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The Light-Heavyweight Grand Prix kicks off April 9th! #BellatorOnShowtime is bringing you some light heavyweight action in with the #Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. Who do you think will walk away with that $? #BellatorLHWGP pic.twitter.com/BjMxe5MmAC

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) February 9, 2021

The lineup for the eight-man Bellator light heavyweight grand prix is now official.

The quarterfinals for the bracket will kick off at Bellator 256 on April 9 with a pair of 205-pound matchups: Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida and Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov. Meanwhile, Bellator 257 on April 16 will see reigning champion Vadim Nemkov square off against Phil Davis, while Anthony Johnson will meet Yoel Romero in the other two quarterfinal pairings.

The semifinals of the grand prix are expected to take place sometime in July, and the championship bout is currently slated for October.

Bader and Machida initially fo…

The cage is set. @BellatorMMA is now on @Showtime

#BellatorOnShowtime announcement LIVE: https://t.co/n9RpyBRNuX

Get a 30-day free trial, then just $4.99/mo for the next 6 mos. New subscribers only: https://t.co/eXPmkdCUXh pic.twitter.com/39zYDvDhqX — SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) February 9, 2021

Bellator MMA will begin its 2021 schedule in a new broadcast home.

The California-based promotion announced Tuesday that it will air exclusively on Showtime beginning with a trio of events in April. In conjunction with that partnership, Showtime is offering a 30-day free trial followed by a monthly rate of $4.99/month for six months.

“We’ve been interested in MMA for quite a while. We have a long history in the sport going back 15 years,” Showtime president Stephen Espinoza said. “We’ve been talking to Scott [Coker] off and on since 2014 when he took over as Bellator president. When you look at the trajectory of Bellator, the time jus…

Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com

It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s schedule will continue to roll on in Las Vegas through March.

On Tuesday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved four UFC events for March 6, March 13, March 20 and March 27. Though it isn’t set it stone, that likely means that the cards will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The March itinerary is a significant one for the Las Vegas-based promotion, with a pair of pay-per-views highlighting the month’s events. UFC 259 takes place on March 6 and is headlined by a light heavyweight title tilt between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya. The card also features a women’s featherweight champions…

Charlie Ontiveros has been suspended six months for failing a drug test in relation to his UFC Fight Night 181 loss to Kevin Holland.

The sanction was announced during Tuesday’s Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting. Ontiveros was also fined $1,800 along with $445.36 in legal fees. The welterweight tested positive for DHCMT M3 metabolites at the Oct. 31 bout. The substance is the long-term metabolite for oral Turinabol, a steroid that became prevalent approximately 50 years ago and came to the forefront in MMA when Jon Jones tested positive for trace amounts of the substance in 2018 stemming from a failed drug test one year prior.

Ontiveros must remain in a random drug-testing program and provide results less than 100 picograms in order to be reinstated by April 30. Former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor Taylor Moore was also sanctioned on Tuesday for DHCMT M3 metabolites in relation to a loss to Danny Sabatello on Nov. 10.

Ontiveros, who normally c…

A proposed light heavyweight bout between Johnny Walker and Jimmy Crute slated for UFC 260 on March 27 has been scrapped after Walker suffered a torn pectoral in training.

As a result, Anthony Smith has agreed to step in and face Crute at a UFC event on April 24. MMAFighting.com initially reported Walker’s injury, while ESPN brought word of the new 205-pound matchup. The card does not yet have an official location but could be designated UFC 261.

After a pair of lopsided defeats to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic, Smith bounced back at UFC on ESPN 18, when he submitted Devin Clark with a triangle choke in the opening stanza of the evening’s headliner on Nov. 28. The former light heavyweight title challenger owns other notable wins against the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir, Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans.

An emerging prospect at 205 pounds, Crute has been victorious in four of his first five Octagon appearances. The 24-year-old Australian ma…

With another meeting with UFC president Dana White looming, Khabib Nurmagomedov has some ideas on how he thinks the lightweight division should unfold.

“[Dustin] Poirier deserves to be champion, that’s my personal opinion,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview with Match TV (translation via RT Sport). “Look at who he’s fought. Jim Miller, Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis, Max Holloway. He’s fought me, Conor. These are all top fighters, maybe fighters who will end up in the UFC Hall of Fame. I think intrigue will appear in the lightweight division as soon as they decide the title fight and eliminator.

“At the moment, it’s held up and not clear what Dana’s thinking. I think it’s going to be on fire in the lightweight division this summer. The lightweight division has always been the most competitive, the most interesting, with big stars. It will take new turns this summer. A new, younger, generation is already coming, plus there’s Chandler, Oliviera, Poirier, Gaethje, a lot …

OFFICIAL: The 2021 PFL Heavyweight & Women's Lightweight divisions are locked in and will compete at #PFL3 on Thursday, May 6th! pic.twitter.com/lZtwzf18Wg

— PFL MMA (@ProFightLeague) February 9, 2021

There will be some new faces in the Professional Fighters League heavyweight and women’s lightweight divisions this season.

The promotion announced the full rosters for both weight classes on Tuesday. Heavyweight is led by defending champion Ali Isaev, who bested Denis Goltsov — who is also returning — in the 2019 final. Notable newcomers include ex-UFC heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum and Mohammed Usman, the brother of UFC welterweight king Kamaru Usman. Other new talents such as Justin Willis, Ante Delija, Renan Ferreira, Bruno Cappelozza and Brandon Sayles will also vie for the $1 million prize.

Meanwhile, the PFL’s most recognizable star, Kayla Harrison returns to defend her 155-pound title after defeating Larissa Pacheco in the 201…

Alistair Overeem could be sidelined until summer following his second-round technical knockout loss to Alexander Volkov in the UFC Fight Night 184 main event on Saturday.

The Dutch heavyweight must have a nasal bone fracture cleared by an ear, nose and throat doctor or he will be sidelined until Aug. 6. At a minimum, Overeem is suspended until April 8 with no contact until March 24. Volkov, meanwhile, emerged with a clean bill of health after the event.

Mixedmartialarts.com obtained a full list of medical suspensions from the event, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Frankie Edgar, who suffered a 28-second KO loss to Cory Sandhagen in the co-headliner, is suspended until April 8 with no contact until March 24.

Three other athletes from UFC Fight Night 184 are facing potential six-month suspensions pending doctor clearance: Alexandre Pantoja (hands), Mike Rodriguez (left shoulder) and Devonte Smith (right hand and wrist).

UFC Fight Night 184 M…

Alistair Overeem could be sidelined until summer following his second-round technical knockout loss to Alexander Volkov in the UFC Fight Night 184 main event on Saturday.

The Dutch heavyweight must have a nasal bone fracture cleared by an ear, nose and throat doctor or he will be sidelined until Aug. 6. At a minimum, Overeem is suspended until April 8 with no contact until March 24. Volkov, meanwhile, emerged with a clean bill of health after the event.

Mixedmartialarts.com obtained a full list of medical suspensions from the event, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Frankie Edgar, who suffered a 28-second KO loss to Cory Sandhagen in the co-headliner, is suspended until April 8 with no contact until March 24.

Five other athletes from UFC Fight Night 184 are facing potential six-month suspensions pending doctor clearance: Alexandre Pantoja (hands), Mike Rodriguez (left shoulder), Manel Kape (thumb), Karol Rosa (left hand), Joselyne Edwards (left sh…

Two-time former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Daniel Straus was arrested on Friday and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to a report from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Straus’ bond is set at $100,000, and he remained in jail as of Monday afternoon. During a Saturday hearing, Judge Terri-Ann Miller kept Straus’ bond at $100,000 while mandating that he not have contact with the alleged victim. Straus is also not allowed to possess weapons or ammunition.

During the hearing, Straus’ attorney, David Kubiliun, revealed that the allegation might be from “someone he was in a past relationship with.”

According to an arrest affadavit from the Hollywood (Fla.) Police Department initially obtained by MMAFighting, the alleged incident took place on Jan. 21 when Strauss and the alleged victim got into an argument over “infidelity issues in their relationship.” The confrontation turned physical when Strauss showed up to the victim’s plac…

Andre Ewell will square off against Chris Gutierrez in a last-minute addition to the UFC 258 lineup.

Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing after Gutierrez’s gym, Factory X, announced it via Instagram on Monday. Ewell vs. Gutierrez will be contested at a 140-pound catchweight. UFC 258 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welterweight championship tilt between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns.

Ewell was supposed to compete at this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night 184 event but was pulled from the card after testing positive for COVID-19. The 33-year-old Apex MMA member is coming off back-to-back split-decision triumphs against Jonathan Martinez and Irwin Rivera in 2020.

Gutierrez, meanwhile, saw a three-bout winning streak come to an end when he battled Cody Durden to a unanimous draw at UFC Fight Night 173. Prior to that, “El Guapo” had scored successive triumphs over Ryan MacDonald, Geraldo de Freitas Jr. and Vince Morales.

Frankie Edgar’s rise to contention in the UFC’s bantamweight division hit a major speedbump on Saturday night.

The former lightweight champion and featherweight title challenger was removed from consciousness 28 seconds into the UFC Fight Night 184 co-headliner when Cory Sandhagen connected with a perfectly placed flying knee. The knockout will likely top many year-end lists, and it halted the momentum Edgar built last summer with a decision win over Pedro Munhoz in his 135-pound debut.

As usual, Edgar is taking the defeat in stride. “The Answer” released a statement regarding the bout Monday on his social media accounts.

“I’ve licked my wounds long enough. I’m home with family, life is good,” Edgar wrote. On Saturday I was as prepared for a fight as I could have been. Props to Cory Sandhagen: he landed a perfectly timed and executed bomb on me. Luckily, I don’t remember it much.

This game can be a cruel bitch and Saturday night was just that, but I ain’t …

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

Once upon a time, Donald Cerrone and Diego Sanchez were stablemates at Jackson-Wink MMA.

Now that both men have left the Albuquerque, N.M.-based gym, they will square off in a welterweight bout at a UFC event on May 8. The fight is expected to be Sanchez’s farewell to the Las Vegas-based promotion.

It’s something of a curious booking for Cerrone, who previously expressed a desire to compete more consistently at 155 pounds at this point in his career. “Cowboy” explained the decision to accept a welterweight matchup with Sanchez on his YouTube channel.

“Everyone was booked up,” Cerrone said. “All the fights were booked. Yeah, [155] is what I wanted to do. Then Diego Sanchez I guess, went and showed up to the UFC and begged and pleaded with them to make me his retirement fight. So they called me and they asked me. I said, ‘Sure.’

“With this fight, yeah, it is at [170] but that doesn’t mean I’m…

Alistair Overeem’s face was a bloody mess at the conclusion of his second-round technical knockout loss to Alexander Volkov in the UFC Fight Night 184 headliner.

According to the Dutch veteran, one of Volkov’s powerful punches broke his nose in the opening stanza of the heavyweight bout. All told, Volkov outlanded Overeem by a 54-to-10 count in significant strikes – including 47-to-3 in head strikes.

“You’re a true warrior, [Alexander Volkov]. Congrats on the win!” Overeem wrote on Instagram. “Yesterday wasn’t my night. I could not recover from that punch in the first round after I broke my nose.”

The 40-year-old former Strikeforce and K-1 champion entered the matchup with Volkov having won four of his previous five Octagon appearances. Another win could have once again propelled “The Demolition Man” into the championship discussion at heavyweight. Instead, it appears that Overeem’s UFC title dreams may have been extinguished for good.

Still, Overeem soun…

Alexander Volkov’s 41-fight professional MMA career has already seen him capture championships with Bellator MMA and M-1 Global.

At 32 years old, he may be nearing the most prestigious prize of them all: the UFC heavyweight strap. Volkov took another step toward that goal with a dominant performance in the UFC Fight Night 184 headliner on Saturday night, as he defeated perennial contender Alistair Overeem via technical knockout 2:06 into Round 2 of their bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Volkov bloodied Overeem with precise and powerful punches, flurrying effectively against the fence when the Dutchman went into his trademark defensive shell.

That punishment took its toll, and “Drago” clinched his victory with a left hook that sent Overeem tumbling to the canvas. Referee Jason Herzog wasted no time stepping in before Volkov could do any further damage.

“I work a lot with my jab and striking. I also work a lot on my wrestling. I was feeling good with my standup…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

During his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure, Cory Sandhagen has developed a killer instinct that belies his outward appearance.

When the Elevation Fight Team product made Frankie Edgar faceplant with a spectacular flying knee 28 seconds into their co-main event encounter at UFC Fight Night 184 on Saturday night, he briefly felt a twinge of regret for doing that kind of damage to such a beloved figure in the sport.

“It feels good to add that to my resume. I’m even more happy it went the way that it did. That’ll be one that gets replayed for a long time—highlights last forever,” Sandhagen said. “Afterwards, it was a little bit emotional. I don’t want to see someone crawling up off the canvas. That was a little sad, but that’s the game we’re in. Better him than me.”

Sandhagen has found the proper mentality that allows him to author the type of finishes that end up on yearly award lists. H…

In the end, Clay Guida won at UFC Fight Night 184 in the best way he knew how.

“The Carpenter” snapped a two-fight losing streak with a gritty unanimous verdict against fellow veteran Michael Johnson in a featured lightweight contest at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Guida mixed overhand rights with relentless wrestling to wear down his opponent over the course of 15 minutes.

It wasn’t pretty, but with Guida, it rarely ever is when things go his way.

“I knew he was going to be reliant on that laser beam cross he has.  He cracked me with it a few times. I knew once I could get past a few, I had him,” Guida said. “As long as I could pressure him to the fence and take his best shots, I knew I was going to be in the driver’s seat. I stayed in his face the whole time. I made it dirty and ugly, just like a Clay Guida fight. There’s nothing pretty about it, but it gets the job done.”

While Johnson is known for having the quicker hands, Guida w…

We’ll likely be talking about Cory Sandhagen’s knockout of Frankie Edgar for the rest of the year. For now, though, it’s enough to give the victor a little extra something for his bank account.

Sandhagen received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his flying-knee finish of Edgar in the UFC Fight Night 184 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Sandhagen struck the decisive blow just 28 seconds into Round 1 — the true definition of a walkoff knockout if ever there was one.

Meanwhile, Alexander Volkov’s dominance against Alistair Overeem in the main event netted him the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check. The Russian heavyweight stalked and bloodied Overeem thoughout the heavyweight contest, ultimately finishing his Dutch foe with a left hook 2:06 into Round 2.

Elsewhere, Beneil Dariush and Diego Ferreira earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their compellling lightweight tilt. In a back…

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 dark horse label no longer applies to Alexander Volkov. On a steady climb inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division, the former Bellator MMA and M-1 Global champion damaged and discarded Alistair Overeem in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 184 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Overeem (47-19, 12-8 UFC), who looked like he had been hit by wayward helicopter blades, succumbed to blows 2:06 into Round 2.

Volkov (33-8, 7-2 UFC) was powerful and precise. He battered Overeem bloody in the first round, where he took advantage of the smaller cage, flurried with punches along the fence on more than one occasion and knocked him off-balance with a clubbing left hand. However, the worst was yet to come for “The Demolition Man.” Volkov unleashed his jab and devastating one-twos in the sec…

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. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 184 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 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:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores …

Our featured prelim is called after swelling on Justin Jaynes's eye. #UFCVegas18 pic.twitter.com/8HrtyXZmSI

— UFC (@ufc) February 7, 2021 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. Devonte Smith is no longer out of sight or out of mind.

In his first appearance since suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Factory X prospect made a triumphant return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship with a second-round technical knockout of Justin Jaynes at UFC Fight Night 184 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Referee Keith Peterson called for the stoppage 3:38 into Round 2 on the advice of the cageside physician, as Jaynes (16-7, 1-3 UFC) suffered a gruesome hematoma that closed his left eye.

Smith (11-2, 3-1 UFC) settled into the 160-pound catchweight clash with jabs and leg kicks, survived after being staggered by an overhand right in the first round and…

Leonardo Damiani (10-2-1) with the RNC to win it. Really good fight for the main event of their first Fight Pass show. Both guys showed up and fought an entertaining competitive battle.#TGC3 pic.twitter.com/Etjzn34qLF

— Dusty Andrews (@Fight_Expert) February 6, 2021

After nearly a year of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Italian MMA returned with the action-packed third event of The Golden Cage series on Saturday.

In The Golden Cage 3 main event, Leonardo Damiani (10-2-1) took on Marco Saccaro (6-3) in a rematch of an October 2018 bout won by Damiani. The promoter never communicated the weigh-in results, but the 180-pound catchweight bout was nonetheless valid for the welterweight belt. Both fighters lived up to their reputations as heavy strikers and exchanged some hards shots early in the opening stanza as Damiani scored with his kicks and Saccaro connected with his punches. After a quick scramble phase against the fence, Damiani …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDkZB2lUmBU&w=560&h=315]

UFC Fight Night 184 is down to 12 bouts after a preliminary clash pitting Askar Askar against Cody Stamann was canceled.

The promotion announced Saturday that Askar was not medically cleared to compete in the featherweight contest. Askar, who made weight on Friday at 145 pounds, was a short notice replacement for Andre Ewell, who was removed from the event due to COVID-19 protocols.

UFC Fight Night 184 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov. The card streams in its entirety on ESPN+.

Anchored at Midwest Training Center, the 26-year-old Askar was entering his Octagon debut on the strength of a three-round verdict over Kevin Wirth at LFA 92 this past October. Askar has won 11 of his 12 professional fights overall.

Stamann, meanwhile, last appeared at UFC on ESPN 13, where he dropped a unanimous decision …

for Drago!

@AlexDragoVolkov is official for #UFCVegas18. pic.twitter.com/rSn3axY1s9

— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2021 After opening 2021 with a series of “Fight Island” cards, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to its home base in Las Vegas with an event that saw every fighter make weight. Headlining UFC Fight Night 184 is a heavyweight bout between decorated veterans Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov. While Overeem (47-18, 1 NC) has never tasted gold inside the Octagon, the 40-year-old is a former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion. 4-1 in his last five, Overeem has only faltered in a shocking late fifth-round stoppage to the hard-hitting Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Most recently, “The Demolition Man” has picked up TKO wins over Walt Harris and Augusto Sakai. The Dutch fighter weighed in at 255.5 pounds.

Similar to his opponent, Volkov (32-8) has found sizable success outside of the UFC with Bellator MMA and M-1 Global heav…