Martial Arts News

After a rash of drug test failures during the first portion of its regular season, Professional Fighters League has partnered with USADA to run its anti-doping program.

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ESPN obtained an email from PFL president of fighter operations Ray Sefo to fighters and their teams formally announcing the program.

“The program will begin immediately with initial educational sessions being scheduled with USADA this week for participants in the upcoming Playoffs,” the email states. “Educational sessions to explain the program will be scheduled with other fighters thereafter. It is strongly recommended that each fighter have their coach, manager, or other key support person join the educational sessions.”

Additionally, the PFL anti-doping program will be similar to that of the UFC’s, which also has a partnership with USADA. However, there will be “minor distinctions to account for the PFL’s sport season format.”

USADA confirmed the partnership in a s…

Kevin Lee has decided to hang up the four-ounce gloves at 30 years old.

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The former UFC interim lightweight title challenger announced his decision in an Instagram video on Tuesday. Lee’s decision comes on the heels of a 55-second submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC on ESPN 48 on July 1.

“To make a long story short, I’m deciding to retire from MMA and the UFC. It’s been 12 years, 12 long years of me being the best fighter I can be, and a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication to trying to be the best fighter in the world. When I look back on it, I had a hell of a career, I fought a lot of tough guys, some of the toughest guys in the world, I always put up a fight, I never backed down, and always challenged myself to do things that I didn’t think I was capable of doing. The last three years have been rough, especially on my body. It’s been a lot of injuries and honestly, that’s one of the main factors of me making this decision,” Lee said. Read more

Jimmy Crute is taking what might be considered an indefinite leave of absence from mixed martial arts, but retirement is not in his plans.

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After a second-round submisson loss to Alonzo Menifield at UFC 290 this past Saturday, a dejected Crute laid his gloves down in the Octagon, which normally signifies the decision to call it a career. After taking some more time to think, the Aussie light heavyweight has instead decided to step away from what he calls his “unhealthy obsession.”

“I’ve had a bit to process. That reaction after the fight just shows how unhealthy my relationship has gotten with this sport,” Crute wrote on Instagram. “I have been obsessed with being in the UFC since I was 12 years old and it has been my entire identity since I made the decision to chase this dream. I have a lot to address before I think about stepping back in there. Truth is, I don’t even know who I am without all of this. I am going to take the time to find myself, d…

Never doubt a man with hope and faith.#FuryNgannou | 10.28.2023 | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/44pfCQgGgq

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) July 11, 2023

It appears that things are unfolding exactly how Francis Ngannou planned.

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The former UFC heavyweight king will square off against undefeated boxing champion Tyson Fury in a boxing match on Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. ESPN was first to report the date and location of the bout. It is currently unclear if the fight will be for Fury’s WBC heavyweight crown or if it will be an exhibition. The number of rounds is also unknown.

One of the main points of contention between Ngannou and the UFC was the promotion’s unwillingness to let its heavyweight champion pursue fights in the boxing realm. That ultimately led to “The Predator” becoming a free agent and signing with the Professional Fighters League, where his contract allowed him to pursue his dreams of competing …

pic.twitter.com/EvJDS8N0Ur

— Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) July 11, 2023

It wasn’t the performance Robert Whittaker had hoped for at UFC 290.

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The former middleweight champion started well but ultimately fell to Dricus Du Plessis via second-round technical knockout this past Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As a result, Du Plessis, not Whittaker, is in line to be the next challenger for Israel Adesanya’s middleweight championship.

Whittaker recently reacted to the defeat in a video post on social media.

“Congratulations to Dricus. He showed up to fight, and I didn’t,” Whittaker said. “But that’s the nature of the beast. You can’t have a day off. It is what it is. But I will say that I do believe that challenges and hardships and obstacles that get presented to you that you overcome, make you stronger. Build character, make you a better man and by fact a better athlete, and I will come back strong…

Jack Della Maddalena has a fight — it’s just a week later than originally expected.

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The surging welterweight prospect will square off against Bassil Hafez at UFC on ESPN 49 on Saturday. Ariel Helwani initially reported the 170-pound booking via Twitter, and it was subsequently confirmed by Hafez via social media.

Maddalena had two opponents fall through at UFC 290. First, Sean Brady withdrew from the fight due to septic bursitis in his elbow. Then, short-notice replacement Josiah Harrell was pulled from the card after weigh-ins after being diagnosed with moyamoya disease, a rare brain disorder. The 26-year-old Maddalena has won 14 consecutive outings, including four straight first-round finishes in UFC competition. Most recently, he submitted Randy Brown in the opening stanza at UFC 284 on Feb. 11.

Hafez, 31, has won four of his last five professional appearances. He is coming off a third-round knockout of Evan Cutts at Fury FC 75 to claim …

After a 28-day drought that coincided with Amanda Nunes’ retirement, Alexandre Pantoja brought a UFC title back to Brazil with his thrilling victory over Brandon Moreno on Saturday night.

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The official verdict was one of the UFC 290 co-main event’s most tense moments, with the scoring of a couple closely-contested rounds up for debate. In the end, Pantoja became the promotion’s fifth flyweight champion with a split-decision triumph. The scorecards, however, remained a subject of controversy, particularly the one submitted by judge Ben Cartlidge. While Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo submitted identical 48-47 tallies in favor of Pantoja, Cartlidge saw it 49-46 for Moreno — giving the final four frames to the Mexican flyweight.

Respected Brazilian judge Guilherme Bravo discussed the scoring on his show “Momento Bravo” after the bout.

"That really scared me. In that fifth round Pantoja was superior, even in striking aspects in the first two minut…

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It took a little longer than he expected, but Stipe Miocic is excited to have a date and venue for his highly-anticipated showdown against Jon Jones.

Jones will defend his heavyweight title against Miocic in the UFC 295 headliner at Madison Square Garden in November, the promotion announced last week.

“I thought it was gonna be July, but it didn’t happen that way,” Miocic said during a backstage interview with ESPN at UFC 290. “It’s Nov. 11. I’ve been waiting for this day. It’s the fight I want. It’s the fight he wants. Nothing better.”

Jones returned from a three-year layoff to claim the vacant crown with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March. Miocic, meanwhile, hasn’t competed since relinquishing the belt in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 on March 27, 2021. The Ohio-based firefighter claims that the main benefit of his extended layoff was recovery.

“I think just letting my body rest. I’m getting older…

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Dana White’s Contender Series will kick off its seventh season on Aug. 8 with a card headlined by middleweights Cesar Almeida and Lucas Fernando.

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The full lineup for the five-bout card was announced over the weekend. The other bouts are as follows: Tom Nolan vs. Bogdan Grad at lightweight; Kevin Szaflarski vs. Caio Machado at heavyweight; Payton Talbott vs. Reyes Cortez Jr. at bantamweight and Rickson Thai Zenidim Bueno vs. Kevin Borjas at flyweight.

The Contender Series takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs Tuesday nights on ESPN beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The current season will run through Oct. 10 and awards UFC contracts to prospects who catch the eye of UFC president Dana White and matchmakers during their bouts. Fighters who have appeared on the Series include Jamahal Hill, Sean O'Malley, Ryan Spann, Maycee Barber, Johnny Walker, Marina Rodriguez, Alex Perez, Taila Santos and Bo Nickal, to name a few.

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Wanderlei Silva will follow in the footsteps of fellow Brazilians Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Jose Aldo and Ronaldo Souza and try his hand at the Sweet Science later this year.

The 47-year-old Pride Fighting Championships legend revealed Sunday that he will face bodybuilder Felipe Franco on Nov. 25 in a boxing match under the Attack Fight Show banner. Silva made the announcement at a body building event called Muscle Contest Brasil, where “The Axe Murderer” and Franco faced off for the first time.

“My friends, fans and admirers, I am here to share news that fills my heart with emotion and excitement,” Silva wrote on Instagram. “After some time away from the ring, I'm back, but this time in a different style: boxing. I will be facing a major challenger, Felipe Franco, a renowned bodybuilder and a force to be recognized. This will be a battle of determination, strength and strategy. I'm looking forward to the fight night, the sound of the gong announcing the …

Brandon Moreno apparently wasn’t at 100 percent for most of his epic-five round title bout with Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 290 co-main event.

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UFC president Dana White revealed that Moreno broke his hand in the opening stanza of the flyweight title bout, and Fortis MMA coach Sayif Saud confirmed the injury in a post on social media.

“Could not be more proud of [Brandon Moreno] as he fought an absolute war last night,” Saud wrote on Instagram. “These two athletes put on a incredible championship fight. Congratulations to [Alexandre Pantoja] and his team as well. Brandon broke his right hand in the [first] round and still fought at an incredible pace with unbelievable heart, skill and courage. He always shows the world what kind of character he has when he fights. Never complaining or making excuses, he just keeps on coming. Proud of you.”

Despite that injury, Moreno peppered Pantoja with punching combinations throughout the five-round affair,…

Alexander Volkanovski just may get his rematch with Islam Makhachev before the end of the year.

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While Charles Oliveira would seem to be the No. 1 contender in waiting following his impressive victory over Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, the Brazilian recently said he would prefer to face the reigning lightweight champion in November or December. That doesn’t align with the UFC’s plans for Makhachev, which include a title defense at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi this October.

After defeating Yair Rodriguez via third-round TKO in the UFC 290 headliner on Saturday night, Volkanovski revealed that he would need surgery on his arm. However, he claims that wouldn’t necessarily prevent him from stepping in against Makhachev.

“It makes it a lot better opportunity for me to step in there,” Volkanovski said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I’m not ruling that out. It’s funny. These people want extra time off and here I am telling you I’m going to get surger…