Latest news with #ufc
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Maycee Barber says UFC on ESPN 68 withdrawal vs. Erin Blanchfield 'just a bad hand'
Maycee Barber says UFC on ESPN 68 withdrawal vs. Erin Blanchfield 'just a bad hand' Show Caption Hide Caption Erin Blanchfield on Maycee Barber: 'She needs to fix her life' UFC on ESPN 68 winner Erin Blanchfield talks to reporters post-fight after Maycee Barber was ruled out of their in main event due to a medical issue. Less than 24 hours after a shocking and dramatic withdrawal from the UFC on ESPN 68 main event, Maycee Barber posted a bit of an explanation on social media. Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was set to headline the card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas against Erin Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC). But just moments before she was set to walk out – video packages for the headliner already had been broadcast – she was not medically cleared to fight. The women's flyweight bout was canceled literally in the final minute or two before the fighters were set to walk to the cage from the back – leaving even the broadcast team unsure what was happening. Sunday, Barber had little to say on Instagram beyond an apology, but suggested what caused the incident was not expected. Barber included video taken backstage at the UFC Apex showing her being wheeled on a stretcher to an ambulance. "Not what I had planned for a Sunday post," Barber posted. "Thank you to everyone for the prayers & support I owe an apology to @ufc @mickmaynard2 @danawhite @seanshelby & @blanchfield_mma ** PS my life is not messy this is just a bad hand. We will get to the bottom of it all and be back 🤍" Fight week featured veiled comments by Blanchfield wondering if Barber would show up to the fight. Friday, Barber missed weight by a half-pound and declined an opportunity to cut the additional weight to avoid paying a penalty to Blanchfield. At the ceremonial faceoffs just after the weigh-ins, the two had to be separated by matchmaker Sean Shelby, and their beef continued on social media later on in the day. But when fight time rolled around, Barber was unable to make the walk. Blanchfield said after the fight she is not interested in rebooking a fight with Barber. Barber was set to fight for the first time in more than a year. Now that layoff will be extended indefinitely, it appears.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FPI copies CJI, Musumeci co-main cancelled due to ‘huge' UFC project
UFC Fight Pass Invitational 11 (UFC FPI 11) happens this Thursday, May 29, 2025, and there will be a couple of big changes to the event and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) promotion as a whole. The card will still be headlined by the top two female BJJ stars in the world in Ffion Davies vs. Adele Fornarino. The Mikey Musumeci co-main event has been scrapped though, and there will also be a new rule set for UFC FPI events moving forward. Advertisement Below is everything you need to know about UFC FPI 11. UFC FPI 11: Mikey Musumeci vs. Geo Martinez. Mikey Musumeci vs. Geo Martinez scrapped from UFC FPI 11 due to BJJ TUF? Mikey Musumeci vs. Geo Martinez was supposed to co-headline UFC FPI 11, but the match has since been removed from the BJJ card. 'This same week of the match I am doing another huge project with @ufc that I am incredibly excited to share and announce with you guys super super soon,' Musumeci wrote on Instagram. 'but it benched our match from happening this week!' 'I would like to apologize to Geo and anyone looking forward to this match. I already gave Geo my word that we can do the match later in the year!!! The first half of the year started slow, but wait until you guys see what we're working on; I will be back competing VERY soon . Thank you everyone that supports me ❤️' Advertisement Musumeci's 'huge project' with the UFC likely is reported The Ultimate Fighter-style show adopted for BJJ that's about to be filmed. BJJ star turned promoter Craig Jones recently posted screenshots of rules sent to grapplers about to join the reality show, then criticized the UFC's business practices and show format that has long 'died.' LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 03: Craig Jones prepares to face Rafael Lovato Jr. during the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6 at UFC APEX on March 03, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC Fight Pass Invitational 6: Jones v Lovato UFC Fight Pass Invitational adopts CJI-style rule set The UFC Fight Pass Invitational ruleset has been completely revamped, and will now have three five-minute rounds and a 10-point must system will be in place for judging. Stalling and passivity will also be penalized. Advertisement 10-9: When an athlete wins by a close margin. 10-8: When an athlete is overwhelmingly dominant throughout the round. 10-7: When an athlete is completely dominant throughout the round, to include near-bout ending sequences. Judges will prioritize submission attempts and then offensive action, with duration of control having the least amount of weight when scoring bouts. If this sounds familiar, it's because the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) has already been using this ruleset. Craig Jones of course wouldn't just let this news pass, as he took a jab at the announcement. Craig Jones reacting to UFC FPI rule change Jones openly stated that he was copying the MMA/UFC scoring system for his own BJJ promotion to try and draw in more casual fight fans to the sport. UFC themselves kept their arguably more complicated jiu-jitsu ruleset for almost a year after, but now they seem to finally agree with what Craig Jones had in mind. The change now keeps the scoring systems similar across the two sports under the UFC banner, and would conceivably make it a lot easier to understand for casual fight fans. Advertisement The only criticism from CJI rules is that five minute rounds could lead to less finishes in a slower paced jiu-jitsu match, as they'll have less time to work by the time they hit the mat. UFC FPI is just coming from 6 minutes with a 3-minute overtime though, so it shouldn't be that big a difference on their case. It'll also be interesting to see if UFC FPI eventually puts the other revolutionary change CJI has implemented (and borrowed from Karate Combat). By putting up pit walls, it nearly eliminated all those repeated resets seen in BJJ, and pushed more consistent action in matches. It clearly helped improve the entertainment value, but if UFC wants to shift to a pit too though, technically CJI and Karate Combat already share the patent on that fighting surface. Ffion Davies vs. Adele Fornarino UFC FPI 11 poster banner UFC FPI 11: Ffion Davies vs. Adele Fornarino fight card Despite losing Mikey Musumeci and its co-main event, UFC FPI 11 will still have a good BJJ card top by an excellent main event. Ffion Davies vs. Adele Fornarino is arguably the best match to put on the sport today, as it features two ADCC champions and the consensus top two pound-for-pound female grapplers in the world. Advertisement It's a coup for the UFC to book this match up before other jiu-jitsu organizations, and this really should've been for the UFC's inaugural BJJ title. There are also two other really good women's matches on the line up. In the co-main event, Raquel Canuto will try to remain undefeated at UFC FPI, when she takes on reigning ADCC champ and six-time IBJJF world champ Ana Viera. ADCC trials winner Alex Enriquez will also be on the card against Jasmine Rocha. Also on UFC FPI 11, the always entertaining William Tackett will take on second generation BJJ star Achilles Rocha. The full UFC FPI 11 fight card is as follows: Advertisement Ffion Davies vs. Adele Fornarino Raquel Canuto vs. Ana Viera William Tackett vs. Achilles Rocha Mason Fowler vs. Christiano Troisi Francisco Lo vs. Enrico Said Jasmine Rocha vs. Alex Enriquez Keven Carrasco vs. Sebastian Oyervidez Cobey Fehr vs. Ty Costlow UFC FPI 11: Ffion Davies vs. Adele Fornarino - How to watch, live stream, start time UFC Fight Pass Invitational 11 will happen on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. As its name suggests, the BJJ event will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass. UFC FPI 11 will start streaming on the promotion's media platform starting at 8 p.m. ET. You can also watch a preview of the event on the video embedded below: For the latest Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and grappling-related news click here. More from
HKFP
22-05-2025
- Sport
- HKFP
UFC to hold first event in mainland China since pandemic with Shanghai fight
Ultimate Fighting Championship will hold its first event in mainland China since the Covid-19 pandemic, it said Thursday, announcing a Fight Night in Shanghai this summer. The top MMA promotion has poured resources into developing the China market and has a multimillion-dollar performance institute in Shanghai. But its ambitions were hampered by the tight travel and quarantine restrictions of China's zero-Covid era, which led to the cancellation of most international sports events in the country until the policies were lifted at the end of 2022. A planned Shanghai Fight Night in December the following year was relocated less than a month beforehand to Las Vegas because of 'logistical issues'. Kevin Chang, UFC's head in Asia, said this year's event will take place on August 23. The Octagon returns to Shanghai! 👋 #UFCShanghai & the #RTU4 semifinals are headed to China! — UFC (@ufc) May 22, 2025 'This promises to be an action-packed weekend that will showcase both the city and our sport, and China power, to the world,' he told a press conference. UFC held a Fight Night in semi-autonomous Macau in November, but its last event in mainland China was in 2019 in Shenzhen. However, it has maintained a presence in the country through its performance institute, which was opened in 2019 to develop Asian mixed martial artists. The centre has a partnership with the Chinese Olympic Committee.
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
UFC: Oliveira vs Topuria lightweight fight at 317; Du Plessis defends middleweight belt
UFC CEO Dana White announced the main and co-main events for UFC 317 that headline the promotion's annual International Fight Week on June 28 on Wednesday. In the main event, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will take on former featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title. Oliveira is coming off a Fight of the Night-earning performance against Michael Chandler at UFC 309 last November. Former featherweight champion Topuria is fresh off back-to-back knockouts and title defences, and UFC 317 would mark the Spaniard's return to lightweight for the first time since his 2022 KO victory over Jai Herbert. Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will be vacating his title to move up to the UFC welterweight division to face newly crowned champion Jack Della Maddalena at a later time and date. The co-main event will see flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja collide with the hard-hitting Kai Kara-France. Pantoja enters the fight on a 7-fight tear, with his last three outings being successful title defences. Kara-France is coming off a quick TKO over Erceg and will be aiming to make the most of his second crack at UFC gold. COMIN' IN HOT 🔥 IFW 2025 is going to be FUN!#UFC317 | Tickets on sale Friday — UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2025 White also revealed middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis' next bout. The South African will defend his title against Khamzat Chimaev in the headliner at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 18. Du Plessis most recently held serve in his rematch against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, besting the former champion on the scorecards for a second time. His third defence is perhaps one of the more anticipated matchups. Chimaev, 31, burst onto the scene in 2020, scoring three wins in one of the more stunning breakouts in recent memory. He has solidified his contender status at middleweight, and 'Borz' finally gets his shot against the in-form Du Plessis. Additional Announced Bouts: UFC 317 Brandon Royval vs Manel Kape Paulo Costa vs Roman Kopylov Beneil Dariush vs Renato Moicano Jack Hermansson vs Gregory Rodrigues Jhonata Diniz vs Justin Tafa Viviane Araujo vs Tracy Cortez UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs de Ridder (Abu Dhabi) Shara Magomedov vs Marc-Andre Barriault
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
UFC 315: Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena fight preview, fight card, streaming info
Montreal will play host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) most anticipated fight on May 11 as America's Belal Muhammad gears up to defend his title for the first time. Belal, who made his UFC debut back in 2016, had to wait for his shot at the welterweight title — eight years, to be precise. And when the opportunity arose, he stepped up and seized it with both hands. True to his nickname 'Remember The Name', Belal secured a statement unanimous decision win over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 to clinch the belt. Like a fine wine, Belal has improved with age and has become a master strategist inside the cage, combining endurance with relentless pace. He pairs this suffocating pressure with ever-improving striking technique to systematically break down and overwhelm his opponents. His fight record is indicative of his wait-and-strike approach — just six out of his 24 professional wins have come via finishes and the rest have been decisions. The strategy was evident in his bout against Edwards. Twenty seconds into the fight, Belal initiated a successful takedown as he pinned the Englishman towards the cage and dropped him in a flash. That was perhaps an indication of what was about to unfold. ALSO READ | UFC Des Moines: Sandhagen beats Figueiredo via TKO, calls for shot at bantamweight title With a total of nine takedowns and 68 significant strikes, Belal dominated his opponent for the majority of the fight and took home a convincing victory. That win marked his sixth straight triumph, extending an impressive unbeaten streak that now spans 11 fights over the past five years. REMEMBER THE NAME 🏆@BullyB170 defeats Leon Edwards by unanimous decision to become the NEW welterweight champion of the world! [ B2YB @ForThePeople | #UFC304 ] — UFC (@ufc) July 28, 2024 Standing across from him will be Perth's Jack Della Maddalena, a fighter who is also riding a massive wave of momentum. Initially scheduled to face Edwards earlier this year, circumstances now pit him against Belal. Della enters this title opportunity on an incredible 17-fight winning streak in professional MMA. Since joining the UFC roster after impressing on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in 2021, he has had seven consecutive wins, including five finishes. Belal will likely deliver grappling exchanges with relentless pressure, while Della will rely on his knockout power and finishing instincts. For Della, a victory would make him only the third Australian fighter — after Robert Whittaker and Alexander Volkanovski — to capture UFC gold. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko prepares for the first title defence of her second reign against French contender Manon Fiorot. Shevchenko decisively reclaimed the championship from Alexa Grasso at UFC 306 last September. Now, 'Bullet' aims to demonstrate her enduring dominance as she enters her remarkable 12th consecutive flyweight title fight. Challenging her is the patient and powerful Fiorot. Since losing her professional debut, Fiorot has been undefeated, stringing together 12 wins on the trot, including seven victories within the UFC. She cemented her position as the No. 1 contender by dominating Erin Blanchfield last March. UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena full fight card Main Event: Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena Co-Main Event: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fioro José Aldo vs Aiemann Zahabi Alexa Grasso vs Natalia Silva Benoît Saint Denis vs Kyle Prepolec Prelims Mike Malott vs Charles Radtke Jessica Andrade vs Jasmine Jasudavicius Modestas Bukauskas vs Ion Cutelaba Navajo Sterling vs Ivan Erslan Marc-Andre Barriault vs Bruno Silva Daniel Santos vs JeongYeong Lee Brad Katona vs Bekzat Almakhan Streaming information UFC 315: Muhammad vs Della Maddalena will be streamed live on the SonyLIV app/website. The event will also be telcast across the Sony Sports Network.
