Martial Arts News

Joanderson Brito carved out a path to victory through most unlikely means.

The fast-rising Chute Boxe featherweight moved one step closer to contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division with a second-round technical knockout of Jack Shore in the featured UFC 301 prelim on Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Shore (17-2, 6-2 UFC) suffered a gruesome shin laceration after absorbing a leg kick from the Brazilian, resulting in a doctor stoppage 3:35 into Round 2.

Advertisement

Brito (17-3-1, 5-1 UFC) controlled a majority of the action until the anticlimactic conclusion. He pursued clinches and unleashed multiple low kicks on Shore in both rounds, his efforts eventually opening a sizeable wound. Blood streamed down the Welshman’s leg onto his foot and canvas. Referee Joao Claudio Soares paused the bout to allow the cageside physician to examine the damage, at which point the decision was made to wave it off. Meanwhile, Fight House…

Welcome to the #UFCHOF, @ShogunRua 👏

Mauricio Rua will join the 2024 HOF class! pic.twitter.com/EyKZnuQMBe

— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2024

Advertisement

Mauricio Rua is headed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame this summer.

“Shogun” will be enshrined in the “Pioneer” wing during a ceremony on June 27 in Las Vegas. Rua was a UFC light heavyweight champion and the 2005 Pride Fighting Championships middleweight grand prix champion.

“Shogun Rua is one of the greatest Brazilian athletes in combat sports history,” said UFC president and CEO Dana White. “Shogun had an incredible run in Pride and UFC, and he was fearless inside the Octagon. His fights against Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, and Dan Henderson represent some of the most memorable moments in UFC history and helped put Brazilian MMA on the map. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer during International Fight Week.”<…

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Matt Brown has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.

Advertisement

The 43-year-old Ohio native revealed his decision via social media on Saturday. Brown last appeared at UFC on ABC 4 in May 2023, when he scored a first-round knockout of Court McGee. “The Immortal” exits the sport with a 24-19 career mark that was compiled over the course of a professional tenure that began in 2005.

“Not doing it again, I’m out,” Brown wrote. “That’s the announcement. My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world.

“Thanks to Dana White and the UFC for giving me a platform to express myself and my brand but it is time to move on to bigger, better things!”

A competitor on Season 7 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Brown is the UFC welterweight division’s all-time leader in finishes (15) and knockouts (13). He enjoyed h…

A featherweight clash between two former Dana White’s Contender Series competitors has been added to the upcoming UFC Fight Night event on June 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Advertisement

Lucas Almeida (14-3) will lock horns with Timothy Cuamba (8-2) in what will mark the latter’s first featherweight outing under the Ultimate Fighting Championshipbanner. The news was first reported on X (formerly known as Twitter) by MMAHeads. The bout was subsequently confirmed by Almeida on his social media handles.

Following a successful promotional debut against Michael Trizano in June 2022, Almeida is now on a two-fight skid. The Brazilian succumbed to a Round 2 arm-triangle submission in his sophomore UFC outing against Pat Sabitini in June 2023 followed by a Round 1 technical knockout loss suffered at the hands of Andre Fili at UFC 296 in December last year.

Meanwhile, Cuamba is coming off a hard-fought split-decision loss to Bolaji Oki in a short notice promo…

A lightweight clash pitting “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 31 winner Kurt Holobaugh against Kaynan Kruschewsky has been added to a UFC Fight Night card set to take place at the Apex in Las Vegas on July 20.

The news was first reported by MMAjunkie.com on X (formerly known as Twitter). The report was later confirmed by Holobaugh in an Instagram post.

The bout against Kruschewsky will serve as the second outing of Holobaugh's third Ultimate Fighting Championship stint. "The Hurt" will face the Brazilian coming off a unanimous decision loss to Trey Ogden in March that snapped a three-fight win streak for the Louisiana native.

As for Kruschewsky, "Bahia" will enter the Octagon on the heels of a brutal Round 1 knockout loss at the hands of Elves Brener in his promotional debut back in November 2023. The loss snapped a seven-fight undefeated streak for the former Jungle Fight lightweight champion, who earned a UFC contract thanks to a Round 1 technical submissio…

While some would argue that Steve Erceg won't have a lot of pressure on him going into his UFC 301 title fight just 11 months after his promotional debut, "Astroboy" couldn't disagree more.

While Erceg acknowledges that he might have been "at the right place, at the right time," in terms of him receiving a title shot just three fights into his UFC tenure, the Myaree, Australia, native isn’t taking the opportunity lightly and sees this as a moment that will serve as the pinnacle of his hard work and dedication to the sport of mixed martial arts.

Erceg, who hasn't lost a bout since his second professional outing in 2017, believes he has a lot of pressure on him going into the matchup and is aiming to walk away with the strap at the end of the night in Rio De Janeiro.

“Honestly, I believe there’s just as much as pressure on me as there is on Pantoja,” Erceg said during his media day appearance. “I know that, yeah, technically he’s the champion, he's the favor…

#ONEFightNight22 highlight video: Smilla Sundell demolishes Natalia Diachkova pic.twitter.com/KzX5PW7JFV

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) May 4, 2024

The women’s muay thai belt at 125 pounds may not be in anyone’s possession now, but the division’s only champion is on a mission to get it back very soon.

Advertisement

One Championship and beltholder Smilla Sundell (36-5, 5-0 ONE) had visions of the 19-year-old from Sweden claiming titles across multiple disciplines, but much changed the day before the event. Sundell missed her weight class by 1.5 pounds and was forced to surrender her throne, and only challenger Natalia Diachkova (30-5, 4-1 ONE) could claim it. While ONE on Prime Video 22 concluded with a vacant 125-pound belt in One’s women’s muay thai division, it all-but promised an immediate rematch as Sundell pulled victory from the jaws of defeat as she dispatched Diachkova right before the second round ended.

Diachkova proved ear…

ONE Championship’s latest installment in the U.S. primetime series hosts a trio of key contests forming the central allure of ONE Fight Night 22. The event, which is set to go down on May 3, will ignite Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Sherdog.com brings you exclusive live coverage and play-by-play updates starting at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. Round 1 The opening muay thai bout is overseen by Olivier Coste. Climaco trades leg kicks with Cruz. A body kick by Cruz is caught by Climaco, who answers back with a body kick of his own. Climaco working his jab early. Cruz is throwing punches, but they are coming up short. Climaco lands knees to the body while clinched. Cruz catches a kick and lands a straight right hand. Nice leg kicks by Climaco, who is in control. A straight left hand hurts Cruz, who backs up. Climaco follows up with a left hand to the body that knocks Cruz down. Cruz doesn't get back up and this fight is over.

Advertisement

The Official Result Sean Climaco d…

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Your PFL Sioux Falls Fight Card!

It’s win or go home for the Welterweights & Featherweights as they fight for their spots in the 2024 PFL Playoffs!

Advertisement

[ #PFLRegularSeason | Friday, June 28th | 10pm ET on ESPN | 6pm on ESPN+ ] pic.twitter.com/KEtthMtgVS — PFL (@PFLMMA) May 3, 2024 The final regular season Professional Fighters League card of the year is officially on the books.

Per a release from the tournament-based league on Friday, PFL 6: 2024 Regular Season, which will feature the featherweight and welterweight divisions, is now official. Twelve fights are on the docket, including one alternate bout at 170 pounds and a non-tourney “featherweight showcase” bout to start off the prelims. Of the six brackets currently operating in the PFL’s main grand prix, 145 pounds is the only one where all five fights see a points-holding winner taking on an opponent that lost earlier in the season.

Serving as th…

Belarusian prospect Ilyas Eziev on Friday improved to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in ONE Championship, as he submitted Joji Goto with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their ONE Friday Fights 61 bantamweight showcase at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 22-year-old controlled his adversary on the canvas for the majority of the first round and scored multiple takedowns before dropping Goto with a straight left toward the end of the frame. Going into the second round, Goto (15-7, 0-1 ONE) seemed to have recovered from the knockdown and began to get comfortable exchanging strikes with Iziev, landing crisp combinations on the Belarusian while also displaying his scrambling ability time and again. Regardless, Iziev stuck to his relentless grappling assault and visibly began to wear his Japanese foe down.

Advertisement

Goto came out guns blazing in the final frame, dropping Iziev with consecutive left hands. However, the Japanese competitor failed to cap…

Pesée validée pour le jaguar 🐆 @WilliamGomisMMA ⚖️ 64,9 kg (143 lb)

📺 Regardez l’#UFC301 dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche sur 🇫🇷 @RMCSport 2 pic.twitter.com/G8DTwhF2Qd

— UFC France (@UFCFRA) May 3, 2024 A Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter has been forced out of his match after a bad weight cut, but not for the reason one might expect.

Ahead of UFC 301, William Gomis hit the scales for his featherweight matchup against Jean Silva. The Frenchman wobbled to the dais while still wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and did not disrobe like other competitors. Instead, the depleted Gomis stood on the podium and weighed in at 143 pounds, or three pounds below the limit of his weight class. Appearing in poor condition, Silva nearly needed assistance walking to and from the stage as commission officials tended to him.

Shortly after the bizarre scene unfolded, French outlet RMC Sport Combat broke the news that the fight had been scratched for…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Brazil for its next pay-per-view event.

Headlining UFC 301 is a flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg. Both men successfully hit 125 pounds at the official weigh-ins, making the five-round fight official. All other fighters also made weight for the 14-fight card.

Advertisement

Pantoja (27-5) is looking to make his second defense of the flyweight title. After beating Brandon Moreno via split decision, "The Cannibal" defended the belt against Brandon Royval in a unanimous decision effort. Having not lost since a 2020 defeat to Askar Askarov, the Brazilian brings a five-fight win streak into his first UFC main event.

Meanwhile, Erceg (12-1) is a surprising title contender as the Australian only has three prior fights in the promotion. In his UFC debut, "Astro Boy" defeated David Dvorak via decision in 2023. Since then, he's won a decision over Alessandro Costa and scored a kn…