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Brian Kelleher will lock horns with Mario Bautista in a bantamweight clash at UFC on ESPN 38.

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Bautista’s management, Iridium Sports Agency, first brought word of the bout. UFC on ESPN 38 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on June 25 and is headlined by a lightweight tilt pitting Mateusz Gamrot against Arman Tsarukyan.

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Kelleher is 1-1 thus far in 2022. After outpointing Kevin Croom at UFC on ESPN 32 on Jan. 15, “Boom” was submitted in the opening round by Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 272 on March 5. The New Yorker is 8-6 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion after stints with Riong of Combat, Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Bellator MMA.

Bautista enters the matchup having won three of his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 28-year-old MMA Lab representative earned a unanimous decision over Jay Perrin at UF…

A bantamweight showdown pitting Marlon Vera against Dominick Cruz is in the works to headline an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Aug. 13.

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ESPN Deportes was first to report that both parties have verbally agreed to the five-round bout. The UFC Fight Night event is likely to be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and will also see Alexa Grasso square off against Viviane Araujo in the evening’s co-main event.

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This will be Vera’s second consecutive headlining engagement after he took a five-round verdict over Rob Font at UFC on ESPN 35 on April 30. “Chito” has been victorious in four of his last five Octagon appearances, with other wins coming against the likes of Frankie Edgar, Davey Grant and Sean O’Malley.

Cruz, a former 135-pound champion, is coming off a 2-0 2021. The Alliance MMA standout garnered a split verdict over Casey Kenney at UFC 259 before defeating Pedro Munhoz via unanimous de…

Greg Hardy is the latest mixed martial artist to try his hand at the Sweet Science.

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Hardy is expected to make his professional boxing debut under the Black Sheep Boxing banner on Oct. 8 in Delray Beach, Fla. An opponent was not announced.

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“When you got the dream locked in your sights and all you gotta do is pull the trigger,” Hardy captioned an Instagram post in which he is wearing boxing gloves.

A former NFL Pro Bowl defensive lineman, Hardy made his way to the UFC after a pair of victories on Dana White’s Contender Series. “The Prince of War” trained out of American Top Team and went 4-5 with one no contest during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion. Hardy parted ways with the UFC in March after his contract was not renewed.

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: M-1

Movsar Evloev was in complete control throughout his unanimous decision triumph over Dan Ige in the UFC Fight Night 207 co-main event, and he believes he made a statement with his performance.

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“I think this performance today tells a lot about me,” Evloev said at the post-fight press conference. I’m a real, top fighter and next champ. MMA fans like this with a lot of blood and a lot of punching. It’s good when you finish early, but sometimes it’s good when you fight very hard for three rounds.”

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Evloev battered Ige for three rounds while blending his striking and grappling to perfection. He even rattled his opponent with a flying knee in Round 1, but a finish never arrived despite Evloev’s best efforts. Ige has never been stopped in 21 professional appearances.

“I wanted an early finish, but everybody knows about my opponent,” Evlo…

According to Alexander Volkov, it’s not up to him to decide if a referee is making the right call in the heat of the moment.

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Volkov rocked Jairzinho Rozenstruik with a right hand during a frenetic exchange in the UFC Fight Night 207 headliner, then pummeled his foe with a barrage of power punches to get the finish at the 2:12 mark of Round 1. Though Rozenstruik’s mouthpiece was dislodged during the assault, he only went down to one knee before referee Herb Dean stepped in to halt the bout. That led to Rozenstruik briefly protesting the stoppage in the aftermath. Volkov believes he would have continued the onslaught had Dean not made his call.

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“In the moment, I hit him, he was a little bit knocked out so he wasn’t being fully fresh. Anyway, it was a big opportunity to knock him out, to land because he was almost on the mat. I was ready to throw him down and continue my work,” Volkov said at Saturday’s post…

Felice Herrig returned to the Octagon for the first time in nearly two years on Saturday, but it was only temporary.

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Herrig announced her retirement in the cage following a second-round submission loss to Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a preliminary strawweight clash at UFC Fight Night 207 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. For Herrig, it was important to return from injury, but she also had to see if her passion for the sport still burned strong.

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“It’s been an honor being in the UFC in eight years and fighting for 20. I had two ACL surgeries and I really wanted to not go out like that,” Herrig said. “I wanted to prove to myself that I can overcome two knee surgeries and come back and still fight at the highest level.

“I felt better than ever in training. My mind felt great… But I knew that if I wasn’t feeling it in the cage, it was going to be my last fight. Not in a bad way, I just feel like there’s somet…

Lucas Almeida and Michael Trizano engaged in a back-and-forth battle at UFC Fight Night 207, and now both featherweights are $50,000 richer for their efforts.

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Almeida and Trizano received “Fight of the Night” honors for their slugfest, which featured a combined three knockdowns between the two combatants. Trizano struck the first blow in Round 1, when he blasted his foe with a knee and followed him to the canvas. Almeida survived until the horn and rallied to drop Trizano once apiece in Rounds 2 and 3. The second occasion — when he slipped a punch and dropped Trizano with a left hook — set the stage for a stoppage 55 seconds into the final stanza.

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Elsewhere, Karine Silva pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check in her promotional debut thanks to a first-round submission of Poliana Botelho in a featured flyweight encounter. Silva rocked Botelho with an overhand right, powered her foe to the c…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 207 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.

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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. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Blanchfield (-525), Aldrich (+385)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Fakhretdinov (-280), Michailidis (+225)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scor…

Alexander Volkov went toe-to-toe with Jairzinho Rozenstruik and got the better of it.

The former Bellator MMA and M-1 Global champion showcased the power in his hands, earning a technical knockout victory over Rozenstruik in the UFC Fight Night 207 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Volkov (35-10, 9-4 UFC) ended the contest with a volley of power punches 2:12 into the opening round.

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Volkov blended punches and kicks in typical fashion in the early going, but the action really picked up when Rozenstruik attempted to counter one of the kicks with a wild haymaker. “Bigi Boy” became reckless at that point, winging power punches at his taller opponent. Volkov took everything Rozenstruik (12-4, 6-4 UFC) had to offer, stood in the pocket and backed him up with a right hand. “Drago” then walked the Suriname native down against the fence and sent him staggering with another right. A series of heavy alternating lefts and rights followed — inclu…

Karolina Kowalkiewicz was overcome with emotion after earning her first finish in the UFC 😤 #UFCVegas56 pic.twitter.com/FvdpCjdrda

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 4, 2022

Karolina Kowalkiewicz is back in the win column for the first time in four years.

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The former strawweight title challenger snapped a five-bout skid at UFC Fight Night 207, as she submitted Felice Herrig with a rear-naked choke 4:01 into Round 2 of their preliminary clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Herrig has lost four straight fights and falls to 0-2 against Kowalkiewicz.

Looking sharper than she has in years, Kowalkiewicz (13-7, 6-7 UFC) attacked her foe with crisp punching combinations, close quarter elbows and knees in an impressive opening stanza. She shifted gears in Round 2, when she stuffed a Herrig (14-9, 5-5 UFC) takedown, assumed top position and transitioned to her opponent’s back. From there, the former KSW champion alternated …

The Legacy Fighting Alliance featherweight title was on the line at LFA 133 but only Michael Stack was eligible to win it after Jose Mauro do Amaral Delano missed weight by five pounds.

The title fight saw an aggressive start from Stack (7-1), who didn't mind taking punches to close the gap against Delano (10-2). While Stack was able to repeatedly clinch with Delano, the American was unable to get any meaningful takedowns in the opening rounds. Delano would come close to submitting the wrestler with a guillotine choke in Round 3, but Stack would be saved by the bell. The Brazilian would get a takedown of his own in a dominant Round 4 and cruise through Round 5. After five rounds, the LFA featherweight title stayed vacant after Delano took a decision with scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 50-45 in the Brazilian's favor.

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The co-main event saw Haris Talundzic record the first blemish on the record of Bahatebole Batebolati. It was a competitive, back-and-fort…

Fight announcement for RIZIN.36

Kai Asakura vs. Ji Yong Yang#RIZIN #RIZIN36 pic.twitter.com/YxLR471cjT

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) June 1, 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.

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Rizin Fighting Federation is putting a little more into its sophomore trip to the Japanese island of Okinawa.

On Wednesday, the promotion released the lion’s share of its 13-bout Rizin 36 lineup on Twitter, one that includes 11 MMA matches and two under kickboxing rules. On Friday, via press release, Rizin confirmed the fights, made official the bout order and provided a statement from the head of the company. The event will be held inside the Okinawa Arena in Okinawa, Japan, on July 2. According to the press release, the broadcast will only be available with Japanese commentary and texts…

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 gloves are coming off for former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger John Dodson.

Bare Knuckle FC posted on social media on Friday that the bare-knuckle boxing league had signed ex-UFC mainstay Dodson to a contract. Dodson moved on from the UFC in 2020, competing twice more in MMA in 2021 and 2022. This contract, which is not necessarily exclusive, will put Dodson in the “squared circle” for BKFC later this year with an undetermined opponent. His debut has been announced for the Aug. 27 event in his hometown of Albuquerque, N.M. Of note, BKFC also recently signed former Dodson foe Jimmie Rivera.

“The Magician” left the confines of the UFC after going 1-3 in his last four from 2018 to 2020, and he departed for the XMMA organization. A bantamweight pairing with former…

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.

One of these talented Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweights may be in shouting distance of a title shot with a win in this matchup.

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Back in May, Instagram account MMA Fight Universe first posted of the renewed flyweight encounter between Alexa Grasso (14-3) and Viviane Araujo (11-3). The fight was initially set for UFC 270, but Araujo withdrew from the pairing due to an injury. Grasso has since confirmed the newly remade bout on Thursday on her Instagram Stories. They will come to blows at a currently unnamed UFC Fight Night event on Aug. 13, one that will likely go down inside of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Grasso is currently riding the longest win streak of her UFC career, having claimed a pair of decisions over Ji Yeon Kim and Maycee Barber in 2020 and 2021, re…

🚨 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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…