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Two-Division Jungle Fight Champ Willian ‘Colorado’ Gets Shot on Contender Series

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n2eSpVAaQI&w=560&h=315]

Jungle Fight two-division champion Willian Souza will face Farid Basharat on Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas on June 26.

The Brazilian known as “Colorado” was champion at 145 and 135 pounds in Jungle Fight, but he has his sights set on UFC gold at bantamweight.

“The bantamweight champion should watch himself, because I'm coming. I’m here to terrorize the division. And I'll tell you how many fights it will take me to become UFC champion: seven fights,” Souza said in an interview with Sherdog.com.

A training partner of Deiveson Figueiredo, the 25-year-old “Colorado” has been victorious in 11 of 12 professional outings, with all of his wins coming inside the distance. Most recently, he knocked out Pacceli Afonso Campos Almeida in the second round at Jungle Fight 106.

“I'm really happy to be able to show Dana how good I am. I have no opponent on my level in Brazil. I hav…

Chris Curtis vs. Rodolfo Vieira Booked for UFC Event on June 25

Chris Curtis will square off against Rodolfo Vieira in a middleweight bout at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on June 25.

Curtis’ management initially announced the booking via Twitter. The card doesn’t have a location or a headliner at this time.

Curtis will return to action following a breakout 2021 that saw him post a 6-0 record. “The Action Man” closed out that memorable campaign in style with back-to-back stoppage victories over Phil Hawes and Brendan Allen in UFC competition. Curtis was forced to withdraw from a proposed booking against Dricus Du Plessis on April 9.

Vieira, meanwhile, was recently cleared to return to competition following a health scare. The decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner is 8-1 thus far during his MMA tenure. “The Black Belt Hunter” has been victorious in three of his four Octagon appearances and is coming off a third-round submission win over Dustin Stoltzfus at UFC on ESPN 26.

PFL CEO Peter Murray Addresses Controversial Taped Event, Harrison vs. ‘Cyborg’ Possibilities

Professional Fighters League was at the forefront of some controversy last week when it came to light that its PFL Challenger Series event on April 1 was pre-recorded..

As a result, the event was flagged for suspicious activity by U.S. Integrity, a company that monitors betting markets, when odds moved significantly in favor of the winning fighters ahead of that Friday’s broadcast on FuboTV. There was some confusion regarding the event, as all prior PFL Challenger Series events aired live, and numerous sportsbooks received action on the event. That ultimately resulted in some unsettled bets in relation to the event, as well as an ongoing investigation by U.S. Integrity.

The PFL confirmed that the event was indeed taped, however, promotion gambling personality Ian Parker was not present on the broadcast nor were betting lines listed or discussed during the card.

PFL CEO Peter Murray appeared on "The MMA Hour” to further address the controversy…

Ex-WSOF Champ, UFC Title Challenger Marlon Moraes Announces Retirement

Marlon Moraes is hanging up the four-ounce gloves following a difficult stretch in which he lost his last four fights by knockout or technical knockout.

The former World Series of Fighting champion and UFC title challenger announced his retirement through a statement released by his manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

“I want to thank everyone – Sean Shelby, Dana White and the UFC for giving me so many opportunities,” Moraes wrote. “I want to thank my family, my coaches, my manager, everybody who has been around and been part of my career. I’m still gonna be around the sport helping young guys and helping my friends. I also want to say thank you to Mark Henry, Ricardo Almeida, Frankie Edgar and Anderson França.”

Moraes last appeared at UFC Fight Night 203, where he suffered a first-round KO defeat to Yadong Song on March 12. Prior to that, the 33-year-old American Top Team representative had suffered successive TKO losses at the hands of Merab Dvalishvil…

UFC 273 Medical Suspensions: ‘Korean Zombie’ Gets 14 Days, Tecia Torres Receives Indefinite Term

Although Chan Sung Jung took a horrific beating in a fourth-round technical knockout loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 273, “The Korean Zombie” will only be sidelined for a minimal period of time.

Jung received a 14-day medical suspension – as did Volkanovski – for their featherweight championship headliner, which took place at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., this past Saturday. Fighters who suffer a KO/TKO defeat or take part in a difficult fight typically receive at least a 30- or 60-day term from other athletic commissions.

The Florida State Boxing Commission released a full list of medical suspensions from the event on Tuesday. The nature of each suspension was not disclosed.

No fighter on the UFC 273 bill received longer than a 45-day suspension with the exception of Tecia Torres, who received an indefinite layoff from the FSBC. Torres lost a closely-contested split decision to Mackenzie Dern in a strawweight bout…

Erin Blanchfield vs. J.J. Aldrich in the Works for UFC Event on June 4

A flyweight clash pitting Erin Blanchfield against J.J. Aldrich has been targeted for a UFC Fight Night event on June 4.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the bout. The UFC Fight Night card does not yet have an official location or venue but is expected to include a featherweight tilt between Dan Ige and Movsar Evloev.

Blanchfield has been victorious in her last five professional outings, including two in UFC competition. The Invicta FC veteran debuted in the Octagon with a unanimous decision over Sarah Alpar at UFC Fight Night 192 before outpointing Miranda Maverick in her second bout at UFC 269.

Aldrich has won three straight within the Las Vegas-based promotion, besting Cortney Casey, Vanessa Demopoulos and Gilian Robertson in succession. The Colorado native is 7-3 during her UFC tenure and 11-4 as a professional overall.

Cain Velasquez Releases First Statement Since Arrest, Urges ‘True Victims’ to ‘Come Forward’

Cain Velasquez has broken his silence the first time since being charged with attempted murder, releasing a statement on social media urging the “true victims” in the case to “come forward.”

Velasquez is facing attempted murder and multiple other charges after firing shots at a man accused of molesting a younger relative of the fighter’s on multiple occasions. Velasquez was denied bail at an arraignment after it was determined too great a risk to release the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Velasquez’s full statement is as follows:

“To everyone that has expressed your support, my family and I will never be able to thank you enough. From the bottom of our hearts and the depths of our souls, we are forever grateful for your love. Your selfless gestures and kind words have given me strength in my darkest times. This story is complex and slowly unraveling as we speak. To the true victims of this case, may God give you the strength to come forward…

Ange Loosa in for Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, Meets Mounir Lazzez at UFC on ESPN 34

Dana White’s Contender Series alum Ange Loosa will step in on short notice to face Mounir Lazzez at UFC on ESPN 34 this Saturday.

Loosa is a replacement for Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, who withdrew from the event for personal reasons. The Wrestling Observer was first to report the new welterweight booking. UFC on ESPN 34 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and is headlined by a 170-pound showdown pitting Vicente Luque against Belal Muhammad.

Loosa came up short on the Contender Series, dropping a unanimous verdict to Jack Della Maddalena this past September. The 28-year-old Fight Move Academy representative rebounded to take a unanimous decision win against UFC veteran John Howard at XMMA 4 on April 2 to run his professional mark to 8-2.

Lazzez will return to action for the first time since UFC on ESPN 20, where he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Warlley Alves in January 2021. “Sniper” debuted in the Octagon with a decision win agains…

Israel Adesanya Declares Alexander Volkanovski to Be Featherweight G.O.A.T

Israel Adesanya might be a little bit biased, but he believes Alexander Volkanovski has reached a historic level among featherweights in mixed martial arts.

Volkanovski earned his 21st consecutive professional triumph at UFC 273 this past Saturday, dominating Chan Sung Jung en route to a fourth-round stoppage at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The 33-year-old Aussie is 11-0 in UFC competition, with four victories in title bouts to his credit, and his resume includes triumphs over the likes of Jung, Brian Ortega, Max Holloway (twice), Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.

“Standout fight [at UFC 273], Volkanovski, of course,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “The G.O.A.T. The featherweight G.O.A.T. Yeah, I’m hyped right now. I haven’t even had breakfast, I couldn’t eat because my adrenaline’s been running. Volkanovski, I said it was going to be bad. It was bad.”

Adesanya and Volkanovski, of course, both have ties to City Kickbox…

Invicta FC 47 Lineup Finalized with Two New Bouts

Your official #InvictaFC47: @ducote_brunette vs @aleshazapp poster has just dropped!

Current strawweight champion Emily Ducote meets her first challenger in Alesha Zappitella LIVE on Wednesday, May 11th! Witness the event streaming exclusively on @youtube at 8/7c! pic.twitter.com/OHNzpg4DXG

— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) April 12, 2022

There have been some changes to the Invicta Fighting Championships 47 card.

According to a release from the all-female promotion, former bantamweight title challenger Lisa Verzosa has been forced to withdraw from a proposed clash with Serena DeJesus. As a result, Brittney Cloud will replace Verzosa and lock horns with DeJesus in a new 135-pound pairing.

Meanwhile, a strawweight bout pitting Fatima Kline against Sidney Trillo has been added to the bill, expanding the Invicta FC 47 lineup to seven bouts in total.

Invicta FC 47 takes place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., …

A.J. McKee Sets Sights on Becoming Champ-Champ, Wasn’t Impressed by Volkanovski Victory

@ajmckee101 already has his eyes on @PatrickyPitbull and the Lightweight gold but @PatricioPitbull says not to underestimate the fight in front of him #Bellator277@SHOsports | @SAPCenter | Friday, April 15th pic.twitter.com/h4ovOLpGOa

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) April 11, 2022

Although A.J. McKee and Patricio Freire won’t ever be the best of friends, McKee believes he owes it to his rival to give him a rematch given the Brazilian’s credentials in Bellator MMA.

“I would say it’s a respect thing,” McKee said at a press conference to promote his rematch with Freire at Bellator 27. “He’s been the reigning champ for a long time. For me, I’d honor him with that rematch at any point.

“The goals I’ve set for myself, I want to be champ-champ. The [Team Body Shop] saying is to be a champion, you’ve got to beat the champion. I still see him as the [lightweight] champ.”

While the animosity didn’t reach the level it did ahead …

Corey Anderson Calls Past Win Over UFC Champ Glover Teixeira ‘The Easiest Fight I Have’

After a career filled with ups and downs, Corey Anderson is on the verge of taking home some championship hardware if he can defeat Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 277 on Friday night.

The bout will serve as the finals of the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix, and Anderson has been impressive thus far, earning TKO wins over Ryan Bader and Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov to make his way through the bracket. The man known as “Overtime” has enjoyed a resurgence in Bellator after suffering a first-round knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz in his last UFC appearance, a defeat that removed him from consideration for a potential title shot in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

It’s not the first time Anderson has bounced back. He also lost three of four UFC bouts from from 2016 to 2017 — including two via KO. This time around, Anderson says a new mindset accompanied the move to a new organization.

“It came full circle. I started off in this game young. A lot of pe…

Nikita Mikhailov Replaces Josh Hill, Faces Enrique Barzola in Bellator Bantamweight GP

The Bellator bantamweight grand prix has undergone yet another change, as Nikita Mikhailov will step in for Josh Hill against Enrique Barzola in the wild card round.

The promotion announced the new pairing, which is slated for Bellator 278, on Monday. Reasons for Hill’s withdrawal have not been disclosed. The Mikhailov-Barzola winner will advance to face Magomed Magomedov in the 135-pound semifinals at Bellator 282 on June 24.

Bellator 278 takes place on April 22 at Neil S. Blasdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is headlined by a women’s flyweight championship tilt between Juliana Velasquez and Liz Carmouche.

A 23-year-old Fedorteam export, Mikhailov has been victorious in eight of his nine professional outings thus far. The Fight Nights Global veteran kicked off his promotional tenure with a decision win over Brian Moore at Bellator 269 and a third-round TKO of Blaine Shutt at Bellator 273.

After a 6-3-1 stint in the UFC, Barzola ma…

UFC Parts Ways with 22-Time Octagon Veteran Alex ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is parting ways with longtime veteran Alex Oliveira.

The promotion elected not to re-sign the 22-time Octagon competitor after Oliveira completed his current contract in a second-round TKO defeat to Kevin Holland at UFC 272 on March 5. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the news.

Oliveira exits the Las Vegas-based organization on a four-bout skid, falling to Holland, Niko Price, Randy Brown and Shavkat Rakhmonov in his last four outings. The 34-year-old Brazilian known as “Cowboy” went 11-10 with one no contest over the course of a UFC tenure that began in March 2015.

The Rio de Janeiro native enjoyed his greatest run of success in the promotion from May 2015 to September 2018, when he was victorious in nine of his 12 UFC appearances while establishing himself as a reliable action fighter. Oliveira’s resume includes notable wins over the likes of Carlos Condit, Tim Means, Max Griffin, Will Brooks and K.J. No…

Strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski to Meet Ex-Middleweight Champ Michal Materla at KSW 70

Legend LegendPudzian Materla

This. Is. Happening #KSW70 pic.twitter.com/zULEU4Kuqv

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) April 11, 2022

A heavyweight superfight between five-time “World’s Strongest Man” Mariusz Pudzianowski and ex-middleweight champion Michal Materla will headline KSW 70 on May 28.

The Polish promotion announced the booking Monday. KSW 70 takes place at Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland, and is available via pay-per-view at KSWTV.com. Pudzianowski and Materla are two of the most popular athletes in KSW history and according to a release, “both men are credited with having a major impact on the growth of KSW and are sporting icons in their native Poland.”

Pudzianowski, 45, is in the midst of a four-bout winning streak in which he has finished all of his opponents by knockout or technical knockout. Most recently, the WCA Fight Team member knocked out Serigne Ousmane Dia, also known as “Bombardier,” in 18 seconds at KSW 64 th…

Dana White Praises Khamzat Chimaev: ‘If You Don’t Think He’s the Real Deal, You’re Out of Your Mind’

Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most heavily-hyped talents to compete in the UFC in recent memory, but until Saturday night, he hadn’t truly been tested in the Octagon.

Chimaev rolled through his first four UFC opponents, with his most notable victory coming in the form of a first-round submission against Jingliang Li this past October. While Li was on the fringe of the welterweight rankings, stepping up to face Gilbert Burns was another matter entirely. The Brazilian known as “Durinho” entered Saturday night as a former title challenger with wins over the likes of Stephen Thompson, Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson at 170 pounds.

Heading into UFC 273, Chimaev vs. Burns was arguably the most anticipated fight on the card – including the two title bouts – and it delivered beyond any reasonable expectation. Most importantly for Chimaev, he survived his first real adversity to capture a unanimous decision triumph against one of the top welte…

Former UFC Two-Division Champion Henry Cejudo Planning to End Retirement

The championship fights at the top of the UFC 273 card were apparently enough to inspire Henry Cejudo to come out of retirement.

Cejudo’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, informed ESPN that the former UFC two-division champion will re-enter the USADA drug testing pool on Monday. Fighters are generally subject to six months of drug testing before they can return to active competition, according to the UFC’s anti-doping policy.

"Henry will focus on his fight and training," Abdelaziz told ESPN. "He never stopped training. I truly believe Henry can come back to win the [bantamweight] title and go up to 145 and win that. He will be the only fighter in UFC history to win three world titles.”

I’m getting back in the pool!

— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) April 10, 2022

Shortly after the conclusion of UFC 273, Cejudo tweeted, “I’m getting back in the pool,” which signaled that the Olympic gold medalist is planning to end his retire…

Gilbert Burns Releases Statement After UFC 273 Loss: ‘I Won’t Rest Until I Have the Belt’

Gilbert Burns is holding his head high following a decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273.

The bout was lauded as an instant classic, and Burns clipped his opponent on multiple occasions during a back-and-forth slugfest but was unable to do enough to get the nod in the eyes of the cageside judges. The former welterweight title challenger did give Chimaev the toughest test of his career to date, and their bout earned “Fight of the Night” honors and could be up for “Fight of the Year” down the road.

Burns released a couple statements on his social media, one via video and another that was written, both of which expressed positive sentiments in the face of defeat.

“Thank you everybody for the wishes, everybody for the messages. It was a tough one,” Burns said in a video on his Instagram stories. “I mean, I had fun. It wasn’t the result that I wanted. But unfortunately, life’s like that. A lot of work, a lot of discipline, but it is what it …

Khamzat Chimaev Happy to Receive First Real Test at UFC 273: ‘I Love My Face Bloody’

While blowout victories are nice, Khamzat Chimaev gained a measure of credibility in his three-round war against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.

To hear him tell it, it was exactly the type of test that Chimaev desired.

“I like that s—t,” Chimaev said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I love my face bloody and sweaty and kick somebody, punch somebody. Make money, I got [$50,000]. I’m happy.

“Before, I didn’t get that fight. It was my first fight like that. I loved it. I was waiting for that for a long time. I had 10 fights and 10 finishes but this fight happened. I bled, sweat and fought three rounds.”

Indeed, Chimaev vs. Burns figures to be at the top of the list for “Fight of the Year” in 2022 when all is said and done. Chimaev appeared to be on the verge of a finish after dropping Burns in Round 1, but his opponent was able to survive the follow-up salvo of ground-and-pound. From there on, it was a back-and-forth war in which both men showcased impr…

After Dominant Win at UFC 273, Alexander Volkanovski Teases Move to Lightweight

Alexander Volkanovski did exactly what he was expected to do at UFC 273, but that doesn’t make his performance any less impressive.

The reigning featherweight champion overwhelmed Chan Sung Jung in all aspects of their fight en route to a fourth-round technical knockout stoppage at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday night. Volkanovski was a significant favorite heading into the fight with “The Korean Zombie,” who was a replacement opponent for the injured Max Holloway. Volkanovski has now won 21 straight fights and 11 in a row in UFC competition — the second-longest active winning streak in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“I said that’s what I was going to do,” Volkanovski said at the UFC 273 post-fight press conference. “I’d been showing everyone – telling everyone all week I’m going to show I’m on another level. I’m raising the bar each time, and you saw that. All these guys can’t touch me. I don’t think anyone’s ever done that to…

Aljamain Sterling Rips Ex-Champ T.J. Dillashaw: ‘His Whole UFC Tenure is Tainted’

Aljamain Sterling didn’t take long to set his sights on a new opponent following a split-decision triumph over Petr Yan in the UFC 273 co-main event.

“Funk Master” used his post-fight microphone time to call out former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, who was in attendance at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday night. Sterling elaborated on his fiery speech at the UFC 273 post-fight press conference.

“The guy’s just been nonstop talking about me, talking about my heart and ... the spirit of a fighter,” Sterling said of Dillashaw. “The spirit of a fighter is someone who’s never going to give up, if you ask me, and I think I showed that this time. I think I showed that even in my worst night, which was my first performance against Yan. That was a shell of myself and he couldn’t get me out of there that night, and he wasn’t going to get me out of there this night, either. I showed what I’m capable of, and where my mental fortitude is at…

Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi to Be Enshrined in UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Fight Wing’

The story of @CubSwanson & Dooho Choi’s all-time classic

[ #UFCHOF | Hall of Fame Presented by @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/kCkc7Uf9sC

— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2022 Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi are headed to the UFC Hall of Fame thanks to their memorable bout more than five years ago.

The promotion announced on Saturday night that Swanson vs. Choi will be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame’s “Fight Wing” as part of a ceremony for the 2022 class held during International Fight Week in July. The induction will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

“The fight between Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi is one of the greatest fights of all time,” said UFC president Dana White. “This fight was an absolute war for all three rounds and both guys left everything they had inside the Octagon, it was crazy. This fight was an incredible display of heart, endurance and determination and it was so good, it was named the 2016 ‘Fight of the Year.’ Congratulations …

UFC 273 Bonuses: Chimaev vs. Burns Easy Choice for ‘Fight of the Night’

When all is said and done, Khamzhat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns may have locked up “Fight of the Year.”

For now, the two welterweights will have to settle for “Fight of the Night” and $50,000 apiece following their memorable slugfest at UFC 273 on Saturday night at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Chimaev, one of the most heavily-hyped talents in recent memory, passed the most significant test of his career to date with a unanimous decision triumph over Burns, a former No. 1 contender at 170 pounds.

Meanwhile, reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a dominant performance against Chan Sung Jung in the evening’s main event. The City Kickboxing representative battered Jung all over the Octagon before a pair of right hands had “The Korean Zombie” essentially out on his feet for a technical knockout stoppage 45 seconds into Round 4.

Finally, veteran submission specialist Alexey Oleyn…

Volkanovski Dominates ‘Korean Zombie,’ Sterling Edges Yan via Split Decision at UFC 273

Alexander Volkanovski is building quite the legacy as Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion.

The City Kickboxing standout was masterful in the UFC 273 headliner, authoring a dominant performance in a technical knockout triumph over Chan Sung Jung at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday night. Referee Herb Dean mercifully called a halt to the action 45 seconds into Round 4 after watching Jung absorb a pair of searing right hands. Volkanovski (24-1, 11-0 UFC) has won 21 consecutive fights and has three successful 145-pound title defenses to his credit.

Jung, who stepped in for an injured Max Holloway, might have been too tough for his own good. Volkanovski was superior in all aspects of the fight, whether it was at range, in the clinch or on the canvas. Volkanovski made Jung buckle with right hands on multiple occasions before dropping “The Korean Zombie” late in Round 3. In between, the champion punished his foe in close qua…

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