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Joseph Benavidez will have three months to recover following his technical knockout loss to Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC Fight Night 169 headliner this past Saturday.

Benavidez received a 90-day medical suspension from the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation after his defeat in the flyweight title bout at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va. Benavidez also required a suture for the laceration which resulted from an accidental clash of heads in the fight.

Figueiredo, who was ineligible to win the flyweight belt due to missing weight, did not receive a medical suspension after the bout.

Meanwhile, Zarah Fairn dos Santos, was stopped via punches and elbows by Felicia Spencer in the opening round of the featherweight co-main event, was suspended for 60 days and needs to submit X-ray clearance for her left orbital socket in order to be reinstated.

UFC Fight Night 169 Medical Suspensions:

Joseph Benavidez: suspended for 90 days w…

Paul Felder’s management and coach already said that retirement talk was premature after the fighter’s disappointing loss to Dan Hooker at UFC Auckland. Now the man himself has confirmed that he has more fighting left to do.

After dropping a split verdict to Hooker on Feb. 22, “The Irish Dragon” contemplated calling it a career. “The might be it for me,” he said during an interview in the Octagon.

During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday, Felder admitted that he enjoys fighting too much to hang up the gloves at 34 years old.

"That moment almost seemed right, but nah, I think I've got a lot more left in me physically," Felder said. "I'm already recovering from one of the hardest battles of my life, and s---, it's addictive, man. That five rounds, that main event, I liked it. I liked being on the poster.

"I'm a pretty dramatic guy. I kind of always think about that moment [of retiring in the cage]. Just as I always think about what having th…

A lightweight clash between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Hernandez is in the works for UFC 249.

According to MMAjunkie.com, the two athletes have verbally agreed to square off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 18. The Las Vegas-based promotion has yet to officially announce the bout. UFC 249 is headlined by a lightweight title tilt between reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

The 28-year-old Makhachev has been victorious in seven of his eight UFC appearances thus far. Most recently, the Dagestani fighter outpointed renowned grappler Davi Ramos at UFC 242 on Sept. 7. The former M-1 Challenge competitor owns an 18-1 career mark that includes three triumphs by KO/TKO, seven by submission and eight via decision.

Hernandez, meanwhile, is 3-1 during his promotional tenure, with his lone setback coming at the hands of Donald Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 143. In his last outing, the 27-year-old Texan took a contentious unanimous verdic…

Joseph Benavidez struggled to find the right words to say after his latest bid to capture championship gold fell short in the UFC Fight Night 169 headliner on Saturday night.

An incidental clash of heads caused blood to gush from Benavidez’s head in the second stanza of his 125-pound title clash with Deiveson Figueiredo at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va., and moments later, the Brazilian capitalized by flooring his foe with powerful right hand. A few follow-up hammerfists halted the bout, and with that, Benavidez fell to 0-3 in UFC flyweight championship bouts. The flyweight throne will remain vacant for the time being, however, as Figueiredo was ineligible to win the belt after missing weight on Friday.

“I feel like this is isn’t real right now,” Benavidez said in a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Michael Bisping. “I’m in some freakin’ nightmare. I had a lot of visions of talking to you after and a lot of things that were going to happen that didn’t.

“S…

If Deiveson Figueiredo had come into weigh-ins a few pounds lighter on Friday, he’d be able to call himself the new UFC flyweight champion today.

Despite an impressive knockout of Joseph Benavidez in the UFC Fight Night 169 headliner, Figueiredo walked out of the Octagon a winner but not a champion. The Brazilian failed to make his contracted weight for the first time in eight promotional appearances, therefore sabotaging his chance at capturing UFC gold.

Benavidez did make weight and only he was allowed to capture the vacant crown, but “Joe Jitsu” didn’t have the storybook night he had been dreaming about for years. Benavidez (28-6) is now 0-3 in world title fights under the UFC umbrella and it’s anybody’s guess whether he’ll ever get another chance for glory.

Figueiredo (18-1) was defending the American’s takedowns throughout the first and early part of the second, but he was getting tagged by plenty of Benavidez’s punches. Figueiredo wasn’t hurt by his foe’s s…

OH MY! @MeganA_mma finishes it w/ the right hand! #UFCNorfolk pic.twitter.com/QPC02CqsJ2

— UFC (@ufc) March 1, 2020

Megan Anderson made a statement at UFC Norfolk, and it made her $50,000 richer in the process.

The Australian featherweight received a “Performance of the Night” bonus for her first-round knockout of Norma Dumont Viana in a main card affair at Chartway Arena on Saturday night. A perfectly-timed counter right hand sent Viana to the canvas and forced referee Kevin MacDonald to wave off the bout 3:31 into the opening stanza.

Elsewhere, Kyler Phillips and Gabriel Silva garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their preliminary bantamweight scrap. Ultimately, multi-punch combinations and competent grappling work carried Phillips to a unanimous decision triumph and his second consecutive victory.

Finally, Jordan Griffin earned the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award thanks t…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Joseph Benavidez probably feels cursed at this point. The World Extreme Cagefighting holdover failed for the third time to capture the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight crown, as he was victimized by second-round punches from Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC Fight Night 169 headliner on Saturday at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Figueiredo (18-1, 7-1 UFC) drew it to a close 1:54 into Round 2, but because of his inability to make weight, the Brazilian was ineligible to win the 125-pound title. As a result, the flyweight throne sits empty.

Benavidez (28-6, 15-4 UFC) was active and aggressive throughout a competitive first round that saw him connect with winging power punches and escape an armbar. However, his tendency to lead with his head proved costly. An inadvertent clash of heads in the second round opened a horr…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 169 coverage will begin at 5 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:T…

Feb 29, 2020

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Watch the UFC Fight Night 169 post-fight press conference here:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr5yHfhXd6o&w=560&h=315]

Combate Americas on Friday staged an action-packed show in Fresno, California, where “Mexico vs. USA” entertained fans at the Save Mart Center.

Alejandro Martinez squared off with Adrian Guzman in the main event. After an exciting back-and-forth battle that went the distance at 155 pounds, Martinez was awarded a split decision. Scores were 30-26 and 30-26 for Martinez, 29-28 for Guzman.

The lightweight co-headliner saw Ivan Castillo take on Danny Ramirez. Despite the closely contested nature of the confrontation, Castillo left the arena with a unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored it 29-28.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Frausto netted the show’s first finish, as she stopped Charisa Sigala with second-round punches in their women’s strawweight feature. Sigala succumbed to blows 4:06 into Round 2.

A women’s bantamweight pairing between Maritza Sanchez and Lucero Acosta opened the main card. It took Sanchez less than a round to get the job done, as she submitted…

The Assassin meets The Spaniard⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀@fabianedwards24 and Costello van Steenis collide in the #BellatorLondon co-main event!

Tickets go on general sale at 10:00 a.m. GMT https://t.co/S3tgJLpdJc pic.twitter.com/jk8HgYne3E

— Bellator Europe (@Bellator_Europe) February 28, 2020 Bellator MMA is building up a mighty main card for its return trip to London in May.

On Friday morning, the promotion announced that Fabian Edwards (9-0) will be taking on Costello van Steenis (12-2) in a pivotal middleweight matchup in the co-main event of Bellator London. The event will go down at The SSE Arena in London on May 16, and it will be headlined by a bantamweight clash between James Gallagher and Callum Ellenor. Additionally, the card will also feature the debut of British international rugby player James Haskell in the heavyweight division.

Edwards is unbeaten as a professional, with his method of victory perfectly split throughout his…

Combate Americas will put on its second show in February as it returns to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, for the Mexico vs. USA event.

Despite the event’s title, only four of the nine bouts will actually pit the two countries against one another. The headliner will be one of those four, with a lightweight contest between Mexico’s Alejandro Martinez and California’s Adrian Guzman. Martinez (4-4) had a good Combate Americas debut when he submitted Jordan Beltran, but has lost his two fights since then. In those two defeats, he was knocked out by Erick Gonzalez and lost a split decision to Enrique Gonzalez. Despite the losses, he’ll be representing Mexico in the main event, and weighed in under the limit at 154.8 pounds.

Guzman (6-1) has largely impressed so far in the promotion with a 3-1 record. His only defeat in that stretch came to Jose Estrada in April 2019. The California native has stayed active since then by notching decision victories over Danny Ram…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04tW-AX65aM&w=640&h=360] One Championship will put on its King of the Jungle event this weekend at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, and one fighter has missed weight.

The overall card is headlined by championship kickboxing and Muay Thai bouts, while the mixed martial arts will see a match between Amir Khan and Kimihiro Eto. Khan (12-6) returned to the win column back in November of last year by winning a split decision over Ev Ting. The Evolve MMA representative was previously on a three-fight skid that saw him get knocked out by Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev, get submitted by Ariel Sexton, and lose a title match against Eduard Folayang. He’ll look to start a new winning streak against his Japanese foe.

Eto (16-5-2) hasn’t fought since losing to Dae Song Park in July 2019 by TKO. Prior to that defeat, he had won three straight bouts on the One Warrior Series as he submitted Trestle Tan, Joshua Dustin Hardwick, and …

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Dreams Come True. This is a translation of one of my tattoos. I always knew and felt it. Today something happened that I have been going all my life to. Thank you Shannon @shanknapp for giving me the chance to show myself in @invictafc. Thanks to my teammates. You have no idea how much you mean to me! A year ago, I looked at you from the TV screen. And I promised myself that I would become as strong as you. And now we are a team. And you helped me all the time on my hard way. And now I am UFC fighter like you. Thanks to my best managers in the world @alexdavismma @alexeyzhernakov @alexandrromashov13 for their well-coordinated work. And help me in every bad situation. Thanks to my coaches who put a lot of effort and work into me @rinat_bahitovich @deoliveira_coach @kingmofh @macarraodossantos @katelkubis @evertonvvoliveira @rocco.fabricio Thanks everyone! The guys from the gym this year became my family. I came here every day, even when…

YOUR vote counts! Presenting the inaugural PFL Awards.

Knockout of the YearSubmission of the YearHoly S#!+ Moment of the Year

“2019 PFL Awards”https://t.co/31dzoglFnk— PFL MMA (@ProFightLeague) February 26, 2020

Professional Fighters League will spotlight its top performers in 10 different categories with the debut of its first-ever awards show next month.

The promotion announced the event on Tuesday. Fans can vote on the PFL Twitter page from Feb. 26 through March 1. Votes from fighters, media and the PFL will also be taken into account for various categories.

Categories include Male and Female Fighter of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year and Professional of the Year, which recognizes a “fighter who used his/her platform to make a positive impact in the community, while also demonstrating character and a dedication to excellence in the cage.”

“We are excited to announce the launch of the …

A lightweight clash between Sidney Outlaw and Adam Piccolotti has been added to the Bellator 242 lineup.

The California-based promotion recently confirmed the booking following an initial report from Fansided. Bellator 242 takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on May 9 and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship tilt between Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov. In the co-man event, Douglas Lima and Gegard Mousasi will square off for the vacant middleweight strap.

After outpointing Roger Huerta in his promotional debut, Outlaw saw a nine-bout winning streak come to an end in a first-round knockout loss against Michael Chandler at Bellator 237 on Dec. 29. The 27-year-old Outlaw owns a 14-4 professional mark that includes seven victories via submission.

Piccolotti was won three of his last four bouts, including a second-round submission of Jake Smith in his most recent outing at Bellator 226 on Sept. 7. His only loss during that stretch was a contentio…

¡Lo enterró!¡Lo enterró!

Tito Ortíz le gana a @PrideOfMexico por sumisión con un "mata-león". Increíble. En el primer round...

ESTO ES @combateamericas #WhatSideAreYouOn | #TitovsAlberto | #CombateAmericas pic.twitter.com/2gWHzaCenR— TUDN MEX (@TUDNMEX) December 8, 2019

Tito Ortiz no longer has a victory over Alberto Rodriguez on his record.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has overturned Ortiz’s first-round submission triumph over the former professional wrestling star this past December to a no decision, according to the official results page of the event. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the ruling.

“The results of the fight were changed pending further investigation,” TDLR spokesperson Tela Mange said in a statement. The Texas commission was unable to elaborate further on why the result was changed.

Ortiz tapped Rodriguez with a rear-naked choke 3:10 into the opening frame of their 210-pou…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is expected to plant its flag in Kazakhstan for the first time on June 13.

MMAFighting.com was first to bring word of the event. A city and venue are not official for the card, but according to multiple reports, Nur-Sultan — home of the 30,000 seat Astana Arena — is likely near the top of the list.

Kazakhstan is bordered by both Russia and China, which means there will be a significant pool of fighters from the UFC roster who would be of interest for the upcoming event. Additionally, the Las Vegas-based promotion recently signed Kazak fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, who will make his Octagon debut at UFC London on March 21 against Bartosz Fabinski.

UFC Kazakhstan will likely be a UFC on ESPN+ event.

The long-rumored Henry Cejudo vs. Jose Aldo bantamweight title booking officially came to fruition on Monday, and not surprisingly, two of the division’s top contenders were none too pleased with the announcement.

Aljamain Sterling, who has won six of his last seven UFC appearances, scoffed at Cejudo’s choice for his first 135-pound title defense.

“The fight that no one asked for and that nobody wanted to see!” Sterling wrote on Twitter.

The fight that no one asked for and that nobody wanted to see!#MakeRankingsGreatAgainhttps://t.co/HS2vWe1XES

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) February 24, 2020

Russian bantamweight Peter Yan, who has been victorious in his first six Octagon bouts was similarly displeased. He recently took exception with Cejudo’s statement that he needs to improve his English to be regarded as a serious contender. Yan also retweeted Sterling’s comments on the situation.

“This clown choosing Aldo …

NEW FIGHTER SIGNINGThere is a new heavyweight in town! We are thrilled to announce the signing of @chosenjuan285 at @ares_fighting. Expect the 28-yr-old UFC veteran, under the tutelage of @JacksonWinkMMA, to wreak havoc at a future #ARESfighting events! #MMA #heavyweight pic.twitter.com/GRfkRdry3B

— ARES Fighting Championship (@ares_fighting) February 25, 2020

Juan Adams is the latest former UFC talent to sign a contract with Ares Fighting Championship.

The promotion announced the addition via social media on Tuesday. A date and opponent for Adams’ Ares FC debut were not revealed.

“There is a new heavyweight in town! We are thrilled to announced the signing of [Juan Adams] at [Ares FC],” the statement read. “Expect the 28-year-old UFC veteran, under the tutelage of [Jackson-Wink MMA], to wreak havoc at future #ARESfighting events.”

Adams was released from the UFC after consecutive losses at the hands of Justin Tafa, Greg …

It took Jacob Silva just over a year to return and defend his Fury Fighting Championship flyweight title, but once the cage door locked, it took less than half a round for him to finish the job.

In his first appearance since winning the belt in November 2018, Silva engaged challenger Christian Lira in several tense exchanges on the feet, circling away and landing a couple of snappy kicks to the Lira’s lead leg. A little over a minute in, Silva let himself be walked into the fence and as Lira changed levels for a double-leg, Silva met him with a nicely-timed flying knee that rocked him badly. Silva swarmed with hammerfists looking for the finish, and it looked for a moment as if he might get it right then and there, but Lira recovered his wits sufficiently to grab a single-leg and survive. Silva did not let up, though; he stayed glued to Lira through a series of scrambles, eventually ending up on the challenger’s back, where he pounded him out with a series of vicious pu…

We're headed to PERTH for #UFC251! https://t.co/LcH7VBbeDC pic.twitter.com/el7BDe5yzB

— UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) February 25, 2020

Valentina Shevchenko has a location and venue for her next UFC flyweight title defense.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced Monday that UFC 251 will take place at RAC Arena in Perth on June 7. While the card will take place in Western Australia’s capital city on a Sunday, it will air in the United States via pay-per-view on Saturday, June 6.

The UFC also officially confirmed a previously reported 125-pound championship clash between Shevchenko and Joanne Calderwood. No other bouts have been announced for the event.

The Octagon initially touched down in Perth for UFC 221 in February 2018, when Yoel Romero knocked out Luke Rockhold in the third round of the evening’s main event. That card also marked the promotional debut of current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, while reigni…

Steve Garcia will make his Octagon debut on just a few days’ notice.

The Albuquerque, N.M.-based fighter known as “Mean Machine” has agreed to step in for Alex Munoz and face Luis Pena in a lightweight contest at UFC Fight Night 169 on Saturday. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new matchup.

UFC Fighting Night 169 takes place at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va., and is headlined by a clash between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant flyweight championship. The card will stream on ESPN+.

Garcia enters his first promotional foray on a four-bout winning streak. Most recently, the Jackson-Wink MMA product stopped Jose Mariscal via second-round TKO in a featherweight bout at LFA 80. Garcia missed weight for the contest, as he did for a first-round TKO win over Desmond Torres on Dana White’s Contender Series this past summer. Garcia owns an 11-3 career mark that includes a 6-2 stint in Bellator MMA.

Pena had a two-bout winning streak snapped…

Jim Crute had his impressive unblemished professional record derailed last September, but he bounced back in spectacular fashion Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 168 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Crute (11-1) wasted no time in executing his grappling game against the dangerous Michal Oleksiejczuk, as he took his opponent down repeatedly and submitted him in the first round. The Pole is a murderous striker, having scored 10 knockouts so far in his MMA career, and “The Brute” made sure he didn’t succumb to Oleksiejczuk’s power. Rather, the Aussie shot in, took “Lord” down and proceeded to force a tap due to a textbook kimura.

The end came just 3:29 into the contest and Crute was candid after his win about his gameplan against the striker.

“He’s too dangerous to stand in front of, so I took him down,” Crute said. “I said I’d take him down and take his arm. I’m coming to win fights and make smart decisions. I approach this sport like I’m going on a hunt. I’m not just wi…