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Anastasia Yankova tasted defeat for the first time in her young MMA career last week, as she dropped a unanimous decision to Kate Jackson at Bellator 200 in London.

Yankova recently released a statement via Instagram following that loss. The message was positive, as the Russian kickboxer vowed to return to action soon.

“[Friday] I lost, but if you choose to be a fighter, take challenges, fight strong opponents, then you also accept the fact that this can happen,” Yankova wrote. “..To those who stay with me, regardless of the fact that [at Bellator 200] the referee [didn’t raise my hand], I am very grateful and happy that [you’re] in my life…Nothing ends, it's just the beginning. My face is slightly dented, but I don’t have injuries, so I'll see you soon.”

Yankova wasn’t especially competitive against Jackson in their flyweight bout. Jackson controlled the contest with takedowns and ground-and-pound, leaving her opponent’s nose a mangled mess at the conclusi…

When the Ultimate Fighting Championship signed its seven-year contract with Fox back in 2011, it felt like a pretty big deal.

According to Dana White, the promotion’s new agreement with ESPN surpasses that.

“Obviously if you look, ESPN wouldn’t cover us not too long ago and now we’re on ESPN,” White said at the UFC Fight Night 130 post-fight press conference. “We’re in business with Disney. It’s probably the most monumental thing that has happened in the history of this company – in the history of this sport.”

Last week, it was revealed that ESPN had acquired full broadcast rights for the UFC beginning in 2019. The new deal will bring 10 events to ESPN’s various cable networks and 20 cards to its streaming service, ESPN+. Additionally, preliminary bouts for the UFC’s 12 pay-per-views will air on the Worldwide Leader.

The deal is believed to be worth a total of $1.5 billion — or $300 million per year for five years. The UFC’s contract with Fox — wroth about $…

Darren Till is on a four-fight winning streak, with back-to-back high profile triumphs over Stephen Thompson and Donald Cerrone.

And yet, following a contentious decision win over Thompson in the UFC Fight Night 130 headliner in his hometown, he doesn’t believe a welterweight title shot should be on the horizon.

“I couldn’t care less,” Till said at the post-fight press conference. “I think Stephen deserves the interim [belt] more than I do myself. I just beat him in a close fight. Give it to Stephen. He made weight and he’s beaten more contenders. I’m not gonna sit here and bullsh--t anyone.”

Till, of course, missed weight by 3.5 pounds on Saturday. In order to be cleared to compete on Sunday, he had to check in below 188 pounds. Till did so, weighing in at 187.3 pounds to make the fight official. At the time, Till’s miss was attributed to a family emergency. He declined to elaborate beyond that after the fight.

“I missed weight. I can’t talk about it…

Oftentimes when a person repeatedly uses the phrase, “It is what it is,” they’re holding something back.

Such could be the case for Stephen Thompson following his narrow decision loss to Darren Till in the UFC Fight Night 130 headliner in Liverpool, England on Sunday. After five closely-contested frames, many observers – including 22 of the 24 media members tracked by MMADecisions.com – felt that “Wonderboy” deserved the nod. The cageside judges, however, felt differently, as Thompson fell to 1-2-1 in his last four Octagon appearances.

“I thought I edged it out, but he’s definitely a big boy,” Thompson said on Fox Sports 1. “You could feel his weight out there a little bit. But you know what, it is what it is.”

Thompson makes reference to Till’s weight, as the English fighter came in 3.5 pounds over the welterweight limit on Saturday. Till was required to weigh less than 188 pounds on Sunday in order to be allowed to compete, and he checked in at 187.3 poun…

Darren Till used all five rounds to reel in his biggest fish yet.

The undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight contender used clubbing overhand lefts and clever leg kicks to outpoint Stephen Thompson in the UFC Fight Night 130 headliner on Sunday at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Scores were 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46, as Till (17-0-1, 5-0-1 UFC) cleared another significant hurdle in his development.

It felt closer than the scores indicated. Thompson (14-3-1, 9-3-1 UFC) leaned on his lateral movement, darting punches and occasional flurries. However, the South Carolina-based karateka spent most of the fight moving backwards, with Till in relentless pursuit. Thompson also wound up on the wrong side of the most decisive moment in the 25-minute affair when his British counterpart dropped him with a thudding left in the fifth round. “Wonderboy” recovered quickly and returned to his feet, but the damage had been done and an already raucous crowd was whipped …

Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 130 coverage kicks off Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Have a question for Sherdog.com's medical expert? Tweet The Fight Doctor via @FightMedicine.

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…

Khabib Nurmagomedov delivered a message to Conor McGregor on Saturday.

“Conor the game has changed, now you have to play like a grown up man,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram. “There will no longer be locked buses with security inside and outside, now you have to solve these problems alone, and if you do not want it, just say so, everybody will understand.”

A potential showdown between Nurmagomedov and McGregor would be one of the biggest fights the UFC could make. Their rivalry only intensified when McGregor and his crew attacked a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other UFC fighters and employees ahead of UFC 223 in Brooklyn last month. The Irishman threw a dolly through the bus window, shattering glass and injuring fighters Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa.

As a result, McGregor is facing charges of assault and criminal mischief and is due in court on June 14. The “Notorious” one is expected to meet with UFC president Dana White in Liverpool over the weekend to d…

Shortly after Gegard Mousasi dispatched Rafael Carvalho to claim the middleweight crown at Bellator 200, he called out 170-pound champion Rory MacDonald.

It didn’t take long for “The Red King” to accept the challenge, as he took to Twitter to tell Bellator president Scott Coker and matchmaker Rich Chou that it was “the fight to make right now.”

@mousasi_mma congratulations on you dominant victory, @ScottCoker @rich_chou i know you wanted a title defense from me before challenging at middle weight. but myself vs @mousasi_mma is the fight to make right now, so lets make this happen!?

— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) May 25, 2018

Mousasi was dominant in London on Friday. He took Carvalho down multiple times, landed ground-and-pound and advanced to full mount. Eventually, the Brazilian gave up his back, and the former UFC and Strikeforce competitor sealed his victory with more punches 3:35 into the first round. Mousasi has won seven figh…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL3TBpXE5JA&w=560&h=315]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first visit to Liverpool, England, is off to a shaky start.

Liverpool natives Darren Till and Molly McCann missed weight Saturday morning at the official UFC Fight Night 130 weigh-ins.

Despite being given extra time due to a “family emergency,” Till weighed in at 174.5 pounds, 3.5 pounds over the welterweight limit. His opponent, Stephen Thompson (171), has accepted the bout, but will take 30 percent of Till’s purse. Also, Till cannot weigh more than 188 pounds at 1 p.m. local time tomorrow.

McCann, who weighed 127 pounds -- one pound over over the flyweight limit -- will also be fined, but her duel with Gillian Robertson (125) is a go.

UFC Fight Night 130 Weigh-in Results Stephen Thompson (171) vs. Darren Till (*174.5)Neil Magny (171) vs. Craig White (171)Arnold Allen (146) vs. Mads Burnell (146)Makwan Amirkhani (146) vs. Jason Knight (146)Claudio Henr…

Congrats t the NEW middleweight champion @mousasi_mma! #Bellator200 pic.twitter.com/Iv2DIxwrxF

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 26, 2018

Gegard Mousasi took care of business and did so with clinical precision, as he stopped Rafael Carvalho with first-round punches to capture the undisputed Bellator MMA middleweight championship in the Bellator 200 headliner on Friday at the SSE Arena in London. Carvalho (15-2, 6-1 Bellator) wilted 3:35 into Round 1. The loss was his first since Dec. 17, 2011 and closed the book on his 15-fight winning streak.

Mousasi (44-6-2, 2-0 Bellator) made it look easy, like hot-knife-through-butter easy. The 32-year-old “Dreamcatcher” executed multiple takedowns, softened Carvalho with ground-and-pound and climbed to full mount. Unable to escape, the Brazilian surrendered his back and covered up, with Mousasi cutting loose with right hands until the job was finished.

In the welterweight co-main event, undefeat…

-- BREAKING --IT APPEARS Nick Diaz HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN LAS VEGAS https://t.co/gHr4hnQQmp DOMESTIC BATTERY BY STRANGULATIONDOMESTIC BATTERY, (1ST). pic.twitter.com/n7N4ophjoh

— FrontRowBrian (@FrontRowBrian) May 25, 2018

According to multiple reports, Nick Diaz has allegedly been arrested and charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation, as well as misdemeanor domestic battery. The news was first reported on Twitter by mixed martial arts personality Front Row Brian.

MMA Junkie later reported that an unnamed person within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department identified the arrested party as Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Nick Diaz. The victim was female and was transported to a local hospital.

According to MMAJunkie, Diaz was allegedly combative with officers during the arrest and his bail was set at $18,000. He reportedly remains in custody and will likely post bail after a court hearing scheduled for Saturda…

OUCH!#Bellator200 prelims LIVE now on the Bellator app! pic.twitter.com/lgetmX5lBr

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 25, 2018

British fighter Tom Mearns had an unpleasant Bellator MMA debut Friday at Bellator 200 inside SSE Arena in London.

The featherweight was in the middle of his scheduled bout against Mike Ekundayo when he suffered a nasty arm injury, which appears to be a dislocated elbow.

The referee was forced to stop the contest 62 seconds into round two, after Mearns’s arm bent at an unnatural angle as he grappled with Ekundayo.

Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 200 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA has reached a milestone with its 200th event.

Bellator 200 goes down at SSE Arena in London, and will be headlined by a middleweight title fight pitting champ Rafael Carvalho against Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Gegard Mousasi.

Both men cleared the final hurdle for combat Thursday at the official weigh-ins, as both champ and challenger hit the mark at 185 pounds precisely.

Also on the main card, Michael Page (170.5) and David R…

Davey Grant vs Manny Bermudez is off #UFCLiverpool … just to save you a click. https://t.co/DxfZBIxUOJ

— Jim Edwards (@MMA_Jim) May 24, 2018

Bantamweights Manny Bermudez and Davey Grant will no longer meet at UFC Fight Night 130 according to a report from Jim Edwards, who has learned that Grant was removed from the bout after he was diagnosed with a staph infection.

UFC Fight Night 130 goes down Sunday in Liverpool, England.

Bermudez was to put his clean record on the line Sunday, which would have been his second in the Octagon after defeating Albert Morales at UFC on Fox 28.

Grant is the runner-up of “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” where he lost to Chris Holdsworth. He went 1-2 in the UFC after defeating Marlon Vera and losing to Damian Stasiak.

While Dana White had designs on adding Georges St. Pierre vs. Nate Diaz to his ideal UFC 227 card, it appears that neither fighter is much interested in the booking.

Diaz made his feelings clear recently to MMAjunkie.com, and Georges St. Pierre did the same in an interview with ESPN.com on Wednesday.

"There was a rumor about me fighting Nate Diaz, however it's not true," St. Pierre said. "I never agreed to that. Nate is an excellent fighter, but I have nothing to gain by fighting him.

"If I were to dominate him, people will say I'm a bully. If it's a competitive fight, I will be criticized because they will say I should have destroyed him. There is no way to look good in this fight.”

Diaz has struggled against dominant wrestlers in the past, and St. Pierre, in addition to being that, has competed only at welterweight and once at middleweight in the Octagon. The Tristar Gym standout captured the 185-pound title with a win over Michael Bisping this past…

A welterweight clash pitting Matthew Frincu against Christian Aguilera will headline the Legacy Fighting Alliance 44 card in Phoenix on June 29.

The promotion announced the event on Wednesday. LFA 44 takes place at Comerica Theatre and will also see Casey Kenney face Roman Salazar at bantamweight in the co-main event. The card will be televised on AXS-TV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

A native of Gold Coast, Australia, Frincu enters the matchup having won five of his last six appearances. Most recently, the 24-year-old Arizona Combat Sports product defeated Roman Alcantar via second-round TKO at LFA 31 on Jan. 19. Frincu owns a 12-3 career mark.

Aguilera, meanwhile, has defeated his last three foes via knockout or technical knockout, including a second-round stoppage of Ricardo Seixas at LFA 36 on March 23. The 26-year-old Californian is 11-4 as a pro, with nine victories via KO or TKO.

Coming January 2019 pic.twitter.com/wH8vXhIAZG

— UFC (@ufc) May 23, 2018

While the UFC will be moving to a new broadcast home in 2019, don’t expect a drastically presentation when it transitions to ESPN.

According to UFC President Dana White, the Las Vegas-based promotion will still have production control over its live events on The Worldwide Leader.

"The fans are happy with the way our show is presented, and the networks are too, which is why we get these deals done,” White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. “Our production is incredible, we do an amazing job and we'll continue to."

On Wednesday, the UFC and ESPN made their deal official. Beginning in 2019, the promotion will show 20 events on ESPN+ and 10 on ESPN’s various cable networks. Additionally, preliminary bouts from the UFC’s 12 pay-per-view cards will also be shown on ESPN platforms. The entire package is reportedly worth $1.5 billion over the course of the five-year deal. Read more about Dana White: UFC to Retain Production Control of Live Events with New ESPN Deal

Fabricio Werdum believes his potential anti-doping violation is nothing more than a “misunderstanding,” and the former heavyweight champion hopes to be cleared to return to the UFC soon.

The 40-year-old Brazilian released a statement via Instagram regarding his failed drug test on Tuesday. The UFC announced that “Vai Cavalo” was flagged for an out-of-competition sample collected by USADA on April 25.

“Hey guys, I got up this morning to the news that one of my urine samples from April tested positive for a prohibited substance,” Werdum wrote. “I am working with my team, the UFC and USADA to understand what happened. I’ve always been careful with everything I take and I’ve always supported a clean sport. We will work hard to solve this misunderstanding, and I hope soon to be able to go back to the octagon and do what I love.”

Werdum was reportedly set to face Alexey Oleynik in the headliner of the UFC’s first-ever Russian event in Moscow on Sept. 15. The bout…

UFC Fight Night 129 averaged 870,000 viewers on Fox Sports 1 this past Saturday, according to ShowBuzz Daily.

The card took place at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile and saw Kamaru Usman take a five-round decision over Demian Maia in the evening’s welterweight headliner. Usman was originally scheduled to face Santiago Ponzinibbio, who withdrew from the card due to an injury.

UFC Fight Night 129 went head-to-head with the NBA playoff game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics as well as a Showtime boxing card headlined by Badou Jack vs. Adonis Stevenson. The playoff game drew 6.8 million viewers, while boxing attracted an average audience that peaked at 535,000.

Meanwhile, the preliminary card, which featured a welterweight clash between Zak Cummings and Michel Prazeres, averaged 254,000 viewers on FS2.

The targeted headliner for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut event in Russia may not come to fruition, as Fabricio Werdum has been flagged for a potential anti-doping violation.

The former UFC heavyweight champion failed a drug test stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on April 25. USADA will handle results management and adjudication of the case involving Werdum, who is entitled to a full review process before any sanctions are imposed.

Werdum was reportedly set to face Alexey Oleynik at UFC Fight Night in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 15, though the bout had not been formally announced by the Las Vegas-based promotion. The status of that fight depends on how the Brazilian’s USADA case is resolved.

Werdum last appeared at UFC Fight Night 127, where he suffered a fourth-round knockout loss to Alexander Volkov in the card’s main event on March 17. Prior to that defeat, the 40-year-old “Vai Cavalo” had posted back-to-back triumphs over Mar…

UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa is the latest fighter to try his hand as an analyst.

Fox announced Monday that Chiesa will join Michael Bisping, Jimmy Smith and Karyn Bryant in the FS1 studio during UFC Fight Night 130 in Liverpool, England on Sunday. Meanwhile, Dan Hardy and Brendan Fitzgerald will serve as the broadcast team for the event.

UFC Fight Night 130 takes place at Echo Arena and is headlined by a pivotal welterweight clash between Stephen Thompson and Darren Till. Early prelims begin on UFC Fight Pass at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT before transitioning to FS1 at 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT. The main card kicks off on FS1 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

“I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to give my input and test my knowledge of the sport while sitting alongside my peers who have won world championships,” Chiesa wrote on Twitter. “People that know me know how much this means to me and is something I have wanted for a long time.”

Chiesa was scheduled to face A…

A heavyweight clash pitting Fabricio Werdum against Alexey Oleynik has been targeted to headline the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first-ever card in Russia on Sept. 15.

Multiple outlets have confirmed that the bout is in the works. MMAFighting.com was first to report the matchup on Monday. The promotion has not formally announced the contest, but Oleynik recently hinted in an Instagram post the he had signed a bout agreement to compete at the event. The card takes place at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

Werdum last appeared at UFC Fight Night 127, where he had a two-bout winning streak halted in a fourth-round knockout loss against Alexander Volkov in the evening’s main event on March 17. The 40-year-old Brazilian owns wins over the likes of Cain Velasquez, Travis Browne, Mark Hunt, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Roy Nelson during his promotional tenure.

Oleynik, who is also 40 years old, is coming off a first-round submission triumph over Junior Albini at UF…

.@LFAfighting joins London Trust Media Holdings Grouphttps://t.co/2v5V9IlvZX#MMA#LFANation@AXSTVFights pic.twitter.com/oRam7L7ds2

— LFA (@LFAfighting) May 21, 2018

Legacy Fighting Alliance will be operating under new ownership going forward.

The Texas-based MMA promotion announced on Monday that London Trust Media, “a diversified corporation with a primary focus on the Internet, entertainment and media industries,” has acquired majority ownership of the organization.

According to a release, the new ownership is expected to benefit LFA through “revitalized branding and an expanded reach across all Internet and social platforms.”

"This is a great day for LFA and MMA," said LFA CEO Ed Soares said. "We now host thirty MMA events across the United States which makes LFA the fastest growing MMA promotion in the world. Our strategic partnership with London Trust Media ensures that LFA will continue to grow as we develop the top prospect…

A lightweight tilt pitting Dan Hooker against Gilbert Burns has been added to the UFC 226 lineup.

Multiple outlets recently confirmed the pairing following an initial report from stuff.co.nz. UFC 226 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 7 and is headlined by a heavyweight championship bout between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.

Hooker enters the matchup on the momentum of a three-bout finishing streak in the Octagon. “The Hangman” has stopped Jim Miller, Marc Diakiese and Ross Pearson inside the distance to raise his UFC record to 6-3. Hooker is 16-7 as a professional overall, with all but one of his triumphs coming via knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Burns, meanwhile, has been victorious in three of his last four promotional appearances. Most recently, “Durinho” scored a second-round knockout of Dan Moret at UFC on Fox 29 on April 14. Burns is 6-2 in the UFC and 13-2 as a pro. He has finished 12 of his 13 victories.