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A new era in Bellator MMA will begin very soon.

Bellator President Scott Coker revealed at a press conference on Friday that the promotion will be ending its arrangement with Paramount Network following Bellator 246 on Saturday. Due to the merger of Viacom and CBS, Bellator will be relocated to the CBS Sports Network starting with a pair of European shows beginning on Oct. 1. Bellator will head to Milan, Italy, for Bellator 247 on the first of October, and then Paris on Oct. 10.

“I am thrilled that Bellator live events will be coming to CBS Sports Network beginning on Oct. 1, as well as the unique opportunities the partnership creates across all CBS Sports platforms,” Coker explained. “CBS Sports is synonymous with iconic sports broadcasting and it is incredible to now have Bellator MMA included in that family. I would like to thank Para…

We got ourselves a #Middleweight Showdown in #SouthDakota tomorrow night at #LFA91! @ChidiBangNjoku (186)vs.@MMAMasacre (186.8)

Photos: https://t.co/1TnZ7ra2e6@ogRISK@AthleticCBD@GLCDirect2000@USENDmoney@IncaKolaUSA@SanfordPentagon@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/mrMFjIIHBc

— LFA (@LFAfighting) September 11, 2020 In what seems to be a theme this weekend across MMA cards, a fighter placed high on this Legacy Fighting Alliance event has missed weight. The second phase of the LFA’s return is coming to an end on Friday as LFA 91 takes place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The eight-fight event is headlined by a middleweight bout pitting Bellator MMA veteran Chidi Njokuani against Cristhian Torres.

This serves as a return to the regional scene for Njokuani (18-7, 1 NC), who had competed inside the Bellator cage since 2015. While he faltered in his last two bouts in the promotion against Rafael Carvalho and John Salter, “Chidi Chidi Bang Bang” h…

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Both parts of this weekend’s Bellator MMA doubleheader have been marred by fighters missing weight by a wide margin.

Bellator 246 ends the weekend on Sept. 12 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The top-billed match of the event is for the vacant bantamweight throne, as Juan Archuleta (24-2) squares off with Patrick Mix (13-0). A featherweight in his last three bouts, Archuleta competed in the Bellator featherweight grand prix and lost in a title fight to Patricio Freire just under one year ago. Since then, the California native bounced back with a decision win in January over Henry Corrales at 145 pounds to earn a bantamweight title shot. He weighed in at 134.6 pounds to make the championship limit with relative ease.

Facing Archuleta will be the unbeaten Mix, who has stormed through Bellator competition by racking up two first-…

One: A New Breed 2 confirmed once more that Thailand is the queen when it comes to striking sports.

In the main event, Pongsiri PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym took on Sean Clancy in a muay Thai contest in One's bantamweight division. Pongsiri carved up his opponent with his surgical striking as soon as the fight started and punished his opponent for all three rounds. In Round 2, the Thai fighter sent his opponent crashing to the canvas with a vicious elbow, but Clancy managed to recover in time and survive to reach the end of the round and eventually go the distance. At the end of the battle, all three judges rewarded Pongsiri with a unanimous decision victory.

The co-headlining match featured a kickboxing clash between Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Fahdi Khaled in the One flyweight division. Many predicted a flawless victory for Superlek, but much to everyone's surprise, Khaled took it to his veteran opponent. “The Kicking Machine” made the most of his years of experience and topped…

Bellator will hold an event in Paris, France on Oct. 10, multiple sources say.

This will mark the first major MMA event ever in France. MMA was finally recognized as a legal sport in France earlier this year.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 11, 2020 Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Editor's note: The article has been updated at 11:50 a.m. on Sept. 11 to reflect additional information released by the organization.

Bellator MMA is blazing a new path never traveled by any major MMA promotion.

On Thursday night, ESPN announced that the organization based out of California would be putting on a card on Oct. 10. The card now has two fights scheduled: Cheick Kongo (30-10-2, 1 NC) against Tim Johnson (14-6) at heavyweight, and Michael Page (17-1) taking on Ross Houston (8-0, 1 NC) in the welterweight division. The card is scheduled to take pla…

This just in:

Next month's highly-anticipated Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson fight isn't in the works anymore, according to Poirier.

"UFC and I didn't come to terms," Poirier told ESPN. "I will not be fighting on Oct. 24."

Poirier will return home to Lafayette next week.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 10, 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 lost a fight that was never officially announced but fans strongly desired.

On Thursday, ESPN reported that the speculated lightweight affair between Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) and Tony Ferguson (25-4) will not be going down on UFC 254 like some had hoped. Although never on the books, UFC President Dana White hinted at the pairing, while admitting at the time that agreements were not yet in place. The match was considered to be hel…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuRThj1Yd20&w=560&h=315] Two red-hot European prospects are clashing in the last installment of the Brave Combat Federation “Kombat Kingdom” series.

Sherdog has learned from a person with knowledge of the situation that highly touted prospect Muhammad Mokaev (2-0) has found an opponent for Brave CF 43. At bantamweight, he will lock horns with fellow unbeaten Jamie Kelly (3-0), and they will be competing on Oct. 1 in Bahrain. The source asked for anonymity since the news isn’t official yet.

Mokaev turned pro after 23 consecutive amateur victories. “The Punisher” didn’t disappoint in his professional debut by taking home an impressive unanimous decision victory over Glenn McVeigh at Brave CF 37. A few days later, he overcame Hayden Sheriff with ease with a first-round TKO victory in the main event of Celtic Gladiator 27. Kelly will be the first man the young prospect has faced as a pro that has won a match, with his two prior opp…

My UFC career just keeps getting more interesting every fight lol

— Brok Weaver UFC (@BWeaverufc) September 10, 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 upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship card this weekend has experienced a few sudden changes to its lineup. On Wednesday night, Brok Weaver (15-5) posted on Twitter that his opponent has changed and that he will no longer be meeting Frank Camacho. BJPenn.com reported on Thursday morning that in Camacho’s stead – who is withdrawing due to a positive COVID-19 test, per MMA Fighting – will be Jalin Turner (9-5), who saw a matchup fall through on fight day last week when Thiago Moises tested positive for COVID-19. The two will be squaring off at a 165-pound catchweight at UFC Fight Night 177, which takes place on Sept. 12 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Weaver is looking to bounce b…

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Making weight was not just a formality ahead of the first card of Bellator MMA’s final Paramount Network doubleheader.

Bellator 245 goes down on Sept. 11 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Sitting atop the card is a light heavyweight rematch between Phil Davis (21-5, 1 NC) and Lyoto Machida (26-9), where the two top contenders will run back their 2013 match that saw Davis emerge with a contentious decision win in what was then a contender for Sherdog’s 2013 “Robbery of the Year.”

Since dropping a split verdict to current champ Vadim Nemkov in November 2018, Davis has been on a run that has seen him prevail by back-to-back third-round knockout wins. “Mr. Wonderful” smashed Liam McGeary’s jaw in April 2019, and then followed that performance by battering Karl Albrektsson in October. The career light heavyweight had no issue maki…

RELENTLESS!!

@KChimaev with ANOTHER absolutely dominant performance at #UFCFightIsland3! #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/Pgz10oUYFe

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) July 26, 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. Khamzat Chimaev is currently one of the hottest young talents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but the promotion’s plan of double booking the prospect seems presumptuous to say the least.

That’s how Chimaev’s first opponent, Gerald Meerschaert sees it. Chimaev and Meerschaert are slated to meet at UFC Fight Night 178 on Sept. 19. The Allstars Training Center representative is then expected to square off against jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia at an event later this year.

“It’s disrespect. He’s got to get through me,” Meerschaert recently told ESPN. “I’m tied for the record for most submissions in the middleweig…

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’s clinch work and ground-and-pound took their toll on Augusto Sakai over the course of their UFC Fight Night 176 headliner last weekend.

In a recent interview with Ag Fight, the Brazilian heavyweight revealed that he suffered multiple rib injuries during the fight as a result of Overeem’s onslaught. Those injuries ultimately made it difficult for Sakai to remain upright, and he succumbed to the Dutchman via fifth-round TKO at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“In the second round, I was hit with a knee that dislocated two of my ribs,” Sakai said. "When he took me down, he hit me with an elbow that broke two more. So I was without four ribs, so to speak. That got in the way a lot. I could not defend takedowns.”

Sakai did well on the feet through the opening 10 minutes, but momentum shifted after Overee…

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 rumblings regarding a Nick Diaz comeback don’t mean a whole lot to UFC president Dana White, who’s had a consistent stream of on-and-off discussions with the former welterweight title challenger.

“There’s been talking, but there’s been talking for years,” White said following the Contender Series on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Diaz’s manager, Kevin Mubenga, informed ESPN that the fighter recently completed a 14-week training regimen and weight cut in preparation for a 2021 return to the Octagon.

This is Nick Diaz earlier today. He weighs in the 175-165 pound range, per his manager Kevin Mubenga.He just completed a 14-week diet and training regimen. This is the first time he cuts weight in approximately four years, Mubenga said. Diaz wanted to do a test cut because ... pic.twitter.com/5A8…

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 on Tuesday invited a few violent men to join its ranks, as Aliaskhab Khizriev, Tafon Nchukwi, Phil Hawes and Drako Rodriguez were awarded contracts on Week 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Khizriev (13-0) dispatched former Heat champion Henrique Shiguemoto with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their brief middleweight pairing. Shiguemoto (13-4-1) conceded defeat 50 seconds into Round 1, the victim in the second-fastest submission in DWCS history.

After a brief exchange on the feet, Khizriev scrambled into the rear waistlock position, executed a takedown and almost immediately transitioned to the back. He set his hooks, flattened out his counterpart and cinched the choke for the sixth sub-minute stoppage of his career.

The loss was Shiguemoto’s firs…

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 DWCS 2020 Week 6 coverage kicks off Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Br…

“The Ultimate Fighter 28” winner Juan Francisco Espino Dieppa will return to action for the first time since winning the reality show when he faces Jeff Hughes at UFC 253.

Espino confirmed the heavyweight pairing on social media Tuesday. UFC 253 takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a middleweight championship tilt between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Henrique Costa.

Espino last appeared at the “TUF 28” finale, where he submitted Justin Frazier in the opening stanza. The 39-year-old Spainard is 9-1 as a professional, with his only setback coming against former Bellator champ Vitaly Minakov in April 2011.

After earning a contract on Season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Hughes is still looking for his first UFC triumph. The Strong Style Fight Team has lost decisions to Raphael Pessoa and Maurice Greene while a showdown with Todd Duffee ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke. “Lights Out” is 10-3 as a professional overall.

A women’s flyweight matchup pitting Rachael Ostovich against Gina Mazany is on tap for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Nov. 28 card.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. The card is expected to be headlined by a pivotal heavyweight clash between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. A location and venue have yet to be announced.

Ostovich will return to action following a USADA suspension for ostarine that was reduced by four months after supplement testing revealed the fighter inadvertently ingested the banned substance. The 29-year-old Hawaiian hasn’t competed since suffering a second-round submission loss to Paige VanZant at UFC Fight Night 143 in January 2019.

A competitor on Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” is 2-4 in the Octagon since her debut in 2017. Most recently, the 32-year-old Canadian suffered a 22-second technical knockout loss against Julia Avila at UFC on ESPN 10.

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture will undergo surgery following an ATV accident over the holiday weekend, according to TMZ Sports.

Couture and his girlfriend, Mindy Robinson, were riding on a private road on the ex-fighter’s ranch in Flagstaff, Arizona, when the accident occurred. While Robinson emerged relatively healthy, Couture suffered rib and shoulder injuries and was scheduled for surgery on Tuesday. The 57-year-old is expected to recover without issue.

The incident comes nearly 11 months after Couture suffered a heart attack. Couture recovered in time to return to his role as a Professional Fighters League commentator by the end of 2019.

“The Natural” retired from MMA after suffering a knockout loss against Lyoto Machida at UFC 129 in 2011. Couture is a three-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and a former UFC champion at both heavyweight and light heavyweight. In addition to his current role with PFL, Couture has worked as an actor and a coach …

Xtreme Fighting Championships joins forces with NBC Sports; XFC43 set for Nov. 11 on NBCSN. For the full article visit: https://t.co/gRuSYqhUek

#xfc #NBCSports #mma pic.twitter.com/l33uJEGIKV

— XFC MMA (@OfficialXFC) September 8, 2020 Xtreme Fighting Championships is returning with a mixed martial arts event to be broadcast on NBC Sports this November.

The promotion, which was last based in Brazil in 2015, is relaunching under ownership in the United States behind CEO Steve Smith and president Myron Molotky. XFC 43 will be televised via NBC Sports Network on Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. ET and will feature two hours of fights.

“NBC Sports is the gold standard in sports television, with an unmatched history presenting the most prestigious competitions in the world,” Molotky said. “The team at NBC Sports impressed us with their experience, their understanding of our vision, and their commitment to excellence. We are thrilled to join them as partn…

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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.

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 …

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 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…

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.

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…