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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

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

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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."

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.

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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 is officially a free agent.

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

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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 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…

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.

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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 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.

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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 …

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…

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.

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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…

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…

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

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

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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-…

Khamzat Chimaev is extremely confident about the outcome of a potential title fight with newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

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Chimaev is gearing up to face former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who stepped up on nine days' notice as a replacement for Brazil's Paulo Costa, in the co-main event at UFC 294. Moreover, UFC CEO Dana White recently declared that the winner of this upcoming bout will be next in line for a middleweight title shot.

Keeping this in mind, Chimaev was asked about his take on a fight with Strickland down the line during the recent UFC 294 pre-fight press conference. It is worth noting that “Borz” and Strickland have trained together a few times, particularly ahead of Chimaev's outing against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.

“I mean I've taken him down, I've held him down, I've choked him, I've punched him. I've done all those things, so I don't see something special about him,” Chimaev said. “He’s a f…

[embedded content] Renowned coaches Carlson Gracie and Rudimar Fedrigo will receive high honors in Brazil as two legends that generated generations of champions.

Individual talent and the high level of training are fundamental factors in the formation of a champion, but in a complex and increasingly competitive sport like MMA, mental preparation can be the turning point. Concerning that, two masters must be recognized. Not only because of their above-average ability to scout and form talent, but mainly because of the way in which they mentally shielded their athletes. Carlson Gracie and Rudimar Fedrigo were a cut above the rest, and their coaching led to create some of the greatest competitor the sport has ever seen. While the two worked in very different ways, the result was usually the same. The numbers prove it; no other coach in the history of MMA has produced as many champions and trainers of new champs as these two.

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On Monday, Gracie and Fedrigo…

With two fights remaining on his current deal, Khamzat Chimaev has signed a contract extension with the Ultimate Fighting Championship ahead of his upcoming clash with Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, according to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

Details of the exclusive, mulit-fight deal were not disclosed by Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas.

Saturday’s fight against Usman (20-3) will mark Chimaev's return to the cage a little more than a year since his UFC 279 catchweight meeting with Kevin Holland.

While “Borz” did secure an impressive first-round submission against Holland, his inability to make weight for his original welterweight matchup against Nate Diaz jeopardized the entire card and led to a number of fights being reshuffled.

As a result, Chimaev (12-0) has now decided to stick to the middleweight division instead of trying to make the grueling cut to 170 pounds.

[embedded content] Despite never fighting under the same banner, Patricio Freire and John Lineker are quite familiar with each other’s work.

Ahead of the second edition of the documentary by Combate titled “Rivals,” Freire and Lineker met backstage. Both fighters spoke to Sherdog about their meeting and what comes next for each fighter. One Championship contender Lineker plans on seeking out his old title, while Bellator MMA staple Freire is focused on recovery and looking toward what’s next.

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“Here is a guy whom I respect the knockout power,” Freire said when meeting Lineker. Surprised when “Pitbull” entered his dressing room, Lineker happily welcomed the praise, with a warm embrace and a reply of, “Hear that from you is more than a compliment.”

Combining for 90 total fights, while sharing 72 victories including 29 of those by knockout, Freire and Lineker are considered two of the heavier hitters in their weight divisions. During their encounter, Fr…

Moris Boleyan certainly looks fit for primetime.

The undefeated Armenian once again handled his business with clinical precision under the One Championship banner, as he disposed of Baatarchuluun Gantogtokh with a guillotine choke in the first round of their ONE Friday Fights 37 bantamweight feature on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Gantogtokh (5-2, 0-1 ONE) conceded defeat 2:23 into Round 1.

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Boleyan (8-0, 2-0 ONE) dragged the Mongolian to the canvas from the clinch inside the first minute, shifted to half guard and got busy with ground-and-pound. Gantogtokh left his neck exposed in a bid to scramble to his feet—a mistake the 27-year-old would soon regret. Boleyan bit down on a standing guillotine choke, wrapped his adversary in full guard as they collapsed to the mat and let his squeeze do the rest.

The promising Boleyan, 24, has submitted all eight of his opponents, six of them in the first round.

Meanwhile, Team Laka…

[embedded content] After a rocky build that saw late changes to the main and co-main event, the UFC 294 card is finally set.

The main event will see Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski move up in weight to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt on short notice. The headliners had no trouble making weight, although the same couldn't be said for two preliminary participants. Victoria Dudakova and Mike Breeden came in heavy for their respective bouts, and both fighters have been fined percentages of their respective purses. Dudakova came in .6 pounds over the strawweight limit for her fight against Jinh Yu Frey, while Breeden clocked in 3.5 pounds above the lightweight cap for his bout against Anshul Jubli.

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Makhachev (24-1) was supposed to rematch Charles Oliveira in the main event, but will instead face off against another familiar face in Volkanovski (26-2). The pair faced off earlier this year in F…

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Georges St. Pierre fans will have to wait to witness the former Ultimate Fighting Championship two-division king in action on submission grappling mats.

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Known for leading a martial arts lifestyle despite his retirement from combat sports, GSP (26-2) was set to return to competition against an unnamed opponent in December, as was confirmed during an announcement by the Canadian at UFC International Fight Week back in July.

However, in an interview with TSN reporter Aaron Bronsteter following his induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, St. Pierre revealed he won't be able to compete in December due to a shoulder injury. As per the former champion, the event has been canceled, with the chance of it being postponed to a later date.

Interestingly, GSP also revealed that he was gearing up to take on another MMA legend and former rival Nick Diaz (26-10) at the event.

“They had an opponent, his name was Nick Diaz. P…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be keeping the United Arab Emirates on its yearly schedule for the foreseeable future.

On Thursday, the promotion announced in a press release that it had signed a deal with the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi that extends to 2028. The UFC is staging UFC 294 at the Etihad Arena on Oct. 21 as part of its current annual arrangement. The terms have changed, however, as the UFC is planning on putting more into the area. The specifics are currently unknown, but the UFC will be staging Fight Night cards in future years around the Middle East as well as some nations in North Africa.

UFC head Dana White spoke highly of the deal, writing in a statement, “Abu Dhabi is one of my favorite places in the world; the people, the restaurants, the hotels, it’s incredible. I have been so excited to be able to put on some of the biggest fights in the history of the UFC in Abu Dhabi and it’s only going to get even bigger from here wit…

Updated #Bellator301 card on Friday, Nov. 17 in Chicago pic.twitter.com/XLNKUd6W7S

— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) October 19, 2023 Bellator MMA has rounded out its slate to 18 fights for its next show.

In a press release provided by the organization on Thursday, Bellator announced that three additional preliminary bouts have been set for Bellator 301. Currently the only event on the promotion’s schedule, it will be held at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Nov. 17. On the main card, two title fights and a five-round lightweight semifinal will make up three of its five matchups. The main attraction will see unbeaten Yaroslav Amosov defend his welterweight strap against Jason Jackson.

The additional three fights – all on the prelims, with the bout order still to be decided – include a few undefeated fighters and a couple other company veterans. The top-billed fight of the three comes at the featherweight division, as former Divi…

Fast-rising Canadian star Mike Malott is getting his shot at a name in January.

The news coming courtesy of MMA Fighting on Thursday, Malott (10-1) will come to blows with grizzled veteran Neil Magny (28-11) at UFC 297. The two welterweights will battle it out inside of the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, and the bout will likely be placed on the main card. Malott confirmed the matchup on his Instagram shortly after its announcement.

Winner of six straight – all by stoppage – Malott surged into the Octagon in 2022 and has rattled off finishes over Mickey Gall, Yohan Lainesse and Adam Fugitt in the span of about 14 months. As a professional, “Proper Mike” has only heard the final bell one time, in a draw with Ousmane Thomas Diagne at Bellator 142 in 2015. With 10 wins inside the distance on his ledger, all but one have taken place in Round 1.

Magny has alternated wins and losses in his last six outings dating back to 2022. While he succumbed to submissions from …

Kamaru Usman claims he is battle-ready for his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev on Saturday in Abu Dhabi—no matter what you may have thought you heard.

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Usman (20-3) steps on nine days’ notice to face “Borz” (12-0) in the co-main event at UFC 294 after Chimaev’s original opponent, Paulo Costa, was forced out due to a staph infection. “The Nigerian Nightmare” recently had fans concerned while drilling a takedown sequence with teammate Justin Gaethje during the open workouts. Some media outlets attempted to decipher words exchanged between the two from ringside footage of the workout, with some observers believing they had witnessed an injury to Usman. Rumors spread like wildfire, given Usman’s history of knee injuries. Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports wrote, “Did I hear that right at 0:18,” claiming that he had heard Gaethje ask, “Are you alright?” followed by Usman saying, “No, something popped.”

Gaethje clarified immediately afterwards that…