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Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title challenger Francis Ngannou returns to the Octagon on Feb. 17 at UFC on ESPN 1 when he faces off against former champion Cain Velasquez in what could prove to be a fight to determine the No. 1 contender in the division.

Ngannou is one of the most feared strikers in the sport due to his outrageous punching power; however he’s coming up against Velasquez who is not only is an outstanding wrestler but has the cardio to ensure he makes his opponents work the entire fight.

If there is one big question mark over Ngannou’s skillset it would be his wresting defense, which was severely exposed when he took on Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title last January. Most fans believe if “The Predator” doesn’t land an early shot to put Velasquez away, it could be a long night for the 32-year-old.

In a recent edition of the Joe Rogan MMA podcast, UF…

Charles Oliveira endured multiple eye pokes during his bout with David Teymur at UFC Fight Night 144, and those fouls could potentially sideline “Do Bronx” for a lengthy amount of time.

Oliveira, who defeated Teymur via second-round submission, is facing a potential 180-day medical suspension unless an ophthalmologist clears his eyes. At a minimum, he is suspended 30 days with 21 days of no contact. Teymur is also suspended 180 days pending ophthalmologist clearance along with a 30-day suspension with 21 days of no contact.

The Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) recently released a full list of medical suspensions from Saturday’s event. UFC Fight Night 144 took place Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil and saw Marlon Moraes defeat Raphael Assuncao by submission in the opening stanza of the evening’s bantamweight main event. Moraes is suspended 14 days with seven days of no contact, while Assuncao is out 45 days with 30 days of no contac…

Zebaztian Kadestam will defend his welterweight crown against Georgiy Kichigin in the One Championship “Reign of Valor” headliner on March 9.

The Singapore-based promotion announced the booking on Monday. “Reign of Valor” takes place at Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar and also includes a bantamweight clash pitting Cage Warriors champion Toni Tauru against Gary Mangat.

Kadestam claimed the vacant title with a fifth-round knockout of Tyler McGuire at One Championship “Warrior’s Dream” this past November. The 28-year-old Swede is 3-1 in the promotion, with his only setback coming at the hands of former champion Ben Askren in September 2017.

Kichigin, 29, enters the contest on a 13-fight winning streak. Most recently, the Kazakhstan native scored a first-round technical knockout win over UFC veteran Rousimar Palhares at Russian Cagefighting Championship 5 on Dec. 15. Kichigin has earned 15 of his 19 career victories by way of submission.

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New UFC welterweight Ben Askren has a talent for getting under people’s skin. Add Kamaru Usman, the division’s current No. 1 contender, to that list.

In a video posted by Anatomy of a Fighter, Usman and Askren get into a verbal altercation backstage prior to the UFC 235 press conference, which took place last week in Las Vegas. Askren mentioned the confrontation during the presser saying, “Marty tried attacking me 20 minutes ago.”

Things didn’t get quite that serious, but there seems to be some heat between the two fighters. Their exchange was as follows:

Askren: Are me and Marty sitting next to each other?

Usman: Do you know me?

Askren: Yeah.

Usman: How do you know me?

Askren: I know you because we used to hang out. We used to hang out at the Olympic training center.

Usman: Be quiet. You don’t know me.

Askren: I offered to fight you. There’s not much more to be s…

He’s not exactly a spring chicken anymore, but Demian Maia certainly looked more than capable inside the Octagon on Saturday.

Arguably the greatest jiu-jitsu practitioner to compete for the UFC, Maia was surgical against Lyman Good in one of the featured bouts of UFC Fight Night 144 in Fortaleza, Brazil. The 41-year-old patiently stalked the New Yorker early and shot in for a takedown. “Cyborg” defended the attack, but Maia was relentless and finally took him down. But even though Good climbed back to his feet, he was submerged in deep water.

Maia immediately latched onto Good’s back like a parasite and feverishly worked for a rear-naked choke. Good stood against the cage in an attempt to peel himself free, but the submission savant eventually sunk it in deep and forced the tap out at the 2:38 mark of round one. In victory, Maia became the first fighter to submit Good in 26 professional MMA bouts.

Maia had lost his last three bouts – albeit against top competitio…

Not all that long ago, Conor McGregor was public enemy No. 1 in Brazil for his pre-fight trash talk and subsequent 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194.

McGregor was never a villain the level of say, Colby Covington, however, and the Irish superstar has designs on competing in the South American country before his career is through. Watching UFC Fight Night 144 in Fortaleza, Brazil on Saturday, which featured spectacular victories for both Aldo and Marlon Moraes, only served to enhance that desire.

“What an amazing atmosphere at UFC Brazil tonight,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “I would LOVE to compete there for all the passionate Brazilian fans at some stage of my career. I was so close to securing a bout in Rio last year. It was essentially a done deal. Maybe next time. Ui Vai Morrer!! I’m still here.”

What an amazing atmosphere at UFC Brazil tonight.I would LOVE to compete there for all the passionate Brazilian fans at some stage of my…

Cedric Marks, a veteran of 59 professional mixed martial arts bouts, escaped from a “private prisoner transport” in Conroe, Texas, on Sunday, according to a report from Houston-based station KHOU 11.

Multiple law enforcement agencies are searching for Marks, who has three pending murder charges. Marks reportedly escaped when the transport stopped to get food. The 44-year-old is considered to be extremely dangerous and should not be approached.

Authorities run down the 45 feeder looking for escapee Cedric Marks, an MMA fighter with 3 pending murder charges https://t.co/YtwKciiDxy pic.twitter.com/X3dAqqhBEZ

— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) February 3, 2019

Marks had been in Kent County, Mich., jail for allegedly breaking into the home of ex-girlfriend Jenna Scott on Aug. 21. Marks was released from Kent County Jail on Thursday and picked up by U.S. Prisoner Transportation Services to be extradited to Texas, according to jail officials. Scott and…

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson is coming to the bare knuckle arena.

Looking quite larger than his days as a competitor in the Octagon, Johnson confirmed that he has signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships during the organization’s pay-per-view event on Saturday night. A date and opponent for Johnson’s debut were not revealed.

“Rumble” announced his retirement from MMA following a second-round submission loss to Daniel Cormier in a title bout at UFC 210 in April 2017. It was Johnson’s second loss to Cormier in a championship fight, as he also fell to “DC” for the vacant 205-pound strap at UFC 187 in May 2015.

Other than the losses to Cormier, Johnson was one of the sport’s most feared power punchers, winning 12 of his final 14 pro bouts. The stretch included notable KO/TKO victories over the likes of Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader, Jimi Manuwa, Alexander Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Thank g…

It was a night for stellar showings at UFC Fight Night 144, and appropriately, four competitors received “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work.

Marlon Moraes received a $50,000 bonus for his first-round submission of fellow bantamweight contender Raphael Assuncao in the evening’s main event at Centro de Formacao Olimpica in Fortaleza, Brazil, on Saturday. Moraes rocked and dropped his foe with a pair of overhand rights before securing a mounted guillotine choke for the tapout 3:17 into the opening stanza.

Meanwhile, Jose Aldo received a $50,000 check for a thrilling second-round TKO of Renato Carneiro in the featherweight co-main event. After a slow opening stanza, Aldo wobbled his foe with a left hook to the jaw and pursued the finish from there, teeing off with punches to earn a stoppage 44 seconds into the period.

The UFC’s all-time submission leader was up to his old tricks, as Charles Oliveira garnered a $50,000 award for tapping out David Teymur…

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Sherdog's live UFC Fight Night 144 coverage kicks off Saturday at 5 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:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Adam Martin scores the round:Jay Pettry scores …

Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Keith Mills Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel Credit: Dave Mandel

F…

David Michaud has put himself on an upward trajectory.

The MMA Lab export took care of Christian Aguilera with first-round punches in the Legacy Fighting Alliance 59 headliner on Friday at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix. Aguilera (11-6, 2-2 LFA) succumbed to blows 4:14 into Round 1, suffering his second straight defeat.

Michaud (14-4, 2-1 LFA) successfully navigated the potential hazards against an opponent with five sub-minute finishes on his resume. Late in the first round, he threw punches off of an attempted judo throw and floored Aguilera with an overhand right behind the ear. Michaud pounced, pressed his advantage and set up a guard pass with ground-and-pound elbows. Soon after, he climbed to the mounted crucifix position and prompted the stoppage with a volley of unanswered punches.

The 30-year-old Michaud has pieced together a three-fight winning streak since his technical knockout loss to Ciro Rodrigues in August 2017.

In the co-main event, Jared Goo…

Colby Covington was certain he was next in-line to fight Tyron Woodley for the undisputed 170-pound title before the Ultimate Fighting Championship decided to award the opportunity to Kamaru Usman. That decision infuriated Covington, who blasted UFC President Dana White before daring the UFC to release him.

Covington was offered a fight against Woodley last year at UFC 228 which he passed up, deciding to undergo nasal surgery instead. The decision displeased White, who stripped Covington of his interim belt and gave Usman the shot. White has now gone on record to address Covington’s complaints, and suggested that “Chaos” would need to earn his spot again after passing up his opportunity.

“He’s not the interim champ. We offered a fight to Covington and Covington didn’t take the fight,” White said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I say it all the time, 20 years I’ve been saying this I don’t know how many more times I’ve got to say it, this is a sport of opportunity. Whe…

#GLORY63 weigh-ins set to start soon from Houston, Texas. Quite a #kickboxing card is descending on Space City. pic.twitter.com/1pMv0peUQY

— Sherdog by Mandatory (@sherdogdotcom) January 31, 2019

Glory Kickboxing is starting the year in style by heading to Houston for the first time, with an event capped by a featherweight title fight between Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao and former champ Serhii Adamchuk on Friday.

Prior to the athletes stepping on the scales, Glory commentator Todd Grisham announced that beginning in 2019, every Glory event will air exclusively on UFC Fight Pass, including all main cards as well as their SuperFight Series.

Kiatmookao hit the scales at 142.6 pounds before his 200th career bout, as he prepares to rematch Adamchuk (141.8) for the featherweight tournament championship as the Glory 63 main event this Saturday at the Arena Theatre. Co-headlining the event will be a welterweight matchup between Omari Boyd (170.6) an…

【アーカイブ動画1.31『RIZIN.15』記者会見- RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION（ライジン オフィシャルサイト）https://t.co/jhJGjoqNKb#RIZINFF #RIZIN2019 #RIZIN15 #記者会見

— RIZIN FF OFFICIAL (@rizin_PR) January 31, 2019

Rizin Fighting Federation is back and ready for a rousing 2019 campaign, with the promotion intent on matching or even surpassing the record set in 2018 for the most events, starting with Rizin 15 in April.

Via press release, the organization announced their first event lineup of the year, starting in April and stretching to New Year’s Eve. Rizin founder Nobuyuki Sakakibara stated that the promotion will hold a minimum of six events, with the potential for two more depending on scheduling.

April 21: Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, JapanJuly 28: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, JapanAug. 18: Aichi Gymnasium, Nagoya, JapanOctober: Osaka or Fukuoka, TBDDec. 29: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, JapanDec. 31: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan

…

Dustin Poirier senses that the UFC lightweight division could remain in limbo until late 2019, and he isn’t about the situation.

While reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov could theoretically fight as soon as April, the Dagestani fighter is reportedly unhappy with the one-year suspensions the Nevada Athletic Commission handed to Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov for their roles in the UFC 229 post-fight melee.

In addition to boycotting events held in Las Vegas, Nurmagomedov will not fight until his teammate’s suspensions end on Oct. 6.

Poirier, who has lost just once in 10 lightweight appearances to establish himself as one of the division’s top contenders, doesn’t want to wait that long for things to unfold. Instead, he is seeking a fight with either Tony Ferguson or Conor McGregor.

“It’s gotta be Tony or Conor or we redo my contract,” Poirier wrote on Twitter. “Otherwise I’m not fighting. This company is [No. 1 bulls—t].

“At this point if …

Conor McGregor could be back in the Octagon as soon as April, and it sounds as though the Irish star is looking forward to getting back to work.

McGregor was suspended for six months and fined $50,000 for his role in the post-fight melee that occurred after his UFC 229 headlining bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas. The suspension is retroactive to the Oct. 6 date of the event.

McGregor took to Twitter to react to the punishment, while also sharing a photo from the incident.

“I am thankful for the Nevada [Athletic Commission’s] fair assessment and handling of the brawl incident,” McGregor wrote. “It was not my intention to land the final blow of the night on my opponent’s blood relative. It’s just how it played out. I look forward to competing again soon. Thank you all.”

I am thankful for the Nevada athletic commissions fair assessment and handling of the brawl incident.It was not my intention to land the final blow of the night …

Surging bantamweight talents Nathaniel Wood and Jose Alberto Quinonez will square off at UFC London on March 16. UFC officials announced the bout during a press conference held in London on Wednesday morning.

Former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Wood earned a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship due to a five-bout winning streak. He walked to the Octagon for the first time ever in June and gained his first UFC victory thanks to a brabo choke finish against Johnny Eduardo. He then submitted Andre Ewell via rear-naked choke at UFC 232.

Quinonez was a semifinalist of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” Season 1. The Mexican fighter ended up losing his first bout in the UFC against Alejandro Perez, a match that represents his only defeat in the Nevada-based promotion. After that, the 28-year-old has linked four victories in a row. His most recent duel was a win against Teruto Ishihara at UFC 221. The Delincuentes MMA product was expected to cross paths …

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Tuesday was a day of reckoning for some of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest stars.

A primary point of interest was the sanctions given to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor for their roles in the post-fight brawl at UFC 229 this past October. Nurmagomedov was suspended nine months (it can be reduced to six months if he participates in an anti-bullying campaign) and fined $500,000 for jumping out of the cage and attacking McGregor teammate Dillon Danis. McGregor, meanwhile, was suspended six months and fined $50,000 for climbing the cage and taking a swing at Nurmagomedov’s teammate, Abubakar Nurmagomedov.

UFC President Dana White appeared on ESPN’s SportsCenter to discuss the hearing. His biggest takeaway was the severity of the sanctions given to the lightweight champion.

“I was obviously surprised how much they put on Khabib,” said White. “It was a half-million dollars and six mont…

Artem Lobov has been released by the UFC after compiling a 2-5 record within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

The SBG Ireland representative hinted at his departure Tuesday on Twitter, and multiple outlets have since confirmed the featherweight fighter’s release. Lobov expressed interest in multiple promotions, including Bellator, KSW, Rizin and One Championship. He also mentioned kickboxing or boxing as a possibility.

Locked and loaded, ready to take on anyone and everyone!!! Who wants it!!?! @BellatorMMA @KSW_MMA @rizin_PR @bareknucklefc @ONEChampionship @ACA_League

— Artem Lobov (@RusHammerMMA) January 29, 2019

K1 has always been on my radar, proper fights!!! Buakaw, Senchai....send them my way, it would be a huge honour to share the ring with them!!! @GLORY_WS

— Artem Lobov (@RusHammerMMA) January 29, 2019

Boxing is a great sport, but it lacks entertainment lately. Time to bring in the big g…

It’s all systems go for Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title defense at UFC 235.

After lengthy testimony from a number of experts during an evidentiary hearing on Tuesday, Jones was licensed by the Nevada Athletic Commission, clearing the way for him to put his belt on the line against Anthony Smith on March 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The license was granted to Jones on a one-fight, conditional basis by the commission, which required Jones to submit to and pay for random drug testing by the NAC until UFC 235. In order to be licensed again, Jones will have to continue to submit to regular drug testing from multiple organizations — USADA, VADA and NAC — throughout 2019 . NAC chairman Anthony Marnell said that the commission must immediately receive all tests results as soon as they are available.

Jones was initially called to the hearing because NAC declined to license the Jackson-Wink MMA product after trace elements of the anabolic steroid Turinabol were…

Bellator 214 attracted an average audience of 697,000 to Paramount Network for this past Saturday’s card, according to an industry source.

That figure is the highest for the California-based promotion since Bellator 192, which drew 770,000 viewers for a card headlined by a clash between Chael Sonnen and Quinton Jackson.

Bellator 214 took place at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and saw Ryan Bader claim the vacant heavyweight title with a 35-second stoppage of Fedor Emelianenko in the evening’s headliner. Ratings peaked at 1.2 million viewers for the abbreviated heavyweight grand prix final at 11:34 p.m. ET.

The co-main event, where Henry Corrales knocked out highly-touted prospect Aaron Pico in 67 seconds, averaged 808,000 viewers, while the debut of former professional wrestling star Jake Hager — better known as “Jack Swagger” — averaged 809,000.

Final ratings should increase with the addition of DVR +3 figures later in the week.

Conor McGregor Receives 6-Month Suspension, $50K Fine for UFC 229 Post-Fight Melee Rankings

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Tuesday’s Nevada Athletic Commission hearing might be a little less interesting than originally anticipated.

According to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor have agreed to settlements with the state of Nevada and will not be present at the meeting tomorrow morning. The settlement agreements will be presented to the commission and voted upon by the five-member panel. Nurmagomedov and McGregor are facing discipline for their roles in a post-fight brawl following the UFC 229 headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 6.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Nurmagomedov teammates Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov have also reached settlements and will also not be present at the hearing, according to the report.

Nurmagomedov, the reigning lightweight king, and McGregor are still on temporary suspension, which means the 155-pound division has been in limbo until their fates are known. Both are fa…