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Israel Adesanya Gives His Predictions for UFC 299

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Israel Adesanya gave his predictions for every fight on the UFC 299 main card, barring one.

The UFC 299 main card will be opened by bantamweight contender Yadong Song (21-7) and former champ Petr Yan (16-5) at Kaseya Center in Miami this weekend. Yadong is riding a two-fight winning streak and is 5-1 in his last six outings. Meanwhile, Yan is on a three-fight skid, albeit all against the highest level of competition. While some consider Yan a slow starter, Adesanya believes “No Mercy” will come out all guns blazing for a three-rounder and emerge victorious.

“I like Yan, I like Song Yadong but I like Yan and I’m a fan of his style,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “But I just don’t see him losing four in a row. I’m going to go Yan by UD [unanimous decision]. Three Rounds? He might come out different, like just crazy… It’s a three-round, it’s the first fight of the pay-per-view... So I think Yan is gonna come out crazy with t…

Lightweight, Bantamweight Title Fights Top Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17

Two championship fights will top the card for a Bellator MMA event in Paris on May 17.

Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his lightweight crown against Alexandr Shabily in the evening’s main event, while Patrick Mix will face Magomed Magomedov in a bantamweight championship clash in the co-headliner. The promotion on Wednesday announced the featured bouts for the event, which will be entitled Bellator Champions Series Paris.

Bellator Champions Series Paris takes place at Accor Arena in Paris and also includes two other main card matchups: a middleweight No. 1 contender’s bout between Gregory Babene and Costello van Steenis and a heavyweight showdown pitting Slim Trabelsi against Louie Sutherland. Additionally, Mansour Barnaoui will lock horns with Yusuke Yachi in a preliminary lightweight contest.

Nurmagomedov is undefeated in 18 professional outings. His last bout, which was initially a unanimous decision win against Brent Primus at Bellator 300, …

PFL Europe Weigh-in Results: Doumbe, ‘Baki’ Official for Welterweight Headliner

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The main event of PFL Europe is official, as both Cedric Doumbe and Baissangour Chamsoudinov hit their contracted marks at Wednesday’s weigh-ins.

Doumbe tipped the scales at 170.2 pounds, while Chamsoudinov checked in at 170.4 pounds for the welterweight feature.

PFL Europe 1 takes place on Thursday at Accor Arena in Paris. The card airs on DAZN in Europe, while the event’s main card will stream via the PFL YouTube channel in the United States beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT.

A former Glory Kickboxing welterweight champion, Doumbe has compiled a 5-0 mark in MMA. In his PFL debut, “The Best” scored a nine-second knockout of Jordan Zebo this past September. All five of his professional triumphs have come via knockout or technical knockout.

The 22-year-old Chamsoudinov, who trains at the MMA Factory, has kicked off his pro tenure with seven consecutive victories. In his last outing, “Baki” scored a second-round …

Urijah Faber Returns to MMA, Headlines A1 Combat Event on May 25

UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber will return to action for the first time since December 2019 when he headlines A1 Combat 21 on May 25.

The promotion, which is run by Faber himself, announced the news on Tuesday. An opponent for Faber will be revealed at a later date. A1 Combat 20 will be held at the Visalia Convention Center in California.

A former World Extreme Cagefighting champion and a multi-time UFC title challenger, the 44-year-old Faber hasn’t competed in MMA since suffering a knockout loss against Petr Yan at UFC 245 on Dec. 14, 2019. However, “The California Kid” has taken part in wrestling and grappling matches since then.

Faber previously ended a two-and-a-half year retirement in 2019, when he returned to score a 46-second TKO of Ricky Simon at UFC Fight Night 155 in July 2019. Faber owns a 35-11 career mark in MMA since beginning his professional tenure in 2003.

UFC Fight Night Card Set for Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena on Aug. 3

Abu Dhabi, we'll see you soon! 👀

🗓️: AUG 3 SAT#UFCAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/PZA4etmDUP

— UFC (@ufc) March 6, 2024

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to Abu Dhabi this summer.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Wednesday that it will hold a Fight Night event at Etihad Arena on Aug. 3. No bouts were announced for the card.

In recent years, the UFC has typically held a pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi in October. The most recent of these was UFC 294, which saw Islam Makhachev retain his lightweight crown with a knockout of Alexander Volkanovski on Oct. 24. It is unclear if this event will be lone UFC offering in the country for 2024.

This will mark the first Fight Night event to be held in the United Arab Emirates since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the UFC held 11 cards — eight Fight Nights and three pay-per-views — in Abu Dhabi durin…

Cory Sandhagen Believes Win Over Umar Nurmagomedov Seals Title Shot

Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov will seemingly have their fight rebooked, as both parties have informally accepted the matchup.

Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov were originally scheduled to fight this past August before an injury forced the Dagestani to withdraw from the bout. Sandhagen went on put on a masterclass against Rob Font en route to a dominant decision victory in the UFC on ESPN 50 main event. Sandhagen has since been recovering from surgery for a torn tricep he suffered in the outing.

Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon last weekend, picking up a lopsided decision victory over Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238. The undefeated Dagestani contender subsequently called for a rebooking with Sandhagen.

Currently riding a three-fight winning streak, which includes a win over current No. 1 contender Marlon Vera, Sandhagen was originally rallying for a title shot upon his return. However, “Sandman” has now verbally accepted…

Dustin Poirier Had to Find Internal Motivation to Face ‘Young Lion’ Benoit St. Denis

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Dustin Poirier had to have some profound conversations with himself going into his UFC 299 clash against Benoit St. Denis.

After extending his finish streak to five with a brutal-head kick knockout over Matt Frevola, St. Denis aimed high with a callout of Poirier. While “The Diamond” was initially dismissive of the callout, he was taken by surprise when the UFC offered him the fight.

As one of the biggest stars of the sport, Poirier had to seriously consider why he would accept the booking against a dangerous up-and-comer. While he almost knew all along that he would accept the booking, Poirier found motivation in the need to test himself.

“I was more surprised when they offered it to me,” he told ESPN. “I thought it was gonna be another legend in the fight game or a former champion, something you know that’s gonna be big. Not that this isn’t big. That’s why I flipped it you know. Personally I had to flip it, like ‘What’s my…

Coach Takes ‘A Lot of the Blame’ for Sean O’Malley’s Loss Against Marlon Vera

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Tim Welch admittedly accepts most of the blame for Sean O'Malley’s lone career loss against Marlon Vera. But the ankle wraps his fighter wore in the bout also share some of the responsibility.

O’Malley suffered a stoppage loss against Vera in 2020 after a leg kick from “Chito” compromised his lead leg. “Sugar” refuses to acknowledge the loss to this day, dismissing the kick as a fluke strike that damaged his peroneal nerve.

O’Malley’s coach, however, believes other factors contributed to the damaged nerve. According to Welch, minutes before the fight, O’Malley had complained twice about his ankle wraps being too tight. While they made small adjustments, Welch believes they were still too tight, which stopped the blood flow to O’Malley’s leg.

“I got to take a lot of the blame on this,” Welch said on his YouTube channel channel. “One of the UFC people wrapped his ankles, and a couple times – ‘Sugar’ usually never complains abo…

Vinicius Oliveira Reveals DMs with Umar Nurmagomedov Teasing Potential Matchup

Vinicius Oliveira has revealed Instagram DM’s with Umar Nurmagomedov following their victories at #UFCVegas87. 👀

Is this a fight you’d be interested in? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ZiTgxsvP4m

— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) March 5, 2024

Vinicius Oliveira and Umar Nurmagomedov are seemingly set on a collision course, according to a series of direct messages between the two that were recently shared by the Brazilian.

Oliveira made his promotional debut last weekend at UFC Fight Night 238, bagging $100,000 in bonus money (“Performance of The Night” and “Fight of the Night”) for his flying-knee knockout of fellow newcomer Bernardo Sopai. Nurmagomedov extended his unbeaten streak on the same card with a decision win over Bekzat Almakhan after surviving an early scare.

Oliveira subsequently called out Nurmagomedov for his sophomore UFC outing, labeling the Dagestani an easy fight after watching his clash against Almakhan. “Lok Dog” ha…

Merab Dvalishvili to Weigh In as Backup Fighter for UFC 299 Main Event

✈️ booked @MerabDvalishvil is headed to Miami tmrw for #UFC299 as the official title fight back up. Let's make it a pink panty night! #MiamiMerab pic.twitter.com/Eg0nwTyRFm

— KOreps (@ko_reps) March 6, 2024

If something goes awry ahead of UFC 299, Merab Dvalishvili could get his championship opportunity sooner than expected.

The bantamweight contender’s management announced on Tuesday evening that “The Machine” will serve as the back-up fighter for the bantamweight title headliner between reigning champion Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. Dvalishvili will weigh in on Friday and be ready to step in if anything happens to either O’Malley or Vera.

Dvalishvili is currently on a 10-fight winning streak in UFC competition, with nine of those victories coming at 135 pounds. He cemented his status as the division’s No. 1 contender in waiting with a three-round verdict over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 on Feb. 17. After the bout, UFC CEO Dana Whi…

Conor McGregor ‘Still Holding Hope for June 29,’ Also Wants Diaz Trilogy at The Sphere

Though all signs point to him competing in the fall at the earliest, Conor McGregor still has designs on competing at UFC 303 during International Fight Week.

The former UFC two-division champion recently hosted a brief Q&A on his Instagram Stories, where he addressed his fighting plans and other topics. During that session, McGregor confirmed that he still wants to fight at UFC 303. The Dublin native announced on New Year’s Eve that he would face Michael Chandler on June 29 at 185 pounds, but UFC CEO Dana White later disputed that claim, instead targeting the fall for the Irish star’s return.

“Still holding hope for June 29,” McGregor wrote. “Lack of action on it, however, is now causing lack of enthusiasm. I need a decision soon. I am the most tested athlete under this new regime. Yet no date to fight.

“The game is a bit lackluster also at present, which isn’t helping. I hope these next few cards pop and I get a date. Eliminate distract…

Gilbert Burns Explains Why He Accepted Fight vs. Jack Della Maddelena at UFC 299

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Gilbert Burns isn’t someone who likes to turn down fights.

During a recent interview on Renato Carneiro’s YouTube channel, Burns was asked why he accepted a fight against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299Burns responded by explaining why he accepted the fight against Maddalena, who has been victorious in his first six UFC appearances.

“That was an offer from [matchmaker] Sean Shelby. I´m not a guy who turn down fights because of ranking,” Burns said. “My thing is I lost my last fight, and I need to get back in the win column.”

If Burns is able to emerge from UFC 299 with a clean bill of health, he would be interested in competing at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro on May 4.

“My goal is have a dominant performance, and if I don’t get hurt, [returning] to fight in my city would be excellent,” he said. “But of course that´s not my main goal right now. JDM is a tough guy and I´m 100% focused on him.”

Burns also discussed his…

PFL, Globo Announce Multi-Year Media Rights Renewal to Broadcast Events in Brazil

Professional Fighters League and Bellator MMA events will have a broadcast home in Brazil for the foreseeable future.

On Tuesday, PFL announced a multi-year media rights renewal with Globo to serve as its exclusive broadcast partner in Brazil. This includes both PFL and Bellator events as well as archival footage and original content. Globo is the leading media rights company in Brazil and one of the largest TV networks in the world.

According to a release, PFL and Bellator events will air on Combate platforms — which includes a pay TV channel, website, app and social networks — as well as being featured live on Globo’s free-to-air platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. PFL purchased Bellator in 2023 and will continue running the promotion as a separate entity, with its first event under new ownership set for March 22 in Belfast.

“The Professional Fighters League is thrilled to expand our partnership with Globo, the premium media co…

Jailton Almeida Would Have Preferred Five-Round Fight Against Curtis Blaydes

While Jailton Almeida is glad to be rebooked against Curtis Blaydes, he would have preferred the five-round stipulation of their original fight.

Almeida and Blaydes were supposed to headline UFC Sao Paulo this past November before “Razor” was forced out with an injury. Blaydes was replaced on short notice by Derrick Lewis, who went on drop a lopsided decision against Almeida. Almeida and Blaydes have now been rebooked for UFC 299, which goes down on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

While their main-event bout was for five rounds, the UFC 299 clash will be for three rounds, which Almeida believes favors his opponent.

“Nothing changes at all, he is the same fighter,” Almeida told BJPenn.com. “So the camp was the same too… This changes a lot, mainly because I think I have the gas tank for 10 rounds, and Blaydes in other fights gasses out in the [championship] rounds, so, I think three rounds is better for him, but the result will be the s…

Gilbert Burns Takes Back Claims of Belal Muhammad Not Deserving a Title Shot

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Gilbert Burns claims he labeled Belal Muhammad unworthy of a title shot mostly because he doesn’t like “Remember The Name” very much.

A welterweight title shot has inexplicably evaded Muhammad, who is currently on a 10-fight unbeaten streak that includes a dominant decision win against Burns. Burns recently received some flak from Muhammad for stating that “Remember The Name” still doesn’t deserve a gold bid.

However, “Durinho” has now backtracked on his comments, even offering an apology to Muhammad. Burns blamed his comments on his dislike for Muhammad due to the latter running his mouth after their fight.

“I think Belal Muhammad deserves to fight for the title,” Burns recently said on Renato Carneiro’s YouTube channel. “For the numbers, you know. He deserves [it]. The guy has a crazy winning streak. Ten fights, I don’t know. I think he deserves [it].

“To be honest, I just have something that I’m like, ‘That guy beat…

Sean O’Malley Eyes Ilia Topuria, Awaits Umar Nurmagomedov’s Stardom

Following in the footsteps of many new champions, Sean O'Malley is already eyeing two-division glory going into his first bantamweight title defense.

“Sugar” is scheduled to defend his strap against Marlon Vera (23-8) in the main event at UFC 299 on March 9. The UFC bantamweight champ has already called out newly crowned featherweight champ Ilia Topuria as a next potential opponent. Furthermore, O’Malley claims that the UFC brass and his team have also discussed the possibility of a clash against “El Matador” at The Sphere in Las Vegas where the promotion is planning a one-of-a-kind event in September.

“I’ve kind of been putting this out there, I’ve text Dana, text Hunter multiple times, said it on podcasts, said it in interviews, Me vs. Ilia in September in Vegas at the Sphere, Mexican Independence Day, I got the Mexican flag right here. Let’s make it happen. I think that would be the next fight if all goes to plan,” O’Malley told ESPN.

Topuri…

Brandon Royval and Muhammad Mokaev Trade Barbs, Tease Potential Clash

Brandon Royval and Muhammad Mokaev could possibly be on a collision course to determine the next title contender at 125 pounds.

Mokaev called for a title shot after a grueling decision win over veteran contender Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238 on Saturday. However, Royval, who outclassed former champ Brandon Moreno at UFC Mexico a week earlier, is rallying for a title shot of his own.

Discussing Mokaev’s recent clash against Perez, Royval was quick to criticize the 23-year-old's “boring” performance over the weekend, labeling him unworthy of a title shot.

“He's undefeated. Maybe he beat Alex Perez, maybe not. He could be Alex Perez’s only win over a current UFC fighter right now. That being said, I don’t think it warrants a title fight, Royval said on “The MMA Hour” “I didn’t think it was very impressive. After the first round, it just seemed like he was done for. It is what it is. I just didn’t think it was that impressive, in my opinion.”…

Michel Pereira: Sparring Sessions with Sean Strickland Are ‘Always Crazy’

Michel Pereira will take a six-bout winning streak into his fight against Michal Oleksiejczuk on Saturday at UFC 299.

The pairing will mark the Brazilian’s second middleweight appearance within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

"The best thing I could do in my life was go up to [185 pounds],” Pereira told Sherdog.com. “Today I’m living and and training much better. At welterweight, I had to lose more than [40 pounds] in two months for every fight. Today is easy.”

Pereira’s opponent, Oleksiejczuk, has won three of his last four Octagon appearances — all by first-round knockout or technical knockout.

"I couldn’t learn how to say his name until [recently],” Pereira said. “This [Polish] guy doesn't kick, [land takedowns] or fight on the ground, but his left hand is really dangerous. I'm totally aware of that, but I think I’m a better boxer than him, and my goal is knock him out. But I’m an MMA fighter. I’m prepared to do what is necessary to get my …

Vinicius Oliveira Believes Umar Nurmagomedov Would Be ‘Easy Fight’

Vinicius Oliveira is aiming high after a spectacular Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on Saturday.

After multiple opponent changes, Oliveira took on fellow debutant Bernardo Sopai on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 238. After dropping the first round on the scorecards, Oliveira came from behind to score a spectacular flying knee knockout in the final frame.

“Lok Dog” subsequently called out bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov, who also fought on the same card. Nurmagomedov survived an early knockdown and went on to score a lopsided unanimous decision win over Bekzat Almakhan on the main card.

Oliveira was watching Nurmagomedov’s fight during a post-fight media scrum and labeled the Dagestani standout one dimensional. While the Brazilian initially struggled with grappling during his UFC debut, he plans on sharpening his takedown defense to tackle Nurmagomedov’s wrestling skillset.

“I would like to fight Umar Nurmagomed…

MMA Fighter DQ’ed from Boxing Match for Landing Takedown, Ground-and-Pound

Shocking scenes at the heavyweight fight in Koszalin, Poland! 🇵🇱MMA fighter Marcin Sianos (0-1) made his professional debut today and landed a hurtful blow on Artur Bizewski (9-0) in the second round before initiating ground and pound, landing an elbow.Subsequently, angry… pic.twitter.com/hraFZC87Fr

— Permante (@PermantexG) March 2, 2024

Strange things unfolded during a bout at Rocky Boxing Night in Koszalin, Poland, on Sunday.

MMA veteran Marcin Sianos made his boxing debut against undefeated boxer Artur Bizewski in a heavyweight matchup. Sianos looked close to pulling off an upset win, as he had Bizewski visibly hurt with a flurry of punches early in the second round. However, Sianos bizarrely chose to go for a double leg before knocking his opponent out with ground-and-pound. The referee immediately intervened, disqualifying Sianos, who was subsequently seen running away amidst angry protests from the crowd. Sianos la…

Elves Brener to Meet Myktybek Orolbai at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro

Lightweights Elves Brener and Myktybek Orolbai are slated to clash at UFC 301 on May 4.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from Ag.Fight. UFC 301 takes place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. A headliner has not been announced for the event.

A training partner of former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira, Brener emerged as one of the most highly-touted prospects of the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team in 2023. After scoring huge upset wins against Zubaira Tukhugov and Guram Kutateladze, Brener scored a first-round KO win over Kaynan Kruschewsky in his last outing in November.

Meanwhile, Orolbai made his promotional debut on four days’ notice at welterweight against Uros Medic in November, scoring an impressive submission win. The Kyrgyz standout hasn’t lost a fight since 2020 and now rides a seven-fight winning streak.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Reveals Team Was Contacted Regarding Return at UFC 300

Khabib Nurmagomedov refuses to be lured into an Octagon return despite repeated attempts from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Nurmagomedov revealed that his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, was recently approached by the promotion for a potential return at the UFC 300 card on April 13. However, “The Eagle” has instructed Abdelaziz to not patch any messages through about return offers.

Nurmagomedov hung up his gloves for good with his perfect record intact after successfully defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254 in October 2020. The Dagestani icon has since stuck to the promise he made to his mother of not fighting after the death of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who passed away in 2020.

In an interview with MMAjunkie.com, Nurmagomedov was asked if the UFC contacted him directly about coming out of retirement.

“Honestly no. Honestly no,” he said. “I know they connect with Ali [Abdelaziz]. …

Justin Tafa Replaces Brother, Meets Karl Williams at UFC on ESPN 53

Justin Tafa is returning the favor for his sibling.

The elder Tafa will replace his brother, Junior Tafa, and face Karl Williams at UFC on ESPN 53 on March 23. MMA Mania was first to report the new heavyweight matchup, and it was later confirmed by Williams on social media.

Junior Tafa previously stepped in on short notice when Justin Tafa suffered an undisclosed injury during fight week ahead of UFC 298. Junior would go on to suffer a second-round TKO defeat to Marcos Rogerio de Lima at the Feb. 17 event in Anaheim, California.

Justin Tafa is unbeaten in his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 30-year-old Aussie knocked out Austen Lane in 82 seconds at UFC 293 this past September.

A winner on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, Williams has been victorious in nine of his 10 professional outings. He is 2-0 in UFC competition, with back-to-back decision triumphs over Lukasz Brzeski and Chase Sherman to his credit.

<…

Sean O’Malley: ‘Chito’ Vera Knows He Was ‘Gifted’ Title Fight Because I’m Champ

Sean O'Malley knows that Marlon Vera isn’t your typical No. 1 contender. And he believes his opponent knows it, too.

However, Vera's history with the reigning bantamweight champion — namely a first-round TKO over O’Malley in August 2020 — makes for an intriguing storyline. And it doesn’t hurt that O’Malley himself wants to avenge his lone career defeat. He’ll get a chance to do so when he faces Vera in the UFC 299 main event on Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

“Zero percent chance [he gets a shot if I’m not champion],” O’Malley said in a recent interview with ESPN. “There’s guys [that] deserve [it]: Cory [Sandhagen], Merab [Dvalishvili] — you could argue those guys deserve a title fight over ‘Chito.’ I went out there and knocked out the greatest bantamweight of all time. I said ‘Hey, I want one thing. Let me have the ‘Chito’ rematch.’ I’ve never asked for it. I’ve never really asked for anything. Let me have this ‘Chito’ fight. …

“I neve…

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