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A battle between top-five Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweights will go down on its first fight card of 2023.

MMA Fighting first reported the news on Thursday that Ketlen Vieira (13-2) will be squaring off with Raquel Pennington (14-8) at the UFC Fight Night event on Jan. 14. The 135-pound contenders will be facing one another inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on that date, likely placed high on the main card. Vieira has since confirmed this booking on her Instagram Stories shortly after its announcement.

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Vieira bounced back from the first decision loss of her career – a three-round setback to Yana Kunitskaya in February 2021 – by overcoming ex-champs Miesha Tate and Holly Holm in five-round headliners over the last year. The finish rate of the Brazilian has diminished significant since joining the roster in 2016, as she has only won once by stoppage while recording six other victories on the scorecards. Beyond Kunitskaya, her only other s…

[embedded content] Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki returns for its monthly mixed martial arts offering with an intriguing featherweight clash headlining KSW 75. All fighters successfully made weight for the card, including headliners Damian Stasiak and Robert Ruchala.

A former veteran of the Octagon, Stasiak (13-8) has won two of his last three fights inside KSW. After putting together back-to-back wins against Patryk Surdyn and Andrey Lezhnev, "Webster" fell short against Lom-Ali Eskiev. He'll look to bounce back by upsetting the undefeated Ruchala (7-0), who is 4-0 inside the promotion and is coming off decision wins over Patryk Kaczmarczyk and Michele Baiano.

KSW 75 will stream on the promotion's official website on Friday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Order UFC 280 “Oliveira vs. Makhachev” exclusively on ESPN+

KSW 75 Weigh-in Results: Damian Stasiak (145) vs. Robert Ruchala (146)Michal Martinek (242) vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (260)Henrique da Silva (202) vs. Tomasz Narkun…

It appears that Lance Palmer’s time with Professional Fighters League has run its course.

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During an interview on "The MMA Hour,” Palmer revealed that he is a free agent and is able to sign with whatever organization he chooses. He also indicated that it’s unlikely that he and the PFL will come to terms on a new contract.

Unrestricted,” Palmer said. “Honestly, I don’t think they (the PFL) have interest in re-signing me. That gives me the freedom to kind of do what I want to do. Obviously, I have interest in going other places. There’s a lot of fights that I would like to get involved in hopefully to push myself over this next run of wherever it is. The Bellator featherweight division is stacked, the UFC featherweight division is stacked.”

Palmer was a former World Series of Fighting featherweight champion before the promotion rebranded as the PFL. He went on to win 11 consecutive fights in PFL competition, capturing back-to-back championships …

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

The lineup for UFC on ESPN 42 appears to be nearly complete.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion officially announced 12 bouts for the Dec. 3 card, including the previously reported welterweight headliner between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland as well as a heavyweight co-main event pitting Tai Tuivasa against Sergei Pavlovich. The event will also include a middleweight showdown between Derek Brunson and Jack Hermansson and a flyweight scrap between Matt Schnell and Matheus Nicolau.

A handful of other fights were also officially confirmed: Eryk Anders vs. Kyle Daukaus at middleweight; Natan Levy vs. Genaro Valdez at lightweight; Angela Hill vs. Emily Ducote at strawweight; Darren Elkins vs. Jonathan Pearce at featherweight and Marcleo Rojo vs. Francis Marshall at featherweight.

Read more about Multiple Bouts Official for UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando

According to Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras, Jose Aldo has received plenty of interest from all corners of the combat sports world since his retirement announcement.

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“Not only people interested in helping him to fight boxing but also from MMA promoters willing to sign him,” Pederneiras told Sherdog.com.

Pederneiras makes it clear, however, that leaving the UFC for another MMA organization never crossed Aldo’s mind.

“Aldo had one fight on his contract with the biggest promotion in the world, where he built all his history. No matter the financial proposal, it wouldn't make any sense for him,” Pederneiras said. “Especially since Aldo is already financially comfortable for the rest of his life. He never considered returning in another MMA promotion.”

When it comes to boxing, however, Aldo’s perspective is entirely different.

“I have no doubt that boxing and muay thai bring much more pleasure to Aldo in his daily routine,” Pederneiras …

Aspen Ladd will face an accomplished opponent in her Professional Fighters League debut.

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The recently released UFC bantamweight contender will square off against ex-Bellator featherweight queen Julia Budd at the PFL Championships on Nov. 25. MMA Mania was first to report the booking. Ladd vs. Budd is expected to be contested at 145 pounds. The PFL thus far has only had a women’s lightweight division for its season format.

The PFL Championships take place at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York and feature six title bouts with $1 million at stake. The main card airs on pay-per-view and is headlined by a women's lightweight championship clash between Kayla Harrison and Lena Pacheco.

Ladd and the UFC parted ways following a seven-bout stint after the fighter endured multiple issues making weight ahead of her bouts. The 27-year-old Californian lost three of her last four Octagon appearances, including a decision defeat to Raquel Pen…

A potential light heavyweight title eliminator between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will go down at UFC 282.

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Promotion broadcast partner ESPN reported that the contest is set for the UFC’s final pay-per-view event of 2022. UFC 282 takes place on Dec. 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is expected to include a 205-pound championship tilt pitting Jiri Prochazka against Glover Teixeira, though that bout has not been made official.

A former light heavyweight champion, Blachowicz returned to the win column in his last outing at UFC on ESPN 36, when he defeated Aleksandar Rakic via third-round TKO when his opponent suffered a leg injury. The WCA Fight Team product won nine of 10 promotional appearances from October 2017 to March 2021, a stretch that saw the Pole claim 205-pound gold with a second-round TKO of Dominick Reyes and defend the crown with a five-round verdict against reigning middleweight king Israel Adesanya. He relinquished t…

Niko Price will return to action following more than a year away when he meets Philip Rowe at UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando, Fla.

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UFE Media was first to report the welterweight bout. UFC on ESPN 42 takes place at the Amway Center on Dec. 3 and is headlined by a 170-pound clash pitting Stephen Thompson against Kevin Holland.

Price last appeared at UFC Fight Night 193 in October 2021, when he garnered a unanimous verdict over Alex Oliveira. That ended a three-bout winless streak for “The Hybrid,” who is 7-5 with a pair of no contests over the course of his promotional tenure.

A former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor, Row is 2-1 in UFC competition thus far. After falling to Gabriel Green in his Octagon debut, “The Fresh Prince” has rebounded with back-to-back TKO triumphs against Orion Cosce and Jason Whitt in his last two outings.

Jorge “Joinha” Guimaraes, the manager of Alex Pereira, recently revealed to Sherdog.com that Dutchman Yousri Belgaroui would come to the United States to help “Poatan” in his final month of camp for his title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 281.

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Pereira posted a video over the weekend showcasing some of his sparring with Belgaroui, who is expected to remain in the country until Nov. 5. UFC 281 takes place on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Adesanya vs. Pereira will serve as the evening’s headliner.

“Yousri has the perfect game to emulate Adesanya,” Guimaraes told Sherdog.com. “He is taller than Adesanya, has great range and volume. I would say he is an Adesanya with knockout power.”

Belgaroui faced both “Poatan” (three times) and Adesanya (two times) in kickboxing. Against the Brazilian he won the first fight and lost the last two. He lost both matchups with the UFC middleweight champion via decision.

Jorge “Joinha” Guimaraes, the manager of Alex Pereira, recently revealed to Sherdog.com that Dutchman Yousri Belgaroui would come to the United States to help “Poatan” in his final month of camp for his title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 281.

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Pereira posted a video over the weekend showcasing some of his sparring with Belgaroui, who is expected to remain in the country until Nov. 5. UFC 281 takes place on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Adesanya vs. Pereira will serve as the evening’s headliner.

“Yousri has the perfect game to emulate Adesanya,” Guimaraes told Sherdog.com. “He is taller than Adesanya, has great range and volume. I would say he is an Adesanya with knockout power.”

Belgaroui faced both “Poatan” (three times) and Adesanya (two times) in kickboxing. Against the Brazilian he won the first fight and lost the last two. He lost both matchups with the UFC middleweight champion via decision.

A pairing of light heavyweight veterans is on tap for UFC 282, as Ovince St. Preux will square off against Alexander Gustafsson on Dec. 10.

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MMAjunkie.com was first to report the pairing. UFC 282 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is expected to feature a 205-pound title bout between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira.

St. Preux snapped a two-bout losing streak in his last outing at UFC 274, when he took a split verdict over Mauricio Rua on May 7. The former interim light heavyweight title challenger has been in the UFC since 2013, earning wins over the likes of Corey Anderson, Nikita Krylov, Rua (twice), Yushin Okami, Rafael Cavalcante and Alonzo Menifield.

Gustafsson, meanwhile, will be seeking his first victory since May 2017, when he defeated Glover Teixeira via fifth-round KO in the UFC Fight Night 109 headliner. The three-time 205-pound title challenger has lost his last four Octagon appearances, including a 67-second K…

A heavyweight showdown between Sergei Pavlovich and Tai Tuivasa will serve as the UFC on ESPN 42 co-main event.

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MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. UFC on ESPN 42 takes place at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 3 and is headlined by a welterweight scrap pitting Stephen Thompson against Kevin Holland.

Pavlovich will take a four-bout winning streak into the matchup with Tuivasa. The 30-year-old Russian debuted in the Octagon with a first-round TKO defeat against Alistair Overeem but has since scored successive finishes against Marcelo Golm, Maurice Greene, Shamil Abdurakhimov and Derrick Lewis. The Eagles MMA representative is 16-1 as a professional overall, with 13 victories coming via KO or TKO.

Tuivasa, meanwhile, had a five-bout winning streak snapped in a third-round technical knockout loss to Ciryl Gane in the UFC Fight Night 209 headliner. The 29-year-old Australian is 8-4 in the Las Vegas-based promotion with nota…

It’s Official, I’m the back up fighter for the Light Weight title!See you all in Abu Dhabi #UFC280https://t.co/KkRCv1N04Y

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) October 10, 2022

If something goes wrong for either Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev prior to UFC 280, Alexander Volkanovski will be waiting in the wings.

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The reigning featherweight champion announced on his YouTube channel Monday that he will serve as the backup fighter for the lightweight championship bout at the top of the UFC 280 card on Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi.

“We’re locked in as the backup fighter,” Volkanovski said. “I’ve been calling for it, I said I wanted it. Just had to make sure the hand was all good. We are good. We’ve got the clearance to fight. The UFC’s on board, everyone’s on board. So I’ll be at UFC 280 to make weight.

“Let’s see what happens, if someone doesn’t make it, I’m there to save the day. If not, I guess I’m locked in as the ne…

It's officially 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞‼️

🇵🇱 Stasiak 🆚 Ruchala 🇵🇱🇨🇿 Martinek 🆚 Omielanczuk 🇵🇱🇵🇱 Narkun 🆚 Frankenstein 🇧🇷🇵🇱 Soldaev 🆚 Polishchuk 🇺🇦🇵🇱 Tomasik 🆚 Pîrvulescu 🇷🇴🇱🇺 Liasse 🆚 Gralak 🇵🇱🇨🇿 Martinik 🆚 Szkaradek 🇵🇱🇵🇱 Kreft 🆚 Částková 🇨🇿#KSW75 ➡️ Friday, Oct 14 pic.twitter.com/VqnfKdfKCw

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) October 10, 2022

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KSW 75 will have a new main event after a proposed light heavyweight championship clash between Ibragim Chuzhigaev and Ivan Erslan was pulled from the card.

According to a release from the Polish promotion, the bout was canceled due to travel regulations that made it so Chuzhigaev would not be able to make it to Poland on time for the fight. KSW officials are working to rebook Chuzhigaev vs. Erslan on an upcoming card.

As a result, a featherweight tilt pitting Damian Stasiak against Robert Ruchala has been elevated to the KSW 75 headliner, while a heavyweight scrap between Michal Martinez and Daniel Omiel…

Frank Mir wants his mixed martial arts swan song to be on the same card as his daughter.

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The former UFC heavyweight champion revealed on the "Thiccc Boy” podcast that he hopes to fight one more time in 2023, ideally on an event headlined by 19-year-old Bella Mir.

“Next year I’m going to go and fight again because actually I want to fight once on the same card with Bella, as my last fight,” Mir said. “She can headline the card, I can open it.”

Bella Mir owns a 3-0 professional MMA record. She debuted in 2020 with a pair of victories under the iKon Fighting Federation banner before returning on June 24 to score a first-round submission win against Jessica Link-Davis at Xtreme Fight Night 381. Frank Mir is high on her potential going forward and believes a father-daughter combination on the same card would be a memorable occurence.

“How many times is that going to happen in history?” he said. “Barring lightning striking or a car accident…

Johnny Walker will square off against Paul Craig in a light heavyweight bout at UFC 283.

AgFight was first to report the booking. UFC 283 takes place on Jan. 21 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro and features the fourth meeting between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno in a flyweight championship tilt.

Walker entered UFC 279 having lost four of his last five Octagon appearances, but he halted that slump with a first-round submission of Ion Cutelaba on Sept. 10. The 30-year-old Brazilian began his promotional tenure with three consecutive first round finishes and is 5-4 in UFC competition overall.

Craig, meanwhile, saw a six-fight unbeaten streak come to an end at UFC Fight Night 208, where he dropped a three-round verdict against Volkan Oedemir on July 23. The Scot known as “Bearjew” owns victories over the likes of Nikita Krylov, Mauricio Rua, Jamahal Hill and Magomed Ankalaev during his time with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Greg Hardy by 2nd rd KO pic.twitter.com/QsAnLVhjCY

— Matty Betss (@MattyBetss) October 9, 2022

Greg Hardy’s first foray into the Sweet Science was a success.

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The UFC veteran and former NFL star was victorious in his professional boxing debut, knocking out Michael Cook in the second round at Delray Fight Night IV in Delray, Beach, Fla., on Saturday night.

Hardy, who was much larger than his opponent, rocked Cook with a left hand before finishing his victory with a counter right. It was Hardy’s first combat sports appearance since parting ways with the UFC following a loss to Sergey Spivak at UFC 272 this past March. The man known as “Prince of War” went 4-5 with one no contest during his tenure with the promotion.

Hardy is also under contract with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, but his debut with that organization has not been announced.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is expected to head Down Under for the first time since 2019 early next year.

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According to Perth Now, UFC 284 will take place at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 11. An official announcement is expected to come later this week.

The Las Vegas-based promotion last visited Australia for UFC 243 in October 2019. The card’s main event saw Israel Adesanya claim the middleweight throne with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker.

The Octagon hasn’t touched down in Perth, however, since Feb. 10, 2018, when Yoel Romero knocked out Luke Rockhold in the third round of the UFC 221 headliner. Adesanya made his promotional debut on that card, knocking out current PFL finalist Rob Wilkinson.

Julianna Pena wants to make it a best-of-three series with Amanda Nunes.

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“The Venezuelan Vixen” recently took to Instagram to angle for a trilogy bout with the reigning two-division champion. Pena relinquished the bantamweight crown to Nunes in a five-round verdict at UFC 277 on July 30 after upsetting the Brazilian via second-round submission in their first meeting at UFC 269.

“Everyone keeps asking me what’s next…. I’m getting my belt back that’s what’s next!” Pena wrote. “A trilogy with [Amanda Nunes] is the fight to make.”

Nunes saw a 12-fight winning streak come to an end at UFC 269, when she brawled with Pena and fatigued when she was unable to secure the knockout, allowing her opponent to spring the massive upset with a rear-naked choke in Round 2. Nunes altered her approach by switching stances in the rematch and earned a dominant five-round verdict to regain the bantamweight strap.

“I did everything I said I was going to do goi…

A welterweight showdown pitting Geoff Neal against Shavkat Rakhmonov is slated for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first event of 2023.

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Promotion broadcast partner ESPN was first to report that Neal and Rakhmonov will lock horns at UFC Fight Night on Jan. 14. The card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight tilt between Kelvin Gastelum and Nassourdine Imavov.

After dropping consecutive decisions to Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny, Neal has rebounded with a split decision triumph over Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269 and a knockout of Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 40. The Fortis MMA representative has been victorious in seven of his nine Octagon appearances since earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Rakhmonov has emerged as a person of interest in the welterweight division after beginning his professional career with 16 straight triumphs. The 27-year-old Kazakhstan nativ…

BRAVO 👏

Your 𝗡𝗘𝗪 bantamweight champion Michele Martignoni 👑#CW144 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/DyBsrIEkeF

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) October 7, 2022 The might of Italian fighters could not be challenged in Rome on Friday.

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Cage Warriors Fighting Championship made its first foray into Italy on Friday, and the results were exceptional for the home country fans in attendance. When CW 144 came to a close, all eight Italian competitors ended with their hands getting raised, with five of those victors scoring finishes.

In the headliner held at Fiera Roma in Rome, Dominique Wooding put his bantamweight belt on the line against Michele Martignoni. The pair put on an entertaining battle for five rounds, with back-and-forth swings that thrilled the audience. Wooding (9-5, 3-1 CW) started strong and put his opponent in danger in the opening frame, landing several good shots on Martignoni (8-1, 2 NC; 3-1, 1 NC CW). “The Italian Thunder”…

.@UFC announces an update to #UFCVegas62 ⤵️:https://t.co/9ayYexaJOn

— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 7, 2022 A Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight scrap put together on short notice will need to wait a few weeks longer to materialize.

The UFC booked Neil Magny (26-9) against Daniel Rodriguez (17-2) shortly after Rodriguez’ UFC 279 appearance for UFC Fight Night 212 on Oct. 15. However, Rodriguez posted on his Instagram Stories on Thursday that he had been forced to withdraw from that contest. Suffering a cut on his elbow in his match with Jingliang Li that resulted in a staph infection, he had to pull out of the fight. The promotion decided to keep the welterweight pairing intact, and reschedule it a few weeks later. Per the UFC on Friday, Magny and Rodriguez will now lock horns at UFC Fight Night 214 on Nov. 15. Their venue will not change, as both events are scheduled for the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Magny is lo…

A second U.S.-based combat sports commission has stopped Melvin Guillard from competing this year.

In January, the Florida State Athletic Commission denied Guillard’s license to compete at BKFC: Knucklemania 2 for February. The ruling was based at least in part on a review of his past fights and performances. Dating back eight years, Guillard has competed in MMA and bare-knuckle boxing on 16 occasions, and he has only won one match. On the other side, he has been finished in eight of those defeats.

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On Friday, the Colorado Combative Sports Commission determined that Guillard would not be allowed to compete in its borders on Oct. 15. “The Young Assassin,” now at the age of 39, was booked against Evgeny Kurdanov at BKFC 31. He will no longer be competing on this fight card, due to commission intervention. The news was first reported by MyMMANews, and it has since been confirmed by other outlets. According to a brief follow-up statement issued to MMA F…

Bobby Green Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy https://t.co/InKZkG7wPJ

— USADA (@usantidoping) October 7, 2022

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Bobby Green will be forced to sit out for another month before he can compete again.

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The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced on Thursday that Green has been issued a suspension after his positive test for an anabolic steroid after an out-of-competition test. He was flagged in May 2022, which is when the six-month suspension will be applied. Green will be eligible to return to competition starting Nov. 16. While Green could have received a lengthier sentence, per the agency, his cooperation and provided documentation reduced it.

Green contested that he purchased a supplement of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – a substance that fighters like Lyoto Machida have encountered in past UFC instances – at a local Walmart, according to TSN’s report of a pas…