Martial Arts News

The Ultimate Fighting Championship took the pieces of two scuttled fights and made something exceptional.

On Monday, UFC flyweight Joshua Van (10-1) posted on social media that his pairing with Su Mudaerji on UFC 302 was off. The Myanmar-born fighter hoped to stay on June 1 event in Newark, New Jersey, and he has gotten his wish. In on short notice will be ranked contender Tatsuro Taira (15-0). Taira was initially slated to battle Tim Elliott at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18, but Elliott sustained an injury in training to knock him out of that fight. Van’s management team, Iridium Sports Agency, broke this news on Thursday.

Fury Fighting Championship mainstay Van surged into the UFC with a litany of stoppages on his ledger. While he ultimately went to the scorecards in two of his last three, Van has won eight straight bouts dating back to 2021. In the Octagon, Van introduced himself to the top brass by picking up a split decision over Zhalgas Zhumagulov. A few month…

That’s just not truth. The truth is that you want to fight me on short notice to have an extra advantage. It won’t happen again though. When was the last time you fought 2 times in 6 weeks? @MAKHACHEVMMA https://t.co/c7wTudvyRL

— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) April 24, 2024

Arman Tsarukyan has returned fire at Islam Makhachev in response to the champ recently accusing “Ahalkalakets” of ducking him.

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Tsarukyan (22-3) scored an impressive split decision win over former champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in what was essentially a title eliminator.

Immediately after the win Tsarukyan was offered a title shot against Makhachev at UFC 302 on June 1. Tsarukyan turned it down, citing the short notice and the bid has now gone to Dustin Poirier.

When asked about Tsarukyan declining the shot, Makhachev claimed he was already expecting it as the Armenian-Russian has turned him down multiple times in the past.

“I'm no…

Jose Aldo is plotting a return to the Sweet Science following his UFC 301 clash against Jonathan Martinez.

Aldo (31-8) announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in September 2022 and has since competed twice in boxing. “Junior” fought fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Jeremy Stephens to a majority draw in April 2023 before scoring his first boxing win against Esteban Gabriel Espindola via unanimous decision in July.

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It was recently announced that Aldo will be coming out of retirement to take on the surging Martinez (19-4) in a bantamweight tilt at UFC 301 on May 4. While speculations were already floating, Aldo confirmed that the bout in front of his home crowd of Rio de Janeiro is the last one on his UFC contract. The former UFC and World Extreme Cagefighintg featherweight champ is subsequently eyeing a return to pugilism and has already informed the UFC of it.

“That’s basically what I told the UFC a few months ago. I want to d…

Between mixed martial arts, boxing and professional wrestling, the combat sports industry is a lucrative juggernaut that generates billions annually. There’s a reason why it’s called prizefighting. But between promotions like ONE Championship, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, World Wrestling Entertainment and Matchroom Boxing, how do industry heavyweights compare financially? Forbes released its most valuable combat sports promotions of 2024, and here are the takeaways.ONE Continues Surge Valued at $1.3 billion with an estimated revenue of $140 million, ONE reached new heights when it held its first card in the United States. While still holding a top-tier MMA roster, ONE’s dedication to muay thai, kickboxing and submission grappling is the promotion’s greatest strength.

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With the backing of Amazon Prime and Sky Sports, ONE has a span that reaches over 190 countries.UFC Holds Top Spot, Other Leagues Pushing into Top 10 Since 1993, the UFC has ste…

While he won’t be in the main event, Joaquin Buckley will get to fight at UFC St. Louis as he requested.

Dana White on Wednesday announced that Buckley will lock horns with Nursulton Ruziboev in a welterweight bout that will serve as the UFC on ESPN 56 co-headliner on May 11. UFC on ESPN 56 takes place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis and will see Derrick Lewis face Rodrigo Nascimento in the evening’s main event.

Buckley will take a three-fight winning streak into the matchup with Ruziboev. In his most recent Octagon appearance, “New Mansa” defeated Vicente Luque via second-round TKO at UFC on ESPN 54 on March 30.

Ruziboev, meanwhile, will drop to 170 pounds after scoring first-round KO/TKO triumphs against Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas in his first two promotional outings at middleweight. The 30-year-old Uzbekistan native has been victorious in his last 10 professional fights, with all of those wins coming inside of a round.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will go to trial in September.

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Judge Elizabeth C. Peterson set the trial date for Sept. 9 during a hearing on Wednesday in Santa Clara County (Calif.) court. Velasquez, who was in attendance at the hearing, is facing a number of charges, including attempted murder.

Velasquez’s attorney, Renee Hessling, requested another continuance due to incomplete subpoena evidence for the defense. However, prosecutor Aaron French argued against that request, and Peterson ultimately elected to set the trial date for September.

Several other key dates have also been scheduled. A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for June 26, and motions must be filed by Aug. 12 and completed by Aug. 26. Meanwhile, witness lists for the defense and prosecution must be filed by Sept. 4.

Velasquez is facing attempted murder and other charges after allegedy chasing and shooting at Harry Goularte, who has been accused of mo…

BREAKING 🚨 Tickets are on sale NOW for ONE 168: Denver — and two more super-fights have been announced! Don't wait — get your tickets today 👉 https://t.co/WH4M1Lukm4#ONE168 | Sep 6 at 8PM ET pic.twitter.com/LV5SHEC4SN

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 24, 2024

The lineup for ONE Championship’s return to the United States continues to grow, as the Singapore-based promotion has announced the addition of two new matchups to the Sept. 6 card.

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In what is being touted as “one of the biggest submission grappling matches in history” by ONE, flyweight (135-pound) grappling champion Mikey Musumeci will challenge reigning lightweight (170-pound) champ Kade Ruotolo in a superfight. Additionally, veteran muay thai standouts Liam Harrison and Seksan Or Kwanmuang will square off in a 140-pound catchweight pairing.

A five-time IBJJF world champion, Musumeci has been victorious in six straight contests since joining ONE in Apr…

🚨 𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇: Cédric Doumbé takes on USA’s Jaleel Willis at #BellatorParis!

Following the withdrawal of Derek Anderson due to injury, @jaleelwillis1 steps in to challenge @CedricDoumbe in Paris on Friday May 17.

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Tickets are on sale NOW, get them while you can! 💨… pic.twitter.com/3dWJBuVrBc — Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 24, 2024

Cedric Doumbe has a new dance partner for his Bellator MMA debut.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that Jaleel Willis will replace the injured Derek Anderson and face Doumbe at Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17 at Accor Arena. Anderson was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering a foot injury during an alleged hit-and-run accident on his bicycle.

The 32-year-old Willis has lost three of his last four Bellator appearances. Most recently, he suffered a first-round knockout loss against Ramazan Kuramagomedov at Bellator 297 in June 2023. Willis has been finis…

Jon Jones’ comeback appears to have begun in earnest.

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The UFC heavyweight champion announced his return to training in a recent Instagram post. In the photo, Jones is posing with coaches Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson, among others.

“First day back in the gym since my injury, felt amazing,” Jones wrote. “And so it began.”

Jones was supposed to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the UFC 295 main event this past November, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a torn pectoral in training. During his hiatus, Jones also elected to undergo surgery on his left elbow to shave down some bone spurs.

Jones is expected to be rebooked against Miocic in the coming months, though a date for that bout remains unclear. “Bones” returned from a three-year absence at UFC 285 to claim the vacant heavyweight belt with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Interim champion Tom Aspinall has lobbied ha…

Welcome to the Professional Fighters League, @melissastatick

She is set to make her PFL Pro Debut in the summer 🔜🔜🔜 pic.twitter.com/OdieUSDaU8

— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 24, 2024

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Professional Fighters League has bolstered its flyweight roster with the addition of amateur prospect Melissa Balic.

The organization announced the signing via social media on Wednesday. Balic is expected to make her professional debut sometime this summer.

Anchored at Tiger Schulmann's Mixed Martial Arts in New York, Balic has compiled a 3-1 record as an amateur while competing exclusively for the Flex Fight Series promotion. “Statick” also has some kickboxing experience on her combat sports resume.

The PFL recently added the women’s flyweight division, and this year marks the first time that weight class has been part of the league’s season format.

It's officially, OFFICIAL 🚨

Manchester, we're coming for ya! 🐝#UFC304 | For more info: https://t.co/c2A7hqsw4q pic.twitter.com/6ULPrOf2bJ

— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2024

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s rumored returned to Manchester, England, has been confirmed.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced Wednesday that UFC 304 will take place on July 27 at the Co-op Live, the largest arena in the U.K. It will be the first sporting event to be held at the Manchester-based venue.

“I’m so excited to get back to Manchester. And no better time than this summer,” said UFC president and CEO Dana White in a release. “We have two champions from the U.K. and fans have been dying for a UFC [pay-per-view] event. So here we come to the largest indoor arena in the U.K. See you soon, England.”

While no bouts were revealed for the card, welterweight champion Leon Edwards and interim heavyweight king Tom Aspinall have been ru…

Jiri Prochazka believes he still has unfinished business with Alex Pereira.

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Prochazka recently scored a bonus-winning knockout victory over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300 on April 13. Pereira also defended his light heavyweight strap with a brutal technical knockout win over Jamahal Hill in the main event of the same card. Having suffered a TKO loss against “Poatan” in a bid for the vacant title in November 2023, Prochazka now wants a rematch against the Brazilian at UFC 301, which goes down on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While the Czech star is ready to go through one more test if the UFC wants it, he believes he has done enough to deserve a gold bid.

“Like I spoke after the fight, I'm looking for the title fight, for Alex Pereira. And I was able to and am still able to take the fight in Brazil. And I will see,” Prochazka said in an interview with Michael Bisping. “Now it's on the UFC [at] this point. Let's see if there will be necessary to figh…