Martial Arts News

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A matchup between strawweight contenders Amanda Ribas and Michelle Waterson is in the works for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on March 26.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the booking. The event takes place at an as yet to be announced location and is expected to feature a light heavyweight headliner pitting Jan Blachowicz against Aleksandar Rakic. Ribas and Waterson were initially slated to square off at UFC 257 in January before “The Karate Hottie” withdrew from the bout.

Ribas rebounded from her first career defeat in the Octagon at the hands of Marina Rodriguez to score a unanimous verdict over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 267 on Oct. 30. The 28-year-old Brazilian is 5-1 in UFC competition, with other notable wins against the likes of Mackenzie Dern, Paige VanZant and Randa Markos.

Waterson, meanwhile, is coming off a five-round decision defeat to Rodriguez in the UFC on ESPN 24 headliner on May 8. The 35-year-old …

It looks like Tyron Woodley will get his rematch with Jake Paul after all.

Showtime Sports announced Monday that Tommy Fury has withdrawn from a proposed bout against Paul “due to a medical issue that impacted his training camp.” Paul vs. Woodley 2 will be contested over eight rounds at 192 pounds. The event takes place on Dec. 18 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and airs via pay-per-view on Showtime beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

“When my team woke me up on Friday to tell me Tommy was pulling out, I told them I’m ready to fight anyone on Dec. 18,” Paul said in a release. “Troy, Trey, Trevor, Travis. I don’t give a damn who it is. So, as I predicted Tommy Fumbles and Tyron is there to pick it up, stepping in, and contractually he is getting an extra $500,000 if he knocks me out. First time I outboxed him. This time I’m gonna punish him and leave no doubt.”

Paul and Woodley initially squared off on Aug. 29 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, with the so…

Julia Avila has suffered a knee injury and won’t face Raquel Pennington at UFC Fight Night 199 as originally anticipated.

MyMMANews first reported Avila’s withdrawal from the Dec. 18 card. It is currently unclear if Pennington will receive a replacement opponent. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

The 33-year-old Avila has been victorious in three of her first four promotional appearances — including a third-round submission of Julia Stoliarenko in her last outing at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26.

A former bantamweight title challenger, Pennington is coming off back-to-back decison wins over Marion Reneau and Pannie Kianzad.

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

It was a blend of mixed emotions for Rafael Fiziev following his latest triumph, a third-round knockout of Brad Riddell in the UFC on ESPN 31 co-main event Saturday night.

After all, Fiziev and Riddell are friendly from crossing paths in Thailand, where both lightweights have served as coaches for the vaunted Tiger Muay Thai camp. Riddell previously held that position, while Fiziev is currently in the role.

“I don’t know if I’m sad or I’m happy, because it’s not so good when your friend’s like that,” Fiziev said. “Of course, I’m happy, and sad, and happy. I don’t know.”

Regardless of the feelings that followed, Fiziev’s finish was a thing of beauty. He forced Riddell to circle to his right, then unleashed a spinning wheel kick that connected to the side of his opponent’s head. Riddell stumbled forward and fell to the canvas while unsuccessfully trying to grab a leg, prompting Herb Dean to step in and wave off the fight.

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Jose Aldo once again has T.J. Dillashaw in his sights following another impressive victory in the bantamweight division.

The former featherweight king earned his third consecutive triumph at 135 pounds in the UFC on ESPN 31 headliner, taking a five-round verdict over Rob Font at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Despite a reputation for fading in longer fights, Aldo held up for 25 hard-fought minutes against a surging contender. Aldo did not attend Saturday’s post-fight press conference due to being transported to a hosptial for precautionary reasons, but he did share his thoughts on his performance — which featured a blend of powerful striking and timely grappling — during an interview in the Octagon.

“Everyone thinks I can only go three rounds but I proved I can do five and I want to be a champion of this division and I’m still working for that,” Aldo said. “We’ve been talking about this, to become a complete MMA fighter. So yes, I’m going to be standing …

The UFC was in a generous mood on Saturday night, as six competitors from UFC on ESPN 31 received $50,000 bonus checks.

Rafael Fiziev was an easy selection for one “Performance of the Night” bonus thanks to his “Knockout of the Year” candidate against Brad Riddell in the co-main event. A spectacular spinning wheel kick ended the lightweight bout 2:20 into the third round, giving Fiziev his fifth consecutive triumph at 155 pounds.

Elsewhere, Jamahal Hill earned a “Performance of the Night” check after making short work of Jimmy Crute in a featured light heavyweight bout. In a matchup of former Dana White’s Contender Series competitors, Hill dropped his foe with a right hand early, then finished Crute with a right hook and follow-up ground strike just 48 seconds into Round 1.

Earlier, Clay Guida rallied from the brink of defeat to submit Leonardo Santos, earning a “Performance of the Night” payment in the process. Guida was on the ropes in the opening stanza after…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Jose Aldo still has plenty of story left to tell. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder withstood significant damage to his right eye to beat the favored Rob Font by unanimous decision in the UFC on ESPN 31 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Aldo (31-7, 13-6 UFC) swept the scorecards with 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 marks from the cageside judges.

Font (19-5, 9-4 UFC) pushed a breakneck pace behind a stinging jab, and while he enjoyed his share of success, the New England Cartel representative had no answer for the Brazilian’s punching power. Aldo staggered him on more than one occasion with right hands, often stymying momentum and alternating the complexion of entire rounds in an instant. He also introduced …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 31 ​coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Roun…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Dusko Todorovic reasserted himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division and did so with renewed vigor and purpose.

The Secutor MMA standout on Saturday rebounded from back-to-back losses to Punahele Soriano and Gregory Rodrigues, as he dispatched Maki Pitolo with punches in the first round of their featured UFC on ESPN 31 prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Now on a troubling four-fight losing streak, Pitolo (13-9, 1-5 UFC) met his end 4:34 into Round 1.

Todorovic (11-2, 2-2 UFC) delivered a takedown, freed himself from a loose guillotine choke and made slow but consistent progress on the ground. He transitioned from half guard to full mount, then moved to Pitolo’s back. From there, Todorovic flattened out the Hawaiian and cut loo…

Reminder: #Senshi10 is LIVE and FREE on FITE: https://t.co/4DNOZybiS2 pic.twitter.com/uqT6TPMpb9

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 4, 2021

Senshi 10 was highlighted by a pretty spectacular KO at the top of the bill.

The card was headlined by a non-title 176-pound affair that saw WAKO PRO K1 World titleholder Sergej Braun clash with European Champion ISKA K1 Assane Bafeta. A short-notice replacement for Nikola Todorovic, Bafeta proved to be in good shape as he attacked Braun with plenty of front kicks in Round 1. In his attempts to close the distance, Braun landed with his punches on the Frenchman. The German champion didn’t seem to have much impact in the opening frame, but it was enough to get his opponent’s attention.

In Round 2, Bafeta charged with front kicks as Braun moved in and out of his opponent’s guard. Midway through the round, Braun caught Bafeta with a short left hook to the temple, making the Frenchman collapse i…

A member of Jeremiah Wells’ team tested positive for COVID-19 just hours before his sophomore Octagon appearance, resulting in the cancellation of his UFC on ESPN 31 matchup with Jake Matthews.

Wells revealed the news in a post on his Instagram account. It’s currently unclear if the welterweight bout will be rescheduled for a future event, or if Wells and Matthews will be booked against different opponents.

“Sorry everyone, I just found out that my fight is canceled due to exposure of Covid,” Wells wrote. “My test result came back negative, but one of my corner men had a result of positive. Thank you to everyone who supported me, helped me with this fight camp and cheer me on.”

UFC on ESPN 31 will proceed with 13 fights. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a bantamweight clash between Jose Aldo and Rob Font. The prelims begin on ESPN and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, while the main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m…

.@sergiopettis OUTTA NOWHERE!

What a way to end the 2021 Bellator MMA season LIVE on @SHOsports. #Bellator272 pic.twitter.com/g8Kstu4E3v

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) December 4, 2021 The situation looked bleak for Sergio Pettis. Then lightning struck.

The Roufusport mainstay retained the undisputed Bellator MMA bantamweight championship, as he knocked out Kyoji Horiguchi with a spinning backfist in the fourth round of their Bellator 272 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Pettis (22-5, 4-0 Bellator) brought it to a shocking conclusion 3:24 into Round 4.

Horiguchi (29-4, 1-1 Bellator) had command of all of his pitches and kept the Milwaukee native off-balance with darting lateral movements. The Japanese star battered Pettis’ lead leg with kicks, punctuated his combinations with powerful overhand rights, mixed in a handful of spinning back kicks to the body and incorporated strategic takedowns i…