Tag Archives: jiu-jitsu

Charles Oliveira to Fight Beneil Dariush in Lightweight Battle at UFC 288

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Charles Oliveira is returning to the Octagon…

The 33-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, a former UFC lightweight champion, will face top contender Beneil Dariush in May.

Charles OliveiraThe UFC hasn’t officially announced the 155-pound bout, but Oliveira referred to it as official on social media, and ESPN sources say Dariush’s side has agreed.

The lightweight fight will take place on May 6 at an event that is expected to be a UFC 288 pay-per-view.

Oliveira (33-9) hasn’t fought since a third-round submission loss to current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in October. That fight came under unique circumstances in that it was technically for the vacant lightweight title, after Oliveira surrendered the title this past May after missing weight for a defense against Justin Gaethje.

Although the Brazilian wasn’t the official champ when he fought Makhachev, the sport widely viewed him as such until the loss. Prior to the defeat, Oliveira had won 11 in a row.

Dariush (22-4-1) will take an eight-fight win streak into the contest in May. The 33-year-old has a strong case for a title shot now, but he has a history of seeking fights to remain active rather than wait for specific opportunities. Dariush would likely assert himself as the clear No. 1 contender at lightweight with a win. He has never fought Makhachev.

A bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo is slated to headline UFC 288. The UFC has not announced a venue for the date.

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva to Fight Tyrone Spong in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s First Eagle FC Event in United States

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Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva is ready to make history…

The 42-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer will compete in the first United States main event of Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s MMA promotion.

Antonio "Bigfoot" SilvaSilva and Tyrone Spong will headline Eagle FC 44 on January 28 in Miami. The three-round heavyweight bout will mark Spong’s return to MMA after eight years. Spong is a world-class kickboxer and an undefeated pro boxer.

Silva, meanwhile, is a UFC veteran and former MMA champion.

Eagle FC 44 will take place at the newly built FLX Arena.

This will be Eagle FC’s first event in the United States. Nurmagomedov, the all-time UFC great, has owned the promotion, formerly known as Gorilla Fighting Championship, since last 2020.

Since he took over, Eagle FC has run 15 events and all but two were in Nurmagomedov’s home country of Russia. Nurmagomedov told ESPN last week that the plan is to run several big events next year in the U.S., beginning with one on January 28.

Spong (2-0) is a top-notch combat sports athlete in multiple sports. The Suriname native, who trains out of Florida, has not fought in MMA since two fights with World Series of Fighting in 2012 and 2013, both victories. Spong, a former kickboxing champion, has been focusing recently on his pro boxing career. Spong, 36, is the current WBC Latino and WBO Latino heavyweight champion in boxing.

Silva (19-13, 1 NC) is a former EliteXC heavyweight champion in MMA and veteran of 11 UFC fights. The Brazil native is a jiu-jitsu black belt and will have a significant size advantage over Spong — “Bigfoot” is 6-foot-4 and cuts to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit, while Spong is 6-foot-2 and typically weighs in the 230s. But Silva, 42, has lost six straight in MMA and has only one win in his last 11 fights. He has also been knocked out in five of his last six MMA fights, plus a knockout loss to Glory champion Rico Verhoeven in a 2017 kickboxing match and a KO loss to Gabriel Gonzaga in a Bare Knuckle FC bout in 2019.

UFC Hall of Famer and former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will also return from retirement at Eagle FC 44.

No other Eagle FC 44 matchups have been announced. Nurmagomedov said he plans to make more announcements at a news conference in Miami on December 15.

Antonio Carlos Junior Signs with Professional Fighters League

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Antonio Carlos Junior is going Professional…

The Professional Fighters League has signed the 30-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC veteran, known as Cara de Sapato, to a contract this week, according to ESPN.

Antonio Carlos Junior

Carlos Junior fought at middleweight in the UFC, but Abdelaziz said he would be competing as part of PFL‘s light heavyweight season this year.

“This guy should have never been fighting at middleweight,” Abdelaziz said. “He should have been fighting all along at light heavyweight. I think he’s going to be very good at light heavyweight.”

Carlos Junior (10-5, 1 NC) won The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil at heavyweight in 2014. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist had a respectable 7-5 (1 NC) record in the UFC. Carlos Junior was on a three-fight losing streak before the UFC released him last month.

PFL, which has a season and playoffs structure, did not run any events in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carlos Junior will join the likes of UFC veterans Tom Lawlor, Cezar Ferreira and Jordan Johnson in the PFL light heavyweight season. Emiliano Sordi, the 2019 PFL light heavyweight champion, returns this year as well.

Marcus Almeida Signs with Asia’s Mixed Martial Arts Association ONE Championship

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Marcus “Buchecha“Almeida is switching sports…

The 30-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend has signed a multiyear contract with Asia’s ONE Championship, according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz. 

Marcus "Buchecha"Almeida

Almeida, a 13-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, who stands at 6-foot-3, will compete in the heavyweight division.

Per Abdelaziz, Almeida will debut in ONE either near the end of this year or early in 2021. He’ll do his training camps at Evolve MMA in Singapore, which has a relationship with ONE, also based in Singapore.

Almeida is considered one of the top pound-for-pound Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors of all time. 

He announced just last week his intention to retire from BJJ gi competition and focus on mixed martial arts, which drew buzz in the MMA community due to his potential in the sport.

“Buchecha” has won a record six Brazilian jiu-jitsu world titles in the openweight category, a mark previously held by Roger Gracie (3). 

Almeida has also won two titles in the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) tournament.

Gilbert Burns Defeats Tyron Woodley by Unanimous Decision in UFC Fight Night Event

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Gilbert Burns is officially a UFC welterweight contender…

The 33-year-old mixed martial artist, a former multiple-time jiu-jitsu champion, beat former champion Tyron Woodley by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44) in Saturday’s main UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas. 

Gilbert Burns

Burns nearly finished Woodley in the opening minutes and never let his foot off the gas pedal, winning every single round.

“That was a former champion right there — you saw,” Burns said. “And I had a dominant performance.”

ESPN had Woodley ranked No. 5 among MMA welterweights coming in, while Burns was No. 9. Woodley had not fought since dropping the welterweight title to Kamaru Usman via unanimous decision at UFC 235 on March 2, 2019.

Burns trains at Sanford MMA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with Usman, the current UFC welterweight champion. Despite that relationship, Burns called for a title shot after his win.

“I want to fight for the title,” Burns said. “Lot of respect, a lot of love for [Usman]. But I think I’m next. I’m next. I’m right there.”

Woodley, who finished with 28 significant strikes to 83 for Burns, said it simply wasn’t his night.

“To be honest, I feel crappy that I lost,” he said. “I didn’t imagine losing to Gilbert Burns. But at the end of the day, I’m really proud of myself because mentally, I knew what I was going through in the Octagon. He gave me some hard shots, and I just kept saying, ‘I’m not fixing to give up. I’m not feeling that this dude beat me. I’m coming back. I’m gonna win this fight.’

The card was the UFC‘s first back in its hometown since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. It took place at the UFC Apex, a facility across from the promotion’s campus, in front of no fans. 

Burns (19-3) has won six in a row and four straight since moving up from lightweight to welterweight. He has just one loss going back to 2016. He has made huge strides in the striking department under coach Henri Hooft.

Said Burns after Saturday’s victory, “Not bad for a jiu-jitsu guy, right?”