Blog

Another back-and-forth fight, another split decision...

#RIZIN36 | Follow for live highlights pic.twitter.com/nBAw6FdCjt

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) July 2, 2022

Advertisement

Fans attending the latest Rizin Fighting Federation foray into Okinawa, Japan, were treated to an action-packed card — even though there was some last-minute shuffling at the top of the bill.

The Rizin 36 headliner changed a few hours before the event due to an injury to former bantamweight titleholder Kai Asakura. In the new main event, former One Championship muay Thai bantamweight title challenger Hiroaki Suzuki and Ren Hiramoto battled in a 145-pound clash. The pair engaged in a striker’s delight early on, with both fighters attempting to keep the clash on the feet in the opening frame. As time went by, it appeared that Hiramoto (1-2, 1-2 Rizin) was more precise with his shots. Jabs, punches to the body and short hooks by Hiramoto forced Suzuk…

THIS ONE IS OVER! 6 Point finish for Kayla Harrison! She is heading back to the #PFLPlayoffs!#2022PFL6 pic.twitter.com/nQktLRtJg2

— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 2, 2022 Professional Fighters League lightweight queen Kayla Harrison made a statement in the main event of PFL 6 and secure the No. 2 seed in the women's lightweight playoffs.

The final fight of the evening saw Harrison (14-0) run through opponent Kaitlin Young, although the stoppage was more than questionable. Harrison quickly took Young (12-13-1) to the ground and was in full control as she rained down punches against the cage. However, at no point was Young in danger of going out or not defending herself, so the stoppage at 2:35 by referee Rob Hinds was premature in nature. Regardless, Harrison picked up six points in a fight where the skill difference was clear and will advance to the playoffs.

Advertisement

The co-main event and final welterweight bout of the night saw Sadibou …

The 2022 Professional Fighters League Season continues Friday at 6 p.m. ET.

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

Advertisement

Round 1 Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. We’re so glad you could attend PFL 6: 2022 Regular Season, come inside, come inside. There inside a cage stands a real women’s lightweight contest between Kolesnyk (6-4, 1 NC; 1-2 PFL) and Melo (11-9, 0-1 PFL), be careful as you pass, move along, move along. Come inside, the show’s about to start, guaranteed to blow referee Jimmy Neely’s head apart. Rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth, the greatest show in heaven, heck or Atlanta. You’ve got to see the show, it’s starting with a glove touch between the two ladies. The Ukrainian immediately opens up with a front kick and several jabs, and when the punches do not land, she goes for another leg kick. The UFC vet Melo cannot find her range, as she walks into repeated sla…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9cMbzE1j-w&w=560&h=315] Twenty-four Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters hit the scales on Friday morning, and all 24 were cleared for combat without issue.

The promotion returns to pay-per-view this Saturday with a stacked card featuring two titles on the line at UFC 276. Both title fights are now official after the champions and title challengers successfully made weight. In the main event, Israel Adesanya will put his middleweight strap on the line against the surging Jared Cannonier. Meanwhile, one of mixed martial arts' closest rivalries will be settled as Alexander Volkanovski looks to put away Max Holloway for a third and final time. The 12-fight card remains intact after every fighter successfully made weight.

Advertisement

Never afraid to test himself, Adesanya (22-1) has bounced back well since losing his light heavyweight title shot against Jan Blachowicz in 2021. Since the defeat to the larger man, "The Las…

＼#RIZIN36 計量結果 ／

メインイベント⚔️・RIZIN MMAルール：66.0kg

Advertisement

鈴木博昭：65.90Kg

平本蓮：65.85Kg

#RIZIN36 無料LIVE配信決定RIZIN STREAM PASS会員&スカパー！購入者STREAM PASS無料配信お申込みページへ今すぐアクセス※先着5万人https://t.co/WWsIlTQVyc pic.twitter.com/LwZrES2CER

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) July 1, 2022 Rizin Fighting Federation returns to Okinawa, Japan, for Rizin 36.

The card was originally headlined by a bantamweight bout between former champion Kai Asakura and the undefeated Ji Yong Yang but an injury to Asakura changed those plans. Now, the main event is between featherweights Hiroaki Suzuki and Ren Hiramoto. All fighters successfully made weight for the card, which features both mixed martial arts and kickboxing bouts.

While young in his MMA career, Suzuki (2-1) is coming off a major victory against Shoji Maruyama in March. The veteran kickboxer's violent punch and soccer kick …

I have so many people to thank. You know who you are.

On to the next journey 👮‍♀️ #retired #official #mma #wmma #thankyou #zumateam #ufc #strikeforce #pflmma #invictafc pic.twitter.com/gKEL2tQU42

— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) June 30, 2022 After many busy years in the sport, former Invicta Fighting Championships and Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman has decided to call it a career.

Advertisement

On social media on Thursday, Kaufman announced her retirement from MMA, concluding her time in the sport that began professionally in 2006. The WMMA pioneer, who has competed for most of the major MMA promotions that held her division, will move on after putting together a record of 22 victories opposite two defeats and a no contest. Of note, she claimed the inaugural Strikeforce women’s bantamweight belt, the first major women’s 135-pound title in North America, when she defeated Takayo Hashi in 2010.

Kaufman wrote a statement on her…

#2022PFL6 fighters have hit the official scale!

The Welterweights and Women's Lightweights are set to close out the 2022 PFL Regular Season! pic.twitter.com/5Gwv5mmKq8

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 30, 2022 PFL 6 will feature women's lightweights and welterweights taking center stage ahead of the Professional Fighters League playoffs.

Advertisement

Headlining the 10-fight card is 2021 champion Kayla Harrison, who stands a perfect 13-0 in her mixed martial arts career, as she goes up against Kaitlin Young. While no fighters missed weight, there was a last-minute replacement after welterweight Joao Zeferino didn't weigh in, which led to Dilano Taylor replacing him against Magomed Magomedkerimov. Taylor enters with three points this season.

A staggering betting favorite with odds approaching -6000, Harrison is expected to steamroll Young (12-12-1). "The Striking Viking" is on a two-fight losing streak after dropping decisions to Mariana Mora…

Sean O'Malley already has the makings a star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Now he just needs the resume to back it up.

Advertisement

A victory over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 will be a significant step forward for O’Malley, who is 7-1 in the Octagon thus far but doesn’t yet have that signature victory. Munhoz owns notable wins over the likes of Jimmie Rivera, Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font, while his last four losses have come to some of the sport’s biggest names: Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar and Aljamain Sterling.

“Yeah, beating Pedro will be a big deal,” O’Malley told assembled media on Wednesday. “I think he’s only lost to former world champions. Not just beating Pedro, but finishing Pedro would be a massive deal. He’s fought and only lost to former world champions. With that being said, I do believe I’ll be his toughest fight. I think he’s my toughest fight, as well.”

O’Malley has received a strong promotional push ever since he emerged f…

Deiveson Figueiredo is parting ways with longtime manager Wallid Ismael and will now be represented by Vayner Sports, a firm notably headed by Urijah Faber and Lloyd Pierson.

Advertisement

Sherdog.com confirmed the news following an initial report from Combate. According to the flyweight champion, his disagreement with his former manager did not happen because of the UFC’s decision to make an interim belt.

"Our disagreement was based on numbers,” Figueiredo told Sherdog.com. “When I was champion and fought [Brandon] Moreno at UFC 263, my purse was $200,000 to show plus $100,000 to win plus pay-per-view points.  In the third fight [at UFC 270], when I regained my belt, it was $100,000 (to show) plus $100,000 (to win) — that's not a champion´s purse. I called Wallid and apologized to him for some bad stuff I said to the press when I was angry, but we parted ways.”

Figueiredo revealed that he has alrady signed a contract to be represented by Vayner Sports…

Valerie Loureda is the latest female mixed martial artist to take her talents from the cage to the sports entertainment realm.

Advertisement

The Bellator MMA competitor announced during "The MMA Hour" that she is leaving the sport to sign with the WWE for a career in professional wrestling.

“…I am now a WWE superstar,” Loureda said. “I’m really excited, and I’ve dedicated my whole life to martial arts, and everything has come to this moment. And this is my opportunity to showcase my culture and entertain the world.

“I’m emotional because I’ve worked really hard in my whole life. I’ve had a very hard upbringing, and every day, I’ve always just believed in myself, and trained hard hoping to make it to the next step and just chasing a dream that I’ve had in my heart since I was a baby.”

The 23-year-old Loureda compiled a 4-1 record in Bellator MMA and fought as recently as November 2021, taking a split decision over Taylor Turner at Bellator 271. The taekwond…

Larissa Pacheco has unfinished business with Kayla Harrison.

Advertisement

The Brazilian faced Harrison twice in 2019, dropping a pair of decisions – including a five-round defeat in the PFL lightweight final. Pacheco believes she is a far different fighter now than she was back then.

“The 2019 Larissa was the return of a person who had been off for multiple years, coming off injuries. Still hurt as a matter of fact,” Pacheco said at a PFL media day. “The 2022 Larissa is an athlete and she is fully prepared, not skipping a single training session. Great mental shape and great physical shape too.”

Pacheco kicked off her 2022 campaign with a bang, earning a first-round technical knockout victory over Zamzagul Fayzallanova at PFL 3 on May 6. That is Pacheco’s third straight first-round KO/TKO victory, and she will look to add to her resume when she faces Genah Fabian at PFL 6 on Friday night. Fabian is coming off a decision win over former PFL champ Julia Budd.…

Ray Cooper III didn’t have a long-winded explanation behind the weight miss that occurred prior to his loss to Carlos Leal Miranda at PFL 3.

Advertisement

The two-time PFL champion tipped the scales 5.4 pounds above the contracted welterweight limit and then looked sluggish in a unanimous decision defeat to Miranda. Now, the Hawaiian needs a big performance to keep his postseason hopes alive.

“I just came in out of shape. That’s pretty much it,” Cooper said at a PFL media day. “I started my camp late. Things happen and I just started late.”

Cooper III will get a chance to right the ship at PFL 6 against Brett Cooper, a veteran of 44 professional fights who is a former Bellator title challenger and an ex-Absolute Championship Akhmat title holder. “Braddah Boy” is well aware of the stakes involved.

”Brett Cooper has been around a while. He’s got a lot of fights,” the Hawaiian said. “But I really didn’t watch his fights, only a couple of them. I’ve faced ever…

UFC veteran Paige VanZant will make her third Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship appearance when the organization travels to London on Aug. 20.

Advertisement

The promotion announced that VanZant will square off against an as yet to be determined opponent at the event. BKFC London takes place at OVO Wembley Arena and is headlined by a showdown between former Bellator title challenger Michael Page and UFC veteran Mike Perry.

VanZant is still looking for her first victory under the BKFC banner after dropping unanimous decisions to Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich in her first two promotional appearances. Her opponent is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Prior to signing with BKFC, VanZant compiled a 5-4 record in the UFC. She earned notable wins over the likes of Ostovich, Bec Rawlings and Felice Herrig and also suffered defeat against top competition such as Rose Namajunas, Michelle Waterson and Amanda Ribas.

A black belt under legendary master Carlson Gracie, American Top Team coach Marcos "Parrumpinha" DaMatta has been chosen to train many of the Russian and Caucasus fighters at the Florida-based gym.

Thanks to that affinity, the Brazilian community is changing his nickname to "Parrumpov".

Advertisement

"It was a natural affinity and it's such an honor for me being chosen to train so many top guys from that region,” DaMatta told Sherdog.com. “I really like to work with them, because even being very skilled and talented, most of the fighters from that region who train here are so humble, dedicated and open to learn.”

Among the fighters from Russian and Caucasian region that work with him are: Arman Tsarukyan, Movsar Evloev, Petr Yan, Sergey Morozov, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Damir Ismagulov and Muhammad Mokaev from the UFC; Alexandr Shabliy from Bellator and Movlid Khaybulaev, Omari Akhmedov, Magomed Magomedkerimov and Magomed Umalatov from the PFL.

Even though he h…

An accomplished list of mixed martial artists will vie for the honor of “Best MMA Fighter” at the 2022 ESPY Awards.

Advertisement

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliviera, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and two-time PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison are the nominees, which were announced on Tuesday. An award ceremony will take place in Los Angeles on July 20.

Previous “Best MMA Fighter” winners include Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov (twice). In the past, MMA fighters and boxers shared a “Best Fighter” category before it was separated.

Additionally, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena is up for “Best Championship Perfomance” for her upset victory over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. Other nominees in this category include Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp (Super Bowl LVI), Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen (Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) and the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar (St…

The lineup for Bellator 283 continues to grow, as a welterweight clash between Lorenz Larkin and Mukhamed Berkhamov and a heavyweight tilt pitting Davion Franklin against Marcelo Golm have been added to the main card.

Advertisement

Promotion officials announced the bouts on Tuesday. Bellator 283 takes place at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash., on July 22 and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Patricky Freire and Sidney Outlaw. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Additionally, six more fights were confirmed for the preliminary card: Viktor Nemkov vs. Jose Augusto at light heavyweight; Veta Arteaga vs. Vanessa Porto at flyweight; Jaylon Bates vs. Mark Coates at bantamweight; Roman Faraldo vs. Luis Iniguez at welterweight; Vladimir Tokov vs. Justin Montalvo at lightweight; Ethan Hughes vs. Kevin Hand at welterweight and Kai Kamaka III vs. Akhmed Magomedov at featherweight. Prelims air on the Bellator YouTube channel, …

On the heels of a second-round submission victory against Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 38, Shavkat Rakhmonov has emerged as a factor in the welterweight division, taking over the No. 10 spot in the promotion’s latest rankings.

Advertisement

Gilbert Burns, his teammate at Sanford MMA, revealed that he invited Rakhmonov to be his No. 1 sparring partner ahead of his bout with Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 in April. However, Rakhmonov had more pressing matters to attend to at the time.

"[UFC on ESPN 38 was] the third camp he did here at Sanford,” Burns told Sherdog.com. “I was going to hire him to help me against Chimaev, but his son was just born, so he had to return to Kazakhstan. But he is definitely really tough. Tall, strong, has great wrestling, good jiu-jitsu and great striking skills, besides being a really nice guy. Everybody liked him here at Sanford.”

Planning his UFC return against Jorge Masvidal, "Durinho" hopes to have the contract signed as soon as po…

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

There’s a decent possibility that the foundation for the next middleweight title bout could be in place following the conclusion of UFC 276 on Saturday.

Advertisement

Given the previous history between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira — “Poatan” defeated the reigning champion twice in kickboxing bouts — there is already plenty of interest for a third meeting between the two under the UFC banner. Adesanya will defend his belt against Jared Cannonier in the UFC 276 headliner, while Pereira will face streaking contender Sean Strickland in a main card bout.

“I mean, both these guys came from Glory Kickboxing. Pereira is a former double champion there — middleweight and light heavyweight. He's got two wins over Israel Adesanya,” UFC president Dana White told Yahoo Sports. “And, you know, he's got two wins in the UFC right now. So taking on tough, durable, nutty Strickland, which should be a damn good fight. And …

Robbie Lawler and Bryan Barberena have been elevated to the main stage at UFC 276.

Advertisement

The welterweight bout, which was originally slated for the main portion of the preliminary card on ABC, will now serve as the first bout on the pay-per-view draw. UFC president Dana White announced the update to the lineup in an interview with Yahoo Sports. The card required some shuffling after a flyweight clash between Miesha Tate and Lauren Murphy that was originally slated for UFC 276 was postponed for two weeks to UFC on ABC 3 due to COVID-19 protocols.

“What better fight … I mean, other than [Sean] O’Malley versus [Pedro] Munhoz, how could you open the pay-per-view any better?” White said.

“They are both built and wired exactly the same. They are both war dogs who come forward, take big shots, and try to take your head off. It should be an incredible fight.”

Lawler snapped a four-bout skid in his last outing, when he defeated Nick Diaz via third-rou…

With all eyes on the UFC during International Fight Week, it’s often a chance for stars of the past to return to the spotlight in some shape or form.

Advertisement

It appears to be no different in 2022, as MMA-standout-turned-Hollywood-star Gina Carano addressed the possibility of a blockbuster bout against ex-UFC champion Ronda Rousey during an interview on Fox News.

“You know what? Just never put it past me,” Carano said. “It could happen. It would be six months from now because I have a lot of stuff I need to do.”

The query was in response to a statement Rousey made regarding Carano during a recent appearance on Kurt Angle’s podcast.

“There’s only one person I would come back for,” Rousey said then. “I’ve said it a million times, it’s not like it’s something new but for Gina, Gina Carano. She’s the reason why I got into fighting, she’s the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful.”

The possibility of a Carano-Rous…

.@DanaWhite says Jon Jones is "ready to go" and lining up either Francis Ngannou or Stipe Miocic. pic.twitter.com/dFyMtEHsDk

— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 27, 2022

According to UFC president Dana White, it’s only a matter of time before Jon Jones returns to the Octagon.

Advertisement

During an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” White said Jones is prepared to make his first heavyweight foray with the UFC in the coming months, but the promotion still needs to settle on an opponent for the New York native. The former light heavyweight champion hasn’t competed in the Las Vegas-based promotion since defending the 205-pound belt in a decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.

“Jon Jones is ready to go,” White said. “We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be Francis [Ngannou] depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic.”

Ngannou recently provided an update on his recov…

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

With two title bouts at the top of the card, UFC 276 is undoubtedly one of the years most highly-anticipated events.

Advertisement

But for the Brazilian audience, one fight is drawing even more attention than the two championship pairings. Given their past history in the kickboxing ring, there is a legitimate possibility that Alex Pereira could be next in line for a shot at Israel Adesanya’s middleweight belt if both men are victorious at UFC 276. As a result, Brazilian fans are intrigued by Pereira’s matchup with Sean Strickland, who enters Saturday’s event on a six-fight winning streak.

Ahead of “Poatan” vs. Strickland, several Brazilian trainers and fighters weighed in on the pivotal middleweight contest:

Bruno Silva: I really don’t like this Strickland guy. He just talks trash and disrespects opponents. I´m really cheering for ‘Poatan’ to take his head off. Not only because ‘Poatan’ defeated me, bu…

A flyweight clash pitting Miesha Tate against Lauren Murphy has been relocated to UFC on ABC 3 on July 16 due to COVID-19 protocols.

Advertisement

Tate vs. Murphy was originally slated for UFC 276 this Saturday. The promotion announced the rescheduled bout on Monday:

“Due to COVID-19 protocols, the women’s flyweight bout between Lauren Murphy and Miesha Tate is being moved to UFC Fight Night ‘Ortega vs Rodriguez’ on July 16,” the statement read. Murphy revealed via social media that she tested positive for the virus.

"It's super unfortunate to get COVID right before International Fight Week," Murphy wrote. "But I just couldn't, in good conscience, go forward with the fight this weekend and risk getting others sick. I'm recovering, and will be in fighting shape soon."

UFC on ABC 3 takes place at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and is headlined by a featherweight clash between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. The evening’s main card airs on ABC and ESPN+ a…

UFC veteran Michinori Tanaka will square off against Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Ary Farias in the Legacy Fighting Alliance 138 headliner on Aug. 5.

Advertisement

The promotion announced the bout on Monday. LFA 138 takes place at the Grand Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Okla., and airs on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The card also includes a bantamweight clash between Askar Askar and Diego Silva and a featherweight tilt pitting Elijah Johns against Masuto Kawana.

Japan’s Tanaka enters the matchup on a three-fight winning streak that includes a unanimous decision triumph over Ricardo Dias at LFA 117 this past November — his first appearance in more than two years. A former Pacific Xtreme Combat champion, Tanaka went 2-3 during his UFC tenure, posting wins over Joe Soto and Roland Delorme.

A seven-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Farais owns an 11-3 professional mark in MMA, with seven victories coming by way of submission. The X-Gym rep…