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Rivals for over three decades — even considering themselves to be fierce enemies — Hugo Duarte and Renzo Gracie are now partners at a gym in the United States.

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The duo has rented a spot in downtown Houston, where Duarte will be the head instructor. It’s one of 12 gyms owned by Gracie. The new partners spent six days together last week.

Renzo and Hugo were on opposite sides in three highly significant clashes of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu vs. Luta Livre rivalry. Renzo stood with the Gracie side in the conflicts between Hugo and Rickson: one at Pepê Beach, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, and another one a week later when Hugo sought a rematch and gathered over 50 students to invade the Gracie academy. At Pentagon Combat in 1997, Renzo faced Eugênio Tadeu and Hugo was in the Luta Livre representative’s corner. The event ended in a brawl that led to the banning of MMA in Rio de Janeiro.

After many, many years of rivalry, a friends…

Larissa Pacheco proved the doubters wrong in 2022 when she upset Kayla Harrison to win the Professional Fighters League lightweight crown.

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Now she’s the odds-on favorite to become a two-division champion heading into a featherweight semifinal matchup against Olena Kolesnyk at PFL 8 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday night. The evening’s main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

“Winning the belt and championship last year was my way of proving that I was right, that I should not have given up on my dream. I’m so happy I didn’t,” Pacheco said during a PFL media day. “This is the continuation of me building a legacy, me writing my name in the MMA history books.”

The first task at hand is to improve to 3-0 against Kolesnyk, whom Pacheco has already defeated twice via first-round stoppage. While some might want to draw parallels to Pacheco’s breakthrough against Harrison in their trilogy last year…

Jordan Heiderman might be most unknown commodity among the PFL heavyweight semifinalists.

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The former college football player fought just once during the PFL regular season, earning a spot in the playoffs thanks to a first-round finish of Patrick Brady on June 16. That has earned him a showdown with Denis Goltsov — perhaps the favorite in the field — on Friday at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The evening’s main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT following prelims on ESPN+ 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

“I love being the new guy, the darkhorse,” Heiderman said during a PFL media day. “It’s a perfect fight. I love being the no-name. I’m gonna come in and turn some heads with my performance.”

Some might remember Heiderman from “The Ultimate Fighter 30,” where he fell to Zac Pauga in the semifinals of the reality show. The 31-year-old says he’s “evolved tremendously” since then.

“I definitely think I’m light years better …

Anthony Hernandez has a new opponent at UFC Fight Night 227.

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Chris Curtis has withdrawn from the Sept. 16 card after suffering an injury in training and as a result, Roman Kopylov will step in against Hernandez in a new middleweight booking. Hernandez confirmed the change on social media following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. UFC Fight Night 227 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a flyweight championship rematch between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

“[Word’]s out, had to pull out from September 16. I jacked a rib up wrestling and [Ian Garry] landed the perfect kick to finish it off,” Curtis wrote on social media regarding his injury. “That’s the fight game sometimes... if I didn't have bad luck I would have no luck at all. Good luck and my apologies to Fluffy. Next time brotha.”

Words out, had to pull out from September 16. I jacked a rib up wrestling and @iangarryMMA …

Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady was virtually flawless in terms of execution.

The Fortis MMA lightweight was one of five prospective competitors to nail down an Ultimate Fighting Championship Championship contract during Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision over George Hardwick on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Al-Selwady (15-3, 1-0 DWCS) swept the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks from all three judges.

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Hardwick (12-2, 0-1 DWCS) was never out of it but simply lacked enough of the necessary answers. Al-Selwady leaned on educated feints and stellar lateral movement, all while mixing in leg kicks and clean punching combinations. The former Fury Fighting Championship and Brave Combat Federation titleholder’s footwork kept him out of danger and allowed his hands and gas tank to work to maximum effect. When Hardwick landed, he was limited to single shots.

The 28-year-old Al-Selwady will carry a five-fight…

The possibility of a mixed martial arts bout between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk has generated a fair amount of attention — both from the mainstream audience and the mixed martial arts community.

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Recently, One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong shared his thoughts on how a fight between the two billionaires might look.

"I normally don't like to get involved in other people's spats, but I am compelled to say something on the latest development of the potential fight between Mark Zuckerberg vs Elon Musk,” Sityodtong wrote on Facebook. “A few hours ago, Elon said that he was planning to show up to Mark's house to fight him. Elon is one of the greatest entrepreneurs in history and I have a lot of respect for his guts, accomplishments, and intellect. However, I dislike bullying of any kind.

“First, Elon genuinely knows nothing about fighting or martial arts despite his claims to the contrary. As a lifelong expert martial artist who has been in my…

Confira bastidores da pré-estreia do documentário “Dos Samurais ao MMA”; saiba onde e quando assistirhttps://t.co/H6C5wDYwTd pic.twitter.com/JQdv8tUmur

— Portal do Vale Tudo (@portaldovt) August 10, 2023

Those interested in the history of combat sports in Brazil have just gained a significant option for knowledge.

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Tuesday marked the premiere of the documentary “From Samurai to MMA —500 Years of Fighting." Conceived by journalist and Sherdog.com contributor Marcelo Alonso and produced by Brazilian company Ciranda Filmes, the documentary is the result of three years of work. It traces the origins of jiu-jitsu, grappling and MMA, highlighting protagonists Jigoro Kano, Mitsuyo Maeda and four generations of Gracie family, culminating in the modern MMA era. The screening at a cinema in Rio de Janeiro was attended by 350 guests from various fighting disciplines: luta livre, muay thai, jiu-jitsu, and MMA.

Prominent figures such…

Confira bastidores da pré-estreia do documentário “Dos Samurais ao MMA”; saiba onde e quando assistirhttps://t.co/H6C5wDYwTd pic.twitter.com/JQdv8tUmur

— Portal do Vale Tudo (@portaldovt) August 10, 2023

Those interested in the history of combat sports in Brazil have just gained a significant option for knowledge.

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Tuesday marked the premiere of the documentary “From Samurai to MMA —500 Years of Fighting." Conceived by journalist and Sherdog.com contributor Marcelo Alonso and produced by Brazilian company Ciranda Filmes, the documentary is the result of three years of work. It traces the origins of jiu-jitsu, grappling and MMA, highlighting protagonists Jigoro Kano, Mitsuyo Maeda and four generations of Gracie family, culminating in the modern MMA era. The screening at a cinema in Rio de Janeiro was attended by 350 guests from various fighting disciplines: luta livre, muay thai, jiu-jitsu, and MMA.

Prominent figures such…

One week after earning just the third twister submission in promotion history, Da'Mon Blackshear will attempt to give an encore performance at UFC 292.

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Blackshear will replace Cody Garbrandt and square off against Mario Bautista on Saturday at TD Garden in Boston. BJPenn.com was first to report the new bantamweight booking. UFC 292 is headlined by a 135-pound title clash between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley.

Blackshear is coming off his historic submission win over Jose Johnson at UFC on ESPN 51, his second consecutive triumph within the Las Vegas-based promotion. If he were to defeat Bautista, he would be the first UFC fighter to win two bouts in a seven-day span.

Bautista enters the matchup with plenty of momentum. The MMA Lab representative has won four straight fights since 2022, with three of those victories coming by way of submission. Most recently, Bautista tapped out Guido Cannetti in the opening stanza of their UFC Fight Nig…

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Sharabutdin Magomedov, otherwise known as “Shara Bullet” will make his first promotional foray against Bruno Silva at UFC 294.

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The middleweight booking was initially reported by Laerte Viana. UFC 294 takes place on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and features a lightweight championship tilt pitting Islam Makhachev against Charles Oliveira.

Anchored at GOR MMA, Magomedov is 11-0 as a professional. The Moscow native has finished 10 of those victories by knockout or technical knockout, including an eight-second KO of Kushal Vyas in his last outing at Thailand Fighting Championship 10 on Dec. 11.

After beginning his UFC tenure with three consecutive triumphs, Silva has lost three of his last four bouts. Most recently, the former M-1 Global title holder suffered a first-round submission defeat to Brendan Allen at UFC on ABC 5 on June 24.

Sherdog's live DWCS 2023 Week 2 coverage will begin Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result

Renan Ferreira stands just two victories away from a life-changing moment.

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The Brazilian known as “Problema” will square off against Maurice Greene in the heavyweight semifinals at PFL 8 on Friday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The evening’s main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with Ferreira vs. Greene serving as the featured attraction. Ferreira is well aware of the magnitude of what lies ahead.

“I’ve gone through phases in my life where I didn’t have something to eat, I didn’t have a place to sleep. This for me is a culmination of a dream already,” Ferreira said through a translator during a press conference on Monday. “To be out here fighting in the semifinals, to have an opportunity to hold the belt, to be fighting in a major promotion, this is already the culmination of my dream. Going out there and winning $1 million, changing the financial status of my family, this is what matters to me.”

F…

There was a time when Maurice Greene would take virtually any fight offered in hopes of a payday.

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Greene admits that approach had its downside, but things have changed in recent times now that the “The Crochet Boss” is training alongside current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

“I’ve been fighting for a long time, and for a long time it was literally just I was trying to get the biggest bag,” Greene said at Professional Fighters League press conference. “Sometimes you don’t get a full fight camp to get the bag, you have to just take fights as they come. Sometimes you don’t have all the training partners in the room, you don’t have all the resources.

“It’s hard not to do it right when you’re training with Jon Jones. It’s hard not to do it right when you’re in his camps,” Greene added. “There’s a bunch of things I do different now that I never did before. Training with Jon and the small group of guys that we’re with, it kind of resparked the f…

All but one athlete made weight on Monday ahead of Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Emrah Sonmez tipped the scales at 147 pounds for a proposed featherweight clash against Hyder Amil (146). The Nevada State Athletic Commission did not clear Sonmez to continue cutting weight following his initial attempt, so he will be fined a percentage of his purse and the fight will proceed as scheduled.

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The Contender Series takes place on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Next week, the event will return to its regularly scheduled time of 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. This week’s card is topped by a lightweight clash pitting Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (155.5) against George Hardwick (155).

Anchored at Fortis MMA, Al-Selwady enters the Contender Series on a four-bout winning streak. In his last outing, the Amman, Jordan, native took a five-round verdict over Mike Murphy at Fury FC 75 to claim the promotion’s 155-pound belt…

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ONE on Prime Video 15 has gained an intriguing clash as Timofey Nastyukhin and Lipeng Zhang will collide in ONE Championship’s lightweight division, learned Sherdog Monday morning.

Nastyukhin (14-7, 7-6 One), a former ONE lightweight championship challenger, boasts a victory over former Ultimate Fighting Championship 155-pound titleholder Eddie Alvarez in 2019. After also defeating Pieter Buist, the Russian fighter challenged Christian Lee for the divisional belt, losing via technical knockout in 73 seconds at One on TNT 2.

Zhang (33-12-2, 2-1 One) has been on the sidelines since September when he dropped a unanimous decision to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protégé, Saygid Izagakhmaev. It marked the UFC vet’s first loss in four years as “The Warrior” had amassed six straight positive results prior, including a draw with Ednilson de Jose Barros and a dominant performance over two-time One titleholder Eduard Folayang.

One on Prime Video 15, als…

OFFICIAL: Updated August 23rd Fight Card

•Magomed Umalatov is out•New Welterweight Semifinal: Magomed Magomedkerimov will now face @RenfroSolomon

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[ Wednesday, August 23rd | 6:30pm ET on ESPN+ | 9pm ET on ESPN | #PFLPlayoffs] pic.twitter.com/uaWUNd0DRe — PFL (@PFLMMA) August 11, 2023

The Professional Fighters League has lost an intriguing welterweight semifinal matchup.

The organization recently announced that Solomon Renfro will replace Magomed Umalatov and face Magomed Magomedkerimov at PFL 9 on Aug. 23. A reason for Umalatov’s withdrawal was not given. PFL 9 takes place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden and features lightweight and welterweight semifinals on the main card.

With victories in his first five PFL appearances, Umalatov has emerged as a talent to watch at 170 pounds. He clinched his spot in the postseason with victories over Dilano Taylor and Nayib Lopez, but will now have to wait another…

In the midst of a four-bout winning streak, Khalil Rountree appears to be in peak form — but he still has greater goals to achieve.

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“The Ultimate Fighter 23” alum kept his momentum going at UFC on ESPN 51 with a first-round technical knockout victory over converted heavyweight Chris Daukaus in a featured 205-pound clash at the UFC Apex on Saturday night. Rountree has finished three of his four opponents during his current hot stretch, and now he believes he’s ready to test himself in a main event.

“The reason why I want to fight five rounds is because I want to be ready for a championship fight as soon as possible,” Rountree said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I’m ready for a title, but I have to fight five rounds before I can fully say that.

“I’ve never fought a main event before. Where my mind is and where I’m going, I’m here to fight the best. I’m here to go after it and be a contender. So whoever makes sense in a five-round mai…

This one meant a little bit more to Vicente Luque.

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After suffering a brain bleed following his loss to Geoff Neal in August 2022, Luque was sidelined for a year before returning to the Octagon at UFC on ESPN 51, where he earned a unanimous decision triumph against Rafael dos Anjos in Saturday’s main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“It was like having the most amazing win for me, just because of everything,” Luque said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “So many changes in my life. I moved to Florida, moved my family, a new way of life and just training and going through the injury. At the beginning, not knowing if I was ever going to be able to do this again and then I got cleared. Then going through the training camp, I’m going to fight a legend like Rafael. It’s a special win.

“I feel blessed. I feel amazing. Now it’s like all the decisions that were taken and everybody that was around to help me, we did the right moves and we’re victorious…

Cub Swanson looked as surprised as anyone when his unanimous decision victory over Hakeem Dawodu in the UFC on ESPN 51 co-main event was announced.

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“I felt like I was in the moment and having fun,” Swanson said during his Octagon interview. “I thought I took more shots. I always beat myself up so I’d have to watch it again. I was so worried going into this fight. I got a name now and people expect greatness.”

Each round was closely contested, but according to MMADecisions.com, 11 of the 13 media members who scored the bout saw it in favor of Dawodu. However, all three cageside judges submitted 29-28 tallies in favor of Swanson. At the post-fight press conference, the World Extreme Cagefighting veteran reiterated his earlier sentiment that he thought his opponent would get the nod.

“I’m always hard on myself,” Swanson said. “I didn’t think I won the first round. Everyone in my corner said I did, and that it was an easy one to call. I thought …

Da'Mon Blackshear gets the third twister submission in UFC history 🤯 #UFCVegas78 pic.twitter.com/XGt0lN46X6

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 12, 2023

Da'Mon Blackshear scored himself a piece of history at UFC on ESPN 51, and he was compensated accordingly for his work.

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Blackshear was an easy choice to receive a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus, as he utilized the rarely-seen twister to submit Jose Johnson 3:47 into the opening round of their preliminary bantamweight clash. Blackshear is just the third person in promotion history to finish a fight with that maneuver.

Meanwhile, Khalil Rountree pocketed an additional $50,000 for his first-round technical knockout victory against Chris Daukaus in a featured light heavyweight affair. A powerful straight left dropped Daukaus, and Rountree sealed his triumph with a couple follow-up strikes on the mat at the 2:40 mark of Round 1.

Strawweight prospect Isamin Lucindo…

Vicente Luque remains a force in the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division.

Repeated takedowns and a grinding clinch game carried the Kill Cliff Fight Club standout to a unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos in the UFC on ESPN 51 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47—all for Luque (22-9-1, 15-5 UFC), who passed his first test since suffering a career-threatening brain bleed.

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Dos Anjos (32-15, 21-13) stood his ground for much of the 25-minute battle but had no real answer for the size and strength deficits with which he was faced. Luque bullied him at close range, stole momentum with takedowns and frustrated his fellow Brazilian across wide swaths of time. Dos Anjos was effective in open space—he even cut loose with a flying elbow at one point—but struggled to manage distance consistently.Swanson Decision Stings Dawodu World Extreme Cagefighting holdover Cub Swanson rebounded from hi…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 51 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Santos (-155), Miller (+130)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Blackshear (-280), Johnson (+220)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result BE…

MARCUS MCGHEE DID THAT 💥 #UFCVEGAS78 pic.twitter.com/d3S78uzMP4

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 12, 2023

A narrow opening was enough for Marcus McGhee to strengthen his position on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster.

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The MMA Lab rep on Saturday punched out a reeling J.P. Buys in the featured UFC on ESPN 51 bantamweight prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Buys (9-6, 0-4 UFC)—a short-notice substitution for Gaston Bolanos—packed his bags 2:19 into Round 1, his unsightly losing streak having been extended to four bouts.

McGhee (8-1, 2-0 UFC) utilized fluid stance switches, walked through a few chopping right hands from the South African grappler and let his quick, powerful punches fill in the blanks. After he stunned Buys with a clean one-two, the 33-year-old John Crouch disciple stepped into a counter right hook that dropped his adversary to all fours. It soon became apparent to everyone, including referee Jas…

Cody Garbrandt has pulled out of a proposed clash against Mario Bautista at UFC 292.

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Garbrandt’s exit from the bantamweight bout was announced during the UFC on ESPN 51 broadcast on Saturday night. The nature of Garbrandt’s injury was not revealed. The promotion is currently seeking a replacement opponent for Bautista. UFC 292 takes place on Aug. 19 at the TD Garden in Boston and is headlined by a bantamweight title clash between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley.

Garbrandt returned to the win column at UFC 285, where he captured a unanimous verdict against Trevin Jones on March 4. The 32-year-old Team Alpha Male product has struggled in recent years, going 2-5 in UFC appearances since 2017.

Bautista, meanwhile, has won four straight in UFC competition after falling to Jones via second-round TKO at UFC 259.