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Dreams Come True. This is a translation of one of my tattoos. I always knew and felt it. Today something happened that I have been going all my life to. Thank you Shannon @shanknapp for giving me the chance to show myself in @invictafc. Thanks to my teammates. You have no idea how much you mean to me! A year ago, I looked at you from the TV screen. And I promised myself that I would become as strong as you. And now we are a team. And you helped me all the time on my hard way. And now I am UFC fighter like you. Thanks to my best managers in the world @alexdavismma @alexeyzhernakov @alexandrromashov13 for their well-coordinated work. And help me in every bad situation. Thanks to my coaches who put a lot of effort and work into me @rinat_bahitovich @deoliveira_coach @kingmofh @macarraodossantos @katelkubis @evertonvvoliveira @rocco.fabricio Thanks everyone! The guys from the gym this year became my family. I came here every day, even when…

YOUR vote counts! Presenting the inaugural PFL Awards.

Knockout of the YearSubmission of the YearHoly S#!+ Moment of the Year

“2019 PFL Awards”https://t.co/31dzoglFnk— PFL MMA (@ProFightLeague) February 26, 2020

Professional Fighters League will spotlight its top performers in 10 different categories with the debut of its first-ever awards show next month.

The promotion announced the event on Tuesday. Fans can vote on the PFL Twitter page from Feb. 26 through March 1. Votes from fighters, media and the PFL will also be taken into account for various categories.

Categories include Male and Female Fighter of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year and Professional of the Year, which recognizes a “fighter who used his/her platform to make a positive impact in the community, while also demonstrating character and a dedication to excellence in the cage.”

“We are excited to announce the launch of the …

A lightweight clash between Sidney Outlaw and Adam Piccolotti has been added to the Bellator 242 lineup.

The California-based promotion recently confirmed the booking following an initial report from Fansided. Bellator 242 takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on May 9 and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship tilt between Ryan Bader and Vadim Nemkov. In the co-man event, Douglas Lima and Gegard Mousasi will square off for the vacant middleweight strap.

After outpointing Roger Huerta in his promotional debut, Outlaw saw a nine-bout winning streak come to an end in a first-round knockout loss against Michael Chandler at Bellator 237 on Dec. 29. The 27-year-old Outlaw owns a 14-4 professional mark that includes seven victories via submission.

Piccolotti was won three of his last four bouts, including a second-round submission of Jake Smith in his most recent outing at Bellator 226 on Sept. 7. His only loss during that stretch was a contentio…

¡Lo enterró!¡Lo enterró!

Tito Ortíz le gana a @PrideOfMexico por sumisión con un "mata-león". Increíble. En el primer round...

ESTO ES @combateamericas #WhatSideAreYouOn | #TitovsAlberto | #CombateAmericas pic.twitter.com/2gWHzaCenR— TUDN MEX (@TUDNMEX) December 8, 2019

Tito Ortiz no longer has a victory over Alberto Rodriguez on his record.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has overturned Ortiz’s first-round submission triumph over the former professional wrestling star this past December to a no decision, according to the official results page of the event. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the ruling.

“The results of the fight were changed pending further investigation,” TDLR spokesperson Tela Mange said in a statement. The Texas commission was unable to elaborate further on why the result was changed.

Ortiz tapped Rodriguez with a rear-naked choke 3:10 into the opening frame of their 210-pou…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is expected to plant its flag in Kazakhstan for the first time on June 13.

MMAFighting.com was first to bring word of the event. A city and venue are not official for the card, but according to multiple reports, Nur-Sultan — home of the 30,000 seat Astana Arena — is likely near the top of the list.

Kazakhstan is bordered by both Russia and China, which means there will be a significant pool of fighters from the UFC roster who would be of interest for the upcoming event. Additionally, the Las Vegas-based promotion recently signed Kazak fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, who will make his Octagon debut at UFC London on March 21 against Bartosz Fabinski.

UFC Kazakhstan will likely be a UFC on ESPN+ event.

The long-rumored Henry Cejudo vs. Jose Aldo bantamweight title booking officially came to fruition on Monday, and not surprisingly, two of the division’s top contenders were none too pleased with the announcement.

Aljamain Sterling, who has won six of his last seven UFC appearances, scoffed at Cejudo’s choice for his first 135-pound title defense.

“The fight that no one asked for and that nobody wanted to see!” Sterling wrote on Twitter.

The fight that no one asked for and that nobody wanted to see!#MakeRankingsGreatAgainhttps://t.co/HS2vWe1XES

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) February 24, 2020

Russian bantamweight Peter Yan, who has been victorious in his first six Octagon bouts was similarly displeased. He recently took exception with Cejudo’s statement that he needs to improve his English to be regarded as a serious contender. Yan also retweeted Sterling’s comments on the situation.

“This clown choosing Aldo …

NEW FIGHTER SIGNINGThere is a new heavyweight in town! We are thrilled to announce the signing of @chosenjuan285 at @ares_fighting. Expect the 28-yr-old UFC veteran, under the tutelage of @JacksonWinkMMA, to wreak havoc at a future #ARESfighting events! #MMA #heavyweight pic.twitter.com/GRfkRdry3B

— ARES Fighting Championship (@ares_fighting) February 25, 2020

Juan Adams is the latest former UFC talent to sign a contract with Ares Fighting Championship.

The promotion announced the addition via social media on Tuesday. A date and opponent for Adams’ Ares FC debut were not revealed.

“There is a new heavyweight in town! We are thrilled to announced the signing of [Juan Adams] at [Ares FC],” the statement read. “Expect the 28-year-old UFC veteran, under the tutelage of [Jackson-Wink MMA], to wreak havoc at future #ARESfighting events.”

Adams was released from the UFC after consecutive losses at the hands of Justin Tafa, Greg …

It took Jacob Silva just over a year to return and defend his Fury Fighting Championship flyweight title, but once the cage door locked, it took less than half a round for him to finish the job.

In his first appearance since winning the belt in November 2018, Silva engaged challenger Christian Lira in several tense exchanges on the feet, circling away and landing a couple of snappy kicks to the Lira’s lead leg. A little over a minute in, Silva let himself be walked into the fence and as Lira changed levels for a double-leg, Silva met him with a nicely-timed flying knee that rocked him badly. Silva swarmed with hammerfists looking for the finish, and it looked for a moment as if he might get it right then and there, but Lira recovered his wits sufficiently to grab a single-leg and survive. Silva did not let up, though; he stayed glued to Lira through a series of scrambles, eventually ending up on the challenger’s back, where he pounded him out with a series of vicious pu…

We're headed to PERTH for #UFC251! https://t.co/LcH7VBbeDC pic.twitter.com/el7BDe5yzB

— UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) February 25, 2020

Valentina Shevchenko has a location and venue for her next UFC flyweight title defense.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced Monday that UFC 251 will take place at RAC Arena in Perth on June 7. While the card will take place in Western Australia’s capital city on a Sunday, it will air in the United States via pay-per-view on Saturday, June 6.

The UFC also officially confirmed a previously reported 125-pound championship clash between Shevchenko and Joanne Calderwood. No other bouts have been announced for the event.

The Octagon initially touched down in Perth for UFC 221 in February 2018, when Yoel Romero knocked out Luke Rockhold in the third round of the evening’s main event. That card also marked the promotional debut of current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, while reigni…

Steve Garcia will make his Octagon debut on just a few days’ notice.

The Albuquerque, N.M.-based fighter known as “Mean Machine” has agreed to step in for Alex Munoz and face Luis Pena in a lightweight contest at UFC Fight Night 169 on Saturday. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the new matchup.

UFC Fighting Night 169 takes place at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va., and is headlined by a clash between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant flyweight championship. The card will stream on ESPN+.

Garcia enters his first promotional foray on a four-bout winning streak. Most recently, the Jackson-Wink MMA product stopped Jose Mariscal via second-round TKO in a featherweight bout at LFA 80. Garcia missed weight for the contest, as he did for a first-round TKO win over Desmond Torres on Dana White’s Contender Series this past summer. Garcia owns an 11-3 career mark that includes a 6-2 stint in Bellator MMA.

Pena had a two-bout winning streak snapped…

Jim Crute had his impressive unblemished professional record derailed last September, but he bounced back in spectacular fashion Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 168 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Crute (11-1) wasted no time in executing his grappling game against the dangerous Michal Oleksiejczuk, as he took his opponent down repeatedly and submitted him in the first round. The Pole is a murderous striker, having scored 10 knockouts so far in his MMA career, and “The Brute” made sure he didn’t succumb to Oleksiejczuk’s power. Rather, the Aussie shot in, took “Lord” down and proceeded to force a tap due to a textbook kimura.

The end came just 3:29 into the contest and Crute was candid after his win about his gameplan against the striker.

“He’s too dangerous to stand in front of, so I took him down,” Crute said. “I said I’d take him down and take his arm. I’m coming to win fights and make smart decisions. I approach this sport like I’m going on a hunt. I’m not just wi…

Dan Hooker is one of the hottest fighters in the lightweight division, and he continued his torrid winning streak Saturday night in the UFC Fight Night 168 headliner.

Hooker (20-8) has been on a roll inside the Octagon, having won two straight and six of seven overall entering Saturday’s bout with Paul Felder. As expected, Hooker and “The Irish Dragon” slugged it out for 25 minutes in arguably the best fight of the young 2020 campaign thus far. Both men had to dig deep and each took as good as he gave, but “The Hangman” was the one who had his hand raised in victory, the beneficiary of a split decision.

The fight was better than advertised and the official verdict of the war could have gone to either competitor. However, Hooker landed the more telling blows, scored a timely takedown late and won on two of the three judges’ cards. The City Kickboxing standout delighted his hometown fans inside the packed Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, something he said helped him…

THE GYPSY KING IS THE KING OF BOXING! #WilderFury2 pic.twitter.com/3qDbApeXsH

— ESPN (@espn) February 23, 2020 When Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder first met back in December 2018, it was a nip-and-tuck boxing match that ended in a draw, but Saturday night in Las Vegas was vastly different.

When the heavyweights first collided at Staples Center, Fury boxed beautifully and had Wilder guessing throughout. However, a knockdown of Fury in the ninth and then a near-decapitation of the Brit in the 12th moved the scores closer and neither man was declared the victor. Inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in the rematch, though, Fury made sure it never came close to going to the scorecards.

Fury backed “The Bronze Bomber” up right off the bat behind his jab and he kept Wilder at bay. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist was a step behind Fury early and often and was having a terrible time landing his crushing right hand. Fury (30-0-1, 21 KO) flus…

Dan Hooker and Paul Felder put on a show at UFC Fight Night 168 that won’t soon be forgotten.

The two lightweights received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their headlining affair at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday night. The five-round contest featured multiple momentum swings and plenty of action, but ultimately it was Hooker who emerged with a split-decision triumph in front of his home crowd.

Elsewhere, Dana White’s Contender Series alum Jim Crute garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a dominant triumph against Michal Oleksiejczuk in the evening’s light heavyweight co-main event. Crute landed eight takedowns in less than a round before submitting his Polish opponent with a kumura at the 3:29 mark of Round 1.

Finally, Priscila Cachoeira halted a three-bout skid in emphatic fashion, as she received the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check for a quick knockout of Shana Dobson in a prelimi…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 168 coverage will begin at 4 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Ben D…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC, boxing and the PFL live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are expected to make their way to the ring at approximately 11:20 p.m. ET. Check out the Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Have a question for Sherdog.com's medical expert? Tweet The Fight Doctor via @FightMedicine. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Round 10 Round 11 Round 12 The Official Result

All fighters make weight. RIZIN.21 officially set with 13 Fights at the Hamamatsu Arena.https://t.co/wHDYm3U4SU#RIZIN21

Feb 22, 2020Hamamatsu arena

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) February 21, 2020 Rizin Fighting Federation will hold its first event of 2020 on Saturday, and all fighters on the card have successfully made weight. Headlining Rizin 21 in Hamamatsu, Japan, will be a 150-pound catchweight bout between Mikuru Asakura and Daniel Salas. Asakura (12-1) has been perfect inside the Rizin ring, going 6-0 in the promotion. His impressive 2019 saw him win decisions over Luiz Gustavo Felix dos Santos, Yusuke Yachi and John Teixeira. He’ll look to carry his momentum into 2020, and successfully made the catchweight limit by weighing in at 149.8 pounds.

Salas (16-6-1) is making his Rizin debut and is looking to throw a wrench into the Japanese promotion’s plans. “El Cazador” has won his last two bouts against Jhon Zarate an…

Legacy Fighting Alliance returns to the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, Minnesota, for another night of mixed martial arts action, and all pro fighters successfully made weight.

While it’s the promotion’s third event of the year, it will be headlined by its first title fight of 2020. Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Alex Polizzi will take on Jamal Pogues for the promotion’s vacant light heavyweight championship. The belt was previously held by Julius Anglickas, who relinquished the strap once he signed with Bellator MMA.

Polizzi (5-0) might be lacking experience, but the Wisconsin native has impressed in his career by finishing every opponent he’s faced. He’s fought once before in LFA as he quickly dispatched Pierre Walters in the first round and followed that up with a TKO victory over Daniel Jolly. The three-time NCAA Division I national qualifier looked ready coming into his first title fight well under the 205-pound limit at 203.2 pounds.

Pogues (7-2) won o…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIgjlsDndWs&w=560&h=315] Combate Americas returns to Mexicali, Mexico, for its second event of the decade, and while the title fight is official, three fighters on the card did miss weight.

Headlining the event is a lightweight title bout as the undefeated Rafa Garcia will put his belt on the line against 2019 Copa Combate winner Humberto Bandenay. Garcia (11-0) has won seven straight fights inside “La Jaula,” most recently capturing the inaugural lightweight belt in September after defeating Erick Gonzalez in a fight that went the full 25 minutes. Prior to that, “Gifted” wowed in submission victories over Estevan Payan and Edgar Escarrega. The champ hit the lightweight championship limit perfectly at 155 pounds.

Despite being the same age as the champ, challenger Bandenay (18-7, 1 NC) will look to use his experience to his advantage. The Peruvian fighter had four fights inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he went 1-3,…

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

Kicking off a busy doubleheader weekend for Bellator MMA is Bellator 239, and all but two fighters made weight successfully for the Winstar World Casino event.

The Thackerville, Oklahoma, card is headlined by an intriguing welterweight matchup between Ed Ruth (8-1) and Yaroslav Amosov (22-0). Ruth rebounded from his submission defeat to Neiman Gracie by beating Kiichi Kunimoto and Jason Jackson in his last two bouts. The former Penn State wrestler will look to show off his skills and get into title contention with a big win here. “Easy” had no trouble making weight and came in at 170.9 pounds.

Amosov posts an impressive unbeaten record and has looked great against veteran opposition in Bellator so far. The Ukrainian fighter won decisions over Gerald Harris and Erick Silva and submitted David Rickels in his last bout. He’ll look to cement himself as one of the best prospects in the world at the expense o…

Valentina Shevchenko will continue her quest to clean out the women’s flyweight division when she defends her crown against Joanne Calderwood at UFC 251.

ESPN reported on Wednesday that both Shevchenko and Calderwood have agreed to the fight, although it has not been officially confirmed by the promotion. UFC 251 is expected to take place on June 6. A venue has not been selected for the event, but Australia is reportedly the frontrunner.

Shevchenko is coming off a dominant third-round technical knockout victory over Katlyn Chookagian in the UFC 247 co-main event on Feb. 8. The former bantamweight title challenger claimed 125-pound gold with a five-round verdict over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231 and has since defended the belt with victories over Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche and Chookagian.

Calderwood has won three of four UFC appearances since moving up to flyweight following a two-bout skid at 115 pounds. Most recently, the Scotland native took a split verdict ov…

Lauren Murphy has no time for boredom these days.

After she edged Andrea Lee by split decision at UFC 247, she wasted no time beginning the renovation of her new house with her husband.

“We just bought a house and we are remodeling it before we move in,” she explained. “We have to move by the end of the month, so we are kind of on a time crunch.”

The former Invicta FC bantamweight champion defeated Lee on the prelims of a UFC 247 card headlined by a light heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes.

“It was fun, it wasn’t that much of a big a deal,” she said. “Actually, the walk to the Octagon was shorter than I was expecting. The nerves weren’t that bad.”

Murphy is now riding a two-bout winning streak. Prior to her latest Octagon appearance, she overcame Mara Romero Borella via third-round technical knockout at UFC on ESPN 5. “Lucky” is pretty sure that her performance has improved a lot after she started working with Dr. Matteo Capodaglio o…

FLYING TRIANGLE!

When @PaddyTheBaddy goes for the kill, he is spectacular

'The Baddy' has promised to make a statement at #CWLondon against new opponent Davide Martinez pic.twitter.com/Hq7ATFxIih— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) February 19, 2020

It’s not meant to be for Paddy Pimblett and Donovan Desmae to clash in the cage, at least not for now.

According to an official press release by the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, Desmae has pulled out of his scheduled fight with Pimblett due to personal reasons. “The Baddy” will now lock horns with Italy’s Davide Martinez in a 155-pound clash at Cage Warriors 113. 

Pimblett (14-3) is looking to bounce back after a loss to former Cage Warriors champion Soren Bak in his most recent bout at CW 96 in 2018. Prior to that, “The Baddy” submitted with a highlight-reel flying triangle choke Alexis Savvidis at CW 90. 

Martinez will arrive at the most important fi…

Elias Theodorou has become the first professional mixed martial artist to receive a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for medical cannabis, according to a statement released by Paradigm Sports Management on Tuesday.

Theodorou was granted a TUE by the British Columbia Athletic Commission. According to the release, he is allowed “to continue his doctor-prescribed use of medicinal cannabis and protects him from penalty if he tests above the previous threshold for in-competition use. He will follow the guidelines provided by the athletic commission regarding fight-week medical use.”

Theodorou previously applied for a medical exemption for cannabis during his UFC tenure, but he was denied by the promotion’s anti-doping partner, USADA. However, the release states “his application and subsequent advocacy garnered positive interest on the matter.”

“I am grateful both as a patient and an athlete for the approval of my medical cannabis TUE by the BC Athletic Commission, reco…