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Charles Oliveira’s coach is confident that his fighter will be able to finish Michael Chandler inside the distance at UFC 262.

Diego Lima, the leader of Chute Boxe Sao Paulo, spoke to Sherdog.com shortly after arriving in Houston for fight week along with Oliveira and Jorge Macaco. He said that preparations for the lightweight title bout have gone much smoother than they did for “Do Bronx’s” last Octagon appearance.

“Our last fight against [Tony] Ferguson was such a stressful atmosphere due to the short notice of one week,” Lima said. “Besides not having a normal camp, we had a pretty tough weight cut, plus [dealing with] all the visa and COVID-19 processes.

“This time, everything went perfectly. We tested negative in Sao Paulo and here in Houston. And, besides being very well trained, Charles just needs to cut 11 pounds by Friday.”

Lima revealed that the whole Chute Boxe team collaborated in helping Oliveira prepare for his title fight with Chandler.

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Have peace in the process and joy in the journey! @RoSimonJr @Fast7v7 @Deestroying @KevinLamarCole1 @vitorbelfort pic.twitter.com/d84AsY9mdT

— Davi Belfort (@DaviBelfort) March 7, 2021

Davi Belfort, the 16-year-old son of former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, has drawn the attention of several colleges thanks to his quarterbacking abilities.

“He followed me in the gym since he was very young. Certainly that routine helped him to fall in love with football, because I never forced him or my daughters to fight,” Belfort told Sherdog.com.

According to the elder Belfort, Davi drew interest ahead of schedule for his abilities on the gridiron. The quarterback prospect attends Cardinal Newman in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“I was really impressed how focused he is and how he uses social media to make good connections to improve,” Vitor said. “Now, for example, he is training with (University of Alabama quarterback) Bryce Young in Costa Mesa. Bryce in…

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

Rizin Fighting Federation has once again shuffled its upcoming event schedule.

The Japanese promotion has postponed Rizin 29 from May 30 to June 13 in order to allow fan attendance at the event. Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara announced the news during a press conference.

“I have made the decision to postpone the event after consulting with the fighters, staff and organizers,” Sakakibara said. “Everyone was willing to adapt and put on the show for fans a month later.

“It has been nearly a year with reduced attendance, but the fans’ presence and support is what pushes the fighters to put on the best shows.”

Rizin 29 takes place at Maruzen Intech Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan and features four bouts in the opening round of the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix. The latest postponement comes after the organization rescheduled Rizin 28, slated for the Tokyo Dome on May 23, to June 13 due to a “sta…

Paul Daley will square off against Jason Jackson in a 175-pound catchweight affair at Bellator 260.

Promotion officials announced the bout on Wednesday. Bellator 260 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on June 11 and is headlined by a welterweight title clash pitting Douglas Lima against Yaroslav Amosov. The main card airs on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Daley is riding the momentum of a three-bout winning streak within the California-based organization. Most recently, “Semtex” scored a second-round TKO of Sabah Homasi at Bellator 257 on April 16. The 38-year-old British fighter has also bested Saad Awad and Erick Silva during his current run and is 42-17-2 over the course of a pro tenure that began in 2003.

Jackson, meanwhile, has won five of six Bellator appearances. His last two outings have been his most significant, as he has earned back-to-back decision triumphs over Benson Henderson and Neiman Gracie. “The Ass Kicking Machine” is 14…

Credit: Getty/UFC

Maurice Greene’s time with the Ultimate Fighting Championship has apparently come to an end.

The heavyweight announced his release in a post on his Instagram account Tuesday. “The Crochet Boss” dropped a three-round verdict to Marcos Rogerio de Lima in a featured bout at UFC on ESPN 24 this past Saturday. In that defeat, Greene surrendered three takedowns and 14:06 of control time to his Brazilian opponent.

“When one door closes another one opens. I have had ups and downs with the [UFC] and today that relationship comes to an end,” Greene wrote. “Look at the bright side: I’m still in the best shape of my life. I’m physically and mentally [strong] than ever and the next chapter I am excited for.

“This game is unforgiving, but hey, I’m down for the challenge of making my name with a new promotion or the road back. The best is yet to come.”

The 34-year-old Jackson-Wink MMA member begin his promotional tenure with three consecutive triumphs, …

It appears that the UFC Apex in Las Vegas will remain the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s home base for the time being.

The Nevada Athletic Commission approved events on June 5, June 19 and June 26 at the promotion’s own venue, which has been the setting for the vast majority of UFC bouts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The only other event scheduled for next month, UFC 263, takes place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. on June 12. There are no audience restrictions in place for that card.

UFC Fight Night 189 takes place on June 5 and is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Augusto Sakai; UFC on ESPN 25 goes down on June 19 and is topped by a featherweight duel between Chang Sung Jung and Dan Ige and UFC Fight Night 190 on June 26 features a heavyweight matchup between Alexander Volkov and Ciryl Gane.

The promotion is hoping to have crowds return to Las Vegas for UFC 264 on July 10, which is headlined by a trilogy bout bet…

A flyweight scrap pitting Alexandre Pantoja against Brandon Royval has been targeted for a UFC event on Aug. 21.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the matchup. The event does not currently have a location or headliner.

Pantoja was successful in his first appearance of 2021, as he outpointed former Rizin bantamweight champ Manel Kape at UFC Fight Night 184 on Feb. 6. The Brazilian is 7-3 over the course of his Octagon tenure.

Royval, meanwhile, saw a four-bout professional winning streak come to an end in a first-round TKO defeat against current No. 1 contender Brandon Moreno at UFC 255. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance standout began his promotional tenure with submission wins over Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France.

Credit: Getty/UFC

The UFC 263 lineup has expanded to 15 bouts with the addition of two more matchups.

The promotion announced Tuesday that Eryk Anders will face Darren Stewart at light heavyweight, while Pannie Kianzad will square off against Alexis Davis at bantamweight. UFC 263 takes place on June 12 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., and is headlined by a middleweight title tilt pitting Israel Adesanya against Marvin Vettori. Fans will be allowed to attend the event at full capacity.

Anders vs. Stewart is a rematch of a UFC Fight Night 187 bout that ended prematurely when Anders landed an illegal knee against his opponent at the 4:37 mark of Round 1. While that bout was contested at middleweight, the rematch will take place at 185 pounds.

Kianzad enters the showdown with Davis on a three-fight winning streak with triumphs over Jessica-Rose Clark, Bethe Correia and Sijara Eubanks to her credit. A former bantamweight title challenger, Davis snapped a three…

Three fighters from this past Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 24 card could be sidelined for a significant period of time due to injuries suffered in their respective bouts.

Maurice Greene (right knee), Michael Trizano (right hand, right knee, right ankle) and Carlston Lindsay Harris (left ribs) are all facing six-month suspensions unless they receive doctor clearance. The Nevada Athletic Commission released a full list of medicals from UFC on ESPN 24 to mixedmartialarts.com.

UFC on ESPN 24 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw Marina Rodriguez take a unanimous verdict against Michelle Waterson in the evening’s flyweight headliner. Though Rodriguez experienced some swelling on her jaw after absorbing a head kick in the fifth round, she only received a one-month term with no contact until May 30. Waterson is also suspended until June 8 with no contact until May 30.

UFC on ESPN 24 Medical Suspensions:

Marina Rodriguez: suspended until 6/8/21, no contact u…

Even if Jon Jones doesn’t get an immediate heavyweight title shot, there are some interesting possibilities in the big man’s division for the former 205-pound king.

UFC president Dana White has been making the media rounds in advance of Saturday’s UFC 262 card, and one of the hot topics of conversation has been the potential booking between heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and Jones. At the moment, it appears that the promotion has moved on from that fight and is targeting a rematch between Ngannou and Derrick Lewis for the next heavyweight title bout.

“We’re working on that fight [Ngannou vs. Lewis],” White told TSN. “That fight is going to happen this summer.”

Jones has been quite vocal regarding his desire for a more lucrative contract to go with his move to heavyweight. Thus far, negotiations between the fighter, who recently parted ways with his management team, and the UFC have not been especially productive.

"I haven't [spoken to Jones], but […

It was an eventful weekend for Anthony Johnson.

One day after knocking out Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros in the second round at Bellator 258 in his first fight in more than four years, “Rumble” was arrested in Connecticut.

Accoring to a report from the Greenwich Daily Voice, Johnson was taken into custody by New Caanan (Conn.) police and charged with identity theft, receipt from the illegal use of a credit card, and cited for spending less than $500 on a revoked payment card.

The charges stem from a complaint made by an area resident whose credit card was used without permission to purchase a round-trip ticket from Newark to Fort Lauderdale in November 2019. Authorities then obtained a warrant for Johnson, who was allegedly the passenger on that illegally purchased flight.

New Canaan police located Johnson at the Mohegan Sun Casino and transported him back to headquarters, where he was released on $500 bond. He is scheduled to make a court appearance later…

Michael Chandler knows the dangers that await him in the Octagon when he squares off against Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight crown at UFC 262 on Saturday.

"I trained a lot of jiu-jitsu because Charles is very good, probably the scariest opponent I´ve ever faced in my whole career,” the former Bellator title holder recently told Combate.

That said, Chandler believes that if he can survive Oliveira’s initial blitz, he will be the stronger fighter over the course of a five-round championship bout.

"If He can't get the submission or knock out really fast, he starts to get tired and that's where I start to shine,” Chandler said. “I have no doubt that my athleticism will be a turning point in a 25- minute fight.

“Charles will start strong but will get tired and I´m not. I hope to get a knockout in the first two rounds, but the fans can also expect a 25-minutes war.”

UFC 262 takes place at the Toyota Center in Houston and will also T…

For the first time in 18 months, Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki will have fans in attendance at an event.

The Polish promotion announced on Tuesday that KSW 61 will allow 50 percent audience capacity, per government guidlines, on June 5 at Ergo Arena in Gdansk Poland. KSW last had fans in attendance for KSW 52 on Dec. 7, 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the organization to cancel multiple events. After KSW returned to operations, it held its last eight cards behind closed doors.

KSW 61 is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Mariusz Pudzianowski and Lukasz Jurkowski. The card is available via pay-per-view at KSWTV.com.

According to a release, “this clash between two Polish MMA legends and icons will serve as a fitting main event to welcome fans back at a KSW showcase for the first time in over 18 months. Both Pudzianowski and Jurkowski are credited with helping the sport of MMA grow in this part of the world and are true fan favorites.”

Alan Jouban is calling it a career after 24 professional mixed martial arts bouts.

The 38-year-old Lafayette, La., native announced his decision in a post on his Instagram account Monday night.

“I’d like to officially announce my retirement from MMA,” Jouban wrote. “Fighting and the UFC have given me everything I have today! I would not change a single thing from my journey because I got to live my dream and not know what was next. My coaches, my teammates, those of you that were [a part] of this, I appreciate you so much! Thank you to my supporters and even my opponents along the way.

“Injuries, age and life have shown me that it’s time. If I can’t compete to my fullest, then I won’t,” he continued. “So I’ll focus my time now on broadcasting where I can still share my passion and knowledge for the sport with with everyone at home. Thank you to everyone for all the love over the years. I look forward to becoming a staple in the sport from this end now as well.”<…

It looks like Donald Cerrone will receive another opportunity to step into the Octagon.

UFC president Dana White confirmed to TSN that the popular veteran will get another fight in the promotion following a first-round technical knockout loss to Alex Morono in the UFC on ESPN 24 co-main event this past Saturday night. Cerrone was originally slated to face Diego Sanchez in a 170-pound bout on the card, but plans changed when “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner was released from the promotion shortly before the event.

“‘Cowboy’ again steps up, Diego falls out of the fight, he steps up and takes a last-minute replacement, co-main event. What he wants to do – he accepted the Diego fight because they both said they would fight at 170,” White said. “He wants to move down to [155] and get another fight, and I’m going to let him do that.”

Cerrone is winless in his last six UFC appearances and has been finished in four of those fights. White confirmed that the BMF Ranch fou…

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…