UFC president Dana White on Tuesday confirmed that lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov would attempt to unify his belt with that of interim titleholder Dustin Poirier on Sept. 7 at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. In making that bout official, it set up the dominoes that lead to Conor McGregor’s next fight.

“We got a deal done with Khabib. He will be taking on Dustin Poirier, Saturday, Sept. 7, in Abu Dhabi, UAE,” White said.

McGregor hasn’t fought since losing via a fourth-round submission to Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October of 2018. He’s been linked to several bouts, but all have proved to be false starts, as he pines for a rematch with Nurmagomedov.

In an interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Tuesday, White confirmed Nurmagomedov’s next fight, which had long been all-but-confirmed. He added that the UFC 242 headliner and the bout between top contenders Tony Ferguson and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 238 this weekend would likely determine the who and when of McGregor’s next fight.

“All these guys have been fighting. This thing is gonna play out this weekend and then Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi and then we’ll figure out what’s next for Conor,” White said, also reiterating McGregor’s desire for a rematch with Nurmagomedov.

“Conor wants that fight. Conor wants the rematch with Khabib,” said White, who wouldn’t rule out the rematch despite McGregor having soundly lost the first fight and not having fought since.

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The timing of the bouts between Ferguson and Cerrone, as well as Khabib vs. Poirier, couldn’t be any better to determine McGregor’s next match-up. McGregor recently revealed that he injured his left hand during training. He didn’t give any details on his expected down time, but a few months for these other bouts to play out certainly don’t hurt.

Dana White confirms Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier set to headline UFC 242

(Video courtesy of ESPN MMA | Viewing may be limited by broadcast rights restrictions)

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/dana-white-conor-mcgregors-future-hinges-on-khabib-vs-poirier-and-ferguson-vs-cerrone

(Courtesy of UFC)

Two belts are on the line as Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes fight for bantamweight gold and Valentina Shevchenko defends against Jessica Eye. Plus, Tony Ferguson battles Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Watch them train and prepare ahead of their UFC 238 bouts.

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/cowboy-cerrone-vs-tony-ferguson-ufc-238-coutdown

(Courtesy of UFC)

Two belts are on the line as Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes fight for bantamweight gold and Valentina Shevchenko defends against Jessica Eye. Plus, Tony Ferguson battles Cowboy Cerrone. Watch them train and prepare ahead of their UFC 238 bouts.

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/henry-cejudo-vs-maron-moraes-ufc-238-countdown

It’s no surprise that Anthony Smith earned a performance bonus at UFC on ESPN+ 11 on Saturday in Stockholm, Sweden, after he retired Alexander Gustafsson. It was certainly no greater surprise that Aleksandar Rakic also earned a bonus after his stunning knockout wowed the sold-out crowd.

Leonardo Santos set the bar high early for the fighters looking to earn bonuses, as he landed a one-punch, walk-off knockout of Stevie Ray on the UFC Stockholm prelims. He put an end to the fight just 2:17 into the first round, which was enough to earn a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

The UFC did not issue a Fight of the Night bonus, instead opting to award four Performance of the Night awards with so many fighters landing spectacular finishes.

Makwan Amirkhani made his first trip to the Octagon in more than a year on Saturday, but didn’t look as if he had skipped a beat. Amirkhani wrapped Chris Fishgold up with an anaconda choke and kept squeezing and tightening the hold until he forced the tap late in the second round.

Rakic made his fourth start in the Octagon, taking the UFC Stockholm co-main event slot with Jimi Manuwa after it was vacated when Ilir Latifi had to withdraw because of an injury just two days before fight time. Rakic made the most of the opportunity landing a stunning head-kick knockout on Manuwa 42 seconds into the bout, earning his Performance of the Night bonus.

Smith certainly couldn’t be left out after he went midway into the fourth round with one of the best UFC light heavyweights of all time before submitting the Swede with a rear-naked choke. The victory unfortunately sent Gustafsson into retirement, but it earned Smith an additional $50,000 for the performance.

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Officials announced that UFC on ESPN+ 11 at Ericsson Globe Arena was sold out to the tune of 14,319 people in attendance. The event produced a gate of $2,000,000.

UFC on ESPN+ 11 Performance Bonuses in Stockholm, Sweden

• Performance of the Night: Anthony Smith
• Performance of the Night: Aleksandar Rakic
• Performance of the Night: Makwan Amirkhani
• Performance of the Night: Leonardo Santos

UFC on ESPN+ 11 Gate and Attendance at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden

• Attendance: 14,319 (SOLD OUT)
• Gate: $2,000,000

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-espn-plus-11-bonuses-gate-attendance-stockholm-sweden-gustafsson-vs-smith

(Courtesy of UFC)

Marlon Moraes rose to prominence during his undefeated run under the World Series of Fighting banner, where he became the promotion’s bantamweight champion. Having defended the WSOF bantamweight belt on five occasions, he eventually made the move to the UFC. 

Moraes stumbled out of the gate in his first Octagon appearance, losing a split decision to Raphael Assuncao. That was his only faltering, however, as he has since reeled off four consecutive victories, including avenging the loss to Assuncao. 

Now, Moraes steps into the main event at UFC 238 on Saturday, June 8, where he squares off with flyweight champion Henry Cejudo, who is moving up a weight class to try and become only the fourth fighter in UFC history to hold championship belts in two divisions simultaneously.

The bantamweight belt was vacated by TJ Dillashaw when he was hit with a two-year suspension for violating the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. Moraes and Cejudo meet at UFC 238 in Chicago to determine the next bantamweight titleholder.

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Before UFC 238 takes place, take a look back at Moraes’ stunning first-round knockout of Aljamain Sterling at UFC Fight Night 123, Moraes’ second trip to the Octagon.

While Moraes and Cejudo headline UFC 238, the fight card also features UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko putting her title on the line for the first time, as she squares off with Jessica Eye. The card also pits top lightweight Tony Ferguson and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone against one another, as they try to determine the next challenger to the title currently held by Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/watch-marlon-moraes-knee-to-the-jaw-knockout-of-aljamain-sterling-ufc-238-fight-video