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The Ultimate Fighting Championship has granted Askar Askarov’s request.

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Shortly after expressing his desire to be released in an Instagram post, Askarov and the UFC have parted ways. Twitter account UFC Roster Watch first brought word of Askarov’s release, and it has since been confirmed by multiple outlets.

“Due to my return being delayed due to medical reasons and being my last fight under my contract, I asked UFC to release me,” Askarov wrote on Instagram last week. “To which, I received a positive response. First, let's put our health in order, and then we will see what and how.”

Regarded as one of the top contenders in the flyweight division, Askarov has pulled out of proposed bouts against Brandon Royval on Oct. 15 and against Alex Perez on July 16. In his most recent appearance, the 30-year-old Dagestani dropped a unanimous verdict to Kai Kara France at UFC on ESPN 33 on March 26.…

Fabricio Andrade has unfinished business with John Lineker.

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The One on Prime Video 3 main event clash between Andrade and Lineker ended in anticlimactic fashion when an accidental knee to the groin from Andrade rendered his opponent unable to continue at the 2:44 mark of Round 3.

As a result, the bout was declared a no contest, robbing Andrade of an opportunity to claim the bantamweight (145-pound) belt in a bout he was clearly winning. Lineker nonetheless was stripped of the title after failing to make weight one day prior.

“I was very close to the belt. I have no doubt Lineker wouldn’t have reached the fourth round.  It was hard for me, but I have to understand that Lineker used the rules in his favor,” Andrade told Sherdog.com. “To tell you the truth, I came to this fight expecting a more aggressive Lineker, but he recognized my skills and came more defensive, respecting me a lot, not moving forward as he normally does. Because of that …

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

Russian welterweight Sergey Khandozhko has elected to call it a career at 30 years old.

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The three-time UFC competitor announced his retirement on social media Tuesday. He last appeared at UFC Fight Night 205 on April 23, when he defeated Dwight Grant via second-round technical knockout.

“12 years have been a long way,” Khandozhko wrote on Instagram. “There were some ups and downs, important victories and heartbreaking losses. There were heavy preparations, injuries, exhausting races of 10-15 kilograms. I've missed many holidays and family feasts. I could not celebrate my birthday for 5 years in a row. But I am happy every day of my professional career. And thankful to God that he gave me this opportunity to be a fighter.

“I fulfilled my childhood dream - I got into the best fighting league in the world. Yes, of course it failed to become a champion. Somewhere hard work, talent and discipli…

Tyson Pedro will lock horns with Mingyang Zhang in a light heavyweight scrap at UFC 284.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion recently announced the booking. UFC 284 takes place at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 11 and also includes a middleweight showdown between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa.

Pedro returned to active competition with back-to-back wins in 2022 following more than three years on the sideline. After knocking out Isaac Villanueva at UFC Fight Night 205 on April 23, the 31-year-old Sydney native stopped Harry Hunsucker in the opening stanza of their encounter at UFC 278 in his most recent outing on Aug. 20. Pedro is now 5-3 under the UFC banner, with other notable wins against Paul Craig and Khalil Rountree to his credit.

Zhang, 24, will make his promotional debut riding the momentum of a nine-bout winning streak. Most recently, the China native known as “Mountain Tiger” knocked out George Tokkos at the first Road to UFC eve…

A proposed heavyweight clash between Jailton Almeida and Maxim Grishin has been pulled from the UFC Fight Night 214 lineup for undisclosed reasons.

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MMAFighting.com was first to report the cancellation. UFC Fight Night 214 will proceed with 12 bouts, including a strawweight headliner pitting Marina Rodriguez against Amanda Lemos. The card takes place at the UFC Apex on Saturday night.

For Almeida, it’s the second fight that has fallen through in recent weeks after a proposed matchup against Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC 280 fell through before the event. The Brazilian is 3-0 in the UFC after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. In his last outing, “Malhadino” submitted Anton Turkalj in the opening stanza at UFC 279 to run his career mark to 17-2.

Grishin is 2-2 in the Octagon after a stint with Professional Fighters League. The Russian is coming off a unanimous decision triumph over William Knight at UFC 271 on Feb. 12.

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Aline Pereira will attempt to follow in her brother’s footsteps when she makes her professional MMA debut at Legacy Fighting Alliance 147 on Nov. 10.

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Pereira, who is the younger sister of UFC middleweight title contender Alex Pereira, will square off against Helen Peralta in a flyweight bout on the LFA 147 main card. The promotion recently announced the event.

LFA 147 takes place at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa, and is headlined by a lightweight bout between Junior Melo and Melquizael Costa. In the co-main event, Justin Wetzell will meet Rafael do Nascimento at bantamweight. The card will air on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Pereira has compiled a 6-2 record as a professional kickboxer, with multiple appearances under the Glory banner. Most recently, she challenged for the promotion’s super bantamweight title, dropping a five-round decision to Tiffany Van Soest at Glory 77 in November 2021.

A cast memb…

UFC welterweight competitor Jason Witt has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts at 35 years old.

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“It’s taken me a week to decide how to put this into words because nothing seemed to sum up what it means to me…but here it goes,” Witt wrote on Instagram. “I am officially RETIRED from mixed martial arts.”

Witt exits the sport with a 19-9 mark compiled over the course of a professional tenure that began in 2013. He went 2-4 in UFC competition, earning wins over Bryan Barberena and Cole Williams. “The Vanilla Gorilla” last appeared at UFC on ESPN 41 on Aug. 13, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss to Josh Quinlan. Prior to his UFC stint, Witt fought for organizations such as Legacy Fighting Alliance, Bellator MMA and Titan FC, among others.

“For the past [15-plus] years I dedicated myself and my life to MMA,” Witt wrote. “Through literal blood, sweat and tears it taught me how to be disciplined, how to overcome adversity, and …

A lightweight clash pitting Terrance McKinney against Ismael Bonfim has been added to the UFC 283 lineup.

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McKinney announced the pairing via social media, and it was later confirmed by MMAjunkie.com. UFC 283 takes place on Jan. 21 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and features a flyweight title tilt between Deivesion Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno.

McKinney has won six of his last seven professional outings. The 28-year-old Spokane, Wash., native is 3-1 in UFC competition, with first-round finishes of Erick Gonzalez, Fares Ziam and Matt Frevola to his credit. His lone defeat in his last seven bouts came at the hands of Drew Dober at UFC Fight Night 203 this past March.

Bonfim, meanwhile, earned a UFC contract after besting Nariman Abbasov via unanimous decision on Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 6. The 26-year-old Cerrado MMA representative is 18-3 as a professional, with 12 victories coming inside the distance.

After losing a unanimous decision to Jake Paul in their boxing match on Saturday night, Anderson Silva took the high road and allowed the social media personality to have his time in the spotlight.

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“I think it’s very important that people respect the moment, Jake’s moment now,” Silva said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I know I lost, I know I failed my whole strategy, and my opponent won, and I need to respect that. I’m not the same, like other guys who fought Jake – ‘Oh, I need revenge, I need a rematch.’ I don’t know. Let’s go see what happens. Maybe, I don’t know.”

Silva had his moments throughout the eight-round bout, applying pressure on Paul at times while utlizing his trademark footmark and movement. The defining moment of the fight belonged to Paul, when he dropped the former UFC middleweight champion in the final stanza.

“I failed in the strategy, and the last round, Jake [made] the good punch, and my base was not correct,…

Arnold Allen went into his first main event appearance hoping to make a clear case to be next in line for a featherweight title shot.

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Instead, his UFC Fight Night 213 showdown with Calvin Kattar ended early after his opponent suffered a knee injury late in Round 1. Although Kattar made it out of his corner for the second frame, Allen only needed to land one low kick before “The Boston Finisher” crumbled to the canvas in agony. While Allen was pleased with the way things were going in the opening stanza — he held a 28-to-14 edge in significant strikes landed — the victory wasn’t nearly as satisfying as it could have been.

“It’s bittersweet,” Allen said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Things were going right in the first round. Everything was going as I planned, as I trained and as I prepared. It is what it is. It’s the sport we’re in. Hopefully his injury is not too bad and it heals up quick.”

There hasn’t been much clarity in the…

Jake Paul has just earned some respect on his name.

The main attraction of the MVP and Showtime pay-per-view boxing card came in a 187-pound cruiserweight affair, one in which Paul (6-0, 4 KO) proved he has the wherewithal to stand and trade with a legendary striker in the boxing ring. “The Problem Child” picked up a decision victory over the ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship great Anderson Silva (3-2, 2 KO). Paul vs. Silva began with a tentative first round, one where the two engaged in practically three minutes of a feeling-out process, led to Silva landing two punches – although one made Paul lick his gloves and demand more. After downloading data in the opening minutes, Silva picked things up in the second frame, backing Paul up with several powerful blows. Paul responded with a few clean right hooks, but Silva barely registered their landing. Although Silva pressed forward aggressively in Round 3, Paul showed a composure beyond his years by scoring several heavy, loopin…

Tresean Gore’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship triumph came with a little extra compensation.

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Gore received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus — one of four given out by the promotion — for his second-round submission victory against Josh Fremd at UFC Fight Night 213 on Saturday. “Mr. Vicious” took advantage of a takedown attempt from his opponent, locking up a tight guillotine choke for a technical submission victory 49 seconds into Round 2 of their middleweight showdown.

Roman Dolidze also earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his knockout of Phil Hawes in a preliminary middleweight matchup. Dolidze injured Hawes’ knee with a leg lock after being taken down early, and he finished the victory with a volley of power punches at the 4:09 mark of Round 1.

Elsewhere, Steve Garcia garnered a performance bonus after administering a lopsided beatdown to Chase Hooper in a preliminary featherweight clash. Garcia floored hi…

It may not have ended the way he wanted it to, but rising featherweight contender Arnold Allen nonetheless passed his first main event test in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Allen (19-1, 10-0 UFC) earned his 10th straight promotional triumph, as he defeated Calvin Kattar (23-7, 7-5 UFC) via technical knockout eight seconds into Round 2 of the UFC Fight Night 213 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Kattar injured his right knee when he landed awkardly after missing a leaping attack late in Round 1, and the bout ended quickly in the second frame when he realized he couldn’t plant on his back leg after absorbing an Allen calf kick in the opening moments.

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Both combatants were measured in the early going, but Allen seemed to be finding a rhythm as the first round progressed. The Englishman landed several solid straight lefts in exchanges before backing Kattar up with a rapid-fire punching combination late in the stanza. Kattar’s…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 213 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

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Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Noah Gagnon scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Noah Gagnon scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Noah Gagnon scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Noah Gagnon scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Noah Gagnon scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Noah Gagnon scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the ro…

THIS KO FROM DOLIDZE 🥶 #UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/Ywrw3eGVp6

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 29, 2022

Phil Hawes will likely be feeling the effects of his encounter with Roman Dolidze for months to come.

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Dolidze (11-1, 5-1 UFC) earned his third straight triumph in the Octagon, knocking out Hawes in the UFC Fight Night 213 featured prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The 34-year-old Georgian rendered Hawes unconscious with a vicious punching combination near the fence 4:09 into Round 1 of their middleweight bout.

Hawes (12-4, 4-1 UFC) landed a takedown early in the opening frame, but it was Dolidze who was the aggressor on the mat. He landed multiple elbows from his back before transitioning to from an armbar to a kneebar — and that’s where the tide turned for good. Hawes right knee appeared to pop before Dolidze released the hold, and he stumbled on his way back to his feet. While Hawes showed heart …

👊 @Mansourbarnaoui applying the pressure to @adampiccolotti. #Bellator287 | 🇺🇸 @SHOSports | 🇬🇧 @BBCThree pic.twitter.com/GPac6q2UAb

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) October 29, 2022

The debuting Mansour Barnaoui took advantage of being in the main event of Bellator 287 and picked up a dominant win over Adam Piccolotti.

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Piccolotti (13-5) wasted little time in implementing his game plan as he immediately took the fight to the ground, which wound up being a mistake. Barnaoui (20-4), who hasn't fought since 2019, survived an armbar attempt and was able to take the back of the American and control the rest of the opening frame. "The Afro-Samurai" would once again take the back of his opponent in Round 2 and sunk in a rear-naked choke that forced the tap.

The tap officially came at 2:51 of Round 2.

Edwards Controls Ward The co-main event was a European middleweight clash between England's Fabian Edwards and Charlie Ward …

Sherdog's live Bellator 287 coverage will begin Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

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Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result

Sherdog's live Anderson Silva vs. Jake Paul Coverage coverage will begin Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

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Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 The Official Result

porque eu gosto de luta assim quando mais desacreditar em mim quando maior for meu gigante, maior ainda será minha Fé Não fui eu que ordenei a você? Seja forte e corajoso! Não se apavore nem desanime, pois o SENHOR, o seu Deus, estará com você por onde você andar”.Josué 1:9 pic.twitter.com/X9DOfN2wF7

— roberto satoshi de s (@ToshiJJ) October 26, 2022 If the fight hits the mat, Rizin Fighting Federation lightweight kingpin Roberto de Souza believes he can teach his Bellator MMA-based foe a thing or two.

On Wednesday, Bellator and Rizin announced a unique and potentially thrilling show for Dec. 31 at a joint press conference, titled Rizin 40: Rizin vs. Bellator. Together, the promotions will pit champions from their respective leagues, or top stars in certain weight categories, against one another in the Rizin ring. The fights will be held under Pride-style rules, and the marquee match held at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, will be Ri…

Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva: Weigh-In | SHOWTIME PPV" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen> Jake Paul's latest foray into boxing will see the celebrity-turned-boxer go up against a mixed martial arts legend in Anderson Silva.

Ahead of their scheduled pairing on Saturday, the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission met on Thursday evening to discuss remarks Silva made about being knocked out multiple times in training -- comments Silva later walked back. The commission cleared Silva again for competition, after requiring the 47-year-old to take additional medical tests. Per ESPN, the MRI that Silva submitted was "pristine" and his exams went well enough to allow him to fight after all. The boxing match will be held at a 187-pound catchweight. Silva was the first of the two headliners to come to the scale, and came in joking around while weighing 186.1 pounds. Paul later hit the scale…

First to the scale! ⚖️@CalvinKattar in at 146lbs for tomorrow's main event

📺 #UFCVegas63 live tomorrow on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/VnvxilQXAK

— UFC (@ufc) October 28, 2022 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns this week to the UFC Apex with an intriguing featherweight clash between two entertaining contenders.

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The five-round main event between Calvin Kattar and Arnold Allen is now official after both weighed in under the featherweight limit. Nearly all fighters on the 11-bout lineup managed to make weight, besides one short-notice replacement competitor. Joshua Weems, who stepped up on late notice to make his promotional debut, clocked in 3.5 pounds over the bantamweight limit to receive a fine of his fight purse.

This marks the fifth straight main event for Kattar (23-6), who has become quite accustomed to going five rounds. "The Boston Finisher" hasn't lived up to his nickname in these appearances, though, as…

5️⃣ rounds in Milano!

Will it be @adampiccolotti or @Mansourbarnaoui who comes out on top?#Bellator287 is LIVE at a special time this Saturday. 👇

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🇺🇸 @SHOSports - 4pm ET/1pm PT🇬🇧 @BBCThree - 9pm BST🇮🇹 @MolaTVSport - 10pm CEST pic.twitter.com/HrJtrc0SQ7 — BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) October 28, 2022 Bellator MMA returns to Italy with a lengthy mixed martial arts card.

All fighters made weight for Bellator 287, which features 17 fights in total. It is headlined by a lightweight battle between Adam Piccolotti, who has Italian ancestry, and the debuting Mansour Barnaoui. Both will look to take advantage of the spotlight with a win that compels them into contendership.

Piccolotti (13-4) has been in Bellator since 2015, and recently come up short in major matches against Benson Henderson and Sidney Outlaw. However, those two split-decision defeats haven't deterred "The Bomb," as the 34-year-old believes the best is yet …

Raul Rosas Jr. will officially become the youngest fighter in promotion history when he makes his debut against Jay Perrin at UFC 282.

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Iridium Sports Agency, which represents Rosas Jr., announced the bantamweight booking via social media on Wednesday. UFC 282 takes place on Dec. 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight title rematch between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira.

Rosas Jr. was just 17 years old when he earned a UFC contract with a unanimous decision victory against Mando Gutierrez on Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 20. The 10th Planet Las Vegas representative turned 18 on Oct. 8. He will bring a 6-0 mark into his first promotional foray.

Perrin is 0-2 in the Octagon after dropping unanimous decisions against Mario Bautista and Qileng Aori thus far in 2022. The 29-year-old Syndicate MMA representative is 10-6 as a professional with bouts in Bellator MMA, CES MMA and the Contender Series.

According to Anderson Silva, he didn’t say exactly what he meant to say in an interview that became a hot topic heading into this weekend’s fight with Jake Paul.

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Concerns regarding Silva’s health became a focus earlier this week when “The Spider” said in an interview that he had been knocked out twice in sparring during camp.

“I talked to my coach and even said, ‘Coach, let me tell you something, why the guys knock me out two times?’” Silva told MMA Weekly at a press conference for the event on Sept. 13. “And the coach said, ‘You need to prepare for war, and you prepare for war.’”

The interview prompted the Arizona Gaming Department, which is regulating the event, to look into the matter. However, Silva recently issued a statement via TMZ Sports claiming that he misspoke during the interview with MMA Weekly.

"After seeing the reports and concern for me, I'd like to clarify two important things. One, I was NEVER knocked out in sparring. I mis…