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Breaking: The UFC is close to finalizing Nick Diaz's return to the Octagon, per Dana White. The fight is Jorge Masvidal at UFC 235 on March 2 in Las Vegas. Diaz's first appearance in more than four years. Story coming soon to @ESPN.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 15, 2018

For the first time since January 2015, Nick Diaz will be gracing the Octagon with his presence as he faces off against fellow Strikeforce alum Jorge Masvidal.

This fight is reported to take place at UFC 235 on March 2 in Las Vegas, according to Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

Returning from the longest layoff of his career, Diaz (26-9, 2 NC) last dropped a decision to Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in 2015, but the result was overturned to a no contest when both fighters tested positive for banned substances. Prior to that bout, Diaz lost back-to-back decisions in Ultimate Fighting Championship title fights to Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit in 2013 and 2012, respe…

Floyd Mayweather Says Tokyo Fight's Back On, 'We're Gonna Make It Happen' https://t.co/LLaP6WbJLV

— TMZ (@TMZ) November 15, 2018

Just a week after announcing the fight was no longer happening, Floyd Mayweather appears to have revived the furor about a boxing match against Japanese wunderkind Tenshin Nasukawa at Rizin FF 14 on New Year’s Eve in Japan.

Speaking to TMZ, Mayweather said on Wednesday night that the he intends to go ahead with the exhibition bout against Nasukawa at the end of this year. “We’re gonna make it happen. It’s a no-brainer. Just because I’m retired from boxing, I still make appearances worldwide and make a ton of money,” he told TMZ.

The undefeated boxer would not be putting his record on the line, as the bout would be slated as a short exhibition bout under boxing rules. “Rules,” Mayweather said, “It’s gonna be a little boxing exhibition. No kicking. I’m moving around with the guy for 9 minutes…”

For this…

Having seen just about all of them, Ultimate Fighting Championship color commentator Joe Rogan believes former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is the best heavyweight he’s ever witnessed.

Rogan’s first-hand observation of the UFC heavyweight division dates back to the very beginning; he got his start with the promotion as a backstage interviewer in 1997 at UFC 12, the very event where the first UFC heavyweight champion, Mark Coleman, was crowned. On a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, he discussed the current landscape in the UFC’s heavyweight division, including the optimal weight for fighters.

“There’s a thought with the 265-pound weight class and the consensus thought seems to be that somewhere around 240 pounds is the magic number,” Rogan said. “That’s what they think. They think that 240 pounds is the amount of weight that you have where you’re strong enough that you can knock out any man but you have more endurance than …

UFC Fight Night 139 drew the promotion’s best ratings in nearly six months, as 840,000 viewers tuned in to Fox Sports 1 watch the evening’s main card, according to ShowBuzz Daily.

That figure is the most for an FS1-televised event since UFC Fight Night 129 drew 870,000 viewers to the network on May 19. That card was headlined by a welterweight showdown between Kamaru Usman and Demian Maia.

UFC Fight Night 139, which celebrated the promotion’s 25th anniversary, took place at the Pepsi Center in Denver this past Saturday and was headlined by a matchup between Yair Rodriguez and Chan Sung Jung. The featherweight clash turned out to be a “Fight of the Year” candidate, as Rodriguez dispatched “The Korean Zombie” with a no-look elbow with one second remaining in the contest. In the co-main event, fan favorite Donald Cerrone submitted Mike Perry in the opening stanza of their welterweight tilt.

Meanwhile, the UFC Fight Night 139 preliminary card drew 565,000 viewe…

Yair Rodriguez is facing a potential 180-day layoff following his memorable battle with Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 139 in Denver.

The Colorado State Boxing Commission recently released a full list of medical suspensions from the event, which took place at the Pepsi Center this past Saturday. Rodriguez defeated Chan Sung Jung in the evening’s headliner with a spectacular no-look elbow at the 4:59 mark of round five.

Rodriguez can have his medical suspension reduced with doctor clearance. However, the Mexican featherweight is facing a minimum 60-day sit. Jung, meanwhile, also received a minimum 60-day medical suspension. Both fighters were transported to the hospital immediately following their bout.

Strawweight prospect Maycee Barber was the only other fighter from the card to get a potential 180-day suspension. Like Rodriguez, she can be cleared sooner with a doctor letter.

UFC Fight Night 139 Medical Suspensions:

Yair Rodriguez: Suspende…

Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White will be meeting up with UFC middleweight contender Israel Adesanya during his time down under to discuss a potential future title fight in the 185-pound division.

White is currently in Australia attending GQ Magazine’s Man of the Year awards as well as promoting upcoming UFC events taking place in Australia including UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide next month and UFC 234 which has just been announced in Melbourne for next February. UFC 234 features a middleweight title fight between Australian middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum, capping off a season spent as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Adesanya’s dominant victory over top-10 opponent Derek Brunson has pushed the undefeated Nigerian-born New Zealander into title contention. White was recently i…

A few years back, there was some serious heat for a possible bout between Donald Cerrone and Conor McGregor. Now, Cerrone is hinting that the matchup could come to fruition.

According to a recent social media post from “Cowboy,” he’s simply “waiting” on the former two-division UFC champion. The post was accompanied by a photo of McGregor and Cerrone side-by-side.

Cerrone is coming off a first-round submission of Mike Perry in the UFC Fight Night Denver co-main event this past Saturday. Following a 10-bout stint at 170 pounds, the Colorado native is planning on returning to lightweight for his next Octagon appearance.

McGregor, meanwhile, began his promotional tenure at featherweight before competing at 155 pounds for his last two fights. He returned to the Octagon following a nearly two-year hiatus at UFC 229, where he was submitted in the fourth round by Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight championship bout. McGregor is still facing discipline from the Ne…

Benson Henderson isn’t going anywhere.

After concluding his previous contract with a decision victory over Saad Awad at Bellator 208, Henderson has signed a new exclusive, long-term deal with the California-based promotion. Sherdog.com confirmed the news with a promotion official following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com.

Henderson has experienced mixed results thus far during his Bellator tenure. “Smooth” is 3-3 in the organization, with wins over Patricio Freire, Roger Huerta and Awad and losses to Andrey Koreshkov, Michael Chandler and Patricky Freire. The 34-year-old Glendale, Ariz., resident doesn’t have his next fight booked.

Henderson is 26-8 since beginning his MMA career in 2006. That included stints as lightweight champion in the UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting along with notable victories against the likes of Donald Cerrone (twice), Frankie Edgar (twice), Gilbert Melendez, Clay Guida, Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, to name a few.

While a proposed clash with Paulo Henrique Costa has fallen through for a second time, Yoel Romero still has designs on headlining the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut on ESPN+.

Although the pairing wasn’t officially announced, Romero and Costa were expected to headline a UFC Fight Night card on ESPN+ in Brooklyn on Jan. 19. However, Costa withdrew from the contest after suffering an undisclosed injury in training. “The Soldier of God” and Costa were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 230, but Romero hadn’t been cleared to compete from a fractured orbital suffered at UFC 225 in June.

Romero announced via Instagram that he is awaiting on opponent for the Jan. 19 card. During an appearance on "Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday, he indicated that Anderson Silva would be his preferred matchup.

Silva hasn’t fought since taking a controversial decision over Derek Brunson at UFC 208 in February 2017. The soon to be 44-year-old former champion is coming off…

Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

French bantamweight prospect Tom Duquesnoy has been forced to withdraw from a proposed clash with Nathaniel Wood at UFC 232.

“Fire Kid” announced via Instagram on Monday that an “intercostal hematoma” was the reason for his exit. The 25-year-old Paris native has been victorious in two of his first three Octagon appearances, including a decision win over Terrion Ware in his last outing at UFC Fight Night 127. Intercostal muscles are located between the ribs, and any injury to that area can cause pain and difficulty breathing.

“After different MRI and medical exams, an intercostal hematoma will keep me out of training for the next month and a half and unable to compete for the next fight scheduled for December 29,” Duquesnoy wrote. “We are working to re-schedule it for February and for now, it’s time for recovery and medical care. I will keep you informed for the new date of the fight and in the meantime I thank you all for your supp…

Neither Yair Rodriguez nor Chan Sung Jung was present for post-fight interviews following UFC Fight Night 139 — and for good reason.

The featherweights were transported to a nearby hospital following their “Fight of the Year” candidate at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Saturday night. Rodriguez earned an improbable knockout victory with one second remaining in the bout when he landed a no-look, upward elbow to knock “The Korean Zombie” unconscious. Rodriguez had been on the verge of losing a decision before the highlight-reel finish.

The two combatants took time to share a moment of mutual respect and pose for a photo when they crossed paths in the emergency room after their fight. Jung posted the picture on his Instagram account Sunday. While Rodriguez initially feared he suffered a broken foot in the fight, both fighters were released and cleared of any serious injuries.

Rodriguez, who was competing for the first time since May 2017, improved to 7-1 in t…

A bout recently scheduled for UFC 233 has already undergone a revision, as Alexander Hernandez will replace Islam Makhachev and face Francisco Trinaldo on Jan. 26 in Anaheim, Calif.

Multiple outlets confirmed the new pairing following an initial report from Combate.com. The UFC only officially announced Makhachev vs. Trinaldo last week.

The change — as well as the original bout — was news to Makhachev, who claimed in a social media post that the promotion never gave him a contract to compete at UFC 233.

“About this fight. I don’t know what happened, UFC made and canceled this fight by themselves, I didn’t sign any papers,” Makhachev wrote. “I plan to fight somewhere in February against a top 15 opponent, as promised by Dana White.”

Hernandez enters the matchup on an eight-fight winning streak that includes a pair of triumphs under the UFC banner. Most recently, the 26-year-old San Antonio, Texas, native scored a three-round verdict against Olivier Aub…

It appears that the feud between Donald Cerrone and Mike Winkeljohn won’t end with “Cowboy’s” victory over Mike Perry at UFC Fight Night Denver on Saturday.

Cerrone departed Jackson-Wink MMA prior to his bout with Perry, as “Cowboy” revealed that Winkeljohn elected to train Perry over him for financial reasons. That split led to harsh words from both sides, with Cerrone referring to the Albuquerque, N.M.-based gym as a “puppy mill.”

After Cerrone submitted Perry with an armbar in the UFC Fight Night 139 co-main event, he couldn’t resist taking another dig at Winkeljohn.

“My grandma went and told Winkeljohn, ‘You should have bet on the dinosaur,'” Cerrone told reporters during a post-fight media scrum. “He knows what he did. It’s all over money, too. That’s the worst part.

“Looks like he’s still not getting paid, is he?”

On Sunday, Winkeljohn fired back at Cerrone in a video on Instagram. In his message, the trainer said that Jackson-Wink has “…

There was definitely some extra emotion attached to Donald Cerrone’s victory over Mike Perry at UFC Fight Night 139 in Denver.

The most obvious aspect stemmed from his very public split with his longtime gym, Jackson-Wink MMA. Prior to his showdown with Perry, Cerrone parted ways the with Albuquerque-based camp after he revealed head striking coach Mike Winkeljohn chose to corner Perry over him.

Following a first-round armbar submission of “Platinum,” Cerrone offered an interesting take on his approach to the fight, which he claims differed from his many bouts with team Jackson-Wink in his corner.

“It’s crazy, moving away from Winkeljohn’s gym, we actually had a game plan coming into a fight,” Cerrone told reporters on Saturday (video via MMAjunkie.com). “I’ve never really had a game plan. Working with my coaches and them just being like, ‘Stay calm, stay at the end of his range and let him tire out and then we’ll pick him apart.’ Don’t just come out and wa…

Chan Sung Jung was one second away from his fifth UFC triumph before Yair Rodriguez dug into his bag of tricks.

The result was an improbable no-look elbow that will live on in highlight reels for years to come. Just like that, “The Korean Zombie” went from up on the scorecards to face down on the canvas. While he did receive a $50,000 bonus for “Fight of the Night” and plenty of acclaim for his role in an all-time great bout, that did little to erase the sting of defeat for the former title challenger.

Jung, who was transported to the hospital following the UFC Fight Night 139 headliner, delivered a message via Facebook on Sunday (translation via Google Translate):

“I don't have an excuse… I'm so sorry for all the people who helped me…Thank you… Congratulations to those who hate me. I have been in hospital for a few days because I cannot get off the plane yet. I’m ashamed…I'll go back and see you.”

According to UFC President Dana White, the ending was…

Yair Rodriguez and Chan Sung Jung put on a performance to remember to help celebrate the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s 25 anniversary.

The nearly five-round featherweight battle was an obvious choice for “Fight of the Night,” as Rodriguez and “The Korean Zombie” pocketed $50,000 apiece for their efforts in the UFC Fight Night 139 headliner at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Saturday night. There was plenty of action from both athletes in the bout, but ultimately it was Rodriguez who pulled out a miraculous knockout victory thanks to a no-look elbow at the 4:59 mark of fifth frame.

While there were some other worthy bonus candidates on the card — notably Maycee Barber and Devonte Smith, both of whom scored finishes in their promotional debuts — Rodriguez’s “Knockout of the Year” entry garnered him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award, as well.

Elsewhere, notorious bonus collector Donald Cerrone pocketed another $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 139 coverage kicks off Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official …

D'Arce! Agree w/ the stoppage? @Bobby_TheWlfMn #UFCDenver pic.twitter.com/FgafwhLUJL

— UFC (@ufc) November 11, 2018

Bobby Moffett was victorious in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut but not in the manner in which he envisioned.

The MMA Lab standout submitted Chas Skelly with a brabo choke in the second round of their featherweight prelim at UFC Fight Night 139 on Saturday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Moffett (14-3, 1-0 UFC) brought it to a close 2:43 into Round 2, through the result was not without controversy. Thinking Skelly was unconscious, referee Tim Mills had moved in to release the choke and call for the stoppage. The Hard Knocks 365 representative immediately rose to his feet in protest, to no avail. After several tense moments and multiple looks at replays, Mills’ decision stood.

Skelly (17-4, 6-4 UFC) transitioned from a takedown to a standing back take in the first round, attached himself to his opponent’s back an…

Casey Kenney took the path of least resistance to Legacy Fighting Alliance gold.

The MMA Lab standout used well-timed takedowns, a crushing top game and punishing ground-and-pound to beat Brandon Royval by unanimous decision for the interim flyweight championship in the LFA 53 headliner on Friday at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix. Scores were 50-45, 50-44 and 50-45, all of them for Kenney (10-1-1, 3-0-1 LFA), who figures to meet reigning 125-pound champion Maikel Perez in a unification bout sometime in the first half of 2019.

After some give and take across the first five minutes, Kenney sidestepped the standup in favor of his more trusted skills. He secured takedowns in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds, often pairing them with oppressive control, ground-and-pound and the constant threat of a submission. Royval (8-4, 4-2 LFA) refused to give in to his advances but found himself virtually powerless in a majority of the exchanges. So ended his three-fight winni…

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

Chan Sung Jung will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon after a 21-month absence against Yair Rodriguez, who returns from a nearly 18-month layoff of his own.

“The Korean Zombie” hit the scales at 146 pounds, as he prepares to face all-action Yair Rodriguez (145.5) in the UFC Fight Night 139 main event this Saturday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Co-headlining the card will be a welterweight showdown between Donald Cerrone (170) and Mike Perry (170.5), who both made weight without issue at Friday’s early weigh-ins.

UFC Fight Night 139, which airs live on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, also features a clash between former women’s bantamweight title challenger Raquel Pennington (*138) and former women’s featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie (136), a lightweight contest between Beneil Dariush (155.5) and Thiago Moises (156), and the debut of 20 year old undefeated Maycee Barber (**116) mee…

UFC Fight Night 140 has experienced some more turnover shortly before the event on Nov. 17, with Tom Breese withdrawing from his middleweight bout with Cezar Ferreira.

First reporting this news on Friday was Combate, stating that Breese (11-1) had been forced to withdraw from his bout against Ferreira (13-6) due to injury. Ian Heinisch (11-1) is stepping in on just over a week’s notice to replace Breese.

Breese made his debut at middleweight this May when he knocked out Dan Kelly, having competed at welterweight prior to the move. Previously, Breese sat out the entirety of 2017 after he was deemed medically unfit to compete against Oluwale Bamgbose the day of UFC Fight Night 107 in March 2017.

Making his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on about eight days’ notice, Heinisch earned a contract on Episode 7 of Season 2 of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series by knocking out Justin Sumter in the first round. The only fighter to ever pull off a scarf …

Breaking: TJ Dillashaw will move DOWN in weight to challenge Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title at UFC 233 on Jan. 26 in Anaheim, per multiple sources.

Dillashaw will try to become UFC’s sixth male two-weight champ. Full story coming to @ESPN. pic.twitter.com/4JsvfcR1lo

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 9, 2018

The UFC 233 bout between flyweight champion Henry Cejudo and bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw will be taking place at 125 pounds, opening the possibility of Dillashaw becoming the sixth male two-division champ in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. ESPN's Brett Okamoto was the first to report the surprising development, late Thursday night.

With the departure of longtime flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson to One Championship, the dismantling of the UFC's flyweight division appears to be in full swing, with numerous 125-pounders announcing either their release from the promotion, or their impending move to the …

“To all my fans, friends and supporters, thank you.” pic.twitter.com/mAumWDNB8q

— Rick (@Rick_Story) November 8, 2018

Ultimate Fighting Championship and Professional Fighters League veteran Rick Story has closed the book on a lengthy career at the age of 34.

“The Horror” posted his decision on social media Thursday, opting to call it a career following his injury loss at PFL 10 on Oct. 20.

“I am writing this to announce my retirement from professional mixed martial arts,” Story wrote. “It’s been a career with significant highs and lows, through the good and bad times, my goals were what drove me and the fans were always my inspiration, for this I thank all of you.”

During his time with the UFC, he maintained a solid record of 12-7. Winner of three of his last four bouts with the promotion, he topped fighters including Gunnar Nelson and Tarec Saffiedine in that stretch. One of only eight welterweights to ever achieve this feat, …

A new women's bantamweight fight is on tap for #UFC233 — Marion Reneau vs. Yana Kunitskaya in the works for the Jan. 26 card in Anaheim #UFC https://t.co/rzq1uVWvZn

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) November 8, 2018

A women’s bantamweight scrap between Marion Reneau and Yana Kunitskaya is in the works for UFC 233 in Anaheim, California. First reporting the matchup on Thursday was Damon Martin of MMAnytt.

Former Invicta Fighting Championships bantamweight queen Kunitskaya (11-4, 1 NC) recently defeated Lina Lansberg by decision, where the return to her natural weight class of 135 paid off. Prior to that win, “Foxy” started her Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure with an unsuccessful featherweight contest this March, where she was stopped in the first round by Cristiane Justino.

Across from her in the Octagon will be Reneau (9-4-1), who last dropped a decision to Cat Zingano in July, breaking a four-fight unbeaten streak dating back to 2…