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Liz Carmouche Says She Hasn’t Vacated Bellator Title, But Focus is on PFL Season

As far as Liz Carmouche is concerned, she is still the reigning Bellator MMA flyweight champion.

But with that in mind, making her way through the Professional Fighters League season is currently the top priority.

“I didn’t vacate it,” Carmouche said of her Bellator belt during a recent PFL media call. “I don’t know where the standing is. My understanding is that all the women are given an opportunity to come over to the PFL, and that we chose to have the flyweight weight class added in for PFL. So that inclusion meant that there may not be a [125-pound] weight class in Bellator. I certainly don’t remove the idea that if I had an opportunity to defend my belt in Bellator I would, but right now my main focus is just trying to achieve getting to the finals and a belt for PFL.”

Carmouche will square off against Kana Watanabe at PFL 4 on Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. It’s a rematch of a June 2021 fight, which Carmouche…

Before Signing with PFL, Chelsea Hackett Struggled to Find Fights in Australia

Chelsea Hackett is essentially in win-or-go-home mode heading into her PFL 4 co-main event matchup with Dakota Ditcheva.

However, Hackett is simply thankful to be competing on a regular basis after sitting on the sidelines for nearly three years on the heels of a loss to Victoria Leonardo on Dana White's Contender Series in November 2020. Thursday’s bout will mark Hackett’s third fight in approximately 10 months under the Professional Fighters League banner — a welcome change for the Australian muay thai specialist.

“The PFL has been a huge part of my career,” Hackett said during a recent media call. “I’m still only [24]. I’ve got more learning and growing to do as I get older and as I rack up fights. I’m a female fighter out of Australia. There is such a shallow pool of females — competitive and professional — in my neck of the woods. So I went almost three years without being able to get a matchup after I fought on Dana White’s Contender Serie…

Invicta FC Announces U.S. Broadcast Deal with CBS Sports Network

Our new home @CBSSports is the perfect partner for @InvictaFights.

2024 will be a landmark year for us and we are excited to demonstrate why Invicta FC is the leading brand in women's MMA, giving fans around the world a front-row seat to the action on our biggest platform yet. pic.twitter.com/ouKNIz4R7G

— Shannon Knapp (@shanknapp) June 11, 2024

Invicta Fighting Championships has a new broadcast home.

The all-female promotion announced on Tuesday that it has inked an exclusive U.S. television rights deal with CBS Sports. As a result of the agreement, Invicta will air five events in 2024 on CBS Sports Network. That will begin with Invicta FC 55 on June 28, a card that is headlined by a women’s bantamweight title tilt between Talita Bernardo and Olga Rubin. It is not stated whether the broadcast deal extends beyond 2024.

“CBS Sports is the perfect partner for Invicta FC,” said Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp. “…

Manager: Kayla Harrison Will Be the Biggest Female Star in MMA History

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Ali Abdelaziz believes Kayla Harrison is levels above everyone in her division.

Abdelaziz predicts Harrison will follow the trajectory of former UFC pound-for-pound leaders he has managed like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman and reigning lightwweight king Islam Makhachev. Abdelaziz claims it has been difficult to find opponents for Harrison despite the UFC offering lucrative amounts of money. According to Abdelaziz, opponents ducking a fighter is sure sign of a future pound-for-pound great.

“Kayla will be the biggest female star in history, I’m telling you… It’s just a matter of time, like it’s happened to Khabib, nobody wanna fight him, happened to Islam Makhachev and now they’ve become the pound-for-pound king,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “You have to understand, the last three guys who’s the pound-for-pound no. 1 — Kamaru Usman, we picking fights in hotel lobbies to get him fights. He become the pound-for-pound No. 1. …

Dustin Poirier Praises New UFC Gloves

Dustin Poirier is one of the few Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes thus far who has positive things to say about the promotion’s new gloves.

The UFC introduced the new gloves starting with UFC 302 on June 1. Along with several other issues, the gloves were designed to mitigate the eye pokes that have been rampant in the sport.

Poirier liked the new gloves, as he felt that they helped keep his fist closed better than the previous ones. However, Poirier noted that the gloves had thinner padding, as he showed off severely bruised knuckles even nine days after his fight against Islam Makhachev. Poirier further recalled that despite landing 178 significant strikes in his 2019 interim lightweight title win over Max Holloway, his knuckles weren’t as bruised as in his fight against Makhachev, where he landed only 74. Poirier shared his thoughts on the new golves during an appearance on "The MMA Hour.”

“I like them, I like them. My hands kind of got a littl…

Sean Strickland, Mike Perry Trade Barbs Over BKFC Fighter Pay

Sean Strickland and Mike Perry recently engaged in a dispute regarding fighter pay in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Strickland was asked about a potential career in the BKFC leading up to his UFC 302 clash against Paulo Costa on June 1. Strickland completely dismissed the idea.

“Oh f—k, how much will I fight f—ing bareknuckle for? Nothing they would pay me…They’re paying their guys shit… Breaking their hands, breaking their orbitals, they’re making a couple thousand bucks,” Strickland said.

Perry, who lost $50,000 by betting on Costa, later took a shot at the former UFC middleweight champ. Perry believes Strickland shouldn’t be talking about fighter pay, as he is probably making much less in the UFC than “Platinum” is in BKFC.

“Sean Strickland, he’s fighting for the UFC for pesos and I’m getting paid over here,” Perry said on the Overdogs podcast. “He’s always posting videos on Instagram where he walks outside of his garage or hi…

Alex Pereira Responds to Jamahal Hill’s Latest Comments About UFC 300 Bout

Alex Pereira is somewhat bewildered by Jamahal Hill’s delayed reaction to their UFC 300 fight.

Pereira starched Hill in the opening frame of the UFC 300 headliner in April to defend his light heavyweight title. “Poatan” did the famous "Khaby Lame" reaction pointing towards a folded Hill.

Nearly two months after UFC 300, Hill has expressed his displeasure with Pereira’s post-fight celebration, which “Sweet Dreams” found to be disrespectful. Hill noted that he had nothing but respect for Pereira’s teammate, Glover Teixeira, after dethroning him at UFC 283 in January 2023.

Pereira knocked out Hill moments after brushing off an accidental low blow and stopping referee Herb Dean from intervening. Hill further claimed that the unusual sequence helped Pereira set up his knockout blow. Hill promised to exact revenge in a post on his Instagram account.

“Now I haven’t really spoke on this but I went to Brazil and DOGG WALKED your guy in one of th…

Welterweights Gilbert Burns, Sean Brady Agree to Bout at UFC Fight Night on Sept. 7

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Zachary Reese Dedicates First UFC Victory to Late Brother

The moment Zachary Reese earned his first Ultimate Fighting Championship victory on Saturday, he remembered his late brother Austin, who had pushed him toward this journey.

Having grown up watching the UFC, Reese has been dreaming of being a fighter since high school. “Savage” started his pro career with six consecutive first round finishes — including one on Dana White's Contender Series last year to earn his UFC contract. However, Reese’s hype train was derailed in his promotional debut by a first-round knockout loss against Cody Brundage at UFC Austin in December 2023.

Reese returned to the win column on Saturday with a 20-second knockout of Julian Marquez at UFC on ESPN 57.

“I feel like a million bucks man,” Reese said in a backstage interview with the UFC. “I’m just like all you fans, when I was in high school I used to beg my parents for pay-per-view money or we’d go to Buffalo Wild Wings when we couldn’t scrounge up the bucks. And ye…

Sean O’Malley Skeptical Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Cory Sandhagen Comes to Fruition

Sean O'Malley doubts Umar Nurmagomedov will show up for his upcoming clash against Cory Sandhagen.

Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov are scheduled to headline UFC on ABC 7 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3. O’Malley will keep an eye on what has been billed as a title eliminator matchup if it does come to fruition.

O’Malley took a dig at Nurmagomedov, accusing the Dagestani of pulling out of fights habitually. Nurmagomedov was previously scheduled to fight Sandhagen at UFC Nashville in August 2023 but a shoulder injury forced him out of the event.

O’Malley is also surprised at underdog status of Sandhagen, whom “Sugar” considers to be one of the most skilled fighters on the entire UFC roster. The bantamweight champ believes Sandhagen is better than Nurmagomedov and replied in affirmative when asked if he is picking “Sandman” in the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi headliner.

“Yeah, I mean I’ll tune it if it happens,” O’Malley told MMAFighting.c…

Punahele Soriano Contemplated Retirement Before UFC Louisville Victory

“I felt so much pressure.”

Punahele Soriano (@puna185) contemplated retirement before making his welterweight debut, getting his first win since July 2022 and feels like he has new life in a new division.#UFCLouisville Results, Interviews & More ➡️: https://t.co/gAKitEJGRT

— UFC News (@UFCNews) June 9, 2024

Punahele Soriano had a lot on his mind going into his UFC on ESPN 57 clash against Miguel Baeza on Saturday.

Coming off consecutive stoppage losses and 1-4 in his last five bouts overall, Soriano was admittedly feeling the pressure ahead of his welterweight debut. However, “Story Time” grew confident as he entered fight week, which translated quite well into his performance at UFC Louisville. Soriano bounced back in a strong manner, barely falling short of getting the finish in a dominant unanimous decision win over Baeza. The Hawaiian also set records for the most significant ground strikes landed in a single UF…

Carlos Prates Admits to Smoking Cigarettes During Camp, On Fight Day

Carlos Prates certainly doesn’t function like most elite fighters.

Prates knocked out Charlie Radtke with a knee to the body at UFC on ESPN 57 on Saturday. Prates was seen smoking a cigarette when he found out that he would be returning home with a $50,000 bonus for his performance.

Before finding out about his bonus win, Prates revealed that he had smoked even on the day of the fight. Having spent more years of his life as a smoker than as a non-smoker, it is now just a part of the routine for “Carlao.”

“I think I smoke since [I was] 15 years old,” Prates told Full Send MMA. “I have more time living smoking than without smoking. So for me it’s normal, I smoke before the fight, on the day of the fight, it’s normal. Now we here in Louisville, so I try to go drink some whiskey because here is capital of whiskey and I really like whiskey.”

Prates also admits that’s he is a difficult fighter to work with due to his lifestyle habits. The 30-…

UFC Interim Heavyweight Champ Tom Aspinall Reveals Origin of Potential Nickname

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While Tom Aspinall isn’t keen on having a nickname, one possibility is starting to grow on him.

Aspinall became the interim heavyweight champ with a first-round knockout win in a short-notice clash against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023. Aspinall embraced the nickname “Honey Badger” proposed by Daniel Cormier ahead of the bout, though it wasn’t made official at the time.

Aspinall recently explained how that nickname came to be. When Aspinall told Cormier and Jon Anik at the fighter-commentator meeting that he performs better under threat, “DC” likened him to a honey badger. Usually attacking only when threatened by predators, honey badgers are arguably one the fiercest fighters of the animal kingdom, known to take on larger animals like leopards and lions. While Aspinall was still reluctant to have a nickname, “Honey Badger” certainly got his attention.

“I’ve always been against nicknames, like for myself, not …

Kai Asakura Vacates Rizin Bantamweight Title, Announces He’s Signing with UFC

Dominick Reyes Felt ‘Relief’ After Earning First Win in Nearly Five Years

Dominick Reyes was responsible for perhaps the biggest feel-good moment at UFC on ESPN 57.

By knocking out Dustin Jacoby in the first round of their co-main event clash on Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Reyes ended a victory drought that spanned nearly five years.

“It’s a relief, absolutely,” Reyes said at the post-fight press conference. “When he hit me, that was a relief. I was like, ‘I’m still here.’ I had so many questions — just questioning myself. Then I saw my performance. I felt it out there. I was like, ‘I really do love this, and I’m not going anywhere.’”

It was Reyes’ first appearance since November 2022 and his first victory since a first-round KO of Chris Weidman on Oct. 18, 2019. After the Victorille, California, native took Jon Jones to the brink of defeat in their fight at UFC 247, it would have been hard to imagine that Reyes would have endured a slump that lasted this long. As his triumphant moment unfolded, it…

Nassourdine Imavov Supports Jason Herzog’s Stoppage in UFC Louisville Headliner

According to Nassourdine Imavov, it was only going to get worse for Jared Cannonier. The French middleweight earned the most significant victory of his career to date in the UFC on ESPN 57 main event, as he defeated Cannonier via fourth-round technical knockout on Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Imavov put his opponent on skates with a clean right hand, but Cannonier appeared to be regaining his bearings when referee Jason Herzog stepped in to wave off the fight at the 1:34 mark of Round 4.

While Herzog was heavily criticized in the aftermath, Imavov believes the veteran official made the right call.

“It’s the job of the referee to decide if the fighter is able to keep going or not,” Imavov said at the post-fight press conference. “He took a lot of damage, and he would’ve taken even more if the fight would’ve continued, so I think it was the right decision to stop it.”

It was a slow burn for Imavov leading up to the fin…

Video Shows Tension Between Aljamain Sterling, UFC Prior to O’Malley Fight

Behind the scenes footage shows Hunter Campbell convincing Aljamain Sterling not to pull out of the Sean O’Malley fight

Dana White was not happy with Aljamain’s hesitance to take the fight 😬#UFC #MMA

pic.twitter.com/NC9DjJpnXX — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 8, 2024

Relations were a little strained between the UFC and Aljamain Sterling leading up to UFC 292.

When Dana White first announced the UFC 292 title fight between Sterling and Sean O’Malley, coach Ray Longo said that Sterlling hadn’t yet agreed to the fight. Recently revealed behind-the-scenes footage from “Fight Inc: Inside the UFC” shows White venting his frustration at Sterling for putting the fight in doubt.

“So, we make the fight, Aljo vs. O’Malley. But when [Sterling] goes out in the public, he says all the wrong things,” White said. “I announce the fight and the first thing Aljo says is, ‘If my body holds up.’ So, now you have fans going, ‘Sho…

Rosas Jr. Hopes Turcios Doesn’t Use Alleged Staph Infection as Excuse for Loss

Ricky Turcios apparently told Raul Rosas Jr. that he had staph infection after their UFC on ESPN 57 clash on Saturday.

Rosas Jr. settled his rivalry with Turcios with a second-round submission win at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The 19-year-old survived a rear naked choke attempt in the first round and locked in one of his own in the next round to force the tap.

Rosas Jr. later revealed the words he exchanged with Turcios in the Octagon following the win. The rivalry between the two started with their original booking at UFC Mexcio City this past February. Rosas Jr. pulled out of the fight moments before walking out, as he couldn’t recover from a bout of sickness despite his best efforts. Turcios was unhappy with Rosas Jr. for pulling out and slammed his opponent for disrespecting the “Bushido code.”

Rosas Jr. and Turcios once again brought up the subject after their UFC Louisville clash on Saturday. That eventually led to Tur…

Cut Forced Oliveira to Turn Down Short-Notice Fight vs. Makhachev at UFC 295

The UFC tried to book Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev for #UFC295 at MSG after Jon Jones pulled out.

Charles Oliveira turned it down since the cut still hadn’t fully healed.#UFC #MMA

pic.twitter.com/3BcMYKIZJu — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 8, 2024

The cut that forced Charles Oliveira out of UFC 294 proved to be quite costly.

Oliveira was scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 294 in October 2023. However, the night before Oliveira was supposed to leave for Abu Dhabi from Brazil, “do Bronx” suffered a nasty cut in sparring that forced him out of the matchup. Oliveira was replaced on 12 days’ notice by Alexander Volkanovski, who went on to suffer a vicious first-round knockout loss. The latest season of “Fight Inc: Inside the UFC” shows behind the scenes footage of what went on after Oliveira pulled out.

UFC president Dana White came down hard on Oliveira for jeopardiz…

Horiguchi Avenges Loss to Pettis, Koike Quickly Submits Archuleta at Rizin 47

⚔️HORIGUCHI GETS REVENGE!

He defeats Sergio Pettis by UD!

Watch on #RIZIN TV!🔗https://t.co/CXiPKkswl0

[ #RIZIN47 ] pic.twitter.com/EDrrQmedwC

— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) June 9, 2024 Rizin Fighting Federation flyweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi avenged his 2021 Bellator MMA loss to Sergio Pettis with a clear-cut unanimous decision victory on Sunday at Rizin 47 in Tokyo, Japan. Horiguchi controlled the first two rounds of the bantamweight main event and overcame a knockdown in the final round to take the well-deserved win in an entertaining fight. Horiguchi (33-5, 1 NC, 14-1 Rizin), who suffered a fourth-round knockout loss to Pettis (23-7, 0-1 Rizin) in their first meeting at Bellator 272, fought wisely in the rematch and frustrated Pettis with jabs and leg kicks before taking him down in the opening round. The middle stanza began with a takedown from Horiguchi and he kept Pettis down against a corner post for more than…

Video: UFC Discussed Booking Kamaru Usman vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov in Abu Dhabi

Behind-the-scenes footage of UFC matchmaking:

The UFC wanted to book Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Kamaru Usman in Abu Dhabi but Ali Abdelaziz told Dana White that Kamaru wanted to fight Wonderboy.

Khabib also said Shavkat vs Usman was the fight to make.

🎥 Fight Inc: Inside the UFC,… pic.twitter.com/9MMJb0Eu12

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 8, 2024 While the UFC wants Kamaru Usman to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov, the former welterweight champ seemingly would prefer to face Stephen Thompson instead.

The latest season of Fight Inc: Inside the UFC revealed behind the scenes footage of the promotion’s matchmaking. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby was seen explaining the welterweight picture to company CEO Dana White. While Shelby was considering a matchup between Kevin Holland and Rakhmonov, “Trailblazer” allegedly didn’t want to fight the Kazakh phenom.

Meanwhile, streaking Australian contender Jack Della Maddalena has been…

UFC on ESPN 57 Bonuses: Brunno Ferreira Banks $50K for Spinning Back Elbow KO

Brunno Ferreira authored perhaps the most memorable finish on the UFC on ESPN 57 card.

The Brazilian was rewarded for his efforts, as he received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his spinning back elbow knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus 4:51 into the opening round of their featured middleweight bout. Ferreira had to survive some early adversity, but he maintained his composure to secure the eighth finish via spinning back elbow in UFC history.

Elsewhere, Raul Rosas Jr. garnered a $50,000 check for a second-round submission victory over Ricky Turcios in a bantamweight clash. After a spirited opening round, the 19-year-old prospect put his opponent away with a rear-naked choke at the 2:22 mark of the period.

Meanwhile, Zachary Reese made the most of a short night at the office, securing a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a first-round stoppage of Julian Marquez at middleweight. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum needed …

Nassourdine Imavov Defeats Jared Cannonier by Controversial TKO at UFC on ESPN 57

In a fight that should have brought some clarity to the middleweight title picture, the main event of “UFC Louisville” instead brought more confusion—though Nassourdine Imavov was not to blame.

In the main event of UFC on ESPN 57 on Saturday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, Imavov and Jared Cannonier met in a high-level matchup of 185-pound contenders. The first two rounds saw both men struggle with the other’s weapons: Cannonier had his head snapped back repeatedly by Imavov’s lightning-quick jab, especially his double jab, while Imavov had difficulty with Cannonier’s calf kicks and his enormous strength and leverage when wrestling against the cage. Cannonier appeared to have the slight edge going into the middle round, landing the slightly heavier blows, including some vicious leg kicks, and it was Imavov who initiated the ground game in Round 3, quickly dragging the “Killa Gorilla” to the canvas, then taking his back standing. Cannonier managed to escape withou…

UFC on ESPN 57 ‘Cannonier vs. Imavov’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 57 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dos Santos (-245), Tomar (+200)Round 1 For the first time since the UFC was on the Versus network (2011), the promotion is taking a trip back to Louisville, Kentucky, for some deep fried combat. A whopping 14 fights will play out in the span of about sixish hours, and the pace on the prelims might be hurried—potentially in a good way. We kick things off in the strawweight division, as former Invicta 105-pound champ dos Santos (14-7, 0-1 UFC) wants a second chance to make a first impression after her first UFC outing did not go her way. She meets the debuting Tomar (8-4, 0-0 UFC), who is the first Indian woman to fight in the promotion but does not measure anywhere near the 5-foot-4 that the UFC bills her at. Referee George Conley will receive the first assignment of the night, and he checks the ladies in they clap hands. Tomar is quick to measure with multiple …

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