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

Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey is nearing a deal to begin a new career with WWE

Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega meet in a perfect match-up in the UFC Fight Night Fresno main event on Saturday. But what makes their match-up so special?

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

4036/stipe-miocic-slated-to-defend-heavyweight-title-against-francis-ngannou-at-ufc-220?utm_campaign=marc_raimondi&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Aljamain Sterling to Face Rani Yahya at UFC Fight Night 123 in Fresno on Dec. 9

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

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 .

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.

Mark Hunt has been given a clean bill of health – at least clean enough to return to the Octagon. According to a report from The Daily Telegraph , the heavyweight fan favorite has been cleared to compete by specialists from the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. Hunt had been indefinitely suspended by the UFC after revealing that he was suffering from potential signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a column for Australia’s Players Voice in September. “We’ve just had a conference call with the doctors in the States, who gave us the good news,” Team Hunt manager Zen Ginnen told the Daily Telegraph. “So it’s all looking positive. “The doctor said Mark scored well above average and that he’s good to compete. So they’ll ring the UFC now and let them know. We’re just waiting on the UFC to clear him.” Hunt had reportedly been cleared by two different doctors in Australia, but UFC President Dana White required that the fighter undergo further examination in the United States before being allowed to return to the promotion.

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.

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.

“Just come out and say that you don’t want to fight here in the division, you want to relinquish the title and move on. I’m tired of story after story and just dragging us on and leaving us in the dark. State what it is. If you’re sick, you’re sick. But the fact is that you don’t want to fight in the division. He’s done his thing. He’s a legend. Whatever. Just move on. Let us move on,” said Rockhold.

The UFC on Fox 26 fight card has undergone a number of changes, the Las Vegas-based promotion announced Monday. As previously reported, Josh Emmett will officially step in for Jose Aldo and face Ricardo Lamas in the co-main event. Meanwhile, Pietro Menga will replace the injured Justin Scoggins and face Tim Elliott in a flyweight bout. Elsewhere, Darren Stewart has replaced Vitor Miranda and will meet Julian Marquez at middleweight. Finally, Nordine Taleb , who was originally set to lock horns with Sultan Aliev , and Danny Roberts , who was supposed to fight Sheldon Westcott , will now square off against each other due to their opponents’ withdrawals. UFC on Fox 26 takes place at MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on Dec. 16 and is headlined by a welterweight duel between Robbie Lawler and Rafael dos Anjos . The main card will be televised on the Fox Network, with prelims airing on Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

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.

8:15PM ET- First up, one of MMA’s most recognizable names, Joe “Diesel” Riggs joins us to preview his upcoming fight for the M-1 middleweight strap and what’s next for the long-time veteran. A return to the UFC? Another bare-knuckle boxing match? We’ll be discussing it all.

6932/morning-report-floyd-mayweather-says-he-carried-conor-mcgregor-to-make-it-look-good-for-yall-boxing?utm_campaign=mmafighting&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Whoa, hey now. “Date night” might not be the proper caption for a photo with McGregor when the UFC lightweight champion has longtime girlfriend, Dee Devlin, and their 7-month-old son at home. Ora took some heat for her word choice for that reason, and that included – from out of nowhere! – McGregor’s teammate, Artem Lobov , putting her on blast (via @TheMMABible on Twitter):

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.

In an effort to bring more attention to the global stage of mixed martial arts, this list does not focus on major North American-based promotions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA and the Professional Fighters League. *** Invicta Fighting Championships will close out the year with a sensational main event pairing between two of its marquee competitors at 125 pounds. Chute Boxe star Jennifer Maia will defend her flyweight championship against the undefeated Aga Niedzwiedz in the Invicta 26 headliner on Dec. 8 at the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. The event -- which also features the latest appearance from 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Mackenzie Dern -- will stream to UFC Fight Pass in its entirety at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Maia enters the cage on a five-fight winning streak. The 29-year-old Brazilian captured the interim Invicta flyweight crown with a unanimous decision over Vanessa Porto in March 2016 and was later promoted to undisputed champion when Barb Honchak was removed from the throne due to inactivity.

Francis Ngannou may not be the No. 1 heavyweight in the world, but when he challenges champion Stipe Miocic , he will be treated as such. The 31-year-old Ngannou laid waste to perennial heavyweight power player Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 on Dec 2, clobbering “The Demolition Man” with a left uppercut at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Now with 10 straight stoppage wins to his credit, Ngannou will face Miocic for the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title sometime in 2018; so impressive was his knockout of Overeem that the Cameroonian has opened as a -160 favorite against the reigning Miocic. A night prior to UFC 218, the promotion wrapped up “The Ultimate Fighter 26” in Las Vegas, crowning the season’s No. 14 seed, Nicco Montano , the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight champion. Montano was due to face Sijara Eubanks , who failed to make weight when her kidneys started shutting down. The grim situation, if nothing else, was advantageous for Montano, as she faced previously fourth-ranked flyweight Roxanne Modafferi instead.

“The Ultimate Fighter 26” finale edged Bellator 189 in terms of ratings on Friday night. According to ShowBuzz Daily , the “TUF 26” finale attracted an average audience of 501,000 for its card on Fox Sports 1. The event took place in Las Vegas and saw Nicco Montano claim the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight crown with a five-round decision over Roxanne Modafferi in the evening’s main event. The main card drew a 0.21 in the 18-49 demographic. The “TUF 26” preliminary card, which also aired on FS1, drew 361,000 viewers and a 0.12 in the 18-49 demographic. Meanwhile, Bellator 189 drew 439,000 viewers to Spike TV on Friday for a card that took place in Thackerville, Okla., and saw Julia Budd retain her featherweight crown with a split decision triumph over Arlene Blencowe . Bellator 189 earned a 0.15 share in the 18-to-49 group. Elsewhere, the UFC 218 prelims attracted 694,000 viewers and drew a 0.26 share in the 18-49 demo on FS1 Saturday night. In the featured preliminary bout, Paul Felder defeated Charles Oliveira via second-round technical knockout. T

Check out the Brand New MMA Roasted Podcast w/ Tatiana Suarez, Vinc Pichel, Gerald Harris, Al Iaquinta, CB Gold and Andrew Montañez https://m.soundcloud.com/mmaroasted/vinc-pichel-gerald-harris …

Francis " #Deebo " Ngannou hit Alistair so hard you'd think he asked him for his bike back. #UFC218 #Friday #NewNicknamesForFighters pic.twitter.com/JBMfR6G8mS

'Most violent man in the UFC' Eddie Alvarez wants 'big, mega-fight' after KO of Justin Gaethje http://bit.ly/2AyAoUG  pic.twitter.com/HEnJCtZ0dg

“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 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.

Available in Our First Year!

Rising Star Sean O’Malley Could Be Sidelined for 6 Months Following TUF 26 Finale

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.

“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.

“I think in life, when something is taken from you, you start wanting and valuing it more,” Camoes said. “He’s always saying, ‘I want to fight.’ The thing he wants the most is to fight. So I think he will go back to fighting. I find it unlikely that he won’t fight again. Before this happened, I remember talking to (Luiz) Dorea (boxing coach) and I said, ‘This guy still fights for another three, four years. This is a man who’ll fight until he’s 45, 46.’ He was like a kid – so happy.

Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory.

Holloway, who is coming off a successful title defense against Jose Aldo at UFC 218, called in to recap his experiences from this past weekend and unpack what’s next. Quares, the president of Triumphant Combat Sports, stopped by to talk about his new muay Thai promotion that will be featured on UFC Fight Pass.

Hamill had first gained notoriety on Season 3 of ‘TUF,’ where he was the first deaf competitor and a sort of accidental foil for eventual season winner and future UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping. After three straight wins to start his UFC run, the former college wrestling champion lost a controversial split decision to Bisping, but the effort helped solidify him as a serious player in the UFC light heavyweight division, and all before Jones had even had a single MMA fight.

UFC boss White, who has promoted Aldo fights in the UFC for more than seven years, echoed Holloway’s sentiments about “Scarface.” At 31 and with UFC losses only to current champions Holloway and Conor McGregor, Aldo likely still has a lot of fight left him. However, with two shortcomings against “Blessed,” a third featherweight title shot is unrealistic.

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.

Rafael Carvalho seeks the kind of validation that only comes with time. The once-beaten Brazilian will defend the Bellator MMA middleweight championship against American Top Team mainstay Alessio Sakara in the Bellator 190 headliner on Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence, Italy. There, Carvalho can become the second fighter -- Alexander Shlemenko was the first -- to successfully defend the promotion’s 185-pound title on three different occasions. Sakara faces an uphill climb. The well-traveled “Legionarius” has piled up the miles during a career that stretches back more than 15 years and covers more than 30 professional bouts. Sakara, 36, last competed at Bellator 168 on Dec. 10, when he brought down fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Joey Beltran with first-round punches. He has rattled off three straight wins since his December 2014 encounter with Maciej Browarski resulted in a no-contest. One of MMA’s more underappreciated stars, Carvalho finds himself on a 14-fight winning streak that includes a 5-0 mark in Bellator.

Here is another day long food blog. This is what I typically eat every day. Its not fancy but it works. My diet has changed a lot from the other food blogs I have done. Much more food and a lot more meat.

FRESNO! Open Workouts go down THURSDAY | 11:30-1pmPT| FREE & OPEN to the PUBLIC! #UFCFresno pic.twitter.com/bvUwm5KDzA

Sarah Kaufman has signed a contract to return to Invicta Fighting Championships. The all-female promotion confirmed the news Wednesday following an initial report from MMAFighting.com . The former Strikeforce bantamweight champion and four-time UFC veteran will headline Invicta FC 27 on Jan. 13 against an as-yet-to-be-named opponent. Kaufman’s UFC contract expired in 2015 following back-to-back losses to Valentina Shevchenko and Alexis Davis , giving her a 1-2 mark with one no contest during her tenure with the Las Vegas-based promotion. The 32-year-old Canadian returned to action on March 18, when she took a unanimous decision over Jessica-Rose Clark at BFC Battlefield “The Great Beginning” in South Korea. Kaufman is 18-4 since beginning her professional career in June 2006. She owns notable victories over the likes of Valerie Letourneau , Davis (twice), Miesha Tate , Shayna Baszler , Liz Carmouche and Leslie Smith (twice).

“If it happened in a rematch, it’s a simple adjustment of me having a heavier sparring partner coming in, in the later rounds, and lean on me and walk me down. Where as in my sparring in the lead up to the camp, we were always against fast, twitchy, light on their toes opponent with a Philly shell style and their backs against the ropes. Never against forward pressure because he’s never fought like that so it took us by surprise and I got beat,” McGregor explained.

what a Polish beauty you are. I live near a town which is mostly Polish, and i tell you...all the girls are all, with long legs, long hair, and the prettiest faces.

Marquez, 32, was born with down syndrome and has long dreamed of becoming a mixed martial artist, according to a report by local Albuquerque news station KRQE. He has been training alongside Sanchez at Jackson/Wink, and intends to continue doing so even now that the fight is over.

5576/luke-rockhold-ufc-needs-to-take-emphasis-off-dana-white-and-put-it-back-on-fighters?utm_campaign=davedoylemma&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

0910/morning-report-michael-bisping-admits-fighting-kelvin-gastelum-was-the-wrong-move-ufc-shanghai?utm_campaign=mmafighting&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Bruno Rodrigues Mesquita will face a great challenge in his third Titan FC appearance when he squares off with the unbeaten Gustavo Eddy Balart on Dec. 15. The bout will serve as the co-main event for Titan FC 47 , which takes place at Xtreme Action Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Titan FC 47 is headlined by a clash between featherweights Sodiq Yusuff and Luis Gomez . The card will stream on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Balart, a 34-year-old native of Santiago, Cuba, is riding the momentum of four victories under the Titan FC banner. Mesquita, who was preparing to face Allan Nascimento at a different event, accepted the bout on short notice to bolster his career. The 26-year-old Brazilian fighter known as Bruno “Korea” isn’t focused on his future in Titan, nor a return to the UFC — where he fell to Matheus Nicolau Pereira in his lone Octagon appearance in November 2015. Instead, he is devoting his energy to the task at hand. “My training was good, we had planned to fight [Nascimento] on [Dec.

In September of 2016, pro wrestling legend CM Punk stepped into the UFC’s Octagon to battle red hot prospect Mickey Gall. At the time of this fight, Punk had almost nothing in the way of martial arts experience, and yet somehow, we were all compelled to watch his pro debut anyway.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Evans will call in to help us take a look at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 123 event. He’ll be on the FS1 desk doing analyst work for the card. He’ll also talk about what’s next in his MMA career. Ostovich is coming off a submission win over Karine Gevorgyan at the TUF 26 Finale. She’ll talk about that fight, her experience on “TUF 26” and what she wants next.