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Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals a pic with black eye after sparring session 😳#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/bXCHtBlRtI

— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) September 1, 2024

Usman Nurmagomedov recently shared how Khabib Nurmagomedov got a black eye in sparring.

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Khabib recently posted a picture of himself with a black eye, along with a caption wondering if the years are catching up with him.

According to Usman, “The Eagle” had allowed him a morning of rest on the day of the incident. When a surprised Usman asked him about the black eye in the evening, Khabib revealed that another teammate of theirs, Islam Mamedov had elbowed him while sparring.

“No no, it’s when he grapple with Islam Mamedov, there [it happened],” Usman told Sportskeeda MMA. “That day I was rest morning because Khabib pushed me all week and he said, ‘Today you rest.’ He come, I said, ‘What happened with your eye.’ He’s like, ‘Islam Mamedov give me elbow.’” Read more about Usman Nurmagomedov Reveals How Khabib Nurmagomedov Received Black Eye

[embedded content] Bellator MMA will put on its first show since June. All fighters made weight for the 10-fight card, which is headlined by Usman Nurmagomedov putting his lightweight title on the line against Alexandr Shabliy.

The undefeated Nurmagomedov (17-0, 1 NC) is coming off an overturned victory over Brent Primus after failing a drug test for a prescription medicine. The Russian wasn't stripped of the title, though, which he won off Patricky Freire in 2022. This will look to be Nurmagomedov's third defense as he submitted Benson Henderson in between the two aforementioned fights. The 26-year-old officially weighed 154.8 pounds.

Meanwhile, this is the first Bellator main event for Shabliy (24-3). "Peresvet" is 5-0 inside the promotion with notable wins over Freire, Primus and Tofiq Musayev. The 31-year-old will look to make a statement in his first title opportunity and also weighed 154.8 pounds.

Bellator Champions Series San Diego Weigh-in Results: Usman Nur…

First to the scale 😤

Sean Brady weighs-in at 171lbs!

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[ #UFCVegas97 | TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus | 7pmET/4pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/dZ2W3VFGsP — UFC (@ufc) September 6, 2024 Editor's note: The article was updated at 1:45 p.m. on Friday to reflect fine amounts.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship kicks off September by returning to Las Vegas for UFC Fight Night 242.

The 12-fight card will be headlined by Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady. Both of the welterweight contenders successfully made weight, but two other fighters did not. Kyle Nelson (148.5) came in 2.5 pounds overweight for his featherweight fight against Steve Garcia. Meanwhile, Dylan Budka (188.5) also clocked in 2.5 pounds over the middleweight limit for his bout versus Andre Petroski. As a result, both will be fined 20% of their purses.

This marks the third UFC main event for Burns (22-7). "Durinho" is looking to bounce back from a two-fight skid that saw him co…

[embedded content] Twenty years later, the story of the disappearance of Priscila Belfort, sister of Vitor Belfort, remains unfinished.

In January 2004, Belfort prevailed over Randy Couture to earn the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight throne. Instead of celebrating the victory—a doctor stoppage due to a cut inflicted to Couture’s eyelid—Belfort broke down in tears in his post-fight interview. “The Phenom” revealed that his sister had disappeared earlier in the month. As of September 2024, she still has not been found.

The harrowing tale of the Belfort family will be shown in a four-part documentary series titled “Volta Priscila,” or “Come Back Priscila.” It will air on Disney+ in Brazil on Sept. 25. It is currently unclear whether the documentary will be dubbed or subtitled in English for international release.

Priscila disappeared on January 9, 2004. At the time, the sister of Vitor worked at the Municipal Department of Sports and Leisure in Rio de Ja…

[embedded content] No matter who gets it done on Saturday, the world of MMA will see a new Russian millionaire.

Atop Bellator Championship Series: Nurmagomedov vs. Shabliy in San Diego on Sept. 7, Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0, 1 NC) will put his lightweight strap on the line against Alexander Shabliy (24-3). The victor will not only claim the Bellator MMA 155-pound throne, but also a check for $1 million. On their way to glory, both Russians defeated former champ Patricky Freire, who weighed in on the matchup to Sherdog.

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At Bellator 288 in November 2022, Freire surrendered his belt to Nurmagomedov prior to the commencement of the tourney. A year later, “Pitbull” collided with Shabliy at Bellator 301, and he lost on the scorecards once more. With the experience of facing both across 25-minute engagements, the ex-champ believes the fight will be a lengthy endeavor, while suggesting that sizeable betting underdog +325 Shabliy should be favored.

“I believe…

An undisclosed illness has forced Ovince St. Preux to withdraw from a proposed light heavyweight clash against Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 242.

Spann will not remain on the card against a replacement opponent, and as a result, Saturday’s event will proceed with 12 bouts. UFC Fight Night 242 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Veags and is headlined by a welterweight clash between Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady. The evening’s main card airs on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

A former football player at the University of Tennessee, St. Preux has won two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, he took a split verdict over Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC Fight Night 239 on March 16. St. Preux’s 25 UFC appearances at 205 pounds rank No. 1 all-time in promotion history.

Spann has lost three straight outings, falling to Nikita Krylov, Anthony Smith and Bogdan Guskov in succession. The Fortis MMA …

Djorden Ribeiro dos Santos didn’t let the odds get in the way of his dreams.

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The Brazilian was one of five fighters to earn a UFC contract on Week 4 of Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday night, as he outdueled English prospect Will Currie to earn a unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“I got really happy about [Dana White’s] words. He summarized my history,” Santos said. “I knew Currie would be a hell of a challenge. The guy was the No. 1 in the UK for a reason, but the fact of being a 4-1 underdog just motivated me.”

Santos came from a difficult life to pursue his goal of becoming a professional fighter.

“I left my mom's house when I was 13 years old and went to live in [Belo Horizonte]. Since I didn’t have money and anywhere to sleep, I lived in a pitbull kennel. My mother started sending me around $10 a week to help me. At the beginning, I had to eat biscuits and [drink] those artificial powder juices. But I sta…

It will be a while before Blagoy Ivanov is able to return to active competition.

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The Professional Fighters League heavyweight has been suspended for 22 months after testing positive for an anabolic agent in an out-of-competition sample collected on March 28, USADA announced on Wednesday. According to a statement from the anti-doping body, the “urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test that differentiates between anabolic androgenic steroids naturally produced by the body and prohibited anabolic agents of external origin.”

Ivanov received a reduction to his sanction for his “full and complete cooperation.” The soon to be 38-year-old Bulgarian will be eligible to return in January 2026.

A former World Series of Fighting who made his PFL debut in 2017, Ivanov returned to the organization on April 4, when he suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Sergey Bilostenniy at PFL 1. Ivanov has lost three straight bouts dating back to February…

Joshua Van will replace Kevin Borjas and fight Edgar Chairez at UFC 306.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new flyweight booking. UFC 306 takes place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14 and is headlined by a bantamweight title clash between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. A reason for Borjas’ withdrawal is currently unknown.

Van had an eight-bout winning streak snapped in his last Octagon appearance, as he suffered a third-round knockout loss against Charles Johnson at UFC on ESPN 59 on July 13. Prior to that, the 22-year-old had earned successive triumphs over Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Borjas and Felipe Bunes to begin his promotional tenure.

Chairez, who was part of the inaugural Noche UFC event last year, is coming off a first-round submission win over Daniel da Silva at UFC Fight Night 237 on Feb. 24. That helped erase the sting of his first meeting with da Silva at UFC Fight Night 227, which was declared a no contest when referee Chris Tognoni wa…

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Belal Muhammad recently detailed a part of camp that was a game changer in his title fight with Leon Edwards.

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Muhammad got his title shot against Edwards in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, this past July. “Remember the Name” put on a dominant display, completely outclassing Edwards in almost all aspects to earn a unanimous decision win.

A big part of Muhammad’s win had to do with his consistent forward pressure against Edwards, who is known for his ability to control range. And the new champ revealed that it did not come to him easily. Muhammad claims to have taken thousands of body kicks while constantly moving forward during sparring in preparation for the Edwards matchup. If he failed to do so, his coaches were always quick to remind him, making him reach a point where moving forward just became a mantra.

“Especially because Leon’s so good at lateral movement… So for me I was like, I can’t be in kicking …

Alex Pereira has created a stir by announcing that his desire to return to the middleweight division.

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Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree in the main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Brazilian had previously expressed interest in moving back down to middleweight after Dricus Du Plessis’ successful title defense against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 last month. Pereira recently revealed that he is now decided on moving to 185 pounds after his clash against Rountree, regardless of the result.

“I’m focused on my next fight and I’m going prepared but you never know what can happen, so regardless of the result I want to go down one more time to the middleweight and go for the belt, “Pereira wrote on Instagram. “Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me so you can prove that you are better than me, with your public statement it is easy to make this happen. Chama.”

Widely considered…

😂😂😂 https://t.co/GDGgUYMbtO

— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) August 28, 2024

Merab Dvalishvili thinks posting a picture of a cut on his eyelid ahead of a title fight wasn’t that big of a deal.

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Dvalishvili is set to challenge Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title in the main event at UFC 306 on Sept. 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas. “The Machine” recently posted a picture of a cut he suffered in sparring on his right eyelid, much to the ire of Dana White. White went off on Dvalishvili during a press conference, deeming it extremely “dumb” of the Georgian contender to reveal a cut ahead of a title fight. However, Dvalishvili doesn’t regret any of it, which he claims was just routine for him. With over three weeks left before the fight when he suffered the cut, Dvalishvili knew he would be healed up in no time.

“I never regret what I did,” Dvalishvili told MMAjunkie.com. “I post this because I post ev…

Austin Bashi and his all-terrain brilliance did not disappoint.

The undefeated Warrior Way Martial Arts prospect was one of five hopefuls to land an Ultimate Fighting Championship contact during Week 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as he took out Dorian Ramos with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their welterweight showcase on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Ramos (8-3, 0-1 DWCS) capitulated 3:15 into Round 2.

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The 22-year-old Bashi (13-0, 1-0 DWCS) wore down the Apex MMA rep with merciless pace and output. He secured multiple takedowns, paired them with steady ground-and-pound, denied Ramos room to breathe and forced him into a defensive state. Bashi grounded him repeatedly in the second round, broke his considerable resolve and waited for a moment of weakness. He advanced to the back and slipped in the choke when Ramos made the unwise decision to try to stand. Bashi tightened his squeeze, dragged him to the mat and prompted the…

Sherdog's coverage of Dana White's Contender Series Week 4 begins Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Round 1 Jason Herzog gets the first assignment of the night. The lightweights trade leg kicks and Salkilld tests the waters with a head kick. They trade and Young lands hard enough to make Salkilld stumble backward. He seems to be OK though. Salkilld with a solid body kick. Young answers with a front kick. Salkilld digs the body with a left hook and shoots for a takedown shortly thereafter. Young defends nicely and they separate. Salkilld with a hard body kick as he looks to control the range. Another body kick by the Aussie lands. Young pressures and lands a head kick. Salkilld lands a left to the body and follows with a switch kick. Young keeps the pressure on and lands a glancing straight right before Salkilld kicks to the body once again. Salkilld tries an unusual takedown attempt. It doesn’t work initially, but he is able to work his way to the back. Young is able to fight …

A flyweight clash between Brandon Moreno and Amir Albazi will serve as the main event for UFC Fight Night 246 on Nov. 2.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the bout Tuesday on social media. A women’s flyweight tilt pitting Erin Blanchfield against Rose Namajunas, which was originally expected to the the UFC Edmonton headliner, will now be the evening’s co-main event. The card will be held at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

A two-time UFC flyweight champion, Moreno is coming off back-to-back losses against Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval. After falling to Royval via split decision at UFC Fight Night 237 on Feb. 24, the Mexican standout announced that he would be taking some time away from the sport. “The Assassin Baby” owns victories over the likes of Deiveson Figueiredo (twice), Kai Kara-France (twice), Royval and Jussier Formiga during his promotional tenure.

Albazi has been victorious in 17 of his 18 professional fights. He last appeared at U…

#BellatorLondon Fight Card Update

Next week’s Bellator Champion Series: London main event rematch featuring Johnny Eblen (15-0) vs. Fabian Edwards (13-3) Middleweight World Title fight has been rescheduled. A new fight date will be announced in the coming days. The September… pic.twitter.com/sTe2Yzf2S2

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) September 3, 2024

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The middleweight championship rematch between Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards will not take place at Bellator Champions Series London as originally scheduled.

The promotion announced on Tuesday that the bout will be rebooked for a future event, with an announcement to be made in the coming days. As for Bellator London, a women’s featherweight tilt pitting Sara Collins against Leah McCourt has been elevated to the evening’s headliner. A reason for the postponement was not given.

Bellator Champions Series London takes place on Sept. 14 at OVO Arena in London and airs i…

A flyweight clash between Matt Schnell and Alessandro Costa scheduled for UFC Fight Night 242 on Saturday has been scrapped.

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Schnell initially announced the news via YouTube, citing an apparent shoulder injury suffered by his opponent, and it was later confirmed by MMAFighting.com. However, Schnell will remain on the card against replacement opponent Cody Durden. UFC Fight Night 242 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welterweight showdown pitting Gilbert Burns against Sean Brady.

Just signed a new 4 fight deal with the @UFC! See you in Vegas this weekend!Packing my bags now, no cornerman. Just my wife and I. Fuck it, this is what I was born to do. 🙏🇺🇸📞🩸

— Cody Durden (@Cody_Durden) September 3, 2024

Schnell has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances. He last competed at UFC Fight Night 238 on March 2, when he suffered a second-round KO loss to eventual flyweight title challenger Stev…

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Belal Muhammad would love to fight Sean Strickland, but he doesn’t think much of the former middleweight champion as an opponent.

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Muhammad defeated Leon Edwards via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 304 this past July to win welterweight gold. “Remember the Name” has since been discussing a future move up to middleweight, albeit after he defends his title a few times.

Strickland, who has been beefing with Muhammad over his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, stands out as a potential opponent should that move happen.

Sean Strickland GOES OFF on Belal Muhammad 😳

"[Belal] is such a f***ing little b*tch bro... listen dude, go to f***ing Palestine, go f***ing fight for your f***ing country.

Get the f*** out of here you f***ing can."

🎥 YT / @jonbernardk #UFC302 #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/p7JOFIjOV8

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 31, 2024

Muhammad recently reiter…

👀💉Aljamain Sterling accuses Movsar Evloev of taking performance enhancing drugs ahead of their fight at #UFC307:

"From what I've heard through the grapevine, he's not a clean athlete...people can say whatever, you have no proof, I'm like dude same thing people were saying… pic.twitter.com/ssqgAXfp64

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 2, 2024 Aljamain Sterling claims to have heard some potentially damning rumors about upcoming opponent Movsar Evloev.

Sterling is scheduled to fight the undefeated Russian at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The former bantamweight champ recently hurled serious allegations of PED use against Evloev, who strongly denied them while issuing a stern warning.

Don’t be scared boy, I’ll make it quick. You won’t feel a thing. https://t.co/4rMa3K1l9r

— Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) August 23, 2024

You can talk now, but you’ll be …

Alexa Grasso has developed a weird chemistry with longtime foe Valentina Shevchenko ahead of their upcoming fight.

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Grasso will look to defend the women’s flyweight title in a trilogy title fight against Shevchenko in the co-main event at UFC 306 on Sept. 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas. In addition to their history inside the Octagon, Grasso and Shevchenko are also coming off their stints as rival coaches on Season 32 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Having shared the set on “TUF 32,” Grasso revealed that she inevitably ended up spending a lot of time with Shevchenko. With less than two weeks to go before they trade leather, the champ claims her relationship with Shevchenko is “really, really weird.” However, Grasso also knows that all that will be left aside on fight night as they put their bodies on the line for UFC gold. Proud to be a part of the first women’s trilogy in UFC history, Grasso promises another barnburner at UFC 306.

“We’ve been so ma…

⚡️🤼‍♂️Robert Whittaker called Gilbert Burns one of the greatest MMA grapplers and gave his prediction on his fight with Sean Bready.

"Gilbert Burns is one of the best grapplers in the history of MMA. He's a phenomenal grappler but in terms of MMA grappling,I think he's one of the… pic.twitter.com/ohmdQ2bM0e

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 2, 2024

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Robert Whittaker recently revealed his pick for the upcoming UFC Fight Night headliner between Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady.

Burns takes on Brady in the main event at UFC Fight Night 242 at the Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Coming off a two-fight slump, Burns is an underdog going into the bout against Brady.

However, Whittaker had high praise for Burns while analyzing his upcoming fight. According to “Bobby Knuckles,” the Brazilian is one of the greatest MMA grapplers the sport has ever seen. Whittaker noted that Burns injured his shoulder in the first round o…

Dana White's Contender Series graduates will meet in a bantamweight bout at UFC 308.

Farid Basharat (12-0) has been booked to take on Victor Hugo Silva (25-4) at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The matchup was first reported by Ag.Fight. Both fighters have since confirmed the bout on social media.

Basharat earned his UFC contract with a unanimous decision win over Allan Begosso on the Contender Series in 2022. The undefeated Englishman has since mounted a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, which includes a submission over Kleydson Rodrigues. In his most recent outing, Basharat scored a unanimous decision win over French prospect Taylor Lapilus this past January. “Ferocious” was briefly booked to replace Said Nurmagomedov against Montel Jackson at UFC Saudi Arabia in June before withdrawing due to unknown reasons.

A veteran on the regional circuit, Hugo rode a 12-fight winning streak into the Contender Series, where he submitted Ed…

A matchup of intriguing bantamweight talents has been added to UFC 309.

Jonathan Martinez (19-5) is set to trade leather against Marcus McGhee (9-1) at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The matchup was first announced by Iridium Sports Agency, which represents both fighters.

The 30-year-old Martinez has racked up a 10-4 record thus far during his UFC career. “Dragon” has bested the likes of Adrian Yanez, Said Nurmagomedov, Cub Swanson and Vince Morales while being finished only once in his entire career — by Davey Grant in 2021. Martinez comes off a unanimous decision loss against Jose Aldo at UFC 301 in May that saw a six-fight winning streak snapped.

Meanwhile, McGhee has scored highlight-reel finishes in all three of his UFC outings so far, earning $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses on every occasion. “The Maniac,” who hasn’t gone the distance in his entire career, is coming off a third-round stoppage of Gaston Bolanos at …

Azamat Murzakanov will look to keep his undefeated record intact when he locks horns with Nikita Krylov at UFC 309.

Match TV was first to report the light heavyweight pairing. UFC 309 takes place on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The event is expected to feature a heavyweight championship clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, but that fight has not been confirmed by the UFC.

Murzakanov has been victorious in his first 14 professional outings, a run that includes four triumphs in the Octagon. The 35-year-old known as “The Professional” is coming off a second-round knockout of Alonzo Menifield at UFC on ABC 7 on Aug. 3. He also owns wins over Dustin Jacoby, Devin Clark and Tafon Nchukwi during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Krylov, who has won his last three UFC appearances, will return to action for the first time since March 2023. During his current winning streak, the 32-year-old Ukraine native has earned victories agai…