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In combat sports, it’s always a gift to emerge victorious when you’re not firing on all cylinders.

According to Andrea Lee, that was the case for her during a unanimous decision victory over Montana De La Rosa at UFC Fight Night 154 on Saturday night.

“I thought this was probably the worst fight I’ve ever had,” Lee said. “I was not very happy about my performance, but I gotta go back and watch everything. She is a great wrestler. Luckily, she was not able to do much after the take downs and I could get back on my feet every time, I just feel I didn’t throw enough volume. I don’t know what it was. I felt great going into the fight, but you know, you are not always the same in your fights.”

Despite her own critique, Lee was able to bloody her opponent on the feet and while she was taken down five times, she successfully defended seven other attempts. It was enough for “KGB” to extend her overall winning streak to seven, a stretch that includes a trio of triumphs in…

booth fighting in round 2! #UFCGreenville pic.twitter.com/XYiFPZXVNA

— UFC (@ufc) June 22, 2019

Eric Spicely’s bank account was hurting heading into UFC Greenville. After putting on an entertaining performance in a loss to Deron Winn, “Zebrinha” has a little more financial breathing room.

Spicely received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award at the conclusion of Saturday’s card at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. While Winn captured a unanimous verdict in his Octagon debut, Spicely was a willing dance partner as the contest featured numerous spirited standup exchanges.

Spicely accepted the middleweight bout on short notice – and apparently for good reason.

“My bank account was [$-230],” Spicely wrote on Twitter. “I’m f—king juiced right now.”

My bank account was -230$ I’m fucking juiced right now!!! #FOTN

— éS (@EricSpicely) June 23, 2019

Winn set a UFC m…

Chan Sung Jung worked for less than a minute on Saturday night, but that was more than enough to net him a $50,000 bonus check.

“The Korean Zombie” earned “Performance of the Night’ honors for a 58-second technical knockout of Renato Carneiro in the evening’s UFC Greenville headliner at Bon Scours Wellness Arena. A two-punch combination rattled “Moicano,” and Jung clinched his victory with ground-and-pound from mount.

Meanwhile, Jairzinho Rozenstruik garnered the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for an even shorter night’s work in a preliminary heavyweight matchup with Allen Crowder. Rozenstruik dropped Crowder with a jab before knocking his foe unconscious with three standing-to-ground punches, ending the contest in just nine seconds.

Finally, Deron Winn and Eric Spicely shared “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their entertaining middleweight bout, which served as card’s opening fight. Winn made his Octagon debut a succes…

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. The “Korean Zombie” continued to shuffle up the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight rankings, as Chan Sung Jung destroyed Renato Carneiro with first-round strikes in the UFC Fight Night 154 main event. It was never a fight: Jung stunned Carneiro with a picture perfect right hook-left hook combination in the opening seconds. “Moicano” dropped in a heap and Jung swarmed, hopping on the Brazilian’s back and assaulting him with punches. Carneiro recovered somewhat and struggled to weather the storm, but Jung was relentless, pelting him with punches while staying heavy on top. Referee Blake Grice had seen enough, pulling the South Korean off and awarding the TKO victory at a mere 58 seconds of the first round.

The electrifying knockout rights the ship for Jung, who lost to Yair Rodriguez via Sherdog’s 2018 “Knockout of the Year” in …

Cooper Gibson finishes Ricky Palacios and ends his undefeated run in Combate Americas!#CombateTexas pic.twitter.com/9OlqqlCaXy

— Combate Americas (@combateamericas) June 22, 2019 Combate Americas debuted in Hidalgo, Texas, and delivered an exciting night of fights.

The main event of Combate 40 saw featherweights Cooper Gibson and Ricky Palacios battle at a 150-pound catchweight. Gibson managed to take "El Gallero" to the ground early in the first and quickly got to side control. He locked in an arm triangle and forced Palacios to tap at 4:02

Enrique Gonzalez made a successful promotional debut in the night's co-main event. Despite some early scares against Alejandro Martinez (4-4), "Baby Bull" managed to use his superior cardio to win the later rounds on two of the judges' scorecards. Gonzalez won a split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) to improve his record to 7-3.

The lone female fight on the card featured strawweights Paulin…

Ashley Yoder got her first Ultimate Fighting Championship win last time out. The 31-year-old lost to Justin Kish, Angela Hill and Mackenzie Dern, but beat Amanda Cooper back in November. To finally get her first win in the Las Vegas-based promotion was surreal.

"It felt good. It was a rough fight going into it, and a lot of personal stuff going on," Yoder said to Sherdog.com. "My number one coach wasn't there. Just a bunch of chaos, but we overcame it. It may not have been my best performance. At the end of the day, you just have to go in there and do your best."

Now, she is set to take on Syuri Kondo at UFC Greenville. Although Yoder wanted to return much sooner than this, she is just glad to be fighting. Ultimately, the American is excited to take on Kondo and showcase all her skills once more.

"For any fighter I go against, I just come out and bring the best Ashley Yoder. Just learning new things and getting more comfortable under the bright lights," she explai…

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 154 coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET.

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

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Sherdog S…

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship returns this Saturday for arguably their biggest card to date. In the main event, Artem Lobov (154.6) is set for his second BKFC fight as he welcomes former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi (154.8) into the promotion.

The co-main event sees Chris Leben (193) take on Dakota Cochrane (190.8). Also on the card is Reggie Barnett Jr. (133.2) scraps Johnny Bedford (134.6), Jamie Campbell (267.8) collides with Joey Beltran (242), while UFC veteran, Joe Riggs (184) also returns to BKFC to fight Walber Tete Barros (183.4).

The card airs live on Fite TV with the main card starting at 9 p.m. E.T. and the prelims at 8 p.m.

BKFC 6 Weigh-in Results:Artem Lobov (154.6) vs. Paulie Malignaggi (154.8)Chris Leben (193) vs. Dakota Cochrane (190.8)Reggie Barnett Jr. (133.2) vs. Johnny Bedford (134.6)Jamie Campbell (267.8) vs. Joey Beltran (242)Abdiel Velazquez (134.4) vs. Travis Thompson (135.2)Julian Lane (169.8) vs. Tom Shoaff (168.8)Joe Rigga (184.6…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dfnQ1tPe5Q&w=560&h=315]

Bellator MMA heads to London this Saturday, where the middleweight title is on the line.

The main event sees middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi (185) look for his second title defense as he takes on Rafael Lovato Jr. (184). The two were originally supposed to fight back in January but the champion had to pull out due to an injury. Co-headlining the card sees welterweight Grand Prix quarterfinalist Paul Daley (170.6) facing off against UFC veteran Erick Silva (170.8).

Bellator London, which airs via tape-delay on Dazn and the Bellator App on Saturday, June 22, also features James Gallagher (139.2) against Jeremiah Labiano (139.6) in a 140-pound catchweight bout. At light heavyweight, England's Kent Kauppinen (200) scraps with knockout aficionado Melvin Manhoef (205.6). In a 160-pound catchweight contest, reality TV star Aaron Chalmers (159.8) is looking to get back into the win column as he takes …

Official Weigh-in | Peso OficialCooper Gibson (150.2 lbs)Ricky Palacios (150 lbs)#CombateTexas pic.twitter.com/Bu14hL6God

— Combate Americas (@combateamericas) June 20, 2019

Combate Americas heads back to Texas this Friday, where every fighter has made weight before their respective battles.

In the main event, Ricky Palacios hit the scales at 150 pounds as he prepares to take on Cooper Gibson (150.2) in a 150-pound catchweight bout. In the co-main event, Alejandro Martinez (149.9) fights Enrique Gonzalez (150.4) in another 150-pound catchweight tilt.

Combate 40, which takes place on Friday, June 21 at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, also features a strawweight scrap between undefeated Paulina Vargas (114.5) and Desiree Yanez (115.7). In the bantamweight division, D.J. Fuentes (135.8) collides with C.J. Hamilton (134.6). Finally, in an additional catchweight fight, this time at 157 pounds, Elias Rodriguez (157.1)…

Andre Ewell will return to the Octagon to take on Anderson dos Santos at UFC Fight Night 154. There, the American is looking to get back into the win column after losing to Nathaniel Wood back at UFC 232.

Although getting another fight took longer than he thought, Ewell knows he has to win this fight on Saturday. "Well, everything I have to do is be me. At the end of the day it is a must win, every fight is a must win," Ewell said to Sherdog.com. "No one is looking at people who are losing. For me, I know he is coming in with heart and has Brazil behind him. We both know what we bring to the table, but I just have to put my hands on him."

Something going against Ewell in this fight is the fact that dos Santos will no doubt be the bigger man given his last fight was at featherweight. However, the 31-year-old doesn't believe that will be a factor at all on Saturday.

"That is not a worry at all. Honestly, I believe I will be a [featherweight] in the future, so this i…

Paddy Donovan, the southpaw amateur boxer from Limerick, Ireland, has signed a multi-year contract with Top Rank and is expected to make his professional debut later this year.

"I'm honored to sign with Top Rank. They are the best in boxing," Donovan said. "My goal is to become a world champion, and there is no one better than Top Rank to help me achieve my goal."

Donovan owns a lengthy amateur record of 161-5 and holds 13 national titles. The 20-year-old is managed and trained by Andy Lee, a former middleweight world champion in his own right.

"Paddy is a special talent," said his trainer. "He has all the skills and character to become a world champion. Top Rank's record of taking amateur boxers and guiding them into world champions is second to none. We couldn't be with a better company."

Donovan has earned championships outside of Ireland as well, including two titles at the Haringey Box Cup and a silver medal at the 2015 International Boxing Association …

It could be a while before Henry Cejudo has to make a decision on which UFC championship belt he defends next.

According to a report from ESPN, Cejudo will be sidelined four to five months after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair an injury suffered in his bantamweight title win over Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 on June 8.

Cejudo tore his subcapularis muscle, which is part of the rotator cuff. Given the recovery time, it is unlikely that the Olympic gold medalist fights before the end of 2019.

“The Messenger” became flyweight champion with a split verdict over Demetrious Johnson at UFC 227 last August and defended the crown with a 32-second stoppage of then-bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Brooklyn in January.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hItTi9Iy6NA&w=640&h=360] Chael Sonnen worked hard during fights, but he spent just as much energy talking himself into them. If that seems like a gimmick that is considered unsportsmanlike, one would have to wonder why they know who "The American Gangster" is and if they watched his fights. Granted, he never fought to lose but if fans tuned in because of what was said leading up to the fights then he won on the business end of fighting.

Conor McGregor, Colby Covington, Henry Cejudo and even new to the game fighters like Dillon Danis all get accused of stealing the trash talk gimmick. However, Sonnen sees it differently. "I think I had a hand in the entertainment era we're in now," said the fighter and he would be right.

It is a necessary ingredient to market a fight in the combat landscape today. The levels at which it is done can vary from humorous to offensive but if it gets people to tune in and buy a ticket then it works. Even …

To this day Edimilson Souza’s departure from the UFC is a mystery.

The Brazilian featherweight did not have his contract renewed despite winning three of his first four bouts in the Las Vegas-based promotion from 2013 to 2015. After almost four years, he is unclear of the reasoning for the UFC’s decision. But he believes that if he were competing in the Octagon today he would be among the best in his division.

"I have no doubt [that I would be at the top of the featherweights]. I look at my category today in the UFC and I see it was for me to be among the top 5 in the division, easy, no problem at all,” said Souza. "I have the ability to return to the UFC and Future [Fighting Championships] will be my new gateway."

“Kevin” Souza will make his debut in Future against Denis Silva on June 28. According to the projection of the 34-year-old fighter, this will be the first step of the return mission to the UFC.

"The plan is to win this fight against ‘Alagoas,’ ge…

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.Punahele Soriano passed the first serious test of his mixed martial arts career, and he was rewarded for his efforts. The Xtreme Couture middleweight on Tuesday remained unbeaten and laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Jamie Pickett, as Dana White’s Contender Series kicked off its third season at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges cast scorecards for Soriano (6-0): 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26. Afterward, the Hawaiian received an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

Pickett (7-4) had his moments, but they were too few and far between to matter. Soriano had the North Carolinian reeling late in the first round, where he cut loose with a wave of power punches and appeared to have a finish in sight. Pickett survived and extended the match, forcing his Hawaiian counterpart to work harder than he wanted. Soriano struck for a takedown…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVGky0kPp18&w=560&h=315]

Karolline Rosa Cavedo nearly made her Octagon debut at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro, but the short-notice weight cut proved to be too difficult to allow her to step in and face Vivane Araujo.

Now, however, the Brazilian bantamweight will officially get to fulfill her dream of fighting in the Las Vegas-based promotion. According to sources close to Brazilian outlet Psicoticos por Vale Tudo, Cavedo has signed with the UFC and is scheduled to make her debut at the Aug. 31 card in Shenzhen, China. Cavedo does not yet have an opponent.

Cavedo had been scheduled to square off against Jan Finney at Battlefield Fighting Championship in Macau on July 27, but she will withdraw from that booking after signing a UFC deal. The 24-year-old Cavedo has won 11 of her 14 professional bouts while competing for various promotions.

UFC China is expected to be headlined by a strawweight title bout between Cavedo training pa…

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 DWTNCS Season 3, Episode 1 coverage kicks off Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tudor Leonte scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfiel…

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UFC veteran Joe Riggs is set to return to action at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 6 when he takes on Walber Brito de Barros on Saturday. Riggs is excited to make his second appearance with the promotion after defeating Heriberto Tovar in his debut this past February.

“I have been boxing since I was 10. After I left the UFC, my first fight I got offered was a bare-knuckle fight in England,” Riggs told Sherdog,com regarding his start in bare-knuckle boxing. “I fought several times in England and own their title then the promoter up there was a piece of s--t. He lied and is like 99 percent of the promoters. A good friend of mine, Sean Wheelock said Dave Feldman was starting up BKFC and he gave my number to Dave and the rest is history.”

Riggs is confident that his previous experience will give him an edge against Barros. Barros also has had a middling MMA career, with a 6-7 career mark that includes appearances in World Series of Fighting and Shooto Brazil.

“I go in e…

Donald Cerrone will need to be cleared before he can get back into the Octagon again.

“Cowboy” was suspended indefinitely by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s boxing division following his technical knockout loss to Tony Ferguson in a featured bout at UFC 238. Cerrone must have a clean CT of his facial bones and an MRI of his head before he can be cleared. MMAjunkie.com was able to obtain a full list of suspensions, which were not released by the Illinois commission.

Cerrone was not allowed to continue once his right eye swelled shut following the second round of his matchup with Ferguson. The BMF Ranch founder later released a statement on his condition, claiming he didn’t suffer any broken bones or a cracked orbital. Ferguson, meanwhile, was suspended 60 days with 45 days of no contact.

UFC 238 took place at the United Center in Chicago on June 8 and saw Henry Cejudo claim the vacant bantamweight crown with a finish of Marlon Mo…

Max Holloway will defend his featherweight belt against Frankie Edgar next month at UFC 240, but according to fellow 145-pounder Renato Carneiro, Alexander Volkanovski should be the man standing across from Holloway.

“Moicano” was on his own title run before being stopped in his tracks by his fellow Brazilian in Jose Aldo back in February. Aldo then faced off against Volkanovski last month and was completely shut down with the Aussie dominating him over the entire three rounds in Rio de Janeiro to win by unanimous decision.

Carneiro told Bloody Elbow that Volkanovski’s last two wins, including the manner in which he defeated Aldo last month, should have worked in his favor and that a title bout between Holloway and Volkanovski “makes more sense.”

“I think Max and Volkanovski makes more sense, because Volkanovski is coming off a big win,” Moicano said. “He beat Chad Mendes; Mendes was a great contender. And Jose Aldo is a legend. So for me, the fight to do is Max …

Back-to-back five round fights within a two-month span have taken their toll on Rory MacDonald, and now Bellator’s reigning welterweight champ needs some time to rest and recover.

MacDonald’s decision victory over Neiman Gracie in the Bellator 222 headliner punched his ticket to the finals of the promotion’s welterweight grand prix, where he will square off against Douglas Lima. While Bellator president initially floated a September date for that rematch, “The Red King” shot down that idea at Friday’s post-fight press conference.

“I have to take some time and heal some things up after back-to-back fights and training camps,” MacDonald said. “[September is] not realistic for me. I mean I wish I could make it come true. I had a feeling they would want that but it’s just not possible with what’s going on in my life right now. I need to take some time to heal from these fights, from these training camps, so I can be ready for a guy like Douglas.”

MacDonald claimed th…

Fedor Emelianenko is planning to conclude his illustrious mixed martial arts career under the Bellator MMA banner.

The California-based promotion announced over the weekend that the legendary Russian has signed an exclusive multi-fight contract for what has been billed as a “farewell tour” in a Bellator release.

“I am pleased that we were able to sign Fedor, the greatest heavyweight of all time, to a new contract extension,” Bellator president Scott Coker said. “He is someone that I consider a friend in this business and am even more pleased that he has decided to finish his storied career with Bellator.

“There are exciting matchups for him here in Bellator that I know will appeal to his fans from the past, as well as new fans from his recent run in the tournament. As his time in the sport winds down, I am happy to see him close out his career on his own terms.”

While nothing has been finalized, Quinton Jackson and Josh Barnett are a couple potential oppone…