Blog

Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland had a sort of gentlemen’s agreement heading into their headlining bout at UFC on ESPN 42.

Advertisement

It resulted in one of the year’s most entertaining bouts, as Thompson and Holland engaged in a standup-friendly affair that resulted in a technical knockout victory for “Wonderboy” after four rounds. While Holland landed a pair of takedowns in the contest, on both occasions he elected to let his opponent up rather than rack up top control time. That was a theme for the entire fight.

“It was kind of one of those unwritten rules that we had going into this fight,” Thompson said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I know later on in rounds he was shooting, I know he had a busted hand, but I think I fell down in the first round and he let me back up. He told me in the first round, he’s like, ‘Hey, I’m not taking you down.’ I’m like, ‘All right, man. Sounds good to me.’”

Early on, that seemed to favor Holland, who s…

Kevin Holland wasn’t at 100 percent for the majority of his UFC on ESPN 42 headlining clash against Stephen Thompson.

Advertisement

Holland’s management team, KO Reps, revealed that the fighter broke his hand in the first round of the bout. Not surprisingly, that was his most effective period, as he staggered “Wonderboy” with a right hand early. As time wore on, however, Holland didn’t throw the right nearly as much, and Thompson took control en route to a fourth-round technical knockout victory.

. @Trailblaze2top broke his right hand landing a cross in the first round.Hand is very swollen. Being transported to the hospital. Congrats to @WonderboyMMA and team. #UFCOrlando pic.twitter.com/axGM1tzRpp

— KOreps (@ko_reps) December 4, 2022 “[Kevin Holland] broke his right hand landing a cross in the first round,” the statement read. “Hand is very swollen. Being transported to the hospital. Congrats to [Stephen Thompson] and team.”

ESPN …

Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland put on a show in the UFC on ESPN 42 headliner.

The welterweight combatants were rewarded for their efforts, as they received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece on Saturday night at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. In a bout that was contested almost entirely on the feet, “Wonderboy” pulled away thanks to a versatile striking arsenal, ultimately forcing Holland’s corner to stop the fight after four entertaining rounds.

Elsewhere, surging heavyweight contender Sergei Pavlovich pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award thanks to a quick finish of Tai Tuivasa in a featured bout. Pavlovich overwhelmed his Australian adversary with powerful punches to secure his fifth consecutive KO/TKO victory just 54 seconds into Round 1.

Finally, a creative finish earned Roman Dolidze the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check. The 34-year-old Georgian used a calf slicer to immobilize opponent Jack Hermanss…

Stephen Thompson’s zest and zeal for the martial arts came through in one of the best performances of his career.

“Wonderboy” weathered brushes with adversity, kept his head above water and maintained his position as one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s premier welterweights, as he forced a corner stoppage against Kevin Holland in their UFC on ESPN 42 headliner on Saturday at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Holland (23-9, 10-6 UFC) and his handlers called it a night in between the fourth and fifth rounds.

Advertisement

In a clear contender for “Fight of the Year,” Holland made the first significant move when he staggered the South Carolinian with an overhand right in the first round and followed up with knee strikes and standing elbows. Thompson (17-6-1, 12-6-1 UFC) recovered, seized the reins in Round 2 and never looked back. He managed distance beautifully, darted in to range with punches and cut loose with a dazzling array of leg attacks, from h…

Stephen Thompson’s zest and zeal for the martial arts came through in one of the best performances of his career.

“Wonderboy” weathered brushes with adversity, kept his head above water and maintained his position as one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s premier welterweights, as he forced a corner stoppage against Kevin Holland in their UFC on ESPN 42 headliner on Saturday at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Holland (23-9, 10-6 UFC) and his handlers called it a night in between the fourth and fifth rounds.

Advertisement

In a clear contender for “Fight of the Year,” Holland made the first significant move when he staggered the South Carolinian with an overhand right in the first round and followed up with knee strikes and standing elbows. Thompson (17-6-1, 12-6-1 UFC) recovered, seized the reins in Round 2 and never looked back. He managed distance beautifully, darted in to range with punches and cut loose with a dazzling array of leg attacks, from h…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 42 “Thompson vs. Holland” coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Jauregui (-305), Nunes (+255)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

Advertisement

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Marshall (-155), Rojo (+135)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round…

Angela Hill has rarely looked better under Ultimate Fighting Championship employ.

Non-stop output from distance and a destructive clinch spurred “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 20 alum to a unanimous decision over fellow former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Emily Ducote in the featured UFC on ESPN 42 prelim on Saturday at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Hill (15-12, 10-12 UFC) drew 30-27 nods from all three judges.

Advertisement

Ducote (12-7, 1-1 UFC) struggled and ultimately failed to make necessary adjustments. Hill piled up points with jabs, leg kicks and combination punching, all while crowding her counterpart with pressure from the center of the cage. She consolidated those efforts with stellar attacks from close-range, burying knees into Ducote’s midsection and firing elbows upstairs.

The setback was Ducote’s first since Nov. 1, 2019.

Guida Stymies Retiring Holtzman Former Strikeforce champion Clay Guida rebounded from his April 23…

The One Championship strawweight division saw its eighth champion crowned in Manila, Philippines, on Saturday.

Jarred Brooks takes the back! 🤼‍♂️ @The_monkeygod#ONE164🇺🇸🇨🇦🇹🇭🇬🇧🇸🇦🇧🇷 Live on ONE YouTube🌍 Live on https://t.co/eBUfsODAFL pic.twitter.com/Lb9jhWHjhx

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) December 3, 2022

Advertisement

The ONE 164 main event featured a clash for the promotional strawweight championship as titleholder Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks locked horns in a 125-pound tilt. Ultimate Fighting Championship alum Brooks (20-2, 1NC; 4-0 ONE) brought the heat to his foe right out of the gate, attacking his opponent on the feet before shooting for takedowns. Pacio (19-4, 11-4 ONE) stood his ground on the feet but struggled to contain his foe’s attacks on the canvas. Brooks acquired plenty of top control time through the first three stanzas.

The pace decreased in the championship rounds, where both contestants were happy to keep the…

Reinier de Ridder bit off way more than he could chew.

Anatoliy Malykhin dethroned the Dutch grappler in an epic beatdown, as he took possession of the undisputed One Championship light heavyweight title in the ONE on Prime Video 5 headliner on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines. De Ridder (16-1, 7-1 ONE) succumbed to punches 4:35 into Round 1.

Advertisement

Malykhin (11-0, 4-0 ONE)—already the interim ONE heavyweight champion—was utterly merciless with his attack. He cut off takedowns from de Ridder with surprising ease and assaulted him with an unending barrage of power punches to the head and body. Late in the first round, Malykhin floored the Combat Brothers rep with a right hook and followed him to the canvas, where he separated “The Dutch Knight” from his senses with brutal hammerfists.

In the co-main event, 2022 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Kade Ruotolo retained his ONE submission grap…

Sherdog's live ONE on Prime Video 5 “De Ridder vs. Malykhin” coverage kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1 Our first mixed martial arts fight will be overseen by Justin Brown. A quick flurry by Zamboanga drops Lin, who recovers quickly. Lin tries a side kick but it misses. Zamboanga is loading up on her overhand right and keeps throwing it. Zamboanga gets reckless and Lin rocks her with a counterpunch. Lin engages in grappling and the two clinch against the fence. They separate and Lin starts landing kicks from a distance. Zamboanga keeps walking in and throwing combinations to mixed results but some are landing. The round ends with Zamboanga throwing wildly and landing a few punches. 10-9 Zamboanga if it was under the Unified Rules, but the MMA fights are scored as a whole.

Advertisement

Round 2 Zamboanga is confident and is throwing heavy punches. A cut opens above the left eye of Lin. Zamboanga continues to have success with the overhand right and coming in. Lin j…

UFC Statement Regarding James Krause pic.twitter.com/MDB2tbVu2J

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) December 2, 2022 Fighter-turned-coach James Krause has gone from a well-respected name to one who can no longer train fighters in a very short amount of time.

On Friday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship released a pair of statements – one from UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell to fighters and their teams, and the other in a public release – to further explain the steps taken regarding the irregular betting activity surrounding UFC Fight Night 214. At that November event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Darrick Minner vs. Nuerdanbieke Shayilan saw some unusual betting activity within hours of the match, and Minner succumbed to an injury that led to a quick TKO loss. Sportsbooks turned to the Nevada State Athletic Commission and betting firm U.S. Integrity to review the matter, in which the former suspended the license of Minner’s coach, Kra…

[embedded content] Betting organizations are lining up to work with MMA promotions, and One Championship has hooked a big one.

Per a press release on Friday, One has announced it will be partnering with FanDuel – based in the U.S. – to stage events on the latter’s proprietary FanDuel TV network. This station is listed on cable and satellite TV, already working with distributors including Xfinity, Spectrum, DirecTV and several others. The first event of their agreement will be One 164, which takes place on Saturday morning. No live MMA event had ever aired on FanDuel TV to this point.

Advertisement

Chief commercial officer of FanDuel, Mike Raffensperger, spoke of the new arrangement highly, saying, “We’re eager to continue expanding the variety of content we’re offering at FanDuel TV to introduce our audience to emerging sports. We’ve long respected the content the One Championship team is producing and are looking forward to bringing their action to our audience t…

The first two to the scale, your #UFCOrlando main event is official 👊@WonderboyMMA - 170 pounds ⚖️@Trailblaze2top - 170.5 pounds ⚖️

[ TOMORROW | Prelims 7𝙥𝙢 𝙀𝙏 | Main Card 10pm ET | LIVE on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/0yQkzyXkqj

— UFC (@ufc) December 2, 2022 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 1:15 p.m. ET to reflect one bout's cancelation shortly after the weigh-ins concluded.

Advertisement

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to ESPN airwaves for an intriguing middleweight showdown.

Both Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland made weight for their UFC on ESPN 42 main event. However, one undercard fighter missed weight on the card as Philip Rowe came in 2.5 pounds over the welterweight limit for his fight against Niko Price and has been fined 30% of his purse. Following the weigh-in ceremony, one additional match encountered some difficulty: Tracy Cortez, who successfully hit the 125-pound mark, has encountered a medic…

Statement from Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario on banning betting on UFC: pic.twitter.com/oXgltrcN3D

— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) December 1, 2022 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 3:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 to add the text of the statement from the AGCO.

Canadian fight fans from Kingston to Kenora can no longer bet on Ultimate Fighting Championship events for the foreseeable future.

Advertisement

Per ESPN on Thursday, the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has informed all sportsbooks in the province of Ontario, Canada, that they cannot offer any bets on UFC events going forward. The block has been issued for an indeterminate amount of time, and it is in effect immediately – this means, for example, that no person in Toronto can bet on any fight from UFC on ESPN 42 in Saturday. The AGCO will levy a far stricter ban than the New Jersey Division of Gambling Enforcement issued earlier in the month, wh…

Statement from Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario on banning betting on UFC: pic.twitter.com/oXgltrcN3D

— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) December 1, 2022 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 3:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 to add the text of the statement from the AGCO.

Canadian fight fans from Kingston to Kenora can no longer bet on Ultimate Fighting Championship events for the foreseeable future.

Advertisement

Per ESPN on Thursday, the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has informed all sportsbooks in the province of Ontario, Canada, that they cannot offer any bets on UFC events going forward. The block has been issued for an indeterminate amount of time, and it is in effect immediately – this means, for example, that no person in Toronto can bet on any fight from UFC on ESPN 42 in Saturday. The AGCO will levy a far stricter ban than the New Jersey Division of Gambling Enforcement issued earlier in the month, wh…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Steven Koslow will replace Ronnie Lawrence and lock horns with Cameron Saaiman at UFC 282.

Advertisement

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the change to the bantamweight bout. UFC 282 takes place on Dec. 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight title tilt between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev.

Koslow will take a 6-0 record into his Octagon debut. The 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Jacksonville member has competed exclusively under the Florida-based Combat Night banner, finishing all six of his opponents via submission inside of a round.

South Africa’s Saaimn is also 6-0 as a professional. The 21-year-old earned a UFC contract on Aug. 23, when he knocked out Josh Wang Kim in the third round of their bout on Dana White’s Contender Series.

[embedded content]

The bantamweight and light heavyweight titles will be on the line at Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki’s final card of the year on Dec. 17.

Advertisement

Sebastian Przybysz will defend his 135-pound belt against Jakub Wiklacz in the evening’s co-main event, while reigning 205-pound king Ibragim Chuzhigaev will face Ivan Erslan in another featured contest. The Polish promotion recently announced the bookings. KSW 77 takes place at Arena Gliwice in Gliwice, Poland, and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown pitting Mamed Khalidov against Mariusz Pudzianowski.

Przybysz has posted a 7-1 mark since joining KSW. He claimed the bantamweight belt with a unanimous decision triumph over Antun Racic at KSW 59 and has since defended the strap twice with victories against Brunos Augusto Dos Santos and Werlleson Martins Ribeiro.

Wiklacz has won three straight fights under the KSW banner. In his last outing, “Masa” outpointed Bruno Augusto Dos Santos at KSW 71 o…

Initially tabbed by trainers and teammates as the natural Brazilian successor to Jose Aldo as the future of the bantamweight division, Raoni Barcelos hasn’t climbed the rankings in the manner many expected after his UFC debut in 2018.

Advertisement

After winning his first five Octagon appearances, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and national wrestling champion dropped back-to-back decisions against Timur Valiev and Victor Henry. That prompted him to leave Rizzo RVT at the beginning of 2022 to train with former UFC fighter Davi Ramos.

"Training with guys like Davi and Rousimar Palhares brought me back to my grappling roots,” Barcelos told Sherdog.com shortly after returning to the win column with a decision win over Trevin Jones in October.

Barcelos next had designs on fighting on home soil at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“Unfortunately it was not possible to fight in front of my family and friends in Rio, but at least the UFC ga…

A little less than two weeks removed from the loss to Usman Nurmagomedov that cost him the Bellator lightweight crown, Patricky Freire has come to the conclusion that he overestimated his opponent.

Advertisement

"After watching the fight a couple of times, I have no doubt that my mistake was giving too much respect to his name,” Freire told Sherdog.com. “I was so concerned about exposing myself to the takedown that I didn’t impose my game. I should have fought all rounds like I did in the fifth.”

Freire ultimately dropped a five-round verdict to the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov at Bellator 288 on Nov. 18. In hindsight, “Pitbull” believes he faced a more difficult test in camp than he did on fight night.

"There is no way to compare his wrestling skills to my main sparring partner in the camp, Kennedy Monday,” Freire said. “Besides being more explosive, Monday was much more technical than Usman in wrestling, and he is taller. I truly hope Usman enters in the …

A pair of contests have been added to the Bellator 291 main draw, as Peter Queally will meet Bryce Logan at lightweight, while Ciaran Clarke will face Keir Harvie at featherweight.

Advertisement

The California-based promotion announced the bookings on Wednesday. Bellator 291 takes place at 3Arena in Dublin on Feb. 25 and is headlined by a welterweight championship unification bout between Yaroslav Amosov and Logan Storley. The card main card airs on Showtime in the United States beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Two featherweight bouts were announced for the preliminary card: Kenny Mokhonoana vs. Craig McIntosh and Darragh Kelly vs. Dorval Jordan. The prelims air on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel, the Bellator MMA YouTube channel and Pluto TV at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT.

A former lightweight title challenger, Queally enters Bellator 291 on a two-fight losing streak. Most recently, the 33-year-old SBG Ireland product dropped a five-round verdict to …

Professional Fighters League made its first foray into the pay-per-view market last week, and according to promotion co-founder Donn Davis, that venture was a success.

Advertisement

The 2022 PFL Championships featured six championship bouts along with a women’s featherweight showcase for a price point of $49.99 on ESPN+. Though Davis wouldn’t reveal a buy rate for the event in an interview with ESPN, he seemed happy with the overall results.

"Our top priority was to put on a premium product that everyone who bought the fights said, 'I'm glad I bought it,' and everyone who didn't buy heard it was a great show and said, 'I'm going to buy the next one,'" Davis said. "And on both of those, it was a success. People who bought it loved it. And the buzz around the fight has been the highest it's ever been, no question.”

No fight on the card generated more buzz than the main event, which saw Larissa Pacheco upset Kayla Harrison to capture the women’s lightweight …

Nate Diaz is officially free to pursue career options outside the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Advertisement

Diaz completed his contract with the promotion at UFC 279, where he submitted Tony Ferguson in the fourth round of their bout on Sept. 10. Though his contract ended, the UFC still maintained exclusive negotiating rights with Diaz until recently, when it waived the rest of the negotiating period. MMAFighting.com was first to report the news of Diaz becoming a free agent.

Diaz’s manager, Zach Rosenfield, told MMAjunkie.com that a return to the UFC is not out of the question, particularly for a Conor McGregor trilogy.

“Nate is going to be looking at the biggest fights possible,” Rosenfield said. “He has stated that completing the trilogy with Conor McGregor is something that interests him, and that has not changed.”

Rosenfield added that Diaz plans to compete “multiple times” in 2023 with a combat sports schedule that “will include boxi…

Just 24 hours after promoting Shooto Brazil 113, Andre Pederneiras was on his way to Orlando to corner Rafael dos Anjos and Matheus Nicolau at UFC on ESPN 42.

Advertisement

Dos Anjos faces Bryan Barberena in a welterweight bout at Saturday’s event, while Nicolau will lock horns with Matt Schnell at flyweight. Pederneiras is optimistic about the prospects of both athletes heading into the card, including dos Anjos’ ability to remain at contender at 155 pounds.

“Sometimes the coach disagrees with the fighter, but it's up to him to make the final choice,” Pederneiras told Sherdog.com. “In my opinion RDA still has all [capabilities needed] to fight for the lightweight title; everything just depends on the matchup of the next fights. In my opinion, he can keep fighting in both divisions.”

The Nova Uniao leader believes Barberena is a good stylistic matchup for dos Anjos’ return to the welterweight division. Dos Anjos last appeared at UFC on ESPN 39, where he su…

Eleven fighters from the 2022 PFL Championships will need doctor clearance of some kind before they can return to action.

The New York State Athletic Commission released a full list of medical suspensions — which included 11 indefinite terms — from Friday’s event, which took place at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The exact nature of each suspension was not revealed. Everyone on the card received at least a seven-day mandatory sit, including lightweight headliners Larissa Pacheco and Kayla Harrison.

Advertisement

Steven Ray, Omari Akhmedov and Katherine Corogenes received the longest mandatory medical suspensions of anyone on the card at 90 days apiece.

2022 PFL Championships Medical Suspensions:

Bubba Jenkins: suspended mandatory 45 days, suspended indefinitely pending neurology clearance.

Matheus Scheffel: suspended mandatory 45 days, suspended indefinitely pending neurology clearance.

Steven Ray: suspended mandatory 90 days, suspended inde…