Walt Harris accepts four-month USADA suspension
(https:)Walt Harris’s business with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the California State Athletic Commission has been resolved.
On Monday, the USADA announced that Harris has accepted a four-month suspension for a positive drug test tied to his recent fight against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 232 in Inglewood, California, on Dec. 29, 2018. This is identical to the four-month suspension given to Harris by the CSAC, who also fined the UFC heavyweight $4,000.
UFC’s Darren Till arrested for allegedly stealing taxi, trashing hotel room
(https:)According to Spanish outlet ElDia.es, UFC fighter Darren Till was one of five British citizens arrested in Tenerife, Spain on Thursday for causing damage to a hotel and accidentally stealing a taxi.
Sources told the publication that the group broke furniture and emptied fire extinguishers at a lodging complex they were staying in. After being removed from the Costa Adeje premises, the group travelled to another hotel in nearby ??El Duque, but was refused rooms.
Rizin 15 card finalized
(https:)
Top of the Card:
Muhammed Lawal vs. Jiri Prochazka
Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Fritz Aldin Biagtan
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ben Nguyen
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Roberto Satoshi Souza
Karl Albrektsson vs. Christiano Frohlich
RENA vs. Samantha Jean-Francois
Mikuru Asakura vs. Luiz Gustavo
Bottom of the card:
Kana Watanabe vs. Justyna Zofia Haba
Damien Brown vs. Koji Takeda
Manel Kape vs. Seiichiro Ito
Saray Orozco vs. Kanako Murata
TAIGA vs. Thallison Ferreira
B.J. Penn issued restraining order; mother of children alleges years of physical, sexual abuse
(https:)B.J. Penn is set to return at UFC 237 with an active restraining order against him.
Penn’s estranged partner, Shealen Uaiwa, first obtained a temporary restraining order and petition for an order of protection this past October in Hawaii Family Court, alleging the UFC Hall of Famer abused her over the course of their 10-year relationship. The order was extended after a hearing in February; it expires Oct. 8, 2021.
Jimmie Rivera vs. Petr Yan targeted for UFC 238
(https:)A veteran of the UFC’s bantamweight wars will take on one of the division’s fastest rising up-and-comers at UFC 238.
Jimmie Rivera will square off with Petr Yan on the June 8 card at United Center in Chicago. MMA Junkie confirmed with a person close to the situation following a Thursday ESPN report.
Rivera (22-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is looking to break out of a tough stretch in which he has dropped two out of his past three fights. The New Jersey native’s most recent bout was a unanimous-decision loss to Aljamain Sterling in Phoenix on Feb. 17.
Renato Moicano will replace Jose Aldo at UFC 237 if needed, wants Zabit or Ortega if not
(https:)Renato Moicano took some important learning lessons away from his loss to Jose Aldo earlier this year and hopes to get an opportunity to show those lessons against a top featherweight contender in the near future.
After putting himself on the cusp of a UFC title shot with a string of strong performances, Moicano (13-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) experienced a setback against former longtime 145-pound titleholder Aldo (28-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) when he was stopped by second-round TKO at UFC on ESPN+ 2 in February.
Full Fight Card Announced for Bellator 219 This Friday on Paramount Network
(https:)Complete Bellator 219: Awad vs. Girtz Main Card:
Lightweight Main Event: Saad Awad (23-10) vs. Brandon Girtz (15-8)
Lightweight Co-Main Event: Daniel Straus (24-8, 1 NC) vs. Shane Kruchten (12-4)
Welterweight Main Card Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (21-3) vs. Mike Jasper (13-4)
Middleweight Main Card Bout: Joe Schilling (3-5) vs. Keith Berry (15-14-1, 1 NC)
Preliminary Card:
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Joey Davis (4-0) vs. Marcus Anthony (1-0)
Light Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Dalton Rosta (Pro Debut) vs. Cody Vidal (1-1)
Post-lim Card:
Bantamweight Undercard Bout: Shawn Bunch (8-3) vs. Dominic Mazzotta (14-2)
Welterweight Undercard Bout: David Rickels (20-5, 2 NC) vs. A.J. Matthews (9-8)
Women’s Featherweight Undercard Bout: Janay Harding (4-3) vs. Marina Mokhnatkina (4-1)
140-lb. Catchweight Undercard Bout: Weber Almeida (2-0) vs. Johnny Soto (Pro Debut)
Lightweight Undercard Bout: Joshua Jones (8-3) vs. Darren Smith Jr. (15-10)
Welterweight Undercard Bout: Johnny Cisneros (12-6) vs. John Mercurio (8-8)
Bantamweight Undercard Bout: Rickey Furar (3-1) vs. Roman Puga (1-0)
165-lb. Catchweight Undercard Bout: David Pacheco (1-0) vs. Kelvin Gentapanan (Pro Debut)
Lightweight Undercard Bout: Sunni Imhotep (Pro Debut) vs. Eugene Correa (0-1)
Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm in the works to headline UFC 237 in Brazil
(https:)Amanda Nunes could be defending her UFC women’s bantamweight belt against Holly Holm next.
Two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes will apparently defend her bantamweight title in May.
Just over month after knocking out then-women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, Nunes’ next fight is being lined up. According to Combate’s report, the UFC is working to book the ‘Lioness’ against Holly Holm at UFC 237. This news comes just one day after Dana White said Holm vs. Aspen Ladd was not happening at UFC 235.
Former UFC welterweight champions Tyron Woodley, Robbie Lawler set for June rematch
(https:)A pair of former welterweight champions will square off in a June 29 rematch as Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler have agreed verbally to meet at UFC Fight Night in Minneapolis.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the news to ESPN's Brett Okamoto on Wednesday with the bout scheduled to headline an ESPN card at Target Center.
Woodley (19-4-1) signed on for a relatively quick return after losing his 170-pound title via dominant decision loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 on March 2. The loss snapped a seven-fight unbeaten streak for the 36-year-old Woodley.
Feathetweights Cub Swanson, Shane Burgos to clash at UFC Ottawa
(https:)Cub Swanson will face Shane Burgos in a featherweight bout at UFC Ottawa on May 4.
Promotion officials announced the matchup on Wednesday. UFC Fight Night 150 takes place at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and is headlined by a lightweight tilt between Al Iaquinta and Donald Cerrone. The card will stream on ESPN+.
Swanson will attempt to halt a three-fight losing streak in his showdown with Burgos. The Palm Springs, Calif., native has dropped successive bouts to Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar and Renato Carneiro in his last three Octagon appearances. Prior to that, Swanson had reeled off a four-bout UFC winning streak April 2016 to April 2017.
Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes official for UFC 238
(https:)UFC President Dana White’s plan is in motion.
The promotion today announced flyweight champion Henry Cejudo (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) will take on bantamweight No. 1 contender Marlon Moraes (22-5 MMA, 4-1 UFC) for the vacant 135-pound title at UFC 238.
UFC 238 takes place June 8 at United Center in Chicago. The event’s main card airs live on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+ and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos slated for UFC 239
(https:)Stipe Miocic will have to wait.
Just hours after Jones teased a potential fight against the former UFC heavyweight champion, his real marching orders were unveiled: Jones is being targeted to defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Thiago Santos on July 6 at UFC 239. MMA Fighting confirmed the news Wednesday following an initial report by ESPN. Once finalized, Jones vs. Santos is expected to headline the UFC’s annual International Fight Week.
LFA double champ Casey Kenney steps in vs. Ray Borg on short notice at UFC Philadelphia
(https:)Ray Borg’s road to his octagon return has been filled with hardship, so what’s one more hiccup along the way?
Borg (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has experienced a fight week opponent change with Kyler Phillips no longer on the card and Casey Kenney (11-1-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step in to face the former UFC title challenger in a bantamweight bout on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 2.
UFC.com announced the change, but did not reveal a reason for Phillips’ withdrawal from the card.
Ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor announces his retirement — again
(https:)McGregor's motivation to continue in the sport had been called into question over recent years, after his MMA inactivity and brief foray into boxing to fight Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
McGregor, who has never been far from controversy in his turbulent career, was charged in April 2018 with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief after police said he attacked a charter bus in New York carrying UFC fighters.
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