Bellator MMA returns across the mighty pond to invade the U.K. on Friday night with another event overflowing with mixed martial arts mayhem.

TPF 31 - Tachi Palace Fights 31 pits Adrian Diaz vs Cody The Renegade Gibson fight in Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, Lemoore, California, United States on May 18, 2017.

Demetrious Johnson had some pointed words for Ronda Rousey in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

The most victorious competitors in jiu-jitsu history will meet one more time in Brazil.

Ilir Latifi needs a new opponent for UFC Fight Night 112.

Cris Cyborg, one of the best MMA fighters of all times, discusses if Joanna Jedrzejczyk has already cemented her place in WMMA history.

ESPN boxing analyst Teddy Atlas believes UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor will somehow cheat in a boxing match against Floyd "Money" Mayweather. A

Colorado-based Elevation Fight Team is parting ways with long-time sponsor MusclePharm.

The way the "Cowboy" sees it, if you’re not down with his UFC 213 fight, you’re not a fan.

An intriguing featherweight fight has been added to UFC on FOX 25.

Cris Cyborg sent a letter to the California State Athletic Commission, supporting a 10-point weight-cutting reform plan passed Tuesday.

If you enjoyed Saturday’s Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier fight at UFC 211, the good news is the UFC is hoping to book it again as soon as possible. When will that happen? That’s complicated.

Tachi Palace Fights returns to the forefront of the mixed martial arts world on Thursday with another solid night of action.

In one of the more beautiful — and violent — KOs you’ll see this year, Brando Mamana flattens Adi Paryanto with a spinning head kick at One Pride MMA 3 in Indonesia.

Amanda Nunes and Donald Cerrone spoke to the media about their upcoming UFC 213 fights, Ronda Rousey, President Donald Trump, and more!

UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping says he’s heard nothing official about cancelling his fight with Georges St-Pierre and until he does, he still expects to fight him later this year.

With UFC 211 in the books, MMA Fighting's E. Casey Leydon looks back at a memorable fight week in Dallas.

A large chunk of the UFC roster will descend upon Las Vegas this weekend, and it won’t be for a fight.

Join Luke Thomas at 1 p.m. ET for his weekly Promotional Malpractice Live Chat. Today's topics include UFC 211, Bellator 179 and more.

Francis Ngannou has quickly become one of the scariest prospects the UFC heavyweight division has ever seen. Ngannou is on a nine-fight win streak and is

Donald Cerrone is pumped up for his fight against Robbie Lawler at UFC 213.

Andre Pederneiras doesn't feel like Brazil is the best place for his fighters, due to a lack of structure and support towards MMA.

Daniel Cormier is not willing to relent on his tirades about Jon Jones’ drug-related issues.

Fight Nights Global targeting MMA’s first hockey player vs. hockey player bout.

On this week's show the panel will discuss the aftermath of UFC 211, the latest on Bisping vs. GSP and McGregor vs. Mayweather, UFC 213, Demetrious Johnson, Rory MacDonald's debut and more.

Even if he beats Jones twice, though, that still might not be enough. Cormier is likely too old to hold the title down for the next five years or so and impress us with his longevity. Even if he did, look around at light heavyweight. Apart from Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, plus maybe Jimi Manuwa, how many 205-pounders are there who are good enough that a win over them means something?

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Poland has already proven to be a country that produces top-level talent in women’s mixed martial arts through the rise of Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Karolina Kowalkiewicz in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Flyweight prospect Agnieszka Niedzwiedz wants to show the world she has the tools to become the next Polish superstar. Niedzwiedz was introduced to martial arts through judo as a means to stay busy as a child. She decided to switch gears at age 17 and shifted her focus to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, training alongside her brother. Before long, everything started to fall into place. “After only a couple of sessions of training, I got an offer to fight in professional MMA,” Niedzwiedz told Sherdog.com, “and I decided that I should try a new thing.” She made her first pro MMA appearance as a teenager and without the benefit of much formal training. It did not take Niedzwiedz long to realize she was meant to fight. “I had no amateur fights or even sparring before my professional debut,” she said. “My opponent rocked me in the first round, but I came back and TKO’d her in revenge.

Bellator MMA may soon know whether or not Rory MacDonald was a worthwhile investment. The Tristar Gym staple and former King of the Cage champion makes his organizational debut opposite Paul Daley in the Bellator 179 headliner on Friday at the SSE Arena in London. Their three-round battle carries potential title implications at 170 pounds and buoys a five-fight main card scheduled to air on Spike TV via tape delay (9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT). MacDonald will enter the cage on a two-fight losing streak. The 27-year-old Firas Zahabi protégé last competed at UFC Fight Night 89 on June 18, when he dropped a five-round unanimous decision to Stephen Thompson at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario. MacDonald has secured 13 of his 18 career wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission and owns high-profile victories over Nate Diaz , Demian Maia , B.J. Penn , Jake Ellenberger , Tyron Woodley and Tarec Saffiedine . The three men to whom he has lost -- Thompson, Carlos Condit and Robbie Lawler (twice) -- own a cumulative record of 70-23-1. Daley, meanwhile, carries with him one of the highest knockout rates in the sport, as he has delivered 29 of his 39 professional victories by KO or TKO.

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The two are set to do battle this weekend at The SSE Arena, with the prize of a welterweight title shot awaiting the winner. Daley says he believes MacDonald’s UFC 189 defeat to Robbie Lawler highlighted a weakness in the Canadian’s psyche that he plans to exploit when they do battle in Friday night’s main event.

Heavyweight 1. Stipe Miocic (17-2) The top of the heavyweight division is a position inherently intertwined with volatility in this sport, but in his second UFC heavyweight title defense, Miocic managed to avenge his last career loss against Junior dos Santos and do it in brilliant fashion. He needed less than half of a round to knock “Cigano” unconscious with punches at UFC 211 and atone for his December 2014 unanimous decision defeat. Miocic's win gives him two consecutive UFC heavyweight title defenses -- tied for the most in promotional history -- but more importantly, his win over dos Santos gives him yet another knockout over a legendary heavyweight. 2. Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1) If Werdum had his druthers and could choose a loss to avenge, it stands to reason that the former UFC heavyweight champion would want to rematch the man who took his title and humiliated him in front of 45,000 Brazilian fans: Stipe Miocic. However, if “Vai Cavalo” is to get a second crack at Miocic or the heavyweight champion's next challenger -- Junior dos Santos, who shockingly knocked out Werdum in his October 2008 UFC debut -- he will likely have to settle another score first: Werdum faces rival Alistair Overeem in a rubber match at UFC 213 on July 8.

Sure it makes sense if you want an easy fight and a hollow title that you’re going to vacate as soon as the real champ comes knocking. True, they may not have the greatest records over the past 2 years, but they fought the best at BW. GDR hasn’t had a victory over a top 10 BW in over 5 years, prior to her fight with Holm, which many felt she lost. Despite their records, all the fighters you mentioned were ranked well ahead of GDR prior to her moving up. Just goes to show you what a joke the FW division is. A former non top 10 bantamweight is ranked #3 at Featherweight.

Pre-sale tickets for my Strange Times tour on sale now http://bit.ly/2r2caOz  Password is: COMEDY 2nd shows added to Edmonton, Atlanta & DC pic.twitter.com/poKoPQwUSQ

Some of Dana White’s comments at the UFC 211 post-fight press conference have drawn the ire of former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold . Earlier in the evening, Demian Maia , who earned a pivotal triumph over Jorge Masvidal this past Saturday in Dallas, claimed that he had been promised a welterweight title shot on more than one occasion in the past only to see someone else jump the line. When asked about Maia’s comments, White referenced Rockhold in his answer. "When was he told that before? I was thinking about this when I talked to some of the media yesterday. Nobody deserves anything. You’ve got to earn it here,” the UFC president said. "These guys want to sit around…..You’ve got Rockhold screaming, ‘I deserve this’ — you just got knocked out in the first round. You don’t deserve anything. You’ve got to come back and earn it. Maia earned it tonight, yeah.” On Tuesday, Rockhold responded to White on Twitter. “I never said I deserved a title shot. I said we (middleweights) deserver clarity. We deserve something to fight for,” he wrote. “‘You have to earn your way in this company?’” Tell me how did GSP earn a middleweight title shot.

A 7th-degree coral-belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Jean Jacques Machado was one of the big names of the 80s and 90s, winning many an important tourney, including the ADCC. He was victorious in 1999 and then a runner-up the following two years. But here's the kicker: Jean Jacques was born with amniotic band syndrome, so he did all that without having fingers on his left hand. In this video, Machado teaches a lapel choke from the half-guard. #jiujitsu #bjj #brazilianjiujitsu

Ediane Gomes-Pam Sorenson, Brooksie Bayard-Shaianna Rincon Added to May 20 Invicta FC 23

Download the free Sherdog mixed martial arts app, which gives you access to the latest UFC news, results and fighter updates!

Watch the eight face offs from the UFC Summer Kickoff Press Conference. Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com MMA Fighting is your home for exclusive interviews, live shows, and more for one of the world's fastest-growing sports. Get latest news and more here: http://www.mmafighting.com

8:15PM ET- Kicking off tonights show is the No. 5 ranked light-heavyweight and one of the athletes featured at UFC FN 109 in Sweden next week, Volkan Oezdemir. Coming off an incredible win over Ovince St. Preux back in February, Volkan has skyrocketed into the top 5 and has taken the division by storm. We’ll be previewing his upcoming bout with Misha Cirkunov and hear about Volkan’s meteoric rise in one of the UFC’s toughest divisions.

When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more

When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more

HAHA What a joke! Bisping is backpedalling fast as he does not want to have Yoel end his carreer. Man up you mouthpiece and back your word and step-up to the number 1 contender. I was a big GSP fan but he did start to get boring and far too safe as his career wound down prior to his runaway. I am all for him coming back but put him at 170 and at least have a damn date. GSP is acting like a clown and Bisping is a coward if he ducks Romero. UFC is getting dumber daily as Dana fails to force these guys hands now. Strip belts from McGregor, give Maia the shot, make the Bisping/ Romero fight, forget about GSP until he is ready and then give him whatever fight you want as he deserves nothing after 3 plus years. Throw away all interim belts now.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold its fifth event in Japan on Sept. 23, the promotion announced Tuesday. The UFC Fight Night card will take place at Saitama Super Arena and will be the third event to be held in the Asia Pacific region in 2017. No bouts were announced. “Our fervent fan base in Japan is a cornerstone of our success in the region and we are thrilled to bring another action-packed live event to the market this year.” UFC Senior Vice President of International and Content Joe Carr said in a release. “Japan has a rich history in MMA and the traditional martial arts, making it an attractive destination for our athletes.  There is already huge interest from both our athletes and fans surrounding this event.” The Las Vegas-based promotion last visited Japan for UFC Fight Night 75 on Sept. 26, 2015. That card saw Josh Barnett take a five-round unanimous decision over Roy Nelson in the evening’s headliner. Meanwhile, Uriah Hall scored an unlikely victory over Gegard Mousasi with a flying knee and follow-up punches 25 seconds into round two of their middleweight co-main event.

Lima, a 35-year-old Brazilian, recently rebounded from a decision loss to former champion Carla Esparza with a decision victory over J.J. Aldrich. She’s now 3-1 since a 2014 loss to now-champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who won the title two bouts after defeating Lima.

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MMA H.E.A.T. was at Hinoki and The Bird in Century City, California where UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes and UFC #8 ranked welterweight Donald Cerrone spoke to the media about their upcoming UFC 213 fights against Valentina Shevchenko and Robbie Lawler. The two also share their thoughts on how Ronda Rousey's handled her loss, their opinion of Donald Trump, whether Amanda wants to fight Cris Cyborg + more! SUBSCRIBE for more from MMA coverage: https://www.youtube.com/KarynBryant?s... #UFC #UFC213 #AmandaNunes #DonaldCerrone #KarynBryant #MMAHEAT If you haven't, please subscribe to my channel! And remember to check out our website: http://www.MMAHEAT.com You can also find our content using these domains: * http://www.MMA.media: HD video coverage * http://www.MMA.audio: iTunes * http://www.MMA.help: pro-MMA techniques and instruction * http://www.MMA.diet: essential nutrition and discounts Nós falamos Português! * Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MMAHEAT * Follow MMAHEAT on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MMAHEAT * Follow MMAHEAT on Instagram: http://www.

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Liam McGeary vs. Linton Vassell media day face. The Battle of Britain is the #Bellator179 co-main event. pic.twitter.com/hytY6SSEIH

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Parity just seems part and parcel of the heavyweight division. If you're constantly facing the sport's biggest men, throwing its biggest blows, it's hard to keep that crown from getting knocked off of your head, truly reign over your division and solidify yourself as a pound-for-pound talent. One year into his run as UFC heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic is doing a pretty fine job. At UFC 211 in Dallas, Texas, Miocic tied the record for consecutive UFC heavyweight title defenses with a whopping two, a reminder of how fleeting long-term supremacy is in this weight class. More importantly, however, Miocic avenged his only loss in the last four years, blasting former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos in just over two minutes. That's five straight wins for Miocic, all by knockout, in a two-year span. All five fighters he put away were either former UFC or K-1 World Grand Prix champs. With victories over Mark Hunt , Andrei Arlovski , Fabricio Werdum , Alistair Overeem and now, Junior dos Santos , Miocic is perhaps one of the 10 best heavyweights to ever step into the cage and he rises on our list, from seventh to fifth.

The betting odds for a boxing match between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor are beginning to change.

#GBPonESPN May 18 official weights. @diegodelahoya vs Erik Ruiz in the main event tmrw night! Tune-in at 10m ET @espnboxing pic.twitter.com/q4y0MWnHH3 — GoldenBoyPromotions (@GoldenBoyBoxing) May 18, 2017 Golden Boy promotions returns to ESPN Thursday night with what is expected to be another solid night of boxing action. Headlining the event will be a featherweight encounter between undefeated contender Diego de la Hoya and Erik Ruiz. De la Hoya (17-0, 9 KOs) has looked superb thus far in his young professional career. He’s coming off a dominant eight-round unanimous decision win over Roberto Pucheta in March and looks to continue his winning ways on Thursday. At Wednesday’s official weigh-ins, the Mexicali, Mexico native tipped the scale at 122 pounds. Oxnard’s Ruiz (16-6-1, 6 KOs) has struggled as of late, having gone just 3-5-1 in his last nine, though he’s never been knocked out. He’s coming off a tough 10-round unanimous decision loss to former bantamweight world champion Rico Ramos in March and hopes to turn his luck around against his heavily-favored foe. Ruiz came in at 122.

Before opening your guard, you must know how to protect yourself. This is the first and most important step for you to work with the butterfly guard. In this video, six-time BJJ world champion Saulo Ribeiro shows the mechanics of the technique and how to use it safely. Check out seven tips to open your own guard the right way.

Jones is considered one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history.  He owns the accolade of the youngest fighter to win a UFC title.  He holds the record for the most successful title defenses in the 205-pound division.  He has the most wins of any fighter to compete in the Octagon in the light heavyweight division.  The 29-year-old Jones believes Cormier wants want he’s accomplished. 

To sink an armbar with perfection, one must adjust some details. Every fighter has let it slip against an opponent with a stronger grip who's able to stop the position locking in place. This video will teach you two precious details to break the grip and masterfully sink the armbar. #jiujitsu #bjj #brazilianjiujitsu

This week’s episode begins at night at the TUF house with Season 21’s Hayder Hassan talking with his real-life teammate Dhiego Lima about how they are going to fight by show’s end. Hassan is explaining to his buddy that it was not his plan, that he was forced into it. Lima is laughing and tells him that he knew it was going to happen, that, “It’s all good, brother! I love you!” From there, it’s time for Lima to begin training even harder and coach T.J. Dillashaw is working the mitts with him. Dillashaw is amped up about the matchup and fully expects him to win, though he is concerned about Lima’s self-doubt and sometimes lack of confidence. Lima admits that he has that problem and he has to change how he approaches things mentally. On the other side of the footage, Cody Garbrandt brings in a specialist to work with this team named Dr. Jon Petrick, who will apply facial techniques to the fighters. A balloon is inserted into each combatant’s nose and water is flushed up into the nasal cavity to clean everything out. Assistant coach Urijah Faber goes first and it’s obviously a painful, extremely uncomfortable procedure.

The patented Fusion Splinting technology found in the new Hayabusa Glory Gloves have been shown to provide up to 99.7% perfect hand and wrist alignment for maximum performance and injury prevention.

“The McGregor side is done, I’m starting to work on the Mayweather side now,” White revealed when speaking to TNT. “I’m not saying the fight will happen, but I got one side done, now it’s time to work on the other.

#Bellator179 Weigh-in done! Cheick Kongo (244) vs. Augusto Sakai (263.75) pic.twitter.com/anxXIffPXd

The California State Athletic Commission unanimously passed a 10-point plan on Tuesday in hopes of combatting extreme weight cutting in mixed martial arts. Included in the new regulations are larger fines for missing weight, the introduction of more weight classes and weight checks on fight day. MMAFighting.com was the first to report the new regulations. The plan will officially take effect on June 15 and will be in place for the next major event in the state, UFC 214, which is set for Anaheim on July 29. That card is headlined by a light heavyweight championship rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones . Some of the key components of the 10-point plan include: • A 20-percent fine on a fighter’s win bonus — as well as the show purse — for missing weight • The addition of 165-, 175-, 195- and 225-pound weight classes and licensing by weight class for fighters • Weight class restrictions for fighters missing weight more than once • A second weight check on the day of the event “to ensure fighters have not gained more than 10 percent of their body weight back in the 30 hours between the official weigh-in and the event.

MMAjunkie Radio kicks off today at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) with guests Paul Daley, John Makdessi, Ana Julaton and Tanner Saraceno.

Michael Bisping is going to court over a dispute in which his former manager claims the UFC middleweight champion owes him $349,000. According to a report from the Daily Star , Anthony McGann, who runs the Liverpool-based Wolfslair Gym, is alleging that the UFC star still owes unpaid fees and expenses from a six-year contract signed shortly before he appeared on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Bisping reportedly signed a six-year contract with Wolfslair in 2005 and then informed the camp of his plans to leave once that deal expired. “The Count” appeared in London’s High Court on Monday to accuse McGann of forging a new contract “in order to backdate bonuses and payments made to him from the UFC.” McGann, meanwhile, claims that the expenses were part of the original agreement. “The contract I signed was not that big,” Bisping said during cross examination. “It was to Wolfslair not McGann. It’s not the contract I signed. It didn’t even have my name on it. It was a template.” The case is ongoing for Bisping, who moved to California in 2012.

Four-times world champion, Rubens Charles Cobrinha developed the technique known as Cruciplata (Omoplata Variation). This position is a variation of completion catching the other arm, like a crucifix. Check the details and add it to your game.

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Round 1 – Lima opens with a hard body kick. Hassan is pressing forward, but he eats another kick to the midsection. Hassan continues to pressure before throwing his first combination, which is blocked. Hassan throws out the jab, but Lima responds with another kick. Lima attempts to change levels for a takedown, but it’s thwarted. He goes in again and gets Hassan down on his second attempt. Hassan gives up his back, and Lima jumps in with the hooks on. Lima applies the body triangle and works to get the forearm under the neck for a rear-naked choke. Hassan does a good job hand fighting the choke attempts and rolling away so that Lima has to let go of the body triangle. Hassan quickly scrambles free, and the fight returns to standing. Hassan lands some hard punches, but Lima is repeatedly landing his kicks to the body in response. Hassan continues to attack, but neither side lands any hard shots before Lima attempts his next takedown. He holds Hassan against the fence for a few seconds, but eventually he breaks free and fights from striking range until the end of the round.

Mystic Lake Showroom, Prior Lake, Minnesota, United States

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 react to the massive UFC 211 fight card, which featured two title fights: Heavyweight Champ Stipe Miocic vs Junior Dos Santos and Strawweight Champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Jessica Andrade. Karyn and Alan also talk about Maia vs Masvidal, Frankie Edgar’s dominance over Yair Rodriguez and the No Contest fight between Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alvarez. 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 #UFC211 #TitleFight #Championship #Champion #Heavyweight #StipeMiocic #JuniorDosSantos #Strawweight #JoannaJedrzejczyk #JessicaAndrade #DemianMaia #JorgeMasvidal #FrankieEdgar #YairRodriguez #DustinPoirier #EddieAlvarez #Dallas #Texas #KarynBryant #AlanJouban #WadeEck   #MMAHEAT   #Podcast And remember to check out our website: http://www.

When Tom Duquesnoy vacated his BAMMA bantamweight title earlier this year, it was a mystery as to when it would find a new home and, more importantly, who would claim it. On July 7 at BAMMA 30, the championship belt will be vacant no more. Shay Walsh and Alan Philpott , both Duquesnoy victims, were the two logical choices for the U.K.-based promotion and they will lock horns for the right to hoist the 135-pound crown. The action will reportedly headline BAMMA 30, which goes down inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. “Regaining my BAMMA world title is my number one goal, none of these bantamweights can stop me achieving that,” former champ Walsh said. “ Alan Philpott is standing in my way and he will be dealt with. My momentum and confidence are sky high at the minute, this is the perfect time to remind everyone of the level I'm operating at and be reunited with my belt!” Philpott has a different view. “He’s had his time, he's slowing down, and I'm only getting started,” he said. “I'm too fast on a bad day, on a good day he doesn't stand a chance.

Although it feels like he’s already been around forever, Rory MacDonald is still just 27 years old. Perhaps it seems that way because “The Red King” has the resume of a fighter many years his senior. During his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, MacDonald defeated current welterweight king Tyron Woodley , would-be No. 1 contender Demian Maia , all-time great B.J. Penn , pay-per-view needle-mover Nate Diaz and ex-Strikeforce king Tarec Saffiedine , to name a few. And that doesn’t even include his championship fight against Robbie Lawler at UFC 194, where MacDonald raised his stock even in defeat by being part of one the most memorable brawls in MMA history. Nonetheless, MacDonald enters his Bellator debut on the heels of back-to-back losses, and he recognizes that MMA is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of venture. He knows that he will have to begin to prove himself all over again when he squares off against Paul Daley in the Bellator 179 headliner in London on Saturday night. “That’s just the nature of the sport. You’re only as good as your last performance and people are easy to write off fighters if they have a bad loss or bad outing,” MacDonald said during a recent media call.

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When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more

MMAFighting.com : Dana White claims Conor McGregor side is done for epic boxing fight, now onto Floyd Mayweather

When 90,000 people packed the famous Wembley Stadium in London at the end of April, it was a real changing-of-the-guard moment for the fight game. Not only did rising megastar Anthony Joshua defeat longtime heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko to establish himself as the hottest property in the sport of boxing, but he also put his home city back on the combat sports map. That fight proved that big pay-per-view events can happen in the United Kingdom, all while drawing huge crowds and capturing the imagination of not only the locals but fans all around the globe. Bellator 179 on Friday comes on the heels of the Klitschko-Joshua sellout in the same city. The event takes place at Wembley Stadium’s neighboring SSE Arena in London and touches down at a perfect time for the ravenous combat sports fans in the area. Bellator MMA will strike while the iron is hot, doing so with a card full of local and international talent. Two top-flight welterweights take the stage on the main event, as Rory MacDonald takes on Paul Daley in a showdown between former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors.

It’s predictable that most top-shelf MMA events are going to end up being exciting. This has been borne out time and time again over the past decade and a half. The sport’s entertainment value is one of its greatest attributes, and the top MMA organizations have largely opted for fan-pleasing styles in the way they promote. However, what’s unpredictable is which cards will be the standouts and which ones will disappoint. The wildness of the sport and the number of anticipated fights on each show means it’s harder to select which events on the calendar will thrill and which will sputter. Take UFC 199 and UFC 200 as examples. UFC 200 was the blowout event, stacked from top to bottom with intriguing contests. Unfortunately, a great many of those fights didn’t deliver in the way that was expected. Fight cancellations didn’t help matters, but the final lineup still looked strong and the action was lacking. Meanwhile, UFC 199 looked like just another show but turned out to be one of the most exciting cards of the entire calendar year thanks to stunning and emphatic upsets by Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson , plus a completely unforeseen war between Marco Polo Reyes and Dong Hyun Kim .