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Ilia Topuria: BMF Belt Will Lose Value When Max Holloway Gets Knocked Out

The BMF title will not be on the line at UFC 308, but Ilia Topuria believes he can have a negative impact on its relevance.

Topuria will defend his featherweight crown against former champ Max Holloway in Saturday’s headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. After going 0-3 in 145-pound title bouts against Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway was on the outside looking in when it came to the featherweight title picture. However, that changed when Topuria defeated Volkanovski to become the new featherweight king at UFC 298.

Meanwhile, Holloway moved up to 155 pounds at UFC 300, where he captured the BMF belt with an iconic fifth-round knockout of Justin Gaethje. Topuria has since stated that Holloway was reluctant to accept a championship fight at 145 pounds, and he reiterated that claim in a recent interview with CBS Sports.

"After he knocked out Justin Gaethje, I asked about Max Holloway," Topuria said. "Before that fight, I thought of giving the rema…

Khamzat Chimaev Addresses Illness That Forced Exit from First Whittaker Bout

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Khamzat Chimaev has taken some heat for his lack of activity in recent years.

After emerging as one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s hottest prospects in 2020, Chimaev’s ascent has slowed somewhat. He fought just once in 2023 and will make his first appearance this year when he meets Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

“Borz” was supposed to face Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22, but the Chechen-born Swede was forced to pull out of the event after become “violently ill” a little more than a week before the fight. According to Chimaev, his exit occurred due to circumstances beyond his control.

“We were in training camp. The first month was very good,” Chimaev said on the UFC Countdown show. “The last three weeks, my immunity goes down. I don’t know what happened. All the guys ate the same food, [but] only [I] got sick.UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Saturday at 2…

Max Holloway Unfazed By Ilia Topuria Mind Games Ahead of UFC 308 Main Event

While Ilia Topuria might very well be the next big thing at 145 pounds, Max Holloway has been there before.

The former featherweight king has faced the best the sport has to offer over the course of an Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure that began in 2012. While “Blessed” can see some parallels betwen his and Topuria’s rise to the top, at this point in his career, the mind games that accompany pre-fight promotion don’t have much of an effect on the 32-year-old Hawaiian.

Holloway will square off against Topuria in the UFC 308 main event on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. ET, while prelims begin on ESPN+ at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.

“I got my first belt against former champions…Your idols become your rivals. Ilia said he’s a big fan. So I guess he did what I did, and I respect that,” Holloway said in an interview with UFC.com. “At the end of the day, all these mental games…

Featherweight Champ Ilia Topuria Gets Custom Fight Shorts for UFC 308

🇪🇸 Ilia Topuria’s custom shorts for #UFC308 are 🔥🔥🔥

🎥 @ClubDeLasMMA #UFC #MMA

pic.twitter.com/v528bQC5o7

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 19, 2024

Ilia Topuria will have some special, customized fight shorts for his first featherweight title defense.

Spanish outlet Marca recently revealed the shorts, which are red and yellow with bulls on the sides, that Topuria will wear for his UFC 308 main event showdown with Max Holloway on Saturday. UFC 308 takes place Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and airs via pay-per-view on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Saturday at 2 PM ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Topuria claimed the featherweight belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 headliner on Feb. 17. “El Matador” has kicked off his professional tenure with 15 straight triumphs, a run that includes seven victories in UFC competition.

A former featherweight champ, Hollo…

Daiane Silva Still Hospitalized After Bad Weight Cut Ahead of Bellator London Bout

Featherweight fighter Daiane Silva is still hospitalized after a bad weight cut led to her becoming seriously ill ahead of a proposed fight at Bellator Champions Series London on Sept. 14.

Silva was slated to face Eman Almudhaf at the event but was hospitalized due to severe dehydration as a result of her cut to the featherweight limit of 146 pounds. According to multiple reports, Silva was induced into a coma for several weeks after suffering kidney failure. More recently, she has displayed some positive signs of consciousness while remaining hospitalized.

“As Daiane made weight for her debut in Bellator, she suffered an accident due to dehydration,” Silva’s manager, Alex Davis said in a statement released to MMAFighting.com. “She was promptly seen by the doctor, was rushed to the hospital in delicate condition, was admitted to intensive care. Her condition was serious, but since, she has been improving steadily and our hope is that she recovers fu…

PFL Veteran Carlos Leal Steps in to Face Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC 308

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PFL Championships, PFL MENA Finals Set for Saudi Arabia on Nov. 29

Professional Fighters League will hold a championship twin bill of sorts in Saudia Arabia next month.

The promotion announced on Saturday that both the PFL Championships and the PFL MENA finals will take place on Nov. 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The evening’s main card will feature title bouts in six PFL weight classes, topped by a featherweight championship clash between Brendan Loughnane and Timur Khizriev.

Meanwhile, the undercard will feature PFL MENA title bouts at welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight. All told, the PFL World Championships event will showcase 10 five-round bouts.

“The Championships are the culmination of our sports-season format, where PFL athletes have beaten the odds to reach this point in the toughest test in all of sports,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a release. “There are multiple athletes competing who I am excited to see take that next step in their careers, while there are also returning c…

Robert Whittaker Plans To ‘Hunt Down’ Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308

😮‍💨💥Robert Whittaker is fired up for the fight with Khamzat Chimaev

“I'm going to go in there and hunt [Khamzat] down, I'm gonna take the fight to him. I don't think he'll be able to stand up to that…

I hope he's ready, because I am."

🎥 @KevinI ▫️ pic.twitter.com/umG7we7fpb

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 19, 2024 Robert Whittaker (26-7) plans to take the fight to Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) in their upcoming matchup at UFC 308.

Whittaker and Chimaev will clash in the co-main event at UFC 308 on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. They were originally scheduled to meet at UFC Saudi Arabia this past June, but Chimaev pulled out due to severe illness. Whittaker went on beat short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov via knockout in the first round. Aliskerov’s only other pro loss dates back to 2019 against Chimaev, who called him the toughest matchup of his life so far.

Although Dana White has promise…

Francis Ngannou Dedicates PFL Title Win to Late Son Kobe

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Francis Ngannou challenged Renan Ferreira for the Super Fight heavyweight title in the main event at "Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact" on Saturday at the Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“The Predator” displayed a well-rounded skillset, taking Ferreira to the ground early and surviving a triangle attempt before earning a victory via ground-and-pound in the first round. The former UFC champ then broke down in tears inside the cage while dedicating his win to his late son Kobe, who died earlier this year at 15 months old.

“I can’t think of anything than my son Kobe. I wanted to fight for him… I hope they can remember his name, because without Kobe we wouldn’t be here tonight. I wouldn’t have fight,” Ngannou said.

“In combat sports all depends on me, how I feel. How I deal with life right now. But otherwise… I always thought I still have a lot to give to combat sports. And I hope I keep thinking that way, I keep that…

Daniel Pineda Announces Retirement After Battle Against Darren Elkins

Daniel Pineda put on a memorable performance at UFC Vegas 99 before retiring from MMA.

Pineda opened the main card against fellow veteran Darren Elkins at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. The featherweights left everything inside the Octagon in a “Fight of the Night”-winning performance, setting the bar high for the rest of the card.

Elkins survived multiple guillotine attempts from Pineda to eventually earn a unanimous decision win. Pineda laid down his gloves inside the Octagon after the result was announced, prompting UFC commentator Paul Felder to allow him to have a say on the mic. “The Pit” announced his retirement after a career spanning more than a decade and a half.

“Guys that was my last one man… We were some dogs in here,” Pineda said. “It’s my third one straight. F—k it dude, I’m done. I’m done guys. Thank you Elkins for this bad ass fight.”

Pineda retires from the sport with a 28-17 professional record and a 5-8 reco…

Francis Ngannou, Cris Cyborg Claim PFL Super Fight Titles at ‘Battle of the Giants’

FIRST. ROUND. FINISH!

[ #PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | BUY NOW | https://t.co/kWyJTEGRvW | https://t.co/2BtPH3wso4 ] pic.twitter.com/Zuyv8eN81H

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 19, 2024

Francis Ngannou emphatically returned to the world of mixed martial arts on Saturday with a first-round technical knockout (3:22) over 2023 Professional Fighters League Tournament winner Renan Ferreira in the “Super Fights: Battle of the Giants” main event at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou showed no rust from his over two-year hiatus from mixed martial arts. After two high-profile boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, many wondered if Ngannou would stand and bang with the 6-foot-8 giant, but the former lineal heavyweight kingpin was too smart. Ngannou took Ferreira down with a smooth double leg and dragged him to the fence where he patiently waited to strike. Ferreira sacrificed his butterfly guard to thro…

Anthony Hernandez Pounds Out Exhausted Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 245

Anthony Hernandez weathered an early storm of offense and ultimately cruised to a lopsided fifth-round TKO victory over Michel Pereira on Saturday at UFC Vegas 99 in Las Vegas. The rising middleweight contender finished Pereira with elbows at the 2:22 mark of the fifth round in a fight that could have been stopped much earlier as Pereira ran out of gas after the opening frame.

Seconds into the UFC Vegas 99 main event, Pereira hurt Hernandez with a front kick to the liver and followed up with a series of punches and knees as a wounded Hernandez covered up against the cage. Hernandez recovered and set the tone for the rest of the fight with a takedown into side control and some strong ground strikes. Pereira was poked in the eye early in the second round and he trapped Hernandez in a guillotine choke after action resumed. Hernandez escaped and scored with elbows and punches from the top, then threatened with an arm-triangle choke. Pereira managed to work his way out of Hernan…

PFL Super Fights ‘Battle of the Giants’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Coverage of Saturday’s Professional Fighters League “Battle of the Giants” card will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. …

UFC Vegas 99 ‘Hernandez vs. Pereira’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to its home base of Las Vegas Saturday at 4 p.m. ET with UFC Vegas 99. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 245. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Despaigne (-440), Lane (+340)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Martinez (-135), Ardelean (+114)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The …

Darren Elkins, Daniel Pineda Pick Up ‘Fight of the Night’ Honors at UFC Vegas 99

In the end, a matchup between two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division’s most grizzled veterans delivered exactly the kind of action fans and matchmakers hoped to see.

At UFC Fight Night 245 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas, 40-year-old Darren Elkins and 39-year-old Daniel Pineda combined to produce a bloody, back-and-forth battle that netted them “Fight of the Night” honors and a bonus of $50,000 each. The fight hinged on the clash of Elkins’ rugged and reliable wrestling against Pineda’s venomous grappling game. Pineda fought through punishment that had his face swollen and bleeding within minutes, and the fight was tied at a round apiece going into the final frame, but Elkins’ legendary durability and pace finally proved to be too much, and “The Damage” won the third round on all three judges’ scorecards. Pineda, who announced his retirement in the Octagon after the decision was read, walks away with a career finish rate of 100% in his 28 care…

Paul Felder Joins Broadcast Team for UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi

Paul Felder will be the third man on the broadcast team for UFC 308 next weekend.

The retired UFC lightweight steps in for Joe Rogan, who doesn’t travel to cover the promotion’s international pay-per-view events. Felder will join veteran play-by-play man Jon Anik and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier on the call for UFC 308. Meanwhile, UFC commentator John Gooden will serve as the on-site reporter for the event. MMAFighting.com was first to report the broadcast team duties.UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Saturday at 2 PM ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

UFC 308 takes place on Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a featherweight championship clash between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. In the co-main event, Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev will square off in a potential middleweight title eliminator.

The main card is available on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Meanwhile, the preliminary draw streams on ESPN+ begi…

Max Holloway Doubts He Can Surpass Alex Pereira for ‘Fighter of the Year’

Max Holloway thinks that Alex Pereira has got the 2024 Fighter of the Year award "in the bag already"

"I don't know if I could [win fighter of the year]. The way Alex took fights, the fastest guy to get three title defenses.

That's a hard man to beat... I think Alex Pereira got… pic.twitter.com/PHEXHCxlz7 — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 18, 2024

Despite having an upcoming title shot, Max Holloway believes Alex Pereira has already beaten him in the race for the UFC “Fighter of the Year.”

Holloway was removed from the featherweight title picture despite having beaten Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung in 2023. However, the former featherweight champ abruptly changed his trajectory with an iconic BMF title win over Justin Gaethje at lightweight at UFC 300 this past April. Holloway is now set to challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

If …

Matheus Nicolau Reacts to Death of Guilherme Vasconcelos: ‘I Was Crushed’

Matheus Nicolau is mourning the demise of UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Guilherme Vasconcelos along with the rest of the MMA community.

Having been born and raised in Belo Horizonte just like Vasconcelos, Nicolau was deeply affected by the death of “Bomba.”

Nicolau takes on upcoming flyweight prospect Asu Almabaev at UFC Vegas 99 at the Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Brazilian plans to get his hand raised and dedicate his victory to Vasconcelos.

“He’s not someone I talked to regularly every day or every week, but I liked him very much,” Nicolau told MMAFighting.com. “He’s a bit older than me and got his [jiu-jitsu] black belt before I did, but we had our roads in MMA at the same time. He was always so nice to me. We have so many friends in common — everybody knows each other in the jiu-jitsu community in Belo Horizonte, and I saw him a month ago at the Worlds Master.

“The news hit me and I was crushed, man. I liked him very much, you kno…

PFL ‘Battle of the Giants’ Weigh-in Results: 3 Title Fights Set

⚖️Battle Of The Giants Official Weigh In Results

PFL Super Fights Heavyweight World Title Bout

Francis Ngannou: 256.8 lbsRenan Ferreira: 261.5 lbs

Buy Battle Of The Giants now on https://t.co/2BtPH3wso4

[ #PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | Sat, Oct 19th | 4PM ET | BUY… pic.twitter.com/NHxU1MBVEY — PFL (@PFLMMA) October 18, 2024 The Professional Fighters League's return to Saudi Arabia is now set following the PFL "Battle of the Giants" weigh-ins.

The pay-per-view card is stacked with three superfight championship bouts, with the mixed martial arts return of Francis Ngannou headlining the event. Renan Ferreira will look to ruin the superstar's PFL debut, and both men came in under the 265-pound limit. All fighters on the card made weight, including the four other title fight participants as Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco will square off for featherweight gold, while Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards clash for m…

UFC Fight Night 245 Weigh-in Results: Main Event Set; 1 Fighter Heavy

185.5lbs for @UFCPereira ✅

Our #UFCVegas99 main event is now official!

[ 📺 TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus at 7pmET/4pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/Jcojw3CHDa — UFC (@ufc) October 18, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the UFC Apex for an intriguing Fight Night card with middleweight contenders atop the card.

Headlining UFC Fight Night 245 is a main event between the surging Anthony Hernandez and the always entertaining Michel Pereira. Both men successfully made weight and came in under the 186-pound limit. All other fighters made weight with one notable exception as Joselyne Edwards came in three pounds overweight for her fight against Tamires Vidal. She'll be fined a percentage of her purse as a result. It's the third time Edwards has missed weight inside the UFC.

This marks the first UFC main event for Hernandez (12-2, 1 NC). "Fluffy" has put together an impressive five-fight win streak that includes finishes…

UFC 308 Main Event Backup Diego Lopes Prefers Ilia Topuria Matchup

If all goes as planned, Diego Lopes won’t be needed on Oct. 26.

However, it’s always good to have a contingency in place, which is why Lopes will serve as the backup fighter for the UFC 308 featherweight title clash between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. Lopes announced the role late last month, which means he will weigh in ahead of the event along with Topuria and Holloway.

Lopes does have an opponent preference if he were called upon to step in for the UFC 308 main event.

“I definitely would rather fight with Ilia for the undisputed title. That would be amazing. We’ve also really analyzed everything. We’ve sat down to analyze both fighters. People might take this the wrong way and say, ‘No, I don’t believe him,’ but I think for me, a fight against Topuria would be a better matchup for my style,” Lopes recently told MMAjunkie.com.

UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Saturday at 2 PM ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

“It’s a fight that suits me. Agains…

UFC 312 Announced for Sydney on Feb. 8

Say g'day to summer down under ☀️🇦🇺#UFC312 is coming to @Sydney_Sider!#FeelNewSydney | Feb 09 | Details at https://t.co/A5j1LxWSHS pic.twitter.com/CU46DNUloL

— UFC (@ufc) October 16, 2024

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Australia for a pay-per-view event in early 2025.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Wednesday that UFC 312 will take place on Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. No bouts were revealed for the card.

UFC 312 is the second event of a four-year, multi-event agreement as part of the promotion’s partnership with the New South Wales Government. The Octagon last touched down in Sydney in September 2023 for UFC 293, which memorably saw Sean Strickland claim middleweight gold with an upset victory over Israel Adesanya in the evening’s main event.

More recently, the company went Down Under for UFC 305 at RAC Arena in Perth on Aug. 17. In the evening’s main event, Dricus Du Pless…

Video: Mike Perry Directs Homophobic Slurs at Police During DUI Arrest

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Video of Mike Perry’s recent DUI arrest shows the BKFC star acting hostile and using derogatory language toward police officers.

Perry was pulled over by Clermont (Florida) Police for speeding on Oct. 12. Bodycam footage obtained by TMZ Sports shows Perry initially becoming agitated with one officer when he is questioned about his consumption of alcohol.

“Well, you’re talking a little slow, and I can smell it coming out of this side when I came over here,” the officer says.

  “Well, you’re talking a little fast,” Perry responds.

  “I’m talking a little fast?” the officer says. “OK, I’ll slow it down just for you. Is that better?”

  Perry is then asked to step out of the vehicle. When he refuses to take a sobriety test, Perry is placed under arrest. At that point, Perry addresses his wife, who was in the vehicle with him, and uses homophobic slurs when referring to the officers.

“Latory, I’m getting arrested, beca…

Michel Pereira Predicts Finish of Anthony Hernandez in UFC Vegas 99 Headliner

Michel Pereira will take an eight-fight winning streak into his first main event appearance against Anthony Hernandez at UFC Vegas 99 on Saturday.

“I was really excited to fight in the Sphere, but my agent told me the UFC changed plans and gave me my first main event, which was also good,” Pereira told Sherdog.com. “So it was initially bad news that turned into a [something] good.”

Hernandez also has plenty of momentum, as “Fluffy” enters the matchup having won five consecutive Octagon appearances. Pereira is confident that his training at Xtreme Couture will provide him with the preparation necessary to emerge victorious.

“No doubt Hernendez is a dangerous guy who likes to put a lot of pressure on his opponents, but the level of training and sparring partners I have at Xtreme Couture will certainly help me to take him out of his comfort zone,” Pereira said. “I’ve evolved a lot lately. I’m really well prepared for his game and, concerning …

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