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Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 55 play-by-play kicks off at 4 p.m. ET. Round 1 The third man in the cage for the opening bout is Jason Herzog. Benitez opens with two hard leg kicks on Hayisaer. A jumping switch kick and then a right high kick answer back from Hayisaer. A straight left slips the guard for Benitez, who is still having success with leg kicks. Hayisaer eats another leg kick but stays out of range of the punches from his opponent. A sneaky left hook connects for Hayisaer. Benitez throws a front kick to the body and walks into a right hand. A big overhand left lands for Benitez. Best punch of the fight so far. Hayisaer blocks a left high kick. Another hard leg kick for Benitez. Hayisaer is largely reactive and lets Benitez dictate the pace of the fight. Benitez connects to the body and then eats a body kick of his opponent's. Leg kicks still trouble Hayisaer, who doesn't have a good answer to them. Hayisaer makes Benitez pay for missing and lands with his right hand. Ben…

Patience, persistence and precision worked in concert for Victor Henry.

The longtime Josh Barnett protégé drove deeper into the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division, as he disposed of Rani Yahya with a head kick and follow-up punches in the third round of their featured UFC on ESPN 55 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Henry (24-6, 3-1 UFC) prompted referee Jason Herzog to intervene 2:36 into Round 1.

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Yahya (28-12-1, 13-6-1 UFC) pressured and outworked the former Deep champion in the first round, only to slowly wilt from that point forward. Henry decked the 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships gold medalist with a pair of right hands late in the second round, then swarmed with elbows and punches for a near-finish. Yahya survived, but it soon became clear he was a spent force. Henry picked him apart from the outside in Round 3, dropped him again with a right hand and then invited him to sta…

Alex Perez bet on himself, and it paid off handsomely.

The Team Oyama product ended a three-bout skid in emphatic fashion, as he scored a second-round knockout of Matheus Nicolau in the UFC on ESPN 55 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. A short-notice replacement for the injured Manel Kape, Perez folded his opponent with a right hook at the 2:16 mark of Round 2 — earning himself a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process.

Meanwhile, Bogdan Guskov garnered a $50,000 “Performance of Night” check for his finish of Ryan Spann in the co-main event at lightweight. After being controlled on the canvas in Round 1, the Uzbekistan dropped Spann and then sealed his victory with a barrage of unanswered strikes on the ground to force a stoppage at the 3:16 mark of Round 2.

Elsewhere, Jhonata Diniz captured a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award by rallying for a second-round knockout of Austen Lane at heavyweight. The Brazilian kickbox…

Former light heavyweight title contender Dominick Reyes is slated to return to action a little less than two years since his last Octagon appearance.

“The Devastator” (12-4) will lock horns with Dustin Jacoby (19-8) at UFC Louisville on June 8, which is set to go down at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The matchup was announced by the Las Vegas-based promotion in a recent press release.

Reyes is currently on a four-fight losing streak that includes a controversial unanimous decision loss against former light heavyweight king Jon Jones and three consecutive knockout losses at the hands of Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka and most recently, Ryan Spann at UFC 281 in November 2022. While Reyes was initially rumored to make his return to the Octagon in March against Carlos Ulberg, the Victorville, California, native was forced to withdraw from the booking due to the presence of blood clots in one of his legs, a medical issue that required careful monitori…

Canada’s Mike Malott is set to return to the Octagon following his first Ultimate Fighting Championship loss against promotional veteran Neil Magny at UFC 297 in January.

“Proper” (10-2) will take on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 29 finalist Gilbert Urbina (7-3) in a three-round welterweight clash at a UFC Fight Night event set to go down on July 13 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The news was first reported by Canadian outlet Sportsnet in a post to X (formerly known as Twitter). The clash was confirmed by Malott in an Instagram post.

As mentioned earlier, Malott is coming off an upset Round 3 technical knockout loss at the hands of Magny on home soil in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Although “Proper” succeeded at outclassing “The Haitian Sensation” for the first two rounds, in the last minute of the bout, an exhausted Malott found himself in the bottom position, with Magny unloading a barrage of punches from top. With only 15 seconds remaining, referee Kevin MacDon…

Jamahal Hill is taking his UFC 300 knockout loss to Alex Pereira in stride and is looking forward to his upcoming clash with Khalil Rountree at UFC 303.

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The buildup to the bout saw Hill repeatedly call out those doubting his ability to defeat Pereira, with things even getting heated between the two competitors during the UFC 300 press conference. Now, following a bitter loss to the reigning divisional champion, Hill has no intentions of obsessing over the defeat and is eager to get back in the win column.

“I mean, I’ve dealt with it by just moving forward,” Hill told Middleasy . ”At the end of the day, fighting is what I do, it's not who I am. It's not my entire life, you know? It's just benefitted other areas of my life in very significant ways. I’ve just got to focus on that and understand that this isn't the end of the road for me. Yeah, it sucks. Yeah, it's unfortunate. Yeah, I saw things going another different way, but it’s an opportunity fo…

Kaito Oda put on a grappling masterclass in his ONE Championship debut, as he pounded his way to a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Australian prospect Coopar Royal in their ONE Friday Fights 60 flyweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The opening round witnessed Oda press his adversary against the ropes and eat a few sneaky shots before grabbing a body lock and taking his Australian opponent for a ride. Although Royal tried his best to inflict damage and go for submissions from the bottom, Oda’s top pressure was quick to nullify his attempts and allowed him to commence with peppering ground-and-pound offense. Halfway through the first frame, Royal managed to make it back to his feet, only to be taken down once again and controlled on the canvas for the rest of the round.

The remainder of the bout saw Oda continue to impose his will on the MMA Family Fight Team product, who seemed content to stay in bottom position wh…

[embedded content] One Championship is adding a new championship to the mix in its kickboxing suite.

According to sources close to the situation, ONE on Prime Video 23 on July 5 will be headlined by an inaugural 125-pound kickboxing championship match. Anissa Meksen (103-6, 33 KOs) will toe the line against Jackie Buntan (6-1, 1 KO) for the newly created strap. Meksen will be moving up to 125 pounds for this contest, while Buntan will be switching gears from muay thai to kickboxing. The two ladies will battle it out atop an evening that will be held in Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

Meksen saw an impressive four-fight win streak, one that included her first three victories under the ONE banner, come to a halt in December when she came up short against Phetjeeja, born Ninlada Meekun, for the interim ONE 115-pound kickboxing title.

California’s Buntan worked her way up the amateur circuit until turning pro in 2021, where she outworked Nat Jaroonsak, Ekaterina…

Looking to move up the flyweight rankings 💪@AlexPerezMMA hits the scale at 126lbs!

[ #UFCVegas91 | TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus | 7pmET/4pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/lzusJ1dldS

— UFC (@ufc) April 26, 2024 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns following its historic card two weeks ago with a flyweight main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Sitting atop the UFC on ESPN 55 card is a 125-pound fight between contenders Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez. Both headliners successfully made weight for the five-round fight. As for the rest of the card, two fighters missed weight. David Onama came in 2.5 pounds over the featherweight limit, and James Llontop came in half a pound over the lightweight cap. Both fighters will be fined 20% of their respective purses.

This marks the first UFC main event for Nicolau (19-3-1). The Brazilian is coming off a knockout loss to Brandon Royval in his lone fight of 2023. Prior to the setback, the 31…

Presenting to you your SHOWCASE FIGHTS happening this May 10! 🔥

Showcase Featherweight: 🇪🇬 Mido Mohamed vs Yazeed Hasanain 🇯🇴

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Showcase Flyweight: 🇸🇦 Malik Basahel vs Harsh Pandya 🇮🇳

Female Atomweight: 🇸🇦 Hattan AlSaif vs Nada Faheem 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/UD1uv6oU2L

— PFL MENA (@PFLMENA) April 25, 2024 The Professional Fighters League is opening up to a region of the world that could use some developing.

The organization announced the commencement of the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) tournament on Thursday, declaring that the first fight card of its season will kick off on May 10. The show will be held at The Green Halls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and combatants from the bantamweight and featherweight divisions will look to advance to the playoffs with a victory. Broadcast plans for North American audiences have not yet been determined.

Headlining the offering will be a featherweight contest putting local Sau…

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Zubaira Tukhugov recently shared an endearing instance of Khabib Nurmagomedov looking out for him.

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Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov were the two Nurmagomedov Team members suspended for jumping the cage and attacking Conor McGregor during the infamous UFC 229 brawl. The Nevada State Athletic Commission later reduced their suspension by 35 days after reaching a community service agreement.

However, the reduced sentence was no coincidence as it made them eligible to compete at UFC 242 on Sep. 7, 2019. The Ultimate Fighting Championship was keen on Nurmagomedov defending his lightweight strap against Dustin Poirier in the main event at UFC 242. Meanwhile, “Eagle” refused to return to action until his teammates were cleared to fight on the same bill.

Tukhugov further revealed that Nurmagomedov went to bat for him, insisting on a spot for “Warrior” on the same card. When Dana White instead offered Tukhugov a fight at UFC Mosc…

Jamahal Hill recently shared his take on the now iconic scene where Alex Pereira brushed off referee Herb Dean moments before putting “Sweet Dreams” to down and out.

Hill (12-2) challenged Pereira for the light heavyweight title in the main event at UFC 300 earlier this month. Pereira absorbed a glancing low blow from Hill in the first round, brushed it off, stopped Dean from intervening, and proceeded to knock “Sweet Dreams” out immediately after.

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Many, including former double champ Daniel Cormier, have questioned Dean’s handling of the situation, criticizing him for letting Pereira continue right after he had called time. Hill also believes Dean could have done things differently.

According to Hill, the intriguing moment had a role to play in his knockout loss against “Poatan.” Hill claims he slacked a little on hearing Dean call time, giving up angles, while Pereira kept advancing. While Hill doesn’t want to make excuses and credits Pereira for c…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship took the pieces of two scuttled fights and made something exceptional.

On Monday, UFC flyweight Joshua Van (10-1) posted on social media that his pairing with Su Mudaerji on UFC 302 was off. The Myanmar-born fighter hoped to stay on June 1 event in Newark, New Jersey, and he has gotten his wish. In on short notice will be ranked contender Tatsuro Taira (15-0). Taira was initially slated to battle Tim Elliott at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 18, but Elliott sustained an injury in training to knock him out of that fight. Van’s management team, Iridium Sports Agency, broke this news on Thursday.

Fury Fighting Championship mainstay Van surged into the UFC with a litany of stoppages on his ledger. While he ultimately went to the scorecards in two of his last three, Van has won eight straight bouts dating back to 2021. In the Octagon, Van introduced himself to the top brass by picking up a split decision over Zhalgas Zhumagulov. A few month…

That’s just not truth. The truth is that you want to fight me on short notice to have an extra advantage. It won’t happen again though. When was the last time you fought 2 times in 6 weeks? @MAKHACHEVMMA https://t.co/c7wTudvyRL

— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) April 24, 2024

Arman Tsarukyan has returned fire at Islam Makhachev in response to the champ recently accusing “Ahalkalakets” of ducking him.

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Tsarukyan (22-3) scored an impressive split decision win over former champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in what was essentially a title eliminator.

Immediately after the win Tsarukyan was offered a title shot against Makhachev at UFC 302 on June 1. Tsarukyan turned it down, citing the short notice and the bid has now gone to Dustin Poirier.

When asked about Tsarukyan declining the shot, Makhachev claimed he was already expecting it as the Armenian-Russian has turned him down multiple times in the past.

“I'm no…

Jose Aldo is plotting a return to the Sweet Science following his UFC 301 clash against Jonathan Martinez.

Aldo (31-8) announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in September 2022 and has since competed twice in boxing. “Junior” fought fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Jeremy Stephens to a majority draw in April 2023 before scoring his first boxing win against Esteban Gabriel Espindola via unanimous decision in July.

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It was recently announced that Aldo will be coming out of retirement to take on the surging Martinez (19-4) in a bantamweight tilt at UFC 301 on May 4. While speculations were already floating, Aldo confirmed that the bout in front of his home crowd of Rio de Janeiro is the last one on his UFC contract. The former UFC and World Extreme Cagefighintg featherweight champ is subsequently eyeing a return to pugilism and has already informed the UFC of it.

“That’s basically what I told the UFC a few months ago. I want to d…

Between mixed martial arts, boxing and professional wrestling, the combat sports industry is a lucrative juggernaut that generates billions annually. There’s a reason why it’s called prizefighting. But between promotions like ONE Championship, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, World Wrestling Entertainment and Matchroom Boxing, how do industry heavyweights compare financially? Forbes released its most valuable combat sports promotions of 2024, and here are the takeaways.ONE Continues Surge Valued at $1.3 billion with an estimated revenue of $140 million, ONE reached new heights when it held its first card in the United States. While still holding a top-tier MMA roster, ONE’s dedication to muay thai, kickboxing and submission grappling is the promotion’s greatest strength.

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With the backing of Amazon Prime and Sky Sports, ONE has a span that reaches over 190 countries.UFC Holds Top Spot, Other Leagues Pushing into Top 10 Since 1993, the UFC has ste…

While he won’t be in the main event, Joaquin Buckley will get to fight at UFC St. Louis as he requested.

Dana White on Wednesday announced that Buckley will lock horns with Nursulton Ruziboev in a welterweight bout that will serve as the UFC on ESPN 56 co-headliner on May 11. UFC on ESPN 56 takes place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis and will see Derrick Lewis face Rodrigo Nascimento in the evening’s main event.

Buckley will take a three-fight winning streak into the matchup with Ruziboev. In his most recent Octagon appearance, “New Mansa” defeated Vicente Luque via second-round TKO at UFC on ESPN 54 on March 30.

Ruziboev, meanwhile, will drop to 170 pounds after scoring first-round KO/TKO triumphs against Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas in his first two promotional outings at middleweight. The 30-year-old Uzbekistan native has been victorious in his last 10 professional fights, with all of those wins coming inside of a round.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will go to trial in September.

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Judge Elizabeth C. Peterson set the trial date for Sept. 9 during a hearing on Wednesday in Santa Clara County (Calif.) court. Velasquez, who was in attendance at the hearing, is facing a number of charges, including attempted murder.

Velasquez’s attorney, Renee Hessling, requested another continuance due to incomplete subpoena evidence for the defense. However, prosecutor Aaron French argued against that request, and Peterson ultimately elected to set the trial date for September.

Several other key dates have also been scheduled. A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for June 26, and motions must be filed by Aug. 12 and completed by Aug. 26. Meanwhile, witness lists for the defense and prosecution must be filed by Sept. 4.

Velasquez is facing attempted murder and other charges after allegedy chasing and shooting at Harry Goularte, who has been accused of mo…

BREAKING 🚨 Tickets are on sale NOW for ONE 168: Denver — and two more super-fights have been announced! Don't wait — get your tickets today 👉 https://t.co/WH4M1Lukm4#ONE168 | Sep 6 at 8PM ET pic.twitter.com/LV5SHEC4SN

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 24, 2024

The lineup for ONE Championship’s return to the United States continues to grow, as the Singapore-based promotion has announced the addition of two new matchups to the Sept. 6 card.

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In what is being touted as “one of the biggest submission grappling matches in history” by ONE, flyweight (135-pound) grappling champion Mikey Musumeci will challenge reigning lightweight (170-pound) champ Kade Ruotolo in a superfight. Additionally, veteran muay thai standouts Liam Harrison and Seksan Or Kwanmuang will square off in a 140-pound catchweight pairing.

A five-time IBJJF world champion, Musumeci has been victorious in six straight contests since joining ONE in Apr…

🚨 𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇: Cédric Doumbé takes on USA’s Jaleel Willis at #BellatorParis!

Following the withdrawal of Derek Anderson due to injury, @jaleelwillis1 steps in to challenge @CedricDoumbe in Paris on Friday May 17.

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Tickets are on sale NOW, get them while you can! 💨… pic.twitter.com/3dWJBuVrBc — Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 24, 2024

Cedric Doumbe has a new dance partner for his Bellator MMA debut.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that Jaleel Willis will replace the injured Derek Anderson and face Doumbe at Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17 at Accor Arena. Anderson was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering a foot injury during an alleged hit-and-run accident on his bicycle.

The 32-year-old Willis has lost three of his last four Bellator appearances. Most recently, he suffered a first-round knockout loss against Ramazan Kuramagomedov at Bellator 297 in June 2023. Willis has been finis…

Jon Jones’ comeback appears to have begun in earnest.

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The UFC heavyweight champion announced his return to training in a recent Instagram post. In the photo, Jones is posing with coaches Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson, among others.

“First day back in the gym since my injury, felt amazing,” Jones wrote. “And so it began.”

Jones was supposed to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the UFC 295 main event this past November, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a torn pectoral in training. During his hiatus, Jones also elected to undergo surgery on his left elbow to shave down some bone spurs.

Jones is expected to be rebooked against Miocic in the coming months, though a date for that bout remains unclear. “Bones” returned from a three-year absence at UFC 285 to claim the vacant heavyweight belt with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Interim champion Tom Aspinall has lobbied ha…

Welcome to the Professional Fighters League, @melissastatick

She is set to make her PFL Pro Debut in the summer 🔜🔜🔜 pic.twitter.com/OdieUSDaU8

— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 24, 2024

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Professional Fighters League has bolstered its flyweight roster with the addition of amateur prospect Melissa Balic.

The organization announced the signing via social media on Wednesday. Balic is expected to make her professional debut sometime this summer.

Anchored at Tiger Schulmann's Mixed Martial Arts in New York, Balic has compiled a 3-1 record as an amateur while competing exclusively for the Flex Fight Series promotion. “Statick” also has some kickboxing experience on her combat sports resume.

The PFL recently added the women’s flyweight division, and this year marks the first time that weight class has been part of the league’s season format.

It's officially, OFFICIAL 🚨

Manchester, we're coming for ya! 🐝#UFC304 | For more info: https://t.co/c2A7hqsw4q pic.twitter.com/6ULPrOf2bJ

— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2024

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s rumored returned to Manchester, England, has been confirmed.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced Wednesday that UFC 304 will take place on July 27 at the Co-op Live, the largest arena in the U.K. It will be the first sporting event to be held at the Manchester-based venue.

“I’m so excited to get back to Manchester. And no better time than this summer,” said UFC president and CEO Dana White in a release. “We have two champions from the U.K. and fans have been dying for a UFC [pay-per-view] event. So here we come to the largest indoor arena in the U.K. See you soon, England.”

While no bouts were revealed for the card, welterweight champion Leon Edwards and interim heavyweight king Tom Aspinall have been ru…

Jiri Prochazka believes he still has unfinished business with Alex Pereira.

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Prochazka recently scored a bonus-winning knockout victory over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300 on April 13. Pereira also defended his light heavyweight strap with a brutal technical knockout win over Jamahal Hill in the main event of the same card. Having suffered a TKO loss against “Poatan” in a bid for the vacant title in November 2023, Prochazka now wants a rematch against the Brazilian at UFC 301, which goes down on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While the Czech star is ready to go through one more test if the UFC wants it, he believes he has done enough to deserve a gold bid.

“Like I spoke after the fight, I'm looking for the title fight, for Alex Pereira. And I was able to and am still able to take the fight in Brazil. And I will see,” Prochazka said in an interview with Michael Bisping. “Now it's on the UFC [at] this point. Let's see if there will be necessary to figh…