Blog

A featherweight clash pitting Edson Barboza against Lerone Murphy will serve as the headliner for a UFC Fight Night event on May 18.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMA journalist Laerte Viana. The card is expected to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and also includes a flyweight showdown between Tim Elliott and Tatsuro Taira.

Barboza is 4-3 in UFC competition since moving to 145 pounds from the lightweight division. The 38-year-old Brazilian is coming off a 2-0 campaign in 2023 in which he defeated Billy Quarantillo via first-round knockout at UFC on ESPN 44 and outpointed Sodiq Yusuff over five rounds in the UFC Fight Night 230 headliner.

A native of Stockport, England, the 32-year-old Murphy has yet to taste defeat in 14 professional outings. After battling Zubaira Tukhugov to a split draw in his Octagon debut at UFC 242, “The Miracle” has been victorious in his last five Octagon appearances. Most recently,…

Maycee Barber looked strong during a unanimous decision triumph against Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, but that wasn’t the case shortly after the event.

Advertisement

Barber revealed Monday via social media that she was hospitalized for nine days due to an infection following the March 9 card in Miami. According to the post, doctors struggled to identify the cause.

Following my fight, I spent [nine] days in the hospital being tested and treated for an infection that they thought were a mix of different things from strep A to staph,” Barber wrote on Instagram. “Being in the hospital and still not having a true definitive answer while battling a 105 degree fever for days, having extremely low blood pressure, HR, and oxygen, was incredibly hard. Despite having multiple IV antibiotics and medications over the course of several days, they were unable to get my fever to drop, which eventually led to me developing pneumonia. It definitely wasn’t what I had planned and wa…

It just keeps getting worse for Igor da Silva.

Advertisement

According to a report from MMAFighting.com, da Silva had his fight purse withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after biting Andre Lima’s arm in the second round of their flyweight clash at UFC on ESPN 53 this past Saturday. Da Silva, who is commonly referred to as Igor Severino, was disqualified at the 2:52 mark of Round 2 once it was determined there were bite marks on Lima’s arm.

It is unclear how much da Silva was set to earn because purses are no longer disclosed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Da Silva was subsequently cut by the UFC, and he could face further discipline at the next NSAC meeting. A similar incident in combat sports occurred on June 28, 1997, when Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their boxing rematch. As a result, Tyson had his boxing license revoked — it was reinstated on appeal in 1998 — and he was fined $3 million.

Da Silva, who at…

Karl Williams uniquely challenged Stipe Miocic to a cookout following his victory over Justin Tafa at UFC on ESPN 53.

Advertisement

Williams dominated Tafa on the ground for three rounds to cruise to a unanimous decision win on Saturday. Williams used his Octagon interview to issue a one-of-a-kind challenge to former heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic for a barbecue cookout.

“I wanna call out if I can, Stipe Miocic. He works at the firehouse and he said he’s gonna be barbecuing,” Williams said. “He’s working on learning how to barbecue, so this summer let’s do a charity cookout if he’s not busy, you know. He’s an important man. But if you got some time, your firehouse against me and my crew at a charity barbecue [to] help firefighters. So that’s my biggest thing.”

A barbecue enthusiast himself, Williams later explained that the idea of a cookout occurred to him when Miocic got talking about barbecuing with his team of firefighters. Williams had a firefighter nei…

Daniel Cormier says he won’t be returning to NCAA wrestling commentary after criticism received during his latest stint.

Advertisement

Cormier is a former NCAA All-American wrestler from Oklahoma State University and a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic wrestling squad. After switching to MMA and becoming a two-division UFC champ, “DC” was invited to continue calling fights for the NCAA wrestling championship. Despite his vast experience in combat sports and commentating, Cormier’s commentary has drawn mixed reviews. While some saw Cormier’s energetic style as the way forward, others criticized him for not being technical enough.

Cormier has decided to step away from NCAA commentary after his latest gig over online backlash.

“You guys have it. I am out sorry to ruin your experience! You know I don’t ask to do this. Very important people ask me to do it. Anyhow carry on my friend, I am out. Back to the minor leagues for me.

“Guys [I’m] out. This will be my…

Diego Sanchez recently went on an Instagram rant against his former coach Joshua Fabia in a form of retaliation after being allegedly traumatized for years.

Advertisement

Fabia initially came to the limelight during Sanchez’s bizarre release from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2021. Fabia asked the UFC for every medical report of Sanchez’s career, raising concerns about the fighter’s health. When the UFC asked for an assurance about Sanchez’s sound health, the fighter told the promotion through a lawyer that he couldn’t vouch for his health, as he was no health professional and hadn’t recently undergone neurological evaluation. A booking with Donald Cerrone fell through following this, and Sanchez was abruptly released from the promotion.

Sanchez soon parted ways with Fabia, who then accused the fighter of taking advantage of him, being an addict and having sexual abuse issues. While Sanchez initially didn’t respond to Fabia, he has now accused the awa…

Now that she’s back on a winning track, Rose Namajunas is ready to make moves in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division.

Advertisement

The ex-strawweight champion earned her first 125-pound victory on Saturday night, as she took a unanimous decision triumph over Amanda Ribas in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was competitive for the duration, but Namajunas enjoyed more control time and appeared the land more strikes of consequence throughout. Perhaps just as important was the fact that “Thug” Rose is getting more comfortable in her new weight class.

“I felt actually pretty good,” Namajunas said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “There was some things to work on. I wasn’t as quick, as snappy, as I wanted to be. My arms are a little bigger. I also could feel my strength was great. I know everybody thinks I’m small or weak or something like that, so it’s just good to get better at the grappling aspect o…

Payton Talbott is ready to take on tough competition to climb his way up to a dream matchup against Sean O'Malley.

Advertisement

Talbott delivered a lopsided beatdown of Cameron Saaiman to score a second round TKO win at UFC on ESPN 53. With his second consecutive finish in as many UFC outings, Talbott inched just a little bit closer to a potential clash against thereigning bantamweight champ, whom the Reno native had named as his “dream matchup” after his Contender Series win last year. Talbott is willing to take on tough competition to make it into reality.

“I just need to keep having performances like that [to get the O’Malley fight], do my dirty work and just keep eating dogs like that,” Talbott told media after the fight (video via MMAjunkie.com). “I know I need to put my time in and solidify myself against game opponents, so I’m more than willing to do that.”

While he is currently undefeated, Talbott called for a chance to correct a loss against one …

The straw hat worn by Fernando Padilla during his UFC on ESPN 53 walkout is a representation of a new chapter with added responsibilities in his life, according to the Mexican featherweight.

Advertisement

Padilla dropped Ecuadorian debutant Luis Pajuelo before submitting him with a standing brabo choke less than three minutes into their fight on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Padilla was seen sporting a straw hat during his walkout and after the fight, which he later revealed was a tribute to a fictional anime character. Padilla’s hat resembled that of Monkey D. Luffy, also known as "Straw Hat" Luffy, a protagonist in the Japanese manga series “One Piece” and founder and captain of the “Straw Hat Pirates.”

Much like Luffy, Padilla, who has been a longtime member of the Team Oyama gym in Irvine, California, is looked up to by his teammates. Under the guidance of head coach Colin Oyama, Padilla is ready to take up some leadership responsibilities and plan…

Andre Lima picks up the win over Igor Severino due to a DQ from Severino, who bit Lima’s arm 😳 #UFCVegas89 pic.twitter.com/NQTJuSh9G3

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 23, 2024

A clash of highly-touted flyweight debutants met an unfortunate end due a blatant foul on the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 53.

Advertisement

Undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series graduates Igor da Silva and Andre Lima met in the second fight of the card, setting the standard high early on with fast-paced action. Both fighters went toe-to-toe from the very onset, splitting the judges’ scorecards for the first round. The second round continued to show all the promises of a barnburner before Lima complained of da Silva biting him in a clinch position.

Referee Chris Tognoni paused the contest and called in the cageside doctor to inspect. A deep bite mark could be seen on Lima’s left bicep, leading to da Silva getting disqualified at the 2:52 mark of Round 2. This…

Julian Erosa chose to forgo his planned callout during his Octagon interview at UFC on ESPN 53, but he didn’t remain silent for the rest of the night.

Advertisement

After getting cracked by Ricardo Ramos in opening exchanges, Erosa locked in a slick guillotine, which earned him the tap less than halfway through the opening frame. While “Juicy J” chose to skip his planned callout in the Octagon, he went through with it during the post-fight media scrum.

Owing his dislike for “cheaters”, Erosa took a dig at controversial transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. A former University of Pennsylvania swimmer, Thomas underwent gender transition through hormone replacement therapy. While Thomas competed for the University of Pennsylvania men’s team in 2018-2019, she later went on to compete for the women’s team and in January 2022 became the first openly transgender athlete in history to win a NCAA Division 1 championship in any sport.

“I was gonna say that I don’t like ch…

Tonight's BOTN 💰💰 #UFCVegas89 pic.twitter.com/Ngttbbryr8

— UFC (@ufc) March 24, 2024

Andre Lima’s Ultimate Fighting Championship debut didn’t go exactly as planned, but he did earn some additional income for his troubles.

Advertisement

After earning a disqualification victory over Igor da Silva when his opponent bit his arm 2:52 into Round 2 of their preliminary flyweight bout at UFC on ESPN 53, Lima received a $50,000 “Bite of the Night” bonus from the Las Vegas-based promotion. This compensation was enhanced by the fact that Lima also got a tattoo to commemorate the moment on the spot where the bite occurred.

The UFC also handed out its more traditional bonuses on Saturday.

Payton Talbott and Fernando Padilla each received $50,000 “Performance of the Night” checks for finishes on the evening’s main card. Talbott overwhelmed Cameron Saaiman en route to a technical knockout victory 21 seconds into Round 2 of their bantamweigh…

Perhaps Rose Namajunas can redefine herself at 125 pounds after all. If nothing else, her latest performance represents a step in the right direction.

The two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight titleholder on Saturday used her vast array of tools to capture a five-round unanimous decision over Amanda Ribas in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Scores were 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, all for Namajunas (12-6, 10-5 UFC), who bounced back from consecutive losses to Carla Esparz and Manon Fiorot.

Advertisement

Neither woman gained a discernible standup edge in a showdown that was heavy on tactics and light on highlights. Namajunas was the cleaner striker, but her Brazilian adversary was the busier of the two. “Thug Rose” shined brightest in the ground exchanges. She executed takedowns of her own and made a number of high-risk head-and-arm throws from Ribas work in her favor—a development that allowed the Milwaukee native to shi…

Julian Erosa still has a don’t-blink quality about him.

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22 semifinalist on Saturday moved his Ultimate Fighting Championship record back to .500, as he rallied to submit Ricardo Ramos with a guillotine choke in the first round of their featured UFC on ESPN 53 featherweight prelim at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Erosa (29-11, 7-7 UFC) drew the curtain 2:15 into Round 1, closing the book on his two-fight losing streak.

Advertisement

The 28-year-old Ramos (16-6, 7-5 UFC) employed an active kicking game and decked the Xtreme Couture standout with a concussive right hand before swooping in for a takedown. He connected with some mild ground-and-pound, only to see the crafty Erosa escape to his feet. Ramos shot on the hips soon after but left his neck exposed while doing so. Erosa bit down on the guillotine, refused to relinquish his grip and prompted the tapout.

Ramos has suffered consecutive defeats for the first time in his 22-fight car…

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

A pair of flyweight matchups have been added to a UFC Fight Nightevent set to go down at the Apex in Las Vegas on June 15.

Advertisement

Alex Perez (24-8) will take on Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2), while Nathan Maness (15-3) is scheduled to lock horns with Jimmy Flick (17-7). Perez vs. Ulanbekov was first reported by Eurosport NL’s Marcel Dorff on X (formerly known as Twitter), while James Lynch initially brought word of Maness vs. Flick.

Perez is currently on a three-fight losing skid, most recently suffering a unanimous decision loss at the hands of the surging Muhammad Mokaev in March. Prior to that, the California native suffered back-to-back Round 1 submission losses against Deiveson Figueiredo and Alexandre Pant…

Lightweights Ismael Bonfim and Vinc Pichel will lock horns at UFC 301 on May 4 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Advertisement

The news was first reported by Eurosport Nl’s Marcel Dorff on X (formerly known as Twitter) and later confirmed by Bonfim on his social media accounts. UFC 301 will be headlined by a flyweight title clash between reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg.

Bonfim (19-4) will enter the Octagon coming off a Round 1 submission loss to Frenchman Benoit St. Denis in his sophomore promotional outing in July last year. The loss snapped the promising Brazilian’s 13-fight win streak, which included eight finishes.

Pichel (14-3), a former “Ultimate Fighter” contestant, will enter the Octagon coming off a unanimous decision loss to Mark O. Madsen in April 2022. The loss to O. Madsen spoiled a three-fight win streak for the American, which included wins over the likes of Jim Miller, Austin Hubbard and Roosevelt Roberts.

Bonfim and Pich…

A featherweight clash pitting Alex Caceres against Missouri's own Sean Woodson has been added to the UFC Fight Night event set to take place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 11.

Advertisement

The bout was first announced by Woodson’s management, Iridium Sports Agency, on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Caceres (21-14) will face Woodson coming off a unanimous decision loss to Giga Chikadze in August of last year. “Bruce Leeroy” has emerged victorious in seven of his last nine Octagon outings, only recording decision losses against Soddiq Yussuf and the aforementioned Chikadze.

Meanwhile, Woodson (11-1) will enter the Octagon on a five-fight undefeated streak, most recently clinching a hard-fought split-decision victory against Charles Jourdain at UFC 297. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum has wins over the likes of Kyle Bochniak, Terrance McKinney, Dennis Buzukja and Collin Anglin.

UFC on ESPN 56 will notably feature a lig…

THAT'S WHY HE'S THE CHAMP!

🇧🇷Roberto Satoshi Souza stops K-Taro Nakamura in under 2 minutes!

Advertisement

Order the replay on #RIZIN TV!🔗https://t.co/YZq8qSBHwN

[ #RIZIN_LANDMARK9 ] pic.twitter.com/QE5XITai0b

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) March 23, 2024 Rizin Fighting Federation lightweight champion Roberto Satoshi de Souza made a strong statement in his quick and punishing main event victory on Saturday at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 9” in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. De Souza destroyed multi-time UFC veteran Keita Nakamura with a barrage of strikes early in their non-title matchup to cap off the 14-fight card. De Souza (16-3, 9-2 Rizin) nearly knocked out Nakamura (36-12-2, 1 NC, 2-1 Rizin) with a head kick and punches during the opening minute of the evening’s headliner, but Nakamura narrowly survived the onslaught. De Souza stood over his downed foe and unleashed a series of soccer kicks before Nakamura finally got back to his feet…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship brings Octagon excitement to the Apex Facility in Las Vegas for the second consecutive time with UFC on ESPN 53. Stay plugged into the pulse of the event with Sherdog’s live play-by-play coverage, capturing every moment as it unfolds inside the cage starting at 7 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Parkin (-142), Usman (+120)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

Advertisement

Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Lima (-180), da Silva (+150)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay…

Ten years after winning "The Ultimate Fighter," Corey Anderson finally accomplished his life dream and claimed a world title after outworking Karl Moore over five rounds to win the vacant Bellator Championship Series light heavyweight title Friday in the Bellator Champions Series Belfast main event at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Advertisement

For Anderson (18-6, 1 No Contest), the victory was emotional and long-awaited. After falling short of the Ultimate Fighting Championship title, Anderson signed with Bellator in 2020 to get a fresh start. Four years and two disappointing cracks at Vadim Nemkov’s title later, Anderson finally claimed his shot at gold.

Moore (12-3) wouldn’t make it easy, however. In the first round, the Belfast native ignited the crowd after he cracked Anderson with a left hand, which was followed by a head kick that made his legs buckle. Anderson staggered back to the fence but the vet recovered calmly and won the round with…

Sherdog's live Bellator Champions Series Belfast coverage will begin Friday at 12:55 p.m. ET.

The fervent excitement surrounding the Bellator Champion Series is primed to captivate Belfast, Ireland, with a thrilling showcase of two championship battles atop the billing.

Advertisement

The event will be headlined by a monumental clash for the light heavyweight championship, featuring former title contender Corey Anderson against hometown favorite, Karl Moore. In the co-main event, featherweight king Patricio “Pitbull” Freire will lock horns with Jeremy Kennedy in a bid to defend his 145-pound strap. The card also features Ireland’s James Gallagher taking on Leandro Higo, who steps up to the featherweight division to settle a feud with “The Strabanimal.” Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the …

BELLATOR RETURNS TO DUBLIN! 🇮🇪

🇯🇲 Jason Jackson 🆚 Ramazan Kuramagomedov 🇷🇺👑 Bellator Welterweight Championship

Advertisement

Tickets on sale next week. Stay tuned for further information. 🎟️ #BellatorDublin | SAT JUNE 22 | 3Arena, Ireland pic.twitter.com/TPhsUcufpQ — Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 22, 2024

The time has come yet again for Jason Jackson to live up to his nickname.

The 33-year-old “Ass Kicking Machine” will put his Bellator Championship Series welterweight title on the line for the first time on June 22 when he faces undefeated Ramazan Kuramagomedov at 3Arena in Dublin.

The fight was announced on Friday during the Bellator Champions Series Belfast telecast and will mark the third card in the Bellator Championship Series 2024 lineup, following a trip to Paris on May 17.

This marks the first title defense for Jackson (18-4) since winning the belt in devastating fashion at Bellator 301. Jackson des…

Kara-Ool Changy dominated China’s Gexi Sanlang on his way to a second-round technical knockout in their ONE Friday Fights 56 strawweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The end came 4:25 into Round 2. It was the lone mixed martial arts bout on the ONE Championship card.

It did not take long for Changy to put Sanlang on his back with a kick in the opening seconds of the first round. The Russian kept circling his downed adversary and managed to land a couple of thudding shots to the body before letting him back to his feet. The undefeated prospect continued to pressure his opponent with slick counterstrikes from the southpaw stance, later dropping Sanlang with a left hook while exiting the clinch. The Russian continued to land shots to the head and body from top until the ref allowed the Chinese national to get back to his feet. Sanlang seemed to have no answer for Changy’s constant pressure, ultimately ending the opening stanza on his back…

#RIZIN_LANDMARK9 in KOBE🚢📣 Weigh-in Results 💥

⚔️ Match 12 ⚔️ Main EventRIZIN MMA Rules 71.0kg

Advertisement

🟥Roberto Satoshi Souza【70.85kg】🧍‍♂️Height: 180cm 💪Reach: 185cm@ToshiJJーーー🆚ーーー🟦K-Taro Nakamura【70.80kg】🧍‍♂️Height: 180cm 💪Reach: 187cm@ktanakamura#RIZIN in Kobe… pic.twitter.com/gnhM7BzCq6 — RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) March 22, 2024 The Rizin Fighting Federation returns with its Landmark 9 card, although it looks different than originally planned. Two fighters missed weight for the card, which is headlined by Roberto Satoshi de Souza vs. Keita Nakamura. This caused one of the fights to be canceled and the other in potential jeopardy.

First, Arman Ashimov came in 5.2 pounds over the flyweight limit. The fight against Yusaku Nakamura will only proceed if Ashimov's weight is below 134.4 pounds on the day of the event. If it does go forward, only Nakamura will be eligible to win with an Ashimov victory or draw re…