Watch top ranked UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou brutally one punch KO former title challenger Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 in Detroit, Michigan

Watch reigning UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway take out former champ Jose Aldo for a second time at UFC 218 in Detroit, Michigan.

Max Holloway answers questions about a potential rematch with Conor McGregor and takes a shot at the reigning UFC lightweight champion.

Henry Cejudo doesn't think things will turn out well for TJ Dillashaw if he drops down to flyweight to challenge Demetrious Johnson.

Maria de Oliveira Neta is leading the renewal of women’s mixed martial arts in Brazil.

Max Holloway may have two wins over Jose Aldo, but the reigning UFC featherweight champion says he's still the greatest of all time at 145 pounds.

Shannon Wiratchai faces Russia's Rasul Yakhyaev at ONE: Warriors of the World and has been promised a shot at the lightweight title if he wins.

Georges St-Pierre recently issued a statement about his medical issues, confirming the news that Dana White revealed following the TUF 26 Finale.

The MMA hour live and unsurprisingly Max Holloway is on AGAIN. Hawaii hawaii hawaii time #themmahour https://youtu.be/gMEQjf5wMns 

The No. 1 contender was then set to headline UFC 218’s big show in Detroit. For his opponent, Overeem was faced with a rising heavyweight star. Francis Ngannou is undefeated inside the octagon, with a nine fight winning streak as a professional mixed martial artist. The most earned a first round TKO over Andrei Arlovski before stepping into the octagon for UFC 218.

The fight between Montano and Modafferi wasn’t the original plan for the main event, as Sijara Eubanks was supposed to compete for the title, but she suffered through a brutal weight cut and was pulled from the card after ending up in the hospital the night before the weigh-in.

Yep, its a fight that I can honestly say I have no idea what the outcome will be, big test for both n we'll find out just how good ortega really is, what makes it such n exciting matchup.

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media. * * * A few years ago, I wrote a series called “Under the Microscope,” where I analyzed the Greatest of All-Time arguments for fighters across several weight classes . I only did this for the five legacy divisions -- lightweight through heavyweight -- since the sub-lightweight weight classes were too young; there simply weren’t enough fighters who could be legitimately defended as the G.O.A.T. Every weight class had its own distinct gray areas and there were definitely fighters that were harder to make a case for than others, but there were at least enough contenders for the crown. I debated doing a shortened version for featherweight but ultimately didn’t because there was really only one option: Jose Aldo . He was the only Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder at the time, and he had dominated two of the three previous World Extreme Cagefighting champions along the way.

. @LukeRockhold believes champ @GeorgesStPierre should "move along" from middleweight. Would you want to see GSP leave the 185-pound division? Read full story: https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/12/4/16735206/luke-rockhold-georges-st-pierre-should-move-along-from-middleweight … #TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/rSNZfXlz5c

A heavyweight grand prix showdown pitting Roy Nelson against Matt Mitrione will officially serve as the headliner for Bellator 194. Promotion officials revealed the news on Tuesday. Bellator 194 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Feb. 16. The event will be broadcast on the Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks. Nelson vs. Mitrione is one of four quarterfinal matchups booked for the heavyweight bracket over the first five months of 2018. Quinton Jackson and Chael Sonnen will kick things off at Bellator 192 on Jan. 20; Fedor Emelianenko and Frank Mir will meet in April and Ryan Bader and Muhammed Lawal will square off in May. Nelson and Mitrione initially squared off at “The Ultimate Fighter 16” finale in December 2012, with “Big Country” winning via first-round technical knockout. Nelson signed with Bellator earlier this year and made his debut at Bellator 183, where he earned a unanimous verdict over Javy Ayala . Mitrione signed with the California-based promotion in 2016 following a 14-bout stint with the UFC.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota-born Johnson will actually seek to avoid the first back-to-back defeats of his career as he seeks to rebound from a July loss to upstart Junior Albini. Johnson has actually alternated wins and losses thus far in his six-fight UFC run, earning wins over Daniel Omielanczuk, Tybura and Shamil Abdurakhimov and falling short against Albini, Alexander Volkov and Jared Rosholt.

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“I’m not going up to middleweight because I think that would boost me on the pound-for-pound (rankings),” Woodley said. “I want to fight Georges, and he’s not fighting in my weight. So I’ll come up and see you there. And I do think there are some guys I can compete with in the middleweight division. I’m going to be so much faster. I don’t think I’m giving up that much power in the punching.

There was a time when the thought of defeating Jose Aldo at all was laughable. Max Holloway has beaten him twice in six months. The Hawaiian retained his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title in a rematch with Aldo, as he disposed of the Brazilian great with third round punches in their UFC 218 main event on Dec. 2 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Holloway closed the show 4:51 into Round 3, roaring to his 12th consecutive victory before a crowd of 17,587. The FightMetric numbers were jaw-dropping. Holloway fired off 397 significant strikes in less than 15 minutes and outlanded Aldo by a 2-to-1 margin: 174-87. Of those 174 strikes, 135 were directed to the head, as the champion soaked his counterpart with merciless output. Aldo, his odometer trending in the wrong direction, simply could not keep up. Now firmly entrenched as the top fighter in the world at 145 pounds, Holloway moves to the second spot on our pound-for-pound list. Meanwhile, the previously ninth-ranked Aldo drops out of the Top 10 for the first time in years, his departure clearing the way for interim UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker to enter at No.

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media. * * * One of the most anticipated fights on the UFC 218 main card featured two of the toughest lightweights on the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster, as Eddie Alvarez met Justin Gaethje . During their coaching stint on Season 26 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the two 155-pound stalwarts kept fans interested without resorting to trash talking or other antics that seem to have become the norm in mixed martial arts. That’s not to say histrionics aren’t required to sell tickets at times, but when warriors like Alvarez and Gaethje leave their blood and sweat in the cage, it should be enough to keep any fight fan engaged. While the buying public was treated to one of the best events of 2017 on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, a Detroit Free Press columnist thought the show was lacking . An admittedly casual observer, Carlos Monarrez wrote, “UFC 218 felt like it could have been any boxing or martial arts event -- from the ’80s or ’90s.

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media. * * * Over the past few years, a wide chasm has developed between Ultimate Fighting Championship ’s superstar drawing cards -- Conor McGregor , Ronda Rousey , Brock Lesnar , Georges St. Pierre -- and everyone else on the roster. Jon Jones is really the only fighter somewhere in the middle. Pay-per-views with a superstar draw very well, and all the other pay-per-views don’t do well at all. Given all those superstars’ futures present significant question marks, this puts UFC in a real predicament. It needs to create some new stars. There has been significant debate about why exactly the UFC has struggled to create additional superstars in recent years. The UFC has faced criticism from some for not promoting its fighters properly. Others argue that the fighters themselves either haven’t done enough to capture the public imagination or they intrinsically lack star qualities.

Bellator Heads Back to Italy on Dec. 9 With Rafael Carvalho-Alessio Sakara Middleweight Title Fight

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Donald Cerrone vs. Mairbek Taisumov Being Eyed for UFC 221 in Perth

Donald Cerrone vs. Mairbek Taisumov Being Eyed for UFC 221 in Perth

On Ep. 134, Anik and Florian recap UFC 218, which produced one of the best fight cards of 2017. Full analysis on all the big winners, including Max Holloway, Francis Ngannou, and Eddie Alvarez. The guys are joined by UFC 218 winner and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. Plus, Flo’s pick for this weekend’s main event between Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega. And a new Ray Longo Minute. SUBSCRIBE for more from UFC ON FOX: http://foxs.pt/SubscribeUFCONFOX ►Watch the latest content UFC on FOX content: http://foxs.pt/TheLatestonUFCONFOX ►Watch the latest from UFC Tonight: http://foxs.pt/UFCTonightonUFCONFOX ►TUF Talk: http://foxs.pt/TUFTalkonUFCONFOX ►FOX Sports YouTube channel: http://foxs.pt/SubscribeFOXSPORTS ►The Ultimate Fighter’s YouTube channel: http://foxs.pt/SubscribeTUF About UFC ON FOX: The official FOX Sports home of UFC coverage. We see every punch, kick and submission attempt and share it with you, THE FAN. Our talent includes past and current UFC fighters such as Daniel Cormier, Michael Bisping, Dominick Cruz, Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans and more. UFC ON FOX content includes highlights, press conferences, weigh-ins and analysis from all PPV events and Fight Nights on FOX and FS1.

WARNING!! Emotional post. I had the best night of my life last night and for so many reasons. The obvious reason being that I won my fight but I have had many wins before and nothing felt as good as it did last night. I want people to know a little bit more on why last night was so special to me….When you’re a top level athlete your life becomes that sport. I am in the gym morning and night, in between sessions I am rushing home to let my dog out, quickly make healthy food and then try to rest until my next training session so I don’t have time for much else. I let a lot of my other priorities get pushed to the side when I am in fight camp, I don’t get to see my friends much, my family as much as I like and most times I get to see my boyfriend it’s for 20 mins at night before I pass out from exhaustion. I don’t know how many times people have asked me to do something but I had to say no because I don’t eat out or stay out late and it starts to feel like i am missing out on things but i know it’s a small price I have to pay to follow my dreams and do the best I can do. I have left the gym crying multiple times, i have yelled at training partners and coaches because i am frustrated, i have had to deal with injuries while training, and so many other things but i still wake up each day and get to the gym and work hard because that’s the career i chose.

The third round is the charm for Max Holloway . For the second time in a row, “Blessed” dispatched Jose Aldo in the third stanza, this time to defend his featherweight crown in the UFC 218 headliner in Detroit on Saturday night. Just like their first meeting at UFC 212, Holloway capitalized as Aldo faded, winning via technical knockout at the 4:51 mark of the period. At just 25 years old, the Hawaiian can make a legitimate claim to being the best featherweight ever, even if he did decline that title in his post-fight interview. Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou sent a resounding message to the rest of the heavyweight division with a vicious knockout of former title challenger Alistair Overeem in the first round of the co-main event. With the victory, Ngannou appears destined for a showdown with reigning champion Stipe Miocic at some point in 2018. Here is a by-the-numbers look at UFC 218, with statistics courtesy of FightMetric.com. Related » UFC 218 Round-by-Round Scoring 14: UFC / WEC featherweight victories for Holloway, No.

“We knew months ago he wasn’t going to be able to get his visa, he wasn’t getting his visa,” Usman said. “So we were told, ‘Hey, we’re going to work on the visa, are you still willing to hang on?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll hang on.’ In the process, they were trying to find someone who’d step in right away. And then it came to a point where, officially, it was like, ‘Yeah, it’s not looking likely.’

“In my opinion, Michael Bisping’s done enough,” Parillo told MMAjunkie. “I don’t think Michael Bisping ever has to fight again. I think that he had such a phenomenal career – if we are just fighting for money, maybe it’s not worth it at this point. He’s made a lot of money. He can retire and be fine for the rest of his life. He’ll never be fine just sitting around being fine. He’s going to go out and be making noise doing something else. That’s a conversation that’s going to be had over the course of time, obviously.”

A controversial presence during her appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter 20” and a brash Twitter presence, Magana drew headlines in May when she was punched by current women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg after an argument at the UFC fighter’s summit. Police were called and misdemeanor battery charges were filed against Cyborg.

“You can blow through that quick,” Detroit native Lee (16-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) told reporters backstage at UFC 218, where he served as a guest fighter and received a hero’s welcome from the crowd. “Ask Floyd Mayweather –Floyd did that about six, seven times.”

“Everyone was so enthralled about the Conor McGregor/Floyd Mayweather fight. I’d like to see Francis about one year from now fight whoever the heavyweight champion is, whether it be Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua. Thta would be a real fight, where an MMA fighter could go in there and upset a current boxing champion.”

A bantamweight clash pitting Kyung Ho Kang against Guido Cannetti has been added to the UFC Fight Night 124 lineup. The promotion recently announced the pairing. UFC Fight Night 124 takes place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Jan. 14 and features a featherweight clash between Doo Ho Choi and Jeremy Stephens . The card will be televised on Fox Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass. Kang, 30, will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since September 2014 after fulfilling mandatory military service for his country. In his last appearance, the South Korean known as “Mr. Perfect.” captured a split decision against Michinori Tanaka at UFC Fight Night 52. Kang is 2-1 with one no contest in the UFC and and 13-7 as a professional overall. Cannetti has also had a lengthy hiatus. The 37-year-old Argentinian hasn’t competed since taking a unanimous verdict over Hugo Viana at UFC 190 on Aug. 1, 2015. Cannetti debuted in the Octagon with a second-round submission loss to Enrique Briones at UFC 180.

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oh great..so Ortega is going to "jits" the whole time if he can get Cub to the ground. Why on earth did the UFC think this was a good matchup? Cub's a dynamic exciting striker. This could be a boring fight now. Cub should have got the Max fight. Would have done better than Aldo

No nickname in mixed martial arts history fits its subject better than “The Hammer.” Mark Coleman will turn 53 on Dec. 20. “The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound” called it a career in March 2013 but not before leaving a lasting impression on the sport. Coleman won an NCAA wrestling championship at Ohio State University and represented the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics, placing seventh in Barcelona, Spain. He transitioned to MMA in 1996, winning the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournaments before later becoming the first heavyweight titleholder in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. After four consecutive defeats, Coleman packed his bags and resurrected his career in Pride Fighting Championships , winning the Japanese organization’s open weight grand prix in 2000, with victories over Masaaki Satake , Akira Shoji , Kazuyuki Fujita and Igor Vovchanchyn . Coleman was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2008 and returned to the Octagon the following year, losing his rematch with Mauricio Rua . After a decision win over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar , he made his final appearance at UFC 109 in February 2010, submitting to a rear-naked choke from former two-division champion Randy Couture .

Hunt’s manager Zen Ginnen confirmed to MMAWeekly that doctors have cleared him and now they are just waiting on word from the UFC so they can hopefully book his next fight. The news was first reported by the Daily Telegraph in Australia. 

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I’ve been taking @OmegaXL and it has me feeling so good that I had to tell my great friend, UFC Fighter @FromHellPichel all about it. You can get it at http://omegaxl.com  pic.twitter.com/Nce2rewRDj

Holloway and McGregor fought back in 2013 where the two went the distance in their three-round fight and judges awarded “The Notorious” a unanimous decision. Holloway commented how McGregor is still cherishing that win from when they were “kids” on the undercard of a UFC Fight Night event.

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UFC 218 on Saturday in Detroit will go down as one of the best Ultimate Fighting Championship events of 2017. Top to bottom, it was filled with back-and-forth wars, brutal knockouts and contenders for “Fight of the Year” and “Round of the Year.” UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway capped off all of it in the headliner, as he reaffirmed his dominance over the division and finished the great Jose Aldo for the second time in six months. Putting Doubts to Rest The UFC 218 main event had to be altered ahead of time when Holloway’s original opponent, Frankie Edgar , suffered a training injury and was forced to withdraw. In stepped Aldo, a man Holloway knew all too well. The change did not faze Holloway in the least, as it gave him the opportunity to show that his first victory over the Brazilian was no fluke and that he was indeed the best thing going at 145 pounds. In the final two minutes of the third round, Holloway picked up the pace against his fading challenger. Once he smelled blood in the water, he never took his foot off the gas, ripping into Aldo with precise punches.

HOW TO VISIT THE SHOW: You can watch MMAjunkie Radio live and in person at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. The booth is located in the resort’s Race & Sports Book next to the Mandalay Bay poker room. To plan a trip to Sin City and MMAjunkie Radio, go to  www.mandalaybay.com .

Spinal Injury Forces Justin Scoggins Out of Upcoming Bout Against Tim Elliott at UFC on Fox 26 http://bit.ly/2Apf4Rv  pic.twitter.com/qu41vxo8Jw

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It was one of the most brutal knockouts this side of Sean Salmon, and it came against a perennial heavyweight contender who’s been in the UFC for longer than Ngannou has even known what MMA is. Was he impressed with himself for this act of sudden devastation against such a prominent opponent? Not particularly.

“I need to walk in the cage with a banana in my shorts and a crew cut then maybe the ref will let the fight go. Men can (expletive) tap out from strikes get hit and the ref wont stop it till 7 shots later after near death expierence # equalrightsinfights # letthegirlstakebeatingstoo ,” Magana wrote on Twitter on Sunday, insinuating that referee Keith Petersen stopped the fight sooner than he should have because Magana is a woman.

Weekend Results: Kyra Batara Defeats Paulina Granados at Combate Americas 19 'Queen Warriors' http://bit.ly/2ApFvqh  pic.twitter.com/QAlLfrmFwj

All podcasts (video+mp3) can be found here: http://mmaheat.com/podcast/ . On this edition of The MMA H.E.A.T. Podcast, Karyn Bryant and UFC Welterweight Alan Jouban discuss the action that went down at UFC 218, where Featherweight Champ Max Holloway successfully defended his title against former champ Jose Aldo with a 3rd-round TKO victory. They also discuss Francis NGannou’s unbelievable KO of Alistair Overeem, the fantastic fight between #TUF26 coaches Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje, Yancy Medeiros’ gutsy win over Alex Oliveira and more. Karyn and Alan also break down Nicco Montano’s win over Roxanne Modafferi to win the inaugural UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship and Lauren Murphy’s victory over Barb Honchak at the #TUFFinale . SUBSCRIBE for more from MMA coverage: https://www.youtube.com/KarynBryant?s... * Follow Karyn on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KarynBryant * Follow Alan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AlanJouban * Follow Wade on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAHEAT #UFC #UFC218 #MaxHolloway #JoseAldo #AlistairOvereem #FrancisNgannou #KnockOut #EddieAlvarez #JustinGaethje #YancyMedeiros #AlexOliveira #TUF26 #TUFFinale #NiccoMontano #RoxanneModafferi #LaurenMurphy #BarbHonchak #MMAHEAT #Podcast #KarynBryant #AlanJouban #WadeEck #KennyJohnson #BoltWrestling #BlackHouse #WrestlingCoach And remember to check out our website: http://www.

One lived up to the hype. The other exceeded expectations. Both were found deserving of $50,000 post-fight bonuses. Eddie Alvarez vs. Justin Gaethje and Yancy Medeiros vs. Alex Oliveira both received “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC 218 in Detroit on Saturday night. Both bouts, as anyone watching the card can attest, were worthy recipients. Alvarez-Gaethje was perhaps the most anticipated matchup on the entire bill. The two lightweights did not disappoint, trading liberally throughout the contest. While Gaethje found the mark on many of his trademark leg kicks, Alvarez attacked the ex-World Series of Fighting Champion with body blows repeatedly. That work took its toll, and Alvarez capitalized with a knee and follow-up punches for a thrilling victory 3:59 into the third round. Meanwhile, Medeiros and Oliveira set the stage nicely in a preliminary welterweight scrap. Oliveira had Medeiros reeling with a pair of knockdowns in the opening stanza, but the Hawaiian survived the onslaught. Medeiros took control in the second frame and finished the contest in the third, putting the Brazilian away with a stream of punches and elbows at the 2:02 mark.

Video: here’s today’s #TheMMAHour w/ Holloway, Poirier, Rockhold, Johns, Roxy, Oezdemir, Shevchenko, Eubanks in studio and more! https://youtu.be/gMEQjf5wMns  pic.twitter.com/sOjB42JIBA

Check out the top Tweets and headlines from Monday's edition of The MMA Hour.

Brett Johns grabbed a “slice” of UFC history on Friday night, and he was compensated accordingly for his efforts. Johns improved to 15-0 by authoring the second calf slicer finish in promotion history, tapping Joe Soto with the maneuver just 30 seconds into their bantamweight bout at “The Ultimate Fighter 26” finale. “The Pikey” joined Charles Oliveira as the only two men to execute the submission in the Octagon, and as a result, he earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check. Meanwhile, Nicco Montano and Roxanne Modafferi received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their work in the main event. In a high-paced contest that saw the two flyweights combine to throw nearly 1,000 total strikes over five rounds, Montano outlanded and outworked her foe to earn a unanimous decision and become the promotion’s inaugural female 125-pound champion. Elsewhere, Gerald Meerschaert captured the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his second round knockout of Eric Spicely . Meerschaert softened his foe with a series of body kicks in the second frame, the last of which connected to the liver and finished Spicely 2:18 into the period.

Happy 26th birthday, @BlessedMMA! Longest win streak in FW history 🔥 Defeated the FW 🐐 twice Five bonus awards 🤑 It is what it is. #BlessedEra

Nicco Montano completed the long hike to the top of the mountain. The Fit NHB export laid claim to the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight title with a clear-cut unanimous decision over Roxanne Modafferi in “The Ultimate Fighter” 26 Finale headliner on Friday at Park Theater in Las Vegas. Scores were 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46, all for Montano (4-2, 1-0 UFC). A short-notice replacement for the ailing Sijara Eubanks , Modafferi (21-14, 0-2 UFC) kept it competitive but found herself outmatched at virtually every turn. Montano spent much of the fight moving forward, hid straight left hands behind a sneaky jab, hit timely takedowns and even threatened her adversary with a triangle choke in the second round. Behind on the scorecards entering the fifth, Modafferi saw her chance at a Hail Mary victory come and go in tantalizing fashion. There, she trapped Montano in a tight armbar, only to see the former King of the Cage champion slip through her grasp. Related » TUF 26 Finale Round-by-Round Scoring Dazzling O’Malley Overcomes Ware The unbeaten Sean O’Malley made a successful promotional debut, as he captured a unanimous decision from Terrion Ware in the bantamweight co-main event.