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Kleber Koike Erbst Promises First-Round Finish in Title Defense at Rizin 43

Two months after winning the Rizin featherweight title with a submission victory against Juntaro Ushiko, Kleber Koike Erbst came up short against Bellator featherweight champ Patricio Freire in a cross-promotional event this past December.

Even after that decision loss, Erbst emerged confident that he will remain Rizin champion for a long time.

"Patricio is one of the best featherweights in MMA history, and after fighting him for 15 minutes, I feel I can bring trouble to any fighter in that division in the world,” Erbst told Sherdog.com shortly after that fight.

On Saturday, Erbst will defend his belt against Japanese kickboxing ace Chihiro Suzuki at Rizin 43. The 24-year-old Suzuki has won five straight bouts under the Rizin banner. Shortly after the Rizin 43 press conference, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt said that he planned to finish Suzuki in the first round.

"He was talking too much trash at the press conference saying he would pro…

Jon Jones, Leon Edwards Receive Multiple ESPY Nominations

UFC champions Jon Jones and Leon Edwards have received two ESPY nominations apiece.

ESPN on Wednesday announced the nominees for its annual awards show, which this year takes place on July 12 in Los Angeles. Jones and Edwards are joined by Amanda Nunes and Islam Makhachev as the candidates for the Best MMA Fighter Category. Additionally, Jones is on the list for Best Comeback Athlete, while Edwards is in the running for Best Championship Performance.

Jones returned to action following a three-year layoff at UFC 285, where he claimed the vacant heavyweight crown with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane. “Bones” is going up against the Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray, the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas and the New York Mets’ Justin Verlander in the Best Comeback Athlete category.

Edwards was nominated for Best Championship Performance thanks to his improbable fifth-round KO of Kamaru Usman to claim welterweight gold at UFC 278 last August. The…

Jeremy Stephens vs. Chris Avila Booked for Jake Paul-Nate Diaz Undercard

Jeremy Stephens and Chris Avila will meet in a boxing match on the undercard of the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz event on Aug. 5.

Most Valuable Promotions and Real Fight Inc. announced the bout on Wednesday. The fight will take place at 168 pounds and will be contested over eight rounds. Paul vs. Diaz will be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and airs via pay-per-view via Dazn as well as all major cable and satellite providers.

Stephens made his professional boxing debut under the Gamebred Boxing banner on April 1, when he battled fellow UFC veteran Jose Aldo to a majority draw. “Lil Heathen” owns a 29-21 record with one no contest in MMA and is coming off a 1-2 stint with Professional Fighters League in 2022.

“I am super excited to be in these times of MMA mixing with boxing — it is a huge opportunity,” Stephens said. “And to have all the eyes in the world on this card, I plan on stealing the f—king show and giving the fans the ‘too …

Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum to Meet in Bareknuckle MMA Fight on Sept. 2

Former UFC heavyweight champions Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum will square off in a bareknuckle MMA bout under Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Promotions banner.

Conan Silveira, dos Santos’ coach at American Top Team, recently confirmed the news to Sherdog. Dos Santos and Werdum have already signed the contract to face one another. The pairing will come some 15 years after their first meeting, which “Cigano” won via first-round technical knockout at UFC 90 on Oct. 25, 2008.

“‘Cigano' started his camp to face Werdum today,” Silveira said. “I’m not sure if it was already officially announced but it will be at a Masvidal event under Vale Tudo rules, but with no gloves.”

News of the bout was subsequently confirmed by other sources close to the situation.

Dos Santos, who is known for his boxing-based skill set, hasn’t competed since suffering a shoulder injury that caused him to loss to Yorgan De Castro at Eagle FC in May 2022. The former …

Seo Hee Ham, Stamp Fairtex to Vie for Interim Title at One Fight Night 14 on Sept. 1

Seo Hee Ham and Nong Stamp will square off for One Championship’s interim atomweight (115-pound) belt on Sept. 1.

The Singapore-based promotion confirmed the bout following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. Angela Lee is One’s reigning atomweight champion but is reportedly considering retirement following the death of her sister, Victoria Lee, this past December.

Ham, the former Rizin Fighting Federation super atomweight queen, has been victorious in her last nine professional outings — including three under the one banner. The South Korean is coming off a unanimous decision win over Itsuki Hirata on March 24.

Fairtex will be making her second bid for a title after falling to Lee via second-round submission at One X in March 2022. Since then, the Thai fighter has scored back-to-back triumphs over Jihin Radzuan and Alyse Anderson in One competition.

The One Fight Night card does not yet have a confirmed location but will air in th…

Volkan Oezdemir to Face Azamat Murzakanov at UFC Paris on Sept. 2

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: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A light heavyweight clash pitting Volkan Oezdemir against Azamat Murzakanov has been booked for UFC Paris.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Wednesday. UFC Fight Night 226 takes place on Sept. 2 at Accor Arena in Paris and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Ciryl Gane and Sergey Spivak.

A former 205-pound title challenger, Oezdemir has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 33-year-old Switzerland native suffered a unanimous decision loss to Nikita Krylov at UFC 280 this past October. His ledger includes wins over the likes of Jimi Manuwa, Ovince St. Preux, Ilir La…

Anderson Silva Reveals Plans for Farewell MMA Fight in Japan

Anderson Silva isn’t done with mixed martial arts just yet.

“The Spider” discussed the possibility shortly after the premiere of the film "Murder City,” which launched on Friday and features a cast that includes the former UFC middleweight champion. In an interview with Brazilian outlet Combate.com, Silva revealed that a farewell MMA bout in Japan is in the works.

“We have a proposal and we are negotiating with Japan. There will definitely be something cool for the fans,” Silva said. “I can't give spoilers. But what we are actually negotiating in relation to MMA is my last fight in Japan. Because it has everything to do with it, it's where I started my international career, where I won my first world title, in Shooto. I think it has everything to do with ending my career in Japan.”

The most dominant middleweight champion in UFC middleweight history also discussed the current state of the division. He does not approve of Alex Pereira’s decisi…

Jessica Andrade Steps in for Virna Jandiroba, Meets Tatiana Suarez at UFC Nashville

Former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade will replace Virna Janiroba and face Tatiana Suarez in the UFC Nashville co-main event on Aug. 5.

The promotion announced the 115-pound bout in a release on Tuesday. UFC on ESPN 50 takes place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, and is headlined by a bantamweight clash between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. According to MMAFighting.com, Jandiroba was forced to withdraw from the event due to a knee injury that will require surgery.

Andrade has already fought three times in 2023. After dominating Lauren Murphy in a unanimous decision triumph at UFC 283 in January, “Bate Estaca” has been finished in back-to-back outings by Erin Blanchfield and Xiaonan Yan. The first-round KO defeat to Yan at UFC 288 marked Andrade’s return to 115 pounds.

Suarez, meanwhile, was out of action for more than three years due to injury. She made her return at UFC Fight Night 220, where she submitted Montan…

Rob Wilkinson Among Seven PFL Athletes Punished for Failed Drug Tests

The fallout from the litany of failed drug tests during Professional Fighters League’s first leg of the regular season continued at a Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting on Tuesday.

Defending light heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson was one of seven fighters who received sanctions from the NSAC. Wilkinson, who defeated ex-UFC title challenger Thiago Santos via unanimous decision in the PFL 1 main event on April 1, tested positive for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio resulting from the androgynous origin of testosterone in relation to that bout. As a result, he was suspended nine months and fined $7,500 along with $821 in legal feels. Additionally, Wilkinson’s victory was overturned to a no contest.

Santos, one of the organization’s high-profile free agent signings, did not emerge unscathed. “Marreta” tested positive for clomiphene, an estrogen receptor module, in relation to the bout and was suspended six months and fined $12,…

Referees, Judges Selected for Title Bouts at UFC 290

Herb Dean will be the third man in the cage when Alexander Volkanovski defends his featherweight crown against Yair Rodriguez in the UFC 290 main event.

Meanwhile, Mike Bell, Ron McCarthy and Sal D’Amato will score the headliner from cageside. The Nevada Athletic Commission on Tuesday appointed the referees and judges for the two championships fights at UFC 290, which takes place on July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Dean officiated Volkanoski title defenses against Max Holloway (UFC 251), Brian Ortega (UFC 266) and Chan Sung Jung (UFC 273) before Marc Goddard oversaw the City Kickboxing standout’s last two efforts.

In the evening’s co-feature, Jason Herzog will referee the flyweight title tilt between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, while Ben Cartlidge, Junichiro Kamijo and Derek Cleary will serve as judges. In recent bouts, Herzog was the third man in the cage for two of Moreno’s four championship meetings with Deiveson Figueiredo.

Flyweights Kai Kara-France, Manel Kape Agree to Bout at UFC 293 in Sydney

Kai Kara-France will square off against Manel Kape in a flyweight clash at UFC 293.

ESPN was first to report the pairing, which is close to being finalized. UFC 293 takes place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia on Sept. 9. While a headliner has not been announced for the card, reigning middleweight champ Israel Adesanya is expected to defend his title at the event.

Kara-France last appeared in the UFC on ESPN 46 main event, where he suffered a split-decision loss to Amir Albazi on June 3. It was the second consecutive defeat for the City Kickboxing representative, who suffered a third-round TKO defeat to Brandon Moreno in an interim title bout at UFC 277. “Don’t Blink” is is 7-4 in UFC competition, with wins over the likes of Askar Askarov, Cody Garbrandt and Rogerio Bontorin.

A former Rizin bantamweight champion, Kape has won three straight contests after dropping his first two Octagon appearances. Most recently, “Starboy” took a thr…

Jailton Almeida Expects to Showcase Striking Against Curtis Blades at UFC Sao Paulo

In approximately 15 months’ time, Jailton Almeida has made a name for himself by winning five consecutive UFC appearances — all inside the distance.

That run of success resulted in a booking against Curttis Blaydes in the main event of UFC Sao Paolo on Nov. 4. It wasn’t Almeida’s first choice of opponent, but the Brazilian had no issues taking the fight.

"I asked for No. 6 ranked [Tai Tuivasa] anywhere. Hunter [Campbell] offered the No. 4 in Sao Paulo; we immediately accepted,” Almeida said. “He's been in the UFC for seven years. I arrived 15 months ago. He's the one who has all the pressure on his shoulders.”

Almedia looking forward to fighting in his home country and not having to adjust to different time zones for the first time in his UFC tenure.

“I’m used to traveling for up to 24 hours (including connections). It’s going to be great to be able to fight two hours away from Salvador with the support of my fans,” Almeida said.

A…

Bellator Veteran Cris Lencioni in ICU After Suffering Cardiac Arrest During Training

Bellator veteran Cris Lencioni is hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) after suffering a cardiac arrest during training earlier this month.

Lencioni’s wife, Marca, revealed the fighter’s condition in a post on Instagram.

“On Thursday 6/8 there was an incident while Cris was training, and he experienced a cardiac arrest. The athletes at the gym were great and immediately called 911 and did their best to address his needs until paramedics arrived,” she wrote.

“We are currently in another state. He has been under the care of excellent doctors with I and much of his family by his side. We are all hopeful for the progress we know he will continue to make … We are currently in uncharted territory and taking everything day by day.”

A GoFundMe page has also been started on Lencionci’s behalf to help with the costs of his medical care. Bellaor MMA released a statement on Lencioni’s condition.

"We are aware of Cris Lencioni's curr…

Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Vera Set for UFC 292 in Boston

A pivotal bantamweight clash pitting Henry Cejudo against Marlon Vera has been added to the UFC 292 lineup.

ESPN was first to report the booking. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout, which is expected to be finalized soon. UFC 292 takes place at the TD Garden Arena in Boston on Aug. 19 and is headlined by a bantamweight title tilt between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley.

Cejudo returned from a nearly three-year retirement at UFC 288, where he lost a closely contested split decision to Sterling on May 6. The Olympic gold medalist and former two-division champion had won six consecutive UFC appearances from 2017 to 2020, bestling the likes of Dominick Cruz, Marlon Moraes, T.J. Dillashaw, Demetrious Johnson and Sergio Pettis during that period.

Vera, meanwhile, had a four-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he fell to Cory Sandhagen via split decision in the UFC on ESPN 43 headliner on March 25. “Chito” owns a re…

Scott Coker: Vadim Nemkov Best LHW ‘On the Planet,’ Better Than UFC 205-Pounders

When it comes to the best light heavyweights in the world, Vadim Nemkov is at or near the top of most lists.

According to Bellator president Scott Coker, Nemkov solidified his spot as the best 205-pound talent with his dominant title defense against Yoel Romero in the Bellator 297 headliner on Friday night in Chicago.

“Nemkov to me is the best 205-pounder on the planet in any MMA league, including better than the UFC 205-ers,” Coker said at the Bellator 297 post-fight press conference.

“I think what you saw [at Bellator 297] was his speed, agility, his combinations. He can kick, he can punch, he can take you down, he can defend. He can do it all. I think that’s what you saw tonight.”

Romero, a former middleweight title challenger in the UFC, absorbed a lot of damage from Nemkov over the course of the five-round fight. Other than a late takedown and some attempts to lull Nemkov to sleep with a drunken master style, Romero struggled to au…

Sergio Pettis Details Mental Struggles Ahead of Patricio Freire Fight at Bellator 297

Sergio Pettis wasn’t exactly the picture of confidence heading into his title defense against Patricio Freire.

“I thought I was gonna lose this fight. I ain’t gonna lie,” Pettis said at the Bellator 297 post-fight press conference. “I was telling my girl, if I lose to anybody it’s OK to lose to Patricio ‘Pitbull. ‘He’s a legend.”

Pettis then stopped to clarify that statement.

“I didn’t think I was gonna lose. I was just having battles in my mind,” he added. “I was kind of nervous, scared — all of the above. 18 months off of competing. I kind of forgot how all this felt. It’s the opposite of Nate Diaz. I am surprised motherf—ers.”

In his first fight since recovering from knee surgery, Pettis proved the doubters — and himself — wrong in a complete performance, as he confounded Freire with his speed and striking in a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph on Friday night in Chicago. Ultimately, Pettis believes those battles might have helped him …

Jared Cannonier Only Willing to Entertain Fights That Get Him Closer to Title Shot

Shortly after Jared Cannonier outdueled Marvin Vettori in a wildly entertaining slugfest at UFC on ESPN 47, the “The Killa Gorilla” was presented with the prospect of facing Khamzat Chimaev in his next bout.

While Chimaev is one of the promotion’s fastest rising stars, Cannonier is only interested in such a matchup if the terms make sense for his future goals in the UFC’s middleweight division. After all, Chimaev isn’t really established at 185 pounds, but his future could be in the division after missing weight badly ahead of his last appearance at UFC 279.

“Does that fight get me a title shot? You think so? I don’t know. He’s not even ranked at middleweight, is he?” Cannonier said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I know he’s popular. Everybody wants to see him do his thing and stuff like that. If they called me and said, ‘Hey, Khamzat for contender’s match?’ That’s a yes.

“I’m trying to get to the title. I’m not just fighting to entertain you peopl…

PFL 5 Salaries: Ante Delija, Larissa Pacheco Among Six-Figure Paydays

Ante Delija and Larissa Pacheco were two of the five athletes from PFL 5 to earn six-figure paychecks.

The Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission released salaries from the event to MMAjunkie.com on Sunday. PFL 5 took place on Friday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta and saw Delija ($100,000) take a unanimous decision over Maurice Greene ($21,000) in the main event, while Pacheco ($100,000) scored a 45-second TKO against Amber Leibrock ($11,000) in the evening’s co-headliner.

Three other winners from PFL also took home $100,000 paydays: Denis Goltsov, Aspen Ladd and Julia Budd.

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 taxes, insurance, etc., and do not include any sponsorship money that a fighter may acquire for t…

Arman Tsarukyan Calls Out Michael Chandler: ‘His Fight with Conor McGregor is Over’

Count Arman Tsarukyan among those who are skeptical that Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor are ever going to square off in the Octagon.

Tsarukyan called out Chandler following his third-round technical knockout victory against Joaquim Silva in the UFC on ESPN 47 co-main event on Saturday night. The 26-year-old Russian has been victorious in seven of eight UFC appearances since falling to reigning lightweight king Islam Makhachev in his promotional debut.

“If you want to ask me, for sure I want to fight with Michael Chandler,” Tsarukyan said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Because it looks like his fight with Conor McGregor is over. He got to fight with someone, and I am here. I have good win streak and let’s do this fight, because I’m the youngest guy in top 15. He’s the older one. I think for fans it’s good when new generation fights with older generation.”

Hey @MikeChandlerMMA if you think the fight with …

UFC on ESPN 47 Bonuses: Vettori vs. Cannonier Wins Fight of the Night

A five round battle between two absolute warriors in tonight's main event 🤜🤛@MarvinVettori & Jared Cannonier take home tonight's FOTN 💰 #UFCVegas75

B2YB @ToyoTires pic.twitter.com/HHlanhXUBC

— UFC (@ufc) June 18, 2023 The Ultimate Fighting Championship awarded four fighters performance bonuses following the UFC on ESPN 47 card.

The main event took home fight of the night honors as the middleweight showcase was an early fight of the year contender. Jared Cannonier weathered an early storm to put on an incredible performance against Marvin Vettori, who showed a strong chin and much resilience as the fight continued. Cannonier would ultimately win a unanimous decision win with scores of 49-45, 49-45 and 48-46 in his favor.

Two other fighters earned performance of the night bonuses with impressive knockout wins. First was Alessandro Costa, whose brutal win over Jimmy Flick earned him an extra $50,000. Costa delivered brutal elbo…

Jared Cannonier Punishes Marvin Vettori in UFC on ESPN 47 Headliner

Jared Cannonier’s path to the top of the middleweight division just got a little more clear.

The MMA Lab product put forth arguably the finest performance of his career to date, as he battered Marvin Vettori for the better part of five rounds to win a unanimous decision in the UFC on ESPN 47 main event on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges scored the fight for Cannonier: 49-45, 49-45, 48-46. “The Killa Gorilla” has been victorious in four of his last five promotional appearances.

Initially it appeared as though Vettori (19-7-1, 9-5-1 UFC) would make it a short night at the office when he hurt Cannonier (17-6, 10-6 UFC) with a left hand early in the opening round. While Cannonier recovered from being rocked, Vettori still controlled the stanza behind his boxing. It was all Cannonier from there, however. He took control in Round 2, as he walked “The Italian Dream” down and teed off with numerous powerful right hands. The lop…

UFC on ESPN 47 ‘Vettori vs. Cannonier’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 47 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bukauskas (-200), Pauga (+170)Round 1 Welcome to another installment of Dana White’s Saturday Night Contender Series, also known as UFC on ESPN 47 or UFC Vegas 75. This dozen-fight show in the Apex is extremely light on star power, with just three ranked competitors on the whole billing, and two of those are in the main attraction. Starting low in the standings at 205 pounds, either one of these men will reach .500 or pass it with a win today. The latter can be said for Pauga (6-1, 1-1 UFC), while the former is available for Bukauskas (14-5, 2-3 UFC) on his second stint with the promotion. The third man in the cage for the first fight of the night is referee Mark Smith, and the two fighters choose la violencia and proceed without a glove touch. Bukauskas takes the middle of the fence, and Pauga practically runs at his opponent. Swinging his fists wildly, Pauga c…

UFC on ESPN 47 Prelims: Alessandro Costa Immobilizes, Batters Jimmy Flick

VICIOUS elbows for the finish for Alessandro Costa 💥 #UFCVegas75 pic.twitter.com/XLksrikZgq

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 18, 2023

Alessandro Costa found a weak point and attacked without remorse.

The former Lux Fight League champion put together a punishing performance in a technical knockout victory against Jimmy Flick on the UFC on ESPN 47 preliminary card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Costa (13-3, 1-1 UFC) ended the bout with a series of brutal elbows from top position at the 1:03 mark of the second stanza. The Brazilian Warriors export has finished 10 of his 13 professional triumphs inside the distance. Costa laid the foundation for his victory by chopping away at Flick’s left leg, an approach that gradually immobolized the Oklahoman. In between, Costa unloaded with rapid-fire punching volleys to the head and body. Outgunned on the feet, Flick was unable to initiate any takedowns and by the beginni…

Bellator Champ Vadim Nemkov Considering Move to Heavyweight After Latest Win

Vadim Nemkov added another high-profle name to his resume, as he took a lopsided unanimous verdict against former UFC middleweitht title challenger Yoel Romero in the Bellator 297 main event on Friday night.

“I’m very happy about this win,” Nemkov said at the Bellator 297 post-fight press conference. “It was very important to me. He’s a great fighter. He’s a legend. He’s an Olympian, so to win over somebody like him who was fighting with a lot of great fighters, top fighters, it means a lot to me.”

Romero absorbed copious amounts of punishment in the bout, but his durability carried him through to the final horn. “The Soldier of God” had his best moment in Round 5, when he was able to take Nemkov down, but other than that the most entertaining portions of the contest occurred when the Cuban feigned being stunned by stumbling around the cage.

Nemkov came away impressed by his opponent’s toughness.

“I was surprised about his head. It’s r…

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