It has been an interesting week in the mixed martial arts universe. With the conclusion of UFC Kansas City, there is now a clear contender for the welterweight title picture.
Elsewhere, Dricus du Plessis addressed the rumor that he had broken his shin in half and pulled out of a fight with Khamzat Chimaev. Catch up with this week’s (April 21-27) top UFC updates below.
Joe Rogan Has a Theory About the UFC’s Decreasing PPV Sales
Joe Rogan has been with the UFC for over two decades and knows the promotion inside out. According to the veteran color commentator, the UFC is losing viewership due to an event overload.
On episode #2309 of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” he said, “I think in general the pay-per-view numbers are down as well because the casuals aren’t buying it as much.”
He compared the UFC’s pay-per-view sales with those of boxing. He pointed out how famous boxers, on whom fans would potentially spend, only fight once in a while. On the other hand, there are UFC events every week and a PPV every month.
“So it’s like getting people to sell out 70 bucks for a card — it’s tough. Also, some of the great fights are on the undercard,” Rogan added. “Before the pay-per-view even starts, you already have three and a half hours of great fights you could watch for free.”
Dricus du Plessis Debunks Leg Break Rumors
No, Dricus du Plessis has neither broken his shin in half nor been injured in any way.
Middleweight contender Caio Borralho started the leg break rumor, seemingly to promote himself for a UFC interim title fight with Khamzat Chimaev. He let the reports boil over for a day before revealing the truth on Instagram.
“Okay, so everyone had their opinions and rumors and stories about a shin break and injuries, etc.,” he wrote. “I found it all very entertaining, unfortunately, none of it is true.”
He added that he had already discussed a date for the Khamzat Chimaev fight with the UFC, but it will not happen at UFC 317 like the rumors claimed.
“The June fight was never signed. I did not pull out of any fight. I am the champion. I know when I fight you, as a contender, just show up when we tell you to.”
Laura Sanko Is a BJJ Black Belt
After nearly two decades of dedication, UFC presenter and analyst Laura Sanko earned her Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt this past week.
Sanko posted on Instagram, “Feels amazing to join the black belt club… a 19-year journey that is just beginning.”
“So many people have played a role in getting me here. I won’t attempt to name them all, but to all the coaches who poured their knowledge into me and every training partner who swapped blood and sweat with me over the years… THANK YOU.”
Personalities like Belal Muhammad, Renee Paquette, Holly Holm, Kayla Harrison, Jon Anik, Tom Aspinall, and others reacted to the news.
Ian Machado Garry To Serve As Backup Fighter for Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena
After beating Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City, Ian Machado Garry announced he would be the official backup fighter for the UFC 315 main event. Dana White later confirmed it during the post-fight press conference.
He also admitted that Garry had answered all the UFC CEO’s questions regarding his fighting prowess.
“He definitely gets in there and controls everything. The pace, what he wants to do, when he wants to do it,” White said. “Even against a guy, the question was tonight, would Prates go in there and put unbelievable pressure on him, stay in his face? Then we were wondering, would Ian take him down, hold him down? So those were all the questions we had, too, were answered.”
Dana White has rave reviews of Ian Machado Garry after #UFCKansasCity and confirms his title fight backup role in two weeks at #UFC315.
(via @UFC) pic.twitter.com/HrEOewM88x
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) April 27, 2025
Dana White Explains Human vs. AI Rankings
Dana White has long been unhappy with the official UFC rankings. The promotion recently entered into an official collaboration with Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta. One aspect of the deal is developing a new fighter rankings system using Artificial Intelligence.
When asked if AI would eliminate the need for human panels, White said, “I’m not delusional to think that the AI thing is gonna solve all the problems. That’s why we’ll have two sets of rankings. We’ll have AI and human [both].”
Meta is currently serving as the Official Social Media Partner of the UFC.