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UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! The Ultimate Fighting Championship has no interest in letting one of its young stars test free agency.

Ahead of UFC 304, lightweight Paddy Pimblett mentioned repeatedly that he was nearing the end of his current UFC deal, with the final fight of it coming on Saturday. The 29-year-old opined that he would get re-signed, expecting that the promotion will hold onto him tightly. According to manager Graham Boylan on Friday—also the promoter of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, where Pimblett competed before joining the UFC—his new contract is in place with the promotion. The terms were not disclosed, other than Boylan remarking that his athlete was “handsomely rewarded.” Pimblett also mentioned on Episode 5 of “UFC 304 Embedded” that he will remain under contract with the company.

“The Baddy has signed a new deal with [the] UFC,” Boylan wrote on social media, “he’s very happy to see his value has be…

A day before the official announcement, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is shifting things around for its card at the Sphere.

On Friday, MMA Fighting first reported that Michel Pereira (31-11, 2 NC) vs. Anthony Hernandez (12-2, 1 NC) would no longer be taking place at UFC 306—which will have all 10 of its bouts set in stone on Saturday. Instead, for currently undisclosed reasons, the middleweights will do battle a month later at the main attraction of a newly announced UFC Fight Night show on Oct. 19. They are expected to compete for five rounds inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “Fluffy” has since confirmed the rescheduled booking on his Instagram Stories, while remarking that it would be taking place around his birthday of Oct. 18.

The high-flying Pereira will come into this pairing on an eight-fight win streak, as the victor of three in a row since relocating himself to the 185-pound division. At this new weight class, the Brazilian has dispatched three foes…

Sumit Bhyan was in no mood for warm welcomes.

The Warrior’s Cove MMA export spoiled the ONE Championship debut of Will Drewitt, as he rode a hyperactive bottom game to a split decision in their three-round ONE Friday Fights 72 lightweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Two of the ringside judges struck scorecards for Bhyan (2-1, 1-1 ONE), who rebounded from his Nov. 23 technical knockout loss to Matheus Pereira.

Drewitt (0-1, 0-1 ONE) employed takedowns and top control but failed to consolidate those efforts with meaningful damage. Bhyan attacked with elbows off his back and a variety of submissions. He did his best work in Round 2, where he threatened Drewitt with a triangle armbar and a kimura that undoubtedly drew the attention of those entrusted with tallying points. Bhyan conceded a takedown inside the first 20 seconds of the third round but answered with elbow strikes from mission control and managed to dodge the occasional b…

[embedded content] UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship is willing to open its pocketbooks a little more for the most exciting results on Saturday.

Ahead of UFC 300 in April, MMA Junkie raised the question at the pre-fight press conference of if the UFC would offer $300,000 bonus checks for the victors. The organization agreed on the spot, and the triumphant headliner Max Holloway ended up an additional $600,000 richer at night’s end for his spectacular knockout of Justin Gaethje. Since then, pay-per-view event press conferences have seen this type of request repeat, and the promotion has obliged to a degree—granting additional “Performance of the Night” checks at UFC 303.

At the UFC 304 pre-fight press conference, media did not have to ask. Instead, main card participant Bobby Green brought it up.

“Uncle Dana, let’s spice it up a little bit,” Green remarked, joined by cheers from …

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Curtis Blaydes laid down his gameplan to show Alex Pereira what time it is in a potential matchup.

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Pereira (11-2) has won the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight and light heavyweight title and defended the latter three times in less than three years of his debut with the promotion. The Brazilian’s unprecedented rise to stardom has led to talks of a potential move up to heavyweight to chase three-division glory. Watching Pereira spar heavyweight boxers like Australia’s Demsey McKean and China’s Zhilei Zhang led many to believe that “Poatan” can hold his own against heavyweights.

However, Blaydes (18-4) strongly warned Pereira against a move up to heavyweight. “Razor” explained that his strategy against Pereira would be to immediately shoot for a takedown, which he believes he can get at will. Blaydes believes Pereira is also well aware of that and is seeking specific fights at heavyweight instead of random matchups. Acco…

Team Mokaev and Team Kape got into a scuffle at the fighters' hotel in Manchester. This comes amid numerous reports about their conflict earlier this year at the UFC PI#UFC304 #UFCManchester pic.twitter.com/3aCBCrzMvo

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) July 24, 2024 UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

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Two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most talented flyweights can’t seem to understand that they aren’t allowed to fight until the cage door closes.

On Wednesday during UFC 304 fight week, the teams of Manel Kape (19-6) and Muhammad Mokaev (12-0, 1 NC) threw down inside of the fighters’ hotel in Manchester, England. This is not the first time the two entourages reportedly scrapped, as UFC featherweight Jean Silva claimed that a scuffle erupted at the UFC Performance Institute earlier in the month. Per MMA Fighting, Kape later suggested that rumors of that encounter might have been gr…

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Caolan Loughran is not buying into the hype behind Payton Talbott.

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Going into his upcoming UFC 304 clash against Jake Hadley (10-3), Loughran (9-1) questioned the hype behind fellow bantamweight prospect Talbott (9-0). While the Irishman acknowledges Talbott’s skillset, he has noticed certain shortcomings in the latter’s game. Loughran claims that while all rising stars in history had their ground game doubted initially, Talbott’s grappling actually got exposed in his debut against Nick Aguirre. Talbott was outgrappled by Aguirre in the first round before coming back to score a third-round stoppage win in his first UFC outing in November 2023.

“Talbott is a good fighter – 100 percent a good fighter. Fair play to him going well, but [expletive] man, cool the jets,” Loughran said at the UFC 304 media day. “I watched his debut. Whenever the Mac [Conor McGregor] was coming up, people were saying when he fights a grappler, he’ll get …

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Bobby Green is unhappy about his custom shorts rebuff, while UFC 304 opponent Paddy Pimblett is his own.

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Green (32-15) faces Pimblett (21-3) at UFC 304 this weekend in the latter’s home turf of Manchester, England. The two have long been engaged in a feud, which Pimblett claims started with Green secretly recording him while they were in attendance at UFC San Diego in August 2022.

While Green admits that he likely started the beef, he had his reasons. “King” believes he and Pimblett have had a contrasting career trajectory where he had to fight for his dues while “The Baddy” had things handed to him on a silver platter. According to Green, Pimblett doesn’t realize how privileged he is and acts spoiled. Green claims Pimblett caught his attention when he started talking brash, as he let his initial success get to his head.

“I’ve earned my spot. I’ve been here for so long. I think I’m here 12 years now fighting… I call him th…

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Leon Edwards doubts Michael Page will challenge for a title in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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Page (22-3) made his Octagon debut at UFC 299 this past March, scoring a unanimous decision win over Kevin Holland. “MVP” most recently suffered a unanimous decision loss against Ian Garry in his sophomore promotional outing at UFC 303 last month.

Meanwhile, Edwards (22-3) will defend his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, this weekend. Page recently said that a potential clash with fellow Brit Edwards in the future would be a massive fight in the United Kingdom.

While “Rocky” admits that a fight against Page would indeed be big in the UK, he doubts the former Bellator MMA star rises up the ranks to cross paths with him. Edwards believes Page could have made his way to title contention if he had beaten Garry and followed it up with a win over an elite contender like Shavkat Rakhmonov…

A welterweight clash pitting Rinat Fakhretdinov against Nursulton Ruziboev has been targeted for UFC 308.

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Both fighters confirmed the bout on social media following an initial report from Marcel Dorff. UFC 308 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26 and is also expected to include a heavyweight tilt between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov.

According to Fakhretdinov, the booking was not ideal for either fighter.

“Know me and Nursultan were against this fight,” Fakhretdinov wrote on Instagram (via translate). “This fight is not profitable for anyone. I will tell you, we did everything possible to prevent this fight, but we are only fighters. The league always has the final word, so don't throw stones at us. The circumstances have turned out to be. The league has decided for us. But nothing changes, as we were friends with Nursulton, we will be friends, and after the fight I will come to visit him for pilaf (I hope he will invite me)…

Iasmin Lucindo will look to add a signature victory to her record when she meets Marina Rodriguez at UFC 307.

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Ag.Fight was first to report the strawweight booking, and Lucindo has since confirmed the fight on social media. UFC 307 takes place on Oct. 5 and is expected to be held in Salt Lake City, though the location has not been formally announced. A women’s bantamweight title fight between Raquel Pennington and Julianna Pena has been rumored for the event.UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! After falling to Yazmin Jauregui in her promotional debut, Lucindo has racked up three consecutive victories in UFC competition. Most recently, the 22-year-old Brazilian outpoined former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 301 on May 4.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, has faced many of the division’s top talents during her 13-bout UFC tenure. The muay thai specialist last appeared at UFC 300, where she dropped a split decision …

Muhammad Mokaev just wants to fight for Ultimate Fighting Championship gold and is not concerned about how much he is paid to do it.

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Mokaev takes on Angolan contender Manel Kape at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, on Saturday. Mokaev revealed that his upcoming bout is the last one on his current UFC contract.

Mokaev doesn’t have any expectations for his expected contract renewal, and “The Punisher” is willing to have a one-fight contract if that accelerates his path to a title shot.

Mokaev reiterated his grouse with Steve Erceg getting the last flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja after just three fights in the promotion. Mokaev notes that he didn’t receive the gold bid despite having more finishes in the UFC than “Astro Boy” had total fights in the promotion then.

UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! Mokaev now just wants a title shot as soon as possible and claims his fight purse isn’t a concern.…

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Christian Leroy Duncan’s walkout music was made by his late friend, Joel Daniel Westcarr.

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Leroy Duncan is scheduled to face veteran Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 304 in front of a home crowd in Manchester, England, on Saturday. In a "UFC Connected" video, Duncan was seen visiting the grave of Westcarr, who he refers to as Zozo.

“Come to visit my friend Zozo. We’re here at his resting place, which is a place that I always come to,” Duncan said. “He was a very talented music artist. And we’d always say no matter which way we go, we’re gonna see each other at the top.”

Tributes flood in for much loved Joel Westcarr, 20, who was killed in a motorbike crash https://t.co/6Sv2wJ4biQ pic.twitter.com/4Nvw4BoihM

— Daniel Chipperfield (@DanChipperfield) April 4, 2016

Westcarr was a musician who passed away in a tragic motorbike accident on April 3, 2016 at the age of 20. Duncan, who had just started his amateur…

Curtis Blaydes considers his upcoming interim heavyweight title fight against Tom Aspinall at UFC 304 the real title fight in the division.

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Lineal champ Jon Jones has been sidelined since pulling out of a scheduled title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023. Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in a short-notice title fight at UFC 295 and has since been calling for a unification bout against Jones. However, Jones remains adamant on returning to action against Miocic, who hasn’t fought in over three years. With both Jones and Miocic also teasing retirement after their planned bout, Blaydes doesn’t consider the potential matchup a legitimate title fight.

Blaydes has previously admitted that Aspinall should ideally have been fighting Jones in a title unifier instead of defending his interim strap. However, Blaydes considers his upcoming bout against “Honey Badger” the real title fight at heavyweight. For the perennially elite cont…

Belal Muhammad believes Leon Edwards and his camp are afraid going into their upcoming UFC 304 clash.

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Muhammad challenges Edwards for the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, on Saturday. Muhammad recently ran into Edwards and his crew in an elevator. “Remember the Name” claims Edwards’ coach, Dave Lovell, was the only one talking trash and hopes he attends the press conference.

“I just saw him right now in the elevator. He looked like he was afraid,” Muhammad told MMAjunkie.com. “Him and his brother and his coach, they all look like cowards. His coach was trying to talk a little bit of trash, so I’m hoping that his coach is at the press conference, because I know Leon’s not gonna be able to talk.”

UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! According to Muhammad, he was with another teammate when Edwards walked into the elevator with a crew of six to seven people. While Muhammad chose …

Finally, the 12 to 6 elbow rule has been eliminated and the grounded opponent rule has been changed.

Andy Foster does it again. pic.twitter.com/uEuY930Mlt

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 23, 2024

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The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts will change in a couple key areas this November.

On Tuesday, the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports voted unanimously to eliminate a ban on 12-to-6 elbows and update the definition of what constitutes a grounded fighter. The committee included the likes of California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster, Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Jeff Mullen, veteran officials Herb Dean, John McCarthy and Marc Goddard and judges Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato, among others. Ariel Helwani was first to report the changes on social media.

The downward elbows were often a point of confusion for fighters because it could be difficult to determi…

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou appears to be on the verge of making his promotional debut with the Professional Fighters League.

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Ngannou, who signed with the PFL last year, has yet to make his debut as he focused on boxing fights against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. “The Predator” discussed his MMA future during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Tuesday. When asked about his time in boxing and the focus on his upcoming plans, Ngannou revealed that the PFL is working on his first fight with the promotion, and he revealed a potential opponent, date and location for his fight.

According to Ngannou, his relationship with the PFL is “pretty good,” and they are working on his debut to take place against 2023 heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira.

UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! “It’s working pretty good, we have a good relationship. I will be fighting by the e…

It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s highly-anticipated event at The Sphere will have some competition.

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According to a report from ESPN, Canelo Alvarez is in the process of finalizing a deal for a super middleweight title defense against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, UFC 306 — also known as Noche UFC — is scheduled to take place on that same day at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Alvarez is widely regarded as boxing’s biggest star and has headlined fight cards on Mexican Independence Day on six different occasions. The Guadalajara, Mexico, native has won titles at 154, 160 and 175 pounds and has won his last four fights.

UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! While UFC 306 isn’t likely to have anyone on the card to match the star power of Alvarez, the event has repeatedly been touted as a can’t-miss spectacle by UFC CEO Dana White.

“I’m already $17 million into…

These new shorts for Leon Edwards and Paddy Pimblett are 🔥#UFC304 | SATURDAY | 10 ET | ESPN+ PPV pic.twitter.com/1o2qdgv6CB

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 23, 2024

Reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards and popular lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett will have a fresh, custom look for their fights at UFC 304 on Saturday.

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Both Edwards and Pimblett will be fighting on home soil at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Edwards will defend his 170-pound belt against Belal Muhammad in the main event, while Pimblett will lock horns with Bobby Green on the main card.UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! Edwards will wear special green shorts for his bout, while Pimblett will wear custom orange shorts for his fight. The styles were initially revealed by Chris De Santiago on social media. They can also be viewed on website for Venum, which is the official outfitter of the UFC.

Read more about Leon Edwards, Paddy Pimblett to Wear Customized Shorts at UFC 304

Patrick Mix will defend his bantamweight crown against Leandro Higo in the Bellator Champions Series Paris headliner on Nov. 16.

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The promotion announced the pairing on Tuesday. In the co-main event, Baissangour Chamsoudinov will square off against Oliver Enkamp at welterweight. Bellator Champions Series Paris takes place at the Adidas Arena in the French capital and will air in its entirety on Max in the United States beginning at 11 a.m. ET/ 8 a.m PT.

“Patchy” will take a seven-bout promotional winning streak into his second official title defense. The 30-year-old New Yorker endured some struggles in his last outing but emerged with a split-decision triumph in a rematch against Magomed Magomedov at the most recent Bellator Paris event on May 17. Mix’s record also includes notable triumphs over the likes of Sergio Pettis, Raufeon Stots, Kyoji Horiguchi and James Gallagher.

UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! Hig…

Sean O'Malley’s went off on Conor McGregor after the Irish star mocked at the bantamweight champion’s explanation for failing a drug test.

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O’Malley has tested positive for the banned substance ostarine more than once in his career. The most recent instance occurred in 2019, which led to a suspension. However, O’Malley has consistently denied having used PEDs, claiming the trace amounts found in his sample must have been due to tainted supplements.

While O’Malley couldn’t pin down the supplements that could have contained ostarine, he has found a new potential explanation for his failed tests. O’Malley claims recent studies suggest that ostarine can be transferred through sweat, possibly through sharing garments or gear. “Sugar” believes Ostarine was transferred to him while he was training at another gym, where ostarine use by athletes was public knowledge. O’Malley believes teammates Kyler Phillips and Augusto Mendes, who both faced suspensions fo…

While Kayla Harrison is irked by Julianna Pena’s accusations of performance enhancing drug use, she is taking it as a compliment.

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Pena is expected to challenge Raquel Pennington for the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City, Utah in October. Meanwhile, Harrison, who made her promotional debut with a submission win over Holly Holm at UFC 300 this past April, is considered to be the top contender for the next shot at the title.

Pena recently hurled accusations of PED use at Harrison and all female fighters in the ex-PFL champion’s gym, American Top Team. While PED allegations are nothing new for Harrison, the two-time Olympic gold medallist judoka can’t help being annoyed. Harrison claims to have been tested for the first time at 12 years of age and has never since failed a single drug test. Harrison claims Pena’s allegations are a built-in excuse for when she beats “The Venezuelan Vixen” in their potential clash in the future.

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Matchmaker Tai Tuivasa knew the rematch between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad was bound to happen since 2022 😂 #UFC304 pic.twitter.com/krDISwJMao

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 22, 2024

Tai Tuivasa had an idea that Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad would cross paths again long before their rematch was booked.

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Muhammad will challenge Edwards for the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 304 on Saturday at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. The two have unfinished business from their initial encounter in the UFC Fight Night 187 headliner in 2021 that ended in an unfortunate no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from Edwards.

With that being the only blemish in their recent win streaks, Muhammad and Edwards were definitely set on a collision course. Edwards went on to dethrone Kamaru Usman via head kick KO in a shocking upset at UFC 278 in August 2022. Meanwhile, Muhammad dispatched a previously undefeated …

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Belal Muhammad is grateful for the guidance of Khabib Nurmagomedov heading into his first championship opportunity.

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Muhammad will receivs his long-awaited welterweight title shot against Leon Edwards in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester on Saturday. Muhammad recently visited Dagestan to train with Nurmagomedov for his upcoming fight.

Muhammad claims a bit of advice from the former lightweight champion has proven to be invaluable. Muhammad is glad to have the mentorship of “The Eagle,” who he considers to be the MMA GOAT.

“It benefits me everywhere,” Muhammad told Shakiel Mahjouri. “Physically, mentally, spiritually, it just puts me on another level. I said it before and people were making fun of me like, ‘Oh, get off his jock blah blah blah.’ Training with him and getting advice from him is worth 20-30-40-50 days with anybody else. Just being able to feel his strength, feel his pressure, feel his knowledge too that he …