Martial Arts News

SAVANNAH MARSHALL STOPS VARGAS IN THE FIRST! 👀

Savannah stops Mirela Vargas at the end of the first round after getting taken down numerous times! 😳#PFLNewcastle | LIVE NOW ON DAZN pic.twitter.com/XybwMJo0aU

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) June 8, 2024

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Former super-middleweight boxing champion Savannah Marshall took her first step into the world of mixed martial arts and the Professional Fighters League with a first-round stoppage win over Brazil’s Mirela Vargas (0:32) in the PFL Europe 2 2024 Regular Season main event at Utlita Arena in Newcastle, England.

Marshall was 13-1 with 10 knockouts in professional boxing, and her power carried into the Smartcage. Vargas looked to trade and even caught Marshall with an overhand right. Marshall walked through it and pilled on the pressure until the fight was eventually called. With the win, Marshall (1-0) will look to a potential MMA bout with three-weight world boxing champion C…

Professional Fighters League has signed longtime UFC competitor Marc Diakiese to an exclusive contract.

The organization announced the news on Saturday. Diakiese is expected to make his PFL debut in a showcase bout this year before competing in the season format at lightweight in 2025.

“I back myself at lightweight, and I’m coming for everyone,” Diakiese said in a release. “This weight class is mine for the taking, and I feel the PFL Championship has my name all over it in 2025.”

The 31-year-old Englishman known as “Bonecrusher” has fought under the UFC banner since 2016, compiling an 8-7 record with the Las Vegas-based promotion. The former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion last appeared at UFC Fight Night 231 this past November, when he took a three-round verdict over Kaue Fernandes. Diakiese owns a 17-7 career mark.

Calvin Kattar will lock horns with Kyle Nelson in a featherweight bout at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Sept. 7.

Nelson confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. The UFC Fight Night event does not have a location or headliner at this time.

Kattar has lost four of his last four promotional appearances dating back to January 2021. After an absence that spanned a year and a half, “The Boston Finisher” returned from a knee injury at UFC 300, where he dropped a unanimous decision to ex-bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling at UFC 300.

Nelson, meanwhile, is unbeaten in his last four outings. The 33-year-old Canadian was successful in his first venture of 2024, when he stopped Bill Algeo in the opening stanza at UFC on ESPN 54.

Joanderson Brito has pulled out of a proposed featherweight clash against Dan Ige scheduled for UFC on ESPN 60 on July 20.

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Multiple outlets confirmed Brito’s withdrawal after Ige announced his opponent’s exit on social media. It is currently unknown if Ige will remain on the card against a replacement opponent. UFC on ESPN 60 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and also includes a strawweight showdown pitting Amanda Lemos against Virna Jandiroba.

Joanderson Brittle is out. Who’s in?

— Dan Ige (@Dynamitedan808) June 7, 2024

Brito last appeared at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, where he scored a second-round TKO victory against Jack Shore on May 4. The 29-year-old Brazilian has won five straight Octagon appearances since dropping his promotional debut against Bill Algeo.

Ige has won three of his last four contests. Most recently, “50K” defeated Andre Fili via first-round KO at UFC Fight Night 236 on Feb. 10.

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The bantamweight headliner for Rizin 47 is now official, as both Kyoji Horiguchi and Sergio Pettis hit their contracted marks at weigh-ins.

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Horiguchi tipped the scales at 133.9 pounds, while Sergio Pettis checked in at 134 pounds. It wasn’t smooth sailing for everyone on the card, however. UFC veteran Johnny Case weighed 158.7 pounds for his clash with Noah Bey (156.4). Since he missed weight by 2.2 pounds, he is not eligible for victory, per Rizin rules. As a result, if Bey loses or the bout is a draw, the fight will be recorded as a no contest. Additionally, Case will began the bout with a one-point deduction.

Rizin 47 takes place at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo on Sunday and will also see Kleber Koike Erbst (145.5) square off against Juan Archuleta (145.5) in the featherweight co-main event.

Horiguchi and Pettis initially met as part of the bantamweight grand prix at Bellator 272, with Pettis earning a fourth-round …

ONE 167's main event saw One Championship featherweight muay thai champion Tawanchai P.K. Saenchai successfully defend his belt against a tough challenger in Nattawut Somkhun.

Saenchai wasted no time establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with by delivering punishing leg kicks and sharp elbows to Somkhun. Standing his ground, the challenger would find his footing and have success with combinations when Saenchai would lower his output, with Somkhun taking over the third and fourth rounds. However, the champion showed his resolve in the final three minutes, as it was a back-and-forth battle that saw both men have their moments.

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Breathes were held when the judges' scorecards were read, but ultimately, they preferred the work of the champion, who kept his belt via majority decision.Rodtang Dominates Puric The catchweight co-main event saw Rodtang Jitmuangnon outstrike Denis Puric in a hard-hitting kickboxing match. Jitmuangnon found his mark earl…

ONE 167's main event saw One Championship featherweight muay thai champion Tawanchai P.K. Saenchai successfully defend his belt against a tough challenger in Nattawut Somkhun.

Saenchai wasted no time establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with by delivering punishing leg kicks and sharp elbows to Somkhun. Standing his ground, the challenger would find his footing and have success with combinations when Saenchai would lower his output, with Somkhun taking over the third and fourth rounds. However, the champion showed his resolve in the final three minutes, as it was a back-and-forth battle that saw both men have their moments.

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Breathes were held when the judges' scorecards were read, but ultimately, they preferred the work of the champion, who kept his belt via majority decision.Rodtang Dominates Puric The catchweight co-main event saw Rodtang Jitmuangnon outstrike Denis Puric in a hard-hitting kickboxing match. Jitmuangnon found his mark earl…

ONE Championship brings another evening of explosive martial arts to U.S. primetime with ONE 167. Sherdog's live coverage will begin with the curtain jerker at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese …

New date, same place, same fate#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/ihfIOEllKW

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 7, 2024 A new date has been set for the first live boxing event on Netflix.

Legendary heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson (50-6, 2 NC; 44 KOs) was previously expected to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) on July 20 in a modified rules pro boxing match. The two were billed atop an event at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Due to a medical issue stemming from an ulcer, Tyson was forced to stop training and recover, which resulted in a postponement of the show. Per Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions’ social media on Friday, the new date of the fight card will be Nov. 15.

The fights will be held in the same building as before, and it will still air live on Netflix. Additionally, the co-headlining bout remains intact and shifts to this date as well, as Katie Taylor defends her lightweight throne against Amanda Serrano. It …

[embedded content] The Professional Fighters League will turn to the second leg of its 2024 tour of The Old Continent with PFL Europe 2 on Saturday at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England. Current undisputed super-middleweight boxing champion Savannah Marshall headlines the bill in her non-tournament mixed martial arts debut opposite Mirela Vargas at a 160-pound catchweight.

PFL Europe 2—which streams live on DAZN in many territories across the globe at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT—shines the spotlight on quarterfinal bouts in the welterweight, bantamweight and women’s flyweight divisions. It also features a lightweight co-main event pitting Manchester Top Team’s Kane Mousah against James Doolan protégé Dylan Tuke at 155 pounds.

A closer look at the PFL Europe 2 particulars:

THE LINEUP 160: Savannah Marshall vs. Mirela Vargas155: Kane Mousah vs. Dylan Tuke170: Jack Grant vs. Charlie Leary135: Lewis McGrillen-Evans vs. Matiss Zaharovs135: Dean Garnett vs. Ayton De Paepe…

As soon as Evgeniy Antonov sensed an opening, he unleashed hell.

The undefeated Russian prospect enjoyed a stellar ONE Championship debut, as he took care of Islam Kukaev with a burst of elbow strikes in the first round of their ONE Friday Fights 66 catchweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Kukaev (4-2, 0-1 ONE) checked out 4:50 into Round 1.

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Antonov (4-0, 1-0 ONE) stayed composed under initial duress. Kukaev executed multiple takedowns and applied his ground-and-pound but failed to corral his counterpart on the canvas. Antonov eventually escaped to his feet and piled up points and damage with crisp combinations before swooping in for a takedown of his own. He then postured in half guard and cut loose with unanswered elbows until the job was done.

The 25-year-old Antonov has finished all four of his opponents, three of them inside one round.

Meanwhile, Torepchi Dongak put away the Hiroto Masuda with a vol…

Tha Killa Gorilla is ready to go 💪

Jared Cannonier makes weight at 185 pounds for tomorrow night's main event! #UFCLouisville pic.twitter.com/3nZLW8mRs8

— UFC (@ufc) June 7, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to ESPN airwaves with an intriguing middleweight main event.

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UFC on ESPN 57 is headlined by Jared Cannonier taking on fellow middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov. Both main event fighters weighed exactly 185 pounds. The only weight miss on the card was strawweight Eduarda Moura (116.5), who came in half a pound over the strawweight limit and has been fined 20% of her purse as a result.

Cannonier (17-6) is riding a two-fight win streak since coming up short against Israel Adesanya. Victories over Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori have kept "The Killa Gorilla" a top contender despite being 40. He'll look to keep his title shot dreams alive with a win in his sixth UFC main event.

Meanwhile…