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Bellator 301 Loses Juliana Velasquez vs. Paula Cristina, Daniel James vs. Ali Isaev

Bellator MMA’s final event of 2023 will proceed without a pair of its originally scheduled preliminary matchups.

The California-based promotion announced on Monday that a flyweight bout between Juliana Velasquez and Paula Cristina dos Santos Silva and a heavyweight clash pitting Daniel James against Ali Isaev have both been canceled. As a result, the card will move forward with 16 fights.

Bellator 301 takes place on Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago and is headlined by a welterweight championship showdown between Yaroslav Amosov and Jason Jackson. In the co-main event, Sergio Pettis and Patrick Mix will square off in a bantamweight title unification bout. The main card airs on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while prelims begin on the Bellator YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

Velasquez, 38, is coming off back-to-back losses to Liz Carmouche in flyweight title bouts, the most recent of which occurred this pas…

Jiri Prochazka Says ‘Marc Goddard Was Right’ to Halt UFC 295 Main Event

To the naked eye, it appeared that Jiri Prochazka deserved a little more time to recover against Alex Pereira in the UFC 295 main event.

Prochazka was hurt by a short left hook from his foe in the second stanza, which prompted the Czech Republic native to shoot for a takedown. From there, Pereira transitioned to a series of hard elbows to the side of the head, and Prochazka toppled backward to the canvas with his Brazilian foe on top of him.

At that point, veteran official Marc Goddard had seen enough, and he waved off the light heavyweight title bout at the 4:08 mark of Round 2. Prochazka still appeared to be scrambling to defend himself in that moment, but it was to no avail — because the call had already been made. While many observers thought the ending came early, Prochazka did his best to put an end to the stoppage controversy in a video on Instagram.

“Hello everyone, I just want to say to all of you thank you for your support,” Prochaz…

Three Bouts Added to Rizin 45 Lineup on New Year’s Eve

The lineup for Rizin Fighting Federation’s traditional New Year’s Eve card continues to grow, as the Japanese promotion recently announced three new additions to the lineup.

Two of those bouts — Tsuyoshi Kamiyama vs. Mikio Ueda and Shinobu Ota vs. Ryusei Ashizawa — will be contested under MMA rules, while the third —Rukiya Anpo vs. Minoru Kimura — is a kickboxing affair.

Rizin 45 takes place on Dec. 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and features a bantamweight title tilt pitting reigning champ Juan Archuleta against Kai Asakura. The event will also see Kyoji Horiguchi square off against Makoto Takahasi for the flyweight crown.

Kamiyama has been victorious in eight of his 10 professional outings — all under the Rizin banner. Most recently, “Sudario” defeated Dong Hwan Lim via third-round technical knockout at Rizin Landmark Vol. 6 on Oct. 1. All but one of his triumphs have come by way of KO or TKO.

Ueda has won two straight b…

Dana White’s Plans to Rebook Jones vs. Miocic Remain Unchanged After UFC 295

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Dana White has doubled down on rebooking Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic even after Tom Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title against Sergei Pavlovich on Saturday.

While Jones and Miocic were originally scheduled to headline UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden, “Bones” was forced off the card due to a torn pectoral tendon. An interim title fight between Aspinall and Pavlovich was put together at the last minute, with White claiming that it would have been disrespectful to offer an interim fight to Miocic.

Aspinall went on score a massive first-round KO win over Pavlovich, with Jones praising the newly-crowned interim champ. Many fans and pundits believe Aspinall and Pavlovich should have been fighting for the undisputed title to begin with, as Jones’ recovery is likely to take a while.

However, White has previously stated that he plans on rebooking the Jones vs. Miocic fight, with the winner potentially facing the interim champ…

Sergei Pavlovich Addresses Brutal UFC 295 Knockout Loss to Tom Aspinall

Sergei Pavlovich seems to be coping well with his failed bid for interim heavyweight gold against Tom Aspinall.

Pavlovich and Aspinall were booked to co-headline UFC 295 on less than three weeks’ notice at Madison Square Garden after the originally scheduled main event title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic fell through. Pavlovich was also supposed to be the backup for Jones vs. Miocic, which many believed could give him a slight edge over Aspinall.

Instead, Aspinall put Pavlovich to sleep 69 seconds into the fight to become the interim UFC heavyweight champ. The defeat marked the end of a six-fight first-round KO streak for the Russian.

Pavlovich has now issued an official statement on Telegram addressing the loss while also providing a health update. The 31-year-old appears to be an absolute sport in the aftermath of his first failed gold bid.

“I didn't suffer any damage to my health, I'm fine,” Pavlovich wrote. “Tom turned ou…

Israel Adesanya Suggests Next Potential Opponent for Alex Pereira

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Israel Adesanya doesn’t seem very interested in Alex Pereira’s light heavyweight title shot offer.

Pereira won the vacant light heavyweight strap with a second-round knockout win over former champ Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 on Saturday. “Poatan” called out Adesanya in his post-fight interview, urging the Nigerian-born Kiwi to move up to 205 pounds.

“I know that I’m not going to do what he did to me and make me fight three times to fight him at middleweight,” Pereira said in his post-fight interview. “I know it’s a guy we have a lot of history. I want to make this fight happen. Adesanya, come to daddy.”

“The Last Stylebender” responded with a meme of his UFC 287 KO win over Pereira with the Brazilian dressed up as Elsa from the Disney movie “Frozen.”

“Let it gooo,” Adesanya wrote.

Adesanya lost his middleweight strap to Sean Strickland in a shocking upset at UFC 293 in September. Adesanya has since stated that he i…

Jan Blachowicz Blasts Alex Pereira for Callout of Israel Adesanya

Jan Blachowicz took issue with Alex Pereira issuing a callout to Israel Adesanya after his title win at UFC 295 over the weekend.

Pereira took on Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden in New York with the vacant light heavyweight title on the line. The Brazilian scored a second-round TKO win over Prochazka to become the fastest double champ in UFC history, taking just seven fights to win titles in two weight classes.

Pereira then went on to call out Adesanya, inviting his longtime rival to the light heavyweight division. In addition to two kickboxing victories over his rival, “Poatan” also dethroned Adesanya at UFC 281 last November before getting knocked out by “The Last Stylebender” earlier this year.

Regardless of the history, Blachowicz wasn’t happy with Pereira’s callout and voiced his thoughts on social media.

“[Alex Pereira] I know you're a slimy one,” Blachowicz wrote. “Calling out Izzy. Great performanc…

UFC 297 Update: Dominick Reyes to Face Carlos Ulberg in Toronto on Jan. 20

Two-time light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes will return to action against the surging Carlos Ulberg at UFC 297.

The promotion announced the booking during the UFC 295 broadcast on Saturday night. UFC 297 takes place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Jan. 20 and is headlined by a middleweight championship clash pitting Sean Strickland against Dricus Du Plessis.

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.

Alex Pereira Calls Israel Adesanya’s Self-Imposed Hiatus ‘A Waste of Talent’

Alex Pereira believes he has what it takes to motivate Israel Adesanya.

After claiming the vacant light heavyweight title with a second-round stoppage of Jiri Prochazka in the UFC 295 headliner, “Poatan” called for his longtime rival to meet him at 205 pounds.

“I know that I’m not going to do what he did to me and make me fight three times to fight him at middleweight,” Pereira said in the Octagon. “I know it’s a guy we have a lot of history. I want to make this fight happen. Adesanya, come to daddy.”

Adesanya last appeared at UFC 293, where he relinquished the middleweight crown in a surprising unanimous decision loss to Sean Strickland. Not long after, “The Last Stylebender” hinted that he might take an extended break from MMA. Pereira’s callout didn’t seem to have much of an effect on the City Kickboxing stalwart, as he simply responded by trolling his rival on social media.

Let it gooooo 🎶 pic.twitter.com/gv9ZYliKwH Read more about Alex Pereira Calls Israel Adesanya’s Self-Imposed Hiatus ‘A Waste of Talent’

New Interim Champ Tom Aspinall Lobbies for ‘Dream Fight’ vs. Jon Jones in the U.K.

Tom Aspinall didn’t leave much for Jon Jones to dissect at UFC 295.

The Englishman claimed interim gold in emphatic fashion, as he knocked out Sergei Pavlovich 69 seconds into Round 1 of their co-main event bout at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Jones took to social media to praise Aspinall following the victory. ‘

“Tom congratulations on the interim heavyweight championship belt! That was an awesome performance!” Jones wrote.

Tom congratulations on the interim heavyweight championship belt! That was an awesome performance!

— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 12, 2023

It’s not the first time Jones, the regining heavyweight king ,has praised Aspinall, and the the Team Kaobon product appreciates the accolades. But he’d like one more thing from the man known as “Bones.”

“I’ve seen Jon talking nice stuff about me on a podcast, as well. It’s really nice,” Aspinall said at Saturday’s post-fight press conferen…

Benoit St. Denis Targets Lightweight Elite Following Fifth Straight Finish at UFC 295

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Benoit St. Denis is eyeing a who’s who of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division after a spectacular knockout win over Matt Frevola.

Saint-Denis (13-1) took on Frevola (11-4) on the UFC 295 main card at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday. “God of War” floored the New York native 1:31 in the opening frame into with a shin-to-chin left head kick before following up with some ground-and-pound that was hardly necessary before referee Mike Beltran stepped in.

St. Denis claims he was on the lookout for striking opportunities while on the break from scrambles.

“I knew he was not going to exchange too much in the scrambles with me,” the Frenchman said in his post-fight Octagon interview. “… I knew that he doesn’t win the scrambles, there’s going to be opportunities after the scramble.”

St. Denis also put elite lightweight contenders on notice, which included cageside guests Dustin Poirier and Just…

John Castaneda Issues ‘Hopeful Callout’ to Adrian Yanez After UFC 295 Victory

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John Castaneda showed nothing but respect for Adrian Yanez while calling him out in his UFC 295 post-fight interview.

“Sexi Mexi” defeated South Korean veteran Kyung Ho Kang (19-10) via unanimous decision in a 138-pound catchweight bout on the UFC 295 preliminary card at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night. Castaneda, 31, was almost too polite to call anyone out after his victory but ultimately issued a respectful challenge to Yanez (16-5). The Minnesota native believes a potential booking against Yanez is an intriguing stylistic matchup.

“I’m not gonna call people out but if I were to call somebody out, I really really would love a fight with Adrian Yanez,” Castaneda said during a post-fight media session. “Not because it’s like a disrespect thing, but stylistically I think we can put on a banger. Absolutely… A little hopeful callout.”

Castaneda improved his Ultimate Fighting Championship record to 4-2 with …

Julianna Pena Expects to Face Winner of ‘Belt Warming’ Title Fight Upon Return

Julianna Pena claims the winner of the upcoming title fight between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva will only be “belt warming” until she returns to action.

Pennington (15-8) and Silva (10-2) will clash in the co-main event at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto with the vacant women’s bantamweight title on the line. For many, the booking came as a slight surprise due to the absence of Pena (11-5), who has been the only other woman besides Amanda Nunes to sit on the 135-pound throne in recent years.

Pena famously submitted Nunes at UFC 269 in 2021 in one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport before losing the strap via a lopsided decision in a rematch the following year. “The Venezuelan Vixen” was then scheduled to face Nunes in a trilogy clash at UFC 289 this past June but had to pull out due to an undisclosed injury. “The Lioness” recorded yet another dominant decision win over short-notice replacement Irene…

Khabib Nurmagomedov Discusses Turning Down Massive Paydays to End Retirement

Khabib Nurmagomedov claims he has never fought with money as his primary motivation.

Nurmagomedov, 35, hung up his gloves at his peak in 2020, retiring as a champ with a perfect 29-0 record. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight king recently hinted that he has received multiple million-dollar payday offers to bring him out of retirement.

While Nurmagomedov admits it isn’t easy to turn down that kind of big money, “The Eagle” refuses to budge from his decision, one he claims he will never regret.

“When you’re the best fighter in the world, when you’re strong enough, when you have money, when you’re famous, it’s very hard to say no to all these things,” he told Daniel Cormier on UFC Fight Pass’ "Ultimate 30” countdown (transcription via MMAFighting.com). “It’s very hard. It’s not easy. It’s not easy [to] just say no to $20, $30, $40 million dollars. But for myself, it’s not everything. This is not most important. It was not an e…

Seven Fighters Receive $50,000 Bonuses at UFC 295

UFC 295 was one of the most memorable events of the year, and its top performers were compensated accordingly.

The Las Vegas-based promotion handed out seven $50,000 bonuses following Saturday’s card at Madison Square Garden in New York. Of those, five main-card fighters received “Performance of the Night” honors: Alex Pereira, Tom Aspinall, Jessica Andrade, Benoit St. Denis and Diego Lopes.

Pereira became the ninth two-division champion in promotion history by virtue of his second-round knockout of Jiri Prochazka in the evening’s light heavyweight headliner, while Aspinall captured interim heavyweight gold with a 69-second shellacking of Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event.

Earlier, Andrade set a UFC women’s record with four knockdowns in a second-round stoppage of Mackenzie Dern in a featured strawweight affair; St. Denis secured his fifth straight finish with a head-kick KO of Matt Frevola and Lopes knocked out Pat Sabatini 90 seconds into their main-card op…

Alex Pereira Elbows Way into History Books, Upends Jiri Prochazka in UFC 295 Headliner

Alex Pereira made certain history will remember him.

The surgical Brazilian kickboxer struck gold in a second Ultimate Fighting Championship weight class when he vanquished Jiri Prochazka with a volley of second-round elbows and walked away with the vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 295 headliner on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Prochazka (29-4-1, 3-1 UFC) checked out 4:08 into Round 2.

Now the first man to have won UFC championships at 185 and 205 pounds, Pereira weaved in and out of danger. Prochazka secured a takedown and enjoyed some significant control time in the second half of the first round, having chosen to move the action to the floor after the Brazilian tore into his lead leg with a series of punishing kicks. Pereira (9-2, 6-1 UFC) stayed calm under duress, eventually returned to an upright position and extended the fight. Prochazka appeared to have him reeling with a few overhand rights in Round 2, but his aggre…

UFC 295 ‘Prochazka vs. Pereira’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Sherdog's live UFC 295 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Emmers (-258), Buzukja (+210)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Van (-218), Borjas (+180)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Castaneda (-142), Kang (…

UFC 295 Prelims: Flyweight Steve Erceg Extends Winning Streak to 10 Fights in New York

John Brannigan/Sherdog.com illustration

Steve Erceg passed his first serious test in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The 28-year-old Australian operated behind efficient standup and a tactical clinch game, as he was awarded a unanimous verdict over Alessandro Costa in their featured UFC 295 flyweight prelim on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Erceg (11-1, 2-0 UFC), who has now strung together 10 straight victories.

Costa (13-4, 1-2 UFC) made his presence known in the middle stanza, where he mucked up the proceedings, turned it into a brawl and rocked the onetime Eternal MMA champion with a series of sweeping right hooks. Erceg withstood those efforts, lured him into the clinch in the third round, chewed up valuable time and piled up points while staying out of danger in tight spaces.

Meanwhile, former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Lupita Godinez became t…

Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic 2 Booked for UFC 297 on Jan. 20

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first pay-per-view card of 2024 has been graced with a matchup of elite light heavyweights.

Former champ Jan Blachowicz (29-10) will take on contender Aleksandar Rakic in a rematch (14-3) at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The booking was announced by the promotion during the UFC 295 broadcast on Saturday night.

Blachowicz and Rakic previously shared the Octagon in the main event of UFC on ESPN 36 in May 2022. It was an evenly-matched affair before Rakic blew out his knee in the third round, bringing the bout to an anti-climactic end. The Austrian has since undergone ACL surgery and has been rallying for this booking to settle unfinished business.

Meanwhile, Blachowicz missed out on a bid for the vacant title against Magomedov Ankalaev at UFC 282 in December with a split draw. The Pole then welcomed former middleweight champ Alex Pereira to the 205-pound weight class at UFC 291 in July. “Poatan” eked out a razor-thin spl…

Usman Nurmagomedov Suspended, Bellator 300 Win Overturned for Failed Drug Test

Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov has been suspended six months by the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for a banned substance in relation to his Bellator 300 bout against Brent Primus.

As a result, Nurmagomedov’s victory over Primus has been overturned to a no contest and he has been fined $50,000 in addition to his six-month sanction. He was also pulled from Bellator’s lightweight grand prix. Multiple outlets confirmed the news following an initial report from Ariel Helwani. According to ESPN, Nurmagomedov will not be stripped of his 155-pound title.

Nurmagomedov’s positive test reportedly came from a prescription medication, which resulted in a reduced suspension. CSAC executive officer Andy Foster declined to reveal the substance, while confirming that Nurmagomedov will enroll in Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency program as a condition of his settlement.

Nurmagomedov defeat Primus via unanimous decision at Bellator…

Patryk Kaczmarczyk Edges Daniel Rutkowski in KSW 88 Main Event

The Battle for Radom has been decided!

🇵🇱 @kaczmarczykmma jumps into the crowd to celebrate! XTB #KSW88 pic.twitter.com/tBzPrp0VqR

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) November 11, 2023

What promised to be a showdown between two of Poland’s favorite sons, No. 6 featherweight Patryk Kaczmarczyk upset No. 2 Daniel Rutkowski by narrow unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in the KSW 88 main event at the RCS Hall in Radom, Poland.

In a card that produced eight finishes, five in the first round, Kaczmarczyk (11-2) nearly produced the fastest finish of the night after dropping Rutkowski (16-4) in the first 10 seconds with a flush switch knee. Rutkowski played off his back for the rest of the round and recovered nicely.

Kaczmarczyk’s striking prowess continued into Round 2 as the 25-year-old once again floored Rutkowski with a rear roundhouse kick off the temple. Kaczmarczyk followed Rutkowski to the ground, squandering his opportunity…

Belal Muhammad Believes Title Win Against Leon Edwards Means ‘More to His Career’

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Welterweight contender Belal Muhammad is rooting for Leon Edwards to defeat Colby Covington in their UFC 296 title fight.

Edwards (21-3) and Covington (17-3) are slated to compete for the welterweight title on Dec.16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While many fans were critical of the American receiving the title shot, UFC CEO Dana White was adamant that the former interim champion was worthy of a title shot despite his inactivity in the division.

Muhammad, who is currently on a 10-fight unbeaten streak, was hoping to secure a title shot against Edwards before Covington. However, the promotion had other plans.

Muhammad and Edwards faced each other in the Octagon back in 2021. The bout was ruled a no-contest after Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad's eye 18 seconds into the second frame, rendering "Remember The Name" unfit to continue.

Considering his history w…

Julija Stoliarenko Booked to Face Luana Carolina at UFC Event on Feb. 3

A flyweight meeting between Julija Stoliarenko and Luana Carolina has been confirmed for a UFC Fight Night card set to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Feb. 3.

The booking was first announced by Carolina’s management on Instagram. A heavyweight bout between Thomas Petersen (8-1) and Jamal Pogues (10-4) is also set for the event.

Stoliarenko (11-7) is coming off a Round 1 armbar submission victory against English fan favorite Molly McCann this past July. The Lithuanian fighter has a record of 2-4 in the Las Vegas-based promotion and will look to rack up a few wins to secure her spot on the roster.

Meanwhile, Brazil's Carolina (9-4) will enter the Octagon following a hard-fought unanimous decision victory against Ivana Siric Petrovic. That win snapped a two-fight losing streak that included a split-decision loss to Joanne Wood and a knockout loss against McCann.

Alan Belcher Notches Split-Decision Victory Against Roy Nelson at Gamebred FC 6

Alan Belcher defeats Roy Nelson via split decision, do you guys agree with the decision? #GamebredBareknuckle | @GamebredFC pic.twitter.com/eHsLhsTCXb

— Combat Sports Today 📰 (@CSTodayNews) November 11, 2023

Alan Belcher secured his first bareknuckle mixed martial arts victory against Roy Nelson in their three-round Gamebred Fighting Championship 6 main event clash at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Friday night.

Both Ultimate Fighting Championship veterans put on an impressive display of grit and perseverance in a bout that could have been scored for either side. While Belcher (19-8) had significant success in the standup portion of the bout, especially in the first frame, Nelson (24-20) managed to log an overwhelming amount of control time on the ground.

Much to the surprise of many observers, Belcher went home with a split-decision victory (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

Just 1:41 of pure ch…

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