MMA news

• Chael Sonnen Says WWE Wanted Him to No-Show UFC Event

  06-06-2018 23:41
  Chael Sonnen has made a bold claim regarding an offer from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). There was a time when Sonnen was on top of the mixed martial arts mountain despite never holding a world title. “The American Gangster” took the MMA world by storm with his trash talking well before most knew who Conor […]
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• UFC 225 Embedded, Episode 3: ‘Smells like winning’

  06-06-2018 23:40
  On the third episode of UFC 225 Embedded, Colby Covington does the media rounds, middleweight champion Robert Whittaker plays video games, Tai Tuivasa waxes poetic about people’s need to Instagram their food, Megan Anderson checks into her first UFC fight week, Yoel Romero checks out his custom Reebok t-shirt, CM Punk takes in a Chicago Cubs game, plus much more.
  
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• Dana White: Al Iaquinta ‘100 Percent Out’ of Potential Bout vs. Justin Gaethje

  06-06-2018 23:39 via sherdog.com
  Recently, Al Iaquinta and Justin Gaethje exchanged words on social media regarding a potential bout between the all-action lightweights.
  
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• Two Title Bouts Top One ‘Pinnacle of Power’ Lineup in Macau on June 23

  06-06-2018 23:03 via sherdog.com
  One Championship “Pinnacle of Power” will feature of pair of title bouts on June 23.
  
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• ONE Championship returns to Macau with two title fights

  06-06-2018 23:00
  A title unification bout between flyweights Adriano Moraes and Geje Eustaquio is official for June 23’s ONE Championship card in Macau, China. The rematch will co-headline the card, that has Xiong Jing Nan putting her strawweight belt on the line versus Laura Balin in the main event.
  ONE: Pinnacle of Power will take place at the Studio City Event Center in Macau, China.
  Moraes (17-2) recaptured the undisputed flyweight belt in August, avenging a loss to Kairat Akhmetov, and returned in No
  
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• Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo II Reportedly Being Finalized For UFC 227

  06-06-2018 22:05
  It looks like the return of UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is being finalized for later this year. Johnson hasn’t competed since his amazing October win over Ray Borg, in which he broke the UFC’s all-time consecutive title defense record, where he pulled off one of the most amazing submissions in UFC history. After negotiations […]
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• Conor McGregor Claims he Was Set to Compete at UFC 224

  06-06-2018 21:37
  Conor McGregor has claimed original plans called for him to compete at UFC 224. UFC 224 took place last month inside the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A women’s bantamweight title bout between champion Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington headlined the card. The event didn’t gain much buzz, but that certainly would’ve changed if original plans had come […]
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• PFL 1 weigh-in video, fight card

  06-06-2018 21:30
  At PFL 1 weigh-ins, the 24 fighters slated to be at Thursday’s event in New York City will square off Wednesday afternoon.
  Andre Harrison faces Jumabieke Tuerxun in the main event.
  Check it out below at 4 p.m. ET.Main Card (NBC Sports Network)
  Andre Harrison (145.25) vs. Jumabieke Tuerxun (144.75)
  Lance Palmer (145.5) vs. Bekbulat Magomedov (145.25)
  Timur Valiev (146) vs. Max Coga (145.5)
  Alex Nicholson (214.5) vs. Jake Heun (224)
  Preliminary Card (Facebook)
  Jared Rosholt (245) vs. Valdri
  
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• Conor McGregor Reveals He Was Supposed to Fight at UFC 224 in Rio de Janeiro

  06-06-2018 21:04 via sherdog.com
  Had Conor McGregor maintained his composure a couple months ago, he may have had a chance to capture a UFC title in a third weight class.
  
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• PFL’s ‘Cuddly Bear’ Josh Copeland is a lovely human, except when mauling other humans

  06-06-2018 21:00
  Back when he was a boy in Mountain Home, Arkansas, somewhere around the time of sixth grade, Josh Copeland found himself in an escalating confrontation. It was a place he didn’t want to be, and when his tormentor punched him in the face, Copeland found himself afflicted by a temporary bout of paralysis. He was frozen, unable to even raise his arms to defend himself.
  “I remember thinking, ‘Am I going to fight this kid?’” Copeland recalled. “Everything inside o
  
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• Jake Hager Plans to Make Bellator Debut by End of 2018

  06-06-2018 20:23
  Jake Hager, better known to WWE fans as Jack Swagger, intends to make his mixed martial arts debut before 2018 comes to a close. Back in Nov. 2017, Hager announced that he signed with Bellator. Hager is a former WWE superstar, but he certainly has some credentials going into his MMA debut. Hager was a […]
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• Conor McGregor confirms he was supposed to fight at UFC 224

  06-06-2018 20:15
  Conor McGregor and Rafael dos Anjos were close to settling a beef that began over two years ago.
  On Wednesday, “The Notorious” celebrated his top-five placement on Forbes’s 2018 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes via social media, while also dropping a tidbit about a recent fight booking falling through. Made it to number 4 on the Forbes list this year.If I had of fought on the agreed May 12th bout in Rio De Janeiro, I would have surpassed Ronaldo and Messi to tak
  
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• CM Punk On How Trial Against WWE Doctor Affected His UFC 225 Preparations (Video)

  06-06-2018 20:03
  As UFC 225 continues to rapidly approach, former WWE Superstar CM Punk is gearing up for his second trip to the Octagon. Before he does so, which goes down this Saturday night near his hometown of Chicago, Illinois at the United Center, Punk closed a very important chapter of his life and career this week. […]
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• UFC Utica Medical Suspensions: Jimmie Rivera Sidelined For 90 Days

  06-06-2018 19:49
  Jimmie Rivera will have to sit a while following UFC Utica. This past Sunday night (June 1), UFC Utica took place inside the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. This was the UFC’s debut in Utica. Over 5,000 fans packed the arena to see some UFC action, which was headlined by a bantamweight tilt […]
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• Duke Roufus Says CM Punk Has Improved “Incredibly”

  06-06-2018 18:59
  Duke Roufus is singing the praises of CM Punk. This Saturday night (June 9) Punk will make his second and perhaps final Octagon appearance. He’ll meet Mike Jackson on the main card of UFC 225. It’s a special moment for Punk, as he’ll be competing in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. In his mixed martial […]
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• ACB set for London debut on Aug. 11

  06-06-2018 18:45
  ACB will make its maiden voyage to London, England on Aug. 11 at the Copper Box Arena.The promotion confirmed the event, ACB 91, to MMA Fighting on Wednesday.This will mark ACB’s sixth show on U.K. soil following events in Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield (twice) and most recently, Nottingham.At the pre-fight press conference for ACB 87 in Nottingham, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir earmarked an August date in the U.K. as good time for him to make his debut under the banner. Elsew
  
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• Aguilar vs. Esquibel re-booked for UFC Boise

  06-06-2018 18:30
  A strawweight bout between Jessica Aguilar and Jodie Esquibel has been re-booked.
  MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani confirmed with sources that Aguilar and Esquibel will fight at UFC Idaho on July 14 at the CenturyLink Arena in Boise. The two were supposed to meet at UFC Utica this past weekend, but a day prior to that event the New York State Athletic Commission ruled that Aguilar had a medical condition that would prevent her from competing. Esquibel was subsequently pulled from the card as
  
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• Jessica Aguilar, Jodie Esquibel Rebooked for UFC Fight Night 133 in Boise

  06-06-2018 18:29 via sherdog.com
  A strawweight clash pitting Jessica Aguilar against Jodie Esquibel originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night 131 in Utica, N.Y., last week has been rebooked for UFC Fight Night 133 in Boise, Idaho.
  
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• Fear of Blindness is What Led Michael Bisping to Retirement Decision

  06-06-2018 17:54 via sherdog.com
  Last week, former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight king Michael Bisping officially announced that he was retiring from mixed martial arts after a hugely successful 14-year professional career.
  
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• UFC Bantamweight Contender Aljamain Sterling Wants Dominick Cruz in August at UFC 227

  06-06-2018 17:52 via sherdog.com
  Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling (14-3) is ready for his next assignment inside the Octagon and has his sights set on former bantamweight king Dominick Cruz (22-2).
  
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• Kamaru Usman Pitches UFC to Africa: “We Do a Stadium Easy”

  06-06-2018 17:42
  Kamaru Usman’s moniker of “The Nigerian Nightmare” is one he carries with pride. And what would make Usman even more proud is to be a part of the UFC’s debut in the continent of Africa. When speaking in an appearance on the MMA Hour about whether Africa would show interest in a UFC arrival, Usman […]
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• Jessica Aguilar vs. Jodie Esquibel Set for UFC Fight Night 133

  06-06-2018 17:13
  The UFC has booked Jessica Aguilar against Jodie Esquibel in a women’s strawweight bout once again. If you recall, they were supposed to fight each other as part of the Fight Pass preliminary card for the UFC Utica event this past weekend (June 1, 2018) at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. Just an […]
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• What if overweight fighters lost points in the UFC? Jungle Fight has done that for five years, and here’s what happened

  06-06-2018 17:00
  Every time a high-profile athlete misses weight for an important fight in the UFC, fans and media start to question what should be done to prevent these issues. Looking at overweight fighters success inside the Octagon in 2018, a 7-1 run so far this year, most wonder if fining them a percentage of their purse is enough, or if losing money ends up being an insignificant downside compared to having an advantage in the actual fight.
  One of the suggestions often made is deducting points from fighte
  
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• Duke Roufus discusses CM Punk’s improvement, court case and being much less nervous for UFC 225

  06-06-2018 15:00
  CM Punk will make that walk to the Octagon for the second time Saturday in his hometown of Chicago.
  Before UFC 225 at United Center, MMA Fighting caught up with Punk’s coach Duke Roufus of Roufusport in Milwaukee, one of the top head coaches in mixed martial arts, to discuss everything from Punk’s improvements, the strategy against Mike Jackson, Punk being in court all last week and nerves going into his debut two years ago.
  (This interview was edited for brevity.)
  Marc Raimondi: Ar
  
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• Cynthia Calvillo to Mackenzie Dern: “Just Move Up”

  06-06-2018 15:00
  Cynthia Calvillo is open to becoming a two-division champion at some point in her UFC career. But as long as she is competing in the strawweight division, she intends on continuing to hit the 115 mark consistently. In the case of Mackenzie Dern, Calvillo questions Dern’s professionalism and also wonders why the fix that is […]
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• Morning Report: Dana White issues a message to fighters -- ‘if you want to hand pick fights,’ don’t sign with UFC

  06-06-2018 14:00
  Last month, UFC President Dana White was having issues with featherweight prospect Yair Rodriguez reportedly turning down fights offered to him by the UFC. White even went so far as to inform Rodriguez of the promotion’s intent to release him over the situation. But the resolution of that issue last week and Rodriguez’s return to the UFC has seemingly emboldened White to take a hard line stance about fighters wanting more agency over their careers.
  On the most recent episode of the
  
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• UFC 225 open workouts exhibit passion of Chicago

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Chicago is home to some of the most passionate sports fan in the world. That energy and fervor was on display Wednesday as hundreds of fans made their way to the Chicago Theatre to see the UFC 225 open workouts.The gorgeous theatre was perfect to host the event, as the loud and proud Windy City fight fans quickly made their presence felt.First to the stage was UFC newcomer Megan Anderson who looked absolutely shredded. She wowed the crowd with take downs and big hands. Up next was Colby Covingto
  
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• Tuivasa: "Arlovski is a legend"

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Filmed while taking in the sights and sounds of Chicago with his friends and team, heavyweight phenom Tai Tuivasa appeared in episode two of UFC 225 Embedded speaking respectfully of his upcoming opponent Andrei Arlovski."Andrei Arlovski is a legend. He's been around forever."It's true. Arlovski brings in a resume of 42 professional fights and significant wins over some legends of the sport to their main card meeting. By comparison, this will mark eighth pro bout for "Bam Bam", and only his thir
  
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• TUF: Undefeated - Ep. 8 Recap

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  The semifinals are now set after the final fight of the opening round took place on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated.Before Team Cormier's Tyler Diamond squared off with Team Miocic's Dulani Perry, Richie Smullen returned home after suffering a crippling bout of cramps that forced him to drop out of the competition when he was unable to fight Allan Zuniga a week ago.Smullen said that the doctors revealed that his muscles just broke down thanks in large part to over training
  
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• TUF: Undefeated - Ep. 8 Preview

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Following one of the more bizarre situations in Ultimate Fighter history last week, the final fight of the opening round will take place in the latest episode, and we will also see the announcement of the semifinal matchups on TUF: Undefeated.Last week's episode featured a ton of drama but no actual fight after Team Cormier lightweight Richie Smullen experienced severe cramps in his legs that kept him from fighting in the competition. Every effort was made to allow Smullen time to recover, but h
  
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• Ngannou's infamous power on display ahead of UFC 226

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  It hasn't taken long for Francis Ngannou to bounce back since his title fight defeat to Stipe Miocic in January. The heavyweight contender who had yet to lose in the UFC and earned finishes in all six of his wins lost in a five-round battle. But his return to the Octagon is nearing.Ngannou is set for an explosive bout with fellow heavyweight knockout artist, Derrick Lewis, at UFC 226 on July 7."The Predator" appeared on trainer John Wood's instagram page on Wednesday looking powerful as ever.Cli
  
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• In the fight business, Covington not here to make friends

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Colby Covington knew something needed to change. After entering the UFC in 2014 with an unbeaten 5-0 record, he took the path most prospects do. Beat a couple fellow prospects, throw a veteran in there, and then soon, the big fights will start coming. Yet after taking that 5-0 record to 11-1, he was still at a standstill in a tough welterweight division.“I knew I was the best fighter in the world for a long time,” Covington said. “I was training with the best guys in the world
  
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• Get to know TUF Cast: Dulani Perry

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Dulani Perry may call Houston home these days, but listen to him talk about his place on The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated, and you can hear the New Yorker come out of him.“Realistically, everybody knows why everybody's watching this show right now,” said the Queens native, who faces Tyler Diamond on tonight’s episode. “I am the life of the show, I am the one that's raising the ratings of the show. Everybody else is boring. Now we have great martial artists on the show and
  
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• Anderson on UFC debut: 'people are gonna be shocked'

  06-06-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Megan Anderson doesn’t just remember the day she got the call that the wait for her UFC debut was over, but the time as well.“It was like 5:20pm on a Tuesday,” she laughed, recalling when she was informed that she would be facing Holly Holm at UFC 225 in Chicago this Saturday. “I was just about to start practice, we’re about to do jiu-jitsu in the gi and I told (coach and UFC vet) James (Krause). He hugged me and I almost cried. It was like a weird mix of emotions.
  
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• UFC 225 Embedded, Episode 2: ‘He’s not getting mind f*cked by Colby’

  06-06-2018 05:22
  On the second episode of UFC 225 Embedded, heavyweight prospect Tai Tuivasa explores Chicago, Colby Covington and Yoel Romero do media in New York City, and former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos gets some pad work done with coach Jason Parillo.
  
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• Nazareno Malegarie’s goal with PFL: Become a millionaire by year’s end

  06-06-2018 05:00
  Nazareno Malegarie has competed for some of the top promotions in mixed martial arts throughout his 11-year career, but he’s never gotten as close to becoming a millionaire as he is now.
  The former UFC and Bellator fighter currently holds the Pancrase featherweight championship, but was granted permission to compete in Professional Fighters League’s inaugrual season that kicks off Thursday night in New York.
  Booked to face former Bellator champion Marcos Galvao at The Theater on Jul
  
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• CM Punk Found Not Guilty in $4 Million Defamation Lawsuit Ahead of UFC 225

  06-06-2018 04:15 via sherdog.com
  Former pro wrestling star Phil Brooks, better known as CM Punk, has dealt with an added bit of stress the week before his second Octagon appearance at UFC 225 on Saturday. Fortunately, the end result was positive for him.
  
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• Ricardo Lamas Proposes Solution to Weigh-In Crisis

  06-06-2018 03:49
  This year, fighters who have missed weight are now 7-1, and many fans, journalists, and fighters are searching for solutions to this problem. One such fighter is Ricardo Lamas, who has felt the frustration of losing to a fighter who has missed weight, most recently to Josh Emmett at UFC on Fox 28 last December. […]
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• UFC Utica Viewership: Event Peaks With Main Card Fight

  06-06-2018 03:08
  The viewership numbers are in for the UFC Utica event. UFC Utica (UFC Fight Night 131) took place on Friday, June 1, 2018, at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. The event averaged 517,000 viewers, which marks the second-lowest for a UFC primetime live event in history (via MMAFighting.com). The previous low was the […]
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• Marlon Moraes drilled winning head kick of Jimmie Rivera ‘10,000 times’

  06-06-2018 03:00
  To an outsider, Marlon Moraes’ head kick of Jimmie Rivera looked absolutely flawless.
  Moraes’ switch kick landed flush, sounded like a baseball bat connecting with the ball for a towering home run, and dropped Rivera to the mat, enabling Moraes to rush in and to finish his UFC Utica main event in just 33 seconds.
  But when you study the game as close as the bantamweight contender does, nothing’s ever perfect, even a highlight-reel finish that will be name-checked years down the
  
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• UFC Utica delivers low numbers

  06-06-2018 02:00
  For UFC, to misquote a famous Elton John song, Friday Night isn’t alright for fighting.
  Bellator has had declining numbers this year in its traditional time slot, and the UFC this past Friday for the Fight Night show headlined by Marlon Moraes’ 33-second win over Jimmie Rivera did 517,000 viewers.
  It would be the second-lowest for a UFC prime time live fight card in history. The only show it beat was also on a Friday, the Dec. 1 TUF season 26 finale that did 501,000 viewers, for the
  
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• Video: Andre Harrison, Lance Palmer PFL 1 open workouts

  06-06-2018 01:30
  NEW YORK CITY — Watch former WSOF champions Andre Harrison and Lance Palmer workout ahead of their respective featherweight fights at PFL 1, which is scheduled to take place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
  Andre Harrison:Lance Palmer:
  
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• Nick Diaz Victim Claims He Choked Her And Slammed Her On The Ground

  06-06-2018 01:15
  The woman involved in the Nick Diaz domestic battery case has seen her claims in the arrest report made public. Diaz, 34, was arrested last month by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police after he was charged with domestic battery. Following an $18,000 bond, Diaz is due to appear in court later this month in Las […]
  The post Nick Diaz Victim Claims He Choked Her And Slammed Her On The Ground appeared first on MMA News.
  
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• Days before UFC 225, CM Punk wins defamation case filed by WWE doctor

  06-06-2018 01:00
  During the week when he normally would be undergoing final training, CM Punk spent his days in a Chicago courtroom as the defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed by Dr. Christopher Amann, who works for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), over comments Punk made on the Art of Wrestling podcast in November 2014.On Tuesday afternoon, after six days of testimony, jurors found Punk, real name Phil Brooks, and codefendant Colt Cabana, real name Scott Colton — who hosted the podcast — as
  
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• Victim claims Nick Diaz slammed her down, choked her in alleged domestic battery incident

  06-06-2018 00:11
  A woman is claiming Nick Diaz choked her and slammed her down to the ground during an argument that turned physical last month.
  Diaz, a popular UFC fighter, was arrested May 24 by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on charges of domestic battery by strangulation and domestic battery, the former of which is a felony. Diaz made $18,000 bond and is due again in Las Vegas Justice Court on June 24.
  Per the arrest report obtained by MMA Fighting via a records request with the court, the vic
  
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• UFC Fight Night Utica Medical Suspensions: Jimmie Rivera Gets 3 Months After KO Defeat

  06-06-2018 00:05 via sherdog.com
  Jimmie Rivera has received a 90-day medical suspension following UFC Fight Night 131 this past Friday.
  
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