Tag Archives: MMA

Aaron Pico to Make UFC Debut Against Lerone Murphy This August

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Aaron Pico is preparing to hit The Octagon.

The 28-year-old Latino American mixed martial artist’s highly anticipated debut in the UFC will now take place against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 in Chicago.

Aaron PicoPico (13-4) was supposed to make his first UFC appearance opposite Movsar Evloev (19-0) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, but Evloev was forced to withdraw earlier this month.

Pico, a longtime standout at Bellator MMA, publicly asked the UFC to rebook him as soon as possible. His 145-pound bout against Murphy (16-0-1) will serve as the UFC 319 co-main event on August 16 in Chicago.

It’s an interesting change for the entire featherweight division. Pico never held a championship in Bellator but has long been viewed as one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC.

Pico was once considered arguably the greatest prospect in MMA history, with extensive accolades in amateur wrestling and boxing.

In Evloev, he would’ve been facing the No. 1-ranked contender in the division. He will now turn his attention to Murphy, who is undefeated but ranked lower than Evloev.

Current featherweight champion Alexander

Aaron Pico to Make UFC Debut Against Movsar Evloev Next Month

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Aaron Pico is preparing for his big debut…

The 28-year-old Hispanic American mixed martial artist’s UFC debut will come in the form of a five-round bout against Movsar Evloev on July 26.

Aaron PicoThe featherweight (145 pounds) pairing will co-headline UFC Fight Night inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, a card that will be topped by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder

Pico (13-4) has fought his entire MMA career outside of the UFC to this point.

He signed a developmental contract with Bellator MMA in 2014, three years before making his actual debut.

He is 9-1 in his past 10, and was in line for a featherweight title shot in Bellator when the promotion was absorbed by the PFL earlier this year.

He will face a monster of a challenge in his first UFC appearance. Evloev (19-0), of Russia, holds an undefeated record across over a decade of competition and is currently the UFC’s No. 4-ranked featherweight contender. He would likely have vied for a UFC championship by now, but has struggled to book high profile opportunities, in part due to his high decision rate. All nine of his UFC wins have gone the distance.

The winner of this contest will be a strong candidate for a future UFC title shot. Current champion Alexander Volkanovski has not yet booked his next title defense.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to Fight Jake Paul This June

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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is returning to the ring for a high-profile fight…

Jake Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) will take the next step to becoming a world champion when he faces the 39-year-old former WBC middleweight champion on June 28 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.Most Valuable Promotions revealed details about the fight to ESPN on Friday.

The 10-round fight, which MVP will co-promote with Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions, will be contested at a weight limit of 200 pounds and air on DAZN pay-per-view.

“Five years ago, I stepped into the ring for my pro debut after a single amateur fight, and every fight since has been a step towards becoming world champion. I just defeated the baddest man on the planet, and now I’m going against a former champion who conman Canelo couldn’t finish,” Jake Paul, 28, said in a statement to ESPN.

“Chávez Jr. is Mexican, but I, El Gallo De Dorado, have the will and heart of the great Mexican fighters. On Saturday, June 28, live on DAZN pay-per-view, I will knock out Julio and make Chávez Sr. proud in ways Jr. never has. Another massive event from Most Valuable Promotions, with some Oscar De La Hoya seasoning added to the show. Viva La Puerto Rico.”

The fight announcement comes just months after a proposed fight between Paul and Canelo Alvarez fell apart at the eleventh hour in favor of a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. Paul then pursued a fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis. However, Davis’ controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in March derailed those plans, as it is now expected that Davis will pursue an immediate rematch with Roach. With two blockbuster showdowns falling apart, Paul turned to a former world champion and the son of a boxing legend in Chavez.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., left, a former middleweight champion, defeated Uriah Hall by unanimous decision in a cruiserweight bout in July 2024.

“Chavez Jr. has always been on the short list of fighters that Jake Paul has targeted,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said to ESPN. “After the Tyson fight, the original plan was to fight Chavez Jr. next. However, the Canelo opportunity presented itself and we paused discussions with Chavez.”

Chavez will be the second former world champion Paul has faced, although the previous champion to lose to the former YouTuber won his first world championship more than a decade before Paul was born. In November 2024, Paul won a unanimous decision against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 58, in a record-breaking event on Netflix. Chavez last held a major world title in 2012. Since losing the WBC title to Sergio Martinez in 2012, Chavez’s career has been uneven and inconsistent, with the Mexican going 8-6 after starting with a 46-0-1 record.

Chavez’s performances have tailed off significantly, with a one-sided decision defeat to Alvarez in 2017 and an embarrassing loss to former MMA champion Anderson Silva in 2021. He was last in action on the undercard of Paul’s fight with Mike Perry last July when Chavez outpointed MMA fighter Uriah Hall in a six-round fight. Although Chavez is far from the form he had early in his career, the former champion believes that his issues are behind him and he will be able to turn back “El Gallo.”

“First of all, I will show what I can do now that everything is in the right place in my life – mentally and physically,” Chavez said in a statement. “I feel rejuvenated and 10 years younger. Second, I want to thank MVP for taking the risk of fighting me. Unfortunately for their Problem Child, they’re going to have a big problem this June-one they won’t know how to resolve. Hopefully, when I beat him, people won’t underestimate this win.”

Nicky Jam Named Ambassador of Fat Joe’s Rewind It 10 Beard Dye Brand

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Nicky Jam is adding a little color to his resume…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American urban singer-songwriter has been named the latest ambassador for Fat Joe’s  Rewind It 10 beard dye brand.

Nicky Jam,Nicky Jam’s dark brown beard dye coloring package is now available at CVS, Sally Beauty, Amazon and the Rewind It 10 website.  

“I’ve been coloring my beard for years and tried all the other brands, but nothing looks more natural than Rewind It 10,” said Nicky Jam in a statement. “I love Rewind It 10. Thank you to Fat Joe and the whole team at Rewind for the opportunity – let’s go.”

Nicky Jam joins a decorated lineup of Rewind It 10 ambassadors, including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (who is dating Taylor Swift), DJ Khaled, model Tyson Beckford, Tank, television personality Brody Jenner, MMA fighter Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and more.

“Nicky Jam is truly a global icon in the music industry. He shattered the mold as a musician and now we’re proud to partner together to break new barriers in the hair and beard coloring industry,” Rewind It 10 co-founder Jeff Aronson added. “He embodies the essence of the product and is a perfect addition to our Rewind It 10 family to ensure we’re continuing to reach a wide-ranging array of consumers.”

Nicky Jam, Rewind It 10,On the music side, Nicky Jam released his Insomnio album in September, featuring Sean Paul, Ryan Castro, Eladio Carrión and more.

“I’m not going to be a singer for the rest of my life,” he told Billboard as part of his September cover story. “I think I’ll probably retire soon … Well, not retire. Singers never retire. You just tone it down.”

Nate Diaz Defeats Jorge Masvidal By Majority Decision in Professional Boxing Match

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It’s sweet revenge for Nate Diaz.

It took almost five years, but the 39-year-old half-Mexican American mixed martial artist and professional boxer finally exacted revenge on Jorge Masvidal in a professional boxing ring on Saturday.

Nate DiazDiaz defeated Masvidal by majority decision in a 10-round match, which headlined a pay-per-view event at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Two of the three judges scoring the bout, which saw competitive, back-and-forth action, scored it for Diaz via scores of 98-92 and 97-93. A third scored it an even draw at 95-95.

The victory avenged Diaz’s third-round TKO loss to Masvidal from November 2019, when the two met in the UFC‘s first BMF title fight.

Masvidal won when a physician ruled Diaz couldn’t continue due to a cut; Diaz didn’t agree.

After Saturday’s win, Diaz called for two more rematches, Jake Paul, who defeated him in boxing last year, and UFC champ Leon Edwards.

“I’m going to beat Jake Paul’s f—ing ass and I’m down to fight the highest-ranked boxer I can find,” Diaz said. “My main objective is to be the best fighter in the world, so I want to go back and get a UFC title. [UFC welterweight champion] Leon Edwards, Jake Paul and anybody the f— else, you’re dead.”

Masvidal, 39, who retired from MMA in April but has already hinted at a possible comeback, said he disagreed with the scorecards and called for a third fight against Diaz.

“I thought I won,” Masvidal said. “I thought I hit the harder shots. We can do it again, we’re 1-1. We’ll find a place and do it again.”

It was a classic Diaz performance, as he simply overwhelmed Masvidal with volume over the course of the 175-pound fight. Masvidal appeared to land the harder shots, but Diaz’s notorious chin held up beautifully, and his pace was a weapon for him all night. At times, he laughed and turned his back to Masvidal, and the two continued to fire punches until the final bell.

Chris Avila Pulls Off Upset Boxing Victory Over Anthony Pettis

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Chris Avila has pulled off an upset…

In a somewhat surprising result to many viewers, the Latino boxer (6-1) defeated former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (1-1) via unanimous decision (58-56, 59-55, 59-55) in a six-round 175-pound affair on the main card of the Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal-headlined boxing event.

Chris AvilaAvila utilized a high-volume attack, much similar to a Diaz, as pointed out by commentator Sean O’Malley on the broadcast.

There were arm-punches galore, as Avila successfully implemented his unusual but effective approach.

Pettis hung in with Avila, but was unable to score much significant offense if any. Avila halted him on a multiple occasions with hooks that visibly threw Pettis out of rhythm.

The win for Avila was his sixth in a row since he lost his professional boxing debut in 2014.

Avila also holds boxing wins over MMA notables Jeremy Stephens and Anthony Taylor.

Pettis has fought all over the combat sports world since his UFC departure in 2020.

He remains under contract with PFL but also has competed in boxing and for Karate Combat.

Filmax Acquires Rights to Ilia Topuria-Documentary “Matador”

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Ilia Topuria’s life story is headed to the big screen…

Filmax has unveiled its latest pickup, director Giampaolo Manfreda’s ultimate fighting documentary Matador, about the 27-year-old Georgian and Spanish world champion MMA fighter.

Ilia TopuriProduced by Señor Mono, with the support of Spanish pay television giant Movistar+ and Filmax, Matador will hit Spanish theaters on September. 19.

Having acquired international rights, Filmax is offering distributors in other territories the opportunity to release the film in their own markets around that same time.

Nicknamed El Matador, Topuria became the UFC world champion in February in a blockbuster match against Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski, ending a four-year title reign.

Matador documents eight months of Topuria’s career, beginning with his fight against Josh Emmett in Florida, which elevated him into the global top five of UFC’s fighter rankings, and culminating with his title match against Volkanovski.

The film demonstrates the incredible training and personal sacrifices a top fighter must endure to reach the highest levels of the sport. It was produced by a team that was given unprecedented access into Topuria’s personal and professional lives.

“There is a point when you become so concentrated on the training you forget about all the cameras around you, all the microphones, about everything,” Topuria has explained. “The good thing about this movie is that it’s exactly that. You’re gonna see Ilia Topuria without any filters. I hope everyone enjoys seeing that.”

During a Madrid presentation of the documentray, a clip was shown of Topuria cutting weight in which the soon-to-be champion is put through torturous starvation and dehydration techniques to get below the threshold needed to qualify for the bout. According to the fighter, what happens in the ring is fun and games, and a job he loves to do. Cutting weight, he said, is a more brutal foe than any fighter he can face in the octagon.

Several questions were asked about his future, including whether he could imagine acting in a fiction production someday.

“My dream was never just to become a champion. I want to be a legend. I want to leave my fingerprint on this sport and I won’t rest until I achieve that,” he answered with no hesitation.

According to producer Iñigo Pérez-Tabernero, “Producing this movie has been one of my life’s greatest gifts because it has allowed me to delve deep into the process of how a person becomes a star and manages to achieve everything that he always dreamed of. But even more important than that, it has allowed me to get to know and to portray the person behind the celebrity, a person who fearlessly opened the doors to their private life for the whole world to see.”

“We are sure we are going to have a very busy summer. I can’t think of a more interesting and attractive product for the international market than Matador, a film which so wonderfully portrays the process behind creating a legend and offers us a close-up look at one of the most attractive, powerful and magnetic figures in international sport and entertainment,” Ivan Diaz, head of international at Filmax, added. “Our clients have already started to show a lot of interest in the project, and we are sure that the film will make a big impact in the international marketplace from September until the end of the year.”

Alex Pereira Knocks Out Jirí Prochazka to Retain UFC Light Heavyweight Title

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Alex Pereira has struck again…

The 36-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) scored a vicious second-round knockout of Jirí Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) with a devastating head kick and brutal follow-up strikes to retain his light heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena.

Alex Pereira,The rematch between the two, who met last November with Pereira winning by second-round TKO, happened a lot sooner than expected as both were called to action on two weeks’ notice after Conor McGregor was forced out of his main event showdown with Michael Chandler because of a broken toe.

Both fighters had competed at UFC 300 and pulled off impressive knockout victories in their respective fights, with Prochazka taking out Aleksandar Rakic and Pereira impressively dispatching Jamahal Hill in defense of his title.

Both left with little damage, but a pair of broken toes was the only thing in the way of Pereira accepting the fight.

As it turns out, those broken toes would connect on the head of Prochazka in the rematch and put an end to the rivalry.

“I didn’t know how I was going to win, but I knew I was going to leave this Octagon happy,” Pereira said through an interpreter.

The fight was a striker’s paradise in the opening round, with Pereira landing leg kicks and Prochazka finding success with the left hook and using his awkward movement to create openings. But Prochazka played too close to the sun and ran into Pereira’s trademark left hook, which sent him crashing to the canvas at the end of the round. Although he tried to show he was unharmed, Prochazka’s legs said otherwise as he stumbled to his corner.

Pereira smelled the blood in the water and wasted little time finishing the job. He opened the second round by uncorking a violent head kick that sent the Czech fighter to the canvas again. But this time there would be no bell to save him as Pereira’s follow-up strikes finished the job just 13 seconds into the round.

What Pereira has been able to accomplish in two short years is nothing short of outstanding. He captured the UFC middleweight championship in just over a year after his promotional debut by knocking out Israel Adesanya and added the light heavyweight title a year after that when he stopped Prochazka.

With another successful defense under his belt, could Pereira chase an unprecedented championship in a third weight class at heavyweight?

“I think that’s in my future,” Pereira said. “I say it a lot. I’m here, I’m available and I think that’s in my future.”

A fight with current heavyweight champion Jon Jones might be the biggest fight that can be made in the UFC at the moment, and it’s clear that Pereira wants to continue to do the unthinkable during his remarkable run. But with Jones slated to face Stipe Miocic later this year, a fight with Pereira might have to wait.

For now, the MMA world is in the palm of his hand.

Anderson Silva to Fight Former MMA Rival Chael Sonnen in Boxing Match This June

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Anderson Silva is preparing for a highly anticipated rematch… of sorts.

The 49-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional boxer, a former UFC middleweight champion who holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days, is set to renew one of the greatest rivalries in mixed martial arts history next month.

Anderson SilvaSilva will face Chael Sonnen in a boxing match on June 15 in Brazil, the Spaten Fight Night promotion announced on Sunday.

Silva had been teasing his career finale earlier this week, claiming his final fight would take place next month in his birthplace of Sao Paulo.

Sonnen confirmed his participation via social media.

“Oh Anderson, yoohoo,” Sonnen said. “It’s me again. See you June 15.”

Silva (34-11) and Sonnen (30-17-1) produced one of the most memorable two-fight rivalries in UFC history.

Silva was in the midst of a UFC-record 16 consecutive wins when he ran into Sonnen in 2010. The outspoken title challenger from West Linn, Oregon, was a massive underdog going into their first meeting at UFC 117.

Sonnen shocked the world for 23 minutes of that fight, dominating Silva with takedowns and ground-and-pound before Silva secured a late triangle choke off his back. The UFC is set to induct that fight into its Hall of Fame in late June.

They met again two years later at UFC 148 in a blockbuster rematch in Las Vegas. Silva knocked out Sonnen with a knee to the chest after Sonnen lost balance throwing a spinning backfist.

Silva retired from the UFC in 2020, but has since boxed professionally four times. He is 2-1-1 in the ring, with the only loss coming to Jake Paul via decision in 2022. Sonnen retired from MMA in 2019 after five appearances in Bellator MMA. The former collegiate wrestler has never boxed professionally.

Silva was widely considered the greatest fighter of all time by 2010, but Sonnen’s ability to promote their rivalry with his trash talk of the Brazilian legend helped propel him to stardom.

Nate Diaz & Jorge Masvidal Boxing Match Rescheduled to Independence Day Weekend

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Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal are now preparing for a real fireworks show in the ring.

The 39-year-old half-Mexican American mixed martial artist and professional boxer’s upcoming encounter with the 39-year-old Peruvian & Cuban American professional boxer and former professional mixed martial artist inside a boxing ring has a new date and venue.

Nate DiazDiaz vs. Masvidal, originally slated for June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, will now relocate to the Honda Center in Anaheim and take place during Independence Day weekend on July 6.

The 10-round light heavyweight showdown will be presented on Fanmio PPV.

The original date was met with heavy competition as UFC 302 is scheduled for the same night in Newark, New Jersey, where Islam Makhachev will defend the lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier. The same day, Dmitry Bivol defends his WBA light heavyweight championship against late replacement Malik Zinad while Deontay Wilder returns to action against Zhilei Zhang on the same card.

“I sell pay-per-views for a living,” said Masvidal to ESPN. Masvidal is the promoter of Gamebred boxing as well as the bare-knuckle MMA promotion Gamebred Fighting Championship and MMA promotion iKON FC. “You don’t want to go up against other fight events and you definitely don’t want to go up against the UFC. I have been trying to switch the date from the beginning.”

Masvidal said that Diaz initially wasn’t cooperative and adamant that their boxing match take place on June 1. But the former UFC title contender said that making the move to a new date would prevent splitting the attention of fans who wanted to watch. He also stated that the event, billed as “Last Man Standing,” was moved to Anaheim to service a starved MMA fanbase that routinely turns out for UFC events in the city.

“It just doesn’t make sense but he’s not a boxer and he doesn’t have a boxing fan base,” Masvidal continued. “The fanbase he has is from MMA, from the UFC. Why go up against our own fanbase? As a promoter, I never wanted to go against them. I know fans may buy both events but why do it if there are other dates available? Finally, the promotion heeded my advice and we were able to change dates.”

The inaugural press tour for the fight was a contentious one as two fighters traded barbs with Masvidal accusing Diaz of being a “diva” during the promotion. “Gamebred” does have concerns that Diaz may not make it to the fight.

“I just felt like he didn’t want to be a part of the press tour,” Masvidal said. “I just hope he shows up to the fight because a big part of me doesn’t think he will. We have some backups out there. We have been making some calls and hunting them down because the feeling is out there that he won’t show up. I hope he proves me wrong, but we have a backup just in case.”

Diaz and Masvidal first squared off inside of the UFC‘s Octagon in 2019 when the two fan favorites competed for the inaugural BMF championship at UFC 244. The highly anticipated encounter ended on a sour note when a doctor’s stoppage due to a cut over Diaz’s eye awarded Masvidal the victory. Now the two will settle their differences in a different medium, but both fighters are looking for a definitive result on July 6

“After the fireworks on the Fourth of July you will get to see a funeral on July 6,” said Masvidal.