Deiveson Figueiredo to Make Bantamweight Debut in December

Deiveson Figueiredo is movin’ on up…

The 35-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist will make his long-awaited move up to bantamweight before the end of the year.

Deiveson FigueiredoThe former two-time UFC flyweight champion will face Rob Font in a contender bout at UFC Fight Night on December 2.

Figueiredo was first scheduled to return to flyweight over the summer, but he withdrew due to injury and decided to move up a division.

ESPN has Figueiredo ranked No. 4 in the world at flyweight and Font ranked No. 10 at bantamweight.

Figueiredo (21-3-1) has not fought since losing the flyweight title to Brandon Moreno via TKO last January at UFC 283. He went 1-2-1 against Moreno in their tetralogy. Figueiredo is tied with Demetrious Johnson for the most finishes in UFC flyweight history (7).

Font (20-7) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to top contender Cory Sandhagen on August 5. The 36-year-old Massachusetts native has dropped three of four.

Junior dos Santos Defeats Fabricio Werdum in Main Event of Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA

Junior dos Santos is one step closer to an MMA heavyweight title fight…

In a fight featuring two former UFC heavyweight champions, the 39-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional wrestler opened up bad cuts near both of Fabricio Werdum‘s eyes en route to a split-decision win (28-29, 30-27, 30-27) in the main event of Jorge Masvidal‘s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA on Friday night in Jacksonville, Florida.

Junior dos SantosThe cut on Werdum’s left eyelid was bleeding badly by the third round. Dos Santos rocked Werdum briefly late in the first round. Other than that, he didn’t hit Werdum extremely hard. But without gloves, it was enough to do facial damage.

Dos Santos picked up the first victory of his career in any combat sport since 2019. Dos Santos and Werdum fought in 2008 in UFC, with Dos Santos winning by first-round TKO. The win over Werdum on Friday set up a future matchup between Dos Santos and another UFC veteran, Roy Nelson, for the Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA heavyweight title.

“They were the bump in my career that I needed this day,” Dos Santos said of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA. “I’m thankful for this whole thing.”

Dos Santos (22-10) had lost five straight coming in. Most recently, in his first bout since being released from UFC, he lost by TKO to Yorgan De Castro in May 2022 because of a shoulder injury.

A Brazilian-born fighter who trains out of American Top Team in Florida, Dos Santos held the UFC heavyweight title in 2011 and 2012 and still owns the record for longest winning streak in division history (9).

Werdum (24-10-1) had not fought since a no-contest against Renan Ferreira in May 2021 under the PFL banner. The Brazilian-born fighter, who lives and trains in California, beat Alexander Gustafsson in his final UFC fight three years ago.

Werdum, 46, held the UFC heavyweight title from 2014 to 2016 and is considered one of the best submission artists in the history of heavyweight MMA.

Junior dos Santos to Fight Fabricio Werdum in Bareknuckle MMA Fight This September

Junior dos Santos is preparing to go the knuckle

The 39-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, a former UF heavyweight champion, will face compatriot Fabricio Werdum in bareknuckle mixed martial arts fight on September 8 in Jacksonville, Florida under the banner of Jorge Masvidal‘s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA.

Junior Dos Santosdos Santos and Werdum, two of the top UFC heavyweights of their generation will meet in a highly anticipated rematch.

dos Santos and Werdum first met in the UFC in 2008 with dos Santos winning by first-round knockout.

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani was the first to report the news as official Friday.

dos Santos’ coach Conan Silveira first mentioned the fight in an interview with Sherdog earlier this month.

dos Santos last fought in May 2022 for Eagle FC, losing via TKO due to a shoulder injury. He departed the UFC in 2020. “Cigano” was the UFC heavyweight champion in 2011 and 2012.

Werdum, 45, was UFC heavyweight champion in 2015 and 2016. He ended legend Fedor Emelianenko‘s decade-long unbeaten streak under the Strikeforce banner in 2010 and is considered one of the best heavyweight grapplers ever. “Vai Cavalo” has not fought since a run with PFL in 2021.

Larissa Pacheco Knocks Out Amber Leibrock to Earn No. 1 Seed in PFL Featherweight Playoffs

Larissa Pacheco looks poised to claim a second Professional Fighters League championship…

The 28-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist – who shocked the world in 2022 with her upset win over Kayla Harrison in the lightweight finals to win her first PFL title – seized the No. 1 seed in the PFL playoffs on Friday with a resounding first-round knockout of Amber Leibrock.

Larissa PachecoThe featherweight bout headlined PFL 5 inside Overtime Elite Arena.

Leibrock (7-5) went into the bout with a lot of momentum, after scoring a highlight-reel head kick knockout in the opening round of the season. She looked out of her league Friday, however, as Pacheco (21-4) bombarded her with punches early.

Pacheco’s win sets up a rematch against Ukraine’s Olena Kolesnyk in the first round of the playoffs in August. Pacheco beat Kolesnyk last August via first-round TKO.

Marina Mokhnatkina earned the No. 2 seed and will face Leibrock as the 145-pound’s No. 3 seed.

Former UFC bantamweight Aspen Ladd defeated Karolina Sobek via submission but still missed the playoffs in a tiebreaker to Kolesnyk.

In the heavyweight division, Denis Goltsov (31-7) secured the No. 1 seed with a devastating 18-second knockout of Yorgan De Castro. It was the fastest knockout in PFL heavyweight history.

Brazil’s Renan Ferreira (10-4) also scored a big knockout on the main card, taking out Matheus Scheffel in 50 seconds. The win was good enough to earn him the No. 2 seed at heavyweight, and he’ll face Marcelo Nunes in the opening round of the playoffs. Goltsov will square off with Jordan Heiderman, who also picked up a first-round victory.

In the main event, Maurice Greene (11-8) came up short in a bid to topple 2022 champion Ante Delija. Delija, who missed the first round of the regular season because of injury, defeated Greene via unanimous decision. It was an impressive showing but earned him only three points, leaving him out of the playoffs.

Oscar Valdez to Fight Adam Lopez in a 130-Pound Rematch Bout in May

Oscar Valdez will be headed to the boxing ring this May…

The 32-year-old Mexican professional boxer, a former two weight world champion, will face Adam Lopez in a 130-pound rematch on May 20 in Las Vegas, according to ESPN sources.

Oscar ValdezThe bout will serve as chief support for the Devin HaneyVasiliy Lomachenko fight for the undisputed lightweight championship on ESPN+ PPV, per source.

Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) defeated Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs) via seventh-round stoppage in November 2019, but the fight was far tougher than accepted. Lopez, a major underdog, floored Valdez in Round 2 before the Mexican Olympian rallied for the TKO victory.

Valdez and Lopez were set to fight different opponents on that night, but after Valdez’s original opponent came in overweight, the matchup was pieced together for the following night.

“I was very surprised [by the knockdown],” Valdez said at the time. “I take my hat off to Adam Lopez. He’s a great fighter, great warrior, just like his father [Hector Lopez] was. I just got hit. This is boxing. I prepared myself for two, three months for [Adrian] Gutierrez. Got a new opponent, but that’s no excuse. This kid is a warrior.”

This time around, they’ll have ample time to prepare for one another in advance.

Valdez was set to fight Emanuel Navarrete on February 3 for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title but withdrew because of a rib injury.

Navarrete went on to win the title with a ninth-round TKO victory over Liam Wilson. If Valdez defeats Lopez again as expected, Navarrete will defend the title vs. Valdez later this year, per source.

But first, Valdez must contend with Lopez. Valdez, 32, lost his 130-pound title in April when Shakur Stevenson routed him. Prior to that, he defeated Robson Conceicao in September 2021 after Valdez tested positive for the banned substance phentermine.

Lopez, 26, owns only one win over the past two years, sandwiched by decision losses to Isaac Dogboe and, most recently, Abraham Nova in January. He was floored twice vs. Nova.

“I would love a rematch with Oscar; he’s a true fighter,” Lopez said in November 2019. “I’m not a 130-pounder, but I’m a real fighter as well, so I’ll take on anybody, anywhere.”

UFC Finalizes Fight Between Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288

It’s official: Henry Cejudo is heading back to the Octagon soon.

After some starts and stops, the UFC 288 main event is now official with the 36-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler among those set to participate.

Henry CejudoAljamain Sterling will defend his UFC bantamweight title against the former champion on May 6 in Newark, New Jersey, the promotion officially announced Friday.

Cejudo is making his return from retirement after three years away.

While both men had verbally agreed to the matchup weeks ago, there was some consternation this week. The UFC sent out a press release for UFC 288 on Tuesday without mentioning the main event, a rarity. Sterling posted on social media that Cejudo was holding things up and he teased a fight with popular up-and-comer Sean O’Malley instead. Ultimately, things were hammered out leading to the announcement Friday.

ESPN has Sterling tied for eighth in its pound-for-pound MMA rankings. Cejudo is a former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist in wrestling.

Sterling (22-3) has won eight straight fights and is coming off a second-round TKO win over former champ TJ Dillashaw in October at UFC 280. The Long Island, New York native has two successful title defenses. Sterling, 33, won the belt in a disqualification (illegal knee) against Petr Yan at UFC 259 in March 2021 and then beat Yan via split decision in a rematch.

Cejudo (16-2) has not fought since he successfully defended the title via second-round TKO over former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. The Arizona resident announced his retirement after that bout, but he officially returned by re-entering the USADA drug-testing pool in early 2022. Cejudo has won six straight, including stopping Demetrious Johnson‘s UFC record title-defense streak at 11 by winning the UFC flyweight title in 2018.

Fight Between Ryan Garcia & Gervonta Davis Officially Confirmed

It’s official… Ryan Garcia will battle Gervonta Davis.

The 136-pound catchweight fight between 24-year-old Mexican American boxer and Davis is now finalized.

Ryan GarciaBoth boxers announced on social media that they’ll meet April 22 in Las Vegas.

Finalizing the broadcast agreement between Showtime and DAZN was all that was left, and that’s now been done. The fight will be broadcast on Showtime PPV.

The fight had been planned for April 15, but was pushed back one week to allow more time for promotion as negotiations dragged out, sources said.

The fight between the two stars is perhaps the biggest commercial event boxing can deliver. A dispute over the rematch clause had threatened to derail the fight, but that issue was resolved earlier this month after PBC agreed that Golden Boy would serve as the lead promoter for a second bout if Garcia wins.

Only Davis can exercise the rematch clause in the event he loses, per sources.

Typically, boxers have 30 days to activate their right to an immediate return bout.

Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will earn slightly more for the first fight, according to sources, and is the betting favorite. Davis defeated Hector Luis Garcia last month via ninth-round TKO to keep the Ryan Garcia matchup intact.

Earlier this month, Davis pleaded guilty to four counts stemming from a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 in Baltimore that left four people injured, including a pregnant woman. Davis’ sentencing is set for May 5, which means any potential punishment won’t interfere with his ability to compete in April.

Davis was arraigned Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in connection with a Dec. 27 misdemeanor domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm. His next hearing is set for March 31, per Broward County court records. Davis pleaded not guilty after allegedly hitting the mother of his 1-year-old daughter with a “closed-hand type slap,” according to police, who said she suffered a small abrasion on the inside of her upper lip. She asked the court to dismiss charges in an affidavit filed Jan. 24.

Both Davis and Garcia announced on Instagram in mid-November that they would meet in a long-awaited fight in 2023, but it took months to reach an agreement on terms.

Davis, a 28-year-old from Baltimore, is one of the biggest needle-movers in boxing. “Tank” has 4.2 million Instagram followers and routinely fights before a host of celebrities. ESPN’s No. 3 lightweight, Davis won a junior lightweight title with a seventh-round KO of Jose Pedraza in 2017.

Before he defeated Hector Luis Garcia, Davis scored wins over Isaac Cruz and Rolly Romero in 135-pound bouts.

Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) is a star, too, with over 9 million followers on Instagram.

Regarded for his lightning-quick hands, he scored a career-best win in January 2021 after he survived a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell in the seventh round. He didn’t fight for the rest of 2021 after he withdrew from a bout with Javier Fortuna to address his mental health followed by wrist surgery that scrapped a match with Joseph Diaz Jr. Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, returned last year with wins over Emmanuel Tagoe and  Fortuna at 140 pounds. Garcia, who formerly campaigned at 135 pounds, vowed to remain at 140 but will drop four pounds for the catchweight bout.

Garcia had been set to fight Mercito Gesta in January, but bypassed the planned tuneup bout to head directly into the high-stakes showdown with Davis.

Ryan Garcia Signs Contract for April 15 Super Fight vs. Gervonta Davis

Ryan Garcia is one step closer to a long-awaited bout…

The 24-year-old Mexican American boxer and Gervonta Davis have both signed contracts for an April 15 super fight in Las Vegas at a 136-pound catchweight, according to ESPN.

Ryan GarciaThe deal, which has been in the works since November, will be finalized once broadcasters Showtime and DAZN sign contracts, sources said.

Showtime, Davis’ and promoter PBC‘s longtime network, sent the contract to DAZN on Saturday, per source. The streaming service is the home of Garcia, who competes for Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions.

The fight between the star boxers is perhaps the biggest commercial event boxing can deliver. A dispute over the rematch clause threatened to derail the fight, but that issue was resolved last week after PBC agreed that Golden Boy Promotions would serve as the lead promoter for the rematch if Garcia wins.

Only Davis can exercise the rematch clause in the event he loses, per sources.

Typically, boxers have 30 days to activate their right to an immediate return bout.

Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) will earn the lion’s share of revenue for the first fight, per sources, and is the betting favorite to win the bout. The Baltimore native defeated Hector Luis Garcia last month via ninth-round TKO to keep the Ryan Garcia matchup intact.

On Thursday, Davis pleaded guilty to four counts stemming from a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 in Baltimore that left four people injured, including a pregnant woman. Davis’ sentencing is set for May 5, which means any potential punishment won’t interfere with his ability to compete in April.

Davis is also set to be arraigned on Feb. 23 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in connection with a December 27 misdemeanor domestic violence charge of battery causing bodily harm. Davis pleaded not guilty after allegedly hitting the mother of his 1-year-old daughter with a “closed-hand type slap,” according to police, who said she suffered a small abrasion on the inside of her upper lip. She asked the court to dismiss charges in an affidavit filed January 24.

Both Davis and Garcia announced on Instagram in mid-November that they would meet in a long-awaited fight in 2023, but it took months to reach an agreement on terms.

Davis is one of the biggest needle-movers in boxing. “Tank” has 4.2 million Instagram followers and routinely fights before a host of celebrities. ESPN’s No. 3 lightweight, Davis won a junior lightweight title with a seventh-round KO of Jose Pedraza in 2017.

Before he defeated Hector Luis Garcia, Davis scored wins over Isaac Cruz and Rolly Romero in 135-pound bouts.

Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) is a star, too, with over 9 million followers on Instagram. Regarded for his lightning-quick hands, he scored a career-best win in January 2021 after he survived a knockdown to stop Luke Campbell in the seventh round.

He didn’t fight the rest of 2021 after he withdrew from a fight with Javier Fortuna to address his mental health followed by wrist surgery that scrapped a bout with Joseph Diaz Jr.

Garcia, who fights out of Southern California, returned last year with wins over Emmanuel Tagoe and Javier Fortuna at 140 pounds. Garcia, who formerly campaigned at 135 pounds, vowed to remain at 140 but will drop four pounds for the catchweight bout.

Garcia was set to fight Mercito Gesta in January, but he bypassed the planned tune-up bout to head directly into the high-stakes showdown with Davis.

Rolando Romero to Challenge Alberto Puello for WBA Junior Lightweight Title

Rolando Romero is preparing for his first career title shot…

The 28-year-old Latino American boxer will challenge Alberto Puello for the WBA junior lightweight title in the spring in a PBC bout, according to ESPN.

Rolando RomeroRomero (14-1, 12 KOs) will move up to 140 pounds for his first career title shot.

In his most recent fight, Romero was stopped by Gervonta Davis in the sixth round of a 135-pound bout. The May event was staged in front of a sold-out crowd in Brooklyn and headlined a Showtime pay-per-view, increasing Romero’s profile in his defeat.

Romero’s best win came in July 2021, a seventh-round TKO of former title challenger Anthony Yigit. The 27-year-old trash-talker from Las Vegas is a damaging puncher who delivers his shots from awkward angles.

Puello (21-0, 10 KOs), on the other hand, is a southpaw counterpuncher. The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic won the vacant 140-pound belt with a split-decision victory over Batyr Akhmedov in August.

BoxingScene first reported the news.

Emanuel Navarrete Defeats Liam Wilson by TKO to Claim the Vacant WBO Junior Lightweight Title

Emanuel Navarrete is celebrating a new title…

The 28-year-old Mexican professional boxer outlasted Liam Wilson in a back-and-forth slugfest on Friday night in Glendale, Arizona, to claim the vacant WBO junior lightweight title with a ninth-round TKO.

Emanuel NavarreteNavarrete was floored by the 8-1 underdog in Round 4 — the first knockdown of his career — but rallied to score a knockdown in Round 9 with a looping right hand. There were more than two minutes remaining in the round, and Navarrete didn’t waste any time.

With Wilson wobbling around the ring, blood pouring from his nose, Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) pinned him on the ropes and unloaded punches. The referee finally halted the ESPN main event at 1:57 of Round 9 with Wilson on his feet.

“This was an amazing victory because it tested me,” Navarrete, now a three-division champion, said in remarks translated from Spanish. “I needed to know that I was capable of going to the canvas, getting up, and come out with the victory, and now I know.”

Navarrete, who was ahead on all three scorecards (77-74, 76-75 and 77-74) entering Round 9, was campaigning at 130 pounds for the first time. He was originally slated to fight Oscar Valdez before his countryman withdrew with a rib injury.

Valdez, a former two-division champion, entered the ring afterward to set the stage for a highly anticipated showdown with Navarrete later this year. Valdez’s return is targeted for May, sources told ESPN, in a tuneup bout coming off the injury.

Navarrete, meanwhile, was able to escape a pivotal Round 4 to keep the Valdez payday intact. Wilson (11-2, 7 KOs) was given little shot to find any success but did so when he connected on a stinging left hook late in the round. A bundle of follow-up shots sent Navarrete to the canvas hard.

But in a wily maneuver, Navarrete spit out his mouthpiece to buy precious recovery time. The referee accommodated him as 27 seconds passed between the moment he touched the canvas and the resumption of the action.

“I’m disappointed, but I knocked him down in the fourth round, and I believe the count was a bit longer,” said Wilson, who trained in Washington D.C. with respected coach Barry Hunter. “I thought I won the fight in that sense because I think it was about a 20-second count. I’ll be back. Make no mistake about it.”

Wilson could regret how Round 5 played out. Navarrete was still on unsteady legs, but Wilson didn’t take advantage, perhaps fatigued from the knockdown sequence. By the end of the round, Navarrete clearly found his bearings. He was suddenly cracking Wilson with his awkward yet effective punches that seemingly came from all angles.

Navarrete continued to pour on punishment in Round 6, but Wilson responded with another counter left hook that rocked the favorite. Only this time, Navarrete didn’t go down.

He began to swarm with power punches as Wilson searched for one fight-ending shot that never materialized. When Round 7 ended, the sustained offense appeared to finally impact Wilson, who was visibly hurt.

Navarrete sensed the end was near, and over the final two rounds, continued to push forward with nonstop punches. He finally broke through in Round 9 when a right hand dropped Wilson.

The Australian never recovered his balance, and as Navarrete threw punch after punch, the referee halted the action and ended the scare for the A-side fighter.

Navarrete, ESPN’s No. 1 boxer at 126 pounds, still holds the WBO featherweight title, but must formally decide which division he’ll campaign at moving forward.