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One of the greatest welterweights of all time left his gloves in the cage on Saturday night.

In the co-main event of Bellator 246 on Saturday night, former Bellator MMA and Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Jon Fitch (32-8-2-1NC) clashed with Neiman Gracie. After being forced to tap to a nasty heel hook in the second stanza, the 42-year-old veteran announced his retirement from MMA after a run that lasted more than 18 years.

Speaking at the Bellator 246 post-fight press conference, Fitch revealed that he is still having a lot of fun fighting, but admitted that time is catching up with him.

"I had a lot of fun, but at the same time, the body doesn't react the way I want it to anymore. The recovery's not quite the same," Fitch said. "I don't want to go down a dirty road, so I think it's a great time. 32-8-2-1, it's pretty good. I've got the titles I've won. Neiman is a great fighter and a great guy and a total class act, I hope he keeps moving forwa…

Conor McGregor’s onetime boss doesn’t know much about what’s going on with him either.

On Sept. 12, the news broke that former UFC two-division champ McGregor (22-4) was arrested once again. McGregor was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure while he was on vacation in Corsica. The police released McGregor without charges and a spokesman for McGregor denied the accusations shortly afterward.

At the UFC Fight Night 177 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White was asked if McGregor's current situation could prevent the superstar Irishman’s hypothetical return to the cage.

"I don't know enough about the Conor situation," he said. "I know what you've read. I've read the same things. Conor is retired. I haven't talked to him. I'm sure he doesn't need my help or advice, but if he did, he can call."

The UFC President went on to draw a comparison between McGregor and fellow multidivisional champion Henry Ce…

"The best birthday present I can give myself."-@JArchMMA#Bellator246 pic.twitter.com/OErk6RAKaY

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) September 13, 2020

Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year.

The second time was the charm for Juan Archuleta, birthday boy and newest Bellator MMA champion.

In the main event of Bellator 246 on Saturday, almost exactly a year after his unsuccessful shot at the Bellator featherweight title held by Patricio Freire, “The Spaniard” outworked and outlasted Patrick Mix down the stretch to pick up a well-deserved unanimous decision. In the early going, however, all the momentum seemed to be with Mix, who secured takedowns with relative ease in the first round, took Archuleta’s back and then threatened with a variety of submissions for most of the round. The second round began in similar fashion, as "Patchy" landed a quick takedown, then looked …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill were rewarded financially for their exciting five-round scrap at UFC Fight Night 177.

While "The Karate Hottie" won a split decision from the judges, both are receiving $50,000 bonuses after being awarded the "Fight of the Night" award. The pair went back-and-forth over 25 minutes with each woman having strong moments throughout the fight.

Kevin Croom's Octagon debut gets even sweeter as his shocking 31-second submission of Roosevelt Roberts earned him a $50,000 "Perormance of the Night" bonus. "The Hard-Hitting Hillbilly" was the largest underdog on the card, but now walks away with a spot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after the impressive upset.

Finally, Ottman Azaitar's demolition of Khama Worthy was also given a "Performance of the Night" bonus. "Bulldozer" swarmed Worth…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. In five-round battle that was as closely-contested as they come, Michelle Waterson had just a little bit more in the tank down the stretch. The former Invicta Fighting Championships title holder edged Angela Hill via split decision in the UFC Fight Night 177 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night in a high-paced five-round affair. Waterson received 49-46 and 48-47 tallies from the cageside judges, while a third saw the fight 48-47 in favor of Hill. In victory, “The Karate Hottie” improves to 2-1 in UFC main event bouts and halts a two-bout skid.

Coming off a split-decision loss to Carla Esparza in her most recent outing, Waterson (18-8, 6-4 UFC) was happy to emerge on the right side of the scorecards this time around. Hill, meanwhile, is now 0-3 in contests that go to split decision in the Octagon.

“I was…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 177 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 We’re back with another Fight Night card, and this one did not have fight day cancellations like several others in recent memory. We kick things off in the women’s flyweight division, as once-beaten Kings MMA prospect Mazo (8-1, 2-1 UFC) squares off with TUF 20 participant Kish (7-2, 3-2 UFC). The two women receive oversight from referee Marc Goddard, and with no touch of gloves, they get down to business. Mazo starts off with a head kick instead, and Kish walks through it and tries to lay some punches on her chin. Mazo lets off a few low kicks, and Kish responds with some of her own. Mazo slaps a low kick and gets countered with a right hand, and she ignore…

A fire fight from the first minute!

@RagingPandaMMA & @SarjnCharge are throwing from the start. #UFCVegas10 pic.twitter.com/JMMvBls4sd

— UFC (@ufc) September 12, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sijara Eubanks was simply too much for Julia Avila on the ground.

“The Ultimate Fighter 26” veteran took control down the stretch of their bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night 177, earning a unanimous decision triumph at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. All three judges submitted 29-27 scorecards in favor of Eubanks (6-4, 4-2 UFC(, who has won back-to-back Octagon appearances.

Each period began with a wild exchange, as both bantamweights traded willingly in the pocket. While Avila (8-2, 2-1 UFC) seemed to get the better of those momets, Eubanks asserted herself on the canvas. Her grappling edge was especial…

Conor McGregor was taken into custody by police on the island of Corsica on suspicion of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure, according to AFP Sport.

A statement from the prosecutor’s office released to AFP Sport as as follows: “Following a complaint filed on Sept. 10 denouncing acts that could be described as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition, Mr. Conor Anthony Mac Gregor (sic) was the subject of a hearing by the police.”

The former two-division UFC champion was released without being charged, and a spokesman for McGregor denied the accusations in a statement initially released to TMZ Sports.

“Conor McGregor vigorously denies any accusations of misconduct,” the statement read. “He has been interviewed and released.”

McGregor was touring the Mediterranean on his yacht with fiancee Dee Devlin and the couple’s two children. The Irish star was preparing to participate in a 180-kilometer, 24-hour charity water bike race from Corsica t…

Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Lyoto Machida and Phil Davis went back-and-forth for 15 minutes in the first of two events that Bellator MMA is holding this week. The main event of Bellator 245 saw Davis (22-5, 1 NC) edge out Machida (26-10) over three rounds. The two fighters tested each other on the feet throughout the bout with neither man coming close to finishing the fight or significantly hurting the other. However, Davis was the quicker man and was able to stay more active than the Brazilian. The Penn State wrestling alumnus was awarded a split decision with two judges scoring it 29-28 Davis, while the dissenting judge thought Machida won two rounds.

The two mixed martial artists previously fought in 2013 at UFC 163, where Davis won a unanimous decision.

In the co-main event, Cat Zingano earned her first win since 2018 by largely dominating a game Gabrielle Holloway. Zingan…

Chidi Njokuani made Cristhian Torres bleed, then made him pay.

The former Tachi Palace Fights champion was flawless in his Legacy Fighting Alliance debut, as he brought down Torres with a brutal knee strike to the body and follow-up punches in the second round of their LFA 91 headliner on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Njokuani (19-7, 1-0 LFA) drew the curtain 4:10 into Round 2.

The discrepancy in speed, power and skill was clear from the outset. Njokuani uncorked ferocious kicks to the body, mixed in a few jabs and opened multiple cuts on the Sanford MMA product. Torres (15-11, 1-1 LFA) returned fire with ill intent but never could pin down the moving target. A cut above his right eye worsened in the early stages of the second round, where Njokuani targeted the wound with a stepping elbow. He later floored Torres with a head kick and backed it up with a sustained burst of punches, turning the canvas into a slippery crimson mess in the proc…

Making weight with a tarantula is something we haven't seen yet #UFCVegas10 happening tomorrow LIVE on #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/2uS9s8GEaP

— UFC (@ufc) September 11, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Weight issues continue to plague MMA cards across the weekend. The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues its busy September with UFC Fight Night 177. The main event on Saturday sees women’s strawweight mainstays Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill looking to return to the win column.

“The Karate Hottie” finds herself in a familiar place headlining a UFC card, albeit on a two-fight losing streak having lost decisions to Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Carla Esparza. Prior to her recent disappointments, “The Karate Hottie” had racked up three wins in the division with the biggest a decision win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Always a profes…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is adding an exciting welterweight scrap to its final “Fight Island” card in October. On Friday, Combate first reported that Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (22-7) will be welcoming Shavkat Rakhmonov (12-0) to the Octagon at UFC 254. The two have been booked on the card that will take place in the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 24. Zaleski dos Santos has since confirmed the pairing on his Instagram page.

The Brazilian saw his wild seven-fight win streak come to an end in August 2019 when he suffered a knockout at the hands of Jingliang Li with nine seconds left in the match. Since then, “Capoeira” captured a decision over Alexey Kunchenko, and most recently, dropped a split verdict to fellow flashy striker Muslim Salikhov in July. Of note, Zaleski dos Santos was the firs…

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A new era in Bellator MMA will begin very soon.

Bellator President Scott Coker revealed at a press conference on Friday that the promotion will be ending its arrangement with Paramount Network following Bellator 246 on Saturday. Due to the merger of Viacom and CBS, Bellator will be relocated to the CBS Sports Network starting with a pair of European shows beginning on Oct. 1. Bellator will head to Milan, Italy, for Bellator 247 on the first of October, and then Paris on Oct. 10.

“I am thrilled that Bellator live events will be coming to CBS Sports Network beginning on Oct. 1, as well as the unique opportunities the partnership creates across all CBS Sports platforms,” Coker explained. “CBS Sports is synonymous with iconic sports broadcasting and it is incredible to now have Bellator MMA included in that family. I would like to thank Para…

We got ourselves a #Middleweight Showdown in #SouthDakota tomorrow night at #LFA91! @ChidiBangNjoku (186)vs.@MMAMasacre (186.8)

Photos: https://t.co/1TnZ7ra2e6@ogRISK@AthleticCBD@GLCDirect2000@USENDmoney@IncaKolaUSA@SanfordPentagon@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/mrMFjIIHBc

— LFA (@LFAfighting) September 11, 2020 In what seems to be a theme this weekend across MMA cards, a fighter placed high on this Legacy Fighting Alliance event has missed weight. The second phase of the LFA’s return is coming to an end on Friday as LFA 91 takes place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The eight-fight event is headlined by a middleweight bout pitting Bellator MMA veteran Chidi Njokuani against Cristhian Torres.

This serves as a return to the regional scene for Njokuani (18-7, 1 NC), who had competed inside the Bellator cage since 2015. While he faltered in his last two bouts in the promotion against Rafael Carvalho and John Salter, “Chidi Chidi Bang Bang” h…

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Both parts of this weekend’s Bellator MMA doubleheader have been marred by fighters missing weight by a wide margin.

Bellator 246 ends the weekend on Sept. 12 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The top-billed match of the event is for the vacant bantamweight throne, as Juan Archuleta (24-2) squares off with Patrick Mix (13-0). A featherweight in his last three bouts, Archuleta competed in the Bellator featherweight grand prix and lost in a title fight to Patricio Freire just under one year ago. Since then, the California native bounced back with a decision win in January over Henry Corrales at 145 pounds to earn a bantamweight title shot. He weighed in at 134.6 pounds to make the championship limit with relative ease.

Facing Archuleta will be the unbeaten Mix, who has stormed through Bellator competition by racking up two first-…

One: A New Breed 2 confirmed once more that Thailand is the queen when it comes to striking sports.

In the main event, Pongsiri PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym took on Sean Clancy in a muay Thai contest in One's bantamweight division. Pongsiri carved up his opponent with his surgical striking as soon as the fight started and punished his opponent for all three rounds. In Round 2, the Thai fighter sent his opponent crashing to the canvas with a vicious elbow, but Clancy managed to recover in time and survive to reach the end of the round and eventually go the distance. At the end of the battle, all three judges rewarded Pongsiri with a unanimous decision victory.

The co-headlining match featured a kickboxing clash between Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Fahdi Khaled in the One flyweight division. Many predicted a flawless victory for Superlek, but much to everyone's surprise, Khaled took it to his veteran opponent. “The Kicking Machine” made the most of his years of experience and topped…

Bellator will hold an event in Paris, France on Oct. 10, multiple sources say.

This will mark the first major MMA event ever in France. MMA was finally recognized as a legal sport in France earlier this year.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 11, 2020 Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Editor's note: The article has been updated at 11:50 a.m. on Sept. 11 to reflect additional information released by the organization.

Bellator MMA is blazing a new path never traveled by any major MMA promotion.

On Thursday night, ESPN announced that the organization based out of California would be putting on a card on Oct. 10. The card now has two fights scheduled: Cheick Kongo (30-10-2, 1 NC) against Tim Johnson (14-6) at heavyweight, and Michael Page (17-1) taking on Ross Houston (8-0, 1 NC) in the welterweight division. The card is scheduled to take pla…

This just in:

Next month's highly-anticipated Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson fight isn't in the works anymore, according to Poirier.

"UFC and I didn't come to terms," Poirier told ESPN. "I will not be fighting on Oct. 24."

Poirier will return home to Lafayette next week.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 10, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship lost a fight that was never officially announced but fans strongly desired.

On Thursday, ESPN reported that the speculated lightweight affair between Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) and Tony Ferguson (25-4) will not be going down on UFC 254 like some had hoped. Although never on the books, UFC President Dana White hinted at the pairing, while admitting at the time that agreements were not yet in place. The match was considered to be hel…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuRThj1Yd20&w=560&h=315] Two red-hot European prospects are clashing in the last installment of the Brave Combat Federation “Kombat Kingdom” series.

Sherdog has learned from a person with knowledge of the situation that highly touted prospect Muhammad Mokaev (2-0) has found an opponent for Brave CF 43. At bantamweight, he will lock horns with fellow unbeaten Jamie Kelly (3-0), and they will be competing on Oct. 1 in Bahrain. The source asked for anonymity since the news isn’t official yet.

Mokaev turned pro after 23 consecutive amateur victories. “The Punisher” didn’t disappoint in his professional debut by taking home an impressive unanimous decision victory over Glenn McVeigh at Brave CF 37. A few days later, he overcame Hayden Sheriff with ease with a first-round TKO victory in the main event of Celtic Gladiator 27. Kelly will be the first man the young prospect has faced as a pro that has won a match, with his two prior opp…

My UFC career just keeps getting more interesting every fight lol

— Brok Weaver UFC (@BWeaverufc) September 10, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship card this weekend has experienced a few sudden changes to its lineup. On Wednesday night, Brok Weaver (15-5) posted on Twitter that his opponent has changed and that he will no longer be meeting Frank Camacho. BJPenn.com reported on Thursday morning that in Camacho’s stead – who is withdrawing due to a positive COVID-19 test, per MMA Fighting – will be Jalin Turner (9-5), who saw a matchup fall through on fight day last week when Thiago Moises tested positive for COVID-19. The two will be squaring off at a 165-pound catchweight at UFC Fight Night 177, which takes place on Sept. 12 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Weaver is looking to bounce b…

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Making weight was not just a formality ahead of the first card of Bellator MMA’s final Paramount Network doubleheader.

Bellator 245 goes down on Sept. 11 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Sitting atop the card is a light heavyweight rematch between Phil Davis (21-5, 1 NC) and Lyoto Machida (26-9), where the two top contenders will run back their 2013 match that saw Davis emerge with a contentious decision win in what was then a contender for Sherdog’s 2013 “Robbery of the Year.”

Since dropping a split verdict to current champ Vadim Nemkov in November 2018, Davis has been on a run that has seen him prevail by back-to-back third-round knockout wins. “Mr. Wonderful” smashed Liam McGeary’s jaw in April 2019, and then followed that performance by battering Karl Albrektsson in October. The career light heavyweight had no issue maki…

RELENTLESS!!

@KChimaev with ANOTHER absolutely dominant performance at #UFCFightIsland3! #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/Pgz10oUYFe

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) July 26, 2020 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Khamzat Chimaev is currently one of the hottest young talents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but the promotion’s plan of double booking the prospect seems presumptuous to say the least.

That’s how Chimaev’s first opponent, Gerald Meerschaert sees it. Chimaev and Meerschaert are slated to meet at UFC Fight Night 178 on Sept. 19. The Allstars Training Center representative is then expected to square off against jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia at an event later this year.

“It’s disrespect. He’s got to get through me,” Meerschaert recently told ESPN. “I’m tied for the record for most submissions in the middleweig…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Alistair Overeem’s clinch work and ground-and-pound took their toll on Augusto Sakai over the course of their UFC Fight Night 176 headliner last weekend.

In a recent interview with Ag Fight, the Brazilian heavyweight revealed that he suffered multiple rib injuries during the fight as a result of Overeem’s onslaught. Those injuries ultimately made it difficult for Sakai to remain upright, and he succumbed to the Dutchman via fifth-round TKO at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“In the second round, I was hit with a knee that dislocated two of my ribs,” Sakai said. "When he took me down, he hit me with an elbow that broke two more. So I was without four ribs, so to speak. That got in the way a lot. I could not defend takedowns.”

Sakai did well on the feet through the opening 10 minutes, but momentum shifted after Overee…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The rumblings regarding a Nick Diaz comeback don’t mean a whole lot to UFC president Dana White, who’s had a consistent stream of on-and-off discussions with the former welterweight title challenger.

“There’s been talking, but there’s been talking for years,” White said following the Contender Series on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Diaz’s manager, Kevin Mubenga, informed ESPN that the fighter recently completed a 14-week training regimen and weight cut in preparation for a 2021 return to the Octagon.

This is Nick Diaz earlier today. He weighs in the 175-165 pound range, per his manager Kevin Mubenga.He just completed a 14-week diet and training regimen. This is the first time he cuts weight in approximately four years, Mubenga said. Diaz wanted to do a test cut because ... pic.twitter.com/5A8…