Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson In The Works For April

The highly anticipated matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson could happen on April 18th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA, sources say.

First reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN and further backed up by Damon Martin at MMAFighting, it has been reported that the two lightweights will headline a card on that date. An official announcement by the UFC has yet to be made.

On Monday, Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz tweeted a photo of a contract, saying “The champ signed his bout agreement against Tony Ferguson.”

Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were first supposed to face off at UFC 223, although a torn knee ligament for Ferguson soiled the plans.

He returned from his injury in late 2018, defeating Anthony Pettis on UFC 229, a card which Nurmagomedov headlined against Conor McGregor.

Nurmagomedov made his second defence of his UFC Lightweight Championship in September, defeating Dustin Poirier with a third-round rear naked choke.

Ferguson is riding a 12-fight winning streak that dates back to 2013. Most recently, he prevailed over Donald Cerrone after a doctor’s stoppage before round three.

Deontay Wilder Rematch With Tyson Fury Set To Happen On Feb. 22nd

14 months after their first meeting, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are set to square off again on February 22nd.

First reported by Dan Rafael of ESPN, news broke on Tuesday night that the high ranked heavyweights would clash again in 2020.

While there has not been a decided venue, the report says it will likely take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

In their first meeting, Wilder and Fury fought to a 12-round draw (115-111, 112-114 and 113-113) which saw Fury down in rounds nine and 12.

Wilder has gone on to defend his WBC Heavyweight Championship twice, more recently defeating previous rival Luis Ortiz with a seventh-round KO.

Fury has gotten two wins as well, stopping Tom Schwarz and going all 12 rounds against Otto Wallin.

Deontay Wilder Stops Luis Ortiz With 7th Round Stoppage

Deontay Wilder earned a sixth round TKO victory of Luis Ortiz on Saturday, retaining his WBC Heavyweight Championship in a rematch.

As the seventh round was closing out, Wilder landed a right-cross which dropped Ortiz. The fight was concluded by referee Kenny Bayless as Ortiz was attempting to get up.

Before Wilder landed his fight-ending punch, the bout was a slow ordeal. Ortiz was the more active fighter, landing the better of the minimal punches in the fight.

After the fight, Wilder said the plan is for him to face Tyson Fury next. He also mentioned that he wants a unification bout in the future.

“I want champion, one face, one name,” said Wilder in his post-fight interview.

In their first meeting, Wilder stopped Ortiz in the 10th round. Wilder had a record of 1-0-1 between then and this fight, with Ortiz going 3-0.

Before the main event, Leo Santa Cruz defeated Miguel Flores via unanimous decision (115-112, 117-110 and 117-110), getting the vacant WBA Super Super Featherweight title.

Callum Smith Gets Decision Win Over John Ryder

Callum Smith avoided an upset on Saturday, defeating John Ryder via decision to defend his WBA Super World Super and WBO Diamond Super Middleweight belts at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, UK.

Smith won in his hometown via unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112 and 116-112), with no knockdowns scored by either fighter in the bout.

The fight started slow, with Smith mostly throwing jabs. Ryder was throwing combinations of hooks periodically. Smith got a cut beside his right eyebrow in the fourth round, although it didn’t bother him too much.

Deeper into the fight they got more active. There were many rounds where either fighter winning could be argued.

While Smith’s win in front of his hometown crowd didn’t come off as controversial at the event, dissenting opinions from the scorecards were displayed online.

“Ryder deserved better,” said Mike Coppinger, writer for The Athletic and Boxing Insider.

In the co-main event of the night, James Tennyson defeated Craig Evans with an 11th round TKO win.

Two Bellator vs. RIZIN Fights Announced For RIZIN 20

Two Bellator versus RIZIN matchups were announced for RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve show on Thursday at a press conference. The announcement was one of the many at the event, including fights on the Bellator Japan card and Kyoji Horiguchi’s injury.

RIZIN’s Yuki Motoya will face Patrick Mix on the RIZIN 20 card in a bantamweight fight. Motoya recently lost to Hiromasa Ogiukubo at RIZIN 17 via decision. Mix is undefeated as a pro and has fought twice in Bellator since debuting earlier this year. Mix’s last seven wins have come via stoppage.

Also added to RIZIN 20 was Mikuru Asakura versus John Macapa. Asakura is currently on a six-fight tear, recently defeating Yusuke Yachi at RIZIN 17. Macapa snapped a 2018 three-fight losing streak earlier this year, defeating Kevin Croom then defeating Ashleigh Grimshaw two months ago.

Here’s how RIZIN 20 looks so far:

Lightweight Grand Prix Grand Final
Ayaka Hamasaki (19-2) vs. Seo Hee Ham (22-8)
Johnny Case (27-6-1) vs. Tofiq Musaev (16-3) (Lightweight GP Semi-Final)
Patricky Pitbull (22-8) vs. Luiz Gustavo (10-1) (Lightweight GP Semi-Final)
Yuki Motoya (23-7) vs. Patrick Mix (12-0)
Mikuru Asakura (11-1) vs. John Macapa (23-4-2)

Kyoji Horiguchi Out of RIZIN 20 Matchup Against Kai Asakura

Kyoji Horiguchi has been pulled from his New Year’s Eve fight against Kai Asakura due to injury, per a press conference on Thursday. It was reported that Horiguchi tore his ACL.

RIZIN says they will announce another main event soon.

Photos surfaced earlier in the week of Kyoji Horiguchi in a wheelchair with a bandage on his right knee.

The fight was set to be a rematch between the two after Asakura earned a first round stoppage win in a non-championship affair.

Additional Bouts Added To Bellator Japan

Along with the Bellator versus RIZIN fights that were added to Bellator Japan, a few other matchups were also announced on Thursday in Japan.

Set for Bellator Japan is a rematch between strawweight Haruo Ochi and Jarred Brooks. The two were set to face off at RIZIN 19, but a head collision ended the fight in under a minute. They will have a second chance to compete for the linear strawweight championship at Bellator Japan. Brooks picked up a win against Victor Altamirano in October at a Michigan local event.

Also set for Bellator Japan is Yusuke Yachi facing Hiroto Uesako. Yachi has been a big name is RIZIN despite not winning in his last three fights. Uesako is also trying to get back in the win column after losing to Luiz Gustavo at RIZIN 19.

While not billed as a RIZIN versus Bellator fight, former RIZIN fighter Ryuichiro Sumimura will face Jon Tuck on the show. Sumimura returned to MMA after a 14-month absence to get a win on a DEEP Impact show in October. Tuck was set to make his Bellator debut back in September, but his opponent, Brandon Girtz pulled out due to injury.

Bellator Japan will also see Krazy Bee Gym’s “Princess Bee” AI face RIZIN fighter Andy Nguyen. Nguyen is 1-2 in RIZIN, recently facing Miyuu Yamamoto at RIZIN 13.

Here’s how Bellator Japan looks so far:

Fedor Emelianenko (38-6) vs. Rampage Jackson (38-13)
Benson Henderson (28-8) vs. Michael Chandler (19-5)
Lorenz Larkin (21-7) vs. Keita Nakamura (35-10-2)
Ilara Joanne (9-4) vs. Kana Watanabe (8-0-1)
Goiti Yamauchi (24-4) vs. Daron Cruickshank (22-12)
Haruo Ochi (19-7-2) vs. Jarred Brooks (15-2)
Ryuichiro Sumimura (14-7) vs. Jon Tuck (10-5)
AI (5-1) vs. Andy Nguyen (6-8)
Yusuke Yachi (20-9) vs. Hiroto Uesako (16-8)

Bellator Versus RIZIN Bouts Added To Bellator Japan

Bellator Japan saw many new fights added to it’s card after a press conference in Japan on Thursday. The matchups include many Bellator versus RIZIN bouts.

The biggest RIZIN versus Bellator fight announced was Lorenz Larkin facing Keita Nakamura. “K-Taro” made his RIZIN debut last month, making quick work of Marcos Yoshio de Souza. Larkin recently went three rounds with Andrey Koreshkov, winning on the scorecards. He is on a three-fight winning streak.

Returning to a RIZIN promoted event, Daron Cruickshank will face Bellator’s Goiti Yamauchi. Cruickshank will attempt to snap a two-fight losing streak, dropping to Damien Brown and Tofiq Musaev in previous RIZIN events. Yamauchi is on a two-fight winning streak, recently defeating Saad Awad at Bellator 229.

The final Bellator versus RIZIN matchup announced was undefeated flyweight Kana Watanabe versus Ilara Joanne. Joanne made her Bellator debut last month, defeating Bec Rawlings via kneebar. Watanabe has a 8-0-1 record, with many fights in RIZIN and DEEP JEWELS.

ONE Championship: Masters of Fate Full Report

ONE Championship returned to Manila, Philippines on Friday, with “ONE Championship: Masters of Fate.” Headlining the card was Flyweight Champion Joshua Pacio defending his belt against Rene Catalan. The show was held within a ring, and had 13 bouts overall.

Bout 1: Rosham Mainam (3-1) vs. Khon Sichan (3-4) (135 lbs.) (MMA Bout)

Starting off the preliminary card was Indian fighter Rosham Mainam making his ONE debut against Khon Sichan. Mainam got a takedown a minute into the fight. He was dominant in top position, landing strikes and trying for submissions. After putting in an americano, Rosham Mainam got a quick victory to start the show.

Bout 2: Kim Kyu Sung (9-3) vs. Akihiro Fujisawa (5-2) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The next bout saw ONE Hero Series winner Akihiro Fujisawa face Kim Kyu Sung. Both fighters were trying to come back from losses. After a minute of striking, Kim landed an uppercut which dropped Fujisawa and ended the bout. The quick and flashy victory put Kim Kyu Sung to 1-1 in ONE. Akihiro Fujisawa extended his ONE losing streak to three in a row.

Bout 3: Kim Jae Woong (9-3) vs. Rafael Nunes (11-2) (155 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The next fight saw Kim Jae Woong make his ONE debut against Rafael Nunes, who attempted to bounce back from a loss. Both fighters had some good striking early on. Nunes tried for a single leg takedown in the second minute of the fight, and got pelted with punches on the way down. Nunes kept getting tagged in stand-up. Nunes tried again for a takedown by initiating a body lock but couldn’t get it. Nunes was on the back of Woong as the round ended.

The second round started with a close striking battle. Nunes got a takedown in the second minute of the round, but Kim ended up on top. They got back up with Nunes on Woong’s back. They went back to striking halfway through the round. Woong landed a good knee in the clinch. Woong avoided another takedown in the final minute. Woong had Nunes cornered in the end of the round and started to pick him apart.

Halfway through the first minute, Woong landed a body punch that hurt Nunes. Woong came in with knees to the head until the referee called an end to the bout.

Bout 4: Tukkatatong Petpayathai (242-33) vs. Hiroaki Suzuki (41-12 Kickboxing) (145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

The next preliminary bout saw experienced fighters Tukkatatong Petpayathai and Hiroaki Suzuki face off in a muay thai bout. They competed in MMA gloves. The first round saw lots of low kicks from both fighters. Suzuki was the quicker starter. Suzuki did a good job at catching kicks and using them as a counter. There was an especially good combination from Suzuki as the round ended, catching a kick and throwing hooks.

Suzuki continued to catch the kicks in the second round. Despite catching many kicks, damage started to show on the left side of Suzuki. Tukkatatong started to put together some solid punches in the second round.

The final round felt like it was mostly Tukkatatong coming forward and putting together strikes. With the fight going the distance, it needed scorecards to determine a winner. With a split decision, Tukkatatong Petpayathai got the victory.

Bout 5: Robin Catalan (8-6) vs. Gustavo Balart (8-3) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Switching back to MMA, Gustavo Balart faced Robin Catalan. Early on in the fight, Balart was landing good shots. Being the first Filippino on the card, Catalan had the crowd loud. Balart put on a body lock, slowing down Catalan’s offence. As billed by the commentators, this was a striking versus wrestling battle. Balart got a takedown with two minutes to go in the round.

When the second round started, Balart chased another takedown. He got one halfway through the round. In the closing minute of the round, Catalan threw a leg kick which collapsed Balart. After a devastating KO, Robin Catalan moved his ONE record to 5-4.

Bout 6: Han Zi Hao (61-16) vs. Kongsak (183-39-2) (145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

In the second-last muay thai fight of the evening, China’s Han Zi Hao faced Thailand’s Kongsak. The first round was a slow one, Kongsak catching a leg kick and countering with one of his own at one point.

Kongsak dictated the second round for the most part. The final round, like the ones before wasn’t a very fast-paced one. Heading to the scorecards, Kongsak got the victory via unanimous decision.

Bout 7: Yoshitaka Naito (14-3) vs. Pongsiri Misatit (10-3) (125 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Finishing off the prelims was Yoshitaka Naito and Pongsiri Misatit in an MMA bout. Naito went for a single-leg takedown early on eventually getting it. They got back up, with it only taking a few more minutes before Naito brought it back to the ground. Misatit did not do much in the stand-up.

Similar to the first round, Naito got a takedown quickly. After being in top position on the ground for a few minutes, Naito tried for an armbar. Apart from a few moments, Naito had the whole round on the ground.

Misatit landed a leg kick early in the third round as Naito was getting up. We saw the first real striking battle between the two in the start of the third. Naito failed to score a single leg takedown. Misatit stuffed a takedown, landing knees to counter it. Naito tried for a heel hook. He was able to get in side control after Misatit escaped the heel hook. The fight ran out of time with Naito in top position landing strikes. The judges all favoured Yoshitaka Naito as the winner.

Bout 8: Paul Lumihi (7-3) vs. Li Kai Wen (9-4) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Starting off the main card, Paul Lumihi and Li Kai Wen battled. The fight started hectic, as Li Kai Wen came charging in with a Jorge Masvidal-like flying knee. After more striking, Wen landed a takedown and scored a knee strike. He tried for a guillotine choke, but Lumihi escaped and went back to stand-up. Wen kept coming forward with hard strikes. Wen charged forward with punches, eventually dropping Lumihi and getting a win. With a hard to follow and explosive performance, Li Kai Wen got his fourth stoppage victory in ONE in a row.

Bout 9: Stamp Fairtex (2-0) vs. Bi Nguyen (5-4) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the next fight, experienced muay thai fighter Stamp Fairtex fought in her third MMA fight against Bi Nguyen. Fairtex had a clear height advantage. Nguyen came forward with strikes early on, and got tossed by Fairtex. In a clinch, she landed knee strikes. After being in the clinch for a while, Fairtex landed a trip takedown. They got back up, but Fairtex stayed on Nguyen’s back. Nguyen caught a kick from Fairtex and backed her into the ropes. Fairtex had good combinations of punches throughout the round.

In the second round, Fairtex landed good knees in a clinch many times. Fairtex had a good flurry of strikes with a minute left in the second round. Both fighters showed a good pace, not slowing down their activity in the round. Fairtex danced as she headed to her corner at the end of the round.

The fight stayed as a striking battle in the third round, although the pace did slow down. Fairtex had some moments throughout the round still being the dominant striker. When going to the scorecards, all three judges favoured Stamp Fairtex as the winner. This was the first win for Fairtex in MMA that was no via stoppage.

Bout 10: Geje Eustaquio (12-8) vs. Toni Tauru (11-7) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the next fight, Finland’s Toni Tauru faced former ONE Bantamweight Champion Geje Eustaquio. Tauru had a significant height advantage. In the first minute of the fight, Tauru got a takedown, taking the back of Eustaquio. He searched for a rear naked choke, but never got his arm under the chin of Eustaquio. He escaped and took top position. With 20 seconds left in the round, both fighters were stood up due to inactivity.

The second round included more stand-up. Eustaquio was able to dip into the pocket and land strikes. He landed a great sweep after catching a kick. As expected, the crowd was behind Eustaquio.

Eustaquio was the more active striker much early in the third round. Halfway through the round, Eustaquio landed a spinning back kick which took down Tauru. The referee stepped in before Eustaquio had to do more damage.

Bout 11: Sangmanee Sathian Muaythai (180-26-5) vs. Azize Hlali (99-17-1)(145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

The final muay thai bout of the evening saw Azize Hlali face Sangmanee Sathian Muaythai. Both fighters were making their ONE debut. Hlali countered a body kick early, sweeping Sangmanee with a responding kick.

Sangmanee had a better second round, landing more kicks and knees in the clinch. Fighters were pretty tied up going into the final round.

Sangmanee landed a good trip in the first minute of the final round. The fight went all nine minutes, with Sangmee Sathian Muaythai taking the unanimous decision win.

Bout 12: Eduard Folayang (21-8) vs. Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu (5-1) (170 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the co-main event of the evening, Eduard Folayang looked to come back from recent losses to Shinya Aoki and Eddie Alvarez, facing 1-0 ONE fighter Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu. Both fighters started slow in the first round. Folayang had some good kicks in the first round.

At the start of the second round, the fighters went into a standing clinch after Tsogookhuu did a flying knee. Folayang got dropped halfway through the round, possibly colliding heads with Tsogookhuu. In top position, Tsogookhuu landed knees to the head. A doctor was brought in to check on Folayang’s cut. Since they passed the halfway point of the fight (by one second that is), they went to scorecards for a technical decision. Walking away with the victory was Eduard Folayang.

Bout 13: Joshua Pacio (17-3) vs. Rene Catalan (6-2) (ONE Strawweight Championship) (MMA Bout)

In the main event of the evening, ONE Strawweight (125 lbs) Champion Joshua Pacio put his championship on the line against fellow Filippino fighter Rene Catalan. The fight was scheduled for five rounds. Only a minute into the fight, Pacio got a takedown from a body lock. Catalan tried for a heel hook on the ground which Pacio eventually escaped. Pacio took top position on the ground, eventually switching into side control.

Pacio was the fighter marching forward with strikes at the start of the second round. Catalan tried for a takedown which Pacio stuffed. Pacio took top position on the ground in half guard. He looked for a head and arm choke. Catalan was in the head and arm choke for a while before finally tapping out. With a beautiful set up and head and arm choke, Joshua Pacio made his first defence of his championship reign.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik Finishes Andrei Arlovski In 29 Seconds on UFC 244 Prelims

Jairzinho Rozenstruik extended his undefeated record on Saturday, defeating Andrei Arlovski in 29 seconds on the preliminary card of UFC 244.

Rozenstruik got his win in no time, rushing his opponent with strikes. He landed a counter left hook which dropped Arlovski, giving him a walk-off victory.

The win not only continues his career-long undefeated record, but continues his UFC-long run of victories via finishing his opponent.

Rozenstruik fought once in RIZIN, defeating Andrey Kovalev at RIZIN 10. He was signed to a UFC contract after getting another win on the regional level.

The loss puts Arlovski at 1-3 1 NC in his last five outings, and 3-6 1 NC in his last 10.

This article is part of a series of coverage called the “JMMA Tracker.” The series keeps track of Japanese MMA fighter’s activities in other promotions around the world.