Day: 8. März 2025

Magomed Ankalaev stared into the eyes of a Brazilian boogeyman and did not blink.

Relentless forward pressure, clubbing power punches and a suffocating clinch game spurred Ankalaev to a unanimous decision over Alex Pereira, as he captured the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight crown in the UFC 313 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three members of the judiciary sided with Ankalaev (20-1-1, 12-1-1 UFC): 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47.

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Pereira (12-3, 9-2 UFC) invested heavily in kicks to the lower lead leg, and they seemed to pay dividends initially. However, Ankalaev connected with the most impactful strike of the match near the end of the second round, where he staggered the champion with a clean left hook. Pereira survived but looked uncharacteristically gun-shy as the bout progressed. A closely contested third round gave way to a lopsided fourth for Ankalaev, who trapped “Poatan” along the fence in a dominee…

Sherdog's live UFC 313 coverage will begin Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Santos (-192), Diaz (+160)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

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Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gutierrez (-110), Castaneda (-110)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SC…

Joshua Van may be rough around the edges, but he has the look of a future contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.

Stellar takedown defense and superior standup carried the onetime Fury Fighting Championship titleholder to a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Rei Tsuruya in their featured UFC 313 prelim on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 30-27 for Van (13-2, 6-1 UFC).

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Tsuruya (10-1, 1-1 UFC) offered little outside of repeated takedown attempts, many of which went nowhere. Van called upon an effective sprawl and peppered the ex-Pancrase champion with a variety of strikes to the head and body. Frustration built for Tsuruya over time. Van increased the intensity of his attacks down the stretch, putting even more distance between himself and his one-dimensional opponent.

Meanwhile, Brazilian TKO standout Brunno Ferreira bounced back from his Oct. 26 submissio…

An icon for fighters and fight fans everywhere 🫡

THANK YOU @Ruthless_RL! Welcome to the #UFCHOF 🤝 | #UFC313 pic.twitter.com/98AHoX9Cvi

— UFC (@ufc) March 9, 2025

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Robbie Lawler is headed to the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.

It was announced on the UFC 313 broadcast that the former welterweight champion will be enshrined in the Modern Wing as part of a ceremony held during International Fight week this June. Lawler’s fight with Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 had previousy earned a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame’s Fight Wing.

“Robbie Lawler is one of the most badass athletes to every step inside the Octagon,” said UFC CEO Dana White. “Robbie was an absolute killer, and I have a ton of respect for his toughness and his fighting style, which helped grow the sport of MMA and UFC by attracting a lot of new fans. Robbie had an amazing career, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

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UFC 313 will move forward with 10 bouts after losing a pair of preliminary contests on the day of the event.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion on Saturday announced that both Curtis Blaydes and John Castaneda have withdrawn from their respective fights due to undisclosed illnesses. Blaydes was supposed to face Rizvan Kuniev at heavyweight, while Castaneda was slated to meet Chris Gutierrez in a featherweight clash.

UFC 313 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship showdown between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. In the co-main event, Justin Gaethje will square off against Rafael Fiziev at lightweight. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The prelims begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN+/Disney+ and continue at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ESPNEWS/ESPN+/Disney+.

Blaydes has lost two of his last three Octagon appearances, including a first-round KO defeat to Tom…

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Things got heated between Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell at the recent UFC 314 press conference.

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Silva and Mitchell are scheduled to trade leather at UFC 314 on April 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The two recently came across each other at a press conference promoting the event at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Nevada.

Known for his controversial opinions, Mitchell was already getting booed by the crowd when Silva amped them up further by starting a “F—k Bryce Mitchell” chant.

Mitchell recently made headlines with anti-semitic and homophobic comments, for which he later apologized. Silva later called out Mitchell, promising to teach him a lesson for the polarizing comments. Silva also brought a globe to he recent presser, promising to change Mitchell’s well-known opinion of a flat earth.

This will be yet another quick turnaround for “Lord” who quickly rose to stardom with four consecutive finishes since his UF…

😳 Fluffy Hernandez vs Robert Whittaker next?

“He’s a f*cking G, you know what I mean? He’s been in this sport forever. I would love to fight him. That would be a f*cking fun one.”

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🎥: @JakeNoeckerMMA x @Home_of_Fight

Full Anthony Hernandez interview:https://t.co/WiQBy0nmXy pic.twitter.com/CPIv8GFcNl

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 7, 2025

Anthony Hernandez (14-2) would like to have some room for error if he fights Robert Whittaker (26-8).

Making his way to the upper echelon of the middleweight division, Hernandez is now on the verge of attaining contender status. When asked about a potential clash against Whittaker next, Hernandez was excited by the idea.

“Fluffy” said that he would prefer five rounds against the former champ. Known for getting better as the fight progresses, Hernandez often gets tagged in the opening frame of the fight.

“I would love it. That would be an honor, he’s a G,” …