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A heavyweight scrap between Tanner Boser and Sergei Pavlovich has been removed from the UFC on ESPN 31 lineup.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the cancellation, and Boser then confirmed that the fight was off, though he did not offer specific details. “Sorry guys, I hope to have this resolved soon,” Boser wrote on Twitter.

UFC on ESPN 31 takes place on Dec. 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a bantamweight clash between Jose Aldo and Rob Font.

Boser snapped a two-bout skid in his last outing, when he knocked out Ovince St. Preux in the second-round at UFC Fight Night 190. The 30-year-old Canadian is 4-3 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion and 20-8-1 as a professional overall.

Pavlovich will look to return to action after having a 2020 booking against Ciryl Gane fall through due to injury and a September matchup with Tom Aspinall canceled as a result of visa issues. The Eagles MMA repr…

Angela Hill has agreed to step up and face Amanda Lemos on short notice at UFC Fight Night 199.

Hill is a replacement for Nina Nunes, who withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons. Ag Fight was first to report the new strawweight booking. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place on Dec. 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

Hill has lost three of her last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the Alliance MMA representative dropped a unanimous verdict to Tecia Torres in a rematch at UFC 265. Earlier in 2021, “Overkill” took a decision win over Ashley Yoder at UFC Fight Night 187 in March.

After falling to Leslie Smith in her promotional debut in July 2017, Lemos has reeled off four consecutive victories in UFC competition. So far this year, the 34-year-old Brazilian has scored back-to-back first-round TKO wins over Livinha Souza and Montserrat Ruiz.

GOOD NIGHT Carlos Ulberg finds the chin and ends the night!

[ Contracts up next on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/JB1vYDZXi5

— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2020 A light heavyweight bout pitting Carlos Ulberg against Fabio Cherant is in the works for UFC 271.

Cageside Press was first to report the booking. UFC 271 takes place on Feb. 12 at an as yet to be announced venue. A headliner for the event has not been revealed.

Anchored at City Kickboxing, Ulberg earned a UFC deal with a first-round KO of Bruno Oliveira on Dana White’s Contender Series in November 2020. He came up short in his Octagon debut, falling to 3-1 after a second-round knockout loss to Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC 259 this past March.

A former Legacy Fighting Alliance light heavyweight title holder, Cherant seeking his first promotional triumph after suffering back-to-back losses against Alonzo Menifield and William Knight in his first two UFC appearances.

A lightweight clash pitting Diego Ferreira against Mateusz Gamrot has been added to the UFC Fight Night 199 lineup.


 MMAjunkie.com was first to report the pairing, and it was later confirmed by Gamrot on his Instagram account. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight bout betwene Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

The 36-year-old Ferreira won six consecutive fights from 2016 to 2020 but has dropped back-to-back fights to Beneil Dariush and Gregor Gillespie in his last two promotional appearances. The Fortis MMA product is 8-4 in UFC competition and 17-4 as a professional overall.

A former KSW champion, Gamrot has won two straight UFC outings after suffering his first career defeat against Guram Kutateladze in his promotional debut in October 2020. The 30-year-old Pole has since rebounded to post finishes of Scott Holtzman and Jeremy Stephens in 2021.

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

A proposed middleweight clash between Kyle Daukaus and Roman Dolidze at UFC Fight Night 197 has been scrapped.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the cancellation of the bout, which was due to COVID-19 protocols involving Dolidze’s camp. UFC Fight Night 197 will proceed with 11 bouts. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a featherweight tilt between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez.

Daukaus was supposed to face Kevin Holland and Dolidze was slated to face Eryk Anders before they were paired up after their original opponents fell off the UFC Fight Night 197 card.

Daukaus had a submission win against Holland overturned at UFC Fight Night 193 on Oct. 2 when it was determined the fight was altered due to an accidental clash of heads. The Martinez BJJ representative has just one victory in four Octagon appearances — a decision win against Dustin Stoltzfus at UFC 255.

Dol…

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Triller’s latest combat sports offering will feature a hybrid of boxing and MMA rules with a handful of recognizable names from the UFC and Bellator.

The promotion revealed the full lineup and rule set for Triller Triad Combat on Tuesday. The card will be headlined by a nine-round clash between former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir and heavyweight boxing contender Kubrat Pulev. Fighters on the card will be allowed to throw strikes from the clinch as well as spinning backfists and hammerfists. Kicks, knees, elbows are not allowed, nor is fighting on the ground. Combatants are allowed to stand on their opponent’s foot while throwing punches, however.

In the co-main event, Bellator and UFC veteran Matt Mitrione will square off against Alexander Flores in a seven-round affair. In another featured matchup, UFC veteran Mike Perry will lock horns with former WBC super middleweight champion Sakio Bika. Other…

A heavyweight showdown between Ovince St. Preux and Philipe Lins will not be contested at UFC Fight Night 197 as originally planned.

The promotion announced St. Preux’s withdrawal from the card over the weekend, and on Tuesday, UFC officials confirmed that Lins will not receive a replacement opponent. UFC Fight Night 197 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a featherweight clash between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez. A reason for St. Preux’s exit was not given.

St. Preux is currently on a two-bout skid after suffering back-to-back KO/TKO losses against Jamahal Hill and Tanner Boser. The former University of Tennessee football player has won just three of his last nine outings dating back to 2018.

Lins joined the UFC after winning the 2018 Professional Fighters League heavyweight title. The 36-year-old Kimura Nova Uniao product has since fallen to Andrei Arlovski via decision at UFC Fight Night 171 and lost to Boser via firs…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com

Eryk Anders will replace the injured Dricus Du Plessis and meet Andre Muniz at UFC 269.

MMA DNA first brought word of Du Plessis’ exit, while Muniz initially confirmed the new middleweight matchup on his Instagram story. UFC 269 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 12 and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash pitting Charles Oliveira against Dustin Poirier.

Anders has competed twice thus far in 2021, with both bouts coming against Darren Stewart. The first meeting ended in a no contest due to an illegal knee in March, and Anders won a unanimous decision in the rematch at UFC 263.

A two-time winner on Dana White’s Contender Series, Muniz haa kicked off his promotional tenure with three consecutive triumphs. Most recently, the Brazilian broke Ronaldo Souza’s arm at UFC 262 to run his career mark to 21-4. Muniz has won his last seven professional outings.

Frankie Edgar was engaged in a competitive bout with Marlon Vera at UFC 268 before a front kick from his opponent abruptly ended his night 3:50 into Round 3.

Considering the circumstances, it was impressive that Edgar was able to compete as well as he did prior the finish. On the "Champ and the Tramp"podcast (h/t MMAFighting.com), Edgar revealed that he underwent hip replacement surgery this past April.

“I never really made it public. That’s an accomplishment in itself, coming back from that,” Edgar said. “That’s something I wanted to prove to myself. A lot of people think you get something like that, it’s the end of something. And not only did I do it, I f—king did it quickly. I felt amazing, my hip f—king felt amazing.”

Edgar has also been struggling with “nerve issues” in his back, which were alleviated somewhat through he surgical procedure he underwent at 18. Now, however, it’s something he will need to receive additional treatment for to manage. Edgar sa…

Newly-crowned light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira is facing a potentially lengthy medical suspension following his victory over Jan Blachowicz in the UFC 267 headliner.

Teixeira must be cleared by an orthopedic doctor for a right shoulder injury or he will be sidelined for 180 days. At a minimum, the Brazilian is suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days. UFC 267 took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and saw Teixeira submit Blachowicz with a rear-naked choke 3:02 into Round 2 of their 205-pound clash. Blachowicz, like every fighter on the card, received a mandatory seven-day term.

The UFC, which self-regulated the event, released a full list of medical suspensions to mixedmartialarts.com.

Five other fighters from the event are facing 180-day medical suspensions: Albert Duraev (facial laceration), Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (right foot, right hand), Benoit St. Denis (needs ENT clearance), Michal Oleksiejczuk (left hand) and Tagir Ulanbekov (left…

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Alex Pereira’s flying knee knockout victory over Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268 drew the attention of fans and media alike.

With a pair of victories against reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya under kickboxing rules — including the lone knockout defeat of Adesanya’s combat sports career — “Poatan” has been asked in numerous interviews how a third meeting between the two would look under the UFC banner. The former Glory two-division champion’s Octagon debut only served to create more interest in a future clash between the two former foes. Meanwhile, Adesanya discussed Pereira’s victory on his YouTube channel.

According to “Stylebender,” those losses are in the past, and he added that he hopes to see the Brazilian in the Octagon.

“We need something new. Especially after you lap the division again. … Good job Pereira, that was nice. One thing I notice is everyone always holds on to that wi…

Miranda Maverick has agreed to step in for Maycee Barber and face Erin Blanchfield at UFC 269.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new women’s flyweight booking. UFC 269 takes place on Dec. 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a lightweight title tilt between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.

Maverick had a five-bout winning streak snapped in her last outing, when she fell to Barber via split decision at UFC on ESPN 27 on July 24. Prior to that, the Invicta FC veteran began her promotional tenure with victories over Liana Jojua and Gillian Robertson.

Blanchfield, meanwhile, enters the matchup with Maverick on a four-bout winning streak — including a three-round verdict over Sarah Alpar in her Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 192. The 22-year-old Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu product has been victorious in seven of her first eight professional appearances.

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

While Khamzat Chimaev re-established himself as a prospect to watch at UFC 267, he won’t be fast tracked to a title shot.

After a battle with COVID-19 put him on the shelf for more than a year, Chimaev made an emphatic return on Oct. 30, when he submitted Jingliang Li with a rear-naked choke 3:16 into the opening round of their welterweight clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Allstars Training Center product has barely been touched in four UFC appearances thus far, and he has all the makings of a potential star in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

One week later, UFC president Dana White pumped the brakes on Chimaev being an instant title contender at 170 pounds in the wake of reigning champ Kamaru Usman’s latest belt defense in the UFC 268 headliner.

“You’ve got some guys out there talking about Khamzat Chimaev that he’s ready for [a title shot] – he’s had four fights in the UFC,” White said at the UFC 268 post-fight news c…

Former UFC flyweight Ryan Benoit has been suspended 10 months for an anti-doping violation, USADA announced Monday.

Benoit tested positive for modafinil and its metabolite, modafinil acid, in a urine sample collected at UFC on ESPN 28 on July 31. Modafinil, which is listed in the stimulant category, is typically used to reduce sleepiness in disorders such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea and is banned as an in-competition drug by USADA.

Benoit received a reduction in what would normally be a two-year suspension once in was determined that he used the drug out of competition. The Janjiri Muay Thai representative will be able to return to active competition on May 31, 2022. Benoit previously received a nine-month term from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the failed drug test.

Benoit, 32, dropped a unanimous decision to Zarrukh Adashev at UFC on ESPN 28, his third consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion. He was released from UFC following that …

Michael Chandler didn’t end up on the right side of the scorecards following his lightweight clash with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268, but the bout will go down as one of the year’s best.

Chandler fell to Gaethje via unanimous decision in a “Fight of the Year” contender on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was the former Bellator champion’s second consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion following a knockout of Dan Hooker in his Octagon debut.

Chandler was able to rock Gaethje with his right hand in the opening stanza, but as the bout progressed, his opponent took control behind a steady diet of low kicks and power punches. The former University of Missouri wrestling standout was more than willing to brawl with Gaethje, and he absorbed a significant amount of damage for his efforts.

“We made some questionable decisions in the last one, but we had a blast!” Chandler wrote on Instagram. “Ill-advised yet entertaining is my strong s…

Bellator MMA fighter Dillon Danis was slapped by manager Ali Abdelaziz during an incident backstage at UFC 268, according to multiple reports.

MMAjunkie.com first brought word of the altercation, which was confirmed by multiple eyewitnesses in reports. Danis was reportedly escorted from the venue after security intervened between the two men. It is unclear what caused the incident, though Danis and Abdelaziz haven’t had the most pleasant of converstations in the past on social media.

In a since deleted tweet captured by MMAFighting.com, retired former UFC champion Michael Bisping wrote that not only was Danis removed from the building, but he has been banned from all future events held by the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“So pathetic,” Bisping wrote. “FYI people, [Danis] was legit slapped in the face like a b--h backstage and then ejected and banned from all UFC events.”

It’s not the first time that Danis has been involved in an altercation outside of the …

AND STILL!Abdulaziz Abdulvakhabov defend his title against Hacran Dias! What an amazing performance pic.twitter.com/4VSFQvsukq

— ACA MMA (@ACA_League) November 5, 2021

Friday was definitely a very special day for Brazilian MMA. With Patricky Freire’s knockout win over Peter Queally in Ireland, local MMA fans celebrated the country’s fifth championship victory in a span of nine days.

But there could have been one more reason to celebrate. A few hours before Freire’s victory, Nova Uniao fighter Hacran Dias squared off against Russian champion Abdulaziz Abulvakhabov for the Absolute Championship Akhmat belt. The fight was contested over five rounds in Moscow, the homeland of the champion, and the action didn’t disappoint those in attendance. However, the final verdict was a disappointment to Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras, as Dias lost a unanimous decision at ACA 131.

“As we expected it was a war, with every round being competititve from…

.@UFCFightPass and @LFAfighting extend exclusive multi-year streaming agreement

: https://t.co/2gRpax5N4M#MMA#LFANation@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/wvuCal74sT

— LFA (@LFAfighting) November 8, 2021 UFC Fight Pass has re-upped with one of the top regional feeder promotions in mixed martial arts.

The streaming platform announced Monday that it has extended its partnership with Legacy Fighting Alliance to be the exclusive streaming provider of the promotion’s events through 2025.

“LFA is among the best, with a longstanding relationship with UFC and a track record for developing talent,” UFC Fight Pass vice president and general manager Crowley Sullivan said in a release. “We’re thrilled to continue this relationship and can’t wait to see what the future holds for our two brands.”

According to the terms of the deal, UFC Fight Pass will stream more than 100 LFA events across 200 countries and territories. Subscribers will also have a…

The wins keep on piling up for Kamaru Usman, who is entering rarified air with his extended streak of excellence.

“The Nigerian Nightmare” improved to 2-0 against Colby Covington in the UFC 268 headliner, earning a unanimous decision triumph at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night. Usman has now won 15 straight fights in UFC competition, the second-longest winning streak in promotion history behind pound-for-pound middleweight legend Anderson Silva (16).

UFC president Dana White believes Usman belongs in the lofty company among the sport’s greats after his latest triumph.

“He’s special. He’s damn good and I think he’s the greatest welterweight of all time,” White said at the UFC 268 post-fight press conference.

“He’s obviously the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now. He’s one of the guys that we could all start arguing soon about GOAT status. And he’s fighting everybody, it’s not like he’s only fought this guy. He’s fought everybody…

Jon Jones won’t return to Jackson-Wink MMA after being banned from the Albuquerque, N.M.-based camp last month.

Jones revealed that he will seek a new training home in a series of posts on Twitter, though that new destination is currently unclear. The former light heavyweight champion was suspended from the Jackson-Wink gym by Mike Winkeljohn following his arrest for battery domestic violence in Las Vegas this past September. Winkeljohn indicated that Jones could return if he quit drinking, but an eventual reunion doesn’t appear to be an option for the fighter, who hasn’t competed in the Octagon since February 2020.

“Definitely won’t be going back but I will continue to root for all the fighters that are training there,” Jones wrote. “I do believe my training methods and sessions have improved significantly since changing environments. Grateful for all the time I got to spend there, everything has it’s time.

“I know I won’t be able to train in my garage foreve…

What a speech by Chris Barnett for his opponent Gian Villante #UFC268 pic.twitter.com/wvTtzChIOP

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 6, 2021

Gian Villante has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts following a 31-bout professional career that began in 2009.

Villante’s final appearance will end up on highlight reels, as he was dropped by a spinning wheel kick from Chris Barnett and finished with follow-up ground strikes 2:23 into the opening round of their heavyweight bout at UFC 268 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. Villante, 36, ends his tenure on a four-bout losing streak — with his final three appearances coming in the heavyweight division.

Villante’s next step will be a return to his gridiron roots, as he is coaching youth football in the Long Island area. He gave those players a shoutout in a post-fight interview with Newsday.

“Say hello to all my Seahawks, all my Generals, all the people in attendan…

There’s something special about fighting in New York for Rose Namajunas.

“Thug” Rose improved to 3-0 in the Empire State with a split-decision triumph over Weili Zhang in the UFC 268 co-main event at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night to successfully defend her strawweight title. Her success at the famous venue began in November 2017, when she initially captured the 115-pound belt with an upset win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217, and she also bested Jedrzejczyk in a five-round rematch at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., in April 2018.

“New York City inspires me,” Namajunas said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Like I said at weigh-ins, it’s the toughest people in the world. It’s the coolest city.”

The rematch with Zhang took on a far different look than their first meeting, when Namajunas vanquished her Chinese opponent with a head kick 78 seconds into the opening stanza at UFC 261. This time around, the bout was far more closely conte…

When all was said and done, Kamaru Usman was able to bury the hatchet with Colby Covington following their rematch at UFC 268.

The two men shared a moment of respect following Saturday’s headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York, where Usman retained his title with a unanimous decision victory — his second triumph against Covington in a little less than two year’s time. Both fights against “Chaos” were hard-fought, which Usman acknowledged while making a lofty comparison regarding their rivalry at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“As a competitor I respect him – that’s the next best guy in the division. “This guy’s tough as nails. He’s very, very tough,” Usman said. “Let’s be honest: [Muhammad] Ali needed a [Joe] Frazier. All these guys. You can be the great one, but there’s always going to be the one guy that can push you. He is that guy. As much of him outside the Octagon as most people don’t like, myself included, you have to respect him as a competito…

Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler delivered on the hype in a big way at UFC 268.

The lightweights received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their slugfest at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday in a bout that will likely lead many “Fight of the Year” lists in the weeks to come. While Gaethje was rocked early in the first round, he maintained his composure and gradually pulled away from Chandler for an enthralling unanimous decision triumph.

Meanwhile, on an evening that featured a number of memorable finishes, the Las Vegas-based promotion handed out a quartet of $50,000 “Performance of the Night” checks to deserving athletes.

Marlon Vera earned one of those bonuses on the strength of a front kick knockout of Frankie Edgar in a featured bantamweight clash. After two competitive rounds, Vera emphatically brought the show to a close at the 3:50 mark of Round 1, becoming just the eighth fighter in promotion history to win a bout via f…