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It wasn’t an easy lead-up to UFC Fight Night 183 for Geoff Neal, and once he stepped in the cage, it didn’t get any better.

Neal suffered his first promotional defeat in Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, falling to former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision. The Fortis MMA product was hospitalized with heart trouble earlier this year, an issue that forced him to withdraw from a proposed clash with Neil Magny on Aug. 29. And on Saturday, “Handz of Steel” was without his usual group of cornermen due to COVID-19. That included Fortis MMA head Sayif Saud.

“So much adversity dealing leading up to this fight,” Neal wrote on Instagram. “Sepsis, congestive heart failure, three of my corners testing positive for covid, with one of them being the General Sayif Saud, but I still made that walk and fought that fight.

“Couldn’t see out of my right eye for four rounds and still managed to hang in there with a guy who’s been …

@MarcinTybura FLEXING THE POLISH POWER! The G&P closes it out! #UFCVegas17 pic.twitter.com/WmgYmbNLd4

— UFC (@ufc) December 20, 2020

Saturday’s loss to Marcin Tybura exposed a glaring weakness in Greg Hardy’s game.

After an opening round in which the former NFL Pro Bowler’s standup looked as good as it ever has in the Octagon, he appeared to be just as helpless on the canvas in Round 2. Once Tybura executed a takedown, it was academic from there, as Hardy wilted under an onslaught of punches and hammerfists 4:31 into the second period.

The image of a defenseless Hardy covering up against Tybura’s ground-and-pound should be ammunition for future opponents. Prior to UFC Fight Night 183, Hardy had only absorbed three significant ground strikes in seven Octagon appearances.

Hardy admitted that he is still a work-in-progress as a mixed martial artist following the discouraging defeat.

“Gotta take my Ls like a man. Always have …

Jose Aldo displayed his versatility in a much-needed victory against Marlon Vera in the UFC Fight Night 183 co-main event on Saturday night.

The former featherweight king had a strong opening round that was highlighted by numerous ripping body shots, but Vera seized momentum in the Round 2 behind a steady diet of leg kicks and clinch work. Aldo shifted gears in the final stanza, when he landed a takedown and spent the majority of the round attached to Vera’s back. That was enough to seize the scorecards by a trio of 29-28 counts.

“I knew I had a very good first round. In the second round, he came more aggressive. That told me I needed to win the third round,” Aldo said. “That position is one I train a lot. I know it’s very strong. That’s why I was able to win the round.”

That snapped a three-bout skid for the Nova Uniao star, who was coming off a brutal beating in the late rounds against Petr Yan in a bantamweight title bout this past July. Prior to that, Aldo …

Faced with an opponent who had decimated all opposition in his path, Stephen Thompson made it look easy on Saturday night.

“Wonderboy” was in prime form in the UFC Fight Night 183 headliner, as he outstruck Geoff Neal for the better part of five rounds in a unanimous decision victory at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. As a result, Thompson re-established himself as one of the welterweight division’s top contenders. It wasn’t all easy, however, because the South Carolina native suffered an apparent knee injury late in the fight which hindered his trademark movement.

“After the fourth round, I thought it was my kneecap. I felt this stiffness in my right leg. I looked down and saw this ball and thought it was my kneecap,” Thompson explained. “I tried to bend my knee and it ended up being muscle. Hopefully it’s not too bad and I don’t have to have surgery.”

A veteran of two title bouts and six 25-minute fights in the UFC overall, Thompson let experience take over down th…

Faced with an opponent who had decimated all opposition in his path, Stephen Thompson made it look easy on Saturday night.

“Wonderboy” was in prime form in the UFC Fight Night 183 headliner, as he outstruck Geoff Neal for the better part of five rounds in a unanimous decision victory at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. As a result, Thompson re-established himself as one of the welterweight division’s top contenders. It wasn’t all easy, however, because the South Carolina native suffered an apparent knee injury late in the fight which hindered his trademark movement.

“After the fourth round, I thought it was my kneecap. I felt this stiffness in my right leg. I looked down and saw this ball and thought it was my kneecap,” Thompson explained. “I tried to bend my knee and it ended up being muscle. Hopefully it’s not too bad and I don’t have to have surgery.”

A veteran of two title bouts and six 25-minute fights in the UFC overall, Thompson let experience take over down th…

The wheel kick by @Showtimepettis had Morono on wobbly legs #UFCVegas17 pic.twitter.com/MiS6tylLIy

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 20, 2020

Anthony Pettis earned his second consecutive victory at 170 pounds at UFC Fight Night 183, but it appears that a return to lightweight is in his future.

After a decision victory against Alex Morono on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the former 155-pound champion admitted that his own habits have been holding him back in recent years, which is why he hasn’t been cutting weight as often. Four of Pettis’ last four Octagon appearances have taken place at welterweight.

“Guys at 170 are big dudes. It’s a different beast than 155. The reason I wasn’t at 155 is pure laziness,” Pettis said. “It was me outside the Octagon getting fat and just not caring like I should care about my career. I was doing some of the extracurricular things like clubs, the partying scene and all the food that comes with that. …

The Ultimate Fighting Championship ended the year by handing out $50,000 “Performance of the Night” awards to Stephen Thompson, Rob Font, Marcin Tybura and Jimmy Flick for stellar efforts at UFC Fight Night 183.

Thompson led the way on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as he used accurate straight punches, a variety of kicks and constant movement to earn a five-round verdict against Geoff Neal in the evening’s main event. It was the first appearance for “Wonderboy” since a triumph against Vicente Luque at UFC 244 in November 2019.

Elsewhere, Font also made an impressive return from a lengthy hiatus with a quick stoppage of former title challenger Marlon Moraes in a featured bantamweight encounter. A crisp jab from Font had Moraes stumbling backward, and he sent his foe to the canvas with an uppercut. From there, a barrage of powerful ground-and-pound brought an end to the bout 3:47 into Round 1.

Tybura survived a difficult opening stanza against Greg…

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. When Stephen Thompson fights at his pace and on his terms, he remains a sight to behold and one of the toughest outs in the sport. “Wonderboy” outstruck and outmaneuvered rising Fortis MMA star Geoff Neal across five rounds and kept his spot in line in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division, as he was awarded a unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night 183 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Thompson (16-4-1, 11-4-1 UFC) pitched a shutout, earning 50-45 scores from all three cageside judges.

Both men battled through serious cuts, the result of an inadvertent clash of heads in the first round. Neal (13-3, 5-1 UFC) had issues with the karateka’s movement and speed for much of the 25-minute confrontation, enjoying brief periods of success when he managed to close the distance. However, Thompson w…

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 183 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 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: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 the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Cri…

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.

Anthony Pettis will enter 2021 with some welcomed momentum in his back pocket.

The former World Extreme Cagefighting and Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder overcame an inauspicious start, put some of his otherworldly skills to use and picked up a unanimous decision over Alex Morono in the featured UFC Fight Night 183 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges sided with Pettis (24-10, 11-8 UFC), casting 29-28 scorecards in his favor.

Morono (18-7, 7-4 UFC) capitalized on an early slip in the first round, pounced on the Roufusport mainstay, progressed to the back and bloodied his nose in the process. Pettis withstood his efforts, called upon his deep reservoir of experience and took advantage of the one-minute respite between rounds. “Showtime” slowly seized control with superior strik…

GNP finish for Phil de Fries. And still KSW heavyweight champ #KSW57 pic.twitter.com/0MlJLc5ARn

— Will (@ChillemDafoe) December 19, 2020

Philip De Fries closed out Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki’s 2020 schedule with a dominant display against Michal Kita.

De Fries (19-6) retained his heavyweight crown with a technical knockout victory over Kita (20-12-1) in the KSW 57 headliner at Wytwornia Club in Lodz, Poland, on Saturday. Following an early sequence that saw “Masakra” catch De Fries with a couple of heavy combinations, “F-11” shifted gears and took his opponent down. De Fries punished the Polish fighter with many shots of ground-and-pound, and it didn’t take long before Kita’s face started bearing the marks of De Fries’ offense. At the end of the first stanza, the referee and the physician checked Kita’s condition very carefully, but the Polish fighter insisted on continuing.

In the second stanza, “F-11” immediately took his opponent to the …

So its official I am Covid-19 positive. And feel like hell

Posted by Paul Varelans on Saturday, December 12, 2020 Early Ultimate Fighting Championship vet Paul Varelans is currently engaged in the fight of his life.

Varelans first posted about his COVID-19 diagnosis on Facebook on Dec. 12, writing, “So its [sic] official I am COVID-19 positive. And feel like hell.”

The 6-foot-8 former UFC fighter struggled with the illness, writing on Dec. 13, “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.” The next day, he wrote, “Now for food pangs I’d kill for candied salmon WTF.” This was his last post, as he has since been hospitalized in Atlanta due to the illness.

Paul Varelans... (The Polar Bear)... has been diagnosed with Covid 19. He's on a ventilator and struggling. I urge everyone in the MMA world, to say a quick prayer for Paul. God speed...!!!<…

Love you guys

— Sergio DaSilva (@thesavage125) December 16, 2020 Sergio da Silva, a former Bellator MMA and Cage Fury Fighting Championships competitor, has died at age 34.

MyMMANews first reported the unfortunate news of da Silva’s passing on Friday. UFC lightweight and friend of da Silva Jared Gordon has since confirmed this Instagram. Da Silva's management team informed Sherdog on Friday that da Silva passed on Wednesday evening, and that the remainder of the details are being withheld out of respect to his family's privacy.

“(Insert generic caption of mental illness/addiction and other various reasons for why all your friends die and wish they had reached out first) f--- this world. Love you Sergio,” Gordon wrote on his Instagram page on Friday about da Silva.

Da Silva was convicted of third-degree robbery for holding up a bank in Queens, N.Y., in August 2017. Although initially found guilty by the jury, he was not sentenced to priso…

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. A huge bantamweight scrap is in the works for the 2021 Ultimate Fighting Championship card on Super Bowl weekend. According to ESPN on Friday, Cory Sandhagen (13-2) will be taking on Frankie Edgar (24-8-1) in the co-main event of the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 6. That event is expected to take place at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Emirates. The two were originally paired against one another in January, but Edgar was pulled from that bout to remain at featherweight.

Sandhagen rebounded from a title eliminator defeat to Aljamain Sterling in June by knocking out Marlon Moraes with a rare spinning wheel kick in October. In doing so, he became the first fighter from below lightweight to notch this kind of knockout in company history. His defeat to Sterling before the Moraes knockout snapped an impressive seven…

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. UFC 256 took its toll on its competitors. According to promotional paperwork provided to mixedmartialarts.com on Friday, seven different Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters from the recent pay-per-view card face lengthy suspensions. Headlining the event was a flyweight championship affair, where Deiveson Figueiredo fought to a thrilling draw to retain his belt against Brandon Moreno. For their hard-fought battle that raged on for 25 minutes, both men are facing potential 180-day suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Figueiredo needs to get his broken toe and right bicep cleared, while Moreno sustained damage to his left shoulder and left forearm that also requires clearance.

Figueiredo and Moreno were not the only two fighters on the main card staring down the barrel of lengthy suspensions, as Tony Ferguson …

One Championship returned for its penultimate event in 2020 with the first part of One: Collision Course, which went down at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, on Dec. 18.

What a way to finish! #ONECollisionCourse #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/uyGveU7DzJ

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) December 18, 2020 In the main event, Roman Kryklia notched his first title defense of his light heavyweight kickboxing belt at the end of a one-sided clash with Andrei Stoica. The Ukrainian champion took advantage of his longer reach to hit his Romanian opponent with stinging jabs and flying knees. Stoica attempted several times to answer with his highly regarded right hook, but Kryklia didn’t fall into the classical trap of “Mister KO.” In the fifth stanza, Kryklia accidentally headbutted his adversary, forcing the Romanian athlete to take a few minutes to recover. When the action resumed, the champion came close to finishing…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjK7tPTfev0&w=560&h=315] On Friday morning, Polish promotion KSW held the weigh-ins for its final event of 2020, and all three championship matches have been cleared.

The KSW 57 main event will feature Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Philip De Fries (18-6) putting his heavyweight championship on the line against Michal Kita (20-11-1). “F-11” is currently riding an impressive six-bout winning streak. In his last appearance, he edged fellow UFC alum Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira by split decision at KSW 50. De Fries weighed in at 264 pounds when he stepped on the scales.

Kita earned his title shot by knocking out Michal Andryszak at KSW 54 in his return to the promotion in just under three minutes. The bout was a rematch from their 2017 meeting, where Andryszak tapped him out with an anaconda choke in 74 seconds. The heavyweight known as “Masakra” came in at a ready 235 pounds.

In the co-main event, KSW will crown a ne…

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. A big all-Brazil bantamweight battle has been added to a February Ultimate Fighting Championship Fight Night card. Sherdog.com has learned from sources close to the situation that Raphael Assuncao (27-8) will lock horns with Raoni Barcelos (16-1). The two bantamweights will come to blows on Feb. 27 at the UFC Fight Night event in either Las Vegas or Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The matchup will likely come with top-10 implications at 135 pounds for the winner.

The #9 ranked Assuncao is coming off of three consecutive defeats to top-ranked opponents Cody Garbrandt, Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Moraes. Although Assuncao has not won a fight since 2018, his previous run before the setbacks to Moraes et. al was an astonishing 11-1, with the lone defeat in a rematch with T.J. Dillashaw in 2016. Throughout his storied career, Assunca…

Wonderboy, what is the secret of your powers?

@WonderboyMMA is 170lbs and our #UFCVegas17 main event is OFFICIAL. pic.twitter.com/nMumluhMyX

— UFC (@ufc) December 18, 2020 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 Ultimate Fighting Championship will put on its final event of 2020 on Saturday, and the weigh-ins went on without issue.

Hopefully, UFC Fight Night 183 will end the year on a high note. The card is main evented by a welterweight bout between former title challenger Stephen Thompson and a surging Geoff Neal. After the weigh-ins, the 12-fight card is now official as everyone made weight. Additionally, Dalcha Lungiambula weighed in at 185.5 pounds as a potential alternate.

“Wonderboy” rebounded from a surprising two-fight skid with a thrilling decision over Vicente Luque in his last appearance. It’s been a year sin…

Karl Roberson out due to COVID issues. Unsure if its him or Dalcha.#UFCVegas17 pic.twitter.com/jl3MgSvW2X

— MMA Lock of the Night (@MMALOTN) December 18, 2020 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 Ultimate Fighting Championship’s final show of the year is down to 12 fights now. On Friday morning, Karl Roberson (9-3) posted on his Instagram stories that his matchup with Dalcha Lungiambula (10-2) has been scrapped once again. The two were gearing up to meet at UFC Fight Night 183, in a bout that was pushed to Dec. 19 after being pulled from UFC 256 the week before. Roberson experienced complications related to his prior COVID-19 test, and he has been pulled from the event. Per the UFC’s official statement, the bout has been canceled and no replacement will be sought.

Roberson was looking to get back in the win column after an unsucc…

FINAL FACE OFF@Canelo vs @CallumSmith23 is tomorrow night!#CaneloSmith pic.twitter.com/1bFe9y4B4P

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) December 18, 2020 Boxing’s biggest star returns this weekend.

Saul Alvarez will fight for the first time since splitting with Golden Boy and will take on Callum Smith. Two titles will be on the line as Smith is putting up his World Boxing Association super middleweight belt, while the World Boxing Council’s vacant title is also up for grabs.

Like many, 2020 has not gone as “Canelo” would have liked, with this appearance his first first trip to the ring this year. Alvarez (53-1, 36 KO) is coming off an impressive 2019 campaign that saw him win a clear-cut unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs. After claiming three middleweight titles from Jacobs, Alvarez moved up to light heavyweight to knock out Sergey Kovalev for the World Boxing Organization belt. The pound-for-pound great has a personal history with his …

It’s heartbreaking for me not to be there fight week in Vegas but thankfully my covid 19 symptoms haven’t been too bad so far. Wishing you all love and safety during this pandemic. pic.twitter.com/g7YSELZYuH

— Aiemann Zahabi (@Aiemannzahabi) December 17, 2020 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 year-end Ultimate Fighting Championship event keeps taking hits on fight week. Aiemann Zahabi (7-2) posted on Twitter on Thursday to announce his withdrawal from UFC Fight Night 183 on Dec. 19, stating that a positive COVID-19 test is the reason for him pulling out. He was originally slated to face Drako Rodriguez (7-1) at bantamweight, but the matchup has been scuttled altogether, per TSN.

“Hey everyone,” Zahabi said on Twitter. “I’ve got some pretty devastating news for myself and for those who wanted to watch me fight on Saturday. For m…

Per sources, Saturday's fight between Rick Glenn and Carlton Minus is off.

No official reasons yet, but word is that Rick Glenn tested positive for COVID—19.

I'm hearing, though, that the UFC is looking for a late replacement. #UFCVegas17 — Al Zullino (@phre) December 16, 2020 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 Ultimate Fighting Championship is making a quick switch ahead of its year-end card.

BJPenn.com first broke the story on Wednesday night that Rick Glenn was out of his UFC Fight Night 183 matchup against Carlton Minus (10-2, 1 NC). Multiple outlets have since confirmed Glenn’s withdrawal, which may have been due to a positive COVID-19 test. In his place, according to BJPenn.com on Thursday, will be lightweight Christos Giagos (17-8). Due to the short-notice nature of this bout, Giagos will be facing Minus at welter…

Per sources, Saturday's fight between Rick Glenn and Carlton Minus is off.

No official reasons yet, but word is that Rick Glenn tested positive for COVID—19.

I'm hearing, though, that the UFC is looking for a late replacement. #UFCVegas17 — Al Zullino (@phre) December 16, 2020 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. Editor's note: This article has been updated at 11:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 17 to reflect additional information about the matchup.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is making a quick switch ahead of its year-end card.

BJPenn.com first broke the story on Wednesday night that Rick Glenn was out of his UFC Fight Night 183 matchup against Carlton Minus (10-2, 1 NC). Multiple outlets have since confirmed Glenn’s withdrawal, which came from a positive COVID-19 test. In his place, according to BJPenn.com on Thursday, will …