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The road to recovery is just beginning for Jan Blachowicz.

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The former light heavyweight champion was forced to withdraw from a rematch against Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 297 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. As it turns out, the Polish star will need to undergo two separate procedures.

“First shoulder operated on,” Blachowicz wrote Saturday on social media. “Unfortunately, there was too much work to do with one, so they couldn’t fix both at once. Another surgery soon. I’ll have to wait a little bit longer to come back.”

First shoulder operated on. Unfortunately, there was too much work to do with one, so they couldn't fix both at once. Another surgery soon. I'll have to wait a little longer to come back.

I wish you all Merry Christmas! pic.twitter.com/RDIIxDSBgm

— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) December 23, 2023

A timeline for Blachowicz’s return is unknown, and he did not give a date for his sec…

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It appears Israel Adesanya’s hiatus will come to an end in the near future.

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In a recent interview with iFL TV, the former UFC middleweight champion addressed his next Octagon appearance, indicating that it could be on the horizon.

“Me right now, I’m taking my time,” Adesanya said. “My last few fights, I had four fights in 14 months as a champion in the UFC. That’s unheard of. I was the most active champion, not fighter, champion in the league. So life has forced me to take some time off and I will, but you will see me soon.

“I said 2027 and the retards out there actually thought I meant that, but you’ll see.”

Adesanya is coming off an upset loss to Sean Strickland in a 185-pound title bout at UFC 293 this past September. In the aftermath of that defeat, “The Last Stylebender” suggested that he wouldn’t be back in action "for a long time.”

Adesanya went undefeated in his first 12 UFC middleweight appearances befo…

A bantamweight clash pitting Rinya Nakamura against Brady Hiestand is on tap for UFC 298.

Heistand’s management, Iridium Sports Agency, initially announced the contest and it was later confirmed by both athletes on social media. UFC 298 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17 and is headlied by a featherweight championship showdown between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

Nakamura is undefeated in eight professional appearances. The 28-year-old Saitama, Japan, native won the Road to UFC tournament with a trio of first-round finishes before outpointing Fernie Garcia in his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 225 on Aug. 26.

A cast member on Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Hiestand has won back-to-back bouts after falling to Ricky Turcios in the finale of the reality show at UFC on ESPN 30. Since then, “Bam Bam” has scored triumphs over Fernie Garcia and Batgerel Dana within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first offering of 2024 will have a slightly different look than originally anticipated after changes to multiple bouts on the card.

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Yana Santos has withdrawn from a proposed bantamweight booking against Norma Dumont after suffering a broken nose. MMAjunkie.com confirmed Santos’ exit after the fighter announced the injury on social media. It is currently unknown if Dumont will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.

Elsewhere, Matthew Semelsberger will replace Bassil Hafez and lock horns with Preston Parsons in a welterweight scrap. Parsons confirmed the new pairing on social media. The reason for Hafez’s withdrawal is currently unknown. Semelsberger has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances, including a third-round TKO defeat against Uros Medic in his most recent outing at UFC 291. Parsons suffered a split-decision setback against Trevin Giles at UFC on ESPN 43 in his lone bout of 2023.

…

A women's strawweight meeting between Mexico’s Yazmin Jauregui and Iowa native Sam Hughes has been added to the UFC Mexico card.

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The booking was first reported by ESPN Deportes on Friday.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to return to Mexico City on Feb. 24 at Mexico City Arena. This will mark the promotion's return to the country after four-and-a-half years.

Jauregui joined the UFC in August 2021 with an 8-0 record and has since gone 2-1. Following her Round 2 technical knockout victory against Istela Nunes in 2022, the Mexican suffered the first loss of her professional career after being knocked out within 20 seconds of her bout against Denise Gomes at UFC 290 in July this year.

Meanwhile, Hughes is coming off a unanimous decision victory against Jaqueline Amorim in their fight at UFC 287 in April. Currently 3-4 under the promotional banner, Hughes will look to make a statement against a much younger opponent in Jauregui. Read more about Yazmin Jauregui vs. Sam Hughes Added to UFC Mexico Card

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division should have a clear contender when the dust settles.

Per the UFC on Thursday, Erin Blanchfield (12-1) and Manon Fiorot (11-1) will throw down in a pivotal women’s flyweight pairing on March 30. It has not yet been determined if this matchup will serve as the headliner for the unnumbered UFC on ESPN card that will take place at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is the first bout announced on its lineup thus far.

Since a contentious split decision setback at Invicta FC 34 fellow future UFC fighter Tracy Cortez, Blanchfield has not looked back, rattling off nine straight wins. Her streak includes six in a row in the Octagon, dispatching the likes of J.J. Aldrich, Molly McCann and Jessica Andrade—all by submission—as she worked her way up the divisional ladder. Most recently, “Cold Blooded” captured a unanimous verdict over former title challenger Taila Santos.

While Blanchfield has strung toge…

[embedded content] Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez will get a chance to settle the score in a few months.

The news was first announced by Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White on social media on Thursday night. The five-round co-main event will take place at the Mexico City Arena in Mexico City on Feb. 24 at UFC Fight Night 237.

Ortega (15-3, 1 NC) and Rodriguez (19-4, 1 NC) first crossed paths in UFC Long Island in July 2022, where “T-City” sustained a fight-ending shoulder injury a little after four minutes into the opening frame. As a result, Rodriguez was awarded a victory, which spurred him into an interim title opportunity. Since their meeting, “El Pantera” has competed twice, while Ortega has been out of action entirely, ensuring a full recovery for his shoulder.

Following his win over Ortega, Rodriguez went on to claim interim featherweight strap by tapping Josh Emmett with a triangle choke at UFC 284. The Mexican standout fell short of unifying …

Another banger added to #UFC298 🔥@RobWhittakerMMA vs @BorrachinhaMMA official for February 17th! pic.twitter.com/HN1FRyNDLJ

— UFC (@ufc) December 22, 2023

UFC 298 is shaping up to be a treat for mixed martial arts fans with the addition of two riveting matchups.

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According to an announcement made by Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White on Thursday, UFC 298 will feature former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (24-7) taking on Paulo Costa (14-2) while rising Irish star Ian Garry (13-0) will face his first Top 10 opponent in No. 8 ranked welterweight Geoff Neal (15-5).

Whittaker has gone 1-2 in his last three Octagon appearances, most recently suffering a Round 2 technical knockout against Dricus Du Plessis in their meeting at UFC 290. The former champion will look to make a return to winning ways if he hopes to earn another shot at the middleweight title.

Meanwhile, Costa last appeared inside the …

The first fights for #UFC300 are OFFICIAL 🚨@Jiri_BJP vs @Rakic_UFC@NoBickal vs @CodyBrundage185 pic.twitter.com/lFMQDz4PFR

— UFC (@ufc) December 22, 2023

Fans now have a list of confirmed matchups for the historic UFC 300 pay-per-view, set to go down April. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White took to social media on Thursday to reveal a trio of fights that will be featured on the much-anticipated card.

Former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka (29-4) will take on Aleksandar Rakic (14-3), former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (23-4) will debut at featherweight against Calvin Kattar (23-7) and Bo Nickal (5-0) will toe the line with Factory X product Cody Brundage (10-5).

Prochazka is coming off a Round 2 technical knockout loss against Alex Pereira in their vacant light heavyweight title meeting at UFC 295. Rakic, on the other hand, will return to the …

They needed all five rounds. No one expected less.

Tawanchai P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym retained his undisputed One Championship featherweight muay thai title with a unanimous decision over Superbon Singha Mawynn in the ONE Friday Fights 46 headliner on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. All three ringside judges scored it for the defending champion.

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Superbon leaned on a well-honed counter game that was equal parts craft and power, drawing a number of respectful smiles out of his opponent. Tawanchai answered with thunderous kicks to the body and lead leg, maintained a steady pace and seemed to pull away in the championship rounds. Thudding push kicks to the midsection kept Superbon off-balance, even as the two men neutralized one another in other areas. Tawanchai proved superior in terms of output when it mattered most, turning back the challenger with a series of kicks to all levels and occasional close-range elbows in the fifth …

Despite his record-tying streak of Octagon futility, Tony Ferguson has no intention of hanging up his gloves.

Ferguson (25-10) suffered a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Paddy Pimblett on Saturday at UFC 296. It was his seventh straight loss in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, tying B.J. Penn for the longest such streak in the promotion’s history.

In spite of that streak, which includes several lopsided beatdowns and one chilling knockout via front kick, and despite UFC CEO expressing his wish that Ferguson would retire, a defiant “El Cucuy” this week expressed his disinclination to call it quits. The 39-year-old Californian this week wrote an Instagram post that read in part, “Not retiring casuals.”

Prior to his current skid, Ferguson (25-10) was riding the longest winning streak at lightweight and was considered the main threat to former champ Khabib Nurmagomedov back in 2019. However, despite multiple attempts the matchup always fell thro…

While Belal Muhammad is the most logical opponent for Leon Edwards’ next title defense, the champ’s coach Dave Lovell would prefer Gilbert Burns.

Edwards (22-3) defended his strap in a dominant decision win against Colby Covington (17-4) at UFC 296 last weekend. Many believe Muhammad, who is unbeaten in his last outings, deserved the shot over Covington, who hadn’t fought since March 2022.

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While Muhammad weighed in as the backup fighter for UFC 296, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White wasn't clear about Muhammad receiving the next welterweight title shot during his post-fight comments.

Interestingly, Edwards’ coach Lovell would like for his pupil to face Gilbert Burns, whom Muhammad defeated via an emphatic decision in May. While Lovell knows it’s unlikely to come about, he believes “Durinho” presents a more marketable fight than Muhammad, who has often been criticized for being a decision fighter.

“Dana didn’t announce that it would b…

Aljamain Sterling recently opened up further on what kept him out of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last Saturday at UFC 296.

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As Sterling and his team rolled up for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s final pay-per-view of 2023, they were told that there were no tickets. The former bantamweight champ immediately brought the situation to light on social media.

Sorry to the fans asking to take pictures while we were stuck outside. Just a bit annoyed that we found out our tickets were pulled, after arriving to the arena. #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/d5VY10YmGG

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 17, 2023 Asked about Sterling’s ticket mishap, UFC president CEO Dana White said that “Funk Master” might have tried to acquire tickets through a sponsor and he had no idea why they might have been pulled. Sterling subsequently responded to White’s comments on his YouTube channel.

“I’m not trying to fan the flames; I thin…

Alexandre Pantoja may have closed out his rivalry with Brandon Royval for good, but he claims there is no enmity there.

Pantoja (27-5) successfully defended his flyweight strap against Royval (15-7) via unanimous decision in a lopsided grappling-heavy affair at UFC 296 last weekend. This marked Pantoja’s second win over Royval after a submission in 2021, from which “Raw Dawg” bounced back with three consecutive wins to earn a shot at the title.

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While Pantoja is happy to have defended his strap for the first time, he feels for Royval as he understands the profundity of a loss. In an appearance on "The MMA Hour," Pantoja said:

“He’s a very nice kid. He worked so hard to [get] to that moment. Maybe people think I’m [full of] s*** right now, but I’m very sad for Royval. He worked so hard for that moment. I know it’s not just about Royval, he has a lot of people on his side. I lost a couple times and when I lose, my family loses with me, my kids lose wit…

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Rizin Fighting Federation has added three more bouts to its annual New Year’s Eve bash.

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Former Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator MMA bantamweight Vince Morales (13-7) will clash against Japanese veteran Yuki Motoya (34-10). The matchup was made while Morales was in Japan serving as a sparring partner for Kai Asakura, who handed Motoya a knockout loss at Rizin 42 in May.

Motoya has since bounced back with a TKO win over Kosuke Terashima under the Deep banner last month. Meanwhile, “Vandetta” has picked up to stoppage wins in the regional circuit since being released from the UFC on a two-fight skid last year.

Morales believes his Rizin 45 appearance will be a step towards bridging the gap between Western and Asian MMA. The 33-year-old said during a special broadcast on ABEMA last week:

“I'm incredibly grateful to Kai Asakura, Team Asakura, and Rizin for giving me the opportunity to fight here. Being able to compe…

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming milestone now has an official time and place.

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During the post-fight press conference for UFC 296 last weekend, UFC CEO Dana White announced that UFC 300 will take place on April 13, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. As is customary for numbered UFC events, the prelims will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+, with the main card to follow on pay-per-view through ESPN+. The early prelims are set to start at 6 p.m. ET, the undercard at 8 p.m. and the main card at 10 p.m.

While no bouts have yet been added to the card, speculation and rumor have attached many of the promotion’s biggest names to the event. White promised to awe fans starting with the first preliminary matchup of the night.

“Well, think about tonight and the buzz and the energy about tonight’s card, and think about the stuff I’m telling you guys about [UFC 299 in] Miami. So, we’ve got to beat this, Miami and a…

Thank you @JoshEmmettUFCGod bless you brother

pic.twitter.com/VUPEWLXsxn

— Bryce Mitchell (@ThugnastyMMA) December 18, 2023

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Bryce Mitchell believes he might have died if Josh Emmett had followed up with any more shots after brutally knocking out “Thug Nasty” at UFC 296 last weekend.

Mitchell stepped in on short notice against Emmett, replacing Giga Chikadze, who was forced out due to an injury. Mitchell was sent to the shadow realm by Emmett with an overhand right in one of the most devasting punch knockouts in UFC history.

However, Mitchell believes it could have been much worse had Emmett not restrained himself from throwing follow-up shots, which is a natural instinct for many fighters.

“You know got a lot of work left to do but that's what I'm up to. But I wanted to let y'all know that I am so happy with Josh Emmett,” the 29-year-old said in a video released on social media. “Because right after he kn…

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Dana White acknowledged Colby Covington’s poor showing against Leon Edwards in the UFC 296 main event.

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White was the one to propose Covington’s name for the title shot although Belal Muhammad, on a 10-fight winning streak, was widely considered to be the rightful contender. White adamantly went ahead with his decision despite Edwards repeatedly pointing out Covington’s long layoff and lack of recent success.

Edwards vowed to give “Chaos” a rude awakening and delivered on his promise at the UFC 296 headliner. “Rocky” outstruck Covington on the feet, stuffed his wrestling game and even went on to land his own takedowns. Covington bizarrely went on to raise his hands after the lackluster showing and even doubled down on his stance in the post-fight presser, crying robbery due to alleged political bias.

However, even White couldn’t disagree more with Covington, who appeared “slow and old” to the Ultimate Fighting Championship…

Three fights have been announced for ONE 166: Qatar! 🇶🇦 Who would you like to see headline this historic card?#ONE166 | March 1 at 3:30PM AST🎟️ Early bird tickets:https://t.co/Wcx1ykvL1Jhttps://t.co/9mAnyrbScE🌍 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries👨‍💻 How to watch coming… pic.twitter.com/mDoaoDbzgQ

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) December 18, 2023

Three bouts, including a title fight, have been confirmed for ONE 166 “Qatar,” which also marks the promotion’s debut in the country.

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Jarred Brooks (20-2) is set to defend his 125-pound strap against former champ Joshua Pacio (20-4) in a title rematch at ONE 166 on March 1 at Lusail Sports Arena. Brooks hasn’t competed in mixed martial arts since dethroning Pacio via decision at ONE 164 in December 2022. “The Monkey God” is coming off a submission loss against Mikey Musumeci in a grappling match this past August. Meanwhile, his upcoming opponent returned to the win column …

Colby Covington may have seemed muted in the cage at UFC 296, but afterward he was right back to his usual, brazen self.

“Chaos” fell short in his bid to unseat Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight king Leon Edwards in Saturday’s main event, losing the first four rounds on all judges’ scorecards and seeming hesitant to apply his trademark pressure and wrestling. Afterward, Covington raised his hands as if to celebrate a win, and appeared surprised when the scores were read and the winner announced.

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Covington doubled down on his stance in his post-fight interview, saying he thought he had done enough to get his hands raised. He further claimed to have been robbed of a title victory due to the judges’ political bias against former US President Donald Trump, who had been in attendance. Covington said:

“I thought the third, fourth and fifth rounds were mine. The fifth was mine, easily. Fourth, I thought was mine too, and I thought I did enough …

Belal Muhammad was among those unimpressed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship main event on Saturday.

Muhammad, who weighed in as the backup fighter for the UFC 296 headliner between welterweight champ Leon Edwards and challenger Colby Covington, did not mince words in talking about the fight, which Edwards won via unanimous decision. While the build-up to the fight seemed to promise fireworks, as the challenger’s trash talk about Edwards’ late father drew a furious reaction from the champ, the fight itself was a lackluster affair, as Covington failed to engage his vaunted pressure and wrestling for most of the five rounds. At the UFC 296 post-fight show, “Remember the Name” said:

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“Honestly, it was a joke to the division. That’s what happens when you get a bum off the couch [Covington] who’s been out for two years, who didn’t deserve the shot, and he goes out there and he didn’t back up the talk. For Leon Edwards, you should have backed up your t…

One of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most battle-tested veterans is facing indefinite shelf time.

UFC featherweight Darren Elkins announced via his social media that he had suffered a serious injury in practice. “The Damage” wrote on his Instagram, “Current situation: I snapped my tibia and fibula in my right leg by freak accident during jiu-jitsu last night. Just got out of surgery where they put a nail in my leg.”

There is no information right now about a potential return timeline for Elkins, but the recuperation is likely to be long; lower leg breaks suffered by such well-known fighters as Anderson Silva, Chris Weidman and Conor McGregor kept them out of action for at least a year in every case: bad news for the 39-year-old Elkins.

Elkins is coming off a third-round submission win over T.J. Brown in October in his lone outing of the year. He has gone 2-2 in his last four but remains popular for his toughness and his penchant for comeback wins. …

Shavkat Rakhmonov notched the biggest win of his career on Saturday, but it turns out he nearly didn’t make it to the cage at all.

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Rakhmonov handed Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson his first ever submission loss via a second-round rear naked choke on the UFC 296 main card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This marked the 18th finish for the undefeated Kazakh in as many career outings, including six in the UFC. Having now notched wins over tested welterweights like Geoff Neal, Neil Magny and now Thompson, “Nomad” called for a title shot next.

After the event, “Nomad” revealed that he suffered a major ligament tear in his ankle six weeks out from his clash against Thompson which curtailed his kicking game and had him contemplating withdrawing from the event entirely. Rakhmonov said during the post-fight show:

“I had a very serious injury and I was even close to pulling out from the fight, but I decided to risk it all. and that’s why I didn’t …

Rather than celebrate the most impressive knockout of his career, Josh Emmett sat silently across the cage.

Emmett (19-4) put out Bryce Mitchell’s lights with a violent overhand right less than two minutes into the opening frame of their meeting in the main card opener at UFC 296 on Saturday in Las Vegas. The brutality of the knockout sunk in as Mitchell, now 16-2, could be seen convulsing on the canvas moments later and was still on wobbly legs while being helped out of the Octagon. What would otherwise have been cause for celebration—a knockout sure to win a “Performance of the Night” bonus from the UFC, and the end of the first losing streak of Emmett’s career—instead became a somber moment.

The Team Alpha Male representative said during the post-fight media scrum that only after the initial rush of emotion did he realize the damage he had inflicted on his opponent. “When I hit him I got excited and then and I looked over and he’s still down and it’s like it’s hard…