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

Following his win over featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 236, Dustin Poirier is now the interim UFC lightweight titleholder. His next opponent is already set, that being lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov, however, is currently serving a nine-month suspension for his UFC 229 post-fight actions when he ignited a brawl with Conor McGregor and his teammates. He will be eligible to return in July, but the UFC is currently targeting September for the showdown with Poirier.

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That’s just fine for Lafayette, Louisiana’s second UFC champion, the first being Daniel Cormier.

“I think September is perfect for this fight. I believe that is when his suspension is over,” Poirier told TMZ Sports. “That’ll give me plenty of time to decompress and then get right back into training camp. It’s perfect.”

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/dustin-poirier-says-september-is-perfect-for-khabib-fight-ufc-unification-bout

In just over a year as a pro, featherweight up and comer Brendon Marotte has managed to have just about a solid start as one could hope for.

In five fights so far, Marotte has won them all, finishing every opponent but one in the process.

“It’s going good this past year,” Marotte told MMAWeekly.co. “Every camp I’m learning and I’m getting better. I have four out of five wins from finishes. I’m really pumped. I’m doing really well, and there’s definitely more to come.”

Over the course of this past year, Marotte feels he’s made both large improvements and the small adjustments needed to continue his success into his second year as a pro.

“It’s definitely been both,” Marotte told MMAWeekly.com. “I’ve made major jumps in certain areas, and I’ve made tiny corrections that add up. I’ve gotten rid of bad habits and doing things differently. It’s definitely a combination of both.

“I’m a very well-rounded fighter, which you have to be nowadays because everyone knows everything. I’m proud of being a well-rounded fighter, but definitely my forte is striking; that’s where I like to fight and where I feel the strongest.”

This Friday in Manchester, N.H., Marotte (5-0) will look to keep his winning streak going when he faces Adli Edwards (5-1) in a main card 145-pound bout at Combat Zone 70.

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“I feel like I can take this win anywhere I want,” Marotte said. “(Edwards) is a really solid, solid dude, I’ve got nothing but respect for him, but I see winning this fight in every aspect.”

When it comes to 2019, Marotte has a clear-cut goal he wants to achieve: Make it to the top tier of MMA however he can before the year is out.

“(Dana White’s) Contender Series is going on this year, and I’d love to get on there,” said Marotte. “Anyone they put in front of me, I’d take it 100 percent.

“My goal in 2019 is to try to get into the UFC. That is the overall goal. I don’t do this as a hobby. This is what I do. Every fight is the same; I’m to go and get ready, work my butt off, stay consistent, and do that for the rest of this year.”

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/brendon-marotte-looks-to-dominate-at-combat-zone-70-land-on-dana-whites-contender-series

A quick glance at her record shows that Antonina Shevchenko is only one fight into her UFC career along with a win on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series that helped her earn that contract.

Now there’s no denying that Shevchenko is a top prospect at 125 pounds while training alongside her sister Valentina, who is the reigning UFC women’s flyweight champion.

That being said, Shevchenko will take a massive jump forward in competition for her upcoming fight on Saturday where she faces former title contender and No. 8 ranked flyweight Roxanne Modafferi at the UFC Fight Night event in Russia.

While there’s always something to be said about ‘too much, too soon’ when it comes to the UFC pushing a prospect up the rankings before they are truly ready, Shevchenko didn’t blink when she was offered this opportunity.

“We just accepted the fight straight away. The call was if Antonina would fight in Russia on April 20 against Roxanne Modaferri and we just said yes,” Shevchenko told MMAWeekly.

“There was no hesitation. I think I’m on this level and that’s why we accepted the fight.”

As of now, Shevchenko only has seven fights on her record and while she is undefeated, her mixed martial arts career took a hiatus after she picked up her first three wins as she turned her attention towards her kickboxing career.

Shevchenko kickstarted back into MMA in 2017 and since that time she’s rattled off four straight wins including the victory in her UFC debut.

On paper, Shevchenko is facing a huge experience disadvantage going against Modafferi, who has been fighting the best in the world since turning pro back in 2003.

None of that phases Shevchenko, who believes she will prove that she’s on Modafferi’s level once they meet in the Octagon this weekend.

“Roxanne is an opponent that I want,” Shevchenko explained. “It’s a good matchup because she’s No. 8 in rankings. She is a very experienced fighter, she has more than 30 MMA fights but I think it will be a good fight for both of us. My goal is to climb to the top of the division so that’s why I want fighters who are ranked higher in the division.”

When examining the fight, Shevchenko knows that Modafferi is a very seasoned fighter with a well-rounded skillset that has earned her wins on the feet and on the ground.

That might be the aspect that she enjoys most about this fight because Shevchenko is eager to show that she’s more than just a striker and Modafferi might afford her the opportunity to prove it.

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“In an MMA fight, you have to be prepared everywhere because at some point you will be on the ground or you will be striking so you have to be prepared everywhere. If the fight goes to the ground, I will show all of my skills on the ground also,” Shevchenko said.

“I’m prepared for this fight. I think we are ready for this fight and we will be ready to get this victory.”

A win would undoubtedly put Shevchenko into the top 10 rankings where her sister is the reigning champion.

While they have both said in the past that there is no chance they would ever actually fight each other, Shevchenko still has a goal in mind to climb to the top of the division where she would occupy a spot in the rankings right behind Valentina.

If anything, the Shevchenko sisters believe this is a good problem to have with two of the best flyweight fighters in the world coming from the same family.

“That is my goal. That’s why we accepted this fight. That’s what I want. I want to climb to the top of the division because I’m sure I’m able to do it,” Shevchenko stated.

“I think it’s good things for us. Now we are here. I’m not in the top five right now. For now, we’ll just keep working for this and when it happens, it will be perfect and we’ll be very happy and very excited. I’m sure our mom will be very proud of us. For now, we have to work to make it happen.”

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/antonina-shevchenko-hopes-to-join-her-sister-atop-the-ufc-flyweight-division-very-soon

Former UFC fighter and current Combate Americas athlete Angela Magana remains in a coma following emergency surgery in Puerto Rico.

Members of Magana’s team revealed the news after she was forced into surgery following severe back pain that ultimately forced her out of her upcoming Combate Americas debut on April 26.

“What happened to Angela, she herniated a disc while training for fight, she went for a nerve block to continue training. Nerve block caused a rare neurological disorder, cauda equina, rushed to emergency nuero surgery and hasn’t woken since surgery this AM currently in a coma,” Magana’s team wrote on her Twitter account following the surgery.

“Angela still unresponsive I will be here in the ICU at hospital as nuero team works on this. Remember life is so short and can change in a blink of an eye!”

What happened to Angela, she herniated a disc while training for fight, she went for a nerve block to continue training. Nerve block caused a rare nuerological disorder, cauda equina, rushed to emergency nuero surgery and hasnt woken since surgery this AM curently in a coma.

— Angela Magana (@AngelaMagana1) April 17, 2019

Angela still unresponsive I will be here in the icu at hospital as nuero team works on this. Remeber lifs is so short and can change in a blink of an eye!

We Love You Magaña
Team La perla

— Angela Magana (@AngelaMagana1) April 17, 2019

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, cauda equina is a condition that happens “when the nerve roots of the cauda equina are compressed and disrupt motor and sensory function to the lower extremities and bladder. Patients with this syndrome are often admitted to the hospital as a medical emergency. CES can lead to incontinence and even permanent paralysis”

According to her team, Magana was suffering from a herniated disc in her back, which then led to the bout of cauda equina that forced her to undergo emergency surgery.

Following news of Magana’s hospitalization, a spokesperson from Combate Americas released the following statement:

“We are closely following the progress of Angela Magana who is currently in a coma following complications from emergency surgery. Our team is in direct contact with her coach.  Angela is a true fighter, and we are staying positive that she will fight her way out of this.”

This is hard to watch but we didnt know this is where she would be.
Good vibes and healing energy to our warrior! You will wake up!!!!
Team La Perla pic.twitter.com/aWvu1ZQuIu

— Angela Magana (@AngelaMagana1) April 17, 2019

Magana currently resides in Puerto Rico along with her children where she has been training for her upcoming Combate Americas debut.

Members of her team are providing constant updates via her Twitter account as Magana continues to receive treatment after slipping into the coma this week.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/former-ufc-fighter-angela-magana-in-coma-after-complications-from-emergency-surgery

(Courtesy of UFC)

Alistair Overeem headlines UFC Fight Night Saint Petersburg with Alexey Oleinik on Saturday, April 20. Take a look back at when Overeem defeated one of the biggest names in MMA history, Brock Lesnar, in 2011 at UFC 141.

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Tune in Saturday, April 20, for full UFC Fight Night Saint Petersburg live results on MMAWeekly.com.

Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/watch-alistair-overeem-take-out-brock-lesnar-ufc-saint-petersburg-free-fight