*For Immediate Release to Publish
Roselle, Park, NJ (March 28th, 2026)– Welcome to the Real Combat Media Boxing & MMA Fights of the Week, where we discuss the week’s most significant news and the most notable fights in the sports of boxing and MMA, so you can save time by getting your best combat sports news expeditiously.
This past weekend in boxing, Carlos Adames, 31, (25-1-1, 18 KOs) retained his WBC Middleweight Title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over a tough Austin “Ammo” Williams, 29, (20-2, 13 KOs) in Orlando, Florida. Adames, who is from the Dominican Republic, controlled the bout from the start, scoring a knockdown in the second round and winning by wide scores of 118-108, 117-109, and 117-109. After years at 160 lbs, Adames declared his time at middleweight is complete, citing the need for new challenges at 168lbs. You can view the video highlights of this fight here.
Following a split-decision loss to Kevin Walsh in Belfast on March 20, the former two-time world title challenger and Olympic medalist Michael Conlan officially announced his retirement from boxing.
Lester Martinez, 30, (20-0-1, 16 Kos) had a historic win on Pro Box TV. Martinez outpointed Immanuwel Aleem on March 21 to become the first Guatemalan to capture a major belt, winning the WBC Interim Super Middleweight title.
Also on Pro Box TV, in a terrifying incident, OnlyFans model, former national amateur champion, and now undefeated boxer Jocelyn Caramillo (6-0, 1 KO) knocked out a 19-year-old Isis Sio (1-3) on a Pro Box TV-promoted card in a mismatch and put her in an induced coma after being recently knocked out in her last fight. Fortunately, Isis was released from the hospital during the week and has recovered. You can read about the mismatch, view the KO, and read Robert Brizel’s report here.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, which now moves to the Senate. This bill aims to reform minimum pay and safety coverage for fighters. You can read more about what is proposed here.
The IBF has officially declared its cruiserweight title vacant after Jai Opetaia participated in an unsanctioned contest with Zuffa Boxing, violating IBF Rule 5. IBF Rule 5.H. states that a champion participating in an “Unsanctioned Contest”—a fight not formally approved or with approval withdrawn—within their weight class will have their title declared vacant.
A vacant WBC Lightweight title fight between William Zepeda and Lamont Roach Jr. is being targeted for June 2026.
Moses Itauma, 21, (13-0, 11 Kos) vs. Jermaine Franklin Jr., 32, (24-2, 15 KOs) are scheduled to fight this Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. Originally slated for January 24, the fight was postponed for two months after the 21-year-old Itauma sustained an injury during his training camp. Itauma had a dominant first-round knockout of veteran Dillian Whyte in August of 2025. The heavyweight bout is the main event of Queensberry Promotions’ “Magnificent 7” card. You can read about this card, view the presser and weigh-in video here.
Sebastian Fundora, 28, (23-1, 15 kos) takes on Keith Thurman, 37, (31-1-1 NC, 23 Kos) on Saturday night on Amazon Prime on PBC PPV. You can check out the full card, Robert Brizel’s preview, presser, betting odds, and weigh-in here.
Bill Haney has stated that talks have started for a ‘possible’ September rematch for Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas. However, Devin Haney is expected to fight WBA champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero in a welterweight unification bout on May 30, 2026, in Las Vegas. The fight is close, however, not official yet. While a rematch with Ryan Garcia is frequently discussed, Haney is currently focused on adding the WBA belt to his WBO title after his recent move to 147 lbs.
There were some changes to the PBC PPV card featuring Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman, which is scheduled for next week. You can view the changes to the co-main event here.
At Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, George Liddard, 23, (14-0, 8 Kos) defeated Tyler Denny, 34, (21-4- 2 Kos) last week. Matchroom Promotions just signed George Liddard this week after his win.
Golden Boy Promotions extended its deal with DAZN. You can read about the announcement here.
Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya has publicly accused manager Rick Mirigian of ruining the career of boxer Vergil Ortiz Jr. through poor management, advising him to take legal action to leave his contract. Ortiz Jr. is still bound to his contract. The incident cancelled the negotiations with Jaron Ennis, who is promoted by Eddie Hearn. You can watch Oscar’s video where he discusses what happened on Clap Back Thursday here.
You can view the current international boxing rankings here.
In MMA News, UFC Fight Night 271 is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. A five-round middleweight clash between former champion and #4-ranked Israel Adesanya, 36, (24-5) and #14-ranked Joe Pyfer, 29, (15-3). Adesanya is fighting for UFC survival after being a PPV star and UFC Champion for many years, and has to win this fight to remain one of the best in the division. Adesanya has lost 3 fights in a row. Pyfer has won 3 fights in a row and is looking to make a name off of a win over Adesanya. You can read about the full card, press conference, weigh-in, and betting odds here.
Former UFC World Champion, #3 Alexa Grasso, 32, (16-5-1) will face surging contender #5 Maycee Barber, 27 (15-2), in a pivotal co-main event. The winner could be in a position for a Title shot. Barber has won 7 fights in a row. You can sign up for this event here.
UFC Fight Night London took place last week with a decent card where(#1) Movsar Evloev, 32, (20-0) defeated Lerone Murphy, 34, (17-1-1) for a possible UFC Title shot later this year. You can view the full card results, post-press conference, and video highlights here.
Netflix and MVP Promotions signed and added many more fights to the historic Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, which is scheduled for May 16th, 2026. Many feel this card will compete with the UFC White House Card, which is scheduled in June. Here is how the card looks so far below.
Main Event: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Co-Main: Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
Feature Bout: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross
Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes
Conor McGregor recently confirmed he is eligible to return as of March 2026 following an 18-month suspension. Rumors are swirling about him returning for UFC 329, which is scheduled for July 11th. Conor is currently training hard for his return.
PFL Pittsburgh takes place on March 28th with No. 1-ranked Johnny “Pressure” Eblen (16-1) vs. PFL debutant No. 9-ranked Bryan “The Butcher” Battle (12-2). You can read about the full card and view the photos of the weigh-in here.
UFC Fighter Removals (Cuts and Departures):
As of March 27th, 2026, the following fighters are no longer listed on the active UFC roster or have retired recently:
Michael Chiesa: Confirmed that his upcoming fight against Niko Price at UFC Seattle will be the final walk of his career.
Jose Medina: Cut following a loss at UFC Mexico City, ending his run with a 0-4 record.
Felipe Bunes: Released alongside Medina after their respective bouts in Mexico City.
Montse Rendon: Removed following a submission loss to Bia Mesquita at UFC Vegas 114.
Luan Lacerda: Cut after completing his contract with a loss to Hecher Sosa; he finished his UFC tenure with a 1-3 record.
Terrance Saeteurn: Released after a short stint following a loss to Nyamjargal Tumendemberel.
Tecia Pennington (Strawweight): Retired on January 23, 2026, after a storied career in the women’s 115-lb division.
Eryk Anders (Middleweight): Retired on March 14, 2026, immediately following his unanimous decision victory over Brad Tavares at UFC Vegas 114.
Phil Rowe: A veteran knockout artist who leaves with a 4-5 UFC record after a two-fight losing streak.
Gavin Tucker: The Canadian featherweight has decided to retire from MMA following a series of injuries and back-to-back losses to Diego Lopes and Dan Ige.
Kris Moutinho: Known for his “zombie-like” resilience, Moutinho was released following his second winless stint in the promotion.
Erik Silva: The 38-year-old Venezuelan was removed after going 0-3 in the Octagon, most recently losing by submission in February.
AJ Cunningham: Released following a short tenure where he was unable to secure a victory.
Patchy Mix: Removed from the roster tracking logs as of March 11, signaling a departure from the promotion.
PFL MMA, the world’s #2 MMA promotion, introduced an updated rankings system last week. Check out the full rankings here.
UPCOMING UFC EVENTS:
Jiří Procházka vs. Carlos Ulberg is official. This matchup was officially announced as the main event for UFC 327 in Miami on April 11, 2026. The fight will be for the undisputed light heavyweight title after Alex Pereira vacated the belt.
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates is confirmed as the main event for a UFC Fight Night in Perth, Australia, scheduled for May 2, 2026.
Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley is set to headline a Fight Night on April 25.
Jasmine Jasudavicius faces Karine Silva at UFC Winnipeg on April 18.
Joshua Van will make his first flyweight title defense against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 327 on April 10th.
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