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Paulo Henrique Costa is having a little bit of fun leading up to his UFC 253 showdown with Israel Adesanya.

The middleweight contender recently released a video that features a playful preview of how Costa feels the championship fight might go — complete with mock walkouts and Eric Albarricin as ring announcer. Adesanya is played by kickboxer Vanderlei Goncalves and spends much of the bout running from “Borrachinha” in and out of the cage.

UFC 253 takes place on Sept. 26 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by the championship clash between Adesanya and Costa. In the co-main event, Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz will square off for the vacant light heavyweight strap.

Leon Edwards has been the odd man out in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division thus far in 2020.

After his proposed UFC London headlining clash in March with Tyron Woodley fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwards has seen the many of the top contenders at 170 pounds booked in the ensuing months while he stays stuck on the sidelines.

"It's an annoying position to be in," Edwards told ESPN. "I'm the only guy in the top 10 who is not living in the U.S., I believe. But these guys have to fight me soon. I'll 100 percent fight this year. I'm 29 and I need to stay active. These guys in the top 5 are all [in their mid-30s]. I'm the youngest in the top 15, probably. I want to be active.”

Currently, Gilbert Burns is slated to challenge reigning champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 256 at the end of the year; Woodley will lock horns with Colby Covington later this month and there are rumblings that Jorge Masvidal will book a “BMF” rematch with Nate …

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It appears that an intriguing lightweight clash targeted for Oct. 3 will not proceed as planned.

Beneil Dariush announced via Instagram on Monday that Charles Oliveira has withdrawn from their proposed bout at UFC on ESPN 16. A reason for the Brazilian’s exit is currently unclear. UFC officials have not made a formal announcement regarding the fight.

“After my fight with Scott Holtzman, the UFC offered me a fight with Charles Oliveira on Oct 3rd,” Dariush wrote. “I accepted and so did Charles. I did not announce it because I was waiting on the UFC to announce it and I would follow. I been informed Charles is out of the fight. I am not sure on the details but I hope all is well with Charles.

“I am currently working with the UFC to figure out our next step. I will keep you all posted on the details. Finally, even…

Ricardo Lamas was contemplating the end of his career following his victory against Bill Algeo at UFC Fight Night 175, and now that decision is official.

The 38-year-old Chicago native official announced his retirement to MMA Junkie Radio on Monday. Lamas revealed that he finalized his decision as a tribute to his late brother, who died on Aug. 28, 2009 – nearly 11 years to the day of his last bout.

Lamas told MMAFighting.com that he’d been considering calling it a career as far back as 2017 following a first-round TKO of Jason Knight at UFC 214. More recently, “The Bully” suffered a broken jaw in a setback to Calvin Kattar at UFC 238, and that forced Lamas to revisit those thoughts of exiting a sport he’d competed in professionally since 2008.

Barring a change of heart down the road, Lamas was able to end his fighting career on a high note with the win over Algeo.

“[I want to be remembered] that I always left it in the cage,” Lamas told MMAFighting. “J…

It’s full speed ahead for Week 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as all 10 fighters slated to compete made weight without issue on Monday.

Dana White’s Contender Series takes place on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The evening’s featured bout is a light heavyweight contest pitting Tafon Nchukwi (204 pounds) against Al Matavao (200).

Nchukwi, 25, is 3-0 in his burgeoning MMA tenure. The Team Lloyd Irvin product scored a notable win in his last outing, as he stopped recent UFC signee William Knight in the opening round at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 80 this past November.

Matavao, meanwhile, enters the matchup on a four-bout winning streak. The American Samoa native has compiled an 8-2 career mark while fighting primarily under the Alaska Fighting Championship banner.

Dana White’s Contender Series Weigh-in ResultsTafon Nchukwi (204) vs. Al Matavao (200)Cameron Church (155.5) vs. Sherrard Blackl…

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Deiveson Figueiredo has already started the process of promoting his UFC 255 fight against Cody Garbrandt.

Over the weekend the UFC flyweight champion used social media to deliver a message to his opponent in English, both via video and by text.

“[Cody Garbrandt] you think you are going to take my belt?” Figueiredo wrote on Instagram. “I go to sleep dreaming of taking your head off!!!! I wake up thinking of knocking you out. My whole day is dedicated to putting you to sleep!!!!”

Figueiredo claimed the vacant flyweight crown with a first-round submission of Joseph Benavidez at UFC Fight Night 172 on July 18. The 32-year-old Brazilian has won four straight UFC bouts and 19 of his 20 professional appearances overall.

A former bantamweight champion, Garbrandt will make his flyweight debut against Figue…

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After falling to Pannie Kianzad for her third defeat in her last four outings at UFC on ESPN 14, Bethe Correia announced via Instagram that she had competed for the final time in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

However, Brazilian outlet Ag.Fight recently reported that Correia would instead have her farewell bout against Yanan Wu on Dec. 5. Shortly thereafter, Correia confirmed the news on social media. Correia was reportedly released from the UFC following her loss to Kianzad, but now it appears she will get a chance to exit the organizatino on her own terms.

“Only a fighter knows the time to stop and follow other paths... Only a fighter and their allies know to tell apart the lies from the truth from what the media puts out. Yes! This will be my last fight and it could not be at any event other than the one and only…

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Liana Jojua will fight Miranda Maverick in a women’s flyweight bout on Oct. 24 at UFC 254.

Prime Fight Management, which represents Jojua, first brought word of the matchup. UFC 254 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a lightweight championship clash between reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim king Justin Gaethje.

The 25-year-old Russian known as “She Wolf” had a five-bout professional winning streak snapped in her Octagon debut, as she suffered a third-round TKO loss to Sarah Moras at UFC 242. Jojua rebounded at UFC on ESPN 13, tapping on Diana Belbita with an armbar in the first round of the opening stanza on July 15. The Akhmat Fight Team representative owns an 8-3 pro mark that includes six submission triumphs — including five via armbar.

Maverick has compiled a 7-2 re…

A positive COVID-19 test has forced Austin Vanderford out of a proposed bout against Daniel Madrid at Bellator 246.

Vanderford announced the news on his Instagram account following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Pat Casey has been targeted as a replacement opponent for Madrid in the middleweight contest.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to compete for [Bellator MMA] next weekend,” Vanderford wrote. “I tested positive for COVID (a second time now). To say it’s a bummer is a serious understatement. But I’m going to rest up and recover now. I’ll be ready to go ASAP. Stay healthy and safe.”

Bellator 246 takes place on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut and is headlined by a showdown between Juan Archuleta and Patrick Mix for the vacant bantamweight championship. The main card airs on Paramount Network and Dazn following prelims on Bellator’s YouTube channel.

The 30-year-old Vanderford is 9-0 as a professional and has kicked off his…

OUT COLD.

@003_OSP walkin' off in style tonight!

[ We're live NOW on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/A7tqzYHSB9 — UFC (@ufc) September 6, 2020

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Ovince St. Preux’s second-round knockout of Alonzo Menifield in the UFC Fight Night 176 co-headliner was a thing of beauty.

The veteran light heavyweight waited patiently for his opportunity, and when Menifield recklessly rushed forward, “OSP” knocked him unconscious with a perfectly-time counter left hook.

“If you pressure me,” St. Preux said on the ESPN+ post-fight show, “I do really good going backwards and I connected really good.”

The former University of Tennessee football player set the stage for the highlight-reel finish by frustrating Menifield in the bout’s early stages, as he utilized his height and reach advantage well. Read more about Ovince St. Preux Breaks Down Highlight-Reel KO: ‘His Chin Was Staring At Me’

VICIOUS ground and pound!

William Knight with the absolute POWER to end it.

We're LIVE on #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/LF30vGwXqn — UFC (@ufc) September 2, 2020

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Two-time Dana White’s Contender Series alum William Knight will get to make a quick turnaround at UFC 253, as he will square off against Aleksa Camur on the preliminary portion of the card.

The promotion announced the matchup during the UFC Fight Night 176 broadcast on Saturday night. UFC 253 takes place on Sept. 26 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a middleweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Henrique Costa.

Knight earned a UFC deal with a first-round TKO of Cody Brundage on the Contender Series on Sept. 1. The 32-year-old is 8-1 as a professional, with all of his victories coming via knockou…

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Even at 40 years old, Alistair Overeem keeps finding ways to win.

After being outstruck for the better part of three rounds by Augusto Sakai in the UFC Fight Night 176 headliner, Overeem relied on powerful ground-and-pound to down the stretch to earn a technical knockout victory 26 seconds into Round 5 of their heavyweight bout.

“He’s durable. I kind of knew that going in,” Overeem said after the bout. “He was a little bit more durable than I thought. He’s an up-and-comer, hungry, tough and punches hard. He punches a little bit harder than I thought he would. He has dangerous legs—loose and fluid. We had to drag it out to the later rounds and then get the finish.”

It took patience and some adjustments, but the Dutch veteran was able to end Sakai’s four-fight undefeated streak in the Octagon.

“A first-round…

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Ovince St. Preux’s “Knockout of the Year” contender made him $50,000 richer on Saturday night.

St. Preux received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for a second-round finish of Alonzo Menifield in the UFC Fight Night 176 co-headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A devastating counter left hook from “OSP” brought a close to the contest at the 4:07 mark of Round 2.

Elsewhere, Michel Pereira garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for a submission of Zelim Imadaev in a featured welterweight clash. After battering his foe with a variety of strikes for the majority of the contest, Pereira secured a rear-naked choke at the 4:39 mark of the third frame.

Andre Muniz captured a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a beautifully executed submission of Bartosz Fabinski at middleweight. Muniz …

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. Alistair Overeem blocked the path of another young lion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division. The former Dream, Strikeforce and K-1 World Grand Prix champion put away Augusto Sakai with destructive ground-and-pound in the fifth round of their UFC Fight Night 176 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Overeem (47-18, 12-7 UFC) drew it to a close 26 seconds into Round 5, authoring the 42nd stoppage of his remarkable career.

Sakai jumped out to an early lead with bursts of punches, knees and elbows at close range, at times appearing to befuddle “The Demolition Man” in their stop-and-start exchanges on the feet. Overeem shifted momentum in the third round, where he took down the Brazilian and opened a vertical cut on his eyebrow with a well-placed hammerfist. Sakai drew blood with a short standin…

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 176 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 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…

Murad Abdulaev is the new ACA welterweight champion! pic.twitter.com/9NccEIdKhU

— ACAMMA (@ACA_League) September 5, 2020

Absolute Championship Akhmat has a new welterweight champion.  

The ACA 110 main event featured a clash between former 155-pound champion Ali Bagov (29-11) and Murad Abdulaev (19-4) for the vacant welterweight championship. The contenders battled fiercely for all five rounds in a fight that saw several turnarounds.

It took a while for Abdulaev to warm up, but starting with the second round and through the end of the fourth stanza, "Hunter" dominated his opponent by pinning him with his back against the canvas and mauling him with punches and elbows. "Hulk" made some adjustments in the fifth, but it was too late to change the destiny of the fight. Eventually, Abdulaev took home the victory and the 170-pound championship. He is now riding a two-bout winning streak and is already looking for the first c…

The lineup for UFC Fight Night 176 continues to shrink.

According to MMAFighting.com, Marcos Rogerio de Lima has tested positive for COVID-19, and his heavyweight matchup with Alexander Romanov has been removed from Saturday’s card. UFC broadcast partner ESPN has since released an updated fight card, and Lima vs. Romanov was absent from the lineup.

Lima trains at American Top Team in Florida. Fellow ATT fighter Thiago Moises also tested positive for the virus on Saturday, forcing the cancellation of his lightweight clash with Jalin Turner. According to MMAFighting, ATT coaches Katel Kubis and Leonardo “Macarrao” dos Santos also tested positive for COVID-19.

UFC Fight Night 176 will proceed with seven bouts. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight duel between Alistair Overeem and Augusto Sakai. The card airs in its entirety on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

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UFC Fight Night 176 is down to eight bouts after Thiago Moises tested positive for COVID-19.

Moises’ proposed lightweight scrap against Jalin Turner has been canceled as a result. Combate was first to report the news. UFC Fight Night 176 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday and is headlined by a heavyweight duel between Alistair Overeem and Augusto Sakai. The card will stream on ESPN+.

A former Resurrection Fighting Alliance titlist, Moises has gone 2-2 thus far during his promotional tenure. Most recently, the American Top Team representative submitted Michael Johnson 25 seconds into the second roud at UFC Fight Night 171 on May 13.

Turner is also 2-2 in UFC competition. “The Tarantula” is coming off a second-round TKO triumph against Joshua Culibao at UFC Fight Night 168 on Feb. 23.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wORk9Qhr-8&w=560&h=315]

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Brian Kelleher has yet another new opponent at UFC Fight Night 176.

Kevin Natividad, who was a replacement for original opponent Ricky Simon, has been pulled from the matchup with Kelleher for undisclosed reasons. As a result, Ray Rodriguez, who weighed in as a backup fighter on Friday, will get the call to square off against the featherweight known as “Boom.” MMAFighting.com was first to report the change.

Rodriguez competed on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, where he suffered a third-round TKO loss to Tony Gravely in August 2019. The 32-year-old Texan returned to the win column with a submission triumph over Andrew Perez at Combat Americas “San Antonio” this past November.

UFC Fight Night 175 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas …

The Demolition Man!

We're OFFICIAL for #UFCVegas9 - Streaming LIVE on #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/BYlUc6Fn0T

— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 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. Fans can breathe a sigh of relief as every fighter for Saturday’s Ultimate Fighting Championship card hit their proper marks, including a backup competitor.

The UFC will hold its first of four events in September this Saturday as heavyweight contenders Alistair Overeem and Augusto Sakai clash in the main event of UFC Fight Night 176. The latest card from the UFC Apex features nine bouts in total, and one fighter was also called in to make weight as a potential replacement in case the coronavirus struck.

After a big TKO win over Walt Harris earlier this year, Overeem (46-18, 1 NC) will look to prove that he still has one more run left in him. The 40…

It took Zviad Lazishvili less than four minutes to dismantle Ricky Steele.

The unbeaten Georgian captured the vacant Legacy Fighting Alliance bantamweight championship, as he submitted Steele with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their LFA 90 headliner on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Lazishvili (6-0, 2-0 LFA) closed the deal 3:42 into Round 1.

Steele (6-1, 0-1 LFA) went nowhere despite five-inch height and reach advantages. Lazisvhili corralled the SBG Idaho product along the fence, secured a takedown and immediately scrambled to the back. From there, he pestered Steele with punches, hunted for openings and cinched the choke, setting his hooks once his arms were in place. The tapout followed soon after.

Meanwhile, surging Black House export Maycon Mendonca cut down Devin Smyth with punches in the second round of their welterweight co-main event. Mendonca (10-4, 4-3 LFA) brought it to a close 4:21 into Round 2, as he extended hi…

Bangers & Mash!! UK Heavyweight @StuartAustinMMAthrowing them bombs!!

He takes on Satoshi Ishii in the main event of #EMC5 on Saturday!! pic.twitter.com/ZdzIctT7Y1

— EMC MMA(@EMC_Promotion) September 3, 2020 Former BAMMA champion and Bellator MMA veteran Stuart Austin has bad intentions for his opponent at EMC 5. On Saturday night, Austin (14-6) will lock horns with Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii (23-11-1) for the inaugural EMC heavyweight title atop EMC 5. Even though he was preparing for a different opponent, Austin didn't refuse the offer to face Ishii. He and his upcoming foe share some common ground. Not only they started their martial career with judo, but they also took part in some of the same tournaments when they were younger.

“I competed in judo tournaments until I was 19,” Austin told Sherdog.com. “I took part in some of the same ones like him, but we never got to compete against each other before he went on to beco…

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Demian Maia anyone? That's the plan for Fight Island per Dana White, after he competes in the APEX pic.twitter.com/WbSTRB4RMV

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) September 4, 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. Ultimate Fighting Championship wunderkind Khamzat Chimaev has not one but two fights potentially lined up. On Friday, UFC President Dana White spoke at a press conference about upcoming matches for Sweden’s Chimaev. The rising star is expected to appear at UFC Fight Night 178 on Sept. 19 at the UFC Apex, now that the fighter has cleared his visa issues. An opponent has not yet been named, and the bout is still in the works.

“Yes,” White responded simply to a question about a September booking for Chimaev. “He’ll fight here [at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas] and he’ll fight in ‘Fight Island.’ Yeah, this guy wan…

Now y’all really tryna make me act nasty! Let’s get this bag. #MainEventAnge https://t.co/CcatIzNcOu

— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) September 4, 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. An upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship card has an unexpected new main event. On Wednesday night, Glover Teixeira was forced to withdraw from his headliner against Thiago Santos. The two light heavyweights topped UFC Fight Night 177 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sept. 12, and the promotion briefly searched for a new main event. In its stead will be former co-main matchup Michelle Waterson (17-8) vs. Angela Hill (12-8) at strawweight, per ESPN.

Unlike other recent short-notice replacement main events like Anthony Smith-Aleksandar Rakic and Edmen Shahbazyan-Derek Brunson, this bout will be a five-round affair. Both women former Invicta Fighting…