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It seemed that a fourth meeting between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno was a virtual certainty until the Brazilian flyweight champion recently used Instagram to challenge Kai Kara France for his next title defense.

"I was informed through international media that my next fight would be against Moreno, but I never accepted that,” Figueiredo told Sherdog.com. “My manager, Wallid, called me last week saying that the UFC wanted the [Moreno] fight and I told him that, as a champion, I should have the right to choose a challenger that motivates me. I fought this guy three times in 13 months. There are a lot of great talents in the division and the weight class must move forward. Moreno lost to [Alexandre] Pantoja twice. if he beats him, we can talk about a fourth fight, but not now.”

Figueiredo also admitted that what he claims have been racist attacks from Moreno’s team, which he mentioned on Instagram, motivated his decision to pursue a fight against Kara France.<…

A previously reported middleweight championship clash between Gegard Mousasi and Johnny Eblen has an official date and event.

The California-based promotion announced Tuesday that Mousasi will defend his 185-pound belt against Eblen in the Bellator 282 headliner on June 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card will air on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Additionally, two bantamweight grand prix quarterfinals will take place at Bellator 282. Magomed Magomedov will face the Enrique Barzola-Josh Hill winner, while Leandro Higo will square off against the Jornel Lugo-Danny Sabatello winner. A preliminary clash pitting Alejandra Lara against Ilara Joanne was also confirmed for the card.

Mousasi last appeared at Bellator 275 on Feb. 25, when he made short work of the previously undefeated Austin Vanderford in a first-ro…

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

@DricusDuPlessis putting South Africa on the map! #UFC264 pic.twitter.com/kinqJld3o9

— UFC (@ufc) July 11, 2021 Kelvin Gastelum will remain on the UFC 273 card after all, as Dricus Du Plessis has agreed to step in and face “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner on April 9.

Gastelum was originally slated to meet Nassourdine Imavov before the bout was canceled due to visa issues for his opponent. ESPN was first to report the new middleweight booking. Du Plessis was scheduled to fight Anthony Hernandez at UFC 273, but according to MMAFighting.com, Hernandez will remain on the bill and lock horns with promotional newcomer Josh Fremd.

This is the third different opponent for Du Plessis at UFC 273. Before being booked against Hernandez, he was supposed to square off against Chris Curtis, who pulled out due to a wrist injury. The former KSW and EFC champion has won four straight fights, including back-to-back knockouts of Trevi…

The first ever UFC PPV in South East Asia is coming, and it is STACKED

Register your interest now - https://t.co/6O0EJtkELc 🔗

[ #UFC275 | @VisitSingapore | #UFCSingapore | #PassionMadePossible | #SingapoReimagine ] pic.twitter.com/JytxBSv2tc — UFC (@ufc) March 29, 2022

Singapore will host an Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view event for the first time ever on June 11.

The Las Vegas-based promotion confirmed on Tuesday that UFC 275 will be held at Singapore Indoor Stadium and is headlined by a light heavyweight title tilt between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka. The card will also see women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defend her belt against Taila Santos, while ex-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker takes on Marvin Vettori in a pivotal middleweight clash.

Two other bouts were also announced for UFC 275: Brendan Allen vs. Jacob Malkoun at middleweight and Kyung Ho Kang vs. Saimon Oliveira at feath…

A matchup between 2021 heavyweight champion Bruno Henrique Cappelozza and Englishman Stuart Austin will serve as the headliner for Professional Fighters League’s second regular season card on April 28.

PFL 2 will be held at Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas, and features a lineup of heavyweights and featherweights. The main card airs on ESPN2 and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT. In the co-main event, Dana White’s Contender Series alum and Cage Warriors veteran Brendan Loughnane will square off against Japanese prospect Ryoji Kudo at 145 pounds.

Two other heavyweight pairings round out the main draw, as Ante Delija meets Matheus Scheffel while Renan Ferreira takes on Jamelle Jones.

The evening begins with the following six bouts on the preliminary card: Lance Palmer vs. Chris Wade at featherweight; Bubba Jenkins vs. Sung Bin Jo at featherweight; Denis Goltsov vs. Sam Kei at heavyweight; Ali Isae…

Emily Ducote will welcome Alesha Zappitella to the strawweight division in a title fight at Invicta FC 47 on May 11.

The all-female promotion announced the headlining bout on Tuesday. A location and broadcast details for the card will be announced in the coming weeks. Recent Invicta events have aired on the organization’s YouTube channel.

Five other bouts were also confirmed for Invicta FC 47: Courtney King vs. Chelsea Chandler at featherweight; Lindsey VanZandt vs. Jillian DeCoursey at atomweight; Lisa Verzosa vs. Serena DeJesus at bantamweight; Janaisa Morandin vs. Liana Pirosin at flyweight and Jennifer Chieng vs. Alyssa Linduska at strawweight.

Ducote claimed the 115-pound strap with a head kick knockout of Daniell Taylor at Invicta FC 44 this past August. The Bellator MMA veteran has been victorious in four of her last five professonal outings. Ducote is 10-6 over the course of a tenure that began in 2015.

Zappitella will be making her strawweight deb…

UFC 273 has undergone a couple changes with less than two weeks remaining before the pay-per-view event.

A welterweight showdown between Kelvin Gastelum against Nassourdine Imavov has been canceled due to visa issues for Imavov. Gastelum will not be given a replacement opponent. It is unclear if the matchup will be rescheduled, but Gastelum posted on Twitter that “we’re trying to figure out other options.”

Unfortunately my opponent was unable to obtain a visa.Hopefully that gets worked out ASAP.We’re trying to figure out other options.So stay tuned…..#UFC273

— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) March 28, 2022

Meanwhile, a heavyweight tilt pitting Ilir Latifi against Alexey Oleynik has been added to the UFC 273 bill. Latifi vs. Oleynik was originally slated for UFC on ESPN 33 before Latifi pulled out hours before the card due to illness.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the updates on Monday. UFC 273 takes place at Vystar Vete…

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https://t.co/TrFZh8ylKA @BellatorMMA @arielhelwani

— Vechtsport Info (@vechtsport_Info) March 28, 2022

Melvin Manhoef reportedly made a trio of would-be burglars regret targeting his residence.

Manhoef revealed to Dutch outlet Vechtsport Info that he chased down three men who tried to break into his house near Landsmeer, Netherlands, on Monday. The fighter then reportedly ran the burglars’ vehicle off the road and smashed one of the car windows with his bare fist.

Manhoef said he then made the three men wait on their knees until police arrived. The burglars were allegedly seen around Manhoef’s home will he was doing a promotional visit to Paris for Bellator MMA before making their robbery attempt the second time around.

Manhoef is slated to return to action against former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero in a light heavyweigh bout at Bellator 280 on May 6 in Paris. It will be his first fight since suffering a second-round TKO defea…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTq7MfaUgnk&w=560&h=315]

For nearly three months, Paulo Costa insisted on a rematch with Marvin Vettori, a fight that didn’t make much since to either Vettori or the UFC.

That focus shifted after Sean Strickland defeated Jack Hermansson via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 200 in February and then challenged the Brazilian on social media. By the time “Borrachinha” responded to Strickland’s callout, it was too late. Strickland is now expected to face Alex Pereira at UFC 277 on July 30.

Carlos Borracha, Costa’s brother and head coach, discussed Costa’s next move backstage after Jungle Fight 106 with PVT journalist Leonardo Fabri.

“Strickland challenged ‘Borrachinha’ a long time ago, [but] when He accepted, Strickland ran from us and they ended up giving him to ‘Poatan,’” Borracha said. “Strickland chickened out, but we have other ranked fighters in our target like [Derek] Brunson.

“We truly hope Brunson keeps his…

You’d have to go back to 2014 to find the last time Alexa Grasso finished a professional mixed martial arts bout, but the Lobo Gym MMA product’s stoppage of Joanne Wood on Saturday was far more significant for her career.

Grasso defeated Wood via rear-naked choke at the 3:57 mark of Round 1 in the UFC on ESPN 33 co-main event on Saturday at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, for her third consecutive triumph in the promotion at 125 pounds.

“It feels amazing. Finally, three wins [in a row] in the UFC and my first finish – my first submission on my record,” Grasso said at the post-fight press conference.

Prior to Saturday, all five of Grasso’s previous UFC victories had gone the distance. That wasn’t by design.

“Of course, as a fighter you always want to finish a fight,” she said. “It took a long time … but now I feel great. As I’m getting older, too, I feel more mature – my mind, my body, and my fight game.”

Grasso has always been best known for …

Chris Daukaus is trying to focus on the positive following his second consecutive defeat in the Octagon.

The Philadelphia police officer released a brief statement via Twitter in the aftermath of UFC on ESPN 33, where he fell to Curtis Blaydes via technical knockout 17 seconds into Round 2 of their headlining heavyweight bout at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, this past Saturday.

“There’s always negativity from people after a loss, often we linger too long on that,” Daukaus said. “I’m very appreciative for the people who have not done that and who have reached out with positivity. You guys are the best, especially @[email protected] thank you.”

There’s always negativity from people after a loss, often we linger too long on that. I’m very appreciative for the people who have not done that and who have reached out with positivity. You guys are the best, especially @Boogerbeard1 @MacMallyMMA thank you.

— Chris Daukaus (@ChrisDaukau…

Grant Dawson will replace Rafael Alves and lock horns with Jared Gordon in a lightweight scrap at UFC on ESPN 35.

mixedmartialarts.com was first to report the new booking. A reason for Alves’ withdrawal was not disclosed. UFC on ESPN 35 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 30 and is headlined by a bantamweight duel pitting Rob Font against Marlon Vera.

After earning a contract on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Dawson was victorious in his first five promotional appearances before battling Ricky Glenn to a majority draw in his sixth outing at UFC Fight Night 196 this past October. The Glory MMA & Fitness representative is 2-0-1 at lightweight after beginning his UFC tenure at 145 pounds. He owns a career mark of 17-1-1.

Gordon, 33, has been victorious in his last three UFC appearances. Most recently, the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu product earned a split verdict against Joe Solecki at UFC Fight Night 193 this past October. “Flash” is 6-…

If this was indeed it for Bryan Barberena, at least he went out with a bang.

Barberena’s split-decision triumph over Matt Brown at UFC on ESPN 33 received “Fight of the Night” honors on Saturday, a fitting recognition for two athletes who have been known to deliver action in their bouts.

At Saturday’s post-fight press conference, Barberena revealed that he completed the last fight on his current UFC contract. The 32-year-old MMA Lab representative has won three of his last four Octagon appearances and is 8-6 during his promotional tenure overall. If the UFC is not interesting in re-signing him, Barberena would rather hang up the four-ounce gloves than take his talents elsewhere.

“I’m really glad [the Brown fight] happened because this is the last fight on my contract,” Barberena said. “I haven’t been open about that, but this is the last fight on my contract. The UFC didn’t say anything about renegotiating. I tried to ask about it.

“Dana White, let’s talk.…

Curtis Blaydes has certainly experienced his setbacks in UFC competition – KO losses to Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis immediately come to mind – but he’s also gradually built a resume that ranks among the best in the heavyweight division during his promotional tenure.

He added to his list of achievements with a second-round technical knockout victory against Chris Daukaus in the UFC on ESPN 33 main event on Saturday, a victory that stood out because the Octagon’s all-time heavyweight takedown leader relied on his striking, not his wrestling, to get the job done at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. After winning for the sixth time in his last seven UFC appearances, Blaydes called for an interim heavyweight title shot.

He reiterated that desire at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“I feel that way but that does not mean the world feels that way,” Blaydes said. “That’s really what matters. What do the fans want to see? I do believe I deserve an inte…

A middleweight showdown pitting Sean Strickland against Alex Pereira is in the works for UFC 277 this summer.

ESPN was first to report that both Strickland and Pereira have verbally agreed to the bout. UFC 277 is expected to take place on July 30 and airs on pay-per-view. A location and venue have not been confirmed for the event.

A former King of the Cage title holder, Strickland is currently on a six-bout winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The 31-year-old California native is coming off back-to-back headlining appearances in which he earned a split-decision triumph over Jack Hermansson at UFC Fight Night 200 and a unanimous verdict against Uriah Hall at UFC on ESPN 28.

Pereira improved to 2-0 in the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 203, where he defeated ex-M-1 Global champ Bruno Silva via unanimous decision. The former two-division Glory champion is probably best known for his pair of victories against reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Ad…

Raquel Pennington will step up on short notice to face Aspen Ladd at UFC 273 on April 9.

Pennington is a late replacement for Irene Aldana, who withdrew from the bantamweight clash after suffering an undisclosed injury. Eurosport Netherlands was first to report the new matchup. UFC 273 takes place at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and is headlined by a featherweight title tilt between Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung.

Pennington enters the matchup with Ladd on a three-bout winning streak. The former bantamweight title challenger last appeared at UFC Fight Night 199, where she submitted Macy Chiasson with a second-round guillotine choke this past December. “Rocky” has also secured decision triumphs over Pannie Kianzad and Marion Reneu during her current streak.

After nearly two years on the sidelines due to knee surgery, Ladd moved up to featherweight in her Octagon return at UFC Fight Night 195, where she dropped a five-round verd…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday with a pivotal heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus, but the big boys weren’t the only fighters who nabbed the attention of the combat sports world.

Four fighters on the UFC on ESPN 33 marquee pocketed quite a bit of bonus cash for their efforts, with Matt Brown and Bryan Barberena nabbing the Fight of the Night bonus and the aforementioned Blades and Chris Gutierrez taking home an extra $50K apiece for their Performance of the Night accolades.

Brown, a41-year-old hometown fan favorite, waged a memorable three-round war with Barberena, driving the capacity crowd into a frenzy. While Brown scored critical takedowns in rounds two and three, it was Barberena’s powerful elbows and fists that buckled the Ohioan’s knees a few too many times when it mattered most. And while both men were on the verge of being stopped multiple times, Brown was battered far wors…

Curtis Blaydes has more than one dimension—a reality to which Chris Daukaus can now attest.

Blaydes stayed relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division, as he took apart the former Philadelphia police officer with punches in the second round of their UFC on ESPN 33 headliner on Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Daukaus (12-5, 4-2 UFC) bowed out 17 seconds into Round 2.

Curtis Blaydes WITH THE TKO 😱 #UFCColumbus pic.twitter.com/jb8u5mLwa9

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 27, 2022 The 31-year-old Blaydes (16-3, 11-3 UFC)—the UFC’s all-time heavyweight leader in completed takedowns—chose to stand and exchange, and the approach paid dividends. He ate a few right hands from Daukaus early in the bout but stayed the course and let his talent seize the reins. Blaydes buckled the former Cage Fury Fighting Championships contender with a two-punch salvo in the first round and opened a cut near his left eye, setting t…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 33 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

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

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Sco…

Back in the win column! @Sara_McMann w/ the UD win at #UFCColumbus! pic.twitter.com/bnIS4So7Hc

— UFC (@ufc) March 26, 2022

Sara McMann went back to basics, and the results were revelatory.

The 2004 Olympic silver medalist stood her ground in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division, as she took a unanimous decision from Parana Vale Tudo’s Karol Rosa in the featured UFC on ESPN 33 prelim on Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for McMann (13-6, 7-6 UFC).

Rosa (15-4, 4-1 UFC) failed to maintain a manageable distance with the Team Alpha Male representative. McMann secured takedowns in all three rounds, stifled the Brazilian with top control and progressed to the back on more than one occasion. Rosa finally sprang a reversal late in the third round and applied some significant ground-and-pound, but the finish she needed never materialized.

The defeat halted R…

One Championship on Saturday celebrated its 10th anniversary by putting on one of its best cards to date at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. It featured everything combat sports fans come to expect from a special occasion.

In the One Championship “One X” headliner, Angela Lee made her promotional return against Stamp Fairtex after taking off two years and a half for maternity leave. Lee (11-2, 11-2 One) shook off cage rust by attacking her opponent right out of the gate with a flurry of punches. Stamp (8-2, 7-2 One) stayed composed and waited for the right moment to retaliate with a liver shot that almost folded “Unstoppable” where she stood. While she was in evident distress, Lee bit down on her mouthpiece and survived the subsequent barrage of punches and kicks. In the second frame, Lee moved the action to the canvas as soon as possible. Once there, she showcased an arsenal of submission attempts, including a triangle choke and a twister that almost sealed t…

Bellator MMA veteran Adam Keresh disposed of Chad Johnson with punches in the first round of their heavyweight showcase at PFL Challenger Series 6 on Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Johnson (6-4) checked out 3:34 into Round 1, as he suffered his third consecutive defeat.

Afterward, the Professional Fighters League signed Keresh to its 2022 roster.

Keresh (5-0) tested the waters with a few kicks and waited for an opportunity to present itself. He sprawled on Johnson, forced him down to all fours and connected with a brutal right hand underneath the armpit. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum reacted immediately, retreated to a belly-down position and ate a few more punches before referee Andrew Glenn intervened on his behalf.

Meanwhile, Robert Drysdale-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Marcelo Nunes submitted Bevon Lewis with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their heavyweight co-feature. Nunes (8-1) drew out the surrender 2:39 int…

OZZY DIAZ IS THE NEW MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!!#LFA127 pic.twitter.com/2UbTecahUl

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 26, 2022 The Legacy Fighting Alliance crowned a new middleweight champion in the main event of LFA 127.

Competing for the vacant title in a classic striker versus grappler match were the hard-hitting Osman Diaz and Brazilian submission specialist Bruno Assis. The striking difference was demonstrated early with Diaz (7-1) flooring Assis (12-6) and then wisely not following him to the floor. A second knockdown would come late in the round with another flurry of punches ending the fight right before the round came to an end. Diaz officially claimed the championship at 4:53 of Round 1.

Featherweights Chase Gibson and Javier Garcia both had great moments in the back-and-forth co-main event. The first round would see each fighter gain back control and threaten with chokes, but it was Gibson (11-5) that ended the frame on top. R…