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Rorion Gracie Seeks Donations to Assist Ailing First Student

Rorion Gracie is asking for help for his first-ever student, who also played a role in the birth of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

One day after using social media to celebrate the birthday of his father, Hélio Gracie, who if he were alive would have turned 111 years old on Oct. 1, Rorion created a post seeking assistance for American Richard Bresler. Bressler rented a house with Gracie, where the Brazilian started teaching classes in the garage. That marked the beginning of the project that would lead to the promotion of jiu-jitsu in America and the creation of the UFC.

“The story of jiu-jitsu in the U.S. started almost half a century ago when my first student, Richard Bresler, agreed to rent a small house with me in Hermosa Beach, California, where the famous “Garage Days” happened,” Gracie wrote on Instagram. His enthusiasm for jiu-jitsu was such that he could not stop talking about it. At his restaurant in the Hawthorne Mall, and elsewhere,…

Mario Bautista Targets Future Rematch Against Cory Sandhagen

👊Mario Bautista eyes a future rematch with Cory Sandhagen:

"If things go well and I keep moving up, I wouldn't want to move past Cory Sandhagen especially since it was my debut fight and I've worked all this way just to get back here and he's still in front of me...

It… pic.twitter.com/9GZfUjlhLl — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 1, 2024

Mario Bautista wants to avenge his loss against Cory Sandhagen at some point.

Bautista suffered a first-round submission loss against Sandhagen in his UFC debut back in 2019. However, Baustista has since racked up an 8-1 promotional record, which includes a current six-fight winning streak.

Bautista is now scheduled to face arguably his toughest test since Sandhagen in Jose Aldo on the UFC 307 main card on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. If he gets past Aldo and maintains his upward climb, Bautista would like to run it back with “The Sandman” before e…

Austin Hubbard Discusses Changing Camps Ahead of UFC 307

Austin Hubbard is loving training closer to home for his upcoming fight.

Hubbard takes on Alexander Hernandez in a lightweight matchup on the preliminary card at UFC 307 on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Previously a member of the Elevation Fight Team in Aurora, Colorado, Hubbard recently shifted to the Valle Flow Striking Academy in Bensenville, Illinois.

Hubbard had no bad blood with his previous gym, and the move was primarily inspired by the birth of his daughter, Charlie Jo, this past May. While Hubbard still has to drive an hour and half each side from his home in Dixon, Illinois, “Thud” likes being closer to his family.

“It was too hard to go out to Colorado for this camp and be gone for seven, eight weeks. So, I've been home, and I've been training at Valle Flow Striking in Chicago,” Hubbard told UFC.com.

“I love Elevation. They've been great for me and my career and obviously they've contributed to a lot of m…

Raquel Pennington Questions Julianna Pena’s Decision to Bypass Altitude Training

Raquel Pennington and Julianna Pena have a difference of opinions about training at elevation.

Pennington puts her women’s bantamweight title on the line against Pena in the co-main event at UFC 307 on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is more than 4,000 feet above sea level. Fighters have been known to arrive a few weeks in advance for bouts in Utah to get accustomed to the elevation, including light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, who defends his title against Khalil Rountree in the main event at UFC 307.

However, Pena doesn’t think that’s necessary. “The Venezuelan Vixen” only arrived in Salt Lake City on Monday for her title bid. Having fought in Colorado and Utah, both of which are at high altitude, Pena doesn’t think she’ll need much time for acclimation. According to former champ, if one is fit enough, the altitude should barely be a concern.

“We are leaving on Monday,” Pena told MMAjunkie.com. “I have fought in…

Dana White Doesn’t Want Alex Pereira To Compete in Boxing

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Dana White isn’t a fan of UFC fighters crossing over to boxing.

After criticizing the boxing model for years, White recently teased a venture into the Sweet Science with “guns blazing” in 2025. This somehow led one of the UFC’s biggest current superstars, Alex Pereira, to believe that White’s boxing venture will start with him.

Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree in the main event at UFC 307on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. If successful, the former Glory Kickboxing champ will set a promotional record with three UFC title defenses in a span of 175 days. While Pereira has a chance to become a three-sport champion if he steps into the squared circle, White likes the scope of what more he can achieve in the UFC.

Although White will delve in pugilism in the near future, he is not a fan of crossover fights. The UFC head honcho prefers that all combat artists stay in their respe…

Emily Ducote vs. Yulia Ostroverkhova to Headline Invicta FC 58 on Nov. 6

Former strawweight champion Emily Ducote will square off against Yulia Ostroverkhova in the Invicta FC 58 headliner on Nov. 6.

The promotion recently announced the booking. Alejandra Lara vs. Viviane Pereira was originally scheduled to be the evening’s main event, but the bout has been canceled due to illness, according to a release.

Invicta FC 58 takes place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City and will see Kate Bacik meet DeAnna Bennett in a flyweight affair. Four other bouts have also been confirmed for the card: Saori Oshima vs. Ana Palacios at atomweight; Shanna Young vs. Amanda Torres at flyweight; Zurina Turrey vs. Joy Pendell at featherweight and Magdalena Czaban vs. Hope Holmes at atomweight.

Ductoe vacated her Invicta title to fight in the UFC, where she went 2-3 from July 2022 to May 2024. Prior to that, “Gordinha” went 4-1 under the Invicta banner, including a second-round stoppage of Alesha Zappitella in her last promotional appearan…

Fortis MMA’s Jacobe Smith Leads Parade of Five Acquisitions on Week 8 of DWCS

Jacobe Smith lived up to the blue-chip billing.

The undefeated Fortis MMA prospect was one of five hopefuls to ink an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract during Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as he put away Christien Savoie with sustained ground-and-pound in the second round of their welterweight showcase on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Smith (9-0, 1-0 DWCS) drew the curtain 2:55 into Round 2.

Savoie (10-2-1, 0-1 DWCS) was simply out of his depth. A onetime NCAA All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Smith executed multiple takedowns, battered his overmatched counterpart from various positions and hacked open multiple cuts, one of them across the bridge of his nose. He powered the Savoie to the canvas one final time early in the middle stanza, stayed busy and prompted the stoppage with a sustained burst of elbows. Light heavyweight Diyar Nurgozhay, featherweight Alberto Montes, middleweight Torrez Finney and ba…

Dana White’s Contender Series 2024 Week 8 Play-by-Play and Results

Sherdog’s live coverage of DWCS 2024: Week 8 will begin Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1 Mark Smith will ref this welterweight bout. Savoie is targeting the legs with low kicks early. About 25 seconds in, Smith secures a double-leg, picks Savoie up and slams him to the mat. The Fortis MMA product jumps on the back as Savoie stands, but Smith can’t get his hooks in. Smith drags his man back down and lands a couple elbows, but he’s warned for landing illegal shots to the back of the head. Savoie is up, and Smith tees off on him near the fence. Another takedown follows and Smith transitions to the back. He slides off the back as his opponent stands. Smith executes another mat return and he’s ragdolling Savoie on the canvas. Smith is working to move to mount as he floats on top of Savoie. Savoie stands and gets his guard up just in time to block a head kick. Smith takes Savoie right back down with ease. Smith is in full guard near the fence. Smith stands and drops an elbow, splitti…

Video: Professional Fighters League Launches Full Oct. 19 PPV Trailer

The wait is almost over ⏳

𝑨 𝑪𝑳𝑨𝑺𝑯 𝑩𝑬𝑻𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑵 𝑻𝑰𝑻𝑨𝑵𝑺 for the #PFLSuperFights Heavyweight World Championship 🏆

🇨🇲 @francis_ngannou 🆚 @MmaProblema 🇧🇷

[ #BraceForImpact | Sat, Oct 19th | 4PM ET ] pic.twitter.com/EK850pfyzk

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 1, 2024 As the combat sports universe inches closer to the biggest Professional Fighters League event of 2024, the organization has dropped a final trailer to raise awareness of its pay-per-view event on Oct. 19.

The headliner of “Battle of the Giants” is highlighted, with no words needed as the impact of former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king Francis Ngannou and PFL heavyweight champ Renan Ferreira draws the attention of spectators and helicopters as they tear through the streets leading towards their clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It will be a historic night for the PFL, with Ngannou’s promotional debut and a stacked main card. The co-main event will…

Ex-UFC Strawweight Queen Carla Esparza Says Being Champion ‘Is a Mentality’

Carla Esparza is expected to make her final walk to the Octagon when she faces Tecia Pennington at UFC 307 on Saturday night.

No matter what the future might hold, Esparza will always carry a little piece of UFC history with her. That is because “Cookie Monster” became the promotion’s inaugural strawweight champion when she submitted Rose Namajunas in the third round of their bout at “The Ultimate Fighter 20” finale in December 2014. It’s something that Esparza won’t soon forget.

“To win that historical title, that first title in the strawweight division, was the best feeling of my life and probably still is to this point,” Esparza recently told UFC.com.

“The night that I became champion, the biggest memory that comes to mind is the finish and the 'Oh, my gosh, my hand is being raised,’ feeling. That moment of pure, almost disbelief and happiness, that was the best feeling. Walking out with the belt and then just seeing all my teammates and fr…

Alex Pereira, Anthony Smith Bury the Hatchet During Sitdown Interview

Alex Pereira and Anthony Smith squash the beef 🤝

🎥 @espnmma #UFC #MMA #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/tIYQ2sfejd

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 30, 2024

Alex Pereira and Anthony Smith have finally squashed their beef.

The feud initially started when Smith, during his commentary duties, claimed Pereira’s rapid rise to UFC success occurred without having his grappling tested. “Poatan” felt Smith was constantly downplaying his achievements whenever on the mic.

This led to a series of back and forths between the two, with Pereira calling “Lionheart” washed up. Pereira was also in attendance for Smith’s upset submission win over Vitor Petrino at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro this past May. Pereira posted a video of himself pretending to nap as Smith’s fight was about to start. “Poatan” also subsequently challenged Smith to a $50,000 grappling match, which the latter verbally accepted.

However, that never came to frui…

Kamaru Usman Picks Khalil Rountree to Beat Alex Pereira: ‘Crazy Things Happen in Utah’

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Kamaru Usman is expecting an upset in the UFC 307 headliner.

Alex Pereira (11-2) defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree (13-5) in the main event at UFC 307 on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. There was lot of criticism when Rountree was initially granted a title shot over Magomed Ankalaev, widely considered the rightful No. 1 contender.

However, the tide is gradually shifting as fight night draws near, with even Pereira feeling fans’ excitement growing. In addition to the hype behind the fight, some also expect Rountree, who has been tabbed as a significant underdog by oddsmakers, to upset the heavily-favored “Poatan.” That includes former welterweight champ Usman.

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Usman notes that “crazy things” happen in Utah, referring to his upset head-kick KO loss against Leon Edwards at UFC 278 in 2022. “The Nigerian Night…

Julianna Pena Accuses Raquel Pennington of Being ‘Worst Roommate Ever’

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Julianna Pena wants to deliver justice to Raquel Pennington for being a bad roommate.

Pena challenges Pennington for the women’s bantamweight throne in the co-main event at UFC 307 on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. While this is the first time they will square off in the Octagon, Pena and Tate previously spent a lot of time together representing Team Miesha Tate against Team Ronda Rousey on “The Ultimate Fighter 18” in 2013.

It became evident during the course of the season that Pena and Pennington weren’t the best of buddies. Although they were seemingly always on a collision course, the matchup never materialized until now. Along with the lure of winning a title for the second time, Pena also has the chance to avenge alleged transgressions by “Rocky” during their time at the “TUF 18” house.

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

“Raquel and I have had our history of …

‘Moicano’ Rips French MMA Federation Over Drug Testing Procedures

After defeating Benoit St. Denis by doctor stoppage in the second round of the UFC Fight Night 243 headliner, Renato Carneiro revealed some of the behind-the-scenes details surrounding the bout.

In a video on his YouTube channel, “Moicano” began by discussing the nature of the shoulder injury he had going into the lightweight bout.

“First thing I have to say is that my shoulder was really injured. I suffered a ligament rupture (AC joint level 5 shoulder clavicle dislocation). Actually it was a surgery case, but I had to fight in that main event, so I kept training every day and going every day to physiotherapy,” Carneiro said. “It was such a hard experience, but I couldn't give up because ‘Moicano’ can´t afford to lose.”

Carneiro also confirmed Brendan Allen’s complaints regarding the French Mixed Martial Arts Federation (FMMAF). According to Allen, only he and “Moicano” were subject to blood and urine tests following weigh-ins. Their oppone…

Broadcast Team Set for UFC 307 in Salt Lake City

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The usual suspects will be on the call for UFC 307 on Saturday.

Jon Anik will work play-by-play for the event, while Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier will offer color commentary. Meanwhile, Megan Olivi will be the on-site reporter. MMAFighting.com was first to confirm the broadcast assignments.UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

UFC 307 takes place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship clash between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree. In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington will defend her bantamweight crown against Julianna Pena.

The UFC 307 main card begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+. The prelims begin on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT before moving to ESPNEWS and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Contender Series Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Hit Contracted Marks for Week 8

Week 8 of Dana White's Contender Series is official, as all 10 athletes slated to compete made weight on Monday.

The Contender Series takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday night and features a light heavyweight clash between Diyar Nurkozhay (206) and Bartosz Szewczyk (206). The card airs on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

A former Eagle FC title holder, Nurkozhay has been victorious in his first nine professional outings. Most recently, the Kazakhstan native scored a first-round TKO of former PFL champ Emiliano Sordi at UAE Warriors 50 on May 18.

Poland’s Szewczyk will enter the bout on a three-fight finishing streak. He is coming off a body-kick stoppage of Marcin Lazarz in a title fight at FEN 52 on Feb. 17.

Contender Series Weigh-in Results:   Diyar Nurkozhay (206) vs. Bartosz Szewczyk (206)Carlos Calderon (145.5) vs. Alberto Montes (145.5)David Martinez (136) vs. Xavier Franklin (135)Abdelah Er-Ramy (186) vs. Torrez Finney (186)Jaco…

‘The Lazy King’ vs. Laureano Staropoli to Headline PFL Europe Final on Dec. 14

𝙇𝘼𝙕𝙔 𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙑𝙎. 𝙋𝙀𝙋𝙄 𝙄𝙉 𝙇𝙔𝙊𝙉! 🇫🇷🇦🇷

BREAKING: The PFL Europe Championships in Lyon are headlined by Abdoul Abdouraguimov taking on Laureano Staropoli on Saturday 14th December!@LazyKingMMA is one of the most exciting and polarising characters in the sport,… pic.twitter.com/quCzaATnGC

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) September 30, 2024

A welterweight clash pitting Abdoul Abdouraguimov against Laureano Staropoli will serve as the main event for the PFL Europe Championships on Dec. 14.

The promotion announced the booking on Monday. The PFL Europe final takes place at LDLC Arena in Lyon, France, and features championships bouts at welterweight, lightweight, bantamweight and women’s flyweight. The event will stream on DAZN in France and the U.K.

“France has quickly become one of the biggest MMA destinations in the world, not only due to the high-level athletes that are being produced by the country, but the incredible fans that…

Stephen Thompson Prepared for ‘Three-Round War’ vs. Joaquin Buckley at UFC 307

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Stephen Thompson promises to put on a show against Joaquin Buckley at UFC 307.

The fan-friendly strikers will meet in a welterweight clash in the featured preliminary matchup at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the main card action will be kicked off by a middleweight matchup between Roman Dolidze and Kevin Holland, whom “Wonderboy” defeated via corner stoppage in 2022.

On one hand, Thompson is glad to have the featured preliminary spot, as it means a lot less hassle behind the scenes. However, Thompson thinks his matchup against Buckley, a potential “Fight of the Night,” deserved to be on the main card. That being said, Thompson acknowledges that he has only dropped a submission loss against Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2023 since his victory over Holland. Meanwhile, “Trailblazer” has since gone 3-2, most recently breaking Michal Oleksiejczuk’s arm to earn a first-round stoppage at UFC 302 …

Glover Teixeira: Alex Pereira ‘More Powerful Than Any Heavyweight I Trained With’

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If any further proof of Alex Pereira’s power needed, it has arrived in the form of confirmation from Glover Teixeira.

The pace at which Pereira rose to Ultimate Fighting Championship stardom is arguably unprecedented. Pereira had just four MMA fights to his name when he made his UFC debut in 2021. The Brazilian went on to defeat former Glory Kickboxing foe Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight title within a year of his UFC debut.

While “Poatan” lost the title in their immediate rematch, he has since established a light heavyweight title reign. Teixeira, who is Pereira’s coach and mentor, lost the light heavyweight title via submission against Jiri Prochazka and retired after a subsequent failed bid for the vacant belt against Jamahal Hill. Pereira went on to avenge both losses, winning the vacant title against Prochazka before defending it against Hill. He also defeated Prochazka in a rematch at UFC 303. All three of those afo…

Alex Pereira Dares Khalil Rountree to Put Portion of Purse Behind Anti-Takedown Vow

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Alex Pereira wants Khalil Rountree to put his money where his mouth is.

Pereira puts his light heavyweight title on the line against Rountree in the main event at UFC 307 on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Rountree getting a title shot over Magomed Ankalaev came as a surprise to many, including Pereira.

However, “The War Horse” has consistently defended his gold bid as a clash of fan-friendly styles. Both proven knockout artists, Pereira and Rountree have a combined total of one takedown attempt in their UFC careers. And Rountree promises that won’t change on Saturday night.

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

However, Pereira isn’t buying it unless Rountree wagers something. The former Glory Kickboxing champion has had former opponents make the same promise and not follow up on it. “Poatan” has dared Rountree to publicly promise a portion of his UFC 307 fight purse …

Khalil Rountree Details How MMA Pulled Him Off Self-Destructive Path

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Khalil Rountree was in a dark place in life before starting MMA.

Rountree challenges Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title in the main event at UFC 307 on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. “The War Horse” recently detailed how the sport helped him out from difficult spot in life years ago.

Rountree was just 2 years old when he lost his father, who once worked as a bodyguard for Muhammad Ali. Without the presence of someone to assure him about life, Rountree feels he wasn’t strong enough to face some challenges.

“When I was 2 years old, my father was murdered,” Rountree said on the UFC 307 Countdown show. “He was a manager for Boyz II Men, New Edition. There was a time in his career where he was a personal bodyguard for Muhammad Ali. At his funeral I remember there being hundreds and thousands of people… I think the biggest thing was that I didn’t the courage to face certain challenges because I didn’t have anyon…

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista Elevated to UFC 307 Main Card

A bantamweight clash between Jose Aldo and Mario Bautista has been elevated to the UFC 307 main draw.

The promotion officially announced the pay-per-view lineup during the UFC Paris broadcast on Sauturday. The shift comes after a featherweight showdown between Aljamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev was postponed until UFC 310.

UFC 307 takes place on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship bout between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The prelims begin on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT before moving to ESPNEWS and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Aldo has won four of his last five fights at bantamweight. The former featherweight champion returned from retirement at UFC 301, where he captured a unanimous decision win against Jonathan Martinez on…

Raquel Pennington Admits Julianna Pena Got Under Her Skin During ‘TUF 18’

When Raquel Pennington and Julianna Pena were part of “The Ultimate Fighter 18” cast in 2013, it seemed as though they would be destined to meet — either on the show or shortly thereafter.

However, the two bantamweights didn’t cross paths on the show, and it took more than a decade before they were finally booked to meet within the Las Vegas-based promotion. On Saturday, Pennington will defend her 135-pound belt against Pena in the UFC 307 co-main event at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com, Pennington looked back on her interactions with Pena on “TUF 18,” where she quickly learned that their personalities didn’t mesh.

“I’m not going to sit here and say I hate Julianna. I don’t hate anybody. I don’t have all these ill emotions towards her,” Pennington said. “Did she get under my skin on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’? Absolutely. On top of being taken out of your comfort zone, you’re living with somebody, but…

Kayla Harrison: ‘Only a Matter of Time’ Before I Become UFC Champion

Kayla Harrison might very well be the person nobody in the UFC women’s bantamweight division wants to face.

After a dominant stoppage win against Holly Holm in her promotional — and 135-pound — debut at UFC 300, the two-time Olympic gold medalist will return to action to face Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday. On that same card, reigning bantamweight queen Raquel Pennington will defend her belt against Julianna Pena in the co-main event. Both Pennington and Pena have not been shy about voicing their displeasure when it comes to Harrison’s quick ascent through the division.

"I think everyone knows that it is only a matter of time [before I become champion]," Harrison recently told ESPN. "When the truth don't hurt, they start telling lies.”

Pena, who hasn’t fought since a July 2022 title loss to Amanda Nunes, has questioned whether Harrison is a clean athlete.. The former PFL champion has consistently brushed off t…

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