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Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Mike Perry recently went on a rant over Dana White’s stance regarding Merab Dvalishvili’s reluctance to fight his friend, Aljamain Sterling.

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Dvalishvili picked up a unanimous decision win over former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 earlier this month, to extend his winning streak to 10. During his post-fight press conference appearance, White praised Dvalishvili for his performance, even confirming that the Georgian earned a title shot with his win over Cejudo.

White had previously criticized “The Machine” for avoiding a title fight during the reign of his close friend and teammate Sterling. Perry, who one of the biggest stars in bare-knuckle boxing, trashed the UFC frontman for publicly criticizing Dvalishvili’s decision to not fight his friend.

“I heard Dana be like, ‘Yeah, ‘cause [Merab Dvalishvili] wouldn’t fight his friend, you know how much we f—ing love that h…

Ilia Topuria currently doesn’t appear to be interested in defending his featherweight strap against anyone from his division, much to the ire of surging contender Movsar Evloev.

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Oozing confidence leading up to his featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria backed up his words with action, dethroning “The Great” via a Round 2 knockout at UFC 298 earlier this month. “El Matador” had previously made clear his unwillingness to defend his strap against any of the perennial featherweight contenders: Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez or Brian Ortega.

Topuria issued a callout to Conor McGregor in his post-fight interview and more recently, targeted retired lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“I would be happy to enter the Octagon with Khabib Nurmagomedov,” Topuria said. “He had an undefeated record at 29-0 and he had an attractive record for me, then also history. He is a worthy and honorable champion for me.”

Topuria also mocked I…

International Fight Week is BACK: June 24th-30th 💥

BE. THERE. #UFCFightWeek pic.twitter.com/tKqm1DdMq5

— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024

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Two upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view events are now official.

Over the weekend, the Las Vegas-based promotion announced dates, locations and venues for UFC 303 and UFC 306.

UFC 303 takes place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will serve as the featured attraction for International Fight Week. The annual tradition lasts for a week and includes a two-day UFC fan experience as well as the promotion’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

No bouts were announced for UFC 303, though Conor McGregor previously claimed he would be facing Michael Chandler in a middleweight bout at the event. UFC CEO Dana White has since disputed McGregor’s announcement while targeting fall for the Irishman’s return.

Meanwhile, UFC 306 will go down on Sept. 14 at …

Tabatha Ricci will square off against Tecia Torres at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on May 11.

Ricci initially announced the strawweight bout on "Remember the Show," and it was later confirmed by Torres on social media. The UFC Fight Night card doesn’t have an official location or main event at this time, though it will reportedly take place in St. Louis.

Ricci had a four-bout winning streak snapped in her most recent appearance, when she suffered a split-decision defeat to Lupita Godinez at UFC 295 this past November. Prior to that, “Baby Shark” had earned successive triumphs over the likes of Maria Oliveira, Polyana Viana, Jessica Penne and Gillian Robertson.

Torres, meanwhile, will be returning to action for the first time since giving birth last June. In her last outing, “The Tiny Tornado” suffered a split-decision defeat against Mackenzie Dern at UFC 273 on April 9, 2022.

Navy Seal calls out Sean Strickland for challenging the Navy Seals. 👀‼️ pic.twitter.com/050fuccTuX

— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) February 22, 2024

A member of the Navy SEALs has called out Sean Strickland for questioning their training regimen.

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Known for voicing his unfiltered opinion on almost everything, Strickland recently made headlines by pointing fingers at the Navy SEALs’ training method. While SEALs training is widely regarded some of the most strenuous in the world, Strickland claims none of them will survive a week of training with him.

“I don’t think there’s one f—king Navy [SEAL] who could survive a week training with me,” Strickland said in a video on social media. “I’m kind of sick of seeing it, cause you guys think you’re badass, come train with me for a week. I’ll show you what’s up, I’ll f—king break you.”

While most SEALs likely didn’t take kindly to Strickland’s comments, one in particular decided …

Professional boxing star Ryan Garcia believes he can get the better of UFC bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley in an MMA fight.

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Garcia recently called for a UFC clash against O’Malley while also indicating that he’d need a massive payday from UFC CEO Dana White to make it happen.

“I’d fight Sean O’Malley in the UFC that’s it but Dana you’d have to cut me that real check,” Garcia wrote.

I’d fight Sean O’Malley in the UFC that’s it but Dana you’d have to cut me that real check.

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) February 25, 2024

O’Malley responded with a dire warning, which led to a brief exchange between the two fighters online. Garcia posted a screenshot of the conversation on social media:

Alright rainbow head, There is only one way to find out… Dana let’s do this pic.twitter.com/3MglJYmbhQ

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) February 25, 2024

With the UFC’s apparent opposition to crossover fig…

“You don’t need your eyes.”

Some interesting corner work from Francisco Prado’s team after Zellhuber battered their fighter in the second round.

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Either way, both Zellhuber and Prado are two promising prospects. pic.twitter.com/o1FiEJHSf8 — AFeldmanMMA (@afeldMMA) February 25, 2024

Francisco Prado coach Asim Zaidi stands by his decision to not throw in the towel despite his fighter having compromised vision at the end of Round 2 at UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday.

Prado took on Mexico’s Daniel Zellhuber in enemy territory in a “Fight of the Night”-winning lightweight clash on the main card. While Prado showed immense heart in going the distance against Zellhuber, he was picked apart on the feet by “Golden Boy” en route to a unanimous decision loss.

When Prado walked back to his corner with a battered right eye at the end of Round 2, his coach appeared to give him a strategy to fight with compromised vision instead…

Update: Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios has been rebooked for #UFCVegas87 on March 2 in Las Vegas. https://t.co/TAbqTQOToT

— UFC News (@UFCNews) February 25, 2024

Ricky Turcios claims nothing has been confirmed regarding a rebooking against Raul Rosas Jr. after their last-minute fight cancellation at UFC Fight Night 237.

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Turcios was originally slated to face Rosas Jr. in a bantamweight affair on Saturday. However, shortly before the fighters were supposed to make their walkout, the broadcast team announced that the fight was off due to Rosas Jr. falling ill.

While it was initially not confirmed, the broadcast team revealed that the promotion planned to rebook the matchup for a week later at UFC Fight Night 238 on March 2. The UFC later announced the rescheduled fight on social media. The matchup is reportedly set to take place at a catchweight so the fighters don’t have to cut weight again.

However, Turcios call…

Whole Santiago Bernabeu is cheering for Ilia Topuria ❤

El Matador introduced his UFC belt in front of the 85,000+ Real Madrid fans! 🇬🇪🇪🇸❤️

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🎥 Setanta Sports pic.twitter.com/ZwgScsVW1D — Giorgi Kokiashvili 🇬🇪 (@iHeartGeorgius1) February 25, 2024

Recently-crowned UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria received some lofty recognition in his home country.

Topuria was honored at the Real Madrid soccer game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday. More than 85,000 fans were in attendance as Topuria arrived with his championship belt and performed the honorary opening kickoff to begin the match.

Topuria’s star power in his home country is a major reason why the UFC hopes to bring an event to Spain in the near future.

“I would love to go to Spain so we’ve got to figure that out,” UFC CEO Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference in Mexico City. “We’ll start grinding and tr…

A number of familiar faces are set to testify on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s behalf in an upcoming antitrust lawsuit against the promotion.

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According to a brief filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, current lightweight standout Michael Chandler as well as former stars Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen are expected to be witnesses for the defendants. Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate and UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone are also listed as witnesses for the UFC in the brief.

The trial is expected to begin on April 15, though UFC parent company Zuffa is reportedly attempting to push back the date due to a scheduling conflict. Bloody Elbow was first to report information revealed in the brief.

The class action lawsuit was i initially filed in 2014 and alleges that the UFC engaged in a scheme to "to acquire and maintain monopsony power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter …

This has been a dream and goal of mine since 2001. To finally be here and walk the halls of the @ufc Performance Institute in Mexico City is a monumental moment in the history of our sport. The impact this facility will have on Mexico, as well as, both Central and South America… pic.twitter.com/DZyhLikXkA

— danawhite (@danawhite) February 23, 2024

There was more to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Mexico than just Saturday’s fight card in Mexico City.

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While the promotion’s first event South of the Border since 2019 was a monumental occasion by itself, the UFC also officially launched another Performance Institute in Mexico last week.

“There’s still a lot of work to do down here. This is just the beginning,” UFC CEO Dana White said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

UFC Fight Night 237 took place at Mexico City Arena on Saturday and featured a host of talent from the home country. Moving forwa…

It was an inauspicious beginning, to say the least, for Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 237.

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It started with the pre-fight introductions, when Ortega appeared to sprain his ankle while jumping around inside the Octagon. It wasn’t exactly the best way to begin one’s first fight since July 2022.

“Talk about things stacked against me,” Ortega said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “Bruce [Buffer] was introducing me and then I jumped up and when I landed, I rolled my ankle. I was like, ‘Oh shoot.’ … When they were introducing [Yair Rodriguez], I was trying to flex my ankle…We’ve got five rounds. It’s not even a regular co-main event. I’d be lying if I didn’t say panic didn’t set in for a bit.”

It got worse before it got better. Rodriguez dropped Ortega with a left hook in the opening stanza and pursued the finish from there with heavy ground-and-pound. Somehow, Ortega managed to maintain his composure.

“And then obviously I started off,…

Brandon Moreno entered UFC Fight Night 237 with designs on earning a rematch against reigning flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja with a victory in front of his home fans.

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Brandon Royval had other ideas.

The Factory X product relied on superior volume and cardio to pull away down the stretch for a split-decision triumph against Moreno in Saturday’s main event at Mexico City Arena. It wasn’t a done deal, however, until his last name was announced during the official verdict.

“I thought I got ripped off,” Royval said at the post-fight press conference. “I didn’t realize I won until my coach grabbed me. They read that 49-46 scorecard, and I was like, ‘What the f—k?’ … I guess I realized I won when Herb [Dean] raised my hand.”

Royval, who accepted the fight on short notice as a replacement for Amir Albazi, was fairly confident he had done enough to deserve the nod on the scorecards.

“I thought I won four rounds, but you never know,” he said. …

Fares Ziam has called out Dan Hooker for a striking duel after securing a grueling decision win against kneebar specialist Claudio Puelles at UFC Mexico.

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Ziam initially struggled at times against the Peruvian wrestling standout, but the Frenchman displayed great technique in getting out of the grappling exchanges and picking his opponent apart on the feet to edge out a split-decision win. Currently riding a three-fight decision win streak, “Smile Killer” called for a striking affair with Hooker.

“I think I have the level of Top 15. Claudio [fought] with Dan Hooker last time, I want to fight Dan Hooker,” Ziam said during a post-fight media scrum. “He’s a striker and it’s gonna be [a] striking match. Not like that — grappling, grappling, grappling. I know I can strike too, but when I want to strike he [comes] every time [to] wrestle me. I don’t have good reaction in the wrestling, but I’m gonna work very hard. I learn with the win, so it’s good.” Read more about Fares Ziam Calls Out Dan Hooker for ‘Striking Match’ After UFC Mexico Win

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Mexican flyweight prospect Ronaldo Rodriguez has set lofty goals for himself after an impressive promotional debut in front of his home fans at UFC Mexico.

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Rodriguez was the only debutant out of 10 Mexican fighters in the 13-fight card, which marked the promotion’s return to the country for the first time since 2019. After being initially tagged by Ukraine’s Denys Bondar, “Lazy Boy” made necessary adjustments to score a comeback win via submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2.

“I wanna say thanks to all my teammates,” Rodriguez told media after the victory. “They believe in me, they saw me as a kid with a lot of future. I just wanna thank them because I am here because of them so I’m really proud and happy with my team.”

Asked about his future plans, Rodriguez said he wants to continue racking up wins until he is crowned champion, which he believes is just a matter of time.

"I’m go…

😳 It’s kicking OFF at #UFCMexico 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/Kqwm11B9HE

— Mikey Thomas (@MikeyThomas1991) February 25, 2024

While Mexican fighters are known for their passion, their fans also got a little rowdy at UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday.

The card marked the promotion’s first event in Mexico City since 2019, and the night didn’t conclude without incident. Shortly after the first main-card bout ended, a brawl erupted in the crowd at Mexico City Arena. In footage shared on social media, one fan can be seen dropping two fellow spectators with punches during the melee.

Mexico’s Manuel Torres, who picked up a spectacular first-round submission win over Chris Duncan, did his best to try and pacify the crowd in his post-fight interview. It’s currently unclear what caused the incident.

Contributing with another angle. pic.twitter.com/EwfTJbFwFB

— Eduardo Limón (@MrManager_07) February 25, 2024

It was a triumphant return to the Octagon in more ways than one for Brian Ortega.

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Not only did “T-City” avenge a previous loss to Yair Rodriguez in the UFC Fight Night 237 co-main event, but he pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process. After being dropped and nearly finished in the opening stanza, Ortega rallied to impose his will, ultimately eliciting a tapout from his opponent with an arm-triangle choke 58 seconds into Round 3. It was Ortega’s first appearance since July 2022, when a shoulder injury prematurely ended his first meeting with Rodriguez.

Elsewhere, Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their featured lightweight scrap. Prado’s aggression helped him get off to a strong start, but the rangy Zellhuber bloodied his opponent with strikes and got stronger as the bout progressed to ultimately earn a unanimous decision triumph.

Finally, Manuel Torres …

OH MY WORD :exploding_head:

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Renan Ferreira stops Ryan Bader in less than 30 seconds 🌬#PFLvsBellator | Live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/dnZOJ7Ntuw — DAZN MMA (@daznmma) February 24, 2024

Renan Ferreira entered the cage Saturday night with Professional Fighters League’s honor riding on his shoulders. His response: No “Problema.”

By the time the main event of PFL “PFL vs. Bellator Champs” rolled around on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, PFL’s representatives were down 0-5 against their Bellator MMA counterparts. Ferreira represented PFL’s last chance to pick up a win over the promotion it acquired in a headline-making sale late last year, and standing in his way was Ryan Bader, a former two-division Bellator champ who had looked largely dominant in going undefeated at heavyweight. None of that mattered once referee Kerry Hatley motioned the two men into action, however. The 6-foot-8 “Problema” caught Bader on the wa…

Brandon Royval now has a signature victory to which he can point in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.

Rapid-fire combinations and sheer volume carried the Factory X export to a split decision over two-time champion Brandon Moreno, as their rematch headlined UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday at Arena CDMX on Saturday in Mexico City. Judge Junichiro Kamijo saw it 49-46 for Moreno, while Michael Bell and Chris Lee scored it 48-47 for Royval.

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A tepid first round gave way to a series of momentum shifts over the ensuing 20 minutes. Moreno (21-8-2, 9-5-2 UFC) connected with the more impactful blows—he punctuated many of his combinations with thudding leg kicks—but too often settled for one shot at a time. A short-notice substitution for Amir Albazi, Royval (16-7, 6-3 UFC) slowly but surely made his case, throwing three, four and sometimes five punches at a time. More often than not, he kept Moreno at bay with a pesky jab and multiple str…

Raoni Barcelos can exploit any opening, no matter how narrow.

The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil titlist re-established himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division, as he rallied to submit Cristian Quinonez with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their featured UFC Fight Night 237 prelim on Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Quinonez (18-5, 1-2 UFC) tapped 2:04 into Round 3.

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Barcelos (18-5, 7-4 UFC) bided his time, made the necessary adjustments and leaned into his experience. Quinonez handled his business through the first 10 minutes with clean combination punching, steady leg kicks and expert grappling. Barcelos, however, never went away. He caught a kick and followed a right cross into a takedown early in the third round. From there, he climbed to the back, snuck his arms into place and finished the choke.

The victory was Barcelos’ first in 511 days.

Meanwhile, onetime Ultimate Wa…

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios has been canceled from tonight's card due to a Rosas illness #UFCMexico pic.twitter.com/H1qDmw1nDa

— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024

A main card bantamweight clash between Raul Rosas Jr. and Ricky Turcios slated for UFC Fight Night 237 has been pulled from the card at the last minute.

The bout was canceled due to Rosas Jr. falling ill. According to the broadcast team, the 19-year-old prospect did his best to make the walk to the Octagon but it was ultimately determined that he would be unable to compete.

While it has yet to be confirmed, the promotion is trying to keep the booking intact and reschedule it for UFC Fight Night 238, which goes down a week later on March 2 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Rosas, who is the youngest fighter on the roster, is coming off a first-round TKO win over Terrence Mitchell last September. Meanwhile, Turcios is coming off a split-decision win over Kevin Natividad a…

PFL vs. Bellator Champs is set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card will mark the first collision between Professional Fighters League and Bellator MMA since the PFL acquired Bellator late last year.

Freshly minted super fight championship belts are up for grabs in this showcase of three-round title bouts, offering the enticing prospect of winner-takes-all stakes.

The preliminary card will stream on ESPN+ at 12:30 p.m. ET, while the main card will air on pay-per-view (ESPN+) at 3 p.m. ET, showcasing two significant champion-vs.-champion fights at the top of the lineup. Sherdog brings to you live play-by-play coverage of every thrilling moment, ensuring you don't miss out on any of the excitement. 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…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its sixth journey to Mexico City for UFC Fight Night 237. The card is lined up as a distinguished setting for Mexican and Latin American athletes to flaunt their skills. Sherdog.com will bring you live play-by-play coverage of the action, ensuring you don't miss out on any of the Octagon excitement.

The event is set to be headlined by a critical flyweight rematch between former champion Brandon Moreno and recent title challenger Brandon Royval. In the co-main event, former 145-pound interim champ Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega are primed to refresh past acquaintances in a five-round clash.

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Join us on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT for live play-by-play updates of UFC Fight Night 237 from Arena CDMX in Mexico City. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Naimov (-360), Silva (+285)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round: Round 2 …

#AndNew XTB #KSWEpicKSW LHW Champion🇵🇱 Rafal Haratyk 👑 pic.twitter.com/B7pJQN5OqV

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) February 24, 2024

Rafal Haratyk and Damian Piwowarczyk left it all on the line in the KSW “Epic” one-night light heavyweight tournament. The winner was to be crowned as the Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki 205-pound champ and you could’ve made a case for Haratyk or Piwowarczyk winning the fight.

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Piwowarczyk’s heavy hands made it a nightmare for Haratyk to come inside but the savvy vet kept the pressure and secured pivotal takedowns at the right time. In the end, the fight was scored a split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28) for the “Polish Tank.” With the win, Haratyk claimed the belt, but his first challenge could await him in Ivan Erslan, who impressed earlier in the day with a first-round knockout over Bogdan Gnidko.

Darko Stosic starched Professional Fighters League alum Matheus Scheffel in the first round of their heavywe…