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Laura Sanko to Make UFC Color Commentary Debut on Saturday

Getty/UFC

Laura Sanko is set to become the first female commentator on a UFC broadcast during the Zuffa era when she joins the booth on Saturday night.

The promotion announced Monday that Sanko will be on the call for UFC Fight Night 218 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Sanko has previously worked as a reporter and analyst for the UFC while also doing commentary for Dana White’s Contender Series. She previously did broadcast work for Invicta FC.

“Taking the next step to join the UFC commentary team has been a goal of mine since I began my broadcast career,” Sanko said in a release. “It is an honor to walk in the footprint of Kathy Long 30 years after her appearance on UFC 1. I consider it a true privilege to be part of the team that is a voice to our incredible fans, communicating the fighting art of each man and woman who steps inside the UFC Octagon.”

The aforementioned Long, a former kickboxing champion, called the UFC’s first-ever ev…

Julio Arce Withdraws from UFC 285 Due to Knee Injury

A knee injury has forced Julio Arce to pull out of his UFC 285 bout against Cody Garbrandt.

Multiple outlets confirmed Arce’s exit following an initial report from Eurosport. Arce is expected to require surgery after injuring the ACL and other ligaments in his knee. It is currently unknown if Garbrandt will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.

A competitor on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Arce has compiled a 5-4 mark in UFC competition. The Team Tiger Schulmann representative has lost two of his last three Octagon appearances and is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Montel Jackson at UFC 281.

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. Arce vs. Garbrandt was slated for the preliminary card, which airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Raquel Pennington-Irene Aldana Rematch Likely for UFC on ESPN 43 in San Antonio

A rematch between Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana is expected to serve as the main event for UFC on ESPN 43.

The bantamweight bout, which is expected to be finalized soon, was recently confirmed by ESPN Deportes following an initial report from MMA journalist James Lynch on YouTube. UFC on ESPN 43 takes place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on March 25 and also includes a 135-pound showdown between Holly Holm and Yana Kunitskaya. Pennington and Aldana initially squared off at UFC on ESPN 4 in July 2019, with Pennington prevailing via split decision.

Pennington is currently on a five-bout winning streak in UFC competition. The former bantamweight title challenger was successful in her first venture of 2023, as she garnered a split verdict against Ketlen Vieira at UFC Fight Night 217 on Jan. 14. Her current run also includes victories over the likes of Aspen Ladd, Macy Chiasson, Pannie Kianzad and Marion Reneau.

Aldana, meanwh…

Francis Ngannou in Talks with Tyson Fury Reps, Hopeful for Summer Fight

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It appears that preliminary discussions are underway regarding a potential boxing match between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, the former UFC heavyweight champion revealed that he has engaged in talks with Fury’s representatives regarding a future fight.

“I have talked to somebody, some of his advisors,” Ngannou said. “They are working on a fight with [Oleksandr] Usyk on April. So, until then, he will not be free. But I’m just trying to see if we can have an agreement before that fight.

“That will also give me some time to get prepared for a boxing fight. So I have no problem with the timeline that I’m expecting, that I hope will be sometime in June, July, which is doable. So let’s see. I think it’s too early to make a conclusion. It’s too early to say anything about it but it’s definitely something that we’re looking into.”

Ngannou was released from his UFC contract earlier this year …

Former UFC Flyweight Askar Askarov Signs with Absolute Championship Akhmat

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

Ex-UFC flyweight contender Askar Askarov has signed with Absolute Championship Akhmat.

The promotion announced the news on Saturday. Askarov asked to be released from his UFC contract late last year, and the Las Vegas-based organization granted that request. A date for his ACA debut is currently unknown.

“Due to my return being delayed due to medical reasons and being my last fight under my contract, I asked UFC to release me,” Askarov wrote on Instagram last October. “To which, I received a positive response. First, let's put our health in order, and then we will see what and how.”

Askarov suffered his first loss in 16 professional outings last March, when he dropped a unanimous verdict to Kai Kara France at UFC on ESPN 33. He wouldn’t compete again in 2022, as he pulled out of proposed fights against the likes of Brandon Royval and Alex Perez.

The 30-year-old Dagestani is a form…

Professional Fighters League Signs Thad Jean on Week 1 of PFL Challenger Series

The Professional Fighters League welcomed a promising new talent into the fold on Week 1 of the PFL Challenger Series: Thad Jean.

Fast-twitch punches, well-disguised kicks and opportunistic ground-and-pound carried the unbeaten 24-year-old prospect to a unanimous decision over current Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Eric Alequin in their three-round welterweight showcase on Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Jean (5-0, 1-0 PFL) swept the scorecards with identical 30-27 marks from the cageside judiciary.

Alequin (7-1, 0-1 PFL) connected with a few kicks to the lead leg and body but was otherwise ineffective. Jean decked him with a right hand at the end of the first round and flurried with punches for a potential finish until the bell sounded. With that, the tone was set. Jean dropped the Kill Cliff Fight Club representative with another right in Round 2, then picked his spots in the third. There, he controlled the center of…

UFC 287 Draws Pereira-Adesanya Rematch, Burns vs. Masvidal Co-Main

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship has built an entire pay-per-view main card without revealing its location.

On Friday, UFC President Dana White – who was caught on video slapping his wife on Dec. 31, 2022 – announced on multiple platforms the main card lineup of UFC 287. The event will go down on April 8, and there is still no official destination on the books although an international UFC social media page wrote Miami, Florida. The main attraction will see Alex Pereira (7-1) put his middleweight belt on the line against ex-champ Israel Adesanya (23-2) in a rematch of their shocking UFC 281 battle.

“Poatan” has been a man possessed since breaking into the UFC in late 2021. It took the Brazilian a mere three wins to get a crack at gold, although it came against former kickboxing rival Adesanya, where Pereira held two victories. In the fifth round, Pereira struck and put Adesanya away, scoring the first stoppage of “The Last Style…

UFC Signs Bella Mir to Its First NIL College Athlete Contract

We're happy to announce Bella Mir as the UFC's first ever NIL ambassador!

Mir is currently a freshman at the University of Iowa (@TheIowaHawkeyes) and a member of @IowaW_Wrestling 🤼‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/7JCEQd1WqT

— UFC (@ufc) January 27, 2023 At just 20 years of age, Ultimate Fighting Championship hopeful Bella Mir is already making serious waves.

Per a press release from the UFC on Friday, the organization has signed Mir (3-0) to be an “NIL ambassador,” which will pay her for her name, image and likeness rights. The NCAA ban on NIL deals with athletes was recently lifted, and Mir is the first to come from the UFC. This follows a major sponsorship arrangement from the UFC to the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program, in which Mir is a member of the women’s wrestling team.

UFC head Dana White spoke highly of Mir and of this new agreement, saying, “Bella was destined to become a member of the UFC family her entire life, and I’…

Conor McGregor Posts Video After Being Struck by Car While Riding Bike

A small car is no match for Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor.

On Friday afternoon, McGregor was out for a ride by himself on his bicycle in Ireland. When riding around a corner, a white car came around and struck him. McGregor did not report any serious injuries, and he showed a tear in his pants. The damage to the bike was too substantial to use it to go home, so he asked the driver, named Nick, to bring him home. While amped up from the accident, an otherwise cogent McGregor seemed in good spirits, telling the driver, “all good, mate, all good,” as he documented what happened.

“Got a bang of a car just now from behind,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “A sun trap, the driver couldn’t see me. Full speed straight thru me. Thank you God, it wasn’t my time. Thank you wrestling and judo also. Having an awareness on the landing saved my life.”

In the video, pieces of the bike and his equipment lay scattered on the ground, including a …

PFL Sets 4-Fight Light Heavyweight Lineup for Challenger Series Event on March 10

I’ll be a guest Celebrity Judge on the @PFLMMA Challenger Series this Friday night. Tune in on @fuboSports Network at 9pm ET and help me decide which fighter deserves a PFL contract #PFLonFuboTV pic.twitter.com/52klQjnBb3

— Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa) January 24, 2023 Week 7 of Professional Fighters League’s 2023 season of the Challenger Series has found its eight participants.

A PFL press release on Thursday announced the four matches that will held on the seventh week of PFL Challenger Series. The 205ers will battle it out in the Universal Studios of Orlando, Florida, on March 10. The event will air on Fubo TV, and according to an organizational official, it will be free to watch like every other CS cards this season. The main event sees ex- Ultimate Fighting Championship talent Impa Kasanganay (10-3) move up to 205 pounds to take on Brave Combat Federation vet Osama ElSeady (8-2).

The other three bouts on the lineup for the seventh 202…

PFL Challenger Series 2023 Week 1 Weigh-in Results: 1 Fight Changed

Fight Card Update: Mostafa Nada will not weigh in. Kendly St. Louis, who was on site to corner Thad Jean, steps up and will replace Nada against Nick Alley in a 175 lb catchweight bout.

⚖️ 174.4 lbs.

St. Louis vs Alley is official#PFLonFubo pic.twitter.com/Elv3wrJ7tk — PFL (@PFLMMA) January 26, 2023 The stage is set for the Professional Fighters League's first event of 2023, which is a Challenger Series show focused on welterweight hopefuls.

Main event fighters Lucas Barbosa and Itso Babulaidze had no issue making weight, with Babulaidze (2-0) looking to stay undefeated against the 2-1 jiu-jitsu specialist. However, there was one last-minute change to the four-fight card, as Mostafa Rashed Neda was replaced by Kendly St. Louis. Due to the late-notice swap, St. Louis vs. Nick Alley transformed into a 175-pound catchweight contest rather than at welterweight as previously booked.

PFL Challenger Series Week 1: Wel…

Conor McGregor Claims He Was Offered Coaching Role for Upcoming ‘TUF’ Season

Conor McGregor’s UFC return could potentially be tied to “The Ultimate Fighter.”

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the former UFC two-division champion said that he has been offered a chance to coach on the reality show for a second time. McGregor previously was a coach on “TUF 22” opposite Urijah Faber in 2015.

“This is a snap from the original ‘Ultimate Fighter’ house where I coached vs Urijah Faber,” McGregor wrote. “This photo was just before the show [though]. It was right before I won my first world title, beating Urijah teammate Chad Mendes … I then went on to coach the famous fight show straight after the fight. With a big black eye and a gash, my tricolor, and my new and first ever UFC gold belt, I waltzed into the notorious fight gym in Las Vegas. The slickest suits and shouts the show had ever seen before. On top of the silverware. And I coached my team to victory. Crazy. Some journey.

“I have just been offered to coach this role …

Alexandre Pantoja Hopes Brandon Moreno Doesn’t Try to Avoid Trilogy Bout

As a reserve fighter for the UFC 283 co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja was one of the first people to congratulate Brandon Moreno backstage after the Mexican fighter regained the flyweight title in Rio de Janeiro last weekend with a victory over Deiveson Figueiredo.

The tone of that interaction quickly changed, however, when Moreno claimed at the post-fight press conference that Pantoja became aggressive in demanding to know a potential date for his own championship opportunity. With a pair of victories over Moreno to his credit (one was an exhibition on “The Ultimate Fighter 24”), Pantoja seems to be the next logical No. 1 contender at 125 pounds.

“There is no other fight that makes sense now. In addition to being the more highly-ranked guy, I beat the champion clearly twice,” Pantoja told Sherdog.com. “Even Moreno recognized that at the press conference, but when I met him after the fight he was standing up celebrating and after I talked to him, …

Todd Duffee Signs with KSW, Meets Philip De Fries for Heavyweight Title on Feb. 25

🚨 IT. IS. OFFICIAL!!! 🚨

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 🤩 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵🏆 KSW Heavyweight Title Fight 🏆👑 Phil De Fries vs. Todd Duffee 🇺🇸#KSW79 | February 25 | Liberec 🇨🇿 pic.twitter.com/F7iSRrxSX4

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) January 25, 2023

The stakes will be high for Todd Duffee’s first mixed martial arts appearance in more than three years.

The UFC veteran has signed with Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki and will challenge Philip De Fries for heavyweight gold at KSW 79 on Feb. 25. The Polish promotion announced the booking on Wednesday. KSW 79 takes place at the Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czech Republic, marking the organization’s first foray into the country. Duffee and De Fries squared off at UFC 155, with the American winning via first-round technical knockout.

Duffee hasn’t competed since UFC Fight Night 158 in September 2019, when an accidental eye poke resulted in his bout against Jeff Hughes being declared a no contest. Duffee went 3-2 du…

Lightweights Dan Hooker, Jalin Turner to Clash at UFC 285 in Las Vegas

A potential all-action lightweight bout is on tap for UFC 285, as Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner will lock horns on March in Las Vegas.

Hooker first announced the booking during an interview with The Mac Life, and it was later confirmed by Turner on social media. UFC 285 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight championship clash pitting Jon Jones against Ciryl Gane.

After losing four of five fights from June 2020 to March 2022, Hooker rebounded at UFC 281, where he finished Claudio Puelles with a body kick 4:06 into the second round of their encounter at Madison Square Garden last November. The 32-year-old City Kickboxing representative owns notable wins over the likes of Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, Gilbert Burns and Jim Miller during his UFC tenure.

Turner enters the matchup with Hooker on a five-bout finishing streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Most recently, “The Tarantula” submitted Brad Ridde…

Brunno Ferreira Eager to Show Varied Skillset to UFC’s Middleweight Division

Brunno Ferreira pulled off an upset at UFC 283, stepping in as a replacement against Gregory Rodrigues and knocking out his fellow Brazilian in the first round.

The Evolucao Thai product, who is a black belt in both judo and jiu-jitsu, is now unbeaten in 10 professional appearances.“Hulk” looks forward to showcasing his other skills in future UFC bouts.

“Today I was just able to show my knockout power, but I’m anxious to show my grappling game,” Ferreira said after the bout. “I'm bringing a different mix of porrada (brawling), judo and jiu-jitsu that will scare the other guys in the division. If you look at my [record], you will see my fights never go to a judges’ decision. I have seven knockouts and three submissions in my 10 MMA fights.”

According to his trainer, former Pride competitor and Chute Boxe member Daniel Acacio, Ferreira has the ability to be a major factor in the UFC’s middleweight division.

“Judo gave him the discipl…

UFC Fight Night 221 Gets Alexander Volkov-Alexander Romanov Heavyweight Tilt

A heavyweight showdown pitting Alexander Volkov against Alexander Romanov has been added to the UFC Fight Night 221 lineup.

Eurosport was first to report the pairing. UFC Fight Night 221 takes place at the The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas on March 11 and is headlined by a bantamweight clash between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan.

Volkov is coming off a 1-1 campaign in 2022 in which he suffered a first-round submission loss to Tom Aspinall at UFC Fight Night 204 before scoring a first-round technical knockout of Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Fight Night 207. The former Bellator and M-1 Global champion owns wins over the likes of Fabricio Werdum, Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve, Alistair Overeem, Tim Johnson and Marcin Tybura.

Romanov began his professional tenure with 16 consecutive triumphs before dropping a majority decision to Tybura in his last outing at UFC 278. The Moldovan known as “King Kong” has finished all but one of his victori…

Chris Curtis vs. Kelvin Gastelum Booked for UFC 287 on April 8

Chris Curtis will lock horns with Kelvin Gastelum in a middleweight scrap at UFC 287.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMA Mania. UFC 287 takes place on April 8, with a headliner yet to be confirmed. While a venue has yet to be announced, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., is rumored to be a likely destination for the event.

The 35-year-old Curtis is 4-1 in the Las Vegas-based promotion, with his lone setback coming against Jack Hermansson at UFC Fight Night 208 this past July. The former CES MMA champion last appeared at UFC 282, where he defeated Joaquin Buckley via second-round KO on Dec. 10.

Gastelum, meanwhile, was supposed to face Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 217 on Jan. 14, but a mouth injury forced him to withdraw on the week of the fight. “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner has struggled of late, losing five of his last six Octagon appearances – including a unanimous decision defeat t…

Reports: Conor McGregor Accused of Assaulting Woman on Yacht Last July

Conor McGregor has been accused of attacking a woman on his yacht in Ibiza, Spain, last July.

According to a report from Spanish outlet Ultima Hora, a 42-year-old woman was partying at the Ocean Club in Ibiza on July 16 with mutual friends when she was invited back to McGregor’s yacht. The alleged victim said she knew McGregor because they’re from the same neighborhood in Dublin.

The alleged incident occurred the following morning when the woman claimed that McGregor began to insult her appearance and then kicked her in the midsection, punched her and threatened to drown her. The woman told Irish police that she “feared for her life,” and she jumped in the water to flee from the attack, where she was eventually rescued by a Red Cross boat.

“His whole behavior changed and he became very aggressive,” the woman told police.

According to the report, the alleged victim did not initially indentify McGregor as her attacker to Spain’s Civil Gu…

UFC 286 Update: Jack Shore to Face Makwan Amirkhani in London

A featherweight bout between Jack Shore and Makwan Amirkhani has been added to the UFC 286 lineup.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Tuesday. UFC 286 takes place at the O2 Arena in London on March 18 and is headlined by a welterweight championship clash between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.

Shore suffered his first loss in 17 professional appearances at UFC on ABC 3, where he suffered a second-round submission loss to Ricky Simon this past July. The former Cage Warriors champion began his Octagon tenure with five consecutive triumphs prior to that defeat.

Amirkhani has struggled recently, with losses in four of his last five UFC bouts. In his last outing, “Mr. Finland” suffered a second-round TKO loss to Jonathan Pearce at UFC Fight Night 208 on July 23. Amirkhani began his promotional tenure with victories in five of his first six appearances but is just 2-5 in UFC competition since November 2019.

UFC 283 Medical Suspensions: Deiveson Figueiredo Facing Potential 6-Month Term

It could be a while before Deiveson Figueiredo makes his debut in the UFC’s bantamweight division.

According to UFC 283 medical suspensions released by the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA), Figueiredo must be cleared by a facial CT scan or face a 180-term. At a minimum, he is suspended for 45 days. Figueiredo revealed on Instagram that he may need surgery for a fractured orbital. The Brazilian lost the flyweight belt to Brandon Moreno via doctor’s stoppage when his right eye swelled completely shut after three rounds.

UFC 283 took place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday. In the main event, Jamahal Hill defeated Glover Teixeira via unanimous decision to capture the vacant light heavyweight championship. Both Hill and Teixeira are facing 180-day suspensions pending doctor clearance.

Multiple other fighters from UFC 283 are facing potential six-month terms including Lauren Murphy, Paul Craig, Ihor Potieria, Melquizael Co…

Bellator Re-Signs Light Heavyweight Champ Vadim Nemkov to Multi-Year Contract

Bellator MMA continues to lock up its top talents.

After recently re-signing former featherweight king A.J. McKee to a multi-year deal, the California-based promotion did the same for Vadim Nemkov this week. Bellator announced the news on Monday through ESPN, but terms of the contract were not disclosed.

"Vadim Nemkov was another athlete that we wanted to make sure we had on the Bellator roster for the foreseeable future," Bellator president Scott Coker said. "He's a huge part of a division that we feel is the strongest in all of mixed martial arts. Our light heavyweight tournament showcased that we have the top talent in the world at 205 pounds and we're proud to be able to retain such a talented fighter to continue to lead that division. I am looking forward to seeing Vadim in exciting matchups in 2023 and beyond.”

Nemkov is unbeaten in his last 11 professional appearances, a streak that dates back to 2016 and is only marred by a no conte…

Bantamweights Yadong Song, Ricky Simon to Clash at UFC Fight Night on April 22

Yadong Song will square off against Ricky Simon in a bantamweight tilt at UFC Fight Night on April 22.

Eurosport was first to report the matchup. UFC Fight Night doesn’t currently have a confirmed location or headliner. The card is also expected to include a lightweight showdown between Bobby Green and Jared Gordon as well as a featherweight scrap pitting Karol Rosa against Norma Dumont.

Song had a three-fight winning streak snapped in his last outing, as he suffered a technical knockout loss to Cory Sandhagen in the UFC Fight Night 210 headliner on Sept. 17. The Team Alpha Male product is 8-2-1 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Simon has been victorious in his last five Octagon appearances. Most recently, the American Top Team Portland representative submitted Jack Shore in the second round of their UFC on ABC 3 clash this past July.

Luke Rockhold Granted UFC Release, Ends Short-Lived Retirement

Luke Rockhold has walked back the retirement announcement he made following a loss at UFC 278 this past August.

During an appearance on "The MMA Hour,” the former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion announced that he has entered free agency and is ready to resume his combat sports career. Rockhold revealed that he had multiple fights remaining on his UFC contract, but an amicable relationship with chief business officer Hunter Campbell resulted in him being released from that deal.

“Me and Dana [White)]always haven’t seen eye-to-eye, and we’ve had our differences, but I’ve been through some injuries and some things, and I’ve done my thing,” Rockhold said. “I asked for a release. I asked for my freedom to be able to go and do things elsewhere. And I was granted that.

“Me and Hunter – I’ve paid my dues, and he granted me my wish to be able to go have freedom, to be able to box, to go fight elsewhere. There’s a lot of different avenues. Yo…

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