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UNCONSCIOUS!@AnkalaevM erased all doubt by finishing Ion Cutelaba at #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/nn4eCMA1Oz

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 24, 2020

Magomed Ankalaev left no doubt in his rematch with Ion Cutelaba at UFC 254.

Their initial meeting, a 38-second TKO triumph for Ankalaev at UFC Fight Night 169 in February, ended in controversy when Cutelaba claimed the contest was stopped prematurely. However, there was no such controversy on Saturday, as Anaklaev floored his opponent twice en route to a knockout victory at the 4:19 mark of Round 1 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi.

A counter left hook late in the frame sent Cutelaba tumbling to the canvas, and Ankaleav pounced for the victory with heavy ground-and-pound from above.

“I feel great, now I can finally sleep well. It was a six month camp, so I did a really, really good job in the six months and today I proved it,” Ankaleav said. “I wanted to catch him, I wanted to finish with a co…

Retirements don’t always last in MMA, but UFC president Dana White believes that Khabib Nurmagomedov is sincere in his intentions.

Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in the Octagon following a second-round submission of Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event on Saturday, alluding to a promise he made to his mother before the fight. It was a long and difficult road just to get to UFC 254 for the lightweight champion, who had to endure the death of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, to COVID-19 complications earlier this year.

In addition to tragedy, White claimed Nurmagomedov dealt with some injury issues leading into his title defense against Gaethje. Regardless of the circumstances, the UFC boss doesn’t think “The Eagle” will be making a surprise comeback in the future.

“I do [think he’ll remain retired],” White said at Saturday’s post fight press conference.

“What this guy’s has been through, we’re all lucky that we got to see him fight tonight,” …

Heading into UFC 254, reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had his eye on Jared Cannonier as the division’s next No. 1 contender – all Cannonier had to do was do his part and defeat Robert Whittaker.

That proved to be easier said than done, however, as Whittaker was superior over the course of three rounds in a unanimous decision triumph in Saturday’s co-main event at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi. Since relinquishing the middleweight crown to Adesanya at UFC 243, “The Reaper” has posted back-to-back triumphs over Cannonier and Darren Till in a matter of three months.

That seems to have re-established Whittaker as the top contender at 185 pounds – at least in the eyes of UFC president Dana White.

“It’s [a rematch between Whittaker and Adesanya] very appealing to me. It’s a fight that makes sense right now,” White said at the UFC 254 post-fight press conference. “Adesanya has a lot of options, but the fight that makes the most sense is Whittaker. I thou…

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement announcement came one fight sooner than most of the mixed martial arts community expected.

The reigning lightweight champion laid his gloves down in the Octagon following his second-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 headliner at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Nurmagomedov exits the sport with a 29-0 career mark; many thought he would pursue one last bout to end at 30-0, but a promise the Dagestani made to his mother before UFC 254 carried more weight than that pursuit.

Nurmagomedov’s father and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, died at age 57 due to COVID-19 complications in July, which made the champion’s journey to fight week that much more difficult this time around.

“Today, I want to say, this was my last fight. No way am I going to come here without my father,” Nurmagomedov said in the Octagon. “It was first time, after what happened with my father, when UFC called me about Justi…

Khabib Nurmagomedov ended his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure with one last dominant effort.

The reigning lightweight champion received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his second-round submission of Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. “The Eagle” executed a takedown early in Round 2, transitioned from an arm triangle to a mounted triangle and rendered Gaethje unconscious at the 1:34 mark of the period. In the aftermath, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.

Magomed Ankalaev captured the card’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check on the strength of a knockout of Ion Cutelaba in a featured light heavyweight tilt. Ankalaev floored his foe with a left hand early in the contest before dropping him again with a counter left hook later in the frame. Punches and hammerfists from above brought an end to the bout at the 4:19 mark of Round 1 and allowed Ankalaev to improve…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 254 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Khabib Nurmagomedov stands alone. In his first appearance since the death of his father, the American Kickboxing Academy ace choked Justin Gaethje unconscious with a second-round triangle to retain his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title in the UFC 254 headliner on Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Gaethje (22-3, 5-3 UFC) went limp 1:34 into Round 2, as he was submitted for the first time in his 25-fight career.

Afterward, Nurmagomedov (29-0, 13-0 UFC) announced his retirement.

"This is my last fight."@TeamKhabib pays his respects following a dominant performance at #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/5HiUvJXBJC

— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020 “The Eagle” pushed his counterpart beyond his bounds with relentless pressure and maniacal forward movement. Gaeth…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 254 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC 254 “Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje” coverage begins Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 It’s time for the big show in the early hours for U.S.-based fans, and we start this much anticipated pay-per-view event on the early prelims with a 160-pound catchweight affair. Spanish submission specialist Alvarez (17-2, 2-1 UFC), who has notched a whopping 88 percent of his wins by sub, faces off against durable Russian Yakovlev (25-10-1, 3-5 UFC) after the former missed weight by nearly four pounds. Referee Jason Herzog is in charge of the cage for this card opener, and with a touch of gloves, away we go! Yakovlev sways back and forth early to try to find an angle, and he opens up with a head kick. His Spanish foe responds with a head kick t…

Get the shoeys ready

@BamBamTuivasa with the buzzer beater and he's ready to celebrate!

[ #UFC254 main card is NEXT: https://t.co/QRo69og6BH ] pic.twitter.com/JRnQE6ji7w — UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020 Knockout power was the great equalizer for Tai Tuivasa.

Faced with nine-inch height and nine-inch reach deficits, “Bam Bam” re-established his foothold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division and put away Stefan Struve with punches in the first round of their featured UFC 254 prelim on Saturday at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Tuivasa (10-3, 4-3 UFC) drew the curtain 4:59 into Round 1, as he snapped a three-fight losing streak with his first victory since June 9, 2018.

Struve (29-13, 13-11 UFC) was never much of a factor. Tuivasa chopped away at his lead leg with damaging kicks, closed the distance without fear and pressed the 6-foot-11 Dutchman into the fence. Late in the first round, he tos…

[embedded content] 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 appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship got what it wanted from Leon Edwards after all. On Friday, UFC President Dana White appeared on the Jim Rome Show to announce that Edwards (18-3) has been booked against Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) to headline the Dec. 19 UFC Fight Night card. The two welterweights – Chimaev will be returning to 170 pounds for this bout – will face one another in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex. Additional confirmation of the headlining nature of the matchup came from ESPN.

“So we just got a deal done yesterday for Leon Edwards vs. Chimaev," White exclaimed. "They will fight, it will be a great fight, and…[Chimaev] can stop calling everybody out on Twitter now. He’s got an opponent.” White continued, “If he can beat Leon Edwards, he’s gonna be massive superstar in the UFC.”

Edwards w…

LFA is excited to announce that we have signed top prospect #AlexPereira.

Pereira is the reigning #GLORY 85 kg champ and interim 95 kg champ.

He is also the last man to defeat @StyleBender and holds a 2-0 record against the #UFC #middleweight champ in #kickboxing. pic.twitter.com/aqOz7x0uLS — LFA (@LFAfighting) October 23, 2020 Editor's note: The article has been updated at 4:40 p.m. ET on Oct. 23 to add comments from Pereira and his manager.

Shortly after a fake Twitter account masqueraded and made waves as Glory kickboxing champ Alexsandro Pereira, the fighter has signed with the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

On Thursday night, the promotion announced it had signed highly touted kickboxer Pereira (2-1 MMA, 41-6 KB). The kickboxer had once signed to participate on Dana White's Contender Series in 2018, but a prospective matchup was scratched before it came together. Pereira does not yet have an opponent listed, or any date specifi…

It doesn’t matter how hard you work ... sometimes things are out of our control. His plan not mine. I hope to still be fighting before the year ends. Sorry @drewdober hope we will meet in the octagon soon #family #ufcfightnight #2020 #rgvfighters #tfbjj #fortismma #bless #mma pic.twitter.com/LkS863Rvgk

— Diego Ferreira (@DiegoUFCTX) October 23, 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. A rising star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been forced to pull out of a big upcoming matchup. Late on Thursday, MyMMANews first reported that Diego Ferreira (17-2) would no longer be competing at UFC on ESPN 17 against Drew Dober (23-9, 1 NC). The two were coming to blows on Nov. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, in a bout featured on the main card. Conflicting reports have claimed that Ferreira suffered an illness that may or may not be…

OFFICIAL: Khabib & Gaethje make championship weight for #UFC254

[ Oct 24 - Main Card at 2pmET: https://t.co/J0b14mXFgS ] pic.twitter.com/aIdwU1Z5H6

— UFC (@ufc) October 23, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 254 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. One of the more highly anticipated championship affairs in recent memory is now official for Saturday.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will end its second stint on “Fight Island” with its biggest fight yet as lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will unify titles with interim titleholder Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. The 12-fight card is now official after the weigh-ins took place, but it was not without some drama. Both Alex Oliveira and Joel Alvarez missed weight for their respective bouts.

Nurmagomedov (28-0) has been open about wanting to retire once he reaches an MMA record of 30-0, so it appears …

Leon Edwards confirms to me over text he has been removed from the UFC rankings due to inactivity. #UFC

— Cole Shelton (@ColeShelton91) October 22, 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 Ultimate Fighting Championship appears to be playing hardball with top welterweight contender Leon Edwards. On Wednesday, TSN first updated their rankings – rankings that reflect the official UFC placements – to reflect that Edwards (18-3) had been removed from the welterweight division. Formerly ranked at the #3 spot thanks to an eight-fight win streak, “Rocky” last competed in July 2019. Edwards was previously slated to meet Tyron Woodley in March, but travel restrictions due to COVID-19 scuttled the entire event. After MMA reporter Cole Shelton confirmed through Edwards that the Brit was removed, the promotion updated its own rankings according…

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 can’t catch a break when it comes to COVID-19. On Thursday, AdjaraSport reported that Cody Stamann (19-3-1) has tested positive for COVID-19, and that he was forced to pull out of his matchup with Merab Dvalishvili (12-4). The two were set to square off at the UFC event on Dec. 5, and Dvalishvili confirmed his opponent’s withdrawal on his Facebook page. Subsequent reports have claimed that Stamann himself did not contract COVID-19, conflicting with what Stamann’s former foe claimed. The promotion is currently searching for a replacement opponent, and Dvalishvili is asking for a top-ranked opponent to fill the void.

“My fight with Cody Stamann was cancelled and we are looking for a new opponent,” Dvalishvili wrote. “Cody got coronavirus and while there’s six weeks still left, he doesn’t want t…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlyOT5fXrwg&w=560&h=315] The burgeoning karate promotion Karate Combat has found a new broadcast home in the United States.

Karate Combat, which has aired its second season on the promotion’s YouTube page this season, announced via press release that it has signed a deal with ESPN Deportes. Broadcasts on the channel will start immediately and on a weekly basis, with the first on Oct. 22. The broadcast will be in Spanish, marking the company’s first jaunt into U.S. Spanish-language television. The full-contact karate organization airs hourly episodes on its YouTube channel, with a virtual world rendered using the Unreal Engine from Epic Games.

CEO of Karate Combat, Rob Bryan, wrote, “We’re proud to present our full contact entertainment in Spanish in the U.S. for the first time with ESPN Deportes. We’ve brought one of the world’s most practiced sports to pro-level for the first time, and we’re making it incredibly entertaining.”<…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI9djpIpHps&w=560&h=315] Taura MMA has a definite plan going forward to become the biggest promotion in Brazil as well as one that can rival top organizations stateside.

After being severely hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, it looks like Brazilian MMA events are restarting again. Thunder Fight, Respect MMA, Arena Global and Future Fighting Championships all put on recent shows in Brazil, with several championship affairs spread among their organizations. Taura MMA will promote its 10th edition on Friday, while Shooto Brazil will promote its 102nd edition on Sunday. Both events will take place in Rio de Janeiro in the Upper Arena, broadcasting live on the Combate channel.

While Shooto 102 will have a bantamweight title dispute between Wellington Nenem and Luan Lacerda, Taura 10 will put two belts on the line. For the flyweight title, Felipe Gheno will face Bruno Rodrigues Mesquita, while Ary Farias will face American Johnny Camp…

Rafael Cordeiro revela conversa com Tyson: ‘Começou com uma escolinha e hoje estão cogitando luta pelo título’ https://t.co/9MNJjLUV4X pic.twitter.com/vFZeVNMw3y

— Portal do Vale Tudo (@portaldovt) October 22, 2020 Kings MMA head coach Rafael Cordeiro made an interesting revelation about Mike Tyson.

In a live discussion with Chute Boxe legends including Fabricio Werdum and "Cris Cyborg" on the Portal do Vale Tudo on Tuesday, Cordeiro spoke about training Tyson to face Roy Jones Jr. on Nov. 28 in Los Angeles.

“[The] other day I was talking to him about how our partnership started. Werdum invited me to go with him in Thailand where he and Tyson would make a special participation in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie [“Kickboxer: Retaliation”]. I told Mike who would ever say that we started when I invited him to do some pads back then and today we would be talking about fighting for the title.”

Cordeiro was coy on giving out any more details, …

Last week, reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said he doesn't ever expect to face Tony Ferguson after Ferguson was beaten badly by Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 this past May.

"One day you're going to go down and his day come. It was May. Tony Ferguson is finished now,” Nurmagomedov recently told ESPN. “He's gonna come back, and someone gonna beat him again, I believe. Because when you take damage like this, you'll never going to be the same. Never. Even if you're Tony Ferguson.”

Not so fast, says Ferguson. Although the fight has already fallen through on five different occasions for various reasons, “El Cucuy” is confident his day with Nurmagomedov will come. And although his setback to Gaethje was jarring, Ferguson is not happy that many in the MMA community seem to have forgotten that he authored a 12-bout winning streak in the UFC prior to that defeat.

"I see fear in his voice if he thinks he has to talk bad about people," Ferguson told ESPN…

According to Khabib Nurmagomedov, there’s a major difference between Dagestani wrestling and American wrestling.

The debate has taken on added significance as Nurmagomedov prepares to defend his undisputed lightweight crown against interim king Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event on Saturday. Gaethje has been known as a dangerous striker throughout his MMA career, but those skills are backed by a wrestling pedigree that saw him earn NCAA All-American honors at the University of Northern Colorado.

“I didn’t watch any tape on Kahbib. I’ve watched his fights thoughout his career because I’m a huge fan of MMA. But I didn’t go back when I got him as an opponent to analyze him,” Gaethje said at UFC 254 press conference on Wednesday. “I’ve always focused on being my best self. He hasn’t fought somebody who has wrestled or grappled as long as he has. That is me, I have.

“Everyone says they’re ready [for Nurmagomedov]. I will not allow him to put me on the fence. I…

Marlon Moraes won’t have to wait long to rebound from his loss to Cory Sandhagen, as he has been scheduled to square off against Rob Font at a UFC Fight Night card on Dec. 19.

MMA journalist Mike Russell was first to report the bantamweight booking, which has since been reported by multiple outlets. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and does not currently have a headliner.

Moraes fell victim to a spinning wheel kick and follow-up punches from Sandhagen in the UFC Fight Night 179 main event. Prior to that, the former WSOF champion took a controversial split verdict against Jose Aldo at UFC 245. “Magic” is 23-7-1 as a professional, with notable wins against the likes of Aldo, Aljamain Sterling, Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera, John Dodson and Miguel Torres.

Font, meanwhile, enters the bout on a two-fight winning streak after scoring back-to-back unanimous decision triumphs over Sergio Pettis and Ricky Simon. The Team Sityodtong representative is …

Ovince St. Preux will meet Jamahal Hill in a light heavyweight scrap at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Dec. 5.

Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing following an initial report from Cageside Press. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown between Darren Till and Jack Hermansson.

After a brief foray at heavyweight, which resulted in a loss to Ben Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 171, St. Preux returned to 205 pounds at UFC Fight Night 176, where he knocked out Alonzo Menifield in the second round on Sept. 5. “OSP” is 15-10 over the course of his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

A competitor on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Hill is unbeaten in eight professional outings thus far. However, a first-round TKO of Klidson Abreu at UFC on ESPN 9 was overturned to a no contest after Hill tested positive for marijuana. He debuted in the Octagon with a unanimous verdict over Darko Stosic.

An intriguing welterweight duel has been added to the Bellator 252 card, as Ukrainian Yaroslav Amosov will square off with fellow unbeaten fighter Logan Storley on Nov. 12.

Prime Fight Management, which represents Amosov, confirmed the booking to Sherdog.com. Bellator 252 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and includes a pair of featherweight grand prix matchups: Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho and Daniel Weichel vs. Emmanuel Sanchez.

The 27-year-old Amosov is unbeaten in 24 career outings – including five under the Bellator banner. “Dynamo” has already earned notable victories in the California-based promotion against the likes of Ed Ruth, Gerald Harris, David Rickels and Erick Silva. He has finished 19 of his 24 career triumphs inside the distance.

A four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Minnesota, Storley is 11-0 thus far in his professional tenure. The Sanford MMA representative is 6-0 thus far in Bellator and is coming off a fi…

As the most important fight of her career approaches, Jennifer Maia spoke to Sherdog.com about her final weeks of preparation for her upcoming fight against flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 255 co-main event.

With victories in three of her last four Octagon appearances, the former Invicta FC title holder is optimistic about her chances against “Bullet.”

“This has been the best camp of my life. Everything is running according with our plans,” Maia said. “Valentina never makes mistakes during the fight, so I don’t see she changing her usual strategy against myself. My main focus will be to impose my rhythm and not let her get comfortable in any moment of the fight.”

Maia also praised former opponent Jessica Andrade, who made her 125-pound debut last weekend with a first-round TKO of Katlyn Chookagian in the UFC Fight Night 180 co-headliner. The Parana, Brazil, native previously defeated Andrade via unanimous decision at Samurai FC 9 “Water vs. Fi…

UFC 254 is pretty big deal, that much is well documented.

Earlier this week UFC president Dana White revealed that the card is trending to be the promotion’s top-selling pay-per-view of all time, potentially surpassing the blockbuster showdown between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor in 2018.

For Justin Gaethje, UFC 254 is significant beyond pay-per-figures and the chance to unseat Nurmagomedov as the organization’s reigning lightweight champion. It’s about long-term security for his family. Both Gaethje’s mom and dad will be in attendance when he stands across from Nurmagomedov at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. That will be a memorable moment in itself.

“My parents have never flown international,” Gaethje said at a pre-fight press conference on Wednesday. “They got to fly business class [to Abu Dhabi]. They’ve never flown business class.

“My dad retired a little over a year ago. He worked 37 years in the copper mines. My mom is going to…