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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…

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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…

#AndStill | @RyanBader unifies the heavyweight division and retains his title tonight at #Bellatro273. pic.twitter.com/5lN7yNxzAy

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022

When it mattered most, Ryan Bader displayed his championship mettle.

The Power MMA Team stalwart retained his heavyweight crown in the Bellator 273 main event, winning a hard-fought unanimous decision against interim title holder Valentin Moldavsky at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Saturday night. All three judges submitted 48-47 scorecards in favor of Bader, who was defending the belt for the first time since September 2019.

“I thought that fight was really close,” Bader said. “I thought I was doing more damage, rocking him. I knew it was close going to the bell.”

Bader (29-7, 7-2, 1 NC Bellator) nearly put Moldavsky (11-2, 6-1 Bellator) away in short order when he wobbled his Russian adversary with a pair of heavy right hands early in Round 1…

The Paratrooper drops HAMMERS on Spong and finishes him in round 2! #EagleFC44 pic.twitter.com/4KwK0CO6eS

— Eagle Fight Club (@EagleFightClub) January 29, 2022 Sergei Kharitonov, one of the best fighters from the glory days of Pride Fighting Championships, continues to stay afloat in the mixed martial arts world at the ripe old age of 41. Kharitonov trounced fan-favorite striking powerhouse Tyrone Spong Friday night in the main event of Eagle FC 44 in Miami, Fla. Friday night and escaped the skirmish with only a few scratches.

Kharitonov (32-8) absorbed powerful leg kicks and jabs early in the first, but his veteran instincts allowed him to take “The King of the Ring” down easily and dominate from mount position. Spong (2-1) tried to stay on his feet in the second and did well behind the jab, but “The Paratrooper” scored another takedown at the midway point and immediately moved to mount. From there, Kharitonov unloaded punches until referee…

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. It may come as a shock that these two Ultimate Fighting Championship all-action mainstays have never crossed paths before. MMA Junkie was the first to break the news on Friday that Donald Cerrone (36-16, 2 NC) will throw down with Joe Lauzon (28-15) at lightweight on April 30. The UFC Fight Night card on that date does not currently have a destination, but it has been confirmed by the promotion’s broadcast partner of ESPN shortly after its announcement. There is no main event scheduled for the event yet, and this new bout likely serves as the highest billed fight of the lineup thus far.

The two longtime vets combine for 64 Octagon appearances, and they have taken home an incredible 33 post-fight bonus checks over their storied careers. Cerrone will tie the record for the most appearances in company history with 38 when he compete…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZsBfyTOFvY&w=560&h=315] 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. Two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo has embraced the whirlwind since winning his belt back less than a week ago. After four months of hard training at Fight Ready in Arizona, and five rounds of bonus-winning action with Brandon Moreno, Figueiredo could not rest until arriving in Brazil on Thursday. After coming out on top at UFC 270, his team wanted nothing more than to celebrate all through the night. Any hopes of relaxation were out the window for the Brazilian, who found himself surprised by his teammates. Figueiredo spoke to Sherdog after his fight, primed and ready to speak highly of his training partners.

“The climate was so unique,” Figueiredo admitted. “My teammates worked so hard with me for the last four months. Each…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfkBghODmps&w=560&h=315] 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. Two action Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweights won’t disappoint when they are locked in the cage in March. In a past episode of Michael Bisping’s podcast “Believe You Me” on Jan. 14, Paul Craig (15-4-1) hinted that his next opponent would be Nikita Krylov (26-8). On Friday, the promotion revealed that the fight had been made official, with the two throwing down at UFC Fight Night 204 inside London's O2 Arena on March 19. In their combined 55-fight careers, Krylov and Craig have only gone the distance four times.

Krylov has alternated wins and losses in his last six, with an inconsistent return to the UFC in his last five outings that has seen him win against Ovince St. Preux and Johnny Walker. Those victories are interspersed by setbacks to Jan Blacho…

Both One Championship kickboxing finalists showed little difficulty punching their tickets to the featherweight grand prix finale.

In the One: “Only the Brave” headliner, “Sitthichai” Anulak Jansuk barely broke a sweat overcoming Davit Kiria in the semifinal of the featherweight (155-pound) tournament. Former Lumpinee Stadium welterweight king and Glory lightweight titleholder Sitthichai dictated the pace of the match, forcing his opponent to fight off his back foot for most of the contest. The Thai fighter took the initiative, scoring cleaner shots than the decidedly stiff Kiria throughout their three-round clash.

Sitthichai CRACKS Davit Kiria with a head kick! #ONEOnlyTheBrave #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/rc2olSkmmO

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 28, 2022 In the second frame, Sitthichai comfortably displayed a wide array of punches and kicks with little concern of anything coming back his way. Right before…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdo5gGr7E10&w=560&h=315] 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. One Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight’s loss is another’s gain in this era of constant fight replacements. On Thursday, Makhmud Muradov (25-7) announced on Instagram that he had injured his arm and will no longer be competing at UFC Fight Night 202 on Feb. 26. A day later, the organization set a replacement for him in Wellington Turman (17-5), who will step in to face Misha Cirkunov (15-7) at the Las Vegas event inside the UFC Apex. This news first came from MMA Junkie on Friday, and this new pairing has been confirmed by other outlets.

Turman was originally slated to take on Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 270, but Vieira fell ill and pulled out of the matchup on the day of weigh-ins. In his last time out, he fought Sam Alvey and secured a strange split decisio…

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. A surging Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight has a top-10 opponent for a classic striker vs. grappler affair. According to a report from MMA Fighting on Thursday, Andre Muniz (22-4) has his sights set on moving up the rankings, and he will find his next test in Uriah Hall (17-10) on April 16. The two middleweights have agreed to fight one another at the UFC Fight Night on that date, one which does not currently have a venue and location, although the UFC Apex in Las Vegas is on the table. The intriguing stylistic clash has been subsequently confirmed by Muniz on his Instagram on Friday.

Since earning a roster spot on the third season of Dana White's Contender Series, Muniz has shot up the ranks with four wins in four appearances. Debuting by being triumphant on the scorecards over Antonio Arroyo in 2019, the next three …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DETWiAmQUmc&w=640&h=360] Bellator MMA's first event of 2022 is officially set after the Bellator 273 weigh-ins took place.

All fighters but one made weight for the event, which is headlined by a heavyweight unification match between champion Ryan Bader and interim titleholder Valentin Moldavsky. The lone fighter to miss weight is Fabricio Franco (151.2), who came in 5.2 pounds over the featherweight limit, and his bout against Weber Almeida (145.2) was canceled as a result. The card also features two former champions in Benson Henderson (155.8), who goes up against Islam Mamedov (155.6), and Darrion Caldwell (135.8), who looks to correct a two-fight skid at the expense of newcomer Enrique Barzola (136).

This is the first heavyweight bout for Bader (28-7, 1 NC) since 2019 when "Darth" poked Cheick Kongo in the eye to result in a no contest. Since then, Bader lost his light heavyweight belt to Vadim Nemkov, won a unanimous decision…

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. The next Ultimate Fighting Championship card on ESPN has lost its headliner. Per MMA Kultura on Thursday, and later from Ariel Helwani, Jan Blachowicz (28-9) has been forced out of his light heavyweight main event at UFC on ESPN 33 against Aleksandar Rakic (14-2) due to an undisclosed injury. According to the reports, Blachowicz will not be replaced as the matchup will be preserved for a later date, and the UFC is searching for an entirely new main event to sit atop the show at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 26.

Blachowicz was looking to get back in the win column after surrendering his belt to Glover Teixeira in late 2021. The former champ had a five-fight win streak snapped at the conclusion of UFC 267, where he fell victim to a rear-naked choke from the Brazilian. Blachowicz first claimed the vacant strap by …

Dana White on why he wasn't out there for the main event and didn't put the belt on Francis Ngannou.#UFC pic.twitter.com/8Z0BKBwILM

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 27, 2022 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. Ultimate Fighting Championship head Dana White is adamant that there was nothing to read from his nonappearance at the end of UFC 270. Historically, White has served as the person to wrap the belt around the champion’s waist after Bruce Buffer announced the victor in the UFC. While he did hand the flyweight belt to Deiveson Figueiredo at the conclusion of the UFC 270 co-main event, he was noticeable absent for the heavyweight headliner. Instead, matchmaker Mick Maynard presented “The Predator” with his unified title, instantly drawing questions from fans and media alike as to why White was not present. Many speculated that…

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. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight champ Jessica Andrade is moving back to her old stomping grounds of 115 pounds. Last Friday, the news first broke from MMA Fighting, who reported that Andrade (22-9) will be dropping back down to strawweight at an unnamed UFC Fight Night card on April 23. At this event that may be held in the UFC Apex, contingent on the status of the coronavirus pandemic, Andrade will be facing Amanda Lemos (11-1) in a battle between hard-hitting Brazilians. The two women will be competing over the course of five rounds as the main event, and the news has since been confirmed on Thursday by Lemos on her Instagram page.

Andrade shifted gears to the flyweight division after dropping two to Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas. In her 125-pound debut, she handed Katlyn Chookagian her second career stoppag…

Times are tough for 38-year-old combat sports veteran Melvin Guillard.

According to a release from the Association of Boxing Commissions on Thursday, the Florida State Athletic Commission has denied Guillard’s license to compete at BKFC: Knucklemania 2 on Feb. 19. The event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., was to feature a scrap between Guillard and ex-boxer Ulysses Diaz, but it has been shut down due to a “serious concern” regarding Guillard’s health.

“On the surface, the fight might look competitive,” the release noted, “but after doing due diligence, the Executive Director Patrick Cunningham found a serious concern with the health of Melvin Guillard. In checking the certified ABC record sources, BoxRec and the MMA Database, it was determined Guillard is suspended and requires a Neurological Exam, but even if he cleared that Guillard had lost the past four BKB bouts and had lost nine mixed martial art [fights] in a row. His last fight wa…

After over 14 years with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, longtime staple Jeremy Stephens is moving on.

The news first broke on Thursday from MMA Fighting that Stephens (28-19, 1 NC) had concluded his latest UFC contract and has chosen not to re-sign with the promotion. Confirmed shortly thereafter by multiple outlets, his contract came to an end following his meeting with Mateusz Gamrot in July 2021, where he fell short by first-round kimura. Stephens is winless in his last six appearances dating back to 2018, with five defeats and a no contest from an eye poke in the midst of his skid.

Stephens will be leaving the UFC after 34 trips to the Octagon, where he currently holds the spot for the fourth-most fights in company history. “Lil Heathen” had his hand raised 15 times over the years, shifting back and forth from lightweight to featherweight and back. Notable victories include finishes of Rafael dos Anjos and Josh Emmett, as well as decision verdicts over the l…