Blog

WHAT. A. FIGHT.

[ #UFCVegas41 live on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/URRFmKPLvI

— UFC (@ufc) October 23, 2021 Gregory Rodrigues strengthened his foothold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, as he struck down Jun Young Park in the second round of their featured UFC Fight Night 196 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Park (13-5, 3-2 UFC) bowed out 3:13 into Round 2.

Rodrigues (11-3, 2-0 UFC) dictated the terms of their ground exchanges—he advanced to the back with body triangles on multiple occasions—but flirted with disaster on the feet. Park pinned the former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion to the fence in the second round and let punches fly from both hands. Rodrigues seemed to be wilting but answered with a series of precise right hands, pushed the Korean Top Team standout across the Octagon, flurried along the fence and connected with an uppercut that had him out on his feet. It was enough to p…

The featherweight championship clash between Yutaka Saito and Juntaro Ushiku is official for Rizin Fighting Federation 31.

Both the champion and the challenger made weight on Saturday ahead of their 145-pound title tilt. Saito tipped the scales at 145.3 pounds, while Ushiku checked in at 144.8. Rizin 31 takes place at Pia Arena in Yokohama, Japan and will also see Kanna Asakura (107.6 pounds) square off against Saori Oshima (105.7) in the co-main event. The card can be viewed via pay-per-view here.

Saito claimed the featherweight crown with a unanimous decision triumph over Mikuru Asakura at Rizin 25. He has won three straight under the Rizin banner, including a split verdict against Vugar Karamov in a non-title bout at Rizin 28 in his last outing.

Ushiku is the reigning Deep featherweight champion and is coming off a split-decision win over Daisuke Nakamura in a title bout at Deep 102 Impact this past July. He has won seven of his last eight professional appear…

BREAKING: Multiple sources inform me Josh Emmett has booked his UFC return against Dan Ige at #UFC269. This card is amazing. https://t.co/piGxeq51Oa

— Cole Shelton (@ColeShelton91) October 22, 2021 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. Top-10 Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweights will dance on a card that is already stacked from bow to stern. The year-end UFC pay-per-view card of UFC 269, which already has a full main card as listed by the organization, has gained another major fight. Josh Emmett (16-2) will make his return after a year and a half away to take on Dan Ige (15-4) in a battle that practically guarantees action from bell to bell. The news of this Dec. 11 booking was first reported by BJPenn.com late on Thursday, and it was subsequently by multiple outlets and the UFC’s broadcast partner of ESPN on Friday.

The fight …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsR89SPixaQ&w=560&h=315] After nearly a month off, the Legacy Fighting Alliance is back with a vengeance in a mile-high arena in Colorado.

LFA 116 goes down in the Dobson Arena in Vail, Colo., on Friday night on UFC Fight Pass. Capping off the 13-fight billing is a middleweight clash pitting Josh Fremd (7-2) against Renato Valente Alves (8-4). Of the 26 competitors to hit the scales – including the first eight in the amateur ranks – only one fighter missed weight: Dan Argueta (138)*, who came in two pounds above the bantamweight limit. His matchup with Rodney Mondala will otherwise continue as planned, although Mondala will receive a percentage of Argueta’s purse as a result.

Fremd will be looking to rebound from the first knockout loss of his career, as he fell short to future Ultimate Fighting Championship signee Gregory Rodrigues in May by knockout at the end of the middleweight tournament. Three wins under the LFA banner led h…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t70sSmSX-8&w=560&h=315] The bantamweight title tilt atop the latest KSW offering feels like a postlim after the two goliaths hit the scales in the co-main event.

At KSW 64, the fight card at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland, will be capped off by a 135-pound championship affair pitting Sebastian Przybysz (8-2) against Bruno Augusto dos Santos (10-2). Despite gold on the line in that one, all eyes will instead be on the super heavyweight slugfest between Mariusz Pudzianowski (15-7, 1 NC) and Serigne Ousmane Dia (2-0). Like the days of Pride Fighting Championships, one competitor comfortably eclipsed the 300-pound mark with no issues. Two preliminary fighters did miss weight, but the event is now cleared to carry on.

Przybysz wrested the bantamweight belt from Antun Racic at KSW 59 in a bit of an upset, surviving a knockdown and making it to the end to capture a decision after five hard-fought rounds. The challenger Santos has gone…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22wredTJ-Dc&w=560&h=315] A storied kickboxing rivalry that began over a decade ago will see its rubber match play out atop Glory: Collision 3 for heavyweight gold.

On Saturday, Glory Kickboxing will put on a blockbuster pay-per-view offering with heavyweights in the main and co-headlining slots. The marquee matchup pits Rico Verhoeven (58-10, 18 KOs) against Jamal Ben Saddik (36-8, 1 NC; 29 KOs) for all the marbles. All 20 competitors on this kickboxing showcase event successfully made weight ahead of the show.

Since losing a decision to Semmy Schilt at Glory 4 in 2012, Verhoeven has gone on an incredible run inside the Glory ring, winning his next 20 fights with the organization. The champ successfully defended his strap nine times, including once over Ben Saddik in 2017 in an absolute thriller that ended in the fifth frame. Along the way, Verhoeven also entered into a pair of one-night Glory heavyweight tournaments in 2013 and 2…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LElkSUiuA8c&w=560&h=315] Although no main card matchup suddenly shifted weight classes the night before weigh-ins, there was plenty of drama to go around at the Bellator MMA weight ceremony on Friday morning.

Ten fights will now go down at the VTB Arena in Moscow on Saturday at Bellator 269, with none more important than legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (39-6, 1 NC) as he says farewell to Russian crowds and faces on Tim Johnson (15-7). There were to be 12 come fight night, but the lightweight matchup between Vladimir Tokov and Aymard Guih fell off on Friday morning in Russia when Guih was not medically cleared. Although all of the main card competitors hit their marks, two preliminary fighters came in heavy and one bout was scratched as a result.

This will be the 45-year-old Emelianenko’s first appearance since he knocked Quinton Jackson out in December 2019. Dating back the last five years, every one of the Russian’s fight…

One-half of your main event LOCKED @BorrachinhaMMA

[ #UFCVegas41 | Tomorrow | Live on ESPN+ ] pic.twitter.com/YJLq775mNd

— UFC (@ufc) October 22, 2021 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 drama over the middleweight-turned-light heavyweight Ultimate Fighting Championship headliner came to an end when Paulo Costa hit the scales.

The UFC Fight Night 196 card being held inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday was to have a middleweight main event between Costa (13-1) and Marvin Vettori (17-5-1) in a battle of former title challengers and Israel Adesanya foes. On Wednesday, Costa announced he would not be making weight, and after a tumultuous turn of events on Thursday, the two agreed to a 195-pound catchweight limit before shifting it later that night to 205 pounds. Although this is a significant asterisk, every fighter o…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC8Avuctzqw&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Editor's note: The article has been updated at 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 21 to reflect a change in the weight classification. The upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship main event has gone through several transformations before setting on a new weight class on Thursday night.

At UFC Fight Night 196 Media Day on Wednesday, Paulo Costa stated matter-of-factly that he would not be able to reach the middleweight limit of 186 pounds come Friday for the weigh-ins. There were immediate concerns their headlining matchup would be scuttled, as Costa admitted to weighing 211 pounds on Wednesday afternoon, thus requiring a drastic 25-pound cut in less than 48 hours.

During that interview with the media, Costa hoped that he and Marvin Vettori could meet at 195 pounds or higher,…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9_7lsqQm5A&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Professional Fighters League now has an anthem by famed musician Wiz Khalifa. On Thursday, the PFL announced via press release that partner and investor Khalifa, a Grammy nominee, has created a song for the league. The song, titled “Million Dollar Moment,” was written in honor of the fighters involved in the 2021 season of the PFL tournament. In addition to its release, Khalifa will perform the track live at the event on Oct. 27 at its championships show.

“I had a great time making this song with [music producer] Sledgren because it allowed me to create something that will be a big part of the PFL with my MMA family,” Khalifa said in the release. “I can’t wait to perform it at the Championship next w…

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. At a combined age over 80, this December Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight tilt will be among the eldest in divisional history. On Wednesday, Clay Guida (36-21) announced on his Instagram that he would be taking on Leonardo Santos (18-4-1) at UFC on ESPN 31. The two longtime lightweights will toe the line on Dec. 4 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“We’ve got a Veteran matchup December 4th on ESPN!!!” Guida wrote when posting a matchup image of he and his opponent. “Wrestling vs. JiuJitsu See ya in Vegas!!! The Best is yet to Come!!!”

Guida will be taking this match four days before his 40th birthday, and the 57-fight vet last competed in August where he fell short by split decision to Mark O. Madsen. “The Carpenter” will be entering into his 32nd UFC bout when he faces Santos, tying Diego Sanchez for the sixth-most in …

Kevin Lee received a temporary suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Lee tested positive for the amphetamine Adderall in relation to his UFC on ESPN 30 loss to Daniel Rodriguez. The NSAC voted to further extend a temporary suspension during a Wednesday hearing. Lee’s case is expected to be heard at the next commission meeting on Nov. 17.

Lee released a statement via Instagram apologizing for his failed drug test.

“I have tested over the limit allowed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in my most recent fight. In 2018 I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD, it has always affected me,” Lee wrote. “I did not discover real treatment for the diagnosis until 2020 when I was recovering from my double knee surgeries. I was prescribed Adderall from a doctor to improve my mental Health. I told representatives from USADA but did not apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption from the NSAC before my last fight. For that…

WHAT A COMEBACK FOR BRUNO SILVA

[ #UFCVegas40 | Prelims LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/GlR4TlL5EE

— UFC (@ufc) October 16, 2021 After two impressive wins in the UFC’s middleweight division, former M-1 champion Bruno Silva is slated to return to the Octagon in less than two months.

In an interview with Sherdog.com, Silva revealed that UFC matchmakers called his manager after his victory at UFC Fight Night 195.

“My initial plan was to return next year, but when my manager called me on the day following the event with a very interesting proposal to fight [at UFC 269] in December… I agreed immediately,” Silva said.

Silva is scheduled to sign his bout agreement on Wednesday, but he was unable to reveal the name of his opponent.

“He is not in the top 15 middleweight rankings yet, but I accepted the proposal immediately because he is a great opponent. He is taller than me and likes to stand and bang and not stall fights. I …

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista

It sounds like Paulo Costa won’t even attempt to make the contracted middleweight limit for his UFC Fight Night 196 headlining bout against Marvin Vettori on Saturday.

During a media day for the event on Wednesday, the Brazilian revealed that he currently weighs 211 pounds. He also indicated that there is already some type of agreement in place to go forward with the bout.

“My weight right now is 96 kilos (211 pounds),” Costa said. “What happened yesterday, [my manager] Wallid [Ismail] talked with some people with him, Ali [Abdelaziz], his manager I think, and it’s not on the schedule to make 185 [pounds] anymore. It’s another weight. I’m not exactly [sure] which weight yet.”

While nothing has currently been announced regarding an agreement for a catchweight bout against Vettori, “Borrachina” hopes that his opponent will be open to fighting at a weight above 185 pounds.

“I think this fight w…

A matchup of middleweight knockout artists is on tap for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Jan. 15, as Joaquin Buckley will lock horns with Abdul Razak Alhassan.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report by MMA Ideas. The card is headlined by a featherweight showdown between Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze but does not yet have an official venue or location.

Buckley rose to prominence on the strength of a 2020 “Knockout of the Year” victory against Impa Kasanganay at UFC Fight Night 179. The 27-year-old Missouri native is 3-2 in the Las Vegas-based promotion, with additional KO wins against Jordan Wright and Antonio Arroyo to his credit.

Alhassan, meanwhile snapped a three-bout skid with a 17-second head kick knockout of Alessio Di Chirico at UFC on ESPN 30 on Aug. 28. The 36-year-old Fortis MMA product won four of his first five Octagon outings — all inside of a round — before dropping successive fights against Mounir Lazzez, K…

Sergio Pettis is scheduled to make his first bantamweight title defense when he faces Kyoji Horiguchi at a Bellator MMA event on Dec. 3.

The pairing was first announced by the promotion on the Morning Kombat show. The card takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and airs on Showtime.

Pettis claimed 135-pound gold with a five-round verdict against Juan Archuleta at Bellator 258 on May 7. The Roufusport export is currently on a four-bout winning streak that includes wins over Ricky Bandejas and Alfred Khashakyan in the California-based promotion. Before signing with Bellator, Pettis went 9-5 in the UFC while competing at both bantamweight and flyweight.

Horiguchi was briefly a dual-promotional champion in both Rizin and Bellator but was forced to relinquish his belts after suffering a knee injury. In his return to action, the American Top Team member captured the Rizin throne again with a first-round knockout of Kai Asakura this past December. Horig…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5TlJjhVlg&w=560&h=315]

Zviad Lazishvili has agreed to step in on three days’ notice and face Jonathan Martinez at UFC Fight Night 196.

Lazishvili will serve as a replacement for Aaron Phillips in the bantamweight bout. MMA Ideas was first to report the change. UFC Fight Night 196 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday and is headlined by a middleweight duel between Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori.

A native of Tbilisi, Georgia, Lazishvili will make his Octagon debut with an 8-0 professional mark. Most recently, the 29-year-old submitted Ricky Steele in the opening round of their bout at Legacy Fighting Alliance 90 in September 2020.

Martinez, meanwhile, is 4-3 in UFC competition since his 2018 debut. In his last outing, the Factory X product had a two-bout winning streak snapped in a second-round KO loss to Davey Grant at UFC Fight Night 187.

Armen Petrosyan brought UFC president Dana White out of his seat. His next step was all but inevitable.

Petrosyan made short work of Kaloyan Kolev in a light heavyweight affair, winning via knockout in the 4:27 mark of the opening stanza on Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. All six of the Armenian fighter’s professional triumphs have come via knockout or technical knockout.

Petroyson was one of four fighters who received a UFC contract after the event, joining Caio Borralho, Jonny Parsons and Piera Rodriguez on the Las Vegas-based promotion’s roster.

Kolev (10-1) started quickly, as he landed a takedown within the bout’s first 15 seconds and smothered his adversary against the fence. When Petrosyan (6-1) was able to create space, he tagged the Bulgarian with a hard kick to the body and a left hook before Kolev secured another body lock. This time, however, Petrosyan was able to separate much more quickly, and he bega…

Irwin Rivera has been released from police custody after being charged with attempted murder earlier this year.

The UFC fighter was granted a conditional release after a judge approved his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Rivera had been in custody since Jan. 6 on two felony charges of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing his sisters. Rivera was released on Tuesday following a Monday hearing. ESPN Deportes was first to report the results of the case.

According to a sentencing order, Rivera was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and it was determined that the attack on his sisters was the first episode of that condition. Dr. Sheila Rapa testified during the hearing that Rivera is able to function with medication and that he is not a threat to himself or anyone else. She also had “no problem” with Rivera continuing his MMA career.

In order for Rivera to remain out of custody or hospital care, he must remain on medication and under the care of a psychi…

A rematch of former flyweight challengers is in the works for early next year, as Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia are expected to square off at a UFC event on Jan. 15.

MMA Ideas first reported the bout. A location for the card has yet to be officially announced, but Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze will meet in the evening’s main event.

Chookagian and Maia first fought at UFC 244, with Chookagian winning via unanimous decision. That propelled “Blonde Fighter” into a title shot at UFC 247, where she suffered a third-round TKO defeat against Valentina Shevchenko. The Team Renzo Gracie representative has won three of her last four bouts since then, including a decision triumph over Viviane Araujo in her last outing at UFC 262.

Maia, meanwhile, faced Shevchenko at UFC 255, where she lost a clear-cut unanimous decision this past November. She rebounded to take a three-round verdict against Jessica Eye at UFC 264 on July 10.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCa2NC7VxQA&w=560&h=315]

David Onama will become the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first athlete from Uganda when he locks horns with Mason Jones this Saturday.

Onama is a short-notice replacement for Alan Patrick, who pulled out of the lightweight matchup with Jones due to COVID-19-related protocol. MMA DNA was first to report the Onama vs. Jones booking. UFC Fight Night 196 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori.

Anchored at Glory MMA & Fitness, Onama is undefeated in eight professional outings. Onama boasts five first-round stoppages on his ledger and has finished all of his opponents inside the distance while competing on the Midwest regional scene.

Jones is still looking for his first promotional triumph after dropping a decision to Mike Davis in his debut and having his first booking against Patrick end in a no contest due to…

International fighters hoping to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship will face a new hurdle beginning next month.

While the UFC does not require any of the athletes in the organization to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, the Las Vegas-based promotion will adhere to the policy from the United States government that requires all travlers from abroad to have proof of vaccination beginning on Nov. 8. UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell sent out a memo to fighters, coaches and managers providing notice that the policy will affect international fighters traveling to the U.S. for fight cards beginning on that date.

“Recently the U.S. government announced that beginning on November 8, foreign national air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of their vaccination status to fly to the United States,” the memo states. “Fully vaccinated travelers will also be required to show a pre-departure negative COVID-19 te…

A illness has forced Jessica Eye to pull out of a proposed flyweight clash against Andrea Lee at UFC Fight Night 197.

As a result, Cynthia Calvillo will step in to face Lee on Nov. 13. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new booking. UFC Fight Night 197 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a featherweight tilt pitting Max Holloway against Yair Rodriguez.

Eye announced her withdrawal in a recent Instagram story.

“[This past Thursday], I thought I was dealing with an allergic reaction to fish eggs that I didn’t notice on my sushi [roll] until it was too late,” Eye wrote on Instagram. “Extremely allergic to eggs. Thursday night is when the fever started. So I followed protocol for when I am exposed to a food allergy. Thursday was rough but woke up on Friday feeling OK but [with] brain fog, which is usually [a] symptom after I have an allergy attack or exposure to foods I’m allergic to.

“Friday was a normal day and I was ready for t…

According to Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman would’ve paid dearly if he hadn’t agreed to their rematch in the UFC 268 main event.

Usman and Covington initially fought at UFC 245 in December 2019, with Usman retaining his welterweight crown with a fifth-round technical knockout victory. Covington has campaigned for a rematch since then but claims that Usman and his team did everything in their power to avoid the return date.

In the meantime, Covington returned to action with a fifth-round TKO win over Tyron Woodley in September 2020. Usman has been more active, with a pair of successful title defenses against Jorge Masvidal as well as a victory over Gilbert Burns.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen. They did not want it to happen,” Covington told ESPN. “His manager, they were refusing. They were trying to find every way in the book out of fighting this rematch. They didn’t want this fight, man, and the only reason they have to take it is the UFC gave him no choice. They…