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Tsuyoshi Sudario turned heads with quick knockout of Kazushi Miyamoto in their heavyweight bout at Rizin 27, but it’s what happened after the stoppage that has come back to haunt the sumo wrestler.

The Japanese promotion released a statement Tuesday announcing that Sudario has been fined for continuing to throw punches at his opponent after referee Ryogaku Wada attempted to restrain him. Tensions flared after the incident as both corners entered the ring. As a result, Sudario has been fined 25 percent of his purse.

“The incident occurred after Sudario finished Miyamoto with a promotional record-breaking knockout,” the statement read. “Referee Ryogaku Wada waved off the fight in [eight] seconds after Sudario landed a clean right hand to Miyamoto’s jaw. Sudario refused to stop attacking after the official stoppage. Sudario’s corner, Enson Inoue entered the ring and helped restrain Sudario, whereupon Miyamo…

Coming off an impressive sequence of eight straight wins, Charles Oliveira was recently confirmed to face ex-Bellator champion Michael Chandler for the vacant lightweight crown at UFC 262 on May 15.

Shortly thereafter, Oliveira revealed to Sherdog.com the curious manner in which he received the most important news of his fighting career. After Khabib Nurmagomedov confirmed his retirement and rumors of a lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Chandler became prevalent, Oliveira decided to spend some time relaxing on his ranch.

"When some fan asked me what I thought about that fight, I answered it would be a great fight between two killers. I wanted to fight for the belt, so once I didn’t have that fight confirmed I decided to go on Thursday night to my ranch, where the telephone just doesn't work. But my father had to go to the city to buy some stuff and saw many calls from my trainer, Diego Lima, and told me about that.

“At that moment I knew Diego w…

After a dominant victory against Drew Dober at UFC 259, Islam Makhachev is one of the fastest-rising contenders in the lightweight division.

Makhachev, who has won seven consecutive fights within the Las Vegas-based promotion, has been tabbed by former 155-pound king Khabib Nurmagomedov as a future champion. The 29-year-old Dagestani called for a showdown with Tony Ferguson after UFC 259, but with “El Cucuy” now booked against Beneil Dariush, has turned his attention to other potential opponents.

One of those is Rafael dos Anjos, who Makhachev was supposed to face at UFC 254 in October and at UFC Fight Night 182 in November before the bout fell through. Dos Anjos recently said he would only face Makhachev if a victory granted him a rematch with Nurmagomedov, whose retirement was only officially recognized by the UFC this past week.

“I don’t know why his opinion changed so quickly,” Makhachev said in a video interview (translation via RT Sport). “He won a fight a…

Kenny Florian will be on the Professional Fighters League broadcast team for the promotion’s 2021 season.

The organization announced the news via release on Tuesday. After a 17-bout career in the UFC, Florian served as an analyst and color commentator for the Las Vegas-based promotion for several years. Florian will work alongside UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and play-by-play commentator Sean O’Connell on the PFL broadcast team.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the PFL family and this season looks to be the best one yet,” said Florian. “Breaking down MMA fights and high level martial arts techniques is what I enjoy most, and I’m elated to be a part of the tremendous commentary team to get a chance to do just that.”

Florian rose to prominence on Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where he lost to Diego Sanchez at the reality show’s finale. The Massachusetts native went on to challenge for titles at both lightweight and featherweight but never captured UFC go…

A potential flyweight title eliminator bout is set for Bellator 256, as Liz Carmouche will lock horns with Vanessa Porto at Bellator 256.

Fansided was first to report the pairing. Bellator 256 takes place on April 9 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and is headlined by a light heavyweight grand prix clash between Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida. The card will air on Showtime.

Carmouche has challenged for titles at flyweight and bantamweight in the UFC, falling to Valentina Shevchenko and Ronda Rousey, respectively. “Girl-Rilla” was successful in her debut with the California-based promotion, as she tapped out DeAnna Bennett in the third round at Bellator 246.

A former Invicta title holder, Porto will be fighting for the first time since November 2019. The 37-year-old Sao Paulo native enters the matchup with Carmouche on a four-bout winning streak. She owns a 22-8 professional mark that includes wins over the likes of Pearl Gonzalez, Roxanne Modafferi, Ta…

Montserrat Ruiz and Cheyanne Buys could be out for up to six months following their main card matchup at UFC on ESPN 21.

Ruiz, who earned a unanimous decision over Buys in their strawweight clash, must have an MRI on her left knee and right shoulder and if she isn’t cleared, will be sidelined until Sept. 17. At a minimum, she is suspended until April 20 with no contact until April 11. Buys needs a right elbow X-ray and doctor clearance or she will be suspended until Sept. 17. She also has a minimum suspension until April 20 with no contact until April 11.

A full list of medical suspensions from Saturday’s event were released to mixedmartialarts.com. UFC on ESPN 21 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and saw Derek Brunson take a unanimous verdict against Kevin Holland in the evening’s middleweight main event. Brunson is suspended until April 20 with no contact until April 11 due to a laceration on his right eyebrow, while Holland is suspended until April 11 with …

Cat Zingano will square off against Olivia Parker at Bellator 256 on April 9.

Sherdog.com confirmed the featherweight booking with a promotion official following an initial report from ESPN. Bellator 256 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and is headlined by a light heavyweight grand prix quarterfinal matchup between Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida. The card will air on Showtime.

A former UFC bantamweight title challenger, Zingano was successful in her first promotional foray, as she outpointed Gabrielle Holloway at Bellator 245 this past September. The 38-year-old Broomfield, Colo., native is 11-4 as a pro and owns notable wins over the likes of Amanda Nunes, Miesha Tate, Marion Reneau and Raquel Pennington.

Parker, meanwhile, earned finishes in her first four professional outings under the Valor Fighting Championship banner. The 39-year-old Knoxville Martial Arts Academy representative came up short in her most recent bout at Invicta FC 40, …

Decorated jiu-jitsu champion Gordon Ryan has signed with One Championship with plans to compete in both mixed martial arts and grappling.

One CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the news Monday on Twitter. A date for Ryan’s debut with the Singapore-based promotion was not revealed, but he will likely compete as a heavyweight.

BREAKING NEWS: Gordon Ryan has signed with ONE Championship for both mixed martial arts and submission grappling!

— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) March 22, 2021

Regarded by some as the best pound-for-pound grappler in the world, Ryan is a three-time ADCC champion, IBJJF no-gi champion and a four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion. In grappling competition, Ryan has bested the likes of Josh Barnett, Gabriel Gonzaga, Rousimar Palhares, Dillon Danis and Marcus Almeida.

Ryan is a black belt under Garry Tonon, who has compiled a 6-0 record under the One banner.

A last-minute cancellation led to an emotional pre-fight moment for Max Griffin on Saturday.

When a scheduled lightweight clash between Gregor Gillespie and Brad Riddell fell through due to COVID-19 protocols, Griffin’s matchup against Kenan Song was elevated to the UFC on ESPN 21 co-main event. It was something Griffin had envisioned with his team heading into 2021.

“When I got the call that I was going to be the co-main event, I started crying,” Griffin said. “This New Year’s, I had a conversation with my team and we said I’m going to get a co-main event and then take it over. God made it happen. To be on ESPN, then be bumped to co-main and knock him out bad like that? It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Griffin laid waste to Song, sending his foe face down to the canvas with a flurry of power punches 2:20 into the opening stanza of their welterweight bout. The 35-year-old former Tachi Palace Fights and West Coast Fighting Championship title holder has won …

Luke Rockhold has been talking about making a return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in recent months, and he could have one of his American Kickboxing Academy teammates in his corner if that becomes a reality.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Rockhold revealed that retired former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has talked about coaching him for his next bout. After several attempts at getting Nurmagomedov to come back to the Octagon, the UFC finally acknowledged his retirement and officially vacated the lightweight belt last week.

“He’s assuming this coaching role now. He’s going off on me, wanting to coach me. He wants to be a big part of my comeback so it’s pretty funny to see Khabib assume this role,” Rockhold said. “He’s going for ‘Coach of the Year.’ That’s what he wants. He wants to be the next great thing, follow in his dad’s footsteps. That’s what his dad always did. His dad was always insightful and always had a good eye for the sport and…

The Bellator 256 preliminary lineup has received a pair of bouts, as Cody Law will meet Nathan Ghareeb at featherweight, while Talita Nogueira will face Jessica Borga in a women’s 145-pound clash.

Sherdog.com confirmed the fights following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. Bellator 256 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on April 9 and features a pair of light heavyweight grand prix bouts at the top of the bill: Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida and Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.

A former Division II national champion in wrestling, Law has kicked off his Bellator tenure with finishes of Orlando Ortega and Kenny Champion in his first two appearances. Ghareeb is also 2-0 and is coming off a 54-second stoppage of Zach Johnson at CES MMA 59.

A former featherweight title challenger, Nogueira has not fought since October 2019, when she dropped a split verdict to Jessy Miele at Bellator 231. Borga enters the matchup on a modest…

Kevin Holland is who he is, and don’t expect that to change following a loss to Derek Brunson at UFC on ESPN 21.

Holland was criticized for his willingness to talk throughout a fight in which he was taken down repeatedly and spent large portions of the contest on his back. The end result was a unanimous decision loss and the end of a five-bout winning streak at 185 pounds.

“Never going to stop talking,” Holland said on Instagram. “If you guys don’t f---ing like it, deuces. … I’m gonna be me till I die, never said I wanted to be the champ I said I wanted to have a good time and that I did on to the next.”

Though Holland was defiant regarding his chatty approach, he did acknowledge in a separate Instagram post that there are improvements he can make regarding his skills in the cage.

“Yes I will talk yes I will have fun but winning is a s--t load of fun as well,”he wrote. “I definitely hate letting you guys down, so fighting smarter, improving position and av…

Derek Brunson did exactly what he needed to do to pull off the upset against Kevin Holland in the UFC on ESPN 21 headliner.

The 37-year-old North Carolina native withstood his opponent’s onslaught during the brief periods the fight was upright, and then relied on his wrestling and top control to carry him to a five-round verdict at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. In the past, Brunson had been known to throw caution to the wind and brawl with his opponents, and that’s when disaster would strike.

“He caught me in the first round, if I would have gave in at that moment, then there wouldn’t have been any learning from that,” Brunson said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I would’ve been just upset, humiliated. He would’ve been talking trash a whole year just off this fight. To go out there and get the win, shut him up — it feels good.”

Holland, who spent much of the contest on his back, seemed content to engage Brunson in conversation, but it…

When Kevin Holland debuted in the UFC, Dana White dubbed him “Big Mouth” due to his talkative nature in the Octagon.

Holland emerged as a serious prospect after losing his debut to Thiago Santos, as he won eight of his next nine bouts within the Las Vegas-based promotion. However, with a serious opportunity in front of him, Holland seemed more interested in talking than he did in fighting, and the result was a lackluster decision loss to Derek Brunson in the UFC on ESPN 21 headliner on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

All too often, Holland seemed content to talk to Brunson from his back after being taken down. Although he had some positive moments on the feet and become the first person to take Brunson down in UFC competition, it wasn’t nearly enough to sway the scorecards in his favor.

White thinks there may have been something more serious going on with Holland.

“I think that was a mental breakdown,” the UFC president told Yahoo Sports. “The only other th…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A flyweight scrap pitting Montana De La Rosa against Ariane Lipski is on tap for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s June 5 card.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. The event does not have an official location or headliner but is expected to include a pair of heavyweight bouts: Walt Harris vs. Marcin Tybura and Ilir Latifi vs. Tanner Boser.

De La Rosa is 4-2-1 in UFC competition since appearing on “The Ultimate Fighter 26.” In her first outing of 2021, she battled Mayra Bueno Silva to a majority draw at UFC Fight Night 186 on Feb. 27.

A former KSW champion, Lipski had a two-bout winning streak snapped in her most recent appearance when she suffered a second-round TKO defeat to Antonina Shevchenkoat UFC 255. The “Queen of Violence” is 2-3 wthin the Las Vegas-based promotion and 13-6 as a professional overall.

While Dana White left the door open for a Khabib Nurmagomedov comeback for months, the former UFC lightweight champion never truly considered it to be an option.

Nurmagomedov announced his retirement after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, but White continued to insist that he could lure the Dagestani grappler back into the Octagon. After their most recent meeting, however, White and the UFC made it official: Nurmagomedov was not coming back.

For most observers, the writing had been on the wall for some time. Nurmagomedov admitted that the recent announcement only confirmed what he had known for months.

“Dana called this official, but I retired like four, six months ago,” Nurmagomedov said on ESPN Saturday night. “It’s very funny: Dana told me when he posted that someone commented saying, ‘Hey, he retired not today, he retired about five months ago,’ and I was like it’s funny. We had some conversations with Dana a couple of times and like two days ago we mee…

After an intense war, Ayaka Hamasaki (@kk331ayaka) retains her belt against Kanna Asakura (@a_kanna_)!#RIZIN #MMA #Kickboxing #RIZIN27 pic.twitter.com/mFTMPN60OA

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) March 21, 2021

Though the rematch was more difficult than the first fight, Ayaka Hamasaki nonetheless seems to have Kanna Asakura’s number.

Hamasaki retained her atomweight crown with a split-decision triumph over Asakura in the Rizin Fighting Federation 27 headliner at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday. The reigning champion had previously faced Asakura at Rizin 14 in December 2018, winning via second-round armbar.

After a wild exchange in the bout’s opening moments, Hamasaki took Asakura down, where she landed a couple solid knees on her grounded opponent. The 23-year-old Paraestra Matsudo product turned the tide in Round 2, when she grounded Hamasaki, defended an armbar and ended the frame unloading ground-and-pound from mount.…

There were several memorable knockouts at UFC on ESPN 21, and the promotion doled out four “Performance of the Night” bonuses as a result.

Max Griffin received $50,000 for a short night at the office against Kenan Song in the evening’s middleweight co-main event. The former Tachi Palace Fights champion finished his foe off with a blitz of punches against the fence, sending Song facedown into the canvas 2:20 into Round 1.

Meanwhile, Adrian Yanez authored a more measured effort against Gustavo Lopez, but the end result was largely the same. The bantamweight prospect found his opening in Round 3, ending the contest with a powerful right hook 27 seconds into the period for his second promotional triumph and an extra $50,000.

Elsewhere, Grant Dawson waited until the last minute to put Leonardo Santos away, but the finish was worth a $50,000 payday. After a largely competitive fight, Dawson unloaded with standing-to-ground hammerfists as Santos attempted a heel hook …

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. Derek Brunson paid no attention to all the extracurricular activity associated with Kevin Holland. The Sanford MMA representative on Saturday executed takedowns in four of the five rounds, piled up copious amounts of control time, applied his ground-and-pound and ignored the interminable trash talk, as he took a unanimous decision from Holland in the UFC on ESPN 21 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-45, 49-46 and 49-46, all for Brunson (22-7, 13-5 UFC).

Holland (21-6, 8-3 UFC) was effective while he remained upright. However, Brunson withstood his bursts of violence and used his aggression against him, closing the distance to either clinch or pursue takedowns. Holland did what he could to hide his frustration, but his deficit grew with each passing round. He opened a cut near Brunson’s right eye in the fifth …

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 21 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 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:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores th…

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.

Macy Chiasson appears to be well on her way to Top 10 status in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 28 winner on Saturday leaned on crisp standup and a robust clinch, as she laid claim to a unanimous decision over Marion Reneau in the featured UFC on ESPN 21 prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Chiasson (7-1, 5-1 UFC) drew 29-28 nods from all three judges and continued to distance herself from a September 2019 loss to Lina Lansberg.

Renau (9-7-1, 5-6-1 UFC) used efficient punching combinations and evasive lateral movement in putting together a successful first round. However, Chiasson turned the tide in the second, where she bloodied the Californian’s nose with a crushing left hand and later forced her to retreat on the end of a wicked kick to the body. The…

Mariusz 'PUDZIAN' Pudzianowski! #KSW59 pic.twitter.com/gUcwrqLkbK

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) March 20, 2021

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki's main event underwent a last-minute change after Serigne Ousmane Dia suffered an acute appendicitis attack and had to be hospitalized ahead of Saturday’s card in Lodz, Poland.

The new KSW 59 headliner saw Mariusz Pudzianowski (14-7, 1 NC) taking on MMA debutant Nikola Milanovic (0-1) in the super heavyweight division. Milanovic took the fight on less than 24 hours notice, but he could do nothing to stop “Pudzian” from ending the contest in the opening frame. Milanovic attacked the legendary strongman with a couple of leg kicks as soon as the battle started, and Pudzianowski retaliated with a jab. The Serbian fighter rushed then to push his opponent against the cage, looking for a double-leg takedown.

While the takedown attempt likely would have been successful, “Pudzian” grabbed the fence to defen…

We go the distance!!#CW122 pic.twitter.com/Y9u6LvNgAy

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 20, 2021

The latest installment in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship “Trilogy” series crowned a new champion.

The Cage Warriors 122 main event saw Jordan Vucenic (8-1) dethrone Morgan Charriere (16-8-1) thanks to a narrow decision at the end of a featherweight championship encounter at York Hall in London on Saturday. The challenger looked sharper than the defending champion from the first frame, attacking “The Last Pirate” with a variety of punches and continuously switching stances. Charriere didn’t look impressed by his opponent's striking, but it took a while before he got himself out of first gear and began to focus on close-range combat and wrestling.

“The Last Pirate” looked better in the championship rounds, where his grinding started paying dividends, coinciding with Vucenic starting to go low on his energy tank. The last two stanzas…

The featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega scheduled for #UFC260 has been postponed.

Volkanovski was forced from the fight due to COVID-19 protocols, per tonight's broadcast. pic.twitter.com/JOvtIbZTFX

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 21, 2021 UFC 260 is a championship doubleheader no more.

The promotion announced during Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 21 broadcast that COVID-19 protocols have resulted in the postponement of the featherweight championship clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega. The matchup is expected to be rescheduled for a future UFC card.

Volkanovski released a statement on Twitter shortly after the postponement announcement:

pic.twitter.com/TFFvTXe08U

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) March 21, 2021

UFC 260 takes place on March 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight championship rematch between Stipe Miocic and Fr…