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Francis Ngannou Provides Tenative Timetable for Return After Knee Surgery

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

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

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

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

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

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

Francis Ngannou Provides Tentative Timetable for Return After Knee Surgery

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gamrot has won four s…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Miesha Tate vs. Lauren Murphy Removed from UFC 276 Card

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mateusz Gamrot Edges Arman Tsarukyan in Competitive UFC on ESPN 38 Headliner

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.

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…

UFC on ESPN 38 ‘Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

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.

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…

UFC on ESPN 38 Prelims: Carlos Ulberg Staggers, Finishes Tafon Nchukwi

The Black Jag POUNCED for the 1st RD finish 🐾

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

— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2022

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…

Rhys McKee Wrecks Justin Burlinson, Captures Vacant Welterweight Title at CW 140

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

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…

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

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.

Johnny Eblen Dominates Gegard Mousasi to Win Middleweight Title at Bellator 282

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.

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…

PFL 5 2022 Regular Season Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

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.

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…

Bellator 282 ‘Mousasi vs. Eblen’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

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.

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…

UFC on ESPN 38 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

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.

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 …

First 2022 PFL Playoff Event to Feature Lightweights, Light Heavyweights in NYC

The Light Heavyweight Semifinals matchups are OFFICIAL! #PFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/lYUzvD3Et6

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 18, 2022 Even while its regular season is still rolling, the Professional Fighters League is gearing up for its playoffs in August.

Via press release, the PFL made official its first fight card of the playoff season, titled PFL 7: 2022 Playoffs. It will go down on Aug. 5 at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York, and lightweights and light heavyweights will be the featured weight classes on the fight card. Three of four at 155 pounds, and all four competitors in the light heavyweight bracket, have all been established, and the matchups for the latter have already been put together.

PFL CEO Peter Murray weighed in on this first event with a statement, writing, “The PFL is excited to bring our first 2022 PFL Playoff event to New York City at the Hulu Theater on Aug. 5. We look forward to an …

Cage Warriors 140 Weigh-in Results: Vacant Title Fight Set

On weight and ready to put on a show tomorrow night at @SSEBelfastArena ?https://t.co/KrvOt9ucJz pic.twitter.com/Mp7IYmUc6x

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) June 24, 2022 Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to Northern Ireland for the first time since 2019 and brings with it a vacant welterweight title fight.

Headlining Cage Warriors 140's nine-fight card is a welterweight bout between Rhys McKee and Justin Burlinson. Both main eventers, and all 18 fighters in total, all successfully made weight for the mixed martial arts card.

McKee (11-4-1) is a UFC veteran and recently bounced back from being cut from the promotion by defeating Aleksi Mantykivi. That's enough for "Skeletor" to get a title opportunity against Burlinson (7-1), who hasn't lost inside the promotion. After getting knocked out on Dana White's Contenders Series against Yohan Lainesse, the Dungeon BJJ and MMA Academy fighter submitted Daniel Skibinski with a guillotine…

PFL 5 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

All #2022PFL5 Fighters have hit the official scale. No one missed weight, so all bouts are official for Friday night!

LIVE Friday, June 246pm ET on ESPN+8pm ET on ESPN & ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/gs8VtCAbOv

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 23, 2022 Professional Fighters League's 2022 season continues this week with a mixture of heavyweight and featherweight talent, along with an Anthony Pettis bout for some added star power.

All 22 fighters made weight for the PFL 5 event. While the 10 heavyweights making weight, including headliners Bruno Cappelozza and Matheus Scheffel, wasn't much of a surprise, it's a more impressive feat for the rest of the bunch. Pettis (25-12) will look to get on his first win streak within the promotion as he faces fellow UFC veteran Steven Ray, who is 0-1 inside the PFL.

Brazilian heavyweight and last year's champ Cappelozza (15-5) will look to extend his five-fight winning streak against his fellow co…

Bellator 282 Weigh-in Results: Middleweight Title Fight Set

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g_iQAnB39Q&w=640&h=360]

The Bellator MMA middleweight championship will officially be on the line at Bellator 282 as both titleholder Gegard Mousasi and challenger Johnny Eblen successfully made weight.

Beyond the main event title fight, there are two other bouts scheduled for five rounds. Two bantamweight grand prix fights will see Leandro Higo take on Danny Sabatello and Magomed Magomedov face Enrique Barzola. All 28 fighters on the card made weight as the weigh-ins were devoid of much drama, aside from a brief shoving match between preliminary competitors.

Mousasi (49-7-2) will look to notch his 50th victory inside the Bellator cage. The champion hasn't lost a fight since 2019, and is currently riding a four-fight win streak. "The Dreamcatcher" most recently demolished Austin Vanderford in under 90 seconds. The Netherlands native officially weighed 185 pounds on the dot.

The challenger is the unde…

Kaitlin Young Steps Up to Take On Kayla Harrison Atop PFL 6 Card

Arguably one of the most interesting potential challenges in undefeated Professional Fighters League star Kayla Harrison’s career has just gone up in smoke.

The PFL’s broadcast partner of ESPN broke the news on Thursday night that Harrison (13-0) will no longer be taking on Julia Budd at PFL 6: 2022 Regular Season. In her place on short notice will be Kaitlin Young (12-12-1), who fought for the PFL in 2021 but did not qualify for a tournament berth. Budd suffered an undisclosed injury, and as a result, she has been eliminated from the women’s lightweight playoffs. With three points thanks to a previous walkover in her last bout, Budd could serve as an alternate if there is a need and she is healthy. Young confidently confirmed this news on her Instagram shortly after it came out.

Young will come into this battle on a losing streak and a flat record of .500, with 12 wins opposite 12 defeats and a 2012 draw with Leslie Smith interspersed among the…

Irene Aldana-Macy Chiasson Bantamweight Bout Set for UFC 279 on Sept. 10

The victor of this Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight bout will be on a win streak, which might be all it takes to get a title shot.

According to ESPN Deportes on Thursday, UFC 279 on Sept. 10 is set to feature Irene Aldana (13-6) vs. Macy Chiasson (8-2) on its lineup at 135 pounds. Aldana has confirmed the fight on her Instagram Stories. There is currently no venue on the books for this fight card, and its headliner is a reported matchup between Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw that has since been disputed by Sterling due to pending contract negotiations.

Aldana will try to keep momentum in her favor against Chiasson, as she previously knocked out Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 264 in 2021. The match, however, was tainted by Aldana missing weight by nearly four pounds. Pairings with Germaine de Randamie and Aspen Ladd fell through following that bout for various reasons, including injury to her opponent and Aldana’s own withdrawal for undisclo…

Diego Lima: Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘Doing Exactly What He Criticized About McGregor’

The coach of ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champ Charles Oliveira did not mince words about others in that division.

In the UFC, there is no champion at 155 pounds. This is due to a dramatic episode on the scale ahead of UFC 274, where then-titleholder Oliveira missed weight. His opponent Justin Gaethje remained the only one of the two eligible to win the belt at night’s end. The Brazilian came back from adversity to submit Gaethje in the first round, and the title remained vacant. UFC President Dana White stated that Oliveira would have a chance to earn his throne back, and Oliveira’s coach Diego Lima spoke to Sherdog on Wednesday about the championship picture and what’s next for his fighter.

“Charles did three belt disputes in 12 months, he is coming from an 11-fight win streak, has beaten all the submission records in UFC history,” an exasperated Lima professed. “If UFC is planning to make an event in Sao Paulo or Rio [in] December…

Bobby Green Out, Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller 2 Booked for UFC 276

Bobby Green is out of next week’s fight against Jim Miller for undisclosed reasons. Cowboy Cerrone will fill his spot against Jim Miller at UFC 276 at 170 pounds, per UFC. Miller’s 40th UFC fight, Cowboy’s 38th (and 48th UFC/WEC appearance combined). pic.twitter.com/qm738luENS

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 23, 2022 It appears the Ultimate Fighting Championship is moving on from Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon for now.

Per ESPN on Thursday, Bobby Green is no longer able to compete at UFC 276 on July 2. In his stead against Jim Miller (34-16, 1 NC) will be former foe Donald Cerrone (36-16, 2 NC). The two will be competing at welterweight, instead of Miller’s initially planned weight class against Green at 155 pounds, likely due to the short-notice nature of the opponent switch. The two first met at UFC Fight Night 45 in the main event of their 2014 clash, and Cerrone won in a back-and-forth battle by knockout from a head kick.

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PFL Signs Middleweights Mohammad Fakhreddine, Tarek Suleiman to Roster

Professional Fighters League is further expanding its presence in the Middle East region by signing two talented finishers.

On Wednesday, PFL announced via press release that it had signed two international competitors to exclusive contracts. From Lebanon, PFL snagged two-division middleweight and light heavyweight Brave Combat Federation champ Mohammad Fakhreddine (15-4, 2 NC). Out of Syria, it picked up former UAE Warriors 205-pound kingpin Tarek Suleiman (12-8, 1 NC). It is unclear which divisions these fighters will be competing at, as the PFL no longer maintains maintain a 185-pound division in its tournaments. Their debuts have not yet been set.

Fakhreddine will join the promotion celebrating an 80% knockout rate, with each of his last eight victories coming by way of knockout. A longtime Brave fighter that first joined that league back at Brave CF 4, “The Latest” shifted from welterweight to middleweight as he moved up its ranks. Although u…

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