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UFC 258 is down to 10 bouts after a “non-COVID related issue” forced Gillian Robertson to withdraw from a proposed clash against Miranda Maverick.

Promotion officials announced the news a few hours before UFC 258 was scheduled to begin on Saturday. Robertson vs. Maverick was slated for the preliminary portion of the card. UFC 258 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welterweight championship tilt between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

“Heartbroken is the only way to describe it,” Robertson wrote in an Instagram post. “After a great camp and an easy weight cut I unfortunately woke up this morning at 4 a.m. vomiting and my condition has yet to improve. So for the first time in my career my team has decided it would be best to pull myself from this fight.

“My greatest apologies to …

Reigning! Defending!

@Usman84kg makes championship weight ahead of #UFC258.

[ Get the PPV: https://t.co/Fz9xihbdua ] pic.twitter.com/gvQwsO6l9l — UFC (@ufc) February 12, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 258 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. For the second week in a row, there were no issues on the scales ahead of a big Ultimate Fighting Championship fight card.

The UFC will put on its second pay-per-view of 2021 this weekend. Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns.

Looking to win his 13th straight fight inside the Octagon is Usman (17-1). Since defeating Tyron Woodley to win the championship, “The Nigerian Nightmare” has been dominant knocking out Colby Covington and winning a one-sided decision over Jorge Masvidal. Although Usman hit the scales initially at 170.5 pounds, upon removing his mask and socks, Usman weighed 170 pounds on the dot.

Looking at…

Main event time at #LFA99! pic.twitter.com/qryMmEquJO

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) February 13, 2021 The Legacy Fighting Alliance light heavyweight title is vacant no more as Myron Dennis and Fabio Cherant clashed for gold in the main event of LFA 99.

The first round saw the striking of Cherant (7-1) shine as he landed blistering punches. Showing versatility, "The Water Buffalo" grappled with Dennis (18-8) and showed off his kicking game in Round 2. However, Cherant slowed down in the third frame, which allowed "Lightskin Dynamite" to land some damaging shots of his own. Cherant opened the championship rounds with a flying knee and dug deep to outstrike his opponent over the last 10 minutes. After five rounds of action, the judges awarded Cherant the vacant light heavyweight title with scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. The new champion dedicated his victory to his late mother, who passed away earlier this year.

The lightweight co-main…

Bobby Green apparently collapsed backstage #UFC258

— José Youngs (@JoseYoungs) February 12, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 258 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. One of the more intriguing matchups ahead of the Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view card this weekend has been pulled after a scary incident. Shortly after the UFC 258 weigh-in ceremony, Bobby Green, who made weight ahead of his match with Jim Miller, passed out backstage. UFC President Dana White announced this unfortunate situation in a media scrum on Friday. White explained that doctors were examining the lightweight. After the review, per ESPN, the bout was removed from the card.

“Bobby Green just collapsed back there,” White explained. “Doctors are looking at him. They’re trying to rehydrate him right now.”

While White stated that the medical staff was looking to rehydrate Green, he…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4x-qW6-NSU?start=163&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 light heavyweight champ Jon Jones has a clear path set to the heavyweight title. On Friday, UFC President Dana White spoke with TMZ about a variety of issues involving major fighters, including ex-champ Jones (26-1, 1 NC). “Bones” has long-since planned a move up to heavyweight, and his sights were set on the top of the division immediately. His goal is to fight the champion of the division, whether it is Stipe Miocic or Francis Ngannou, who will lock horns in March.

“We know what [Jones] wants,” White explained. “He wants the winner of Stipe and Francis, so that fight’s gotta happen first.”

When asked about whether Jones would get a crack at the winner of that fight, White did not need to expound on the merits …

Khamzat Chimaev is out of Leon Edwards fight on March 13. Full details on ESPN. https://t.co/k560o2EZtu pic.twitter.com/4H9NkF6Mp6

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 11, 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 event on March 13 is under assault on Thursday. Hours after the news broke that Ryan Hall would no longer be competing in his significant UFC Fight Night 187 main card tilt with Dan Ige, the March 13 event has taken another massive hit. ESPN announced on Thursday that Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) has been forced out of his welterweight pairing with Leon Edwards (18-3) due to persistent symptoms and issues after contracting COVID-19. The two were originally booked against one another in December, but Edwards pulled out after coming down with the coronavirus. Their meeting in January was similarl…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsQzUEpKOH0&w=560&h=315] The light heavyweight title fight for the Legacy Fighting Alliance is official after the weigh-ins.

The LFA returns for its first of two February events. LFA 99 will crown a new light heavyweight champion as Myron Dennis and Fabio Cherant battle for the vacant belt. While the nine-fight card has been checked in following the weigh-ins, two preliminary competitors came in heavy and have both been fined.

While nicknamed "The Future," Dennis (18-7) has already had a lengthy career spanning back to 2010. An alumnus of "The Ultimate Fighter 23," Dennis has put together three straight wins including a split decision victory over Dylan Potter. The Oklahoma fighter had no issue making championship weight and came in at 203.6 pounds.

Also looking to secure championship gold is Cherant (6-1). "The Water Buffalo" impressed in his promotional debut last year by choking out Erick Murray. While he was stopped by Alek…

BREAKING: Multiple sources have informed me Ryan Hall has been forced to withdraw from his fight against Dan Ige on March 13. The UFC is now looking for a replacement. #UFC https://t.co/Gfm9ppxcGl

— Cole Shelton (@ColeShelton91) February 11, 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 return of Ryan Hall was on the books for less than a month before it fell through. BJPenn.com was the first to report the news on Thursday, stating that Hall (8-1) has been forced out of his featherweight tilt with Dan Ige (14-3) due to an injury sustained while training. News of Hall getting his first fight since 2019 was announced in January. Per the report, which was later confirmed by other outlets, the promotion is currently searching for a replacement opponent against Ige at UFC Fight Night 187.

Since his win ov…

It's official. Jiri Prochazka (@jiri_bjp) will face Dominick Reyes in a light heavyweight bout on May 1. #GP pic.twitter.com/uOWlzifsaG

— Paradigm Sports (@ParadigmSports) February 11, 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 major light heavyweight bout scratched from an upcoming card has been pushed back to May. Paradigm Sports, the management team of Jiri Prochazka (27-3-1), announced on Thursday that his battle with Dominick Reyes (12-2) has been re-booked on the May 1 UFC Fight Night event. The two were initially set to headline UFC Fight Night 186 on Feb. 27, but Reyes suffered an undisclosed injury that forced him out of the matchup. It is currently unclear if the light heavyweights will be placed in the main event of this May 1 card.

Prochazka made a spectacular first impression by shutting Volkan Oezdemir’s lights out in Ju…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxM97qLGiMI&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 258 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Brazilian MMA fighters have captured belts in all Ultimate Fighting Championship men’s weight divisions except for welterweight, and one more will try to claim it this weekend. In 27 years of UFC history, Brazilian fans have only seen four fellow countrymen vie for the 170-pound title, and none have been successful to claim it. Jorge Patino was the first to try at UFC 18 in 1999, but he was defeated by Pat Miletich. Seven months later, Andre Pederneiras attempted to claim the welterweight throne from Miletich at UFC 21, but he too was rebuffed. A decade later, Thiago Alves pursued the crown from Georges St. Pierre, but his quest for gold was denied atop UFC 100. Finally, Demian Maia faced Tyron Woodley and lost a one-sided decision at UFC 214 in 2017. This series does…

The Best Moments. The Best Athletes. Season 2 had it all!

Season 3 of #KarateCombat // Coming this spring pic.twitter.com/9QP5FPtN6Q

— Karate Combat (@KarateCombat) February 9, 2021 Karate Combat, the full-contact karate league, is sprucing up its third season this spring with a big rematch for a title. The league sent out a press release on Thursday announcing that Josh Quayhagen (5-1 KC) will be taking on Dionicio Gustavo (5-2 KC) for the second time on the third season of Karate Combat. The organization has not announced the official start date of Season 3, but that it will come out in Spring 2021 and that it will consist of 12 episodes. Additionally, Bas Rutten will return on commentary joined by Layla Anna-Lee and play-by-play voice Josh Palmer.

Like Season 2, the events will take place in an undisclosed location, where they will be bolstered by digital scenery and landscapes transporting the fights to unusual locales. In the second…

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. After losing a fight on weigh-in day in January, Nasrat Haqparast is making a quick turnaround to compete in March. On Wednesday night, Haqparast (12-3) posted on Twitter that he had fight news, and that he would be back in the Octagon in less than a month. ESPN later clarified, according to Haqparast’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, that he would be stepping in to face Don Madge (9-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 187 on March 13. Haqparast confirmed the lightweight booking on Thursday on his Instagram.

Madge was originally slated to face Guram Kutateladze at this event, but the Georgian pulled put due to a self-reported knee injury. The South African will be competing for the first time since September 2019, when he took a unanimous verdict against Fares Ziam. A stalwart of the Extreme Fighting Championship organization in South Africa, Mad…

Bellator joins forces with @BBCSport

UK fans will be able to stream EVERY Bellator MMA event live on @BBCiPlayer in pic.twitter.com/3nntEaXPzH

— Bellator Europe (@Bellator_Europe) February 11, 2021 Fresh off its announcement with Showtime, Bellator MMA has secured its 2021 broadcasting schedule for audiences in the United Kingdom. On Thursday, the promotion announced that it has signed a deal to air its events this year on the British Broadcasting Corporation’s streaming service, BBC iPlayer. Showtime Sports is only available for U.S. audiences, so the organization needed to set its international lineup for its other fans. This deal will include the airing of every event of the year starting with Bellator 255 on April 2, and should contain both U.S.-based cards and those held internationally through its Bellator Europe wing.

This is not the first arrangement between Bellator and the BBC, as its first event aired on the BBC iPlayer was …

The California-based promotion has added a red-hot prospect to its roster – one with a familiar name.

According to a report by MMA Junkie, Khasan Magomedsharipov, younger brother of Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight contender Zabit Magomedsharipov, has signed with Bellator MMA, where he is expected to continue competing in the featherweight division. A date and a name for the Russian fighter’s debut have yet to be announced.

The 20-year-old Magomedsharipov is a perfect 5-0 since his professional debut just over two years ago, with four of those wins coming inside the distance, three by submission. In his most recent appearance at AMC Fight Nights 99 on Dec. 25, Magomedsharipov smashed Mikhail Tarkhanov at the 4:30 mark of the first stanza, pounding Tarkhanov out with a stream of unanswered punches from back mount.

Earlier this week, Bellator announced a series of events for the first half of 2021, as part of its arrangement with new broadcast part…

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

On Tuesday, Bellator MMA announced its long-awaited return with a brand-new light heavyweight tournament that will likely take most of 2021. The new Grand Prix features current 205-pound titleholder Vadim Nemkov (12-2), who will be staking his belt each time he fights, as has been the custom with the promotion’s last several tournaments. He will attempt to navigate a tournament field that includes the last two Bellator light heavyweight champs in Phil Davis and Ryan Bader — who still holds the heavyweight title — as well as former Ultimate Fighting Championship 205-pound champion Lyoto Machida and two former UFC title challengers in Anthony Johnson and Yoel Romero.

Initial odds on some key upcoming Bellator MMA bouts, and the outcome of the newly announced light heavyweight Grand Prix, have been released by BetOnline. Unsurprisingly, Nemkov, who is undefeated in Bellator, riding a seven-fight winning stre…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Cory Sandhagen is afraid his No. 1 contender spot will be usurped based on name, rather than accomplishment.

The past weekend, the “Sandman” (14-2) scored the most crucial victory of his career and secured a possible 135-pound title shot when he knocked out former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar with a flying knee in just 28 seconds. Now, it appears that he has some unsolved business with another former titleholder, two-time bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, who has finished his two-year USADA suspension and is about to make his return. Sandhagen believes that Dillashaw, a onetime training partner, has no interest in fighting him for a spot at the top of the division.

“The guy was supposed to be back in January,” Sandhagen said this week on ESPN. “The time would’ve been perfect for us to fight, and he didn’t, so I don’t know what that’s about. I don’t think he wants the fight. I’m worried that…

“Violent Bob Ross” Will step up for a challenge on 10-day’s notice.

According to a report by MMA Fighting, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Jai Herbert (10-2) is out of his scheduled fight against Drakkar Klose at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 185 event and Luis Pena will take on his spot in the 155-pound clash.

In his latest Octagon appearance, Klose (11-2-1) was finished for the first time in his career when Beneil Dariush delivered a knockout that put an end to their slugfest that went down at UFC 248. Prior, the 32-year old fighter went on a three-bout winning streak with victories over Lando Vannata, Bobby Green and Christos Giagos.

Pena (8-3) is eager to bounce back after gathering a victory and two defeats in his last three fights. After being edged by Matt Frevola at UFC Fight Night 161, “Violent Bob Ross” upended Steve Garcia at UFC Fight Night 169 back in February 2020. Most recently, Pena was submitted by Khama Worthy at UFC on ESPN 1…

A bantamweight clash between Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera has been removed from the UFC 258 card after someone involved in the bout tested positive for COVID-19.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the news. The promotion is reportedly targeting Feb. 27 to rebook the matchup. Munhoz vs. Rivera was scheduled to take place on the pay-per-view portion of Saturday’s card. UFC 258 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welterweight championship matchup between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. According to the UFC's event page, Andre Ewell vs. Chris Gutierrez will replace Munhoz-Rivera on the pay-per-view draw.

Rivera and Munhoz initially squared off more than five years ago at UFC Fight Night 77, with Rivera claiming a split-decision triumph. That was part of a 20-bout professional winning streak for Rivera, who is just 2-3 in the Octagon since 2018. Most recently, “El Terror” snapped a two-bout skid with a three-roud verdict against Cody Stamann …

We are saddened by the passing of former Invicta athlete Sarah Patterson. Our thoughts go out to her friends and family. pic.twitter.com/Dd8BBggEtM

— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) February 9, 2021

One-time Invicta FC competitor Sarah Patterson has died at 36 years old.

Fighter Alias, which previously sponsored Patterson, confirmed her passing in a post on Facebook. Details regarding Patterson’s cause of death are currently unknown.

“We are deeply saddened upon learning the passing yesterday of our friend and fighter, Team Fighter Alias’s Sarah Patterson. Sarah had an amazing spirit and was such a kind-hearted person,” the post read. “We were proud and honored to sponsor her at Invicta Fighting Championships 32! R.I.P. Sarah, you will be deeply missed.”

Invicta FC also released a statement of tribute to the deceased fighter.

“We are saddened by the passing of former Invicta athlete Sarah Patterson. Our thoughts go out to her frien…

The Light-Heavyweight Grand Prix kicks off April 9th! #BellatorOnShowtime is bringing you some light heavyweight action in with the #Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. Who do you think will walk away with that $? #BellatorLHWGP pic.twitter.com/BjMxe5MmAC

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) February 9, 2021

The lineup for the eight-man Bellator light heavyweight grand prix is now official.

The quarterfinals for the bracket will kick off at Bellator 256 on April 9 with a pair of 205-pound matchups: Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida and Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov. Meanwhile, Bellator 257 on April 16 will see reigning champion Vadim Nemkov square off against Phil Davis, while Anthony Johnson will meet Yoel Romero in the other two quarterfinal pairings.

The semifinals of the grand prix are expected to take place sometime in July, and the championship bout is currently slated for October.

Bader and Machida initially fo…

The cage is set. @BellatorMMA is now on @Showtime

#BellatorOnShowtime announcement LIVE: https://t.co/n9RpyBRNuX

Get a 30-day free trial, then just $4.99/mo for the next 6 mos. New subscribers only: https://t.co/eXPmkdCUXh pic.twitter.com/39zYDvDhqX — SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) February 9, 2021

Bellator MMA will begin its 2021 schedule in a new broadcast home.

The California-based promotion announced Tuesday that it will air exclusively on Showtime beginning with a trio of events in April. In conjunction with that partnership, Showtime is offering a 30-day free trial followed by a monthly rate of $4.99/month for six months.

“We’ve been interested in MMA for quite a while. We have a long history in the sport going back 15 years,” Showtime president Stephen Espinoza said. “We’ve been talking to Scott [Coker] off and on since 2014 when he took over as Bellator president. When you look at the trajectory of Bellator, the time jus…

Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com Credit: Jason Burgos/Sherdog.com

It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s schedule will continue to roll on in Las Vegas through March.

On Tuesday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved four UFC events for March 6, March 13, March 20 and March 27. Though it isn’t set it stone, that likely means that the cards will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The March itinerary is a significant one for the Las Vegas-based promotion, with a pair of pay-per-views highlighting the month’s events. UFC 259 takes place on March 6 and is headlined by a light heavyweight title tilt between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya. The card also features a women’s featherweight champions…

Charlie Ontiveros has been suspended six months for failing a drug test in relation to his UFC Fight Night 181 loss to Kevin Holland.

The sanction was announced during Tuesday’s Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting. Ontiveros was also fined $1,800 along with $445.36 in legal fees. The welterweight tested positive for DHCMT M3 metabolites at the Oct. 31 bout. The substance is the long-term metabolite for oral Turinabol, a steroid that became prevalent approximately 50 years ago and came to the forefront in MMA when Jon Jones tested positive for trace amounts of the substance in 2018 stemming from a failed drug test one year prior.

Ontiveros must remain in a random drug-testing program and provide results less than 100 picograms in order to be reinstated by April 30. Former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor Taylor Moore was also sanctioned on Tuesday for DHCMT M3 metabolites in relation to a loss to Danny Sabatello on Nov. 10.

Ontiveros, who normally c…

A proposed light heavyweight bout between Johnny Walker and Jimmy Crute slated for UFC 260 on March 27 has been scrapped after Walker suffered a torn pectoral in training.

As a result, Anthony Smith has agreed to step in and face Crute at a UFC event on April 24. MMAFighting.com initially reported Walker’s injury, while ESPN brought word of the new 205-pound matchup. The card does not yet have an official location but could be designated UFC 261.

After a pair of lopsided defeats to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic, Smith bounced back at UFC on ESPN 18, when he submitted Devin Clark with a triangle choke in the opening stanza of the evening’s headliner on Nov. 28. The former light heavyweight title challenger owns other notable wins against the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir, Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans.

An emerging prospect at 205 pounds, Crute has been victorious in four of his first five Octagon appearances. The 24-year-old Australian ma…