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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚔️ Aljamain Sterling is looking to fight Brian Ortega or return in March on the UK card and fight Arnold Allen.

🎥 @Home_of_Fight pic.twitter.com/Rraprn2Ux2

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 14, 2024

Aljamain Sterling is aiming up the rankings despite a recent loss.

Sterling took on undefeated featherweight contender Movsar Evloev on the prelims at UFC 310 earlier this month. While “Funkmaster” dropped a unanimous decision against Evloev, the Russian arguably faced his toughest test to date.

Sterling isn’t even considering it a complete loss based on his performance. The former bantamweight champ doesn’t think he deserves to fight down the rankings after splitting his first two 145-pound appearances.

Sterling recently called out Arnold Allen, which would ideally go down at the O2 Arena for the UFC’s return to London on March 22. Sterling is otherwise eyeing former title challenger Brian Ortega within the sam…

CUB SWANSON WITH THE WALK-OFF K.O. 💥 #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/21HA1szYbt

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2024

Cub Swanson and Billy Quarantillo put on a show for the folks in Tampa on Saturday night.

As a result, the featherweight combatants took home “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their co-main event clash at UFC Tampa. Both fighters had their moments in a back-and-forth affair, but it was Swanson who put a lasting stamp on the bout when he rendered Quarantillo unconscious with a right cross 1:36 into Round 3.

Meanwhile, Dustin Jacoby earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his knockout of Vitor Petrino in a featured light heavyweight affair. After a measured opening 10 minutes, Jacoby found his desired opening in the final frame, when he dropped his Brazilian foe with a right cross and sealed his victory with a few follow-up shots at the 3:44 mark of the period.

Finally, Michael Johnson …

Pools of blood on the Octagon floor provided proof of Joaquin Buckley’s dominance.

“New Mansa” moved ever closer to title contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division, as he stopped Colby Covington on a cut in the third round of their UFC on ESPN 63 main event on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Referee Dan Miragliotta waved it off on the advice of the cageside physician 4:42 into Round 3.

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A late replacement for Ian Garry, Covington (17-5, 12-5 UFC) encountered immediate difficulty. Buckley (21-6, 11-4 UFC) hacked open a cut on his right eyelid with a slashing uppercut in the first round and turned up the heat from there. Power punching combinations paired with excellent takedown defense paved the way to the most significant victory of his career. The wound grew in size and depth as the minutes passed, and Covington was warned after the second round that the fight was on the verge of being halted. Buckley continu…

Bantamweight bully Lewis McGrillen-Evans (10-1) could be one of the most exciting additions to the Professional Fighters League Global roster next season after the Manchester native won the organization’s European bantamweight title with an outstanding second-round TKO over Alexander Luster at the PFL Europe 2024 Finals in Lyon, France.

McGrillen opened the fight very strong, dropping the German with a left hook, but Luster wouldn’t go away quietly. Luster shook off the cobwebs and cut McGrillen over his eye with his own heavy shots, and just like that, it was on. The two warriors slugged it out until the Manchester Top Team standout put Luster (9-2) flat on his back with another picture-perfect left hook. It would only take a few more finishing blows to cap off the performance. At 24, McGrillen–Evans could be a rising star in the PFL. Last season, he was stopped short of PFL Europe glory, but he redeemed himself on Saturday with an unforgettable performance.

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Michael Johnson still has more than enough firepower to make noise in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 finalist punched out former Brave Combat Federation champion Ottman Azaitar in the second round of their featured UFC on ESPN 63 prelim on Saturday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. In his first appearance since July 15, 2023, Azaitar (13-3, 2-3 UFC) crashed and burned 2:03 into Round 2.

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A tepid and mostly uneventful first five minutes gave way to a highlight-reel finish for one of the UFC’s most seasoned competitors. Azaitar set off a wild exchange in the center of the cage, showing no regard for his own safety. Johnson (23-19, 15-15 UFC) ducked out of danger and cut loose with a crushing right hook on the counter. Azaitar was out before he hit the mat, where he was met with a few more punches before referee Jason Herzog could cordon off the scene.

Meanwhile, Bandog Fight Club star Joel …

Professional Fighters League will conclude its historic year with the PFL Europe 2024 Finals in Lyon, France. Sherdog’s live coverage will kick off with the first bout at 11 a.m. ET.

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Play-by-play unavailable due to technical issuesThe Official Result Oscar Ownsworth def. Claudio Pacella via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) PFL Europe Welterweight Showcase Bout:Brice Belghazi (167.5) vs. Eoin Sheridan (170.8) Round 1 Ireland’s towering Sheridan and Lyon hometown favorite Belghazi face off, with Dan Movahedi the third man in the cage. Belghazi rushes straight in, clinches and shoves Sheridan to the fence, where he launches a couple of knees up the middle. Sheridan reverses him, knees him and fights off a takedown attempt. Sheridan then uses a trip of his own, to deposit the Frenchman on the canvas at the base of the fence. Belghazi kicks him off and they return to the feet, still clinched against the cage. Two minutes down, and Sheridan turns Belgh…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 63 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The event is also known UFC Tampa. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Knutsson (-230), Rodriguez (+190)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Taveras (-130), Grant (+110)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tyler Treese scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian K…

#UFCSaudiArabia is back with a BANG 💥@Stylebender vs @Imavov1 @Shara_Bullet77 vs @MichaelPage247

[ #RiyadhSeason | @RiyadhSeason ] pic.twitter.com/wCKv38qCmg

— UFC (@ufc) December 14, 2024

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A middleweight showdown pitting Israel Adesanya against Nassourdine Imavov will serve as the headliner for UFC Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1.

Additionally, Michael Page will square off against Sharabutdin Magomedov in another middleweight clash in the co-main event. UFC CEO Dana White announced the bouts on Saturday. UFC Fight Night 250 takes place at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and also includes a heavyweight tilt between Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Adesanya will be competing in his first non-title fight since he bested Anderson Silva at UFC 234 on Feb. 9, 2019. “The Last Stylebender” has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances and is coming off a fourth-round submission defeat against Dricus Du Pless…

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Tom Aspinall (15-3) claims he has been guaranteed a fight against Jon Jones (28-1).

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Jones was originally scheduled to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023 before being forced out with an injury. Tom Aspinall went on to knock out Sergei Pavlovich in an interim title fight on the same card.

With no timeline in sight for Jones’ return at that point, Aspinall initially called for “Bones” to be stripped off the title. The Brit later changed tune and started calling for a title unifier upon Jones’ return. However, Jones remained adamant on preserving his matchup against Miocic, whom he defeated via third-round stoppage at UFC 309 last month.

Despite Aspinall having even defended his title against Curtis Blaydes in the meantime, Jones is still loathe to fight the interim champ. While Jones was teasing retirement leading up to UFC 309, he is now plotting a mega fight against former champ Alex Pereira . Jon…

Curtis Blaydes (18-5) will welcome debutant Rizvan Kuniev (12-2) to the Octagon at UFC Seattle.

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Blaydes and Kuniev will meet in a heavyweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 252 on Feb. 22 at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Multiple outlets have confirmed the pairing after the matchup was first reported by Kuniev’s teammate Jairzinho Rozenstruik in an interview with James Lynch.

Blaydes challenged Tom Aspinall for the interim title in a rematch at UFC 304 this past July. “Honey Badger” knocked out Blaydes in just one minute, also avenging his lone UFC loss, where he blew his knee in the opening seconds back in 2022. Meanwhile, “Razor” has now sandwiched a win over Jailton Almedia between losses against Sergei Pavlovich and Aspinall.

Kuniev earned his UFC contract with a first round technical knockout win over Hugo -Cunha-52825">Hugo -Cunha-227763">Hugo Cunha on the Dana White's Contender Series this past August. While Kuniev entered D…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship completes its 2024 schedule this weekend with UFC on ESPN 63, which is now official after the weigh-ins took place.

All 26 fighters made weight for the promotion's final card of the year. Headlining the card is a fight between welterweight contenders Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley. Both men came in weighing 171 pounds for the five-round main event. In total, the card will feature 13 fights.

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Covington (17-4) will look to bounce back into the win column after coming up short in a title fight against Leon Edwards. "Chaos" has now lost two of his last three fights, with a win against Jorge Masvidal coming in between decision losses to Edwards and Kamaru Usman. The 36-year-old's best days are likely behind him, but we'll see how much he has in the tank in his lone fight of 2024.

Meanwhile, this marks the biggest fight in the career of Buckley (20-6). "New Mansa" is riding an impressive five-fig…

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A busy year for the Professional Fighters League wraps up on Saturday as the PFL Europe 4: 2024 Finals will take place.

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The event features four championship fights in the welterweight, lightweight, bantamweight and women's flyweight divisions. However, the card will be headlined by a welterweight showcase fight between Laureano Staropoli and Abdoul Abdouraguimov. All fighters successfully made weight, so the card will move forward with 12 fights.

Staropoli (13-6) enters the fight looking to rebound from a loss to Murad Ramazanov. Prior to the setback, "Pepi" had put together four straight wins. Meanwhile, Abdouraguimov (18-1, 1 NC) is riding eight straight victories into the main event. "The Lazy King" most recently won a split decision over Jack Grant. Staropoli came in at 170.8 pounds, while Abdouraguimov came in at 170.6 pounds.

PFL Europe 4: 2024 Finals will air live on Dazn starting at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

PFL Europ…

I will not leave the title vacant. The decision to move up to the next category is entirely mine. I haven't had any conversations with the UFC yet, so everything is still to be decided. Stop celebrating because I’m not going anywhere. I have conquered my division and I will do…

— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) December 12, 2024

Ilia Topuria is being cryptic about his plans to move up to lightweight.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight king recently revealed that we might have seen the last of him at 145 due to a lack of fresh challengers. Topuria (16-0) said he plans to move up to lightweight and face Charles Oliveira, eventually win the title and retire before he turns 30. “El Matador” attracted the attention of lightweights like Dustin Poirier, Paddy Pimblett and Renato “Money” Moicano by announcing his plans to move up to 155. Meanwhile, Diego Lopes, who was originally rallying for a featherweight title sh…

💥💥💥 ANNOUNCEMENT 💥💥💥10th Anniversary ⚡️ #RIZIN_DECADE🥊 Announcement: Joint Public Training Session 🥊

📆 Date: Saturday, December 14th, starting at 10:00 PM CT📍 Location: Somewhere in Tokyo

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✅ Participating Fighters:👑 Chihiro / 👑Satoshi / Motoya / Akimoto… pic.twitter.com/b2Cyvk2uhN — RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) December 11, 2024

Rizin Fighting Federation has put together an interesting card for New Year’s Eve.

Rizin 49 “Decade” goes down at Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo on Dec. 31. The card will be headlined by lightweight champ Roberto Satoshi de Souza (17-3) putting his belt on the line against former featherweight champ Vugar Karamov (20-5).

Souza is coming off back-to-back first round knockout wins and is 3-2 in his last five with both losses coming in promotional crossovers with Bellator stars A.J. McKee and Patricky Freire. Meanwhile, Karamov lost his featherweight title via a knockout against Chihiro Suzuki at …

🚨 Deiveson Figueiredo says he's willing to go back down to flyweight and fight Alexandre Pantoja for the belt 👀

"Since [Pantoja] is looking for someone, I think I'm the best option. I'm available man...

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In my entire career in the UFC, I only missed weight once... If I have… pic.twitter.com/SUJW8gJH2l — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 11, 2024

Alexandre Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo are teasing an Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight rematch.

Pantoja (29-5) has defended his flyweight strap thrice since winning it against Brandon Moreno at UFC 290 last year. “The Cannibal” most recently choked out two-time Rizin Fighting Federation champ Kai Asakura who received an immediate shot at UFC 310 earlier this month after signing with the UFC. This is mostly due to a lack of flyweight challenges for Pantoja, apart from running it back with Moreno or Royval.

However, a new contender has seemingly entered …

👀🤼Chase Hooper doubts Shavkat Rakhmonov’s grappling skills:

“We just never seen him fighting grappler… He’s undefeated for sure, but let’s see him against good wrestler… before giving him shot for the belt.”

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🎥 @Home_of_Fight ▫️ pic.twitter.com/TyAG1frW6t — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 11, 2024

Chase Hooper thinks Shavkat Rakhmonov has yet to show he is ready for an Ultimate Fighting Championship title shot.

Rakhmonov (19-0) was originally offered a welterweight title shot against Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 earlier this month before “Remember the Name” pulled out due to a bone infection. Muhammad was replaced by Ian Garry in a potential title eliminator against the fellow undefeated contender.

While Rakhmonov was a massive -290 favourite going into the fight, +215 underdog Garry gave him a run for his money. Although “Nomad” roped in a unanimous decision, he struggled to take Garry down throughou…

Global Fight League regular season begins in April.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/Dz28thyBvG

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) December 11, 2024

If it all comes to fruition, the Global Fight League could be an interesting new addition to the mixed martial arts landscape.

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On Wednesday, promotion founder Darren Owen announced plans to launch a team-based MMA league with a season format beginning in April 2025. According to a release, the league will feature six teams in “major global markets.” There will be a draft on Jan. 24 to select the fighters to represent each team. The launch of the league was initially announced on the Ariel Helwani Show.

"Our new league is a logical evolution for MMA," Owen said in a release. "Our mission is to embrace fighters as true equitable partners from inception and, together, create a format that can be understood by any sports fan. I've had hundreds of conversations with MMA legends and ri…

Jack Shore is calling it a career before he turns 30.

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The nine-time UFC competitor and former Cage Warriors champion announced his retirement via social media on Wednesday.

“As what may come as a surprise to a few I’ve decided to hang up the gloves on my professional fighting career,” Shore wrote on Instagram. “After fighting out my contract and taking some time to think about what’s next it’s clear to me that my time with professional fighting is done. Although I had the chance to re-sign with UFC, I’ve decided my time’s done. I want to thank the UFC for letting me live out my childhood dream of fighting for the worlds biggest organization and against some of the best in the world, I’ve enjoyed every minute!

“From what started as a kid with a dream, led me to amateur titles, world titles and living out my dream of fighting in the UFC. I can truly say for every single fight I gave the training and the fights my all, never said no, never ask…

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙍𝙄𝙇𝙊𝙂𝙔 𝙂𝙊𝙀𝙎 𝘿𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙄𝙉 𝘿𝙐𝘽𝘼𝙄! 🇷🇺🇺🇸 @VadimNemkov runs it back with Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, @CoreyA_MMA at the Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday January 25!

Who gets their hand raised in this high stakes heavyweight co-main event? 🤔

BE THERE!… pic.twitter.com/JKepSPI1J5

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) December 11, 2024

Corey Anderson and Vadim Nemkov will square off for a third time early next year at Champions Series Dubai.

Anderson is a replacement for Ante Delija, who withdrew from the event. Champions Series Dubai takes place on Jan. 25 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes. Champion Series Dubai is the PFL’s rebranding of Bellator MMA, which it acquired at the end of 2023.

Anderson and Nemkov initially fought in the Bellator grand prix final in April 2022. Anderson appeared to be on his way to victo…

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Gregory Rodrigues will square off against Jared Cannonier in the UFC Fight Night 251 main event on Feb. 15.

MMA Mania was first to report the middleweight booking. UFC Fight Night 251 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and also includes a featherweight tilt pitting Edson Barboza against Steve Garcia. Read more about Gregory Rodrigues vs. Jared Cannonier to Headline UFC Fight Night 251 on Feb. 15

Former UFC star Nate Diaz is facing a misdemeanor battery charge for an alleged incident that occurred at a Las Vegas nightclub this past August.

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According to a report from TMZ Sports, Diaz was involved in an alleged altercation on Aug. 24 while waiting to get into the Omnia nightclub at Caesars Palace. Diaz and his friends were reportedly holding up the line when a security guard approached the group. According to court documents, Diaz shoved the security guard and the man pushed back before the fighter hit him in the face with “an open right hand.”

A video of the alleged incident surfaced on social media earlier this year. In that footage, Diaz can be seen shoving a man in the face during the scuffle before the two are separated. The UFC veteran had left the scene by the time police arrived, per court documents. A misdemeanor battery charge was filed against Diaz in October. He could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.<…

Renato "Money Moicano" Carneiro is aiming high if he wins his next fight.

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Moicano will take on Beneil Dariush at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Dariush is coming off consecutive stoppage losses against Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. While Carneiro doesn’t expect Dariush to be on his prime, the Brazilian will prepare for the best version of his opponent. Moicano plans on putting on a dominant display against the Assyrian-American at UFC 311.

“Even if I think he is not on his prime, I will train and prepare myself to the best version of Dariush,” Carneiro told Ariel Helwani. “Because I know he lost couple in a row and now it’s time to go for him. If he loses that one, he is going to be in a bad situation. I have something to say, ‘You will be in a bad situation because I’m not losing. I cannot afford to lose.’ Jan. 18 I’m going over there and finish, dominate and beat Beneil Dariush.”

Read more about Renato Carneiro Expects to Dominate Beneil Dariush, Call for Title Shot at UFC 311

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Arman Tsarukyan is excited to have his idol Khabib Nurmagomedov in the opposite corner at UFC 311.

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Tsarukyan challenges Nurmagomedov’s teammate, Islam Makhachev, for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. “Ahalkalkets” previously suffered a hard-fought unanimous decision loss against Makhachev in his UFC debut back in 2019.

While Nurmagomedov was in attendance for the fight, he wasn’t cornering Makhachev back then. However, the lightweight GOAT contender will be in Makhachev’s corner for his upcoming defense against Tsarukyan at UFC 311. “The Eagle” will also be cornering his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov, who challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title in the co-main event of the night.

Tsarukyan was recently asked to choose between Nurmagomedov and Makhachev with both being at their peak. Having grown up being inspired by Nurmagomedov, Tsarukyan p…

Colby Covington says he’s going to “break” and “drown” Joaquin Buckley 😳

“He’s never been in a 5 round fight with an elite fighter like me… Saturday night I’m gonna drown this guy.”

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🎥 @ufc #UFC #MMA #UFCTampapic.twitter.com/AEus9Gs3Zf — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 11, 2024

Colby Covington plans to take the soul out of Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa.

Covington and Buckley will headline UFC on ESPN 63 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Saturday. While Buckley is on an impressive winning streak, Covington believes “New Mansa” hasn’t fought anyone of his caliber in a five-round affair. “Chaos” claims to be in his prime, unlike the opponents Buckley has faced in the recent past.

Covington plans on taking Buckley into deep waters and drowning him on Saturday night.

“The fight just looks like me just completely breaking him,” Covington said in an interview with the UFC. “Taking him down, tak…