Huerta’s second stint in the promotion will continue, despite his recent submission loss to Benson Henderson at Bellator 196, a bout he took on short notice.
“I wasn’t pleased with my performance in Budapest. I froze,” Huerta told MMAFighting. “Take nothing away from Benson (Henderson), but now that’s out of the way, it’s time to get down to business.”
The guys timing of this really seems to be good considering what is going on. Bravo lol stolen trade secrets. https://t.co/zBt8lJlOGU
— Ray Borg (@tazmexufc) May 3, 2018Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight contender Ray Borg (11-3) is being sued by his former management team, Wild Bunch Management LLC, according to a report by MMAJunkie.
The one-time title challenger is accused of breaching contract, committing fraud and stealing trade secrets.
Tom Vaughn, who according to the suit owns Fit NHB owner operates Wild Bunch Management LLC, claims the fighter severed a five-fight deal after the first bout. Per the report, Borg agreed to pay 20 percent of his gross earnings under $9,999, and 10 percent for earnings over $10,000.
This past month, Borg was scheduled to meet Brandon Moreno at UFC 223, but glass shards entered his eye as the result of a bus attack by former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. The bout was reboo…
Even though he’s been away from the Octagon for nearly two years, Nate Diaz has no shortage of potential suitors now that his return could be imminent.
One of those is Kevin Lee, who raised his stock considerably with a dominant fifth-round doctor stoppage victory over Edson Barboza in the UFC Fight Night 128 headliner on April 21. While “The Motown Phenom” does covet a showdown with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, he believes that Diaz might make more sense for his next bout. Nurmagomedov recently said that he is targeting November or December for his first 155-pound title defense.
Diaz, meanwhile, is reportedly in talks with the promotion for a bout at UFC 227 on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles. The Stockton, Calif., native hasn’t competed since losing a majority decision to Conor McGregor at UFC 202 in August 2016.
“I’m turning my focus to Nate. I think that fight is out there to be had,” Lee said on MMA Tonight on SiriusXM. “He’s already run away from m…
Derek Brunson and Antonio Carlos Jr. will clash in a middleweight bout at UFC 227.
The promotion confirmed the pairing on Wednesday evening. UFC 227 takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Aug. 4 and features a bantamweight title rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt.
Brunson last appeared at UFC on Fox 27, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss to Ronaldo Souza. The North Carolina native entered that matchup on the strength of back-to-back first-round knockout victories over Daniel Kelly and Lyoto Machida. Brunson is 9-4 during his tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion.
Carlos Jr., meanwhile, has quietly compiled a five-fight winning streak inside the Octagon. Most recently, “Cara de Sapato” tapped out Tim Boetsch 4:28 into the opening round of their encounter at UFC on Fox 29. Four of Carlos Jr.’s five victories during his streak have come via submission.
UFC strawweight Mackenzie Dern has left the camp where she began her mixed martial arts career.
Speaking at a media luncheon ahead of her bout with Amanda Bobby Cooper at UFC 224, Dern confirmed that she is no longer at the MMA Lab in Arizona. Instead, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt split her time between Checkmat BJJ Academy and Black House in California (transcription courtesy of MMAjunkie.com).
“In relation with The Lab, after my last fight coach [John) Crouch], he just invited me to leave the team,” Dern today told reporters in Los Angeles. “Really we don’t have like a 100 percent understanding. I think he knows his decisions more than me. I think it was just the consistency. He wanted me there more often than what I was.”
Dern made her Octagon debut at UFC 222, where she captured a split-decision triumph over Ashley Yoder on March 3. The 25-year-old is now 6-0 in her professional career, which includes stints in Invicta FC, Legacy Fighting Alliance…
Two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most powerful men are set to collide in a heavyweight bout on July 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when Francis Ngannou faces Derrick Lewis.
Ngannou (11-2) had a breakout year in 2017, with victories over Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem before earning a title shot against Stipe Miocic in January. Fight fans were confident his power would be too much for the champion, but Miocic nullified his power, handing Ngannou his first professional loss since 2013.
Lewis (19-5, 1 NC) is coming off a third round TKO against Marcin Tybura in February this year. “The Black Beast” had previously amassed six straight victories to make waves in the UFC heavyweight division before being stopped in June last year by another power puncher in Mark Hunt. He will be hoping to put together another streak with a win against Ngannou.
Lewis recently talked with Ariel Hel…
Alexandre Pantoja will step in for Ray Borg and face Brandon Moreno at UFC Fight Night 129 in Santiago, Chile.
Promotion officials confirmed the change on Tuesday. Borg withdrew from the matchup to care for his newborn son, who recently underwent two surgeries for a brain condition.
UFC Fight Night 129 takes place at Movistar Arena on May 19 and is headlined by a welterweight tilt between Kamaru Usman and Demian Maia. The card airs on Fox Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Pantoja began his UFC career with victories over Eric Shelton and Neil Seery in 2017 before dropping a unanimous verdict to Dustin Ortiz at UFC 220 on Jan. 20. The 28-year-old Rio de Janeiro native is 18-3 as a professional overall, with 13 triumphs coming inside the distance.
Moreno had an 11-fight winning streak snapped in a unanimous decision loss to Sergio Pettis in his last appearance at UFC Fight Night 114. He began his Octagon tenure with successive triumphs …
Joanna Jedrzejczyk will compete in her first non-title bout since 2014 when she faces Tecia Torres at UFC on Fox 30.
Multiple outlets confirmed the pairing following an initial report from ESPN.com. UFC on Fox 30 takes place on July 28 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and will see Jose Aldo face Jeremy Stephens in the co-main event. A headliner for the card has not yet been announced.
Jedrzejczyk, the longtime former strawweight queen, is coming off back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas in title bouts. Prior to that, the 30-year-old Pole had defended the 115-pound belt on five occasions after winning it with a stoppage of Carla Esparza in 2015.
Torres, meanwhile, had a three-bout winning streak snapped in a pivotal matchup with Jessica Andrade at UFC on Fox 28 on Feb. 24. “The Tiny Tornado” is 6-2 in UFC competition, with her only other defeat coming at the hands of Namajunas.
Nate Diaz could be making his long-awaited return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship this summer.
According to a report from ESPN.com, Diaz has been in discussion with the Las Vegas-based promotion regarding a possible fight at UFC 227 on Aug. 4. No deal is currently in place, and UFC president Dana White told ESPN there is “no update” regarding Diaz’s status. Despite White’s denial, the two parties reportedly discussed teh date as recently as last week.
The 33-year-old Stockton, Calif., native hasn’t competed since losing a majority decision to Conor McGregor at UFC 202 in August 2016. That fight, as well as his second-round submission win over McGregor at UFC 196 in March 2016 both drew more than 1 million pay-per-view buys.
At the beginning of this year, Diaz hinted at a UFC return, claiming that he was “sick of sitting around waiting for you f—-ers to do s—t.” In an Instagram post, Diaz wrote that he was targeting May or June for an Octagon return. M…
A lightweight clash pitting Michael Chiesa against Anthony Pettis that was originally scheduled for UFC 223 has been rebooked for UFC 226.
MMAFighting.com was first to report the rescheduled bout. UFC 226 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 7 and is headlined by a heavyweight title bout between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.
Chiesa and Pettis were originally supposed to fight on April 7 in Brooklyn, N.Y., but the bout was scrapped after Chiesa suffered injuries as a result of Conor McGregor’s attack on a bus that was transporting fighters at the Barclays Center two days before the event.
Chiesa had a three-fight winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he was submitted by Kevin Lee in the opening round at UFC Fight Night 112 last June. Pettis split a pair of 2017 bouts, defeating Jim Miller via unanimous decision at UFC 213 before falling to Dustin Poirier by submission at UFC Fight Night 120.
Junior dos Santos will welcome former World Series of Fighting heavyweight king Blagoy Ivanov to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 133 on July 14.
ESPN.com confirmed the pairing on Monday evening. UFC Fight Night 133 takes place at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho and will air on Fox Sports 1. The card will also include a women’s bantamweight tilt pitting Marion Reneau against Cat Zingano.
Dos Santos was recently cleared by USADA in an anti-doping case after it was determined the ex heavyweight champion took a tainted supplement from a Brazilian compounding pharmacy. “Cigano” last competed at UFC 211, where he suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Stipe Miocic in a title bout. The 34-year-old has alternated wins and losses in eight bouts since 2012.
Ivanov, meanwhile, has lost just once in 17 professional outings — a second-round submission defeat to Alexander Volkov at Bellator 120 in May 2014. Since then, he has reeled off a five-fight winning s…
Israel Adesanya will take a major step up in competition when he faces Brad Tavares in the main event of "The Ultimate Fighter 27" finale.
The promotion announced the matchup on Monday. The “TUF 27” finale takes place at the Pearl Theatre in Las Vegas on July 6 and will also feature the featherweight and lightweight finals from the current season of the reality show. The card will air on Fox Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Adesanya has kicked off his pro career with 13 consecutive triumphs, including two under the UFC banner. After dispatching Rob Wilkinson via second-round TKO in his Octagon debut at UFC 221, “The Last Stylebender” captured a split verdict over Marvin Vettori in his sophomore outing at UFC on Fox 29. The win over Vetori was the first fight that Adesanya was unable to stop via knockout or technical knockout.
Tavares enters the matchup on a four-bout winning streak. Most recently, the 30-year-old Hawaiian scored a third-r…
Bellator president Scott Coker has the beginnings of plan in mind for the location and type of card that will be headlined by the heavyweight grand prix semifinal matchup between Fedor Emelianenko and Chael Sonnen.
“We will probably start working on that this week. It’s probably going to end up somewhere on the East Coast,” Coker said in a post-fight media scrum (video courtesy of MMAjunkie.com). “If it was Mir vs. Chael, it’d probably end up on the West Coast. That’s what we’re thinking. We’ve already talked to a couple venues, we’re trying to work some things out.
“The next card that Fedor fights in for the semifinals is going to be a stacked card once again.”
The legendary Russian punched his ticket to the next round of the bracket courtesy of a 48-second knockout of ex-UFC champ Frank Mir in the Bellator 198 headliner on Saturday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. Sonnen, meanwhile, has scored back-to-back victories over Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jac…
One of Dillon Danis’ comments in a post-fight interview following a win in his mixed martial arts debut at Bellator 198 caught the attention of Michael Chandler.
After submitting Kyle Walker with a toe hold 1:38 into the opening stanza of their 175-pound catchweight bout, the always outspoken Danis claimed that he was the highest-paid fighter on the Bellator roster. Chandler, the promotion’s former lightweight king, was not impressed with the boast or Danis’ performance.
“Just catching up to [Bellator 198. [Dillon Danis] said he was the “highest paid fighter in Bellator MMA’, but I think he meant to say ‘most un-athletic fighter in Bellator’ and that was against a man with a losing record,” Chandler wrote on Twitter.
Just catching up to #bellator198 @dillondanis said he was the “highest paid fighter in @BellatorMMA” but I think he meant to say “most un-athletic fighter in Bellator” and that was against a man with a losing record. #cring…
Fedor Emelianenko vs Frank Mir #Bellator198 pic.twitter.com/86MEQNjBqp
— Fancy Combat (@FancyCombat) April 29, 2018Even in a diminished state, Fedor Emelianenko remains a formidable weapon.
“The Last Emperor” put away Frank Mir with first-round punches in the 2018 Bellator MMA heavyweight grand prix quarterfinals at Bellator 198 on Saturday at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. In his first appearance since March 19, 2016, Mir (18-12, 0-1 Bellator) succumbed to blows 48 seconds into Round 1, as the fading former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder was saddled with his third straight defeat.
Emelianenko (37-5, 1-1 Bellator) navigated some choppy waters, drew Mir into a firefight and uncorked a short but devastating left uppercut that put the Las Vegas native on all fours. The Russian great pounced with follow-up punches -- a volley of left hands did the trick -- to force referee Mike Beltran to intervene on Mir’s behalf…
Sherdog's Bellator 198 coverage kicks off Saturday at 7 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 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 ResultAccording to a report from MMAFighting.com, Borg has withdrawn from a proposed flyweight clash with Brandon Moreno at UFC Fight Night 129 in Santiago, Chile, on May 19 to care for his newborn son after surgery. Borg’s infant child, Anthony, recently underwent a pair of surgeries for Hydrocephalus, a brain condition.
Borg has detailed his son’s condition via several social media posts.
Unfortunately Anthony needs to go back into surgery. The shunt was placed in a spot of his brain that just doesn’t quite work for him. Due to the high possibility of failure of the shunt the doctor ordered to have him back in the operating room for replacement of the shunt. pic.twitter.com/JgqYtJLoWD
— Ray Borg (@tazmexufc) April 26, 2018Borg and Moreno have now been booked to fight on three separate occasions. The first meeting, at UFC Fight Night in Austin, was scrapped afte…
Merab Dvalishvili’s appeal of a controversial loss at UFC Fight Night 128 has been denied by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board.
NJSACB Commissioner Larry Hazzard Sr. explained the decision in a letter on Friday. Dvalishvili lost to Ricky Simon via technical submission at the 5:00 mark of the third round on April 21 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Dvalishvili was on his way to winning a unanimous decision when he was trapped in a mounted guillotine with approximately one minute remaining.
“The established written protocol for me to overturn a referee’s call; is, if in my discretion; the referee committed a self-evident and palpable error,” Hazzard wrote.
“Many have referred to the apparent submission as a mounted guillotine choke, but to cageside lead ringside physician for the event, Dr. Michael Kelly, and also referee John McCarthy, it was more akin to a neck crank or a one sided choke. This would cause only one side of Dvalishvili’s nec…
The Strong Style Fight Team standout retained the Legacy Fighting Alliance heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Maurice Greene in the LFA 38 headliner on Friday at The Armory in Minneapolis. Scores were 50-45, 50-45 and 48-47 for Hughes (9-1), who finds himself on a run of three straight wins.
Greene (4-2) had his moments in a fight that was much closer than the scorecards indicated. He was particularly effective with his elbows, in the clinch and off his back. However, he could not match Hughes’ output over the long haul. The champion executed takedowns in the first, second and fifth rounds, as he slowly bled Greene’s gas tank dry. Hughes was also the aggressor on the feet, stringing together multi-punch volleys with both hands -- his right uppercuts were his best weapons -- while incorporating occasional knees and even a few spinning backfists. Greene tired down the stretch and did not have the juice he needed to p…
Just a man with an idea ..
Entering the Contributor Wing of the #UFCHoF July 5 - @ArtDavie! pic.twitter.com/QV0zAhsadx
— UFC (@ufc) April 27, 2018The UFC hall of fame just got a new addition.
The promotion has announced that Art Davie will be inducted into its “Contributor Wing” on July 5 as part of the UFC’s annual International Fight Week, which will be headlined by UFC 226.
“Art’s contributions to UFC helped lay the foundation for the sport that fans around the world see today,” UFC President Dana White said. “It’s an honor to induct Art into the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2018 and we look forward to celebrating his career at our ceremony in July.”
Without Art Davie there might not be an Ultimate Fighting Championship. After being inspired by the famed “Gracie in Action” videos of the late 1980s, Davie approached Rorion Gracie with the idea to air a style vs. style tournament on pay-per-view. After finding a PPV compan…
The third bout of the Bellator MMA 2018 Heavyweight Grand Prix is official for Saturday night at Allstate Arena near Chicago.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship ace Frank Mir (261.5) looked relatively lean and in-shape for his comeback fight against all-time great Fedor Emelianenko (240). Saturday’s winner will face Chael Sonnen, who is the tournament’s lightest participant.
Bellator 198 airs on the Paramount Network Saturday night live from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
Bellator 198 Weigh-in Results: Fedor Emelianenko (240) vs. Frank Mir (261.5)Emmanuel Sanchez (145) vs. Sam Sicilia (146)Rafael Lovato Jr. (186.5) vs. Gerald Harris (188)Neiman Gracie (171) vs. Javier Torres (169)Dillon Danis (175) vs. Kyle Walker (174)R’Mandel Cameron (170) vs. P.J. Cajigas (169.5)Daniel Stittgen (170.5) vs. Mark Stoddard (170.5)Eric Wisely (150) vs. Morgan Sickinger (147.5)Joey Diehl (126) vs. Na…The UFC has not confirmed a headliner for the bill, but the co-main event will pit former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo against knockout artist Jeremy Stephens. Aldo (26-4) is coming consecutive loses against the new king of the UFC featherweight division, Max Holloway. Stephens (28-14), on the other hand, is riding a three-fight winning streak.
A number of other contests have been booked for the Calgary event, including women’s flyweights Katlyn Chookagian vs. Alexis Davis, strawweights Nina Ansaroff vs. Randa Markos and light heavyweights Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Ion Cutelaba.
OFFICIAL: The UFC is returning to Calgary on July 28 for a UFC on FOX show at the Saddled…
Maia (25-8) is looking to halt a two-fight skid after dropping consecutive contests to Tyron Woodley and Colby Covington. Usman (12-1) will put his eleven-fight winning streak on the line. The Brazilian steps in for Santiago Ponzinibbio, who was originally booked to duel “The Nigerian Nightmare” but had to pull out due to an injured left hand that will require surgery.
The card’s initial main event was a light heavyweight bout between former 205-pound champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Volkan Oezdemir. The matchup was pulled from the UFC’s May 19 trip to Chile due to ongoing legal issues for Oezdemir, who is facing a third-degree felony battery charge for allegedly knocking a man unconscious outside a Florida bar.
Read more about Demian Maia-Kamaru Usman Welterweight Tilt Headlines UFC’s First Trip to Chile
Fighters participating in the 2018 heavyweight world grand prix tournament now have more reasons to tune in to Bellator 200, as Bellator MMA President Scott Coker announced Thursday that the winner of the Roy Nelson-Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic bout will serve as an alternate.
Nelson has already taken part in the tournament, but lost a majority decision to Matt Mitrione in the quarterfinals. “Cro Cop,” on the other hand, is new to the field and has plenty of tournament experience, winning a Pride Fighting Championships open-weight bracket in 2006. He will enter the fight against Nelson riding an eight-fight winning streak.
Saturday's Bellator 198 will host the clash between Fedor Emelianenko and Frank Mir, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
#Bellator198 presser live now https://t.co/YIOtdz1OiX pic.twitter.com/VjA1YoduIH
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 26, 2018
