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PFL Europe starts on March 25th, 2023

For more information on PFL Europe:https://t.co/mPplP5QN9Q pic.twitter.com/3dJUkDEfRa

— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 12, 2023 The Professional Fighters League’s European Vacation will begin in March.

According to a press release sent out on Thursday from the league, PFL Europe will commence its inaugural season on March 25. Separate from the Challenger Series or the standard six-division tournament brackets, the PFL is bringing in regional talent from Europe in a qualifying tournament of sorts. The victors of the four unannounced weight classes will each earn $100,000 should they prevail in their bracket, and they may also claim a place in the following year’s million-dollar tourney. The first event will be held at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, England.<…

.@BellatorMMA’s return to @Accor_Arena is booked for May 12 featuring a wealth of European talent.

Former champion Gegard @Mousasi_MMA will return against @FabianEdwards24 in the main event, while @MansourBarnaoui faces @SidOutlaw in a LWGP quarterfinal. https://t.co/5e1Zz4dHHx pic.twitter.com/0nG36XANHF

— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) January 12, 2023 Bellator MMA is officially going back to France this year.

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Via press release on Thursday, the organization announced that its return trip to Paris on 2023 will take place on May 12. Posting up once more in the Accor Arena, Bellator will bring a tournament quarterfinal and a middleweight headliner that has major championship implications to the currently unnumbered event. The main event sees ex-champ Gegard Mousasi (49-8-2) seek his 50th pro victory against the resurgent Brit Fabian Edwards (11-2). In the second-to-last tilt, Sidney Outlaw (16-5) battles Mansour …

The first two matchups of the Bellator lightweight grand prix are set for Bellator 292.

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Shortly after the 155-pound field was revealed by Scott Coker, the promotion announced that Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Benson Henderson will serve as the headliner for the March 10 event in San Jose, Calif. Tofiq Musayev will square off against Alexadr Shabliy in another quarterfinal pairing. All lightweight grand prix bouts will be contested over five rounds.

Bellator 292 takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, and the evening’s main card airs on Showtime beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Nurmagomedov is unbeaten in 16 professional outings. He claimed the lightweight throne at Bellator 288, when he took a five-round unanimous decision against Patricky Freire on Nov. 18. The American Kickboxing Academy product has finished 13 of his 16 victories inside the distance.

Henderson, a former UFC lightweight champ, is coming off back-to-back victories over …

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If you thought Dana White might disappear from the public eye for a while after being caught on camera slapping his wife on New Year’s Eve, that won’t be the case.

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The UFC president fielded questions during UFC Fight Night 217 media day on Thursday, primarily focusing on the incident that has dominated headlines for the past couple weeks. During that session, White indicated that he won’t face punishment from the UFC or parent company Endeavor for the altercation that saw both he and his wife slap each other while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. According to White, a more significant punishment is facing the scorn and criticism of his actions that night for the years to come.

“What should the repercussions be? You tell me. I take 30 days off? How does that hurt me?” White said (video via MMAFighting.com) “I told you guys when we were going through COVID, COVID could last 10 years, I could sit it out and — you know what I m…

Polish promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki will break new ground when it debuts in the Czech Republic next month.

KSW 79 will take place on Feb. 25 at the Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czech Republic. Heavyweight champion Philip De Fries will defend his belt in the main event, while Glory Kickboxing veteran Arek Wrzosek and ex-UFC competitor Viktor Pesta are also expected to compete on the card. Opponents for all three heavyweight will be announced in the coming days.

KSW 79 marks the first time the promotion will hold an event outside of Poland since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a release, the Czech Republic is “the first of several new territories KSW will enter throughout 2023 and 2024.”

Previously, KSW has held events in locations such as Ireland, Croatia and the United Kingdom.

The field is set for Bellator MMA’s upcoming lightweight grand prix.

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Bellator president Scott Coker announced the participants during an appearance on "The MMA Hour” on Wednesday. They are as follows: Usman Nurmagomedov, A.J. McKee, Tofiq Musayev, Alexandr Shabliy, Patricky Freire, Mansour Barnaoui, Benson Henderson and Sidney Outlaw.

The tournament will begin on March 10 in San Jose, Calif., but matchups were not revealed. Reigning 155-pound champion Nurmagomedov headlines the field, which also includes former lightweight king Freire and ex-featherweight champ McKee. McKee has been vocal about wanting to face Nurmagomedov in the opening round of the bracket.

“It’s gonna be a fantastic tournament. If you look at our lightweight division, it’s really stacked,” Coker said. “I’m excited for these guys to all get it on.”

As with previous tournaments, the winner will receive a $1 million payout.

“There’s a lot riding on the line, and I…

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Professional Fighters League has added Saudi Arabian featherweight Abdullah Al-Qahtani to its roster for the 2023 season.

The signing was announced in a release on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Al-Qahtani will compete for both the PFL and Brave Combat Federation as part of a dual promotional agreement. Al-Qahtani is next slated to face Denis Jarkic at Brave CF 69 in Serbia on Feb. 18.

“The Professional Fighters League is committed to growing the sport of MMA and the PFL globally," PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a release. “We are excited about emerging top fighters coming out of the Middle East and our plan to further develop the sport in the region.”

Known as “The Reaper,” Al-Qahtani has compiled a 5-1 record while competing primarily for Brave CF. Most recently, he suffered a split-decision defeat to Ilyor Bakhtiyar Uulu at a Brave CF event on Sept. 30.

A former champion of the Extreme Fighting organization and now the head coach at American Top Team, Conan Silveira will be releasing a book during UFC 283 fight week.

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Settled in the United States since the late 1980s, the co-founder of the most respected MMA academy in the world uses his professional experience in “Mestre de Você” — translated to “Master of You” in English — to propagate concepts that can be applied in any area of life. 

In the book, Conan recalls his hard path in the United States. His first job in North America was as a dishwasher at a hotel, where he worked for up to 17 hours a day. He also reveals many other difficult obstacles he faced inside and outside of the cage and how important they were to building him as a person and professional.

“I'm an MMA coach. Before that, I was a fighter, a champion and my victories, all of them, were conquered with violence and passion. My sport is violent, but it only makes sen…

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If fight cliches like “to be the champ, you’ve got to beat the champ” and “iron sharpens iron” have any grounding in reality, Ketlen Vieira is positioning herself well for a run at gold. Since joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2016 as an undefeated but raw bantamweight prospect, “Fenomeno” has already notched wins over two former champions in Miesha Tate and Holly Holm, as well as longtime contenders onetime title challengers Cat Zingano and Sara McMann. While Vieira of course has her sights set on the belt, she regards her journey so far with a sense of satisfaction and gratitude.

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“I’m very proud of my trajectory inside the UFC,” the 31-year-old told Sherdog. “It’s not easy, with only two years of MMA experience, to get into the world’s biggest organization and to fight the very best. I was very inexperienced when I came into the UFC. I had very little mileage. But I’ve always put God first. He’s always blessed and mol…

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

Two-time UFC veteran Leah Letson has announced her retirement from mixed martial arts.

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The featherweight competitor revealed her decision via Instagram. Letson hasn’t competed since a third-round TKO loss to Felicia Spencer at UFC Fight Night 197 in November 2021.

“After that fight, I feel have nothing more to prove to myself, and most importantly, I simply don't love fighting the way I used to,” Letson wrote in a lengthy post. “Fighting is just as much mental as it is physical; therefore, if you're head isn't in it anymore, fighting can be a real dangerous sport. I have no regrets. Martial arts will always be a part of who I am, but I will no longer be fighting for a living.”

A 30-year-old native of Janesville, Wisc., Letson exits the sport with a 5-2 record. She earned a victory over Elizabeth Phillips at Invicta FC 21 in January 2017 before competing on Season 28 of “The Ultimate Figh…

A.J. McKee is going to remain a Bellator MMA athlete for the foreseeable future.

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The California-based promotion on Tuesday announced that it has re-signed the former featherweight champion to an exclusive, multi-fight contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a release, Bellator president Scott Coker also indictated that McKee’s next move will be to compete in the lightweight grand prix.

“Our top priority has always been to cultivate talent from the ground up, and with A.J. I can proudly say we have witnessed this young man blossom into a bonafide superstar in the Bellator cage,” said Scott Coker. “It’s also our priority to retain top talent, and with A.J. entering the prime of his career, it was important to make sure he continued representing the Bellator brand, much like he did recently in Japan, for the foreseeable future. I am looking forward to A.J.’s next challenge, an appearance in our 2023 Bellator lightweight world grand Prix, wh…

Kings MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro is expecting a busy campaign in 2023.

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In addition to his duties as a renowned MMA coach, Cordeiro is now overseeing multiple affiliate gyms in Brazil.

“I always dreamed about the expansion of Kings MMA in Brazil, and this year I was able to open four branches in Sao Paulo (Campinas, Alphaville and Cotia) and one in Brasilia,” Cordeiro told Sherdog.com.

In a wide-ranging interview, Cordeiro touched on a variety of subjects involving numerous fighters — both past and present. The trainer was disappointed to learn of Kelvin Gastelum’s last-minute withdrawal from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 217 headliner against Nassourdine Imavov. Though Gastelum no longer trains at Kings MMA, he maintains a good relationship with Cordeiro.

"Oh my God. My conclusion is that this fight shouldn't happen, since this is the second time Gastelum withdrew on fight week. First time was his knee, now his mouth. I'm really upset with…

Aljamain Sterling’s next banamweight title defense may be delayed due to an injury that has plagued him for months.

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Sterling revealed on his Weekly Scraps podcast that a partially torn bicep will make it difficult to make a proposed bout against the returning Henry Cejudo happen in March. The fight has not been officially confirmed by the promotion, but pay-per-view events are scheduled for March 4 in Las Vegas (UFC 285) and March 18 in London (UFC 286), and the pairing has long been rumored to be in the works.

“You guys are probably wondering if we’re going to fight or not,” Sterling said. “The fight is supposed to be myself and Henry Cejudo. I think that’s all said and done. It’s whether or not I can compete with this torn bicep again. Going through another training camp with a torn bicep, against a guy who is stronger in the wrestling department, who will use his wrestling more with inside leg trips, double legs, high crotches, and trying to run…

🔥KnuckleMania 3 Announcement🔥 New Mexico’s very own, Diego Sanchez will face Austin Trout at #KM3 on Fri. Feb 17th! pic.twitter.com/WApwJ8pBNF

— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) January 10, 2023

Ex-UFC lightweight title challenger Diego Sanchez will make his first foray into the bare-knuckle realm when he faces former boxing champ Austin Trout on Feb. 17.

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BKFC announced the matchup will take place in Albuquerque, N.M., as part of the promotion’s Knucklemania 3 event at Tingley Coliseum. The bout was first reported in late November, but it was not officially confirmed until Tuesday due to initial concerns from the New Mexico State Commission regarding Sanchez’s health. The bout was approved at a hearing on Tuesday. Sanchez vs. Trout is expected to serve as the co-headliner at BKFC Knucklemania 3.

The 41-year-old Sanchez appeared on Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and went 19-13 over a 32-bout stint with the Las Vegas…

Phil Baroni, a veteran of 35 mixed martial arts bouts, has been charged with aggravated femicide in connection with the death of his girlfriend in Mexico on Jan. 1.

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The 46-year-old Baroni, who was arrested last week, was charged by a state judge in Mexico on Monday, according to ESPN.

According to a release from the general prosecutor of the State of Nayarit Office, Baroni assaulted the woman and caused “at least 37 injuries” that resulted in her death. Baroni contacted police on Jan. 1 after finding his girlfriend unresponsive. When speaking to authorities, the former fighter claimed that the woman hit her head when he shoved her into the shower during an argument.

Baroni could face 30 to 50 years in prison if he is convicted, per Nayarit penal code. The man known as “The New York Badass” was advised by a public defendant and will be held at Venustiano Carranza State Jail until the trial begins sometime in the next six months. Baroni had r…

We are appalled by the violent conduct of @ufc President Dana White captured on video on NYE. Read our letter to @Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel calling for White's removal here:https://t.co/Px3WU8UGdP pic.twitter.com/o7IFM8ke1J

— California Legislative Women's Caucus (@CaWomensCaucus) January 10, 2023

The California Legislative Women’s Caucaus wants Dana White face serious consequences for slapping his wife during an altercation on New Year’s Eve.

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The group, which “represents and advocates on behalf of the diverse interests of women, children and families throughout California” and consists of 17 senators and 32 assemblywomen, sent a letter to UFC parent company Endeavor calling for the removal of White as promotion president. The letter was addressed to Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.

“As Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor, the UFC’s parent company, you have the authority to decide who leads the UFC, which is one of the world’…

The first Ultimate Fighting Championship event of 2023 has undergone a late change to its headliner.

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According to promotion broadcast partner ESPN, Kelvin Gastelum has been forced to withdraw from his UFC fight Night 217 showdown against Nassourdine Imavov due to a mouth injury, and as a result, will be replaced by Sean Strickland on less than one week’s notice. Strickland will be headlining back-to-back UFC cards after dropping a unanimous decision to Jared Cannonier in the promotion’s last event of 2022 on Dec. 17. While both men typically compete at 185 pounds, Strickland vs. Imavov will be contested at 205 pounds but will remain a five-round bout.

UFC Fight Night 217 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It’s the second significant blow for the card, as a proposed co-main event clash between Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov was scrapped due to a Neal injury. That bout has since been rescheduled for UFC 285.

After authori…

A number of notable heavyweights will be calling Brazilian camp Libertas Esportes de Combate home in the coming months.

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According to head coach Andre Benkei, heavyweights Amir Aliakbari, Tony Johnson Jr., Anderson "Braddock" Silva and Guto Inocente will all be training together under the same roof in Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the coming months. Benkei is a former coach at American Top Team.

“I’ve always dreamed to join a great team of fighters with the best team of coaches who can produce the best quality fighters to [send to] all MMA shows all over the world,” Benkei told Sherdog.com. “Thanks to the support of the mayor of Mariana and local companies like [Brazilian mining organization Samarco] I was able to make it happen.

Benkei plans on bringing a number of high-level coaches and trainers to sharpen the heavyweights’ skills.

“To take care of their wrestling, we will have [Iran national team member] Poya Baghbani; for boxin…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

A featherweight clash pitting Lerone Murphy against Nathaniel Wood has been added to the UFC 286 lineup.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the bout on Monday. UFC 286 takes place on March 18 at the O2 Arena in London and also includes a middleweight tilt between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze. A headliner has not been confirmed for the event.

The 31-year-old Murphy will make his first Octagon appearance since October 2021, when he knocked out Makwan Amirkhani with a knee in the second-round of their UFC 267 clash to run his professional mark to 11-0-1. Since then, the Englishman known as “The Miracle” was hospitalized after a cycling accident that he described as a “near-death experience” in May 2022.

A former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion, Wood is 2-0 since moving up to 145 pounds after earning unanimous verdicts over Charles Rosa and Charles Jourdain last year. The 29-year-old Great Britai…

Arjan Singh Bhullar and Anatoliy Malykhin will square off in a heavyweight title unification bout at One on Prime Video 8.

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The Singapore-based promotion recently announced the booking. Bhullar and Malykhin were initially slated to meet at One Championship 161 last September, but Bhullar withdrew from the card due to injury. One on Prime Video 8 takes place on March 24 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore and airs in primetime via Prime Video in the United States.

A four-time UFC veteran, Bhullar claimed the undisputed heavyweight crown with a second-round technical knockout victory against Brandon Vera at One Championship “Dangal” in April 2021. Bhullar has won four straight fights and 11 of 12 professional outings overall. Bhullar has not competed since that victory due to the aforementioned injury and a contract dispute with the promotion, according to a release.

Malykhin, meanwhile, is undefeated in 11 professional appearances…

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Melquizael Costa will replace Guram Kutateladze and face Thiago Moises at UFC 283 on Jan. 21.

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MMAFighting.com was first to report the new lightweight booking. UFC 283 takes place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro and is headlined by a light heavyweight championship clash pitting Glover Teixeira against Jamahal Hill.

The 26-year-old Costa will enter his promotional debut with a 19-5 career record. The Chute Boxe Bauru representative has been victorious in seven of his last eight professional outings, including a third-round TKO of Jose Cleiton de Melo Jr. in his most recent appearance at LFA 147 on Nov. 18.

A former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion, Moises snapped a two-fight losing streak at UFC on ESPN 38, when he submitted Christos Giagos in the opening stanza on June 25. Moises is 5-4 in UFC competition, with notable wins over the likes of Alexander Hernandez, Bobby Green and Michael Johnson.

It appears that Khabib Nurmagomedov is ready to step away from mixed martial arts entirely.

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The former UFC lightweight champion recently shared a post on his Instagram stories indicating that he is retiring from MMA coaching. The translated post, which was shared from the account za.khabiba, reads: “Khabib is leaving the MMA industry. It’s about coaching and everything else related to MMA. The reason is Khabib’s desire to devote more time to his family.”

American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez, who cornered Nurmagomedov before later working alongside him, confirmed that the former UFC champion is retiring in an interview with Yahoo Sports. Nurmagomedov has three children.

“He just doesn’t want to miss being a father,” Mendez said. “He talked to me about three weeks ago and told me of his plan and said he planned to talk to the team and inform them of his decision. He’s doing this for the right reasons. He’s a family man and he simply w…

Two-time UFC veteran Cain Carrizosa has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend twice since March of last year.

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According to the Gephardt (Utah) Daily, Carrizosa is being held without bail at the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Washington County for allegedly punching a women with whom he was in a relationship on Jan. 1. Carrizosa, who is identified in the police report as Cain Castillo, is facing second-degree felony charges of aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury and robbery in St. George, Utah.

St. George police arrived at the couple's residence after receiving a report of a fight and found the woman with bruises consistent with that of having been punched. When speaking to police, the woman’s mother revealed that the couple had been drinking and she “could specifically hear the sound of a fist hitting flesh at least once.” The mother also said that she separated Carrizosa and her daughter after the victim clai…

Victoria Lee, 18-year-old martial arts prodigy and undefeated MMA prospect in One Championship, died on Dec. 26, according to an Instagram post by her sister, ONE atomweight champ Angela Lee, on Jan. 7.

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The elder sister's statement read:

“On December 26, 2022 our family experienced something no family should ever have to go through... It is incredibly difficult to say this... Our Victoria passed away.

She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then. We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.

Victoria was the most beautiful soul who ever lived. She was the best little sister in the world. The best daughter, the best granddaughter and the best godma / aunty to Ava and Alia.

We miss you so much sis. More than you could ever realize. We're all broken. Because a piece of you was in each of us and when you left, those pieces were ripped out of u…