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[embedded content] According to his countrymen, former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Charles Oliveira will not disappoint come Saturday.UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

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With Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic drawing up most of the attention for UFC 309, the co-headlining affair between Oliveira (34-10, 1 NC) and Michael Chandler (23-8) is flying a bit under the radar. The two first met at UFC 262, with Chandler posing a significant challenge to “Do Bronx.” Before getting knocked out early in the second frame, the ex-Bellator MMA champion dominated the first five minutes while earning a 10-8 score on two judges’ scorecards.

On Saturday inside of Madison Square Garden in New York, the two will clash again, with the victor likely earning the opportunity to fight for the lightweight belt. While no title is on the line this time, the organization has granted it five-round status. Sherdog spoke to multiple Brazilian specialists…

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: MVP Weigh-In" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen> Netflix makes its splashy debut into the world of combat sports this week with an eight-round heavyweight boxing match between former Disney star Jake Paul and the legendary Mike Tyson.

Paul and Tyson had to weigh in at over 200 pounds for the match, which they both easily cleared. Paul came in at 227.2 pounds, which is the heaviest of his career after previously fighting at cruiserweight. Meanwhile, Tyson stepped on the scale at 228.4 pounds.

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Paul (10-1) is one of the biggest names in boxing due to his crossover appeal. The influencer has made a name for himself inside the ring by beating mixed martial arts legends. Past victims include Mike Perry, Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren. Paul's lone defe…

Former UFC flyweight contender Mohammad Mokaev will return to compete under the Brave Combat Federation banner next month.

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The promotion announced on Wednesday that Mokaev will fight at Brave CF 91 on Dec. 13 in Bahrain. An opponent for Mokaev was not revealed.

“We are excited to welcome Muhammad Mokaev back to Brave Combat Federation. The flyweight division has just become a lot more interesting,” Brave CF president Mohammed Shahid said in a release. “Mokaev has proven he is one of the best flyweights in the world, an IMMAF legend and undefeated in his professional career. I believe it’s time for him to compete for the gold here, and I'm excited for his future with us.”

Mokaev is undefeated in 14 professional MMA appearances. He is coming off a 7-0 stint in the UFC that saw him earn victories over the likes of Manel Kape, Alex Perez, Tim Elliott and Charles Johnson, among others. Mokaev completed his contract with the Las Vegas-based promo…

Updates from the sixth day of a civil case against Conor McGregor at the High Court in Dublin, where Nikita Hand is seeking damages. https://t.co/FBZRFcjNUU

— Irish Daily Mirror (@IrishMirror) November 13, 2024

Conor McGregor denied that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2018 during testimony on Wednesday in a civil lawsuit filed against the UFC star, according to a report from the Irish Mirror.

During a hearing in Dublin High Court on Wednesday, McGregor took the stand and gave his account of events that allegedly occurred at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin on Dec. 9, 2018. McGregor and another man, James Lawrence, are accused of raping Nikita Hand that night.

“I thought we were getting on well. She was very boisterous, very energetic, very enthusiastic as I began zipping up my trousers after using the toilet, we began kissing and became more passionate and it took off from there," McGregor said during testimony.

“She performed oral sex o…

UFC has informed the fighters competing on Saturday’s 309 card in NYC that they will be using the old gloves not the new ones introduced back in June, per multiple sources. Specific reason unclear at the moment.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 12, 2024

A familiar piece of fight gear will be making a return for UFC 309.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion will be utilizing the old version of the gloves for Saturday’s card at Madison Square Garden in New York. The gloves were changed to a new style beginning at UFC 302 on June 1, with a focus on reducing eye pokes and hand injuries. Multiple outlets confirmed the news following an initial report from Ariel Helwani.

Fighters and their teams were reportedly made aware of the change in gloves on Tuesday. It’s currently unclear why the old version is being brought back for UFC 309.

UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

The new gloves are p…

Carlos Prates doesn’t fare well without enjoying a few smokes.

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One of the fastest growing stars of the sport, Prates became a person of interest at welterweight with a knockout win over Neil Magny last weekend at UFC Vegas 100. Prates is a fan favorite with proven knockout power in his hands and a well-known smoking habit, which is surprising for an athlete of his caliber.

When asked about her average consumption of cigarettes per day, “The Nightmare” recently told Ariel Helwani that he smokes anywhere between seven to 10 on a daily basis.

While Prates’ coaches used to advise him to stop smoking initially, they have given up more recently. Trying to quit also had some adverse effects. Quitting smoking for a week led to Prates gaining weight, as he was overeating and avoiding the gym.

“Before they tell me a lot (to stop). They tell me a lot before,” Prates said. “But now… I tried to stop one time and then I was one week without smoke and…

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Chris Weidman’s lingering leg injury is better than ever leading up to UFC 309.

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Weidman is scheduled to fight Eryk Anders at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. This will be Weidman’s third outing since returning from a gruesome leg break he suffered against Uriah Hall at UFC 261 in 2021. Weidman’s shin snapped in half as Hall checked a leg kick, resulting in an immediate stoppage.

Weidman dropped a unanimous decision against Brad Tavares upon his return to the Octagon after a hiatus of over two years at UFC 292 last year. “The All-American” has since bounced back with a technical decision win over Bruno Silva, albeit a controversial one. Weidman was leading on the scorecards when multiple eye pokes from him rendered Silva unable to continue midway through the third round.

At 40 years of age, Weidman knows he is nearing retirement and is taking it one fight at a time. The former middleweight champ also ha…

As he awaits a light heavyweight title shot, Magomed Ankalaev has decided to take jabs at both Jon Jones and Alex Pereira on social media.

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Jones will put his heavyweight title on the line against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. While Jones has hinted that he might retire after UFC 309, he also made clear that he won’t fight interim champ Tom Aspinall even if he continues. “Bones” has his focus on light heavyweight champ Pereira instead and is willing to vacate the heavyweight title for that fight as well.

Meanwhile, a light heavyweight title shot has evaded Ankalaev despite the Dagestani being undefeated in his last 13 bouts. Ankalaev recently started rallying for bouts against Pereira and Jones while accusing both of ducking.

“Jones doesn’t want to fight Aspinall, Pereira is recovering and I’m hungry,” Ankalaev wrote on X. “I will beat Pereira and after that I can beat Jones.”

Jo…

Edson Barboza will lock horns with Steve Garcia at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Feb. 22.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the featherweight pairing. A location and headliner for the card have yet to be confirmed.

Barboza had a two-bout winning streak snapped in his most recent outing, as he dropped a five-round verdict against Lerone Murphy in the UFC Fight Night 241 headliner on May 18. Prior that, the 38-year-old Brazilian had earned back-to-back victories over Sodiq Yusuff and Billy Quarantillo. All told, Barboza has competed inside the Octagon 30 times.

Garcia has been on a roll of late, finishing his last five UFC opponents by knockout or technical knockout. “The Mean Machine is 2-0 thus far in 2024, with first-round stoppages of Seung Woo Choi and Kyle Nelson to his credit.

Alexa Grasso could be on the sidelines for a while.

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The former UFC flyweight queen revealed via social media that she suffered a broken leg in training, posting a picture of her on crutches while wearing a walking boot. Grasso did not provide a timetable for her recovery or return.

“But I’m fine,” she wrote (via translate). “Everything is healing…time will tell.”

The 31-year-old Lobo Gym MMA standout last appeared at UFC 306, where she relinquished the 125-pound belt to Valentina Shevchenko via unanimous decision in a trilogy bout on Sept. 14.

Grasso began her promotional tenure at 115 pounds before moving up to flyweight, where she claimed the title with a fourth-round submission of Shevchenko at UFC 285. The Mexico native retained the crown after battleing Shevchenko to a split draw in their rematch Noche UFC September 2023, setting the stage for their aforementioned third meeting earlier this year.

London, we are back in PRIME TIME 😍

Our #UFCLondon return is official for Saturday 22 March 🇬🇧

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Register your interest NOW ➡️ https://t.co/1aYbe1fzKJ pic.twitter.com/b21i6c2OXU — UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) November 12, 2024

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to London for an event early next year.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Tuesday that it will hold a card at the O2 Arena on March 2022. It will mark the 30th UFC event to be held in the United Kingdom. No bouts were confirmed for the event. It appears that it will be a UFC Fight Night rather than a pay-per-view.

Based on a social media post from the UFC, it seems likely that the event will be held in prime time locally, rather than at a time to accommodate viewers in the United States. That was an issue for the promotion’s most recent visit to England for UFC 304, as it took place early in the morning rather than at night.

The …

Stipe Miocic’s apologizes to Jon Jones after calling him a “b*tch”:

“Sorry if I hurt his feelings… I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to disrespect him. It was just the heat of the moment.”

🎥 @arielhelwani #UFC309pic.twitter.com/uA0OQ6xiJV — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 11, 2024

There’s a little bit of tension between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic just a few days before their championship clash.

Jones defends his heavyweight title against Miocic in the main event at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The two heavyweights have been respectful of each other throughout the build-up until recently. Miocic uncharacteristically called Jones a “b—h” in a recent episode of the UFC 309 Countdown show, which later caught the heavyweight champion’s attention.

The former light heavyweight champ felt disrespected and issued a warning to Miocic online. Jones also jokingly advised Miocic against hiring black training …

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Bo Nickal has nothing but praise for Khamzat Chimaev even though they could be on a collision course in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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Chimaev made a case for middleweight title contention with a first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 last month. The undefeated Chechen-born Swede has has relied on his elite grappling during his rise to prominence, but Nickal, a former three-time NCAA Division I champion, could be the answer to Chimaev’s suffocating style.

Nickal himself has also been impressed with Chimaev’s wrestling since he first saw “Borz” choke out John Phillips in Abu Dhabi in his UFC debut in 2020. However, the Penn State alum agrees that he could stylistically pose the toughest threat to Chimaev. Nickal is also aware that a potential matchup against Chimaev is a long way off.

UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

“I’ve been super impressed with him I think since t…

Jon Jones clarifies that the heavyweight title would not necessarily have to be at stake if he were to fight Alex Pereira and he has another belt in mind.

Full interview with the 🐐 coming soon... pic.twitter.com/R43YlfB9Ze

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) November 11, 2024

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Jon Jones remains more interested in a future fight against Alex Pereira than a heavyweight title unification bout with Tom Aspinall.

Jones was originally supposed to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November 2023 before he was forced out with an injury. Tom Aspinall went on to knockout Sergei Pavlovich in a short-notice interim title fight on the same card.

Despite Aspinall having defended his title since then, Jones has insisted on defending his strap against Miocic at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. And “Bones” seemingly won’t grant Aspinall a title unifier even after UFC 309. Whil…

🚨 First bout drop for Sydney 🚨

Who else do you want to see on the card!?

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✈️🎟️ #UFC312 | #FeelNewSydney | Feb 9 | Details at https://t.co/u5jz4l3fxF pic.twitter.com/kGmCzdBsrh — UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) November 11, 2024

Three new fights — each featuring an Australian — have been added to the UFC 312 card scheduled for February.

Jimmy Crute (12-4) will take on Marcin Prachnio (17-8) at light heavyweight in front of home fans at UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. “The Brute” hasn’t won a fight since 2020, squeezing in a majority draw between three losses. Meanwhile, Poland’s Prachnio has alternated wins and losses since June 2021, most recently suffering a submission loss against Modestas Bukauskas at UFC 304 this past July.

Australian debutant Quillan Salkilld (7-1) will take on India’s Anshul Jubli (7-1) in a lightweight matchup on the same card. Salkilld earned his contract with…

Mike Tyson's trainer, two-time mixed martial arts coach of the year nominee Rafael Cordeiro, shares an amazing story involving @JonnyBones and @FabricioWerdum having a late-night grappling match in a Brazilian hotel room approximately 10 years ago. Via @alonsopvt #UFC309 pic.twitter.com/FNfcTTNMve

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) November 11, 2024

Jon Jones and Fabricio Werdum never crossed paths in the Octagon, but they did have a memorable late-night grappling session in a Brazilian hotel room many years ago.

Both Jones and Werdum were in Goiania, the largest city in the Brazilian state of Goias, for an event in the area. Kings MMA trainer Rafael Cordeiro recalls inviting Jones to train with them earlier in the day, but “Bones” politely declined, saying he was there only to support his team.

Things apparently changed that evening after Cordeiro, Jones, Werdum and Wanderlei Silva went to dinner. After the meal, the group decided to head to …

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Your FULL 2024 #PFLWorldChampionship Fight Card!! 👊

𝙄𝙏 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀𝙎 𝘿𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙏𝙊 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎! Lives will be changed on November 29th 🏆💰

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[ #PFLWorldChampionship | Friday, Nov 29th | 3PM ET | ESPN+] pic.twitter.com/XW8SCCXZzc — PFL (@PFLMMA) November 11, 2024

The card for the upcoming PFL MENA Championships is now complete.

The Professional Fighters League on Monday unveiled the full lineup for the event, which in addition to four previously-announced title bouts, features a full slate of showcase fights.

Those showcase bouts are as follows: Mansour Barnaoui vs. Alfie Davis at lightweight; Slim Trabelsi vs. Abraham Bably at heavyweight; Jesus Pinedo vs. Jeremy Kennedy at featherweight; Asael Adjoudj vs. Jose Perez at featherweight and Costello van Steenis vs. Joao Dantas at middleweight.

PFL MENA takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 29 and will serve as a lead-in to the PFL World Championships at t…

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Daniel Cormier doesn’t think former foe Jon Jones is afraid of Tom Aspinall — or anyone else, for that matter.

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Jones defends his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the main event at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Meanwhile, interim champ Aspinall will be the backup for the fight.

Aspinall might never get a title unification bout, with both Jones and Miocic having hinted at retirement after UFC 309. In case Jones chooses to continue, he has already dismissed a potential title unifier against Aspinall in favor of a matchup against light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira. According to Jones, “Honey Badger” is yet to earn his dues to fight a legend like him. Cormier doesn’t agree with Jones saying the interim champ is yet to earn his dues for a title fight.

“For Jon to say he’s a nobody — but is he really? He’s the world champ,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Honestly, that’s who he is. He is …

Carlos Prates tells Kamaru Usman what the UFC has planned for him 😂

Kamaru: “News to me!” 😭

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(h/t @MMAPROSPICK) #UFC #MMA

pic.twitter.com/unFCJZCU6T

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 10, 2024 Carlos Prates is aiming high after his victory over Neil Magny.

Prates took on Magny in his first main event at UFC Vegas 100 — also known as UFC Fight Night 247 — at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. “The Nightmare” made quick work of the veteran, dispatching him with a glancing left hand at the 4:50 mark of the opening frame.

Prates subsequently called out Jack Della Maddalena for a matchup at UFC 312, which goes down on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. While Australia is home ground for Maddalena, Prates also loves the country because his daughter lives there. If that matchup doesn’t materialize yet, the Brazilian has his eyes set on another gatekeeper, Geoff Neal.

“Of course I w…

👀Tom Aspinall breaks down Jon Jones’ fighting style.

“You can’t deny that Jon Jones is one of the best MMA fighters ever.”

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🎥 @ufcontnt ▫️ pic.twitter.com/p8U8Xf8e6R — Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) November 10, 2024

Tom Aspinall gave Jon Jones his due respect while recently breaking down his fighting style.

Jones puts his heavyweight title on the line against Stipe Miocic in the main event at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. They were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 295 in November 2023, but Jones was forced out with an injury. Aspinall went on defeat Sergei Pavlovich in a short-notice interim title fight on the same card.

Despite Aspinall having defended his title against Curtis Blaydes since then, Jones remains adamant on facing Miocic, who hasn’t fought since a brutal knockout loss against Francis Ngannou in 2021. Aspinall might never get the chance to unify the title, as both Jone…

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It will be a familiar trio at the broadcast table for UFC 309 on Saturday.

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Jon Anik will handle play-by-play, while Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier will join him to provide color commentary for the event. Rogan returns to his role after taking his typical hiatus from the promotion’s international events. UFC 308, the Las Vegas-based organization’s most recent pay-per-view, was held in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 26.UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Meanwhile, Megan Olivi will be the roving reporter, giving pre- and post-fighting interviews as well as providing breaking news updates. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the UFC 309 broadcast assignments.

UFC 309 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and is headlined by a heavyweight championship showdown between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The prelims begin on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET/3…

Shara Bullet says he’d be down to fight Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and promises not to wrestle him 👀🔥

“I’m not going to wrestle him. I’ll always stick to my fighting style.”

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🎥 @RedCorner_MMA #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/CKNbwffzxH — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 9, 2024

Sharabutdin Magomedov believes Michael Page is more reliable than Paulo Costa.

Magomedov was recently asked about Costa and “MVP” as potential opponents for his next fight. While “Shara Bullet” would like to fight both, he doesn’t think Costa is very reliable considering the Brazilian’s history of pulling out of fights. Magomedov would prefer Page, who is also a dynamic striker.

Despite being from Dagestan, which is home to some of the best wrestlers in the world, Magomedov is primarily a striker who has competed in muay thai and Lethwei for much of his career. And Magomedov doesn’t plan on turning into a wrestler in a potential clash against a f…

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Charles Oliveira (34-10) wants to be fearless in his UFC 309 clash against Michael Chandler (23-8).

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Oliveira and Chandler will clash in a five-round co-main event at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Having previously shared the Octagon with Chandler, “do Bronx” respects his opponent but also promises not to back down.

“I think he’s a tough guy,” Oliveira told Shakiel Mahjouri. “A guy who always pushes forward like myself. I don’t want to walk back. I want to push forward as well. I want to go for the win, and I want to go for the win soon.”

Oliveira and Chandler previously fought at UFC 262 in 2021, when the Brazilian scored a spectacular come-from-behind technical knockout in the second round. However, Chandler had Oliveira in serious trouble in the first stanza, which is evident from two judges scoring it 10-8 in favor of the American.UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now! <…

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Michael Chandler promises to bring a different version of himself at UFC 309.

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Chandler faces Charles Oliveira in a five-round co-headliner on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The two will be running it back from their initial encounter at UFC 262 in 2021, when Chandler suffered a second-round technical knockout loss.

Chandler and Oliveira clashed for the vacant lightweight title in the main event at UFC 262. “Iron” hurt Oliveira multiple times in the opening stanza, even threatening the jiu-jitsu specialist with a guillotine. However, “do Bronx” turned the tables early in Round 2 by clipping Chandler with a left hook and raining a barrage of punches to get the stoppage.

Chandler claims he will right some wrongs from that fight in their rematch at UFC 309. The former Bellator champ plans to gradually break his opponent down instead of rushing for the finish like he did in their first matchup. Chandler believes he …