Martial Arts News

Alice Pereira went to therapy after a setback in her UFC debut. 

Pereira (7-1) took on Hailey Cowan (7-5) in a bantamweight clash at UFC Fight Night 272 in Las Vegas. “Golden Girl” shut Cowan’s lights out with a flush flying knee late in the second round. The 20-year-old says her first win inside the Octagon feels like earning an A in her school test. 

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Pereira was undefeated going into her UFC debut against Montserrat Rendon at Noche UFC last year. Pereira suffered her lone professional loss against Rendon via a hard-fought split decision. Pereria recently revealed that he went to therapy to figure out what she was lacking that had led to the loss. However, as therapy progressed, Pereira realized that she already had the necessary skillset to win. Pereira says it is her renewed self-belief that led to her first UFC win on Saturday.Finding Self Belief   “After my last fight, I started seeing a therapist,” Pereira said in a post-fight i…

Tommy McMillen wants to establish himself as a fan-friendly fighter. 

McMillen made his UFC debut in a featherweight tilt against Manolo Zecchini at UFC Fight Night 272 in Las Vegas. It was a firefight from the very beginning, with McMillen landing the more consequential shots. While both fighters started showing signs of fatigue in the very first round, McMillen had an evident advantage on the feet. “Gun” finally dropped his beaten-down opponent with a knee to the body, and a few follow-up shots were necessary for the referee to step in. 

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With McMillen being an ace submission artist, the oddsmakers had him as a heavy favorite for a submission win. McMillen claims he could have submitted his opponent any time he wanted. However, the 28-year-old wanted to put on a show in his UFC debut. McMillen notes that he went toe-to-toe on the feet and came out victorious against the Italian, who has nine knockout wins to his name.Something to Prove “V…

Ethyn Ewing now has a reputation for spoiling undefeated records. 

Ewing took on the previously undefeated Rafael Estevam in a bantamweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 272 on Saturday in Las Vegas. While Ewing was a slight underdog going into the fight, the live odds drastically changed as the fight progressed. “The Professor” did justice to his moniker, putting on an absolute technical masterclass against Estevam, who looked at his wits end. Ewing gradually broke Estevam down before dropping him with a liver shot in the final round to hand him his first professional loss. Despite the near-perfect performance, Ewing sees room for improvement. The 28-year-old believes he could have finished the fight earlier and more dramatically if he wasn’t hesitant.

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“You guys are saying masterclass, I heard that thrown around a couple of times,” Ewing told the UFC. “And I will not disagree with you. But I’m a perfectionist. So, you see this bump on my eye, I do…

Tresean Gore has Jared Cannonier’s lifetime of experience on his side. 

Gore (6-4) took on Azamat Bekoev (20-5) in a middleweight outing at UFC Fight Night 272. The fight was a closely-contested affair for the most part until Bekoev appeared visibly exhausted in the last round. Gore snapped in a sneaky guillotine choke and choked his opponent out to secure the win in the final round. 

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Gore trains with veteran UFC middleweight contender Cannonier at the MMA Lab in Phoenix, Arizona. “Mr. Vicious” revealed that Cannonier taught him a specific “bubble fighting” style, which he expects to be out on DVD someday. Gore explains that the style is based on imaginary bubbles around a fighter and their opponent, with the focus being on maintaining range. Gore credits his submission win over Bekoev to the Cannonier’s bubble-fighting lessons.A Helpful Technique “Working with people like Cannonier – he helped me to realize the dangers that are there,” Go…

Sean Strickland tried to fight a UFC star when he was 9 to 10 years old. 

Strickland recently caused controversy again while meeting a fan. The former UFC middleweight champion tried to make a little girl flip the bird while posing for a photo with him.  Strickland subsequently said that every fan interaction reminds him of his first meeting with a UFC fighter. Strickland was a kid when he came across the legendary Tank Abbott at a bar. Abbott was just probably trying to figure out what Strickland, a kid, was doing at a bar. However, an angry Strickland, who has had a rough childhood, tried to pick a fight with Abbott. Strickland’s father, whom he is not a fan of, intervened and apologized to Abbott. Abbott got the gist of the situation and hung around with Strickland for the rest of the night.

‘It Was a Really Dope Night’ “Every time I meet a kid who’s a fan, I’m always reminded of the first time I met a UFC fighter,” Strickland said on Instagram. “I had to be…

Joshua Van will defend his flyweight crown about a month later than originally expected. | Getty/UFC

UFC 327 has lost a title fight. 

Joshua Van was scheduled to put his flyweight title on the line against Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event at UFC 327 on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. However, the fight has now been rescheduled to the already stacked UFC 328 card on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The fight has reportedly been postponed due to a minor injury suffered by Van. The rescheduling was announced during the UFC Fight Night 272 broadcast on Saturday. 

One Month Down the Road UFC 327 will be headlined by a clash for the vacant light heavyweight title between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg. Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev will put his middleweight title on the line against Sean Strickland in the main event at UFC 328. 

Van (16-2) won the flyweight title with an injury stoppage win over Alexandre Pa…

Alessandro Costa attacked the body with intention, and that work made him $100,000 richer.

The Lobo Gym MMA product received a “Performance of the Night” bonus for his second-round stoppage of Stewart Nicoll in their preliminary flyweight contest at UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday night. A left hook to the liver sent Nicoll to his knees and Costa polished off his victory with one follow-up punch at the 4:56 mark of the period.

A Knee KO and a Furious Round Elsewhere, Alice Pereira also earned a $100,000 “Performance of the Night” check for a spectacular knockout of Hailey Cowan in a preliminary bantamweight affair. The 20-year-old Brazilian prospect rendered Cowan unconscious with a leaping left knee to the chin 4:24 into the second stanza to secure her first UFC triumph.

Finally, Tommy McMillen and Manolo Zecchini garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and $100,000 apiece for their frenetic featherweight encounter. While both men were on the offensive from the outset, McMille…

Renato "Moicano" Carneiro showed no mercy on his American Top Team training partner.

The Brazilian veteran authored a near flawless performance in the UFC Vegas 115 main event, as he submitted Chris Duncan with a face crank 3:14 into the second round of their lightweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. “Moicano” returns to the win column after suffering back-to-back losses against Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev in his previous two Octagon appearances.

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Carneiro (21-7-1, 13-7 UFC) began methodically, tagging his Scottish foe with jabs while occasionally closing the distance for clinches and takedown attempts. “Moicano” picked up the pace in Round 2, sitting Duncan (15-3, 6-2 UFC) down with a left hook before quickly taking his adversary’s back. It was a miserable time for Duncan from there, as Carneiro peppered him with punches in hopes of creating an opening for a choke. A bloodied Duncan defended for as long as he could, but a…

Sherdog's live UFC Vegas 115 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 272. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Kamaka (-155); Hope (+130)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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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 BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Barbosa (-145); Gatto (+125)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 Tre…

Alice Pereira earned her first UFC victory in style.

The 20-year-old Brazilian prospect rendered Hailey Cowan unconscious with a flying knee 4:24 into the second round of their preliminary bantamweight clash at UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Cowan (7-5, 0-3), who suffered the first KO defeat of her professional tenure, has lost three straight Octagon appearances since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.

“Golden Girl,” the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, was aggressive from the outset. Pereira bloodied Cowan with a variety of power shots— overhands, hooks, superman punches — in the opening stanza, but she didn’t truly put her stamp on the fight until Round 2. Cowan appeared to be taking control early, when she rocked Pereira with a left-hand counter before executing a powerful takedown. Cowan spent much of the period in top position, but when Pereira was able to return to her feet, she found the opening she neede…

Arman Tsarukyan is aiming shots at Colby Covington. 

Covington recently sued Jorge Masvidal over an incident from 2022. Tsarukyan took a shot at Covington, who used to call himself the “King of Miami.’”Tsarukyan proclaimed himself the “Real King of Miami,” while promising not to file lawsuits over fights.

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“The Real King of Miami. Don't worry, I don't sue when I get in a fight.”An Ongoing Saga Covington (17-5) defeated former training partner Masvidal (37-15) via unanimous decision in a grudge match at UFC 272 in March 2022. Masvidal attacked Covington just weeks later outside a Miami steakhouse. “Gamebred” accused Covington of crossing boundaries with his trash talk in the lead-up to their fight. Covington sued Masvidal, claiming to have suffered a broken tooth and damage to his luxury watch. Masvidal was found guilty of felony charges, which were later reduced to misdemeanor battery after he took a plea deal. Four years later, Covington has now …

Gable Steveson signing with the UFC seems just a matter of time now.

Stevenson (3-0) has clearly expressed interest in a future with the UFC ever since he transitioned to MMA. The former five-time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medallist recently hinted that he is close to signing with the UFC. While Stevenson has signed with Real American Freestyle, he emphasizes that MMA remains his priority. While Stevenson didn’t mention the UFC explicitly, he promised good news “any day now.” Considering the hype behind Stevenson and the ongoing chatter about a UFC signing, his recent comments most likely hint at the same.

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“I got a couple of matches with RAF. I told everybody I’m a full-time mixed martial artist and I would love to keep doing that,” Steveson told The Schmo . “But I got good news – any day now.” 

Steveson is scheduled to make his RAF debut on May 30 in Dallas, Texas, against an opponent to be decided. While an RAF title would be significan…