Blog

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 Reigning king Adriano Moraes and MMA GOAT Demetrious Johnson run it back for the ONE Flyweight World Title at ONE 161! @adrianomkmoraes @MightyMouse#ONE161 | August 27 pic.twitter.com/GALrs8WQh7

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 3, 2022 One Championship is putting its best foot forward for its debut on the Amazon streaming service.

On Friday, Ariel Helwani first broke the news that the first One event on Amazon Prime will take place on Aug. 26, locally on Aug. 27. The event, titled One 161, will be held inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium like all other recent One cards, but it will air live for U.S.-based audiences. As subsequently announced by One, the headliner will come in a rematch at 135 pounds, when Adriano Moraes (20-3) puts his belt on the line against Demetrious Johnson (30-4-1). No other bouts have yet been announced.

Since becoming the first fighter to finish the man known as “Mighty Mouse” – Moraes…

A clash of titans awaits 💢@AlexDragoVolkov vs @JairRozenstruik is set for tomorrow’s main event 🍿

[ #UFCVegas56 | TOMORROW | Prelims 1 pm ET | Main Card 4pm ET | LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/6XUowurovI

— UFC (@ufc) June 3, 2022 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Advertisement

After a rare week off, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the UFC Apex with UFC Fight Night 207.

The 14-fight card is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Both headliners had no issue coming in below the 265-pound limit, and all fighters on the card successfully made weight.

This is the seventh UFC main event for Volkov (34-10), who is looking to rebound from a 1-2 stretch that saw him lose to both Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall. The Russian…

Tawanchai PK.Saenchai 🇹🇭 wins a ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title shot, finishing Niclas Larsen with a LETHAL left cross!#ONE158 | #ONEChampionship | https://t.co/eBUfsODAFL pic.twitter.com/kribA78sfQ

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 3, 2022 One Championship’s latest event ended with not one but two spectacular knockouts at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

The One 158 main event showcased a muay Thai clash between Tawanchai PK.Saenchai and promotional newcomer Niclas Larsen. Tawanchai proved that his new weight division didn’t affect his usual speed and accuracy. In the early going, the Thai fighter demonstrated his polished technique, dropping Larsen in the first 30 seconds. The Danish contestant survived the referee’s count, but it was fairly clear that he couldn’t match his opponent’s offensive arsenal. In the second period, Tawanchai found his rhythm and scored with a variety of punches, while mixing in occasional…

And we’re back 💥 https://t.co/WYnMHrYkxu

— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) June 2, 2022 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is making sure that its next foray on the ABC network will be one to remember.

Advertisement

On Thursday, a trio of matchups were confirmed or updated for UFC on ABC 3, with one fighter getting signed as a replacement while two additional fights were set on the lineup. The July 16 event in Elmont, N.Y., initially had a preliminary strawweight contest between Jessica Penne (14-5) and Brianna Fortino, but the latter had to withdraw from the contest. Per MMA Junkie on Thursday morning, in her stead is ex-Invicta Fighting Championships champ Emily Ducote, who successfully defended her title in that organization earlier in May. Ducote c…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfxT7qCvoH8&w=560&h=315]

Combate Global strawweight champion Melissa Martinez has signed with the UFC and will make her debut against Hannah Cifers on Sept. 10.

Advertisement

The 115-pound pairing was initially reported by Lichald Scott. The UFC Fight Night event does not yet have a location or headliner.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

“Super Melly” will enter her Octagon debut with a 7-0 professional mark, with all but one of those victories coming under the Combate Global banner. It will be the first appearance since December 2019 for the Mexico City native, who claimed 115-pound gold with a decision win over Desiree Yanez on the Tito Ortiz-Alberto Rodriguez undercard.

Cifers, meanwhile, is 2-5 in the UFC. She is currently in the midst of a four-bout skid, wh…

A return to active competition in combat sports of any kind won’t be in the cards for Ryan Hall this year.

Advertisement

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout revealed that he recently underwent surgery for a torn ACL, knocking him out of an Aug. 13 bout and keeping him out of action for the rest of 2022 entirely.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

“6th surgery in 14 months today,” Hall wrote on Instagram. “Not sure who has my voodoo doll, but if they could stop stabbing it, I would really appreciate that…

“Had just agreed to a fight on August 13th, but a bit of bad luck in training resulted in a complete tear of my ACL. Started the year really hoping to fight a bunch in 2022, as well as compete at ADCC, but with the recovery being what it is, that won’t be in the cards.

“I’m very grateful to have the best gr…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to ABC later this summer.

Advertisement

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced that the main card for its July 16 event will air on ABC and ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. UFC Fight Night takes place at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., and is headlined by a featherweight showdown pitting Brian Ortega against Yair Rodriguez. The rest of the bout order for UFC on ABC 3 is currently unknown.

This marks the third time a UFC card has aired on ABC. Previously, UFC on ABC 1 in January 2021 saw Max Holloway put a “Beatdown of the Year”-winning performance against Calvin Kattar, while UFC on ABC 2 in April 2021 was headlined by Marvin Vettori’s unanimous decision triumph against Kevin Holland.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Ortega is coming off a unanimous decision lo…

Two-time Professional Fighters League champion Kayla Harrison will face the most accomplished opponent of her career to date when she squares off against Julia Budd in the PFL 6 main event.

Advertisement

The promotion announced the lineup for the card, which features women’s lightweights and welterweights, on Wednesday. PFL 6 takes place at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, on July 1 and will see Rory MacDonald square off against Sadibou Sy in the evening’s co-headliner. Two 170-pound pairings round out the main card: Ray Cooper III vs. Brett Cooper and Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Joao Zeferino. The PFL 6 main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

The following bouts were confirmed for the undercard: Jarrah Al-Silawi vs. Magomed Umalatov at welterweight; Larissa Pacheco vs. Genah Fabian at lightweight; Nikolay Aleksakhin vs. Gleison Tibau at welterweight; Marina Mokhnatkina vs. Abigail Montes at l…

Some think that jumping into a title shot at this point in his career might be a little too much, too soon for Johnny Eblen.

Advertisement

But after taking a clear-cut victory over former No. 1 contender John Salter at Bellator 276, Eblen believes he is exactly where he’s supposed to be: preparing for a middleweight title shot against Gegard Mousasi in the Bellator 282 headliner on June 24.

“I think we’re right on the right path,” he said at a Bellator 282 virtual press conference. “This is the next best fight for me.”

After cutting his teeth in MMA with four victories under the Shamrock FC banner, Eblen has gone 7-0 in Bellator. Salter is his most notable victory by far, but the resume of past opponents pales in comparison to that of Mousasi’s. However, Eblen is confident that he hasn’t shown his full potential in a fight as of yet.

“I like being the underdog. I really don’t mind it. The only thing that matters is when I’m in that cage and I’m putting on…

Gegard Mousasi is unfazed at the possibility of squaring off against another wrestlling-minded opponent.

Advertisement

The reigning middleweight champion will attempt to defend his belt when he faces Johnny Eblen in the Bellator 282 headliner on June 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Eblen’s credentials include an undefeated MMA record and a standout career as a wrestler at the University of Missouri. After stoppage wins against Austin Vanderford and John Satler in his previous two promotional appearances, Mousasi doesn’t believe Eblen brings anything new to the table.

“The last two opponents were similar style wrestlers, take you down, hold you and ground-and-pound. Basically I’ve been training for a guy like him for a year almost now,” Mousasi said during a Bellator 282 virtual media day. “So, nothing new.”

Eblen secured the title shot with a three-round verdict over Salter at Bellator 276 this past March. Mousasi will represent a significant s…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Taila Santos got started in combat sports as a teenager, and by the time the UFC came to her hometown, she herself as almost ready to step into the cage for the first time as a professional.

Advertisement

“I started practicing muay Thai when I was 14. When I was 19 years old, the UFC came to my city (Jaragua do Sul), and I was able to get an autograph from Vitor Belfort one day before he knocked out [Luke] Rockhold,” Santos told Sherdog.com.

Coincidentally, Santos made her MMA debut three months after UFC passed through her city. Since then, she has been victorious in 19 of 20 fights and will take a four-bout winning streak into her matchup with reigning flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 275 co-main event on June 11.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

“My back…

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa has been accused of striking a nurse with an elbow during a dispute over a COVID-19 vaccination card, according to a report from Globo.

Advertisement

The alleged incident occurred at a shopping center on Monday night in Contagem, Brazil, when Costa arrived and said he wanted to be vaccinated. However, the fighter then reportedly attempted to leave with the card before the shot was administered.

"The card was filled out. The workers said that, at the time of application, he did not accept to be vaccinated. He wanted to leave with the card and they did not accept it. At that moment, a nurse was elbowed,” municipal guard Marco Mota said.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Costa, however, provide…

A matchup of middleweight contenders has been rebooked for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut event in Paris.

Advertisement

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Tuesday that Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori will square off on Sept. 3 at Accor Arena in Paris, France. Whittaker and Vettori were originally slated to meet at UFC 275 on June 11 before Whittaker was forced to pull out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury.

While Whittaker vs. Vettori is the only official fight for the event, UFC Paris is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight showdown pitting Ciryl Gane against Tai Tuivasa. Also previously reported for the card is a women’s flyweight clash between Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Whittaker last appeared at UFC 271, where he came up short…

BT Sport @danawhite @AdamCatterall caught up with the boss as BT Sport is confirmed as the long-term home for UFC in UK and Ireland

Let's goooooooooo! pic.twitter.com/88Ok4euMYO

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) May 31, 2022

Advertisement

The broadcast relationship between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and BT Sport will continue for the foreseeable future.

BT Sport announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to a “new multi-year media rights deal that builds upon their existing broadcast partnership for the UK and Ireland, ensuring that BT Sport will remain the exclusive media home for UFC.” The UFC and BT Sport partnership began in 2013.

The agreement includes all live UFC events as well as “hundreds of hours” of original programming and classic bouts from the promotion’s library.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or…

A featherweight showdown pitting Leah McCourt against Dayana Silva has been added to the Bellator 285 main card.

Advertisement

Promotion officials announced the booking on Monday. Bellator 285 takes place at 3Arena in Dublin and is headlined by a lightweight clash between Benson Henderson and Peter Queally. The main card airs on Showtime in the United States at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT.

McCourt had a six-bout professional winning streak snapped in her last outing, when she dropped a unanimous decision to Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator 275 on Feb. 25. The 29-year-old Northern Ireland native is 4-1 in Bellator and also owns a notable win against UFC flyweight contender Manon Fiorot under the Cage Warrior banner.

A former competitor on the Brazilian version of Dana White’s Contender Series, Silva fell to Julia Budd and Ar…

Australian prospect Jack Becker will face a lengthy recovery process after gruesomely breaking his leg at Eternal MMA 66 on Sunday.

Advertisement

Becker, who was defending his lightweight title against Aidan Aguilera in Perth, Australia, had his leg snap early in the first round of the bout when he had a leg kick checked by his opponent. The scene was reminiscent of what happened when Anderson Silva suffered a similar injury when he had a kick checked by Chris Weidman in a middleweight title bout at UFC 168.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Eternal MMA posted video of the fight on its social media account.

Becker, a 29-year-old Tristar Gym export, entered the bout on a three-bout winning streak that included victories in championship bouts over Daniel Hill and Brenton Mumford under the Eternal MMA ba…

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

Abusupiyan Magomedov will lock horns with Makhmud Muradov at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming event in Paris.

Advertisement

Both middleweights recently confirmed the pairing on social media. UFC Fight Night takes place at Accor Arena in Paris on Sept. 3 and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt pitting Ciryl Gane against Tai Tuivasa.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

A five-time Professional Fighters League veteran, Magomedov will return to action for the first time since December 2020, when he submitted Cezary Kesik in the second round at KSW 57. “Abus” went 3-1-1 in the PFL, falling to Louis Taylor in the 2018 middleweight finals.

Muradov began his Octagon tenure with three straight triumphs — including KO/TKO wins ag…

Conor McGregor’s first priority remains a UFC comeback, but the Irish star eventually plans on making a return to the Sweet Science, as well.

Advertisement

The former two-division UFC champion briefly discussed his plans during an interview with Sky Sports. McGregor is currently on the mend from a broken leg suffered in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 last July. A date for his Octagon return is currently unknown.

“Boxing is my first love in combat sports,” McGregor said. “I had such a great time the last time I was out there [boxing].

“Obviously, my return will be inside the octagon for the UFC and mixed martial arts. That story is far from over. In fact, that story is just being written, it’s just the beginning — so that’s where I’ll make my return.”

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

McGrego…

After defeating Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision to reclaim the flyweight crown in their trilogy bout at UFC 270, Deiveson Figueiredo was not happy the promotion decided to create an interim belt some six months later.

Advertisement

Moreno will face Kai Kara France for interim gold at UFC 277 in Dallas on July 30. Figueiredo makes it clear that he will not recognize the winner as a champion.

“I got really upset. I didn't expect that from UFC,” Figueiredo told Brazilian outlet AgFight. “I just couldn't believe when I heard that news. We fought in January, and they know I have a hand injury. After that decision I have to use Charles [Oliveira’s] words: The champion has a name and it's Deiveson Figueiredo.’ This plastic belt has no value.”

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The disappointment with the UFC’s…

A game of inches. Congratulations LeonAliu.#CW138 pic.twitter.com/BJR4NadibH

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) May 28, 2022

The crowd at Charter Hall in Colchester, England, went silent after the hometown hero lost in Saturday’s Cage Warriors Fighting Championship headliner.

Advertisement

It took a little over a minute for Leon Aliu to knock out James Webb in the CW 138 headliner. Brave Combat Federation vet Aliu (10-1, 1-0 CW) thumped former 185-pound titleholder Webb with punches and heavy kicks out of the gate. Aliu targeted his adversary’s lead leg, forcing Webb (8-4-1, 7-4-1 CW) to change stance. From time to time, Aliu would aim at his opponent’s body, but it was all part of his strategy to make the Englishman lower his guard to defend himself. The gameplan paid dividends shortly after the one-minute mark. After scoring with a couple of kicks, Aliu fired a thermonuclear missile of a right that demolished Webb on the spot. The Iro…

Sherdog's live KSW 70 coverage will begin Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.

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

Advertisement

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result

THE MAIN EVENT!! #KSW70

PUDZIAN 🆚 MATERLALEGEND 🆚 LEGEND

Advertisement

It is actually happening!! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/kyHdj5AU4C — KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 28, 2022 The main event of KSW 70 saw Mariusz Pudzianowski take on former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki middleweight champion Michal Materla in what was certainly a spectacle.

Pudzianowski (17-7, 1 NC), who outweighed his opponent by 34 pounds, came out swinging and was able to connect with Materla (31-9). The two would trade in the middle of the ring until Pudzianowski connected with a terrific uppercut. Materla was instantly out and fell to the floor. The stoppage came at 1:47 of the first round.

The heavyweight co-main event saw Ricardo Prasel submit Daniel Omielanczuk. Omielanczuk (25-13-1, 1 NC) managed to walk down Prasel (13-3) and took the fight to the ground in order to get rid of his opponent's height advantage. This would wind up being a mistake by Omielanczuk, as the Ger…

Former Champ, Matt Bonner, mounted his opponent and forced the tap after sinking in the submission. He really is chasing after that title 💨

What a way to cap off #CW137 👏 pic.twitter.com/p56TlmvyDv

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) May 27, 2022

Advertisement

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returned to Charter Hall in Colchester, England, with a card full of finishes.

The Cage Warriors 137 main event saw former 185-pound titleholder Matthew Bonner taking on Joel Kouadja in a 177-pound catchweight clash. Bonner (12-7-1, 9-5-1 CW) opposed his foe’s physicality with experience and technique. Bonner attempted to contain the damage from Kouadja (7-8, 0-1 CW) with takedown attempts and grinding against the fence. The fight turned into a grueling battle as “The Beast” constantly had to wrestle his way on top of his foe every time Kouadja reversed positions. Before the end of the opening period, Bonner scored with his hands on the feet …

🚨 BREAKING: Brave CF alum Anton Turkalj is set to face Acacio dos Santos at the upcoming DWCS event on July 26. The pair will collide at light heavyweight. 🚨

— Tudor Leonte (@MrTudorLeonte) May 27, 2022 An exciting light heavyweight affair has been added to Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series on July 26, as Anton Turkalj takes on Acacio dos Santos. A source close to the situation relayed the information to Sherdog.com, though the promotion has not yet officially announced it.

A Brave Combat Federation alum, Turkalj (7-0) is one of the hottest prospects fighting out of the Scandinavian area at the moment. The 25-year-old fighter scored the fastest knockout BCF history when he demolished Konstantin Soldatov with a spinning backfist in just 13 seconds in April. “The Pleasure Man” has finished all seven of his opponents inside two rounds.

Dos Santos (14-4) introduces himself to the United States audience after an April 30 victory over M…