Martial Arts News

Dricus Du Plessis stepped around Sean Strickland to plant his flag at the top of the mountain.

The 30-year-old South African captured the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown with a hard-fought split decision over Strickland in the UFC 297 headliner on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. All three cageside judges scored it 48-47: Sal D’Amato for Strickland, Derek Cleary and Eric Colon for Du Plessis.

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It was close for the duration. Strickland (28-6, 15-6 UFC) operated behind his potent jab and took away the challenger’s low kicks with exquisite defense. Du Plessis (21-2, 7-0 UFC) struck for takedowns in the first second and fourth rounds, opened multiple cuts with clubbing blows upstairs and made it a point to advance on his upright adversary whenever possible. He did his best work in Round 4, where he executed multiple takedowns and drew blood with a lunging straight right hand. Strickland kept his foot on the accelerato…

Strap in fight fans, as we guide you through the exhilarating action in store with UFC 297, unfolding live from the electrifying Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. This is your front-row seat to a night of epic fights and potential jaw-dropping moments.

We're back in Canada with UFC 297, featuring a main event clash between middleweight champion Sean Strickland and the explosive Dricus Du Plessis.

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The co-main event is a showdown for the vacant bantamweight title, as the relentless Raquel Pennington squares off against the dynamic Mayra Bueno Silva. Pennington's five-fight win streak faces a formidable challenge in Silva, whose recent performances have propelled her as a rising force in the division.

Don't miss a moment of the excitement: Join us for the prelims at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET. Stick with Sherdog for live play-by-play updates, ensuring you won't miss a beat as UFC 297 unfolds in all its glory.

BETTING PREVIEW…

Garrett Armfield proved he belongs, and he did so in hostile territory.

The Marathon MMA representative took a significant step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division, as he outstruck two-time “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Brad Katona to a unanimous decision in their featured UFC 297 prelim on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Armfield (10-3, 2-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 29-28 marks.

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Katona (13-3, 3-3 UFC) had issues getting in gear initially. Armfield called upon an effective jab and multi-punch volleys, all while keeping the Canadian honest with well-disguised kicks, and appeared to have built a narrow lead through two rounds. Katona turned up the heat in Round 3, where he executed multiple takedowns and overwhelmed his opponent with pace and output. By the time it was over, Armfield was gasping for air but had done enough to curry favor with the judges.

The setback closed the book on Katona’s r…

WOW!!! 🇵🇱 Arek Wrzosek KO's Ivan Vitasovic!!

He passes the test!! XTB #KSW90 pic.twitter.com/5sPMPbDJlF

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) January 20, 2024

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The first Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki card of the year didn’t disappoint as eight out of 10 fights ended within the distance in Warsaw, Poland.

Glory Kickboxing 2021 knockout of the year winner Arkadiusz Wrzosek closed KSW 90 with a 54-second knockout over Ivan Vitasovic in the main event. Wrzosek (4-0) exploded onto the KSW scene since signing with the organization in 2022. Vitasovic, a Croatian heavyweight champion, was expected to be his toughest test but that hypothesis proved shaky after he was dropped seconds into the fight. Vitasovic reached his feet but was followed around the cage as Wrzosek beat him. Despite his inexperience in mixed martial arts, Wrzosek is quickly rising up the ranks as a big man to watch.

One of the fastest KO's in KSW histo…

Bellator women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is willing to fight the reigning Professional Fighters League women’s featherweight and lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco — but only after a showdown with Kayla Harrison.

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Following PFL’s acquisition of Bellator MMA, founder Don Davis implied that the promotion would look to match Cyborg with Pacheco in a champ vs. champ meeting. However, the PFL vs Bellator Champs card slated for Feb. 24 has all champions competing except Pacheco and Cyborg.

According to the former UFC champion, a meeting with Harrison is a top priority, especially considering the verbal back-and-forth the two have engaged in over the last few years.

“I don’t have any problem fighting Larissa Pacheco, she’s the champion, but we’ve been promoting this fight against Kayla Harrison for three years,” Cyborg told MMAjunkie.com. “You can use the opportunity after this fight to promote for Larissa... I think everyone is waiti…

A light heavyweight clash between former regional foes Anton Turkalj and Ibo Aslan has been booked for the UFC Atlantic City event on March 30.

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The news was first announced by Turkalj's coach on the Kaftsmallspodden podcast, and the date was confirmed by Aslan on social media.

Prior to making their way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Turkalj and Aslan faced each other under the Brave Combat Federation banner in Aug 2020 at Brave CF 40. The catchweight meeting ended with a Round 2 submission victory for Turkalj and marked the end of Aslan's undefeated run as a professional.

Since then, Aslan (12-1) has racked up a four-fight winning streak, most recently securing a contract with the UFC following a Round 1 technical knockout victory against Paulo Renato Jr. in an appearance on Dana White's Contender Series in August.

On the other hand, Turkalj (8-3), who also made his way to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, is c…

A flyweight meeting between Ariane Lipski and Dana White's Contender Series alum Karine Silva is set for a UFC Fight Night event on April 27.

The pairing was subsequently confirmed by Silva on social media following an initial report from MMA Hoje. Other bouts for the card are yet to be revealed.

Lipski (17-8) will enter the bout on the back of a successful 2023 that saw the Brazilian rack up consecutive victories against the likes of J.J Aldrich, Melissa Gato, and most recently, Casey O'Neil at UFC 296 in December.

Meanwhile, Silva (17-4) is currently undefeated in the Las Vegas-based promotion and is on a three-fight winning streak, with all victories coming by way of finish in the first round. All of Silva’s 17 professional wins have been secured within distance. “Killer” most recently walked away with a guillotine choke victory at the 4:59 mark of the first frame against Maryna Moroz at UFC 292.

Rizin Fighting Federation has announced the addition of multiple bouts to the upcoming Landmark Vol. 8 card a little more than a month away from the highly-anticipated event.

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Per a press release provided by the organization on Friday, seven mixed martial arts bouts along with one kickboxing match have been added to the card scheduled to take place at the Saga Arena in Japan on Feb. 24.

Matchups added to the card include a lightweight clash between Yusuke Yachi (25-13) and Kyung Pyo Kim (13-4). Yachi, a veteran of the promotion, is currently on a two-fight winning streak having secured a decision win against Boyd Allen at Rizin 39 in October 2022 followed by a Round 1 submission victory against Zach Zane at Rizin 43 in June 2023.

Meanwhile, Pyo Kim is also currently on a two-fight winning streak in the promotion with both wins coming in the first frame of the respective bouts. The South Korean first secured a Round 1 submission in his promoti…

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ONE Fight Night 19 is shaping up to be a scintillating card with the addition of a 155-pound muay thai clash between promotional newcomer Luke Lessei and muay thai veteran Eddie Abasolo, Sherdog.com has learned.

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The two will face each other in a three-round affair on the Feb. 16 card, which goes down at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok and will be headlined by a 145-pound muay thai clash between reigning champion Jonathan Haggerty and top contender Felipe Lobo.

Lessei will enter the bout on the heels of a tightly-contested loss against Jo Natawutt in his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 17 in December 2023.

Meanwhile, Abasolo will also look to rebound after dropping a competitive loss against muay thai legend Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June 2023.

Before the loss to Sitsongpeenong, the 37-year-old recorded a Round 2 knockout of Niclas Larsen at One on Prime Video 8 in March 2023.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship has found a replacement for its lost co-headliner on Feb. 10.

MMA Junkie first broke the news on Friday that Andre Fili (23-10, 1 NC) would be stepping in for Lerone Murphy at UFC Fight Night 236 on Feb. 10. The veteran featherweight will be facing Dan Ige (17-7) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on that date, likely still in the co-main event slot. This pairing has since been confirmed by other outlets.

“Touchy” Fili returned to the win column in December by knocking out Lucas Almeida in the first round at UFC 296. The Team Alpha Male product has not put a win or losing streak together since 2019 when he won two straight against Myles Jury and Sheymon Moraes. As he has pinballed around the featherweight ladder, Fili has beaten the likes of Bill Algeo and Charles Jourdain but come up short against names like Nathaniel Wood and Bryce Mitchell.

Hawaii’s Ige saw his own win streak come to a close in September 2023 when Mitchell picke…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship great Anderson Silva is crestfallen about the death of his friend, Diego Braga.

The Brazilian mixed martial arts community was shocked by the killing of former MMA fighter Diego Braga on Monday. The news spread all across televised news broadcasts, opening another chapter of the criminal territory dispute between militias and narco criminals in Rio de Janeiro. A litany of famed names in the sport attended the fighter’s funeral on Wednesday at the Jardim da Saudade Cemetery.

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In addition to son Gabriel Braga, a Professional Fighters League finalist in 2023, others in attendance included Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Davi Ramos, Gustavo Machado and Anderson Silva. The UFC legend, who had trained muay thai with Braga in his last MMA fights, was devastated and declined to speak to the press. Instead, “The Spider” published a lengthy message on his Instagram in honor of his fallen friend and condemned authorities for the in…

Professional Fighters League competitor Gabriel Braga is receiving support from much of the MMA community after the death of his father.

Less than a day after his father, Diego Braga, was killed in Rio de Janeiro, Gabriel Braga was officially confirmed on the inaugural PFL vs. Bellator MMA event in Saudi Arabia. Braga is scheduled to take on Bellator standout Aaron Pico at 145 pounds in Riyadh on Feb. 24. Many teammates and competitors have wondered if Braga can compete with a clear mind, given that his father primarily trained Braga. To help him prepare for the matchup—providing it stays together—Marcus Silveira, the head of American Top Team, told Sherdog that he has offered to train the 25-year-old for his upcoming engagement.

“Gabriel and Joshua [Silveira] fought on the same card for the whole 2023 season,” the coach noted. “And thanks to that and, obviously the fact that me and Diego were former vale tudo fighters helping our sons to keep our road and go beyond […