Martial Arts News

Raphael Pessoa Nunes Accepts Sanction for Second Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy https://t.co/AGyVkrDZXN

— USADA (@usantidoping) May 3, 2021

UFC heavyweight competitor Raphael Pessoa has been suspended for two years by USADA for testing positive for a banned substance and evading sample collection.

The anti-doping organization announced the sanctions on Monday. Pessoa tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and its metabolites chlorothiazide and 4-amino-6-chloro-1,3-benzenedisulfonamide (ACB) in out-of-competition samples collected on Feb. 9, Feb. 15, Feb. 16 and March 4. HCTZ is listing in the category of diuretics and masking agents and is banned at all times under the UFC’s anti-doping policy.

Because Pessoa was not notified of the positive test until all four samples were collected, it is treated as a single violation. However, the 32-year-old Rio de Janeiro native previously tested positive for the same substance and comple…

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— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) May 2, 2021

Randa Markos is accusing Luana Pinheiro of taking a dive in their strawweight bout at UFC on ESPN 23.

Markos was disqualified after landing an illegal upkick while her foe was on her knees 4:16 into the opening round at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Once the blow connected, Pinheiro fell back to the canvas and remained there for several minutes with a dazed expression on her face. Once it was determined the Brazilian would not be able to continue, the bout was waved off by referee Mark Smith.

During the broadcast, UFC analyst and fighter Paul Felder questioned the legitimacy of Pinheiro’s reaction, and Markos did the same on her Instagram account. Earlier in the bout, Markos had been on the receiving end of multiple eye pokes, the last of which prompted a pause in the action and opened a cut on the Canadian fighter’s eyelid.

That foul never hind…

Merab Dvalishvili showcased a versatile skillset against Cody Stamann at UFC on ESPN 23, and that should be concerning for the rest of the division.

The Serra-Longo Fight Team product’s grappling was on display to the tune of five takedowns, but he also kept his opponent off balance with a standup attack that included jabs, straight rights and uppercuts. All told, the Georgian bantamweight outlanded Stamann by a 71-to-48 count in significant strikes – including 49 to the head, 16 to the body and six to the legs.

During his rise to prominence in the UFC, Dvalishvili gained recognition for his wrestling acumen, landing double-digit takedowns on three occasions and overwhelming foes with his pressure and control. However, he wants to point out the he is a well-rounded competitor.

“I train with good guys and my style’s not only wrestling or striking. I can mix it up,” he said. “This is mixed martial arts. They never know what’s coming. That’s why my style is difficu…

The “Giga Kick” delivered in a big way on Saturday night.

Giga Chikadze earned his sixth consecutive Octagon triumph at UFC on ESPN 23, as he dispatched veteran featherweight Cub Swanson with a liver kick and follow-up punches 63 seconds into the opening round of their co-main event encounter at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Once Chikadze delivered his patented maneuver, Swanson doubled over in agony, and it was academic from there.

“I’m happy to get a beautiful win and a beautiful KO, but I like this guy a lot. I don’t think it was necessary for me to have to deliver the last few punches,” Chikadze said. “If they would have stopped it just after the kick, I would be happier. But I had to do it because the referee didn’t stop it. He’s [Swanson] a legend. It feels great to beat a legend.”

Chikadze didn’t get much time to test himself against Swanson. The Palm Springs, Calif., native attempted to close the distance right away, but Chikadze created an avenue for the …

[email protected] steps in on short notice to face @DA_Monsoon at #Bellator258.

Catch their bout via our YouTube channel on Friday, May 7th. pic.twitter.com/hS7z8qcyia

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) May 1, 2021 After parting ways with the promotion late last year, former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho will return on short notice to face Lorenz Larkin at Bellator 258.

Carvalho is a last-minute replacement for Costello van Steenis, who withdrew from the bout last week. Bellator announced the new pairing Saturday on social media. Carvalho had previously been scheduled to face Sharaf Davlatmurodov at LFA 107 on May 14.

Bellator 258 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Friday and is headlined by a bantamweight title tilt between Juan Archuleta and Sergio Pettis. The card will air on Showtime.

Carvalho exited Bellator after losing four of his last five appearances within the California-based promotion,…

Jiri Prochazka’s spinning back elbow finish of Dominick Reyes in the UFC on ESPN 23 main event may have put him in the running for “Knockout of the Year,” but it doesn’t even top the Czech fighter’s own personal highlight reel.

While Prochazka didn’t name a specific knockout on his resume that would surpass what he did on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, he did explain that his latest effort didn’t top the list because there were a few too many precarious moments against Reyes for his liking.

“No, [it wasn’t my best finish],” Prochazka said at the post-fight press conference. “There was a much better ending in my career in the fights because I [didn’t have] this fight under control all the time. Because Dominick surprised me many times. That’s for a man like me, that’s not good. I like to be the best in these things. To be the best and when you mean something or somebody is the best, that was not the best really.

“There was so many chances to end th…

BREAKING: The @ufc Octagon heads to Glendale with 2 title fights June 12, 2021 #UFC263 On-Sale May 14

Info: https://t.co/T6cSqZiGt6 pic.twitter.com/QaUZFRnA99

— Gila River Arena (@GilaRiverArena) May 2, 2021 The Ultimate Fighting Championship is gradually filling out its schedule with events in front of capacity crowds.

The Las Vegas-based promotion on Saturday announced that UFC 263 will take place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on June 12. Built in 2003, the 18,000-seat venue is the home of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes and is a featured attraction of the area’s 223-acre Westgate Entertainment District. Tickets go on sale May 14.

UFC 263 is headlined by a rematch between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori for the middleweight crown, while Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno square off for a second time with flyweight gold on the line in the co-main event. The main card airs on pay-per-view and is available via ESPN+.

T…

Jiri Prochazka is $100,000 richer after authoring a memorable knockout of Dominick Reyes at UFC on ESPN 23.

Prochazka received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his spinning back elbow finish of Reyes at the 4:29 mark of Round 2 in Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Additionally, Prochazka and Reyes each received $50,000, as the light heavyweight contest also earned “Fight of the Night” honors. Prior to the finish, both men landed plenty of heavy offense in a bout that was a slugfest from the outset.

Elsewhere, Giga Chikadze garnered the card’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check by virtue of his quick stoppage of Cub Swanson in the evening’s co-main event. A liver kick from Chikadze sent Swanson crumbling to the canvas, and the Georgian fighter sealed his victory with a few follow-up punches 63 seconds into the opening stanza.

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. There’s a new contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight division. Jiri Prochazka staked his claim to a title shot in the UFC on ESPN 23 headliner, as he knocked out Dominick Reyes with a spinning back elbow 4:29 into Round 2 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. After just the third KO/TKO stemming from a spinning back elbow in promotion history, Prochazka (28-3-1, 2-0 UFC) has finished 25 of his 28 career triumphs by knockout or technical knockout.

“I just want to show the beauty of the art, but sometimes I go very quickly for the win,” Prochazka said. “(As a result of) that, I catch some punches. Mistakes still, but I’m learning from fight to fight.”

A still-improving Prochazka is a scary prospect for the rest of the division, because the whirling dervish of offense he is now is alread…

Melden Sie sich für ESPN+ genau hier, und Sie können dann die UFC live streamen ihr smart TV, Computer, Telefon, Tablet oder Streaming-gerät über die ESPN (TV-Kanal app. Sherdog ' s live UFC auf ESPN 23 die Berichterstattung beginnt am Samstag um 19 Uhr ET. Schauen Sie sich die MMA Diskussionsforen um die Karte zu besprechen oder Ihre Kommentare einzugeben und vorhersagen unten. Runde 1 Sherdog Erzielt Jay Pettry erzielt die Runde:Lev Pisarsky trifft die Runde:Tristen Critchfield erreicht die Runde:Runde 2 Sherdog Erzielt Jay Pettry erzielt die Runde:Lev Pisarsky trifft die Runde:Tristen Critchfield erreicht die Runde:Runde 3 Sherdog Erzielt Jay Pettry erzielt die Runde:Lev Pisarsky trifft die Runde:Tristen Critchfield erreicht die Runde:Das offizielle Ergebnis Runde 1 Sherdog Erzielt Jay Pettry erzielt die Runde:Lev Pisarsky trifft die Runde:Tristen Critchfield erreicht die Runde:Runde 2 Sherdog Erzielt Jay Pettry erzielt die Runde:Lev Pisarsky trifft die Runde:Tristen Cri…

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— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) May 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.

An illegal upkick from Randa Markos brought an abrupt end to her strawweight encounter with Luana Pinheiro in the UFC on ESPN 23 featured preliminary bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. With Pinheiro unable to continue, Markos was disqualified at the 4:16 mark of Round 1.

Pinheiro did well early, kicking her foe’s leg out with a low kick while landing some stiff punching combinations to the head. The action was paused after an eye poke from the Brazilian cut Markos (10-11-1, 6-10-1 UFC) on her eyelid. When the fight resumed, the combatants engaged in a slugfest in the center of the Octagon, both swinging wildly with heavy punches until Pinheiro executed a head-and-arm throw to get her opponent to the canv…

Considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Anderson Silva has decided to test himself in boxing for the first time since 2005.

After announcing his departure from the UFC last year,  “The Spider” will face former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on  June 19 in a soccer stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. The “Tribute to the Kings” card will feature Julio’s father, the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez, in the main event against an as yet to be announced opponent.

In a video interview with AgFight’s Carlos Antunes, the former middleweight champion discussed his upcoming bout as well as what he perceives to be a lack of respect from “YouTubers.”

“I´m really happy to be able to test my skills in another area. It´s such an amazing experience, but I'm totally aware that my opponent has done this since his childhood,” Silva said. “I cannot be arrogant enough to believe that I’ll have a highlight [victory] like those disrespectful Youtubers out the…