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Karina Rodriguez will make her first flyweight title defense against Ketlen Souza in the main event of Invicta FC 46 on March 9.

The all-female promotion announced the matchup on Wednesday. Invicta FC 46 will take place in Kansas City without fans or media in attendance, according to a release. Broadcast information will be revealed in the coming weeks. Invicta’s last card streamed on its YouTube channel.

Four other bouts were announced for the card: Daiana Torquato vs. Milana Dudieva at flyweight; Danielle Taylor vs. Liz Tracy at strawweight; Paulina Granados vs. Monique Adriane at atomweight and Fatima Kline vs. TBA at strawweight.

Rodriguez claimed flyweight gold with a five-round verdict over Torquato at Invicta on AXS TV last May. The Puebla, Mexico native has won three of her last four outings in the promotion, also earning wins over DeAnna Bennett and Dudieva.

Souza will make her Invicta FC debut on the momentum of a three-bout winning streak. The 2…

The stakes will be raised when Belal Muhammad and Vicente Luque square off for a second time in the Octagon.

A welterweight rematch between Muhammad and Luque will serve as the five-round headliner for a UFC Fight Night event on April 16. ESPN was first to report the pairing. A venue has not been announced for the event.

Muhammad and Luque initially squared off at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden, where Luque won via knockout in 79 seconds. Muhammad has lost just once in 12 UFC appearances since that defeat and is currently unbeaten in his last seven outings, with a no contest against Leon Edwards the only blemish on his ledger during that time. The former Titan FC title holder is coming off back-to-back decision triumphs against Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson.

Luque, meanwhile, is currently riding the momentum of a four-bout UFC winning streak, with finishes of Niko Price, Randy Brown, Tyron Woodley and Michael Chiesa to his credit. “The Silent Assassin” has…

Recent women’s flyweight title challenger Denise Kielholtz has her next assignment, as she will square off against Kana Watanabe at Bellator London on May 13.

Promotion officials also confirmed a featherweight tilt pitting Daniel Weichel against Robert Whiteford for the event. MMAFighting.com was first to report the bookings. Bellator London takes place at the SSE Arena and is headined by a welterweight title fight between Yaroslav Amosov and Michael Page.

Kielholtz is coming off a split-decision loss against reigning 125-pound champ Juliana Velasquez in the Bellator 262 headliner on July 16. Prior to that, “Miss Dynamite” won four straight bouts under the Bellator banner to solidify herself as the division’s No. 1 contender.

Watanabe, meanwhile, suffered her first loss in 11 professional outings at Bellator 261, where she suffered a 35-second TKO defeat to Liz Carmouche. The former Rizin and Deep Jewels competitor began her promotional tenure with triumphs ove…

Two days after regaining the flyweight belt with a decision win over Brandon Moreno at UFC 270, Deiveson Figueiredo briefly let his thoughts drift to a return home while dining with teammates at a Denny’s in Arizona, where he trains at Fight Ready.

The first two-time flyweight champion in UFC history won’t relax for long, however.

"I can't wait to have some acai and eat some typical Amazon fish that I love,” Figueiredo told Sherdog.com. “But as soon as possible I want to return with my family to Arizona. Besides loving the city, I was treated like family here. There is no doubt that my next camp will be here."

Figueiredo worked with coaches Henry Cejudo and Eric Albarracin to develop an interesting strategy – complete with code phrases -- for the trilogy with Moreno.

"Our game plan was always to mix [it up] and never leave Moreno in his comfort zone,” Figueiredo said. “For example, when my corner screams ‘Taco Burrito, I attack with body shots; ‘Chifrada’ …

Former two-division UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen has been added to the broadcast team for Eagle Fighting Championship 44 on Friday.

The promotion, which was founded by Khabib Nurmagomedov, announced the news on Tuesday. Sonnen joins a commentary team that already includes Henry Cejudo, Felicia Spencer, Jennifer Sterger and Cyrus Fees.

Sonnen has a lengthy history behind the mic, including analyst duties for both the UFC and Bellator. He currently hosts “The Chael Sonnen Show with Jorge Sedano” on ESPN+. During his fighting career, the West Linn., Ore., native was best known for his rivalry with Anderson Silva, which culminated in middleweight championship losses at UFC 117 and UFC 148. He later challenged for light heavyweight gold, falling to Jon Jones via first-round TKO at UFC 159.

"Khabib and Sonnen – the two undefeated champions join forces," Sonnen said in a release. "Eagle FC, Friday."

Eagle FC 44 takes place at the FLXcast Arena in Miami, Fla…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRo1hN8Jsow&w=560&h=315]

Eight female lightweights will vie for a Professional Fighters League contract on the third edition of the PFL Challenger Series on March 4.

The promotion on Tuesday revealed the lineup for the card, which takes place at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., at 9 p.m. ET and airs on Fubo Sports Network. Perhaps the most interest note from the release states that “the third installment of the Challenger Series will feature women’s lightweight fighters angling for a chance to take a shot at one of MMA's baddest combat sports athletes, Kayla Harrison.”

Harrison, of course, completed her most recent PFL deal by winning the organization’s 2021 championship. She was recently seen in attendance at UFC 269 and both Harrison and Dana White admitted that both sides had been in talks. However, this would seem to indicate that the two-time Olympic gold medalist has re-signed with PFL.

Some of the most notable wo…

PFL is back on @ESPN this April pic.twitter.com/ajnfBCbhm8

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 25, 2022

The partnership between Professional Fighters League and ESPN will continue for the foreseeable future.

The promotion announced Tuesday that it has reached a new, multi-year media agreement with ESPN that will see “expanded coverage” on the Worldwide Leader’s family of networks. According to a release, that means that the entirety of the PFL playoffs and the “majority” of regular season events will be televised on ESPN and simulcast on ESPN+, with additional events airing on ESPN2.

The new deal begins with the start of the PFL 2022 season, which is slated for April 20. In addition to live event coverage, ESPN platforms will also provide pre- and post-fight coverage as well as other exclusive PFL content.

“After two successful years of providing fans with premium MMA content alongside ESPN, PFL is proud to extend and expand our agreement,” said…

Maiquel Falcao and Marcelo Brigadeiro at Bellator 66, April 20, 2012 (Dave Mandel/Sherdog)

In the wake of the death by stabbing of Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran and former Bellator MMA title challenger Maiquel Falcao on Sunday, Sherdog reached out to Falcao’s friend and former coach, Marcelo Brigadeiro. The Astra Fight Team head man gave a frank and harrowing account of his troubled friend and the longstanding issues outside of the cage that hampered his professional as well as personal lives.

Sherdog: Can you talk about the recent report about Maiquel Falcao’s violent stabbing death in Brazil? You worked with him for many years, including his UFC and Bellator stints. He was a controversial person, from his single UFC bout, a win against Gerald Harris, to a gas station fight that resulted in severe brain injuries to his training partner Kaue Mena. At some point he was considered for a UFC return but an old battery charge kept that from happening. H…

Longtime UFC flyweight contender Jussier Formiga will compete for the first time in more than 18 months when he faces Miguel Felipe Bunes da Silva in the Legacy Fighting Alliance 124 headliner on Feb. 11.

The promotion recently announced the booking. LFA 124 takes place at Arizona Federal Theater in Phoenix, Ariz., and will see Windson Ramos square off against Clayton Carpenter in a 125-pound co-feature. The main card will stream on UFC Fight Pass.

Formiga parted ways with the UFC follwing successive defeats against Alex Perez, Brandon Moreno and Joseph Benavidez, with his last appearance coming in June 2020. The 36-year-old Formiga went 9-7 within the Las Vegas-based promotion, earning notable wins over the likes of current Bellator bantamweight king Sergio Pettis and reigning UFC flyweight champ Deiveson Figureiredo. Before the UFC added the flyweight division, the Brazilian was widely regarded as the best 125-pound fighter in the world.

Da Silva will make hi…

OH MY BEAST BOYYYYYYYYY

[ #UFC268 | Early Prelims are LIVE on @UFCFightPass & ESPN+ ] pic.twitter.com/cRf5Z3ocq6

— UFC (@ufc) November 6, 2021 On the heels of a spectacular spinning wheel kick knockout victry, Chris Barnett will return to the Octagon against Martin Buday at a UFC Fight Night event on April 16.

Eurosport was first to report the heavyweight booking. UFC Fight Night will likely take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, though a venue has yet to be confirmed. The card does not have a headliner at this point in time.

After suffering a submission loss to Ben Rothwell in his promotional debut, Barnett authored one of 2021’s most memorable finishes with the aforementioned KO of Gian Villante at UFC 268. The Tampa, Fla., native known as “Huggy Bear” owns a 22-7 career mark that includes stints in UAE Warriors, Road FC, Island Fights and Rizin Fighting Federation.

Slovakia’s Buday will make his Octagon debut after ear…

Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw expects to be in a title fight when he makes his Octagon return — now it’s just a matter of when that happens.

Dillashaw fought for the first time in more than two years following a USADA-mandated suspension at UFC on ESPN 27, where he edged Cory Sandhagen via split decision this past July. In August, the 35-year-old fighter underwent surgery for a torn PCL and damaged meniscus.

In an interview with ESPN, Dillashaw gave an update on his recovery and said he hopes to fight again in approximately six months.

"It's on track, I just didn't realize how much work I would have to get done," Dillashaw said. "I didn't realize how beat up my knee was. I knew what I tore but once I watched the video of what [the surgeon] did to me, I messed it up really bad. I almost have a full range of motion. Strength is there. I've just gotta make sure I'm safe about getting those full motions.

"I wouldn't say an exact timeframe, b…

Francis Ngannou was well aware off the risks he faced defending his heavyweight title at UFC 270, and he went through with the fight anyway.

Following his unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, Ngannou revealed to media at the post-fight press conference that he competing with a torn MCL and other damage to his knee suffered prior to the event.

“It was pretty bad,” Ngannou said. “I have a grade 3 MCL (tear), I have damage on my ACL and damage on my MPFL. That was 25 days ago. I think [I’ll need surgery].”

It was a different style of fight for Ngannou at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday night, as he relied on takedowns and top position to wear down his former MMA Factory training partner over the second half of the bout. “The Predator” said he was warned by doctors not to compete, but he elected to take the risk – even on the last fight of his UFC contract.

“My team was by my side regardless of whatever I decided to do, that’s wh…

Francis Ngannou was well aware off the risks he faced defending his heavyweight title at UFC 270, and he went through with the fight anyway.

Following his unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, Ngannou revealed to media at the post-fight press conference that he competing with a torn MCL and other damage to his knee suffered prior to the event.

“It was pretty bad,” Ngannou said. “I have a grade 3 MCL (tear), I have damage on my ACL and damage on my MPFL. That was 25 days ago. I think [I’ll need surgery].”

It was a different style of fight for Ngannou at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday night, as he relied on takedowns and top position to wear down his former MMA Factory training partner over the second half of the bout. “The Predator” said he was warned by doctors not to compete, but he elected to take the risk – even on the last fight of his UFC contract.

“My team was by my side regardless of whatever I decided to do, that’s wh…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC 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 Ultimate Fighting Championship card on May 14 is already getting stacked with flyweights. Per a report from MMA Junkie on Friday, top-10 flyweights Viviane Araujo (10-3) and Andrea Lee (13-5) have agreed to square off at the May 14 UFC Fight Night event. There is no official location on the books for this fight card yet, and the only other matchup booked for it is another 125-pound battle between ex-title challenger Lauren Murphy and former bantamweight queen Miesha Tate. This pairing has since been confirmed by Lee on social media.

Araujo crashed into the UFC with a trio of stoppages, including two under the Pancrase banner, and proceeded to knock Talita Bernardo in her promotional debut in 2019 up at bantamweight. “Vivi” dropped down to flyweight aga…

A pair of intriguing matchups have been booked for UFC London, as Arnold Allen will take on Dan Hooker at featherweight, while Gunnar Nelson will face Claudio Silva at welterweight.

Promotion officials announced Allen vs. Hooker, while multiple outlets confirmed Nelson vs. Silva following an initial report via Twitter. UFC Fight Night 204 takes place at the O2 Arena in London and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt pitting Alexander Volkov against Tom Aspinall.

The 28-year-old Allen has won his last 10 professional outings — including eight in UFC competition. The Englishman known as “Almighty” fought once in 2021, earning a unanimous decision over Sodiq Yusuff at UFC on ABC 2 last April. His ledger also includes wins over the likes of Nik Lentz, Gilbert Melendez and Makwan Amirkhani.

Hooker will return to 145 pounds for the first time since November 2016, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Jason Knight at UFC Fight Night 101. “The Hangman” went 3-3 in six …

The Jordanian Lion is looking for a new Challenge

He’ll fight for his spot in the PFL Regular Season

@DesertForce pic.twitter.com/oD417SDFuA — PFL (@PFLMMA) January 21, 2022

The lineups for the first two Professional Fighters League Challengers Series events are now official.

Promotion officials announced the matchups for the cards on Monday. The first Challenger Series event features light heavyweights on Feb. 18 and is headlined by a clash between two-division Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Joshua Silveira and Mohamed Juma.

The remaining 205-pound pairings are as follows: Alexander Poppeck vs. Taylor Johnson; Joao Paulo Fagundes vs. Bruce Souto and Simeon Powell vs. Karl Williams.

Meanwhile, the following week will highlight welterweight athletes with a card topped by a showdown between Brave Combat Federation champion Jarrah Al-Silawi and Michael Lilly. Additional matchups for the Feb. 25 card include: Dilano Taylo…

The third meeting between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno almost didn’t happen.

Due to a knee injury suffered by Alexandre Pantoja, Figueiredo was able to step in for a trilogy and made the most of his opportunity, edging Moreno via unanimous decision in a thrilling five-round affair in the UFC 270 co-main event. While the Brazilian mentioned a fourth bout with Moreno in the Octagon during his post-fight interview, he struck a different chord at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“Brandon didn’t give me the chance to fight him again,” the Figueiredo said. “He didn’t want to, except Pantoja got hurt. That’s why the UFC gave him the fight. If he behaves well for the next couple months, we’ll figure this out.”

While Figueiredo was outlanded in significant strikes by Moreno, “Deus da Guerra” connected with more authority in the bout, including three knockdowns. Two of those came in the third round, when Moreno may have been saved by the horn.

“If i…

Dana White was conspicious by his absence following Francis Ngannou’s championship victory over Ciryl Gane in the UFC 270 headliner at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday night.

Normally, the UFC president is in the Octagon to wrap the belt around the winner’s waist for championship bouts, and he was present in the cage for Deiveson Figueiredo’s victory in the UFC 270 co-main event earlier in the evening. However, White’s absence from Ngannou’s celebration and from Saturday’s post-fight press conference could be telling, as Ngannou and the promotion have been at odds in recent months.

“I don’t know. You have to ask him,” Ngannou said regarding White’s absence. “No, I did not have anything to do about that. I think that was their decision. I’m about to ask about that, too.”

Ngannou’s contract issues with the company have been well-documented, and he failed to come to terms with the organization prior to earning a unanimous decision over Gane at UFC 2…

Alexandre Pantoja has newly-crowned flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo directly in his crosshairs.

Shortly after the announcement that a light heavyweight title bout between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka was set for UFC 274 — a card that is rumored to take place in Rio de Janeiro — Pantoja proposed a rematch with Figueiredo in their home country. Figueiredo defeated Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision in their championship trilogy at UFC 270 on Saturday night.

"I was supposed to fight Moreno at UFC 270, but due to a knee problem I had to leave the card and give that opportunity to Figueiredo bring the belt back to Brazil, so nothing would be more fair than for him to make his first defense against myself in our country and my city,” Pantoja told Sherdog.com. “I can guarantee that in a rematch he will see a totally different Pantoja. In my city, I don’t see Deiveson keeping that title.”

Pantoja initially faced Figueiredo at UFC 240, falling to his…

Former UFC and Bellator fighter Maiquel Falcao died after being stabbed 17 times early Sunday morning in his hometown of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

Falcao was found by the Military Brigade lying on the sidewalk, surrounded by broken bottles, in front of a beverage distributor located on Major Francisco Nunes de Souza Street. Falcao was still alive when he was transported by ambulance to the Pelotas emergency room, where he was intubated and ultimately died as a result of his injuries. Local police are investigating the crime.

Falcao was 40 years old. He compiled a 40-20 mark in his MA career, with his most recent appearance coming in a first-round technical knockout loss to Nemanja Uveric at Serbian Battle Championship 36 on Oct. 16, 2021.

The Brazilian known as “Big Rig” had a well-traveled professional tenure. His lone Octagon appearance came in 2010, when he outpointed Gerald Harris at UFC 123. However, he was released by the promotion due to i…

.@UFC International Fight Week returns to Las Vegas from June 27 – July 3

— UFC News (@UFCNews) January 23, 2022

UFC 276 will be the featured attraction of the promotion’s 10th annual International Fight Week this summer.

The promotion announced the news during the UFC 270 broadcast on Saturday night. UFC 276 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 2, while International Fight Week as a whole will run from June 27 to July 3.

“We’re excited to announce the return of UFC International Fight Week to Las Vegas this summer and we can’t wait to provide our fans with greater access, a wide variety of activations and more memorable experiences than ever before,” UFC chief operating Ooficer Ike Lawrence Epstein said in a release. “IFW is our annual event celebrating all things UFC and combat sports, and we couldn’t do it without our partners from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).”

The week will includ…

Francis Ngannou was the top earner from Saturday’s UFC 270 card, according to salary figures released by the California State Athletic Commission.

Ngannou garnered a $600,000 payday for his five-round verdict against Ciryl Gane ($500,000) in the evening’s main event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. With the victory, Ngannou successfully defended the heavyweight belt for the first time.

Meanwhile, Deiveson Figueiredo took home $150,000 for his decision win against Brandon Moreno in their flyweight championship trilogy in the evening’s co-main event. Moreno earned $200,000 in defeat.

Michel Pereira was the card’s only other six-figure earner, as he took home a $100,000 disclosed payday for a three-round verdict over Andre Fialho ($12,000) a featured welterweight contest.

Note: The disclosed purses reported by state athletic commissions do not include any performance-based or discretionary bonuses that may be awarded to a fighter by the promotion. Addit…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 270 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The first pay-per-view event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship of 2022 is in the books and it was loaded with stellar performances. While the UFC 270 main event between heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane might not have been the barn-burner many had hoped for, the co-feature between defending flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figuieredo was a virtually-perfect third jewel to their amazing trilogy of wars.

Figuieredo was rocked a few times over the course of five grueling rounds with Moreno, but the Brazilian never wavered in his quest regain the title he lost to “The Assassin Baby” last June at UFC 263. Moreno was on point early and often, but Figuieredo kept coming until he dropped the fan favorite with a hard right to the jaw late in the third. The two closed out the championship rounds going t…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 270 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. While the outcome was not necessarily a surprise, the same cannot be said of the path Francis Ngannou took to get there. “The Predator” leaned on takedowns, topside control and unwavering determination, as he unified the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Ciryl Gane in the UFC 270 headliner on Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Scores were 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46—all for Ngannou (17-3, 12-2 UFC), who put his sixth consecutive victory to bed by showing a resourceful side few knew he possessed.

Gane (10-1, 7-1 UFC) appeared to be on cruise control through the first 10 minutes. Then, quite suddenly, Ngannou changed gears. He caught a body kick from his former MMA Factory stablemate and turned it into a high-amplitude takedown in the third round. He settled in side control…