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Sean O’Malley Believes Title Shot is Close: ‘People Want to See Me Be Champion’

Sean O'Malley already has the makings a star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Now he just needs the resume to back it up.

A victory over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 will be a significant step forward for O’Malley, who is 7-1 in the Octagon thus far but doesn’t yet have that signature victory. Munhoz owns notable wins over the likes of Jimmie Rivera, Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font, while his last four losses have come to some of the sport’s biggest names: Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar and Aljamain Sterling.

“Yeah, beating Pedro will be a big deal,” O’Malley told assembled media on Wednesday. “I think he’s only lost to former world champions. Not just beating Pedro, but finishing Pedro would be a massive deal. He’s fought and only lost to former world champions. With that being said, I do believe I’ll be his toughest fight. I think he’s my toughest fight, as well.”

O’Malley has received a strong promotional push ever since he emerged f…

Deiveson Figueiredo Reveals Reasoning Behind Change in Management

Deiveson Figueiredo is parting ways with longtime manager Wallid Ismael and will now be represented by Vayner Sports, a firm notably headed by Urijah Faber and Lloyd Pierson.

Sherdog.com confirmed the news following an initial report from Combate. According to the flyweight champion, his disagreement with his former manager did not happen because of the UFC’s decision to make an interim belt.

"Our disagreement was based on numbers,” Figueiredo told Sherdog.com. “When I was champion and fought [Brandon] Moreno at UFC 263, my purse was $200,000 to show plus $100,000 to win plus pay-per-view points. In the third fight [at UFC 270], when I regained my belt, it was $100,000 (to show) plus $100,000 (to win) — that's not a champion´s purse. I called Wallid and apologized to him for some bad stuff I said to the press when I was angry, but we parted ways.”

Figueiredo revealed that he has alrady signed a contract to be represented by Vayner Sports…

Valerie Loureda Announces She’s Leaving MMA to Sign with WWE

Valerie Loureda is the latest female mixed martial artist to take her talents from the cage to the sports entertainment realm.

The Bellator MMA competitor announced during "The MMA Hour" that she is leaving the sport to sign with the WWE for a career in professional wrestling.

“…I am now a WWE superstar,” Loureda said. “I’m really excited, and I’ve dedicated my whole life to martial arts, and everything has come to this moment. And this is my opportunity to showcase my culture and entertain the world.

“I’m emotional because I’ve worked really hard in my whole life. I’ve had a very hard upbringing, and every day, I’ve always just believed in myself, and trained hard hoping to make it to the next step and just chasing a dream that I’ve had in my heart since I was a baby.”

The 23-year-old Loureda compiled a 4-1 record in Bellator MMA and fought as recently as November 2021, taking a split decision over Taylor Turner at Bellator 271. The taekwond…

Larissa Pacheco Unimpressed by Kayla Harrison’s ‘Pretty Average’ 2022 PFL Debut

Larissa Pacheco has unfinished business with Kayla Harrison.

The Brazilian faced Harrison twice in 2019, dropping a pair of decisions – including a five-round defeat in the PFL lightweight final. Pacheco believes she is a far different fighter now than she was back then.

“The 2019 Larissa was the return of a person who had been off for multiple years, coming off injuries. Still hurt as a matter of fact,” Pacheco said at a PFL media day. “The 2022 Larissa is an athlete and she is fully prepared, not skipping a single training session. Great mental shape and great physical shape too.”

Pacheco kicked off her 2022 campaign with a bang, earning a first-round technical knockout victory over Zamzagul Fayzallanova at PFL 3 on May 6. That is Pacheco’s third straight first-round KO/TKO victory, and she will look to add to her resume when she faces Genah Fabian at PFL 6 on Friday night. Fabian is coming off a decision win over former PFL champ Julia Budd.…

Ray Cooper III Explains Weight Miss Ahead of Upset Loss at PFL 3

Ray Cooper III didn’t have a long-winded explanation behind the weight miss that occurred prior to his loss to Carlos Leal Miranda at PFL 3.

The two-time PFL champion tipped the scales 5.4 pounds above the contracted welterweight limit and then looked sluggish in a unanimous decision defeat to Miranda. Now, the Hawaiian needs a big performance to keep his postseason hopes alive.

“I just came in out of shape. That’s pretty much it,” Cooper said at a PFL media day. “I started my camp late. Things happen and I just started late.”

Cooper III will get a chance to right the ship at PFL 6 against Brett Cooper, a veteran of 44 professional fights who is a former Bellator title challenger and an ex-Absolute Championship Akhmat title holder. “Braddah Boy” is well aware of the stakes involved.

”Brett Cooper has been around a while. He’s got a lot of fights,” the Hawaiian said. “But I really didn’t watch his fights, only a couple of them. I’ve faced ever…

Paige VanZant Added to BKFC London Card on Aug. 20

UFC veteran Paige VanZant will make her third Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship appearance when the organization travels to London on Aug. 20.

The promotion announced that VanZant will square off against an as yet to be determined opponent at the event. BKFC London takes place at OVO Wembley Arena and is headlined by a showdown between former Bellator title challenger Michael Page and UFC veteran Mike Perry.

VanZant is still looking for her first victory under the BKFC banner after dropping unanimous decisions to Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich in her first two promotional appearances. Her opponent is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Prior to signing with BKFC, VanZant compiled a 5-4 record in the UFC. She earned notable wins over the likes of Ostovich, Bec Rawlings and Felice Herrig and also suffered defeat against top competition such as Rose Namajunas, Michelle Waterson and Amanda Ribas.

ATT Coach: Sean O’Malley Has Never Faced a Challenge Like Pedro Munhoz

A black belt under legendary master Carlson Gracie, American Top Team coach Marcos "Parrumpinha" DaMatta has been chosen to train many of the Russian and Caucasus fighters at the Florida-based gym.

Thanks to that affinity, the Brazilian community is changing his nickname to "Parrumpov".

"It was a natural affinity and it's such an honor for me being chosen to train so many top guys from that region,” DaMatta told Sherdog.com. “I really like to work with them, because even being very skilled and talented, most of the fighters from that region who train here are so humble, dedicated and open to learn.”

Among the fighters from Russian and Caucasian region that work with him are: Arman Tsarukyan, Movsar Evloev, Petr Yan, Sergey Morozov, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Damir Ismagulov and Muhammad Mokaev from the UFC; Alexandr Shabliy from Bellator and Movlid Khaybulaev, Omari Akhmedov, Magomed Magomedkerimov and Magomed Umalatov from the PFL.

Even though he h…

Volkanovski, Oliviera, Usman, Harrison Nominated for ‘Best MMA Fighter’ ESPY

An accomplished list of mixed martial artists will vie for the honor of “Best MMA Fighter” at the 2022 ESPY Awards.

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliviera, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and two-time PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison are the nominees, which were announced on Tuesday. An award ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on July 20.

Previous “Best MMA Fighter” winners include Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov (twice). In the past, MMA fighters and boxers shared a “Best Fighter” category before it was separated.

Additionally, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena is up for “Best Championship Perfomance” for her upset victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. Other nominees in this category include Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp (Super Bowl LVI), Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen (Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) and the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar (St…

Larkin vs. Berkhamov, Franklin vs. Golm Added to Bellator 283 Main Card

The lineup for Bellator 283 continues to grow, as a welterweight clash between Lorenz Larkin and Mukhamed Berkhamov and a heavyweight tilt pitting Davion Franklin against Marcelo Golm have been added to the main card.

Promotion officials announced the bouts on Tuesday. Bellator 283 takes place at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., on July 22 and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Patricky Freire and Sidney Outlaw. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Additionally, six more fights were confirmed for the preliminary card: Viktor Nemkov vs. Jose Augusto at light heavyweight; Veta Arteaga vs. Vanessa Porto at flyweight; Jaylon Bates vs. Mark Coates at bantamweight; Roman Faraldo vs. Luis Iniguez at welterweight; Vladimir Tokov vs. Justin Montalvo at lightweight; Ethan Hughes vs. Kevin Hand at welterweight and Kai Kamaka III vs. Akhmed Magomedov at featherweight. Prelims air on the Bellator YouTube channel, …

Gilbert Burns Asked Shavkat Rakhmonov to Be Top Sparring Partner for Chimaev Bout

On the heels of a second-round submission victory against Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 38, Shavkat Rakhmonov has emerged as a factor in the welterweight division, taking over the No. 10 spot in the promotion’s latest rankings.

Gilbert Burns, his teammate at Sanford MMA, revealed that he invited Rakhmonov to be his No. 1 sparring partner ahead of his bout with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 in April. However, Rakhmonov had more pressing matters to attend to at the time.

"[UFC on ESPN 38 was] the third camp he did here at Sanford,” Burns told Sherdog.com. “I was going to hire him to help me against Chimaev, but his son was just born, so he had to return to Kazakhstan. But he is definitely really tough. Tall, strong, has great wrestling, good jiu-jitsu and great striking skills, besides being a really nice guy. Everybody liked him here at Sanford.”

Planning his UFC return against Jorge Masvidal, "Durinho" hopes to have the contract signed as soon as po…

Dana White: If Alex Pereira Wins at UFC 276, Fight vs. Adesanya ‘Makes a Lot of Sense’

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

There’s a decent possibility that the foundation for the next middleweight title bout could be in place following the conclusion of UFC 276 on Saturday.

Given the previous history between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira — “Poatan” defeated the reigning champion twice in kickboxing bouts — there is already plenty of interest for a third meeting between the two under the UFC banner. Adesanya will defend his belt against Jared Cannonier in the UFC 276 headliner, while Pereira will face streaking contender Sean Strickland in a main card bout.

“I mean, both these guys came from Glory Kickboxing. Pereira is a former double champion there — middleweight and light heavyweight. He's got two wins over Israel Adesanya,” UFC president Dana White told Yahoo Sports. “And, you know, he's got two wins in the UFC right now. So taking on tough, durable, nutty Strickland, which should be a damn good fight. And …

Robbie Lawler vs. Bryan Barberena Elevated to UFC 276 Pay-Per-View Card

Robbie Lawler and Bryan Barberena have been elevated to the main stage at UFC 276.

The welterweight bout, which was originally slated for the main portion of the preliminary card on ABC, will now serve as the first bout on the pay-per-view draw. UFC president Dana White announced the update to the lineup in an interview with Yahoo Sports. The card required some shuffling after a flyweight clash between Miesha Tate and Lauren Murphy that was originally slated for UFC 276 was postponed for two weeks to UFC on ABC 3 due to COVID-19 protocols.

“What better fight … I mean, other than [Sean] O’Malley versus [Pedro] Munhoz, how could you open the pay-per-view any better?” White said.

“They are both built and wired exactly the same. They are both war dogs who come forward, take big shots, and try to take your head off. It should be an incredible fight.”

Lawler snapped a four-bout skid in his last outing, when he defeated Nick Diaz via third-rou…

Gina Carano Won’t Rule Out Fight Against Ronda Rousey: ‘It Could Happen’

With all eyes on the UFC during International Fight Week, it’s often a chance for stars of the past to return to the spotlight in some shape or form.

It appears to be no different in 2022, as MMA-standout-turned-Hollywood-star Gina Carano addressed the possibility of a blockbuster bout against ex-UFC champion Ronda Rousey during an interview on Fox News.

“You know what? Just never put it past me,” Carano said. “It could happen. It would be six months from now because I have a lot of stuff I need to do.”

The query was in response to a statement Rousey made regarding Carano during a recent appearance on Kurt Angle’s podcast.

“There’s only one person I would come back for,” Rousey said then. “I’ve said it a million times, it’s not like it’s something new but for Gina, Gina Carano. She’s the reason why I got into fighting, she’s the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful.”

The possibility of a Carano-Rous…

Dana White: Jon Jones ‘Ready to Go’ for Heavyweight Debut, Opponent Still TBD

.@DanaWhite says Jon Jones is "ready to go" and lining up either Francis Ngannou or Stipe Miocic. pic.twitter.com/dFyMtEHsDk

— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 27, 2022

According to UFC president Dana White, it’s only a matter of time before Jon Jones returns to the Octagon.

During an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” White said Jones is prepared to make his first heavyweight foray with the UFC in the coming months, but the promotion still needs to settle on an opponent for the New York native. The former light heavyweight champion hasn’t competed in the Las Vegas-based promotion since defending the 205-pound belt in a decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.

“Jon Jones is ready to go,” White said. “We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be Francis [Ngannou] depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic.”

Ngannou recently provided an update on his recov…

Brazilian Trainers, Fighters Break Down Sean Strickland-Alex Pereira Bout at UFC 276

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

With two title bouts at the top of the card, UFC 276 is undoubtedly one of the years most highly-anticipated events.

But for the Brazilian audience, one fight is drawing even more attention than the two championship pairings. Given their past history in the kickboxing ring, there is a legitimate possibility that Alex Pereira could be next in line for a shot at Israel Adesanya’s middleweight belt if both men are victorious at UFC 276. As a result, Brazilian fans are intrigued by Pereira’s matchup with Sean Strickland, who enters Saturday’s event on a six-fight winning streak.

Ahead of “Poatan” vs. Strickland, several Brazilian trainers and fighters weighed in on the pivotal middleweight contest:

Bruno Silva: I really don’t like this Strickland guy. He just talks trash and disrespects opponents. I´m really cheering for ‘Poatan’ to take his head off. Not only because ‘Poatan’ defeated me, bu…

Tate vs. Murphy Relocated to UFC Long Island on July 16 Due to COVID-19 Protocols

A flyweight clash pitting Miesha Tate against Lauren Murphy has been relocated to UFC on ABC 3 on July 16 due to COVID-19 protocols.

Tate vs. Murphy was originally slated for UFC 276 this Saturday. The promotion announced the rescheduled bout on Monday:

“Due to COVID-19 protocols, the women’s flyweight bout between Lauren Murphy and Miesha Tate is being moved to UFC Fight Night ‘Ortega vs Rodriguez’ on July 16,” the statement read. Murphy revealed via social media that she tested positive for the virus.

"It's super unfortunate to get COVID right before International Fight Week," Murphy wrote. "But I just couldn't, in good conscience, go forward with the fight this weekend and risk getting others sick. I'm recovering, and will be in fighting shape soon."

UFC on ABC 3 takes place at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and is headlined by a featherweight clash between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. The evening’s main card airs on ABC and ESPN+ a…

Five-Time UFC Veteran Michinori Tanaka Meets Ary Farias in LFA 138 Main Event

UFC veteran Michinori Tanaka will square off against Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Ary Farias in the Legacy Fighting Alliance 138 headliner on Aug. 5.

The promotion announced the bout on Monday. LFA 138 takes place at the Grand Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Okla., and airs on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The card also includes a bantamweight clash between Askar Askar and Diego Silva and a featherweight tilt pitting Elijah Johns against Masuto Kawana.

Japan’s Tanaka enters the matchup on a three-fight winning streak that includes a unanimous decision triumph over Ricardo Dias at LFA 117 this past November — his first appearance in more than two years. A former Pacific Xtreme Combat champion, Tanaka went 2-3 during his UFC tenure, posting wins over Joe Soto and Roland Delorme.

A seven-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Farais owns an 11-3 professional mark in MMA, with seven victories coming by way of submission. The X-Gym rep…

Chidi Njokuani to Face Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Event on Sept. 17

A potential slugfest is on tap for an upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event, as Chidi Njokuani will square off against Gregory Rodrigues on Sept 17.

Both fighters confirmed the middleweight booking following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. The card will be headlined by a bantamweight showdown between Cory Sandhagen and Yadong Song but doesn’t have an official location or venue.

A former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion and Bellator veteran, Njokuani enters the matchup on a four-bout winning streak. After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, “Chidi Bang Bang” has scored consecutive first-round knockouts against Marc-Andre Barriault and Dusko Todorovic in his first two Octagon appearances.

Rodrigues, who is a former Legacy Fighting Alliance title holder, has been victorious in five of his last six professional outings. He is 3-1 in UFC competition and is coming off a first-round KO of Julian Marquez at UF…

Francis Ngannou Provides Tenative Timetable for Return After Knee Surgery

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf3qrGeU1ZI&w=560&h=315]

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is leaving the door open for a return by the end of the year.

“The Predator” underwent knee surgery earlier this year for a damaged ACL and torn MCL suffered in training prior to his victory over Ciryl Gane in their title unification bout at UFC 270 on Jan. 22.

“It’s getting better. It wasn’t easy, but getting there,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports of his recovery. “It’s been only three months, so I’m still doing physical therapy.”

While there have been rumors of an interim heavyweight title tilt between Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones, that booking is far from official. At this point, Ngannou can’t provide an exact timetable for his return, but he remains optimistic regarding his recovery.

“If everything goes well, I will be ready by the end of the year because it is going to be nine months,” Ngannou said. “So let’s say late December or early …

Francis Ngannou Provides Tentative Timetable for Return After Knee Surgery

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf3qrGeU1ZI&w=560&h=315]

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is leaving the door open for a return by the end of the year.

“It’s getting better. It wasn’t easy, but getting there,” Ngannou told TMZ Sports of his recovery. “It’s been only three months, so I’m still doing physical therapy.”

“If everything goes well, I will be ready by the end of the year because it is going to be nine months,” Ngannou said. “So let’s say late December or early …

Mateusz Gamrot Saw Arman Tsarukyan’s ‘Conditioning Going Down’ at UFC on ESPN 38

After a slow start, Mateusz Gamrot knew he had to pick up the pace against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC on ESPN 38.

The former KSW two-division title holder relied on his championship experience down the stretch and made his opponent work through grappling and takedowns in a closely-contested unanimous decision triumph on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“My corner told me, ‘Hey, you lose the first and second round,’” Gamrot said at the UFC on ESPN 38 post-fight press conference. “And I know that I have to accelerate. If I want to win, I have to accelerate to another round. But I told you in the press conference before the fight, I am experienced. I’m used to fighting five rounds, I’m used to big pressure, I used to be the champion, you know?

“I saw Arman’s eyes, that he was going down every single round. His conditioning going down, my conditioning going up, and I knew that conditioning was going to be key this fight.”

Gamrot has won four s…

Shavkat Rakhmonov Expected Neil Magny to Defend Fight-Ending Guillotine Choke

Shavkat Rakhmonov was in control throughout his victory against Neil Magny in the UFC on ESPN 38 co-main event.

However, the Kazakhstan native was nonetheless a little bit surprised when Magny tapped to a guillotine choke at the 4:58 mark of Round 2 in their welterweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Rakhmonov spent the majority of the bout in top position, working to advance while landing ground-and-pound from above, but he was patient in his approach.

“Neil is a good opponent,” Rakhmonov said through a translator at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “That’s why I wasn’t forcing the action. I wasn’t rushing. Just was waiting for him to make a mistake and to catch him.”

When the chance for a finish arrived, Rakhmonov seized the opportunity.

“I had a good grip [on the guillotine choke]. I was confident in it,” he said. “But since it was so little time left, I was expecting Neil to defend it. But maybe after two ro…

Miesha Tate vs. Lauren Murphy Removed from UFC 276 Card

Miesha Tate’s flyweight debut will have to wait, as her proposed clash with Lauren Murphy has been removed from the UFC 276 lineup.

The promotion announced the news during the UFC on ESPN 38 broadcast on Saturday night. According to multiple reports, Murphy was forced to withdraw from the bout for undisclosed reasons. Tate and Murphy were previously slated to fight on May 14 before the matchup was postponed. The flyweight clash is expected to be rebooked at a later date.

UFC 276 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 2 and is headlined by a middleweight title tilt pitting Israel Adesanya against Jared Cannonier, while Alexander Volkanovski will square off against Max Holloway in a featherweight championship trilogy in th co-main event.

Tate returned from a five-year retirement this past July, where she scored a third-round TKO win over Marion Reneau at UFC on ESPN 26. In her next outing, “Cupcake” fell to Ketlen Vieira via una…

UFC on ESPN 38 Bonuses: Gamrot, Tsarukyan Receive ‘Fight of the Night’ Honors

While the scorecards of the UFC on ESPN 38 headliner figure to be a hot topic in the coming days, both Mateusz Gamrot and Arman Tsarukyan received some extra compensation for their work on Saurday night.

Gamrot and Tsarukyan garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their competitive lightweight clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Thanks to multiple takedowns and a strong finish, Gamrot emerged with a closely-contested unanimous decision triumph, but there were plenty of observers who felt Tsarukyan deserved the nod in a back-and-forth bout.

Elsewhere, Shavkat Rakhmonov received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check thanks to his second-round submission of Neil Magny in the welterweight co-main event. Rakhmonov dominated the contest from top position before forcing his opponent to tap to a guillotine choke at the 4:58 mark of Round 2.

Josh Parisian earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award thanks to a comeback victory…

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