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Fares Ziam has called out Dan Hooker for a striking duel after securing a grueling decision win against kneebar specialist Claudio Puelles at UFC Mexico.

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Ziam initially struggled at times against the Peruvian wrestling standout, but the Frenchman displayed great technique in getting out of the grappling exchanges and picking his opponent apart on the feet to edge out a split-decision win. Currently riding a three-fight decision win streak, “Smile Killer” called for a striking affair with Hooker.

“I think I have the level of Top 15. Claudio [fought] with Dan Hooker last time, I want to fight Dan Hooker,” Ziam said during a post-fight media scrum. “He’s a striker and it’s gonna be [a] striking match. Not like that — grappling, grappling, grappling. I know I can strike too, but when I want to strike he [comes] every time [to] wrestle me. I don’t have good reaction in the wrestling, but I’m gonna work very hard. I learn with the win, so it’s good.” Read more about Fares Ziam Calls Out Dan Hooker for ‘Striking Match’ After UFC Mexico Win

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Mexican flyweight prospect Ronaldo Rodriguez has set lofty goals for himself after an impressive promotional debut in front of his home fans at UFC Mexico.

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Rodriguez was the only debutant out of 10 Mexican fighters in the 13-fight card, which marked the promotion’s return to the country for the first time since 2019. After being initially tagged by Ukraine’s Denys Bondar, “Lazy Boy” made necessary adjustments to score a comeback win via submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2.

“I wanna say thanks to all my teammates,” Rodriguez told media after the victory. “They believe in me, they saw me as a kid with a lot of future. I just wanna thank them because I am here because of them so I’m really proud and happy with my team.”

Asked about his future plans, Rodriguez said he wants to continue racking up wins until he is crowned champion, which he believes is just a matter of time.

"I’m go…

😳 It’s kicking OFF at #UFCMexico 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/Kqwm11B9HE

— Mikey Thomas (@MikeyThomas1991) February 25, 2024

While Mexican fighters are known for their passion, their fans also got a little rowdy at UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday.

The card marked the promotion’s first event in Mexico City since 2019, and the night didn’t conclude without incident. Shortly after the first main-card bout ended, a brawl erupted in the crowd at Mexico City Arena. In footage shared on social media, one fan can be seen dropping two fellow spectators with punches during the melee.

Mexico’s Manuel Torres, who picked up a spectacular first-round submission win over Chris Duncan, did his best to try and pacify the crowd in his post-fight interview. It’s currently unclear what caused the incident.

Contributing with another angle. pic.twitter.com/EwfTJbFwFB

— Eduardo Limón (@MrManager_07) February 25, 2024

It was a triumphant return to the Octagon in more ways than one for Brian Ortega.

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Not only did “T-City” avenge a previous loss to Yair Rodriguez in the UFC Fight Night 237 co-main event, but he pocketed a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process. After being dropped and nearly finished in the opening stanza, Ortega rallied to impose his will, ultimately eliciting a tapout from his opponent with an arm-triangle choke 58 seconds into Round 3. It was Ortega’s first appearance since July 2022, when a shoulder injury prematurely ended his first meeting with Rodriguez.

Elsewhere, Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado garnered “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their featured lightweight scrap. Prado’s aggression helped him get off to a strong start, but the rangy Zellhuber bloodied his opponent with strikes and got stronger as the bout progressed to ultimately earn a unanimous decision triumph.

Finally, Manuel Torres …

OH MY WORD :exploding_head:

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Renan Ferreira stops Ryan Bader in less than 30 seconds 🌬#PFLvsBellator | Live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/dnZOJ7Ntuw — DAZN MMA (@daznmma) February 24, 2024

Renan Ferreira entered the cage Saturday night with Professional Fighters League’s honor riding on his shoulders. His response: No “Problema.”

By the time the main event of PFL “PFL vs. Bellator Champs” rolled around on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, PFL’s representatives were down 0-5 against their Bellator MMA counterparts. Ferreira represented PFL’s last chance to pick up a win over the promotion it acquired in a headline-making sale late last year, and standing in his way was Ryan Bader, a former two-division Bellator champ who had looked largely dominant in going undefeated at heavyweight. None of that mattered once referee Kerry Hatley motioned the two men into action, however. The 6-foot-8 “Problema” caught Bader on the wa…

Brandon Royval now has a signature victory to which he can point in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.

Rapid-fire combinations and sheer volume carried the Factory X export to a split decision over two-time champion Brandon Moreno, as their rematch headlined UFC Fight Night 237 on Saturday at Arena CDMX on Saturday in Mexico City. Judge Junichiro Kamijo saw it 49-46 for Moreno, while Michael Bell and Chris Lee scored it 48-47 for Royval.

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A tepid first round gave way to a series of momentum shifts over the ensuing 20 minutes. Moreno (21-8-2, 9-5-2 UFC) connected with the more impactful blows—he punctuated many of his combinations with thudding leg kicks—but too often settled for one shot at a time. A short-notice substitution for Amir Albazi, Royval (16-7, 6-3 UFC) slowly but surely made his case, throwing three, four and sometimes five punches at a time. More often than not, he kept Moreno at bay with a pesky jab and multiple str…

Raoni Barcelos can exploit any opening, no matter how narrow.

The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil titlist re-established himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division, as he rallied to submit Cristian Quinonez with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their featured UFC Fight Night 237 prelim on Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Quinonez (18-5, 1-2 UFC) tapped 2:04 into Round 3.

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Barcelos (18-5, 7-4 UFC) bided his time, made the necessary adjustments and leaned into his experience. Quinonez handled his business through the first 10 minutes with clean combination punching, steady leg kicks and expert grappling. Barcelos, however, never went away. He caught a kick and followed a right cross into a takedown early in the third round. From there, he climbed to the back, snuck his arms into place and finished the choke.

The victory was Barcelos’ first in 511 days.

Meanwhile, onetime Ultimate Wa…

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios has been canceled from tonight's card due to a Rosas illness #UFCMexico pic.twitter.com/H1qDmw1nDa

— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024

A main card bantamweight clash between Raul Rosas Jr. and Ricky Turcios slated for UFC Fight Night 237 has been pulled from the card at the last minute.

The bout was canceled due to Rosas Jr. falling ill. According to the broadcast team, the 19-year-old prospect did his best to make the walk to the Octagon but it was ultimately determined that he would be unable to compete.

While it has yet to be confirmed, the promotion is trying to keep the booking intact and reschedule it for UFC Fight Night 238, which goes down a week later on March 2 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Rosas, who is the youngest fighter on the roster, is coming off a first-round TKO win over Terrence Mitchell last September. Meanwhile, Turcios is coming off a split-decision win over Kevin Natividad a…

PFL vs. Bellator Champs is set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card will mark the first collision between Professional Fighters League and Bellator MMA since the PFL acquired Bellator late last year.

Freshly minted super fight championship belts are up for grabs in this showcase of three-round title bouts, offering the enticing prospect of winner-takes-all stakes.

The preliminary card will stream on ESPN+ at 12:30 p.m. ET, while the main card will air on pay-per-view (ESPN+) at 3 p.m. ET, showcasing two significant champion-vs.-champion fights at the top of the lineup. Sherdog brings to you live play-by-play coverage of every thrilling moment, ensuring you don't miss out on any of the excitement. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its sixth journey to Mexico City for UFC Fight Night 237. The card is lined up as a distinguished setting for Mexican and Latin American athletes to flaunt their skills. Sherdog.com will bring you live play-by-play coverage of the action, ensuring you don't miss out on any of the Octagon excitement.

The event is set to be headlined by a critical flyweight rematch between former champion Brandon Moreno and recent title challenger Brandon Royval. In the co-main event, former 145-pound interim champ Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega are primed to refresh past acquaintances in a five-round clash.

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Join us on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT for live play-by-play updates of UFC Fight Night 237 from Arena CDMX in Mexico City. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Naimov (-360), Silva (+285)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round: Round 2 …

#AndNew XTB #KSWEpicKSW LHW Champion🇵🇱 Rafal Haratyk 👑 pic.twitter.com/B7pJQN5OqV

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) February 24, 2024

Rafal Haratyk and Damian Piwowarczyk left it all on the line in the KSW “Epic” one-night light heavyweight tournament. The winner was to be crowned as the Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki 205-pound champ and you could’ve made a case for Haratyk or Piwowarczyk winning the fight.

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Piwowarczyk’s heavy hands made it a nightmare for Haratyk to come inside but the savvy vet kept the pressure and secured pivotal takedowns at the right time. In the end, the fight was scored a split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28) for the “Polish Tank.” With the win, Haratyk claimed the belt, but his first challenge could await him in Ivan Erslan, who impressed earlier in the day with a first-round knockout over Bogdan Gnidko.

Darko Stosic starched Professional Fighters League alum Matheus Scheffel in the first round of their heavywe…

PFL MENA IS OFFICIAL! pic.twitter.com/G0sRCdKxo5

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 24, 2024

The Professional Fighters League will officially break ground in the Middle East this April.

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The organization announced on Saturday that PFL MENA will debut in April 2024. The inaugural season will feature 32 fighters competing across four weight classes in a season format, similar to what PFL Europe did during its inaugural campaign in 2023. The four-event season will include cards for the regular season, postseason and championship. A roster for PFL MENA will be announced in March, according to a release.

PFL MENA is backed by SRJ Sports Investments, which acquired a minority stake in PFL last year to aide in PFL’s Middle East expansion and to collaborate with the league to host PFL pay-per-view events in Saudi Arabia. Multiple fighters with Middle Eastern roots were on hand at PFL vs. Bellator in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday to…

🇧🇷Luiz Gustavo keeps his win streak alive!

Title shot soon?... 👀

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📢Watch the fights and join the discussion NOW on #RIZIN TV!🔗https://t.co/SJYljaZ7L1

[ #RIZIN_LANDMARK8 ] pic.twitter.com/en47o6KiyA

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) February 24, 2024 Brazilian standout Luiz Gustavo notched his sixth Rizin Fighting Federation victory in a thrilling lightweight main event on Saturday at Rizin “Landmark Vol. 8” in Saga, Japan. Gustavo overcame a strong second round from opponent Yoshinori Horie and prevailed via unanimous decision. Early in the opening round, Gustavo (14-2, 6-2 Rizin) scored with a head kick that seemed to land with full force, but Horie (13-5, 4-2 Rizin) barely flinched and he continued to press forward. The fighters exchanged leg kicks and a welt began to form on Gustavo’s left calf. He dropped Horie with a left hook late in the round, however, and Horie stood and responded with an elbow at the bel…

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It was all but a certainty that Henry Cejudo would retire for a second time if he lost to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298.

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Apparently Cejudo’s plans have changed.

After dropping a unanimous decision to Dvalishvili in a featured bantamweight bout at UFC 298, the former two-division champion recently confirmed that he will continue fighting in a video on his YouTube channel.

“Was Dana White right that [I] did leave three years behind? Three of [my] prime years? Yeah, I’ll give it to him. Recognizing it now, the way that I did feel Saturday, the way that [the situation] already kind of played out, you start to kind of psychologically just like, ‘Damn, are these dudes right? I couldn’t have it any other way?’” Cejudo said. “One, if I could change everything, I probably would never come back — but now that I’m back, now I’ve got to s—t where I sleep. And for that reason, man, I just cannot go out like that.

“So I’m here today…

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Joel Alvarez (20-3) is set to take on Dana White’s Contender Series alum Mateusz Rebecki (19-1) on a Fight Night card scheduled to go down on April 27 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The bout was first reported by Marcel Dorff on X (formerly known as Twitter). Although the Spaniard was initially slated to take on Ludovit Klein on March 2, “El Fenomeno” has now been rescheduled to take on Rebecki on the aforementioned date due to undisclosed reasons.

Alvarez will enter the Octagon against Rebecki coming off a Round 2 submission victory against Marc Diakiese in July last year. The win saw him bounce back from a Round 2 technical knockout loss against lightweight Arman Tsarukyan in February 2022. Prior to losing to Tsarukyan, “El Fenomeno” was on a four-fight winning streak in the promotion, defeating the likes of Thiago Moises, Joseph Duffy and Alexander Yakovlev in the first round.

Meanwhile, Rebecki is currently on a 16-fight winning streak — including thre…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A welterweight clash between Jared Gooden and Kevin Jousset has been added to a UFC Fight Night event set to go down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on May 11.

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The news was first reported by Marcel Dorff on X (formerly known as Twitter) and was later confirmed by Jousset in a social media post.

Jousset (10-2) joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2023 with an 8-2 record on a three-fight winning streak. The Kiwi has gone 2-0 in the Las Vegas-based promotion since then, first recording a Round 1 submission against Kiefer Crosbie at UFC 293 followed by a unanimous decision win over Kenan Song in December.

Meanwhile, Gooden (23-9) is currently on his second UFC stint after going 1-3 in his first go with promotion. Looking to make it back to the big leagues, “Nite Train” returned to the regional circuit and went on to compile a record of 4-1 with three Round 2 finishe…

PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA PFL vs. Bellator Champs Weigh-insCredit: PFL MMA [embedded content] The first Professional Fighters League card of the year is a pay-per-view pitting the PFL's best against Bellator MMA fighters.

The PFL vs. Bellator Champs card is headlined by an intriguing heavyweight battle between Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader. The stakes are major as the winner will face Francis Ngannou in his promotional de…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship's busy February caps off with a fight night card in Mexico City.

The main event of UFC Fight Night 237 will see former flyweight king Brandon Moreno take on Brandon Royval. Both flyweights had no issue making weight for the five-round main event, which is a rematch of their 2020 encounter that saw Moreno finish Royval with punches within a round. As for the rest of the card, both Edgar Chairez and Daniel da Silva missed weight for their fight against each other, with Chairez coming in 5 pounds over the flyweight limit and da Silva coming in 1 pound overweight.

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Moreno (21-7-2) is coming off a split-decision loss to Alexandre Pantoja, which saw him drop the flyweight title. "The Assassin Baby" is only 30, though, and will look to show what he has left in the tank. Moreno officially weighed 126 pounds on the dot for what is surprisingly only his third time headlining a UFC event.

Also coming off a…

[embedded content] A freshly signed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight is making sure he has the best training camp possible for his upcoming debut.

32-year-old Brazilian heavyweight Jhonata Diniz (6-0) earned a spot on the UFC roster by destroying Eduardo Neves on the 2023 season of Dana White's Contender Series, dispatching his fellow countryman in just over three minutes. The 6-foot-4 slugger spared no expense to prepare for his promotional debut, which will be held at an upcoming UFC Fight Night card on April 27 against Austen Lane (12-4). The Curitiba-born Diniz elected to shift gears from his Santa Fe team to the vaunted Chute Boxe camp helmed by Diego Lima to work alongside greats like Charles Oliveira.

“I was very well received here by Diego Lima, Charles and the entire Chute Boxe team,” Diniz told Sherdog. “In addition to great training, the atmosphere here is sensational.”

The former kickboxer, who stepped away from pure striking disciplines in …

Mongolia’s Nachin Sat on Friday put forth an impressive showing in his sophomore ONE Championship outing by submitting Azerbaijan’s Tural Askerov in the first frame of their featherweight showcase at ONE Friday Fights 53 held at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Both fighters came out throwing leg kicks and feints in the opening sequence. Thirty seconds into the round, Askerov (4-2) was on top of Sat thanks to a leg kick that threw his opponent off-balance.

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Despite having the advantageous position, Askerov found it hard to get his ground-and-pound off against the Mongolian, who kept fighting with body triangles and elbows from bottom. Just when Askarov seemed to be content with holding the top position, Sat (6-2) managed to sneak in a triangle choke at the 3:51 of Round 1 to walk away with his second ONE Championship victory.

Meanwhile, Chayan Oorzhak recorded his third consecutive ONE Championship win with a unanimous decision over…

#RIZIN_LANDMARK8 in SAGA📣 Weigh-in 💥

⚔️ 9th Match ⚔️ Main EventRIZIN MMA Rule 71.0kg

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🟥 Luiz Gustavo 【70.95kg】🧍‍♂️ Height: 175cm💪 Reach: 179cmーーー🆚ーーー🟦 Yoshinori Horie 【70.95kg】🧍‍♂️ Height: 172cm💪 Reach: 179cm@yossy05101

📡 PPV available on #RIZIN TV⚡️… pic.twitter.com/2Cm72sd6sS

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) February 23, 2024 Rizin Fighting Federation makes its 2024 debut with Landmark 8.

Headlining the card, which features eight mixed martial arts fights and one kickboxing match, is a lightweight battle between Luiz Gustavo and Yoshinori Horie. Gustavo (12-2) is riding three straight wins in the promotion, while Horie (13-4) recently rebounded from a loss to Vugar Karamov by defeating Spike Carlyle by decision. All fighters on the card made weight.

Rizin Landmark 8 will be available on the promotion's website as a pay-per-view. The card begins tonight at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT.

Rizin Lan…

On his last visit to Poland, 🇺🇸 @JoshLBarnett beat the lineal KSW heavyweight champ Marcin Rozalski in a bare knuckle battle!

Now he invites the current KSW champion Phil De Fries to the realm of 'The Warmaster' this Saturday! XTB #KSWEpic pic.twitter.com/L7E5oEWg4O

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) February 22, 2024 Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki returns with its most unique offering yet, a star-studded mixed rules card called KSW Epic.

The card is headlined by a boxing match between former boxing champion Tomasz Adamek and former KSW champion Mamed Khalidov. Other fights of note include a submission fighting match between KSW heavyweight king Phili De Fries and Josh Barnett, plus mixed martial arts fights between Darko Stosic and Matheus Scheffel, Rafal Haratyk versus Marcin Wojcik and more. All fighters successfully made weight.

KSW Epic will stream on KSW's website and Canal+ on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

KSW Epic Weigh-in Results: Mamed …

🚨𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🚨

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦 For Saturday Night 👀@francis_ngannou will face the winner of the Renan Ferriera vs Ryan Bader bout#PFLvsBellator pic.twitter.com/4dP9RqYiMu

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 22, 2024 Professional Fighters League star Francis Ngannou has his sights set very closely on one upcoming bout.

Per Ngannou (17-3) on “Sportscenter” on Thursday, he is eyeing his return to MMA in 2024. He plans on taking on the winner of the heavyweight title tilt pairing PFL champ Renan Ferreira against former two-division Bellator MMA beltholder Ryan Bader. The two will square off on Feb. 24 atop the first PFL vs. Bellator event, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the Kingdom Arena. Ngannou will be in the building, and may enter the cage the challenge the victor and face off against him.

The PFL immediately released a statement to follow, with CEO Peter Murray saying, “The PFL is excited to announced Francis Ngannou’s retur…