Paul Daley and Lorenz Larkin's fight almost didn't make it all the way to Bellator's famous flying cage.

Check out highlights from Jessica Andrade's pummeling of Claudia Gadelha at UFC Fight Night 117 on Friday in Japan.

A game Abel Trujillo came into this fight off two consecutive knockout wins in the UFC, but was stopped by a relentless Tony Ferguson.

Is Ronda Rousey's future in the WWE ring?

In this UFC 216 Free Fight, Kevin Lee stops Jake Matthews in the second win of his current five-fight win streak.

Sabina Mazo just can't stop knocking women out with her infamous head kick.

Maybe accosting Charlotte Flair in the airport and slamming her with Ronda Rousey isn't the way to go.

In last night's highly-anticipated Bellator main event, what was supposed to be a refreshed and rejuvenated former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson too

Mike "Platinum" Perry kept the knockout machine running at UFC Fight Night 116 with a brutal stoppage over Alex Reyes, adding another first round victory to hi

It would appear that the Ultimate Fighting Championship's most famous ring girl is now together with one of Hip-Hop's biggest stars today. Arianny Celeste ha

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Benson Henderson ’s commitment to the grind may have come back to bite him. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder wound up on the short side of a split decision against two-time Bellator MMA tournament finalist Patricky Freire in the Bellator 183 headliner on Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Scores were 29-28 and 29-28 for Freire, 29-28 for Henderson. Neither man did much to warrant the judges’ favor. Freire (18-8, 11-7 Bellator) advanced behind single strikes, connecting with a few right hands upstairs and a handful of knees to the body. Henderson (24-8, 1-3 Bellator) remained active with his kicks, particularly to the body, and integrated overhand lefts when the mood arose. However, his bid for takedowns resulted in the lightweights stalling against the fence for much of the final 10 minutes. Once there, little happened, though “Pitbull” answered with either elbows to the side of the head or close-quarters knee strikes. When the smoke cleared and the boos died down, Freire’s hand was raised for the fourth time in five appearances.

Check out highlights from “Maestro” Dong Hyun Kim’s drubbing of Japanese favorite Takanori Gomi at UFC Fight Night 117 on Friday in Japan. UFC Fight Night 117 took place on Friday, Sept. 22, at Saitama Super Arena.

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If you already booked a flight to Las Vegas to the New Year's holiday, Ultimate Fighting Championship boss Dana White comes bearing bad news. On Sunday, Irish tabloid The Sunday World reported that UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was all-but-official to face archrival Nate Diaz at UFC 219 , scheduled for Dec. 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The report was quickly picked up by several publications in Ireland and the United Kingdom, but according to the UFC President White, the Diaz-McGregor rubber match is anything but official. “Not true AT ALL,” White responded on Sunday evening when asked by fans on Twitter if Diaz-McGregor 3 was a done deal. Not true AT ALL — Dana White (@danawhite) September 24, 2017 According to the initial Sunday World report, McGregor had informed those close to him of the bout's imminency and his inner circle had already began booking flights and hotels for the late December date. While McGregor's star power and visibility grew in 2017 courtesy of his “Money Fight” boxing match with Floyd Mayweather in August, which he lost via tenth-round TKO stoppage, it was his two-fight rivalry with Diaz last year that led the UFC to a massive pay-per-view windfall.

Check out highlights from Ovince Saint Preux putting Yushin Okami’s lights out with his record-setting third Von Flue choke at UFC Fight Night 117 on Friday in Japan. UFC Fight Night 117 took place on Friday, Sept. 22, at Saitama Super Arena.

“When you get to a point where you’re losing and it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t sting and you’re like, ‘Oh, I lost another one; oh, well’ (then you should retire). This burns my soul. This does not feel good. It is burning inside. You have to learn who to deal with it. Learn how to accept it, take it like a man, and get better from it. In no way, shape or form, am I not highly upset. But I know if I tear a TV off the wall and smash it, it doesn’t do anything. It’s just all theatrics. I know on Monday I need to get back in the gym and work on getting better so I don’t have close decisions, period.”

How'd you score the #Bellator183 main event between Patricky "Pitbull" & Benson Henderson? (Photo by Dave Mandel) http://usat.ly/2ylakZ7  pic.twitter.com/V1kwQvczHf

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Veteran heavyweight Roy Nelson got a run for his money against Jay Ayala in his Bellator debut. So he fell back on his grappling to take home the win.

Especially considering his only real challenger to the claim is now a three-time PED violator in Jon Jones.

Saturday’s Bellator 183 event was heavy on talent, and the card delivered on entertainment value.

UFC 217 takes place Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Once the Brazilian hit the canvas, the referee immediately stepped between them to keep Saki from dropping any more punches on the downed fighter. While most realized the significance of the power Saki possesses, there was still a smattering of fans and pundits alike that cried foul, claiming an early stoppage. 

Jessica Andrade made her case for another crack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight title, and she made it in the strongest possible terms. The Parana Vale Tudo standout battered, bloodied and bested Claudia Gadelha in the UFC Fight Night 117 co-main event, picking up a surprisingly one-sided unanimous decision on Friday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Scores were 30-25, 30-26 and 30-27, Andrade doing enough damage to warrant three 10-8 rounds from the cageside judges. Gadelha controlled the first half of the first round, but little else went her way. Andrade overwhelmed the Andre Pederneiras protégé with high-octane offense, pairing powerful slam takedowns with ferocious ground-and-pound. FightMetric statistics were staggering: Andrade executed four takedowns, five guard passes and outlanded the three-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion by a 242-47 margin in total strikes. In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night “St. Preux vs. Okami,” here are five matches that ought to be made: Jessica Andrade vs.

“Once again, we’re praising him. We’re not praising me. We’re praising him. Because I’m 40 years old, retired for two years. He’s 28, he’s active. I’m inactive. He’s taller, he’s bigger. Hey may not be stronger. He has a longer reach. He’s taller. He’s bigger. He’s younger. Youth is on his side. I’m just saying, everything on paper links on him. For me to come and be off, and really only train totally, probably three weeks .. and (I was) out every night partying.”

The Bellator 183 Prelims stream live and free on MMAWeekly.com. The prelims stream begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m PT.

“It’s just kind of silly. I think Edmond just wants another payday so he can try to pay off his bankruptcy issues. Poor Ronda. I’m not her biggest fan, but I wouldn’t even want to see that fight. I wouldn’t want to see her get slaughtered by Cyborg at this point in her career.”

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. * * * The concept of respect is a nebulous one, often trotted out as a vague substitute for love or kindness. When people talk about respecting themselves, they really mean they should accept themselves; when people talk about respecting others, they usually mean they should be courteous. True respect, however, is a response to something undeniable. True respect is earned through action. The weekend that was showcased two domains of mixed martial arts that are due a little bit more respect than they have been previously given. The first is Bellator MMA . At Bellator 183 , former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Benson Henderson continued his losing stint in the promotion, dropping a second straight split decision to Patricky Freire . His final fight in the UFC was a win against Jorge Masvidal , currently a top-five welterweight in the promotion.

If the bracket action of two tournaments doesn't get you excited, Rizin Fighting Federation is still trying to keep you happy. The Japanese promotion has announced an additional bout for its Oct. 15 bill at Marine Messe Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan: in a 154-pound contest, K-1 Max and Shoot Boxing star Andy Souwer will have his fifth MMA rules bout, taking on returning cult favorite “Wicky” Akiyo Nishiura . The Oct. 15 card is otherwise built around Rizin's continuing bantamweight grand prix, as well as the kickoff of its 108-pound women's atomweight tournament. Souwer, 34, is not just a four-time Shoot Boxing S-Cup World Champion, but also a two-time K-1 Max World Grand Prix champion, in addition to his two runner-up finishes in the K-1 Max GP. One of the most achieved and celebrated Dutch kickfighters in history, Souwer has began an MMA career while continuing to compete in the standup realm. Last December, he was armbarred by Kazuyuki Miyata in his third MMA bout, but returned this past May -- his first MMA bout not under the Rizin banner -- and tapped out Massaro Glunder in the third round.

After Mauricio “Shogun” Rua fell out of the headliner a week out from the event, UFC Fight Night 117 from Saitama, Japan, was not likely to be remembered fondly. However, it did break one crystallized notion about MMA's hierarchy: The women's strawweight division is not “ Joanna Jedrzejczyk , Claudia Gadelha and everybody else.” If anything, it is now “Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade and everybody else.” While Ovince St. Preux made the most of his main event against late replacement Yushin Okami -- he won with his record-setting third shoulder choke in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and second this year alone -- beating a faded middleweight like Okami is not enough for “OSP” to rejoin our top-10 mix at 205 pounds. Rather, it was UFC Fight Night 117 co-headliner Andrade making moves, as she overcame a hot start from Gadelha to dominate the final two rounds, turning her fellow Brazilian into a bloody mess. As it pertains to these rankings, Andrade's gruesome treatment of Gadelha sees her vault “Claudinha” in the 115-pound ranks, jumping from fifth to No.

Link for #themmahour with Gall in studio, Saki, Rockhold, Borg, Matt Brown, Pico, Usman -- https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/9/25/16359626/the-mma-hour-with-mickey-gall-in-studio-gokhan-saki-luke-rockhold-ray?utm_campaign=mmafighting&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter … pic.twitter.com/GnZkLfCTiT

The bout that many viewed as UFC Fight Night 117 ’s true main event was also the evening’s most entertaining bout. Strawweight contenders Jessica Andrade and Claudia Gadelha banked $50,000 apiece for “Fight of the Night” in their co-headlining affair at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on Friday night. Gadelha started well, getting the better of Andrade during exchanges in round one. However, Andrade took over down the stretch, as she slammed her opponent to the mat repeatedly and unloaded with punishing ground-and-pound in rounds two and three. While Gadelha hung tough, it was Andrade who emerged with a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph. Meanwhile, Ovince St. Preux ’s third career Von Flue choke submission netted him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” paycheck in the official main event. “OSP” sprawled on an early Okami takedown and settled in half-guard with his foe hanging on to a guillotine. That allowed St. Preux to secure the choke, move to side control and get the tapout 1:50 into the opening frame. Elsewhere, kickboxing star Gokhan Saki didn’t disappoint in his promotional debut, capturing a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his first-round knockout of Henrique da Silva at light heavyweight.

It’s a good move for St-Pierre as well. He’s long been one of the most popular fighters in the world. His return to the Octagon after four years gone will likely be the biggest UFC event of 2017. Like McGregor, he is only returning for big fights and big challenges. Enter Conor McGregor into the picture.

Keita Nakamura eeks out a split decision win over a tough Alex Morono to close out our #UFCJapan prelims! https://t.co/kNw1VrydI7 — FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) September 23, 2017 Keita Nakamura defended his territory. The former Sengoku , Deep and Shooto Pacific Rim champion posted his seventh win in nine appearances, as he eked out a split decision over Alex Morono in the featured UFC Fight Night 117 “St. Preux vs. Okami” prelim on Friday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Scores were 29-28 and 29-28 for Nakamura, 29-28 for Morono. Output was an issue for Nakamura (33-8-2, 3-5 UFC), who took a quality-over-quantity approach. He had Morono (13-5, 2-1 UFC) reeling with a first-round body kick and opened a significant gash above his right eye. Nakamura withstood multi-punch volleys from the onetime Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder in the middle frame and an overhand right that opened a cut on the side of his head in the third. He upped his aggression over the final five minutes, executed a pair of takedowns against Morono and did just enough to earn the judges’ favor.

He headlined Saturday’s latest Bellator card, and not only failed to entertain, but failed to win or even look halfway decent. He is now 1-3 under the promotion and it would appear as if the championship caliber Henderson is lost or gone for good.

A few months later, Bisping had agreed to put his belt on the line against a returning St-Pierre, the UFC’s former welterweight kingpin. After several false starts, UFC president Dana White pulled that fight off the table. While Bisping was then treating an aggravating injury, the UFC put together an interim middleweight title fight between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker. 

Speaking freely in the post-retirement life, former UFC bantamweight champion recently turned heads when she spoke out against Jon Jones, following his latest failed drug test.

Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva is sole Steelers player to stand outside for national anthem. pic.twitter.com/iNvxpTOcwm

Saint Preux was one of multiple fighters who earned a big win at an event with some worthwhile footnotes. For more on the numbers behind the last of four UFC events in September, check below for 50 post-event facts about UFC Fight Night 117.

Ishihara (10-4-2 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC) took a unanimous decision from Dy (8-6-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 117 in Japan. The win came in part because Dy lost a point in the third round for a third low blow . Absent that point deduction, the fight would’ve been a majority draw.

Nelson (23-14 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) used a few of those, of course. The majority of them came as he pounded on Ayala (10-6 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) from top position during their three-rounder on the Spike-televised main card of Bellator 183, which took place Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.

A fight between Lima (29-6 MMA, 11-2 BMMA) and MacDonald (19-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) has been speculated since the former UFC title challenger joined the Bellator roster this past year. It will finally happen on Jan. 20 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., and promotional efforts for the contest are already underway.

“When you get to a point where you’re losing and it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t sting and you’re like, ‘Oh, I lost another one; oh, well’ (then you should retire),” Henderson said. “This burns my soul. This does not feel good. It is burning inside. You have to learn who to deal with it. Learn how to accept it, take it like a man, and get better from it. In no way, shape or form, am I not highly upset. But I know if I tear a TV off the wall and smash it, it doesn’t do anything. It’s just all theatrics. I know on Monday I need to get back in the gym and work on getting better so I don’t have close decisions, period.”

Ayala needed to pull off something big in the final round. But instead, Nelson put him down and dominated, ending the frame with a piston right hand as he sat on top and cruised to the decision win, 30-26, 39-28 and 29-28.

After inking a new multi-fight contract to stay with the UFC, Joseph Duffy has been booked for his next fight as he faces off with James Vick on Nov. 4 in New York as part of the UFC 217 card at Madison Square Garden.

No excuses. All merit goes to Jessica. Congratulations on your performance. Now my heart asks me to say something to you guys because I am feeling how much loved I am, how blessed I am, and how much I live the life I asked God for. I’m happy to see real friends and fans in defeat too, and that’s priceless. Thank you all for everything! I want to come here also to communicate that I will take some time off. I just went through 3 fights in 10 months, 10 months of much learning but also very tiring. I need time with my parents who are in Brazil loving me in the same way, my entire family as well. I’m going to be Ana Claudia a little more, breathe light things and enjoy the pleasures of life a little bit. With the certainty that Claudinha will come back stronger. Thanks to those who got my back!! Love you all!! Sem desculpas. Todo mérito cabe a minha adversária, Parabéns pelo desempenho. Meu coração me pede que eu me manifeste por eu ter sentido agora o quanto sou amada, o quanto sou abençoada e o quanto vivo a vida que pedi a Deus. Fico feliz demais em ver os amigos e fãs de verdade também na derrota, e isso não tem preço.

UFC Fight Night 117 ‘St. Preux vs. Okami’ Play-by-Play, Results &...

Trading Shots: Was Mizuto Hirota's struggle at weigh-ins a public version of a typically private issue? http://bit.ly/2xHsRBy  pic.twitter.com/IYE91QDtLN

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For a full run-down of Bellator 183: Henderson vs. Pitbull, including Benson Henderson and Patricky Freire’s battle, Paul Daley’s blistering knockout, Roy Nelson’s promotional debut, and more, check out our Bellator 183 recap and full results .

Ask any hard working man about their success in life and they’ll all tell you the same. It was hard damn work.

Phillips, from Wales, has won four straight fights since a loss to Jesse Taylor at Cage Warriors 54 in May 2013. All four of those wins have come by knockout, including three in the first round. And one of those wins was over Conor McGregor teammate Charlie Ward, now in the UFC. But he’ll be fighting for the first time in more than a year.

ADCC world champion Rodolfo Vieira recently managed a smooth transition from BJJ into mixed martial arts. To continue doing well in the cage, Rodolfo still practices BJJ daily. In this video, the GFTeam representative teaches a transition from side control to enable you to finish on the triangle or on the arm in a no-gi match.  #jiujitsu #bjj #brazilianjiujitsu

Now the Dagestan fighter will act in the third most popular in the US promotion organization PFL (Professional Fighters League), which used to be called WSOF. Information about this on their official page in the “Instagram” confirmed the club “Highlander”. The report says that Magomedov will take part in the grand prix played by his new company with a total prize fund of one million dollars.

Without a doubt, however, one of the most memorable moments of the night occurred when welterweight champion Douglas Lima had his first staredown with his next opponent, former UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald.

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One need look no further than the UFC 200 announcement for Brock Lesnar’s return. The UFC put together a massive promo package for the return of Brock, and hours before they could make the announcement and run the promo, Ariel took to twitter and leaked the major news.

“The grand prix tournament takes the politics out of the game,” Nelson explained when speaking to MMAWeekly ahead of his Bellator debut on Saturday night. “Cause that’s what made the UFC. The very first UFC was a tournament. The tournament takes the politics out of it.