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In 2021, Italian MMA hopes to see some much-desired light after several dark months.

The first Italian promotion to break the ice in the new year will be The Golden Cage, which will hold its third event on Feb. 6. The event will go down behind closed doors at the Heaven Fight Arena, the home of the Aurora MMA team, and it will be headlined by a welterweight championship clash between Leonardo Damiani and Marco Saccaro.

Sherdog spoke with the two minds behind the upcoming Golden Cage event. The first was Luigi Perillo, the founder of Icon Holding. He recollected that his adventure with MMA started after watching UFC 1 on videotape, instantly falling in love with the sport. Over the years, his passion for MMA grew into a business opportunity called The Golden Cage.

"The Golden Cage is a concept that I developed with two of my former business partners,” Perillo said. “We took the idea of a traditional MMA card and added some musical interludes. The final result was a sor…

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. Count teammate Warlley Alves among those that believe the sky is the limit for Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Raoni Barcelos. Alves (13-4) is preparing to fight Mounir Lazzez (10-1) on short notice at UFC on ESPN 20 on Jan. 20 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Champion of Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” Alves is expecting a violent encounter with the Tunisian striker nicknamed “Sniper.”

“Undoubtedly, he made a great UFC debut against Abdul Razak Alhassan last July,” Alves told Sherdog. “Very aggressive, sharp attacking with knees and elbows and great cardio. That’s the type of fighter I like to face; I’m expecting three rounds of violence.”

Coming off of a submission defeat by triangle choke to Randy Brown 14 months ago, Alves guaranteed that he is bringing back his best for h…

In one sense, it doesn’t matter if Calvin Kattar was fighting Max Holloway on national television or in a half-empty nightclub.

Either way, Kattar will be squaring off against one of the sport’s greatest featherweights in a headlining battle where a victory could do wonders for his career. However, “The Boston Finisher” acknowledges that it is significant to be part of the promotion’s first ever event on ABC on Jan. 16.

“Honestly, it’s always the same risk, [so] it’s nice to have a backside reward,” Kattar recently said on the ”UFC Unfiltered” podcast. “There’s a lot more eyes on it, so cool. I’m all for it. I know it’s gonna be a big opportunity. It’s the same fight. It’s the same Octagon. It’s the same 25 minutes. It’s just more eyes on it. Like I said, it’s the same risk – just more reward.”

Kattar then jokingly points out that his upcoming fight might be more accessible for a certain demographic.

“You know what it’s easier for? Telling people over the…

Last month, UFC president Dana White indicated that Rose Namajunas did not want the next strawweight title shot.

It was a strange statement considering that Namajunas had avenged a previous loss to Jessica Andrade at UFC 251 in July to potentially solidify herself as the No. 1 contender for Weili Zhang’s belt.

“I don’t think she did [like the pressure of being champion],” White told BT Sport. “We’ll see how that all plays out. If you look at the rankings and how it plays out, it would play out Weili vs. Carla Esparza.”

At the time, Pat Barry, who is Namajunas’ coach and fiancée, denied White’s claim, and he further addressed the situation during a recent appearance on the ”UFC Unfiltered” podcast.

“That was just a misunderstanding of some sort,” Barry said. “I’m sure the UFC knows what they’re doing. Dana White knows what they’re doing. We know the call is coming. There must have been some miscommunication somewhere, but she absolutely—Yeah, of course, t…

It’s Finally Official

Welcome to KSW Uros Jurisic (11-0) pic.twitter.com/eqxbqrqrjq

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) January 6, 2021 Former Titan Fighting Championship wetlerweight title holder Uros Jurisic has signed a contract to compete for Polish promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki.

KSW confirmed the deal via social media on Wednesday. A date for Jurisic’s debut is currently unknown.

A 28-year-old native of Slovenia, Jurisic is 11-0 since beginning his professional career in 2012. He competed on Season 21 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where he lost a decision to Luiz Firmino as part of the show’s American Top Team vs. Blackzilians theme.

Jurisic went on to capture Titan FC 170-pound gold in 2018 but was stripped of the belt due to inactivity. Most recently, he submitted Walter Gahadza in the opening round at Bellator 247 on Oct. 1. Jurisic has finished all but one of his opponents inside the distance.

Bethe Correia’s swan song in the Ultimate Fighting Championship will have to come at a later date.

The former bantamweight title challenger revealed via Instagram that she recently required emergency surgery for appendicitis and has been forced to withdraw from a proposed clash against Yanan Wu at UFC on ABC 1 on Jan. 16. Correia had previously indicated that the matchup with Wu would be her reitrement fight.

“God always knows what is best for us ...I was training so hard for this fight. However, in the middle of the night I started to feel an unbearable pain. I was admitted to the hospital and I was diagnosed with appendicitis,” Correia wrote. “The doctors advised me and my family that it was a severe case and that I would require an emergency surgery.

“I want to thank the UFC and Dana White for all the support over the years. My last dance and my retirement fight will have to be postponed for a little while. I cannot wait to put on amazing performance for you…

Julia Avila will face Julija Stoliarenko in a bantamweight contest at a UFC card on March 20.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the pairing. The event is headlined by a middleweight clash pitting Kevin Holland against Derek Brunson and does not yet have an official location.

Avila had a four-bout winning streak snapped in her most recent outing when she dropped a unanimous decision to Sijara Eubanks at UFC Fight Night 177 on Sept. 12. “Raging Panda” began her promotional tenure with victories over Gina Mazany and Pannie Kianzad. The 32-year-old also owns notable triumphs agianst Nicco Montano and Marion Reneau on the regional scene.

A native of Kaunas, Lithuania, Stoliarenko fell to Yana Kunitskaya via unanimous decision in her second Octagon appearance at UFC Fight Night 174 on Aug. 8. Her debut, a split-decision setback against Leah Letson at “The Ultimate Fighter 28” finale, came nearly two years earlier. The 27-year-old had won five straight bouts in vari…

Dana White is not among those who is in favor of open scoring in mixed martial arts.

The concept, which allows fighters and their teams to be made aware of the judges’ scorecards in between rounds, has gained momentum recently in the sport. Invicting Fighting Championships has been utilizing open scoring on its cards held in Kansas City, Kansas, since March 6. While the Kansas Athletic Commission was in favor of the idea, commissions in Nevada and California have not been receptive as of yet.

White discussed his aversion to open scoring during a Q&A with Laura Sanko on ESPN+ Tuesday.

“If a guy knows that he’s up two rounds and you’re a professional fighter, you can absolutely stay away from a guy for an entire round and make the fight completely horrible,” the UFC president said (transcription via MMAjunkie.com). “If you already know you’ve got two rounds in the bag, guarantee if you saw your score up there, all [you] have to do is stay away from this guy for th…

Former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski will square off against rising prospect Tom Aspinall at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 20.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the matchup on Tuesday. UFC Fight Night is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis, but an official location has yet to be revealed for the event.

A veteran of 32 UFC bouts, Arlovski has been victorious in three of his last four promotional appearances. The 41-year-old Belarusian went 2-0 in 2020, posting unanimous decision triumphs against Philipe Lins and Tanner Boser. Prior to that, Arlovski was winless in four fights from June 2018 to November 2019.

Aspinall, a former Cage Warriors standout, enters the matchup with Arlovski on a five-bout winning streak that includes first-round stoppages of Jake Collier and Alan Baudot in his first two UFC appearances. The 28-year-old Englishman is 9-2 as a professional and has finished all of his victories inside the distance.

Mounir Lazzez will replace Christian Aguilera and face Warlley Alves in a welterweight contest at UFC on ESPN 20.

Alves and Aguilera were initially slated to meet at UFC on ABC 1, but Lazzez vs. Alves has been moved to an event scheduled four days later. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new booking. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 20 and is headlined by a 170-pound clash between Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny. The card will air on both ESPN and ESPN+.

Tunisia’s Lazzez made a strong first impression when he scored a clear-cut decision victory over knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan in his debut at UFC on ESPN 13 on July 15. The man known as “Sniper” is 10-1 as a professional, with eight wins coming via KO or TKO.

Alves, who won Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” has lost two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 29-year-old X-Gym member fell to Randy Brown via second-round submission at UFC Figh…

IN ONE ROUND.@JaredVanderaa opened the night with RELENTLESS finishing shots

[ Tune in on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/UCQSGCS7tY

— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2020 The lineup for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Feb. 20 event continues to grow, as a heavyweight tilt betweeen Sergey Spivak and Jared Vanderaa and a featherweight clash between Michael Trizano and Rafael Alves have been added to the card.

MMAFighting.com was first to report Spivak vs. Vanderaa, which was initially slated for UFC 256 before Vanderaa tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, MMA DNA brought word of the Trizano-Alves matchup. UFC Fight Night takes place at an as yet to be announced location and is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.

Spivak has alternated wins and losses in his first four UFC appearances. Most recently, the 25-year-old Moldovan captured a majority decision against Carlos Felipe at UFC Fight Night 172 o…

Michael Chandler has a golden opportunity at UFC 257.

The former Bellator lightweight champion will make his Octagon debut against Dan Hooker in the evening’s co-main event in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23, one fight before Irish superstar Conor McGregor returns for a rematch with Dustin Poirier in the card’s headliner. Such prominent placement represents a golden opportunity for Chandler, but he must first get past Hooker before making any future plans.

Hooker, who is coming off a memorable decision loss to Poirier in a five-round war at UFC on ESPN 12, has won seven of his last nine promotional appearances while establishing himself as a reliable action fighter in the process.

“He’s the tallest guy in the division, which isn’t that big of a deal for me. Obviously I’m not the tallest guy, I’m about average height. So I fight a lot of guys who are taller than me, and I’ve got numerous knockouts against guys that are taller than me,” Chandler told ESPN. “I have a knack f…

A showdown between heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis has been rescheduled for UFC Fight Night on Feb. 20.

ESPN was first to report the news. Blaydes and Lewis were initially booked to lock horns in the main event of UFC on ESPN 18 on Nov. 28, but the bout was postponed after Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19.

Blaydes vs. Lewis will serve as the headliner for the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 20, which doesn’t yet have an official location.

Blaydes has won four straight bouts since a 45-second TKO loss to current heavyweight No. 1 contender Francis Ngannou at UFC Fight Night 141 in November 2018. Most recently, Blaydes earned a five-round verdict against Alexander Volkov in the UFC on ESPN 11 headliner on June 20.

Lewis, meanwhile, enters the matchup on a three-fight winning streak. After defeating Blagoy Ivanov via split decision and taking a unanimous verdict over Ilir Latifi, “The Black Beast” scored an emphatic victory at UFC F…

A welterweight title tilt between reigning champion Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns is in the works for UFC 258.

ESPN has reported that both Usman and Burns have verbally agreed to the bout, though contracts have not yet been signed. UFC 258 takes place on Feb. 13 at an as yet to be announced location. Combate initially reported the fight.

Usman vs. Burns has already been scheduled on two previous occasion. A positive COVID-19 test for Burns nixed their bout at UFC 251 in July, and then the rebooking at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 fell through when Usman withdrew to recover from lingering injuries.

Usman enters the matchup on a 16-bout professional winning streak that includes 12 victories within the Las Vegas-based promotion. “The Nigerian Nightmare” claimed 170-pound gold with a dominant five-round verdict over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 and has since defended the crown with a fifth-round TKO of Colby Covington at UFC 245 and a decision against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251…

A welterweight clash pitting Neil Magny against Michael Chiesa has been elevated to the new UFC on ESPN 20 main event, promotion officials announced Monday.

The Jan. 20 card’s originally scheduled headliner, Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev, was scrapped when Chimaev experienced complications after testing positive for COVID-19 in early December. According to a release, the plan is to reschedule Edwards vs. Chimaev for a third time later this year.

UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and will also see Carlos Condit face Matt Brown at 170 pounds, while Jimmie Rivera takes on Pedro Munhoz at bantamweight. The main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT, while the prelims begin on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

After not competing at all in 2019, Magny went 3-0 within the Las Vegas-based promotion last year, earning successive decision triumphs against Jingliang Li, Anthony Rocco Martin and Robbie Lawler. The Elevation Fight …

ESPN+ & @ABCNetwork combine to televise #UFCFightNight: Holloway vs Kattar

Live from #UFCFightIsland on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Saturday, Jan. 16Prelims | Noon ET | Exclusively on ESPN+Main Card | 3p ET | ESPN+ (English/Spanish) & ABC

More: https://t.co/Uw9jqLM4Q0 pic.twitter.com/ZWzQl4uAFp

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) January 4, 2021

More information has emerged regarding the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s broadcast plans with ABC.

According to a release, the main card of the UFC Fight Night event scheduled for Jan. 16 will be simulcast on both ABC and ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. Immediately prior, the preliminary draw will stream exclusively on ESPN+ at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

Reports of the UFC’s move to ABC first emerged in late December. Details regarding future broadcast plans with ABC have not been revealed, however.

“We are excited to collaborate with ABC to televise the first UFC event of 2021, an…

A matchup of light heavyweight prospects is on tap for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s March 27 event.

According to ESPN, Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker will square off on the card, which doesn’t yet have an official location or headliner.

Crute, who appeared on Season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, has been victorious in four of his first five Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 24-year-old Australian known as “The Brute” knocked out Modestas Bukauskas in the opening round of their encounter at UFC Fight Night 180 on Oct. 17.

A winner on the Brazilian interation of the Contender Series, Walker snapped a two-bout skid with a first-round KO of Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 178 this past September. The 28-year-old Rio de Janeiro native initially rose to prominence with three consecutive first-round knockouts to kick off his UFC tenure.

A pivotal lightweight showdown pitting Michael Chandler against Dan Hooker is official for the UFC 257 co-main event.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the booking to broadcast partner ESPN following an initial report from The Schmo last week. UFC 257 takes place at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23 and is headlined by a 155-pound clash between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

Chandler will make his highly-anticipated UFC debut after a successful stint with Bellator MMA that saw him capture lightweight gold on three different occasions. The former University of Missouri wrestler enters the matchup with Hooker riding the momentum of back-to-back first-round KO victories against Sidney Outlaw and Benson Henderson. Before being paired with Hooker, Chandler made weight to serve as an alternate for the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Justin Gaethje headliner at UFC 254.

Hooker, meanwhile, will return for the first time since a memorable five-round decision defeat at t…

Credit: Joao Baptista/Sherdog.com

An elbow injury has forced Isi Fitikefu out of his Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 20.

As a result, Markus Perez will step in and face Dalcha Lungiambula on Jan. 20 in Abu Dhabi. Multiple outlets confirmed the new middleweight booking following an initial report from Ag Fight. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place at the Flash Forum and is headlined by a welterweight duel between Neil Magny and Michael Chiesa.

The 30-year-old Perez has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances and is coming off a first-round knockout loss against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC Fight Night 179 on Oct. 10. “Maluko” is 2-4 in the UFC and 12-4 as a professional overall, with nine of his triumphs coming inside the distance.

After winning his promotional debut against Dequan Townsend, Lungiambula had a six-fight pro winning streak halted in a third-round KO loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Fight Night 163 on Nov. 9. A former Extreme Fighting Championship heavyweig…

Nasty knee here at #LFA89! pic.twitter.com/FWeqsbMwbY

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) August 29, 2020

A middleweight showdown between Josh Fremd and Bruno Oliveira will top the Legacy Fighting Alliance 98 lineup on Jan. 29.

The promotion recently announced the booking. LFA 98 takes place at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas and streams on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Five other main card bouts were also confirmed: J.J. Okanovich vs. Lucas Clay at lightweight; Richard Palencia vs. Jeimeson Saudino at bantamweight; Kyle Frost vs. Austin Clem at lightweight, Joshua DaSilveira vs. Matthew Paul at light heavyweight and Zac Pauga vs. Ashby Thomas at light heavyweight.

Anchored at Factory X, Fremd has been victorious in six of his first seven professional outings. The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2020 with first-round knockout victories over Lamar Gosey and Antonio Jones under the LFA banner.

Oliveira, 36, is com…

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 first Ultimate Fighting Championship card of 2021 lost a key matchup. On his Instagram page on Friday, Anthony Hernandez (7-2, 1 NC) posted that he contracted COVID-19 and his bout with Rodolfo Vieira (7-0) needed to be rescheduled. The middleweight pairing originally slated for UFC on ABC 1 on Jan. 16 has been pushed to UFC 258 on Feb. 13.

“Happy New Year,” Hernandez wrote. “Good news is that #teamFluffy is safe and gear goes out next week. Bad news is the fight’s delayed – 2020 left me with the COVID. I’m good [though] – and rescheduled for 2/13.”

Hernandez will be looking to bounce back from his first career knockout loss, which Kevin Holland handed to him in 39 seconds in May. “Fluffy” has overcome some adversity leading into and throughout his UFC career, as he began his ascent on Dana White's Contender Series…

Per sources, light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Magomed Ankalaev has been added to UFC Fight Night on Feb. 27. Fun fight. Ankalaev a potential dark horse in the division. Looking to add to a five-fight win streak.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 30, 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 betting line for Fight Doesn’t Go to Decision will be through the roof for this upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight rumble. ESPN announced on Tuesday that Nikita Krylov (27-7) would be taking on Magomed Ankalaev (14-1) at the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 27. This light heavyweight bout, and the card itself, does not have an official destination on the books, but it likely will be held either in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, or in Las Vegas.

Krylov has alternated wins and losses in each of his last…

Well guys 20 minutes before 2020 ended I got a phone call to say Jackson wont make the fight on January 20th you just cant write this shit. Do not ask me why because I dont know the full ins and outsnd wish him the best.. We are been rescheduled for march/april in America. pic.twitter.com/amzDJieiQO

— Dean Barry (@Deanbarry123) January 1, 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. Fight fans will have to wait a little longer to see Mike Jackson compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship again. Prospective UFC newcomer and welterweight Dean Barry (3-1) posted on Twitter on Friday that his matchup against Mike Jackson (1-1) would no longer be taking place on the upcoming UFC on ESPN 20 event on Jan. 20. Jackson has since confirmed the removal of the bout on the card on his Twitter page, although no reason has yet been given. The fighter…

Ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship star Paige VanZant has her opponent for her first bare knuckle match in 2021.

VanZant (0-0 BK) posted on her Instagram on Thursday announcing the signing of the bout agreement for her Feb. 5 fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The date of her debut had been previously announced, but her opponent had not been made official. At BKFC 14 in November, Britain Hart (1-2 BK, 1 KO) battered Randine Eckholm to force a fourth-round stoppage. After the match, Hart called for a fight with VanZant. Additionally, Hart came on the broadcast at BKFC 15 to again call for her shot against the former UFC fighter. Her wish has been granted, per MMA Fighting on Thursday. The two will meet at the BKFC featherweight division, which is 125 pounds.

VanZant transitions over to bare knuckle boxing after a 13-fight MMA career including nine in the UFC. On the heels of three losses in four bouts from 2016 to 2020, VanZant became a free agent and left …