Blog

The Legacy Fighting Alliance is in Colorado for its final event of the year with LFA 79, and one prelim fighter has missed weight.

In the flyweight title fight headliner, Brandon Royval hit the scales at 124 pounds as he prepares to take on Nate Williams (123.8). Royval returned to the win column last time out when he submitted Joby Sanchez in the first round at LFA 65. Williams, meanwhile, is replacing former headliner Jared Scoggins, and holds a two-fight win streak coming into this bout on short notice. In the co-main attraction, Josh Huber (136) battles Zviad Lazishvili (135.6) at bantamweight.

At lightweight, Jonathon Wyderko (155.8) locks horns with Eric Grant (155.2). Justin Wetzell (135.2) looks to make it three in a row as he collides with Michael Aquila (135.4) at bantamweight. At a 140-pound catchweight, Youssef Zalal (139.4) takes on Jaime Hernandez (139). Opening up the main card is a flyweight tilt between George Martinez (125.8) and Carlos do Carmo Mot…

#CW111 card update

Paddy Pimblett vs Joe Giannetti has been removed from tomorrow night's card.

Giannetti failed to make weight at this afternoon's weigh-ins, coming in 7.7lbs over the lightweight limit at 163.7lbs.

Pimblett weighed in successfully at 154.9 lbs.— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) November 21, 2019

The much-anticipated bout between Paddy Pimblett and Joe Giannetti will not happen at Cage Warriors 111 after all.

James Webb hit the scales at 184.3 pounds as he looks to defend his middleweight title against Nathius Frederick (184). The two first fought at Cage Warriors 106, in Webb's first title defense, and the bout was ruled a majority draw. In the co-main attraction, Modestas Bukauskas (203) puts his light heavyweight belt on the line against Riccardo Nosiglia (203.4).

Cage Warriors 111 which airs live on UFC Fight Pass at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 22, also features Mads Burnell (144.5) vs. Steve…

Breaking: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Michael Chiesa agreed to for UFC Fight Night on Jan. 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina, per sources.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 21, 2019

Fans in North Carolina will be in for quite a treat in January, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship has added a big matchup to the Raleigh card.

ESPN announced on Thursday that Rafael dos Anjos has agreed to meet Michael Chiesa, presumably at welterweight, at the upcoming Fight Night card in Raleigh on Jan. 25. It will be headlined by a major heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Junior dos Santos, while Frankie Edgar will make the drop to bantamweight in the co-main event against ranked contender Cory Sandhagen.

Dos Anjos last competed at UFC on ESPN 4 in July, where he dropped a decision over five rounds to Leon Edwards. Dating back to 2018, the Brazilian has lost three five-round decisions to Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman and Edwards, wh…

Elbow Queen! @LinaLansberg looks to make it straight when she faces @Sara_McMann at #UFCRaleigh! pic.twitter.com/rcDWOzLskv

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) November 20, 2019 Two top-15 bantamweights will lock horns at UFC Raleigh on Jan. 25 as Sara McMann will battle Lina Lansberg.

McMann, who is currently ranked ninth in the division is on a two-fight losing streak and has not fought since February of 2018. There, she was submitted by Marion Reneau, and before that lost by submission to Ketlen Vieira. She has been sidelined due to maternity leave and then was expected to face Nicco Montano in July but pulled out due to an injury.

Lansberg, on the other hand, is on a two-fight winning streak after beating Macy Chiasson by decision last time out. Before that, she edged out a decision win over Tonya Evinger to get back into the win column after a loss to Yana Kunitskaya. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship she is 4-3 where in her de…

A man has testified that he saw Ibraheem Yazeed kidnap Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Walt Harris.

During a preliminary hearing in Lee County District Court on Wednesday, the witness said he didn’t come forward sooner because his wife told him to stay out of it, according to WTVM13. The news outlet also reported that when Yazeed walked into the court room he looked into the direction of the Blanchard family and shook his head.

During the hearing, the judge ordered Yazeed to submit a DNA sample, after police believe a man was inside Blanchard’s car. He has also been denied bond.

The Blanchard family currently has a gag order meaning they are not allowed to speak to the media as this case is ongoing. The gag order will not be lifted until at least Dec. 4.

Aniah was last seen on Oct. 23 in Auburn, Alabama, and it was determined the 19-year-old is a victim of foul play.

Anyone with information is asked to contact …

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. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship dual-division champion Conor McGregor sent social media into overdrive last month when he announced that he would be making his long-awaited return to the Octagon on Jan. 18. “The Notorious” revealed the news while touring Russia to promote his Proper 12 whiskey brand and said at the time that an opponent has not been announced, with both Donald Cerrone and Justin Gaethje the two most likely fighters set to face the Irishman. UFC President Dana White claimed earlier this month that negotiations were underway for McGregor to face Cerrone, although nothing has been made official.

McGregor’s manager Audie Attar recently talked with the South China Morning Post and said talks are still progressing between all parties and they hope to have an announcement in the coming weeks.

“I would say that talk…

James Gallagher and Callum Ellenor will share the cage after all.

The two will now be the main event of Bellator Dublin on Feb. 22. The two fighters were originally set to fight this past September in Dublin, but Ellenor was forced off the card after a concerning brain scan came back. However, after a second opinion, it was determined Ellenor was misdiagnosed and he is cleared to fight.

“Ellenor has been medically cleared by a licensed physician to return to active competition, following an incorrect reading initially provided by a doctor in South Africa,” Bellator MMA officials said in a statement. “Bellator MMA, as well as the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulations which oversees the organization’s international events, maintains that athletes pass all medical requirements, ensuring they are held to the highest standards in safety and regulation.”

Gallagher is coming off of a submission win over Romas Salazar, and before that edged out a decision win o…

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. After Israel Adesanya’s sensational stoppage of former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ Robert Whittaker back in October, all eyes turned to his first title defense, which was meant to be against the juggernaut Paulo Henrique Costa. It wasn’t to be with Costa suffering an arm injury, forcing the Brazilian out until the New Year. Adesanya and Costa have been very vocal about fighting one another and the injury means the UFC will look at other potential 185 pounders, with the impressive Jared Cannonier and former title challenger Yoel Romero leading the race for their shot.

“The Last Stylebender” recently spoke to MMAFighting.com and said Costa’s injury and surgery may be very costly to the Brazilian’s title aspirations.

“I guess he wasn’t ready to fight,” Adesanya said of Costa in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppuH_4RC_oI&w=560&h=315]

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.

The rivalry between Nick Diaz and Jorge Masvidal continues to heat up, with the former World Extreme Cagefighting and Strikeforce welterweight champion looking to dish out some revenge to Masvidal after the Miami native put a beating on Diaz’s younger brother Nate Diaz at UFC 244.

Diaz has accused Masvidal of disrespecting his younger brother by claiming he “baptized” him in their fight and has shown interest in stepping inside the Octagon to settle the score.

Diaz’s former coach, Cesar Gracie, likes the idea of the pair fighting for the BMF belt and believes it’d sell really well with MMA fans (via MMAMania.com):

“That is his belt. The BMF belt, Nick is the BMF, if you will. That’s the perfect belt for Nick," said Gracie during a recent interview on Ar…

Thiago Santos has a huge task ahead of him this weekend at UFC 239 when he attempts to shock the world by dethroning the most dominant light heavyweight in UFC history in Jon Jones.

Santos is the betting underdog and most pundits have chalked the bout down on Saturday night to another Jones victory despite the Brazilian’s impressive recent form, including finishes in his last three fights against Jan Blachowicz, Jimi Manuwa and Eryk Anders.

In a recent interview ahead of his bout against Jones, “Marreta” compared his skillset to that of the champion and said he’ll be looking at picking his shots like a sniper to ensure maximum efficiency (Translation via Bloody Elbow):

“He is full of surprises, just like me,” Santos told Globo Esporte. “So I don’t think there’s one specific thing I need to worry about. I need to be concerned in a more general manner, he is very well-rounded, a one-of-a-kind kind of guy. I’m going to feel it out, find the right moment to attack, a…

Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Jordan Young will return to action for the first time in seven months when he meets Joel Bauman at Bellator 224.

Sherdog.com confirmed the matchup with a promotion official on Monday following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Bellator 224 takes place at Winstar World Casino in Thackervile, Okla., on July 12 and is headlined by a women’s featherweight championship tilt between Julia Budd and Olga Rubin.

The 24-year-old Young has kicked off his professional tenure with 10 straight victories, including five under the Bellator banner. The American Top Team product moved to light heavyweight in 2018 and has since posted back-to-back submission triumphs over Jamal Pogues and Anthony Ruiz within the California-based promotion. All but two of Young’s career wins have come via tapout.

Bauman will make his promotional debut after compiling a 3-0 mark under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner. Most recently, the 20-year-old Minneso…

Credit: Gleidson Venga/Sherdog.com Credit: Gleidson Venga/Sherdog.com Credit: Gleidson Venga/Sherdog.com Credit: Gleidson Venga/Sherdog.com

Darren Till is looking to return to the Octagon this year and has an opponent in mind for his next fight. And, that is to rematch Jorge Masvidal, who he lost to back in March by knockout.

“Masvidal, he’s a respectful guy,” Till said to Fighters Only. “He’d come to me after the fight and I was —not crying — but I had my head down and someone tapped me on my shoulder and it was Masvidal, and he shook my hand. He was like, ‘You nearly had me in the first [round].’

“I want that f—-ing rematch. I want that rematch.”

At the moment, a rematch seems unlikely. Masvidal is fighting Ben Askren at UFC 239 and with a win, could very well be in serious title contention. Meanwhile, Till is on a two-fight losing streak after falling to Masvidal and Tyron Woodley in his last two Octagon appearances.

Both Francis Ngannou and Joseph Benavidez appeared to solidify their positions as No. 1 contender in their respective divisions at UFC on ESPN 3 this past Saturday.

Ngannou earned his third consecutive first-round finish in the evening’s headliner at the Target Center in Minneapolis, as he thumped Junior dos Santos in just 71 seconds. “The Predator’s” current winning streak also includes stoppages of Cain Velasquez and Curtis Blaydes. Ngannou has regained nearly all of the momentum he lost after consecutive defeats to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis took much of the shine off his quick rise to prominence within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Benavidez, meanwhile, remains one of the best fighters to never capture a title in a major organization. On Saturday, he took out Jussier Formiga for a second time in the co-main event, giving him nine wins in his last 10 UFC appearances. Included in that stretch is a split-decision victory over reigning 125-pound champion Henry Cej…

Kelvin Gastelum needed some time to recover after a memorable five-round interim title fight with Israel Adesanya at UFC 236. Now that he’s cleared to train and fight again, “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner has his sights set on a return date.

“I’m a little too excited! The doctor just gave me good news and cleared me to fight and start training,” Gastelum wrote on Instagram. “After the war I had with Stylebender I had to make sure to take time off and make sure that when I get cleared, I was physically, brand spankin new. [Eleven] weeks later that day has come and I’m ready to start looking for a return date! And my eyes are set for November. I want to thank you all for the continued support! Let’s continue this mission for gold!”

The 27-year-old Yuma, Ariz., native already has an opponent in mind for his next UFC appearance, as he has targeted a future showdown with Jack Hermansson. The 31-year-old Swede has established himself as a person of interest in the middlewe…

Angela Lee, Aung La N Sang and Bibiano Fernandes have title defenses scheduled for One Championship’s 100th event in Tokyo on Oct. 13.

One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the news on Sunday. Lee will face Jingnan Xiong in an atomweight (115-pound) title clash; N Sang will defend the light heavyweight crown against heavyweight king Brandon Vera and Bibiano Fernandes will put the bantamweight (145-pound) strap on the line against Kevin Belingon.

One Championship “Century” will also feature the finals of the promotion’s lightweight and flyweight tournaments for MMA and the finals of the featherweight grand prix for kickboxing. Cross-promotional bouts pitting fighters from Shooto against competitors from Pancrase will also take place on the card; those matchups will be announced in the coming weeks.

Lee, who is already booked to face Michelle Nicolini at a One Championship event in Malaysia on July 12, moved up a division to challenge Xiong for the flywe…

Image credit: Mike Jackson/Fury FC

Anthony Ivy killed two birds with one stone Saturday night in Houston, retaining his Fury Fighting Championship welterweight title and avenging a previous loss with a second-round mauling of Jason Langellier at Fury FC 33.

The Fury FC 33 headliner looked close to bring stopped at the end of the first round, as “Aquaman” was applying heavy ground-and-pound to Langellier in the final minute, with referee Jeff Rexroad looking on closely. Langellier survived to hear the final bell, but the second round offered more of the same: Ivy once again grounded “The Slim Reaper,” navigated the lanky grappler’s submission attempts and pounded him with punches and hammerfists from back mount. Rexroad finally intervened at 4:13, giving Ivy (6-2) the TKO win and running his win streak to three straight. Langellier, who appeared to have suffered a leg injury in one of the final exchanges, falls to 8-2.

In the co-main event, Adrian Yanez (9-3…

Four “Performance of the Night” checks were awarded at UFC on ESPN 3 on Saturday, as Francis Ngannou, Joseph Benavidez, Alonzo Menifield and Eryk Anders all received $50,000 for their efforts in Minneapolis.

Ngannou capitalized on Junior dos Santos’ aggression in the heavyweight headliner, as he rocked “Cigano” with several heavy shots and finished him with follow-up shots on the mat 71 seconds into the first frame to pad his bank account. It was the third consecutive first-round finish for “The Predator,” who once again looks like a top contender in the division

Meanwhile, Benavidez garnered a performance award thanks to a second-round TKO of Jussier Formiga in the flyweight co-main event. Benavidez rocked the Brazilian with a head kick and then finished him with a barrage of punches at the 4:47 mark of the period.

Menifield continued to establish himself as a light heavyweight prospect to watch, earning a bonus check for a first-round knockout of Paul Craig. Th…

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 on ESPN 3 coverage begins 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 Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Cole Shelton scores the round:The Offic…

Eryk Anders (12-4) reclaims some shine and snaps a three-fight skid, ransacking Vinícius Castro while the ref stares on! The former Alabama linebacker has stopped nine, eight by knockout, and seven in round one. #UFCMinneapolis pic.twitter.com/fD6ylhP9l8

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) June 30, 2019

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 239 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Eryk Anders steadied himself inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight division, as he knocked out Vinicius Moreira with punches in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 3 prelim on Saturday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Moreira (9-3, 0-2 UFC) bit the dust 1:18 into Round 1, as he was finished for the second time in as many appearances.

Anders (12-4, 4-4 UFC) denied the Brazilian’s bid for takedowns and even moved into full mount at one point…

Official Results: Martin def. Ferreira via DQ Illegal Stikes at 3:21 into Round 1. pic.twitter.com/yaAWuzuJ0D

— AXS TV Fights (@AXSTVFights) June 29, 2019

Renan Ferreira just couldn’t seem to follow the rules against Brett Martin, but Legacy Fighting Alliance is ready to crown a new heavyweight champion following LFA 70.

Team Nogueira’s “Problema” rocked Martin immediately and kept the pressure on. A series of punches to the back of the head from Ferreira prompted referee Rob Hinds to stop the fight and dock two points from the Brazilian.

Martin briefly took advantage of the opportunity, as he was able to gain top position after Ferreira fell down attempting a leg kick. The fight came to a screeching halt after Ferreira (5-2) reversed position and landed additional right hands to the back to the head. Hinds had seen enough and called it a match at just 3:14 of the opening frame.

With the victory, Martin (3-1) landed a m…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEWh0-0LdWU&w=640&h=360] Anthony Rocco Martin got off to a shaky start with his Ultimate Fighting Championship career. Joining the league in 2014, Martin went 1-3 in his first four UFC fights, earning his first two losses back-to-back, getting a win, then losing again all before the summer of 2015.

Since last year, the Boston native has gone 4-0 and will now face his toughest challenge in perennial top contender Demian Maia. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace has almost 40 professional mixed martial arts bouts to his name, and before his February win over Lyman Good, had lost three in a row (albeit to a murderer's row of opponents: Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman).

Martin, 29, understands what's at stake for his career with such a significant matchup. Not only because Maia is still a big name in the welterweight division, but also because many of the top fighters at 170 implement a grapple-heavy strategy.

"This is the…

World Boxing Council super-flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada, fresh off of a spectacular victory over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, has just secured a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA and Zanfer Promotions.

"El Gallo" first lost his WBC title to Rungvisai in February 2018. After adding two wins to his record in the latter part of 2018, Estrada was granted an April 2019 rematch against the man who took his belt. Facing him once again at the Forum in Inglewood, California, the 29-year-old Mexican outclassed his opponent, earning a unanimous decision victory, regaining his WBC super-flyweight strap, and adding the Ring Magazine junior bantamweight belt to his collection.

Estrada is expected to announce a title defense in the coming weeks. "I'm very excited to be fighting again on DAZN where I won the WBC title," said Estrada. "I look forward to defending my title for Mexico and for all my fans and hopefully I can soon unify titles with the other champions of th…

Jon Jones has stated in the past that he may look at moving up to the heavyweight division in the future to challenge himself, and one of the UFC’s most powerful heavyweights, Francis Ngannou, would love to welcome him there.

“The Predator” is scheduled to fight former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos in the main event at UFC Minneapolis on Saturday night and if he beats him, it could set up a potential super fight down the line.

Jones, who takes on heavy-hitting Brazilian Thiago Santos in the main event UFC 239 at July 6, recently told TMZ that he would be open to moving up to the heavyweight division. Jones singled out Ngannou as one of those fighters against whom he would like to test himself (via MMA Mania):

“[Ngannou] is a scary dude,” Jones said. “But, that’s why I’m in it, for it to be hard. I’m aware that the greater the challenge, that’s what makes it great. The hard is what makes it great. There’s a lot of fights at the heavyweight division th…

UFC on ESPN 3 in Minneapolis has taken a hit.

Vince Murdock, who was set to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut against Jordan Griffin announced on Instagram that he has withdrawn from the fight. He accepted the fight two weeks ago after Chas Skelly was originally set to face Griffin, but Skelly had to pull out due to an injury.

The 28-year-old Murdock says the UFC will not clear him to fight, and will need to run more tests in order to clear him. He adds that he believes with the upcoming test he will complete, he will be allowed to fight soon.

As of now, there is no word on if the Las Vegas-based promotion will seek a replacement opponent for Griffin. The UFC has not yet commented on if this will change the start time or the bout order for UFC on ESPN 3. Potentially losing his opportunity to compete on this card, "The Native Psycho" was planning to return from a loss to Dan Ige in his UFC debut.

Murdock's statement on his Instagram page says the fo…