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Former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is expected to compete for the first time since losing the belt when he faces Aleksandar Rakic in the main event of an Ultimate Fighting Championship card on March 26.

The proposed 205-pound booking was first reported by Ariel Helwani, but the bout has not been finalized at this point in time. The event does not yet have an official location or venue.

Blachowicz saw a five-bout winning streak come to an end at UFC 267, when he relinquished the light heavyweight crown to Glover Teixeira in a second-round submission defeat. The 38-year-old Pole claimed the vacant strap with a second-round stoppage of Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 before outpointing middleweight king Israel Adesanya in his lone title defense at UFC 259. Blachowicz has won nine of his last 11 UFC appearances dating back to October 2017.

Rakic, meanwhile, has been victorious in six of seven outings within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The 29-year-old Aus…

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

A middleweight showdown pitting Misha Cirkunov against Makhmud Muradov is slated for a UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 26.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMA journalist Igor Lazorin. The UFC Fight Night event takes place at an as yet to be announced location and is headlined by a lightweight bout between Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush.

Cirkunov has won just two of his last seven Octagon appearances dating back to May 2017. Most recently, the 34-year-old Latvia native made his middleweight debut at UFC Fight Night 193, where he suffered a split decision loss to Krzysztof Jotko on Oct. 2. Cirkunov owns notable wins over the likes of Jimmy Crute, Patrick Cummins, Nikita Krylov and Ion Cutelaba.

Muradov, meanwhile, had a 14-bout professional winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he suffered a second-round submission defeat ot Gerald Meerscha…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoXEuXN02S0&w=560&h=315]

Octagon newcomer Darian Weeks will make his promotional debut on less than a week’s notice against Bryan Barberena at UFC on ESPN 31.

Promotion officials announced the new welterweight bout Tuesday. Weeks is a replacement for Matt Brown, who tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw from the event. UFC on ESPN 31 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday and is headlined by a bantamweight tilt between Jose Aldo and Rob Font.

Weeks was supposed to face Josh Quinlan on Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 7 but was forced to pull out of the fight due to COVID-19 protocols. The 28-year-old Missouri native is 5-0 as a professional, including a second-round TKO of Craig Fairley at LFA 99 on Feb. 12. Weeks also owns a 1-1 mark as a professional boxer.

Barberena, meanwhile, has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the MMA Lab product dropped a majority…

Kevin Lee has been released by the UFC after 18 appearances with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

MMAFighting.com was first to report Lee’s departure. “The Motown Phenom” has lost four of his last five Octagon appearances, including a unanimous decision defeat to Daniel Rodriguez in his most recent outing at UFC on ESPN 30 on Aug. 28. His lone victory during that stretch was a head-kick knockout of Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244 in November 2019.

Lee was suspended for six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after testing positive for Adderall — which he said was used to treat adult ADHD — in relation to the fight against Rodriguez. Lee apologized for his failed test on social media while also revealing battles with sobriety and substance abuse. He is eligible to return to active competition on Feb. 28, 2022.

At one time, Lee was one of the top lightweight talents in the UFC, winning nine of 10 bouts from July 2014 to June 2017 to earn a shot against Ton…

Jon Jones will have to wait until early next year to learn if he’ll face criminal charges after being arrested for battery domestic violence and vehicle tampering in Las Vegas this past September.

Prosecutors on Tuesday were granted a continuance to file a criminal complaint against Jones, pushing the former UFC light heavyweight champion’s hearing to Jan. 31, according to the Associated Press. Neither Jones nor his attorney were present when the judge elected to change the date, the second time a continuance was allowed in the case. Jones remains free on $8,000 bail.

Jones was arrested on Sept. 24 for allegedly assaulting his fiancée, Jessie Moses, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and for head-butting a police vehicle as he was being taken into custody. Audio of the call from Caesars Palace to police was later released, depicting a bloodied Moses seeking assistance while simultaneously not admitting to that any type of domestic violence incident occurred. Jones was …

Yogibo presents #RIZIN33 at the Saitama Super Arena. Bantamweight GP Semi-Final matchups confirmed. Former Champion and favorite Kai Asakura gets Kenta Takizawa. Former UFC contender Naoki Inoue gets TUF runner up Hiromasa Ougikubo. #RIZIN #MMAhttps://t.co/XTqRMN4cep

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) November 30, 2021

The Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight grand prix will reach its conclusion at the promotion’s signature New Year’s Eve event.

The Japanese organization announced on Tuesday that Kai Asakura will meet Kenta Takizawa in one 135-pound semifinal at Rizin 33, while Naoki Inoue will square off against Hiromasa Ougikubo in the other half of the bracket. The finalists will lock horns later on the card.

Rizin 33 takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and will also see lightweight champion Roberto de Souza defend his crown against an as yet to be announced opponent. The card will be available internationally via…

Dana White’s Contender Series veteran Caio Borralho is expected to step in for the injured Anthony Hernandez and face Dustin Stoltzfus at UFC Fight Night 199.

Borralho announced the new middleweight bout via social media, and it was subsequently confirmed by MMAFighting.com. Borralho must receive a visa before the bout is finalized, however. UFC Fight Night 199 takes place on Dec. 18 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus.

Borralho earned a pair of victories on the Contender Series in 2021. He was not awarded a UFC contract after outpointed Aaron Jeffrey on Sept. 28, but he impressed Dana White when he stopped Jesse Murray in the opening stanza of their Oct. 19 encounter. The 28-year-old Brazilian is 10-1 with one no contest over the course of a professional tenure that began in 2014.

Also an alum of the Contender Series, Stoltzfus is 0-2 in the Octagon after falling to Kyle Daukaus via unan…

Twenty-four fight MMA veteran Jake Heun has been sentenced seven years and nine months in prison after being convicted on drug trafficking charges in Australia.

The news was first reported by the Dail Mail. Heun was arrested while attempting to import 801 grams of methamphetamine after a package labeled “bath gel and cologne” broke open while in transit from France. The package was addressed to Heun’s apartment, which led to a police investigation that also found conversations on the fighter’s cell phone with his girlfriend regarding further drug trafficking.

Heun claimed that he was being paid $1,000 to receive the package, and he ultimately plead guilty to importation of a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and another charge of trafficking cocaine. Images found on Heun’s found included a picture of a parcel containing cocaine, which he was attempting to send to his girlfriend through the mail. Heun was also believed to have mailed out 35 to 40 grams o…

Coming off his first loss in nine Octagon appearances, Nova Uniao standout Leonardo Santos is excited to make his promotional return on Saturday against Clay Guida at UFC on ESPN 31.

“I’m really motivated for this fight,” Santos said. “Guida is a legend of the UFC who has already defeated names like Takanori Gomi, Rafael dos Anjos and Anthony Pettis. The guy has almost 60 fights to his credit and despite being nearly 40 years old — like myself — he is still giving a hard time to many top talents of the division. It's gonna be an honor to share the Octagon with him.”

Santos was in camp with longtime friend and teammate Jose Aldo, who will fight Fob Font in the UFC on ESPN 31 main event. Santos revealed that he didn’t spend too much time sparring with the former featherweight champion.

“Nova Uniao is such a paradise of lightweight fighters,” Santos said. “Even when we were in close proximity, we needed to face different styles, so we didn’t spar too much. But from…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A matchup of surging lightweights is in the works for an upcoming UFC Fight Night card, as Arman Tsarukyan and Joel Alvarez have agreed to square off on Feb. 26.

Multiple outlets confirmed the bout has been targeted following an initial report from Igor Larzorin. The Fight Night event takes place at an as yet to be announced location and is headlined by a pivotal 155-pound encounter between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev.

After falling to Makhachev in his Octagon debut, Tsarukyan has rattled off four consecutive triumphs within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Most recently, the American Top Team-trained Russian scored a first-round technical knockout win against Christos Giagos at UFC Fight Night 192 on Sept. 18.

Spain’s Alvarez is also on a four-bout UFC winning streak after dropping a three-round verdict to Damir Ismagulov in his initial Octagon foray in February 2019. The 28-year-old Bandog Fight Club representative has…

A lightweight clash between Jay-Jay Wilson and Alfie Davis scheduled for Bellator 272 has been canceled.

As a result, a bantamweight scrap pitting Josh Hill against Jared Scoggins has been elevated to Friday’s main draw. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the removal of Wilson vs. Davis, and promotion officials confirmed the new Bellator 272 lineup on Monday. A reason for the cancellation is currently unclear.

Bellator 272 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and is headlined by a bantamweight championship tilt between Sergio Pettis and Kyoji Horiguchi. The evening’s main card airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT, while prelims begin on the Bellator YouTube channel, the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Hill earned decision wins against Erik Perez and Vinicius Zani in his first two promotional appearances before dropping a three-round verdict against Raufeon Stots in his last outing at Bellator 258.

A forme…

Khabib Nurmagomedov will bring Eagle Fighting Championship to the United States early next year.

The retired former UFC champion told ESPN that he plans to hold events in Miami with his mixed martial arts promotion in both January and March, with hopes for several more in the U.S. as the year progresses. Eagle FC is working with media company FLX on a production facility in Miami that will host the organization’s cards, which are expected to stream on the FLXcast app.

"If you want to become big in MMA, you have to be in USA," Nurmagomedov said. "For fighters, for promotion, you have to be in U.S. If you're not in U.S., you can never become No. 1 or best. It's almost impossible.”

Nurmagomedov told ESPN that the Eagle FC has signed multiple fighters with previous ties to major organizations like the UFC and Bellator. He hopes to add at least 50 fighters to his promotion for the coming year. Nurmagomedov, however, does not want to compete with other well-known MM…

A battle of lightweight contenders is in the works for early next year, as Beneil Dariush is slated to lock horns with Islam Makhachev on Feb. 26.

ESPN was first to report the booking, which will serve as the headliner for the UFC Fight Night card. In addition to agreeing to the bout, both Dariush and Makhachev have reportedly signed conract extensions with the Las Vegas-based promotion. A location for the event has not been announced.

Dariush enters the matchup on a seven-bout winning streak. The Kings MMA product went 2-0 in 2021, defeating Diego Ferreira via split decision at UFC Fight Night 184 before taking a unanimous verdict against Tony Ferguson at UFC 262. Dariush is 15-4-1 in UFC competition overall, with other notable wins against the likes of Drew Dober, Thiago Moises, Jim Miller and Michael Johnson.

Makhachev, meanwhile, has been victorious in his last nine Octagon appearances. Most recently, the Khabib Nurmagomedov training partner tapped Dan Hook…

Pneumonia Covid never give up pic.twitter.com/QshVGYiUvW

— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) November 26, 2021 Beloved fan-favorite fighter Diego Sanchez is suffering from serious complications due to COVID-19.

A week ago, Sanchez posted on social media stating that he was undergoing a REGEN-COV monoclonal antibody therapy for COVID-19, also known as a Regeneron antibody infusion. Sanchez went on to explain that his condition had briefly improved, thanking fellow fighter Luis Palomino for recommending this treatment. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship mainstay lamented that the treatment was depriving him of sleep, and that he was “cleaning out all the poison.”

On Thursday night, Sanchez posted an unfortunate update that he had been hospitalized due to the virus. Showing a photograph of him being hooked up to machines, he stated that he had come down with pneumonia as well with low oxygen numbers. A few hours later, Sanchez said t…

Jarred Brooks puts the ONE strawweight division ON NOTICE by submitting Lito Adiwang in the second round! @The_monkeygod #ONENextGen3 #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/JHUSk2VAgL

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) November 26, 2021 “The Monkey God” may be one to watch in One Championship’s 125-pound division.

The main event of “NextGen 3,” a tape-delayed event filmed at the end of October, featured a clash between well-traveled vet Jarred Brooks and divisional mainstay Lito Adiwang at One’s strawweight division of 125 pounds. Brooks (17-2, 1 NC; 1-0 One) landed his first takedown 20 seconds out of the gate, pinning Adiwang (13-4, 7-2 One) with his back against the mat for most of Round 1. “The Monkey God” landed a few shots from on top, but remained content to rack up control time until Adiwang eventually surged back to his feet. When both were upright again, Adiwang targeted Brooks’ body with kicks, and set up punches from those…

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. A newly announced Ultimate Fighting Championship card on March 5 will play host to a thrilling striker vs. grappler battle at 145 pounds. MMA Junkie was the first to break the news on Thursday, reporting that Edson Barboza (22-10) will come to blows with Bryce Mitchell (14-0) on March 5. The two featherweights will toe the line at a previously unannounced UFC card on that date, which does not currently have a location or venue officially on the books. The pairing, which has been agreed upon but not formally signed, has since been confirmed by other outlets. No other matchups have yet been announced for the event, and it is not currently clear if this bout will serve as its headliner.

Feared Brazilian striker Barboza had a two-fight win streak snapped when Giga Chikadze knocked him out in August. The defeat put an end to clear-cu…

.@USMAN84kg on breaking his hand before the fight pic.twitter.com/L1JEi7jQyK

— Full Send Podcast (@fullsendpodcast) November 24, 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. Recently victorious Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman kept a firm grip on his title even with a broken hand. On Wednesday afternoon, Usman spoke on the Full Send Podcast about his UFC 268 meeting with Colby Covington. According to the champ, he broke his right hand three weeks prior to the fight date of Nov. 6, and did not strike with that hand until fight night.

“Yeah, I broke it before the fight,” Usman admitted on the Full Send Podcast. “Most people didn’t know that, so…yeah, I broke it three weeks before and I didn’t throw it a day until my fight.”

When asked about how that impacted training, or if he used his hand for anything…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Troubled former UFC fighter Luis Pena was recently arrested for the third time in the past few months.

According to online arrest records, Pena was arrested on Monday and faces two new charges for misdemeanor batter and misdemeanor criminal mischief. No bond has been set. Further details regarding the charges are currently unclear.

Pena was previously arrested this past October in Deerfield Beach, Fla. on charges of domestic violence and battery. According to a probable cause affadavit, Pena is accused of hitting his girlfriend with a closed fist “multiple times.” Pena allegedly continued to strike his girlfriend while she was on the ground, and the woman also suffered abrasions on her left wrist and a bite mark near her left knee.

According to the affadavit, another woman who witnessed the alleged assault attempted to stop Pena, and the fighter struck the woman in the eye with a closed fist. That resulted in the woman falli…

After defeating Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz via decision for a pair of key bantamweight victories, former featherweight champion Jose Aldo will return to the Octagon on Saturday against Rob Font, who is on a four-bout winning streak at 135 pounds.

In an interview with Brazilian podcast Mundo da Luta, Nova Uniao leader Andre Pederneiras revealed that Aldo is finally comfortable in his new weight class and is in great position to earn his third consecutive triumph at UFC on ESPN 31 on Dec. 4.

“Aldo is much more adapted in that division now,” Pederneiras said. “Font deserves all respect. He has two strong points: a dangerous jab and straight. But I see Aldo with many more weapons to finish the fight before the fifth round.”  

Pederneiras also discussed the feud between Aldo and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who recently seemed to downplay Aldo’s success in a new weight class. According to Perderneiras, Khabib´s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, talked to him via phone to clear…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Anthony Rocco Martin was arrested in Las Vegas over the weekend on misdemeanor charges of battery and lewd conduct in a public place, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

According to a Metro Police arrest report, Martin was witnessed urinating on the hallway floor at Caesars Palace at about 1:30 a.m. local time on Saturday. Security manager Nathan Wilson and multiple other security guards confronted Martin near the elevators and asked him to leave the property. Martin refused the request and then was unwilling to show identication before threatening security. When Wilson told Martin he was in danger of trespassing and put his hands up to tell him to step back, the UFC veteran punched him in the throat.

After the punch, Martin was taken down to the floor by security and placed in restraints. Police arrived on the scene and observed security footage of Martin urinating and punching Wilson, according to the report. Martin was…

Matt Brown won’t be fighting at UFC on ESPN 31 as originally planned.

“The Immortal” announced on Tuesday via social media that he has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to withdraw from a proposed matchup with Bryan Barberena on the Dec. 4 card. It’s currently unknown if Barberena will remain on the card.

“S—-ty day today,” Brown wrote. I tested positive for COVID so my fight next weekend is off.

“I was sick af over the weekend but feel better for the most part now,” he added. “Lost smell today. Did a jog outside today and lungs burned some I thought maybe it was just the cold air but maybe I’m still sick. I’ll get over it quickly and go from there.”

Brown, 40, is coming off a second-round knockout of Dhiego Lima at UFC on ESPN 25 on June 19. That halted a two-bout skid for “The Ultimate Fighter 7” veteran, who has won three of his last five Octagon appearances dating back to 2017.

UFC on ESPN 31 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and i…

Miesha Tate is facing a six-month medical suspension following her loss to Ketlen Vieira in the UFC Fight Night 198 main event.

Tate, who lost a unanimous verdict to Vieira, must have multiple nose fractures cleared by an ear, nose and throat doctor or she will be sidelined until May 20. At a minimum, she is suspended until Jan. 5 with no contact until Jan. 5. Vieira, meanwhile, emerged with a clean bill of health after the event.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission released a full list of medical suspensions from the event to mixedmartialarts.com. UFC Fight Night 198 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday and also saw Sean Brady defeat Michael Chiesa via unanimous decision in the evening’s co-headliner. Brady is suspended until Dec. 21 with no contact until Dec. 12 due to lacerations under both eyes.

Five other competitors from UFC Fight Night 198 are facing potential six-month terms pending doctor clearance: Joanne Calderwood (left hand), Adrian Yanez…

It appears that UFC 268 was a success domestically.

According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, the event drew approximately 700,000 pay-per-view buys through ESPN+ in the United States (h/t TSN ). That figure, of course, does not reflect international purchases of the UFC 268 card. ESPN+ holds the exclusive right to UFC pay-per-view events in the United States.

UFC 268 took place on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York and saw Kamaru Usman defend his welterweight crown with five-round decision win in a rematch against Colby Covington in the evening’s main event. In the co-headliner, Rose Namajunas edged Weili Zhang via split decision in another rematch to retain her strawweight crown.

The main draw began with a “Fight of the Year” candidate between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler, and also saw a competitive duel between Shane Burgos and Billy Quarantillo as well Marlon Vera’s front-kick KO of Frankie Edgar.

Just based on U.S. number…

ACTION MAN WITH THE SUPERHERO STRENGTH

[ #UFC268 | Prelims are LIVE on ESPNews & ESPN+ ] pic.twitter.com/54gmyUFdck

— UFC (@ufc) November 7, 2021 “The Action Man” will make a quick turnaround following an upset victory in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

Approximately one month after his first-round knockout of Phil Hawes at UFC 268, Chris Curtis will replace Roman Dolidze and face Brendan Allen at UFC on ESPN 31 on Dec. 4. MMA DNA was first to report the new middleweight booking. UFC on ESPN 30 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a bantamweight showdown between Jose Aldo and Rob Font.

Including his win over Hawes, Curtis brings a six-bout winning streak into the matchup with Allen, a stretch that also includes triumphs over former UFC competitors Kenny Robertson and Kyle Stewart. The 34-year-old former CES MMA title holder is 27-8 over the course of his professional tenure.

Allen has now …