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According to his coach, Islam Makhachev’s skills have reached their zenith.

Makhachev’s striking coach, Magomedgadzhi Bagandov, believes the champ can outstrike Dustin Poirier (30-8, 1 NC). Makhachev (25-1) is slated to defend his lightweight strap against Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. With Poirier’s notoriety for emerging victorious in lethal slugfests and Makhachev’s Dagestani grappling background, taking the fight to the ground would be the obvious gameplan for the champion.

Makhachev’s camp has been highlighting the recent developments of their pupil’s striking skillset. Makhachev recently claimed that his teammate, Bellator MMA lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov, has better striking than Poirier. Coach Bagandov claims that Makhachev can not only hold his own in the stand-up against Poirier, but he may even have the advantage on the feet against “The Diamond.”

“I have been following Poirier f…

Adrian Yanez may be his own harshest critic.

Yanez (17-5) triumphantly rebounded from a skid of two straight knockout losses by blasting Vinicius Salvador at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18. Yanez subsequently called out unranked up-and-comers Victor Henry and Daniel Santos, with the latter having already accepted the callout. Yanez also aimed high, eyeing Deiveson Figueiredo, but believes it’s a long shot. Yanez recently talked with MMA Junkie, where he discussed his plans to work his way back up the ladder.

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“If I’m trying to eek my way in, trying to somehow squeak my way in to fight someone in the top 15, I feel like I would like to fight someone like ‘Figgy’ [Deiveson Figueiredo]. I feel like just because of the fact that he fought Brandon Moreno a couple of times, my favorite fighter is Brandon Moreno,” Yanez explained.

A fight against Figueiredo may be off the table for now, as “Deus da Guerra” recently agreed to face Marlon Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi…

Tom Aspinall understands why Jon Jones wants to fight Stipe Miocic.

Jones (27-1, 1 NC) was originally scheduled to defend his heavyweight strap against Miocic (20-4) at UFC 295 in November 2023 but was forced out due to a torn pectoral muscle. To keep a heavyweight title tilt on the card, Tom Aspinall (14-3) faced and knocked out Sergei Pavlovich for the interim variety. Since then, Jones has suggested he will stay the course and has his sights set solely on the former heavyweight champion rather than the surging 31-year-old.

With no timeline for Jones’ return, Aspinall initially called for the champ to be stripped of his title. However, the Brit has since changed his tune and has been rallying for a clash against Jones. “Bones” does not want that matchup; the same goes for Miocic. Some expect that when Jones and Miocic collide—a date for their meeting is rumored for November—it will be a retirement match for both heavyweights.

With Jones and Miocic turning him d…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is stacking the deck for its return to Abu Dhabi this summer.

Per Ag. Fight on Thursday, Marlon Vera (23-9-1) and Deiveson Figueiredo (23-3-1) have agreed to a bantamweight clash at UFC on ABC 7. The report noted that the fighters have not officially signed their contracts, but verbal agreements are in place. Should this matchup indeed come together, it will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Aug. 3. The pairing has since been confirmed by Vera on his Instagram Stories as well as other outlets. This joins other 135-pound contest Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov as the only fights currently booked for the card.

In his last time out, Vera fell short vying for the bantamweight throne against Sean O'Malley. Atop UFC 299, the striker was outstruck by the champ, handing “Chito” his second loss in three outings. Vera earned a crack at gold off a single victory when he overcame Pedro Munhoz via decision…

Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight Ariane Carnelossi is bringing receipts showing the injuries she sustained in her last bout.

At UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18, Brazil’s Carnelossi faced Piera Rodriguez on the preliminary portion of the event. After dropping Carnelossi with a front kick and follow-up punches, Rodriguez measured and delivered two headbutts deemed intentional by referee Mark Smith. Rodriguez was disqualified for her fouls, marking the first DQ due to a headbutt in UFC history.

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Rodriguez later cried foul on social media, claiming that Carnelossi was a “coward.” While admitting that she made a mistake, the Venezuelan proffered that Carnelossi should be ashamed of earning a win in such a fashion.

“I rather lose a fight because of a mistake I did, than go home calling myself a ‘winner’ knowing I am a coward…,” Rodriguez wrote. “I made a big mistake, maybe because of adrenaline…but you have to go to sleep with that lie in your hea…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is throwing one more top-ranked matchup on its blockbuster card at the end of June.

According to the UFC on Friday, Ian Garry (14-0) will be throwing down with Michael Page (22-2) at UFC 303 on June 29. The two welterweights will toe the line inside of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where they will be placed on the main card. Earlier in the week, Garry stated on a since-deleted social media post that he had accepted an offer to face “MVP” at this event.

“The Future” has strung together a solid seven-fight win streak since making his way to the promotion as the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship welterweight kingpin. The Irishman introduced himself to the UFC brass by punching out Jordan Williams in the first round at UFC 268 and has not looked back. A pair of decision victories over Darian Weeks and Gabriel Green carried him into pairings against Kenan Song and Daniel Rodriguez, where he dispatched both Song and Rodriguez via str…

Sound on 🔊 HEAVY shots from Isfak Seyid!#ONEFridayFights64 | 🔴 WATCH NOW🇬🇧🇮🇪 Live on Sky Sports YouTube (geo-restrictions apply)🌍 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries (check local listings)🌍 Also available on https://t.co/eBUfsOlZOd (geo-restrictions may apply) pic.twitter.com/UWiBk1xzuK

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 24, 2024 Isfak Seyid funneled another unwitting victim into his traps.

Merciless clinches, opportunistic takedowns, bulletproof submission defense and punishing ground-and-pound carried the unbeaten Turkish prospect to a unanimous decision over Felipe Negochadle in a three-round ONE Friday Fights 64 bantamweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. All three ringside judges gave the nod to Seyid (6-0, 2-0 ONE), who once again impressed on the ONE Championship stage.

Almost hypnotized by his counterpart’s oppressive style, Negochadle (6-2, 0-1 ONE) found himself in a constant state of…

[embedded content] A recent Ultimate Fighting Championship pickup might have "Mortal Kombat" on the brain.

On about a month’s notice, the promotion signed aggressive middleweight Joilton Lutterbach (38-9, 1 NC) to take on (12-0) at UFC on ABC 6 on June 22. The German by way of Brazil is elated to make his organizational debut in Saudi Arabia, and with this being his 70th pro fight in MMA and kickboxing combined, he does not expect the bright lights will get to him. Unafraid of the Russian’s knockout power, Lutterbach spoke with Sherdog on Wednesday about his upcoming debut.

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“I’m better than him in every area,” Lutterbach said confidently. “I see myself as far superior to him in boxing, wrestling and on the ground. The only thing he does better than me is kick. I’m a year older than him, but I have four times as many MMA fights and practically the same curriculum in kickboxing.”

Boasting a slew of grappling credentials, “Peregrino” nevertheless wis…

Fresh off the biggest win of his career, Lerone Murphy wants to stay active and carry that momentum forward.

Britain’s Murphy (14-0) outdueled perennial contender Edson Barboza (24-12) in his first UFC headliner at UFC Fight Night 241. With the promotion set to return to Manchester, England, in July after nearly eight years away, an offer for the undefeated featherweight to headline a card just months prior came as bit of a surprise. Murphy revealed that while he was aware of the UFC 304, card for some time, a main event opportunity against a veteran like Barboza was too good to ignore. “The Iceman” made an appearance on "The MMA Hour" on Wednesday, where he described his thought process going into the fight.

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“The opportunity they gave me, Edson Barboza, main event, five rounds, how can I say no,” Murphy explained. “I can’t say no to that. That’s a massive opportunity and a massive spotlight. So, for me it was like, yeah, they’re coming to Manchester…

Paddy Pimblett believes that Bobby Green’s chin has been well and truly cracked.

Pimblett (21-3) and Green (32-15-1, 1 NC) are set to trade leather at UFC 304 on July 27 at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England. Pimblett expects Green to use his impressive takedown defense to avoid grappling and force a fight predominantly on the feet.

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However, the Next Generation UK standout questions how Green’s chin will hold up after his brutal knockout loss to Jalin Turner in December 2023. While Green bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Jim Miller last month, Pimblett notes that even a 40-year-old Miller stung “King” in their meeting. Considering Green’s recent display of durability, “The Baddy” isn’t undermining his own chances of scoring a knockout.

“He’s got very good striking, he’s got good hands. But his chin’s gone after what happened with Jalin Turner,” The Liverpudlian told The Mac Life. “So, Jim Miller is not a knockout artist and …

Belal Muhammad has vowed to break Leon Edwards in their upcoming clash.

Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) will challenge Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) for the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 304. The two will run it back on July 27 at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England. The two first met atop UFC Fight Night 187 in 2021, resulting in a no contest after an accidental eye poke. Muhammad recently downplayed Edwards as a threat, labeling the champ the easiest matchup in the top five.

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While Muhammad prides himself on his pressure-first approach, he believes this alone will not be his primary advantage. “Remember the Name” considers Edwards easy to break and mentally weak, in stark contrast with himself. Muhammad noted that “Rocky” appeared to be completely dejected before pulling off a shock upset in his first title win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. Muhammad said on the "Show Me The Money" podcast:

“I don’t think there’s anybody in the world that’s gonn…

I asked to fight Oliveira, but he called out Colby instead. Guy who only fights once a year and is 2-3 since 2019.

We thought you were better than that, @CharlesDoBronxs . You know I’ll give you fire on the ground… but maybe that’s why you’d rather fight Colby..

— Mateusz Gamrot (@gamer_mma) May 22, 2024 Mateusz Gamrot believes Charles Oliveira is avoiding a showdown with him.

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“Gamer” Gamrot (24-2) has repeatedly called out former titleholder Oliveira (34-10), most recently when “do Bronx” revealed that he’s eyeing a return in July or August. The Brazilian mentioned his unwillingness to fight down the rankings at this stage in his career, dismissing a potential pairing with Gamrot. Instead, he offered to be the backup for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29 and later expressed interest in a welterweight matchup against Colby Covington.

Not entirely thrilled, Gamrot took a shot at the former lig…

PFL/Bellator Official Fighter Roster Update pic.twitter.com/HNZjwBy0g1

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 23, 2024 After 10 appearances under the Bellator MMA banner, former titleholder Gegard Mousasi is moving on.

The 38-year-old recently appeared on The MMA Hour, claiming that he has not been offered fights since the Professional Fighters League purchased Bellator at the end of the year. The PFL stated in April that Mousasi had been offered a fight at light heavyweight, but Mousasi did not accept. On Thursday, PFL and Bellator jointly announced through Mike Kogan, Bellator’s Head of Fighter Operations, that Mousasi had been released from his deal, while noting, “We wish him all the best in his next fighting chapter.”

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship and Strikeforce talent told The MMA Hour on Wednesday that before Bellator was purchased, he had signed a new contract worth “a couple million [dollars].” He also stated that a po…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship preserved its high-stakes co-main event with a rising star making a quick turnaround.

At UFC 303 on June 29, former champ Jamahal Hill (12-2) was expected to face Khalil Rountree in the co-headlining spot. Rountree was forced out of the contest due to a failed drug test, and he was issued a reduced suspension of two months plus anything the Nevada State Athletic Commission will add. In Rountree’s stead will be surging New Zealand-based force Carlos Ulberg (10-1), with news of him serving as the replacement breaking from the New Zealand Herald on Thursday. The pairing has since been confirmed by multiple outlets.

Hill is looking to rebound from a concussive defeat at the hands of Alex Pereira at UFC 300, where he fell short to reclaim his former belt. Hill snatched the vacant throne against Glover Teixeira in early 2023, capping off a four-fight win streak where he prevailed over Jimmy Crute, Johnny Walker and Thiago Santos on hi…

A heavyweight clash pitting Michael Parkin against Lukasz Brzeski is among three new additions to the UFC 304 bill.

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Additionally, Caolan Loughran will face Ramon Taveras at bantamweight, while Shauna Bannon will meet Ravena Oliveira in a women’s 135-pound scrap. The Las Vegas-based promotion announced all three bookings on Wednesday.

UFC 304 takes place on July 27 in Manchester, England, and is headlined by a welterweight championship bout between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad. In the co-main event, Tom Aspinall will defend his interim heavyweight belt against Curtis Blaydes.

Parkin is undefeated in nine professional fights, a run that includes three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the Dana White's Contender Series alum outpointed Mohammed Usman at UFC on ESPN 53 on March 23. Parkin also owns UFC triumphs over Caio Machado and Jamal Pogues.

Brzeski, meanwhile, snapped a four-bout winless streak in his last outing, as he took a th…

“The Ultimate Fighter 23” winner Andrew Sanchez is a new addition to the PFL 5 card in Salt Lake City on June 21.

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Sanchez will replace Laurynas Urbonavicious and face Karl Albrektsson in a light heavyweight bout at the event. The PFL recently announced the change. The organization also confirmed two other bouts for the card: Anthony Romero vs. Sergio Cassio at lightweight and Brayan Zurcher vs. Julian Ruiz at featherweight.

PFL 5 takes place at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City and features the second batch of regular season bouts at light heavyweight and lightweight. The card is headlined by a 155-pound clash pitting Clay Collard against Mads Burnell.

Sanchez made his promotional debut in June 2023, when he took a split-decision triumph against Taylor Johnson. “El Dirte” went 5-5 during a UFC stint from 2016 to 2021, earning notable victories over the likes of Khalil Rountree, Trevor Smith and Marc-Andre Barriault.

Sweden’s Albrek…

Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) has handed Khalil Rountree a two-month suspension after the UFC light heavyweight tested positive for the anabolic steroid DHEA.

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The term was reduced because Rountree informed UFC officials that he may have ingested a banned substance while taking a dietary supplement. A biological sample was then sent to Sports Medicine Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Salt Lake City, Utah, where tests confirmed the presence of DHEA metabolites in Rountree’s system.

“Rountree provided CSAD with shipping records, detailing that he received the supplement containing DHEA on May 2, 2024, just two days before he provided the May 4th sample,” read a statement from CSAD.

“Rountree also provided documentation from the owner of the clinic that sent him the supplement, reflecting that the company’s Brand Marketing Director sent Rountree some of the company’s ‘therapeutic blends’ supplements ‘without prior approval.’ The owner d…

Andre Lima will lock horns with Mitch Raposo in a flyweight clash at UFC 302.

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Raposo is a replacement opponent for Nyamjargal Tumendemberel, who was forced to withdraw from the event due to visa issues. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new booking. UFC 302 takes place on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and is headlined by a lightweight title bout between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier.

Lima is coming off a memorable Octagon debut, where he defeated Igor da Silva via disqualification when his opponent bit him on the arm in the second round. “Mascote” subsequently received a $50,000 “Bite of the Night” bonus and got a tattoo to commemorate the occasion. The 25-year-old Brazilian is 8-0 as a professional, with victories in Dana White's Contender Series and Legacy Fighting Alliance to his credit.

Raposo has been a champion in both the Cage Titans and CES MMA promotions. His lone career defeat in 10 professional…

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Ilia Topuria wants to defend his title against Max Holloway and then fight Conor McGregor at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Spain.

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Topuria became the featherweight champion with a second-round knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski at Brian Ortega as an ideal opponent for his first title defense, “El Matador” has now changed his tune.

Topuria recently laid down a two-fight plan to first defend his strap against Holloway and then face McGregor in “the biggest fight in MMA history.” Topuria is plotting a fight against “Notorious” at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of football club Real Madrid, and expects it to shatter all records. The Spaniard also recently claimed to have a date for the UFC’s planned debut in his home country this year.

“So, I hope to defend the belt with Max Holloway and then I want to fight with Conor McGregor hopefully," Topuria told Sportskeeda MMA. "If he wins his upcoming fight, that’s the figh…

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Arman Tsarukyan isn’t counting out Dustin Poirier in his upcoming UFC 302 title fight against Islam Makhachev.

Poirier challenges Makhachev for the lightweight title in the main event at UFC 302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Poirier previously suffered a submission loss in a foiled championship bid against Makhachev’s teammate and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in 2019. Given the similarity of style between both Dagestanis, Poirier is a massive underdog heading into UFC 302.

Makhachev also arguably has developed a cleaner striking skillset than Nurmagomedov over the years. According to Makhachev, teammate and Bellator MMA lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov has better striking than Poirier. Regardless, Tsarukyan believes standing up against Poirier will be a dangerous game to play for Makhachev. While Tsarukyan expects Makhachev to successfully execute his obvious game plan against Poirier, the Armenian-Russ…

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Conor McGregor believes Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is a better place for former Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes than other mixed martial arts promotions.

McGregor Sports and Entertainment became part owner of BKFC earlier this year. Explaining his interest in the organization, McGregor said he sees the MMA promotions space as kind of saturated with the UFC established as a clear industry leader.

According to McGregor, the BKFC is an entirely different space that generates more interest than rival MMA promotions of the UFC. McGregor noted that former UFC fighters fighting for rival MMA promotions often fail to generate much buzz. Compared to that, “Notorious” finds BKFC fights featuring UFC alums like Mike Perry, Eddie Alvarez and others much more entertaining.

“We’ve got the UFC as the premier mixed martial arts organization and the rest of them aren’t really anything right, let’s be real. The rest of them, their best events …

SAVANNAH’S MMA DEBUT OPPONENT IS SET! 👊

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Savannah Marshall vs. Mirela Vargas 🇧🇷 @Savmarshall1 makes her MMA debut in the PFL SmartCage on Saturday 8th June at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England!

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The undisputed world champion boxer makes the transition to mixed martial… pic.twitter.com/R8ItF86oqf — PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) April 26, 2024

Despite Savannah Marshall’s impressive boxing pedigree, Mirela Vargas believes her mixed martial arts experience will give her an edge over the Englishwoman in their upcoming fight.

Marshall (0-0) and Vargas (1-2) are scheduled to headline PFL Europe 2 on June 8 at the Utilitia Arena in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England. While the bout will mark Marshall’s pro MMA debut, the undisputed female super middleweight boxing champ is being considered a sizeable favorite.

However, Vargas plans on showing the world that elite boxing skills may not be necessarily be enough …

Credit: Bellator MMA

Despite his mother’s recent death, Dylan Tuke isn’t pulling out of the upcoming PFL Europe 2 card.

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Tuke (7-4) is scheduled to co-headline PFL Europe 2 against Kane Mousah (14-6) on June 8 at the Utilitia Arena in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, England. The Irish prospect was struck by tragedy weeks prior as his mother passed away.

However, “The Nuke” refused to pull out of his upcoming fight and recently explained his decision. According to Tuke, his mother, who introduced him to mixed martial arts, would have probably slapped him if he didn’t give his opponent the fight he promised and definitely wouldn’t have wanted him to miss the opportunity of fighting on such a big stage.

“So, my mother was a flowing [jiu-jitsu] woman herself. She was a black belt in her own right. And we promised Kane Mousah a knock and in three weeks me and him are gonna have a knock,” Tuke said during the PFL Europe 2 media day.

“So, she’d probably h…

The ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix is BACK — bigger and better than ever 🤩 Which ONE athlete deserves a shot? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3UGEf9dDxb

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 21, 2024

ONE Championship will hold a featherweight world grand prix kickboxing tournament later this year, the Singapore-based promotion confirmed on Tuesday.

According to a source close to the situation, Chingiz Allazov, Superbon Singha Mawynn, Marat Grigorian, Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, Masaaki Noiri and Tawanchai P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym are all candidates to participate. Additionally, Giorgio Petrosyan, who is still under ONE contract, is tentatively slated to compete in the tournament.

A date and location for the event have yet to be announced.

ONE previously held a featherweight grand prix that begain in 2021 and concluded in March 2022. In the finals of the bracket, Allazov took a hard-fought three-round verdict over Sitsongpe…