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Alice Ardelean doesn’t even know the name of the move she used to secure a win against Polyana Viana. 

Ardelean (12-7) took on Viana (13-9) in a strawweight clash at UFC Fight Night 276 on Saturday. Ardelean made Viana tap out with a “capsule lock” in the second round, making it the first-ever submission of its kind in UFC history. 

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Must. Watch. Novel Submission!!!

Polyana Viana makes a mistake with the body lock from the bottom by letting her left leg get inside of Alice Ardelean's body. Alice saw it and put the pressure on it & results in a verbal tap!#UFCVegas117pic.twitter.com/Fbpx8kNwtV

— Consensus Score (@ConsensusScore) May 16, 2026

Viana caught Ardelean in a body triangle from the bottom position. The Romanian managed to trap Viana’s locking leg on the inside and applied pressure on it to secure the tap. Ardelean subsequently revealed that she learned the move on Instagram. Ardelean doesn’…

Despite being on a precarious stage in his career, Cody Brundage felt no pressure fighting on his 32nd birthday. 

Brundage (12-9) took on Andre Petroski (13-6) in a middleweight tilt at UFC Fight Night 276. Brundage dropped Petroski with a left hook early in the second round and unleashed vicious ground-and-pound to secure a stoppage win. 

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The win over Petroski marked the end of a four-fight winless streak for Brundage. Brundage admits that this could have marked the end of his UFC career if he hadn’t gotten his hand raised. However, the 32-year-old claims he didn’t feel any pressure going into his clash against Petroski. Going into his 16th UFC fight, Brundage didn’t want to look back regretting not having enjoyed his time inside the Octagon. Instead of trying to live up to expectations, Brundage fought for himself.Gratitude Over Fear“No pressure this time,” Brundage said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “I was at peace with whate…

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Ivan Erslan did it about how they must have drawn it up in camp.

In a light heavyweight clash atop the seven-fight undercard of UFC Vegas 117 on Saturday at the Meta Apex, the 34-year-old Croatian faced George Tokkos. It was a clash of styles of the kind that has characterized mixed martial arts for three decades and counting, as kickboxing convert Erslan faced submission specialist “Tuco.” Despite Tokkos’ obvious need to get the action to the mat at any cost, the fight was competitive in the early going, as Erslan was clearly uncomfortable with Tokkos’ constant encroachment on the feet.

Erslan may have won a competitive Round 1 anyway, but definitely found his groove in the second frame. Tokkos looked slow and suddenly tired on the feet, wading in from well outside with badly telegraphed takedown attempts. These attempts Erslan punished with accurate, solid counters in the pocket. When the action did go to the ground, it in the place, …

Sherdog's live UFC Vegas 117 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 276. Round 1 Kerry Hatley is the referee. They swing right away during a furious and brief exchange. Caliari closes distance and executes a throw, but Bannon is able to return to her feet. Not much later, Caliari executes another head-and-arm throw and lands inside full guard. Bannon is crafty from her back, as she neutralizes the Brazilian while looking for submission openings. Caliari stands briefly, but can’t clear the legs and ends up diving back into full guard. Caliari drives her forearm into her foe’s neck, while Bannon peppers her with annoying punches from her back. Caliari tires to stay busy with short punches to the ribs. Bannon creates a scramble with her guard but Caliari stands and drops a forceful right hand. Caliari shifts to a north-south position, and Bannon has her feet on the fence. Caliari looks to frame a kimura, but Bannon won’t allow the…

Sherdog's live Most Valuable Promotions' MVP “Rousey vs. Carano” coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Round 1 Hello ladies and gentlemen. You’re about to see something that you have never seen before. The ultimate fighting challenge of Most Valuable Promotions’ Mixed Martial Arts is about to commence. May we all be better for it, and that it does not grant us another YAMMA Pit Fighting—on second thought… The opening match on this card is one given specifically for a friend of the Diaz brother competing later, despite that a) he can barely maintain a .500 record and 2) he cannot seem to find a home in any weight class. For the former, they gave him ultra-aggressive Jenkins (17-12). For the latter, they made this match intentionally at 165 pounds, without it being a short-notice encounter. They will go at it to open up the card while referee Frank Trigg looks on from the sidelines. It’s on with the show after a quick fist bump from the athletes.

Jenkins moves right to…

Kuberski with a devastating punch! 🔥 Can anyone stop him?! 🤯

XTB #KSW118 | 🇵🇱 @CANALPLUS_SPORT | 🌍 KSWTV pic.twitter.com/m4laxraIKm

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) May 16, 2026

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Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki fans have a compelling 185-pound title fight to look forward to, as reigning champion Pawel Pawlak is expected to meet Piotr Kuberski in a middleweight title unification bout.

In the KSW 118 main event, Kuberski (18-1, 6-0 KSW) retained the interim middleweight title in emphatic fashion, stopping Michal Michalski (14-6, 8-4 KSW) in Round 1. The fighters spent a few seconds studying each other before both men shifted gears and went to work. Michalski came forward aggressively, but Kuberski timed him perfectly, countering with a straight left that sent “Cukier” to the canvas. “Qbear” applied further pressure and was clinical with ground-and-pound action once Michalski turtled up. Referee Lukasz Bosacki had no choice but to step in…

Ibraheem Yazeed has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder and abduction of Aniah Blanchard, the stepdaughter of former UFC heavyweight Walt Harris.

Earlier this year, Yazeed was found guilty on charges of murder and felony murder in relation to the abduction and death of Blanchard in 2019. Yazeed was officially given two life sentences without the possibility of parole, the most severe penalty possible based on his conviction. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty for Yazeed.

“Today, justice has been served. I am gratified that the court imposed the maximum allowable sentence for the senseless and brutal murder of Aniah Blanchard, life in prison. It is the sentence that the weight of this crime demanded, and one that Aniah’s family has long deserved,” Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall stated in a release.

“My deepest sympathies remain with Aniah’s family and all who loved her. No verdict can undo their unimaginable loss, but my hope is…

Arman Tsarukyan claims Khamzat Chimaev made weight for UFC 328. 

Chimaev lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 328 earlier this month. It is no secret that Chimaev had a terrible weight cut, which also likely affected his performance. 

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Chimaev looked visibly drained during the official weigh-ins, which did not go down without controversy. Chimaev was only on the scale for a few moments before the official called 185 pounds. Fans and pundits noticed that the scale hadn’t even settled before Chimaev stepped down. Strickland, Bryce Mitchell, Bobby Green and others have accused Chimaev of failing to make weight. Nothing Amiss However, Chimaev’s close friend, Tsarukyan, claims “Borz” couldn’t possibly have missed weight at the official weigh-ins. According to Tsarukyan, the UFC confirms a fighter’s weight on an automatic scale backstage before letting them proceed to the official manual scale.

“He made w…

Roy Jones Jr. doesn’t see a need for boxing to follow the UFC’s model. 

The UFC’s parent company, TKO Group, has entered the world of pugilism with Zuffa boxing. UFC head honcho Dana White and Zuffa are currently pushing for revisions to the Muhammad Ali Act, enacted in 2000 to protect fighters from exploitation. White aims to create a Unified Boxing Organization that would bring boxing under a central banner, akin to the UFC for MMA. 

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However, the likes of Nico Ali Walsh, Oscar De La Hoya and Jones Jr. are actively lobbying against White’s proposal. Jones argues that Zuffa’s structure will eventually kill fighters’ individuality and earning power.

“If they do what they are doing right now, our sport is over in this country,” Jones told FightHype. “You don’t have no more personality. You don’t have no more style. You don’t have no more individualism. You can’t be an individual no more. You belong. You’re just a sheep.”

Time to Wake Up…

Arman Tsarukyan believes coach Sam Calavitta had little role to play in Khamzat Chimaev’s title loss at UFC 328. 

Chimaev (15-1) lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 earlier this month. Chimaev was evidently fatigued in the second round, which forced him to abandon his wrestling thereafter. Fans and pundits have since started questioning Chimaev’s training under Calavitta at The Treigning Lab in California.

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Chimaev and Tsarukyan have long been training strength and conditioning under “Coach Cal” at “The Garage,” which is home to The Treigning Lab. Tsarukyan notes that the same fans who are questioning Calavitta were heaping praises on him when Chimaev dominated Dricus Du Plessis for 25 minutes to win the title last year. Tsarukyan explains that strength and conditioning is only a minor part of a fighter’s training, which majorly depends on sparring and technical drills.More Than Strength and Conditiioning “When you lose, ever…

Dakota Ditcheva was disappointed by Ronda Rousey's recent comments toward Khamzat Chiamev. | PFL MMA

Ronda Rousey has lost a fan in Dakota Ditcheva. 

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Rousey is scheduled to return to MMA against Gina Carano on MVP's first MMA card in collaboration with Netflix on Saturday. “Rowdy” has been highly critical of the UFC going into her MMA return. 

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Former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev recently called Rousey ungrateful for her comments about her former promotion. Rousey responded with a low blow, mocking Chimaev for his cleft lip. 

Ditcheva slammed Rousey for her comments about Chimaev’s cleft lip.

“[Ronda Rousey’s] comment towards Chimaev regarding his cleft palate was absolutely disgraceful. I am no longer a fan. As a mother, you should know better. The amount of young children navigating difficulties like that while you sit on a worldwide stage mocking it. Do bette…

Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano FULL AM WEIGH IN - BOTH MAKE WEIGHT!" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen> Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions puts on its first mixed martial arts card tomorrow, which is now set following the official Rousey vs. Carano weigh-ins.

MVP's debut MMA event is headlined by a highly anticipated fight between former Olympian and Ultimate Fighting Championship women's bantamweight titleholder Ronda Rousey and former EliteXC and Strikeforce star Gina Carano. Both women successfully hit their marks for their first fights in 10 and 17 years, respectively. In total, all 22 fighters for the event made their contracted weight.

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A pair of title fight knockout losses ended the career of Rousey (12-2). Prior to a shocking head kick defeat to Holly Holm, Rousey was seen as the most do…

Almighty @Arnoldbfa💪

He weighs in at 145.5 lbs

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[ #UFCVegas117 | MAY 16 at 8pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/hyNEpJL60m — UFC (@ufc) May 15, 2026 The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns this weekend in one of the rare moments where they won't have the biggest mixed martial arts card going on that day, and now its UFC Vegas 117 card is official following the weigh-ins.

Headlining the 13-fight event is a featherweight scrap between contenders Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa. Both men successfully made weight for the five-round main event. The rest of the card also hit their contracted weights, so there was no drama at the weigh-ins.

This is a must-win fight for Allen (20-4) if he hopes to stay a relevant factor near the top of 145 pounds. "Almighty" has come up short in three of his last four fights, as he dropped decisions to Max Holloway, Movsar Evloev and Jean Silva. While a win over Giga Chikadz…

In the famous words of Rocky Balboa, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

Philipe Lins is like that. A native of Brazil’s arid northeast, the now 40-year-old is mere days away from the most important fight of his career -- facing Francis Ngannou on Netflix at Most Valuable Promotions’s inaugural card.

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In his native Portuguese, Lins shared some of the challenges as well as the stubborn drive that brought him to this pivotal moment.

“I had an excellent start to my MMA career in Brazil. I went 7-0 there. That’s when I caught the attention of my first international MMA organization -- Bellator. I debuted there in 2014. At Bellator, I went 3-3. It wasn’t great, but I was able to show my talent, skills and aggression.”

Lins’ last appearance at Bellator MMA couldn’t have gone worse -- a knockout loss in the first round to current Professional Fighters League champion Vadim Nemkov. But even in…

Liz Carmouche knows Ronda Rousey well, having broken ground with her in the first ever women’s fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a match that the latter would win by first-round submission. Ten years after her last professional mixed martial arts bout where she lost to Amanda Nunes, Rousey is back in action, taking on another pioneer in Gina Carano. The women square off for the first ever Most Valuable Promotions MMA event, being broadcasted on Netflix, where Carmouche will be watching.

As Carmouche prepares for her next fight in the Professional Fighters League on June 27 at PFL San Diego, she spoke with Sherdog.com and provided her predictions for MVP “Rousey vs. Carano,” hoping to see the unexpected.

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“It’s funny because prior to me starting my career and getting into fighting, I was a huge Gina Carano fan, a huge [Cris Cyborg] fan, I watched both of them. So I got to see her career and then the end of her career where she retired, a…

Now that he resides atop the Rizin Fighting Federation mountain, Luiz Gustavo is not about to forget who helped him get there.

Last Sunday, Brazil's Gustavo won the Rizin lightweight title in Japan by knocking out Ilhom Nazimov at 2:08 of the first round. The emotion of the disciple of former Chute boxer Andre Dida caught the attention of Japanese fans. Upon receiving the belt from Rizin head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, he cried profusely and made a point of dedicating the title to his late father and the former Pride Fighting Championships great Wanderlei Silva.

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Back in his home state of Curitiba on Wednesday, “Killer” spoke to Sherdog about the victory and explained the importance of these two figures in his career.

“My father passed away when I was 12 years old, and the last thing he did for me, the week before his death, was to enroll me in a Karate academy,” Gustavo explained.

Karate training was essential for the boy to work through the trauma o…

The mixed martial arts world will see a new product this weekend with the launch of Most Valuable Promotions’ MVP “Rousey vs. Carano” as Jake Paul puts his brand in a showcase event on Netflix, featuring the return of Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano.

Both women have openly talked about their optimism to open new doors in the sport, working with MVP to create another place for fighters to get the most out of their careers. One name that will be watching this weekend is one who has shared the cage with Rousey in first ever women’s fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Liz Carmouche, the 2025 Professional Fighters League flyweight tournament winner.

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Paul has shown that he is open to new opportunities and challenges with his promotion, searching for ways to elevate the sport between multiple companies. During an appearance on ‘Undefeated & Undisputed’ with Chael Sonnen and Ian Parker on Smash Cast Media, Paul talked about the future of MVP, go…

Now fans in Japan can see what all the hype was about.

On Friday, “The Smashing Machine” premiered in theaters in Japan. The focus of the biopic, Mark Kerr, spent several years competing at the highest level in Pride Fighting Championships. While doing publicity before the movie’s release, Kerr sat down for an interview with “Gong Kakutogi Magazine,” known for its history of martial arts coverage dating back to 1986.

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In the interview, Kerr discussed his evolution from wrestler to mixed martial artist, trials and tribulations that he endured during his fighting career, controversies with Pride FC and ultimately overcoming an addiction to steroids and opioids that nearly destroyed his life. He also pulled back the curtain on some lesser-known stories from his time in Pride FC, including about a planned bout against Royce Gracie that had been set to go ahead at Pride 2 but failed to materialize for multiple reasons.

Though he spoke glowingly about fig…

Having worked with so many Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters before, coach Marcos da Matta firmly has his finger on the pulse of the sport.

After injuring his arm and losing his belt to Joshua Van, Alexandre Pantoja became one of the most interested men watching the co-main event of UFC 328. Not surprisingly, the Brazilian and his coach “Parrumpa” da Matta watched the event from the front row. Da Matta spoke with Sherdog about the future of his athlete, the successes of a newly minted champion and a whether being a backup fighter is a good idea.

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“I particularly wanted Van to win because I really wanted this rematch,” explained to Sherdog.

In the opinion of the American Top Team coach, Van vs. Tatsuro Taira provided excellent material for study.

“We were able to see a lot in these almost five rounds,” the coach analyzed. “Both exposed themselves a lot, showing both strengths and weaknesses. I liked what I saw.”

Waiting in the wings, Pan…

Adriano Moraes may not yet be a household name in the U.S., but he’s looking forward to changing that in impressive fashion.

As the only man to defeat legendary flyweight Demetrious Johnson via knockout, the Brasilia, Brazil, native looks to prove that lightning can indeed strike twice.

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Not long ago, the 37-year-old spoke to Sherdog.com in his native Portuguese about exploring free agency after an 11-year stint at One Championship. Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions signed him up almost immediately:

“Everything happened quickly,” Moraes said. “Right after I gave interviews letting people know I was a free agent, the opportunity came up, to be on the MVP card. It’s going to be a great fight. Like every fighter, I too have the dream of being in the UFC one day. But since this great opportunity materialized as I was coming off a loss, it’s my chance to show that I do belong among the best. I think that my opponent presents an excellent opportunity to…

Jack Della Maddalena has broken his silence after coming up short on home soil a little more than a week ago.

The former welterweight champion suffered a third-round technical knockout loss to Carlos Prates in the UFC Perth headliner on May 2. It was the second consecutive defeat for the 29-year-old Aussie, who relinquished the welterweight strap to Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 this past November.

Pride and Gratitude “Thanks for all the love and support,” Della Maddalena wrote on Instagram. “I could not be prouder to represent my gym [Scrappy MMA and Fitness[ , my family, my city and country. Not the desired result this time around but it was in line with the desired challenge; fighting the most vicious and toughest opponents.”

Della Maddalena won 18 consecutive professional outings from 2016 to 2025 before his current two-bout skid. He was victorious in his first eight Octagon appearances, including an championship victory over Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May 2025.

Sean Strickland is just one of 11 fighters facing an indefinite layoff following UFC 328.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board recently released a full list of medical suspensions from this past Saturday’s event, which took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev via split decision to claim the middleweight title in UFC 328 headliner.

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Strickland, who recently revealed a list of shoulder-related injuries, is suspended indefinitely pending orthopedist clearance of his left hand. At a minimum he is suspended 45 days with 30 days of no contact. Chimaev emerged relatively healthy, as he received a 45 day term with 30 days of no contact.

Meanwhile, co-main event combatants Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira both received indefinite suspensions following their flyweight title bout, which Van won via fifth-round TKO. Van requires clearance of his left hand before he can return to action, while Taira needs a CT sca…

Muhammad Mokaev may have missed on the opportunity to fight on Netflix, but that won’t prevent him from maintaining an active itinerary.

After visa issues forced Mokaev to withdraw from a matchup with Adriano Moraes at Most Valuable Promotions "Rousey vs. Carano,” the UFC veteran has agreed to face Jorge Calvo at WOW 31 on June 6 in Madrid, Spain. The organization announced the bantamweight bout on Wednesday. UFC lightweight champ Iia Topuria is part owner of the promotion, which is officially known as Way of Warrior FC.

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A New Opportunity Mokaev, who is the reigning Brave Combat Federation titlist, is unbeaten in 17 professional outings. He earned a Top 10 ranking after going 7-0 in the UFC, besting the likes of Manel Kape, Alex Perez and Tim Elliott in the process. He was released from the organization in 2024 and has gone 3-0 in MMA bouts since then, winning the Brave CF flyweight strap this past November.

A native of Costa Rica, Calvo owns a 2…

Sean Strickland suffered multiple shoulder injuries at UFC 328. | Getty/UFC

Sean Strickland did not emerge unscathed from his championship clash with Khamzat Chimaev.

In a post on social media, the newly-crowned middleweight champion revealed that he suffered the following injuries: Type 2 AC separation, an extended Type 5 SLAP tear, and a partial rotator cuff tear/tendinosis. Strickland has received an indefinite medical suspension from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board as a result.

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Shoulder Pains All of the above are shoulder-related ailments. Strickland also revealed that he suffered a Grade 1 AC joint separation while sparring Johnny Eblen during UFC 328 fight week.

“Gonna have to walk this one off,” Strickland added on X.

Type 2 AC separationExtended Type V SLAP tearPartial rotator cuff tearing/tendinosis

Gonna have to walk this one off...

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) May 13…