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The Professional Fighters League heavyweight division just got a lot more interesting.

The organization announced on Monday that it has signed former UFC champion Fabricio Werdum, who will make his debut during the 2021 season. The 43-year-old Brazilian has competed for the UFC, Strikeforce and Pride Fighting Championships over the course of a 34-bout professional tenure that began in 2002.

Werdum joins a PFL heavyweight division that includes 2019 champion Ali Isaev, Denis Goltsov, Justin Willis and Mohammed Usman, to name a few.

“I am excited to announce Fabricio Werdum, the Tom Brady of MMA, has signed with the Professional Fighters League,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a release. “Fabricio is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and knows when he steps into the PFL cage this coming season, it is more than a fight. The PFL sport season format provides an opportunity to control his destiny, like all PFL fighters, with a transparent shot to earn another…

Bellator 253 has lost a pair of matchups just three days out from Thursday’s card.

Two lightweight bouts -- Shane Kruchten vs. Lance Gibson Jr. and Marcus Surin vs. Ricardo Seixas – have been canceled, Sherdog.com confirmed with a promotion official on Monday. MMyMMANews first reported that Kruchten vs. Gibson Jr. was scrapped due to a positive COVID-19 test involving Kruchten’s team.

Meanwhile, Mark Glover is out of a proposed featherweight bout with Jason Markland and has been replaced by Sullivan Cauley. The other two updates were initially confirmed by MMAjunkie.com.

Bellator 253 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and is headlined by a featherweight grand prix semifinal pitting Darrion Caldwell against A.J. McKee. The main card airs on CBS Sports and Dazn at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, while the prelims stream on Bellator’s YouTube channel and Dazn beginning at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT.

The final installment of Season 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series is now official, as all 10 athletes slated for competition hit their contracted marks on Monday.

The Contender Series takes place on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The card is headlined by a flyweight showdown pitting J.P. Buys against Jacob Silva. Buys tipped the scales at 125.5 pounds for the bout, while Silva checked in a 125 pounds.

Buys has won four consecutive outings since falling to Joby Sanchez on Season 1 of the Contender Series in August 2017. Most recently, the 24-year-old Fortis MMA product scored a 73-second TKO of Cristian Rodriguez at LFA 78 in November 2019.

Silva, meanwhile, will be competing on his second Contender Series show of 2020 after dropping a unanimous verdict against Jeff Molina on Aug. 25. That setback snapped a six-bout winning streak for the former Fury Fighting Championship title holder.

Dana White’s Con…

KHAOS WILLIAMS ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?? @KhaosOXWilliams in 30 SECONDS!! #UFCVegas14 pic.twitter.com/YmWLw7P2VU

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) November 15, 2020

Kalinn Williams’ 30-second knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Fight Night 182 was one for the highlights, a finish so memorable it led SportsCenter’s Top 10 on Saturday night.

More importantly, it allowed Williams to further establish a foothold in the Las Vegas-based promotion. After debuting in the Octagon with a 27-second KO of Alex Morono at UFC 247 in February, “Khaos the Ox Fighter” wanted to prove he was no flash in the pan.

“This feels amazing. This is more important than that first one for me,” he said. “I came in with a splash, let the division know, let the world know I was here and this one just let everybody know it wasn’t no fluke. This is more important than my debut. That’s why I took the time to just dedicate all my time to it. I put a lot of stuff on hold, muted my lif…

Paul Felder received near universal praise for stepping up on less than one week’s notice to save the UFC Fight Night 182 headliner, but for Rafael dos Anjos, the change in opponent was something of a game-planning nightmare.

Despite spending the entirety of his camp preparing for a hard-nosed grappler in Islam Makhachev, dos Anjos was able to make the necessary changeskl to earn a split-decision triumph over Felder on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“We had to make some adjustments with the change in opponents. I was training to defend takedowns against a southpaw and in five days, I had to fight an orthodox striker,” dos Anjos said. “I was kind of thrown off in the first rounds, trying to find the distance and get closer to him because he is a right-handed guy, so I had to change my game plan and try to grapple, take him to the ground. In just five days I had to do everything I didn't train to do. But we managed to adjust and adapt there and get the win.” Read more about Rafael Dos Anjos Felt Stronger in Lightweight Return: I Did What Guys Were Doing to Me

DROPPED him!!

That's wins in weeks for Sean Strickland! #UFCVegas14 pic.twitter.com/glOHhkUosF

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) November 15, 2020 After injuries from a motorcyle accident sidelined him for two years, it’s been a memorable couple of weeks for Sean Strickland.

Strickland earned his second triumph in 14 days at UFC Fight Night 182 when he defeated Brendan Allen by technical knockout 1:32 into the second round of their 195-pound catchweight clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. That victory comes on the heels of a unanimous decision victory over Jack Marshman at UFC Fight Night 181 on Oct. 31.

“2020 has been a hell of a year,” Strickland said. “I just love being a UFC fighter in the end of the day. After the action and everything, being a UFC fighter, I’m a fan boy. I’m just happy to be able to get in there, win, step in the Octagon and get people to like me and watch me, get fans... The whole year has been great for me.…

After some soul searching earlier this year, Paul Felder isn’t contemplating retirement following his latest defeat.

When Islam Makhachev was forced to withdraw from the UFC Fight Night 182 headliner, “The Irish Dragon” stepped in on less than one week’s notice to square off against Rafael dos Anjos on Saturday night. Although he lost a split decision, Felder exited the bout in a totally different mindset than he did following a February loss to Dan Hooker. After that setback, Felder openly considered calling it a career before ultimately reconsidering.

“I can tell you guys with certainty: I’m not going anywhere right now,” Felder said during his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I lost my passion for this sport pretty bad. I can tell you I’m not done. I might lose my ranking a little bit, but what I’ve learned in this sport is none of that matters. What matters is going out there, showing up, showing who you are inside and what determination you have.”

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Rafael dos Anjos and Paul Felder battled for five hard rounds at UFC Fight Night 182, and their bank accounts will benefit with a little extra cash.

Dos Anjos and Felder received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their headlining lightweight scrap at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Though Felder was quite game in accepting the bout on extremely short notice, Dos Anjos was able to impose his will through takedowns and grappling to earn a split-decision triumph in what was the Brazilian’s first lightweight bout since 2016.

Meanwhile, Kalinn Williams garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” paycheck for a spectacular first-round KO of Abdul Razak Alhassan in the evening’s welterweight co-main event. Williams countered a low kick from his opponent with a right hand that knocked Alhassan unconscious and sent his head bouncing off the canvas 30 seconds into the opening period, giving him two first-round knockout victories in as many Octagon app…

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. Part surgical tactician, part bloodthirsty warrior, Rafael dos Anjos in his natural habitat was a sight to behold. Dos Anjos closed the book on his eight-fight odyssey at 170 pounds and returned to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division for the first time in more than four years, as he banked a split decision over Paul Felder in the UFC Fight Night 182 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Judges Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato scored it 50-45 for dos Anjos, while Chris Lee saw it differently at 48-47 for Felder.

A short-notice substitution for the injured Islam Makhachev, Felder (17-6, 9-6 UFC) enjoyed success in open space whenever he managed to hold the center of the cage. There, he cut loose with multi-punch volleys, sneaky elbows and intermittent leg kicks. Dos Anjos (30-13, 19-11 UFC) responde…

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 182 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:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Cri…

Roberto Soldic dominates Michal Materla — TKO at the end of the first round in the main event at #KSW56 pic.twitter.com/fY84yndA9M

— Will (@ChillemDafoe) November 14, 2020

Middleweight seems to suit Roberto Soldic just fine.

The former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki welterweight title holder moved up to 185 pounds in the KSW 56 main event, where he scored a first-round stoppage of former divisional champion Michal Materla (29-8). The fight became a one-man show after Soldic (18-3) caught Materla with a left hand and dropped his opponent one minute into the round. Soldic punished his opponent with a few follow-up punches, but "Magic" somehow survived Soldic's first assault.

Sensing that Materla was still rocked from those shots, "Robocop" kept his opponent guessing with several punches and kicks. In a desperate attempt to make the barrage of punches stop, Materla went for a takedown, which Soldic blocked with ease. The end of the contest arrived…

UFC Fight Night 182 is down to 10 fights after “weight management issues” forced Eryk Anders to withdraw from a scheduled clash with Antonio Arroyo.

The promotion announced the cancellation of the matchup on Saturday. UFC Fight Night 182 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a lightweight tilt between Rafael dos Anjos and Paul Felder. The main card airs on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT following prelims on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Anders checked in at 187.5 pounds for the middleweight bout on Friday. The former University of Alabama football player released a statement on his exit via social media.

“Hey guys, unfortunately due to issues concerning my health I was forced to withdraw from tonight’s fight against Arroyo,” Anders wrote. “I am recovering and look forward to getting back to action ASAP. Thank you everyone for your love and support.”

Anders had a two-bout winning streak snapped in his lone appearance of 2020, when h…

UFC Fight Night 182 is down to 9 fights after “weight management issues” forced Eryk Anders to withdraw from a scheduled clash with Antonio Arroyo.

The promotion announced the cancellation of the matchup on Saturday. UFC Fight Night 182 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a lightweight tilt between Rafael dos Anjos and Paul Felder. The main card airs on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT following prelims on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Additionally, a clash pitting Louis Smolka against Jose Alberto Quinonez was scrapped approximately 30 minutes before the beginning of the card when Smolka was deemed "medically unfit" to compete. Smolka weighed in at 139 pounds on Friday for what was originally expected to be a bantamweight matchup.

Anders checked in at 187.5 pounds for the middleweight bout on Friday. The former University of Alabama football player released a statement on his exit via social media.

“Hey guys, unfortunately due to …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division is looking to get back on track in 2021, with an important ranked fight booked for February. MMA Junkie first reported the bout between Marion Reneau (9-6-1) and Macy Chiasson (6-1) on Friday, and Chiasson has since confirmed the matchup on her Instagram. The two women ranked among the top 15 at 135 pounds will meet on the UFC Fight Night event on Feb. 6, and it could take place either on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, or at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. UFC President Dana White has hinted that the promotion may return to Yas Island in early 2021, so this card could be held there.

Reneau has dropped each of her last three bouts dating back to 2018, with three unanimous decision defeats to Cat Zingano, Yana Kunitskaya and Raquel Pennington in 2018,…

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 light heavyweight contender Thiago Santos is looking to get back on the horse sooner than later. On Friday, ESPN announced that the UFC was putting together a light heavyweight bout between Santos (21-8) and Aleksandar Rakic (13-2). The two would be squaring off at a newly announced March 6 UFC event, and the location could either be at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas or on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, based on how the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. This bout would not be the headliner, and it would be Santos’ first three-round fight since 2018.

Santos is currently on just the second losing streak in his career, dropping a split verdict to Jon Jones in 2019 and most recently getting tapped out by Glover Teixeira in November. The former middleweight is aiming for the all-time UFC re…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2tA2MK2X9k&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. Two Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweights on the outside of the top 10 looking in are going to dance in December. The news of the matchup first coming from coach Ray Longo on the Anik and Florian podcast, Merab Dvalishvili (12-4) will remain on the Dec. 5 UFC Fight Night card, and he will be meeting surging contender Raoni Barcelos (16-1) at bantamweight. Dvalishvili was originally slated to take on Cody Stamann, but a positive COVID-19 test scuttled the pairing. Dvalishvili has hinted at the upcoming matchup earlier this week, and it has been since confirmed by other outlets.

Barcelos recorded a win at UFC on ESPN 17 in November, taking a thrilling decision in a “Fight of the Night” scrap against Khalid Taha. The victory extended the Brazilian’s win str…

Only five days’ notice and the Irish is OFFICIAL! @FelderPaul locks in at 155.75

[ #UFCVegas14 | LIVE Tomorrow on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/F66qLGQT2w

— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2020 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 scales proved to be a greater threat than most expected ahead of UFC Fight Night 182.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is back this weekend for another event in Las Vegas. Headlining UFC Fight Night 182 is a lightweight showdown between former champion Rafael dos Anjos and Paul Felder, with the latter taking the fight on just one week’s notice.

Dos Anjos (29-13) is moving back down to lightweight after an eight-fight stint at welterweight. The 36-year-old went 4-4 at the higher weight class with key wins over Kevin Lee, Neil Magny and Robbie Lawler. However, another title shot seemed far off after…

Former Bantamweight King Horiguchi will rematch Asakura for the title on NYE. Bout order announced for Yogibo presents #RIZIN25 in Osaka.

Yogibo presents #RIZIN26Dec 31, 2020 2:00PM（JST）Saitama Super Arenahttps://t.co/1n7u7eXI7y

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) November 13, 2020 There will be a major New Year’s Eve MMA event in 2020 after all, courtesy of Rizin Fighting Federation. The promotion revealed via press release on Thursday night that Rizin 26 will take place on Dec. 31. There will be a limited audience inside the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, of 5,000 people, with the option for more depending on potential loosening government restrictions. Although the promotion has put on three-day festivals in past years, the COVID-19 protocols only allow for a single fight card on NYE.

Headlining Rizin 26 is a bantamweight championship rematch between former divisional kings, as Kai Asakura (16-2) takes on the returning Kyoj…

John Lineker KNOCKS OUT Kevin Belingon in Round 2! @johnlineker #InsideTheMatrix3 #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/V3FbwKINd9

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) November 13, 2020 One Championship broadcasted the tape-delayed third part of the “Inside the Matrix” series on Nov. 13.

In the main event of One: Inside the Matrix 3, Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran John Lineker faced Kevin Belingon in the bantamweight division. The contenders put on a fistfight in the first round, which saw many exchanges between Lineker and the former champ. The Brazilian had some success with his uppercuts that tested Belingon’s chin more than once. “The Silencer” attempted to quell Lineker’s aggressiveness with his wushu style, but other than a few flashy kicks, his strategy largely didn’t pan out.

In the second stanza, the Brazilian brawler kept landing on Belingon’s head and body with a plethora of punches. Just over a minute into the …

Day Left #KSW56Light HeavyweightsChampionUndefeated ChallengerOnly Winnerpic.twitter.com/0Nub6qNxcH

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) November 13, 2020 Poland’s No. 1 mixed martial arts promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki returns with its fourth MMA event of the year. KSW 56 has a Poland vs. Croatia theme and is headlined by a middleweight fight between Michal Materla and Roberto Soldic. All fighters made weight and the eight-fight card is now official.

Ever since getting knocked out by Scott Askham, Materla (29-7) has bounced back with two impressive performances. The Polish fighter submitted Wilhelm Ott and picked up a TKO victory over Aleksandar Ilic. A former middleweight champion in the promotion, “Magic” will look to keep his win streak going in the main event. Materla had no issue making weight and came in at 186 pounds.

Moving up in weight is Soldic (17-3), who is KSW’s welterweight champion. He’ll look to defend the pride of Croatia against the na…

As part of the Bellator MMA featherweight grand prix, Patricio Freire put his featherweight belt on the line against Pedro Carvalho in the main event of Bellator 252.

However, the belt never came close to changing hands as Freire made quick work of his challenger and remains the man to beat in the grand prix as a result. "Pitbull" finished Carvalho in less than a round after hurting his opponent with overhand rights. It was a beautiful right hand that ended the fight at the 2:10 mark. He'll now get to face former title challenger Emmanuel Sanchez in a rematch of their 2018 bout

The welterweight co-main event saw Yaroslav Amosov and Logan Storley test their skills against one another for 15 minutes. Both fighters were undefeated going into the bout, but it was Amosov (25-0) that kept his perfect record intact. "Dynamo" was able to outwork Storley (11-1) over the first rounds and survived a rear-naked choke scare late in Round 3. After 15 minutes, the judges delivered…

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 heavyweight tilt between two respected veterans will headline the upcoming UFC Fight Night on Feb. 6. On Thursday, ESPN broke the news that Alistair Overeem (47-18, 1 NC) will be facing Alexander Volkov (32-8) in 2021. The pair should have already met at UFC Fight Night 149 back in April 2019, but Volkov was forced to withdraw from the fight due to health issues.

Overeem is currently living a second youth at the age of 40. The former Dream and Strikeforce titleholder is 4-1 in his latest Octagon appearances, with the only loss at the hands of Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC on ESPN 7. After that crushing defeat, “The Demolition Man” bounced back on track by smashing Walt Harris at UFC on ESPN 8 and Augusto Sakai at UFC Fight Night 176.

The last time he competed, Volkov impressed with a second-round TKO victory over Harris at…

Two top-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweights are locking horns in January.

ESPN first broke the news on Thursday that Kelvin Gastelum (15-6, 1 NC) will be making his way back to the cage on Jan. 30 against Ian Heinisch (14-3). The two top-15 middleweights will be meeting at an event that does not yet have a main event, but earlier on Thursday, did gain Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown.

Winner of Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Gastelum surged after winning that tournament to rack up several wins. Struggles in weight forced him to move up to middleweight, and Gastelum has dropped three consecutive bouts to Israel Adesanya – albeit in the 2019 “Fight of the Year” winner – Darren Till and Jack Hermansson. His quick submission loss to Hermansson in July is the first time the Kings MMA fighter had ever been stopped within the first two rounds.

Heinisch was booked against Brendan Allen at UFC on ESPN 17, but a positive COVID-19 test ejected him from the p…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJn3fRo0n4I&w=560&h=315] Join DAZN free for 30 days and live-stream fight night anywhere!

Bellator MMA has added a pair of fun matchups to its year-end event.

On Thursday, a source close to the situation revealed a pair of fights added to Bellator 254 on Dec. 12. The final 2020 show for the promotion will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The first fight sees a pair of unbeatens clash at 205 pounds, as Tyree Fortune (5-0) takes on Grant Neal (4-0). The other match pits undefeated Romero Cotton (4-0) against Justin Michael Sumter (7-3). Both fights will take place on the preliminary portion of the card.

Fortune, twin brother of heavyweight standout Tyrell Fortune, will look to keep his perfect record intact for his first appearance in 2020. The Oregon native known as “X-Man” has set foot in a cage just once a year dating back to 2017, although he has won each of them. Before turning pro in 2016, Fortune ma…