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Islam Makhachev Labels Himself ‘Best Fighter in the World’ After UFC 284 Win

The UFC 284 main event was billed as a battle of the sport’s pound-for-pound best, and it more than lived up to the hype.

After five competitive rounds, Islam Makhachev emerged with a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph over 145-pound champ Alexander Volkanovski to retain his lightweight crown. Perhaps more importantly, the Dagestan native believes he can rightfully assume his place as the No. 1 fighter in all of MMA.

“Doesn’t matter how I won today. Now, I’m not just the champion, I’m the best fighter in the world,” Makhachev said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I’m very happy. Now people are going to call me not just champ, but best fighter in the world. This is my dream. It doesn’t matter how I won. I’m very happy. … Now, I’m the best fighter and champion.

While many expected Makhachev to impose his will on Volkanovski due to his size advantage, that was never the case. Volkanovski held his own in all aspects of the fight, and…

Jens Pulver to Be Enshrined in UFC Hall of Fame ‘Pioneers’ Wing

Jens Pulver is the latest addition to the 2023 UFC Hall of Fame class.

The promotion announced on Saturday that the former lightweight champion will be inducted into the “Pioneers” Wing as part of a ceremony held during International Fight Week in July. The “Pioneers” Wing recognizes athletes who turned professional before Nov. 17, 2000, are at least 35 years old and have been retired for a minimum of one year.

“Jens Pulver is a pioneer of the sport who was not only the first lightweight champion in UFC history, but someone who delivered some of the sport's most memorable moments,” said UFC President Dana White. “No one will ever forget his knockout of John Lewis or his win over B.J. Penn in their first fight, and his fight against Urijah Faber in 2008 was the biggest fight in WEC history at the time. Jens could do it all in the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

Pulver compiled a 27-19-1 ma…

Jessica Andrade Replaces Taila Santos, Meets Erin Blanchfield at UFC Fight Night 219

With less than a week to go before the event, UFC Fight Night 219 has a new headliner.

The promotion announced on Saturday that Jessica Andrade will step in on short notice for Taila Santos and face Erin Blanchfield in the flyweight feature next Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Santos withdrew from the contest after her cornermen were denied visas into the United States.

Andrade will be making a quick turnaround after earning a lopsided unanimous decision triumph over Lauren Murphy in a 125-pound bout at UFC 283 on Jan. 21. The former strawweight queen has been victorious in her last three Octagon appearances — including two at 125 pounds.

Blanchfield, meanwhile, has has kicked off her promotional tenure with successive triumphs over Sarah Alpar, Miranda Maverick, J.J. Aldrich and Molly McCann. The Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu representative is 10-1 over the course of a professional career that includes stints in Invicta FC and Cage Fury Fighting Champions…

Anthony Smith vs. Johnny Walker to Serve as May 13 UFC Fight Night Headliner

It took former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Anthony Smith a few more months to get a fight than he expected.

The report first came from MMA Island on Thursday, that Smith (36-17) would be getting his next Octagon assignment in May. Atop the unnumbered UFC Fight Night event on May 13, Smith will be taking on Johnny Walker (20-7) in a pivotal light heavyweight clash. The location of the event has not yet been determined. News of this five-round pairing has since been confirmed by multiple outlets.

Smith was previously slated to take on Jamahal Hill atop an event in March, but the promotion pulled Hill to slot him into the title fight atop UFC 283 in January – and Hill ended up winning the championship. This unexpected change in plans left Smith stunned on the live broadcast that announced the new matchup, with the expectation that the UFC would give him a suitable replacement. Smith comes into this headliner with three wins in his last four outings, a…

UFC 284 Bonuses: Yair Rodriguez, Jack Della Maddalena Take Home Additional $50K

UFC 284’s champ vs. champ headliner did not disappoint.

The promotion saw seven out of the card’s 13 fights go the distance on Saturday night. Out of the six finishes, it was Yair Rodriguez’s triangle choke to win the UFC interim featherweight championship, as well as Jack Della Maddalena’s stunning first-round finish over Randy Brown that were awarded the promotion’s traditional $50,000 bonuses.

Meanwhile, the event’s headliner, which saw Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s No. 1 and No. 2 pound-for-pound fighters respectively, compete in a legitimate superfight in Perth, Australia, was awarded “Fight of the Night.”

The bout saw Makhachev in unfamiliar territory, as Volkanovksi was able to counter his wrestling more than anyone in recent memory. By the end of the contest, it was Makhachev who took home the unanimous decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 49-46).

Islam Makhachev Outshines Alexander Volkanovski in Tactical UFC 284 Superfight

Islam Makhachev still rules 155 pounds.

The American Kickboxing Academy star retained the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown with a hard-earned unanimous decision over reigning featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski in the five-round UFC 284 headliner on Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it for Makhachev (24-1, 13-1 UFC): 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.

It was a tactical struggle from start to finish. Makhachev countered effectively with both hands throughout the 25-minute affair and executed multiple takedowns, advancing to the back and threatening the neck on more than one occasion. He did his best work in Round 4, where he ducked into a takedown, progressed to the back when Volkanovski tried to escape and secured his position with a tight body triangle. Makhachev bottled up the outwardly frustrated Australian for more than three minutes, much to the chagrin…

UFC 284 ‘Makhachev vs. Volkanovski’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC 284 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Tukhugov (-540), Oliveira (+420)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Young (-135), Bilder (+115)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Jack Dankoff scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Suph…

UFC 284 Prelims: Modestas Bukauskas Makes Triumphant Return, Upends Tyson Pedro

Modestas Bukauskas returned to the Ultimate Fighting Championship for the first time in more than a year and laid claim to a unanimous decision over Tyson Pedro in the featured UFC 284 light heavyweight prelim on Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. All three judges sided with Bukauskas (14-5, 2-3 UFC): 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

Pedro (9-4, 5-4 UFC) executed a takedown in the first round and consolidated it with positional control and modest ground-and-pound. However, he seemed to run out of gas quickly, and from there, a painfully plodding encounter developed between the two men. A late replacement for Mingyang Zhang, Bukauskas allowed the visibly fatigued Aussie to stay competitive through relative inactivity, though he managed to pick up his pace down the stretch. The two-time Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder connected with two- and three-punch combinations on the flat-footed Pedro in the third round before eventually pinning him to the fence and …

Abraham Bably Nets Professional Fighters League Deal on PFL Challenger Series 3

Manchester Top Team export Abraham Bably landed a Professional Fighters League contract during Week 3 of the PFL Challenger Series, as he brutalized, embarrassed and ultimately put away Hassan Graham with punches in the first round of their heavyweight showcase on Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando. Graham (1-1, 0-1 PFL) succumbed to blows 3:56 into Round 1.

The unbeaten Bably (3-0, 2-0 PFL) seized the reins at the start and never let go. He delivered a takedown with an inside trip, progressed to the back and eventually climbed to full mount. From there, Bably cut loose with punches, increasing the ferocity and frequency of his shots with each passing moment. Graham turned away from contact and surrendered his back in one final defensive move but found no refuge there.

Meanwhile, Louie Sutherland cut down Dana White’s Contender Series alum Alton Meeks with a knee strike and follow-up punches in the second round of their heavyweight affair. …

UFC 284 Weigh-in Results: 2 Title Fights Set; 2 Fighters Heavy

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship heads down under with two title fights atop UFC 284.

First on the scale was UFC featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski, who is moving up in weight to take on Islam Makhachev for the lightweight championship. Both champs made weight, as well as interim featherweight challengers Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett, who will look to become the next fight for "Alexander the Great."

Elsewhere on the card, two prelim fighters missed weight. Kleydson Rodrigues came in one pound overweight at 127 pounds for his flyweight bout against Shannon Ross, and has been fined 20 percent of his purse. Additionally, Zubaira Tukhugov hit the scales at 157.5 pounds ahead of his lightweight contest against Elves Brener Oliveira, and has been fined a percentage of his purse.

Having defeated Charles Oliveira via arm-triangle choke in his last outing to claim UFC gold, Makhachev (23-1) is on a roll. The Dagestani fi…

PFL Challenger Series 3 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live PFL Challenger Series 3 coverage kicks off Friday at 9 p.m. ET. The action will be broadcast live and free on fuboTV. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round: The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2…

PFL Challenger Series 2023 Week 3 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

It's 𝗚𝗢 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘. WIN and 𝗜𝗡😤

Week 3⃣Heavyweights are ready to throw down inside the SmartCage for a PFL Contract ✍️

Fights are 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 & 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 on @fuboSports

[ #PFLonFubo | Heavyweights | Fri, Feb 10th | 9pm ET] pic.twitter.com/HtGjh8cr99

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 9, 2023 The latest Professional Fighters League Challenger Series show will feature eight fighters in the heavyweight division.

As expected, no fighters missed weight, as all eight came in under the 265-pound limit. The main event will see two veteran heavyweights go at it as Danilo Marques takes on Ras Hylton.

Marques (12-4) will be the lighter man at 247 pounds, while "The Jamaican Shamrock" came in at 255.2 pounds. Hylton (9-6) is riding a three-fight win streak that all came via knockout. Meanwhile, the Brazilian UFC castoff recently rebounded from a two-fight skid with a submission in the Gladiator Challenge promotion.

PFL Challenger Ser…

Brandon Royval-Matheus Nicolau Flyweight Pairing Set for UFC Event on April 15

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is putting together a potential title eliminator and tossing it on the prelims of a Fight Night card.

On Wednesday, Sports Illustrated broke the news that Brandon Royval (14-6) would be taking on Matheus Nicolau (19-2-1) on the preliminary portion of the UFC Fight Night event on April 15. The unnumbered fight card is going down at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Royval has since confirmed this flyweight contest on his Instagram page.

The UFC tenure of Royval has been streaky thus far after six appearances, earning wins in his first two outings, then dropping the next two, and bouncing back to rattle off two more victories. In 2022, “Raw Dawg” claimed a split decision – his second career win on the scorecards – over Rogerio Bontorin, and he followed that by landing a guillotine choke on Matt Schnell less than four months later. The Factory X fighter was linked to fights with Askar Askarov and Amir Alba…

Alexander Hernandez Steps Up to Face Jim Miller at UFC Fight Night 219

Ultimate Fighting Championship mainstay Jim Miller still has a chance to go for his 25th win in the Octagon next week.

Per a UFC press release on Thursday, Miller (35-16, 1 NC) has received a replacement opponent for UFC Fight Night 219. The longtime vet will now meet Alexander Hernandez (13-6) at lightweight, with the latter coming back up from a one-off appearance at featherweight in December. The two will square off on the main card that will be held inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Feb. 18.

The 39-year-old Miller is currently riding a three-fight finish streak, knocking out Erick Gonzalez and Nikolas Motta before tapping Donald Cerrone with a guillotine choke in his last outing. The win streak is his longest since getting his hand raised three fights in a row in 2016. The roster staple that has been part of the organization since 2009 holds the most appearances (40), most wins (24) and is tied with Cerrone for the second-most finishes (16) …

Coach: ‘Robert Whittaker Is Not a Good Matchup for Khamzat Chimaev’

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight great Robert Whittaker needs someone to fight.

At UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, Whittaker was linked to a fight against Paulo Costa. Negotiations fell apart, with the promotion announcing the fight before the two agreed. Costa publicly chided the UFC for putting forth the news of the bout before it came together, and it was ultimately scrapped from the lineup. As the former champion sits on the shelf waiting for a call, one such fighter has offered to take him on: Khamzat Chimaev. Whitaker’s head coach, Alex Prates, spoke to Sherdog about that fight and UFC 284 as a whole, but was quick to remark that, “Whittaker is not a good matchup [for] Chimaev.”

“That’s the fight UFC wants,” Prates stated. “We have nothing official from UFC, but I think it will be so big as it would be a title fight.”

A disciple of Mario Sperry, coach Prates has been away from his home country of Brazil for the last 23 years. Training …

Charles Oliveira Confirms Negotiations for Beneil Dariush Match

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight king Charles Oliveira is ready to get back in the game.

Four months after losing his 155-pound title to Islam Makhachev, Oliveira is expecting to return to the Octagon within a few months. Having trekked to Perth, Australia, to corner teammate Elves Brener Oliveira in his UFC debut opposite Zubaira Tukhugov, the ex-champ spoke with Sherdog about his plans. A recent interview with The Schmo brought to light a possible pairing with Beneil Dariush, and Oliveira confirmed that fight is in the works.

“It’s true that we are negotiating to face Dariush, who is coming from a gigantic sequence of wins,” Oliveira admitted. “My managers Jorge Patino and Diego Lima are taking care of that. As I said in other interviews, that’s a moment where we have to think with reason not emotion. I must fight the one who will take me to the title shot. My plan is [to] fight April or May, and fight again for the belt by the end …

Kleydson Rodrigues: Controversy in the Rearview

[embedded content] Kleydson Rodrigues does not yet have his feet fully underneath him in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division—a situation he hopes to remedy in his latest assignment.

The former Jungle Fight champion will do battle with Shannon Ross as part of the UFC 284 undercard on Saturday at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, where he aims to nail down his first victory inside the Octagon. Rodrigues made his promotional debut on May 7, when he wound up on the wrong side of contentious split decision against C.J. Vergara at UFC 274.

“The fight against Vergara was very close,” he told Sherdog.com. “A lot of folks didn’t agree with the results.”

Rodrigues outlanded the onetime Fury Fighting Championship titleholder 81-71 in terms of significant strikes and accounted for the only two completed takedowns in the bout. However, Vergara was credited with more control time and connected with more total strikes. All three judges struck …

ABC Launches ‘Athlete’s Voice Committee,’ Includes Seven Retired Fighters

The Association of Boxing Comissions and Combative Sports (ABC) has launched an “athlete’s voice committee” to give fighters a better opportunity to connect with regulators.

According to a release, the committee will help fighters “who wish to better understand vital issues such as how scoring works, appeal rights, contractual literacy workshops, regulatory rights regarding managers and any other educational opportunities that can advance fighter interests in the sport.”

“The ABC hopes this committee will allow all fighters to understand the sport from a regulatory standpoint.” said ABC president Mike Mazzulli. “At every weigh-in I ask fighters questions relating to rules and regulations and it is apparent to me a majority of combative participants do not have clear knowledge of the Rules and Scoring Criteria. This committee will also allow fighters a voice at the table.”

The committee will be chaired by New York State Athletic Commission Executive…

Kansas City to Host Max Holloway-Arnold Allen Headlined Card on April 15

The UFC Fight Night card featuring Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen in the evening’s headliner has a location and venue.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that the event will take place at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on April 15. The venue is located in downtown Kansas City in 2007 and has a capacity of nearly 19,000. Other bouts scheduled for UFC Fight Night include Edson Barboza vs. Billy Quarantillo at featherweight and Chris Gutierrez vs. Pedro Munhoz at bantamweight.

The Las Vegas-based organization’s first — and only trip to Kansas City occured at UFC on Fox 24 on April 15, 2017. That event saw Demetrious Johnson retain his flyweight crown with a third-round submission of Wilson Reis in the headliner at the Sprint Center.

Holloway is coming off an unsuccessful bid to regain featherweight gold, as he dropped a five-round verdict to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276 this past July. The Hawaiian known as “Blessed” is now 0-3 ag…

‘Freak Accident’ Forces Nathaniel Wood to Withdraw from UFC 286

Nathaniel Wood has been forced to withdraw from a proposed featherweight clash against Lerone Murphy at UFC 286.

“The Prospect” revealed on social media that a “freak accident” in training resulted in him having to get stitches on his knee.

“It is with a heavy heart to announce I will no longer be fighting in London. It seems I just can’t get a break in this game with constant set backs. A freak accident landing on wooden trim in wrestling practice,” Wood wrote. “Sorry for all those who were coming to see me. Going to have a sit down and think about some things. The highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows.”

“Unfortunately I cannot bend my knee until these stitches are out.”

It is unclear if Murphy will remain on the card against a replacement opponent. UFC 286 takes place at the O2 Arena in London on March 18 and is headlined by a welterweight title rematch between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.

A former Cage Warriors bant…

Michael Page vs. Goiti Yamauchi Added to Bellator 292 Main Card

A welterweight clash pitting Michael Page against Goiti Yamauchi will complete the Bellator 292 main card on March 10.

Promotion officials announced the booking on Wednesday. Bellator 292 takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., and is headlined by a lightweight grand prix bout between reigning 155-pound champion Usman Nurmagomedov and Benson Henderson. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on the Bellator YouTube channel, the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Several new contests were confirmed to complete the Bellator 292 preliminary draw: Julius Anglickas vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov at light heavyweight; Bobby Seronio III vs. Alberto Garcia at bantamweight; Enrique Barzola vs. Erik Perez at bantamweight; Khalid Murtazaliev vs. Tony Johnson at middleweight and Islam Mamedov vs. Shamil Nikaev at lightweight.

Page had a six-bout winning streak snapped in hi…

Michael Chandler Anticipates Tension, Trash Talk on ‘TUF 31’ with Conor McGregor

[embedded content]

Michael Chandler has fought five times since signing with the UFC in 2021. His future opponent, Conor McGregor, has fought just twice over that same timeframe.

With that being said, the former Bellator lightweight champion is confident that the spotlight of coaching on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” as a lead-in to a big pay-per-view showdown will light a fire under McGregor as he prepares to make his long-awaited UFC return.

“I have been very active. I just signed with the promotion a little over two years ago, and I have fought the who’s who, the toughest strength of schedule that maybe anybody ever has coming into the UFC,” Chandler recently said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “… Conor has had the luxury of stepping away from the sport because he has a very padded bank account. He does live a life of luxury.

“We can’t make the mistake of thinking (he’s) lost his passion for mixed martial arts … It’s his first love. I think we’re gonna …

Rafael Dos Anjos Expects Alexander Volkanovski to ‘Shock the World’ at UFC 284

Rafael dos Anjos is eager to return to the Octagon on the heels of his second-round submission win over Bryan Barberena in a welterweight bout at UFC on ESPN 42 this past December.

Sometimes finding a fight is easier said than done.

"My goal was to return in March or April, but it's not easy to find opponents,” dos Anjos told Sherdog.com. “The UFC offered some guys I already fought and some others that I had to look on Google to find out who they were.”

The former lightweight champion is interested in fights against the likes of Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson, but when it comes to the welterweight division, many of the top names are already booked.

"I also suggested [Stephen] Thompson, but it looks like he wants to fight strikers, and I did a lot of grappling against Barbarena,” dos Anjos said. “Since Colby [Covington] must face Belal [Muhammad], [Jorge] Masvidal is paired with [Gilbert Burns] and [Kevin] Holland with [Santiago] P…

Dana White Disputes Notion That UFC 284 Headliner Hasn’t Been Properly Promoted

While it may seem like the UFC 284 main event hasn’t received the attention it deserves, Dana White says that simply isn’t the case.

The event features a showdown for the lightweight belt between two of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters in Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski. In a recent interview with RSports Russia, Makhachev voiced concerns that more promotion for the pay-per-view could have been done.

“I see that it is not such big promotion,” Makhachev said. “Dana White himself has some problems. He does not pay much attention to this fight. Here in Perth, everyone knows about the fight and is looking forward to it. And in terms of pay-per-view, yes, more could have been done. I only saw Volkanovski once, in Sydney. A tour could be organized around the world. A [news] conference could be held in America.”

In many cases, the week-to-week grind of the MMA schedule limits the focus on any one event. However, White claims that M…

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