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Ronaldo Souza’s light heavyweight debut did not go as planned, as he dropped an underwhelming split decision to Jan Blachowicz in the UFC Fight Night 164 headliner on Nov. 16.

It was the third loss in four outings for the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, and it now seems that “Jacare” is already pondering a return to the weight class he has called home for the majority of his career.

“My manager and my team are talking which weight class I’ll fight next, so there’s a lot going on here right now,” Souza recently told MMAFighting.com. “We’ll make a decision really soon on what’s best for us. We’re looking at staying at 205 or going back to 185.”

Souza struggled to take down the larger Blachowicz in Sao Paulo, and as a result, he was outstruck in a slow-paced, five-round bout. After the defeat, the Brazilian revealed that he battled an illness leading up to the fight.

Even at 40 years old, Souza seems willing to revisit the weight cut that he was just…

Francis Ngannou is a man on a mission, and currently his primary objective is a fight with fellow heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov.

“The Predator” took to Twitter on Saturday to propose a matchup with the Russian at UFC 246, which is scheduled for Jan. 18 in Las Vegas. As it stands now, Ngannou vs. Volkov could conceivably make a solid co-main event for a pay-per-view card headlined by Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone.

“What’s your schedule for [Jan. 18] look like?” Ngannou wrote to Volkov. “Let me offer you a free trip to the most entertaining city in the world.”

@AlexDragoVolkov What's your schedule for January 18th looks like?! Let me offer you a free trip in the most entertaining city in the world ( @LasVegas ). #UFC246 @ufc#whathappensinvegas

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) November 30, 2019

It’s not the first time Ngannou has called out Volkov. The Frenchman began his pursuit of the Russian after Volkov …

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Despite a lengthy career spanning multiple organizations and combat disciplines, Alistair Overeem still has a strong passion for fighting. That spirit was something that was ingrained in him long before he was collecting a paycheck for throwing punches and kicks.

“I think I’ve always been a fighter,” Overeem said in a recent interview with UFC.com. “I’ve always kicked ass – even before I was professionally a fighter. I’d have fights in the street and it even got me in trouble a couple of times.

“Some people will never be fighters, and then some people are born fighters. Not really by choice I guess.”

The 39-year-old Dutchman has captured championships in Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 during his professional tenure, but the UFC title has thus far eluded him. He challenged for the belt at UFC 203, falling to Stipe Miocic via first-round knockout on Sept. 10, 2016. Since then Overeem has gone 4-2 in the O…

Jorge Masvidal’s marketability is at an all-time high, and “Gamebred” is looking for the most lucrative fights possible — even at the expense of an immediate title shot.

Kamaru Usman will defend the 170-pound title against Colby Covington in the UFC 245 headliner on Dec. 14, and after impressive wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in 2019, Masvidal would seem to be the No. 1 contender in waiting. However, the Miami native has his eye on a couple of opponents that could potentially draw more interest than the Usman-Covington winner.

“They’re fighting for the spot to fight me,” Masvidal told Yahoo Sports regarding the UFC 245 main event combatants. “I’m the ticket at 170 pounds. I’m going to go and get the biggest, best and toughest fights.

“So it’s looking like we might fight Nick Diaz next, it’s looking like it might be Conor McGregor. Obviously those fights come first because of the paycheck and everything it brings while these guys are settling the …

Breaking: WE GOT A FIGHT. Per Tony Ferguson’s (@TonyFergusonXT) management Ballengee Group, Tony has signed his contract to face Khabib Nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) on April 18 in Brooklyn. More coming to @espn shortly. pic.twitter.com/cgwCucPl3v

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 30, 2019

The fifth time should be the charm for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson is official for lightweight gold in April.

According to ESPN on Friday, Nurmagomedov (28-0) and Ferguson (25-3) will finally meet for the lightweight belt. The two will square off at an upcoming pay-per-view card on April 18, which will be held in Brooklyn, New York, at a yet unannounced venue -- although each of the three UFC trips to the city have been held at the Barclays Center. The two have been matched up four times in the past, with each man falling out of the fight twice for various reasons.

Nurmagomedov and Fergus…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is continuing to build on the first event of the year with UFC 246, adding a significant flyweight matchup the card.

According to his Instagram on Friday, Askar Askarov (10-0-1) will be facing Tim Elliott (15-9-1) at flyweight at UFC 246. The event will be held on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas, presumably at the T-Mobile Arena.

Elliott is ranked in the #8 spot on the UFC's official rankings, while he is currently unranked at flyweight on the Sherdog.com rankings. The former 125-pound title challenger and "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 24 winner has alternated wins and losses since making his return to the promotion in 2016. While he defeated Louis Smolka on the scorecards and became the first fighter to ever stop Mark De La Rosa in 2017, he has suffered first-round submission defeats to Ben Nguyen and Deiveson Figueiredo.

Askarov made his organizational debut in surprising fashion, fighting to a split draw with Brandon Moreno at UFC F…

Shocker,,,

Cowboy Cerrone will be Conor McGregor's return fight. The obvious bout to make.

Will do huge volume - can't wait.

McGregor up to -250 (opened -165 in October).

68% of the bets so far on the Irishman.— Dave Mason (@DaveMasonBOL) November 29, 2019

For the exciting January main event of UFC 246, betting lines have opened, putting Conor McGregor as a significant favorite against Donald Cerrone.

On Friday, sportsbook BetOnline opened a fight line on the UFC 246 welterweight headliner between McGregor (21-4) and Cerrone (36-13, 1 NC). "Notorious" opened with a sizeable advantage as a -225 favorite, against Cerrone as a +190 underdog. Essentially, one would need to bet $225 on McGregor in order to win $100, while someone putting $100 on Cerrone would make them an additional $190 -- if that respective fighter won. Since the line opened, other sportsbooks have shifted from McGregor as a -210 favorite to up…

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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.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight king Robert Whittaker says he feels like the pressure valve has been released after losing his belt to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 in October.

“The Reaper” was on the receiving end of a second-round knockout from Adesanya, losing his title on home soil in spectacular fashion. The 28-year-old, who was a recent guest on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show, said while he was disappointed he lost the belt, there was a sense of relief of not having to deal with the expectation as the champion (via MMA Mania):

“Yeah I kind of, I didn’t really like it that much. It’s one of those things that, it comes with some pros, but the cons really starting distracting me,” Whittaker said. “There’s a lot of media, a lot of expectations a…

Breaking: Per Dana White (@danawhite), Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) has signed to face Donald Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) at UFC 246 on Jan. 18, at welterweight.

"Conor has signed and Cerrone is ready to go."

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 28, 2019 The Ultimate Fighting Championship has given fans quite an announcement on Thanksgiving.

According to ESPN on Thursday, Conor McGregor (21-4) will return at UFC 246, where he will meet Donald Cerrone (36-13, 1 NC) at welterweight. The event will take place on Jan. 18, and is expected to be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, although there have been rumors claiming it may take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena instead due to potential scheduling issues.

McGregor has not competed since 2018, when he dropped his lightweight title fight to Khabib Nurmagomedov by fourth-round neck crank. The first two-division champion in promotional history won the featherweigh…

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Walt Harris has posted a statement on social media mourning the loss of his stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard.

On Monday, Blanchard's remains were believed to be found, and they were confirmed to be hers on Wednesday. On Thursday, Harris posted a heartfelt statement on Instagram thanking his daughter for "helping [him] change life for the better."

Harris wrote:

"My sweet baby girl... I just wanna thank you for helping me change my life for the better... For teaching me how to be a man and a better father! For being my biggest fan win, lose, or draw! For always knowing what to say to put a smile on my face and lift me up when I was down and wanted to give up. You light up my world [in] so many ways. This pain is unbearable... I know you want me to be strong but it so hard baby it so hard. I’m gonna find [a way] I promise you I will. Right now nothing makes sense and I’m so lost. I just want you back. I hope I made you prou…

The lineup for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s recently-announced card in Auckland, New Zealand continues to grow, as the promotion announced three new bouts for the event on Wednesday evening.

Jake Matthews will meet Emil Meek at welterweight; Tyson Pedro will square off against Vinicius Moreira Castro at light heavyweight and Ben Sosoli will lock horns with Marcos Rogerio de Lima at heavyweight.

UFC Auckland takes place at Spark Arena and is headlined by a lightweight contest pitting Paul Felder against Dan Hooker. The card will likely air on ESPN+.

Matthews has won four of his last five promotional appearances, including a unanimous decision triumph over Rostem Akman in his most recent outing at UFC 243. Meek, meanwhile, did not compete this year after dropping a pair of decisions to Kamaru Usman and Bartosz Fabinski in 2018.

Pedro was also inactive in 2019 after concluding 2018 with back-to-back setbacks at the hands of Ovince St. Preux and Maurici…

Kyoji Horiguchi’s reign as a two-promotion champion was short-lived.

Approximately two weeks after revealing that a serious knee injury would force him to withdraw from Rizin 20 and relinquish the Japanese promotion’s bantamweight title, Horiguchi has vacated the Bellator 135-pound strap, as well.

“I feel terrible for Kyoji [Horiguchi] about the injury he suffered to his knee, but in the true spirit of martial arts and being a true champion, he has elected to vacate his title and allow the division to move forward in his absence,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “After fully healing, we plan to give Kyoji an immediate title shot.”

According to a release, Bellator plans to book a bout for the vacant bantamweight crown in the coming months.

Horiguchi recently underwent surgery for a torn ACL and damaged meniscus and could be sidelined until November 2020. He was scheduled to face Kai Asakura in a rematch at Rizin 20 on New Year’s Eve after Asakura scored…

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences has positively identified the remains found in Macon County on Nov. 25 were those of Aniah Haley Blanchard: https://t.co/2Rh6Wx32BO

— City of Auburn, AL (@CityofAuburnAL) November 27, 2019

The human remains found in Macon County, Ala.,, earlier this week have been confirmed as those of Aniah Blanchard, the missing stepdaughter of UFC heavyweight Walt Harris.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences has positively identified the remains as those of Aniah Haley Blanchard,” read a statement from the Auburn Police Division. “At this point, the case will move forward as a homicide investigation, and additional charges are forthcoming.”

Blanchard, 19, had been missing since Oct. 24, and her vehicle was later recovered about an hour away from her home in Auburn. Three suspects have been arrested i…

The Professional Fighters League and American Top Team have teamed up to deliver some Thanksgiving cheer to the South Florida community this holiday season.

On Wednesday, PFL CEO Peter Murray, PFL women’s lightweight contender Kayla Harrison and 2018 PFL lightweight champion Natan Schulte joined ATT members Sidney Outlaw and John Eblen to deliver turkeys to the renowned training gym as well as Gateway Community Outreach, “an organization committed to preventing homelessness and restoring self-sufficiency through food donations, job placement, credit counseling and more.”

The donations are part of promotion’s “Fight for the Community” initiative, which has partnered with organizations such as Atlantic City Rescue Mission and Randy Couture’s GI foundation in the past.

“On the steps to the PFL cage is the question, ‘What do you Fight For?’ Our elite athletes fight for honor, respect and family. At the PFL, we all fight for our community,” Murray said. “American To…

Mickey Gall will not be competing on the UFC on ESPN 7 card in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7.

Gall was pulled from the card when promotion officials were unable able to find him a replacement opponent after original foe Carlos Condit withdrew due to a detached retina. MMAjunkie.com was first to report Gall’s exit.

UFC on ESPN 7 takes place at Capital One Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight clash pitting Alistair Overeem against Jairzinho Rozenstruik. The card, which is now scheduled for 12 bouts, airs on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

Gall began his UFC tenure with four consecutive wins, besting the likes of CM Punk and Sage Northcutt in the process. The 27-year-old Miller Brothers MMA representative is 2-2 in his last four appearances, including a decision win over Salim Touahri in his last outing at UFC on ESPN 5.

Veteran mixed martial artist Cindy Dandois was reportedly attacked outside her home in Antwerp, Belgium, last Friday.

The former UFC, Bellator and Invicta Fighting Championships competitor told Het Laatste Nieuws that she was assaulted by an ex-boyfriend as a result of a recent breakup.

He had been threatening me for a while, but I didn’t take those threats seriously – until he stood at my door,” Dandois said.

According to the report, the alleged assailant surprised Dandois and then attacked her with a key, leaving her with cuts on her face that required seven stitches. Dandois also suffered a broken nose in the assault.

“I was not prepared for the attack at all,” Dandois said. “Before I knew it, I got slapped in the face. My nose is broken and crooked. There is also a deep cut that was stitched with seven stitches. It will be a scar for life. Hopefully, they will be able to straighten my nose again. I should have taken the threats seriously from the beginn…

Ray Borg will make his return to the flyweight division when he faces Rogerio Bontorin at UFC Fight Night in Rio Rancho, N.M.

The 125-pound bout was first reported by Jorge Hernandez on Twitter. UFC Rio Rancho will take place at the Santa Ana Star Center on Feb. 15 and will likely air on ESPN+. A main event for the card has not been announced.

Borg won five of his first seven Octagon appearances to earn a title shot against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 216, where he succumbed to a spectacular armbar submission in the fifth stanza. The 26-year-old Albuquerque, N.M., native halted a two-bout skid with a decision triumph over Gabriel Silva at 135 pounds at UFC on ESPN 4.

The 27-year-old Bontorin has emerged as an interesting prospect since besting Gabriel Silva on the Brazilian version of Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2018. The Brazilian debuted in the Octagon with a split verdict over Magomed Bibulatov at UFC Fight Night 144 before earning a TKO stoppage aga…

New Mexico bound

We'll see you in February! #UFCRioRancho pic.twitter.com/M0nq9hdXjZ

— UFC (@ufc) November 25, 2019 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. The Octagon will return to the “Land of Enchantment.”

On Feb. 15, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold a Fight Night card at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a suburb of Albuquerque. The promotion announced the news on Monday.

This is set to be the promotion’s second trip to the state. On June 7, 2014, the Las Vegas-based organization was in Albuquerque for UFC Fight Night 42, where Benson Henderson defeated Rustam Khabilov by submission in the main event. The card also featured the likes of Diego Sanchez, John Dodson, Rafael dos Anjos, Bryan Caraway and Sergio Pettis.

It should be expected that Jackson-Wink MMA fighters will be featu…

#BREAKING: Lee County DA Brandon Hughes confirms that human remains believed to be missing 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard have been locatedhttps://t.co/TLKHq4OQKP pic.twitter.com/vTHHLkyA2R

— CBS 42 (@CBS_42) November 25, 2019

All of our thoughts at Sherdog.com are with Walt Harris and his family.

On Monday, WRBL News 3 reported that the search for Harris' missing stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, has discovered her remains. Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes stated, "I can confirm that the human remains have been found and we have good reason to suspect they are that of Aniah Blanchard." Later speaking with the Montgomery Advertiser, he reiterated that law enforcement has "strong reason to believe" the remains were Blanchard's. Harris and his family have been notified of this news.

The first suspect, Ibraheem Yazeed, was arrested on Nov. 7 and extradited to Alabama, where he is currently on trial for first-degree kidnappi…

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. In November 2018, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced they had signed former One Championship and Bellator MMA welterweight king Ben Askren, who arrived to the promotion riding a huge wave of hype with many believing it would only be a matter of time before he would add a UFC belt to his list of achievements. Fast forward to a little over a year and the man affectionately known as “Funky” has decided to hang up the gloves after suffering back-to-back losses, including a UFC-record fastest knockout, courtesy of Jorge Masvidal.

Askren’s head coach, Duke Roufus, talked to MMAFighting about his fighter announcing his retirement and said if the promotion had signed him earlier he is confident he would have been a UFC champion.

“He would be champion,” Roufus told MMA Fighting. “He’d be the triple champ. One, Bellator, and UFC. …

WILDER KO'S ORTIZ IN THE 7TH ROUND!!!!! #BronzeBomber pic.twitter.com/433BziacnB

— I'M SEEING GHOSTS (@FTBeard11) November 24, 2019 Deontay Wilder promised that his initial knockout of Luis Ortiz a few years back was no fluke and he proved just that on Saturday night.

Wilder (42-0-1) scooped up his 41st career knockout when he flattened rival Ortiz with one punch. It took “Bronze Bomber” several rounds to get going but once he did, he ended things in spectacular fashion. Wilder blinded the Cuban with a series of left jabs and when he picked his shot, the Alabama native uncorked that devastating right hand of his and crushed Ortiz’s face.

Wilder’s punch detonated on Ortiz’s forehead, but there was so much force from the perfect leverage that “King Kong” was doomed once it landed. Ortiz crumbled onto the seat of his trunks and was somewhat tangled in the ropes. The Cuban tried his best to somehow climb back to his feet, but his …

Bellator MMA returns Saturday to London’s SSE Arena in Wembley. As the latest installment in the promotion’s European Series, Bellator London features a welterweight main event pitting Michael Page against Giovanni Melillo.

Page bounced back from his first professional defeat to Douglas Lima with a knockout of Richard Kiely in September. Melillo, meanwhile, defeated Will Chope at a Fight Clubbing event on May 4 on May 4 and makes his Bellator debut as a short-notice replacement for Derek Anderson. Meanwhile, undefeated prospect Fabian Edwards meets Mike Shipman in the middleweight co-headliner, while lightweights round out the main card, with Terry Brazier taking on Soren Bak.

The Bellator London prelims kick off at 11:30 a.m. ET, while the main card starts at 5 p.m. ET. They can be viewed exclusively on the Bellator mobile app.

Bellator London Main Card: 170: Michael Page vs. Giovanni Melillo185: Fabian Edwards vs. Mike Shipman155: Terry Brazier vs. Soren BakBel…

Deontay Wilder (219.5) and Luis Ortiz (236.5) are expected to make their way to the ring at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET.

Round 1 Veteran referee Kenny Bayless is our referee for this, the main event for the World Boxing Council heavyweight title. The MGM Grand is loaded with fans, but not sold out. Wilder looks focused and confident while Ortiz surprisingly looks a little nervous. The bell sounds and here we go. They paw with their respective jabs as Ortiz slowly moves forward. Ortiz digs a left to the body and then has a follow-up volley of punches blocked. Ortiz dips inside and clips Wilder with a loopy left hook and it shakes Wilder briefly. Wilder misses a lethal right upstairs and narrowly avoids a counter left hook to the jaw. A short left hook on the inside from Wilder cuts Ortiz around his right temple, though it’s nothing threatening. It’s a slow opening round and Ortiz takes it based on a higher punch output. 10-9 Ortiz.Round 2 Wilder with a few stiff jabs earl…

WOW!@Michaelpage247 with a huge right hand! #BellatorLondon pic.twitter.com/SF07Ub8X1m

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 23, 2019

Michael Page treated Giovanni Melillo with utter contempt and disdain.

The charismatic London Shootfighters star cut down Melillo with an overhand right in the first round of their Bellator London headliner on Saturday at the SSE Arena Wembley. A short-notice replacement for Derek Anderson, Melillo (13-5, 0-1 Bellator) hit the deck 1:47 into Round 1 and became the latest victim in the Brit’s brilliant run through the Bellator MMA welterweight division.

Page (16-1, 12-1 Bellator) backed up the Italian with a variety of kicks and explosive punching bursts, as he made sure he broke a sweat before moving in for the kill. Melillo was met with a crushing counter right hand while trying to throw a leg kick and fell backward in an unconscious heap. Page raised his arms in triumph, knowing his night’s …