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Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

When examining the landscape of the heavyweight division, one clear contender stands out above the rest following Stipe Miocic’s victory over Daniel Cormier in the UFC 252 headliner.

That, of course, is knockout artist Francis Ngannou, whose current four-bout winning streak includes first-round finishes of Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. “The Predator” challenged for heavyweight gold in January 2018, when he dropped a five-round verdict to Miocic at UFC 220.

While Ngannou seems to make the most sense as the next challenger for Miocic, the possibility of a Jon Jones jump to heavyweight still looms large over the rest of the division. Jones was active on Twitter throughout the UFC 252 main event and at its conclusion seemed to imply that a move was imminent.

Even if Jon…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Stipe Miocic is as consistent and successful a heavyweight champion as the UFC has ever seen.

By wrapping up his trilogy with a unanimous decision triumph over Daniel Cormier in the UFC 252 main event on Saturday night, the Strong Style Fight Team representative tied Randy Couture for the most victories in heavyweight title fights in the history of the Las Vegas-based promotion. Not to mention, Miocic already held the record for most successful title defenses in the sport’s most volatile division.

By taking two out of three from one of the sport’s most respected fighters, Miocic can lay claim to his place among the sport’s greatest heavyweights. While Miocic thinks his legacy is secure, he isn’t 100 percent sure that he’ll be viewed as the GOAT just yet.

“We’ll see on Monday,” Miocic said at the UFC 252 post-figh…

First fight of the night! This card delivered from the start.

[ B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/aXhQc53wY3

— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. It was a memorable — and profitable — Ultimate Fighting Championship debut for both Kai Kamaka III and Tony Kelley.

The featherweight competitors earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their entertaining scrap in the opening bout at UFC 252 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Both Kamaka III and Kelley landed 114 significant strikes apiece, but Kamaka III also added five takedowns to capture a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph.

Elsewhere, Daniel Pineda received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award in his promotional return, as he scored a technical knockout of Herbert Burns in a featured featherweight encounter. Pi…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The eternal bragging rights belong to Stipe Miocic. The Strong Style Fight Team representative retained the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Daniel Cormier in the UFC 252 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges sided with Miocic (20-3, 14-3 UFC): 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. He completes his historic trilogy against Cormier with a 2-1 edge in their head-to-head series.

Miocic controlled long stretches of the fight in the clinch along the fence, where he stalled and frustrated the American Kickboxing Academy captain. He nearly finished Cormier at the end of the second round, as he chased down the Lafayette, Louisiana, native with sweeping right hands, dropped him at the base of the cage and moved to a crouched full mount, at which point he unleashed…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC 252 “Miocic vs. Cormier 3” coverage begins Saturday at 7 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:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp…

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. Holidays will have to make way for the Ultimate Fighting Championship on its current run. The Las Vegas-based promotion will not take a week off for a long time, with an upcoming show announced by MMA Junkie on Thursday taking place on Oct. 31. This Fight Night card, which does not yet have a location, will be the first in UFC history to take place on Halloween night. Two fights have been added to the event already, with the first taking place at the light heavyweight division as Dustin Jacoby (12-5) takes on Justin Ledet (9-3, 1 NC). Jacoby has since confirmed the matchup on his Instagram.

The former Glory kickboxer Jacoby will making his return to the UFC after an eight-year absence. Appearing in August on the first 2020 episode of Dana White's Contender Series, Jacoby headlined and captured a one-sided decision victory ove…

The Baddest Man on the comes in at 233!

@StipeMiocic #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/vzcGFe23GQ

— UFC (@ufc) August 14, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The fight to potentially determine the greatest Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight of all time is now official.

The highlight of the UFC's second residency at UFC Apex is UFC 252. The pay-per-view event is headlined by the third meeting between current heavyweight king Stipe Miocic and top rival Daniel Cormier.

It was Miocic (19-3) who came out on top in their last meeting at UFC 241, regaining the heavyweight championship he had lost to Cormier in 2018. The fight was a back-and-forth affair that saw Cormier ahead early until Miocic was able to win by TKO in the fourth round. Prior to dropping the title, Miocic was on a historic run that saw him defend the belt he…

I know something you don’t know... pic.twitter.com/nBlDurJfiu

— Lauren Murphy (@LaurenMurphyMMA) August 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. A high-stakes women’s flyweight bout is coming together for the October pay-per-view of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The news first broke from MMA Fighting on Thursday that Cynthia Calvillo (9-1-1) will be squaring off with Lauren Murphy (13-4) at UFC 254 on Oct. 24. The two will be facing one another at flyweight, and the victor could find herself earning a title shot with a win. Although the two fighters have agreed to meet, the contracts have not yet been signed, but Murphy posted on her social media accounts hinting that fight news was looming.

Calvillo made her successful move up to the division in June, taking on Jessica Eye on short notice and winning a decision over the for…

Per sources, Brave CF is going to announce its fourth straight event in Sweden soon. #BraveCF40 will go down on August 24. In the main event, Mochamed Machaev (9-0) will lock horns with Shoaib Yousaf (7-1) in the featherweight division. Story coming to @sherdogdotcom soon.

— Tudor Leonte (@Tudor_leo) August 13, 2020 It seems that Brave Combat Federation loves Sweden, and Sweden loves Brave CF.

According to sources close to the situation, the Bahraini promotion is going to hold its fourth straight event in the Scandinavian country on Aug. 24. Brave CF 40 will be topped a featherweight clash as up-and-coming Austrian fighter Mochamed Machaev takes on Shoaib Yousaf.

In his latest cage appearance, "The Beast" Machaev (9-0) made a statement by dominating RXF veteran Ciprian Maris before the doctor halted the bout at the end of Round 2. Machaev impressed in his promotional debut by taking a unanimous decision over Matjaz Vicar at Brave CF 34 in…

The rivalry that marked the Vale Tudo history in Brazil many years before the sport was called MMA was put aside on Wednesday when more than 500 hundred practitioners of all martial art styles were united to participate to the opening ceremony of the walk of fame in Rio de Janeiro.

A total of 80 characters received a tribute, getting their names immortalized in 13 squares and 67 plates in a walk of fame of martial arts.

“Thanks to our struggle in the past the sport reached the level it is today,” said Eugenio Tadeu to Renzo Gracie after hugging his rival for a selfie.

During more than 3-hour ceremony, 25 honorees spoke on stage about the new monument. Clearly moved to see his plate next to his master, Marco Ruas, former UFC heavyweight Pedro Rizzo summarized the importance of the new spot for Rio.

“All Brazilians know the importance of Marco Ruas as the first man who showed real MMA to the world. If Dana White does not agree to put him in the Hall of Fame…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Two staples of the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster have been released by the promotion.

According to multiple reports, former women’s bantamweight title challenger and longtime lightweight veteran Evan Dunham have been cut. MMAFighting.com was first to report the news.

Correia famously fought Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight crown at UFC 190, losing via knockout in 34 seconds. The 37-year-old Brazilian won her first three fights in the Octagon but went just 2-5-1 in eight bouts after that. Correia last appeared at UFC on ESPN 14, where she dropped a unanimous verdict to Pannie Kianzad on July 25.

Dunham, meanwhile, has been fighting under the UFC banner since 2009, compiling an 11-9-1 record over the course of his promotional tenure. The 38-year-old Xtreme Couture product had fallen on hard times …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

After a nine-bout stint with the UFC, Paige VanZant is taking her talents to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

ESPN was first to report VanZant’s new deal. The four-fight, exclusive contract is reportedly worth $1 million, with more incentives attached. She recently revealed that she earned more competing on “Dancing with the Stars” and promoting brands on Instagram than she did fighting for the UFC.

VanZant believes competing in bare knuckle boxing will establish her as a serious combat sports athlete and is targeting a November debut.

"It was an amazing contract, an amazing opportunity," VanZant told ESPN. "I also feel like it's not a move backwards for me. It's a lateral move to a new opportunity, a new challenge, a brand new sport. I really have sparked a brand new passion for it and especially for striki…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Ion Cutelaba has tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, his UFC 252 rematch with Magomed Ankalaev has been pulled from Saturday’s card.

Russian outlet Tass was first to report the news, and it was later confirmed by multiple outlets. UFC 252 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight championship trilogy bout between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. It’s currently unclear if the UFC will seek a replacement opponent for Ankalaev.

Cutelaba and Ankalaev initially squared off at UFC Norfolk on Feb. 29, with Ankalaev winning via first-round technical knockout. Cutelaba disputed the stoppage, claiming that he was feigning wobbling as part of his strategy to deceive his opponent. However, Cutelaba’s appeal with the Virgina Athletic Commission was denied. The two light heavyweights were…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 252 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship roster grew by five on Week 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, as a record-tying number of competitors—Dustin Stoltzfus, Adrian Yanez, Cory McKenna, T.J. Laramie and Impa Kasanganay—were all awarded contracts by the promotion on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Stoltzfus dislocated former Ring of Combat champion Joseph Pyfer’s elbow with a slam in the first round of their middleweight showcase. The injury resulted in an immediate stoppage 4:21 into Round 1, as Stoltzfus (13-1) extended his run of consecutive victories to 10.

The two 185-pound hopefuls traded leg kicks before Pyfer (7-2) secured a takedown and set up in top position. Stoltzfus answered some mild ground-and-pound with an active bottom game and forced a scramble. Pyfer positioned himself for a guillotine, only to be hoisted …

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 2 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:Bri…

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A pivotal flyweight tilt pitting Brandon Moreno against Alex Perez has been added to the UFC 255 lineup.

Milenio was first to report the booking. UFC 255 will be headlined by a flyweight title tilt between Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Garbrandt. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko will defend her women’s 125-pound championship against Jennifer Maia.

Moreno is unbeaten in his last four professional outings and is coming off back-to-back decision wins over Kai Kara-France and Jussier Formiga to establish himself as a serious person of interest at 125 pounds. The 26-year-old Mexican is 17-5-1 over the course of his professional career.

A competitor on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Perez has been victorious in five of six Octagon appearances, with his only defeat coming at the hands of Joseph Ben…

Credit: Elena Katretskaya/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com

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It appears that Zabit Magomedsharipov will not receive a replacement opponent at UFC Fight Night on Aug. 29.

Last week, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Yair Rodriguez had withdrawn from a proposed featherweight clash with Magomedsharipov due to injury. At the time, the promotion was in the process of seeking a new foe for the 29-year-old Dagestani.

However, Magomedsharipov announced in a recent Instagram post that he has ended his camp and will return to Russia. The 29-year-old Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu representative said that he “asked for either a belt fight or a fight with some interesting opponent with a name” and indicated that there were no offers that met those requirements.

Magomedsharipov vs. Rod…

A health scare has forced Geoff Neal out of a proposed welterweight clash against Neil Magny at a UFC event on Aug. 29.

As a result, Robbie Lawler will step in and replace Neal in the bout. MMA DNA was first to report the new matchup, which has since been confirmed by multiple outlets. Neal, meanwhile, shared the news of his hospitalization in an Instagram post.

“These past few weeks have been crazy, and that's putting it lightly,” Neal wrote. “It's really hard to try to find an eloquent way to say ‘I almost died.’ So screw it.. I almost died … This really put a lot of things into perspective for me.

“Never did I ever think I would be hooked up to a dialysis machine before my 30s. Everything was going well for me. Was training everyday, making money at work, just signed a contract for a huge fight, then BOOM, life hit me with a check hook. I'm just glad to be home after having to spend one week in the ICU. Stay healthy out there y'all and listen to your body at a…

The exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., scheduled for Sept. 12 in Carson, California, has been postponed, sources tell The Athletic. The new tentative date for the event is Nov. 28

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) August 9, 2020

The exhibition match between legendary boxing champions Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. is going to take place a couple months later than originally anticipated.

According to a report from The Athletic, the fight, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 12, has been postponed to Nov. 28. ESPN reports that event organizers “needed more time to secure international television deals and tie up loose ends in regards to the pay-per-view.”

The bout will headline a pay-per-view event at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California and will be contested over eight rounds. Tyson and Jones Jr. will be allowed to wear 12-ounce gloves, and California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster ha…

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It had been a little more than three years since Chris Weidman last tasted victory in the Octagon, so the former middleweight champion will take a victory any way he can.

Still, Weidman was not entirely pleased with his unanimous decision triumph over Omari Akhmedov in the UFC Fight Night 174 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“I guess sometimes it’s not the way you expect it to be, but you’ve got to keep grinding through. I guess that’s what I did,” Weidman said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “But I’m not too happy with that performance. I’m happy to get a ‘W,’ but it wasn’t what I expected. I’m a little bit bummed out, but at the same time it could’ve been way worse.”

Weidman entered Saturday’s matchup with just one victory in his previous six Octagon appearances. He struggled at times against Akhmedov,…

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Darren Stewart, Kevin Holland, Andrew Sanchez and Gavin Tucker all took home $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work at UFC Fight Night 174.

Stewart made short work of Maki Pitolo in a middleweight clash, tapping his foe with a guillotine choke 3:41 into the opening stanza of their featured bout. It was the first submission victory of Stewart’s career.

Holland, meanwhile, snagged a performance award thanks to some precision striking, as he knocked out Joaquin Buckley in a preliminary middleweight affair. A long right hand from Holland floored Buckley and brought a halt to the contest 32 seconds into Round 3.

Elsewhere, Sanchez got some extra cash for authoring the first finish of his UFC tenure in a preliminary 185-pound showdown against Wellington Turman. “The Ultimate Fighter 23” winner dropp…

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Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 174 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:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scor…

.@MikeChandlerMMA’s finish at #Bellator243 pic.twitter.com/utmJzh738m

— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) August 8, 2020

Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year.

* * * Michael Chandler removed all doubt and needed less than half a round to do so.

The three-time Bellator MMA lightweight champion took out Benson Henderson with punches and moved to 2-0 in his head-to-head series with “Smooth” in the Bellator 243 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. A free agent to be, Chandler (21-5, 18-5 Bellator) drew the curtain 2:09 into Round 1.

Henderson (28-9, 5-4 Bellator), who lost a split decision to the Sanford MMA star at Bellator 165 in 2016, rolled out of the gate with newfound aggression. He got Chandler’s attention with a pair of thudding body kicks, punched well in combination and scooted out of danger. Still, it all unraveled. …