Martial Arts News

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. Brian Ortega has never looked more comfortable in a combat setting—a frightening development for the rest of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion staked his claim as the No. 1 contender at 145 pounds with a comprehensive performance against Chan Sung Jung, as he cruised to a unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night 180 headliner on Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three judges scored it 50-45 for Ortega (15-1, 7-1 UFC), who bounced back from his December 2018 technical knockout loss to Max Holloway in resounding fashion.

Jung (16-6, 6-3 UFC) was ill-prepared for all the weaponry “T-City” brought to the table. Ortega drew out his opponent’s defenses with feints, cracked his legs with kicks, targeted the head with lungin…

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. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 180 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 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:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Cri…

Straight out of the gate! Don't sleep on @Guram_Dze's power! #UFCFightIsland6 pic.twitter.com/vTJ3AEXSKy

— UFC (@ufc) October 17, 2020

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.

Guram Kutateladze paid no mind to the pundits.

The Allstars Training Center export leaned on sensational grappling defense and a hyperactive kicking game in a stellar Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, as he walked away with a split decision over former two-division KSW titleholder Mateusz Gamrot in the featured UFC Fight Night 180 lightweight prelim on Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28: Darryl Ransom and Victor Wolf for Kutateladze, David Lethaby for the favored Gamrot.

A short-notice substitution for Magomed Mustafaev, Kutateladze (12-2, 1-0 UFC) chipped away with kicks to t…

Ortega with the new look! @BrianTCity makes 146 for Saturday night's main event.

[ #UFCFightIsland6 - LIVE on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/eIx43YNrup

— UFC (@ufc) October 16, 2020 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. Time will tell if Brian Ortega’s latest transformation is a boon or more akin to Samson and Delilah.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s latest stint at the Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, continues with UFC Fight Night 180. The card is headlined by featherweight contenders Ortega and Chan Sung Jung. All 11 fights are now official after the weigh-ins took place Friday morning.

Fighting for the first time since the lone loss of his career, Ortega (14-1) will be looking to bounce back and make a statement. Other than being stopped by Max Holloway, “T-City” has been perfect inside the Octagon with big wi…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1o7LJjEXm4&w=560&h=315] Aaron Jeffery made a case for a Legacy Fighting Alliance middleweight title shot with the biggest victory of his career at LFA 93.

Despite dropping the first round on two of the three judges' scorecards, Jeffery proved he had no quit in him against Andre Petroski. Late in Round 2, Jeffery (9-2) stunned Petroski (5-1) with a big elbow that rocked him and then a series of knees to the head made the wrestler fall to the floor. Referee Marcio Laselva waved the fight off after a few punches at 4:19 of Round 2.

In the co-main event, Sam Hughes took on Danielle Hindley at a 120-pound catchweight. "Sampage" immediately established an advantage on the feet and ended the round with a bang by locking in a guillotine choke that forced Hindley (4-2) unconscious. The fight was declared over after the bell rang, giving Hughes (5-1) a technical submission win at an official time of 5:00.

Josh Fremd put a beating on Ant…

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. Rafael dos Anjos is ready to get back in the cage soon. After 14 days of quarantining and recovery from his positive COVID-19 diagnosis, dos Anjos posted on his Instagram on Friday about his first training session with Emerson Falcao at Nova Uniao. Dos Anjos was originally booked at UFC 254 to face Islam Makhachev on Oct. 24, and the former champ is hoping that he can get that fight re-scheduled.

Right after his training ended, dos Anjos spoke with Sherdog. “I got really bad in the first week,” he admitted. “A lot of pain all over my body, fever, strong headache. Monday I was feeling better and did some running and today [Friday] I did some striking training with Falcao.”

Dos Anjos and his manager are waiting for a call from the Ultimate Fighting Championship to finally decide if his fight with Makhachev will be postponed …

Cynthia Calvillo was forced to withdraw from UFC 254 after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier today, per @bokamotoESPN. Lauren Murphy will now face newcomer Liliya Shakirova on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi.

— Nick Baldwin (@NickBaldwinMMA) October 16, 2020 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 hits keep coming for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s next pay-per-view offering. Due to a failed COVID-19 test, Cynthia Calvillo has been forced to pull out of her UFC 254 main card bout against Lauren Murphy (13-4). The news was first reported by ESPN on Thursday night, and later confirmed by Calvillo. Stepping up on just over a week’s notice is newcomer Liliya Shakirova (8-1) per theScore. Shakirova will actually be the second replacement option, as the first undisclosed opponent also tested positive for COVID-19, according to Murphy. It has …

One Championship aired the pre-recorded second part of One: Reign of Dynasties on Friday.

Kickboxing star Hiroki Akimoto earns his first victory at bantamweight, edging former ONE World Title challenger Zhang Chenglong via split decision! #ReignOfDynasties2 #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/GJNxsVj2Di

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) October 16, 2020 The sophomore installment in the One: Reign of Dynasties event series was headlined by a kickboxing clash between Hiroki Akimoto and Zhang Chenglong in One's bantamweight division. The two contenders produced a hard-fought battle that saw some back-and-forth striking action. However, the Japanese fighter was the one who impressed the majority of the judges the most as he took home a split decision victory. In the co-main event, Sagetdao Petpayathai overcame Zhang Chunyu in his return to muay Thai competition after a six-year hiatus. Sagetdao largely dominated his opponent across all …

Cristiane Justino is still the Bellator MMA women's featherweight champion and picked up her first submission win in the process.

"Cyborg" put the title she won from Julia Budd on the line against challenger Arlene Blencowe. Justino (23-2, 1 NC) took her opponent down midway through Round 1 and easily gained mount. After transitioning to the back, the Brazilian was able to unleash powerful punches. The tough challenger survived the first round but it set the pace the fight would follow.

Justino opened Round 2 by bloodying up Blencowe (13-8) on the feet with an incredible flurry of punches and then took her opponent down. Heavy shots from mount forced the Australian to give up her back and "Cyborg" locked in a rear-naked choke at 2:36 of the round. This marks the first submission win for the champion.

Outside of the main event, there was some late drama at Bellator 249. The scheduled co-main event between Patricky Freire and Jaleel Willis was scrapped by the Mohegan …

Now that the #LFA93 weigh-in is in the books, which fight are you looking forward to the most tomorrow night?

: https://t.co/PbqpznyvHh

: https://t.co/sdWQ4RCJNb@ogRISK@PsoRite@ShellsDotCom@AthleticCBD@GLCDirect2000@USENDmoney@IncaKolaUSA@HartmanArena@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/ijaocvrCSf — LFA (@LFAfighting) October 16, 2020 The Legacy Fighting Alliance continues its eventful October with its second mixed martial arts event of the month.

LFA 93 is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Dana White’s Contender Series alum Aaron Jeffery and undefeated prospect Andre Petroski. The nine-fight card is now official after the weigh-ins took place on Thursday.

The more experienced of the two fighters is Jeffery (8-2), who has double the fights of his opponent. The Canadian came up short against Brendan Allen in his lone DWCS bout but has won six of his last seven. Five of those wins have come via TKO, including his most recent fi…

Conor McGregor a -180 favorite vs Dustin Poirier (+155).

— Dave Mason (@DaveMasonBOL) October 15, 2020 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. Although the Ultimate Fighting Championship rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is far from official, betting lines have opened. On Thursday, BetOnline opened a line on the prospective McGregor (22-4) vs. Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) bout. The two have accepted the bout through a cordial Twitter exchange, but UFC President Dana White stood hard-and-fast about the date of their meeting.

Should they actually lock horns, it would take place on Jan. 23 and not other previously mentioned dates like Nov. 21, Dec. 12 or Dec. 19. There has not been a venue, location or even an official announcement that the Jan. 23 event will be held. It would be expected to be a pay-per-view card should it come to…

Although it has been delayed a while, the Bellator MMA featherweight grand prix will be back sooner than most expect.

Bellator's 145-pound tournament was put on hold this past March after the promotion was forced to cancel events due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The organization confirmed to Sherdog today that the tournament will start back up in November with a trio of major bouts.

Bellator lightweight and featherweight champion Patricio Freire (30-4) will defend his 145-pound belt against Pedro Carvalho (11-3) in a quarterfinal matchup of the tournament. The scrap will headline Bellator 252, which will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Nov. 12. The two were originally slated to do battle back at Bellator 241 this past March, but the entire event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Freire reached the quarterfinals after besting current Bellator bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta. “Pitbull” took a unanimous decision in the openi…