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🚨 UPDATE: Vadim Nemkov now faces Tim Johnson at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Saturday 25th January.

BE THERE! 🎟️ https://t.co/HZ3ZYOEyw7#RoadtoDubai | Sat Jan 25 | Coca-Cola Arena | Dubai, UAE pic.twitter.com/YsjhJSyKpo

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) January 6, 2025

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Vadim Nemkov will remain on the Road to Dubai card after all — he just won’t be fighting against Corey Anderson.

Instead, Nemkov will square off against Tim Johnson in a heavyweight bout on Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The new booking was announced via the Bellator MMA social media account on Monday. Road to Dubai is headlined by a lightweight championship tilt pitting Usman Nurmagomedov against Paul Hughes.

Nemkov was originally slated to face Ante Delija at Road to Dubai, but that quickly changed to a trilogy bout between the former Bellator light heavyweight king and Anderson when Delija withdrew from the fight. …

New Year … New AdjustmentsYOU asked for ELBOWS@PFLMMA is giving you elbows!

All elbows. All fights. All the time. #PFLMMA 2025 … COMING

— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) January 6, 2025

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It appears that Professional Fighters League will have a significant revision to its rule set for 2025.

In a post on social media, PFL CEO and founder Donn Davis announced that the promotion will allow elbows for all bouts going forward. In previous years, elbows were banned during the PFL season, presumably to avoid cuts and injuries that might prevent competitors from advancing through the format.

“New year….new adjustments,” Davis wrote on Monday. “You asked for elbows, PFL is giving you elbows. All elbows. All fights. All the time.”

It’s currently unclear if Davis’ announcement could coincide with an end to the PFL season format. The organization has yet to announce any PFL events for 2025. Thus far, the only PFL-affiliated …

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Colby Covington is intrigued by the options that might accompany a move up in weight.

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The former interim welterweight champion fought for the first time in a year at UFC Tampa, where he lost to Joaquin Buckley via third-round doctor stoppage in the evening’s main event on Dec. 14. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Covington discussed his options going forward, which included moving up or down in weight.

“I don’t see myself ever going to 155, even though I know I could make it and I’d probably be way stronger than the guys on fight night. I’d feel like a bully, and I’m not a bully. I got into MMA because I didn’t like guys bullying me,” Covington said.

“But [185]? Honestly, [185] is intriguing. I think it would be kind of cool to go up there with a narrative of, ‘Oh, this guy is a small ’70, he’s going to go up to ’85 and take on an even bigger challenge.’ There is a possibility. I’m always looking for the biggest an…

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Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) has a special trick up his sleeve for Islam Makhachev (26-1).

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Tsarukyan challenges Makhachev for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. While Tsarukyan has long been the rightful No. 1 contender, he was very particular about having a full camp for his rematch against Makhachev.

Tsarukyan believes he is now totally ready. While “Ahalkalakets” spent a long time working on his physique, he is now focused on preparing specifically for Makhachev as fight night nears. And Tsarukyan claims to have devised a trick that he is certain will work and change the entire course of the fight.

“Back in September I worked on my cardio, my breathing, my strength [and] endurance,” Tsarukyan recently told Red Corner MMA. “But now it’s all about preparing for my opponent – Islam… Of course, I have one trick prepared that I believe in. I know it will work. And it will c…

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Michael Page (22-3) believes Sharabutdin Magomedov (15-0) will already be in a bad state if he tries to land a takedown in their upcoming clash.

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Two of the most entertaining strikers in the sport, Page and Magomedov will clash in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While it’s likely the fight remains on the feet, the dynamic could change if one of the strikers attempts to transition to a wrestling-based approach. “MVP” doubts Magomedov will try to take him down, as he believes the Dagestani is too hard-headed and confident in his own skillset. However, if it comes to that, Page thinks “Shara Bullet” will be in a desperate condition. According to the Brit, Magomedov might be too bloodied up to mount a comeback if and when he shoots for a takedown.

“If he does [shoot], it means the fight is going my way — and aggressively my way,” Page said on the “Believe You Me” podcast. “Becaus…

Chris Gutierrez will square off against Jean Matsumoto in a bantamweight contest at UFC 313.

Both fighters confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from Marcel Dorff. UFC 313 takes place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A headliner has not been confirmed for the event.

Gutierrez has won two of his last three Octagon appearances. In his lone bout of 2024, “El Guapo” outpointed Quang Le at UFC on ESPN 61 on Aug. 10. The 33-year-old Factory X representative has compiled a 9-3-1 mark during his promotional tenure.

Brazil’s Matsumoto has been victorious in his first 16 professional outings — including two in UFC competition. The Dana White's Contender Series alum went 2-0 in 2024, submitting Dan Argueta at UFC Fight Night 240 before outpointing Brad Katona at UFC Fight Night 245.

A strawweight showdown pitting Yazmin Jauregui against Dione Barbosa is on tap for UFC on ESPN 64.

Both fighters confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from Ag.Fight. UFC on ESPN 64 takes place on March 29 at CDMX in Mexico City and also includes a middleweight bout between Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum. A headliner has not been announced for the card.

Jauregui has dropped two of her last three promotional appearances. Most recently, the 25-year-old Tijuana, Mexico, native suffered a first-round submission defeat to Ketlen Souza at UFC 306 this past September.

Barbosa, meanwhile, had a four-bout professional winning streak snapped in her last outing, when she fell to Miranda Maverick via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 60 this past July.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first card of 2025 has undergone a couple of changes a little less than a week before the event.

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Jacobe Smith will make his Octagon debut on short notice against Preston Parsons at UFC Vegas 101 — also known as UFC Fight Night 249 — on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Smith is a replacement for Andreas Gustafsson, who withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new booking.

Meanwhile, Joe Solecki will replace Yanal Ashmouz and face Nurullo Aliev in a lightweight bout on the same card. Both Aliev and Solecki confirmed the booking via social media. UFC Vegas 101 is headlined by a strawweight rematch between Amanda Ribas and Mackenzie Dern.

A former wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Smith has kicked off his professional tenure with nine straight triumphs — seven by KO or TKO. He earned a UFC contract with a second-round stoppage of Christien Savoie on D…

Matt Hamill began the new year with a very special moment.

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Hamill, the first deaf athlete to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, revealed on social media that he was able to hear his family for the first time with the assistance of special digital hearing aids.

“I just got the most powerful digital hearing aids ever made,” Hamill recently wrote on Instagram. “For the first time in 41 years, I can finally hear my kids’ voices, the sounds of people walking and laughing. I finally heard my mom’s voice and she cried. I’m looking forward to hearing my brother Pat’s voice too. I only hope he doesn’t have a voice like a foghorn. This is awesome, although I know it will take time to adapt to all of this. Happy New Year!”

The now 48-year-old Hamill compiled a 13-8 record over the course of a professional MMA career that began in 2005. He appeared on Season 3 of the “The Ultimate Fighter” and went on to have a 15-bout tenure in the Las Vega…

👏🦅Umar Nurmagomedov calls himself ‘Just Eagle’ and Khabib ‘Old Eagle’:

“I think on January 18th, I will deserve this name - Eagle. No more young, just Eagle.”😁

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🎥 @akajav ▫️ pic.twitter.com/0UavJ9Neo8 — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 4, 2025

Umar Nurmagomedov wants to follow in the footsteps of cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov in every aspect.

Umar challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Undefeated like his cousin Khabib, Umar now looks to become a UFC champ like “The Eagle” and even potentially take over his moniker.

While he is yet to have an official nickname, Umar is popularly known as “Young Eagle” because of his relation to Khabib and their similar styles. However, Khabib seemingly declared that Umar can no longer be called “Young Eagle” after the latter turned 29 this past weekend. When their lo…

Conor made you famous. https://t.co/88ycFRkTCf

— Paul Hughes MMA (@paulhughesmma) January 3, 2025

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent comments have reignited the Dagestan-Ireland mixed martial arts rivalry.

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Nurmagomedov’s feud with Conor McGregor is arguably one of the most memorable in the history of the sport. McGregor’s fellow countryman Paul Hughes (13-1) will challenge Khabib’s cousin Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) for the lightweight title in the main event at Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai on Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE.

In a recent interview with PFL, which now owns Bellator, Nurmagomedov downplayed the significance of Irish fighters as compared to Dagestanis. According to the former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champ, Irish MMA isn’t even half as good as Dagestani MMA.

“Eagle” further doubled down on his comments in a tweet, declaring Dagestani MMA superior to any other coun…

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Going on to become an Ultimate Fighting Championship champion with one eye is a feat only Michael Bisping (30-9) has achieved and it wasn’t easy for the Brit in any aspect.

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A perennially ranked middleweight contender, Bisping (30-9) took on Vitor Belfort in a title eliminator back in 2013. Bisping suffered a second round knockout loss that also left him with a retinal detachment and eventually loss of vision. The eye injury was not immediately detected and had worsened further by the time it was diagnosed.

It should be noted that Belfort is known to have been using testosterone replacement therapy until 2014, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission banned its approved use.

Despite doctors advising him to retire, Bisping continued fighting, hiding his eye injury the best he could for fear of losing his career. When Bisping went completely blind in the right eye, it was a huge challenge for him to pass the pre-fight tests …

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While tensions have been rising between Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili ahead of their UFC 311 bout, the No. 1 contender doesn’t believe he has ever disrespected the reigning bantamweight champion.

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“It’s a little bit emotional,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview with the UFC. “I don’t think he is an angry person. I don’t think he is a bad person. I really don’t know what he is talking disrespect … I talk about the fight. I said, Hey Merab, your title is awaiting me. You don’t mention my name. It looks insane. Everybody talked about that, not just me. When they pushed him to fight…and he doesn’t say nothing.”

Dvalishvili initially was reluctant to face Nurmagomedov because he felt the Dagestani hadn’t done enough to earn the title shot. He has since claimed that Nurmagomedov is too “cocky” for his liking. According to Nurmagomedov, there might be an ulterior motive behind Dvalishvili’s initial reluctance.

“I think he…

Andre Petroski will step in for the injured Jacob Malkoun and face Rodolfo Vieira at UFC Vegas 102 on Feb. 15.

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Petroski recently confirmed the news via Instagram. UFC Vegas 102 — also known as UFC Fight Night 251 — takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and features a middleweight showdown between Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues.

Petroski is coming off consecutive decision triumphs over Josh Fremd and Dylan Budka in his last two UFC bouts. The Renzo Gracie Philly product kicked off his promotional tenure with five straight triumphs before dropping back-to-back fights against Michel Pereira and Malkoun. His current winning streak improved his overall UFC mark to 7-2.

A decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Vieira has been victorious in three of his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, he tapped out Armen Petrosyan in the first frame at UFC Fight Night 236 last February.

Naoki Inoue will meet Yuki Motoya in a rematch — this time with the bantamweight title at stake — at Rizin 50.

The bout was announced during Rizin 49 "Decade" after Motoya earned his championship opportunity with a unanimous decision victory over Kyoma Akimoto at Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve. Rizin 50 takes place on March 30 at Anabuki Arena Kagawa in Kagawa, Japan.

Inoue initially bested Motoya via first-round submission at Rizin 26 in December 2020. The 27-year-old Kill Cliff FC representative is coming off a 2-0 campaign in 2024 that saw him claim the vacant 135-pound throne with a first-round stoppage of Soo Chul Kim at Rizin 48.

The 35-year-old Motoya went 3-0 in 2024, adding submission triumphs over Shinobu Ota and Sho Hiramatsu to the aforementioned victory against Akimoto. The American Top Team product has competed under the Rizin banner periodically since 2015, often alternating those appearances with fights for the Deep organization.

Joe Pyfer will lock horns with Kelvin Gastelum in a middleweight bout at UFC on ESPN 64.

Pyfer recently confirmed the pairing on Instagram following an initial report from MMA Mania. UFC on ESPN 64 is expected to take place at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on March 29, though the venu has not been officially confirmed by the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Pyfer has been victorious in six of his last seven professional outings. After earning a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, “Bodybagz” finished his first three Octagon foes before fallling to Jack Hermansson in the UFC Fight Night 236 main event this past February. The 28-year-old Pennsylvania native rebounded in his most recent appearance, when he knocked out Marc-Andre Barriault in the opening stanza of their encounter at UFC 303.

Gastelum will be making his 24th Octagon appearance against Pyfer. “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner has been triumphant in two of his last three in UFC competiti…

A featherweight matchup pitting Youssef Zalal against Calvin Kattar is in the works for UFC Fight Night 251.

Zalal confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Zalal also previously mentioned the bout on the JAXXON Podcast. UFC Fight Night 251 takes place on Feb. 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Gregory Rodrigues and Jared Cannonier.

Zalal, who was named Sherdog’s "Comeback Fighter of the Year" for 2024, has won his last six professional apppearances — including three straight in UFC competition. “The Moroccan Devil” went 3-3-1 during his first UFC stint, exiting the Las Vegas-based promotion on the heels of a four-bout winless streak. He has since turned things around in a big way and is coming off triumphs over Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens and Jack Shore in the Octagon.

Kattar, meanwhile, is in the midst of a three-fight skid. In his last outing, “The Boston F…

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After attending Rizin 49 "Decade" as a guest, Sean O'Malley is intrigued about the possibility of competing in Japan — but only under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner.

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“Right now, obviously, I’m with the UFC,” O’Malley said at a post-fight press conference. “I plan to be with the UFC forever, so if the UFC comes here some day, I would love to fight in this arena. There’s a good energy here.”

Rizin 49 served as the Japanese promotion’s traditional year-end event, and as usual, it was quite the spectacle, including a supersized fight card that featured three championship bouts at the top of the bill. O’Malley came away impressed with the proceedings.

“The production of the show was incredible, the energy in the arena was incredible, the ring girls are incredible,” he said. “Overall impression of Japan, this has been the most fun trip I’ve ever been on and I would love to come back.”

However, O’Malley is not as…

✌️ KLEBER IS THE TWO-TIME RIZIN FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION

[ #RIZIN_DECADE | LIVE on https://t.co/LChPUvqSqh ] pic.twitter.com/hA19WeHXjQ

— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) December 31, 2024 After losing his title on the scale in June 2023, Kleber Koike Erbst regained the Rizin Fighting Federation featherweight championship on Tuesday in the main event of Rizin 49 "Decade" in Saitama, Japan. Koike earned a unanimous decision victory over champion Chihiro Suzuki to reclaim the belt that he was stripped of prior to his first fight against Suzuki at Rizin 43.

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Koike (34-7-1, 1 NC, 9-2, 1 NC Rizin), whose previous win over Suzuki (13-4, 1 NC, 8-2, 1 NC Rizin) was invalidated as a no contest when he failed to make weight, passed all tests, and he left no doubt in the judges’ minds after 15 minutes of combat. Suzuki had a lot of early success with calf kicks that seemed as if they might hinder Koike’s movement, but Koike pulled guard and effo…

UFC light heavyweight Azamat Murzakanov has accepted a six-month suspension for an anti-doping violation that occurred earlier this year.

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Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced Monday that Murzakanov tested positive for the “low-level presence” of a metabolite of LGD 4033 — a banned anabolic agent — in an out-of-competition sample collected on Oct. 8. It was determined by the Sports Medicine and Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) that the failed test resulted from a contaminated supplement, and that the amount of LGD 4033 metaboite contained in Murzakanov’s sample would not “provide any significant performance advantage.”

While such a result would have normally resulted in a 90-day sanction for Murzakanov, he received a 180-day term because it is his second anti-doping violation with the UFC. The 35-year-old Russian’s suspension is retroactive to Nov. 1, which means he will be eligible to return to active competition on May 1, 2025. Murzakano…

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Merab Dvalishvili has been a UFC champion for less than six months, but he’s already experiencing what it feels like to be a marked man at the top of the division.

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“Since I become champion, it became a lot of drama too,” Dvalishvili recently told ESPN. “Lots of talking online. I don’t know, maybe because everybody wanted to see me fight against Umar [Nurmagomedov]. Everybody talking s—t.”

Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight throne with a lopsided unanimous decision triumph against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 this past September. Nurmagomedov was in attendance for the fight, and the Dagestani immediately became the promotion’s top contender of choice — despite Dvalishvili’s objections. While the 33-year-old Georgian wanted to enjoy his championship achievement, he ultimately agreed to defend his belt against Nurmagomedov in the UFC 311 co-main event on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles.

In the meantime, “The Machine” has felt the backlash …

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The stage is set for Rizin Fighting Federation’s traditional year-end extravaganza.

All three title fights are official for Rizin 49 "Decade" following weigh-ins on Monday. The card is headlined by a featherweight championship tilt between Chihiro Suzuki and Kleber Koike Erbst. Both Suzuki and Erbst tipped the scales at 145.5 pounds.

Rizin 49 takes place on Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and features three championship fights at the top of the card. In addition to Suzuki vs. Erbst, Kyoji Horiguchi (125.5) will face Nkazimulo Zulu (125.5) for flyweight gold, while Roberto Satoshi de Souza (156.3) meets Vugar Karamov (155.7) for the lightweight title.

The card is divided into two parts, with Rizin Bangaichi beginning the festivities before Rizin 49: Decade concludes the action. The event can be purchased via pay-per-view via Rizin.TV.

Rizin 49 “Decade” Weigh-in Results: Chihiro Suzuki (145.5) vs. Kleber Koike Erbst (…

イゴール・タナベに関するお知らせ

RIZINファイターの #イゴールタナベ/@fatninjabjj は、12月はじめに病院にてMRIを撮ったところ、「もやもや病」との診断を受けました。… pic.twitter.com/fP4qr1QrfX

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) December 28, 2024

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Rizin Fighting Federation prospect Igor Tanabe will be stepping away from mixed martial arts indefinitely after being diagnosed with moyamoya disease.

The Japanese promotion recently revealed that Tanabe received an MRI in early December and was diagnosed with the condition. It is unclear when — or if — the 24-year-old Tanabe will return to fighting.

“Due to the diagnosis that MMA, any sport involving blows to the head, and the extreme dehydration that comes with weight loss are extremely dangerous, Igor has had to step back from competitive martial arts for a while,” read a statement from Rizin in a release. (via Google Translate).

According to the National Institute of N…

A lightweight showdown between Esteban Ribovics and Nasrat Haqparast has been added to the UFC Vegas 103 lineup.

Ribovics confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from Marcel Dorff. UFC Vegas 103 — also known as UFC Fight Night 253 — takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 1 and is headlined by a flyweight tilt pitting Brandon Royval against Manel Kape.

Ribovics is coming off a “Fight of the Year” contender at UFC 306, where he edged Daniel Zellhuber via split decision in an entertaining slugfest. The 28-year-old Argentina native has won three straight Octagon appearances since dropping his debut to Loik Radhzhabov at UFC 285. The Kill Cliff FC representative has been victorious in 14 of his 15 professional appearances overall — with 12 of those triumphs coming inside the distance.

Haqparast, meanwhile, will take a four-bout winning streak into the matchup with Ribovics. In his lone appearance of 2024, the Moroccan defea…