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As concerns regarding the coronavirus in the United States continue to grow, UFC president Dana White has been adamant that the lightweight championship fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson will indeed take place on April 18.

It’s just a matter of finding a suitable location — even if that means moving UFC 249 out of the country. As for lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, the venue isn’t as important as the opportunity to fight.

“Honestly I don’t care,” Nurmagomedov said in an Instagram Live chat held by manager Ali Abdelaziz. “It’s going to be good if fight happens in the U.S. because I am here already for like one-and-a-half month. I’ve been training, and from this day we have like 30 days before the fight. Almost one month, and it’s going to be very good if we fight here in the U.S. But if not, any place. Any place, I don’t care.”

Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, has speculated that the event could be moved to Abu Dhabi, where Khabib mad…

Despite being the only live sporting event on television, ratings for UFC Fight Night 170 weren’t exactly stellar.

According to figures released by ShowBuzz Daily, UFC Fight Night 170 averaged 672,000 viewers this past Saturday, the lowest figure ever for a card televised on ESPN. The card took place at Nelson Nilson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brazil and saw Charles Oliveira submit Kevin Lee in the lightweight main event. Fans were not allowed in the venue due to coronavirus concerns.

The previous low for a UFC card televised on ESPN came when UFC on ESPN 5 averaged 680,000 viewers for a main card headlined by Robbie Lawler and Colby Covington.

However, while other cards with the UFC on ESPN designation aired primarly on the Worldwide Leader’s main channel, UFC Fight Night 170 was also streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on ESPN Deportes, which could have divided the audience. Additionally, figures released by ShowBuzz Daily do not included separate ratings for the preli…

“We have no choice now but to postpone these fights. So we’re postponing the next three events, but Tony Ferguson versus Khabib, April 18, is still on and that will still happen.”@danawhite joined @SportsCenter to address the postponement of upcoming UFC events. pic.twitter.com/FxKOAKnOEv

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 16, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson was already one of the most cursed bouts in UFC history — and that was before the outbreak of the coronavirus.

While the UFC was recently forced to cancel its next three events, Dana White insists that Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson will happen. The lightweight championship fight is scheduled for UFC 249 on April 18, although it’s highly unlikely that the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will host the event.

“We’re postponing the next three events, but Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib, April 18 is still on and that will still happen,” White said on SportsCenter. “We’re going to follow th…

Professional fighters are among the most fearless people on the planet, and Max Holloway is no different.

However, the former UFC featherweight champion has taken a thoughtful perspective on the coronavirus scare that has shut down virtually every professional sports organization in the world. The Hawaii native released a lengthy statement via Instagram in which he urges everyone to practice safe social distancing in order to save lives.

“I don't think there's a doc out there who would say COVID-19 is more dangerous than fighting for a living. I'm not afraid of it to be honest. It's like the flu but 10x more deadly. So what? I put myself in more danger every day. So for anybody else who feels that way I agree,” Holloway wrote.

“But I also learned it's not about me. I can carry it. I can have no symptoms like Donovan Mitchell. Then I can give it to my grandma and maybe she doesn't beat it. Then what? All my UFC title belts ain't gonna make me tough enough to deal …

Things didn’t go as planned for Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night 170, as he was knocked out in the opening round by Gilbert Burns in the evening’s welterweight co-main event in Brasilia, Brazil, on Saturday.

Burns floored Maia with a left hook and then began a premature celebration when his veteran opponent hit the canvas. Once Burns realized referee Osiris Maia wasn’t stopping the bout, he followed Maia to the canvas and finished the fight with ground-and-pound. Maia was seen protesting the stoppage and believes he had recovered sufficiently to continue.

“Unfortunately, the referee stopped it. I thought I could go a little bit more, but it is what it is,” Maia said on Saturday’s post-fight show on ESPN+. “I feel I was OK. I felt I was OK. But you don’t know. The referee said that he thought I was out, and that’s OK – that’s the sport. I was feeling good. I was getting good in the jiu-jitsu positions, but he got me well with that hook.”

Prior to the finishing seque…

If UFC Fight Night 171 is going to proceed as planned, the card will look drastically different than originally intended.

The card suffered its biggest blow yet on Sunday, when main event competitor Leon Edwards announced that he would not be able to compete on the card. UFC Fight Night 171 was originally scheduled to take place in London, but due to U.S. travel restrictions on the United Kingdom in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the promotion announced plans to relocate the event to an as-yet-to-be-determined location.

Even if that comes to fruition, Tyron Woodley will need a new opponent, as Edwards confirmed he won’t be able to fight.

“Last night I went to sleep still with some hope that UFC London would continue next week. I woke up this morning to the news that it won't be. We have been working with the UFC on possible solutions to keep the fight alive, but unfortunately with such a short window of time, nothing was viable,” Edwards wrote. “Myself and…

Brave Combat Federation is the latest mixed martial arts organization to bring operations to a halt in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The promotion announced Sunday that it has postponed its next three events “until further notice.” Brave CF 35 was slated for Brazil on March 28; Brave CF 36 was scheduled for Romania on April 13 and Brave CF 37 was set for Sweden on April 18.

“With the current situation, the Brave CF team are compelled to take action in helping in any way we can to minimize the spread of the virus,” a statement read. “Brave CF’s core value -- to empower one another and grow as one entity, guides us as we face the difficult challenge of responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19), which the World Health Organization has now declared a pandemic.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with all those affected by COVID-19, as well as their families, friends and loved ones.”

Since its inception in 2016, the Middle East-based promotion has held 34 even…

FAST and FURIOUS

THIS COMBO IS UNREAL! @TheAssassinBaby#UFCBrasilia pic.twitter.com/8ZsGBygSHQ

— UFC (@ufc) March 14, 2020 Brandon Moreno seems to have gotten into a rhythm lately as he’s been on a hot streak of performances that have shown his grit, determination and skill. Saturday was no different.

Moreno (17-5-1) fought tooth-and-nail with Jussier Formiga in the featured preliminary bout at UFC Fight Night 170 in Brasilia, Brazil. The fight was as close as they come, with each man landing plenty of hard strikes and engaging in thrilling grappling on the canvas. Moreno was awarded with a shocking unanimous decision in a fight many felt he lost, but his performance will go down in the record books as a win over one of the toughest flyweights in the world.

“I can’t believe it,” a jubilant Moreno said after he was declared the victor. “It was a tough fight with a veteran who fought the best of the best in the UFC. Winning …

Dana White says the UFC fights will continue.

“We’re not stopping. We will keep finding a way to put on the fights.” pic.twitter.com/7ixxpFjTSz

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 15, 2020 Even as virtually every other major sporting organization in the world is shutting down, the show must go on for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

On Saturday, UFC president Dana White revealed that the promotion will relocate its next three events due to recent developments in the coronavirus outbreak. That begins with UFC Fight Night 171, which was slated to take place at the O2 Arena in London on March 21. A recently announced travel ban to the U.K. and Ireland forced those plans to be altered.

"Obviously, things are changing by the hour," White said on ESPN. "This morning, they announced new travel restrictions for the U.K., so [the March 21 event] can't continue in London. But the fight will go on. We're working on finding a new …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.Brandon Moreno just took a serious step toward title contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division. “The Assassin Baby” captured a closely-contested unanimous decision triumph over Jussier Formiga in the featured UFC Fight Night 170 preliminary bout at Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in Brasilia, Brasil on Saturday. Cageside judges submitted scorecards of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 — all in favor of Moreno, who is unbeaten in his last four bouts. The card took place at an empty venue due to ongoing concerns regarding the coronavirus outbreak.

Tell me why I don’t deserve to fight for the title next,” Moreno said in a plea to the promotion’s matchmakers.

Moreno held his own in grappling exchanges, defending guillotine and armbar attempts from the Brazilian in the opening stanza. Moreno also excelled in the transitions bet…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 170 coverage will begin at 3 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:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:The Official R…

A clip from my chat last night w/ @LFAfighting 84 co-main event participant Jordan Williams. I ask if he expects the show to still go on next week, and he talks his deep desire to get back into the cage after being away from it since July. #MMA. @TeamIridiumISA pic.twitter.com/zm71UmUY8R

— Jason Burgos (@CheapSeatsChat) March 13, 2020 The hits just keep coming around the MMA community, as the Legacy Fighting Alliance will be holding off on its upcoming March event.

On Friday, the organization announced via press release that LFA 84 has been postponed until further notice due to concerns regarding the coronavirus. The event was slated to take place on March 20 at the Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix. According to the LFA, it will be rescheduled at a later date to be determined.

Additionally, the upcoming events of LFA 85 and LFA 86, in Colorado and South Dakota on April 3 and April 17, respectively, are currently being review…

We regrettably announce the postponement of our Africa Open Championships and Pan American Open Championships.

Please read our official statement on the #Covid_19 / #coronavirus pandemic.https://t.co/FXbQxmpmuS

— IMMAF (@IMMAFed) March 13, 2020 The coronavirus is striking hard the MMA landscape around the world.

The latest organization affected by Covid-19 is the International MMA Federation, who has just had to change a series of scheduled events for 2020. On Friday afternoon, IMMAF officials announced that the upcoming 2020 IMMAF Africa Open Championships and the 2020 IMMAF Pan American Championships are postponed until a later date. The two events were supposed to go down in April and May respectively. Participants are advised to contact their National Federation regarding the refund of participation fees.

IMMAF postponed also the 2020 Youth World Championships and the 2020 European Senior & Junior Championships w…

Abatido, Kevin Lee pediu a toalha, mas estourou 1,1kg. Tem uma hora para tentar cortar, mas precisa de aprovação da comissão atlética. #feedmma pic.twitter.com/kli8erda5T

— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) March 13, 2020 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Brazil this weekend for the first time in 2020, and the headliner is in jeopardy.

UFC Fight Night 170 is headlined by an intriguing lightweight clash between Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira, but that is now in doubt as Lee initially missed the weigh-in window, but stepped on the scale in time. After a brief stint at welterweight, Lee (18-5) rebounded spectacularly in his return to lightweight. "The Motown Phenom" knocked out Gregor Gillespie with a head kick in less than three minutes at UFC 244. He’ll now look to go on his first win streak since 2017. Unfortunately for Lee, he missed weight by 2.5 pounds as he came in at 158.5, and he has one hour to cut the additional we…

BREAKING: Per sources, UFC Fight Night in Portland, scheduled for April 11, is expected to be moved to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus.

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) March 12, 2020 Hot on the heels of one event relocation, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is moving another upcoming show to Las Vegas out of fears of the coronavirus.

On Thursday, TSN reported that UFC Fight Night 172 will no longer take place in Portland, Oregon, as it was initially scheduled. Instead, it will go on at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and it will still be held on April 11. One of the headliners on the card, Walt Harris, confirmed this news as well as the measures the organization is taking to keep the UFC Performance Institute safe for fighters.

This news follows an earlier report on Thursday where the promotion was moving its UFC on ESPN 8 card from Columbus, Ohio, to Las Vegas. The UFC Apex curre…

The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on sports organizations all around the world, including major mixed martial arts promotions.

One Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced on Thursday that all upcoming One events will be held behind closed doors, with no audiences. This will include every event until May 29, spanning five events from the March 20 Heart of Heroes event to the Kings & Queens show on April 17. Instead, the events will begin on April 17, every weekend with each card taking place in Singapore.

In addition to the change in status of these cards, the planned One Infinity 1 card that featured Demetrious Johnson taking on Adriano Moraes for the 135-pound title has been pushed to May 29. It was initially scheduled for April 10 at the Istora Senaya in Jakarta, Indonesia, but will instead take place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

The organization previously postponed an event that was set to go down on March 20, and moved it…

Tom Lawlor will compete for Professional Fighters League during its third season as the promotions continues to work to turn over its roster from the previous season.

Lawlor initially confirmed the news to ESPN. He will compete in the PFL’s light heavyweight division for a chance at a $1 million prize.

"I have been given the golden lottery ticket to compete in this year's PFL in the light heavyweight division for $1 million," he told ESPN. "I am here to tell you it is my absolute goal, it is my destiny, to take home that money, and it's gonna happen at the end of 2020.”

Lawlor, who works in sports entertainment for Major League Wrestling, last competed in MMA in November 2018, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Deron Winn at a Golden Boy MMA event.

“The Ultimate Fighter 8” competitor went 6-5 during his UFC tenure, earning notable wins over the likes of Patrick Cote and C.B. Dolloway. He was suspended for two years by USADA after testing positive for o…

A middleweight showdown pitting Robert Whittaker against Darren Till has been targeted to headline UFC Dublin on Aug. 15.

ESPN was first to report the booking. No other bouts have been announced for the event, which takes place at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Contracts have not yet been signed, but the UFC is in the process of finalizing the matchup.

Whittaker was slated to face Jared Cannonier at UFC 248 but had to withdraw from the bout due to personal reasons. “The Reaper” last competed at UFC 243, where he relinquished the middleweight crown in a second-round knockout loss to Israel Adesanya on Oct. 5. Prior to that, Whittaker had compiled a nine-fight winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Till, meanwhile, made a successful 185-pound debut at UFC 244, where he took a split decision against Kelvin Gastelum on Nov. 2. The 27-year-old Englishman went 5-2-1 at welterweight, earning notable wins over Stephen Thompson and Donald Cerrone.

Giga Chikadze is a name that the striking combat sports fans already knew way before he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

After accumulating valuable experience in the kickboxing world, Chikadze switched to the four-ounce gloves in 2015. Thus far, the transition has been a smooth one. Chikadze is 9-2 in his MMA tenure and is still undefeated in his Ultimate Fighting Championship foray. In his latest Octagon appearance, he edged Jamall Emmers via split decision in their featherweight encounter at UFC 248.


 “I’m very happy about the result, of course,” Chikadze said. “It was a great match, I think the fans enjoyed it because it was a controversial fight. We both came to fight, we are both warriors. He never backed up even though he knew I was a high-level striker. He came in and started exchanging with me on the feet. I was impressed with this. It was a really fun fight. I beat the guy in the first round and the second, the third round I think it was …

The feud between Brian Ortega and Korean rapper Jay Park may be drawing to a close.

After a tumultuous weekend saw Ortega allegedly slap Park in the fighter’s section at UFC 248 and get escorted from the arena, “T-City” has offered a brief apology to the man who also serves as Chan Sung Jung’s translator on occasion. In doing so, Ortega also turned his attention toward a fight with “The Korean Zombie.”

“I want to officially apologize to JPark for Saturday night, when Zombie is ready we can fight,” Ortega wrote on Twitter.

I want to officially apologize to JPark for Saturday night, when Zombie is ready we can fight.

— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) March 11, 2020

Ortega initially threatened to slap Park following an ESPN interview with “The Korean Zombie” in which the fighter claimed Ortega was ducking him. Park served as Jung’s translator during the interview.

“When I saw him in Korea, he apologized and said sorry for t…

A lightweight clash pitting Diego Ferreira against Drew Dober has been targeted for UFC Fight Night 174.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking, and both fighters have since confirmed the bout on social media. UFC Fight Night 174 takes place at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla., on May 2 and is headlined by a middleweight tilt between Chris Weidman and Jack Hermansson.

Ferreira has been on a roll since losing to Dustin Poirier in 2015, winning his next six bouts within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The Fortis MMA product earned a signature triumph ta UFC 246 submitting former 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their Jan. 18 encounter.

Dober, meanwhile, has won five of six Octagon appearances dating back to 2017. The Elevation Fight Team representative is coming off back-to-back first-round TKO stoppages of Marco Polo Reyes and Nasrat Haqparast.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SARjMdZfX7s&w=560&h=315]

Logan Paul felt the heavy hands of UFC contender Paulo Henrique Costa, and it’s an experience the YouTube celebrity likely won’t soon forget.

Paul, who owns an 0-1 professional boxing record, posted a video on Monday of his sparring session with Costa at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. The match didn’t end well for Paul, as he was knocked out cold by a right hand from the middleweight.

At least @LoganPaul wore headgear ‍ (h/t @espnmma) pic.twitter.com/l29Ab8RqaV

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) March 9, 2020

The video also shows Paul in some grappling exchanges with Costa, and the footage there appears to be a little bit better for the Ohio native, who does have a high-school wrestling background. Paul faced British YouTuber KSI in a professional boxing match televised on Dazn, falling via split decision on Nov. 9, 2019.

Costa is expected to challe…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Abel Trujillo has accepted a plea agreement in a child sexual exploitation case in Castle Rock, Colo.

The update in the case was first reported by 9News. As a result of the plea deal, Trujillo will avoid felony charges. He was initially arrested last July and charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a child, promotion of obscenity to a minor and sexual exploitation of a child – self/publish – all of which are felonies.

On Friday, Trujillo pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of promoting obscenity. His sentencing is scheduled for April 6.

Castle Rock police were initially notified in October 2018 that the victim received inappropriate messages via social media from Trujillo. The girl first made contact with Trujillo in March 2018 and received a follow request from him on Instagram. According to an affidavit, she accepted the request “because Abel is a celebrity.”

Shortly thereafter, the girl began rec…

A rematch between Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson will serve as the headliner for Bellator 244.

The promotion announced the lightweight booking during a press conference on Monday. Bellator 244 takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on June 6 and will see A.J. McKee lock horns with Darrion Caldwell in a featherweight grand prix semifinal bout.

Chandler and Henderson initially squared off in a lightweight title bout at Bellator 165 in November 2016, with Chandler retaining the belt in a grueling split-decision triumph. Chandler has since lost, regained and lost the 155-pound belt again while winning four of his last six Bellator appearances. Most recently, he scored a first-round knockout of Sidney Outlaw at Bellator 237 on Dec. 29.

Henderson will bring a four-bout winning streak into the rematch with Chandler. In his most recent outing, “Smooth” outpointed UFC veteran Myles Jury at Bellator 227. His current tear also includes wins against Adam Piccolotti,…