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Alexa Grasso Prefers One More Five-Round Fight Before Title Shot

Alexa Grasso passed the first five-round test of her professional career on Saturday night.

The Mexican standout outdueled Viviane Araujo for a unanimous decision triumph in the UFC Fight Night 212 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and she was quite pleased with the end result.

“This was my first time fighting five rounds,” Grasso said at the post-fight press conference. “The training was super hard. The fight was hard too. She’s a tough warrior. I think we did a great job. I did everything I trained for.”

Grasso was able to outland her opponent in significant strikes, but perhaps even more impressively, she stuffed the majority of Araujo’s takedown attempts. And when she was taken down, she was able to return to her feet in relatively swift fashion.

“I’m super proud. She’s a Brazilian (jiu-jitsu) black belt,” Grasso said. “She’s the toughest opponent I’ve faced. I had two fights with two amazing wrestlers. Every fight that is hard for…

Jonathan Martinez Admits That Cub Swanson’s Media Day Silence Felt ‘Disrespectful’

Jonathan Martinez has won five of his last six UFC appearances, but even he has to admit that the latest victory was a little more special.

The Factory X member spoiled Cub Swanson’s bantamweight debut in the UFC Fight Night 212 co-main event, winning via technical knockout 4:19 into the second round at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

“All this week I wasn’t thinking about who I was fighting,” Martinez said at the post-fight press conference. “After I got the win, I was like, ‘I just beat Cub Swanson,’ so I’m really excited.”

Swanson is the biggest name on Martinez’s resume to date, and the 28-year-old Plainview, Texas, native admitted to feeling a little bit overlooked by his opponent heading into the fight. The reason for that sentiment was Swanson’s bizarre media day, where he had a teammate answer questions for him while he sat in silence.

“It felt kind of disrespectful when he was interviewing, he didn’t say anything,”…

UFC Fight Night 212 Bonuses: Martinez, Todorovic, Wright, Taira Receive $50K

Jonathan Martinez received a little extra compensation for his wicked striking display in the UFC Fight Night 212 co-headliner.

The Factory X standout garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his second-round technical knockout victory over Cub Swanson in the bantamweight bout on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Martinez battered Swanson with kicks to the body, knees and elbows, but it was a series of vicious leg kicks that led to stoppage at the 4:19 mark of Round 2. It was the 14th stoppage stemming from leg kicks in promotion history.

Meanwhile, Dusko Todorovic and Jordan Wright earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their back-and-forth middleweight scrap. Wright controlled the action in Round 1 with takedowns, submission defense and ground-and-pound, but momentum shifted considerably in the second stanza, when Todorovic swarmed his fatigued foe, powered into mount and finished the fight with elbows and …

Alexa Grasso Holds Off Viviane Araujo in UFC Fight Night 212 Headliner

Alexa Grasso just took another significant step toward contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division.

The Lobo Gym MMA took a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Viviane Araujo in the UFC Fight Night 212 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. All three judges saw the fight in favor of Grasso: 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46. Grasso has won four straight bouts since moving up from 115 pounds.

In most instances, Grasso (15-3, 7-3 UFC) was quicker to the punch than her Brazilian opponent, as she countered effectively and connected with crisp punching combinations to the head while mixing in kicks and the occasional body attack. Araujo (11-4, 5-3 UFC) kept the pressure on and enjoyed some success of her own on the feet, but she couldn’t match Grasso’s overall volume and accuracy. The 35-year-old Brazilian was also unable to ground her opponent for any significant period of time, and when she did land a takedown, …

UFC Fight Night 212 ‘Grasso vs. Araujo’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 212 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rodriguez (-730), Jackson (+530)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Taira (-240), Vergara (+200)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry s…

UFC Fight Night 212 Prelims: Leomana Martinez Outduels Brandon Davis

In a competitive bout, explosive bursts proved to be the key for Leomana Martinez.

The Glory MMA & Fitness representative garnered a split-decision triumph against Brandon Davis in the featured UFC Fight Night 212 prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Michael Bell and Tony Weeks scored the bantamweight bout 29-28 in favor of Martinez (10-3, 2-1 UFC), while Junichiro Kamijo submitted a 29-28 tally for Davis (14-10, 2-7 UFC).

Martinez likely swung the fight in his favor in a couple of key moments. The first came in Round 1, when he clipped Davis with a left hook in what was otherwise a closely-contest frame. A more emphatic statement occurred toward the end of the second period, as the former Fury FC title holder wobbled his foe with a spinning backfist, dislodged hs mouthguard and dropped Davis with a subsequent flurry of punches. Davis survived the salvo and made it to Round 3, where he enjoyed success with rangy right hands, a t…

UFC Fight Night 212 Weigh-in Results: Main Event Set; Askarov vs. Royval Off

First to the scale, @AlexaGrasso is in at 125.5 pounds 💪

[ #UFCVegas62 | TOMORROW | Prelims 4pm ET | Main Card 7pm ET | LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/mkRB2w1YxI

— UFC (@ufc) October 14, 2022 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns with a card that has lost one of its most intriguing fights.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+ While UFC Fight Night 212's top two bouts are intact, the flyweight contest between Askar Askarov and Brandon Royval will no longer proceed. The issue was that Askarov was unable to make weight, and he reportedly declined the match at a catchweight. Headliners Alexa Grasso and Viviane Araujo were on target, along with all fighters on the card except for C.J. Vergara, who came in three pounds over the flyweight limit to receive a 30% purse fine. "Before I started the weight cut I heard my opponent [is] not going to make weight," Royval explained on Twitter. "They t…

Charles Oliveira’s Coach: ‘We Are Feeling Pretty Much at Home’ in Abu Dhabi

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Charles Oliveira has touched down in the Middle East and received a hero’s welcome.

In order to get adapted to Abu Dhabi’s hot climate and recover from any jet lag, Oliveira arrived to the United Arab Emirates with 10 team members, 10 days before his UFC 280 collision with Islam Makhachev. Fighting for his old title, Oliveira made sure to leave enough time in his schedule to get acclimated with the environment, in a locale of Abu Dhabi in which he has never competed. Oliveira’s coach, Diego Lima, spoke to Sherdog on Friday about how “Do Bronx” is handling the final stage of his training camp.

“We did the best we could to get Charles 100% adapted to the time zone and climate,” Lima explained. “Since we arrived, we are doing [one] training [session] in the morning and another at night, just like we do in Brazil.”

According to the Chute Boxe head, what impressed him the most about the area is the positive…

Robert Ruchala Edges Damian Stasiak in KSW 75 Headliner

The hometown hero does it!! 🙌

Young 🇵🇱 @robert_ruchala wins in his first KSW main event!! 🤩 #KSW75 pic.twitter.com/6BnjrM7TLb

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) October 14, 2022 Luck was on the side of a few KSW fighters on Friday.

The KSW 75 main event saw Ultimate Fighting Championship alum Damian Stasiak taking on Robert Ruchala in a featherweight clash. The initial headliner was supposed to come as a 205-pound championship collision, but Stasiak-Ruchala was elevated following its cancelation. In their three-round encounter, Stasiak (13-9, 2-3 KSW) kept his opponent guessing early with punches and takedown attempts. Ruchala did not allow himself to be grounded so easily, sweeping “Webster” on a pair of occasions, but he conceded his back to his foe before the end of the frame. Ruchala (8-0, 5-0 KSW) implemented a more successful strategy in Round 2, winning all the wrestling exchanges and landing the most impactful shots. Both contest…

UFC, Meta Agree to Broadcast MMA Events on UFC Fight Pass in VR

History will be made!

Tomorrow night, #LFA144 is set to be UFC’s first live Combat Sports event in @Meta’s Horizon Worlds 🌎

— UFC (@ufc) October 13, 2022 It appears the unorthodox meeting between Meta executives including Mark Zuckerberg and Ultimate Fighting Championship brass bore some fruit.

The UFC announced on Thursday that it has entered into a partnership with Meta to run events on its Horizon World service. Live MMA events from UFC Fight Pass will air on VR, and they will be viewable through Meta Quest VR headsets. The system will run through VR180, which is a format that gives fans a 180-degree view of the arena. The first fight card from the partnership will be LFA 144, which takes place on Oct. 14 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

“We are excited to offer an unprecedented level of engagement for Fight Pass subscribers and MMA fans around the world by producing a live MMA event in virtual reality…

Injury Knocks Movsar Evloev Out of Nov. 5 UFC Fight Night 214 Headliner

🚨 JUST IN: I'm told Movsar Evloev got injured while training. 😶

Let's see what's going to happen in Mitchell vs Evloev fight which is about to be held on November 5th. 🔎

— Giorgi Kokiashvili 🇬🇪 ✊ 🇺🇦 (@iHeartGeorgius1) October 4, 2022 A thrilling battle of Ultimate Fighting Championship unbeatens will have to wait.

In September, the organization scheduled Bryce Mitchell (15-0) against Movsar Evloev (16-0) for what turned out to be the main event of UFC Fight Night 214. The featherweight main attraction was only together for about three weeks before a story broke from Setanta Sports on Oct. 4 that Evloev suffered an injury in training. Over a week later, the UFC’s broadcast partner of ESPN Deportes confirmed on Friday that the injury forced Evloev out of the match, and there is currently no replacement on the books.

It is unclear if “Thug Nasty” will remain as the star attraction of this fight card, as Mitchell reported…

Ketlen Vieira vs. Raquel Pennington Set for UFC Fight Night Event on Jan. 14

A battle between top-five Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweights will go down on its first fight card of 2023.

MMA Fighting first reported the news on Thursday that Ketlen Vieira (13-2) will be squaring off with Raquel Pennington (14-8) at the UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 14. The 135-pound contenders will be facing one another inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on that date, likely placed high on the main card. Vieira has since confirmed this booking on her Instagram Stories shortly after its announcement.

Vieira bounced back from the first decision loss of her career – a three-round setback to Yana Kunitskaya in February 2021 – by overcoming ex-champs Miesha Tate and Holly Holm in five-round headliners over the last year. The finish rate of the Brazilian has diminished significant since joining the roster in 2016, as she has only won once by stoppage while recording six other victories on the scorecards. Beyond Kunitskaya, her only other s…

KSW 75 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

[embedded content] Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki returns for its monthly mixed martial arts offering with an intriguing featherweight clash headlining KSW 75. All fighters successfully made weight for the card, including headliners Damian Stasiak and Robert Ruchala.

A former veteran of the Octagon, Stasiak (13-8) has won two of his last three fights inside KSW. After putting together back-to-back wins against Patryk Surdyn and Andrey Lezhnev, "Webster" fell short against Lom-Ali Eskiev. He'll look to bounce back by upsetting the undefeated Ruchala (7-0), who is 4-0 inside the promotion and is coming off decision wins over Patryk Kaczmarczyk and Michele Baiano.

KSW 75 will stream on the promotion's official website on Friday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Order UFC 280 “Oliveira vs. Makhachev” exclusively on ESPN+

KSW 75 Weigh-in Results: Damian Stasiak (145) vs. Robert Ruchala (146)Michal Martinek (242) vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (260)Henrique da Silva (202) vs. Tomasz Narkun…

Now a Free Agent, Two-Time PFL Champ Lance Palmer Looking to Explore Options

It appears that Lance Palmer’s time with Professional Fighters League has run its course.

During an interview on "The MMA Hour,” Palmer revealed that he is a free agent and is able to sign with whatever organization he chooses. He also indicated that it’s unlikely that he and the PFL will come to terms on a new contract.

Unrestricted,” Palmer said. “Honestly, I don’t think they (the PFL) have interest in re-signing me. That gives me the freedom to kind of do what I want to do. Obviously, I have interest in going other places. There’s a lot of fights that I would like to get involved in hopefully to push myself over this next run of wherever it is. The Bellator featherweight division is stacked, the UFC featherweight division is stacked.”

Palmer was a former World Series of Fighting featherweight champion before the promotion rebranded as the PFL. He went on to win 11 consecutive fights in PFL competition, capturing back-to-back championships …

Multiple Bouts Official for UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando

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

The lineup for UFC on ESPN 42 appears to be nearly complete.

The Las Vegas-based promotion officially announced 12 bouts for the Dec. 3 card, including the previously reported welterweight headliner between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland as well as a heavyweight co-main event pitting Tai Tuivasa against Sergei Pavlovich. The event will also include a middleweight showdown between Derek Brunson and Jack Hermansson and a flyweight scrap between Matt Schnell and Matheus Nicolau.

A handful of other fights were also officially confirmed: Eryk Anders vs. Kyle Daukaus at middleweight; Natan Levy vs. Genaro Valdez at lightweight; Angela Hill vs. Emily Ducote at strawweight; Darren Elkins vs. Jonathan Pearce at featherweight and Marcleo Rojo vs. Francis Marshall at featherweight.

Andre Pederneiras: There’s ‘Something Really Big Coming Up’ for Jose Aldo

According to Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras, Jose Aldo has received plenty of interest from all corners of the combat sports world since his retirement announcement.

“Not only people interested in helping him to fight boxing but also from MMA promoters willing to sign him,” Pederneiras told Sherdog.com.

Pederneiras makes it clear, however, that leaving the UFC for another MMA organization never crossed Aldo’s mind.

“Aldo had one fight on his contract with the biggest promotion in the world, where he built all his history. No matter the financial proposal, it wouldn't make any sense for him,” Pederneiras said. “Especially since Aldo is already financially comfortable for the rest of his life. He never considered returning in another MMA promotion.”

When it comes to boxing, however, Aldo’s perspective is entirely different.

“I have no doubt that boxing and muay thai bring much more pleasure to Aldo in his daily routine,” Pederneiras …

Aspen Ladd to Make PFL Debut Against Julia Budd at Championship Event on Nov. 25

Aspen Ladd will face an accomplished opponent in her Professional Fighters League debut.

The recently released UFC bantamweight contender will square off against ex-Bellator featherweight queen Julia Budd at the PFL Championships on Nov. 25. MMA Mania was first to report the booking. Ladd vs. Budd is expected to be contested at 145 pounds. The PFL thus far has only had a women’s lightweight division for its season format.

The PFL Championships take place at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York and feature six title bouts with $1 million at stake. The main card airs on pay-per-view and is headlined by a women's lightweight championship clash between Kayla Harrison and Lena Pacheco.

Ladd and the UFC parted ways following a seven-bout stint after the fighter endured multiple issues making weight ahead of her bouts. The 27-year-old Californian lost three of her last four Octagon appearances, including a decision defeat to Raquel Pen…

Jan Blachowicz, Magomed Ankalaev Slated to Meet at UFC 282 on Dec. 10

A potential light heavyweight title eliminator between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will go down at UFC 282.

Promotion broadcast partner ESPN reported that the contest is set for the UFC’s final pay-per-view event of 2022. UFC 282 takes place on Dec. 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is expected to include a 205-pound championship tilt pitting Jiri Prochazka against Glover Teixeira, though that bout has not been made official.

A former light heavyweight champion, Blachowicz returned to the win column in his last outing at UFC on ESPN 36, when he defeated Aleksandar Rakic via third-round TKO when his opponent suffered a leg injury. The WCA Fight Team product won nine of 10 promotional appearances from October 2017 to March 2021, a stretch that saw the Pole claim 205-pound gold with a second-round TKO of Dominick Reyes and defend the crown with a five-round verdict against reigning middleweight king Israel Adesanya. He relinquished t…

Niko Price vs. Philip Rowe Added to UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando

Niko Price will return to action following more than a year away when he meets Philip Rowe at UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando, Fla.

UFE Media was first to report the welterweight bout. UFC on ESPN 42 takes place at the Amway Center on Dec. 3 and is headlined by a 170-pound clash pitting Stephen Thompson against Kevin Holland.

Price last appeared at UFC Fight Night 193 in October 2021, when he garnered a unanimous verdict over Alex Oliveira. That ended a three-bout winless streak for “The Hybrid,” who is 7-5 with a pair of no contests over the course of his promotional tenure.

A former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor, Row is 2-1 in UFC competition thus far. After falling to Gabriel Green in his Octagon debut, “The Fresh Prince” has rebounded with back-to-back TKO triumphs against Orion Cosce and Jason Whitt in his last two outings.

Manager: Alex Pereira Training Partner ‘An Adesanaya with Knockout Power’

Jorge “Joinha” Guimaraes, the manager of Alex Pereira, recently revealed to Sherdog.com that Dutchman Yousri Belgaroui would come to the United States to help “Poatan” in his final month of camp for his title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 281.

Pereira posted a video over the weekend showcasing some of his sparring with Belgaroui, who is expected to remain in the country until Nov. 5. UFC 281 takes place on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Adesanya vs. Pereira will serve as the evening’s headliner.

“Yousri has the perfect game to emulate Adesanya,” Guimaraes told Sherdog.com. “He is taller than Adesanya, has great range and volume. I would say he is an Adesanya with knockout power.”

Belgaroui faced both “Poatan” (three times) and Adesanya (two times) in kickboxing. Against the Brazilian he won the first fight and lost the last two. He lost both matchups with the UFC middleweight champion via decision.

Manager: Alex Pereira Training Partner ‘An Adesanya with Knockout Power’

“Yousri has the perfect game to emulate Adesanya,” Guimaraes told Sherdog.com. “He is taller than Adesanya, has great range and volume. I would say he is an Adesanya with knockout power.”

UFC 282 Gets Ovince St. Preux-Alexander Gustafsson Light Heavyweight Clash

A pairing of light heavyweight veterans is on tap for UFC 282, as Ovince St. Preux will square off against Alexander Gustafsson on Dec. 10.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the pairing. UFC 282 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is expected to feature a 205-pound title bout between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira.

St. Preux snapped a two-bout losing streak in his last outing at UFC 274, when he took a split verdict over Mauricio Rua on May 7. The former interim light heavyweight title challenger has been in the UFC since 2013, earning wins over the likes of Corey Anderson, Nikita Krylov, Rua (twice), Yushin Okami, Rafael Cavalcante and Alonzo Menifield.

Gustafsson, meanwhile, will be seeking his first victory since May 2017, when he defeated Glover Teixeira via fifth-round KO in the UFC Fight Night 109 headliner. The three-time 205-pound title challenger has lost his last four Octagon appearances, including a 67-second K…

Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tai Tuivasa Booked for UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando

A heavyweight showdown between Sergei Pavlovich and Tai Tuivasa will serve as the UFC on ESPN 42 co-main event.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. UFC on ESPN 42 takes place at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 3 and is headlined by a welterweight scrap pitting Stephen Thompson against Kevin Holland.

Pavlovich will take a four-bout winning streak into the matchup with Tuivasa. The 30-year-old Russian debuted in the Octagon with a first-round TKO defeat against Alistair Overeem but has since scored successive finishes against Marcelo Golm, Maurice Greene, Shamil Abdurakhimov and Derrick Lewis. The Eagles MMA representative is 16-1 as a professional overall, with 13 victories coming via KO or TKO.

Tuivasa, meanwhile, had a five-bout winning streak snapped in a third-round technical knockout loss to Ciryl Gane in the UFC Fight Night 209 headliner. The 29-year-old Australian is 8-4 in the Las Vegas-based promotion with nota…

Alexander Volkanovski Says He’s ‘Locked In’ As Backup Fighter for UFC 280 Headliner

It’s Official, I’m the back up fighter for the Light Weight title!See you all in Abu Dhabi #UFC280https://t.co/KkRCv1N04Y

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) October 10, 2022

If something goes wrong for either Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev prior to UFC 280, Alexander Volkanovski will be waiting in the wings.

The reigning featherweight champion announced on his YouTube channel Monday that he will serve as the backup fighter for the lightweight championship bout at the top of the UFC 280 card on Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi.

“We’re locked in as the backup fighter,” Volkanovski said. “I’ve been calling for it, I said I wanted it. Just had to make sure the hand was all good. We are good. We’ve got the clearance to fight. The UFC’s on board, everyone’s on board. So I’ll be at UFC 280 to make weight.

“Let’s see what happens, if someone doesn’t make it, I’m there to save the day. If not, I guess I’m locked in as the ne…

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