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— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) October 8, 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’s upcoming six-fight main card pay-per-view has taken a hit. Rafael dos Anjos posted on Twitter on Thursday night that he has contracted COVID-19 and can no longer compete at UFC 254. Dos Anjos was set to face Islam Makhachev on the main card, which is set to go down on Oct. 24 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is unclear if the promotion will seek a replacement or if Makhachev will be removed from the event altogether.

Dos Anjos made a change in camps from his own RDA Academy and splitting time with Evolve MMA to go down to Nova Uniao and train with Andre Pederneiras and Jose Aldo. The former lightweight king has lost four of five bouts, with a fourth-round submission…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOxjpQ45664&w=560&h=315] Ultimate Fighting Championship and Professional Fighters League veteran Rashid Magomedov is returning to compete in his home country of Russia.

Magomedov (23-5-1) was originally billed to face Eduard Vartanyan in his first outing with Absolute Championship Akhmat, but Magomedov was forced withdraw from that bout due to health reasons. ACA officials told Sherdog on Thursday that Magomedov will now be taking on fellow ACA newcomer Artem Damkovsky (23-11). The two will square off at lightweight at ACA 113, which will be held on Nov. 6 in Moscow.

Magomedov had competed six times under the UFC banner, losing only once to current top contender Beneil Dariush. Leaving the promotion of his own accord in 2018 to compete for the PFL with visions of winning the million-dollar prize, things did not go as smoothly for him. The 2018 season saw “Gorets” reach the 2018 championships on the strength of two wins and a dra…

Emotional moment of Daniel jubileu MMA pic.twitter.com/JM5Hqbmr8a

— ACAMMA (@ACA_League) October 6, 2020 The ACA 112 event in Grozny, Russia, consisted of only 10 fights, but according to the president of Absolute Championship Akhmat, the shortening of the card actually improved its quality.

The main event and most striking of the evening was the fight between the champion “Jubileu” Deivi Daniel Oliveira de Almeida and Abdul-Rakhman Dudaev. ACA President Alexey Yatsenko admitted to Sherdog that he changed his mind several times during the fight about who would win it.

“I knew from the very beginning that it would be an interesting bout,” explained Yatsenko. “Of course, the audience was disappointed with the defeat of the local star, one of the best Russian fighters. But we knew how Jubileu broke into our league. In February 2019, he came on as a substitute, not in his weight, agreeing to fight five days before the event. And he simply too…

THE TRILOGY STRIKES BACK.

Cage Warriors 117, 118 and 119 will take place on the 10th, 11th and 12th of December.

Multiple world title fights PLUS some big new signings to announce!

York Hall, London. pic.twitter.com/50cZ2M16us

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) October 8, 2020 Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is running a trio of consecutive events again soon.

With Cage Warriors’ success promoting “The Trilogy,” the three back-to-back nights of fight action staged in September, the promotion is using the same strategy again. On Thursday, the British organization announced three more consecutive cards. "The Trilogy Strikes Back” events will consist of CW 117, CW 118 and CW 119. All three will go down at the York Hall in London, England, on December 10, 11 and 12, respectively.

“Reaction to the first Trilogy series was off the charts, so we knew we had to do it again,” wrote Cage Warrior president Graham Boylan in a press releas…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NfgOytZCpI&w=560&h=315] Join DAZN free for 30 days and live-stream fight night anywhere!

Bellator MMA is splitting up its upcoming card to air on various platforms.

The promotion put out a press release on Thursday announcing the official lineup for Bellator 248, which consists of 12 fights and two headliners. The first show, officially titled Bellator 248, will feature of four bouts topped by Michael Page vs. Ross Houston at a 175-pound catchweight. The event will then transition to the title of Bellator Paris, where it will relocate its broadcast for eight bouts ending with the Cheick Kongo vs. Saul Rogers vs. Arbi Mezhidov will move to Channel 5 in the UK.

With this release, the organization officially confirmed the loss of the Davy Gallon vs. Brian Hooi matchup, as news broke on Wednesday that Hooi tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, it was formalized that Melvin Manhoef will not be facing Simon Biyong on the car…

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. One way or another, Thomas Almeida will fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship shortly. MMA Junkie first broke the news on Thursday morning that Almeida (21-3) will be taking on Jonathan Martinez (12-3) at featherweight on UFC Fight Night 180 on Oct. 17. Almeida was originally booked against Alejandro Perez at UFC Fight Night 179 on Oct. 10, but a failed COVID-19 test for Perez scuttled the matchup. Although both Almeida and Martinez typically fight at 135 pounds, the short-notice nature of the pairing forced it to be contested at featherweight. Martinez has since confirmed the booking on his Instagram page.

Attempting to make his first appearance since UFC 220 in 2018, Almeida is looking to snap his first-ever losing streak. A massive 20-fight win streak to open his career came to a violent end when Cody Garbrandt kn…

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 few days after conflicting reports over a Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight matchup came out, a fight has materialized. One day after his dominant performance against Heili Alateng at UFC on ESPN 16, Casey Kenney (15-2-1) was rumored to have an upcoming fight booked against Nathaniel Wood (17-4). Both fighters denied that they had been offered the fight, but it soon came to fruition. The report first came from MMA H.E.A.T. Podcast on Sunday, and on Thursday, Kenney confirmed on his Instagram he would be facing Wood at UFC 254.

At UFC on ESPN 16, Kenney battered Alateng for 15 minutes with repeated vicious left kicks to the body and head to put himself on a two-fight win streak. Two appearances on Dana White's Contender Series did not lead to Kenney’s initial signing with the promotion, as he had to go win interim…

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 exciting welterweight clash in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has received an equally exciting replacement. On Wednesday night, AgFight first reported that Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (22-7) has been forced to withdraw from his bout against Shavkat Rakhmonov (12-0) at UFC 254. The two were set to collide on Oct. 24 at the Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, but Zaleski dos Santos pulled out due to an injury. He will be replaced by fellow countryman Alex Oliveira (22-8-1, 2 NC), and Rakhmonov has since confirmed the news on his Instagram.

Oliveira will be looking to extend his win streak to three with a short-notice opportunity against the unbeaten Rakhmonov. “Cowboy” has not won three consecutive bouts since a stretch in 2015 early in his UFC tenure. The thrilling Brazilian, who has competed both at…

Spoke with the legendary Georges St-Pierre and asked why he would want to step back into the UFC pressure cooker when he could be comfortably retired.

His reply: "Why step back in? But why NOT step back in? We only live once! So that's the question that I'm facing now." pic.twitter.com/IxYLhBE68O

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) October 7, 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. It seems that “Rush” might be considering fighting again, but only against one opponent.

On Feb. 21, 2019, Georges St. Pierre announced his official retirement from mixed martial arts at a press conference at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Since then, the former UFC champion decided to focus on his acting career, closing the door for a return in the Octagon.

In a recent interview with ESPN, St. Pierre confessed that he has "mixed feelin…

Nadia Kassem of Australia is now a free agent. | Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

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 seems that Dequan Townsend's adventure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has come to an end, for now. The UFC has terminated Townsend's deal after his four-bout skid. MMA Fighting first reported the news.

Townsend (21-12) joined the UFC after winning the Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting middleweight and Total Warrior Combat light heavyweight titles. In his promotional debut, he was crushed by Dalcha Lungiambula at the 0:42 mark in the third stanza of their 205-pound encounter at UFC on ESPN 3. “The Tarantula” tried to improve his situation by dropping to the middleweight division, but he conceded a decision to Bevon Lewis at UFC Fight Night 166. He also lost to Devin Clark via decision in his light heavyweight return …

Belal Muhammad (left) and Sean Brady (not pictured) will compete on Dec. 19. | Photo: Chris Unger/Zuffa/Getty

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 will add a pivotal welterweight clash. On Wednesday morning, MMA Junkie reported that Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady would square off at an upcoming UFC Fight Night event that will go down on Dec. 19.

Muhammad (17-3) is currently riding a three-bout winning streak. In his latest Octagon appearance, "Remember The Name” upended Lyman Good thanks to a decision at UFC on ESPN 11 back in June. Prior, he submitted Takashi Sato via rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC 242 encounter, taking home a performance of the night bonus. The Roufusport representative also edged Curtis Millender via unanimous decision at UFC 236.

A former Cage Fury Fighting …

On Thursday, Nov. 5 - it’s @Team_Manhoef vs. @CoreyA_MMA

Live on @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/CVEloDON6s

— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) October 7, 2020 The upcoming Bellator Paris card has just lost some of its most important protagonists.

Fans attending Bellator 248 won't see Dutch kickboxer Melvin Manhoef in action. On Wednesday morning, Dutch combat sports personality Santiago first reported that Manhoef is out of his light heavyweight clash with Simon Biyong (7-1). Sherdog independently confirmed the report.

Moments later, Bellator revealed that Manhoef would instead welcome Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Corey Anderson to the promotion on Nov. 5.

Anderson recently signed with the outfit after assembling a UFC record of 10-5. "Overtime" is Sherdog's No. 5-ranked light heavyweight.

After coming short of capturing Rafael Carvalho's 185-pound championship on back-to-back occasions, Manhoef (32-14-1, 1 NC) bounced…

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 featherweight clash pitting Jeremy Stephens against Arnold Allen is in the works for the UFC’s card on Nov. 7.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the matchup. The card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a light heavyweigh tilt pitting Thiago Santos against Glover Teixiera.

Stephens is currently on a five-bout winless streak dating back to a first-round TKO loss against Jose Aldo at UFC on Fox 30 on July 28, 2018. In his last outing, “Lil Heathen” suffered a KO setback to Calvin Kattar at UFC 249. Before his current slump, Stephens was on a three-bout winning streak that included triumphs over Gilbert Melendez, Doo Ho Choi and Josh Emmett.

Allen, meanwhile, has won his first seven UFC appearances and nine in a row overall. The Cage Warriors veteran kicked off his 2020 cam…

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 UFC on ESPN 16 main card averaged 1.097 million viewers on Saturday night, according to ShowBuzz Daily.

That’s the second-highest figure for a UFC on ESPN card in 2020 behind only UFC on ESPN 8, which attracted an audience of 1.198 million viewers for a card headlined by Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris on May 16.

The ratings were likely bolstered by the presence of ex-bantamweight queen Holly Holm, who took a five-round verdict over Irene Aldana in the evening’s main event. Holm has been one of the promotion’s top female stars ever since she knocked out then champion Ronda Rousey in 2015.

The main card was also simulcast on ESPN+, while the UFC on ESPN 16 prelims streamed in their entirety on ESPN+. The card ranks No. 3 overall among all UFC on ESPN cards since the promotion began its partnership with the…

A lightweight clash between Nick Newell andt Zach Zane that was initially a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic has been rebooked for Bellator 250.

Sherdog.com confirmed the matchup with a promotion official on Tuesday following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. Newell and Zane were initially slated to meet at Bellator 241 before the event was canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

Bellator 250 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on Oct. 29 and is headlined by a middleweight title clash between Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima. The main card will be televised on CBS Sports Network following prelims on Bellator’s YouTube channel. Newell vs. Zane is expected to take place on the prelims.

Newell is 1-1 in Bellator after previous appearances with WSOF, LFA, Dana White’s Contender Series and XFC. Most recently, the 34-year-old dropped a split verdict to Luis Muro at Bellator 232.

Also an alum of the Contender Series, Zane outpointed …

Even with its 2020 season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Professional Fighters League is still looking to improve its roster.

The promotion on Tuesday announced eight new signings, including 15-time UFC veteran Cezar Ferreira (middleweight). The other additions include: “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” 3 cast member Joilton Lutterbach (lightweight), UFC and WSOF veteran Sheymon Moraes (featherweight), ex-KOK champ Hatef Moeil (heavyweight), one-time UFC competitor Sung Bin Jo (featherweight), LFA veteran and Team Nogueira product Renan Ferreira (heavyweight), ex-Cage Warriors title challenger Marthin Hamlet (light heavyweight) and three-promotion regional champ Brandon Sayles (heavyweight).

Cezar “Mutante” is the most notable of the signings, with a 9-6 UFC mark that included victories over the likes of Nate Marquardt, Jack Hermansson, Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos during his promotional tenure.

“We are extremely excited to welcome a diverse group of wor…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DUPdId0aKo&w=560&h=315]

Legacy Fighting Alliance lightweight champion Bryce Logan has inked a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA.

Sherdog.com confirmed the signing with a promotion official after Logan’s management team announced the news on social media. Logan is the latest in a slew of LFA title holders to sign with the California-based promotion, joining the likes of light heavyweight champion Alex Polizzi, featherweight king Justin Gonzales and welterweight ruler Jaleel Willis on the Bellator roster.

According to his management, Logan will make his second Bellator appearance on Nov. 5. He previously appeared at Bellator 204 in August 2018, falling to Damarques Jackson via split decision.

Logan rejoins Bellator after winning three consecutive bouts in LFA. Most recently, outpointed Jacob Rosales over five rounds to capture lightweight gold at LFA 87 on July 31. The Power MMA team representative is 12-4 as a profess…

One Championship will host its most stacked card since the COVID-19 pandemic hit with an event featuring four title fights on Oct. 30.

One “Inside the Matrix” will be headlined by a middleweight championship tilt between reigning titlist Aung La N Sang and Reinier de Ridder, while Christian Lee will defend his lightweight crown against Iuri Lapicus. Additionally, featherweight ruler Martin Nguyen will square off against Thanh Le, while strawweight queen Jingnan Xiong will face Tiffany Teo.

One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong recently announced the event, though a location and venue were not revealed.

Sang is currently on a seven-bout winning streak within the Singapore-based promotion and is coming off a second-round TKO of heavyweight champion Brandon Vera in light heavyweight title defense at One Championship “Century” Part 2 last October. The Netherlands’ Reinier is unbeaten in 12 professional appearances, including three under the One banner.

Lee la…

The hands of @pezao011 sent Sosoli to the canvas facefirst #UFCAuckland pic.twitter.com/HJmHvVOpub

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 23, 2020

UFC heavyweight Ben Sosoli could be in Australian jail for up to 22 months after punching a man outside a Melbourne bar in September 2019.

According to the Australian Associated Press, Sosoli was working at Jacksons Lounge Bar as a bouncer when he punched a man in the jaw after the patron twice snuck in to the establishment upon being refused entry for being too intoxicated. The man suffered a broken jaw as a result and was forced to undergo surgery.

Sosoli told police that the man had been “threatening to f—k him up” prior to the incident. However, Judge Gavan Meredith on Monday did not excuse the fighter for his actions.

"You are expected not to respond to provocation in the way you did,” Meredith said.

Sosoli pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury and must serve 11 months o…

A welterweight title bout between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns will not take place at UFC 256 as originally anticipated.

According to ESPN, the fight has been postponed because Usman needs more time to recover from undisclosed injuries, and it is unclear when the bout might be rescheduled. According to the report, the promotion has looked into booking Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou or Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington for the card, but neither fight is close to being finalized.

Usman and Burns were originally supposed to meet at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi on July 11, but Burns was forced to pull out of the contest after testing positive for COVID-19. Instead, Usman made his second successful title defense with a clear-cut five-round verdict against Masvidal in the evening’s main event. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has won 16 straight professional bouts – including 12 in the UFC.

Burns experienced mixed results at lightweight but has rattled off four consecutive vict…

Alexander Hernandez will square off against Chris Gruetzemacher in a lightweight clash at UFC Fight Night 181 on Oct. 31.

BJPenn.com was first to report the booking. UFC Fight Night 181 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a middleweight showdown pitting Anderson Silva against Uriah Hall.

After beginning his promotional tenure with back-to-back triumphs over Beneil Dariush and Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Hernandez has dropped two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the San Antonio, Texas, native suffered a second-round TKO defeat against Drew Dober at UFC Fight Night 171 on May 13.

Gruetzemacher, meanwhile, halted a two-bout skid with a TKO of Joe Lauzon at UFC 223 in April 2018. The 34-year-old WSOF and Strikeforce veteran has not competed since that victory.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman was one of numerous male athletes victimized by Dr. Richard Strauss at Ohio State University, according to a report from Sports Illustrated.

In a piece entitled Why Aren’t More People Talking About the Ohio State Sex Abuse Scandal, Coleman recalls undergoing what seemed to be an inappropriate physical examination from Strauss upon his arrival on campus in 1986.

“He examined me pretty good. It was an eye-opener,” Coleman said. “I don’t want to go further than that.”

At that time, Strauss was the OSU doctor for five sports programs and the consulting physician for at least 10 others. According to the report, Strauss would not only fondle male athletes’ genitals during examinations — whether it was necessary or not — but he was also known to be present at practices, in locker rooms and would even shower with the athletes. Strauss’ bizarre and inappropriate antics earned him monikers like “Dr. Feel Good” or “Dr. Drop-You…

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson might be the most cursed bout in Ultimate Fighting Championship history, but there’s an outside chance the two lightweights could still meet in the Octagon.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, UFC president Dana White implied that the Nurmagomedov-Ferguson matchup might not be dead yet – provided a couple things happen. Nurmagomedov is currently slated to defend his lightweight crown against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Oct. 24, while Ferguson has not fought since falling to Gaethje in an interim 155-pound title tilt at UFC 249 on May 9.

“If Khabib does beat Gaethe, you get Tony Ferguson another fight, which we’re working on right now,” White said. “And hopefully that fight with Khabib happens because I know people want to see it.”

The promotion has already tried to book Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson on five different occasions, and each time the bout has fallen through for various reasons. Most recently, the COVID-19 pand…

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.

Irene Aldana could have positioned herself as a top contender in the UFC women’s bantamweight division with a victory over Holly Holm on Saturday night.

Instead, the Lobo Gym MMA representative faltered at UFC on ESPN 16, losing a clear-cut unanimous verdict to Holm at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi. The former bantamweight queen kept Aldana off balance with movement, punching flurries, a variety of kicks and timely takedowns over the course of a frustrating 25 minutes.

Aldana reacted to the setback in a recent post on her Instagram account.

“Today things didn’t go my way,” she wrote. “First of all I want to apologize to my corner because we had a very specific fight plan that I could not execute. I felt that something was wrong with my left foot; it wasn’t responding since the beginning of the fight. No excuses, I s…