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Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Newly minted Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo has experienced a litany of attacks from fans on the internet since beating Brandon Moreno. Following his fiery interview on the MMA Hour, where Figueiredo asked for one million dollars to make a fourth fight with Brandon Moreno, the champ discarded the possibility for revenge in Mexico. At the end of UFC 270, “Daico” claimed he would be willing to face Moreno in his home country of Mexico, but he has since changed his mind. On Thursday, the flyweight champion held a press conference at his Team Figueiredo gym in Belem, Brazil, where he spoke of racist attacks he has suffered from fans online.

“Since Moreno said I was a great fighter but a terrible human being, I’ve been suffering attacks from Mexicans who are being racist with me, calling me a ‘mo…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p43GrO_2Tjg&w=560&h=315]

The heavyweights will be in the spotlight for Week 6 of the PFL Challenger Series on March 25.

The promotion announced on Wednesday the matchups for all four heavyweight bouts: former UFC middleweight talent Bevon Lewis vs. Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Marcelo Nunes; undefeated Brazilian prospect Giacomo Lemos vs. 2019 Legacy Fighting Alliance heavyweight tournament champion Brett Martin; undefeated Bellator veteran Adam Keresh vs. ex-Dana White’s Contender Series competitor Chad Johnson and former Temple University fullback Daiqwon Buckley vs. Jackson-Wink MMA representative Jon Cunningham.

One winner will be selected to compete in the heavyweight division for the 2022 PFL season or will receive a developmental contract in hopes of appearing in a future PFL campaign.

The PFL Challenger Series takes place at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., and airs on Fubo Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT…

It’s not exactly a retirement announcement, but it doesn’t sound like Megan Anderson will be resuming her mixed martial arts career anytime soon, either.

The former UFC featherweight title challenger and Invicta FC champion released a statement via social media providing an update on her fight plans, or in this case — a lack thereof.

“For all those that are asking and continue to ask me daily, I have no plans to fight right now,” Anderson wrote on Instagram. “I'm not saying that I will never fight again, but at this point in my life, I'm loving everything else I'm doing. From gaming and streaming, working as an analyst for ESPN and Invicta, and currently filming my first major feature film. I couldn't be happier and fighting really isn't on my mind.

“I'm currently not affiliated with any gym, I'm not signed to any promotion right now and haven't been pursuing a new fight contract. I appreciate the love and interest from everyone hoping to see me in the cage…

The ground game of @AndreMunizUFC is NO JOKE #UFC269 pic.twitter.com/oWFvJ2Cw4h

— UFC (@ufc) December 12, 2021

Andre Muniz will take a four-fight promotional winning streak into his matchup with “The Ultimate Fighter 17” finalist Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night on April 16.

“Hall is very tough, experienced guy who already had great fights against top opponents,” Muniz told Sherdog.com. “We already studied some of his fights against jiu-jitsu opponents and we know how hard it is to take him down. He has good takedown defense and strong jabs and spinning kicks.

“So there is no easy way to fight him. I will have to brawl with him, answering every single strike, pressuring him and when I get the right timing, take him down.”

Muniz, who lives in Minas Gerais, Brazil, came to Rio de Janeiro on Jan. 30 to begin his camp at Tata Fight Team.

“I’m already in Rio doing my camp at TFT with my masters Philipe Lima and Tata Duarte,” Muniz sai…

More PFL Challenger Series Matchups are Set #PFLonFuboTV pic.twitter.com/VX4Clb65tz

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 2, 2022

The pairings are in place for two more PFL Challenger Series events.

The promotion on Wednesday announced the matchups for the women’s lightweight card on March 4 and men’s featherweight bill on March 11. Both events air on the Fubo Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on their respective dates.

The four 155-pound female bouts for the PFL Challenger Series are as follows: Martina Jindrova vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti; Jackie Cataline vs. Evelyn Martins; Julia Dorny vs. Jeslen Michelle and Michelle Montague vs. Olivia Parker. Jindrova vs. Cavalcanti will receive top billing on the card.

Noticeably absent from the lineup is French Olympic wrestler Cynthia Vescan, who was originally announced as part of the lightweight field. A reason for Vescan’s departure was not given in the PFL release.

Meanwhile, the four men’s …

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After the controversy surrounding his inability to make the middleweight limit for his last fight with Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa surprised the MMA community by demanding an immediate rematch with “The Italian Dream.”

Vettori ultimately agreed to face Costa at 205 pounds in the UFC Fight Night 196 main event this past October and defeated the Brazilian via unanimous decision. It was Costa’s second consecutive loss within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“I don't respect him. I want to end his life. He's an asshole, a fool. He had this victory over me and he thinks he's 'the man,’” Costa told Brazilian outlet Ag Fight. “But he's an asshole, he can't even wear his shorts right. But I will fight him again. Well, at least I intend to.”

Costa revealed that he has one fight remaining on his UFC contract, but he is only interested in facing Vettori. “Borrachina” says he has made his wishes very clear.

<…

Marlon Moraes will attempt to snap the first losing streak of his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure when he faces Yadong Song at UFC Fight Night 203 next month. His plans were threatened a few weeks ago, however, when he grew ill en route to Phuket, Thailand for training, an illness that ended up being COVID. In an exclusive conversation with Sherdog, Moraes talked about the nightmarish situation of being sick and under quarantine in another country, the reasons the American Top Team mainstay was in Thailand in the first place, and whether it affected his preparations for the Song fight.

You last fought in September of 2021. You’re currently booked to fight again in March. Around Jan. 12, you revealed that you were COVID-positive in Thailand. Can you provide an update since that time?I caught COVID. I got a bit sick. I was isolated for some time. I was afraid that I wouldn’t have sufficient time to get ready for my fight but thankfully, I recovered fast. I’ve been i…

Jiri Prochazka is the latest big name to head to Fight Ready to prepare for an upcoming bout.

ESPN first reported that Prochazka would train at the Arizona-based camp, and former two-division UFC champ Henry Cejudo posted a photo alongside Prochazka on social media. Prochazka joins a growing list of notable fighters who have spent time at Fight Ready, including former 205-pound king Jon Jones, flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo, ex-strawweight queen Weili Zhang and featherweight contender Chan Sung Jung, to name a few.

Prochazka, who is normally anchored at Jetsaam Gym Brno, is scheduled to challenge for light heavyweight gold against reigning champion Glover Teixiera at UFC 274 on May 7. The event was originally slated for Rio de Janeiro but is expected to relocated to an as yet to be announced venue in the United States.

A former Rizin Fighting Federation title holder, Prochazka is currently on a 12-bout winning streak that includes 11 victories via knockou…

The UFC Fight Night card on May 21 has its main event, as Holly Holm is expected to square off against Ketlen Vieira in a women’s bantamweight bout.

Both fighters have agreed to a five-round headlining bout, which was initially reported by Ariel Helwani. Additionally, two-time light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson will remain at heavyweight for a matchup with Ben Rothwell. Frontkick Online initially brought word of the Gustafsson-Rothwell pairing.

A former bantamweight champion and featherweight title challenger, Holm hasn’t seen action since a convincing five-round verdict over Irene Aldana in the UFC on ESPN 16 main event in October 2020. Since then, injuries have forced the Jackson-Wink MMA product to withdraw from proposed bouts against Julianna Pena on May 8 and against Norma Dumont on Oct. 16. Holm has won three of her last four Octagon appearances.

Vieira is coming off a 1-1 2021 campaign that saw her drop a unanimous decision to Yana …

After nearly two years on the sidelines, Blagoy Ivanov will return to the Octagon to face Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 274.

De Lima confirmed the heavyweight booking on social media following an initial report from BJPenn.com. UFC 274 takes place at an as yet to be announced location and features a pair of title bouts at the top of the card: Glover Teixeira vs. Jiri Prochazka at light heavyweight and Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje at lightweight.

A former World Series of Fighting Champion, Ivanov hasn’t competed since a split-decision defeat against Augusto Sakai at UFC on ESPN 9 in May 2020. The Bulgarian heavyweight is 2-3 in UFC competition, with victories over Tai Tuivasa and Ben Rothwell. His 18-4 career mark includes a 6-1 stint in Bellator MMA.

De Lima, meanwhile, has been victorious in three of his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 36-year-old Brazilian stopped Rothwell via TKO in 32 seconds at UFC Fight Night 197 this past Novemb…

While it wasn’t surprising to see Jon Jones weigh in on the UFC 270 headliner via social media, reigning heavyweight king Francis Ngannou isn’t holding his breath regarding a potential fight with the former 205-pound champion.

“If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, I’m excited about it,” Jones wrote following Ngannou’s unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane on Jan. 22. “Got some more records to break.”

If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, I’m excited about it. Got some more records to break

— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 23, 2022

Jones, of course, hasn’t fought since February 2020, when he edged Dominick Reyes in a light heavyweight title defense at UFC 247. In the meantime, “Bones” has often mused about his long-awaited heavyweight debut, but thus far, nothing has come to fruition.

That fact isn’t lost on Ngannou, who has been linked to a mega-fight with Jones since before he won the heavyweight title. “The Predator” is…

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A middleweight clash pitting Sam Alvey against Phil Hawes won’t happen at UFC Fight Night 200 as originally planned.

Alvey announced the bout’s cancellation on his YouTube page, revealing that Hawes had been forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.

“I hope he’s OK. I heard he’s injured. I don’t know exactly what happened,” Alvey said. “My prayers are with him. I hope he heals.”

Now, Alvey will square off against Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night 200 on short notice. Multiple outlets confirmed the new middleweight booking following an initial report from Eurosport. Hawes was the second proposed opponent for Alvey at UFC Fight Night 200, as Ian Heinisch also withdrew from the event.

“Smile’n” Sam is currently mired in a seven-bout winless streak in which a draw against Da Un Jung at UFC 254 is the only non-defeat during that period. Alvey hasn’t won a bout in the Octagon since June 201…

Lightweight matchups set for PFL Challenger Series on March 18 https://t.co/Vmw3eaRxnA

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) February 1, 2022

The lightweight matchups have been finalized for the PFL Challenger Series event on March 18.

The promotion on Tuesday the following four pairings: Road FC veteran Bruno Miranda vs. Rose City Fight Club representative Carson Frei; former Valor FC champion Damir Ferhatbegovic vs. City Kickboxing export B.J. Bland; Olivier Aubin-Mercier training partner Michael Dufort vs. Elevation Fight Team member Arut Pogosjan and unbeaten Israeli Yanal Ashmoz vs. Wiggins, Miss., native Dennis Hughes Jr.

One winner from that group will receive a contract to compete in the lightweight division during the 2022 PFL season, or at the very least, a developmental deal that could put them on the track to join the organization for a future season.

The card takes place at Universal Studios and airs on Fubo Sports Network beginn…

If all goes as planned, Paul Daley will be hanging up the four-ounce gloves after one final bout at Bellator London.

Daley revealed during an appearance on "The MMA Hour" Monday that he plans on retiring following the May 13 event. The soon-to-be 39-year-old Englishman doesn’t yet have an opponent for Bellator London, which takes place at the SSE Arena and is headlined by a welterweight title tilt between Yaroslav Amosov and Michael Page.

“May 13 will be last one,” Daley said. “It will be my retirement fight after many years in the game – the hours on the road, the hours in the gym have caught up with me. And now every day, I wake up with a bad back and I’m just tired. Most definitely (I’ll retire). I’ve put a lot of time in the sport, and I’m in a position to retire, fortunately. … I don’t want to be one of those fighters who’s getting knocked out all the time by the younger guys. I want to be the guy that goes out when I want to go out.”

Daley has compet…

Jeremy Stephens wasn’t a free agent for long.

The 34-fight UFC veteran announced during an appearance on “The MMA Hour” that he has signed with Professional Fighters League with the intention to compete at lightweight during the promotion’s 2022 season, which is slated to begin in April. Stephens didn’t rule out competing at other weight classes for future PFL seasons. Last week it was revealed that Stephens elected not to re-sign with the UFC after a lengthy tenure that began in 2007.

“It’s a great organization, the fighters over there, the matchups, the potential,” Stephens said. “They’re gonna pay me a little bit more than the UFC, and I have a chance at a million dollars, which is doable, which I really love. Maybe go in there, win that million dollars, and I like the fact that they fight back to back, month after month. I’m not getting any younger. I love to constantly be fighting. I don’t like sitting and waiting for opponents six months down the road. I…

One Championship will hold a minimum of 24 events in 2022 — with potential for more.

The Singapore-based promotion announced its live-event calendar for the rest of the year on Monday, and it will feature 22 more fight cards in addition to the two that have already taken place in January. One “Heavy Hitters” went down on Jan. 14, while One “Only the Brave” happened on Jan. 28 — both at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

“We are thrilled to announce our 2022 live event calendar for One Championship. We have 24 blockbuster events scheduled so far, with more to come,” One Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong stated in a release. “We will continue to showcase the absolute best in World Championship talent, martial arts skill, and entertainment value.”

The promotion’s next event is One “Bad Blood” on Feb. 11 in Singapore. That card is headlined by a featherweight title fight between reigning champion Bibiano Fernandes and UFC veteran John Lineker. Another noteworthy date for 20…

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Already popular in the United States, mixed combat sports events now appear to be gaining a foothold in Brazil.

“Fight Music Show,” an event featuring a mix of professional fighters from various disciplines and celebrities, went down in Brazil on Sunday. The main event featured Brazilian YouTube personality Whindersson Nunes, who has more than 100 million followers on social media, and former four-time world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas, over eight, two-minute rounds in a boxing match. The event was broadcast by the Combate channel and featured eight fights -- four MMA, one kickboxing and three boxing – in front of a packed arena of 2,000 people at Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina State.

In attendance were notables like Charles Oliveira, Paulo Costa, Wanderlei Silva, Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as well as many other Brazilian celebrities. The interval between the three boxing main e…

After being finished in two of his last three light heavyweight appearances, Ryan Bader had something to prove at Bellator 273.

The Arizona native delivered in front of the home folks, rallying for a gutsy five-round verdict over Valentin Moldavsky in a heavyweight title unification bout at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Saturday night. It was a much-needed victory for Bader on the heels of a 51-second TKO defeat to Corey Anderson in the semifinals of the light heavyweight grand prix in the same venue this past October, but the former two-division champion believes people were burying him a little too soon.

“MMA is a weird, fickle sport,” Bader said at the Bellator 273 post-fight press conference. “They can look at your last fight, even though it’s big guys, small gloves, throwing at each other – the best in the world. You take one step back and people write you off. They don’t look at your body of work. It’s, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ I always knew I w…

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

If Ali Abdelaziz gets his way, Kamaru Usman will challenge for UFC middleweight gold at some point in the near future.

The reigning welterweight champion is expected to defend his belt against Leon Edwards next, but if that goes as planned, Usman’s manager envisions a scenario where “The Nigerian Nightmare” moves up a weight class in a bid to become the UFC’s next champ-champ.

“The next victim is Leon Edwards, “Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports. “Great fighter but he will get finished under three rounds. Fact. It’s gonna happen. The welterweight division in the UFC right now is very interesting. Kamaru is gonna beat him. I want him to beat Leon Edwards and then I want him to go fight Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title.”

After a recent interview with GQ where Usman admitted he considered jumping up two divisions last year to avoid a fight against fellow Nigerian Adesanya, such a scenario might seem…

.@RyanBader will face @Kongo4Real on May 6th for a heavyweight championship bout rematch! pic.twitter.com/Dzy6bPA1HH

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022

Although Fedor Emelianenko wanted to avenge a heavyweight grand prix loss to Ryan Bader in his farewell bout, Bellator president Scott Coker said it was only fair that Cheick Kongo receive the next shot at the promotion’s heavyweight belt.

After Ryan Bader defended the crown with a grueling five-round verdict over interim champ Valentin Moldavsky in the Bellator 273 main event, the promotion announced that the Arizonan’s next title defense would come against Kongo in a rematch in Paris this May. There is unfinished business between the two, as their first meeting in 2019 ended prematurely when Kongo was unable to continue following an accidental eye poke.

“This was a fight that we’d been putting together for a while,” Coker said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “It was…

If it ultimately proves to be his swan song, Benson Henderson authored a vintage performance in the Bellator 273 co-main event on Saturday night.

The MMA Lab stalwart ended Isam Mamedov’s 20-bout unbeaten streak at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., winning a hotly-contested split decision that was a classic Henderson nail-biter. “Smooth” has shown a knack for emerging on the right side of the scorecards in such outings, posting a 6-2 record in Bellator and UFC competition in bouts that end via split decision.

After completing the final fight on his existing contract, it’s unclear how long Henderson will continue to make judges’ lives difficult in Bellator — or anywhere else for that matter.

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be doing this for Bellator, so I wanted to soak it all in,” Henderson said at the Bellator 273 post-fight press conference. “I’m not sure if this is going to be my last fight or not, so I wanted to enjoy it, wanted to enjoy the ‘W,’ e…

Credit: Getty/UFC

Chase Hooper will square off against Felipe Dias Colares in a featherweight matchup at UFC Fight Night on May 21.

Hooper announced the booking on social media following an initial report from Combate. It is the first confirmed bout for the event, which doesn’t have an official location or venue.

The 22-year-old Hooper has lost two of his last three Octagon appearances. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum last competed at UFC 263, where he dropped a unanimous decision against Steven Peterson. His 2-2 promotional mark also includes wins over Peter Barrett and Daniel Teymur as well as a defeat at the hands of Alex Caceres.

Colares has also lost two of his last three bouts and is coming off a split-decision setback to Chris Gutierrez at UFC Fight Night 194 last October. The former Jungle Fight competitor is 2-3 within the Las Vegas-based promotion and 10-3 as a professional overall.

Mere moments after a grueling win over Valentin Moldavsky in the Bellator 273 headliner, Ryan Bader already had his next assigment.

The California-based promotion announced on Saturday that Bader’s next heavyweight title defense will come in a rematch against Cheick Kongo at Bellator Paris on May 6. The event will take place at Accor Arena in Paris, France, and the main card will air on Showtime. It is the second Bellator event held in France since MMA was legalized in the country.

"Bringing Bellator to France in 2020 was one of the highlights of my career, and I knew that it was the start of a long run of big events in Paris," Bellator president Scott Coker said. "Here we are ready for our second trip to France and this time we are bringing a heavyweight world title rematch featuring arguably the most recognizable French mixed martial artist in our sports history. It's personally important to me to help grow the sport in France and give these athletes a chance to per…

Sherdog's live Bellator 273 coverage kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Trsiten Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Trsiten Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Trsiten Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Trsiten Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Trsiten Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Trsiten Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the r…