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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…

Shamil Gaziev Promises Disheartening UFC Fight Night 238 Defeat Won’t Break Him

Shamil Gaziev’s first career defeat was a harsh dose of reality.

After relying on his grappling to win the opening round of the UFC Fight Night 238 headliner against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Gaziev faded badly from that point forward. For the next three rounds. his wrestling was denied and absorbed multiple jabs from his opponent, an assault which led to the bout being waved off by referee Marc Goddard before the fifth round.

While it appeared that Gaziev’s resolve weakened over the course of the bout, he released a post-fight statement on social media vowing to get better.

“First of all, congratulations [Jairzinho Rozenstruik]. Good job today,” Gaziev wrote on X. “Got eye and nose damage in [the second round] and couldn’t follow [the] fight plan. If anyone thinks it will break me, I will disappoint you. I’m going to return [to the] gym in the coming days, and I promise my fans to get better.”

First of all congratula…

Jairzinho Rozenstruik Seeks Summer Return, Open to Multiple Potential Foes

While Jairzinho Rozenstruik has a few names in mind after stopping the previously-undefeated Shamil Gaziev at UFC Fight Night 238, he isn’t willing to get fixated on chasing any one matchup.

After losing the opening frame due to a grappling exchange, Rozenstruik jabbed Gaziev for three rounds, compromising the Russian’s vision, leading to a TKO via retirement at the end of the fourth. Having fought only once in 2023, Rozenstruik hopes to stay more active with a return planned for this summer.

At Saturday’s post-fight press conference, the Surinamese heavyweight named Tai Tuivasa, Derrick Lewis, Sergey Spivak and interim champ Tom Aspinall as potential future opponents. Rozenstruik also doesn’t want to get tied down to one particular booking as it involves the risk of inactivity if the opponent isn’t ready.

“When I’d like to fight next would be close [to] July, August. And who I’d like to fight, you know what it is, I never say a name because then when tha…

Umar Nurmagomedov Targets International Fight Week Clash vs. Cory Sandhagen

Umar Nurmagomedov wants to settle the score with Cory Sandhagen after defeating Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238.

Nurmagomedov survived an early scare after getting dropped in the first round and rallied to score a thoroughly dominant unanimous decision win over the Kazakh debutant, who was riding an eight-fight winning streak with seven finishes. Nurmagomedov acknowledged his opponent’s toughness and isn’t fretting over the lack of a finish.

“When I’m going inside cage it was father plan: we gonna take him down, try to finish him but finish not work,” Nurmagomedov said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “He didn’t let [it happen]. But it’s OK.”

Nurmagomedov subsequently called out Sandhagen, who he was scheduled to face this past July before pulling out due to a shoulder injury. The undefeated Russian also addressed pullout accusations, noting that his health has only been responsible for two matchups falling through, one of w…

Muhammad Mokaev Calls for Title Shot After Decision Win Over Alex Perez

Muhammad Mokaev believes he is deserving of a title shot following his decision win over Alex Perez at UFC Fight Night 238.

Mokaev landed three out of a total of 20 attempted takedowns in a grueling affair but was ultimately able to get the nod on the scorecards. “The Punisher” later revealed that he was sick in the morning but was able to make the walk to the Octagon with support from his team.

“To be honest, I was very sick this morning,” Mokaev said. “But I have the best team in the world, KHK MMA.”

While he maintained his unbeaten record, Mokaev arguably faced the toughest test of his career against the flyweight veteran. While he struggled with his grappling, the Dagestan-born British contender was glad to have used some of his striking.

“Of course they all wait for wrestling,” he said. “At least I show more than six strikes tonight. [In] my other fights six, seven strikes I throw. But it’s okay… Hey, 6-0 in the UFC, four finishes. List…

Tyson Pedro Retires After Loss to Vitor Petrino at UFC Fight Night 238

Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight veteran Tyson Pedro hung up his gloves after a loss against surging prospect Vitor Petrino at UFC Fight Night 238.

Pedro dropped a hard-fought unanimous decision against the undefeated Brazilian on the main card. The Australian fan favourite then took off his gloves and waited for his opponent’s post-fight interview to end before announcing his retirement from the UFC.

“I didn’t want to take away from his win, obviously,” Pedro said. “I had a different bit of a plan going at this race. It wasn’t the best performance, so thank you to all the fans. I want to say thank you very much to the UFC for everything they have done on this journey. Especially thanks to my team, anyone that’s helped me get to this stage of my martial arts career.”

Pedro started his pro career with four first-round stoppage wins before signing with the UFC. Pedro went on to score consecutive first-round wins over Paul Crai…

UFC Fight Night 238 Bonuses: Vinicus Oliveira Earns $100K in Spectacular Debut

Vinicius Oliveira just submitted his entry for “Knockout of the Year,” and that effort made him a little extra money in the process.

The Brazilian pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award by virtue of highlight-reel finish of Bernardo Sopai in a preliminary bantamweight showdown at UFC Fight Night 238 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After surviving some precarious moments earlier in the bout, Oliveira got stronger as the fight progressed before rendering his opponent unconscious with a flying knee at the 4:41 mark of Round 3.

Sopai wasn’t left out in the cold, however. Both he and Oliveira received $50,000 apiece and “Fight of the Night” honors for what was a back-and-forth affair.

Elsewhere, Steve Erceg received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his second-round KO of Matt Schnell in a featured flyweight affair. After a competitive opening stanza, Erceg vanquished his foe with a left hook that sent Schnell crashing to th…

Jab Paves Way to Jairzinho Rozenstruik TKO in UFC Fight Night 238 Headliner

Jairzinho Rozenstruik administered a prolonged beating and made sure the door to the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight elite stayed shut.

The American Top Team-trained kickboxer called upon a crushing jab and improved takedown defense, as he forced a stoppage against the previously unbeaten Shamil Gaziev in the UFC Fight Night 238 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A battered and beaten Gaziev (12-1, 1-1 UFC) was deemed unfit to continue in between the fourth and fifth rounds.

Rozenstruik (14-5, 8-5 UFC) handled his business after being taken down late in the first round. He bloodied Gaziev’s nose with a lightning-quick jab, varying its pace and intensity while occasionally incorporating leg kicks. Rozenstruik’s combinations picked up steam as time went on, and it became clear after the fourth round that his opponent had no interest in absorbing more damage.

Meanwhile, CM System’s Vitor Petrino took another step forward a…

UFC Fight Night 238 ‘Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to its home base this weekend with UFC Fight Night 238 “Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev,” before gearing up for the dynamic flurry set to unfold with their visit to the Kaseya Center in Miami for UFC 299. While billed as a brief pit stop, the event’s stacked card hints at an intimate atmosphere. Perennial heavyweight threat Jairzinho Rozenstruik and rising talent Shamil Gaziev will headline Saturday’s card, set to go down at the Apex Facility in Las Vegas. Sherdog.com brings exclusive live play-by-play coverage of every thrilling moment to you, ensuring you don't miss out on any of the Octagon excitement. The first bout is expected to kick off at approximately 1:35 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Al-Selwady (-166), Radzhabov (+140)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tris…

UFC Fight Night 238 Prelims: Eryk Anders Wears Down Retiring Jamie Pickett

Eryk Anders’ approach may not have been aesthetically pleasing, but it was undeniably effective against a lower-level Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight.

Repeated takedowns and accompanying ground-and-pound carried the ex-University of Alabama linebacker to a unanimous decision over a retiring Jamie Pickett in their featured UFC Fight Night 238 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 29-27, 29-28 and 29-28—all for Anders (16-8, 8-8 UFC), who rebounded from his June 10 defeat to Marc-Andre Barriault.

Pickett (13-11, 2-7 UFC) decked the onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance champion with a counter right hand in the first round but grew more and more ineffective as time went on. Anders wore him down with takedowns, passed guard without issue and cut loose with ground-and-pound. His shots landed with increasing intensity, an elbow strike eventually opening a gash on Pickett in the third round.

Meanwhile, former UAE Warriors…

Joshua Pacio Issues Statement After DQ Win Over Jarred Brooks at ONE 166

Newly crowned ONE Championship strawweight (125-pound) king Joshua Pacio has issued a statement following his Round 1 disqualification win over Jarred Brooks at ONE Championship 166, which took place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Friday.

Brooks and Pacio met in a rematch on Friday after “The Monkey God” took the strawweight title from Pacio via unanimous decision in their first meeting in December 2022. However, the long-awaited clash came to a screeching halt only 56 seconds in when Brooks slammed Pacio on his head and proceeded to unload vicious ground-and-pound shots on his foe until he was stopped by referee Herb Dean.

While Brooks jumped up on the cage to celebrate a quick finish, “The Monkey God” was swiftly notified that he’d been disqualified due to the illegal nature of the slam. As per ONE's global mixed martial arts ruleset, no spikes or throws on the head, neck or spine are allowed. As a result, Pacio is now the reigning straw…

Themba Gorimbo to Face Ramiz Brahimaj at UFC Fight Night Event on May 18

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Themba Gorimbo is set to return to the Octagon a little more than three months following his last promotional win.

“The Answer” will square off against Ramiz Brahimaj in his fourth promotional outing at a UFC Fight Night event scheduled to go down on May 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The news was first reported by Eurosport_Nl's Marcel Dorff and later confirmed by Brahimaj on social media. Other announced matchups on the card include Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Emily Ducote, Luana Pinheiro vs. Angela Hill and Hailey Cowan vs. Tamires Vidal.

Gorimbo (12-4) will enter the Octagon on the heels of back-to-back victories against Pete Rodriguez and Takashi Sato after suffering a Round 2 submission loss at the hands of A.J. Fletcher in his UFC…

Report: Alex Morono vs. Court McGee Added to UFC Fight Night 240 Card on April 6

A welterweight meeting between Alex Morono and Court McGee has been added to the UFC Fight Night 240 card set to go down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 6.

The news was first reported by Eurosport_NL’s Marcel Dorff on social media. UFC Fight Night 240 will be headlined by a middleweight clash pitting Marvin Vettori against Brendan Allen.

Morono (23-9) will return to the Octagon coming off a unanimous decision loss to Joaquin Buckley in October. Prior to that, “The Great White” recorded a Round 2 submission win over Tim Means in May last year.

Meanwhile, the 39-year-old McGee (21-12) is currently on a two-fight losing streak having suffered back-to-back Round 1 knockout losses against Jeremiah Wells in June 2022 and Matt Brown in May 2023. “The Crusher” has gone 2-5 in his last seven promotional outings.

UFC Fight Night 238 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight

Battle of the big boys 😤@JairRozenstruik vs Shamil Gaziev goes down TOMORROW!

[ #UFCVegas87 | @ESPNPlus | 4pmET/1pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/sEBx9XSWGA

— UFC (@ufc) March 1, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns for its first event of March, which features an intriguing heavyweight showdown.

Headlining UFC Fight Night 238 is a five-round fight between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Gaziev. Both heavyweights successfully made weight, with "Bigi Boy" weighing in at 257 pounds and Gaziev coming in four pounds heavier. All the rest of the fighters made weight as well.

This marks the sixth UFC main event for Rozenstruik. The 35-year-old is just 1-3 in his last four fights and is coming off a loss to Jailton Almeida. Prior to knocking out Chris Daukaus, he also came up short against Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes. "Bigi Boy" will look to show that he should still be feared inside the Octagon.

Meanwhile, …

PFL Signs Former UFC Flyweight Title Challenger Taila Santos

The Professional Fighters League has bolstered its new flyweight bracket in a big way.

Per the PFL at the end of 2023, it will be eliminating the women’s featherweight division from tournament stakes and move a few remaining competitors like Larissa Pacheco to its “Pay-Per-View division.” In its place will be a women’s flyweight tournament, and the total number of participants is still undisclosed, although it will feature 2023 PFL Europe winner Dakota Ditcheva. According to OCP News on Friday, and confirmed shortly thereafter by the fighter and multiple outlets, Taila Santos (19-3) has joined the PFL roster to compete in the 2024 season.

The Astra Fight Team product was released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster on the heels of a decision loss to Erin Blanchfield in April 2023. Prior to her defeat to Blanchfield, Santos vied for the flyweight belt against Valentina Shevchenko, and ultimately dropped a narrow split decision. Santos made her way to the t…

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