Valerie Letourneau signs with Bellator MMA
(mixedmartialarts.com)UFC bantamweight and strawweight veteran Valérie “Trouble” Létourneau has signed with Bellator MMA to compete in her much more natural weight division – flyweight.
The debut is expected to take place in late Summer and was first reported by Ariel Helwani.
UFC Signs Mackenzie Dern To Same Contract Type As Cris Cyborg
(mmaimports.com)Almost every athlete who gets into the sport of mixed martial arts has the goal of one day making it to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. To make anything close to a constant flow of money, UFC is the only reliable fight league that runs shows on a consistent enough basis to pay their fighters more regular than any other promotion out there.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappling ace turned fighter Mackenzie Dern has taken the regional MMA scene by storm. She is currently riding a three fight win-streak that saw her dominate Kenia Rosas, Montana Stewart, and most recently Katherine Roy.
Fight Night 108 Bonuses: Swanson, Lobov, Perry, Moreno Garner $50K Checks
(m.sherdog.com)It might not have been the most well received main event when it was announced, but Cub Swanson and Artem Lobov put on a show when the lights were on.
Swanson and Lobov received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their five-round featherweight battle in the UFC Fight Night 108 headliner in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday night. Lobov, a big underdog heading into the bout, withstood a barrage of punishment over the course of 25 minutes and may have even gotten the better of Swanson in the opening stanza. Ultimately, it was Swanson’s multi-faceted offensive arsenal that prevailed, as the Jackson-Wink MMA representative captured a unanimous verdict.
Colbey Northcutt, Sage’s sister, set to make pro MMA debut in June
(mmafighting.com)Another member of the famed Northcutt family is coming to professional mixed martial arts.
Colbey Northcutt, the older sister of UFC fighter Sage Northcutt, will make her pro MMA debut in June for Legacy Fighting Alliance, MMA Fighting has learned. LFA has four events scheduled for June, so it’s unclear at this time which card she’ll be competing on. Her opponent has yet to be finalized, as well.
Mamed Khalidov may test free agency following KSW stadium show
(bloodyelbow.com)One of the name synonymous with the KSW brand may not be long for the promotion.
According to mmanews.pl, Mamed Khalidov’s upcoming stadium show main event is the final fight on his current contract with the promotion. The KSW middleweight champion is scheduled to face the promotion’s welterweight titleholder Boris Mankowski in the main event of KSW’s biggest show to date.
"Yes, this is the last fight on Mamed Khalidov’s current contract,” co-owner Maciej Kawulski confirmed with the Polish outlet. “With him, the agreement in force is an average of 2 or 3 years and it is true that after the battle with Boris Mankowski, his contract will end."
UFC/Bellator vet Maiquel Falcao gets horrible beating in late stoppage at Fight Nights Global 63
(mmajunkie.com)Referee incompetence is something that has and likely always will be part of MMA. Unfortunately, another egregious display occurred at today’s Fight Night Global 63 event in Vladivostok, Primorsky, Russia.
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Maiquel Falcao (37-10) was the recipient of an extended beating at the hands of Vladimir Mineev (9-1) during their middleweight bout after the referee refused to step in and stop the fight until essentially the latest possible moment.
Paul Craig vs. Khalil Rountree, two more bouts added to UFC Glasgow
(mmafighting.com)Paul Craig has been given a chance to rebound from his first professional loss in front of his home crowd later this summer.
The Scottish fighter has been booked to fight Khalil Rountree in a light heavyweight contest at the UFC’s event in Glasgow, which set to take place on July 16 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. The main event for the card has yet to be announced by the promotion.
Gian Villante vs. Patrick Cummins set for UFC on FOX 25
(mmafighting.com)The first UFC event at Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum will have some Long Island flavor.
Former Hofstra football standout Gian Villante will take on the ultra-tough Patrick Cummins in a light heavyweight bout at UFC on FOX 25 in Uniondale, N.Y. Newsday originally reported the bout on Wednesday.
Villante takes a 15-8 record into the matchup, with 10 wins via knockout. He’s traded losses and wins in his past six fights, and is coming off a third-round TKO loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in Brazil on March 11.
Cormier vs. Jones 2 at UFC 214
(mixedmartialarts.com)Ariel Helwani is reporting for MMA Fighting that Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones 2 targeted for UFC 214 on July 29, 2017 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. A fight between Cormier and Jimi Manuwa was considered, but ultimately rejected in favor of what is sure to be a far more lucrative fight.
This will be the fifth time the UFC attempted to make the fight. Jones withdrew from the first scheduled fight in 2014, due to a knee injury. In 2015 the pair fought, with Jones successfully defending his belt. In 2016 it was Cormier who withdrew with a leg injury. And there was the fiasco at UFC 200.
Miguel Torres announces his retirement
(mmafighting.com)Former WEC champion Miguel Torres has decided to call it quits after his 16-year MMA career.
Torres announced his decision on Facebook on Wednesday night. Torres won the WEC bantamweight title at WEC 32, submitting Chase Beebe in the first round. He went on to defend the title three times before losing the belt to Brian Bowles at WEC 42 on Aug. 9, 2009.
WSOF to Become Professional Fighters League in 2018 Under New Ownership Group
(sherdog.com)World Series of Fighting has been rebranded as the Professional Fighters League and will begin operating under its new identity in 2018, according to a release.
The Professional Fighters League, which is co-founded by Washington D.C.-based businessmen Donn Davis, Russ Ramsey and Mark Leschly, purchased WSOF in January. Ramsey was a former chairman of the George Washington University board of trustees and also led a failed bid by Washington D.C. to land the 2024 Summer Olympics. The release boasts that the league is “backed by business titans in sports, media and technology.” According to a report from the Washington Post, Ted Leonsis, who owns the Washington Wizards, Mystics and Capitals, is one of the investors in the PFL, as are members of the Lerner family, who own the Washington Nationals. Other investors include Brandon Beck, found of the eSports company Riot Games and Los Angeles Dodgers Chief Financial Officer Tucker Karin.
DC based group to launch UFC competitor
(mixedmartialarts.com)A number of wealthy individuals have made a small fortune in MMA, by starting with a large one. ProElite XC reportedly lost $36,000,000. The IFL reportedly beat that figure easily, losing $55,000,000. The losing number for Affliction MMA is unknown, but it’s a bunch of millions.
However, the lure of owning a fight promotion apparently remains. Hedge Fund manager and philanthropist Russ Ramsey has reportedly bought World Series of Fighting, and will relauch it in early 2018 as the Professional Fighters League. D.C. venture capitalists Donn Davis and Mark Leschly are co-founders.
Curtis Blaydes vs. Daniel Omielanczuk heavyweight bout teed up for UFC 213 in Las Vegas
(mmajunkie.com)The UFC’s annual blockbuster pay-per-view tied to “International Fight Week” in Las Vegas is starting to build and now has a heavyweight bout ticketed for the lineup.
Curtis Blayes (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is set to take on Daniel Omielanczuk (19-7-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) at UFC 213. Although not yet announced by the promotion, Blaydes posted the booking on his Instagram account following a report from MMADNA in the Netherlands.
Reports: Police investigating alleged fight fixing from UFC event in Korea
(https:)Multiple reports are surfacing in Korea, citing an ongoing investigation regarding fight fixing allegations from the UFC’s 2015 event in Seoul. According to these mainstream media outlets in the country, a Korean fighter, whose identity they kept hidden, agreed to throw a bout, but ended up winning a decision against an American opponent.
The reports state that “Fighter A” agreed to take a dive for 100 million Won (roughly $88,000), and also put down a bet of 50 million Won (roughly $44,000) on the opponent.
BE Analytics: How has 10-8 scoring evolved over the years?
(bloodyelbow.com)Back in August 2010, then-rising star Junior dos Santos opened the UFC 117 main card against Roy “Big Country” Nelson, who was riding high off his Ultimate Fighter 10 win and subsequent 1st round knockout of Stefan Struve. The action started slow in the first 1:55 with Nelson pressing dos Santos against the cage for a good chunk of time.
Then dos Santos got free, unleashed, and unloaded.
UFC Fight Night 112's Johny Hendricks excited for test vs. former 205-pounder Tim Boetsch
(mmajunkie.com)Oklahoma City’s UFC Fight Night 112 will have a special taste for former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.
Hendricks (18-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC), who attended college at Oklahoma State and grew up in nearby Edmond, hasn’t competed in the state since 2007. Which is why, with the exception of his three UFC title fights, the June 25 scrap with Tim Boetsch (20-11 MMA, 11-10 UFC) is the one he’s looked forward to the most.
Other than the home appeal, Hendricks also sees the matchup as the perfect opportunity to prove some doubters wrong.
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