The lightweight tilt between Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev is now being worked on for the July 9 Fight Night main event. ESPN was the first to break the news of the rescheduled bout. Fiziev is currently on a strong run up the lightweight division. He has attained five consecutive wins in the weight
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10:13 PM ET The UFC is targeting a lightweight main event between Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev on July 9, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Contracts have not been signed, but the UFC is close to finalizing the 155-pound fight. It will headline UFC Fight Night at a location to be determined. This will
Welcome to Midnight Mania! It’s a strange time for Jorge Masvidal. Unless we’re counting the steakhouse brawl that left Colby Covington toothless — and seriously, what great irony is it that bad things keep happening to Covington’s mouth? — Masvidal is winless in his last three bouts. Based on recent reports, it also seems that
By Mike Bohn and MMA Junkie Staff | May 4, 2022 10:00 pm ET With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from April 2022: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for April. At
If you’re wondering how to knock out someone with an impeccably timed knee, look no further than Fedor Babich. The Kazakhstan-born Babich turned a submission attempt from his opponent’s back into a knockout with his knee as his opposition attempted to get back to his feet. Watch Babich’s knockout below. The knockout moves Babich to
8:00 AM ET The art of the submission is rooted in a fighter’s ability to seize an opening. An opportunity. A mistake. An action leading to a reaction. Close-quarters combat turns into an ongoing battle for positioning and leverage. It all plays on a constant loop until there’s an escape. Or an ending. The very
Lightweight contenders Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson will collide at the UFC 274 pay-per-view (PPV) event this Sat. night (May 7) in Phoenix and a loss for “iron” would be his third straight and leave the former Bellator MMA champ at just 1-3 under the UFC banner. Similarly, Ferguson would register a fourth straight loss
By Farah Hannoun | May 4, 2022 1:05 pm ET It took almost three years for Cheick Kongo to get his rematch with Ryan Bader, but his frustration eventually faded with time. Kongo (31-11-2 MMA, 13-3 BMMA) rematches Bader (29-7 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) for the heavyweight championship in Friday’s Bellator 280 main event at Accor Arena
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is ready to adopt a new nickname should she secure a second consecutive victory over Amanda Nunes. At UFC 269 last December, then-double champion Nunes faced the sixth challenge to her 135-pound reign. In what most expected to be an inevitable 13th straight victory for the Brazilian, the “Lioness”
7:17 PM ET The UFC is working on a bantamweight fight between Sean O’Malley and Pedro Munhoz, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. The 135-pound bout is expected to be finalized shortly. It will take place at UFC 276 on July 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. O’Malley (15-1) is 5-1 in the UFC with
Welcome to Midnight Mania! Rose Namajunas has really built her career off fighting the same opponents several times. Her last six fights came vs. three women, and her upcoming title defense this weekend (Sat. May 7, 2022) at UFC 274 opposite Carla Esparza is a rematch eight years in the making. Typically, when we talk
By Nolan King and Mike Bohn | May 3, 2022 11:05 pm ET A pivotal light heavyweight contender clash is the latest addition to UFC 277. Magomed Ankalaev and Anthony Smith are set to collide at the July 30 pay-per-view event. UFC 277 does not currently have a location or venue, though a recently-leaked image
Former UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk is on her way back to the Octagon and has her sights set on revenge against reigning titleholder Rose Namajunas. Namajunas and Jędrzejczyk have shared the cage together twice in the past. At UFC 217 in November, 2017, “Thug Rose” experienced her first title crowning after dethroning the
9:07 AM ET Kelsey Puckett IRVINE, Calif. — Several cars pull up in front of what is normally a quiet Southern California home. The muffled voice of Matthew Lomeli, a practicing physician, can be heard coming from the house as he finishes up a Zoom call. Lomeli considers himself to be a private person. He
Britain Beltran (formerly Britain Hart) has been forced to withdraw from her upcoming bareknuckle boxing rematch against Bec Rawlings after suffering a medical emergency, one that left her ineligible to compete in the BKFC Omaha main event at Liberty First Credit Union Arena on May 13. “I unfortunately have to pull out of my fight,”
By Farah Hannoun and MMA Junkie Radio | May 3, 2022 1:00 pm ET Anthony Pettis wants to add another title to his accolade-filled career. The former WEC and UFC lightweight champion already has accomplished plenty in his illustrious career, but “Showtime” wants to conquer one more organization. Pettis (24-12) debuted for the PFL in
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña has sent a warning ahead of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter: expect noise. Having won gold on MMA’s biggest stage in memorable fashion last December, Peña is set to return to her roots ahead of her first title defense later this year. Opposite Amanda Nunes, whom she
Find out why professionals are using BoxBandz 1:21 PM ET AnnMaria DeMars, the mother of combat sports superstar Ronda Rousey and a former judo world champion, was appointed Thursday to the California State Athletic Commission by Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a release. DeMars, 63, was a pioneer in United States judo, becoming the first American