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Jacob Malkoun faced Cody Brundage in a middleweight clash on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 228 this past Saturday.

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The Australian looked impressive in his return to the Octagon, as he took Brundage down in the opening seconds. Malkoun went on to lay some heavy ground-and-pound, prompting referee Mark Smith to ask for some action from Brundage. “Mamba” then attempted a rear-naked choke before landing an elbow that was deemed illegal by the referee, leading to a pause in action. Brundage said he was unable to continue and was declared the winner via disqualification after review of the footage.

Malkoun has now weighed in on the loss, voicing his disagreement with the decision. The Australian claims the elbow was completely unintentional and not exactly to the back of the head.

“I’ve had some time to think. I just want to make it clear that the shot was UNINTENTIONAL, as I was throwing the elbow to the side of his head he turned his b…

Sherdog’s coverage of DWCS 2023, Week 8 will begin Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian…

Tabatha Ricci will square off against Lupita Godinez in a strawweight pairing at UFC 295.

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ESPN Deportes was first to report the bout. UFC 295 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 11 and is headlined by a heavyweight championship showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

Ricci has won four straight promotional appearances since dropping her debut to Manon Fiorot in a flyweight contest at UFC Fight Night 189 in June 2021. “Baby Shark” is 2-0 thus far in 2023, with victories against Jessica Penne and Gillian Robertson to her credit.

Godinez is 3-0 thus far this year and has been victorious in five of her last six UFC bouts. Most recently, “Loopy” submitted Elise Reed in the second round of their encounter at UFC Fight Night 227.

Aaron Pico celebrated his 27th birthday in style on Saturday.

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The Jackson-Wink MMA product made short work of Pedro Carvalho in the Bellator 299 co-main event, winning via technical knockout 3:05 into the opening stanza of their featherweight bout at 3Arena in Dublin. Pico took his foe down multiple times before sealing his victory with punches and elbows from top position.

“I felt really good throughout the whole fight. Of course, you’re going to get hit, it’s a fight. But I was able to stay composed, pick my shots, slow the fight down with my wrestling,” Pico said at the Bellator 299 post-fight press conference.

“And my ground-and-pound was vicious. I think he was really rocked on the bottom because I was throwing those elbows, and I felt no movement in his neck. In this sport you don’t stop until the ref pushes you off. Those elbows that I landed, I think he was out of it. What you’ll do to another human being inside this cage is crazy. It’s…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Nate Diaz will not be charged for his role in a brawl on Bourbon Street in New Orleans this past April.

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Diaz, who voluntarily turned himself in to police, was arrested on a charge of second-degree battery after videos surfaced of the fighter choking social media influencer Rodney Peterson unconscious during what police described as a “large altercation” on the 400 block of Bourbon Street. In the video, Diaz is seen applying a standing choke and throwing a knee to the midsection fof Peterson, who is known for his resemblance to Logan Paul. Peterson eventually is rendered unconscious as Diaz drops him to the street. Diaz was in New Orleans to attend a Misfits Boxing event.

Diaz representative Zach Rosenfield released a statement to ESPN on Monday announcing that the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office has dropped all charges against the popular UFC veteran.

"Since Rodney Peterson sought out to …

Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series is now official, as all 10 fighters made weight without issue on Monday.

The Contender Series takes place on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The evening’s featured clash is a welterweight bout pitting Danny Barlow (170.5) against Raheam Forest (171).

Barlow is 6-0 since making his professional debut in October 2021. He has earned four of those victories inside of a round, including a first-round TKO of Jarious Gill in his most recent outing at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 121 on July 14.

A former CFFC title holder, Forest has been victorious in seven of his first eight pro appearances, with his lone defeat coming to current UFC talent Charlie Radtke “Rambo” is coming off a 26-second knockout of Treston Vines at CFFC 121.

Contender Series Weigh-in Results:Danny Barlow (170.5) vs. Raheam Forest (171)
Alexander Soldatkin (246) vs. Mario Piazzon (240)
Danny Silva …

Heavyweight veteran Andrei Arlovski will return to action early next year as he takes on up-and-comer Waldo Cortes-Acosta at a UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 13.

The record holder for the most wins in UFC heavyweight history, Arlovski will make his 47th walk to the Octagon as he takes on the Dominican Republic native fighting out of Phoenix. The matchup was first reported by ESPN commentator Gaston Reyno. Cortes-Acosta later confirmed the bout on social media.

Arlovksi had a four-fight winning streak snapped with a submission loss to Marcos Rogerio de Lima in October 2022. Arlovski subsequently went on to suffer a knockout loss to Don’Tale Mayes earlier this year, making it two defeats in a row for the 44-year-old.

Meanwhile, Cortes-Acosta is coming off the first stoppage win of his UFC career, a brutal first-round TKO win over Lukasz Brzeski in Singapore in August. “Salsa Boy” earned his UFC contract with a finish over Brazil’s Danilo Suzart last year on t…

Rashad Evans consoling his long time friend Michelle Waterson-Gomez#UFCVegas79 pic.twitter.com/YIqIeq23XG

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) September 24, 2023

Michelle Waterson-Gomez suffered a second round technical knockout loss in a rematch against Marina Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 228 on Saturday.

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“The Karate Hottie” was thoroughly outclassed by Rodriguez on the feet with a 90-16 total strike differential. While Rodriguez seemed close to finishing to bout in the opening frame, Waterson-Gomez displayed commendable toughness in weathering the storm. As the beatdown continued, referee Kerry Hatley stepped in to halt the bout at 2:42 of the second round. A bloodied Waterson-Gomez broke down in tears after the defeat.

UFC Hall of Famer and Waterson-Gomez’s former teammate at Jackson-Wink MMA, Rashad Evans, who was an analyst for the event, consoled the 37-year-old outside the Octagon as she was overwhelmed by emotions. Sharing …

Khamzat Chimaev will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon next month against Paulo Costa in the co-main event at UFC 294 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Chechen-born finishing machine will no longer be representing Sweden, which has been his home since the age of 18.

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Chimaev has been a long-time member of the Allstars Training Center in Stockholm and has been representing Sweden since his UFC debut in 2020. However, “Borz” has now reportedly emigrated to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and will be representing his new home when he faces Costa at UFC 294.

The news was revealed by his manager Majdi Shammas to Swedish outlet SVT Sport.

“He has emigrated, he is no longer Swedish,” Shammas said, while refusing to divulge any more information. “He wants to emigrate.”

The move coincides with Chimaev’s transition to middleweight. The 29-year-old missed weight by 7.5 pounds for his last outing at UFC 279 in September 2022, which le…

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has pleaded guilty to drinking and driving a few weeks before his most recent fight.

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According to a report from the NZ Herald, Adesanya was charged with driving a car in Auckland, New Zealand, with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood on Aug. 19. The legal limit in the country is 50 milligrams.

“I want to apologize to the community, my family and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at dinner,” Adesanya said in a statement provided to the Herald.“I was pulled over and gave an evidentiary blood test — the reading was 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood.

“I am disappointed with my decision to drive, It was wrong,” he added. “I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behavior is acceptable.”

Adesanya is due for sentencing on Jan. 10. The maximum penalty for the charge is three months in…

Sean Brady will welcome Kelvin Gastelum back to the welterweight division at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Dec. 2.

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The pairing was confirmed by MMAFighting.com after being initially reported on social media by multiple accounts. UFC Fight Night doesn’t have a confirmed location or venue at this time, but the card is also expected to include a middleweight clash pitting Jared Cannonier against Roman Dolidze and a bantamweight showdown between Rob Font and Deiveson Figueiredo.

Brady hasn’t competed since suffering his first career defeat in 16 bouts, a second-round TKO loss against Belal Muhammad at UFC 280 last October. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships title holder began his promotional tenure with five straight victories, besting the likes of Michael Chiesa, Jake Matthews and Court McGee, among others.

Gastelum was initially supposed to return to 170 pounds against Shavkat Rakhmonov at Noche UFC on Sept. 16, but an in…

Johnny Eblen successfully defended his middleweight title against Fabian Edwards in the main event at Bellator 299 at the 3Arena in Dublin on Saturday.

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Despite being split open and subsequently rocked by Edwards, Eblen turned the tide with a huge right hand in Round 3 and followed it up with some vicious ground-and-pound to record a knockout victory, extending his perfect record to 14-0.

Fueled by the bad blood they shared in the lead-up, Eblen took the chance to speak his mind while towering above his fallen opponent. This prompted Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title holder Leon Edwards to come to his brother Fabian’s defense, leading to a heated exchange of words with Eblen.

However, Eblen doesn’t have any serious bad blood with “Rocky” and claims to have “squashed the beef” backstage. The Bellator middleweight champ is even rooting for Edwards in the UFC champ’s upcoming title defense against Colby Covington at UFC 296.

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Mateusz Gamrot and Rafael Fiziev headlined UFC Fight Night 228 on Saturday in a highly-anticipated clash of lightweight contenders.

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After mostly feeling each other out in the opening frame, Fiziev dropped to the ground in agony after throwing a right kick which was blocked by Gamrot. As a result, “Gamer” was awarded the technical knockout victory due to injury.

Replay revealed that it was Fiziev’s left knee which gruesomely popped while throwing the kick, bringing the fight to an anticlimactic end early in Round 2. While it definitely isn’t the victory he had imagined, Gamrot noted that he made a conscious effort to defend Fiziev’s kicks.

“Of course, this was not what I would like,” Gamrot said in his post-fight interview. “To be honest, when I prepared for this fight, my goal was that my defense would be stronger than his kick. I prepared very good defense in my gym. I wish a quick recovery for Rafael. A win is a win. I wi…

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Bryce Mitchell survived an early scare and went on to secure a unanimous decision against Dan Ige in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 228 on Saturday.

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Despite being busted up near his right eye, which caused the cageside doctor to interrupt the fight twice, “Thug Nasty” showed immense grit in edging out the victory. Known for his polarizing ideas on a variety of topics, Mitchell launched into a bizarre rant on the Hawaii firestorm in his post-fight Octagon interview. Mitchell pledged $5,000 to victims of the tragedy through Ige, who was born in California but calls Haleiwa on Oahu's North Shore home.

However, “Thug Nasty,” while giving credit to Ige’s performance, also opined that the fires were a man-made attempt to drive native Hawaiians out of their land.

“He’s the hardest hitter I’ve ever fought. I didn’t expect him to be so fast and move so well. And his grappling defense is so good too,” Mitchell said of Ige. “I b…

Surging welterweight prospect Ian Garry will get another test when he locks horns with Vicente Luque at UFC 296.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the booking via social media on Sunday. UFC 296 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welterweight title tilt between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja will defend his flyweight belt against Brandon Royval.

A former Cage Warriors champion, the 25-year-old Garry is undefeated in 13 professional appearances — including his first six in UFC competition. In his last outing, the Kill Cliff FC-trained Irishman outpointed welterweight veteran Neil Magny at UFC 292 on Aug. 19.

Luque is a veteran of 20 UFC bouts, and he is second all-time with 13 finishes at 170 pounds. “The Silent Assassin” snapped a two-fight losing streak in his most recent Octagon appearance, as he took a five-round verdict against Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC on ESPN 51 headliner on A…

Masanori Kanehara could now be next in line for the title!

[ #RIZIN44 | @FiteTV PPV https://t.co/eEpfmslhPp] pic.twitter.com/bkgOy5zj2W

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) September 24, 2023 Rizin 44 concluded with a shocking upset in Sunday’s featherweight main event in Saitama, Japan.

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Masanori Kanehara (29-12-1, 4-1 Rizin), who has enjoyed a career resurgence since joining the Rizin ranks in 2020, bested former featherweight champ Kleber Koike Erbst (31-7-1, 1 NC, 6-2, 1 NC Rizin) at his own game en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win.

Kanehara stunned Koike with the first punch of the fight and he continued to have success on the feet until Koike scored a takedown and trapped him in a guillotine choke. Kanehara freed his neck and spent the remainder of the round punching from Koike’s guard. In the second stanza, Kanehara took Koike down and tried to finish the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace with an arm-triangle choke…

Mateusz Gamrot was awarded a technical knockout when Rafael Fiziev suffered an apparent knee injury in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 228 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Referee Herb Dean called for the stoppage 2:03 into Round 2—an unfortunate ending to what was shaping up as a compelling strategic battle between two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s premier lightweights.

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Fiziev (12-3, 6-3 UFC) inched ahead in a competitive first round, where he leaned on multi-strike bursts, bulletproof takedown defense and a heavy focus on the body with punches and kicks. Gamrot (23-2, 6-2 UFC) completed a takedown to start Round 2, only to have those efforts negated soon after. Fiziev scrambled to his feet and moved to the safety of open space. The Kill Cliff Fight Club collapsed after throwing a body kick—his left knee buckled as he pivoted—and turtled in noticeable distress, clearly unable to continue.

American Top Team…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 228 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vidal (-238), Rendon (+195)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Inoue (-298), Goldy (+240)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Devin Tejada scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: U…

Miles Johns had more horsepower when it mattered most.

The Marathon MMA rep took another step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division with a unanimous decision over fellow former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder Dan Argueta in the featured UFC Fight Night 228 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

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Argueta (9-2, 1-2 UFC) had his moments, including a first-round exchange that saw him climb to the back and threaten with a rear-naked choke. Even so, Johns (14-2, 5-2 UFC) stayed calm under fire and slowly but surely turned the tide with concussive multi-punch bursts and savage inside kicks to the lower leg. Argueta never stopped moving forward but increasingly wandered into his opponent’s heavy hands. By the time it was over, he had suffered considerable damage to his eye and was bleeding heavily from the nose.

Johns has won four of his past five bouts.

Meanwhile, former…

MAJOR pressure from Marina Rodriguez for the stoppage 💪 #UFCVegas79 pic.twitter.com/vYaYZYATGS

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 24, 2023

Marina Rodriguez earned an extra $50,000 for her beatdown of Michelle Waterson-Gomez at UFC Fight Night 228.

The Brazilian muay thai specialist battered her foe with brutal knees and elbows in the clinch, eventually forcing a stoppage at the 2:42 mark of Round 2. As a result of the effort, Rodriguez received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.

Elsewhere, Charles Jourdain pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his quick submission victory against Ricardo Ramos in a featured featherweight pairing. The Canadian got the better of a wild scramble on the canvas, locked in a guillotine choke and forced Ramos to tap at the 3:12 mark of Round 1.

Finally, Tim Means and Andre Fialho earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their preliminary welterweight scrap. B…

Things got heated after the bell between @JohnnyEblen and Leon Edwards. #Bellator299 LIVE on @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/s1XK2zJ1B0

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) September 23, 2023

Tensions were high in the immediate aftermath of the Bellator 299 headliner.

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Johnny Eblen and Leon Edwards exchanged some heated words after Eblen defended his middleweight crown with a third-round knockout of the UFC welterweight champion’s younger brother, Fabian Edwards, on Saturday at 3Arena in Dublin.

The incident appeared to be triggered by Eblen’s reaction to the stoppage, as he hovered over his opponent and shouted at him. That prompted Leon Edwards to make his way toward the Bellator champion, but security was able to keep the two fighters apart as they yelled at one another.

Things calmed down after a brief period, as Eblen approached the opposing corner and shook hands with Leon and Fabian. Eblen is now unbeaten in 14 pro…

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗞𝗢 😱#AndStill @JohnnyEblen puts Edwards out cold with some insane ground and pound! #Bellator299 LIVE on @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mF65bdDglB

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) September 23, 2023

Johnny Eblen’s claim as the best middleweight in the world just got stronger as the Bellator MMA middleweight champion brutally defended his title with a third-round knockout of Fabian Edwards in the Bellator 299 main event at the 3arena in Dublin.

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Eblen (14-0) and Edwards (12-3) have had some bad blood in the promotion for this fight but the two had tons of respect early in the fight. Edwards led the way early with calf kicks but Eblen’s pressure along the cage made Edwards drain his energy.

As Edwards continued to defend takedowns, Eblen’s confidence continued to grow. The 31-year-old kingpin opened up and nearly paid for it after he was cut between the eyes by a sharp elbow from Edwards. The pressure wa…

Sherdog's live Bellator 299 coverage will begin Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. Round 1 Strawweights kick things off from Dublin as Penco and Stiller square off under the watchful eye of referee Bryan Miner. Both women are in orthodox stance, exchanging tentative jabs. A minute in, neither woman has landed much of consequence, and judoka Stiller has yet to attempt a takedown in earnest. Penco lands a right kick to the thigh of Stiller. Stiller rushes forward with a trio of punches punctuated by a low kick. Stiller comes forward with a front kick, which the Italian counters with a right hand. Penco catches the incoming Stiller with a left, and stings her with another leg kick. With 90 seconds left, Stiller comes forward behind punches, perhaps looking to clinch, but Penco slides out and refuses to be backed into the fence. Penco lands another outside leg kick, and Stiller is starting to show their effect. The bell sounds. 10-9 Penco.

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Round 2 Round 2 opens with Sti…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship's latest offering features an intriguing lightweight matchup between two rising contenders.

Both Rafael Fiziev and Mateusz Gamrot hit their marks for the five-round main event. Both men came in at 156 pounds on the dot. The rest of the 11-fight card also made weight, which made it a drama-free affair at the official weigh-ins.

Fiziev (12-2) is coming off a majority decision defeat to Justin Gaethje. Prior to the setback, "Ataman" had put together six straight wins over the likes of Rafael dos Anjos and Brad Riddell. Meanwhile, Gamrot (22-2, 1 NC) has won five of his last six fights, with the only blemish coming to Beneil Dariush. Wins over Jalin Turner and Arman Tsarukyan are highlights for "Gamer."

UFC Fight Night 228 will air live on ESPN+ in its entirety on Saturday. Prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

UFC Fight Night 228 Weigh-in Results: Rafael Fizi…