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Rafael Fiziev Provides Update on Knee Injury Suffered Against Mateusz Gamrot

Fans hoping that Rafael Fiziev’s injury last month would not keep him on the shelf for too long should feel relieved, as the 30-year-old striker recently announced his successful surgery.

Fiziev (12-3) suffered the injury in Round 2 of his main-event appearance against Mateusz Gamrot (23-2) at UFC Fight Night 228 in September. Following a competitive Round 1, Fiziev upped the forward pressure but suddenly went down halfway through the second frame while throwing a right kick at his opponent. What many suspected to be a knee injury was soon confirmed to be an ACL tear. Interestingly, this isn't the first time "Ataman" has suffered an ACL injury.

Following a successful procedure, the mercurial UFC lightweight took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share a message with his fans.

Just done surgery on my left acl. Same injury I had 3 years ago. I will come back even stronger. Recovery starts now. Thanks for the support🦿

…

Thanh Le Wins Interim Title With Lightning-Quick Sub at ONE Fight Night 15

#ONEFightNight15 highlight video: Thanh Le heel hooks Ilya Freymanov pic.twitter.com/gutuiFqoaW

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) October 7, 2023

ONE Fight Night 15 took place at the famed Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. A smorgasbord of mixed martial arts, kickboxing, muay thai and submission grappling, the card was contested within a square ring rather than a cage. That certainly made the MMA matches unique by modern standards.

The main event was a fight for the interim ONE Championship 155-pound MMA title between Thanh Le and Ilya Freymanov. Le is a former ONE champion, having knocked out Martin Nguyen for the throne in 2020 before defending against then-undefeated submission wizard Gary Tonon, knocking him out in just 56 seconds. However, Le lost his title by unanimous decision to Kai Tang last year. At 38 years old, there were doubts about how much he had left in the tank. His opponent was 27-year-old Russian upstart Freym…

ONE Fight Night 15 ‘Le vs. Freymanov’ Play-by-Play & Results

Sherdog's live ONE Fight Night 15 coverage kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1

Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result ONE 155-Pound Interim MMA Title Bout:Thanh Le (154) vs. Ilya Freymanov (154.5) Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result

Bellator 300 Weigh-in Results: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Heavy, Ineligible to Win Belt

[embedded content] For the second time in a row, champion Liz Carmouche will be facing a challenger that missed weight.

A stacked Bellator MMA event is now official as the promotion celebrates a monumental milestone of hitting 300 numbered events. Earlier this week, the organization had four championship bouts booked for the "quadruple main event." After an illness to one heavyweight challenger and a weight miss for one at flyweight, Bellator's four-pronged main card has changed significantly. While three title fights still remain on the billing, the third will be a one-way affair, as only the champ can retain her belt at night's end.

The final bout on the Bellator 300 marquee will see Usman Nurmagomedov look to defend his lightweight throne against Brent Primus in what is also a lightweight grand prix semifinal bout. Meanwhile, Cristiane Justino will put her featherweight strap on the line against Cat Zingano in the co-main event. Additionally, Carmouche was aiming t…

UFC Fight Night 229 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

First to the scale, @BobbyKGreen, in at 156lbs ahead of #UFCVegas80! pic.twitter.com/wnT6zSIpGJ

— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2023 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns after a rare week off with a UFC Apex card featuring an intriguing lightweight main event.

UFC Fight Night 229 is headlined by Grant Dawson vs. Bobby Green. Both lightweight contenders successfully made weight for the five-round main event. Every fighter also made weight for the 11-fight card.

Dawson (20-1-1) is undefeated since entering the UFC. The only blemish on the record of "KGD" is a majority draw against Ricky Glenn in 2021. He's currently coming off three straight wins over Jared Gordon, Mark O. Madsen and Damir Ismagulov. Dawson stepped on the scale weighing 156 pounds.

This marks the second UFC main event for Green (30-14-1, 1 NC), who is coming off a win over Tony Ferguson. Prior to the win, "King" had been on a rough stretch that saw him …

Derek Brunson to Face Ray Cooper III at PFL 2023 Championships in 185-Pound Bout

Derek Brunson’s trip up to 205 pounds will be on hold for a few more months.

On Thursday, news broke that Brunson (23-9) had signed with Professional Fighters League. Per his manager, Brunson would be competing this year, and that his destination was ultimately the light heavyweight bracket of the 2024 tournament. The organization released on Friday his first assignment, which will be taking place at middleweight on Nov. 24. At the PFL 2023 Championships event, he will battle it out with former welterweight tourney victor Ray Cooper III (25-8-1).

The two will collide as the featured prelim in a “showcase” bout, in what will be the second middleweight match since Louis Taylor defeated Abusupiyan Magomedov for the 185-pound throne in the 2018 Championships event. Although Brunson’s manager stated that he would be moving to light heavyweight, it is unclear at this time if the promotion will be re-opening the weight class for a bracket in next year's to…

American Kickboxing Academy Coach Javier Mendes Eyes One Rematch in Particular

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Renowned American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendes recently discussed potential opponents for his charge, Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, following his upcoming rematch with Charles Oliveira at UFC 294.

While Makhachev (24-1) has expressed a desire to move up a weight class and face the winner of Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington for the welterweight strap following the rematch with “do Bronx,” his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently revealed that Justin Gaethje would probably be next in line for a lightweight title shot following an impressive knockout victory against Dustin Poirier at UFC 291.

While Mendes is happy to take on the aforementioned fights, there is one that the AKA head coach would prefer for his Dagestani pupil. In a recent interview with Helen Yee, the San Jose, California,-based trainer elaborated:

“So, in a perfect world, What I would like is what Islam wants beca…

Unbeaten Zayundin Suleymanov Fells Adilet Mamytov at ONE Friday Fights 36

Zayundin Suleymanov could not have scripted a better One Championship debut.

The undefeated Russian cut down Adilet Mamytov with punches in the second round of their ONE Friday Fights 36 flyweight showcase on Friday at historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Suleymanov (7-0, 1-0 ONE) drew the curtain 2:46 into Round 2, as he planted his flag in the Chatri Sityodtong-led promotion with authority.

Mamytov (5-1, 0-1 ONE) fired off some one-twos, a few flying knees to the body and the occasional spinning attack but could not keep his aggressive opponent at bay. Suleymanov kept him off-balance with repeated takedowns and tie-ups, pairing those efforts with ground-and-pound when the opportunity presented itself. He floored Mamytov in the corner with an overhand left midway through the second round, forced him into a defensive shell and closed it out with follow-up punches.

Meanwhile, Lakay MMA prospect Carlos Neyheban Alvarez put away Phr…

Colby Covington Responds to Islam Makhachev: Dagestanis Talk a Big Game

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Colby Covington would be more than happy to take on reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight ace Islam Makhachev in a potential welterweight title bout.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Makhachev shared that while he isn't overlooking his next opponent, he'd like the opportunity to fight for the welterweight strap if he again conquers Charles Oliveira in their rematch at Oct. 21’s UFC 294 pay-per-view.

The Dagestan native believes he's earned the right to challenge for a belt in another division, especially since he afforded UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski the same opportunity at UFC 284.

Moreover, Makhachev expressed his support for Covington as the American gears up to take on Edwards for the title at UFC 296. The 31-year-old believes a matchup with "Chaos" would be a great test of USA wrestling vs. Dagestani wrestling.

Responding to the reigning lightweight champion…

Manager: Lightweight Clash Between Beneil Dariush, Arman Tsarukyan in the Works

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight mainstay Beneil Dariush is apparently gearing up to face rising prospect Arman Tsarukyan. Dariush's manager Ali Abdelaziz broke the news to The Schmo in an exclusive interview.

“The UFC [is trying] to make this fight happen and when this fight [gets booked], they’re going to announce it,” said Abdelaziz. “I believe this is the next fight. Arman is a very tough kid, one of the best guys in the world. And Beneil, this is what he does, fight the best of the best. Nobody has [faced a] tougher schedule than Beneil Dariush in all the divisions.”

Dariush (22-5) saw his eight-fight win streak come to a halt in his most recent title elimination outing against former lightweight king Charles Oliveira at UFC 289.

Having recorded wins over the likes of Drew Dober, Tony Ferguson and Mateusz Gamrot, the 34-year-old was on the cusp of securing a title shot but failed to do so, suffering a Round 1 technical knockout loss against the Br…

Light Heavyweight Return Results in Rekindled Relevance for Philipe Lins

A move to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, altered the trajectory of Philipe Lins’ career as a professional mixed martial artist. He won a $1 million Professional Fighters League tournament at 205 pounds roughly a year later in 2018, then signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a heavyweight in order to prove himself at the sport’s highest level.

“It was a high point in my career,” Lins told Sherdog.com.

However, there was no honeymoon period in the UFC. Lins was greeted by back-to-back defeats to Andrei Arlovski and Tanner Boser, forcing him to recalibrate his position.

“A red light went off,” he said. “I needed to change something. I sat down with my coaches and manager. We made a good decision in having me drop back down to light heavyweight. I have a much healthier lifestyle now. I feel so much better. I’m more focused back at my original weight class.”

Lins will carry a four-fight winning streak into his latest as…

Manager: PFL Signs Former UFC Middleweight Derek Brunson for 205-Pound Tourney

Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Derek Brunson hopes to continue the trend of UFC castouts winning the million-dollar check in his new division.

On Thursday, The Schmo released an interview conducted with Dominance MMA head Ali Abdelaziz, who explained that Brunson (23-9) is moving onto greener pastures. The former Strikeforce vet was initially slated to meet Roman Dolidze in November, but instead, Brunson was released from the organization altogether. Per the manager, the parting between the UFC and Brunson was “mutual” and both “very smooth” and “very respectful.” Brunson has now signed with Professional Fighters League.

“Derek Brunson, he signed with PFL,” Abdelaziz stated. “He’s a PFL fighter. He’s going to fight before the end of the year. He did a lot for the UFC, the UFC did a lot for him, he [had] a great career…and now, he’s looking to make his run at [the] light heavyweight title for PFL.”

When Brunson competes again, he w…

Bobby Green Explains Why He and Justin Gaethje Choose Not to Wrestle

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Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender Bobby Green sees certain similarities between himself and Justin Gaethje.

Green (30-14), who takes on Grant Dawson (20-1) in a main-event clash on Oct. 7, is coming off a Round 3 submission win over Tony Ferguson. Being a thorough crowd-favorite who engages in stand-up clashes, this was the first time Green submitted an opponent since 2013.

However, Green’s reluctance to wrestle has nothing to do with his skill set, as “King” was a CIF wrestling champion at A.B. Miller High School in Fontana, California. Similarly, fellow crowd favorite Gaethje also primarily chooses to avoid wrestling despite being a two-time state champion (AIA) at Safford High School and an NCAA Division I All-American during his time at the University of Northern Colorado.

Green believes he and “The Highlight” both avoid wrestling because they are on a quest to become “superstars.” Promising to conti…

Joaquin Buckley Can’t Make Sense of ‘Chaos’ Getting Title Shot Over Belal Muhammad

“To put some respect on his name, Belal Muhammad @bullyb170 should’ve been fighting for the belt, you know.”- Joaquin Buckley💯🎯 pic.twitter.com/tIkGxEejH0

— فريال محمد (@faryalmohammed) October 4, 2023

Joaquin Buckley has voiced support for Belal Muhammad amidst the latter’s title shot snub.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship recently announced a welterweight title clash between Colby Covington (17-3) and Leon Edwards (21-3) at UFC 296 on Dec. 16, sidelining Muhammad from his long-due crack at divisional gold.

The announcement came after months of vocal protests from elite UFC welterweights including Muhammad (23-3), who are unhappy with Covington getting the next shot at 170 pounds.

Despite having not fought in more than a year and two of his last four outings being failed title bids, UFC CEO Dana White was adamant about “Chaos” getting another shot.

UFC welterweight Buckley (16-6) has now become the la…

Report: Jake Shields Hit With Battery Charge Following Mike Jackson Altercation

Finally ran into the bitch Mike Jackson

He quickly discovered the difference between calling people Nazis In person vs on Twitter

This racist is lucky so many people were there to save his pathetic racist ass pic.twitter.com/90luT0YjfG — Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) December 16, 2022

A spat between former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters Jake Shields and Mike Jackson turned into a scuffle and has now reportedly resulted in formal charges. MMAFighting was first to report the news.

Shields (33-11) and Jackson (1-2) had been trading barbs online over matters such as politics and race before getting into a physical altercation at Las Vegas’ UFC Performance Institute last December.

In a partial clip of the scrap that went viral, Shields can be seen controlling Jackson from top and landing a few blows while the latter pleaded with bystanders to intervene.

Jackson subsequently threatened to press …

Conor McGregor Claims Progress in United States Anti-Doping Agency Testing Protocol

Conor McGregor finally appears to have taken a step towards returning to the Octagon.

“Notorious” has been out of action for over two years since suffering a broken leg in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. While he has been training and sparring for a while now, the former two-division champion has yet to re-enter the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, from which he has been missing since the third quarter of 2021.

The Irishman could seek an exemption from the mandatory six-month testing window that USADA has in place for testing athletes. Brock Lesnar received such clearance in July of 2016 to compete at UFC 200. However, the testing agency has maintained so far that McGregor will need to undergo the six-month testing window in addition to submitting two clean samples to be eligible for a return.

Meanwhile, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White has redirected all questions regarding McGregor's situation to UFC Senior Vic…

Halil Amir to Face Ahmed Mujtaba at One on Prime Video 16

A 155-pound bout pitting Halil Amir against Ahmed Mujtaba has been booked for One on Prime Video 16 on Nov. 3.

Sherdog.com recently confirmed the pairing with promotion officials. One on Prime Video 16 takes place at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok and is headlined by a 145-pound championship clash between Fabricio Andrade and Jonathan Haggerty.

Amir is coming off a decision victory over Maurice Abevi at One on Prime Video 9 in April, a fight in which he attempted the rare Suloev stretch submission. The Turkish fighter is 2-0 under the One banner and 9-0 as a professional overall — with all but one of those victories coming inside the distance.

Pakistan’s Mujtaba last appeared at One on Prime Video 10, where he fell to Sage Northcutt via heel hook in 39 seconds. Prior to that, “The Wolverine” had been victorious in three of his last four One Championship bouts, including a first-round knockout of Rahul K. Raju.

Bellator Champ Patricio Freire Discusses UFC Move, Potential Opponents

Patricio Freire is keeping is options open for the future.

After recently admitting interest in moving to the UFC upon completing his Bellator contract, Freire revisited that subject in an interview with Super Lutas.

“Actually I’ve heard a rumor this week saying that Bellator and PFL will continue as separate organizations but will exchange fighters,” he siad. “It would be very interesting to finish my contract with the belts from both organizations.”

Even if that doesn’t come to fruition, Freire remains interested in testing his skills in the UFC once his Bellator deal has been fulfilled.

"I believe my career deserves a UFC (opportunity), and if I leave the organization with two titles, I have better conditions to enter the UFC doing a fight against a top contender,” he said.

Freire has three opponents in mind if he were to sign with the UFC.

“As the biggest (name) in Bellator history, I would love to start by facing (featherweig…

Featherweights Movsar Evloev, Arnold Allen Targeted for UFC 297 on Jan. 20

A matchup of featherweight contenders is in the works for UFC 297, as Movsar Evloev and Arnold Allen are expected to square off on Jan. 20.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from ING.fights. While Toronto is rumored to be the destination for UFC 297, an official location has yet to be announced for the event.

Evloev is undefeated in 17 professional outings — including his first seven in the UFC. The 29-year-old Russian last appeared at UFC 288, where he outpointed short-notice foe Diego Lopes on UFC 288. The former M-1 Global champion also owns wins over the likes of Dan Ige, Hakeek Dawodu and Nik Lentz, to name a few.

Allen last appeared at UFC on ESPN 44, falling to ex-champ Max Holloway in a five-round decision defeat on April 15. Prior to that, the Englishman known as “Almighty” authored a 10-bout winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion, earning noteworthy triumphs against Calvin Kattar, Dan Ho…

Norma Dumont Drops to Bantamweight, Meets Yana Santos at UFC Event on Jan. 13

Norma Dumont will move to bantamweight for a matchup with Yana Santos at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Jan. 13.

Both fighters confirmed the pairing on social media Wednesday following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. The UFC Fight Night card doesn’t yet have a headliner but is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dumont has earned successive decision victories over Danyelle Wolf, Karol Rosa and Chelsea Chandler in UFC competition at 145 pounds. However, the uncertain future of the featherweight division in the wake of Amanda Nunes’ retirement may have prompted the Brazilian’s move to 135 pounds. “The Immortal” owns a 6-2 record in the Octagon, with other notable triumphs against Felicia Spencer and Aspen Ladd to her credit.

A former Invicta FC title holder, Santos will look to snap a three-bout losing streak when she faces Dumont. In her most recent Octagon appearance, the American Top Team-based Russian dropped a split…

Islam Makhachev Eyes Welterweight Title Shot Following Rematch with Charles Oliveira

Reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev seemingly has his eyes on a welterweight title shot.

Makhachev is set to face Charles Oliveira in a highly-anticipated rematch at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 21 While the Dagestan native isn't looking past the former champion, he has little doubt regarding the outcome of their second meeting, considering how he submitted Oliveira in Round 2 of their first bout at UFC 280.

“This fight is interesting for the people; everybody wants to see this match again,” Makhachev told ESPN. “But if I follow the plan, I can beat this guy easy, again. I believe that.”

Makhachev went on to share that his dream fight would be a shot at a second title. In this case, the 31-year-old is looking to secure a welterweight title fight against the winner of Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, which is set to take place at UFC 296 in December.

“I don't know what the UFC has planned, but my dream fight is for the se…

Manel Kape Says He Turned Down Israel Adesanya’s Apology After UFC 293 Presser

Manel Kape isn’t ready to let go of his beef with former UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya.

Kape was scheduled to fight Felipe dos Santos last month at UFC 293, which was headlined by Adesanya’s title defense against Sean Strickland. During the pre-fight presser, “Starboy” went off on his original opponent Kai Kara-France, who had pulled out of the matchup and was seated in the audience.

Adesanya came to his City Kickboxing teammate’s defense, calling Kape a “midget” and promising to bury him.

In a recent interview with MMAFighting.com, Kape claimed that “The Last Stylebender” subsequently approached him with a truce offering backstage, which he turned down.

 “After all this talk [at the press conference], he came to me backstage ‘Hey, no disrespect, we are Africa, we’re brothers,’” Kape recalled. “I said, ‘We are not brothers. Look, my problem is with Kai Kara, not with you. Why did…

Dana White Details How He Got Involved in the Bull Riding Business

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UFC CEO Dana White is a man of many endeavors.

In addition to owning Power Slap and being in a partnership with NASCAR’s Trackhouse Racing, White is also invested in bull riding. It all started when he first rode a bull while working on “Lookin' for Fight” with former UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra.

The UFC head honcho would go on to buy three bulls over the years, none of which made it to the big PBR shows broadcast on CBS. However, White’s latest purchase, a bull named Twisted Steel, is finally set to make it to the big leagues at the PBR Camping World Team Series Championship from Oct. 20-22 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

White revealed how he got into the bull business at the Contender Series press conference on Tuesday night.

“I did ‘Lookin for a Fight’ back in [2015 or 2016], the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, riding a bull. But after I did it, I kinda got into it,” White said. “We went out on this whole …

John Castaneda vs. Kyung Ho Kang Moved to UFC 295 on Nov. 11

A bantamweight clash between John Castaneda and Kyung Ho Kang has been moved to the UFC 295 card.

Castaneda was originally scheduled to face his South Korean opponent a week later at UFC Fight Night 232 on Nov. 18. Castaneda’s management firm, Iridium Sports Agency, first announced the change in date on Tuesday. UFC 295 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and is headlined by a heavyweight championship tilt pitting Jon Jones against Stipe Miocic.

While Castaneda won a Dana White's Contender Series matchup back in 2017, it wasn’t until 2020 that “Sexi Mexi” got his UFC call. After dropping a decision in his promotional debut, Castaneda racked up back-to-back finishes before suffering a brutal Round 2 knockout loss against Daniel Santos in October 2022. The 31-year-old has since bounced back with a decision win over Muin Gafurov at UFC on ESPN 46 on June 3.

Meanwhile, Kang is a battle-tested veteran at 135 pounds, having started his UFC career in…

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