SHERDOG ARCHIVES: News - December 2024

Dec 24, 2024

Merab Dvalishvili Claims He Was Denied Entry to UFC P.I. Due to Umar Nurmagomedov It might be the holiday season, but Merab Dvalishvili wasn’t feeling especially jolly after allegedly being denied entry into the UFC...

UFC

Dec 23, 2024

Arman Tsarukyan: Islam Makhachev 'Not as Good as People Think' Arman Tsarukyan once viewed fighting in the UFC as an unattainable dream.

UFC

Dec 23, 2024

BKFC President Reveals Plans for $25 Million Tournament in 2025 Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has something in special in store for the coming year.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Dec 23, 2024

Israel Adesanya on Why He Continues to Fight: 'I Almost Forgot How Great I Was' Israel Adesanya will be in an unfamiliar position at UFC Saudi Arabia.

UFC

Dec 22, 2024

Ian Heinisch Suffered from Consistent Headaches, Confusion Before Retiring from MMA Ian Heinisch initially planned to take a temporary hiatus from mixed martial arts, but that break has turned into a full-fledged retirement for...

UFC

Dec 22, 2024

Oleksandr Usyk Outpoints Tyson Fury in Heavyweight Classic After 24 rounds shared in the ring, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will forever be linked for their two wars together in the squared circle, but...

Boxing

J.L. Kirven

Dec 21, 2024

Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape Targeted for UFC Main Event on March 1 Brandon Royval has a little more work to do if he wants to get another shot at flyweight gold.

UFC

Dec 21, 2024

UFC Tampa Medical Suspensions: Colby Covington Receives 45-Day Term Colby Covington will be sidelined for about a month and a half following UFC Tampa.

UFC

Dec 21, 2024

Sherdog Breakthrough Fighter of the Year Dakota Ditcheva Continues to Stack Awards The marvelous journey for Professional Fighters League’s Dakota Ditcheva continues to grow through the end of 2024.

Professional Fighters League

Mike Pendleton

Dec 21, 2024

Lightweight Champion Salahdine Parnasse Shreds Wilson Varela Atop KSW 101 Salahdine Parnasse barely broke a sweat.

KSW

Dec 20, 2024

Tom Nolan vs. Viacheslav Borshchev, Jack Jenkins vs. Gabriel Santos Set for UFC 312 The UFC 312 lineup continues to take shape with the addition of a lightweight clash between Tom Nolan and Viacheslav Borshchev and a featherweight tilt pitting Jack Jenkins against...

UFC

Dec 18, 2024

Preliminary Card Announced for Road to Dubai Event on Jan. 25 The Road to Dubai undercard will have a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor.

Bellator MMA

Dec 18, 2024

Renan Barao, Fabricio Werdum, Junior dos Santos Excited About Global Fight League The official announcement regarding the launch of the Global Fight League shook up the mixed martial arts world last week.

Dec 18, 2024

Islam Makhachev Believes He Can Finish Arman Tsarukyan Islam Makhachev thinks he can stop Arman Tsarukyan inside the distance in their upcoming matchup.

UFC

Dec 18, 2024

Conor McGregor Dismisses Rumors of Ilia Topuria Bout, UFC Champ Responds Ilia Topuria took a dig at Conor McGregor after the Irishman mentioned his name.

UFC

Dec 18, 2024

Lineup Official for UFC Vegas 101 with Ribas-Dern 2, Curtis-Kopylov at Top of Card The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first card of 2025 is now official.

UFC

Dec 17, 2024

PFL’s Road to Dubai Event Loses Vadim Nemkov-Corey Anderson Co-Headliner The Vadim Nemkov-Corey Anderson trilogy bout won’t be happening at Professional Fighters League’s Road to Dubai event as originally planned.

Bellator MMA

Dec 17, 2024

Contender Series Vets Mazzeo, Er-Ramy Suspended for Failed Drug Tests A pair of competitors on the most recent season of Dana White's Contender Series have been suspended after testing positive for banned substances.

Dana White’s Contender Series

Dec 17, 2024

At 38 Years Old, Michael Johnson Believes He Might Be 'Peaking' in UFC Career UFC Tampa was, at least in part, a showcase for the old guys.

UFC

Dec 17, 2024

Khabib: Umar Nurmagomedov Will Show Why Merab Dvalishvili Is Nervous at UFC 311 Khabib Nurmagomedov is confident in cousin Umar Nurmagomedov leading up to the latter’s upcoming title fight against Merab Dvalishvili.

UFC

Dec 17, 2024

Khabib Says Demetrious Johnson’s Gaming Habit Made Cousin Lose Fight Khabib Nurmagomedov claims his cousin Abubakar Nurmagomedov lost a fight because of Demetrious Johnson.

UFC

Dec 17, 2024

Bibiano Fernandes Retirement Bout, Two Other Fights Added to ONE 171: Qatar Bibiano Fernandes will call it a career in February, but not before he squares off against Kevin Belingon one more time.

One Championship

Dec 16, 2024

Only Man to Beat Islam Makhachev Helping Arman Tsarukyan Ahead of UFC 311 The only man to defeat Islam Makhachev has been a valuable presence in Arman Tsarukyan’s camp.

UFC

Dec 16, 2024

Colby Covington Claims 'Doctor is the One That Beat Me' in UFC Tampa Headliner It should come as no surprise that Colby Covington has a different perspective on the happenings at UFC Tampa this past Saturday night.

UFC

Dec 16, 2024

Javier Mendez Not Interested in Potential Makhachev vs. Topuria Matchup Javier Mendez isn’t excited about Ilia Topuria’s lightweight plans.

UFC

Dec 16, 2024

Bryce Mitchell Credits Tucker Carlson Interview for Helping Him Meet Wife Bryce Mitchell has Tucker Carlson partly to thank for the beautiful family he has today.

UFC

Dec 16, 2024

Joaquin Buckley Willing to Step in as Replacement for UFC Welterweight Title Fight Joaquin Buckley kept things short and sweet during his appearance at the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference on Saturday night.

UFC

Dec 15, 2024

Cub Swanson Recognizes 'Storybook Ending' Potential of UFC Tampa Victory Cub Swanson knows he has the ideal opportunity to ride off into the sunset on a high note — but he isn’t closing the door on his mixed...

UFC

Dec 15, 2024

Dana White Guarantees Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall Happens in 2025 Dana White is supremely confident that Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall will square off in the Octagon, so much so that he is willing to guarantee the...

UFC

Dec 15, 2024

Jan Blachowicz Reveals Focus of Training Camp for Carlos Ulberg Matchup Jan Blachowicz is attending a secret training camp for his upcoming fight.

UFC

Dec 15, 2024

Aljamain Sterling Targets Arnold Allen, Brian Ortega for Next UFC Appearance Aljamain Sterling is aiming up the rankings despite a recent loss.

UFC

Dec 15, 2024

UFC Tampa Bonuses: Swanson, Quarantillo Earn 'Fight of the Night' Honors Cub Swanson and Billy Quarantillo put on a show for the folks in Tampa on Saturday night.

UFC

Dec 15, 2024

Professional Fighters League Crowns Four Champs at 2024 PFL Europe Finals Bantamweight bully Lewis McGrillen-Evans (10-1) could be one of the most exciting additions to the Professional Fighters League Global roster next season after the Manchester native won the organization’s European bantamweight title with an outstanding second-round TKO over...

Professional Fighters League

J.L. Kirven

Dec 14, 2024

Joaquin Buckley Stops Colby Covington on Third-Round Cut at UFC on ESPN 63 Pools of blood on the Octagon floor provided proof of Joaquin Buckley’s dominance.

UFC

Dec 14, 2024

UFC on ESPN 63 Prelims: Michael Johnson Nukes Ottman Azaitar in Tampa Michael Johnson still has more than enough firepower to make noise in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division.

UFC

Dec 14, 2024

PFL Europe 2024 Finals Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring Professional Fighters League will conclude its historic year with the PFL Europe 2024 Finals in Lyon, France. Sherdog’s live coverage will...

Professional Fighters League

Ben Duffy

Dec 14, 2024

UFC on ESPN 63 ‘Covington vs. Buckley’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 63 coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The event is also known UFC Tampa.

UFC

Dec 14, 2024

Adesanaya vs. Imavov, Page vs. 'Shara Bullet' Announced for UFC Saudi Arabia A middleweight showdown pitting Israel Adesanya against Nassourdine Imavov will serve as the headliner for UFC Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1.

UFC

Dec 14, 2024

Tom Aspinall Claims Dana White Has Promised Him Jon Jones Matchup Tom Aspinall (15-3) claims he has been guaranteed a fight against Jon Jones (28-1).

UFC

Dec 14, 2024

Curtis Blaydes Set to Return Against Rizvan Kuniev at UFC Seattle Curtis Blaydes (18-5) will welcome debutant Rizvan Kuniev (12-2) to the Octagon at UFC Seattle.

UFC

Dec 14, 2024

UFC on ESPN 63 Weigh-in Results: All Fighters Make Weight The Ultimate Fighting Championship completes its 2024 schedule this weekend with UFC on ESPN 63, which is now official after the weigh-ins took place.

UFC

Dec 13, 2024

PFL Europe 4 Weigh-in Results: 2024 Finals Set A busy year for the Professional Fighters League wraps up on Saturday as the PFL Europe 4: 2024 Finals will take place.

Professional Fighters League

Dec 13, 2024

UFC Featherweight King Ilia Topuria Taps Brakes on Lightweight Plans Ilia Topuria is being cryptic about his plans to move up to lightweight.

UFC

Dec 13, 2024

Rizin FF Releases Stacked Card for New Year’s Eve ‘Decade’ Event Rizin Fighting Federation has put together an interesting card for New Year’s Eve.

Rizin Fighting Federation

Dec 13, 2024

Alexandre Pantoja, Deiveson Figueiredo Express Interest in Potential Rematch Alexandre Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo are teasing an Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight rematch.

UFC

Dec 12, 2024

Chase Hooper Says Shavkat Rakhmonov Doesn’t Deserve Title Shot Chase Hooper thinks Shavkat Rakhmonov has yet to show he is ready for an Ultimate Fighting Championship title shot.

UFC

Dec 12, 2024

Global Fight League Reveals Team-Based Format, Roster with Multiple Ex-UFC Champs If it all comes to fruition, the Global Fight League could be an interesting new addition to the mixed martial arts landscape.

Dec 11, 2024

Nine-Time UFC Veteran Jack Shore Retires from MMA at 29 Jack Shore is calling it a career before he turns 30.

UFC

Dec 11, 2024

Corey Anderson Replaces Ante Delija, Meets Vadim Nemkov at Road to Dubai Event Corey Anderson and Vadim Nemkov will square off for a third time early next year at Champions Series Dubai.

Bellator MMA

Dec 11, 2024

Gregory Rodrigues vs. Jared Cannonier to Headline UFC Fight Night 251 on Feb. 15 Gregory Rodrigues will square off against Jared Cannonier in the UFC Fight Night 251 main event on Feb. 15.

UFC

Dec 11, 2024

Nate Diaz Charged with Battery for Alleged Altercation at Las Vegas Nightclub Former UFC star Nate Diaz is facing a misdemeanor battery charge for an alleged incident that occurred at a Las Vegas nightclub this past August.

Dec 11, 2024

Renato Carneiro Expects to Dominate Beneil Dariush, Call for Title Shot at UFC 311 Renato "Money Moicano" Carneiro is aiming high if he wins his next fight.

UFC

Dec 11, 2024

Arman Tsarukyan: Khabib’s Presence in Opposite Corner at UFC 311 Will Be Motivating Arman Tsarukyan is excited to have his idol Khabib Nurmagomedov in the opposite corner at UFC 311.

UFC

Dec 11, 2024

Colby Covington Plans to 'Drown' Joaquin Buckley in UFC Tampa Headliner Colby Covington plans to take the soul out of Joaquin Buckley at UFC Tampa.

UFC

Dec 11, 2024

Dustin Poirier, Paddy Pimblett, Renato ‘Moicano,’ React to Ilia Topuria’s LW Plans Ilia Topuria has attracted a lot of eyeballs at lightweight after announcing his plans to move up....

UFC

Dec 11, 2024

Jan Blachowicz Returns, Faces Carlos Ulberg at UFC London on March 22 Former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will return to action against the streaking Carlos Ulberg at UFC London on March 22.

UFC

Dec 10, 2024

Dricus Du Plessis Preferred Chimaev Over Strickland Rematch for Next Title Defense If Dricus Du Plessis had gotten his way, he would have been defending his middleweight crown against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312.

UFC

Dec 10, 2024

UFC 312 Update: Heavyweights Justin Tafa, Tallison Teixeira to Meet in Sydney A heavyweight tilt pitting Justin Tafa against Tallison Teixeira has been added to the UFC 312 lineup.

UFC

Dec 10, 2024

Robert Whittaker Expects Similar Outcome in Du Plessis-Strickland Rematch Robert Whittaker doesn’t see anyone stopping Khamzat Chimaev’s takedowns.

UFC

Dec 10, 2024

Gilbert Burns Praises Jamahal Hill’s 'Marketing Strategy' for Alex Pereira Rematch Gilbert Burns recently had an interesting conversation with Jamahal Hill.

UFC

Dec 10, 2024

UFC 310 Changed Ian Garry’s Perspective on Muhammad-Rakhmonov Title Bout Ian Garry has a changed opinion of Shavkat Rakhmonov after their fight at UFC 310.

UFC

Dec 10, 2024

Ilia Topuria Reveals Plans to Move Up to Lightweight, Retire by Age 30 Ilia Topuria doesn’t want to drag out his MMA career.

UFC

Dec 10, 2024

Dana White Optimistic About Future of UFC-Japan Relationship Though UFC 310 wasn’t a cross-promoted event, there were some elements that gave Saturday’s card a little bit of a different feel.

UFC

Dec 09, 2024

Ciryl Gane Shares X-Ray of Foot Injury Suffered at UFC 310 As he indicated after the bout, Ciryl Gane was hindered early on in his rematch against Alexander Volkov at UFC 310.

UFC

Dec 09, 2024

Alex Pereira Believes Experience Gives Jon Jones Edge Against Tom Aspinall Alex Pereira believes Jon Jones can get the better of Tom Aspinall.

UFC

Dec 09, 2024

Ren Hiramoto Calls for UFC Deal, Vows to 'Carry on the Will' of Conor McGregor Japanese star Ren Hiramoto is rallying for an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

UFC

Dec 09, 2024

Merab Dvalishvili: Fan Altercation at UFC 310 Was Set Up By Umar Nurmagomedov Merab Dvalishvili believes his altercation with a fan was orchestrated by future opponent Umar Nurmagomedov and his team.

UFC

Dec 09, 2024

Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Garry Expect to Meet Again After Close Fight at UFC 310 While Shavkat Rakhmonov went the distance for the first time in his mixed martial arts career on Saturday night, his ability to prevail in that...

UFC

Dec 08, 2024

Alexander Volkov Blasts Judges for 'Bulls--t Decision' in Controversial UFC 310 Defeat Alexander Volkov isn’t sure what the cageside judges were seeing during his rematch with Ciryl Gane at UFC 310.

UFC

Dec 08, 2024

Demetrious Johnson Rejects Alexandre Pantoja’s Callout; UFC Champ Responds Moments after Alexandre Pantoja vanquished former Rizin bantamweight king Kai Asakura in the UFC 310 headliner, the reigning flyweight champion...

UFC

Dec 08, 2024

UFC 310 Bonuses: Alexandre Pantoja Leads Four 'Performance of the Night' Winners Alexandre Pantoja defended his turf in impressive fashion, and he received some extra compensation for his work as a result.

UFC

Dec 08, 2024

Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja Puts Kai Asakura to Bed in UFC 310 Headliner Alexandre Pantoja was once again unwilling to make room for anyone else at the top.

UFC

Dec 07, 2024

UFC 310 ‘Pantoja vs. Asakura’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring Sherdog's live UFC 310 coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

UFC

Jay Pettry

Dec 07, 2024

UFC 310 Prelims: Resurgent Dominick Reyes Downs Anthony Smith in Las Vegas Dominick Reyes appears to have steadied himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.

UFC

Dec 07, 2024

Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2, Zhang vs. Suarez Set for UFC 312 in Sydney UFC 312 will have a pair of championship bouts at the top of the bill.

UFC

Dec 07, 2024

UFC's Return to Seattle Official for Feb. 22 The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Seattle is now official.

UFC

Dec 07, 2024

UPDATED UFC 310 Weigh-in Results: Title Fight Set; Bryan Battle Heavy The Ultimate Fighting Championship's final pay-per-view event of the year is set after the UFC 310 weigh-ins.

UFC

Dec 06, 2024

Beneil Dariush Takes On Renato ‘Moicano’ on Jan. 18 at UFC 311 Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Renato “Money” Moicano is getting his wish, just a little later than he expected.

UFC

Jay Pettry

Dec 05, 2024

Makhachev-Tsarukyan 2, Dvalishvili-Nurmagomedov Announced for UFC 311 Two title bouts will top the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to the City of Angels.

UFC

Dec 04, 2024

Mackenzie Dern-Amanda Ribas Rematch Rescheduled for UFC Main Event on Jan. 11 The rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas is getting a little bit more prominent placement on the upcoming Ultimate Fighting...

UFC

Dec 04, 2024

Turki Alalshikh Hints at Working on Potential Francis Ngannou-Jon Jones Fight All hope isn’t lost when it comes to making arguably the biggest heavyweight fight in MMA.

UFC

Dec 04, 2024

Rickson Gracie’s Best Friend Will Be in Kron Gracie’s Corner at UFC 310 As revealed this week on the Brazilian podcast Mundo da Luta, Rickson Gracie, currently fighting Parkinson's disease, will not be present in son Kron Gracie’s corner for his return to the Octagon at...

UFC

Dec 04, 2024

Shavkat Rakhmonov Claims to Have Submitted Ian Garry in Sparring Shavkat Rakhmonov allegedly tapped out Ian Garry in sparring.

UFC

Dec 04, 2024

Coach: Alexandre Pantoja Can Prove He is World’s Best Flyweight at UFC 310 American Top Team coach Marcus “Parrumpa” da Matta arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday with Alexandre Pantoja, who will defend his flyweight title against Kai Asakura in the...

UFC

Dec 04, 2024

Petr Yan Mocks Sean O’Malley for Inactivity Between Fights Petr Yan is plotting a rematch against Sean O'Malley.

UFC

Dec 03, 2024

Report: Jean Silva to Face Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Event on Feb. 22 Jean Silva (14-2) will take on Melsik Baghdasaryan (8-2) at a UFC event on Feb. 22....

UFC

Dec 03, 2024

‘Mayhem’ Miller Urges Those in Nick Diaz’s Circle to Offer Help: 'He Needs You Now' While the exact reason for Nick Diaz’s withdrawal from UFC 310 is unclear, there has been speculation that the popular fighter isn’t in a...

UFC

Dec 03, 2024

Igor da Silva Gets First Fight Since Suspension for Biting UFC Opponent Igor da Silva is ready to move forward with his mixed martial arts career.

Oktagon MMA

Dec 03, 2024

Kai Kara-France Believes He Can KO UFC 310 Headliners Alexandre Pantoja, Kai Asakura Kai Kara-France will be keeping a close watch on the upcoming title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura.

UFC

Dec 03, 2024

Aljamain Sterling 'Confused' By Preliminary Card Placement at UFC 310 Aljamain Sterling (24-4) believes the UFC will regret not putting his matchup against Movsar Evloev (18-0) on the main card.

UFC

Dec 03, 2024

Ian Garry’s Dream Scenario: Defeat Rakhmonov, Covington in Consecutive Weeks Ian Garry continues to hold a grudge against Colby Covington.

UFC

Dec 03, 2024

Shavkat Rakhmonov Claims Usman, Prates, Covington Turned Down Offers to Fight Him Shavkat Rakhmonov was allegedly turned down by a slew of opponents for UFC 310.

UFC

Dec 03, 2024

Carlos Barreto: Demian Maia Would Be Poor Choice for Jake Paul’s MMA Debut It remains to be seen if or when Jake Paul will make his mixed martial arts debut, but there was one recent rumor involving the YouTube...