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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…

Jesse Butler vs. Jeka Saragih Set for UFC Fight Night 232 on Nov. 18

🚨 #TeamIridium News 🚨

Our man @Jesse_Butler92 is ready to turn heads vs. Jeka Saragih on Nov. 18 ✍🏽 #TheDarkside pic.twitter.com/2HV1KG9Y3E

— IridiumSportsAgency (@TeamIridiumISA) October 3, 2023

Jesse Butler and Jeka Asparido Saragih are slated to clash at UFC Fight Night 232 on Nov. 18.

The matchup was first announced on Tuesday by Butler’s management, Iridium Sports Agency. UFC Fight Night 232 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Brendan Allen and Paul Craig.

Butler suffered a 23-second knockout loss against Jim Miller in his UFC debut back in June. The 31-year-old was then booked to make a quick turnaround and take on Sean Woodson at UFC Nashville in August. However, Butler pulled out of the matchup, citing Las Vegas commission “protocol.”

Meanwhile, Saragih was a finalist in last year’s Road to UFC, the promotion’s venture for scouting Asian tale…

UFC Signs Rodolfo Bellato, Four Others on Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series

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Alexa Grasso Undergoes Surgery for Fractured Hand Suffered at Noche UFC

As it turns out, Valentina Shevchenko wasn’t the only one who was compromised in the Noche UFC headliner.

Alexa Grasso revealed Wednesday via Instagram that she recently underwent surgery for a fractured hand suffered in the Sept. 16 flyweight title bout. She also hinted that a trilogy with Shevchenko would be next on the agenda after their most recent meeting ended in a controversial split draw.

“What are the odds, huh?” Grasso wrote on Instagram in Spanish. “During the fight I fractured my hand; we’re used to not letting pain stop us for anything, and even though it was hurting, I didn’t think it was anything serious until I tried to return to training and I realized that my hand was still really bad.

“The surgery was a success, and thank you so much for Doctor Arroyo and Doctor Zarate, you guys are angels. I trust them completely with my health in their hands… and I know I’m going to be super ready for that trilogy.”

It was already c…

Gordon Ryan Claims He’s Received ‘Seven-Figure Offers’ to Compete in MMA

Gordon Ryan wins by arm bar pic.twitter.com/DGMPgGtvN3

— D (@D_The_Husband) October 2, 2023

Despite receiving some lucrative offers to do so, grappling ace Gordon Ryan has no designs on transitioning to mixed martial arts in the near future.

In a recent interview with Combate.com, Ryan shared how injuries derailed his plans on competing in MMA some four years ago and how his focus has shifted since then.

“I was actually planning to fight MMA in 2019, but I tore my knee ligament, and when I was coming back from this surgery, I had to go straight into camp for the ADCC because I competed seven months exactly after my surgery,” Ryan said. “So the second I got out of surgery, I had to enter camp. I was going to start fighting at the beginning of 2019, then I had to enter the camp, then I won two golds [at ADCC], and I started to get pulled back into jiu-jitsu. I won the absolute, then I had the biggest superfight in history with Andre G…

Salahdine Parnasse Attempts to Become Three-Division Champ in KSW 89 Headliner

Making MMA History | XTB #KSW89

👑 Champ vs. Double Champ 👑👑🇵🇱 @bartos_mma vs. @SalahdineP 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/ayMS5zkRPw

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) October 2, 2023

Salahdine Parnasse will attempt to become a three-division champion when he challenges welterweight title holder Adrian Bartosinski in the KSW 89 main event.

The Polish promotion recently announced the booking. KSW 89 takes place on Dec. 16 at PreZero Arena Gliwice in Gliwice, Poland, and airs via pay-per-view in the United States.

Parnasse is KSW’s reigning featherweight and lighweight champion and has lost just once in 19 professional appearances. The 25-year-old Frenchman has won five straight contests since falling to Daniel Torres at KSW 58, including a fourth-round knockout of Robert Ruchala in a 145-pound title bout at KSW 85 on Aug. 19.

Bartosinski, meanwhile, owns a 13-0 mark since beginning his professional tenure in 2018. The 28-year-old Pole is …

Dana White’s Contender Series 2023 Week 9 Play-by-Play and Results

Sherdog’s coverage of DWCS 2023, Week 9 will begin Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian…

Montel Jackson Out; Chris Gutierrez Moved to UFC Fight Night 230 vs. Heili Alateng

Chris Gutierrez has a new opponent and fight date following the withdrawal of UFC Fight Night 229 foe Montel Jackson.

The 32-year-old Factory X standout will now face Heili Alateng at UFC Fight Night 230 on Oct. 14. The new pairing was confirmed by multiple outlets following an initial report from Eurosport. A reason for Jackson’s exit is currently unknown. UFC Fight Night 230 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a featherweight tilt between Sodiq Yusuff and Montel Jackson.

Gutierrez is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Pedro Munhoz at UFC on ESPN 44 on April 15. Prior to that defeat,” El Guapo” had gone 7-0-1 in his previous eight promotional appearances dating back to March 2019.

A native of Beijing, China, Alateng enjoyed a 2-0 campaign in 2022 in which he earned victories over Chad Anheliger and Kevin Croom in UFC competition. The Road FC veteran is 4-1-1 during his Octagon tenure overall.

Anthony Pettis Calls Potential Cedric Doumbe Bout ‘Biggest Fight in PFL History’

Biggest fight in PFL history 👀📞@CedricDoumbe @PFLMMA pic.twitter.com/5PRHyh2VVn

— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) October 2, 2023

Cedric Doumbe already has a potential matchup at hand less than a week after his Professional Fighters League debut.

A multi-time Glory Kickboxing champ, Doumbe made headlines when he was booked to make his UFC debut on the promotion’s first-ever card in Paris last September. However, the French commission ruled that Doumbe’s gap in professional MMA experience compared to opponent Darian Weeks was too great, and the fight was canceled.

Doumbe was then signed by the PFL, where he made his debut at the promotion’s event in Paris on Sept 30. “The Best” walked out with a mattress with opponent Jordan Zebo’s name on it and lived up to his walkout by knocking his opponent out in nine seconds.

During an appearance on "The MMA Hour,” Doumbe subsequently called out MMA megastars like Jorge Masv…

Makhachev Dismisses Oliveira’s Complaints Regarding UFC 294 Location

Islam Makhachev believes Charles Oliveira’s issues with the location of their upcoming title fight are baseless.

UFC 294 on Oct. 21 marks the second time that “do Bronx” will travel to Abu Dhabi for a lightweight title clash. While Oliveira is the challenger this time, he was essentially the uncrowned champ when he was submitted by Makhachev at the same venue at UFC 280 last year.

While he understands his position well, the Brazilian recently noted that it isn’t “necessarily fair” that he travels to enemy territory a second time. Makhachev has since responded to Oliveira’s comments, citing the example of his own title defense in the challenger’s territory at UFC 284 against Alexander Volkanovski. The Dagestani claims to have little agency in determining the location of a fight, just like any other UFC athlete.

“Charles, I asked to fight in US in the summer, but UFC has other plans,” Makhachev wrote on social media. “I am a UFC fighter like …

Tony Ferguson: ‘A Little Part of Me Left’ When Khabib Nurmagomedov Retired

Tony Ferguson was widely believed to the biggest potential threat to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s lightweight title reign at one point in time.

Ferguson, who won 12 consecutive UFC bouts from 2013 to 2019, was booked to fight Nurmagomedov five times — but each time the matchup fell through due to various unfortunate circumstances. The potential fight was shelved for good when Nurmagomedov retired from the sport in 2020 shortly after the death of his father.

Meanwhile, Ferguson went on a six-fight skid that began with a brutal beatdown against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249. Scheduled to fight English prospect Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296 on Dec. 16, Ferguson recently admitted during an interview on "The MMA Hour” that a part of him was forever gone with Nurmagomedov’s retirement.

“I know when Khabib left, a little part of me left with that,” Ferguson said. “It kind of sucked a little bit because we’ve always had that, I don’t want to say negative energy, bu…

Cedric Doumbe Addresses Domestic Abuse Allegations Aimed at Fernand Lopez

French combat sports standout Cedric Doumbe doesn’t mince any words while voicing his sentiments about MMA Factory head coach Fernand Lopez.

Doumbe made his Professional Fighters League debut last weekend against Jordan Zebo, scoring a nine-second highlight-reel knockout win. Doumbe subsequently called out Lopez in front of French fans, accusing the coach of domestic violence with an ex-wife.

Lopez has since addressed the allegations, admitting to being sentenced for four months due to an incident of domestic violence in 2018. Lopez claims to have slapped his ex-wife before turning himself in to the police and also called his actions “inexcusable.”

Doumbe addressed his post-fight victory speech, further detailing his issues with Lopez during an appearance on "The MMA Hour.”

“In France, I’m a big part of associations fighting against domestic violence,” Doumbe said. “So it’s not a secret that I don’t like Fernand Lopez, people know that.…

Sean O’Malley Expects to Return as UFC Main Event in Early 2024

While it appears December isn’t in the cards for Sean O'Malley, the newly-crowned bantamweight king is likely to be the featured attraction for his next Ultimate Fighting Championship appearance.

After he defeated Aljamain Sterling to claim bantamweight gold at UFC 292, O’Malley called for a rematch against Marlon Vera at the end of the year. The Las Vegas-based promotion had other ideas, as it announced that Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington would headline UFC 296 on Dec. 16.

Instead, O’Malley revealed during a recent appearance on the JRE MMA Show Show that he will likely return for a UFC main event in early 2024.

“I really, really did truly want to fight in December,” O’Malley said. “I called out ‘Chito’ for December, but then I talked to the UFC and … they were trying to get Colby and Leon together. I asked them, and they want me to main event my own show, which I think is f—ing dope. I’m down with that.”

Vera, who handed O’Malley his lon…

Cain Velasquez Granted Permission to Corner Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 300

Cain Velasquez will be in the corner of American Kickboxing Academy teammate Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 300 on Saturday.

Velasquez, who is expected to go on trial for attempted murder in January, received permission to work the event through a court order, which was initially confirmed by California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster to MMAFighting.com on Monday. While Velasquez has traveled for sponsorship duties and to appear on a professional wrestling card, this will be his first time cornering a fight since his arrest in February 2022.

Velasquez is facing attempted murder and other charges after allegedy chasing and shooting at Harry Goularte, who has been accused of molesting Velasquez’s young son. During a high-speed chase, Velasquez fired at the vehicle containing Goularte and allegedly hit and injured his stepfather, Paul Bender. Velasquez has pleaded not guilty to the charges. If found guilty, he faces 20 year…

Contender Series Weigh-in Results: Rocha Comes in Heavy, Flyweight Bout Scrapped

Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series will proceed with four bouts after Lucas Rocha came in heavy for a proposed flyweight clash against Davi Costa.

Rocha tipped the scales at 131 pounds, and as a result his fight with Costa was canceled. Costa made weight without issue, checking in at 125 pounds on Monday.

The Contender Series takes place on Tuesday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The evening’s featured bout is a light heavyweight pairing pitting Rodolfo Bellato (205) against Murtaza Talha Ali (203.5).

After falling to Vitor Petrino on the Contender Series in September 2022, Bellator has rebounded to earned back-to-back victories under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner. Most recently, he claimed the promotion’s 205-pound belt with a decision win over Acacio dos Santos at LFA 159 on May 27.

Ali will take a 6-0 mark into his matchup with Bellato. The Bahrain native is coming off a 2-0 campaign in 2…

Linton Vassell Withdraws from Bellator 300, Title Bout vs. Ryan Bader Canceled

Bellator 300 is down one title fight.

A heavyweight championship clash pitting Ryan Bader against Linton Vassell has been scratched after Vassell was forced to withdraw from the event due to illness. Sherdog confirmed the news with a promotion official following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Bader vs. Vassell was previously announced as the Bellator 300 headliner, but Saturday’s card still features three title bouts on the main card.

Bellator 300 takes place at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, and will proceed with a three-fight main card, per promotion officials. That includes the following: a women’s featherweight title tilt between Cristiane Justino and Cat Zingano; a women’s flyweight championship matchup between Liz Carmouche and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and a lightweight grand prix showdown between reigning 155-pound champ Usman Nurmagomedov and Brent Primus. The main draw airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Bader and…

Robert Whittaker Not Suprised Aussie Fans Supported Sean Strickland at UFC 293

Sean Strickland challenged Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title at UFC 293 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney last month, claiming the belt in one of the year’s biggest upsets.

As member of the City Kickboxing Gym in New Zealand and training partner of Australian stars like Alexander Volkanovski, it was general perception that Adesanya was the home fighter. However, Strickland started showering praise on Australia from the moment he landed in Sydney. He went on to further connect with the audience during the presser and had them rallying behind him on fight night.

Former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker, who lost his strap to Adesanya in front of his home crowd in Australia at UFC 243 in 2019, believes he knows why the crowd rallied behind Strickland. While the newly-crowned middleweight champ is known for his polarizing opinions, Whittaker believes Australians don’t get offended easily. “The Reaper” also noted that Adesanya just tends to r…

Eric Nicksick Lays Out Strategy for Francis Ngannou to Beat Tyson Fury

After Sean Strickland’s shocking win over Israel Adesanya last month, Xtreme Couture coach Eric Nicksick is plotting yet another massive upset.

Francis Ngannou left his previous gym, The MMA Factory in Paris, in 2020 for Xtreme Couture after his loss to Stipe Miocic in their first encounter. “The Predator” would go on to become UFC heavyweight champion under Nicksick’s tutelage.

Ngannou left the UFC earlier this year after failed contract negotiations and is now scheduled to fight heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury in a crossover match on Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. If the Cameroonian can beat arguably the greatest heavyweight pugilist of all time in his boxing debut, it certainly would go down in the history books.

Nicksick believes Ngannou has a fair shot. Nicksick noted how Deontay Wilder scored an almost fight-ending knockdown over “The Gypsy King” in their first encounter. According to the Xtreme Couture coach, it is unorthodox sty…

Francisco Trinaldo Calls Out Mike Perry for BKFC Clash

Francisco Trinaldo is looking to venture into bare knuckle boxing following his release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC parted ways with the former welterweight competitor after a decision loss against Randy Brown in October 2022. “Massaranduba” racked up a 18-8 promotional record over the course of a decade with wins over the likes of Paul Felder, Jim Miller and Bobby Green.

Trinaldo is now looking to dip his foot into bare knuckle boxing and wants to make his debut against Mike Perry, who is arguably one of the biggest draws in the sport today. Perry has made quite a name for himself in recent times under the the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) banner with wins over the likes of Luke Rockhold and Michael Page.

Trinaldo claims he wanted to fight Perry during their UFC days but “Platinum” was always handpicking his opponents.

“I can’t want to beat up this a—hole. I’m sure I can go to BKFC and put a beating on …

Renzo Gracie: Paulo Costa Underwent Minor Elbow Surgery Ahead of UFC 294

Renzo Gracie revealed that he loaned his Abu Dhabi apartment to Paulo Costa and his team ahead of UFC 294.

“He was using four rooms in a local hotel with his team, and I told him to stay in my apartment,” Gracie said.

Gracie also told Sherdog.com that Costa recently underwent surgery for an injury on his elbow but guaranteed that the Brazilian’s fight with Khamzat Chimaev would still proceed as planned.

“Costa had a little problem on his elbow that required a small surgery,” Gracie said. “But everything is fine now, and later this week he is returning to the normal training. ‘Borrachinha’ brought an excellent team of [sparring partners] to help him there. [Eric] Albarracin brought two wrestlers from Uzbequistan.”

Shortly thereafter, Albarracin sent a message to Sherdog.com correcting Gracie on the nationalities of Costa’s training partners.

“Actually we brought wrestlers from Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan,” Albarracin wrote…

Charles Oliveira Doesn’t Think It’s ‘Fair’ to Face Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi Again

Going into enemy territory to reclaim the lightweight title wasn’t Charles Oliveira’s first choice.

Oliveira will challenge Islam Makhachev for the 155-pound belt at the Ultimate Fighting Championship's annual event in Abu Dhabi next month. However, UFC 294 on Oct. 21 isn’t the first time Oliveira and Makhachev will meet at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The Brazilian was on an 11-fight win streak and the uncrowned champ of the 155-pound division when Makhachev submitted him almost exactly a year prior at the same venue. Even back then, Oliveira had openly voiced his displeasure at having to go to Abu Dhabi, which Makhachev’s mentor and teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov famously labeled “our territory.”

The Brazilian also doesn’t think it's “necessarily fair” that the rematch is taking place in Abu Dhabi. However, having been in the fight game for a long time, "do Bronx" understands his position as a challenger well.

“I don’t necessarily thi…

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