Martial Arts News

Curtis Blaydes capitalized on an opponent’s overconfidence and lack of vision.

The Elevation Fight Team standout reasserted himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division, as he took out Jailton Almeida with punches in the second round of their featured UFC 299 prelim on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Blaydes (18-4, 13-4 UFC) pulled the plug 36 seconds into Round 2, authoring his fourth win in five appearances.

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Almeida (20-3, 6-1 UFC) executed repeated takedowns and mat returns in the first round but did nothing to accrue damage in what turned out to be a meaningless exercise. Blaydes sprawled on an attempted takedown to start the middle stanza and let fly with rapid-fire hammerfists while the Brazilian stubbornly clung to his leg. Eventually, the shots took their intended toll and prompted referee Mike Beltran to intervene.

The loss was Almeida’s first since Jan. 28, 2018 and halted his run of consecutive victories at…

The UFC 300 lineup appears to be complete with the addition of a lightweight bout between Renato Carneiro and Jalin Turner.

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The promotion announced the pairing during the UFC 299 broadcast on Saturday night. UFC 300 takes place on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship tilt pitting Alex Pereira against Jamahal Hill. Carneiro vs. Turner is slated for the preliminary portion of the card.

“Moicano” has been victorious in four of his last five bouts in UFC competition. Most recently, the Brazilian earned a unanimous decision triumph over Drew Dober at UFC Fight Night 235 on Feb. 3.

Turner last appeared at UFC on ESPN 52, where he snapped a two-fight skid with a first-round knockout of Bobby Green this past December. “The Tarantula” is 7-4 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion, with all of his victories coming inside the distance.

Left it all out in the Octagon 👏

Joanne Wood retires from MMA on top, securing the split decision win at #UFC299 💪 pic.twitter.com/u0b0GcixAm

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 9, 2024

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If this truly is goodbye, Joanne Wood went out on a high note.

The Scottish muay thai stylist announced her retirement following a split-decision triumph against Maryna Moroz in the opening bout at UFC 299 on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The 38-year-old Wood leaves the sport with a 17-8 career career that included a 17-bout stint in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“Jojo” left a lasting impression in the late stages of her swan song, as she wobbled Moroz with a spinning backfist and aggresively pursued the finish until the final horn. While that moment didn’t arrive, Wood did avenge a first-round submission loss to Moroz that occurred at UFC Fight Night 64 on April 11, 2015.

"It’s hard to get to the UFC, never mind stay in the UF…

Featherweights and middleweights will take center stage when “The Ultimate Fighter 32” debuts later this year.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship announced the roster for the long-running reality series on Saturday, touting it in a release as “the most international cast ever assembled for the show, with 14 nations being represented by 16 rising prospects.”

The 12-episode season of “TUF 32” will air on ESPN beginning on June 4 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will also be available to stream on demand via ESPN+. Reigning flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and rival Valentina Shevchenko will serve as opposing coaches on the show. Grasso and Shevchenko are expected to meet in a trilogy bout at the conclusion of “TUF 32,” but a date for that championship fight has not been announced.

FeatherweightsEdwin Cooper Jr. | Albuquerque, N.M.Nathan Fletcher | Liverpool, EnglandZygimantas Ramaska | Ukmergė, LithuaniaRoedie Roets | Polokwane, South AfricaBekhzod Usm…

Former Matrix Fight Night featherweight champion Sanjeet Budhwar (11-2) recorded his 11th professional victory at MFN 14, as he knocked out Afghanistan’s Abdul Azim Badakhshi (14-4) in their main event meeting on Saturday at the Noida Indoor Stadium, in Uttar Pradesh, India.

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The opening minutes of the first frame saw both competitors feel each other out, with Badakhshi looking to control the center while keeping his foe on the end of creative spinning-kick attacks and punches. Budhwar, on the other hand, seemed content staying on the outside while making his reads, clearly looking for counter shots. However, the round soon came to a halt, first due to a groin strike by Badakhshi followed by an accidental eye poke by the Afghan with 10 seconds left in the first stanza.

Following a check-up on Budhwar by the ringside physicians and an eight-minute gap in action, the athletes resumed directly in Round 2. Budhwar managed to control the center of the…

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Bantamweights Rani Yahya and Victor Henry will lock horns at UFC on ESPN 55 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 27.

The news was first reported by Eurosport NL’s Marcel Dorff on X (formerly known as Twitter). UFC on ESPN 55 will be headlined by a flyweight clash between Matheus Nicolau and Manel Kape.

Yahya (28-11) has gone 2-1 in his last three Octagon outings and is coming off a Round 1 knockout loss at the hands of Montel Jackson in April last year. The loss snapped a two-fight winning streak for the 39-year-old Brazilian, which included a unanimous decision win over Kyung Ho Kang and a Round 2 submission victory over Ray Rodriguez in 2021.

Meanwhile, Henry (23-6) made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut back in January 2022 and sports a 2-1 promotional record. “La Mangosta” will enter the Octagon on the heels of a meeting with Javid Basharat at UFC 294 that was ruled a no-contest due to an accidental groin kick landed by Basharat in Round 2. …

Thai star Phetjeeja OrMeekhun unified the ONE Championship atomweight kickboxing title with a five-round unanimous decision win over Janet Todd in the ONE Fight Night 20 main event at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

Phetjeeja and Todd headlined a nine-fight, all-female card to celebrate International Women’s Day and left it all in the ring. Todd, who entered as the reigning champion, hadn’t fought in over a year, while Phetjeeja, the interim champion, stayed busy with five wins during that span.

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Phetjeeja’s activity showed early as the 22-year-old’s timing led the way. Todd looked to lead and land hard, but Phetjeeja made it difficult with her movement and counters. Todd found success in close range but didn’t have an answer on the outside.

The fight remained competitive throughout all five rounds, until Phetjeeja put the definitive cap on her performance with a knockdown in the final 40 seconds. Todd hopped up immediately, but she knew she was…

ONE Championship presents ONE Fight Night 20, a celebration of International Women’s Day with an all-female card showcasing top tier-talent from around the globe. The main event pits reigning ONE women’s 115-pound kickboxing champion Janet Todd against interim champ Phetjeeja OrMeekhun.

The event will also feature the final bout of Todd’s illustrious career as she aims to defend her title against the formidable Thai bruiser. The narrative for the main event is set: can Todd retire as the undisputed queen of kickboxing or will Phetjeeja spoil her farewell? Brazilian powerhouse Allycia Hellen Rodrigues occupies the co-main event spot in a bid to defend her ONE 115-pound women’s muay thai world championship against fiery Spanish sensation Cristina Morales.

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Stay tuned to Sherdog.com for live play-by-play updates starting at 8 p.m. ET, ensuring you won't miss any action from ONE on Prime Video 20 on March 8. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result …

WHAAAT JOSHUA KILLS NGANNOU! #JoshuaNgannou pic.twitter.com/yMqpWRkoG0

— TakeruCigarra (@TakeruCigarra) March 9, 2024 Anthony Joshua reminded the masses that it only takes one shot at the heavyweight division.

To headline the all-day boxing showcase in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua represented the sweet science against the marauding Francis Ngannou. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king acquitted himself extremely well in his pro boxing debut against Tyson Fury in 2023, but the same could not be said when he took on “AJ.” Joshua wasted little time putting the dangerous Ngannou on ice, dropping the MMA fighter twice before completely flattening him with a right hand in the second round.

Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) only needed to score five power punches, according to Compubox numbers, to record three knockdowns in their heavyweight main attraction. Ngannou (0-2, 0 KOs) kept things close to start, jabbing the head and…

An epic night of boxing action awaits combat sports enthusiasts as ranked heavyweight boxing stars

are set to collide in an event dubbed “Knockout Chaos.” The heavyweight showdown is set to unfold on March 8 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and promises to be a pivotal moment in the heavyweight boxing landscape, potentially propelling the victor towards a shot at a heavyweight crown next.

Joshua seeks to extend his win streak to four, while Ngannou aims for his maiden triumph since crossing over to the boxing world. Sherdog.com brings live play-by-play updates, ensuring you don’t miss any moment from the “Knockout Chaos” event, with ring walks expected to start at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET.

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp sco…

Sanzhar Zakirov emerged victorious and nailed down a One Championship contract with a second-round technical knockout of Ryosuke Honda in their ONE Friday Fights 54 strawweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Zakirov was quick to take the center and begin pushing his foe back with measured attacks to the head and body before landing a knee below the belt, leading to a pause in the action. Zakirov got back to cornering Honda before successfully taking him down to the canvas. However, the South Korean was quick to make his way back to his feet. Nevertheless, a relentless Zakirov managed to lock both his hands behind Honda’s knees a few seconds later and proceeded to slam him to the canvas and take his back. However, Honda managed to safely make it back to his feet once again. Zakirov continued with his forward pressure, landing elbows and punches on his cornered counterpart before once again securing a takedown and unleashing ground-and-pou…