MMA news

• UFC 195 prelims do 1,032,000 viewers

  06-01-2016 23:00
  
  The UFC 195 prelims on Saturday night drew 1,032,000 viewers, a number that is ten percent above the pay-per-view prelims average since the shows became fixtures on FOX Sports 1.The number was remarkably similar to the first Saturday of 2015, the UFC 182 prelims, which did 1,039,000 viewers. But the main event on that show was Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, one of the biggest UFC fights in recent years. While prelim ratings aren't a great predictor of pay-per-view numbers, there is usually a corr
  
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• Conor McGregor Named One of Rolling Stone’s ’25 Hottest Sex Symbols of 2015’

  06-01-2016 22:22 via sherdog.com
  
  Conor McGregor’s profile outside the Octagon continues to grow.
  
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• Bibiano Fernandes not happy with new ONE Championship weigh-in program: ‘It has affected me’

  06-01-2016 22:00
  
  Unbeaten in 10 fights since cutting down to 135 pounds, Bibiano Fernandes had to change a few things ahead of his fourth title defense at ONE Championship.
  ONE Championship announced a new weigh-in program less than two weeks after the death of Yang Jian Bing, who passed away while cutting weight for a flyweight bout. The first fight card under the new program takes place Jan. 23 in China, and Fernandes will be defending his title against Kevin Belingon in the main event.
  The promotion announced
  
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• Money Not an Issue as Tyron Woodley Prepares to Wait for UFC Title Shot

  06-01-2016 21:12 via sherdog.com
  
  Tyron Woodley has not fought in nearly a year, and the would-be No. 1 contender is more than prepared to extend that layoff as he waits for a welterweight title shot.
  
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• Bellator 148 Update: Tony Johnson-Raphael Butler Heavyweight Bout Added to Main Card

  06-01-2016 20:56 via sherdog.com
  
  American Academy Kickboxing heavyweight prospect Tony Johnson will square off with Raphael Butler in a main card bout at Bellator 148.
  
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• Martin Kampmann officially retires from MMA

  06-01-2016 20:30
  
  Martin Kampmann has officially retired from MMA competition.
  Kampmann (20-7) is most well known for his 17-fight stint in the UFC, where he posted an 11-6 record from 2006 to 2013, defeating the likes of Carlos Condit, Thiago Alves and Thales Leites while competing in both the middleweight and welterweight divisions.
  "I’ve known for a while," the 33-year-old Kampmann said of retirement in the initial report published by UFC.com. "I just haven’t really made it official. I’m not
  
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• Update On CM Punk’s UFC Debut: Has Dana White Finally Found His First Opponent?

  06-01-2016 20:25
  
  https://youtu.be/ZMh6GlNaAjUWhile nothing is official yet, there is a strong belief within the MMA community that the UFC may have found the man who will be CM Punk's first opponent inside the Octagon."Hey Dana White, I don’t know if CM Punk has an opponent, but I would love to fight that man."Those are the words from Mickey Gall, a 23 year old emerging 170-pound MMA prospect who has suddenly become the latest odds-on-favorite to get the "lottery ticket fight" as CM Punk's first opponent i
  
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• 17-Fight UFC Veteran Martin Kampmann Retires from MMA at 33

  06-01-2016 20:19 via sherdog.com
  
  While Martin Kampmann hasn’t competed in a mixed martial arts bout since August 2013, he didn’t announced his retirement during the past couple years, either.
  
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• Joanna Jędrzejczyk nominated for 2015 Polish Athlete of the Year

  06-01-2016 19:30
  
  UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk had a year to remember in 2015. Not only was she crowned the second 115-pound champion in promotional history, but she also became one of the biggest stars in her native Poland.
  So much so that the 28-year-old Jędrzejczyk has been nominated for 2015 Polish Athlete of the Year. Voting ends Jan. 8, and according to her team, Jędrzejczyk is currently in the top three. If you'd like to support one of MMA's brightest young stars, you can vote
  
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• UFC Fight Roundup: Daniel Sarafian gets new opponent with Sam Alvey injured

  06-01-2016 18:00
  
  The UFC has announced a pair of new bouts for different cards in February.
  The promotion’s pay-per-view event of the month, scheduled for Feb. 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will feature a light heavyweight showdown between Misha Cirkunov and Alex Nicholson.
  Cirkunov (10-2) impressed in his UFC debut in August, scoring his fifth straight first-round finish with a TKO over Daniel Jolly. Nicholson (6-1) earned a shot in the UFC after winning five straight in the regional circu
  
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• Rizin debut leaves questions unanswered

  06-01-2016 17:00
  
  The two Rizin shows this past week at the Saitama Super Arena saw an attempt to revive the spirit of the Pride Fighting Championship. Some of that was good, and some was not. But when it was over, there was no easy answer as to whether the once-booming Japanese MMA scene will be revived. Nobuyuki Sakakibara's attempt to revive the memories of the Pride Fighting Championships, built around the stars of a decade ago, was a reminder, sometimes fun and sometimes painful, that time marches on.Aside f
  
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• Live Chat: UFC 195 results, 10-point must system discussion, Cruz vs. Dillashaw preview

  06-01-2016 15:46
  
  This is the Promotional Malpractice Live Chat.
  UFC 195 results are in the books and they're worth talking about. There's parity at the top of the welterweight division, Brian Ortega continues to make improvements, Stipe Miocic has a strong case for a title shot, Albert Tumenov moved up the divisional ladder, Dustin Poirier proved his leaving of featherweight was the right call, Michael McDonald reminded everyone of what we missed in his absence and more.
  The heaviest discussion centers on the co
  
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• Mickey Gall anticipates bout with CM Punk: 'I hit that dude, and he’s not going to like it'

  06-01-2016 15:00
  
  On paper, 23-year-old New Jersey welterweight Mickey Gall makes all kinds of sense as a debut opponent for professional-wrestler-turned-UFC-fighter CM Punk.
  Punk – who has never competed in MMA at either the professional or the amateur level – signed with the UFC in December of 2014 but has yet to fight for the promotion. A shoulder injury has delayed his debut, but he is expected to fight this year against a fighter "who is 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, something like that" in his inaugural bout,
  
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• Morning Report: Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren get together to bash 'whiner' Johny Hendricks

  06-01-2016 14:00
  
  Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley have had beef with Johny Hendricks for years.
  Long before they became stars in MMA, the pair of Missouri Tigers were dealing with the former UFC welterweight champ on the mats.
  Hendricks beat both men in amateur wrestling and they've each been pushing to fight him since the lot became pro fighters in the late aughts.
  "I've been around Johny since I was 16 when he beat me at the Junior National Championships," Askren told Woodley on his podcast. "I understand what kin
  
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• Women's flyweight prospect Ilima MacFarlane faces Amber Tackett at Bellator 148

  06-01-2016 09:00
  
  Bellator's first event of the New Year is getting a women's bout.
  Prospect Ilima MacFarlane will meet Amber Tackett in the featured prelim of Bellator 148 on Jan. 29 in Fresno, Calif., sources told MMA Fighting. UFC officials confirmed the bout Tuesday night.
  MacFarlane (2-0) was one of the principles in a fight that spurred a California state investigation last year. The San Diego resident viciously knocked out Katie Castro, an opponent who seemed unfit to fight, in a bout for controversial, un
  
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• Josh Koscheck injured, out of Bellator debut

  06-01-2016 08:15
  
  Josh Koscheck's Bellator debut is going to have to wait.
  The MMA star is injured and out of his main event fight with Matt Secor at Bellator 148 on Jan. 29 in Fresno, Calif., Bellator officials confirmed with MMA Fighting on Tuesday. The extent of the injury was not disclosed. Secor is not expected to be on the card.
  Sherdog.com was the first to report the news .
  A welterweight fight between Paul Daley and Andrew Uhrich will be the new Bellator 148 main event. The co-headliner will be a bou
  
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• Frankie Edgar Says He’s Pissed Off About Not Getting Featherweight Title Shot

  06-01-2016 07:50
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5s_c6zJSy8Frankie Edgar, who is coming off a first round knockout victory over Chad Mendes, was told he would fight the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 194. Now it appears that fight is in question. In an interview on the MMA Hour, Edgar made it clear he's pissed off about his current situation.“For sure, I’m pissed,” Edgar said. “I’ve been at it for a while now, I’ve been knocking on the door for this title shot
  
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• Luke Rockhold Says He’ll Fight Anyone At UFC 198 Or UFC 200, But Not UFC 199

  06-01-2016 07:40
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY_gvcfzBnQNew UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is looking at fight at either UFC 198 or UFC 200, but not UFC 199. He explained why on MMAjunkie Radio:“I would say (I want to fight in) May, June or July, but UFC 200 would be cool,” Rockhold told MMAjunkie Radio. “I don’t want to be on UFC 199, I’ll tell you that. The hype for 200 will be so big it will take away from 199. Who wants to be on 199? I want to be on 198 or 200. That
  
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• Dustin Poirier Wants To Fight Someone Ranked In The Top 10

  06-01-2016 07:29
  
  Dustin Poirier is looking for his next fight after a win over Joseph Duffy in the prelims of UFC 195. He doesn't want just anyone though. Poirier told MMAjunkie Radio he's eyeing someone in the top 10, such as Michael Johnson.“Anybody in the top 10 I want to fight, and that’s about it,” Poirier told MMAjunkie Radio. “(Al) Iaquinta, (Beneil) Dariush, Michael Johnson – there are 10 guys to pick from, so any one of them. … I’d like to fight the guy closest
  
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• Nakisa Bidarian named new UFC Chief Financial Officer

  06-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  UFC today announced Nakisa Bidarian as the organization’s new Chief Financial Officer effective January 4, 2016. Formerly UFC’s Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Ventures, Bidarian will now focus on key financial initiatives, strategic goals, and supporting the organization’s overall growth by guiding business decisions and analyzing their financial components. “Nakisa has been a key contributor to UFC’s success throughout the last four years since h
  
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• Martin 'The Hitman' Kampmann calls it a day

  06-01-2016 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Bedtime is early for Martin Kampmann these days, a perk of being newly retired, as well as the cost of having three children who are four-years-old and under. But lack of sleep aside, life is good for the 33-year-old “Hitman,” who officially retired from active MMA competition this week as he settles in with his wife and children in his native Denmark.“I’ve known for a while,” the longtime middleweight and welterweight contender said of retirement. “I just hav
  
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• Josh Koscheck Injured; Paul Daley-Andy Uhrich Promoted to Bellator 148 Main Event

  06-01-2016 06:02 via sherdog.com
  
  Josh Koscheck has suffered an injury and has been forced to withdraw from his Bellator 148 headlining bout against Matt Secor.
  
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• WSOF 27 main card finalized with two new bouts

  06-01-2016 04:00
  
  World Series of Fighting added a lightweight bout between Bryce Mitchell and Jorge Medina, along with a welterweight bout between Jaleel Willis and Chauncey Foxworth, to complete the main card of its first event of the year. The news was announced by the promotion on Tuesday.
  Mitchel, 21, has submitted all his opponents since making his professional debut last January. He's currently 4-0. His opponent, Medina is 4-2 as a professional and is coming off a TKO loss against Pedro Gomes at Valor Figh
  
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• Rizin Working On Event In Russia, Fedor To Headline April 17th Show

  06-01-2016 03:51
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FO7ZYLu-dgRizin Fighting Federation CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara is working on hosting an MMA event in Russia. The potential event would feature Ukranian fighter Fedor Emelianenko, who the company views as their biggest draw.“If possible, we want to organize the tournament Rizin in Russia as soon as possible,” Sakakibara told rsport.ru. “And, perhaps, it will happen in 2016. Yesterday, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technolog
  
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• Diego Sanchez Moving Up In Weight Class For Next Fight

  06-01-2016 03:15
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6lnpgh8Ba0Octagon veteran Diego Sanchez announced on Tuesday that he'll be returning to the lightweight division. Sanchez most recently lost to Ricardo Lamas in a featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night 78.“My next fight will be at 155,” he wrote on Twitter. “It was a bit [too] much weight to cut without the IVs.”Sanchez is 2-4 in his last five bouts. There's no word on when or who he'll fight next as a lightweight.https://twitter.com/DiegoS
  
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• 'King Mo' calls out Fedor Emelianenko, wants fight to happen in Bellator

  06-01-2016 02:00
  
  Muhammed Lawal wants to fight MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko inside the Bellator cage. "King Mo" called out the former Pride FC heavyweight champion via twitter on Monday.King Mo vs Fedor needs to take place in the @bellatormma cage. Make it free on @spiketv. Retweet this
  — King Mo (@KingMoFH) January 5, 2016
  King Mo vs Fedor.....In the @bellatormma cage....on @spiketv.....in Dallas, TX
  — King Mo (@KingMoFH) January 5, 2016Both Emelianenko and "King Mo" last competed on New Year's Eve
  
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• Bamgbose Replaces Injured Alvey, Meets Sarafian at UFC Fight Night Pittsburgh

  06-01-2016 01:28 via sherdog.com
  
  Oluwale Bamgbose has replaced the injured Sam Alvey and will face Daniel Sarafian at UFC Fight Night “Cerrone vs. Means” on Feb. 21.
  
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• After Brief Stint at 145 Pounds, Diego Sanchez Announces Return to Lightweight

  06-01-2016 01:04 via sherdog.com
  
  Losing weight will not be one of Diego Sanchez’s New Year’s resolutions.
  
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• Titan CEO Jeff Aronson explains hospitalization, says promotion remains financially healthy

  06-01-2016 00:00
  
  The demise of Titan FC has been greatly exaggerated, according to CEO Jeff Aronson.
  Titan's card on Dec. 18 was cancelled a week out due to the health issues and hospitalization of Aronson -- not because of any kind of financial difficulties, Aronson told MMA Fighting on Tuesday.
  Aronson said he had abdominal surgery last month and there were complications. The internal stitches from the procedure tore days later, he started bleeding "profusely" and he had to be rushed back to the hospital. Aron
  
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