MMA news

• UFC Sao Paulo Draws 607,000 Viewers to FS1; Bellator 205 Attracts 346,000 to Paramount

  26-09-2018 23:49 via sherdog.com
  It wasn’t necessarily a banner ratings weekend for either the UFC or Bellator MMA, but both certainly have bigger, non-cable cards on the horizon.
  
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• Combate Americas finalizes date, location for second annual Copa Combate tourney

  26-09-2018 23:00
  A date and location have been set for Combate Americas’ second annual Copa Combate event.
  The one-night, eight-man, $100,000 featherweight tournament will be held on Friday, Dec. 7, at SaveMart Center in Fresno, Calif., MMAFighting has learned.Combate staged its first Copa Combate last Nov. 11, where Levy Saul Marroquin emerged victorious after winning three fights in one night in night of bantamweight fights. Like last year, matches in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will consist o
  
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• Cristiano Marcello undergoes surgery in both knees, postpones MMA return

  26-09-2018 22:30
  Longtime veteran Cristiano Marcello will have to postpone his return to action.
  The leader of Curitiba-based CM System team announced his decision to compete 4.5 years after hanging up his gloves in the UFC, signing with Brave Combat Federation, and was expected to make his debut in December.
  However, old injuries in both of Marcello’s knees required surgery.
  The 40-year-old fighter, who competed for promotions like UFC and PRIDE since his professional debut in 1997, underwent surgery Wed
  
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• UFC fighter Abdul Razak Alhassan indicted on sexual assault charges

  26-09-2018 22:01
  A UFC fighter was indicted for two alleged sexual assaults Monday in Texas, MMA Fighting has confirmed.
  Abdul Razak Alhassan is being accused of raping two women after taking them home from a Fort Worth bar in March, per the indictment obtained Wednesday from the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. The story was first reported by the Star-Telegram.
  Alhassan, 33, was reportedly arrested in April and released at that time on $20,000 bond. A judge allowed him to remove a GPS
  
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• Bellator Hires Former BAMMA Matchmaker to Head European Development, Talent Relations

  26-09-2018 21:32 via sherdog.com
  Bellator MMA continues to take steps to expand its reach further into Europe, as it announced Wednesday that it has hired former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts matchmaker Jude Samuel.
  
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• Mark Hunt vs. Justin Willis added to UFC Adelaide

  26-09-2018 20:30
  Mark Hunt will look to ride off into the sunset on a high note when he takes on fellow heavyweight Justin Willis at UFC Adelaide in December.
  MMAFighting confirmed the initial report from ESPN.
  Willis also took to his Instagram to confirm the matchup Down Under. View this post on InstagramI apologize ahead of time @markhuntfighter . God bless you. @ufc Adelaide Australia December 2nd . .#outworkthemall . *********A post shared byJustin Willis (@bigprettymma) on Sep 25, 2018 at 8:58pm PDTHunt (1
  
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• Bellator 206 Main Card Gets Sixth Bout After Bolanos vs. Gutierrez Elevated from Prelims

  26-09-2018 18:41 via sherdog.com
  MacDonald-69637">Bellator 206 main card will be a six-bout affair after a featherweight clash pitting Gaston Bolanos against Ysidro Gutierrez was promoted from the preliminary draw.
  
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• Mark Hunt to Face Justin Willis at UFC Fight Night Adelaide on Dec. 1

  26-09-2018 18:18 via sherdog.com
  Mark Hunt’s request for a farewell UFC fight Down Under has been granted, as the veteran heavyweight will face Justin Willis at UFC Fight Night 142.
  
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• Fighters involved give their take on what happened in bizarre, viral DQ video

  26-09-2018 18:00
  Seeing MMA fighter Austin Batra go airborne, arms overhead, looking like he was about to drive his fists through an opponent who was hardly moving, it was difficult not to jump to conclusions.
  Why would Batra stay on the attack after he’d just landed a knockout blow? Why did he choose such an aggressive and extravagant maneuver? Was it not clear that the referee had already stepped in to wave off the fight?
  The first available clip of the incident — which sprang from the co-main eve
  
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• Georges St-Pierre gives update on health, Khabib vs. McGregor, ‘keeping the door open’ for the right fight

  26-09-2018 16:00
  Georges St-Pierre still isn’t out of the woods with his ongoing battle with ulcerative colitis, but the former two-division UFC champion is inching ever closer to a return to full health.
  “Definitely the worst has passed,” St-Pierre told MMA Fighting.“I’m dosing down the medication that I have. The medication is anti-inflammatory, so you have to dose it down. Not in one shot, you can’t stop in one shot, but I’m dosing it down every month and soon it wil
  
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• The A-Side Live Chat: Khabib vs. McGregor, UFC 230 main event, Jon Jones vs. USADA, Mousasi vs. MacDonald

  26-09-2018 15:30
  This is The A-Side Live Chat on MMA Fighting.
  Today on the show, we’ll talk last week’s Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor UFC 229 press conference in New York and the fallout from everything that was said. Will anything that happened in the presser manifest itself in the city? Did McGregor go too far with some of his geo-political statements? Was Nurmagomedov affected?
  We’ll also discuss UFC 230 and the situation surrounding its main event. Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz wa
  
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• UFC 229 Timeline: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor

  26-09-2018 15:00
  Ahead of the UFC 229 main event, see how UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former champ Conor McGregor ended up on a collision course.
  
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• Dana White Denies Claims From Poirier and Diaz of a 165-pound Title Fight at UFC 230

  26-09-2018 14:34 via sherdog.com
  The Ultimate Fighting Championship still doesn’t have a main event announced for their New York event in November at UFC 230, but it isn’t for lack of vocal volunteers.
  
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• Chuck Liddell Says He Will Retire For Good If Tito Ortiz Beats Him in November

  26-09-2018 14:18 via sherdog.com
  Two MMA legends will throw down on Nov. 24 when Chuck Liddell, 48, faces off against Tito Ortiz, 43, for a third fight, this time under the Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
  
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• Dana White Admits He’s More Lenient With Conor McGregor Than With Other Fighters

  26-09-2018 14:04 via sherdog.com
  Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest star ever to step inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Octagon, eclipsing the likes of George St-Pierre, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey in terms of raw pulling power.
  
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• Morning Report: Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier say they’re fighting for new 165-pound title in UFC 230 main event

  26-09-2018 14:00
  Last year, the Association of Boxing Commissions approved the addition of four new weight classes to MMA - 165 pounds, 175 pounds, 195 pounds, and 225 pounds. Since then, the idea of adding these weight classes, particularly a 165-pound division, has gathered steam with the fighters who claim that making the cut to 155 pounds is too taxing on their bodies but feel disadvantaged competing at 170 pounds. Now, it looks like two of the UFC’s biggest assets are trying to will that into existen
  
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• TUF Heavy Hitters - Episode 5 Recap

  26-09-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Following a rough start to the season on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters, Team Whittaker finally got on the board last week with a win in the women's featherweight division, and they looked to follow that up with another win in the heavyweight division in the latest episode, as former Olympian Michel Batista made his debut against Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series veteran Josh Parisian.Batista wasn't necessarily one of the most talked about fighters coming into the season, bu
  
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• TUF Heavy Hitters: Episode 5 Preview

  26-09-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  The tide finally turned for middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and his team last week, as they finally earned their first victory in the competition on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters.Julija Stoliarenko survived an early onslaught from Team Gastelum fighter Marciea Allen to come back late in the opening round to pull off a stunning armbar submission to get the win. Stoliarenko was Team Whittaker's No. 1 overall pick in the women's featherweight division, so watching her advance was a bit
  
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• Super Six Fights - Anthony Pettis

  26-09-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  On October 6 in Las Vegas, former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis continues his road back to the belt as he takes on Tony Ferguson in the co-main event of the highly anticipated UFC 229 event at T-Mobile Arena. It’s an opportunity for the Milwaukee native to show fans once more what “Showtime” is all about, and if you need a reminder before fight night, read on.2010Benson Henderson I (Watch on UFC FIGHT PASS)https://www.ufc.tv/video/anthony-pettis-vs-benson-henderson-we
  
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• Karate Combat action this Thursday

  26-09-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Karate Combat returns Thursday night (September 27) with an eight-fight event which – in a first for any combat sport – will take place on the 102nd floor of One World Trade Center in New York City. The first two bouts, Gabrielle Cera vs Fernando Paz and Mathus Silva vs Edgar Skrivers, will be exclusive to UFC FIGHT PASS. The rest of the event will be also be live on UFC FIGHT PASS, along with Karate.com and other platforms. That the new promotion chose to hold a fight event 1,7
  
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• Jones needs more than Greg Hardy to be intimidated

  26-09-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  ALL. DAY. LONG. 1PM ET | @GLORY_WS 59 SFS 4PM ET | @CageWarriors 97 8PM ET | @EddieBravo Invitational 17 11:30PM ET | #XFN352 The Return of @GregHardyJr#GLORY59SFS #CW97 #EBI17 #StackedSaturday #UFCFIGHTPASS pic.twitter.com/oXZfvVsBo5— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) September 26, 2018Heavyweight fighter Ray Jones assures any who are concerned that it's going to take something much bigger than the name Greg Hardy to intimidate him. While you’re at it, throw Hardy’s first team Al
  
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• Flashback: Making Khabib

  26-09-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  Khabib Nurmagomedov runs on the track on August 30, 2018 in San Jose, California (Photo by Brandon Magnus)" align="center" /> When we first sat down with Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 24-year-old was already 20-0 as a pro and four wins into his UFC career. Yet even at this early stage, it was clear that a championship was in the future of “The Eagle,” who will defend his lightweight crown against Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 229 on October 6. Also evident back then was his r
  
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• Condit vs Chiesa set for Dec. 29

  26-09-2018 07:00 via ufc.com
  A former Ultimate Fighter winner and longtime lightweight standout, Michael Chiesa will test the waters in the welterweight division on December 29, as he squares off with former interim champion Carlos Condit in a UFC 232 bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.UFC 232 will air live on Pay-Per-View.One of the top welterweights of this era, Albuquerque's Condit was a longtime WEC champion before making his move to the UFC, where he struck gold with a 2012 win over Nick Diaz. Now looking to get back
  
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• Light Heavyweights ‘Shogun’ Rua, Tyson Pedro to Clash at UFC Fight Night 142 in Adelaide

  26-09-2018 05:27 via sherdog.com
  A light heavyweight contest pitting Mauricio Rua against Tyson Pedro has been added to the UFC Fight Night 142 lineup.
  
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• Michael Chiesa to Make Welterweight Debut vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 232

  26-09-2018 05:12 via sherdog.com
  Michael Chiesa will make his first 170-pound foray against Carlos Condit at UFC 232.
  
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• Report: Abdul Razak Alhassan Indicted on Sexual Assault Charge While Working as Bouncer

  26-09-2018 04:46 via sherdog.com
  Abdul Razak Alhassan fought at UFC 228 while facing sexual assault charges for an alleged rape of two women, according to a report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  
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• Italian Commission Overturns UFC Fighter Mara Romero Borella’s Win From 2014

  26-09-2018 03:48 via sherdog.com
  It appears that Mara Romero Borella has lost a victory that occurred nearly four years ago.
  
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• Middleweight, welterweight playoffs set for PFL 10 in Washington, D.C.

  26-09-2018 03:00
  The Professional Fighters League playoffs are rolling into the nation’s capital.
  On Monday, officials announced via press release that PFL 10 will take place at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Congress Heights, Washington, D.C., on Oct. 20. Fighters from the middleweight and welterweight divisions will compete twice in the same evening for the chance to advance to the league’s season finale on Dec. 31 where they will compete for a championship belt and a $1 million prize.
  Curr
  
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• C.B. Dollaway upset at Herb Dean’s controversial UFC Moscow stoppage: ‘I don’t feel like I got protected’

  26-09-2018 02:00
  C.B. Dollaway’s short-notice matchup against Khalid Murtazaliev ended up being one of the biggest headlines out of UFC Moscow for all of the wrong reasons.
  Dollaway faced Octagon newcomer Murtazaliev on less than a week’s notice earlier this month at UFC Moscow after his first two scheduled opponents, Omari Akhmedov and Artem Frolov, withdrew from the middleweight contest. Dollaway ultimately lost the fight via second-round TKO, but it was the way he lost the fight that ignited a fi
  
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• C.B. Dollaway on Herb Dean’s controversial UFC Moscow stoppage: ‘I don’t feel like I got protected’

  26-09-2018 02:00
  C.B. Dollaway’s short-notice matchup against Khalid Murtazaliev ended up being one of the biggest headlines out of UFC Moscow for all of the wrong reasons.
  Dollaway faced Octagon newcomer Murtazaliev on less than a week’s notice earlier this month at UFC Moscow after his first two scheduled opponents, Omari Akhmedov and Artem Frolov, withdrew from the middleweight contest. Dollaway ultimately lost the fight via second-round TKO, but it was the way he lost the fight that ignited a fi
  
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• Carlos Condit vs. Michael Chiesa targeted for UFC 232

  26-09-2018 01:35
  The UFC’s traditional year-end card is getting a potential barnburner.
  Michael Chiesa will move up to welterweight and take on a returning Carlos Condit at UFC 232 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas, sources confirmed with MMA Fighting. ESPN was the first to report the news.
  Chiesa (14-4) vowed to move up to welterweight following an injury leading him to miss weight at UFC 226 in July. The Washington native dropped that bout to Anthony Pettis by second-round submission. Chiesa, 30, has lost two str
  
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• UFC, Bellator both pull third-lowest prime time numbers of 2018 this past weekend

  26-09-2018 01:30
  Both UFC and Bellator this weekend ended up with each company’s third lowest audiences for prime time live shows on their main television stations.
  Saturday’s UFC Fight Night from Sao Paulo, headlined by Thiago Santos’ third round win over Eryk Anders, averaged 607,000 viewers.
  The number came against stiff competition that included live college football on ABC, FOX, ESPN and ESPN 2, as well as the Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin replay on HBO, which did 726,000 viewers, a
  
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