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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGjhPMCWN-o&w=560&h=315]

Vitor Belfort has high expectations for his upcoming boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya.

After it was announced that Belfort would face De La Hoya in an exhibition bout on Sept. 11 in Las Vegas, “The Phenom” told TMZ Sports that the fight could be the biggest off all time.

“Oscar is an Olympic gold medalist one of the best pound-for-pound fighters ever,” Belfort said. “He revolutionized the sport. Vitor was the youngest UFC champion.  If it were not for Oscar, [Floyd] Mayweather wouldn’t exist. If it were not for Vitor Belfort, [Conor] McGregor wouldn’t exist. Now the new generation will be taught about the history of the sport. This fight will break all the records. This fight will sell more than Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman.”

In a recent interview with MMAFighting.com, Belfort criticized the grappling specialists that are representing MMA against boxers under boxing rules.

“I just…

UFC 263 did approximately 600,000 pay-per-view buys, according to a report from the Sports Business Journal.

That figure includes 500,000 buys domestically through ESPN+ and another 100,000 internationally. Those figures are based on industry estimates, because the Las Vegas-based promotion does not release official buy rates.

UFC 263 took place at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on June 12 and saw Israel Adesanya retain his middleweight crown with a unanimous verdict over Marvin Vettori in the evening’s headliner. In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno claimed the 125-pound belt with a third-round submission of Deiveson Figueiredo. The card also featured the return of Nate Diaz, who lost a five-round verdict to Leon Edwards in a non-title, welterweight affair.

That represents a significant increase from UFC 262, which was headlined by a lightweight title tilt between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler and drew around 300,000 buys on May 15.

Adesany…

Dan Ige kept his head held high following a unanimous decision loss to Chan Sung Jung in the UFC on ESPN 25 main event on Saturday.

The Xtreme Couture product had his moments standing against “The Korean Zombie” in their featherweight clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but the South Korean standout ultimately relied on his grappling to frustrate Ige and get the nod from the cageside judges.

In a post-fight interview in the Octagon, Ige paid tribute to his opponent while expressing resolve to climb to the top of the 145-pound division.

“I went out there I fought my best. I came in at my absolute best. I have no excuses,” Ige said. “The ‘Zombie’ is an absolute legend. I’ve been watching this guy since I graduated from high school. I was watching him from the WEC days to here now in the UFC, and he’s still one of the best in the world – and that’s all I want.

“I want to test myself against the absolute best in the world. I truly believe I can still be a cham…

Avenging a previous loss to Davey Grant was more meaningful to Marlon Vera than most people might realize.

After falling to Grant via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 84 in February 2016, Vera outpointed Grant in their rematch at UFC on ESPN 25, a bout that earned “Fight of the Night” honors.

“It feels amazing. He got me back in the day when I was younger and green in the game. You aren’t beating me twice,” Vera said. “That’s not going to happen. When they called me for this fight, I was honestly expecting a bigger fight. Everybody was like, ‘Easy fight.’ There are no easy fights in the Octagon. That got proven today. I also proved my level, gas tank and technique. I’m not going to just give up.

  “The guy beat me when I was young and a newcomer. He broke my heart, because that was the fight that made me leave to the U.S. I told myself I couldn’t be in Ecuador anymore. Now we’re here after five years. It’s pretty damn good.”

At the time, the los…

An old injury briefly made an appearance during Chan Sung Jung’s victory over Dan Ige at UFC on ESPN 25 on Saturday night.

According to his coach, Eddie Cha, Jung had some issues with his shoulder during the five-round featherweight headliner. The injury ultimately didn’t affect the “Korean Zombie’s” performance, as he relied on his grappling to take a five-round verdict against Ige at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“Out of all of the UFC main events he’s had, this is the first one he’s had a decision. He’s kind of disappointed in it, but at the same time, he did pop his shoulder in and out,” Cha said on the ESPN+ post-fight show.

“(It’s the) same shoulder that he messed up in the Aldo fight,” Cha added. “He won’t ever say that kind of stuff, that’s why I kind of just put it in there. … In the second round when he went for the takedown and took his back, that’s when it kind of popped in and out a little bit. We were constantly telling him to raise his hands. Then, …

.@SpiderAnderson wins a split decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.!!!!!

77-75 77-75 (For Silva) 75-77 (For Chavez Jr)#TributetotheKings

PPV: https://t.co/ZUiLgsTmuO pic.twitter.com/7bda85FU9l — FITE (@FiteTV) June 20, 2021

Anderson Silva shocked the world in his first professional boxing match since 2005.

The former UFC middleweight champion upset Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via split decision (75-77, 77-75, 77-75) in an eight-round bout at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalarjara, Mexico as part of the “Tribute to the Kings” pay-per-view event on Saturday night. The bout was contested at 182 pounds, but Chavez Jr., a former WBC champion, foreited $100,000 of his purse to Silva after missing weight by 2.4 pounds on Friday.

According to most accounts, “The Spider” didn’t find a rhythm until after the third round, when the Brazilian began to taunt his opponent and drop his hands. Despite just two prior pro bouts to his credit, Silva began to h…

In the case of Marlon Vera vs. Davey Grant, the sequel was better than the original.

Vera and Grant received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their entertaining bantamweight scrap at UFC on ESPN 25 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Vera grew stronger as the bout progressed, pulling away for a unanimous decision triumph and avenging a previous loss to Grant.

Elsewhere, Matt Brown garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check thanks to a one-punch knockout of Dhiego Lima in a featured welterweight affair. After a competitive opening stanza, the 40-year-old veteran connected with a right hand that sent his opponent tumbling face first to the canvas 3:02 into Round 2.

Finally, Seung Woo Choi captured the card’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check on the strength of a quick finish of Julian Erosa at featherweight. Choi floored Erosa with a left hook early in the bout, then clinched his victory with punches from top pos…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Once upon a time, Chan Sung Jung’s default mode was to brawl and throw caution to the wind. On Saturday, “The Korean Zombie” displayed a different element to his game, as he incorporated timely grappling with his striking to capture a unanimous decision triumph over Dan Ige in the UFC on ESPN 25 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Jung received scorecards of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 to rebound from a loss to current No. 1 contender Brian Ortega this past October.

The 34-year-old South Korean appeared to be in typical form in Round 2, when he buckled Ige (15-4, 7-3 UFC) with a right hook. Jung wasn’t content to stay on the feet, however, as he ended the frame with a back take against his Hawaiian opponent.

That would turn out to be a prevailing theme in the fight. “The Korean Zombie” landed …

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 25 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.

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay P…

Letting it fly in Round #UFCVegas29 pic.twitter.com/yi5ju3Zxhu

— UFC (@ufc) June 19, 2021

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

A durable chin, consistent forward movement and a willingness to brawl carried Nicolae Negumereanu to victory on Saturday night.

The 26-year-old Romanian secured his first promotional triumph at UFC on ESPN 25, taking a hard-fought split-decision triumph over Strong Style Fight Team representative Aleksa Camur in a light heavyweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Michael Bell and Tony Weeks scored the fight 29-28 in favor of the Korona Sports Centre export, while Eric Colon had it 29-28 for Camur.

While Camur (6-2, 1-2 UFC) had a clear edge in technical boxing ability, Negumereanu was able to make it an increasingly ugly affair as the bout progressed. He consis…

Credit: Getty/UFC Credit: Getty/UFC

Eight-time UFC veteran Luis Pena was recently arrested on multiple charges, according to a report from MMAFighting.com.

“The Ultimate Fighter 27” veteran was arrested Friday and charged with robbery by sudden snatching, battery and criminal mischief. Pena was reportedly picked up by the Coral Springs Police Department on an extradition warrant issued by another police department in a different Florida county. Further details regarding the charges are currently unclear.

A Coral Springs police department spokesperson told MMAFighting that Pena was picked up based on an anonymous tip. The robbery and battery charges are currently designated as pending trial, per the report. On Wednesday, Pena posted a statement regarding his struggles with mental health issues on his Twitter account.

“People aren't comfortable talking about this, but I have been going through serious mental health issues my entire life and have finally gained t…

on the dot.@KoreanZombieMMA makes #UFCVegas29 OFFICIAL.

[ Main Card 7pmET | Tomorrow on ESPN2 & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/RsPhsewyvd

— UFC (@ufc) June 18, 2021 Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Twenty-four fighters up, all 24 on target for the latest ESPN2 fare this weekend.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to ESPN2 airwaves on Saturday with a 12-fight card headlined by Chan Sung Jung vs. Dan Ige. Every fighter on the UFC on ESPN 25 card successfully made weight.

A fan-favorite since his days in World Extreme Cagefighting, Jung (16-6) is looking to bounce back from a one-sided defeat to Brian Ortega. While the "Korean Zombie" didn't get finished, it derailed an impressive win streak that saw him dispatch both Renato Carneiro and Frankie Edgar with punches. The South Korean fighter stepped on the scale…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-M5G6k2Jqw?start=749&w=560&h=315] Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The main event of Professional Fighters League’s fifth show in 2021 left many scratching their head, including the man most heavily impacted. Atop PFL 5: 2021 Regular Season, Rory MacDonald suffered a contentious split decision loss to Gleison Tibau. The overwhelming majority of those viewing the contest, including Sherdog’s official scorer, believed that MacDonald had done enough to get the nod. Judges Dave Tirelli and Cardo Urso disagreed, awarding the Brazilian the first and third rounds for the decision.

At the post-fight press conference, MacDonald was asked about the result, and the typically stoic Canadian had several thoughts on what went down mere minutes beforehand.

“I’m very disappointed,” a crestfallen MacDonald told media. “I believe……

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1WTGbcVdJo&w=560&h=315]

Rory MacDonald was sure he had done enough. The judges informed him otherwise.

Gleison Tibau sprang a stunning upset under the Professional Fighters League flag, as he took a contentious split decision from the former Bellator MMA champion in the PFL 5 headliner on Thursday at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28, two of them siding with Tibau (36-15, 1-1 PFL).

MacDonald (22-7-1, 1-1 PFL) appeared to control a majority of the action with deft footwork, a sharp jab and front kicks to the body. He did his best work in Round 1, where he scrambled onto Tibau’s back and threatened with a rear-naked choke. To his credit, the American Top Team-trained Brazilian refused to yield to those advances. Tibau fought through two eye pokes, relied heavily on his left hand and grew increasingly effective at staving off the Canadian’s bid for takedowns. It was…

Sherdog's live PFL 2021 5 coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET.

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

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL and “The Ultimate Fighter” 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 Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 The Official Result

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm4Qb_2d70s&w=560&h=315] Bellator MMA two-division champ Patricio Freire is comfortable with his promotion, although he has plenty of thoughts on those that compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Shortly after the announcement of the Bellator featherweight grand prix final atop Bellator 263, Sherdog spoke with Freire (32-4) about his upcoming match with A.J. McKee (17-0). “Pitbull” was positively brimming with confidence about the final in July and guaranteed that his experience would be the key to victory.

“I’ve already started the camp one month ago and we have a great strategy to surprise him,” Freire admitted. “No doubt [that] McKee is dangerous and complete, but he is too clumsy, and I’m very confident that I’ll finish him.”

One of the most frequently asked questions for “Pitbull” in his home country of Brazil is when he will transition to the UFC. Freire has learned to take the question in stride, even when aske…

For the second time thanks to COVID-19, Full Metal Dojo has been forced to push back its Fight Circus 3 event.

The organization announced on Thursday that Fight Circus 3 has been delayed again due to the pandemic. The event was slated to go down on June 19 at the Sea Galleri by Katathani Resort in Phuket, Thailand. Unlike the previous postponement, it was not necessarily from specific local regulations regarding COVID-19 that forced the event to be pushed back, but it did stem from COVID-19 reasons.

Full Metal Dojo created an animated analyst named Brandi Mae, who broke the news that the fight card was off. “Fight Circus 3 postponed again god-damn it…but for now we’ll never know what magic Jon Nutt and CamSoda could have conjured. Our deepest apologies, but just because the monkey is off your back, doesn’t mean that the circus has left town.

“Fight Circus will be back, rebooted and rad as hell,” she concluded.

Once it goes down, Fight Circus 3 will be streamed …

Some two weeks removed from his strange boxing match against a YouTuber, Vitor Belfort will instead be facing a much more dire threat from the boxing world in September.

Earlier in June, Belfort was announced to have joined the Triller Fight Club event on June 19 in Miami, but the entire card was nixed when headliner Teofimo Lopez tested positive for COVID-19. Instead of the match with Michael Holston, a man known as “The Real Tarzann” from his animal-keeping videos, Belfort has a new opponent and a new date. On Sept. 11, Belfort (26-14, 1 NC MMA; 1-0 Box) will throw down in an exhibition against the legendary Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs Box). The news was first reported by The Athletic on Thursday, and it has since been confirmed by numerous outlets and the promotion itself.

De La Hoya last boxed in 2008, when he fell short to Manny Pacquiao by corner stoppage after eight rounds. Over the years, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame boxer faced most of the best opponents …

: Matt Mitrione (@mattmitrione)-Tyrell Fortune (@FortuneOverFam) and Linton Vassell-Marcelo Golm (@MarceloGolm) added to #Bellator262 main card.https://t.co/KwS4GHvtYH

— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) June 17, 2021 A pair of heavyweight battles and more are now a part of Bellator MMA’s July 16 card.

According to a press release on Thursday, Bellator 262 has just been beefed up by four new matchups. The organization further confirmed the previously announced Ronny Markes vs. Said Sowma slugfest, while adding two more heavyweight matches, a women’s featherweight tilt and a 145-pound bout between two prospects. The bout that may serve in the co-main event sees top-10 heavyweights Tyrell Fortune (10-1, 1 NC) take on Matt Mitrione (13-8, 1 NC).

Since suffering the first loss in his career – a first-round knockout to upcoming title challenger Timothy Johnson – Fortune has looked nigh-unstoppable. Although he kneed Jack May in the groi…

.@LFAfighting set to go International in July with two events in Brazil!

: https://t.co/gqOUXojn4L#LFA111 on Friday, July 16#LFA112 on Sunday, July 18#UpperArena#RioDeJaneiro, #Brazil#MMA#LFANation@UFCFightPass pic.twitter.com/rzuspcesTb

— LFA (@LFAfighting) June 16, 2021 The Legacy Fighting Alliance is leaving the United States in search of Order and Progress.

On Wednesday, the organization announced via press release that it would go international for the first time with a pair of shows in Brazil. The Las Vegas-based promotion plants its flag in the Federative Republic of Brazil with LFA 111 and LFA 112, which will both go down at the Upper Arena in Rio de Janeiro. LFA 111 will take place on July 16, while LFA 112 will go on a couple days later on July 18. The promotion has yet to announce any official matchups for the Brazilian cards, but they will be available to watch on UFC Fight Pass starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on their respec…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the PFL live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The current Professional Fighters League heavyweight landscape is virtually unrecognizable when compared to its iteration a few months ago. The PFL sent out a press release on Thursday to announce a series of changes in its upcoming PFL 6 card on June 25 at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The conclusion of the regular season will feature fighters in four weight categories, but it will primarily be stocked with heavyweight and women’s lightweight matchups.

The promotion’s changes to this card start with the loss of 2019 heavyweight champ Ali Isaev, who has not been medically cleared for competition. Adding to the recent removal of Fabricio Werdum from the bracket and a few other shakeups, four men will be joining the heaviest section of the tournament: Chandler Cole, Stuart Austin, Klidson Abreu and Jamelle Jones. …

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has lost a much-anticipated headliner a month before it was set to go down. ESPN Deportes first announced on Thursday that the UFC on ESPN 26 headliner has fallen through, as Max Holloway (22-6) suffered an injury and has been forced to withdraw from his featherweight contest against Yair Rodriguez (13-2, 1 NC). As a result, Rodriguez has been pulled from the card as well, as the promotion is rebooking the fight on a future date. There is no current replacement announcement for the July 17 main event, and the UFC Apex card in Las Vegas’ highest billed matchup now may be Miesha Tate vs. Marion Reneau at bantamweight.

Holloway snapped a rare losing streak in January by busting up Calvin Kattar in the year’s sure-fire “Beatdown of the Year” candidate, landing more significant strikes in the fight t…

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Credit: Joao Baptista/Sherdog.com “Gorets” had to pull out from his scheduled fight on June 26.

It appears that the upcoming UFC Fight Night 190 card has just lost one of its welterweight clashes. According to a report from MMA Fighting, the bout between Ramazan Emeev and Warlley Alves dropped off the card after Emeev exited. At the moment of publication, the fighter hasn’t disclosed the reason. Alves is currently looking for a new opponent at 170.

Two-time M-1 Global 185-pound kingpin Emeev (20-4, 5-1 UFC) is currently looking for his third-straight victory inside the Octagon. In his previous appearances, the 34-year old Russian upended Niklas Stolze via unanimous decision and edged David Zawada thanks to a narrow split decision at UFC on ESPN 14 and UFC on ABC 1, respectively. The only fighter to top “Gorets” inside the UFC was Anthony Rocco Martin at UFC Fight Night 163, where Martin outpointed Emeev.

Most recently, Alves (14-4, 6-4 UFC) put away Mounir Lazzez wit…