Martial Arts News

Not all that long ago, Kayla Harrison seemed ready to leave the grind of the Professional Fighters League season format in the rearview mirror at the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.

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It appears that sentiment has changed.

Harrison revealed on "The MMA Hour" that she hoped to take part in the PFL’s 2023 season format. The two-time Olympic gold medalist won two PFL championships at 155 pounds before being upset by Larissa Pacheco in the 2022 final. It was Harrison’s first defeat in 16 professional MMA bouts.

“I wanted to be in the season,” Harrison said. “Of course I wanted to be in the season. The second the tournament was over, the second I lost, I wrote down my goals. I was like: ‘145-pound champ. Going to be in the season. Avenge my loss.’ I had all my key areas of focus, and that’s not in the cards for me. That’s not what they want to do. They want me to fight on the pay-per-view.

Harrison added that she has two fights remaining on her cu…

A heavyweight showdown between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Jailton Almeida is the new main event for UFC Fight Night on May 13.

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Previously, a light heavyweight tilt pitting Anthony Smith against Johnny Walker had been slated as the card’s headliner, but the promotion on Tuesday announced Rozenstruik vs. Almeida as the evening’s featured bout. Additionally, Smith informed MMAFighting.com that he was told his fight was getting moved to the co-main event.

𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑽𝒀𝑾𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 take center stage in Charlotte! 💥@JairRozenstruik and @Malhadinho_UFC will headline May 13th!

[ #UFCCharlotte | Sat. May 13 | @SpectrumCenter ] pic.twitter.com/pLgqkI9zVM

— UFC (@ufc) April 4, 2023

UFC Fight Night takes place at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carollina, and is also expected to include a welterweight bout between Ian Garry and Daniel Rodriguez.

Rozenstruik snapped a two-bout skid in his last outing, when he knocked out Ch…

A welterweight clash pitting Stephen Thompson against Michel Pereira is in the works for UFC 289 on June 10.

The bout was initially reported by MMA Sucka and later confirmed by MMAjunkie.com. Pereira also announced the pairing via Instagram. UFC 289 doesn’t have an official location, but it will reportedly take place in Canada.

A two-time welterweight title challenger, Thompson ended a two-bout skid with an entertaining fourth-round technical knockout victory against Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 42 on Dec. 3. Since joining the Las Vegas-based promotion in 2012, “Wonderboy” has earned victories over the likes of Robert Whittaker, Jake Ellenberger, Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald, Jorge Masvidal, Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal.

Pereira will take a five-bout UFC winning streak into the matchup with Thompson. Most recently, “Demolidor” garnered a split verdict against Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Fight Night 206 in May 2022. The 29-year-old Brazilian is 8-2 dur…

Eleven-time UFC veteran George Sotiropoulos is expected return to professional MMA competition in nearly nine years when he faces Josh Togo at Hex Fight Series 26.

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The Australia-based promotion recently announced the lightweight booking. Hex Fight Series 26 takes place on May 26 at the Melbourne Pavilion.

The 45-year-old Sotiropoulos hasn’t fought since Aug. 22, 2014, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Mike Ricci at Titan FC 29. The Victoria, Australia, native appeared on Season 6 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and began his UFC tenure with seven consecutive triumphs from 2007 to 2010. He dropped his last four Octagon appearances before being released from the UFC, and he would fight just once more after that. Sotiropoulos owns a 14-7 career mark that includes victories over the likes of Joe Lauzon, Joe Stevenson and George Roop.

Anchored at Australian Top Team, Togo brings a 12-4 mark into the matchup with Sotiropoulos. He last appeare…

A familiar face will be in a new role on Saturday night at UFC 287.

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UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier will make his debut in studio as a desk analyst for the event alongside Michael Eaves and Din Thomas. Poirier’s duties will include breaking down the card on the post-fight show. MMAjunkie.com was first to report news of the UFC 287 broadcast assignments.

A former interim lightweight title holder and a two-time challenger for the undisputed 155-pound strap, Poirier is known as one of the Las Vegas-based promotion’s most reliable action fighters. He last appeared at UFC 281, where he submitted Michael Chandler in the third round of their bout this past November. His resume includes victories over the likes of Conor McGregor (twice), Dan Hooker, Max Holloway (twice), Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and Jim Miller, among others. His next fight has yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, the UFC 287 broadcast team will include Jon Anik on pla…

On the same week Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will have their championship rematch at UFC 287, the promotion will gather four middleweight legends for a special fan event backstage at Miami Dade Arena.

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Vitor Belfort, who is one of the middleweights scheduled to be in attendance, confirmed the news to Sherdog.com in a recent interview following his victory over Ronaldo Souza at Gamebred Boxing 4.

“I'm very happy and honored to receive that invitation from UFC and be together with Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen on Friday doing a [Q&A] with the fans,” Belfort said.

As for the fight with “Jacare,” Belfort came away impressed with his opponent’s toughness in six-round boxing match.

"I have already beaten up many opponents, but I can tell you for sure: There is no tougher BMF than Ronaldo, and that's why I suggested his name when Roy Jones Jr. refused to fight me,” Belfort said. “I knew I could. There cou…

Michael Chiesa is officially off this Saturday’s UFC 287 card.

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“The Ultimate Fighter 15” winner announced on "The MMA Hour" that he will not be facing a replacement opponent on Saturday at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida. Original opponent Jingliang Li recently had to withdraw from the event due to a spine injury.

“I’m not going to name names of the guys who were offered who turned it down, because it was a matter of visa issues and some guys not being able to make weight,” Chiesa said. “I’m not that type of guy to go out there and blast, like, ‘So-and-so turned it down.’ Look, I’m a tough out for anybody at 170 pounds, especially if you only have a couple of weeks to prepare.”

Meanwhile, Li elaborated on the injury that forced him out of the welterweight bout in an Instagram post.

“As many of you already know, I injured my spine during fight camp and was forced to withdraw from my fight against Michael Chiesa at UFC 287,” Li wrote. “The i…

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?? Mamed Khalidov vs. ?? Scott Askham 3?

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XTB #KSWColosseum2 | June 3@PGENarodowy | ?? @eBiletPL pic.twitter.com/sbuDZV0MBE — KSW (@KSW_MMA) April 3, 2023

A trilogy bout between Mamed Khalidov and Scott Askham will serve as the headliner for KSW 83 "Colosseum 2" on June 3.

The promotion announced the middleweight booking on Monday. KSW 83 takes place at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland, and will see Marian Ziolkowski square off against Salahdine Parnasse for lightweight gold in the co-main event. Additionally, popular Polish strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski will meet Artur Szpilka in a featured heavyweight affair.

Askahm defeated Khalidov via unanimous decision in their first meeting at KSW 52 in December 2019, but Khalidov exacted revenge with a flying switch kick knockout 36 seconds into their rematch at KSW 55 in October 2020.

The now 42-year-old Khalidov has fou…

The stakes will be high for Jorge Masvidal when he faces Gilbert Burns in the UFC 287 co-main event.

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With a win, “Gamebred” could be right back in the welterweight title picture — especially given his history with current champion Leon Edwards. A loss, however, could send Masvidal down a completely different path.

“This could be the last one,” Masvidal said on the UFC 287 “Countdown” show. “If I lose, I’m pretty much calling it quits. But a win against Gilbert means that things are headed in the right direction. So if I roll the dice and I do everything right, I’m going for it all. For one title, or many titles.”

Masvidal will be making his first Octagon appearance since dropping a unanimous decision to Colby Covington at UFC 272 in March 2022. Since then, Masvidal’s most significant activity was attacking Covington outside a Miami restaurant shortly after their bout. Masvidal has pleaded not guilty to single counts of aggravated battery and…

Today, @Endeavor announced it has signed an agreement to form a $21+ billion global live sports and entertainment company made up of @UFC and @WWE. https://t.co/lPrkBmKJXm pic.twitter.com/ZBk95c5exU

— Endeavor (@Endeavor) April 3, 2023

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestlling Entertainment are about to be under the same ownership umbrella.

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Endeavor, the parent company of the UFC, has purchased WWE and will form a new publicly traded company with the two organizations. As a result of the agreement, Endeavor will own 51% of the new combat sports entertainment company, while WWE shareholders get a 49% stake. CNBC was first to report the sale.

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel will be the chief executive of the new company, while former WWE owner Vince McMahon will serve as executive chairman. Endeavor president Mark Shapiro takes over the same role at the new company; Dana White will remain UFC president and WWE…

Karl Williams will replace Chris Barnett and square off against Chase Sherman at UFC 287.

The promotion’s Brazilian site recently confirmed the new heavyweight pairing. UFC 287 takes place on Saturday at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida, and is headlined by a middleweight championship rematch between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya. Barnett withdrew from the bout due to undisclosed reasons.

Williams extended his winning streak to five in his Octagon debut, as he outpointed Lukasz Brzeski at UFC Fight Night 221 on March 11. Prior to that triumph, the American Top Team Atlanta product earned a UFC deal with a decision win over Jimmy Lawson on Dana White’s Contender Series last September.

Sherman, meanwhile, is 1-5 in his last six UFC appearances. Most recently, “The Vanilla Gorilla” suffered a unanimous decision loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC Fight Night 215 on Nov. 19.

While the Professional Fighters League kicked off in earnest in Las Vegas on Saturday night, Anthony Pettis was living out a combat sports dream.

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The former UFC and WEC champion, whose initial run with the PFL ended in the 2022 postseason, defeated boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. via majority decision in the Gamebred Boxing 4 main event at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. “Showtime” received two scorecards in his favor — 77-75 and 78-74 — while a third judge saw it 76-76. It was Pettis’ professional boxing debut.

“[I’m] most definitely happy with the performance,” Pettis said at the post-fight press conference. “Roy is a legend. A lot of experience. Even his coaches – he has so much experience out there. I gave up a big size advantage. I think I fought a great fight. My coaches gave me a great game plan and I executed that perfectly.”

With one boxing win under his belt, Pettis is excited to see what the future holds for him in the Sweet Science. One bout…