Day: 4. April 2024

Brunno Ferreira is dead set on fighting Sharabutdin Magomedov before it is all over.

In January, the Brazilian middleweight known as “The Hulk” triumphantly rebounded after his first career defeat by smashing Phil Hawes before the end of the first round. This win righted the ship after a humbling 77-second knockout loss to Nursulton Ruziboev. Ferreira (11-1) will return to the cage on June 8, but it is not against the foe he wanted. The Brazilian TKO fighter would have preferred a match with Magomedov, but he will take on Dustin Stoltzfus (15-5) at that UFC Fight Night show instead.

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“Unfortunately, Shara Magomedov escaped from me for a second time,” Ferreira told Sherdog. “We had a fight prescheduled for June 22 in Saudi Arabia, but he escaped from me and accepted an easier opponent where he doesn’t run any risk from being taken down. But fortunately, [the] UFC found [me] Stoltzfus, which is a great opponent to me. Just like Hawes, he will permit me t…

PFL Featherweights Brendan Loughnane, Pedro Carvalho, Bubba Jenkins and Kai Kamaka are about to meet for a presser before their April 19 card in Chicago.

Stay tuned for updates. #PFLRegularseason

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) April 4, 2024

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Winds of change have blown into the Professional Fighters League this year, so it’s fitting that the promotion will make a stop in Chicago. But before the PFL blows into Wintrust Arena on April 19, a few of the organization’s top featherweights doubt this season will be a breeze for anyone.

Featherweight 2022 champion Brendan Loughnane has faced nearly the same group of fighters since signing with PFL in 2019. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy fighting Bubba Jenkins or Chris Wade on a yearly basis, but the Manchester, England, native fancies a new challenge. That’s exactly what he’ll get this season against former Bellator MMA contender Pedro Carvalho and other debuting fighters.

“I…

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Kade Ruotolo will hope to break a funny “curse” when he shares the ONE on Prime Video 21 card with his twin brother, Tye Ruotolo.

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The ONE Championship lightweight submission grappling champion will face innovative Brazilian standout Francisco Lo in a 180-pound catchweight matchup at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on April 5. Ruotolo has coincidentally never picked up a finish in any of the cards he previously shared with Tye, who, on the other hand, managed to submit his opponent every time. But Ruotolo insists it wasn’t due to a lack of effort on his part.

“It was the funniest thing because that’s been my ONE Championship curse as of recently,” the 21-year-old said during the ONE Fight Night 21 media day. “You know, it’s my style, it’s no lack of effort, I’m coming close in almost every match. In the Shinya [Aoki] match, I had the buggy choke at the end, which was real tight. The Tommy [Langaker] one, I finished in a triangle that…

Ben Tynan is looking to maintain his perfect stoppage streak against Duke Didier at ONE on Prime Video 21.

Tynan (5-0) will take on Didier (8-2) at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok on April 5 in what will be his sophomore ONE Championship outing. Tynan made his promotional debut in November 2023 with a third-round submission win over Ji Won Kang, which was the longest “Vanilla Thunder” ever competed as a professional or amateur.

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Looking back at the matchup, Tynan admits that Kang’s initial aggression took him by surprise.

“I thought I was going to have to bring the striking out, and he was what I was expecting,” the 30-year-old said during ONE Fight Night 21 media day. “Going into the fight, I figured a guy like that, he's probably going to be more cautious of my fighting. So I thought maybe he would like to stick with the jab, stay lower, and move, but he came out guns blazing, and it actually surprised me at first. And I was like, ‘Oh, cool, al…

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Cris Cyborg will return to the sweet science.

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Cyborg (3-0 Boxing, 27-2 MMA) is booked to headline Green Bay Fight Night opposite Widnelly Figueroa (0-2) at the Watering Hole in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 27. The fighter’s team reported the booking through a press release.

Promoted by Roughhouse Promotions and Salomon Becerra, the bout is scheduled for four two-minute rounds with 10-ounce gloves at 154 pounds.

Cyborg scored a first-round knockout over Kelsey Wickstrum in January to extend her perfect record to 3-0 in the ring. Meanwhile, Figueroa returns to action for the first time since 2017, still in search of her first pro win.

Cyborg’s return to boxing comes amidst long drawn-out negotiations regarding a mixed martial arts clash against Professional Fighters League featherweight champ Larissa Pacheco. The Bellator MMA featherweight champ was surprisingly not a part of the champ vs. champ card that went down i…

Pedro Falcao will make his Octagon debut on less than a week’s notice against Victor Hugo Silva at UFC Fight Night 240.

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Falcao is a late replacement for Heili Alateng, who was forced to withdraw from the bantamweight contest for undisclosed reasons. Multiple outlets confirmed the new booking following an initial report from MMA Mania. UFC Fight Night 240 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight bout pitting Brendan Allen against Chris Curtis.

Falcao will enter his first promotional foray with a 16-3 career mark that includes 11 victories inside the distance. The 31-year-old Brazilian scored a third-round knockout of James Barnes on Dana White's Contender Series in 2021 but did not receive a UFC contract as a result of that performance. Most recently, he choked out two-time UFC veteran Leonardo Morales Tuff-N-Uff 134 this past November.

Hugo, meanwhile, is in the midst of a 13-bout winning strea…

According to Manel Kape, a rib injury forced him to withdraw from a proposed flyweight clash against Matheus Nicolau in the UFC on ESPN 55 main event.

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“This is the first time I’ve ever [pulled] out of a fight,” Kape wrote on X. “I broke the cartilage of my rib, and I couldn’t move for a week. On Thursday last week, my surgery went extremely well. [Bear] in mind that all my fights that got canceled in the past [were] due to my opponents.

“Where I came from we used to fight for free. I’m not bragging about [it]. I’m just being honest, so don’t ever think I’m like some of you guys.”

This is the first time I’ve ever pull out of a fight, I broke the cartilage of my rib and I couldn’t move for a week. On Thursday last week my surgery went extremely well. Bare in mind that all my fights that got cancelled in the past was due to my opponents.

Where I came from…

— マネル・ケイプ موسى Manel Kape (@ManelKape) April 3, 202…

Friends and family members of athletes competing at the UFC Apex will have the opportunity to watch them fight under a new ticket policy recently introduced by the Las Vegas-based promotion.

UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell sent out a memo on Tuesday revealing that fighters will receive four seats to “watch their fight only” at the Las Vegas facility. The policy will begin with Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 240 card. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the news.

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“Beginning with UFC Fight Night this Saturday, April 6, athletes who compete on cards at UFC Apex will receive four (4) seats for friends and family to watch their fight only,” Campbell wrote in the memo. “Following the bout, your guests will be escorted out of Apex. This practice will be in effect for all events at UFC Apex going forward.

“UFC Event Operations VIP Hosts will coordinate all details with you during fighter check-in of your respective fight weeks at the host hotel. All …