Colby Covington sees plenty of big fights ahead when he returns to action.

December will mark a year since Covington’s most recent fight, a loss to then-welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 296. Since then, Covington has been relatively quiet, though he has spent much of 2024 campaigning for President Donald Trump. With Trump once again having been elected to office, Covington is free to focus on his own career.

And he already has a few names in mind, including top welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena.

“We’ve been talking about this fight with Jack Della Maddalena,” Covington told Submission Radio (transcription via Denis Shkuratov). “I think it makes a lot of sense. He got a big win in my hometown in Miami last time he was out here so he has a little bit of a name out here. He’s undefeated. He’s hungry. He’s fearless. He’s an exciting fighter.

“I think that’s a fight that the fans would be intrigued with. I think it’s a high-level fight. It’s a top contender fight that establishes who’s the next contender for the belt.”

Della Maddalena is one of the hottest names at 170 pounds, with seven straight wins to kick off his UFC career. Overall, he has won 17 straight fights after beginning his pro career 0-2. This past March, the Australian slugger defeated one-time UFC title challenger defeated one-time UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns by third-round knockout and he currently stands at No. 4 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.

While Covington is eager to climb back up the charts, he’s also entertaining grudge matches. One fighter who Covington has gone back and forth with in the media is lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett. If Pimblett wants to jump up in weight, Covington is eager to slap him back down.

“He’d never fight again,” Covington said. “It’d be the last fight that he’d ever have in the Octagon. I would beat him silly from pillar to post. I’d beat him so bad it’d be one of the worst beatings in UFC history. I don’t think the athletic commission would be able to sanction a fight for him ever again after the damage I would do to Paddy f*cking Pimblett. The guy’s an absolute joke and it’s just hilarious because last time I saw him on Fight Week, he’s walking down, literally walked by me, like, three times. Every time he puts his head straight down, doesn’t make any eye contact, but now he wants to talk a big game. So Paddy, if you’re really about that life, come see me. Come see the ‘King of Miami.’

“Call [UFC executive] Hunter [Campbell]. You know what? You probably don’t even have the boss’s number. You probably have to go through, like, the matchmakers or something. Don’t worry, I’ll put in a call to the boss. We can get this fight going if you’re really about that. And you know what? More importantly, you don’t got to cut weight. I know you’re a big guy. You’re bigger than me anyways. So come up to welterweight, eat as much food as you want, and bring your A-game and pack a lunch because it’s going to be the last time you ever fight again.”

Long term, Covington still believes he can fight for UFC gold. Though Covington’s performance against Edwards was forgettable, he was previously part of two entertaining title fights with Kamaru Usman, and the urge to prove himself against the best remains.

He’s eager to fight undefeated welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is looking for a dance partner now after UFC champion Belal Muhammad was forced to withdraw from their UFC 310 main event meeting due to a toe infection. If Rakhmonov finds a new opponent for the Dec. 7 card, regardless of the result, Covington wants a piece of him.

“I think I can walk him down and pressure him and he’s not going to like my pressure,” Covington said of the Rakhmonov matchup. “He doesn’t do very well with southpaws. We saw how he did with the busboy, Geoff Neal, that was a very competitive fight. He hasn’t really fought a top, top contender yet. He’s fought some gatekeepers in the division, some some guys right on the cusp of the top 10, but he’s never fought a champion like me and a guy who’s just going to come at him for for five straight rounds and just walk him down.

“So I think I match up well with him. He stands very tall. I don’t know, I don’t see anything special with him. You know, he has some good submissions, he’s slick, but that’s when he can control the wrestling. He’s not going to control the wrestling on me. I think I can beat him pretty easily and I think it’s a favorable fight. It’s a fight that I want in the future whether he wins or loses in December.”

Watch Covington’s interview with Submission Radio below.

ONE Championship creates more depth in its big January event by adding the return of champion Fabricio Andrade.

At ONE 170 on Jan. 24 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, Andrade (9-2) will defend his bantamweight (145 pounds) title for the first time against a familiar opponent, Won Il Kwon. The promotion directly confirmed the news of the matchup with MMA Junkie.

The event is an Asian primetime card starting at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Andrade achieved his crowning moment by defeating John Lineker at ONE on Prime Video 7 in February 2023. Lineker’s corner stopped the fight after the conclusion of Round 4 due to damage to their fighter’s eye.

Since his big moment, Andrade, 27, has only appeared once in a kickboxing bout against Jonathan Haggerty. It was an attempt to become a two-sport champion in ONE, but things did not go his way as he was stopped in the second round. Now, he’s geared up for his return to MMA competition and will look to defend his title for the first time against Kwon (14-4), who he previously faced and finished.

The first meeting took place at ONE Championship 158 in June 2022. Andrade finished the fight with a liver kick in the first round, which led to back-to-back appearances against Lineker.

Kwon has not lost since. The 29-year-old South Korean fighter has gone on a tear, finishing three consecutive opponents. His most recent appearance was a second-round ground and pounding of Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg in January, which has set up his title opportunity.

With the addition, the ONE 170 lineup includes:

• Fabricio Andrade vs. Won Il Kwon – for bantamweight title
• Tawanchai PK Saenchai vs. Superbon Banchamek – for muay Thai lightweight title
• Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs. Nico Carrillo – for muay Thai featherweight title
• Saeksan Or Kwanmuang vs. Soe Lin Oo
• Suriyanlek Por Yenying vs. Thant Zin

Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season is almost here! But before FOX Sports lead NFL analyst Tom Brady heads back to Tampa Bay for a massive NFC battle between the Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers, it’s time for the GOAT to unveil his latest power rankings! A surprising team enters Brady’s list for the first time, while one NFC squad separates itself from the pack after a huge Week 9 win.

Check out his latest Top 5 and full analysis here:

Tom Brady’s Week 9 Power Rankings | DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE

Here’s who the GOAT has ranked as his Top 5 teams entering a massive Week 10!

Week 9 result: Defeated New York Giants 27-22

Brady’s thoughts: “Coming in at No. 5 this week and making their debut in my power rankings, the Washington Commanders. Led by rookie QB Jayden Daniels — he doesn’t look like a rookie to me — Washington’s won three straight and seven of their last eight. That’s insane. 

“Hats off to Coach [Dan] Quinn. You’ve done an incredible job this year as head coach. The team, they’ve had more wins this year than they did last year, and that’s their best start in almost 30 years. They’ll try to stay undefeated at home this season when the Steelers make the trip to D.C. this week.”

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin and quarterback Jayden Daniels have formed a potent duo for the Commanders in Daniels’ first NFL season. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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Week 9 result: Defeated Denver Broncos 41-10

Brady’s thoughts: “Hard to believe they’re No. 4 and not higher. There’s some other good teams up there. They had a tough loss to the Browns, but they bounced back and got a huge win over Denver. Lamar was ridiculous, a perfect QB rating against a top-three defense.

“Derrick Henry  — again unstoppable. He’s already over 1,000 yards halfway through the season. The Ravens also have the league’s No. 1 ranked run defense. Man, that’s just a tough football team. But they’ve got a huge test on Thursday against [Joe] Burrow and the Bengals.”

The combination of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore’s backfield is everything Ravens fans had hoped for when Henry arrived in the offseason. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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Week 9 result: Defeated Miami Dolphins 30-27

Brady’s thoughts: “They pulled out a wild win against the Dolphins in the fourth quarter. Tyler Bass hit a 61-yarder for the win. It wasn’t the Bills’ cleanest game of the year, but Josh Allen came up clutch with three touchdowns in the second half. That’s four straight for Buffalo. But don’t overlook the Colts this week with the Chiefs looming in Week 11.”

Josh Allen led the Bills to a comeback victory over the Dolphins to keep Buffalo in the driver’s seat in the AFC East. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

Week 9 result: Defeated Green Bay Packers 24-14

Brady’s thoughts: “There were plenty of doubters as they played their first outdoor game of the year. But that rainstorm at Lambeau, it didn’t slow them down. Jared Goff is in the zone. He’s completing an NFL record 83% of his passes the last six weeks. David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs — they killed it on the ground with 138 combined rush yards. And I’ve got to show a lot of love to Aaron Glenn. That Lions D is allowing 19 points per game since losing Aidan Hutchinson.

“Detroit looks to win its seventh straight game this week against C.J. Stroud and the Texans in Houston. That’s a great matchup.”

A rainy day in Green Bay was no match for Jared Goff and the juggernaut Lions on Sunday. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Week 9 result: Defeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 (OT)

Brady’s thoughts: “If you’re undefeated, you better believe you’re going to stay at the top of my power rankings. At No. 1, the Kansas City Chiefs. They continue to find ways to win close games. They’ve got that championship DNA. Patrick Mahomes had three touchdowns, didn’t turn the ball over, and they had a new addition. DeAndre Hopkins is already looking like a great fit in this offense. He had two touchdowns.

“Looking all the way back to last year, that’s 14 straight wins for the Chiefs. Sean Payton, you’ve got a challenge against them this Sunday when it’s Broncos-Chiefs. Let’s see if the Chiefs can stay undefeated.

Patrick Mahomes and the still-undefeated Chiefs continue to loom large over the rest of the NFL. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

“There’s a great set of games coming up this weekend. Let’s see who tops the power rankings next week.”

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The UFC is set to embark on potentially the biggest year in the history of the promotion with a new broadcast rights deal arriving in 2025.

While executives at TKO Group Holdings—the combined parent company to UFC and WWE—remain flexible when addressing any potential business partners moving forward, it’s also possible that nothing much changes when a new deal is struck. TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro has stated that nothing is off the table when it comes time to negotiate a new UFC broadcast rights deal, but that the current way major events are sold as pay-per-views continues to work well.

“What I can tell you as we enter into these negotiations, at the end of the day it’s what the market will bear,” Shapiro said during a TKO earnings call on Wednesday. “That’s really what it is. We’re next up. We’re the next big thing on the block, if you will, We have a proven track record. Our demos are insane, really just across TKO. Fifty percent of our audience is 18-to-34 [year olds], which is what most platforms and companies are chasing. So we’re in good stead there. We have terrific versification and we drive a very strong Hispanic audience when it comes to the UFC and we’re gender neutral. We’re not just talking about women watching women’s fights. That’s not the case. We have a strong base of women watching all our fights. So we’re sitting at a pretty good position.

“Pay-per-view is still a strong model. It worked to build ESPN+. It’s worked for us internationally. We’ve got great history with it. DirecTV and DISH [Network] may be coming together. So who knows the kind of opportunity there.”

During past calls with investors, Shapiro has said that there was a world where the UFC’s PPV model could potentially go away under the right terms with a broadcast partner. For instance, Netflix is about to broadcast the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight to its 282 million subscribers without any additional cost attached to watch the event.

Meanwhile, WWE used to operate under a similar format as UFC with monthly PPV events but that model changed with the launch of the WWE Network in 2014. Now major WWE events such as WrestleMania or SummerSlam are considered “premium live events” that are currently broadcast on Peacock—one of the promotion’s broadcast partners—at no additional cost outside of paying for a subscription to the streaming service.

As much as that works for WWE, Shapiro can’t say for certain if PPV is ever going away for UFC. That decision depends on what a broadcast partner wants when negotiations start in early 2025.

“Things change. Models change. Viewing patterns change,” Shapiro said. “Broadcast is now kind of back in if you will, cable is obviously having its struggles but still nothing to frown at. Streaming is on fire and new platforms and fast channels are coming all the time.

“So it’s really just demonstrating and signaling to the market that we have flexibility and a willingness to play ball on a myriad of business models. Ari and I in particular are very focused on not just communicating that but actively discussing those potential models with all of the partners and then some.”

When the UFC initially signed with ESPN in 2018, a five-year deal eventually turned into a seven-year partnership with the Disney-owned company also taking over PPV broadcasts. Now all of the major UFC events are sold exclusively through ESPN+ rather than the previous model where those same events would be available through traditional PPV outlets like inDemand.

As the UFC’s current broadcast partner, ESPN maintains an exclusive negotiating period to reach terms on a new deal, although it’s highly unlikely the two sides strike a bargain before Dana White’s MMA organization at least fields offers from other potential suitors. Shapiro made it clear the UFC wants to maximize its value in these next negotiations with potential partners.

In other words, if somebody is willing to pay, the UFC is willing to listen.

“In terms of what really benefits us and our shareholders is maximizing value on these renewals,” Shapiro said. “That’s the bottom line. We’re not looking to upend or change for change sake or unorthodox models, we are looking to maximize our rights. End of story. UFC is mainstream, incredibly popular. I see some of the struggles going on with other leagues right now, both linear and digital. Leagues that have started new seasons and they’re not off to a rocket start like we’re accustomed to. That’s not the case with UFC. We’re still driving [subscriptions] to ESPN+. When we’re on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC, we’re a ratings winner and driving more advertising for those platforms.

“If we have to be creative to help potential partners or bring other suitors in the door so that we get a higher price or live up to the guide that the street has been giving us on the renewal — not the one that we’re giving them but the one their giving us — then we’re going to do it. All we’re trying to signal to our shareholders and all we’re trying to signal to the media suitors, the platforms, the companies that are going to be chasing us relatively soon.”

LAS VEGAS – Although he’s had 21 fights in the UFC, Gerald Meerschaert didn’t hesitate when he got the call to fight promotional newcomer Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night 247.

De Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) isn’t any ordinary debuting fight. He’s a former two-division titleholder with ONE Championship, and was a celebrated free agent signing by the matchmakers, who wasted no time throwing him in the deep end against middleweight finishes record holder Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) on Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex (ESPN+).

“I think it’s a good thing,” Meerschaert told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 247 media day. “I think a lot more people know about de Ridder than maybe some of the people who only follow UFC give him credit for. He’s tough. Had a lot of belts in ONE FC, so that’s nothing to shake your head at. It’s fun to be the one to welcome in somebody who was a double champ in a different organization because I think it says a lot about me if I can go out and get that finish on Saturday.”

With back-to-back wins on his resume, Meerschaert is enjoying the current state of his career. Like most fighters, his goal is to move up the rankings and into more relevant matchups. He’s not sure how much beating de Ridder will help with the former, but he said he will be demanding the latter if he gets his hand raised.

“I think a win over de Ridder, if I win impressively enough, I think it could put me at No. 15 (in UFC’s official rankings), but it definitely puts me in the conversation for fighting ranked guys,” Meerschaert said. “Absolutely. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Win on Saturday, I would like to fight someone ranked or just give me somebody that has a decent name on a big card. Fighting somebody high in the ranking is important, but getting eyeballs on you having great performances is just as, if not more so important.”

Meerschaert admitted he’s as curious as anyone to see what de Ridder is capable of at the UFC level, especially given his strong grappling skills. Meerschaert owns the most submission victories in the history of UFC’s 185-pound weight class, so the matchup on the mat is one he is keen to dive into.

“I expect him to be at his best and he’s a very, very good grappler,” Meerschaert said. “Especially straight jiu-jitsu style grappling, he’s one of the last guys that really goes out there and implements that in his game plan. He’s definitely more in the style of a Gunnar Nelson or Demian Maia, and he’s just as dangerous as either one of those guys.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 247.

It was in Brandon Royval’s best interest for Brandon Moreno to beat Amir Albazi.

Former champion Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) returned in peak form when he battered a tough Albazi (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for five rounds in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 main event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Considering that Royval’s past two wins have come against Moreno then formerly unbeaten Tatsuro Taira in a Fight of the Night effort, the 32-year-old thinks he just became the clear-cut No. 1 contender.

“I think the only thing that it cleared up completely was that I’m next for the title shot,” Royval told MMA Junkie. “I think that’s what it did. It just cleared the way for me and keep everything going. I thought he (Moreno) looked sick. I had such a good time watching him. I liked the look in his eye when he walked out. The moment he walked out, I was like, ‘All right, cool, this is what I want to see: a pissed-off Brandon Moreno ready to go.’

“And he fought with a f*cking attitude and chip on his shoulder, and I loved that. I really, in my head, just think the flyweight division – I feel we get a lot of criticism of because the top three, top four guys are just clearing out everybody and just kind of staying in the top three, top four, but I feel like the flyweight division has been more exciting than it’s ever been.”

Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) won’t immediately get his wish. He has to wait for flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja to defend his title against ex-RIZIN champion Kai Asakura on Dec. 7 at UFC 310 – but he expects to face the winner.

“If they’re not going to bring anybody in, and it’s between me, Moreno and Kai Kara-France, it’s definitely me,” Royval said. “I feel like that’s the only thing that makes sense. Moreno and Kai Kara-France have some sick wins against some sick opponents, and they did a great job. But that being said, I have a win over both those guys, and I think if it’s between us three, it’s me.”

Royval has no issue with newcomer Asakura getting a title shot in his UFC debut. In fact, after fighting both Moreno and Pantoja twice, he could use a new face.

“I’m a fan of it,” Royval said on Asakura’s addition. “I want fresh blood, too. We’re talking about three rematches as a possibility. Like, I could fight Kai Kara-France next, Brandon Moreno, and Pantoja next, and the only one I’m ready to go do is fight Pantoja next. If Kai Asakura wins that belt, I think that’s going to be one of the better fights of the year. Me and Kai Asakura are both guys who bring fights.”