Blog

Credit: Joao Baptista Credit: Joao Baptista

There was plenty of criticism to go around following Priscila Cachoeira’s lopsided loss to Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC Fight Night 125 co-main event.

The immediate culprit was referee Mario Yamasaki, who drew the ire of UFC President Dana White for allowing the flyweight contest to last as long as it did. Ultimately, Shevchenko won via rear-naked choke at the 4:25 mark of the second round after racking up a whopping 230-to-3 advantage in total strikes landed.

In the aftermath, the UFC matchmaking also received some scrutiny for allowing Cachoeira, an Octagon rookie, to be paired with Shevchenko, a former title challenger at 135 pounds. Additionally, the Brazilian’s corner was questioned for its failure to throw in the towel as Cachoeira continued to absorb what appeared to be unnecessary punishment.

Cachoeira disputed the criticism surrounding her fight with Shevchenko in a recent Instagram post.

“I’ll f…

Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA Credit: Bellator MMA

Kristina Williams will face Emily Ducote at Bellator 195 in Thackerville, Okla., on March 2.

Williams confirmed the flyweight pairing via Twitter following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. Bellator 195 takes place at Winstar World Casino and Resort and is headlined by a bantamweight championship tilt between Darrion Caldwell and Leandro Higo. The evening’s main card will be televised on the Paramount Network.

You guys wanted an announcement? Here you go!!! March 2nd at @WinStarWorld & live on @paramountnet at @BellatorMMA 185 | @TKOcombatsports #MMA #WarhorseMMA #TeamTKO #Winstar #Oklahoma #OK #BellatorM…

Credit: © Jerry McCarthy/KO! Media © Credit: © Jerry McCarthy/KO! Media © Credit: © Jerry McCarthy/KO! Media © Credit: © Jerry McCarthy/KO! Media ©

James Mulheron has accepted a one-year suspension from USADA for an anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on Nov. 10.

The UFC announced the heavyweight’s sanction in a statement on Tuesday:

Mulheron, 29, tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite, hydroxyclomiphene, following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on November 10, 2017. Clomiphene is a Specified Substance in the class of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

Clomiphene is not approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the male population, as its use has not been thoroughly studied f…

Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 185 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZQluIw81xo&w=560&h=315]

Gegard Mousasi wants…

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

The gap in experience between UFC Fight Night 118 headliners Darren Till and Donald Cerrone is glaring, but it isn’t as significant as one might think – at least according to the Englishman with four Octagon appearances under his belt.

“Fighting isn’t about age or experience; it’s about intelligence,” Till recently said. “I know I’m the most intelligent fighter out there. I don’t think he’s half the fighter I am, I really don’t.”

Cerrone has never held championship gold in the UFC or World Extreme Cagefighting, but he’s fought the best in the sport during his 35 bouts within those two promotions. The 34-year-old “Cowboy” enters the matchup on a two-fight skid after having lost to Robbie Lawler and Jorge Masvidal in his last two outings. Still, his resume is loaded with victories over notable names, including Matt Brown, Patri…

This Bud isn’t for the Ultimate Fighting Championship any more.

The UFC has reached a multiyear deal with Modelo Especial which will make the Mexican import the Octagon’s official beer and malt beverage starting in 2018. The partnership was announced on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Modelo is an amazing brand that shares UFC's unmatched commitment to its fan base,” UFC President Dana White told The Associated Press. “I love Modelo and we're already talking about doing a lot of exciting things together.”

The fight promotion signed a sponsorship deal with Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. nearly a decade ago. In February 2008, the two companies announced their partnership, making Bud Light the official beer of both the UFC and then-active World Extreme Cagefighting brands. After the initial three-year contract, the UFC and Anheuser-Busch extended their deal in April 2011.

“When Bud signed on to be our sponsor, it sent a significant message t…

Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 184 Weigh-insCredit: Bellator MMA Bel…

Following the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White has announced that the Las Vegas-based promotion will donate $1 million to a victim support fund for those impacted by the tragedy.

White confirmed the news of the pending donation to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Adam Hill on Monday. The UFC boss also confirmed that UFC 216, scheduled for this Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, would go on as planned.

“The fighters are already in town,” White told Hill. “As far as the event goes, it's on.”

On Sunday evening, at least 59 were killed and 527 were injured at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in the Las Vegas Village when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd from the 32nd floor of the nearby Manadalay Bay. Paddock was found dead in his room by Las Vegas Metro Police after shooting himself following the attack.

"At the end of the day, this is o…

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

Josh Emmett will square off against Felipe Arantes at UFC Fight Night 118 on Oct. 21.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Friday. UFC Fight Night 118 takes place at Ergo Arena in Gdansk Poland and is headlined by a welterweight clash pitting Donald Cerrone against Darren Till. The card streams in its entirety on UFC Fight Pass.

Emmett suffered the first loss of his 12-bout professional career at UFC 210, as he dropped a split decision against Desmond Green. The Team Alpha Male representative began his promotional tenure with back-to-back triumphs over Jon Tuck and Scott Holtzman.

Arantes was supposed to face Luke Sanders in a bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night in Pittsburgh last Saturday but withdrew from the bout one day prior due to illness. “Sertanejo” last appeared at UFC Fight Night 98, losing a split decision to Erik Perez. Arantes is 5-4-1 in th…

Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com

Nick Roehrick has accepted a one-year suspension from USADA after failing an out-of-competition urine test conducted on Aug. 8.

The UFC light heavyweight tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite, 4-hydroxyclomiphene. Roehrick’s sanction is retroactive to Aug. 17, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. Per USADA:

Clomiphene is not approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the male population, meaning such off-label clinical use has not been thoroughly studied for safety and efficacy. Clomiphene also indirectly promotes the secretion of testosterone. Increasing testosterone, especially when combined with strength training, has been demonstrated to increase fat-free mass, muscle size, and strength in males, potentially leading to performance enhancement in sport.

Roehrick came up short in his Octagon debut, falling to Jared Cannonier at “The Ultimate Fighter 25” finale on July 7. The …

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/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/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com …

UFC Fight Night 116Credit: Getty/UFC UFC Fight Night 116Credit: Getty/UFC UFC Fight Night 116Credit: Getty/UFC UFC Fight Night 116Credit: Getty/UFC UFC Fight Night 116Credit: Getty/UFC UFC Fight Night 116Credit: Getty/UFC A pair of late replacements are looking at the most serious suspensions after UFC Fight Night 116.

Heavyweight slugger Azunna Anyanwu suffered a three-round decision loss to Justin Ledet, stepping in on a week's notice for Ukraine's Dmitriy Sosnovskiy, while welterweight Alex Reyes filled in on just three days' notice for co-headliner Thiago Alves, suffering a first-round knockout defeat against Mike Perry. Anyanwu now faces an indefinite suspension pending an ophthalmologist clearing his right eye injury, while Reyes will sit for 60 days after his knockout.

Anyanwu and Reyes head the list of suspensions released Monday by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, following UFC Fight Night 116, which took Saturday night place at the PPG Paints Arena …

Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Jesse Denis/Sherdog.com Credit: Jesse Denis/Sherdog.com Credit: Jesse Denis/Sherdog.com Credit: Jesse Denis/Sherdog.com Credit: Jesse Denis/Sherdog.com Credit: Jesse Denis/Sherdog.com Credit: Jesse Denis/Sherdog.com Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Jeff Sherwood Credit: Jeff Sherwood Credit: Alan Oliveira Credit: Alan Oliveira Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com Credit: Sherdog.com 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 Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Marcelo A…

Nate Diaz Blasts Conor McGregor Over Defeat to Floyd Mayweather Nate Diaz had some pointed words for his rival Conor McGregor on Tuesday.

Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com Credit: Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com Credit: Gleidson Venga/Sherdog.com Credit: Gleidson Venga/Sherdog.com Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Marcelo Alonso Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: Gleidson Venga Credit: …

Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series: Week 8 play-by-play kicks off Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET from the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1 The heavyweights are up first and the man in charge of the action is Jason Herzog. Mayes opts not to touch gloves and quickly delivers a few leg kicks. Crowder answer with one of his own. The big boys are throwing bombs early and often but nothing is landing just yet. Crowder lands a glancing overhand right to the head but the taller Mayes shakes it off. Mayes misses a left hook and is tagged by a right to the jaw and he stumbles back into the cage. Crowder dives into him and guns for the takedown, but “King Kong” stuffs it. Crowder drops down, inadvertently allowing Mayes to take his back. Crowder calmly slithers out of a loose rear-naked choke attempt, stands up but is stuck in a guillotine. Mayes doesn’t have it and Crowder powers out …

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

Joey Davis is a gifted athlete, as his 133-0 record and four NCAA Division II wrestling national championships would attest, but he has no designs on being a mixed martial arts lifer.

The 23-year-old admitted as much prior to his sophomore appearance at Bellator 182, where he will face Justin Roswell in a preliminary bout at Turning Stone Casino in Verona N.Y., on Friday night. The prelims stream on Bellator.com at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the main draw on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

“I would like to be out of this sport before I’m 30. That’s the plan,” Davis told Sherdog.com. “Hopefully I’ll be doing something else when I’m 30. Trying something else in my life. You only live once. You’ve got to have fun. I ain’t trying to be fighting and marking my face. I’ve already got messed up ears from wrestling my whole life.”

Davis, who was introduced into the Bellator…

Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182 Weigh-in PhotosCredit: Bellator MMA Bellator 182…

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

Aaron Pico entered his Bellator MMA debut as one of the promotion’s most hyped prospects in recent memory, but he left Madison Square Garden that night as just another fighter with an 0-1 record.

It was far from your average debut, however. Pico occupied a sport on the Bellator: NYC pay-per-view card, and he was paired with Zach Freeman, who entered the matchup with an 8-2 record and experience against viable competition on the regional circuit. The unheralded Freeman stunned Pico with a right uppercut and quickly ensnared his foe in a tight guillotine, forcing the tapout just 24 seconds into the opening stanza. Suddenly, the hype train came to a screeching halt.

Pico was packaged with a number of standout wrestlers as Bellator’s next generation of prospects. But while the likes of Ed Ruth, Tyrell Fortune, Jarrod Trice and Joey Davis have been brought along much more s…

Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com Credit: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com

Bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley will make his first Octagon foray against Terrion Ware at “The Ultimate Fighter 26” finale.

The promotion recently announced the pairing. “The TUF 26” finale takes place at Park Theatre in Las Vegas on Dec. 1. The inaugural UFC women’s flyweight champion will be crowned at the event.

O’Malley, 22, earned a UFC contract with a first-round knockout of Alfred Khashakyan at Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series 2. The MMA Lab representative is 8-0 as a professional and has won his last four fights by knockout.

Ware, meanwhile, saw a four-bout winning streak come to an end in his promotional debut at UFC 213, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Cody Stamann. The 31-year-old Californian owns a 17-6 career mark and has finished nine of his wins inside the distance.

Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series: Week 7 play-by-play kicks off Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET from the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

Round 1

(+ Enlarge) | Screencap: Mike Fridley/Sherdog.com

Espinosa choked Urso out cold.

Mark Smith is the referee for this flyweight battle between two New Mexico-based rivals. Apparently these guys don’t like each other at all. The two come right to the center of the cage and gun for the KO, but nothing lands cleanly from either. Espinosa fends off a single-leg attempt and shoves Urso to the mat. Urso turtles but before he can spring to his feet, Espinosa dives onto him and locks up a D’Arce. It is deep and the Jackson-Wink fighter is in serious peril. Urso rolls the wrong way and goes to sleep.The Official Result Jordan Espinosa def. Nick Urso via Technical Submission (D’Arce Choke) R1, 1:23 Round 1

(+ Enlarge) | Screencap…

Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com The Ultimate Fighting Championship had added a 125-pound to its Sao Paulo return. Fittingly, its contestants are a combined 25-0.

The promotion's forthcoming UFC Fight Night 119 bill will now feature a flyweight contest between undefeated prospects Jarred Brooks and Deiveson Figueiredo. Brazilian outlet Combate initially reported the pairing on Sunday evening and the story was subsequently confirmed by UFC officials on Monday.

UFC Fight Night 119 is scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. A recently announced middleweight contest between former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Derek Brunson is expected to headline the bill, with the event's main card airing live on Fox Sports 1. The event will be the UFC's sixth card in Sao Paulo.

The 24-year-old Brooks was scheduled to make his UFC debut on short n…

Credit: Mike Sloan/Sherdog.com

One-time UFC competitor Nick Roehrick has been flagged for a possible anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on Aug. 8.

The full statement released by the Las Vegas-based promotion on Thursday regarding Roehrick is as follows:

The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Nick Roehrick of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on August 8, 2017.

USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Roehnick. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.

Roehrick made his Octagon debut on short notice …