MMA news

• BJJ ace Rodolfo Vieira details transition to MMA

  14-01-2017 23:00
  
  Rodolfo Vieira’s long-awaited MMA debut is scheduled for Feb. 11 in Brazil. The decorated jiu-jitsu ace got used to getting beat up in the process.
  Vieira will compete against Zarylbek Daniyar at Arzalet Fighting Globe Championship at the Mauro Pinheiro gymnasium in Sao Paulo, and the American Top Team product is happy to finally step inside the cage.
  "It took a while,” Vieira told MMA Fighting. "I was scheduled to debut in October, but I had some problems and was forced to postpone
  
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• Vitaly Bigdash Routs Replacement Aung La N Sang to Retain One Championship Title

  14-01-2017 21:12 via sherdog.com
  
  Vitaly Bigdash appears to have his heart set on a lengthy reign.
  
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• Yair Rodriguez perplexed by B.J. Penn’s trash talk: ‘He’s acting like an amateur’

  14-01-2017 21:00
  
  PHOENIX — The lead-up to UFC Fight Night 103’s main event between Yair Rodriguez and B.J. Penn had been largely respectful up until fight week. But with his Jan. 15 comeback fight approaching, Penn turned on the promotional juice over recent days, openly stating numerous times his belief that Rodriguez was overconfident in sizing up the UFC Hall Famer and that their featherweight tilt on Sunday was going to look like a “professional against an amateur.”But while that kind
  
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• Megan Anderson hoping Invicta interim title victory puts her on UFC fast track

  14-01-2017 19:00
  
  There has never been a better time to be a 145-pound female MMA fighter than right now.The UFC will put its inaugural women’s featherweight title on the line in a matchup between Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie at UFC 208 on Feb. 11 in Brooklyn. Bellator will pit Marloes Coenen and Julia Budd against one another for its women’s featherweight belt at Bellator 174 on March 3 in Oklahoma.
  First up is an interim Invicta women’s featherweight title fight between Megan Anderson a
  
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• Ben Rothwell Highlights Interim Belt Debacle With Dana White

  14-01-2017 18:32
  
  The UFC heavyweight's tweet to Dana White provokes questions over the recent growth in the introduction of interim belts.When all else fails, introduce an interim title to the mix. Not the words of the UFC top brass, although in the past couple of months we have seen the introduction of a secondary belt to the featherweight and lightweight divisions in times of promotional crisis, and the absence of a champion [McGregor]. Daniel Cormier and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson were due to s
  
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• UFC Fight Night 103 Weigh-in Results: B.J. Penn, Yair Rodriguez Cleared for Battle

  14-01-2017 18:05 via sherdog.com
  
  The first Ultimate Fighting Championship event of the New Year is around the corner and one of the all-time legends of mixed martial arts will be in action.
  
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• Yair Rodriguez Feels B.J. Penn is ‘Acting Like an Amateur’

  14-01-2017 17:22
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq0psjm4f3IWhen Yair Rodriguez steps foot inside the Octagon tomorrow night (Jan. 15) he'll be looking to extend his winning streak to eight. Standing in his way will be former two-division Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion B.J. Penn.The two haven't exactly been trading barbs, but Penn recently revved things up by claiming Rodriguez asked to fight him because he thought it would be easy. "El Pantera" is puzzled by Penn's words and expressed his confusi
  
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• Ahead of UFC comeback, B.J. Penn reflects on a suddenly unfamiliar MMA landscape

  14-01-2017 17:00
  
  When one talks about B.J. Penn, it helps to specify which version of “The Prodigy” they mean.There was the fire-breathing B.J. Penn from the early days, the take-no-prisoners wunderkind who defied logic and weight classes and implausibly topped himself with every single fight. Then there was B.J. the Legend, the motivated two-division champion who nursed the lightweight class back to health and supped from the blood of his slaughtered enemies. That B.J. Penn was one of the greatest t
  
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• Video: John Moraga Says ‘The Pressure’s on’ Him at UFC Phoenix in Media Scrum

  14-01-2017 16:39
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeJIScfSboUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight John Moraga is no stranger to adversity. The battle tested mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran has said he's been viewed as an underdog in not just his career, but his life.His bout with Sergio Pettis at tomorrow night's (Jan. 15) UFC Fight Night event is no exception. Moraga will be competing in his hometown, but oddsmakers are slightly favoring Pettis.Perhaps Moraga's back-to-back losses to Joseph Benavidez
  
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• Fight Journal: Rachael Ostovich

  14-01-2017 16:30
  
  In this fight journal, get an inside look into Rachael Ostovich's Invicta FC 17 fight against Ariel Beck that she won via split decision.
  Fight footage courtesy of Invicta FC.
  
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• Fightweets: So, about Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor ...

  14-01-2017 16:00
  
  For all of about a day, there, it seemed like a semblance of sanity had returned to the mixed martial arts world. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson was announced Thursday for UFC 209, paired up with a welterweight title rematch between Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson.
  It was as if the MMA Gods were giving hardcore fans of the actual sport end of this sport a reward for all the weirdness we had to endure in 2016.
  Then there was Friday the 13th. First, came a tweet from Ariel Helwani saying
  
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• UFC Fight Night 103 weigh-in video

  14-01-2017 15:00
  
  At the UFC Fight Night 103 weigh-ins, all 24 fighters taking part in Sunday night's UFC Fight Night 103 fights will step on the scale Saturday, and we'll have the live video here at MMAFighting.com.
  In the main event, Yair Rodriguez and BJ Penn will have to make the featherweight limit of 145 pounds.
  The official weigh-ins are at 11 a.m. ET, and we'll have the live results below. The ceremonial weigh-ins will begin at 7 p.m. ET, and that video is above.
  Check out the UFC 103 weigh-in result
  
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• UFC Highlight Video: Watch Yair Rodriguez Destroy B.J. Penn in Phoenix

  14-01-2017 09:07 via sherdog.com
  
  Up-and-coming featherweight prospect Yair Rodriguez strolled into Phoenix and destroyed a legend. Now, check out the highlights.
  
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• The Mental Game and Yair Rodriguez

  14-01-2017 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  Only a small percentage of athletes can possibly understand what Yair Rodriguez’ life is like now. Closing in on the biggest fight of his career against UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn this Sunday, Rodriguez isn’t just one of the top rising stars in the promotion, but he’s Mexico’s best hope for a world championship and a role model to kids and adults hoping to follow in his footsteps.A loss in Phoenix puts a big dent in all those plans, leaving him with plenty of weight on his
  
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• Fight Night Phoenix: Weigh-in results

  14-01-2017 07:00 via ufc.com
  
  UFC Fight Night Phoenix, which is headlined by the five round featherweight fight between Yair Rodriguez and BJ Penn, and the lightweight clash between Joe Lauzon vs Marcin Held, airs live on FS1 from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, January 15 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.Four prelim bouts will air live on FS1 starting at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Four fights will kick off the night of action on UFC FIGHT PASS starting at 6:15 pm ET/3:15 pm PTMain Event – Five roundsYair Rodrig
  
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• Leandro Higo Outpoints Steven Peterson, Captures Inaugural LFA Bantamweight Title

  14-01-2017 06:22 via sherdog.com
  
  Leandro Higo made Legacy Fighting Alliance history on Friday night, and he just might have punched his ticket to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the process.
  
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• Invicta FC 21 results: Anderson vs. Tweet

  14-01-2017 06:00
  
  MMA Fighting has Invicta FC 21 results for the Anderson vs. Tweet fight card Saturday at the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo.In the main event, Megan Anderson and Charmaine Tweet will square off for the Invicta FC featherweight interim title.Check out the Invicta FC 21 results below.
  Main card (UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. ET)
  Megan Anderson vs. Charmaine Tweet
  Pannie Kianzad vs. Raquel Pa'aluhi
  Aspen Ladd vs. Sjara Eubanks
  Andrea Lee vs. Jenny Liou
  Elizabeth Phillips vs. Leah Letson
  Amy Mon
  
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• Video: UFC Fighters Asked if They Want to See McGregor vs. Mayweather

  14-01-2017 05:40
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdIelCZ8SwkTalks of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Conor McGregor fighting boxing great Floyd Mayweather have taken the mainstream media by storm. Many have been talking about the fantasy match-up as if it has already been announced. Of course, nothing has materialized.While the mainstream audience is eating the hype up, hardcore fans aren't amused. A lot of fight purists would rather see McGregor defend his lightweight title than entert
  
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• Anderson Silva Believes Conor McGregor ‘Has A Chance’ Against Floyd Mayweather

  14-01-2017 05:11
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rj4dgQW9JoIf there is any chance of a bout between reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title holder Conor McGregor and boxing icon Floyd Mayweather happening, you can almost guarantee it won't be inside the Octagon.The amount of publicity the two combat sports figures have garnered for the fantasy match-up is beyond significant. Mayweather recently claimed he offered McGregor $25 million for a boxing match while he gets $100 million for bein
  
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• Dillon Danis: ‘I Feel Like I Can Submit Khabib Nurmagomedov’

  14-01-2017 04:45
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA2m4X9y15gConor McGregor's Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) training partner Dillon Danis has already ruffled feathers with a few prominent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters. One of them is former UFC light heavyweight king Jon Jones, who recent said Danis was being "kind of a douchebag."Danis has not been shy about his desire to become a mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor. He said Sage Northcutt would be an "easy fight" for his UFC debut. While Danis hasn'
  
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• Lando Vannata: ‘I Can’t F**king Wait to Rematch Tony Ferguson’

  14-01-2017 04:20
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcQ6KAnP0kkWhen Lando Vannata stepped in as a late replacement to fight Tony Ferguson, nobody gave him a shot. "Groovy" gave "El Cucuy" all he could handle. Vannata dropped Ferguson and almost finished him in the first round. He ended up getting submitted in the second round, but "Groovy's" performance was eye-opening.Vannata was given John Makdessi as his second opponent inside the Octagon. He had what many consider to be the "Knockout of the Year" in 2016. He kn
  
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• Joe Lauzon vs. Diego Sanchez full fight video

  14-01-2017 04:00
  
  At UFC 200, Joe Lauzon fought Diego Sanchez in a fight many fans thought it would be a three-round war. However, Lauzon was able to stop Sanchez impressively by scoring a first-round technical knockout. Lauzon became the first man to put away Diego Sanchez in a fight.Now, Lauzon is scheduled to fight Marcin Held in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 103 which is set to take place at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. Former lightweight champ B.J. Penn is set to fight Yair Rodrigu
  
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• Dana White & Ronda Rousey ‘Haven’t Talked About What’s Next’

  14-01-2017 03:39
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDY-hGNY7_kRonda Rousey's future remains uncertain.The once dominant Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's bantamweight champion has suffered back-to-back knockout losses. The first defeat of her career was brutal. Holly Holm avoided Rousey's grappling and kept the fight standing. She knocked "Rowdy" out cold with a head kick in the second round.In her last bout, Rousey competed for Amanda Nunes' women's bantamweight championship. The fight only lasted 48 s
  
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• Marcin Held Will ‘Try to Finish’ Joe Lauzon at UFC Fight Night Phoenix

  14-01-2017 02:21
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNmICr2V4AFormer Bellator lightweight contender Marcin Held will have his second Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout this Sunday night (Jan. 15) inside the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. His opponent will be 38-fight veteran Joe Lauzon.Held had a disappointing UFC debut against Diego Sanchez back in November. He kept searching for leg locks, but couldn't get them and as a result, Sanchez remained in control on the ground. Held told MMAJunki
  
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• Top prospects Jarod Trice, Tyrell Fortune return at Bellator 171

  14-01-2017 02:00
  
  Top-flight prospects and former collegiate wrestling stars Jarod Trice and Tyrell Fortune will make take the next steps in their MMA journey at Bellator 171.
  Both heavyweights with 1-0 records, Trice and Fortune had opponents named Friday for the Jan. 27 card in Kansas City, Kansas.
  Trice, a three-time All-American wrestler at Central Michigan University, will meet Kevin Woltkamp (1-2) of Kansas. Fortune, a former NCAA Division 2 champion at Grand Canyon University, will follow up a first-round
  
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• Report: Bethe Correia vs. Marion Reneau Set For March 11 UFC Fight Night Event

  14-01-2017 01:58
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqiBodzIDl0It appears the March 11 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night card in Brazil has a new bout. Women's bantamweights Bethe Correia (10-2) and Marion Reneau (7-3) are set to trade leather inside Centro de Formação Olímpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza. Combate reported the match-up.Correia got back in the win column in September when she edged out Jessica Eye in their UFC 203 bout. The "Pitbull" was on a two-fight skid that
  
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• B.J. Penn: ‘People From The Gym Said Yair Rodriguez is P*ssy’

  14-01-2017 01:24
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgQKj9fpIqMUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer B.J. Penn will be coming out of retirement this Sunday night (Jan. 15). Staring across from him inside the Octagon will be rising prospect Yair Rodriguez. The bout will headline the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Phoenix, Arizona.This will be Penn's first bout since July 2014. He was dominated by Frankie Edgar in their third bout. Penn was TKO'd in the third round. "The Prodigy" has gone 0-3-1 in his
  
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• Josh Barnett wins pro wrestling world title, but only for a moment

  14-01-2017 01:00
  
  Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett's first foray into American pro wrestling led to him being crowned TNA Impact world heavyweight champion in his second match with the promotion.
  Well, only for a moment.
  Barnett (35-8), currently under suspension by UFC due to an issue with an out-of-competition drug test on Dec. 9, appeared at the Thursday night tapings for the promotion held at Universal Studios in Orlando.
  While never directly advertised by the promotion as appearing, the word had
  
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• Anderson Silva to Meet Derek Brunson at UFC 208 in Brooklyn on Feb. 11

  14-01-2017 00:51 via sherdog.com
  
  The UFC 208 pay-per-view card has received a late boost, as Anderson Silva will lock horns with Derek Brunson on Feb. 11 in Brooklyn.
  
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• Anderson Silva to Fight Derek Brunson at UFC 208

  14-01-2017 00:48
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ircGxNwJ2ZkJust when it seemed as if fight fans might want to skip over UFC 208, the UFC goes and adds a legend.Anderson Silva, the former UFC middleweight king, will meet Derek Brunson from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event takes place February 11 and features Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural female featherweight title.The 41-year-old Silva (33-8) hasn't won a fight since he finished Stephan Bonnar back in 2012. He lost back-to-back
  
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• Floyd Mayweather Responds To Dana White’s Offer To Fight Conor McGregor For $25 Million

  14-01-2017 00:45
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbVF4Qkm95oFloyd Mayweather is not impressed by Dana White's $25 million offer to fight Conor McGregor.Earlier today, UFC's president put his money where his mouth is and formally offered the two fighters $25 million a piece (plus back-end action) to make this inter-sport mega fight a reality.TMZ Sports caught up with Mayweather in New York City and asked about the offer. Floyd called Dana White a "f*cking comedian" and was more interested in showing off his
  
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• “BAM BAM” IS BACK: Exclusive Interview With Pat Healy

  14-01-2017 00:38
  
  If you consider yourself a fan of Mixed Martial Arts, then you know who Pat "Bam Bam" Healy is and what he is capable of. If you don't know who he is, well then you are doing something wrong. With over 15 years in the sport and 55 fights under his belt, the longtime veteran has been a constant contender at the top of the Lightweight division. Like any veteran, Pat has experienced his ups and downs in the sport, but he is looking to get back on the winning track against fellow UFC Vet Leandro Sil
  
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• Invicta notes: Jodie Esquibel vs. Kali Robbins off, Jenny Liou shaves head to make weight

  14-01-2017 00:30
  
  There was a clipped fight and a shaved head Friday for Invicta.
  The bout between Jodie Esquibel and Kali Robbins was called off when Robbins had issues cutting weight one day before the two were supposed to match up at Invicta FC 21 in Kansas City. Meanwhile, flyweight Jenny Liou had to shave her head to make the 126-pound limit.
  Robbins (4-0) was a short-notice replacement for DeAnna Bennett, who withdrew due to injury last week. It would have been her Invicta debut.As much as I tried, my body
  
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• Anderson Silva vs. Derek Brunson set for UFC 208 in Brooklyn

  14-01-2017 00:29
  
  “The Spider” is coming to the Big Apple.
  Anderson Silva will face Derek Brunson at UFC 208 on Feb. 11 in Brooklyn, UFC president Dana White announced Friday via Twitter. It’s a much-needed boost for a card struggling with regards to star power.
  Silva (33-8, 1 NC) was last seen in the Octagon at UFC 200, coming in on just two days notice to face light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in a non-title fight. The Brazilian legend and former longtime middleweight champion fell in
  
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• Floyd Mayweather Laughs at Dana White’s Offer to Fight McGregor: ‘He’s a F---ing Comedian’

  14-01-2017 00:01 via sherdog.com
  
  No surprise here, but Floyd Mayweather isn’t interested in Dana White’s offer to box Conor McGregor in the UFC.
  
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