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If you thought that Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were on their way to becoming drinking buddies, think again.

TMZ Sports recently interviewed Mayweather and asked him about the upcoming fight between McGregor and lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov scheduled for UFC 229. Not only did Mayweather refer to his Irish rival as a “tough competitor” and “a warrior,” but he essentially invited McGregor to train at his gym in Las Vegas.

“I’ll talk with [UFC President Dana White], I may talk with Conor to get some tickets,” Mayweather said. “But leading up to the fight, when McGregor gets to Las Vegas, we’d like him to train at — I know the UFC has got a training facility — but we’d like for him to work out at the Mayweather Boxing Club.”

McGregor doesn’t seem so eager to bury the hatchet. The “Notorious” one responded as only he can via Twitter on Tuesday, and it doesn’t sound as though he will accept Mayweather’s offer.

“F—k the Mayweathers, e…

Carlo Pedersoli Jr. will replace Neil Magny and face Alex Oliveira in a welterweight bout at UFC Fight Night 137 on Sept. 22.

Combate was first to report the new matchup. Magny was recently transported to UFC Fight Night Buenos Aires to headline the card opposite Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Pedersoli won his eighth consecutive bout in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 130, as he took a split decision over Bradley Scott on May 27. The 25-year-old Brazilian is 11-1 as a professional and also owns a win over former UFC competitor Nicolas Dalby under the Cage Warriors banner.

Oliveira is coming off the biggest triumph of his career to date, a second-round submission of Carlos Condit at UFC on Fox 29 on April 14. The Brazilian “Cowboy” has lost just once in his last seven promotional appearances.

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Conor McGregor will have the opportunity to get some tips from a former foe ahead of his title bout at UFC 229 if he so chooses.

Floyd Mayweather, who defeated McGregor via 10th round technical knockout in a boxing match in August 2017, recently told TMZ Sports that he’d welcome the Irishman to his boxing gym in Las Vegas. McGregor is slated to face the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 6.

“I’ll talk with [UFC President Dana White], I may talk with Conor to get some tickets,” Mayweather said. “But leading up to the fight, when McGregor gets to Las Vegas, we’d like him to train at — I know the UFC has got a training facility — but we’d like for him to work out at the Mayweather Boxing Club.”

The one-year anniversary of Mayweather’s victory over McGregor on Aug. 26, 2017. The pound-for-pound boxing great reportedly earned $300 million for the bout, while McG…

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Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes fighters will keep missing weight in the UFC because the punishment is not severe enough.

The 27 year-old Australian had first-hand experience with an opponent missing weight when he took on Yoel Romero at UFC 225 back in June. Romero narrowly missed weight but still fought Whittaker, losing by split decision.

It was the second consecutive fight where Romero failed to make weight, as earlier in the year he took on Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 in what was intended to be an interim title fight. Because he missed weight, Romero was ineligible for the title. Romero then knocked Rockhold out, putting UFC matchmakers in a difficult situation regarding whom to pair Whittaker against. Despite missing weight and not officially winning the interim belt, Romero he still secured a title fight with the champion months later.

The si…

Another member of the sport’s first family is set to make his mixed martial arts debut.

Robson Gracie Jr., the younger brother of Renzo Gracie, will make his first professional foray at Bellator 208 when he faces Peter Nascimento in a welterweight bout. A promotion official confirmed the fight to Sherdog.com on Monday following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com.

Gracie, 27, has signed a multi-fight contract with the California-based promotion. He trains with his brother Renzo in New York. He also previously trained with Murilo Bustamante at Brazilian Top Team in Rio de Janeiro. Gracie doesn’t have any MMA experience.

Nascimento has just one bout to his credit. At Bellator 194, he suffered a first-round technical knockout against Kastriot Xhema on Feb. 16.

Bellator 208 takes place at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., and is headlined by a heavyweight grand prix semifinal matchup between Fedor Emelianenko and Chael Sonnen. Graci…

Lightweights Brian Foster and Ramsey Nijem will not be able to compete in the Professional Fighters League October playoffs.

Foster was unable to be licensed by an athletic commission, while Nijem is still medically suspended from his previous bout and did not receive clearance. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the news on Monday.

Foster had previously clinched a playoff spot with a third-round stoppage of Nijem at PFL 2 on June 21.

As a result, a 155-pound contest pitting Jason High against Johnny Case at PFL 7 on Thursday will determine the final entrant into the eight-man bracket. Thiago Tavares claimed the seventh playoff spot following the exit of Foster and Nijem.

High is 0-2 under the PFL banner, falling to both Natan Schulte and Efrain Escudero via submission in regular season bouts. Case, a six-time UFC veteran, is entering the lightweight field as an alternate. PFL 7 takes place at Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. and airs on NBC …

It didn’t take long for Nate Diaz to respond to Bruce Buffer after the longtime UFC ring announcer ripped the fighter for his gripes about being underpromoted.

“I love Nate, but he’s always got a bad taste in his mouth,” Buffer recently told TMZ Sports. “Nate, I heard you made $7 [million] or more dollars on your last fight. I don’t want to hear you complaining about being underpromoted by the UFC.

“You should be thanking the UFC and bowing to Dana White every time you see him, (and) Ari Emmanuel, Patrick Whitesell. You’ve got $7 [million] or more dollars gross, before taxes, maybe much more – which I love knowing that you have, Nate. Please – I don’t want to hear any more.”

Diaz didn’t take kindly to Buffer’s suggestion that he bow to White and the UFC’s owners for the money that he’s made while competing within the Las Vegas-based promotion. According to the Stockton, Calif., native, he will “bow down to no one ever, for all the money [in the world].”

…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut event on ESPN appears to be taking shape with a pair of rumored bouts.

According to MMAjunkie.com, a welterweight showdown between ex-champ Robbie Lawler and two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson will take place on Jan. 18 at an as-yet-to-be announced event. However, much hinges on the health of Lawler, who needs to be medically cleared after tearing his ACL in January. “Ruthless” will reportedly meet with his surgeon on Monday.

Meanwhile, a flyweight clash pitting Paige VanZant against Rachael Ostovich is also in the works for the card, per MMAFighting.com. After confirming she had accepted a date for a bout on Twitter, VanZant then rescinded that announcement, claiming she has not yet been medically cleared. Neither bout has been announced by the UFC.

Lawler last appeared at UFC on Fox 26 on Dec. 16, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Rafael dos Anjos. Thompson, meanwhile, is coming off a narrow decisio…

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Nate Diaz wasn’t happy when he learned that he would not be part of the card featuring the blockbuster lightweight title bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.

Diaz, who has been booked to face Dustin Poirier at UFC 230 on Nov. 3 at Madison Square Garden, said he felt “underpromoted” upon learning that Nurmagomedov and McGregor would square off at UFC 229. He also sent out the following tweet: “I’m not fighting on that show [f—k] the UFC.”

I’m not fighting on that show fuk the @ufc

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) August 3, 2018

Longtime UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer dismissed the notion that Diaz was underpromoted, pointing to the Stockton, Calif., native’s earnings for his last bout with McGregor at UFC 202 in August 2016. In fact, Buffer believes Diaz should display a lot more gratitude toward the company that signs his checks.

“I love Nate, but he’s a…

When MMA fans look back on UFC Fight Night 135, Justin Gaethje’s knockout of James Vick in the evening’s main event will leave the most lasting impression.

It’s no surprise, then, that Gaethje pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his triumph at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday night. “The Highlight” folded Vick with a massive overhand right at the 1:27 mark of round one, halting a two-fight skid in the process.

Meanwhile, Eryk Anders received the card’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for his knockout of Tim Williams in a featured middleweight clash. The former University of Alabama linebacker landed a perfectly-timed head kick as his foe was attempting to stand to earn the finish 4:42 into the third stanza.

Finally, Cory Sandhagen and Iuri Alcantara pocketed $50,000 apiece for “Fight of the Night” in a preliminary bantamweight affair. Alcantara put his foe in serious danger in the opening stanza with armba…

No need for Justin Gaethje to go to war tonight. "The Highlight" (19-2) delivers early brutality, collapsing James Vick in less than 90 seconds! Snapping a two-fight skid, Gaethje has finished 17 of 19 victories, 16 by knockout. #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/5HXkLLEdYc

— Tanuki Usman (@Hamderlei) August 26, 2018

After storming onto the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s roster and creating a fervor, Justin Gaethje had suffered back-to-back losses and found himself under intense scrutiny. All of that -- and James Vick’s consciousness -- went out the window in the main event of UFC Fight Night 135 Saturday night as “The Highlight” lived up to his nickname in spectacular fashion.

Vick tried keeping Gaethje at bay his massive length, but the Arizona native closed the gap anyway and ended the lightweight battle with one punch. Vick (13-2) backed into the cage and from there, Gaethje detonated an atomic bomb on Vick’s jaw, knocking him senseless. On…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 135 coverage kicks off Saturday at 6:30 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 Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Offici…

Clay Guida won’t press charges against fellow UFC fighter Nate Diaz after an altercation at a Combate Americas event in May left “The Carpenter” with a bloody lip, according to The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

Guida initially filed a police report after the incident, which took place on May 11 at Combate Americas “Mexico vs. USA” at the McClellan Conference Center in McClellan Park, Calif. Ultimately, Guida declined to move forward with a misdemeanor battery complaint against Diaz. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department was investigating the melee, but the case is now closed. MMAjunkie.com first reported the news.

A brawl nearly ensued when Diaz allegedly shoved Guida from behind, sending him into a guardrail and bloodying his lip. Meanwhile, Guida’s training partner, Tyler Diamond, claimed that Diaz slapped him and one of “his groupies rabbit punched me” when he tried to defuse the situation.

Guida and Diaz initially fought at UFC 94 in Janu…

Conor McGregor is beginning his mental warfare against Khabib Nurmagomedov and those around him as their UFC 229 headlining bout draws near.

On Friday night, the Irishman used an Instagram post to mock Nurmagomedov and his father/coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

“[Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov] I can see you. Cowering behind fake respect,” McGregor wrote. “Just like your middle child. A quivering coward.”

McGregor had been quiet since the announcement of the UFC 229 headliner, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 6. It’s possible that McGregor’s post was in response to a video featuring Abdulmanap where he said McGregor wasn't the true lightweight champion. McGregor captured the belt with a stoppage of Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016 but was stripped of the crown earlier this year for inactivity.

“I think Conor understands that he wasn’t the real champion at 155,” Abdulmanap said previously. “He only fought against two ligh…

Max Holloway appears to be feeling much better following a medical scare just prior to his scheduled title defense at UFC 226, as MMAJunkie is reporting that “Blessed” will return to face No. 1 contender Brian Ortega at UFC 231 in Toronto on Dec. 8 at ScotiaBank Arena.

Holloway was pulled from his bout against Ortega a few days prior to UFC 226 due to what was called concussion-like symptoms. However, the 26-year-old Hawaiian dispelled a rumor that he was knocked out in sparring during his camp and denies he suffered a stroke, as was also reported.

“There’s rumors going around that I got knocked out in training and I wish it was that so we could just write it down and be like, ‘Look, this is what happened,'” Holloway told Ariel Helwani in July. “And we could move on from it. That didn’t happen. We had hard training days, but I didn’t suffer a concussion at all. I wish the answer was that simple. That’s why it’s so confusing. It would be easy to move forward if we knew w…

Official. #UFCLincoln pic.twitter.com/sOPNpHzA2o

— UFC (@ufc) August 24, 2018

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is back after a two-week break, and UFC Fight Night 135 is only a day away with a lightweight main event between Justin Gaethje and surging James Vick headlining the bill.

Team Alpha Male product Andre Fili gets another step up in competition as he takes on Michael Johnson in the co-main event, while familiar names like Eryk Anders and Jake Ellenberger make up the remaining main card bouts.

The preliminary fights, which start on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 pm ET, usually reserved for lesser known talent, actually feature some important bouts for the welterweight and lightweight divisions. Mickey Gall takes on George Sullivan and Drew Dober fights Jon Tuck to open the show.

UFC Fight Night 135 Weigh-in Results: Justin Gaethje (156) vs. James Vick (156)Michael Johnson (146) vs. Andre Fili (146)Cortney Casey-Sanchez (115.5) vs.…

On to the next one! #ufc229 #teampettis #414 #702 pic.twitter.com/YNIljSseI5

— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) August 24, 2018

Add Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis to the growing list of crucial lightweight matchups, as the two will fight on the same card as the 155-pound title fight between current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former title holder Conor McGregor. MMA Junkie was the first to report the matchup, with Pettis appearing to confirm it via Twitter shortly thereafter.

Ferguson (23-3) is riding an imposing ten-fight winning streak, and actually captured an interim lightweight title after submitting Kevin Lee at UFC 216. “Showtime” had an absolute return to form in his last outing at UFC 226 last month, dropping Michael Chiesa with strikes before submitting him with a slick triangle armbar.

However, the former lightweight champion has remained inconsistent since losing the belt back in 2015. Losses to Max Holloway and Dus…

An intriguing middleweight matchup has been added to UFC 230 in New York City, with Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series standout Karl Roberson taking on former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship champion Jack Marshman set to throw down on Nov. 3, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced on Thursday.

Roberson (6-1) made a huge impression on UFC President Dana White with a stunning knockout on the Contender Series, using elbows to put away Ryan Spann only 15 seconds into Round 1.

The rangy middleweight took a massive step up in competition after the Spann knockout, losing by submission to seasoned promotional veteran Cesar Ferreira at UFC 224.

Marshman (22-7) has remained inconsistent throughout his UFC run, having not fought since a submission loss last year. Prior to that, Marshman fell victim to a body kick TKO against Thiago Santos, with a decision victory over Ryan Janes in between those two losses.

UFC 230 takes place at the famou…

One Championship is making its promotional debut in Japan as it announced their first-ever event in Tokyo in March 2019.

“It warms my heart to see just how much respect we have built (in Japan) as martial artists,” One Championship fighter and MMA pioneer Renzo Gracie said about the announcement. “This is what true martial arts is all about. I have been to Tokyo many times and the city never fails to amaze and surprise me. To be able to come full circle and bring martial arts back to Japan, it’s an amazing sight to behold. I am incredibly proud to be a part of this momentous occasion. Japan has played a huge role in the history of martial arts on a global scale, and it’s just right that it returns to glory once again. One Championship and Japan are a perfect fit and I foresee a bright future ahead.”’

Gracie himself competed under the One Championship banner after an eight year retirement, submitting Yuki Kondo in July. That event was held in the Philippines, with t…

2-Nil #AndStill!!!!@TJDillashaw finishes Garbrandt in the FIRST ROUND!!! #UFC227| B2YB @ToyoTires | pic.twitter.com/o0iTnqWa4s

— UFC (@ufc) August 5, 2018

When the Ultimate Fighting Championship partnered with Reebok as its official provider of fighter apparel, many fighters expressed their disappointment as the deal meant a loss of sponsorship income since they would no longer be allowed to wear branded gear inside the Octagon. The deal forced fighters to search for alternate ways to make sponsorship money on the side.

UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw recently spoke to the International Business Times about his partnership with Sanabul -– a producer of fight gear -– and why other fighters should align themselves with brands particularly when they are not fighting and earning money.

“I feel it’s important to align yourself with brands that have similar goals and ideologies,” Dillashaw said. “A uniform doesn’t allow for us to …

A long-rumored superfight between featherweight queen Cristiane Justino and bantamweight titlist Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 is now official.

According to ESPN, both fighters have signed contracts to lock horns on Dec. 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Cyborg’s” 145-pound title will be on the line in the bout. Justino initially wanted to face Nunes in September, but “Lioness” needed more time to recover from a foot injury.

Justino is unbeaten in five UFC appearances. The 33-year-old Chute Boxe representative claimed featherweight gold with a third-round stoppage of Tonya Evinger at UFC 214 before successfully defending the belt against Holly Holm and Yana Kunitskaya. “Cyborg” is 20-1 with one no contest as a pro, and has finished 17 of her wins by knockout or technical knockout.

Nunes, meanwhile, enters the matchup on a seven-bout winning streak in the Octagon. After capturing the 135-pound crown against Miesha Tate at UFC 200, the American Top Team repre…

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista

Paulo Henrique Costa lost his dance partner for UFC 230, but he doesn’t sound interested in facing a replacement opponent.

Earlier this week, Yoel Romero revealed that he would need four to five months to recover from surgery he underwent for a broken orbital suffered against Robert Whittaker at UFC 225 in June. That would have “The Soldier of God” ready to compete by the end of this year at the earliest.

The UFC already announced that Romero and Costa would square off at UFC 230, which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 3. “Borrachinha” plans on waiting for Romero to return to full health and is willing to face the Cuban early next year.

"I just heard about this news. It seems like he wants more time to train and get ready for our fight, but it will happen,” Costa told Combate. “I'm going to wait for him to return, give him the time he needs to train and what he thinks …

It might not come as a surprise to hear that Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White doesn’t intend to hold back his criticism of fighters if he feels it is warranted.

White is a unique character in that he is the public figurehead of the largest MMA promotion in the world but at times finds himself at loggerheads with fighters on a raft of issues including weight cutting, performance inside the Octagon or a fighter’s personal life.

In a recent interview with Fox News, White maintained that if his fighters put on bad performances, he will continue to call them out (via MMA Weekly):

“Well guess what? This isn’t the fun business,” White said. “You don’t get to go out and put on a terrible performance and act like you just did something incredible. The guys that I went after and the guys that I did that to, if you watched their performances and what happened that night, most of them deserved it.”

However controversial his methods may be, the…

When it comes to gruesome injuries, Bryce Mitchell will probably have a leg up on most of his peers.

“The Ultimate Fighter 27” cast member revealed on Tuesday that he suffered a horrific accident with a drill that “ripped my nutsack in half.” Mitchell offered a more detailed account of the incident on Twitter:

Imma be out for a little bit. pic.twitter.com/Lah1c47225

— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) August 21, 2018

Mitchell also shared a picture of his bloody underwear from the accident. Apparently they will hold a special place in his heart.

pic.twitter.com/FYEy9sfWqB

— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) August 21, 2018

Someone asked me to auction off the bloody boxers but yal got me fucked up. That’s a good pair Ima bleach em and keep wearin em.

— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) August 22, 2018

Mitchell made it to the semifinals of “TUF 27,” where he suffered a third-round submission l…