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UFC Vegas 95 Prelims: Karol Rosa Brutalizes Pannie Kianzad with Leg Kicks

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Sometimes, a fight comes down to the winning fighter having one elite technique, the moxie to use it, and an opponent who cannot or will not make adjustments.

In the final fight of the four-bout undercard of UFC on ESPN 61 on Saturday in Las Vegas, Karol Rosa (18-6) brutalized Pannie Kianzad (16-9) for three rounds with a barrage of calf kicks. From the opening seconds of the fight, Rosa went to work on the lead leg of Kianzad and those kicks defined the round, as Kianzad first ignored them, then began trying to pull the threatened limb out of danger, and finally, late in the round, had her leg buckle. The onslaught continued in Round 2, with Rosa pouring on the low kicks and meeting “Banzai” with punches and elbow strikes when she tried to close the distance. By the midpoint of the round, Kianzad was limping and bleeding badly from a cut opened by a Rosa elbow, but remained game, marching forward and throwing punches ev…

UFC on ESPN 61 Bonuses: All Three Finishers Receive $50K

The three fighters who didn’t need to go to the judges — Serghei Spivac, Toshiomi Kazama and Youssef Zalal — all received $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work on Saturday.

Spivac got his revenge on Marcin Tybura in the UFC on ESPN 61 main event, as he submitted the Pole in their heavyweight rematch at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. An armbar ended the contest at the 1:44 mark of Round 1.

Kazama, meanwhile, had to push through some serious adversity to earn his post-fight bonus. After being dropped by Charalampos Grigoriou early in the second stanza and then absorbing some heavy elbows on the canvas, Kazama rallied to secure a triangle choke submission at the 1:55 mark of the period.

Finally, Zalal continued his resurgence at the expense of Jarno Errens in a preliminary featherweight matchup. Zalal took Errens to the canvas and then transitioned to the back. When his opponent elected to stand, “The Moroccan Devil” was able to secure the fight-end…

Brendan Loughnane: ‘This is the Business End’ of PFL Tournament

Brendan Loughnane has been with the Professional Fighters League since 2019 and has grown with the company to a point where both parties are thriving in the present day.

Loughnane, who has only lost twice in the PFL, has figured out a method to the promotion’s regular season and playoff format, and five years later he’s prepared for business once again.

Loughnane will begin his bid to become a two-time PFL champion when he takes on UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Kai Kamaka III in the featherweight semifinals at PFL 9 on Aug. 23. During a recent media call, Loughnane discussed his veteran status with the promotion and how he feels this is the time for business with the playoffs having arrived.

“Yeah, this is the business end of the tournament now,” Loughnane said. “I’m feeling great. Another great camp, I’ve managed to stay healthy all year.”

When it comes to experience, it’s not just what he’s done in the PFL. Loughnane noted he has more car…

Caio Borralho Expects Title Shot with Finish of Jared Cannonier

Caio Borralho expects that a title shot could be imminent if he finishes his upcoming opponent.

The next middleweight championship bout is already set, as Dricus Du Plessis will put his 185-pound strap on the line against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia on Aug. 17. Borralho admits that while he has always mentally wagered against Du Plessis, the champ has proven him wrong time and again. And yet, Borralho predicts that “Stillknocks” will be dethroned by Adesanya due to a stylistic disadvantage.

“I always bet against Dricus you know, but I always lost,” Borralho told MMAjunkie.com. “Not money, but I always think that he was going to lose the fights that he got, but he did an amazing job and won the fights… But this time I think I’m gonna be again against him. I think Adesanya – stylistically I don’t see this fight match. I think Adesanya can manage the distance a lot, can kick him a little bit more. Because all of [his] previous oppon…

Anthony Smith vs. Dominick Reyes Targeted for UFC 310 on Dec. 14

A matchup of light heavyweight veterans is in the works for UFC 310.

Former title challengers Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes are expected to trade leather at UFC 310 on Dec. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The matchup was first reported by MMA Mania.

Smith is 2-4 in the Octagon since 2022. He is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Roman Dolidze at UFC 303 this past June. Prior to that, “Lionheart” submitted Vitor Petrino in the first round of their bout at UFC 301 on May 4.

Meanwhile, Reyes suffered three straight knockout defeats against Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka and Ryan Spann following his controversial loss against Jon Jones in February 2020. While “The Devastator” was scheduled to return to action after a 19-month hiatus this past February, his return was delayed due to a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially life threatening situation. Reyes return to action in June with a first-round knockout win over Dustin …

Bruno Silva Suspended Six Months for ‘Likely Unintentional’ Anti-Doping Violation

UFC middleweight Bruno Silva has accepted a six-month suspension for a “likely unintentional” drug testing failure.

The UFC’s drug testing partner, Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), announced on Friday that Silva tested positive for 3a-Hydroxy-2a-methyl-5a-androstan-17-one — a metabolite of drostanolone — in an out-of-competition sample he provided to Drug Free Sport International (DFSI) on April 11, 2024. “Blindado” also provided negative samples before being informed of the failure on March 30 (the date of his last fight), April 30 and June 14.

Silva’s positive sample also had extremely low levels of the banned substances, which led CSAD to conclude that the Brazilian did not inject drostanolone and was likely exposed to contamination. That combined with Silva’s co-operation during the entire process led to his anti-doping violation being deemed “likely unintentional.”

While this is Silva’s first drug violation under CSAD, he was suspended for two years…

Tom Aspinall Calls for Stipe Miocic To Be ‘Joe Biden’d’ from UFC Title Picture

"The guy needs to be Joe Biden'd, he's too old" 🤣

Tom Aspinall says Stipe Miocic should pull out of his fight with Jon Jones 🫣

Watch Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab: #UFC305 edition, with @AspinallMMA, @ugomonye & @AdamCatterall on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ on Sunday at 5:30PM 📺 pic.twitter.com/OA99wzZWMw — UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) August 9, 2024

While Tom Aspinall respects Stipe Miocic, he doesn’t want the veteran to stall his way to a title shot.

Miocic was originally scheduled to challenge Jon Jones for the heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November 2023 before an injury forced “Bones” out of the event. Aspinall stepped up for a short-notice interim title fight against Sergei Pavlovich on the same card, where he knocked out the Russian in the first round.

Aspinall initially called for Jones to be stripped off his title. “Honey Badger” later changed track and has been calling for a title unification mat…

UFC on ESPN 61 Weigh-in Results: Chelsea Chandler Among 3 Heavy

Tomorrow's #UFCVegas95 main event is official 🚨@MarcinTybura weighs in at 252 pounds! pic.twitter.com/3tUO5lNkPR

— UFC (@ufc) August 9, 2024 Chelsea Chandler just cannot seem to find the bantamweight limit.

After back-to-back weeks overseas, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Las Vegas for UFC on ESPN 61. The 10-fight card will be headlined by a heavyweight fight between Marcin Tybura and Serghei Spivac. Tybura will be the larger man inside the cage, weighing in 14 pounds heavier than Spivac.

While both heavyweights comfortably made weight, three other fighters on the card did not. Most notable was co-main event competitor Jose Mariscal, who came in 3.5 pounds over the featherweight limit for his bout against Damon Jackson. That wasn't even the biggest miss, though, as Chelsea Chandler came in five pounds over the bantamweight limit for her fight against Yana Santos, with this being her second time missing …

UFC 307 Official for Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5

Utah, we're coming BACK 👊#UFC307 is headed to Salt Lake City!

For more info: https://t.co/FLA3QMZl6f@StateOfSport #StateOfSport | @DeltaCenter #DeltaCenter pic.twitter.com/6JbaXCjfcD

— UFC (@ufc) August 8, 2024 For the third year in a row, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is posting up a pay-per-view party in Salt Lake City.

In 2016, the promotion first took to the city once coined “The Crossroads of the West” with a Fight Night card featuring Yair Rodriguez and Alex Caceres. Six years later, the league staged UFC 278 in the same building, then named the Vivint Arena. The company came back for UFC 291 in 2023, and UFC 307 will be the next one in the line of consecutive yearly cards. This show will be held at the Delta Center, home of the National Basketball Association’s Utah Jazz, on Oct. 5, with this venue officially confirmed by the promotion on Thursday. There is currently no headliner on the books.

Several marquee matches …

Ngannou vs. Ferreira, Cyborg vs. Pacheco Top PFL Pay-Per-View on Oct. 19

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

HE'S BACK!👑The Return of @francis_ngannou4⃣𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒2⃣𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘1⃣Gigantic night of MMA

and it all goes down on October 19th #PFLSuperFights pic.twitter.com/mDHCFd6PBp — PFL (@PFLMMA) August 7, 2024

Professional Fighters League is going big for its second pay-per-view event of 2024.

The organization announced on Wednesday that the card will be headlined by a heavyweight clash between former UFC champ Francis Ngannou and 2023 PFL champion Renan Ferreira. In the co-main event, reigning Bellator MMA featherweight title holder Cris Cyborg will square off against 2023 PFL 145-pound queen Larissa Pacheco.

The PFL pay-per-view event — which is titled “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact” — takes place on Oct. 19 and is available via ESPN+. A venue and a price point for the card were not announced. In both bouts, PFL Super Fights Championship Belts will be on the line.

Ngannou…

Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders Booked for UFC 309 on Nov. 16

Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman will return to action against Eryk Anders at what is expected to be UFC 309 on Nov. 16.

Anders’ management, Iridium Sports Agency, first brought word of the booking. While UFC 309 has not been officially announced by the promotion, it is likely to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Weidman will be making his second appearance of 2024 and third overall since suffering a gruesomely broken leg against Uriah Hall at UFC 261 in April 2021. In his last outing, “The All-American” earned his first victory since August 2020, as he took a unanimous decision over Bruno Silva at UFC on ESPN 54 on March 30.

A former linebacker at the University of Alabama, Anders has competed at both middleweight and light heavyweight during his promotional tenure. The 37-year-old has won two of his last three Octagon appearances, including a three-round verdict over Jamie Pickett in his most recent outing at UFC Fight…

Belal Muhammad Makes Case for Future Two-Division Championship Bid

Belal Muhammad doesn’t see himself being very far from a potential move up to middleweight to fight for his second title.

Muhammad got his welterweight title shot against Leon Edwards at UFC 304 after mounting a 10-fight unbeaten run. “Remember the Name” outdueled Edwards throughout five rounds in front of the latter’s home crowd in Manchester to earn a unanimous decision win.

Muhammad is already discussing a future move up to middleweight to attempt to become a two-division champion. Muhammad believes he is just two more title defenses away from being able to make that goal a reality.

Making his case, the Chicago native argues that neither of the two potential opponents for his first title defense, Kamaru Usman or Shavkat Rakhmonov, is a clear No. 1 contender. Muhammad notes that when he fought Edwards for the title, he was the undeniable title challenger. With Muhammad having already beaten several top 10 contenders on his way up to title c…

Umar Nurmagomedov Responds to Merab Davlishvili’s ‘Khabib Privilege’ Allegations

Umar Nurmagomedov has fired back at Merab Dvalishvili after the “The Machine” accused him of getting privileges in the UFC because of his connection to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov climbed eight spots to No.2 in the UFC’s bantamweight rankings with an impressive unanimous decision win over top contender Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7 last weekend. Nurmagomedov is expected to be fight for the title next against the winner of Sean O'Malley-Dvalishvili, which headlines UFC 306 on Sept. 14.

However, Dvalishvili isn’t excited about a potential clash against Umar Nurmagomedov, as he believes the Dagestani has been fast tracked on his way to title contention. Dvalishvili claims Nurmagomedov hasn’t paid his dues as much as other elite contenders and has been pushed because of Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is his cousin.

“He has a push because we all know why,” Dvalishvili recently told heavywgt MMA. “Because he’s Khabib’s cousin. He’s a good fighte…

‘Crazy’ 2024 for Kai Kamaka III Includes PFL Season, Cornering Multiple Teammates

While Kai Kamaka III hasn’t had the worst of it, the Hawaiian has seen the Professional Fighters League season format take a toll on fellow fighters.

Kamaka headlines PFL 9 opposite Brendan Loughnane in a featherweight semifinal on Aug. 23 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. It will mark Kamaka’s third outing within a span of four months, a campaign that began with back-to-back decision wins to advance to the PFL postseason.

“The Fighting Hawaiian” says his gym, Xtreme Couture, which has built a reputation for preparing fighters for short-notice outings, has been of help while fighting so frequently in the PFL season format. However, Kamaka has also seen the format take on toll on others like his teammate, PFL light heavyweight Sadibou Sy. Kamaka revealed that the Swede, who dislocated his thumb in a freak injury loss to Joshua Silveira to start off the 2024 season, has been “banged up” all season. However, “The Swedish Denzel “has since bounced b…

Sherdog Among Nominees for Top Media Source at 2024 World MMA Awards

Let's get it on! 🏆

Head to https://t.co/VeFJNoH35S to cast yours.#worldmmaawards #fightersonly pic.twitter.com/I4S77fCR00

— Fighters Only (@FightersOnly) August 6, 2024

Nominees for the 16th annual World MMA Awards have been announced, and Sherdog.com is among the candidates for Best MMA Media Source.

Fighters Only Magazine, which launched the awards in 2008, announced the full list of nominees in more than 20 categories on Tuesday. In addition to Best MMA Media Source, winners will be selected for Fighter of the Year (in multiple categories), Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Upset of the Year, Coach of the Year, Gym of the Year, Referee of the Year, Best Promotion — and much more. Award nominees are selected by a panel of insiders based on their performances between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

Voting is now live and continues through Sept. 30. Fight fans can visit the World MMA Awards website and cho…

ESPN+ Subscription Price to Increase Beginning on Oct. 17

Fans of the UFC and Professional Fighters League are going to have to endure another price hike in they want to keep watching the events held by those organizations.

Disney on Tuesday announced that the ESPN+ monthly subscription fee will increase from $10.99 to $11.99 on Oct. 17. The majority of UFC events and PFL offerings are available through ESPN+, though some can be viewed on ESPN lineal networks, as well. Meanwhile, an ESPN+ subscription is required to be able to access UFC pay-per-view events — which, of course, include an additional charge to purchase.

When the UFC initially became broadcast partners with ESPN, the price for ESPN+ was $4.99 per month. Subscription price increases have become the norm over the years, as the price was raised to $6.99 per month in 2021 and to $9.99 in 2022. Last October, it went up to $10.99.

The UFC’s broadcast deal with ESPN will expire in 2025. UFC CEO Dana White recently indicated that the promoti…

Middleweights Caio Borralho, Jared Cannonier to Headline UFC on ESPN 62 on Aug. 24

A middleweight clash pitting Caio Borralho against Jared Cannonier will serve as the main event for UFC on ESPN 62.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the booking on Tuesday. UFC on ESPN 62 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 24 and also includes a welterweight showdown between Neil Magny and Michael Morales. The evening’s main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

After earning a pair of victories on Dana White’s Contender Series, Barralho has kicked off his Octagon tenure with six consecutive triumphs. Most recently, The Fighting Nerds standout scored a second-round knockout of Paul Craig at UFC 301 on May 4.

A former middleweight title challenger, Cannonier is coming off a controversial fourth-round TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC on ESPN 57 on June 8. Prior to that defeat, “The Killa Gorilla” had been victorious in four of his last five UFC appearances, a run…

Lineup Finalized for Bellator Champions Series San Diego

Credit: Christian Stein/Sherdog Credit: Christian Stein/Sherdog Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Photo Cr…

UFC on ESPN 61’s Jose Mariscal Discusses ‘Hood Judo’ Background

Jose Mariscal recently shared some details of his lethal judo game.

A lifelong mixed martial artist, Mariscal boasts a suffocating grappling skillset with a combination of judo and jiu jitsu. Mariscal owns a black belt under Bob Schirmer in what he labels “hood judo” based on its Chicago origin. Mariscal revealed that it was that judo skillset which mostly got him out of physical altercations unscathed.

“I call it ‘hood judo’ because it’s from Chicago,” Mariscal recently told MMAjunkie.com. “Nobody really knows where I got my black belt from… It was under Bob Schirmer, the Combat-Do team. I never got into a street fight because I threw people before they even tried to punch me or try to do anything. So when I toss them, someone will lose the air out of their stomach. Someone will be kind of concussed. I’m glad I never got caught up on that.”

While Mariscal admired watching judo being translated into MMA by the likes of Georges St. Pierre and …

Javier Mendez Credits Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov for Success of Dagestani Fighters

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Javier Mendez gives the lion’s share of credit to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, for the success of his Dagestani fighters.

Mendez has formed a close bond with the Dagestani contingent over the course of years since Nurmagomedov first walked into the American Kickboxing Academy in 2012. Nurmagomedov went on to establish his status in MMA GOAT conversations by dominating the UFC’s lightweight division during his title reign before retiring with a perfect record.

Following in Nurmagomedov’s footsteps, his teammates and cousins also came under the tutelage of Mendez, bringing a plethora of talent to AKA. Mendez is now coach to UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev (26-1), Bellator lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0) and UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov (13-0), who made his case for the next gold bid with a unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen last weekend at UFC on ABC 7.

Javid Basharat Out of UFC on ESPN 61 Bout vs. Chris Gutierrez Due to Injury

Javid Basharat (14-1) is out of his UFC on ESPN 61 booking against Chris Gutierrez (20-6) due to an injury.

Basharat and Gutierrez were slated to trade leather in a bantamweight matchup at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas this weekend. However, Basharat revealed on social that he won’t be able to fight due an undisclosed injury.

“Sad to say I will not be fighting this weekend,” Basharat wrote on Instagram. “I picked up an injury too close to the fight and wouldn’t heal in time for the fight, so me and my team made a collective decision. I was in great shape thanks to all the coaches and training partners at [American Top Team]. Tthey opened their doors for me and leveled me up for sure. Now it’s time to heal up and I will be back as soon as I can.”

It is currently unknown if Gutierrez will remain on the card against a short-notice replacement opponent.

Basharat’s 14-fight winning streak was marred by an unfortunate no contest against Victor H…

UFC Fighter Ramon Taveras Details Surviving Drive-By Shooting at Florida Home

Ramon Taveras plans to move out of Duval County, Florida, after surviving an attempt on his life last week.

According to Taveras, armed men drove up to his mother’s house in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 29 and attempted to kill him. Taveras also opened fire in defense, footage of which was posted by the UFC fighter. While Taveras luckily escaped unscathed, he and his family don’t feel safe in their home any longer.

Taveras revealed that gun violence took his brother’s life in 2019, and fears he may become a victim of the same. Taveras blamed the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for alleged negligence towards the “less fortunate” parts of the city.

According to Taveras, the JSO also tried to blame him for the recent attempt on his life, accusing him of gang involvement. The UFC featherweight now plans on moving away from Jacksonville. Taveras detailed the situation in a post on Instagram:

It’s unfortunate that I even have to make a post like th…

Belal Muhammad Dismisses Coach’s Claim That Leon Edwards Had Pre-Fight Injury

Belal Muhammad is not buying the narrative from Leon Edwards’ coach that “Rocky” wasn’t 100% in their UFC 304 clash.

Muhammad dethroned Edwards via unanimous decision in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, last month. Edwards subsequently claimed to be feeling “tired” due to the timing of fight, which took place after 5 a.m. BST.

Meanwhile, Edwards’ coach, Dave Lovell, said that “Rocky” went into the fight with a with a "niggle" in his back. Muhammad has dismissed both narratives, advising Edwards’ camp to come up with unanimous excuse. “Remember the Name” believes even Edwards doesn’t listen to his coach and hopes nobody else will, either.

“He’s a joke. Like I said, he was a joke before the fight as a coach and he’s a joke after the fight,” Muhammad told MMAjunkie.com. “It’s funny that they all have different excuses. Leon was like, ‘Oh, I couldn’t sleep,’ and now his coach came out with, ‘Oh, his back was hurting.’ Get on the …

Marlon Vera Indicates Need for ‘Reset’ Following Loss to Deiveson Figueiredo

Marlon Vera plans to step away for a “reset” following his latest loss to Deiveson Figueiredo.

Vera was completely outclassed by the former flyweight champ en route to a unanimous decision loss in their bantamweight clash at UFC on ABC 7 on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This marked Vera second consecutive decision loss following a failed title bid against Sean O'Malley at UFC 299 this past March.

Addressing his latest loss, Vera admitted that he may have returned to action too soon after the O’Malley defeat.

“I fail at myself last [night]. I thought I was ready I felt good in the gym but at the end maybe I come back too quick after a hard title fight,” he wrote on Instagram. “Life doesn’t end here. I still dream about big things, I just need time to let go and reset.

Vera won four consecutive fights from 2021 to 2022, including knockouts over former champs Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz. However, the Ecuadorian has since drop…

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