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Michael Page: If ‘Shara Bullet’ Shoots for Takedown, ‘It Means Fight is Going My Way’

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Michael Page (22-3) believes Sharabutdin Magomedov (15-0) will already be in a bad state if he tries to land a takedown in their upcoming clash.

Two of the most entertaining strikers in the sport, Page and Magomedov will clash in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While it’s likely the fight remains on the feet, the dynamic could change if one of the strikers attempts to transition to a wrestling-based approach. “MVP” doubts Magomedov will try to take him down, as he believes the Dagestani is too hard-headed and confident in his own skillset. However, if it comes to that, Page thinks “Shara Bullet” will be in a desperate condition. According to the Brit, Magomedov might be too bloodied up to mount a comeback if and when he shoots for a takedown.

“If he does [shoot], it means the fight is going my way — and aggressively my way,” Page said on the “Believe You Me” podcast. “Becaus…

UFC 313 Update: Chris Gutierrez to Face Jean Matsumoto on March 8

Chris Gutierrez will square off against Jean Matsumoto in a bantamweight contest at UFC 313.

Both fighters confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from Marcel Dorff. UFC 313 takes place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A headliner has not been confirmed for the event.

Gutierrez has won two of his last three Octagon appearances. In his lone bout of 2024, “El Guapo” outpointed Quang Le at UFC on ESPN 61 on Aug. 10. The 33-year-old Factory X representative has compiled a 9-3-1 mark during his promotional tenure.

Brazil’s Matsumoto has been victorious in his first 16 professional outings — including two in UFC competition. The Dana White's Contender Series alum went 2-0 in 2024, submitting Dan Argueta at UFC Fight Night 240 before outpointing Brad Katona at UFC Fight Night 245.

Yazmin Jauregui, Dione Barbosa to Clash at UFC on ESPN 64 on March 29

A strawweight showdown pitting Yazmin Jauregui against Dione Barbosa is on tap for UFC on ESPN 64.

Both fighters confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from Ag.Fight. UFC on ESPN 64 takes place on March 29 at CDMX in Mexico City and also includes a middleweight bout between Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum. A headliner has not been announced for the card.

Jauregui has dropped two of her last three promotional appearances. Most recently, the 25-year-old Tijuana, Mexico, native suffered a first-round submission defeat to Ketlen Souza at UFC 306 this past September.

Barbosa, meanwhile, had a four-bout professional winning streak snapped in her last outing, when she fell to Miranda Maverick via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 60 this past July.

UFC Vegas 101 Gets Two New Matchups Ahead of Saturday’s Event

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first card of 2025 has undergone a couple of changes a little less than a week before the event.

Jacobe Smith will make his Octagon debut on short notice against Preston Parsons at UFC Vegas 101 — also known as UFC Fight Night 249 — on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Smith is a replacement for Andreas Gustafsson, who withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new booking.

Meanwhile, Joe Solecki will replace Yanal Ashmouz and face Nurullo Aliev in a lightweight bout on the same card. Both Aliev and Solecki confirmed the booking via social media. UFC Vegas 101 is headlined by a strawweight rematch between Amanda Ribas and Mackenzie Dern.

A former wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Smith has kicked off his professional tenure with nine straight triumphs — seven by KO or TKO. He earned a UFC contract with a second-round stoppage of Christien Savoie on D…

Deaf UFC Veteran Matt Hamill Able to Hear for ‘First Time in 41 Years’

Matt Hamill began the new year with a very special moment.

Hamill, the first deaf athlete to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, revealed on social media that he was able to hear his family for the first time with the assistance of special digital hearing aids.

“I just got the most powerful digital hearing aids ever made,” Hamill recently wrote on Instagram. “For the first time in 41 years, I can finally hear my kids’ voices, the sounds of people walking and laughing. I finally heard my mom’s voice and she cried. I’m looking forward to hearing my brother Pat’s voice too. I only hope he doesn’t have a voice like a foghorn. This is awesome, although I know it will take time to adapt to all of this. Happy New Year!”

The now 48-year-old Hamill compiled a 13-8 record over the course of a professional MMA career that began in 2005. He appeared on Season 3 of the “The Ultimate Fighter” and went on to have a 15-bout tenure in the Las Vega…

Umar Nurmagomedov Hopes to Inherit Khabib’s ‘Eagle’ Nickname

👏🦅Umar Nurmagomedov calls himself ‘Just Eagle’ and Khabib ‘Old Eagle’:

“I think on January 18th, I will deserve this name - Eagle. No more young, just Eagle.”😁

🎥 @akajav ▫️ pic.twitter.com/0UavJ9Neo8 — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 4, 2025

Umar Nurmagomedov wants to follow in the footsteps of cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov in every aspect.

Umar challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Undefeated like his cousin Khabib, Umar now looks to become a UFC champ like “The Eagle” and even potentially take over his moniker.

While he is yet to have an official nickname, Umar is popularly known as “Young Eagle” because of his relation to Khabib and their similar styles. However, Khabib seemingly declared that Umar can no longer be called “Young Eagle” after the latter turned 29 this past weekend. When their lo…

Conor McGregor, Paul Hughes Slam Khabib Nurmagomedov on Dagestan-Ireland Debate

Conor made you famous. https://t.co/88ycFRkTCf

— Paul Hughes MMA (@paulhughesmma) January 3, 2025

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent comments have reignited the Dagestan-Ireland mixed martial arts rivalry.

Nurmagomedov’s feud with Conor McGregor is arguably one of the most memorable in the history of the sport. McGregor’s fellow countryman Paul Hughes (13-1) will challenge Khabib’s cousin Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) for the lightweight title in the main event at Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai on Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE.

In a recent interview with PFL, which now owns Bellator, Nurmagomedov downplayed the significance of Irish fighters as compared to Dagestanis. According to the former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champ, Irish MMA isn’t even half as good as Dagestani MMA.

“Eagle” further doubled down on his comments in a tweet, declaring Dagestani MMA superior to any other coun…

Former UFC Champ Michael Bisping Recalls Stress of Vision Tests with Bad Eye

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Going on to become an Ultimate Fighting Championship champion with one eye is a feat only Michael Bisping (30-9) has achieved and it wasn’t easy for the Brit in any aspect.

A perennially ranked middleweight contender, Bisping (30-9) took on Vitor Belfort in a title eliminator back in 2013. Bisping suffered a second round knockout loss that also left him with a retinal detachment and eventually loss of vision. The eye injury was not immediately detected and had worsened further by the time it was diagnosed.

It should be noted that Belfort is known to have been using testosterone replacement therapy until 2014, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission banned its approved use.

Despite doctors advising him to retire, Bisping continued fighting, hiding his eye injury the best he could for fear of losing his career. When Bisping went completely blind in the right eye, it was a huge challenge for him to pass the pre-fight tests …

Umar Nurmagomedov: Merab Dvalishvili Knows It Will Be ‘Long Night’ at UFC 311

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While tensions have been rising between Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili ahead of their UFC 311 bout, the No. 1 contender doesn’t believe he has ever disrespected the reigning bantamweight champion.

“It’s a little bit emotional,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview with the UFC. “I don’t think he is an angry person. I don’t think he is a bad person. I really don’t know what he is talking disrespect … I talk about the fight. I said, Hey Merab, your title is awaiting me. You don’t mention my name. It looks insane. Everybody talked about that, not just me. When they pushed him to fight…and he doesn’t say nothing.”

Dvalishvili initially was reluctant to face Nurmagomedov because he felt the Dagestani hadn’t done enough to earn the title shot. He has since claimed that Nurmagomedov is too “cocky” for his liking. According to Nurmagomedov, there might be an ulterior motive behind Dvalishvili’s initial reluctance.

“I think he…

Andre Petroski Replaces Jacob Malkoun, Meets Rodolfo Vieira at UFC Vegas 102

Andre Petroski will step in for the injured Jacob Malkoun and face Rodolfo Vieira at UFC Vegas 102 on Feb. 15.

Petroski recently confirmed the news via Instagram. UFC Vegas 102 — also known as UFC Fight Night 251 — takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and features a middleweight showdown between Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues.

Petroski is coming off consecutive decision triumphs over Josh Fremd and Dylan Budka in his last two UFC bouts. The Renzo Gracie Philly product kicked off his promotional tenure with five straight triumphs before dropping back-to-back fights against Michel Pereira and Malkoun. His current winning streak improved his overall UFC mark to 7-2.

A decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Vieira has been victorious in three of his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, he tapped out Armen Petrosyan in the first frame at UFC Fight Night 236 last February.

Naoki Inoue-Yuki Motoya Bantamweight Title Tilt Set for Rizin 50

Naoki Inoue will meet Yuki Motoya in a rematch — this time with the bantamweight title at stake — at Rizin 50.

The bout was announced during Rizin 49 "Decade" after Motoya earned his championship opportunity with a unanimous decision victory over Kyoma Akimoto at Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve. Rizin 50 takes place on March 30 at Anabuki Arena Kagawa in Kagawa, Japan.

Inoue initially bested Motoya via first-round submission at Rizin 26 in December 2020. The 27-year-old Kill Cliff FC representative is coming off a 2-0 campaign in 2024 that saw him claim the vacant 135-pound throne with a first-round stoppage of Soo Chul Kim at Rizin 48.

The 35-year-old Motoya went 3-0 in 2024, adding submission triumphs over Shinobu Ota and Sho Hiramatsu to the aforementioned victory against Akimoto. The American Top Team product has competed under the Rizin banner periodically since 2015, often alternating those appearances with fights for the Deep organization.

Middleweights Joe Pyfer, Kelvin Gastelum to Clash at UFC on ESPN 64 on March 29

Joe Pyfer will lock horns with Kelvin Gastelum in a middleweight bout at UFC on ESPN 64.

Pyfer recently confirmed the pairing on Instagram following an initial report from MMA Mania. UFC on ESPN 64 is expected to take place at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on March 29, though the venu has not been officially confirmed by the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Pyfer has been victorious in six of his last seven professional outings. After earning a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, “Bodybagz” finished his first three Octagon foes before fallling to Jack Hermansson in the UFC Fight Night 236 main event this past February. The 28-year-old Pennsylvania native rebounded in his most recent appearance, when he knocked out Marc-Andre Barriault in the opening stanza of their encounter at UFC 303.

Gastelum will be making his 24th Octagon appearance against Pyfer. “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner has been triumphant in two of his last three in UFC competiti…

Youssef Zalal vs. Calvin Kattar Targeted for UFC Fight Night 251 on Feb. 15

A featherweight matchup pitting Youssef Zalal against Calvin Kattar is in the works for UFC Fight Night 251.

Zalal confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Zalal also previously mentioned the bout on the JAXXON Podcast. UFC Fight Night 251 takes place on Feb. 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Gregory Rodrigues and Jared Cannonier.

Zalal, who was named Sherdog’s "Comeback Fighter of the Year" for 2024, has won his last six professional apppearances — including three straight in UFC competition. “The Moroccan Devil” went 3-3-1 during his first UFC stint, exiting the Las Vegas-based promotion on the heels of a four-bout winless streak. He has since turned things around in a big way and is coming off triumphs over Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens and Jack Shore in the Octagon.

Kattar, meanwhile, is in the midst of a three-fight skid. In his last outing, “The Boston F…

Sean O’Malley Enthusiastic About Possibility of Eventually Fighting in Japan

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After attending Rizin 49 "Decade" as a guest, Sean O'Malley is intrigued about the possibility of competing in Japan — but only under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner.

“Right now, obviously, I’m with the UFC,” O’Malley said at a post-fight press conference. “I plan to be with the UFC forever, so if the UFC comes here some day, I would love to fight in this arena. There’s a good energy here.”

Rizin 49 served as the Japanese promotion’s traditional year-end event, and as usual, it was quite the spectacle, including a supersized fight card that featured three championship bouts at the top of the bill. O’Malley came away impressed with the proceedings.

“The production of the show was incredible, the energy in the arena was incredible, the ring girls are incredible,” he said. “Overall impression of Japan, this has been the most fun trip I’ve ever been on and I would love to come back.”

However, O’Malley is not as…

Kleber Koike Erbst Defeats Chihiro Suzuki Atop Title Tripleheader at Rizin 49 ‘Decade’

✌️ KLEBER IS THE TWO-TIME RIZIN FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION

[ #RIZIN_DECADE | LIVE on https://t.co/LChPUvqSqh ] pic.twitter.com/hA19WeHXjQ

— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) December 31, 2024 After losing his title on the scale in June 2023, Kleber Koike Erbst regained the Rizin Fighting Federation featherweight championship on Tuesday in the main event of Rizin 49 "Decade" in Saitama, Japan. Koike earned a unanimous decision victory over champion Chihiro Suzuki to reclaim the belt that he was stripped of prior to his first fight against Suzuki at Rizin 43.

Koike (34-7-1, 1 NC, 9-2, 1 NC Rizin), whose previous win over Suzuki (13-4, 1 NC, 8-2, 1 NC Rizin) was invalidated as a no contest when he failed to make weight, passed all tests, and he left no doubt in the judges’ minds after 15 minutes of combat. Suzuki had a lot of early success with calf kicks that seemed as if they might hinder Koike’s movement, but Koike pulled guard and effo…

Azamat Murzakanov Receives 6-Month Sanction for Anti-Doping Violation

UFC light heavyweight Azamat Murzakanov has accepted a six-month suspension for an anti-doping violation that occurred earlier this year.

Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced Monday that Murzakanov tested positive for the “low-level presence” of a metabolite of LGD 4033 — a banned anabolic agent — in an out-of-competition sample collected on Oct. 8. It was determined by the Sports Medicine and Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) that the failed test resulted from a contaminated supplement, and that the amount of LGD 4033 metaboite contained in Murzakanov’s sample would not “provide any significant performance advantage.”

While such a result would have normally resulted in a 90-day sanction for Murzakanov, he received a 180-day term because it is his second anti-doping violation with the UFC. The 35-year-old Russian’s suspension is retroactive to Nov. 1, which means he will be eligible to return to active competition on May 1, 2025. Murzakano…

Merab Dvalishvili Admits Recent Social Media Hate ‘Was Very Hard for Me’

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Merab Dvalishvili has been a UFC champion for less than six months, but he’s already experiencing what it feels like to be a marked man at the top of the division.

“Since I become champion, it became a lot of drama too,” Dvalishvili recently told ESPN. “Lots of talking online. I don’t know, maybe because everybody wanted to see me fight against Umar [Nurmagomedov]. Everybody talking s—t.”

Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight throne with a lopsided unanimous decision triumph against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 this past September. Nurmagomedov was in attendance for the fight, and the Dagestani immediately became the promotion’s top contender of choice — despite Dvalishvili’s objections. While the 33-year-old Georgian wanted to enjoy his championship achievement, he ultimately agreed to defend his belt against Nurmagomedov in the UFC 311 co-main event on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles.

In the meantime, “The Machine” has felt the backlash …

Rizin 49 ‘Decade’ Weigh-in Results: All Three Title Fights Official

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The stage is set for Rizin Fighting Federation’s traditional year-end extravaganza.

All three title fights are official for Rizin 49 "Decade" following weigh-ins on Monday. The card is headlined by a featherweight championship tilt between Chihiro Suzuki and Kleber Koike Erbst. Both Suzuki and Erbst tipped the scales at 145.5 pounds.

Rizin 49 takes place on Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and features three championship fights at the top of the card. In addition to Suzuki vs. Erbst, Kyoji Horiguchi (125.5) will face Nkazimulo Zulu (125.5) for flyweight gold, while Roberto Satoshi de Souza (156.3) meets Vugar Karamov (155.7) for the lightweight title.

The card is divided into two parts, with Rizin Bangaichi beginning the festivities before Rizin 49: Decade concludes the action. The event can be purchased via pay-per-view via Rizin.TV.

Rizin 49 “Decade” Weigh-in Results: Chihiro Suzuki (145.5) vs. Kleber Koike Erbst (…

Rizin Prospect Igor Tanabe to Step Away from MMA After Rare Disease Diagnosis

イゴール・タナベに関するお知らせ

RIZINファイターの #イゴールタナベ/@fatninjabjj は、12月はじめに病院にてMRIを撮ったところ、「もやもや病」との診断を受けました。… pic.twitter.com/fP4qr1QrfX

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) December 28, 2024

Rizin Fighting Federation prospect Igor Tanabe will be stepping away from mixed martial arts indefinitely after being diagnosed with moyamoya disease.

The Japanese promotion recently revealed that Tanabe received an MRI in early December and was diagnosed with the condition. It is unclear when — or if — the 24-year-old Tanabe will return to fighting.

“Due to the diagnosis that MMA, any sport involving blows to the head, and the extreme dehydration that comes with weight loss are extremely dangerous, Igor has had to step back from competitive martial arts for a while,” read a statement from Rizin in a release. (via Google Translate).

According to the National Institute of N…

Esteban Ribovics to Face Nasrat Haqparast at UFC Vegas 103 on March 1

A lightweight showdown between Esteban Ribovics and Nasrat Haqparast has been added to the UFC Vegas 103 lineup.

Ribovics confirmed the booking on social media following an initial report from Marcel Dorff. UFC Vegas 103 — also known as UFC Fight Night 253 — takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 1 and is headlined by a flyweight tilt pitting Brandon Royval against Manel Kape.

Ribovics is coming off a “Fight of the Year” contender at UFC 306, where he edged Daniel Zellhuber via split decision in an entertaining slugfest. The 28-year-old Argentina native has won three straight Octagon appearances since dropping his debut to Loik Radhzhabov at UFC 285. The Kill Cliff FC representative has been victorious in 14 of his 15 professional appearances overall — with 12 of those triumphs coming inside the distance.

Haqparast, meanwhile, will take a four-bout winning streak into the matchup with Ribovics. In his lone appearance of 2024, the Moroccan defea…

Donald Cerrone Re-enters Drug Testing Pool, Targets UFC Comeback at Middleweight

The wheels are in motion for Donald Cerrone’s Ultimate Fighting Championship return.

During a recent appearance on The Pacman Jones Show, “Cowboy” revealed that he has re-entered the drug testing pool in homes of making a comeback to the Octagon by next summer. The UFC Hall of Famer initially announced his retirement following a second-round submission loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276 in July 2022. The Combat Sports Anti-Doping website shows that Cerrone has submitted to one test session thus far in 2024.

“I just re-entered the testing pool,” Cerrone said on the show. “I have to be six months clean. Probably June, July we will make the comeback. Coming back for two more. Just two more. I want 50 fights in the UFC [under the Zuffa umbrella]. I promised the wife no matter what happens, no matter the outcomes – two more and that’s it.”

While Cerrone has previously competed at lightweight and welterweight during his UFC tenure, he expects to fight i…

Coach: Ramadan Not Likely to Interfere With Rumored UFC 313 Title Matchups

[embedded content] According to a coach in the know, the month-long observation of Ramadan should not necessarily preclude a challenger from vying for a Ultimate Fighting Championship belt.

With the main events of the first two UFC pay-per-view offerings of 2025 already on the books—UFC 311 will feature Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan with a co-main of Merab Dvalishvili against Umar Nurmagomedov, while UFC 312 sees Dricus Du Plessis defending his throne against Sean Strickland while the co-headliner comes between Weili Zhang and Tatiana Suarez—speculation quickly turned to its upcoming March card. On March 8, the UFC’s regular stomping ground of the T-Mobile Arena will play host to UFC 313, and no marquee bouts have been announced yet.

Light heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira recently stated that he was planning to return in March or April, and his expected opponent would be Magomed Ankalaev. Some put the pieces together, questioning how the UFC wo…

Tatiana Suarez Has High Hopes for UFC 312: ‘When the Bright Lights Shine, So Do I’

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Great things have been expected of Tatiana Suarez since early in her Ultimate Fighting Championship career.

She’ll get a chance to deliver on that promise when she meets Weili Zhang in a strawweight title bout at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 8. The situation is a little unusual since Suarez hasn’t competed since submitting Jessica Andrade at UFC on ESPN 50 in August 2023. However, the 34-year-old Californian isn’t altering her mindset heading into the biggest fight of her career to date.

“I don’t feel any different,” Suarez recently said on UFC Unfiltered. “I just feel like it’s another fight. It’s another challenge for me. I’m really excited because I’ve never had a five-round fight. But if anybody can do it, it’s me.”

Suarez is no stranger to lengthy layoffs. Injuries sidelined her for more than three years after a victory over Nina Nunes at UFC 238 in June 2019, but she returned to the Octagon in 2023 to post back…

Source: PFL Exceeded ‘Pitbull’ Freire Contractual Obligations

As far as PFL providing everyone 2 fights this year, I really hope that’s what’s gonna happen and not because many more will be cut.

I want PFL to succeed, it’s good for the sport and for fighters.

That said, I want to leave right away. Can we agree to it this week? (2/2) https://t.co/Zvx4NS45H8 — Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) December 19, 2024

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire has not been happy with his current situation under the Professional Fighters League banner following its acquisition of Bellator MMA in 2023.

Over the course of several weeks, “Pitbull” has taken to social media to voice his displeasure with the lack of activity he’s seen in 2024, and has stated multiple times that he wants out of his contract to compete elsewhere.

A source with knowledge of the situation talked to Sherdog.com, and said the PFL has exceeded its contractual obligations with the 37-year-old featherweight champion. The sourc…

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