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🚨 𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇: Cédric Doumbé takes on USA’s Jaleel Willis at #BellatorParis!

Following the withdrawal of Derek Anderson due to injury, @jaleelwillis1 steps in to challenge @CedricDoumbe in Paris on Friday May 17.

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Tickets are on sale NOW, get them while you can! 💨… pic.twitter.com/3dWJBuVrBc — Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 24, 2024

Cedric Doumbe has a new dance partner for his Bellator MMA debut.

The promotion announced on Wednesday that Jaleel Willis will replace the injured Derek Anderson and face Doumbe at Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17 at Accor Arena. Anderson was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering a foot injury during an alleged hit-and-run accident on his bicycle.

The 32-year-old Willis has lost three of his last four Bellator appearances. Most recently, he suffered a first-round knockout loss against Ramazan Kuramagomedov at Bellator 297 in June 2023. Willis has been finis…

Jon Jones’ comeback appears to have begun in earnest.

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The UFC heavyweight champion announced his return to training in a recent Instagram post. In the photo, Jones is posing with coaches Greg Jackson and Brandon Gibson, among others.

“First day back in the gym since my injury, felt amazing,” Jones wrote. “And so it began.”

Jones was supposed to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the UFC 295 main event this past November, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering a torn pectoral in training. During his hiatus, Jones also elected to undergo surgery on his left elbow to shave down some bone spurs.

Jones is expected to be rebooked against Miocic in the coming months, though a date for that bout remains unclear. “Bones” returned from a three-year absence at UFC 285 to claim the vacant heavyweight belt with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane in March 2023. Interim champion Tom Aspinall has lobbied ha…

Welcome to the Professional Fighters League, @melissastatick

She is set to make her PFL Pro Debut in the summer 🔜🔜🔜 pic.twitter.com/OdieUSDaU8

— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 24, 2024

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Professional Fighters League has bolstered its flyweight roster with the addition of amateur prospect Melissa Balic.

The organization announced the signing via social media on Wednesday. Balic is expected to make her professional debut sometime this summer.

Anchored at Tiger Schulmann's Mixed Martial Arts in New York, Balic has compiled a 3-1 record as an amateur while competing exclusively for the Flex Fight Series promotion. “Statick” also has some kickboxing experience on her combat sports resume.

The PFL recently added the women’s flyweight division, and this year marks the first time that weight class has been part of the league’s season format.

It's officially, OFFICIAL 🚨

Manchester, we're coming for ya! 🐝#UFC304 | For more info: https://t.co/c2A7hqsw4q pic.twitter.com/6ULPrOf2bJ

— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2024

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s rumored returned to Manchester, England, has been confirmed.

The Las Vegas-based promotion announced Wednesday that UFC 304 will take place on July 27 at the Co-op Live, the largest arena in the U.K. It will be the first sporting event to be held at the Manchester-based venue.

“I’m so excited to get back to Manchester. And no better time than this summer,” said UFC president and CEO Dana White in a release. “We have two champions from the U.K. and fans have been dying for a UFC [pay-per-view] event. So here we come to the largest indoor arena in the U.K. See you soon, England.”

While no bouts were revealed for the card, welterweight champion Leon Edwards and interim heavyweight king Tom Aspinall have been ru…

Jiri Prochazka believes he still has unfinished business with Alex Pereira.

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Prochazka recently scored a bonus-winning knockout victory over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300 on April 13. Pereira also defended his light heavyweight strap with a brutal technical knockout win over Jamahal Hill in the main event of the same card. Having suffered a TKO loss against “Poatan” in a bid for the vacant title in November 2023, Prochazka now wants a rematch against the Brazilian at UFC 301, which goes down on May 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While the Czech star is ready to go through one more test if the UFC wants it, he believes he has done enough to deserve a gold bid.

“Like I spoke after the fight, I'm looking for the title fight, for Alex Pereira. And I was able to and am still able to take the fight in Brazil. And I will see,” Prochazka said in an interview with Michael Bisping. “Now it's on the UFC [at] this point. Let's see if there will be necessary to figh…

Tatiana Suarez is hoping to hear soon from the Ultimate Fighting Championship about a title shot.

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Weili Zhang defended her strawweight title with a lopsided unanimous decision win over fellow countrywoman Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 earlier this month. While Suarez hasn’t heard from the UFC yet, she believes she is the next in line for a shot at Zhang. Suarez also hopes to hear good news from the UFC soon, with her manager, Ali Abdelaziz, planning to meet with promotion executives soon.

Suarez believes the only details left to figure out are when and where would Zhang be ready to fight again. While the UFC is rumored to be planning a return to Zhang's home country of China in August, Suarez noted that it’s unlikely to be a pay-per-view card. The 33-year-old hopes to challenge “Magnum” at the UFC’s one-of-a-kind card being planned for Mexican Independence Day in September at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

“Actually, we’re gonna hopefully get some news h…

Belal Muhammad envisions himself pitching a shutout against Leon Edwards in a potential title clash.

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A title fight has evaded Muhammad so far despite him being unbeaten in his last 10 outings. Until recently, it seemed that Muhammad might not get a gold bid at all, as Dana White revealed that “Remember the Name” was not among three names offered to Edwards for a potential title defense at UFC 300.

However, Muhammad's wait for a shot at divisional gold might finally be over. Edwards’ coach, Dave Lovell, recently revealed that the Roufusport product is most likely getting his long-awaited title shot next. According to Lovell, a title fight between Edwards and Muhammad for the UFC upcoming Manchester card in July is all but done.

“The UFC is over here in July. So, no doubt Leon will be on that bill,” Lovell told talkSPORT. “Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the 300 bill for whatever reasons, the lads that was put to him, Shavkat [Rakhmonov], Khamza…

A women’s bantamweight showdown pitting Mayra Bueno Silva against Macy Chiasson has been added to the UFC 303 lineup.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion announced the booking on Tuesday. UFC 303 takes place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welterweight bout between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.

Bueno Silva will return to action for the first time since UFC 297, when she dropped a five-round verdict to Raquel Pennington in a 135-pound title bout on Jan. 20. The Brazilian known as “Sheetara” is 5-3-1 with one no contest during her Octagon tenure.

Chiasson, meanwhile, fought for the first time in 18 months at UFC Fight Night 239, where she submitted Pannie Kianzad in the opening stanza on March 16. “The Ultimate Fighter 28” winner has competed at both 145 and 135 pounds while compiling a 7-3 mark in the UFC.

The Bellator Champions Series Paris co-main event has taken a hit just shortly after it was announced.

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Derek Anderson, who was scheduled to face Cedric Doumbe on May 17, recently revealed that he suffered a foot injury in an alleged hit-and-run accident that will force him to withdraw from the proposed welterweight clash. Doumbe vs. Anderson was officially confirmed on Monday.

“Love you all. Hit and run. I’m so sorry I couldn’t make this fight happen,” Anderson wrote on Instagram. “You have no idea. I will not be getting another bike.”

It is unclear if Doumbe will remain on the card against a replacement opponent. Bellator Champions Series Paris takes place at Accor Arena in Paris and is headlined by a bantamweight title bout between Patrick Mix and Magomed Magomedov.

Anderson, has compiled an 8-4 mark under the Bellator banner since his promotional debut in 2013. Most recently, the Californian returned to action following more than a …

Victor Martinez recently highlighted the importance of a stable job for fighters.

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While Martinez has been a licensed firefighter since 2018, he never applied for a job, prioritizing his goal of getting into the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “The Brick” finally earned his ticket to the big league with a unanimous decision win over Jacob Rosales on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021. Martinez then got hired by the Hidalgo Fire Department after his UFC debut in February 2023, and the 32-year-old feels things are falling into place for him.

“Man, I had my firefighter license since back in 2018 but I just wanted to focus on getting into the UFC first before getting a job,” Martinez told The AllStar. “So I was just renewing my license every year and I got signed to the UFC [in] 2021 after Contender [Series]. And I was like, ‘OK, I already made this goal happen, let me try getting a job somewhere else, so I started applying in different c…

Michael Chandler believes Conor McGregor will not be the same fighter he once was on his return to the Octagon this summer.

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McGregor will return to action after a hiatus of almost three years in a welterweight clash against “Iron” in the main event at UFC 303 on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Notorious” last fought in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, suffering a technical knockout loss due to a leg break in the first round.

While the Irishman resumed training in early 2022, it wasn’t until October 2023 that he returned to the UFC’s drug testing pool. Although the former UFC double champ wanted to return at UFC 300, it wasn’t until UFC 303 that his return could be made possible. Chandler believes the long inactivity has taken a toll on McGregor’s timing, movement, and reflexes.

“What I need to work on for this fight is continue to be the best version of myself,” Chandler said on The Shawn Ryan Show…

Alex Pereira doesn’t like the timing of a potential clash against Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi.

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Pereira recently defended his light heavyweight title for the first time with a brutal Round 1 knockout win over Jamahal Hill in the main event at UFC 300. Ankalaev subsequently claimed that he was offered a title shot against “Poatan” at UFC 300 but turned it down as he was observing Ramadan. Ankalaev also called Pereira out for a clash in Abu Dhabi, which is considered home turf for many Russian fighters. In a post on social media, Ankalaev questioned Pereira’s chin and predicted a first-round knockout.

@AlexPereiraUFC vs me Abu Dhabi

— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) April 14, 2024

@AlexPereiraUFC congratulation, l will stop in the first round by knockout @danawhite @Mickmaynard2 the man doesn’t have a chin

— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) April 14, 2024

The UFC’s annual pay-per-view card in Abu …

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Jiri Prochazka wants to move down a weight class instead of moving up after potentially regaining his light heavyweight title.

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Prochazka recently scored a come-from-behind technical knockout victory over top contender Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300, establishing himself as the No. 1 contender. Prochazka is now eyeing a title shot against Alex Pereira, who dethroned him via TKO at UFC 295 last November, snapping a 13-fight winning streak.

Moreover, once he potentially wins back the light heavyweight title, “BJP” wants to cut down to middleweight. The Czech standout, who usually doesn’t cut more than 10-12 pounds for light heavyweight, believes he can make the cut to 185 pounds with a strict diet.

“Rather than heavyweight, I thought I’d try middleweight because the way I feel my metabolism now and the way my body works in preparation. So, I know that if I adjust my diet to where I feel great and clean, I know I could handle the …

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Renowned ONE Championship mixed martial arts heavyweight competitors are set to lock horns at ONE Fight Night 23 on July 5.

Sherdog.com learned Tuesday morning that Belarusian heavyweight Kirill Grishenko (5-2, 2-2 ONE) is booked to return against the hard-hitting Ji Won Kang (7-2, 4-2 ONE) in a three-round clash on July 5 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

The bout will mark Grishenko’s return to action following a Round 1 submission loss to grappling savant Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida in August 2022, which was preceded by a Round 2 knockout at the hands of reigning three-division champion Anatoly Malykhin in February 2022.

Meanwhile, Kang has gone 2-2 in his last four promotional outings and will enter on the heels of a Round 2 technical knockout victory over Mikhail Jamal Abdul-Latif at ONE on Prime Video 18 in January. Prior to that, the South Korean suffered his second professional loss against undefeated American Ben Tynan at …

BREAKING: In partnership with @ufc, WWE announced today that #NXTBattleground will emanate from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 9! https://t.co/7rcz9QpnjP

— WWE (@WWE) April 22, 2024

The UFC Apex will host a World Wrestling Entertainment event for the first time on June 9.

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The Las Vegas-based promotion announced Monday that the venue will be the site for NXT Battleground” on June 9. The Ultimate Fighting Championship and WWE merged under the same ownership umbrella, TKO Group Holdings, last year.

"We are always exploring new frontiers to showcase NXT and we are excited to bring Battleground to this world-class event and production facility in partnership with UFC,” said WWE senior vice president of talent development creative Shawn Michaels in a release.

According to a report from ESPN, NXT Battleground was intially scheduled to take place at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, before relocating to L…

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗘! 💥

Europe’s MMA League returns to Tyneside on Saturday 8th June, featuring Savannah Marshall’s MMA Debut, Kane Mousah vs. Dylan Tuke and stars such as Jack Grant, Lewis McGrillen, Sammy-Jo Luxton and Dean Garnett!

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Make sure you’re in the Utilita Arena… pic.twitter.com/REQcGjvKhe — PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) April 22, 2024

The Professional Fighters League has announced the full card for the final regular season event of its European circuit.

PFL Europe Newcastle will take place on June 8 at Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England, and is headlined by the MMA debut of boxing champion Savannah Marshall, as she takes on Mirela Vargas in a showcase bout at 155 pounds. Additionally, the card will feature regular season bouts at men’s bantamweight and women’s flyweight, with winner’s advancing to the PFL Europe postseason.

The bantamweight season pairings include: Dean Garnett vs. Ayton De Paepe; Frans Mlambo vs. Lu…

Former American Top Team coach Andre Benkei is headed back to Florida.

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The Brazilian recently signed a three-year contract to work as an MMA head coach at the new UFC Gym in Largo, Florida, and big plans are in store.

“It´s gonna be huge — 30,000 square feet,” Benkei told Sherdog.com. “Besides an amazing gym with all facilities you can imagine, the gym will have an MMA training center with a top team of coaches. We already signed Dorian Price (muay thai), who has been living in Thailand for the last 20 years, and Adam Mazin (jiu-jitsu), who represents Dean Lister. Cuban boxer Pedro Dias will be with us, and soon we will announce a [decorated] American wrestler.”

Benkei also revealed that an MMA-themed reality show will be filmed at the facility.

“The grand opening will be in August, but we will start filming a reality show called ‘Road to the Cage ‘ before that,” he said. “The reality show will consist of the training routine of our…

.@MoheganSun Get Ready 🔥

Playoff spots are on the line as Heavyweights & Women's Flyweights kick off the second half of the 2024 #PFLRegularSeason on June 13th!

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Tickets On Sale Now! 👇🎟️https://t.co/agkCcio2Xy pic.twitter.com/6Mh0wVz7DN — PFL (@PFLMMA) April 22, 2024

A heavyweight trilogy between Valentin Moldavsky and Linton Vassell will serve as the main event when Professional Fighters League begins the second leg of its regular season on June 13.

The organization on Monday announced the two featured bouts for PFL 4, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. In addition to Moldavsky vs. Vassell, Dakota Ditcheva will meet Chelsea Hackett in a women’s flyweight contest in the evening’s co-headliner. More fights for the card, which features heavyweights and women’s flyweights, will be announced in the coming weeks.

A former Bellator MMA interim champion, Moldavsky kicked off hi…

Cedric Doumbe will make his Bellator MMA debut against Derek Anderson in the Bellator Champions Series Paris co-headliner on May 17.

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The bout is part of a multi-fight extension signed by Doumbe with Professional Fighters League, which purchased Bellator late last year. A former two-time Glory Kickboxing welterweight champion, Doumbe has quickly emerged as one of PFL’s biggest stars in Europe.

"Re-signing Cedric Doumbe to a multi-year contract extension has been one of our highest priorities since he joined the promotion last year," PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a release. "Cedric is a large part of our continued growth in France, and now he will compete at Bellator Champions Series Paris on a fight card that can be streamed by fans in the U.S. on Max, as he continues his trajectory through our global leagues.”

The addition of Doumbe vs. Anderson is part of some significant shuffling at the top of the Bellator Paris card. The event’s original…

Lightweights Trey Ogden (17-6) and Loik Radzhabov (18-5) are slated to clash at a UFC Fight Night event on July 20.

The matchup was first announced by Ogden’s management, Iridum Sports Agency. The card has not been formally confirmed by the promotion and does not yet have an official location or headliner.

Ogden is coming off a unanimous decision win over Kurt Holobaugh at UFC on ESPN 53 that saw him bounce back from an unfortunate no contest against Nikolas Motta last November. Holobaugh was minutes away from a unanimous decision win over Motta when he caught the Brazilian in an arm-triangle choke. Referee Mike Beltran prematurely stopped the fight, mistaking Motta to be unconscious, and the bout was ultimately declared a no contest.

Meanwhile, Radzhabov will also look to build a winning streak after a KO win over Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady at UFC Fight Night 238. The Tajik fighter made his promotional debut with a unanimous decision win over Esteban Ribov…

Gabriel Bonfim (15-1) and Ange Loosa (10-3) will trade leather at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on July 13.

The booking was first announced by Bonfim’s management, Iridium Sports Agency. UFC Fight Night takes place on July 13 and will likely be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card does not currently have a headliner.

Bonfim will look to bounce back from his lone career loss, which came via second-round TKO against Nicolas Dalby in November 2023. Prior to that, the former Legacy Fighting Alliance champ finished all 15 of his career wins — 12 via submission — including two in the UFC.

Meanwhile, Loosa will also look to set his trajectory right after a controversial no contest against Bryan Battle last month. Battle was getting the better of Loosa on the feet before accidentally poking the Congolese fighter in the eye. Loosa was unable to continue, and Battle later accused “The Last Ninja” of using the eye poke as an excuse to avoid a poten…

Manon Fiorot is adamant on fighting for a title next — even if it is an interim belt.

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Fiorot made a legitimate case for a gold bid with a unanimous decision win over top contender Erin Blanchfield in the main event at UFC on ESPN 54 last month. But the French standout will have to wait for a trilogy clash between champ Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, who are expected to compete after their stints as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 32.” While Fiorot would like to serve as the backup for that bout, “The Beast” is also open to another matchup if it has interim title implications.

“If I have to choose, the best choice for me is to be backup on the fight,” Fiorot told MMAjunkie.com. “I think it’s a good thing if Valentina or Alexa have an injury or miss weight or stuff like that. I think the best choice for me now is to be backup for this fight so I can see the fight and perhaps do a faceoff after against the winner. If not, I can fight but for…

Joshua Van appears to be in need of a new opponent after announcing that his proposed 125-pound clash against Su Mudaerji has been canceled.

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The flyweight booking was scheduled for UFC 302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. A reason for Mudaerji’s exit is currently unknown.

“Fight is off for June 1 I need a real opponent,” Van wrote on social media.

Joshua Van posts on his IG that his fight between him and Sumudaerji is off for #UFC302 pic.twitter.com/RKvRwG9zmU

— Octagon Update (@octagonupdate) April 21, 2024

Van made his UFC debut with a split decision win over Zhalgas Zhumagulov in June 2023 and followed it up with a unanimous decision win over Kevin Borjas in November. Most recently ,“The Fearless” scored his first UFC finish via TKO against Felipe Bunes this past January.

Meanwhile, Mudaerji bounced back from a foiled UFC debut against Louis Smolka in 2018 by mounting a three- fi…

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Aljamain Sterling recently picked Brian Ortega over Movsar Evloev as his next preferred opponent, a decision that incited a callout from the Russian.

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Sterling earned a lopsided unanimous decision win against Calvin Kattar in his featherweight debut at UFC 300. The former bantamweight champ subsequently called out Ortega.

Sterling weighed out the technicalities of the potential fights, both of which are a “grappler’s delight,” according to him. Sterling lauded Ortega’s aggressive guard, which always makes for wild grappling exchanges. While Sterling also lauded Evloev’s wrestling, he believes he can “easily” match the Russian’s ground game. “Funkmaster” also claims to have fared well in grappling against some of the guys that Evloev trained with even while out of shape.

“Both of these fights are a grappler’s delight,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “If I were to fight Ortega, if you take him down, he ain’t gonna hang out…