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A strawweight clash pitting Marina Rodriguez against Amanda Lemos has been elevated to main event status at UFC Fight Night 214.

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The move comes after Movsar Evloev was forced to withdraw from the card’s original main event bout against Bryce Mitchell due to injury. A replacement opponent for Mitchell was not found, and the promotion announced the new UFC Fight Night 214 headliner during the UFC 280 broadcast on Saturday. Rodriguez and Lemos were initially slated to meet at UFC 280 before their bout was rescheduled.

UFC Fight Night 214 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Nov. 5 and also includes a welterweight scrap between Neil Magny and Daniel Rodriguez as well as a lightweight showdown between Mark O. Madsen and Grant Dawson.

Rodriguez is in the midst of a four-bout winning streak in UFC competition. During that run, the Brazilian muay thai specialist has knocked off the likes of Xiaonan Yan, Mackenzie Dern, Michelle Waterson-Gomez…

"VOU PEGAR!" 🇧🇷

KLEBER KOIKE IS INEVITABLE‼️

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[Watch #RIZIN39 ➡️ https://t.co/40DpcCYUQV] pic.twitter.com/qihhdRiUnG — RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) October 23, 2022

There’s death, taxes, and Kleber Koike Erbst submitting his opponents due to triangle choke maneuvers.

In the Rizin 39 main event, Erbst quickly dispatched Juntaro Ushiku (20-7, 2-1 Rizin) to become the new Rizin Fighting Federation featherweight champion. Former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki title challenger Erbst (31-5-1, 6-0 Rizin) imposed his grappling-oriented strategy straight out of the gate, making the most out of Ushiku’s decision to pull guard. Once on the canvas, Erbst stayed on top of Ushiku (20-7, 2-1 Rizin) for most of the opening frame, teasing some submission attempts from time to time.

In Round 2, Erbst’s strategy paid dividends during a scramble phase when the Brazilian found himself in the position to attack with a triangle choke att…

Having just claimed the lightweight crown with a scintillating second-round submission of Charles Oliveira in the UFC 280 headliner, Islam Makhachev didn’t take long to set his sights on even bigger goals.

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“I have to be No. 1 pound-for-pound champion,” Makhachev said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “After that moment we will see. We’re going to think about this. But right now, I have to defend this belt many times.”

Makhachev was in peak form against Oliveira, as he landed takedowns and defended against his opponent’s vaunted submission game in Round 1 before flooring the Brazilian in Round 2 and closing the show with an arm-triangle choke. It was an impressive showing, especially against a champion who entered the bout on an 11-fight winning streak.

“I’ve been saying all week, you have two of the absolute best in the world facing in their prime and facing off. And when I went up in the Octagon after, Khabib [Nurmagomedov] said, ‘I t…

T.J. Dillashaw never really had a chance against Aljamain Sterling.

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The former bantamweight champion entered the UFC 280 co-main event with an existing injury to his shoulder, and it flared up very quickly in their title bout on Saturday night at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. With Dillashaw clearly compromised, Sterling dominated en route to a technical knockout stoppage at the 3:44 mark of Round 2.

In his post-fight interview, Dillashaw revealed that the shoulder had been giving him problems since the beginning of his camp, and that continued into the fight.

“Yeah it popped out right away. I’ve got to apologize to the weight class, I kind of held it up. I completely blew my shoulder out end of April,” Dillashaw told Daniel Cormier. “I probably dislocated it a good 20 times throughout training camp. This is by far the toughest training camp I’d been through because of that emotionally.

“That’s why I was talking so much s—t about his weak standu…

Khamzat Chimaev and Abubakar Nurmagomedov went from 0-100 wtf pic.twitter.com/Qmbt5zx4xs

— Out Of Context MMA (@oocmma) October 22, 2022 There appears to be bad blood between Khamzat Chimaev and the Khabib Nurmagomedov camp.

Multiple videos posted online captured an altercation in the crowd at UFC 280 between Chimaev, who was seated cageside, and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, who competed earlier on the card. The incident occurred while newly-crowned lightweight champion Islam Makhachev was doing an in-cage interview following his victory over Charles Oliveira in the main event. The two UFC fighters had to be separated by security at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The origin of the scuffle is currently unclear, but according RT Sport, Abubakar sent Chimaev a warning on social media in 2021 after Chimaev said he would “tear apart” Khabib Nurmagomedov. Abubakar is the cousin of the former UFC lightweight champion.

Abubakar Nurmagomedov defeat…

While many observers might not have agreed with the official result, Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan undeniably put on a show at UFC 280.

O’Malley and Yan received “Fight of the Night” and $50,000 for their spirited bantamweight clash at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. While O’Malley did damage with his rangy standup, Yan blended striking and takedowns effectively throughout the contest. Ultimately, “Sugar” Sean emerged with a contentious split-decision triumph.

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Elsewhere, Islam Makhachev captured a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus to go with his newly-claimed championship hardware for a submission victory against Charles Oliveira in the evening’s headliner. The Dagestani landed multiple takedowns before dropping his opponent in Round 2, setting the stage for an arm-triangle finish at the 3:16 mark of the period.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

Finally, Belal Muhammad secured the card’s other $50,000 “Pe…

Islam Makhachev’s time has arrived.

The American Kickboxing Academy export completed his years-long climb to the top of the mountain, as he seized the vacant Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title by submitting Charles Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their UFC 280 headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Oliveira (33-9, 21-9 UFC) bowed out 3:16 into Round 2, suffering his first defeat since Dec. 2, 2017.

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Makhachev (23-1, 12-1 UFC) was utterly brilliant. He assumed top position in the first round and successfully navigated the treacherous Oliveira guard, setting the stage for what was to come. Makhachev decked the Brazilian with a right hook in the second round, pursued him to the canvas and locked in the arm-triangle. He then cleared Oliveira’s legs, tightened his crushing squeeze and drew out the tap.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

Sterling Wre…

Sherdog's live UFC 280 coverage will begin Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

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Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Rosa (-295), Lansberg (+245)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round: Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Mokaev (-850), Gordon (+600)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:John Brannigan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay P…

pic.twitter.com/vLo8gBOnVL

— MMA Fire 2.0 (@FireMMAVids) October 22, 2022

Non-stop pressure was the name of the game for Belal Muhammad.

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The VFS Academy product proved his worth in the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight division yet again, as he took out the previously unbeaten Sean Brady with punches in the second round of their featured UFC 280 prelim on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Muhammad (22-3, 13-3 UFC) brought it to a close 4:47 into Round 2, posting his first victory via knockout or technical knockout since September 2016.

Brady (15-1, 5-1 UFC) tried to keep the former Titan Fighting Championship titleholder at bay with leg kicks and counters but never managed to draw the action to the canvas, where his world-class jiu-jitsu skills might have come into play. Muhammad connected with an overhand right late in the second round, hit the accelerator and unleashed a burst of …

A lightweight clash pitting Paddy Pimblett against Jared Gordon is on tap for UFC 282.

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The promotion announced the booking on Saturday. UFC 282 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 10 and features a light heavyweight championship rematch between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

A former Cage Warriors champion, Pimblett has emerged as a rising star at 155 pounds after finishing Luigi Vendramini, Rodrigo Vargas and Jordan Leavitt in his first three Octagon appearances. The 27-year-old Englishman known as “The Baddy” is 19-3 as a professional, with 15 of those triumphs coming inside the distance.

Gordon, meanwhile, has been victorious in four of his last five promotional outings. Most recently, he outpointed Leonardo Santos at UFC 278 on Aug. 20. The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships title holder is 7-4 in UFC competition since beginning his promotiona…

The One Championship bantamweight throne sits vacant—for now.

Fabricio Andrade connected with an accidental knee strike to the groin that resulted in a no contest against John Lineker in the third round of their ONE on Prime Video 3 headliner on Friday at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lineker (35-9, 4-0 ONE), who was stripped of the 145-pound title prior to the match due to his failure to make weight, was unable to continue 2:44 into Round 3.

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Andrade (8-2, 5-0 ONE) appeared to be nearing a career-defining victory at the time of the foul. The Marrok Force export operated behind a punishing jab, incorporated clean one-twos and zeroed in on the body with knees. Lineker gained the occasional foothold with winging hooks and well-timed takedowns but absorbed significant damage for his trouble. He rose from his corner for the start of Round 3 with a massive hematoma beneath his left eye, his vision almost certainly compromised. Andrade continued t…

Sherdog's live ONE on Prime Video 3 “Lineker vs. Andrade” coverage kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

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Round 1 The opening bout is being overseen by Herb Dean. Bivins opens up with a kick and rushes forward. Grandjean is able to clinch and is landing some nice dirty boxing before tripping her opponent to the ground. Grandjean is kicking the legs of Bivins and settles in guard to throw punches. Bivins looks for an armbar but it goes nowhere. Dean stands up the fighters. They clinch again with Bivins landing a few standing knees. Bivins defends a takedown attempt from Grandjean, who then throws a wild overhand right. Grandjean is landing some solid leg kicks and Bivins looks tired with 90 seconds left in the round. Grandjean keeps landing kicks and follows them up with a straight right hand to the body that stuns Bivins. Grandjean keeps the pressure on and floors Bi…

🇧🇷 BIG NEWS 🇧🇷 ONE Championship is partnering with Globo, the largest media company in Latin America, to broadcast events live in Brazil on @Combate! The multi-year deal, which calls for at least 12 annual events, kicks off in January 2023! 🙌#ONEChampionship #Combate pic.twitter.com/plBCYuc2SO

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) October 21, 2022 One Championship is expanding its South American presence in a big way.

Via press release on Friday, One announced that it had entered into a broadcasting arrangement with Combate. The multi-year agreement will allow for a dozen events to be aired live in Brazilian primetime, although it is unclear if it means that events will be staged specifically in Brazil or shown on the airwaves. The deal will commence in January 2023, and it is slated to be the sole distributor of One fight cards in the country.

Combate head Rafael Gruenbaum spoke highly of the new partnership, saying in the release, “The…

A blazing-hot Ultimate Fighting Championship prospect is going to need to cool things down to heal up.

According to MMA Junkie on Friday, Bo Nickal (3-0) will no longer be competing at UFC 282 on Dec. 10. His middleweight match against Jamie Pickett (12-8) has been nixed from the event due to an injury Nickal suffered during training. It is unclear at this time if Pickett will be rebooked against a new opponent, or if the matchup will be preserved. The organization is considering March 4 for Nickal’s return, which is rumored to be the pay-per-view offering of UFC 285. The fight scratch has since been confirmed by other outlets.

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Nickal, oft-discussed as one of the greatest collegiate wrestlers ever, surged into MMA in 2021 with a pair of speedy finishes on the amateur circuit. The Colorado-born Nickal then debuted as pro in June 2022 on iKon Fighting Championship 3, where he decimated John Noland in 33 seconds. The 26-year-old, with one pro win unde…

Jonathan Di Bella DROPS "The Fighting Rooster" in the FINAL MINUTE! 🤯#ONE162 | #ONEChampionship🇺🇸🇨🇦🇬🇧🇹🇭🇧🇷🇸🇦 Watch live on ONE YouTube 👉 https://t.co/uL1aHqdmel🌍 Watch live 👉 https://t.co/8MeKhRvqhy pic.twitter.com/bEUGmhEeJJ

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) October 21, 2022 Italy can now boast of one more champion among the ranks of One Championship.

The One 162 main event featured a clash for the vacant kickboxing strawweight championship between Peimian Zhang and Jonathan Di Bella. The pair put on an entertaining back-and-forth battle, showing off their best offensive skills. Zhang answered the Italian’s fast hands with quick kicks as both contestants produced a remarkable striking output. Neither man backed down from relentless exchanges, nor could they gain a significant advantage as the battle progressed. In Round 5, Di Bella landed a perfectly timed head kick that nearly cold-cocked “The Fighting Rooster.” While the Chinese combatan…

[embedded content] There was no trouble on the scales this time for Charles Oliveira.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champ successfully made weight for his UFC 280 showdown against Islam Makhachev. "Do Bronx" was first to the scales and weighed 154.5 pounds. This was a far cry from Oliveira's previous weigh-in, which saw the Brazilian lose his lightweight belt on the scale. Makhachev was next up and also weighed 154.5 pounds.

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While Oliveira (33-8, 1 NC) was disgraced at the UFC 274 weigh-in, he impressed the night after by him impressively choking out Justin Gaethje in just over 3 minutes. The Brazilian is on an incredible 11-fight win streak that includes dramatic finishes over Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and Kevin Lee. Oliveira will look to reclaim the lightweight championship to start his second reign.

This marks a huge step up in competition for Makhachev (22-1). The Dagestani fighter has only suffered one defeat in…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship beltholder Robert Whittaker is getting a local matchup for the first time in over three years.

Frequently rumored and discussed across the MMA community, the UFC officially confirmed that Whittaker (24-6) will be squaring off against Paulo Costa (14-2) at UFC 284. The two 185ers will toe the line at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 11. The promotion did state that the bout has not yet been cleared by the Western Australia Combat Sports Commission, but there do not appear to be any obstacles on paper for it coming together. It is the first fight set for this Australian event, which will be the UFC’s first journey to the Commonwealth of Australia since October 2019 – an event in which Whittaker headlined.

Whittaker bounced back from a close defeat to Israel Adesanya by beating Marvin Vettori on the scorecards in September. “Bobby Knuckles” moved up to the middleweight division after beating Mike Rhodes in 2014, and he rattl…

BREAKING

The DAZN x PFL era begins in 2023

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DAZN will become the exclusive home of PFL in 53 international markets. pic.twitter.com/lDNBVDFUFN — PFL (@PFLMMA) October 20, 2022 The Professional Fighters League is bringing broadcaster Dazn back into the sport of MMA.

Per a press release on Thursday, the PFL and Dazn are teaming up to put PFL Europe together. This regional league will serve as the feeder to the main PFL organization, and European fans will be able to watch these events on Dazn. Additionally, Dazn will become the provider for every PFL fight card for the “53 international markets” that Dazn covers, including Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom. According to PFL, this branch of the company will serve as “a pathway to becoming European champion and springboard into the PFL global league.”

The four-year deal does not have additional terms announced, and it will only be for those unspecified nations and…

Eric Albarracin, the wrestling coach of Patricio Freire and Patricky Freire, will spend about half of 2022 in Natal, Brazil.

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After actively participating in Patricio “Pitbull's” entire camp for his recent fight with Adam Borics, “Captain America” returned to Rio Grande do Norte, where he is helping Patricky “Pitbull” prepare for his title defense against Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 288 on Nov. 18.

“Patricky is ready in all areas. Kennedy Monday’s help has been really important in this camp. It will be a confrontation between two great schools, and I'm sure Patricky will return with the belt for Natal,” Albarracin told Sherdog.com.

In regards to another Brazil vs. Dagestan matchup, Albarracin shared his thoughts on the lightweight championship fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 on Saturday.

“If Charles does what he said and pulls guard, it will make Makhachev's life easier,” Albarracin said. “These Russians have e…

A one-night tournament to determine the next strawweight champion will headline Invicta FC 50 next month.

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The promotion announced the event on Wednesday. Invicta FC 50 takes place at Reelworks Denver in Denver, Colo., on Nov. 16 and airs on AXS TV and the Invicta FC YouTube and Facebook pages at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The four tournament participants are as follows: Dana White’s Contender Series alum Valesca Machado, four-time UFC veteran Gloria de Paula, 20-year-old former Legacy Fighting Alliance competitor Edianna Silva and two-time KSW veteran Karolina Wojcik. Both the semifinals and finals will consist of three, five-minute rounds and will take place on the same card. Matchups for the bracket will be drawn at weigh-ins on Nov. 15.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

Invicta FC 50 will also include two tournament reserve matchups in case anything happens to the originally scheduled participants. Sharon Jacobso…

An intriguing lightweight showdown between Magomed Mustafaev and Yamato Nishikawa will not be happening at UFC 280 as originally planned.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion confirmed the cancellation on Tuesday, citing “multiple issues” in a statement. It was initially rumored that the bout was scrapped because Nishikawa was still under contract with another organization, but the Japanese fighter denied those reports.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

UFC 280 will move forward with 13 bouts. The card takes place on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a lightweight title clash between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, while prelims are broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT.

Mustafaev hasn’t competed since February 2020, when he dropped a split decision to Brad Riddell at UFC Fight Night 168. The …

A pivotal women’s flyweight clash pitting Jessica Andrade against Lauren Murphy has been booked for UFC 283.

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MMAFighting.com was first to report the pairing. UFC 283 takes place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro on Jan. 21 and features the fourth flyweight championship clash between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

Andrade, who owns victories in three different weight classes in the Octagon, is coming off a first-round submission of Amanda Lemos in a 115-pound clash at UFC Fight Night 205 this past April. “Bate Estaca” has won three of her last four bouts, with her lone defeat coming against Valentina Shevchenko in a flyweight title tilt at UFC 261.

Murphy, meanwhile, rebounded from a title fight loss to Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266 by spoiling Miesha Tate’s flyweight debut in a unanimous decision triumph at UFC on ABC 3 on July 16. The 39-year-old known as “Lucky…

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Zuffa Boxing may no longer be on the horizon, but that doesn’t mean UFC president Dana White isn’t interested in letting competitors show off the skill in their hands in a different way.

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On Tuesday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved a petition for slap fighting to be regulated in Nevada, clearing the way for Dana White’s Power Slap League to run events in the state in the near future. The organization is expected to debut at the UFC Apex in late 2022 with an ownership group that includes White, Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta, “The Ultimate Fighter” producer Craig Piligian, UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell and UFC chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein. MMAjunkie.com was first to report White’s interest in bringing slap fighting to Nevada.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

According to slapfight.com, “slap fighting is a rapidly growing sport where two robust fighters take tur…

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday handed heavyweight Ilir Latifi a temporary suspension for competing with a staph infection at UFC Fight Night 211.

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Latifi initially revealed the ailment during a post-fight interview following a unanimous decision victory against Alexey Oleynik on Oct. 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“Even this week, my leg is swollen. I didn’t even tell my coaches, but I got a staph infection two days ago," Latifi said in the cage. "As you can see, my leg is all swollen. It’s an amazing sport, but the margins are so small. You put in so much work, and this thing happens the last day. Today, actually when I woke up, my leg was swollen. I was like, ‘I can’t cancel again.’ So I had to fight like this with a fever and a staph infection. That’s part of being a fighter.”

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+

As a result of that revelation, Latifi will not be allowed to c…