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Paulo Costa claims to have significantly diversified his skillset since his title loss to Israel Adesanya in 2020.

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Costa was undefeated in 13 pro-outings that included 12 finishes going into his gold bid against Adesanya at UFC 253. Adesanya delivered a striking clinic to hand “Borrachinha” his first loss via second-round technical knockout.

While Costa has since gone 1-2, the Brazilian recently put on a gritty performance against Robert Whittaker, almost knocking “The Reaper” out despite suffering a unanimous decision loss. According to Costa, he has developed several new tools in his arsenal since his loss to “The Last Stylebender.”

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ “I’ve grown a lot as a fighter, as a person; [I’m] more experienced,” Costa told ESPN MMA. “I have more skills than in the past, like [a] spinning back kick everybody saw in my fight against Whittaker. And improving my wre…

The main card for #UFCAbuDhabi is set!!!@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/yUK7VdaOAc

— danawhite (@danawhite) May 29, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship has put together a beast of a main card for its return to Abu Dhabi this fall.

On Wednesday, the organization announced the full five-fight slate for the main card of UFC on ABC 7. The fights will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Aug. 3. Headlining the card will be the previously booked bantamweight showdown of Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov. Additionally, the UFC confirmed the bantamweight battle between Marlon Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo. Three other newly released matchups will round out the billing.

In the co-headliner spot, Nick Diaz (26-10, 2 NC) will make his return to the Octagon in the welterweight division. The 40-year-old Cesar Gracie Fight Team staple will stand across the cage from Vicente Luque in a f…

"The Eagle has landed" 🦅@MAKHACHEVMMA is excited to have @TeamKhabib back in his corner for #UFC302! pic.twitter.com/AcvpdByEnX

— UFC (@ufc) May 28, 2024

Islam Makhachev has confirmed that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be in his corner for his upcoming title fight.

Makhachev (25-1) will defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier (30-8) in the UFC 302 main event on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. While Makhachev has been seen training with Nurmagomedov ahead of UFC 302, it wasn’t confirmed up until now whether “The Eagle” would be present for the card. However, Makhachev has now clarified that Nurmagomedov will indeed be in his corner for the pay-per-view offering, which he is certainly glad about. “Eagle is landed in Jersey City. He is going to be in my corner. Honestly, I’m very happy because he is one of the best corner, coach, brother, friend. That’s it.”

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday …

Benoit St. Denis believes Islam Makhachev has more tools at his disposal than Dustin Poirier to get his hands raised at UFC 302.

Makhachev is slated to defend his lightweight strap against Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Poirier made his case for the gold bid with a second-round knockout win over St. Denis at UFC 299in March. While St. Denis acknowledges Poirier’s elite boxing, “God of War” notes that Makhachev’s complete skillset cannot go unnoticed.

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While St. Denis is leaving room for a potential knockout from Poirier, the Frenchman believes Makhachev has a more well-rounded arsenal to get the job done, either via knockout, submission or decision.

“It’s a great fight. Dustin Poirier is a very composed and experienced fighter. I do believe he has boxing on his side, but Makhachev is very well-rounded,” St. Denis recently told MMA Fighting at the ADXC 4 grappling event in Paris. “I do belie…

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While coach Eric Nicksick agrees that Sean Strickland could benefit from some sophistication, he doesn’t want his fighter to turn soft.

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Strickland (28-6) is scheduled to take on Paulo Costa (14-3) in a five-round co-headliner at UFC 302 on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland is notorious for his rants and controversial opinions. However, “Tarzan” was recently seen teaching his pup Harley how to swim, leading people to wonder if the former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ is really kind-hearted and compassionate on the inside.

Strickland’s longtime coach recently confirmed that his pupil is, in fact, a “softy.”

According to Nicksick, Strickland’s girlfriend, himself and other members at the gym all work on refining some of Strickland’s edges. However, they unanimously also don’t want the California native to turn soft altogether.

Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Satur…

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While Dustin Poirier (30-8) is one of Mike Brown’s best fighters at American Top Team, “The Diamond” also gives his coach a lot of stress.

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Poirier is scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev (25-1) for lightweight gold in the main event at UFC 302 on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. “The Diamond” earned his shot with a second-round knockout over French finishing machine Benoit St. Denis at UFC 299 in March. Prior to knocking out St. Denis, Poirier attempted multiple unsuccessful guillotine chokes, compromising position each time. When Brown told Poirier to avoid the guillotines after Round 1, “The Diamond” responded by saying he could secure one and proceeded to go for another right at the beginning of Round 2.

While things worked out well for Poirier in the end, Brown admits that the Louisiana native is his most stress-inducing fighter by far. Aside from Poirier being hard-headed at times, the pressure also com…

Islam Makhachev had to go through all kinds of trials and tribulations to become the Ultimate Fighting Championship's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

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Makhachev (25-1) hails from Makhachkala, Dagestan, a region where the most common dream for kids now is to become a UFC champion. The area has also been successfully churning out a plethora of highly-skilled fighters who have established themselves in every major mixed martial arts promotion in the world.

However, while combat sports have always been a part of Dagestani culture, the hype behind them only peaked with the crowning of Makhachev’s teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov as UFC champion in 2018. The Eagle’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, considered a pioneer of the sport in the Russian territory, is credited for the massive growth of MMA in the region by crafting champions like his son and Makhachev.

Abdulmanap managed to produce world-class athletes under harsh conditions in the mountain…

BREAKING NEWS! Jhonata Diniz (@jho) retorna ao octógono contra Karl Williams no UFC Vegas 95. O brasileiro busca sua segunda vitória no Ultimate seguida no dia 10 de agosto. pic.twitter.com/kkf26Xdchj

— Laerte Viana (@laertevianamma) May 27, 2024

A heavyweight meeting between two Dana White’s Contender Series competitors has been added to a UFC Fight Night event set to go down at the Ultimate Fighting Championship Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 10.

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Karl Williams (10-1) will take on undefeated Brazilian Jhonata Diniz (7-0) in his fourth Octagon assignment. The news was first reported by Laerte Viana in a post to X (formerly known as Twitter).

The news was later confirmed by both competitors on their social media accounts.

Williams will lock horns with Diniz aiming to extend his three-fight winning streak, which includes unanimous decision victories over Lukasz Brzeski, Chase Sherman and most recently Justin Tafa. Read more about Heavyweights Karl Williams, Jhonata Diniz Booked for August UFC Fight Night Event

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Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

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Sean Strickland's head coach, Eric Nicksick, is confident in his student’s ability to recognize and address the issues that cost him the middleweight strap against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January.

As Nicksick prepares his charge to compete against Paulo Costa in the UFC 302 co-main event, the decorated coach recently shared his analysis of their previous assignment and how Strickland has worked on not repeating the same mistakes.

“I think there’s a lot of things we could have done better. That's honest to God truth man,” Nicsick told Submission Radio. “For example, we got away from our kicking, our teeps. I think you and I actually talked about this, the teeps are like three or four things that we needed to negate the pressure, to slow Dricus down with the bodywork but also giving another scoring criteria to the judges to see rather than ju…

Jon Jones believes that Stipe Miocic may be deceiving him with newly released training footage 🤔

"A big part of combat strategy is timing, and deception. To make a long story short, if your opponent appears weak, prepare even harder."

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🎥 IG / @stipemiocic #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/fsVsZqS8gz — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 27, 2024

Jon Jones (27-1) isn’t underestimating Stipe Miocic (20-4) judging by the latter’s latest training video.

Jones was originally scheduled to defend his heavyweight title against Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023 before being forced out due to a pectoral injury. Tom Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in a short-notice interim title fight pieced together to save the card.

While Aspinall has since been rallying for a title unification bout against Jones, “Bones” is adamant on fighting Miocic when healthy. Meanwhile, Miocic has also turned down Aspinall, insisting on fightin…

Islam Makhachev is confident that he will keep the belt. He also wants to frame it together with the new gold gloves.

🎥: Sport 24 (YT) pic.twitter.com/Su3xvtaGoq

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) May 25, 2024

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Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Islam Makhachev (25-1) has mixed reviews about the new Ultimate Fighting Championship gloves.

The new gloves will debut at UFC 302 where Makhachev is set to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier (30-8) on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Upon testing the new gloves, Makhachev found them stiffer than the prior generation, restricting the extension of one’s fingers. While the gloves have been re-designed to prevent lacerations, Makhachev believes they could instead lead to more cuts due to the stiffness.

“The [new gloves] are very stiff. As I told you, they will cause more cuts, as the previous UFC glo…

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Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

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Dustin Poirier’s (30-8) longtime coach, Mike Brown, claims “The Diamond” has made necessary adjustments to his game after his loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Poirier suffered a third-round submission loss against “The Eagle” in his first undisputed title shot at UFC 242 in 2019. Poirier is now scheduled to fight Nurmagomedov’s protégé Islam Makhachev (25-1) in the UFC 302 headliner on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. With both Nurmagomedov and Makhachev sporting very similar wrestling-heavy styles, Poirier believes he has a fair understanding of what’s coming his way.

“Islam and Khabib have similar styles,” Poirier said. “I got to have a bit of understanding of the pressure, the strength and the style of wrestling that those guys have. It’s kind of a little bit of serendipity here cause now I’m fighting his protégé. Once again fo…

If you still feel the same about it @USMAN84kg, let’s go. I will be ready. https://t.co/hiYf2MvhtK

— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) May 25, 2024 Kamaru Usman believes he is big enough to fight at light heavyweight.

At UFC 276, then-welterweight champ Usman (20-4) squared off with Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1) in July 2022. Although competing 35 pounds apart, “The Nigerian Nightmare” did not give up much size to the former light heavyweight champion. Blachowicz measures two inches taller while also holding a two-inch advantage in reach, but Usman’s last three outings saw him square off against a 6-foot-2 opponent.

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Usman recently brought up his faceoff with Blachowicz, reiterating the similarity in their sizes. While Blachowicz is known to pack immense power, Usman still believes he has the stylistic advantage over the top Polish contender. According to Usman, he could handle Blachowicz on the feet if he tires him out with gra…

According to his coach, Islam Makhachev’s skills have reached their zenith.

Makhachev’s striking coach, Magomedgadzhi Bagandov, believes the champ can outstrike Dustin Poirier (30-8, 1 NC). Makhachev (25-1) is slated to defend his lightweight strap against Poirier in the main event at UFC 302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. With Poirier’s notoriety for emerging victorious in lethal slugfests and Makhachev’s Dagestani grappling background, taking the fight to the ground would be the obvious gameplan for the champion.

Makhachev’s camp has been highlighting the recent developments of their pupil’s striking skillset. Makhachev recently claimed that his teammate, Bellator MMA lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov, has better striking than Poirier. Coach Bagandov claims that Makhachev can not only hold his own in the stand-up against Poirier, but he may even have the advantage on the feet against “The Diamond.”

“I have been following Poirier f…

Adrian Yanez may be his own harshest critic.

Yanez (17-5) triumphantly rebounded from a skid of two straight knockout losses by blasting Vinicius Salvador at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18. Yanez subsequently called out unranked up-and-comers Victor Henry and Daniel Santos, with the latter having already accepted the callout. Yanez also aimed high, eyeing Deiveson Figueiredo, but believes it’s a long shot. Yanez recently talked with MMA Junkie, where he discussed his plans to work his way back up the ladder.

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“If I’m trying to eek my way in, trying to somehow squeak my way in to fight someone in the top 15, I feel like I would like to fight someone like ‘Figgy’ [Deiveson Figueiredo]. I feel like just because of the fact that he fought Brandon Moreno a couple of times, my favorite fighter is Brandon Moreno,” Yanez explained.

A fight against Figueiredo may be off the table for now, as “Deus da Guerra” recently agreed to face Marlon Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi…

Tom Aspinall understands why Jon Jones wants to fight Stipe Miocic.

Jones (27-1, 1 NC) was originally scheduled to defend his heavyweight strap against Miocic (20-4) at UFC 295 in November 2023 but was forced out due to a torn pectoral muscle. To keep a heavyweight title tilt on the card, Tom Aspinall (14-3) faced and knocked out Sergei Pavlovich for the interim variety. Since then, Jones has suggested he will stay the course and has his sights set solely on the former heavyweight champion rather than the surging 31-year-old.

With no timeline for Jones’ return, Aspinall initially called for the champ to be stripped of his title. However, the Brit has since changed his tune and has been rallying for a clash against Jones. “Bones” does not want that matchup; the same goes for Miocic. Some expect that when Jones and Miocic collide—a date for their meeting is rumored for November—it will be a retirement match for both heavyweights.

With Jones and Miocic turning him d…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is stacking the deck for its return to Abu Dhabi this summer.

Per Ag. Fight on Thursday, Marlon Vera (23-9-1) and Deiveson Figueiredo (23-3-1) have agreed to a bantamweight clash at UFC on ABC 7. The report noted that the fighters have not officially signed their contracts, but verbal agreements are in place. Should this matchup indeed come together, it will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Aug. 3. The pairing has since been confirmed by Vera on his Instagram Stories as well as other outlets. This joins other 135-pound contest Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov as the only fights currently booked for the card.

In his last time out, Vera fell short vying for the bantamweight throne against Sean O'Malley. Atop UFC 299, the striker was outstruck by the champ, handing “Chito” his second loss in three outings. Vera earned a crack at gold off a single victory when he overcame Pedro Munhoz via decision…

Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight Ariane Carnelossi is bringing receipts showing the injuries she sustained in her last bout.

At UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18, Brazil’s Carnelossi faced Piera Rodriguez on the preliminary portion of the event. After dropping Carnelossi with a front kick and follow-up punches, Rodriguez measured and delivered two headbutts deemed intentional by referee Mark Smith. Rodriguez was disqualified for her fouls, marking the first DQ due to a headbutt in UFC history.

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Rodriguez later cried foul on social media, claiming that Carnelossi was a “coward.” While admitting that she made a mistake, the Venezuelan proffered that Carnelossi should be ashamed of earning a win in such a fashion.

“I rather lose a fight because of a mistake I did, than go home calling myself a ‘winner’ knowing I am a coward…,” Rodriguez wrote. “I made a big mistake, maybe because of adrenaline…but you have to go to sleep with that lie in your hea…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is throwing one more top-ranked matchup on its blockbuster card at the end of June.

According to the UFC on Friday, Ian Garry (14-0) will be throwing down with Michael Page (22-2) at UFC 303 on June 29. The two welterweights will toe the line inside of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where they will be placed on the main card. Earlier in the week, Garry stated on a since-deleted social media post that he had accepted an offer to face “MVP” at this event.

“The Future” has strung together a solid seven-fight win streak since making his way to the promotion as the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship welterweight kingpin. The Irishman introduced himself to the UFC brass by punching out Jordan Williams in the first round at UFC 268 and has not looked back. A pair of decision victories over Darian Weeks and Gabriel Green carried him into pairings against Kenan Song and Daniel Rodriguez, where he dispatched both Song and Rodriguez via str…

Sound on 🔊 HEAVY shots from Isfak Seyid!#ONEFridayFights64 | 🔴 WATCH NOW🇬🇧🇮🇪 Live on Sky Sports YouTube (geo-restrictions apply)🌍 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries (check local listings)🌍 Also available on https://t.co/eBUfsOlZOd (geo-restrictions may apply) pic.twitter.com/UWiBk1xzuK

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 24, 2024 Isfak Seyid funneled another unwitting victim into his traps.

Merciless clinches, opportunistic takedowns, bulletproof submission defense and punishing ground-and-pound carried the unbeaten Turkish prospect to a unanimous decision over Felipe Negochadle in a three-round ONE Friday Fights 64 bantamweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. All three ringside judges gave the nod to Seyid (6-0, 2-0 ONE), who once again impressed on the ONE Championship stage.

Almost hypnotized by his counterpart’s oppressive style, Negochadle (6-2, 0-1 ONE) found himself in a constant state of…

[embedded content] A recent Ultimate Fighting Championship pickup might have "Mortal Kombat" on the brain.

On about a month’s notice, the promotion signed aggressive middleweight Joilton Lutterbach (38-9, 1 NC) to take on (12-0) at UFC on ABC 6 on June 22. The German by way of Brazil is elated to make his organizational debut in Saudi Arabia, and with this being his 70th pro fight in MMA and kickboxing combined, he does not expect the bright lights will get to him. Unafraid of the Russian’s knockout power, Lutterbach spoke with Sherdog on Wednesday about his upcoming debut.

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“I’m better than him in every area,” Lutterbach said confidently. “I see myself as far superior to him in boxing, wrestling and on the ground. The only thing he does better than me is kick. I’m a year older than him, but I have four times as many MMA fights and practically the same curriculum in kickboxing.”

Boasting a slew of grappling credentials, “Peregrino” nevertheless wis…

Fresh off the biggest win of his career, Lerone Murphy wants to stay active and carry that momentum forward.

Britain’s Murphy (14-0) outdueled perennial contender Edson Barboza (24-12) in his first UFC headliner at UFC Fight Night 241. With the promotion set to return to Manchester, England, in July after nearly eight years away, an offer for the undefeated featherweight to headline a card just months prior came as bit of a surprise. Murphy revealed that while he was aware of the UFC 304, card for some time, a main event opportunity against a veteran like Barboza was too good to ignore. “The Iceman” made an appearance on "The MMA Hour" on Wednesday, where he described his thought process going into the fight.

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“The opportunity they gave me, Edson Barboza, main event, five rounds, how can I say no,” Murphy explained. “I can’t say no to that. That’s a massive opportunity and a massive spotlight. So, for me it was like, yeah, they’re coming to Manchester…

Paddy Pimblett believes that Bobby Green’s chin has been well and truly cracked.

Pimblett (21-3) and Green (32-15-1, 1 NC) are set to trade leather at UFC 304 on July 27 at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England. Pimblett expects Green to use his impressive takedown defense to avoid grappling and force a fight predominantly on the feet.

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However, the Next Generation UK standout questions how Green’s chin will hold up after his brutal knockout loss to Jalin Turner in December 2023. While Green bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Jim Miller last month, Pimblett notes that even a 40-year-old Miller stung “King” in their meeting. Considering Green’s recent display of durability, “The Baddy” isn’t undermining his own chances of scoring a knockout.

“He’s got very good striking, he’s got good hands. But his chin’s gone after what happened with Jalin Turner,” The Liverpudlian told The Mac Life. “So, Jim Miller is not a knockout artist and …

Belal Muhammad has vowed to break Leon Edwards in their upcoming clash.

Muhammad (23-3, 1 NC) will challenge Edwards (22-3, 1 NC) for the welterweight title in the main event at UFC 304. The two will run it back on July 27 at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England. The two first met atop UFC Fight Night 187 in 2021, resulting in a no contest after an accidental eye poke. Muhammad recently downplayed Edwards as a threat, labeling the champ the easiest matchup in the top five.

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While Muhammad prides himself on his pressure-first approach, he believes this alone will not be his primary advantage. “Remember the Name” considers Edwards easy to break and mentally weak, in stark contrast with himself. Muhammad noted that “Rocky” appeared to be completely dejected before pulling off a shock upset in his first title win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. Muhammad said on the "Show Me The Money" podcast:

“I don’t think there’s anybody in the world that’s gonn…