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A health scare has forced Geoff Neal out of a proposed welterweight clash against Neil Magny at a UFC event on Aug. 29.

As a result, Robbie Lawler will step in and replace Neal in the bout. MMA DNA was first to report the new matchup, which has since been confirmed by multiple outlets. Neal, meanwhile, shared the news of his hospitalization in an Instagram post.

“These past few weeks have been crazy, and that's putting it lightly,” Neal wrote. “It's really hard to try to find an eloquent way to say ‘I almost died.’ So screw it.. I almost died … This really put a lot of things into perspective for me.

“Never did I ever think I would be hooked up to a dialysis machine before my 30s. Everything was going well for me. Was training everyday, making money at work, just signed a contract for a huge fight, then BOOM, life hit me with a check hook. I'm just glad to be home after having to spend one week in the ICU. Stay healthy out there y'all and listen to your body at a…

The exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., scheduled for Sept. 12 in Carson, California, has been postponed, sources tell The Athletic. The new tentative date for the event is Nov. 28

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) August 9, 2020

The exhibition match between legendary boxing champions Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. is going to take place a couple months later than originally anticipated.

According to a report from The Athletic, the fight, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 12, has been postponed to Nov. 28. ESPN reports that event organizers “needed more time to secure international television deals and tie up loose ends in regards to the pay-per-view.”

The bout will headline a pay-per-view event at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California and will be contested over eight rounds. Tyson and Jones Jr. will be allowed to wear 12-ounce gloves, and California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster ha…

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It had been a little more than three years since Chris Weidman last tasted victory in the Octagon, so the former middleweight champion will take a victory any way he can.

Still, Weidman was not entirely pleased with his unanimous decision triumph over Omari Akhmedov in the UFC Fight Night 174 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

“I guess sometimes it’s not the way you expect it to be, but you’ve got to keep grinding through. I guess that’s what I did,” Weidman said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “But I’m not too happy with that performance. I’m happy to get a ‘W,’ but it wasn’t what I expected. I’m a little bit bummed out, but at the same time it could’ve been way worse.”

Weidman entered Saturday’s matchup with just one victory in his previous six Octagon appearances. He struggled at times against Akhmedov,…

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Darren Stewart, Kevin Holland, Andrew Sanchez and Gavin Tucker all took home $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work at UFC Fight Night 174.

Stewart made short work of Maki Pitolo in a middleweight clash, tapping his foe with a guillotine choke 3:41 into the opening stanza of their featured bout. It was the first submission victory of Stewart’s career.

Holland, meanwhile, snagged a performance award thanks to some precision striking, as he knocked out Joaquin Buckley in a preliminary middleweight affair. A long right hand from Holland floored Buckley and brought a halt to the contest 32 seconds into Round 3.

Elsewhere, Sanchez got some extra cash for authoring the first finish of his UFC tenure in a preliminary 185-pound showdown against Wellington Turman. “The Ultimate Fighter 23” winner dropp…

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Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 174 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 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:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Ben Duffy scor…

.@MikeChandlerMMA’s finish at #Bellator243 pic.twitter.com/utmJzh738m

— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) August 8, 2020

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* * * Michael Chandler removed all doubt and needed less than half a round to do so.

The three-time Bellator MMA lightweight champion took out Benson Henderson with punches and moved to 2-0 in his head-to-head series with “Smooth” in the Bellator 243 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. A free agent to be, Chandler (21-5, 18-5 Bellator) drew the curtain 2:09 into Round 1.

Henderson (28-9, 5-4 Bellator), who lost a split decision to the Sanford MMA star at Bellator 165 in 2016, rolled out of the gate with newfound aggression. He got Chandler’s attention with a pair of thudding body kicks, punched well in combination and scooted out of danger. Still, it all unraveled. …

All fighters make weight. #RIZIN22 officially set with 9 Fights at the PIA ARENA MM.https://t.co/cY9BMOO16L

Aug 9 , 2020PIA ARENA MM

— RIZIN FF English (@rizin_English) August 8, 2020 Rizin Fighting Federation’s first event since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold is now official.

All 14 fighters set to compete in mixed martial arts bouts at Rizin 22 made weight without issue. That includes a headlining showdown between Yusuke Yachi and Roberto de Souza. Yachi tipped the scales at 155.9 pounds, while de Souza checked in at 156.4 pounds for their matchup. According to a release, Yachi vs. de Souza was scheduled for 71 kilograms, or 156.5 pounds.

Rizin 22 “Starting Over” takes place at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan, on Sunday with fans allowed to attend at 50 percent capacity. The card also includes a pair of kickboxing bouts.

Rizin 22 Weigh-in Results: Yusuke Yachi (155.9) vs. Roberto de Souza (156.4)Ayaka Hamasaki (114.3) vs. Tomo …

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. A fun featherweight affair has been added to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s event at the end of September. First reported by MMA Fighting on Thursday night, both Mirsad Bektic (13-3) and Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (13-1) have since confirmed on social media that they will be squaring off against one another. They will be competing at featherweight at a UFC Fight Night card on Sept. 26, which will be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Tristar Gym standout Bektic is looking to halt the first losing streak of his career. In February, Bektic dropped a narrow split decision to Dan Ige, while in July 2019, Josh Emmett knocked him out in the opening frame. Since joining the UFC roster in 2014, Bektic has notched wins over Ricardo Lamas, Chas Skelly and Godofredo Castro. Until he met Darren Elkins in 2017, Bektic had never tasted …

EUROPEAN SUPERFIGHT.

Just in: Featherweight #1 contender Morgan Charrieré (15-7) will clash with “Mad” Max Coga (22-6) for the vacant title on Sept 26th br>Two of of Europe’s true elite at 145lbs!#THETRILOGY pic.twitter.com/92zHO1NF1r

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) August 6, 2020 Cage Warriors Fighting Championship has announced the first fight that will take place on its September tripleheader. On Thursday morning, the British promotion announced that Morgan Charriere will get a second chance to win a Cage Warriors belt as he takes on ex-Professional Fighters League tournament member Max Coga in a featherweight title affair at CW 116. The championship was vacated after former divisional champion Mads Burnell signed with Bellator MMA.

Charriere (15-7-1) last competed in October 2019, where he stopped former champion Dean Trueman in the third stanza at CW 109. Prior to the win, the Team Chapa Quente representative edged Lewis Monarch b…

Ultimate mira Marlon Moraes x Cory Sandhagen para o card do dia 10 de outubro | combate | ge https://t.co/Rh2AtAN0QO

— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) August 6, 2020 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 is looking to put on a bantamweight thriller as the headliner of a Fight Night card in October. According to a report from Combate on Thursday, Marlon Moraes (23-6-1) vs. Cory Sandhagen (12-2) is in the works as the UFC Fight Night headliner on Oct. 10. The two bantamweights are reportedly being tapped to headline the event which does not have a location or venue currently set, and their contracts are not yet signed but they have agreed to compete. This event on Oct. 10 will be one of a long stretch of events spanning 17 consecutive weeks.

Moraes rebounded from a championship defeat to Henry Cejudo in…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueAPtgdJHgo&w=560&h=315] Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Bellator MMA puts on its first card of August on Friday night, and all but one fighter has made weight. Bellator 243 is headlined by a pivotal lightweight fight between former Bellator champion Michael Chandler and former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight king Benson Henderson. This is the second meeting between the two talented mixed martial artists, with Chandler (20-5) capturing a split decision over “Smooth” back in 2016. Since that fight, “Iron Mike” has dropped the lightweight belt on two separate occasions, against Brent Primus – a loss Chandler later avenged -- and to current titleholder Patricio Freire in first-round TKOs. Since the championship defeat to Freire, Chandler returned to form with an early knockout of Sidney Outlaw in his last bout…

One of the most prolific competitors in Ultimate Fighting Championship history will saunter back into the Octagon when Jim Miller faces Vinc Pichel at UFC 252 on Aug. 15 in Las Vegas. MMAFighting.com on Wednesday was first to report the match, which serves as one of the appetizers for the Stipe Miocic-Daniel Cormier headliner.

Miller ranks first on the UFC’s all-time list in appearances (35) and submission attempts (43), third in wins (21) and submissions (10) and fourth in finishes (13). The 36-old New Jersey native last fought at UFC on ESPN 11, where he submitted Roosevelt Roberts with a first-round armbar on June 20. Victories over Takanori Gomi, Charles Oliveira, Thiago Alves and Joe Lauzon (twice) anchor the Miller resume, which includes title reigns in the Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Reality Fighting organizations.

Pichel, meanwhile, was a semifinalist on Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. Though a serious arm injury in 2014 sidelined …

American Kickboxing Academy rep Dwight Grant will attempt to build on back-to-back victories when he welcomes promotional newcomer Jared Gooden to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in a UFC on ESPN 15 welterweight showcase on Aug. 22 in Las Vegas. LineMovement.com was first to report the matchup.

Grant, 35, has compiled a 2-1 record in the UFC after a successful appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series resulted in his being offered a contract with the promotion. However, he has not fought since he eked out a split decision over Alan Jouban at UFC 236 in April 2019 some 16 months ago. Grant has delivered seven of his 10 career victories by knockout or technical knockout.

The well-traveled Gooden has plied his trade in various organizations, including Titan Fighting Championship and the Legacy Fighting Alliance. The 26-year-old operates out of the X3 Sports camp in Atlanta and will carry a three-fight winning streak into his UFC debut. Gooden last appeared at Ti…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgQLShN83Io&w=560&h=315]

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Professional Fighters League has launched an app to provide fight fans with access to hours of the promotion’s premium fight content.

The app will be available for free on Apple TV, Roku, Fire, Android and iOS devices. Some of the available content will include a full fight library, including never-before-seen World Series of Fighting bouts; original programming from PFL studios and behind-the-scenes interviews and footage.

“With the launch of our first OTT platform, we’re excited to fulfill the growing global demand for our product by providing fight fans around the world with free access to premium PFL content wherever, whenever and however they want to consume it,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray.

“Professional Fighters League is a media and co…

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Yair Rodriguez has been forced to pull out of a highly-anticipated featherweight showdown with fellow contender Zabit Magomedsharipov at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Aug. 29.

UFC president Dana White confirmed Rodriguez’s withdrawal during a post-fight media scrum following the Contender Series on Tuesday night. Mexican outlet Milenio was first to report the news.

“He’s got a high ankle sprain and a fracture, so he’s out,” White said.

Rodriguez vs. Magomedsharipov was expected to serve as the main event for the Aug. 29 card, which will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. White confirmed that the promotion is seeking a replacement opponent for Magomedovsharipov.

The two featherweight standouts were initially scheduled to meet at UFC 228 in 2018, but Rodriguez suffered an injury and exited…

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. Ultimate Fighting Championship contracts were awarded to three competitors on Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series: Dustin Jacoby, Uros Medic and Jordan Leavitt. A former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder, Jacoby abused Ty Flores for 10-plus minutes, then fought through serious fatigue to hang on for a unanimous decision in a three-round light heavyweight battle on Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges scored it for Jacoby (12-5): 30-26, 29-27 and 29-27.

Flores (7-3) withstood a horrendous amount of punishment. Jacoby swarmed him with everything from flying knees, body kicks and power punches to vertical clinch elbows and backfists. The Factory X representative was close to a finish near the end of Round 2, where Flores teetered on the end of a right hand, collapsed to the canvas and ate a…

Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Mike Fridley scores the round:The Official Result

It’s been a rough day for Dana White’s Contender Series hopeful Damonte Robinson.

After missing weight earlier in the day at 156.5 pounds, Robinson has been removed from his bout with Kenneth Cross due to an unrelated medical issue. According to MMA journalist James Lynch, Robinson was not cleared by doctors due to an “eye issue.”

As a result, the lightweight fight has been canceled and Week 1 of Contender Series will proceed with four bouts. The card takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Tuesday and streams on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The evening’s featured matchup is a light heavyweight tilt pitting Dustin Jacoby against Ty Flores.

Robinson entered the Contender Series with a 6-1-1 mark that includes a loss to UFC talent Devonte Smith in 2017. He is currently riding the momentum of a two-bout winning streak.

Cross, meanwhile, was originally supposed to face Kevin Syler at the event before Syler tested positive for COVID-19. Cross owns a 10-3 professi…

HE ONLY NEEDED SECONDS!

Take a bow, @Trailblaze2top!

Tune in now LIVE on @ESPN. #UFCFL pic.twitter.com/Jpw2V3PS1M — UFC (@ufc) May 17, 2020

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As promised by UFC president Dana White, Kevin Holland will get to fight one week after his matchup with Trevin Giles was canceled on the day of the event.

Holland will square off with Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night 174 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. MMAjunkie.com was first to report the middleweight booking. UFC Fight Night 174 is headlined by a heavyweight duel between Derrick Lewis and Alexey Oleynik and streams on ESPN+.

Holland was supposed to face Giles at UFC Fight Night 173 this past Saturday before Giles fainted just before the bout and was transported to a nearby hospital. The 27-year-old “Trailblazer” has won fo…

IT. JUST. GOT. REAL. @GamebredFighter will go head to head against ACL Pro Cody Henderson during the 8 pm EST ESPN2 broadcast of the Man and Woman of the Year at the 2020 ACL World Championships on Wednesday 8/5! Full release at https://t.co/j3QF35ik0t pic.twitter.com/koh7UUb4xY

— American Cornhole League (@iplaycornhole) August 2, 2020

Jorge Masvidal will get to face another champion this week, but it won’t be in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Octagon.

Instead, “Gamebred” will meet American Cornhole League star Cody Henderson in a special five-round grudge match Wednesday on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m PT. The MMA-themed rules are as follows for the special cornhole game:

This 5 Round Grudge Match will begin with Masvidal being spotted 15 points and if a player reaches 21 points by the end of the 5th Round, that will be considered a knockout. If no player achieves a KO by the end of 5th Round we will go to the scoreboard to determine th…

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Edmen Shahbazyan’s hype train came crashing back to reality at UFC Fight Night 173.

The previously unbeaten middleweight prospect wilted under the wrestling and pressure of Derek Brunson, losing via technical knockout 26 seconds into the third round of their headlining clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The 22-year-old Glendale Fighting Club representative had a solid opening stanza, but things went downhill once he went past the first round for only the second time in his professional career. After opening his UFC career with four straight triumphs — including three first-round finishes, Shahbazyan is taking the setback in stride.

“I’m OK everyone just need some stitches,” Shahbazyan wrote on social media. “Thank you for all your messages, love you all! Congrats to [Derek Brunson] tonight he …

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A heavyweight matchup pitting Andrei Arlovski against Tanner Boser is in the works for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Oct. 3.

Multiple outlets confirmed the booking following an initial report from TSN. A location for the event has not been announced, but it will be headlined by a rescheduled tilt between Holly Holm and Irene Aldana. The card is also expected to include a women’s bantamweight showdown between Germaine de Randamie and Julianna Pena.

A former UFC heavyweight champion, Arlovski has been victorious in two of his last three Octagon appearances. Most recently, the 41-year-old Belarusian captured a unanimous verdict against former PFL champ Philipe Lins at UFC Fight Night 171 on May 13.

Boser, meanwhile, has made the most of his summer, scoring stoppages of Lins and Raphael Pessoa in a litt…

The card for Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series has been finalized.

The full lineup was announced during the broadcast for UFC Fight Night 173 on Saturday. The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Aug. 18 and is topped by a welterweight clash pitting Louis Cosce against Victor Reyna. It streams on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Four other contests were also confirmed for the card: Cheyanne Buys vs. Hilarie Rose at strawweight, Orion Cosce vs. Matt Dixon at welterweight; Josh Parisian vs. Chad Johnson at heavyweight and Oron Kahlon vs. Collin Anglin at featherweight.

Louis Cosce has kicked off his professional tenure with six consecutive triumphs — all first-round by knockout, technical knockout or submission. The Arcata, California, native last appeared at Combate Americas “Stockton” in December, when he scored an 18-second KO of Art Hernandez.

Reyna, meanwhile, dropped a decision to Miguel Baeza on the Season 3 of the Contender S…

Joanne Calderwood gave up her title shot to stay active, and Jennifer Maia ended up being the primary beneficiary from that decision.

Maia staked her claim to a No. 1 contender spot at UFC Fight Night 173, as she submitted Calderwood with an armbar in the first round of their co-main event clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Afterward, the Brazilian called out Valentina Shevchenko, and the reigning 125-pound queen seemed to be impressed by Maia’s performance, simply responding, “See you soon, Jennifer Maia.”

See you soon Jennifer Maia

— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) August 2, 2020

“Ever since I got in the UFC, I’ve never had an easy fight. I always test myself in those fights. I’m happy the champion is talking about me. I’m ready to fight for the title,” Maia said. “I want to fight with the champion. It’s going to be a pleasure to fight her.”

Maia has won nine of her last 11 fights in the UFC and Invicta da…