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Dana White Denies Holding Nate Diaz ‘Hostage,’ Claims Fights Have Been Offered

Nate Diaz made headlines earlier this week when he aired his latest set of grievances with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

During an interview on “The MMA Hour,” the Stockton, Calif., native claimed that the UFC was “holding him hostage” by not offering him a fight so he can complete his existing contracting with the promotion. Following UFC on ABC 3 on Saturday, Dana White responded to Diaz’s comments at the event’s post-fight press conference.

“When isn’t Nate Diaz saying something crazy?” White said. “I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again — we can’t hold guys hostage. It’s not possible.

“I owe you three fights a year. If I don’t fight you three times a year, I have to pay you. How could I hold him hostage?”

Diaz said that he has asked to face “four or five” different opponents and even agreed to a proposed bout against Khamzat Chimaev, but nothing has come to fruition. He hasn’t competed since a loss to Leon Edwards at U…

Brian Ortega Reacts to Early Ending at UFC on ABC 3: ‘Everything Was Going My Way’

Brian Ortega was at a loss to explain what transpired in the UFC on ABC 3 headliner, when his shoulder popped out of place late in Round 1 to give Yair Rodriguez a technical knockout victory.

Ortega suffered the injury while defending an armbar from Rodriguez after landing a takedown. “T-City” denies that his opponent’s submission attempt had anything to do with the fight-ending injury.

“The grip was tight on my arm and it dislocated. That was it, no armlock, no nothing,” Ortega said on the UFC on ABC 3 post-fight show. “It was dislocated. Freak accident. It just sucks. The first time it’s every happened in my entire career. The first time it’s ever happened. I’m just taken aback by it.”

Prior to the stoppage, the matchup was anyone’s game, but Ortega was confident that he was doing what he needed to do up to that point.

“Everything was going my way,” he said. “Literally I was winning every minute of the fight. I was sticking to the game…

Yair Rodriguez Believes He Was ‘Doing Really Well’ Before Brian Ortega Injury

While the UFC on ABC 3 headliner was only just getting started when a Brian Ortega shoulder injury brought the fight to a premature close, Yair Rodriguez was pleased with the way things were unfolding prior to the unfortunate ending.

“I think I was doing really well,” Rodriguez said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I connected with a couple of solid jabs. I think I connected with a good right hand a couple of times, an overhand, and like a cross, and I kind of saw him wobbling. I hit him with a couple of good low kicks, high kicks.”

Rodriguez did appear to be getting the better of the action on the feet, which is probably why Ortega attempted to take the fight to the canvas. Once he did, though, Rodriguez framed an armbar from his back, and that ultimately led to Ortega suffering the fight ending injury as he attempted to free his arm from the submission. From Rodriguez’s perspective, his maneuver played a part in ending Ortega’s night.<…

Eight Fighters Receive $50K Bonuses at UFC on ABC 3

It was another banner night for post-fight bonuses at UFC on ABC 3.

A grand total of eight fighters received $50,000 checks for their work inside the Octagon during the daytime card at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday. That included an obvious “Fight of the Night” selection for Matt Schnell and Su Mudaerji, who engaged in a back-and-forth flyweight slugfest on the main card.

Mudaerji appeared to be on the verge of finishing Schnell on multiple occasions in Round 2, as he rocked his opponent with left hands and elbows. Schnell perservered and rallied to rock Mudaerji with a right hand before landing a takedown, where he pursued a finish with ground-and-pound from above. Mudaerji then reversed into top position, where Schnell secured the finish with a triangle choke from his back at the 4:24 mark of the second period.

Meanwhile, the other six fighters who earned finishes at UFC on ABC all received “Performance of the Night” bonuses: …

Brian Ortega Injury Gives Yair Rodriguez Anticlimactic Win at UFC on ABC 3

Yair Rodriguez got an important victory in the UFC on ABC 3 headliner, but it wasn’t necessarily the statement he wanted to make.

Rodriguez earned a technical knockout victory over Brian Ortega on Saturday when his opponent suffered a right shoulder injury in the first round of their featherweight clash at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. The bout was waved off when Ortega appeared to dislocate his shoulder while attempting to extract himself from a Rodriguez armbar at the 4:11 mark of Round 1.

“It was a really tight fight,” Rodriguez said. “It’s unfortunate that he dislocated his shoulder. I already told him we can run it back anytime. I prepared to win. I guess I did but not the way I wanted.”

The fight was shaping up to be a competitive one before the unfortunate ending. Rodriguez found success landing straight punches and a variety of kicks during exchanges, while Ortega looked to pressure his adversary and close the distance. “T-City” landed a taked…

UFC on ABC 3 ‘Ortega vs. Rodriguez’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC on ABC 3 “Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev” coverage will begin Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

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

BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ducote (-150), Penne (+130)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Grant (-140), Stoltzfus (+120)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Score…

UFC on ABC 3 Prelims: Soriano Halts Two-Fight Skid, Knocks Out Lungiambula

Another look at that @Puna185 finish 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 #UFCLongIsland pic.twitter.com/QokMqaZXZR

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2022

Punahele Soriano showed how quickly he can alter the course of a fight.

After a slow opening round, the heavy-handed Hawaiian exploded for a second-round stoppage of Dalcha Lungiambula in their middleweight bout at UFC on ABC 3 at UBS Elmont Arena in Elmont, New York, on Saturday afternoon. Soriano (9-2, 3-2 UFC) dropped his foe to a knee with an overhand left and then powered Lungiambula (11-5, 2-4 UFC) to the canvas to finish the fight with a series of unanswered shots to the head just 28 seconds into the second stanza.

Lungiambula started well enough, notably landing a hard leg kick that tripped Soriano to the canvas while also securing a pair of takedowns late in the opening period. That success was short lived, as Soriano rushed forward following a Lungiambula kick early in Round 2 to land the pun…

Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev Booked for Vacant 155-Pound Title Shot at UFC 280

The fight you’ve all been asking for 👀@CharlesDoBronxs vs @MakhachevMMA is set for the LW title 👑

[ #UFC280 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/GhqjbwZ0LM

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2022

It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title will soon have a new owner. On Saturday, the UFC announced that former 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira will take on Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, which will go down in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22.

Oliveira (33-8, 1NC; 21-8 1NC UFC) was forced to vacate his championship after missing weight by .5 pounds ahead of UFC 274, setting a precedent as the first UFC champion who failed to make weight ahead of a title match. Even though "Do Bronx” went on to submit Justin Gaethje via rear-naked choke in the first round on that occasion, he was not eligible to win the championship that the UFC declared vacant. Oliveira captured the lightweight title after stopping Micha…

Majority Decision Sends Wellinton Prado Past Italo Gomes in LFA 136 Main Event

Bruno Lopes gets it done! #LFA136 pic.twitter.com/3SYzVVxYAD

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 16, 2022 Wellinton Prado planted his flag in the Legacy Fighting Alliance featherweight division with a majority decision over Italo Gomes in the LFA 136 headliner on Friday at Ubaldo Goncalves Municipal Sports Center in Caraguatatuba, Brazil. Scores were 29-27, 29-27 and 28-28.

Gomes (11-3, 1-1 LFA) benefitted from a point deduction after being poked in the eye in the first round but failed to make the lead stand. Prado (13-2, 1-0 LFA) took down the Tata Fight Team representative multiple times across the final 10 minutes, largely corralled him on the canvas and was emboldened enough to attempt a calf slicer at one point. He iced the win in Round 3, where he climbed to full mount, attacked with elbows to the body and enjoyed a sustained run of positional dominance at Gomes’ expense.

The 22-year-old Prado will carry a th…

Prime Picks: UFC on ABC 3 ‘Ortega vs. Rodriguez’

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iRoIFZWWBk?start=2931&w=560&h=315] The Ultimate Fighting Championship kicks it up a notch when it shifts to the ABC airwaves for UFC on ABC 3 this Saturday on Long Island. With the highest betting favorite around -300 odds, parity is the name of the game for this show at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Prime Picks for this well-matched lineup feature the favored man in the offense-first headliner, a barnburner that should lean towards the local man, an ex-title challenger looking to stave off a former champion and a newcomer who has been a woman possessed at her new weight class. With everything other than the immediate championship implications, the UFC matchmakers knew exactly what they were doing by matching Ortega against Yair Rodriguez. Neither man shies away from a fierce exchange, and both sport chins that hold up to ample punishment and cardio that allows them to succeed even in the later rounds. On the feet, this could be …

ESPN+ Monthly Subscription Cost Hikes 43% to $9.99 Per Month

NEW: Disney will raise the price of ESPN+ to $9.99 a month starting in August https://t.co/9EjcZ2E2DL

— Bloomberg (@business) July 15, 2022 The high cost of being a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship is about to grow even higher.

Per Bloomberg on Friday, ESPN is set to raise the monthly rates of its ESPN+ streaming service again. In September 2021, the price bumped up to $6.99 a month. This next change, which will go into effect on Aug. 23, will result in a significant 43% spike in the cost, as it will move to $9.99 every month. No new content will reportedly be added, and pay-per-view rates for UFC cards are not expected to rise beyond the $74.99 they are now. The Disney-owned organization is not, however, increasing the cost of its proprietary bundle of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu for $13.99/month.

It will now cost U.S.-based fight fans over $1,000 per year if they subscribe to ESPN+ and order the traditional 12 pa…

Injuries, Visa Issues Shake Up UFC 277 Preliminary Lineup

The lineup for the next Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view is practically changing day by day.

On Thursday night, BJPenn.com reported that Ramiz Brahimaj (10-4) had been forced out of his welterweight scrap with Michael Morales (13-0) on UFC 277. Per Brahimaj on his Instagram on Friday, he suffered an injury that will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future. A replacement has not yet been found, but the UFC is looking for someone to step in. This follows the news on Wednesday where Diego Ferreira – the teammate of Brahimaj – and Mariya Agapova withdrew from this July 30 event.

“Breaks my heart to have to confirm that I am off UFC Dallas due to an injury,” Brahimaj wrote. “Unfortunately these injuries can happen during fight prep. I will rehab, and come back stronger. Thank you to Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, Dana White, and the phenomenal medical/sports medicine team that is helping me to get back to 100 percent [of Heather Lind…

UFC on ABC 3 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

We have ourselves a main event, ladies and gentleman

[ @BrianTCity | #UFCLongIsland | Tomorrow | Main Card 2pmET LIVE on @ABCNetwork ] pic.twitter.com/lInHooIWBS

— UFC (@ufc) July 15, 2022 The Ultimate Fighting Championship holds its first network television event of the year on Saturday.

Headlining UFC on ABC 3 is a featherweight bout that promises action between contenders Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. A key divisional bout, the winner will be in a position to potentially make another run toward the title. The 12-fight card is now official with all 24 fighters successfully making weight.

While just 1-2 in his last three fights, Ortega (15-2, 1 NC) has proven himself as one of the division's top mixed martial artists. His recent unanimous decision defeat to champ Alexander Volkanovski saw him lock up a tight guillotine choke, although one that the champion shockingly escaped from. "T-City" officially weighed 146…

Atomweight Quarterfinals, 15 Total Bouts Set for Rizin 37 on July 31

Fight announcements for RIZIN 37 from 2pm JST! Live translation thread will be provided here on our official English Twitter account!

Stay tuned for some great matchups! https://t.co/zTXgTaVeB9

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) July 7, 2022 Rizin Fighting Federation has made the lineup for its 2022 return to the Saitama Super Arena one to remember.

The organization sent out its press release on Thursday morning confirming the 15-bout listing for Rizin 37. This July 31 fight card will post up inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and it will feature the opening round of its first women’s atomweight tournament since 2017. A few matchups have been added, including Marcos Yoshio Souza vs. Daichi Abe at a 176-pound catchweight, while Sora Yamamoto will also be joining the event against Vugar Karamov by replacing Rikuto Shirakawa.

While much of the event had already been put together earlier in July, th…

Larissa Pacheco Expects to Knock Kayla Harrison Out in 2022 PFL Finals Matchup

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cgJMSU2zP0&w=560&h=315] If the Professional Fighters League’s Larissa Pacheco is accurate in her assessment, a million-dollar prize may be within her grasp.

In 2019, Pacheco joined the PFL and entered into its inaugural women’s lightweight bracket. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight had moved up 10 pounds in her lone regional bout after leaving the UFC, beating future UFC talent Karol Rosa at featherweight. Over one year later, she stepped into the PFL cage at lightweight, and she drew the 3-0 Harrison only to drop a decision. The Brazilian bounced back with a quick armbar over Bobbi Jo Dalziel to reach the playoffs, and a decision win over Sarah Kaufman slotted her into the finals, in a rematch against Harrison.

This time, it took Harrison the full five rounds to get the win, but the two-time Olympic gold medalist cleanly swept every round and even earned a 50-43 score on one judge’s card.…

Professional Fighters League Europe to Debut in 2023

While Professional Fighters League will hold a pair of playoff events in the United Kingdom this year, it will be going international in a much bigger fashion in 2023.

The organization announced on Thursday the launch of PFL Europe, which will debut next year. According to a release, all events will be held and broadcast in primetime in Europe, with cards featuring top emerging fighters from the region. PFL Europe is expected to provide an avenue for the best fighters from the league to make it to the “PFL global talent roster.”

“I am pleased to announce the PFL will launch PFL Europe in 2023 to further advance the sport of MMA and fuel PFL’s next phase of global expansion starting in Europe, the number one international MMA growth region,“ said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “Europe is rich with top fighters who are ready to compete in the PFL’s season format on a major stage and passionate MMA fans throughout the region will now have access to premium ev…

UFC 277 Update: Two Fighters Exit July 30 Event Due to Injury

The UFC 277 card has undergone some shuffling, as both Diego Ferreira and Mariya Agapova have been forced to withdraw from their respective bouts.

Ferreira has pulled out of a proposed lightweight clash against Drakkar Klose due to an undisclosed injury. The promotion is currently seeking a replacement opponent for Klose. BJPenn.com was first to report Ferreira’s exit.

Ferreira went 0-3 in 2021, falling to ranked lightweights Beneil Dariush, Gregor Gillespie and Mateusz Gamrot in succession. Prior to that skid, the Fortis MMA product own six consecutive bouts in UFC competition from 2016 to 2020.

Klose has won four of his last five Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 34-year-old Fight Ready representative scored a second-round TKO of Brandon Jenkins at UFC on ESPN 34.

Elsewhere on the UFC 277 bill, Joselyne Edwards will replace Agapova and lock horns with Ji Yeon Kim in a women’s flyweight bout. MMAFighting.com reported the news, adding…

Nate Diaz Pleads to Fight Out UFC Contract: ‘They’re Holding Me Hostage’

Nate Diaz hasn’t been shy about voicing his displeasure with the UFC in recent months.

The popular Stockton, Calif., native discussed his difficulties dealing with the promotion during an appearance on "The MMA Hour," sounding like a fighter who was ready to fulfill his obligations to the UFC and move on to other endeavors.

“I was trying to get this s—t on the road, but they don’t want me out of contract and they’re keeping me in there and they’re holding me hostage,” Diaz said. “And I want out. That’s my main objective here.”

Diaz last competed at UFC 263, where he suffered suffered a unanimous decision loss to current welterweight No. 1 contender Leon Edwards in June 2021. Since then, he claims the UFC hasn’t come through with a concrete offer for a fight, despite plenty of suggestions from his side.

“They haven’t offered me anybody,” Diaz said. “I’ve been asking for fights since whenever. I asked for a lot of fights. I asked for [Vicente] …

Rafael Fiziev to Undergo Nose Surgery, Eyes Late 2022 UFC Return

If Rafael Fiziev is going to fight again in 2022, it won’t be until the end of the year.

The surging lightweight suffered a broken nose in his fifth-round knockout victory against Rafael dos Anjos this past Saturday and will require surgery. “Ataman” is expected to undergo the procedure on Wednesday and is targeting a return by November or December. Ariel Helwani was first to report Fiziev’s injury.

Fiziev referenced a possible injury following his win over dos Anjos at the UFC on ESPN 39 post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

“This is first time in 20 years of fighting and he broke my nose,” Fiziev said then. “I can't breathe now. I think I might need to go to hospital and need surgery.”

Fiziev also called for a fight with two-time title challenger Justin Gaethje. If that comes to fruition, it won’t be until the end of 2022 at the earliest. Fiziev has won six consecutive fights in UFC competition, currently the fourth-longest …

Kayla Harrison’s Quest for Three-Peat Begins at PFL Playoffs in London on Aug. 20

Kayla Harrison will begin her run for a third consecutive Professional Fighters League lightweight championships in earnest on Aug. 20.

The card for the PFL playoff event at the Copperbox Arena in London has been finalized, and Harrison will square off against Czech kickboxer Martina Jindrova in the evening’s featured bout. On the other side of the women’s 155-pound bracket, top seed Larissa Pacheco will face Helena Kolesnyk.

PFL 9 will also include the men’s featherweight semifinals, as Chris Wade takes on Brendan Loughnane, and Ryoji Kudo meets Bubba Jenkins. The main draw airs at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT on ESPN and ESPN+.

“Heading to London is huge for the expansion of the League,” said PFL president of fighter operations Ray Sefo. “We are bringing our brand of MMA to the UK and I’m sure they are going to be as excited as I am to see elite fighters like Kayla Harrison, Chris Wade and Brendan Loughnane compete with so much on the line.”

On…

Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Philip Rowe Removed from UFC on ABC 3 Lineup

A proposed welterweight clash pitting Abubakar Nurmagomedov against Philip Rowe will not happen this Saturday on UFC on ABC 3 as originally planned.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced that troubles for both fighters resulted in the cancellation of the bout. Visa issues forced Nurmagomedov out of the fight, while an injury led to Rowe’s withdrawal.

As a result, UFC on ABC 3 will proceed with 12 fights. The event takes place at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and is headlined by a featherweight duel between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. The main card airs on ABC and ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, while prelims are broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+ at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT.

The 32-year-old Nurmagomedov is 1-1 in UFC competition. He debuted in the Octagon with a first-round submission loss to David Zawada at UFC Fight Night 163 in November 2019 before outpointing Jared Gooden at UFC 260 in March 2021. The Dagestani has compiled a 16-3-1 career …

Coach: UFC to Announce Location, Opponent for Charles Oliveira ‘In About 10 Days’

The mixed martial arts world is eagerly awaiting the date and opponent for Charles Oliveira in a fight for the vacant UFC lightweight title.

Chute Boxe coach Diego Lima recently made it clear that Oliveira had his preferences, which included Conor McGregor in Brazil at the top of the wish list. The backup plan was Islam Makhachev in Brazil, while the least desirable option was to face Makhachev in Abu Dhabi. However, Lima added that the UFC had the last word.

Last Friday in Las Vegas, Oliveira told Combate TV that if the UFC met his payment demands, he would accept a fight with Makhachev in Abu Dhabi.

“It would be great to fight in Brazil against Conor. Everybody knows I’m interested in that fight because of the money and business,” he said. “But if UFC really wants that fight with Makhachev, just put [enough] money in my bank account so that I´ll fight no matter the location. I´m professional, I´m the champion, I’ll fight.” …

Carlos Leal Miranda Targets Dream Bout with Rory MacDonald in PFL Championship

After winning the Legacy Fighting Alliance grand prix in Brazil in 2021, Carlos Leal Miranda made his way to the Professional Fighters League, where he has gone farther than expected in a short period of time.

Miranda earned a spot on the PFL roster with a pair of victories on the Challenger Series before upsetting two-time champion Ray Cooper III on May 6. Now he finds himself in the PFL playoffs and one fight away from competing for a $1 million prize. In an ideal world, the Brazilian would square off against Rory MacDonald in the PFL finals. Miranda faces Sadibou Sy in one welterweight semifinal, while MacDonald meets Magomed Umalatov in the other half of the bracket on Aug. 13.

“I would like to face MacDonald because he was a guy I always watched fighting,” Miranda told Sherdog.com. “I can say I'm a fan. I always watched his fights, and beating a guy I saw on TV would be a great achievement.”

But the welterweight knows that he will h…

Welterweight, Heavyweight Pairings Finalized for PFL Playoffs in Wales on Oct. 13

The pairings are set for Professional Fighters League’s second playoff event on Oct. 13.

PFL 8 takes place at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, and will see welterweights and heavyweights vie for a birth in the PFL Championship. Rory MacDonald and Magomed Umalatov will square off in one half of the bracket at 170 pounds, while Sadibou Sy and Carlos Leal Miranda will lock horns in the other welterweight semifinal. Meanwhile, Ante Delija will square off against Renan Ferreira in one heavyweight playoff bout, while Denis Goltsov will face Bruno Cappelozza in the other semifinal.

The PFL confirmed the matchups on Tuesday, along with a complementary lineup of eight showcase bouts for the undercard. The full lineup for PFL 8 can be viewed here. The main card will air on ESPN and ESPN+, while the non-tournament bouts will stream on ESPN+.

“The Playoffs are always an exciting time and I can’t wait to see these amazing fighters compete for a chance…

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