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Retired UFC veteran and Olympic silver medalist Mark O. Madsen is getting into the promotion game.

The 39-year-old wrestler and fighter announced on Monday that he’s launching his own MMA organization called Dominance Fighting Championships with the first card already confirmed for Sept. 21 at the K.B. Hallen in Copenhagen, Denmark.

While launching the promotion definitely serves as a chance to bring more MMA to Scandinavian countries like Denmark and Sweden, Madsen envisions further expansion into Europe in the future as well.

“We want to bring world class entertainment to the heart of Copenhagen and create shows worthy of Las Vegas,” Madsen said during a press conference on Monday. “We believe there’s a market, and that we, in Europe, deserve this entertainment as well.”

Dominance FC serves as Madsen’s first solo owned organization but he’s previously worked with Cage Warriors when he helped promote a past event that was held in Denmark back in 2019.

Madsen, who called it a career back in January, hopes to attract a lot of local talent but he also plans on bringing in fighters from all over the world to fill the roster for the various shows he expects to promote across Europe. He’s also working closely with his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who he says will help him along the way as he gets his feet wet with the new promotion.

In addition to the first show planned in September, Madsen also announced the first fighter signing with fellow Greco-Roman wrestler Rajbek Bisultanov, who is a European Championships gold medalist, and he’ll be making his professional debut at the first Dominance FC card in September.

In addition to his wrestling pedigree, Bisultanov routinely counts UFC star Khamzat Chimaev as one of his main training partners.

Madsen plans to announce more fights for the debut DFC card including Bisultanov’s first opponent in the coming weeks.

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Clear path
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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Mike Davis is an exciting Lightweight prospect.

“Beast Boy” has won his last four fights, stopping two opponents and dominating the other two. His only loss came via short-notice debut to Gilbert Burns, and he holds an impressive 82% finish rate overall. Why then hasn’t Davis advanced up the ladder or built any serious momentum?

Largely, it’s been activity. Five fights in six years on the UFC roster is not an impressive rate. Davis admitted as much and aimed to fight more often, which resulted in a more high-profile Lightweight booking versus fellow action fighter Drew Dober at UFC Denver on July 13, 2024.

Sadly, that opportunity has fallen apart. In the video above, Davis shares how he torn his bicep training wrestling. It looks fairly innocuous as Davis aims to scramble to his feet, but the loud crunch sound is a clear indication otherwise.

“Journal entry: June 16, 2024,” Davis followed up. “This kills me man … Completely tore my bicep during my sparring rounds on Tuesday. June 11th. Resulting in 3.5in retraction in my bicep.

Yes, I need surgery. They have to reattach the tendon by drilling it back into the bone.”

Likely, it will be at least a couple months before Davis is able to get back to martial arts training. Here’s hoping he recovers quickly, and that UFC is able to locate a replacement opponent for Dober.

Insomnia

Just a pair of buds a few days removed from trying to murder each other.

Javid Basharat gets a big step up in name value and competition versus Chris Gutierrez.

Is some extra fame in the USA worth a 1/20th or so fight purse? Apparently not.

Stephen Thompson’s ability to maintain his balance while blinded is seriously impressive.

I’ve heard this theory many times. What happens if Khamzat were to actually win a belt? One defense per year (health pending)? Seems like an issue.

Jailton Almeida is the only reasonable option for Ciryl Gane.

Do we see Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg again at some point?

Slips, rips, and KO clips

It’s good to see Kyle Daukaus picking up wins — finishes, specifically — after the rough ending to his UFC career. I expect he’ll be back!

An 11-second one punch KO at women’s Bantamweight feels like a surefire way to secure a UFC contract.

Just yesterday, I was talking to a team mate, and we agreed: we’d rather get our arms snapped than lower extremities shredded via calf slice or banana split.

Random Land

Vital timing.

Midnight Music: Innervisions is an all-timer.

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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And the Oscar goes to… The Rock?!

Dana White, the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, believes we could all hear that phrase once fans and critics get a glimpse of The Smashing Machine, a film based on the like of MMA legend Mark Kerr.

Dwayne Johnson, best known by the WWE Universe as The Rock, will portray Kerr in the biopic appropriately named after the two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner’s moniker. Though the film is not scheduled for release until sometime in 2025, the hype train is already full steam ahead courtesy of a few promotional pics showing Johnson’s incredible transformation into the embattled MMA icon.

“I don’t know if you saw it, but he was showing on his Instagram the other day that he messed up his elbow,” White told Collider. “The Rock will kill this. He will nail this role. I know how serious he’s taking this, I know who’s working with him, and I know how hard he’s working on this film. I think that this could be the opportunity for The Rock to actually be nominated for an Oscar.”

The Smashing Machine is directed by Benny Safdie, the man behind the critically acclaimed 2019 film Uncut Gems starring Adam Sandler.

Ryan Bader and Oleksandr Usyk join The Rock in The Smashing Machine

Recent additions to the cast of The Smashing Machine include Ryan Bader as former UFC and PRIDE star Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman and undisputed heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk as Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer Igor Vovchanchyn.

Check out some behind-the-scenes stills from The Smashing Machine below:

LowKickMMA.com

In the absence of MMA training, Conor McGregor has turned his attention to the sports betting world. Since making a name for himself under the UFC banner, money has seemingly followed McGregor both inside and outside of the sport. The Irishman has become an uber-successful businessman, managing to be the driving force for several well-known company’s throughout the years.

While he has been forced to take a break from competing due to an injury, Conor McGregor has decided to venture into the world of sports betting. With the Euros getting underway earlier this week, McGregor opted to put $ 60k on global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to earn the golden boot award.

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Aged 39, Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to spearhead Portugal to another Euros victory this summer.

Known for his goal scoring prowess, Ronaldo holds the record for the most collective goals in Euros history with 14. Alongside that feat, the Portuguese phenom is the first player to ever feature at six separate Euros tournaments — which takes place every four years.

Portugal played their opening game against Czech Republic on Tuesday, stealing a late 2-1 win in the dying moments. Ronaldo was not on the score sheet for the game.

Conor McGregor’s UFC future

Hoping Cristiano Ronaldo captures the golden boot for the second time is the least of Conor McGregor’s problems.

Related: Michael Chandler unphased by Conor McGregor fight doubt

After a lengthy spell on the sidelines, ‘The Notorious’ sustained an injury just two weeks before he was set to compete at UFC 303 — leaving his UFC future in doubt.

Many have weighed in on the situation, with some believing his time to compete is running out.

Dana White was among those who commented on the injury. The UFC CEO isn’t prepared to speak too much on McGregor, and will only entertain fight talk on the former two-division world champion once he returns from his layoff.

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Alexa Grasso took the lead again on the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter 32.

The reigning UFC flyweight champion moved to 2-1 in her coaching matchup with Valentina Shevchenko, as her No. 2 featherweight pick Kaan Ofli won a decision over Team Bullet’s Nathan Fletcher. This is also Grasso’s first featherweight win of the season after her No. 1 pick at 145 pounds, Guillermo Torres, lost to Shevchenko’s top pick Roedie Roets.

Ofli (11-2-1) had to work hard for his decision win as Fletcher (8-1) proved to be more than an equal match on the feet and on the ground. The first round clearly went to the Australian as he used an advancing jab and a heavy right hand to pressure Fletcher before eventually scoring with a slam. From there, Ofli methodically passed Fletcher’s defenses until he took his back, from where he mixed in ground-and-pound with a rear-naked choke attempt.

Fletcher survived to make it to Round 2 and knowing he needed to tie it up to force an extra frame, the Scouser came out swinging. As Fletcher flurried, Ofli remained calm until he found an opening for another takedown. Fletcher quickly returned to his feet, only to get taken down again, but then he surprised Ofli by going for broke with a rolling scramble that resulted in him briefly taking Ofli’s back.

Though Fletcher managed plenty of offense, Ofli continued to catch him with strikes as well and ended the fight working from top position. Ofli’s efforts were enough to earn him a decision and place in the TUF 32 featherweight semifinals.

Next week, we have a rescheduled middleweight matchup between Team Grasso’s Omran Chaaban (6-1) and Team Bullet’s No. 1 pick Shamidkhan Magomedov (7-1. This bout was supposed to take place on Episode 2, but was postponed when Chaaban was diagnosed with an open cold sore.)

In the aftermath of last week’s fight, which saw Robert Valentin score a fast and brutal knockout of Giannis Bachar, the episode opened with a scene of Bachar struggling with his first-ever loss to strikes. Valentin and Bachar’s teammates made sure to comfort the Greek fighter, assuring him that those kinds of losses are simply part of being a fighter.

The Ultimate Fighter 32 airs live every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Following the season finale, Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko are expected to face off in a flyweight championship trilogy bout at a date still to be determined.

The finalists of the TUF 32 middleweight and featherweight tournaments will also compete for a six-figure UFC contract at the show’s live finale. A date for that event is also yet to be announced.

Here are the TUF 32 rosters divided by team:

Team Grasso

Featherweights

1. Guillermo Torres (Mexico) (7-1)
2. Kaan Ofli (Australia) (10-2-1)
3. Bekhzod Usmonov (Tajikistan) (11-4)
4. Mairon Santos (Brazil) (13-1)

Middleweights

1. Robert Valentin (Switzerland) (10-3)
2. Paddy McCorry (Ireland) (4-1)
3. Omran Chaaban (Finland) (6-1)
4. Tom Theocharis (Canada) (9-5)

Team Shevchenko

Featherweights

1. Roedie Roets (South Africa) (7-1)
2. Zygimantas Ramaska (Lithuania) (9-2)
3. Nathan Fletcher (England) (8-1)
4. Edwin Cooper Jr. (USA) (6-1)

Middleweights

1. Shamidkhan Magomedov (Russia) (7-1)
2. Mark Hulme (South Africa) (12-3)
3. Ryan Loder (USA) (6-1)
4. Giannis Bachar (Greece) (9-2)

Here are the quarterfinal results so far:

Roedie Roets def. Guillermo Torres via decision

Robert Valentin def. Giannis Bachar via KO (strikes) (R1)

Kaan Ofli def. Nathan Fletcher via decision

Advancing to semifinals: Roets, Valentin, Ofli

Eliminated: Torres, Bachar, Fletcher

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Michael Chandler has always exuded motivation, and that remains the same amid the doubt surrounding his fight with Conor McGregor.

No matter whether he wins or loses inside the octagon, Chandler has earned the fans’ respect over the years. Throughout his career, the heavy-handed wrestler loves nothing more than entertaining the viewers and that has remained the same for the entirety of his 15-year span in MMA.

After news of Conor McGregor’s injury broke, Michael Chandler shared a reaction on social media. Today, he has done so again, this time insisting that he thrives under these circumstances.

“I got the rug pulled out from underneath me at the last possible moment,” Chandler said on Instagram. “So what do I do now? A little bit of uncertainty in my life.”

“When’s this fight going to happen? What date would it be re-booked for? What venue? How bad is the injury? Reports have come out that it’s not that bad, just needs a little bit of a delay.”

“But, still no guarantees. But, I thrive when there are no guarantees.”

Chandler continued, urging fans not to pity him despite losing several years of his final years in combat sports sat on the sidelines.

“Don’t you dare disrespect me by feeling sorry for me. Don’t you dare disrespect me by having any kind of sympathy.”

“Be emboldened by my situation. Be emboldened by my steadfastness and my immovability, of hitching my dreams to a shooting star and continuing to move forward.”

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Related: Conor McGregor releases statement after UFC 303 withdrawal

Conor McGregor’s return from a broken leg was set to be one of the biggest moments in the sport’s history. While that will now undoubtedly change, the UFC 303 pay-per-view broke a record for the highest gate in the organisation’s history.

Those tickets have now been refunded and a lower price has been set. While those attending will no longer get to watch McGregor, they will witness a brilliant light heavyweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

Opening odds
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When will it stop???

On Monday (June. 17, 2024), the start of UFC Saudi Arabia fight week, Sedriques Dumas announced on his social media that his fight with Denis Tiuliulin is canceled.

“Sorry to my fans and teams. The fight has been postponed because of VA and flight reasons. Stay tuned. We should have a soon date available soon. Hope we can ride it back,” Dumas wrote.

Dumas took to his Instagram an hour later to write a cryptic message.

“After everything I have done and everything else, I feel like a f—king bozo,” Dumas wrote on his Instagram story. “I stuck my neck out and did a lot for people and at the end of the day I get looked at like shit. Somethings happen in mysterious as a way just to show how things and people are. I can’t believe this shit.”

With Dumas vs. Tiuliulin being off, that is the seventh canceled fight.

Dumas (9-2) is coming off a controversial first-round stoppage at UFC Atlantic City, in which he was eye-poked by Nursulton Ruziboev (watch it).

Tiuliulin (11-9) is riding a three-fight losing streak and is currently 1-4 inside UFC.

Here is the current UFC Saudi Arabia lineup:

185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov

265 lbs.: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov

170 lbs.: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez

205 lbs.: Johnny Walker vs. Volkan Oezdemir

205 lbs.: Shara Magomedov vs. Joilton Lutterbach

155 lbs.: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jared Gordon

170 lbs.: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nicolas Dalby

135 lbs.: Kyung Ho Kang vs. Muin Gafurov

205 lbs.: Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Brendson Ribeiro

145lbs:. Muhammad Naimov vs. Felipe Lima

135 lbs.: Xiao Long vs. Chang Ho Lee

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