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Controversial UFC star Nick Diaz has accepted a one-year sanction from USADA resulting from three unsuccessful drug test attempts during a 12-month period from 2016 to 2017.

Diaz’s one-year suspension began on April 19, 2017, meaning that he is a little more than a week from being able to return to active UFC competition if he so chooses. The Stockton, Calif., native has not competed in the Octagon since facing Anderson Silva in the UFC 183 headliner in January 2015. While Diaz lost a five-round decision in the bout, the result was overturned to a no contest after Silva tested positive for steroids in relation to the event. Diaz faced his own sanctions from the Nevada Athletic Commission due to a positive marijuana test.

Diaz has been relatively quiet since then, although UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports earlier this year that he believes the former Strikeforce champion is interested in fighting soon. With his suspension coming to an end within the month,…

Khabib Nurmagomedov was complete control at UFC 223, as cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Al Iaquinta to claim the lightweight title on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

While Nurmagomedov’s dominance was reflected in the scorecards — he received tallies of 50-44, 50-43 and 50-43 — not everyone was completely impressed with his performance. UFC analyst Joe Rogan was almost bizarrely critical toward the Dagestani, particularly in rounds three and four, when the lightweight eschewed his grappling to batter Iaquinta with jabs.

Still, while Iaquinta was able to land the occasional punch, Nurmagomedov was never truly threatened in the 25-minute affair. According to FightMetric.com figures, “The Eagle” held a lopsided 134-to-41 advantage in significant strikes landed.

Rogan took to Instagram to address his coverage of Nurmagomedov during the UFC 223 broadcast. In a lengthy statement, the veteran commentator explains why he called the fi…

The rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor reached a new level during UFC 223 fight week.

A few days after Nurmagomedov confronted Artem Lobov, McGregor’s SBG Ireland teammate, at the fighter’s hotel, the “Notorious” one and his entourage crashed the Barclays Center — with disastrous results. On Thursday, McGregor attacked a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other UFC fighters, and the Irishman shattered one of the windows by throwing a dolly at it.

While McGregor was attempting to get at Nurmagomedov, the end result of his actions was that scheduled UFC 223 competitors Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg were forced off the card due to injuries suffered in the attack. Additionally, Lobov was pulled from the lineup for his involvement in the melee.

Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta in a lopsided five-round decision in the UFC 223 headliner to claim the lightweight title that once belonged to McGregor. While McGregor still faces charges from t…

Joanna Jedrzejczyk may have an 0-2 record against the current strawweight champion, but she believes there’s still no comparison between her and the rest of the division.

“You can see the other female strawweights fighting and compare me to them. Come on,” Jedrzejczyk said at the UFC 223 post-fight press conference. “They cannot compare themselves to me. They cannot. They are all really jealous and talking too much all the time. I’m telling them, ‘Bow down, bow down, I’m the queen.’”

Jedrzejczyk dropped a competitive five-round decision to Rose Namajunas in their rematch at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Saturday night. It was quite a difference from their first meeting at UFC 217, which Namajunas finished inside of a round in one of 2017’s biggest upsets.

“I’m very proud of myself. I’m in good mood,” Jedrzejczyk said. “Not like last time at the Garden. When I heard Bruce Buffer saying the numbers how the judges scored the card, I expected I was …

At the conclusion of their featherweight bout at UFC 223, Zabit Magomedsharipov and Kyle Bochniak received a standing ovation from those in attendance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

A little bit later, both men received a much-deserved boost to their bank accounts in the form of $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus checks. Magomedshapirov, a highly touted prospect, improved to 3-0 in the UFC with a unanimous decision triumph, but Bochniak never backed down during the 15-minute affair. The bout concluded with both men swinging away wildly, much to the delight of the crowd.

Elsewhere, Chris Gruetzemacher garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a bloody stoppage victory of Joe Lauzon in a lightweight duel. Gruetzemacher punished his foe with punches and standing elbows for two frames, and Lauzon wore the damage on his face. At the conclusion of the second stanza, Lauzon’s corner called off the contest.

Finally, Olivier Aubin-Mercier received…

Khabib Nurmagomedov just threw his name into the superfight sweepstakes.

Following a lopsided five-round verdict over Al Iaquinta in the UFC 223 headliner that earned him the lightweight crown, Nurmagomedov called out one of the sport’s greatest champions in his post-fight interview.

“My team has made me the best in the world. There is not another team like us in the world. I keep trying to learn from them and be better,” Nurmagomedov said. “It’s like Georges St. Pierre said, ‘Even when you are a black belt, you have to think like a white belt.’”

“And now, I want to fight Georges St-Pierre in November at Madison Square Garden.”

While the promotion has not officially announced the event, it would fall in line with the past two years, when the UFC held pay-per-views in New York in November. In fact, St. Pierre last appeared at MSG at UFC 217, where he claimed middleweight gold with a third-round submission of Michael Bisping.

“If they ask me, I wa…

Sherdog.com's UFC 223 (now available on Amazon Prime) coverage kicks off Saturday at 8 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 Round 4 Sherdog Scores Round 5 Sherdog Scores The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog S…

Although he’s only competed once in the last six years and must currently serve the rest of his suspension for multiple failed drug tests at UFC 200, Brock could be in line for a huge opportunity if he returns to the Octagon.

Earlier this week, Dana White confirmed that Lesnar is coming back to the Las Vegas-based promotion during an interview on UFC Tonight. The UFC president did not have a date in mind the for ex-heavyweight champion’s comeback, however. Lesnar still must serve six months for his USADA suspension stemming from failed drug tests in relation to UFC 200.

At the UFC’s 25th anniversary press conference on Friday, White said Lesnar could get a heavyweight title shot when he does return. Lesnar is expected to complete his WWE contract at WrestleMania on Sunday.

“That’s a possibility,” White said. “He’s still under contract with the UFC, but we have not signed him to a fight. He’s still under contract with us, too. He still has fights left on his…

A previously reported interim welterweight championship clash between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington is finally official — just not at the venue that was originally anticipated.

Dos Anjos and Covington will square off for interim 170-pound gold in the co-main event at UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9, the promotion announced during the UFC’s 25th anniversary press conference. The welterweights were initially expected to square off at UFC 224 in Rio de Janeiro on May 12, according to multiple reports. UFC 225 takes place at the United Center and is headlined by a middleweight championship clash between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero.

A former lightweight champion, Dos Anjos has scored three impressive victories since moving up to 170 pounds. Most recently, he outpointed ex-titlist Robbie Lawler in the UFC on Fox 26 headliner on Dec. 16.

Covington has made several inflammatory remarks about Brazil and last year was involved in an ugly altercation with Fab…

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After one of the most bizarre days in the sport’s history, UFC 223 (now available on Amazon Prime) finally has a main event.

Following New York State Athletic Commission’s decision to deem Max Holloway medically unfit, the Ultimate Fighting Championship spent the day scrambling for an opponent for Khabib Nurmagomedovand after many other options fell through, Al Iaquinta stepped in to save the day.

The UFC’s initial replacement for Holloway was intended to be Anthony Pettis, but negotiations between “Showtime” and the UFC fell apart. The promotion and the former champ were unable to reach a financial agreement and the UFC turned their eyes towards Paul Felder, who weighed in at a championship weight of 155, but since Felder was outside of the top 15 in the promotion’s rankings, the NYSAC declared him ineligible to fight for the title.

With Felder out of the fray, attention turned to his oppone…

JUST IN: #UFC star Conor McGregor walked out of police station in #NewYorkCity after backstage melee he allegedly instigated pic.twitter.com/h8MUGhJDKr

— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) April 6, 2018

Mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor has been charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of criminal mischief in the aftermath of his alleged attack on a charter bus carrying Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors on Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, according to the New York City Police Department.

McGregor turned himself in after a video of the incident surfaced. The video appears to show the Irishman hurling objects into the bus and shattering a window. As a result, multiple fighters were injured. Michael Chiesa sustained facial lacerations that necessitated his withdrawal from a main card bout with Anthony Pettis, and Ray Borg suffered a corneal abrasion that forced him to exit his scheduled clash wit…

I’m told some of the fighters who were on the van are “shaken up.” They are still at the arena and Dana White, as well as local authorities, are there now.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 5, 2018

Michael Chiesa’s coach describes this incident as McGregor going “bananas,” which might be the funniest way to describe an attack on a van full of people. https://t.co/gwQ9ojaBuL

— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) April 5, 2018

Combate reporting that Chiesa, who by the way has to fight on Saturday, got cut after McGregor threw something at the van. We have more on that coming up on @MMAjunkie soon. We've gone way past gimmicky. This is fucked up. https://t.co/bK7LB4zoOb

— Fernanda Prates (@NandaPrates_) April 5, 2018

I have analyzed the footage and it was NOT Conor throwing the fence. But he did pick up a garbage pail.

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 5, 2018

Read more about Videos: Conor McGregor Crashes UFC 223 Media Day; Michael Chiesa Injured

I’m told some of the fighters who were on the van are “shaken up.” They are still at the arena and Dana White, as well as local authorities, are there now.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 5, 2018

Michael Chiesa’s coach describes this incident as McGregor going “bananas,” which might be the funniest way to describe an attack on a van full of people. https://t.co/gwQ9ojaBuL

— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) April 5, 2018

Combate reporting that Chiesa, who by the way has to fight on Saturday, got cut after McGregor threw something at the van. We have more on that coming up on @MMAjunkie soon. We've gone way past gimmicky. This is fucked up. https://t.co/bK7LB4zoOb

— Fernanda Prates (@NandaPrates_) April 5, 2018

I have analyzed the footage and it was NOT Conor throwing the fence. But he did pick up a garbage pail.

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 5, 2018

Read more about Update: Conor McGregor Crashes UFC 223 Media Day; Three Fights Canned

Not too long ago, UFC President Dana White and former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar posed for a picture together in Las Vegas.

Lesnar was in town for the WWE’s Elimination Chamber event that particular weekend, and the photo-op was dismissed by more than a few people as a publicity stunt, even after White said that the chances of an Octagon comeback by the massive South Dakota native were ”very, very, very good.”

During an appearance on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, White confirmed that Lesnar will fight in the UFC again.

“Yeah, Brock Lesnar’s coming back,” White says. “I don’t know when, but yes he is.”

Dana White dropping news that Brock Lesnar is coming back to the octagon. pic.twitter.com/FUGHO21i8O

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 5, 2018

There are still some obstacles to clear for Lesnar to compete within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The 40-year-old heavyweight is still under suspension for failing a USADA drug t…

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UFC 223 fight week is only just beginning and tensions are already high.

In a video posted by MMAnytt, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Artem Lobov engage in a confrontation at the fighter hotel. Based on the footage, it is unclear what initially caused the incident. Both fighters were eventually separated without any type of serious physical altercation.

It’s likely that at least one source of the animosity between Nurmagomedov and Lobov stems from Nurmagomedov’s ongoing war of words with Conor McGregor. Lobov is one of McGregor’s training partners at SBG Ireland.

Nurmagomedov will face Max Holloway for the lightweight title in the UFC 223 headliner at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Saturday. Lobov, meanwhile, will square off against Alex Caceres in a preliminary featherweight duel.

Matt Brown has suffered a torn ACL and has been forced to withdraw from a proposed welterweight bout against Carlos Condit at UFC on Fox 29.

MMAFighting.com was the first to report the injury on Monday. Promotion officials are currently seeking a replacement opponent for Condit. UFC on Fox 29 takes place on April 14 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., and is headlined by a lightweight clash between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

Brown and Condit were initially scheduled to square off at UFC on Fox 9 in December 2013, but Brown had to pull out of that contest due to a back injury. “The Immortal” ended a three-fight skid with a first-round knockout of Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night 120 in November.

Condit, meanwhile, returned from a 16-month hiatus at UFC 219, where he dropped a decision to Neil Magny. “The Natural Born Killer” has lost his last three Octagon appearances.

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There was no way Max Holloway was going to turn down a chance to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 — even on short notice.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Sunday that Holloway, the reigning featherweight champion, would replace the injured Tony Ferguson in the new UFC 223 main event. According to UFC President Dana White, the bout will be for the “official” lightweight title, although there still has been no word of Conor McGregor being stripped.

"April Fools! Nah, I'm just joking. The news was crazy,” Holloway told Hawaiian station KHON2. “My manager called me. He told me that Tony is hurt and they want you and Khabib. So I was like, how do you turn down an opportunity like this? Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime. Really only one guy was able to do it. So glad to be the second guy and go out there and make history.”

With a win, Holloway would join McGregor as the …

Tony Ferguson is understandably devastated after a knee injury forced his withdrawal from the UFC 223 headliner against Khabib Nurmagomedov less than one week before their fight.

“Words can’t explain how hurt, frustrated, angry and in disbelief I am right now,” Ferguson wrote on Instagram. “I was completing my UFC pre-fight media obligations on Friday. I had an accident on a studio set that tore a ligament in my knee.

“My doctor and the UFC doctor both said I can’t fight and one is saying I need surgery, so I will see a specialist to make a final determination on how I can heal up and get back in there to defend my belt ASAP.”

I'm told the injury to Tony Ferguson was literally caused by a trip. The freak accident of all freak accidents. He was walking, saw someone he wasn't expecting to see, veered sharply to say hello and tripped.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 1, 2018

As a result, Max Holloway will face Khabib Nurmagomed…

Ed Ruth’s official 170-pound debut may have been put on hold, but the three-time NCAA national champion wrestler still has big plans for his move to the welterweight division.

“Definitely. I’ve seen Rory MacDonald. Everybody pays attention to the guy that’s on top,” Ruth told Sherdog.com. “I definitely see myself fighting Rory for the belt. Paul Daley and anybody that’s at 170, I try to visualize myself [fighting]. I don’t like leaving any stones unturned, because I feel like a lot of people like to take it for granted.”

After beginning his Bellator MMA tenure with four consecutive victories at 185 pounds or higher, Ruth was scheduled to make his welterweight debut at Bellator 196 in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday. After original foe Laszlo Furko withdrew due to injury last week, Ion Pascu agreed to step in and face Ruth in a 175-pound catchweight bout. The change didn’t faze Ruth, however.

“It’s not so bad,” he said. “Whoever wants to come fight me, that’s w…

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Darren Till vs. Stephen Thompson recently became official for UFC Fight Night 130 in Liverpool, and Till already has some very specific stakes in mind for the matchup.

“I think it’s gonna be the most interesting fight of my life, just because of his fight IQ and my own,” Till said on the “Obviously Fight Talk” podcast. “So let’s see who wins. Let’s see who is the best striker in the division. Now it’s time to see.”

Till improve to 16-0-1 as a professional with a first-round technical knockout of Donald Cerrone in his most recent appearance at UFC Fight Night 118 this past October. The Liverpool native is unbeaten in five Octagon appearances, with a draw against Nicolas Dalby in October 2015 the only blemish on his ledger thus far.

The 25-year-old welterweight doesn’t agree with the notion that it might be too soon for him to take on an opponent as experienced as Thompson, who twice challenged…

Day by day, the UFC’s debut in Liverpool continues to grow.

UFC Fight Night 130 has gained yet another welterweight bout, as Claudio Henrique da Silva and Nordine Taleb. The promotion confirmed the bout on Thursday night.

The event is scheduled for May 27 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, headlined by a welterweight main event between undefeated Scouser Darren Till and two-time UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson.

Da Silva, 35, has fought just twice under UFC employ over the last four years, due to a siege of injuries. In his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 37, “Hannibal” took a unanimous verdict over Bradley Scott, then returned eight months later to take a nip-tuck split decision over now-top contender Leon Edwards. Since the Edwards victory, da Silva has had previous bouts with Taleb as well as Siyar Bahadurzada canceled due to injury.

The 36-year-old Taleb, on the other hand, has won three of his last four. Outside of his February 2017 unanimou…

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Tony Ferguson takes on Khabib Nurmagomedov on April 7 as the main event for UFC 223. The winner will be crowned undisputed lightweight champion as Conor McGregor has not defended the belt ever since he captured it in November 2016.

If he returns at all, McGregor could face the winner of Ferguson and Nurmagomedov. It will also guarantee whoever is standing across the Octagon from the Irishman will benefit from a huge pay day.

While the bout with McGregor would substantially grow that fighter’s bank account, Ferguson believes that there’s another money fight on the horizon against one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time in former UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre.

Ferguson was in a very confident mood at the UFC media lunch for UFC 223 and talked about the potential fight (quotes courtesy of MMA Fighting).

“I mean, GSP, literally if he wants a money fight, he’s an ath…

Vitor Belfort has been one of the most feared fighters throughout his career, using devastating power coupled with ridiculous hand speed to run roughshod over his opponents. However, in the eyes of many, his career has been overshadowed by his well-publicized use of Testosterone Replacement Therapy.

Belfort, who has amassed 40 professional fights in his career, (26-13 & 1 NC) made his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship back at UFC 12 in February 1997, fighting the likes of David Abbott, Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva in his early days. He even took a catchweight (210) bout with Alistair Overeem back in 2006.

However in the past few years, “The Phenom” has been much less effective inside the Octagon and has decided to hang up his four ounce gloves with one last fight against former UFC lightweight champion Lyoto Machida on May 12 at UFC 224. However, it seems that the Brazilian could be lured back if offered a large financial package.

Belfort recent…

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Professional Fighters League has landed itself a big shark.

Thursday, PFL, formerly known as World Series of Fighting, announced that it had reached a partnership agreement with reality television leader Mark Burnett, President of MGM Television Group & Digital and MGM Television. Burnett has signed on to develop and produce new content and programming for PFL's upcoming season which begins on June 7, and will entail 11 live events on the NBC Sports Network and Facebook Watch.

“We are thrilled to partner with MGM Television and Mark Burnett,” said Peter Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Professional Fighters League. “Mark’s creative vision for delivering innovative live content is among the absolute best the industry has to offer - and that is exactly what we will bring MMA fans this season.”

After a near five-year-run under the World Series of Fighting Banner, the promotion rebranded as…