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What are your #Bellator293 predictions? 🤔

We're LIVE on @SHOsports this Friday as @MarceloGolm takes on @djames1981 📺 pic.twitter.com/fe4gToo0Fz

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 30, 2023 Bellator MMA closes out March with a 15-fight Bellator 293 card, which is now set after the official weigh-ins.

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All fighters made weight for the card, including heavyweight headliners Marcelo Golm and Daniel James. It will be James (14-6-1) that is the larger fighter, as the 265.4-pound heavyweight weighed in nearly eight pounds heavier than Golm (10-3), who checked in at 257.6 pounds. One fight was canceled just before the weigh-ins, though, as Rustam Khabilov vs. Jaleel Willis was called off due to an issue on Khabilov's side, per Jaleel's manager.

This is a major fight for Golm, who saw his UFC release in 2019 on the heels of three losses, but has since found his stride. The Brazilian has won in four straight appearances, most r…

With an 0-4 Ultimate Fighting Championship record, Daniel da Silva believes his excitement factor can keep him a place on the roster.

Da Silva and C.J. Vergara squared off at UFC on ESPN 43 in March, and the Brazilian fighter was having arguably his best Octagon performance to date in the first round. Having dominated the opening frame, da Silva could not maintain his pace and pressure, and ultimately wilted to Vergara to suffer his fourth stoppage loss in a row. The two competitors pocketed “Fight of the Night” bonus checks for their back-and-forth battle, and the fighter known as “Miojo” – a popular brand name of ramen noodles – is not concerned about job security. The 26-year-old spoke to Sherdog about his fight and what he thinks is in his future.

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“I was upset in my first three losses, where I was badly trained and couldn't show all my potential,” da Silva admitted. “In this fight with Vergara, I was able to show the result of nine months training…

The coach of upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Colby Covington expects his fighter will hold the belt this year.

At the conclusion of UFC 286 in March, Leon Edwards prevailed in the rubber match against rival Kamaru Usman to claim the 170-pound title once and for all. In uncharacteristic fashion, UFC head Dana White stated unequivocally that Covington would receive the next crack at gold during the post-fight press conference. Even with multiple competitors on lengthy win streaks, and a pivotal bout between Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal coming up, White was certain that Covington will be the next challenger. Earlier this week, the coaches of “Chaos” at MMA Masters in Florida spoke to Sherdog, where they explained what he has been doing lately and what they believe is in store for him.

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“He had to stay [off] a long time recovering from the cowardice Masvidal did to him,” coach Daniel Valverde revealed, “but since he returned to…

North Carolina fans… 𝑮𝑬𝑻 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝒀🙌

We make our return to the @SpectrumCenter May 13th! #UFCCharlotte pic.twitter.com/fVm5Gf2js9

— UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2023 The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be posting up in the Queen City of Charlotte, North Carolina, for the first time since 2018.

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The promotion revealed on Thursday that it would be making its return to North Carolina’s most populous city on May 13. The Spectrum Center will play host to UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Walker, which does not currently have a numbered designation as the broadcast plans are not set in stone as to whether it will go down on ESPN airwaves. Anthony Smith (36-17) vs. Johnny Walker (20-7) will serve as its headliner in the light heavyweight division, in this arena’s first UFC card since UFC on Fox 27 in 2018 featuring Ronaldo Souza vs. Derek Brunson 2.

The promotion last traveled to North Carolina in 2020, when it staged UFC Fight Night 166 to…

Two top-tier Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweights are expected toe the line this June.

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The news first broke from MMA Orbit on Thursday morning that Matt Schnell (16-7, 1 NC) will be returning at UFC 289 on June 10 against David Dvorak (20-5). The flyweights will be competing on a card that will likely be held at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Canada, but the location has not been officially confirmed as of yet. There is no headliner announced for this event, nor any specifically designated main card matchups. Schnell confirmed this top-10 125-pound tilt on his Instagram Stories shortly after it came to light.

The Louisiana native had a fairly busy 2022 campaign, with three bouts all ending by stoppage. Unfortunately for “Danger,” he only won once, with his sleep-inducing triangle choke of Su Mudaerji bookended by a guillotine choke from Brandon Royval and most recently, a knockout at the hands of Matheus Nicolau in December. Dating bac…

𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

It's a battle of light-heavyweight contenders in Chicago, as #1 @CoreyA_MMA faces #2 @PhilMrWonderful! 🔥

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📆 #Bellator297, Friday, June 16th at the @WintrustArena 👉 https://t.co/It64IcVbE1 pic.twitter.com/uAhNEA3Nat — Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 30, 2023 Arguably the biggest non-title light heavyweight bout for Bellator MMA is on the books for June.

On Thursday, the organization announced that Corey Anderson (16-6, 1 NC) and Phil Davis (24-6, 1 NC) will square off at Bellator 297 on June 16. The top-ranked light heavyweights will meet on the main card that will be held inside the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. While the two 205ers formerly swam in the same pond in the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 2014 to early 2015, they never ended up meeting.

“Overtime” Anderson came up short in his rematch with Vadim Nemkov in November 2022 for the light heavyweight strap. The title challenger compe…

A torch may be passed atop the Ultimate Fighting Championship event in mid-June.

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On Wednesday, KOlmenero first reported on Twitter that Josh Emmett (18-3) vs. Ilia Topuria (13-0) would headline the UFC Fight Night event on June 17. The news of this featherweight main attraction has been subsequently confirmed by other outlets on Thursday, but the location and venue have not yet been made public. The only two other bouts on the billing thus far come at flyweight, when Alessandro Costa faces Jimmy Flick and Tereza Bleda takes on Gabriella Fernandes.

Emmett found his five-fight win streak come to a crashing halt in February when he vied for an interim featherweight strap against Yair Rodriguez. After getting battered on the feet for the good part of two rounds, Emmett succumbed to a triangle choke from the Mexican competitor to suffer his first career submission defeat. That loss for the 38-year-old followed wins over the likes of Calvin Kattar, Dan…

Japanese flyweight prospect Tatsuro Taira will return to action against Kleydson Rodrigues at UFC Fight Night on June 17.

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Both fighters recently announced the booking via social media. The UFC Fight Night event doesn’t currently have a location or headliner.

The 23-year-old Taira is undefeated in 13 professional appearances, with three of those triumphs coming within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Most recently, he submitted Jesus Santos Aguilar in the opening round of their encounter at UFC Fight Night 218 on Feb. 4.

Rodrigues, meanwhile, has split a pair of UFC bouts after appearing on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. The Team Nogueira representative is coming off a 59-second stoppage of Shannon Ross at UFC 284 on Feb. 11.

Josh Emmett vs Ilia Topuria

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Beginning the week debating controversial referee and judging outcomes is common practice for MMA fans.

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What isn’t as common is having two situations as controversial as those that occurred in the main events of two different organizations, as was the case last weekend at Fury Fighting Championship 76 on Friday and UFC on ESPN 43 on Saturday.

At Fury FC 76, referee Frank Collazo failed to recognize that Gianni Di Chiara Vazquez had been rendered unconscious by a triangle choke from opponent Edgar Chairez. That led to Vazquez waking up and tapping out when Chairez transitioned to an armbar in a potentially dangerous sequence.

One day later, judge Joel Ojeda inexplicably submitted a 48-47 scorecard for Marlon Vera at UFC on ESPN 43 in a bout that was clearly won by Cory Sandhagen. It was a tally that drew criticism from throughout the MMA community.

Former Brazilian MMA Commission (CABMMA) judge Guilherme Bravo expressed indignation over both…

Two more bouts have been added to UFC Fight Night on May 13, as Tim Means will square off against Alex Morono at welterweight, while Carlos Ulberg will face Ihor Potieria at light heavyweight.

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Means vs. Morono was initially reported by MMAjunkie.com, while MMA Mania first brought word of Ulberg vs. Potieira. UFC Fight Night is headlined by a light heavyweight tilt pitting Anthony Smith against Johnny Walker. The card doesn’t yet have an official location or venue.

A 26-time Octagon veteran, Means is coming off an 0-2 campaign in 2022. “The Dirty Bird” suffered a second-round submission defeat to Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 37 before dropping a split verdict against Max Griffin at UFC Fight Night 213 this past October.

Morono, meanwhile, had a four-bout winnings streak snapped in his last outing, when he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 282 on Dec. 10. Prior to that, the Fortis MMA product had bested Donald Cer…

Atomweight queen Jillian DeCoursey will defend her belt against Rayanne Amanda dos Santos in the Invicta FC 53 headliner on May 3.

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The all-female promotion announced the pairing on Tuesday. Invicta FC 53 takes place at Reelworks Denver in Denver, Colorado, and airs on AXS TV and the Invicta YouTube channel and Facebook page in the U.S. at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Seven other bouts were announced for the event: Olga Rubin vs. Claire Guthrie at bantamweight; Jessica Correa Delboni vs. Danielle Taylor at atomweight; Monique Adriane vs. Nicole Geraldo at atomweight; Liana Pirosin vs. Elise Pone at flyweight; Elisandra Ferreria vs. Flor Hernandez at atomweight; Natalie Salcedo vs. Dayane Cristine at atomweight and Ky Bennett vs. TBD at flyweight.

DeCoursey has been victorious in four of her last five professional outings. She claimed atomweight gold with a surprising first-round submission of Delboni at Invicta FC 49 last September.

A former co…