FC. Similar to Dixon, he’s getting another chance this season after losing a 2022 “Contender Series” shot. Manyamala will be making his U.S. debut on this show after mainly obtaining wins on the South African regional scene.
The winning fighter will join a semi-final round, which currently includes Joseph Morales, Imanol Rodriguez, and Alibi Idiris.
Notes On: UFC, PFL, ONE Championship, RIZIN & OKTAGON
UFC
Update on the appeal filed by Conor McGregor for the civil suit from earlier this year, which found him liable for an alleged sexual assault on Irish hairdresser Nikita Hand in 2018: A piece of new evidence that the MMA fighter once attempted to bring into the appeal is now subject to scrutiny.
McGregor’s legal team attempted to introduce new evidence from neighbours of Hand in 2018, who alleged that they saw a physical confrontation between Hand and her partner the night she came into contact with McGregor, providing an alternate theory as to how she was found with bruises after seeing the UFC fighter. But, in a stunning reversal, the evidence was withdrawn from McGregor’s team before the appeal process started.
The fishiness of this evidence’s sudden withdrawal has caused the Irish Appeal Court to call on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review possible issues of perjury at play. While the legal representation for Hand argued that McGregor should be considered for a perjury charge, McGregor’s team claims that he’s not subject to the DPP investigation.
I’ll have a longer story on this tomorrow… There’s a lot to unpack. But for now, if you want to learn more, Petesy Carroll at Uncrowned put together a great write-up on the incident.
Ben Askren received a double lung transplant, his wife announced on social media. “We are forever thankful to the donor and his family,” she said. “This is the beginning of a new lifestyle for Ben, but every new day he has is a gift. It still doesn’t feel real that he was walking around completely healthy just 5 weeks ago. So much can change so quickly.”
Jon Jones is teasing a return to MMA just a little under two weeks after announcing his retirement, because of course he is. “Just re-entered the testing pool,” Jones wrote on X. “That lasted for about two weeks. Figured we’d keep everyone’s options open.” I’m still putting a Jones fight in “I’ll believe it when I see it” territory.
Bo Nickal will compete in the Hulk Hogan-fronted Real American Freestyle wrestling events, the promotion announced this week. Numerous notable ex-NCAA wrestlers have inked deals to compete with the company. Their debut event is set for August 30th in Cleveland - ticket sales have been cold thus far, although they still have a little under two months to get things moving.
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland didn’t like getting mocked by fighter Luis Hernandez at Tuff-N-Uff on Sunday, so he tried jumping him after Hernandez won his fight. Strickland, who has scored just two finishes over the past five years, luckily didn’t hurt Hernandez that badly.
The less tabloid-y story from Tuff-N-Uff is that 38-year-old Diego Brandao (31-22) destroyed yet another up-and-coming name, stopping Canaan Kawaihai in the fourth round of a title fight with strikes. With impressive back-to-back wins this year, Brandao is having somewhat of a career resurgence nearly a decade after his last UFC run came to an end.
Molly McCann, a former UFC fighter who retired from MMA earlier this year, has signed a deal to compete for prominent promoter Matchroom Boxing.
The UFC 318 lineup—which has like a million fights booked—has received a slight change. Ikram Aliskerov (16-1) has withdrawn from his fight against Brunno Ferreira (13-2) at middleweight. Taking his place will be UFC newcomer Jackson McVey (6-0), per Laerte Viana. McVey was expected to make his debut last weekend, but had his short-notice fight cancelled after opponent Christopher Ewert couldn’t make weight. The 26-year-old prospect—who hasn’t left the first round as a pro—has a tough test in five-fight UFC vet “Hulk” Ferreira, who is returning after an armbar win over Armen Petrosyan from earlier this year.
Former PFL champ Ante Delija (25-6) will make his UFC debut against Marcin Tybura (27-9) at UFC’s Paris card on September 6th. A win would put Croatia’s Delija into the heavyweight top 10 upon arrival. Tybura is taking the matchup after beating Mick Parkin and Jhonata Diniz in recent months.
Three fights for UFC’s August 9th show in the APEX:
Jean Matsumoto (16-1) will try to bounce back from his sole pro loss when he takes on Miles Johns (15-3) at featherweight. Matsumoto was on the losing side of an incredibly close split decision against Rob Font earlier this year, a result that many debated. Before then, he had a pair of UFC wins. Johns is similarly returning after a loss, dropping a decision to Felipe Lima last year.
Fresh off his UFC debut win, Elijah Smith (8-1) will meet Toshiomi Kazama (11-4). Smith overcame veteran Vince Morales in February to extend a six-fight win streak he developed in recent years on the regional scene. Japan’s Kazama snapped a two-fight UFC losing streak in August, submitting Charalampos Grigoriou in a performance that likely kept his run with the promotion alive.
Returning for the first time since her massive upset win over Wang Cong, Gabriella Fernandes (10-3) will fight Julija Stoliarenko (11-8-1). Fernandes was a massive +600 underdog when she submitted Wang last year for her second consecutive UFC win. She now looks to beat former Invicta FC champ Stoliarenko, who is returning for the first time in over a year.
A few more fights for UFC Shanghai on August 23rd:
This is a really good one at flyweight: Lone’er Kavanagh (9-0), who represents China, will meet Charles Johnson (17-7). Kavanagh has overcome a pair of fighters since joining the UFC roster late last year, but Johnson is a massive step-up test for him. Johnson, who has fought an unreal 11 times since joining the UFC roster in 2022, is coming back after Ramazan Temirov snapped his four-fight winning streak earlier this year.
A solid prospect matchup between light heavyweights Diyar Nurgozhay (10-1) and Uran Satybaldiev (9-1) will go down. Former LFA champ Satybaldiev dropped his short-notice UFC debut up at heavyweight in April, losing via decision to Martin Buday. Now back at his natural weight class, he’ll try to bounce back from that defeat. Nurgozhay suffered a massive upset loss in March when Brendson Ribeiro submitted him in his UFC debut. Both guys are coming off a loss, but both are still absolutely prospects in the division.
Rising Brazilian contender Marco Tulio (14-1) will try to get past veteran Michel Pereira (31-13). Tulio has scored back-to-back finishes in his rookie year as a UFC fighter. Pereira is trying to regain momentum after a pair of tough losses at middleweight, losing a main event to Anthony Hernandez last year, then dropping a decision to Abus Magomedov in April.
Competing in his home country of China for the first time since 2019, Sumudaerji (17-7) will face Kevin Borjas (10-3). Sumudaerji broke a three-fight skid in April with a tight split decision over Mitch Raposo. Peru’s Borjas similarly broke a losing streak in March, beating Ronaldo Rodriguez.
Last week, Christopher Ewert (7-0) was pulled from the “Contender Series” to fight on UFC 317. But after not being able to make weight, Ewert was taken off the show and cut from the UFC roster altogether. I wrote before that Ewert possibly missed out on not one but two big breaks in the sport. Good news: Ewert will still get his “Contender Series” opportunity, once again booked to appear on an August episode of the show, per Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN Deportes.
PFL
PFL Europe will head to the 9,000-capacity Zenith Nantes Metropole in Nantes, France for a card on September 26th. It’s presumed that this is where the semi-final round fights in their two ongoing tournaments will take place. Nothing has been announced for the card yet, except that it will be headlined by French star Abdoul Abdouraguimov (19-1).
ONE Championship
A piece from Nick Atkin of the Bangkok Post detailed that ONE Championship is moving its “production hub” from Singapore to Thailand, highlighting how important the country has become to the promotion’s business model since early 2023. The article also mentions that ONE is planning to launch another weekly show alongside their “Friday Fights” series, focused on “traditional five-round Muay Thai” matchups.
MMA Junkie is reporting that heavyweight grappler Marcus Buchecha (5-1) is a free agent after a six-fight run in ONE Championship. He would be another big pickup for the UFC, which needs some new, exciting names at heavyweight.
RIZIN
RIZIN has announced that opening round bouts in the new flyweight grand prix, as well as semi-final matchups in the heavyweight grand prix will take place as part of “Super RIZIN 4” on July 27th. The flyweight tournament is full of exciting names and could deliver some huge fights. The opening round of the heavyweight tournament was full of uninspiring performances, to be honest.
We’re still waiting to hear if Razhabali Shaydullaev will put his featherweight title on the line later this month as part of the card at the Saitama Super Arena.
OKTAGON
OKTAGON has re-booked a vacant bantamweight title fight between Igor Severino (9-1) and Jack Cartwright (12-2) for their August 9th show in Prague. Severino joined OKTAGON last year after controversially being cut from the UFC roster due to biting an opponent. He set himself up for a title shot after beating Jonas Magard. Cartwright had previously proven himself with a lengthy title run in Cage Warriors and now seeks his second pro title. This bout was first targeted for April, but had to be delayed after Cartwright suffered an injury.