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Judge Approves $375 Million Settlement in UFC Antitrust Lawsuit

CUNG LE VS ZUFFA IS OVER🚨

LIVE FROM THE COURTHOUSE

Judge Boulware grants preliminary approval in the HISTORIC $375 million Le v ZUFFA antitrust lawsuit

BIG TIME BLOW LANDED BY UFC VETS👊🏼#ufc #mma pic.twitter.com/rROqcAN1hK

— “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) October 22, 2024 A Nevada judge has temporarily approved a settlement agreement in the UFC antitrust lawsuit.

On Tuesday, Judge Richard Boulware approved a settlement plan where the UFC agreed to pay $375 million to the plaintiffs to settle the lawsuit, which was initially filed in 2014 by a group of fighters that included the likes of Cung Le and Nate Quarry. The UFC’s former parent company, Zuffa, was initially accused of engaging in a scheme "to acquire and maintain monopsony power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter services” by purchasing rival organizations and limiting earnings by binding fighters to exclusive contracts.

Accordin…

Carlos Leal Had Long-Term Plan to Make Dream of Fighting in UFC a Reality

After winning 15 of his last 17 professional bouts, Carlos Leal Miranda will finally achieve his goal of fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Brazilian will step up on short notice to face Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC 308 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. What makes the situation more interesting is how someone who hadn’t fought in the UFC and lives in Curitiba, Brazil, was able to accept such a call from the promotion on the week of the fight. The foundation for the move was laid in August 2023.

After losing to Sadibou Sy via decision in a second consecutive Professional Fighters League semifinal, Leal decided that it was time to leave PFL and try to achieve his goal of fighting in UFC.

“When I entered the PFL my goal was to be a champion. In the first season I got really close and decided to try once again. When I lost the second time, me and my team decided it was time to leave,” Leal said.

While things didn’t work out as planned in …

Max Holloway Open to Future Fight Against UFC Lightweight Champ Islam Makhachev

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Even if he reclaims UFC featherweight gold on Saturday, Max Holloway might not be done in the lightweight division.

Holloway will challenge reigning champion Ilia Topuria for the 145-pound title in the UFC 308 headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. That fight comes on the heels of a successful venture to 155 pounds, where he knocked out Justin Gaethje to capture the BMF belt at UFC 300 this past April. Gaethje was regarded as one of the top title contenders at lightweight before that defeat, which has Holloway thinking about a potential matchup with current divisional kingpin Islam Makhachev. In 2018, “Blessed” was scheduled to face Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title clash at UFC 223 before his weight cut was determined to be unsafe by the New York State Athletic Commission.

“You’ve got to do great things,” Holloway recently told Demetrious Johnson on his YouTube channel. “We had that fight booked with Khabib a while bac…

Dana White on Topuria vs. Holloway: ‘I Hate to See Somebody Lose That Fight’

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According to Dana White, there is one bad thing about the highly-anticipated featherweight championship clash between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.

“This Topuria-Holloway fight is terrible because when you like both guys and they actually have to go in there, and somebody has to lose – it sucks,” White recently said on the Outta Pocket with RGIII podcast.

“Max Holloway is one of the greatest ever to do it and just one of the nicest dudes, he has the BMF belt, and he is a BMF. Topuria has been an absolute rockstar. It’s gonna be a fun fight. I hate to see somebody lose that fight.”

UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Saturday at 2 PM ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Topuria will defend his featherweight crown against Holloway in the UFC 308 headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Topuria is unbeaten in 15 professional bouts and is coming off a second-round stoppage of Alexander Volkanovski to claim featherweight gold at UFC 298…

Ilia Topuria Reveals How Brother Helped Him Defeat Alexander Volkanovski

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Ilia Topuria’s brother, Aleksandre Topuria, had some elite corner advice for him in his UFC featherweight title win.

Ilia defeated Alexander Volkanovski via second-round knockout at UFC 298 this past February to be crowned the featherweight champ. The Georgian-Spaniard is set to defend his title for the first time against Max Holloway in the main event at UFC 308 on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Leading up to the fight, Topuria revealed how his brother helped him in his win over “The Great.”

Once Ilia returned to his corner after the first round, Aleksandre pointed out that Volkanovski’s left arm doesn’t stay on guard. Aleksandre also advised Ilia to add pressure when Volkanovski moved toward him once the second round started.

“His left arm is set quite low. He puts his left arm here. Once you start, cut his distance a bit if it is possible,” Ilia said via translation in the UFC 308 Countdown video. “Continue w…

Kamaru Usman Picks Khamzat Chimaev Over Robert Whittaker

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Kamaru Usman believes Khamzat Chimaev will beat Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.

Chimaev and Whittaker will clash in a high-caliber middleweight bout in the co-main event at UFC 308 on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. While Chimaev has opened as a betting favorite, many consider it a pick ‘em matchup.

Usman, who has previously shared the Octagon with Chimaev, favous the Chechen-born Swede over Whittaker. Whittaker and Chimaev were originally scheduled to fight at UFC Saudi Arabia in June, but “Borz” was forced to pull out due to illness. Whittaker went on to score a first-round finish over highly-touted debutant Ikram Aliskerov, whose only other career loss came against Chimaev on the regional circuit. While Usman acknowledged Whittaker’s elite skillset, “The Nigerian Nightmare” feels Chimaev is just gifted. Although Whittaker boasts strong anti-grappling abilities at middleweight, Usman believes Chimaev will be able to imp…

Ilia Topuria Explains Why He Respects Khabib Nurmagomedov, But Not His Teammates

Ilia Topuria shows respect to Khabib, but goes IN on his cousins/teammates 😳

"One thing I respect about Khabib, the guy is super respectful... I mentioned Islam, and all the cousins come out.

They've never knocked anyone out, they get caught using steroids, they're super… pic.twitter.com/Bxmm77AEG0 — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 21, 2024

Ilia Topuria doesn’t have the same respect for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s teammates as he does for “The Eagle.”

Topuria is slated to defend his featherweight title against Max Holloway in the main event at UFC 308 this Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. If he defends his strap successfully, “El Matador” has expressed interest in challenging lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, leading to a war of words with the Dagestani contingent.

Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov, Tagir Ulanbekov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov all teamed up to throw online barbs at Topuria. The beef …

Muhammad Mokaev Blames UFC for Canceled Grappling Match Against Raul Rosas Jr.

Muhammad Mokaev’s strained relationship with the Ultimate Fighting Championship isn’t getting any better.

Mokaev and Raul Rosas Jr. were scheduled to meet in a catchweight submission grappling bout in the main event at ADXC 6 on Friday at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi. However, the fight was canceled soon after it was announced, which the promotion blamed on “unforeseen circumstances.”

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, [Muhammad Mokaev] vs [Raul Rosas Jr.]has been cancelled as the ADXC6 main event! The show must go on,” ADXC wrote in a statement. “Stay tuned for a new grappling main event to be announced soon!.”

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Muhammad Mokaev vs Raul Rosas Jr has been cancelled as the #ADXC6 Main Event! The show must go ON 🔥 Stay tuned for a new Grappling Main Event to be announced soon! 👀#ADXC6 #JiuJitsu #Grappling #AbuDhabi #MubadalaArena pic.twitter.com/4KXq3aTaK6

— ADXC_official (@adxc_o…

Tatiana Suarez Withdraws from UFC 310 Due to Injury

Tatiana Suarez’s path to Ultimate Fighting Championship gold has hit another roadblock.

The strawweight contender has reportedly suffered an undisclosed injury and has been forced to withdraw from a proposed clash against Virna Jandiroba at UFC 310 on Dec. 7. Multiple outlets confirmed the news following an initial report from MMA Melotto. It is currently unknown if Jandiroba will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.

Suarez and Janiroba were previously booked to square off in August 2023 before the Brazilian suffered a knee injury and pulled out of the fight. Suarez would remain on the UFC on ESPN 50 card, where she submitted ex-strawweight queen Jessica Andrade in the second round of their encounter. The 33-year-old Milennia MMA representative was supposed to return to action against Amanda Lemos at UFC 298 in February, but Suarez withdrew from that contest due to what she described as a “minor setback.”

When healthy, Suarez i…

Ilia Topuria: BMF Belt Will Lose Value When Max Holloway Gets Knocked Out

The BMF title will not be on the line at UFC 308, but Ilia Topuria believes he can have a negative impact on its relevance.

Topuria will defend his featherweight crown against former champ Max Holloway in Saturday’s headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. After going 0-3 in 145-pound title bouts against Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway was on the outside looking in when it came to the featherweight title picture. However, that changed when Topuria defeated Volkanovski to become the new featherweight king at UFC 298.

Meanwhile, Holloway moved up to 155 pounds at UFC 300, where he captured the BMF belt with an iconic fifth-round knockout of Justin Gaethje. Topuria has since stated that Holloway was reluctant to accept a championship fight at 145 pounds, and he reiterated that claim in a recent interview with CBS Sports.

"After he knocked out Justin Gaethje, I asked about Max Holloway," Topuria said. "Before that fight, I thought of giving the rema…

Khamzat Chimaev Addresses Illness That Forced Exit from First Whittaker Bout

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Khamzat Chimaev has taken some heat for his lack of activity in recent years.

After emerging as one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s hottest prospects in 2020, Chimaev’s ascent has slowed somewhat. He fought just once in 2023 and will make his first appearance this year when he meets Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

“Borz” was supposed to face Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22, but the Chechen-born Swede was forced to pull out of the event after become “violently ill” a little more than a week before the fight. According to Chimaev, his exit occurred due to circumstances beyond his control.

“We were in training camp. The first month was very good,” Chimaev said on the UFC Countdown show. “The last three weeks, my immunity goes down. I don’t know what happened. All the guys ate the same food, [but] only [I] got sick.UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Saturday at 2…

Max Holloway Unfazed By Ilia Topuria Mind Games Ahead of UFC 308 Main Event

While Ilia Topuria might very well be the next big thing at 145 pounds, Max Holloway has been there before.

The former featherweight king has faced the best the sport has to offer over the course of an Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure that began in 2012. While “Blessed” can see some parallels betwen his and Topuria’s rise to the top, at this point in his career, the mind games that accompany pre-fight promotion don’t have much of an effect on the 32-year-old Hawaiian.

Holloway will square off against Topuria in the UFC 308 main event on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. ET, while prelims begin on ESPN+ at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.

“I got my first belt against former champions…Your idols become your rivals. Ilia said he’s a big fan. So I guess he did what I did, and I respect that,” Holloway said in an interview with UFC.com. “At the end of the day, all these mental games…

Featherweight Champ Ilia Topuria Gets Custom Fight Shorts for UFC 308

🇪🇸 Ilia Topuria’s custom shorts for #UFC308 are 🔥🔥🔥

🎥 @ClubDeLasMMA #UFC #MMA

pic.twitter.com/v528bQC5o7

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 19, 2024

Ilia Topuria will have some special, customized fight shorts for his first featherweight title defense.

Spanish outlet Marca recently revealed the shorts, which are red and yellow with bulls on the sides, that Topuria will wear for his UFC 308 main event showdown with Max Holloway on Saturday. UFC 308 takes place Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and airs via pay-per-view on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Saturday at 2 PM ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Topuria claimed the featherweight belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 298 headliner on Feb. 17. “El Matador” has kicked off his professional tenure with 15 straight triumphs, a run that includes seven victories in UFC competition.

A former featherweight champ, Hollo…

Daiane Silva Still Hospitalized After Bad Weight Cut Ahead of Bellator London Bout

Featherweight fighter Daiane Silva is still hospitalized after a bad weight cut led to her becoming seriously ill ahead of a proposed fight at Bellator Champions Series London on Sept. 14.

Silva was slated to face Eman Almudhaf at the event but was hospitalized due to severe dehydration as a result of her cut to the featherweight limit of 146 pounds. According to multiple reports, Silva was induced into a coma for several weeks after suffering kidney failure. More recently, she has displayed some positive signs of consciousness while remaining hospitalized.

“As Daiane made weight for her debut in Bellator, she suffered an accident due to dehydration,” Silva’s manager, Alex Davis said in a statement released to MMAFighting.com. “She was promptly seen by the doctor, was rushed to the hospital in delicate condition, was admitted to intensive care. Her condition was serious, but since, she has been improving steadily and our hope is that she recovers fu…

PFL Veteran Carlos Leal Steps in to Face Rinat Fakhretdinov at UFC 308

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PFL Championships, PFL MENA Finals Set for Saudi Arabia on Nov. 29

Professional Fighters League will hold a championship twin bill of sorts in Saudia Arabia next month.

The promotion announced on Saturday that both the PFL Championships and the PFL MENA finals will take place on Nov. 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The evening’s main card will feature title bouts in six PFL weight classes, topped by a featherweight championship clash between Brendan Loughnane and Timur Khizriev.

Meanwhile, the undercard will feature PFL MENA title bouts at welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight. All told, the PFL World Championships event will showcase 10 five-round bouts.

“The Championships are the culmination of our sports-season format, where PFL athletes have beaten the odds to reach this point in the toughest test in all of sports,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a release. “There are multiple athletes competing who I am excited to see take that next step in their careers, while there are also returning c…

Robert Whittaker Plans To ‘Hunt Down’ Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308

😮‍💨💥Robert Whittaker is fired up for the fight with Khamzat Chimaev

“I'm going to go in there and hunt [Khamzat] down, I'm gonna take the fight to him. I don't think he'll be able to stand up to that…

I hope he's ready, because I am."

🎥 @KevinI ▫️ pic.twitter.com/umG7we7fpb

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 19, 2024 Robert Whittaker (26-7) plans to take the fight to Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) in their upcoming matchup at UFC 308.

Whittaker and Chimaev will clash in the co-main event at UFC 308 on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. They were originally scheduled to meet at UFC Saudi Arabia this past June, but Chimaev pulled out due to severe illness. Whittaker went on beat short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov via knockout in the first round. Aliskerov’s only other pro loss dates back to 2019 against Chimaev, who called him the toughest matchup of his life so far.

Although Dana White has promise…

Francis Ngannou Dedicates PFL Title Win to Late Son Kobe

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Francis Ngannou challenged Renan Ferreira for the Super Fight heavyweight title in the main event at "Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact" on Saturday at the Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“The Predator” displayed a well-rounded skillset, taking Ferreira to the ground early and surviving a triangle attempt before earning a victory via ground-and-pound in the first round. The former UFC champ then broke down in tears inside the cage while dedicating his win to his late son Kobe, who died earlier this year at 15 months old.

“I can’t think of anything than my son Kobe. I wanted to fight for him… I hope they can remember his name, because without Kobe we wouldn’t be here tonight. I wouldn’t have fight,” Ngannou said.

“In combat sports all depends on me, how I feel. How I deal with life right now. But otherwise… I always thought I still have a lot to give to combat sports. And I hope I keep thinking that way, I keep that…

Daniel Pineda Announces Retirement After Battle Against Darren Elkins

Daniel Pineda put on a memorable performance at UFC Vegas 99 before retiring from MMA.

Pineda opened the main card against fellow veteran Darren Elkins at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. The featherweights left everything inside the Octagon in a “Fight of the Night”-winning performance, setting the bar high for the rest of the card.

Elkins survived multiple guillotine attempts from Pineda to eventually earn a unanimous decision win. Pineda laid down his gloves inside the Octagon after the result was announced, prompting UFC commentator Paul Felder to allow him to have a say on the mic. “The Pit” announced his retirement after a career spanning more than a decade and a half.

“Guys that was my last one man… We were some dogs in here,” Pineda said. “It’s my third one straight. F—k it dude, I’m done. I’m done guys. Thank you Elkins for this bad ass fight.”

Pineda retires from the sport with a 28-17 professional record and a 5-8 reco…

Francis Ngannou, Cris Cyborg Claim PFL Super Fight Titles at ‘Battle of the Giants’

FIRST. ROUND. FINISH!

[ #PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | BUY NOW | https://t.co/kWyJTEGRvW | https://t.co/2BtPH3wso4 ] pic.twitter.com/Zuyv8eN81H

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 19, 2024

Francis Ngannou emphatically returned to the world of mixed martial arts on Saturday with a first-round technical knockout (3:22) over 2023 Professional Fighters League Tournament winner Renan Ferreira in the “Super Fights: Battle of the Giants” main event at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou showed no rust from his over two-year hiatus from mixed martial arts. After two high-profile boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, many wondered if Ngannou would stand and bang with the 6-foot-8 giant, but the former lineal heavyweight kingpin was too smart. Ngannou took Ferreira down with a smooth double leg and dragged him to the fence where he patiently waited to strike. Ferreira sacrificed his butterfly guard to thro…

Anthony Hernandez Pounds Out Exhausted Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 245

Anthony Hernandez weathered an early storm of offense and ultimately cruised to a lopsided fifth-round TKO victory over Michel Pereira on Saturday at UFC Vegas 99 in Las Vegas. The rising middleweight contender finished Pereira with elbows at the 2:22 mark of the fifth round in a fight that could have been stopped much earlier as Pereira ran out of gas after the opening frame.

Seconds into the UFC Vegas 99 main event, Pereira hurt Hernandez with a front kick to the liver and followed up with a series of punches and knees as a wounded Hernandez covered up against the cage. Hernandez recovered and set the tone for the rest of the fight with a takedown into side control and some strong ground strikes. Pereira was poked in the eye early in the second round and he trapped Hernandez in a guillotine choke after action resumed. Hernandez escaped and scored with elbows and punches from the top, then threatened with an arm-triangle choke. Pereira managed to work his way out of Hernan…

PFL Super Fights ‘Battle of the Giants’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Coverage of Saturday’s Professional Fighters League “Battle of the Giants” card will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. Kirven scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Pendleton scores the round:J.L. …

UFC Vegas 99 ‘Hernandez vs. Pereira’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to its home base of Las Vegas Saturday at 4 p.m. ET with UFC Vegas 99. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 245. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Despaigne (-440), Lane (+340)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Martinez (-135), Ardelean (+114)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The …

Darren Elkins, Daniel Pineda Pick Up ‘Fight of the Night’ Honors at UFC Vegas 99

In the end, a matchup between two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division’s most grizzled veterans delivered exactly the kind of action fans and matchmakers hoped to see.

At UFC Fight Night 245 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas, 40-year-old Darren Elkins and 39-year-old Daniel Pineda combined to produce a bloody, back-and-forth battle that netted them “Fight of the Night” honors and a bonus of $50,000 each. The fight hinged on the clash of Elkins’ rugged and reliable wrestling against Pineda’s venomous grappling game. Pineda fought through punishment that had his face swollen and bleeding within minutes, and the fight was tied at a round apiece going into the final frame, but Elkins’ legendary durability and pace finally proved to be too much, and “The Damage” won the third round on all three judges’ scorecards. Pineda, who announced his retirement in the Octagon after the decision was read, walks away with a career finish rate of 100% in his 28 care…