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<title type="text">MMA Fighting</title>
<subtitle type="text">MMA News & results for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Strikeforce & more Mixed Martial Arts fights</subtitle>
<updated>2025-08-22T20:57:18+00:00</updated>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>Jed Meshew</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[UFC Shanghai predictions]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/latest-news/400366/ufc-shanghai-predictions" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400366</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T14:57:11-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T20:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The UFC is headed back to China. On Saturday morning, the UFC returns to “The Middle Kingdom” for the first time in 2025, and it’s first trip to Shanghai since 2017, with a Fight Night card headlined by a banger of a light heavyweight contest between Johnny Walker and the up-and-coming Zhang Mingyang. Walker is […]]]></summary>
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<p class="has-text-align-none">The UFC is headed back to China. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">On Saturday morning, the UFC returns to “The Middle Kingdom” for the first time in 2025, and it’s first trip to Shanghai since 2017, with a Fight Night card headlined by a banger of a light heavyweight contest between Johnny Walker and the up-and-coming Zhang Mingyang. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Walker is on the brink of irrelevancy and desperately needs a win if he wants to keep any dreams of title contention alive, while Zhang is the new exciting prospect on the 205-pound block, with piles of charisma and talent that could see him get a big push from the UFC if he can continue to shine. Given the history of how these two fight, it would be a shocker if this wasn’t fireworks.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">But the main event may not even be the biggest fight on the card. The co-main event is a five-round fight between former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former featherweight title contender Brian Ortega. This fight got a new wrinkle at weigh-ins when it was moved to a catchweight contest after Ortega had a bad weight cut, and now the question is will that affect the outcome of this possible featherweight title eliminator? Either way, it should be interesting.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>What:</strong> UFC Shanghai</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Where:</strong> Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>When:</strong> Saturday, Aug. 23. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 3 a.m. ET on ESPN+. The five-fight main card begins at 6 a.m. ET exclusively on ESPN+.</p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<p class="has-text-align-none"><em>(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/7/6/24460561/mma-divisional-rankings-which-dominant-ufc-champion-is-most-at-risk-of-losing-their-title"><em>MMA Fighting Global Rankings</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2025/7/2/24459349/mma-pound-for-pound-rankings-islam-makhachev-or-ilia-topuria-who-tops-the-charts"><em>Pound-for-Pound Rankings</em></a><em>)</em></p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-none">Johnny Walker (15) vs. Zhang Mingyang</h3>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Walker enters Saturday night with his back against the wall. At one point considered the future of the light heavyweight division, Walker has been up-and-down over the past several years, and now finds himself on a two-fight losing streak, both by knockout. That’s not exactly the sort of momentum you want when taking on a guy like Zhang in his home country.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“The Mountain Tiger” enters Saturday’s main event as arguably the hottest fighter in the light heavyweight division. 3-0 since making his UFC debut last year with three first-round knockouts and three Performance bonuses, Zhang is in the exact same spot Walker was when he started his UFC career. Another big performance on Saturday should put him into the thick of things at 205 pounds.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">That being said, Walker is not without options here. Though his recent performances have failed to impress, he remains a dangerous fighter, huge for the weight class with explosive athleticism. He’s also the best fighter Zhang has ever faced, and “The Mountain Tiger” has been knocked out three times in his career. There’s a world here where Walker turns back the clock and upsets all the Chinese fans on Saturday.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">But we’re not living in that world. Zhang is going to come out hot on Saturday, and Walker’s chin is not built to take that.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Pick:</strong> Zhang</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-none">Brian Ortega (4) vs. Aljamain Sterling (9)</h2>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Well, this fight certainly added some last-minute intrigue.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Ortea and Sterling square off in a five-round co-main event on Saturday, or at least, we hope they will. During the weigh-ins on Thursday evening, rumors flew that Ortega was at the hospital due to the weight cut and was suddenly out of Shanghai. While that part proved to be untrue, something does appear to have happened as during the weigh-ins both men came in at 153 pounds and the bout was changed from a featherweight contest to a catchweight fight. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Assuming the fight does take place, this is arguably the most interesting bout on the card. Both men are exceptional grapplers with functional, albeit limited striking games. Sterling is certainly the better wrestler of the two, but Ortega is crafty as all get out on the floor, so that might make Sterling reticent to go for takedowns. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">On the feet, Ortega is a pretty good offensive boxer but is not exactly amazing at defense. This is, after all, the man Max Holloway felt so bad about tuning up that in the middle of their title fight he tried to teach Ortega how to block punches with his hands instead of his face. Sterling doesn’t really have the game to take advantage though as his best weapons are his kicks, not combination boxing. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Before the weigh-in shenanigans. I was feeling Ortega had a good chance for the upset, but with a seemingly terrible weight cut behind him, and five rounds in front of him, I’m substantially less confident than I was just a few hours ago, so much so that I’m changing my pick.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Pick:</strong> Sterling</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-none">Sergei Pavlovich (5) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (8)</h2>
<p class="has-text-align-none">A former interim heavyweight title challenger, Pavlovich got back on the winning track in February with a unanimous decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Riyadh. While a win is always good, that win showed a different side of Pavlovich as he methodically beat Rozenstruik, employing his little-used wrestling skills to secure the victory, instead of his usual bruising punches. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">On the other side of things, Cortes-Acosta is on the best win streak in the UFC’s heavyweight division with five in a row, most recently beating the other Serghei Spivac at UFC 316. Cortes-Acosta most takes decisions on the back of his high-volume striking style, which could play well against the low-paced Pavlovich.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Ultimately, I think this matchup comes down to Cortes-Acosta’s chin. Though he’s never been knocked out in his career, he’s also never been hit by Pavlovich. Pavlovich may not have a ton of craft with his punches, but they come hard and fast, and Spivac got Cortes-Acosta’s attention a few times in their fight. Pavlovich should finish him.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Pick:</strong> Pavlovich</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-none">Sumudaerji vs. Kevin Borjas</h2>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Coming off a split-decision win over Mitch Raposo in April that shouldn’t have been controversial, Sumudaerji was likely in a win-or-get-your-walking-papers position as he’d lost three in row before that. Now “The Tibetan Eagle” has a chance to get back to .500 in the UFC as he takes on Kevin Borjas, and do so in his home country.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Borjas lost his first two UFC bouts but finally got in the win column in March, taking a unanimous decision over Ronaldo Rodriguez at UFC Mexico. Now he’s going into enemy territory again, and looking to start making a name for himself at 125 pounds.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Sumudaerji is probably the more polished striker of the two, so I expect him to try and manage the distance and land the cleaner shots while avoiding too much damage. Borjas will try and make things a little chaotic with his aggression, but I favor Sumudaerji to pick up the win.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Pick:</strong> Sumudaerji</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie</strong></h2>
<p class="has-text-align-none">I won’t pretend that I know too much about Nueraji, who is making his UFC debut on Saturday. The 24-year-old Chinese fighter is 11-1 in his professional career with a 100 percent finishing rate. The little I’ve seen of him shows he’s a dangerous striker with serious power, a diversity of strikes, and prone to spurts of almost reckless aggression. Crosbie, meanwhile, has been inconsistent and doesn’t appear to have the durability to stand up to Nueraji’s heavy attacks.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Pick: </strong>Nueraji</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><em><strong>Preliminaries</strong></em></p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Maheshate def. Gauge Young</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Lone’er Kavanagh def. Charles Johnson</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Rongzhu def. Austin Hubbard</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Michel Pereira def. Kyle Daukaus</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Yizha def. Westin Wilson</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">SuYoung You def. Xiao Long</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Uran Satybaldiev def. Diyar Nurgozhay</p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Jed Meshew</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Canelo vs. Crawford undercard and broadcast lineup announced with UFC star on commentary]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/boxing-news/400420/canelo-vs-crawford-undercard-and-broadcast-lineup-announced-with-ufc-star-on-commentary" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400420</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T16:07:21-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T18:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Boxing" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Boxing News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Jon Anik is going to be part of the biggest boxing event of the year. On Sep. 13, Canelo Alvarez puts his undisputed super middleweight title on the line against former two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford in the most anticipated fight of the year. Promoted by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and UFC […]]]></summary>
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<p class="has-text-align-none">Jon Anik is going to be part of the biggest boxing event of the year.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">On Sep. 13, Canelo Alvarez puts his undisputed super middleweight title on the line against former two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford in the most anticipated fight of the year. Promoted by Turki<strong> </strong>Alalshikh<strong>, </strong>Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and UFC CEO Dana White, the event goes down in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and will be broadcast live on Netflix. And with Dana White involved, that means some crossover with the UFC.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">On Friday, the UFC and Alalshikh announced the full broadcast details of the September superfight, including the commentators for the shot, desk analysts, and the full undercard.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Anik will call the action for the big event along with longtime fight analyst Max Kellerman and Internation Boxing Hall of Famer Andre Ward. The legendary Michael Buffer will serve as the ring announcer for the main card, while Joe Martinez will handle undercard duties.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">On the desk for the event will be television personality Mario Lopez, along with former boxing champion Antonio Tarver, and boxing analysts Mark Kriegel and Mike Coppinger.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Anik is not the only UFC personality getting an opportunity. UFC reporter Heidi Androl will join boxing reporter Jim Gray for interviews and coverage.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">The Canelo vs Crawford main card will kick off live on Netflix at 9 p.m. ET and features four bouts. The preliminary card starts at 5:30 p.m. ET and will stream on Tudum.com, TKO YouTube and WWE YouTube. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Check out the full undercard below.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Netflix main card:</strong></p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Saul “Canelo”Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford — unified super middleweight title fight</li>
<li>Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr. — super welterweight</li>
<li>Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez — super middleweight</li>
<li>Mohammed Alakel vs. John Ornelas — lightweight</li>
</ul>
<p class="has-text-align-none"><strong>Prelims</strong></p>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Serhii Bohacuk<strong> </strong>vs. Brandon Adams — middleweight</li>
<li>Ivan Dychko<strong> </strong>vs. Jermaine Franklin<strong> </strong>— heavyweight</li>
<li>Reito Tsutsumi vs. Javier Martinez<strong> </strong>— super featherweight</li>
<li>Sultan Almohammed vs. Martin Caraballo — super lightweight</li>
<li>Steven Nelson vs. Raiko Santana<strong> </strong>— light heavyweight</li>
<li>Marco Verde vs. Marcos Osorio Betancourt — super middleweight</li>
</ul>
<p class="has-text-align-none"></p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mike Heck</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Bryan Battle signs with Dirty Boxing days after UFC release, will compete at DBX 3]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400433/bryan-battle-signs-with-dirty-boxing-days-after-ufc-release-will-compete-at-dbx-3" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400433</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T16:57:18-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T17:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Bryan Battle has a new home and his next fight date booked following his UFC release. Dirty Boxing revealed on Friday that the past winner of The Ultimate Fighter has signed with the promotion. Battle was released from the UFC earlier this week after missing weight by four pounds for a scheduled middleweight bout against […]]]></summary>
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<p class="has-text-align-none">Bryan Battle has a new home and his next fight date booked following his UFC release.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Dirty Boxing revealed on Friday that the past winner of The Ultimate Fighter has signed with the promotion. Battle was released from the UFC earlier this week after missing weight by four pounds for a scheduled middleweight bout against Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC 319, which was eventually cancelled. It was the second consecutive time Battle missed weight, as he missed at welterweight before his split decision win over Randy Brown at UFC 309 in November.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNq6lq5M4LO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNq6lq5M4LO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> <div> <div></div> <div> <div></div> <div></div></div></div><div></div> <div></div><div> <div>View this post on Instagram</div></div><div></div> <div><div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div></div><div> <div></div> <div></div></div><div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div></div></div> <div> <div></div> <div></div></div></a><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNq6lq5M4LO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dirty Boxing Championship (@dirtyboxing)</a></p></div></blockquote>
</div></figure>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Battle is also set to compete at DBX 3 next Friday night in his first promotional appearance. An opponent was not announced.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“The Butcher” enters the Dirty Boxing squared circle after a 7-1, 1 NC run in the UFC. Battle missed weight a total of three times throughout his promotional tenure, but also exited the UFC with a pair of Performance of the Night bonuses with stoppages of Takashi Sato and Kevin Jousset.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">DBX 3 takes place at The Hangar in Miami and streams on YouTube. Former UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik is expected to compete in the main event against an opponent to be announced after Rob Perez was forced out of the inaugural heavyweight title fight. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none"></p>
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mike Heck</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[UFC Shanghai preview show: Brian Ortega’s weigh-in drama, Zhang vs. Walker]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400393/ufc-shanghai-preview-show-brian-ortegas-weigh-in-drama-zhang-vs-walker" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400393</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T15:00:13-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T16:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="MMAF Podcast Network" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Podcasts" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Videos" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[UFC Shanghai goes down in the early morning hours on Saturday, and during Thursday night’s weigh-ins, Brian Ortega appeared to be in rough shape ahead of his pivotal matchup with former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling. While reports stated the fight was off, it will indeed take place at a catchweight of 153 pounds, despite Ortega […]]]></summary>
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<p class="has-text-align-none">UFC Shanghai goes down in the early morning hours on Saturday, and during Thursday night’s weigh-ins, Brian Ortega appeared to be in rough shape ahead of his pivotal matchup with former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling. While reports stated the fight was off, it will indeed take place at a catchweight of 153 pounds, despite Ortega looking horrible during his final staredown with Sterling. Should this fight go on?</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Ahead of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night event, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and Mike Heck preview the card, react to Ortega’s weigh-in drama, and discuss the fight with Sterling. Additionally, they talk the light heavyweight main event between Zhang Mingyang and Johnny Walker, the stakes for the division that needs as much excitement as possible, the heavyweight featured bout between Sergei Pavlovich and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and much more.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Catch the UFC Shanghai preview show video above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?xcust=__sb0822awD__396617__________________google.com&id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id320642139&referrer=sbnation.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmZlZWRidXJuZXIuY29tL1RoZU1tYUhvdXJXaXRoQXJpZWxIZWx3YW5p">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/27Z2RR39rjGrRcV1DiQ40J?si=5ZS0Lje7QbWITUd60cOb8g">Spotify</a>, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.</p>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=VMP6013477421" width="100%"></iframe>
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Guilherme Cruz</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Fighting Nerds’ Ilay Barzilay sees LFA title shot as path to UFC glory]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/latest-news/400164/fighting-nerds-ilay-barzilay-lfa-title-shot-ufc" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400164</id>
<updated>2025-08-20T17:07:20-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T15:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Ilay Barzilay faces Richie Miranda for the LFA lightweight title Friday in Ventura, Calif., and wants it to be his ticket to the UFC roster. Born in Israel, the son of an Israeli father and Brazilian mother, the LFA 215 headliner moved full-time to Brazil for the dream of becoming a high-level MMA fighter. After […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
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<p class="has-text-align-none">Ilay Barzilay faces Richie Miranda for the LFA lightweight title Friday in Ventura, Calif., and wants it to be his ticket to the UFC roster.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Born in Israel, the son of an Israeli father and Brazilian mother, the LFA 215 headliner moved full-time to Brazil for the dream of becoming a high-level MMA fighter. After a previous visit to Chute Boxe in Sao Paulo in a short trip from the United States, Barzilay decided to make Fighting Nerds home.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Not to take away anything from other teams but Fighting Nerds, when I went there the first time, I was scared because of how high the level was — and I didn’t know any of the fighters,” Barzilay told MMA Fighting. “They were very good and it’s absurd no one knew them, or I was really bad [laughs]. Something was wrong, because I had incredible talent and had no idea those guys were so good.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">That was three years ago — and Barzilay was sharing the mats with the likes of Mauricio Ruffy, who is now a highly-touted prospect in the UFC lightweight division.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I’ve always trained with UFC fighters, so I saw from the beginning how that was,” Barzilay said. “I saw what UFC level was, and what I had to do in order to get there. I’ll give you an example. To be around Jean [Silva], to train with him every day, that’s a whole other level. That’s championship level. That’s excellent experience for me. I decided to stay around these guys to see exactly what they did every single day, to live that, and now I’m living it.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I’m learning a lot, learning what I need to do. Not to be just a UFC fighter but a top-level UFC fighter, a champion, a future champion. To me, training at Fighting Nerds is a whole other level.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">The 24-year-old lightweight won seven straight in the sport to earn a shot at the LFA belt, racking up four wins with one knockout in the promotion. Miranda went 8-1 under the LFA banner alone, half of those victories coming by way of stoppage.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Richie is an excellent athlete,” Barzilay said. “He has a good record, he has only lost once — in a split decision. He’s well-rounded, has good striking and good wrestling, but his best thing is his pace. He has great pace to get his opponents tired and win fights. He has good volume. He doesn’t have many knockouts, but has good volume.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Being quite honest, everything he does I do better. Power strikes, I’m way more dangerous. I have the power to end fights with one strike, which he doesn’t. And to talk about cardio, I have one of the best cardio in the game. Everyone who trains with me knows that. People will only get to see that now because it’s a five-round fight. But my cardio is endless. He knows things well, I won’t say he doesn’t, but everything he does, I do best.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I’m not seeing how I might lose this fight. I’m very confident,” he added. “I’ll take the LFA belt and see what the future holds. I believe it’s soon going to be the UFC.”</p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mike Heck</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Aljamain Sterling offers advice to Aaron Pico after vicious knockout loss at UFC 319]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400401/aljamain-sterling-offers-advice-to-aaron-pico-after-vicious-knockout-loss-at-ufc-319" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400401</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T13:33:21-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T14:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Aljamain Sterling still sees championship potential in Aaron Pico despite a big setback in his octagon debut. Pico was viciously knocked out with a spinning-back elbow in the first round by Lerone Murphy in the co-main event of UFC 319. Sterling, who is set to face Brian Ortega in the co-main event of UFC Shanghai […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
<![CDATA[
<figure>
<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.mmafighting.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2025/08/gettyimages-2230530139.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
<figcaption>
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<p class="has-text-align-none">Aljamain Sterling still sees championship potential in Aaron Pico despite a big setback in his octagon debut.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Pico was viciously knocked out with a spinning-back elbow in the first round by Lerone Murphy in the co-main event of UFC 319. Sterling, who is set to face Brian Ortega in the co-main event of UFC Shanghai this Saturday, was watching the fight very closely as he hopes to get into title contention at 145 pounds. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Yeah, the thing with Lerone Murphy, no one really knew who he was – now they do,” Sterling told MMA Fighting. “Kudos to him, man. That was a great comeback knockout because he was on his way to possibly getting finished in that first round, or maybe even the second, just the way things were going. But Pico, once again, that aggression, that aggressive style, it comes back to bite you sometimes, especially with a guy who does tricky stuff.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Lerone Murphy is not super flashy. He’ll throw a spinning back kick, he has some nice elbows, but he’s very fundamentally sound. He’s not doing anything out of the ordinary, but you give him what he wants and you get an opportunity to get a finish like that, and he’s a smart, intelligent fighter. But you got Pico, heavy hands, great wrestler, doesn’t really control people, but will wrestle you if he needs to, can take you down pretty much anytime that he really wants, and then he looks for those big body shots, but when he does that, he car crashes.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“And when you run into a shot, I mean, I know first-hand, I ran into a knee that was meant for a head kick. So I got knocked out by Marlon Moraes by just shooting in and diving in on something, the same thing he once [did before], crashed in and the same thing he did in Bellator. I don’t know. It’s a crazy game, man. One day you’re like this, one moment you’re like this, and then next thing you know, one second later the whole fight just changes right before your eyes. So kudos to Lerone Murphy. I do think he should get the next title shot. It sucks for Movsar because Movsar should have been the guy, but he missed his opportunity to stake his claim, and here we are.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Pico has been stopped in all five of his losses, and the 28-year-old has been badly knocked out in three of his 18 pro fights. The longtime Bellator prospect parted ways with the PFL in lieu of a UFC signing, which garnered a lot of attention.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Throughout Pico’s Bellator-PFL run, he’s delivered some incredible performances and highlight-reel finishes, but hasn’t faced high-level competition — and nowhere near to the level of competitive experience as Murphy. Despite looking good in the fight early, Pico’s inexperience came into play, which led to the Knockout of the Year contending finish.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Sterling offered up advice to Pico after losing his octagon debut. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I think that’s it, simply perspective,” Sterling said. “He’s been knocked out like that before running into a shot, and he built himself back up. I think he has to keep it in perspective and at the end of the day, it was just a fight IQ error. You take that away, he probably wins that fight the way that it was going.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I mean, it was only three minutes into the first round, but still, that showed a lot for the indication of how good he actually is. So I think you’ve got to look at a glass half full, yeah, I might have got sent to the gulags, but at the same time I was actually doing really well against an undefeated, highly touted guy who could potentially fight for a world title.”</p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Guilherme Cruz</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Herb Dean defends Marc Goddard’s standups in Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis UFC 319 title fight]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400218/herb-dean-defends-marc-goddard-standups-khamzat-chimaev-dricus-du-plessis-ufc-319-title-fight" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400218</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T12:21:53-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T13:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Referee Marc Goddard was questioned for his standups during the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis title bout this past Saturday in Chicago, where Chimaev dominated to win the 185-pound gold in the main event of UFC 319, but fellow official Herb Dean saw nothing wrong with his decisions. Dean, one of the most experienced […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
<![CDATA[
<figure>
<img alt="" data-caption="Khamzat Chimaev beat Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.mmafighting.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2025/08/gettyimages-2230533393.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
<figcaption>
Khamzat Chimaev beat Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title </figcaption>
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<p class="has-text-align-none">Referee Marc Goddard <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400211/reinier-de-ridder-robert-whittaker-blast-marc-goddard-for-terrible-standups-in-khamzat-chimaev-vs-dricus-du-plessis" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400211/reinier-de-ridder-robert-whittaker-blast-marc-goddard-for-terrible-standups-in-khamzat-chimaev-vs-dricus-du-plessis">was questioned</a> for his standups during the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis title bout this past Saturday in Chicago, where Chimaev dominated to win the 185-pound gold in the main event of UFC 319, but fellow official Herb Dean saw nothing wrong with his decisions.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Dean, one of the most experienced referees in the game, felt that Chimaev, although in dominant positions like the crucifix, could have done more on the ground at some points of the 25-minute contest.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I don’t think there was anything was wrong with [Goddard’s] standups,” Dean said in an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYZsD7ystX4">Helen Yee</a>. “Khamzat dominated the fight around. This is an ongoing conversation that everyone in the stakeholders and everyone in the sport has, ‘but what do we want this sport to look like? Do we want people to achieve a dominant position which, if you’re not using it to beat your opponent, could almost be looked at as a hiding place, as a place to burn time?’</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“And I’m never gonna accuse Khamzat of hiding because, I mean, the man is a savage, but if you get a position, like the crucifix, chest-to-chest position, not a lot of height, [it’s] very difficult to get to a place where you can punch your opponent, sometimes you’re able to get elbows.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Even though Chimaev advanced to dominant position throughout the bout, Dean felt that he could have taken the risk in order to be more aggressive and seek a stoppage.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“You want to reward people,” Dean said. “We can talk about 10-8s, and that at the same time, you want to reward someone with a 10-8 for trying to finish their opponent, for taking a risk. It takes a risk to make some space, to posture, where you’re gonna be able to maybe finish the fight. And I think that’s what we want our sport to look like. I’m okay with those standups that Marc Goddard did.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">It is fair to give a fighter the chance to “settle in and secure the position” once he gets there, Dean said, before you rush for more work when feeling that the lack of advancing in positions could be seen as stalling. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“We want people, if they have a dominant position, we want to see effort to finish the fight, effort to initiate fight-ending sequences,” Dean said. “That’s what we’re looking for. If we’re looking for something where someone’s maintaining a safe position but they’re not able to diminish their opponent and finish the fight, then that’s a situation where people are going to get a warning to work. And when they say work, I think you always should be trying to work for a finish.”</p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mike Heck</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Jon Jones fires back at Daniel Cormier for saying he’s not GOAT due to steroids: ‘I’m always the co-star’]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400390/jon-jones-fires-back-at-daniel-cormier-for-saying-hes-not-goat-due-to-steroids-im-always-the-co-star" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400390</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T10:39:48-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T11:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier’s rivalry continues on. On a recent episode of Club Shay Shay, Cormier told Shannon Sharpe he can’t consider his two-time opponent the greatest of all-time due to Jones testing positive for Turinabol, a steroid Jones tested positive for during an in-competition test the day before UFC 214. “DC” also left […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
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<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.mmafighting.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2025/07/ufc-200-daniel-cormier-vs-jon-jones-2-staredown_241314.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
<figcaption>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier’s rivalry continues on.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">On a recent episode of Club Shay Shay, Cormier told Shannon Sharpe <a href="https://x.com/ClubShayShay/status/1958258441644093857" data-type="link" data-id="https://x.com/ClubShayShay/status/1958258441644093857">he can’t consider his two-time opponent</a> the greatest of all-time due to Jones testing positive for Turinabol, a steroid Jones tested positive for during an in-competition test the day before UFC 214. “DC” also left Jones off of his Mount Rushmore.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">After the interview went live, Jones reacted on Twitter.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When DC tells his story, somehow I’m always the co-star. 😂 Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/ShannonSharpe84?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShannonSharpe84</a> for the invite, even if I was only there in spirit. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Airbnb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Airbnb</a></p>— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1958381463570895014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
</div></figure>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“When DC tells his story, somehow I’m always the co-star,“ Jones wrote. ”Thanks [Shannon Sharpe]<br>for the invite, even if I was only there in spirit.“</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Both <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/9/12/16291440/jon-jones-b-sample-comes-back-positive-for-steroid" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mmafighting.com/2017/9/12/16291440/jon-jones-b-sample-comes-back-positive-for-steroid">A and B samples tested positive</a> in relation to the July 2017 event where Jones knocked out Cormier in the third round of their rematch to cap off the pay-per-view card in Anaheim. The result was eventually ruled a No Contest, and Jones was stripped of the light heavyweight title weeks later, and Cormier was reinstated as champion.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Prior to that, Jones and Cormier were slated to headline UFC 200 in July 2016. Just three days before the massive event, Jones was pulled from the card <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/7/18/12214164/jon-jones-tested-positive-for-estrogen-blockers-is-temporarily" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mmafighting.com/2016/7/18/12214164/jon-jones-tested-positive-for-estrogen-blockers-is-temporarily">after testing positive for estrogen blockers</a>. Cormier went on to face Anderson Silva on the card, winning a unanimous decision.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Jones continued tweeting, letting his feelings be known that despite all he’s accomplished, he’s insulted by the fact that Cormier continues to label him a cheat. “Bones” cites it was his overall ability and skill set that led to his success, and nothing more. </p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">High school state champ, JUCO national champ, youngest UFC champion, greatest in MMA history. A lifetime of loss, victories and sacrifice and this guy wants to write it all off as steroids. Honestly, it’s insulting. But I can’t help but laugh, knowing it was God given abilities…</p>— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1958384689229754454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
</div></figure>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“High school state champ, JUCO national champ, youngest UFC champion, greatest in MMA history,” Jones said. “A lifetime of loss, victories and sacrifice and this guy wants to write it all off as steroids. Honestly, it’s insulting. But I can’t help but laugh, knowing it was God given abilities that made him feel so inferior.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Following UFC Baku in June, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that Jones had informed the promotion of his retirement, and vacated the heavyweight title — which he won with a submission of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023, and successfully defended with a knockout win over Stipe Miocic this past November at UFC 309. Tom Aspinall, who had become the longest reigning interim champion in UFC history, was promoted to undisputed titleholder.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Jones is already back in the UFC’s drug-testing pool in hopes of a return to compete at the UFC’s proposed July 4 event at the White House in 2026. White said on multiple occasions <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/399693/a-billion-to-one-dana-white-shuts-down-jon-jones-chances-to-fight-at-ufc-white-house-card" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/399693/a-billion-to-one-dana-white-shuts-down-jon-jones-chances-to-fight-at-ufc-white-house-card">Jones will not compete at the event</a>, and placed the odds at “a billion-to-one.”</p>
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mike Heck</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[‘He’s too rich’: Zhang Mingyang believes Alex Pereira not as motivated ahead of UFC 320 rematch]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/400237/hes-too-rich-zhang-mingyang-believes-alex-pereira-not-as-motivated-ahead-of-ufc-320-rematch" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400237</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T09:40:27-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T10:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Videos" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Zhang Mingyang’s goal is to become UFC light heavyweight champion, and he has a chance to take the next step towards that goal this Saturday in his first UFC main event — which just so happens to take place a little over a month before that title is on the line. Zhang faces Johnny Walker […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
<![CDATA[
<figure>
<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.mmafighting.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2025/08/gettyimages-2231143486.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
<figcaption>
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<p class="has-text-align-none">Zhang Mingyang’s goal is to become UFC light heavyweight champion, and he has a chance to take the next step towards that goal this Saturday in his first UFC main event — which just so happens to take place a little over a month before that title is on the line.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Zhang faces Johnny Walker in the UFC Shanghai headliner in a pivotal 205-pound clash. Around five weeks later, Magomed Ankalaev defends his title against Alex Pereira in a rematch to headline UFC 320 on Oct. 4 in Las Vegas.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Mountain Tiger” will be watching that bout closely, and was asked to give his prediction for the championship contest.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I think Ankalaev can defend his title because I think Alex Pereira is not as motivated as before,” Zhang told MMA Fighting. “I mean, if we can get the old Pereira back, he’s still the, let’s say, better striker than Ankalaev. But for now, if he still fights like the way like he fought last fight, I think Ankalaev can still win this fight [again].”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Ankalaev captured the title with a decision win over Pereira at UFC 313 in March. Since then, “Poatan” said he’s been focused on a rematch and getting that championship belt back.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Zhang was asked why he felt Pereira is lacking motivation heading into his second meeting with the streaking Ankalaev. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Because he has earned too much money,” Zhang explained. “He’s too rich. I think no matter who you are as a fighter, or as a human being, if you are too rich, you are just kind of [lacking[ of motivation [compared to] when you are young, when you are poor, when you are hungry.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I think that’s normal. It’s not uncommon, yeah.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Since entering the UFC, Zhang has destroyed all three of his octagon foes in the first round, earning bonuses for each outing. The 27-year-old has only spent about eight minutes in the octagon, including his destruction of Anthony Smith at UFC Kansas City in Smith’s final bout in April. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Zhang now gets Walker, who was brutally knocked out in back-to-back fights by Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir. Walker has promised a throwback version of himself this weekend in a pivotal bout, and Zhang hopes for the same thing. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“To be honest, we never think we’re going to fight Johnny one day,” Zhang said. “But when UFC told us, ‘OK, Johnny is the next one’, we just accepted that. But I think if you look at the fighters Johnny [has lost] to, many of them became champions. Or even the guys he [beat], some of them also become the title challenger. So I think Johnny, it’s a good test for me and going to be a very important step on my way to fighting for the title. …</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“There’s going to be a finish for sure. I don’t think this fight will go to decision, will go for five rounds. We don’t need 5 rounds. And also I do hope Johnny can be the Johnny he said [he would be] on his social media: [That] he’s back to the Johnny [with] how he fought before, when he was winning. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“Johnny, please give me a 100 percent Johnny on Saturday night. Let’s fight toe-to-tow. That’s the fight I want.”</p>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Jed Meshew</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Frankie Edgar explains why he’s coming out of retirement to fight at BKFC]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.mmafighting.com/bkfc-news/400315/frankie-edgar-explains-why-hes-coming-out-of-retirement-to-fight-at-bkfc" />
<id>https://www.mmafighting.com/?p=400315</id>
<updated>2025-08-21T16:45:50-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T09:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="BKFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="BKFC News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="Latest News" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC" /><category scheme="https://www.mmafighting.com" term="UFC News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Frankie Edgar said he was done fighting. But the call of combat pulled him back in. Next month, Edgar will end his three-year retirement from combat sports when he takes on Jimmie Rivera in the featured bout at BKFC 82 in Newark, NJ. The UFC Hall of Famer ended his MMA career on a three-fight […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
<![CDATA[
<figure>
<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.mmafighting.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/109/2025/08/gettyimages-1487825845.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
<figcaption>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Frankie Edgar said he was done fighting. But the call of combat pulled him back in.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Next month, Edgar will end his three-year retirement from combat sports when he takes on Jimmie Rivera in the featured bout at BKFC 82 in Newark, NJ. The UFC Hall of Famer ended his MMA career on a three-fight losing streak in 2022; however, when BKFC showed up in his backyard, the New Jersey native couldn’t resist trying out a different combat sport he’s grown fond of.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“We’re in Jersey. You guys came here. It’s hard to pass up,” Edgar said at the BKFC 82 press conference on Thursday. “As soon as I saw this sport I was very intrigued. I’m a fighter. This is definitely the fightiest of all combat sports, you know what I mean? I had to try it out. Why not do it here?”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">Despite his many accomplishments, Edgar ended his career on a tough run, getting knocked out three consecutive times, the last one being by Chris Gutierrez at UFC 281 in what was supposed to be his retirement fight. But now Edgar says he’s feeling good again and ready to try something new. </p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“It’s intriguing,” Edgar said. “I used to fight for free at Seaside with no gloves, so why not get paid to do it here in Newark? Training has been awesome. Training just for boxing, I mean, my neck feels great. No one is hanging on my neck, my shoulders feel great. It’s amazing.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">A former collegiate wrestler, Edgar had a 36-fight MMA career highlighted by claiming the UFC lightweight title and defending it three times. “The Answer” also challenged for the featherweight title three times and even competed at bantamweight. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2024.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">At 43 years old, Edgar likely does not have a prolonged run in BKFC ahead of him, something even he acknowledges, considering he already is supposed to be retired. For Edgar, he’s taking this part of his career one day at a time.</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">“I said I’d never fight again, and here I am,” Edgar said. “So who is going to take me for my word really? Let’s see how this first one goes and we’ll take it from there.”</p>
<p class="has-text-align-none">BKFC 82 is headlined by a “King of Violence” title fight between Mike Perry and Jeremy Stephens.</p>
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