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After finishing his UFC contract with an impressive submission win in the first round over Alexander Gustafsson this past Saturday, Fabricio Werdum talked to Sherdog.com about the fight and his future plans.

“As I told you two weeks before the fight, this time I was able to do everything I couldn't do in my return against [Alexey] Oleynik,” Werdum said. “Besides the camp itself, which was amazing, I liked very much the result of hiring Eric Faro. I'm a hyperactive person and controlling my focus was such a turning point.”

Werdum also revealed that his next combat sports appearance will be a grappling match with Marcus Buchecha Almeida on Sept. 6.

"Buchecha is an amazing person. He already helped me when I fought Roy Nelson, and it will be amazing to have to opportunity to test my skills with the gu…

A women’s bantamweight clash pitting Germaine de Randamie against Julianna Pena is in the works for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Oct. 3.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the booking. The venue for the event is unknown, as the UFC has yet to make an official announcement regarding the card.

De Randamie last appeared at UFC 245, where she dropped a five-round verdict to Amanda Nunes in a bantamweight title fight on Dec. 14. Prior to that, “The Iron Lady” had compiled a five-bout winning streak in UFC competition that included a brief reign as the promotion’s inaugural featherweight queen.

Pena, meanwhile, returned following more than a two-year absence at UFC Fight Night 155, where she outpointed Nicco Montano a little more than year ago. “The Venezuelan Vixen” has been victorious in five of her six promotional appearances overall.

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A matchup between light heavyweight prospects Johnny Walker and Ryan Spann is expected to go down at UFC 253.

ESPN was first to report the booking. UFC 253 takes place on Sept. 19 and will be held at either the UFC Apex in Las Vegas or on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The card is expected to be headlined by a middleweight championship tilt between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Henrique Costa.

Walker generated plenty of hype after first-round finishes of Khalil Rountree, Justin Ledet and Misha Cirkunov in his first three Octagon appearances. However, the 28-year-old Brazilian has since dropped back-to-back fights against Corey Anderson and Nikita Krylov. The Rio de Janeiro native has finished all but one of his 17 career triumphs inside the distance.

Spann, meanwhile, enters the bout on an eight-fight winning streak that …

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Ultimate Fighting Championship brass must have been feeling especially generous following the final “Fight Island” event because Fabricio Werdum, Paul Craig, Khamzat Chimaev, Jesse Ronson, Tom Aspinall and Tanner Boser all left UFC on ESPN 14 with $50,000 “Performance of the Night” checks following their victories on Saturday night.

Werdum submitted Alexander Gustafsson with an armbar 2:30 into the opening stanza of their featured bout at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, spoiling the Swede’s heavyweight debut.

Craig earned his third triangle-submission victory in UFC competition against Gadzhimurad Antigulov, tapping his foe with the maneuver 2:06 into Round 1 of their light heavyweight affair.

Chimaev won for the second time in 10 days, dominating Rhys McKee en route to a technical knockout victory 3:09 into the first …

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. After a brief hiatus, Robert Whittaker is back on track. The former middleweight champion returned to form in the UFC on ESPN 14 headliner, winning a closely-contested unanimous decision over Darren Till at the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. All three cageside judges struck 48-47 scorecards in favor of Whittaker, who took time off due to burnout following his championship defeat to Israel Adesanya last October.

“That fight was so stressful,” Whittaker said. “Honestly, I hope the fans and everybody can appreciate it. That was one of the most technical fights I've ever had to fight.”

Till (18-3-1, 6-3-1 UFC) threatened to make it an early night for Whittaker (21-5, 12-3 UFC), as he dropped his opponent with a clean elbow to the jaw in the first round. Till tagged his foe with several lefts on the fee…

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 on ESPN 14 coverage will begin Saturday 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:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Trist…

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A intriguing welterweight duel between Neil Magny and Geoff Neal is in the works for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Aug. 29.

ESPN was first to report the booking. Though a location has not been formally announced, the event is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

After not competing at all in 2019, Magny has posted a 2-0 record in UFC competition this year. Magny outpointed Jingliang Li at UFC 248, and then the Elevation Fight Team representative returned to take a unanimous verdict against Anthony Rocco Martin at UFC 250 on June 6. Magny has won four of his last five promotional appearances.

Neal, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the top prospects in the welterweight division. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum has won five consecutive bouts in the Octagon, finishing all but one o…

How do you score the main event between @RickyBandejas and @SergioPettis?

Here is the fight by the numbers: pic.twitter.com/wOZEw8JSCC

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) July 25, 2020 Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Sergio Pettis apparently knew what he was doing when he jumped to a promotion with no men’s flyweight division.

In the main event of Bellator 242 Friday night, his second outing as a Bellator MMA bantamweight, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight contender left Ricky Bandejas in the dust. Speed, footwork and timing were the order of the day, as Pettis walked down the much taller Bandejas to land the heavier, more frequent strikes throughout. Pettis’ low kicks in particular took a toll on Bandejas’ lead left leg, causing the New Jersey native to favor that leg visibly by the middle of the second round and buckling it badly at least o…

Magomed Ismailov stops Alexander Emelianenko in the third round! pic.twitter.com/mpm3CkMdia

— ACAMMA (@ACA_League) July 24, 2020 Even at a 50-pound weight disadvantage, Magomed Ismailov put a beating on Aleksander Emelianenko.

Absolute Championship Akhmat returned with ACA 107 on Friday, which took place at the VTB Arena in Sochi, Russia.

The main event saw Ismailov (16-2-1) stepping up two weight divisions to face longtime MMA veteran Emelianenko (28-8-1). At the weigh-ins, Emelianenko came in 49 pounds heavier than his opponent, but it turned out that the weight was not a factor at all. Ismailov revealed his game plan shortly after the beginning of the battle. After landing a few heavy combinations, he shot for a takedown and took down Emelianenko. Once on the mat, Ismailov battered "The Grim Reaper" over the course of three rounds. In the third stanza, the referee decided he had seen enough and called the end of the match with 90 seconds…

Crack out the chips and dip. Your #UFCFightIsland3 main event is OFFICIAL.

@RobWhittakerMMA - 186lbs@DarrenTill2 - 186lbs

#InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/QH9v8CDQiS — UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 24, 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 "Fight Island" series of events ends with UFC on ESPN 14, and all 15 fights are official after the weigh-ins.

The mixed martial arts card is headlined by a bout between former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Darren Till. Despite the proud Australian losing to Israel Adesanya in his last bout, Whittaker (20-5) is still one of the division's elite. Prior to dropping the championship, Whittaker was on a nine-fight win streak that included notable names including Ronaldo Souza, Derek Brunson and Yoel Romero (twice). "Bobby Knuckles" h…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K50CfyCAlzM&w=560&h=315] Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Bellator MMA has added some important fights to its next offering on Aug. 7. Bellator 243 was originally announced by Combate as taking place on Aug. 7. Like Bellator 242 on Friday, Bellator 243 will be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. It will be headlined by a rematch between former Bellator lightweight king Michael Chandler (20-5) and ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champ Benson Henderson (28-8).

Chandler, the company’s only former three-time champion, surrendered his belt in May 2019 to Patricio Freire by first-round knockout. Chandler rebounded from that resounding defeat with a quick finish of Sidney Outlaw at the co-promoted Bellator and Rizin Fighting Federation event in December, Bellator 237. “Iron Mike” holds the second-most wins in promotional his…

BREAKING!

@DerekBrunson & @EdmenShahbazyan move to the main event of the August 1st event. pic.twitter.com/zCEmc3aQZH

— UFC (@ufc) July 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 has reorganized its upcoming event at the UFC Apex.

On Thursday, the promotion sent out a press release to announce the current lineup for UFC Fight Night 173 on Aug. 1. The card, originally set to be headlined by a women’s bantamweight potential title eliminator between Holly Holm and Irene Aldana, now finds itself with a new main event. Aldana tested positive for COVID-19, and their pairing may be rescheduled for October. Due to this change, Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan has been elevated to the top billing, but it will be a three-round bout due to the short-notice change.

Moving up to the co-main …

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Khabib Nurmagomedov on Wednesday made his first public statement on social media since the death of his father.

The UFC lightweight champion paid tribute to his father in an Instagram passage that included a passage from the Quran. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov died earlier this month at age 57 due to complications from COVID-19. The elder Nurmagomedov was a renowned MMA coach in Dagestan and cornered his son for many of his UFC bouts.

“I will miss you Father,” he wrote (translation via RT Sport). “You were father, friend, brother and coach all rolled into one. You taught me almost everything that I can, I hope you were pleased with me.”

The timeline for Khabib’s return to the Octagon is unknown. “The Eagle” was supposed to face Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout at UFC 253 in September, but that …

Carlton Haselrig, a former Pittsburgh Steeler who had a brief mixed martial arts tenure and a wildly successful NCAA wrestling career, died Wednesday at the age of 54.

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat confirmed with the Cambria County coroner that Haselrig died of natural causes. An autopsy will be conducted, but friends of Haselrig revealed that he had been suffering from liver disease.

Haselrig won an unprecedented six national championships — three in Division II and three in Division I — for the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. The NCAA has since changed the rules that allow Division II and Division III champions the opportunity to compete for the Division I title, meaning that Haselrig’s feat will not be repeated.

Despite not having played football collegiately, he was drafted in the 12th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1989. He went on to play five seasons in the NFL, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a left guard in 1992.

Some 15 years …

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A strawweight clash pitting Konklak Suphisara against Jinh Yu Frey is in the works for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Oct. 3.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the pairing. The event has not been announced by the promotion and a location has yet to be determined.

Suphisara, who is more commonly known as “Looma Lookboonme,” is the first Thai-born fighter in the UFC. She defeated Aleksandra Albu via split decision in her debut at UFC Fight Night 162 before dropping a unanimous verdict against Angela Hill in her last outing at UFC Fight Night 168 on Feb. 23.

A former Invicta FC atomweight tilist, Frey came up short in her first promotional foray, suffering a submission loss to Kay Hansen at UFC on ESPN 12 on June 27. The 35-year-old Genesis Jiu-Jitsu representative is 9-5 as a professional overal.

Latin American mixed martial arts promotion Combate Americas has elected to postpone its return due to the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in Florida.

The organization recently revealed plans for three shows — beginning on Aug. 28 — at a closed studio in Miami. It would have been Combate Americas first event since its card on Feb. 28 in Fresno, California. Cards on Sept. 11 and Sept. 25 in Miami were also postponed. Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren announced the decision in a statement to the Associated Press.

“This is not a decision we took lightly, and is based entirely on our focus to prioritize the safety of our employees, broadcast partners, fighters and the broader MMA community,” McLaren said in a statement. “We explored many alternatives to avoid this measure, including the possibility of moving our in-studio fights to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the state of California is in a similarly precarious situation with COVID outbreaks, and it seems untenable to…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWuR5CK4ki0&w=560&h=315]

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Like so many retirements in MMA, Alexander Gustafsson’s was short-lived.

“The Mauler” laid his gloves in the Octagon following a fourth-round submission loss to Anthony Smith in the UFC Fight Night 153 headliner on June 1, 2019. Considering that he was just 32 years old at the time, there was plenty of skepticism regarding the announcement. Gustafsson, however, seemed to be sincere in his intentions.

“It feels like I don’t have it in me anymore, to be honest,” he said on the ESPN+ post-fight show that day. “I just have that feeling it’s time now. I don’t want to be a journeyman. I don’t want to do this because I’m getting paid. I want to do this because I love it. I want to be at the top.”

In the ensuing months, Gustafsson hinted that his retiremen…

Steve Mowry won’t be competing at Bellator 242.

The undefeated heavyweight prospect announced on Instagram that he tested positive for COVID-19 and is off Friday’s card. Mowry was supposed to face Rudy Schaffroth in a preliminary contest streamed on the promotion’s YouTube page. It is unclear if Schaffroth will receive a replacement opponent on short notice.

“So, uhhh, long story short I’m not fighting because of a positive COVID-19 test,” Mowry wrote. “2020, am I right?”

Mowry trains at Sanford MMA with Gilbert Burns and Aung La N Sang, both of whom also recently tested positive for coronavirus. The Pittsburgh native is 7-0 thus far in his professional career, including three triumphs under the Bellator banner.

Bellator 242 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and is headlined by a bantamweight showdown between Sergio Pettis and Ricky Bandejas. The main card airs on Paramount Network at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT, while the preliminary …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6yNjLh10tA&w=560&h=315]

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After relinquishing the middleweight crown to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 last October, Robert Whittaker took some time away from the sport to reset his priorities.

During his run to the 185-pound title and subsequent reign, “The Reaper” began to experience burnout from the constant grind of training, traveling and fighting. So, he took a step back and focused on his family life.

Whittaker will return to the Octagon for the first time since that defeat when he squares off against Darren Till in the main event of UFC on ESPN 14 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. During a virtual media session, Whittaker was asked if the toll of two brutal five-round fights against Yoel Romero contributed to his hiatus.

“I don’t want to give all the credit for having a …

She's a STRAWWEIGHT!@ViviAraujoMMA wins her Octagon debut - at bantamweight - by KO! Wow! #UFC237 pic.twitter.com/j5phUibTXB

— UFC (@ufc) May 11, 2019

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Viviane Araujo has been forced to pull out of a proposed flyweight bout against Jennifer Maia at UFC Fight Night 173 after testing positive for COVID-19.

MMAFighting.com first brought word of Araujo’s withdrawal from the card. According to Combate, Joanne Calderwood has been targeted as a replacement opponent for Maia, but that bout has not been finalized. Calderwood had been scheduled to challenge reigning champion Valentina Shevchenko prior to the pandemic at UFC 251 in Australia on June 6, but Shevchenko had to withdrew from the event due to injury. At the time, the bout was expected to be rebooked at a later date.

UFC Fight Night 173 t…

As Raufeon Stots continued to rack up the victories in reputable regional promotions like Legacy Fighting Alliance and Victory Fighting Championship, he still found himself overlooked when it came to making it to the next level.

That was in large part, Stots admits, because he had a singular focus on reaching the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As a wrestling coach at Roufusport in Milwaukee, Stots crossed paths with the Las Vegas-based promotion’s matchmakers on numerous occasions at events, yet he never seemed to receive a satisfying response during their interactions.

“I went up to matchmakers to their face and was like, ‘Hey bro, what’s going on? Because I’m being told that I’m next. What’s the deal?’ I kept getting runaround answers,” Stots told Sherdog.com. “I’m not in this thing forever. I can’t just sit and wait on somebody to feel like I’m worthy. You’re gonna hop on or you’re gonna miss out. That’s where I was at.

“I was getting the runaround. [They’d …

Enrico "The Killing Machine" Cortese just tapped his opponent due to some VICIOUS elbows. DAMN! #BRAVECF35 pic.twitter.com/gX4wHYDtg5

— Al Zullino (@phre) July 20, 2020

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The first of the many shows Brave Combat Federation is scheduled to hold in Europe this summer went down at the Beraria H in Bucharest, Romania, on Monday. 

In the main event of Brave CF 35, Enrico Cortese (7-2) forced Claudiu Axinte (0-1) to tap in the latter's MMA pro debut. Cortese should have initially faced Mohammad Fakhreddine, but "The Latest" was unable to travel to Romania due to Covid-19 flight restrictions. The Italian fighter adjusted his game plan and shot for a takedown early in the opening round, exploiting the fact that Axinte is a kickboxing veteran. On the canvas, "The Killing Machine" …

Just getting started

@KChimaev gave us a debut to remember!

Watch the main card on @ESPN / E+. #UFCFightIsland1 pic.twitter.com/AUZvVbHZPn — UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2020

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After an impressive Octagon debut last Wednesday, Khamzat Chimaev will compete for the second time in 10 days when he faces Rhys McKee at UFC on ESPN 14.

The welterweight pairing was announced by the promotion on Saturday. UFC on ESPN 14 takes place at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a middleweight tilt pitting Robert Whittaker against Darren Till. The card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 5 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. PT.

Chimaev will return to his natural weight class after submitting John Phillips with a brabo choke in the second round of their matchup at UFC on ESPN 13 on July 15. The Brave CF veteran…

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With a surprising heel-hook submission of Kelvin Gastelum on Saturday night, Jack Hermansson re-established himself as a person of interest in the UFC’s middleweight division.

“People don’t know, the heel hook has been part of my game for a long time,” Hermansson said at the UFC Fight Night 172 post-fight press conference. “But you don’t see me on bottom too much. That’s why you haven’t seen the heel hook so much before. Should I end up there again, you’re going to see another heel hook.”

Hermansson has won five of his last six Octagon appearances, with his lone setback coming at the hands of Jared Cannonier this past September. In the aftermath of his most recent triumph, “The Joker” targeted the winner of this weekend’s middleweight headliner between Robert Whittaker and Darren Till.

“The winner between Robert …