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ONE Championship Co-Founder Victor Cui Returns to Promotion to Lead U.S. Expansion

ONE Championship co-founder Victor Cui has returned to the Singapore-based promotion.

ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the news in a post on LinkedIn. Cui will serve as the promotion’s CEO of International, where he will help ONE expand into the U.S. and other markets. Deal Street Asia was first to report Cui’s return.

“We were together on Day ONE of this crazy adventure and it is only fitting that Victor returns back to lead the charge in the world's biggest sports market,” Sityodtong wrote. “Mark my words. We will change the game again.”

Cui co-founded ONE in 2011 and served in a number of roles with the promotion before departing in 2022 for a nearly two-year stint president and CEO for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League.

“Today I’m excited to return to ONE and lead our most challenging goals to date — our entry and success into the U.S. market and our global expansion,” Cui wrote on LinkedIn.

ONE…

Six-Time UFC Veteran Mark O. Madsen Retires from MMA

Mark O. Madsen is hanging up the four-ounce gloves at 39 years old.

A silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Olympics, Madsen recently announced his retirement from mixed martial arts through Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet.

“The time is right,” Madsen said. “…The sport has shaped me as a person, and I am grateful for everything it has given me and my family.”

Madsen made his professional MMA debut in September 2013 and was victorious in his first 12 bouts. This included four UFC appearances, where he secured victories against the likes of Vinc Pichel, Clay Guida, Austin Hubbard and Danilo Belluardo. He ended his career with back-to-back losses against Grant Dawson and Jared Gordon, where he was finished in both outings. His last fight, against Gordon, came at UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden this past November.

“A large part of your identity lies in the job,” Madsen said. “Especially as an elite athlete, where the structure …

Charles Johnson ‘Irritated’ with Consistent Placement on UFC Apex Shows

UFC Fight Nights at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas have recently faced criticism from both fans and fighters.

After lightweight fan favorite Renato Moicano recently claimed that "nobody likes the Apex," flyweight Charles Johnson has followed suit by complaining about repeatedly fighting at the venue. Following his promotional debut at UFC London in July 2022, all of Johnson’s next five outings have been at the Apex.

As the Missouri native goes into another Fight Night clash against Azat Maksum this weekend, “InnerG” feels he has been deprived of the full UFC experience. Apart from not getting an opportunity to compete in front of an arena, even Johnson’s request for a Fight Night ticket for his wife was allegedly turned down more than once.

“For a time, I enjoyed it but now I’m just kind of irritated with it because I don’t feel like I’ve been afforded the full UFC experience. My whole career is gonna be in the f—king Apex, you …

Two New Bouts Added to UFC on ESPN 53; Chris Barnett Withdraws From Event

UFC on ESPN 53 has a few updates to its lineup, the promotion announced in a release on Tuesday.

First, a middleweight clash between Edmen Shahbazyan and Dusko Tudorovic has been added to March 23 card.

Shahbazyan signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the age of 20 and went 4-0 to start his promotional tenure — including three first-round stoppages. However, the once promising prospect has since lost four of his last five, though all of his losses have come against top-tier competition.

Meanwhile, Tudorovic has gone back and forth in his UFC journey since his debut in 2020, notching a 3-4 promotional record. The Serbian suffered a first-round technical knockout loss against Chris Leroy Duncan due to a knee injury in his most recent outing in March 2023.

Meanwhile, heavyweights Junior Tafa and Karl Williams, two competitors who made their promotional debuts last year, will also clash at UFC on ESPN 53.

After starting his pr…

Tyron Woodley Vents on UFC Allegedly Paying Him Same Amount as ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone

Tyron Woodley claims to have received the same paycheck as Donald Cerrone during his Ultimate Fighting Championship days, and he isn’t happy about it.

Woodley won the UFC welterweight title in 2016 and defended it four times before losing it to Kamaru Usman in 2019. “The Chosen One” revealed that he made $500,000 for his last title fight against Usman and was planning to part ways with the promotion years prior over fighter pay.

“I was going to leave the UFC after [fighting] Darren Till.” I told them, ‘F—-ing cut me, dog. Ya’ll don’t want me here. Why ya’ll keep holding on to me, dog?’ We [kept] fighting and s—t every fight because you know how I was. I was a gorilla... I knew the numbers so well. I knew what everybody was making. I’m not [going to] go out there and be making the same as 'Cowboy' Cerrone.” Woodley said on the Mighty Cast podcast with Demetrious Johnson.

“That motherf—-er ain’t never touched gold in his life. That’s just a pr…

LFA Announces Plans to Stream Regional MMA Events on YouTube Channel

For those looking for more mixed martial arts viewing options, Legacy Fighting Alliance has you covered.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that it will stream “live premium regional MMA events” on its YouTube channel, which was already home to LFA’s preliminary bouts and content library. This will begin with Attitude MMA Fights 29 on Feb. 10. It was not specified which regional cards will be streamed in the future.

“The LFA has launched the careers of over 300 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC,” said LFA CEO Ed Soares in a release. “We also work with commentators and television talent that are currently working for the UFC or are aspiring to work cage side at UFC events.

“Now we are excited to provide a platform for top regional fighters from around the world by launching the LFA Fight Network on our popular YouTube channel. We currently have over a half million loyal subscribers that are hungry for …

CSAC’s Andy Foster to Submit Proposal for Grounded Fighter Rule Change

California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster wants to clear all confusion regarding when a fighter is considered grounded.

Foster is the man credited for taking radical steps like setting up a pension fund for fighters, setting up rules to prevent extreme weight cuts and barring judges from working events on opposite sides of the country over the same weekend.

Fighters competing at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 in Anaheim, California will be advised to move up a weight class if they put on more than 10% of their body weight plus one pound on fight night.

Foster now wants to remove one of the most confusing rules in mixed martial arts: fighters being considered grounded with their hands on the ground.

In a most recent example, Arnold Allen landed multiple knees to Movsar Evloev’s head from a headlock position during their UFC 297 clash. Evloev desperately tried to put one hand on the ground to be deemed grounded. While Evloev’s p…

Dana White: Jim Miller Has ‘Made Millions of Dollars’ Fighting in the UFC

Jim Miller has never made championship-level money during his Ultimate Fighting Championship career, but thanks to his staying power, he’s done quite well for himself.

During a recent appearance on "The TRUTH Podcast," UFC CEO Dana White discussed the topic of fighter pay with host Vivek Ramaswamy. During that segment of the show, White referenced Miller as an example of someone who has done much better for himself under the UFC banner than he would in another combat sport such as boxing.

“When you become a world champion, you become a partner. When you got a belt, you share in the pay-per-view revenue,” White said.

That, of course, is limited to only a handful of fighters within the Las Vegas-based promotion. However, competitors such as Miller are their own type of success story.

“Boxing does [it too]. Whoever is the champion in boxing, you get the lion’s share of the revenue. Here, it’s dispersed through across everybody,” White con…

Corey Anderson, Karl Moore to Vie for Vacant LHW Title at Bellator Event in Belfast

The vacant light heavyweight strap will be on the line when Corey Anderson and Karl Moore square off at a Bellator MMA event in Belfast on March 22.

Anderson confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from Ariel Helwani. The card in Belfast will mark the promotion’s first event since Professional Fighters League’s acquisition of Bellator late last year. Broadcast plans and a venue for Bellator Belfast have not been announced.

Vadim Nemkov officially vacated the Bellator 205-pound belt this year. He will make his heavyweight debut against Bruno Cappelozza at PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions on Feb. 24.

Anderson twice come up short against Nemkov in title bouts under the Bellator banner. “Overtime” appeared to be winning their first meeting at Bellator 277 before an accidental clash of heads resulted in the bout being ruled a no contest. The rematch went differently, however, as Nemkov captured a clear-cut unanimou…

PFL Signs Saudi Arabia’s Hattan Alsaif to Multi-Fight Contract

History in the making! ✍️👏

Welcome the newest Amatuer signee to the Professional Fighters League @hattanalsaif24 pic.twitter.com/d3jAnPCKMt

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 30, 2024

Professional Fighters League has signed Saudi-born Hattan Alsaif to an exclusive, multi-fight contract.

According to a release, Alsaif is the first female fighter from Saudi Arabia to ink a deal with a global MMA promotion.

“Receiving a contract from the PFL is a dream come true,” Alsaif said. “As the first Saudi woman signed to a global MMA contract I do not take the responsibility lightly, and I am committed to representing my country. I hope to pave the way for aspiring female fighters. I am thankful to God and the PFL for this incredible opportunity.”

The 22-year-old Alsaif has not yet competed in MMA, but she comes from a decorated muay thai background. She was a gold medal winner at the 2023 International Federation of Muay Thai As…

David Feldman Interested in Partnering with UFC for Conor McGregor BKFC Bout

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship founder David Feldman believes Conor McGregor could some day take off his gloves and give bare knuckle fighting a shot.

McGregor previously competed in a crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in 2017, which is the only time in Ultimate Fighting Championship history that Dana White entertained the idea of cross promotion. With that in mind, Feldman refuses to rule out the possibility of McGregor competing under the BKFC banner despite being under UFC contract.

“Look, theoretically he can't because he's under contract with the UFC and we actually have a great relationship with the UFC,” Feldman told The Sun. “But I think Conor plays by a different set of rules anyway. Maybe there’s a way to partner on an event, who knows? But as far as us doing it by ourselves, I don’t think that ever happens. But maybe a collaboration? It could happen, he likes it.”

Conor McGregor was present ringside when his former…

Jared Cannonier Open to No. 1 Contender Fight Against Khamzat Chimaev

Jared Cannonier is willing to rebook the Khamzat Chimaev fight if he is guaranteed a title shot next.

While Cannonier was offered a short-notice booking against Chimaev at UFC 294, “The Killa Gorilla” suffered an MCL tear in practice shortly after getting the call. Chimaev welcomed former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman to middleweight instead, edging out a majority decision win.

“Borz” claims to have been guaranteed a title shot with a win over Usman and has voiced his frustration about the delay in proceedings. However, Cannonier believes he also has a legitimate claim to title contention and wouldn’t mind taking on Chimaev in a No. 1 contender fight.

“It’ll sound cool to say, ‘I’m your huckleberry.’ It does sound cool,” Cannonier told Inside Fighting. “At this point in time, he’s ranked No. 9. I’m down to make it happen, as long as it’s clear that this is a contender's match. … When I get back, if they’re not going to give me the title …

Henry Cejudo Would Consider Retirement With Loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298

Henry Cejudo is contemplating retirement yet again.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship double champ previously announced a surprising retirement in May 2020 after defeating Dominick Cruz via technical knockout at UFC 249.

“Triple C” came out of retirement for a bantamweight gold bid against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in May last year, suffering a split decision loss.

Cejudo is now slated to face Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

With Aljamain Sterling booked for his featherweight debut, the winner of the Cejudo vs. Dvalishvili clash is expected to fight for the title next against the winner of Sean O’Malley’s UFC 299 title clash against longtime rival Marlon Vera.

However, if the 36-year-old Cejudo comes up short at UFC 298, he would consider calling it a career again.

“This is for the No. 1 contender spot,” he told The HJR Experiment. “I think to have to lose it to Alja…

Luke Rockhold Recalls Watching Sean Strickland Spar: ‘He’ll Try to Kill You’

Luke Rockhold is of the opinion that Sean Strickland is not the safest training partner.

It is no secret that Strickland likes hard sparring and has even bragged about breaking multiple noses in the past. Former middleweight champ Luke Rockhold recently recounted Strickland’s visit to RVCA in Costa Mesa, California, where “Tarzan” allegedly went over the line with a sparring partner.

“He’s just that guy that doesn’t care,” Rockhold told the JAXXON Podcast. “He’ll try to kill you. Sean Strickland walked into RVCA one time and he was such a loud mouth idiot, I was like, ‘Who the f—k is this guy?’ I was so hungover, so annoyed, I was like, ‘F—k, I’m going to get in a spar with this guy, I can’t even take it.’ But I had seen him... he hurt a guy in the gym. He hurt him with a head kick.

“With like 30 seconds left, he wobbled him. And [the coach] was like, ‘Keep going, finish out the round.’ Instead of …

Ex-UFC Title Challenger John Dodson to Face Dagoberto Aguero in BKFC 59 Headliner

John Dodson will put his flyweight title on the line against Dagoberto Aguero in the BKFC 59 headliner.

The promotion recently announced the booking. BKFC 59 will take place at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 29. More bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

A two-time UFC flyweight title challenger, Dodson has found success in the bare knuckle realm, posting a 3-0 mark under the BKFC banner since his debut with the organization in August 2022. He’s finished all three of his BKFC opponents inside of a round, including a title-winning victory against J.R. Ridge at BKFC 48 last year. The 39-year-old Albuquerque resident has gone 3-2 in MMA since parting ways with the UFC in 2020. Most recently, “The Magician” dropped a unanimous decision to Hiromasa Ougikubo at Rizin 45 on New Year’s Eve.

Aguero, who hails from the Dominican Republic, defeated Chance Wilson via Round 3 stoppage in his BKFC debut this past November. …

Holly Holm Expects Kayla Harrison to Make Weight: ‘She’s a Professional’

Holly Holm has seemingly been in title contention for the majority of her Ultimate Fighting Championship career.

That could once again be the case if Holm defeats two-time Professional Fighters League champion Kayla Harrison at UFC 300 on April 13. While the 42-year-old Holm has technically lost two of her last three Octagon appearances — a loss to Mayra Bueno Silva was changed to a no contest — the women’s bantamweight division is currently wide open on the heels of Amanda Nune’s retirement this past June.

Holm has to like her chances considering that the woman who claimed the vacant strap at UFC 297, Raquel Pennington, is 0-2 against the Jackson-Wink MMA standout. After claiming the 135-pound title with her upset of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, “The Preacher’s Daughter” is 0-4 in championship fights — two at bantamweight and two at featherweight. Still, getting back to that point is always her primary objective.

“I fought for the belt more t…

Former Sparring Partner Gives Prediction for Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua

Francis Ngannou’s former training partner recently gave his prediction for the Cameroonian’s upcoming boxing match against Anthony Joshua.

Darren Sealy, who is 6-foot-9, helped Ngannou prepare for his boxing debut against Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, this past October. “The Predator” dropped the WBC champ on his way to a controversial split decision loss. Ngannou is now slated to face Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia in his next boxing outing. Despite his impressive performance against Fury, Sealy believes Ngannou will come up short against Joshua.

“It’s a tricky one, both extremely powerful but I feel the last two, three fights, especially the last fight in December with Otto Wallin, AJ looked brilliant,” Sealy told The Sun. “Everything was firing on all cylinders and I do feel that AJ will be victorious on the night. I don’t know how in terms of round by round or decision, but I do feel he will definitely get the better of Ngannou.”

<…

Arnold Allen Reflects on UFC 297 Loss Against Movsar Evloev

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Arnold Allen has opened up on his UFC 297 loss against Movsar Evloev.

Allen dropped a closely-contested unanimous decision against Evloev at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Jan. 20. The bout also came with a little controversy. While Allen outlanded his opponent by eight significant strikes, he also surrendered five takedowns and more than three minutes of control time. Still, Allen believes he did enough to get the nod.

“Everyone’s saying that I won Round 1 and Round 3. I agree. That’s what I felt too. I felt after Round 1, I was like, ‘Yup, won that one.’ Round 2, I f—-d that one up. And Round 3, that was mine. Very, very, very, very, very frustrating. Not the way I wanted to start things off [in 2024]...I just felt like I deserved to win that. I don’t want to be bitching and moaning or anything like that. I have no ill will against his team or the opponent. I watched it back a few times. I wanted to watch it back before I gave a…

Sean Strickland Responds to Jon Anik’s Criticism of MMA Fanbase

Sean Strickland has slammed UFC commentator Jon Anik for voicing his frustration with the mixed martial arts fan base.

Anik recently revealed his heightened frustration with MMA fans due to the negativity he received following Strickland’s UFC 297 title loss against Dricus Du Plessis. Strickland dropped a closely-contested split decision against “Stillknocks” in a fight that was viewed as a toss-up. According to Anik, MMA fans responded with hatred no matter how objectively analysts tried to explain Du Plessis’ victory. The UFC color commentator even went to the extent of teasing a career switch to the NFL.

“I am growing tired of this MMA space a little bit and just the morass of negativity when there is a close fight,” Anik said on the Anik & Florian podcast. “Because even if you and I both thought Dricus Du Plessis won the fight, we try to present that information respectfully. When I go onto X or I go to our YouTube comments, it just seems …

Jailton Almeida Loses Charity MMA Match to Athlete With Down Syndrome

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida is winning hearts with his charity exploits in mixed martial arts.

In a heartwarming gesture, “Malhadinho” took on Alvaro Borges, an athlete with Down syndrome in an charity exhibition MMA bout under the Demo Fight banner on Saturday in Salvador, Brazil.

“I’m very happy to be part of this event and help Alvaro’s dream come true of fighting MMA again,” Almeida told MMAFighting.com before the bout.

Borges earned a second-round submission win over Almeida, handing the Brazilian his first loss since 2018. Demo Fight founder Demistocles Brito revealed that he books special fights on almost every card out of love for his autistic nephew.

“Demo Fight’s goal is to not only reveal new talents, but also promote inclusion,” Brito told MMAFighting.com.

Almeida has been victorious in his last 15 professional appearances, a streak that includes six UFC outings. Most recentl…

Superlek Kiatmoo9 Outduels Takeru Segawa in ONE Championship 165 Headliner

“The Kicking Machine” is putting in WORK 🦿

Purchase the PPV now to catch the rest of ONE 165!#ONE165 | 🔴 Live Now🇯🇵 Abema PPV 👉 https://t.co/xQ4Ifm4TH5🌍 Global PPV 👉 https://t.co/8azyYuxNG9#ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/N2YyePorTt

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 28, 2024

The main event of ONE Championship 165 lived up to the hype and then some.

Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Takeru Segawa engaged in a thrilling battle in their flyweight (135-pound) kickboxing title clash at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Sunday, with Kiatmmo9 earning a unanimous decision triumph.

From the opening bell, Superlek unleashed a flurry of merciless leg kicks that echoed with each thunderous strike, leaving a visible trail of damage on his opponent. Takeru absorbed the punishment, biding his time for a spectacular resurgence.

The third round became the canvas for Takeru's masterstroke—a relentless barrage of unanswered body shots. Just…

Miesha Tate: Drop to Bantamweight ‘Not the Best Move’ for Kayla Harrison

"If you're asking me who I think is going to win that fight, looking at it right now, I'd say Holly."@MieshaTate breaks down the x-factors of the #UFC300 matchup between Kayla Harrison & Holly Holm.

MMA Today | 🎙️ @RJcliffordMMA @AngieOverkill pic.twitter.com/bKdLXtnwt3

— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) January 26, 2024

In what proved to be the suprise announcement of the past week, Dana White revealed that two-time Professional Fighters League champ Kayla Harrison would make her Octagon debut against Holly Holm at UFC 300.

While Harrison’s signing was news enough, the UFC CEO also confirmed that the bout against Holm would be contested at 135 pounds. Harrison has competed at lightweight for the majority of her professional career, making 145 pounds just once for an appearance under the Invicta Fighting Championships banner in 2020.

Count former UFC bantamweight queen Miesha Tate, who briefly tried her hand…

Dan Hooker Wants to Test Beneil Dariush’s Place in UFC Lightweight Landscape

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Dan Hooker is willing to help Beneil Dariush figure out if he's still an elite competitor.

Dariush (22-6) recently suffered a Round 1 knockout loss at the hands of Arman Tsarukyan in December. This loss was preceded by a Round 2 technical knockout defeat for “Benny” at the hands of former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 289. The loss to Oliveira also marked the end of an impressive eight-fight winning streak for the Kings MMA product.

Following back-to-back stoppage losses, Dariush was open about his thought process when it came to his future as a competitor in the elite lightweight division.

“I just want to know if I still got it,” Benny told Submission Radio.

The Iranian-born American declared he will only continue to fight if he can see a clear path to the title, which is his ultimate goal.

Enter Hooker (23-12). Currently on a two-fight winning streak, the Kiwi has almost recovered from a broken arm, an inj…

UFC Flyweight King Alexandre Pantoja Discloses Date, Location for Next Title Defense

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Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja is seemingly booked for his second title defense.

Pantoja recently defended his flyweight strap for the first time against Brandon Royval in a rematch at UFC 296 in December. The Brazilian put on a dominant showing, this time securing a unanimous decision victory against “Raw Dawg.”

Interestingly, less than a month following his first title defense on Dec. 16, “The Cannibal” is already booked for his next title defense.

Pantoja revealed details regarding his return on Friday while attending an event featuring the Brazilian soccer team Clube de Regatas do Flamengo in Orlando.

“I’ll be defending the belt in Rio, on May 4,” Pantoja told soccer striker Gabriel Barbosa. However, the champ did not mention his opponent.

UFC 301 is scheduled to go down on May 4 in Rio De Janeiro and would be an ideal title defense location for Pantoja, who hails from Arr…

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