Martial Arts News

The UFC just wrapped up a whirlwind week in Abu Dhabi, with three events in an eight-day span.

Though the promotion’s plans remain ever-tentative in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, it doesn’t sound as though a return to “Fight Island” will happen until summer. As of now, events through March — and likely beyond — are expected to be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“If I had to map it out in my head, we’d come back in June or July,” Dana White said at the UFC 257 post-fight press conference on Saturday night. “Who knows? While we were here there was a new inauguration and we’ll see what happens.

“Traveling in America I think is gonna be another massive challenge for us this year.”

One positive from the series of events at Etihad Arena this past week was the presence of fans in the 18,000-seat venue, which coincided with Conor McGregor’s return to action. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, only about 2,000 people were allowed to attend each card. Still, it made…

There was likely no other fighter who was more interested in the top two fights at UFC 257 than lightweight contender Charles Oliveira.

Coming off eight straight wins — seven via submission or TKO — including an impressive triumph over former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, the Chute Boxe fighter is confident he should face Dustin Poirier for the 155-pound belt next. Poirier, of course, knocked out Conor McGregor in Saturday’s headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Sherdog.com spoke with Oliveira and his trainer, Diego Lima, at approximately the same time UFC president Dana White was starting the post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

"There is no other path to go. I´m coming from a sequence of eight wins. If Khabib [Nurmagomedov] returns, I'm the only one in the Top 4 that didn’t face him. It's me and him or Poirier, who did a great job against McGregor and already knocked out [Justin] Gaethje. So the only fight would make sense is myself a…

A pivotal middleweight middleweight showdown between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa has been targeted for April 17.

Sherdog.com confirmed with sources from both camps that Whittaker and Costa are in negotiations to headline the UFC Fight Night card, likely in Las Vegas. However, an interim title will not be on the line as Whittaker had previously hoped. Reigning 185-pound champ Israel Adesanya is slated to move up a division to challenge light heavyweight title holder Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 on March 6. The UFC has not officially confirmed the April 17 card.

Whittaker lost the middleweight crown to Adesanya at UFC 243 via second-round KO in October 2019. Since then, “The Reaper” has rebounded to post decision wins over contenders Darren Till and Jared Cannonier. The 30-year-old Sydney-based fighter has won 11 of his last 12 Octagon appearances.

Costa, meanwhile, suffered his first professional defeat in 14 outings when he was stopped by Adesanya in the secon…

A welterweight clash pitting Tyron Woodley against Vicente Luque has nearly been finalized for UFC 260.

Promotion broadcast partner ESPN was first to report the booking on Sunday. The bout has not been formally announced by the UFC because contracts have not been signed. UFC 260 takes place on March 27 and is headlined by a heavyweight title tilt between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou. A location for the card has not been announced.

A former welterweight champion, Woodley heads into the matchup with Luque looking to snap a three-bout losing streak. “The Chosen One” relinquished his crown in a lopsided five-round decision loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 and wasn’t especially competitive in subsequent five-round defeats against top 170-pound contenders Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington in his two 2020 appearances. Prior to that, Woodley successfully defended his belt four times after knocking out Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 to become champion.

Luque, meanwhile, is …

Nik Lentz is calling it a career after 45 professional bouts.

The 36-year-old Minnesota native announced his retirement via Instagram on Sunday, pointing to ongoing vision issues as the reason behind his decision. Lentz, who dropped a split decision to Movsar Evloev at UFC 257 on Saturday, had to undergo a risky corrective procedure after being poked in the eye in a loss to Arnold Allen last year.

“They say don’t make rash decisions after a loss, but this one is not rash or even quick for that matter. The injury I suffered to my eyes last year was a career ender,” Lentz wrote. “In total I lost about 40% of my vision, but I wanted to see what one more hard-fought battle was like with the new eyes. It was clear to me last night that it’s impossible for me to compete at this level anymore. I just can’t lock on to a moving target like I should, and with 40% of my vision practically gone... it’s chaotic to the least.

“My life as fighter in the best organization on the plan…

About a year ago at this time, a rejuvenated Conor McGregor had big plans in store following a quick finish of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

An active 2020 calendar didn’t come to fruition for the Irish star, however, and it was a much more somber atmosphere following his first appearance since then, a second-round technical knockout loss to Dustin Poirier in the UFC 257 headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. A victory could have opened the door for numerous possibilities for the biggest star in the sport. Instead, McGregor must figure out how to rebound from perhaps the most damaging loss of his career to date.

“It’s the whole shebang, but I have no excuses here. It was a phenomenal performance by Dustin. I don’t know what to say,” McGregor said at the post-fight press conference. “I’m going to go back. I’m going to chill out. I’ll watch the full fight and get a better grasp on it. The leg was compromised. I was rushing the shots a little bit, and I d…

For years, Michael Chandler was the unofficial face of Bellator MMA.

Even as he enjoyed multiple reigns as the California-based promotion’s lightweight champ, he couldn’t help but consider what it might be like to square off against the UFC’s best at 155 pounds. On Saturday, Chandler showed what he could do in front what was likely a massive pay-per-view audience, as he defeated Top 10 lightweight Dan Hooker via first-round technical knockout in the UFC 257 co-main event.

“I spent 12 years outside of this company thinking about this possibility, thinking about these matchups, thinking about fighting the best guys in the world. Now I’m here,” Chandler said. “I’m going to be ranked inside the Top 5 now, that might knock Conor out of No. 4, maybe put me on No. 3 or 4… I have no idea where the rankings are going to go, doesn’t really matter. Anybody can get a title shot as long as they are in the Top 5, Top 10 actually, so… Just feeling great.

“Pure elation, tons of…

Dustin Poirier is coming off arguably the biggest win of his career to date — on the biggest stage possible. Meanwhile, Michael Chandler had one of the most impressive UFC debuts in recent memory.

According to Poirier, these things are not the same. “The Diamond” avenged a 2014 loss to Conor McGregor in the UFC 257 headliner on Saturday night, as he stopped the Irish superstar via technical knockout in the second round to put himself in prime position for a lightweight title opportunity. Chandler, a long-time Bellator MMA star, scored a first-round stoppage of Dan Hooker in the evening’s co-main event to insert himself into the championship discussion as well.

With Khabib Nurmagomedov looking less and less likely to return by the day, the promotion’s 155-pound belt should be up for grabs in the near future. Poirier is almost virtually assured of being part of that equation. However, he knows one opponent he isn’t interested in facing next.

“I can guarantee I wo…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first pay-per-view of 2021 was not without some issues.

Early on in the pay-per-view broadcast, many ESPN+ subscribers who had purchased UFC 257 — including many professional fighters — experienced difficulty getting the streaming service to work properly.

Ultimately, those issues were resolved and viewers were able to witness Dustin Poirier defeat Conor McGregor via second-round technical knockout in Saturday’s main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. And as with most McGregor events, it appears to have been big business.

“It was mostly on the West Coast. The West Coast had some problems,” White said of the troubles with the ESPN+ stream. “But they got it fixed and it was a good night. It was a really good night. One of the Top 2 all-time.

“It’s either No. 2 or No. 3 all-time.”

McGregor’s loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018 reportedly sold in the neighborhood of 2.4 million pay-per-views, mak…

Conor McGregor’s aura took a hit in the UFC 257 main event on Saturday night.

The Irish superstar succumbed to strikes for the first time in 27 professional outings, falling to Dustin Poirier via second-round technical knockout at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. After the event’s conclusion, Khabib Nurmagomedov offered a reaction to McGregor’s performance from his Twitter account.

“This is what happened, when you change your team, leave the sparring partners who made you a champion and sparring with little kids, far away from reality,” Nurmagomedov wrote.

This is what happened, when you change your team, leave the sparring partners who made you a champion and sparring with little kids, far away from reality.

— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) January 24, 2021

Had McGregor emerged victorious at UFC 257, the promotion still had hopes that it could convince Nurmagomedov to return for one final bout against the “Notorious” one. Their first …

Michael Chandler had an Ultimate Fighting Championship debut to remember, and it helped make his payday that much better.

The former Bellator MMA lightweight king made short work of Dan Hooker in the UFC 257 co-main event, an effort that netted him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. The finishing sequence began when Chandler floored his foe with a right hand to the body followed by a left hook upstairs. From there, he unloaded with right hands until the bout was stopped 2:30 into Round 1.

Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier gained revenge and a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his second-round stoppage of Conor McGregor in the lightweight main event. Poirier attacked his foe’s calf with low kicks and backed him into the fence, where he dropped the Irishman with a right hook and sealed his win with a barrage of follow-up strikes at the 2:32 mark of the frame.

Earlier, Marina Rodriguez garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for her upset victory …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 257 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Dustin Poirier was the better man the second time around. The American Top Team mainstay avenged his 2014 defeat to Conor McGregor and did so in style, as he punched out the former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder in the second round of their UFC 257 headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Poirier (27-6, 19-5 UFC) closed the deal 2:32 into Round 2, becoming the first man to stop the Irishman with strikes.

From beginning to end, all class this time

[ #UFC257 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/E5TFQvCChA

— UFC (@ufc) January 24, 2021 McGregor (22-5, 10-3 UFC) was forced to play defense from the start. Poirier executed an early takedown, trapped the SBG Ireland star in the clinch and chipped away at his base with repeated kick…