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／Yogibo presents #RIZIN33＼

：12.31(金) 14:00開始(予定)：さいたまスーパーアリーナ：https://t.co/ulXsBcdRdO

チケット一般発売 12.12(日)10:00~

フジテレビ系列全国放送：12.31(金) 18:00~#大晦日 #フジテレビ pic.twitter.com/cVBWZlFQ4R

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) December 9, 2021 Fans of Rizin Fighting Federation can breathe a sigh of relief as the traditional New Year’s Eve show in Japan is going big again.

Per a press release from the league on Thursday morning, Rizin has made official a number of matches expected to take place on Rizin 33 on Dec. 31. In an announcement press conference helmed by Rizin head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the travel ban implemented in Japan will allow for international competitors coming to the country until the year’s end. Additionally, the Saitama Super Arena will be allowed to fill to full capacity, up from the 50% past Rizin shows had been permitted by the government.

“We have been officially told th…

／Yogibo presents #RIZIN33＼

：12.31(金) 14:00開始(予定)：さいたまスーパーアリーナ：https://t.co/ulXsBcdRdO

チケット一般発売 12.12(日)10:00~

フジテレビ系列全国放送：12.31(金) 18:00~#大晦日 #フジテレビ pic.twitter.com/cVBWZlFQ4R

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) December 9, 2021 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 10 reflect a correction from the organization about international competitors.

The final Rizin Fighting Federation blockbuster show of the year may end up being composed solely of domestic fighters, with international travel restrictions hampering the card until Dec. 30.

Per a press release from the league on Thursday morning, Rizin has made official a number of matches expected to take place on Rizin 33 on Dec. 31. In an announcement press conference helmed by Rizin head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, he announced that the Saitama Super Arena will be allowed to fill to full capacity, up from the 50…

Mark Your Calendar: February 18, 2022 #PFLonFuboTV pic.twitter.com/fQ2Il7FqPR

— PFL (@PFLMMA) December 9, 2021

Editor's note: The article has been updated at 12:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 9 to reflect additional information on the official capacity of the celebrity judges.

Professional Fighters League has announced a multi-year partnership with fuboTV to stream the new PFL Challenger Series next year.

The PFL Challenger Series is designed to allow the winners to earn a spot on the upcoming PFL season, making it somewhat similar to the format utilized by Dana White’s Contender Series. The PFL Challenger Series will debut on Feb. 18 next year and will stream on consecutive Friday nights in February, March and April on fuboTV and its linear network, Fubo Sports Network.

However, the PFL will apparently differ from the Contender Series in the way that fighters are selected to compete in the season.

“PFL Challenger Series is not your f…

Jon Jones has been on the sidelines since February 2020, but if all goes as planned, the former UFC light heavyweight champion will be ready to return to action next year.

In an interview with Albuquerque, N.M.-based station KRQE, Jones targeted two potential dates to make his heavyweight debut. In the meantime, “Bones” will be an interested observer when Francis Ngannou squares off against Ciryl Gane in a title unification bout at UFC 270 on Jan. 22.

“I’m looking to fight somewhere in April, possibly Madison Square Garden, or a total opposite date, possibly July at International Fight Week,” Jones said. “Those are the two dates that I’m kind of eyeing. I think it’ll depend on who wins in January between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane, and we’ll just take it from there.”

In the wake of his arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident, Jones was banned from his longtime training home, Jackson-Wink MMA at the behest of owner Mike Winkeljohn. He has kept ties …

After being arrested for driving while intoxicated and carrying an unlicensed weapon on Thanksgiving, it appeared that Geoff Neal might have bigger concerns than his UFC 269 fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio.

As it turns out, there is still much to be resolved regarding Neal’s case, and the welterweight made it to UFC 269 media day to address the situation. Shortly after news of his arrest broke, UFC officials confirmed the bout against Ponzinibbio would move forward as planned. For now, Neal is awaiting the results of his post-arrest blood screening to contest his DWI.

“I haven’t been charged with any crime yet,” Neil told assembled media (video via MMAjunkie.com). “They had probable cause and instead of doing the breathalyzer, I chose to do the blood [test]. I’m waiting on the results to get back and we’ll go from there.”

Even if Neal beats the charges, the timing of the arrest — he was out at 3:47 a.m. local time — is of concern for someone two weeks away f…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBeOJzRjG8&w=560&h=315]

Victor Henry will step in for Trevin Jones and lock horns with Raoni Barcelos at UFC Fight Night 199.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new bantamweight booking. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Dec. 18 and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

Henry will enter the matchup with Barcelos having won nine of his last 10 professional bouts. The 34-year-old Los Angeles native last appeared at LXF 6 on Oct. 30, when he submitted six-time UFC vet Albert Morales in the second round. Henry has competed for organizations such as Rizin, Deep, Pancrase and Russian Cagefighting Championship while compiling a 21-5 professional mark.

Barcelos, meanwhile, had a nine-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, a majority decision loss to Timur Valiev at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champ b…

A matchup of UFC veterans is slated for Eagle Fighting Championship 44, as Ray Borg will square off against Cody Gibson on Jan. 28 in Miami.

Borg confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Eagle FC is the promotion owned by retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Eagle FC 44 marks the organization’s U.S. debut and will stream on FLX Cast. The card is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight clash between Antonio Silva and Tyrone Spong and will also see Rashad Evans make his return from retirement against an as yet to be announced opponent.

Borg began his UFC tenure as a flyweight, falling to Demetrious Johnson via fifth-round submission in a title bout at UFC 216. He later transitioned to bantamweight but had numerous bouts fall through during the second portion of his Octagon tenure. He was released in 2020 following a split-decision loss to Ricky Simon but returned to the win column when he outpointed Jessie Arnett at UAE Warriors 20 …

American Top Team head trainer Marcus “Conan” Silveira has high hopes for two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison and 13-time world jiu-jitsu champion Marcus Almeida.

Silveira is confident that Harrison, a two-time Professional Fighters League champion and perhaps the biggest free agent in MMA, is already a difficult matchup for Bellator featherweight queen Cristiane Justino.

"I have no doubt that Kayla would be a terrible matchup for Cris,” Silveira told Sherdog.com. “Cyborg has been doing the same game since she started in MMA, so it wouldn't be a problem for Kayla to take her down. If that fight happens today, I would say that Kayla would submit Cris for sure.”

Almeida, meanwhile, is 2-0 under the One Championship banner since making the transition to MMA, with a pair of first-round submission victories to his credit. Silveira says Almeida isn’t ready to face top-level competition just yet, but that time is arriving quickly.

“I'm really impressed …

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

American Top Team coach Marcus “Conan” Silveira has seen a lot over the course of his MMA career as a fighter and coach, but even he has to admit that seeing the rise of his son has a little extra meaning.

Joshua Silveira became a Legacy Fighting Alliance two-division champion last week when he took a five-round decision over Jared Revel to capture the promotion’s vacant middleweight crown. Previously, the younger Silveira knocked out Tee Cummins to claim the vacant 205-pound strap at LFA 115 on Sept. 24.

“I've had many strong emotions since the Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu times. It's been a long journey as fighter and coach, but I have to confess that seeing Joshua, blood of my blood, conquering two division belts was something special,” Silveira told Sherdog.com.

“Conan” says he only plays the role of father after the fight, but during camp he treats his son as he would anyone else when he is in his…

Marcus "Conan" Silveira will have a busy weekend ahead of him at UFC 269.

The American Top Team head coach is already in Las Vegas to support a number of his fighters including Dustin Poirier, Amanda Nunes, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Pedro Munhoz. Poirier will challenge Charles Oliveira for lightweight gold in the main event, and Silveira is confident “The Diamond” can finish the Brazilian champion inside the distance.

"Charles has won nine fights [in a row] and proved he deserved to get the belt, but Poirier trained really hard for this challenge,” Silveira told Sherdog.com. “I believe he will catch Oliveira in the stand-up.”

If Poirier wins, Silveira believes a fourth bout with Conor McGregor would be a suitable next move. Their third meeting ended when the Irish star suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round this past July.

"The last one did not finish well,” Silveira said. “I think Conor deserves that rematch.”

In regards to the UFC 269 c…

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame next year.

The IBHOF announced on Tuesday that Holm will be enshrined as part of a three-day ceremony that also includes 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame members from June 9-12. In addition to Holm, one-time UFC competitor James Toney was also announced as a member of the IBHOF Hall of Fame class.

​“I feel very humbled and honored to be acknowledged amongst the greatest,” Holm said in a release. “I’m kind of speechless actually. I’m really excited.”

Holm compiled a 33-2-3 record in the Sweet Science, winning 14 championships in three weight classes over the course of an 11-year professional career. “The Preacher’s Daughter” was named “Female Fighter of the Year” by Ring Magazine in 2005 and 2006 and was a popular draw in her hometown of Albuquerque, N.M.

Holm transitioned to MMA in 2011and won her first 10 bouts, culminating in a shocking KO of Ronda …

A flyweight clash pitting Jake Hadley against Francisco Figueiredo is on tap for an Ultimate Fighting Championship card on March 19.

Hadley’s management, Paradigm Sports, was first to confirmed the matchup. The UFC event does not yet have a headliner or an official location.

Despite missing weight, England’s Hadley earned a UFC contract following a second-round submission of Mitch Raposo on Dana White’s Contender Series on Oct. 12. The former Cage Warriors champion is 8-0 thus far in his professional tenure.

Figueiredo, the younger brother of former UFC flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo, is 1-1 thus far in UFC competition. After taking a unanimous verdict over Jerome Rivera at UFC on ESPN 20 in his Octagon debut, “Sniper” dropped a decision against Malcolm Gordon at UFC on ESPN 26 on July 17.

“The Ultimate Fighter 28” winner Macy Chiasson will step in on short notice to face Raquel Pennington at UFC Fight Night 199 on Dec. 18.

Chiasson is a replacement for Julia Avila, who withdrew from the contest due to a knee injury. Both athletes confirmed the new bantamweight booking on social media following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight duel between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

Chiasson has been victorious in five of her first six Octagon appearances, with her only defeat coming via unanimous decision at the hands of Lina Lansberg at UFC Fight Night 160 on Sept. 28. Most recently, the 30-year-old Fortis MMA product outpointed Marion Reneau at UFC on ESPN 21 on March 20.

A former bantamweight title challenger, Pennington is coming off back-to-back decison wins over Reneau and Pannie Kianzad. “Rocky” also owns notable victories over the likes of Irene A…

The UFC on ESPN 31 headliner took its toll on both competitors, as Jose Aldo and Rob Font are facing potentially lengthy medical suspensions following their bantamweight clash.

Aldo defeated Font via unanimous decision at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Nova Uniao product must have a right orbital fracture cleared by a doctor or he will be sidelined until June 3. At a minimum he is suspended until Jan. 4 with no contact until Dec. 26. Font, meanwhile, must have left orbital and nasal fractures cleared by a doctor or he too will be out until June 3. At a minimum, the Boston native is suspended until Jan. 19 with no contact until Jan. 4.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission recently released a full list of medical suspensions from the event to mixedmartialarts.com.

Five other fighters from UFC on ESPN 31 are also facing potential six-month terms: Jamahal Hill (left elbow), Jimmy Crute (left orbital, nasal fractures), Brendan Allen (left hand), Du…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be heading to Houston for the third time in less than a year early in 2022.

UFC 271 will take place in Houston on Feb. 12, according to multiple outlets. MMAjunkie.com was first to bring word of the location for the pay-per-view event. UFC 262 on May 15 and UFC 265 on Aug. 7 both took place at the Toyota Center.

The UFC announced a multi-event partnership with the venue earlier this year,, which included a “prospective” pay-per-view card in 2022, so it’s likely that the Toyota Center will again be the destination of choice.

The Las Vegas-based promotion hasn’t officially announced UFC 271. A middleweight championship rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker is rumored to be the headliner for the event. A handful of bouts have been reported for the card, including Roxanne Modafferi vs. Casey O'Neill, Carlos Ulberg vs. Fabio Cherant and Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Sergey Morozov.

The UFC Fight Night lineup on Jan. 15 appears to be nearly complete with the addition of two new bouts.

T.J. Brown will square off against Gabriel Benitez at featherweight, while Caio Borralho will meet Jamie Pickett at middleweight at the event, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a 145-pound clash between Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze. Brown vs. Benitez was announced by Iridium Sports Agency, while MMAFighting.com initially reported Borralho vs. Pickett. Borralho was supposed to step in against Dustin Stoltzfus at UFC Fight Night 199 on Dec. 18, but he was unable to compete on that show due ot visa issues.

Brown lost his first two UFC bouts after appearing on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series. In his most recent outing, the Glory MMA & Fitness representative secured his first promotional triumph, a split decision over Kai Kamaka III at UFC on ESPN 23.

Benitez has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances, in…

Rashad Evans will end his retirement to compete on Eagle Fighting Championship’s United States debut on Jan. 28.

Yahoo Sports first reported Evans return. The former UFC champion is expected to compete at 205 pounds against an as yet to be announced opponent. “Suga” retired following a 53-second knockout loss to Anthony Smith at UFC 225 on June 9, 2018 – his fifth consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The 42-year-old New York native owns a 19-8-1 career mark that includes victories over the likes of Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Quinton Jackson, Michael Bisping, Stephan Bonnar, Tito Ortiz, Phil Davis, Chael Sonnen and Dan Henderson.

Eagle FC is the MMA promotion owned by retired former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The event, entitled Eagle FC 44, is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight duel between Antonio Silva and Tyrone Spong and will be held in Miami. ESPN was first to report the main event matchup.

A former EliteXC…

Former NBA first-round draft pick Royce White will make his mixed martial arts debut against Daiqwon Buckley at Legacy Fighting Alliance 120 on Friday.

The promotion confirmed the bout following a report from MMAjunkie.com on Monday. LFA 120 takes place at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn., and streams on UFC Fight Pass. White announced that he was making a transition to MMA in 2019 that coincided with the release of his book “MMA x NBA: A Critique of Modern Sport in America.”

A 6-foot-8, 260-pound power forward who was an All-American at Iowa State University, White was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2012. His NBA career would consist of three games with the Sacramento Kings in 2013-14 before he was released. He has since played overseas and in the NBA Summer League.

Buckley, meanwhile, is a former fullback at Temple University with a 1-1 mark as an amateur. He last competed in April 2017, when he submitted Austin Swoyer in the third round at…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A matchup between strawweight contenders Amanda Ribas and Michelle Waterson is in the works for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on March 26.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the booking. The event takes place at an as yet to be announced location and is expected to feature a light heavyweight headliner pitting Jan Blachowicz against Aleksandar Rakic. Ribas and Waterson were initially slated to square off at UFC 257 in January before “The Karate Hottie” withdrew from the bout.

Ribas rebounded from her first career defeat in the Octagon at the hands of Marina Rodriguez to score a unanimous verdict over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 267 on Oct. 30. The 28-year-old Brazilian is 5-1 in UFC competition, with other notable wins against the likes of Mackenzie Dern, Paige VanZant and Randa Markos.

Waterson, meanwhile, is coming off a five-round decision defeat to Rodriguez in the UFC on ESPN 24 headliner on May 8. The 35-year-old …

It looks like Tyron Woodley will get his rematch with Jake Paul after all.

Showtime Sports announced Monday that Tommy Fury has withdrawn from a proposed bout against Paul “due to a medical issue that impacted his training camp.” Paul vs. Woodley 2 will be contested over eight rounds at 192 pounds. The event takes place on Dec. 18 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., and airs via pay-per-view on Showtime beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

“When my team woke me up on Friday to tell me Tommy was pulling out, I told them I’m ready to fight anyone on Dec. 18,” Paul said in a release. “Troy, Trey, Trevor, Travis. I don’t give a damn who it is. So, as I predicted Tommy Fumbles and Tyron is there to pick it up, stepping in, and contractually he is getting an extra $500,000 if he knocks me out. First time I outboxed him. This time I’m gonna punish him and leave no doubt.”

Paul and Woodley initially squared off on Aug. 29 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, with the so…

Julia Avila has suffered a knee injury and won’t face Raquel Pennington at UFC Fight Night 199 as originally anticipated.

MyMMANews first reported Avila’s withdrawal from the Dec. 18 card. It is currently unclear if Pennington will receive a replacement opponent. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

The 33-year-old Avila has been victorious in three of her first four promotional appearances — including a third-round submission of Julia Stoliarenko in her last outing at UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26.

A former bantamweight title challenger, Pennington is coming off back-to-back decison wins over Marion Reneau and Pannie Kianzad.

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

It was a blend of mixed emotions for Rafael Fiziev following his latest triumph, a third-round knockout of Brad Riddell in the UFC on ESPN 31 co-main event Saturday night.

After all, Fiziev and Riddell are friendly from crossing paths in Thailand, where both lightweights have served as coaches for the vaunted Tiger Muay Thai camp. Riddell previously held that position, while Fiziev is currently in the role.

“I don’t know if I’m sad or I’m happy, because it’s not so good when your friend’s like that,” Fiziev said. “Of course, I’m happy, and sad, and happy. I don’t know.”

Regardless of the feelings that followed, Fiziev’s finish was a thing of beauty. He forced Riddell to circle to his right, then unleashed a spinning wheel kick that connected to the side of his opponent’s head. Riddell stumbled forward and fell to the canvas while unsuccessfully trying to grab a leg, prompting Herb Dean to step in and wave off the fight.

Read more about Rafael Fiziev ‘Happy and Sad’ After Knocking Out Friend Brad Riddell

Jose Aldo once again has T.J. Dillashaw in his sights following another impressive victory in the bantamweight division.

The former featherweight king earned his third consecutive triumph at 135 pounds in the UFC on ESPN 31 headliner, taking a five-round verdict over Rob Font at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Despite a reputation for fading in longer fights, Aldo held up for 25 hard-fought minutes against a surging contender. Aldo did not attend Saturday’s post-fight press conference due to being transported to a hosptial for precautionary reasons, but he did share his thoughts on his performance — which featured a blend of powerful striking and timely grappling — during an interview in the Octagon.

“Everyone thinks I can only go three rounds but I proved I can do five and I want to be a champion of this division and I’m still working for that,” Aldo said. “We’ve been talking about this, to become a complete MMA fighter. So yes, I’m going to be standing …

The UFC was in a generous mood on Saturday night, as six competitors from UFC on ESPN 31 received $50,000 bonus checks.

Rafael Fiziev was an easy selection for one “Performance of the Night” bonus thanks to his “Knockout of the Year” candidate against Brad Riddell in the co-main event. A spectacular spinning wheel kick ended the lightweight bout 2:20 into the third round, giving Fiziev his fifth consecutive triumph at 155 pounds.

Elsewhere, Jamahal Hill earned a “Performance of the Night” check after making short work of Jimmy Crute in a featured light heavyweight bout. In a matchup of former Dana White’s Contender Series competitors, Hill dropped his foe with a right hand early, then finished Crute with a right hook and follow-up ground strike just 48 seconds into Round 1.

Earlier, Clay Guida rallied from the brink of defeat to submit Leonardo Santos, earning a “Performance of the Night” payment in the process. Guida was on the ropes in the opening stanza after…