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Tom Aspinall Open to Defending Interim Title Against Blaydes-Almeida Winner

If he can’t fight for undisputed gold, Tom Aspinall would prefer to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship interim heavyweight title instead of sitting on the sidelines.

Aspinall won the title with an emphatic knockout victory over Russian knockout machine Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November. The matchup was put together at the last minute after Jon Jones was forced out of his scheduled title clash against Stipe Miocic due to an injury.

Despite Aspinall having won interim gold, UFC CEO Dana White has made clear that Miocic will still get the next shot when Jones returns to competition. While Aspinall had initially rallied for Jones to be stripped off the title, the Englishman has now seemingly shifted focus. Aspinall recently expressed interest in defending his interim strap against the winner of the UFC 299 clash between Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida at the Kaseya Center in Miami on March 9.

The idea of facing the Blaydes-Almeida…

Gilbert Burns: ‘S–t Might Get Crazy’ vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299

Gilbert Burns is excited by the fact that upcoming opponent Jack Della Maddalena poses a serious threat on the feet.

Burns is slated to meet Della Maddalena at UFC 299 on March 9 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The Brazilian contender will look to return to the win column after a decision loss to Belal Muhammad at UFC 288 last May. With his title hopes on the backburner, “Durinho” noted there weren’t many options left for him at 170 pounds outside of Della Maddalena.

“Colby [Covington] just fought. He’s not going to fight for a while. Leon [Edwards] just won. Belal [Muhammad] is next. Kamaru [Usman] is not fighting right now. If we’re kind of looking for the numbers, a lot of guys that the number makes sense [to fight me], they’re not there,” Burns said on the JAXXON podcast. “So the way I see it, I’m coming from a loss. I’ve got to go in there and get a win, and then I’m in the conversation again.”

Meanwhile, Della Maddalena hasn’t lost a fig…

Manny Pacquiao Hints at Floyd Mayweather Rematch Under Rizin Banner

CEO Sakakibara: "Could you please fight against Floyd Mayweather?"

Manny Pacquiao: "I'm ready."

📡 Watch on @FITEtv !🔻https://t.co/eEpfmslhPp pic.twitter.com/gwod6x8wKm

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2023

The highest selling bout in combat sports history could be in line for a rematch in 2024 under the Rizin Fighting Federation banner.

Manny Pacquiao was in attendance for Rizin 45 on New Year’s Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. “Pacman” was invited to the ring by Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara, who asked if he would fight fellow boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.

“Thank you so much for inviting me here again,” Pacquiao said. “I’m sorry for the last time, we [were] meant to fight last year as Mr. Sakakibara explained. Next year I hope to see you here in Japan for a big fight against ... Floyd Mayweather! I thought you wouldn’t want me to [announce] that. But I am excited for that.”

The two former …

Former UFC Title Challenger Jorge Masvidal Announces He’s ‘Unretired’

Jorge Masvidal’s retirement from combat sports didn’t last long.

The former UFC welterweight contender announced that he is “unretired” on social media Monday night. Masvidal offered no further details beyond that brief statement.

Unretired

— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) January 2, 2024

While it’s unclear where “Gambred” might compete, last year the Miami native indicated that he had interest in boxing. Masvidal made his professional boxing debut in 2005.

“No names right now,” Masvidal told ESPN this past October, “But I can tell you it’s early next year, and I can tell you somebody is going to get killed.”

Masvidal last fought in MMA at UFC 287, where he dropped a unanimous verdict to Gilbert Burns in April 2023. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the American Top Team standout, who rose to superstardom in 2019 after successive finishes of Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz. He officially anno…

Leon Edwards’ Next Title Defense Targeted for UFC 300 on April 13

It appears that Leon Edwards will make his next title defense against Belal Muhammad at UFC 300 on April 13.

Edwards recently attended the Aston Villa vs. Burnley soccer game in Birmingham on Saturday, where he received a hero’s welcome. The champion also made an announcement about defending his belt at UFC 300 during an on-pitch interview. Additionally, “Rocky” revealed plans of bringing the UFC to his hometown of Birmingham next year.

“I will defend my belt in April at UFC 300 in Vegas again,” Edwards said. “Then hopefully in the summertime get a fight back home in Birmingham at Villa Park. I’m in talks with the UFC, so hopefully we can get it done.”

While Edwards didn’t name his opponent, Muhammad has been targeted for the title defense, according to a report from Ariel Helwani. Undefeated welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov was also considered as a potential opponent for Edwards. The UFC has not confirmed Edwards’ next title defense …

Coach ‘Brought to Tears’ By Payday From Coaching Ngannou for Boxing Debut

Francis Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, recently revealed that “The Predator” made sure the effects of his life-changing payday for the boxing match with Tyson Fury were felt by everyone close to him.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king exited the promotion on Jan. 14, 2023, after a lengthy contract dispute. Ngannou subsequently signed with rival promotion Professional Fighters League and also secured a boxing match with the lineal and WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. Ngannou not only shocked the world by taking “The Gypsy King” to a controversial split decision but also reportedly earned a $10 million payday, which is more than all of his UFC career earnings combined.

According to Nicksick, the payment he received for helping prepare Ngannou for the Fury fight brought him to tears.

“It was the most money I’ve ever been paid by a fighter – it was unbelievable,” Nicksick told MMAjunkie.com. “It was more than I expecte…

Conor McGregor Says He’ll Face Michael Chandler at Middleweight on June 29

pic.twitter.com/Jje2yYoQoE

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023 If Conor McGregor is to be believed, a date has finally been set for his long-awaited Octagon return.

The former UFC two-division champion announced Sunday that he will square off against Michael Chandler in a middleweight bout during International Fight Week.

“Ladies and gentlemen, a Happy New Year to you all,” McGregor said in a video on social media. “I’d like to announce the return date for myself, the ‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor, the greatest comeback of all time will take place in Las Vegas for International Fight Week, June the 29th... and the opponent, Michael Chandler. And the weight, Mr. Chandler, 185 pounds.”

While the promotion has not officially confirmed the booking, Chandler did issue a brief statement regarding the bout to ESPN.

“Here we go,” Chandler said. “Any weight is good with me.”

McGregor and Chandler serve…

Kyoji Horiguchi Captures Flyweight Title with Second-Round RNC at Rizin FF 45

Kyoji Horiguchi sinks in the RNC and is THE FIRST EVER RIZIN FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION‼️

📡 Watch on @FITEtv !🔻https://t.co/eEpfmslhPp pic.twitter.com/5m1tsqKQ4y

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 31, 2023 Following a disappointing 25-second no contest in July, Kyoji Horiguchi settled the score in his rematch with Makoto Takahashi at Rizin Fighting Federation 45 in Saitama, Japan. Horiguchi finished Takahashi with a second-round rear-naked choke to become the inaugural Rizin flyweight champion in the night’s main event.

Horiguchi (32-5, 1 NC; 13-1 Rizin) countered an early takedown from Takahashi (16-2-1, 1 NC; 3-1 Rizin) with three guillotine choke attempts. Takahashi escaped each time and took Horiguchi’s back as the fighters rose to their feet. Horiguchi landed back elbow strikes until Takahashi tried for a rear-naked choke late in the competitive round.

The second round began with another early guillotine choke fro…

Coach: Sean Strickland Used Dricus Du Plessis Brawl for Motivation

Eric Nicksick is making sure that Sean Strickland’s recent brawl with upcoming opponent Dricus Du Plessis doesn’t take an emotional toll on the UFC middleweight champion.

Strickland is slated to defend his middleweight strap against Du Plessis in the main event at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The bad blood between the two started during a recent seasonal press conference where “Stillknocks” brought up Strickland’s abusive childhood.

The feud boiled over while the two were in attendance at UFC 296 the next day. Strickland was seen leaping over chairs to attack Du Plessis after an exchange of words before being escorted out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

As Strickland’s head coach at Xtreme Couture, Nicksick admits that the champ was triggered by the altercation with Du Plessis. However, Nicksick claims to have made sure that Strickland has used it for motivation heading into their upcoming fight.

“There’s two sides to that coin: Sean ha…

Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg Off UFC 297; Bout Targeted for UFC Atlantic City

A light heavyweight matchup pitting Dominick Reyes against Carlos Ulberg won’t be taking place at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 as originally planned.

Reyes revealed on social media that his opponent has withdrawn from the bout due to injury and that he was looking at “options or rescheduling.” According to MMAFighting.com, Reyes vs. Ulberg is likely to be rebooked for UFC Atlantic City on March 30. The nature of Ulberg’s injury was not disclosed.

Reyes is in the midst of a four-bout skid that dates back to a competitive championship loss to Jon Jones at UFC 247 in February 2020. More recently, “The Devastator” suffered a first-round KO defeat to Ryan Spann at UFC 281.

Ulberg, meanwhile, has quietly been building momentum at 205 pounds. The City Kickboxing representative has won his last five Octagon appearances, including a third-round submission of Da Woon Jung in his last outing at UFC 293.

UFC Atlantic City takes place at Boardwalk Hall and f…

Rizin 45 Weigh-in Results: Juan Archuleta Comes in Heavy, Stripped of BW Title

🔥 #RIZIN45 Weigh-In Results 💥

⚔️ Co-Main EventRIZIN MMA Rules 61.0kg

🟥Juan Archuleta【63.80kg】@jarchmmaーーー🆚ーーー🟦Kai Asakura【60.95kg】@kai_1031_

※ Archuleta missed weight limit by 2.80kg

📅 12/30 (Sat) at 9pm PT📡 Watch on @FiteTV: https://t.co/2JKhqMly6i pic.twitter.com/3eKKGUdSzH — RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 30, 2023

All did not go as planned during weigh-ins for Rizin Fighting Federation’s year-end extravaganza.

Bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta tipped the scales at 140.6 pounds for his title defense against Kai Asakura (134.4) in the evening’s co-main event, and as a result, has been stripped of the 135-pound belt.

According to a release from the Japanese promotion: “In the event that both parties reach a mutual agreement, a no contest rule is the likely scenario, which would result in the crowning of a new champion, contingent upon Kai Asakura emerging victorious. Conversel…

Ketlen Vieira Forced Out of UFC Fight Night 234 Match Against Macy Chiasson

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is down one top contender match for its first card of 2024.

The promotion announced on Friday that the bantamweight pairing between Ketlen Vieira (14-3) and Macy Chiasson (8-3) will no longer be taking place at UFC Fight Night 234. The UFC noted that the fight had been canceled due to an undisclosed injury, while stating that Chiasson will not receive a replacement opponent on this card. According to multiple Instagram Stories on Vieira’s account, she appears to have suffered an injury to her left knee requiring frequent icing and treatment, while stating that “soon we will be back 100% God willing.”

“Fenomeno” was aiming to start the year off strong, looking to get back on a win streak following a decision victory over Pannie Kianzad in July. Dating back to 2020, the Brazilian has gone the distance in every match, win or lose. Vieira has faced many of the top names in her division, besting most of them including an impressive back…

UFC Announces New Drug-Testing Program Effective Dec. 31

.@UFC announces details of new anti-doping program ⤵️:https://t.co/LiIP8sgcfXhttps://t.co/LiIP8sgcfX

— UFC News (@UFCNews) December 29, 2023 Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters will find that little will change for them going forward.

The promotion sent out a press release on Thursday announcing its new policies on drug testing and doping. Titled the "UFC Anti-Doping Policy (UFC ADP)," it will begin for the company on Dec. 31 as it concludes its arrangement with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Competitors will still be subject to random drug tests at any time during the day by the new agency in place, Drug Free Sport International (DFSI), or an organization DFSI has contracted out.

All samples will be tested by the Sports Medicine and Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Salt Lake City, which currently handles testing in accordance with World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) protocols and procedures. Heading up the program will be Dr.…

Sean O’Malley Speculates Reason Behind Delay in Conor McGregor’s Return

Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley has suggested that financial obstacles may be the reason for Conor McGregor’s absence.

Former two-division champ McGregor has been inactive since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a trilogy match against Dustin Poirier. While he recently returned to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) testing pool, “Notorious” has yet to be booked for his return to the Octagon. McGregor expressed his frustration on Saturday with the delay in his return, and even teased another shift to boxing.

O’Malley, on his podcast “TimboSugarShow” on Monday, pontificated whether another McGregor fight makes financial sense for the UFC. He suggested the kind of deal they might have with the Irishman, Forbes’ highest-earning athlete in 2021, could be restrictive or detrimental for the UFC.

“You know what’s crazy is Conor is supposedly just begging for a fight,” O’Malley remarked. “‘Give me a fight. Let me…

Holly Holm’s Manager Accuses Miesha Tate of Ducking Despite UFC 300 Callout

When it comes to Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm, it boils down to a classic tale of “she said, she said.”

In early December, Tate (19-9) spoke on The MMA Hour about her recovery following her match against Julia Avila and what she wanted next. “Cupcake” was open about the outcome-dependent result, in that she would have considered retirement with a loss but would like to push on following a win. Her attention turned towards the field of bantamweight contenders, but one name caught her eye more than the others: former foe Holm.

When asked about potentially rematching Holm on UFC 300 in April, Tate was not at all opposed to it, health permitting.

“I think it’s a great time,” Tate replied. “I think that sounds reasonable [to fight Holm again]. I did get a little bit of an injury leaving that fight [against Avila]. So, I’ve got to get an MRI and check myself out just to make sure. But it’s not very severe … I’ve been walking around, and I think I’m actu…

Reinier de Ridder-Anatoliy Malykhin 2 to Headline One Championship’s Qatar Debut

IT'S OFFICIAL 🚨 Two-division king Anatoly Malykhin challenges Reinier de Ridder for the ONE Middleweight MMA World Championship in the main event of ONE 166: Qatar 🔥 Can the Russian superstar make history and become ONE's first three-division World Champion or will "The Dutch… pic.twitter.com/bmvckSh1KG

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) December 28, 2023 ONE Championship two-division champ Anatoliy Malykhin is looking to make mixed martial arts history in March.

Per the organization via press release on Thursday, Malykhin (13-0), the reigning champion in ONE’s heavyweight and light heavyweight (225 pounds) divisions, will be dropping down to its middleweight (205 pounds) category to vie for another strap. In doing so, he will rematch Reinier de Ridder (16-1), the man he snatched the 225-pound strap from last December. The two serve as the main attraction for One 166, which will go down at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar, on March …

Chinzo Machida Discusses Combat Sports Future, Alex Pereira’s UFC Title Reign

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Multiple-time Brazilian karate champion Chinzo Machida made a return to the ring earlier this month at Karate Combat 43, where he earned a unanimous decision win over American kickboxing veteran Shannon “The Cannon” Hudon.

“It’s been a long time,” Machida told Sherdog.com. “I’m focused on teaching at my academy [Machida Karate] in Los Angeles. But a fighter is always a fighter. When the invitation came against a veteran in similar shape, I thought it was a good way to return. And It was a hell of an experience, but I don’t intend to keep fighting. My goal now is to spread Machida Karate.”

According to Chinzo, Karate Combat has expressed interest in signing Lyoto Machida. However, he doesn’t believe the organization will make an offer his brother will accept. Chinzo revealed that his father, Yoshizo, motivated his kids to fight at a young age.

“My father is a classical Japanese [man]. Since we were kids, he taught us that fight…

Arnold Allen Initially Hoped for Bigger Name Than ‘Tough Test’ Movsar Evloev

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Arnold Allen would have admittedly preferred a bigger name than the undefeated Movsar Evloev for his next Octagon appearance.

Allen will look to bounce back from his first UFC loss against Max Holloway when he takes on Evloev at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The Englishman had originally lobbied for a clash against Brian Ortega, who was ultimately booked for a rematch against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico. While Allen had hoped for a more notable name, he believes Evloev is underrated.

“He’s very highly touted,” Allen recently told Violent Money TV. “I think there was some easier fights with higher-ranked guys. We were asking straight up for Ortega after the Holloway fight – the bigger name, the bigger fight – and obviously he was out for a while. Then I think they just want to make him and Yair rematch down the line.”

“I think that’s what they’re doing now. There’s some easier matchups and higher-…

Gilbert Burns: Strickland Hinted He Might Attack Du Plessis Before UFC 296 Brawl

The full incident between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at #UFC296 tonight.

Bring on #UFC297 in January! pic.twitter.com/HQt0Uj1jiv

— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023

Gilbert Burns recently shared some insider information about the cagedside brawl between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 296.

Strickland will defend his middleweight strap against Du Plessis at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The bad blood started during a seasonal press conference to promote their fight, where Du Plessis brought up Strickland’s abusive childhood. The two were seated close to each other while in attendance at UFC 296 the next day, which also led to speculation about the brawl being staged.

However, Burns, who along with his family had a first row seat to the whole episode, claims the scuffle was real. Before leaping over chairs to attack Du Plessis, Strickland could be seen asking Burns’ wife and child to move. “Du…

Aljamain Sterling Unimpressed by Sean O’Malley’s UFC 292 PPV Numbers

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Aljamain Sterling rolled the dice on the supposed star power of Sean O'Malley but came away unimpressed.

Sterling (23-4) lost his strap to O’Malley (17-1) via second-round knockout in the main event at UFC 292 in August, for which he received a share of the pay-per-view sales, and those figures were apparently disappointing. Without revealing the exact figure, Sterling said on his YouTube channel:

“I got the pay-per-view numbers, and me and her were going through it, and I’m just like, ‘These are the numbers that this guy was trying to say he’s this big pay-per-view star?' I’m just like, ‘Oh my God.’ When I saw the numbers, I literally said to her, ‘If I had any idea this is what the numbers would have been, if I could have predicted that this is what it would have been, my ass would have waited and taken my vacation then.'”

Sterling’s clash against O’Malley came three months after a successful title defense against Henry C…

Andre Petroski Announces Bout vs. Jacob Malkoun at UFC Atlantic City on March 30

Andre Petroski will square off against Jacob Malkoun in a middleweight showdown at UFC Atlantic City on March 30.

Petroski announced the pairing via social media. The UFC Fight Night event takes place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and features a women’s flyweight scrap pitting Erin Blanchfield against Manon Fiorot.

Petroski last appeared at UFC Fight Night 230 on Oct. 14, when he suffered a first-round technical knockout loss against Michel Pereira. That snapped a five-bout promotional winning streak for the 32-year-old Renzo Gracie Philly product.

Malkoun, meanwhile, has lost two of his last three bouts under the UFC banner. In his lone outing of 2023, the 28-year-old Australian suffered a disqualification defeat at UFC Fight Night 228 when he landed an illegal elbow against Cody Brundage 4:15 into the opening stanza of their Sept. 23 encounter.

Dricus Du Plessis Holds No Grudge Against Sean Strickland After UFC 296 Brawl

Dricus Du Plessis claims to have no hard feelings for Sean Strickland after their recent scuffle.

“Stillknocks” is slated to challenge Strickland for the middleweight title in the main event at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The two initially got into a war of words during the UFC’s seasonal press conference in Las Vegas, which was held to promote upcoming events. Strickland and Du Plessis were seemingly seated too close for comfort a day later while in attendance at UFC 296, which resulted in a physical altercation between the two fighters. After a verbal exchange, Strickland was seen jumping over chairs to attack Du Plessis before being separated by security and escorted out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Du Plessis claims to harbor no ill feelings for Strickland, as he did what any “real man” in his position would have.

“For me, I was completely calm about – I wasn’t angry. I was having fun, and the security was like, ‘You need to c…

Ian Garry Says Online Hate He Received Isn’t ‘Real’

While Ian Garry might have been a target of ridicule leading up to UFC 296, the Irishman believes most of the online hate he received wasn’t real.

Garry has attracted a lot of attention recently for everything ranging from his relationship with his wife to his questionable gym etiquette. As a result, Garry was one of the most eagerly-awaited fighters at UFC 296 media day ahead of his proposed clash with Vicente Luque. However, “The Future” failed to show up to the session and was pulled from the bout a day after due to pneumonia. While Garry inevitably faced a lot of online hate, he believes most of it was fake. The former Cage Warriors champion thanked his true fans in a post on Instagram.

“Fight week didn’t go as planned,” Garry wrote. “Influenza developed into pneumonia as I dropped weight and for the first time in my career I was pulled by the UFC doctor. Flying home I met so many fans who flew out specifically to see me. F—k. This is not how I wanted to m…

Deontay Wilder at Peace Following Upset Loss to Joseph Parker

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Deontay Wilder is at peace with his decision loss to Joseph Parker on the Day of Reckoning card this past weekend weekend.

“The Bronze Bomber” appeared somewhat complacent throughout the build-up to the fight, and he went on drop scorecards of 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108 in a significant upset. Asked about his plans for the future, Wilder hinted that he might be nearing retirement.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said during his post-fight interview in the ring. “We have a little bit more left, but I’ve done a great job with managing my money, investing and I’m a happy fighter. We go ahead and do what we do, and we go home and live and spread love to the family and all our loved ones, and then on to the next. I’m a warrior, so I’ll be back soon. And if not, then it’s been an enjoyment. It is been a pleasure and I appreciate everybody for the love and the support that they’ve been giving me for over the years.”

A 2008 Olympic b…

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