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Backstage Scuffles Lead to UFC 279 Press Conference Cancelation

[embedded content] Chaos ensued ahead of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s latest pay-per-view press conference.

On Thursday night, the UFC staged its regular press conference for fans and media ahead of its marquee show. UFC 279 will go down on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and as is tradition two days before the fights, the promotion brought all the fighters together to place on stage and take questions, followed by a staredown, for the last gathering before the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday. Things did not go according to plan, as the UFC’s streamed press conference cut in unexpectedly, with president Dana White trying to keep things together. On the stage with him were only main card combatants Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez.

“Absolute s---show back there,” an exasperated White remarked when asked about what just happened. “Ask them [Holland and Rodriguez] questions.”

After a brief topic for Holland – who was allegedly inv…

Thiago Santos Departs UFC, Signs With PFL Ahead of 2023 Season

The Professional Fighters League has scooped a big name for next year’s tournament season.

In a surprise announcement on Thursday, ESPN broke the news that former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Thiago Santos (22-11) is no longer under contract with the UFC. He has signed with the PFL, where he plans on competing in its 205-pound division starting in 2023. Per ESPN, in interviews with PFL president Ray Sefo and Santos’ manager Alex Davis, Santos’ contract had not ended, but the UFC allowed for his release. The organization celebrated his signing on social media shortly after the story came out.

“It was an amicable separation with the UFC,” Davis explained to ESPN. “Thiago is very grateful for everything the UFC did for him, and he’s very grateful toward the PFL for signing with him. He’s looking forward to winning a million dollars.”

The Rio de Janeiro native has struggled as of late, falling short by razor-close split decision to c…

Giga Chikadze Withdraws from UFC Fight Night 210 Co-Headliner

The UFC Fight Night 210 card has taken a hit, as Giga Chikadze has withdrawn from a proposed co-main event clash against Sodiq Yusuff on Sept. 17.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the news. A reason for Chikadze’s exit is currently unclear. The promotion is reportedly seeking a replacement opponent for Yusuff. UFC Fight Night 210 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a bantamweight scrap between Cory Sandhagen and Yadong Song.

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Chikadze had an eight-fight professional winning streak halted in his last outing, when he dropped a five-round verdict against Calvin Kattar in the UFC on ESPN 32 headliner on Jan. 15. The 34-year-old Georgian earned notable wins over Cub Swanson and Edson Barboza before falling to Kattar.

Yusuff has been victorious in five of six promotional appearances. Most recently, the 29-year-old Team Lloyd Irvin export outpointed Alex Caceres …

Trainer Has ‘No Doubt’ Khamzat Chimaev Would Accept Fight with Paulo Costa

The vídeo of the altercation between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev posted on Costa´s YouTube channel earlier this week led to mixed reactions in the MMA community.

Some fans thought it was theater created by both teams in order to make a potential matchup for UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, while others thought the conflict was real since it would make no sense for Chimaev to fight Costa in Brazil when he’s already so close to the welterweight title.

Chimaev’s coach, Alan “Finfou” Nascimento, told Sherdog.com that the altercation was real. The black belt added that the bad blood began when Costa published a video on social media cheering on Nate Diaz while badmouthing Chimaev.

"Khamzat didn’t like the things he said about him and when we arrived at [the UFC Performance Institute], ‘Borrachinha’ was there working with Diaz’s coach, Jake Shields, in the same area,” Nascimento said. “Khamzat immediately wanted to go there to talk to him, but I told …

Alexa Grasso, Viviane Araujo Elevated to Main Event at UFC Fight Night 212

Alexa Grasso and Viviane Araujo will now have five rounds in which to settle their differences.

The flyweight bout will now serve as the main event for UFC Fight Night 212 on Oct. 15, the promotion announced Wednesday. UFC Fight Night 212 was originally expected to be headlined by a middleweight clash pitting Jared Cannonier against Sean Strickland, but that bout was canceled when Strickland was forced to withdraw due to an infected finger.

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Grasso and Araujo were scheduled to meet at UFC on ESPN 41 on Aug. 13 but was removed due to visa issues for Grasso. Prior to that, an Araujo injury nixed a proposed bout between the two at UFC 270.

Grasso has won three straight fights since moving up to 125 pounds, including a first-round submission triumph against Joanne Wood in her last outing at UFC on ESPN 33 on March 26.

Araujo, meanwhile, has been victorious in three of her last fou…

UFC 278 Salaries: Kamaru Usman ($500K), Jose Aldo ($400K) Top Payroll

Kamaru Usman didn’t leave UFC 278 with the welterweight belt, but he did take home the highest disclosed payday of anyone on the card.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” earned $500,000 for his fifth-round knockout loss to Leon Edwards in the main event of the Aug. 20 card, which took place at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. Edwards, the newly crowned champion, garnered $350,000 in victory. The Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission recently released a full list of salaries from the event.

Elsewhere, ex-featherweight king Jose Aldo earned $400,000 in a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili ($198,000) in a 135-pound matchup on the evening’s main card. All told, seven fighters secured six-figure salaries, including Paulo Costa ($130,000), Luke Rockhold ($200,000) and Marcin Tybura ($240,000).

Order UFC 279 "Chimaev vs. Diaz" exclusively on ESPN+ Note: The disclosed purses reported by state athletic commissions do not include any performance-based or di…

Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler Official for UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden

A previously rumored lightweight clash between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler now has a date and venue.

UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell informed promotion broadcast partner ESPN on Wednesday that the fight will take place at UFC 281 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. In addition to that news, Chandler has signed a new, multi-fight deal with the UFC. Poirier vs. Chandler will be contested over three rounds, although Poirier reportedly wanted it to be a five-round bout. Chandler, meanwhile, initially hoped for the matchup to take place in December.

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Tensions are already high between the two lightweights. Poirier and Chandler were involved in a brief confrontation while attending UFC 276 at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on July 2. While it’s unclear what started the altercation, both men had to be separated by security while they yelled obscenities and threats at…

De Ridder vs. Abdulaev, Lineker vs. Andrade Top One on Prime Video 3 Lineup

One on Prime Video 3 will feature a pair of title fights at the top of the bill.

Reinier de Ridder will defend his middleweight (205-pound) strap against Shamil Abdulaev in the headliner, while John Lineker will put his bantamweight (145-pound) belt on the line against Fabricio Andrade in the co-main event. The Singapore-based promotion confirmed the bookings following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.

One on Prime Video 3 takes place at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Oct. 21, and the card airs live in the United States on Amazon Prime Video beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

A title holder at both light heavyweight and middleweight in One, de Ridder is 16-0 as a professional. In his most recent outing, “The Dutch Knight” submitted Vitaly Bigdash in the opening round of their bout at One Championship 159 to defend his middleweight crown.

Dagestan’s Abdulaev will make enter his One debut with a 13-1 career mark. The CSKA…

UFC 282 Update: Darren Till, Dricus Du Plessis Agree to Bout on Dec. 10

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

Darren Till and Dricus Du Plessis have agreed to a middleweight bout at UFC 282.

ESPN was first to bring word of the pairing, which is close to being finalized. UFC 282 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 10 and is expected to feature a light heavyweight championship rematch between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira.

Order UFC 279 "Chimaev vs. Diaz" exclusively on ESPN+

Till has yet to compete in 2022 after being forced to withdraw from a proposed matchup against Jack Hermansson in July due to injury. The former welterweight title challenger has lost four of his last five Octagon appearances and is coming off a third-round submission defeat to Derek Brunson at UFC Fight Night 191 in September 2021.

A former KSW champion, Du Plessis is 3-0 thus far in UFC competition. Most recently, the South African defeated Brad Tavares via uanimous decision at UFC 276 to ru…

Vitor Petrino Salvo Leads Latest Crop of UFC Signees on Week 7 of DWCS

Vitor Petrino Salvo left nothing to chance.

The undefeated Brazilian was one of four fledgling mixed martial artists to nail down an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract during Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as he disposed of Rodolfo Bellato with punches in the second round of their light heavyweight showcase on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Salvo (7-0) tagged his countryman’s figurative toe 3:36 into Round 2.

Bellato (8-2) knocked down the CM System standout and climbed to his back in the first round but failed to net the desired finish. It did not turn out well for the Team Nogueira export. Salvo ducked an ill-advised spinning backfist in the middle stanza and countered with a left hook that sent “Trator” crashing to the canvas in a supine position. A diving standing-to-ground right hand froze Bellato in place before referee Mark Smith could arrive on the scene. In addition to Salvo, the UFC signed welterweight Gabriel Souza…

Rizin 38 Adds Super Atomweight Grand Prix Semifinals to Sept. 25 Card

The super atomweight grand prix semifinals are set for Rizin 38, as Ayaka Hamasaki will face Si Woo Park, while Seika Izawa will square off against Anastasiya Svetkivska on Sept. 25.

The Japanese promotion recently announced the pairings. Svetkivska is a replacement for Rena Kubota, who withdrew from the bracket due to injury. Rizin 38 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and features a bantamweight clash pitting Kyoji Horiguchi against Yuto Hokamura. The event also includes a Super Rizin portion of the card that is topped by an exhibition boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Mikuru Asakura. A featherweight showdown between Kota Miura and Bunchuai Phonsungnoen was recently added to that portion of the bill.

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A former Rizin champion, Hamasaki advanced to the semifinals with a three-round verdict over Jessica Aguilar at Rizin 37. That snapped a two-fight skid for the 40…

Coach Claims Robert Whittaker Likely to Receive Title Shot at UFC Event in Perth

After Robert Whittaker earned a dominant decision win over Marvin Vettori at UFC Paris on Saturday, Paulo Costa called out the former champion for a fight at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro this January.

when I fight whittaker it won't be by decision, I'll go for the knockout. I hope he doesn't change divisions before then.

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) September 4, 2022

While Brazilian fans were intrigued by the possibility, Whittaker’s coach, Alex Prates told Sherdog.com that there is no chance that “The Reaper” will face Costa in Brazil.

“I have no idea where that came from, but it's not true,” Prates said.

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According to Prates, Whitaker is planning to return to action in February in his home country with a belt on the line.

“It´s almost confirmed. UFC is planning to hold an event in Perth, Australia, in February and we are going to …

Marvin Vettori Reacts to UFC Paris Loss: ‘I Promise I’ll Be Back Better Than Ever’

Marvin Vettori isn’t giving up his dream of being champion following his loss to Robert Whittaker in the UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event this past Saturday.

The Italian middleweight recently released a statement via social media after dropping a clear-cut unanimous decision to the former 185-pound title holder at the Accor Arena in Paris.

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“Starting from Mezzocorona and getting to the MMA world summit didn’t happen overnight,” Vettori wrote. “Against all odds and working steadily through these years, many have become passionate and inspired by my journey, where my determination has always prevailed. For this, I thank you from first to last. What you’ve seen so far is not the top of the mountain. We will climb back to conquer higher peaks. It’s a promise.

“This game ain’t for the faint of heart. We got big shoulders, and we don’t quit. There is just one way, and that is forward. I …

Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva Official for Phoenix on Oct. 29

𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇 @jakepaul vs. @SpiderAnderson Oct. 29 LIVE on @Showtime PPV from @GilaRiverArena. #PaulSilva pre-sale available now: https://t.co/SCgGwEQmns pic.twitter.com/CQgA0YYb6z

— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) September 6, 2022

A previously rumored boxing match between social media personality Jake Paul and former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is now official.

Showtime Sports and Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, announced on Tuesday that the fight will take place on Oct. 29 at Gila River Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. The bout will be contested over eight rounds at a 187-pound catchweight. The event will air live via pay-per-view on Showtime. The two men are expected to meet face-to-face at consecutive media events on Sept. 12 in Los Angeles and on Sept. 13 in Phoenix.

Order UFC 279 "Chimaev vs. Diaz" exclusively on ESPN+

“Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva is the most versatile fighter the wo…

Paulo Costa, Khamzat Chimaev Have Altercation at UFC Performance Institute

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Things are heating up ahead of Khamzat Chimaev’s first headlining appearance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

On Monday, Chimaev was involved in an altercation with former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Costa, who was training with Jake Shields at the facility, posted a reaction and video of the incident on his YouTube channel. Shields is a training partner of Nate Diaz, who is Chimaev’s opponent in the UFC 279 main event.

“I met Chimaev there, and man, he was scared,” Costa said on his YouTube channel. “The guy stood there and he froze. He froze. I actually was not surprised. As I said before, cupcake Chechen, gourmet Chechen is a bully with small guys.”

Costa added that he told Chimaev that he would like to fight the Allstars Training Center product if he is victorious against Diaz on Saturday. The altercation primarily consisted of both fighters yelling across …

Alessio Di Chirico Announces Retirement Following UFC Paris Defeat

Italian middleweight Alessio Di Chirico is calling it a career.

Di Chirico announced his retirement via social media on the heels of a third-round knockout loss to Roman Kopylov at UFC Fight Night 209 at Accor Arena in Paris this past Saturday. The 32-year-old known as “Manzo” has lost five of his last six appearances within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Order UFC 279 "Chimaev vs. Diaz" exclusively on ESPN+

“I can't think of how much I have made all the people who love me suffer, and even all those who simply believe in me,” he wrote (text translated from Italian via Google Translate). “I feel that the time has come to hang up the gloves. I know it's a tipping point, I know I'll miss it like crazy in a few years. But now there are more reasons that tell me to stop than to continue. Thank you very much for being close to me in this last battle.”

Di Chirico added that he plans to remain involved in combat sports even as he exits MMA as…

Dana White’s Contender Series 2022 Week 7 Play-by-Play and Results

Sherdog's live DWCS 2022 Week 6 coverage will begin Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:The Official Result ODDS: Silva (-280); Dudakova (+235)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:The Official Result Roun…

Coach: Khamzat Chimaev to Visit Jose Aldo Academy, Brazilian Favela After UFC 279

On Saturday, Khamzat Chimaev will headline UFC 279 against Nate Diaz.

His jiu-jitsu trainer, Alan Finfou Nascimento, expects an impressive win over Diaz at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but revealed to Sherdog.com that Chimaev is not in a rush to challenge for welterweight gold in the event of a victory.

“Of course our priority would be the title bout, but in case UFC wants to make the trilogy between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, he would like to do a fight in the middleweight division,” Nascimento said.

The coach also thanked Caio Borralho for his help with Chimaev’s camp over the past couple weeks.

“Caio came to help us, he added a lot to the preparation, and he's with us here in Vegas,” Nascimento said. “I hope he continues to help us. He's a top fighter, and he helped Chimaev a lot.”

According to Nascimento, Chimaev will go with him to Rio de Janeiro after the fight for the premiere of the film "Faixa Preta,” which is…

Khamzat Chimaev Believes Kamaru Usman Won’t Be the Same After KO Defeat

Khamzat Chimaev can take another step closer to a title shot with a victory over Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 headliner on Saturday, but he’s willing to weigh his options if the promotion goes in a different direction.

After Leon Edwards upset of Kamaru Usman in the UFC 278 headliner, a decent possibility exists that an immediate trilogy — potentially in England — could be in store given Usman’s run of dominance prior to that defeat. If that turns out to be the case, Chimaev told ESPN that he could turn his attention to the middleweight division and the winner of the title fight between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira slated for UFC 281.

“If they want to do [the trilogy], for me no problem,” Chimaev said. “I’m gonna take some other fight, and we will see what’s happening. Maybe Israel Adesanya or the other guy, Pereira. Who wins that, maybe fight with them. I don’t know.”

Prior to UFC 278, Usman had a 15-bout winning streak in the Octagon and ha…

Contender Series Weigh-in Results: All Fighters on Point for Week 7

It was smooth sailing at weigh-ins for Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as all 10 athletes scheduled to compete hit their contracted marks.

The Contender Series takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday night and airs on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The evening’s featured contest is a light heavyweight affair pitting Rodolfo Bellato (205) against Vitor Petrino Salvo (203.5). The bout is a rematch of a Max Fight 22 encounter in May 2019 won by Salvo via first-round knockout.

A product of the Team Nogueira camp, Bellato brings an 8-1 career mark into the Contender Series. He has finished all of his victories inside the distance, including a pair of first-round submissions under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner.

Salvo is undefeated in six professional appearances, including the aforementioned triumph against Bellato. Most recently, the 25-year-old CM System product scored a second-round KO of six-time UFC veteran Gadzhimurad Antigulov at UAE W…

Nate Diaz to Launch Combat Sports Promotion Entitled Real Fight, Inc.

Nate Diaz is about to make a foray into the business of promoting combat sports.

According to a release from Team Diaz, the Stockton, Calif., native will be applying for his license to promote events for an organization called Real Fight, Inc. The promotion will feature boxing, mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Diaz himself announced the news on Sunday via instagram with the following caption: “Real Ninjas. Real Fighters. Real Shit.. Real Fight, Inc.”

According to the statement, Diaz’s new endeavor will not affect his status as a fighter, as he plans to remain active in that realm.

“Real Fight, Inc. is his expansion into the business side of the sport where he has been a fixture for close to 20 years,” a statement reads. “The promotion will look attract fighters from around the world, whether it be up and coming prospects or household names who fit the brand of ‘Real Ninjas. Real Fighters. Real S—…’”

Diaz is scheduled …

Ciryl Gane Lauds Tai Tuivasa’s Punching Power, Discusses Potential Jon Jones Fight

In his previous 11 professional mixed martial arts appearances, Ciryl Gane had never been hit the way Tai Tuivasa hit him on Saturday in Paris.

“Yeah, 100 percent [the hardest puncher I’ve faced],” Gane said at the UFC Fight Night 209 post-fight press conference. “Ngannou never touched me during the fight, so it’s impossible to compare. But today, Tai Tuivasa touched me. Francis Ngannou can touch very well. That’s not a question. But today, [Tuivasa] was the first guy to put me on my ass.”

“Bon Gamin” appeared to be on cruise control before Tuivasa dropped him with a massive right hand in the second round of their headlining bout at the Accor Arena in Paris. That set off a thrilling sequence in which the heavyweights went back and forth before Gane put his opponent away with a series of heavy punches 4:23 into Round 3. For a few moments, however, Gane was going on pure instinct after hitting the canvas.

“I don’t have time to put question in my…

Ex-UFC Champ Robert Whittaker Calls Himself ‘Most Dangerous Man in the Division’

In the UFC Fight Night 209 co-main event, Robert Whittaker proved once again that he’s a cut above most of the middleweight division.

The former champion picked apart fomer title challenger Marvin Vettori for three rounds, ultimately winning a clear-cut unanimous decision at Accor Arena in Paris on Saturday. Whittaker has won 13 of his last 15 promotional appearances, with his only two setbacks coming at the hands of reigning 185-pound king Israel Adesanya.

“I’m the most dangerous man in the division,” Whittaker said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Israel’s the champ. He beat me twice, hats off to him for that. He’s a great fighter, he really is. And I think stylistically he’s a great fighter, but I still think I’m the most dangerous man in the division, because I win. I win a lot and I make people hate fighting. I take the fight out of them, because that’s what I do. I get in there and I get to work.”

Adesanya knocked Whittaker ou…

Francis Ngannou: ‘It’s Really Hard to Be Impressed’ with Ciryl Gane Win at UFC Paris

Francis Ngannou still owns bragging rights over Ciryl Gane thanks to his victory over the Frenchman at UFC 270 in January.

With that in mind, the reigning heavyweight champion isn’t going over the top with his praise of Gane following his third-round knockout victory over Tai Tuivasa in the UFC Fight Night 209 headliner in Paris on Saturday. “Bon Gamin” has been victorious in eight of nine promotional appearances, with his lone defeat coming via unanimous decision against Ngannou.

“I know he’s a great fighter,” Ngannou said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “It’s hard to respond to that question for the guy that I beat – if I’m impressed with him. He’s here for a reason. I fought him for a reason because he was probably the No. 1 contender. Yes, he’s good, but I’m the champ. Yeah, so it’s really hard to be impressed.”

Gane had to survive some adversity to emerge victorious against Tuivasa. The heavy-handed Aussie became the first person to land …

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