Former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will face former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Frank Mir in the main event of Bellator 198 this Saturday at Allstate Arena in Chicago.

The brash Brazilian jiu-jitsu star will make his professional mixed martial arts debut at Bellator 198 on Saturday in Chicago.

Aljamain Sterling shed any lingering effects of a recent knockout loss with his unanimous decision over Brett Johns on Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

At Bellator 198 on Saturday, John Salter (15-3) will look to cement a title shot when he takes on Rafael Lovato Jr. (7-0) in a main card 185-pound bout.

Alex Oliveira has decided to end his relationship with Tata Fight Team, where he has spent his last four years of training.

One of Marvel's most enigmatic, complex and badass anti-hero characters comes to the big screen, starring Academy Award® nominated actor Tom Hardy as the lethal protector 'Venom'.

Rafael Lovato Jr. has a new opponent for his featured bout at Bellator 198. John Salter has withdrawn from the matchup and will be replaced by four-time UFC veteran Gerald Harris in a 188-pound catchweight bout. Sherdog.com confirmed the change with a promotion official on Tuesday after Lovato Jr. announced the news via social media. Bellator 198 takes place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on Saturday and is headlined by a heavyweight grand prix showdown pitting Frank Mir against Fedor Emelianenko . Harris who competed in the UFC for a four-bout stint in 2010 and owns a victory over Salter, has won nine of his last 10 fights. During that time, he has notably competed in organizations such as World Series of Fighting and Legacy Fighting Championship. Most recently, he earned a fourth-round TKO win over Matt McKeon at an Xtreme Fighting League event in Oklahoma on Oct. 21. The 38-year-old owns a 25-5 career record. An accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Lovato has kicked off his MMA career with seven consecutive victories.

Fedor Emelianenko on Frank Mir Matchup at Bellator 198: Size Doesn’t Matter

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Nick Newell one step closer to UFC dream with Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series berth http://bit.ly/2FfOE3C  pic.twitter.com/7Dsrkxkg1V

Kevin Lee sent a message to the rest of the lightweight division in the UFC Fight Night 128 headliner. “The Motown Phenom” overwhelmed Edson Barboza with takedowns and vicious ground-and-pound, survived one harrowing spinning back kick and ultimately earned a fifth-round stoppage of his Brazilian opponent. Perhaps the only blemish on Lee’s performance was his inability to make weight one day prior. Still, thanks to the finish, something Khabib Nurmagomedov couldn’t do against Barboza in a three-round affair, Lee vaults to No. 5 in our lightweight rankings. Meanwhile, Frankie Edgar showed that he still has plenty left in the tank following a brutal knockout loss to Brian Ortega , as he earned a sweep of the scorecards in a rematch against Cub Swanson in the UFC Fight Night 128 co-main event. With the win, Edgar holds steady at No. 4 in our featherweight rankings. Elsewhere, David Branch solidified his spot in the middleweight poll with an emphatic first-round knockout of bubble lister Thiago Santos for his second win in his last three Octagon appearances.

“If Khabib does not correct the mistake of sitting back with his chin back and going to the side, Conor’s going to put his lights out with that left hand pretty bad, pretty quickly,” he said. “He needs to correct that mistake, and he needs to learn to relax in the pocket and know that he’s safe. Until he does that, he’s always in danger of getting beat by a guy with knockout power like Conor McGregor.”

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Alex, what exactly have you accomplished in your career? I’ve earned the right to retire on top. Your greatest accomplishment is two close losses. Congrats on the new contract, now go fight. It’s been two years. Enough with the social media. #gofight https://t.co/Uf2LJ31ALE

Shortly after Emmanuel Sanchez dispatched former featherweight champion Daniel Straus with a triangle choke last October, he had an eye-opening conversation with a key Bellator official. “Even the matchmaker Rich Chou said, ‘I’ve never seen Straus get dominated like that before.’That’s someone who’s gone to wars with [ Patricio Freire , with [Pat] Curran. He hasn’t lost to anyone else but us three now in Bellator,” Sanchez told Sherdog.com. “It’s really great that I got to go out and showcase that I am capable of this. More of that is coming.” It was an impressive addition to a resume that continues to grow by the year. Sanchez has been victorious in eight of 10 Bellator appearances, with his only defeats coming to former champion Pat Curran and current No. 1 contender Daniel Weichel . But the Straus victory was especially significant, not only because of his opponent’s status, but because it was Sanchez’s first finish within the California-based promotion. “That’s really been a long time coming,” Sanchez said. “I think a lot of people [are like], decisions, decisions and that’s all I can do.

Diakiese stormed on to the UFC scene as an undefeated prospect and racked up three consecutive victories in the octagon, including a “Performance of the Night” bonus for a 30-second knockout of Teemu Packalen. Since that time, “Bonecrusher” has suffered losses to Drakkar Klose and Dan Hooker, leaving Diakiese in need of a win.

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UFC Invites Male Heavyweights, Female Featherweights to Try Out for ‘The Ultimate Fighter 28' http://po.st/3vOwiG  pic.twitter.com/NN7SQvu3qX

CHICAGO – You can watch today’s press conference in advance of Bellator 198 here on MMAjunkie at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT).

The embargo on reactions and reviews for the new ‘Avengers’ movie has officially been lifted and to say it sounds ‘amazing’ seems to be an understatement. AIW is the most highly anticipated Marvel movie of all time as it brings together a story over ten years in the making.

Leslie Smith is planning to take legal action against the UFC after she believes the promotion bought out her contract in retaliation for her leading an effort to unionize fighters. Smith, a seven-time Octagon veteran, was scheduled to face Aspen Ladd at UFC Fight Night 128 in Atlantic City, N.J., this past weekend. The contest was canceled when Ladd missed weight for the 135-pound contest by 1.8 pounds. As a result, the UFC paid Smith $62,000 for the final fight on her contract and informed her that they would not be giving her a new deal. Smith claims that decision is directly related to her role as founder of Project Spearhead , an organization with the goal of unionizing fighters under the UFC banner. In order to help with her legal fees, Smith has started a GoFundMe page . “I attempted to extend my contract with the UFC after my opponent missed weight. However, the UFC, in perceived retaliation against my legally protected right to unionize, declined to extend my contract,” Smith wrote. “In addition, the UFC advised me it would pay me, in an unprecedented fashion, my show and win money without fighting so that the remaining fight on my contract would be considered fulfilled.

Dude didn't fail a test for your fight. That's salty bullshit if I've ever seen it. And Gustafson can cop on trying to judge anyone, he went to jail for beating the piss out of someone. Jones stopped a mugger a few hours before becoming the youngest world champ in UFC.

Quick images from Saturday's UFC Fight Night 128 card in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Hey Uncle Bobby Dana!!! Can you sign Ben Askren already. We all wanna see him eat Colby Covington for breakfast. Then you can force Twood to fight his friend lmao be like your Khabib of the Welter weight division..number 1 bullshit he's not in the ufc @Benaskren lmao

Frank Mir: A Deep MMA Reservoir -- The former UFC heavyweight champion’s past, present and future converge as he eyes his showdown with Fedor Emelianenko at #Bellator198 on Saturday in Chicago. http://bit.ly/2vQwIwO  via @benjaminduffy pic.twitter.com/VDWGaOtAzC

The Bottom Line: Failed Experiment -- A system of earlier weigh-ins was rushed into and has backfired terribly on mixed martial arts, writes @ToddMartinMMA . http://bit.ly/2vKaoFo  pic.twitter.com/EHFHBeyMys

Marcin Wrzosek and Kleber Koike Erbst will rematch for the vacant Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki featherweight crown at KSW 44 on June 9. The Polish promotion announced the pairing on Monday. KSW 44 takes place at Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland and also features a heavyweight showdown between Mariusz Pudzianowski and Karol Bedorf . Wrzosek and Erbst initially squared off at KSW 39, where Erbst claimed the 145-pound belt with a decision win. However, Erbst missed weight ahead of his next bout and was forced to vacate the title. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old still earned a third-round submission of Artur Sowinski at KSW 41 for his fifth consecutive triumph. A cast member on Season 22 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Wrzosek signed with KSW after falling to Julian Erosa at the “TUF 22” finale. He has won three of his first four appearances with the promotion, including a decision win over Roman Szymanski at KSW 41.

Former Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko will lock horns with Bruno Silva in the M-1 Challenge 93 headliner on June 1. Promotion officials recently revealed the pairing. M-1 Challenge takes place in Chelyabinsk, Russia and will also see Artem Frolov square off with Joe Riggs for the 185-pound title in the co-main event. Shlemenko had a five-fight winning streak come to an end at Bellator 185, when he dropped a narrow decision to Gegard Mousasi this past October. The 33-year-old Russian owns a 56-10 career mark that includes 31 victories by knockout or technical knockout. Silva, meanwhile, will be making his M-1 debut after compiling a 17-6 record while competing for numerous organizations since his debut in 2010. The 28-year-old Evolucao Thai representative has earned 14 of his career triumphs via KO or TKO. Additionally, M-1 Global announced that M-1 Challenge 92 will take place on May 24 in St. Petersburg, Russia and will feature a heavyweight clash between Sergei Kharitonov and Anton Vyazigin .

Former Dream and Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is confident that 2018 will be a good year for him inside the Octagon. The Brazilian is scheduled to face Kelvin Gastelum in the co-main event of UFC 224 in Rio de Janeiro on May 12. The 38-year-old has come close in the past in earning a shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight belt and is confident that a win against Gasteulm will put him in pole position to face the winner of Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero , who will fight for the title at UFC 225 in June. “If you analyze it, there’s no better option,” Souza told MMA Fighting . “ Chris Weidman can’t fight now, he’s hurt. Kelvin Gastelum is here to fight, I’m here to fight, you know? Here’s what’s going to happen: in two fights I’ll become the UFC middleweight champion. “No disrespect, it’s just me being confident. In two fights, I’ll become the UFC middleweight champion. I’m working for that, and I believe in it, and it will happen. Kelvin is a tough fight, difficult, complicated, but I’m here to defeat anyone and I will win two fights to become UFC champion.

Roy Nelson will get a potential second shot at the Bellator World Heavyweight Tournament when he faces Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic in the Bellator 200 headliner. Bellator 200 takes place on Friday, May 25, at SSE Arena, Wembley in London.

Several fighters have been released for violating the UFC’s Code of Conduct policy. And even before that policy was officially in place, Paul Daley was famously expelled from the fight promotion for sucker punching Josh Koscheck following their bout at UFC 113 in May of 2010. Eight years later and Daley has never been invited back to the Octagon.

Shake Break 4/20/18 (better water)

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Former WSOF heavyweight champion Blagoi Ivanov has signed with the UFC, sources confirm. His Octagon debut is expected to take place in the summer. He recently parted ways amicably with PFL.

Willis, who is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Chase Sherman at this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 128, co-hosted the entire episode in-studio to talk about his background and what’s next for him after his big win in Atlantic City, N.J.

“If you look at her skill set, experience-wise, from this genre in pro wrestling, it was almost non-existent,” Ross continued. “But she had so much pressure on her. The hype was amazing. The expectations were mixed. Some die-hard wrestling fans don’t even like her being there, which is absolutely insane. They are [sic] and goofy, no doubt about that. So, I was absolutely blown away by what she did and how she executed. She looked like an athlete; we knew she is an athlete. She’s a winner.

“Of course I’ve always wanted to match up against him, and I feel like I match up well against him,” Mir said. “Fedor’s not a big guy. He’s quick and he’s fast, but that’s why I came in shape. When I’m in shape, I’m just as quick as he is. … I think it’s an interesting fight, and I’ve wanted to put myself out there and dance with him for a long time.”

“The other side is able to have blood flowing all the way through it, the whole time, to his brain,” McCarthy said. “ So he’s getting these moments where he’s starting to go out and then he kind of pulls himself back. And he’s doing the leg kick. But when you watch the end of the fight, when the horn goes off, and Ricky just lets go of it, he’s out. The pressure release actually – he’s unconscious on the ground. His eyes are staring, his arm goes flat and flops to the ground.

“I’m still in shock,” Dvalishvili said. “I’m shocked. I don’t know what happened. I win fight; everyone thinks I won fight. Everyone. I controlled fight and one minute left I tried to take him down, stay on top, finish on top. But when I take him down, I hit my head on the floor. I feel something is not right. I focused only on the time. I tried to stay in. I moved my legs. I was fighting the hands also, my eyes open. I never stopped. I kept fighting, kept showing everyone that I’m not sleeping from 55 seconds until finish.”

Brown acknowledges that every person’s relationship with drugs is different, and he doesn’t mean to advocate for any particular way of going about recovery. His journey has led him to shun substances not out of fear of relapse, but out of a concern over their effect on his body.

Leslie Smith's organizing efforts might've cost her UFC career, but will the price be worth it? http://bit.ly/2FfiTrk  pic.twitter.com/NxUI7yWbKv

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The fighters were at today’s news conference in downtown Chicago in support of the event, which takes place at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., near Chicago. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Nick Newell will get a shot at a UFC contract. Per Dana White, he'll be offered a fight on the Tuesday Night Contender Series in June.

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Sanchez (16-3) will look to continue his success from last year when he faces Sam Sicilia (15-8) in a Bellator 198 featherweight co-main event on Saturday in Rosemont, Ill.

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Quick images from Saturday's UFC Fight Night 128 card in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis and rising knockout artist Francis Ngannou are set to face off at UFC 226. With the fight now drawing closer, “The Black Beast” has come forward with some heated trash-talk concerning his upcoming opponent.

And here’s Newell’s manager Ali Abdelaziz’s first comments on the deal, as well: “I want to thank Dana White. He’s been making dreams come true for 20 years, and he just made one of Nick’s biggest dreams become true. I'm grateful. Stuff like this makes me humble.”

Kanye West just lost over 9 million followers in under an hour for posting a photo of himself wearing a "Make America Great Again" Trump cap. pic.twitter.com/O6rzv1G2iG

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