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Stephen Thompson ’s situation regarding his pay for UFC 291 remains the same, but he’s confident that will soon change. This past Saturday at UFC 291, Thompson was scheduled to make his return against Brazil’s Michel Pereira, but the fight was canceled the day before after Pereira (28-11 MMA, 6-2 UFC) failed to make the welterweight limit by three pounds. It was Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) who chose not to fight Pereira at a catchweight. Yet, despite having competed an entire training camp, gone through his fight week obligations, and making weight on Friday morning, Thompson didn’t receive any compensation . A few days removed, Thompson confirmed to Ariel Helwani that’s still the case, but he believes the UFC will recognize his efforts. “At this point, my management is talking to the UFC, (but) nothing yet (compensation wise),” Thompson said Monday on “The MMA Hour.”  “I know Dana White is on vacation. The guy is a workaholic, so well deserved, but I feel like the UFC is goi

A pair of ranked UFC bantamweights are set to meet in a pivotal clash this fall. Jonathan Martinez , No. 13 in the official 135-pound rankings, and No. 14 Adrian Yanez are set to square off Oct. 14 at a UFC Fight Night event slated for the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Monday after an initial report by ESPN Deportes . Martinez (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) will look to extend his winning streak to six fights. His current run consists of victories over Zviad Lazishvili, Alejandro Perez, Vince Morales, Cub Swanson, and most recently Said Nurmagomedov. Martinez took a unanimous decision from Nurmagomedov this past March at UFC Fight Night 221. Yanez (16-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) hopes to rebound after suffering a tough first-round TKO loss to Rob Font this past April at UFC 287. A victory would’ve been a huge career step for Yanez, who instead had his nine-fight winning streak snapped. It was his first loss in the UFC. With the addit

Check out the best photos from Miranda Maverick ’s third-round submission win over Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Photos by Jeffrey Swinger, USA TODAY Sports) from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/yXP5RYo via IFTTT

We want your predictions for Friday’s 2023 PFL Playoffs 1 event in San Antonio, Texas. Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the 2023 PFL Playoffs 1 main card staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. The 2023 PFL Playoffs 1 event takes place Friday at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+. Make your picks for the playoff fights below. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/yUs8dOl via IFTTT

Chael Sonnen would love to see Derrick Lewis remain in the UFC. In the final fight of his contract, Lewis dispatched of Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-9-1 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in just 33 seconds in this past Saturday’s main card at UFC 291 to reclaim his top spot for most knockouts in company history. The fan favorite heavyweight followed that up with a memorable post-fight celebration in which he took his shorts off, which sent the fans at Delta Center in Salt Lake City into a frenzy. Lewis (27-11 MMA, 18-9 UFC) said he’d like to remain with the UFC , and Sonnen urged UFC president Dana White to keep him on the roster. Considering that Lewis was originally scheduled to compete on the prelims, Sonnen says we almost missed out on an incredible show from “The Black Beast.” “Think about where he was supposed to be (on the card),” Sonnen said on the ESPN post-show . “He was supposed to be on earlier in the night – the building’s still filling up. You probably don’t get the interview with Jo

Jorge Masvidal lost a lot of money betting on Dustin Poirier to beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 291. Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) was knocked out by Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in this past Saturday’s headliner for the “BMF” title at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Poirier managed to stun Gaethje in Round 1, but “The Highlight” landed a perfect head kick in Round 2 to get the knockout win. Inaugural “BMF” champion Masvidal said he put $100,000 on his teammate and betting favorite Poirier to win. “(I’m) promoting all the time, working out when I get a chance,” Masvidal told TNT Sports . “(I’m) making wagers that I probably shouldn’t. I put $100,000 on DP, on Dustin Poirier. Kids, I’m sorry. You’ve got to go to public school now.” Masvidal was gutted to see his good friend and training partner lose, but lauded Gaethje for the spectacular finish. Gaethje avenged his 2018 TKO loss to Poirier. “I felt Dustin was dictating the pace (and) landed the better shots in the first round,” Masvi

Sports collectibles like trading cards, autographs and other memorabilia have been big business for decades. With MMA, it’s no different. From signed Bellator gloves and UFC posters to fight-worn gear and an abundance of pricey trading cards, just about any MMA collectible fans are looking for has popped up for sale at some point. Here’s a look at not only some of the priciest MMA collectibles sold on eBay in the past week, but some of the most fun and interesting, as well. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/ePvHm8t via IFTTT

SALT LAKE CITY – Kevin Holland feels Michael Chiesa needs to reconsider his stance towards his fighting career. On Saturday night, Holland (25-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) welcomed Chiesa (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) back to competition in the opening bout of the  UFC 291 pay-per-view main card. It was a quick night for Holland, as he submitted Chiesa in the first round with little opposition. Afterward, Holland went up to Chiesa, who also works as an ESPN analyst, in the octagon and advised him to retire from MMA. “I told him he just needs to quit fighting and start focusing on commentating,” Holland told reporters at the UFC 291 post-fight press conference. “He said he’s not going to retire. I mean, it’s his decision, but I think he should focus on commentating. I think he’s one of the better commentators.” Related UFC 291 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Poirier, Gaethje net $32,000 for 'BMF' title fight Fight Tracks: UFC 291 walkout songs with Led Zeppelin and 'Top Gun&

SALT LAKE CITY – Bobby Green won’t be the guy to tell a fellow fighter what he should do with his career. The UFC veteran didn’t want to weigh-in on whether Tony Ferguson should retire or not following Saturday’s UFC 291. Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) defeated Ferguson (25-9 MMA, 15-7 UFC) by submission in their lightweight bout that went down on the pay-per-view main card. “What I should say for another man? I can’t speak for another man,” Green told reporters at the UFC 291 post-fight press conference. “It depends what’s in his heart and his goals. I’m going to keep going until I accomplish my goals, I’ve paid my houses off, I’m debt free, I have a few hundred thousand in the bank – then I can be done.” Related Twitter reacts to Tony Ferguson's sixth straight loss at UFC 291 vs. Bobby Green Bobby Green def. Tony Ferguson at UFC 291: Best photos The loss to Green marked Ferguson’s sixth consecutive defeat and third consecutive stoppage loss. Many have suggested t

SALT LAKE CITY – Derrick Lewis said Saturday he fought out his UFC contract, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s looking to leave the promotion. The former UFC heavyweight title challenger revealed at UFC 291 that his contract wrapped up with his his TKO win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima on the main card. But Lewis (27-11 MMA, 18-9 UFC) is hoping to re-sign with the promotioin. “I’m hoping to stay here in the UFC,” Lewis said at his UFC 291 post-fight news conference. “I like it here. I like the staff. … Everybody is cool here except for the media – y’all d*ckheads. F*ck all y’all, really. But go ahead – next question.” Related Kamaru Usman went absolutely berserk celebrating Justin Gaethje's UFC 291 knockout of Dustin Poirier UFC 291 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Poirier, Gaethje net $32,000 for 'BMF' title fight Lewis entered UFC 291 on the worst run of his career at 1-4 in his past five UFC outings with all the losses by stoppage. Saturday not on

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Dustin Poirier after UFC 291 ‘BMF’ title loss? ) Justin Gaethje ’s coronation as the “BMF” champion came in the most violent of fashions Saturday when he knocked Dustin Poirier out cold in their UFC 291 main event rematch. Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) avenged his fourth-round TKO loss to Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) from April 2018 with a nasty head kick knockout in the second round at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, making him the second “BMF” titleholder ever. Related Justin Gaethje def. Dustin Poirier at UFC 291: Best photos Twitter reacts to Justin Gaethje's insane KO of Dustin Poirier to win 'BMF' title at UFC 291 The win seemingly put Gaethje at the front of the queue to challenge the winner of October’s UFC 294 lightweight title bout between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. Will he get the shot, or are there other paths forward for Gaethje? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his futu

Michael Chiesa took his gloves off in the cage at UFC 291 leading to speculation about his fighting future. But in an Instagram post after the bout, he cleared up doubt he’d fight again. Despite his disappointment in the result, a first-round loss to Kevin Holland (25-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) by D’Arce choke submission, Chiesa (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) said he’s not done yet. “Well that sucked,” Chiesa wrote . “Congrats to @trailblaze2top and his team. Kevin is a helluva fighter, one of the most game fighters in combat sports. I knew this was a very challenging opponent to face coming off almost a two year layoff but I’ve never said no to a fight. I’ll dust myself off, get back in the gym and get back to work. I ain’t done yet.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michael Chiesa (@mikemav22) The fight Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City was Chiesa’s first UFC appearance since November 2021. Due to multiple bout cancellations, C

Another pairing of notable Latin American fighters is headed to Noche UFC. Daniel Rodriguez and Santiago Ponzinibbio will collide Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout falls on Mexican Independence Day and will feature some of the best Mexican fighters on the roster. Rodriguez’s manager AJ Ariosa, of First Round Management, and an additional source recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup. Born in America but with a proud Mexican heritage, Rodriguez (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) looks to snap a two-fight skid. Argentina’s Ponzinibbio also looks to rebound in his first appearance since an April TKO loss to Kevin Holland. Both men are known for their striking prowess and willingness to trade, which could make this bout an early Fight of the Night candidate among avid UFC followers. The have a combined 34 finishes including 24 knockouts. With the addition, the Noche UFC lineup includes: Champion Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko – for women’s flyweight title Shavkat Rak

Jake Matthews returned to the win column in impressive fashion, but the victory was not without some drama. On the prelims of UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Matthews (19-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC) was engaged in a hotly contested battle with Darrius Flowers (12-6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who made his debut on short notice. After a controversial kick landed in the second round, Matthews ended up submitting Flowers at 2:37. In the opening moments of Round 2, Matthews landed a front kick just above Flowers’ shorts that folded him to the canvas. The top of Matthews’ foot appeared to land clean, but the bottom half also appeared to make contact below the belt line. That’s the story Flowers told to the referee who treated the kick as a low blow. UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier believed the kick should have been legal considering where the foot first made contact. Regardless of the legality of the strike, the fight continued after Flowers was given a few minutes of time to recover

Check out the best photos from Uros Medic ’s third-round TKO win over Matthew Semelsberger at UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Photos by Jeffrey Swinger, USA TODAY Sports) from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/71W0Q2U via IFTTT

Check out the best photos from Miranda Maverick ’s third-round submission win over Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Photos by Jeffrey Swinger, USA TODAY Sports) from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/6BMpGQL via IFTTT

Check out the official scorecards from all 11 fights at UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Gallery will be updated throughout the event.) from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/4so3W9x via IFTTT

SALT LAKE CITY – UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center, and you can watch a live video stream of the post-event news conference here on MMA Junkie at approximately 1:15 a.m. ET (10:15 p.m. PT). Expected to take part in the press conference are the winners of the top main card bouts. Justin Gaethje , Dustin Poirier , Jan Blachowicz , Alex Pereira , Derrick Lewis , and/or Marcos Rogerio de Lima may participate to give their thoughts on their fights. You can watch the press conference in the video above, which will go live upon the conclusion of the headlining bout. Related UFC 291 play-by-play and live results For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291 . from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/VL8U9nd via IFTTT

Ode Osbourne wants to show UFC debutant Asu Almabaev  that there’s levels in this game. Osbourne (12-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on Almabaev (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 50 on Aug. 5 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Almabaev is on a 13-fight winning streak, with wins over former UFC fighters Chris Kelades and Zach Makovsky. Osbourne has been training in Las Vegas with the likes of UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, Bellator interim champ Patchy Mix, and top UFC flyweight contender Amir Albazi. He will look to put a halt to Kazakhstani fighter Almabaev’s momentum in statement-making fashion. “My goal this fight is to – this guy is a (newcomer), he’s coming off I don’t even know how many wins, 17-2, but he’s not going to make a name off of me,” Osbourne told MMA Junkie Radio. “So, my goal is not just to win this fight, but to finish him because I’m not just somebody you can just make a name off of. “So, I’m definitely looking to finish this guy and take it to him, just

Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira is off Saturday’s UFC 291 card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Before Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins, UFC commentator Megan Olivi announced the bout was canceled. Hours prior, Pereira (28-11 MMA, 6-2 UFC) missed the welterweight limit by three pounds, as he tipped the scale at 174 pounds. This came minutes after Thompson (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) made weight at 170.5 pounds. It is unclear if an agreement could not be reached due to the miss or if there was medical or commission intervention that ultimately caused the bout to be called off. UFC 291 marks the second time Pereira has missed the welterweight limit in the UFC. He has not competed since May 2022. On the flip side, Thompson has never missed weight. He has not competed since December. With the change, the UFC 291 lineup includes: MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET) Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje – for “BMF” title Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green

Logan Paul and KSI will top an upcoming Misfits Boxing card entitled “The Prime Card,” they announced Friday on social media . The event takes place Oct. 14 at AO Arena in Manchester, England and streams on DAZN pay-per-view. Opponents for the two influencers-turned-boxers have not yet been announced. It is unclear if the bouts will be professional or exhibition. Paul, 28, has not competed in a professional boxing match since he fought and lost to  KSI in November 2019. The bout was a rematch of an August 2018 amateur fight which ended in a draw. In June 2021, Paul competed in an exhibition bout against Floyd Mayweather and went all eight rounds in a non-scored bout. While he’s been relatively inactive in boxing, Paul has thrilled fans with his athleticism in intermittent appearances in pro wrestling bouts for WWE. KSI, 30, has competed four times since the pro bout against Paul. All four of those matches were exhibitions. KSI won three of them inside the distance, while a fourt

During the Bellator X Rizin 2 news conference Thursday evening, Kyoji Horiguchi answered questions from the media. Horiguchi (30-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) takes on Makoto Shinryu  (16-1-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) for the inaugural flyweight title in Saturday’s Bellator X Rizin 2 headliner, which takes place at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event airs live on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET. The former Rizin and Bellator bantamweight champion discussed the matchup with Shinryu, being chosen to fight for the inaugural title, and more. Scroll below to see some of Horiguchi’s comments. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator x Rizin 2 . from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/zuMTK4E via IFTTT

The “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City. The UFC is back with its ninth pay-per-view of the year, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes. UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. In the main event, the “BMF” title is on the line between former interim lightweight champions Dustin Poirier (29-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and Justin Gaethje (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC), who fight in a rematch. Poirier won their first meeting in 2018 with a fourth-round TKO. In the co-feature, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) takes on ex-middleweight champ Alex Pereira (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who is moving up to 205 pounds after he lost the 185-pound belt earlier this year. In addition, Michel Pereira (28-11

Bellator is back in Japan this week for the another co-promoted event with Rizin. Bellator x Rizin 2 takes place Saturday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The Bellator portion of the card airs on Showtime. ( Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window .) Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/PO0nWT4 via IFTTT

SALT LAKE CITY – The UFC 291 fight card is now official following Friday’s weigh-in session where 22 of the 24 fighters successfully hit their marks on the scale. Saturday’s event, which takes place at Delta Center with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+, is headlined by a “BMF” title fight. Related Scale snafus: UFC official weigh-in misses in 2023 Photos: UFC 291 official weigh-ins Dustin Poirier (29-7 MA, 21-6 UFC) beat fellow former interim titleholder Justin Gaethje (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) by fourth-round TKO in their initial meeting in April 2018, and now they will run it back with the “BMF” strap up for grabs to cap off a stack fight card. Check out the weigh-in highlights in the video above and a link to the photo gallery from all of Friday’s happenings below. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291 . from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/c5Z3EKM via IFTTT

SALT LAKE CITY – Justin Gaethje rejects the notion that he caused Tony Ferguson ’s downfall. Gaethje (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) snapped Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak when he battered him en route to a fifth-round TKO to capture the interim lightweight title at UFC 249 in May 2020. Since then, Ferguson has lost four straight and is coming off back-to-back stoppage losses to Michael Chandler and Nate Diaz. Ferguson (25-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) looks to snap his five-fight skid against Bobby Green (29-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC 291 main card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, and Gaethje doubts he is fazed. “For one, I think he’s crazy enough for that not even to be a possibility,” Gaethje told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 291 media day. “I think we play a rough game. It’s so unforgiving. I think he won the first round against Michael Chandler – I think he dropped him. It’s a battle of confidence, a battle of believing in yourself, and there’s no doubt that

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for UFC 291. UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. from MMA Junkie https://ift.tt/M5YUCWe via IFTTT

SALT LAKE CITY – What started as a great quote and moment on the mic has turned into a real thing in the UFC: the “BMF” title. When Nate Diaz challenged Jorge Masvidal to a fight in 2019, saying the winner would be the “baddest motherf*cker,” he couldn’t have known there’d be an actual UFC “BMF” title. Masvidal won it, but Saturday it will get a resurrection nearly four years later. Former interim lightweight champions Dustin Poirier (29-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and Justin Gaethje (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) meet in the UFC 291 main event at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. The “BMF” belt will go to the winner. Poirier has 13 career UFC post-fight bonuses. Gaethje has a remarkable 11 in 11 UFC fights. Both are known for their durability and fan-friendly slugfests, so if ever there was a time to trot the “BMF” thing back out, it’s for their rematch. Poirier beat Gaethje with a fourth-round TKO in a FOX

The “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City. The UFC is back with its ninth pay-per-view of the year, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes. UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. In the main event, the “BMF” title is on the line between former interim lightweight champions Dustin Poirier (29-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and Justin Gaethje (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC), who fight in a rematch. Poirier won their first meeting in 2018 with a fourth-round TKO. In the co-feature, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) takes on ex-middleweight champ Alex Pereira (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who is moving up to 205 pounds after he lost the 185-pound belt earlier this year. In addition, Michel Pereira (28-11