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Jon Jones: There’s Never Been a Fight That Means More Than Beating Stipe Miocic

Jon Jones essentially called his shot during fight week, and he delivered on that promise in the UFC 285 headliner.

As he promised, “Bones” made it look easy against Ciryl Gane, winning via guillotine choke just 2:04 into the opening round of their heavyweight title bout on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And just like that, Jones picked up where he left off three years ago, as one of the sport’s all-time best pound-for-pound fighters.

“We were really well rehearsed,” Jones said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I believe that I’m a product of my team. We take studying very seriously. I’m not sure if Ciryl Gane landed a clean strike on me or not, but we were ready defensively for every one of his strikes. It just felt so amazing.”

In truth, Gane wasn’t given much of a chance to unveil his highly-touted kickboxing arsenal. Jones took him down quickly and locked in the sneaky guillotine before the Frenchman could even find his bearing…

Lightweight, Bantamweight Cast for ‘TUF 31’ Includes Multiple UFC Vets

Ready to ride May 30th 🤠#TUF31 filming has officially begun! pic.twitter.com/1GZr81K7uN

— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) February 24, 2023

The cast for “The Ultimate Fighter 31” will feature a number of familiar faces.

The promotion on Saturday announced the lightweight and bantamweight lineup for the reality show, which is currently taping and features Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler as opposing coaches.

Notable names for the “TUF 31” cast at 155 pounds include Octagon veterans such as Jason Knight, Kurt Holobaugh, Roosevelt Roberts and Austin Hubbard. Meanwhile, bantamweight features former UFC competitors such as Timur Valiev, Brad Katona, Hunter Azure and Cody Gibson.

“TUF 31” will premiere May 30 on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and each episode will also be available via ESPN+ at 11 p.m. ET following their network debut. McGregor and Chandler will square off at an as yet to be determined UFC even…

UFC 285 Bonuses: Jon Jones, Alexa Grasso Lead $50K Award Winners

It was at night to remember at UFC 285, and that was due in large part to the efforts of Jon Jones and Alexa Grasso.

After a three-year absence, Jones returned in style with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane to claim the vacant heavyweight title in Saturday’s headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That work earned Jones a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check, which he pledged to donate to his Albuquerque-based charity on the ESPN+ post-fight show.

Meanwhile, Grasso is the leader for “Upset of the Year” after shocking Valentina Shevchenko with a fourth-round face crank in the UFC 285 co-main event. Not only did Grasso become the third Mexican-born champion in promotion history, but she pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award as a result.

Also receiving a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus was Octagon newcomer Bo Nickal, who tapped Jamie Pickett with an arm-triangle choke 2:54 into the opening stanza of their middlewe…

Jon Jones Guillotines Ciryl Gane, Leaves UFC 285 as Heavyweight Champion

It was as if he had never left.

Jon Jones returned from a three-year sabbatical and laid claim to the vacant Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight crown, as he submitted Ciryl Gane with a guillotine choke in the first round of their UFC 285 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Gane (11-2, 8-2 UFC) raised the white flag of surrender 2:04 into Round 1.

Jones (27-1, 21-1 UFC)—in his first appearance since Feb. 8, 2020—executed a takedown a little more than a minute into the bout, applied his ground-and-pound while climbing into a seated mount position and threaded the needle on the choke. Before Gane realized what was happening, his fate had been sealed.Grasso Ends Shevchenko Reign Alexa Grasso stunned the mixed martial arts world and captured the undisputed women’s strawweight championship, as she submitted Valentina Shevchenko with a face crank in the fourth round of their co-main event. Shevchenko (23-4, 12-3 UFC) bowed out 4:…

UFC 285 ‘Jones vs. Gane’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC 285 coverage will begin Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Radzhabov (-250), Ribovics (+210)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Shane Clifford scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Shane Clifford scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Shane Clifford scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Basharat (-410), Blackshear (+330)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Shane Clifford scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Shane Clifford scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Shane Clifford scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: …

UFC 285 Prelims: Cody Garbrandt Upends Trevin Jones, Halts Two-Fight Skid

Cody Garbrandt, if nothing else, kept his foot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship door.

The Xtreme Couture export outstruck and outmaneuvered a painfully inactive Trevin Jones to a unanimous decision in their featured UFC 285 bantamweight prelim on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three members of the cageside judiciary struck 29-28 scorecards.

Garbrandt (13-5, 8-5 UFC) picked his spots through the first 10 minutes, steered clear of danger and kept his feet moving. He delivered a pair of takedowns in the second round and moved to the back before briefly threatening with a rear-naked choke. Jones (13-10, 1-4 UFC) finally got in gear in Round 3, where he connected with a few powerful left hands and climbed into top position. However, the finish he needed failed to materialize. In the penultimate prelim, former KSW champion Dricus Du Plessis wiped out Derek Brunson with punches in the second round of their middleweight clash. Du Plessis…

Juntaro Ushiku vs. Mikuru Asakura Tops Rizin Landmark Vol. 5 Lineup

Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Photo Credit: Rizin FF Credit: Lee Li Credit: Lee Li Credit: Lee Li Credit: Lee Li Cred…

Resurgent Wilson Reis Chokes Johnny Campbell in Cage Warriors 149 Headliner

Former EliteXC titleholder Wilson Reis continued his late-career resurgence in Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, as he took care of Johnny Campbell with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their CW 149 headliner on Friday at the Sycuan Casino Resort in San Diego. Reis (27-12, 4-0 CW) closed out the bantamweight affair 2:20 into Round 3.

Campbell (22-15, 0-1 CW) started strong and pushed the pace in the first part of the opening frame, where he secured a takedown and improved his position through ground-and-pound. Reis bounced back in the second part of the frame and wound up in top position after a wild scramble. The Brazilian came close to finishing Campbell twice in Round 2 with deep neck crank and arm-triangle attempts, but “Cupcakes” managed to survive. Reis looked for a successful takedown early in the third round, perhaps sensing his grappling skills were superior to his opponent’s defense. Once on the mat, the Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran worked …

UFC 285 Weigh-in Results: Jones Outweighs Gane; 2 Fighters Heavy

[embedded content] Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champ Jon Jones came in just slightly heavier than Ciryl Gane.

As expected, both heavyweights had no issue making weight for their vacant title fight ahead of UFC 285. Jones (26-1, 1 NC) officially weighed 248 pounds, and he'll be the heftier man in the cage by a whisker as Gane (11-1) weighed 247.5 pounds. The co-main event is also a title fight, and will see Valentina Shevchenko defend her flyweight belt against challenger Alexa Grasso. Both women weighed 124.5 pounds.

As for the rest of the card, both Geoff Neal and Leomana Martinez came in overweight and received 30% fines of their purses. Neal weighed in at 175 pounds, four over the welterweight limit, ahead of his match with Shavkat Rakhmonov. Meanwhile, Martinez came in at 137 pounds for his bantamweight contest against Cameron Saaiman.

This marks the first fight since 2020 for "Bones." The Jackson-Wink MMA product ha…

Featherweight Brahyan Zurcher Secures Contract on PFL Challenger Series 6

Unbeaten Xtreme Couture representative Brahyan Zurcher locked down a Professional Fighters League contract during Week 6 of the PFL Challenger Series, as he took care of David Evans with a neck crank in the second round of their featherweight showcase on Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Evans (5-2, 0-1 PFL) bowed out 1:37 into Round 2, suffering the first submission defeat of his career.

Zurcher (5-0, 3-0 PFL) tore into his counterpart’s body and lead leg with kicks, flurried with power punches and struck for a takedown late in the first round. He transitioned from half guard to side control and eventually advanced to the back, securing his position with a body triangle just as time expired. Zurcher landed another takedown early in the middle stanza, climbed to the back and snaked his arms into position for the fight-ending crank.

The 26-year-old Zurcher has finished three of his five opponents by submission. Meanwhile, SBG Ireland e…

PFL Challenger Series 6 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live PFL Challenger Series 6 coverage kicks off Friday at 9 p.m. ET. The action will be broadcast live and free on fuboTV. Round 1 Josh Rutgers is your referee for the first fight of the night. Gonzalez opens up with leg kicks to start the fight. Ruhil is trying to close the space but Gonzalez is able to stay at range with repeated kicks. Gonzalez rushes in with a series of punches but then gets hit with a right hand by Ruhil. Gonzalez shells up against the cage and then Ruhil goes for a takedown but can't get him down. Gonzalez breaks free and throws a few punches of his own then clinches against the cage. They separate and Ruhil is able to land a right hand. Ruhil gets wild with his punches and is dropped by a swinging right hand by Gonzalez, who gets straight into mount position. Gonzalez postures up and rains down punches with 90 seconds left. Ruhil holds on, looking to survive the round. Gonzalez breaks free and begins landing several hard shots and the refer…

Coach Eric Albarracin Expects Patricio Freire to Earn Title in Third Division

The coach of Bellator MMA great Patricio Freire expects that it is only a matter of time until his fighter is a triple champ.

At Fight Ready in Arizona, Eric Albarracin coaches a solid roster of fighters including former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Henry Cejudo, ex-title challenger Paulo Costa and both of the “Pitbull” brothers Patricio and Patricky Freire. With the top echelon of his squad all holding sky-high aspirations, news broke recently that Patricio was planning on moving to 135 pounds to earn a title in that weight class as well. Albarracin spoke to Sherdog about two of the aforementioned competitors, including Patricio’s plans and Costa’s possible next fight, on Thursday.

“When you reach a certain level, like Cejudo and Patricio, more important than the belt itself is to make history,” the acclaimed coach remarked. “Patricio has already beaten all the records and conquered belts in two weight divisions, now he will get [to] bantamweight and write his…

Thiago Santos Believes Jon Jones Will Prevail at UFC 285

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Thiago Santos believes his former foe will win this weekend.

After nearly 10 years with the UFC, including 24 appearances against some of the greatest fighters to grace the Octagon, Santos is now on the outside looking in. The man known as “Marreta” successfully requested his release from the organization to go fight for greener pastures in the form of the Professional Fighters League. Despite leaving the UFC roster, Santos is still paying close attention to his former company and past opponents, especially ones that invoke his name. Ahead of the UFC 285 clash between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane, Jones suggested that Santos was a more difficult opponent than Gane and a better overall striker. The Brazilian briefly spoke to Sherdog about Jones’ comments and his upcoming match in the new promotion this week.

“A real warrior recognizes the other,” Santos said graciously. “I couldn’t expect anything diff…

Jessica Andrade Drops Back to 115 Pounds to Face Xiaonan Yan at UFC 288

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight titleholder Jessica Andrade is returning to her old stomping ground in May.

According to Eurosport NL on Friday, Andrade (24-10) will be moving back to strawweight to take on Xiaonan Yan (16-3, 1 NC) on May 6. The two top-ranked 115ers will be squaring off on UFC 288 inside of the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The fight was later confirmed by Andrade on her Instagram Stories.

“Bate Estaca” saw her three-fight win streak across two divisions come to a crushing halt in February, when she stepped up on short notice to battle Erin Blanchfield atop UFC Fight Night 219. The Brazilian flyweight succumbed to a rear-naked choke in Round 2, suffering her first non-championship defeat at 125 pounds. Andrade last competed at strawweight on April 2022, where she snared Amanda Lemos with a standing arm-triangle choke in a one-off at the division she left in 2020. Andrade has since claimed she is willing …

PFL Challenger Series 2023 Week 6 Weigh-in Results: Featherweights Make Weight

⚖️Main event is official! Brahyan Zurcher and David Evans both make weight for their featherweight bout!

Fights are 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 & 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 on @fuboSports

[ #PFLonFubo | Featherweights | Fri, March 3rd | 9pm ET] pic.twitter.com/K2Q72Rzm3V — PFL (@PFLMMA) March 2, 2023 The latest Professional Fighters League Challenger Series event will feature eight fighters in the featherweight division.

All PFL Challenger Series Week 6 fighters made weight for the four-fight card. Headlining the card will be a fight between the undefeated Brahyan Zurcher and David Evans.

Perfect at 4-0 as a professional, Zurcher won his first PFL fight last year by defeating Ricardo Jimenez via unanimous decision. He'll get a tougher opponent in the 5-1 Evans, who rebounded from his lone career defeat by beating Gary Konkol via decision. Zurcher weighed 146 pounds, while Evans came in at 145.4 pounds.

PFL Challenger Series Week 6: Featherweig…

Bellator MMA Signs Two-Time NCAA Wrestling Champ Jordan Oliver

Seems like you’ve got the Bellator fans excited, @that_dude_JO 👊😎 pic.twitter.com/fYdO7qlwRp

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 1, 2023

Bellator MMA has added another decorated wrestler to its roster.

The California-based promotion announced Wednesday that it has signed Jordan Oliver, a two-time NCAA national champion at Oklahoma State University, to an exclusive, multi-fight deal. Oliver will compete at featherweight and is expected to make his debut in 2023.

“It’s an honor to sign with Bellator MMA. I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent an amazing company, showcase my skills, and make my climb to the top to become a world champion fighter as a dedicated competitor,” Oliver said in a release, “I have always accepted and loved to take on new challenges. The 'tough love' sport of wrestling has molded and prepared me for this opportunity for the past 29 years. The vision remains the same… I'm coming to win, and w…

Dana White Says He ‘Fought Hard’ to Get Lone Loss Removed from Jon Jones’ Record

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Those who have followed the UFC career of Jon Jones since the beginning know that his lone career loss comes with an asterisk.

In Jones’ fourth Octagon appearance, he suffered a disqualification loss to Matt Hamill at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” finale after landing a series of illegal 12-to-6 elbows on his opponent. Steve Mazzagatti was the referee in the fight, and it’s a ruling that still irks UFC president Dana White to this day.

“I mean realistically — if you look at all the people that he’s fought, he’s never lost a fight. It kills me that, that one [loss] is on his record. 26-1,” White said on the Jim Rome Show.

“You have to understand for the people that don’t know, this was during a time when the Nevada State Athletic Commission was very weak and there was a referee in there that stopped the fight and called Jones the loser in that fight. A fight he was dominating and should have been finished. Instead of disqualifyin…

Eric Albarracin Discusses UFC Returns of Jon Jones, Henry Cejudo

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Within the span of a couple months, both Jon Jones and Henry Cejudo will return to the Octagon following extended layoffs.

As the wrestling coach of the Fight Ready team, Eric Albarracin was able to observe the daily routines of the two former UFC champions as they prepare to make their highly-anticipated comebacks. Jones will face Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight crown at UFC 285 on Saturday, while Cejudo will lock horns with Aljamain Sterling for bantamweight gold at UFC 288 on May 6. Albarracin discussed the prospects for Jones and Cejudo in a recent interview with Sherdog.com.

“Any athlete who goes three years without competing should be an underdog if they return to fight for a belt, but Cejudo and Jones are probably the only exceptions,” he said. One is the only ‘Triple C’ in the history of combat sports, and the other is the GOAT. They don’t fight only for the belt, but to make history.”

After Jones spent a po…

Luke Rockhold vs. Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes Booked for BKFC 41

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship will be bringing some new star power to the ring in the near future.

Promotion president Dave Feldman revealed Wednesday on ”The MMA Hour” that BKFC will feature Luke Rockhold vs. Mike Perry and Eddie Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes on the April 29 card at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo. Rockhold and Alvarez are new free-agent signings for the promotion. While the majority of BKFC events are available through the app for a monthly subscription fee, BKFC 41 will air on pay-per-view for $49.99.

“We have to do it, obviously, to be able to pay for these guys,” Feldman said.

Rockhold returned from a three-year absence at UFC 279, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Paulo Costa. The former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion announced his retirement after the bout. He later walked back that decision after being granted his release from the UFC. The 38-year-old Californian lost four of his last f…

Hailey Cowan: Ovarian Cyst Rupture Led to Exit from UFC Fight Night 220

A serious condition led to Hailey Cowan withdrawing from her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut last weekend.

While the promotion initially announced that an illness forced Cowan to pull out of a proposed bantamweight clash against Ailin Perez at UFC Fight Night 220, the Dana White’s Contender Series alum offered further details regarding her withdrawal in a social media post.

“I had an ovarian cyst rupture [on] the night before weigh-ins,” Cowan wrote on Instagram. “I lost a lot of blood and the doctors pulled me. I was on weight and ready to go. Super unfortunate but we will rebook ASAP. Apologies to the fans and my opponent but this was beyond my control.”

The 31-year-old Cowan earned a UFC contract after taking a split decision over Claudia Leite on the Contender Series last August. The Waco, Texas, native is 7-2 over the course of a career that includes stints in Invicta FC and Legacy Fighting Alliance.

Darren Till Reveals He Was Granted UFC Release

Darren Till and the Ultimate Fighting Championship have parted ways — though it may not be for good.

The former welterweight title challenger revealed on Twitter that he was granted his release from the Las Vegas-based promotion at his own request. Twitter account UFC Roster Watch initially brought word that Till was removed from the UFC roster.

“What’s happening everyone? Me, Dana [and] Hunter are still cool as f—k,” Till wrote. “I asked UFC [to] remove me just [to] sort some other s—t for the foreseeable [future]. They happily agreed to release me out of contract, which I appreciate.

“I’m not going anywhere. Got big plans to execute [and] I’ll be back.”

What’s happening everyone,Me, Dana & Hunter are still cool as fuck.I asked UFC 2 remove me just 2 sort some other shit for the foreseeable,They happily agreed to release me out of contract which I appreciate.I’m not going anywhere, got big plans to execute &am…

UFC Leads Endeavor-Owned Sports Properties to 20% Revenue Increase in 2022

The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to be a major source of profit for parent company Endeavor.

Endeavor held an earnings report call on Tuesday, where it revealed that its owned sports properties — led by the UFC — generated 1.3 billion in revenue in 2022, which is $224.1 million more (20 percent) than 2021. According to a summary posted by Endeavor, “growth for the year was driven by increased media rights fees at UFC, as well as greater sponsorship, licensing, commercial PPV and event related revenue from more UFC events with live audiences.” Other sports properties owned by the company include Professional Bull Riders and 10 minor league baseball franchises.

“All 21 UFC events with live audiences sold out, continuing a 29 event sell out streak since returning from the pandemic. UFC posted its best sponsorship year ever in 2022, unlocking new categories and inventory to reach a fan base that grew double digits over 2021 in the U.S,” Ende…

Sergei Pavlovich Slated to Be Backup Fighter for UFC 285 Main Event

With big-ticket main events, it’s always good to have a backup plan.

According to ESPN, Sergei Pavlovich will serve in as the alternate fighter for the Jon Jones-Ciryl Gane headliner at UFC 285 on Saturday. Pavlovich will weigh-in on Friday and must hit the heavyweight mark to be eligible to step in should something happen to either Jones or Gane. UFC president Dana White confirmed during the UFC Fight Night 220 post-fight press conference that the heavyweight title bout would have an alternate but he did not name the fighter who would serve in that role.

Pavlovich is currently scheduled to face Curtis Blaydes in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card on April 22. The 30-year-old Russian owns a 17-1 career mark, with his lone setback coming against Alistair Overeem in his Octagon debut. Since then, Pavlovich has won five consecutive UFC bouts — all via first-round KO/TKO.

UFC 285 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and features t…

Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann Rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 221 on March 11

Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann are going to try again in a couple weeks.

After the light heavyweight bout that was scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night 220 fell through on the day of the event, Krylov vs. Spann has been rebooked for UFC Fight Night 221 on March 11. Promotion broadcast partner ESPN confirmed the reschedule bout following an initial report from Igor Lazorin.

UFC Fight Night 221 takes place at the Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas and is headlined by a bantamweight clash pitting Petr Yan against Merab Dvalishvili. Krylov vs. Spann will now be a three-round contest.

Prior to falling ill just hours before the UFC Fight Night 220 main event, Krylov had posted back-to-back victories over Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir in the Octagon. “The Miner” is 10-7 over the course of two UFC stints.

Spann, meanwhile, has been victorious in three of his last four promotional appearances. During that stretch, “Superman” has s…

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