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Coach: Sean Strickland Used Dricus Du Plessis Brawl for Motivation

Eric Nicksick is making sure that Sean Strickland’s recent brawl with upcoming opponent Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t take an emotional toll on the UFC middleweight champion.

Strickland is slated to defend his middleweight strap against Du Plessis in the main event at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The bad blood between the two started during a recent seasonal press conference where “Stillknocks” brought up Strickland’s abusive childhood.

The feud boiled over while the two were in attendance at UFC 296 the next day. Strickland was seen leaping over chairs to attack Du Plessis after an exchange of words before being escorted out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

As Strickland’s head coach at Xtreme Couture, Nicksick admits that the champ was triggered by the altercation with Du Plessis. However, Nicksick claims to have made sure that Strickland has used it for motivation heading into their upcoming fight.

“There’s two sides to that coin: Sean ha…

Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg Off UFC 297; Bout Targeted for UFC Atlantic City

A light heavyweight matchup pitting Dominick Reyes against Carlos Ulberg won’t be taking place at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 as originally planned.

Reyes revealed on social media that his opponent has withdrawn from the bout due to injury and that he was looking at “options or rescheduling.” According to MMAFighting.com, Reyes vs. Ulberg is likely to be rebooked for UFC Atlantic City on March 30. The nature of Ulberg’s injury was not disclosed.

Reyes is in the midst of a four-bout skid that dates back to a competitive championship loss to Jon Jones at UFC 247 in February 2020. More recently, “The Devastator” suffered a first-round KO defeat to Ryan Spann at UFC 281.

Ulberg, meanwhile, has quietly been building momentum at 205 pounds. The City Kickboxing representative has won his last five Octagon appearances, including a third-round submission of Da Woon Jung in his last outing at UFC 293.

UFC Atlantic City takes place at Boardwalk Hall and f…

Rizin 45 Weigh-in Results: Juan Archuleta Comes in Heavy, Stripped of BW Title

🔥 #RIZIN45 Weigh-In Results 💥

⚔️ Co-Main EventRIZIN MMA Rules 61.0kg

🟥Juan Archuleta【63.80kg】@jarchmmaーーー🆚ーーー🟦Kai Asakura【60.95kg】@kai_1031_

※ Archuleta missed weight limit by 2.80kg

📅 12/30 (Sat) at 9pm PT📡 Watch on @FiteTV: https://t.co/2JKhqMly6i pic.twitter.com/3eKKGUdSzH — RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 30, 2023

All did not go as planned during weigh-ins for Rizin Fighting Federation’s year-end extravaganza.

Bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta tipped the scales at 140.6 pounds for his title defense against Kai Asakura (134.4) in the evening’s co-main event, and as a result, has been stripped of the 135-pound belt.

According to a release from the Japanese promotion: “In the event that both parties reach a mutual agreement, a no contest rule is the likely scenario, which would result in the crowning of a new champion, contingent upon Kai Asakura emerging victorious. Conversel…

Ketlen Vieira Forced Out of UFC Fight Night 234 Match Against Macy Chiasson

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is down one top contender match for its first card of 2024.

The promotion announced on Friday that the bantamweight pairing between Ketlen Vieira (14-3) and Macy Chiasson (8-3) will no longer be taking place at UFC Fight Night 234. The UFC noted that the fight had been canceled due to an undisclosed injury, while stating that Chiasson will not receive a replacement opponent on this card. According to multiple Instagram Stories on Vieira’s account, she appears to have suffered an injury to her left knee requiring frequent icing and treatment, while stating that “soon we will be back 100% God willing.”

“Fenomeno” was aiming to start the year off strong, looking to get back on a win streak following a decision victory over Pannie Kianzad in July. Dating back to 2020, the Brazilian has gone the distance in every match, win or lose. Vieira has faced many of the top names in her division, besting most of them including an impressive back…

UFC Announces New Drug-Testing Program Effective Dec. 31

.@UFC announces details of new anti-doping program ⤵️:https://t.co/LiIP8sgcfXhttps://t.co/LiIP8sgcfX

— UFC News (@UFCNews) December 29, 2023 Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters will find that little will change for them going forward.

The promotion sent out a press release on Thursday announcing its new policies on drug testing and doping. Titled the "UFC Anti-Doping Policy (UFC ADP)," it will begin for the company on Dec. 31 as it concludes its arrangement with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Competitors will still be subject to random drug tests at any time during the day by the new agency in place, Drug Free Sport International (DFSI), or an organization DFSI has contracted out.

All samples will be tested by the Sports Medicine and Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Salt Lake City, which currently handles testing in accordance with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) protocols and procedures. Heading up the program will be Dr.…

Sean O’Malley Speculates Reason Behind Delay in Conor McGregor’s Return

Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley has suggested that financial obstacles may be the reason for Conor McGregor’s absence.

Former two-division champ McGregor has been inactive since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a trilogy match against Dustin Poirier. While he recently returned to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) testing pool, “Notorious” has yet to be booked for his return to the Octagon. McGregor expressed his frustration on Saturday with the delay in his return, and even teased another shift to boxing.

O’Malley, on his podcast “TimboSugarShow” on Monday, pontificated whether another McGregor fight makes financial sense for the UFC. He suggested the kind of deal they might have with the Irishman, Forbes’ highest-earning athlete in 2021, could be restrictive or detrimental for the UFC.

“You know what’s crazy is Conor is supposedly just begging for a fight,” O’Malley remarked. “‘Give me a fight. Let me…

Holly Holm’s Manager Accuses Miesha Tate of Ducking Despite UFC 300 Callout

When it comes to Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm, it boils down to a classic tale of “she said, she said.”

In early December, Tate (19-9) spoke on The MMA Hour about her recovery following her match against Julia Avila and what she wanted next. “Cupcake” was open about the outcome-dependent result, in that she would have considered retirement with a loss but would like to push on following a win. Her attention turned towards the field of bantamweight contenders, but one name caught her eye more than the others: former foe Holm.

When asked about potentially rematching Holm on UFC 300 in April, Tate was not at all opposed to it, health permitting.

“I think it’s a great time,” Tate replied. “I think that sounds reasonable [to fight Holm again]. I did get a little bit of an injury leaving that fight [against Avila]. So, I’ve got to get an MRI and check myself out just to make sure. But it’s not very severe … I’ve been walking around, and I think I’m actu…

Reinier de Ridder-Anatoliy Malykhin 2 to Headline One Championship’s Qatar Debut

IT'S OFFICIAL 🚨 Two-division king Anatoly Malykhin challenges Reinier de Ridder for the ONE Middleweight MMA World Championship in the main event of ONE 166: Qatar 🔥 Can the Russian superstar make history and become ONE's first three-division World Champion or will "The Dutch… pic.twitter.com/bmvckSh1KG

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) December 28, 2023 ONE Championship two-division champ Anatoliy Malykhin is looking to make mixed martial arts history in March.

Per the organization via press release on Thursday, Malykhin (13-0), the reigning champion in ONE’s heavyweight and light heavyweight (225 pounds) divisions, will be dropping down to its middleweight (205 pounds) category to vie for another strap. In doing so, he will rematch Reinier de Ridder (16-1), the man he snatched the 225-pound strap from last December. The two serve as the main attraction for One 166, which will go down at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, on March …

Chinzo Machida Discusses Combat Sports Future, Alex Pereira’s UFC Title Reign

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Multiple-time Brazilian karate champion Chinzo Machida made a return to the ring earlier this month at Karate Combat 43, where he earned a unanimous decision win over American kickboxing veteran Shannon “The Cannon” Hudon.

“It’s been a long time,” Machida told Sherdog.com. “I’m focused on teaching at my academy [Machida Karate] in Los Angeles. But a fighter is always a fighter. When the invitation came against a veteran in similar shape, I thought it was a good way to return. And It was a hell of an experience, but I don’t intend to keep fighting. My goal now is to spread Machida Karate.”

According to Chinzo, Karate Combat has expressed interest in signing Lyoto Machida. However, he doesn’t believe the organization will make an offer his brother will accept. Chinzo revealed that his father, Yoshizo, motivated his kids to fight at a young age.

“My father is a classical Japanese [man]. Since we were kids, he taught us that fight…

Arnold Allen Initially Hoped for Bigger Name Than ‘Tough Test’ Movsar Evloev

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Arnold Allen would have admittedly preferred a bigger name than the undefeated Movsar Evloev for his next Octagon appearance.

Allen will look to bounce back from his first UFC loss against Max Holloway when he takes on Evloev at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The Englishman had originally lobbied for a clash against Brian Ortega, who was ultimately booked for a rematch against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico. While Allen had hoped for a more notable name, he believes Evloev is underrated.

“He’s very highly touted,” Allen recently told Violent Money TV. “I think there was some easier fights with higher-ranked guys. We were asking straight up for Ortega after the Holloway fight – the bigger name, the bigger fight – and obviously he was out for a while. Then I think they just want to make him and Yair rematch down the line.”

“I think that’s what they’re doing now. There’s some easier matchups and higher-…

Gilbert Burns: Strickland Hinted He Might Attack Du Plessis Before UFC 296 Brawl

The full incident between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at #UFC296 tonight.

Bring on #UFC297 in January! pic.twitter.com/HQt0Uj1jiv

— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023

Gilbert Burns recently shared some insider information about the cagedside brawl between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 296.

Strickland will defend his middleweight strap against Du Plessis at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The bad blood started during a seasonal press conference to promote their fight, where Du Plessis brought up Strickland’s abusive childhood. The two were seated close to each other while in attendance at UFC 296 the next day, which also led to speculation about the brawl being staged.

However, Burns, who along with his family had a first row seat to the whole episode, claims the scuffle was real. Before leaping over chairs to attack Du Plessis, Strickland could be seen asking Burns’ wife and child to move. “Du…

Aljamain Sterling Unimpressed by Sean O’Malley’s UFC 292 PPV Numbers

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Aljamain Sterling rolled the dice on the supposed star power of Sean O'Malley but came away unimpressed.

Sterling (23-4) lost his strap to O’Malley (17-1) via second-round knockout in the main event at UFC 292 in August, for which he received a share of the pay-per-view sales, and those figures were apparently disappointing. Without revealing the exact figure, Sterling said on his YouTube channel:

“I got the pay-per-view numbers, and me and her were going through it, and I’m just like, ‘These are the numbers that this guy was trying to say he’s this big pay-per-view star?' I’m just like, ‘Oh my God.’ When I saw the numbers, I literally said to her, ‘If I had any idea this is what the numbers would have been, if I could have predicted that this is what it would have been, my ass would have waited and taken my vacation then.'”

Sterling’s clash against O’Malley came three months after a successful title defense against Henry C…

Andre Petroski Announces Bout vs. Jacob Malkoun at UFC Atlantic City on March 30

Andre Petroski will square off against Jacob Malkoun in a middleweight showdown at UFC Atlantic City on March 30.

Petroski announced the pairing via social media. The UFC Fight Night event takes place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and features a women’s flyweight scrap pitting Erin Blanchfield against Manon Fiorot.

Petroski last appeared at UFC Fight Night 230 on Oct. 14, when he suffered a first-round technical knockout loss against Michel Pereira. That snapped a five-bout promotional winning streak for the 32-year-old Renzo Gracie Philly product.

Malkoun, meanwhile, has lost two of his last three bouts under the UFC banner. In his lone outing of 2023, the 28-year-old Australian suffered a disqualification defeat at UFC Fight Night 228 when he landed an illegal elbow against Cody Brundage 4:15 into the opening stanza of their Sept. 23 encounter.

Dricus Du Plessis Holds No Grudge Against Sean Strickland After UFC 296 Brawl

Dricus Du Plessis claims to have no hard feelings for Sean Strickland after their recent scuffle.

“Stillknocks” is slated to challenge Strickland for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The two initially got into a war of words during the UFC’s seasonal press conference in Las Vegas, which was held to promote upcoming events. Strickland and Du Plessis were seemingly seated too close for comfort a day later while in attendance at UFC 296, which resulted in a physical altercation between the two fighters. After a verbal exchange, Strickland was seen jumping over chairs to attack Du Plessis before being separated by security and escorted out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Du Plessis claims to harbor no ill feelings for Strickland, as he did what any “real man” in his position would have.

“For me, I was completely calm about – I wasn’t angry. I was having fun, and the security was like, ‘You need to c…

Ian Garry Says Online Hate He Received Isn’t ‘Real’

While Ian Garry might have been a target of ridicule leading up to UFC 296, the Irishman believes most of the online hate he received wasn’t real.

Garry has attracted a lot of attention recently for everything ranging from his relationship with his wife to his questionable gym etiquette. As a result, Garry was one of the most eagerly-awaited fighters at UFC 296 media day ahead of his proposed clash with Vicente Luque. However, “The Future” failed to show up to the session and was pulled from the bout a day after due to pneumonia. While Garry inevitably faced a lot of online hate, he believes most of it was fake. The former Cage Warriors champion thanked his true fans in a post on Instagram.

“Fight week didn’t go as planned,” Garry wrote. “Influenza developed into pneumonia as I dropped weight and for the first time in my career I was pulled by the UFC doctor. Flying home I met so many fans who flew out specifically to see me. F—k. This is not how I wanted to m…

Deontay Wilder at Peace Following Upset Loss to Joseph Parker

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Deontay Wilder is at peace with his decision loss to Joseph Parker on the Day of Reckoning card this past weekend weekend.

“The Bronze Bomber” appeared somewhat complacent throughout the build-up to the fight, and he went on drop scorecards of 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108 in a significant upset. Asked about his plans for the future, Wilder hinted that he might be nearing retirement.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said during his post-fight interview in the ring. “We have a little bit more left, but I’ve done a great job with managing my money, investing and I’m a happy fighter. We go ahead and do what we do, and we go home and live and spread love to the family and all our loved ones, and then on to the next. I’m a warrior, so I’ll be back soon. And if not, then it’s been an enjoyment. It is been a pleasure and I appreciate everybody for the love and the support that they’ve been giving me for over the years.”

A 2008 Olympic b…

Mayra Bueno Silva Would Have Preferred to Face Julianna Pena at UFC 297

Mayra Bueno Silva and Raquel Pennington will square off at UFC 297 for the women’s bantamweight crown, which was left vacant when Amanda Nunes retired in June.

Silva was so excited when she heard the announcement that she was initially confused about her opponent, as she at first thought she would be facing former champ Julianna Pena at the Jan. 20 event.

“At first I thought it was going to be Julianna, so we started watching all of Julianna’s fights after dinner,” Silva recently told MMAFighting.com. “A week later, I found out it was against Raquel. I didn’t even think about it, I thought it was Julianna because we were planning for that, right? I was super happy, already studying for Julianna, and then, ‘No, no, no, it’s Raquel.’ I was so excited [to fight for the UFC title], I didn’t even ask who the opponent was.”

While Silva would have preferred Pena as an opponent for marquee value, she believes Pennington will be the tougher fight. Read more about Mayra Bueno Silva Would Have Preferred to Face Julianna Pena at UFC 297

Corey Anderson Responds to Joe Rogan, Claims Bellator Pays Better Than UFC

While Joe Rogan acknowledges the caliber of talent in promotions like the Professional Fighters League and Bellator, he believes they are wasting their time competing outside the UFC.

While the UFC remains the largest MMA promotion in the world, the PFL recently acquired Bellator and laid claim to industry co-leader status by virtue of the newly-enhanced roster. However, Rogan believes most promotions are still a long way from catching the UFC when it comes to viewer interest.

“No disrespect to the other organizations, there’s very good fighters in the other organizations, but I often feel like they’re wasting their career,” he said on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “Because I see these elite fighters that are fighting in Bellator or PFL, and I’m like, ‘Hey, guys, no one’s watching.’ I mean, some people are watching. You’re getting a little bit of a fanbase. I don’t want to disrespect. But, there’s a reality. There’s the XFL and there’s the CF…

Joshua Still Open to Wilder Fight: ‘I Think It Does Amazing Numbers’

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Anthony Joshua hasn’t shut the door on a Deontay Wilder matchup despite “The Bronze Bomber’s” lopsided loss to Joseph Parker at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, over the weekend.

Wilder dropped scorecards of 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108 on the same card that Joshua stopped Otto Wallin in the fifth round. While many expected that result might jeopardize a potential Wilder vs. Joshua bout, the Englishman isn’t ruling out the possibility.

“I’m not too sure what can happen from here, but I’m sure from a fan perspective they’ll be more annoyed. For me I always understand how this game is. You never know,” Joshua said at the post-fight press conference. “This is elite level boxing. Wilder just came up short but he’ll live to fight another day.”

Me and him can still get it on, we can still get it cracking. I believe I’m a massive threat. I still think Wilder is a threat, and I still think it does amazing numbers if you g…

Conor McGregor Expresses Frustration with Recent Stretch of Inactivity

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The time away from fighting is starting to irk Conor McGregor.

The former UFC two-division champion vented about his lack of activity in an interview with Talk Sport Boxing over the weekend. McGregor coached opposite Michael Chandler on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” earlier this year, but thus far, a date hasn’t been announced for their fight.

“Give me something,” McGregor said. “It was supposed to be April, [and before that] it was supposed to be December. They never treated anyone – no one has ever been treated [like this] for all the figures I’ve brought in this game.

“I sell more than all of them combined. I see more than all of them combined. No one in the history of the fight game has ever been treated the way I’m getting treated – to what I came through, to what I bring … I’m waiting, I’m waiting and I’m waiting. My patience is wearing thin.”

McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar, revealed that the fighter’s tea…

Ex-UFC Champ Jan Blachowicz to Require Two Separate Shoulder Surgeries

The road to recovery is just beginning for Jan Blachowicz.

The former light heavyweight champion was forced to withdraw from a rematch against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 297 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. As it turns out, the Polish star will need to undergo two separate procedures.

“First shoulder operated on,” Blachowicz wrote Saturday on social media. “Unfortunately, there was too much work to do with one, so they couldn’t fix both at once. Another surgery soon. I’ll have to wait a little bit longer to come back.”

First shoulder operated on. Unfortunately, there was too much work to do with one, so they couldn't fix both at once. Another surgery soon. I'll have to wait a little longer to come back.

I wish you all Merry Christmas! pic.twitter.com/RDIIxDSBgm

— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) December 23, 2023

A timeline for Blachowicz’s return is unknown, and he did not give a date for his sec…

Israel Adesanya Indicates UFC Return is Looming: ‘You Will See Me Soon’

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It appears Israel Adesanya’s hiatus will come to an end in the near future.

In a recent interview with iFL TV, the former UFC middleweight champion addressed his next Octagon appearance, indicating that it could be on the horizon.

“Me right now, I’m taking my time,” Adesanya said. “My last few fights, I had four fights in 14 months as a champion in the UFC. That’s unheard of. I was the most active champion, not fighter, champion in the league. So life has forced me to take some time off and I will, but you will see me soon.

“I said 2027 and the retards out there actually thought I meant that, but you’ll see.”

Adesanya is coming off an upset loss to Sean Strickland in a 185-pound title bout at UFC 293 this past September. In the aftermath of that defeat, “The Last Stylebender” suggested that he wouldn’t be back in action "for a long time.”

Adesanya went undefeated in his first 12 UFC middleweight appearances befo…

UFC 298 Update: Rinya Nakamura to Face Brady Hiestand in Anaheim on Feb. 17

A bantamweight clash pitting Rinya Nakamura against Brady Hiestand is on tap for UFC 298.

Heistand’s management, Iridium Sports Agency, initially announced the contest and it was later confirmed by both athletes on social media. UFC 298 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17 and is headlied by a featherweight championship showdown between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

Nakamura is undefeated in eight professional appearances. The 28-year-old Saitama, Japan, native won the Road to UFC tournament with a trio of first-round finishes before outpointing Fernie Garcia in his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 225 on Aug. 26.

A cast member on Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Hiestand has won back-to-back bouts after falling to Ricky Turcios in the finale of the reality show at UFC on ESPN 30. Since then, “Bam Bam” has scored triumphs over Fernie Garcia and Batgerel Dana within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

UFC Fight Night 234 on Jan. 13 Undergoes Multiple Changes

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first offering of 2024 will have a slightly different look than originally anticipated after changes to multiple bouts on the card.

Yana Santos has withdrawn from a proposed bantamweight booking against Norma Dumont after suffering a broken nose. MMAjunkie.com confirmed Santos’ exit after the fighter announced the injury on social media. It is currently unknown if Dumont will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.

Elsewhere, Matthew Semelsberger will replace Bassil Hafez and lock horns with Preston Parsons in a welterweight scrap. Parsons confirmed the new pairing on social media. The reason for Hafez’s withdrawal is currently unknown. Semelsberger has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances, including a third-round TKO defeat against Uros Medic in his most recent outing at UFC 291. Parsons suffered a split-decision setback against Trevin Giles at UFC on ESPN 43 in his lone bout of 2023.

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