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Ed Ruth continues to make waves in Bellator MMA, and he’s about ready to set his sights on some bigger-name opposition.

The former three-time NCAA wrestling champion from Penn State University was impressive in his official 170-pound debut as he stopped Andy Murad via technical knockout in the second round of their bout at Bellator 201 on Friday night. Ruth, who began his career at middleweight, made a smooth transition to the welterweight division.

“I feel great,” Ruth told reporters in a post-fight interview (video via MMAjunkie.com). “Honestly this is probably the easiest weight cut.”

Ruth improved to 6-0 with the victory, and he has finished all but one of his opponents via knockout or technical knockout. The 27-year-old Dethrone Base Camp representative is hoping his performance was enough to merit consideration for Bellator’s welterweight grand prix, which kicks off on Sept. 29 in San Jose, Calif.

“I think that tonight has put me in the running,…

A battle of struggling veterans is set for Rizin Fighting Federation 11, as Melvin Guillard will square off against Takanori Gomi on July 29.

Guillard replaces Andy Souwer, who was pulled from the card after entering into an exclusive contract with One Championship, according to Yahoo! Japan. Rizin 11 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and is headlined by a showdown between Kyoji Horiguchi and Hiromasa Ogikubo.

Guillard, 35, has fallen on hard times of late. “The Young Assassin” squared off with rising UFC middleweight prospect Israel Adesanya last July, losing via first-round TKO at Australian Fighting Championship 20. The former UFC and Bellator competitor has tasted victory just once in his last 10 MMA appearances.

The 39-year-old Gomi has experienced his own difficulties of late. “The Fireball Kid” is currently on a six-bout skid that includes his last five appearances in the UFC. He debuted with Rizin on Dec. 31, falling to Yusuke Ya…

Andre Pederneiras will step down as head trainer at Brazilian camp Nova Uniao after more than two decades in that role.

Pederneiras announced his decision via Instagram on Saturday. During his tenure with Nova Uniao, “Dede” cornered the likes of longtime former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, ex-UFC bantamweight king Renan Barao and former Bellator 135-pound tiltist Eduardo Dantas, among others.

Pederneiras revealed that he will turn his focus to working with Upper Arena, which he say has “worked as a training center for Nova Uniao for two years.”

“My idea is to turn Upper Arena in a neutral place for high-level training for athletes from other teams as well, not only Nova Uniao,” Pederneiras wrote. “I want to build the best and biggest martial arts training center of the country, helping the evolution of the sport, and also work on a social side, passing along my knowledge of 30 years dedicated to the sport, both fighting and administrative sides, to…

Hawaiian-born Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defends her flyweight title for the first time, submitting Colombia's Alejandra Lara in the third after a long struggle for the armbar. Also the first female EBI Combat Jiu-Jitsu champ, Macfarlane has subs in five of her eight wins. #Bellator201 pic.twitter.com/pYMaTTpJPG

— Kyle Johnson (@Maldobabo) June 30, 2018

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane rose to the occasion yet again.

The undefeated Hawaiian submitted Alejandra Lara with a third-round armbar to retain the Bellator MMA women’s flyweight championship in the Bellator 201 headliner on Friday at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. Lara (7-2, 1-1 Bellator) conceded defeat 3:55 into Round 3, her three-fight winning streak at an end.

Macfarlane (8-0, 7-0 Bellator) navigated some considerable difficulty in the first round, where the challenger scrambled into top position, withstood an attempted triangle and wheeled behind her before transiti…

Sherdog's live Bellator 201 coverage kicks off 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 Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round …

Paul Daley has signed a new contract with Bellator MMA despite very vocal issues he’s had with the promotion lately, and already has an opponent in mind.

Fellow Bellator fighter Joe Schilling also happened to sign a new contract with Bellator this week, and suggested a move down to welterweight to take on the British striker, which Daley immediately accepted.

“Semtex” voiced his frustrations with the promotion while literally in the middle of fighting Jon Fitch at Bellator 199 in May. Fitch used his suffocating style of wrestling to nullify Daley’s lethal stand-up game en route to a unanimous decision victory, which enraged the brash kickboxer. During the third round of the fight, with Fitch controlling him on the floor against the fence, Daley began booing loudly at Fitch as well as at Bellator brass within earshot. Afterwards, Daley excoriated Bellator for the “boring” match-up and demanded a release from his contract with the Viacom-backed promotion. Howev…

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UFC 226 is now available on Amazon Prime.

Eyebrows were raised after Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion Max Holloway was deemed medically unfit to fight lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov on short notice at UFC 223.

Fans and media alike were left to wonder: How could it be that the 145 pound champ wouldn’t be able to make the 155 pound limit? How much weight, exactly, does Holloway cut?

“Blessed” touched on that subject during Thursday’s UFC 226 conference call, and was extremely clear about what the future holds:

“I’m definitely going up to 155 pounds; it’s just a matter time,” Holloway said. “I got business to handle at 145 pounds right now.”

Holloway famously stepped up to fight Nurmagomedov after Tony Ferguson was forced out of the fight just days ahead of UFC 223, only to be turned away at the last minute by the New York State Athletic Commission. The featherw…

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

UFC 226 is now available on Amazon Prime.

American Kickboxing Academy training partners and longtime friends Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez may train hard in the gym against each other, but don’t expect the two to ever throw down in the Octagon.

That camaraderie and deep familiarity is why Cormier opted to move down to light heavyweight in 2014, a year after signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as Velasquez held court over the heavyweight division. Now, with Velasquez no longer heavyweight champion, Cormier says his friend and training partner gave him his blessing to take a heavyweight title fight against current champion Stipe Miocic.

“When I asked Cain about [me moving to HW], he was like, ‘You got the chance to do something special,’ so we decided to go for it,” Cormier told the LA Times. “This is the biggest fight in my career, it’s the heavyweight championship, against th…

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

Bellator MMA’s women flyweight title will be on the line Friday when champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane faces Colombia’s Alejandra Lara in the Bellator 201 main event in Temecula, California.

Macfarlane won the inaugural flyweight title in Bellator 186 on 2017, after defeating Emily Ducote via armbar in the fifth round. The Hawaiian champion tipped the scales today at 125 pounds and will look forward to her title defense. Across the cage will be Lara (124.6), who will compete for Bellator gold for the first time after having impressive performances on all her 8 professional bouts.

Bellator 201: “Macfarlane vs. Lara” will take place Friday at the Pechanga Resort and Casino and will air live on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET.

Bellator 201 Weigh-in Results: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (125) vs. Alejandra Lara (124.6)Saad Awad (159.8) vs. Ryan Couture (159.9)Valerie Letourneau (126) vs. Kristina Williams (125.4…

Maybe Al Iaquinta never really was completely on board for the proposed UFC Fight Night 135 headlining bout against Justin Gaethje.

According to multiple reports, Iaquinta has withdrawn from his scheduled lightweight bout against Gaethje at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. on Aug. 25. ESPN was the first to report Iaquinta’s exit. The promotion is currently seeking a replacement opponent for Gaethje.

"I can't question Al's heart," Gaethje's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN. "But at the end of the day, when you fight Justin, people have to think about it. I got nothing against Al, but it's a tall order to fight Justin. When you go in there, you leave a piece of yourself in the cage. Some people don't want to do that. If I'm a fighter I don't want to fight that guy. I don't know if this is a negotiation tactic from Al, but he is out.

"For the record, he called out Justin, Justin took the fight, and then he pulled out. It's his business. UFC will find some…

SBG Ireland prospect James Gallagher will make his bantamweight debut when he faces promotional newcomer Ricky Bandejas at Bellator 204.

Sherdog.com confirmed the booking with a promotion official following an announcement by the Sanford Pentagon, the event venue. Bellator 204 takes place in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Aug. 17 and is headlined by a featherweight duel pitting 135-pound champ Darrion Caldwell against Noad Lahat. In the co-main event, Logan Storley locks horns with A.J. Matthews at 170 pounds. The evening’s main card airs on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

The 21-year-old Gallagher hasn’t competed since June 2017, when he choked out Chinzo Machida in the opening stanza at Bellator 180. After that, proposed bouts against Jeremiah Labiano at Bellator 187 and Adam Borics at Bellator 196 fell through when “The Strabanimal” had to withdraw due to injury. Gallagher is 7-0 as a professional, including six wins via submission.

Bandejas, meanwhile,…

Jessica Eye may have a new lease on life in the UFC at flyweight, but it could be a while before she gets her next opportunity in the division.

Eye has been suspended for 180 days pending medical clearance for a potential left foot injury suffered at UFC Fight Night 132 on Saturday. The Strong Style Fight Team representative must provide a negative X-ray before she can compete again. Eye earned a unanimous verdict over Jessica-Rose Clark to improve to 2-0 at 125 pounds after a 1-5 run at bantamweight.

Mixedmartialarts.com released a full list of medical suspensions from the event on Tuesday. UFC Fight Night 132 took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, and saw Leon Edwards take a five-round verdict over Donald Cerrone in the main event. Edwards was given a 30-day sit for mandatory rest, while Cerrone got 45 days due to right temple and scalp lacerations.

Two other fighters on the card received a potential six-month suspension. Daichi Abe…

Former UFC title challenger Nick Diaz remains free after a Nevada judge denied the prosecution’s request for a bail increase in the fighter’s domestic violence case.

MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the news on Tuesday. Las Vegas Justice Court judge Amy Chelini denied the request to increase Diaz’s bail from $18,000 to $100,000, saying she “can’t fathom” a reason to increase the figure initially set by the court.

The Stockton, Calif., native is charged with domestic battery by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery. Diaz was not in court on Tuesday, but was represented by attorney Ross Goodman. His next hearing is scheduled for July 10. Diaz made the $18,000 bond after he was arrested last month.

According to a domestic violence report, the victim, who claims to be Diaz’s sometimes girlfriend, was found at a Las Vegas house on May 24 “visibly in a large amount of pain” and unable to walk. The woman told police that Diaz slammed her to the groun…

Sherdog's live Dana White Contender Series play-by-play kicks off at 8 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 Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result

Count Conor McGregor’s coach among those who believes his fighter will square off with Khabib Nurmagomedov at some point in 2018.

In an interview with MMA analyst Robin Black (video courtesy of MMANytt.se), SBG Ireland head trainer John Kavanagh made a bold statement regarding the highly-anticipated lightweight bout.

“It’s the obvious fight, as his coach and as a fan,” Kavanagh said. “As a fan of MMA, it’s the fight I want to see as well. I would almost bet anything — almost bet anything — that fight happens before the end of the year.

“I can’t imagine it not happening.”

McGregor is scheduled for his next court appearance on July 26 for his role in an attack on a bus carrying UFC fighters and employees at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., this past April. McGregor threw a dolly through a window of the bus, shattering glass and injuring fighters Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg. He is facing charges of assault and criminal mischief, but his legal team …

While it appeared to be all but a done deal after UFC 225, Rashad Evans has formally announced that it is time for him to hang up the four-ounce gloves.

“The Ultimate Fighter 2” winner revealed the news Monday on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. Evans last appeared at UFC 225, where he suffered a 53-second knockout loss to Anthony Smith on June 9. That was the fifth consecutive defeat for the former UFC light heavyweight champion.

After Evan’s latest bout, UFC President Dana White said the fighter had indicated he was ready to call it quits. However, immediately after UFC 225 Evans only released a lengthy statement via Instagram that didn’t seem to make a decision one way or another. On Monday, Evans was much more clear.

"At one point in my life, I felt as if fighting was everything. It was everything. I put life second," Evans said on the ESPN show. "But now life has taken over. Now fighting has become second. And competing in a sport like mixed martial arts, whe…

The back and forth between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones continues, even if Cormier made it a point to say he wasn’t responding to his light heavyweight rival on social media.

Last week, UFC social media created a post asking if Cormier would become The G.O.A.T with a victory over heavyweight king Stipe Miocic at UFC 226. Cormier’s response: “I’m fighting these dudes at 39 years old and still getting my hand raised. So yes, put me in the conversation.” That drew immediate mockery from Jones on social media.

“If he’s in the conversation, does that make me the motherf---ing man?” Jones responded on Twitter.

If he’s in the conversation does that make me the motherfucking man? https://t.co/cEnNRayEus

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) June 20, 2018

Jones, of course, is the only fighter with a victory over Cormier. He outpointed “DC” in a light heavyweight title defense at UFC 182 and stopped the American Kickboxing Academy standout in th…

Josh Barnett has officially confirmed that he is no longer an Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete.

MMAjunkie.com initially reported that Barnett had been released from his UFC contract last week. His departure comes on the heels of a debacle with USADA that saw him cleared of fault for a failed out-of-competition drug test on Dec 9, 2016. “The Warmaster” tested positive for the banned substance ostarine, but the fighter and his legal team were able to prove to an independent arbitrator that the result was due to a tainted supplement.

“No one thought I would ever be back in the UFC given the tumultuous relationship that we had had in the past, but for five fights and five years, that's precisely where I have been. I have very much enjoyed my time there,” Barnett wrote in a statement on his Facebook page. “The UFC has been a wonderful experience the second time around and together we have done great things. Although I am sure we could continue to do so, I feel t…

Kevin Lee is one of the most talented contenders in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division, but he envisions a more lucrative future for himself in a newly-created weight class.

“The Motown Phenom” explained what he hopes to see happen in a recent interview with the Straits Times ahead of UFC Fight Night 132 in Singapore.

"Right now, [what] makes the most sense is to really correct the divisions,” Lee said. "The 155-pound and 170-pound [divisions] are so messed up right now. You've got three titles between the two divisions already, so they've got to add another weight class.

"I think me and Georges [St. Pierre] for the 165-pound title makes the most amount of sense. You do Conor [McGregor] and Khabib [Nurmagomedov] in October, you do me and Georges in November, at Madison Square Garden. And maybe you do Tyron [Woodley] and Colby [Covington] to figure out the 170-pound division."

Last year, the Association of Boxing Commissions and …

It’s been about two weeks since Robert Whittaker defeated Yoel Romero via split decision in a memorable five-round battle bout at UFC 225, but he still has some questions regarding how the Cuban wrestler was able to recover so quickly from what appeared to be a grueling weight cut.

Romero, of course, missed weight by 0.2 pounds one day prior, and “The Soldier of God” had to be helped from weigh-ins by his team. Come fight night, however, Romero was as powerful and explosive as ever. He floored Whittaker in rounds three and five to nearly steal a victory that would have created a mess in the middleweight division considering the matchup was a non-title bout. Whittaker discussed Romero’s recovery and subsequent performance during a recent appearance on GrangeTV .

“Guys who are cutting weight and are missing weight, and they look like shriveled husks of themselves – you can’t get back in the Octagon 24 hours later and compete in your top form. I know this firsthand …

Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will meet Shamil Abdurakhimov when the Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its maiden voyage to Russia on Sept. 15.

Arlovski recently announced the booking via Instagram, though it hasn’t been formally confirmed by the Las Vegas-based promotion. The UFC Fight Night card takes place at Olympic Stadium in Moscow and will stream in its entirety on UFC Fight Pass. Alexey Oleynik is rumored to headline the card against Mark Hunt in another heavyweight contest.

Arlovski had a two-fight winning streak snapped in a competitive decision loss to Tai Tuivasa at UFC 225 on June 9. Prior to that defeat, 39-year-old Belarusian had outpointed Stefan Struve and Junior Albini in back-to-back outings.

Abdurakhimov, meanwhile, has won three of his last four Octagon appearances, including a first-round knockout of Chase Sherman in his most recent bout at UFC Fight Night 122. The 36-year-old Dagestan native is 18-4 as a professional …

For a few moments, it looked as though Ovince St. Preux was going to serve as fodder for the rise of Australian prospect Tyson Pedro at UFC Fight Night 132 in Singapore.

Pedro stunned St. Preux with a right high kick during an initial exchange, then dropped his opponent with a right hand. Moments later, Pedro applied a standing guillotine choke, but was unable to find the right angle to secure the submission against his taller adversary. When that failed, the Sydney native attempted a bodylock takedown, but the failed attempt put St. Preux in top position.

From there, OSP went to work, landing ground-and-pound before isolating Pedro’s arm and locking in a straight armbar to get the tapout at the 2:54 mark of round one.

“I was just think I need to gain my composure early in the fight. I have a bad habit of starting slowly, so composure was the key,” St. Preux said. “The fight went to the ground and I landed perfectly. I landed in a position I wanted to. If I…

Ovince St. Preux, Yadong Song, Shane Young and Rolando Dy all received $50,000 bonuses for their work at UFC Fight Night 132 in Singapore on Saturday.

St. Preux garnered a “Performance of the Night” check for his submission of Australian prospect Tyson Pedro in the light heavyweight co-main event. After being dropped and trapped in a guillotine choke early, St. Preux escaped and regathered his bearings. Eventually, OSP moved to top position near the fence after a botched Pedro takedown and grabbed a kimura before transitioning to a straight armbar to earn the tapout at the 2:54 mark of round one.

Elsewhere, Song received the card’s other “Performance of the Night” award for a brutal knockout of Felipe Arantes in a bantamweight affair. Late in the second stanza, Song broke a clinch with a vicious right elbow, sending his opponent toppling to the canvas. From there, three follow-up blows on the ground brought an end to the contest at the 4:59 mark of round two.

…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 132 coverage kicks off Saturday morning at 4:30 a.m. ET.

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

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