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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.

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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…

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.

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

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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…

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.

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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…

.@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.

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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…

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.

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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…

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.

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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…

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

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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…

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.

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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…

[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.

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“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 …

[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.

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“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 …

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

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

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

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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…

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.

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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…

Mateusz Gamrot stayed the course, and it paid off in the deep waters of championship rounds.

The former KSW two-division champion relied on superior pace and grappling to capture a narrow unanimous decision triumph against Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC on ESPN 38 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. All three judges submitted 48-47 scorecards for Gamrot in a bout that was extremely difficult to score. The 31-year-old Pole has won four straight in Ultimate Fighting Championship competition.

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Tsarukyan (18-3, 5-2 UFC) held up well in the first 25-minute fight of his career. He landed kicks to all levels, including multiple thudding kicks to the body and defended numerous Gamrot (21-1, 4-1 UFC) takedown attempts in the early going. Scrambles and grappling exchanges were fast and furious throughout the contest, but Gamrot began to wear on Tsarukyan down the stretch. Gamrot was credited with six successful takedowns, according to UFCSt…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 38 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

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

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BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Frey (-260), Demopoulos (+220)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bautista (-165), Kelleher (+140)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Be…

The Black Jag POUNCED for the 1st RD finish 🐾

[ @UlbergCarlos | #UFCVegas57 ]pic.twitter.com/hwWbsOijSY

— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2022

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With a cast of decorated City Kickboxing teammates in attendance, Carlos Ulberg put on a show.

The Auckland, New Zealand, native earned his first finish in the Octagon at UFC on ESPN 38, defeating fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum Tafon Nchukwi via technical knockout in a light heavyweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Ulberg put Nchukwi (6-3, 2-3 UFC) away 1:15 into Round 1.

Ulberg (5-1, 2-1 UFC) waited patiently for his opening, circling on the outside before staggering his foe with a sneaky, short left hook. “Black Jaguar” then swarmed with power punches, ultimately dropping a dazed Nchukwi to the canvas with a right hook to seal his victory. The explosive finish set off a celebration from stablemates Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski and Brad…

UNBELIVEABLE SCENES IN BELFAST!

Rhys McKee KOs his opponent in the third. We have a new welterweight champion at #CW140 pic.twitter.com/Ft8Hmg6zdF

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) June 25, 2022

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The Cage Warriors Fighting Championship welterweight division has a new kingpin after the promotion's event at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Saturday.

In the CW 140 headliner, Ultimate Fighting Championship alum Rhys McKee and Dana White’s Contender Series vet Justin Burlinson fought for the vacant 170-pound championship. Burlinson (7-2, 2-1 CW) put his punches to work early in the opening frame, mixing his shots with some successful takedowns. On the canvas, Burlinson's relentless ground-and-pound opened a deep cut on his opponent’s forehead. The cageside physician took a close look at McKee (12-4-1, 5-0 CW), but the action was allowed to continue into Round 2. McKee had a better second round after taking advanta…

The Professional Fighters League post-season is set at heavyweight, lightweight and featherweight after 2022 PFL 5.

In the headliner, Matheus Scheffel (16-8, 1-1 PFL) upset 2021 PFL champion Bruno Cappelozza (15-6, 5-1 PFL) in a heavyweight clash. Scheffel took the initiative early in Round 1 and scored with crisp punches. Cappelozza took a few good shots on the chin and had to back down to weather the storm. Scheffel looked fresher in the second stanza as he moved inside and outside his foe's guard with quick punches. When Cappelozza attempted to move the action to the canvas, "Buffa" stuffed his initiative. Cappelozza found his pace and distance in the third period, stinging his adversary and making him miss most of his power punches. Ultimately, it turned out that Cappelozza's late resurgence wasn't enough. When time had expired, the cageside judges rewarded Scheffel with three 29-28 scorecards and a unanimous decision victory.

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Read more about Upsets Galore: Several Heavy Favorites Fall at 2022 Professional Fighters League 5

Johnny Eblen called himself “Diamond Hands” and then “The Human Cheat Code.” He can now call himself Bellator MMA world champion.

Eblen remained unbeaten as a pro by thoroughly dominating Gegard Mousasi for five rounds in the main event of Bellator 282 Friday night inside Mohegan Sun to snatch the latter’s middleweight title via unanimous decision on Showtime. And Eblen made it look almost too easy.

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Eblen (12-0) dropped Mousasi with a sharp right hook to the jaw seconds into the fight and he never looked back. Eblen scored takedown after takedown throughout the course of five full rounds and never allowed “The Dreamcatcher” to get his world-class striking going. Eblen traded Mousasi jabs for right hooks and leg kicks for takedowns. As the fight wore on, Eblen got stronger and more dominant while the defending champion withered and looked every bit 36 years of age.

Mousasi (49-8-2) has beaten a who’s who of combat sports over the course of his illus…

The 2022 Professional Fighters League Season continues Friday at 6 p.m. ET.

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

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Round 1 The penultimate regular season PFL event from 2022 will beam into your eyeballs tonight through ESPN or whichever broadcast you receive it from. This PFL 5 event will feature featherweights, heavyweights and Anthony Pettis, for some reason, and the action kicks off at 145 pounds. There will be no “showcase” fights tonight, with all 11 holding playoff import of some fashion. Oft-discussed prospect and Dana White’s Contender Series victor but not signee Loughnane (22-4, 5-1 PFL) will start things off tonight as he looks to slay “The Bosnian Dragon” Huskic (8-4, 0-0 PFL). There was a bit of confusion as to whether Huskic would be competing or if Keith Richardson would take his place, due to the PFL’s own releases, but Huskic has made it to the dance tonight. Refereeing the first f…

Sherdog's live Bellator 282 coverage kicks off at 6 p.m. ET.

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

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Round 1 We kick things off with lightweight Bryce Logan and Mandel Nallo. Kerry Hatley is the referee in this one and we are underway. Logan is the aggressor early as he slowly stalks Nallo. Nallo tosses out a few left jabs, but neither connects. Logan can’t get inside just yet and eats a few leg kicks. Nallo backs off as Logan comes in and then decks him with a sharp right to the jaw. Logan falls face first bit even though he’s not out cold, Hatley calls it off. This one ends quickly and we are off to an explosive start.The Official Result Mandel Nallo def. Bryce Logan by KO (Punch); R1, 1:07. Round 1 Up next is a middleweight showdown between Fabio Aguiar and Aaron Jeffery. Marc Goddard is the third man in the cage this one and we are underway. They touch gloves and Jeffery, rocking an amazing mu…

WE HAVE A MAIN EVENT!@Gamer_MMA hits the scales at 156 pounds 🎮

[ #UFCVegas57 | TOMORROW | Prelims 7pm ET on ESPN 2 | Main Card 10pm ET LIVE on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/Nay4V6xyGa

— UFC (@ufc) June 24, 2022 After a two weeks of travel, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the UFC Apex for UFC on ESPN 38 without a lick of drama on the scales.

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Headlining the 12-fight card is a lightweight tussle between rising contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Mateusz Gamrot. Both aspiring title challengers made weight ahead of their first UFC main event opportunity. Professionalism was on display all around, as all other fighters on the main and preliminary card also made weight.

The favorite coming into the main event at around -300 odds is Tsarukyan (18-2), who hasn't tasted defeat since a 2019 decision loss to Islam Makhachev. "Ahalkalakets" has dominated five opponents since then, including key TKO wins over Christos Giagos …