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Some think that jumping into a title shot at this point in his career might be a little too much, too soon for Johnny Eblen.

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But after taking a clear-cut victory over former No. 1 contender John Salter at Bellator 276, Eblen believes he is exactly where he’s supposed to be: preparing for a middleweight title shot against Gegard Mousasi in the Bellator 282 headliner on June 24.

“I think we’re right on the right path,” he said at a Bellator 282 virtual press conference. “This is the next best fight for me.”

After cutting his teeth in MMA with four victories under the Shamrock FC banner, Eblen has gone 7-0 in Bellator. Salter is his most notable victory by far, but the resume of past opponents pales in comparison to that of Mousasi’s. However, Eblen is confident that he hasn’t shown his full potential in a fight as of yet.

“I like being the underdog. I really don’t mind it. The only thing that matters is when I’m in that cage and I’m putting on…

Gegard Mousasi is unfazed at the possibility of squaring off against another wrestlling-minded opponent.

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The reigning middleweight champion will attempt to defend his belt when he faces Johnny Eblen in the Bellator 282 headliner on June 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Eblen’s credentials include an undefeated MMA record and a standout career as a wrestler at the University of Missouri. After stoppage wins against Austin Vanderford and John Satler in his previous two promotional appearances, Mousasi doesn’t believe Eblen brings anything new to the table.

“The last two opponents were similar style wrestlers, take you down, hold you and ground-and-pound. Basically I’ve been training for a guy like him for a year almost now,” Mousasi said during a Bellator 282 virtual media day. “So, nothing new.”

Eblen secured the title shot with a three-round verdict over Salter at Bellator 276 this past March. Mousasi will represent a significant s…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Taila Santos got started in combat sports as a teenager, and by the time the UFC came to her hometown, she herself as almost ready to step into the cage for the first time as a professional.

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“I started practicing muay Thai when I was 14. When I was 19 years old, the UFC came to my city (Jaragua do Sul), and I was able to get an autograph from Vitor Belfort one day before he knocked out [Luke] Rockhold,” Santos told Sherdog.com.

Coincidentally, Santos made her MMA debut three months after UFC passed through her city. Since then, she has been victorious in 19 of 20 fights and will take a four-bout winning streak into her matchup with reigning flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC 275 co-main event on June 11.

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“My back…

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa has been accused of striking a nurse with an elbow during a dispute over a COVID-19 vaccination card, according to a report from Globo.

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The alleged incident occurred at a shopping center on Monday night in Contagem, Brazil, when Costa arrived and said he wanted to be vaccinated. However, the fighter then reportedly attempted to leave with the card before the shot was administered.

"The card was filled out. The workers said that, at the time of application, he did not accept to be vaccinated. He wanted to leave with the card and they did not accept it. At that moment, a nurse was elbowed,” municipal guard Marco Mota said.

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Costa, however, provide…

A matchup of middleweight contenders has been rebooked for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut event in Paris.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Tuesday that Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori will square off on Sept. 3 at Accor Arena in Paris, France. Whittaker and Vettori were originally slated to meet at UFC 275 on June 11 before Whittaker was forced to pull out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury.

While Whittaker vs. Vettori is the only official fight for the event, UFC Paris is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight showdown pitting Ciryl Gane against Tai Tuivasa. Also previously reported for the card is a women’s flyweight clash between Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot.

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Whittaker last appeared at UFC 271, where he came up short…

BT Sport @danawhite @AdamCatterall caught up with the boss as BT Sport is confirmed as the long-term home for UFC in UK and Ireland

Let's goooooooooo! pic.twitter.com/88Ok4euMYO

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) May 31, 2022

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The broadcast relationship between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and BT Sport will continue for the foreseeable future.

BT Sport announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to a “new multi-year media rights deal that builds upon their existing broadcast partnership for the UK and Ireland, ensuring that BT Sport will remain the exclusive media home for UFC.” The UFC and BT Sport partnership began in 2013.

The agreement includes all live UFC events as well as “hundreds of hours” of original programming and classic bouts from the promotion’s library.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or…

A featherweight showdown pitting Leah McCourt against Dayana Silva has been added to the Bellator 285 main card.

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Promotion officials announced the booking on Monday. Bellator 285 takes place at 3Arena in Dublin and is headlined by a lightweight clash between Benson Henderson and Peter Queally. The main card airs on Showtime in the United States at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, while prelims stream on the Bellator MMA YouTube channel, the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT.

McCourt had a six-bout professional winning streak snapped in her last outing, when she dropped a unanimous decision to Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator 275 on Feb. 25. The 29-year-old Northern Ireland native is 4-1 in Bellator and also owns a notable win against UFC flyweight contender Manon Fiorot under the Cage Warrior banner.

A former competitor on the Brazilian version of Dana White’s Contender Series, Silva fell to Julia Budd and Ar…

Australian prospect Jack Becker will face a lengthy recovery process after gruesomely breaking his leg at Eternal MMA 66 on Sunday.

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Becker, who was defending his lightweight title against Aidan Aguilera in Perth, Australia, had his leg snap early in the first round of the bout when he had a leg kick checked by his opponent. The scene was reminiscent of what happened when Anderson Silva suffered a similar injury when he had a kick checked by Chris Weidman in a middleweight title bout at UFC 168.

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Eternal MMA posted video of the fight on its social media account.

Becker, a 29-year-old Tristar Gym export, entered the bout on a three-bout winning streak that included victories in championship bouts over Daniel Hill and Brenton Mumford under the Eternal MMA ba…

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

Abusupiyan Magomedov will lock horns with Makhmud Muradov at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming event in Paris.

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Both middleweights recently confirmed the pairing on social media. UFC Fight Night takes place at Accor Arena in Paris on Sept. 3 and is headlined by a heavyweight tilt pitting Ciryl Gane against Tai Tuivasa.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

A five-time Professional Fighters League veteran, Magomedov will return to action for the first time since December 2020, when he submitted Cezary Kesik in the second round at KSW 57. “Abus” went 3-1-1 in the PFL, falling to Louis Taylor in the 2018 middleweight finals.

Muradov began his Octagon tenure with three straight triumphs — including KO/TKO wins ag…

Conor McGregor’s first priority remains a UFC comeback, but the Irish star eventually plans on making a return to the Sweet Science, as well.

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The former two-division UFC champion briefly discussed his plans during an interview with Sky Sports. McGregor is currently on the mend from a broken leg suffered in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 last July. A date for his Octagon return is currently unknown.

“Boxing is my first love in combat sports,” McGregor said. “I had such a great time the last time I was out there [boxing].

“Obviously, my return will be inside the octagon for the UFC and mixed martial arts. That story is far from over. In fact, that story is just being written, it’s just the beginning — so that’s where I’ll make my return.”

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

McGrego…

After defeating Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision to reclaim the flyweight crown in their trilogy bout at UFC 270, Deiveson Figueiredo was not happy the promotion decided to create an interim belt some six months later.

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Moreno will face Kai Kara France for interim gold at UFC 277 in Dallas on July 30. Figueiredo makes it clear that he will not recognize the winner as a champion.

“I got really upset. I didn't expect that from UFC,” Figueiredo told Brazilian outlet AgFight. “I just couldn't believe when I heard that news. We fought in January, and they know I have a hand injury. After that decision I have to use Charles [Oliveira’s] words: The champion has a name and it's Deiveson Figueiredo.’ This plastic belt has no value.”

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The disappointment with the UFC’s…

A game of inches. Congratulations LeonAliu.#CW138 pic.twitter.com/BJR4NadibH

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) May 28, 2022

The crowd at Charter Hall in Colchester, England, went silent after the hometown hero lost in Saturday’s Cage Warriors Fighting Championship headliner.

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It took a little over a minute for Leon Aliu to knock out James Webb in the CW 138 headliner. Brave Combat Federation vet Aliu (10-1, 1-0 CW) thumped former 185-pound titleholder Webb with punches and heavy kicks out of the gate. Aliu targeted his adversary’s lead leg, forcing Webb (8-4-1, 7-4-1 CW) to change stance. From time to time, Aliu would aim at his opponent’s body, but it was all part of his strategy to make the Englishman lower his guard to defend himself. The gameplan paid dividends shortly after the one-minute mark. After scoring with a couple of kicks, Aliu fired a thermonuclear missile of a right that demolished Webb on the spot. The Iro…

Sherdog's live KSW 70 coverage will begin Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.

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

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Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. 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 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 MAIN EVENT!! #KSW70

PUDZIAN 🆚 MATERLALEGEND 🆚 LEGEND

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It is actually happening!! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/kyHdj5AU4C — KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 28, 2022 The main event of KSW 70 saw Mariusz Pudzianowski take on former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki middleweight champion Michal Materla in what was certainly a spectacle.

Pudzianowski (17-7, 1 NC), who outweighed his opponent by 34 pounds, came out swinging and was able to connect with Materla (31-9). The two would trade in the middle of the ring until Pudzianowski connected with a terrific uppercut. Materla was instantly out and fell to the floor. The stoppage came at 1:47 of the first round.

The heavyweight co-main event saw Ricardo Prasel submit Daniel Omielanczuk. Omielanczuk (25-13-1, 1 NC) managed to walk down Prasel (13-3) and took the fight to the ground in order to get rid of his opponent's height advantage. This would wind up being a mistake by Omielanczuk, as the Ger…

Former Champ, Matt Bonner, mounted his opponent and forced the tap after sinking in the submission. He really is chasing after that title 💨

What a way to cap off #CW137 👏 pic.twitter.com/p56TlmvyDv

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) May 27, 2022

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Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returned to Charter Hall in Colchester, England, with a card full of finishes.

The Cage Warriors 137 main event saw former 185-pound titleholder Matthew Bonner taking on Joel Kouadja in a 177-pound catchweight clash. Bonner (12-7-1, 9-5-1 CW) opposed his foe’s physicality with experience and technique. Bonner attempted to contain the damage from Kouadja (7-8, 0-1 CW) with takedown attempts and grinding against the fence. The fight turned into a grueling battle as “The Beast” constantly had to wrestle his way on top of his foe every time Kouadja reversed positions. Before the end of the opening period, Bonner scored with his hands on the feet …

🚨 BREAKING: Brave CF alum Anton Turkalj is set to face Acacio dos Santos at the upcoming DWCS event on July 26. The pair will collide at light heavyweight. 🚨

— Tudor Leonte (@MrTudorLeonte) May 27, 2022 An exciting light heavyweight affair has been added to Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series on July 26, as Anton Turkalj takes on Acacio dos Santos. A source close to the situation relayed the information to Sherdog.com, though the promotion has not yet officially announced it.

A Brave Combat Federation alum, Turkalj (7-0) is one of the hottest prospects fighting out of the Scandinavian area at the moment. The 25-year-old fighter scored the fastest knockout BCF history when he demolished Konstantin Soldatov with a spinning backfist in just 13 seconds in April. “The Pleasure Man” has finished all seven of his opponents inside two rounds.

Dos Santos (14-4) introduces himself to the United States audience after an April 30 victory over M…

Paddy Pimblett is back!@TheUFCBaddy vs @Jojo_MonkeyKing is signed for #UFCLondon 🇬🇧

🎟️ Tickets on general sale tomorrow at 10am BST pic.twitter.com/oNLEYFkUJA

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) May 27, 2022 The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Friday announced that Paddy Pimblett will face Jordan Leavitt in a lightweight clash as part of a UFC Fight Night event on July 23 in London. Pimblett received one of the biggest pops during the UFC’s latest foray into England, and the Nevada-based promotion undoubtedly wants to strike while the iron remains hot.

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A former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder, Pimblett (18-3, 2-0 UFC) made a successful promotional debut by stopping Luigi Vendramini with punches in the opening stanza of their lightweight affair at UFC Fight Night 191. Subsequently, he forced Rodrigo Vargas to tap to a rear-naked choke in the opening period of their UFC Fight Night 204 encounter in March. The Ne…

There was some drama ahead of the second half of Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s latest duology.

The CW 138 main event on Saturday in Colchester, England, will feature a 185-pound tilt between former divisional titleholder James Webb and Italy’s Leon Aliu. Webb (8-3-1, 7-3-1 CW) looks to score a victory following his second-round defeat at the hands of Matthew Bonner in March 2021. The Team KF Martial Arts representative captured the championship after submitting Thomas Robertsen at CW 102, then lost it to Nathias Frederick in November 2019. The Colchester-born fighter weighed in at 184.7 pounds.

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Brave Combat Federation vet Aliu (9-1, 0-0) is also eying the divisional championship. In his latest appearance, the Iron Team Reggio Emilia standout scored a technical knockout over Esteban Mendoza. It was Aliu’s first appearance following a three-year hiatus. On the scales, Aliu checked in at 185.9 pounds.

Meanwhile, the event lost the scheduled f…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV-vqM_ZN14&w=640&h=360] Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki's lone May mixed martial arts card is upon us as heavyweights Mariusz Pudzianowski and Michal Materla will meet in the KSW 70 main event.

All fighters successfully made weight for the nine-fight card. Polish strongman legend Pudzianowski (16-7, 1 NC) came in at 256 pounds for his main event clash, while Materla (31-8) will be the smaller man on Saturday weighing 222 pounds.

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"Pudzian" is currently riding a four fight win streak. His most recent outing saw the Polish fighter finish Serigne Ousmane Dia in just 18 seconds with a knockout punch. All four of his wins have come via TKO and Pudzianowski hasn't suffered defeat since May 2019. The Pudzian Team fighter will look to claim the longest win streak of his career by defeating Materla.

Meanwhile, "Magic" is coming off two victories, having won a decision over Moise Rimbon and finishing Jason Radcliffe with pu…

Hold on to your seats, folks 🎢 We've got a 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑫 one headlining in Long Island! @BrianTCity vs @PanteraUFC

[ #UFCLongIsland | Sat. July 16 | 📍 @UBSArena ] pic.twitter.com/9Y5aBqo5Ch

— UFC (@ufc) May 26, 2022

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A featherweight affair will headline the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to New York. On Thursday, UFC officials confirmed that former 145-pound title challenger Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez would collide in the main event of an upcoming UFC Fight Night event on July 16. The news also implied that the Nevada-based promotion would soon leave the UFC Apex for its Fight Night series as the upcoming event will go down at the UBS Arena in Long Island.

Ortega (15-2, 1 NC; 7-2, 1 NC UFC) is looking to bounce back after dropping a decision to Alexander Volkanovski in their championship affair at UFC 266. It was the second time “T-City” lost a title fight after suffering a fourth-round stoppage at the hands of …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e5L1ChoHaI&w=560&h=315]

Former Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder Nick Diaz might compete before the end of the year. Diaz (26-10, 2 NC; 7-7, 1 NC UFC) is preparing for his Ultimate Fighting Championship return and aims to compete in 2022. While an official opponent and date have yet to be revealed, the UFC superstar is undoubtedly willing to don the four-ounce gloves one more time. In a recent interview, Diaz claimed that he would like to face the current 170-pound kingpin, Kamaru Usman, if his return materializes.

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“I’m working on the end of the year,” Diaz said to TMZ Sports. “I’m working on it. I’d rather fight for a title. If I’m gonna fight, I want to fight for a title. That’s the thing, and they want to say if I want to fight a bunch of guys and stuff like that, but I’m like, you know what, it’s a bigger fight if you just skip all the mess. I don’t want to go in there and get my as…

The first ever Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Paris has just gained an interesting tilt as Katlyn Chookagian will take on Manon Fiorot in a women’s flyweight clash. A source has confirmed the matchup with Sherdog, which was first reported by Boxe Mag. The winner of the bout will potentially challenge divisional and pound-for-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko.

Chookagian (18-4, 11-4 UFC) is currently riding a four-bout winning streak. All four of the fights have went the distance, including wins over Cynthia Calvillo and Viviane Araujo. Recently, she took home a narrow split-decision victory after edging Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN 36.

Fiorot (9-1, 4-0 UFC) hasn’t lost in her latest nine outings, including four UFC fights. The Boxing Squad representative has picked up decision victories after upending Mayra Bueno Silva and Jennifer Maia at UFC Fight Night 195 and UFC on ESPN 33, respectively.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fi…

The latest Cage Warriors Fighting Championship event will go down at Charter Hall in Colchester, England.

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In the CW 137 headliner, former 185-pound titleholder Matthew Bonner (11-7-1, 8-5-1 CW) will attempt to add another victory to his record. “The Beast” is 5-1 in his latest outings, which includes victories over former divisional champions Nathias Frederick and James Webb. Bonner looked good on the scales as he recorded 175.3lbs, below the limit of the 177-pound contracted catchweight.

Atch Academy standout Joel Kouadja (7-7, 0-0 CW) will make his promotional debut while riding an impressive six-bout win streak. The Frenchman finished all his latest opponents inside the distance. Kouadja hit the scales at 176.9 pounds.

In the co-main event, two promotional newcomers will collide to impress U.K. fans as Bogdan Barbu locks horns with Daan Duijs. Barbu (17-12, 0-0 CW) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Cipian Maris at RXF 40, …

OFFICIAL: #2022PFL5 Matchups are SET! @ESPNPlus | @espnmma pic.twitter.com/kkEBMWpzyD

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 26, 2022

Defending heavyweight champion Bruno Henrique Cappelozza will continue his bid to repeat against Matheus Scheffel in the PFL 5 main event on June 24.

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The promotion announced the pairings for the regular season card, which is mostly comprised of heavyweight and featherweight bouts. The exception is a lightweight clash between Anthony Pettis and Steven Ray, which will serve as the evening’s co-main event. Rounding out the main draw is a featherweight tilt between Chris Wade and Kyle Bochniak and a heavyweight scrap pitting Renan Ferreira against Klidson Abreu.

PFL 5 takes place at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta Georgia. The main card airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, whle prelims stream on ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then strea…