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Sean O'Malley doubts Umar Nurmagomedov will show up for his upcoming clash against Cory Sandhagen.

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Sandhagen and Nurmagomedov are scheduled to headline UFC on ABC 7 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3. O’Malley will keep an eye on what has been billed as a title eliminator matchup if it does come to fruition.

O’Malley took a dig at Nurmagomedov, accusing the Dagestani of pulling out of fights habitually. Nurmagomedov was previously scheduled to fight Sandhagen at UFC Nashville in August 2023 but a shoulder injury forced him out of the event.

O’Malley is also surprised at underdog status of Sandhagen, whom “Sugar” considers to be one of the most skilled fighters on the entire UFC roster. The bantamweight champ believes Sandhagen is better than Nurmagomedov and replied in affirmative when asked if he is picking “Sandman” in the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi headliner.

“Yeah, I mean I’ll tune it if it happens,” O’Malley told MMAFighting.c…

“I felt so much pressure.”

Punahele Soriano (@puna185) contemplated retirement before making his welterweight debut, getting his first win since July 2022 and feels like he has new life in a new division.#UFCLouisville Results, Interviews & More ➡️: https://t.co/gAKitEJGRT

— UFC News (@UFCNews) June 9, 2024

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Punahele Soriano had a lot on his mind going into his UFC on ESPN 57 clash against Miguel Baeza on Saturday.

Coming off consecutive stoppage losses and 1-4 in his last five bouts overall, Soriano was admittedly feeling the pressure ahead of his welterweight debut. However, “Story Time” grew confident as he entered fight week, which translated quite well into his performance at UFC Louisville. Soriano bounced back in a strong manner, barely falling short of getting the finish in a dominant unanimous decision win over Baeza. The Hawaiian also set records for the most significant ground strikes landed in a single UF…

Carlos Prates certainly doesn’t function like most elite fighters.

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Prates knocked out Charlie Radtke with a knee to the body at UFC on ESPN 57 on Saturday. Prates was seen smoking a cigarette when he found out that he would be returning home with a $50,000 bonus for his performance.

Before finding out about his bonus win, Prates revealed that he had smoked even on the day of the fight. Having spent more years of his life as a smoker than as a non-smoker, it is now just a part of the routine for “Carlao.”

“I think I smoke since [I was] 15 years old,” Prates told Full Send MMA. “I have more time living smoking than without smoking. So for me it’s normal, I smoke before the fight, on the day of the fight, it’s normal. Now we here in Louisville, so I try to go drink some whiskey because here is capital of whiskey and I really like whiskey.”

Prates also admits that’s he is a difficult fighter to work with due to his lifestyle habits. The 30-…

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While Tom Aspinall isn’t keen on having a nickname, one possibility is starting to grow on him.

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Aspinall became the interim heavyweight champ with a first-round knockout win in a short-notice clash against Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023. Aspinall embraced the nickname “Honey Badger” proposed by Daniel Cormier ahead of the bout, though it wasn’t made official at the time.

Aspinall recently explained how that nickname came to be. When Aspinall told Cormier and Jon Anik at the fighter-commentator meeting that he performs better under threat, “DC” likened him to a honey badger. Usually attacking only when threatened by predators, honey badgers are arguably one the fiercest fighters of the animal kingdom, known to take on larger animals like leopards and lions. While Aspinall was still reluctant to have a nickname, “Honey Badger” certainly got his attention.

“I’ve always been against nicknames, like for myself, not …

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

RIZIN Bantamweight Champion Kai Asakura is vacating his title and going to the UFC.

Watch on #RIZIN TV!🔗https://t.co/CXiPKkswl0

[ #RIZIN47 ] pic.twitter.com/WSAZMDU7i1

— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) June 9, 2024

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s bantamweight division is about to receive an upgrade.

Rizin Fighting Federation champion Kai Asakura announced during Rizin 47 on Sunday that he is vacating his belt to sign with the UFC. The Las Vegas-based promotion has not formally announced the acquisition. As part of his farewell, Asakura paid tribute to the organization and Rizin CEO Nobuyuki Sakakibara.

“I am giving up my belt and going to the UFC,” Asakura said. “I think there will be an announcement from the UFC soon, but it’s official that I’m going. This should be exciting news, but right now I feel very lonely. I believe that thanks to RIZIN, I, who was originally no one, was recognized as a…

Dominick Reyes was responsible for perhaps the biggest feel-good moment at UFC on ESPN 57.

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By knocking out Dustin Jacoby in the first round of their co-main event clash on Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Reyes ended a victory drought that spanned nearly five years.

“It’s a relief, absolutely,” Reyes said at the post-fight press conference. “When he hit me, that was a relief. I was like, ‘I’m still here.’ I had so many questions — just questioning myself. Then I saw my performance. I felt it out there. I was like, ‘I really do love this, and I’m not going anywhere.’”

It was Reyes’ first appearance since November 2022 and his first victory since a first-round KO of Chris Weidman on Oct. 18, 2019. After the Victorille, California, native took Jon Jones to the brink of defeat in their fight at UFC 247, it would have been hard to imagine that Reyes would have endured a slump that lasted this long. As his triumphant moment unfolded, it…

According to Nassourdine Imavov, it was only going to get worse for Jared Cannonier. The French middleweight earned the most significant victory of his career to date in the UFC on ESPN 57 main event, as he defeated Cannonier via fourth-round technical knockout on Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Imavov put his opponent on skates with a clean right hand, but Cannonier appeared to be regaining his bearings when referee Jason Herzog stepped in to wave off the fight at the 1:34 mark of Round 4.

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While Herzog was heavily criticized in the aftermath, Imavov believes the veteran official made the right call.

“It’s the job of the referee to decide if the fighter is able to keep going or not,” Imavov said at the post-fight press conference. “He took a lot of damage, and he would’ve taken even more if the fight would’ve continued, so I think it was the right decision to stop it.”

It was a slow burn for Imavov leading up to the fin…

Behind the scenes footage shows Hunter Campbell convincing Aljamain Sterling not to pull out of the Sean O’Malley fight

Dana White was not happy with Aljamain’s hesitance to take the fight 😬#UFC #MMA

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pic.twitter.com/NC9DjJpnXX — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 8, 2024

Relations were a little strained between the UFC and Aljamain Sterling leading up to UFC 292.

When Dana White first announced the UFC 292 title fight between Sterling and Sean O’Malley, coach Ray Longo said that Sterlling hadn’t yet agreed to the fight. Recently revealed behind-the-scenes footage from “Fight Inc: Inside the UFC” shows White venting his frustration at Sterling for putting the fight in doubt.

“So, we make the fight, Aljo vs. O’Malley. But when [Sterling] goes out in the public, he says all the wrong things,” White said. “I announce the fight and the first thing Aljo says is, ‘If my body holds up.’ So, now you have fans going, ‘Sho…

Ricky Turcios apparently told Raul Rosas Jr. that he had staph infection after their UFC on ESPN 57 clash on Saturday.

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Rosas Jr. settled his rivalry with Turcios with a second-round submission win at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The 19-year-old survived a rear naked choke attempt in the first round and locked in one of his own in the next round to force the tap.

Rosas Jr. later revealed the words he exchanged with Turcios in the Octagon following the win. The rivalry between the two started with their original booking at UFC Mexcio City this past February. Rosas Jr. pulled out of the fight moments before walking out, as he couldn’t recover from a bout of sickness despite his best efforts. Turcios was unhappy with Rosas Jr. for pulling out and slammed his opponent for disrespecting the “Bushido code.”

Rosas Jr. and Turcios once again brought up the subject after their UFC Louisville clash on Saturday. That eventually led to Tur…

The UFC tried to book Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev for #UFC295 at MSG after Jon Jones pulled out.

Charles Oliveira turned it down since the cut still hadn’t fully healed.#UFC #MMA

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pic.twitter.com/3BcMYKIZJu — Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 8, 2024

The cut that forced Charles Oliveira out of UFC 294 proved to be quite costly.

Oliveira was scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 294 in October 2023. However, the night before Oliveira was supposed to leave for Abu Dhabi from Brazil, “do Bronx” suffered a nasty cut in sparring that forced him out of the matchup. Oliveira was replaced on 12 days’ notice by Alexander Volkanovski, who went on to suffer a vicious first-round knockout loss. The latest season of “Fight Inc: Inside the UFC” shows behind the scenes footage of what went on after Oliveira pulled out.

UFC president Dana White came down hard on Oliveira for jeopardiz…

⚔️HORIGUCHI GETS REVENGE!

He defeats Sergio Pettis by UD!

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Watch on #RIZIN TV!🔗https://t.co/CXiPKkswl0

[ #RIZIN47 ] pic.twitter.com/EDrrQmedwC

— RIZIN.tv (@RIZINTV_) June 9, 2024 Rizin Fighting Federation flyweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi avenged his 2021 Bellator MMA loss to Sergio Pettis with a clear-cut unanimous decision victory on Sunday at Rizin 47 in Tokyo, Japan. Horiguchi controlled the first two rounds of the bantamweight main event and overcame a knockdown in the final round to take the well-deserved win in an entertaining fight. Horiguchi (33-5, 1 NC, 14-1 Rizin), who suffered a fourth-round knockout loss to Pettis (23-7, 0-1 Rizin) in their first meeting at Bellator 272, fought wisely in the rematch and frustrated Pettis with jabs and leg kicks before taking him down in the opening round. The middle stanza began with a takedown from Horiguchi and he kept Pettis down against a corner post for more than…

Behind-the-scenes footage of UFC matchmaking:

The UFC wanted to book Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Kamaru Usman in Abu Dhabi but Ali Abdelaziz told Dana White that Kamaru wanted to fight Wonderboy.

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Khabib also said Shavkat vs Usman was the fight to make.

🎥 Fight Inc: Inside the UFC,… pic.twitter.com/9MMJb0Eu12

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 8, 2024 While the UFC wants Kamaru Usman to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov, the former welterweight champ seemingly would prefer to face Stephen Thompson instead.

The latest season of Fight Inc: Inside the UFC revealed behind the scenes footage of the promotion’s matchmaking. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby was seen explaining the welterweight picture to company CEO Dana White. While Shelby was considering a matchup between Kevin Holland and Rakhmonov, “Trailblazer” allegedly didn’t want to fight the Kazakh phenom.

Meanwhile, streaking Australian contender Jack Della Maddalena has been…

Brunno Ferreira authored perhaps the most memorable finish on the UFC on ESPN 57 card.

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The Brazilian was rewarded for his efforts, as he received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his spinning back elbow knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus 4:51 into the opening round of their featured middleweight bout. Ferreira had to survive some early adversity, but he maintained his composure to secure the eighth finish via spinning back elbow in UFC history.

Elsewhere, Raul Rosas Jr. garnered a $50,000 check for a second-round submission victory over Ricky Turcios in a bantamweight clash. After a spirited opening round, the 19-year-old prospect put his opponent away with a rear-naked choke at the 2:22 mark of the period.

Meanwhile, Zachary Reese made the most of a short night at the office, securing a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a first-round stoppage of Julian Marquez at middleweight. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum needed …

In a fight that should have brought some clarity to the middleweight title picture, the main event of “UFC Louisville” instead brought more confusion—though Nassourdine Imavov was not to blame.

In the main event of UFC on ESPN 57 on Saturday at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, Imavov and Jared Cannonier met in a high-level matchup of 185-pound contenders. The first two rounds saw both men struggle with the other’s weapons: Cannonier had his head snapped back repeatedly by Imavov’s lightning-quick jab, especially his double jab, while Imavov had difficulty with Cannonier’s calf kicks and his enormous strength and leverage when wrestling against the cage. Cannonier appeared to have the slight edge going into the middle round, landing the slightly heavier blows, including some vicious leg kicks, and it was Imavov who initiated the ground game in Round 3, quickly dragging the “Killa Gorilla” to the canvas, then taking his back standing. Cannonier managed to escape withou…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 57 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dos Santos (-245), Tomar (+200)Round 1 For the first time since the UFC was on the Versus network (2011), the promotion is taking a trip back to Louisville, Kentucky, for some deep fried combat. A whopping 14 fights will play out in the span of about sixish hours, and the pace on the prelims might be hurried—potentially in a good way. We kick things off in the strawweight division, as former Invicta 105-pound champ dos Santos (14-7, 0-1 UFC) wants a second chance to make a first impression after her first UFC outing did not go her way. She meets the debuting Tomar (8-4, 0-0 UFC), who is the first Indian woman to fight in the promotion but does not measure anywhere near the 5-foot-4 that the UFC bills her at. Referee George Conley will receive the first assignment of the night, and he checks the ladies in they clap hands. Tomar is quick to measure with multiple …

Ludovit Klein showed once again that he has one of the most accurate nicknames in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

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In the top prelim of UFC on ESPN 57 on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, “Mr. Highlight” (22-4-1) knocked down Thiago Moises (18-8) multiple times en route to a dominant unanimous decision win. Their fight was characterized by each fighter’s willingness to engage in his opponent’s preferred territory. Moises, one of the lightweight division’s most dangerous submission artists, traded blows with Klein, especially in the first round, when he attempted head kicks and narrowly missed with a looping bomb to the head that left Klein visibly relieved. Klein, for his part, showed little fear of Moises’ jiu-jitsu, taking the black belt down several times including a resounding slam in Round 3. Their gameness made for exciting viewing, but as a strategic choice it favored Klein, who hurt Moises repeatedly and appeared to be rolling towards a f…

SAVANNAH MARSHALL STOPS VARGAS IN THE FIRST! 👀

Savannah stops Mirela Vargas at the end of the first round after getting taken down numerous times! 😳#PFLNewcastle | LIVE NOW ON DAZN pic.twitter.com/XybwMJo0aU

— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) June 8, 2024

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Former super-middleweight boxing champion Savannah Marshall took her first step into the world of mixed martial arts and the Professional Fighters League with a first-round stoppage win over Brazil’s Mirela Vargas (0:32) in the PFL Europe 2 2024 Regular Season main event at Utlita Arena in Newcastle, England.

Marshall was 13-1 with 10 knockouts in professional boxing, and her power carried into the Smartcage. Vargas looked to trade and even caught Marshall with an overhand right. Marshall walked through it and pilled on the pressure until the fight was eventually called. With the win, Marshall (1-0) will look to a potential MMA bout with three-weight world boxing champion C…

Professional Fighters League has signed longtime UFC competitor Marc Diakiese to an exclusive contract.

The organization announced the news on Saturday. Diakiese is expected to make his PFL debut in a showcase bout this year before competing in the season format at lightweight in 2025.

“I back myself at lightweight, and I’m coming for everyone,” Diakiese said in a release. “This weight class is mine for the taking, and I feel the PFL Championship has my name all over it in 2025.”

The 31-year-old Englishman known as “Bonecrusher” has fought under the UFC banner since 2016, compiling an 8-7 record with the Las Vegas-based promotion. The former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion last appeared at UFC Fight Night 231 this past November, when he took a three-round verdict over Kaue Fernandes. Diakiese owns a 17-7 career mark.

Calvin Kattar will lock horns with Kyle Nelson in a featherweight bout at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Sept. 7.

Nelson confirmed the pairing on social media following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. The UFC Fight Night event does not have a location or headliner at this time.

Kattar has lost four of his last four promotional appearances dating back to January 2021. After an absence that spanned a year and a half, “The Boston Finisher” returned from a knee injury at UFC 300, where he dropped a unanimous decision to ex-bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling at UFC 300.

Nelson, meanwhile, is unbeaten in his last four outings. The 33-year-old Canadian was successful in his first venture of 2024, when he stopped Bill Algeo in the opening stanza at UFC on ESPN 54.

Joanderson Brito has pulled out of a proposed featherweight clash against Dan Ige scheduled for UFC on ESPN 60 on July 20.

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Multiple outlets confirmed Brito’s withdrawal after Ige announced his opponent’s exit on social media. It is currently unknown if Ige will remain on the card against a replacement opponent. UFC on ESPN 60 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and also includes a strawweight showdown pitting Amanda Lemos against Virna Jandiroba.

Joanderson Brittle is out. Who’s in?

— Dan Ige (@Dynamitedan808) June 7, 2024

Brito last appeared at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, where he scored a second-round TKO victory against Jack Shore on May 4. The 29-year-old Brazilian has won five straight Octagon appearances since dropping his promotional debut against Bill Algeo.

Ige has won three of his last four contests. Most recently, “50K” defeated Andre Fili via first-round KO at UFC Fight Night 236 on Feb. 10.

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The bantamweight headliner for Rizin 47 is now official, as both Kyoji Horiguchi and Sergio Pettis hit their contracted marks at weigh-ins.

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Horiguchi tipped the scales at 133.9 pounds, while Sergio Pettis checked in at 134 pounds. It wasn’t smooth sailing for everyone on the card, however. UFC veteran Johnny Case weighed 158.7 pounds for his clash with Noah Bey (156.4). Since he missed weight by 2.2 pounds, he is not eligible for victory, per Rizin rules. As a result, if Bey loses or the bout is a draw, the fight will be recorded as a no contest. Additionally, Case will began the bout with a one-point deduction.

Rizin 47 takes place at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo on Sunday and will also see Kleber Koike Erbst (145.5) square off against Juan Archuleta (145.5) in the featherweight co-main event.

Horiguchi and Pettis initially met as part of the bantamweight grand prix at Bellator 272, with Pettis earning a fourth-round …

ONE 167's main event saw One Championship featherweight muay thai champion Tawanchai P.K. Saenchai successfully defend his belt against a tough challenger in Nattawut Somkhun.

Saenchai wasted no time establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with by delivering punishing leg kicks and sharp elbows to Somkhun. Standing his ground, the challenger would find his footing and have success with combinations when Saenchai would lower his output, with Somkhun taking over the third and fourth rounds. However, the champion showed his resolve in the final three minutes, as it was a back-and-forth battle that saw both men have their moments.

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Breathes were held when the judges' scorecards were read, but ultimately, they preferred the work of the champion, who kept his belt via majority decision.Rodtang Dominates Puric The catchweight co-main event saw Rodtang Jitmuangnon outstrike Denis Puric in a hard-hitting kickboxing match. Jitmuangnon found his mark earl…

ONE Championship brings another evening of explosive martial arts to U.S. primetime with ONE 167. Sherdog's live coverage will begin with the curtain jerker at 8 p.m. ET. Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:The Official Result Round 1 Sherdog Scores Brian Knapp scores the round:Jay Pettry scores the round:Tyler Treese …

New date, same place, same fate#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/ihfIOEllKW

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 7, 2024 A new date has been set for the first live boxing event on Netflix.

Legendary heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson (50-6, 2 NC; 44 KOs) was previously expected to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) on July 20 in a modified rules pro boxing match. The two were billed atop an event at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Due to a medical issue stemming from an ulcer, Tyson was forced to stop training and recover, which resulted in a postponement of the show. Per Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions’ social media on Friday, the new date of the fight card will be Nov. 15.

The fights will be held in the same building as before, and it will still air live on Netflix. Additionally, the co-headlining bout remains intact and shifts to this date as well, as Katie Taylor defends her lightweight throne against Amanda Serrano. It …