“I know with my fundamentals I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now,” said Usman, who has won 14 consecutive fights in UFC competition, the second most in promotion history behind Anderson Silva.
The card was the UFC’s first in front of a capacity crowd since March 2020, and Usman gave them something…
HE ONLY NEEDED ONE ARM @TouchNgo_
Stream #UFC261 on ESPN+ https://t.co/11j8ptNbRf pic.twitter.com/azQV4WvYwo
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 25, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 261 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Randy Brown’s rangy striking and crafty submission game proved to be a lethal combination against Alex Oliveira at UFC 261.Brown (13-4, 7-4 UFC) won for the third time in his last four outings in the evening’s featured preliminary bout, submitting the veteran Brazilian with a rear-naked choke in front of a sellout crowd at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday night. “Rude Boy” ended the welterweight bout 2:50 into Round 1, as he locked in a one-arm rear-naked choke. Oliveira (22-10-1, 2 NC, 11-8, 1 NC UFC) has lost five of his last seven promotional appearances.
The “Cowboy” enjoyed some success early, when he …
The heavyweight champion @phildefriesmma retains his title!! Becomes the first person to finish Tomasz Narkun in KSW!! #KSW60 pic.twitter.com/kkxsN3mnFU
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) April 24, 2021Two reigning champions notched title defenses in the latest event held by Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki.
The KSW 60 main event saw heavyweight champion Phil De Fries (20-6) stop 205-pound titleholder Tomasz Narkun (18-4) in a clash for the heavyweight crown. The pair already met at KSW 47, where the Ultimate Fighting Championship vet outwrestled “Giraffe.” The rematch started with a flying knee attempt from Narkun, who missed the target but recomposed for a short exchange on the feet. Wanting to prove that he made some adjustments after their first clash, “Giraffe” shot for a successful takedown. A scramble phase followed before Narkun went for a kneebar. De Fries fought out of the submission attempt and ended on top of Narkun, ultimately forcing his opponent to c…Clay Collard gets a 2nd knockdown!!! Can Pettis survive the 2nd round?!?!#2021PFL1LIVE NOW ESPN2https://t.co/T11Ogp2ycR pic.twitter.com/IDS9fOS5rV
— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 24, 2021Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL and UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
The Professional Fighters League threw plenty of promotional heft behind Anthony Pettis after he signed as a free agent in February. Perhaps more attention should have been paid to Clay Collard.Damaging power punching combinations and merciless forward pressure spurred Collard to a unanimous decision over the former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder in the 2021 PFL 1 headliner on Friday at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Scores were 29-27, 29-27 and 29-28, all for Collard (19-8, 1-0 PFL).
Pettis (24-11, 0-1 PFL) spent much of the first roun…
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL and UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
Sherdog's live PFL 2021 Season Opener coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET.Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.
Round 1 The 2021 PFL season kicks off in the lightweight division with 2019 runner-up Radzhabov (13-2-1) taking on Paraguayan prospect Martinez (7-0, 1 NC). The referee is Brazilian MMA legend Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro. Both men set up in orthodox stance. Radzhabov comes in with a jab to the body and takes a kick to the cup for his trouble. After a brief break, they resume. Radzhabov comes in behind a couple of wide hooks and clinches. He trips Martinez to the canvas at the base of the fence. Martinez grabs a front headlock, stands, then locks up a guillotine and jumps to guard. He loses the choke right away as Radzhabov steps to side control. Two min…The beginning of the end!!!!#LFA105 pic.twitter.com/USTsqDA08e
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) April 24, 2021Pierangela Rodriguez Giunta is the new Legacy Fighting Alliance strawweight champion.
The main event of LFA 105 saw Giunta (6-0) face Svetlana Gotsyk in both of their promotional debuts. The power advantage of "La Fiera" became apparent seconds into the fight as she managed to hurt Gotsyk (13-5) several times. "Phoenix" would have her moments in the fight as Giunta's defense left her open to punches, but the Panama native kept advancing forward. The beating eventually became too much for Gotsyk to sustain as the fight was stopped at 1:16 of Round 5.The co-main event was a featherweight battle between Jake Childers and Canaan Kawaihae. It was Kawaihae (6-1, 1 NC) that took advantage of the spot as the fighter locked in a ninja choke after stuffing a takedown. Childers (8-2) had nowhere to go and was forced to tap after just 2…
#AndStill ACA Heavyweight champion!
Tony Johnson finishes Dmitry Poberezhets via TKO! #ACA122 pic.twitter.com/sVCTnfO5v3
— ACAMMA (@ACA_League) April 23, 2021 Things might not go well for the U.S.-based fighters competing in an MMA organization that has been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury. In December, Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov and his companies including the fight team Akhmat Fight Club and MMA organization Absolute Championship Akhmat were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The sanctions were levied for “serious human rights abuse across several countries in the Western Hemisphere, Middle East and Eurasia.” Kadyrov himself was marked in the past for extrajudicial killings and other gross violations of international human rights.As a result, Kadyrov’s companies, including ACA, are forbidden to involve any Americans, with the Treasury Department strictly prohibiting any transactions with these properties a…
The originally intended billing for this card was indeed Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2, but Whittaker was unable to make the …
The Clash of Champions!!!Pumped up @TomaszNarkun and calm @phildefriesmma.
Watch #KSW60 all over the world on KSWTV. KSW App available on iOS and Android. pic.twitter.com/sPXusQu8s0
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) April 23, 2021 It's champ vs. champ in the main event of KSW 60, and both men vying for the heavyweight throne were cleared to compete without issue. KSW 60 will take place on April 24 in Lodz, Poland, with a pair of title tilts serving in the main and co-main events. The headliner sees Philip De Fries (19-6) try to keep an iron grip on his throne against former challenger and current light heavyweight king Tomasz Narkun (18-3). The two first met in 2019, and the Brit emerged victorious after a dominant 25-minute battle. De Fries sees himself on a win streak of seven straight, and as he looks for his fifth consecutive defense, he made weight at 264 pounds.Narkun, who holds the promotion's all-time record for the most consecutive title defens…
“The Burmese Python” Is BACKAung La N Sang FIGHTS for Myanmar! See the ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion in action NEXT WEDNESDAY on TNT! @AungLANsang @StephenTrumble @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT4 pic.twitter.com/FTjXc2WaSe
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 23, 2021 The upcoming One Championship show has just experienced a massive shakeup.ESPN first reported on Friday that Vitaly Bigdash (10-2) has been forced out of his trilogy contest against Aung La N Sang (26-11, 1 NC) after testing positive for COVID-19. The two were looking to settle the score on the headliner of One on TNT 4 on April 28, which will be held inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. In Bigdash’s stead will be another rival of Aung La, as Reinier de Ridder (13-0) will get a chance to wrest Aung La’s 225-pound throne away as well. A promotion official has since confirmed this news to Sherdog, while a…
The main event of LFA 105 features Pierangela Rodriguez Giunta and Svetlana Gotsyk battling for gold and the knowledge that winning a championship in the LFA is the fastest way to get signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The eight-fight card is now official after the weigh-ins took place. Three fighters missed weight, but both main eventers hit their marks.
Giunta (5-0) will look to keep her undefeated record intact. The Panama native most recently defeated Kayla Hracho in January 2020. This is her first fight since the pandemic. "La Fiera" officially stepped on the scales at 114.8 pounds.Also looking for the biggest win of her career is Gotsyk (13-4). The Ukraine fighter is on a three-fight win streak and has only lost once since losing to Weili Zhang in 2016. "Phoenix" tipped the scales at 114.6 pounds.
The LFA 105 main card will air live on UFC Fight Pa…
Now that the #LFA105 weigh-in is in the books, which fight are you looking forward to the most?
: https://t.co/79XqojTZtJ
: https://t.co/YDZRtZqpcK@ShellsDotCom@TheDiceTeam@GLCDirect2000@TeamSmartStop@SheathUnderwear@GrandCasinoOKC@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/feWjrr4dCj — LFA (@LFAfighting) April 23, 2021 The Legacy Fighting Alliance hosts a strawweight title fight for its vacant championship on Friday.The main event of LFA 105 features Pierangela Rodriguez Giunta and Svetlana Gotsyk battling for gold, and the knowledge that winning a championship in the LFA is the fastest way to get signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The eight-fight card is now official after the weigh-ins took place. Three fighters missed weight, but both main eventers hit their marks.
Giunta (5-0) will look to keep her undefeated record intact. The Panama native most recently defeated Kayla Hracho in January 2020, but has not competed in nearly 15…
The UFC welterweight king is on a roll as Usman (18-1) has won 17 straight fights. Undefeated inside the Octagon, Usman has defended his title three times since winning it from Tyron Woodley in 2019. After a back-and-forth battle with Colby Covington, Usman picked up a dominant decision over Masvidal (35-14) and then knocked out Gilbert Burns. “The Nigerian Nightmare” stepped on the scales weighing 169.5 pounds.
After taking th…
The Professional Fighters League makes its return this Friday after taking all of 2020 off. PFL 1: 2021 Regular Season features the start of the season for both the featherweight and lightweight divisions. Headlining the card is a lightweight bout between former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Anthony Pettis against Clay Collard, with the latter returning to mixed martial arts after a memorable foray into boxing. One fighter did miss weight: Mikhail Odintsov, who is now unable to earn playoff points if he wins on Saturday.
This is the first fight for Pettis (24-10) outside of the UFC. He exits the organization on a two-fight win streak, having picked up decision wins over Alex Morono and Donald Cerrone. "Showtime" will look to add another highlight to his already impressive re…On Thursday, shortly before the UFC 261 press conference, Masvidal put out an announcement video of his new league. Masvidal will be teaming up with rapper Anuel AA to launch a bare-knuckle MMA league titled Gamebred Fighting Championship. "Gamebred" will be competing against Kamaru Usman in a rematch of their 2020 battle on Saturday, and he already has his sights set on the future, win or lose.
The organization will reportedly use rules under the Unified Rules of MMA, only that there will be no gloves used by the fighters. The first event is scheduled to take place in Miami on June 25, and no competitors or a venue have been announced at this time. Masvidal’s partner Anuel AA owns a clothing brand called Real Hasta La Muerte, or “Real Until Death,” and every competitor will be wearing outfits from this company.
According to Masvidal at the afo…
Excited to join the @PFLMMA team @Complex https://t.co/uekZCDBsNi pic.twitter.com/tG1TNTRYaF
— Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa) April 22, 2021 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. The Professional Fighters League will be gaining a major name in pop culture and music to boost its status. On Thursday, the PFL announced via press release that popular rapper Wiz Khalifa has invested in the company. Additionally, he will join the ownership group that consists of names like actor Kevin Hart and television producer Mark Burnett. As an advisor, Khalifa will be put on pop culture duty, relating to younger fans and providing his music for events and coverage.“I’m so proud to join forces with the Professional Fighter League,” Khalifa wrote in a statement. “I’ve been doing MMA training for years now, and am also the biggest MMA fan – to be able to bring …
Brazil’s Bontorin will be looking to snap the first losing streak of his career, as he lost to Ray Borg in 2020 by decision, and was subsequently knocked out by Kai Kara France in March. The then-once-beaten Bontorin surged his way on to the Brazilian edition of Dana White's Contender Series in 2018, where he tapped out Gustavo Gabriel Si…
John Lineker remains your top bantamweight contender with a THUNDEROUS KO of Troy Worthen! @johnlineker @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT3 pic.twitter.com/DDLzTD4oND
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 22, 2021Troy Worthen woke up looking at the lights, the latest victim of John Lineker’s handiwork under the One Championship banner.
Lineker wiped out the Sanford MMA prospect with punches in the first round of their One on TNT 3 headliner on Wednesday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang Singapore. Worthen (7-2, 3-2 One) bowed out 4:35 into Round 1, as he suffered his second defeat in as many appearances.A sense of pending doom enveloped the cage once Lineker (34-9, 3-0 One) zeroed in on the American’s body with brick fists and bad intentions. Late in the first round, he denied a takedown from an increasingly desperate Worthen, then leveled him with a crushing right hand as he …
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 ResultThe welterweight title will be on the line in the UFC 261 main event on Saturday, and Colby Covington figures to be an interested observer when Kamaru Usman defends his belt in a rematch against Jorge Masvidal at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Another rematch could be in store if Usman is victorious. “The Nigerian Nightmare” defeated Covington via fifth-round TKO in the UFC 245 headliner, and UFC president Dana White recently told TSN that a second meeting between the two is likely, provided Usman beats Masvidal.“He’s at a point in his career now where he’s looking at who’s next again,” White said of Usman. “He’s coming back and going to be facing guys that he already beat. Obviously, Masvidal took that fight on short notice so let’s give him this fight, and we can do away with all the excuses. Then, Colby Covington’s next.
“Who knows. Anything can happen. Guys get injured, things happen, timing. Who knows, especially in this day and …
A middleweight headliner with championship implications brought a decent amount of eyes to ESPN on Saturday.
According to ShowBuzz Daily, UFC on ESPN 22 averaged 935,000 viewers for Saturday’s main card on ESPN. The five-bout offering didn’t offer a lot of depth, but it did feature former middleweight king Robert Whittaker’s entertaining five-round verdict over Kelvin Gastelum. Additionally, longtime heavyweight veteran Andrei Arlovski earned a decision win against Chase Sherman in the co-headliner.That figure ranks as the top rating for a UFC on ESPN card thus far in 2021. None of the other three cards on the network this year topped 721,000 viewers for the main draw. The card had some stiff competition in the combat sports realm, going head-to-head with Triller Fight Club’s Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren event, which reportedly drew more than 1 million pay-per-view buys.
Meanwhile, the preliminary card averaged 879,000 viewers on ESPN. That featured bout on that …
Championship gold in the strawweight and atomweight divisions will be on the line when Invicta Fighting Championships makes its debut on AXS TV next month.
The promotion announced Wednesday that Invicta on AXS TV will be headlined by a clash between Karina Rodriguez and Daiana Torquato for the vacant 125-pound belt on May 21. In the co-main event, Alesha Zappitella will defend her 105-pound title against Jessica Correa Delboni.Five other bouts were confirmed for the card: Emily Ducote vs. Liz Tracy at strawweight; Taneisha Tennant vs. Hope Chase at bantamweight; Juliana Miller vs. Claire Guthrie at flyweight; Josee Storts vs. Maria Favela at flyweight and Fatima Kline vs. Ariana Melendez at strawweight.
Mexico’s Rodriguez has compiled a 4-2 mark with Invicta since 2017 and is coming off a decision loss to current Bellator talent Vanessa Porto at Invicta FC 38 in November 2019. She owns notable wins over DeAnna Bennett and Milana Dudieva and is 8-4 as a professi…
The promotion announced on Wednesday deals that will allow it to air in Germany, France and Belgium for the 2021 season. PFL will be broadcast in Germany on BILD, which is that nation’s largest media brand and daily newspaper, and via RMC Sport in France and Belgium.
As part of the agreement, BILD and RMC Sport will be the exclusive providers of PFL content in Germany and France, respectively.“Our distribution partnerships with BILD in Germany and RMC in France represent the growing demand around the world for the PFL’s 2021 season live events and content,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “Come this Friday, April 23, MMA fans in Europe and throughout 160 countries will experience MMA 2.0, as the PFL is the future of the sport with star athletes, a win and advance season format and our new SmartCage experience.”
The PFL’s 2021 campaign kicks off Friday with a card headlined by a lightweight showdown betwe…
