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

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 13, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

Edwards was understandly disappointed with the result.

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

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

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

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 14, 2021

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

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

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

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

1000 apologies to @Darren_m…

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

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

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

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

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. This was the one outcome for which no one was prepared. An inadvertent second-round eye poke from Leon Edwards led to a no contest in the UFC Fight Night 187 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, leaving both he and Belal Muhammad in a state of limbo within the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division. When a visibly and audibly distraught Muhammad (18-3, 9-3 UFC) indicated he could not see out of his damaged right eye, referee Herb Dean waved it off 18 seconds into Round 2.

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

Spann Shreds Cirkunov in 71 …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 187 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Lev Pisarsky scores the round:Tyler Treese sco…

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

— UFC (@ufc) March 14, 2021

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Everything went according to plan for Angela Hill.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The long awaited return is here...

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

— UFC (@ufc) March 12, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. It's all systems go for UFC Vegas 21, as every fighter has now officially made weight.

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

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

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

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

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLp9fkCLJgk&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight champ Jessica Andrade truly believes she has what it takes to upset Valentina Shevchenko. Training hard to face UFC flyweight queen Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 261, Andrade spoke with Sherdog about what could be the toughest challenge of her 10-year MMA career.

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

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

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Chalk up one more acquisition for the Ultimate Fighting Championship from the Invicta Fighting Championships ranks. On Friday, Mexican outlet Milenio reported that Montserrat Ruiz (9-1) would be stepping up on short notice to compete at UFC on ESPN 21 on March 20. The fighter out of Mexico will be replacing Kay Hansen, as the latter suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the contest. Ruiz will meet fellow debutant Cheyanne Buys (5-1), and she confirmed that she would be making her Octagon debut on this card on her Instagram.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This will be…

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

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

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

In his statement, Hardy discussed …

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 burgeoning Ultimate Fighting Championship star is set to make a quick turnaround in April. The UFC announced on Thursday from a press release and later on its Twitter page that Julian Marquez (8-2) will be stepping up to take on Sam Alvey (33-14-1, 1 NC) in just under a month. The two will square off at middleweight at UFC on ABC 2, which takes place on April 10 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Alvey was originally slated to face Zak Cummings, but the latter withdrew for currently undisclosed reasons and has been replaced by his Glory MMA & Fitness teammate Marquez.

Marquez made his triumphant return to form after over two and a half years away by submitting Maki Pitolo at UFC 258. Marquez endeared himself to fans after his performance by calling out pop star Miley Cyrus, asking her to be his valentine -- she later agreed…

Fight 10 (Main Event)

"Omak" Abdysalam Uulu Kubanychiev (18-3) dominates Rolando Dy (14-10) forcing him to quit between rounds. Excellent timing and range w/ the jabs & boxing combined with takedowns and a strong top game. Title shot next for Omak. pic.twitter.com/pJbcmsDwYj

— Dusty Andrews (@Fight_Expert) March 11, 2021 Brave Combat Federation put on an action-packed show with ten fights that brought nine finishes including eight knockouts. The Brave CF 47 main event featured a lightweight battle between Abdisalam Kubanychbek (17-2) and Ultimate Fighting Championship alum Rolando Dy (14-10-1). “The Incredible” looked good in the first part of the opening frame as his educated jab found his way to the Kyrgyz fighter’s chin. Kubanychbek was slow in finding his pace, but once he did, he closed the distance and shot for takedowns. After taking “The Incredible” to the mat, Kubanychbek trapped Dy with his back against the fence and punished…

Welcome to #TrillerFightClub @ivan_redkach @RPrograis @thefrankmir @AntonioTarver #JoeFournier & @reykon! Grab your PPV tickets at https://t.co/agXiM6B4sV pic.twitter.com/aIe3wBfZf2

— TRILLER (@triller) March 11, 2021 > A former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king will be testing out the sweet science with gloves on first.

From a press release sent out by Triller Fight Club on Thursday, the April 17 boxing event headlined by Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren has gained a trio of matches for its undercard. In the first, Frank Mir (19-13 MMA) will square off against Antonio Tarver (31-6-1, 22 KOs) in a match previously reported by Mir in February. The heavyweight boxing clash was awaiting clearance from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, but it has now been made official. Additionally, a super lightweight bout between Regis Prograis (25-1, 21 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (23-5, 18 KOs) has been added to the card. Finally, ligh…

The mixed martial arts world lost one of its most-regarded referees from Europe.

On Wednesday, the news of referee Neil Hall’s death hit home. Hall, 55, passed away after battling with COVID-19. Hall’s family announced the sad news, revealing that he caught the virus after being hospitalized to treat a silent infection developed after a back operation.

“Sadly, Neil Hall passed away today,” they wrote. “He had a back operation in August and picked up an infection in the surgery area which wasn’t found till late January. He went into hospital for intravenous antibiotics for a week then came home, unfortunately it was with COVID. He spent three weeks trying to fight Covid pneumonia but sadly he lost his fight today. Over the years, Neil has met many people from all over the world and has had lots of fantastic experiences. Today we have to say goodbye to him.”

Hall had a few professional bouts as an MMA fighter, competing under the Pride and Glory and the Cage Warr…

【パンクラス】王者ISAOと最強チャレンジャー中島太一が激突、21年はフェザー級タイトル戦で開幕＝5.30新木場#ISAO #中島太一 #PANCRASEhttps://t.co/PAdMQiMJFH

— eFight（イーファイト）格闘技＆フィットネス情報 (@efight_twit) March 10, 2021

A legendary Japanese promotion has announced its first event for 2021.

On Wednesday morning, Pancrase announced that Isao Kobayashi would put his 145-pound championship on the line against Taichi Nakajima in the headliner of Pancrase 321. It will be the first number series show of the year for the Japanese promotion, whose latest event dates back to Dec. 13, 2020.

Kobayashi (26-5-4) captured the interim featherweight championship at the expense of Koyomi Matsushima after his opponent landed an illegal knee at Pancrase 295. After defending his title by upending Nazareno Malegarie at Pancrase 305, the Never Quit-representative was promoted to undisputed champion. He then edged Kyle Aguon via split decision at 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.

An upcoming card has just lost its co-main event.

It appears that Jamahal Hill hasn’t recovered yet after testing positive for COVID-19. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate was slated to clash with Paul Craig in the UFC on ESPN 21 co-feature, but announced he was positive a few days ago. On Wednesday morning, Craig took to his social media accounts to announce that his opponent hasn’t recovered yet and that the match is off.

Hill (8-0, 2-0 UFC) won his Ultimate Fighting Championship contract after overcoming Alexander Poppeck with punches and elbows at the 4:29 mark of their Contender Series encounter in July 2019. In his latest cage appearance, the Black Lion Jiu-Jitsu-representative smashed Ovince St. Preux with punches in the second stanza of their 205-pound co-main event at UFC on ESPN 19. Prior, he …

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 third time is the charm, they say. On Wednesday morning, MMA Junkie reported that Merab Dvalishvili and Cody Stamann are set to clash in a bantamweight affair on the UFC Fight Night card that will go down on May 1. The pair should have already locked horns at UFC on ESPN 19, but Stamann pulled out due to undisclosed reasons a few days after the matchup was announced. The clash between “The Machine” and “The Spartan” was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 184, but Dvalishvili withdrew due to COVID-19 complications before they could meet in the cage.

Dvalishvili (12-4, 5-2 UFC) is riding a five-fight winning streak into his upcoming assignment. In his latest Octagon appearance, he upended “The Ultimate Fighter 14” winner John Dodson in a three-round bantamweight feature at UFC 252. Prior, “The Machine” recorded similar decision vi…

STILL UNBEATEN.

Khizriev wastes no time - no energy at #DWCS.

[ Watch LIVE on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/7PDkNUHK8W — UFC (@ufc) September 9, 2020

Kyle Daukaus will meet Aliaskhab Khizriev in a middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night on April 10.

Promotion officials recently announced the pairing through social media. UFC Fight Night takes place at an as yet to be confirmed location and is headlined by a 185-pound showdown between Darren Till and Marvin Vettori.

After suffering his first professional defeat to Brendan Allen at UFC on ESPN 12, Daukaus rebounded in his sophomore promotional outing, outpointing Dustin Stoltzfus at UFC 255 this past November. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titlist owns a 10-1 career mark that also includes a victory on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Khizriev will make his UFC debut with a 13-0 record. He earned a contract with the Las Vegas-based promotion by submitt…