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A pair of flyweight contenders will square off at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Aug. 9.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Monday at Steve Erceg will face Alex Perez in a matchup of former title contenders at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The UFC Fight Night event will be headlined by a middleweight scrap pitting Anthony Hernandez against Roman Dolidze.

Erceg began his promotional tenure with three consecutive triumphs, earning himself a title shot against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 in May 2024. After dropping a unanimous decision to the Brazilian champion, “Astro Boy” has fallen to Kai Kara-France and Brandon Moreno in his last two Octagon appearances.

Perez, meanwhile, was a flyweight title challenger at UFC 255, where he suffered a first-round submission defeat to then champion Deiveson Figueiredo on Nov. 21, 2020. Including that bout, the Team Oyama product has lost four of his last five promotional outings.

After consecutive setbacks against Dustin Jacoby and Anthony Smith, CM System athlete Vitor Petrino is aware that he needs a victory against Austen Lane at UFC Nashville on July 12.

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“I have always given everything in my fights, and the biggest proof that the UFC recognizes this is that we have just renewed for four more fights,” Petrino told Sherdog.com, betting that the fight will not go to the judges’ decision.

“Austen Lane is strong and experienced, but I believe that I am stronger and more technical than him. My goal is to knock him out or submit him.”

Considering that his opponent is a boxer with 11 knockouts on his record, Petrino makes no effort to hide that the ground game has been a primary area of focus in this camp.

This was not only the case in the weekly sparring sessions led by head coach Cristiano Marcello, a black belt under Royler Gracie, but also through private lessons with the person directly responsible for the team…

Tom Aspinall is beyond ready to close the book on the Jon Jones saga.

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During an appearance on the "Good Guy/Bad Guy" show with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, Aspinall declared that is looking at Jones as a retired athlete going forward.

“Jon’s retired,” Aspinall said (transcription via MMAFighting.com). “What are you talking about? You guys don’t follow Jon on social media? The guy is living his best life. He’s had a fantastic career, we all know. We know Jon’s a religious man, so I want to say God bless him moving forward, what he does in his life and his career, and we move on. We move on. I’m the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. I’m ready to take on all comers, get this division moving again. Us guys have been waiting around too long. The guys, contenders are getting sick of it, everybody’s getting sick of it, even the fans are getting sick of it. Jon’s retired and it’s time that we move on.”

Jones hasn’t officially announce…

Jordan Breen, who was regarded as one MMA media’s most brilliant minds during his time in the industry, has tragically passed away.

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MMAjunkie.com senior reporter Mike Bohn, a longtime friend, brought word of Breen’s death in a social media post on Monday. Further details surrounding his passing are currently unknown. Breen’s 38th birthday was on Sunday.

“Jordan had a huge part in making Sherdog the best and a pivotal role in shaping MMA coverage for what it is today. He will be deeply missed,” Sherdog.com founder Jeff Sherwood told Sherdog.

A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Breen started at Sherdog in 2006 as a reporter and feature news columnist. When he joined the Sherdog Radio Network in 2007, “The Jordan Breen Show” quickly became a must listen for diehard fans of the sport. He became the site’s administrative editor in 2010, and his work as curator of the FightFinder was pivotal in helping make it the premiere database in the sp…

UFC 316 has a new addition to the lineup on the week of the card.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion announced on Monday that MarQuel Mederos will lock horns with Mark Choinski in a 155-pound contest on Saturday. Mederos was supposed to compete against Bolaji Oki at UFC Vegas 107 this past Saturday before withdrawing due to illness.

UFC 316 takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and is headlined by a bantamweight championship rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. In the co-main event, Julianna Pena will defend the bantamweight crown against Kayla Harrison. The main card airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Prelims broadcast on ESPN+ and Disney+ at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT before shifting to ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Mederos has been victorious in 10 of his 11 professional outings. He has posted victories over Landon Quinones and Austin Hubbard in his first two UFC appeara…

𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝙂𝙇𝙊𝘽𝘼𝙇 𝙈𝙈𝘼 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀𝙎 𝙏𝙊 𝘼𝙁𝙍𝙄𝘾𝘼 👊🇿🇦

Your official #PFLCapetown Fight Card!

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What fight are you most looking forward to on July 19th?

Let us know in the comments! 👇#PFLCapeTown | Saturday, July 19th | Grand Arena, GrandWest |… pic.twitter.com/TrYc5CtPKz

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 2, 2025

A lightweight clash pitting Makkasharip Zaynukov against Takeshi Izumi will complete the lineup for the PFL’s upcoming Champions Series event in South Africa.

The promotion announced the full fight card for the event on Monday. PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai takes place at GrandWest Arena in Capetown, South Africa and is headlined by a middleweight title tilt between Johnny Eblen and Costello van Steenis. In the co-main event, Dakota Ditcheva will face Sumiko Inaba in a women’s flyweight bout. PFL Champions Series will be preceded by PFL Africa 1, which features first-round tournament bouts at bantamweight and hea…

🙏👏Kayla Harrison decided to take care of her sister’s children, as her sister is struggling with addiction

🎥 @ufc ▫️ pic.twitter.com/NlRUK9XZ8g

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 1, 2025

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Kayla Harrison has her hands full as a mother, although not in the conventional way. 

Harrison recently revealed that her sister has been engaged in a long battle with addiction. Harrison’s niece and nephew were initially under the custody of her mother and stepfather. However, Harrison had to take control when her mother suffered a stroke. Harrison decided to take care of her sister’s kids, initially only for a while. 

However, there was no looking back once they moved in with Harrison, who acquired full custody after the death of her stepfather. According to Harrison, taking care of her niece and nephew was the boldest yet best decision she ever made.

“It’s definitely a bittersweet story,” Harrison said on the…

Arman Tsarukyan doesn't agree with people saying Islam Makhachev moved up to avoid fighting Ilia Topuria:

"[Jack] is going to be a tough fight too. Maddalena would be harder for Islam than the Topuria fight."

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🎥 @babadzhanov07 #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/XJZMjNmJzM — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 1, 2025

Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t think Islam Makhachev moved up to avoid Ilia Topuria.

Topuria vacated his featherweight strap in quest of a lightweight title shot against Makhachev. However, Makhachev was unwilling to fight the Georgian-Spaniard until he had proven himself at 155 pounds. That opportunity never arose, as Makhachev subsequently vacated his title for a welterweight gold bid against newly-crowned champ Jack Della Maddalena. 

While Topuria will now fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 on June 28, Dana White has confirmed that Makhachev will fight Maddalena in the near fut…

Jean Silva isn’t done with former foe Bryce Mitchell — even after beating him in the Octagon. 

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Known for his unorthodox personality and opinions, well-known flat earther Mitchell recently came up with a new training technique. “Thug Nasty” uploaded a video of himself using a full-sized pig for heavy bag work. Silva didn’t miss the chance to diss Mitchell, advising him to stick to fighting his farm animals.

“Only this way for you to hit someone! You'd better stay on the farm taking care of cattle, because things aren't working out with athletes!” Silva commented on Mitchell’s Instagram post.

Living out of his farm in Arkansas, Mitchell was once a hot featherweight prospect despite his controversial opinions. However, Mitchell’s career has hit a rough patch in recent times. Mitchell is 2-3 in his last five, with losses against Ilia Topuria, Josh Emmett and most recently, Silva. “Lord” submitted Mitchell in the second round of their UFC 3…

🇺🇸 Sean Strickland explains that UFC hires more Dagestani, Brazilian and other foreign fighters because it costs them less than american fighters.

"You'd make more money working in a Walmart".🎥 @adinross pic.twitter.com/tL6G4acJKs

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 1, 2025

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Sean Strickland isn’t happy with the increasing number of foreigners on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster. 

Strickland recently went off on the composition of the UFC’s roster. According to the former middleweight champ, the UFC’s unwillingness to spend is the reason behind the dwindling number of Americans. Strickland explained that the UFC’s fight purse at the entry level doesn’t suffice for Americans due to the high cost of living. However, Strickland claims foreigners are happy to fight for the same amount. While Strickland admits that top UFC stars are well paid, he claims Walmart workers earn more than an entry-level UFC fighter…

Patrick "Patchy" Mix vs. Mario Bautista is almost a pick 'em matchup, according to oddsmakers.

Mix will make his promotional debut against Bautista at UFC 316 on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The former Bellator MMA bantamweight champ has opened as a slight -160 favorite against Bautista, a +145 underdog.

Mix is riding a seven-fight winning streak with four finishes since suffering his lone pro loss against Juan Archuleta in 2020. “Patchy” became the undisputed Bellator bantamweight champ after defeating Sergio Pettis in 2023 and defended his title against Magomed Magomedov last year before signing with the UFC. 

Meanwhile, Bautista is also riding a seven-fight winning streak that saw him enter the Top 10 bantamweight rankings. He is coming off his biggest career win against Jose Aldo at UFC 307 this past October.  

Maycee Barber has a response to Erin Blanchfield’s post-fight comments following the cancellation of their headlining bout at UFC Vegas 107.

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With Saturday’s main event just moments from getting underway, it was announced on the broadcast that Barber had pulled out of the fight due to medical issues. In a backstage interview with Megan Olivi, Blanchfield said she had been told that her opponent suffered a seizure just prior to the bout.

However, that news didn’t prevent Blanchfield from ripping Barber at the post-fight press conference.

“She needs to look at another division,” Blanchfield said. “She needs to fix her life. She needs to just fix herself. I think she’s a complete mess in every aspect of her entire life. I’ve never even had any other opponents miss weight before or act the way she does. It’s pretty crazy, especially at this level. You expect all the athletes to be professional so it’s pretty wild.”

Barber, who missed weight by 0.5…

Mateusz Gamrot had no issue accepting a high-risk, low-reward fight at UFC Vegas 107.

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While Ludovit Klein entered their lightweight bout on a seven-bout unbeaten winning streak, he was a relatively unknown commodity in the division. However, Gamrot preferred to stay active rather than wait for a more high-profile opponent.

"When I came to Florida, I always asked to give me the fight, but this moment everybody was booked in the ranking, so I had two options: Wait a few months later and get someone from ranking or take someone without ranking and be active," Gamrot said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. "So the choice for me was clear: I want to fight. Of course, this was a big risk, but like I said before, If you believe in yourself and your skills, you can fight with everybody. I did this, I took this fight. It was a big risk, but I won tonight, so I'm so happy. Double check.”

Gamrot ended Klein’s streak in dominant fashion, as he re…

Arman Tsarukyan is making himself available in case the Ultimate Fighting Championship needs him.

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The promotion’s summer calender features prominent lightweight bouts atop both UFC 317 (Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira ) and UFC 318 (Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway). Tsarukyan, who hasn’t fought since April 2024, is willing to serve as a backup fighter for either headlining bout.

“I am not sure if that’s needed, but if they offer me that, I will definitely back it up,” Tsarukyan said of the UFC 317 featured bout following his victory over Patricky Freire in a grappling match. “I will be ready. I am flying back to the U.S. now and will be staying there in case anyone is injured and [if] the UFC asks me if I am ready, I will say yes.”

Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira at UFC 300 to become the lightweight division’s No. 1 contender. However, he lost his opportunity when he pulled out of a proposed booking against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 due to a…

Erin Blanchfield will at least be paid like it was a successful night at the office.

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Blanchfield was read to walk to the cage for the UFC Vegas 107 main event when it was revealed that Maycee Barber would not be able to compete. That led to Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex being scrapped only moments after the promotion had run video to introduce the fight.

While it was a disappointing situation all the way around, Blanchfield’s management revealed that “Cold Blooded” will receive her show money and win bonus even though she did not fight.

. @blanchfield_mma will be paid her show and win bonus after #mayceebarber was forced to pull out just moments before the walkout. #ufcfightnight pic.twitter.com/tKrWY4oDpz

— KOreps (@ko_reps) June 1, 2025

Barber missed weight by 0.5 pounds on Friday, but it appeared that the fight would proceed as planned until just moments before the main event. In a backstage interview,…

Magomed Ankalaev seems to think that Alex Pereira isn’t interesed in a rematch with the UFC light heavyweight title on the line.

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Ankalaev captured the title with a unanimous decision triumph over “Poatan” at UFC 313 this past March at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While an immediate rematch was expected, the Dagestani champion has grown tired of waiting n Pereira to accept the fight.

In fact, Ankalaev indicated in a recent social media post that Pereira might be done for good.

“Alex done, he never coming back. Let’s move on,” Ankalaev wrote on X. “June, July, August I said yes.”

Alex done he never coming back let’s move on June July August I said yes

— Muhammad big ANK Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) June 1, 2025

It’s not the first time Anklaev has accused Pereira of turning down a fight . Earlier this year, the Gorets Fight Club standout revealed that both the Brazilian and Jiri Prochazka turned down a potential…

Erin Blanchfield speaks to Megan Olivi moments after her main event bout being cancelled.#UFCVegas107 pic.twitter.com/dm58zgPCq6

— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) June 1, 2025

When promotion executive Hunter Campbell came to visit just before walkouts for the UFC Vegas 107 main event, Erin Blanchfield had a feeling that bad news was imminent.

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The New Jersey native’s instincts were correct, as Saturday’s flyweight headliner was scrapped at the last minute due to medical issues for Blanchfield’s opponent, Maycee Barber.

“Hunter came in and was saying she was having a seizure and having medical issues and she wouldn’t be able to fight,” Blanchfield said in a backstage interview with Megan Olivi. “I knew once I saw him it wasn’t something good because he was being real serious. I feel like it was a little disbelief.

“We already were told six minutes to the walkout, we had already warmed up. I hit pads. I was warming up with my t…

Those who rendered their foes unconscious were handsomely rewarded on Saturday night.

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Both Ramiz Brahimaj and Jordan Leavitt received $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for their work at UFC Vegas 107 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Brahimaj used a standing guillotine choke to put Billy Goff to sleep at the 3:16 mark of Round 1 in their featured welterweight clash. It was the New York native’s 11th professional triumph inside of a round.

Earlier on the card, Leavitt made an impact in his first fight since 2023, as he earned a technical submission win against Kurt Holobaugh with an anaconda choke 1:39 into the opening stanza of their preliminary lightweight showdown.

Elsewhere, Alice Ardelean and Rayanne dos Santos secured “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their strawweight slugfest to open the card. While both fighters traded willingly on the feet throughout, it was Ardelean who ultimately got th…

An unexpected last-minute exit from Maycee Barber left the Ultimate Fighting Championship stage to Mateusz Gamrot.

The former two-division KSW titleholder called upon takedowns, ground-and-pound and suffocating top control, as he cruised to a unanimous decision over Ludovit Klein in the makeshift UFC on ESPN 68 main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 30-27 for Gamrot (25-3, 8-3 UFC). An undisclosed medical issue involving Barber forced the cancellation of her originally scheduled headliner opposite Erin Blanchfield mere moments before they were set to walk out.

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The news involving Barber cast a pall over the event and overshadowed a near-flawless performance from Gamrot. Outside of a brief surge early in the third round, Klein (23-5-1, 7-3-1 UFC) had no answers for the American Top Team-trained Pole. Gamrot completed takedowns in all three rounds, floated from one position to the next and r…

Sherdog's live UFC Vegas 107 coverage will begin Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC on ESPN 68. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: dos Santos (-265), Ardelean (+215)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Oki (-375), Aswell (+300)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result BE…

Allan Nascimento shook off the rust and walked out of the cage with his arm raised.

The Chute Boxe standout made his long-awaited return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division and took a unanimous decision from Jafel Filho in their featured UFC on ESPN 68 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three members of the assigned judiciary turned in 29-28 scores for Nascimento (21-6, 3-1 UFC), who suited up for the first time since Jan. 14, 2023.

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Filho (16-4, 2-2 UFC) was his own worst enemy. The former Shooto Brazil champion was dominant in the first round, where he climbed to full mount twice and nearly finished it with a guillotine choke. From there, Filho’s overzealousness played into his opponent’s hands. Nascimento sprang multiple reversals in the second and third rounds, climbed to advantageous positions and bled valuable time off the clock. He tripped Filho to the floor with roughly a minute to go in the match, progr…

The 3rd annual #NocheUFC will now take place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 13.

The Noche UFC Fight Night card will celebrate and honor the remarkable contributions of Mexican fighters to combat sports and continues UFC’s great tradition of holding an… pic.twitter.com/uhlP9WgMSL

— UFC (@ufc) June 1, 2025

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This year’s Noche UFC has a new location and venue.

Due to a delay in the construction of the arena in Guadalajara, Mexico, Noche UFC will be relocated to the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 13. The news was announced during the UFC Vegas 107 broadcast on Saturday night.

The event was originally expected to be the UFC 320 pay-per-view, but the event is expected to shift to a Fight Night with the change in venue. No bouts have been announced for the card. The plan now is for the Octagon to head to the new arena in Guadalajara in 2026.

Noche UFC is…

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Jon Jones’ (nearly) pristine mixed martial arts record is a prized possession of the UFC heavyweight champion.

“Bones” has only one official loss on his ledger, a disqualification defeat to Matt Hamill at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” finale in December 2009. That setback came as a result of 12-to-6 elbows — which are now legal — and is rarely recognized as a true loss by anyone in the MMA community.

During an interview on DeepCut with VicBlends, Jones discussed how he would view fighting if he wasn’t as successful as he is.

“I don’t think I can ever be a person who loves fighting as a non-winner. I’m so connected to winning, it’s probably not even healthy,” Jones said. “I see fighters that take losses and they smile, and they hug their wives. ‘Hey, better luck next time.’ If I were to ever lose, I would be devastated. I would be angry, I’d be upset and depressed.

“That’s just my winning nature. For me it’s do it with all your heart, do…

Former UFC fighter B.J. Penn is asking a court to recall the bench warrants issued for his arrest, following the athlete’s legal troubles this week. https://t.co/7lQ5TW6kBm

— KHON2 News (@KHONnews) May 31, 2025

Former UFC two-division champion B.J. Penn was arrested for the third time in the past six days on Friday for failing to appear in court, according to online records.

Penn’s no-show was a violation of his previous bail agreement, which stems from him being arrested twice for abuse of a family or household member this past week. As a result, “The Prodigy” received two bail violations, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. He was ultimately released on $2,000 bond.

Additionally, MMAFighting.com is reporting that a judge denied Penn’s request for a restraining order against his mother, Lorraine Shin, because his allegations “do not establish a basis for relief.” It’s the second failed request for Penn, who has indicated…