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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…

Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Lucas Noonan Credit: Lucas Noonan Credit: Lucas Noonan Credit: Lucas Noonan Credit: Lucas Noonan Credit: Lucas Noonan Credit: Lucas Noonan Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator Credit: Lucas Noonan/Bellator Credit: Joao Baptista/PsicoticosporVT ‏ Credit: Joao Baptista/PsicoticosporVT ‏ Credit: Joao Baptista/PsicoticosporVT ‏ Credit: Joao Baptista/PsicoticosporVT ‏ Credit: Joao Baptista/PsicoticosporVT ‏ Credit: Joao Baptista/PsicoticosporVT ‏ Credit: Joao Baptista/PsicoticosporVT ‏ Credit: Joao Baptista/…

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…

And @Tyson_Fury ends it in Round 2. Had his way with Schwarz and wins via TKO. Great Las Vegas debut for Fury. #boxing #vegas #FurySchwarz pic.twitter.com/3Ouco7S8G4

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) June 16, 2019 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. Tyson Fury was looking to score an impressive win to set up his ballyhooed rematch with Deontay Wilder and on Saturday night, he did just that. Fury (28-0-1) scored his 20th professional knockout when he trounced unheralded Tom Schwarz in front of a near-sellout crowd inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, stopping him in the second round. The hulking "Gypsy King" used his tremendous hand speed to befuddle his foe from the start and outclassed him badly before stopping him.

Fury fought in a conventional stance throughout the first and picked apart Schwarz (24-1, 16 KO) with a Gatlin gun-like …

And @Tyson_Fury ends it in Round 2. Had his way with Schwarz and wins via TKO. Great Las Vegas debut for Fury. #boxing #vegas #FurySchwarz pic.twitter.com/3Ouco7S8G4

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) June 16, 2019 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. Tyson Fury was looking to score an impressive win to set up his ballyhooed rematch with Deontay Wilder and on Saturday night, he did just that. Fury (28-0-1) scored his 20th professional knockout when he trounced unheralded Tom Schwarz in front of a near-sellout crowd inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, stopping him in the second round. The hulking "Gypsy King" used his tremendous hand speed to befuddle his foe from the start and outclassed him badly before stopping him.

Fury fought in a conventional stance throughout the first and picked apart Schwarz (24-1, 16 KO) with a Gatlin gun-like …

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 Tyson Fury vs. Tom Schwarz coverage will begin at approximately 11 p.m. ET.

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

Tyson Fury vs. Tom Schwarz Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Round 10 Round 11 Round 12 The Official Result

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQKruzEVwno&w=640&h=360] Lindsey VanZandt was able to submit Rena Kubota in the first round at Bellator 222. Since the Rizin Fighting Federation versus Bellator MMA cross promotion started, a lot of attention has gone to the men's bantamweight titles for both promotions with Bellator losing to Rizin on both accounts. However, it just took a little 111-pound New Yorker in VanZandt to win a fight for Bellator.

When speaking to the media, VanZandt was asked if she considered the win a breakthrough one for her career and she said that it was. Kubota was not sent from Rizin because her name was pulled from a hat, she is an accomplished competitor in Japan who made it to the finals in Rizin's Atomweight Grand Prix in 2017. Coincidentally, Scott Coker wants to continue the relationship with Rizin and VanZandt said after her win she normally competes at atomweight.

Her first-round finish of Kubota will likely mean more business with Bell…

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

One Championship converged on Shanghai once again as One: Legendary Quest went down on June 15. In the MMA main event of the evening, Japanese mixed martial arts legend and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Yoshihiro Akiyama made his highly-anticipated One debut against Malaysian contender Agilan Thani. In Akiyama’s first bout after nearly 4 years out of the sport, Thani (10-3) though wasn’t impressed by his opponent’s résumé, and he eventually left another loss on Akiyama’s record, winning the contest via unanimous decision.

In the MMA co-main event of the evening, Koyomi Matsushima faced South Korean contender Kwon Won Il. Former Shooto Welterweight Tournament champion Matsushima arrived to this contest after successfully making his One debut with a TKO victory over Marat Gafurov. “Pretty Boy” Il secured a TKO victory in his last fight too. The action between these two contenders went back and for…

Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here. Sherdog's live Bellator 222 coverage begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions. Round 1 Middleweights Phil Hawes (4-2) and Michael Wilcox (6-3) face off in what will be the promotional debut for both men. Todd Anderson is the third man in the cage. They exchange strikes in the center of the cage for only a few seconds before Wilcox drops for a single-leg, which Hawes shucks off. 90 seconds in, neither man has done much damage, when Hawes drops Wilcox with a left hook. Hawes gives chase and lays on punches and hammerfists, but Wilcox escapes. Shortly afterwards, Hawes drops Wilcox with another punch off a blown single-leg and this time, he moves to mount, then side control, then lets Wilcox up. Hawes promptly drills Wilcox yet again, this time with a right hook, and is all over him on the canvas once more. Under two minutes left …

Yaozong Hu Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policyhttps://t.co/xmqq6tGC4W pic.twitter.com/hLrHac9o0c

— USADA | UFC Anti-Doping Program (@USADA_UFC) June 14, 2019

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Yaozong Hu has accepted a 10-month suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Hu (3-2) has been suspended 10 months after testing positive for a banned substance, USADA announced in a statement. He tested positive for arimistane and its metabolite, as a result of a dietary supplement that contained these substances.

Due to his cooperation with USADA, his suspension was lowered from one year to 10 months, despite that he discovered the supplement contained these substances after the fact. His suspension is retroactive to the date of his failed test, and he can compete again in January 2020.

The 24-year-old last fought back in November at UFC Fight Nigh…

UFC President Dana White attended the recent UFC 242 press conference in the UK to promote the much anticipated title unification bout between the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and the interim champion Dustin Poirier to be held on Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi.

As expected, White was questioned about the availability of Conor McGregor who hasn’t fought since his one-sided loss to the champion Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 back in October. Since then, McGregor has announced his retirement in the sport before getting into a personal spat with “The Eagle” on Instagram.

White said he has been in contact with the former dual-division champion and said will be a keen observer when the 155-pound championship fight takes place later this year (via BJPenn.com).

“Conor is in a position where he’s sitting back right now, and I think, waiting to see how this whole thing plays out with all these guys. But he should pop up soon.”

White defended the Irishman after comments from controversial ma…

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. Another flyweight fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been booked, as Matt Schnell will take on Jordan Espinosa at UFC on ESPN 5. First to report the news was MMA Junkie, and it was confirmed by Schnell on social media.

Schnell (13-4) is riding a three-fight winning streak with wins over Marco Beltran, Naoki Inoue, and most recently, a submission win over Louis Smolka at UFC Fight Night 146 in March at bantamweight. The 29-year-old announced earlier this week that he had signed a new four-fight contract with the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Fellow 29-year-old Espinosa (14-5, 1 NC), meanwhile, has won his last five including his triumphant UFC debut and two scraps on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. His last win came at UFC Fight Night 148 also in March, where he beat Eric Shelton by unanimous decision.

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