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Ikram Aliskerov has been forced to withdraw from UFC 298 due to a staph infection.

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As a result, Roman Kopylov will step in and face Anthony Hernandez on Feb. 17. The Las Vegas-based promotion initially confirmed Aliskerov’s exit over the weekend, and MMAFighting.com subsequently brought word of the new middleweight booking.

Unfortunately because of staph infection I had to cancel my fight. It was a great chance to jump to the top 15 and fight in this crazy fight card…See you guys after Ramadan

— ikram_aliskerov (@ikram_aliskerov) January 21, 2024

UFC 298 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and is headlined by a featherweight championship clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria. Hernandez vs. Kopylov is expected to take place on the evening’s main card.

Kopylov has been victorious in his last four Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 32-year-old Russian scored a second-round kno…

Sean Strickland was very close to retaining his middleweight title in the UFC 297 main event this past Saturday night in Toronto.

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Were it not for an accidental headbutt that he claims occurred in the second half of his fight against Dricus Plessis, Strickland believes he might have gotten the nod. Instead, it was Du Plessis who claimed the middleweight crown with a closely-contested split decision triumph.

Strickland has twice referenced the alleged headbutt, which wasn’t identified by referee Marc Goddard, on social media since his loss to Du Plessis.

“Well f—k haha … that headbutt really made it difficult to see, but I thought we got the job done,” Strickland wrote Sunday on X. “Blood and all!!! Onto the next one!!!. Thanks to everyone who supported me!!!!!”

Well fuck haha... man that headbutt really made it difficult to see but I thought we got the job done. Blood and all!!! Onto the next one!!! Thanks everyone who sup…

The Professional Fighters League vs. Bellator MMA Champions card has taken an early hit.

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The PFL announced Monday that Magomed Magomedkerimov has withdrawn from the event due to an undisclosed injury. As a result, Ray Cooper III will step in against Jason Jackson on Feb. 24. While the original bout was slated for welterweight, Cooper vs. Jackson will be contested at a 182-pound catchweight. In addition, Biaggio Ali Walsh has a new opponent for his professional debut, as he will now face Emmanuel Palacio on the preliminary draw.

PFL vs. Bellator takes place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and features multiple bouts matching champions from both organizations against one another. The card will be headlined by a heavyweight clash between 2023 PFL heavyweight champ Renan Ferreira and reigning Bellator heavyweight king Ryan Bader. The main card will air on pay-per-view via ESPN+.

A two-time PFL champion at welterweight, Cooper moved to…

ONE Championship will hold a no-gi submission grappling tournament prior to its event in Qatar.

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“Road to ONE: Doha” will take place at the Aspire Zone in Doha, Qatar, on Feb. 29 and spans five different weight classes. Winners in the advanced divisions will received $100,000 contracts to grapple for ONE Championship.

Advanced categories include one women’s division (115 pounds) and five men’s (135, 155, 170 and 185 pounds). To qualify for the advanced category, a competitor must be a brown belt or a black belt or have at least four years of experience. All grapplers must weigh-in before their first match. Further registration information for the event can be found here.

Matches are five minutes and wins can be secured via submission, tapout, verbal tapout and referee stoppage “due to imminent danger.” A decision victory will be awarded to the athlete with the most number of catches, which are near submissions. There are no draws.

“Road …

Jimmy Flick believes — or at least hopes — that his UFC 297 win over Malcolm Gordon was enough to save his job.

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Flick took on an overweight Gordon to start off the UFC 297 action in Toronto on Saturday. “The Brick” endured frenetic pressure and pace from Gordon in the first round and came from behind to score a second-round submission victory via arm triangle. The win allowed the grappling ace to snap a two-fight skid.

Flick subsequently revealed that it was the last fight on his UFC contract which he now hopes will be extended.

“Coming out like that with the fans against me, the guy didn’t make the weight, everything was against me,” Flick said during a post-fight media scrum. “If I lost tonight, I feel like I was going to lose my job, and I was going back to find a new job. That’s not what I wanted, so this means the world to me.”

“I am 2-2 in the UFC — four fights and never hit the scorecards and don’t plan on hitting the scorecards.…

Reaction: Strickland vs Du Plessis pic.twitter.com/eFQVSIy58O

— “The Future” Ian Machado Garry (@iangarryMMA) January 21, 2024

Ian Garry didn’t miss an opportunity to mock Sean Strickland following his loss at UFC 297.

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Strickland went to battle against Dricus Du Plessis in Saturday’s main event, losing via split decision in a bout that earned “Fight of the Night” honors. The fight was competitive enough that many observers thought it could have gone in Strickland’s favor.

However, Garry was unimpressed with the UFC 297 headliner.

“The f—ing state of this,” Garry said in a video posted on social media. “Zero technique. Slugging it out. Oh my God. I feel like I’m watching two amateurs fight. Oh my God. If I ever have a fight like that, please tell me to retire.”

Garry’s jab at Strickland isn’t entirely unprovoked, as the former middleweight champ initiated the rivalry by repeatedly calling the Irishman a “c—k”…

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While Amanda Nunes is definitely enjoying her retirement, a return to the Octagon isn’t totally out of the realm of possibility.

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The former women’s two-division champion announced her retirement this past June following a victory over Irene Aldana at UFC 289, vacating both of her belts in the process.

Nunes was in attendance at UFC 297 on Saturday as Raquel Pennington earned a decision victory against Mayra Bueno Silva to win the vacant bantamweight strap. While “The Lioness” didn’t feel bad watching a new champ getting crowned, it was certainly a mixture of emotions.

“I was nervous [watching the title fight],” she said on the UFC 297 post-fight show on ESPN+. “I don’t know why, but I was very nervous. It was mixed feelings. I was happy and sad. When I saw ‘Rocky’ with the belt, I was OK. I wasn’t upset or anything like that.

“I think I did the right decision retiring, resting a little bit. Taking care of the babies. C…

UFC CEO Dana White is taking the stance that he refuses to curtail freedom of speech even for Sean Strickland, who is known for voicing his unfiltered opinions on controversial topics.

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Strickland has both received criticism and gained popularity over the years for his unabashed comments about women, gun control and the LGBTQ community, among other topics. Ahead of his recent UFC 297 title clash against Dricus Du Plessis, Strickland went on a profanity-filled rant directed at the LGBTQ community during media day in Toronto.

While such comments would have undoubtedly warranted a fine or suspension in most major sports leagues, White refuses to take away the freedom of expression. The UFC CEO claims to have had “zero” conversation with broadcast partners of sponsors regarding Strickland’s recent tirade. White also put the blame on the reporter, who he claims “baited” Strickland by asking if he stood by his previous comments on the LGBTQ community.

…

While Conor McGregor may claim otherwise, UFC CEO Dana White says the Irish star won’t be returning to action in June.

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McGregor hasn’t fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The Irishman served as rival coach against Michael Chandler on “The Ultimate Fighter 31,” and the two were initially supposed to clash by end of 2023. However, the bout never came to fruition.

The former UFC two-division champion most recently announced that he will be returning to action during the International Fight Week on June 29 against Chandler at 185 pounds.

However, White shut down the possibility of McGregor returning in June during the UFC 297 post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

“Uuuuh, no. When Conor is ready to fight, you know we’ll announce it,” White said. “That’s what we’ll do.”

The finish line could be in sight for 18-time UFC veteran Raquel Pennington.

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But first, she has a couple more goals to accomplish.

Pennington captured the vacant women’s bantamweight title with a clear-cut unanimous decision victory over Mayra Bueno Silva in the UFC 297 co-main at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Saturday night. Shortly after that victory, she set her sights on a matchup with Julianna Pena, who was unable to compete for the vacant belt on Saturday due to injury.

For Pennington, a showdown with Pena carries a little extra meaning.

“That’s the fight that makes sense. I honestly thought that, for the world title, it would be me and Julianna, but she’s still injured,” Pennington said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“That relationship goes back to 2013 when we were both on ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ Let’s just say I learned Julianna’s personality then. It’s kind of one of those ones where you’re your own per…

Dricus Du Plessis knew the scorecards were going to be close, but he was confident he did enough get the nod against Sean Strickland in the UFC 297 headliner.

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“It was a close fight, make no mistake – but I thought I had it. When that split decision came, I thought, ‘This is, 100 percent, 50-50.’ When they said ‘And new …,’ it felt like 15 years of work and sacrifice together in one single sentence. It feels surreal. It’s amazing,” Du Plessis said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“I thought I did enough to win the fight. It definitely was a close fight. He won the first round and I made the necessary adjustments. … At the end of the day, I went toe-to-toe with the self-proclaimed best boxer in the UFC.”

Strickland got off to a strong start behind his jab, but Du Plessis got better as the fight progressed, mixing in takedowns with his striking to keep his opponent off balance. Ultimately, that was enough for the South African to win a c…

Frankie Edgar was announced as the first UFC Hall of Fame inductee for the class of 2024 on Saturday night.

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Edgar was in attendance at UFC 297 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, where he was greeted with the surprise announcement. The former UFC lightweight champ was seen wiping away tears as the whole arena gave him a standing ovation.

“Frankie Edgar is one of the greatest athletes in UFC history,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a press release. “Frankie had an amazing career and consistently fought the best athletes in the world across multiple weight classes for more than 15 years. He is a legend, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame as part of International Fight Week this summer.”

Edgar’s induction ceremony will take place during the International Fight Week this summer in Las Vegas and will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass. Edgar will be inducted as part of the UFC Hall of Fame “Modern Era” which includes athl…

Jasmine Jasudavicius really wanted to punish Priscila Cachoeira during their UFC 297 clash.

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Jasudavicius was originally scheduled to face Cachoeira at flyweight but was told a day before the weigh-ins that the Brazilian couldn’t make weight. Jasudavicius let her coaches make the call, and they agreed to a bantamweight clash.

However, the Canadian was upset at her opponent’s lack of professionalism and wanted to “torture” her going into the clash. Jasudavicius put on a record-breaking beating on Cachoeira en route to a third-round submission victory in front of her home fans in Toronto. Jasudavicius outlanded her opponent 326-26 in total strikes, which is the biggest strike differential in UFC women’s bantamweight history.

“The entire time that I was in there I was just trying to beat her up, man,” Jasudavicious told reporters after the win. “It pissed me off, that weight discrepancy man. The thing that she did with the weight, it pissed me of…

Undefeated Japanese prospect Rinya Nakamura has a new opponent for his next Octagon assignment.

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Nakamura was originally scheduled to take on Brady Hiestand at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 in Anaheim, California. However, Carlos Vera will now replace an injured Hiestand and face Nakamura on less than a month’s notice. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new matchup.

“Hybrid” made his professional MMA debut in 2021. Nakamura went on to win the “Road to UFC” tournament in 2022, scoring three finishes in as many outings. The 28-year-old is fresh off a decision win over Fernie Garcia at UFC Fight Night 225 in August.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Vera was supposed to make his UFC debut against Daniel Marcos back in December 2022, but was the bout fell through due to Marcos’ visa issues. Vera then competed on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” as a part of team Conor McGregor last year, where he lost a decision in the opening round against Brad Katona. As “TUF” outin…

Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis delivered a banger of a title fight in the UFC 297 headliner at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The two will walk home with an extra $50,000 each for going to war in their middleweight title clash, which earned “Fight of the Night” honors. Strickland’s jab looked on point from the very beginning, while du Plessis struggled to find his footing in the opening round. However, the South African challenger started making adjustments as the fight progressed, putting the champ on his backfoot with his signature pace and volume. While Strickland was leaking near the left eye by the end of the fight, du Plessis’ left eye was almost closed. “Stillknocks” eventually edged out a closely-contested split decision to be crowned the new UFC middleweight champ.

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UFC 297 only saw two performance bonuses being handed out, with Canadian women winning both.

Jasmine Jasudavicius earned a $50,000 bonus for a record-breaking beatdown of P…

Dricus Du Plessis planted his flag at the top of the mountain.

The 30-year-old South African captured the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown with a hard-fought split decision over Sean Strickland in the UFC 297 headliner on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. All three cageside judges scored it 48-47: Sal D’Amato for Strickland, Derek Cleary and Eric Colon for Du Plessis.

It was close for the duration. Strickland (28-6, 15-6 UFC) operated behind his potent jab and took away the challenger’s low kicks with exquisite defense. Du Plessis (21-2, 7-0 UFC) struck for takedowns in the first second and fourth rounds, opened multiple cuts with clubbing blows upstairs and made it a point to advance on his upright adversary whenever possible. He did his best work in Round 4, where he executed multiple takedowns and drew blood with a lunging straight right hand. Strickland kept his foot on the accelerator across the last five minutes, paired his jab …

Strap in fight fans, as we guide you through the exhilarating action in store with UFC 297, unfolding live from the electrifying Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. This is your front-row seat to a night of epic fights and potential jaw-dropping moments.

We're back in Canada with UFC 297, featuring a main event clash between middleweight champion Sean Strickland and the explosive Dricus Du Plessis.

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The co-main event is a showdown for the vacant bantamweight title, as the relentless Raquel Pennington squares off against the dynamic Mayra Bueno Silva. Pennington's five-fight win streak faces a formidable challenge in Silva, whose recent performances have propelled her as a rising force in the division.

Don't miss a moment of the excitement: Join us for the prelims at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET. Stick with Sherdog for live play-by-play updates, ensuring you won't miss a beat as UFC 297 unfolds in all its glory.

BETTING PREVIEW…

Garrett Armfield proved he belongs, and he did so in hostile territory.

The Marathon MMA representative took a significant step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division, as he outstruck two-time “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Brad Katona to a unanimous decision in their featured UFC 297 prelim on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Armfield (10-3, 2-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 29-28 marks.

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Katona (13-3, 3-3 UFC) had issues getting in gear initially. Armfield called upon an effective jab and multi-punch volleys, all while keeping the Canadian honest with well-disguised kicks, and appeared to have built a narrow lead through two rounds. Katona turned up the heat in Round 3, where he executed multiple takedowns and overwhelmed his opponent with pace and output. By the time it was over, Armfield was gasping for air but had done enough to curry favor with the judges.

The setback closed the book on Katona’s r…

WOW!!! 🇵🇱 Arek Wrzosek KO's Ivan Vitasovic!!

He passes the test!! XTB #KSW90 pic.twitter.com/5sPMPbDJlF

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) January 20, 2024

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The first Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki card of the year didn’t disappoint as eight out of 10 fights ended within the distance in Warsaw, Poland.

Glory Kickboxing 2021 knockout of the year winner Arkadiusz Wrzosek closed KSW 90 with a 54-second knockout over Ivan Vitasovic in the main event. Wrzosek (4-0) exploded onto the KSW scene since signing with the organization in 2022. Vitasovic, a Croatian heavyweight champion, was expected to be his toughest test but that hypothesis proved shaky after he was dropped seconds into the fight. Vitasovic reached his feet but was followed around the cage as Wrzosek beat him. Despite his inexperience in mixed martial arts, Wrzosek is quickly rising up the ranks as a big man to watch.

One of the fastest KO's in KSW histo…

Bellator women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is willing to fight the reigning Professional Fighters League women’s featherweight and lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco — but only after a showdown with Kayla Harrison.

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Following PFL’s acquisition of Bellator MMA, founder Don Davis implied that the promotion would look to match Cyborg with Pacheco in a champ vs. champ meeting. However, the PFL vs Bellator Champs card slated for Feb. 24 has all champions competing except Pacheco and Cyborg.

According to the former UFC champion, a meeting with Harrison is a top priority, especially considering the verbal back-and-forth the two have engaged in over the last few years.

“I don’t have any problem fighting Larissa Pacheco, she’s the champion, but we’ve been promoting this fight against Kayla Harrison for three years,” Cyborg told MMAjunkie.com. “You can use the opportunity after this fight to promote for Larissa... I think everyone is waiti…

A light heavyweight clash between former regional foes Anton Turkalj and Ibo Aslan has been booked for the UFC Atlantic City event on March 30.

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The news was first announced by Turkalj's coach on the Kaftsmallspodden podcast, and the date was confirmed by Aslan on social media.

Prior to making their way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Turkalj and Aslan faced each other under the Brave Combat Federation banner in Aug 2020 at Brave CF 40. The catchweight meeting ended with a Round 2 submission victory for Turkalj and marked the end of Aslan's undefeated run as a professional.

Since then, Aslan (12-1) has racked up a four-fight winning streak, most recently securing a contract with the UFC following a Round 1 technical knockout victory against Paulo Renato Jr. in an appearance on Dana White's Contender Series in August.

On the other hand, Turkalj (8-3), who also made his way to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, is c…

A flyweight meeting between Ariane Lipski and Dana White's Contender Series alum Karine Silva is set for a UFC Fight Night event on April 27.

The pairing was subsequently confirmed by Silva on social media following an initial report from MMA Hoje. Other bouts for the card are yet to be revealed.

Lipski (17-8) will enter the bout on the back of a successful 2023 that saw the Brazilian rack up consecutive victories against the likes of J.J Aldrich, Melissa Gato, and most recently, Casey O'Neil at UFC 296 in December.

Meanwhile, Silva (17-4) is currently undefeated in the Las Vegas-based promotion and is on a three-fight winning streak, with all victories coming by way of finish in the first round. All of Silva’s 17 professional wins have been secured within distance. “Killer” most recently walked away with a guillotine choke victory at the 4:59 mark of the first frame against Maryna Moroz at UFC 292.

Rizin Fighting Federation has announced the addition of multiple bouts to the upcoming Landmark Vol. 8 card a little more than a month away from the highly-anticipated event.

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Per a press release provided by the organization on Friday, seven mixed martial arts bouts along with one kickboxing match have been added to the card scheduled to take place at the Saga Arena in Japan on Feb. 24.

Matchups added to the card include a lightweight clash between Yusuke Yachi (25-13) and Kyung Pyo Kim (13-4). Yachi, a veteran of the promotion, is currently on a two-fight winning streak having secured a decision win against Boyd Allen at Rizin 39 in October 2022 followed by a Round 1 submission victory against Zach Zane at Rizin 43 in June 2023.

Meanwhile, Pyo Kim is also currently on a two-fight winning streak in the promotion with both wins coming in the first frame of the respective bouts. The South Korean first secured a Round 1 submission in his promoti…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship hosts its first pay-per-view event of 2024 this weekend.

Atop the UFC 297 card is a middleweight title clash between champion Sean Strickland and No. 1 contender Dricus Du Plessis. Both fighters successfully made weight, as did Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva, who will vie for the vacant bantamweight title. There were two weight misses as Malcolm Gordon came in 1.5 pounds over the flyweight limit for his fight against Jimmy Flick, and would-be bantamweight Ramon Taveras weighed 139.75 pounds for his scheduled scrap versus Serhiy Sidey. Both men will be fined a percentage of their purses as a result.

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Strickland (28-5) is coming off a shocking upset of Israel Adesanya. Over five rounds, Strickland outpointed "The Last Stylebender" with his jab and solid fundamentals. "Tarzan" is now on a three-fight win streak, having also outclassed Abusupiyan Magomedov and Nassourdine Imavov. The American…