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UFC Flyweight Carlos Mota Suspended 2 Years for Failed Drug Test

UFC flyweight Carlos Mota has been suspended for two years by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a failed drug test.

Mota tested positive for meldonium in relation to an Oct. 29 bout against Cody Durden at UFC Fight Night 213, which he lost via unanimous decision. According to USADA, meldonium is classified as a metabolic modulator and “may increase endurance, improve rehabilitation following exercise, and enhance activations of the central nervous system” in athletic competition.

Mota was fined $2,400 and must also pay $448.25 in legal fees. He will not be eligible to compete until Oct. 29, 2024.

A former Legacy Fighting flyweight champion, Mota accepted the bout against Durden on short notice. He owns an 8-2 career mark that also includes a stint in the Shooto Brazil organization.

Ex-UFC Title Challenger Sara McMann to Face Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 294

Sara McMann will make her promotional debut against Arlene Blencowe in a featherweight bout at Bellator 294.

The promotion confirmed the pairing on Wednesday. Also announced was a heavyweight showdown pitting Tim Johnson against Said Sowma. Both McMann vs. Blencowe and Johnson vs. Sowma are slated for the evening’s main card, which airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Bellator 294 takes place on April 21 at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is headlined by a flyweight title tilt between Liz Carmouche and DeAnna Bennett.

After competing as a bantamweight during a 13-bout UFC tenure, McMann is set to make her 145-pound debut against Blencowe. The Olympic silver medalist last competed at UFC on ESPN 33, where she captured a unanimous decision against Karol Rosa.

Blencowe is a two-time featherweight title challenger under the Bellator banner but has come up short on both occasions against reigning champ Cristiane Justino.…

Referees, Judges Selected for Title Bouts at UFC 285

Marc Goddard will be the third man in the cage when Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane square off for the vacant heavyweight crown in the UFC 285 main event.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission selected the referees and judges for the two title bouts atop the UFC 285 bill during a meeting on Wednesday. Mike Bell, Sal D’Amato and Ron McCarthy will score Jones vs. Gane from cageside.

Interestingly enough, it will be the first time Goddard has officiated a bout involving Jones, who was last seen defending his light heavyweight belt in a unanimous decision triumph against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020. Goddard was in the cage, however, for Gane’s last Octagon appearance, a third-round KO of Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night 209 this past September.

Meanwhile, Jason Herzog will officiate the flyweight title clash between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso in the co-main event. Ben Cartlidge, Derek Cleary and Chris Lee will serve as judges for …

Fire Still Burns for Philipe Lins

[embedded content] Not much has gone according to plan for Philipe Lins since he made his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship with a Professional Fighters League title in tow on May 13, 2020. In the more than 600 days that have elapsed since, he has competed just three times while watching no fewer than nine scheduled bouts evaporate for various reasons.

“After so many cancellations, I jokingly say that my nickname changed from ‘Monstro’ to ‘Drama Fighter,’” Lins told Sherdog.com. “Some of the cancellations were due to my injuries. On other occasions, my opponents got hurt; and sometimes, there were personal problems. In the end, the most important thing is that I’m back to work.”

Lins will draw his first assignment of 2023 when he collides with Ovince St. Preux as part of the UFC Fight Night 219 undercard this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. St. Preux has lost six of his past 10 bouts but remains a viable threat at 205 pounds. The 39-…

Bellator Set for April Doubleheader in Hawaii with Carmouche vs. Bennett, Mix vs. Stots

For the second year in a row, Bellator MMA will hold an April doubleheader in Hawaii.

The California-based promotion revealed to Hawaiian news outlet KHON2 that Bellator 294 and Bellator 295 will take place at the Neil S. Blasdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 21 and April 22, respectively. Bellator 294 is headlined by a flyweight title bout between Liz Carmouche and DeAnna Bennett, while Bellator 295 features the bantamweight grand prix final pitting Raufeon Stots against Patrick Mix.

Carmouche is 5-0 since leaving the UFC to sign with Bellator. “Girl-Rilla” claimed flyweight gold with a fourth-round stoppage of Velasquez at Bellator 278 and defended the crown with a second-round submission of Velasquez in a rematch at Bellator 289 this past December. She defeated Bennett via third-round submission in her promotional debut at Bellator 246.

Bennett will enter the matchup with Carmouche on a three-bout winning streak that includes deci…

Mateusz Gamrot Replaces Dan Hooker, Meets Jalin Turner at UFC 285

Mateusz Gamrot will replace the injured Dan Hooker and face Jalin Turner at UFC 285.

Multiple outlets confirmed the new lightweight pairing following an initial report from Fansided. Hooker was forced to withdraw from the contest after suffering a broken hand. UFC 285 takes place on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane.

Gamrot had a four-bout winning streak snapped in his last Octagon appearance, as he fell to Beneil Dariush via unanimous decision at UFC 280 this past October. Prior to that defeat, the former KSW champ had bested Scott Holtzman, Jeremy Stephens, Diego Ferreira and Arman Tsarukyan in succession.

Turner, meanwhile, is currently in the midst of a five-fight finishing streak in UFC competition. In his last outing, “The Tarantula” submitted Brad Riddell in just 45 seconds at UFC 276.

Patricky Freire Calls Shabliy vs. Musayev Best Bout of Bellator LW Grand Prix

As he prepares to face A.J. McKee in the quarterfinals of the Bellator lightweight grand prix, Patricky Freire says he has learned from his championship loss to Usman Nurmagomedov this past November.

"Never approach the fight based on what my opponent is going to do and always impose my game,” Freire said. “Going forward, have a better believe in myself and what I do. That's what I’m bringing from the fight against Usman to the fight against McKee.”

Patricky revealed that the bad blood between McKee and his brother was solved when they traveled to Japan to represent Bellator against Rizin.

"Patricio explained to him some misunderstanding they had because of a signature in a cartoon. My brother asked for his signature in a magazine. He did the same with Patricio, and they ended up taking a picture together,” Patricky said. “Our faceoff was cool. As I said at the press conference, trash talk is not my style. No matter what we say…

Matt Brown Says He’s Fighting Court McGee at UFC Event on May 13

A matchup of longtime Octagon veterans is on tap for UFC Fight Night on May 13, as Matt Brown is expected to square off against Court McGee in a welterweight tilt.

Brown revealed the pairing on "The Fighter vs. Writer” podcast. The event, which doesn’t have a confirmed location or venue, will be headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker.

The 42-year-old Brown competed once in 2022, falling to Bryan Barberena via split decision at UFC on ESPN 33 in March. “The Immortal” has lost three of his last four promotional appearances dating back to 2020. The Ohio native is 23-19 over the course of a professional tenure that began 2005 with notable wins over the likes of Ben Saunders, Diego Sanchez, Tim Means, Mike Pyle, Mike Swick, and Stephen Thompson.

McGee, meanwhile, had a two-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he suffered a first-round KO loss to Jeremiah Wells at UFC on ESPN 37 this past June. The 38-year…

Andre Pederneiras: Negotiations ‘Really Advanced’ for Jose Aldo-Floyd Mayweather Bout

According to Andre Pederneiras, the wheels are in motion for a boxing showdown between Jose Aldo and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

During a backstage interview with Sherdog.com at UFC 283, the Nova Uniao coach stated that Aldo was already negotiating for an international fight that would follow his debut against Argentina native Emmanuel Zambrano under the Shooto Brazil Boxing banner on Feb. 10. Pederneiras’ statement led to speculation that Aldo could be close to facing the biggest name in Brazilian boxing, four-time world champion Acelino Popo Freitas, who had been using social media to challenge the former UFC featherweight champion for a long time. Instead, Aldo revealed the suprise opponent to media shortly after he defeated Zambrano via unanimous decision last week.

“Negotiations are progressing for me to fight Mayweather in June or July,” Aldo said.

Shortly after that announcement, Sherdog contacted Pederneiras, who serves as co-manager of Aldo, …

Undefeated Welterweight Joey Davis to Return at Bellator 293 on March 31

The return of undefeated welterweight Joey Davis highlights several new additions to the Bellator 293 lineup.

Davis will square off against Jefferson Creighton in a 170-pound preliminary clash, the promotion announced Tuesday. Three other contests were also confirmed for the Bellator 293 prelims: Maria Henderson vs. Mackenzie Stiller at strawweight; Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Vladimir Tokov at lightweight and Sullivan Cauley vs. Luke Trainer at light heavyweight.

Bellator 293 takes place on March 31 at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif., and is headlined by a heavyweight duel pitting Marcelo Golm against Daniel James. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

A four-time NCAA Division II national champion wrestler, Davis will return to active competition for the first time in more than two year…

Full Roster Announced for Inaugural PFL Europe Season

Mark your Calendars. @PFLEurope is 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗢 📆

4️⃣Weight Divisions2️⃣Regular Season events1️⃣Playoff Event1️⃣Championship100K Prize on the Line 💰🏆

It all starts from the UK’s @VertuArena

[ #PFLEurope | Sat, March 25th | Live on @daznmma ] pic.twitter.com/HXlhjWnL7C

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 14, 2023 Professional Fighters League on Tuesday unveiled the full roster of fighters for its inaugural PFL Europe Season.

The lineup spans four weight classes and includes 32 athletes from 14 countries. PFL Europe will include four events, with winners in each division earning $100,000 and a spot on the main PFL roster.

PFL Europe regular season cards are set for Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, England, on March 25 and Vetri Music Hall in Berlin, Germany, on July 8. PFL Europe 1 will feature light heavyweights and women’s flyweights, while PFL Europe 2 includes lightweights and bantamweights. The PFL Europe playoffs ta…

Pancrase Featherweight Champ Isao Kobayashi Signs with Bellator MMA

Pancrase featherweight champion Isao Kobayashi has signed with Bellator MMA, the promotion announced on Monday.

A date for Kobayashi’s debut is currently unknown. It will be the 34-year-old Osaka, Japan, native’s second stint with the California-based promotion. He went 0-2 with Bellator from 2015 to 2016, falling to Goiti Yamauchi and Justin Lawrence in back-to-back outings. All Bellator events featuring Kobayashi will be streamed live in Japan via U-Next.

“Even prior to our successful New Year’s Eve event in Japan, we’ve been signing the top available talent in the region and that has led us to this reunion with Isao Kobayashi,” Bellator president Scott Coker said in a release.

“Since his last stint with Bellator, Kobayashi has been tearing through competition culminating in a Pancrase championship win now and we’re looking forward to seeing him back in the Bellator cage.”

Kobayashi will return to Bellator riding the momentum of a six…

Video: UFC 285 Promo Highlights Return of Jon Jones

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With UFC 284 in the rearview mirror, the countdown has already begun for UFC 285.

The Las Vegas-based organization on Monday released a promo video for the event, highlighting the Octagon return of former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones will make his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title in the UFC 285 main event.

“This next chapter will where I show the world how great I can possibly be,” Jones says in the video. I’m coming back to get what’s mine.”

UFC 285 takes place on March 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will also see Valentina Shevchenko defend her flyweight crown against Alexa Grasso in the co-main event. The main card will be available via pay-per-view on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Jaqueline Amorim to Make Octagon Debut Against Sam Hughes at UFC 287

FREE FIGHT! Didn't take long, so you get the whole thing!

Amorim must have had somewhere to be. pic.twitter.com/TXuk8we5pk

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 3, 2021

Undefeated former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Jaqueline Amorim will make her first promotional forway against Sam Hughes at UFC 287.

Multiple outlets confirmed the strawweight pairing following an initial report from MMA Ideas. UFC 287 takes place at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Fla., on April 8 and is headlined by a middleweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.

Amorim began her professional MMA career in 2020 and has finished all six of her opponents inside of a round. She claimed strawweight gold with a kneebar submission of Lovethapatra Young at LFA 125 before tapping Ashley Nichols with an armbar in a title defense at LFA 142 this past September.

Hughes, meanwhile, is 2-4 in the Las Vegas-based promotion since m…

Jack Della Maddalena: Added Pressure of Fighting in Perth ‘Was Awesome’

Thus far during his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure, Jack Della Maddalena has shown a knack for putting opponents away in short order.

That continued at UFC 284, where ended Randy Brown’s four-fight winning streak with a submission victory 2:13 into Round 1. All four of the Perth native’s promotional triumphs have ended inside of a round.

I honestly think it’s just my style,” he said in a backstage interview with the UFC. “I’m trying to get finishes, I’m trying to damage my opponent from the get-go. I think I’ve got accurate punches. With the small gloves, if I land accurately, people go down and then I’ve got a good finishing ability I believe.”

While Della Maddalena briefly struggled with his opponent’s reach, he eventually closed the distance and dropped Brown with a perfectly-placed right hook behind the ear. From there, he unloaded with hammerfists until Brown gave up his back, providing the necessary opening to securing the fight-en…

Yair Rodriguez Expects ‘100 Percent’ Version of Volkanovski in Future Title Bout

Before he moved on to thinking about a future title unification bout against Alexander Volkanovski, Yair Rodriguez took a moment to encourage Josh Emmett following their bout in the UFC 284 co-headliner.

Rodriguez was impressive in victory, as he survived being rocked early to author a complete performance that was capped off by a triangle choke submission 4:19 into the second stanza. At Saturday’s post-fight press conference, “El Pantera” shared what he said to Emmett during their Octagon exchange in the immediate aftermath.

“This is a really important moment for us, and when I finished the triangle, I could see in his expression the desperation of like, ‘F—k, I lost,’” Rodriguez said. “It’s like he saw his opportunity go away, but I just wanted to say to him, ‘No.’ I told him, ‘No, No. Hey, no. Stop that thinking that you have right now. You’re a warrior. You will overcome this. You got this.’

“So the only thing I could say to him was, ‘You’r…

Featherweights Bryce Mitchell, Jonathan Pearce to Clash at UFC Event on May 6

Bryce Mitchell will attempt to bounce back from the first loss of his professional career when he meets Jonathan Pearce in a featherweight bout on May 6.

Mitchell confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report by BRKKZ via Instagram. The event does not have a confirmed location or venue, but it is rumored to be UFC 288.

Mitchell last appeared at UFC 282, where he was submitted in the second round by Ilia Topuria. “Thug Nasty” later revealed that the flu hindered his performance in the Dec. 10 bout. Prior to that setback, Mitchell won his first 15 fights — including six in UFC competition.

Pearce, meanwhile, has won five consecutive bouts since dropping his Octagon debut to Joe Lauzon at UFC on ESPN 6. The Fight Ready product is coming off a 3-0 campaign in 2022 that featured triumphs over Christian Rodriguez, Makwan Amirkhani and Darren Elkins.

Back at it May 6 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/KyFUo90FI5

—…

Alexander Volkanovski Believes He Won Three Rounds vs. Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski gave Islam Makhachev all he could handle. It wasn’t quite enough.

Makhachev won a closely-contested unanimous decision over Volkanovski in a champion vs. champion clash at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, on Saturday night, staking his claim to the sport’s No. 1 pound-for-pound spot in the process. Volkanovski nonetheless raised his stock in defeat, as he held his own against a larger opponent in all aspects of the fight.

In the aftermath of the defeat, Volkanovski acknowledged that there were missed opportunities that could have swung the scorecards in his favor.

“I could’ve done more, so I’m going to be hard on myself. A lot of people probably counted me out, like, ‘Oh, wow.’ But I never counted myself out. I expected to win, so I’m disappointed,” Volkanovski said at the UFC 284 post-fight press conference.

“I know I could’ve done more, could’ve capitalized on things earlier as well. I did think he was going to be stronger…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pulver compiled a 27-19-1 ma…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Islam Makhachev Outshines Alexander Volkanovski in Tactical UFC 284 Superfight

Islam Makhachev still rules 155 pounds.

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

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

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