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Khamzat Chimaev Suffered Torn Ligament in Hand at UFC 294, Hopes to Avoid Surgery

As it turns out, Khamzat Chimaev did not break his hand at UFC 294.

Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas, told ESPN that the middleweight suffered a torn ligament in his victory over Kamaru Usman on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi. As a result, Chimaev will wear a brace on his hand for the next four weeks but is hoping to avoid surgery.

Chimaev defeated Usman via majority decision in the UFC 294 co-main event, a victory that will presumably give him a shot to face reigning middleweight champion Sean Strickland at a later date. After the victory, “Borz” revealed that he injured his hand in the opening stanza against Usman. At the time, Chimaev thought it was broken.

"First round, I think I broke my hand and finger," Chimaev said after the bout. "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.”

Shortly after Chimaev’s victory, Strickland said that he felt that the Chechen-born Swede ”doe…

Francis Ngannou Still Plans to Compete in Boxing, MMA Going Forward

By pushing Tyson Fury to the limit, Francis Ngannou may have opened the door to a whole new world on Saturday night.

While Ngannou lost a split decision to the man regarded as the best heavyweight on the planet, many observers believed “The Predator” deserved to get the nod on the scorecards. With that in mind, Ngannou would seemingly have plenty of options for future fights in the Sweet Science, where paydays often exceed those offered in mixed martial arts. For now at least, Ngannou still plans on being a double-threat in combat sports.

“I can do both. Nothing can stop me from doing both,” Ngannou said in a post-fight interview with ESPN. “If I have the skill for both of them, why not? As for right now, I have a deal with PFL, and I’m intending to fight MMA again. I still love it. I might do some MMA fight, but I’m still going to do boxing. I never intend to just step over and do one fight and go out. That wasn’t the plan at all, never. The plan is …

Ngannou Believes He Beat Fury, But Didn’t Expect to Win Decision in Boxing Debut

Francis Ngannou is well aware of how these things work.

While the former UFC heavyweight champion did everything in his power to outduel Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut on Saturday in Saudia Arabia, he knew that if the fight went the distance, the scorecards weren’t likely going to be in his favor. That proved to be the case, as Fury emerged with a hard-fought split decision their non-title bout.

However, Ngannou says Fury knows who really won that fight.

“If he was being honest, he would say I won that fight,” Ngannou said in a post-fight interview with ESPN. “I won that fight. There’s no question about it.

“Even before getting here, I knew if this fight gets to a decision, I’m not winning – not because I didn’t do good, (but) because I’m the new guy in the house. I come here and I just want to kick into people’s business. There’s a structure of business out there and you need to do a lot to destroy it. I wasn’t just expecting to wi…

Conor McGregor Submits First Testing Sample Since 2021, Targets Return in April

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All the gears finally seem to be shifting in the right direction for Conor McGregor’s return to action.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest superstar has been inactive since July 2021, rehabbing a broken leg sustained in his trilogy clash against Dustin Poirier. The Irishman was also absent from the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing pool since the third quarter of 2021 until recently.

After months of back and forth with the USADA over a six-month testing window stipulation, McGregor (22-6) finally re-entered the testing pool on Oct. 8, which makes him eligible to compete in April 2024. The Dublin native has also now submitted his first test samples as per online records. Both blood and urine were seemingly collected, as there were a total of three samples taken, although the date of collection wasn’t specified.

McGregor re-entering the pool was soon followed by the news that the UFC-USADA partnership would conc…

Stipe Miocic Says He Wasn’t Given Option to Remain on UFC 295 Card

Stipe Miocic claims he wasn’t offered an alternative fight when scheduled opponent Jon Jones pulled out of UFC 295.

Jones (27-1) was slated to defend his heavyweight title against Miocic (20-4) in the main event at UFC 295 on Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden. However, “Bones” was forced out of the card after sustaining a pectoral muscle tear during a grappling session hardly two weeks away from fight night.

An interim heavyweight title matchup between Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich has been added to the card as the co-main event. Meanwhile, the original co-main, a light heavyweight title clash between Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira, has been bumped up to the main-event slot.

While Jones was forced out of the card due to an injury, Miocic saw himself removed due to no fault of his own. The former UFC heavyweight champ, who hasn’t fought since losing his strap to Francis Ngannou in March 2021, was expectedly disheartened upon hearing the ne…

Alessandro Costa To Replace Matt Schnell Against Steve Erceg at UFC 295

The UFC 295 lineup has undergone yet another change with two weeks to go before fight night.

Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight veteran Matt Schnell (16-7) had been scheduled to take on the surging Steve Erceg (10-1) on Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden. However, “Danger” will no longer be competing on the card due to undisclosed reasons and has been replaced by Brazilian prospect Alessandro Costa (13-3). The change in booking was first reported by Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN Deportes on Saturday.

Schnell hasn’t fought since last December when he suffered a second-round knockout loss against Matheus Nicolau at UFC on ESPN 42. The Louisiana native has won only two of his last six, though all the losses have come against elite competition. Meanwhile, Erceg made his promotional debut in June on the back of an eight-fight winning streak, which the Australian extended to nine with a unanimous decision win over David Dvorak.

Erceg’s new …

LeBron James, Nate Diaz Among Those Unhappy with Fury-Ngannou Decision

LeBron James was among a long list of athletes who believe Francis Ngannou was robbed of a decision win against Tyson Fury in their boxing match on Saturday night.

Ngannou was a +800 underdog going into his pro boxing debut against the WBC heavyweight champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The former UFC heavyweight champ put on a spectacular performance, knocking Fury down in the third round of an otherwise evenly-contested battle. “The Predator” eventually came up on the short side of a split decision, which many believe should have gone the other way.

James, among others, was unhappy with the outcome of the fight and voiced his displeasure on social media.

Exactly why i don't watch boxing! C'mon man! 🤦🏾‍♂️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2023 Former UFC superstar Nate Diaz also minced no words while weighing in on the outcome of the fight.

Tyson Fury lost and the boxing commentary biased af dumb…

Francis Ngannou Drops Tyson Fury, Loses Controversial Split Decision in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saw a unique combat sports spectacle on Saturday night.

On the one side was lineal UFC champion Francis Ngannou, who won the title by knocking out Stipe Miocic in Round 2, then successfully defended it against interim champion Ciryl Gane. He was making his pro boxing debut against undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who had never lost in his career, most recently knocking out Derek Chisora in the 10th round in December 2022. Would Ngannou's frightful punching power, the most devastating that the heavyweight division and perhaps all of MMA has ever seen, give him a chance against the supremely talented Fury, a 6-foot-9, 270-plus pound goliath with the ring movement and footwork of a skilled light heavyweight? It was a tantalizing matchup, calling to mind the famous showdown between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather, another instance where a top MMA striker and champion has challenged a legendary boxer. However, Fury was sti…

Sanjeet Budhwar Retains Featherweight Title in Barn Burner at Matrix Fight Night 13

Sanjeet Budhwar Defends his Belt and how!🥊🥊🔥🔥🔥🔥.#MFN13 #Winner #TitleBelt pic.twitter.com/U6ZvziY8bV

— Matrix Fight Night (@mfn_mma) October 28, 2023

Featherweight champion Sanjeet Budhwar (10-2) recorded his first title defense via split decision against Shyam Anand (4-2) in the Matrix Fight Night 13 main event at the Noida Indoor Stadium, Uttar Pradesh, India, on Saturday.

The main event lived up to expectations with both fighters putting on a display of grit and will. In the end, Budhwar managed to secure a split-decision victory that could have very well come down to his performance in the final frame of the bout.

In the co-main event, welterweight champion Darkhanbek Ergeshev (11-2) secured an impressive submission win at the 2:26 mark of the very first frame against Jason Solomon (9-4). Ergeshev's forward pressure and cage control allowed him to eventually take the fight to the ground. Once in mount, Ergeshev w…

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Play-by-Play, Results & Round-by-Round Scoring

play-by-play and round-by-round scoring kicks off Saturday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. ET with results of the undercard. Full PBP and virtual scoring from three unofficial judges will commence as business picks up for the main event.

Alcibiade Duran vs. Jack McGann The Official Result Jack McGann def. Alcibiade Duran via TKO R2 0:37

Carlos Takam vs. Martin Bakole The Official Result Martin Bakole def. Carlos Takam via TKO R4 2:15

Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath The Official Result Moses Itauma def. Istvan Bernath via TKO R1 1:53

Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Junior Anthony Wright The Official Result Arslanbek Makhmudov def. Junior Anthony Wright via TKO R1 1:10

Joseph Parker vs. Simon Kean The Official Result Joseph Parker def. Simon Kean via KO R3 2:04

Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye The Official Result

Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Scottie Smith scor…

Bantamweight, Flyweight Title Bouts Set for Rizin 45 on New Year’s Eve

Rizin Fighting Federation’s annual New Year’s Eve extravaganza will include a pair of championship bouts.

The Japanese promotion recently announced that Juan Archuleta will face Kai Asakura for the bantamweight crown, while Kyoji Horiguchi will square off against Makoto Takahashi in a rematch for the flyweight strap at Rizin 45 on Dec. 31.

Rizin 45 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and will also include a featherweight scrap pitting Kleber Koike Erbst against Yutaka Saito and a flyweight showdown between Hiromasa Ougikubo and John Dodson.

A former Bellator 135-pound title holder, Archuleta claimed Rizin gold with a three-round verdict against Ougikubo at Super Rizin 2 on July 30. “The Spaniard” has won four straight contests — including three under the Rizin banner.

Asakura, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his last five Rizin appearances. Most recently, the 29-year-old Japan Top Team representative scored a…

Daniel Frunza Notches Buzzer-Beater Knockout of Haris Talundzic at LFA 170

WOW. Daniel Frunza cracks Haris Talund?i? with a brutal elbow and gets the finish with 1 second left in the fight. Crazy ending in the LFA main event. #LFA170 pic.twitter.com/bQa4BKN3QN

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) October 28, 2023

Romanian welterweight Daniel Frunza (7-2) secured his seventh professional victory with an emphatic knockout in the last second of his bout against Bosnia's Haris Talundzic (6-2) in the Legacy Fighting Alliance 170 170 main event at the Dobson Arena in Vail, Colorado, on Friday night.

The fight was competitive right up until the finish. Talundzic managed to keep the fight close with his cage control and grappling pressure. Round 3 also saw the Bosnian control Frunza on the side of the cage for a considerable amount of time before being separated by the referee due to inaction.

With barely a few seconds left in the final round, Frunza managed to land a thudding right elbow on Talundzic that lef…

Danni McCormack Retains Title, Picks Up RNC Win in Invicta FC 54 Main Event

#ANDSTILL! @dannimccormack puts Karolina Wojcik to sleep and retains the Invicta FC Strawweight Championship! #InvictaFC54 pic.twitter.com/PsBXHAWAgX

— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) October 28, 2023 Danni McCormack is still the Invicta Fighting Championships strawweight champion.

The Invicta FC 54 main event saw McCormack take on challenger Karolina Wojcik. It was a closely contested fight on the feet over the first three rounds, with McCormack (8-2) walking forward and Wojcik (11-4) countering well with punches. However, the fourth frame would see McCormack get a takedown, secure the back of Wojcik and sink in a rear-naked choke. The tap officially came at 1:22 of Round 4.

The co-main event was a pivotal flyweight scrap between Kristina Williams and Dee Begley. The first two rounds were largely contested on the feet, with Williams (7-4) having a clear striking advantage. Begley (4-3) would have her best moments in the…

Conor McGregor to Attend Fury-Ngannou; Weighs in on Matchup

The Notorious heads to The Kingdom 🇸🇦👑 #furyngannou pic.twitter.com/dZOCQMXvkI

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 26, 2023 Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor will be making an appearance at the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou boxing match on Saturday.

The Irishman will join several renowned athletes and celebrities, including a swath of former boxing and MMA champions, as well as soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo. McGregor claimed he received a formal invitation from the House of Saud, the royal ruling family of Saudi Arabia. McGregor posted on social media on Thursday night to confirm he would be in attendance in Riyadh on Saturday, while also weighing in on the matchup itself.

“What’s up guys, the notorious Conor McGregor here,” the Irishman declared. “Just getting on to happily announce I will be heading to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia early AM tomorrow for the big blockbuster fight between boxer Tyson Fury …

Jorge Masvidal Teases Boxing Return in Early 2024

Fans may get to witness Jorge Masvidal put his striking skills on display once again, only in the squared circle rather than the Octagon.

The longtime veteran known as “Gamebred” (35-17) announced his retirement from mixed martial arts following a decision loss to Gilbert Burns (22-6) at UFC 287 in April. The loss marked Masvidal's fourth consecutive defeat with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, including two failed title bids against then-champion Kamaru Usman.

Since then, the UFC and Strikeforce stalwart has been focused on promoting his Gamebred FC events, which dabble in boxing as well as bare-knuckle MMA. In an interview with ESPN on Thursday, the 38-year-old confirmed that he will be making his return to boxing in early 2024. In 2005, “Gamebred” made his boxing debut against Joseph Benjamin in Miami, and he captured a majority decision in a four-round affair.

When asked if he would be re-entering the boxing world, Masvidal replied, “It's a y…

Jon Jones Issues Apology to Fans, Stipe Miocic Following UFC 295 Withdrawal

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Jon Jones is in good spirits despite suffering a serious injury requiring months of recovery.

Jones (27-1, 1 NC) is determined to make a return to the Octagon as soon as he can, after being forced out of his UFC 295 title fight with Stipe Miocic (20-4) due to a shoulder injury. About two and a half weeks before the highly anticipated heavyweight title attraction, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Jones had suffered a pectoral tear during a grappling session that would require surgery.

With Jones on the shelf for a prolonged period, the promotion elected to create an interim heavyweight strap. Vying for the newly created belt will be top contenders Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich, who will be stepping up on extremely short notice in the co-main event of UFC 295. Jones (27-1) took to social media on Thursday to address his withdrawal, and apologize to his opponent as well as the fans.

“Thank you to everybo…

Fury vs. Ngannou Weigh-in Results: Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou Exceed 270 Pounds

[embedded content] Meat is back on the menu for the all-heavyweight Top Rank boxing main card on Saturday.

With no cap on the heavyweight division, none of the 10 competitors on the main card of Top Rank: Fury vs. Ngannou was at risk of missing weight. As a result, weights ranged from a shade under 230 pounds to a whisker below 300 pounds, and the green light has been given to the entire lineup.

The main event, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, comes in a non-title, 10-round exhibition match between lineal boxing heavyweight kingpin Tyson Fury (277.7) and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (272.1). Both men hit the scales above 270 pounds, with about five and a half pounds separating the two heavy hitters. Despite Fury not putting any of his titles on the line in this pairing, with Ngannou an unranked boxer ineligible for any gold, the WBC elected to create the “Riyadh Champion” belt for the victor.

The co-featured attraction…

Mark Abelardo’s Rally Stuns Georgy Shakhruramazanov at ONE Friday Fights 38

Never count out Mark Abelardo in One Championship.

The Fairtex Pattaya product withstood two knockdowns and wide swaths of positional control to put away Georgy Shakhruramazanov with punches in the second round of their ONE Friday Fights 38 bantamweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Abelardo (22-10, 7-5 UFC) brought it to a dramatic close 4:43 into Round 2.

Shakhruramazanov (12-2, 1-1 ONE) floored his counterpart with a spinning wheel kick in the first round and moved into clinch range behind a burst of punches, only to stall in the corner. He caught Abelardo with the same kick in the middle stanza, swarmed with punches and ultimately secured a takedown and advanced to the back. From there, it all went awry. Abelardo scrambled to his feet, initiated an exchange and decked the Russian with a sweeping left hook. A series of standing-to-ground punches followed, necessitating the stoppage.

Meanwhile, former Univer…

Tom Aspinall Reveals UFC’s Original Plans for the Heavyweight Division After Jon Jones’ Potential Retirement

Tom Aspinall says his upcoming title shot was just what he expected, and the only surprise was its timing.

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight contender Aspinall (13-3) recently received an early morning phone call from the promotion asking if he was ready to fight on two weeks’ notice. A day later Aspinall was booked to take on Sergei Pavlovich (18-1) for the interim title in the co-main event at UFC 295 on Nov. 11 in Madison Square Garden.

The card was originally scheduled to be headlined by Jon Jones defending his strap against heavyweight legend Stipe Miocic. However, the bout fell through as Miocic reportedly refused to accept a change in opponent after Jones was forced out due to a pectoral injury.

Two of the fastest-rising forces in the heavyweight division, Aspinall and Pavlovich have been on a collision course for a while now. Moreover, Aspinall recently revealed that a clash against the Russian, potentially for the vacant titl…

Tom Aspinall Reveals UFC’s Original Plans Ahead of Potential Jon Jones Retirement

Tom Aspinall says his upcoming title shot was just what he expected, and the only surprise was its timing.

Tyson Fury Didn’t Want to Announce Oleksandr Usyk Bout Before Fighting Francis Ngannou

Tyson Fury would have preferred to take things one step at a time, but he says his hand was forced in this case.

Fury (33-0) is set to take on former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king Francis Ngannou in a crossover boxing superfight on Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Hardly a month ahead of the matchup Fury’s team announced that “The Gypsy King” will take on Oleksandr Usyk (21-0) in December or January to determine the undisputed heavyweight champ.

For many the Usyk bout announcement seemed dismissive of Fury’s upcoming clash against “The Predator.” Fury claims he was displeased when the news dropped and claims to have played no role in it whatsoever.

According to Fury, who appeared this week on “The MMA Hour,” it is the “paymaster” who is in control of such decisions.

“It wasn’t my choice. I would never in a million years do that. But the people who are putting these fights on, who are paying the money, they’re in contr…

Tyson Fury Did Not Want to Announce Oleksandr Usyk Bout Pre-Francis Ngannou

Tyson Fury would have preferred to take things one step at a time, but he says his hand was forced in this case.

According to Fury, who appeared this week on “The MMA Hour,” it is the “paymaster” who is in control of such decisions.

“It wasn’t my choice. I would never in a million years do that. But the people who are putting these fights on, who are paying the money, they’re in contr…

Rizin Landmark, Vol. 7 Scheduled for Nov. 4 in Azerbaijan

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Rizin Landmark, Vol. 7 truly earns its name, as it will mark the promotion’s first foray outside Japan.

The latest iteration of Rizin’s Landmark series is slated to go down at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan on Nov. 4. According to a press release from the promotion, the host country will be represented in five out of the 10 total fights, all set to take place after the intermission. The event will stream on pay-per-view through Fite.tv.

The five Azerbaijani fighters on the card include featherweight champ Vugar Karamov and former lightweight titleholder Tofiq Musayev, as well as Mehman Mammadov, Tural Ragimov and Nariman Abbasov, who will take on opponents from Japan, the USA, South Korea and Russia respectively. All fights will be contested under Rizin rules, which allow kicks and knees to the head of a grounded opponent.

Karamov will defend his strap in the main event of the night against Chihiro Suzuki…

Charles Oliveira Confident about Getting the Next Title Shot Against Islam Makhachev

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Despite the numerous potential challengers waiting for UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira sounds confident about his place at the front of the line.

Former champ Oliveira (34-9) was scheduled for a rematch against Makhachev (25-1), the man who dethroned him last year, at UFC 294 on Oct. 21. However, a cut suffered during sparring forced “do Bronx” out of the matchup 12 days before fight night. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski stepped up on short notice for his own rematch against Makhachev, losing via first-round knockout.

In the wake of Makhachev’s dominant win over Volkanovski, it is an open question whether Oliveira will automatically step back into a title fight once he is fit to compete. While two-time former title challenger Justin Gaethje has made a strong case for himself with his “BMF Belt” win over Dustin Poirier earlier this year, former KSW two-division champ Mateusz Gamrot is also …

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