Martial Arts News

Newly-crowned light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira is facing a potentially lengthy medical suspension following his victory over Jan Blachowicz in the UFC 267 headliner.

Teixeira must be cleared by an orthopedic doctor for a right shoulder injury or he will be sidelined for 180 days. At a minimum, the Brazilian is suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days. UFC 267 took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and saw Teixeira submit Blachowicz with a rear-naked choke 3:02 into Round 2 of their 205-pound clash. Blachowicz, like every fighter on the card, received a mandatory seven-day term.

The UFC, which self-regulated the event, released a full list of medical suspensions to mixedmartialarts.com.

Five other fighters from the event are facing 180-day medical suspensions: Albert Duraev (facial laceration), Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (right foot, right hand), Benoit St. Denis (needs ENT clearance), Michal Oleksiejczuk (left hand) and Tagir Ulanbekov (left…

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

Alex Pereira’s flying knee knockout victory over Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268 drew the attention of fans and media alike.

With a pair of victories against reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya under kickboxing rules — including the lone knockout defeat of Adesanya’s combat sports career — “Poatan” has been asked in numerous interviews how a third meeting between the two would look under the UFC banner. The former Glory two-division champion’s Octagon debut only served to create more interest in a future clash between the two former foes. Meanwhile, Adesanya discussed Pereira’s victory on his YouTube channel.

According to “Stylebender,” those losses are in the past, and he added that he hopes to see the Brazilian in the Octagon.

“We need something new. Especially after you lap the division again. … Good job Pereira, that was nice. One thing I notice is everyone always holds on to that wi…

Miranda Maverick has agreed to step in for Maycee Barber and face Erin Blanchfield at UFC 269.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new women’s flyweight booking. UFC 269 takes place on Dec. 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a lightweight title tilt between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.

Maverick had a five-bout winning streak snapped in her last outing, when she fell to Barber via split decision at UFC on ESPN 27 on July 24. Prior to that, the Invicta FC veteran began her promotional tenure with victories over Liana Jojua and Gillian Robertson.

Blanchfield, meanwhile, enters the matchup with Maverick on a four-bout winning streak — including a three-round verdict over Sarah Alpar in her Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 192. The 22-year-old Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu product has been victorious in seven of her first eight professional appearances.

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

While Khamzat Chimaev re-established himself as a prospect to watch at UFC 267, he won’t be fast tracked to a title shot.

After a battle with COVID-19 put him on the shelf for more than a year, Chimaev made an emphatic return on Oct. 30, when he submitted Jingliang Li with a rear-naked choke 3:16 into the opening round of their welterweight clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Allstars Training Center product has barely been touched in four UFC appearances thus far, and he has all the makings of a potential star in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

One week later, UFC president Dana White pumped the brakes on Chimaev being an instant title contender at 170 pounds in the wake of reigning champ Kamaru Usman’s latest belt defense in the UFC 268 headliner.

“You’ve got some guys out there talking about Khamzat Chimaev that he’s ready for [a title shot] – he’s had four fights in the UFC,” White said at the UFC 268 post-fight news c…

Former UFC flyweight Ryan Benoit has been suspended 10 months for an anti-doping violation, USADA announced Monday.

Benoit tested positive for modafinil and its metabolite, modafinil acid, in a urine sample collected at UFC on ESPN 28 on July 31. Modafinil, which is listed in the stimulant category, is typically used to reduce sleepiness in disorders such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea and is banned as an in-competition drug by USADA.

Benoit received a reduction in what would normally be a two-year suspension once in was determined that he used the drug out of competition. The Janjiri Muay Thai representative will be able to return to active competition on May 31, 2022. Benoit previously received a nine-month term from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the failed drug test.

Benoit, 32, dropped a unanimous decision to Zarrukh Adashev at UFC on ESPN 28, his third consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion. He was released from UFC following that …

Michael Chandler didn’t end up on the right side of the scorecards following his lightweight clash with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268, but the bout will go down as one of the year’s best.

Chandler fell to Gaethje via unanimous decision in a “Fight of the Year” contender on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was the former Bellator champion’s second consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion following a knockout of Dan Hooker in his Octagon debut.

Chandler was able to rock Gaethje with his right hand in the opening stanza, but as the bout progressed, his opponent took control behind a steady diet of low kicks and power punches. The former University of Missouri wrestling standout was more than willing to brawl with Gaethje, and he absorbed a significant amount of damage for his efforts.

“We made some questionable decisions in the last one, but we had a blast!” Chandler wrote on Instagram. “Ill-advised yet entertaining is my strong s…

Bellator MMA fighter Dillon Danis was slapped by manager Ali Abdelaziz during an incident backstage at UFC 268, according to multiple reports.

MMAjunkie.com first brought word of the altercation, which was confirmed by multiple eyewitnesses in reports. Danis was reportedly escorted from the venue after security intervened between the two men. It is unclear what caused the incident, though Danis and Abdelaziz haven’t had the most pleasant of converstations in the past on social media.

In a since deleted tweet captured by MMAFighting.com, retired former UFC champion Michael Bisping wrote that not only was Danis removed from the building, but he has been banned from all future events held by the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“So pathetic,” Bisping wrote. “FYI people, [Danis] was legit slapped in the face like a b--h backstage and then ejected and banned from all UFC events.”

It’s not the first time that Danis has been involved in an altercation outside of the …

AND STILL!Abdulaziz Abdulvakhabov defend his title against Hacran Dias! What an amazing performance pic.twitter.com/4VSFQvsukq

— ACA MMA (@ACA_League) November 5, 2021

Friday was definitely a very special day for Brazilian MMA. With Patricky Freire’s knockout win over Peter Queally in Ireland, local MMA fans celebrated the country’s fifth championship victory in a span of nine days.

But there could have been one more reason to celebrate. A few hours before Freire’s victory, Nova Uniao fighter Hacran Dias squared off against Russian champion Abdulaziz Abulvakhabov for the Absolute Championship Akhmat belt. The fight was contested over five rounds in Moscow, the homeland of the champion, and the action didn’t disappoint those in attendance. However, the final verdict was a disappointment to Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras, as Dias lost a split decision at ACA 131.

“As we expected it was a war, with every round being competititve from the…

.@UFCFightPass and @LFAfighting extend exclusive multi-year streaming agreement

: https://t.co/2gRpax5N4M#MMA#LFANation@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/wvuCal74sT

— LFA (@LFAfighting) November 8, 2021 UFC Fight Pass has re-upped with one of the top regional feeder promotions in mixed martial arts.

The streaming platform announced Monday that it has extended its partnership with Legacy Fighting Alliance to be the exclusive streaming provider of the promotion’s events through 2025.

“LFA is among the best, with a longstanding relationship with UFC and a track record for developing talent,” UFC Fight Pass vice president and general manager Crowley Sullivan said in a release. “We’re thrilled to continue this relationship and can’t wait to see what the future holds for our two brands.”

According to the terms of the deal, UFC Fight Pass will stream more than 100 LFA events across 200 countries and territories. Subscribers will also have a…

The wins keep on piling up for Kamaru Usman, who is entering rarified air with his extended streak of excellence.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” improved to 2-0 against Colby Covington in the UFC 268 headliner, earning a unanimous decision triumph at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night. Usman has now won 15 straight fights in UFC competition, the second-longest winning streak in promotion history behind pound-for-pound middleweight legend Anderson Silva (16).

UFC president Dana White believes Usman belongs in the lofty company among the sport’s greats after his latest triumph.

“He’s special. He’s damn good and I think he’s the greatest welterweight of all time,” White said at the UFC 268 post-fight press conference.

“He’s obviously the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now. He’s one of the guys that we could all start arguing soon about GOAT status. And he’s fighting everybody, it’s not like he’s only fought this guy. He’s fought everybody…

Jon Jones won’t return to Jackson-Wink MMA after being banned from the Albuquerque, N.M.-based camp last month.

Jones revealed that he will seek a new training home in a series of posts on Twitter, though that new destination is currently unclear. The former light heavyweight champion was suspended from the Jackson-Wink gym by Mike Winkeljohn following his arrest for battery domestic violence in Las Vegas this past September. Winkeljohn indicated that Jones could return if he quit drinking, but an eventual reunion doesn’t appear to be an option for the fighter, who hasn’t competed in the Octagon since February 2020.

“Definitely won’t be going back but I will continue to root for all the fighters that are training there,” Jones wrote. “I do believe my training methods and sessions have improved significantly since changing environments. Grateful for all the time I got to spend there, everything has it’s time.

“I know I won’t be able to train in my garage foreve…

What a speech by Chris Barnett for his opponent Gian Villante #UFC268 pic.twitter.com/wvTtzChIOP

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 6, 2021

Gian Villante has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts following a 31-bout professional career that began in 2009.

Villante’s final appearance will end up on highlight reels, as he was dropped by a spinning wheel kick from Chris Barnett and finished with follow-up ground strikes 2:23 into the opening round of their heavyweight bout at UFC 268 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. Villante, 36, ends his tenure on a four-bout losing streak — with his final three appearances coming in the heavyweight division.

Villante’s next step will be a return to his gridiron roots, as he is coaching youth football in the Long Island area. He gave those players a shoutout in a post-fight interview with Newsday.

“Say hello to all my Seahawks, all my Generals, all the people in attendan…