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Aleksandar Rakic was on the wrong side of a split decision at UFC Fight Night 165, as he dropped two of the three judges scorecards against Volkan Oezdemir this past Saturday.

The statistics reflected the close nature of the bout. Rakic outlanded his opponent 75 to 63 in significant strikes, while Oezdemir held a 118-to-87 edge in total strikes landed. Rakic landed the only takedown of the fight but was denied on eight other attempts.

Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of the contest, however, was the grotesque swelling on Rakic’s leg as Oezdemir repeatedly battered it with low kicks. Whether that was the deciding factor is unknown, but Oezdemir’s work ultimately earned the nod from judges Mark Collett and Anthony Dimitriou.

The majority of media scoring the fight thought Rakic deserved the victory, as seven of the eight scorecards tracked by MMADecisions.com awarded the bout to the Austrian light heavyweight.

Given a little time to reflect, Rakic doesn’t…

He submits the Brazilian BJJ black belt! @KhalidTahaMMA gets the late finish at #UFC243! pic.twitter.com/UdKWUvN6sA

— UFC (@ufc) October 5, 2019

Khalid Taha has accepted a one-year suspension for a failed drug test in relation to UFC 243, USADA announced Monday.

Taha, who defeated Bruno Silva via third-round submission at the Oct. 5 event, tested positive for furosemide in an in-competition urine sample provided on Oct. 6. Furosemide is listed in the category of diuretics and masking agents and is often used to reduce extra fluid in the body caused by conditions such as heart failure, liver disease and kidney disease.

Taha’s suspension is retroactive to Oct. 6, so he will be eligible to compete again in October 2020. His victory will likely be overturned to a no contest as a result of the anti-doping violation, although that ruling will ultimately be up to the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board of Victoria, which regul…

UFC Fight Night 165 was not Frankie Edgar’s finest hour in what has been a decorated career mixed martial artist.

Edgar stepped in for the injured Brian Ortega on short notice in Saturday’s headliner against Chan Sung Jung and was dispatched in lopsided fashion, losing via technical knockout at the 3:18 mark of the opening stanza.

The former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight title challenger has lost three of his last four Octagon appearances ahead of his anticipated move to the bantamweight division. “The Answer” apparently faced some criticism following his latest defeat, as he took to Twitter to address the negative feedback.

“Why do the negative comments alway get to you the most? Thanks for the love from most of you out there,” Edgar wrote. “To the others I’m sure it won’t be your last s—-y comment to dish out. Let’s not give power to these people. Thanks for the [love] to the real ones out there!”

Why do the…

For now, it appears that there is no clear-cut No. 1 contender for Ilima-Lei Macfarlane’s flyweight crown in Bellator MMA.

Macfarlane authored a dominant performance in a unanimous decision victory over Kate Jackson at Bellator 236, earning scorecards of 50-45, 50-44 and 50-44 to improve to 10-0 within the California-based promotion. Earlier on the card, flyweight Juliana Velasquez was equally dominant in dispatching Bruna Ellen in another lopsided unanimous decision.

While Macfarlane herself seemed convinced that Velasquez would be next, Bellator president Scott Coker isn’t ready to commit to anything just yet.

“Honestly, Juliana Velasquez is definitely somebody that has some potential,” Coker told media after Bellator 236 (video courtesy of MMAjunkie.com ). “To me, if she would’ve come in there and had a knockout or a stoppage or went in there and dominated – she had a dominant performance – but when you’re in fights like that, you should finish, too. It’s kind…

“A couple weeks ago, I got to come to a town meeting here in Las Vegas, got to meet Bernie. And right away, as soon as I could see into his eyes, I could see that the man was a real fighter.” –@MoTownPhenom pic.twitter.com/xXkTbhcNeu

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 22, 2019

Colby Covington isn’t the only UFC fighter showing support for a prominent political figure.

UFC lightweight Kevin Lee appeared at a rally for Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Saturday in Las Vegas. Lee also previously voiced support for Sanders following his knockout of Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244, where President Donald Trump was in attendance.

Sanders is running for U.S. President in 2020 after also campaigning in 2016.

“A couple weeks ago I got to come to a town meeting here in Las Vegas, got to meet Bernie and right away as soon as I could see into his eyes, I could see that man was a real fighter,” Lee said. In addition to prai…

A.J. McKee was as advertised in the quarterfinals of Bellator MMA’s featherweight grand prix on Saturday night.

The unbeaten Team Bodyshop product ran roughshod over Derrick Campos in the Bellator 236 co-main event at Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, winning via submission at the 1:08 mark of the third round. “The Mercenary” threatened his opponent in every frame. He spent much of the opening stanza on Campos’ back, hunting for a rear-naked choke that nearly materialized just before the bell. Campos survived, but he was dropped in Round 2 and had to escape a brabo choke.

The third frame saw McKee land another takedown and force a tapout from Campos when he secured an armbar in a scramble. The 24-year-old Californian was proud to showcase a variety of skills against Campos.

“I’m playing and it’s fun,” McKee said to assembled media (video courtesy of MMAjunkie.com). “I never come out and do the same thing. That’s where I just continue to evolve. Nobody knows wh…

NO. ONE. IS. LETTING. UP. IN. ROUND. FOUR.

This is a war and neither @KPAjackson nor @Ilimanator are going to go easy.#Bellator236 #BellatorHawaii pic.twitter.com/zdpkIcR8oS

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) December 22, 2019 Ilima-Lei Macfarlane’s place on the throne remains secure. The unbeaten Hawaiian empress pitched a shutout to retain the undisputed Bellator MMA women’s flyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Kate Jackson in the Bellator 236 headliner on Saturday at the Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. All three cageside judges gave the nod to Macfarlane (11-0, 10-0 Bellator): 50-45, 50-44 and 50-44.

Jackson (11-4-1, 3-2 Bellator) was effective in spots but lacked the resources required to bring down someone of the champion’s stature. Macfarlane landed takedowns in all five rounds, controlled “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 23 graduate on the ground and appeared to have a finish within reach on two occasions.…

Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year. Sherdog’s live Bellator 236 coverage begins Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 At lightweight, two Hawaiian natives selected at Bellator tryouts vying for a multi-fight contract are squaring off now, as Diggs (7-0, 0-0 BMMA) meets Hao (4-2, 0-0 BMMA). Referee Jason Herzog will be keeping a watchful eye on the contest. A touch of gloves greets the two men, and the first fight of the night has begun. Hao starts out with a few jabs, and fires a low kick, but Diggs is prepared to counter. One such low kick from Hao gets caught, and Diggs grabs a single and drags Hao down to the canvas. Hao keeps a high guard to tie up Diggs, and employs a rubber guard to pursue an omoplata. Hao pulls his leg underneath the neck of his opponent to consider a rare gogoplata, but Diggs pushes th…

Chan Sung Jung was on top of his game in front of the home folks, and as a result, he received a little boost to his bank account.

“The Korean Zombie” garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his first-round technical knockout win over Frankie Edgar in the UFC Fight Night 165 headliner in Busan, South Korea, on Saturday. After dominating the entire fight, Jung finished off the former lightweight champion with a multi-punch combination and follow-up ground strikes at the 3:18 mark of Round 1.

Elsewhere, Charles Jourdain and Doo Ho Choi received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their wild bantamweight scrap. The returning Choi appeared to have Jourdain reeling early in the opening stanza, but the Canadian fighter rallied to drop “The Korean Superboy” at the end of the period. Jourdain put a final stamp on the fight in Round 2, when he dropped his foe with a straight left to the chin followed by a right hook to the side of the head. Jourda…

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC on ESPN+ live on your computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 165 coverage will begin at 2 a.m. ET. Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below. Round 1 Benoit starts things off with a front kick as both fighters are tentative to engage early. Benoit moves forward and lands a hard body kick. Moments later, the American connects with an inside low kick. A straight left backs up Alateng. The bantamweights clinch in the center of the Octagon and Alateng pushes Benoit into the fence. They break quickly and Alateng whiffs on a right hook. Benoit follows a straight left with a hard left liver kick. Benoit attacks the body again with a kick and Alateng briefly grimaces and drops his elbow. Benoit presses forward and lands a superman punch. Alateng picks up the pace but can’t find the range on a combination. Benoit responds with a …

Scott Coker just announced to media here in Hawaii that @BellatorMMA has signed Liz Carmouche. pic.twitter.com/m0vUpmOIjB

— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) December 20, 2019

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's loss is Bellator MMA's gain, with the latter promotion picking up a fighter suddenly released earlier in the month.

According to Bellator President Scott Coker at a media event on Friday, Liz Carmouche (13-7) has been signed by Bellator. While the weight class she will pursue has not been stated nor has she been given an opponent yet, flyweight queen Ilima-Lei Macfarlane welcomed an opportunity to face off against her training partner. Prior to her signing, Carmouche remarked that "Bellator would be a perfect fit, because I already know them and I have a good relationship with them."

The former bantamweight and flyweight title challenger was unceremoniously released from her UFC contract two weeks prior, and has rejoined former S…

I've been told Deiveson Figueiredo has already accepted the fight. But, sources say the UFC still does not know if they plan on stripping Cejudo or making this for an interim belt. https://t.co/RZP75RmtYR

— Cole Shelton (@ColeShelton91) December 20, 2019

Henry Cejudo has decided to give up his flyweight belt, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship will put it up for grabs in February.

According to a report from BJPenn.com on Thursday evening, Joseph Benavidez (28-5) will contend with Deiveson Figueiredo (17-1) for the flyweight strap. MMA Junkie later reported that the vacant belt would be on the line as two-division champ Cejudo would be giving up his flyweight crown. ESPN confirmed this news with Cejudo on Thursday night. Benavidez and Figueiredo will come to blows in the headliner of UFC Norfolk on Feb. 29 at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

Benavidez has won his last three, and nine of his last ten, dating back to…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9snoyYfKfUk&w=640&h=360] The final Ultimate Fighting Championship event of the year takes place Saturday as UFC Fight Night 165 goes down in the Sajik Arena in Busan, South Korea.

The event is fittingly headlined by "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, who has yet to fight in his native country since 2008. He will be facing another featherweight mainstay in Frankie Edgar, who took the bout on short notice after Brian Ortega suffered a knee injury. Jung (15-5) is coming off a dominant first-round TKO over Renato Carneiro earlier this year, whom he dispatched in under a minute. Jung had no issues making weight, and took full advantage of the one-pound allowance by coming in at 146 pounds.

Edgar (23-7) is still penciled in to make his bantamweight debut on Jan. 25 against Cory Sandhagen, so it's clear that "The Answer" is looking to stay busy despite being 38. Edgar last fought in July, where he lost a lopsided decision to then-UFC f…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzybiXwe_FQ&w=640&h=360] The first of two Bellator MMA events will take place this Friday as Bellator 235: Salute the Troops emanates from Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.

The main event will see legendary mixed martial arts heavyweight Josh Barnett (251.6) make his promotional debut against Ronny Markes (250). "The Warmaster" last fought in 2016, where he submitted Andrei Arlovski. His career then spent nearly two years in limbo after the United States Anti-Doping Agency accused him of a doping violation that wound up being the result of a contaminated supplement. Barnett (35-8) stayed busy during his layoff by returning to professional wrestling and facing off against the likes of Bobby Lashley and Minoru Suzuki.

Looking to derail Barnett's Bellator debut is another Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran in Markes (19-7). The 31-year-old is coming off a 2-2 stint in the Professional Fighters League, ending with a TKO win over…

John Dodson will square off against Nathaniel Wood at UFC Fight Night in Rio Rancho, N.M., on Feb. 15.

Sherdog.com confirmed the bout with sources close to the event on Wednesday evening. UFC Rio Rancho takes place at the Santa Ana Star Center and is headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz.

A former two-time UFC flyweight title challenger, Dodson is 3-4 since moving up to 135 pounds. The 35-year-old Albuquerque, N.M., native is coming off consecutive decision losses to Petr Yan and Jimmie Rivera. “The Magician” has bested Pedro Munhoz, Eddie Wineland and Manny Gamburyan at 135 pounds and is 9-6 in his promotional tenure overall.

Wood enters the matchup on an eight-bout winning streak. The 26-year-old Englishman has kicked off his UFC career with submission victories over Johnny Eduardo, Andre Ewell and Jose Alberto Quinonez after a stint as Cage Warriors bantamweight champion. “The Prospect” is 16-3 since making his pro …

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista

Three-time UFC flyweight competitor Priscila Cachoeira has accepted a four-month suspension for an anti-doping violation stemming from an out of competition drug test, USADA announced Wednesday.

Cachoeira tested positive hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and its metabolites chlorothiazide and 4amino-6chloro-1,3-benzenedisulfonamide (ACB), which are in the category of diuretics and masking agents. The Brazilian received a reduced sanction because she was able to prove that the positive test was a result of a blood pressure medication.

Her four-month suspension is retroactive to Oct. 12, the date the positive sample was collected. Cachoeira will be eligible to return to active competition in February.

Cachoeira began her pro career with an 8-0 mark before losing her first three Octagon appearances, including a notable beatdown at the hands of reigning 125-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko in her promotional debut at UFC Fight Nig…

Daniel Pineda will not get to compete for $1 million at the Professional Fighters League final on New Year’s Eve.

The Nevada Athletic Commission on Wednesday postponed Pineda’s disciplinary hearing until January, which means he won’t be eligible to face Lance Palmer in the featherweight championship on Dec. 31 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. As a result, alternate Alex Gilpin will replace Pineda in the bout.

Pineda failed a drug test in relation to his two PFL playoff wins in October. According to ESPN, Pineda had a high ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone in his system, and further testing revealed the presence of exogenous testosterone. Pineda has denied knowingly taking any banned substance.

Pineda was a surprise story in the PFL featherweight bracket, as he stopped Movid Khaybulaev via TKO in 29 seconds before submitted Jeremy Kennedy at the 4:00 mark of Round 1 on Oct. 17. If Pineda’s appeal is not successful, he is likely to have …

UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje is doing his part to give back to the Denver community.

According to 9News, Gaethje wrote a check for $1,538 to pay off all the lunch debts for students at West Early College High School and and Middle School in Denver. Gaethje, who is based at Grudge Training Center in Denver, is friends with one of the teachers at West Early College, according to the report.

The payment will cover lunch debts for the entire first semester. The school posted a message of gratitude on its Facebook page.

"West Early College families received a wonderful holiday gift today. Shout out to Justin ‘The Highlight’ Gaethje who is a champion UFC fighter and friend to our Cowboys," the post says. "We love and appreciate your generous gift! Thank you."  

A former World Series of Fighting Champion, Gaethje is known as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC today. “The Highlight” is currently on a three-bout winning streak that include…

Geoff @handzofsteelmma Neal melts Platinum #UFC245 pic.twitter.com/wtgEJtMIvV

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 15, 2019

The UFC 245 preliminary card attracted an average audience of 865,000 to ESPN2, according to ShowBuzz Daily.

That figure checks in slightly below the UFC 244 preliminary card, which drew 910,000 viewers to ESPN2 for a Nov. 2 card at Madison Square Garden headlined by Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. Overall, UFC 245 drew the sixth-highest ratings for a pay-per-view preliminary card of the 11 that have aired on ESPN, ESPN2 or FX in 2019. The highest ratings occurred during the UFC 235 prelims, which drew 1.48 million viewers to ESPN in March.

The featured bout of Saturday’s preliminary card saw rising welterweight prospect Geoff Neal defeat Mike Perry via TKO 1:30 into the opening round of their bout. Perry vs. Neal peaked at 1.2 million viewers. In other notable action on the prelim card, Irena Aldana scored a firs…

Brian Ortega did everything in his power to remain on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 165 card in Busan, South Korea, but it simply wasn’t meant to be.

The former featherweight title challenger revealed on the "UFC Unfiltered” podcast that he suffered a partially torn ACL in training over Thanksgiving weekend.

“It was during wrestling,” Ortega said. “It was a Friday, Thanksgiving Friday or somewhere around there and I went to spar, regular sparring, whatever did everything. I have two fresh guys every two and a half minutes, fourth round I had the second fresh guy and he went for a single leg against the wall and I tried to get out of it.

“He hiked it up, my knee stayed against the wall, my ankle went up and I just heard a big old tear. I heard a crazy noise in it and trying to figure out what it was and he thought it was the Velcro from my shin pad. I was like no dude, that was my knee.”

The injury forced Ortega to withdraw from a headlining clash against Chan …

Some of the main components of this past Saturday’s UFC 245 card are facing potentially lengthy layoffs — including headliners Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.

Both Usman and Covington looking at 180-day terms, according to medical suspensions released by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Usman, who retained his welterweight crown via fifth-round TKO at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is out for sixth months unless an x-ray of his left thumb is cleared by a physician. At a minimum, the champ is suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days.

Covington, meanwhile, will be sidelined 180 days unless his jaw injury is cleared by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. “Chaos” is also suspended for 60 days with no contact for 45 days.

New featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is suspended 180 days unless he receives clearance on an x-ray of his right hand. Volkanovski defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision in the UFC 245 co-main event to claim 145-pound gold…

It appears that Megan Anderson will return to the Octagon in early 2020.

Anderson announced on her website that she will be facing promotional newcomer Norma Dumont at UFC Norfolk on Feb. 29. No other bouts have been confirmed for the event, which takes place at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va.

A former Invicta featherweight champion, Anderson is coming off a first-round submission of Zarah Fairn dos Santos at UFC 243 this past October. The 29-year-old is 2-2 in the Las Vegas-baed promotion and 9-4 as a professional overall.

“I really felt like I was able to showcase so much more of my skills and diversity in my last fight at UFC 243, and I’m finally in a place where I can truly show my potential inside the cage,” Anderson wrote on her blog. “I know a lot of people consider me solely a striker, and while I do prefer to punch people in the face haha I was so freaking excited to show all the hard work and improvements I’ve made in my wrestling and grappling!”

B…

It may be a little while before Colby Covington returns to the Octagon, but when he’s healthy, UFC president Dana White has an opponent in mind for the controversial American Top Team standout.

Covington lost to Kamaru Usman via fifth-round technical knockout in the UFC 245 headliner on Saturday, and the man known as “Chaos” suffered a “non-displaced midline mandible fracture” during the action.

“I don’t have a problem with him. I don’t have a problem with Covington,” White said at the UFC 245 post-fight press conference. “I’d love to do him and [Tyron] Woodley next. That would be a fun fight, but if he has a broken jaw, he ain’t going to be around for a minute. After a war like this, he’s going to have to go rest, take care of himself for a while and then we’ll see what he wants to do.”

Covington appeared to be on a collision course with Woodley after capturing the interim welterweight crown with a decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in June 2018. However, Coving…

Brandon Moreno was one of the casualties when it appeared the UFC was doing away with the flyweight division.

However, after a tenuous period, the weight class appears to have a home within the Las Vegas-based promotion and so too does “The Ultimate Fighter 24” alum. On Saturday, Moreno earned his first Octagon triumph since April 2017, as he outpointed Kai Kara-France in a matchup of young 125-pound contenders at UFC 245.

“I feel amazing. I feel a lot of peace in my heart, last year the UFC released me and that was a really dark part of my life,” Moreno said. “I went to fight in LFA and became their flyweight champion and started to feel better, but I always wanted to come back to UFC. I came back in September and got the draw, so it wasn’t as sweet, but now I’m back with my first official win again and I’m happy.”

After winning a title in Legacy Fighting Alliance, Moreno battled Askar Askarov to a split draw in his promotional return at UFC Fight Night 159 on S…