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Tyron Woodley was one of the first fighters to feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Initially scheduled to square off against Leon Edwards in the UFC Fight Night 171 headliner in London on March 21, Woodley’s bout was postponed as the disease began to take effect all over the world. At one point, the former welterweight champion was reportedly in talks for a grudge match with former American Top Team stablemate Colby Covington, but nothing would come of it.

With the UFC’s next event now slated for May 9, Woodley is still without an opponent. And while Dana White revealed what is expected to be the full lineup for that card, Woodley is hopeful that me might get a chance to compete at the event. If not then, the sooner the better.

“I want to fight sooner than later. One, because I think it’s a chance that a fight can go down May 9. And then they might have in their mind, OK May 9 we’re gonna …

The UFC has a couple interesting possibilities when it comes time to choose Jon Jones's next challenger. 

Recently, the current UFC light heavyweight champion and former title challenger Dominick Reyes engaged in a quarrel on social media. “The Devastator” started the beef after he claimed that the champion is avoiding him.

On Saturday morning, "Bones" took to Twitter to reply to those accusations. Jones reminded his opponent the outcome of their last encounter, then teased a future match with Jan Blachowicz (26-8).

“Now suddenly I’m afraid of a good dogfight? Pretty sure I walked him down for 25 minutes straight when we fought,” Jones wrote. “One thing about being the champion of the world, you got to search for fresh meat on every soil. I’m feeling like popping some [cherries] in Poland, haven’t had that yet.”

Now suddenly I’m afraid of a good dogfight? Pretty sure I walked him down for 25 minutes straight when we f…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship held its first of two meetings briefing fighters about plans in place.

On Friday, MMA Junkie reported several of the discussion topics that UFC President Dana White talked about in a meeting among fighters. MMA Fighting also reported additional information from other fighters following the invite-only meeting. White first gave a statement to his roster, and then answered questions the athletes submitted with topics ranging from fight camps to “Fight Island.”

White made certain to repeatedly elucidate that the fighters were not obligated to compete under these circumstances. If they do not feel comfortable taking a matchup during the coronavirus pandemic, they will not be penalized or negatively impacted in any way. He also explained that in the event any fighter on the roster is struggling financially or with their health, the UFC would take care of them.

Of the fighters that choose to compete, those affected by event cancellations wou…

On April 13, the UFC filed 22 new trademarks for:

'FIGHT ISLAND'

&

'UFC FIGHT ISLAND'

The filings were made based on an "intent to use" FIGHT ISLAND as the name of a mixed martial arts competition and for branded goods such as clothing and jewelry.#UFC #ufc249 pic.twitter.com/Q9cHHQJFBK— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) April 17, 2020

If these filings are any indication, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is going full steam ahead with “Fight Island.”

Attorney Josh Gerben first reported on Friday that the UFC has filed trademarks for 22 uses of “Fight Island” and “UFC Fight Island.” In addition to the promotion looking to use these trademarks for events, they are also being filed for items the UFC plans to market including clothing and jewelry.

The existence of “Fight Island” was first brought to light by UFC President Dana White, when concerns about the coronavirus threatened international fight cards. T…

Hey @MMARLONMORAES, can you send me location and explain how to get there? pic.twitter.com/Sitgad8LRx

— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) April 13, 2020 Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight contender Petr Yan is ready for his next bout, which he predicts will undergo some changes before it takes place.

Archangel Michael Club representative Yan (14-1) believes his five-round fight with Brazilian Marlon Moraes (23-6-1) will take place in the U.S., not in Kazakhstan, as expected earlier. The two are currently slated to meet at UFC Kazakhstan on June 13, which is scheduled go down at the Astana Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Yan expects the organization will relocate it.

“I hope the fight with Moraes will maintain the five-round status as we signed,” said Yan to Sherdog.com. “Now, I don't know about Kazakhstan or the fighting island. There are a lot of points to consider - how quickly the si…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight queen is ready to return in a few months, and has a destination in mind for her next outing.

On Thursday, Valentina Shevchenko spoke with MMA Junkie, where she explained how excited she was at the prospect of competing on a special island built for MMA competition.

“From the very, very first second when I heard about the island, it was already my favorite idea,” she explained to MMA Junkie Radio. “Yes, I would definitely love to fight there.

Shevchenko was originally slated to compete against Joanne Calderwood at UFC 251 in June, but an MCL injury forced her out of her title fight. Her timetable for return to action is currently around the end of August, where she is more than willing to compete on this private island currently in the works, according to UFC President Dana While.

“Now I hope it’s going to happen sometime in the end of August, and why not -- why not on the island,” asked Shevchenko. “It can be like a dou…

You have to be a real hardcore fan to have heard of Cristian Binda before last month. The ones that do know him, though, will remember the wars he put on every time he fought. “Mano di Pietra” — “Hand of Stone” for non-Italian speakers — started his long MMA career back in 2006. His name is among the trailblazers of the sport in Italy, together with Michele Verginelli, Alessio Sakara, and Ivan Serati. Apart from fighting at the 135-pound weight limit when he is a natural flyweight, perhaps too many injuries marked Binda’s regional career. After his last couple fights, he decided to hang up the gloves in 2018.

In the last month, though, the Italian pioneer’s name hit the headlines after he became the first MMA athlete in the world to test positive for COVID-19. Now, Binda sounds relieved while he is doing his last days of hospitalization at the Lanzo Intelvi Hospital, about a half an hour from the majestic Lake Como.

“I think I’m healed but my last swab turned out to be po…

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Undefeated prospect Sam Hughes has re-signed with Legacy Fighting Alliance.

A promotion official confirmed the multi-fight deal to Sherdog.com on Thursday. After making her LFA debut at flyweight, Hughes plans to drop to strawweight for her next appearance. Hughes will have freedom to be released from her contract if the UFC were to come calling.

A 27-year-old representative of Catalyst Fight House, Hughes made her first organizational foray at LFA 81, where she earned a unanimous decision triumph against Lisa Mauldin on Jan. 31. The Everett, Wash., native had finished her first three professional appearances inside the distance.

“So excited to finally announce signing with [LFA]!” Hughes wrote on Instagram. “What an amazing promotion to be a part of. I can’t wait to show everyone an even better performance than my debut next time I step in that cage! Big things are coming, get ready.”

RELATED…

When Georges St. Pierre officially announced his retirement in 2019, he mentioned that one of the final hang-ups was a potential bout with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomeodov.

“We tried to organize the fight with Khabib, I know Khabib want it and I want it, but the UFC had other plan[s],” St. Pierre said at a press conference that day. “To the point where I am in my career, for me it’s more taking one fight at a time instead of being there for several fights, and the way the business works … if they promote someone, they want to keep him somewhere … it’s like an investment.”

In a recent interview with ESPN, St. Pierre reiterated those thoughts, as he was aware the promotion didn’t want him vacating a belt like he did with the middleweight title. He also believes the promotion didn’t want to tarnish the Dagestani’s record with a one-off opponent.

“They had other plans. I know Khabib wanted to have that fight. I wanted it,” St. Pierre told ESPN. “But if y…

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UFC featherweight Andre Fili made his motion picture debut in the recently-released film Green Rush, which was co-produced by Team Alpha Male founder Uriah Faber.

The film was released on Tuesday, and Fili was looking forward to watching the film in full for the first time. He has already critiqued a few of his parts, however, and he’s aware that people will be skeptical of a movie that involves UFC athletes.

“I haven't watched the whole thing yet but I've seen a couple of my own scenes,” Fili told UFC.com. “Some I was happy with, some I felt I could have done better, but I'm always going to be my own hardest critic. I just want to see it and I want people around me to see it because I know they're excited and I'm excited for the people who were talking s--t about it when we said we were making a movie to see it because it's really, really well-made.

“People saw me and they saw Faber and they were t…

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The UFC Apex in Las Vegas could be the host for a number of the promotion’s events beginning in May.

In an email to Variety, UFC president Dana White revealed that the facility has been targeted for upcoming cards after the coronavirus pandemic forced the organization to postpone four recent events in March and April.

“We built the Apex facility next door just in time to save the day from this pandemic,” White wrote. “Live fights will be produced out of there starting next month and for the foreseeable future.”

Unveiled in 2019, the UFC Apex is a 130,000 square foot production facility adjacent to the promotion’s headquarters in Las Vegas. Last year, the venue was host to Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series. Due to the ongoing pandemic, all upcoming events would be closed to the public.

Like most of the United States, Nevada is currently under a stay-at-home order until April 30 due to t…

Donald Trump: “We have to get our sports back. I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old.” pic.twitter.com/YUOonLFR5V

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 14, 2020

UFC president Dana White will be part of a group of industry leaders and executives that will help the United States restart an economy that has been damaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump revealed the group during his daily coronavirus press conference on Tuesday. Numerous prominent figures in professional sports will join White on the task force, including commissioners from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.

JUST NOW: Adam Silver, Rob Manfred, Roger Goodell, Gary Bettman, Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones, Dana White, and Vince McMahon are part of a large group that will help advise on how to restart the economy, President Trump says.

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) April 14, 2020

The panel, which the Wh…

There remains some uncertainty regarding the status of UFC 250.

While the promotion indefinitely postponed all events last week, no specific timeline was given regarding the upcoming schedule. That includes UFC 250, which was originally slated for Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9. UFC president Dana White has claimed that he has secured a private island and could have it ready within a month, but details regarding that potential venue are limited.

Henry Cejudo, who was expected to defend his bantamweight title against Jose Aldo at UFC 250, is still in camp preparing as if he will fight next month.

"I think we need to have a conversation with Dana and everybody there, because you don't want to train and have them give you a certain date, and then you're not peaking at the right time," Cejudo told ESPN. "My training is very methodical. Everything I do has to be precise, to make sure I'm 100 percent. You can't surprise me before, two weeks.

"I need to know today. I…

Thank you @TheRock for your kind words. You give us all real motivation. Let’s train together and have some @Teremana tequila after. pic.twitter.com/gRqfEbI51V

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) April 13, 2020

One of the biggest stars in Hollywood had some high praise for Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou shared a message from “The Rock”, aka Dwayne Johnson, in which the WWE star turned actor praised the UFC heavyweight contender during an Instagram Live Q&A session over the weekend.

“Francis Ngannou, let me tell you something, brother – you ain’t ready for me,” Johnson said in response to Ngannou’s invitation to join him for a workout.

“I respect and love this guy so much. He is one of the top heavyweights in MMA, and in the world, and he is a dominant beast of a man. I can’t wait to see him fight again.”

Ngannou was supposed to face Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the UFC on ESPN 8 headliner in Columbus, Ohio, on March 28, …

With no fights on the horizon, Conor McGregor recently took a moment to reflect on his triumphant return to the Octagon this past January.

McGregor made short work of Donald Cerrone in the UFC 246 headliner on Jan. 18, ending the contest just 40 seconds after it began. The Irish superstar initially stunned his opponent with a series of shoulder strikes from the clinch before clipping Cerrone with a head kick. From there, McGregor overwhelmed “Cowboy” with punches near the fence for his first UFC triumph since November 2016.

“Lately atop my striking, I’ve been striking them where they believe they can’t be struck also. And with shots they don’t understand to be shots,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. Look at the range of limbs and bone joints I strike with here alone. The hip. The bone of the clavicle, the infamous collar bone! The knee. The foot. The fist (both). A lovely array.

“That will be all kids now take down your notes and your homework tonight is... enter a …

Henry Cejudo’s first bantamweight title defense will have to wait, but the Olympic gold medalist continues to ooze confidence even as the UFC’s schedule has been indefinitely suspended.

Cejudo was supposed to defend his 135-pound belt against Jose Aldo at UFC 250 on May 9 until ESPN and Disney executives requested that the promotion postpone all events due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The Messenger” recently released a statement regarding the cancellation on his Instagram account.

“A big thank you to my training partners and [coaches] for these last incredible weeks of training. The [GOAT] rampage is officially postponed,” Cejudo wrote. “[GOAT] will be served another day.”

RELATED LINKS SPONSORED BY H&R BLOCK:The U.S. Government is providing tax relief on your upcoming tax returns due to the financial impact of Coronavirus. Find out what additional savings you qualify for your 2019 federal tax return by clicking here. UFC 250 was initially slated for Ibirap…

While the UFC attempted to push its schedule through during the coronavirus pandemic before eventually being shut down, Bellator MMA opted for a different approach, quickly canceling all events through May.

That included a massive Bellator 242 event on May 9 that included a showdown between Gegard Mousasi and Douglas Lima for the vacant middleweight crown. However, if Bellator had given Mousasi the chance to fight, he would have accepted the opportunity. That said, the Armenian-born Dutchman understands that safety precautions must be taken during a crisis has forced the shutdown of all major sports organizations across the world.

"All the fighters are gonna fight anyway, so no one says no,” Mousasi recently told ESPN. “Obviously if they would have offered me, I would have fought too.

“I don’t think the promotion can guarantee the safety of the fighters. Let’s say the commentator or the cameraman is sick, or one of the fighters is sick -- you’re gonna make everyb…

.@lionheartasmith says he's still ready to fight on 4/25 even after he fought off an intruder at his home over the weekend. This is video for the suspect after he allegedly broke into another man's home before going to Smith's. Smith describes what happened.@3NewsNowOmaha pic.twitter.com/mGwSlTjimo

— Jake Wasikowski (@jakewasikowski) April 9, 2020

The intruder who Anthony Smith fought with on April 5 after the man broke into the UFC fighter’s Nebraska home allegedly attempted to enter other residences in the area.

In a video shared by 3KMTV Omaha, Luke Haberman is shown attempting to break into another home. When Haberman finds the door locked, he screams loudly before leaving the front porch. The man was later able to enter Smith’s home, where he was subdued by the title challenger. Smith told KMTV that he accidentally left his garage door open.

"No normal human is able to fight like that," Smith said. "I'm by no means the bad…

Cub Swanson has designs on making his Octagon return late this year.

The veteran featherweight tore his ACL and meniscus during a grappling match with Jake Shields at Quintet Ultra this past December. The cost of the surgery was covered by the UFC, and Swanson targeted a November or December return in the aftermath.

With the promotion and every other sports organization in a holding pattern due to the coronavirus pandemic, Swanson’s comeback plans haven’t changed. In fact, it’s probably a better time than most for injury rehabilitation.

“I think the biggest thing about my comeback is I had a date of around November, and nothing’s stopping me from that,” Swanson said in a recent Instagram post.

“This whole thing, it’s really challenged me to stay focused. I look at it on the bright side, like I’ve picked a great time to be injured, so I’m just focusing on being at home with my kids and enjoying my time, and knowing that I will be back by November. If there’s…

Dustin Poirier is doing his part to help during the COVID-19 crisis.

The UFC lightweight’s charity, The Good Fight Foundation, announced on social media that it will partner with Deanos Pizza to donate 1,000 meals to medical personnel in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Easter and throughout the coming week.

The statement from the Good Fight Foundation is as follows:

The Good Fight Foundation will be teaming up with Deanos Pizza and donating 1,000 meals to the hospital staff on the front lines of COVID-19 in Lafayette, LA (on) Easter Sunday and throughout next week. Wishing you all a safe an Happy Easter.

We will be donating 1,000 meals Easter Sunday! Thank you all for the support. #fightthegoodfight pic.twitter.com/SbbOEOmzdQ

— The Good Fight Foundation (@TheGoodFightFDN) April 11, 2020

The Good Fight Foundation became a registered non-profit organization in 2018, as Poirier’s family began auctioning off his fight gear fro…

According to Jorge Masvidal, there was an opportunity for him to face Kamaru Usman at UFC 249. However, the financial terms weren’t to his liking.

“There was a deal on the table, but when the full deal and the whole extent of it got brought through and how it was going to play out, the budget really wasn’t there in a way for what we were asking,” Masvidal recently told BT Sport. “The price tag that I put out there, they didn’t wanna pay. This other guy, who knows if he was in or not, but my price wasn’t met. And for the risk-to-reward factor, I wanted to get compensated and the compensation wasn’t really there.”

Ultimately, the promotion’s attempts to move UFC 249 to tribal land in California failed, as Dana White was told by ESPN and Disney executives to cancel the event due to ongoing concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic. All UFC events are now suspended indefinitely, but Masvidal is hopeful that he and Usman can come to terms for a welterweight title fig…

Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje took the news that the Ultimate Fighting Championship was cancelling its upcoming events well, all things considered.

Ferguson was mid-interview with the OC Register on Thursday, when the news broke that UFC 249 and all subsequent were postponed. His immediate response, understandably, was a little profanity followed by shock.

“(Expletive). Oh wow. (Expletive),” he uttered with intermittent silence. “Oh well. I’m still gonna train.”

The former interim champ was to be matched up with Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight strap in the headliner of UFC 249. The event was originally scheduled to take place on April 18, and Ferguson was slated to meet Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed belt.

The fight card was booked for Brooklyn, New York, initially, but a NY ban of sporting events and public gatherings eliminated the state from hosting. The next plan was to relocate the event and others to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas at the UFC…

UFC President Dana White spoke to Brett Okamoto about #UFC249 no longer taking place on April 18.

(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/VRP5jL3k9J

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 9, 2020 The day that many in the community feared would come has now arrived: the Ultimate Fighting Championship has postponed all upcoming fight cards. According to ESPN on Thursday, the UFC has been forced to shut down its upcoming UFC 249 event on April 18. Additionally, all upcoming cards will not be taking place as scheduled and have been indefinitely postponed, per UFC President Dana White in an interview with ESPN. It is unclear exactly which slated events are off the table, as the promotion has cards booked through June, or how long until the UFC will be back in operation.

According to White, top Disney and ESPN executives shut down these events. He said, “Today, we got a call from the highest level you can go at Disney, and the highest level of ESP…

Statement from @SenFeinstein of California re #UFC249 pic.twitter.com/hXAlMpIAEf

— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) April 9, 2020 A prominent U.S. Senator is calling for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to reconsider holding its upcoming UFC 249 card.

On Thursday, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California sent out a press release requesting the UFC to delay UFC 249. The event is scheduled to take place on April 18, and reports are indicating that it will be held at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif. Yahoo Sports was first to report on the release.

Feinstein’s statement reads as follows:

“I’m concerned by reports that Ultimate Fighting Championship plans to hold a pay-per-view event in California, in defiance of the state’s shelter-in-place order. This event would involve dozens of individuals flying to California and driving to a casino for a purpose no one can honestly claim is essential.

“I understand this event is s…