Mondays, AmIRight? From heart-stopping late finishes inside the UFC Octagon to title vacancies, crossover boxing wars, and striking masterclasses in Bangkok, this week delivered non-stop drama across the combat sports landscape.
Here are the top six combat sports stories that captured headlines over the past week.
6. High School Elite and World-Class Grapplers Shine At Who’s Number One
Mat sports enjoyed a packed weekend, anchored by FloWrestling’s 14th annual Who’s Number One high school showcase on September 26 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The marquee high school event saw top-ranked wrestling prospects lock horns for national ranking supremacy, highlighted by Grey Burnett’s victory over Paul Kenny in their long-running rivalry and Hawaii’s Analu Woode making state history at 113 pounds.
5. Superlek Triumphs In ONE Friday Fights 172 Return
Over in Asia, ONE Championship delivered striking action at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Friday, September 25. The card was headlined by flyweight kickboxing monarch Superlek Jitmuangnon, who returned to action at ONE Friday Fights 172. Superlek put on a masterclass of timing, distance control, and thunderous leg kicks to secure a decisive victory, demonstrating that he remains one of the premier pound-for-pound strikers on the planet.
The co-main event provided equal fireworks as promotional debutant Yodkatanyu Jitmuangnon survived a toe-to-toe war against Liu Junchao, earning a split-decision victory in a candidate for fight of the night.
4. UFC 331 Aftermath: Sean Sharaf’s 12-Second Upset Sends Shockwaves
Repercussions from UFC 331 continued to dominate combat sports newsrooms throughout the week. While flyweight king Joshua Van successfully retained his title in a unanimous decision victory over Alexandre Pantoja, the primary talking point remained Marine Corps veteran Sean Sharaf’s shocking 12-second knockout of Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson.
Sharaf flattened the heavily favored Steveson with a single left hand in the opening seconds, handing the wrestling prodigy his first professional MMA defeat. The viral upset sparked widespread debate regarding elite wrestling transitions into MMA, prompting former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones to publicly take responsibility for training oversights in Steveson’s camp, while Steveson released a statement vowing to rebuild.
3. Cejudo Victorious In Boxing Debut As Tony Ferguson Retains MFB Belt
Crossover boxing took center stage on Saturday, September 26, as Misfits Boxing hosted a fight card topped by two former UFC champions. In the main event, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo made his professional boxing debut against actor and boxer Javon “Wanna” Walton. Despite giving up significant size and reach, Cejudo utilized relentless inside pressure to secure a hard-fought split decision victory (39-37, 37-39, 39-37).
In the co-main event, former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson successfully defended his MFB Middleweight Title with a classic “El Cucuy” performance. Ferguson systematically dismantled former Olympic wrestler Mahmoud Fawzy Sebie, finishing him via 2nd-round TKO to retain his championship belt.
2. Heavyweight Division Upended As Tom Aspinall Vacates UFC Title
The UFC heavyweight division was thrown into flux early in the week when undisputed champion Tom Aspinall officially announced he was vacating his title. Aspinall, who has been sidelined due to a lingering eye injury sustained in his October 2025 bout against Ciryl Gane, revealed that he suffered a setback in training while preparing for their highly anticipated rematch.
Stating that he did not want to stall the division while seeking medical clearance, Aspinall willingly relinquished the belt. The news triggered a fast wave of matchmaking updates, the UFC promptly set plans in motion for Ciryl Gane to fight for the vacant heavyweight championship.
1. Raul Rosas Jr. Pulls Off Miraculous 5th-Round Stoppage in UFC Main Event Debut
In his very first UFC main event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 26, 21-year-old phenom Raul Rosas Jr. produced one of the most dramatic comeback finishes of the year. Trailing 3-1 on all three judges’ scorecards against 39-year-old veteran Raoni Barcelos, Rosas Jr. knew he needed a finish in the fifth and final round.
At 1:38 of the 5th round, Rosas Jr. dragged Barcelos to the canvas along the fence. During the sequence, Barcelos unexpectedly went limp, prompting referee Herb Dean to immediately step in and call off the fight. The celebration turned tense as medical staff rushed into the Octagon to treat Barcelos, who was carefully removed on a stretcher and transported to a local trauma center. Subsequent medical updates confirmed that Barcelos was stable, alert, and responsive. Both bantamweights earned $100,000 Fight of the Night bonuses for their brutal war.
As September draws to a close, this past week served as a stark reminder of why combat sports remain the most unpredictable spectacle in all of athletics. From heartbreaking title vacancies and lightning-fast upsets to gritty main-event comebacks and technical mat mastery, the landscape across MMA, boxing, and grappling has shifted dramatically in just seven days. With championship belts now hanging in the balance and fresh rivalries ignited on every front, the fallout from this wild week will undoubtedly shape the fight calendar for months to come.
