Martial Arts Videos

Michael Chandler Anticipates Tension, Trash Talk on ‘TUF 31’ with Conor McGregor

[embedded content]

Michael Chandler has fought five times since signing with the UFC in 2021. His future opponent, Conor McGregor, has fought just twice over that same timeframe.

With that being said, the former Bellator lightweight champion is confident that the spotlight of coaching on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” as a lead-in to a big pay-per-view showdown will light a fire under McGregor as he prepares to make his long-awaited UFC return.

“I have been very active. I just signed with the promotion a little over two years ago, and I have fought the who’s who, the toughest strength of schedule that maybe anybody ever has coming into the UFC,” Chandler recently said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “… Conor has had the luxury of stepping away from the sport because he has a very padded bank account. He does live a life of luxury.

“We can’t make the mistake of thinking (he’s) lost his passion for mixed martial arts … It’s his first love. I think we’re gonna …

Rafael Dos Anjos Expects Alexander Volkanovski to ‘Shock the World’ at UFC 284

Rafael dos Anjos is eager to return to the Octagon on the heels of his second-round submission win over Bryan Barberena in a welterweight bout at UFC on ESPN 42 this past December.

Sometimes finding a fight is easier said than done.

"My goal was to return in March or April, but it's not easy to find opponents,” dos Anjos told Sherdog.com. “The UFC offered some guys I already fought and some others that I had to look on Google to find out who they were.”

The former lightweight champion is interested in fights against the likes of Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson, but when it comes to the welterweight division, many of the top names are already booked.

"I also suggested [Stephen] Thompson, but it looks like he wants to fight strikers, and I did a lot of grappling against Barbarena,” dos Anjos said. “Since Colby [Covington] must face Belal [Muhammad], [Jorge] Masvidal is paired with [Gilbert Burns] and [Kevin] Holland with [Santiago] P…

Dana White Disputes Notion That UFC 284 Headliner Hasn’t Been Properly Promoted

While it may seem like the UFC 284 main event hasn’t received the attention it deserves, Dana White says that simply isn’t the case.

The event features a showdown for the lightweight belt between two of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters in Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski. In a recent interview with RSports Russia, Makhachev voiced concerns that more promotion for the pay-per-view could have been done.

“I see that it is not such big promotion,” Makhachev said. “Dana White himself has some problems. He does not pay much attention to this fight. Here in Perth, everyone knows about the fight and is looking forward to it. And in terms of pay-per-view, yes, more could have been done. I only saw Volkanovski once, in Sydney. A tour could be organized around the world. A [news] conference could be held in America.”

In many cases, the week-to-week grind of the MMA schedule limits the focus on any one event. However, White claims that M…

Bellator 290 Main Card Attracts More Than 1 Million Viewers to CBS

Bellator MMA’s debut on CBS averaged 1.068 million viewers on Saturday night, according to ShowBuzz Daily.

The Bellator 290 broadcast lasted a little more than two hours and concluded with Fedor Emelianenko’s farewell bout against heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in the evening’s main event. Bader won the fight via first-round technical knockout. The card also saw Johnny Eblen retain his middleweight belt with a five-round verdict over Anatoly Tokov in the co-headliner, while Brennan Ward scored a second-round TKO against Sabah Homasi in the opening bout.

The event drew a 0.18 rating in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic. By comparison, that was better than college basketball on Fox, which drew 567,000 viewers and a 0.10 rating in the 18-to-49 demographic. However, it fell short of the Golden State-Dallas NBA game on ABC, which averaged 2.36 million viewers and drew a 0.57 share in the 18-to-49 demographic.

Television ratings have dipped from …

Islam Makhachev Wants to Alter Perceptions, KO Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284

Like Khabib Nurmagomedov before him, Islam Makhachev has made his name in the UFC through his wrestling and grappling.

The recently crowned lighweight champion wants to change that perception in his showdown with reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 284 main event.

“Honestly, I want to knock him out, because everybody says [that] Islam a grappler or wrestler, but I want to show people my striking,” Makhachev told ESPN Deportes. “He is a short guy, and I really believe I can knock him out.”

Conversely, Volkanovski, who is in the midst of a 22-fight winning streak, is confident than he matches up well with his opponent in the wrestling department. According to Makhachev, the size differential will be a rude awakening for the City Kickboxing representative.

“This is not his area,” Makhachev said. “I’m from other division. This is not the same power. It’s not the same, and he’s going to understand this, but he wants to t…

UFC to Open Performance Institute in Mexico in Late 2023

The @UFC will open a new Performance Institute in Mexico to develop and support MMA athletes from Latin America.

Get all the details here ⤵️

— UFC News (@UFCNews) February 7, 2023

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to open a third Performance Institute in Mexico City in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the news on Tuesday. The 32,000 square foot facility will help to develop fighters from Mexico and other Latin American countries. The UFC currently has Performance Institutes in Las Vegas and Shangai. The Las Vegas version opened in 2017 and is primarily used by current UFC athletes for training, while the Chinese facility opened in 2019 and serves as a developmental hub for athletes in the region.

The UFC Performance Institute Mexico will be more like the latter, “aiming to rapidly accelerate the skill level and UFC-readiness of mixed martial artists in the region.” A full…

Kevin Lee Rejoins UFC Roster, Targets Spring Octagon Return

Former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee is coming back to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“The Motown Phenom” revealed to ESPN that he has signed an exclusive deal with the Las Vegas-based promotion and expects to return to the Octagon sometime in the spring.

"I met with [president] Dana White and [chief business officer] Hunter Campbell, and I feel like I'm going back home," Lee told ESPN in a statement. "I'm grateful for them welcoming me back and looking forward to the next chapter of my career.”

Lee was released from the UFC in 2021 after losing five of his last seven promotional appearances. He has fought once since then, taking a unanimous decision triumph against Diego Sanchez at Eagle FC 46 in March 2022.

Prior to that slump, Lee was regarded as a rising star after winning nine of his first 11 UFC bouts. That culminated in a showdown against Tony Ferguson for interim 155-pound gold at UFC 216, where Lee lost v…

‘Jacare’ Souza, Vitor Belfort Eager for Rematch Under Boxing Rules

Among the intriguing fights announced for Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing 4 event was a clash between onetime UFC foes Ronaldo Souza and Vitor Belfort.

Shortly after the card was revealed, Sherdog.com confirmed with both “Jacare” and Belfort that the fight will happen.

"That´s true. I’m giving the rematch to Belfort, but this time in boxing rules,” Souza said. “I’m already training hard, and I’ll reach April 1 ready to get a second win over him.”

Souza defeated Belfort via first-round technical knockout in their UFC 198 clash on May 14, 2016.

“It looks like ‘Jacare’ already accepted, and we are close to signing the contract,” Belfort said. “And I´ll just celebrate when it´s already signed. But I’m really happy. I think it’s gonna be amazing. It´s a rematch, but now under boxing rules.”

Gamebred Boxing 4 takes place at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on April 1 and is headined by a clash between ex-UFC lightweight champ A…

Jailton Almeida Calls Out Marcin Tybura, Discusses Meeting Idols at UFC 283

With four finishes under the UFC banner in 11 months, Jailton Almeida has climbed to No. 14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

His most recent triumph, a second-round TKO of Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 283, has him in line to face another ranked foe in his next promotional appearance. Almeida recently took to social media to call out Marcin Tybura, who outpointed Blagoy Ivanov at UFC Fight Night 218 this past Saturday.

“Hey Marcin Tybura, I just saw your victory. Shall we fight [next]? Everyone likes to see two good heavyweight grapplers fighting each other,” Almeida wrote. “We are in close positions in the ranking, I fought two weeks ago, I think it will be a perfect moment to fight in May. [Are you] ready?”

Shortly after his victory at UFC 283, Almeida discussed meeting some of the sports icons.

“Fighting in front of an audience was a unique experience, but what affected me even more a UFC Rio was the chance to meet my heroes ‘Minotauro,’ ‘Sho…

Ryan Bader Believes Jon Jones ‘Takes Care of Business Pretty Easily’ at UFC 285

Ryan Bader knows what it takes to transition from 205 pounds to heavyweight.

The UFC veteran has enjoyed success with the move in Bellator MMA and is coming off his third successful heavyweight title defense, a first-round technical knockout of the retiring Fedor Emelianenko on Saturday night. Bader’s change in weight class didn’t have nearly the fanfare that will accompany Jon Jones’ heavyweight debut, which will occur against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 on March 4.

Bader, for one, expects Jones to handle the change in weight class quite well. The former Arizona State University All-American was a rising 205-pound prospect when he fell to Jones via second-round submission at UFC 126, a fight that would propel “Bones” to the title in his next Octagon appearance.

“I think he’s gonna do great,” Bader said of Jones’ heavyweight debut at the Bellator 290 post-fight press conference. “He actually hit me up when he was in Arizona to train a little bit. I…

Anthony Pettis vs. Roy Jones Jr. to Headline Gamebred Boxing 4 on April 1

Jorge Masvidal’s upcoming boxing event will feature some of MMA’s biggest names.

Masvidal announced Monday on "The MMA Hour” that Gamebred Boxing 4 will be headlined by a showdown between Anthony Pettis and Roy Jones Jr. at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on April 1. Pettis vs. Jones Jr. will be contested over eight rounds.

“I’ve always been a fan of Roy Jones,” Masvidal said. “Always wanted to work with Roy Jones in some capacity. He’s going to be fighting someone that inspired me in my career numerous times. WEC champion, UFC champion, I think both his wins for the UFC title were finishes. This guy has knockouts and finishes at 145, 155, 170, it’s crazy what this guy has done in his career in MMA. Great striker. He agreed to fight the walking, living legend, the pound-for-pound king, one of the best fighters, athletes, I’ve ever seen in combat sports, period, versus Anthony Pettis.”

Pettis will be making his professional boxing debut. The fo…

Dana White Paid Doo Ho Choi Win Bonus at UFC Fight Night 218 After ‘Ridiculous Call’

Doo Ho Choi didn’t officially win his fight on Saturday, but he will be compensated as if he did.

Choi was on his way to earning his first victory since 2016 before he received a point deduction for an illegal headbutt in the third round of his UFC Fight Night 218 clash with Kyle Nelson.

Chris Tognoni made the ruling after Choi clashed heads with his opponent while in top position. As a result of the foul, the featherweight contest was ruled a majority draw thanks to a pair of 28-28 scorecards. The verdict would have gone Choi’s way without the deduction.

UFC president Dana White did not agree with the call, even though replay was consulted before the decision was made.

“I thought it was insane and it cost him the fight,” White said at the UFC Fight Night 218 post-fight press conference. “I paid him his win money. He won the fight, so I paid him.”

“The Korean Superboy” was making his first Octagon appearance since December 2019. …

Chris Weidman to Compete for First Time Since Breaking Leg at Polaris 23

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is set to make his first combat sports appearance since suffering a nasty leg break in April 2021.

Weidman announced via Instagram that he will face Owen Livesey a grappling match at Polaris 23 on March 11. The event takes place at the Doncaster Dome in Doncaster, England, and airs on UFC Fight Pass.

“Back in the game!” Weidman wrote. “To clarify, this is a grappling match, which I see as good preparation for my next fight. I anticipate being ready in late May/June.”

Weidman hasn’t competed since UFC 261, when he was injured after having a kick checked by Uriah Hall just 17 seconds into their bout. Weidman broke his right fibula and tibia and underwent multiple surgeries to have it repaired.

Weidman is just 2-6 in his last eight UFC bouts dating back to December 2015, when he relinquished the middleweight crown to Luke Rockhold in a fourth-round TKO loss at UFC 194. A former NCAA Division …

Bantamweight Contender Sean O’Malley Signs New 8-Fight Deal with UFC

It appears that Sean O'Malley will continue to compete under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner for the foreseeable future.

UFC president Dana White announced on Saturday that the bantamweight star had signed an eight-fight deal to remain with the promotion, and O’Malley himself confirmed the news on his podcast. O'Malley represented himself in negotiations with the UFC.

“I did re-sign with the UFC. I got a very gracious contract that I’m proud of,” O’Malley said. “… I got a number that I’m very happy with. I truly don’t think any manager that I had could have went in there and got me what I got. That also helps with the relationship built with the UFC. I feel like I have earned this contract. I feel like I have earned the amount that I’m getting paid. I think the UFC is fine with paying people what they earn. I’m very happy with how the negotiations went.”

After appearing on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series, O’Malley has emer…

Bellator 290 Salaries: Bader, Eblen Top Payroll with $150K Apiece

It was a good night for reigning champions at Bellator 290.

In the main event, Ryan Bader defended his heavyweight belt with a first-round technical knockout of the retiring Fedor Emelianenko. Meanwhile, Johnny Eblen retained the middleweight strap with a five-round verdict against Anatoly Tokov in the evening’s co-headliner.

As it turns out, Bader and Eblen were the top earners at the event as well. Both pocketed $150,000 for their championship triumphs. Emelianenko earned $100,000 in his swan song, while Tokov garnered $75,000 for his loss to Eblen. The California State Athletic Commission recently released a full list of salaries from the event, which took place at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday night.

There were two other six-figure earners at Bellator 290: Sabah Homasi ($100,000), who suffered a second-round TKO loss to Brennan Ward ($75,000) and Christopher Gonzalez ($100,000), who stopped Max Rohskopf ($30,000) with punches…

Bellator Champ Johnny Eblen: ‘I’m the Best Middleweight in the World’

Johnny Eblen wasn’t completely flawless in his first Bellator middleweight title defense — but he was pretty close.

“The Human Cheat Code” relied on takedowns, ground-and-pound and some timely striking to capture a unanimous decision triumph against Anatoly Tokov in the Bellator 290 co-main event at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday night. Eblen received scorecards of 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 from the cageside judges to end his opponent’s seven-fight winning streak within the promotion. After the opening stanza, Eblen gradually took control, punctuating his victory with a spectacular belly-to-back suplex in Round 5.

“First round was tough,” Eblen said at the post-fight press conference. “After that, I just did what I wanted to do with him, started pulling away. He’s the first guy to beat me in a round because two judges gave him the first round.”

Despite a relatively clear-cut victory, Eblen still found some flaws in his performance, t…

Sergey Spivak Vows to Show Even More Skills in Future Following Dominant Victory

While Sergey Spivak’s overwhelming victory over Derrick Lewis may have been surprising to many observers, it wasn’t to the man himself.

“The Polar Bear” dominated Lewis in the UFC Fight Night 218 headliner, tossing his opponent all over the Octagon before locking in an arm-triangle choke at the 3:05 mark of Round 1. It was a significant statement against a two-time heavyweight title challenger.

“We were ready for everything,” Spivak said at the post-fight press conference “Today, I showed you guys my judo style, my sambo style, my boxing style, and in the future, I’ll show you guys more.”

Spivak transitioned seamlessly to the fight-ending choke, and that wasn’t by accident.

“I trained a lot for this moment,” he said. “My friend Misha Cirkunov showed me this triangle choke and we worked a lot for this moment. I saw Derrick Lewis doesn’t have good balance and grappling. I took the moment.”

Spivak has won six of his last seven UFC appearan…

Fedor Emelianenko Content with Retirement: ‘That’s How It Has to Happen’

Fedor Emelianenko lays down his gloves surrounded by legends!

Tune in to @CBS and @paramountplus NOW. #Bellator290 #Bellator #MMA @BellatorMMA @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/DgXYmEfskx

— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) February 5, 2023

When it comes to combat sports, legends rarely get a happy ending.

   That was again the case in the Bellator 290 headliner, when Ryan Bader defeated Fedor Emelianenko via first-round technical knockout in the Russian’s farewell fight at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Saturday night. While there was some hope coming into the bout that “The Last Emperor” could turn back the clock one more time, Bader dispelled that notion in short order, as he floored his opponent with a right behind the ear before sealing his victory with a series of unanswered punches on the canvas.

   While the ending was bittersweet, Emelianenko was content with his decision to retire. Ultimately, Father Time is a r…

UFC Fight Night 218 Bonuses: Spivak Gets $50K for Dominant Victory

Sergey Spivak was absolutely dominant in the UFC Fight Night 218 headliner, and he was compensated accordingly.

Spivak received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” payment for his quick submission of Derrick Lewis on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “The Polar Bear” tossed his opponent to the canvas repeatedly before locking in an arm-triangle choke to force the tapout 3:05 into the opneing stanza of their heavyweight clash.

Meanwhile, Anshul Jubli garnered a $50,000 “Peformance of the Night” award thanks to a stoppage of Jeka Asparido Saragih at lightweight. A barrage of punches and elbows from top position led to a technical knockout victory for Jubli at the 3:44 mark of the second stanza.

Rinya Nakamura earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check thanks to an emphatic knockout of Toshiomi Kazama in a preliminary bantamweight affair. Nakamura floored his foe with a counter left hand before sealing his victory with one fo…

Ryan Bader Obliterates Retiring Fedor Emelianenko in Bellator 290 Main Event

Ryan Bader made certain a true all-time great walked off into the sunset empty-handed.

The two-time NCAA All-American successfully defended his undisputed Bellator MMA heavyweight championship, as he stopped the retiring Fedor Emelianenko with punches in the first round of their Bellator 290 headliner on Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, California. In the final appearance of his incredible career, Emelianenko (40-7, 4-3 Bellator) succumbed to blows 2:30 into Round 1.

Bader (31-7, 9-2 Bellator) wisely steered clear of the Russian’s fabled overhand right and picked his spots. He backed up Emelianenko with punches, then floored him with a glancing right behind the ear. Bader set up shop in top position, cut loose with ground-and-pound and eventually trapped the former Pride Fighting Championships titleholder’s arm behind him before closing it out with unanswered punches to the face.

In the co-main event, Johnny Eblen kept his perfect professional …

Bellator 290 ‘Bader vs. Fedor 2’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live Bellator 290 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Round 1 Bellator is back after a two-month break, and it is bringing out the big guns and plopping them down on CBS for the first time. An overstuffed preliminary portion, with 11 fights set to go down in the span of three hours, will begin the proceedings at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The promotion is bring a name right out of the gate to start off the night, as former champ Caldwell (15-6, 12-5 BMMA) will look to get things back on track against Russian youngster and FedorTeam stablemate Mikhailov (8-2, 2-1 BMMA). The first assignment of the night goes to referee Raphael Davis, and the bantamweights touch em’ up to start the evening’s festivities. Mikhailov strikes first with a loud low kick, and Caldwell tries to give him it back but it is swatted away. Mikhailov crashes forward to throw hands, and his momentum makes him topple over. An awkward scramble leads to Caldwell hitting his back momen…

Sergey Spivak Mauls Derrick Lewis in UFC Fight Night 218 Headliner

SERGHEI SPIVAC SUBMITS LEWIS IN ROUND 1 🗜 #UFCVegas68 pic.twitter.com/qSlnn4mnBv

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 5, 2023

Sergey Spivak was completely dominant in his first UFC main event.

The Moldovan ragdolled former heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis all over the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 218 before locking in an arm-triangle choke for a submission victory at the 3:05 mark of the opening stanza. Spivak (16-3, 7-3 UFC) has won three straight fights and six of his last seven UFC appearances overall. Lewis (26-11, 1 NC, 17-9 UFC) never had a chance to get going. Spivak executed a hip toss within the bout’s first 30 seconds, and the rout was on from there. “The Polar Bear” slammed a helpless Lewis to the mat repeatedly while punishing his foe with ground-and-pound from mount. Finally, after slamming Lewis to the canvas one last time, Spivak deftly transitioned to the fight-ending maneuver to mercifully bring an e…

UFC Fight Night 218 ‘Lewis vs. Spivak’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 218 coverage will begin Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Taira (-1200), Aguilar (+800)Round 1 Taira and Aguilar kick off the evening, with veteran referee Chris Tognoni assigned to keep things clean. Both men set up in orthodox stance, and Aguilar wastes no time in throwing a low kick that nearly takes Taira off his feet. Aguilar swarms and, in the ensuing collision, grabs a guillotine and falls to his back. Taira is in Aguilar’s half guard, on the far side. The angle isn’t great for the submission, but the choke is well under the chin and Aguilar is going for it. Taira remains calm, inching his way to the side. A minute and a half in, they’re still in the same position against the fence. Taira works on the hands, and halfway through the round he pops his head out and goes to work. Taira works to isolate the far arm while trying to pass guard. With 90 seconds left, Taira advances to full mount, trapping Aguilar…

Miami Announced as Location for UFC 287 on April 8

For the first time in two decades, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is heading to Miami.

Dana White announced on Saturday that UFC 287 on April 8 will be held at Miami-Dade arena in the Sunshine State. The Las Vegas-based promotion hasn’t been to Miami since Matt Hughes defended his welterweight crown with a five-round decision against Sean Sherk in the UFC 42 headliner on April 25, 2003.

“I’m always talking about big destination fights, and we are going back to Miami,” White said.

UFC 287 is headlined by a middleweight championship rematch between reigning champion Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya. Perhaps even more notable in this case is the co-main event, which sees Miami native Jorge Masvidal return for the first time in more than a year against Gilbert Burns.

Other bouts slated for UFC 287 include Kevin Holland vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio at welterweight; Rob Fant vs. Adrian Yanez at bantamweight; Michael Chiesa vs. Jingliang Li at…

Martial Arts Videos

About Me