Martial Arts News

At this point, Ray Cooper III is a veteran of the process involved with the Professional Fighters League Season.

Advertisement

It’s safe to say that the 29-year-old Hawaiian has thrived in the format after capturing back-to-back PFL championships in 2019 and 2021 (The promotion took one-year hiatus in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic). “Bradda Boy” will begin his bid for a third consecutive title when he faces Carlos Leal Miranda at PFL 3 on Friday night. He’s well prepared for an active campaign after having fought four times in 2021 and five times in 2019.

“I know what to expect in this tournament style,” Cooper said during PFL media day. “I’m ready for it, but we’ve got to see if all these other guys are ready for a whole season. Because most of the guys that are coming in, they only fight probably twice a year. We’ll see how their body can handle it and if their mind can handle the beating that the season takes on you.”

Miranda is a short-noti…

The lightweight clash pitting Michael Chandler against Tony Ferguson figures to be one of the most entertaining bouts at UFC 274.

Advertisement

However, neither man’s job with the Las Vegas-based promotion will be on the line at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Saturday night. Chandler has lost two of his first three UFC appearances, while Ferguson has dropped three straight in lopsided fashion on the heels of a 12-fight winning streak.

“You’re still talking about No. 5 vs. No. 7 in the nastiest division in the sport,” UFC president White told The Underground. “So if you look at who they’ve lost to, it’s all the best in the world. These guys always bring it. They always come to fight. Nobody’s fighting for their life in this one.”

However, White has a different viewpoint on the Joe Lauzon-Donald Cerrone clash, which is also set for the pay-per-view draw.

“They’re a different story,” White said. “That one should be the loser probably packs it up and…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A flyweight showdown between Manel Kape and Rogerio Bontorin has been booked for UFC 275.

Advertisement

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the bout on Wednesday. UFC 275 takes place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, on June 11 and is headlined by a light heavyweight title clash between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko defends her flyweight belt against Taila Santos.

Kape was supposed to face Su Mudaerji at UFC Fight Night 205 last month but had to withdraw a few days prior due to personal reasons. The former Rizin 135-pound champion began his promotional tenure with two straight losses but has rebounded to post back-to-back triumphs against Ode Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov in his last two Octagon appearances.

Bontorin, meanwhile, is winless in his last four UFC bouts after winning his first two outings in the pr…

Magomed Ankalaev will attempt to extend his winning streak to nine when he locks horns with former title challenger Anthony Smith at UFC 277.

Advertisement

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the light heavyweight booking. UFC 277 doesn’t yet have a location or venue. The card is also expected to include a heavyweight showdown between Sergei Pavlovich and Derrick Lewis.

Ankalaev has emerged as one of the division’s top contenders by virtue of an unbeaten run that began in September 2018. The 29-year-old Dagestani was successful in his first main event appearance, as he outpointed Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night 203 this past March. Ankalaev’s lone career defeat in 17 outings came to Paul Craig in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 127.

Smith challenged for 205-pound gold at UFC 235, dropping a unanimous decision to Jon Jones in March 2019. “Lionheart” is currently on a three-fight winning streak in UFC competition after besting Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute a…

Sean O'Malley is set for the toughest test of his promotional tenure to date, as a matchup with Pedro Munhoz is in the works for UFC 276.

Advertisement

ESPN was first to report the bantamweight bout, which is expected to be finalized soon. UFC 276 takes place on July 2 as part of International Fight Week and is also expected to include Robbie Lawler vs. Bryan Barberena as well as Miesha Tate vs. Lauren Murphy.

After suffering the first loss of his career to Marlon Vera at UFC 252, O’Malley has rebounded to post KO/TKO triumphs against Thomas Almeida, Kris Mouthinho and Raulian Paiva in his last three promotional appearances. The 27-year-old MMA Lab product is 15-1 over the course of a tenure that began in 2015.

Munhoz has faced far more difficult opposition than his UFC 276 foe. “Young Punisher” enters the matchup having lost four of his last five bouts inside the Octagon, including a decision defeat to Dominick Cruz at UFC 269. Munhoz owns wins over the …

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista

Two weeks ago, Paulo Costa told Sherdog.com in an interview that if the fans wanted it, he’d accept a fight against Luke Rockhold.

Advertisement

According to Brazilian outlet Combate.com, and confirmed with sources close to the fighters, that bout will happen on Aug. 20. When Rockhold initially floated the idea of a fight with Costa, the Brazilian shot it down on social media, saying he wasn’t interested in facing an unranked opponent. But with much of the rest of the middleweight division being booked for summer matchups, Rockhold may have been one of the last remaining options for Costa.

“Borrachinha” is coming off back-to-back defeats against Marvin Vettori and Israel Adesanya in his last two UFC appearances. The 31-year-old Brazilian began his professional tenure with 13 consecutive triumphs — 11 by KO or TKO — before suffering his first defeat in a middleweight title clash with Adesanya at …

An entertaining welterweight clash is on tap for International Fight Week, as Robbie Lawler will square off against Bryan Barberena at UFC 276.

Advertisement

Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing after Barberena announced it on his Instagram page. UFC 276 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The card is also expected to include a flyweight showdown pitting Miesa Tate against Lauren Murphy.

Lawler snapped a four-bout skid in his last outing, when he defeated Nick Diaz via third-round TKO at UFC 266 this past September. Prior to that, the former welterweight champ had dropped consecutive fights against Neil Magny, Colby Covington, Ben Askren and Rafael dos Anjos.

Barberena, meanwhile, has won three of his last four in the Octagona and is coming off a split-decision triumph against Matt Brown at UFC on ESPN 33 on March 26. Barberena recently signed a new contract with the Las Vegas-based promotion after openly stating that he’d consider retiremen…

Joaquin Buckley will lock horns with Albert Duraev in a middleweight clash at UFC on ESPN 37.

Advertisement

The Las Vegas-based promotion recently announced the booking. UFC on ESPN 37 takes place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on June 18 and is headlined by featherweight duel between Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett. The main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN2 and ESPN+ beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Buckley had been previously linked to a matchup with Abusupiyan Magomedov on June 4, but that bout did not come to fruition. The 28-year-old Finney’s Hit Squad representative has won four of his last five Octagon appearances. Most recently, he took a split verdict over Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Fight Night 201 on Feb. 19.

The 33-year-old Duraev earned a UFC contract thanks to a first-round submission of Caio Bitencourt on Dana White’s Contender Series last year. In his Octagon debut, “Machete” outpointed…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOF0aWvVtEE&w=560&h=315]

Quemuel Ottoni, the only man to defeat Alex Pereira thus far in his short MMA career, captured the Jungle Fight welterweight crown this past Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Advertisement

To win the title, Ottoni dominated Jose Diaz on the feet for two rounds before submitting him with a rear-naked choke at the 2:40 mark of Round 3 in the Jungle Fight 107 main event. Ottoni, who owns six career victories under the Jungle Fight baner, responded to what he says was a private message from Pereira in the aftermath of his championship triumph.

 “Alex ‘Poatan’ sent me a private message saying that I would be nothing more than a ‘Jungle fighter.’ Today I am Jungle champion,” Ottoni said. “A title, by the way, that you never conquered. And don't forget that it was in this cage that I submitted you.”

After the event, Ottoni revealed to PVT journalist Leonardo Fabri that his goal is to compete in…

A women’s featherweight showdown pitting Cat Zingano against Pam Sorenson that was originally slated for Bellator 276 is now in the works for Bellator 282.

Advertisement

Zingano, who pulled out of the original booking due to injury, first mentioned the matchup during an interview with The Schmo. MMAFighting.com has since reported that both fighters have verbally agreed to the pairing.

Additionally, Sabah Homasi has signed a new contract with the promotion and will square off against Maycon Mendonca at Bellator 282. The California-based organization confirmed the bout following an initial report from Cageside Press.

Bellator 282 takes place on June 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and is headlined by a middleweight title clash between Gegard Mousasi and Johnny Eblen. The main card airs on Showtime and will also include a pair of semifinals in the bantamweight grand prix, as Magomed Magomedov meets Enrique Barzola, while Leandro Higo takes on D…

Photos submitted by Jorge Masvidal’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, depict the alleged injuries to the face of “C.C.” — his identifier for Covington — as exhibits in a request for the fighter’s medical records.

Story by @MMAFightingSM https://t.co/gJA0Q2hjGQ pic.twitter.com/gpVDzpIhqR

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) May 3, 2022

Advertisement

There is now some visual evidence of the damage suffered by Colby Covington in an alleged attack by UFC rival Jorge Masvidal outside a Miami restaurant on March 21.

The images surfaced after Masvidal’s attorneys included them in a motion filed requesting Covington’s medical records. Covington recently modified his complaint, adding that he suffered a brain injury in addition to a fractured tooth, wrist abrasion and damage to his Rolex watch. While Covington’s tooth is clearly broken in the images, Masvidal’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, expressed skepticism in the fighter’s claims regarding the brain i…

Justin Gaethje has been critical of Charles Oliveira in the past, and “The Highlight” isn’t exactly walking back those comments as their lightweight title bout as UFC 274 approaches.

Advertisement

Gaethje has previously accused Oliviera of quitting in fights. In a recent interview with ESPN, Gaethje explained his reasoning.

“Something about me, I say what I think,” Gaethje said. “I wasn’t being overly critical, he wasn’t a bad champion. I was saying in the times that he’s lost, he didn’t even get knocked out — he quit sometimes. The choice to quit is something that one makes, and once you make it you can make it again, because you know that it’s there. I don’t believe I’ve ever made that choice.

“I believe that he has. That’s all I was saying is that I believe deep down he knows his way out and that’s to quit when he gets hit too many times, too hard.”

Oliveira was up-and-down early in his UFC tenure, but the reigning 155-pound king is in the midst of a 1…