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While Dana White left the door open for a Khabib Nurmagomedov comeback for months, the former UFC lightweight champion never truly considered it to be an option.

Nurmagomedov announced his retirement after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, but White continued to insist that he could lure the Dagestani grappler back into the Octagon. After their most recent meeting, however, White and the UFC made it official: Nurmagomedov was not coming back.

For most observers, the writing had been on the wall for some time. Nurmagomedov admitted that the recent announcement only confirmed what he had known for months.

“Dana called this official, but I retired like four, six months ago,” Nurmagomedov said on ESPN Saturday night. “It’s very funny: Dana told me when he posted that someone commented saying, ‘Hey, he retired not today, he retired about five months ago,’ and I was like it’s funny. We had some conversations with Dana a couple of times and like two days ago we mee…

After an intense war, Ayaka Hamasaki (@kk331ayaka) retains her belt against Kanna Asakura (@a_kanna_)!#RIZIN #MMA #Kickboxing #RIZIN27 pic.twitter.com/mFTMPN60OA

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) March 21, 2021

Though the rematch was more difficult than the first fight, Ayaka Hamasaki nonetheless seems to have Kanna Asakura’s number.

Hamasaki retained her atomweight crown with a split-decision triumph over Asakura in the Rizin Fighting Federation 27 headliner at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. The reigning champion had previously faced Asakura at Rizin 14 in December 2018, winning via second-round armbar.

After a wild exchange in the bout’s opening moments, Hamasaki took Asakura down, where she landed a couple solid knees on her grounded opponent. The 23-year-old Paraestra Matsudo product turned the tide in Round 2, when she grounded Hamasaki, defended an armbar and ended the frame unloading ground-and-pound from mount.…

There were several memorable knockouts at UFC on ESPN 21, and the promotion doled out four “Performance of the Night” bonuses as a result.

Max Griffin received $50,000 for a short night at the office against Kenan Song in the evening’s middleweight co-main event. The former Tachi Palace Fights champion finished his foe off with a blitz of punches against the fence, sending Song facedown into the canvas 2:20 into Round 1.

Meanwhile, Adrian Yanez authored a more measured effort against Gustavo Lopez, but the end result was largely the same. The bantamweight prospect found his opening in Round 3, ending the contest with a powerful right hook 27 seconds into the period for his second promotional triumph and an extra $50,000.

Elsewhere, Grant Dawson waited until the last minute to put Leonardo Santos away, but the finish was worth a $50,000 payday. After a largely competitive fight, Dawson unloaded with standing-to-ground hammerfists as Santos attempted a heel hook …

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. Derek Brunson paid no attention to all the extracurricular activity associated with Kevin Holland. The Sanford MMA representative on Saturday executed takedowns in four of the five rounds, piled up copious amounts of control time, applied his ground-and-pound and ignored the interminable trash talk, as he took a unanimous decision from Holland in the UFC on ESPN 21 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-45, 49-46 and 49-46, all for Brunson (22-7, 13-5 UFC).

Holland (21-6, 8-3 UFC) was effective while he remained upright. However, Brunson withstood his bursts of violence and used his aggression against him, closing the distance to either clinch or pursue takedowns. Holland did what he could to hide his frustration, but his deficit grew with each passing round. He opened a cut near Brunson’s right eye in the fifth …

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 21 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. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores th…

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.

Macy Chiasson appears to be well on her way to Top 10 status in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 28 winner on Saturday leaned on crisp standup and a robust clinch, as she laid claim to a unanimous decision over Marion Reneau in the featured UFC on ESPN 21 prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Chiasson (7-1, 5-1 UFC) drew 29-28 nods from all three judges and continued to distance herself from a September 2019 loss to Lina Lansberg.

Renau (9-7-1, 5-6-1 UFC) used efficient punching combinations and evasive lateral movement in putting together a successful first round. However, Chiasson turned the tide in the second, where she bloodied the Californian’s nose with a crushing left hand and later forced her to retreat on the end of a wicked kick to the body. The…

Mariusz 'PUDZIAN' Pudzianowski! #KSW59 pic.twitter.com/gUcwrqLkbK

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) March 20, 2021

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki's main event underwent a last-minute change after Serigne Ousmane Dia suffered an acute appendicitis attack and had to be hospitalized ahead of Saturday’s card in Lodz, Poland.

The new KSW 59 headliner saw Mariusz Pudzianowski (14-7, 1 NC) taking on MMA debutant Nikola Milanovic (0-1) in the super heavyweight division. Milanovic took the fight on less than 24 hours notice, but he could do nothing to stop “Pudzian” from ending the contest in the opening frame. Milanovic attacked the legendary strongman with a couple of leg kicks as soon as the battle started, and Pudzianowski retaliated with a jab. The Serbian fighter rushed then to push his opponent against the cage, looking for a double-leg takedown.

While the takedown attempt likely would have been successful, “Pudzian” grabbed the fence to defen…

We go the distance!!#CW122 pic.twitter.com/Y9u6LvNgAy

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 20, 2021

The latest installment in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship “Trilogy” series crowned a new champion.

The Cage Warriors 122 main event saw Jordan Vucenic (8-1) dethrone Morgan Charriere (16-8-1) thanks to a narrow decision at the end of a featherweight championship encounter at York Hall in London on Saturday. The challenger looked sharper than the defending champion from the first frame, attacking “The Last Pirate” with a variety of punches and continuously switching stances. Charriere didn’t look impressed by his opponent's striking, but it took a while before he got himself out of first gear and began to focus on close-range combat and wrestling.

“The Last Pirate” looked better in the championship rounds, where his grinding started paying dividends, coinciding with Vucenic starting to go low on his energy tank. The last two stanzas…

The featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega scheduled for #UFC260 has been postponed.

Volkanovski was forced from the fight due to COVID-19 protocols, per tonight's broadcast. pic.twitter.com/JOvtIbZTFX

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 21, 2021 UFC 260 is a championship doubleheader no more.

The promotion announced during Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21 broadcast that COVID-19 protocols have resulted in the postponement of the featherweight championship clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega. The matchup is expected to be rescheduled for a future UFC card.

Volkanovski released a statement on Twitter shortly after the postponement announcement:

pic.twitter.com/TFFvTXe08U

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) March 21, 2021

UFC 260 takes place on March 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight championship rematch between Stipe Miocic and Fr…

Gregor Gillespie’s Octagon return will have to wait until another day.

The UFC on ESPN 21 co-main event pitting Gillespie against Brad Riddell has been pulled from the card due to “COVID-19 protocols,” the promotion announced Saturday. The lightweight bout will be rescheduled at a later date. As a result, UFC on ESPN 21 will proceed with 10 fights.

UFC on ESPN 21 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight clash between Kevin Holland and Derek Brunson. The prelims stream on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, while the main card begins on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

An NCAA national champion wrestler and four-time All American at Edinboro University, Gillespie kicked off his MMA tenure with 13 consecutive triumphs – including six wins in UFC competition. He suffered his first defeat in November 2019, falling to Kevin Lee via head-kick KO at UFC 244. Gillespie has not fought since then.

Anchore…

RIZIN Super Atomweight Champion Ayaka Hamasaki (@kk331ayaka) is on championship weight for #RIZIN27!

She defends her belt against Kanna Asakura (@a_kanna_) this Sunday!

Purchase the @livenowglobal PPV here https://t.co/Mi4AiMpNGQ#RIZIN #MMA #RIZIN27 #kickboxing #格闘技 pic.twitter.com/pRa9kbfUeq — RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) March 20, 2021

The Rizin Fighting Federation 27 headliner is now official, as both Ayaka Hamasaki and Kanna Asakura made weight ahead of their atomweight championship clash.

Hamasaki, the reigning champion, tipped the scales at 107.5 pounds, while Asakura checked in at 107.2. Rizin 27 takes place at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday and features 10 MMA bouts.

Hamasaki and Asakura initially squared off for the vacant atomweight belt at Rizin 14, with Hamasaki winning via armbar in the second round. Hamasaki has won four of her five bouts under the Rizin banner since then, falling only t…

#LFA102 pic.twitter.com/kUS5RPQP08

— ShayMyName2 (@imstillshannon) March 20, 2021 Legacy Fighting Alliance's second card of March saw Bruno Souza make a statement at the expense of Elijah Johns.

LFA 102's featherweight main event delivered as Johns (7-2) and Souza (9-1), who came in 1.2 pounds heavy, went tit for tat over three rounds. Both fighters displayed a well-rounded game as they went back-and-forth in exciting striking and grappling exchanges with Souza stuffing Johns' takedowns late. Overall, the judges favored Souza's aggressive offense and awarded him a split decision victory with scores of 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28. After the win, "The Tiger" expressed a desire to fight for the LFA 145-pound belt next.

The co-main event saw Al Matavao face Gregory Rodrigues, who missed weight by 1.4 pounds, in the promotion's middleweight tournament semi-final. Matavao (8-4) came out looking for a knockout, but his reckless swinging allowed Rodr…

Precision and placementThe Future is looking bright with a 2nd round KO over a UFC vet

Watch #CW121 live on @UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/FXSbyfzKOY

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) March 19, 2021 Disqualifications come in waves, and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is the latest organization to see one in a title fight. In the CW 121 main event, Agy Sardari (14-2) notched his first title defense at the expense of Donovan Desmae (14-7) in a razor-close lightweight affair. Sardari and Desmae put on a striking battle for all five rounds, with each showcasing impressive boxing and kickboxing as they went back and forth. For most of the bout, Desmae held the center of the cage and advanced with kicks and punches. The champ waited for the right moment to strike, and he did often, scoring with punches and low kicks to irritate “Vegas.” The first 15 minutes saw very few grappling exchanges, and they separated sooner than later whenever they tie…

During the #ufcvegas22 weigh ins UFC fighter Julija Stoliarenko seems to have passed out before her official weight was even announced pic.twitter.com/G2omyzBvvM

— BehindTheGrind (@BehindGrind) March 19, 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 UFC on ESPN 21 weigh-ins were memorable for the wrong reasons, after Julija Stoliarenko fainted on the scale. Stoliarenko stumbled once on the scales and was attended to by medical personnel. The commission still allowed her to weigh in, and she did hit the 135.5-pound mark. Unfortunately for the Lithuanian, she collapsed again, and needed to be stretchered out of the room. As a result, Stoliarenko's bantamweight bout against Julia Avila was called off due to medical concerns.

While that fight is scratched, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's main event is good to go as both Derek Brunso…

One of the co-featured bouts for #UFC262 will be a middleweight match between No. 6 Jack Hermansson (21-6) vs. No. 12 Edmen Shahbazyan (11-1), I'm told by a source with direct knowledge of the deal.

Shahbazyan will have a second chance to prove his ceiling in the step-up fight. https://t.co/HIpK0i6kX6

— Manouk Akopyan (@ManoukAkopyan) March 19, 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 Fighting Championship is building quite an impressive card for its return to Texas this May.

The Los Angeles Times first reported early Friday that a middleweight matchup pitting Jack Hermansson (21-6) against Edmen Shahbazyan (11-1) was in the works for UFC 262. The event, which will now take place in Houston, goes down on May 12. The high-stakes 185-pound tilt has since been confirmed by other outlets.

Hermansson dropped a d…

BREAKING: The Octagon heads to Houston!

@CharlesDoBronxs vs @MikeChandlerMMA for the undisputed 155 title.

[ #UFC262 On-Sale April 2nd | Pre-Sale Info: https://t.co/jd8J83sxfV ] pic.twitter.com/HiYP64BvqD — UFC (@ufc) March 19, 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 Fighting Championship is not one-and-done for upcoming pay-per-view cards in packed arenas.

Late Thursday night, the UFC accepted lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement and reclaimed his vacated belt. Moments later, the organization announced it would be staging a lightweight championship bout between Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) and Michael Chandler (22-5) on top of UFC 262. The event is set to take place on May 15, and its location has now been announced on Friday. Per the promotion, UFC 262 will take place in the Toyota Center in Hou…

Ultimate acerta duelo entre Karol Rosa e Sijara Eubanks para o UFC 263, dia 12 de junho | combate | ge https://t.co/zqxrwbGads

— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) March 18, 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. A Ultimate Fighting Championship match scuttled in 2020 after a bad weight cut has been put back together for the summer. On Thursday, Combate reported that Karol Rosa (14-3) and Sijara Eubanks (6-6) are slated to meet at UFC 263 on June 12. The two were previously booked against one another at UFC Fight Night 176 in September 2020, but Rosa was hospitalized due to her failed weight cut. The bantamweight matchup was later confirmed by other outlets.

Eubanks will be looking to lift her record above .500 and snap a two-fight skid where she lost to Ketlen Vieira and Pannie Kianzad in the last few months. “SarJ” competed four tim…

The final card of the 2021 iteration of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s “The Trilogy” is cleared for Saturday.

The CW 122 main event will see Morgan Charriere attempting his first title defense from the assault of Jordan Vucenic. Charriere (16-7-1) won the vacant featherweight belt by putting Perry Goodwin away with a liver shot in the CW 119 headliner. “The Last Pirate” had no issues in making the championship weight, hitting the scales at 144.6 pounds.

Vucenic (7-1) earned a title shot at the featherweight throne by defeating Paul Hughes by a narrow decision at the end of a featherweight barnburner also at CW 119. “The Epidemic” is currently riding a five-bout winning streak, which includes victories over Steve Aimable and Konmon Deh. Vucenic looked good on the scales Friday, as he weighed 144.6 pounds.

The co-main event will feature a 155-pound clash between Paddy Pimblett (15-3) and Davide Martinez (8-2). Both fighters hit their contracted weights, as “The B…

“The Immortal” is on the ATTACK in Round 5! #ONEFistsOfFury3 #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/fwuI1eStiP

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 19, 2021 The final pre-recorded section of One Championship’s “Fists of Fury” series saw a champion keeping an iron grip on his throne.

The One: Fists of Fury 3 main event featured Regian Eersel putting his lightweight kickboxing championship on the line against Italy’s Mustapha Haida. Eersel dominated his opponent from the outset by utilizing his slight reach advantage and a multifaceted striking approach. The Surinamese-Dutch fighter showcased a variety of attacks across the first couple, including heavy punches and jumping knees. Haida struggled to contain the defending champion’s initiative, and was limited to landing a few body shots.

In Round 3, one of Eersel's jumping knees landed low, and forced a halt in the action for a few seconds. When the fight resumed, Eersel picked …

The first face off between these two monsters!!

PUDZIANOWSKIBOMBARDIER

Can the cage hold them this Saturday night!? #KSW59

( via @polsatsport)pic.twitter.com/9feN00tDkE

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) March 18, 2021 Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki's second mixed martial arts event of 2021 will be super-sized with the main event fighters weighing a combined 598 pounds.

Legendary strongman Mariusz Puzianowski returns to the promotion for the first time in over a year to headline KSW 59 "Fight Code" against Senegalese wrestling standout Serigne Ousmane Dia. The co-main event will see the KSW bantamweight championship up for grabs as Antun Racic takes on challenger Sebastian Przybysz. The nine-fight card is now official after the weigh-ins took place with all fighters but two making weight.

While Pudzianowski's MMA record of 13-7 with one no contest isn't the most impressive, he's still a massive star in his native Poland. When we last saw "Pudzian,"…

Now that the #LFA102 weigh-in is in the books, which fight are you looking forward to the most?

: https://t.co/WOJQ1omEQn

: https://t.co/2cCq5iRVLe@ShellsDotCom@USENDmoney@PsoRite@GLCDirect2000@AthleticCBD@IncaKolaUSA@TheDiceTeam@GrandCasinoOKC@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/YWkzYf4Rse — LFA (@LFAfighting) March 19, 2021 The Legacy Fighting Alliance’s second event of March is set to go forward despite fighters in the main and co-main event missing weight.

LFA 102 is headlined by Elijah Johns going up against Bruno Assis de Souza Filho, who failed to make the featherweight limit. The card also features the second middleweight tournament semifinal bout between Gregory Rodrigues, who came in 1.4 pounds heavy, and Al Matavao, which will see the winner face Josh Fremd for the vacant championship. All eight fights are now official after the weigh-ins took place, with 12 fighters making their contracted weight requirements.

Filho (8-1) tr…

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. Minutes after the Ultimate Fighting Championship officially accepted Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement, it put together a fight for his vacant belt. On Thursday night, UFC President Dana White stated on social media that he was ceasing his quest to retain Nurmagomedov’s services as the lightweight champion. Shortly after White’s post, ESPN broke the news that the organization was moving on with its next championship bout at 155 pounds. Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) will get his first crack at the title against ex-Bellator MMA kingpin Michael Chandler (22-5). The two top-ranked lightweights will square off at UFC 262 on May 15, at a to-be-determined location.

Oliveira finally gets a shot at gold after amassing a stellar eight-fight win streak, where the Brazilian has recorded victories over the likes of Jim Miller, Kevin Lee and T…

29-0 it is.

He is officially retired. It was incredible to watch you work @TeamKhabib thank you for EVERYTHING and enjoy whatever is next my friend. pic.twitter.com/QeoSP12zw2

— danawhite (@danawhite) March 19, 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. Editor's note: The article has been updated at 1 a.m. ET on March 19 to add a statement from the former champion.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division formally has no champion any longer.

UFC President Dana White announced on social media that he was officially giving up the chase to keep Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) active on the roster. The lightweight king announced his retirement after his victory at 254 over Justin Gaethje, with it being his final bout after his father’s passing in 2020. The UFC head persisted to change Nurmagomedov’s mind, but the Dages…

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 Fighting Championship’s bantamweight division is as alive as it has ever been. ESPN reported on Thursday night that T.J. Dillashaw (16-4) will be coming off his two-year suspension on May 8. There, he will take on surging contender Cory Sandhagen (14-2) in a possible bantamweight title eliminator match, as the main event for the evening’s UFC Fight Night foray. The event does not yet have a destination selected, as the promotion is still preparing for its April trip to Florida with a full crowd in attendance for UFC 261.

Dillashaw last competed in January 2019, when he tried to take the trip down to flyweight to become a two-division champion. Henry Cejudo turned him away in 32 seconds, thereby keeping Dillashaw’s career pattern of winning four fights only to lose the fifth intact. After the loss, Dillashaw surrender…