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There was a method behind the madness of Mauricio Ruffy’s post-fight callout of UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev last weekend.

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“Since I beat his best sparring partner (Raimond Magomedaliev) in a higher weight class (170 pounds) on the Contender Series, I thought it was a good moment to make a statement,” Ruffy told Sherdog.com. “After all, the UFC lightweight champion guaranteed [Magomedaliev] was going to be the new king of the 170-pound division. And Magomedaliev is really tough. Before facing me, he beat the 2023 PFL light heavyweight champ, Impa Kasangany, who fights three divisions above.”

Ruffy has made a habit of knocking out sparring partners of high-profile fighters. Last year, he scored a first-round stoppage of Corneliu Lascar Rotaru, who has trained with Irish superstar Conor McGregor.

“A few months before receiving the invitation to the Contender Series, I broke my left hand in the first fight of the Centurion FC Grand P…

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Professional Fighters League has added a pair of prospects from the United Arab Emirates to its roster.

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The organization announced on Wednesday that flyweight Hadi Omar Al Hussaini and featherweight Youssef Al Housani have signed exclusive, multi-fight contracts with the PFL. Al Hussaini and Al Housani are expected to compete in showcase bouts during the PFL MENA season this year before joining the season format in 2025.

“We are thrilled to welcome two of the UAE’s top prospects to PFL MENA,” said PFL MENA vice president of fighter operations Gustavo Firmino in a release. “The mission of the PFL is to find the best fighters in every region around the world. Our partnership with SRJ Sports has allowed the PFL to identify and sign exceptional fighters like Al Hussaini and Al Housani, who we know have the potential to become global stars in the sport.”

Al Hussaini is 5-0-1 since beginning his professional MMA career in 2021. H…

Herb Dean fault @ufc #ufc300

— Derrick Lewis (@Thebeast_ufc) April 14, 2024

Derrick Lewis has a different take on the walkoff knockout that wasn’t for Jalin Turner at UFC 300.

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Turner took on Renato Carneiro on at UFC 300 on April 13. A sizeable favorite going into the bout, Turner dropped Moicano with a left hook in the closing seconds of the opening frame. However, Turner bizarrely chose to walk away, although referee Herb Dean hadn’t stopped the fight. “Moicano” was back up on his feet in seconds and came from behind to finish “The Tarantula” in the second round.

Lewis, who hadn’t tweeted since February 2022, opted to weigh in on Turner vs. Moicano after the fight, declaring it “Herb Dean fault.” While many praised Dean for allowing “Money” the opportunity to recover, Lewis believes otherwise. Explaining his comments in a recent interview, “The Black Beast” said that the fight should have been stopped when Moicano go…

Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Matt Brown recently shared his feelings about his decision to hang up his gloves.

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While Brown announced his retirement on Saturday via X (formerly known as Twitter), he had informed the UFC of his decision a while back. Despite having arrived at the decision much earlier, Brown was admittedly impassive about it until he had the conversation with UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby.

Brown was waiting to board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport and was admittedly overwhelmed with emotions while informing Shelby of his retirement. “The Immortal” also admitted to feeling similarly emotional while recently announcing his retirement on social media.

“When I first called Sean Shelby and told him, ‘I’m pretty sure this is what I’m gonna do,’ I was at an airport at the time”, the 43-year-old told MMAFighting.com. “This was a few months ago. I was at an airport and I think he returned my call, which is…

Movsar Evloev claims that while Dana White criticized his fight against Arnold Allen, the UFC CEO wasn’t even paying close attention to the bout.

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Evloev took on Allen in a featherweight matchup at UFC 297 this past January. While Evloev maintained his perfect record with a unanimous decision win, the fight failed to live up to the hype, as the Russian cruised to victory through takedowns and positional control.

White was clearly unimpressed with Evloev’s performance and voiced his thoughts during the post-fight press conference.

“That fight sucked the wind right out of the arena… That was the least fun fight anybody’s ever seen,” White said.

Evloev took issue with White’s criticism of the fight, which apparently didn’t have the UFC boss’ full attention. Evloev claims that American Top Team founder Dan Lambert told him that he saw White watching the NFL playoffs during the bout.

Allen caught Evloev in a front headlock in the final roun…

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Michael Chandler claims UFC 303 will either see Conor McGregor retire or mount the greatest comeback in combat sports history.

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After a build-up of more than a year, Chandler is finally scheduled to fight McGregor in the main event on June 29. "Iron" advises everyone to not miss the card, as it might be the last time they can witness “Notorious” set foot inside the Octagon.

The former Bellator MMA champion vows to force retirement on McGregor. However, Chandler also acknowledges the opportunity the former two-division champion has to mount arguably the greatest comeback in combat sports history.

McGregor has been out of action since July 2021, recovering from a broken leg he suffered in his trilogy loss against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Given Chandler’s status as one of the biggest fan favorites in the UFC, “Iron” admits McGregor defeating him could potentially be the greatest comeback in combat sports history.

“You h…

Diaz-Masvidal moving to July 6 in Anaheim https://t.co/6IHcHJ2Bj8

— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) May 8, 2024

The target demographic for the boxing clash between former UFC stars Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz might be a little occupied on June 1.

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As a result, the fight has moved from June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, to July 6 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The primary motive behind the shift was to avoid conflict with UFC 302, which takes place on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and is headlined by a light heavyweight title tilt between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier. Multiple outlets confirmed the new date and venue for Masvidal vs. Diaz following an initial report from Boxing Scene.

Masvidal vs. Diaz will take place over 10 rounds and will be contested at 175 pounds. The card is available via pay-per-view through Fanmio at a price point of $79.99.

Masvidal and Diaz ini…

A strategic agreement has been signed between Riyadh Season and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), including the sponsorship of the UFC event in Las Vegas, the UFC event in Riyadh, and Power Slap competitions 🇸🇦❤️ #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/JFe6hVE4jO

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) May 7, 2024

The partnership between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Saudi Arabia will extend beyond the promotion’s June debut in the country.

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On Tuesday, Turki Alalshikh, the country’s chairman of the board of directors of the general entertainment authority, announced in a press release that the UFC will hold another event in Saudi Arabia in 2024-25. Additionally, Riyadh Season will serve as a sponsor for UFC 306, which takes place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14. Riyadh Season, which was founded in 2019, is a yearly state-funded entertainment and sports festival and typically runs from October through March. Read more about UFC, Saudi Arabia Extend Agreement to Include Future Event, Sponsorship

Payton Talbott will square off against Yanis Ghemmouri at UFC 303.

The promotion recently announced the bantamweight pairing via social media. UFC 303 takes place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welterweight clash pitting Conor McGregor against Michael Chandler.

Talbott has kicked off his professional tenure with eight consecutive triumphs — including two in UFC competition. After earning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series last August, the Reno, Nevada, resident began his UFC career with stoppages of Nick Aguirre and Cameron Saaiman in his first two outings.

Ghemmouri, meanwhile, made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 226, where he suffered a a third-round technical knockout defeat to William Gomis this past September. Prior to that loss, the 29-year-old Frenchman had been victorious in his last nine professional appearances.

Heather Hardy’s combat sports career appears to have reached its end.

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The former boxing champion and Bellator MMA veteran was preparing for a fight against Christine Ferea in BKFC on May 11, but Hardy struggled with her vision and was unable to eat or sleep as she began her camp. According to Hardy, a visit to the doctor revealed that she had suffered too many concussions over the course of her fighting career and any further head injuries could permanently impair her vision.

Hardy’s full Instagram post on the matter is as follows:

My fight for May 11 is off. After my fight last summer with Amanda [Serrano], my vision remained blurred for a few days. I went for an MRI and to get my eyes checked while I was still in TX and it was diagnosed the after effects of a concussion. 6-8 months i should be fine. So basically I needed a fight, and it never got better. My daughter is in college. Everyone thinks I made millions in my career but i didn’t, i w…

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Updated PFL Mohegan Sun Fight Card

•Blagoy Ivanov is out•New Matchup: Marcelo Nunes vs Oleg Popov•Steve Mowry is out•New Matchup: Danilo Marques vs. Gokhan Saricam•Kaytlin Neil is out.•New Matchup: Saray Orozoco vs. Sumiko Inaba•Melissa Balic vs.… pic.twitter.com/bCB89EkoqZ

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 7, 2024

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Professional Fighters League has done some reshuffling for its next regular season event.

The organization on Tuesday announced multiple changes and updates to PFL 4, which features heavyweights and women’s flyweights and takes place on June 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

In the heavyweight division, Steve Mowry, who was supposed to face Gokhan Saricam, and Blagoy Ivanov, who was slated to meet Oleg Popov, have withdrawn from the card for undisclosed reasons. Instead, Danilo Marques will lock horns with Saricam, while Marcelo Nunes will square off against Popov. Marques and Nunes were…

Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa Credit: Getty Images/Zuffa

India’s Anshul Jubli isn’t shying away from the responsibility that comes with representing an entire country on the biggest mixed martial arts platform in the world.

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While former Matrix Fight Night champ Puja Tomar recently joined Jubli as the only other Indian on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster, “King of Lions” is widely regarded as the face of Indian MMA.

While Jubli acknowledges the gravity of the responsibility of shouldering an entire country’s expectations, the 29-year-old welcomes the opportunity. Jubli believes not everyone is blessed with such a burden and that no one could have shouldered it better than him.

“Yes, it’s a huge, huge responsibility to represent the entire country on a platform like the UFC. But I think it’s a good thing, right?” Jubli told fans during a recent meet and greet. “Such responsibilities don’t come to everyone like …

Sean Strickland coach Eric Nicksick revealed that there is always a risk of the former middleweight champ not listening to his corner.

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Strickland (28-6) is scheduled to fight Paulo Costa (14-3) in the co-main event at UFC302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland’s only knockout loss in the recent past came against Alex Pereira in 2022, when he inexplicably chose to stand in the pocket against the former Glory Kickboxing champion. With Costa also being known for an explosive style, Nicksick admitted that there is always the possibility of Strickland fighting the Brazilian’s game.

“Of course, I’m always worried. He doesn’t listen for s—t,” Eric Nicksick told Sportskeeda MMA. “There’s elements I think that we need to address. Especially in a five-round fight, it’s important to utilize a full MMA skills set. You’ve heard me say this time and time again with Sean. And will he probably listen, probably not.”

Following …

Next stop @3ArenaDublin ☘️ pic.twitter.com/UpDYghVPDc

— Paul Hughes MMA (@paulhughesmma) April 29, 2024

Coveted mixed martial arts prospect Paul Hughes claims the choice between the Professional Fighters League and the Ultimate Fighting Championship was a no-brainer for him.

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After fighting out his Cage Warriors Fighting Championship contract with a first-round knockout win over Fabiano Silva last month, Hughes briefly explored free agency before signing with the PFL. “Big News” recently explained that while the UFC had an offer on the table, it stood no comparison to the PFL’s.

“It [the choice] wasn’t really difficult, to be honest, at all. [The PFL’s offer] was just a lot better, a lot better," Hughes said on "The MMA Hour". “They [the UFC] had an offer but it just wasn’t… No, it wasn’t [a Contender Series offer], it was mentioned but it wasn’t concrete and that was it. It [the PFL’s] was just a way better offer, it…

Alexandre Pantoja is eyeing a future dream fight against Demetrious Johnson after his latest title defense.

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Pantoja recently defended his flyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Steve Erceg in the main event at UFC 301 UFC 301. Having successfully defended his strap for the second time, Pantoja believes he can make a case for a matchup against the former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champ and MMA GOAT contender. If a fight doesn’t come to fruition, “The Cannibal” is also content with a hard sparring session against Johnson.

“Yeah, he’s the GOAT you know, how I can not say that? I think right now after two title defense I can speak a little bit about that. Because I have a huge respect for Demetrious Johnson. I can’t try to compare myself with him. And right now, I can say something you know, more coins to put on the table,” Pantoja said on “The MMA Hour”.

“And I think that’s dream for me. I don’t like to say I have dre…

Four fighters from UFC 301 could be sidelined for a significant period following Saturday’s card in Rio de Janeiro.

Drakkar Klose (right knee), Dione Barbosa (left shoulder), Ismael Bonfim (left foot, left leg) and Kevin Borjas (left leg) are all facing potential 180-day medical suspensions, per the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA). All of those terms can be reduced by physician clearance. Every fighter on the card received at least a precautionary 14-day suspension with seven days of no contact.

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Meanwhile, Jack Shore was suspended 45 days with 30 days of no contact after his bout against Joanderson Brito was stopped at the 3:35 mark of Round 2 due to a cut on his shin. While a cageside physician feared that Shore might have a fracture, his coach later revealed that was not the case.

UFC 301 took place at Farmasi Arena and saw Alexandre Pantoja retain his flyweight title with a five-round verdict against Steve Erceg in the evening’s main …

Michel Pereira didn’t need long to put on a show for Brazilian fans at UFC 301.

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Shortly after a controversial backflip by Pereira sent his knee crashing dangerously close to the head of grounded opponent Ihor Potieria, “Demolidor” secured a guillotine choke and elicited a tap 54 seconds into Round 1. Ultimately, it was determined that Pereira did not land an illegal strike, and he was awarded one of the evening’s four $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for his efforts.

Shortly after his victory, Pereira revealed to Sherdog.com that he had previously trained with Potieria before Saturday’s bout.

"We did sparring together at Xtreme Couture, but I didn’t show the real Michel Pereira. It was more like light sparring,” he said. “Actually, that's how I train. I give training to anyone who spars with me. I don't necessarily want to get a knockout every time I spar.”

According to Pereira, the backflip the he dubbed “Fumo Mix” wasn’t an illega…

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Based on what he saw in the UFC 301 headliner, Demetrious Johnson believes Muhammad Mokaev can dethrone reigning flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja.

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Johnson was not impressed by Pantoja’s unanimous decision win over Steve Erceg in the main event at UFC 301 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro. Johnson saw a one-dimensional showing from “The Cannibal,” who failed to land much damage on Erceg despite ground control time of over eight minutes.

“When I was watching the fight, I didn’t feel like [Alexandre] Pantoja was a better fighter…” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “His grappling is his strongest suit. If you can keep him away from his grappling then you can pretty much, I feel, you can take advantage of him. He can’t fight in the clinch, there’s no elbows, there’s no dumping him to the side. It was basically running at you with my hands down and punch and go for a takedown and then take you down.”

Johnson also deems Pantoja’s p…

Let the talking begin on the way to #BellatorParis 🗣️🔊🔊@CedricDoumbe x @jaleelwillis1

[ #BellatorParis | Fri May 17 | 🎟️ https://t.co/0SdSBmsFhj] pic.twitter.com/ijNIx0FkXu

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 3, 2024 Jaleel Willis isn’t buying the Cedric Doumbe hype.

Willis, a short-notice replacement for Derek Anderson, will face the French striker in the co-main event of Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17 at Accor Arena. Doumbe’s signing was met with much fanfare, and he delivered in his Professional Fighters League debut, knocking out Jordan Zebo in just nine seconds this past September. His sophomore outing didn’t go as planned, however, as he suffered a technical knockout loss to Baissangour Chamsoudinov when a splinter in his foot forced the bout to be halted at the 1:21 mark of Round 3.

Still, Doumbe remains one of the most highly-touted fighters on the PFL and Bellator roster, and he repeatedly called himself the face of MMA in F…

Cory Sandhagen will face Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event of an Ultimate Fighting Championship card in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the bantamweight pairing on Monday. UFC Fight Night takes place at Etihad Arena and is one of two visits the organization will make to Abu Dhabi in 2024. Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov were originally scheduled to meet last August at UFC on ESPN 50 before Nurmagomeodv withdrew from the bout due to a shoulder injury.

Sandhagen remained on the UFC on ESPN 50 card, where he took a clear-cut unanimous decision against Rob Font in the new main event. The 32-year-old Elevation Fight Team representative has won three straight outings, a run that also includes triumphs over Marlon Vera and Yadong Song.

Nurmagomedov is undefeated in 17 professional appearances. The 28-year-old Dagestani has won his first five promotional outings, including a three-round verdict over Bekzat Almakhan in his m…

While he ultimately won via knockout, Akbar Abdullaev explained why his recent display of grappling against Halil Amir shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

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Abdullaev knocked out Amir with a left hook 2:52 into Round 2 of their One on Prime Video 22 clash on May 3 to earn a $50,000 performance bonus.

“I'm feeling great. I have so many emotions now so it's really difficult to describe everything with words,” Abdullaev said at the post-fight press conference. “I'm feeling great. I'm feeling the best. It's like a dream now. I'm feeling like I'm in a dream and I'm happy. I'm really happy.”

Before knocking Amir out cold in the second round, Abdullaev also asserted his superior ground game over the previously undefeated Turkish standout in the opening frame. Despite having scored 10 of his 11 career wins via knockout, Abdullaev explains that his impressive grappling shouldn’t come as a surprise given his country’s rich wrestling history.

“When …

Dmitry Menshikov wants to be a ONE Championship title holder in both muay thai and kickboxing.

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Former muay thai lightweight title challengers Menshikov and Sinsamut Klinmee recently clashed at One on Prime Video 22. Menshikov scored a third-round TKO win over Klinmee in front of the latter’s home crowd at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. While Menshikov was well aware of his opponent’s star power going into the bout, the Russian wasn’t bothered about fighting in enemy territory.

“You know what, I was doing my job,” he said at the post-fight press conference. “I didn’t think of this much. Of course, I knew that he’s a really famous Thai fighter. I knew that people were going to support him, but I didn't care. My job is simple — to fight. And I was doing my job.”

Menshikov suffered his lone career loss via second-round knockout in failed title bid against Regian Eersel in June 2023. He has since earned his way back into the title pic…

Reece McLaren believes his latest win over Yong Hu warrants a long overdue title shot in ONE Championship.

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McLaren returned to action after a year on Friday, scoring a split-decision win over Hu at One on Prime Video 22. The win saw “Lightning” bounce back from a unanimous decision loss against Kairat Akhmetov and better his promotional record to 10-6. The Australian veteran believes he is at a point in his career where he is never too far removed from the title picture.

“I feel that I am, at any stage, on any win, one step away from that world title shot,” McLaren said at the post-fight press conference. “Regardless of being ranked or not ranked. I've been in ONE now for nearly nine years, [with] 10 wins. I was meant to fight for the flyweight (135-pound) belt back in 2016. You know what I mean? So it's been a long run.”

“It's been a long journey, man. I feel like I've paid my dues. It's time to start getting appreciated for what we do here…

Chinese kickboxing phenom Rui Wei wasn’t very impressed with his own performance at his recent ONE Championship debut.

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Wei made his promotional debut in a bantamweight (145-pound) tilt against Hiroki Akimoto at One on Prime Video 22 on May 3. Wei earned a controversial unanimous decision win over Akimoto, which should have gone the other way, according to ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

Wei admits his ONE Championship debut wasn’t his best night at the office, and he wasn’t sure of the win before his name was announced. Wei has vowed to put on a better showing next time.

“I think I just passed this test,” Wei said at the post-fight press conference. “I [will] try my best to adjust to the ring in ONE Championship. And I feel like next time, I will perform better… ‌Before they announced the result, I wasn't 100 percent confident that I would win. But I still believed everything went well for me to get the victory… This is my debut in O…