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Bellator 261 weigh-in results: Tim Johnson (@tbeartim) - 260 lbs. pic.twitter.com/tgs8jRxaED

— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) June 24, 2021 After 21 months of inactivity in the division, Bellator MMA is ready to open Ryan Bader's heavyweight strap up for dispute.

On Friday, Bellator MMA will crown a new interim heavyweight champion at Bellator 261. Timothy Johnson and Valentin Moldavsky will fight for the interim belt since titleholder Bader is currently busy competing in the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix. All fighters made their contracted weights for the event.

The bigger main in the main event will be Johnson (15-6), who is arguably on the best winning streak of his career. In his last three outings, Johnson rattled off upset wins over Tyrell Fortune, Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo. Now he'll look to win his first belt, and he weighed in at 260 ready pounds.

In his way is Moldavsky, a 10-1 Russian prospect. The FedorT…

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 main card tilt on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming pay-per-view event will have to wait a little longer to go down. Per Sean Brady (14-0) on his Instagram on Thursday, his opponent Kevin Lee (18-6) has been forced out of their UFC 264 meeting on July 10. According to Brady and Ariel Helwani, Lee suffered a rib injury in training, and that the fight has been pulled altogether from the event. Instead of Brady facing a new opponent on short notice, he and his team are looking to schedule the fight with Lee at an event in August, possibly for UFC 265 on Aug. 7.

Unbeaten as a pro, Brady has surged while in the UFC, with four wins over names like Court McGee and Jake Matthews. The Renzo Gracie Philly standout most recently submitted Matthews with an arm-triangle choke in March, and before then, he put Christian Aguil…

A lightweight clash between Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises will serve as the new main event for UFC on ESPN 26.

The matchup is a replacement for a previously scheduled featherweight showdown pitting Max Holloway against Yair Rodriguez, which was postponed to an as yet to be announced date after Holloway suffered an injury. MMAjunkie.com was first to confirm Makhachev vs. Moises as the new five-round headliner.

UFC on ESPN 26 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on July 17 and also includes Miesha Tate’s return from retirement, as she squares off against Marion Reneau at bantamweight.

A teammate of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is currently on a seven-bout winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Most recently, the 29-year-old Dagestani submitted Drew Dober with an arm triangle in the third round of their UFC 259 clash on March 6.

Moises, meanwhile, is on a three-bout winning streak in the Octagon. After subm…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

More details have emerged surrounding the arrest of UFC veteran Luis Pena last weekend.

According to an affadavit from the Boca Raton Police Department, Pena was charged with robbery by sudden snatching, battery and criminal mischief following a fight with his girlfriend on June 14. The fighter known as “Violent Bob Ross” is currently in Broward County Detention Center, where he awaits transport to Palm Beach County. ESPN was first to report the new details in the case.

Pena allegedly smashed the woman’s phone on the ground after accusing her of looking at other men on Instagram. Pena’s girlfriend told police that a fight then ensued in which she ended up with a laceration on her lip along with scratches and redness on her knuckles.

Boca Raton Police received an anonymous tip that night that Pena was suicidal, in possession of a gun and knife and was planning to return to his girlfriend’s home to kill her. Pena refused to p…

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If all goes as planned, Bethe Correia’s farewell bout will take place this fall.

The former bantamweight challenger is expected to meet Karol Rosa at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Oct. 2. Combate was first to report the booking. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweight scrap between Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker.

Correia was originally slated to have her retirement bout against Yanan Wu at UFC on ABC 1 on Jan. 16 before an appendicitis forced her to withdraw from the event. Correia last appeared at UFC on ESPN 14 on July 25, when she lost a unanimous decision to Pannie Kianzad. The 38-year-old Brazilian has been victorious in just two of her last eight UFC bouts dating back to August 2015.

Rosa is currently on a five-bout winning streak, with three victories coming within the Las Vegas-based promotion. Thus far, the 26-year-old Brazilian has gone the distance in victories over Lara Procopio , Vane…

Considered to be a natural light heavyweight, Bruno Henrique Cappelozza was not among the favorites to make the Professional Fighters League playoffs, but after a 46-second knockout of Ante Delija, the underdog Brazilian is first in the heavyweight standings.

Even in the event of a loss to Muhammed DeReese at PFL 6 on Friday, Cappelozza has a great chance to be among the final four heavyweights in the playoff bracket come October. The 32-year-old Corinthians MMA product revealed to Sherdog.com what it was like to return to active competition after a nearly three-year absence.

“It was certainly the most difficult time of my career,” he said. “I went through a very hard time with a long series of injuries and surgeries, but God blessed me with that invitation to the PFL.”

Cappelozza is confident heading into his matchup with DeReese, who is coming off a first-round TKO defeat at the hands of Denis Goltsov at PFL 3 on May 6.

“My record shows how aggressive I am. All…

Tremendous ratings, youngest audience in MMA and global growth. @combateglobal is the top-ranked contender for the MMA world championship. https://t.co/s4ZlLWXo4Y

— Campbell McLaren (@campbellcombate) June 22, 2021

Combate Global has a new home for the English-language broadcasts of its events.

The promotion announced Tuesday that it has signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with CBS Sports and Paramount+. Combate Global will debut on June 25 on CBS Sports Network before transitioning to Paramount+ on July 9 through the remainder of the year.

Paramount+ is expected to air 30 live Combate Global events annually in 2022 and 2023, while CBS Sports Network will complement that coverage with a one-hour recap show following each event. Additionally, CBS Sports Network will feature re-airs of past Combate events, while the promotion’s entire fight library will be available on Paramount+.

"The addition of Combate Global’s exciting MMA acti…

A strawweight clash pitting Karolina Kowalkiewicz against Jessica Penne has been booked for UFC 265.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Tuesday. UFC 265 takes place on Aug. 7 at an as yet to be announced location and features a women’s bantamweight title tilt between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena.

A former 115-pound title challenger, Kowalkiewicz is currently mired in a four-bout losing streak. After suffering a first-round knockout loss to Jessica Andrade at UFC 228, the Lodz, Poland, native dropped three successive decisions to Michelle Waterson, Alexa Grasso and Xiaonan Yan. Kowalkiewicz hasn’t tasted victory since taking a split verdict over Felice Herrig at UFC 223 in April 2018.

Penne, meanwhile, returned from a four-year hiatus to snap a three-bout skid at UFC on ESPN 22, where she garnered a split-decision triumph against Lupita Godinez on April 17. The former Invicta FC atomweight title holder is 3-4 during her tenure with the Las Vegas-based…

Chan Sung Jung needs doctor clearance to return to action after his left shoulder popped in and out during a victory over Dan Ige in the UFC on ESPN 25 headliner this past Saturday.

“The Korean Zombie” must have a left shoulder MRI and, if positive, doctor clearance or he will be sidelined until Dec. 17. At a minimum, Jung is suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 11 due to a left eyebrow laceration.

The Nevada Athletic Commission released a full list of medical suspensions from the event to mixedmartialarts.com. UFC on ESPN 25 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw Jung take a five-round verdict over Ige in the main event. Ige is suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 11 due to a lip laceration.

Six other athletes from UFC on ESPN 25 are facing six-month terms if they don’t receive doctor clearance: Davey Grant (nasal bone fracture), Dhiego Lima (right knee), Kanako Murata (left elbow), Matthew Semelsberger (nose), Josh Parisian (nasa…

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Jeremiah Wells will replace Ramazan Emeev and lock horns with Warlley Alves at UFC Fight Night 190 on Saturday.

The bout was updated on broadcast partner ESPN's event page. UFC Fight Night 190 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Alexander Volkov and Ciryl Gane.

A former CES MMA and Cage Fury Fighting Championships welterweight title holder, Wells makes his Octagon debut with an 8-2-1 career mark. He won his last two bouts under the CFFC banner, including a second-round submission of Marco Smallman in September 2019 to claim the vacant 170-pound belt.

Alves has been victorious in two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 30-year-old Brazilian defeated Mounir Lazzez via first-round TKO at UFC on ESPN 20 on Jan. 20.

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was the top earner at UFC 263, as he took home a disclosed payday of $500,000 for title defense in the evening’s main event.

The Arizona Department of Gaming recently released salaries from the card, which took place on June 12 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. While win bonuses were initially redacted by the commission, those figures were later released.

Adesanya’s opponent, Marvin Vettori, garnered the second-highest payday on the card with a $350,000 disclosed salary. Adesanya took a five-round verdict over “The Italian Dream” in a rematch of a April 2018 bout, which the Nigerian-born Kiwi won via split decision.

Elsewhere, fan favorite Nate Diaz received $250,000 for a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards ($220,000) in a five-round, non-title welterweight affair. Diaz is one of the promotion’s biggest draws and was making his first appearance since a loss to Jorge Masvidal for the “BMF” title in November 2019…

Kanako Murata fought valiantly even after her left arm was severely compromised at UFC on ESPN 25, but ultimately the Japanese judoka was unable to continue in her bout against Virna Jandiroba after two rounds.

Murata recently shared an X-ray of her dislocated left elbow, which was injured after being trapped in a Jandiroba armbar in the opening frame. Murata continued to fight for the entirety of the second stanza with her left arm held low, which allowed her opponent to connect with multiple right hands and high kicks.

“Thank you for your generous support [UFC],” Murata wrote on Instagram. “I will be stronger and come back.”

Buena con los puños y en le piso! @VirnaJandiroba quiere finalizar! #UFCVegas29 pic.twitter.com/B8Alv6jmL4

— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) June 19, 2021

The former Invicta FC title holder entered Saturday night on an eight-bout winning streak, which included a unanimous decision triumph over Randa Markos …

It took a full 15 minutes of hard work, but Nico Echeverry is back on track to contend for the Fury Fighting Championship belt he once owned.

In the main event of Fury FC 47 on Sunday, former Fury lightweight champ Echeverry took a clear unanimous decision over Kenn Glenn, showcasing his superiority in all phases and gaining momentum as the fight went on. For most of the first round, Echeverry elected to keep the fight standing, flashing a crisp jab and keeping the shorter Glenn at bay with well-timed kicks to the legs and body. Round 2 saw the former champ turn to his ground game, taking Glenn down repeatedly and advancing to dominant positions. In the final round, perhaps sensing his opponent was tiring, Echeverry turned up the aggression, grounding Glenn once again, taking his back and working briefly for a choke. Glenn was game throughout, and never in serious danger of being finished even in Round 3, but the lopsided final frame put the stamp on an increasingly…

China's top pound-for-pound kickboxer has ARRIVED in ONE Super Series! Who's FIRST? #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/y1DTRE2JWH

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 21, 2021

One Championship has made some significant additions to its roster.

The Singapore-based promotion announced Sunday that it has signed Chinese kickboxing standout Qui Jianliang, who is a multiple time world champion and ranked No. 1 in the world at super featherweight (150 pounds) by Combat Press. Jianliang, who will compete in One’s Super Series, owns a 51-7 career mark and has won his last 17 bouts overall.

“I am very honored to join ONe Championship, the world’s largest martial arts organization. I am excited to take my professional fighting career to the next level,” Jianlinag said in a release. “Right now, Xiong Jing Nan is the only Chinese One world champion, but that will soon change. I want to make history as the first-ever male ONE world champ…

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Vitor Belfort has high expectations for his upcoming boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya.

After it was announced that Belfort would face De La Hoya in an exhibition bout on Sept. 11 in Las Vegas, “The Phenom” told TMZ Sports that the fight could be the biggest off all time.

“Oscar is an Olympic gold medalist one of the best pound-for-pound fighters ever,” Belfort said. “He revolutionized the sport. Vitor was the youngest UFC champion.  If it were not for Oscar, [Floyd] Mayweather wouldn’t exist. If it were not for Vitor Belfort, [Conor] McGregor wouldn’t exist. Now the new generation will be taught about the history of the sport. This fight will break all the records. This fight will sell more than Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman.”

In a recent interview with MMAFighting.com, Belfort criticized the grappling specialists that are representing MMA against boxers under boxing rules.

“I just…

UFC 263 did approximately 600,000 pay-per-view buys, according to a report from the Sports Business Journal.

That figure includes 500,000 buys domestically through ESPN+ and another 100,000 internationally. Those figures are based on industry estimates, because the Las Vegas-based promotion does not release official buy rates.

UFC 263 took place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on June 12 and saw Israel Adesanya retain his middleweight crown with a unanimous verdict over Marvin Vettori in the evening’s headliner. In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno claimed the 125-pound belt with a third-round submission of Deiveson Figueiredo. The card also featured the return of Nate Diaz, who lost a five-round verdict to Leon Edwards in a non-title, welterweight affair.

That represents a significant increase from UFC 262, which was headlined by a lightweight title tilt between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler and drew around 300,000 buys on May 15.

Adesany…

Dan Ige kept his head held high following a unanimous decision loss to Chan Sung Jung in the UFC on ESPN 25 main event on Saturday.

The Xtreme Couture product had his moments standing against “The Korean Zombie” in their featherweight clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but the South Korean standout ultimately relied on his grappling to frustrate Ige and get the nod from the cageside judges.

In a post-fight interview in the Octagon, Ige paid tribute to his opponent while expressing resolve to climb to the top of the 145-pound division.

“I went out there I fought my best. I came in at my absolute best. I have no excuses,” Ige said. “The ‘Zombie’ is an absolute legend. I’ve been watching this guy since I graduated from high school. I was watching him from the WEC days to here now in the UFC, and he’s still one of the best in the world – and that’s all I want.

“I want to test myself against the absolute best in the world. I truly believe I can still be a cham…

Avenging a previous loss to Davey Grant was more meaningful to Marlon Vera than most people might realize.

After falling to Grant via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 84 in February 2016, Vera outpointed Grant in their rematch at UFC on ESPN 25, a bout that earned “Fight of the Night” honors.

“It feels amazing. He got me back in the day when I was younger and green in the game. You aren’t beating me twice,” Vera said. “That’s not going to happen. When they called me for this fight, I was honestly expecting a bigger fight. Everybody was like, ‘Easy fight.’ There are no easy fights in the Octagon. That got proven today. I also proved my level, gas tank and technique. I’m not going to just give up.

  “The guy beat me when I was young and a newcomer. He broke my heart, because that was the fight that made me leave to the U.S. I told myself I couldn’t be in Ecuador anymore. Now we’re here after five years. It’s pretty damn good.”

At the time, the los…

An old injury briefly made an appearance during Chan Sung Jung’s victory over Dan Ige at UFC on ESPN 25 on Saturday night.

According to his coach, Eddie Cha, Jung had some issues with his shoulder during the five-round featherweight headliner. The injury ultimately didn’t affect the “Korean Zombie’s” performance, as he relied on his grappling to take a five-round verdict against Ige at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“Out of all of the UFC main events he’s had, this is the first one he’s had a decision. He’s kind of disappointed in it, but at the same time, he did pop his shoulder in and out,” Cha said on the ESPN+ post-fight show.

“(It’s the) same shoulder that he messed up in the Aldo fight,” Cha added. “He won’t ever say that kind of stuff, that’s why I kind of just put it in there. … In the second round when he went for the takedown and took his back, that’s when it kind of popped in and out a little bit. We were constantly telling him to raise his hands. Then, …

.@SpiderAnderson wins a split decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.!!!!!

77-75 77-75 (For Silva) 75-77 (For Chavez Jr)#TributetotheKings

PPV: https://t.co/ZUiLgsTmuO pic.twitter.com/7bda85FU9l — FITE (@FiteTV) June 20, 2021

Anderson Silva shocked the world in his first professional boxing match since 2005.

The former UFC middleweight champion upset Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via split decision (75-77, 77-75, 77-75) in an eight-round bout at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalarjara, Mexico as part of the “Tribute to the Kings” pay-per-view event on Saturday night. The bout was contested at 182 pounds, but Chavez Jr., a former WBC champion, foreited $100,000 of his purse to Silva after missing weight by 2.4 pounds on Friday.

According to most accounts, “The Spider” didn’t find a rhythm until after the third round, when the Brazilian began to taunt his opponent and drop his hands. Despite just two prior pro bouts to his credit, Silva began to h…

In the case of Marlon Vera vs. Davey Grant, the sequel was better than the original.

Vera and Grant received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their entertaining bantamweight scrap at UFC on ESPN 25 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Vera grew stronger as the bout progressed, pulling away for a unanimous decision triumph and avenging a previous loss to Grant.

Elsewhere, Matt Brown garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check thanks to a one-punch knockout of Dhiego Lima in a featured welterweight affair. After a competitive opening stanza, the 40-year-old veteran connected with a right hand that sent his opponent tumbling face first to the canvas 3:02 into Round 2.

Finally, Seung Woo Choi captured the card’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check on the strength of a quick finish of Julian Erosa at featherweight. Choi floored Erosa with a left hook early in the bout, then clinched his victory with punches from top pos…

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. Once upon a time, Chan Sung Jung’s default mode was to brawl and throw caution to the wind. On Saturday, “The Korean Zombie” displayed a different element to his game, as he incorporated timely grappling with his striking to capture a unanimous decision triumph over Dan Ige in the UFC on ESPN 25 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Jung received scorecards of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 to rebound from a loss to current No. 1 contender Brian Ortega this past October.

The 34-year-old South Korean appeared to be in typical form in Round 2, when he buckled Ige (15-4, 7-3 UFC) with a right hook. Jung wasn’t content to stay on the feet, however, as he ended the frame with a back take against his Hawaiian opponent.

That would turn out to be a prevailing theme in the fight. “The Korean Zombie” landed …

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 25 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 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 P…