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Tapped!@RickySimonUFC gets the job done in RD

[ #UFCFightIsland8 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/lqHZbiGzuQ

— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 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. Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Ricky Simon submitted Belgian newcomer Gaetano Pirrello with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their featured bantamweight prelim on Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Simon (17-3, 5-2 UFC) drew the curtain 4:00 into Round 2, scoring his first submission in nearly three years.

Pirrello (15-6-1, 0-1 UFC) did not enjoy his first UFC experience. Simon closed the distance, delivered repeated takedowns and methodically wore down the Osman Gym representative. He struck for his final takedown late in the second round, advanced immediately to full mount and framed the c…

In Matt Schnell’s mind, his split-decision victory over Tyson Nam at UFC on ESPN 20 wasn’t even that close.

“I felt like I was in control,” Schnell said. “It would have hurt my feelings if they named Tyson the winner. This game is like that sometimes. It would have hurt, but I would have been OK. I won that fight, though.”

Schnell rebounded from a knockout loss to Alexandre Pantoja in December 2019 thanks to crisp striking and movement. He knew that Nam, who was coming off back-to-back KO/TKO victories, would be headhunting throughout their flyweight bout. To his credit, Schnell was able to avoid any devastating blows from his opponent.

“I was doing subtle things to keep him from lining me up and squaring me up with a good one. Most of the ones that hit me didn’t land clean,” Schnell said. “Most of them were skimming off me. He wasn’t quite able to line me up, but the young man’s got some thump—no doubt about it. You can’t take it away from him. He was definite…

The squeeze of @Omari_Akhmedov forces Tom Breese to tap #UFCFightIsland8 pic.twitter.com/GDcScdehik

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 20, 2021

It’s been a long time since Omari Akhmedov finished an opponent in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

That changed at UFC on ESPN 20, when he tapped out Tom Breese with an arm-triangle 1:41 into the second round of of their middleweight clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The fight-ending maneuver didn’t come by chance, either.

“I was working on that submission the whole camp,” Akhmedov said. “My coach told me I have to finish the fight with this submission when I get mount. I have to work ground-and-pound first and then go for it when he raises his hands. I did it probably 1,000 times in this camp, so it came naturally.”

The 33-year-old American Top Team representative followed his coaches’ instructions perfectly. Prior to the submission. Akhmedov battered his opponent with purpos…

Count Conor McGregor among those who were impressed by Max Holloway’s record-breaking offensive performance against Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1 last weekend.

McGregor and Holloway initially squared off early in their respective promotional tenures at UFC Fight Night 26, with the Irish star winning a unanimous decision at featherweight in August 2013 despite tearing his ACL in the fight. McGregor recently said he might be interested in a rematch with Holloway in the future.

“I thought it was a solid performance,” McGregor told The Mac Life. “He fought an up-and-comer; he done well … He’s obviously hanging around, and fair play to him. He’s definitely in the pipeline for a bout against me. I would happily rematch Max, and after a performance like that, he’s put himself right up there.”

McGregor is set for another rematch on Saturday, when he meets Dustin Poirier in the lightweight main event at UFC 257. Like Holloway, Poirier fell to the “Notorious” in a feath…

OH BOY!!

@GutoInocente Michal Andryszak is official for #KSW58 on January 30th!!

Brace yourselves for impact!! pic.twitter.com/TUJjGRmGVA — KSW (@KSW_MMA) January 19, 2021

Well-traveled Brazilian veteran Guto Inocente will debut for a new promotion when he faces Michal Andryszak at KSW 58 on Jan. 30.

The Polish promotion announced the heavyweight bout on Wednesday. KSW 58 takes place at Wytwornia Club in Lodz, Poland, and is headlined by a featherweight title tilt between Salahdine Parnasse and Daniel Torres. The card can be viewed via pay-per-view on KSWTV.com.

A former title challenger in Glory Kickboxing, the 34-year-old Inocente has compiled an 8-5 record over the course of an MMA career that began in 2005. That tenure includes a victory over Virgil Zwicker in Strikeforce and losses to Anthony Perosh and Derrick Lewis in the UFC. Inocente is coming off a first-round KO of Flavio Rodrigo Magon on the regional circuit this p…

UFC bantamweight Andre Ewell has received a public warning from USADA after testing positive for ostarine in an out-of-competition urine sample collected on Oct. 15.

After the anti-doping violation, Ewell provided a sealed container of a supplement he was using prior to the positive test, and analysis of the product revealed a “low level” of ostarine. USADA then determined that the level of ostarine in the supplement was not enough to have given Ewell any performance enhancing benefits.

Ewell, 32, is coming off a 20202 campaign in which he earned a pair of split-decision victories over Irwin Rivera and Jonathan Martinez. The 32-year-old Apex MMA product is 4-2 during his promotional tenure and 17-6 as a professional overall.

The full USADA statement regarding Ewell’s case is as follows:

USADA announced today that Andre Ewell, of Perris, Calif., has received a public warning for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.

Ewell, 32, tested positive fo…

Your Thursday morning main event is OFFICIAL! #UFCFightIsland8 #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/CPIqfyblIG

— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) January 19, 2021

Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny are official for their welterweight headliner at UFC on ESPN 20.

Chiesa tipped the scales at 170.5 pounds, while Magny checked in at 171 pounds during Tuesday’s weigh-ins. Overall, all 28 fighters hit their contracted marks, officially clearing the way for a supersized 14-bout card. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and the main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at noon ET/9 a.m. PT, while the prellims stream on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

After an 11-bout UFC stint at lightweight, Chiesa has found new life at 170 pounds. “Maverick” began his welterweight run with a submission of Carlos Condit at UFC 232 and has since posted decision triumphs over Diego Sanchez and Rafael dos Anjos.

Magny has be…

A woman has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Conor McGregor for alleged personal injury, according to a report from ESPN.

Dave Coleman, the woman’s attorney, revealed to ESPN that the lawsuit is over events that allegedly took place in 2018 and was filed in the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday. The woman’s mother has also filed a suit against McGregor. The news was first reported by the Independent, which also revealed that an associate of McGregor’s was named as a co-defendant. The nature of the case against McGregor is currently unknown.

The matter was initially investigated by An Garda Síochána, the Irish national police, but no charges were brought against McGregor. The former UFC two-division champion denied any wrongdoing through a representative.

"After an exhaustive investigation conducted by the Gardaí which, in addition to interviews of the plaintiff, included interviewing numerous sources, obtaining witnesses' statements, examining clos…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H23pdjyf-Vg&w=560&h=315]

Signed by Professional Fighters League for to compete at lightweight for its 2021 season, Joilton Lutterbach is hoping for an early matchup with one of the two 155-pound favorites: high-profile acquisition Anthony Pettis or two-time defending champion Natan Schulte.

The PFL season kicks off on April 21.

“I’ve already asked the promoters to put me with either one on April 21. The PFL promised to release the card on Jan. 23,” he told told Sherdog.com. “In this tournament format you just have three months to train for the first fight and final. I’m in my better shape now so the perfect scenario would be to face Pettis or Shulte in first and final, but I´m ready for anything they bring me as always.”

“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” runner-up points out that he has fought in four different divisions during his 43-bout career.

“I was always ready depending what the promoters had to offer me —…

Dan Hooker knows what it’s like to spend an extended period of time in the Octagon with Dustin Poirier, and he believes Conor McGregor will get a similar experience in the UFC 257 main event.

Hooker started quickly in his matchup with Poirier at UFC on ESPN 12 this past June, as he attacked with a variety of left hooks, low kicks and uppercuts to the body and rocked his foe with a knee and flurry of punches at the end of Round 2. As time wore on, however, Poirier got stronger over the final 15 minutes and relied on a blend of powerful punches to the head and stout takedown defense to capture a unanimous decision triumph.

It was a far different scene when “The Diamond” first squared off with McGregor at UFC 178 in September 2014. McGregor’s power quickly took hold, and he polished off Poirier via technical knockout just 1:46 into Round 1.

With many more years of experience and fighting at 155 pounds instead of featherweight, Hooker expects Poirier to be able to …

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

Amanda Ribas might just be one of those fighters that has that elusive “it” factor that is so often referenced in the star-making process.

As she prepares to face Marina Rodriguez at UFC 257 on Saturday, Ribas has emerged as one of the promotion’s most intriguing female talents thanks to an impressive four-bout winning streak and an infectious, bubbly personality. Though Ribas is something of an interview darling now, she entered her Octagon debut unsure if she would be able to make a lasting impression on the MMA community.

“Before I did my debut in the UFC, I always talked to my dad and mom, ‘How do you sell the fight?’” Ribas said during a virtual media day. “Because I can’t do trash talk, it’s not like me. I don’t do sexy photos. And we were talking about it, and people liked my personality. This is so good for me because I feel relaxed.”

That alone would not have been enough to stand out, bec…

I'M SO PUMPED FOR THIS FIGHT!!!@dustinpoirier vs @thenotoriousmma is LIVE SATURDAY on @espn+ PPV! #UFC257 #InAbuDhabi @visitabudhabi pic.twitter.com/4DtwtmaUiW

— danawhite (@danawhite) January 18, 2021

The hype continues to build for the UFC 257 headliner on Saturday.

UFC president Dana White on Monday released the pay-per-view introduction, which is narrated by Ron Perlman. UFC 257 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and is topped by a rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. The main card airs via pay-per-view on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Early prelims air on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m./4:30, while the rest of the preliminary draw airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

McGregor will be making his first Octagon appearance in a year, and an impressive victory could land him a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov down the road. The Irish star defeated Poirier via TKO in their first meeting at UFC 178 in…

Calvin Kattar has spoken for the first time since his loss to Max Holloway in the UFC on ABC 1 main event.

“The Boston Finisher” did not address the media after absorbing a UFC record 445 significant strikes in a five-round unanimous decision defeat at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi because he was taken to a hospital immediately after the bout. Instead, Kattar released a brief statement via social media on Monday.

“Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up,” Kattar wrote. “With goals so strong that obstacles, failure and loss only act as motivation.

“Props to Max on a hell of a fight he deserves all the praise. Thankful for my team’s commitment for this fight. On to the next. There is no stopping the man who doesn’t quit.”

Kattar displayed tremendous toughness as he survived 25 minutes with Holloway. On a couple occasions it appeared that referee Herb Dean would halt the featherweight contest, but Kattar always managed to show just enough to allow…

Two more bouts have been added to the UFC Fight Night event on March 13, as Zubaira Tukhugov will meet Ricardo Ramos at featherweight, while Guram Kutateladze will face Don Madge at lightweight.

Tass was first to report Tukhugov vs. Ramos, while MMAjunkie.com initially brought word of Kutateladze vs. Madge. The event, which does not have an official location, is headlined by a welterweight clash pitting Leon Edwards against Khamzat Chimaev.

Tukhugov split a pair of bouts in 2020, defeating Kevin Aguilar via first round TKO at UFC Fight Night 168 before dropping a split decision to Hakeem Dawodu at UFC 253. Ramos, meanwhile, had a two-bout winning streak snapped in his lone appearance last year, a first-round stoppage loss against Lerone Murphy at UFC on ESPN 13.

Kutateladze extended his professional winning streak to nine with a split-decision verdict over former KSW champ Mateusz Gamrot in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 180 on Oct. 17. Madge is cur…

It should come as no surprise that Calvin Kattar received one of the longest medical suspensions following UFC on ABC 1.

Kattar is facing a potential 180-day layoff following a lopsided five-round defeat to Max Holloway in Saturday’s featherweight headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. “The Boston Finisher” must receive doctor clearance on his nose to have that term reduced. At a minimum, Kattar is suspended 60 days with 45 days of no contact. Holloway, meanwhile, is suspended 30 days with 21 days of no contact.

The UFC, which served as its own regulating body for the event, released a full list of medical suspensions to mixedmartialarts.com on Monday. Everyone on the card received at least a seven-day mandatory suspension.

Justin Tafa was the only other fighter to receive a potential 180-day suspension, as he needs a negative left-thumb X-ray to be cleared following a loss to Carlos Felipe at heavyweight.

UFC on ABC 1 Medical Suspensions:

Max Hol…

Santiago Ponzinibbio waited more than two years to return to the Octagon, but his first appearance since November 2018 was over in less than five minutes.

The 34-year-old Argentina native suffered a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Jingliang Li in a featured welterweight bout at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, ending a seven-bout winning streak that began in December 2015. “Gente Boa” had a chance to re-establish himself as one of the 170-pound division’s top contenders with a victory after an a lengthy absence that included a serious bacterial infection, a broken toe and a battle with COVID-19. Now, he has to rebuild.

Ponzinibbio issued a heartfelt statement via Instagram on the heels of his loss to Li.

I have no words to describe the sadness I feel,” he wrote. “I wanted to return giving a victory, you deserve it for so much support. I worked very hard for this event, a whole year of preparation but this sport is like that, there is a part out o…

If there was any doubt that Max Holloway remained a championship caliber featherweight heading into UFC on ABC 1, “Blessed” laid waste to those sentiments with a shellacking of Calvin Kattar in Saturday’s main event.

With a record-setting offensive performance, Holloway earned a lopsided unanimous verdict over one of the division’s rising contenders at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In the process, the Hawaiian likely earned himself another shot at 145-pound gold – even if Alexander Volkanovski is still champion by the time that date arrives.

“I think we have to [give Holloway a trilogy with Volkanovski]. I think we have to,” White said at the UFC on ABC 1 post-fight press conference. “I mean, when you’re the champion, you have the top five guys in the world gunning at you. When you’re the No. 1 contender in the world, you’ve got the top 10 guys in the world. Sometimes, No. 8 is more dangerous than No. 3.

“Tonight, he fought a bad dude that a lot of people thought w…

Crafty takedown by the veteran @CarlosCondit #UFCFightIsland7 pic.twitter.com/0FwGMeWDMt

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 16, 2021

While he can stomach a defeat, Matt Brown was undeniably miffed that Carlos Condit swept the scorecards in their co-main event bout at UFC on ABC 1.

“The Immortal” felt that he did enough to win the welterweight contest thanks to positional control, but even if that wasn’t the case, Brown can’t fathom how the judges elected to award all three rounds to his opponent. The opening frame was arguably Brown’s best, when he landed a takedown and maintained 3:36 of control time, according to UFCStats.com.

“30-27 is ridiculous,” Brown wrote on Twitter. “I won the first round 100%. He won the second for sure, and the third is really close but I ended on top. Should have got the decision [in my opinion], but if he got it based on just the third round I wouldn’t be mad. F--ing judges.”

30-27 is ri…

The beating that Calvin Kattar absorbed in the UFC on ABC 1 headliner is one that could potentially take years off a fighter’s career.

While a lesser athlete might have wilted earlier, Kattar made it until the final horn against Max Holloway on Saturday, absorbing a whopping 445 significant strikes in the process. Holloway was in peak form in the featherweight bout, as he relentlessly attacked with punching combinations to the head and body, knees, kicks and elbows. On a couple occasions, Kattar appeared to be on the verge of being stopped, but each time, he showed just enough fight for referee Herb Dean to allow the bout to continue.

If it were up to UFC president Dana White, Kattar wouldn’t have been allowed to showcase his toughness for as long as he did. As it was, the Massachusetts native was ushered straight to a local hospital following the conclusion of the bout.

“I thought the fight should have been stopped in the fourth round,” White said at the UFC o…

If Khabib Nurmagomedov elects to return to the Octagon for one last fight, he figures to have plenty of suitors.

While some of the most likely potential opponents — Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and Dan Hooker — occupy the upcoming UFC 257 card, Max Holloway wouldn’t back down if given the opportunity. The former featherweight champion returned to peak form in the UFC on ABC 1 headliner Saturday, as he authored a record-setting beatdown of Calvin Kattar at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

One day prior to the event, Nurmagomedov and UFC president Dana White met to discuss the lightweight champion’s plans. The session wasn't particularly revealing, but “The Eagle” did leave the door slightly open for a comeback.

“Khabib wanted somebody to impress him, if I did impress him – because I know the way he thinks,” Holloway said. “He wants to fight for his legacy, he doesn’t care about money. He wants the toughest opponents. If I got to push him over the…

According to his Facebook, former UFC fighter Paul Varelans passed away today after a long battle with COVID.

I talked to Paul for a couple of my books and he was a fun guy with a big sense of humor.

Will be missed. pic.twitter.com/xbfScMWPTg — The OFFICIAL MMA Encyclopedia (@JESnowden) January 17, 2021

UFC pioneer Paul Varelans has died after a lengthy fight against COVID-19.

Varelans passed away due to complications from the virus on Saturday, according to his Facebook page. He initially revealed his COVID-19 diagnosis via social media on Dec. 12. “Best way I can compare the feel of COVID-19 in my experiance [sic] is it’s like fighting a guy who specializes in kidney punches they never stop coming,” he wrote regarding the illness.

Less than a week later, he was placed on a ventilator in a medically induced coma at a hospital in Atlanta. Varelans was 51 years old.

A 6-foot-8, 300-pound Alaska native who played college f…

Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou will square off for a second time with heavyweight gold on the line at UFC 260.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the pairing during the UFC on ABC 1 post-fight press conference on Saturday. UFC 260 takes place on March 27 at an as yet to be announced location and will see Alexander Volkanovski defend his featherweight crown against Brian Ortega in the co-main event.

Miocic earned a convincing five-round verdict against Ngannou during his first title reign at UFC 220 in January 2018. The Ohio-based firefighter then went 2-1 in a trilogy with Daniel Cormier, concluding that rivalry with a decision win at UFC 252 this past August. Miocic has won eight of his last nine UFC bouts overall.

Ngannou is currently on a four-bout winning streak in which he has finished all four of his foes inside of a round. Most recently, “The Predator” knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds at UFC 249 in May 2020.

Max Holloway’s brilliance and Calvin Kattar’s toughness earned them a little extra bonus money on Saturday night.

Holloway and Kattar received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their five-round battle in the UFC on ABC 1 headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Holloway put on a clinic in earning a trio of lopsided scorecards from the cageside judges, but Kattar kept swinging right up until the final horn in a memorable kickoff to the promotion’s 2021 schedule.

Elsewhere, Jingliang Li earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check by spoiling the return of Santiago Ponzinibbio in a featured welterweight affair. A massive counter left hook from “The Leech” floored Ponzinibbio and a follow-up hammerfist snapped his foe’s seven-bout winning streak 4:25 into Round 1.

Finally, Alessio Di Chirico garnered the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for flipping the script on viral knockout artist Joaquin Buckley in a main-card midd…

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. Max Holloway was about as close to perfect as a fighter can get. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder pistol whipped Calvin Kattar for five rounds in an epic beatdown, as he laid claim to a lopsided unanimous decision in the UFC on ABC 1 headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Scores were 50-43, 50-43 and 50-42, all for the victorious Holloway (22-6, 18-6 UFC).

Kattar (22-5, 6-3 UFC) had no chance. Holloway overwhelmed him with volume, variety and violence for five rounds, unleashing every weapon in his arsenal with sadistic glee. It was undeniably uncomfortable at times. Multi-punch bursts to the head and body were followed by knees, kicks and elbows, one of which opened a horrendous gash on Kattar’s scalp. The Methuen, Massachusetts, native returned fire on occas…