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You have to be a real hardcore fan to have heard of Cristian Binda before last month. The ones that do know him, though, will remember the wars he put on every time he fought. “Mano di Pietra” — “Hand of Stone” for non-Italian speakers — started his long MMA career back in 2006. His name is among the trailblazers of the sport in Italy, together with Michele Verginelli, Alessio Sakara, and Ivan Serati. Apart from fighting at the 135-pound weight limit when he is a natural flyweight, perhaps too many injuries marked Binda’s regional career. After his last couple fights, he decided to hang up the gloves in 2018.

In the last month, though, the Italian pioneer’s name hit the headlines after he became the first MMA athlete in the world to test positive for COVID-19. Now, Binda sounds relieved while he is doing his last days of hospitalization at the Lanzo Intelvi Hospital, about a half an hour from the majestic Lake Como.

“I think I’m healed but my last swab turned out to be po…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvNfDltLfc4&w=560&h=315]

Undefeated prospect Sam Hughes has re-signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance.

A promotion official confirmed the multi-fight deal to Sherdog.com on Thursday. After making her LFA debut at flyweight, Hughes plans to drop to strawweight for her next appearance. Hughes will have freedom to be released from her contract if the UFC were to come calling.

A 27-year-old representative of Catalyst Fight House, Hughes made her first organizational foray at LFA 81, where she earned a unanimous decision triumph against Lisa Mauldin on Jan. 31. The Everett, Wash., native had finished her first three professional appearances inside the distance.

“So excited to finally announce signing with [LFA]!” Hughes wrote on Instagram. “What an amazing promotion to be a part of. I can’t wait to show everyone an even better performance than my debut next time I step in that cage! Big things are coming, get ready.”

RELATED…

When Georges St. Pierre officially announced his retirement in 2019, he mentioned that one of the final hang-ups was a potential bout with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomeodov.

“We tried to organize the fight with Khabib, I know Khabib want it and I want it, but the UFC had other plan[s],” St. Pierre said at a press conference that day. “To the point where I am in my career, for me it’s more taking one fight at a time instead of being there for several fights, and the way the business works … if they promote someone, they want to keep him somewhere … it’s like an investment.”

In a recent interview with ESPN, St. Pierre reiterated those thoughts, as he was aware the promotion didn’t want him vacating a belt like he did with the middleweight title. He also believes the promotion didn’t want to tarnish the Dagestani’s record with a one-off opponent.

“They had other plans. I know Khabib wanted to have that fight. I wanted it,” St. Pierre told ESPN. “But if y…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHvNg5sBxm4&w=560&h=315]

UFC featherweight Andre Fili made his motion picture debut in the recently-released film Green Rush, which was co-produced by Team Alpha Male founder Uriah Faber.

The film was released on Tuesday, and Fili was looking forward to watching the film in full for the first time. He has already critiqued a few of his parts, however, and he’s aware that people will be skeptical of a movie that involves UFC athletes.

“I haven't watched the whole thing yet but I've seen a couple of my own scenes,” Fili told UFC.com. “Some I was happy with, some I felt I could have done better, but I'm always going to be my own hardest critic. I just want to see it and I want people around me to see it because I know they're excited and I'm excited for the people who were talking s--t about it when we said we were making a movie to see it because it's really, really well-made.

“People saw me and they saw Faber and they were t…

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

The UFC Apex in Las Vegas could be the host for a number of the promotion’s events beginning in May.

In an email to Variety, UFC president Dana White revealed that the facility has been targeted for upcoming cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to postpone four recent events in March and April.

“We built the Apex facility next door just in time to save the day from this pandemic,” White wrote. “Live fights will be produced out of there starting next month and for the foreseeable future.”

Unveiled in 2019, the UFC Apex is a 130,000 square foot production facility adjacent to the promotion’s headquarters in Las Vegas. Last year, the venue was host to Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series. Due to the ongoing pandemic, all upcoming events would be closed to the public.

Like most of the United States, Nevada is currently under a stay-at-home order until April 30 due to t…

Donald Trump: “We have to get our sports back. I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old.” pic.twitter.com/YUOonLFR5V

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 14, 2020

UFC president Dana White will be part of a group of industry leaders and executives that will help the United States restart an economy that has been damaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump revealed the group during his daily coronavirus press conference on Tuesday. Numerous prominent figures in professional sports will join White on the task force, including commissioners from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.

JUST NOW: Adam Silver, Rob Manfred, Roger Goodell, Gary Bettman, Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones, Dana White, and Vince McMahon are part of a large group that will help advise on how to restart the economy, President Trump says.

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) April 14, 2020

The panel, which the Wh…

There remains some uncertainty regarding the status of UFC 250.

While the promotion indefinitely postponed all events last week, no specific timeline was given regarding the upcoming schedule. That includes UFC 250, which was originally slated for Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9. UFC president Dana White has claimed that he has secured a private island and could have it ready within a month, but details regarding that potential venue are limited.

Henry Cejudo, who was expected to defend his bantamweight title against Jose Aldo at UFC 250, is still in camp preparing as if he will fight next month.

"I think we need to have a conversation with Dana and everybody there, because you don't want to train and have them give you a certain date, and then you're not peaking at the right time," Cejudo told ESPN. "My training is very methodical. Everything I do has to be precise, to make sure I'm 100 percent. You can't surprise me before, two weeks.

"I need to know today. I…

Thank you @TheRock for your kind words. You give us all real motivation. Let’s train together and have some @Teremana tequila after. pic.twitter.com/gRqfEbI51V

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) April 13, 2020

One of the biggest stars in Hollywood had some high praise for Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou shared a message from “The Rock”, aka Dwayne Johnson, in which the WWE star turned actor praised the UFC heavyweight contender during an Instagram Live Q&A session over the weekend.

“Francis Ngannou, let me tell you something, brother – you ain’t ready for me,” Johnson said in response to Ngannou’s invitation to join him for a workout.

“I respect and love this guy so much. He is one of the top heavyweights in MMA, and in the world, and he is a dominant beast of a man. I can’t wait to see him fight again.”

Ngannou was supposed to face Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the UFC on ESPN 8 headliner in Columbus, Ohio, on March 28, …

With no fights on the horizon, Conor McGregor recently took a moment to reflect on his triumphant return to the Octagon this past January.

McGregor made short work of Donald Cerrone in the UFC 246 headliner on Jan. 18, ending the contest just 40 seconds after it began. The Irish superstar initially stunned his opponent with a series of shoulder strikes from the clinch before clipping Cerrone with a head kick. From there, McGregor overwhelmed “Cowboy” with punches near the fence for his first UFC triumph since November 2016.

“Lately atop my striking, I’ve been striking them where they believe they can’t be struck also. And with shots they don’t understand to be shots,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. Look at the range of limbs and bone joints I strike with here alone. The hip. The bone of the clavicle, the infamous collar bone! The knee. The foot. The fist (both). A lovely array.

“That will be all kids now take down your notes and your homework tonight is... enter a …

Henry Cejudo’s first bantamweight title defense will have to wait, but the Olympic gold medalist continues to ooze confidence even as the UFC’s schedule has been indefinitely suspended.

Cejudo was supposed to defend his 135-pound belt against Jose Aldo at UFC 250 on May 9 until ESPN and Disney executives requested that the promotion postpone all events due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The Messenger” recently released a statement regarding the cancellation on his Instagram account.

“A big thank you to my training partners and [coaches] for these last incredible weeks of training. The [GOAT] rampage is officially postponed,” Cejudo wrote. “[GOAT] will be served another day.”

RELATED LINKS SPONSORED BY H&R BLOCK:The U.S. Government is providing tax relief on your upcoming tax returns due to the financial impact of Coronavirus. Find out what additional savings you qualify for your 2019 federal tax return by clicking here. UFC 250 was initially slated for Ibirap…

While the UFC attempted to push its schedule through during the coronavirus pandemic before eventually being shut down, Bellator MMA opted for a different approach, quickly canceling all events through May.

That included a massive Bellator 242 event on May 9 that included a showdown between Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima for the vacant middleweight crown. However, if Bellator had given Mousasi the chance to fight, he would have accepted the opportunity. That said, the Armenian-born Dutchman understands that safety precautions must be taken during a crisis has forced the shutdown of all major sports organizations across the world.

"All the fighters are gonna fight anyway, so no one says no,” Mousasi recently told ESPN. “Obviously if they would have offered me, I would have fought too.

“I don’t think the promotion can guarantee the safety of the fighters. Let’s say the commentator or the cameraman is sick, or one of the fighters is sick -- you’re gonna make everyb…

.@lionheartasmith says he's still ready to fight on 4/25 even after he fought off an intruder at his home over the weekend. This is video for the suspect after he allegedly broke into another man's home before going to Smith's. Smith describes what happened.@3NewsNowOmaha pic.twitter.com/mGwSlTjimo

— Jake Wasikowski (@jakewasikowski) April 9, 2020

The intruder who Anthony Smith fought with on April 5 after the man broke into the UFC fighter’s Nebraska home allegedly attempted to enter other residences in the area.

In a video shared by 3KMTV Omaha, Luke Haberman is shown attempting to break into another home. When Haberman finds the door locked, he screams loudly before leaving the front porch. The man was later able to enter Smith’s home, where he was subdued by the title challenger. Smith told KMTV that he accidentally left his garage door open.

"No normal human is able to fight like that," Smith said. "I'm by no means the bad…

Cub Swanson has designs on making his Octagon return late this year.

The veteran featherweight tore his ACL and meniscus during a grappling match with Jake Shields at Quintet Ultra this past December. The cost of the surgery was covered by the UFC, and Swanson targeted a November or December return in the aftermath.

With the promotion and every other sports organization in a holding pattern due to the coronavirus pandemic, Swanson’s comeback plans haven’t changed. In fact, it’s probably a better time than most for injury rehabilitation.

“I think the biggest thing about my comeback is I had a date of around November, and nothing’s stopping me from that,” Swanson said in a recent Instagram post.

“This whole thing, it’s really challenged me to stay focused. I look at it on the bright side, like I’ve picked a great time to be injured, so I’m just focusing on being at home with my kids and enjoying my time, and knowing that I will be back by November. If there’s…

Dustin Poirier is doing his part to help during the COVID-19 crisis.

The UFC lightweight’s charity, The Good Fight Foundation, announced on social media that it will partner with Deanos Pizza to donate 1,000 meals to medical personnel in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Easter and throughout the coming week.

The statement from the Good Fight Foundation is as follows:

The Good Fight Foundation will be teaming up with Deanos Pizza and donating 1,000 meals to the hospital staff on the front lines of COVID-19 in Lafayette, LA (on) Easter Sunday and throughout next week. Wishing you all a safe an Happy Easter.

We will be donating 1,000 meals Easter Sunday! Thank you all for the support. #fightthegoodfight pic.twitter.com/SbbOEOmzdQ

— The Good Fight Foundation (@TheGoodFightFDN) April 11, 2020

The Good Fight Foundation became a registered non-profit organization in 2018, as Poirier’s family began auctioning off his fight gear fro…

According to Jorge Masvidal, there was an opportunity for him to face Kamaru Usman at UFC 249. However, the financial terms weren’t to his liking.

“There was a deal on the table, but when the full deal and the whole extent of it got brought through and how it was going to play out, the budget really wasn’t there in a way for what we were asking,” Masvidal recently told BT Sport. “The price tag that I put out there, they didn’t wanna pay. This other guy, who knows if he was in or not, but my price wasn’t met. And for the risk-to-reward factor, I wanted to get compensated and the compensation wasn’t really there.”

Ultimately, the promotion’s attempts to move UFC 249 to tribal land in California failed, as Dana White was told by ESPN and Disney executives to cancel the event due to ongoing concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic. All UFC events are now suspended indefinitely, but Masvidal is hopeful that he and Usman can come to terms for a welterweight title fig…

Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje took the news that the Ultimate Fighting Championship was cancelling its upcoming events well, all things considered.

Ferguson was mid-interview with the OC Register on Thursday, when the news broke that UFC 249 and all subsequent were postponed. His immediate response, understandably, was a little profanity followed by shock.

“(Expletive). Oh wow. (Expletive),” he uttered with intermittent silence. “Oh well. I’m still gonna train.”

The former interim champ was to be matched up with Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight strap in the headliner of UFC 249. The event was originally scheduled to take place on April 18, and Ferguson was slated to meet Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed belt.

The fight card was booked for Brooklyn, New York, initially, but a NY ban of sporting events and public gatherings eliminated the state from hosting. The next plan was to relocate the event and others to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas at the UFC…

UFC President Dana White spoke to Brett Okamoto about #UFC249 no longer taking place on April 18.

(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/VRP5jL3k9J

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 9, 2020 The day that many in the community feared would come has now arrived: the Ultimate Fighting Championship has postponed all upcoming fight cards. According to ESPN on Thursday, the UFC has been forced to shut down its upcoming UFC 249 event on April 18. Additionally, all upcoming cards will not be taking place as scheduled and have been indefinitely postponed, per UFC President Dana White in an interview with ESPN. It is unclear exactly which slated events are off the table, as the promotion has cards booked through June, or how long until the UFC will be back in operation.

According to White, top Disney and ESPN executives shut down these events. He said, “Today, we got a call from the highest level you can go at Disney, and the highest level of ESP…

Statement from @SenFeinstein of California re #UFC249 pic.twitter.com/hXAlMpIAEf

— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) April 9, 2020 A prominent U.S. Senator is calling for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to reconsider holding its upcoming UFC 249 card.

On Thursday, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California sent out a press release requesting the UFC to delay UFC 249. The event is scheduled to take place on April 18, and reports are indicating that it will be held at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif. Yahoo Sports was first to report on the release.

Feinstein’s statement reads as follows:

“I’m concerned by reports that Ultimate Fighting Championship plans to hold a pay-per-view event in California, in defiance of the state’s shelter-in-place order. This event would involve dozens of individuals flying to California and driving to a casino for a purpose no one can honestly claim is essential.

“I understand this event is s…

Not surprisingly, so much movement in terms of fights right now. Very little staying as planned. Chris Weidman is looking for a new opponent on 5/2, Overeem - Harris looking like it’s getting moved 5/16, Dern - Cifers on 4/25, Cejudo-Cruz ... so many moving parts. Wild times.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 9, 2020 One Ultimate Fighting Championship fight scuttled on Thursday has already seen a replacement step up.

On Thursday, reports came out that multiple Brazilian fighters would no longer be able to compete at U.S.-based UFC cards due to visa restrictions. One such matchup that fell off was a bout between Mackenzie Dern (7-1) and Ariane Carnelossi. The latter unable to travel to the U.S. for the April 25 UFC Fight Night card, ESPN first reported that Hannah Cifers (10-4) will be taking the bout on short notice. It is presumed the two will meet at strawweight.

Dern is looking to bounce back from her first career defea…

Não é só José Aldo: dificuldade para obter visto tira 14 brasileiros dos próximos eventos do UFC | combate | Globoesporte https://t.co/2TKYPTI6sG com @AnaHissa e @marbarone

— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) April 9, 2020 The implications of the coronavirus stretch far beyond the actual illness itself, as a multitude of upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship matchups are now off the table.

On Thursday, Combate reported that Jose Aldo would no longer be able to compete at UFC 250 due to visa issues. The event was previously scheduled to take place at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but the card was forcibly relocated when the arena was converted into a hospital.

It has since been reported that UFC 250would move to the United States, and a potential destination is the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, Calif. Providing UFC 250, and several other announced events, are being relocated to the U.S., a plethora of Brazilian…

RIP Isaiah Chapman pic.twitter.com/3oIiqldqVU

— Rich Chou (@rich_chou) April 8, 2020

Former Bellator MMA and World Series of Fighting competitor Isaiah Chapman is dead at the age of 30.

Bellator matchmaker Rich Chou brought word of Chapman’s death on Twitter. According to Ohio-based MMA journalist David McKinney, Chapman was shot and killed outside his Akron home on April 7. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Chapman’s funeral expenses and to provide aid for his three children.

A native of Barberton, Ohio, Chapman last fought at Bellator 232, where he was submitted in the opening round by top bantamweight prospect Patrick Mix in the first round this past October. “The Beast” also appeared one under the WSOF banner in September 2014, dropping a unanimous verdict to Timur Valiev. Chapman was 9-4 as a professional overall.

The statement on Chapman’s GoFundMe page is as follows:

On April 7th, 2020 Isaiah “The …

Rose Namajunas’ long-awaited Octagon return won’t happen at UFC 249.

Just days after the promotion announced a 12-bout card for the event that included the original co-headliner between Namajunas and Jessica Andrade, the former strawweight champion has withdrawn from the event. Combate was first to report the news. The reason behind Namajunas' exit is currently unknown.

UFC 249 takes place on April 18 and is headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. While a location for the event has yet to be officially confirmed by the UFC, it will reportedly take place Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Leemore, Calif. The promotion is currently seeking a replacement opponent for Andrade.

Namajunas hasn’t competed since relinquishing the 115-pound belt to Andrade at UFC 237 in May 2019. “Thug” Rose contemplated retirement after the slam KO defeat but ultimately elected to resume her MMA career. Namajunas owns an 8-4 career mark that i…

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Count veteran commentator Joe Rogan among those who is looking forward to the new UFC 249 main event.

On Monday, the promotion announced that Justin Gaethje would step in for Khabib Nurmagomedov and face Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight crown on April 18. Nurmagomedov was unable to leave Russia due to travel restrictions imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the sport’s most notorious action fighters, Gaethje enters the matchup on riding the momentum of consecutive first-round KO/TKO wins over James Vick, Edson Barboza and Donald Cerrone.

“Justin Gaethje is a monster,” Rogan said on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “He is a terrifying individual. In a sport that’s violent — it’s an inherently violent sport — he stands out as the most violent.

“You watch his knockout of Edson Barboza. You watch how that motherf—er attacks people. There’s a reckless abandon to his calculate…

Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

A middleweight clash pitting Marvin Vettori against Karl Roberson has been added to the UFC Fight Night 173 lineup.

Roberson confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from MMAFighting.com. UFC Fight Night 173 takes place on April 25 and is expected to be headlined by a light heavyweight showdown between Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira.

Vettori was scheduled to face Darren Stewart at UFC Fight Night 170 in London on March 21, but that card was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The Italian Dream” went 2-0 in 2019, posting decision triumphs over Andrew Sanchez and Cezar Ferreira.

Roberson, meanwhile, was booked against Makhmud Muradov at UFC 249, but travel restrictions for Muradov resulted in the cancellation of that contest. “Baby K” has been victorious in three of his last four Octagon appearances.