Paul Craig, Alonzo Menifield to Clash at UFC on ESPN 3 in Minneapolis

A light heavyweight bout pitting Paul Craig against Alonzo Menifield has been added to the UFC on ESPN 3 lineup.

Promotion officials recently announced the booking. UFC on ESPN 3 takes place at the Target Center in Minneapolis on June 29 and is headlined by a rematch between Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler. The card will air on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

Craig has won two of his last three Octagon appearances and is coming off a third-round submission of Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC on ESPN 2 on Marc 30. “Bearjew” finished 10 of his 11 professional victories via tapout overall.

Menifield received a UFC contract after earning a pair of victories on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. The 31-year-old Dallas resident had a successful Octagon debut, as he knocked out Vinicius Moreira in the opening stanza at UFC Brooklyn on Jan. 19 to improve his career mark to 8-0. All of Menifield’s victories have come inside of two rounds.

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Bellator 220 Medical Suspensions: Rory MacDonald, Four Others Facing 180-Day Terms

Rory MacDonald will need medical clearance before he can advance to face Neiman Gracie in the Bellator welterweight grand prix.

MacDonald is facing a potential 180-day medical suspension following his majority draw with Jon Fitch at Bellator 220 this past Saturday. The welterweight champion must be cleared for a potential right later epicondyle injury or he will be sidelined six months. He must also receive clearance for a potential 60-day sit due to a facial cut on his right side. Fitch, meanwhile, must be cleared for a scalp laceration or he will be suspended 60 days.

MacDonald questioned his drive to compete immediately following the grueling five-round bout with Fitch but later clarified those comments and said he expects to face Gracie at Bellator 222 on June 14 in New York.

The California State Athletic Commission released medical suspensions from the event, which took place at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Four other fighters from Bellator 220 are fac…

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Kyoji Horiguchi-Darrion Caldwell Rematch Booked for Bellator 222 in New York

Kyoji Horiguchi will attempt to hold titles in two promotions when he faces Darrion Caldwell at Bellator 222.

A promotion official confirmed the bantamweight matchup to Sherdog.com on Monday following an initial report from ESPN.com. Caldwell’s Bellator belt will be on the line in the rematch. Bellator 222 takes place on June 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York and is headlined by a clash between Chael Sonnen and Lyoto Machida.

Horiguchi retained his Rizin bantamweight crown by submitting Caldwell with a guillotine choke in the third round of their first meeting on New Year’s Eve. He returned to action at Rizin 15 on April 21, when he knocked out former UFC competitor Ben Nguyen 2:52 into the opening frame. The American Top Team representative has won 12 consecutive fights since losing a five-round decision to Demetrious Johnson in a flyweight championship bout at UFC 186.

Caldwell has not competed since Horiguchi ended his four-fight winning streak at Rizin …

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Joe Rogan ‘Seriously Impressed’ With Jack Hermansson’s Upset of ‘Jacare’ Souza

Jack Hermansson is definitely the talk of the town as far as UFC middleweights go with his hugely impressive back-to-back wins over David Branch and now Ronaldo Souza.

Hermansson came into his bout against “Jacare” as a late-notice replacement for the injured Yoel Romero on the UFC Fight Night 150 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this past weekend. Despite being the betting underdog, the Swedish-born, Norwegian-based fighter defied the odds by putting on the best performance of his nine-fight UFC career by taking out a perennial contender in grappling ace Souza.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan took to his Instagram account to hail the Swede’s performance stating that he was “seriously impressed” given the short turnaround and the quality of his opponent.

“I was seriously impressed with [Jack Hermansson’s] fight with [Ronaldo Souza] last night. He came into the fight as an underdog against a man who in unquestionably one of the best 185lbs fighters on earth and earn…

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Kyle Prepolec Replaces Siyar Bahadurzada, Meets Nordine Taleb at UFC Ottawa

Kyle Prepolec will step in on less than a week’s notice to face Nordine Taleb at UFC Ottawa.

Promotion officials confirmed to TSN that Prepolec would replace Siyar Bahadurzada, who withdrew from the welterweight contest due to injury. UFC Fight Night 151 takes place at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on May 4 and is headlined by a lightweight tilt pitting Al Iaquinta against Donald Cerrone. The card will stream in its entirety on ESPN+.

The 29-year-old Prepolec is a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada and owns a 12-5 career record. The Maximum Training Centre product has won four of his last five bouts and is coming off a decision win over four-time UFC competitor Cody Pfister on March 9.

Taleb is looking to rebound after an 0-2 campaign in 2018 in which he was finished by both Sean Strickland and Claudio Henrique da Silva. The 37-year-old Tristar Gym representative is 6-4 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

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After Gritty Win Over Alex Oliveira, Mike Perry Wants Darren Till, Colby Covington

After bursting onto the UFC’s roster with two straight sensational knockouts and then struggling inside the Octagon, the polarizing Mike Perry again finds himself in the spotlight.

Perry (13-4) had won his first nine pro MMA bouts by knockout and eventually was 4-1 inside the Octagon, with all of his wins coming via highlight-reel KO. But “Platinum” didn’t progress that much as a mixed martial artist and soon his opponents figured him out. The Flint, Mich., native saw himself out of title contention and looking at a 1-3 record in his last four fights, his most recent setback a first-round loss via armbar to Donald Cerrone.

Perry knew he had to regroup and refocus his approach to fighting spent several months healing his body and mind. But when it came time to step into the cage again, “Platinum” knew he had to not only put on a thrilling performance, he had to win. On Saturday in one of the featured bouts of UFC Fight Night 150, Perry opposed another fan favorite in Al…

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Rory MacDonald Retains Bellator Welterweight Title in Controversial Majority Draw

DAZN is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here.

Rory MacDonald’s hold on the Bellator MMA welterweight throne has grown unexpectedly tenuous.

The Tristar Gym standout retained his 170-pound title and advanced out of the welterweight grand prix quarterfinals in a contentious majority draw -- 46-48, 47-47, 47-47 -- with Jon Fitch in the Bellator 220 headliner on Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Next up for MacDonald (20-5-1, 2-1-1 Bellator): a semifinal showdown with the undefeated Neiman Gracie on June 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Fitch (32-7-2, 1-0-1 Bellator) overcame a difficult first 10 minutes and a number of overhand rights from the Canadian and started to chip away at his resolve. He stymied MacDonald for the entire third round, securing a takedown inside the first minute, controlling position and opening a cut above the champion’s right eye with a short but effective elbow strike. MacDonald wo…

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UFC Fight Night 150 Bonuses: Oliveira, Perry, Teixeira, Miller Earn $50K

You can sign up for a free seven-day trial of ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Alex Oliveira and Mike Perry’s back-and-forth affair resulted in the two winning “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC Fight Night 150.

Oliveira and Perry traded shots for 15 minutes, with both men rocked on numerous occasions. Perry landed 65 significant strikes compared to the Brazilian’s 48, but Perry was more effective landing 59 percent of his significant strikes; Oliveira landed just 35 percent Ultimately, Perry did enough to win the fight by unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Glover Teixeira extended his winning streak with a second-round submission of Ion Cutelaba. The veteran rallied from being on shaky legs early to coming on in the second frame and pouring it on Cutelaba before submitting him via rear-naked choke.

Finally, Jim Miller got yet another performance bonus. The 35-year-old got…

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UFC Fight Night 150 ‘Jacare vs. Hermansson’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

You can sign up for a free seven-day trial of 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 150 coverage kicks off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the roun…
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Bellator 220 ‘MacDonald vs. Fitch’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round-by-Round Scoring

DAZN is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here.

Sherdog's Bellator 220 coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday evening.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Alex Aboud scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Alex Aboud scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Alex Aboud scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Alex Aboud scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Alex Aboud scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Alex Aboud scores the round:…
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Jack Shore Retains Cage Warriors Bantamweight Title At CW 104

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship stopped at the Violet Arena in Cardiff, Wales, on Saturday for CW 104.

The main event of the card featured a bantamweight title fight, with Welsh hero Jack Shore putting his belt and his spotless record on the line. Scottish challenger Scott Malone put up a valiant fight, but in the end the champion managed to keep his title. “Tank” secured a slick rear-naked choke at 2:28 of the third stanza. In defending his belt, Shore extended his perfect record to 10-0, the last nine in CWFC, and it may be time for the 24-year-old to join the major leagues of MMA.

#AndStill your Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion Jack 'Tank' Shore

A clean sweep for the Welsh at #CW104 is completed by the champ, with a win via RNC pic.twitter.com/U2193hqdiz

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) April 27, 2019

The co-main event was to have been the promotional debut of Ultimate Fighting Championship and BAMMA veteran Tom…

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Estrada Edges Rungvisai to Capture WBC Super Flyweight Championship

Chapter 2 Didn't Disappoint. #RungvisaiEstrada2 pic.twitter.com/4XFczZHNcT

— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) April 27, 2019 After losing a bid for the WBC super flyweight title to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai via majority decision a year ago, Mexico's Juan Francisco Estrada can finally call himself champion again.

In the main event of a DAZN-streamed boxing event at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California, on Saturday night, Estrada out-boxed his Thai counterpart for 12 rounds to earn a unanimous decision. Estrada (39-3, 26 KOs) moved brilliantly inside the ropes and countered Rungvisai throughout the encounter. Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41 KOs) searched for the knockout in every round, but he had terrible difficulty in figuring out "Gallo's" movement.

Though neither fighter was ever in serious peril of being stopped and nobody was knocked off his feet, the battle was entertaining from start to finish. Estrada seemed to be a step ahead of the def…

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Bellator 220 Weigh-in Results: Championship Doubleheader Official

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

Bellator MMA is concluding the first round of the welterweight Grand Prix in its home state of California, putting the belt on the line between divisional kingpin Rory MacDonald and Jon Fitch.

MacDonald hit the scales at 169.8 pounds, as he prepares to defend his Bellator welterweight throne against Fitch (169.5) in the Bellator 220 main event this Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Co-headlining the event will be a women's flyweight title fight between flyweight queen Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (124.8) and Veta Arteaga (123.8) -- with all four making weight without issue at Friday's early weigh-in.

Bellator 220 "MacDonald vs. Fitch," which airs on DAZN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, also features a light heavyweight rematch between former light heavyweight champs Phil Davis (205.6) and Liam McGeary (205.2). At lightweight, former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Benson Henderson (156…

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Report: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera Added to UFC 239

Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera set for UFC 239 on July 6 in Las Vegas, according to sources.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 25, 2019

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is building its International Fight Week event more and more, adding a thrilling bantamweight matchup between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera to already stacked lineup.

According to ESPN late Thursday, O'Malley (10-0) will meet Vera (16-4) at UFC 239 in Las Vegas on July 6. Earlier this week, O'Malley posted on his Twitter his intentions of competing at this event, stating, "I'm freeeeeee. July 6th I'm busting someone up."

O'Malley is returning from a six-month suspension after testing positive for ostarine, where his suspension was reduced to that length after proving his supplements were contaminated. Unbeaten as a professional, "Sugar" made a splash in the major circuit after knocking out Alfred Khashakyan on the first season of Dana White's Tuesday Nigh…

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Legacy Fighting Alliance 64 Weigh-in Results: Title Fight Set

#LFA64 Public Weigh-In today at 6 p.m. CT!@Wileys_Tavern330 N. Main St.#SiouxFalls, #SouthDakota

Watch it LIVE:https://t.co/VeAkMGmhUo@IncaKolaUSA@USENDmoney@ButcherBox@GLCDirect2000@buyVPNservice@TheTerpHouse@ZebraMat@SanfordPentagon pic.twitter.com/HlURBXlH6G

— LFA (@LFAfighting) April 25, 2019 The Legacy Fighting Alliance is returning to Sioux Falls, S.D., for LFA 64, where every professional fighter successfully made weight.

Harvey Park hit the scales at 153 pounds, as he prepares to face Demarques Jackson (153) for the vacant LFA lightweight title, in the LFA 64 main event this Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Co-headlining the card will be a battle between Jason Jackson (178.4) and short notice replacement Scott Futrell (178) at a 180-pound catchweight.

LFA 64, which airs live on AXS TV on Friday, April 26 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, also features a 165-pound catchweight showdown between Jordon Larso…

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Nicco Montano Releases Statement on USADA Suspension, Targets Summer UFC Return

It’s been a while since Nicco Montano has been inside the Octagon, but she is hoping that changes in the coming months.

The former UFC women’s flyweight champion on Wednesday released a statement regarding her six-month USADA suspension for ostarine, which was one of several announced cases that resulted from a contaminated supplement. Montano’s six-month sanction began on Nov. 15, so she will be eligible to return to active competition in May.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank my friends, family, and all of my fans for their continued support during this difficult period in my life,” Montano wrote on Instagram. “As you all know, USADA was unable to locate the source of my contamination.  I will continue to remain diligent in my responsibilities to USADA and the UFC.  I would like to acknowledge Donna Marcolini and Jeff Novitzky with the UFC for their assistance in this process.

“This suspension has further inspired me to work even harder of ac…

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Italian Lightweight Danilo Belluardo Signs Four-Fight Deal with UFC

Italian fighter Danilo Belluardo (12-3) has joined the major leagues, as the time to prove himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has arrived.

According to Sherdog.com’s own sources, the up-and-coming fighter has just signed a four-bout contract with the Nevada-based promotion. The former Bellator contender arrives in the UFC riding a six-bout winning streak.

Fighting out of Milan, Italy, in his last bout “Caterpillar” defeated the Brazilian fighter Denilson Neves de Oliveira to capture the Venator lightweight belt. Prior to that, he submitted Elia Madau at Venator “Inside 1” and defeated Dragoljub Stanojevic via first-round TKO in the main event of The Golden Cage 2.

The majority of the victories on Belluardo’s record have come inside the distance, with six refer-ee’s stoppages and three submissions. Meanwhile, all three of his career defeats have come via KO or TKO, including a setback to hot prospect A.J. McKee at Bellator 152. That fight, howev-er, ma…

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Pedro Munhoz Fined $2,500 for Leaving Octagon After UFC 235 Victory

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has fined Pedro Munhoz $2,500 for jumping out of the Octagon following his victory over Cody Garbrandt at UFC 235.

The NSAC agreed upon the penalty during a hearing on Wednesday. In addition, Munhoz must pay $327.06 in fees before he will be allowed to fight again. UFC 235 took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 2.

Munhoz was warned by commission officials to remain in the Octagon after the bout’s conclusion. The NSAC has that policy in place to prevent fighters from injuring themselves or those in the surrounding area. NSAC guidelines state that An unarmed combatant shall not leave the ring or, if the contest or exhibition is being held in a fenced area, the fenced area, during any period of rest that follows a period of unarmed combat.”

Munhoz stopped Garbrandt, the former bantamweight champion, at the 4:51 mark of the opening round. The 32-year-old American Top Team representative has won three straight fight…

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Dana White Claims He’ll Be Making Zuffa Boxing Moves ‘When This Summer is Over’

It’s been quiet on the Zuffa Boxing front in recent months, but the venture is apparently still very much alive.

In an interview with CNN, UFC President Dana White revealed plans to launch his fledgling promotion later this year.

“I am making all my boxing moves after this summer,” White said (transcription via Bloody Elbow). When this summer is over, you’ll be hearing a lot about what I’m doing in the sport of boxing.”

After helping to promote the blockbuster bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor in August 2017, White promised that he was “getting into boxing, 100 percent.” During various faceoffs and promotional events, the UFC boss could be seen wearing a Zuffa Boxing T-shirt.

“I’m not leaving the UFC. I’m getting into boxing with [WME/IMG head] Ari [Emanuel] and the UFC will be doing boxing, too,” White told the Los Angeles Times in November 2017. “It’s still early. We’re still working on it. I’ve got to get my [stuff] together, but I’m getting into…

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Kevin Holland to Fight Alessio Di Chirico at UFC on ESPN+ 12

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

A middleweight showcase will take place at the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship event in South Carolina. According to Sherdog’s own sources, Italy’s Alessio Di Chirico will touch gloves with Kevin Holland at ESPN+ 12 in June.

Bellator MMA and Legacy Fighting Alliance veteran Holland (14-4) earned himself a contract with the Nevada-based promotion after defeating Will Santiago Jr. on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. Once in the UFC, he suffered a loss to Thiago Santos, who bested the Phalanx MMA Academy product via unanimous decision. “Trailblazer” bounced back by submitting John Phillips via rear-naked choke, then by defeating Gerald Meerschaert by split decision at UFC on ESPN 2 last month.

Di Chirico (12-2) is currently 3-2 in his UFC campaign. “Manzo” is riding a two-bout winning streak after knocking out Oluwale Bamgbose at UFC on Fox 26 and winning a split decision against J…

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Nicco Montano, Sean O’Malley Among Four Fighters Suspended by USADA for Ostarine

Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com

Former UFC flyweight champion Nicco Montano and highly regarded bantamweight prospect Sean O'Malley were among four fighters to receive six-month suspensions from USADA after testing positive for the banned substance ostarine.

In addition to Montano and O’Malley, UFC fighters Augusto Mendes and Marvin Vettori also received six-month sanctions. After conducting thorough investigations in each case, USADA found no evidence of intentional use of ostarine, a selective androgen receptor modulator sold as a performance-enhancing substance. Ostarine is often found as an undeclared ingredient in many supplements and can be difficult for athletes to identify as the source of their positive test. All four UFC athletes’ positive tests were determined to have resulted from contaminated substances.

The case resolution for each of the aforementioned fig…

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Norman Parke, Artur Sowinski to Clash in Catchweight Bout at KSW 49

It’s time for Norman Parke to step back in the KSW cage once again, and for the second time in a row it will be against a former champion. The Northern Ireland native will square off with Artur Sowinski in a 163-pound catchweight bout at KSW 49 on May 18.

Parke (26-6-1) is coming off a victory over former KSW welterweight champion Borys Mankowski via unanimous decision at KSW 47. After suffering a nasty cut in the first round, Parke got back on track in the second and third stanzas, winning a unanimous decision in front of a partisan crowd at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland. With that victory, Parke ran his record since leaving the Ultimate Fighting Championship to 5-1 with one no-contest.

BREAKING!!! @norman_parke and @artur_sowinski will face each other at #KSW49!

May 18ERGO ARENAGdańsk/Sopot, PolandTickets on sale https://t.co/ZN4yal6Vzy pic.twitter.com/rX2hdZl5nY

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) April 22, 2019

Now the winner of “The…

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Santiago Ponzinibbio Issues Challenge to Anthony Pettis: ‘You Won’t Get Lucky Like Last Time’

Santiago Ponzinibbio doesn’t want to be a forgotten man in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division.

“El Gente Boa” took to social media to call out former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who made a spectacular welterweight debut with a Superman punch knockout of Stephen Thompson last month in Nashville.

“There’s no way I’m going to allow you to be ahead of me,” Ponzinibbio wrote to Pettis on Instagram. “Come get this beating, you won’t get lucky like last time.”

Ponzinibbio clearly isn’t putting much stock in Pettis’ highlight-reel knockout of “Wonderboy,” which came with five seconds remaining in the second round of the UFC Fight Night 148 headliner. Pettis was likely about to be down two rounds to none on the scorecards had Thompson made it to the horn.

The 32-year-old Argentina native has won his last seven bouts in the Octagon, including a fourth-round knockout of Neil Magny in the UFC Fight Night 140 main event on No…

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Walt Harris Accepts 4-Month USADA Suspension for Anti-Doping Violation

Walt Harris has been suspended four months by the USADA for a failed drug test at UFC 232 this past December.

The sanction is identical to the one Harris received from the California State Athletic Commission, which also fined the heavyweight $4,000. “The Big Ticket” tested positive in competition for a selective androgen receptor module called LGD4033, and as a result, his split-decision triumph against Andrei Arlovski was overturned to a no contest.

Harris’ suspension was reduced after it was determined that a tainted supplement caused the failed drug test. He will be eligible to return to active competition in April, which means that his scheduled UFC Ottawa bout against Sergey Spivak on May 4 is not in jeopardy.

The statement from USADA regarding Harris is as follows:

USADA announced today that Walt Harris, of Homewood, Ala., has accepted a four-month sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for a prohibited substan…

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