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LFA is excited to announce that we have signed top prospect #AlexPereira.

Pereira is the reigning #GLORY 85 kg champ and interim 95 kg champ.

He is also the last man to defeat @StyleBender and holds a 2-0 record against the #UFC #middleweight champ in #kickboxing. pic.twitter.com/aqOz7x0uLS — LFA (@LFAfighting) October 23, 2020 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 4:40 p.m. ET on Oct. 23 to add comments from Pereira and his manager.

Shortly after a fake Twitter account masqueraded and made waves as Glory kickboxing champ Alexsandro Pereira, the fighter has signed with the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

On Thursday night, the promotion announced it had signed highly touted kickboxer Pereira (2-1 MMA, 41-6 KB). The kickboxer had once signed to participate on Dana White's Contender Series in 2018, but a prospective matchup was scratched before it came together. Pereira does not yet have an opponent listed, or any date specifi…

It doesn’t matter how hard you work ... sometimes things are out of our control. His plan not mine. I hope to still be fighting before the year ends. Sorry @drewdober hope we will meet in the octagon soon #family #ufcfightnight #2020 #rgvfighters #tfbjj #fortismma #bless #mma pic.twitter.com/LkS863Rvgk

— Diego Ferreira (@DiegoUFCTX) October 23, 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. A rising star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been forced to pull out of a big upcoming matchup. Late on Thursday, MyMMANews first reported that Diego Ferreira (17-2) would no longer be competing at UFC on ESPN 17 against Drew Dober (23-9, 1 NC). The two were coming to blows on Nov. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, in a bout featured on the main card. Conflicting reports have claimed that Ferreira suffered an illness that may or may not be…

OFFICIAL: Khabib & Gaethje make championship weight for #UFC254

[ Oct 24 - Main Card at 2pmET: https://t.co/J0b14mXFgS ] pic.twitter.com/aIdwU1Z5H6

— UFC (@ufc) October 23, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 254 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. One of the more highly anticipated championship affairs in recent memory is now official for Saturday.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will end its second stint on “Fight Island” with its biggest fight yet as lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will unify titles with interim titleholder Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. The 12-fight card is now official after the weigh-ins took place, but it was not without some drama. Both Alex Oliveira and Joel Alvarez missed weight for their respective bouts.

Nurmagomedov (28-0) has been open about wanting to retire once he reaches an MMA record of 30-0, so it appears …

Leon Edwards confirms to me over text he has been removed from the UFC rankings due to inactivity. #UFC

— Cole Shelton (@ColeShelton91) October 22, 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 appears to be playing hardball with top welterweight contender Leon Edwards. On Wednesday, TSN first updated their rankings – rankings that reflect the official UFC placements – to reflect that Edwards (18-3) had been removed from the welterweight division. Formerly ranked at the #3 spot thanks to an eight-fight win streak, “Rocky” last competed in July 2019. Edwards was previously slated to meet Tyron Woodley in March, but travel restrictions due to COVID-19 scuttled the entire event. After MMA reporter Cole Shelton confirmed through Edwards that the Brit was removed, the promotion updated its own rankings according…

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 can’t catch a break when it comes to COVID-19. On Thursday, AdjaraSport reported that Cody Stamann (19-3-1) has tested positive for COVID-19, and that he was forced to pull out of his matchup with Merab Dvalishvili (12-4). The two were set to square off at the UFC event on Dec. 5, and Dvalishvili confirmed his opponent’s withdrawal on his Facebook page. Subsequent reports have claimed that Stamann himself did not contract COVID-19, conflicting with what Stamann’s former foe claimed. The promotion is currently searching for a replacement opponent, and Dvalishvili is asking for a top-ranked opponent to fill the void.

“My fight with Cody Stamann was cancelled and we are looking for a new opponent,” Dvalishvili wrote. “Cody got coronavirus and while there’s six weeks still left, he doesn’t want t…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlyOT5fXrwg&w=560&h=315] The burgeoning karate promotion Karate Combat has found a new broadcast home in the United States.

Karate Combat, which has aired its second season on the promotion’s YouTube page this season, announced via press release that it has signed a deal with ESPN Deportes. Broadcasts on the channel will start immediately and on a weekly basis, with the first on Oct. 22. The broadcast will be in Spanish, marking the company’s first jaunt into U.S. Spanish-language television. The full-contact karate organization airs hourly episodes on its YouTube channel, with a virtual world rendered using the Unreal Engine from Epic Games.

CEO of Karate Combat, Rob Bryan, wrote, “We’re proud to present our full contact entertainment in Spanish in the U.S. for the first time with ESPN Deportes. We’ve brought one of the world’s most practiced sports to pro-level for the first time, and we’re making it incredibly entertaining.”<…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI9djpIpHps&w=560&h=315] Taura MMA has a definite plan going forward to become the biggest promotion in Brazil as well as one that can rival top organizations stateside.

After being severely hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, it looks like Brazilian MMA events are restarting again. Thunder Fight, Respect MMA, Arena Global and Future Fighting Championships all put on recent shows in Brazil, with several championship affairs spread among their organizations. Taura MMA will promote its 10th edition on Friday, while Shooto Brazil will promote its 102nd edition on Sunday. Both events will take place in Rio de Janeiro in the Upper Arena, broadcasting live on the Combate channel.

While Shooto 102 will have a bantamweight title dispute between Wellington Nenem and Luan Lacerda, Taura 10 will put two belts on the line. For the flyweight title, Felipe Gheno will face Bruno Rodrigues Mesquita, while Ary Farias will face American Johnny Camp…

Rafael Cordeiro revela conversa com Tyson: ‘Começou com uma escolinha e hoje estão cogitando luta pelo título’ https://t.co/9MNJjLUV4X pic.twitter.com/vFZeVNMw3y

— Portal do Vale Tudo (@portaldovt) October 22, 2020 Kings MMA head coach Rafael Cordeiro made an interesting revelation about Mike Tyson.

In a live discussion with Chute Boxe legends including Fabricio Werdum and "Cris Cyborg" on the Portal do Vale Tudo on Tuesday, Cordeiro spoke about training Tyson to face Roy Jones Jr. on Nov. 28 in Los Angeles.

“[The] other day I was talking to him about how our partnership started. Werdum invited me to go with him in Thailand where he and Tyson would make a special participation in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie [“Kickboxer: Retaliation”]. I told Mike who would ever say that we started when I invited him to do some pads back then and today we would be talking about fighting for the title.”

Cordeiro was coy on giving out any more details, …

Last week, reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said he doesn't ever expect to face Tony Ferguson after Ferguson was beaten badly by Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 this past May.

"One day you're going to go down and his day come. It was May. Tony Ferguson is finished now,” Nurmagomedov recently told ESPN. “He's gonna come back, and someone gonna beat him again, I believe. Because when you take damage like this, you'll never going to be the same. Never. Even if you're Tony Ferguson.”

Not so fast, says Ferguson. Although the fight has already fallen through on five different occasions for various reasons, “El Cucuy” is confident his day with Nurmagomedov will come. And although his setback to Gaethje was jarring, Ferguson is not happy that many in the MMA community seem to have forgotten that he authored a 12-bout winning streak in the UFC prior to that defeat.

"I see fear in his voice if he thinks he has to talk bad about people," Ferguson told ESPN…

According to Khabib Nurmagomedov, there’s a major difference between Dagestani wrestling and American wrestling.

The debate has taken on added significance as Nurmagomedov prepares to defend his undisputed lightweight crown against interim king Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event on Saturday. Gaethje has been known as a dangerous striker throughout his MMA career, but those skills are backed by a wrestling pedigree that saw him earn NCAA All-American honors at the University of Northern Colorado.

“I didn’t watch any tape on Kahbib. I’ve watched his fights thoughout his career because I’m a huge fan of MMA. But I didn’t go back when I got him as an opponent to analyze him,” Gaethje said at UFC 254 press conference on Wednesday. “I’ve always focused on being my best self. He hasn’t fought somebody who has wrestled or grappled as long as he has. That is me, I have.

“Everyone says they’re ready [for Nurmagomedov]. I will not allow him to put me on the fence. I…

Marlon Moraes won’t have to wait long to rebound from his loss to Cory Sandhagen, as he has been scheduled to square off against Rob Font at a UFC Fight Night card on Dec. 19.

MMA journalist Mike Russell was first to report the bantamweight booking, which has since been reported by multiple outlets. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and does not currently have a headliner.

Moraes fell victim to a spinning wheel kick and follow-up punches from Sandhagen in the UFC Fight Night 179 main event. Prior to that, the former WSOF champion took a controversial split verdict against Jose Aldo at UFC 245. “Magic” is 23-7-1 as a professional, with notable wins against the likes of Aldo, Aljamain Sterling, Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera, John Dodson and Miguel Torres.

Font, meanwhile, enters the bout on a two-fight winning streak after scoring back-to-back unanimous decision triumphs over Sergio Pettis and Ricky Simon. The Team Sityodtong representative is …

Ovince St. Preux will meet Jamahal Hill in a light heavyweight scrap at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Dec. 5.

Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing following an initial report from Cageside Press. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Darren Till and Jack Hermansson.

After a brief foray at heavyweight, which resulted in a loss to Ben Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 171, St. Preux returned to 205 pounds at UFC Fight Night 176, where he knocked out Alonzo Menifield in the second round on Sept. 5. “OSP” is 15-10 over the course of his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

A competitor on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Hill is unbeaten in eight professional outings thus far. However, a first-round TKO of Klidson Abreu at UFC on ESPN 9 was overturned to a no contest after Hill tested positive for marijuana. He debuted in the Octagon with a unanimous verdict over Darko Stosic.

An intriguing welterweight duel has been added to the Bellator 252 card, as Ukrainian Yaroslav Amosov will square off with fellow unbeaten fighter Logan Storley on Nov. 12.

Prime Fight Management, which represents Amosov, confirmed the booking to Sherdog.com. Bellator 252 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and includes a pair of featherweight grand prix matchups: Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho and Daniel Weichel vs. Emmanuel Sanchez.

The 27-year-old Amosov is unbeaten in 24 career outings – including five under the Bellator banner. “Dynamo” has already earned notable victories in the California-based promotion against the likes of Ed Ruth, Gerald Harris, David Rickels and Erick Silva. He has finished 19 of his 24 career triumphs inside the distance.

A four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Minnesota, Storley is 11-0 thus far in his professional tenure. The Sanford MMA representative is 6-0 thus far in Bellator and is coming off a fi…

As the most important fight of her career approaches, Jennifer Maia spoke to Sherdog.com about her final weeks of preparation for her upcoming fight against flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 255 co-main event.

With victories in three of her last four Octagon appearances, the former Invicta FC title holder is optimistic about her chances against “Bullet.”

“This has been the best camp of my life. Everything is running according with our plans,” Maia said. “Valentina never makes mistakes during the fight, so I don’t see she changing her usual strategy against myself. My main focus will be to impose my rhythm and not let her get comfortable in any moment of the fight.”

Maia also praised former opponent Jessica Andrade, who made her 125-pound debut last weekend with a first-round TKO of Katlyn Chookagian in the UFC Fight Night 180 co-headliner. The Parana, Brazil, native previously defeated Andrade via unanimous decision at Samurai FC 9 “Water vs. Fi…

UFC 254 is pretty big deal, that much is well documented.

Earlier this week UFC president Dana White revealed that the card is trending to be the promotion’s top-selling pay-per-view of all time, potentially surpassing the blockbuster showdown between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor in 2018.

For Justin Gaethje, UFC 254 is significant beyond pay-per-figures and the chance to unseat Nurmagomedov as the organization’s reigning lightweight champion. It’s about long-term security for his family. Both Gaethje’s mom and dad will be in attendance when he stands across from Nurmagomedov at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. That will be a memorable moment in itself.

“My parents have never flown international,” Gaethje said at a pre-fight press conference on Wednesday. “They got to fly business class [to Abu Dhabi]. They’ve never flown business class.

“My dad retired a little over a year ago. He worked 37 years in the copper mines. My mom is going to…

It appears that Rafael dos Anjos and Islam Makhachev have a new date.

According to information released by MMA DNA and later confirmed by Combate.com, the fight between dos Anjos and Makhachev has been rescheduled for a UFC event on Nov. 14. It is currently unclear if the lightweight bout will serve as the headliner for the card, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is expected to be UFC Fight Night 182.

Dos Anjos and Makhachev were initially scheduled to meet at UFC 254 on Oct. 24. However, dos Anjos tested positive for COVID-19 during his camp at Nova Uniao in Rio de Janeiro and the matchup was postponed. Dos Anjos revealed to Sherdog.com that the illness was really bad for the first week, but after that he recovered began his training following a 14-day quarantine.

A former UFC champion at 155 pounds, dos Anjos will return to lightweight for the first time since 2016 following a 4-4 stint as a welterweight. The 35-year-old Brazilian last comp…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s-yUSN-UAs&w=560&h=315]

Jared Cannonier heads into the UFC 254 co-main event as the man targeted by reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya as the No. 1 contender-in-waiting.

However, before “The Killa Gorilla” can get his title shot, he must first vanquish former title holder Robert Whittaker on Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi.

“I have all the respect for anybody who’s competing in this sport. If they respect, me I’m going to definitely reciprocate it,” Cannonier said at a virtual media event on Tuesday. “I’ve said it before, I’ve been a fan of Izzy before he was in the UFC. He definitely sees guys coming up doing their thing, and I guess I caught his attention. He vocalized that in front of the world and now the world is eating it up.

“But I’ve got fights ahead of me and I’m not really resting on my laurels based on what someone else says about me. I’m doing what I’ve got to do to make sure I get what I…

Fighting for the second time in Abu Dhabi in 2020, Alex Oliveira will face the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 254 on Saturday.

Coming off back-to-back decision wins against Max Griffin and Peter Sobotta, the 18-time UFC veteran told Sherdog that he is really motivated to welcome the fighter from Kazakhstan to the Octagon.

“I don’t care if it’s a veteran or a young talent who is making his debut in UFC, when I step in the Octagon my main focus is to maintain my winning streak and return to the place I belong, which is the top of the rankings of the welterweight division,” he said.

Andre Tadeu, Oliveira’s head coach, recognizes Shavkat as a tough challenge, but said that the experience his fighter had in his 18 UFC appearances will make the difference in the result.

“The guy is pretty tall for the division and has a nice striking technique, always walking forward. But I saw all his 12 fights. He never had a hard time, or bled,” Tadeu said. “Saturday wi…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7gdSBthCKg&w=560&h=315]

There’s still a few days left before Saturday, but UFC 254 is already generating a lot of interest.

“This thing’s trending off the charts for us right now,” UFC president Dana White told TMZ Sports. “It’s the end of Tuesday going into Wednesday…On Monday, this thing was trending to be the biggest fight we’ve ever had. Not Thursday, not Friday — Monday.”

UFC 254 takes place at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and is headlined by a highly-anticipated lightweight title unification bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. Nurmagomedov’s victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in October 2018 holds the pay-per-view record, with a reported 2.4 million buys.

However, even White admitted that things could change by the weekend, and sales could be affected by the fact that the main card begins at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT in the United States.

“It’s trending bigger than that [UFC 229] r…

Bellator 250 has its co-headliner, as Henry Corrales will square off against Brandon Girtz in a featherweight affair.

Sherdog.com confirmed the booking with a promotion official on Tuesday following a report from MMAjunkie.com. Bellator 250 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Oct. 29, and is headlined by a middleweight title tilt between Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima.

Corrales was eliminated in the opening round of the featherweight grand prix by Darrion Caldwell at Bellator 228 before falling to Juan Archuleta in his most recent appearance at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25. Prior to that, the 34-year-old Fight Ready representative had won five straight bouts within the California-based promotion, a streak that included triumphs against the likes of Aaron Pico, Noad Lahat and Georgi Karakhanyan.

Girtz, meanwhile, has won just two of his last seven fights dating back to 2016. In his first appearance of 2020, the Genesis Training Center ex…

UFC heavyweight Chase Sherman has been suspended for nine months for an anti-doping violation related to an in-competition sample collected on May 13, USADA announced Tuesday.

Sherman tested positive for anastrozole during a drug test at UFC Fight Night 171. Anastrozole is in the class of hormone and metabolic modulators and is banned at all times, according to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.

Sherman provided evidence that he used the banned substance prior to entering the UFC Anti-Doping program, but he still faces a violation because he did not declare anastrozole on his onboarding declaration form. Sherman received a reduced sanction by providing full and complete cooperation with USADA, meaning he provided evidence that he did not intend to enhance his performance by using the substance and was honest and prompt regarding all requests for information.

Sherman’s suspension began on May 13, so he will be eligible to compete again on Feb. 13, 2021.

“The Vanilla Gori…

The UFC is targeting a showdown between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor for Jan. 23, though there is much to be decided before the bout is finalized.

That includes the weight at which the fight will be contested. When Poirier and McGregor first met at UFC 178 in 2014, the matchup took place at featherweight. Both men have since moved up to 155 pounds, but McGregor has also taken multiple bouts at welterweight, including his last Octagon appearance — a 40-second TKO of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

However, Khabib Nurmagomedov says if either Poirier or McGregor wants their matchup to yield a No. 1 contender at 155 pounds, then they must fight at that weight.

“I still feel this but you have to fight at 155,” Nurmagomedov told TSN. “If they fight at 170 or 185, this is not lightweight contender fight. If you want to fight at lightweight contender for the belt you have to fight at lightweight. What is this, like? ‘OK, I’m champion at 155. OK, give me a fight at 170. …

After taking 2020 off due to COVID-19 concerns, Professional Fighters League is set to return with a full campaign next year.

The organization announced Tuesday that its format will begin a month earlier than previous years with a regular season event on April 23. Other season events will take place on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17 and June 25.

The first three regular-season events will allow fighters to accumulate points, while the final three will determine playoff seeding. Playoff events will be announced at a later date, though the PFL Championship will remain on New Year’s Eve as it has in the past. Winners in each weight class receive a $1 million prize.

“We’re thrilled to announce an early start date for the 2021 PFL Season and we look forward to building on the positive momentum experienced in a historic first season on ESPN,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said.

“In 2021, the PFL will deliver an elevated, immersive, and interactive fan viewing experienc…

Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA

Jake Hager will return to action for his fourth professional mixed martial arts bout when he meets Brandon Calton at Bellator 250.

Sherdog.com confirmed the heavyweight booking with a promotion official following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Bellator 250 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Oct. 29 and is headlined by a middleweight championship clash between Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima.

Hager, who was known as “Jack Swagger” during his tenure with WWE, began his Bellator tenure with back-to-back first-round submission victories against T.J. Jones and J.W. Kiser. In his most recent outing, a showdown with Anthony Garrett at Bellator 231 in a no contest due after Hager landed multiple knees to the groin of his opponent. Hager was an All-American wrestler at the University of Oklahoma before embarking on an approximately 11-year tenure with WWE.

Calton is 2-0 a…