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Coach: Kayla Harrison ‘Ahead of Schedule’ in Cut to Bantamweight for UFC 300

One of the most intriguing storylines heading into UFC 300 is Kayla Harrison’s ability to make the cut to 135 pounds.

According to her strength and conditioning coach, Jeremy Fedoruk, Harrison is currently “ahead of schedule” to make the bantamweight limit for her April 13 clash with Holly Holm. Fedroruk has been working with Harrison since the two-time Olympic gold medalist joined American Top Team in 2018. Fedoruk says Harrison made the decision to cut to 135 pounds after meeting with him and nutritionist Eric Pena.

“That decision was made by the team after we talked, and we didn’t see any issues for her to reach 135,” Fedoruk told Sherdog.com. “We already reached 145 pounds in the past, now we have to lose 10 more pounds.”

In the past, Harrison has relied on her power to impose her will on opponents, but Fedoruk doesn’t expect the former Professional Fighters League lightweight champ to lose strength with the drop in weight class.

“Our ca…

PFL 1 Lineup Undergoes Multiple Changes, Including Addition of Blagoy Ivanov

The card for Week 1 of the upcoming Professional Fighters League season has undergone several changes, the organization announced Tuesday.

UFC and Bellator veteran Blagoy Ivanov will replace Bruno Cappelozza and face Sergey Bilostenniy in a preliminary heavyweight bout. Meanwhile, Ilara Joanne will step in for former Bellator title challenger Denise Kielholtz and lock horns with ex-UFC contender Taila Santos in a flyweight clash.

Finally, a proposed bout pitting Kaytlin Neil against Veta Arteaga has been removed from the event, while a bantamweight showcase fight between Bryce Meredith and Ty Johnson has been added to the card.

PFL 1 takes place on April 4 at the Boeing Center in San Antonio, Texas and features heavyweights and women’s flyweights. In the main event, Ante Delija will meet Valentin Moldavsky.

A veteran of 26 professional bouts, Ivanov will return to action for the first time since July 2023, when he dropped a unanimous decisi…

UFC 302 Update: Middleweights Anthony Hernandez, Roman Dolidze to Meet on June 2

Anthony Hernandez will lock horns with Roman Dolidze in a middleweight bout at UFC 302.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the pairing. UFC 302 takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 2 and will also include a heavyweight scrap pitting Jailton Almeida against Alexander Volkov.

Hernandez will take a five-fight promotional winning streak into the matchup with Dolidze. Most recently, “Fluffy” secured a second-round submission triumph against Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 on Feb. 17. His current streak also includes victories over the likes of Edmen Shahbazyan, Marc-Andre Barriault, Josh Fremd and Rodolfo Vieira.

Dolidze, meanwhile, is coming off back-to-back defeats for the first time in his professional tenure. The skid began with a unanimous decision defeat against Marvin Vettori at UFC 286 and continued with a majority decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC Fight Night 235 main event. Prior to that, the 35-year-old Georgian …

Ex-UFC Champ Brandon Moreno Announces He’s Taking Time Off from MMA

While he isn’t retiring, Brandon Moreno needs some time away from mixed martial arts.

The former UFC flyweight champion announced via social media on Monday that he is taking a break to “rest” from the stresses of the sport. Moreno, a two-time title holder, is coming off a split-decision defeat to Brandon Royval in the UFC Fight Night 237 headliner on Feb. 24.

“I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I’m putting in the work, I’m dedicated, but the results just aren’t there, and it’s very frustrating,” Moreno said in Spanish on Instagram (translation via MMAjunkie.com). “This is something that makes me very sad, but something that makes me who I am is that I always find a way to come back.

“I think with all the technical aspect things aside, I think I’m just tired. I’m tired of the media, the same questions, the vibe, the constant pressure. I don’t even think it’s a single moment anymore. I think it’s everything I’ve piled on my shoulders …

Khusein Askhabov Suspended for Two Years Due To Failed Drug Test

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Khusein Askhabov has been suspended for two years due to anti-doping violations.

Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), which took over the UFC’s drug testing program from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in January, announced on Monday that Askhabov has been suspended for 24 months due to a failed drug test. Askhabov tested positive for metabolites of the anabolic steroid Methandienone (aka Dianabol or D-Bol) in an out-of-competition sample collected in Grozny, Chechen Republic on Feb. 6. Askhabov’s suspension became effective on Feb. 28, the day he was notified of a provisional suspension to the adverse findings.

“Lion” returned to competition after a three-year hiatus for his UFC debut in February 2023 against Jamall Emmers, where he suffered the lone professional loss of his career via unanimous decision. While Askhabov was scheduled to fight Daniel Pineda in October, the fight fell through after he was a…

Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Volkov Booked for UFC 302 in New Jersey

A clash of top heavyweight contenders has been booked for UFC 302 on June 1, as Jailton Almeida (20-3) will take on Alexander Volkov (37-10) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from Leo Guimaraes of the Brazilian outlet Super Lutas. Almeida also confirmed the bout on social media.

Almeida will look to bounce back from the first Ultimate Fighting Championship loss of his career when he takes on Volkov at UFC 302. “Malhadinho” was outwrestling Curtis Blaydes before getting knocked out by hammerfists in the second round of their UFC 299 encounter earlier this month, marking the end of a 15-fight winning streak.

Meanwhile, Volkov is riding a three-fight winning streak, which includes a submission win over Tai Tuivasa in his most recent outing at UFC 293 in September 2023. Notably, “Drago’s” only losses in recent years have come against reigning interim champ Tom Aspinall and forme…

Payton Talbott Explains Why He Chose MMA Over Career in Psychology

Payton Talbott’s admitted insensitivity might have had something to do with him choosing a career in mixed martial arts over one in psychology.

The undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight prospect had never trained in MMA until the age of 17 or 18, when he saw Conor McGregor’s highlights while sitting at a restaurant. Talbott was getting his bachelors in psychology from the University of Nevada when he started dabbling in the sport.

“I have a bachelor’s in it [psychology]… I did general but towards the later years I got super into the neuroscience courses because they were more interesting to me. But I started out wanting to do clinical…I got into that [MMA] when I was a senior in high school,” Talbott said during an appearance on "The MMA Hour.”

“When I just graduated, I like didn’t have sports anymore, I was just super bored. And I had always been interested in psychology, so I just did both of those. I was an amateur fighte…

Dana White Picks Jon Jones Over Khabib Nurmagomedov as MMA GOAT

Dana White has given his verdict on the MMA’s greatest of all time debate.

Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and reigning heavyweight champion Jon Jones are arguably the two frontrunners in the race for the MMA GOAT along with others like Demetrious Johnson and Anderson Silva. For White, however, there is no question Jones holds the No. 1 spot. “Bones,” who made 13 successful defenses of the light heavyweight belt, returned from a lengthy hiatus to claim the heavyweight crown with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Jones career record stands at 27-1 with one no contest, but his lone defeat was a controversial disqualification loss to Matt Hamill.

“He’s never been beat,” White told Lex Fridman. “He destroyed everyone at light heavyweight, which at the time was the toughest weight class in the company, in the sport. And then he moved up to heavyweight, won easily at heavyweight. And when you look at the guy and you look …

Sean O’Malley Says Merab Dvalishvili Will Be His Next Opponent

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It appears that Merab Dvalishvili will receive his long-awaited title shot.

Dvalishvili was expected to be Sean O’Malley’s opponent for his first title defense before “Suga” called out Marlon Vera after claiming the belt with a knockout of Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. In the meantime, “The Machine” went on beat Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 last month to extend his winning streak to 10. While most thought the Cejudo victory would have cemented Dvalishvili’s title shot, O’Malley shifted focus to featherweight champ Ilia Topuria after successfully defending his bantamweight strap against “Chito” at UFC 299 earlier this month.

While Dvalishvili couldn’t figure why O’Malley wasn’t interested in fighting him, he had faith in the UFC giving him the much-awaited gold bid. And it appears the Georgian was correct, as O’Malley recently confirmed him as his next opponent — albeit without a date and location. Dismissing allegations of ducking Dva…

Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy to Headline UFC Fight Night on May 18

A featherweight clash pitting Edson Barboza against Lerone Murphy will serve as the headliner for a UFC Fight Night event on May 18.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMA journalist Laerte Viana. The card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and also includes a flyweight showdown between Tim Elliott and Tatsuro Taira.

Barboza is 4-3 in UFC competition since moving to 145 pounds from the lightweight division. The 38-year-old Brazilian is coming off a 2-0 campaign in 2023 in which he defeated Billy Quarantillo via first-round knockout at UFC on ESPN 44 and outpointed Sodiq Yusuff over five rounds in the UFC Fight Night 230 headliner.

A native of Stockport, England, the 32-year-old Murphy has yet to taste defeat in 14 professional outings. After battling Zubaira Tukhugov to a split draw in his Octagon debut at UFC 242, “The Miracle” has been victorious in his last five Octagon appearances. Most recently,…

Maycee Barber Reveals She Was Hospitalized Nine Days Following UFC 299

Maycee Barber looked strong during a unanimous decision triumph against Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, but that wasn’t the case shortly after the event.

Barber revealed Monday via social media that she was hospitalized for nine days due to an infection following the March 9 card in Miami. According to the post, doctors struggled to identify the cause.

Following my fight, I spent [nine] days in the hospital being tested and treated for an infection that they thought were a mix of different things from strep A to staph,” Barber wrote on Instagram. “Being in the hospital and still not having a true definitive answer while battling a 105 degree fever for days, having extremely low blood pressure, HR, and oxygen, was incredibly hard. Despite having multiple IV antibiotics and medications over the course of several days, they were unable to get my fever to drop, which eventually led to me developing pneumonia. It definitely wasn’t what I had planned and wa…

Report: Igor da Silva’s Purse Withheld After Biting Incident at UFC on ESPN 53

It just keeps getting worse for Igor da Silva.

According to a report from MMAFighting.com, da Silva had his fight purse withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after biting Andre Lima’s arm in the second round of their flyweight clash at UFC on ESPN 53 this past Saturday. Da Silva, who is commonly referred to as Igor Severino, was disqualified at the 2:52 mark of Round 2 once it was determined there were bite marks on Lima’s arm.

It is unclear how much da Silva was set to earn because purses are no longer disclosed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Da Silva was subsequently cut by the UFC, and he could face further discipline at the next NSAC meeting. A similar incident in combat sports occurred on June 28, 1997, when Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their boxing rematch. As a result, Tyson had his boxing license revoked — it was reinstated on appeal in 1998 — and he was fined $3 million.

Da Silva, who at…

Karl Williams Explains ‘Barbecue’ Callout to Stipe Miocic After UFC on ESPN 53 Victory

Karl Williams uniquely challenged Stipe Miocic to a cookout following his victory over Justin Tafa at UFC on ESPN 53.

Williams dominated Tafa on the ground for three rounds to cruise to a unanimous decision win on Saturday. Williams used his Octagon interview to issue a one-of-a-kind challenge to former heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic for a barbecue cookout.

“I wanna call out if I can, Stipe Miocic. He works at the firehouse and he said he’s gonna be barbecuing,” Williams said. “He’s working on learning how to barbecue, so this summer let’s do a charity cookout if he’s not busy, you know. He’s an important man. But if you got some time, your firehouse against me and my crew at a charity barbecue [to] help firefighters. So that’s my biggest thing.”

A barbecue enthusiast himself, Williams later explained that the idea of a cookout occurred to him when Miocic got talking about barbecuing with his team of firefighters. Williams had a firefighter nei…

Daniel Cormier Vows to Quit NCAA Wrestling Commentary Over Criticism

Daniel Cormier says he won’t be returning to NCAA wrestling commentary after criticism received during his latest stint.

Cormier is a former NCAA All-American wrestler from Oklahoma State University and a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic wrestling squad. After switching to MMA and becoming a two-division UFC champ, “DC” was invited to continue calling fights for the NCAA wrestling championship. Despite his vast experience in combat sports and commentating, Cormier’s commentary has drawn mixed reviews. While some saw Cormier’s energetic style as the way forward, others criticized him for not being technical enough.

Cormier has decided to step away from NCAA commentary after his latest gig over online backlash.

“You guys have it. I am out sorry to ruin your experience! You know I don’t ask to do this. Very important people ask me to do it. Anyhow carry on my friend, I am out. Back to the minor leagues for me.

“Guys [I’m] out. This will be my…

Diego Sanchez Describes ‘Traumatic Experience’ with Ex-Coach Joshua Fabia

Diego Sanchez recently went on an Instagram rant against his former coach Joshua Fabia in a form of retaliation after being allegedly traumatized for years.

Fabia initially came to the limelight during Sanchez’s bizarre release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2021. Fabia asked the UFC for every medical report of Sanchez’s career, raising concerns about the fighter’s health. When the UFC asked for an assurance about Sanchez’s sound health, the fighter told the promotion through a lawyer that he couldn’t vouch for his health, as he was no health professional and hadn’t recently undergone neurological evaluation. A booking with Donald Cerrone fell through following this, and Sanchez was abruptly released from the promotion.

Sanchez soon parted ways with Fabia, who then accused the fighter of taking advantage of him, being an addict and having sexual abuse issues. While Sanchez initially didn’t respond to Fabia, he has now accused the awa…

Rose Namajunas Won’t Turn Down Title Shot: ‘If They Want to Give Me That, I’ll Take It’

Now that she’s back on a winning track, Rose Namajunas is ready to make moves in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division.

The ex-strawweight champion earned her first 125-pound victory on Saturday night, as she took a unanimous decision triumph over Amanda Ribas in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was competitive for the duration, but Namajunas enjoyed more control time and appeared the land more strikes of consequence throughout. Perhaps just as important was the fact that “Thug” Rose is getting more comfortable in her new weight class.

“I felt actually pretty good,” Namajunas said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “There was some things to work on. I wasn’t as quick, as snappy, as I wanted to be. My arms are a little bigger. I also could feel my strength was great. I know everybody thinks I’m small or weak or something like that, so it’s just good to get better at the grappling aspect o…

Payton Talbott Willing to ‘Put My Time In’ for Desired Sean O’Malley Matchup

Payton Talbott is ready to take on tough competition to climb his way up to a dream matchup against Sean O'Malley.

Talbott delivered a lopsided beatdown of Cameron Saaiman to score a second round TKO win at UFC on ESPN 53. With his second consecutive finish in as many UFC outings, Talbott inched just a little bit closer to a potential clash against thereigning bantamweight champ, whom the Reno native had named as his “dream matchup” after his Contender Series win last year. Talbott is willing to take on tough competition to make it into reality.

“I just need to keep having performances like that [to get the O’Malley fight], do my dirty work and just keep eating dogs like that,” Talbott told media after the fight (video via MMAjunkie.com). “I know I need to put my time in and solidify myself against game opponents, so I’m more than willing to do that.”

While he is currently undefeated, Talbott called for a chance to correct a loss against one …

Fernando Padilla Discusses Significance of ‘Luffy’ Hat After UFC on ESPN 53 Triumph

The straw hat worn by Fernando Padilla during his UFC on ESPN 53 walkout is a representation of a new chapter with added responsibilities in his life, according to the Mexican featherweight.

Padilla dropped Ecuadorian debutant Luis Pajuelo before submitting him with a standing brabo choke less than three minutes into their fight on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Padilla was seen sporting a straw hat during his walkout and after the fight, which he later revealed was a tribute to a fictional anime character. Padilla’s hat resembled that of Monkey D. Luffy, also known as "Straw Hat" Luffy, a protagonist in the Japanese manga series “One Piece” and founder and captain of the “Straw Hat Pirates.”

Much like Luffy, Padilla, who has been a longtime member of the Team Oyama gym in Irvine, California, is looked up to by his teammates. Under the guidance of head coach Colin Oyama, Padilla is ready to take up some leadership responsibilities and plan…

Igor da Silva Cut from UFC Roster Following Disqualification for Biting

Andre Lima picks up the win over Igor Severino due to a DQ from Severino, who bit Lima’s arm 😳 #UFCVegas89 pic.twitter.com/NQTJuSh9G3

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 23, 2024

A clash of highly-touted flyweight debutants met an unfortunate end due a blatant foul on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 53.

Undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series graduates Igor da Silva and Andre Lima met in the second fight of the card, setting the standard high early on with fast-paced action. Both fighters went toe-to-toe from the very onset, splitting the judges’ scorecards for the first round. The second round continued to show all the promises of a barnburner before Lima complained of da Silva biting him in a clinch position.

Referee Chris Tognoni paused the contest and called in the cageside doctor to inspect. A deep bite mark could be seen on Lima’s left bicep, leading to da Silva getting disqualified at the 2:52 mark of Round 2. This…

Julian Erosa Calls Out Transgender Swimmer Lia Thomas After UFC on ESPN 53 Win

Julian Erosa chose to forgo his planned callout during his Octagon interview at UFC on ESPN 53, but he didn’t remain silent for the rest of the night.

After getting cracked by Ricardo Ramos in opening exchanges, Erosa locked in a slick guillotine, which earned him the tap less than halfway through the opening frame. While “Juicy J” chose to skip his planned callout in the Octagon, he went through with it during the post-fight media scrum.

Owing his dislike for “cheaters”, Erosa took a dig at controversial transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. A former University of Pennsylvania swimmer, Thomas underwent gender transition through hormone replacement therapy. While Thomas competed for the University of Pennsylvania men’s team in 2018-2019, she later went on to compete for the women’s team and in January 2022 became the first openly transgender athlete in history to win a NCAA Division 1 championship in any sport.

“I was gonna say that I don’t like ch…

UFC on ESPN 53 Bonuses: Andre Lima Receives $50K for ‘Bite of the Night’

Tonight's BOTN 💰💰 #UFCVegas89 pic.twitter.com/Ngttbbryr8

— UFC (@ufc) March 24, 2024

Andre Lima’s Ultimate Fighting Championship debut didn’t go exactly as planned, but he did earn some additional income for his troubles.

After earning a disqualification victory over Igor da Silva when his opponent bit his arm 2:52 into Round 2 of their preliminary flyweight bout at UFC on ESPN 53, Lima received a $50,000 “Bite of the Night” bonus from the Las Vegas-based promotion. This compensation was enhanced by the fact that Lima also got a tattoo to commemorate the moment on the spot where the bite occurred.

The UFC also handed out its more traditional bonuses on Saturday.

Payton Talbott and Fernando Padilla each received $50,000 “Performance of the Night” checks for finishes on the evening’s main card. Talbott overwhelmed Cameron Saaiman en route to a technical knockout victory 21 seconds into Round 2 of their bantamweigh…

Rose Namajunas Outduels Amanda Ribas in UFC on ESPN 53 Main Event

Perhaps Rose Namajunas can redefine herself at 125 pounds after all. If nothing else, her latest performance represents a step in the right direction.

The two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight titleholder on Saturday used her vast array of tools to capture a five-round unanimous decision over Amanda Ribas in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, all for Namajunas (12-6, 10-5 UFC), who bounced back from consecutive losses to Carla Esparz and Manon Fiorot.

Neither woman gained a discernible standup edge in a showdown that was heavy on tactics and light on highlights. Namajunas was the cleaner striker, but her Brazilian adversary was the busier of the two. “Thug Rose” shined brightest in the ground exchanges. She executed takedowns of her own and made a number of high-risk head-and-arm throws from Ribas work in her favor—a development that allowed the Milwaukee native to shi…

UFC on ESPN 53 Prelims: Julian Erosa Guillotines Reeling Ricardo Ramos

Julian Erosa still has a don’t-blink quality about him.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22 semifinalist on Saturday moved his Ultimate Fighting Championship record back to .500, as he rallied to submit Ricardo Ramos with a guillotine choke in the first round of their featured UFC on ESPN 53 featherweight prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Erosa (29-11, 7-7 UFC) drew the curtain 2:15 into Round 1, closing the book on his two-fight losing streak.

The 28-year-old Ramos (16-6, 7-5 UFC) employed an active kicking game and decked the Xtreme Couture standout with a concussive right hand before swooping in for a takedown. He connected with some mild ground-and-pound, only to see the crafty Erosa escape to his feet. Ramos shot on the hips soon after but left his neck exposed while doing so. Erosa bit down on the guillotine, refused to relinquish his grip and prompted the tapout.

Ramos has suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in his 22-fight car…

Two Flyweight Bouts Booked for UFC Fight Night Event in Las Vegas on June 15

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A pair of flyweight matchups have been added to a UFC Fight Nightevent set to go down at the Apex in Las Vegas on June 15.

Alex Perez (24-8) will take on Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2), while Nathan Maness (15-3) is scheduled to lock horns with Jimmy Flick (17-7). Perez vs. Ulanbekov was first reported by Eurosport NL’s Marcel Dorff on X (formerly known as Twitter), while James Lynch initially brought word of Maness vs. Flick.

Perez is currently on a three-fight losing skid, most recently suffering a unanimous decision loss at the hands of the surging Muhammad Mokaev in March. Prior to that, the California native suffered back-to-back Round 1 submission losses against Deiveson Figueiredo and Alexandre Pant…

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