Blog

A featherweight showdown between Hakeem Dawodu and Movsar Evloev is on tap for UFC 263.

MMA DNA was first to report the booking. UFC 263 takes place at a currently undisclosed location and features a flyweight championship rematch between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno.

The 29-year-old Dawodu has been on a roll, winning his last five appearances within the Las Vegas based promotion. Four of those victories have gone the distance, including a split verdict over Zubaira Tukhugov in his most recent outing at UFC 253 last September.

A former M-1 Global champion, Evloev has run his professional mark to 14-0 with triumphs in his first four UFC bouts. That resume notably includes a decision over English prospect Mike Grundy at UFC on ESPN 14 and a split-decision victory against the now-retired Nik Lentz at UFC 257.

Credit: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com Credit: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Julian Erosa will lock horn with Seng Woo Choi in a featherweight scrap at UFC Fight Night on June 19.

Both fighters confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from John Hyon Ko on Twitter. The event does not have a confirmed headliner or location but is also expected to feature a welterweight showdown pitting Matt Brown against Dhiego Lima.

Erosa is currently on a three-bout winning streak that includes a pair of finishes in UFC competition. “The Ultimate Fighter 22” cast member has enjoyed three separate stints in the Las Vegas-based promotion while compiling a 3-4 mark in the Octagon. His latest stretch is highlighted by a third-round submission of Sean Woodson at UFC on ESPN 12 and a 56-second TKO of Nate Landwehr at UFC Fight Night 185.

South Korea’s Choi began his promotional tenure with a pair of losses…

After 11 months of suffering due to an acute pain in the pubis (pelvic) area without having an accurate diagnosis from four different doctors in the United States, Rafael dos Anjos decided to come to Brazil to consult Dr. Rickson Moraes. 

An othropedic shoulder specialist who treats UFC fighters such as Jose Aldo and Ronaldo Souza, Moraes conducted a series of exams with colleagues Reinaldo Fernandes and Lourenco Peixoto, both of whom are hip specialists. In a interview with Brazilian Youtube channel OSS conducted by journalist Mario Filho, Dr. Moraes explained why dos Anjos elected to have surgery.

"RDA was feeling that acute pain for last 11 months. But the scenario got worse five months ago, three months before the fight with [Paul] Felder, when he was running stairs. He was able to fight but the pain worsened, and after a series of exams in U.S., he came to me in Brazil and I referred him to these two specialists who work with me,” Moraes said.

Aft…

Gavin Tucker entered UFC Fight Night 187 with some solid momentum, having won four of his first five promotional appearances.

He left the Octagon on Saturday in stunned disappointment after a 22-second knockout loss to Dan Ige at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was the sixth-fastest KO in the history of the UFC’s featherweight division. Tucker, who was a short-notice replacement for Ryan Hall, relased a statement regarding the setback on his Instagram account.

“I don’t know much, but I know for sure we don’t get what we don’t go after. I went after it. But I lunged after it,..and in a straight line. Small mistakes, big consequences,” Tucker wrote.

“Saturday night I walked onto a well-timed right hand and experienced my first KO loss. I’m not gonna hide from it or downplay it. I’m heartbroken. But I can’t change what happened. I can only control how I move forward. Regretfully I didn’t get to show the work or represent the efforts and strides made from this great …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p2CqHNvHm8&w=560&h=315]

Leon Edwards first bout since June 2019 did not go as planned.

After a solid opening stanza against Belal Muhammad, Edwards inadvertantly poked his opponent in the eye, ending the UFC Fight Night 187 main event 18 seconds into Round 2. Due to the foul, the fight was ruled a no contest.

Former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington believes Edwards was fortunate to avoid a having a loss added to his ledger, and as far as “Chaos” is concerned, the English fighter still hasn’t broken his lengthy streak of inactivity after that performance.

“He still hasn’t fought in two years. He has a no contest which, by the way, that should have been a disqualification,” Covington told Submission Radio. “He did poke the guy in the face in the first round and backstage I know that Herb Dean gave him the warning, ‘Hey, don’t poke anyone in the eyes,’ because that’s the instruction they give every time before …

At UFC Fight Night 187, Dan Ige demonstrated in emphatic fashion that he possesses staying power in the promotion’s featherweight division.

One bout removed from a five-round decision loss to Calvin Kattar and booked against a dangerous short-notice opponent in Gavin Tucker, Ige authored the sixth-fastest knockout in the history of the division. The former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor needed just one punch to do the job, as he blasted Tucker with a right hand 22 seconds into their featured encounter at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The finish ended Tucker’s three-bout winning streak.

“I was expecting a war, Gavin is a tough kid,” Ige said. “I’m pretty sure the line on this fight was pretty even and could’ve just as easily been me there on the canvas, but we trained hard, I saw everything in there and landed the first shot. The rest is history.”

According to Ige, the key to his success was attention to detail during his camp at Xtreme C…

There was some gamesmanship involved with Ryan Spann’s decision to walk out to J.Cole’s “Middle Child” ahead of his UFC Fight Night 187 co-main event bout against Misha Cirkunov.

“Tonight I walked out to ‘Middle Child’ and the significance behind that song is the fact that there is three light heavyweights in [Fortis MMA] right now: Kennedy Nzechukwu, myself and Alonzo Menifield,” Spann said.

“Kennedy just fought last week [at UFC 259], I just fought this week. Shout out to Kennedy! I had to beat his time. I couldn’t let him go out there and knock somebody out faster than I could, so now Zo, it’s on you. Zo is in the week after the next and I’m the middle one. That’s why I walked out to ‘Middle Child’, because I have these guys on my back.”

Indeed Spann’s 71-second finish of Cirkunov arrived quicker than Nzechukwu’s second-round knockout of Carlos Ulberg the previous weekend, and more importantly, it allowed him to rebound from his own first-round KO loss to Joh…

It appears that Belal Muhammad will be fine after an eye poke prematurely ended his night against Leon Edwards, but the harsh feelings toward his opponent may have only just begun.

Muhammad was unable to continue just 18 seconds into Round 2 of the Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 187 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, when Edwards’ inadvertent foul left him visibly distressed and in considerable pain. Though the scene initially seemed to be dire, “Remember the Name” later provided an update of a more positive nature.

“My heart is shattered my first main event ended like that, but God’s the best of planners,” he wrote. “I’m sorry to the fans and the [UFC], you deserved a full fight .. Alhamdillah the vision is coming back and no permanent damage to the eye. I’ll be back and want to run it back.”

My heart is shattered my first main event ended like that but Gods the best of planners im sorry to the fans and the @ufc you deserved a full fight..…

Not the first or last time @Nasrat_mma will be confused for @KelvinGastelum #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/I2rHGTIHwM

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 13, 2021

Nasrat Haqparast has been tabbed by many in the mixed martial arts community as a prospect to watch at 155 pounds in the coming years.

The 25-year-old Afghanistan native added to his resume on Saturday night with a unanimous decision triumph over the previously-unbeaten Rafa Garcia in a preliminary affair at UFC Fight Night 187, giving him five victories in seven outings with the Las Vegas-based promotion. Garcia was a replacement opponent for Don Madge, who was forced out of the fight due to visa issues.

“My team, we are always like this. When we get the name, it doesn’t matter his record, doesn’t matter his experience, we always take him very seriously,” Haqparast said. “He had nothing to lose. He had five days’ notice, six days’ notice, stepped in … It was a good experience also for me …

Leon Edwards’ first bout since June 2019 had an anticlimactic ending.

The British welterweight contender showed no signs of ring rust in the early stages of the UFC Fight Night 187 headliner against Belal Muhammad, as his striking looked crisp and he rattled his opponent with a head kick in the opening stanza. However, the action screeched to a halt when Edwards inadvertently poked Muhammad in the eye 18 seconds into Round 2. When Muhammad confirmed he could not continue, the fight was waved off and declared a no contest.

Edwards was understandly disappointed with the result.

“First, I want to apologize to Belal Muhammad. A long, long year for me and I prepped so hard. I wish him well, I wish him a full recovery,” Edwards said on the UFC on ESPN+ post-fight show. “Going into it, I said I didn’t believe in ring rust…I showed it tonight.

“I was just getting into the flow of it. To have that freak accident happen, I’m heartbroken. It’s been a long year and h…

The #UFCVegas21 bout between Eryk Anders and Darren Stewart has been declared a "No Decision, due to an illegal blow." pic.twitter.com/aFKWrSwda8

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 14, 2021

For the second week in a row, an illegal knee prematurely ended a bout on an Ultimate Fighting Championship card.

The stakes were significantly lower on Saturday, when Eryk Anders landed a knee to the head on a downed Darren Stewart at UFC Fight Night 187, than they were a week ago when the bantamweight crown changed hands due to a foul by Petr Yan against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259.

There also appears to be less bad blood involved, as Anders quickly took to social media to apologize for his transgression after the bout.

“1,000 apologies to [Darren Stewart]. I know he wanted to keep going,” Anders wrote. “I made a critical error in the heat of the moment and it cost us and the fans a barn burner.”

1000 apologies to @Darren_m…

Ryan Spann, Dan Ige, Davey Grant and Matthew Semelsberger all received $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work at UFC Fight Night 187.

Spann rebounded from a September loss to Johnny Walker in the evening’s co-main event, as he defeated Misha Cirkunov via technical knockout 1:11 into the first round of their light heavyweight bout. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance champ dropped Cirkunov with a right hand and continued the assault with a barrage of punches to force the stoppage shortly after the contest began.

Meanwhile, Ige needed just one punch to dispatch short-notice foe Gavin Tucker in a featured 145-pound affair. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum wiped his foe out with a straight right hand in just 22 seconds for his seventh win in his last eight appearances.

Earlier, Grant earned some extra cash for his second consecutive KO, a Round 2 stoppage of Jonathan Martinez at bantamweight. “The Ultimate Fighter 18” finalist ended Martine…

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. This was the one outcome for which no one was prepared. An inadvertent second-round eye poke from Leon Edwards led to a no contest in the UFC Fight Night 187 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, leaving both he and Belal Muhammad in a state of limbo within the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division. When a visibly and audibly distraught Muhammad (18-3, 9-3 UFC) indicated he could not see out of his damaged right eye, referee Herb Dean waved it off 18 seconds into Round 2.

Edwards (18-3, 10-2 UFC) controlled a majority of the exchanges up until the foul. He staggered Muhammad with a head kick in the first round and swarmed for a potential finish before resetting and relying on sharp one-twos. Not long after Round 2 began, the situation went awry for everyone involved.

Spann Shreds Cirkunov in 71 …

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 Fight Night 187 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 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:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese sco…

IN ABSOLUTE CONTROL! #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/O4SEVvizpV

— UFC (@ufc) March 14, 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.

Everything went according to plan for Angela Hill.

The former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder outstruck and outmaneuvered Ashley Yoder to a unanimous decision in the featured UFC Fight Night 187 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges struck 30-27 scorecards for Hill (13-9, 8-9 UFC), who rebounded from back-to-back decision losses to Claudia Gadelha and Michelle Waterson.

Yoder (8-7, 3-6 UFC) was woefully ineffective. Hill drove home one clubbing right hand after another, kept her honest with occasional leg kicks and blew up any efforts to turn the tide in the clinch. She enjoyed her clearest her success when she targeted the body with straight punches …

It's OVER! #LFA101 pic.twitter.com/4Pvja4fx38

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 13, 2021 LFA 101 "The Undefeated" lived up to its billing as six fighters tasted defeat for the first time during Legacy Fighting Alliance's latest event.

The final fight of a night filled with action was between Tee Cummins and Anthony Kalani, who missed the light heavyweight limit by 4.4 pounds. Both men started the fight looking to trade strikes with Cummins (3-0) landing a number of leg kicks. Kalani (5-1) was throwing the heavier punches, but Cummins' speed advantage saw him land at a higher frequency. Cummins' capped off an impressive performance with a beautiful left hook that knocked Kalani (5-1) down. After a series of punches, the fight was mercifully stopped at 1:20 of Round 3.

The second-to-last match saw Treston Vines face Jalin Fuller, who unprofessionally was 6.2 pounds over the welterweight limit. Vines (4-1) clipped Fuller (5-0) early but…

The long awaited return is here...

@Leon_EdwardsMMA makes our main event official! #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/yOTziFGjBW

— UFC (@ufc) March 12, 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. It's all systems go for UFC Vegas 21, as every fighter has now officially made weight.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's busy march through March continues with 13 fights on Saturday. UFC Fight Night 187 is headlined by a pair of 18-3 welterweight contenders, Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad. The card is now official after the weigh-ins took place this morning, and every fighter eventually made weight.

Edwards is riding one of the more impressive active win streaks inside the Octagon currently, having had his hand raised eight straight times. Victories over Rafael dos Anjos, Gunnar Nelson and Donald Cerrone have placed “Rocky” in a pr…

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. Two fun matchups have been added to the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event in June. On Friday, MMA Junkie reported that Youssef Zalal (10-4) would be facing Sean Woodson (7-1) at the UFC Fight Night card on June 5. The event does not officially have a location set, although it is anticipated to be held in either the UFC Apex in Las Vegas or on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Zalal confirmed the matchup on his social media. There is no headliner set for this event, but an expected main card tilt comes at heavyweight between Marcin Tybura and Walt Harris.

Zalal came into the UFC and blasted off with a three-fight win streak in 2020, recording wins over Austin Lingo, Jordan Griffin and Peter Barrett. When attempting to approach the record later set by Kevin Holland for appearances in 2020, Ilia Topuria ha…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLp9fkCLJgk&w=560&h=315] 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. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight champ Jessica Andrade truly believes she has what it takes to upset Valentina Shevchenko. Training hard to face UFC flyweight queen Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 261, Andrade spoke with Sherdog about what could be the toughest challenge of her 10-year MMA career.

“I’ve always said Valentina is the most frightening woman in this sport,” Andrade admitted. “Besides strong, fast and sharp, she is good everywhere, but MMA is not an exact science. In our sport, knockout power and a good hand in the right place can surprise all the odds.”

Using Shevchenko’s last performance against Jennifer Maia as an example, “Bate Estaca” guaranteed that her Brazilian countrywoman’s losing effort helped her master Gilliard…

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. Chalk up one more acquisition for the Ultimate Fighting Championship from the Invicta Fighting Championships ranks. On Friday, Mexican outlet Milenio reported that Montserrat Ruiz (9-1) would be stepping up on short notice to compete at UFC on ESPN 21 on March 20. The fighter out of Mexico will be replacing Kay Hansen, as the latter suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the contest. Ruiz will meet fellow debutant Cheyanne Buys (5-1), and she confirmed that she would be making her Octagon debut on this card on her Instagram.

Ruiz made her Invicta debut in 2018, where she dropped a decision verdict to UFC vet Danielle Taylor and suffered her first career loss in the process. Some 19 months later, “Conejo” returned to face former Invicta strawweight title challenger Janaisa Morandin, and she pulled off a thrilling …

The currently unnamed Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view in May has just made some major additions.

Three bouts were added the last few days to UFC 262, which will take place on May 15 presumably at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event does not have a headliner, but it has a few significant matches to bolster it including a lightweight clash between Tony Ferguson (25-5) and Beneil Dariush (20-4-1), as reported by MMA Junkie on Friday. UFC’s broadcast partner ESPN subsequently confirmed that this booking was being finalized shortly after the news broke.

Ferguson, once the proud owner of a spectacular 12-fight win streak where he captured an interim lightweight belt only to lose it due to injury, has fallen on hard times in 2020. “El Cucuy,” who is currently on the first multiple-bout skid of his career, vied for the interim strap once again against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249, only to fall short while suffering his first career knockout loss. Ferguson returned to…

Our quarterfinal matchups for the ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix! Who makes it to the next round? @_itsuki_h_ @PhogatRitu #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/rW44NBsoRf

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 12, 2021 The One Championship atomweight tournament will officially begin on May 28.

On Thursday night, ESPN announced that One would commence its atomweight (115 pounds) grand prix on May 28. Although the existence of the tournament and its field was previously publicized, the brackets have now been unveiled. Additionally, the event titled “Empower” will exclusively consist of female fighters for the promotion, and it will take place in Singapore. Finally, a strawweight (125 pounds) title tilt will sit atop the event. One shared this information shortly after the ESPN report via press release, while stating that other bouts may be added to this card in the future.

In the main event, Jingnan Xiong (15-2) will put her 125…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mWMbVxRVus&w=560&h=315] Not one but two fighters ahead of LFA 101 missed weight by over four pounds.

The Legacy Fighting Alliance puts on its first of three March events this weekend. Atop LFA 101: The Undefeated is a 210.4-pound catchweight match between Anthony Kalani and Tee Cummins. As the name suggests, the card is largely comprised of fighters that haven’t suffered a loss yet. The eight-fight event is now official as the weigh-ins took place on Thursday, but multiple fighters missed weight.

Fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif., Kalani (5-0) has the most impressive undefeated record on the card. This will be the HB Ultimate product’s first fight inside the LFA. The Gladiator Challenge veteran has finished four of his five pro bouts, and will look to create another highlight on Friday night. Unfortunately, Kalani officially weighed in at 210.4 pounds, officially 4.4 pounds over the light heavyweight limit.

This will be…

Just to clear a few things up... https://t.co/xxHKs7x7Ai pic.twitter.com/jAq7HGw8e5

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) March 10, 2021 Former Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Dan Hardy has put out a statement to dispel rumors about his dispute with the organization.

On Wednesday, Hardy released a statement from his personal Full Reptile webpage, where he explained what happened between him and the unnamed UFC staffer he allegedly argued with. The rumors swirled in recent days, which emanated from Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, stating that Hardy had been let go from the UFC due to an “incident” with a female employee while covering an event on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Hardy then disputed a report from BJPenn.com about the alleged altercation, while stating that he is no longer working with the UFC and that the gender of the staff member involved was not relevant.

In his statement, Hardy discussed …