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California Bill Proposed to Create Pension Program for Retired MMA Fighters

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Ronda Rousey is getting involved in the fight game again, but in a very different manner than before.

In the California State Assembly, a proposed bill is coming together to help former fighters. Per ESPN on Thursday, the charge is being led by Assemblyman Matt Haney from San Francisco. It was introduced on Feb. 15, and as it is being discussed and formulated, it could reach the Assembly for a vote or further debate by March 18 at the soonest. The plan is to create a pension fund for ex-MMA fighters, similar to the California fund for former boxers.

The proposal will pay retired MMA fighters that have competed a certain number of times within the state’s borders. If the language remains intact after discussion, the bill would take $1 from every ticket sold at an MMA event in California and place it in the fund. The pension would pay retired fighters at 50 years of age or older, who competed in around 13 fi…

PFL Challenger Series 2023 Week 5 Weigh-in Results: 1 Flyweight Heavy

The latest Professional Fighters League Challenger Series event will feature eight fighters in the women's flyweight division, although only seven made weight.

All PFL Challenger Series Week 5 fighters made weight except for Sandra Lavado, who came in at 127.6 pounds. Her fight against Shanna Young is now a 128-pound catchweight fight, and Lavado will be fined a percentage of her purse.

Headlining the four-fight card will be Kaytlin Neil vs. Katherine Corogenes. Neil (6-4) weighed in at 125.6 pounds and is looking to extend her win streak to three. After starting her career with just one victory opposite three defeats, "Katniss" has shown plenty of improvement. Meanwhile, Corogenes (3-1) is looking to bounce back from her first professional loss, suffering a knockout at the hands of Dakota Ditcheva in her only PFL fight to date. "The Animal" officially weighed 125 pounds on the dot.

PFL Challenger Series Week 5: Women's Flyweights will air live o…

UFC 288 Gets Marina Rodriguez-Virna Jandiroba Strawweight Pairing

Marina Rodriguez will lock horns with Virna Jandiroba in a strawweight bout at UFC 288.

Jandiroba confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMA Melotto on Twitter. UFC 288 takes place on May 6 and is headlined by a bantamweight championship clash between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo. A location and venue for the event has not been announced.

Rodriguez had a four-bout winning streak snapped in her last outing, as she suffered a third-round technical knockout loss to Amanda Lemos at UFC Fight Night 214 on Nov. 5. The 35-year-old Thai Brasil export owns notable wins over the likes of Xiaonan Yan, Mackenzie Dern, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Amanda Ribas and Tecia Torres.

Jandiroba has won two of her last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the former Invicta FC champion outpointed Angela Hill at UFC on ESPN 36 last May. Jandiroba is 4-3 during her UFC tenure after beginning her MMA career with 14 straight victories.

Jorge Bueno Hopes to Earn Title Shot with Short-Notice Win at KSW 79

🚨 Breaking!! 🚨 #KSW79

New assignment for 🇨🇿 Dominik Humburger as he now faces 🇧🇷 Jorge Bueno this Saturday! @viaplaypl | @novasport_cz | @combate pic.twitter.com/ul7WYnJ05w

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) February 21, 2023

After fighting three times in four months on the European regional circuit at the end of 2022, Jorge Luiz Bueno Jr. was enjoying some time off during the Carnival Holiday in Rio de Janeiro when a phone call brought an abrupt change of focus.

"My training partner Joilton ‘Peregrino’ called last Saturday in the middle of Carnival offering a fight (at KSW 79) the following Saturday against Dominik Humburger, a local undefeated fighter from Czech Republic. Since I’m always ready, I immediately accepted,” Bueno told Sherdog upon arriving at the fighter hotel on Wednesday.

Bueno will face Humburger in the KSW 79 co-main event on Saturday at the Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czech Republic. The card is headlined by …

Curtis Blaydes vs. Sergei Pavlovich to Headline UFC Event on April 22

Curtis Blaydes and Sergei Pavlovich have agreed to a five-round heavyweight bout to headline UFC Fight Night on April 22.

ESPN was first to report the pairing. UFC Fight Night does not yet have an official location or venue. The card is also expected to include a bantamweight scrap between Yadong Song and Ricky Simon, a lightweight tilt between Bobby Green and Jared Gordon and a featherweight showdown between Norma Dumon and Karol Rosa.

Blaydes has lost just once in his last eight appearances – a second-round KO defeat to Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night 185 in February 2021. His last bout ended prematurely when Tom Aspinall suffered a knee injury 15 seconds into their encounter at UFC Fight Night 208 this past July. The Elevation Fight Team representative’s resume includes wins over the likes of Chris Daukaus, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Mark Hunt.

Pavlovich has been victorious in five st…

Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Vanessa Demopoulos to Meet at UFC Event on May 20

A strawweight showdown pitting Karolina Kowalkiewicz against Vanessa Demopoulos is on tap for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on May 20.

MMA Ideas was first to report the booking, and it was later announced by Demopoulos’ management, Iridium Sports Agency. UFC Fight Night doesn’t have a main event or confirmed location at this point in time.

A former KSW champion and UFC title challenger, Kowalkiewicz is coming off back-to-back victories against Felice Herrig and Silvana Gomez Juarez. Prior to that, the 37-year-old Pole suffered through the worst slump of her professional career, losing five consecutive bouts from September 2018 to August 2021.

Demopoulos, meanwhile, has won three straight Octagon appearances since dropping a decision to J.J. Aldrich in her promotional debut at UFC on ESPN 30. Most recently, “Lil Monster” outpointed Maria Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 215 on Nov. 19.

Former UFC Title Challenger Ray Borg Signs with Bellator MMA

Former UFC flyweight title challenger Ray Borg has signed an exclusive contract with Bellator MMA.

The promotion announced the addition of Borg to the roster on Tuesday. Borg is expected to make his Bellator debut this year, though a date and opponent are currently unknown. It appears that the New Mexico native will compete at 135 pounds in the California-based organziation.

“I am beyond excited and very happy to have signed with Bellator MMA,” Borg said. “I feel like they have the best 135ers in the world and I am very excited to get in there and mix it up with all of them on one of the very biggest stages in the sport.”

The 29-year-old Borg will enter Bellator on a three-bout winning streak. He last appeared at Eagle FC 46, where he captured a split verdict against Bellator vet Ricky Bandejas in March 2022. “The Tazmexican Devil” went 7-5 during a UFC stint where he competed at flyweight and bantamweight. He notably challenged for 125-pound…

Mackenzie Dern vs. Angela Hill Added to UFC Fight Night on May 13

Mackenzie Dern will square off against Angela Hill at a UFC Fight Night event on May 13.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the strawweight bout. UFC Fight Night is headlined by a light heavyweight duel pitting Anthony Smith against Johnny Walker. A location and venue have not been announced for the card.

Dern is coming off a 1-1 campaign in 2022. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt earned a split decision over Tecia Torres at UFC 273 before suffering a majority decision defeat to Xioanan Yan in the UFC Fight Night 211 headliner. Dern has won five of her last seven Octagon appearances dating back to 2020.

After losing five of six promotional outings from May 2020 to May 2022, Hill has bounced back to post consecutive decision triumphs over Lupita Godinez and Emily Ducote in her last two UFC bouts. The former Invicta FC title holder is 10-12 over the course of two separate UFC stints.

Video: Yaroslav Amosov Shares Ukraine War Experience Ahead of Bellator Title Defense

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Yaroslav Amosov will step into the cage for the first time since June 2021 when he meets Logan Storley in a welterweight title unification bout in the Bellator 291 headliner on Saturday.

Amosov had good reason to be on hiatus, as he stepped away from MMA to help defend his native Ukraine against Russian invasion early in 2022. That led to him withdrawing from a scheduled championship defense against Michael Page at Bellator 281 last May.

In a powerful feature that will air during the Bellator 291 broadcast, Amosov recounts the hardships of war that he witnessed firsthand and how he recovered his championship belt in the wreckage of his family barn. Now Amosov hopes to inspire his country with a championship victory on Saturday in Dublin.

Bellator 291 takes place at the 3Arena in Dublin and is headlined by the championship clash between Amosov and Storley. The main card airs on Showtime at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

UFC 288 Update: Ex-Champ Charles Oliveira to Face Beneil Dariush on May 6

A lightweight contender’s bout pitting Charles Oliveira against Beneil Dariush is on tap for UFC 288 on May 6.

Oliveira recently announced the pairing on Instagram, and multiple outlets have confirmed the fight. Club De Las MMA was first to bring word of Oliveira vs. Dariush earlier this year. UFC 288 is headlined by a bantamweight title clash between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo. The event does not currently have a location or venue.

Oliveira will be competing for the first time since falling to Islam Makhachev via second-round submission in a lightweight title bout at UFC 280 this past October. Prior to that, “Do Bronx” compiled an 11-fight winning streak in the Octagon, with 10 victories coming inside the distance. Notable triumphs during that stretch include Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee, Jim Miller and Clay Guida.

Dariush, meanwhile, has emerged as a top contender at 155 pounds thanks to an eight-bout…

Sidney Outlaw Fails Drug Test, Replaced by Brent Primus in Bellator LW Grand Prix

Sidney Outlaw has been booted from the Bellator lightweight grand prix after testing positive for three banned substances in an out-of-competition drug test.

Associate of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports president Mike Mazzulli, who is in charge of regulation for the promotion’s overseas events, informed ESPN on Tuesday that Outlaw on Feb. 4 tested positive for ostarine, cardarine and anastrozole — all of which are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). As a result, Outlaw has been suspended for six months and removed from a 155-pound tournament matchup against Mansour Barnaoui at Bellator 296 on May 12 in Paris.

Ostarine is a selective androgen receptor module (SARM) known for increasing lean body mass; cardarine is a metabolic modulator believed to boost metabolism and increase fat burning; and anastrozole can reduce the side effects of performance enhancing drugs by reducing the estrogen levels in the body. Outlaw will be req…

Heavyweights Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Jailton Almeida to Meet at UFC Card on May 13

Jairzinho Rozenstruik will lock horns with Jailton Almeida in a heavyweight bout at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on May 13.

Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. The card is headlined by a light heavyweight scrap pitting Anthony Smith against Johnny Walker. A location and venue for the card have not been confirmed.

Rozenstruik snapped a two-bout skid in his last outing, when he knocked out Chris Daukaus in just 23 seconds at UFC 282 on Dec. 10. “Bigi Boy” is 7-4 during his promotional tenure, with all his victories coming inside the distance. He owns other notable victories over the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Alistair Overeem, and Junior dos Santos. Meanwhile, his losses have come to some of the heavyweight division’s best: Alexander Volkov, Curtis Blaydes, Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou.

Almeida earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series as a light heavyweigh…

UFC 284 Medical Suspensions: Yair Rodriguez, Josh Emmett Facing 6 Months

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Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo Targeted for UFC 288 on May 6

A bantamweight title bout pitting reigning champ Aljamain Sterling against Henry Cejudo has been targeted for UFC 288 on May 6.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking after Sterling announced it on his podcast. The May 6 date hasn’t been officially announced by the promotion, but it is expected to be a pay-per-view event. Sterling and Cejudo were initially rumored to meet earlier this year, but “The Funkmaster” revealed that he would need more time to heal from a torn bicep, putting that timeline on hold. UFC 288 doesn’t have a location or venue.

“I can’t wait for this matchup, because I think that it’s two guys that won’t back down, and I think the wrestling might cancel each other out – we will see if I’m able to rag-doll him,” Sterling said on Monday. “We’re going to figure it out in the first five minutes, and from there, we’ll figure out if we want to waste a ton of energy grappling, or do we want to put these [our fists] to the test and show…

Jeff Novitzky Backs Australian Commission, Disputes Makhachev IV Use Accusation

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Jeff Novitzky is on board with the Combat Sports Commission of Western Australia’s statement that there is no evidence of illegal IV use regarding the athletes who competed at UFC 284.

Shortly after Islam Makhachev defeated Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 284 headliner, Volkanovski’s teammate, Dan Hooker, accused the lightweight champion of illegal IV use on social media. The allegation was later refuted by Makhachev’s manager in a statement, but the controversy continued unitl it was addressed by the Australian commission. In an interview with UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald, Novitzky, the UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance, revealed that athletic commission’s rules regarding IV use differ from USADA’s. With that in mind, if the Combat Sports Commission of Western Australia says there’s no evidence of any wrongdoing, Novitzky is quite confident that Makhachev is in the clear.

“I think the Australian …

Tanner Boser Drops to Light Heavyweight, Meets Ion Cutelaba at UFC Event on April 15

Tanner Boser will move to 205 pounds for a matchup with Ion Cutelaba at UFC Fight Night on April 15.

Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. UFC Fight Night takes place at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Kan., and is headlined by a featherweight scrap pitting Max Holloway against Arnold Allen.

Boser has gone 4-4 in the Octagon as a relatively undersized heavyweight. The 31-year-old Canadian has lost three of his last four outings, including a split-decision defeat to Rodrigo Nascimento in his most recent appearance at UFC Fight Night 210 this past September.

Cutelaba has struggled in recent years, compiling a 1-5-1 mark in the Las Vegas-based promotion since 2020. “The Hulk” is coming off an 0-3 campaign in 2022 in which he was finished by Kennedy Nzechukwu, Johnny Walker and Ryan Spann.

Lina Lansberg Announces Retirement After UFC Fight Night 219 Defeat

Lina Lansberg is calling it a career after 18 professional fights.

“The Elbow Queen” announced her decision via social media following a second-round submission defeat to Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC Fight Night 219 on Saturday. Lansberg went 10-8 over the course of a career that began in 2012.

“Thank you so much for all the love and support. This has been a hell of a ride and to start fighting is the best thing I’ve ever done,” she wrote. “It has given me so so much. But now it’s time to move on. I’m done.”

Lansberg began her MMA tenure with victories in six of her first seven outings. She debuted in the Octagon with a second-round TKO loss to Cristiane Justino in a 140-pound catchweight bout in the UFC Fight Night 95 main event. The Swede would post a 5-7 record in the Las Vegas-based promotion, earning wins over the likes of Lucie Pudilova, Tonya Evinger and Macy Chiasson. The 40-year-old Redline Training Center product exits the sport on a fo…

William Knight Reacts to Listless UFC Fight Night 219 Performance: ‘I Froze Up’

William Knight’s performance at UFC Fight Night 219 was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

The heavily-muscled light heavyweight attempted just 33 significant strikes — landing eight — while being picked apart at range by Marcin Prachnio in a unanimous decision defeat on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. For the majority of the bout, Knight was simply unwilling to engage, and that allowed Prachnio to control the distance, most notably with a steady diet of low kicks.

After the loss, Knight reacted to the fight in a video on his Instagram account. He didn’t offer any excuses for an effort that resulted in his third consecutive UFC defeat.

“At the end of the day, I went out there, froze up, I didn’t do my part, I lost the fight,” Knight said. “Some of y’all want me to win, some of y’all bet on me, I understand. I completely get it. In life, human beings aren’t perfect, but I’m taking ownership of my actions because I didn’t do s—t. I…

Erin Blanchfield Willing to Fight Again Before Potential Flyweight Title Shot

Erin Blanchfield made the most of her in-cage interview time following her victory over Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 219.

It wasn’t something that just happened in the heat of the moment. Instead, her call for the next flyweight title shot was by design.

“I always try to think of what I want to say after a win because it can be very emotional and it can be a little cloudy but I knew beating someone like her, especially if I finished her, that I could deserve that title next,” Blanchfield said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

With that in mind, Blanchfield figures to be an interested observer when Valentina Shevchenko defends her 125-pound belt against Alexa Grasso in the UFC 285 co-main event on March 4. Shevchenko has dominated the flyweight division and, along with Amanda Nunes, has ranked as one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound females for the past few years. That makes her the more attractive potential opponent for Blanc…

Erin Blanchfield Makes Statement, Submits Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 219

Erin Blanchfield’s time may have arrived sooner than expected.

The 23-year-old Elmwood Park, N.J., native earned a signature victory, as she submitted former strawweight queen Jessica Andrade (24-10, 15-8 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 219 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Blanchfield (11-1, 5-0 UFC) locked in a rear-naked choke to force the tapout 1:37 into Round 2. “Cold Blooded” has won five straight fights in the UFC at 125 pounds, tying her for the second-longest active winning streak in the division. Now she has her sights set on capturing flyweight gold.

“Give me the winner of Shevchenko vs. Grasso next,” Blanchfield said. “I’m going to win the title and become UFC champion.”

Blanchfield never appeared out of her depth against Andrade, who replaced original opponent Taila Santos on short notice. The Brazilian blitzed forward with her trademark barrage of power punches, but Blanchfield kept her composure and fired back wit…

UFC Fight Night 219 ‘Andrade vs. Blanchfield’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 219 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Carpenter (-280), Ronderos (+235)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Fletcher (-255), Gorimbo (+215)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT |…

UFC Fight Night 219 Prelims: Nazim Sadykhov Gashes Evan Elder, Earns TKO Win

A cut above Evan Elder's eye results in a TKO victory via Doctor's Stoppage #UFCVegas69 pic.twitter.com/MIK4Ien0Jr

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 19, 2023

An accidental clash of heads propelled Nazim Sadykhov to his first UFC triumph at the expense of Evan Elder.

The Longo and Weidman MMA representative defeated Elder via doctor stoppage in their preliminary lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night 219 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. A cageside physician quickly waved off the contest 38 seconds into Round 3 due to Elder suffering a nasty cut above his right eye. The wound initially appeared to be a result of a knee from Sadykhov (8-1, 1-0 UFC) that landed directly on the eyebrow of his opponent, but the victor later revealed it occurred to due a clash of heads. Prior to the stoppage, Sadykhov and Elder (7-2, 0-2 UFC) engaged in a back-and-forth battle on the feet that saw both men land plenty of damaging offe…

UFC Fight Night 219 Bonuses: Erin Blanchfield Banks Extra $50k for Slick Submission

These two are walking away with a little more than just a victory tonight 🤑

Congrats to @Blanchfield_MMA & @MayraSheetara! #UFCVegas69 pic.twitter.com/6HWkW2lg6Y

— UFC (@ufc) February 19, 2023

UFC Fight Night 219 was a mixed bag of exciting finishes and clinch-heavy decisions.

The preliminary card started off with a bang as five out of the six bouts ended before the final bell. This included a back-and-forth battle between lightweights Nazim Sadykhov and Evan Elder, which resulted in a doctor’s stoppage victory after a fight-ending cut opened on the right eyebrow of Elder; the fight was awarded “Fight of the Night.” The prelims also featured a stunning kneebar submission by Mayra Bueno Silva, who was awarded “Performance of the Night” for her finish of Lina Lansberg.

The main card, however, saw four out of the five fights go the distance, in what each could be described as uneventful. The exception was the…

UFC Fight Night 219 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

And just like that, your main event is LOCKED IN 🔒@JessicaMMAPro in at 124 for #UFCVegas69!

[ Tomorrow | Main Card 7pmET on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/KJIQEuwmD6

— UFC (@ufc) February 17, 2023 After a trip to Australia, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Las Vegas and the UFC Apex for UFC Fight Night 219.

The 11-fight card features Jessica Andrade taking on Erin Blanchfield on short notice after Taila Santos withdrew from the headliner. Despite coming in as a replacement, Andrade (24-9) is no stranger to main events, and the former strawweight champion successfully checked in at 124 pounds for the flyweight bout. Blanchfield (10-1) also made weight for her first marquee matchup, coming in at 125.5 pounds. Every other fighters on the card hit their successful marks for a smooth weigh-in day.

While the best performances from "Bate Estaca" have come at strawweight, Andrade has recently excelled in the 125-p…

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