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It was smooth sailing for the 12 men on the scales ahead of the last week of the 2023 Dana White's Contender Series season.

Due to a weight issue for one of the combatants in Week 9, the organization rescheduled that fight for this event. The show will proceed with six bouts, with the rebooked tilt between Davi Bittencourt (134.5) and Lucas Rocha (133) extending the card beyond its usual five affairs.

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Week 10 of the Contender Series takes place on Tuesday night 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 bout is a bantamweight battle pitting Ramon Taveras (136) against Cortavious Romious (136).

Taveras will try to maximize his second chance to make a first impression, as the Floridian succumbed to strikes in half a round to Serhiy Sidey on DWCS in September. The defeat snapped a four-fight win streak in the Combat Night promotion in Florida, which included three stoppages – with one of tho…

🚨 #TeamIridium News 🚨

Our man @MeanMachine505 eyes his 3rd straight stoppage victory vs. Melquizael Costa on Dec. 2 ✍🏽 #TheDarkside pic.twitter.com/dUIqb1G5aj

— IridiumSportsAgency (@TeamIridiumISA) October 8, 2023

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The lineup of “UFC Austin” continues to take shape, with the addition of a compelling scrap between two up-and-coming featherweights.

Steve Garcia (14-5) will take on Melquizael Costa (20-6) as the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the Texas capital on Dec. 2. The matchup was first announced by Garcia’s management firm, Iridium Sports Agency. After going 1-2 in his first three UFC outings, the Jackson-Wink MMA export seems to have found some momentum. “Mean Machine” will look to extend the first win streak of his UFC run, as he carries the momentum of back-to-back knockout wins over Chase Hooper and Nuerdanbieke Shayilan into the bout.

Costa stepped up on short notice for his promotional de…

N.Ruziboev out. Caio Borralho will now fight Abus Magomedov at #UFCSP on November 4th. (per @MMAFighting) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFCSaoPaulo #UFC2023 pic.twitter.com/P0qNF9UrwQ

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) October 8, 2023

Caio Borralho will not have to miss out on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first trip to Sao Paulo in four years.

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“The Natural” (14-1) was originally scheduled to face Nursulton Ruziboev (35-8) at UFC Fight Night 231 on Nov. 4. However, MMA Fighting recently reported that Ruziboev pulled out of the matchup for undisclosed reasons and has been replaced by former Professional Fighters League standout Abusupiyan Magomedov.

Borralho is undefeated in four UFC outings with a submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk in his most recent walk to the Octagon on April 29. The 30-year-old Brazilian, who has not fought in his native country in nearly three years, will look to put on a showing in front…

N.Ruziboev out. Caio Borralho will now fight Abus Magomedov at #UFCSP on November 4th. (per @MMAFighting) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFCSaoPaulo #UFC2023 pic.twitter.com/P0qNF9UrwQ

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) October 8, 2023

Caio Borralho will not have to miss out on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first trip to Sao Paulo in four years.

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“The Natural” (14-1) was originally scheduled to face Nursulton Ruziboev (35-8) at UFC Fight Night 231 on Nov. 4. However, MMA Fighting recently reported that Ruziboev pulled out of the matchup for undisclosed reasons and has been replaced by former Professional Fighters League standout Abusupiyan Magomedov.

Borralho is undefeated in four UFC outings with a submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk in his most recent walk to the Octagon on April 29. The 30-year-old Brazilian, who has not fought in his native country in nearly three years, will look to put on a showing in front…

Terrance McKinney will be fighting at UFC Fight Night 230 this weekend, after all.

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“T. Wrecks” (14-6) was originally slated to face Chris Duncan at the UFC Apex on Oct. 14, but that matchup fell through days after it was announced. The Ultimate Fighting Championship had since been trying to find a new opponent for McKinney and finally found one in Brendon Marotte (8-1), who steps up on less than a week’s notice to make his promotional debut. The news of the booking was first reported by McKinney on an Instagram live session with The Schmo.

This will be a quick turnaround for McKinney, who is coming off a first-round knockout win over Mike Breeden in August. It will also be the fourth outing of the year for the 29-year-old, who suffered stoppage losses against Ismael Bonfim and Nazim Sadykhov in January and July respectively. McKinney also stated that he’d ideally would like to make another walk to the Octagon before the year ends.

Marotte re…

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Joseph Pyfer (12-2) became the first fighter to submit Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6) in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 229 on Oct. 7.

Pyfer looked nearly flawless as he outperformed Alhassan on the feet in the opening frame before submitting him with an arm-triangle 2:05 into Round 2. During his post-fight interview, “Bodybagz” revealed that the arm-triangle is his go-to move and that he saw the finish coming the moment Alhassan’s coach advised him to let go of the trapped arm.

Going into the bout, Pyfer had called for “real money” before accepting fights against ranked opponents. While Pyfer claims he isn't unhappy with his current deal, the 27-year-old would like to renegotiate his contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship based on three consecutive stoppage wins in as many outings.

“I want to get a new contract. I won three; finished three, Pyfer said. “Let’s talk. I don’t say it disrespectfully. And the clickbait media t…

Dana White has lifted the flag ban saying having no flags at Noche UFC "flipped a switch" #UFCVegas80 pic.twitter.com/K2GIB7LyzN

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) October 8, 2023

Dana White confirmed that Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters can now carry their country flag in the Octagon once again.

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The promotion had initially banned fighters from carrying flags last year amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, even taking Weili Zhang’s flag away from her following a victory. However, middleweight prospect Joseph Pyfer (12-2) proudly waved the American banner following a stellar submission of Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6) in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 229 on Oct. 7.

Asked about the topic during Saturday’s post-fight press conference, White confirmed that “flags are back.” He also shared that his decision to end the ban was inspired by the recently concluded Noche UFC event, held in honor of Mexican Independenc…

Dana White says Conor McGregor has submitted the paperwork to rejoin USADA 👀 pic.twitter.com/1N3oHVXv3E

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) October 8, 2023

The gears finally appear to be shifting in the right direction for Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship two-division champion has been out of action for over two years, nursing a broken leg suffered in his trilogy clash against Dustin Poirier (29-8). After months of back-and-forth with the United States Anti-Doping Agency about returning to their testing pool, McGregor (22-6) finally seems to have taken some significant steps.

“Notorious” recently claimed to have submitted the paperwork for re-entering the USADA testing pool to the UFC’s Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance, Jeff Novitzky. UFC CEO Dana White has now confirmed the same while noting that the Irishman will be officially back in the pool next week.

“He’s …

Dana White says Conor McGregor has submitted the paperwork to rejoin USADA 👀 pic.twitter.com/1N3oHVXv3E

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) October 8, 2023

The gears finally appear to be shifting in the right direction for Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon.

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The former Ultimate Fighting Championship two-division champion has been out of action for over two years, nursing a broken leg suffered in his trilogy clash against Dustin Poirier (29-8). After months of back-and-forth with the United States Anti-Doping Agency about returning to their testing pool, McGregor (22-6) finally seems to have taken some significant steps.

“Notorious” recently claimed to have submitted the paperwork for re-entering the USADA testing pool to the UFC’s Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance, Jeff Novitzky. UFC CEO Dana White has now confirmed the same while noting that the Irishman will be officially back in the pool next week…

Daniel Santos is out of his #UFCSaoPaulo bout vs. Daniel Marcos, per multiple sources. The promotion is seeking a replacement for Nov. 4. pic.twitter.com/MsJ14KVmEd

— Nolan King (@mma_kings) October 7, 2023

Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Daniel Santos (12-2) will not be a part of the festivities as the Las Vegas-based promotion returns to Sao Paulo on Nov. 4 after four long years.

Santos was originally scheduled to face undefeated Peruvian prospect Daniel Marcos (15-0) on the bill. However, Nolan King of MMA Junkie has now reported that “Willycat” is out of the matchup. The reason for the withdrawal currently remains unknown. The 28-year-old is riding a two-fight win streak after coming up short against Julio Arce in his Octagon debut last year.

Meanwhile, Marcos graduated from Dana White’s Contender Series last year with a decision win over Brandon Lewis. “Soncora” went on to pick up a stoppage win over Saimon Oli…

Bassil Hafez vs Preston Parsons booked for the UFC card on January 13, per multiple sources confirmed to myself and @MikeHeck_JR

Story coming to @MMAFighting

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) October 7, 2023

Welterweight newcomer Bassil Hafez (8-4) is set to clash against Preston Parsons (10-4) at an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight night event on Jan. 13, according to a report from MMAFighting’s Damon Martin.

The meeting will mark Hafez's sophomore walk to the Octagon following a short-notice debut earlier this year against elite prospect Jack Della Maddalena. A +525 underdog going into the matchup, “The Habibi” dropped an impressively close Fight of the Night split decision against Maddalena.

Meanwhile, Parsons made his UFC debut in 2021 on the heels of four consecutive submission wins. “Pressure” ended up suffering a Round 1 knockout loss against perennial contender Daniel Rodriguez before bouncing back with a decision wi…

The champ @Usmannmgdv gets the takedown! #Bellator300 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/WzEu18YC3h

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 8, 2023

Bellator MMA lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov believes he’s the best in the world and he made a strong case for it after picking apart former champion Brent Primus in the Bellator 300 main event at Perchanga Arena in San Diego, California.

Primus had no answers for Nurmagomedov (18-0) throughout the fight. Coming off the most well-rounded win of his career over Mansour Barnaoui in the lightweight grand prix quarterfinals, Primus thought he could upset the champ by getting inside and making it an ugly contest.

Unfortunately for Primus (12-4), the champ would have none of it. Nurmagomedov kept Primus at bay on the outside with long body kicks and straight right hands down the pipe. He roughed him up at midrange with knees and hooks, and dominated him on the inside with pinpoint accu…

Sherdog's live Bellator 300 coverage will begin Saturday at 6:25 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:

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Round 3 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:J.L. Kirven sc…

Bobby Green barely broke a sweat.

The former King of the Cage titleholder turned back the clock in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division, as he cut down Grant Dawson with punches less than a minute into the first round of their UFC Fight Night 229 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Green (31-14-1, 12-9-1 UFC) closed it out 33 seconds into Round 1.

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Dawson (20-2-1, 8-1-1 UFC) swung and missed at his biggest opportunity to date. Green stepped into a booming straight left and sent him crashing to the mat in a compromised state. Punches and hammerfists followed, as Dawson turned away from contact, turtled and forced referee Keith Peterson to intervene on his behalf.Pyfer Choke Sleeps Alhassan Onetime Ring of Combat champion Joseph Pyfer put Abdul Razak Alhassan to sleep with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their middleweight co-main event. Alhassan (12-6, 6-6 UFC) lost his grip on reality 2:05 into Round 2…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 229 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: De La Rosa (-118), Aldrich (-102)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Aori (-112), Munoz (-108)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: M…

Someone forgot to tell Karolina Kowalkiewicz she was supposed to just walk off into the sunset.

The American Top Team standout penned the latest chapter in her late-career renaissance and stayed relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division, as she laid claim to a unanimous decision over Diana Belbita in their featured UFC Fight Night 229 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges saw it 30-27 for Kowalkiewicz (16-7, 9-7 UFC).

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Belbita (15-8, 2-4 UFC) bridged out of full mount and connected with a jarring right hand in the first round but failed to build any kind of meaningful momentum. Kowalkiewicz took charge across the final 10 minutes, where she utilized a punishing jab and sneaky right uppercuts. Her comfort level grew down the stretch, enough so that she cut loose with a few spinning attacks to keep Belbita off-balance.

Kowalkiewicz, 37, will carry a four-fight winning streak int…

33 seconds ⏱ #UFCVegas80 pic.twitter.com/0DzD6zEPj0

— UFC (@ufc) October 8, 2023 The Ultimate Fighting Championship awarded four fighters performance bonuses following the UFC Fight Night 229 card.

Main event winner Bobby Green was a no-brainer choice for a Performance of the Night bonus after he demolished Grant Dawson in just 33 seconds. Green picked up an extra $50,000 as a result of his performance, which saw him knock down Dawson with a left hand and finish the fight with some follow-up punches on the ground. The win marks the biggest win in the 37-year-old's career.

The three other Performance of the Night bonuses went to some of the most exciting members of the UFC roster. Drew Dober picked up a cool $50,000 for his destruction of Ricky Glenn. Dober needed just over half a round to take care of business and put away Glenn with a series of hard punches. Meanwhile, Joseph Pyfer continued his rise by submitting Abdul Razak Alhass…

The round robin of opponents to face Michel Pereira continues to turn.

At UFC Fight Night 230 on Oct. 14, Pereira (28-11) was slated to take on Marc-Andre Barriault. The Canadian was forced to withdraw for medical reasons, and fighting in his place will be Andre Petroski (10-1). Petroski posted news of this late replacement middleweight matchup on his Instagram on Thursday night, while Barriault confirmed his medical issue on Friday.

Pereira was initially slated to battle Stephen Thompson at UFC 291 in July, but he missed weight by three pounds ahead of their scheduled welterweight showdown. As a result, “Wonderboy” opted to not take the fight, the bout was canceled, and the promotion suggested that Pereira compete at 185 pounds going forward. “Demolidor” is currently riding a five-fight win streak, which is his longest winning stretch since a triumphant span of seven straight from 2013 to 2014. Along his way up the welterweight ranks, the Brazilian topped names like …

Fans hoping that Rafael Fiziev’s injury last month would not keep him on the shelf for too long should feel relieved, as the 30-year-old striker recently announced his successful surgery.

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Fiziev (12-3) suffered the injury in Round 2 of his main-event appearance against Mateusz Gamrot (23-2) at UFC Fight Night 228 in September. Following a competitive Round 1, Fiziev upped the forward pressure but suddenly went down halfway through the second frame while throwing a right kick at his opponent. What many suspected to be a knee injury was soon confirmed to be an ACL tear. Interestingly, this isn't the first time "Ataman" has suffered an ACL injury.

Following a successful procedure, the mercurial UFC lightweight took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share a message with his fans.

Just done surgery on my left acl. Same injury I had 3 years ago. I will come back even stronger. Recovery starts now. Thanks for the support🦿

…

#ONEFightNight15 highlight video: Thanh Le heel hooks Ilya Freymanov pic.twitter.com/gutuiFqoaW

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) October 7, 2023

ONE Fight Night 15 took place at the famed Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. A smorgasbord of mixed martial arts, kickboxing, muay thai and submission grappling, the card was contested within a square ring rather than a cage. That certainly made the MMA matches unique by modern standards.

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The main event was a fight for the interim ONE Championship 155-pound MMA title between Thanh Le and Ilya Freymanov. Le is a former ONE champion, having knocked out Martin Nguyen for the throne in 2020 before defending against then-undefeated submission wizard Gary Tonon, knocking him out in just 56 seconds. However, Le lost his title by unanimous decision to Kai Tang last year. At 38 years old, there were doubts about how much he had left in the tank. His opponent was 27-year-old Russian upstart Freym…

Sherdog's live ONE Fight Night 15 coverage kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1

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Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result ONE 155-Pound Interim MMA Title Bout:Thanh Le (154) vs. Ilya Freymanov (154.5) Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result

[embedded content] For the second time in a row, champion Liz Carmouche will be facing a challenger that missed weight.

A stacked Bellator MMA event is now official as the promotion celebrates a monumental milestone of hitting 300 numbered events. Earlier this week, the organization had four championship bouts booked for the "quadruple main event." After an illness to one heavyweight challenger and a weight miss for one at flyweight, Bellator's four-pronged main card has changed significantly. While three title fights still remain on the billing, the third will be a one-way affair, as only the champ can retain her belt at night's end.

The final bout on the Bellator 300 marquee will see Usman Nurmagomedov look to defend his lightweight throne against Brent Primus in what is also a lightweight grand prix semifinal bout. Meanwhile, Cristiane Justino will put her featherweight strap on the line against Cat Zingano in the co-main event. Additionally, Carmouche was aiming t…

First to the scale, @BobbyKGreen, in at 156lbs ahead of #UFCVegas80! pic.twitter.com/wnT6zSIpGJ

— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2023 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns after a rare week off with a UFC Apex card featuring an intriguing lightweight main event.

UFC Fight Night 229 is headlined by Grant Dawson vs. Bobby Green. Both lightweight contenders successfully made weight for the five-round main event. Every fighter also made weight for the 11-fight card.

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Dawson (20-1-1) is undefeated since entering the UFC. The only blemish on the record of "KGD" is a majority draw against Ricky Glenn in 2021. He's currently coming off three straight wins over Jared Gordon, Mark O. Madsen and Damir Ismagulov. Dawson stepped on the scale weighing 156 pounds.

This marks the second UFC main event for Green (30-14-1, 1 NC), who is coming off a win over Tony Ferguson. Prior to the win, "King" had been on a rough stretch that saw him …

Derek Brunson’s trip up to 205 pounds will be on hold for a few more months.

On Thursday, news broke that Brunson (23-9) had signed with Professional Fighters League. Per his manager, Brunson would be competing this year, and that his destination was ultimately the light heavyweight bracket of the 2024 tournament. The organization released on Friday his first assignment, which will be taking place at middleweight on Nov. 24. At the PFL 2023 Championships event, he will battle it out with former welterweight tourney victor Ray Cooper III (25-8-1).

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The two will collide as the featured prelim in a “showcase” bout, in what will be the second middleweight match since Louis Taylor defeated Abusupiyan Magomedov for the 185-pound throne in the 2018 Championships event. Although Brunson’s manager stated that he would be moving to light heavyweight, it is unclear at this time if the promotion will be re-opening the weight class for a bracket in next year's to…