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"It's bad, he's gone, he's no longer a UFC fighter."

Dana White explains why Ottman Azaitar has been cut from the UFC following a health and safety breach at #UFC257. pic.twitter.com/UO3aJbLUWO

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) January 22, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 257 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The entire MMA community is waiting on pins and needles wondering what was in the bag that cost ex-Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Ottman Azaitar his career.

Azaitar was not present for the UFC 257 weigh-ins, and the promotion announced on Friday morning that his main card match with Matt Frevola had been canceled. As it turned out, the Moroccan was not pulled due to COVID or a weight cut-related reason, but instead for violating the promotion's health and safety protocols.

In a statement, the UFC wrote that, “UFC is aware of a recent …

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. Another big matchup in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s stacked lightweight division is in the works for the end of February. The news first coming by way of MMA Junkie on Thursday, a lightweight scrap between Alexander Hernandez (12-3) and Thiago Moises (14-4) has been set for the UFC Fight Night card on Feb. 27. The two 155ers will square off at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, in a bout both fighters wanted as they called each other out in the past. Moises has since confirmed the pairing on his Instagram.

The Texas native has alternated wins and losses in his last five bouts, most recently drubbing Chris Gruetzemacher in 106 seconds in October. Second-round knockout losses to Donald Cerrone and Drew Dober were interspersed between decision victories over Francisco Trinaldo and Olivier Aubin-Mercier. “The Great” made his ma…

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. Ultimate Fighting Championship pioneer and repeat heavyweight title challenger Pedro Rizzo weighed in on Jon Jones’ upcoming move to Rizzo’s old division. Speaking to Sherdog on Wednesday night, Rizzo, the leader of the Brazilian MMA team Usina de Campeos RVT, went to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to corner two of his fighters. Both Douglas Silva de Andrade and Warlley Alves competed on UFC on ESPN 20 with varied results, as Silva de Andrade dropped a decision while Alves scored a knockout over Mounir Lazzez that made his coach proud.

“We are glad that Warlley was finally able to recover from a sequence of injuries and surgeries and show a great performance,” an elated Rizzo told Sherdog. “[The] first time he showed me that sequence of three quick [kicks] it was even hard to hold the pads, and I told him to invest [in] that, …

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 fighters on a combined 20-fight unbeaten streak are coming to blows at lightweight in March. On Wednesday, Grant Dawson (16-1) posted on Instagram that he had news of his new opponent, hinting that his prospective foe was unbeaten in the promotion. MMA Junkie revealed hours later that this opponent was Leonardo Santos (18-3-1), and that the two would be squaring off at 155 pounds at the UFC Fight Night card on March 20.

“Contract signed,” Dawson wrote. “He’s undefeated in the UFC. And his run is coming to an end. Fight News coming soon!”

Dawson fought twice in 2020, tapping out Darrick Minner in February and capturing a unanimous verdict over Nad Narimani a few months later. Getting signed off the first season of Dana White's Contender Series, “KGD” landed a submission on Adrian Diaz…

One of the more beloved stars in the sport has been hospitalized due to the coronavirus, and he claims he is currently in recovery.

On Thursday morning, RT Sport first reported that Fedor Emelianenko has come down with COVID-19, and as a result, he has been sent to the hospital. Taken to Clinical Hospital No. 52 in Moscow, his specific condition has not been specified but the Russian took to Instagram to reassure the public that he is in good spirits.

“Thanks to all who are genuinely concerned for my health,” Emelianenko posted per a translation from RT Sport. “I feel fine, I am going into recovery. I’m grateful to the doctors and medical staff for their care and hard work.”

Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights to ever compete in mixed martial arts, the 44-year-old has won five of seven since emerging from retirement in 2015. The Russian said farewell to the sport for the first time back in 2012, leaving the Strikeforce promotion to rattle off a tr…

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Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to have a different interpretation of his recent meeting with Dana White than the UFC president did.

In a recent interview with Russian outlet Sport24, Nurmagomedov didn’t show much interest in the outcome of the top two fights on Saturday’s UFC 257 card. White, after talking with the lightweight champ last week, suggested that if something spectacular happened in Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier or Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker, Nurmagomedov could be lured back into the Octagon for one more fight.

“There must be some motivation, some hunger,” Nurmagomedov said via translated text on the video. “If you’re not hungry, you know, I’ve been in sports for so many years. I’ve been doing it all my life. I have achieved almost everything in this sport, and there isn’t someone who I would like to fight now.

“I know that there are many fighters who would like to earn money, who…

Moments after Michael Chiesa completed a dominant performance against Neil Magny in the UFC on ESPN 20 headliner, he turned his attention to perhaps the welterweight division’s most reviled star.

“The election is over,” Chiesa said in his post-fight interview. “Colby Covington, your schtick is done. I want you next, boy.”

That Wednesday happened to be the end of Donald Trump’s term in the White House and the official inauguration of new U.S. President Joe Biden made the timing that much more perfect, especially considering that Covington has been an avid Trump supporter the past few years.

For Chiesa, the callout was more about achieving his goals in 2021 than it was about one-upping Covington. He believes that a matchup with the controversial former interim champion could propel him closer to the top of the 170-pound division.

“I want two more fights this year, I want to end this year as the No. 1 contender,” Chiesa said. “I want fights in the Top 5. I th…

Warlley Alves returned to the win column in emphatic fashion at UFC on ESPN 20.

Alves’ assault of prospect Mounir Lazzez in the evening’s welterweight co-main event earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award. The Brazilian veteran was aggressive from the outset before flooring his foe with a series of kicks to the body. From there, Alves sealed the victory with ground-and-pound at the 2:35 mark of Round 1.

Elsewhere, Mike Davis and Mason Jones shared “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their preliminary lightweight scrap. The two combatants combined to land 225 significant strikes, but it was Davis who connected with more authority throughout the contest to secure a unanimous decision triumph.

Earlier, Umar Nurmagomedov delivered in his Octagon debut, receiving the card’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check thanks to a submission of Sergey Morozov in a preliminary bantamweight clash. After displaying a well-rounded standup at…

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. Michael Chiesa imposes his will as well as anyone in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 winner rode repeated takedowns, smooth positional advances and crushing top control to a unanimous decision over Neil Magny in the UFC on ESPN 20 headliner on Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three judges scored it 49-46 for Chiesa (18-4, 11-4 UFC), who improved to 4-0 since relocating to the welterweight division.

Called out!@MikeMav22 had only one name in mind after that!

[ #UFCFightIsland8 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/dXBQcdShL8

— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 2021 Magny (24-8, 17-7 UFC) looked hapless at times, frustrated at others. Chiesa did just enough on the feet to give the Elevation Fight Team mainstay pause, pursued h…

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 20 coverage will begin Wednesday at 9 a.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:Tudor Leonte scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:John Brann…

Tapped!@RickySimonUFC gets the job done in RD

[ #UFCFightIsland8 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/lqHZbiGzuQ

— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 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. Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Ricky Simon submitted Belgian newcomer Gaetano Pirrello with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their featured bantamweight prelim on Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Simon (17-3, 5-2 UFC) drew the curtain 4:00 into Round 2, scoring his first submission in nearly three years.

Pirrello (15-6-1, 0-1 UFC) did not enjoy his first UFC experience. Simon closed the distance, delivered repeated takedowns and methodically wore down the Osman Gym representative. He struck for his final takedown late in the second round, advanced immediately to full mount and framed the c…

In Matt Schnell’s mind, his split-decision victory over Tyson Nam at UFC on ESPN 20 wasn’t even that close.

“I felt like I was in control,” Schnell said. “It would have hurt my feelings if they named Tyson the winner. This game is like that sometimes. It would have hurt, but I would have been OK. I won that fight, though.”

Schnell rebounded from a knockout loss to Alexandre Pantoja in December 2019 thanks to crisp striking and movement. He knew that Nam, who was coming off back-to-back KO/TKO victories, would be headhunting throughout their flyweight bout. To his credit, Schnell was able to avoid any devastating blows from his opponent.

“I was doing subtle things to keep him from lining me up and squaring me up with a good one. Most of the ones that hit me didn’t land clean,” Schnell said. “Most of them were skimming off me. He wasn’t quite able to line me up, but the young man’s got some thump—no doubt about it. You can’t take it away from him. He was definite…

The squeeze of @Omari_Akhmedov forces Tom Breese to tap #UFCFightIsland8 pic.twitter.com/GDcScdehik

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 20, 2021

It’s been a long time since Omari Akhmedov finished an opponent in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

That changed at UFC on ESPN 20, when he tapped out Tom Breese with an arm-triangle 1:41 into the second round of of their middleweight clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The fight-ending maneuver didn’t come by chance, either.

“I was working on that submission the whole camp,” Akhmedov said. “My coach told me I have to finish the fight with this submission when I get mount. I have to work ground-and-pound first and then go for it when he raises his hands. I did it probably 1,000 times in this camp, so it came naturally.”

The 33-year-old American Top Team representative followed his coaches’ instructions perfectly. Prior to the submission. Akhmedov battered his opponent with purpos…

Count Conor McGregor among those who were impressed by Max Holloway’s record-breaking offensive performance against Calvin Kattar at UFC on ABC 1 last weekend.

McGregor and Holloway initially squared off early in their respective promotional tenures at UFC Fight Night 26, with the Irish star winning a unanimous decision at featherweight in August 2013 despite tearing his ACL in the fight. McGregor recently said he might be interested in a rematch with Holloway in the future.

“I thought it was a solid performance,” McGregor told The Mac Life. “He fought an up-and-comer; he done well … He’s obviously hanging around, and fair play to him. He’s definitely in the pipeline for a bout against me. I would happily rematch Max, and after a performance like that, he’s put himself right up there.”

McGregor is set for another rematch on Saturday, when he meets Dustin Poirier in the lightweight main event at UFC 257. Like Holloway, Poirier fell to the “Notorious” in a feath…

OH BOY!!

@GutoInocente Michal Andryszak is official for #KSW58 on January 30th!!

Brace yourselves for impact!! pic.twitter.com/TUJjGRmGVA — KSW (@KSW_MMA) January 19, 2021

Well-traveled Brazilian veteran Guto Inocente will debut for a new promotion when he faces Michal Andryszak at KSW 58 on Jan. 30.

The Polish promotion announced the heavyweight bout on Wednesday. KSW 58 takes place at Wytwornia Club in Lodz, Poland, and is headlined by a featherweight title tilt between Salahdine Parnasse and Daniel Torres. The card can be viewed via pay-per-view on KSWTV.com.

A former title challenger in Glory Kickboxing, the 34-year-old Inocente has compiled an 8-5 record over the course of an MMA career that began in 2005. That tenure includes a victory over Virgil Zwicker in Strikeforce and losses to Anthony Perosh and Derrick Lewis in the UFC. Inocente is coming off a first-round KO of Flavio Rodrigo Magon on the regional circuit this p…

UFC bantamweight Andre Ewell has received a public warning from USADA after testing positive for ostarine in an out-of-competition urine sample collected on Oct. 15.

After the anti-doping violation, Ewell provided a sealed container of a supplement he was using prior to the positive test, and analysis of the product revealed a “low level” of ostarine. USADA then determined that the level of ostarine in the supplement was not enough to have given Ewell any performance enhancing benefits.

Ewell, 32, is coming off a 20202 campaign in which he earned a pair of split-decision victories over Irwin Rivera and Jonathan Martinez. The 32-year-old Apex MMA product is 4-2 during his promotional tenure and 17-6 as a professional overall.

The full USADA statement regarding Ewell’s case is as follows:

USADA announced today that Andre Ewell, of Perris, Calif., has received a public warning for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.

Ewell, 32, tested positive fo…

Your Thursday morning main event is OFFICIAL! #UFCFightIsland8 #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/CPIqfyblIG

— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) January 19, 2021

Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny are official for their welterweight headliner at UFC on ESPN 20.

Chiesa tipped the scales at 170.5 pounds, while Magny checked in at 171 pounds during Tuesday’s weigh-ins. Overall, all 28 fighters hit their contracted marks, officially clearing the way for a supersized 14-bout card. UFC on ESPN 20 takes place on Wednesday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and the main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at noon ET/9 a.m. PT, while the prellims stream on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

After an 11-bout UFC stint at lightweight, Chiesa has found new life at 170 pounds. “Maverick” began his welterweight run with a submission of Carlos Condit at UFC 232 and has since posted decision triumphs over Diego Sanchez and Rafael dos Anjos.

Magny has be…

A woman has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Conor McGregor for alleged personal injury, according to a report from ESPN.

Dave Coleman, the woman’s attorney, revealed to ESPN that the lawsuit is over events that allegedly took place in 2018 and was filed in the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday. The woman’s mother has also filed a suit against McGregor. The news was first reported by the Independent, which also revealed that an associate of McGregor’s was named as a co-defendant. The nature of the case against McGregor is currently unknown.

The matter was initially investigated by An Garda Síochána, the Irish national police, but no charges were brought against McGregor. The former UFC two-division champion denied any wrongdoing through a representative.

"After an exhaustive investigation conducted by the Gardaí which, in addition to interviews of the plaintiff, included interviewing numerous sources, obtaining witnesses' statements, examining clos…

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Signed by Professional Fighters League for to compete at lightweight for its 2021 season, Joilton Lutterbach is hoping for an early matchup with one of the two 155-pound favorites: high-profile acquisition Anthony Pettis or two-time defending champion Natan Schulte.

The PFL season kicks off on April 21.

“I’ve already asked the promoters to put me with either one on April 21. The PFL promised to release the card on Jan. 23,” he told told Sherdog.com. “In this tournament format you just have three months to train for the first fight and final. I’m in my better shape now so the perfect scenario would be to face Pettis or Shulte in first and final, but I´m ready for anything they bring me as always.”

“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” runner-up points out that he has fought in four different divisions during his 43-bout career.

“I was always ready depending what the promoters had to offer me —…

Dan Hooker knows what it’s like to spend an extended period of time in the Octagon with Dustin Poirier, and he believes Conor McGregor will get a similar experience in the UFC 257 main event.

Hooker started quickly in his matchup with Poirier at UFC on ESPN 12 this past June, as he attacked with a variety of left hooks, low kicks and uppercuts to the body and rocked his foe with a knee and flurry of punches at the end of Round 2. As time wore on, however, Poirier got stronger over the final 15 minutes and relied on a blend of powerful punches to the head and stout takedown defense to capture a unanimous decision triumph.

It was a far different scene when “The Diamond” first squared off with McGregor at UFC 178 in September 2014. McGregor’s power quickly took hold, and he polished off Poirier via technical knockout just 1:46 into Round 1.

With many more years of experience and fighting at 155 pounds instead of featherweight, Hooker expects Poirier to be able to …

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Amanda Ribas might just be one of those fighters that has that elusive “it” factor that is so often referenced in the star-making process.

As she prepares to face Marina Rodriguez at UFC 257 on Saturday, Ribas has emerged as one of the promotion’s most intriguing female talents thanks to an impressive four-bout winning streak and an infectious, bubbly personality. Though Ribas is something of an interview darling now, she entered her Octagon debut unsure if she would be able to make a lasting impression on the MMA community.

“Before I did my debut in the UFC, I always talked to my dad and mom, ‘How do you sell the fight?’” Ribas said during a virtual media day. “Because I can’t do trash talk, it’s not like me. I don’t do sexy photos. And we were talking about it, and people liked my personality. This is so good for me because I feel relaxed.”

That alone would not have been enough to stand out, bec…

I'M SO PUMPED FOR THIS FIGHT!!!@dustinpoirier vs @thenotoriousmma is LIVE SATURDAY on @espn+ PPV! #UFC257 #InAbuDhabi @visitabudhabi pic.twitter.com/4DtwtmaUiW

— danawhite (@danawhite) January 18, 2021

The hype continues to build for the UFC 257 headliner on Saturday.

UFC president Dana White on Monday released the pay-per-view introduction, which is narrated by Ron Perlman. UFC 257 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and is topped by a rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. The main card airs via pay-per-view on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Early prelims air on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m./4:30, while the rest of the preliminary draw airs on ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

McGregor will be making his first Octagon appearance in a year, and an impressive victory could land him a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov down the road. The Irish star defeated Poirier via TKO in their first meeting at UFC 178 in…

Calvin Kattar has spoken for the first time since his loss to Max Holloway in the UFC on ABC 1 main event.

“The Boston Finisher” did not address the media after absorbing a UFC record 445 significant strikes in a five-round unanimous decision defeat at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi because he was taken to a hospital immediately after the bout. Instead, Kattar released a brief statement via social media on Monday.

“Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up,” Kattar wrote. “With goals so strong that obstacles, failure and loss only act as motivation.

“Props to Max on a hell of a fight he deserves all the praise. Thankful for my team’s commitment for this fight. On to the next. There is no stopping the man who doesn’t quit.”

Kattar displayed tremendous toughness as he survived 25 minutes with Holloway. On a couple occasions it appeared that referee Herb Dean would halt the featherweight contest, but Kattar always managed to show just enough to allow…

Two more bouts have been added to the UFC Fight Night event on March 13, as Zubaira Tukhugov will meet Ricardo Ramos at featherweight, while Guram Kutateladze will face Don Madge at lightweight.

Tass was first to report Tukhugov vs. Ramos, while MMAjunkie.com initially brought word of Kutateladze vs. Madge. The event, which does not have an official location, is headlined by a welterweight clash pitting Leon Edwards against Khamzat Chimaev.

Tukhugov split a pair of bouts in 2020, defeating Kevin Aguilar via first round TKO at UFC Fight Night 168 before dropping a split decision to Hakeem Dawodu at UFC 253. Ramos, meanwhile, had a two-bout winning streak snapped in his lone appearance last year, a first-round stoppage loss against Lerone Murphy at UFC on ESPN 13.

Kutateladze extended his professional winning streak to nine with a split-decision verdict over former KSW champ Mateusz Gamrot in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 180 on Oct. 17. Madge is cur…