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Linton Vassell, Valentin Moldavsky Excited to Complete Trilogy Under PFL Banner

Linton Vassell just knew he was going to see Valentin Moldavsky again.

“I just had a feeling and then it was funny, as you saw, Valentin called me out,” Vassell said during a PFL media call. “I knew the trilogy was gonna happen at some point. I probably thought it would happen in the final because I didn't expect to lose my first fight.

“So to me, I knew it was going to happen at some point and I'm excited that it's happening. I think it needs to happen, and this is something that has made me train even harder for this fight, considering my last outcome and considering this is a rubber match and I need to get some points.”

Vassell and Moldavsky will meet for a third time in the main event of PFL 4 on June 13 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The heavyweights squared off twice under the Bellator MMA banner, with Moldavsky winning via unanimous decision in March 2019 and Vassell avenging that defeat with a first-round knockout…

Dakota Ditcheva Grateful for PFL Support During Rise to Stardom

Things seem to be happening quickly for Dakota Ditcheva.

A few months removed from winning a Professional Fighters League Europe title, the British flyweight prospect will square off against Chelsea Hackett in the co-main event of PFL 4 on June 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Ditcheva began her 2024 campaign with a first-round stoppage of Lisa Mauldin at PFL 1, a performance that earned her six points in the regular season standings.

The Manchester Top Team product is 11-0 in her burgeoning professional tenure, and she has already been given star treatment by the PFL, which is testament to the high expectations surrounding her future. Ditcheva is grateful for the push, which she points out has been aided by the engagement of her fans as well as her performance on fight night.

“It's meant a lot. I mean, to have an organization like this behind me, this is probably what all fighters dream of,” Ditcheva said during a recent …

‘Charles Oliveira Experience’ Auctioned to Help Raise Funds for Brazilian Flood Victims

Even though he is no longer the UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira remains the most popular MMA fighter in Brazil.

With 7.6 million followers on Instagram (Anderson Silva has 5.3 million and Alex Pereira has 3.5 million), Oliveira was one of the big stars at the charity auction promoted by Brazilian soccer star Neymar Junior on Monday to help raise money for the flood victims in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. During the event, an experience with Oliveira was sold for a little less than $100,000. All told, approximately $5.1 million was raised for families victimized by the floods, a number which totals at least 13,000 people.

According to Oliveira’s coach, Diego LIma, Neymar matched the total amount in his own donation to the southern Brazilian state. The experience with Oliveira was acquired by businessman Roman Shpigel, who will have the opportunity to accomapny the Brazilian to his next UFC fight. The experience also provides behind-the-…

Steven Ray Ends Retirement, Faces Lewis Long at PFL Glasgow Main Event on Sept. 28

Steven Ray will come out of retirement for a second time for an opportunity to fight on home soil.

Ray will lock horns with Lewis Long in the welterweight main event of a PFL Europe card at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sept. 28. The promotion announced the booking on Tuesday. The card marks the organization’s first trip to Scotland and will also see Robert Whiteford face Roger Huerta in a 150-pound catchweight bout in the evening’s co-headliner. Additionally, the card will feature PFL Europe postseason bouts, and more Scottish athletes will be added to the event in the coming weeks.

“We are going to put on an MMA spectacle in Glasgow this September and make it a truly memorable debut for PFL in Scotland,” said PFL Europe head of fighter operations Dan Hardy in a release. “Glasgow is a city brimming with talent, and we’re getting excited to fill the card with not only Europe’s finest, but with a real focus on Scotland’s future MMA stars. Read more about Steven Ray Ends Retirement, Faces Lewis Long at PFL Glasgow Main Event on Sept. 28

Randy Brown Reveals He Suffered Broken Foot Early in UFC 302 Victory

Randy Brown claims that he was compromised a little more than a minute into his UFC 302 clash against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.

Brown put on a striking clinic and survived dos Santos’ wrestling to register a unanimous decision win. Brown revealed that he broke his foot 70 seconds into the fight when his teep kick connected with dos Santos’ elbow. “Rudeboy” was seen immediately limping away but was able to hide the injury from that point forward. Brown claims his entire right side was compromised, forcing him to dictate the entire action with his lead hand.

“Check it out, you can see the way I came out in the first round… watch the fight and put it at 3:50 [mark on the fight clock] in the first round,” Brown said on "The MMA Hour.”

“I throw a kick, a front kick that hit his elbow and you can hear it, it goes ‘pop.’ Destroyed my foot, I go from a 100 to a 50, and I’m fighting with one hand the whole time. Because I can’t twist on that, the one…

Alexa Grasso Refutes Valentina Shevchenko’s Claim of Theme Change for UFC 306

Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko have varying expectations about the theme of the upcoming UFC 306 card.

UFC 306 is being planned as a one-of-kind event scheduled to go down at The Sphere on Sept. 14, two days prior to the Mexican Independence Day. The UFC started a tradition of staging a card in honor of Mexican Independence Day with Noche UFC this past September. While UFC 306 is expected to have a similar theme, Shevchenko recently claimed that it’ll have nothing to do with Mexican Independence Day. Shevchenko believes the event will instead be planned around The Sphere.

"As my understanding, there is a talk about Sphere but it is not Mexican Independence Day [themed] because it is going to be focused on The Sphere,” Shevchenko told MMAjunkie.com. “It's gonna be focusing on UFC 306. So it’s kind of like, even Mexican Independence Day, it’s gonna be a few days before the event happening. So it's nothing related to Mexican Independence Day. I…

Yves Edwards: Rib Injury Limited Dustin Poirier’s Wrestling Ahead of UFC 302

Dustin Poirier apparently had no grappling practice for over two weeks leading up to his UFC 302 title challenge against Islam Makhachev.

Poirier made his third career lightweight gold bid against Makhachev in the main event at UFC 302 on Saturday. While many initially gave Poirier only a puncher’s chance and expected him to be dominated on the ground, “The Diamond” authored a surprising performance. Poirier gave his opponent a difficult test, denying Makhachev on multiple takedown attempts over the course of the bout. While Makhachev eventually submitted Poirier with a brabo choke in the final round, the Dagestani had to struggle more than expected.

What makes Poirier’s performance even more awe-inspiring is that he had no wrestling practice two weeks prior to fight night due to a rib injury. Yves Edwards, Poirier’s longtime teammate at American Top Team, made the revelation even though he knows “The Diamond” probably wouldn’t have wanted him to.…

Eddie Alvarez Believes Arman Tsarukyan Beats Islam Makhachev in Rematch

Eddie Alvarez is confident that Arman Tsarukyan can beat Islam Makhachev after witnessing lightweight champion’s latest title defense.

Alvarez was in attendance at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for UFC 302, where Makhachev put his lightweight strap on the line against Dustin Poirier in the headliner. A massive underdog going in, Poirier exceeded expectations by giving Makhachev a run for his money before submitting to a brabo choke in the final round. While Makhachev’s title run may seem similar to that of teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov, Alvarez believes the reigning champ is much more susceptible to losing than “Eagle.”

“Khabib, his greatness was in he never fought midway. Khabib fought way far away or suffocated you in. He never put himself in danger. So, he was either on top of you suffocating you, you can’t breathe, or way far away to never get hit. He was beautiful on that, he did that. And he never got really hurt during his figh…

Conor McGregor Releases Statement Regarding Canceled Press Conference

The circumstances regarding Monday’s canceled UFC 303 press conference in Dublin remain vague, but at least for now, it doesn’t appear that it will have any bearing on the upcoming fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.

McGregor released a statement via social media on Monday afternoon regarding the cancellation. While it didn’t provide much clarity as to why the event was called off, the Irish star indicated that he is still looking forward to fighting at UFC 303.

“In consultation with the UFC, today’s press conference was cancelled due to a series of obstacles outside of our control,” McGregor wrote on X. “I apologize to my Irish fans, and fans around the world, for the inconvenience and appreciate all your passion and support. I can’t wait to put on the greatest all-time show in the Octagon.”

In consultation with the UFC, todays press conference was cancelled due to a series of obstacles outside of our con…

Battery Charge Dropped Against UFC Middleweight Sedriques Dumas

A battery charge against Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Sedriques Dumas was dropped during a plea hearing on Monday in Escambia County (Fla.) court.

A nolle prosequi — a formal notice that charges are no longer being pursued — was filed by prosecutors during the hearing. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the news.

Dumas was arrested on Feb. 13 for allegedly slapping the mother of his child. The fighter posted a video on his Facebook page depicting a confrontation before police before he was taken into custody.

“All my charges have been dropped on the DV case and [f—k] everybody,” Dumas wrote in a since-deleted post on social media. “They call me a woman beater to my BM and everything else and thank you to my lawyer Greg Whibbs, one of the best lawyers that I have on my team and will always be on my team. Thank you Allah.”

Dumas has a lengthy criminal history that was brought to light prior to his UFC debut. This includes…

‘Poatan’ Eyes August Return, Claims Negotiations Underway for Prochazka Rematch

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Alex Pereira recently revealed potential opponents and a timeline for his return to action.

Prochazka successfully defended his light heavyweight title for the second time with a first-round knockout win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April. “Poatan” is now looking to return to action in August, although nothing has been finalized yet.

While Jiri Prochazka and Magomed Ankalaev are the two most logical opponents for Pereira, the Brazilian claims to already be in negotiations for a rematch with Prochazka.

“I’m not the guy to call names. I’m not the guy to pick the fights. Whoever they want me to fight [I'll fight], but the name that's on the table right now is Jiri Prochazka,” Pereira recently told Sportsnet. “So we're still in negotiations… I don’t know, we’re still in talks, I would like to fight around August but nothing concrete yet.”

While Ankalaev is the more dominant grappler of the two potential foes, Pereira cl…

Paulo Costa Vows to ‘Take Heads Off’ After UFC 302 Defeat

I will give a fuck for points, it’s not my business pic.twitter.com/iqYQq3oXLj

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) June 2, 2024

Paulo Costa has vowed to go for finishes in the future after his split-decision loss against Sean Strickland at UFC 302.

Strickland put on a defensive striking clinic to nullify Costa’s power in the co-main event at UFC 302 on Saturday. Despite Strickland completely outclassing Costa over the course of five rounds, the former champ earned only a split-decision win, with judge Dave Tirelli bizarrely scoring the fight for the Brazilian.

Tirelli, who had also inexplicably scored another fight in favor of Mitch Raposo earlier in the night, faced some harsh criticism from UFC CEO Dana White at the post-fight press conference. White also noted that Costa didn’t deliver the usual type of action for which he has become known. Meanwhile, color commentator Joe Rogan opined that “Borrachinha”…

Coach Reveals Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Conversation with Donald Trump at UFC 302

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russia's Hall of Fame UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.pic.twitter.com/PmRPj3OKgk

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) June 2, 2024

Khabib Nurmagomedov reportedly voiced a global concern to Donald Trump during their conversation at UFC 302.

Nurmagomedov was on corner duty for teammate Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title defense against Dustin Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 on Saturday. No stranger to UFC pay-per-views, former POTUS Trump was also in attendance for the event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Nurmagomedov was seen exchanging a few words with Trump after Makhachev’s fifth-round submission win over Poirier. American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez later revealed the content of the conversation between “Eagle” and Trump. According to Mendez, Nurmagomedov implored Trump to take measures to stop the ongoing Israel-Palestine war.

“Act…

Javier Mendez: Dustin Poirier Was Tougher Fight for Islam Makhachev Than Expected

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Dustin Poirier surpassed everyone’s expectations at UFC 302 — including those of American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez.

Poirier challenged Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC 302 on Saturday in his third bid for undisputed gold. A massive underdog going into the event, Poirier was widely expected to be dominated by Makhachev as he was by Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019.

When Poirier was taken down early and controlled for the majority of the opening frame, the result seemed like a forgone conclusion. However, “The Diamond” bounced back in the second round, denying Makhachev multiple takedowns to give the champ a stern test. While Poirier submitted to a brabo choke from Makhachev in the fifth round, the Louisiana native surprised fans and pundits alike by making the fight as close as he did.

Mendez, who was in Makhachev’s corner, admits to being surprised by Poirier’s performance, as well…

Alexander Volkanovski Interested in Lightweight Bout Against Dustin Poirier

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Alexander Volkanovski is exploring side hustles at lightweight while he awaits another shot at the featherweight title.

Islam Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier via fifth-round submission in the main event at UFC 302 on Saturday. Poirier subsequently hinted that he might call it a career in the aftermath of the defeat.

However, Volkanovski hasn’t completely given up hope of Poirier competing again. The former featherweight champ called for a lightweight clash against “The Diamond” while he awaits another shot at the 145-pound strap.

“Maybe, just maybe, depending on what I’m doing and when, obviously I want to fight later in the year… I don’t want to wait too long, either. So, if the timing works, maybe me and Dustin maybe we can have a good fight,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t know, he sort of just wants good, fun fights. Obviously, we have a lot of respect for e…

UFC Postpones Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler Press Conference in Dublin

Dear UFC Fans--

The #UFC303 press conference scheduled for Monday June 3rd in Dublin, Ireland at 3Arena has been postponed until further notice. We sincerely apologize to all the fans who were planning to attend. When we have further information on a new date and time, we will… pic.twitter.com/nIXRIZl5pv

— UFC (@ufc) June 3, 2024

A press conference in Dublin that was supposed to kick off promotion for the Conor McGregor-Michael Chandler headliner at UFC 303 has been postponed.

The UFC announced the news via social media on Sunday night. The presser was scheduled to take place at 3Arena in Dublin at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT on Monday. A reason for the postponement was not given.

“The press conference scheduled for Monday June 3 in Dublin, Ireland, at 3Arena has been postponed until further notice,” read a statement from the UFC. “We sincerely apologize to all the fans who were planning to attend. Whe…

Islam Makhachev Prefers New Challenge, Two-Division Title Bid to Tsarukyan Rematch

Islam Makhachev might have a ready-made contender in the lightweight division awaiting him, but that isn’t the option that intrigues him the most.

After submitting Dustin Poirier with a brabo choke in the fifth round of the UFC 302 headliner at the Prudential Arena in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night, Makhachev expressed interest in moving to 170 pounds in an attempt to become a two-division champion. He then reiterated that sentiment during Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“Who doesn’t want to be double champion? This is history. How many double champions [do] we have? This is a dream for all fighters, to get second belt,” Makhachev said.

“This is my dream. I want to be in the history and people know me like double champ. This is my dream. If I have chance, a small chance, I will get. If you want a great legacy, you have to get second belt. It’s my opinion.”

By besting Poirier, Makhachev made his third successful title defense, wh…

Sean Strickland Willing to Wait ‘As Long as It Takes’ for Middleweight Title Shot

After outdueling Paulo Costa for five rounds in the UFC 302 co-main event, Sean Strickland remains in the thick of the championship discussion at 185 pounds.

Strickland claimed middleweight gold with a massive upset of Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, but he relinquished the crown one fight later, losing a narrow split decision against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January. While Adesanya hasn’t competed since his loss to Strickland, it is expected that he will receive the next championship opportunity against Du Plessis.

As for Strickland, he is willing to wait for as long as it takes to receive what he believes he’s earned.

“As long as it takes, man. As long as it takes,” Strickland said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I want the gold, dude. I want the gold. When you’re fighting these top-10 motherf—-s, dude, you’re only one slip or dodge away from getting knocked out. I paid my penance: I went and fought Costa. I didn’t want to an…

Dana White Ranks Jon Jones Over Islam Makhachev as MMA’s Top P4P Fighter

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According to Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, there’s no debate as to who deserves to be mixed martial arts’ No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

While Islam Makhachev secured his 14th consecutive victory — and third successful title defense — with a fifth-round submission victory against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 headliner on Saturday night, White believes current heavyweight champion Jon Jones still has the superior resume.

“I think he’s [Makhachev] one of the greatest of all-time. I think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “For anyone to call Islam the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world when Jon Jones is still f—ing fighting is nuts and shouldn’t be ranking in the pound-for-pound, or doing any of the f—ing rankings ever if that’s what you really think.

“Jon Jones has never lost a fight, ever. He’s fough…

Kevin Holland Reveals Why He Apologized to Donald Trump After UFC 302 Win

Kevin Holland apologized to Donald Trump for what he perceived to be a previous snub after his first-round submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302.

Holland survived a knockdown from Oleksiejczuk to secure an armbar, which appeared to injure the Pole’s arm and forced referee Herb Dean to step in at the 1:34 mark of the opening frame. “Trailblazer” immediately jumped over the Octagon and spoke to Trump, who was in attendance for the event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Holland later revealed that he actually apologized to Trump for not greeting him in a previous instance. Holland noted that his first instinct is to always speak to UFC executives seated cageside.

“I just apologized because the first time that I hopped out of the cage when he was there, I didn’t speak to him,” Holland said during a post-fight media scrum. “And no disrespect to anybody ever, the person who signs my checks is usually the first person I’…

Grant Dawson Targets Future Showdown with Jalin Turner

Rather than seeking a rematch, Grant Dawson is looking to get over his loss against Bobby Green by beating an opponent that recently beat “King.”

Dawson bounced back from a knockout loss against Green with a dominant unanimous decision win over Joe Solecki at UFC 302 on Saturday. Dawson then called out Jalin Turner, who knocked out Green in December 2023.

“I want get back into the Top 15 by the end of this year, so I’d like to fight Jalin Turner,” Dawson said during a post-fight media scrum. “I don’t think Jalin Turner is gonna want to fight me, especially after a performance like that… He beat the guy that beat me. And there’s an easy way to get over Bobby without actually having to fight Bobby again, is beat the guy that beat him.”

Dawson was a considerable favorite going into the first UFC headliner of his career against Green in October 2023. Green knocked out Dawson in 33 seconds at UFC Fight Night 229, handing “KGD” the first loss of hi…

Ailin Perez Calls for Headlining Fight Against Kayla Harrison After UFC 302 Win

Ailin Perez called out Kayla Harrison after her win over Joselyne Edwards at UFC 302 on Saturday.

Perez and Edwards looked to settle their rivalry, which started with an altercation at the UFC Performance Institute in November 2023. “Fiona” survived a blatant head butt from Edwards and went on to register a unanimous decision victory in their preliminary bantamweight bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Argentine standout subsequently called out two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison.

Elaborating on her callout, Perez noted that the former Professional Fighters League lightweight champ currently has a lot of clout in the division. Perez wants to fight Harrison in a main event, which would be the first five rounder of the Argentine’s career if it comes to fruition.

“Yes, I called out Kayla Harrison back there in the interview,” Perez said during a post-fight media scrum. “This is the name that’s resounding in the di…

UFC 302 Bonuses: Islam Makhachev Earns Extra $100K for Latest Title Defense

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Islam Makhachev might have gotten a tougher fight than he bargained for from Dustin Poirier, but that test turned out to be quite profitable for the Dagestani champion.

Makhachev defeated Poirier via fifth-round submission to retain his lightweight crown in the UFC 302 headliner at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night. Poirier proved to be a game opponent, doing perhaps his best work in the fourth frame before submitting to a brabo choke in the final stanza. As a result, Makhachev and Poirier received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece. Meanwhile, Makhachev also earned one of the evening’s $50,000 “Performance of the Night” awards to bring his bonus total to $100,000 overall.

Elsewhere, Kevin Holland secured the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check by virtue of his quick submission victory against Michal Oleksiejczuk in a featured m…

Islam Makhachev Chokes Out Dustin Poirier in Dramatic UFC 302 Headliner

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

If a champion is defined by the quality of his rivalries, Islam Makhachev is building one hell of a résumé.

In the main event of UFC 302 on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, Makhachev (26-1) encountered stern resistance from a valiant and dangerous Dustin Poirier (30-9, 1 NC) before securing the dramatic finish.

The two lightweight greats began with some spirited exchanges on the feet but the champ, as expected, employed his wrestling quickly. Makhachev changed levels within the first minute of the fight and deposited “The Diamond” on the canvas at the base of the fence. From there, he went to work with his crushingly heavy top game. Poirier was not quite done, taking advantage of a kimura attempt by the champ to escape to his knees, but Makhachev spun behind him, secured a body triangle and went to work for a choke. Poirier survived to the end of the round, avoiding any subm…

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