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Billy Quarantillo and Gabriel Benitez took home an additional $50,000 apiece for their work in the Octagon on Saturday night.

Quarantillo and Benitez received “Fight of the Night” honors for their entertaining featherweight scrap at UFC on ESPN 26 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Both fighters landed knockdowns in the bout, but Quarantillo was the one who walked away with his hand raised after a series of punches from back control forced the TKO stoppage 3:40 into Round 3.

Meanwhile, four “Performance of the Night” bonuses were handed out, as Miesha Tate, Mateusz Gamrot, Rodolfo Vieira and Rodrigo Nascimento all received an additional $50,000 for their efforts.

In her first fight in more than four years, Tate was impressive in a third-round stoppage of Marion Reneau in the evening’s co-main event. “Cupcake” took Reneau down, moved to back mount and earned a TKO with punches from that position 1:53 into Round 3.

Gamrot, meanwhile, wasted little time in putting…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Islam Makhachev lived up to the hype in his first headlining effort. The Dagestani lightweight gradually imposed his will on Thiago Moises before submitting his opponent with a rear-naked choke at the 2:38 mark of Round 4 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Makhachev, who has won eight straight in UFC competition, is the first person to defeat Moises via tapout.

“This is my first fourth round in my life. I never fight more than three rounds. That’s why this is good experience for me,” Makhachev said.

“I tell you guys before, I'm gonna take him down, make him tired, and make him tap.”

Moises (15-5, 4-3 UFC) spent the majority of the bout on the defensive. Makhachev (19-1, 9-1 UFC) was effective in spurts with punching combinations to the head and kicks to the body, but it was in clo…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 26 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pe…

WOW! D-Rod wasting no time with a RD 1 KO!#UFCVegas31 pic.twitter.com/5iohb4dFii

— UFC (@ufc) July 18, 2021

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Daniel Rodriguez didn’t allow Preston Parsons even a glimmer of hope in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

Rodriguez won for the fifth time in six promotional outings at UFC on ESPN 26, as he picked Preston Parsons apart with precision punches en route to a technical knockout stoppage 3:47 into the opening round of their bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Parsons, a late replacement for Abubakar Nurmagomedov, saw a four-bout winning streak snapped.

Rodriguez looked every bit the part of the Octagon veteran as he blended kicks to the legs and body with straight punches early against Parsons, who was denied on his attempts to…

#KSW62 Statistics

FightsFinishes1st Round Stoppages3 Round Warsction-Packed Event pic.twitter.com/Bax0xPKNaF

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) July 17, 2021 While there were plenty of mismatches and a lack of big names, KSW 62 delivered consistently exciting matches, including six first-round finishes as well as one of the craziest first rounds one will ever see.

In the main event, Olympic weightlifting gold medalist Szymon Kolecki (10-1, 4-0 KSW) continued his surprisingly successful mixed martial arts career, shellacking overmatched Akop Szostak (4-4, 0-2 KSW), who is perhaps best known for appearing on “Dancing with the Stars” in Poland, in a mere 47 seconds. Kolecki was a monster -1500 favorite and looked like it, walking forward and landing with punches at will. He paid little attention to defense and Szostak had a few partial connects, but it didn't remotely faze the Olympic champ. Kolecki ended matters with a vicious right uppercut. KSW clearly h…

UFC on ESPN 26 is down to 10 fights after Miles Johns vs. Anderson dos Santos was scrapped due to a positive COVID-19 test in dos Santos’ camp.

Johns initially announced the cancellation on social media and it has since been confirmed by multiple outlets.

“It’s with great regret that I have to inform you all that I will not be fighting this evening. My opponent/camp tested positive for COVID so the fight is off,” Johns wrote on Instagram. “I want to wish him a speedy recovery, want to thank the UFC for the opportunity but mainly want apologize to everyone who was looking forward to watching me fight today.”

UFC on ESPN 26 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a lightweight tilt between Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises. The main airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Johns has been victorious in two of his three Octagon appearances. The Dana White’s Contender S…

Challenger Denise Kielholtz may have competed for pride and for glory, but Bellator MMA flyweight queen Juliana Velasquez fought for family; as we have been reminded lately, nothing is stronger than family.

Bellator took three weeks off to recharge its batteries and replenish its stock, before returning inside its favored venue of the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. With Bellator 262 came 10 fights from its lightest division of women’s flyweight all the way up to the largest at heavyweight. The headlining attraction saw a 125-pound championship tilt as Velasquez (12-0, 7-0 BMMA) topped impressive challenger Kielholtz (6-3, 6-2 BMMA) in a five-round striking match. When the dust settled, the Dutchwoman gave Velasquez everything she could handle; the champion still emerged victorious by split decision, with two 48-47 calls going in her direction and one 48-47 score for her opponent.

Bolstered by her walkout of “In the End” by Linkin Park, and sending her love to he…

Sherdog's live Bellator 262 coverage kicks off Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1 Kicking off the card, lightweight prospect Charlie Campbell (3-1), nicknamed "The Cannibal", is a healthy favorite against Nick Giulietti (2-1). Referee Kerry Hatley will look on. Giulietti tries to touch gloves to begin, but Campbell wants nothing of it. Giulietti starts out throwing side-kicks and front-kicks, but Campbell is out of range on all occasions. Capmbell goes for a jumping knee, but it's unsuccessful, and Giulietti takes an opportunity to clinch up. He cranks an underhook nicely and forces Campbell to the canvas. Giulietti is making his more hyped opponent pay for his disrespect! Giulietti is pressing from the top and briefly gets a scarfhold, a position where it's very possible to escape out of the side. However, Campbell is unable to take advantage and Giulietti soon goes back to side co…

NOBODY BEATS THE IS!!

Ismael Bonfim takes home the #LFA111 main event! We will see you again Sunday night! pic.twitter.com/qkSEsfqNm0

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) July 17, 2021 The Legacy Fighting Alliance's first card on Brazilian soil led to an exciting night of fights. Headlining the LFA 111 card was a lightweight fight between prospects Rangel Ribeiro de Sa and Ismael Bonfim. The well-matched fight was tightly contested with both fighters having their moments in the opening rounds. Bonfim (15-3) would land a nice knee to the head of de Sa (10-2) in Round 3, which showed he was the superior fighter. Bonfim would take a unanimous decision win with scores of 28-27, 28-27 and 29-27.

The co-main event saw bantamweight Marcos Breno make his mark against Ary Farias. Breno (14-2) landed a walk-off knockout early in Round 1 with a huge overhand right that left Farias (10-3) out cold. The fight was called off after just 56 seconds.

Read more about Ismael Bonfim Outstrikes Rangel Ribeiro de Sa in LFA 111 Main Event

Both have something to prove

Don’t miss @MakhachevMMA vs @ThiagoMoisesMMA tomorrow!

[ #UFCVegas31 | July 17 on @ESPN & #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/F57j9ebOnK — UFC (@ufc) July 16, 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. There was no drama ahead of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's return to the UFC Apex for UFC on ESPN 26, as all 11 fights are now official.

Every fighters made weight for the ESPN-aired event, which will be headlined by an intriguing lightweight battle between Thiago Moises and Islam Makhachev as they battle up the ranks. Makhachev (19-1) finds himself on an impressive seven-fight win streak. The surging Russian submitted Drew Dober in his last bout, and has also defeated respected veterans including Nik Lentz and Gleison Tibau on his way up. Makhachev officially weighed 155.5 pounds for his first main…

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. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight king Rafael dos Anjos is confident that he would have crushed Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 264. Booked as a reserve fighter for the main event of UFC 264, dos Anjos (30-13) was not able to step in the Octagon last Saturday because both Dustin Poirier and McGregor were cleared to compete. The longtime MMA veteran dos Anjos spoke to Sherdog on Thursday, while on a camping trip with his family, about the headliner of UFC 264 that he watched intently. He had strong thoughts on how he would have performed had he been tapped as the alternate.

“I saw McGregor [at the] weigh-ins and he looked sloppy, skinny like a little boy,” dos Anjos remarked. “I was sure Dustin would win again. But Conor was lucky it was not me. My game is much worse for him than Dustin’s. I have no doubt I…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ng3p--7bJo&w=560&h=315] No belts are up for grabs at the latest KSW event, but that did not stop every fighter on the card from remaining professional and properly making weight.

The latest KSW offering comes in the form of a nine-fight event of KSW 62, where an Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting caps off the card. Szymon Kolecki (9-1) will aim to make it four in a row inside the KSW cage when he takes on fellow bodybuilder and Polsat’s “Dancing with the Stars” competitor Akop Szostak (4-3). The light heavyweights combine for 11 knockouts in their 13 career victories, and neither has ever landed nor suffered a submission. Kolecki, who once fought at heavyweight and topped Mariusz Pudzianowski, hit the scales at 206 pounds. The Belarussian out of Poland came back far lighter, well below the limit at 202 pounds.

The co-featured fight comes in the welterweight division, when the man known as “Double Champ” Andrzej Grzebyk (170…

Now that the #LFA111 weigh-in is in the books, which fight are you looking forward to the most?

: https://t.co/uZ05OZtNhm

: https://t.co/3srj9Wnzhz@ShellsDotCom@Drink9mm@KoiCBD@SheathUnderwear@GLCDirect2000@HowlerHead@TeamSmartStop@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/nbQ2kIpKEt — LFA (@LFAfighting) July 16, 2021 The Legacy Fighting Alliance is fully international as it heads to Brazil for its first event not on North America soil.

Headlining LFA 111 is a bout between Brazilian lightweight prospects Rangel Ribeiro de Sa and Ismael Bonfim. De Sa (10-1) has won his last six bouts, and looks to make a statement in his LFA debut. "Anaconda" officially weighed 155.4 for the main event bout. Meanwhile, Bonfim (14-3) brings an eight-fight win streak into his promotional debut, and he hit the scales at 155.8 pounds.

LFA 111's prelims will air live on the promotion's Facebook page, while the main card will stream on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. ET/6 p…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYKvCTxJcGA&w=560&h=315] A few Bellator MMA fighters may have needed the full additional hour, but every competitor for this Friday’s card made weight.

After three weeks away, Bellator is back with Bellator 262 inside the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a flyweight title fight and a high-stakes heavyweight scrap on tap. The event will be capped off by Juliana Velasquez’ first defense of her 125-pound throne, when she takes on kickboxing convert Denise Kielholtz (6-2) at night’s end. All 10 fights on the card are official, as every fighter made weight, even though two prelim fighters needed an extra hour to hit their marks.

Velasquez (11-0) comes into this battle with a flawless record, seven months removed from wresting the title from Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in December. The Brazilian champ has stormed her way through the Bellator cage, rattling off six wins since her organizational debut in 2017 over names like Na Lian…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC 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. Count Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Michel Pereira among those that believe his battle with Niko Price should have earned “Fight of the Night.” Both Pereira (26-11, 2 NC) and Price (14-5, 2 NC) brawled for three hard-fought rounds on the prelims of UFC 264, with Pereira getting his hand raised at the end. Much to their chagrin, the main card offering, Sean O'Malley’s one-sided beating of newcomer Kris Moutinho, earned the $75k prize instead. The win was Pereira’s third in a row inside the Octagon, and the victorious Brazilian spoke to Sherdog shortly after his victory to give his thoughts on the whole ordeal.

“They should consider the level of the opponent's when choosing the bonus,” Pereira said. “O’Malley got an [easy opponent], that was no…

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 recently defeated Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor has made some claims about a possible preexisting injury that may merit some additional questioning. On Thursday, McGregor posted a video on his Instagram while riding a motorized scooter as an update to his fans about his condition and recovery. In this video, the Irishman explained that he may have come into UFC 264, and his rubber match against Dustin Poirier, with injuries to his leg. In that third bout with Poirier, McGregor’s tibia snapped towards the end of the first round, with many speculating it could have broken on a checked leg kick, an elbow block from Poirier or simply from throwing it so hard. Even though it did not go his way, McGregor appeared upbeat about the situation, getting out of surgery on his birthday on Wednesday.

“Keep a positiv…

A middleweight clash pitting Phil Hawes against Deron Winn has been rescheduled for a UFC event on Oct. 9.

The bout was originally slated for UFC on ESPN 26 this Saturday, but according to ESPN the contest was moved three months down the road after Winn suffered a rib injury. The UFC card will likely take place the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a strawweight tilt between Marina Rodriguez and Mackenzie Dern.

Hawes enters the matchup with Winn having won his last seven professional outings — including three straight in UFC competition. The two-time Dana White’s Contender Series veteran has thus far scored successive triumphs over Jacob Malkoun, Nassourdine Imavov and Kyle Daukus within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Winn, meanwhile, snapped a two-bout skid at UFC Fight Night 183, where he captured a unanimous verdict against Antonio Arroyo on Dec. 19. The 32-year-old American Kickboxing Academy representative is 7-2 as a pro with other notable wins ag…

Veteran middleweight Omari Akhmedov is no longer on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster.

Akhmedov and the Las Vegas-based promotion have parted ways following a split-decision loss to Brad Tavares at UFC 264 this past Saturday. Sherdog.com contributor Tom Feely initially reported via Twitter that Akhmedov was listed as a “former fighter” on UFC.com, and MMAFighting.com later confirmed his exit.

It’s unclear if Akhmedov was cut with existing bouts on his contract or simply fulfilled his last fight at UFC 264 and will not receive a new deal.

The 33-year-old Dagestani began his Octagon tenure in 2013 and compiled a 9-5-1 record in UFC competition, with victories over the likes of Tom Breese, Ian Heinisch, Tim Boetsch, Zak Cummings and Brian Ebersole. At one point, the man known as “Wolverine” went unbeaten in six promotional appearances from November 2016 to December 2019.

Anchored at American Top Team, Akhmedov is 21-6-1 over the course of a professio…

UFC 266 will officially feature a pair of title fights at the top of the bill.

UFC president Dana White confirmed to promotion broadcast partner ESPN on Tuesday that a featherweight clash pitting reigning champ Alexander Volkanovski against Brian Orega will serve as the evening’s headliner, while Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight crown against Lauren Murphy.

UFC 266 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 25 and will also see Nick Diaz return for the first time since 2015 in a five-round, non-title matchup with Robbie Lawler.

Volkanovski was originally slated to defend his belt against Ortega at UFC 260 on March 27, but the Australian champion tested positive for COVID-19 to put that matchup on hold. The two featherweights were then tabbed as coaches on Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Volkanovski is currently on a 19-bout professional winning streak that includes nine triumphs in the UFC. He claimed 145-pound gold with a five-…

Nick Diaz has signed on the dotted line to lock horns with Robbie Lawler at UFC 266.

UFC president Dana White confirmed to Yahoo Sports that the previously targeted welterweight bout is nearly official for the Sept. 25 event. Lawler hasn’t yet signed a contract but the bout is expected to be finalized soon. Additionally, the matchup will be a five-round non-title affair, the second in the history of the Las Vegas-based promotion. The first such fight occurred at UFC 263, when Leon Edwards defeated Nate Diaz in a five-round verdict on June 12.

Lawler and Diaz initially squared off at UFC 47, with Lawler losing via knockout at the 1:31 mark of Round 2.

UFC 266 will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 25 and is expected to be headlined by a featherweight championship clash pitting Alexander Volkanovski against Brian Ortega.

Diaz hasn’t competed since January 2015, when he lost a five-round decision to Anderson Silva in the UFC 183 headliner —…

Former Invicta Fighting Championships title holder Pam Sorenson has signed an exclusive deal with Bellator MMA.

Sherdog.com confirmed the signing with a promotion official following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. A date for Sorenson’s promotional debut was not revealed.

Sorenson herself recently revealed via Instagram that she had vacated her Invicta belt.

A 35-year-old native of Blaine, Minn., Sorenson has not competed since taking a five-round verdict over Kaitlin Young for the vacant 145-pound strap at Invicta FC 36 on Aug. 9, 2019. Prior to that, “Bam” was submittted in the fourth round by current UFC talent Felicia Spencer in a title bout at Invicta FC 32.

Sorenson is 8-3 over the course of her professional tenure, with other victories over the likes of Jan Finney, Helena Kolesnyk, Jessica-Rose Clark and Nicco Montano.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZuF5ijCHvc&w=560&h=315]

Jake Paul has big dreams when it comes to his boxing career, and Tyron Woodley is just the beginning.

“[Woodley is my] toughest [opponent] by far and that’s exactly what I want,” Paul said at a press conference on Tuesday to promote his boxing match against the former UFC champion. “I want to continue to increase my opponent’s skill level. I want to challenge myself. This is a legitimate knockout artist. He was boxing while I was on Disney Channel. He’s been boxing probably four or five times as long as me.”

Thus far, Paul is 3-0 in the Sweet Science with his most notable victory coming in April, when he scored a first-round knockout of former Bellator and One Championship title holder Ben Askren. Askren was a decorated wrestler but a below average striker at best — even by MMA standards. Woodley, on the basis of KO wins over the likes of Robbie Lawler, Dong Hyun Kim, Josh Koscheck and Jay Hieron, among …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZuF5ijCHvc&w=560&h=315]

Tyron Woodley isn’t looking at his boxing match against Jake Paul as a one-off opportunity for a cash grab.

Instead, the former UFC welterweight champion has designs on pursuing more fights in the Sweet Science after his Aug. 29 matchup with the YouTube personality.

“I didn’t get into this for a quick payday to get in and get out,” Woodley said during a press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday to promote his fight with Paul. “This is a steppingstone for me. This is my entry into boxing for sure.”

Woodley will face Paul in the main event of a Showtime Sports card at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The event will air via pay-per-view on Showtime beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Paul is 3-0 as a professional boxer, while Woodley will be making his debut in the sport.

Now 39 years old, Woodley parted ways with the UFC following a four-bout losing streak. He last appeared in the …

Conor McGregor may very well be on the decline in his mixed martial arts career, but he nonetheless remains the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s top draw.

According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, UFC 264 drew a total of 1.8 million pay-per-view buys, making it the second-highest selling event in promotion history. UFC 229 was the top seller with a reported 2.4 million pay-per-view buys for a card headlined by a lightweight championship clash between McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

UFC 264 reportedly sold 1.3 million buys in the United States on ESPN and another 500,000 internationally. The card, which took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, saw Dustin Poirier emerge victorious in the rubber match against the Irishman when McGregor suffered a gruesome leg break after stepping awkwardly at the end of Round 1.

Earlier in 2021, McGregor’s second-round TKO loss to Poirier in the UFC 257 main event on Jan. 23 did a reported 1.6 million buys. Al…