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If all goes as planned, Frankie Edgar could be the latest notable to call it quits from mixed martial arts this year.

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The former UFC lightweight champion told ESPN that he plans to retire after one more Octagon appearance in 2022. Ideally, that would be at Madison Square Garden in New York. While the promotion hasn’t formally announced an event at the celebrated venue, UFC 281 will reportedly take place at MSG on Nov. 12.

“I think that would be cool,” Edgar said. “It would be a pretty cool sendoff at Madison Square Garden, it’s pretty much in my backyard. I trained up in Renzo’s for so many years, it would be a pretty cool sendoff.”

Edgar hasn’t competed since the promotion’s last trip to Madison Square Garden, when he suffered a front kick KO loss to Marlon Vera at UFC 268 last November. “The Answer” later revealed that he underwent hip surgery several months prior to that fight and had also been struggling with “nerve issues” in his back. Read more about Frankie Edgar Targets Retirement Fight at Madison Square Garden

Invicta FC flyweight champion Karina Rodriguez has signed a multi-fight contract to compete for Bellator MMA.

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Rodriguez recently confirmed the deal following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. A date and opponent for Rodriguez’s promotional debut are currently unknown.

The 36-year-old Lobo Gym MMA representative has won four of her last five under the Invicta banner — with her lone defeat during that stretch coming against current Bellator talent Vanessa Porto.

Rodriguez claimed flyweight gold with a five-round verdict over Daiana Torquato at Invicta on AXS TV in May 2021 and retained the belt with a split-decision triumph in a rematch at Invicta FC 46 on March 9. She owns other notable victories against the likes of DeAnna Bennett and Milana Dudieva.

Israel Adesanya has come under fire for his performances in recent fights, in particular a relatively uneventful five-round verdict over Jared Cannonier in his latest title defense at UFC 276 on July 2.

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Dana White, who did not attend the card live, gave his first thoughts on the bout following UFC on ABC 3 this past Saturday. The UFC president didn’t place the blame entirely on Adesanya for a fight that was widely criticized throughout the MMA community.

“He won,” White said. “I mean, I don’t know if it was the performance that he wanted to give or that he was selling leading into that fight. The other thing is I don’t think his opponent was very aggressive, either. It takes two to make a great fight. …It won’t happen in the next fight.”

That next fight, of course, is expected to be against Alex Pereira, who owns a pair of victories over Adesanya in the kickboxing ring — including one by way of knockout. Pereira punched his ticket to a title …

Herbert Burns struggled mightily after he was unable to submit Bill Algeo with a triangle choke early in their featherweight bout at UFC on ABC 3.

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While Burns’ difficulties initially appeared to be a product of fatigue, it turns out that a troublesome knee might be just as much to blame. Burns suffered a TKO loss to Algeo at the 1:50 mark of Round 2 in their featherweight bout on Saturday at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday when he was unable to return to his feet in a timely fashion after referee Keith Peterson ordered a standup.

Burns, who was coming off of ACL surgery, revealed in a post-fight statement that his knee gave out during the fight.

“I want to thank everyone for the support today,” said Burns, who was on crutches in the video. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t the result I was looking for. My knee gave out. It was not stable. I couldn’t continue fighting. I couldn’t finish the triangle. I couldn’t perform the way I wanted to, but…

In an odd turn of of events, Katlyn Chookagian will step in for Jessica Andrade — the woman who initially replaced her — and face Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris on Sept. 3.

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MMAFighting.com was first to report the change to the flyweight bout, revealing that Andrade was forced to withdraw from the event due to “medical issues.” Chookagian vs. Fiorot was the original booking before “Blonde Fighter” reportedly pulled out due to injury.

UFC Fight Night 209 takes place at Accor Arena in Paris and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt pitting Ciryl Gane against Tai Tuivasa. The card is also expected to include a middleweight showdown between Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori.

A former flyweight title challenger, Chookagian has won her last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the Team Renzo Gracie product garnered a split-decision triumph against Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN 36 on May 14.

France’s Fiorot has won nine consec…

Here are the opening odds for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev:

Charles Oliveira +215 (43/20)Islam Makhachev -255 (20/51)

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(odds via @betonline_ag) #UFC280 pic.twitter.com/ryqXrYo5ut — Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) July 17, 2022

There’s just something about Dagestani grapplers in the lightweight division that seems to curry favor with oddsmarkers.

According to online oddsmaker BetOnline, Islam Makhachev opened as a -255 favorite against Charles Oliveira (+215) in their fight for the vacant 155-pound title at UFC 280. As of this writing, those odds had shifted slightly, with Makhachev listed as a -220 favorite and Oliveira as a +185 underdog.

The promotion announced Makhachev vs. Oliveira during the UFC on ABC 3 broadcast on Saturday. UFC 280 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22 and is also expected to include a welterweight showdown pitting Belal Muhammad against Sean Brady.

Makha…

SBG Ireland head trainer John Kavanagh is optimstic regarding the prospects for Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC.

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The former two-division champion suffered a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021 and has been on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery following that fight. Kavanagh commented on McGregor’s prospects to BBC Sport after the Irish star returned to jiu-jitsu class for the first time in more than a year this past week.

"He's healthy, happy and it's great to have him back," Kavanagh said. “The last few sessions in the gym here were MMA-orientated — he's got the all-clear for that now.

"He did a great session last night, we got some great rounds in. He hasn't lost a beat and was looking great.”

There still isn’t a clear timetable for McGregor’s return, though he has no shortage of potential opponents once he is ready to fight again. Kavanagh didn’t mention a specific opponent for the UFC’s biggest sta…

Nate Diaz made headlines earlier this week when he aired his latest set of grievances with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

During an interview on “The MMA Hour,” the Stockton, Calif., native claimed that the UFC was “holding him hostage” by not offering him a fight so he can complete his existing contracting with the promotion. Following UFC on ABC 3 on Saturday, Dana White responded to Diaz’s comments at the event’s post-fight press conference.

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“When isn’t Nate Diaz saying something crazy?” White said. “I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again — we can’t hold guys hostage. It’s not possible.

“I owe you three fights a year. If I don’t fight you three times a year, I have to pay you. How could I hold him hostage?”

Diaz said that he has asked to face “four or five” different opponents and even agreed to a proposed bout against Khamzat Chimaev, but nothing has come to fruition. He hasn’t competed since a loss to Leon Edwards at U…

Brian Ortega was at a loss to explain what transpired in the UFC on ABC 3 headliner, when his shoulder popped out of place late in Round 1 to give Yair Rodriguez a technical knockout victory.

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Ortega suffered the injury while defending an armbar from Rodriguez after landing a takedown. “T-City” denies that his opponent’s submission attempt had anything to do with the fight-ending injury.

“The grip was tight on my arm and it dislocated. That was it, no armlock, no nothing,” Ortega said on the UFC on ABC 3 post-fight show. “It was dislocated. Freak accident. It just sucks. The first time it’s every happened in my entire career. The first time it’s ever happened. I’m just taken aback by it.”

Prior to the stoppage, the matchup was anyone’s game, but Ortega was confident that he was doing what he needed to do up to that point.

“Everything was going my way,” he said. “Literally I was winning every minute of the fight. I was sticking to the game…

While the UFC on ABC 3 headliner was only just getting started when a Brian Ortega shoulder injury brought the fight to a premature close, Yair Rodriguez was pleased with the way things were unfolding prior to the unfortunate ending.

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“I think I was doing really well,” Rodriguez said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I connected with a couple of solid jabs. I think I connected with a good right hand a couple of times, an overhand, and like a cross, and I kind of saw him wobbling. I hit him with a couple of good low kicks, high kicks.”

Rodriguez did appear to be getting the better of the action on the feet, which is probably why Ortega attempted to take the fight to the canvas. Once he did, though, Rodriguez framed an armbar from his back, and that ultimately led to Ortega suffering the fight ending injury as he attempted to free his arm from the submission. From Rodriguez’s perspective, his maneuver played a part in ending Ortega’s night.<…

It was another banner night for post-fight bonuses at UFC on ABC 3.

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A grand total of eight fighters received $50,000 checks for their work inside the Octagon during the daytime card at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday. That included an obvious “Fight of the Night” selection for Matt Schnell and Su Mudaerji, who engaged in a back-and-forth flyweight slugfest on the main card.

Mudaerji appeared to be on the verge of finishing Schnell on multiple occasions in Round 2, as he rocked his opponent with left hands and elbows. Schnell perservered and rallied to rock Mudaerji with a right hand before landing a takedown, where he pursued a finish with ground-and-pound from above. Mudaerji then reversed into top position, where Schnell secured the finish with a triangle choke from his back at the 4:24 mark of the second period.

Meanwhile, the other six fighters who earned finishes at UFC on ABC all received “Performance of the Night” bonuses: …

Yair Rodriguez got an important victory in the UFC on ABC 3 headliner, but it wasn’t necessarily the statement he wanted to make.

Rodriguez earned a technical knockout victory over Brian Ortega on Saturday when his opponent suffered a right shoulder injury in the first round of their featherweight clash at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. The bout was waved off when Ortega appeared to dislocate his shoulder while attempting to extract himself from a Rodriguez armbar at the 4:11 mark of Round 1.

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“It was a really tight fight,” Rodriguez said. “It’s unfortunate that he dislocated his shoulder. I already told him we can run it back anytime. I prepared to win. I guess I did but not the way I wanted.”

The fight was shaping up to be a competitive one before the unfortunate ending. Rodriguez found success landing straight punches and a variety of kicks during exchanges, while Ortega looked to pressure his adversary and close the distance. “T-City” landed a taked…

Sherdog's live UFC on ABC 3 “Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev” coverage will begin Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

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

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BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ducote (-150), Penne (+130)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Grant (-140), Stoltzfus (+120)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Score…

Another look at that @Puna185 finish 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 #UFCLongIsland pic.twitter.com/QokMqaZXZR

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2022

Punahele Soriano showed how quickly he can alter the course of a fight.

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After a slow opening round, the heavy-handed Hawaiian exploded for a second-round stoppage of Dalcha Lungiambula in their middleweight bout at UFC on ABC 3 at UBS Elmont Arena in Elmont, New York, on Saturday afternoon. Soriano (9-2, 3-2 UFC) dropped his foe to a knee with an overhand left and then powered Lungiambula (11-5, 2-4 UFC) to the canvas to finish the fight with a series of unanswered shots to the head just 28 seconds into the second stanza.

Lungiambula started well enough, notably landing a hard leg kick that tripped Soriano to the canvas while also securing a pair of takedowns late in the opening period. That success was short lived, as Soriano rushed forward following a Lungiambula kick early in Round 2 to land the pun…

The fight you’ve all been asking for 👀@CharlesDoBronxs vs @MakhachevMMA is set for the LW title 👑

[ #UFC280 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/GhqjbwZ0LM

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2022

It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title will soon have a new owner. On Saturday, the UFC announced that former 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira will take on Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, which will go down in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22.

Oliveira (33-8, 1NC; 21-8 1NC UFC) was forced to vacate his championship after missing weight by .5 pounds ahead of UFC 274, setting a precedent as the first UFC champion who failed to make weight ahead of a title match. Even though "Do Bronx” went on to submit Justin Gaethje via rear-naked choke in the first round on that occasion, he was not eligible to win the championship that the UFC declared vacant. Oliveira captured the lightweight title after stopping Micha…

Bruno Lopes gets it done! #LFA136 pic.twitter.com/3SYzVVxYAD

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 16, 2022 Wellinton Prado planted his flag in the Legacy Fighting Alliance featherweight division with a majority decision over Italo Gomes in the LFA 136 headliner on Friday at Ubaldo Goncalves Municipal Sports Center in Caraguatatuba, Brazil. Scores were 29-27, 29-27 and 28-28.

Gomes (11-3, 1-1 LFA) benefitted from a point deduction after being poked in the eye in the first round but failed to make the lead stand. Prado (13-2, 1-0 LFA) took down the Tata Fight Team representative multiple times across the final 10 minutes, largely corralled him on the canvas and was emboldened enough to attempt a calf slicer at one point. He iced the win in Round 3, where he climbed to full mount, attacked with elbows to the body and enjoyed a sustained run of positional dominance at Gomes’ expense.

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The 22-year-old Prado will carry a th…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iRoIFZWWBk?start=2931&w=560&h=315] The Ultimate Fighting Championship kicks it up a notch when it shifts to the ABC airwaves for UFC on ABC 3 this Saturday on Long Island. With the highest betting favorite around -300 odds, parity is the name of the game for this show at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Prime Picks for this well-matched lineup feature the favored man in the offense-first headliner, a barnburner that should lean towards the local man, an ex-title challenger looking to stave off a former champion and a newcomer who has been a woman possessed at her new weight class. With everything other than the immediate championship implications, the UFC matchmakers knew exactly what they were doing by matching Ortega against Yair Rodriguez. Neither man shies away from a fierce exchange, and both sport chins that hold up to ample punishment and cardio that allows them to succeed even in the later rounds. On the feet, this could be …

NEW: Disney will raise the price of ESPN+ to $9.99 a month starting in August https://t.co/9EjcZ2E2DL

— Bloomberg (@business) July 15, 2022 The high cost of being a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship is about to grow even higher.

Per Bloomberg on Friday, ESPN is set to raise the monthly rates of its ESPN+ streaming service again. In September 2021, the price bumped up to $6.99 a month. This next change, which will go into effect on Aug. 23, will result in a significant 43% spike in the cost, as it will move to $9.99 every month. No new content will reportedly be added, and pay-per-view rates for UFC cards are not expected to rise beyond the $74.99 they are now. The Disney-owned organization is not, however, increasing the cost of its proprietary bundle of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu for $13.99/month.

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It will now cost U.S.-based fight fans over $1,000 per year if they subscribe to ESPN+ and order the traditional 12 pa…

The lineup for the next Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view is practically changing day by day.

On Thursday night, BJPenn.com reported that Ramiz Brahimaj (10-4) had been forced out of his welterweight scrap with Michael Morales (13-0) on UFC 277. Per Brahimaj on his Instagram on Friday, he suffered an injury that will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future. A replacement has not yet been found, but the UFC is looking for someone to step in. This follows the news on Wednesday where Diego Ferreira – the teammate of Brahimaj – and Mariya Agapova withdrew from this July 30 event.

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“Breaks my heart to have to confirm that I am off UFC Dallas due to an injury,” Brahimaj wrote. “Unfortunately these injuries can happen during fight prep. I will rehab, and come back stronger. Thank you to Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, Dana White, and the phenomenal medical/sports medicine team that is helping me to get back to 100 percent [of Heather Lind…

We have ourselves a main event, ladies and gentleman

[ @BrianTCity | #UFCLongIsland | Tomorrow | Main Card 2pmET LIVE on @ABCNetwork ] pic.twitter.com/lInHooIWBS

— UFC (@ufc) July 15, 2022 The Ultimate Fighting Championship holds its first network television event of the year on Saturday.

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Headlining UFC on ABC 3 is a featherweight bout that promises action between contenders Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. A key divisional bout, the winner will be in a position to potentially make another run toward the title. The 12-fight card is now official with all 24 fighters successfully making weight.

While just 1-2 in his last three fights, Ortega (15-2, 1 NC) has proven himself as one of the division's top mixed martial artists. His recent unanimous decision defeat to champ Alexander Volkanovski saw him lock up a tight guillotine choke, although one that the champion shockingly escaped from. "T-City" officially weighed 146…

Fight announcements for RIZIN 37 from 2pm JST! Live translation thread will be provided here on our official English Twitter account!

Stay tuned for some great matchups! https://t.co/zTXgTaVeB9

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) July 7, 2022 Rizin Fighting Federation has made the lineup for its 2022 return to the Saitama Super Arena one to remember.

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The organization sent out its press release on Thursday morning confirming the 15-bout listing for Rizin 37. This July 31 fight card will post up inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and it will feature the opening round of its first women’s atomweight tournament since 2017. A few matchups have been added, including Marcos Yoshio Souza vs. Daichi Abe at a 176-pound catchweight, while Sora Yamamoto will also be joining the event against Vugar Karamov by replacing Rikuto Shirakawa.

While much of the event had already been put together earlier in July, th…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cgJMSU2zP0&w=560&h=315] If the Professional Fighters League’s Larissa Pacheco is accurate in her assessment, a million-dollar prize may be within her grasp.

In 2019, Pacheco joined the PFL and entered into its inaugural women’s lightweight bracket. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight had moved up 10 pounds in her lone regional bout after leaving the UFC, beating future UFC talent Karol Rosa at featherweight. Over one year later, she stepped into the PFL cage at lightweight, and she drew the 3-0 Harrison only to drop a decision. The Brazilian bounced back with a quick armbar over Bobbi Jo Dalziel to reach the playoffs, and a decision win over Sarah Kaufman slotted her into the finals, in a rematch against Harrison.

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This time, it took Harrison the full five rounds to get the win, but the two-time Olympic gold medalist cleanly swept every round and even earned a 50-43 score on one judge’s card.…

While Professional Fighters League will hold a pair of playoff events in the United Kingdom this year, it will be going international in a much bigger fashion in 2023.

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The organization announced on Thursday the launch of PFL Europe, which will debut next year. According to a release, all events will be held and broadcast in primetime in Europe, with cards featuring top emerging fighters from the region. PFL Europe is expected to provide an avenue for the best fighters from the league to make it to the “PFL global talent roster.”

“I am pleased to announce the PFL will launch PFL Europe in 2023 to further advance the sport of MMA and fuel PFL’s next phase of global expansion starting in Europe, the number one international MMA growth region,“ said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “Europe is rich with top fighters who are ready to compete in the PFL’s season format on a major stage and passionate MMA fans throughout the region will now have access to premium ev…

The UFC 277 card has undergone some shuffling, as both Diego Ferreira and Mariya Agapova have been forced to withdraw from their respective bouts.

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Ferreira has pulled out of a proposed lightweight clash against Drakkar Klose due to an undisclosed injury. The promotion is currently seeking a replacement opponent for Klose. BJPenn.com was first to report Ferreira’s exit.

Ferreira went 0-3 in 2021, falling to ranked lightweights Beneil Dariush, Gregor Gillespie and Mateusz Gamrot in succession. Prior to that skid, the Fortis MMA product own six consecutive bouts in UFC competition from 2016 to 2020.

Klose has won four of his last five Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 34-year-old Fight Ready representative scored a second-round TKO of Brandon Jenkins at UFC on ESPN 34.

Elsewhere on the UFC 277 bill, Joselyne Edwards will replace Agapova and lock horns with Ji Yeon Kim in a women’s flyweight bout. MMAFighting.com reported the news, adding…