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The UFC welterweight was accused of raping two women in Forth Worth, Texas, on March 23, 2018 after taking them home from a club where he worked as a bouncer. Alhassan claimed that he had consensual sex with only one of the women, and he was finally found not guilty of all charges in court this past March.

Regardless of what happened in court, life will never be the same for Alhassan. The public nature of the testimony has a way of sticking in people’s heads even after the accused’s name is cleared.

“It’s forever changed, because your name can never be the same,” Alhassan said while speaking to media on Monday. “But for me, life is back to normal. The reason I say that is the past two years life was not normal. The only thing I pretty much did cry, slee…

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Nobody was more disappointed in the final verdict of the UFC 251 co-main event than Max Holloway.

The Hawaiian had an improved strategy in his rematch with reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and it showed, as “Blessed” rocked his opponent in both the first and second round while displaying a versatile offensive arsenal. The title bout was closely contested the rest of the way, but Volkanovski attacked with a sense of urgency down the stretch to earn a contentious split-decision triumph.

Many in the MMA media scored the contest for Holloway, and it appears that quite a few fans felt the same way, too. However, Holloway issued a statement on social media urging those disgruntled fans to find the proper perspective.

“Just landed in Vegas for another quarantine and was told some guys in the media a…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

While the headliner itself was something of a disappointment in terms of action, UFC 251 was nonetheless a massive pay-per-view success.

According to a report from The Athletic, Saturday’s event did 1.3 million buys on ESPN+ for a card topped by a welterweight championship clash between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal. That even surpasses Conor McGregor’s return at UFC 246 in January, which drew approximately 1 million pay-per-view buys to the streaming platform.

UFC pay-per-view events have generated 1.3 million buys or more on only five occasions. McGregor’s submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov set the record with 2.4 million buys at UFC 229 in October 2018. Other blockbuster events include UFC 202 (1.6 million buys), UFC 196 (1.317 million) and UFC 205 (1.3 million). Outside of Saturday’s UFC 251 card, all of th…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The circumstances aren’t always ideal when a golden opportunity arises.

Such was the case for Jorge Masvidal, who was accepted a welterweight title fight against Kamaru Usman on six days’ notice after originally-scheduled foe Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19. Masvidal tested negative for coronavirus, flew to Abu Dhabi, made weight and threatened the champion for about a round in the UFC 251 headliner on Saturday night.

After that, “Gamebred” ran out of gas and Usman imposed his will through takedowns and clinch work to earn a dominant unanimous decision triumph. Still, Masvidal took away some positives from his performance and came away motivated to eventually secure a rematch with “The Nigerian Nightmare.”

“I hate coming up short. I ain’t going to make no excuses,” Masvidal said at the UFC 251 post-fig…

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Alexander Volkanovski’s second triumph over Max Holloway wasn’t nearly as clear as the first, but the Australian champion put together a strong finish to earn a contentious split-decision triumph in the UFC 251 co-main event on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi.

Of the 27 media scorecards tracked by MMADecisions.com, 18 thought that Holloway won the fight, while nine scored it for Volkanovski. Meanwhile, UFC president Dana White didn’t agree with the judging for the bout.

“Listen, man, you can’t leave it to these guys,” White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “We’ve got some bad judging. Has Max been in here yet? I’m sure he’s devastated.”

Holloway did his best work early, buckling the champion with a high kick late in Round 1 and again with an uppercut in the later portions of the second frame. Volkanovs…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. A pair of bantamweight bouts have been confirmed for the UFC 252 main card, as Sean O’Malley will face Marlon Vera, while Frankie Edgar will meet Pedro Munhoz on Aug. 15. The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the pairings during the UFC 251 broadcast on Saturday night. UFC 252 is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a heavyweight championship trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.

O’Malley, who was originally supposed to face Vera at UFC 239 before a failed drug test, has been victorious in his first 12 professional outings. Most recently, “Sugar” Sean scored a first-round knockout of Eddie Wineland at UFC 250 on June 6.

Vera, meanwhile, had a five-bout UFC winning streak snapped in a unanimous decision loss to Yadong Song at UFC on ESPN 8 on May 16. “Chito” is 9-5 during h…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Although the rematch between Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade had an entirely different ending than their first meeting, the bout was still nonetheless memorable. Namajunas and Andrade took home “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their strawweight clash at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. Andrade claimed 115-pound gold with a slam KO the first time around, but Namajunas got her revenge on “Fight Island,” winning a unanimous decision in a competitive three-round affair.

Elsewhere, former Rizin Fighting Federation champion Jiri Prochazka received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for an impressive Octagon debut, as he knocked out Volkan Oezedmir in the second round of their light heavyweight tilt. The Czech fighter rocked his foe with a head kick early in the frame before dropping Oezdemir with a two…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC 251 “Usman vs. Masvidal” coverage begins 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:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield sco…

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Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and welterweight star Jorge Masvidal were officially revealed as the cover athletes for EA Sports UFC 4 video game.

“I am the face of the new wave of UFC fighters, so it feels right to represent the sport on this new generation UFC game,” said Adesanya. “I look forward to my fans playing as me as much as I have enjoyed playing as myself.”

According to a release, the latest edition of the popular franchise will feature “an all-new unified progression system, overhauled takedown and ground mechanics, more fluid clinch-to-strike combinations and the chance to experience the origins of combat sports in all-new environments.” Additionally, boxing superstars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will be available as playable ch…

via @marbarone - Deiveson Figueiredo testa positivo para Covid-19 e disputa de título do UFC está ameaçada | combate | Globoesporte https://t.co/sZ1BwHJR4W

— Adriano Albuquerque (@Adrianoreporter) July 10, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The coronavirus has reportedly affected another Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight. Late Friday night, Combate reported that Deiveson Figueiredo has tested positive for the coronavirus. As a result, he will not be flying to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to prepare for his headliner on Yas Island. With his flyweight championship affair against Joseph Benavidez taking place at UFC Fight Night 172 on July 18, Figueiredo is taking another test and awaiting results to determine if the first was a false positive.

The Brazilian claimed that he initially tested positive for the virus in M…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship kicks off its "Fight Island" series of events with a pay-per-view offering featuring three title fights, which are all now official.

Headlining the card is the welterweight title grudge match between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal. Two other titles are on the line as Alexander Volkanovski will look to defend his featherweight belt against Max Holloway, and Petr Yan faces Jose Aldo in a fight that will crown a new bantamweight champion after Henry Cejudo retired.

While Usman started his mixed martial arts career a pedestrian 1-1, “The Nigerian Nightmare” has won 15 straight fights since then. He upset Tyron Woodley last year to win the belt and followed it up with a “Fight of the Year” contender against Colby Covington. He’ll now look to make another successful title defense agains…

The UFC has released a statement on the situation involving fighter Mike Perry. More coming to ESPN. pic.twitter.com/4aPffa7cfl

— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) July 10, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. A polarizing figure on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster is now seeking professional help, according to the promotion. On Thursday evening, the UFC put out a statement to ESPN, where the Las Vegas-based company expressed its concern for welterweight Mike Perry. The UFC also wrote that Perry has sought professional treatment, including counseling for substance abuse and his behavior. He will not be given another fight until he goes through these processes.

On Wednesday night, a video surfaced of Perry appearing to get in a fight with patrons at a restaurant in Lubbock, Texas. In addition to Perry punching an older man, t…

In just a few days, Tomasz Drwal will make its long-awaited return at KSW 53.

The bout will go down in Warsaw, Poland, on July 11, and it will feature the former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight’s return to competition more than five years after losing to Michal Materla in a championship fight at KSW 31. “The Gorilla” (21-5-1) confessed that right now, he feels like Rocky Balboa when Balboa went to Russia to prepare for Ivan Drago in “Rocky 4.”

“It’s like going back to ten years ago when I could just focus on training,” he said to Sherdog. “I went back to my old gym, back to my old trainers. It all started from here. I can feel the smell and the history of this place. The training camp was completely different this time. After I tore my ligaments, I had several surgeries to clean the mess with my knees. Right now, I’m feeling excellent. The preparation for this fight was crazy, but even with the national lockdown, I managed to get at one hundred percent.”

Th…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos feels a bit underwhelmed by his next opponent. Shortly before moving to Florida, Santos spoke with PVT reporter Leonardo Fabri in his academy located in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) slum last Wednesday, where “Marreta” confirmed his fight with Glover Teixeira. The two light heavyweights will headline the Sept. 12 UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex.

“Actually, Glover was not the name we wanted,” Santos admitted. “My desire was a revenge against [UFC light heavyweight champion Jon] Jones or [to] go straight for the interim belt against Dominick Reyes. But once UFC was passing through that indefinite situation about Jones, I had to understand their point. I’m more than one year out of the Octagon and pretty hungry to return. After th…

Mike Perry in a bar fight last night over someone “touching him”.

This is pretty disgusting behaviour from a UFC calibre fighter. Acting like a complete child. pic.twitter.com/ZAuxZTtXtW

— MMA Eejit (@MMAEejit) July 8, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. In a video posted on social media, UFC welterweight Mike Perry is seen punching an older man during an altercation outside of what appears to be a restaurant.

The video, which is a little less than two minutes long, shows an animated Perry walking out of an establishment with girlfriend Latory Gonzalez. As Perry walks toward exit of the building, he continues to yell as one woman appears to be trying to persuade him to leave.

“Did you touch me? Oh you didn’t touch me,” Perry yells in the direction of a person with whom he may have had some type of disagreement. “He touche…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WefTWUTZO2k&w=560&h=315]

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The pre-fight trash talk between Petr Yan and Jose Aldo has been limited heading into the bantamweight title clash at UFC 251 — and for good reason.

A mutual respect was forged between the two men when Yan traveled to Brazil to train with the former featherweight champion more than four years ago.

"He came to Nova União when I was going to fight against Frankie Edgar. Very young, very raw in the ground. But he was welcomed as any other foreigner who came to help our camps,” Aldo recently told Sherdog.com. “So I don't see any reason for him to say bad things about me. I also went to Russia and he welcomed me there too. But that´s our job.”

Much has changed since then. Aldo has dropped a weight class in hopes of making another title run, and Yan has …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWOtsOc6nzQ&w=560&h=315]

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

While Jorge Masvidal got the thumbs up to travel to Abu Dhabi for UFC 251 at the beginning of the week, the same can’t be said for one of his most trusted coaches.

Longtime American Top Team coach Mike Brown tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to make the trip to Yas Island to be in Masvidal’s corner for his welterweight title fight against Kamaru Usman on Saturday. Masvidal accepted the fight on six days’ notice and passed his COVID-19 test in Las Vegas before taking a private jet to Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Although Brown appears to be in good condition, it was nonetheless a blow for Masvidal heading into his first UFC title bout.

“It sucked emotionally just because I want him there,” Masvidal said on SportsCenter. “When I get that belt, I ne…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMP0PVnnppo&w=560&h=315]

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Henry Cejudo recently claimed that a featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski could bring him out of retirement. It doesn’t sound as though Cejudo will get his wish anytime soon.

Volkanovski isn’t especially interested in the possibility unless the UFC provides the proper offer for a matchup with the former two-division champion. Cejudo retired from MMA following a victory over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, and the promotion stripped him of his 135-pound belt shortly thereafter.

“My eyes are on my division. i want to defend my belt against No. 1 contenders. We’ve got a stacked division….You got all these guys fighting and whoever has an impressive performance is gonna be the No. 1 contender,” Volkanovski said during a virtual media session to p…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

A light heavyweight clash between Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira has nearly been finalized as the main event for an Ultimate Fighting Championship card on Sept. 12.

ESPN was first to report the booking. A venue and location for the event have yet to be announced, though it is likely to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card is also expected to include a women’s flyweight tilt pitting Andrea Lee against Roxanne Modafferi.

Santos will return for the first time since undergoing surgery on both knees following a split-decision loss to Jon Jones in a 205-pound championship fight at UFC 239. Prior to that setback, the 36-year-old Brazilian had scored KO/TKO finishes of Jan Blachowicz, Jimi Manuwa and Eyrk Anders to earn a light heavyweight title shot.

The 40-year-old Teixeira enters the matchup on a four…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 251 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

American Top Team coach Mike Brown won’t be in Jorge Masvidal’s corner at UFC 251 on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19.

Along with Brown, ATT coach Gabriel de Oliveira also tested positive. As a result, neither cornerman was able to fly on the UFC’s charter plane from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi on Monday. Combate was first to report the news.

It is currently unclear who will corner Masvidal, who accepted a welterweight championship fight against Kamaru Usman on less than a week’s notice. Masvidal stepped in for Gilbert Burns, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Masvidal passed his pre-fight screening in Las Vegas and flew to Abu Dhabi via private jet on Monday.

Brown is a longtime coach at ATT, a former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion and a UFC veteran.

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UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich was arrested for driving under the influence in Illinois on June 29, according to a report from the Quad City Times.

Miletich, 52, was pulled over by Moline Police at 12:30 a.m. local time and booked into Rock Island County Jail on DUI charges at 2 a.m. Arrest reports did not indicate whether Miletich was above or below the legal intoxication limit of .08.

The first-ever UFC welterweight champion previously pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated in Scott County District Court on March 20, 2019 after being arrested on Sept. 8, 2018. He was sentenced to a one-year unsupervised probation that was dropped after he completed in-home detention and a 12-hour course for drunk drivers.

Miletich is scheduled to face former professional boxer Michael Nunn in a kickboxing match on July …

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Pedro Munhoz has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been removed from a proposed bantamweight clash against Frankie Edgar at UFC “Fight Island” on July 15.

Multiple outlets confirmed the news on Monday following an initial report from MMA Fusion. According to ESPN, the promotion is searching for a replacement opponent for Edgar’s 135-pound debut, but it is unclear if “The Answer" will be willing to remain on the card. Munhoz reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 prior to his flight from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi.

“Sorry to hear you had a positive test,” Edgar wrote to Munhoz on Twitter. “Wish you a speedy recovery. Let [me] know as soon you’re ready to scrap, I’ll be waiting.”

Sorry to hear you had a positive test @PedroMunhozmma wish you a speedy recovery let know as soon as you’re ready t…

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Claudia Gadelha is expected to lock horns with Xiaonan Yan at a UFC event in Las Vegas on Sept. 26.

Combate was first to report the strawweight booking. The card will likely take place at the UFC Apex. A headliner for the event has not been revealed.

Gadelha has won three of her last four Octagon appearances, including a contentious split-decision triumph against Angela Hill in her most recent outing at UFC on ESPN 8. The former strawweight title challenger owns notable wins over the likes of Carla Esparza, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Randa Markos and Ayaka Hamasaki.

Yan, meanwhile, is unbeaten in her last 11 professional bouts, a stretch includes victories in her first five UFC appearances. Most recently, the China Top Team representative outpointed Kowalkiewicz at UFC Fight Night 168 on Feb. 23.

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Another major step has been taken toward finalizing the new UFC 251 headliner.

Jorge Masvidal, who is stepping in for Gilbert Burns to face Kamaru Usman on less than a week’s notice, has passed his COVID-19 test in Las Vegas. According to a report from ESPN, Masvidal will take a private plane booked by his management to Yas Island on Monday. Usman, meanwhile, will fly on a jet charted by the UFC to the venue.

The Las Vegas-based promotion officially announced Usman vs. Masvidal late Sunday night.

OFFICIAL.

The BMF steps in on six days notice for #UFC251 @VisitAbuDhabi #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/eNq5CZMTTM

— UFC (@ufc) July 6, 2020

Both Usman and Masvidal will be tested for COVID-19 again upon their arrival in A…