Martial Arts News

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— ROBERT DRYSDALE (@robertdrysdale) January 13, 2023

Following the success of his first book, “Opening Closed Guard,” multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Robert Drysdale has released its sequel, “The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: From Vale-Tudo to Carlson Gracie to its Democratization.”

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The new book is divided into four parts —or four waves of practitioners (1930-1967; 1967-1993; 1993-2007 and 2007-present) — as these practitioners were exposed to different brands of jiu-jitsu as the art evolved over time, in both cultural and technical terms.

For this, the author takes a dive into the importance of vale-tudo (anglicized into “MMA”) in shaping the Gracie fighting system away from judo and into a more reality-based approach to combat. It also investigates jiu-jitsu’s continuous evolution inside its first federation as well as how the family feud between Helio and Carl…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: M-1

The undefeated Movsar Evloev will step in for the injured Jonathan Pearce and face Bryce Mitchell at UFC 288.

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The new featherweight booking was announced during the UFC on ESPN 44 broadcast on Saturday night. UFC 288 takes place on May 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and is headlined by a bantamweight title tilt pitting Aljamain Sterling against Henry Cejudo.

Evloev has kicked off his professional tenure with 16 consecutive triumphs. He is 6-0 in UFC competition and is coming off a unanimous verdict over Dan Ige at UFC Fight Night 207 on June 4. The former M-1 Global champ also owns wins over the likes of Hakeem Dawodu, Nik Lentz and Enrique Barzola.

Mitchell, meanwhile, suffered the first loss of his career at UFC 282, falling to Ilia Topuria via second-round submission this past December. Prior to that, “Thug Nasty” was victorious in his first six Octagon appear…

For all intents and purposes, Arnold Allen performed well in his first five-round fight.

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It just wasn’t well enough to get the win, as the Englishman dropped a five-round verdict to ex-featherweight champ Max Holloway in the UFC on ESPN 44 headliner at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday night. UFC president Dana White came away impressed with Allen’s performance but would have liked a little more urgency from “Almighty” down the stretch.

“I thought he looked good,” White said. “He kept the pace, kept the distance, controlled the tempo of the fight. I thought that Allen looked incredible. If you think about it, it’s his first big night ever in a main event, the whole crowd’s against him and he came on too late.

“If he’d have fought the way [he fought] in the fifth round [from] the third round on, he would have had a better chance of winning that fight. I’m not a cornerman or a coach, but I think there should have been a s…

It’s unlikely that Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will square off this summer, but the heavyweight title bout could wind up at one of the most historic arenas in all of professional sports.

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Jones teased a potential booking at Madison Square Garden in New York on Twitter, and UFC president Dana White later confirmed that the venue is now the target for the fight.

“As far as I know everything is good and hopefully we have a fight with him and Stipe very soon,” White said at the UFC on ESPN 44 post-fight press conference. “That’s where we’d like to do it.”

Jones captured the vacant heavyweight strap with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March. It was the first Octagon appearance for “Bones” in more than three years. Jones signed an eight-fight UFC deal ahead of the bout, but it’s possible that his fighting career will end much sooner than that.

“How cool would it be to spend my retirement fight dominating the greatest heavyweight…

By halting the momentum of an up-and-coming contender, Max Holloway proved the doubters wrong at UFC on ESPN 44.

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The Hawaiian veteran outstruck Arnold Allen for five rounds at in their featherweight headliner at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City Missouri, on Saturday night to earn a unanimous decision triumph and reaffirm his position as the best featherweight in the UFC not named Alexander Volkanovski. While “Blessed” is 0-3 against the reigning featherweight champion — including a clear-cut decision loss to Volkanovski in his last outing at UFC 276 — he also owns recent wins over featherweight contenders such as Allen, Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez.

“You’re only as good as your last fight and I told you guys I had that [third Alexander Volkanovski] fight, that was the last taste that they had of me. I was here with that Kattar fight, I heard the same thing all over again — that Arnold’s going to be the guy who’s going to break my chin, who’s …

Three BIG finishes earn your #UFCKansasCity POTN bonuses 💰

[ B2YB @BattleMotors ] pic.twitter.com/Doo4nW3I1z

— UFC (@ufc) April 16, 2023 The Ultimate Fighting Championship awarded five fighters performance bonuses on the UFC on ESPN 44 card.

The bonus for fight of the night went to Bill Algeo and T.J. Brown. The two had a back-and-forth war that eventually ended after Algeo rocked Brown with a short elbow and then sank in a rear-naked choke for the submission win in the second round. Algeo has now won three of his last four fights inside the Octagon.

Meanwhile, three fighters received individual performance bonuses. A mainstay of such bonuses, Edson Barboza once again dazzled with a perfect knee KO of Billy Quarantillo for an extra $50,000. Additionally, flyweight contender Brandon Royval picked up an extra 50 grand for his annihilation of Matheus Nicolau, which saw him land a knee and then follow up with a series of punches. …

Once again, Max Holloway proved that he is simply too much to handle for every featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship but one.

In the main event of UFC on ESPN 44 on Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, the 31-year-old Hawaiian (24-7) took a decision over streaking contender Arnold Allen. However, it was a memorable scrap for all 25 minutes, as Allen (19-2) had more apparent success against Holloway than any featherweight not named Alexander Volkanovski has in nearly a decade.

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In a fight contested completely on the feet, “Almighty” landed in volume and with stinging power and, just as importantly, kept Holloway from getting his usual forward march truly going.

Nonetheless, Allen was clearly behind on the scorecards going into the final frame, and with his head coach Firas Zahabi’s acknowledgement between rounds that he needed a finish, the Brit did his best to oblige. Allen came out with a furious pace, landed numerous hard punches and s…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 44 coverage will begin Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pudilova (-135), Edwards (+115)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bolanos (-190), Phillips (+160)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Brasil (-170), Gomes (+145)Rou…

Bill Algeo forces the tap in round 2️⃣ #UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/36IOGVLvsM

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 16, 2023

Bill Algeo got the best of an entertaining featherweight scrap, throttling T.J. Brown in the second round of the top preliminary bout at UFC on ESPN 44.

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Both men had their moments in Round 1, as Algeo (17-7) landed a flying knee and a resounding slam takedown, but took plenty of clean punches from Brown, including one that busted his nose midway through the frame. Brown won the period with a late flurry that had Algeo hurt against the cage, and appeared to have the momentum going into Round 2, but “Senor Perfecto” turned things around in a flash, dropping the onrushing Brown with a left elbow, pouncing and taking a crucifix position. From there he moved to the back, cinched up a rear-naked choke and elicited the tap at 1:40 of the stanza.

The win brought Algeo’s promotional mark to 4-3, while fellow …

THIS KNEE 🤯@EdsonBarbozaJR isn’t going anywhere! #UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/bRXF0So8Io

— UFC (@ufc) April 16, 2023

Edson Barboza may be in the final act of his career, but there is always room for one more on his legendary highlight reel.

Barboza (23-11) needed barely half a round to victimize Billy Quarantillo in their UFC on ESPN 44 co-headlining featherweight affair. The Brazilian, who turned 37 in January, came out looking as sharp and serious as ever, meeting Quarantillo’s pursuit with lateral movement, punch counters and some of his trademark leg kicks. On several occasions in the brief fight, Quarantillo looked to close the distance with an overhand right before changing levels. Halfway through the round, Barboza sniffed out one such attempt, ate the punch and met the level change with an intercepting right knee.

Quarantillo was separated from his senses instantly, collapsing in a heap at the base of the fence. No foll…

Still undefeated!!

Azamat Murzakanov moves to 13-0 with a decision win over Dustin Jacoby #UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/yjqAg0838Z

— UFC (@ufc) April 16, 2023

Azamat Murzakanov kept his professional record spotless at UFC on ESPN 44, though Dustin Jacoby certainly made it interesting.

In their main card light heavyweight showcase, Murzakanov’s aggression, hand speed and power clearly had Jacoby uncomfortable, which was only exacerbated by the Russian’s sporadic but timely takedown attempts. “The Professional” dropped Jacoby with punches in Round 1, busting up his nose in the bargain. Murzakanov knocked him again late in Round 2, in a flurry that might have precipitated the end of the fight if time had not expired.

Clearly behind on the scorecards, Jacoby came roaring back in the final frame, fighting with aggression, hurting Murzakanov and even hitting a takedown of his own, but it was not enough. The judges awarded the fi…

HULK SMASH 👊 #UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/io3sTjOhmH

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 16, 2023

Tanner Boser took over two years preparing to drop to light heavyweight at UFC on ESPN 44; Ion Cutelaba took barely two minutes to show him that his new division is not short on power, either.

Cutelaba (17-9-1) came out in typically aggressive fashion, moving forward and trying to land big right hands, while Boser (20-10-1) circled out and looked to counter. Ninety seconds in, the Moldovan mauler caught Boser with a right that staggered him badly, and from there the end was not long in coming. “The Hulk” flung Boser down and threw a torrent of punches as he tried to stand back up. Caught against the fence and eating a stream of unanswered blows, Boser was rescued by referee Keith Peterson, who stopped the mugging at 2 minutes, 5 seconds of Round 1.

The quick and brutal beating got Cutelaba back on track from a career-worst three-fight losi…