Martial Arts News

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A heavyweight clash pitting Derrick Lewis against Sergei Pavlovich is in the works for an Ultimate Fighting Championship card on July 30.

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ESPN was first to report the booking. The event, which is expected to be UFC 277, does not yet have a location or venue. The card is also expected to include a middleweight showdown between Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira.

Lewis last appeared at UFC 271, where he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Tai Tuivasa on Feb. 12 in Houston. “The Black Beast” is the UFC’s all-time knockout leader and a two-time heavyweight title challenger, coming up short against Daniel Cormier for the undisputed belt at UFC 230 and losing to Ciryl Gane for the interim strap at UFC 265. Lewis owns wins against the likes of Curtis Blaydes, Alexey Oleynik, Alexander Volkov, Francis Ngannou, Marcin Tybura, Travis Browne and Roy Nelson, to name a few.

Pavlovich has won thre…

The Lone Star State is becoming a popular destination for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Las Vegas-based promotion will head to the Texas capital of Austin on June 18 for a Fight Night event. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the location and date of the card. UFC Austin does not currently have a headliner, but several bouts have been reported for that date, including Cody Stamann vs. Eddie Wineland at bantamweight, Damir Ismagulov vs. Guram Kutateladze at lightweight, Kyle Daukaus vs. Roman Dolidze at middleweight and Phil Hawes vs. Deron Winn at middleweight, to name a few.

The event will mark the fourth time the promotion has held an event in Austin. In 2010, UFC Fight Night 22 saw Nate Marquardt defeat Rousimar Palhares via first-round TKO, while the UFC Fight Night 57 main event in November 2014 saw Frankie Edgar submit Cub Swanson in the waning seconds of the fifth round. Finally, Donald Cerrone stopped Yancy Medeiros in the opening stanza of their fea…

BIG NEWS ONE Championship is coming BACK to U.S. prime time on Amazon Prime Video

Stay tuned for more details!@PrimeVideo | #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/t6diSS1rHG

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 27, 2022

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One Championship has a new, big-name broadcast partner in North America.

The Singapore-based promotion announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a five-year deal with Amazon Prime Video to broadcast 12 events annually in primetime live in the United States and Canada. The first event and the full calendar are expected to be announced soon. Those 12 events will be available exclusively on Prime Video in the United States and Canada.

“One Championship is thrilled to work with Prime Video, one of the largest premium sports content providers in the world, to bring our live events closer to fans in the United States and Canada,” One CEO Chatri Sityodtong said in a release.

“As the wor…

Bruno Henrique Cappelozza came virtually out of nowhere to win the 2021 Professional Fighters League heavyweight championship, but the momentous occasion took on a different tone when the Brazilian learned that his father passed away the weekend before his $1 million-winning performance this past October.

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“It was the happiest and saddest day of my life,” Cappelozza said during a PFL media day. “It was a huge loss for me and my family. We’re still feeling his absence, but I’m certain of his place in heaven.



“I know he must be very proud. He always wanted to see me become a world champion. It was a long-awaited moment. I’m certain he’s very happy.”

Cappelozza’s championship victory was five-round verdict over Ante Delija in rematch of a regular season bout. The second meeting featured plenty of momentum swings with both heavyweights hurt on different occasions in the fight, but ultimately Cappelozza did enough to get the nod on the judges’ scor…

Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com

Lorenz Larkin has received his second new opponent at Bellator 280, as Kyle Stewart will step in for Anthony Adams against the middleweight known as “Monsoon.”

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Larkin was initially scheduled to face Khalid Murtazliev at Bellator 280 before Murtazliev withdrew from the card for undisclosed reasons. Promotion officials confirmed the new booking following an initial report from EuroSport.

Bellator 280 takes place on May 6 at Accor Arena in Paris and is headlined by a heavyweight title rematch between Ryan Bader and Cheick Kongo. Additionally, Charlie Leary will replace Saul Rogers and face Soren Bak in a 160-pound catchweight affair.

Stewart exited the UFC after back-to-back losses against Chance Rencountre and Erik. He has gone 4-2 since then, notably taking a unanimous verdict over fellow Octagon veteran Zak Ott…

It appears as though a potential interim heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic won’t happen this summer as originally planned.

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UFC president Dana White recently hinted that a Jones-Miocic matchup might happen at UFC 276. Meanwhile, Jones advisor Richard Schaefer told ESPN that the promotion discussed “Bones” facing Miocic with the interim belt on the line in the main event of the July 2 card in Las Vegas.

However, Jones tweeted on Tuesday that Miocic won’t be ready to fight by that proposed date.

“Stipe is saying that he will be at his absolute peak in September,” Jones wrote. “I’m disappointed but patient, I want the heavyweight goat at his absolute best. I’ll wait until September. No excuses.”

Stipe is saying that he will be at his absolute peak in September. I’m disappointed but patient, I want the heavyweight goat at his absolute best. I’ll wait until September. No excuses

— BONY (@JonnyBones…

Renan Ferreira’s first PFL season will forever be remembered for the controversial ending to his debut bout against heavyweight legend Fabricio Werdum.

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Ferreira appeared to tap to an triangle choke early in the bout, but when the gesture wasn’t noticed by Keith Peterson, “Problema” took advantage and pounded Werdum out for what appeared to be a technical knockout victory. However, following review by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, the result was overturned to a no contest.

That, despite two subsequent victories in PFL competition, ultimately kept Ferreira out of the playoffs. Werdum, meanwhile, withdrew from the tournament and appeared to be leaning toward retirement until only recently, when he told multiple outlets that he hopes to fight again for the PFL. If that does prove to be the case, Ferreira would be more than willing to stand across the cage from “Vai Cavalo” again.

“Absolutely. I’d love to get that one back again and …

After its 2020 season was completely scrapped, Professional Fighters League took the approach of many other organizations and utilized a bubble for safety purposes during its 2021 campaign.

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The isolation and quarantining affected athletes in different ways, but for two-time PFL featherweight champ Lance Palmer, it was mostly a negative.

“All my coaches are real-life people that have their own families, their own gyms or businesses that they run. They’re not people that can sit for 17 days in a hotel with me just for my fight,” Palmer said during PFL media day. “During the 17-day quarantine I was by myself and did my own thing. Luckily one of my old teammates, Tyler Diamond, he was by himself also, and we made the best of it. We drilled with each other, we trained with each other every day. But it’s not the same as having your coaches there.”

The proof was in the results, as Palmer went 0-2 in 2021 after 11 consecutive victories from from Novemb…

Even though he fell two spots in the UFC welterweight rankings after a unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273, Gilbert Burns doesn’t regret the decision to take the fight.

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"That was my 18th fight in eight years in the UFC. I fought some of the toughest guys in two divisions, fought for the belt once and have never been invited to lunch with Dana White like I was right after the war against Chimaev," Burns told Sherdog.com.

According to Burns, big fights and also the possibility of signing a more lucrative new contract were also on the menu during lunch with the UFC president. While Burns says White didn’t give him a list of potential matchups, he already has his own preferences in mind.

"We didnt talk about specific opponents, but I would consider big fights [against] Colby [Covington], [Jorge] Masvidal, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier and the rematch with Chimaev,” he said. "If I could choose, the immediate rematch with C…

Even though he fell two spots in the UFC welterweight rankings after a unanimous decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273, Gilbert Burns doesn’t regret the decision to take the fight.

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"That was my 18th fight in eight years in the UFC. I fought some of the toughest guys in two divisions, fought for the belt once and have never been invited to lunch with Dana White like I was right after the war against Chimaev," Burns told Sherdog.com.

According to Burns, big fights and also the possibility of signing a more lucrative new contract were also on the menu during lunch with the UFC president. While Burns says White didn’t give him a list of potential matchups, he already has his own preferences in mind.

"We didnt talk about specific opponents, but I would consider big fights [against] Colby [Covington], [Jorge] Masvidal, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier and the rematch with Chimaev,” he said. "If I could choose, the immediate rematch with C…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfN1D7oLS-0&w=560&h=315]

Paul Daley’s retirement fight at Bellator 281 suddenly has a little less marquee value.

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After originally being slated to face ex-welterweight champ Andrey Koreshkov, Daley will instead lock horns with Wendell Giacomo at the May 13 event. The promotion confirmed the change on Tuesday following an initial report from Metro News. No reason was given for Koreshkov’s exit.

Bellator 281 takes place at OVO Arena Wembley in London and is headlined by an interim welterweight title tilt pitting Michael Page against Logan Storley. Also confirmed was the postponement of a co-main event showdown between Douglas Lima and Jason Jackson. A date for the rebooking is currently unknown.

Anchored at the Pitbull Brothers camp, Giacomo enters his Bellator debut with a 9-2 career mark. The man known as “White Walker” last appeared at LFA 112, where he defeated Uyran Carlos via unanimous decision thi…

Nate Diaz is getting restless.

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The popular UFC star is ready to fight someone in the Las Vegas-based promotion — as long as it’s not Conor McGregor. Diaz took to Twitter recently to voice his frustration with his current situation.

“I been trying to fight everybody and no go, what’s the hold up UFC?” Diaz wrote. “I’m not fighting Conor, he sucks. I’l fight some one. Quit slow rolling me please. Thanks.”

I been trying to fight everybody and no go what’s the hold up ufc ?I’m not fighting Conor he sucks.I’ll fight some one quit slow rolling me pleaseThanks

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 26, 2022

After sitting out all of 2020, Diaz returned to the Octagon at UFC 263 last June, where he dropped a decision to welterweight contender Leon Edwards in a five-round, non-title bout. The Stockton, Calif., native had been linked to a potential matchup against Dustin Poirier, but after UFC 273, Dana White indicated that the …