Martial Arts News

A pivotal lightweight showdown pitting Michael Chandler against Dan Hooker is official for the UFC 257 co-main event.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the booking to broadcast partner ESPN following an initial report from The Schmo last week. UFC 257 takes place at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23 and is headlined by a 155-pound clash between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

Chandler will make his highly-anticipated UFC debut after a successful stint with Bellator MMA that saw him capture lightweight gold on three different occasions. The former University of Missouri wrestler enters the matchup with Hooker riding the momentum of back-to-back first-round KO victories against Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson. Before being paired with Hooker, Chandler made weight to serve as an alternate for the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Justin Gaethje headliner at UFC 254.

Hooker, meanwhile, will return for the first time since a memorable five-round decision defeat at t…

Credit: Joao Baptista/Sherdog.com

An elbow injury has forced Isi Fitikefu out of his Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 20.

As a result, Markus Perez will step in and face Dalcha Lungiambula on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi. Multiple outlets confirmed the new middleweight booking following an initial report from Ag Fight. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place at the Flash Forum and is headlined by a welterweight duel between Neil Magny and Michael Chiesa.

The 30-year-old Perez has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances and is coming off a first-round knockout loss against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 179 on Oct. 10. “Maluko” is 2-4 in the UFC and 12-4 as a professional overall, with nine of his triumphs coming inside the distance.

After winning his promotional debut against Dequan Townsend, Lungiambula had a six-fight pro winning streak halted in a third-round KO loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Fight Night 163 on Nov. 9. A former Extreme Fighting Championship heavyweig…

Nasty knee here at #LFA89! pic.twitter.com/FWeqsbMwbY

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) August 29, 2020

A middleweight showdown between Josh Fremd and Bruno Oliveira will top the Legacy Fighting Alliance 98 lineup on Jan. 29.

The promotion recently announced the booking. LFA 98 takes place at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas and streams on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Five other main card bouts were also confirmed: J.J. Okanovich vs. Lucas Clay at lightweight; Richard Palencia vs. Jeimeson Saudino at bantamweight; Kyle Frost vs. Austin Clem at lightweight, Joshua DaSilveira vs. Matthew Paul at light heavyweight and Zac Pauga vs. Ashby Thomas at light heavyweight.

Anchored at Factory X, Fremd has been victorious in six of his first seven professional outings. The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2020 with first-round knockout victories over Lamar Gosey and Antonio Jones under the LFA banner.

Oliveira, 36, is com…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The first Ultimate Fighting Championship card of 2021 lost a key matchup. On his Instagram page on Friday, Anthony Hernandez (7-2, 1 NC) posted that he contracted COVID-19 and his bout with Rodolfo Vieira (7-0) needed to be rescheduled. The middleweight pairing originally slated for UFC on ABC 1 on Jan. 16 has been pushed to UFC 258 on Feb. 13.

“Happy New Year,” Hernandez wrote. “Good news is that #teamFluffy is safe and gear goes out next week. Bad news is the fight’s delayed – 2020 left me with the COVID. I’m good [though] – and rescheduled for 2/13.”

Hernandez will be looking to bounce back from his first career knockout loss, which Kevin Holland handed to him in 39 seconds in May. “Fluffy” has overcome some adversity leading into and throughout his UFC career, as he began his ascent on Dana White's Contender Series…

Per sources, light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Magomed Ankalaev has been added to UFC Fight Night on Feb. 27. Fun fight. Ankalaev a potential dark horse in the division. Looking to add to a five-fight win streak.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 30, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The betting line for Fight Doesn’t Go to Decision will be through the roof for this upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight rumble. ESPN announced on Tuesday that Nikita Krylov (27-7) would be taking on Magomed Ankalaev (14-1) at the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 27. This light heavyweight bout, and the card itself, does not have an official destination on the books, but it likely will be held either in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, or in Las Vegas.

Krylov has alternated wins and losses in each of his last…

Well guys 20 minutes before 2020 ended I got a phone call to say Jackson wont make the fight on January 20th you just cant write this shit. Do not ask me why because I dont know the full ins and outsnd wish him the best.. We are been rescheduled for march/april in America. pic.twitter.com/amzDJieiQO

— Dean Barry (@Deanbarry123) January 1, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Fight fans will have to wait a little longer to see Mike Jackson compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship again. Prospective UFC newcomer and welterweight Dean Barry (3-1) posted on Twitter on Friday that his matchup against Mike Jackson (1-1) would no longer be taking place on the upcoming UFC on ESPN 20 event on Jan. 20. Jackson has since confirmed the removal of the bout on the card on his Twitter page, although no reason has yet been given. The fighter…

Ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship Sterne Paige VanZant hat Ihre Gegnerin für Ihren ersten bare-knuckle-match in 2021.

VanZant (0-0 BK) veröffentlicht auf Ihrem Instagramauf Donnerstag der Bekanntgabe der Unterzeichnung des bout Vereinbarung für Sie Feb. 5-Kampf mit Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Das Datum Ihres Debüt hatte zuvor angekündigt, aber Ihr Gegner hatte nicht offiziell gemacht. Bei BKFC 14 im November, Großbritannien Hart (1-2 BK, 1 KO) paniertes Randine Eckholm zu zwingen, in der vierten Runde Stillstand. Nach dem match Hart genannt, nach einem Kampf mit VanZant. Darüber hinaus Hart kam auf die Sendung am BKFC 15 wieder zu rufen nach Ihr Schuss gegen den ehemaligen UFC-Kämpfer. Ihr Wunsch wurde gewährt, pro MMA Kämpfe am Donnerstag. Die beiden treffen sich auf der BKFC featherweight division, die 125 Pfund.

VanZant übergänge über bare knuckle Boxen, nachdem ein 13-Kampf MMA-Karriere, darunter neun in der UFC. Auf den Fersen von drei Niederlagen in vie…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. If former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Jon Jones has his choice, he will never go back down to 205 pounds. Jones spoke with Bleacher Report on Thursday, discussing his future in the sport including his change in weight classes. He told the outlet that he was ready for a new challenge, since he believed he had achieved everything he could at light heavyweight.

“I was just ready to challenge myself,” Jones said. “I was ready to enter a new chapter in my career. At this point, I’m in this sport for legacy and for the biggest-paying fights, and I just don’t think that continuing on at light heavyweight was going to do much for my legacy.”

Jones voluntarily surrendered his throne after a trio of title defenses in 2019 and 2020. Jones dominated Anthony Smith at UFC 235, but subsequent close fights with Thiago Santos at UF…

It appears the rumors of Kyoji Horiguchi’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Rizin Fighting Federation wrapped up 2020 in style with an event that saw the crowning of two brand new champions. In the Rizin 26 main event, former Rizin and Bellator MMA bantamweight champion Horiguchi (29-3) recaptured the 135-pound championship by smashing former titleholder Kai Asakura (16-3). Horiguchi looked to chop down Asakura’s leading leg with low kicks early in the fight, putting the defending champion on alert as he saw annulled his reach advantage. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship title contender put everything he had into these leg kicks, causing Asakura some difficulties putting down his lead leg in the early going.

As soon as Horiguchi noticed he had his opponent hurt, he pressed forward throwing heavy combinations. One of them landed on the button, sending Asakura crashing down to the ground. The end came when Asakura wasn’t able to defend himself any longer, and …

Israel Adesanya will attempt to become a two-division champion when he faces 205-pound king Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the booking to ESPN on Wednesday evening. UFC 259 takes place on March 6 and also includes a featherweight title tilt between Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson, but the promotion has not yet announced a location for the event. Only seven fighters have been two-division UFC champions.

Adesanya is 20-0 to begin his professional career, including nine triumphs under the UFC banner. “The Last Stylebender” claimed the middleweight throne with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 and has since defended the title with victories against Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa.

After a rough beginning to his promotional tenure in which he lost four of his first six appearances, Blachowicz captured the vacant light heavyweight belt with a second-round technical knockout of Dominick Reyes at UFC 253. The 37-year-old …

Earlier this year, UFC president Dana White and former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones were at odds.

The two men engaged in a very public dispute regarding negotations for a potential heavyweight clash between Jones and Francis Ngannou, with White claiming that “Bones” asked for something in the neighborhood of $25 million to $30 million to accept that bout. Jones responded by calling White a “f—-ing liar” on social media, while the UFC boss implied that the fighter’s personal issues outside the cage hindered his earnings potential.

As 2020 draws to a close, White and Jones seem to have made amends. Jones officially vacated the 205-pound throne in August with plans for a move to heavyweight, and things don’t seem to be nearly as tense between the Jackson-Wink MMA standout and the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“I think he’s in a much better place than he has been,” White said on the "SHOUT!" podcast. “I think mentally, emotionally, whatever it might be, he’s i…

Bantamweight gold will be on the line when Kyoji Horiguchi and Kai Asakura square off in a rematch more than a year in the making on New Year’s Eve.

Both Horiguchi and Asakura made weight ahead of their championship bout in the Rizin Fighting Federation 26 headliner. Horiguchi tipped the scales at 134 pounds, while Asakura checked in at 133.9 pounds. Rizin 26 takes place on Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan and and is available via pay-per-view for $25.

Asakura and Horiguchi initially squared off in a non-title bout at Rizin 18, with Asakura scoring a surprising 68-second knockout victory on Aug. 18, 2019. Horiguchi, who was then 135-pound champion in both Rizin and Bellator MMA, vacated both titles after suffering a knee injury and has not competed since that defeat.

“I started sparring and training fully in July. I feel like I am close to 100 percent,” Horiguchi said. “I’ve been adding new stuff to my original style during this period. I never think …