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Tai Tuivasa went toe-to-toe with Derrick Lewis and got the better of the UFC’s all-time knockout king.

“Bam Bam” ended a slugfest with Derrick Lewis in emphatic fashion, landing a standing elbow that caused “The Black Beast” to fall face first to the canvas 1:40 into Round 2 of the heavyweight co-main event at UFC 271. In the end, it was the type of effort that could even win over Lewis’ hometown fans in Houston.

“I thought I did well,” Tuivasa said at the post-fight press conference. “Come to Houston, I got a few boos at the start, but turned them into cheers.”

Tuivasa is currently in the midst of five consecutive knockout victories, making him one of just 24 fighters in UFC history to author a streak of that length. He still has a ways to go before he surpasses Lewis’ knockout mark, but the Aussie can envision a day when that record is his.

“He’s had his time and I think this is the passing of the torch,” Tuivasa said. “If I keep up doing what I’m doing,…

Israel Adesanya had to work a little bit harder to dispatch Robert Whittaker in the UFC 271 main event than he did in their first meeting. At the end of the night, “The Last Stylebender” was relatively satisfied with his unanimous decision victory.

“7 out of 10. Not bad,” he said in giving his performance a grade at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Good night in the office, good chess match.”

Adesanya became middleweight champion for the first time at UFC 243, when he knocked out Whittaker in the second round. In the rematch, the City Kickboxing star prevailed in a more technical affair, but Whittaker was able to take some rounds on the judges scorecards, so it wasn’t the dominant win Adesanya and his team had been hoping for leading up to the fight.

“It’s easier said than done,” Adesanya said. “I don’t know people, I feel like they have goldfish memories, but when they’re in there with me, they realize ‘Oh s—t’ it’s not as easy as we thought.’ They just…

While Robert Whittaker disagreed with the scorecards in the UFC 271 main event, he nonetheless vanquished some demons even in losing his rematch with Israel Adesanya.

After relinquishing the middleweight crown to Adesanya in a second-round knockout loss in October 2019. Whittaker offered a much better performance the second time around, attacking behind his left jab and lead left hook while keeping his opponent off balance through takedowns and clinch work. Ultimately it wasn’t enough to offset Adesanya’s versatile striking arsenal, which notably included a knockdown in Round 1 and a steady diet of chopping kicks to the legs.

“I thought I did enough, I thought I did enough. Breaking it down, I think I lost the first round. I put myself together and I beat him to every punch. I got takedowns. I thought I did enough,” Whittaker said at the UFC 273 post-fight press conference.

“But it is what it is. That’s how work goes in the office. I’m going to go back evolve so…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 271 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Houston on Saturday with a pay-per-view card anchored by the UFC middleweight championship fight between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. However, as intriguing as the main event was, it paled in comparison to their initial meeting and four other fighters on the UFC 271 card racked up post-fight bonuses. The usual Fight of the Night and two Performance of the Night bonuses were handed out and they were well deserved.

Douglas Silva de Andrade and Sergey Morozov captured $50K each for their excellent skirmish that led to their winning the FOTN. De Andrade was rattled badly early on in their bantamweight tussle when he swallowed an uppercut, knee and elbows early. Morozov had the Brazilian battered and bloodied, but de Andrade rallied in the second frame and dropped his foe with s…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 271 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Israel Adesanya took a far different route to win his return date with Robert Whittaker. The City Kickboxing stalwart outdueled his rival over five-closely contested rounds to retain his middleweight crown in the UFC 271 headliner at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night. All three cageside judges struck tallies for Adesanya: 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46. It was a far cry from their first meeting, when Adesanya claimed the 185-pound title with a second-round KO of Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019.

“I knew he was gonna bring everything because last time I took everything away from him,” Adesanya said. “And he had nothing to lose. Like I said, I’m the champ. If you want it, come get it.”

Adesanya (22-1, 11-1 UFC) was at his best in the opening round, when he repeatedly chopped away at Whittaker’s leg with low kicks a…

43 and still going strong 💪

[ @AndreiArlovski | #UFC271 ] pic.twitter.com/rZEWfZoqsG

— UFC (@ufc) February 13, 2022 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 271 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. There seems to be no expiration date on Andrei Arlovski’s mixed martial arts career.

The former heavyweight king won for the fifth time in six outings at UFC 271, taking a split decision over Dana White’s Contender Series vet Jared Vanderaa in a preliminary bout at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday night. Judges Jeff Rexroad and Douglas Crosby scored the fight 29-28 for the Belarusian, while Robert Alexander had it 29-28 in favor of Vanderaa (12-7, 1-3 UFC).

The 43-year-old Arlovski (33-20, 22-14 , 1 NC UFC) relied on the formula that has brought him consistent success at this stage of his professional tenure. He utilized superior hand speed and movement to keep the…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 271 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC 271 “Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2” coverage will begin Saturday at 6 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: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 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 …

Jussier Formiga chokes Felipe Bunes unconscious in the main event of LFA 124. Not sure what the ref was waiting for. pic.twitter.com/tMWQEPwhSp

— Will (@ChillemDafoe) February 12, 2022 Jussier Formiga fought for the first time since being released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the main event of LFA 124.

Formiga (24-8) faced off against another Legacy Fighting Alliance newcomer in Felipe Bunes. Originally meant to be a flyweight bout, it was moved to a 139-pound catchweight after Formiga massively missed weight for the three-round fight.

The first frame primarily took place on the feet with neither fighter breaking away, although Formiga briefly took the back of Bunes (11-6). However, Round 2 was a different story as the Brazilian grappler took down Bunes and locked in a tight rear-naked choke that forced Bunes to tap. The finish came at 1:53 of the second frame and is Formiga's first win since 2019.

In the co-main event, ligh…

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. Editor's note: The article has been updated at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 11, adding that UFC Fight Night 201 has received a new main event. The battle for the best Rafael in the Ultimate Fighting Championship will have to wait an extra month.

On Friday, Ariel Helwani reported that the UFC Fight Night 201 main event of Rafael dos Anjos (30-13) vs. Rafael Fiziev (11-1) was in jeopardy due to visa issues for Fiziev. As a result, the two lightweights will no longer be squaring off on Feb. 19 in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Instead, the fight has been pushed to UFC 272 on March 5. Later confirmed by ESPN, dos Anjos and Fiziev will throw down as the co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and their fight will remain a five-round contest. Johnny Walker vs. Jamahal Hill will draw the new headlining assignment of UFC Fight Night 201, acc…

No one worked harder at the most recent One Championship card than referee Olivier Coste, who drew the assignment for every match of the night.

BOOM Anatoly Malykhin knocks out Kirill Grishenko with a looping right hook to become the ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion! #ONEBadBlood #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/ZxCmPd5ZYG

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) February 11, 2022 The One: ‘Bad Blood‘ main event saw Anatoliy Malykhin taking on Kirill Grishenko with the One interim heavyweight championship on the line. The interim belt situation arose following some failed contractual negotiations between the Singapore-based promotion and titleholder Arjan Singh Bhullar. Malykhin (10-0, 3-0 One) used his wrestling background to keep his opponent guessing for the first half of the opening round, as Grishenko (5-1, 2-1 One) stayed light on his feet and landed from afar. Midway through the stanza, Malykhin landed a big takedown that al…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAv3rlZKB4s&w=640&h=360] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 271 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title will be on the line at UFC 271, as both Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker weighed 184 pounds for the highly-anticipated rematch. While the headliners were professional, not every fighter on the then-15-fight card managed to come in at their contracted weight or even close to it. William Knight missed the light heavyweight limit by a whopping 12 pounds, he received a 40% fine of his purse and his bout against Maxim Grishin was shifted to heavyweight as a result. Additionally, Alex Perez came in two pounds heavy for his flyweight bout against Matt Schnell, and that fight has been canceled.

This is the fourth attempted title defense for Adesanya (21-1), who picked up the belt in 2019 by knocking out Whittaker (…

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. Ohio-based Ultimate Fighting Championship fans will not have to wait any longer to learn the headliner on the Columbus card. On Thursday night, Ariel Helwani broke the news that UFC Columbus, also known as UFC on ESPN 33, will now draw heavyweights in the main attraction. Curtis Blaydes (15-3, 1 NC) will take on Chris Daukaus (12-4) in a matchup between top-10 fighters in the division on March 26. The big men will throw down inside the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Blaydes was quick to confirm the booking on his Instagram shortly after its announcement.

At the beginning of 2021, Blaydes had a four-fight win streak cut short by a Derrick Lewis uppercut atop UFC Fight Night 185. Since then, “Razor” Blaydes rebounded with a clear-cut decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik. As a pro, the Elevation Fight Team product has pr…

Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Brian Kelleher (@brianboom135) has been added to UFC 272 on March 5, per sources. In addition to the fight, Kelleher has signed a new UFC deal, as he announced recently. pic.twitter.com/6IMHXDt56S

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 10, 2022 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. The unbeaten cousin of Ultimate Fighting Championship great Khabib Nurmagomedov is getting the toughest test in his young career. Per the UFC’s broadcast partner of ESPN on Thursday, Umar Nurmagomedov (13-0) has his second UFC outing booked. At UFC 272 on March 5 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nurmagomedov will take on Brian Kelleher (24-12) in the bantamweight division. Kelleher confirmed the pairing shortly after its announcement via his Instagram Stories page, while also noting that he has a new four-fight deal with the organiza…

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 former Invicta Fighting Championships champs will stand toe-to-toe inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon this May. MMA Fighting broke the news on Thursday that Virna Jandiroba (17-3) will throw down with Angela Hill (13-11) in the strawweight division at a UFC Fight Night event on May 14. Jandiroba has since confirmed the pairing on her Instagram account. The show that will likely take place inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas does not currently have a headliner booked, but it is anticipated that this tilt will take place on its main card.

Since surrendering her 115-pound crown in the Invicta FC ranks to join the UFC, “Carcara” has struggled, with three wins opposite three defeats. Her UFC debut in 2019 marked the first time Jandiroba had ever lost in her career, but she did manage to bounce back with a pai…

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. The coach of former Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champ Jose Aldo knows just what he would do if he were granted matchmaking powers. On a strong win streak with victories over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font, Aldo is in prime placement for some excellent opportunities in the bantamweight division. Ranked #5 in his division on Sherdog and holding the three spot for the UFC’s rankings, Aldo is currently awaiting his next opponent. Sherdog spoke to Aldo’s manager and head coach, Andre Pederneiras, who explained some of the possible matchups for his fighter and who he would prefer Aldo faced next.

“We have [Petr] Yan and Aljamain [Sterling] fighting for the belt in April 9 [at UFC 273], [it] would make all the sense that [number] two and [number] three, two former champions, face each other to decide who would …

Don't forget to take selfie with this gigantic poster TONIGHT!!!

Full Metal Muay Thai 2: The Return of Nuk Soo KaoFeb 4th, 2022Rawai Boxing StadiumTickets - https://t.co/4vdwqp2bwcLive on - https://t.co/qRhb8pylQY

2 PM UK Time9 AM USA Time #FMD pic.twitter.com/niAuYpQb01 — Full Metal Dojo (@FullMetalDojo) February 4, 2022 Full Metal Dojo is back at it again, with Fight Circus Vol. 4 on the docket at the end of February.

The multi-disciplinary combat sporting event series known as “Fight Circus” will be featuring its fourth event on Feb. 25, and it will likely take place at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand. A deviation from the past, no MMA matches will be held on the card, although several different combat sports and a few newly invented ones will be on stage at this unique show. The event will air on Fite.tv that Friday 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, and it will feature a minimum of nine matches. It is unknown as of yet whether Bo…

Light Heavyweight Bout Featuring Yoel Romero Against Melvin Manhoef Added to @BELLATORMMA's Return to Paris on May 6https://t.co/OAgR5ViRld

— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) February 10, 2022 The combined age of this newly announced Bellator MMA co-headliner will be a few days shy of 91.

The organization released the news of three bouts on Thursday for its Bellator Paris showcase on May 6 at the Accor Arena in Paris, with venerable vets taking the stage in the co-main event. While Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo 2 – a total of 84 years of age – will claim the marquee spot for the heavyweight strap, light heavyweights will hit the cage immediately before them. Yoel Romero (13-6) will return to the promotion for his sophomore appearance against the well-traveled Melvin Manhoef (32-15-1, 2 NC).

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Romero left the UFC on a three-fight skid, with decision losses to Robert Whittaker, Pau…

It should come as no surprise that Denys Bondar is facing a lenghty medical suspension following his appearance at UFC Fight Night 200.

Bondar must have his left elbow cleared by an orthopedic doctor or he will be out until Aug. 5. At a minimum he is suspended until March 23 with no contact until March 8. Bondar suffered the injury when he posted his arm during a scramble in his flyweight matchup with Malcolm Gordon this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was halted 1:22 into Round 1 once Bondar yelled in pain and indicated he could not continue.

A full list of medical suspensions from the event was recently released by mixedmartialarts.com.

Seven other fighters from the card are facing potential six-month terms pending doctor clearance: Punahele Soriano (left knee), Sam Alvey (tooth), Michael Trizano (left ribs), Alexis Davis (left elbow), Julija Stoliarenko (left mandible), Danilo Marques (left shoulder) and Philip Rowe (right knee).

Just days before his rematch with Robert Whittaker at UFC 271, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has signed a new contract with the promotion.

While Adesanya wouldn’t get into specifics regarding terms, he did indicate that it was financially significant. A separate announcement by his management, Paradigm Sports, revealed that it was a multi-fight contract.

“I just signed a new, crazy deal with the UFC. It’s a big deal. It’s a fucking big deal … It hasn’t hit me yet,” Adesanya said at UFC 271 media day. “If I was just gonna do this for the money and bounce, I would’ve done this maybe three fights ago, to be honest. I’m kind of set.

“It’s not about money. This is about legacy. This is about martial arts. This is about learning. I haven’t lost that step. I’m still hungry. The thing i want to know is: What’s my value to the company? You can’t undersell my value. If you are, you’re kidding yourself.”

Congrats to Israel Adesanya on sig…

Dhiego Lima is calling it a career after 24 professional fights.

The 33-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of American Top Team Atlanta, announced his decision via Instagram. Lima had been scheduled to face Miguel Baeza at UFC Fight Night on April 16.

“Hey guys I am making this post to announce that I will be retiring from fighting,” Lima wrote. “My timing and God’s timing is completely different. I feel like I’m in my prime, but He has bigger and better plans for my life. I know when God speaks to me, and He was clear that my fighting days are over.

“Thank you for everyone that has supported me through this journey. One thing I do is obey God even when I don’t want to and that’s the a lesson I hope you take from this: His plans are always better. Thank you [UFC] for my career and always taking care of me. I will be around as a coach there because I have plenty of young guns that will make it, and I will be there for them!!”

Lima later elaborated on his …

A welterweight showdown between Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos and Mounir Lazzez has been added to the lineup for an Ultimate Fighting Championship card on April 16.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the booking. The UFC Fight Night event takes place at an as yet to be announced location and is headlined by a rematch between Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad.

Dos Santos last appeared at UFC 267, where he authored a lopsided beatdown in a unanimous decision win over Benoit St. Denis this past October. The 35-year-old Brazilian is 2-2 in his last four Octagon appearances, also earning a win over Alexey Kunchenko in March 2020.

Lazzez, meanwhile, gained some attention when he defeated knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan via unanimous decision in his Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 13. In his next outing, the Tunisian didn’t fare so well, falling to Warlley Alves in a first-round TKO loss at UFC on ESPN 20.

Adam Borics and Mads Burnell will square off with a featherweight title shot on the line in the Bellator 276 main event on March 12.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Wednesday. Bellator 276 takes place at The Family Arena in St. Louis and will see former light heavyweight king Phil Davis square off against Julius Anglickas in the evening’s co-headliner. The main card airs on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on the Bellator YouTube channel, the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Two other bouts were also confirmed for Bellator 276: a main card lightweight matchup pitting Jay-Jay Wilson against Gadzhi Rabadanov and a preliminary light heavyweight scrap between Alex Polizzi and Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros.

Borics has been victorious in eight of his nine appearances within the California-based promotion. In his lone outing of 2021, the 28-year-old Hungarian outpointed former UFC and Profes…

Friday’s highly anticipated title clash between Bibiano Fernandes and John Lineker scheduled for One Championship “Bad Blood” will not take place as originally planned.

The 145-pound title bout was canceled after Lineker tested positive for COVID-19. It’s currently unclear if the Singapore-based promotion will rebook the matchup for a future event. MMAFighting.com was first to report the news of Lineker’s positive test, which occurred at some point after his arrival in Singapore.

Fernandes later confirmed the cancellation on his Instagram account while also indicating that the fight will be rescheduled at a later date.

"It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce the fight between me and John Lineker has been postponed," Fernandes wrote. "Unfortunately John Lineker tested positive for COVID 19 and is unable to fight at this time. I wish him a full and quick recovery.

"I’m sorry to all of my fans for the disappointing news. I will be ready once the fi…

Bellator MMA has a timeline for its highly-anticipated rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Freire.

The featherweight championship clash has been targeted for a Bellator event in April, though it could also take place in May. The bout and its potential date were initially reported by Ariel Helwani. A venue and location have not been announced.

McKee completed his rise to the top of the 145-pound division this past July, defeating Freire via first-round submission in the Bellator 263 headliner in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old Team Bodyshop representative is 18-0 as a professional, with all of his triumphs coming under the Bellator banner. His ledger includes wins over the likes of Darrion Caldwell, Georgi Karakhanyan, Pat Curran, John Teixeira and Justin Lawrence.

Freire had a seven-bout winning streak snapped in his loss to McKee. That included a run through the featherweight grand prix that saw him best Juan Archuleta, Pedro Carvalho and Emmanuel Sanchez to r…