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UFC Vegas 101 Prelims: Unbeaten Jacobe Smith Zaps Preston Parsons in Octagon Debut
The undefeated Fortis MMA prospect filled in for Andreas Gustafsson on short notice and flashed blue-chip talent in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, as he punched out Preston Parsons in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 249 welterweight prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Parsons (11-6, 2-4 UFC) checked out 73 seconds into Round 1.
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A onetime NCAA All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Smith (10-0, 1-0 UFC) pressed forward behind leg and body kicks, crisp punches and a stepping knee to the body. He lured Parsons into range, set off an exchange in the center of the cage and floored the Floridian with a sweeping left hook. Smith, 28, pounced with a few more punches before referee Mike Beltran could arrive on the scene to wave it off.Meanwhile, Marco Tulio put away former World Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Ihor Potieria with punches in the first round of…
Video: Victoria Dudakova Slaps Coach After Stoppage Loss at UFC Vegas 101
😳Victoria Dudakova slapped one of her coaches after her loss
pic.twitter.com/JJ6f29RZ5W
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 11, 2025Advertisement
Victoria Dudakova seemingly didn’t take her first technical knockout loss too well.Dudakova was dominated by Fatima Kline on the ground at UFC Vegas 101, managing to land only one significant strike throughout the nearly 10-minute affair. Kline took the Russian down twice in the second round and landed vicious elbows to earn the finish at the 4:27 mark of Round 2. Dudakova was then seen slapping one of her coaches, who came to console her after the official verdict was announced.
Dudakova has now dropped two fights in a row after beginning her professional career with eight consecutive triumphs — including two under the UFC banner.
According to one translation on X, Dudakova told her coach the following: "You didn't even come over. You just sat there. That's how little y…
UFC Vegas 101 Bonuses: Cesar Almeida Pockets $50K for Violent Knockout
Cesar Almeida rallied from the brink of defeat to author a very early candidate for 2025 “Knockout of the Year.”
The 36-year-old Brazilian received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his one-punch knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan in a featured middleweight bout at UFC Vegas 101 on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After being rocked during an early exchange, Almeida kept his wits and rendered his opponent unconscious with a vicious counter left hook at the 4:16 mark of Round 1.
Elsewhere, Mackenzie Dern garnered the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for her submission of Amanda Ribas in the evening’s strawweight main event. After two competitive rounds, Dern went to work in Round 3, methodically working her way into position for an armbar to force the tap from her Brazilian foe 4:56 into the period.
Finally, Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their back-and…
Steve Erceg vs. Asu Almabaev Official for UFC Vegas 103 on March 1
ASTRO BOY IS BACK 🚀
Australia's Steve Erceg will take on Asu Almabayev at #UFCVegas103! pic.twitter.com/DxN6EjDjld
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) January 10, 2025Advertisement
Former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg will be back in against against rising contender Asu Almabaev at UFC Vegas 103.The Las Vegas-based promotion recently confirmed the 125-pound pairing. UFC Vegas 103 — also known as UFC Fight Night 253 takes place on March 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a flyweight showdown between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape.
Erceg won his first three Octagon appearances before receiving a surprise title shot at UFC 301, where he was competitive in a unanimous decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja last May. His next outing was less encouraging, as he suffered a first-round TKO defeat to Kai Kara-France at UFC 305 in August.
Kazakhstan’s Almabaev has kicked off his promotiona tenure with four consecutive t…
Johnny Walker Withdraws from UFC 311 Due to ‘Bad Injury’
Johnny Walker won’t be competing at UFC 311 as originally planned.
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The Brazilian light heavyweight recently announced that he has been forced to withdraw from a proposed clash against Bogdan Guskov due to a “bad injury.” Walker did not reveal the exact nature of the ailment. It is unclear if Guskov will remain on the card against a replacement opponent. UFC 311 is currently scheduled to take place on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan.“Bad news. I’ve been pulled out by a bad injury next week at UFC 311. So I’m not going to be competing. I’m devastated,” Walker said in a video on social media. “A lot of hard work I put in a few months, trained a lot, and I really want to come back and do the show for you, but not this time. I wish Bogdan good luck, hopefully he can find an opponent because he probably put a lot of hard work as well, so hopefully …
Islam Makhachev More Interested in Second Title Than Potential Ilia Topuria Fight
👀Islam Makhachev thinks it's more likely he'll fight the winner of Belal vs. Shavkat for the welterweight title than face Ilia Topuria in 2025:
“Topuria doesn't make sense. For what? For belt, for money. I have money, I don't need. I need the second belt.”
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🎥 @Shak_Fu ▫️ pic.twitter.com/OOcl72Us5I — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 10, 2025Islam Makhachev prefers a move up to welterweight over a clash against featherweight champ Ilia Topuria.
Makhachev is scheduled to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. In recent times, the Dagestani has been vocal about a move up to welterweight for a double-champ bid.
Meanwhile, Topuria is contemplating a move up to lightweight after defending his featherweight title only once. However, Makhachev isn’t interested in fighting Topuria with very little to gain. While it could potentially be a mega…
Umar Nurmagomedov Believes Merab Dvalishvili ‘Created’ Beef Ahead of UFC 311
Umar Nurmagomedov doesn’t think Merab Dvalishvili has any reason to hate him.
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Nurmagomedov challenges Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Dvalishvili was initially adamant about not fighting Nurmagomedov in his very first title defense. According to “The Machine,” the undefated Nurmagomedov is undeserving of a title shot despite six UFC wins under his belt. Dvalishvili accuses Nurmagomedov of being favored by the UFC due to the legacy of his family name.Dvalishvili ultimately accepted the fight, citing intolerable insults from Nurmagomedov. The two also went off on the same topic during a promotional presser last month. However, it remains slightly unclear what insults Dvalishvili is referring to, as Nurmagomedov hasn’t seemed to cross any boundaries in terms of trash talking. Dvalishvili has vowed to slap Nurmagomedov if he doesn’t receive an apolo…
Coach: Umar Nurmagomedov Won’t Be Able to ‘Keep Pace’ with Merab Dvalishvili
👀Merab Dvalishvili’s coach predicts Umar won’t keep up with Merab’s relentless pace:
“3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds, I think it’s gonna be Merab’s fight. I expect a hard couple of rounds, but I also expect Merab to do what he does best and take over.”
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🎥 @Home_of_Fight ▫️ pic.twitter.com/jbVm0TGHCl — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 10, 2025Merab Dvalishvili’s head coach is confident that the champ will retain his title against Umar Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili will put his bantamweight title on the line against Nurmagomedov in the co-main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Many expect Nurmagomedov’s elite wrestling to be Dvalishvili’s toughest test to date. While Syndicate MMA head coach John Wood doesn’t expect an easy night at the office for Dvalishvili, he believes “The Machine” will get his hand raised.
According to Wood, Dvalishvili’s cardio is going to be the gam…
UFC Vegas 101 Weigh-in Results: Main Event Set; 2 Fighters Heavy
Mackenzie makes the main event OFFICIAL 😮💨@MackenzieDern weighs in at 116 lbs!
[ #UFCVegas101 | LIVE tomorrow 7pmET on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/F8SdUJVGNs
— UFC (@ufc) January 10, 2025 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 2:35 p.m. ET on Jan. 10 to reflect the fine amounts for the heavy fighters.Advertisement
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns for its first mixed martial arts event of the year.Headlining the UFC Vegas 101 main event is a five-round strawweight fight between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas. Both women successfully made weight, although two fighters on the undercard did not. First was Jose Johnson, who came in 2.5 pounds over the flyweight limit for his fight against Felipe Bunes. Also overweight was Ihor Potieria, who came in two pounds over the limit for his middleweight bout versus Marco Tulio. While Johnson has received a 20% fine of his overall fight purse, Potieria's fine totals 25% of…
Olga Rubin vs. Mayra Cantuaria Headlines Invicta FC 60 in Atlanta on Feb. 7
Islam Makhachev Reveals Interaction with Nate Diaz Prior to Water Bottle Incident
Islam Makhachev and Nate Diaz allegedly had a cordial interaction months before nearly getting into a brawl last December.
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Makhachev defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Makhachev was in Las Vegas for a promotional presser in December when he almost got into an altercation with Diaz, who was in town to corner teammate Kron Gracie the following weekend at UFC 310. Diaz and Makhachev’s teams threw water bottles at each other before security broke them up without letting it escalate further.Nate Diaz and Team Makhachev threw water bottles at each other backstage 😳 #UFC310 pic.twitter.com/gr3TDd5abt
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 7, 2024While Makhachev didn’t have any animosity with Diaz, he believes Khabib Nurmagomedov might have had something to do with the incident. According to Makhachev, Diaz fli…
Report: Rodolfo Bellato Replaces Marcin Prachnio, Meets Jimmy Crute at UFC 312
The UFC 312 card has undergone a change a month before fight night.
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Jimmy Crute (12-4) was originally scheduled to face Marcin Prachnio (17-8) at UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. However, Prachnio is now out of the bout due to unknown reasons. Rodolfo Bellato (12-2) will instead take on Crute in front of the latter’s home fans. The change was first reported by Laerte Viana.Crute is 0-3-1 in the Octagon since 2020 and is coming off a submission loss against Alonzo Menifield in his most recent outing at UFC 290 in July 2023.
Meanwhile, Bellato graduated from Dana White's Contender Series with a technical knockout over Murtaza Talha Ali and followed it up with another stoppage win against Ihor Potieria in his UFC debut in December 2023.
Prachnio is 4-6 in the UFC and fresh off a submission loss against Modestas Bukauskas at UFC 304 in July 2024.
Angela Hill to Face Ketlen Souza at UFC Vegas 102 on Feb. 15
A strawweight matchup pitting Angela Hill against Ketlen Souza has been added to the UFC Vegas 102 bill.
Souza confirmed the bout on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. UFC Vegas 102 ? also known as UFC Fight Night 251 -- takes place on Feb. 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight duel between Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues.
Hill will be making her 27th walk to the Octagon when she faces Souza. The former Invicta FC title holder had a two-bout winning streak snapped in her most recent outing, when she fell to Tabatha Ricci via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 62.
After dropping her promotional debut to Karine Silva, Souza has rebounded to post back-to-back triumphs against Marnic Mann and Yazmin Jauregui in UFC competition. The 30-year-old Brazilian has been victorious in seven of her last eight professional appearances overall.
Carlos Barreto: Rumored Alex Pereira-Alexander Volkov Fight Makes ‘Perfect Sense’
A recent video posted by Alex Pereira created quite the uproar among UFC fans.
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In the clip, “Poatan” was seen leaving the UFC offices with manager Ed Soares — presumably with a fight agreement in tow. If Pereira wanted to return to fight in March as rumored, it seemed to rule out a title defense against top light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev, who would not be available due to Ramadan. One website speculated that Khamzat Chimaev would be the opponent, but that possibility was not confirmed by either side or any MMA journalist.It won’t be Ankalaev ! 😭
— Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) December 19, 2024In the first week of 2025, Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana revealed on his YouTube channel that he received information from people close to “Poatan” that his next opponent would be heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov. That rumor was analyzed by UFC Fight Pass Brazil commentator Carlos Barreto on hi…
Bo Nickal Believes Khamzat Chimaev Won’t Be Able To Take Him Down
Bo Nickal recently made some bold claims about a potential clash with Khamzat Chimaev.
Nickal has been touted as a potential foil to Chimaev’s wrestling since he joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2023. The former three-time NCAA Division I national champion delivered on those expectations until recently. While Nickal has finished six of his seven pro outings, the Penn State alum eked out a unanimous decision win over Paul Craig in his most recent fight at UFC 309 this past November. In that bout, Nickal was hesitant to engage on the ground against “Bearjew,” who is known for his tricky jiu-jitsu.
Nickal’s latest performance has led to doubts that the 28-year-old will be a match for Chimaev, who is on the brink of receiving a title shot. However, Nickal is confident that he can beat the Chechen-born Swede. According to Nickal, he will be able to win the majority of potential grappling exchanges with Chimaev. Nickal believes Chimaev’s…
Movsar Evloev Willing to Move to Lightweight for Chance to Face Ilia Topuria
Movsar Evloev is coming for Ilia Topuria.
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The UFC featherweight title picture is in a bit of a fix right now. Topuria won the title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 last year and defended it by handing Max Holloway his only career knockout loss at UFC 308. With Holloway considering a permanent move to lightweight, Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev are in the running for title contention next.However, Topuria has expressed an interest in moving up to lightweight soon, citing a lack of contenders at 145 pounds. Evloev is not bothered by Topuria’s comments, as he is currently focused on becoming world champion — regardless of the opponent he has to face. However, the Russian wants “El Matador” at some point and is willing to chase him across weight classes. But most importantly, Evloev believes Topuria isn’t going to move up before defending his featherweight throne at least once more.
“Ilia start talking that he’s moving up also, …
Quinton Jackson-Rashad Evans Boxing Match Targeted for Future Date in 2025
Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans will settle their old rivalry inside the squared circle.
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Jackson and Evans are expected to meet in a boxing bout in Albuquerque, New Mexico, sometime in 2025. The exact date for the fight is yet to be announced. The promotion Influencer Crossover Series made it official on social media for their first event, which is entitled ICS Mania I. Jackson and Evans also both announced the fight via social media.“Rampage” and Evans starred as rival coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 10 “in 2009. The two met in a non-title main event clash at UFC 114 the following year, where “Suga” emerged victorious via a unanimous decision.
Over the course of career that spanned two decades, Jackson has competed in a number of major promotions, including the UFC — where he captured light heavyweight gold — Bellator MMA and Pride Fighting Championships. “Rampage” hasn’t fought since a knockout loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 2…
UFC CEO Dana White Elected to Meta Board of Directors
It was announced on Monday that White — along with Exor CEO John Elkann and technology investor Charlie Songhurst — have been elected to Meta’s board of directors. One of the largest information technology companies in the U.S., Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, among other things.
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“Dana, John, and Charlie will add a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with AI, wearables and the future of human connection,” said Zuckerberg, who is the founder and CEO of Meta.White has long been the frontman of the UFC, both when it was previously owned by Zuffa and now under the TKO Group Holdings umbrella. He expressed enthusiasm about his new venture in a release.
“I’ve never been interested in joining a board of directors until I got the offer to join Meta’s board. I am a huge believer that social…
Henry Cejudo vs. Yadong Song, Dominick Cruz vs. Rob Font Top UFC Seattle Lineup
The top of the card appears to be in place for UFC Seattle.
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A bantamweight clash between Henry Cejudo and Yadong Song has been targeted to headline the card. Verbal agreements are reportedly in place, and the bout is expected to be finalized in the coming days. Multiple outlets confirmed that the fight is in the works following an initial report from Kevin K on X.Meanwhile, Dominick Cruz will lock horns with Rob Font in the evening’s co-main event at 135 pounds. UFC broadcast partner ESPN was first to report the pairing.
UFC Seattle — also known as UFC Fight Night 252 — takes place on Feb. 22 at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, and also includes a middleweight title between Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez as well as a heavyweight scrap between Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev. According to ESPN, the promotion is working on getting Spokane, Washington, native Michael Chiesa on the card.
A former title holder at both …
Vadim Nemkov vs. Tim Johnson Announced for Road to Dubai on Jan. 25
🚨 UPDATE: Vadim Nemkov now faces Tim Johnson at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Saturday 25th January.
BE THERE! 🎟️ https://t.co/HZ3ZYOEyw7#RoadtoDubai | Sat Jan 25 | Coca-Cola Arena | Dubai, UAE pic.twitter.com/YsjhJSyKpo
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) January 6, 2025Advertisement
Vadim Nemkov will remain on the Road to Dubai card after all — he just won’t be fighting against Corey Anderson.Instead, Nemkov will square off against Tim Johnson in a heavyweight bout on Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The new booking was announced via the Bellator MMA social media account on Monday. Road to Dubai is headlined by a lightweight championship tilt pitting Usman Nurmagomedov against Paul Hughes.
Nemkov was originally slated to face Ante Delija at Road to Dubai, but that quickly changed to a trilogy bout between the former Bellator light heavyweight king and Anderson when Delija withdrew from the fight. …
Donn Davis: PFL to Allow Elbows for All Fights in 2025
New Year … New AdjustmentsYOU asked for ELBOWS@PFLMMA is giving you elbows!
All elbows. All fights. All the time. #PFLMMA 2025 … COMING
— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) January 6, 2025Advertisement
It appears that Professional Fighters League will have a significant revision to its rule set for 2025.In a post on social media, PFL CEO and founder Donn Davis announced that the promotion will allow elbows for all bouts going forward. In previous years, elbows were banned during the PFL season, presumably to avoid cuts and injuries that might prevent competitors from advancing through the format.
“New year….new adjustments,” Davis wrote on Monday. “You asked for elbows, PFL is giving you elbows. All elbows. All fights. All the time.”
It’s currently unclear if Davis’ announcement could coincide with an end to the PFL season format. The organization has yet to announce any PFL events for 2025. Thus far, the only PFL-affiliated …
Colby Covington Hints at Potential Move to Middleweight Division
Colby Covington is intrigued by the options that might accompany a move up in weight.
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The former interim welterweight champion fought for the first time in a year at UFC Tampa, where he lost to Joaquin Buckley via third-round doctor stoppage in the evening’s main event on Dec. 14. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Covington discussed his options going forward, which included moving up or down in weight.“I don’t see myself ever going to 155, even though I know I could make it and I’d probably be way stronger than the guys on fight night. I’d feel like a bully, and I’m not a bully. I got into MMA because I didn’t like guys bullying me,” Covington said.
“But [185]? Honestly, [185] is intriguing. I think it would be kind of cool to go up there with a narrative of, ‘Oh, this guy is a small ’70, he’s going to go up to ’85 and take on an even bigger challenge.’ There is a possibility. I’m always looking for the biggest an…Arman Tsarukyan Claims He Has a Game-Changing ‘Trick’ for Islam Makhachev
Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) has a special trick up his sleeve for Islam Makhachev (26-1).
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Tsarukyan challenges Makhachev for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. While Tsarukyan has long been the rightful No. 1 contender, he was very particular about having a full camp for his rematch against Makhachev.Tsarukyan believes he is now totally ready. While “Ahalkalakets” spent a long time working on his physique, he is now focused on preparing specifically for Makhachev as fight night nears. And Tsarukyan claims to have devised a trick that he is certain will work and change the entire course of the fight.
“Back in September I worked on my cardio, my breathing, my strength [and] endurance,” Tsarukyan recently told Red Corner MMA. “But now it’s all about preparing for my opponent – Islam… Of course, I have one trick prepared that I believe in. I know it will work. And it will c…