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UFC Welterweight Warlley Alves Expects 4 Fights in 2023, Hunts for Bonus at UFC 283

Ready to make up for lost time, Ultimate Fighting Championship talent Warlley Alves plans on this year being his most active one yet.

In May 2014, Alves conquered the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” at the age of 23. The Brazilian just turned 32 this week, and he is set to return to the cage for the first time in nearly 19 months. Due to serious injury and subsequent surgery, Alves could not fight for the entirety of 2022, and he is very hungry for his next outing. He will step foot in the Octagon at UFC 283 on Jan. 21, and he will square off against Nicolas Dalby in an important 170-pound tilt. Alves spoke to Sherdog this week about his recovery and what he sees in his future.

“I’m really motivated for this fight,” Alves was ready to admit. “I love to fight opponents that come to exchange. It will be a classic [battle] of striking styles. His karate against my kickboxing. He has a style pretty similar to [Lyoto] Machida, but he likes t…

Lightweight Slate Set for 2023 PFL Challenger Series Event on Feb. 17

The Lightweights are on deck for Week 4️⃣of the Challenger Series

[ #PFLonFuboTV | Lightweights | Fri, Feb 17th | 9pm ET] pic.twitter.com/FoE9DsIeld

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 5, 2023

The fourth episode of Professional Fighters League’s Challenger Series in 2023 will carry with it several extremely promising 155ers.

Via press release on Thursday, the PFL has announced its fourth week of matches for the upcoming Challenger Series season. This episode on Feb. 17 will feature lightweights, including two highly touted undefeated up-and-comers as well as those that have appeared on Dana White's Contender Series and One Championship thus far. The fight card, like all others in this year’s Challenger Series, will take place at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., and it will air on Fubo Sports.

The main attraction in this four-fight show comes between unbeaten finisher Elvin Espinoza (7-0), who has already fought twice f…

Jake Paul Signs With PFL, Buys Minority Stake to Start ‘PPV Super Fight Division’

Signed, Sealed, Delivered. Welcome to the Professional Fighters League @jakepaul pic.twitter.com/pgMDUprK6S

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 5, 2023 Guess who’s coming to dinner.

Per the Professional Fighters League on Thursday via press release and social media, the organization has signed YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul (6-0, 4 KOs Box) to compete under its banner in MMA. Additionally, he has also bought in as a minority equity owner to the parent company along with fellow promoter and former Ultimate Fighting Championship exec Nakisa Bidarian. According to the release, Paul will jump-start the pay-per-view division to stage “PFL PPV Super Fights,” and he is the first person signed to that section of the PFL.

As the newly appointed Head of Fighter Advocacy, Paul has ordained that the pay-per-view revenue generated from these events will be at least an even 50-50 split with the organization and the competitors. These pay-to-watc…

UFC Parts Ways with 26-Time Octagon Veteran Francisco Trinaldo

It’s the end of an era for Francisco Trinaldo.

The UFC has parted ways with the 26-time Octagon veteran, according to MMAFighting.com. The promotion elected not to renew Trinaldo’s contract after he fulfilled the last fight on his most recent deal this past October.

Trinaldo appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 1 and made his promotional debut at UFC 147 on June 23, 2012. The now 44-year-old Brazilian went 18-8 over the course of his UFC tenure, earning victories against the likes of Ross Pearson, Yancy Medeiros, Paul Felder, Jim Miller, Evan Dunham, Bobby Green and John Makdessi, to name a few.

Trinaldo’s last appearance came at UFC Fight Night 211, where he had a two-bout winning streak snapped in a unanimous decision loss to Randy Brown.

Cain Velasquez Expected to Set Trial Date in March After Latest Court Appearance

Cain Velasquez moved closer to a trial date as he appeared in Santa Clara County, Calif., court on Wednesday.

The former UFC heavyweight champion identified his counsel during a hearing before Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya. Velasquez will be represented by California attorney Renee Hessling, who previously worked alongside Mark Geragos during pre-trial proceedings. Velasquez’s next hearing will be on March 8, when a trial date is expected to be set.

Velasquez is facing attempted murder and other charges after allegedy chasing and shooting at Harry Goularte, who has been accused of molesting Velasquez’s young son. During a high-speed chase, Velasquez fired at the vehicle containing Goularte and allegedly hit and injured his stepfather, Paul Bender.

Velasquez was released on released on $1 million bail in November after spending eight months in a holding facility. He remains under GPS surveillance and cannot leave his home without the court’s perm…

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal Rescheduled for UFC 285 on March 4

Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal has a new date and venue.

After a proposed booking at UFC Fight Night 217 on Jan. 14 was scrapped due to a Neal injury, the welterweight bout has been rebooked for UFC 285 on March 4. ESPN was first to report the rescheduled matchup.

UFC 285 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and also includes a middleweight showdown pitting Derek Brunson against Dricus Du Plessis. The card does not yet have a headliner.

Rakhmonov is undefeated in 16 professionals appearances, with four of those triumphs coming under the UFC banner. The former M-1 Global champion last appeared at UFC on ESPN 38, where he submitted Neil Magny in the second frame this past June.

Neal has bounced back from the first two-bout skid of his career to post back-to-back triumphs over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque in the Octagon. “Handz of Steel” is 7-2 within the Las Vegas-based promotion, with other notable victories again…

Endeavor Shares Down Nearly 6% Following Release of Dana White Video

Endeavor shares fall after video shows UFC boss Dana White hitting wife on New Year's Eve https://t.co/UYisZWB28i

— CNBC (@CNBC) January 3, 2023

Endeavor, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, could be suffering the consequences of Dana White’s actions.

According to CNBC, the media and entertainment company saw its shares drop nearly 6% on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing the UFC president slapping his wife during an altercation in Mexico on New Year’s Eve. While White issued a statement in an interview with TMZ, neither Endeavor nor broadcast partner ESPN have commented on the incident.

“My wife and I were out on Saturday night on New Year’s Eve, and unfortunately that’s what happened,” White said. “You’ve heard me say for years, there’s never, ever an excuse for guy to put his hands on a woman, and now here I am on TMZ talking about it. My wife and I have been married for almost 30 years. W…

Report: MMA Veteran Phil Baroni Arrested for Allegedly Killing Girlfriend in Mexico

MMA veteran Phil Baroni has been arrested and charged with killing his girlfriend at a hotel room in San Pancho, Mexico, according to a report from Tribuna De La Bahia.

The former UFC fighter reportedly flagged down police and informed them that his girlfriend was unconscious and needed help. When police arrived at the room, the woman was lying naked on the bed, covered in a sheet and had no vital signs. She also had bruises on her face and body, injuries that seem to indicate some type of assault.

Baroni told police that while smoking marijuana and drinking beer, the woman revealed that she had cheated on him with another man. Baroni claimed that he told her to take a shower and allegedly threw her into the shower when she refused, causing the woman to fall and hit her head. According to Baroni, he helped her back to the bed and left the room to get her a cigarette and beer at her request. Upon his return, Baroni claimed to notice the woman was u…

UFC Vet Kendall Grove Returns, Meets Michal Materla in Rematch at KSW 78

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Kendall Grove will return to action after more than three years away when he faces Michal Materla in the KSW 78 main event.

The Polish promotion recently announced the booking. Materla defeated Grove via unanimous decision in their first fight at KSW 23 on June 8, 2013. KSW 78 takes place on Jan. 21 in Szczecin, Poland and will also see Tomasz Romanowski square off against Radoslaw Paczuski in the evening’s welterweight co-headliner.

Grove, who won Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” hasn’t competed since submitting Anthony Ruiz in the first round of their bout at World Fighting Championships 110 on Aug. 10, 2019. The 40-year-old Hawaiian is best known for a 7-6 stint in the UFC from 2006 to 2011, but he also had a nine-bout tenure in Bellator MMA and faced Materla and Mamed Khalidov under the KSW banner. “Da Spyder” owns a 24-18 career mark, with notable wins over the likes of Joey Beltan, Derek Bru…

UFC President Dana White Slaps Wife During Altercation on New Year’s Eve

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UFC president Dana White was caught on camera slapping his wife during a physical altercation that occurred on New Year’s Eve while the couple was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Video of the incident was released by TMZ Sports on Monday. White and his wife, Anne, were in the VIP section at El Squid Roe, a local bar, when the UFC president appeared to grab his wife by the wrist. Anne then slaps White, who responds by slapping his wife in the face before the couple is separated by others in the group.

White discussed the incident in an interview with TMZ.

UFC 284 Update: Jack Della Maddalena, Randy Brown to Meet in Perth

Rising welterweight star Jack Della Maddalena will face arguably his toughest test to date when he squares off against Randy Brown at UFC 284.

Eurosport confirmed the booking after Brown initially announced the matchup via Twitch last week. UFC 284 takes place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 11 and is headlined by a lightweight title tilt pitting Islam Makhachev against Alexander Volkanovski.

After earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, Maddalena kicked off his promotional tenure with three consecutive first-round TKO victories this past year. Most recently, the Perth native stopped Danny Roberts 3:24 into the opening stanza of their clash at UFC Fight Night 215 on Nov. 19. The 26-year-old has won 13 straight professional outings overall.

Brown, 32, will take a four-bout UFC winning streak into the showdown with Maddalena. “Rude Boy” went 2-0 in 2022, taking a split decision over Kalin Williams at UFC …

Raphael Assuncao to Face Kyler Phillips at UFC Fight Night 221 on March 11

Raphael Assuncao will lock horns with Kyler Phillips in a bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night 221.

Phillips’ management, Iridium Sports Agency, announced the pairing on social media. UFC Fight Night 221 takes place on March 11 at the Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The event does not currently have a headliner.

The 40-year-old Assuncao snapped a four-bout skid in his last outing, as he earned a unanimous decision triumph against Victory Henry at UFC Fight Night 212 on Oct. 15. The Ascension MMA representative was a top bantamweight contender earlier in his UFC tenure, notably winning 11 of 12 appearances from August 2011 to July 2018.

Phillips, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his first five promotional appearances. Most recently, the former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor submitted Marcelo Rojo in the third round of their clash at UFC 271 last February.

Kyoji Horiguchi Wants Active 2023, Willing to Remain at Flyweight

As a former Rizin athlete, Kyoji Horiguchi was a little bit conflicted following Bellator’s 5-0 head-to-head triumph against the Japanese promotion on New Year’s Eve.

“I don’t know if I should be enjoying this as much as I am,” he said at the Rizin 40 post-fight press conference.

The former Rizin bantamweight champion represented Bellator over the weekend, earning a unanimous decision triumph over Hiromasa Ougikubo in a flyweight clash. Horiguchi improved to 3-0 in his career against Ougikubo with his latest victory.

“From the first and second matches, I knew what he was looking for, so it was easier for me to put up a game plan to try to fight him,” Horiguchi said.

“I thought Ougikubo was really tough. Even though I gave him a clean hit a couple of times, his eyes weren’t dying. It was a very tough fight.”

Horiguchi competed three times in 2022, winning his last two fights after dropping a unanimous decision to Patrick Mix in the Bella…

Juan Archuleta: Rizin Fighters ‘Confidence Lacking a Little More’ vs. Bellator Foes

Juan Archuleta left Rizin 40 with plenty of respect for opponent Soo Chul Kim following a hard-fought split-decision triumph on New Year’s Eve.

Archuleta defeated Kim, a former Road Fighting Championship title holder, via split decision as part of a Bellator vs. Rizin main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. “The Spaniard” believes Kim would be a ranked fighter if he competed on a regular basis in Bellator’s bantamweight division.

“Definitely in the Top 6, above the Top 10 that’s for sure,” Archuleta said at the Rizin 40 post-fight press conference. “I think he finishes a lot of guys we have in Bellator just because of toughness and his grit. It reminded me a lot of my last opponent I fought, Enrique Barzola.”

Though it was close on the scorecards, Archuleta believed he did enough significant work to get the nod at the end of the fight.

“I inflicted the first damage; bloodied him up. Then, I started the takedowns. It was slippery. …

Citing Health Problems, UFC Lightweight Damir Ismagulov Announces Retirement

In a somewhat surprising announcement, UFC lightweight contender Damir Ismagulov appears to have retired from mixed martial arts.

The 31-year-old Russian announced his decision on Sunday in a post on his Instagram account.

“Unfortunately, due to circumstances and health problems, I am forced to end my sports career,” Ismagulov wrote. “Thanks to all those who were with me regardless of the outcome in the battles, who were sincerely sick and worried. It was an interesting journey, a moment to remember. [Hugs to] everyone.”

Ismagulov last appeared at UFC Fight Night 216, when he lost a unanimous decision to Arman Tsarukyan in the evening’s co-main event on Dec. 17. That ended a 19-bout winning streak for the former M-1 Global champion, who had been victorious in his first five Octagon appearances. He owns a 24-2 career mark, with notable victories over the likes of Guram Kutateladze, Thiago Moises and Joel Alvarez, among others.

After Rizin Sweep, Scott Coker Says Bellator Roster is Best in Company History

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Bellator MMA president Scott Coker was riding high following his promotion’s 5-0 victory in its head-to-head matchup against Rizin Fighting Federation on New Year’s Eve.

“I always said my wish was to go 5-0, and I’m happy that my guys won, but to me, it was very competitive out there,” Coker said at the Rizin 40 post-fight press conference. “That last fight, [Roberto] de Souza when he was fighting A.J. [McKee], there were a couple of times I thought he might get tapped.

“It was very stressful to watch that last fight. It was very back and forth. I’m glad A.J. did what he had to do to win. But anything can happen in a fight in MMA. It was an entertaining night of fights.”

A.J. McKee closed the show for Bellator with a unanimous decision against de Souza, Rizin’s lightweight champion, in the evening’s main event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Patricio Freire, Kyoji Horiguchi, Juan Archuleta and Gadzhi Rabadanov also e…

A.J. McKee Honored to Fight in Japan, Wants to Return with Title at Stake

A.J. McKee embraced the entire experience of fighting in Japan.

The former featherweight champion set the tone for his night by walking to the ring in black samurai attire, and he closed the show of the Bellator vs. Rizin themed card with a three-round verdict against Roberto Satoshi de Souza in the evening’s main event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on New Year’s Eve.

“I’m just trying to embrace it all,” McKee said at the Rizin 40 post-fight press conference. “Being here in Japan and fighting in front of all the fans, it’s an experience. It’s an honor to be here and an honor to put on a great show.

“…This is about one of the best arenas I’ve fought in,” he added. “The fans are phenomenal, the culture is phenomenal. I’ve heard so many stories so to finally be here is amazing.”

The Team Bodyshop representative had his hands full with Rizin’s reigning lightweight champion. Satoshi made McKee work on the canvas, as he took the American…

Manny Pacquiao Announces Plans to Compete for Rizin Fighting Federation in 2023

𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓...

The Pac-Man, @MannyPacquiao himself will fight in the RIZIN ring in 2023 against a Japanese fighter 🇯🇵!

[ #RIZIN40 | @FiteTV PPV link in bio ] pic.twitter.com/iLPMIK9wRj — RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2022

Manny Pacquiao will be competing for Rizin Fighting Federation sometime in 2023.BR> The former champion champion announced during the Rizin 40 broadcast that he plans to fight for the Japanese promotion next year. An exact date and opponent were not revealed.

“A few months ago, I was here as a guest, and today I have a very exciting announcement. I have agreed with Rizin to fight next year, the date will soon be announced, and also my opponent that Rizin will choose,” Pacquiao said. “I’m open and excited to fight a Japanese fighter.”

Pacquiao will follow in the footsteps of former boxing rival Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has defeated Tenshin Nasukawa and Mikuru…

A.J. McKee Upends Roberto Satoshi, Patricio Freire Bests Kleber Koike Erbst at Rizin 40

A wild ending to round 1!

This is why JMMA rules, rule!

[ #RIZIN40 | #RIZINvsBellator ] pic.twitter.com/ilQwCWxI7h — RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2022

The cross-promotional event between Bellator MMA and Rizin Fighting Federation ended with a complete victory for Bellator fighters, who went 5-0 at the end of the evening.

The Rizin 40 headliner featured a clash between current Rizin 155-pound titleholder Roberto Satoshi de Souza and former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee. The pair went back-and-forth for three rounds, where McKee (20-1, 1-0 Rizin) showed he had the advantage over his foe with his striking, while de Souza (14-2, 7-2 Rizin) attempted to force the action to the canvas. Overall, “Mercenary” was the better man in the ring, showcasing versatility in landing soccer kicks whenever he found the opportunity. De Souza attacked with different submission attempts during the bout, bu…

Inside the Mind of Greatness: A Chat with Patricio Freire

[embedded content] Big fan of Patricio Freire here. I’ve written glowingly about him before as one of the greatest fighters to ever live and a peerless martial artist who has thoroughly mastered every aspect of the game. While he easily topped the list of Sherdog’s 10 best Bellator MMA fighters of all-time, he remains underrated, as many fans fail give him his proper due simply because his accomplishments have not occurred on a canvas emblazoned with the Ultimate Fighting Championship logo.

More than that, I love Freire’s old-school, uncompromising attitude. No joking or pro wrestling-type antics. I always got the impression that he viewed his fights as duels between two warriors with their worth as competitors on the line. Masahiko Kimura and Helio Gracie shared this attitude when they fought in 1951, and it was present in early vale tudo. However, it has become lost as MMA has been commodified into mere entertainment.

As such, it was a treat to sp…

Rob Font Meets Adrian Yanez at Upcoming UFC Card on April 8

The first fight set in April for the Ultimate Fighting Championship should be a great one.

On Friday, MMA Fighting broke the story that Rob Font (19-6) will be battling it out against Adrian Yanez (16-3) in the bantamweight division. The two will tangle on a currently unannounced UFC event on April 8, one that has rumored to be the date of UFC 287. There is no location on the books, although some speculate it may be held in New York. Both fighters confirmed the pairing on their respective Instagram accounts later on Friday.

It is unclear whether their match will serve as the main attraction if it instead a UFC Fight Night affair and not a pay-per-view card. Font is coming off three straight headlining appearances in 2021 and 2022, although he has dropped his last two. While UFC Fight Night 188 ended with him getting his hand raised against Cody Garbrandt, both Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera topped him on the scorecards in subsequent efforts. On the outside looking in of t…

UFC Middleweight Bruno Silva Discusses Mental, Physical Recovery Following Defeat

Heavy-handed Ultimate Fighting Championship 185er Bruno Silva believes the worst is behind him now.

Due to his strong mind, tough chin and aggressive style, Silva earned the nickname of “Blindado,” or “armored,” by his teammates many years ago. In the sport of MMA, there are limits to how far one’s toughness can go, and even the stoutest competitor can reach a breaking point. Brazil’s Silva, who raced through a torrid schedule with the promotion with five appearances in less than 14 months, started to slow down. After his most recent outing, a deflating submission loss to Gerald Meerschaert, Silva suffered a serious accident that put him on the shelf for some time. The subsequent injury may have been a blessing in disguise for Silva, who spoke to Sherdog on Thursday about his last performance and the accident.

“I don’t want to say how was the accident now, but it caused me a very serious injury that demanded an immediate surgery,” Silva explained. “It…

A Case for Cooperation

[embedded content] Even with little left to prove at this stage of his remarkable career, current Bellator MMA featherweight champion Patricio Freire still finds ways to keep himself motivated.

“Pitbull” will face reigning Rizin Fighting Federation champion Kleber Koike Erbst when the companies they represent link arms to co-promote Rizin 40 on Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Only bragging rights and company pride are on the line in the co-main event.

“The belts are not at stake,” Freire told Sherdog.com. “This is organization versus organization and champion versus champion.”

Erbst, 33, marches into the three-round confrontation at 145 pounds on the strength of a seven-fight winning streak. The Bonsai Jiu-Jitsu representative last competed at Rizin 39, where he dispatched Juntaro Ushiku with a triangle choke in the second round of their Oct. 23 pairing. Erbst prefers to do his business on the canvas.

“Kleber is a tough …

Bellator MMA vs. Rizin Weigh-in Results: 5 Cross-Promotional Fights Set

[embedded content] Two of the world's top mixed martial arts promotions will clash at Bellator MMA vs. Rizin.

The card will feature five key cross-promotional fights, with Rizin lightweight champion Roberto Satoshi de Souza facing off against A.J. McKee in the main event. Also notable is the co-main event, which will see Bellator MMA featherweight titleholder Patricio Freire take on Rizin featherweight king Kleber Koike Erbst. No belts are on the line in any of the five matches on this section of the card, while the weigh-in information of the additional participants at Rizin 40 has not yet been disclosed.

De Souza (14-1) is currently on a five-fight win streak since losing via TKO to Johnny Case in 2019. The Brazilian captured the throne in 2021 by submitting Tofiq Musayev, then defended it against Yusuke Yachi before getting revenge against Case in April. De Souza weighed 156 pounds on the dot.

Meanwhile, McKee (19-1) made his lightweight debut i…

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