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Mauricio Ruffy Excited to Face ‘High Level Striker’ Bobby Green

Mauricio Ruffy is expecting a return to form against Bobby Green at UFC 313.

At UFC 309, Ruffy defeated James Llontop via unanimous decision in his second Octagon appearance. It was the first time that the Brazilian had gone the distance in 11 professional victories. The Fighting Nerds standout vows that the result will be different against Green.

“Every time I fight, my goal is to finish my opponent,” Ruffy told Sherdog.com. “I tried to do that in my last fight, but it’s no secret to anyone that my opponent [missed weight] and I had to approach more cautiously — but always looking for the KO. With Bobby Green, it will be no different. My range and his [aggressive] style will be the perfect [combination] for me to finish that fight.”

However, Ruffy makes it clear that winning by any means — not just a knockout — is his main priority.

"I want to build up to the knockout with lots of patience, but he is such a tough opponent, so I don’t …

Dennis Buzukja Temporarily Suspended for Altercation with Fan at UFC 310

Merab got into ANOTHER altercation with a fan after Aljamain Sterling lost to Mosvar Evloev. 👀 #UFC310 pic.twitter.com/MBeKMmvQkZ

— InsideFighting (@InsideFighting_) December 8, 2024

Dennis Buzukja could face sanctions for scuffling with someone in the crowd at UFC 310.

During a meeting on Tuesday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission temporarily suspended the four-time UFC veteran for throwing punches at a man on his way back to the locker room after cornering Aljamain Sterling on Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was also seen being restrained during the altercation.

Dvalishvili later posted evidence that the fan had ties to Umar Nurmagomedov and his team, and he claimed that the incident was orchestrated by his UFC 311 opponent. The fan involved was later identified as Arman Tugaev. Dvalishvili would go on to retain his bantamweight title with a unanimous decisi…

Bobby Green vs. Mauricio Ruffy Added to UFC 313 Lineup

Bobby Green will square off against Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight showdown at UFC 313.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMA Mania. UFC 313 takes place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship clash between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. In the co-main event, Justin Gaethje will face Dan Hooker in a five-round, non-title affair.

Green, who now goes by his former moniker of “King,” has lost two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 38-year-old veteran of 50 fights suffered a first-round submission loss against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 304 this past July.

After earning a UFC deal on Dana White's Contender Series in October 2023, Ruffy has kicked off his promotional tenure with back-to-back triumphs over Jamie Mullarkey and James Llontop. The 28-year-old Fighting Nerds representative has been victorious in 11 of his 12 professional outings…

Islam Makhachev Confident He Could Move to 185 Pounds, Defeat Dricus Du Plessis

Islam Makhachev doesn’t think an eventual move to 185 pounds is unrealistic.

The reigning UFC lightweight champ hasn’t been shy about his desire to eventually become a two-division champion. However, a friendship with current 170-pound king Belal Muhammad complicates matters. If Muhammad holds on to the welterweight belt, Makhachev sees another path to two-division gold.

“My height allows [a move to middleweight],” Makhachev recently told Ushatayka. “I think my physical data allows it, too. I just need to work with my specialists, gain muscle mass, add a little weight. I think I can try. As I already said at the press conference after the fight, if they offered it to me tomorrow and say they will give me time to gain weight, I would not turn it down. I would 100% agree to fight at middleweight.

“I’m not saying that I have a better chance, that I can 100% finish [Dricus] Du Plessis, but watching his fights, watching his style, I think I have the…

Chris Weidman Addresses Short-Lived Retirement, Interest in Fighting for GFL

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Those who have followed mixed martial arts for any period of time know that retirements rarely last.

However, Chris Weidman’s farewell was short-lived even by MMA standards. Approximately one week after announcing his retirement ahead of UFC 311, Weidman was selected in the Global Fight League draft. According to the former UFC middleweight champion, it was an opportunity he couldn’t refuse.

“The elephant in the room is I just retired from the UFC. A lot of people thought I was done fighting. I didn’t know,” Weidman said on the GFL draft stream. “I thought maybe I am done fighting. I was kind of open to other opportunities outside of the UFC, but they had to be good.”

A lot of that had to do with some of the other athletes who are currently expected to be part of the fledgling promotion.

“This is a league where there’s a lot of guys that I have a history with,” Weidman said. “You’ve got Luke Rockhold, you’ve got Gegar…

Alexandre Pantoja Shares Corner’s Perspective from UFC 311 Main Event

Alexandre Pantoja was able to benefit from a different perspective at UFC 311.

The reigning flyweight champion was in Renato "Money" Moicano’s corner for his lightweight title bout against Islam Makhachev at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Jan. 18. Even though his teammate lost via first-round submission, Pantoja found it to be a valuable experience.

“As a fighter it's very important to have the opportunity to see a fight from the trainer's point of view,” Pantoja told Sherdog.com. “I told ‘Moicano’ that he gave a child a VIP ticket to visit Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.”

Pantoja also revealed an interesting detail regarding the night American Top Team training partner Arman Tsarukyan had to withdraw from the main event, which resulted in him being replaced by “Moicano” on one day’s notice.

"When I woke up I got a voice message from Parrumpa [coach Marcos da Matta] saying, ‘Call me as soon as you wake up,’” said Pantoja, who initi…

37-Time Octagon Veteran Clay Guida Confirms UFC Departure

It’s officially the end of an era in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as longtime Octagon competitor Clay Guida confirmed his departure from the Las Vegas-based promotion in a lengthy Instagram post over the weekend.

“This is not my retirement,” Guida wrote. “This is simply a thank you for now and a passing of my UFC torch to the next generation of warriors and wrestlers. We were built to last. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The best is yet to come!”

It’s unclear if Guida was released or if his UFC contract wasn’t renewed. Twitter account UFC Roster Tracker initially brought word of Guida’s exit from the promotion.

Guida, 43, has 37 UFC appearances to his credit, a figure that current ranks No. 4 all-time. He compiled an 18-19 mark since beginning his Octagon tenure in 2006, earning victories over the likes of Nate Diaz, Rafael dos Anjos, Takanori Gomi, Anthony Pettis, B.J. Penn and Michael Johnson, to name a few. His 2009 lo…

Video: Fedor Emelianenko, Khabib Nurmagomedov Cross Paths at Road to Dubai

Two of the sport’s all-time greats took time to exchange pleasantries backstage at Road to Dubai on Saturday.

In a video posted on the Bellator MMA Instagram account, Fedor Emelianenko and Khabib Nurmagomedov are seen exchanging pleasantries and posing for a photo in the locker room at the Coca-Cola Arena. Emelianenko was on hand to corner Vadim Nemkov in the co-main event, while Nurmagomedov was coaching a number of Dagestani fighters — most notably lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

Emelianenko is a former Pride Fighting Championships standout who is widely regarded as perhaps the best heavyweight in MMA history. He famously went unbeaten in 28 consecutive fights from 2001 to 2009.

Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, retired from the sport in 2020 as the reigning UFC lightweight champion. “The Eagle” went 29-0 over the course of a career that began in 2008. Like Emelianenko, the Dagestani star is considered to be one of the top pound-for-po…

Paul Hughes on Narrow Defeat at Road to Dubai: ‘I Deserve to Have That Belt’

Paul Hughes’ first championship opportunity in Professional Fighters League resulted in a near miss.

The Irish standout suffered a closely-contested majority decision defeat in a lightweight title bout against reigning champion Usman Nurmagomedov in the Road to Dubai headliner on Saturday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Hughes gave his thoughts on the ruling and his overall performance.

“We all thought I won that one,” Hughes said in a video on Instagram. “I think the judges’ scorecards were pretty ridiculous. But I’ll watch it back with a clear mind. I’m just judging from the energy of the arena and everyone surrounding the cage that thought it was mine. I’m not going to make excuses, though. I should’ve pushed harder. And I will the next time. I know we’ll fight again.”

“Big News” pointed to a pause in the action that occurred due to an accidental clash of heads in Round 4 as…

Usman Nurmagomedov Rejects Possibility of Immediate Rematch with Paul Hughes

While Usman Nurmagomedov gives credit to Paul Hughes for pushing him in the Road to Dubai headliner, he isn’t interested in giving the Irishman an immediate rematch.

Nurmagomedov edged Hughes via majority decision in a thrilling lightweight title bout at the Cola-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday. Though it was arguably the toughest test of his career to date, the unbeaten Dagestani would like to see Hughes earn his way back to a rematch.

“No, he have to earn with a couple two, three, four fights in [PFL],” Nurmagomedov said in a backstage interview after the event (transcription via MMAjunkie.com). “He had only two fights and they gave him title shot. But Paul Hughes, this is all my respect to this guy. I think if he even go to the tournament for $1 million, he 100 percent [has a] chance to take this belt. Then, we can talk rematches.”

Nurmagomedov appreciated the test that Hughes provided, but he admits that he didn’t …

UFC Saudi Arabia Loses Andre Muniz-Ikram Aliskerov Due to Passport Issues

UFC Saudi Arabia has lost a proposed middleweight clash between Andre Muniz and Ikram Aliskerov one week before the event.

Muniz announced via Instagram stories that the fight has been postponed due to passport issues, but he expects it to be rescheduled at an unspecified date in the future. UFC Fight Night 250 takes place on Saturday at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is headlined by a 185-pound showdown pitting Israel Adesanya against Nassourdine Imavov. The event will proceed with 12 fights.

Muniz snapped a two-bout skid in his last outing, when he took split verdict over Jun Yong Park at UFC Fight Night 233 in December 2023. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace is 6-2 since debuting in the Las Vegas-based promotion in 2019.

Aliskerov hasn’t competed since falling to Robert Whittaker via first-round knockout in a short-notice main event appearance at UFC on ABC 6 last June. Prior to that, he scored consecutive stoppages against Warlley Alves and Phil Hawe…

Usman Nurmagomedov Completes Dagestani Sweep at PFL ‘Road to Dubai’

When it came to Dagestan vs. Ireland, to paraphrase the great Tito Ortiz, there was never no rivalry.

The Professional Fighters League introduced itself to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with a showcase event pitting competitors from Dagestan against their Irish counterparts. The Russians largely ran through their opposition, culminating with a Bellator MMA lightweight championship defense. Usman Nurmagomedov (19-0, 1 NC; 1-0 PFL) carried the weight of the defunct league on his shoulders, and he approached that challenge with a stoic intensity. In the face of the toughest test of his professional career, Nurmagomedov held on and secured the victory by majority verdict.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?!#RoadToDubai | LIVE NOW🇺🇸 MAX🇬🇧🇮🇪 DAZN🇷🇺 OKKO pic.twitter.com/6evoCG5cgl

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 25, 2025 The champ and Paul Hughes (13-2, 1-1 PFL) chewed up the lead legs of one another with kicks in the opening round when no…

PFL Champions Series ‘Road to Dubai’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live Professional Fighters League PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai coverage will begin Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. The event streams live on the Max app in the U.S. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp …

Real-Time Updates: 2025 Global Fight League Fighter Draft (8 p.m. ET)

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Watch the inaugural Global Fight League Draft will in the player above on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with six teams and cities:

Los Angeles: Known as a hub and home for world-class gyms and athletes, this city will be led by Manager Wanderlei Silva and Coach Rafael Cordeiro, a legendary duo synonymous with Brazilian MMA excellence.

New York: Home to the most sports fans in the world, New York embodies history and grit. Led by legendary Coach Ray Longo, renowned for training champions, the team’s manager will be announced soon.

Miami: Where cultural vibrancy meets fight tradition, Miami thrives under Manager Thiago Alves and Coach Marcus “Conan” Silveira, icons of Brazilian and American MMA with roots in the legendary American Top Team.

Sao Paulo: Sao Paulo embodies the rich heritage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo—the very foundations of modern MMA—guided by former champion Manager Lyoto Machida and legendary Coac…

Real-Time Updates: 2025 Global Fight League Fighter Draft

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Watch the inaugural Global Fight League Draft will in the player above on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with six teams and cities:

Sao Paulo: Sao Paulo embodies the rich heritage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo—the very foundations of modern MMA—guided by former champion Manager Lyoto Machida and legendary Coac…

Potential Title Eliminator Xiaonan Yan vs. Virna Jandiroba Joins UFC 314 Lineup

Two Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweights with an eye on the prize will tangle for a possible crack at gold.

Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight announced on Thursday that Xiaonan Yan (19-4, 1 NC) and Virna Jandiroba (21-3) would be throwing down on UFC 314. The top-ranked 115-pounders might be vying for the next shot at the crown that will be held by either Weili Zhang or Tatiana Suarez. Jandiroba had been calling for this match on social media for the past month, and according to her on Friday, she will get her wish come April 12 in Miami.

Yan fought for the strawweight crown at UFC 300 in April 2024, and she came up short to Zhang by a one-sided decision. That put an end to a win streak that saw the Team Alpha Male representative beat Mackenzie Dern by five-round decision and wreck Jessica Andrade in half a round. Since joining the roster in 2017, finishes have come at a premium for Yan, who holds one knockout victory against a knockout loss on a ledger otherwise popu…

Marvin Vettori-Roman Dolidze Rematch to Headline UFC Fight Night 254 on March 15

A pair of Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight contenders will get two extra rounds to handle their business in March.

On Friday, the pairing of Marvin Vettori (19-7-1) vs. Roman Dolidze (14-3) 2 was posted on social media, as first reported by MagicM. The light heavyweight headliner was confirmed by other outlets shortly thereafter, setting up a rematch for the main attraction of UFC Fight Night 254, also known as UFC Vegas 104. The two first collided at UFC 286 in 2023, with the Italian getting the upper hand and winning by close decision.

Since that matchup nearly two years ago, Vettori has entered the cage just once, facing Jared Cannonier in a potential title eliminator atop UFC on ESPN 47 and coming up short on the scorecards. That too took place in 2023, so “The Italian Stallion” will be coming off a layoff of nearly 21 months in his return outing. Having alternated wins and losses in his last six, Vettori has heard the final bell in seven bouts in a r…

Nikita Krylov, Dominick Reyes to Square Off on April 12 at UFC 314

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is making sure its 2025 return to the 305 will be a memorable one.

According to MMA Fighting on Friday, light heavyweight contenders Nikita Krylov (30-9) and Dominick Reyes (14-4) will be throwing down at UFC 314 on April 12. The two 205ers will likely tangle in the city of Miami in the Kaseya Center, although the location has not been officially announced yet. The report of this high-stakes pairing has since been confirmed by other outlets.

Krylov, the higher-ranked fighter of the two, will come in on a three-fight win streak. This will be his first appearance in over two years, however, as he last tapped out Ryan Spann in March 2023. The Russian born in Ukraine was previously booked against Azamat Murzakanov towards the end of 2024, but the latter pulled out for undisclosed reasons. As a professional, Krylov abhors judges’ decisions, only going the distance four times in 39 outings.

Former title challenger Reyes has been a …

PFL ‘Road to Dubai’ Weigh-in Results: Lightweight Title Fight Set

𝗗𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡 𝗩𝗦 𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝟮 🇷🇺🇮🇪

The time for talk is over!

The Professional Fighters League's first event of the year will feature a lightweight title fight.

The PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series weigh-ins took place this morning, which locked in the card. The event will be headlined by Bellator MMA lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov putting his title on the line against Paul Hughes. Both men made weight, as did most of the card with the exception of Kenny Mokhonoana (147) and Ahmed Sami (199.6). While the former eclipsed the featherweight cap by one pound for his fight against Ibragim Ibragimov, Sami was unable to reach the pre-agreed 195-pound catchweight with Tarek Sule…

Bellator, PFL Veteran Patricky Freire Signs with Global Fight League

There are no longer any “Pitbull” brothers competing under the Professional Fighters League banner.

On Tuesday, Patricky Freire announced his release from the PFL, and a day later, his signing with the fledging Global Fight League become official. Freire confirmed the news following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.

The GFL is expected to launch a team-based MMA format beginning in April. The draft to select the fighters to represent each team — a pool which now includes Freire — is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET. In recent weeks a number of notable former champions and veterans have been linked to the organization.

Freire competed twice for the PFL during its 2024 season, falling to Clay Collard and Bruno Miranda. The elder “Pitbull” brother was best known for a lengthy stint with Bellator MMA, where he enjoyed a brief reign as lightweight champion. During his Bellator tenure, Freire bested the likes of Benson Henderson, Josh Thoms…

Payton Talbott Reacts to UFC 311 Loss: ‘The Vet Gave Me My First Scar’

Bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott is taking his first career defeat as a learning experience.

The 26-year-old Dana White's Contender Series alum entered his UFC 311 matchup as a significant betting favorite against Brazilian veteran Raoni Barcelos, but Talbott struggled to remain upright in a unanimous decision loss this past Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. When all was said and done, Talbott surrendered eight takedowns and nearly 10 minutes of control time to his 37-year-old opponent.

Talbott reacted to the performance in a brief statement via Instagram on Tuesday.

“The vet gave me my first scar. May the skin heal itself to be strong and never split again,” Talbott wrote. “Lucky to have such people in my life. Fortunate to be able to learn valuable lessons. Still had fun.”

The Reno Academy of Combat product had been victorious in his first nine professional outings, including finishes of Nick Aguirre, Cameron Saaiman an…

Yadong Song Questions Timing of Henry Cejudo’s Retirement, UFC Return

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Yadong Song believes Henry Cejudo didn’t time his career trajectory well.

Cejudo was at the peak of his career when he abruptly announced his retirement after defending his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in 2020. At the time, there was speculation that “Triple C” made the announcement to have an edge in contract negotiations. However, things didn’t pan out as planned if Cejudo had indeed tried to do so.

The former flyweight champ ended his retirement and returned to action in 2023. Cejudo came up on the short side of split decision in a bantamweight title fight against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in 2023. The Olympic gold medalist followed it up with a unanimous decision loss against future champ Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 last year. Cejudo initially hinted at retirement in case of a loss against “The Machine” but has since changed course. While Cejudo’s losses came against arguably the two best fighters of…

Charles Oliveira Suggests Rematch with Max Holloway for BMF Title

When Dana White said that Arman Tsarukyan wouldn’t get the next lightweight title shot after pulling out of the UFC 311 main event, attention immediately shifted to Charles Oliveira as the next potential contender for Islam Makhachev’s belt.

However, shortly after this past Saturday’s event, Oliveira gave an interview to UFC Brasil suggesting a different rematch.

“If Islam just wants to return in October, I want to fight before that,” Oliveira said. “Why not Max [Holloway] for the BMF belt? I suffered an injury in the beginning of our first fight. I think we both deserve to make it happen.”

Holloway immediately responded in the affirmative via X: “International Fight week?”

International Fight Week?

— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) January 21, 2025

Diego Lima, Oliveira’s manager and head coach, clarified everything in an interview with Ag.Fight on Tuesday.

“The most important thing for Charles is without a…

Javier Mendez Surprised by Merab Dvalishvili’s Cardio in UFC 311 Co-Main Event

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Javier Mendez couldn’t believe the pace Merab Dvalishvili set at UFC 311.

Mendez’s pupil, Umar Nurmagomedov, challenged Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event at UFC 311. Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood, predicted that the champ would have a hard couple of rounds and take over as the fight progressed. It played out exactly like that, with Nurmagomedov just being unable to keep pace with the champ despite being highly skilled. Dvalishvili took away Nurmagomedov’s perfect record and defended his title with a unanimous decision win.

While Nurmagomedov also broke his hand in the opening round, Mendez isn’t taking anything away from Dvalishvili. The American Kickboxing Academy head coach was awed by Dvalishvili’s gas tank as the fight progressed. However, Mendez also notes that “The Machine’s” showmanship in the last round could have slightly influenced the judges’ scorecards.

“He [Nurmagomedov] didn’t get t…

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