Martial Arts News

Dustin Poirier has officially signed his contract to fight Conor McGregor on July 10, sources say. McGregor, as we know, was already in.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 2, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. It’s on. On Friday, ESPN broke the news that Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) and Conor McGregor (22-5) had officially signed their bout agreements to compete on UFC 264 on July 10. The two lightweights will headline the pay-per-view event that is expected to take place in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with fans in attendance. The two had been targeted for the matchup back in March, and the bout has now been made official. No title will be on the line, but McGregor has suggested a custom belt be created for the victor of this match.

Poirier and McGregor are 1-1 headed into the trilogy match, with each scoring a knockout…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. After over two years away, Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Michel Prazeres is ready to get back in action. Late Thursday night, Georgian outlet Ag. Fight reported that Prazeres (26-3) was gearing up to make his return to the Octagon on June 26. The unnumbered UFC Fight Night event on this date does not currently have a headliner, location or venue established, as it could take place in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas or elsewhere depending on the status of the coronavirus pandemic. On this card, he will be squaring off with unbeaten Shavkat Rakhmonov (13-0) in the welterweight division. The matchup has since been confirmed by multiple outlets as well as Rakhmonov himself on his Instagram.

Prazeres was suspended in 2020 for failed drug tests the previous year, with his results showing the anabolic steroid boldenone and i…

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the great sport of MMA, something new happens – and on April Fools’ Day, no less.

On Thursday night, the first event in a doubleheader for Cage Fury Fighting Championships took place in Philadelphia titled CFFC 94. The event was capped off by a thrilling welterweight championship clash between Evan Cutts and Bassil Hafez, where it became the first bout in the organization’s history to reach the fifth round – CFFC title fights are four-round affairs, with the possibility for a fifth should it be tied up. Even though this was a historic occasion, the biggest story was not about the championship showdown, the omoplata that occurred earlier in the night or the other fun fights on the card. The most noteworthy was that a fighter lost a finger.

The co-headliner saw undefeated Devin Goodale square off against 2012 Olympic wrestler Khetag Pliev in a 180-pound catchweight contest. The two battled it out for ten hard-fought minutes, and …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzYEqTbwvvI&w=560&h=315] If you thought Full Metal Dojo would run out of wild ideas for its “Fight Circus” series of events, you haven’t been paying attention.

On Tuesday, the Thailand-based organization announced that its third Fight Circus event, titled “Fisting for Dollars,” would take place on April 9 in the U.S. and April 10 in Thailand. Like the previous cards, Fight Circus Vol. 3 will be streamed live and free on the CamSoda platform, with a wide variety of bouts scheduled throughout the night. Although there may not be a single traditional MMA bout on the card, FMD is branching out to many different facets of unarmed combat.

There are currently nine announced matches for the event, with each one under a different ruleset. While more traditional combat sports such as muay Thai, lethwei and bare-knuckle boxing bouts are booked, the intrigue lies with the unusual matchups. Carrying on the trend from the past two Fight Circus…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf72PMU-7RM&w=640&h=360] Nach dem Wiegen-ins statt, alles eingestellt wie Bellator MMA zurück für seine erste Veranstaltung in 2021 und seinen ersten auf Showtime.

Bellator 255 titelte ein Federgewicht Titel Kampf zwischen der amtierende champ Patricio Freire und Herausforderer Emmanuel Sanchez. Die Gewinner kommen ins Finale der promotion featherweight world grand prix-Turnier zu Gesicht A. J. McKee. Beide Weltmeister und Herausforderer aus Gewicht, obwohl die rest der Karte nicht als drama-frei wie drei Kämpfer gescheitert schlagen Ihre vertraglich vereinbarten GEWICHTE, während ein Kampf war nixed.

Da klopfen sich leichte Michael Chandler in knapp über einer minute bis zu einem zweifachen champion, "Pitbull" hat beeindruckt, in den grand prix. Freire (31-4) beat up Juan Archuleta über fünf Runden in der ersten Runde, und dann knocked out, Pedro Carvalho in unter einer halben Runde auf seinem Weg in die Halbfinale. Die Titelver…

Damnn. An accumulation of damage to the left leg of Ismail Naurdiev puts an end to the Brave main event. Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi finishes the UFC vet with low kicks in R2. #BRAVECF50 pic.twitter.com/RKUpajVOC8

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 1, 2021 The judges put in overtime at Brave Combat Federation’s jam-packed card on Thursday.

The main event of Brave CF 50 saw 175-pound titleholder Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi (16-3) notching his first title defense at the expense of Ultimate Fighting Championship alum Ismail Naurdiev (20-5). “The Jordanian Lion” and Naurdiev spent most of the opening stanza studying one another, with the defending champion landing effective kicks while his opponent returned fire with repeated jabs. Al-Silawi’s gameplan started paying dividends as the bout progressed, as “The Austrian Wonderboy” started losing his footwork. The defending champion forced Naurdiev to back against the fence as he hunted his opponent down wit…

Update April 1st, 2021 pic.twitter.com/IAkryJWTZx

— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) April 1, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. A standout Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight has embraced the old adage of “ask and ye shall receive.” The UFC on ABC 2 main event was minus a competitor after Darren Till broke his collarbone earlier this week. Immediately after this news broke, Kevin Holland (21-6) spoke up, saying he would take the fight against Marvin Vettori (16-4-1). Per Holland on social media, and then confirmed by multiple outlets, the two middleweights will now headline the April 10 card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Holland last competed at UFC on ESPN 21 on March 20, where he dropped a decision to Derek Brunson to snap a five-fight win streak. The Texas native will tie a record held by Deiveson Figueiredo and Mich…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Another talented Invicta Fighting Championships competitor has been plucked to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. On Wednesday, Sportskeeda reported that Erin Blanchfield (6-1) will be fighting in the UFC for the first time, replacing Bea Malecki against Norma Dumont (5-1). ESPN and Blanchfield have both confirmed this news on Thursday, with Blanchfield moving up to the bantamweight division at UFC on ABC 2. The career flyweight will be appearing on April 10 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The Invicta standout rebounded from her first career loss in 2019 – a split decision defeat to Tracy Cortez – by finishing Gabriella Gulfin and Victoria Leonardo. Most recently, “Cold Blooded” captured a unanimous verdict over Brogan Walker-Sanchez in July 2020. Her stoppage of current UFC fighter Leonardo came from a head kick, e…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. An unbeaten prospect is stepping up on short notice to join the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Jessica Penne (12-5) was originally set to face Hannah Goldy (5-1) at UFC 260 in March, but Goldy fell out of her bout after testing positive for COVID-19. The match was pushed to UFC on ESPN 22 on April 17, but according to MMA Junkie on Thursday, Goldy will not be competing on this event either for undisclosed reasons. In her stead will be newcomer Lupita Godinez (5-0), who will be making her promotional debut at strawweight. Godinez confirmed her signing later in the day on her Instagram.

Undefeated as a pro, Godinez captured the Legacy Fighting Alliance 115-pound crown in a thriller against Crystal Vanessa Demopoulos at LFA 94 in 2020. The Mexican fighter out of Canada fighter made her way to the LFA with victories in…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is on paper boosting the dollar amount it will pay fighters under its outfitting policy, but fighters should read the fine print first. The promotion announced through ESPN on Thursday that the Venum outfitter arrangement has commenced effective April 1, with Reebok relegated exclusively to footwear with the UFC going forward. The first official use of the Venum gear and fight kits will take place at UFC on ABC 2 on April 10, which is still in search for a replacement headliner after Darren Till broke his collarbone.

Per UFC senior executive vice president and chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein, the promotion will be boosting the total pay for athletes by approximately $1 million. Fighters in every tier of UFC experience will be paid more compared to their amounts from 2017. UFC newco…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLus7_iYH2k&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Professional Fighters League is making game changing alterations to its 2021 season. The tournament-based league released a video on Thursday narrated by newly announced Athlete Advisory Board member Ray Lewis. In the video, it showed off several high-profile acquisitions including Anthony Pettis and Rory MacDonald, and formally stated when its first event – April 23 is the date – will take place. All of these events will be held on ESPN2, with prelims and additional coverage on ESPN+. The PFL’s campaign this year is called “More Than A Fight,” and more videos and packages will follow.

That was not the only bit of information to come from the PFL on Thursday, however, as broadcast partner ESPN made public a few significant differences to the 2021 season. In an …

With the Von Flue!! @AlonzoMenifield locks in the early sub to close the #UFC260 prelims! pic.twitter.com/FpFP8NzHVQ

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) March 28, 2021

Though the event was headlined by a heavyweight championship bout, the UFC 260 prelims didn’t do a huge number in the ratings department.

According to ShowBuzz Daily, the preliminary portion of the card attracted an average audience of 718,000 to ESPN. That’s the lowest of the four UFC pay-per-view prelims thus far in 2021, as the other three — UFC 257 (1.433 million), UFC 258 (794,000) and UFC 259 (1.208 million) — all outdrew Saturday’s offering.

UFC 260 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view via ESPN+ and saw Francis Ngannou claim heavyweight gold with a second-round knockout of Stipe Miocic in the evening’s main event. The preliminary draw wasn’t big on star power, but in the featured bout of that portion of the card, Alonzo Menifield submitt…