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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cg6cxYR-Cw&w=560&h=315] Conor McGregor is ready to start the year off in a big way when he faces Donald Cerrone on Jan. 18.

McGregor (21-4) has been out of action as far as mixed martial arts competition goes since his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov back at UFC 229 in 2018. At the dawn of a new decade and a fight booked with Cerrone (36-13, 1 NC) at UFC 246, McGregor says he is focused on competition, and his upcoming match is only the beginning of what he calls his "2020 season."

Speaking to TheMacLife on Friday, McGregor says Cerrone is part of a list of names he plans on facing in the coming year. When asked why Cerrone is first, McGregor simply stated that their history dictates Cerrone is first. "If you look at the list of callouts or the people that I've engaged with, Donald was probably one of the first ones, so he's first on the list, and that's it. And I'll get to every single one of them also."

Part of McGregor's 2020 pla…

Another Brit heading to #UFCRaleigh!

England's @NadNarimani meets @NikLentz on Jan 25! pic.twitter.com/KUs3VNMzUz

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 3, 2020 A solid featherweight tilt has been added to the Ultimate Fighting Championship's first trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, in January. On Friday, the promotion announced that Nik Lentz (30-10-2, 1 NC) will be facing Nad Narimani (12-3) in the featherweight division at UFC Raleigh. The event will take place on Jan. 25 at the PNC Arena in Raleigh.

Lentz snapped a two-fight win streak in his last appearance when he suffered a knockout at the hands of longtime nemesis Charles Oliveira. A 22-fight UFC vet, Lentz holds victories over names like Gray Maynard, Will Brooks and Tyson Griffin throughout his lengthy career. When "The Carny” made his promotional debut at UFC 103 in 2009, Narimani was nearly two years away from taking his first pro fight.

Narimani suffered his first …

begins today... are you ready? #TheRise pic.twitter.com/LFy8AFOv3Y

— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) January 1, 2020 Invicta Fighting Championships is kicking off the year with Invicta FC 39 on Feb. 7 in Kansas City, Kansas.

On Thursday, the organization announced via press release that its next event will be taking place on Feb. 7 at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The card will be headlined by an atomweight championship bout as Jinh Yu Frey (8-4) looks to defend her 105-pound strap in a rematch with Ashley Cummins (7-4). The two first met at Invicta FC 24, and Frey took home a decision win that later earned her another title shot.

Frey recently suffered a decision loss at the hands of former Rizin Fighting Federation atomweight queen Ayaka Hamasaki at Rizin 16 in June. Had Frey prevailed, she would have become the first two-promotion champion between Invicta and Rizin. Prior to her defeat to Hamasaki, Frey took a pair of…

Rizin Fighting Federation atomweight champ Seo Hee Ham has gone public with allegations that a management team has been embezzling money throughout her career.

On Wednesday, Ham posted to her Instagram account an allegation that Hidekatsu Morooka, along with his wife, are accused of embezzling money from her since she started working with them at the beginning of her career. Over the years, she claims that they have siphoned off upwards of $26,000 in her fight earnings. After her big win at Rizin 20 mere days ago, Ham decided it was time to say something.

In a statement, Ham wrote (via translation from electimes.com):

"I moved into Japanese pro MMA league, making my debut in 2007. Hidekatsu Morooka and his wife, Yoon Sik Lee, were my [management team] and I could made a contract for my fight in Japan through them. They've treated me like a real daughter, so I respected and followed what they said until 2014. Five years have passed since then, and I started to fight …

Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight Tyson Pedro has been forced to pull out of his bout in New Zealand in February.

On Thursday, Pedro (7-3) announced on his Instagram that he will no longer be competing at UFC Auckland against Vinicius Moreira Castro (9-4) due to an injury. The event will take place at the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb. 22. A replacement has not yet been named.

Pedro wrote:"Peaks and ValleysJust when you think everything is going to your plan something hits you upside the head with a different one. Out of the fight in Feb, I'm gutted but thank you for all the messages. I'm not stressed as I know I'm coming back, I've never stopped before, so I'm not going to now. Every time I've messed up in life, been injured or blind[sided], something good came out from it, that I couldn't see at the time. So until then, it's all smiles and time to grind again. A massive positive was being able to connect and train with the boys down @ci…

Conor McGregor’s coach is expecting a vintage performance at UFC 246.

John Kavanagh has been in the corner for all of McGregor’s biggest moments to date, but the SBG Ireland coach has been particularly impressed with his fighter as the Jan. 18 showdown with Donald Cerrone approaches.

“Jan. [1], last heavy spar today before going to Vegas,” Kavanagh wrote on Twitter. “Can honestly say this is the best I’ve seen him and I wasn’t sure that was possible to do six months ago. You guys are in for a real treat. I’m just glad to have a good seat.”

Jan 1st, last heavy spar today before going to Vegas. Can honestly say this is the best i've seen him and i wasn't sure that was possible to do 6 months ago. You guys are in for a real treat, i'm just glad to have a good seat! #UFC246

— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) January 1, 2020

McGregor will face Cerrone at welterweight in the UFC 246 headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. …

Ryan Bader is looking to make his first light heavyweight title defense since November 2017, and it appears the Bellator two-division champ has his eyes on a belt holder from another organization.

The former Arizona State University wrestling standout recently took to Twitter to call out Jiri Prochazka after Rizin’s reigning 205-pound king defeated C.B. Dollaway via first-round knockout on New Year’s Eve in Saitama, Japan. Dollaway and Bader are longtime teammates at Power MMA.

Congrats #jiriprochazka . we couldn’t make it happen in @rizin_PR so let’s do this in the @BellatorMMA cage. LHW title on the line

— Ryan Bader (@ryanbader) December 31, 2019

Bader had designs on competing for Rizin, but he revealed he was unable to come to terms to fight Prochazka in the Japanese organization. Crossover bouts between Bellator and Rizin fighters have become quite common of late, and now it appears Bader is ready to put his light heavywei…

Johnny Case will be competing under the Professional Fighters League banner this year.

According to ESPN, Case has signed with the PFL and plans to compete at lightweight during the 2020 season. Case is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Tofiq Musayev at Rizin 20 in the semifinals of the Japanese promotion’s lightweight grand prix.

Case has one prior PFL appearance under his belt, as he battled Natan Schulte to a majority draw during the playoffs in October 2018. Schulte just completed a second consecutive lightweight championship season with a unanimous verdict over Loik Radzhabov at the PFL Season 2 finals on Tuesday.

After that bout, Case went on to post successive stoppage wins over Yusuke Yachi, Satoru Kitaoka and Roberto de Souza under the Rizin banner before falling to Musayev. The 30-year-old MMA Lab product also went 4-2 during a stint in the UFC from 2014 to 2017. Case owns a 27-7 professional mark overall.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL and UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Kayla Harrison reached her first mountaintop in mixed martial arts. The two-time Olympic gold medalist captured the 2019 Professional Fighters League championship with a unanimous decision over Larissa Pacheco in the women’s lightweight final on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. All three judges sided with the undefeated Harrison (7-0, 7-0 PFL): 50-43, 50-45 and 50-45.

Pacheco (13-4, 2-2 PFL) could match neither the strength nor the technique of the American Top Team standout across five one-sided rounds. Harrison executed multiple takedowns, battered the Brazilian with ground-and-pound and achieved full mount on multiple occasions. Beyond an attempted guillotine choke in the fifth round, Pacheco posed little threat to the decorated American judoka.

Heavy-Handed Cooper III Folds Michaud Ray Cooper III cut dow…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL and UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live 2019 PFL Championship coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result

Edson Barboza is going to test his skills in a new division next year.

According to a report from Brazilian outlet Combate, Barboza will drop to the featherweight division following a 22-bout stint in the UFC at 155 pounds. The 33-year-old Brazilian hopes to make his 145-pound debut some time in the first quarter of 2020.

Barboza is coming off a contentious split-decision setback to Paul Felder in a rematch at UFC 242. The American Top Team representative has lost four of his last five bouts within the Las Vegas-based promotion. During that slump, however, Barboza has faced nothing but top-flight competition, falling to the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kevin Lee, Justin Gaethje and Felder.

Barboza is 14-8 over the course of his promotional tenure at lightweight and has earned nine post-fight bonuses for his work in the Octagon.

It was a battle of attrition for Patricky Freire in the Rizin Fighting Federation lightweight grand prix.

Freire made it to the finals of the tournament at Rizin 20 on Tuesday, where he lost a unanimous decision to Tofiq Musayev at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Along the way, the Bellator title contender suffered multiple injuries.

The 33-year-old “Pitbull” brother revealed that he broke his hand in a 28-second stoppage of Luis Gustavo Felix dos Santos in a semifinal bout earlier in the evening. He then injured his left shoulder and right leg while falling out of the ring during a takedown attempt by Musayev in the finals. Freire appeared to be shaken up immediately after the fall but nonetheless continued to fight.

Thank you Japan, @bellatormma, @rizin_pr! Thank you everyone for the support. I’m happy to have lived this experience.I broke my right hand in the first fight and injured my left shoulder and right leg when …

The six weight classes will likely remain the same, but the composition of the Professional Fighters League roster should look significantly different when the promotion begins its third season in 2020.

“At this point in time we don’t expect to make any changes in weight classes for next season. As it relates to the roster itself, 50 percent of the roster will be turned over and we’ll be bringing in new athletes,” PFL CEO Peter Murray recently told Sherdog.com. “Our view is next level. The athletes that have earned their way into the postseason pretty much get that right and the option to continue. The top performers will continue with the league, and others, we were proud to have them, but we think it’s time to replace them and bring in some new talent to freshen things up. That’s what you’ll see.”

PFL already bolstered its roster for next year with one high-profile free agent, as the organization signed former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald earlier …

And in a snap, the bantamweight division is upset again! Manel "Prodígio" Kape (15-4) rings in the New Year with a second-round knockout of Kai Asakura - his third such stoppage in a row! The Angolan incendiary is RIZIN's new champ! #RIZIN20 #RIZINFF pic.twitter.com/0yKjaG16AR

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) December 31, 2019

Manel Kape spoiled the expected coronation of Kai Asakura.

The 26-year-old Angolan claimed the vacant bantamweight crown with a second-round technical knockout victory over Asakura in the Rizin 20 main event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday. The end came 38 seconds into Round 2, as Kape swarmed a dazed Asakura with punches on the canvas until referee Jason Herzog intervened on the Japanese fighter’s behalf.

As soon as the fight was stopped, Kape exited the ring to address Kyoji Horiguchi, who vacated the bantamweight belt after suffering a serious knee injury and was seated nearby. Asakura ha…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO1YmVBNT7Y&w=560&h=315]

As Professional Fighters League approaches the conclusion of its 2019 campaign, CEO Peter Murray sees an organization that has grown exponentially since rebranding from World Series of Fighting more than two years ago.

“I’m extremely happy with the momentum that we have in Year 2,” Murray recently told Sherdog.com. “Last year we launched the league, validated the format. In Year 2, we really focused on premium distribution and reach. You see that with our partnership with ESPN as well as expanded distribution outside the U.S. with top media companies in key regions and countries.

“The second piece I’m excited about in Year 2 is refinement of the product and technology,” Murray added. “With respect to that we’re the first ever to, under our SmartCage platform, launch athlete measurement data and analytics, real time and integrate into the broadcast measuring strike speed on every fighter and every fight. O…

Israel Adesanya was one of the breakout stars of 2019, and it appears the UFC middleweight champion has an opponent lined up for his first title defense.

“The Last Stylebender” was initially expected to face Paulo Henrique Costa after claiming the 185-pound belt with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 this past October. However, those plans changed when Costa suffered a torn bicep that will sideline him through the first quarter of next year.

Adesanya quickly transitioned to a potential showdown with Yoel Romero, but UFC president Dana White previously had designs on making “The Soldier of God” win another bout before earning No. 1 contender status.

“[Adesanya] wants to fight Yoel Romero,” White said in November. “He wants Romero. So we’re talking about giving Romero a fight coming up soon here and then (Adesanya) will fight the winner of that fight.”

However, plans seem to have changed in recent weeks. In an interview with ESPN, White i…

The Professional Fighters League’s championship event will move forward as planned, as all 12 finalists made weight for their respective bouts on Monday.

The 2019 PFL Championship takes place at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York and is topped by a women’s lightweight final pitting Kayla Harrison (154.8 pounds) against Larissa Pacheco (153.6). The six-bout main card will air on ESPN2 beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT following one preliminary, non-title contest at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The six main card winners will earn championships along with a $1 million prize.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Harrison has kicked off her professional MMA career with six consecutive victories. She previously squared off with Pacheco during the regular season, earning a unanimous verdict on May 9.

Pacheco, meanwhile, rebounded from her loss against Harrison to submit Bobbi Jo Dalziel in the regular season before upsetting Sarah Kaufman via decision in the…

There was a little bit of confusion regarding Fedor Emelianenko’s status as an active mixed martial artist following his first-round stoppage of Quinton Jackson in the Bellator 237 headliner on Saturday night.

The Russian’s translator indicated that the veteran fighter was calling it a career during a post-fight interview in the cage shortly after the victory. However, “The Last Emperor” clarified those comments to media later, revealing that it was simply his last fight in Japan. He still has two more destinations on his retirement tour before he’s done.

“I’m doing my tour and this is my final fights, and I want to do a fight in Japan, I want to do a fight in U.S., and I went to do Russia,” Emelianenko said (video via MMAjunkie.com). “So Japan, it was my retirement fight in Japan. So I’m not retiring.”

Emelianenko kicked off his farewell journey in style at Saitama Super Arena. The former Pride Fighting Championships star overwhelmed “Rampage” from the outset of…

Heavyweight doesn’t look good on Quinton Jackson.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion wasn’t remotely competitive in the Bellator 237 headliner, as he absorbed bursts of punching combinations from Fedor Emelianenko before being knocked out at the 2:44 mark of Round 1 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Saturday night.

“We didn’t get the outcome we wanted, but you know what, I knew one of us was going to get knocked out,” Jackson said in a video posted on his Instagram account that has since been deleted. “But I didn’t know it was going to be f---in’ me.”

“Rampage” checked in at 265 pounds prior to the bout, and he admitted the extra weight might’ve been a hindrance. Ultimately, Jackson plans to return to 205 pounds before he returns to action.

“It’s all good – I’m not in a bad mood,” Jackson said. “I just know what I got to do. I got to get my damn weight down. I felt like a hippopotamus out there. But that’s my fault. No excuses. It’s all rig…

Tecia Torres will square off against Mizuki Inoue in a strawweight bout at UFC Columbus on March 28.

Promotion officials recently announced the booking. UFC Columbus takes place at Nationwide Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight duel between Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Torres will look to end a four-bout losing streak when she faces Inoue. “The Tiny Tornado” has gone the distance in each of those defeats, falling to Jessica Andrade, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Weili Zhang and Marina Rodriguez. Prior to that slump, Torres began her promotional tenure with victories in six of her first seven appearances.

After stints in Invicta FC, Deep and Jewels, the 25-year-old Inoue made her Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 157, where she took a split verdict over Yanan Wu on Aug. 31. The Nagoya, Japan native is 14-5 in her professional career, with nine victories coming via submission and five by decision.

@FedorOskol hangs up the s tonight in an iconic arena and on a memorable note.#BellatorJapan pic.twitter.com/lk1HcinPvh

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) December 29, 2019 Fedor Emelianenko may not have had much left in the tank, but there was enough there to embarrass Quinton Jackson.

The former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder brought down Jackson with a lightning bolt of a right hand in the first round of their Bellator 237 headliner on Saturday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Emelianenko (39-6, 3-2 Bellator) drew the curtain 2:44 into Round 1, then appeared to lean toward retirement from mixed martial arts.

Jackson (38-14, 5-3 Bellator) was a 265-pound stationery target. Emelianenko tore into “Rampage” with three-, four- and five-punch volleys, reset and attacked again, even mixing in a pair of kicks, one to the leg and another to the body. The 43-year-old caught Jackson moving forward and connected…

@FedorOskol hangs up the s tonight in an iconic arena and on a memorable note.#BellatorJapan pic.twitter.com/lk1HcinPvh

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) December 29, 2019 Fedor Emelianenko may not have had much left in the tank, but there was enough there to embarrass Quinton Jackson.

The former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder brought down Jackson with a lightning bolt of a right hand in the first round of their Bellator 237 headliner on Saturday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Emelianenko (39-6, 3-2 Bellator) drew the curtain 2:44 into Round 1, then appeared to lean toward retirement from mixed martial arts.

Jackson (38-14, 5-3 Bellator) was a 265-pound stationery target. Emelianenko tore into “Rampage” with three-, four- and five-punch volleys, reset and attacked again, even mixing in a pair of kicks, one to the leg and another to the body. The 43-year-old caught Jackson moving forward and connected…

Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Sherdog's live Bellator 237 coverage kicks off Saturday at 10 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:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Sc…

Watch Quinton Jackson weigh-in for #BellatorJapan in true "Rampage" fashion: pic.twitter.com/E8BGgazRqj

— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) December 28, 2019 Bellator MMA will wrap 2019 with a huge event in Japan on Saturday with Bellator 237, and two main card fighters have missed weight.

The card is headlined by a heavyweight slugfest as the legendary Fedor Emelianenko (240.5) will lock horns with the inimitable Quinton Jackson (265). Emelianenko is looking to bounce back from a first-round knockout loss to Ryan Bader for the heavyweight title, while "Rampage" exacted revenge on a former rival in Wanderlei Silva in September, evening their score to 2-2. Jackson is the heaviest he has been in his career, to which he stated, "I'm ashamed of myself," as he had never clocked in above 254.4 pounds.

The co-main event sees Michael Chandler (160.7) attempt to rebound from a championship defeat when he takes on short-notice opponent Sidne…