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The Ultimate Fighting Championship has parted ways with five fighters, including Luke Sanders and Anthony Birchak.

In addition to those two, Aalon Cruz, Jordan Griffin and Ray Rodriguez are no longer on the Las Vegas-based promotion’s roster. MMAjunkie.com confirmed the news after Sherdog.com's Tom Feely and TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter pointed out that none of the above athletes were eligible for fan rankings online. The aforementioned departures don’t necessarily mean those fighters were cut; it could indicate that their existing contracts expired and they did not receive new deals.

Sanders exits the UFC after losing three of his last four bouts, including a decision defeat against Felipe Dias Colares in his most recent outing at UFC on ESPN 23. He went 3-5 during his promotional tenure.

Birchak went just 2-5 over two separate stints with the organization. During his second go-round, “El Toro” was finished in back-to-back fights by Gustavo Lopez and Tony Gravely. Read more about Luke Sanders, Anthony Birchak Among Five Fighters to Exit UFC Roster

A strawweight clash pitting Amanda Ribas against Angela Hill has been rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 189.

The fighters were initially slated to meet at UFC on ESPN 24 this past Saturday, but a positive COVID-19 test for Ribas resulted in the cancellation of the bout. MMA DNA was first to report the 115-pound rebooking.

UFC Fight Night 189 is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on June 5 and is headlined by a heavyweight duel between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai. The Las Vegas-based promotion also announced that Maryna Moroz will square off against Manon Fiorot at the event.

Ribas had a five-bout winning streak snapped in her last outing, when she suffered a second-round TKO loss against Marina Rodriguez at UFC 257. Hill, meanwhile, ended a two-bout skid with a three-round verdict over Ashley Yoder at UFC Fight Night 187.

The PFL fight between Fabricio Werdum and Renan Ferreira from last Thursday night has been overturned to a no contest by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board.

- @marc_raimondi pic.twitter.com/JbDbYroasD

— MMAPurists (@MMAPurists) May 10, 2021 The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board has overturned Renan Ferreira’s first-round knockout victory over Fabricio Werdum at Professional Fighters League’s third regular season event of 2021 to a no contest.

ESPN was first to report the news. After reversing into top position, Ferreira found himself ensnared in a triangle choke. At one point, Werdum appeared to elicit a quick tapout from his opponent and then briefly relaxed the hold. When referee Keith Peterson failed to see the tap, Ferreira capitalized and unloaded with hammerfists to force the stoppage 2:32 into Round 1.

According to the ESPN report, NJSACB commissioner Larry Hazzard Sr. elected to overturn the initial decision aft…

Derek Anderson has been handed a six-month suspension for failling to disclose medical issues he had prior to his loss to Michael Page at Bellator 258 this past Friday.

Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation Executive Director Michael Mazzulli told MMAFighting.com that Anderson did not mention he suffered from kidney failure during training camp on his pre-fight medicals. Two days ago, the fighter revealed that those issues hindered his training camp prior to facing Page.

“Love to be back ASAP but went to the hospital [four] times as I was having kidney failure my whole camp and could hardly train,” Anderson wrote on Instagram. “I wanted to make this fight happen. I’ll be back after a short vacation to recover and now I have some new wounds to lick.”

In order to have that sanction lifted before it ends on Nov. 7, Anderson must do the following: an MRI and ultrasound of his kidney; blood tests; a consultation with a kidney specialist and weekly visits …

An intriguing middleweight showdown between Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan has been pushed back one week.

The bout, which was originally slated for UFC 262 this Saturday, will instead go down at UFC Fight Night 188 on May 22. MMA DNA was first to report the news, and UFC president Dana White later told TSN that the postponement was due to a positive COVID-19 case in the Hermansson camp.

UFC Fight Night 188 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a bantamweight showdown between Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font.

Hermansson has lost two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, “The Joker” dropped a five-round verdict against Marvin Vettori at UFC on ESPN 19 on Dec. 5. His 8-4 promotional mark includes wins over the likes of Kelvin Gastelum, Ronaldo Souza, David Branch and Thales Leites.

Shahbazyan, meanwhile suffered his first career loss in 12 outings at UFC Fight Night 173, where he fell to Derek Brunson via third-round…

BREAKING NEWS: Gordon Ryan will make his debut in ONE Championship against Shinya Aoki in an openweight grappling super match on August 27!

— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) May 10, 2021

Gordon Ryan will remain in his element for his first One Championship foray.

The decorated grappler will face Shinya Aoki in an “openweight grappling super match” on Aug. 27, One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced Monday. Official rules of the contest were not revealed.

Regarded by some as the best pound-for-pound grappler in the world, Ryan is a three-time ADCC champion, IBJJF no-gi champion and a four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion. In grappling competition, Ryan has bested the likes of Josh Barnett, Gabriel Gonzaga, Rousimar Palhares, Dillon Danis and Marcus Almeida. He is a black belt under Gary Tonon. Ryan signed with One with the expectation that he would make his MMA debut as well, but he recently told MMAFighting.com that his curre…

Phil Hawes apparently already knew his next opponent as he entered the Octagon with Kyle Daukaus this past Saturday.

The middleweight revealed that he was scheduled to face Deron Winn at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on July 17 during a recent interview with Pub Sports Radio. The pairing was later confirmed by MMAjunkie.com. The bout is contingent upon Hawes not receiving a lengthy medical suspension after UFC on ESPN 24.

Hawes is currently on a seven-bout professional winning streak that includes a trio of triumphs in UFC competition. The two-time Dana White’s Contender Series competitor put together a strong finish to earn a unanimous decision over Daukaus at UFC on ESPN 24 after besting Nassourdine Imavov and Jacob Malkoun in his first two promotional appearances.

Winn, meanwhile, halted a two-bout skid in his last outing, when he outpointed Antonio Arroyo at UFC Fight Night 183 on Dec. 19. The American Kickboxing Academy product is 2-2 in UFC comp…

Alex Morono displayed an outstanding finishing instinct at UFC on ESPN 24.

Once Morono staggered Donald Cerrone with a massive overhand right, he swarmed for the finish on his reeling foe, unloading with a barrage of strikes while “Cowboy” attempted to cover up near the fence. With Cerrone basically out on his feet, referee Marc Goddard had no choice but to step in at the 4:40 mark of Round 1.

That fact that the stoppage victory came against such a well-known foe was the icing on the cake.

“It feels good just putting my literal handiwork out there—boxing, kickboxing and getting knockouts. That’s just been a perpetual life goal,” Morono said. “I’ve come so close in so many fights, cracking dudes and dropping dudes. I hadn’t quite found the standing finish. I got it today over a man I admire greatly, more than almost anyone else on the roster. That goal was accomplished. I’m very satisfied.”

Morono is well aware that it can be a matter of inches between lan…

Michelle Waterson gave a valiant effort in the UFC on ESPN 24 main event but ultimately came up short, falling to Marina Rodriguez via unanimous decision on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Despite being significantly undersized, the former Invicta FC atomweight queen hung tough against her Brazilian opponent. “The Karate Hottie” had her best moment in Round 4, when she landed a takedown and spent the better part of three minutes battering Rodriguez with punches and elbows from top position.

Waterson also caused Rodriguez’s jaw to swell after landing a high kick in the final stanza, but she wasn’t able to match the muay Thai striker’s weapons consistently enough in a bout that was contested largely on the feet. The Jackson-Wink MMA representative has lost three of her last four Octagon appearances but has been competitive in falling to Rodriguez, Carla Esparza and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

After her latest effort, the 35-year-old New Mexico resident released a s…

As the opening round of his UFC on ESPN 24 matchup with Diego Ferreira drew to a close, Gregor Gillespie didn’t appear to be in a good place.

The former NCAA national champion wrestler struggled to hold Ferreira down in scrambles and ate several hard punches when the combatants were standing. After a grueling five minutes, Gillespie appeared to be on wobbly legs as he returned to his corner.

“A couple people have already told me I looked tired—because I was,” Gillespie said. “When people say ‘He’s out of shape,’ those are two different things. Being out of shape means you didn’t prepare correctly and you’re tired as a result. I was tired because of the pace we were doing.

“I’m not saying that was all me. He stuck with it. I had to really throw that at him and make it the pace of the fight, in the hopes he couldn’t keep doing it and knowing I probably could. I was extremely tired after Round 1, but I’m OK feeling that way.”

As it turned out, Gillespie was …

Marina Rodriguez earned a signature triumph against Michelle Waterson in the makeshift UFC on ESPN 24 headliner on Saturday night.

“It was a very good performance. I knew everything was going to be different, so I had to prepare my mind and come in with a different mindset than usual,” Rodriguez said. “I’m pretty happy with the performance. I wish I could have got a knockout, that’s what I came here for. It was still a great win over a great opponent.”

Though she didn’t get the finish, Rodriguez attacked with rapid-fire punching combinations, kicks to various levels and knees and elbows in the clinch against a durable opponent. The Brazilian appeared to have Waterson on the retreat a few times, but “The Karate Hottie” remained competitive for a full 25 minutes.

“I knew she was going to be very tough,” Rodriguez said. “I was able to hit her with some good punches. There was one hook where I thought the referee was going to stop it. She’s very tough. You can’t ta…

Donald Cerrone hasn’t tasted victory in UFC competition in his last six appearances, but the popular veteran remains determined to keep plugging away until he can exit the sport on his terms.

Cerrone suffered a first-round technical knockout defeat at the hands of short-notice foe Alex Morono in the UFC on ESPN 24 co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A counter overhand right from Morono put Cerrone on the defensive, and “Cowboy” was unable to recover as his opponent swarmed with follow-up strikes to force the stoppage at the 4:40 mark of Round 1.

“It’s just a rough day in the office,” Cerrone told ESPN. “This game can get changed, all it takes is one big shot. He hit me with a good one, set me back. Hit me with another one. I could hear my coaches say grab a hold of him and it’s like I don’t know if I can take three of them.

“The kid came hungry, ready, no excuses on my end. I was ready. We warmed up great, came out started early, who knows.”…

While Geoff Neal was quite competitive against Neil Magny at UFC on ESPN 24, he simply lacked the overall volume and cage command to get the job done against a crafty veteran opponent.

That resulted in a unanimous decision defeat on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — Neal’s second consecutive setback in the Octagon. The man known as “Handz of Steel” began his promotional tenure with five straight victories before being hospitalized and forced to pull out of a clash against Magny at UFC Fight Night 175 in August 2020. Since then, he has dropped back-to-back contests against Stephen Thompson and Magny.

In a post on his Instagram account, Neal said he probably needs to take some time away from the sport to allow his body to fully recover.

“Well there goes another one. Felt really good in the first round and the second one was close,” Neal said. “Even in defeat I'm still proud of this one as well. It was another honor to step in there with another crafty vete…

It was a tale of two rounds for Gregor Gillespie and Diego Ferreira at UFC on ESPN 24.

That type of back-and-forth action earned the lightweight competitors “Fight of the Night” honors on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but Gillespie took home the entirety of the $100,000 bonus on account of Ferreira missing weight one day prior. While Ferreira got the better of his foe in the opening five minutes, it was Gillespie who had the last laugh, as his withering pace overwhelmed Ferreira to the tune of a TKO stoppage 4:51 into Round 2.

Elsewhere, Alex Morono’s short-notice effort proved to be quite lucrative, as he received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for a first-round technical knockout of Donald Cerrone in the welterweight co-main event. Morono rocked “Cowboy” with a massive counter overhand right, then swarmed with offense against the fence on his reeling foe force the stoppage 4:40 into Round 1.

Finally, newcomer Carlston Lindsay Harris had a…

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. While it wasn’t the headliner most initially expected, Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson put on a striking showcase at UFC on ESPN 24. Ultimately, it was Rodriguez’s muay Thai stylings that won the day, as she outlanded Waterson over the course of five rounds to earn a unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. All three judges saw the flyweight fight for the Brazilian: 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46. Rodriguez and Waterson, who both normally compete at 115 pounds, agreed to step in for a makeshift main event after the originally slated feature between T.J. Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen fell through.

Rodriguez (14-1-2, 4-1-2 UFC) held a visible size advantage over her opponent, who once reigned as Invicta Fighting Championships’s atomweight queen. Over the course of the first 15 minutes, Rodriguez rac…

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. Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 24 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. 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 Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfi…

Foot on the gas! @TheLoneWolfMMA came out swinging in round . #UFCVegas26 pic.twitter.com/Cr7cts4Inw

— UFC (@ufc) May 8, 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 Ultimate Fighter 27” winner Michael Trizano captured a closely-contested unanimous verdict against Ludovit Klein in the UFC on ESPN 24 featured preliminary featherweight matchup at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. All three cageside judges submitted tallies in favor of Trizano: 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.

Trizano (9-1, 3-1 UFC) controlled the cage for the majority of the fight and while Klein (17-3, 1-1 UFC) appeared to have an edge in volume early, the Team Tiger Schulmann representative connected with more authority. Trizano did his best work in the final stanza, when he dazed Klein with a right hand and increasingly found a rhythm with more offensive …

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

UFC on ESPN 24 has taken another hit just hours before the beginning of the card.

Amanda Ribas has tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, her strawweight bout with Angela Hill has been canceled. Ribas confirmed the news following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.

"So, guys, as you can see, my hair was ready, I was ready, I came here with negative tests, and then I received the news that I have (tested positive),” Ribas said in a video on her Instagram story. “I hope you guys can still send the vibes for me. Kisses!”

UFC on ESPN 24 will proceed with nine bouts. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a flyweight showdown between Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez.

The card lost its original headliner of T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen when the former bantamweight champion had to withdraw after suffering a significant cut in training. Also, Philipe Lins pulled out of a …

Sergio Pettis’ time has come.

Crisp jabs and clean counters carried the Roufusport standout to a unanimous decision over Juan Archuleta, as he captured the undisputed Bellator MMA bantamweight championship in the Bellator 258 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. All three cageside judges scored it for Pettis (21-5, 3-0 Bellator): 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46.

Archuleta (25-3, 7-2 Bellator) spent much of the fight playing into the challenger’s strengths. Pettis’ used the Californian’s aggression against him, snapping back his head with stinging jabs and sharp counterpunches from both hands. Even when Archuleta turned to takedowns, he failed to consolidate them with positional control or ground-and-pound.

Pettis will carry a four-fight winning streak into his first title defense.

Meanwhile, Anthony Johnson leveled Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros with a devastating right hand and sealed the deal with a follow-up hammerfist in the second ro…

Sherdog's live Bellator 258 coverage kicks off Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

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

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 The Official Result

With its heavyweight champ tied up in the light heavyweight tournament, Bellator MMA is adding an interim heavyweight belt to the mix.

On Friday, MMA Junkie announced that Bellator is planning an interim heavyweight title tilt between Timothy Johnson (15-6) and Valentin Moldavsky (10-1) atop Bellator 261. The June 25 event will be held in the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and fans will reportedly be in attendance per Bellator head Scott Coker in a media scrum on Thursday. The promotion has since confirmed this news via press release.

Johnson punched his ticket to a title fight with a three-fight win streak over Tyrell Fortune, Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo in 2020. The burly brawler is currently on his longest win streak since a run from 2011 to 2015 where he finished eight consecutive foes to get into the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A tenure where Johnson alternated wins and losses in seven UFC bouts led to him joining the Bellator ranks, where he lost t…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFRXGeBkLrU&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Everyone has an opinion about the latest Professional Fighters League controversial stoppage. It’s been a long time since a fight result has brought so much controversy to the Brazilian MMA community. Considered one of the most popular MMA fighters in the country, former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum received strong support from the fans on social media after his last bout. Atop PFL 3: 2021 Regular Season, Werdum seemed to have forced Renan Ferreira to tap out to a triangle choke, but Ferreira denied this and went on to knock Werdum out. To shed some light on the matter, Sherdog spoke to three different parties: Werdum, Ferreira and respected Brazilian referee Osiris Maia.

“He got the triangle,” Ferreira admitted, “But it was n…

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. Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight Sara McMann will be looking to exact revenge in August. Per MMA Fighting on Friday, Ketlen Vieira (11-2) will once again be facing McMann (12-6) at bantamweight, with the two aiming to square off at the previously unannounced Aug. 28 UFC Fight Night card. The pairing has since been confirmed by other outlets. There has been no location announced for this event, nor are there any other matches slated for the card at the moment. The two first met in 2017, and Vieira landed an arm-triangle choke on the former Olympian to advance her record to 9-0.

Since posting a 10-0 record including four wins inside the Octagon, Vieira has run into some relatively hard times. Her first loss came at the quick hands of Irene Aldana, who punched her into unconsciousness at UFC 245 in 2019. Although she reb…

Main event official!

@KarateHottieMMA is officially in at 125 lbs for #UFCVegas26. pic.twitter.com/1XDKwR2flM

— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 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. In what should be a formality, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s weigh-ins for its upcoming card were anything but.

The UFC on ESPN 24 headlining bout between Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson is now official after the weigh-ins took place this morning. Neither main eventer had trouble making weight for the short-notice bout since they both normally compete at strawweight, but the same could not be said for the rest of the card.

A flyweight contest between Ryan Benoit and Zarrukh Adashev was called off after Benoit was ruled ineligible by doctors. Benoit was unable to stand still on his initial weigh-in try, then minutes later came in at 129 pou…