Martial Arts News

A number of familiar faces are set to testify on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s behalf in an upcoming antitrust lawsuit against the promotion.

Advertisement

According to a brief filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, current lightweight standout Michael Chandler as well as former stars Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen are expected to be witnesses for the defendants. Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate and UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone are also listed as witnesses for the UFC in the brief.

The trial is expected to begin on April 15, though UFC parent company Zuffa is reportedly attempting to push back the date due to a scheduling conflict. Bloody Elbow was first to report information revealed in the brief.

The class action lawsuit was i initially filed in 2014 and alleges that the UFC engaged in a scheme to "to acquire and maintain monopsony power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter …

This has been a dream and goal of mine since 2001. To finally be here and walk the halls of the @ufc Performance Institute in Mexico City is a monumental moment in the history of our sport. The impact this facility will have on Mexico, as well as, both Central and South America… pic.twitter.com/DZyhLikXkA

— danawhite (@danawhite) February 23, 2024

There was more to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Mexico than just Saturday’s fight card in Mexico City.

Advertisement

While the promotion’s first event South of the Border since 2019 was a monumental occasion by itself, the UFC also officially launched another Performance Institute in Mexico last week.

“There’s still a lot of work to do down here. This is just the beginning,” UFC CEO Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

UFC Fight Night 237 took place at Mexico City Arena on Saturday and featured a host of talent from the home country. Moving forwa…

It was an inauspicious beginning, to say the least, for Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 237.

Advertisement

It started with the pre-fight introductions, when Ortega appeared to sprain his ankle while jumping around inside the Octagon. It wasn’t exactly the best way to begin one’s first fight since July 2022.

“Talk about things stacked against me,” Ortega said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Bruce [Buffer] was introducing me and then I jumped up and when I landed, I rolled my ankle. I was like, ‘Oh shoot.’ … When they were introducing [Yair Rodriguez], I was trying to flex my ankle…We’ve got five rounds. It’s not even a regular co-main event. I’d be lying if I didn’t say panic didn’t set in for a bit.”

It got worse before it got better. Rodriguez dropped Ortega with a left hook in the opening stanza and pursued the finish from there with heavy ground-and-pound. Somehow, Ortega managed to maintain his composure.

“And then obviously I started off,…

Brandon Moreno entered UFC Fight Night 237 with designs on earning a rematch against reigning flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja with a victory in front of his home fans.

Advertisement

Brandon Royval had other ideas.

The Factory X product relied on superior volume and cardio to pull away down the stretch for a split-decision triumph against Moreno in Saturday’s main event at Mexico City Arena. It wasn’t a done deal, however, until his last name was announced during the official verdict.

“I thought I got ripped off,” Royval said at the post-fight press conference. “I didn’t realize I won until my coach grabbed me. They read that 49-46 scorecard, and I was like, ‘What the f—k?’ … I guess I realized I won when Herb [Dean] raised my hand.”

Royval, who accepted the fight on short notice as a replacement for Amir Albazi, was fairly confident he had done enough to deserve the nod on the scorecards.

“I thought I won four rounds, but you never know,” he said. …

Fares Ziam has called out Dan Hooker for a striking duel after securing a grueling decision win against kneebar specialist Claudio Puelles at UFC Mexico.

Advertisement

Ziam initially struggled at times against the Peruvian wrestling standout, but the Frenchman displayed great technique in getting out of the grappling exchanges and picking his opponent apart on the feet to edge out a split-decision win. Currently riding a three-fight decision win streak, “Smile Killer” called for a striking affair with Hooker.

“I think I have the level of Top 15. Claudio [fought] with Dan Hooker last time, I want to fight Dan Hooker,” Ziam said during a post-fight media scrum. “He’s a striker and it’s gonna be [a] striking match. Not like that — grappling, grappling, grappling. I know I can strike too, but when I want to strike he [comes] every time [to] wrestle me. I don’t have good reaction in the wrestling, but I’m gonna work very hard. I learn with the win, so it’s good.” Read more

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Mexican flyweight prospect Ronaldo Rodriguez has set lofty goals for himself after an impressive promotional debut in front of his home fans at UFC Mexico.

Advertisement

Rodriguez was the only debutant out of 10 Mexican fighters in the 13-fight card, which marked the promotion’s return to the country for the first time since 2019. After being initially tagged by Ukraine’s Denys Bondar, “Lazy Boy” made necessary adjustments to score a comeback win via submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2.

“I wanna say thanks to all my teammates,” Rodriguez told media after the victory. “They believe in me, they saw me as a kid with a lot of future. I just wanna thank them because I am here because of them so I’m really proud and happy with my team.”

Asked about his future plans, Rodriguez said he wants to continue racking up wins until he is crowned champion, which he believes is just a matter of time.

"I’m go…

😳 It’s kicking OFF at #UFCMexico 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/Kqwm11B9HE

— Mikey Thomas (@MikeyThomas1991) February 25, 2024

While Mexican fighters are known for their passion, their fans also got a little rowdy at UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday.

The card marked the promotion’s first event in Mexico City since 2019, and the night didn’t conclude without incident. Shortly after the first main-card bout ended, a brawl erupted in the crowd at Mexico City Arena. In footage shared on social media, one fan can be seen dropping two fellow spectators with punches during the melee.

Mexico’s Manuel Torres, who picked up a spectacular first-round submission win over Chris Duncan, did his best to try and pacify the crowd in his post-fight interview. It’s currently unclear what caused the incident.

Contributing with another angle. pic.twitter.com/EwfTJbFwFB

— Eduardo Limón (@MrManager_07) February 25, 2024

It was a triumphant return to the Octagon in more ways than one for Brian Ortega.

Advertisement

Not only did “T-City” avenge a previous loss to Yair Rodriguez in the UFC Fight Night 237 co-main event, but he pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process. After being dropped and nearly finished in the opening stanza, Ortega rallied to impose his will, ultimately eliciting a tapout from his opponent with an arm-triangle choke 58 seconds into Round 3. It was Ortega’s first appearance since July 2022, when a shoulder injury prematurely ended his first meeting with Rodriguez.

Elsewhere, Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their featured lightweight scrap. Prado’s aggression helped him get off to a strong start, but the rangy Zellhuber bloodied his opponent with strikes and got stronger as the bout progressed to ultimately earn a unanimous decision triumph.

Finally, Manuel Torres …

Brandon Royval now has a signature victory to which he can point in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.

Rapid-fire combinations and sheer volume carried the Factory X export to a split decision over two-time champion Brandon Moreno, as their rematch headlined UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday at Arena CDMX on Saturday in Mexico City. Judge Junichiro Kamijo saw it 49-46 for Moreno, while Michael Bell and Chris Lee scored it 48-47 for Royval.

Advertisement

A tepid first round gave way to a series of momentum shifts over the ensuing 20 minutes. Moreno (21-8-2, 9-5-2 UFC) connected with the more impactful blows—he punctuated many of his combinations with thudding leg kicks—but too often settled for one shot at a time. A short-notice substitution for Amir Albazi, Royval (16-7, 6-3 UFC) slowly but surely made his case, throwing three, four and sometimes five punches at a time. More often than not, he kept Moreno at bay with a pesky jab and multiple str…

Raoni Barcelos can exploit any opening, no matter how narrow.

The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil titlist re-established himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division, as he rallied to submit Cristian Quinonez with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their featured UFC Fight Night 237 prelim on Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Quinonez (18-5, 1-2 UFC) tapped 2:04 into Round 3.

Advertisement

Barcelos (18-5, 7-4 UFC) bided his time, made the necessary adjustments and leaned into his experience. Quinonez handled his business through the first 10 minutes with clean combination punching, steady leg kicks and expert grappling. Barcelos, however, never went away. He caught a kick and followed a right cross into a takedown early in the third round. From there, he climbed to the back, snuck his arms into place and finished the choke.

The victory was Barcelos’ first in 511 days.

Meanwhile, onetime Ultimate Wa…

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios has been canceled from tonight's card due to a Rosas illness #UFCMexico pic.twitter.com/H1qDmw1nDa

— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024

A main card bantamweight clash between Raul Rosas Jr. and Ricky Turcios slated for UFC Fight Night 237 has been pulled from the card at the last minute.

The bout was canceled due to Rosas Jr. falling ill. According to the broadcast team, the 19-year-old prospect did his best to make the walk to the Octagon but it was ultimately determined that he would be unable to compete.

While it has yet to be confirmed, the promotion is trying to keep the booking intact and reschedule it for UFC Fight Night 238, which goes down a week later on March 2 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Rosas, who is the youngest fighter on the roster, is coming off a first-round TKO win over Terrence Mitchell last September. Meanwhile, Turcios is coming off a split-decision win over Kevin Natividad a…

OH MY WORD :exploding_head:

Renan Ferreira stops Ryan Bader in less than 30 seconds 🌬#PFLvsBellator | Live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/dnZOJ7Ntuw

— DAZN MMA (@daznmma) February 24, 2024

Advertisement

Renan Ferreira entered the cage Saturday night with Professional Fighters League’s honor riding on his shoulders. His response: No “Problema.”

By the time the main event of PFL “PFL vs. Bellator Champs” rolled around on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, PFL’s representatives were down 0-5 against their Bellator MMA counterparts. Ferreira represented PFL’s last chance to pick up a win over the promotion it acquired in a headline-making sale late last year, and standing in his way was Ryan Bader, a former two-division Bellator champ who had looked largely dominant in going undefeated at heavyweight. None of that mattered once referee Kerry Hatley motioned the two men into action, however. The 6-foot-8 “Problema” caught Bader on the …