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Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje to Rematch for Vacant BMF Title at UFC 291

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje are going to run it back with some special hardware at stake.

Poirier and Gaethje will have their rematch in the UFC 291 headliner at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 29, the promotion announced Tuesday. Poirier defeated Gaethje via fourth-round TKO in their first meeting at UFC on Fox 29 on April 14, 2018. This time, the vacant BMF title will be on the line. The belt was initially awarded to Jorge Masvidal for his victory against Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November 2019 and has not been defended since then.

Poirier will return to action for the first time since UFC 281, where he submitted Michael Chandler in the third-round of their featured lightweight clash, a bout that was one of the best fights of 2022. The American Top Team standout has been victorious in four of his last five Octagon appearances.

A former World Series of Fighting champion, Gaethje was successful in his first venture of 20…

Aljamain Sterling-Sean O’Malley, Weili Zhang-Amanda Lemos Top UFC 292 Lineup

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Boston will feature two title fights at the top of the card.

Dana White announced on Tuesday that UFC 292 will take place in Boston on Aug. 19 and will be headlined by a bantamweight championship clash between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley. In the co-main event, Weili Zhang will defend her strawweight crown against Amanda Lemos.

Sterling will make a relatively quick turnaround after taking a hard-fought split-decision triumph against Henry Cejudo in the UFC 288 main event on May 6. “The Funkmaster” has won his last nine promotional appearances, a run that includes successful title defenses against Cejudo, T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan.

O’Malley, meanwhile, is unbeaten in his last five bouts and is 8-1 in UFC competition overall. One of the biggest stars to emerge from Dana White’s Contender Series, “Sugar” Sean secured a title shot with a cotentious split-decision win against Yan at UFC 280 t…

UFC on ABC 4 Salaries: Matt Brown Earns Event-High $250,0000

Not only did Matt Brown set a knockout record at UFC on ABC 4, but he also walked away with the highest payday from the event.

Brown took home $250,000 for his first-round knockout of Court McGee ($60,000) on Saturday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., according to salary figures released by the NC Boxing and Combat Sport Commission. Brown’s KO was his 13th, tying him with Derrick Lewis for No. 1 all-time in promotion history.

UFC on ABC 4 was headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Jailton Almeida ($102,000) and Jairzinho Rozenstruik ($130,000), which Almeida won via first-round submission. All told, eight fighters garnered six-figure paychecks for their work in Charlotte.

Note: The disclosed purses reported by state athletic commissions do not include any performance-based or discretionary bonuses that may be awarded to a fighter by the promotion. Additionally, the reported figures do not reflect any deductions made by the commission for …

Fabricio Werdum Challenges Francis Ngannou to Fight at Brazilian Soccer Stadium

Fabricio Werdum has entered the Francis Ngannou sweepstakes.

After Ngannou confirmed his signing with the PFL, Werdum published a video on his Instagram account challenging “The Predator” to face him at a soccer stadium in Brazil. The video shows Werdum being cheered at Gremio Arena, where he was celebrated after winning the UFC heavyweight crown in 2015.

“We brought 48,000 to Curitiba to see my fight with [Stipe Miocic] in the UFC, which is already the national record for an MMA event in Brazil and one of the top five biggest audiences in UFC history. I have no doubt that if Ngannou accepts my challenge to fight at Gremio soccer stadium we will pack the arena with 60,000 people and beat that record,” Werdum said.

Werdum says he would relish the role of underdog in a hypothetical matchup against Ngannou. It’s a position with which he is quite familiar.

“I love to fight as underdog,” he said. “I was also huge underdog against Fedor [Emelianen…

UFC Parts Ways with Jessica-Rose Clark, Chase Sherman, Ji Yeon Kim

Three fighters are no longer with the Ultimate Fighting Championship following losses at the promotion’s event this past Saturday.

Twitter account UFC Roster Watch initially brought word that Jessica-Rose Clark, Chase Sherman and Ji Yeon Kim are no longer on the roster, and the news was later confirmed by MMAFighting.com. It is unclear if the athletes were released from their contracts or simply not re-signed. All three suffered defeats at UFC on ABC 4 in Charlotte.

Clark fell to Tainara Lisboa via third-round submission in the card’s opening bout. It was the third straight loss in UFC competition for the bantamweight known as “Jessy Jess.” The 35-year-old Australian went 4-5 during her promotional tenure.

Sherman, meanwhile, went 4-11 over two separate UFC stints. “The Vanilla Gorilla” lost six of his last seven Octagon appearances, including a decision setback against Karl Williams at UFC Charlotte on Saturday.

Finally, Kim exits th…

Francis Ngannou: First PFL Opponent to Receive $2 Million Guarantee

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Francis Ngannou wasn’t looking out for only himself when he signed with Professional Fighters League.

The former UFC heavyweight champion took to YouTube to go over some of the details of his deal, which was initially announced early Tuesday morning. While Ngannou isn’t expected to fight for PFL until 2024, one of the most interesting aspects of the contract was the money it appears to have secured for his first opponent.

“This is the best business decision that I have ever done,” Ngannou said in the video. “At the beginning of my free agency I didn’t know that I could have a deal structure where I could have all this in one deal. I have myself a good guarantee, which is more important. And most importantly, I was even able to have a guarantee of $2 million for my opponent, [so] whomever I’m going to fight next is going to make money too.”

As previously reported, Ngannou will compete in PFL’s pay-per-view superfight division, which is expected…

Francis Ngannou Signs with Professional Fighters League

After months of speculation, MMA’s biggest free agent has landed.

Professional Fighters League (PFL) announced on Tuesday that former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has signed a mixed martial arts deal to fight in its Superfight Division. The news was first reported by the New York Times.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨"The Predator" @francis_ngannou is PFL bound!

He’s set to fight in the PFL’s PPV Superfight division https://t.co/Jal3clCZhW pic.twitter.com/5RRaG7oFwr

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 16, 2023

PFL’s Superfight Division, which also includes celebrity boxer Jake Paul, will pay its fighters a 50% share of revenue generated by their fights. According to the NYT article, Ngannou will not fight for the organization until 2024 because it is expected that he will first compete in a boxing match this year. It is yet to be determined whether his opponent will be Tyson Fury, who has publicly embraced t…

Jailton Almeida Aims for UFC Heavyweight Championship Opportunity in 2024

Jailton Almeida announced his presence to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division in a major way on Saturday.

“Maladinho” made short work of Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the UFC on ABC 4 main event, winning via rear-naked choke 3:43 into the opening round of their encounter at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. It was a dominant performance that saw the Brazilian take his foe down with relative ease, advance position and lock in the fight-ending maneuver when the opportunity presented itself. Almeida has won 13 straight professional fights — including five within the Las Vegas-based promotion. It was exactly the type of showing that could help fast-track Almeida to the top of the division.

“This guy looks like he’s going to be a star in the heavyweight division….” UFC president Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“His double leg is insane. When he gets that top position, he doesn’t screw around. He go…

Kron Gracie Blames ‘Bad Advice’ for Poor Showing at UFC 288

Kron Gracie has broken his silence following a listless showing in a decision loss to Charles Jourdain at UFC 288.

In his first bout since October 2019, Gracie attempted just 57 significant strikes over three rounds and repeatedly attempted to lure Jourdain into his guard. However, Gracie’s efforts to engage his foe in a grappling match were largely unsuccessful, as Jourdain outlanded him on the feet and neutralized him on the ground in a forgettable encounter.

Gracie addressed the performance in a post on his Instagram stories, blaming “bad advice” and a desire to please the jiu-jitsu community for his one-dimensional approach.

“In a lifetime of fighting, it’s always been a fight to the death,” Gracie wrote. “Understand the situation and willing to limit myself, even that being said I threw no punches because of bad advice and tried to please the jiu-jitsu community two days before my fight. First fight in my life I didn’t throw a punch, goi…

Cris ‘Cyborg’ Hopes to Defend Bellator Title vs. Cat Zingano in Brazil

With a new Bellator deal in hand, it appears that Cristiane Justino has a target for her next title defense.

During the Bellator 296 broadcast last Friday, “Cyborg” discussed her future plans with Combate commentator Ana Hissa. The reigning featherweight queen revealed that Cat Zigano will likely be her next opponent, and there’s a chance that the bout could take place in Brazil.

“Cat Zingano is next. She's been training a lot, and I believe it's going to be a great fight. I'm just waiting for her to sign the contract, because she should have been fighting for the belt for a while now,” Justino said.

According to “Cyborg,” Bellator president Scott Coker has expressed excitement regarding the possibility of holding the fight in her home country.

“In one of the conversations I had with Scott Coker, he said he really wants to take my fight against Cat to Brazil. It would be a pleasure to defend the belt in my country,” she said. “When I ha…

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards Official for Bellator Dublin Headliner on Sept. 23

Fabian Edwards cemented his position as the No. 1 contender in Bellator’s middleweight division with his victory over Gegard Mousasi this past Friday. Now he has a date for his bout with reigning champion Johnny Eblen.

Promotion officials on Monday announced that Eblen will defend his 185-pound belt against Edwards in the main event of a Bellator card at the 3Arena in Dublin on Sept. 23. Two other contests were announced for the event, as Brian Moore will face Otto Rodrigues at featherweight, while Mads Burnell will lock horns with Daniel Weichel in another 145-pound clash. Bellator Dublin will air in the United States at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Eblen, 31, is undefeated in 13 professional appearances — nine of which have occurred under the Bellator banner. He claimed middleweight gold with a five-round verdict over Mousasi at Bellator 282 in July 2022 before defending the strap with a unanimous decision win over Anatoly Tokov in his most recent outin…

Jailton Almeida Steamrolls Jairzinho Rozenstruik in UFC on ABC 4 Headliner

It is probably fair at this point to call Jailton Almeida a serious problem for the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.

In the main event of UFC on ABC 4 on Saturday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Almeida (19-2, 5-0 UFC) needed just 3:43 to overwhelm Jairzinho Rozenstruik on the ground. The chiseled Brazilian entered as an overwhelming favorite and the bout played out more or less as expected, with Almeida exploiting Rozenstruik’s porous wrestling and grappling on his way to an effortless-looking win. “Bigi Boy” managed to turn aside Almeida’s first takedown attempt, a double-leg from too far outside in the opening moments, but Almeida tried again seconds later and was successful, wrapping up Rozenstruik’s legs and tipping him over in the middle of the cage. “Malhadinho” immediately moved to half-guard and worked to advance, chipping away with short strikes and moving the bigger man to the fence. With under two minutes to go in Round 1, Al…

UFC on ABC 4 ‘Almeida vs. Rozenstruik’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC on ABC 4 coverage will begin Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Clark (-120), Lisboa (+100)Round 1 The world-famous Octagon sets down in the beautiful city of Charlotte, North Carolina, for an abbreviated fight card that should bring with it plenty of action. Needing no further introduction, this event staged on the ABC network will begin in the women’s bantamweight division, as company veteran Clark (11-8, 1 NC; 4-4 UFC) comes to blows with newcomer Lisboa (5-2, 0-0 UFC). While Clark’s UFC record sits at .500, she has more experience with the promotion alone than Lisboa holds in pro MMA bouts, so it remains to be seen how Lisboa’s muay thai tenure will bolster her resume. The combat begins under the watchful eye of referee Larry Carter, where it kicks off courtesy of a clap of hands. Lisboa backs off to find her space immediately, and she sticks out two hands to score on Clark early. Clark fires back, and short little skirm…

UFC on ABC 4 Prelims: Matt Brown Electrifies Crowd with Record-Tying Knockout

Matt Brown may be in the final act of his career, but his stellar highlight reel is still a work in progress.

In the top prelim of UFC on ABC 4 on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 42-year-old Ohioan flatlined fellow grizzled welterweight Court McGee with a brutal overhand right. With the first-round stoppage, “The Immortal” tied Derrick Lewis’ record for most knockouts in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. Up until the moment of the KO, the fight seemed to be shaping up into the kind of clinch-heavy grind that had allowed McGee to stay relevant as he headed toward his own 40th birthday. With a minute left in the frame, however, Brown set “The Crusher” up with a front push kick and, as McGee came forward again, landed a single right hand that ended the fight. Referee Dan Miragliotta rushed in to save the stricken fighter, but Brown was already walking off with his hands raised, his 13th UFC knockout a mere formality.

The win elevated B…

Andrzej Grzebyk Dominates Brian Hooi in KSW 82 Main Event

An incredible performance! 👏

🇵🇱 Andrzej Grzebyk gets the deserved win! #KSW82 pic.twitter.com/SC4g2Z2Rpa

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 13, 2023

Andrzej Grzebyk might be the next welterweight championship contender after his latest Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki victory.

The unusually short, seven-fight KSW 82 card was headlined by a welterweight tilt between former Fight Exclusive Night two-division champion Grzebyk and Brian Hooi. Mixing clean and precise shots on the feet with relentless takedowns followed by ground-and-pound, Grzebyk (20-6, 4-3 KSW) proved he was the best mixed martial artist in the contest. Despite his efforts to outstrike “Double Champ,” Hooi (19-11, 1 NC; 2-2 KSW) couldn’t do much more than showcase an effective butterfly guard that allowed him to get on his feet after being taken down. In the opening frame, Grzebyk had the edge over his foe with quicker strikes, shaking “Hooibooi” on a couple of occasions. …

UFC on ABC 4 Bonuses: Jailton Almeida, 3 Others Take Home $50,000

VIBES ARE HIGH FOR @MALHADINHO_UFC AFTER THAT WIN ?? #UFCCharlotte pic.twitter.com/WtpkZDa8ZY

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2023 The Ultimate Fighting Championship awarded four fighters performance bonuses following the UFC on ABC 4 card.

Main event winner Jailton Almeida took home an additional $50,000 on top of his purse for his dominant submission win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The win came in the very first round as "Malhadinho" took his foe down and secured a rear-naked choke. The submission was too tight and forced "Bigi Boy" to tap at the 3:43 mark.

Three other fighters earned performance of the night bonuses with impressive knockout wins. Another fighter on the rise, Ian Garry, passed his latest test by battering Daniel Rodriguez with punches after landing a perfectly timed head kick. Veteran Matt Brown picked up $50,000 along with tying the record for most KO wins in the UFC for his knockout punch that floored Court McGee. Finally,…

Edwards Outworks Mousasi, Primus Advances in Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix

The most romantic city in the world was on hand for Friday’s Bellator 296 card at the Accor Arena in Paris.

Middleweight contender Fabian Edwards (12-2, 8-2 BMMA) took a step outside of his older brother's shadow after outclassing middleweight legend Gegard Mousasi (49-9-2, 7-3 BMMA) over five-rounds in a Bellator MMA 185-pound title eliminator bout.

In a back-and-forth fight, Edwards proved to be slightly sharper on the feet than the 37-year old Mousasi. Heading into the final round, the contenders appeared to be tied on the scorecards, before a body lock would give Edwards control throughout most of the fifth. With the win, Edwards set himself up with a shot at Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen (13-0, 9-0) Sept. 23 in Dublin.

In the co-main event, former Bellator lightweight champion Brent Primus (12-3, 10-3 BMMA) advanced to the semifinals of the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix after grinding out a grueling unanimous decision (48-47, 4…

Bellator 296 ‘Mousasi vs. Edwards’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live Bellator 296 coverage will begin Saturday at 11:55 a.m. ET. Round 1 Vive la France! For the third year since 2020, Bellator has posted up in Paris for a show to titillate those inside of the Accor Arena. French fans will be treated to 14 bouts of various intrigue, and the show will end with a pair of five-rounders but no belt on the line in either. The proceedings commence in the light heavyweight division between a pair of titanic finishers, as Augusto (7-4, 1 NC; 1-2 BMMA) battles Biyong (9-2, 2-1 BMMA) in a fight that might not last long. Referee Jacob Montalvo is ready and awaiting the violence that is set to begin in front of his eyes, but before that happens, the event begins with the two fighters sharing a sporting glove touch. Biyong leads off with a jab and a body kick, with his significant reach on display immediately. “Gugu” replies with a chopping low kick, and Biyong says two can play that game and gives him two back. Augusto recoils his limb on t…

Professional Fighters League Announces Lineups for Three June Events in Atlanta

The journey to million dollars and a PFL World Championship goes through 𝗔𝗧𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔 with playoff spots on the line!

LIVE from @OvertimeElite Arena

For more information and tickets 👇https://t.co/eCMG4faqPw pic.twitter.com/ZWb2ruJAZb — PFL (@PFLMMA) May 12, 2023

The Professional Fighters League on Friday unveiled matchups for the second half of its 2023 PFL Regular Season, which resumes on June 8 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta.

News broke earlier this week -- originally reported by MMAFighting -- that nine fighters had tested positive for undisclosed banned substances after their bouts in the PFL heavyweight, light heavyweight and featherweight brackets. The list includes heavyweights Bruno Cappelozza, Cezar Ferreira and Rizvan Kuniev, light heavyweights Thiago Santos, Krzysztof Jotko, Will Fleury and Mohammad Fakhreddine, as well as featherweights Daniel Torres and Alejandro Flores. The fighters have been tempora…

UFC on ABC 4 Weigh-in Results: 1 Fighter Heavy; 1 Fight Canceled

Bigi Boy lives up to his name 💪@JairRozenstruik in at the 265lb heavyweight limit for our #UFCCharlotte main event! pic.twitter.com/0jJBPg99v5

— UFC (@ufc) May 12, 2023 An interesting heavyweight clash will headline UFC on ABC 4, which is now set after the official weigh-ins.

Headlining the 12-fight card is Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Jailton Almeida. "Bigi Boy" will be the larger fighter as he weighed 265 pounds. That is 34 pounds heavier than Almeida (18-2), who came in at 231 pounds.

There were some issues on the scale, though, as two fighters initially missed weight and a fight was canceled. Bryan Battle came in 2 pounds over the welterweight limit for his fight against Gabriel Green. Meanwhile, Daniel Rodriguez came in half a pound over at 171.5 pounds for a welterweight bout against Ian Garry, although he was able to weigh 170 after weighing in a second time. Finally, Pete Rodriguez had to withdraw from his lightwe…

KSW 82 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

Watch the #KSW82 Ceremonial Weigh-Ins! Live on YouTube & Facebook! ⚖️

Today at 6pm CEST | 5pm BST | 12pm ET pic.twitter.com/RTn2zCiCF9

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 12, 2023 The KSW 82 card is is officially set for Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki's May offering after all fighters successfully made weight.

The seven-fight mixed martial arts card is headlined by a welterweight clash between Brian Hooi and Andrzej Grzebyk. Hooi (19-10, 1 NC) is 3-1 in his last four fights and is coming off a TKO win over Jivko Stoimenov. Meanwhile, Grzebyk (19-6) recently rebounded from a two-fight skid by knocking out Oton Jasse. Both men weighed 171 pounds.

KSW 82 will stream live on the promotion's website. The card begins at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Saturday for $9.99.

KSW 82 Weigh-in Results: Brian Hooi (171) vs. Andrzej Grzebyk (171)Filip Macek (136) vs. Sebastian Przybysz (136)Bogdan Gnidko (205) vs. Rafal Kijanczuk (205)Donovan Desmae (156) vs. Raul Tu…

Damir Ismagulov, Grant Dawson to Toe the Line at UFC on ESPN 48 on July 1

The winner of this upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight tilt could crack the top 10 with a solid performance.

On Thursday, MMA Junkie first broke the news that Damir Ismagulov (24-2) and Grant Dawson (19-1-1) would be meeting at UFC on ESPN 48 on July 1. The event will take place inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and the lightweight duel is expected to be placed on the main card. Both fighters confirmed the pairing shortly after its announcement.

Ismagulov was excited about the fight, stating on his Instagram, “Back to UFC Fight Night – July 1, 2023. Top 15 opponent. Another challenge. All or nothing, as we say, debts must be repaid. Fighting for my future. All or nothing! Chance to prove what I can do to wrestlers when I’m 100% Let’s go!”

The Orenburg, Russia, native suffered his first loss since 2015 when he came up short against Arman Tsarukyan at the final UFC card of 2022. That unanimous decision loss snapped a 19-fight …

Mayra Bueno Silva, Holly Holm to Clash in July 15 UFC Fight Night Headliner

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com Credit: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com…

Tom Aspinall vs. Marcin Tybura to Headline UFC on ESPN 49 in London

Tom Aspinall’s return from a horrific knee injury is set to take place in the same venue where it was inflicted last year.

On Wednesday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced that Aspinall (12-3, 5-1 UFC) will headline UFC on ESPN 49 on July 22 in London against Marcin Tybura. Aspinall was vocal about his intentions to return in July after a year on the sidelines as he called out Tybura during the UFC 286 fight week in March. The Nevada-based promotion granted his wish, offering Aspinall his third main event booking, all of which have taken place in his native U.K.

BREAKING: Your #UFCLondon heavyweight main event is signed!!

@AspinallMMA vs @MarcinTybura

Get your tickets EARLY https://t.co/slZM2gosSA pic.twitter.com/6uFPMHzW8D

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) May 10, 2023

Aspinall’s last outing ended in misery, as he suffered a freak knee injury 15 seconds into his clash with Curtis Blaydes in the UFC Fig…

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