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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Kaue Fernandes returns to the octagon Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi to face Mohammad Yahya and achieve redemption after suffering a split decision loss to Marc Diakiese at UFC 301 in his native Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Fernandes is switching from home-field advantage to enemy territory in his second UFC appearance, but is focusing more on the things he has to do inside the cage rather any pressure brought from the stands, either with cheers or boos.

“I think I had a good debut,” Fernandes told MMA Fighting. “I made mistakes, but I think I won the fight. There was only one aggressor in that fight, and I was the aggressor. His only good moment in the fight was to stall. He’s an excellent fighter but he didn’t want to fight me, and they gave him the win even though he was almost knocked out and submitted with an armbar.”

Only one judge scored the bout in Fernandes’ favor, giving him a 29-28 scorecard with advantages in rounds one and two, however the other two judges disagreed.

Fernandes said he learned lessons from that fight, mainly to focus on improving his wrestling and conditioning.

“It’s a lot of pressure to debut in the UFC and I expected to feel very nervous, but I think I did well. I wasn’t intimidated,” said Fernandes, whose opponent had a 7-7 UFC record going into that bout. “Many people choke under those circumstances and I’ve shown I’ll perform and give my all against whoever, so that gives me confidence going forward.”

Diakiese completed his UFC contract that night and chose not to re-sign with the promotion, inking a deal with PFL instead.

Fernandes doubles down on his opinion that Diakiese should’ve left on a three-fight losing skid — following prior defeats to Michael Johnson and Joel Alvarez — rather than a win.

“I can’t cry over spilled milk,” Fernandes said. “I’ve rewatched that fight 1,000 times and I think he won the third round, but you can’t give him rounds one and two.”

“UFC naturally renews its roster and they wouldn’t re-sign him without an excellent performance, and he won in highly contested fashion,” he continued. “The fight was exciting until he made it boring. I’d rather get beat up and bloody and lose than [that]. … I left with a clean face and he went straight to the hospital. Who won the fight? He realized in the first round he couldn’t stand and trade with me. I could have done more. I have to get out of those situations because I might face that again, but it’s hard to fight someone who just doesn’t want to get finished.”

Yahya, a former lightweight champion in his native United Arab Emirates, is also attempting to rebound from a decision defeat in his UFC debut after losing to Trevor Peek at UFC 294.

Fernandes vows to do anything needed to emerge victorious for the first time inside the octagon.

“I think Mohammad might come to grapple after seeing that opening in my last fight, or he might do his thing and stand and trade,” Fernandes said. “Or maybe I can grapple him? Winning is what matters. If I have to grapple to beat him, so be it. I don’t rule anything out in this fight. I’m very powerful in the first round, and if it lands, he will feel it. That’s the perfect scenario, but I’m in no rush. I’m ready to go three rounds too.”

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Taila Santos believes Dakota Ditcheva was given a much easier path to the PFL Playoffs.

Both Santos, who once gave Valentina Shevchenko a run for her money inside the Octagon, and Ditcheva are one win away from advancing to the PFL flyweight final. Santos has gone 2-0 since making her Smart Cage debut earlier this year, defeating Ilara Joanne and Jena Bishop during the regular season.

But despite her own success, the one-time UFC title challenger believes Ditcheva was handed more favorable matchups to secure her spot in the final four.

“The fights they were giving her in the beginning, it’s pretty clear they were giving her an easy run so she could make it to the finals,” Santos told MMA Fighting. “That’s why I said I want to show her what a real fight is all about, a tough fight. I fought tough fights since the beginning and I don’t care. That’s exactly what I want. I want to tough fights to show I’m the best.”

Ditcheva scored the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with wins over Lisa Mauldin, a 6-5 fighter from California, and Chelsea Hackett, a 4-3-1 Aussie who made an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020. Ditcheva earned her way into this year’s regular season after winning the PFL Europe Championship in 2023, running through three opponents with a combined record of 13-10.

Meanwhile, Santos has more than proven herself by going five rounds with former UFC flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko and earning wins over the likes of Joanne Wood, Roxanne Modafferi, Molly McCann, and Gillian Robertson.

Though she’s by no means looking past her next opponent, Santos can’t help but salivate over the idea of meeting Ditcheva in the tournament final.

“It’s going to be really interested to have both of us getting to this final and fighting each other,” Santos said. “I just want to be in the final and face whoever, but it would be quite interesting to fight her. I would really like to fight Dakota because fans would like this one. People are talking about this fight, and I want to show her what a real fight is like. It would be exciting. I’m very excited to face her, really.”

Taila Santos will have to go through women’s MMA legend liz Carmouche if she wants to meet Ditcheva in the flyweight final

But to get there, Taila Santos will have to get past two-time UFC title challenger and current Bellator flyweight women’s champion, Liz Carmouche.

“It’s an incredible fight. All respect to her, an incredible athlete as well, a veteran, and it’s an honor for me to fight her,” Santos said. “I’m very versatile as a fighter, although I grew up training Muay Thai before training jiu-jitsu and wrestling and everything else. I feel super comfortable in all areas today. I like it a lot, and I know she tries to grapple more, to back her opponents against the cage and impose her game. It’s going to be a very interesting game.”

As for how she sees things playing out in Ditcheva’s semi-final scrap with Jena Bishop, Santos isn’t entirely convinced that the Manchester native will get the job done.

“I think it’s going to be close,” Santos said. “It won’t be an easy fight for either one of them. If Jena can close the distance and take her down quickly and not give Dakota space on the feet — Dakota knows her to use her reach and she’s powerful. Jena surprised me, she’s really strong and I wasn’t expecting that. She’s very experienced, so she can win this if she can close the distance.”

“I came here to win this belt,” Santos added. “I’m ready to go to the final and win, no matter who I’m fighting there. I’m here to fight the best.”

LowKickMMA.com

Boxing superstar Terence Crawford will make his long-awaited return to the ring this Saturday. He takes on Israil Madrimov for the WBA Super Welterweight Championship and the vacant WBO Interim World Super Welterweight Championship at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

While all eyes will be on the main event, fans are also excited about the matchups on the undercard. One of the anticipated bout will feature Andy Ruiz Jr. facing Jarrell Miller in an interesting heavyweight contest

Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrell Miller

Ruiz Jr. returns to the boxing ring after nearly two years of absence from competition. His last fight was a unanimous decision win against Luis Ortiz on September 4, 2022. Since then, he’s been looking for a big fight with Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, or even his former rival Anthony Joshua. In addition to being unsuccessful in securing a fight with another heavyweight superstar, Ruiz Jr.’s inactivity has removed him from title opportunities. 

The comeback fight against Miller will test whether the former champion can still threaten the rest of the division. That said, “Big Baby” isn’t an easy opponent to return against. Although Miller lost his fight against Daniel Dubious by TKO on December 23, 2023, he had moments where he hurt the current IBF World Heavyweight Champion.

DraftKings currently has the “Destroyer” victorious on Saturday. However, it’s unclear if his time away from competition will affect his performance. 

Other Key Matchups On The Undercard

Elsewhere on the card, there are more fights that fans will be intrigued to watch. Here are some of the key matchups on the undercard:

• Vacant WBA Light Heavyweight Championship: David Morrell (10-0) vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2)

Morrell will try to get his seventh straight knockout win this Saturday. Kalajdzic has more professional experience than his opponent, but Morrell’s punching power can be difficult to handle.

• IBF International & WBA Continental Latin-American Lightweight Championship: Andy Cruz (3-0) vs. Antonio Moran (30-6-1)

Undefeated with three wins, Cruz will put his title on the line against Moran. Both fighters come into the matchup having won the last fight and try to get a statement win to put the division on notice. 

• USWBC & WBO International Heavyweight Championship: Jared Anderson (17-0) vs. Martin Bakole (20-1)

Anderson will take the next step toward becoming a title contender by taking on Bakole to open the main card. Both heavyweights have a record of 15 knockouts, so it’s possible the bout will not go the distance. 

Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov Fight Card

(Fight Card Is Subject To Change)

Main Card: (DAZN PPV & ESPN+ PPV)

• WBA World Super Welterweight Championship & Vacant WBO Interim World Super Welterweight Championship: (C) Israil Madrimov (10-0-1) vs.
  Terence Crawford (40-0)
• WBA World Super Lightweight Championship: (C) Isaac Cruz (26-2-1) vs. Jose Valenzuela (13-2)
• Heavyweight: Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2) vs. Jarrell Miller (26-1-1)
• Vacant WBA Light Heavyweight Championship: David Morrell (10-0) vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2)
• IBF International & WBA Continental Latin-American Lightweight Championship: (C) Andy Cruz (3-0) vs. Antonio Moran (30-6-1)
• USWBC & WBO International Heavyweight Championship: Jared Anderson (17-0) vs. Martin Bakole (20-1)

Preliminary Card: (DAZN YouTube Channel)

• Welterweight: Ziyad Al Maayouf (5-0) vs. Michał Bulik (6-7)
• Super Middleweight: Steven Nelson (19-0) vs. Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez (20-0-1)

Continue Reading Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov Undercard Preview at MMA News.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Elves Brener vows to be more professional year-round to ensure his weight is on-point following a rough experience before, during, and after his recent UFC bout in May.

Brener made weight for a UFC 301 lightweight clash against Myktybek Orolbai in Brazil, but lost a decision. The Chute Boxe prospect was 3-0 in the UFC with two bonuses claimed prior to that, and now looks back at his experience in Rio de Janeiro as a learning lesson.

“I was having a lot of problems with my weight cut,” Brener told MMA Fighting ahead of his fight with Joel Alvarez on Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi. “I was always returning to Sao Paulo from Amazonas at around 200 pounds and agreed to a fight and had to rush things to make 155 in two or three months, and that wasn’t good for me. After this fight, I sat down with [coaches] Diego [Lima] and Allan [Nascimento] and set a limit I could go up before having to cut down again.”

Brener traveled early to Abu Dhabi this time and said he wouldn’t go over 176 pounds while in camp for the fight. Off camp, Brener won’t go over 180 pounds.

“It was messed up. I was drained, and it won’t happen again,” Brener said of his UFC 301 weight cut. “I’ll be more professional. Not that I wasn’t being a professional, but we always believe we’ll make weight. I went there and made weight, but how healthy is that for me and my future? I want to see my kids grow up and enjoy retirement.

“I have a professional mindset now and I won’t be defeated by my mouth. I came from the bottom and I’m poor, I’ve never seen so much food in my life [laughs], but I won’t be defeated by my mouth. I’ll live like an athlete all year round. Some people don’t do that. I’ve learned that when it happened to me. We see others say, ‘This guy doesn’t live like an athlete and it will come back at him eventually’. But we only learn when it happens to us. It has happened to me and it’s all good, I’ve learned it.”

“I don’t want to go to a fight like that anymore, having to make weight that way with my vision blurry during the weight and and after the fight, during the fight,” he continued. “I don’t want to feel that again. Only I know what I went through. I don’t see that fight as a loss itself, but as a learning experience. I learned the worst way possible. I’ll come back to rebuild my company again and again and how many times I have to.”

Brener believes he would have beaten Orolbai at UFC 301 if it wasn’t for his weight-cutting drama, but expects to meet him for a rematch in the future. Brener sees Alvarez s a great opponent to bring him closer to the top 15 of the UFC lightweight division, and feels ready for the task after adding specific boxing training to his camp at Chute Boxe.

“It’s going to be just the two of us in there and we’ll break each other up,” Brener said of Alvarez, who enters the cage coming off a submission win over Marc Diakiese. “That’s what fans want to see in the cage, and I’m going there to give them that. I’ll put my hands on this guy. He’s not one of those guys with a boring wrestling style. He has a good guillotine, a good kick, but we’ll see how he does walking backwards. I’m going there to walk forward, representing the Chute Boxe style, to hit hard and puts my hands on this guy.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

MMA Fighting has PFL 7 results for the Goltsov vs. Johnson fight card and more from Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.

In the main event, PFL veteran finalist Denis Goltsov looks to make it back-to-back trips to the heavyweight finals when he takes on longtime Bellator contender Tim Johnson. Goltsov went 2-0 in the regular season, while Johnson needed just one quick finish to qualify for the semifinals.

Undefeated flyweight Dakota Ditcheva fights Jena Bishop in the co-main event.

Check out the PFL 7 results below.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+)

Denis Goltsov vs. Tim Johnson

Dakota Ditcheva vs. Jena Bishop

Oleg Popov vs. Linton Vassell

Liz Carmouche vs. Taila Santos

Preliminary Card (6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Tyrell Fortune vs. Sergey Bilostenniy

Alexei Pergande vs. Daniel Boehle

Cody Law vs. Zachary Hicks

Sergio Cossio vs. Dedrek Sanders

Jaleel Willis vs. Anthony Ivy

Kevin Pease vs. Nick Meck

MMA Fighting – All Posts