Martial Arts News

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Signed by Professional Fighters League for to compete at lightweight for its 2021 season, Joilton Lutterbach is hoping for an early matchup with one of the two 155-pound favorites: high-profile acquisition Anthony Pettis or two-time defending champion Natan Schulte.

The PFL season kicks off on April 21.

“I’ve already asked the promoters to put me with either one on April 21. The PFL promised to release the card on Jan. 23,” he told told Sherdog.com. “In this tournament format you just have three months to train for the first fight and final. I’m in my better shape now so the perfect scenario would be to face Pettis or Shulte in first and final, but I´m ready for anything they bring me as always.”

“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” runner-up points out that he has fought in four different divisions during his 43-bout career.

“I was always ready depending what the promoters had to offer me —…

Dan Hooker knows what it’s like to spend an extended period of time in the Octagon with Dustin Poirier, and he believes Conor McGregor will get a similar experience in the UFC 257 main event.

Hooker started quickly in his matchup with Poirier at UFC on ESPN 12 this past June, as he attacked with a variety of left hooks, low kicks and uppercuts to the body and rocked his foe with a knee and flurry of punches at the end of Round 2. As time wore on, however, Poirier got stronger over the final 15 minutes and relied on a blend of powerful punches to the head and stout takedown defense to capture a unanimous decision triumph.

It was a far different scene when “The Diamond” first squared off with McGregor at UFC 178 in September 2014. McGregor’s power quickly took hold, and he polished off Poirier via technical knockout just 1:46 into Round 1.

With many more years of experience and fighting at 155 pounds instead of featherweight, Hooker expects Poirier to be able to …

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Amanda Ribas might just be one of those fighters that has that elusive “it” factor that is so often referenced in the star-making process.

As she prepares to face Marina Rodriguez at UFC 257 on Saturday, Ribas has emerged as one of the promotion’s most intriguing female talents thanks to an impressive four-bout winning streak and an infectious, bubbly personality. Though Ribas is something of an interview darling now, she entered her Octagon debut unsure if she would be able to make a lasting impression on the MMA community.

“Before I did my debut in the UFC, I always talked to my dad and mom, ‘How do you sell the fight?’” Ribas said during a virtual media day. “Because I can’t do trash talk, it’s not like me. I don’t do sexy photos. And we were talking about it, and people liked my personality. This is so good for me because I feel relaxed.”

That alone would not have been enough to stand out, bec…

Your Thursday morning main event is OFFICIAL! #UFCFightIsland8 #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/CPIqfyblIG

— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) January 19, 2021

Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny are official for their welterweight headliner at UFC on ESPN 20.

Chiesa tipped the scales at 170.5 pounds, while Magny checked in at 171 pounds during Tuesday’s weigh-ins. Overall, all 28 fighters hit their contracted marks, officially clearing the way for a supersized 14-bout card. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and the main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at noon ET/9 a.m. PT, while the prellims stream on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

After an 11-bout UFC stint at lightweight, Chiesa has found new life at 170 pounds. “Maverick” began his welterweight run with a submission of Carlos Condit at UFC 232 and has since posted decision triumphs over Diego Sanchez and Rafael dos Anjos.

Magny has be…

I'M SO PUMPED FOR THIS FIGHT!!!@dustinpoirier vs @thenotoriousmma is LIVE SATURDAY on @espn+ PPV! #UFC257 #InAbuDhabi @visitabudhabi pic.twitter.com/4DtwtmaUiW

— danawhite (@danawhite) January 18, 2021

The hype continues to build for the UFC 257 headliner on Saturday.

UFC president Dana White on Monday released the pay-per-view introduction, which is narrated by Ron Perlman. UFC 257 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and is topped by a rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. The main card airs via pay-per-view on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Early prelims air on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m./4:30, while the rest of the preliminary draw airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

McGregor will be making his first Octagon appearance in a year, and an impressive victory could land him a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov down the road. The Irish star defeated Poirier via TKO in their first meeting at UFC 178 in…

Calvin Kattar has spoken for the first time since his loss to Max Holloway in the UFC on ABC 1 main event.

“The Boston Finisher” did not address the media after absorbing a UFC record 445 significant strikes in a five-round unanimous decision defeat at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi because he was taken to a hospital immediately after the bout. Instead, Kattar released a brief statement via social media on Monday.

“Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up,” Kattar wrote. “With goals so strong that obstacles, failure and loss only act as motivation.

“Props to Max on a hell of a fight he deserves all the praise. Thankful for my team’s commitment for this fight. On to the next. There is no stopping the man who doesn’t quit.”

Kattar displayed tremendous toughness as he survived 25 minutes with Holloway. On a couple occasions it appeared that referee Herb Dean would halt the featherweight contest, but Kattar always managed to show just enough to allow…

Two more bouts have been added to the UFC Fight Night event on March 13, as Zubaira Tukhugov will meet Ricardo Ramos at featherweight, while Guram Kutateladze will face Don Madge at lightweight.

Tass was first to report Tukhugov vs. Ramos, while MMAjunkie.com initially brought word of Kutateladze vs. Madge. The event, which does not have an official location, is headlined by a welterweight clash pitting Leon Edwards against Khamzat Chimaev.

Tukhugov split a pair of bouts in 2020, defeating Kevin Aguilar via first round TKO at UFC Fight Night 168 before dropping a split decision to Hakeem Dawodu at UFC 253. Ramos, meanwhile, had a two-bout winning streak snapped in his lone appearance last year, a first-round stoppage loss against Lerone Murphy at UFC on ESPN 13.

Kutateladze extended his professional winning streak to nine with a split-decision verdict over former KSW champ Mateusz Gamrot in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 180 on Oct. 17. Madge is cur…

It should come as no surprise that Calvin Kattar received one of the longest medical suspensions following UFC on ABC 1.

Kattar is facing a potential 180-day layoff following a lopsided five-round defeat to Max Holloway in Saturday’s featherweight headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. “The Boston Finisher” must receive doctor clearance on his nose to have that term reduced. At a minimum, Kattar is suspended 60 days with 45 days of no contact. Holloway, meanwhile, is suspended 30 days with 21 days of no contact.

The UFC, which served as its own regulating body for the event, released a full list of medical suspensions to mixedmartialarts.com on Monday. Everyone on the card received at least a seven-day mandatory suspension.

Justin Tafa was the only other fighter to receive a potential 180-day suspension, as he needs a negative left-thumb X-ray to be cleared following a loss to Carlos Felipe at heavyweight.

UFC on ABC 1 Medical Suspensions:

Max Hol…

Santiago Ponzinibbio waited more than two years to return to the Octagon, but his first appearance since November 2018 was over in less than five minutes.

The 34-year-old Argentina native suffered a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Jingliang Li in a featured welterweight bout at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, ending a seven-bout winning streak that began in December 2015. “Gente Boa” had a chance to re-establish himself as one of the 170-pound division’s top contenders with a victory after an a lengthy absence that included a serious bacterial infection, a broken toe and a battle with COVID-19. Now, he has to rebuild.

Ponzinibbio issued a heartfelt statement via Instagram on the heels of his loss to Li.

I have no words to describe the sadness I feel,” he wrote. “I wanted to return giving a victory, you deserve it for so much support. I worked very hard for this event, a whole year of preparation but this sport is like that, there is a part out o…

If there was any doubt that Max Holloway remained a championship caliber featherweight heading into UFC on ABC 1, “Blessed” laid waste to those sentiments with a shellacking of Calvin Kattar in Saturday’s main event.

With a record-setting offensive performance, Holloway earned a lopsided unanimous verdict over one of the division’s rising contenders at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In the process, the Hawaiian likely earned himself another shot at 145-pound gold – even if Alexander Volkanovski is still champion by the time that date arrives.

“I think we have to [give Holloway a trilogy with Volkanovski]. I think we have to,” White said at the UFC on ABC 1 post-fight press conference. “I mean, when you’re the champion, you have the top five guys in the world gunning at you. When you’re the No. 1 contender in the world, you’ve got the top 10 guys in the world. Sometimes, No. 8 is more dangerous than No. 3.

“Tonight, he fought a bad dude that a lot of people thought w…

Crafty takedown by the veteran @CarlosCondit #UFCFightIsland7 pic.twitter.com/0FwGMeWDMt

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 16, 2021

While he can stomach a defeat, Matt Brown was undeniably miffed that Carlos Condit swept the scorecards in their co-main event bout at UFC on ABC 1.

“The Immortal” felt that he did enough to win the welterweight contest thanks to positional control, but even if that wasn’t the case, Brown can’t fathom how the judges elected to award all three rounds to his opponent. The opening frame was arguably Brown’s best, when he landed a takedown and maintained 3:36 of control time, according to UFCStats.com.

“30-27 is ridiculous,” Brown wrote on Twitter. “I won the first round 100%. He won the second for sure, and the third is really close but I ended on top. Should have got the decision [in my opinion], but if he got it based on just the third round I wouldn’t be mad. F--ing judges.”

30-27 is ri…

The beating that Calvin Kattar absorbed in the UFC on ABC 1 headliner is one that could potentially take years off a fighter’s career.

While a lesser athlete might have wilted earlier, Kattar made it until the final horn against Max Holloway on Saturday, absorbing a whopping 445 significant strikes in the process. Holloway was in peak form in the featherweight bout, as he relentlessly attacked with punching combinations to the head and body, knees, kicks and elbows. On a couple occasions, Kattar appeared to be on the verge of being stopped, but each time, he showed just enough fight for referee Herb Dean to allow the bout to continue.

If it were up to UFC president Dana White, Kattar wouldn’t have been allowed to showcase his toughness for as long as he did. As it was, the Massachusetts native was ushered straight to a local hospital following the conclusion of the bout.

“I thought the fight should have been stopped in the fourth round,” White said at the UFC o…