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Fabricio Werdum Granted a Reduced Sanction under UFC Anti-Doping Policy https://t.co/qYyCqjohAa

— USADA | UFC Anti-Doping Program (@USADA_UFC) January 16, 2020

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum will be back in action much sooner than anticipated.

According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday, Werdum has been issued a 10-month reduction in his suspension from competition. With the shorter sentence, the former champ will be eligible to return on April 1.

Werdum tested positive in April 2018 for banned substances prior to his headliner at UFC Moscow and was given a two-year suspension. Although he claimed it was a "misunderstanding," the two-year ban stood until now. Even though his positive test came that April, the suspension went into effect later due to his temporary retirement and other testing issues.

The reason for the suspension being reduced is due to his cooperation wi…

It seems like Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Matt Brown will get the chance to fight in front of hometown fans very soon.

According to a report by MMA Fighting late Wednesdsay, "The Immortal" (22-16) will soon lock horns with Dana White's Contender Series alum Miguel Baeza (8-0) at UFC on ESPN 8 in March. The two will square off in the welterweight division.

Brown is riding a two-fight winning streak over the last two-plus years. After going on a three-bout skid, “The Immortal” got back on track at the expense of Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 120, when he trashed the fellow UFC veteran thanks to a vicious elbow KO. Brown repeated himself in the following clash with Ben Saunders, knocking out his opponent in a violent fashion at UFC 245. For some time in 2017, "The Immortal" contemplated retiring from the sport, but it appears he found motivation once again to keep on fighting.

Baeza will try to crash Brown's party in front of his opponent's hometown…

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 246 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

UFC President Dana White will be joined by Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone in a press conference to raise awareness for Saturday's UFC 246 card in Las Vegas.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ14bN_cYyQ&w=560&h=315]

Two new contests have been added to the Bellator 239 lineup, as Tyrell Fortune will meet Timothy Johnson at heavyweight, while Denise Kielholtz will take on Kristina Williams at flyweight.

Sherdog.com confirmed the matchups with a promotion official following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Bellator 239 takes place at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla., on Feb. 21 and features a welterweight scrap between Ed Ruth and Yaroslav Amosov.

Fortune has emerged as one of the top heavyweight prospects in Bellator while compiling an 8-0 mark within the California-based promotion. Most recently, the Arizona Combat Sports product defeated former UFC competitor Azunna Anyanwu via second-round technical knockout at Bellator 233.

A seven-time UFC veteran, Johnson has kicked off his Bellator tenure with back-to-back first-round knockout losses against Cheick Kongo and Vitaly Minakov. The 34-year-old North Dakota native is 12-6 as a professional with notable wins o…

Arnold Allen has a new opponent for UFC Fight Night 166.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced that Nik Lentz will replace the injured Josh Emmett and face Allen in a featherweight contest on Jan. 25 in Raleigh, N.C. Lentz was originally slated to meet Nad Narimani on the card, but Narimani also withdrew from the event due to injury.

UFC Fight Night 166 takes place at PNC Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight duel between Curtis Blaydes and Junior dos Santos. The card will air on ESPN+.

Lentz last appeared at UFC Fight Night 152, where he had a two-bout winning streak snapped in a second-round TKO loss to Charles Oliveira. Allen, meanwhile, is on an eight-bout winning streak that includes six triumphs in the Octagon.

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 246 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Darren Till’s second UFC bout at middleweight could be on the horizon.

The former welterweight title challenger recently posted March weather averages for Las Vegas on his Instagram account, hinting that he could be in line for a bout at UFC 248 on March 7 at T-Mobile Arena. Jack Hermansson replied in the comments, throwing his name in the ring for a potential matchup with the Liverpool native.

UFC president Dana White told The Mac Life that the promotion is looking at UFC 248 or UFC London on March 21 as potential events for Till’s next bout. However, it’s unlikely that Hermansson will be the opponent.

“We’ve been talking to him and bouncing around with different opponents,” White said. “We’ll have something for him very soon. It’ll either be London or Vegas.

“Probably not [against Hermansson],” White said. “We’ll see ho…

SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh is supremely confident in Conor McGregor’s chances against Donald Cerrone with UFC 246 just a few days away.

That alone shouldn’t be a surprise. However, while Kavanagh has previously predicted a late finish for McGregor, that doesn’t mean he expects the fight to be particularly close.

“I think he’s too slick and too technical,” Kavanagh recent told The Mac Life. “Whether it’s something that happens in the first minute or if it goes the distance, if it goes 25 minutes, I don’t see it being a war. I see it being very one-sided. He’s on weight. He’s fitter than I’ve ever seen him. He’s relaxed, he’s happy, he’s calm. It’s really one of those … it’s a cliche, but it could not have gone better.”

The majority of McGregor’s most memorable moments have occurred in abbreviated contests, with the Irishman scoring a quick knockout or technical knockout victory. The “Notorious” one went the distance to earn a majority decision in a remat…

A lightweight showdown between Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira will serve as the headliner for UFC Brasilia on March 14.

Brazilian outlet Combate was first to report the matchup. UFC Brasilia takes place at Nilson Nelson Gymnasium and also includes a light heavyweight tilt pitting Johnny Walker against Nikita Krylov. The card will stream on ESPN+.

After a one-bout stint at welterweight proved to be unsuccessful, Lee returned to 155 pounds to author a head-kick knockout of the previously unbeaten Gregor Gillespie in his most recent outing at UFC 244. “The Motown Phenom” is 11-5 over the course of his promotional tenure and also owns victories against the likes of Edson Barboza, Michael Chiesa, Francisco Trinaldo and Magomed Mustafaev, to name a few.

The UFC’s all-time leader in submission wins, Oliveira enters the bout on a six-fight winning streak in which he has finished all off his opponents inside the distance. Most recently, “Do Bronx” scored a first-round KO …

Gian Villante will return to the heavyweight division for the first time since 2011 when he locks horns with Ben Rothwell at UFC 249.

Newsday first reported the bout. UFC 249 takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 18 and is headlined by a lightweight championship bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

Villante hasn’t fought at heavyweight since his Strikeforce debut on Feb. 12, 2011, when he lost to Chad Griggs via first-round technical knockout. The 34-year-old New Yorker was also a heavyweight and light heavyweight champion in Ring of Combat earlier in his career. Villante is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC Fight Night 145 in February 2019.

Rothwell, meanwhile, ended a three-bout skid with a foul-marred second-round TKO of Stefan Struve at UFC on ESPN 7 on Dec. 7. Rothwell’s Octagon tenure dates back to 2009 and includes wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, Matt Mitrione and …

A proposed middleweight clash between Antonio Carlos Jr. and Makhmud Muradov slated for UFC Brasilia has been canceled.

Muradov announced the news on his Instagram account, and MMAjunkie.com later reported that Carlos Jr. had withdrawn from the contest due to injury. Muradov had originally stepped in as a replacement for the injured Brad Tavares.

UFC Brasilia takes place at Nilson Nelson Gymnasium and features a light heavyweight tilt between Johnny Walker and Nikita Krylov. An official headliner has not been announced for the event.

Carlos Jr. went 0-2 in 2019, losing to Ian Heinisch via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 152 before dropping a split verdict to Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night 158. Uzbekistan’s Muradov is on a 13-bout winning streak and has kicked off his promotional tenure with triumphs over Alessio Di Chirico and Trevor Smith.

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Ассаламу Алейкум Добрый день! К сожалению мой следующий бой 14 марта отме…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz6Mb6DTYpk&w=560&h=315]

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 246 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Conor McGregor recently posted a photo of a new, beefed-up physique on Instagram as he prepares to face Donald Cerrone at welterweight in the UFC 246 headliner.

So far, it seems that competing at 170 pounds is a positive for the former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion. According to UFC president Dana White, the promotion’s medical staff has been impressed with McGregor leading up to Saturday’s fight.

“I’m hearing he’s in phenomenal shape right now,” White told TMZ Sports. “The UFC doctor is actually saying he thinks Conor is in the best shape he’s ever seen him in.

“[His] head seems to be in the right place. Ring rust is real – I believe in it. We’ll see how that goes. And I think that the level of disrespect shown to ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone by the media, a lot of…

Demetrious Johnson will square off against reigning One Championship flyweight titlist Adriano Moraes on April 11 in China.

One CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the matchup on Sunday evening.

Johnson earned a shot at the belt after besting Yuya Wakamatsu, Tatsumitsu Wada and Danny Kingad in the promotion’s flyweight grand prix last year. “Mighty Mouse” exited the UFC after losing his 125-pound belt in a split-decision to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 in August 2018. In One, Johnson is essentially competing at 135 pounds due to the organization’s weight class parameters.

Moraes recaptured flyweight gold with a five-round verdict over Geje Eustaquio at One Championship “Hero’s Ascent” on Jan. 25. He previously lost to Eustaquio via split decision in June 2018. The Brazilian owns an 18-3 career mark, with all three of his defeats coming via split decision.

Jorge Masvidal already has experience facing one of the competitors in the UFC 246 headliner, and the other could be a future opponent if he is victorious.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, “Gamebred” offered his thoughts on Saturday’s welterweight battle between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone. Like many in the MMA community, Masvidal is well aware of McGregor’s penchant to start quickly.

“Conor’s amazing off the blocks,” Masvidal said. “I think he’s got great timing. While guys are getting their timing, Conor’s already coming in with the timing. He already has their timing by the time you go to your timing. Good power, good confidence in it. I would rank Conor one of the better starters of the sport.

Masvidal also acknowledged Cerrone’s tendency to take some time to find a rhythm in his fights, which could be an issue against an opponent who looks for a quick knockout.

“Donald, on the other hand, is more of a rhythm fighter. He takes a little…

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

A middleweight matchup pitting Punahele Soriano against Eric Spicely has been added to the UFC Columbus lineup.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the bout. UFC Columbus takes place at Nationwide Arena on March 28 and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The card will air on ESPN.

After outpointing Jamie Pickett on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a contract this past June, Soriano knocked out Oskar Piechota in his Octagon debut at UFC 245 on Dec. 14. “Story Time” is 7-0 as a professional, with all but one of his victories coming inside the distance.

Spicely’s second promotional stint began on June 22, when he dropped a unanimous verdict to Deron Winn at UFC Fight Night 154. The CES MMA veteran is 2-5 in UFC competition and 12-5 as a professional overall.

According to Conor McGregor, welterweight is the perfect place to make his Octagon return after more than a year on the sidelines.

In an interview with ESPN, the Irishman revealed that he weighted “160 and a bit” approximately one week before UFC 246, where he will meet Donald Cerrone in the evening’s headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The former two-division UFC champion believes 170 pounds is best for Cerrone, and it also creates many options for himself down the road.

“I know, I could have [made things difficult for Cerrone],” he said. “I just don’t think he looks well at 155. He’s a 170 fighter. I’d beat him at any weight. I’d beat him if I had the flu. I don’t need that. I just want to focus on my training and keep me sharp. I don’t want to cut and then build, and then cut. I’m happy where I’m at.

“170 is an exciting one for me,” he added. “I like 170. I like what’s going on in the 170 division at the minute. You’ve got Jorge [Masvidal] with that (‘BM…

A matchup of female bantamweight contenders has been targeted for UFC Columbus, as Aspen Ladd and Julianna Pena are expected to clash on March 28.

ESPN was first to report the pairing. Contracts for the bout have not yet been signed, but the fight is close to being finalized by the promotion. UFC Columbus takes place at Nationwide Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The card will air on ESPN.

After suffering her first career defeat in a 16-second technical knockout against Germaine de Randamie in July, Ladd bounced back to score a third-round stoppage of Yana Kunitskaya at UFC on ESPN 7 in her most recent outing. The 24-year-old also owns wins over Sijara Eubanks, Tonya Evinger and Lina Lansberg in UFC competition.

Pena returned from a more than two-year absence at UFC Fight Night 155, where she outpointed former flyweight queen Nicco Montano. Pena is 5-1 during tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion …

Anthony Pettis will return to the division where he once reigned at UFC 246.

“Showtime” will square off against Diego Ferreira in a lightweight bout on the pay-per-view main card on January 18 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ferreira is currently on a five-bout winning streak in the Octagon.

“It’s exciting for me because it’s time to fight,” Pettis told UFC News. “Like honestly, I was waiting for an opponent. I was ready right after the Diaz fight. I told the UFC I wanted to go, they kept giving me some like hinters, who could have been, they fell through and he was ready, that’s what it is.”

Pettis is coming off a two-bout stint at 170 pounds. Most recently, he dropped a unanimous verdict to Nate Diaz at UFC 241 this past August. The former UFC and WEC 155-pound champion had to do a little soul searching after that contest, but now he’s in a good place heading into his matchup with Ferreira.

“I don’t make excuses,” Pettis said “Diaz fought his ass…

Jessica Penne is concerned that her recent suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency will put an end to her career.

On her Instagram on Friday, Penne posted a lengthy statement discussing her issues with USADA. In the post, she claimed, "USADA has effective bullied and forced me into retiring from MMA," and compared the organization to the "High Sparrows" of "Game of Thrones." She explained that during the investigation of her 2019 drug test failure, the process proved far more antagonistic and she was allegedly told she would be issued a four-year suspension unless she exposed other fighters or team members that were also using banned substances.

Penne tested positive for an anabolic steroid in April 2017 and was handed down an 18-month suspension, when it was determined was prescribed dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by her physician and did not receive an exemption to use the substance. Upon returning from the forced layoff, Penne was set to face Jodie Esquibel i…

Stamp Fairtex runs through Puja Tomar in DOMINANT fashion, winning by first-round TKO on her quest for a third ONE World Title! #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ANewTomorrow pic.twitter.com/IVCQR3AsGr

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 10, 2020

The first of 50 events announced for 2020 by One Championship went down at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 10.

In the mixed martial arts main event of One Championship: A New Tomorrow, One atomweight kickboxing and muay Thai champion Nong Stamp (4-0) not only managed to keep her record clean from defeat but she also stepped forward in her path to claim the One MMA atomweight title and become One’s first three-sport champion. “Stamp Fairtex” locked horns with Indian fighter Puja Tomar, who managed to do little to derail the Thai fighter’s hype train. After catching one of “Stamp Fairtex”’s lethal kicks, Tomar attempt a clumsy judo throw, but Fairtex was able to revers…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to build its March event in Las Vegas, adding an intriguing lightweight matchup to the already impressive card.

On Thursday, MMA Junkie reported that Mark O. Madsen (9-0) will lock horns with Austin Hubbard (11-3) at UFC 248. The event will take place on March 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Weili Zhang will defend her strawweight strap against former divisional queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Additionally, former middleweight kingpin Robert Whittaker will collide with the surging Jared Cannonier in the co-headlining bout.

Madsen, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, made his promotional debut in September by laying waste to Danillo Belluardo in 72 seconds. The former welterweight has yet to taste defeat as a professional, and he dropped down to 155 pounds for the first time in his UFC debut. With his perfect record across nine bouts, "The Olympian" has won three by knockout, another three by sub…

January 25, 2020. I’m stepping back in the octagon. @bellatormma Can’t Wait! #bellator pic.twitter.com/4OJEY3bEEu

— AVA KNiGHT (@A_V_A_Knight) January 8, 2020

On the heels of a triumphant MMA debut, former WBC boxing champ Ava Knight is returning to Bellator MMA in January.

On Thursday, MMA Junkie reported that Knight (1-0) will be squaring off against Emilee Gettys (3-4) at strawweight division at Bellator 238. The matchup was later confirmed by Knight and her coach Jay Glazer. The bout will take place on the main card, which goes down on Jan. 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Headlining the card is a massive featherweight championship matchup as Julia Budd looks to defend her throne against Cristiane Justino.

Knight made her successful debut in the sport when she dispatched Shannon Goughary at Bellator 228 in September with a punch to the body. Her stoppage marked only the fifth time a women's strawweight bout…

Sean O’Malley Accepts Sanction for Second Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy https://t.co/nbzouPbWOd

— USADA | UFC Anti-Doping Program (@USADA_UFC) January 9, 2020

Sean O'Malley will be on the shelf a little while longer as he sits out following multiple drug test failures for tainted supplements.

According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday, O'Malley has been suspended for six months dating back to a positive test for ostarine on Aug. 6. O'Malley was flagged on two separate tests on Aug. 6 and Aug. 12 for the same substance, as well as other positive results later that month. Due to his cooperation and an investigation that followed, O'Malley was not found at fault for intentionally using this substance. "Sugar" will be eligible to return to active competition on Feb. 6, and his matchup with Jose Alberto Quinonez has been relocated to UFC 248 in March to accommodate his eligibility.

The investigation into O'Malley's…

Not one but two featherweight tournament bouts are headed to Bellator 241 in March.

On Thursday, Bellator MMA announced via press release that Bellator 241 is scheduled for March 13 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Headlining the event will be a featherweight grand prix quarterfinal matchup as Patricio Freire (30-4) locks horns with Pedro Carvalho (11-3) for the 145-pound strap. Additional, the promotion announced a second tournament tilt between Daniel Weichel (40-11) and Emmanuel Sanchez (19-4) will be taking place the same night. All quarterfinals and subsequent matches will be five-round affairs, regardless of if the belt is in the line.

Freire has not lost since suffering an injury in 2016 against Benson Henderson. In that span, "Pitbull" tapped Daniel Straus to take the featherweight throne, and went on to defend it twice against Weichel and Sanchez. Moving up to lightweight, Freire knocked out Michael Chandler in just over one minute at Bellat…

Credit: Keith Mills/Sherdog.com Credit: Keith Mills/Sherdog.com Credit: Keith Mills/Sherdog.com Credit: Keith Mills/Sherdog.com

A pair of new bouts have been added to UFC Auckland, as Maki Pitolo will face Takashi Sato at welterweight, while Konklak Suphisara will meet Hannah Goldy at strawweight.

The promotion initially confirmed the matchups to the New Zealand Herald. UFC Auckland takes place on Feb. 22 and is headlined by a lightweight clash pitting Paul Felder against Dan Hooker. The card will stream on ESPN+.

After earning a contract on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Pitolo fell to Callan Potter via unanimous decision in his promotional debut at UFC 243. A longtime veteran of the Pancrase promotion, Sato is 1-1 in UFC competition with a second-round TKO of Ben Saunders and a submission loss to Belal Muhammed in 2019.

Suphisara, who is better known as “Loma Lookboonme,” made a successful Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 162, where she captured a s…