MMA news

• ‘Jacare’ Souza almost retired following loss to Robert Whittaker

  12-01-2018 23:02
  Ronaldo Souza is returning to action nine months after a tough loss to future UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, but he was close to not coming back at all.
  “Jacare” was forced to go under the knife to fix a pectoral rupture last April, an injury that was bothering him for quite some time. He chose to fight both Tim Boetsch and Robert Whittaker despite the injury, and it went well against Boetsch, when he won via submission, but coming back two months later against Whittake
  
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• Sonnen vs. ‘Rampage’ Promoted to Bellator 192 Headliner over Lima vs. MacDonald Title Fight

  12-01-2018 22:52 via sherdog.com
  Bellator MMA has opted for name recognition when choosing an official headliner for its debut on the Paramount Network.
  
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• UFC 220 Lineup Complete with Enrique Barzola vs. Matt Bessette Featherweight Bout

  12-01-2018 22:26 via sherdog.com
  A featherweight tilt pitting Enrique Barzola against Matt Bessette will complete the UFC 220 lineup.
  
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• Amanda Nunes’ coach Conan Silveira responds to Cris Cyborg’s attack

  12-01-2018 22:00
  UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg went all in in her attack towards Amanda Nunes’ head coach Conan Silveira, and the American Top Team leader has issued a response.
  Silveira, who has been campaigning for a superfight between the bantamweight and featherweight champions even before Cyborg defeated Holly Holm at UFC 219, issued a statement to MMA Fighting responding to Cyborg’s aggressive words on Thursday.
  Silveira defends the idea of superfight between Nunes, the bantamweight q
  
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• Former Cuban wrestling Olympian Maikel Perez hoping to follow UFC path laid out by Yoel Romero

  12-01-2018 21:30
  Over the short history of the sport, MMA has served as an outlet for several high-level Cuban athletes looking to start a new life in the U.S.Maikel Perez — a former Olympian and Cuban national wrestling team member — recently joined the selected group of world-class Cuban combat sports competitors taking up professional fighting. Fighters such as Yoel Romero, Hector Lombard, Alexis Vila and Michel Batista are some of the names that make the list.
  Perez was born on 1983 in Cienfuego
  
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• Chael Sonnen vs. ‘Rampage’ Jackson — not Douglas Lima vs. Rory MacDonald — will headline Bellator 192

  12-01-2018 21:13
  Bellator will be going with big names over a highly anticipated title fight as the final bout of its big show in Los Angeles next week.
  Chael Sonnen vs. Quinton Jackson will act as the headliner of Bellator 192 on Jan. 20 in Inglewood, Calif., MMA Fighting confirmed with the promotion Friday. Bellator president Scott Coker told The Sporting News earlier Friday that Sonnen vs. “Rampage” will be the main event. Previously, it was expected that a welterweight title fight between champi
  
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• UFC 220 Free Fight: Stipe Miocic vs. Junior dos Santos 2

  12-01-2018 21:00
  The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is rolling out free fights as we get closer to their next pay-per-view (Jan. 20). UFC 220 takes place inside the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is set to defend his gold against Francis Ngannou. The title clash will headline UFC 220. The official YouTube channel of […]
  
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• LFA’s Nick Barnes aims to inspire others after teenage burning accident

  12-01-2018 21:00
  For someone nicknamed “The Phoenix”, a reference to the legendary flaming bird of Greek myth, Nick Barnes keeps things awfully cool.
  It certainly makes sense once you learn the backstory of the 27-year-old welterweight, who is set to main event Legacy Fighting Alliance 30 this Friday in Costa Mesa, Calif., against Curtis Millender.
  Barnes, who now fights out of San Diego, was around 13 years old and visiting from Wyoming when he was involved in a frightening accident that saw him su
  
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• Darren Till: Nobody Can Say That I Don’t Deserve This or That

  12-01-2018 20:24
  Darren Till isn’t letting anyone tell him he’s had opportunities handed to him. Till has quickly risen up the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight rankings. He scored his biggest victory against Donald Cerrone back in Oct. 2017. “The Gorilla” ran through Cerrone to earn a first-round TKO win. With the win, Till shot up to […]
  
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• Patricky Freire-Derek Campos Rematch Set for Bellator 194 Co-Main Event

  12-01-2018 20:10 via sherdog.com
  Bellator MMA will once again try to book a rematch between Patricky Freire and Derek Campos.
  
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• Daniel Cormier scorches Volkan Oezdemir using Oezdemir’s own social media post

  12-01-2018 20:00
  Daniel Cormier and Volkan Oezdemir won’t step into the Octagon for another eight days. But Cormier has a 10-8 lead in the pre-fight trash talk, without a doubt.
  On Thursday, Cormier used Oezdemir’s own Instagram post to volley a scorching burn in his challenger’s direction. The UFC light heavyweight champion tweeted out a screen shot of Oezdemir’s post “since no one knows or follows you.”
  Savage post @volkan_oezdemir but since no one knows or follows you I&rs
  
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• Bellator 192 Countdown, Episode 2: ‘Training? It’s just Rampage’

  12-01-2018 19:30
  In the second of a three-part series leading up to Bellator 192 on Jan. 20, Chael Sonnen drops some rhymes and enjoys some family time, while Quinton “Rampage” Jackson gets serious about winning the Heavyweight World Grand Prix.
  
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• Ex-Bellator Commentator Jimmy Smith Signs Deal to Join UFC Broadcast Team

  12-01-2018 19:23 via sherdog.com
  It didn’t take long for veteran mixed martial arts commentator Jimmy Smith to find a new home.
  
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• Jimmy Smith Joins UFC Broadcast Team as Color Commentator

  12-01-2018 18:46
  Jimmy Smith has signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). For years, Smith served as the color commentator for Bellator. While he wasn’t the play-by-play announcer, Smith was considered to be the voice of the promotion. After parting ways with Bellator, many felt it was only a matter of time before the UFC would come […]
  
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• Veteran color commentator Jimmy Smith signs with UFC

  12-01-2018 18:42
  Veteran announcer Jimmy Smith didn’t stay out of the mixed martial arts game long.The former longtime color commentator has joined the UFC broadcast team, the company announced on Friday. The move comes just two weeks after it was announced that Smith and Bellator had mutually parted ways.“I am honored to join the world’s premier combat sports brand in 2018,” Smith stated. “It is a privilege to call fights for a living and I can’t wait to join the tremendous
  
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• Tyron Woodley Sees GSP Coming Back For Conor McGregor Bout

  12-01-2018 18:35
  Tyron Woodley wouldn’t be surprised if Georges St-Pierre returns for a “super fight” against Conor McGregor. Woodley is the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight title holder. He’s been clamoring for a “super fight” of his own. “The Chosen One” has called for bouts with St-Pierre, Nick Diaz, and Nate Diaz. He hasn’t had any […]
  
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• UFC 220 fight card complete with Enrique Barzola vs. Matt Bessette bout

  12-01-2018 18:34
  UFC 220 is set to roll out with 12 fights scheduled.
  The final addition to the event was announced Friday, a featherweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2 winner Enrique Barzola and newcomer Matt Bessette.
  Barzola (13-3-1) has won back-to-back fights and three of his four Octagon appearances, with all of his victories coming by way of unanimous decision. The native of Lima, Peru, was originally scheduled to fight England’s Arnold Allen, but Allen was reportedly forced t
  
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• Tyron Woodley believes GSP will only return for Conor McGregor fight

  12-01-2018 18:00
  LOS ANGELES — Georges St-Pierre’s fighting future is once again up in the air. Two months after GSP returned to the Octagon and won the UFC middleweight title over Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC 217, it remains unclear whether or not St-Pierre will ever fight again.
  GSP vacated the middleweight just weeks later, citing the condition ulcerative colitis that would prevent him from fighting in the 185-pound division again. St-Pierre was the longtime welterweight champion and
  
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• UFC 219 PPV Buys Are in, Becomes Third Best-Selling PPV of 2017

  12-01-2018 17:10
  While the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) had its lows in 2017, UFC 219 wasn’t one of them. The final UFC pay-per-view (PPV) of 2017 is estimated to have done between 340,000 to 380,000 buys. These are according to preliminary numbers (via MMAFighting.com). This puts the event as the third best-selling UFC PPV of 2017. The […]
  
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• Following abrupt UFC ending, Pietro Menga signs with European promotion

  12-01-2018 17:00
  Flyweight prospect Pietro Menga is getting back to work.
  Two weeks after getting released by the UFC, Menga (13-0) has signed to fight Brazilian Raymison Bruno Souza de Oliveira (10-1, 1 NC) on Feb. 24, Menga confirmed with MMAFighting.com. The fight will take place under the Celtic Gladiators promotional banner in Manchester, England and will be contested at 125 pounds.
  Menga accepted a fight last month against Tim Elliott at UFC on FOX 26 on less than two weeks notice. However, he failed to s
  
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• Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Manager Blasts Idea of Interim Title Bout

  12-01-2018 16:50
  It’s safe to assume that Khbaib Nurmagomedov will earn himself a title opportunity some day, but the interim tag may need to be left out. Nurmagomedov is coming off a dominating unanimous decision victory over Edson Barboza. The bout served as UFC 219’s co-main event. It was “The Eagle’s” first bout since Nov. 2016. Many […]
  
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• Manager: Khabib Nurmagomedov will not fight for ‘no damn interim belt’

  12-01-2018 16:29
  Khabib Nurmagomedov is drawing a line in the sand.
  According to his manager Ali Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov refuses to entertain the idea of fighting for the interim lightweight title.
  “Khabib’s next fight, we’re not fighting for no damn interim belt,” Abdelaziz said. “We want the real belt, or we don’t want nothing. We appreciate everything the UFC has done for us, but it’s time for a real belt. Nobody is interested in fighting for a fake belt. Tony Fergus
  
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• Joe Rogan Believes Conor McGregor Will be Stripped of UFC Title

  12-01-2018 16:06
  Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) color commentator Joe Rogan has a prediction on Conor McGregor’s lightweight title reign. Back in Nov. 2016, McGregor captured the UFC lightweight title, finishing Eddie Alvarez in the second round. The “Notorious” one made history by becoming the first UFC fighter to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously. Fast forward […]
  
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• Patricky Freire vs. Derek Campos 2 set for Bellator 194 co-main event

  12-01-2018 16:00
  Bellator has once again booked a rematch between Patrick Freire and Derek Campos. The promotion announced on Friday that the lightweight talents will battle in the co-main event of Bellator 194 in Uncasville on Feb. 16.
  This is the fourth time Bellator has matched-up them up for a rematch after announcing it for Bellator 152, 167 and 181. The fight was cancelled twice in 2016 due to injuries, and once in 2017 when “Pitbull” was moved for a fight with Ben Henderson.
  Freire (18-8) was
  
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• Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Possible For April?

  12-01-2018 15:41
  We could be seeing another interim lightweight title clash, this time featuring champion Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Back in Oct. 2017, Ferguson captured the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight gold when he submitted Kevin Lee. Two months later, Nurmagomedov returned to action and earned a dominant unanimous decision win over Edson Barboza. Recently, […]
  
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• Cyborg vs. Holm looks to have been third-biggest UFC PPV of 2017

  12-01-2018 15:00
  UFC 219, built around what looked to be the biggest marquee women’s fight UFC could put together, Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm, is estimated at doing 340,000 to 380,000 buys based on preliminary numbers.
  The number would be the third-biggest of 2017, trailing only fights headlined by Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones and Michael Bisping vs. Georges St-Pierre.
  The number is significant because even though Ronda Rousey had proven a women’s fight could be a blockbuster as a pay-per-view main
  
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• Cyborg vs. Holm looks to have been third-biggest PPV of 2017

  12-01-2018 15:00
  UFC 219, built around what looked to be the biggest marquee women’s fight UFC could put together, Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm, is estimated at doing 340,000 to 380,000 buys based on preliminary numbers..
  The number would be the third-biggest of 2017, trailing only fights headlined by Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones and Michael Bisping vs. Georges St-Pierre.
  The number is significant because even though Ronda Rousey had proven a women’s fight could be a blockbuster as a pay-per-view main
  
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• Tim Williams signs with the UFC, meets Oskar Piechota at UFC Austin

  12-01-2018 14:30
  Two-time TUF contestant Tim Williams will make his Octagon debut when he faces Oskar Piechota at the UFC Austin card on Feb. 18, multiple sources told MMA Fighting.
  The Fight Night card takes place at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, and features Donald Cerrone vs. Yancy Medeiros in the main event.
  Williams (15-3), who was part of the 17th and 19th seasons of the UFC’s reality show in 2012 and 2013, joins the company after winning five in a row on the regional circuit. “The
  
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• Morning Report: Khabib Nurmagomedov interested in fight with Eddie Alvarez if McGregor fights Ferguson

  12-01-2018 14:00
  Khabib Nurmagomedov recently returned to action after a year off, demolishing Edson Barboza at UFC 219 and re-inserting himself into the lightweight title picture currently muddied by Conor McGregor’s mercurial ways. After his win, Nurmagomedov said he wanted to fight three times in 2018, and even suggested he would fight McGregor and interim champion Tony Ferguson on the same night if the UFC would let him. That isn’t likely to happen, but if McGregor does finally decide to defend
  
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• VanZant feels "reset" after moving up to flyweight

  12-01-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Paige VanZant has hit the reset button.More than a year removed from her last appearance in the Octagon, the 23-year-old has changed addresses, changed teams and changed divisions, though she remains as exuberant as ever.“It feels like an amazing reset, honestly,” VanZant said Thursday of relocating to Portland and moving up to compete in the newly minted women’s flyweight division. “I feel so excited to open up this division and to get to be a part of it.“Training
  
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• Usman learning everything he can before he gets to the top

  12-01-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Kamaru Usman is the welterweight no one in the welterweight division is overly eager to fight.“On one hand, it’s frustrating because it’s slowing down the work that I’ve put in and my progression to the top,” said Usman of his struggles to find a dance partner following his first-round knockout win over Sergio Moraes back in September. “But on the other hand, it lets me know that I’m doing the appropriate things to get there.“It’s a double-ed
  
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• Unfiltered Episode 161: Vitor Belfort and UFC Fight Night St. Louis Preview

  12-01-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  UFC legend, Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort calls in ahead of his retirement fight against Uriah Hall and talks to Jim and Matt about Uriah as his final opponent, training at Tristar under Firas Zahabi, why it's time to leave the sport, and more. Before that, the guys discuss the recently announced UFC Featherweight title fight between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar and preview UFC Fight Night St. Louis and make their picks.Full EpisodeVitor announces his retirement
  Vitor on why UFC Fight Night St. L
  
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• Michael Johnson believes he's one of a kind in this sport

  12-01-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  The look on Michael Johnson’s face said it all. After nine minutes and 48 seconds of some of the most hellacious action you will see in a prizefight, he had left it all in the Octagon against Justin Gaethje, and it was something to be proud of.Not yet, though. First, Johnson had to deal with the second-round TKO loss he suffered against Gaethje in Las Vegas on July 7, and he wasn’t ready for that yet. That was a fighter’s pride talking, so he didn’t even realize that he w
  
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• Eye relishing fresh start at flyweight in St. Louis

  12-01-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  The official date of Jessica Eye’s return to the Octagon is Jan. 14, when she faces Kalindra Faria in a UFC Fight Night bout in St. Louis. But for all intents and purposes, Cleveland’s “Evil” Eye was back last summer, when a canceled fight with Aspen Ladd turned into a clean slate at flyweight that she had been waiting for.But don’t say “New Year, New Me” around the former bantamweight contender. 3 more day ......
  A post shared byJessica Eye (@jessi
  
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• Cummings injured, out of STL bout

  12-01-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  An injury has forced Zak Cummings from his Sunday bout against Thiago Alves, reducing the card in St. Louis to 12 bouts.Moving to the FS1 prelim portion of the card is the women's bantamweight bout between Irene Aldana and Talita Bernardo.  In the main event of the UFC Fight Night card, which airs live on FS1 from Scottrade Center, Jeremy Stephens faces Dooho Choi. Read the Full Article Here
  
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• Jeremy Stephens Says Fear Motivates Him

  12-01-2018 05:32
  Jeremy Stephens admits there’s fear in fighting, but it helps drive him to succeed. This Sunday night (Jan. 14), Stephens will take on Doo Ho Choi in the main event of UFC Fight Night 124. The action takes place inside the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, Stephens talked about his desire […]
  
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• Bryan Caraway vs. Cody Stamann Booked For UFC 222

  12-01-2018 04:06
  Bryan Caraway will attempt to get back inside the Octagon yet again. Caraway is set to take on Cody Stamann on March 3. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the match-up. The bout will be part of the UFC 222 card. The action takes place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Caraway hasn’t fought […]
  
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• Cris Cyborg rips Amanda Nunes’ coach Conan Silveira: 'He is loyal to whoever is going to pay him the most money'

  12-01-2018 03:00
  The saga between UFC champions Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes continues.
  The featherweight queen recently defended her title with a unanimous decision win over Holly Holm at UFC 219, and Nunes and her team have been campaigning for a superfight ever since.
  Aside from a tweet saying that a fight with Cyborg is what “everyone wants to see and a fight where we can both leave our marks on this sport,” Nunes has not talked publicly about the topic. American Top Team coach Conan Silveira ha
  
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• Jessica-Rose Clark Details Home Robbery Days Before UFC Fight Night 124 Bout

  12-01-2018 02:56 via sherdog.com
  Jessica-Rose Clark was victimized by a robbery just days before she is scheduled to face Paige VanZant at UFC Fight Night 124.
  
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• Daniel Cormier Says He’s Obsessed With Volkan Oezdemir

  12-01-2018 02:40
  Volkan Oezdemir is on Daniel Cormier’s mind at an obsessive rate. On Jan. 20, Cormier will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight title against Oezdemir. The bout will serve as UFC 220’s co-main event. During a recent media call, Cormier said he isn’t taking any chances preparing for the title defense (via MMAFighting.com): […]
  
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• Days before Paige VanZant fight, Jessica-Rose Clark dealing with home robbery, attack on pet

  12-01-2018 02:00
  Jessica-Rose Clark should be solely focused on perhaps the biggest fight of her career. Instead, three days before facing Paige VanZant, she’s having to deal with being the victim of a crime and a badly injured pet.
  Clark tweeted Thursday that her Las Vegas home was broken into and many of her things were stolen. Worse still, she wrote that the perpetrators attacked her and her roommates’ pet cat, which will have to be “put down.”Someone just broke into my house, stole a
  
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• Daniel Cormier ‘obsessed’ with power-punching Volkan Oezdemir

  12-01-2018 01:15
  Daniel Cormier understands why combat sports fans have an age-old fascination with knockout artists. And he also believes the fans’ interest power punchers is legit.
  “I think people fall in love with power punchers, and I believe it’s just because they’re exciting,” the UFC light heavyweight champion said Thursday on a media call. “They finish the fights in no time.”
  Cormier has personally experienced big buzz around big hitters-- Cormier was told frequ
  
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