Martial Arts News

Don’t mess with me lil chenchen I send you back home with smack straight in ur big forehead 😂😂 my right arm is working already 🔥🧃🤜🔪 pic.twitter.com/3mN1ATrWsw

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) October 21, 2023

Paulo Costa didn’t fight as scheduled at UFC 294, but that didn’t prevent him from getting into an altercation with a fans while seated cageside.

The Brazilian video posted a video to social media that shows a fan leaping from the stands at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi in hopes of confronting Costa. Security was able to hold both parties back, but not before Costa appears threw a right hand at the onrushing spectator. It is unclear what caused the scuffle.

Costa posted a message directed toward Khamzat Chimaev in the caption of the video.

“Don’t mess with me lil chenchen I send you back home with smack straight in ur big forehead my right arm is working already,” Costa wrote.

“Borrachinha” was supposed t…

Islam Makhachev did not need five rounds this time.

The American Kickboxing Academy superstar retained the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown, as he wrecked Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick and follow-up punches in the first round of their UFC 294 headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A short-notice substitution for Charles Oliveira, Volkanovski (26-3, 13-2 UFC) met his end 3:06 into Round 1.

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Makhachev (25-1, 14-1 UFC)—who had beaten the City Kickboxing rep by unanimous decision eight months ago—probed with kicks to all levels, jockeyed for position in the clinch after his first takedown attempt was denied and drifted out into open space. He then fired the head kick above Volkanovski’s guard. Shin met skull with devastating consequences, as the Aussie stumbled backward in a compromised state. Makhachev offered no reprieve, letting go with punches and hammerfists until referee Marc …

Sherdog's live UFC 294 coverage will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Magomedov (-250), Silva (+205)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dudakova (-500), Frey (+380)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Wood (-340), Naimov (+270)Round…

Muhammad Mokaev moved one step closer to contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.

The unbeaten KHK MMA Team export subdued former Titan Fighting Championship titleholder Tim Elliott with an arm-triangle choke in the third round of their featured UFC 294 prelim on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Elliott (19-13-1, 8-11 UFC) bowed out 3:03 into Round 3, suffering his first submission defeat in more than three years.

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Mokaev (11-0, 5-0 UFC) weaved through several harrowing moments—he slammed himself out of a tight triangle choke in the second round—on the canvas, settled in top position and applied his ground-and-pound. He freed himself from a front headlock in Round 3, sprang a reversal and framed the arm-triangle. Before Elliott could counter, the choke was in place.

Meanwhile, a more measured and tactical approach led Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Trevor Peek to a unanimous decision o…

Islam Makhachev left a lasting stamp on the UFC 294 proceedings.

The reigning lightweight champion received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his first-round knockout of featherweight title holder Alexander Volkanovski in Saturday’s headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Makhachev hurt his opponent with a head kick and then finished the victory with follow-up punches at the 3:06 mark of Round 1 for his 13th consecutive UFC triumph.

Elsewhere, Ikram Aliskerov received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” paycheck for making short work of Warlley Alves in a featured middleweight contest. Aliskerov rocked his Brazilian foe with a flying knee before unloading with punches to force the stoppage 2:07 into the opening round.

Earlier, Said Nurmagomedov garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a first-round submission of Muin Gafarov in a bantamweight clash. The former World Fighting Championship Akhmat title holder capitalized on…

Even though Charles Oliveira won't be fighting Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, the former champion is confident that something "greater" awaits him.

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Oliveira recently revealed to MMAFighting.com that he suffered the nasty elbow cut over his eye while defending a takedown which led to an inadvertent head clash.

Despite the disappointment and frustration of missing out on his scheduled rematch with Makhachev, the Brazilian is already looking forward to a potential title fight or a blockbuster matchup with Conor McGregor.

“Charles Oliveira against Conor McGregor, money fight. It’s a fight that will give us a lot of money. Conor sells, Charles also sells,” Oliveira said. “It’s a fight that everybody wants. The only one we don’t know if [he] wants this fight is Conor because I’ve said it a thousand times — 170, 185, 155, I don’t know, choose the weight. Say where and I’ll be there. Just send the contract and we’ll sign it. That’s the fight. Title fi…

Justin Gaethje is confident he's next in line for a shot at the lightweight title.

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Currently on a two-fight winning streak, “The Highlight” is coming off an emphatic Round 2 knockout victory against perennial lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, which saw him secure the “BMF” title in July at UFC 291. Before that, the American took on one of the most vicious strikers in the division in Rafael Fiziev, and both fighters put on an exceptional showing of grit and will. However, Gaethje) proved to be the more calculated and cerebral fighter of the two, eventually securing a majority decision triumph.

Interestingly, Gaethje recently confirmed that he was offered to take on Islam Makhachev on short notice for UFC 294. However, the former interim champion chose to decline the opportunity, insinuating it was too close to his last bout with Dustin Poirier for him to make the turnaround.

During the same interaction following the UFC 294 ceremonial weigh-…

Khamzat Chimaev is extremely confident about the outcome of a potential title fight with newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

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Chimaev is gearing up to face former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who stepped up on nine days' notice as a replacement for Brazil's Paulo Costa, in the co-main event at UFC 294. Moreover, UFC CEO Dana White recently declared that the winner of this upcoming bout will be next in line for a middleweight title shot.

Keeping this in mind, Chimaev was asked about his take on a fight with Strickland down the line during the recent UFC 294 pre-fight press conference. It is worth noting that “Borz” and Strickland have trained together a few times, particularly ahead of Chimaev's outing against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.

“I mean I've taken him down, I've held him down, I've choked him, I've punched him. I've done all those things, so I don't see something special about him,” Chimaev said. “He’s a f…

[embedded content] Renowned coaches Carlson Gracie and Rudimar Fedrigo will receive high honors in Brazil as two legends that generated generations of champions.

Individual talent and the high level of training are fundamental factors in the formation of a champion, but in a complex and increasingly competitive sport like MMA, mental preparation can be the turning point. Concerning that, two masters must be recognized. Not only because of their above-average ability to scout and form talent, but mainly because of the way in which they mentally shielded their athletes. Carlson Gracie and Rudimar Fedrigo were a cut above the rest, and their coaching led to create some of the greatest competitor the sport has ever seen. While the two worked in very different ways, the result was usually the same. The numbers prove it; no other coach in the history of MMA has produced as many champions and trainers of new champs as these two.

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On Monday, Gracie and Fedrigo…

With two fights remaining on his current deal, Khamzat Chimaev has signed a contract extension with the Ultimate Fighting Championship ahead of his upcoming clash with Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, according to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

Details of the exclusive, mulit-fight deal were not disclosed by Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas.

Saturday’s fight against Usman (20-3) will mark Chimaev's return to the cage a little more than a year since his UFC 279 catchweight meeting with Kevin Holland.

While “Borz” did secure an impressive first-round submission against Holland, his inability to make weight for his original welterweight matchup against Nate Diaz jeopardized the entire card and led to a number of fights being reshuffled.

As a result, Chimaev (12-0) has now decided to stick to the middleweight division instead of trying to make the grueling cut to 170 pounds.

[embedded content] Despite never fighting under the same banner, Patricio Freire and John Lineker are quite familiar with each other’s work.

Ahead of the second edition of the documentary by Combate titled “Rivalries,” Freire and Lineker met backstage. Both fighters spoke to Sherdog about their meeting and what comes next for each fighter. One Championship contender Lineker plans on seeking out his old title, while Bellator MMA staple Freire is focused on recovery and looking toward what’s next.

“Here is a guy whom I respect the knockout power,” Freire said when meeting Lineker. Surprised when “Pitbull” entered his dressing room, Lineker happily welcomed the praise, with a warm embrace and a reply of, “Hear that from you is more than a compliment.”

Combining for 90 total fights, while sharing 72 victories including 29 of those by knockout, Freire and Lineker are considered two of the heavier hitters in their weight divisions. During their encounter, Freire congra…

Moris Boleyan certainly looks fit for primetime.

The undefeated Armenian once again handled his business with clinical precision under the One Championship banner, as he disposed of Baatarchuluun Gantogtokh with a guillotine choke in the first round of their ONE Friday Fights 37 bantamweight feature on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Gantogtokh (5-2, 0-1 ONE) conceded defeat 2:23 into Round 1.

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Boleyan (8-0, 2-0 ONE) dragged the Mongolian to the canvas from the clinch inside the first minute, shifted to half guard and got busy with ground-and-pound. Gantogtokh left his neck exposed in a bid to scramble to his feet—a mistake the 27-year-old would soon regret. Boleyan bit down on a standing guillotine choke, wrapped his adversary in full guard as they collapsed to the mat and let his squeeze do the rest.

The promising Boleyan, 24, has submitted all eight of his opponents, six of them in the first round.

Meanwhile, Team Laka…