Inside the Rainbet-Joshua Van Deal: What the UFC Champion’s New Sportsbook Partnership Signals
The sportsbook industry has shown growing interest towards combat sports, and the partnership between Rainbet and Joshua Van is in line with this trend. This is not just another famous UFC fighter. Joshua Van is the UFC flyweight champion right now, a very young player with a rapidly progressing career and an interesting life story, which makes him a great fit for a partnership with Rainbet. The goal is to build campaigns, content, and interactions around athletes rather than just use them as logos.
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF Super Rizin 6: Shiwasu no Owarinagoya Gekokujo Matsuri | |||
 [#1 W105] Natalia Kuziutina |  [#4 W105] Saori Oshima | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#18 W105] Rena Kubota Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 7/18/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#13 W105] Ye Ji Lee Last 5: L W L W W | ||
| Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep - 135 Impact | |||
| [#3 SW] Sukai China | [#4 SW] Jo Arai | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 5/04/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 9/13/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#23 SW] Daichi Kitakata Last 5: L L W L W | ||
| Sunday, December 13th 2026: Deep Tokyo Impact 2026 6th Round | |||
| [#6 SW] Sora Sugiyama | [#10 SW] Goal Makino | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/20/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [NR] Musashi Musashi Last 5: W W W L W | Last Fight Date: 9/06/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#42 SW] Toshiya Takashima Last 5: W W W W W | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#18 W125] |  Lucia Szabova | [#1 WW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [#18 LW] |  Renato Carneiro | [#1 FW] |  Alexander Volkanovski | |
| [#13 LW] | Tom Nolan | [#26 WW] |  Jacobe Smith | |
| [#102 W125] | Tainara Lisboa | [#1 LW] | Justin Gaethje | |
| [#2 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | [#23 LHW] | Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev |
Fight Night Without the Hangover: Why MMA Fans Are Rethinking How They Unwind
[Photo by Monkey Business on Canva]
Fight night has always had a social side. Friends gather around a television, argue over predictions, order food, and stay up through a packed card to see whether the main event lives up to expectations. Traditionally, alcohol has often been part of that picture. But the way adults socialize around sports is becoming more varied.
10 Greatest Lightweight (And Below) MMA Fighters of All Time
What separates an all-time great from a champion in MMA’s lighter weight classes comes down to title reigns, finish rates, and opposition. When mixed martial arts fans argue over the greatest fighter of all time, the debate tends to start at heavyweight, but the technical skills in the UFC lives in the lighter weight classes. The top 10 greatest lightweight carry distinctive boxing pedigrees, including volume punching, counterpunching, and knockout power.
The Month Ahead: September’s MMA Calendar and Betting Odds
September gives MMA fans and bettors a full month to follow, with a UFC event scheduled for every Saturday. The action moves from Paris to Arizona and Los Angeles before finishing in Las Vegas, with each card presenting a different kind of matchup to assess.
That variety also means there isn’t one formula for evaluating the month. A high-profile UFC debut creates different questions from a late opponent change, while a championship rematch provides evidence that a first-time meeting cannot. Looking beyond records and considering styles, recent performances, and fight circumstances can provide a clearer picture before each event begins.
How Real Time Data Feeds Shape In Play Betting During MMA Fights
Live data streams have transformed in-play betting on MMA by providing real-time information that shapes odds and market decisions. Bettors now rely on rapid, accurate feeds to interpret what’s happening inside the cage, where every second counts. Understanding how these data flows work helps explain why in-play MMA betting offers unique risks and opportunities compared to pre-fight wagering.
Could AI Price a UFC Fight Better Than a Human Oddsmaker?
UFC betting is a challenging issue for any oddsmaker. Fights occur on a relatively rare basis, styles can lead to unexpected matchups, injuries are not always transparent and a single clean punch can change a number of rounds. While AI has the potential to analyze a wealth of data that a human bettor simply could not, this does not necessarily translate to better pricing of a fight.
Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs. Parnasse (09-05-2026)
Lightweight (155)
[#15][#13UFC] Dan Hooker (24-14-0, +409) vs. [#29] Salahdine Parnasse (23-2-0, -567)
Dan Hooker is the All-Time #47 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Dan Hooker (1-2-0)
2026-01-31: L vs. [#10LW] Benoit St. Denis (17-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:45 of round 2
2025-11-22: L vs. [#4LW] Arman Tsarukyan (23-3-0) via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) in 3:34 of round 2
2024-08-17: W vs. [#13LW] Mateusz Gamrot (26-5-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Salahdine Parnasse (3-0-0)
2026-05-16: W vs. [#123LW] Kenneth Cross (17-5-0) via KO in 4:18 of round 1
2026-01-17: W vs. [#127LW] Marcin Held (31-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:35 of round 2
2025-05-10: W vs. [#172LW] Marian Ziolkowski (26-11-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:54 of round 2
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Salahdine Parnasse | -567 | 81.22% | |
| Elo K170 | Salahdine Parnasse | 2065.29 | +74.13 | 60.51% |
| Elo Modified | Salahdine Parnasse | 2059.77 | +167.85 | 72.44% |
| Glicko-1 | Salahdine Parnasse | 2157.17 | +251.49 | 80.97% |
| WHR | Salahdine Parnasse | 2006.89 | +258.77 | 81.60% |
Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Dan Hooker 36.5, Salahdine Parnasse 28.7
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Dan Hooker 217, Salahdine Parnasse 112
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#46][#27UFC] Fares Ziam (18-5-0, -158) vs. [#82][#43UFC] Axel Sola (12-1-1, +130)
Last 3 Fights: Fares Ziam (2-1-0)
2026-06-06: L vs. [#37LW] Tom Nolan (11-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2025-12-06: W vs. [#109LW] Nazim Sadykhov (11-3-1) via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in 4:59 of round 2
2025-02-01: W vs. [#163LW] Mike Davis (12-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Axel Sola (2-1-0)
2026-07-25: W vs. [#190LW] Ismael Bonfim (20-7-0) via Submission (Brabo Choke) in 4:44 of round 1
2026-03-21: L vs. [#75LW] Mason Jones (18-3-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2025-09-06: W vs. [#93MW] Rhys McKee (15-7-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:02 of round 3
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Fares Ziam | -158 | 58.47% | |
| Elo K170 | Fares Ziam | 1835.65 | +86.79 | 62.24% |
| Elo Modified | Fares Ziam | 1810.71 | +30.66 | 54.40% |
| Glicko-1 | Fares Ziam | 1842.93 | +10.87 | 51.57% |
| WHR | Fares Ziam | 1745.70 | +6.12 | 50.88% |
Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Fares Ziam 29.4, Axel Sola 28.9
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Fares Ziam 91, Axel Sola 42
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#12][#12UFC] Michael Page (25-3-0, -177) vs. [#40MW][#27MWUFC] Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2, +145)
Last 3 Fights: Michael Page (3-0-0)
2026-03-21: W vs. [#55WW] Sam Patterson (15-3-1) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
2025-08-16: W vs. [#15MW] Jared Cannonier (18-10-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2025-02-01: W vs. [#22MW] Sharabutdin Magomedov (17-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Nursulton Ruziboev (3-0-0)
2026-06-27: W vs. [#178MW] Andrey Pulyaev (10-5-0) via NC in 3:58 of round 1
2025-05-17: W vs. [#53MW] Dustin Stoltzfus (17-8-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2025-02-22: W vs. [#97MW] Eric McConico (11-5-1) via TKO (Punches) in 0:33 of round 2
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Michael Page | -177 | 61.01% | |
| Elo K170 | Michael Page | 2146.11 | +323.50 | 86.56% |
| Elo Modified | Michael Page | 2140.53 | +305.71 | 85.32% |
| Glicko-1 | Michael Page | 2190.49 | +256.90 | 81.44% |
| WHR | Michael Page | 2034.86 | +218.36 | 77.85% |
Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Michael Page 39.4, Nursulton Ruziboev 32.8
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Michael Page 168, Nursulton Ruziboev 70
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Keep Reading
From the Tale of the Tape to the Roulette Table: Why Numbers Drive the Experience
Image source: Pexels
Combat sports turn bodies into columns. Height, reach, age, record, significant strikes, and takedown accuracy sit beside the fighters before the cage door closes. Roulette does something similar with a completely different kind of drama: 37 or 38 numbered pockets, a field of possible bets, and a result that arrives in one small ball’s final movement.