Okay, so we’ve heard this story before: A fighter pushing 40 years of age mentions that he’s not ready to say he’s out of title contention. Andrei Arlovski said it after his most recent fight, a decision win over Ben Rothwell. BJ Penn said it before his most recent loss, the seventh straight he has suffered. 

UFC on ESPN 5 is coming at you from Newark, and “Gumby” and Dave have all the goods on this week's Top Turtle MMA Podcast right here on FloCombat. 

Frank Camacho holds the distinction of being just one of three fighters to start their UFC career with three straight Fight of the Night bonuses. Justin Gaethje and Yoshihiro Akiyama are the others. It seems like every fight Camacho's in becomes a knock-em-down, drag-em-out brawl. But according to Camacho, that is not necessarily by design. 

At this stage in the game, Nick Newell’s story isn’t an unfamiliar one to MMA fans. Born a congenital amputee, Connecticut’s Newell has overcome almost every challenge he’s faced. Whether it be inside the cage or out of it, Newell has continually conquered the toughest tests life throws at him.

Simply put, Joe Giannetti should still be in the UFC.

Count Desmond Green as the No. 1 cheerleader for folks going up a weight class. Damaged by trying to cut too much weight early in his own career, Green now actively tries to encourage others to move up to a more comfortable division. Fellow UFC fighter Kurt Holobaugh even cites Green as his primary source of encouragement to go to 155. 

Kurt Holobaugh is the latest in the growing trend of fighters moving up a weight class. While he has a history in the division, including a prior stint in the UFC back in 2013, his last three fights have come at featherweight. Now nearly fully through his training camp for UFC 237 this weekend, Holobaugh feels like he’s in the right place. 

A renaissance man. A jack of all trades. An athletic factotum. As the old saying goes, Shamrock FC lightweight Derik Scott doesn’t like to put all of his eggs in one basket.

Friday night, Valor Fighting Challenge (VFC) is back with another phenomenal card of Tennessean face-punching. Atop the VFC 58 card sits Joseph Long (4-0, four finishes), who takes on Micah Downs (3-1, three finishes) in the evening’s main event.

When most fighters get that date for their next fight, the vast majority of them lock in, shutting out the usual distractions, tightening their diet, and focusing the specificity of their training. UFC lightweight Gilbert Burns, however, has never been one to stop doing what he loves. Even in the thick of his training camp for a hometown fight at UFC on ESPN+ 8 in Sunrise, Florida, Burns found time to compete in a grappling match at Titan FC 53. 

When Dana White wrapped the belt around Kamaru Usman’s waist at UFC 235, the victory extended beyond an individual accomplishment. After years of being one of the best coaches in the world, Henri Hooft finally had a UFC champion, and his team, Hard Knocks 365, could finally claim they won gold at the highest level. 

Although the amount of fighters going up a weight class seems to be climbing, there are still a number of them who are a standard deviation away from the average mass of their division-mates. Whether or not this is an advantage, it certainly has to be a consideration for their opponents. 

There aren’t many situations where UFC lightweight Devonte Smith would find himself starstruck. During this week’s UFC 234 fight preparations in Melbourne, Australia, however, Smith can almost guarantee he’ll be in awe.

A lightweight clash is in the works for the UFC’s debut in Kansas.

Donald Cerrone turned in another classic "Cowboy" performance Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 143 in Brooklyn. With his typically calm demeanor, he consistently walked down the younger, higher-ranked Alexander Hernandez until he landed a head kick that put Hernandez on roller skates.