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On Oct. 6, the Ultimate Fighting Championshipwill host what may be its biggest-ever fight, between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former champion Conor McGregor.

The tension between the pair is palpable. It escalated after Nurmagomedov physically confronted McGregor’s teammate and friend Artem Lobov in the hotel lobby in the lead-up to UFC 223 in April, which prompted the infamous retaliation by the Irishman when he attacked the bus the lightweight champion was on days later.

McGregor seemed worked up at last week’s UFC 229 press conference, the first time the pair came face-to-face.

According to coach Owen Roddy, however, McGregor doesn’t harbor any ill will towards his opponent and after the fight regardless of the outcome will shake his hand and show him the respect he deserves.

“I think maybe the situation just got out of hand or something like that,” Roddy said in…

Apparently Michael Chandler signed the contract.

According to multiple reports, Chandler will attempt to regain the lightweight championship he lost in a rematch with Brent Primus at a Bellator event on Dec. 10. Fansided initially reported the bout, and ESPN.com confirmed the date on Tuesday.

Bellator has not officially announced the bout, and a venue and location for the event have not been confirmed. Assuming the date holds up, the card will take place one day prior to Bellator’s Hawaiian debut, which is headlined by a women’s flyweight championship bout between Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Brent Primus.

Primus claimed lightweight gold in surprising fashion at Bellator 180 in June 2017, when Chandler suffered a left ankle injury and was ruled unable to continue 2:22 into the opening stanza. The two fighters were booked for a rematch at Bellator 197 in April, but Primus had to withdraw due to a knee injury. Earlier this month, Primus delivered a message to Cha…

Bellator MMA continues to take steps to expand its reach further into Europe, as it announced Wednesday that it has hired former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts matchmaker Jude Samuel.

The move coincides with the California-based organization’s plans to launch a western Europe based fight series. Samuel will head Bellator’s “European fighter relations, talent development and matchmaking efforts,” according to a release.

Bellator has co-promoted several European cards with BAMMA in the past. Samuel will be based in London, where he has worked for more than 15 years. Prior to his work with BAMMA, Samuel owned European Fight Network Sports, a site that covered MMA and grappling in the U.K.

“Sometimes you have to follow what you are genuinely passionate about and let that guide you to your deserving destination,” Samuel said in a release. “Bellator is extremely passionate about the grass roots development of our beloved sport. My appointment as a U.K. and We…

I hear UFC is searching for a main event when they have one already. It's me vs Nate. 165 pound title. A main event for the people. Stop searching, Dana. We got this. Let's go.

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) September 25, 2018

The Ultimate Fighting Championship still doesn’t have a main event announced for their New York event in November at UFC 230, but it isn’t for lack of vocal volunteers.

Rumors were circulating that former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones could potentially feature in that main event slot given that he is a New York native and had just been declared eligible to fight shortly before the event date. Jones was finally handed his sentence for testing positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The suspension started from his retroactive date of July 28 of last year, which makes Jones eligible to fight again on Oct. 28, 2018. However, talk of Jones fighting at UFC 230 w…

A light heavyweight contest pitting Mauricio Rua against Tyson Pedro has been added to the UFC Fight Night 142 lineup.

Multiple outlets have confirmed the booking following an initial report from ESPN.com. UFC Fight Night 142 takes place at Adelaide Entertainment Center in Adelaide, Australia on Dec. 1 and will also include a heavyweight showdown between Junior dos Santos and Tai Tuivasa.

Rua had a three-fight winning streak snapped in a first-round knockout loss to Anthony Smith at UFC Fight Night 134 on July 22. Prior to that, “Shogun” had posted successive triumphs over Gian Villante, Corey Anderson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The former UFC light heavyweight champ is 9-9 during his promotional tenure and 25-11 as a pro.

After beginning his Octagon career with two straight wins, Pedro has dropped two of his last three. The 27-year-old Sydney native last appeared at UFC Fight Night 132, where he was submitted in the opening stanza by Ovince St. Preux.

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A post shared by Donald Cerrone (@cowboycerrone) on Sep 25, 2018 at 6:18am PDT

Based on image alone, Donald Cerrone’s status for his UFC Fight Night 139 showdown with Mike Perry could be in jeopardy.

But then again, Cerrone isn’t your average human being. “Cowboy” on Wednesday posted a photo to Instagram of a doctor visit with his left arm heavily wrapped. There were no details to go with the image, as Cerrone only captioned the photo with an emoji.

Cerrone is scheduled to face Perry in a welterweight bout at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Nov. 10. The bout took on more significance after Cerrone parted ways with Jackson-Wink MMA when his longtime camp elected to continue training Perry.

According to MMA journalist Damon Martin, Cerrone should still be good to go. The 35-year-old Colorado native has lost four of his last five appearances, including a decision defeat to Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 132 on Jun…

I heard your going to be ready early next year @Ruthless_RL I know a guy who will be ready then too...Let’s give the fans what they want! I’m bringing the heat back, and you know this fight will be FIRE! @ufc

— Stephen Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) September 24, 2018

Fans will have to wait to see the next title fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division after the champ Tyron Woodley was forced to withdraw from his fight with Colby Covington due to a thumb injury he suffered in his win over Darren Till. However, there could be another high profile welterweight bout joining them in early 2019 between former champion and knockout artist Robbie Lawler and two-time title challenger Stephen Thompson.

Thompson recently reached out to the former champ on Twitter after hearing he would be ready to return to the Octagon again in early 2019 and asked if he’d be down for the fight.

“I heard your going to be ready early next yea…

Twelve-time UFC veteran Thiago Silva will step in for the injured Michal Adryszak and face James McSweeny at KSW 45.

The Polish promotion announced the new matchup on Monday. KSW 45 takes place at the SSE Arena in London on Oct. 6 and features a heavyweight title clash between Philip De Fries and Karol Bedorf as well as a welterweight title tilt pitting Dricus Du Plessis against Roberto Soldic.

The 35-year-old Silva last appeared at Absolute Championship Berkut 82 in March, when he dropped a split decision to Mikhail Kolobegov. The Brazilian is 4-4 since parting ways with the UFC in 2013. During his Octagon tenure, Silva went 7-3 with two no contests, earning wins over the likes of Matt Hamill, Rafael Cavalcante, Keith Jardine and Houston Alexander.

McSweeney, 37, has lost five of his last six pro bouts. The Englishman known as “The Hammer” last appeared at Superior Challenge 17, where he lost a decision to Fernando Rodrigues Jr. on May 19. McSweeney appear…

Jessica Aguilar will lock horns with Chinese strawweight prospect Weili Zhang at UFC Fight Night 141 in Beijing on Nov. 24.

The booking has been confirmed by multiple outlets following an initial report from Combate. UFC Fight Night 141 takes place at Cadillac Arena and is headlined by a heavyweight rematch between Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes.

A former World Series of Fighting champion, Aguilar earned her first Octagon triumph when she outpointed Jodie Esquibel at UFC Fight Night 133 on July 14. “Jag” began her promotional tenure with back-to-back losses to Cortney Casey-Sanchez and Claudia Gadelha after establishing herself as one of the top female strawweights during a nine-fight winning streak from 2010 to 2014.

Zhang, 29, made her first Octagon foray at UFC 227, where she outpointed Danielle Taylor in Los Angeles on Aug. 4. After losing her pro debut in 2013, the Black Tiger Fight Club representative has reeled off 17 consecutive wins. Fifteen of…

Congratulations @jonnybones I’m really glad u are back! @dc_mma is aiming for Brock.. so let’s give the fans another legendary fight for the belt @ufc @danawhite @ Allstars Training… https://t.co/bVhqjxZmLG

— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) September 20, 2018

Last week, Jon Jones was given a ruling by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and a time table to make his long-awaited return to the Octagon, and one familiar name promptly offered to welcome him back.

Jones was handed a greatly reduced 15-month suspension for testing positive for anabolic steroid Turinabol. The suspension started from his retroactive date of July 28 of last year, which makes Jones eligible to fight again on Oct. 28.

With the announcement of Jones’ return, it didn’t take long for someone to call him out. Former opponent Alexander Gustafsson took to Twitter right after the announcement to attempt to coerce the former champion into a rematch. Gust…

One of the world’s top female flyweights will make her UFC debut in November.

According to a report from Combate, KSW flyweight queen Ariane Lipski will replace the injured Veronica Macedo and face Maryna Moroz at UFC Fight Night 140 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Nov. 17. Multiple outlets have since confirmed the booking. Lipski herself announced that she was released from her KSW contract but did not offer any further details on her next move.

“As many already know, our contract with KSW has not been renewed,” Lipski wrote on Instagram. “I understand that it is sad news for some fans of Poland, but I want you to know that I will always represent Brazil and Poland; it is in my blood and it is my second home.”

“The Violence Queen” will enter her promotional debut on a nine-bout winning streak. Most recently, she took a five-round verdict over Silvana Gomez Juarez at KSW 42 on March 3. Prior to that, the 24-year-old Curitiba native had finished six opponents…

Eryk Anders took his second career defeat in stride, offering both a little humor and a little class in his post-fight reaction.

Anders accepted a bout against Thiago Santos in the UFC Fight Night 137 main event on less than a week’s notice after Jimi Manuwa was injured shortly after arriving in Brazil. Anders was a game opponent but reached exhaustion at the end of the third stanza following a barrage of elbows from Santos. The fight was stopped shortly thereafter when the former University of Alabama linebacker couldn’t make it back to his corner before the fourth round.

Anders, who was transported to a hospital after the fight due to exhaustion, couldn’t help but poke fun at himself in the aftermath. Ultimately, he emerged from the contest with no serious injuries.

Not gonna lie, I haven’t been that tired since my wedding night

— Eryk Anders (@erykanders) September 23, 2018

Anders falls to 3-2 during his UFC tenure and 11-2 as…

Thiago Santos made the most of his opportunity in a makeshift main event.

Fighting out of his natural weight class, the hard hitting Brazilian earned a third-round stoppage against fellow middleweight Eryk Anders in the evening’s 205-pound main event at UFC Fight Night 137 in Sao Paulo on Saturday. Both fighters gave it their all for 15 minutes, but ultimately Anders was unable to make it back to his corner following the conclusion of the third stanza. Santos has now won six of his last seven in the Octagon. The bout was originally booked as a 205-pound encounter between Jimi Manuwa and Glover Teixeira before both fighters pulled out of the card due to injuries.

Here is a by-the-numbers look at UFC Fight Night 137, with statistics courtesy of FightMetric.com.

68: Significant strikes by which Santos outlanded Anders during their 15 minutes in the Octagon together. “Marreta” outlanded his foe 19 to 6 in round one, 27 to 12 in round two and 54 to 14 in round three. Sa…

It wasn’t the main event the UFC originally intended, but Thiago Santos and Eryk Anders put on one heck of a show in Sao Paulo.

The middleweights — competing in a light heavyweight bout — earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their spirited scrap in the UFC Fight Night 137 headliner at Ibirapuera Gymnasium on Saturday night. Ultimately, a barrage of elbows from Santos following an Anders takedown resulted in the bout being halted following the conclusion of the third frame.

Elsewhere, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira returned to the Octagon for the first time in two years, earning a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his second-round stoppage of Sam Alvey in a featured light heavyweight affair. “Minotouro” finished the fight off with a big left hand over the top that took Alvey’s legs out from under him, and a few follow-up punches on the mat brought an end to the bout 60 seconds into round two.

Finally, Charles Oliveira made history a…

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 137 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…

Blue-chip prospect A.J. McKee (12-0) becomes the first to finish John Macapá, taking him out with a straight left in a little over a minute! All of the 23-year-old's pro bouts have been in Bellator; he has finished eight of 12 wins, five by first-round KO. #Bellator205 pic.twitter.com/lJuOIls5M7

— Kyle Johnson (@Maldobabo) September 22, 2018

John Teixeira da Conceicao might need some Advil when he wakes up.

A.J. McKee moved one step closer to the top of Bellator MMA’s featherweight division, as he wiped out the Brazilian with a shovel uppercut in the first round of their Bellator 205 headliner on Friday at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. An unconscious da Conceicao (21-4-2, 4-3 Bellator) hit the deck 69 seconds into Round 1, finished for the first time in his 27-fight career.

McKee (12-0, 12-0 Bellator) leaned on his kicks, targeting both the head and the body. A spinning attack from the Team Bodyshop star initiated a scramble…

Sherdog's live Bellator 205 coverage kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

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

Round 1 Trevino is the more efficient striker over the first two minutes, tagging Tuani with counterpunches to the head and body. Tuani sneaks a few lazy jabs in, but quickly gets desperate, throwing looping shots and Superman punches, easily allowing Trevino to pick him off. Tuani eats a straight left that rocks his skull back and Trevino switches stances, drilling him with a crisp one-two. Trevino stays orthodox, lands a hard right roundhouse kick to the body, then slaps Tuani with a left hook just before the bell. One-way traffic in the first round.Sherdog Scores Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 TrevinoBen Duffy scores the round 10-9 TrevinoJay Pettry scores the round 10-9 TrevinoRound 2 Tuani is stalking Trevino, but looks like his gas tank is already depleted as he continues to throw lunging shots against the…

Breaking: UFC welterweight champion @TWooodley no longer in the running to fight at MSG, needs surgery on his right hand and is expected to be out 8-to-12 weeks. pic.twitter.com/EQ7vvbhdZf

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 21, 2018

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight king Tyron Woodley won’t be fighting as soon as he had hoped, as a thumb injury sustained at UFC 228 in his conquest of Darren Till will keep him on the sideline.

ESPN reported on Friday that Woodley would be out a minimum 8 to 12 weeks after impending surgery on his right hand.

Woodley defeated Till after dropping him with a massive overhand counter in the second round before laying down some brutal punches and elbows. Woodley then finished the fight with a brabo choke.

The champion was initially optimistic about a quick turnaround, as Kamaru Usman’s name was thrown around for a potential UFC 230 showdown at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 3.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Sao Paulo on Saturday with a card that has changed quite a bit since it was first announced months back.

Original headliners Jimi Manuwa and Glover Teixeira we’re both forced out of the main event slot, with Thiago Santos moving up from middleweight to replace Teixeira. When Manuwa announced he, too, was out of the fight, the main event became Santos vs. Eryk Anders, two former middleweights who will look to try their luck in the light heavyweight division.

Elsewhere on the card, Brazilian MMA legends Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Renan Barao take on Sam Alvey and Andre Ewell, respectively, with former UFC title challenger Thales Leites locking horns with former Bellator champion Hector Lombard on the card’s prelims.

UFC Fight Night 137 Weigh-In Results: Thiago Santos (203.7) vs. Eryk Anders (205.6)Alex Oliveira (171) vs. Carlo Pedersoli Jr. (170.3)Sa…

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Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Conor McGregor has signed a new eight-fight deal with the organization, and stands to cash out big time.

The news of the deal emerged Thursday during the UFC 229 press conference between event headliners Khabib Nurmagomedov and McGregor, and the Irishman’s appeal following his blockbuster boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather last summer has clearly skyrocketed.

McGregor’s deal with the UFC includes sponsorship of his new whiskey brand, Proper Whiskey, which will be sponsored for every McGregor fight within the promotion.

"You bet your bollocks it is," McGregor said, when asked if the logo of his whiskey would be on the Octagon canvas. "On the canvas. On the canvas. Like [Nurmagomedov's] blood will be on the canvas."

“The Notorious” also stands to cash in on pay-per-view points, of which McGregor will receive a portion on every card he headlines.<…

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Glenn Robinson, one of the founders of the famed Blackzilians has died, his former PR agent Jen Wenk confirmed on Thursday to MMAJunkie. The news was first reported by Christopher James via Facebook.

The cause of his untimely passing has not yet been established.

Robinson, an entrepreneur from Florida, got into the MMA game after friends at American Top Team left the gym to form their own squad. In 2011, Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Jorge Santiago and Robinson, alongside a handful of elite fighters, defected to form their own training camp, which became known as the Blackzillians.

The team boasted an impressive lineup of Alistair Overeem, Rashad Evans and Anthony Johnson during its peak.

The Blackzillians feuded fiercely with ATT, as the two camps were located mere miles from each other in Florida. The rivalry came to a boiling point during Season 21 of “The Ultimate Fighter,”…

Standing 6-foot-3 and cutting weight to make the 265 pound heavyweight limit, Derrick Lewis is one of the most intimidating men to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Even more frightening is the notion that we haven’t really seen everything he can do. The man known as “The Black Beast” has been dealing with a well-documented chronic back injury throughout his UFC career which has hindered his performances inside the Octagon.

From the outside, it’s hard to see how much Lewis’ back issues have affected him, as he has won eight of his last nine fights and racked up six knockouts in the process. Behind the scenes it’s a different story, as his injuries mean the knockout artist enters fights with little to no energy and is unable to train like other fighters.

Recently, Lewis was given some injections to manage the pain in his back and he claims the results have been promising so far.

"It made a big difference," Lewis told FloCombat. "I'm always think…

Jon Jones could be back in the Octagon as soon as UFC 230 following a suspension that was more lenient than most expected.

USADA went through an independent arbitrator to handle its anti-doping case with Jones, and ultimately, the former light heavyweight champion was given a reduced 15-month sanction retroactive to July 28, 2017. As a second time offender, “Jonny Bones” could have received as much as a four-year suspension for testing positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol at UFC 214.

In the end, USADA and the independent arbitrator, Richard H. McLaren, determined that Jones did not take a banned substance intentionally.

“I find the athlete to have been a truthful witness who recognizes his past mistakes and has learned from them,” McLaren wrote in the arbitration agreement. “His demeanor at the hearing was of a person who is sorry for his past mistakes and recognizes that he can only improve on these errors by being an exemplary competitor who is dru…

Considering the circumstances, it was the one of the best outcomes possible for Jon Jones.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion was handed a 15-month suspension by an independent arbitrator for a failed drug test in relation to UFC 214 in July 2017, according to a statement released by USADA. Jones tested positive for the anabolic steroid Turinabol during an in-competition screening, which resulted in him being stripped of the light heavyweight belt and his TKO win over Daniel Cormier being overturned to a no contest.

According to the statement, Jones’ case was decided at an evidentiary hearing on Sept. 15. As a second time offender — Jones tested positive for two estrogen blockers at UFC 200 — the light heavyweight was looking at as much as a four-year suspension. Instead, Jones will be eligible to return to action on Oct. 28, just days before UFC 230 at Madison Square Garden in New York. His sanction is retroactive to July 28, 2017.

The USADA stateme…