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Alexandre Pantoja is eyeing a future dream fight against Demetrious Johnson after his latest title defense.

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Pantoja recently defended his flyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Steve Erceg in the main event at UFC 301 UFC 301. Having successfully defended his strap for the second time, Pantoja believes he can make a case for a matchup against the former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champ and MMA GOAT contender. If a fight doesn’t come to fruition, “The Cannibal” is also content with a hard sparring session against Johnson.

“Yeah, he’s the GOAT you know, how I can not say that? I think right now after two title defense I can speak a little bit about that. Because I have a huge respect for Demetrious Johnson. I can’t try to compare myself with him. And right now, I can say something you know, more coins to put on the table,” Pantoja said on “The MMA Hour”.

“And I think that’s dream for me. I don’t like to say I have dre…

Four fighters from UFC 301 could be sidelined for a significant period following Saturday’s card in Rio de Janeiro.

Drakkar Klose (right knee), Dione Barbosa (left shoulder), Ismael Bonfim (left foot, left leg) and Kevin Borjas (left leg) are all facing potential 180-day medical suspensions, per the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA). All of those terms can be reduced by physician clearance. Every fighter on the card received at least a precautionary 14-day suspension with seven days of no contact.

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Meanwhile, Jack Shore was suspended 45 days with 30 days of no contact after his bout against Joanderson Brito was stopped at the 3:35 mark of Round 2 due to a cut on his shin. While a cageside physician feared that Shore might have a fracture, his coach later revealed that was not the case.

UFC 301 took place at Farmasi Arena and saw Alexandre Pantoja retain his flyweight title with a five-round verdict against Steve Erceg in the evening’s main …

Michel Pereira didn’t need long to put on a show for Brazilian fans at UFC 301.

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Shortly after a controversial backflip by Pereira sent his knee crashing dangerously close to the head of grounded opponent Ihor Potieria, “Demolidor” secured a guillotine choke and elicited a tap 54 seconds into Round 1. Ultimately, it was determined that Pereira did not land an illegal strike, and he was awarded one of the evening’s four $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for his efforts.

Shortly after his victory, Pereira revealed to Sherdog.com that he had previously trained with Potieria before Saturday’s bout.

"We did sparring together at Xtreme Couture, but I didn’t show the real Michel Pereira. It was more like light sparring,” he said. “Actually, that's how I train. I give training to anyone who spars with me. I don't necessarily want to get a knockout every time I spar.”

According to Pereira, the backflip the he dubbed “Fumo Mix” wasn’t an illega…

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Based on what he saw in the UFC 301 headliner, Demetrious Johnson believes Muhammad Mokaev can dethrone reigning flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja.

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Johnson was not impressed by Pantoja’s unanimous decision win over Steve Erceg in the main event at UFC 301 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro. Johnson saw a one-dimensional showing from “The Cannibal,” who failed to land much damage on Erceg despite ground control time of over eight minutes.

“When I was watching the fight, I didn’t feel like [Alexandre] Pantoja was a better fighter…” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “His grappling is his strongest suit. If you can keep him away from his grappling then you can pretty much, I feel, you can take advantage of him. He can’t fight in the clinch, there’s no elbows, there’s no dumping him to the side. It was basically running at you with my hands down and punch and go for a takedown and then take you down.”

Johnson also deems Pantoja’s p…

Let the talking begin on the way to #BellatorParis 🗣️🔊🔊@CedricDoumbe x @jaleelwillis1

[ #BellatorParis | Fri May 17 | 🎟️ https://t.co/0SdSBmsFhj] pic.twitter.com/ijNIx0FkXu

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 3, 2024 Jaleel Willis isn’t buying the Cedric Doumbe hype.

Willis, a short-notice replacement for Derek Anderson, will face the French striker in the co-main event of Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17 at Accor Arena. Doumbe’s signing was met with much fanfare, and he delivered in his Professional Fighters League debut, knocking out Jordan Zebo in just nine seconds this past September. His sophomore outing didn’t go as planned, however, as he suffered a technical knockout loss to Baissangour Chamsoudinov when a splinter in his foot forced the bout to be halted at the 1:21 mark of Round 3.

Still, Doumbe remains one of the most highly-touted fighters on the PFL and Bellator roster, and he repeatedly called himself the face of MMA in F…

Cory Sandhagen will face Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event of an Ultimate Fighting Championship card in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the bantamweight pairing on Monday. UFC Fight Night takes place at Etihad Arena and is one of two visits the organization will make to Abu Dhabi in 2024. Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov were originally scheduled to meet last August at UFC on ESPN 50 before Nurmagomeodv withdrew from the bout due to a shoulder injury.

Sandhagen remained on the UFC on ESPN 50 card, where he took a clear-cut unanimous decision against Rob Font in the new main event. The 32-year-old Elevation Fight Team representative has won three straight outings, a run that also includes triumphs over Marlon Vera and Yadong Song.

Nurmagomedov is undefeated in 17 professional appearances. The 28-year-old Dagestani has won his first five promotional outings, including a three-round verdict over Bekzat Almakhan in his m…

While he ultimately won via knockout, Akbar Abdullaev explained why his recent display of grappling against Halil Amir shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

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Abdullaev knocked out Amir with a left hook 2:52 into Round 2 of their One on Prime Video 22 clash on May 3 to earn a $50,000 performance bonus.

“I'm feeling great. I have so many emotions now so it's really difficult to describe everything with words,” Abdullaev said at the post-fight press conference. “I'm feeling great. I'm feeling the best. It's like a dream now. I'm feeling like I'm in a dream and I'm happy. I'm really happy.”

Before knocking Amir out cold in the second round, Abdullaev also asserted his superior ground game over the previously undefeated Turkish standout in the opening frame. Despite having scored 10 of his 11 career wins via knockout, Abdullaev explains that his impressive grappling shouldn’t come as a surprise given his country’s rich wrestling history.

“When …

Dmitry Menshikov wants to be a ONE Championship title holder in both muay thai and kickboxing.

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Former muay thai lightweight title challengers Menshikov and Sinsamut Klinmee recently clashed at One on Prime Video 22. Menshikov scored a third-round TKO win over Klinmee in front of the latter’s home crowd at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. While Menshikov was well aware of his opponent’s star power going into the bout, the Russian wasn’t bothered about fighting in enemy territory.

“You know what, I was doing my job,” he said at the post-fight press conference. “I didn’t think of this much. Of course, I knew that he’s a really famous Thai fighter. I knew that people were going to support him, but I didn't care. My job is simple — to fight. And I was doing my job.”

Menshikov suffered his lone career loss via second-round knockout in failed title bid against Regian Eersel in June 2023. He has since earned his way back into the title pic…

Reece McLaren believes his latest win over Yong Hu warrants a long overdue title shot in ONE Championship.

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McLaren returned to action after a year on Friday, scoring a split-decision win over Hu at One on Prime Video 22. The win saw “Lightning” bounce back from a unanimous decision loss against Kairat Akhmetov and better his promotional record to 10-6. The Australian veteran believes he is at a point in his career where he is never too far removed from the title picture.

“I feel that I am, at any stage, on any win, one step away from that world title shot,” McLaren said at the post-fight press conference. “Regardless of being ranked or not ranked. I've been in ONE now for nearly nine years, [with] 10 wins. I was meant to fight for the flyweight (135-pound) belt back in 2016. You know what I mean? So it's been a long run.”

“It's been a long journey, man. I feel like I've paid my dues. It's time to start getting appreciated for what we do here…

Chinese kickboxing phenom Rui Wei wasn’t very impressed with his own performance at his recent ONE Championship debut.

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Wei made his promotional debut in a bantamweight (145-pound) tilt against Hiroki Akimoto at One on Prime Video 22 on May 3. Wei earned a controversial unanimous decision win over Akimoto, which should have gone the other way, according to ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

Wei admits his ONE Championship debut wasn’t his best night at the office, and he wasn’t sure of the win before his name was announced. Wei has vowed to put on a better showing next time.

“I think I just passed this test,” Wei said at the post-fight press conference. “I [will] try my best to adjust to the ring in ONE Championship. And I feel like next time, I will perform better… ‌Before they announced the result, I wasn't 100 percent confident that I would win. But I still believed everything went well for me to get the victory… This is my debut in O…

Smilla Sundell wants to earn back the ONE Championship strawweight muay thai title that she lost due to missing weight.

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Sundell lost her strap after failing to make weight for her title defense against Natalia Diachkova in the main event at One on Prime Video 22 on May 3. The bout was then contested at a catchweight of 126.5 pounds, as Sundell survived an early scare from Diachkova and came from behind to score a second-round TKO win. While Sundell was admittedly sad by the manner in which she lost her title, it was the support she had from fans that kept the Swede going.

“I've been very sad [to lose the belt]. But I've had many people online, on social media [who have] been supporting me. And it meant a lot to me,” Sundell said during the post-fight press conference. “It kept me going today. She got me good in the first round, so I knew I couldn't stop there, because I had my family around me, and I wanted to show them that I'm still the best.” Read more about Smilla Sundell Eager to Earn Back Title She Lost on the Scale

In an ideal world, Jack Shore would have been allowed to continue fighting at UFC 301.

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Instead, the cageside physician waved off the Welshman’s bout against Joanderson Brito at the 3:35 mark of Round 2, citing fear of a potential fracture on Shore’s shin. Brito landed several hard low kicks in the contest, but as it turns out, Shore did not sustain a fracture n defeat.

Richard Shore, the fighter’s father and coach, expressed disappointment with the doctor’s decision on social media.

“Well, what can we say? Ref stops the fight for doctor’s opinion on a cut shin,” Richard Shore wrote. “Doctor stops the fight. I kick off and say it's a cut on the shin, we can continue. Jack asks to continue. The cutsman says to the doctor he can work the cut and stop the bleeding.

“Doctor says it's fractured? Fight over. We get taken to hospital. Have an X-ray and no fracture. Couple of stitches and sent us home. Let fighters fight. We were chasing the fig…

Alexandre Pantoja was still bleeding when he arrived at the UFC 301 post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

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That wound was well-earned, the product of a well-timed elbow landed by opponent Steve Erceg over the course of a grueling, five-round fight. While the blow had Pantoja leaking from his scalp, it couldn’t weaken the champion’s resolve, as he retained his flyweight belt with a unanimous decision triumph at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

“You’re not gonna take me out. As long as I’m breathing I’m going to be fighting back,” Pantoja said. “I did expect the fight to end sooner. But again, the Australian guy was very tough, he’s going to be very [tough] in the division. But you can see that right away when that elbow landed, I tried to stop the bleeding with my hands. But that’s part of it.”

Erceg was an unlikely title challenger, earning his opportunity after three victories and less than a year fighting under the UFC banner. Th…

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Steve Erceg was perhaps one round away from pulling off the upset at UFC 301.

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However, the opportunity slipped away from the game Australian in the fifth round against Alexandre Pantoja, when the reigning champion countered a takedown and assumed top position, ultimately bleeding out the clock to clinch his victory from there. While Erceg often got the better of his opponent during exchanges, that decision might have cost him dearly, as Pantoja earned scoredcards of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 from the cageside judges.

“I thought that if I could win that last round at least, I’d give myself a chance,” Erceg said in his post-fight interview. “I just blew it.”

Erceg was something of a surprise title challenger, with just three promotional triumphs and less than a year in the promotion under his belt heading into UFC 301. However, he proved that he belonged in Saturday’s main event, as he made Pantoja work throughout the fight. “Ast…

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Drakkar Klose jovially accused Daniel Cormier of dissing him following his UFC 301 win over Joaquim Silva.

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Klose earned a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Silva in front of the Brazilian’s home crowd in Rio de Janeiro. In his post-fight interview, Klose accused Cormier of taking a diss at him, which “DC” denied.

Klose later explained his accusations in the post-fight press conference. Klose was fulfilling media duties earlier in the week when he called out Paul Felder. Cormier, who was also present on the occasion, said that all Klose would do in potential fight against Felder would be to hold “The Irish Dragon” against the cage.

While Klose emphatically won the first round against Silva, the later rounds were quite closely contested. Klose was admittedly reminded of Cormier’s dig at him as he clinched Sliva against the cage for a substantial part of the later rounds.

“I had called Paul Felder out and he [Cormier] was…

Ian Garry is losing hope of a future matchup against Colby Covington.

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Garry has been rallying for a clash against Covington for a while now, which has invited signature trash talk from the former welterweight title challenger. Covington has taken multiple digs at Garry and his wife, also laying down multiple stipulations needed to fight the Irish contender. While Garry has accused Covington of ducking him, the former interim champ recently turned down a potential fight, citing a lack of seriousness from the Irishman.

Currently training at Chute Boxe Diego Lima in Brazil, Garry was in attendance at UFC 301 on Rio de Janeiro. “The Future” reiterated his wish to fight Covington, doubling down on the ducking accusations in an interview with ESPN. Garry also claimed that the fight was offered to Covington, who turned it down. The undefeated welterweight prospect is now gradually losing hope of the matchup coming to fruition.

“Colby needs to stop …

"A new king is coming."

Mauricio Ruffy has a message for Islam 👀#UFC301 pic.twitter.com/8etD0Qnuul

— UFC (@ufc) May 4, 2024

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Mauricio Ruffy put lightweight champ Islam Makhachev on notice after a flawless debut at UFC 301.

Ruffy picked apart Australian veteran Jamie Mullarkey on the feet to score a first-round TKO win in front of his home fans at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night. “One Shot” issued a warning to Makhachev in his post-fight interview, reminding the champ of his Dana White's Contender Series win over Raimond Magomedaliev.

"I have a message for Islam Makhachev, a nice message,” Ruffy said. “Hey, enjoy your days at the top. I know you are upset because I beat your friend, but enjoy your days because a new king is coming."

In addition to a stance that was somewhat similar to Conor McGregor’s, Ruffy’s striking and focus also drew comparisons with “Notorious” from UFC analyst Din…

Michel Pereira is looking quite comfortable at 185 pounds.

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The flashy Brazilian earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his quick finish of Ihor Potieria in a featured middleweight clash at UFC 301 on Saturday night. Pereira locked in a guillotine choke and forced a tap from his opponent just 54 seconds into the opening stanza of their bout at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

One bout earlier, Caio Borralho secured a $50,000 bonus of his own for a knockout of Paul Craig in their middleweight pairing. “Borralho” kept the action on the feet for the majority of the contest, and that paid off in Round 2, when he wobbled his foe with a pair of hooks and rendered him unconscious with a straight left at the 2:10 mark of the period.

Elsewhere, lightweight prospect Mauricio Ruffy made an impression in his Octagon debut, finishing Jamie Mullarkey inside of a round to receive a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check. A flying knee from R…

Alexandre Pantoja lengthened his reign atop the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division but left the cage with a few battle scars for his troubles.

“The Cannibal” leaned into his all-terrain skills and big-fight experience, as he retained his 125-pound title with a unanimous decision over Australian challenger Steve Erceg in the UFC 301 headliner on Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Pantoja (28-5, 12-3 UFC) swept the scorecards with 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 marks from the cageside judges, putting his stamp on a sixth straight victory in an outright war of wills.

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Erceg (12-2, 3-1 UFC), who entered the Octagon on an 11-fight winning streak, was game and almost certainly boosted his stock in defeat. He cut Pantoja twice with well-timed elbow strikes, opening lacerations on his scalp and near his right eye. Erceg countered effectively throughout and pieced together clean punching combinations against the respected champion. Pantoja pre…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship hosts its next pay-per-view spectacle in the vibrant seaside city of Rio de Janeiro. UFC 301 is set to unfold on May 4 at Farmasi Arena, with a showdown between reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja taking on the challenge of streaking contender Steve Erceg. Stay tuned to Sherdog.com at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. ET to catch live play-by-play coverage and round-by-round scoring of the entire event. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Costa (-125), Borjas (+105)Round 1 The UFC is back for its annual trip to Brazil, and it stacked the deck for the home nation by putting one Brazilian combatant against a foreigner in every bout. As a result, betting lines are lopsided towards the locals, with those from Brazil favored in 10 of the 13 fights. As most know, anything can and often does happen in MMA once the cage door closes, so it’s time to buckle up. The first of a baker’s dozen matchups comes in the flyweight division between two South American men …

Joanderson Brito carved out a path to victory through most unlikely means.

The fast-rising Chute Boxe featherweight moved one step closer to contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division with a second-round technical knockout of Jack Shore in the featured UFC 301 prelim on Saturday at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Shore (17-2, 6-2 UFC) suffered a gruesome shin laceration after absorbing a leg kick from the Brazilian, resulting in a doctor stoppage 3:35 into Round 2.

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Brito (17-3-1, 5-1 UFC) controlled a majority of the action until the anticlimactic conclusion. He pursued clinches and unleashed multiple low kicks on Shore in both rounds, his efforts eventually opening a sizeable wound. Blood streamed down the Welshman’s leg onto his foot and canvas. Referee Joao Claudio Soares paused the bout to allow the cageside physician to examine the damage, at which point the decision was made to wave it off. Meanwhile, Fight House…

Welcome to the #UFCHOF, @ShogunRua 👏

Mauricio Rua will join the 2024 HOF class! pic.twitter.com/EyKZnuQMBe

— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2024

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Mauricio Rua is headed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame this summer.

“Shogun” will be enshrined in the “Pioneer” wing during a ceremony on June 27 in Las Vegas. Rua was a UFC light heavyweight champion and the 2005 Pride Fighting Championships middleweight grand prix champion.

“Shogun Rua is one of the greatest Brazilian athletes in combat sports history,” said UFC president and CEO Dana White. “Shogun had an incredible run in Pride and UFC, and he was fearless inside the Octagon. His fights against Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, and Dan Henderson represent some of the most memorable moments in UFC history and helped put Brazilian MMA on the map. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer during International Fight Week.”<…

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Matt Brown has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.

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The 43-year-old Ohio native revealed his decision via social media on Saturday. Brown last appeared at UFC on ABC 4 in May 2023, when he scored a first-round knockout of Court McGee. “The Immortal” exits the sport with a 24-19 career mark that was compiled over the course of a professional tenure that began in 2005.

“Not doing it again, I’m out,” Brown wrote. “That’s the announcement. My life will now be dedicated to serving others. Growing others in the martial arts and building businesses that can help the community and the world.

“Thanks to Dana White and the UFC for giving me a platform to express myself and my brand but it is time to move on to bigger, better things!”

A competitor on Season 7 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Brown is the UFC welterweight division’s all-time leader in finishes (15) and knockouts (13). He enjoyed h…

A featherweight clash between two former Dana White’s Contender Series competitors has been added to the upcoming UFC Fight Night event on June 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Lucas Almeida (14-3) will lock horns with Timothy Cuamba (8-2) in what will mark the latter’s first featherweight outing under the Ultimate Fighting Championshipbanner. The news was first reported on X (formerly known as Twitter) by MMAHeads. The bout was subsequently confirmed by Almeida on his social media handles.

Following a successful promotional debut against Michael Trizano in June 2022, Almeida is now on a two-fight skid. The Brazilian succumbed to a Round 2 arm-triangle submission in his sophomore UFC outing against Pat Sabitini in June 2023 followed by a Round 1 technical knockout loss suffered at the hands of Andre Fili at UFC 296 in December last year.

Meanwhile, Cuamba is coming off a hard-fought split-decision loss to Bolaji Oki in a short notice promo…