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Off to Vegas!@CatZingano faces off with @MeganA_MMA in a featherweight matchup. #UFC232 pic.twitter.com/iUHKhq9Ohz

— UFC (@ufc) October 17, 2018

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially added another women’s featherweight fight to an already-stacked card at UFC 232, in the form of Cat Zingano vs. Megan Anderson. The official announcement came on Wednesday through the UFC’s Twitter account.

It is an interesting announcement, as the card already features a women’s featherweight champion bout between Cristiane Justino and Amanda Nunes. Last month, “Cyborg” said she wanted a backup fighter ready, as the UFC has done for UFC 228 when Tyron Woodley took on Darren Till and it seems those calls were answered with the intriguing bout at 145 pounds announced between Zingano and Anderson.

The @ufc had an extra welterweight make weight when @TWooodley fought @darrentill2 just in case anyone got injured I would like …

Get your seats for #UFCMilwaukee before anyone else.

The @UFC Fight Club pre-sale is LIVE.

https://t.co/0PkpBcniJO pic.twitter.com/bHbrWv03r6

— UFC Fight Club (@ufcfightclub) October 17, 2018

Two fights have been added to UFC on Fox 31, after the promotion announced that heavyweights Juan Adams vs. Chris de la Rocha and light heavyweights Adam Milstead vs. Mike Rodriguez have been booked for the December card.

Adams (4-0) is coming off of three TKO victories in a seven-month span, and made good on his Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series opportunity against Shawn Teed with a first-round TKO to earn a Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

Meanwhile, de la Rocha (5-2) lost his first two UFC appearances by knockout before finally winning his first fight inside the Octagon against Rashad Coulter in June.

Milstead is coming off of a split-decision loss to Jordan Johnson back in March, while his opponent Rodriguez…

December #UFCAdelaide https://t.co/fj7U7snfJ9 pic.twitter.com/sxpVDZtHeR

— UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) October 15, 2018

UFC Fight Night Adelaide continues to take shape as the Ultimate Fighting Championship has added a welterweight matchup.

Longtime journeyman Yushin Okami meets rising prospect Alexey Kunchenko in a fight set to test Kunchenko’s place in the division.

Okami has gone 1-1 since returning to the UFC in 2017. The Japanese fighter last fought two-time TUF finalist Dhiego Lima, winning a dominant decision at UFC Glendale.

Kunchenko’s record currently stands at a perfect 19-0. The Russian made his Octagon debut back in September at UFC Moscow, beating Thiago Alves in a hotly-contested fight. Kunchenko has been touted as the next big thing by many hardcore fans and will look to prove them right in Australia.

The fight is currently expected to take place on the prelims.

UFC Adelaide has already booked J…

Two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson reiterates he is still keen on a fight with former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler despite talks taking longer than expected.

Thompson has been frustratingly close in his recent outings: He fell short on two occasions against current welterweight king Tyron Woodley, but by the narrowest of margins, taking “The Chosen One” to draw in their first fight and dropping a majority decision in the rematch. “Wonderboy” last fought in Liverpool, England back in May, losing a controversial decision to Darren Till.

Lawler, however, has not fought since losing to Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision back in December, suffering a torn ACL in the process. The injury has kept him sidelined up until now but Thompson believes Lawler is now back in the gym readying for a return to the Octagon.

Thompson recently spoke with Jim Edwards of MMA NYTT and said he’s excited for a potenti…

Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White and lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov have come to terms after the fallout from The Eagle’s UFC 229 fight against Conor McGregor, where a massive brawl ensued following a submission victory for Nurmagomedov.

The champion’s friends and fellow UFC fighters Islam Makhachev and Zubaira Tukhugov were said to be axed from the promotion due to their involvement in the melee, causing Nurmagomedov (27-0) to publicly say he would consider retiring out of protest.

However, White says the two have come to terms now that things have cooled off a bit since last Saturday when asked by TMZ Tuesday:

“We worked it out. We're gonna get everything worked out. Obviously, he was a little upset and a little fired up.

“Listen, guys get very emotional man and that was a very emotional fight for him. At the end of the day, Khabib is a great guy and we've always had a great relationship with him.”

Before cooler heads prevail…

Fedor Emelianenko & @RyanBader meet in the finals of the #BellatorWGP Jan 26th at @TheForum in Los Angeles. Presale begins Wednesday on https://t.co/Vaz4tapQg5 and https://t.co/eHO16iDdOb pic.twitter.com/TQropgxRGn

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 16, 2018

Bellator MMA heavyweight grand prix finalists Fedor Emelianenko and Ryan Bader will settle who wins the tournament, as well as the heavyweight belt, on Jan. 26 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Both emerged victorious in their respective tournament bouts last weekend, with Bader (26-5) defeating Mitrione by decision Friday and Emelianenko (38-5 1 NC) finishing Chael Sonnen in the first round Saturday.

Beforehand, Bader knocked out Muhammed Lawal in 15 seconds in the opening round of the tournament in May; meanwhile, “The Last Emperor” finished former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king Frank Mir in 46 seconds in April.

The tournament finale will air …

Bradley Scott Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy https://t.co/87eKS51asO pic.twitter.com/vkS7MJ2P0F

— USADA | UFC Anti-Doping Program (@USADA_UFC) October 16, 2018

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Bradley Scott has accepted a two-year USADA suspension after allegedly testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, following an in-competition test on May 27, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 130 in May.

Scott (11-6) took on Carlo Pedersoli Jr. and lost by split decision on the preliminary portion of the card, which was headlined by Darren Till vs. Stephen Thompson.

According to USADA officials, “(They) conducted a thorough investigation into Scott’s case and determined Scott had not provided verifiable evidence regarding the circumstances that led to his positive test.”

Scott’s two-year suspension, which is the standard sanction for a first offense, began on July 3, the date his provisional …

.@titoortiz arrives @shopWSS to sign autographs and meet his biggest fans. #LiddellOrtiz3 Nov 24 @theforum #PPV pic.twitter.com/9rRLiryPTC

— Golden Boy Boxing (@GoldenBoyBoxing) October 13, 2018

MMAJunkie has obtained Golden Boy Promotions’ proposed lineup for its very first mixed martial arts card, which will be headlined by a trilogy fight between former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight kings Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.

The card features the likes of former UFC fighters Tom Lawlor, Kendall Grove, Gleison Tibau, Efrain Escudero, Walel Watson and Jay Silva. Bellator MMA prospect Deron Winn (4-0) is also set to compete.

The event will also feature five amateur fights to open the card. The event will air live on pay-per-view on Nov. 24 in Inglewood, California.

Golden Boy Promotions Fight Card: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito OrtizKenneth Bergh vs Jorge GonzalezGleison Tibau vs. Efrain EscuderoWalel Watson vs. Ricky Palacio…

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Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight king Tyron Woodley recently opened up on the details of the hand injury he sustained at UFC 228, which ultimately forced him out of a potential title defense against Colby Covington at UFC 230 in New York.

Woodley recently underwent surgery to repair his right hand and was featured on an episode of The Hollywood Beatdown direct from his doctor’s office as they splinted his injured right wrist.

”It’s the CMC joint, I dislocated my thumb in the [Darren Till] fight,” Woodley explained. “I did it in the first round and then I actually tore ligaments there. At the end of the first round I punched and hit the back of his head. And then the second round, I started elbowing and punching and then I got on top and the coach was like ‘Hook punch him!’ So I started doing what we call the hook punch and my hand started hurting.”

”I was like ‘Aw that do…

Artem Lobov, who was originally scheduled to face Zubaira Tukhugov later this month at UFC Moncton, may have a new opponent in Michael Johnson. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani announced the pending matchup on Sunday, but noted that Johnson had not yet signed the bout agreement.

Tukhugov was removed from the bout for his involvement in the post-fight brawl at UFC 229, where he was captured on camera entering the Octagon and attacking McGregor. Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White stated in the immediate aftermath of the brawl that any UFC roster fighters who were found to have entered the Octagon would be cut.

The UFC’s action spurred Tukhugov’s teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov, to threaten to walk out on his UFC contract, pointing out the apparent double standard of the UFC’s lenient stance on McGregor and Lobov when the Irishman attacked the bus Nurmagomedov was on back in April ahead of his fight at UFC 223.

Johnson broke a three-fight losing streak in A…

Notorious. @TheNotoriousMMA | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/Cv9x6vLbsh

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 14, 2018

It doesn’t appear as though Conor McGregor is spending much time feeling sorry for himself following his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.

The former two-division UFC champion visited with Dallas Cowboy players and owner Jerry Jones prior to the team’s 40-7 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. McGregor was joined on the field by manager Audie Attar and training partner Dillon Danis.

.@TheNotoriousMMA mixing it up before today’s game. #JAXvsDAL pic.twitter.com/2otbkyY5Cq

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 14, 2018

Conor McGregor got HYPED pregame with the Cowboys pic.twitter.com/0GPAiAzfDv

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 14, 2018

McGregor’s trademark Octagon strut even appeared to inspire touchdown cel…

When Cheick Kongo was excluded from Bellator’s heavyweight grand prix – a bracket that featured a few natural light heavyweights – many believed that his penchant for less-than-thrilling performances was a factor.

The way things are going now, it’s getting more and more difficult to deny the 43-year-old Frenchman his shot at Bellator gold. Kongo earned his second consecutive first-round knockout at Bellator 208 on Saturday, as he polished off fellow UFC veteran Timothy Johnson in just 68 seconds. That win comes on the heels of a 2:29 stoppage of Javy Ayala at Bellator 199 in May.

Kong doesn’t deny being angry about being left out of the heavyweight bracket. However, he remained in the background as the tournament played out over the past few months.

“I never got the chance to say anything (about not being in the tournament),” Kongo said after Bellator 208 video courtesy of MMAjunkie.com. “I used to be quiet because I was pretty angry, but what could I say? …

Undefeated middleweight Fabian Edwards has signed with Bellator MMA.

The promotion revealed the signing during an interview with Edwards on the Bellator 208 broadcast Saturday night. Edwards is the younger brother of UFC welterweight contender Leon Edwards.

“The daddy of the middleweight division has now become the daddy of [Bellator MMA],” Edwards wrote on Instagram. “I would like to announce that I have signed a multi-fight contract deal with [one] of the world’s leading [MMA shows]. I look forward to collecting chins and cashing checks.”

to the liver1R TKO by Fabian Edwards (BCMMA) pic.twitter.com/oGVCrSsz2C

— Jolassanda (@Jolassanda) May 12, 2018

End of Days from Fabian "The Assassin" Edwards #BAMMA30 #MMA #Dublin pic.twitter.com/Rzg4aVpgSQ

— BAMMA (@BAMMA) July 7, 2017

Edwards is 5-0 as a professional, including four straight triumphs with the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts promotion.…

Vinny Magalhaes has the look of a runaway train.

The longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt submitted Bozigit Ataev with a kimura in the Professional Fighters League light heavyweight tournament semifinals at PFL 9 on Saturday at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California. Ataev (19-3) -- who had earlier eliminated Emiliano Sordi (17-8) on a first-round technical knockout -- conceded defeat 1:58 into Round 1, his modest two-fight winning streak having run its course.

Magalhaes (18-9) closed the distance and pulled guard inside the opening minute. The 2011 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist then swept into top position, settled in half guard and transitioned to side control before framing the fight-ending kimura. Given the tap-or-snap option, Ataev made the wise choice.

The 34-year-old Magalhaes earlier needed just 80 seconds to submit the eighth-seeded Rakim Cleveland (19-11-1) with a first-round kimura. He will lock …

Fedor Emelianenko (38-5, 1 NC) eliminates Chael Sonnen in the first round! Advancing to the Heavyweight GP finals, "The Last Emperor" is 7-1 in his last eight. #Bellator208 pic.twitter.com/syrplSyXfJ

— Kyle Johnson (@Maldobabo) October 14, 2018

One of the greatest fighters to ever compete in the sport of mixed martial arts is one step away from claiming another world title.

Fedor Emelianenko turned in a solid performance as he not only kept Father Time at bay for the time being, he vanquished legendary trash talker Chael Sonnen in the first round at Bellator 208. “The Last Emperor” nearly ended the brawl in the first 10 seconds when he almost decapitated Sonnen with a massive left hook to the jaw that sent him to the canvas, but the Russian legend backed away and allowed Sonnen back up to his feet.

Emelianenko had his hands full with the American throughout, though, as Sonnen (30-16-1) never gave up and tried relentlessly to take his…

Sherdog’s live Bellator 208 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 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Round 2 Sherdog Scores Round 3 Sherdog Scores The Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hRWMyLuz58&w=560&h=315]

Ronda Rousey generally hasn’t discussed much regarding mixed martial arts since her departure from the UFC to World Wrestling Entertainment.

However, the former women’s bantamweight champion offered some insight to TMZ Sports about the post-fight brawl involving UFC 229 main event competitors Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. After Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor with a neck crank in the fourth round of their Oct. 6 lightweight title bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., the champion jumped out of the Octagon to fight with McGregor’s cornerman. Meanwhile, some of Nurmagomedov’s team entered the cage to scuffle with McGregor.

That melee came on the heels of an incident in April in which McGregor threw a dolly through the window of a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other fighters a couple days prior to UFC 223. McGregor was arrested but ultimately reached a plea deal to avoid jail time. V…

Ryan Bader punched his ticket to the Bellator MMA heavyweight grand prix final, and he took virtually no damage in the process.

Bader outclassed former NFL player Matt Mitrione over three rounds, taking him down whenever he wanted before dishing out a steady stream of ground-and-pound from start to finish. Mitrione (13-6) looked like a fish out of water on the canvas and was never afforded the opportunity to establish an offensive rhythm, as Bader cruised to victory in the Bellator 207 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Bader nearly submitted “Meathead” in the second round with a cross-body kimura. The joint lock elicited a shriek from Mitrione, but Bader (26-5) could not finish him off. Instead, the Power MMA fighter maintained a sustained attack until the end, winning nearly every frame by a 10-8 score. In the end, Bader was given the judges’ nod via tallies of 30-24, 30-25 and 30-25. He now awaits the winner of the Fedor Emeliane…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BSv0-zdVHk&w=560&h=315]

Poland’s Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki has bolstered its growing roster with another name that is famous for something other than fighting, as it announced the signing of titanic bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford last weekend.

Ford, who cuts an imposing figure to say the least at 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds of shredded muscle, came to fame through social media for his bodybuilding exploits before turning his eye to acting. The 33 year-old Englishman has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies, including “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” and “Boyka: Undisputed.”

At KSW 45 on Saturday, Ford stepped into the KSW cage in front of a packed SSE Arena in Wembley, announced his signing and stated that he plans to make his mixed martial arts debut with KSW in early 2019.

“I’m very, very excited to be here,” Ford said. “We have a huge announcement. It’s my first time when I came to this actual venue and watched…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ucHPersW8E&w=560&h=315]

Bellator MMA returns for the second night in a row as Chael Sonnen takes on Fedor Emelianenko in the main event of Bellator 208, atop a card featuring a host of big names as well as exciting matchups.

The main event is a semifinal of Bellator’s ongoing heavyweight tournament. Sonnen will look to keep the upsets coming, as he defeated the favored and significantly heavier Quinton Jackson in his opening-round match in January via decision. “The Last Emperor” advanced by knocking out former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Frank Mir in a wild 48-second slugfest in his quarterfinal match at Bellator 198 in April.

The co-main event sees former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson take on the heavy-hitting Saad Awad in a fight that may well determine the next challenger for the lightweight title. Before any of the 26 fighters on the card could set foot in the cage, however, all ha…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xC2G3yPoYc?start=2534&w=560&h=315]

With the increasing prevalence of fighters withdrawing from events due to injury, often on short notice, Bellator MMA has a backup plan to ensure its heavyweight Grand Prix goes as smoothly as possible.

Bellator President Scott Coker revealed that plan during Thursday’s press conference for Bellator 208, which takes place Saturday. Chael Sonnen and Fedor Emelianenko will battle it out in the tournament’s semifinals, while longtime Bellator and former UFC heavyweight Cheick Kongo (28-10 2) will fight Timothy Johnson in a main card feature bout.

“[If] Cheick wins, and if there’s a hiccup (in the tournament), we should probably have those two alternates fight, and then the winner can fight in the finals,” said Coker.

By “those two alternates,” Coker referred to Kongo and Roy Nelson, who fights Sergei Kharitonov on Friday night. Nelson was eliminated from the Grand Prix by Matt Mitrion…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xC2G3yPoYc&w=560&h=315]

One of mixed martial arts’ original trash talkers looks to draw attention away from the fracas that was UFC 229 as Chael Sonnen takes on Fedor Emelianenko in the semi-finals of Bellator MMA’s heavyweight grand prix.

Sonnen launched barbs on Thursday during a press conference for Saturday’s Bellator 208, and the former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger was in prime form.

“The American Gangster” will fight at heavyweight for the second time in his long and storied career, after defeating Quinton Jackson by decision in January to advance in the tournament. Despite the relatively new weight class, Sonnen says nothing will change in his approach to the fight against one of the most decorated and feared heavyweights in MMA history:

“My game plan is always the same. I’m gonna rush across that cage the minute that bell rings and dare him to throw that …

Ansgar Fighting League lightweight champion Joel Alvarez (14-1) of Spain will defend his title at AFL 17 on Nov. 24, against Italy’s Radu Maxim.

The matchup features two of Europe’s more intriguing up-and coming lightweights. The 25-year-old “El Fenomeno” has achieved all 14 of his career wins within the distance -- all but one of them by submission -- and is currently riding a nine-fight winning streak, with the last five coming within the AFL cage.

The Moldovan-born Maxim (9-1), who once held a spot on his native country’s national wrestling team, is on a six-fight tear of his own. Most recently, the 27-year-old won his Bellator MMA debut against Simone La Preziosa at Bellator 203, where he dominated his opponent with superior wrestling and pelted him with ground-and-pound for a first-round TKO.

AFL 17 "Coal and Blood" takes place on Nov. 24 at the Juan Carlos Beiro Sport Center in Langreo, Asturias, Spain. It will air on Fite.tv as a $9.99 pay-per-view.

A rematch between Kevin Lee and Al Iaquinta will headlined UFC on Fox 31.

Promotion officials confirmed the lightweight booking to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday. UFC on Fox 31 takes place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Dec. 15 and will also include a 155-pound clash between Dan Hooker and Edson Barboza.

Lee and Iaquinta initially fought at UFC 169, with Iaquinta taking a three-round verdict over “The Motown Phenom.” Lee has gone 11-2 in the Octagon since that defeat. Most recently, he stopped Barboza in the UFC Fight Night 128 headliner on April 28.

Iaquinta, meanwhile, is coming off a five-round loss to reigning lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 in April. That snapped a five-bout winning streak for the Serra-Longo Fight Team product, who is 8-3 during his promotional tenure and 13-4-1 as a professional overall.