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Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. A pair of top-five Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweights with recent issues on the scales are expected to toe the line in April. ESPN Deportes revealed on Thursday that Irene Aldana (13-6) has been offered a fight against Aspen Ladd (9-2) at UFC 273 on April 9. Should the two agree to compete, they will likely throw down inside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. in the promotion’s first trip to the venue since the beginning of 2019. Ladd had been aiming for a matchup with ex-champ Miesha Tate, but that fell through when Tate declined the pairing.

Aldana will be looking to make it two in a row when she takes on the California native, as she trumped Yana Kunitskaya in July for her lone appearance in 2021. The win rebounded her from a five-round setback against former champion Holly Holm in October 2020, where she headl…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y85GU6DRmYg&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Vaunted Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight submission specialist Rodolfo Vieira will not take any opponent lightly anymore. After being nominated for both “Upset of the Year” and “Submission of the Year” in 2021, each due to his submission defeat to Anthony Hernandez at UFC 258 in February, the five-time world Jiu-Jitsu champion is starting 2022 anew. After submitting slick American grappler Dustin Stoltzfus in July, Vieira (8-1) is primed to take on a new, challenging test. At UFC 270 on Jan. 20 in California, “The Black Belt Hunter” will face fellow countryman Wellington Turman (17-5) in his fifth Octagon appearance. Vieira spoke to Sherdog ahead of his matchup next month, explaining that this camp is unlike any in recent memory.

"I fought most of my pr…

＼#RIZIN33 Weigh-in Result／

15th Match: Lightweight Title MatchRIZIN MMA rules: 71.0kg

Roberto Satoshi Souza： 70.90kg

Yusuke Yachi： 70.85kg

Yogibo presents RIZIN.3312/30 8:30pm PST / 11:30pm ESTSaitama Super Arenahttps://t.co/4z015R7nid pic.twitter.com/gSUwsLBzDe

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) December 30, 2021 Rizin Fighting Federation will end 2021 with one final mixed martial arts extravaganza.

The Rizin 33 year-end show is now official after the weigh-ins, where it will feature 13 MMA bouts, one under kickboxing rules, an exhibition featuring mixed rules and one more in a modified boxing showcase. Topping the card is a lightweight championship bout between titleholder Roberto de Souza and Yusuke Yachi, as well as the yet-to-be-determined bantamweight grand prix finals. Also taking place in the evening is a striking contest between kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa (136.7) and Japanese MMA legend Takanori Gomi (166).

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A women’s bantamweight clash between Alexis Davis and Julija Stoliarenko has been added to the lineup for UFC Fight Night on Feb. 5.

Promotion officials announced the pairing Wednesday. UFC Fight Night takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Sean Strickland and Jack Hermansson.

A former title challenger, Davis is 1-4 in her last five Octagon appearances. In 2021, the 37-year-old Canadian took a unanimous decision over Sabina Mazo at UFC Fight Nigh 186 before dropping a three-round verdict against Pannie Kianzad at UFC 263.

After winning the Invicta bantamweight title with a victory over Lisa Verzosa in March 2020, Stoliarenko has fallen to Yana Kunitskaya and Julia Avila in her first two UFC outings. The 28-year-old Lithuania native is 9-5-2 as a pro, with eight victories coming via submission.

A matchup of strawweight contenders is slated for UFC 272, as Marina Rodriguez will square off against Xiaonan Yan on March 5.

Yan’s management, Paradigm Sports, initially announced the booking. UFC 272 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is also expected to include a featherweight tilt pitting Edson Barboza against Bryce Mitchell. The event does not yet have a headliner.

Rodriguez is currently on a three-fight winning streak in the Octagon, with victories over Amanda Ribas, Michelle Waterson and Mackenzie Dern to her credit. The 34-year-old muay Thai specialist is 5-1-2 in the Octagon after appearing on the Brazilian version of the Contender Series in August 2018.

Yan had a six-bout winning streak snapped in her most recent outing, when she suffered a second-round TKO defeat to Carla Esparza at UFC Fight Night 188 on May 22. The China Top Team representative owns wins over the likes of Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Angela Hill during her…

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With losses in four of his last six Octagon appearances, Stephen Thompson is no longer serious title contender in the UFC’s welterweight division.

That doesn’t mean he’s ready to call it a career, however. Following a loss to Belal Muhammad at UFC Fight Night 199, “Wonderboy” addressed the subject of retirement in a video on his YouTube channel.

“I can’t believe people are saying that I’m old and I should retire,” Thompson said. “I feel like people that do retire, when they sit down on the chair, they just feel like they should retire. Like just, their body’s beat up, aches and pains. … When I sit here and I’m sitting down in this chair, I feel great. I feel fine. I feel better than I was five years ago. I just don’t get it.”

Thompson, who will turn 39 early next year, was on the verge of contention following consecutive victories over Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal, but back-to-back losses to Gilber…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMjAsQSI40s&w=560&h=315]

Sean O'Malley was in a generous mood this holiday season.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, the UFC bantamweight hands out $100 in cash to random shoppers at Walmart, many of whom were in disbelief when O’Malley placed a wad of cash in their hands. Others recognized the Dana White’s Contender Series alum, as he posed for numerous photos during his visits to the stores. In some cases, people were even reluctant to accept monetary handouts from O’Malley.

During the video, a cast is visible on O’Malley’s right hand, because he suffered a broken thumb in his first-round TKO win over Raulian Paiva at UFC 269. According to medical suspensions from the event, O’Malley could be sidelined until June 10 if he doesn’t receive medical clearance.

The 27-year-old MMA Lab representative has been victorious in seven of his first eight UFC appearances, with five of those victories coming via KO or TKO.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGbF0iucecQ&w=560&h=315]

After an excellent 2021 for Marcus Almeida and Antonio Carlos Jr., two top jiu-jitsu practitioners who decided to transition to MMA, another BJJ standout is focused on the move from the mats to the cage.

"I´ve got the world absolute gold this year, my goal is get my second absolute gold at ADCC next September, something that no one achieved yet, and move 100% to do MMA,” Felipe "Preguica" Pena told Sherdog.com.

"I´m moved by challenges. I feel like when I was a blue belt, I was already dreaming about one day being an absolute champion in the black belt [division]. I'm already looking for a boxing and muay Thai coach here in Minas Gerais. Seeing former opponents like ‘Buchecha’ and ‘Cara de Sapato’ doing great just motivates me.”

The Vinicius Draculino protégé naturally weighs 216 pounds and plans to fight at light heavyweight in MMA. But before making that move, Pena has another dream to achieve in…

A heavyweight clash between Ilir Latifi and Alexander Romanov is set for UFC Fight Night on Feb. 19.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the booking on Tuesday. The event does not currently have a location or headliner.

Latifi snapped a three-bout skid in his last Octagon appearance, when he defeated Tanner Boser via split decision at UFC Fight Night 189. The 38-year-old Swede compiled a 7-5 UFC mark at 205 pounds before transitioning to heavyweight, where he dropped a unanimous decision in his debut against Derrick Lewis at UFC 247 before rebounding to best Boser.

Romanov is undefeated in 15 professional appearances, a streak that includes four triumphs in UFC competition. Most recently, the 31-year-old Moldovan defeated Jared Vanderaa via second-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 194 on Oct. 9. “King Kong” has finished all but one of his fights inside the distance.

A lightweight showdown between Benson Henderson and Islam Mamedov will serve as the co-main event for Bellator 273, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Bellator 273 takes place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix and is headlined by a heavyweight title unification bout between reigning champ Ryan Bader and interim king Valentin Moldavsky. The main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while the prelims stream at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel, the Bellator YouTube channel and Pluto TV.

Two other bouts were confirmed for the main card: Henry Corrales vs. Aiden Lee at featherweight and Sabah Homasi vs. Jaleel Willis at welterweight. Meanwhile, the preliminary draw has three new additions: Saad Awad vs. Christopher Gonzalez at lightweight; Romero Cotton vs. Dalton Rosta at middleweight and Sullivan Cauley vs. Ben Parrish at light heavyweight.

A former UFC lightweight champion, Henderson enters the matchup with Mamedov on a th…

Getty/UFC

Another UFC veteran is headed to Eagle Fighting Championship.

Four-time Octagon competitor Yorgan De Castro is expected to face Shaun Asher in a heavyweight bout at Eagle FC 44 on Jan. 28. Cageside Press was first to report the booking. Eagle FC 44 takes place at FLXcast Arena in Miami and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Tyrone Spong and Sergei Kharitonov. De Castro has reportedly signed a multi-fight deal with Eagle FC.

De Castro earned a UFC contract on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series before going 1-3 within the Las Vegas-based promotion. He returned to the win column this past November, when he outpointed Danyelle Williams at CES 65 to run his career mark to 7-3.

Asher, 42, will bring a 13-4-1 record into the matchup with De Castro. Most recently, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native suffered a 55-second TKO defeat to Steve Mowry at Bellator 257.

After their fight, @DustinPoirier pledges $20K to a charity of @CharlesDoBronxs’ choice #UFC269 pic.twitter.com/hcj8Cu1lTj

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 12, 2021

The concept of an “Octagon donation” after a fight doesn’t seem so great in hindsight.

First, there was a public dispute between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor after the latter promised to donate money to Poirier’s charity, The Good Fight Foundation, following their second fight at UFC 257. Now, it’s Poirier who is promising to deliver a donation of $20,000 to a cause of Oliveira’s choosing in his hometown following their lightweight title fight at UFC 269 on Dec. 12.

Poirier made his offer in the Octagon shortly after Oliveira defended his belt with a submission win in the UFC 269 main event. “The Diamond” further clarified his donation during the post-fight press conference.

“I saw a video this week of him [Oliveira] showing where he grew up, and where is mom cooked …

Anatoliy Malykhin and Kirill Grishenko will vie for the interim heavyweight crown when they square off in the main event of One Championship “Only the Brave” on Jan. 28.

The Singapore-based promotion announced the pairing on Monday. One “Only the Brave” takes place at Singapore Indoor Stadium. No further bouts were announced for the card. The winner of the fight will presumably face reigning heavyweight king Arjan Singh Bhullar at a later date.

A native of Kemerov, Russia, Malykhin is undefeated in nine professional outings. The former Fight Nights Global competitor kicked of his One tenure with first-round finishes of Alexandre Machado and Amir Aliakbari in 2021. He has finished all nine of his triumphs inside the distance.

Grishenko, who hails from Belarus, brings a 5-0 mark into his matchup with Malykin. The 30-year-old is 2-0 under the One banner, with victories against Oumar Kane and Dustin Joynson to his credit.

Two former teammates on a collision course.

Will we see Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou going at it for real in the Octagon? pic.twitter.com/3EUOQG7vHJ

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) June 28, 2021 Francis Ngannou says the footage of him and Ciryl Gane sparring that was released earlier this year was edited with a specific goal in mind.

According to Ngannou, the clips don’t accurate depict what happened during the session, which occurred in January 2019. Ngannou and Gane will meet in a heavyweight title unification bout at UFC 270 at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Jan. 22. According to Ngannou, he and Gane sparred no more than six to eight times total.

“When I saw that footage, my first reaction was laughing – because I know exactly what happened at those training sessions,” Ngannou said on his YouTube channel. “But this is the thing: When they want do some highlight, they always choose the part of the video that they use and they have…

Timur Valiev will step in for Umar Nurmagomedov and lock horns with Jack Shore at a UFC event on March 19.

Both Valiev and Shore confirmed the new bantamweight booking on social media following an initial report from MMA Fight Universe. The UFC Fight Night event does not have an official location or headliner.

Shore is undefeated through 15 professional appearances. The former Cage Warriors champion is 4-0 in UFC competition, with victories over Nohelin Hernandez, Aaron Phillips, Hunter Azure and Liudvik Sholinian to his credit/

Valiev enters the matchup on a nine-bout professional unbeaten streak, though an upset loss to Trevin Jones in August 2020 was changed to a no contest when his opponent failed a drug test. Most recently, the former Professional Fighters League competitor to a majority verdict over Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26.

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

A potential flyweight title eliminator is on tap for March 26, when Kai Kara France and Askar Askarov are expected to lock horns at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

MMAjunkie.com first reported the booking. The UFC card is currently slated for Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 26 and is headlined by a light heavyweight showdown between Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic.

Kara France is coming off the most high-profile victory of his career to date, when defeated ex-bantamweight king Cody Garbrandt via technical knockout 3:21 into the opening stanza of their encounter at UFC 269. The City Kickboxing representative has won two in a row in the Octagon and six of his eight UFC appearances overall.

Askarov is thus far unbeaten in 15 professional outings, with the lone blemish on his ledger coming in a split draw against current 125-pound king Brandon Moreno at UFC Fight Night 159. He has since…

Another fight has been added to the Rizin Fighting Federation 33 lineup, as former Pride Fighting Championships standout Takanori Gomi will meet kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa under “special standing bout rules” on New Year’s Eve.

The Japanese promotion recently announced the pairing, which does not have a formally announced weight class but will reportedly be a two-round exhibition under boxing rules. Rizin 33 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and features a lightweight title bout between Roberto de Souza and Yusuke Yachi as well as the semifinals and finals of the bantamweight grand prix. The event is available via pay-per-view here.

Gomi, 43, last appeared at Rizin 26, where he bested Koji Tanaka in a special rules bout in December 2020. His most recent MMA appearance came in July 2018, when he snapped a six-fight losing streak with a first-round knockout of fellow UFC veteran Melvin Guillard.

The bout is expected to be Nasukawa’s last under t…

A 165-pound matchup between Kevin Lee and Diego Sanchez is in the works for an Eagle Fighting Championship card on March 11.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking has been targeted, while Sanchez announced the pairing on social media. The fighters have verbally agreed to the contest, but contracts have not yet been signed. The Eagle FC event is expected to take place in Miami, though a venue has not been formally announced.

Lee was a high-profile signing by the Khabib Nurmagomedov-led promotion following his UFC release. The former interim lightweight title challenger lost four of his last five Octagon appearances, including a unanimous decision loss to Daniel Rodriguez in his first welterweight foray at UFC on ESPN 30 on Aug. 28.

Sanchez, meanwhile, is coming off a serious case of COVID-19 in which he was hospitalized due to complications from the virus. Prior to that, he was released from the UFC following a dispute with the promotion and his former coach, …

Michel Prazeres Accepts Sanction for Second Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy https://t.co/gWqyGG6EtI

— USADA (@usantidoping) December 23, 2021

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Michel Prazeres has waived the white flag on a four-year suspension for a second violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy.

Prazere, 40, tested positive for multiple prohibited substances -- clomiphene and its metabolites (desethyl-clomiphene, clomiphene M1, and clomiphene M2), oxandrolone metabolites, and the exogenous administration of testosterone and/or its precursors via urine samples -- and will be banned from competition until Aug. 27, 2025. Prazeres previously tested positive for boldenone in March of 2019 and served a two-year ban.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday revealed the suspension and issued the following statement:

Prazeres’ urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test, known as Carbon Isotope Ratio (CIR) testin…

Ex-UFC champion Vitor Belfort will square off against ex-multi-division boxing title holder Chad Dawson at Triad Combat 2.

Triller Fight Club, which promotes the event, recently confirmed the booking to multiple outlets. Triad Combat 2 is expected to take place in February and is headlined by a clash between Junior dos Santos and Kubrat Pulev. The rule set is presented as a hybrid of boxing and MMA, but knees, kicks and elbows are not allowed in fights. Shannon Briggs and Quinton Jackson will serve as team captains for the card, which follows a boxing vs. MMA theme.

Belfort’s most recent combat sports appearance came in September, when he defeated a 58-year-old Evander Holyfield via first-round technical knockout in an exhibition boxing match. The 44-year-old Brazilian hasn’t competed in MMA since May 2018, when he suffered a second-round KO loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 224.

Dawson owns a 36-5 mark in professional boxing, a record that includes notable triumphs …

Cub Swanson was in top form at UFC Fight Night 199, as he overwhelmed fellow veteran Darren Elkins in a first-round technical knockout victory this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Although the 38-year-old featherweight has been victorious in three of his last four Octagon appearances, he is considering a change in weight class late in his UFC career.

“I had talked about maybe dropping to 135, just to switch it up, try something new. I know I can make it,” Swanson said at the post-fight press conference (via MMAjunkie.com). “I don’t know how difficult it would be. This was one of the easier cuts I’ve had. I just feel like I’m naturally a little lighter than I used to be. I guess I’m just not holding on muscle like I was before. That’s a possibility.”

Swanson’s promotional tenure reached 21 fights on Saturday, and he has at least one item left on his bucket list, though it involves the UFC hitting the road again for Fight Night events. Currently, the …

Tomasz Narkun will soon return to attempt his sixth title defense in January.

A person with knowledge of the situation told Sherdog that the Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki 205-pound champion Narkun would face Ibragim Chuzhigaev on the upcoming KSW 66 card in the co-main event. The source asked to stay anonymous since the Polish promotion hasn’t officially confirmed the matchup.

In his latest appearance, Narkun (18-4, 10-3 KSW) failed in his attempt to become a two-division champion after current heavyweight kingpin Philip De Fries stopped “Giraffe” with punches at the 3:37 mark of Round 2 in their rematch, which served as the KSW 60 headliner. Before that, Narkun was on a two-bout winning streak after submitting both Przemyslaw Mysiala and Ivan Erslan via rear-naked choke at KSW 50 and KSW 56, respectively. The 32-year-old titleholder seems particularly vicious in his light heavyweight championship fights, as none of his opponents have survived for more than two rounds.

…

After defeating Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier in a period of 12 months, Charles Oliveira was selected as Sherdog.com's 2021 “Fighter of the Year.”

“I’m really happy and moved by that and everything that is going on in my life lately,” Oliveira told Sherdog.com. “UFC champion in one of the most difficult divisions. I set records for most submissions and bonuses, [and rank] fifth in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. To finish that amazing year being chosen as ‘Fighter of the Year’ by one of the most respected outlets in the world, I’m so happy and moved that I don’t know what to talk about. I´m just thankful to God.”

As for what’s next, Oliveira pointed to a possible showdown with Conor McGregor when UFC 274 heads to Rio de Janeiro on May 7.

"May would be a wonderful date,” he said. “Conor challenged me asking a date, and tweeted Ireland vs. Brazil 2. Not only him, but also myself and all the world wants to see that fight. So let's m…

Former heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos is set to make his first combat sports appearance since being released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

A bout between dos Santos and Kubrat Pulev is in the works for the Triller-promoted Triad Combat early next year. TMZ Sports was first to report the matchup, which is currently being targeted for February. The Triad Combat rule set is touted as a hybrid of boxing and MMA. Fighters are allowed to throw strikes from the clinch as well as spinning backfists and hammerfists. Kicks, knees, elbows are not allowed, nor is fighting on the ground. Combatants are allowed to stand on their opponent’s foot while throwing punches, however.

Triller Triad Combat held its inaugural event on Nov. 27. In the main event, Pulev authored a standing KO of another former UFC heavyweight king, Frank Mir, 1:59 into the first-round of their bout. Pulev owns a 28-2 professional boxing record, with his only two losses coming against Anthony Jos…