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Artem Vakhitov already has Alex Pereira’s attention ahead of DWCS appearance: ‘He lost to me 2 times … it’s worrying him’

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Artem Vakhitov already has Alex Pereira’s attention ahead of DWCS appearance: ‘He lost to me 2 times … it’s worrying him’

Artem Vakhitov has an opportunity to earn a UFC contract when he competes on The Contender Series on Oct. 8, but even before he sets foot in the octagon for the first time, he’s got light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira’s attention.

The former rivals who met twice in GLORY with Vakhitov holding the final win over Pereira before he left the promotion to sign with the UFC have already engaged in a war of words. With Vakhitov making his transition into MMA — with a 2-1 record, which is almost identical to Pereira when he joined the UFC roster — he’ll have plenty of eyes on him when he fights next Tuesday night.

While he still has to perform and impress the UFC executives in attendance to guarantee himself a contract, Vakhitov knows Pereira is already looking over his shoulder.

“I didn’t ask for any attention from him but he already knows he lost to me two times,” Vakhitov said about Pereira when speaking to MMA Fighting. “It’s worrying him a little bit.

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“For sure for fans around the world, it’s very interesting. Let’s see for the future. I think we can do it.”

Much like Pereira signing with the UFC largely due to his wins over then champion Israel Adesanya in kickboxing, Vakhitov knows he’s got a leg up on the competition when it comes to a fast rise up the ranks.

Add to that, the 33-year-old Russian doesn’t believe there are many strikers even close to Pereira’s level on the feet, which is another reason why he wants to shake things up with his arrival.

“You see now that he is very easily beating all the guys now,” Vakhitov said. “For sure, they really needed some guy who can beat him in that striking style. I guess we will see who is the best striker very soon.”

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Because he shares so much history with Pereira thanks to those back-to-back fights in 2021, Vakhitov competes on The Contender Series with a much brighter spotlight on him than the average prospect.

That might intimidate some fighters but don’t count Vakhitov among them.

“I’m not getting any pressure,” Vakhitov said. “I just have it in my own way. My aim and my focus is only on Dana White’s Contender Series for sure. If I will get Pereira in the future, I will show a great fight and let’s hope that will be meet soon in the octagon.

“I was thinking that I could get in the UFC directly without Dana White’s Contender Series but anyway it’s a very good chance for me. A great opportunity to get there. I will take this chance and for sure I will only show great fights in the future. I think it’s a very good opportunity for me.”

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Beyond his training at home in Russia, Vakhitov has also spent significant time training at Kill Cliff FC in Florida, the same gym that houses notable UFC fighters such as Shavkat Rakhmonov, Gilbert Burns and Michael Chandler.

Making the move from kickboxing to MMA is never easy but Vakhitov believes he’s learned a lot already and he’s still adding more and more weapons to his arsenal everyday.

“From the beginning, I was starting to work on defense from takedowns, about things to help me defend from guys on the ground,” Vakhitov said. “I’ve got a few camps in Moscow and here in [Florida] so I’m already experienced and a lot of high level guys are training with us.

“It for sure helped me with the experience and I’m getting more into this stuff. It looks like the transition is going well and we are still working on it. Continuing to work on it.”

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Assuming he wins next Tuesday and UFC CEO Dana White offers him a contract, Vakhitov doesn’t expect that he’ll just get handed a fight against Pereira right away.

Vakhitov has no problem earning the chance to face his old foe again but until then he’ll keep rooting for Pereira to hold onto his title — just like he did in his latest defense over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307.

“For sure [rooting] for Alex to win, it’s all I can wish for him,” Vakhitov said. “Just continue to win and I hope we will meet very soon. He just has to wait for me.”

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Anthony Smith sees path to Alex Pereira vs. Volkan Oezdemir

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Anthony Smith sees path to Alex Pereira vs. Volkan Oezdemir

Anthony Smith doesn’t think the UFC light heavyweight division is as thin on title contender options as some might think.

With champion Alex Pereira further solidifying himself as a dominant force with a fourth-round TKO of Khalil Rountree on Saturday at UFC 307, many are wondering who will be next to take on “Poatan,” who reiterated his desire to stick at 205 pounds following his win.

Magomed Ankalaev is being anointed as a prominent candidate, but the Russian must first get through Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi. Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) is currently riding a divisional-best 12-fight unbeaten streak, but lackluster performances in key moments have hurt his standing, including when he fought Jan Blachowicz to a split draw in a vacant title bout at UFC 282 in December 2022.

Smith, a former light heavyweight title challenger, ESPN analyst, and podcast co-host, thinks Ankalaev needs to be spectacular against Rakic (14-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at UFC 308. Anything short of that in a winning manner, however, could open the door for someone else.

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“I wouldn’t count on it because there’s a good chance Volkan Oezdemir and Carlos Ulberg could have a conversation, or at least some sort of a case to make for that fight,” Smith said on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn. “Especially if Ankalaev does what he kind of tends to do sometimes, and that’s kind of lay an egg and still win. He’s already been punished for that. He’s already done it once before in the Jan Blachowicz fight and Dana (White) was absolutely furious.”

Oezdemir (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) and Ulberg (9-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meet at UFC Fight Night 248 on Nov. 23 in Macau. Oezdemir has won three of his past four and is coming off a first-round knockout of Johnny Walker at UFC on ABC 6 in June, while Ulberg is riding a six-fight winning streak with his most notable result being a 12-second knockout of Alonzo Menifield at UFC on ESPN 56 in May.

Smith has his own history with Ankalaev in the form of a second-round TKO loss at UFC 277 in July 2022. His analysis is not skewed by hard feelings, though, and Smith thinks it’s simply the reality that the UFC brass are not keen to put him back into a championship contest.

Ankalaev can control his own fortune by doing something dazzling later this month, but if he doesn’t, Smith sees more than one option in play.

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“They’re not rushing Ankalaev into a title fight for a reason,” Smith said. “I think if that fight lays an egg and Volkan Oezdemir goes in there and finishes Carlos Ulberg, I think Volkan Oezdemir has a great case to make for a title shot. I wouldn’t just count on that fight (with Ankalaev).

“If Rakic wins, I think Rakic goes right into a title shot because Alex Pereira’s already shown a little bit of interest in Rakic. I think that style and his body type and kind of the way he fights interests him. I don’t think the UFC is really going to hold the Jiri Prochazka loss against (him) too badly.”

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Kayla Harrison reacts to Julianna Peña calling out Amanda Nunes

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Kayla Harrison reacts to Julianna Peña calling out Amanda Nunes

Kayla Harrison isn’t surprised that Julianna Pena didn’t address her after reclaiming the UFC women’s bantamweight title.

Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) edged out Raquel Pennington in Saturday’s UFC 307 co-main event at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. On the same night, Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) became No. 1 contender when she defeated Ketlen Vieira.

During Peña’s post-fight interview in the octagon, a split screen showed Harrison watching her talk. But instead of calling out Harrison, Peña turned her attention to a trilogy bout with Amanda Nunes.

“I think she’s just scared, got to make a lot of noise,” Harrison told TMZ. “I think she’ll do anything not to fight me, including call out – she’s probably going to call out Ronda Rousey next. I’m used to it. We’re blonde, and we did judo, so we must be just alike. From what I understand from my manager, I’m next.”

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Harrison was asked who she’d rather fight next: Peña for the title or Nunes, and the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka said she has a plan.

“I want both,” Harrison said. “Can I not have both? I want to win the title. Give Amanda time to get back in shape and train. She can be training for me that whole time. I’ll go f*ck up Julianna real quick, and then Amanda and I can fight.”

Many thought Pennington was robbed against Peña and Harrison agrees – even though she admits that she didn’t get to watch the entire fight.

“I didn’t get to see the full fight, I haven’t gone back and watched the first round yet, but I thought that ‘Rocky’ (Pennington) won,” Harrison said. “I mean, it’s kind of like an unspoken rule: You’ve got to take the title. You don’t get to steal the title. You’ve got to take the title.

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“And I looked on MMA Decisions and every single – like that never happened. I’ve never seen it where every single journalist agrees, and they all said that Raquel won it. I didn’t see the first round, so I can’t absolutely say.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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'Celtic must learn from Champions League loss'

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'Celtic must learn from Champions League loss'



Celtic manager Elena Sadiku says her side will learn from defeat by FC Twente in their Women’s Champions League opener.



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DWCS Results: Season 8, Week 9 LIVE

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DWCS Results: Season 8, Week 9 LIVE

MMA Fighting has DWCS Season 8, Week 9 results for all the action from season eight, week nine of UFC’s Contender Series on Tuesday night at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

In the main event, Artem Vakhitov (2-1) faces Islem Masraf in a heavyweight contest. Vakhitov, a former GLORY kickboxer, has competed in the kickboxing ring with current UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira, going 1-1 including a decision victory over “Poatan” in September 2021. Vakhitov enters the bout with back-to-back first-round finishes under his belt.

Masraf has finished all three of his opponents, including a 10-second head-kick knockout in his most recent outing at PFL Europe 1 in March. Masraf has yet to go past the seven-minute mark in any of his pro bouts.

In the co-main event, Kody Steele gets his chance to compete in front of Dana White and crew as he faces Chasen Blair. The undefeated Steele was slated to face Quemuel Ottoni on the Sept. 10 DWCS fight card, but Ottoni withdrew from the bout moments before.

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Check out DWCS Season 8, Week 9 results below.

Main card (Live now on ESPN+)

Artem Vakhitov vs. Islem Masraf

Kody Steele vs. Chasen Blair

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Mario Pinto vs. Luis Camacho

Islam Dulatov vs. Vanilto Antunes

Sean Gauci vs. Anthony Drilich

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UFC fighters detail struggles in antitrust lawsuit settlement letters

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UFC fighters detail struggles in antitrust lawsuit settlement letters

Over 50 former UFC fighters submitted letters of support for the proposed settlement agreement in the Le vs. Zuffa antitrust class-action lawsuit.

According to online records, the letters were filed Monday by plaintiffs as part of a memorandum in support of settlement. The filing comes 12 days after the agreement proposal was filed Sept. 26.

News of the filings was first reported by journalist John Nash.

The proposed agreement amount is $375 million. It comes less than two months after U.S. District Court judge Richard Boulware denied an initial proposal of $335 million.

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The initial proposal also included Johnson vs. Zuffa under its umbrella, whereas the current proposal is strictly for Le vs. Zuffa.

The letters

Many fighters who wrote letters painted a picture of life after fighting.  Reoccurring themes across the letters include financial struggles, physical injuries, brain trauma concerns, and mental health problems.

The fighters reiterated their preference for immediate financial relief rather than risking the outcomes of a trial, which could benefit the fighters more or leave them completely empty-handed.

“For me, a significant recovery in the near future is much more appealing than the possibility of a larger recovery several years from now, especially in light of the possibility that there would be no recovery at all if this settlement were not approved,” each letter read. “In my situation, a bird in the hand truly does beat two (or three, or even nine) in the bush.”

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Among the most notable names is UFC Hall of Famer Wanderlei Silva, who stated concerns for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

“While fighting for the UFC, I suffered many significant injuries, including concussions,” Silva wrote. “I fear that during my career I have suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI) and am noticing symptoms common with TBI and CTE including depression, mood swings, and irritability. To date, no treatment for CTE has been found. I suffer from sleep apnea and have difficulty sleeping and breathing.”

“The Ultimate Fighter, Season 1” winner Diego Sanchez voiced similar worries about his health, including bouts of depression, and financial problems after his UFC career concluded.

“Increasingly, day to day survival is a struggle,” Sanchez wrote.

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UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee recalled 16 surgeries he had during his career, but went into greater detail about the narrative he said the promotion crafted around him, likely referring to 2010 comments made by Dana White.

“Picture yourself at 25 in the most important job interview of your life,” Duffee wrote. “To have the interviewer question why your former employer at a fighting organization, believes you to have a bad attitude and to announce it is publicly causing them to express concern over this characterization— simply because you refused to fight while injured for a second time in a row after previously competing with a torn MCL and shingles in your eye.

“I am sure you can see how this mischaracterization has had quite an economic impact moving through my life. It has continued to haunt me and is weaponized against me in all kinds of business job settings stifling my potential for many opportunities.”

Shane Carwin

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Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin said he still struggles from the damage sustained during his six-fight stint with the promotion, and can no longer focus on his day job.

“Cognitive tests conducted at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for
Brain Health and Concussion Legacy Foundation at Boston University (among others) are indicating I have suffered damage to the pre-frontal cortex and left hemisphere,” Carwin wrote. “I spend days in bed suffering from bouts of paranoia, fear and anxiety.”

The list of other notables who submitted letters include Matt Brown, Patrick Cote, Jon Fitch, Cung Le, Sage Northcutt, and Cat Zingano, among others.

A full list of the fighters who submitted letters can be viewed here.

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Feb 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cat Zingano leaves the arena after she was defeated by Ronda Rousey (not pictured) in her women’s bantamweight title bout at UFC 184 at Staples Center. Rousey won in the first round. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

What does the settlement look like?

According to the recent filing, the total sum allotted to the plaintiffs (should Boulware approve), will be $375 million. It will be paid in installments.

According to the proposed notice of class action settlement, each fighter’s payout will depend on two factors: the number of fights they had and the amount of money they earned from the UFC during the class window.

“The proposed Plan of Allocation can be summarized as follows,” the notice states. “Each Claimant will be allocated his or her share of the Net Le v. Zuffa Settlement Fund based upon two pro rata factors: (i) the total compensation each received from the UFC for participating in UFC bouts (i.e., the fighter’s Event Compensation) during the Class Period; and (ii) the total number of UFC bouts each fought during the Class Period. All Claimants will receive a minimum recovery amount of $15,000.”

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What’s next?

Upon receiving the previous settlement proposal, Boulware denied it based factors including what he perceived to be a low payout, particularly given the initial asking amount by the plaintiffs.

It’s not yet known if Boulware will sign off on the new agreement. If Boulware denies the settlement and the case goes to trial, Plaintiffs would need a unanimous jury verdict to win. Even with victory, the plaintiffs could be looking at years worth of appeals before seeing compensation or injunctive relief.

Should Boulware approve this new agreement, the Johnson vs. Zuffa case will continue separately. The class in that case includes all fighters who competed in one UFC bout from July 1, 2017, to the present and seeks injunctive relief.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Chelsea 3-2 Real Madrid: Lucy Bronze says Blues ‘won’t win’ Champions League ‘playing like that’

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Chelsea 3-2 Real Madrid: Lucy Bronze says Blues 'won't win' Champions League 'playing like that'


It was Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor’s first game in charge of the club in the Women’s Champions League so she was pleased to get off to a winning start.

The Frenchwoman has won the competition three times, twice as a player and once as a manager with former club Lyon.

But she said on Monday that the postponement of Chelsea’s Women’s Super League match against Manchester United – due to be played on Sunday – impacted their preparation.

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They had not played a competitive fixture in 10 days when they lined up at Stamford Bridge to face Real and were hit by illness in the squad this week.

“We have to play with a lot of intensity. I don’t want to find excuses but maybe because we didn’t play for 10 days, it’s something that can help you understand why tonight we were a little bit down,” said Bompastor.

“We scored the two goals but the players were not working as hard as I wanted them to work on the pitch.

“When we had the ball we were just walking to get the ball which is not enough. If you want to possess the ball, you have to run a lot.”

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Bompastor also said she wanted her side to “manage the game more” after sloppiness let Real back into the game.

“When I say manage the game, it’s not about slowing it down, but being smarter,” added Bompastor.

“When you begin the game with two goals, it’s good to keep that result. We conceded two goals where we maybe could have done better.

“We were a bit nervous about Madrid getting stronger. I would like us to manage the game better.”

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