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Jon Jones Injured; Pavlovich to Face Aspinall for Interim Heavyweight Title at UFC 295

BREAKING NEWS…………… Sergei Pavlovich vs Tom Aspinall for the Interim Heavyweight Championship. Main Event is Jiri Prochazka vs Alex Pereira. #UFC295 is LIVE at MSG on ESPN+ PPV pic.twitter.com/SaPAwpyHi2

— danawhite (@danawhite) October 25, 2023

There has been a significant change atop the UFC 295 lineup.

Sergei Pavlovich will now square off against Tom Aspinall for the interim heavyweight crown in the new UFC 295 co-main event after reigning champion Jon Jones was forced to withdraw from the card after suffering an injury in training. Jones was supposed to face Stipe Miocic in the original UFC 295 headliner, but it’s currently unclear if Miocic was offered a fight against either Aspinall or Pavlovich.

Meanwhile, the light heavyweight championship clash pitting Jiri Prochazka against Alex Pereira has been elevated to the evening’s new headliner.

The news was announced by UFC CEO Dana White late Tuesday night.

“Jon…

Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson Booked for Third Meeting at Karate Combat 43

Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson will have their trilogy in a slightly different combat sports arena.

The former UFC champions will meet at 170 pounds in the headliner of Karate Combat 43 on Dec. 15 at the Expo at World Trade Market in Las Vegas. The promotion confirmed the pairing following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.

Pettis owns a 2-0 mark against Henderson under MMA rules. The two lightweights closed out the World Extreme Cagefighting era in December 2010, when Pettis took a five-round verdict over Henderson in a bout that saw him unveil his “Showtime Kick.” They squared off again at UFC 164 in August 2013, when Pettis claimed the lightweight belt with a first-round submission victory.

More recently, Pettis went 1-4 under the Professional Fighters League banner from 2021 to 2022. He then tried his hand at the Sweet Science, earning a majority decision victory against Roy Jones Jr. at Gamebred Boxing 4 this past April.

After Emotional Post-Fight Presser, Volkanovski Says He’s in Good Place Mentally

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Following an emotional session at the UFC 294 press-conference, there was plenty of concern for Alexander Volkanovski’s mental well-being.

With his first-round knockout loss to Islam Makhachev a few more days in the rearview mirror, Volkanovski addressed his mindset in a video on his YouTube channel. The UFC’s reigning featherweight champion admitted that the defeat weighed heavily on him, but he also made it clear that he’s in a good place mentally overall.

“So straight after the fight, I did the post-fight press conference and I want people to understand that, yeah, there was a raw emotion seen, but I want everyone to know that I’m OK,” Volkanovski said. “I think that people have to remember that I did just come off getting tagged, knocked out. I lost. I knew that legacy wise and all that, all those things start coming into play, so that was obviously hurting me.”

In the immediate aftermath of the loss, Volkanovski lobbied …

Bud Light Returns as Official Beer of UFC with Record Sponsorship Deal

.@UFC and Anheuser-Busch (@AnheuserBusch) announce multiyear partnership.

More information on the new partnership ➡️: https://t.co/UskNcHo80d

— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 24, 2023

After a bit of a hiatus, the Bud Light logo will once again grace the Octagon for Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

According to broadcast partner ESPN, the UFC has signed a new partnership with Anheuser-Busch to make Bud Light the official beer of the promotion. While it is reportedly the biggest sponsorship deal in UFC history, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The multi-year contract begins on Jan. 1. The UFC and Anheuser-Busch were previously partners until 2017, when the company switched to Modelo as its official beer.

"Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFC's original beer sponsors more than fifteen years ago," UFC CEO Dana White said in a release. "I'm proud to announce we are back in business together. There …

Fighters Only World MMA Awards Set for Dec. 14 in Las Vegas

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The best and brightest of the mixed martial arts world will be recognized at the Fighters Only World MMA Awards on Dec. 14.

The 15th iteration of the event will take place at the SAHARA Las Vegas with a host of fighters, industry executives, personalities and other notables on hand. The World MMA Awards will recognize the achievements and performances of people in the sport during the period beginning July 2022 and ending June 2023.

Categories include Fighter of the Year, Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, Upset of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year, Gym of the Year, Promotion of the Year and many more. Sherdog.com is among the candidates for MMA Media Source of the Year, which is “awarded to the leading source of news, fight reviews and features.”

“This year the awards celebrate a special 15-year anniversary,” said host Rob Hewitt in a release. “The sport has come a long way during that time and this is r…

Dana White: Makhachev Has Potential to Go on Record-Breaking Title Defense Run

Islam Makhachev is only one successful title defense from tying the UFC’s all-time record at lightweight.

The American Kickboxing Academy product authored his second successful defense at UFC 294 with a first-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The lightweight record of three championship defenses is currently held by Khabib Nurmagomedov, B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson.

With an upcoming itinerary that likely includes fights against Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje, Makhachev could suprass that record as early as 2024 if all goes well.

“He keeps doing what he’s doing, you’ve just got to keep grinding, knocking them down one by one and it will eventually happen,” UFC CEO Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“The truth is when you look at Khabib — and nothing against Khabib, Khabib came in and won the title and defended it — but this kid could go on a defense r…

Victor Henry Gives Update After UFC 294 Groin Shot, Has ‘No Permanent Damage’

This bout has been called to a stop.

Victor Henry is unable to continue after an unintentional foul and the fight has been ruled a no contest #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/UWhaeyzMFu

— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2023

While the cageside doctor may have been skeptical, Victor Henry was in agony after absorbing an inadvertent low blow from Javid Basharat at UFC 294.

Ultimately, Henry was unable to continue following the foul, and the bantamweight bout was ruled a no contest 15 seconds into Round 2. Henry, who was reportedly vomiting back stage and went to the hospital after the fight, gave a positive update on his condition via social media on Monday.

“A little update for you guys: doctors said no permanent damage to my pills but I’m gonna walk a little funny for a couple days,” Henry wrote. “Swelling has gone down a significant amount after sleeping with ice on my smooth criminals, which isn’t very easy to do.

“For th…

Jake Paul’s Team Claims He Has Agreed to PFL Fight Against Nate Diaz

Jake Paul won’t be rematching Nate Diaz in the squared circle, but according to his team, the YouTube personality has agreed to face the Stockton, Calif., native under the Professional Fighters League banner.

Diaz recently hinted that a boxing rematch with Paul was in the works by sharing a fight poster on social media. While Paul recently announced his next fight is set for Dec. 15, an opponent has not been confirmed.

“For the record: Jake Paul will not be boxing Nate Diaz again,” read a statement from Most Valuable Promotions. “Nate Diaz and Jake Paul have received an offer from [the PFL] to rematch in MMA in the SmartCage. Jake Paul has accepted the offer.”

For the record: Jake Paul will not be boxing Nate Diaz again.

Nate Diaz and Jake Paul have received an offer from @PFLMMA to rematch in MMA in the SmartCage. Jake Paul has accepted the offer.

— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) October 23, 2023…

Makhachev Willing to Face Oliveira or Gaethje, But Not Excited About Another Rematch

Islam Makhachev was proud to showcase another element to his game in the UFC 294 headliner.

The reigning lightweight champion retained his title with a first-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in their rematch at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Makhachev hurt his foe with a head kick and finished the job with follow-up punches at the 3:06 mark of Round 1. It was a far cry from their first meeting: a hard-fought unanimous decision win for Makhachev at UFC 294 in February.

“My coaches have told me I have a good head kick. I always try to land the kick when I fight,” Makhachev said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “For an opponent like Volkanovski, who’s a little bit shorter, it’s the best plan to land some kicks. When you have short opponent, it’s easy to land. I show him low kick, body kick and show him head kick. This is the plan.

“(I was) really happy to finish him (in the ) first round,” he added. “If it happened in cha…

Jared Cannonier Reveals Knee Injury Forced Him to Turn Down Chimaev Fight

Before Kamaru Usman stepped up, the opportunity was supposed to belong to Jared Cannonier.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Cannonier revealed that he was offered the fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, but an injury suffered shortly thereafter prevented him from accepting the bout. Ultimately, Chimaev defeated Usman via majority decision in Saturday’s co-main event in Abu Dhabi.

“I got the call to step in to fight Chimaev,” Cannonier said. “But unfortunately, before I could tell my manager to tell the UFC yes, I had injured myself. So I wasn’t able to take that fight on 10 days. They called me on the 10th. They called me, offered me that fight – before they offered it to Usman, they offered it to me. So it would have been me. It could have easily been me.”

Cannonier has won four of his last five UFC appearances, a run that includes a split-decision triumph over current middleweight champion Sean Strickland. That would have m…

Sean Strickland: Khamzat Chimaev ‘Doesn’t F—-ing Deserve’ Middleweight Title Shot

Well, it looks like @SStricklandMMA is ready for a matchup with Khamzat! #UFC294

Didn’t hold back and we wouldn’t expect him to. #ExtraRounds from the @PBR Teams Championship. pic.twitter.com/uuQPRVkOzD

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) October 22, 2023

As one might expect, Sean Strickland is quite outspoken on the subject of the UFC middleweight division’s new No. 1 contender.

Khamzat Chimaev made his 185-pound debut at UFC 294, where he defeated ex-welterweight king Kamaru Usman in Saturday’s co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Even though he hasn’t beaten anyone in the middleweight rankings, the victory was presumably enough to assure Chimaev of a title shot. At least, that’s what UFC CEO Dana White promised ahead of the fight.

In an interview on the UFC Fight Pass “Extra Rounds” show, Strickland questioned Chimaev’s credentials as a No. 1 contender in his new weight class. Of course, that doesn’t mean…

Basharat to Appeal No Contest Ruling Against Henry: ‘I Made the Veteran Quit’

This bout has been called to a stop.

Victor Henry is unable to continue after an unintentional foul and the fight has been ruled a no contest #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/UWhaeyzMFu

— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2023

Javid Basharat does not agree with his UFC 294 outing against Victor Henry being ruled a no contest.

On a night that had its fair share of odd outcomes, the bantamweight matchup between Basharat and Henry was the first match to end abruptly.

While Round 1 was quite competitive, Basharat seemed to edge it out in terms of volume and significant strikes landed. As the second round began, Basharat threw an inside leg kick that seemingly landed on Henry's groin, which sent the American crashing to the canvas in agony.

While referee Lukasz Boscacki gave the veteran the entire five minutes to recover, the agony Henry was in rendered him unable to continue. Ultimately, the referee declared the fight a no-contest 15 s…

Khamzat Chimaev Believes He Suffered Broken Hand in Round 1 Against Kamaru Usman

Khamzat Chimaev might not have been at 100% for the majority of his fight against Kamaru Usman in the UFC 294 co-main event.

After a dominant opening stanza, Chimaev held on for a hard-fought majority decision triumph over the former welterweight champion at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. After the victory, “Borz” told ESPN that he believes he broke his hand in the opening frame.

"First round, I think I broke my hand and finger," Chimaev said. "I couldn't punch hard with right hand. My right hand is a big weapon. When you can't use it, it's hard to work.”

Chimaev, who was making his 185-pound debut, is expected to receive a title shot against Sean Strickland by virtue of his win over Usman. First, the undefeated fighter will have to make sure his hand is good to go.

"I will check my hand," Chimaev said. "If it's good, I'm gonna try to lift the weights and be ready for the next one."

Dana White Criticizes ‘Inexperienced’ Doctor for Stoppage in Walker vs. Ankalaev

The bout between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker has been called a no contest after Walker was deemed unable to continue due to an illegal knee from Ankalaev. #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/Mvy6NwaDso

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 21, 2023

Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev didn’t really have a chance to get going at UFC 294.

The light heavyweight bout ended in a no contest at the 3:13 mark of Round 1 when the cageside physician determined Walker couldn’t continue after absorbing an illegal knee from his opponent. It was a controversial decision, especially because it seemed like Walker was ready to continue. However, the Brazilian apparently didn’t respond adequately to the doctor’s verbal examination.

“The guy’s inexperienced,” UFC CEO Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I think there’s a lot of things that probably happened. I guess he asked him ‘where are you right now?’ and his response was ‘I…

Dillon Danis Released from Bellator MMA Contract, Enters Free Agency

Dillon Danis is officially a free agent.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has been released from his Bellator MMA contract. Multiple outlets confirmed the news following an initial report from Ariel Helwani.

The 30-year-old competed under the Bellator banner just twice, earning first-round submission victories on both occasions. He last competed on June 14, 2019, when he tapped out Max Humphrey with an armbar at Bellator 222. Injuries prevented Danis from fighting again within the California-based promotion.

More recently, “El Jefe” faced Logan Paul at a Misfits Boxing event on Oct. 6. Danis was disqualified at the 2:55 mark of Round 6 when he attempted a takedown and guillotine choke on his opponent.

Danis received plenty of attention at the beginning of his foray into MMA thanks in large part to his outspoken persona and his association with former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor. Now Danis hopes to join the Irish star in …

Kamaru Usman on Performance Against Khamzat Chimaev: ‘I Need to Trust Myself More’

Kamaru Usman believes he could have done more in his short-notice middleweight fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.

Usman put on a gritty performance against Chimaev in the three-round co-main event headlined by a championship rematch between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski. However, Chimaev's dominant wrestling and control in Round 1 seemed to have set Usman back on the scorecards from the very start.

The remaining rounds were extremely close. While Usman seemed to have the striking advantage, Chimaev managed to display his effective grappling skills throughout the bout. In the end, "Borz" improved his impressive mixed martial arts record to 13-0 with a majority decision victory against the former welterweight champion.

Reflecting on his performance during the post-fight interview with Megan Olivi, Usman was quick to criticize his inability to start the fight strong.

“If anything that I can say I take away from tonight …

Alexander Volkanovski Reflects on Decision to Take Makhachev Fight on Short Notice

Alexander Volkanovski was aware of the risk and reward involved in taking on a short-notice fight with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.

Unfortunately for the UFC featherweight champion, his eagerness and determination to continuously add accolades to his legacy seems to have cost him this time around. Following a brutal Round 1 knockout loss to Makhachev in their rematch at UFC 294, Volkanovski reflected on his performance and discussed what led him to take on the short-notice bout during the post-fight press conference.

“I don’t want to sit there and obviously make excuses,” Volkanovski said. “You know what I mean? Obviously, I’m a big believer in preparation and stuff like that. But I back myself, so that’s the decision I made. You know what I mean? I’ve probably made decisions… I could’ve made better decisions, but he’s not somebody you should be taking a short notice with. But I needed it. A lot of people will say it’s for the money and all that, b…

Video: Paulo Costa Scuffles with Fan at UFC 294

Don’t mess with me lil chenchen I send you back home with smack straight in ur big forehead 😂😂 my right arm is working already 🔥🧃🤜🔪 pic.twitter.com/3mN1ATrWsw

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) October 21, 2023

Paulo Costa didn’t fight as scheduled at UFC 294, but that didn’t prevent him from getting into an altercation with a fan while seated cageside.

The Brazilian video posted a video to social media that shows a fan leaping from the stands at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi in hopes of confronting Costa. Security was able to hold both parties back, but not before Costa appears threw a right hand at the onrushing spectator. It is unclear what caused the scuffle.

Costa posted a message directed toward Khamzat Chimaev in the caption of the video.

“Don’t mess with me lil chenchen I send you back home with smack straight in ur big forehead my right arm is working already,” Costa wrote.

“Borrachinha” w…

Islam Makhachev Head Kick Vanquishes Alexander Volkanovski in UFC 294 Headliner

Islam Makhachev did not need five rounds this time.

The American Kickboxing Academy superstar retained the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown, as he wrecked Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick and follow-up punches in the first round of their UFC 294 headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A short-notice substitution for Charles Oliveira, Volkanovski (26-3, 13-2 UFC) met his end 3:06 into Round 1.

Makhachev (25-1, 14-1 UFC)—who had beaten the City Kickboxing rep by unanimous decision eight months ago—probed with kicks to all levels, jockeyed for position in the clinch after his first takedown attempt was denied and drifted out into open space. He then fired the head kick above Volkanovski’s guard. Shin met skull with devastating consequences, as the Aussie stumbled backward in a compromised state. Makhachev offered no reprieve, letting go with punches and hammerfists until referee Marc …

UFC 294 ‘Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC 294 coverage will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Magomedov (-250), Silva (+205)Round 1 It is time for the UFC’s annual show in Abu Dhabi, and it begins early for stateside audiences. Morning mayhem is on the menu for fight fans in the Western Hemisphere, and the UFC has done its darnedest to build a card that can excite from fight no. 1 to 13. The action begins in the middleweight division between two men that crave knockouts. Making his debut with the promotion against a tough test, Magomedov (11-0, 0-0 UFC) will be taking a serious step up in competition when he battles “Blindado” Silva (23-9, 4-3 UFC). Before the fists and feet fly, referee Jason Herzog checks them in. The gloves are touched, and Magomedov swats away a few flies before engaging. Magomedov takes the center of the cage and whips a kick out low to test the waters, and Silva no-sells it and slowly walks him down. Magomedov lands another from range, b…

UFC 294 Prelims: Muhammad Mokaev Arm-Triangle Dispatches Tim Elliott in Abu Dhabi

Muhammad Mokaev moved one step closer to contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.

The unbeaten KHK MMA Team export subdued former Titan Fighting Championship titleholder Tim Elliott with an arm-triangle choke in the third round of their featured UFC 294 prelim on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Elliott (19-13-1, 8-11 UFC) bowed out 3:03 into Round 3, suffering his first submission defeat in more than three years.

Mokaev (11-0, 5-0 UFC) weaved through several harrowing moments—he slammed himself out of a tight triangle choke in the second round—on the canvas, settled in top position and applied his ground-and-pound. He freed himself from a front headlock in Round 3, sprang a reversal and framed the arm-triangle. Before Elliott could counter, the choke was in place.

Meanwhile, a more measured and tactical approach led Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Trevor Peek to a unanimous decision o…

UFC 294 Bonuses: Islam Makhachev Among Four ‘Performance of the Night’ Winners

Islam Makhachev left a lasting stamp on the UFC 294 proceedings.

The reigning lightweight champion received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his first-round knockout of featherweight title holder Alexander Volkanovski in Saturday’s headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Makhachev hurt his opponent with a head kick and then finished the victory with follow-up punches at the 3:06 mark of Round 1 for his 13th consecutive UFC triumph.

Elsewhere, Ikram Aliskerov received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” paycheck for making short work of Warlley Alves in a featured middleweight contest. Aliskerov rocked his Brazilian foe with a flying knee before unloading with punches to force the stoppage 2:07 into the opening round.

Earlier, Said Nurmagomedov garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a first-round submission of Muin Gafarov in a bantamweight clash. The former World Fighting Championship Akhmat title holder capitalized on…

Charles Oliveira Still Wants ‘Money Fight’ Against Conor McGregor

Even though Charles Oliveira won't be fighting Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, the former champion is confident that something "greater" awaits him.

Oliveira recently revealed to MMAFighting.com that he suffered the nasty elbow cut over his eye while defending a takedown which led to an inadvertent head clash.

Despite the disappointment and frustration of missing out on his scheduled rematch with Makhachev, the Brazilian is already looking forward to a potential title fight or a blockbuster matchup with Conor McGregor.

“Charles Oliveira against Conor McGregor, money fight. It’s a fight that will give us a lot of money. Conor sells, Charles also sells,” Oliveira said. “It’s a fight that everybody wants. The only one we don’t know if [he] wants this fight is Conor because I’ve said it a thousand times — 170, 185, 155, I don’t know, choose the weight. Say where and I’ll be there. Just send the contract and we’ll sign it. That’s the fight. Title fi…

Justin Gaethje Says He’s Fighting Islam Makhachev-Alexander Volkanovski Winner Next

Justin Gaethje is confident he's next in line for a shot at the lightweight title.

Currently on a two-fight winning streak, “The Highlight” is coming off an emphatic Round 2 knockout victory against perennial lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, which saw him secure the “BMF” title in July at UFC 291. Before that, the American took on one of the most vicious strikers in the division in Rafael Fiziev, and both fighters put on an exceptional showing of grit and will. However, Gaethje) proved to be the more calculated and cerebral fighter of the two, eventually securing a majority decision triumph.

Interestingly, Gaethje recently confirmed that he was offered to take on Islam Makhachev on short notice for UFC 294. However, the former interim champion chose to decline the opportunity, insinuating it was too close to his last bout with Dustin Poirier for him to make the turnaround.

During the same interaction following the UFC 294 ceremonial weigh-…

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