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The California Kid could come to the rescue #UFCFL (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/hggBLpJtYF

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 15, 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. There is some uncertainty surrounding Saturday’s fight card, as a late replacement as well as two alternates have offered their services during this convoluted weigh-in period. The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s second event this week will be headlined by a heavyweight scrap between Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris. All fighters to hit the scales for UFC Fight Night 172 have made weight and the event is relatively official.

Unlike his opponent, Overeem (45-18, 1 NC) is coming off a loss. “The Demolition Man” had largely dominated Jairzinho Rozenstruik until being knocked out with just four seconds left in the fifth round. Prior to the defeat, Overeem had p…

When the call comes...WE COMEEE!!!! TIME TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT WE CAN DO. thank u to @AliAbdelaziz00 for quarterbacking this whole thing. Thank u @seanshelby @ufc Mi familia siempre and my ninjas going to war with me. Big respect to GiGa as well#LFG pic.twitter.com/nYMgdk85eY

— Irwin Rivera (@Beast144_1) May 15, 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. On short notice, a champion from another promotion has stepped up to join the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The preliminary bout of Giga Chikadze (9-2) vs. Mike Davis (8-2) at featherweight on UFC Fight Night 172 has been changed. Davis suffered an illness due to his weight cut and has been forced out of his match, where he will be replaced by Irwin Rivera (9-4). This is the second time that the Chikadze-Davis fight has been scuttled, as the two were first paire…

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. Returning from a personal tragedy, Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight contender Walt Harris is ready for anything that will be thrown his way. The last fighter to come out to Virtual Media Day, Harris sat down maskless and looked at the screen to exclaim “Pop-up video” in reference to the popular VH1 music video series from the late 1990s. The same series also provided inspiration for the popular “Fight Facts” series running on Sherdog.

From there, Harris was ready to dive into discussion about his heavyweight headliner tilt against Alistair Overeem, for whom he admitted he has had his sights set on for a long time.

“Excitement,” Harris answered as to how he was feeling about this matchup. “I think it’s been a long time coming. It’s been a fight I’ve been looking forward [to] since I was an amateur. I’ve watched Ove…

Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com 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 middleweight Eryk Anders had a lot to say about his friend and training partner Walt Harris. When Anders sat down to speak with media at Virtual Media Day, although he wasn’t wearing a mask, he was smiling from ear to ear. Riding his longest win streak since he joined the promotion in 2017, Anders was ready to take on Krzysztof Jotko on Saturday. But first, he had some things to discuss on his training camp, and more importantly, one man that helped him jump-start a pro career that began in 2015.

“Walt was my introduction to MMA,” Anders explained. “Very first day I walked into an MMA gym…I had being doing a little jiu-jitsu elsewhere but…I decided I wanted to fight. [Harris’] coach at the time, a very non-competent corner, he walks up to me and is like ‘hey, can you…

@DrewDober finishes Hernandez standing!

LIVE on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/75sm0ltWF2

— UFC (@ufc) May 14, 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. Very quietly, Drew Dober has emerged as a person of interest in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division.

The Elevation Fight Team product won for the sixth time in seven appearances at UFC Fight Night 171, dispatching Alexander Hernandez via technical knockout 4:25 into the second round of their featured 155-pound encounter at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday night.

The makes three consecutive KO/TKO triumphs for the 31-year-old Nebraska native, who adds Hernandez to a recent list of victims that includes Nasrat Haqparast and Marco Polo Reyes. Dober, who began his promotional tenure with just one triumph in his first fiv…

"My teeth are falling out." #UFCJAX pic.twitter.com/FPeJ9181j0

— UFC (@ufc) May 14, 2020

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At times it was hard to watch. Yet Anthony Smith continued to battle, perhaps to his detriment.

After absorbing copious amounts of punishment, Glover Teixeira was finally able to put Smith away with punches from mount 1:04 into the fifth round of their UFC Fight Night 171 headlining bout at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday night. Only time will tell what the long-term ramifications are for Smith’s longevity as a fighter, but it was clear he was hurting as he did all he could to survive against his Brazilian opponent.

More than a few observers called for Smith’s corner to call the fight before it ended. While UFC president Dana White didn’t go that far, h…

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. Sherdog’s live UFC Fight Night 171 coverage will begin 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:Mike Sloan scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Scottie Smith scores the round:The…

pic.twitter.com/vlBlcRgqym

— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2020

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Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the father of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, is in a coma in a military hospital in Moscow, according to RT Sport.

Citing multiple reports in Russian media, RT Sport reports that Abdulmanap was flown to the facility last week after being initially hospitalized with what was suspected to be pneumonia in Dagestan. Abdulmanap initially fell ill at the end of April, and was transferred to Moscow as a result of heart problems, according to the report.

Islam Makhachev, a training partner of Khabib’s, confirmed the news during a recent Instagram Live stream.

“He is in Moscow. He is in critical condition,” Makhachev said.

News of Abdulmanap’s condition has spread throughout the mi…

Credit: Leonardo Fabri Credit: Leonardo Fabri Credit: Jeff Miller Credit: Jeff Miller

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Two-time UFC veteran Tim Gorman was arrested in Nebraska on Sunday night while in possession of 121 pounds of marijuana and other narcotics, according to a report form 6 News Omaha.

Gorman has been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver and possession of money during a drug violation. According to the Buffalo County (Neb.) Sheriff’s Office, Gorman is being held on $250,000 bond. His court date is scheduled for June 17.

According to a statement from the Nebraska State Patrol, a trooper saw a vehicle driving on the shoulder of the interstate near Kearney on Sunday. The officer detected “clandestine activity,” and a K-9 unit detected the presence of multiple controlled substance…

Former title challengers face-off!

#UFCJax - WEDNESDAY - on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ZIB1uVPcRJ

— UFC (@ufc) May 12, 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 will host a rare Wednesday night event. Headlining UFC Fight Night 171 is an important light heavyweight tussle between contenders Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira.

The card is now official as all fighters have weighed in. All fighters made weight except for Karl Roberson (187.5 pounds), who came in 1.5 pounds heavy for his middleweight bout against Marvin Vettori (186). Roberson has been fined 20 percent of his purse, which will be given to Vettori.

Smith (205) will be looking to earn another crack at Jon Jones’ belt. Since coming up short against the current 205-pound champion, “Lionheart” submitted Alexander Gustaf…

Two gunslingers swinging it out! @ShowtimePettis and @CowboyCerrone giving us a show! #UFC249 pic.twitter.com/viibyoxGFg

— UFC (@ufc) May 10, 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 UFC 249 prelims did a solid – though not record breaking -- number on ESPN this past Saturday, bringing an average of 1.154 million viewers to The Worldwide Leader, according to ShowBuzz Daily. The Las Vegas-based promotion resumed operations for the first time in approximately two months at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday with a pay-per-view card topped by an interim lightweight title clash between Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson.

The prelims featured one of the deeper lineups in recent memory and were headlined by a welterweight rematch between Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone. The preliminary card air…

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Like a lot of observers, Anthony Smith came away impressed with Dominick Reyes’ performance against Jon Jones at UFC 247.

Although Jones retained his light heavyweight crown with a unanimous decision triumph against Reyes at the Toyota Center in Houston on Feb. 8, it was a highly disputed verdict. According to MMADecisions.com, 14 media scorecards were awarded to Reyes compared to just seven for Jones.

Smith, who lost a more clear-cut decision to Jones at UFC 235, believes Reyes’ resume trumps that of another worthy 205-pound contender, Jan Blachowicz.

“As much as it pains me to say it, I think Dominick Reyes deserves the rematch,” Smith said during a UFC virtual media day appearance on Monday. “I think that he did everything he’s supposed to do. He went out there, he busted his ass and gave Jon all he could hand…

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Conor McGregor appears to be growing restless in quarantine, and he has some thoughts on the direction the lightweight division should take in the coming months.

The former two-division champion targeted virtually everyone in the top half of the lightweight division in a Twitter rant on Monday. The Irish star began by calling out Justin Gaethje, who became the interim lightweight champ with a victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 this past Saturday.

The fans make the sport! Watching the other night I was against going in without them. But it will be my f---ing pleasure to display the power I possess with zero background noise for them,” he wrote. “It’s me and Justin next as Khabib is the biggest bottle fighter in the game. Guarantee it.”

The “Notorious” one then turned his attention to Ferguson, who was battered …

The UFC 250 card is starting to take shape, as three more bouts were recently confirmed for the June 6 event.

The following contests were announced by the promotion on Saturday: Alonzo Menifield vs. Devin Clark at light heavyweight, Ian Heinisch vs. Gerald Meerschaert at middleweight and Charles Byrd vs. Maki Pitolo at middleweight.

UFC 250 takes place at an as yet to be announced location and will feature a women’s featherweight title tilt between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer. A bantamweight scrap pitting Cody Garbrandt against Raphael Assuncao is also slated for the card.

A two-time competitor on Dana White’s Contender Series, Menifield has kicked off his UFC tenure with first-round stoppages of Vinicius Moreira Castro and Paul Craig to run his professional record to 9-0. Clark, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision triumph against Dequan Townsend at UFC Fight Night 167 and is 5-4 in the Octagon overall.

Another Contender Series alum, Heinisch…

Recent Combate Americas competitor Alberto Rodriguez has been arrested and charged with sexual assault in San Antonio, according to NBC News 4 San Antonio.

Rodriguez, whose given name is Jose A. Rodriguez Chucuan, is accused of beating and assaulting a woman on multiple occasions. According to an affidavit, the most recent incident occurred on May 3 after Rodriguez accused the woman of being unfaithful.

Rodriguez allegedly slapped the woman multiple times and then forced her to put on a dress and dance for him. The victim alleges that Rodriguez also threatened to take her son and “drop him off in the middle of the road somewhere.”

According to a police report, Rodriguez then sexually assaulted the victim for several hours with different items and punched her in the back, leaving visible injuries. Rodriguez was arrested held for several hours before being released on $50,000 bond at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Rodriguez is perhaps best know for hi…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

The results speak for themselves: Francis Ngannou is laying waste to the UFC’s heavyweight division.

“The Predator” continued his path of destruction at UFC 249, as he dispatched the previously unbeaten Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a mere 20 seconds in a featured bout at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday night. Ngannou wasted little time before rushing forward with power punches, and once he connected with a massive left hook, Rozenstruik crumpled to the canvas. The Nigerian-born Frenchman added a couple more follow-up blows for good measure before the contest was halted.

Although it looked like Ngannou had a clear intent behind his approach, he claimed that he wasn’t hunting for a quick knockout victory.

“I had fun out there, it wasn’t something I was chasing,” he said. “When I chas…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

As one might expect, Khabib Nurmagomedov was an interested observer during the UFC 249 main event.

After Justin Gaethje claimed the interim 155-pound title with a fifth-round stoppage of Tony Ferguson at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, the Dagestani praised the performance on Twitter.

“It was so impressive, congratulations,” Nurmagomedov wrote to Gaethje. “Very smart fight.”

@Justin_Gaethje it was so impressive, congratulations. Very smart fight.

— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) May 10, 2020

Nurmagomedov was supposed to face Ferguson in the original UFC 249 headliner at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on April 18. After the coronavirus pandemic hit, the reigning lightweight champion found himself stranded in Russia and was unable to return to the United Stat…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Sherdog's live UFC 249 “Ferguson vs. Gaethje” coverage begins Saturday at 6:30 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:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Tristen Critchfield scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:…

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Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Fight week didn’t go as planned for Uriah Hall, but he was all class in sending a positive message to Ronaldo Souza following his opponent’s positive test for coronavirus.

Souza informed UFC officials on Wednesday that a family member had tested positive for coronavirus, and the Brazilian middleweight’s test result came back positive on Friday. Two of “Jacare’s” cornermen tested positive, as well. Souza and Hall were slated to square off a 185-pound contest on the UFC 249 prelims, but that bout was scrapped on Friday.

“Brother I know it sucks, I’m sorry you have to go through this,” Hall wrote to Souza on Twitter. “I am beyond devastated for the missed opportunity. I wish you nothing but recovery for you and your family.”

@JacareMMA Brother I know it sucks I’m sorry you have to …

Jacare Souza has tested positive for COVID-19. Here's what I was told. pic.twitter.com/3RtslcL6rf

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 9, 2020

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Editor's note: The article has been updated at 11:50 p.m. ET on 5/8/20 to reflect additional information.

The worst fears for UFC 249 have come true: a fighter has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Late on Friday, ESPN reported that Ronaldo Souza has tested positive for Covid-19. Souza was matched up on the preliminary portion of the card against Uriah Hall, and their middleweight bout has been scratched.

The card has not been shut down, and the UFC will be proceeding with 11 fights. The Florida State Boxing Commission has ultimate authority over this event, and the UFC has sought and gained permission to carry out the fight…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.Ultimate Fighting Championship mainstay Donald Cerrone has a unique and beloved approach to fighting that many have tried to emulate over the years. Without a mask or a care in the world, Cerrone entered UFC Virtual Media Day as the last fighter on the docket. Ready to get the show on the road, Cerrone was delighted to learn that the experience would be short-lived and had several laughs along the way.

Much has been said about Cerrone’s approach to UFC 249, including his actual travel to the host hotel in Jacksonville, Florida. Cerrone and his team -- minus two coaches from Canada and Mexico -- drove across the country from his home in Colorado to Florida for this event in his “Budweiser RV.”

The only issues Cerrone encountered along the way of his cross-country travel were the other drivers and the food. “Cowboy” briefly rant…

The Professional Fighters League is doing its part to help during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a press release on Thursday, the promotion announced that it will be teaming up with Food Bank For New York City to provide meals for New Yorkers affected during the pandemic. The PFL will be providing 25,000 meals for those in need, as well as raising awareness and bringing additional donations with its social media presence. The PFL will also produce a public service announcement for Food Bank.

“Demand for food has never been higher and the challenges associated with meeting the needs of our community never greater,” discussed Janis Robinson, Vice President of Institutions & Partnerships, Food Bank For New York City. “The number of people turning to our emergency food network has grown 50% during the COVID-19 pandemic. It takes a team effort to tackle a crisis, and we are so grateful for organizations like the Professional Fighters League and countless generous indivi…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Stipe Miocic appears to have grown tired of the accusations that he is avoiding a trilogy with Daniel Cormier.

On Monday, “DC” continued his verbal assault, urging Miocic to “sign the contract” for their third fight while once again mentioning the long-targeted August date.

"I get you're a firefighter. We admire that, and all those things about you," Cormier told ESPN. "You're also the champ of the world. Let's get this thing done. Let's fight in August.”

An exasperated Miocic, who told ESPN that the fall would likely work better for him, took to Twitter to address the Cormier situation, which was complicated due to the champion’s recovery from eye surgery and has become even more so as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“I want to fight DC. It’s going to happen, period. Im going to give my fans …