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Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is back tonight (Fri., Sept. 27, 2024) for a fun little fight card from inside Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. XFC 51: “Evolution” will air at 8 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV) through TrillerTV for $ 24.99, but we have you covered with results and highlights below.

Oh, and the show will feature several ex-UFC and Bellator fighters.

In the main event, former UFC Light Heavyweight, Zac Pauga, takes on fellow UFC veteran and bareknuckle brawler, Alex Nicholson. The co-main event sees top prospect and Contender Series alum, Kenneth Cross, fight former Bellator title challenger, Emmanuel Sanchez.

Also on the card, Sidney Outlaw takes on Dan Moret, and 2022 Professional Fighters League (PFL) Welterweight finalist, Dilano Taylor, fights Handesson Ferreira.

XFC 51 Highlights & Results:

265 lbs.: Zac Pauga vs. Alex Nicholson
155 lbs.: Kenny Cross vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
170 lbs.: Dilano Taylor vs. Handesson Ferreira
125 lbs.: Viviane Pereira vs. Rayla Nascimento
155 lbs:. Dan Moret vs. Sidney Outlaw
265 lbs.: Ronny Markes defeats Lawrence Phillips via TKO Round 1, 1:129
155 lbs.: Artur Minley defeats Brandon Evans via submission – Round 1, 3:39

For more regional MMA news and notes click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Diego Lopes may get what he wants after all.

On Friday, Lopes announced he will serve as the backup fighter for the UFC 308 featherweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. MMA Fighting confirmed the news via multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans.

“Officially back up for the fight on October 26th. See you in Abu Dhabi”

Lopes has already fought three times this year, most recently at UFC 306 where he won a unanimous decision over Brian Ortega to move to No. 3 in the UFC featherweight rankings. Following his win, Lopes declared his interest in either fighting for the title next or taking on former champion Alexander Volkanovski. Now should something happen to either Topuria or Holloway before UFC 308, Lopes may get his opportunity.

It’s unclear how, if at all, this decision may affect Volkanovski, who appeared poised to fight the winner of Topuria vs. Holloway.

UFC 308 takes place on Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

UFC Paris is almost upon us.

This Saturday, the UFC returns to the Accor Arena in Paris for a 14-fight event headlined by a lightweight battle between Renato Moicano and Benoit Saint Denis, and also featuring a top-10 middleweight matchup between Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen. It’s a night of big fights in the City of Lights, with questions aplenty.

Ahead of Saturday’s big event, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and José Youngs preview the card, breaking down the marquee matchups. Topics include what Moicano and Saint Denis are fighting for, whether Imavov and Allen got snubbed by being relegated to the co-main event, which fights are flying under the radar in this stacked event, and the best French pastries.

Catch the UFC Paris preview show above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Conor McGregor has respect for the pioneers of MMA.

“The Notorious” was recently featured on a live stream hosted by online gambling site Duelbits, where he fielded a number of questions, including who he considers to be the five greatest MMA fighters of all time.

Without missing a beat, McGregor rattled off four names that would register with any fight fan, though he needed a moment to come up with the fifth.

“Top-5 MMA GOATS,” McGregor said. “Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Chuck Liddell… how many is that? Three, four? Four? The OGs… Bas Rutten. Bas Rutten, yeah. Europe’s own. Europe’s first is Bas Rutten. What a man Bas Rutten is.

“Serious shape he’s in now. Bas, I’m right behind you, bro. I see you, Bas. I see you, Bas. I’m right behind you.”

A former kickboxer, Rutten became the first UFC champion from the Netherlands when he defeated Kevin Randleman via split decision in May 1999 to claim a heavyweight title. Injuries prevented Rutten from ever defending his belt, but the victory was the exclamation point of an impressive fighting career that saw him go 28-4-1 with notable wins over Frank Shamrock, Maurice Smith, Guy Mezger, and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

Rutten was inducted into the UFC Hall Fame Pioneer Wing in 2015.

McGregor’s other choices were also integral to the rise of MMA to the mainstream, with Royce Gracie being arguably the most important figure in the history of the business as the face of the earliest UFC events, Rickson Gracie being renowned for his mythical—if often undocumented—martial arts feats, Shamrock taking the UFC to another level of popularity, and Liddell being the promotion’s first superstar of the modern era.

Surprisingly, McGregor left himself off the list. The braggadocious Irishman remains MMA’s biggest box office draw and once held titles in the UFC’s featherweight and lightweight divisions. The 36-year-old’s recent career output has left something to be desired as he has just one win to his name since defeating Eddie Alvarez for the 155-pound title back in 2016 and hasn’t fought since a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

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