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If Amanda Nunes had won as expected at UFC 269, it could have set the stage for a massive showdown with one of the sport’s top free agents.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist and Professional Fighters League champion Kayla Harrison was in attendance at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night when Nunes suffered a second-round submission loss to Julianna Pena in arguably the biggest upset of 2021. At the evening’s post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White addressed what might have been.

“These are those things, man,” White said. “For like a Kayla Harrison, the Amanda Nunes fight was huge. I mean, if they would have faced off, it would have been a massive, you know, mega-million-dollar fight.”

Harrison became a free agent after winning the PFL 155-pound title for a second time this past October. The judoka is 12-0 thus far in her professional career and has rarely been challenged inside the cage while amassing 10 finishes. Her next destination has not been determ…

Even in retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov looms large over the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division.

While Charles Oliveira has respect for the undefeated Dagestani, he believes his accomplishments have allowed him to escape the shadow of the former 155-pound title holder. Oliveira earned his 10th consecutive triumph in the UFC 269 headliner on Saturday, submitting Dustin Poirier with a rear-naked choke 62 seconds into the third round of their championship encounter at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“[Khabib Nurmagomedov] was a great fighter, a great champion,” Oliveira said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “He had his history and his legacy, but he retired and now legacy and history have a new name at lightweight, and it’s Charles Oliveira.”

Despite entering UFC 269 as the defending champion, Oliveira was an underdog against Poirier, who turned down a title shot earlier this year in favor of a lucrative trilogy against Conor McGregor.…

When you beat an opponent that was widely regarded as the greatest female fighter of all-time, you get a little bit more power at the bargaining table. That doesn’t mean Julianna Pena is going to make Amanda Nunes wait, however.

Pena scored arguably the biggest upset of 2021 — and one of the biggest in UFC history — when she submitted Nunes to claim the bantamweight crown in the UFC 269 co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Given Nunes’ track record, it seems possible that a rematch could be imminent, and that’s something Pena is willing to embrace.

“We can do it next, I’m free next month, two months from now – whenever they want to do it I’m ready,” Pena said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “If she wants to do a rematch, we can do a rematch. I’ve always been a company girl. Whatever they want to do — we’ll talk about that later. I just want to enjoy the moment right now.”

After dropping the opening round to the reigning …

After five minutes in the Octagon with Charles Oliveira in the UFC 269 main event, Dustin Poirier liked his chances.

“I felt good,” Poirier said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “After the first round sitting on my stool going into the second, [I’m] drinking water and thinking ‘I’m gonna be the world champion tonight.’ It’s such a crazy thing that we do.”

Poirier flashed his power in Round 1, dropping Oliveira while landing a whopping 54 significant strikes in the frame. Momentum shifted in the second stanza, however, when he rolled to escape an armbar attempt and ended up on his back. Poirier would spend the rest of the round on the canvas as Oliveira battered him with elbows from above. Poirier’s efforts to scramble out of the position were limited because he didn’t want to risk being submitted, but as it turned out, that approach only delayed the inevitable.

“I knew his jiu-jitsu was some of the best — most submissions in UFC history coming into thi…

ABSOLUTE CHAOS AND FANFARE AFTER PEÑA WON #UFC269 pic.twitter.com/e0dNAdKBkn

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 12, 2021

Julianna Pena’s upset victory over Amanda Nunes shocked fans and fighters alike, but Michael Chiesa’s attempt to celebrate with his teammate, while well intended, ultimately was a moment to forget.

When Pena submitted Nunes with a rear-naked choke in the second-round in the UFC 269 co-main event, video footage from promotion broadcast partner ESPN captures Chiesa climbing over the railing in an attempt to rush the Octagon in the immediate aftermath of the fight. According to UFC president Dana White, Chiesa suffered some minor cuts and bruises before being escorted out of the arena by police. The incident was later confirmed by MMAFighting.com with someone from Chiesa's camp.

“How do I say this without embarrassing the guy,” White said at the UFC 269 post-fight press conference. “He had a little bit too much to drink this …

Following a memorable year-end pay-per-view at UFC 269, the promotion was feeling generous with its post-fight bonus payouts.

All told, eight fighters received $50,000 checks, including reigning lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and newly-crowned bantamweight queen Julianna Pena.

Oliveira received a “Performance of the Night” bonus — one of six awarded on the evening — for his third-round submission of Dustin Poirier in the evening’s main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Do Bronx” absorbed some heavy shots early, turned the tide in Round 2 with ground-and-pound and then quickly tapped his foe with a rear-naked choke 62 seconds into the third frame to defend the 155-pound belt.

Pena also garnered a “Performance of the Night” award thanks to a victory that may very well go down as the “Upset of the Year” in 2021. Pena baited Amanda Nunes into a brawl in the second round, and when the Brazilian fatigued, “The Venezuelan” landed a takedown and secured …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 269 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The cries of those who question Charles Oliveira’s validity as champion have grown faint, their sound blunted by yet another virtuoso performance from the finely tuned Brazilian. “Do Bronx” retained the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title, as he submitted Dustin Poirier with a standing rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC 269 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Poirier (28-7, 20-6 UFC) surrendered 62 seconds into Round 3.

Oliveira (32-8, 20-8 UFC) assaulted the Louisianan with vicious kicks and knees to the body for much of the first round, all while pushing a merciless pace. Poirier answered in spurts and even dropped the Chute Boxe rep with a right hook, but it soon became clear that the champion’s strategy was taking its intended toll. Oliveira scrambled into top position e…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 269 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC 269 “Oliveira vs. Poirier” coverage will begin Saturday at 6 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:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the …

A long-rumored middleweight title rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker is now official for UFC 271.

The promotion announced the bout during the UFC 269 broadcast on Saturday. UFC 271 takes place at the Toyota Center in Houston on Feb. 12. Adesanya defeated Whittaker via second-round knockout at UFC 243 to claim the 185-pound belt on Oct. 5, 2019.

Since his first meeting with Whittaker, Adesanya has gone 3-1 in UFC competition, with successful 185-pound title defenses against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori. “The Last Stylebender” suffered his first career defeat at UFC 259, when he moved up a division and fell to Jan Blachowicz via unanimous decision in a light heavyweight title bout this past March.

Whittaker, meanwhile, has gone 3-0 since his loss to Adesanya, with a decision wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum solidifying his status as the division’s No. 1 contender. The 30-year-old PMA Super Martial Arts rep…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 269 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Power was once again the great equalizer for Josh Emmett.

The Team Alpha Male mainstay kept his name relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division, as he took a three-round unanimous decision from Dan Ige in the featured UFC 269 prelim on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for Emmett (17-2, 8-2 UFC).

Ige (15-5, 7-4 UFC) faced an uphill climb after a difficult first round. Emmett decked him with a thudding right hand, jumped into top position with his ground-and-pound and established an early advantage. Ige answered in Round 2, where he dazed the Phoenix native with a left hook and followed it with a burst of punches in a bid to finish. Those efforts failed to net the desired result, and Emmett slowly but surely regained his faculties. Ige appeare…

Things are heating up ! pic.twitter.com/SJOtON9vkn

— ares_fighting (@ares_fighting) December 11, 2021

After taking a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ares Fighting Championship returned for its sophomore event on Saturday at Marcel Cerdan Arena in Paris, France.

The Ares FC 2 headliner was a showdown between former Ultimate Fighting Championship 125-pound title challenger Wilson Reis and fellow UFC alum Taylor Lapilus. The contestants tested each other’s skills on the feet in the first frame. In front of a partisan crowd, Lapilus denied all his opponent’s takedowns and dropped Reis (24-12, 0-1 Ares) once. The Brazilian immediately bounced back and swept his opponent in hopes of securing a rear-naked choke. Lapilus escaped the tough spot and retaliated with some punches, finishing the round on top.

In the second frame, Lapilus scored with knees to his opponent’s body before staying true to his “Double Impact” nickname and knocking…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHuSeTGEc_o&w=640&h=360] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 269 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Not every fight on the final Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view card on the year will make it to the finish line, but both championship tilts are official. The main event will see lightweight champion Charles Oliveira take on Dustin Poirier in a heavily anticipated clash. Meanwhile, the co-main event sees bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes look to make another defense of her title against Julianna Pena. While all championship fighters made weight, preliminary competitors Priscila Cachoeira and Alex Perez were both heavy by three pounds and .25 pounds, respectively. As a result of medical issues for Perez' opponent Matt Schnell, the fight has been scrubbed from the lineup.

This marks the first title defense for "Do Bronx," who won the belt after picking up a T…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Renan Barao has the date of his comeback set.

Barao (34-9, 1 NC) saw his release from the promotion in 2019 on the heels of five losses. The Brazilian has attempted several times to compete since then, with a Taura MMA event scuttled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Most recently, Barao was booked against Tyson Duckworth at Premier FC 32 in Massachusetts on Nov. 19, but Duckworth never boarded his plane from Alaska and withdrew from the match due to personal reasons within his camp. “The Baron” already has arranged for his next fight.

On Wednesday, Barao revealed to Super Lutas the date, location and organization of his comeback: Jan. 28 in Miami at Eagle FC 44. Sherdog has since confirmed the signing, although his opponent has not yet been determined.

“I had an excellent camp at Pitbull Brothers to fight at PFC in November in Springfield, [Mass.], but unfortunately the fight was canceled, now I’m back to Na…

／Yogibo presents #RIZIN33＼

：12.31(金) 14:00開始(予定)：さいたまスーパーアリーナ：https://t.co/ulXsBcdRdO

チケット一般発売 12.12(日)10:00~

フジテレビ系列全国放送：12.31(金) 18:00~#大晦日 #フジテレビ pic.twitter.com/cVBWZlFQ4R

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) December 9, 2021 Fans of Rizin Fighting Federation can breathe a sigh of relief as the traditional New Year’s Eve show in Japan is going big again.

Per a press release from the league on Thursday morning, Rizin has made official a number of matches expected to take place on Rizin 33 on Dec. 31. In an announcement press conference helmed by Rizin head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the travel ban implemented in Japan will allow for international competitors coming to the country until the year’s end. Additionally, the Saitama Super Arena will be allowed to fill to full capacity, up from the 50% past Rizin shows had been permitted by the government.

“We have been officially told th…

／Yogibo presents #RIZIN33＼

：12.31(金) 14:00開始(予定)：さいたまスーパーアリーナ：https://t.co/ulXsBcdRdO

チケット一般発売 12.12(日)10:00~

フジテレビ系列全国放送：12.31(金) 18:00~#大晦日 #フジテレビ pic.twitter.com/cVBWZlFQ4R

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) December 9, 2021 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 10 reflect a correction from the organization about international competitors.

The final Rizin Fighting Federation blockbuster show of the year may end up being composed solely of domestic fighters, with international travel restrictions hampering the card until Dec. 30.

Per a press release from the league on Thursday morning, Rizin has made official a number of matches expected to take place on Rizin 33 on Dec. 31. In an announcement press conference helmed by Rizin head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, he announced that the Saitama Super Arena will be allowed to fill to full capacity, up from the 50…

Mark Your Calendar: February 18, 2022 #PFLonFuboTV pic.twitter.com/fQ2Il7FqPR

— PFL (@PFLMMA) December 9, 2021

Editor's note: The article has been updated at 12:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 9 to reflect additional information on the official capacity of the celebrity judges.

Professional Fighters League has announced a multi-year partnership with fuboTV to stream the new PFL Challenger Series next year.

The PFL Challenger Series is designed to allow the winners to earn a spot on the upcoming PFL season, making it somewhat similar to the format utilized by Dana White’s Contender Series. The PFL Challenger Series will debut on Feb. 18 next year and will stream on consecutive Friday nights in February, March and April on fuboTV and its linear network, Fubo Sports Network.

However, the PFL will apparently differ from the Contender Series in the way that fighters are selected to compete in the season.

“PFL Challenger Series is not your f…

Jon Jones has been on the sidelines since February 2020, but if all goes as planned, the former UFC light heavyweight champion will be ready to return to action next year.

In an interview with Albuquerque, N.M.-based station KRQE, Jones targeted two potential dates to make his heavyweight debut. In the meantime, “Bones” will be an interested observer when Francis Ngannou squares off against Ciryl Gane in a title unification bout at UFC 270 on Jan. 22.

“I’m looking to fight somewhere in April, possibly Madison Square Garden, or a total opposite date, possibly July at International Fight Week,” Jones said. “Those are the two dates that I’m kind of eyeing. I think it’ll depend on who wins in January between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane, and we’ll just take it from there.”

In the wake of his arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident, Jones was banned from his longtime training home, Jackson-Wink MMA at the behest of owner Mike Winkeljohn. He has kept ties …

After being arrested for driving while intoxicated and carrying an unlicensed weapon on Thanksgiving, it appeared that Geoff Neal might have bigger concerns than his UFC 269 fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio.

As it turns out, there is still much to be resolved regarding Neal’s case, and the welterweight made it to UFC 269 media day to address the situation. Shortly after news of his arrest broke, UFC officials confirmed the bout against Ponzinibbio would move forward as planned. For now, Neal is awaiting the results of his post-arrest blood screening to contest his DWI.

“I haven’t been charged with any crime yet,” Neil told assembled media (video via MMAjunkie.com). “They had probable cause and instead of doing the breathalyzer, I chose to do the blood [test]. I’m waiting on the results to get back and we’ll go from there.”

Even if Neal beats the charges, the timing of the arrest — he was out at 3:47 a.m. local time — is of concern for someone two weeks away f…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBeOJzRjG8&w=560&h=315]

Victor Henry will step in for Trevin Jones and lock horns with Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 199.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new bantamweight booking. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Dec. 18 and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

Henry will enter the matchup with Barcelos having won nine of his last 10 professional bouts. The 34-year-old Los Angeles native last appeared at LXF 6 on Oct. 30, when he submitted six-time UFC vet Albert Morales in the second round. Henry has competed for organizations such as Rizin, Deep, Pancrase and Russian Cagefighting Championship while compiling a 21-5 professional mark.

Barcelos, meanwhile, had a nine-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, a majority decision loss to Timur Valiev at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champ b…

A matchup of UFC veterans is slated for Eagle Fighting Championship 44, as Ray Borg will square off against Cody Gibson on Jan. 28 in Miami.

Borg confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Eagle FC is the promotion owned by retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Eagle FC 44 marks the organization’s U.S. debut and will stream on FLX Cast. The card is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight clash between Antonio Silva and Tyrone Spong and will also see Rashad Evans make his return from retirement against an as yet to be announced opponent.

Borg began his UFC tenure as a flyweight, falling to Demetrious Johnson via fifth-round submission in a title bout at UFC 216. He later transitioned to bantamweight but had numerous bouts fall through during the second portion of his Octagon tenure. He was released in 2020 following a split-decision loss to Ricky Simon but returned to the win column when he outpointed Jessie Arnett at UAE Warriors 20 …

American Top Team head trainer Marcus “Conan” Silveira has high hopes for two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison and 13-time world jiu-jitsu champion Marcus Almeida.

Silveira is confident that Harrison, a two-time Professional Fighters League champion and perhaps the biggest free agent in MMA, is already a difficult matchup for Bellator featherweight queen Cristiane Justino.

"I have no doubt that Kayla would be a terrible matchup for Cris,” Silveira told Sherdog.com. “Cyborg has been doing the same game since she started in MMA, so it wouldn't be a problem for Kayla to take her down. If that fight happens today, I would say that Kayla would submit Cris for sure.”

Almeida, meanwhile, is 2-0 under the One Championship banner since making the transition to MMA, with a pair of first-round submission victories to his credit. Silveira says Almeida isn’t ready to face top-level competition just yet, but that time is arriving quickly.

“I'm really impressed …

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

American Top Team coach Marcus “Conan” Silveira has seen a lot over the course of his MMA career as a fighter and coach, but even he has to admit that seeing the rise of his son has a little extra meaning.

Joshua Silveira became a Legacy Fighting Alliance two-division champion last week when he took a five-round decision over Jared Revel to capture the promotion’s vacant middleweight crown. Previously, the younger Silveira knocked out Tee Cummins to claim the vacant 205-pound strap at LFA 115 on Sept. 24.

“I've had many strong emotions since the Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu times. It's been a long journey as fighter and coach, but I have to confess that seeing Joshua, blood of my blood, conquering two division belts was something special,” Silveira told Sherdog.com.

“Conan” says he only plays the role of father after the fight, but during camp he treats his son as he would anyone else when he is in his…

Marcus "Conan" Silveira will have a busy weekend ahead of him at UFC 269.

The American Top Team head coach is already in Las Vegas to support a number of his fighters including Dustin Poirier, Amanda Nunes, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Pedro Munhoz. Poirier will challenge Charles Oliveira for lightweight gold in the main event, and Silveira is confident “The Diamond” can finish the Brazilian champion inside the distance.

"Charles has won nine fights [in a row] and proved he deserved to get the belt, but Poirier trained really hard for this challenge,” Silveira told Sherdog.com. “I believe he will catch Oliveira in the stand-up.”

If Poirier wins, Silveira believes a fourth bout with Conor McGregor would be a suitable next move. Their third meeting ended when the Irish star suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round this past July.

"The last one did not finish well,” Silveira said. “I think Conor deserves that rematch.”

In regards to the UFC 269 c…

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame next year.

The IBHOF announced on Tuesday that Holm will be enshrined as part of a three-day ceremony that also includes 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame members from June 9-12. In addition to Holm, one-time UFC competitor James Toney was also announced as a member of the IBHOF Hall of Fame class.

​“I feel very humbled and honored to be acknowledged amongst the greatest,” Holm said in a release. “I’m kind of speechless actually. I’m really excited.”

Holm compiled a 33-2-3 record in the Sweet Science, winning 14 championships in three weight classes over the course of an 11-year professional career. “The Preacher’s Daughter” was named “Female Fighter of the Year” by Ring Magazine in 2005 and 2006 and was a popular draw in her hometown of Albuquerque, N.M.

Holm transitioned to MMA in 2011and won her first 10 bouts, culminating in a shocking KO of Ronda …