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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 longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship vet is returning to the weight class where he started his career. For the first time since 2012, Jeremy Stephens (28-18, 1 NC) will be competing at lightweight, first reported by MMA Junkie on Thursday. “Lil Heathen” will meet Drakkar Klose (11-2-1) at his old weight category at a UFC Fight Night card on April 17 that will be held in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Stephens initially dropped to 145 pounds against Estevan Payan at UFC 160 in 2013, and although he engaged in a few catchweight contests along the way, this will be his first official lightweight bout since then. Both men hinted at this upcoming fight news on their respective Instagram accounts, while Klose stated when he would be fighting.

Stephens struggled a few times to make weight as a 145er, coming in 3.5 pounds heavy ag…

It’s go time!!! Happy to announce a date and opponent excited to put on a beautiful display of violence #ufc https://t.co/kfSyH4PZOl

— Sasha Palatnikov (@PalatnikovMMA) February 25, 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 recipient of an all-time great Ultimate Fighting Championship knockout has decided to change weight classes following that spectacular defeat. Per MMA Junkie on Thursday, the upcoming UFC Fight Night event on April 10 has gained a welterweight scrap between Impa Kasanganay (8-1) and Sasha Palatnikov (6-2). The two men will face off at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and this will be Kasanganay’s welterweight debut after a career spent at 185 pounds. Palatnikov confirmed the booking on his Twitter page on Thursday night.

Kasanganay will be looking to right the ship after suffering Sherdog’s 2020 “Knockout of the Ye…

Excited for this one.

Undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov will make his @BellatorMMA debut in a lightweight fight against Mike Hamel during the main card of #Bellator255.

The event will air live on @SHOsports on April 2 - pic.twitter.com/Tdl6csfmq5 — Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) February 25, 2021 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 10 p.m. to reflect a confirmation from the promotion.

Bellator MMA is building up its 2021 return in a solid way, with multiple names from famous fighting families on its first show back.

A trio of Bellator 255 fight announcements broke on Thursday, with multiple main card-caliber fights booked for its first show of the year. Bellator President Scott Coker broke the first, with Usman Nurmagomedov (11-0) vs. Mike Hamel (7-4) at featherweight set for the event. Bellator 255 will go down on April 2 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Nurmagomedov, cousin of Ultimate Fighting Championship…

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 Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweights keen on working their way up the division will meet in May. MMA Junkie first reported the news on Thursday that Andrea Lee (11-5) would be taking on Antonina Shevchenko (9-2) at UFC 262. The two flyweights will collide on May 15 at a currently undetermined venue that is expected to be the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Lee confirmed the matchup was pending on her Instagram.

“KGB” Lee is looking to snap a three-fight decision skid since September 2019, where she dropped split verdicts to Joanne Calderwood and Lauren Murphy before losing unanimously to Roxanne Modafferi in September 2020. Before this unsuccessful stretch, Lee had never lost consecutive bouts. With appearances at Legacy Fighting Alliance and Invicta Fighting Championships leading to her rise up the division, Lee went on to …

We've signed welterweights Gleison Tibau, Alexei Kunchenko and Jason Ponet; featherweights Chris Wade and Anthony Dizy, women’s lightweights Kaitlin Young and Taylor Guardado; and light heavyweight Nick Roehrick to complete the 2021 PFL Roster!

— PFL MMA (@ProFightLeague) February 25, 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 has finalized its divisions for its upcoming 2021 season. In a press release sent out by the tournament-based league on Thursday, the PFL has set its 60-fighter lineup for its latest season. Much of its roster had already been disclosed in sections for its weight classes of featherweight and lightweight, welterweight and light heavyweight, and finally, heavyweight and women’s lightweight. Like the past season, each category will initially hold just 10 fighters, and the ranks are no…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OsTq58aI2A&w=560&h=315] 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. Current boxing champ and upcoming Professional Fighters League competitor Claressa Shields weighed in on several MMA topics including Conor McGregor. In a recent interview with the Betway Insider blog, Shields (10-0 Box, 2 KOs) spoke about a litany of issues including training for her MMA debut, transitioning back and forth between boxing and MMA, working with Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White should Zuffa Boxing come to fruition and more. Among other areas of discussion, Shields weighed in on Conor McGregor, his thoughts on her as well as his potential rematch with Dustin Poirier.

Before she steps into the PFL cage in June, Shields will look to defend her WBC and WBO titles while hunting for more against Canada’s Marie-Eve Dicaire (17-0, 0 KOs) i…

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 12:45 p.m. on Feb. 25 to reflect additional information. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has lost a thriller of a matchup days before it was set to go down.

First reported by MMA Junkie on Thursday, William Knight (9-1) vs. Alonzo Menifield (9-2) at light heavyweight has been scratched from the UFC Fight Night 186 lineup. The Feb. 27 event saw the bout fall through when Menifield tested positive for COVID-19, and the news has since been confirmed by other outlets. The promotion intends on rebooking the match at an upcoming event, and not scuttling the pairing altogether. Per MMA Fighting shortly after the news broke, the two will instead be squaring off at UFC 260 on March 27.

A potential slugfest will have to wait, as Knight was looking to extend his overall win streak t…

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 highly anticipated Ultimate Fighting Championship rematch is on the books for June. First reported by the promotion’s broadcast partner ESPN on Thursday, Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1) and Brandon Moreno (18-5-2) are going to run it back for the flyweight strap on June 12. The event, which should be titled UFC 263, does not currently have a location listed at the time. It is expected that should it not take place in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, it will be located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The two flyweights went toe-to-toe for five hard rounds in December, and an errant groin strike from Figueiredo resulted in an immediate point deduction that ultimately resulted in the fight getting scored a majority draw. Both men had their moments, and “The Assassin Baby” came at Figueiredo like few have before, putting …

A women’s flyweight clash between Gillian Robertson and Miranda Maverick has been rebooked for UFC 260.

The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 258, but a non-COVID related illness” forced Robertson to withdraw on the day of the event. Both fighters confirmed the new booking on social media following an initial report by Fighter Path.

Robertson went 2-1 during three Octagon appearances in 2020. After defeating Cortney Casey by submission at UFC on ESPN 11 and outpointing Poliana Botelho at UFC Fight Night 180, “The Savage” dropped a unanimous verdict to Taila Santos in her last outing at UFC Fight Night 183 on Dec. 19. Robertson is 6-3 during her promotional tenure and 9-5 as a professional overall.

Maverick is currently on a four-bout winning streak, including a TKO of Liana Jojua in her Octagon debut at UFC 254.The 23-year-old went 6-2 in Invicta FC prior to signing with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Maurice Greene will meet Marcos Rogerio de Lima in a heavyweight scrap at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on May 8.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the pairing. The card includes a women’s bantamweight bout between Holly Holm and Julianna Pena and a welterweight clash pitting Donald Cerrone against Diego Sanchez. A location has not been formally announced.

Greene has lost three of his last four promotional outings. Most recently, the 34-year-old Jackson-Wink MMA representative suffered a second-round TKO defeat to Greg Hardy at UFC Fight Night 181 last October.

De Lima has alternated wins and losses in his last 10 UFC appearances dating back to December 2014. The 35-year-old Brazilian went 1-1 in 2020, earning a first-round TKO against Ben Sosolli at UFC Fight Night 168 before being submitted by Alexander Romanov at UFC on ESPN 17.

A middleweight showdown pitting Sean Strickland against Krzysztof Jotko has been added to the UFC’s May 1 lineup.

Paradigm Sports, which represents Strickland, initially announced the pairing on social media. UFC Fight Night is headlined by a light heavyweight tilt between Dominick Reyes and Jiri Prochazka. A location for the card has not been confirmed.

After injuries from a motorcycle accident sidelined Strickland for two years, “Tarzan” returned to earn Sherdog.com’s "Comeback Fighter of the Year" honors with a 2020 campaign that featured victories over Jack Marshman and Brendan Allen. The 29-year-old Californian is 9-3 during a promotional tenure that has occurred primarily at 170 pounds.

Poland’s Jotko has rebounded from a three-bout losing streak that ran from 2017 to 2018 to post successive triumphs over Alen Amedovski, Marc-Andre Barriault and Eryk Anders in his last three Octagon appearances. The 31-year-old American Top Team representative is 9-4 in …

Patricky Freire, the older brother of the Bellator double champion Patricio Freire, is anxiously awaiting a decision from the organization concerning his next challenge.

"My brother is fighting in the featherweight grand prix and already said that he has no intention of remaining in the lightweight division,” Freire told Sherdog.com. “Everybody knows that he just went up to beat Michael Chandler. He already declared that he would vacate the title if I were to get a shot. Brent Primus already agreed to fight for the title against me, I dont know why Bellator is taking so long to announce that. I´m anxious to start my camp.”

Freire hasn’t fought since December 2019, when he lost a decision to Tofiq Musayev in the finals of the Rizin lightweight grand prix. Prior to that, the 35-year-old had been on a seven-bout winning streak dating back to 2017. Even without his next Bellator bout scheduled, Patricky is helping his brother prepare to face Emmanuel Sanchez in the s…

Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight belt against former 115-pound champion Jessica Andrade at UFC 261.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the bout to broadcast partner ESPN on Wednesday. UFC 261 takes place on April 24 at an as yet to be announced location. It is unclear if Shevchenko vs. Andrade will serve as the evening’s main event.

A former bantamweight title challenger, Shevchenko has been victorious in her last six Octagon appearances. “Bullet” captured the 125-pound title with a five-round verdict over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231 and has followed with four successful defenses. Most recently, Shevchneko earned a lopsided unanimous verdict against Jennifer Maia at UFC 255. The 32-year-old’s only two defeats in 11 UFC fights have come against two-division champion Amanda Nunes.

Andrade made a successful 125-pound debut last October, when she scored a first-round knockout of former title challenger Katlyn Chookagian at UFC Fight Night 180. The 2…

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T.J. Dillashaw believes Petr Yan will retain his bantamweight crown against Aljamain Sterling, but he also says the challenger has a style that could cause problems for the reigning champion.

The former UFC bantamweight champion gave his assessment of the UFC 259 title bout during an appearance on “The Real Quick with Mike Swick” podcast.

“I think it’s a tough fight for Yan because of the style of the fighter. I think Yan’s the better, well-rounded fighter. He’s got more of the skills and more aspects of fighting. But Sterling’s wrestling is very aggressive,” Dillashaw said.

“[Sterling’s] striking is real uncomfortable. He doesn’t really set anything up – he just kind of bombs kicks non-stop, kind of got that distance. But then he can grab a hold of you. He’s got great wrestling and his jiu-jitsu is amazing, too. I watched him take [Cory] Sandhagen out in 45 seconds. We watched him do a lot of grea…

Sage Northcutt will return to active competition for the first time since May 2019 when he locks horns with Shinya Aoki at One Championship’s April 28 event.

The bout will be contested in One’s lightweight division, which is 170 pounds. ESPN was first to report the booking. The card is the final of four consecutive events for the Singapore-based promotion that will air on cable network TNT from April 7 to April 28.

Northcutt hasn’t fought since suffering a 29-second knockout defeat in his One Championship debut against Cosmo Alexandre on May 17, 2019. As a result of that bout, Northcutt was forced to undergo a nine-hour surgical procedure to repair multiple fractures in his face. Prior to that loss, Northcutt went 6-2 during a UFC stint from 2015 to 2018.

A former One, Dream and Shooto champion, the 37-year-old Aoki enters the matchup with Northcutt on a three-bout winning streak. “Tobikan Judan” last appeared at One “Unbreakable,” where he submitted James Na…

An undisclosed injury has forced Blagoy Ivanov to withdraw from a proposed heavyweight clash against Marcin Tybura at UFC 260.

Both fighters confirmed the news on social media following an intial report by 24Chasa. UFC 260 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 27 and is headlined by a heavyweight championship rematch between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou.

“Same story over and over again,” Tybura wrote on Twitter. “Yo heavyweights, where you at? Anyone wants to meet me [March 27] in Vegas?”

Ivanov was looking to halt a two-bout skid after dropping consecutive split decisions against Derrick Lewis and Augusto Sakai. The former World Series of Fighting champion is 2-3 in UFC competition.

After having mixed results early in his UFC tenure, Tybura has been victorious in his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, he scored a second-round TKO of Greg Hardy at UFC Fight Night 183 on Dec. 19.

Curtis Blaydes isn’t going to dwell on his knockout loss to Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night 185.

Heavily favored heading into last Saturday’s heavyweight main event, Blaydes was floored by a Lewis uppercut when he shot for a takedown, and his opponent punctuated the upset victory with two massive ground strikes 1:26 into Round 2.

Blaydes released a statement regarding the defeat Tuesday on his Instagram stories.

“Sometimes you’re the hammer and sometimes you’re the nail,” Blaydes wrote. “This game has a razor thin margin for error and I just got caught, it happens. Props to Derrick. No shame in it my head’s still held high.”

Blaydes entered the contest on a four-bout winning streak and appeared to be closing in on a UFC heavyweight title shot. All three of the 30-year-old Elevation Fight Team representative’s defeats — once to Lewis and twice against Francis Ngannou — have come via knockout. Blaydes currently has one fight remaining on his UFC contract.

Former UFC and boxing champion Holly Holm will be part of the broadcast team for Claressa Shields’ next fight.

Holm will help to commentate the boxing event “Superwomen: Shields vs. Dicaire,” which takes place on March 5 at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. The headliner will see Shields (10-0), the WBC/WBO super welterweight world champion, lock horns with IBF super welterweight champion Marie-Eve Dicaire (17-0) in a 154-pound unification bout. The card airs on Fite.TV at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Holm will share the host desk with Dan Canobbio and will also serve as the evening’s unofficial scorer. Before she transitioned to mixed martial arts, Holm compiled a 33-2-3 mark in professional boxing while winning titles in multiple weight classes.

“These are the top media professionals that this historic night for female boxing deserves,” promoter Dmitriy Salita said in a release. “Holly Holm is one of the most popular female fighters in history and she’ll b…

Credit: Pro Fight League

Ramazan Kuramagomedov will replace Randy Brown and meet Alex Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 186 on Saturday.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new welterweight booking. UFC Fight Night 186 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt pitting Jairzinho Rozenstruik against Ciryl Gane. The card streams in its entirety on ESPN+. Brown withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons.

Kuramagomedov appeared on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, earning a split decision win against Jordan Williams in July 2019. The Dagestani fighter didn’t receive a UFC contract at the time and has since posted back-to-back submission wins. Kuramagomedov is 8-0 over the course of a professional tenure that also includes stints in Professional Fighters League and Absolute Championship Berkut.

Oliveira went 2-1 in 2020, taking a split verdict over Max Griffin at UFC 248 and a unanimous decision against Peter Sobotta a…

Derrick Lewis could be sidelined for up to six months following his second-round knockout victory over Curtis Blaydes in the UFC Fight Night 185 main event.

A full list of medical suspensions from this past Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas was released to mixedmartialarts.com. Lewis must have X-rays of his right hand and wrist and receive medical clearance or he will be sidelined until Aug. 20. At a minimum, “The Black Beast is out until March 14 with no contact until March 7. Blaydes, meanwhile, is suspended until April 22 with no contact until April 7.

One fighter who didn’t compete at UFC Fight Night 185 was Jamall Emmers, who suffered back spasms just prior to his walkout against Chas Skelly. As a result, Emmers must undergo an MRI of his lumbar and receive doctor clearance or face a six-month suspension.

Eight other athletes who fought on Saturday are facing potential six-month terms: Charles Rosa (right hand), Chris Daukaus (right hand), Andr…

A lightweight showdown between Anthony Pettis and Clay Collard will headline the first card of the 2021 Professional Fighters League season.

The promotion announced the full lineup for the April 23 event, which features lightweights and featherweights and will air on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The four-bout main card airs on ESPN2 and also includes: Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held at lightweight; Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares at featherweight and Lance Palmer vs. Bubba Jenkins at featherweight.

A five-bout undercard will air on ESPN+: Loik Radzhabov vs. Johnny Case at lightweight; Joilton Lutterbach vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier at lightweight; Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov at lightweight; Sung Bin Jo vs. Tyler Diamond at featherweight and Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes at featherweight.

“The PFL’s season kickoff on April 23 is one that is sure to be a showstopper and full of nonstop action,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “The talent that exists within these matchup…

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Bellator MMA has signed Russian lightweight Alexandr Shabliy to an exclusive, multi-fight contract.

Sherdog.com confirmed the deal with a promotion official following a report from MMAjunkie.com. An opponent and debut date for Shabliy is currently unknown.

The 27-year-old will enter his promotional debut with a 19-3 record that includes 17 triumphs via submission. He has competed for organizations such as ProFC, Fight Nights Global and Absolute Championship Berkut over the course of a professional tenure that began in 2010.

Shabliy has won his last four outings, a run that includes triumphs over UFC veteran Adriano Martins and ex-Bellator talent Gleristone Santos. Shabliy has recently been training at American Top Team in Cocounut Creek, Florida.

Former featherweight title challenger Felicia Spencer will welcome Danyelle Wolf to the Octagon at a UFC event on May 22.

BJPenn.com was first to report that both Spencer and Wolf have verbally agreed to the bout. The UFC Fight Night card does not yet have an official headliner or location.

Spencer returns to action for the first time since losing a five-round decision to Amanda Nunes in a 145-pound championship clash at UFC 250 last June. A former Invicta FC title holder, Spencer is 2-2 in the Las Vegas-based promotion, with first-round finishes of Megan Anderson and Zarah Fairn dos Santos to her credit.

Wolf, 37, earned a UFC contract after taking a unanimous verdict against Taneisha Tennant in her professional MMA debut at Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 15. The Tiger Muay Thai export is a three-time U.S. National Boxing champion who has compiled an amateur record of 30-14, according to BoxRec.com.

Longtime mixed martial arts veteran Travis Fulton is facing multiple charges of child pornography, according to a report from The Courier.

The 43-year-old Fulton was indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child porn and receipt of child porn. On Friday, Fulton pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was detained pending a further hearing, with a trial date set tentatively for April.

According to court records, Fulton allegedly attempted to engage a minor in sexual conduct with hopes of taking photos of the encounter this past November. Additionally, Fulton is accused of possessing a flash drive with pornographic images of a child under 12 years of age between November 2018 and November 2020.

Prior to the most recent charges, Fulton was awaiting trial on domestic violence charges related to a 2019 incident in which he is accused of punching a woman in the back of the h…