Martial Arts News

Ryan Bader’s bid to reclaim light heavyweight gold came up short in the semifinals of the light heavyweight grand prix, where he suffered a 51-second technical knockout loss to Corey Anderson in the Bellator 268 co-main event on Saturday night.

Despite fighting in front of a hometown crowd at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., the former Arizona State University All-American wrestler was unable to get going against Anderson. Bader was floored by an overhand right early, and though he tried desperately to defend himself against the ensuing hailstorm of follow-up ground-and-pound, his opponent would not be denied.

Bader recently released a brief statement on Instagram in the aftermath of the defeat.

“The game we play…not the result we wanted but felt the love in AZ!” Bader wrote. “Thank you guys for always having my back.”

Though it appears Bader’s run at 205 pounds in Bellator might be at its end, the Power MMA Team stalwart remains the promotion’s rei…

The ongoing Bellator light heavyweight grand prix has reignited the debate regarding the best light heavyweight in the sport, and there are more than a few in the MMA community who believe that the Vadim Nemkov-Corey Anderson winner can lay claim to that top spot.

“This was a gauntlet of 205ers and whoever wins this tournament, to me, is the best 205er on the planet, period,” Bellator president Scott Coker said on Saturday night. “That’s how I feel.”

Anderson was especially impressive in dispatching Ryan Bader in just 51 seconds in the Bellator 268 co-main event at the Footprint Center in Phoenix for his seventh win in eight professional outings across stints in the California-based promotion as well as the UFC. The man known as “Overtime” notably owns victories over both Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira, who will square off with light heavyweight gold on the line at UFC 267 later this month.

However, Blachowicz avenged that defeat in Anderson’s final Octagon …

Well-traveled 52-fight MMA veteran Brian Gassaway has died at the age of 49.

Late on Saturday, a friend of Gassaway wrote on Facebook that he had passed. A GoFundMe page has since been created for a memorial fund for Gassaway’s family on Sunday. The news of his death has since been confirmed by multiple MMA media members.

“It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend, teacher, and mentor, Brian Gassaway,” the GoFundMe wrote.

“Please know that as much as he helped you, you also helped him,” it continued. “You were the reason he lived. You gave him breath. He absorbed and learned from your experience, sharing it with the next student. As students and teachers of martial arts, we are the sum of the teachers and students before us.

“Brian leaves behind his wife and best friend, Mimi, mother, and brother, Wesley. Brian, our friend, our teacher, you will not be forgotten. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience w…

Conor McGregor is once again in the news for an altercation that occurred outside of the Octagon.

According to a report from Italian outlet Il Messagero, Itallian DJ and singer Francesco Facchinetti has accused McGregor of punching him in the face and breaking his nose. Facchinetti claims that he and his wife were hanging out with the former UFC champion and his fiancee, Dee Devlin, when McGregor allegedly attacked him for no reason at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time.

“I took a punch for nothing,” Facchinetti said on his Instagram story (translations via Pro Sports Extra). “That punch could go to anyone. My friends, my wife, or other friends. That’s why I decided to sue Conor McGregor because he is a violent and dangerous person.”

Facchinetti’s wife also provided an account of the alleged incident on social media.

“Then out of nowhere, he threw a punch in the face of Francesco. He was inviting us to another party. Francesco said, ‘Okay, let’s go’ and …

Aspen Ladd had trouble mounting any kind of significant offense in the UFC Fight Night 195 main event, and the frustration was reflected in her corner between rounds.

Ladd’s coach, Jim West, was caught on the ESPN+ broadcast criticizing the fighter between the third and fourth periods of her matchup with Norma Dumont.

“You’re down 3-0,” West said between Rounds 3 and 4. “Please tell me what you’re doing. You have to throw more than one punch... fight to win, you have to finish.”

This is ABUSE, what a douche

— Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) October 17, 2021

West’s comments were widely criticized throughout the MMA community, with former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate going so far as to call his coaching “abuse.” West, who is also Ladd’s boyfriend, took to social media to apologize for his tactics.

“Tonight was not our night. It’s been our night many many times at the highest level but not tonight. I blame myself,” West wrote on I…

The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix is down to two after Vadim Nemkov and Corey Anderson advanced to the tournament finals on Saturday night.

Even with the untimely exits of names like Yoel Romero and Anthony Johnson, the bracket was filled with recognizable names, and Bellator 268 featured three light heavyweights ranked in the Top 10 of Sherdog.com's divisional poll at 205 pounds. Anderson notably owns victories against both Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeiera, who will square off for the UFC light heavyweight crown on Oct. 30.

Bellator president Scott Coker believes that the Nemkov-Anderson winner can legitmately claim the title of best light heavyweight in the sport, regardless of promotion.

“This was a gauntlet of 205ers and whoever wins this tournament, to me, is the best 205er on the planet, period. That’s how I feel,” Coker said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

Nemkov endured a scare in the first round before rolling past tournament…

Norma Dumont didn’t get the opponent she wanted on Saturday night, but she was grateful to be able to have a fight nonetheless.

The Brazilian relied on her jab, clinch work and solid takedown defense to earn a five-round verdict over Aspen Ladd in the UFC Fight Night 195 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Ladd was a short notice replacement for Holly Holm, who withdrew from the main event after suffering a knee injury.

“I knew (Ladd) was going to give me a fun fight,” Dumont said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “She saved me because we were on the verge of not having one. She is a tough fighter, she is a fun fighter and I’m very glad we were able to get this accomplished.”

The fight was generally a lackluster affair, in large part because Ladd offered little in the way of meaningful offense for the majority of the five rounds. Ladd, who normally competes at bantamweight, agreed to take the fight two weeks after a failed weight c…

#COLLISION3 UPDATE: Suarez out, Hamicha will now face Samuel Dbili on October 23. pic.twitter.com/g2Ip1iZxiS

— GLORY Kickboxing (@GLORY_WS) October 17, 2021

Glory: Collision 3 has undergone another change to its lineup, as Hamicha must deal with a new opponent heading into this Saturday’s card.

Hamicha was originally scheduled to face Eyevan Danenberg, but Maximo Suarez stepped in and replaced Danenberg. Now Suarez is out and has been replaced by Samuel Dbili on less than a week’s notice.

Dbili made his promotional debut at Glory 60, which he lost to Dimitrii Menshikov. Now he looks to bounce back and notch a major upset against a potential future title challenger in Hamicha.

Glory Collision 3 takes place at the GelreDome in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The pay-per-view event can be purchased on Gloryfights.com.

Jim Miller, Nate Landwehr, Bruno Silva and Danaa Batgerel each received $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work in the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 195 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Miller gave newcomer Erick Gonzalez a rude promotional welcome, winning via knockout in a featured lightweight encounter. The 38-time UFC veteran countered a Gonzalez kick with a left cross that dropped the Combate Americas veteran instantly, ending the contest 14 seconds into Round 2.

Meanwhile, Landwehr got an extra check by virtue of securing the first submission of his 19-fight professional tenure against Ludovit Klein in a featherweight affair. The former M-1 Global champion pressured Klein with punches in the third round before snapping his foe down with a front headlock and rolling for an anaconda choke to force the tapout at the 2:22 mark of the period.

Earlier, Silva rallied for a third-round stoppage of Andrew Sanchez in a preliminary middleweight pair…

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. Norma Dumont took the path of least resistance and never once had to consider changing course. The Syndicate MMA representative moved one step closer to title contention in the shallow Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s featherweight division, as she captured a unanimous decision over a shockingly inept Aspen Ladd in the UFC Fight Night 195 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, all for Dumont (7-1, 3-1 UFC).

A short-notice substitution for the injured Holly Holm, Ladd (9-2, 4-2 UFC) produced next to nothing in terms of meaningful offense for four-plus rounds. Dumont leaned on jab-heavy standup, a neutralizing clinch and airtight takedown defense, as she built a commanding and ultimately insurmountable lead. Ladd e…

Vadim Nemkov gets it done in round 4 the LHW Grand Prix final is now set for Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson #Bellator268 pic.twitter.com/c6Ho2ZK1Mn

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) October 17, 2021

Julius Anglickas had one brief glimmer of hope against Vadim Nemkov, but it was only fleeting.

Nemkov (14-2, 7-0 Bellator) retained his light heavyweight crown with a dominating fourth-round submission victory over Anglickas (10-2, 3-1 Bellator) in the Bellator 268 headliner at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Saturday night, punching his ticket to the finals of the promotion’s 205-pound grand prix. A kimura at the 4:25 mark of Round 4 brought the show to a close. Nemkov will square off with Corey Anderson in the grand prix championship at a future event, presumably in 2022.

Anglickas gave Nemkov a scare in the opening stanza when he buckled the Fedor Emeliankeno protege with a straight right. The Russian responded by taking Anglic…

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 Fight Night 195 coverage will begin Saturday at 4:30 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:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the r…