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— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) August 23, 2024 It took Ronda Rousey over a decade and some recent bad publicity to come out with an apology for her posts about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

In 2013, less than a month removed from the shooting that claimed the lives of 20 children and six teachers, Rousey reposted a conspiracy theory that claimed the shooting was a hoax while saying the video was an “extremely interesting must watch video.” Although that repost and her follow-up comments have since been deleted, her follow-up response to a comment from notorious MMA troll Bloodstain Lane still exists. She wrote, “Bloodstain Lane thanks, I just figure asking questions and doing research is more patriotic than blindly accepting what you’re told.” At the time, UFC head Dana White defended Rousey’s postings, but she later took most of them down.

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On Tuesday, Rousey conducted an “Ask Me…

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Larissa Pacheco is arguably the most accomplished women’s fighter in Professional Fighters League history, even with former Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison having won the PFL’s lightweight title multiple times and owning two wins over the Brazilian.

When Harrison departed the promotion for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2024, there was no denying what she had done in her time with the PFL, but Pacheco, who defeated Harrison in their third and most recent meeting, now had a case for her accomplishments with the company.

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Traveling a completely opposite path than Harrison, Pacheco joined the PFL in 2019 after a brief tenure with the UFC from 2014 to 2015 and has built herself quite a long championship résumé. Having lost in the 2019 Championship to Harrison, Pacheco would etch her name in PFL history in 2022 and 2023, where she won both the women’s lightweight and featherweight championships in separate years, becoming th…

[embedded content] WASHINGTON D.C. -- Renan Ferreira is matched up against arguably the scariest heavyweight in the sport. How has he responded? No “Problema.”

Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will have the biggest opportunity of his career on Oct. 19. In the main attraction of the gala event titled “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact”, the 6-foot-8 powerhouse will come to blows with former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight beltholder-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou. As a fairly significant betting underdog, Ferreira is not worried about being overlooked heading into their matchup.

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Speaking to the media at Thursday’s press conference, a respectful Ferreira complimented his opponent, but also discussed his self-belief and confidence to accept a bout against the vaunted Ngannou. “Problema” noted how his activity level compared to his opponent could make a difference, and that his power could surprise the heavy-…

[embedded content] WASHINGTON D.C. -- It's a classic case of he said, he said when it comes to who flinched first.

Speaking at the “Battle of the Giants” press conference on Thursday, Francis Ngannou was asked about reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Jon Jones, who won the belt against Ciryl Gane after Ngannou vacated it with his departure to the Professional Fighters League. While some have claimed Ngannou was the reason the two never competed, the Cameroonian thinks it is the other way around, with the current champion at his former promotion the one who opted against a fight between them.

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Since leaving the UFC, the promotion, run by CEO Dana White, has suggested repeatedly that Ngannou didn’t want to face Jones. Ngannou respectfully disagrees.

“Well, I believe that’s the new narrative, because he [White] needs to say something either way,” Ngannou remarked. “But as far as I’m concerned, it was Jon Jones who didn’t want to fight wit…

[embedded content] “Problema” wanted to make sure that what he said did not cause a problem.

At the “Battle for the Giants: Brace for Impact” press conference on Thursday, heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira took the stage in Washington, D.C., to help sell their upcoming slugfest. The two will throw down atop an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 19 to define the Professional Fighters League heavyweight champion. During the presser, one comment was potentially misinterpreted by the Brazilian speaking through a translator, sparking controversy from fans and fighters alike.

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Ngannou, who is still recovering from the loss of his 15-month-old son Kobe, mockingly used Ferreira’s nickname of “Problema” to question the Brazilian’s ability inside the cage. Ngannou considered retiring after his son’s passing, but decided to instead honor his memory by competing.

“Everyone is a problem, and he certainly is a problem for some people. But in my …

[embedded content] This article was updated at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday to include details of a bout's cancelation and add missing weights.

The Professional Fighters League playoffs continue with four semifinal fights in the featherweight and welterweight divisions.

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Headlining PFL 9 is an anticipated featherweight fight between 2022 champion Brendan Loughnane and Kai Kamaka III. Whoever emerges as the victor in the main event will then go up against the winner between Gabriel Braga and Timur Khizriev. All playoff fighters made weight, including the participants of the welterweight semifinal bouts: Magomed Umalatov vs. Neiman Gracie and Shamil Musaev vs. Murad Ramazanov.

Welterweight Mukhamed Berkhamov initially missed weight for his fight against Ray Cooper III. After receiving additional time, Berkhamov returned to weigh in at 170.5 pounds. Additionally, welterweight Eric Alequin reportedly didn't appear during the weigh-ins for his fight against…

[embedded content] When given the opportunity, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul did not shy away from a chance to criticize UFC head Dana White.

On Thursday, Paul hosted the press conference for the upcoming Professional Fighters League event titled “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact.” Paul, who has engaged in repeated back-and-forth exchanges with White over the years, re-ignited his fire towards the Ultimate Fighting Championship brass. Among his grievances towards the UFC include the issue of fighter pay as well as his desire to have boxing matches against active UFC fighters.

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When asked about the winner between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira potentially facing current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Paul said he did not believe White would take the risk of doing so. Currently a rival businessman in the combat sports world, Paul suggested that the leading MMA league does not treat its fans properly.

“I think Dana [White] is scared to…

As the 2024 Professional Fighters League semifinals near conclusion, the company continues to display rising success and new beginnings.

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On Thursday, the PFL will hold its "Battle of the Giants” press conference featuring ex-UFC champ Francis Ngannou, PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira, legendary women’s MMA champion Cris Cyborg and two-time PFL queen Larissa Pacheco. YouTube personality turned boxing star Jake Paul will host the proceedings.

With eyes on the present and future, PFL CEO Peter Murray is targeting even more big moves in the months to come.

In an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Murray opened up about his desire for the PFL to open up new divisions for its regular season format in 2025 and the years to follow. While other promotions in MMA may avoid adding weight classes such as men’s flyweight, Murray believes the division will be a key area of focus for the PFL, and he has a former UFC standout in mind to lead the ch…

Ray Cooper III might not be part of the Professional Fighters League postseason this year, but he is feeling rejuvenated heading into his showcase bout against Muhamed Berkhamov at PFL 9 on Friday.

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That wasn’t necessarily the case in recent months, as he struggle to find motivation after capturing PFL championships in 2019 and 2021.

“I just wasn't excited, from these last couple of flights and from my previous outings in the tournament,” Cooper said during a PFL media day. “Nothing excited excited me [in] PFL. When we first started the playoff, it was [two fights] in [one] night. That's what really excited me to go and show who was really the toughest and I just wasn't excited [anymore. Just from my last fight with Jason Jackson, it just excited me again, and that's not how I perform and that wasn't me.”

Cooper III would like to earn another shot at the former Bellator welterweight champion, but ultimately, the main objective is to find enter…

UFC fighter Casey Kenney was recently arrested on charges of kidnapping and assault in relation to a domestic violence incident last month.

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According to Maricopa County Superior Court records, Kenney is facing a total of six charges — including felony kidnapping and aggravated assault — for an incident that occurred on July 21. Kenney was arrested on Aug. 16 and has since been released from custody. A status conference regarding Kenney’s case is scheduled for Thursday, and a preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 26.

The incident was initially brought to light by the alleged victim’s mother on Instagram. A probable cause statement obtained by MMAFighting.com reveals details regarding the alleged domestic violence incident by stating that Kenney “committed kidnapping, aggravated assault by strangulation and assault against [victim] Jasmine Mendez by repeatedly striking, slapping, biting, headbutting and choking [victim] Jasmine for several hours…”

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Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum revealed some interesting details about a meeting he had with Jon Jones backstage at ADCC recently.

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“It was really nice to see Jones again,” Werdum said. “I couldn’t believe it when he asked to teach him how I make my happy face.”

The Brazilian heavyweight recalled that he and Jones initially became close when they were both paid to be a VIP presence by local promoters from Russia and the Brazilian state of Goais on separate occasions.

“Both were nice opportunities to know [Jones] as a person, and we had a great time together,” Werdum said. “We even recalled a party we had in Russia and grappling and sparring in a small hotel room we had in Goias where we almost destroyed the room. Two big guys, Wanderlei [Silva] and Rafael Cordeiro. Imagine how crazy it was.”

Werdum revealed that Jones asked his thoughts about Stipe Miocic when they fought for the heavyweight title at UFC 198 in 2016, when W…

Merab Dvalishvili won’t let a cut stand between him the opportunity to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title.

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Dvalishvili challenges Sean O'Malley for the bantamweight title in the main event at UFC 306 on Sept. 14 in a one-of-a-kind card at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The challenger revealed a cut on his left eyelid less than month to go before fight night, immediately raising O’Malley’s concern.

Warning Dvalishvili to not pull out of the fight, the champ wrote on X: “This little f—in rat better not pull out I swear to God.”

This little fuckin rat better not pull out I swear to god. https://t.co/NsuWW0WRWt

— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) August 21, 2024

However, Dvalishvili assured O’Malley and fans that his upcoming Noche UFC fight won’t be jeopardized by the cut. Dvalishvili claims to have never pulled out of a fight, and he certainly won’t let a cut change that going into the biggest matchup …

Proudly representing The Fighting Nerds from Brazil, Caio Borralho (16-1) recently provided a detailed breakdown of his upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.

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Borralho headlines UFC on ESPN 62 against perennial middleweight contender Jared Cannonier (17-7) on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas. Unbeaten in six UFC outings, the middleweight expects a title shot next if he can finish Cannonier.

Borralho believes Cannonier’s biggest advantage against him will be “The Killa Gorilla’s” experience. Borralho observes that Cannonier is capable of dictating the pace of the fight, slowing it down or picking it up at will. “The Natural” believes Cannonier’s biggest strength is his immense experience of fighting five-rounders, which includes a failed title bid against Israel Adesanya in 2022.

“So, I think one of his biggest advantages is his experience,” Borralho told Shakiel Mahjouri. “He knows how to take the fight where he wants. He likes to […

Jon Jones claims he has nothing left to prove after fighting Stipe Miocic.

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Jones hasn’t fought winning the heavyweight title with a submission win against Ciryl Gane on his return to action after three years at UFC 285 in March 2023. The former light heavyweight champ remains intent on defending his title against Stipe Miocic, a fight that was canceled at UFC 295 after Jones suffered a pectoral injury. That bout has been rumored for UFC 309 in November, although the matchup is yet to be officially announced. Jones has repeatedly hinted at retirement following the Miocic matchup, much to the ire of interim champ Tom Aspinall, who has long been rallying for a title unifier.

Jones recently doubled down on his plans to retire unless the UFC makes him an offer he can’t refuse. A fan recently asked Jones’ opinion on footage of Aspinall wrestling retired rugby player Ugo Monye. Apparently unimpressed by Aspinall, Jones said he remains focused on Miocic, w…

Advances in DNA testing might someday reveal Andreas Gustafsson to be part brown bear.

The Vasteras Fight Club product was one of four hopefuls to secure an Ultimate Fighting Championship during Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as he mauled Pat Pytlik in close quarters and buried him with a volley of knee strikes to the head in the second round of their welterweight showcase. Pytlik (9-2, 0-1 DWS) bowed out to an accumulation of punishment 3:20 into Round 2.

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Gustafsson (11-2, 1-0 DWCS) crashed into the clinch, showed no regard for his own well-being and systematically dismantled the Canadian with merciless pressure and short-range strikes. Pytlik managed to create some space with his dirty boxing but could not keep the Swedish brute at bay. Gustafsson closed the distance in the middle stanza, chipped away with elbows and ultimately broke his opponent with three knees to the head. Heavyweight Rizvan Kuniev will join Gustafsson on the UFC ro…

Round 1 Mark Smith is the referee for this bantamweight clash. Haddon opens up with a low kick right away. Brand has a high kick blocked. Haddon clips Brand with an overhand right. Haddon is pressuring early, forcing exchanges. They clinch after another exchange, and Haddon pushes his man into the wire. Brand is able to spearate quickly, and he rifles off some jabs. Haddon blocks a high kick and sprawls on a takedown. Both men land clean jabs, and Brand’s face is already red. Haddon closes the distance and Brand works his way to the back with a rear body lock. They scramble and eventually separate. Haddon lands a crisp combination and moments later, he drops Brand with a left hook. Haddon jumps on his foe’s back and hammers away with punches, looking for openings to secure a rear-naked choke. Brand attempts to stand, but Haddon drags him back to the mat in short order, tightening the choke at the same time. It’s only a matter of seconds before Brand is forced to tap out. Had…

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The Professional Fighters League has officially unveiled logistics for Thursday’s PFL Superfights: Battle of the Giants – Brace for Impact press conference.

PFL Battle of the Giants goes down on Oct. 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, featuring two title fights. Francis Ngannou (17-3) will make his PFL debut against 2023 PFL Global Season heavyweight king Renan Ferreira (13-3) with the newly crafted PFL Super Fights Championship belt on the line. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champ will be returning to mixed martial arts for the first time since January 2022, having fought two mammoth boxing bouts during this span.

The co-main event of the night features WMMA legend Cristiane Justino (27-2) making her SmartCage debut in a title fight against two-division PFL queen Larissa Pacheco (23-4). Cyborg was undefeated throughout her Bellator tenure, with the last loss dating back to 2018 against fellow legend Amanda Nunes. Meanwhile…

An audible has been called in regards to the originally announced co-main event for UFC Edmonton.

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Last week, the promotion revealed that a heavyweight clash pitting Derrick Lewis against Alexander Romanov would serve as the co-main event for UFC Fight Night 246 on Nov. 2. Lewis and Romanov will still compete on the card — now they will just square off against different opponents. Lewis will face Jhonata Diniz in the new co-main event, while Romanov will lock horns with Rodrigo Nascimento. Laerte Viana was first to report the new bookings, and they were later confirmed by MMAjunkie.com.

UFC Fight Night 246 takes place at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada, and is headlined by a women’s flyweight scrap between Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas.

Diniz is 2-0 in the Octagon after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2023. After scoring a second-round KO of Austen Lane in his promotional debut, the Brazilian took a una…

An injury has forced Danny Silva to withdraw from a proposed featherweight clash against Dennis Buzukja at UFC on ESPN 62 this Saturday.

As a result, Francis Marshall will step in on short notice to face Buzukja at the event. The bout will now be contested at lightweight. The promotion announced the change on Tuesday. UFC on ESPN 62 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown pitting Jared Cannonier against Caio Borralho.

A competitor on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, Marshall is 1-2 under the UFC banner. In his last outing, the 25-year-old suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Isaac Dulgarian at UFC on ESPN 51 in August 2023.

Buzukja, meanwhile, snapped a two-fight skid in his most recent Octagon appearance, when he scored a third-round stoppage of Connor Matthews at UFC on ESPN 54 on March 30.

Ilia Topuria is adding to his portfolio in his home country.

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The UFC featherweight champion recently became part owner of Spanish promotion Way of Warrior FC. WOW announced its partnership with Topuria on Tuesday.

“We are very excited to welcome Ilia Topuria as a WOW shareholder,” the organization announced on Instagram (via translate). “An alliance that will make MMA in Spain even bigger. Your talent and passion are a perfect match for our mission and together we will celebrate great achievements.”

Since its inception in late 2019, WOW FC has held more than 30 events in Spain, with the vast majority those taking place in Madrid. Its next card, WOW FC 15, is scheduled for Sept. 14 at Vistalegre Arena Palace in Madrid.

“My team and I are immensely happy to join such a promising project like WOW which, with everyone’s effort, will become the perfect platform to help all the Spanish fighters continue to grow in this sport,” Topuria said i…

Elisandra Ferreira de Oliveira and Andressa Romero will square off for the vacant atomweight belt in the main event of Invicta FC 57 on Sept. 20.

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The promotion announced the card on Tuesday. Invicta FC 57 takes place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas and will also see Kristina Williams take on Nayara Maia in the evening’s flyweight co-headliner. The Invicta FC 57 main card will air on CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while prelims can be seen on the promotion’s YouTube channel and Facebook page beginning at 7 p.m./6 p.m. CT.

Three other bouts were also confirmed for the event: Liz Tracy vs. DeAnna Bennett at flyweight; Milana Dudieva vs. Sandra Lavado at flyweight and Maria Djukic vs. Maria Favela at bantamweight.

Also known as “Lili,” Ferreira de Oliveira has been victorious in her first three promotional appearances. Most recently, the 26-year-old Brazilian outpointed Katie Saull at Invicta FC 55 on June 28.

Also hai…

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Sean Strickland coach Eric Nicksick has no problem admitting that they would prefer not to fight Alex Pereira again.

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Strickland got knocked out by a left hook from by Pereira at UFC 276 in 2022 after choosing to trade in the pocket with the former Glory Kickboxing champion. A lot has happened since then, with Pereira going on to win the middleweight title, lose it and then establish a title reign at light heavyweight. Meanwhile, Strickland also won the middleweight title in a huge upset against Israel Adesanya before losing it to Dricus Du Plessis via a narrow split decision.

Du Plessis recently defended his strap with a fourth-round submission win against Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, last weekend. While Strickland has been adamant on fighting for the title next, Du Plessis has attracted a lot of eyeballs with his latest performance — including those of Pereira. The light heavyweight champ expressed interest in moving …

Khalil Rountree says he won’t change his style for his upcoming title fight.

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Even Rountree likely did not expect his wish to be granted when he called for title shot against Alex Pereira after brutally knocking out Anthony Smith in December 2023. At the time, Pereira had just won the light heavyweight title with a knockout win over former champ Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 this past November. Two title defenses later, Pereira is now slated to defend his strap against Rountree in the main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

While initially making his case for a title shot against Pereira, Rountree had argued that it would stylistically be a fan-favorite matchup. Now amid severe criticism from higher-ranked contenders, Rountree continues to defend the matchup by citing the standup abilities of both athletes. And since he believes he was granted the matchup for the same reason, Rountree doesn’t plan on robbing fans of …

Tom Aspinall’s digs at Jon Jones continue to get harsher with time.

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Jones has been sidelined since pulling out of his scheduled heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023. Aspinall captured the interim title with a short-notice knockout win over Sergei Pavlovich on the same card. “Honey Badger” has since been calling for a title unifier against Jones, who remains intent on fighting Miocic upon his return to action. Jones vs. Miocic has been rumored for UFC 309 in November, though it has not been formally announced by the promotion.

In the meantime, Aspinall also defended his interim strap with a KO win over Curtis Blaydes in front of his home fans at UFC 304 in Manchester last month. Meanwhile, Jones has hinted at retirement after fighting Miocic, potentially by the end of the year. Former UFC champ Michael Bisping recently revealed that the fellow Brit called Jones a “fanny” when talking about his retirement plans.…