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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…

Soon to be 41 years of age, former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Frankie Edgar is ready for one last ride.

Per the UFC’s broadcast partner of ESPN on Thursday, Edgar (24-10-1) has his final fight with the promotion booked. The New Jersey native intends on it being his retirement bout, and it will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov 12 at UFC 281. In the bantamweight division, he will square off against the surging Chris Gutierrez (18-4-2), and “The Answer” has since confirmed the pairing on social media.

The ex-lightweight king has struggled as of late, dropping four of his last five dating back to 2019 across both featherweight and bantamweight. When losing to Max Holloway for the title, and then succumbing to strikes in the first round to Chan Sung Jung a few months later in 2019, Edgar shifted gears to 135 pounds. His initial trip down went his way, after five thrilling rounds with Pedro Munhoz, as he picked up the split call. Two knoc…

ANNOUNCEMENT:

The following action-filled bouts have been added to the #Bellator288 main card:

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- 265lb5⃣@FortuneOverFam (12-2) vs. @djames1981 (13-6-1)- 145lb7⃣ @danielweichel (42-13) vs. Akhmed Magomedov (9-0)- 170lb🔟 @RomanFaraldo (8-0) vs. @LevanChokheli2 (10-2) — Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) October 6, 2022 Bellator MMA is stuffing its lineup with several ranked contenders and red-hot prospects into the Chicago oven the week before Thanksgiving.

Prior to Thursday, the only two fights official for Bellator 288 in Chicago at the Wintrust Arena were the championship fights at 205 and 155 pounds. Per a press release sent out by the organization on Thursday, the billing grew to 13 fights, which include five on the main card, and all five of those include at least one ranked competitor. Additionally, six competitors with unbeaten records of 5-0 will be joining the fray.

The highest-billed bout added in…

＼湘南美容クリニック presents／🔥🔥🔥#RIZIN39🔥🔥🔥

📅10.23(日)🏟マリンメッセ福岡📝https://t.co/onGIikBAHR

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🎟チケット絶賛発売中！！

📡PPVプラットフォーム⚡️・RIZIN STREAM PASS・ABEMA・U-NEXT・RIZIN LIVE・Exciting RIZIN・STREAMING＋・dTV・SPOOX・Paravi・スカパー！ pic.twitter.com/lmjk8jeSml

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) October 5, 2022 Several competitors from the July 31 Rizin Fighting Federation showcase are ready to fight again less than three months later.

Rizin held a press conference on Wednesday to announce its next numbered event, Rizin 39, that will be staged at the Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan, on Oct. 23. The main event had been rumored to be a featherweight championship battle between Juntaro Ushiku (20-6) and Kleber Koike Erbst (30-5-1), and it was confirmed at this presser. Additionally, the entire lineup was announced, coupled with the news that Rizin will return internationally to Fite.tv as its pa…

Chalk up one more retired Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter switching over to the sweet science.

Per a press release from Showtime and Most Valuable Promotions on Thursday, Uriah Hall (17-11 MMA, 0-0 Box) will be toeing the line against Le'Veon Bell (0-0 Box) in a 195-pound cruiserweight battle on Oct. 29. The former UFC contender and star NFL running back will throw down across four rounds in a professional boxing match. The two will be placed on the pay-per-view portion of the Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva-helmed fight card. Hall will be making his pro boxing debut, as will Bell, but Bell recently clocked fellow football player Adrian Peterson in an exhibition boxing contest in California.

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Hall did not share many words about this upcoming bout, saying “Le’Veon Bell, I hope you bring your best. I know I will.” The Fortis MMA product said farewell to the sport of MMA following a decision loss to Andre Muniz, one that put him on a losing streak of …

The last Ultimate Fighting Championship event of 2022 is growing fast.

Per Instagram account Red Fury MMA on Thursday morning, Said Nurmagomedov (16-2) will square off with Saidyokub Kakhramonov (10-2) at bantamweight on UFC Fight Night 216. This event will serve as the final UFC card of 2022, and it will post up inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 135-pound scrap between these rising fighters has since been confirmed by multiple outlets.

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Nurmagomedov, who is unrelated to UFC names Khabib Nurmagomedov or his cousins Umar Nurmagomedov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, debuted in the UFC in 2018. The Dagestan native claimed a split decision against Justin Scoggins, and went on to clock Ricardo Ramos with a spinning back kick the following year. After losing to Raoni Barcelos in 2019 by decision, Nurmagomedov has not looked back, rattling off three straight wins. In 2020, the 30-year-old wrecked Mark Striegl in 51 seconds, and a pair of 2022 victories ov…

If this is to be the last hoorah for Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships legend “Shogun” Mauricio Rua, he will go out guns blazing against a tough foe.

Late Wednesday night, MMA Mania first broke the news of Rua’s next opponent. It will not be Lyoto Machida, as had been previously discussed by Machida’s manager. Instead, Rua (27-13-1) will battle it out with 26-year-old Ukrainian Ihor Potieria (18-3) at light heavyweight at UFC 283. The 205ers will dance on Jan. 21 inside Rio de Janeiro's Jeunesse Arena. The pairing has since been confirmed by other outlets.

While he has lost his last two – a close decision in a rematch with Ovince St. Preux in May and a submission to strikes against Paul Craig in late 2020 – Rua had previously put together a solid run with five wins opposite one defeat and a draw. The former Pride middleweight champion and UFC light heavyweight king, Rua has faced a veritable who’s who of names across the sport for over …

The final Ultimate Fighting Championship event on ESPN this year looks to have quite a memorable main attraction.

Fight fans, have we got a gift for you 🎁@WonderboyMMA takes on @Trailblaze2top in your #UFCOrlando main event!

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[ @AmwayCenter | Dec 3 | Tickets On-Sale Oct 14 🎟 | https://t.co/6O0EJt33mC ] pic.twitter.com/N7hI2QdGHp — UFC (@ufc) October 5, 2022 On Wednesday, the UFC announced on social media the main event of its Dec. 3 production. The fight card, set as UFC on ESPN 42, will go down inside of the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. The headliner will come at 170 pounds between talented strikers Stephen Thompson (16-6-1) and Kevin Holland (23-8, 1 NC), with the latter ending his brief retirement for this five-round affair. Additionally, a 115-pound scrap between Yazmin Jauregui and Istela Nunes has been reported by MMAFighting on Wednesday, and confirmed by its participants shortly after its announcement.

Thompson wil…

Two Stars. Two Legends. Two Icons.

🇵🇱 𝗞𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗗𝗢𝗩 🆚 𝗣𝗨𝗗𝗭𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗞𝗜 🇵🇱

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XTB KSW 77 | December 17 | #Gliwice pic.twitter.com/hCaM2OKAOF — KSW (@KSW_MMA) October 5, 2022

Two of the most important fighters in Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki history will collide in December.

On Wednesday, KSW announced that Mariusz Pudzianowski and Mamed Khalidov would clash in the KSW 77 headliner. The much-anticipated card will go down in Gliwice, Poland, on Dec. 17. Five-time world’s strongest man, Pudzianowski (17-7 1NC, 17-6 1NC KSW) is currently riding a five-bout winning streak. In his latest assignment, “Pudzian” rendered former KSW middleweight titleholder Michal Materla unconscious at the 1:47 mark of Round 1 at KSW 70.

A former two-division champion, Khalidov (35-8-2, 19-4-2 KSW) is looking to bounce back following a nasty defeat at the hands of Roberto Soldic in December. Prior, Khalidov defeated Scott Askham 36 seconds into t…

Bellator MMA’s heavyweight division has a new addition.

On Wednesday, the California-based promotion announced the signing of Russian wrestling machine Ali Isaev. The 38-year-old features an eye-catching 9-0 record composed of four knockouts and five decisions. Notably, the Russian competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as a freestyle wrestler. After transitioning to mixed martial arts, Isaev had a successful run in the Professional Fighters League that ended with him capturing the heavyweight championship following a stoppage over Jared Rosholt on Dec. 31, 2019.

“I am very pleased to have a fighter the caliber of Ali Isaev join our heavyweight division, a weight class filled with world class fighters and elite prospects alike. Isaev’s elite wrestling pedigree includes an appearance in the 2008 Olympics, and he has achieved great success in MMA as evidenced by championship run at his prior promotion,” said Bellator MMA president Scott Coker in a press release…

🚨 OFFICIAL: @TheAspenLadd is PFL bound! pic.twitter.com/8WzWx3fSD5

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 4, 2022

Aspen Ladd will open a new chapter in her mixed martial arts career.

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On Tuesday morning, the Professional Fighters League announced that it had signed Ladd to its roster. Ladd, an Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, will take part in the 2023 PFL Regular Season. She will make her promotional debut with a 9-3 record, including seven finishes. The PFL didn’t disclose in which weight division Ladd will compete in.

“The Professional Fighters League continues to grow its global talent roster by seeking the best talent from around the globe,” said President of Fighter Operations, Ray Sefo, in a press release. “We are excited to welcome Aspen to the PFL’s women's division. Aspen will continue the PFL mission of bringing women's MMA to the forefront of our sport.”

Ladd ended her stint in the UFC after several struggl…

A fourth battle between two of the world’s premier flyweights is just a few months away.

Antoher meeting featuring one of the greatest rivalries in Ultimate Fighting Championship history will go down at UFC 283 as Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno clash to unify the flyweight championship. Both fighters confirmed the matchup on their social media accounts. The event will go down in Rio de Janeiro on Jan. 21.

In his last three assignments, two-time UFC flyweight titleholder Figueiredo (21-2-1, 10-2-1 UFC) has faced Moreno, alternating a majority draw, a submission loss and a decision victory over the Mexican rival. Interim flyweight champion Moreno (21-6-2, 9-3-2 UFC) has recently crushed Kai Kara France with a combination of body kick and punches in their UFC 277 championship encounter.

The upcoming UFC Rio event will also feature a 170-pound clash between Gabriel Bonfim and Mounir Lazzez, a middleweight affair between Brad Tavares and Gregory Ro…

An absolute 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑, John Castaneda vs Daniel Santos is your #UFCVegas61 Fight of the Night 👏

[ B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/E9RdiOLIAW

— UFC (@ufc) October 2, 2022 The Ultimate Fighting Championship awarded six fighters performance bonuses on the UFC Fight Night 211 card.

Despite Sodiq Yusuff picking up his first submission victory in just 30 seconds, all four performance of the night bonuses went to preliminary card fighters. Receiving $50,000 were Brendan Allen, Chelsea Chandler, Guido Cannetti and Joaquim Silva. Cannetti and Allen both scored rear-naked choke victories in the first round, while Chandler and Silva both picked up impressive TKO wins.

Finally, fight of the night honors went to John Castaneda and Daniel Gustavo Santos. The two had a back-and-forth battle that ended after Santos landed a spectacular flying knee and finished the fight with punches in Round 2.

Xiaonan Yan could not have fought any smarter.

The Team Alpha Male standout outstruck and outfoxed Mackenzie Dern, as she took a significant step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division with a majority decision in their five-round UFC Fight Night 211 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 48-47, 48-47 and 47-47.

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Yan (16-3, 7-2 UFC) managed to stay on her feet long enough to bank the requisite points across 25 minutes, denying repeated takedown attempts and cutting loose with crisp combinations to the head, all while attacking the body and legs with kicks. Dern (12-3, 7-3 UFC) made her moves in the second and fifth rounds, where she dragged her counterpart to the canvas and went to work with her world-class jiu-jitsu skills. The 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist threatened with an arm-triangle choke in Round 2 and an armbar in Round 5. Yan surv…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 211 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 ‘Twas the night of Fightmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mighty mouse. The UFC Apex is awkwardly quiet, with no fans or media allowed in attendance for this fight night offering, so the dozen matches set to take place before and during the tentpole Bellator offering will allow those watching on screens to hear every minute detail. The parade of fights begins in the bantamweight division between two men desperately seeking a win. Fourteen years older than his opponent, Argentina’s Cannetti (9-6, 3-5 UFC) will look to show he has something left in the tank at the expense of 28-year-old knockout artist Costa (6-3, 2-3 UFC). Before the fight starts, there is no mention on the broadcast as to why the Apex is empty and devoid of media or fans…

THE SOUND OF THIS KNEE 🔊 #UFCVegas61 pic.twitter.com/asHYf7xYWK

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 1, 2022

Daniel Gustavo Santos established his foothold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division, as he cut down John Castaneda with a knee strike in the second round of their featured UFC Fight Night 211 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Santos (9-2, 1-1 UFC) closed it out 4:28 into Round 2, the action-packed battle having been contested at a catchweight of 140 pounds.

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The Brazilian’s pace, pressure and power—along with his remarkable recuperative abilities—were too much for Castaneda (19-6, 2-2 UFC). Santos withstood nearly being finished twice with head kicks in the first round. Castaneda appeared winded when he emerged for the middle stanza, and his Chute Boxe-trained adversary capitalized. Santos tore into him with a relentless string of punches, kicks and knees to the head and body, pin…

📊 By The Numbers#AndStill Featherweight World Champion, @PatricioPitbull dominates over @AdamBorics in the #Bellator286 main event. pic.twitter.com/lUEzlIKKA3

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) October 2, 2022

There’s no question that Patricio Freire is one of the greatest featherweights in the history of mixed martial arts and on Saturday night in the Bellator 286 main event, he added another win to his tally.

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Freire (34-5) outclassed No. 2 ranked featherweight contender Adam Borics and he did it with incredible ease, wining nearly every single minute of the five-round affair. “Pitbull” landed thudding leg kicks and scattered jabs and hooks while on the feet, relegating Borics to single strikes for much of their fight. Borics had apparently fallen in love with his flying knee since he’s scored three knockouts with it; he tried it over and over against the defending Bellator featherweight king, only to miss and be taken dow…

Sherdog's live Bellator 286 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

Check out the Sherdog forums’ official Bellator 286 Watch Party to discuss the card in real-time, or enter your comments and predictions below.

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Round 1 Palencia and Hamilton face off, with Jonathan Romero the third man in the cage. Palencia is in orthodox, Hamilton southpaw. They bounce around the center of the cage, and Hamilton goes upstairs with a glancing left high kick. Hamilton slips, but pops right back up. Two minutes in, both men have switched stances. Palencia charges in, clinches and pushes Hamilton to the fence. Hamilton reverses him there and they exchange knees before separating. They reset in the center of the cage. It’s Palencia’s turn to slip, but he too pops right back up. Palencia catches a body kick by Hamilton, keeps the leg and runs him to the fence once more. 90 seconds left and Palencia is working for a takedown against the fence. Hamilton reverses positi…

In which Antonio Inoki slaps everyone at Inoki Bom Ba Ye on New Year's Eve 2000 to transfer his fighting spirit to them. pic.twitter.com/5hHZS9nQYC

— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) October 1, 2022 A legend of both pro wrestling and MMA has died at the age of 79 after battling with illnesses that confined him to a wheelchair.

Late Friday night, Japanese outlet Sponichi Annex first reported that Antonio Inoki, born Kanji Inoki, had died. The report claimed the cause of death was related to systemic amyloidosis that led to hypoglycemia, but that specific ailment could not be confirmed. His passing has since been multiple sources, including his own pro wrestling promotion of New Japan Pro Wrestling, as well as the WWE and ESPN.

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[embedded content] While a famed pro wrestler, Inoki’s involvement in sports stretched into mixed martial arts. In 1976, Inoki faced off against boxer Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match that would se…

The trilogy fight between Xiong and Lee lived up to its billing. #ONEonPrimeVideo2 pic.twitter.com/iSBsiWw1Ki

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) October 1, 2022

Jingnan Xiong retained the One Championship women’s strawweight title with a unanimous decision over archrival Angela Lee in the ONE on Prime Video 2 headliner on Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang Singapore. Xiong (18-2, 9-1 ONE) won the approval of all three cageside judges, improving to 2-1 in her head-to-head series with the “Unstoppable” Hawaiian.

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In many regards, it was all about the first round. There, Xiong had her challenger on skates more than once with punishing right hands and follow-up attacks. Referee Herb Dean appeared to be on the verge of calling for the stoppage on multiple occasions, only to allow Lee (11-3, 11-3 ONE) to continue forward. Nowhere else in the bout were the exchanges between the two women more profound.

Lee had her momen…