If Dana White truly is “Lookin’ for a Fight,” he surely found some on Sunday at Fury FC 46. The Ultimate Fighting Championship head man and his partners in scouting, Din Thomas and Matt Serra, witnessed a card topped by three Fury Fighting Championship title fights and stacked with UFC and Dana White's Contender Series veterans getting a second look, as well as a hearty helping of rising local prospects.
In the main event, Nikolay Veretennikov (9-3) needed less than a round to put away Anthony Ivy and capture the Fury welterweight title. Veretennikov, a Kazakhstani by birth but longtime Texas resident, fought off Ivy’s attempts to bring the fight to the floor and punished him with knees in the clinch. The beginning of the end came when Veretennikov shucked off a double-leg attempt, then landed a knee to the ribs that doubled “Aquaman” over. Sensing his foe was hurt, Veretennikov followed Ivy to the ground, but landed only a punch or two before referee Jacob Montalvo…About Me
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Dana White on Jon Jones: ‘He Can Fight This Summer, Or He Can Never Fight Again’
Recently, UFC president Dana White proposed a matchup between Jones and ex-champ Stipe Miocic while Francis Ngannou defends his crown in a rematch against Derrick Lewis later this summer. Jones balked at that option in a series of tweets he later deleted.
At Saturday’s UFC 262 post-fight press conference, White claimed that Jones’ Octagon return is based primarily on the Jackson-Wink MMA representative’s desire to compete. If Jones doesn’t agree to the UFC’s terms, White made it sound like he’s at peace with the former light heavyweight champ never returning to the Octagon.“Listen, that’s up to Jon Jones, whether he wants to fight or not,”White said. “There’s fights available. They’re here. I’m gonna keep making fights every weekend, doing fights.
“If Jon Jones wants to fight, he can. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t have to. Nobody’s gonna …
‘Jacare’ Souza to Undergo Surgery for Fractured Humerus Suffered at UFC 262
WOW @andremunizufc is able to earn a submission against Jacare at #UFC262 pic.twitter.com/45NMJCn4TF
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 16, 2021Ronaldo Souza will underdo surgery after having his arm broken in a submission loss to Andre Muniz at UFC 262 on Saturday night.
According to a report from MMAFighting.com, “Jacare” suffered a fractured right humerus in the middleweight bout due to a Muniz armbar. That bout ended at the 3:59 mark of Round 1, as the decorated grappler’s upper arm audibly snapped.Souza’s doctor, Rickson Moraes, described it as an “urgent procedure” while adding: “But in general he’s fine, despite the fracture.”
Souza will have surgery on Monday in the United States, per an ESPN report. The former Strikeforce champion is in good spirits after the injury.
“The UFC is giving me all the support,” he told ESPN. “When the world stopped, the UFC was moving and taking care of all the athletes.”
Souza has lost fo…
Charles Oliveira on Realizing UFC Title Dreams: ‘I Never Doubted This Day Would Come’
It feels as though Charles Oliveira has been around forever in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
He debuted with the Las Vegas-based organization in 2010 and experienced an up-and-down tenure as a featherweight in which he flashed dynamic finishing ability but did not appear to be a serious contender. The narrative began to shift following his transition to 155 pounds in 2017, and that culminated in a title-clinching victory over Michael Chandler in the UFC 262 headliner at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night.It only took 28 Octagon appearances, a nine-bout winning streak and one of the sport’s best ever to vacate the lightweight throne for Oliveira to finally reach the summit.
“When I got into the UFC, a lot of people said I was crazy and I said I wanted to be the best in the world and I wanted to break records,” Oliveira said. “Now I’m the biggest finisher, I’m the second in post-fight bonuses, I’m making history today becoming the lightweight c…
Dana White: Time, Accumulated Damage Has ‘Definitely Hit’ Tony Ferguson
At UFC 262, Tony Ferguson looked to be far removed from the 12-bout winning streak he authored from 2013 to 2019.
“El Cucuy” was outgrappled and largely dominated over the course of three rounds in Saturday’s co-main event at the Toyota Center in Houston, as Beneil Dariush rolled to a unanimous decision triumph in their lightweight bout. That makes three straight defeats for “The Ultimate Fighter 13” winner, who also has fallen to Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira in lopsided fashion over the course of the past year.Ferguson took a tremendous amount of damage in the interim lightweight title against Gaethje at UFC 249 in May 2020 and he hasn’t been the same since. The Team Death Clutch representative is also 37 years old, which is an time when many high-level athletes begin to experience a decline. According to UFC president Dana White, both factors could have contributed to Ferguson’s recent woes.
“It could be (the Gaethje fight), it could be, just, time ge…
Michael Chandler Vows to Become Champion Before End of UFC Career: ‘I’m Still World Class’
For a few fleeting moments, it appeared as though Michael Chandler was on his way to adding an Ultimate Fighting Championship belt to his trophy case.
On two separate occasions, the former University of Missouri wrestling standout rocked Charles Oliveira with punches in the opening round of their UFC 262 headlining bout at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night. In both instances, the Brazilian managed to survive, which ultimately set the stage for “Do Bronx” to claim the vacant 155-pound belt with a second-round technical knockout.“He showed that he had the gall to get through that,” Chandler said at the UFC 262 post-fight press conference. “He got dropped, got hurt. I was on top of him. He’s really long and he did a really good job of tying me up so I couldn’t rain down too hard of punches or elbows. He definitely got through some adversity tonight.
“He showed tonight that he is tougher than a lot of us thought he was. Hats off to him. He is our cham…
UFC 262 Bonuses: Barboza, Burgos Earn $75K Apiece for ‘Fight of the Night’
Edson Barboza and Shane Burgos delivered as advertised, and the featherweights were compensated handsomely for their efforts.
Barboza and Burgos received “Fight of the Night” honors and $75,000 apiece for their main card bout at UFC 262 at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night. In an entertaining back-and-forth striking battle, Barboza hurt Burgos with a right hand in Round 3, a blow that sent his foe staggering backward to the mat following a delayed reaction. The Brazilian sealed his win with a few follow-up blows on the ground 1:16 into the period.Elsewhere, newly-crowned lightweight champion Charles Oliveira captured a $75,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his comeback win over Michael Chandler in the main event. After being on his heels on more than one occasion in Round 1, “Do Bronx” dropped Chandler with a left hook, then overwhelmed his foe with punches to secure the finish 19 seconds into the second frame.
Finally, Christos Giagos garn…
Charles Oliveira Rallies to KO Michael Chandler, Claims Vacant Lightweight Title at UFC 262
“Michael, you’re a great champion, but today is my day,” a jubilant Oliveira said following his ninth consecutive UFC victory.
It looked as though Oliveira (31-8, 19-8, 1 NC UFC) wouldn’t last long against his heavy-handed foe. Chandler (22-6, 1-1 UFC) landed a solid left early, forcing the Brazilian to shoot for a takedown. Chandler responded w…
UFC 262 ‘Oliveira vs. Chandler’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring
UFC 262 Prelims: Andre Muniz Snaps Ronaldo Souza’s Arm, Wins Seventh Straight Fight
HE BROKE HIS ARM@AndreMunizUFC submits Jacare Souza in Round 1!! #UFC262 pic.twitter.com/dH6tn41xhZ
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) May 16, 2021Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 262 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
Andre Muniz won’t soon forget his third Ultimate Fighting Championship triumph.The Dana White’s Contender Series alum scored the most significant victory of his career to date at UFC 262, submitting eight-time world jiu-jitsu champion Ronaldo Souza in the opening round of their middleweight clash at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night. Muniz (21-4, 3-0 UFC) locked in an armbar 3:59 into Round 1, with an audible snap bringing an immediate end to the contest. Muniz has won his last seven professional bouts.
Souza, who is mired in a four-fight losing streak, was submitted for the first time in his 37-bout professional tenure.
“I’m a fan…
Arjan Singh Bhullar Captures One Championship Heavyweight Crown with TKO of Brandon Vera
The main event of the tape-delayed event One Championship “Dangal” saw former Ultimate Fighting Championship 205-pound and heavyweight contender Brandon Vera (16-9 1NC) put his title on the line against fellow UFC vet Arjan Singh Bhullar (11-1). “The Truth” approached the battle with a cautious gameplan as he kept scoring with his jab and switching stances, as to not to offer any window for Bhullar to showcase his wrestling skills. The Canadian fighter was satisfied with keeping the center of the cage and throwing his jab early. Shortly after the midpoint of the first frame, Bhullar faked a punch before duping his opponent into a successful takedown that led to the Canadian fighter keeping the top position for the rest of the frame, completely unconcerned and unthreatened by Vera’s kimura attempts from the bottom.
The defending champion looked quite fatigued entering into the second stanza. Bhullar made the…Kamuela Kirk Makes Daniel Swain Quit in LFA 107 Main Event
.@TheJawaiian vs. @DanielSwainMMA is now up next in the main event of #LFA107!@ShellsDotCom@Drink9mm@KoiCBD@GLCDirect2000@SanfordPentagon@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/0hqkflHfj6
— LFA (@LFAfighting) May 15, 2021 Lightweights Kamuela Kirk and Daniel Swain went to battle in the LFA 107 main event, but only one of them wanted to go three rounds inside the Legacy Fighting Alliance Octagon.A wild first round saw Kirk (11-4) hurt Swain (20-11-1) with punches and land some damaging knees. Swain would lock in an armbar, but Kirk would slam his way out of the submission. The second round saw Swain once again look for an armbar but a few slams forced the grappler to let go, and "The Jawaiian" ended the frame in mount. In between rounds, Swain decided not to continue and said that he's retired giving Kirk a TKO victory via retirement. After the bout, Kirk expressed a desire to go to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Ricardo Dias scored a knockou…Uriah Hall-Sean Strickland Middleweight Clash Targeted for UFC 265
Hall is currently riding his longest win streak since beginning his career at 4-0, with knockouts of Bevon Lewis and Anderson Silva along the way. In his last time out, Hall rematched Chris Weidman in April. In just 17 seconds, Hall checked a leg kick that broke Weidman’s leg, thereby awarding Hall the TKO win without ever throwing a single strike. Hall’s career finish rate sits at 82 percent after this run.
Strickland also finds h…
UFC 262 Weigh-in Results: Oliveira, Chandler Cleared for Title Tilt; Bontorin Heavy
Having won eight straight fights, Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) is finally living up to his potential. "Do Bronx" most recently bested Tony Ferguson via decision, but had finished all seven of his prior opponents. Along the way, he tapped out names like Kevin Lee, Jim Miller and Clay Guida. The 31-year-old…
LFA 107 Weigh-in Results: Main Event Set; 2 Fighters Heavy
Headlining LFA 107 is a lightweight bout between Kamuela Kirk and Daniel Swain. The main eventers had no trouble making weight, showing their professionalism on the scales. However, Samarbek Sabyrzhan and L.J. Smith Portee both failed to make their contracted weights. Despite each coming in 1.6 pounds heavy, their respective fights are still on.
An LFA mainstay, Kirk (10-4) is coming off an impressive TKO victory over Guilherme Santos. This was a bounce-back win for "The Jawaiian," who dropped a decision to Bruno Souza in his last bout and lost via TKO to Billy Quarantillo prior to that. Kirk stepped on the scale at 155.8 pounds.Despite having 31 professional fights, this is the first time that Swain (20-10-1) has stepped into the LFA cage. "Agent Orange" is coming off a loss to T.J. Laramie, but had won four of hi…
July 24 UFC Card Gains Andre Ewell vs. Julio Arce at Bantamweight
Arce surged into the UFC with a drubbing of Peter Petties on the first season of Dana White's Contender Series, and the New Yorker amassed a win streak of seven before meeting Sheymon Moraes in 2018. At UFC 230, Arce suffered a split decision loss, although he rebounded by head kicking Julian Erosa seven months later. Another split decision setback, this time to Hakeem Dawodu in November 2019, left him at a crossroads. A February matchup with T…
Alexey Oleynik-Sergey Spivak Booked for UFC on ESPN 25 on June 19
The 43-year-old Oleynik is currently on a two-fight knockout loss skid, with Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus both putting him away with punches. Against Lewis, Oleynik very nearly had “The Black Beast” finished with a scarf hold, but Lewis survived and blasted him in the next round. The Russian submission magician sports an incredible 46 wins by submission over the years, as one of the very few MMA fighters in histor…
PFL Announces Lightweight, Featherweight Matchups for PFL 4 on June 10
#2021PFL4 Featherweight and Lightweight matchups are OFFICIAL! pic.twitter.com/bFNqftIOZh
— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 13, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Even though Anthony Pettis lost his first Professional Fighters League fight, the promotion is placing him higher on his next card than the man that beat him. On Thursday, the PFL released its lineup for PFL 4: 2021 Regular Season, which takes place at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., on June 10. Ten fights throughout the featherweight and lightweight divisions have been matched for this event, plus the previously announced women’s lightweight non-tournament battle between Claressa Shields (0-0) and Brittney Elkin (3-6) which will be high on the main card and possibly even the headliner. The tournament main event comes at lightweight, as Anthony Pettis (24-11) takes on…Askar Mozharov Out, Ben Rothwell Now Meets Chris Barnett at UFC Fight Night 188
Barnett, a frequent super heavyweight, has bounced around promotions like Road FC and Island Fights over the years. The man known as “Huggy Bear,” and more recently as “Beastboy,” is riding a six-fight win streak with four knockouts into his signing. His level of competition throu…
Jeremy Stephens vs. Mateusz Gamrot at Lightweight Added to July 17 UFC Card
Stephens was booked against Klose at UFC on ESPN 22 in April, but a weigh-in altercation where Stephens grabbed Klose’s neck, inflicting damage on Klose and forced the latter out of the fight. Kl…
Darren Till vs. Derek Brunson Likely for UFC Main Event on Aug. 14
A middleweight clash of contenders pitting Darren Till against Derek Brunson has nearly been finalized for the main event of an Ultimate Fighting Championship offering on Aug. 14.
ESPN initially brought word of the matchup. The booking is contingent upon Till recovering from a broken collarbone which forced him out of a proposed showdown with Marvin Vettori at UFC on ABC 2 on April 10. The location for the UFC Fight Night event has yet to be announced.Till has lost three of his last four promotional apppearances. In his last outing, the Liverpool native fell to 1-1 at 185 pounds following a five-round defeat to Robert Whittaker in the UFC on ESPN 14 headliner.
The 37-year-old Brunson is enjoying yet another resurgence thanks to a four-fight winning streak that dates back to May 2019. His last two appearances have been arguably the most impressive, as he has upended middleweight prospects Edmen Shahbazyan and Kevin Holland in consecutive fights.
Islam Makhachev-Thiago Moises Lightweight Bout in the Works for July 17
A matchup between lightweight prospects is in the works, as Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises are expected to square off in a three-round bout on July 17.
The UFC is close to finalizing the 155-pound contest, according to broadcast partner ESPN. A main event and location for the card have yet to be determined.A teammate of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is currently on a seven-bout winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Most recently, the 29-year-old Dagestani submitted Drew Dober with an arm triangle in the third round of their UFC 259 clash on March 6.
Moises, meanwhile, is on a three-bout winning streak in the Octagon. After submitting Michael Johnson, the 26-year-old American Top Team representative has earned consecutive decision triumphs over Bobby Green and Alexander Hernandez.
Paulo Costa, Jared Cannonier to Headline UFC Card on Aug. 21
Paulo Costa and Jared Cannonier will headline a UFC event on Aug. 21.
ESPN was first to report the middleweight booking, which is expected to be finalized soon. The location for the card has yet to be determined.Costa hasn’t competed since suffering a second-round TKO loss to Israel Adesanya in a middleweight championship bout at UFC 253 last September. “Borrachinha” was slated to face Robert Whittaker on April 17 but was forced to pull out of the bout due to illness. The 30-year-old Brazilian was victorious in his first 13 pro outings before falling to Adesanya.
Cannonier was tabbed as a title contender in waiting following a trio of TKO victories against David Branch, Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson. That momentum was derailed, however, in a decision defeat to Whittaker at UFC 254 in October.
Conor McGregor Ranks No. 1 on Forbes’ Highest Paid Athletes List for 2021
The whiskey business has been quite lucrative for Conor McGregor.
The former UFC two-division champion checked in at No. 1 on Forbes’ list of highest paid athletes for 2021. McGregor’s ranking was due in large part to selling a majority stake of Proper No. Twelve for $150 million.According to Forbes, McGregor earned a total of $180 million the past 12 months, and that includes $158 million outside of his fighting career. The Irish superstar joins Tiger Woods and Roger Federer as the only athletes to garner in excess of $70 million outside of their sport while still actively competing.
While whiskey was the main source of McGregor’s rise to the top of the list, he also secured endorsements with DraftKings, the video game Dystopia: Contest of Heroes and Roots of Fight. McGregor previously made the Forbes Top 10 in 2018 with $99 million in earnings following his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather.
McGregor, who ranked just ahead of soccer stars Lionel M…