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UFC 290 is in the running for the best event of 2023, but one of the most memorable moments didn’t happen inside the cage.

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Gilbert Burns’ celebration when countryman Alexandre Pantoja captured the flyweight championship caught the attention of the MMA community. The emotional reaction might have been unusual to an outsider, considering that Burns trains at Kill Cliff FC, a natural rival of Pantoja’s training home at American Top Team.

“One day a friend in common, Tiago, said ‘I must introduce you to Pantoja, you guys are soul brothers’ and that's exactly what happened,” Burns said. “After we got to know each other, we became really close, our wives started to be close friends, our two sons, about the same age, started to be best friends. My emotion came not only from being close, but from knowing exactly all the hard times he and Gabriela passed through. Actually, we both live our lives for the same dream and seeing a close friend achieving his g…

After a rash of drug test failures during the first portion of its regular season, Professional Fighters League has partnered with USADA to run its anti-doping program.

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ESPN obtained an email from PFL president of fighter operations Ray Sefo to fighters and their teams formally announcing the program.

“The program will begin immediately with initial educational sessions being scheduled with USADA this week for participants in the upcoming Playoffs,” the email states. “Educational sessions to explain the program will be scheduled with other fighters thereafter. It is strongly recommended that each fighter have their coach, manager, or other key support person join the educational sessions.”

Additionally, the PFL anti-doping program will be similar to that of the UFC’s, which also has a partnership with USADA. However, there will be “minor distinctions to account for the PFL’s sport season format.”

USADA confirmed the partnership in a s…

Kevin Lee has decided to hang up the four-ounce gloves at 30 years old.

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The former UFC interim lightweight title challenger announced his decision in an Instagram video on Tuesday. Lee’s decision comes on the heels of a 55-second submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC on ESPN 48 on July 1.

“To make a long story short, I’m deciding to retire from MMA and the UFC. It’s been 12 years, 12 long years of me being the best fighter I can be, and a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication to trying to be the best fighter in the world. When I look back on it, I had a hell of a career, I fought a lot of tough guys, some of the toughest guys in the world, I always put up a fight, I never backed down, and always challenged myself to do things that I didn’t think I was capable of doing. The last three years have been rough, especially on my body. It’s been a lot of injuries and honestly, that’s one of the main factors of me making this decision,” Lee said. Read more about Ex-UFC Title Challenger Kevin Lee Announces Retirement at 30

Jimmy Crute is taking what might be considered an indefinite leave of absence from mixed martial arts, but retirement is not in his plans.

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After a second-round submisson loss to Alonzo Menifield at UFC 290 this past Saturday, a dejected Crute laid his gloves down in the Octagon, which normally signifies the decision to call it a career. After taking some more time to think, the Aussie light heavyweight has instead decided to step away from what he calls his “unhealthy obsession.”

“I’ve had a bit to process. That reaction after the fight just shows how unhealthy my relationship has gotten with this sport,” Crute wrote on Instagram. “I have been obsessed with being in the UFC since I was 12 years old and it has been my entire identity since I made the decision to chase this dream. I have a lot to address before I think about stepping back in there. Truth is, I don’t even know who I am without all of this. I am going to take the time to find myself, d…

Never doubt a man with hope and faith.#FuryNgannou | 10.28.2023 | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/44pfCQgGgq

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) July 11, 2023

It appears that things are unfolding exactly how Francis Ngannou planned.

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The former UFC heavyweight king will square off against undefeated boxing champion Tyson Fury in a boxing match on Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. ESPN was first to report the date and location of the bout. It is currently unclear if the fight will be for Fury’s WBC heavyweight crown or if it will be an exhibition. The number of rounds is also unknown.

One of the main points of contention between Ngannou and the UFC was the promotion’s unwillingness to let its heavyweight champion pursue fights in the boxing realm. That ultimately led to “The Predator” becoming a free agent and signing with the Professional Fighters League, where his contract allowed him to pursue his dreams of competing …

pic.twitter.com/EvJDS8N0Ur

— Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) July 11, 2023

It wasn’t the performance Robert Whittaker had hoped for at UFC 290.

The former middleweight champion started well but ultimately fell to Dricus Du Plessis via second-round technical knockout this past Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As a result, Du Plessis, not Whittaker, is in line to be the next challenger for Israel Adesanya’s middleweight championship.

Whittaker recently reacted to the defeat in a video post on social media.

“Congratulations to Dricus. He showed up to fight, and I didn’t,” Whittaker said. “But that’s the nature of the beast. You can’t have a day off. It is what it is. But I will say that I do believe that challenges and hardships and obstacles that get presented to you that you overcome, make you stronger. Build character, make you a better man and by fact a better athlete, and I will come back stronger from this.”…

Jack Della Maddalena has a fight — it’s just a week later than originally expected.

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The surging welterweight prospect will square off against Bassil Hafez at UFC on ESPN 49 on Saturday. Ariel Helwani initially reported the 170-pound booking via Twitter, and it was subsequently confirmed by Hafez via social media.

Maddalena had two opponents fall through at UFC 290. First, Sean Brady withdrew from the fight due to septic bursitis in his elbow. Then, short-notice replacement Josiah Harrell was pulled from the card after weigh-ins after being diagnosed with moyamoya disease, a rare brain disorder. The 26-year-old Maddalena has won 14 consecutive outings, including four straight first-round finishes in UFC competition. Most recently, he submitted Randy Brown in the opening stanza at UFC 284 on Feb. 11.

Hafez, 31, has won four of his last five professional appearances. He is coming off a third-round knockout of Evan Cutts at Fury FC 75 to claim …

After a 28-day drought that coincided with Amanda Nunes’ retirement, Alexandre Pantoja brought a UFC title back to Brazil with his thrilling victory over Brandon Moreno on Saturday night.

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The official verdict was one of the UFC 290 co-main event’s most tense moments, with the scoring of a couple closely-contested rounds up for debate. In the end, Pantoja became the promotion’s fifth flyweight champion with a split-decision triumph. The scorecards, however, remained a subject of controversy, particularly the one submitted by judge Ben Cartlidge. While Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo submitted identical 48-47 tallies in favor of Pantoja, Cartlidge saw it 49-46 for Moreno — giving the final four frames to the Mexican flyweight.

Respected Brazilian judge Guilherme Bravo discussed the scoring on his show “Momento Bravo” after the bout.

"That really scared me. In that fifth round Pantoja was superior, even in striking aspects in the first two minut…

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It took a little longer than he expected, but Stipe Miocic is excited to have a date and venue for his highly-anticipated showdown against Jon Jones.

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Jones will defend his heavyweight title against Miocic in the UFC 295 headliner at Madison Square Garden in November, the promotion announced last week.

“I thought it was gonna be July, but it didn’t happen that way,” Miocic said during a backstage interview with ESPN at UFC 290. “It’s Nov. 11. I’ve been waiting for this day. It’s the fight I want. It’s the fight he wants. Nothing better.”

Jones returned from a three-year layoff to claim the vacant crown with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March. Miocic, meanwhile, hasn’t competed since relinquishing the belt in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 on March 27, 2021. The Ohio-based firefighter claims that the main benefit of his extended layoff was recovery.

“I think just letting my body rest. I’m…

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Dana White’s Contender Series will kick off its seventh season on Aug. 8 with a card headlined by middleweights Cesar Almeida and Lucas Fernando.

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The full lineup for the five-bout card was announced over the weekend. The other bouts are as follows: Tom Nolan vs. Bogdan Grad at lightweight; Kevin Szaflarski vs. Caio Machado at heavyweight; Payton Talbott vs. Reyes Cortez Jr. at bantamweight and Rickson Thai Zenidim Bueno vs. Kevin Borjas at flyweight.

The Contender Series takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs Tuesday nights on ESPN beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The current season will run through Oct. 10 and awards UFC contracts to prospects who catch the eye of UFC president Dana White and matchmakers during their bouts. Fighters who have appeared on the Series include Jamahal Hill, Sean O'Malley, Ryan Spann, Maycee Barber, Johnny Walker, Marina Rodriguez, Alex Perez, Taila Santos and Bo Nickal, to name a few.

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Wanderlei Silva will follow in the footsteps of fellow Brazilians Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Jose Aldo and Ronaldo Souza and try his hand at the Sweet Science later this year.

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The 47-year-old Pride Fighting Championships legend revealed Sunday that he will face bodybuilder Felipe Franco on Nov. 25 in a boxing match under the Attack Fight Show banner. Silva made the announcement at a body building event called Muscle Contest Brasil, where “The Axe Murderer” and Franco faced off for the first time.

“My friends, fans and admirers, I am here to share news that fills my heart with emotion and excitement,” Silva wrote on Instagram. “After some time away from the ring, I'm back, but this time in a different style: boxing. I will be facing a major challenger, Felipe Franco, a renowned bodybuilder and a force to be recognized. This will be a battle of determination, strength and strategy. I'm looking forward to the fight night, the sound of the gong a…

Brandon Moreno apparently wasn’t at 100 percent for most of his epic-five round title bout with Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 290 co-main event.

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UFC president Dana White revealed that Moreno broke his hand in the opening stanza of the flyweight title bout, and Fortis MMA coach Sayif Saud confirmed the injury in a post on social media.

“Could not be more proud of [Brandon Moreno] as he fought an absolute war last night,” Saud wrote on Instagram. “These two athletes put on a incredible championship fight. Congratulations to [Alexandre Pantoja] and his team as well. Brandon broke his right hand in the [first] round and still fought at an incredible pace with unbelievable heart, skill and courage. He always shows the world what kind of character he has when he fights. Never complaining or making excuses, he just keeps on coming. Proud of you.”

Despite that injury, Moreno peppered Pantoja with punching combinations throughout the five-round affair,…

Alexander Volkanovski just may get his rematch with Islam Makhachev before the end of the year.

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While Charles Oliveira would seem to be the No. 1 contender in waiting following his impressive victory over Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, the Brazilian recently said he would prefer to face the reigning lightweight champion in November or December. That doesn’t align with the UFC’s plans for Makhachev, which include a title defense at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi this October.

After defeating Yair Rodriguez via third-round TKO in the UFC 290 headliner on Saturday night, Volkanovski revealed that he would need surgery on his arm. However, he claims that wouldn’t necessarily prevent him from stepping in against Makhachev.

“It makes it a lot better opportunity for me to step in there,” Volkanovski said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I’m not ruling that out. It’s funny. These people want extra time off and here I am telling you I’m going to get surger…

About the only thing that generated more buzz than Dricus Du Plessis’ upset of Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 was his confrontation with Israel Adesanya in the Octagon after that victory.

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The reigning middleweight champion entered the cage to face off with Du Plessis on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to set the stage for the promotion’s next middleweight championship fight. What ensued was a tense scene that included Adesanya using the N-word multiple times during the fighters’ back-and-forth trash talk on the microphone. According to Du Plessis, Adesanya could have handled the situation better.

“You saw it tonight, I’m prepared. I’m prepared for everything he says,” Du Plessis said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“He’s behaving like a clown in there. That’s not how a champion behaves. That’s not at all how a man behaves. He’s behaving like a child. Conduct yourself like a champion. There’s people looking up to you,…

A flyweight title fight for the ages! @TheAssassinBaby vs @PantojaMMA is our #UFC290 Fight of the Night 🔥

[ B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/MLKWJR0x7N

— UFC (@ufc) July 9, 2023

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship awarded four fighters performance bonuses following the UFC 290 pay-per-view card.

Newly crowned flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja received more than just a belt for his incredible performance. Both the Brazilian and former champion Brandon Moreno took home an extra $50,000 after securing Fight of the Night honors via their back-and-forth battle. Both men showed heart and a ton of skill over 25 minutes, with Pantoja ultimately getting the better of their grappling and striking exchanges.

Two Performance of the Night bonuses went to fighters that scored impressive TKO finishes. Dricus Du Plessis scored an upset TKO win over former middleweight king Robert Whittaker. The impressive performance secu…

Alexander Volkanovski remains at the peak of his powers.

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The City Kickboxing standout showcased his physicality in the UFC 290 main event, defeating Yair Rodriguez via technical knockout on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Volkanovski ended the bout with a salvo of ground-and-pound at the 4:19 mark of Round 3 to rebound from a narrow loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 this past February.

“You’ve got to expect the unexpected. Everybody that knows this game knows how dangerous he was … This week I flipped the switch,” Volkanovski said. “I’m the champ. I’m the king of this division. No one is ever stopping me.”

While Rodriguez (15-4, 10-3 1 NC UFC) did his best to threaten with his flashy toolbox of kicks, Volkanovski (26-2, 13-1 UFC) gradually broke down is Mexican foe. The Aussie grounded Rodriguez repeatedly in the opening 10 minutes, methodically hammering away with ground-and-pound from above. Rodriguez showed a sense of urgency…

Sherdog's live UFC 290 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ribovics (-140), Kirk (+120)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Aguilar (-140), Ross (+120)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Edwin Ayala scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Saaiman (-520), …

ROBBIE LAWLER GETS THE KO IN 38 SECONDS IN HIS FINAL UFC FIGHT 😳 #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/8ZV3mdUXWD

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 9, 2023

It was a fairy tale conclusion to a legendary career.

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Robbie Lawler ended his mixed martial arts career in vintage form, as he knocked out Niko Price in the opening stanza of their UFC 290 bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The former welterweight champion rendered Price (15-7, 7-7, 2 NC UFC) unconscious 38 seconds into Round 1 — his 22nd overall triumph via KO or TKO. “It was good. It was just the ending of the career,” Lawler said. “I was landing some big shots in good places…It was too much. It was just nice to end my career like this.” With the masses chanting his name from opening bell, Lawler wasted little time imposing his will. The 41-year-old Kill Cliff FC representative punched his way into the clinch, then teed off with close quarters hooks and…

Francesco Nuzzi! ITS ALL OVER! HEAD KICK 🎯

Nuzzi advances to the Playoffs! #PFLBerlin pic.twitter.com/tcfFl9Xl65

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) July 8, 2023

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Francesco Nuzzi is a man on a mission.

In the PFL Europe 2: 2023 Regular Season main event, Nuzzi clobbered Farbod Iran Nezhad to secure a place in the 135-pound semifinals. Nezhad (11-3-1, 0-1 PFL) attempted to move the action to the canvas earlier in the fight, but Nuzzi (10-1, 1 NC; 1-0, 1 NC PFL) was able to deny him and bounce back on the feet. The Italian fighter tested his foe’s reactions for a while before firing a head kick hidden by a left punch. The impact was devastating, and Nezhad collapsed immediately. Referee Rich Mitchell jumped to save Nezhad from Nuzzi’s subsequent punches as the official time indicated the 1:52 mark of Round 1. Nuzzi will now face Bellator MMA alum Frans Mlambo (14-5, 1-0 PFL), who overcame short-notice replacement Rachid El Hazoume…

[embedded content] The UFC 290 pay-per-view card is set with two title fights now official after the weigh-ins took place.

Headlining the anticipated 14-fight card is a featherweight title unification battle between Alexander Volkanovski and interim champion Yair Rodriguez. Both men successfully made weight, as the Australian weighed 144.5 pounds, and Rodriguez came in at 145 pounds on the dot. Meanwhile, the co-main event is also official as Brandon Moreno looks to defend his flyweight belt against Alexandre Pantoja. Both men weighed exactly 125 pounds. All other fighters on the card made weight except for Jalin Turner (158), who checked in two pounds over the lightweight limit for his fight against Dan Hooker and has been fined 20% of his purse.

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Volkanovski (25-2) is coming off his first defeat since 2013 as he came up a hair short in his bid to become a two-weight champion against lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev. Dropping back to featherweight…

#PFLBerlin’s 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗶𝗻𝘀 brought to you by @ProperWhiskey

(and also #FransMlambo 🇮🇪 @LewisMcGMMA2000 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 @CHughesMMA 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 @theNukeTuke 🇮🇪 + @John_Kavanagh) pic.twitter.com/6cT1InaeiS

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) July 7, 2023 The PFL Europe 2 card is set after three fighters came in overweight.

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The second Professional Fighters League Europe event in 2023 will be headlined by Francesco Nuzzi and Farbod Iran Nezhad in the bantamweight division. Both men successfully made weight, but not every combatant ahead of the show could say the same. Co-main event competitor Moktar Benkaci was the most high-profile weight miss, as the bantamweight came in half a pound over the limit for his fight against Khurshed Kakhorov. Additionally, lightweight Acoidan Duque (159.1) clocked in 3.1 pounds over the lightweight cap, and Rachid El Hazoume Aamay was .3 pounds over the bantamweight max at 136.3 pounds.

Nuzzi (9-1, 1 NC)…

HERE we GO #UFC295 pic.twitter.com/GXDsNxjSEH

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) July 7, 2023 Heavyweights will take over Madison Square Garden in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s annual return to New York City.

On Friday night, the UFC announced that UFC 295 will be held on Nov. 11 in New York. As part of its yearly card in Madison Square Garden, it is putting its biggest foot forward with a heavyweight championship collision in the main attraction. Heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones (27-1, 1 NC) will put his gold strap up for grabs against ex-champ Stipe Miocic (20-4) in the main attraction, in a battle originally considered for International Fight Week in July. This will be the seventh year in a row the UFC has staged a November-based PPV in The Big Apple, but just the second time a heavyweight title has sat atop the billing.

Jones came back from a three-year self-imposed retirement in March to move up to the largest division with the company.…

🚨 Injury News 🚨

Due to a medical issue with Josiah Harrell, his welterweight bout against Jack Della Maddalena has been canceled from #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/vbupXR7vkj

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 7, 2023 A forced fight withdrawal of a Ultimate Fighting Championship newcomer might have just saved his life.

Last Friday, Jack Della Maddalena (14-2) announced that his welterweight matchup with Sean Brady was no more, due to an illness later determined to be septic bursitis on Brady's elbow. A few days later, the UFC acquired the services of Josiah Harrell (7-0) to step in for his promotional debut, instead of numerous names like Kevin Holland and Joaquin Buckley campaigning for the slot.

Following the UFC 290 weigh-ins on Friday, the results of a pre-fight brain scan came back to determine that, per MMAJunkie, Harrell has been diagnosed with a rare disorder called moyamoya disease and is out of the fight. Harrell will be undergoi…

Ultimate Fighting Championship legend Georges St. Pierre could not avoid scratching his competitive itch forever.

Prior to the UFC 290 press conference on Thursday, the promotion held a special event where they announced that St. Pierre would be fighting again. While not in MMA, he will be grappling for a UFC-helmed event in December. “GSP” will be competing at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6 show on Dec. 14 as its headliner, which will likely be at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The opponent has not yet been announced, and the rules will be submission-only with special overtime provisions.

This will be the first time that St. Pierre has engaged in any pro combat sport since his 2017 retirement after UFC 217, when he choked out Michael Bisping to become a two-division champ. That concluded an outstanding MMA career, hanging up his gloves a second time while riding a 13-fight win streak over some of the most notable names in the sport. The Sherdog staff recently cast bal…