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You’d have to go back to 2014 to find the last time Alexa Grasso finished a professional mixed martial arts bout, but the Lobo Gym MMA product’s stoppage of Joanne Wood on Saturday was far more significant for her career.

Grasso defeated Wood via rear-naked choke at the 3:57 mark of Round 1 in the UFC on ESPN 33 co-main event on Saturday at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, for her third consecutive triumph in the promotion at 125 pounds.

“It feels amazing. Finally, three wins [in a row] in the UFC and my first finish – my first submission on my record,” Grasso said at the post-fight press conference.

Prior to Saturday, all five of Grasso’s previous UFC victories had gone the distance. That wasn’t by design.

“Of course, as a fighter you always want to finish a fight,” she said. “It took a long time … but now I feel great. As I’m getting older, too, I feel more mature – my mind, my body, and my fight game.”

Grasso has always been best known for …

Chris Daukaus is trying to focus on the positive following his second consecutive defeat in the Octagon.

The Philadelphia police officer released a brief statement via Twitter in the aftermath of UFC on ESPN 33, where he fell to Curtis Blaydes via technical knockout 17 seconds into Round 2 of their headlining heavyweight bout at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, this past Saturday.

“There’s always negativity from people after a loss, often we linger too long on that,” Daukaus said. “I’m very appreciative for the people who have not done that and who have reached out with positivity. You guys are the best, especially @[email protected] thank you.”

There’s always negativity from people after a loss, often we linger too long on that. I’m very appreciative for the people who have not done that and who have reached out with positivity. You guys are the best, especially @Boogerbeard1 @MacMallyMMA thank you.

— Chris Daukaus (@ChrisDaukau…

Grant Dawson will replace Rafael Alves and lock horns with Jared Gordon in a lightweight scrap at UFC on ESPN 35.

mixedmartialarts.com was first to report the new booking. A reason for Alves’ withdrawal was not disclosed. UFC on ESPN 35 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on April 30 and is headlined by a bantamweight duel pitting Rob Font against Marlon Vera.

After earning a contract on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Dawson was victorious in his first five promotional appearances before battling Ricky Glenn to a majority draw in his sixth outing at UFC Fight Night 196 this past October. The Glory MMA & Fitness representative is 2-0-1 at lightweight after beginning his UFC tenure at 145 pounds. He owns a career mark of 17-1-1.

Gordon, 33, has been victorious in his last three UFC appearances. Most recently, the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu product earned a split verdict against Joe Solecki at UFC Fight Night 193 this past October. “Flash” is 6-…

If this was indeed it for Bryan Barberena, at least he went out with a bang.

Barberena’s split-decision triumph over Matt Brown at UFC on ESPN 33 received “Fight of the Night” honors on Saturday, a fitting recognition for two athletes who have been known to deliver action in their bouts.

At Saturday’s post-fight press conference, Barberena revealed that he completed the last fight on his current UFC contract. The 32-year-old MMA Lab representative has won three of his last four Octagon appearances and is 8-6 during his promotional tenure overall. If the UFC is not interesting in re-signing him, Barberena would rather hang up the four-ounce gloves than take his talents elsewhere.

“I’m really glad [the Brown fight] happened because this is the last fight on my contract,” Barberena said. “I haven’t been open about that, but this is the last fight on my contract. The UFC didn’t say anything about renegotiating. I tried to ask about it.

“Dana White, let’s talk.…

Curtis Blaydes has certainly experienced his setbacks in UFC competition – KO losses to Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis immediately come to mind – but he’s also gradually built a resume that ranks among the best in the heavyweight division during his promotional tenure.

He added to his list of achievements with a second-round technical knockout victory against Chris Daukaus in the UFC on ESPN 33 main event on Saturday, a victory that stood out because the Octagon’s all-time heavyweight takedown leader relied on his striking, not his wrestling, to get the job done at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. After winning for the sixth time in his last seven UFC appearances, Blaydes called for an interim heavyweight title shot.

He reiterated that desire at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.

“I feel that way but that does not mean the world feels that way,” Blaydes said. “That’s really what matters. What do the fans want to see? I do believe I deserve an inte…

A middleweight showdown pitting Sean Strickland against Alex Pereira is in the works for UFC 277 this summer.

ESPN was first to report that both Strickland and Pereira have verbally agreed to the bout. UFC 277 is expected to take place on July 30 and airs on pay-per-view. A location and venue have not been confirmed for the event.

A former King of the Cage title holder, Strickland is currently on a six-bout winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion. The 31-year-old California native is coming off back-to-back headlining appearances in which he earned a split-decision triumph over Jack Hermansson at UFC Fight Night 200 and a unanimous verdict against Uriah Hall at UFC on ESPN 28.

Pereira improved to 2-0 in the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 203, where he defeated ex-M-1 Global champ Bruno Silva via unanimous decision. The former two-division Glory champion is probably best known for his pair of victories against reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Ad…

Raquel Pennington will step up on short notice to face Aspen Ladd at UFC 273 on April 9.

Pennington is a late replacement for Irene Aldana, who withdrew from the bantamweight clash after suffering an undisclosed injury. Eurosport Netherlands was first to report the new matchup. UFC 273 takes place at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and is headlined by a featherweight title tilt between Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung.

Pennington enters the matchup with Ladd on a three-bout winning streak. The former bantamweight title challenger last appeared at UFC Fight Night 199, where she submitted Macy Chiasson with a second-round guillotine choke this past December. “Rocky” has also secured decision triumphs over Pannie Kianzad and Marion Reneu during her current streak.

After nearly two years on the sidelines due to knee surgery, Ladd moved up to featherweight in her Octagon return at UFC Fight Night 195, where she dropped a five-round verd…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday with a pivotal heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus, but the big boys weren’t the only fighters who nabbed the attention of the combat sports world.

Four fighters on the UFC on ESPN 33 marquee pocketed quite a bit of bonus cash for their efforts, with Matt Brown and Bryan Barberena nabbing the Fight of the Night bonus and the aforementioned Blades and Chris Gutierrez taking home an extra $50K apiece for their Performance of the Night accolades.

Brown, a41-year-old hometown fan favorite, waged a memorable three-round war with Barberena, driving the capacity crowd into a frenzy. While Brown scored critical takedowns in rounds two and three, it was Barberena’s powerful elbows and fists that buckled the Ohioan’s knees a few too many times when it mattered most. And while both men were on the verge of being stopped multiple times, Brown was battered far wors…

Curtis Blaydes has more than one dimension—a reality to which Chris Daukaus can now attest.

Blaydes stayed relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division, as he took apart the former Philadelphia police officer with punches in the second round of their UFC on ESPN 33 headliner on Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Daukaus (12-5, 4-2 UFC) bowed out 17 seconds into Round 2.

Curtis Blaydes WITH THE TKO 😱 #UFCColumbus pic.twitter.com/jb8u5mLwa9

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 27, 2022 The 31-year-old Blaydes (16-3, 11-3 UFC)—the UFC’s all-time heavyweight leader in completed takedowns—chose to stand and exchange, and the approach paid dividends. He ate a few right hands from Daukaus early in the bout but stayed the course and let his talent seize the reins. Blaydes buckled the former Cage Fury Fighting Championships contender with a two-punch salvo in the first round and opened a cut near his left eye, setting t…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 33 coverage will begin Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

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

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Sco…

Back in the win column! @Sara_McMann w/ the UD win at #UFCColumbus! pic.twitter.com/bnIS4So7Hc

— UFC (@ufc) March 26, 2022

Sara McMann went back to basics, and the results were revelatory.

The 2004 Olympic silver medalist stood her ground in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division, as she took a unanimous decision from Parana Vale Tudo’s Karol Rosa in the featured UFC on ESPN 33 prelim on Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for McMann (13-6, 7-6 UFC).

Rosa (15-4, 4-1 UFC) failed to maintain a manageable distance with the Team Alpha Male representative. McMann secured takedowns in all three rounds, stifled the Brazilian with top control and progressed to the back on more than one occasion. Rosa finally sprang a reversal late in the third round and applied some significant ground-and-pound, but the finish she needed never materialized.

The defeat halted R…

One Championship on Saturday celebrated its 10th anniversary by putting on one of its best cards to date at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. It featured everything combat sports fans come to expect from a special occasion.

In the One Championship “One X” headliner, Angela Lee made her promotional return against Stamp Fairtex after taking off two years and a half for maternity leave. Lee (11-2, 11-2 One) shook off cage rust by attacking her opponent right out of the gate with a flurry of punches. Stamp (8-2, 7-2 One) stayed composed and waited for the right moment to retaliate with a liver shot that almost folded “Unstoppable” where she stood. While she was in evident distress, Lee bit down on her mouthpiece and survived the subsequent barrage of punches and kicks. In the second frame, Lee moved the action to the canvas as soon as possible. Once there, she showcased an arsenal of submission attempts, including a triangle choke and a twister that almost sealed t…

Bellator MMA veteran Adam Keresh disposed of Chad Johnson with punches in the first round of their heavyweight showcase at PFL Challenger Series 6 on Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Johnson (6-4) checked out 3:34 into Round 1, as he suffered his third consecutive defeat.

Afterward, the Professional Fighters League signed Keresh to its 2022 roster.

Keresh (5-0) tested the waters with a few kicks and waited for an opportunity to present itself. He sprawled on Johnson, forced him down to all fours and connected with a brutal right hand underneath the armpit. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum reacted immediately, retreated to a belly-down position and ate a few more punches before referee Andrew Glenn intervened on his behalf.

Meanwhile, Robert Drysdale-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Marcelo Nunes submitted Bevon Lewis with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their heavyweight co-feature. Nunes (8-1) drew out the surrender 2:39 int…

OZZY DIAZ IS THE NEW MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!!#LFA127 pic.twitter.com/2UbTecahUl

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 26, 2022 The Legacy Fighting Alliance crowned a new middleweight champion in the main event of LFA 127.

Competing for the vacant title in a classic striker versus grappler match were the hard-hitting Osman Diaz and Brazilian submission specialist Bruno Assis. The striking difference was demonstrated early with Diaz (7-1) flooring Assis (12-6) and then wisely not following him to the floor. A second knockdown would come late in the round with another flurry of punches ending the fight right before the round came to an end. Diaz officially claimed the championship at 4:53 of Round 1.

Featherweights Chase Gibson and Javier Garcia both had great moments in the back-and-forth co-main event. The first round would see each fighter gain back control and threaten with chokes, but it was Gibson (11-5) that ended the frame on top. R…

Romance can be quite a powerful motivator.

Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight contender Matheus Nicolau has grand designs on his division, and he does not plan on being at the top by himself. The upcoming UFC on ESPN 33 card on Saturday will have two important chapters to set up the future of flyweight division, and Nicolau aims to cement his place as a top contender with a decisive win.

Besides the fight between Askar Askarov and Kai Kara France, ranked two and six, respectively, there is one more matchup pitting top-10 flyweights against one another. The Columbus, Ohio, event will also feature a fight between Brazilian Nicolau (17-2-1) and the surging David Dvorak (20-3), with the latter coming off three straight UFC wins. Nicolau spoke to Sherdog about his upcoming bout, and what he plans after it takes place.

“David is a pretty solid fighter [and] well-rounded,” Nicolau admitted. “He has the same number of knockouts and submissions. For being very experience…

UFC finalizing undefeated Casey O’Neill (@kingcaseymma) vs. Jessica Eye (@jessicaevileye) for UFC 276 on July 2, per sources. O’Neill looking to improve to 5-0 in the UFC. Eye looking to hang on to her No. 10 ranking. Who you like in this one? pic.twitter.com/hQ3GNeyAVl

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 25, 2022 Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight Jessica Eye will try to hold the line in the top 10 in July.

Per the UFC’s broadcast partner of ESPN on Friday, Eye (15-10, 1 NC) will be making her return to the cage after just under a year off against Casey O'Neill (9-0) at UFC 276. The event will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 2, as the conclusion of the promotion’s annual International Fight Week celebration. The fight is expected to be official soon, with O’Neill remarking on the upcoming matchup on her Instagram stories on Thursday.

“Evil” Eye expected to be back in action far sooner than July 2022, with her la…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrpOL-OLSvY&w=560&h=315] Two-time Professional Fighters League champ Natan Schulte will return to action in the organization’s first regular season event of 2022.

The 2022 PFL tournament will kick off on April 20 at the Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas, with lightweights and light heavyweights on tap for the first fight card. PFL 1: 2022 Regular Season had the lion’s share of its lineup announced, and sources close to the situation informed Sherdog on Friday of its final pairing in the lightweight division. 2018 and 2019 tourney champ Schulte (21-4-1) will be coming back to fight at this event, and he will be taking on Olivier Aubin-Mercier (13-5) in the lightweight division.

Schulte was once booked to fight Aubin-Mercier at PFL 7: 2021 Playoffs in August 2021, but he was forced to withdraw for undisclosed reasons. In the initial event of the 2021 season, Schulte lost for the first time since PFL’s rebranding when …

WE HAVE A MAIN EVENT!@RazorBlaydes265 is in at 259 pounds ⚖️

[ #UFCColumbus | TOMORROW | LIVE on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/IE1bt8yYE6

— UFC (@ufc) March 25, 2022 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Ohio for UFC on ESPN 33. The card is headlined by a heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus, who both had no issue coming in under the 265-pound limit. The rest of the 13-fight card also made weight, as there was little to no drama on the scale.

Blaydes enters his fifth UFC main event with a 15-3 record. The heavyweight most recently rebounded from a Derrick Lewis KO defeat by winning a decision over Jairzinho Rozenstruik. "Razor" is 5-1 in his last six bouts, and stepped on the scale weighing 259 pounds.

This is the second main event for Daukaus, who was knocked out by the aforementioned Lewis in his last time out. Prior to the setback, Daukaus had won five straight bouts, four of which were inside the Octago…

Exclusive @GamebredFighter headed to jail on an aggravated battery charge after his alleged attack on @ColbyCovMMA Exclusive video and story on @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/HGJhTz25Kj

— Rosh Lowe (@roshloweWPLG) March 24, 2022 Ultimate Fighting Championship star Jorge Masvidal has entered a plea of not guilty for his charges of battery and criminal mischief.

According to online court records from the Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Courts office, Masvidal has entered a written plea of not guilty for his charges. On Wednesday, “Gamebred” was charged with aggravated battery and criminal mischief, both felonies, following his alleged altercation with Colby Covington on Monday night. Additionally, Masvidal has issued a demand for a trial by jury, and he and his team have requested discovery as well as a waiver to not require his presence at any pre-trial conference. The court date is set for April 21.

Masvidal posted bail after his arrest on …

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jfm0bexz9I?start=2144&w=560&h=315] Paige VanZant will once again be the top name on a marquee, capping off the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s first foray into Great Britain this July.

First reported by Ariel Helwani, BKFC head David Feldman announced on the BKFC Show on Thursday that VanZant (0-2 BK) will be headlining the first BKFC event held in Europe. The fight card will be held on July 9 at the Alexandra Palace in London. No additional bouts have been announced, nor did Feldman state the name of her opponent. Feldman also stated that the European tour would continue with a show in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Aug. 6.

Despite going 0-2 in her first pair of fights under the BKFC banner, she will be competing in the main event of this fight night. The flyweight known as “12 Gauge” left the Ultimate Fighting Championship after losing three of her last four, and she debuted with the bare-knuckle league in February 2021. Van…

#ufc #FamilyFirst pic.twitter.com/dhxTq1DnXI

— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) March 24, 2022 Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champ Khabib Nurmagomedov has chosen a side in the Jorge Masvidal-Colby Covington fracas.

On his social media on Thursday, Nurmagomedov called for fighters to stop accepting matches with Covington based on the American’s conduct when building up fights. The former champ took issue with some of the things Covington said in his buildup against Masvidal at UFC 272 in March. Masvidal claimed that Covington spoke ill of his family, including his children, and that did not sit well with “Gamebred” or Nurmagomedov. Masvidal himself promised that it would be “on sight” – meaning that if they ran into one another on the street, they would fight – following their encounter in the Octagon, and Nurmagomedov believes that Covington crossed a line that should never been crossed.

“If you are stronger than someone insid…

.@BellatorMMA’s version of March Madness pic.twitter.com/Ez9zgy2MFM

— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) March 24, 2022 The Bellator MMA bantamweight tournament is now on the books.

Per the organization, through its broadcast partner on CBS Sports, the Bellator bantamweight grand prix has its bracket. Instead of eight men, there will be ten, although two will be eliminated on April 28 to make it an even eight. Parts of the tourney, including the Bellator 279 meetings of Juan Archuleta vs. Raufeon Stots for the interim strap, as well as Patrick Mix vs. Kyoji Horiguchi, had already been announced previously. The new additions include Jornel Lugo, Danny Sabatello, Enrique Barzola and Josh Hill.

At Bellator 278 on April 22, the two wild card bouts will go on to determine who faces Leandro Higo and Magomed Magomedov in the quarterfinals. James Gallagher was initially expected to take on Magomedov, but he withdrew due to an injury that will require surg…

The Week 6 Heavyweights face off one last time before they meet again inside the cage on Fight Night!

Dont miss the action tomorrow night on https://t.co/ThxOqQwa7H 9pm ET!#PFLonFuboTV pic.twitter.com/cYn4K3n8WM

— PFL (@PFLMMA) March 24, 2022 Professional Fighters League's Challenger Series continues with PFL Challenger Series 6, which features a slew of heavyweight prospects. As expected of an all-heavyweight card, no fighters missed weight. The four-fight billing is headlined by a bout between Bevon Lewis and Marcelo Nunes. It's also worth noting that Brett Martin was replaced by Billy Swanson due to "management issues."

Lewis is a 7-3 fighter that is coming off a 1-3 stint inside the Octagon, with his only victory coming against Dequan Townsend. "The Extraordinary Gentleman" will look to regain momentum after being finished by Trevin Giles in his last bout. This also marks a significant step up in weight, as the former middleweight s…

Exclusive @GamebredFighter headed to jail on an aggravated battery charge after his alleged attack on @ColbyCovMMA Exclusive video and story on @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/HGJhTz25Kj

— Rosh Lowe (@roshloweWPLG) March 24, 2022

Jorge Masvidal has been arrested and is currently in custody for his alleged attack on UFC rival Colby Covington outside a Miami restaurant on Monday night.

The UFC welterweight was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami on Wednesday at approximately 10:27 p.m. local time on charges of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and criminal mischief. Bail has been set at $15,000.

News of Masvidal’s arrest was first reported by WPLG Local 10 News, which posted video of the fighter entering the facility in handcuffs. Masvidal ran inside without responding to any questions.

Masvidal appeared virtually for a Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting earlier Wednesday to discuss licensing…