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PFL 4 Weigh-in Results: Bruno Miranda Off Card After Complications

OFFICIAL: Jake Childress replaces Bruno Miranda tomorrow night and will face @nastynatemma in a lightweight showcase bout #2022PFL4 pic.twitter.com/nlMh3amc7k

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 16, 2022 The Professional Fighters League's 2022 season continues with a card filled with lightweights and light heavyweights, although not every scheduled fighter managed to make weight.

While Bruno Miranda was unable to make weight due to "complications." As a result, alternate Jake Childers will replace Miranda and battle Nate Jennerman at lightweight instead. Beyond that, the remaining competitors officially made weight, although there was some drama on the scales as Jeremy Stephens had to shave his head and face, and reportedly wasn't standing fully on the scale when he weighed 156 pounds.

The main event of the evening will see boxing and mixed martial arts fan-favorite Clay Collard take on fellow lightweight tournament participant Alex…

Aljamain Sterling-T.J. Dillashaw Title Bout Targeted for UFC 279 on Sept. 10

Aljamain Sterling is expected to defend his bantamweight crown against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 279 on Sept. 10.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. The bout is expected to be finalized soon, as contracts have not yet been signed. UFC 279 doesn’t yet have an official location or venue.

After winning the 135-pound belt with a controversial disqualification victory over Petr Yan at UFC 259, Sterling defeated Yan via split decision in their rematch at UFC 273 on April 9. The “Funk Master” has won seven consecutive fights in UFC competition, with other notable victories over the likes of Cory Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera.

A former two-time bantamweight champion, Dillashaw returned following a two-year USADA suspension at UFC on ESPN 27 last July, when he took a split verdict over Sandhagen. It was Dillashaw’s first appearance since a failed bid to capture flyweight gold at UFC Fight Night 143, when he was stopped by Henry Ce…

Bare Knuckle FC Signs Former UFC Heavyweight Greg Hardy

SIGNED Welcome to BKFC @GregHardyJr pic.twitter.com/JrVNxJqTSA

— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) June 15, 2022

Greg Hardy is taking his talents to Bare Knuckle FC.

The promotion announced Wednesday that it has signed the ex-UFC heavyweight and former NFL Pro Bowler. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and a date for Hardy’s debut is currently unknown.

“I’m back and ready to knock everyone out in the baddest promotion there is,” Hardy said in a release. “Everyone knows I can knock people out and that’s what I’m planning on doing. I can’t wait to take the gloves off and rumble for BKFC.”

The signing comes on the heels of the news that Hardy is expected to make his pro boxing debut for Black Sheep Boxing on Oct. 8. Hardy went 4-5 with one no contest during his UFC tenure before parting ways with the promotion earlier this year. He owns a 7-5 career mark in MMA with six wins via KO or TKO.

Jessica Andrade Replaces Katlyn Chookagian, Meets Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris

Former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade will step in for the injured Katlyn Chookagian and face Manon Fiorot in a flyweight contest at UFC Paris.

The promotion recently revealed the new booking on its event page. According to MMAjunkie.com, the bout has not been finalized, but verbal agreements are in place. UFC Paris takes place at Accor Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight duel pitting Ciryl Gane against Tai Tuivasa.

Andrade is 3-1 in the UFC since moving to 125 pounds. Most recently, the “Bate Estaca” dispatched Amanda Lemos with a standing arm-triangle choke in the UFC Fight Night 205 main event on April 23. She’s also secured first-round stoppages of Cynthia Calvillo and Chookagian at 125 pounds.

France’s Fiorot has won nine consecutive professional bouts since dropping her MMA debut. That run is highlighted by four triumphs in the Octagon, including a decision triumph over former title challenger Jennifer Maia in her last o…

Olivier Aubin-Mercier Reacts to Perceived Special Treatment for Anthony Pettis in PFL

Professional Fighters League has put its best foot forward when it comes to adding available big-name free agents to its roster.

Those signings don’t always work out, but it’s no secret that it benefits the promotion to have stars succeed in the regular season and advance to the postseason. During a PFL media event on Wednesday, both Clay Collard and Olivier Aubin-Mercier reacted to what has been perceived as special treatment given to ex-UFC champ Anthony Pettis during the current season.

Collard claimed that Pettis was given “the easy man” in terms of first opponent, unheralded journeyman Myles Price, who was competing for the first time since 2019. Aubin-Mercier, meanwhile, understands why the promotion would want to see high-profile fighters do well.

“If I was the biggest name of PFL, I would probably have an easier path,” Aubin-Mercier said. I think it’s unfair, but to be honest I would have done the same thing if I was the PFL. I really d…

Clay Collard Believes He’s ‘Man to Beat’ in PFL Lightweight Field

Clay Collard is coming off an entertaining slugfest with Jeremy Stephens at PFL 1, but the Pit Elevated Fight Team representative isn’t feeling too many negative effects from that bout.

“I didn’t take too many lumps or bruises in the Jeremy Stephens fight. I got hit a couple times, but I wear them well,” Collard said at PFL media event on Wednesday.

Collard will attempt to punch his ticket to the postseason when he locks horns with Alex Martinez in the featured bout of PFL 4 on Friday night at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The evening’s main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Collard earned three points for his win over Stephens, but he’s planning on making a more significant statement against Martinez.

“We’re hoping to put him away,” Collard said. “We needs some points for the tournament and a spot in the playoffs. I’m gonna be putting some shots on him and hopefully he doesn’t stand up to them.”

It will mark t…

UFC Featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov Retires from MMA at 31

Credit: Bellator MMA/Lucas Noonan Credit: Elena Katretskaya/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com

It has been more than two-and-a-half years since rising featherweight star Zabit Magomedsharipov last set foot in the UFC’s Octagon. Now he may never be back.

According to a source close to the situation, Magomedsharipov has informed the UFC of his decision to retire from mixed martial arts. That decision has since been confirmed by MMAFighting.com. Magomedsharipov exits the sport at age 31 with a career mark of 18-1.

The Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu product hasn’t competed since November 2019, when he earned a unanimous decision triumph against Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Night 163 in Moscow. The Dagestani was in the midst of a 14-bout professional winning streak that also included wins over the likes of Jeremy Stephens, Kyle Bochniak and Sheymon Moraes in the Las Vegas-based promotion. Prior to that, Magomedsharipov e…

Neiman Gracie, Goiti Yamauchi Top Bellator 284 Lineup in South Dakota on Aug. 12

Neiman Gracie and Goiti Yamauchi will square off in a five-round welterweight clash in the main event on Bellator 284 on Aug. 12.

The California-based promotion announced the booking on Wednesday. Bellator 284 takes place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., and will also see former interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky lock horns with Steve Mowry in another main card bout, while ex-flyweight queen Ilima Lei Macfarlane faces Bruna Ellen. The evening’s main draw airs on Showtime beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

One preliminary bout was also confirmed, as Weber Almeida will meet Ilias Bulaid at featherweight. Prelims will air on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel, the Bellator MMA YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Gracie appeared in the first non-title, five-round main even in promotion history this past February, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Logan Storley at Bellator 274. After begin…

Thiago Santos: I Would Find Jiri Prochazka’s Chin and ‘Make It Look Easy’

While Thiago Santos’ prediction of a Glover Teixeira victory at UFC 275 didn’t come true, he gained even more respect for his fellow Brazilian in defeat.

Teixeira was ahead on the scorecards against Jiri Prochazka before succumbing to a rear-naked choke submission at the 4:32 mark of Round 5 this past Saturday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singpaore.

"It was such a war,” Santos told Sherdog.com. “Glover was close to winning in a Rocky Balboa style as I predicted, but the last 30 seconds changed the result,” Santos told Sherdog.com “But I respect Glover more than ever. This guy is a monster, 42 years old fighting a 25-minute war against a strong guy like Prochazka. All my respect to Glover.”

It’s currently unclear who will get the first shot against Prochazka, but Santos believes Teixeira should get the nod over the likes of Jan Blachowicz, Anthony Smith or Magomed Ankalaev.

"The most correct [decision] would be an immediate rematch…

Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili in the Works for UFC 278

A matchup of bantamweight contenders is in the works for UFC 278, as Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili has been targeted for the Aug. 20 event.

Sherdog.com confirmed with Nova Uniao coach Andre Pederneiras that the bout is in the process of being finalized. Ariel Helwani was first to report the proposed booking.

"We didn’t sign the contract yet, but once both parties agree to the fight, it will happen,” Pederneiras said.

According to Nova União leader, Aldo also was willing to face Dominick Cruz or Henry Cejudo.

"Of course our first option was Aljamain [Sterling] for the title, but since the UFC had already decided T.J. [Dillashaw] will be his opponent, Dominick chose to fight [Marlon] Vera and [Henry] Cejudo is still involved with the whole USADA process, Merab was the third possibility, so let´s go,” Pederneiras said.

Pederneiras considers the Georgian’s style a good matchup for his pupil.

"Aldo has fought all his life agai…

Charles Oliveira Angles to Face McGregor: ‘It Would Put a Lot of Money in My Pocket’

Charles Oliveira has Conor McGregor on the brain.

The former UFC lightweight champion has called for a fight with the Irish star repeatedly in recent months, and it seems to be something he won’t put behind him. Oliveira relinquished the 155-pound belt when he missed weight prior to UFC 274, but a finish of Justin Gaethje in the main event means “Do Bronx” will almost certainly get to compete for the vacant title in his next promotional appearance.

In a recent interview with ESPN Brazil, Oliveira reiterated that McGregor would be his first choice of opponent in that title bout.

"It would be a very good fight for me," Oliveira said. "It would put a lot of money in my pocket, and [at this moment] that's the most important thing. And it would also be really good for my legacy, for me to have in my story. Regardless, if he's coming from defeat or not, he's a guy who's made history, so I think it would be great, but it's not just up to me. If it we…

Featherweights Lando Vannata, Andre Fili to Clash at UFC Event on Sept. 17

A featherweight showdown pitting Lando Vannata against Andre Fili is on tap for an Ultimate Fighting Championship card on Sept. 17.

Fili confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. The UFC Fight Night card does not yet have a location or headliner.

Vannata’s first bout of 2022 did not go as planned, as “Groovy” suffered a first-round submission loss to Charles Jourdain at UFC Fight Night 205 on April 23. The Jackson’s MMA Acoma member is 4-6-2 in the Las Vegas-based promotion and will be making his third appearance at 145 pounds after previously competing at lightweight.

Fili also tasted defeat in his first outing this year, falling to Joanderson Brito via TKO in 41 seconds at UFC on ESPN 35 on April 30. The Team Alpha Male product has won just once in his last five UFC bouts — a split verdict against the aforementioned Jourdain in June 2020.

Patricky Freire vs. Sidney Outlaw Headlines Bellator 283 in Washington on July 22

Patricky Freire will defend his lightweight crown against Sidney Outlaw at Bellator 283 on July 22.

Promotion officials announced the headlining bout on Tuesday. Bellator 283 takes place at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., and will also see Douglas Lima square off against Jason Jackson in the evening’s co-main event, while Usman Nurmagomedov meets Chris Gonzalez at lightweight in another featured contest. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Three preliminary bouts were also confirmed for Bellator 283: Adam Piccolotti vs. Tofiq Musayev at lightweight; Romero Cotton vs. Dalton Rosta at middleweight and Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Bobby King at lightweight.

Freire claimed 155-pound gold at Bellator 270, when he defeated Peter Queally via second-round TKO in their rematch on Nov. 5. The 36-year-old “Pitbull” brother has competed under the Bellator banner since 2011, compiling a 15-8 mark and earning wins over the likes of B…

Referees, Judges Revealed for Both Title Bouts at UFC 276

Herb Dean will be the third man in the cage when Israel Adesanya defends his middleweight crown against Jared Cannonier in the UFC 276 main event.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission revealed during a meeting on Tuesday that the veteran official will oversee the 185-pound title affair. Dean was also the referee for Adesanya’s last Octagon appearance, a split-decision triumph over Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 on Feb. 12.

Derek Cleary, Sal D’Amato and Junichiro Kamijo will serve as cageside judges for the Adesanya vs. Cannonier.

Meanwhile, Marc Goddard will officiate the featherweight championship trilogy clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in the evening’s co-headliner. Goddard did not referee either of the first two meetings between Volkanovski and Holloway, both of which were won by the Australian champion.

D’Amato, Mike Bell and Ron McCarthy will score the 145-pound title tilt from cageside.

UFC 276 takes place…

Glover Teixiera: After UFC 275 Classic, Fans Deserve Jiri Prochazka Rematch

The back-and-forth battle between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 275 was considered by many fans as one of the best fights in UFC light heavyweight history.

Shortly after relinquishing the light heavyweight belt to Prochazka, Teixeira reflected on the bout’s impact on the ”Papo de Luta” podcast.

"I just saw the fight and it reminds me Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, which was one of the most exciting fights I saw live,” Teixeira said. “Of course, when you know the result the emotion is different, but I was able to understand why people are saying it was so exciting.”

In hindsight, Teixeira doesn’t regret going for a guillotine choke while having his opponent rocked in the fifth round.

"Of course, when I look at that guillotine, I want to cry. From an outside [perspective], it was pretty clear to see how dazed Jiri was, but people need to understand that since Day 1 of the camp my strategy was to take him…

Carla Esparza: Weili Zhang ‘Needs to Go on My Timeline’ for UFC Title Bout

Shortly after she vanquished Joanna Jedrzejczyk with a spinning backfist knockout at UFC 275 to cement her status as the strawweight division’s No. 1 contender, Weili Zhang proposed a date and location for a title clash with reigning champion Carla Esparza.

“I want [to] fight with Carla in Abu Dhabi because I know there’s a fight there in October,” Zhang said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I think Carla is a special fighter, too, and I know that can be a really good fight. Also, for me and for her – not China or the U.S. So we can fight in another country, so it’s fair for both of us.”

Not so fast, Esparza says. While there’s no debate that Zhang is next in line, “Cookie Monster” recently told the New York Post that an end of the year timeline works best for her as she recovers from some “nagging injuries.” However, she refuses to let the challenger dictate the terms of that engagement.

“I definitely don’t feel like I’m in a po…

Floyd Mayweather Set for Exhibition vs. Mikuru Asakura at Rizin Event in September

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLu3jNEmVl4&w=560&h=315]

The Floyd Mayweather exhibition tour will continue under the Rizin Fighting Federation banner in September.

The Japanese promotion announced during a press conference that Mayweather will face Mikuru Asakura under boxing rules in an event that will air on the new Rizin Fight Pass service. An exact date for the event was not revealed.

Mayweather, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame over the weekend, retired from professional boxing with a 50-0 record following a victory over former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor in 2017. Since then he has appeared in three exhibition contests, including a three-knockdown performance against Tenshin Nasukawa at Rizin 14 that prompted the kickboxing standout’s corner to throw in the towel. “Money” also went the distance for eight rounds against YouTube personality Logan Paul and squared off against former training partne…

Bryan Battle Drops to Welterweight, Meets Takashi Sato at UFC on ESPN 40

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

“The Ultimate Fighter 29” winner Bryan Battle will drop to 170 pounds for a matchup with Takashi Sato at UFC on ESPN 40.

Both fighters confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. UFC on ESPN 40 takes place on Aug. 6 at an an as yet to be announced location and is headlined by a light heavyweight showdown between Jamahal Hill and Thiago Santos.

Both of Battle’s first two promotional triumphs have come at middleweight. The 27-year-old Hayastan MMA Charlotte representative submitted Gilbert Urbina at UFC on ESPN 30 to complete his run through “TUF 28” and then outpointed Tresean Gore in his second Octagon appearance at UFC Fight Night 200. Battle has currently won six straight professional outings overall.

Sato, meanwhile, has lost three of his last four UFC appearances. Most recently, the Sanford MMA member dropped a unanimou…

Former UFC Title Holder Holly Holm Inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX-UfPnqC9k&w=560&h=315]

Holly Holm was officially enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class over the weekend.

The ceremony took place in Verona, N.Y., on Sunday and also included inductees from 2020 and 2021 who were not honored in previous years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Holm is part of a 2022 class that also includes Roy Jones Jr., Miguel Cotto, James Toney and female champion Regina Halmich, among others. Floyd Mayweather Jr., originally slated to be inducted in 2021, was among the other notables in the three groups that were enshrined.

Holm compiled a 33-2-3 record in the Sweet Science, winning 14 championships in three weight classes over the course of an 11-year professional career. “The Preacher’s Daughter” was named “Female Fighter of the Year” by Ring Magazine in 2005 and 2006 and was a popular draw in her hometown of Albuquerque, N.M.

““You want to talk about loya…

New UFC Champ Jiri Prochazka Greeted by Raucous Throng in Native Czech Republic

Jiri Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) receives a Hero’s welcome in his hometown of Brno. He is the first UFC Champion from the Czech Republic in history. pic.twitter.com/EIh22iXfd6

— Paradigm Sports (@ParadigmSports) June 13, 2022

Jiri Prochazka’s UFC championship reign is a big deal in the Czech Republic.

The newly-crowned light heavyweight king returned to his hometown of Brno on Monday, where he was greeted by a rowdy throng of fans on hand to celebrate his achievement. Prochazka submitted Glover Teixeira at the 4:32 mark of Round 5 in the UFC 275 headliner to become the promotion’s first-ever champion from the Czech Republic.

Prochazka’s management, Paradigm Sports, shared footage of the scene via Twitter. The former Rizin title holder is in the midst of a 13-fight professional winning streak that includes 11 consecutive victories inside the distance.

A man of the people.@jiri_bjp pic.twitter.com/Qgu9AwU3Sz

— …

UFC 276 Update: Ian Garry to Face Gabriel Green on July 2 in Las Vegas

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

Undefeated welterweight prospect Ian Garry will look to take the next step in his MMA career when he locks horns with Gabriel Green at UFC 276.

The promotion recently confirmed the 170-pound pairing. UFC 276 takes place on July 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight title tilt pitting Israel Adesanya against Jared Cannonier. In the co-main event, Alexander Volkanovski will square off against Max Holloway in a featherweight championship trilogy.

Garry, 24, has yet to taste defeat in nine professional outings. The former Cage Warriors champion debuted in the Octagon with a first-round knockout of Jordan Williams before outpointing Darian Weeks in his most recent appearance at UFC 273 this past April.

The 29-year-old Green has rebounded from a loss to Daniel Rodriguez in his promotional debut to post back-to-back victories against Philip Rowe and Yohan Lain…

Valentina Shevchenko Reveals She Suffered Foot Injury Leading Up to UFC 275

While an accidental clash of heads may have hindered Taila Santos in the championship rounds of the UFC 275 co-main event, flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko was also apparently limited during Saturday’s fight in Singapore.

Shevchenko revealed at the UFC 275 post-fight press conference that she was at less than 100 percent due to a foot injury. “Bullet” didn’t reveal the specifics behind the ailment, but pulling out was never an option. It did, however, prevent her from engaging in her traditional celebratory post-fight victory dance.

“Coming into the fight, I was injured. My foot was injured. All week, fight week, UFC Performance Institute, physical therapists they were working on my foot to get it back into the best shape,” Shevchenko said. “The few kicks that I had like super strong, it injured my foot … I hope it’s nothing serious that could delay my return to the Octagon, but this is the reason why I didn’t dance.

“Considering pulling ou…

Weili Zhang Praises Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Looks Ahead to Title Fight vs. Carla Esparza

Weili Zhang left no doubt in her second meeting with Joanna Jedrzejczyk, finishing her Polish rival with a spinning back fist in the second round of their UFC 275 encounter.

It was a far cry from their first bout, when the two strawweights engaged in what many have called the greatest female fight of all-time at UFC 248 in March 2020. Zhang, who was the 115-pound champion at the time, emerged from that battle with a narrow split-decision triumph. Jedrzejczyk announced her retirement in the cage following the knockout loss to Zhang on Saturday night in Singapore, ending an era in the division. Zhang had nothing but praise for the Polish star in the aftermath of that decision.

“Before I became a UFC fighter, Joanna was the champion,” Zhang said at the UFC 275 post-fight press conference. “She is like a role model. I want to chase her [accomplishments] every day …”

Not only was Zhang’s latest triumph a strong contender for “Knockout of the Year…

Taila Santos Suffered Broken Orbital from Accidental Clash of Heads at UFC 275

The accidental clash of heads that left Taila Santos with significant swelling near her right eye in the UFC 275 co-main event will force the Brazilian to go under the knife in the near future.

Santos’ manager, Tiago Okamura, told MMAFighting.com that Santos suffered a broken orbital bone under her right eye as a result of the collision with Valentina Shevchenko that occurred in the third round of their flyweight championship clash. Shevchenko would go on to win a closely-contested split-decision triumph to retain her belt. Santos will travel home to Brazil to have the surgery.

“We had two options,” Okamura said. “To have surgery here [in Singapore], and God knows how long we’d have to stay and how the recovery would take, or wait two weeks for the swelling to reduce a little bit and then have the surgery.

“The doctors said the long flight [back to Brazil] would not be a problem, and we would have a better support back home, since [Santos] …

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