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After losing two consecutive bouts inside the Octagon in 2017, the future became somewhat bleak for Michelle Waterson. A submission loss to Rose Namajunas and a decision loss to Tecia Torres morphed “The Karate Hottie” from would-be superstar to yesterday’s news.

But then things changed.

Waterson (17-6) turned things around against Cortney Casey at UFC on Fox 29 last April. She entered the bout as an underdog, won a split decision and then entered her next bout against Felice Herrig as an underdog. Waterson won that one bya unanimous nod and then made her way to Philadelphia on Saturday against Poland’s Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Even though the Pole was coming off a loss, the MMA experts were a bit bullish on Waterson and, for the third time in a row, she was the underdog.

Waterson was masterful against Kowalkiewicz on Saturday. She picked her apart on the feet with her karate kicks to the legs and body. She peppered her with scattered punches upstairs. And after sh…

Justin Gaethje once again proved he is arguably the most exciting fighter in the UFC when he vanquished Edson Barboza in the main event of UFC on ESPN 2 on Saturday night.

Gaethje lived up to his nickname by delivering yet another thrilling, highlight-reel knockout when he torched Barboza with a crushing right hook to the jaw. The punch sent Barboza, one of the fiercest strikers in all of MMA, flat onto his back, completely removed from consciousness.

But it wasn’t a walk in the park for the Genesis Training Center star. He was rocked a few times by Barboza punches and his leg was battered early from the Brazilian’s shins.

“That son on a gun kicks hard,” Gaethje said immediately following his spectacular triumph in Philadelphia. “My leg’s going to be sore tomorrow. This is the toughest sport on Earth and the best show on planet Earth. I would not recommend this sport to my enemy. I was born and raised to do this.”

Since Gaethje didn’t absorb a ton of damage…

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

With time winding down in the third round at UFC on ESPN 2, Josh Emmett needed to do something drastic in order to win.

Emmett was down two rounds to none on the majority of the scorecards – both official and unofficial – against perennial contender Michael Johnson. He was getting beaten to the punch and kick often, and the Team Alpha Male fighter just couldn’t get things going. With time ticking away, Emmett had to do something monumental.

Good thing he has dynamite in his right hand.

Johnson was sticking to his game plan and was about to win a unanimous decision until Emmett unleashed one of the most sinister right hands of the year. Johnson didn’t do anything wrong; Emmett just detonated his fist on Johnson’s jaw. It was perfect timing with the perfect punch and once it connected, Johnson was toast. Emmett knew he had to unfurl hell and he knew if he did, he’d preva…

Justin Gaethje vs. Edson Barboza was touted as a can’t miss all-action bout, and it met those expectations while it lasted.

Gaethje and Barboza received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their lightweight headliner at UFC on ESPN 2 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday night. Gaethje attacked Barboza’s legs with kicks and staggered his foe with a right hand in the bout’s opening moments. Later, “The Highlight” put a final stamp on the fight, knocking out Barboza with a right hand at the 2:30 mark of round one.

Elsewhere, Jack Hermansson garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for a quick submission of former World Series of Fighting two-division titlist David Branch in the co-main event. Hermansson landed a takedown and secured an arm-in guillotine when Branch attempted to return to his feet. Hermansson then tightened his squeeze and forced the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt to tap just 49 seconds into the opening frame.

F…

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. No one in the Ultimate Fighting Championship brings crowds to a boil as consistently as Justin Gaethje. The former World Series of Fighting champion on Saturday kept his name on a short list of lightweight contenders, as he knocked out Edson Barboza in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 2 headliner at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Barboza (20-7, 14-7 UFC) met his end 2:30 into Round 1, suffering the quickest defeat of his 27-fight career.

Gaethje (20-2, 3-2 UFC) tenderized the Brazilian’s leg with kicks and staggered him with a right hand at close range inside the first minute. Barboza withstood the initial onslaught but never seemed to fully recover. Gaethje kept his foot on the gas, pushed the onetime Ring of Combat titleholder backward and uncorked a devastating right hand that stole the …

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.

The UFC on ESPN 2 early prelims will be on ESPN+ starting at 3:30 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:Cole Shelton scores the round:Ant Walker scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Ant Walker scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Ant Walker scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Ant Walker scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Ant Walker scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Cole Shelton …

TOKYO -- Grappling superstar Garry Tonon will return to action at One Championship “A New Era” this Sunday. Tonon will face Dutch fighter Anthony Engelen in a 155-pound bout that will look to entertain the crowd in Tokyo.

In his last fight, Tonon continued on the great start to his mixed martial arts career with a guillotine choke finish of Sung Jong Lee. This improved his record to a perfect 3-0, with all three victories coming via finish. “More than anything else, I am trying to become a better MMA fighter and that’s my number one goal,” said Tonon when asked about his current training camp.

“We don’t prepare for opponents by watching a lot of tape,” revealed the grappling expert. “We have a look at what they do, and we work on it a bit. Anything can change, and you have to be prepared for it all. I have adjusted certain things for him, like preparing for someone that will be throwing a lot of kicks. It’s pretty simple if you are fighting a guy who throws a lot of kicks…

Official Results: Krantz def. Patterson via KO at 2:27 into Round 1. pic.twitter.com/h7dDRj1jhH

— AXS TV Fights (@AXSTVFights) March 30, 2019

The Legacy Fighting Alliance's top-rated welterweight contender made sure he remained in title contention and he did it in spectacular fashion.

Derrick Krantz scored one of the most violent knockouts of the first half of 2019 when he leveled Justin Patterson in the opening round in the main event of LFA 63. His knockout sent the crowd inside Bell County Expo Center in Belton, Texas, into a frenzy, capping off another solid night of action on AXS TV.

After spending two minutes picking his shots, Krantz (22-10) tagged Patterson with a sizzling right to the head. Patterson (11-5) backed into the cage after he was hit, but "D-Rock" unloaded a massive right uppercut to the chin, followed by a left hook. The combo folded "The Tactician" over both of his legs and he fell back, completely out cold. The bruta…

We're going back & forth in this this third and final round between @BrandonGirtzMMA and @SAADMMA.#Bellator219 pic.twitter.com/TcchR5tayM

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 30, 2019 Credit Bellator MMA matchmakers, whose foresight made certain fans got their money's worth.

Brandon Girtz leaned on maniacal punching combinations, a sturdy chin and a late surge of ground-and-pound, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Saad Awad in the Bellator 219 headliner on Friday at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. All three cageside judges scored it for Girtz (16-8, 8-6 Bellator): 29-28, 30-27 and 29-28.

Neither man wanted to cede ground to the other. Girtz had the former Gladiator Challenge champion in serious trouble in the first round, where he connected with an overhand right, blitzed him with punches and cut loose with both hands, driving Awad to his knees at the base of the cage. Girtz eventually climbed to full mo…

The main event is as @EdsonBarbozaJR and @Justin_Gaethje both hit 155.5 lbs #UFCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/4eFcAI7LcM

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 29, 2019

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is taking a trip to Philadelphia for the first time since 2011 with an event that all-but guarantees action and excitement, and is headlined by a lightweight barnburner between Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje.

Barboza hit the scales at 155.5 pounds, as he prepares to face former World Series of Fighting lightweight champ Gaethje (155.5) in the UFC on ESPN 2 main event this Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Co-headlining the card will be a middleweight scrap between former WSOF two-division champion David Branch (185.5) and Jack Hermansson (185), and all four made weight easily at Friday's official weigh-ins.

UFC on ESPN 2 "Barboza vs. Gaethje," which airs live on ESPN on Saturday, March 29 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, also features a fea…

.@LFAfighting to host a long-awaited showdown Deep in the Heart of Texas at #LFA63!@DRockKrantzMMAvs.@JPTactician#Welterweight Showdown

TICKETS: https://t.co/adTN0x0JwS

Friday, March 29@BellCountyExpo#Belton, #Texas#MMA#LFANation@AXSTVFights pic.twitter.com/JgJZiPqvZm— LFA (@LFAfighting) March 28, 2019

The Legacy Fighting Alliance is taking a trip to Belton, Tex., where all but one fighter made weight for this event.

Derrick Krantz hit the scales at 170 pounds, as he prepares to face Justin Patterson (169) at welterweight, in the LFA 63 main event this Friday at the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, Tex. Co-headlining the card will be a battle of the unbeaten between Jake Heffernan (145) and Gabriel Silva (145.2), where Heffernan puts his seven-fight undefeated record against Silva's six-fight spotless record.

LFA 63, which airs live on AXS TV on Friday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, also features a women's flyweight contes…

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The KSW is returning to the city of Gdansk, Poland, for KSW 49, with a huge card headlined by a battle between Scott Askham and Michal Materla for the vacant middleweight belt.

The KSW stated in their official press release their plans to return to Gdansk on May 18 for KSW 49. Serving as the main event will be a rematch of Askham (17-4) and Materla (27-6), who will both vie for the middleweight strap vacated by Mamed Khalidov upon his retirement. The two first met at KSW 42, and in a stunning upset Askham knocked out the former champ in 69 seconds with body kicks.

Askham is the only fighter in KSW history to finish multiple opponents with body kicks, as in his last two bouts he stopped Materla and most recently Marcin Wojcik with body kicks in a combined two minutes and 46 seconds. A six-time competitor for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Askham suffered four decision losses in those six fights that …

During fight week in the lead up to his bout at UFC London, Welsh-born middleweight and British Army paratrooper Jack Marshman told reporters that he was competing without receiving official clearance from his superiors.

The 29-year-old snapped a two-fight losing streak, defeating John Phillips by split decision, but not without professional consequences. Marshman was a guest on “The MMA Hour” on Monday, told host Luke Thomas that he had received a formal warning from the army and claimed that if he receives another, it could result in him being discharged.

“I’m leaving anyway, I’ve given my year’s notice because on the 4th of November that will be my 12-year point, so that’s me signing off now,” Marshman said.

Marshman said his immediate supervisor had given him the all-clear to compete but then his participation was flagged by another superior.

“My officer in command knew that I was fighting and he had basically okay’d it,” Marshman said. “But it came fro…

A welterweight rematch pitting Tyron Woodley against Robbie Lawler will serve as the headliner for UFC on ESPN 4 in Minneapolis.

UFC President Dana White confirmed the bout to ESPN on Wednesday. UFC on ESPN 4 takes place at the Target Center on June 29. The main card will air on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

Woodley claimed the welterweight throne first-round knockout of Lawler at UFC 201 in July 2016. He defended the belt four times thereafter before relinquishing the strap to Kamaru Usman in a five-round decision defeat at UFC 235.

Lawler has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances dating back to his setback against Woodley. Most recently, “Ruthless” fell to Woodley teammate Ben Askren in controversial fashion, when referee Herb Dean ruled that Lawler was unconscious from a bulldog choke 3:20 into the opening round. Prior to that, Lawler was nearly on the verge of a stoppage victory himself after slamming his opponent to the ground and unloadin…

Just hours after teasing a potential bout with Stipe Miocic in July, Jon Jones has agreed to defend his light heavyweight crown against Thiago Santos at UFC 239.

ESPN first reported that the Jones-Santos bout, along with a women’s bantamweight championship clash between Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, have been verbally agreed to for the July 6 event. UFC 239 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of the promotion’s International Fight Week. The main card will air on pay-per-view, with Jones vs. Santos serving as the headliner.

Jones returned from his latest USADA suspension at UFC 232 in December, when he defeated Alexander Gustafsson via third-round knockout to claim the vacated light heavyweight belt. He successfully defended the title with a dominant five-round verdict over Anthony Smith at UFC 235 on March 1.

Santos, meanwhile, has enjoyed great success since moving up from middleweight, posting a trio of KO/TKO victories over Jan Blachowicz, Ji…

Pedro Munhoz’s temporary suspension for jumping over the Octagon fence following his victory at UFC 235 has been extended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The NSAC voted unanimously on Wednesday to extend the temporary suspension, which was enacted when Muhnoz jumped over the Octagon fence following his knockout victory against Cody Garbrandt at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 2.

Munhoz will remain on temporary suspension until he appears before the NSAC for a formal disciplinary hearing. “The Young Punisher” is accused of ignoring the commission’s instructions to remain in the Octagon after the fight.

“Our inspectors were specifically advised by me to make sure the fighters knew they were not authorized to jump out of the cage,” NSAC executive director Bob Bennett recently told MMAFighting.com.

The NSAC policy is in place to prevent fighters from injuring themselves or others in the vicinity. It existed prior to the post-fight melee that e…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjf0bsR0Dyk&w=560&h=315]

While Conor McGregor has on a couple occasions expressed interest in UFC ownership in the media, Dana White said he has never had a formal discussion with the Irish superstar on the topic.

However, the subject was broached during a recent text message exchange between White and McGregor. After the former two-division champion announced his retirement on Twitter early Tuesday morning, it was considered by many in the MMA community to be a negotiating ploy against the UFC. White denies that, but he did admit to TMZ sports that he briefly discussed potential ownership stake with McGregor.

“A lot of people were speculating that it [the retirement announcement] was posturing because of negotiations, but we really haven’t been negotiating that hard,” White said. “He said that [he wanted a UFC share] in Chicago. I saw that and he sent me a text.

“He said, ‘I feel like I should own a piece of the company.’ …

Mike Perry will replace Jingliang Li and face Alex Oliveira in a welterweight clash at UFC on ESPN 3.

ESPN was first to report the new bout. UFC on ESPN 3 takes place on April 27 at the BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and is headlined by a middleweight rematch between Yoel Romero and Ronaldo Souza. The card will air on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

Perry has lost three of his last four bouts and is coming off a first-round submission defeat to Donald Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 139 on Nov. 10. “Platinum” began his promotional tenure with victories in four of his first five appearances, with all of those triumphs coming by KO or TKO.

Oliveira had a two-bout winning streak snapped at UFC 231, where he was submitted in the second round by Gunnar Nelson. The Brazilian “Cowboy” is 9-4 with one no contest in UFC competition.

Conor McGregor is under investigation in Ireland for an alleged sexual assault of a woman in December, according to a report from The New York Times.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship ace was reportedly arrested in January, questioned by authorities and then released. McGregor has not been formally charged with a crime. Irish news outlets reported on the arrest of a national sports star for allegedly raping a woman at a Dublin hotel in January but did not specifically name McGregor, perhaps due to laws that restrict the media from identifying a suspect if they are not convicted of a crime.

According to the Times, “some newsrooms in Ireland have barred employees at meetings from even mentioning his name in connection with the case. Managers have asked staff members to refer to him as the ‘famous sportsman,’ according to a journalist at one of Ireland’s national newspapers.”

The alleged victim claims that the assault occurred at the Beacon Hotel, which is l…

For the second time in his combat sports career, Conor McGregor has used Twitter to send the MMA community into a frenzy with a retirement announcement.

Whether it actually holds up this time around remains to be seen.

“Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today,” McGregor wrote. “I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”

Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today.I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition.I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement.Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 26, 2019

The former UFC two-division champion’s announcement came early Tuesday morning on the heels of an appe…

Mixed martial arts retirements are very rarely permanent, and Urijah Faber could be just the latest example of a fighter returning to the Octagon after calling it a career.

The 39-year-old UFC Hall of Famer appeared on "Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” on Monday and admitted that he is contemplating a return after retiring from the sport in December 2016. “The California Kid” recently became a father and is in the process of preparing for a grappling match in Polaris against Nicky Ryan on May 25.

He believes training for that match will help get him into the proper condition if the right opportunity arises.

"With the baby in my life, and with the rejuvenation of my body, and seeing why I stood out for so long, it's just really, really tempting," Faber said. "And I'm going to take this time to prepare for this May 25 matchup with one of the best jiu-jitsu players on the planet, to get my body into shape. And I'm going to continue with that and get my body back into [bein…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming trip to Sweden is shaping up to be a light heavyweight showcase.

Ilir Latifi will square off against Volkan Oezdemir, while Jimi Manuwa will meet Aleksandar Rakic in a pair of 205-pound bookings on the June 1 card. ESPN was first to report the bouts. UFC Stockholm takes place at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden and is headlined by a light heavyweight encounter between Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Smith.

Latifi last appeared at UFC 232, where he lost a unanimous decision to Corey Anderson. The 35-year-old Swede had won five of his previous six fights before that defeat. After skyrocketing to title contention in 2017, Oezdemir has lost three straight, including a split-decision setback against Dominick Reyes in his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 147.

Manuwa is also looking to halt a three-bout skid. Most recently, the 39-year-old “Poster Boy” suffered a second-round KO loss to Thiago Santos at UFC 231. The…

One moment, Stephen Thompson appeared on his way to a 20-18 lead on the scorecards against Anthony Pettis. The next, he was out cold courtesy of a spectacular Superman punch from “Showtime” that ended the UFC Nashville main event with five seconds left in round two.

Thompson did not attend post-fight media events, as he was taken to a nearby hospital immediately following the knockout loss. Instead, “Wonderboy” discussed his defeat in a Facebook Live video.

“I don’t even remember a dang thing,” he said. “All I just remember is punching him in the face, his nose bleeding, and then I wake up in the back. ... But I’m okay, everything’s good.”

Thompson had never been finished in 17 previous professional MMA bouts – including two matchups with heavy-handed former champion Tyron Woodley. According to the South Carolina native, his streak of durability also dates back to his kickboxing career. Pettis was making his first career appearance at 170 pounds after competing a…

It appears that Dana White now has a plan in place for both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions.

The UFC president outlined those plans during an interview on ESPN+ following UFC Fight Night 148 in Nashville on Saturday night. First and foremost, the promotion is targeting a future showdown between Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight crown. Former champ T.J. Dillashaw relinquished the belt after failing a drug test in relation to UFC Brooklyn.

“I now have a plan. I didn’t have a plan before, but I now have a plan,” White. “It looks like we’re going to do the Moraes-Cejudo fight. They both want that fight really bad, seems like a good fight to make with the whole Dillashaw thing now. And then you do [Jussier da Silva] versus [Joseph] Benavidez on the same card. Anything goes wrong, one of them can step up and take the fight, and then the winner of that fight is the guaranteed No. 1 contender for the next shot.”

White did not offer detai…