Welcome to the notebook, a quick catchup of all the smaller (but still important) stories from the world of MMA!
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Here are the latest stories we’re following:
UFC
- Lightweights James Llontop (14-5) and Michal Figlak (8-2) are no longer UFC fighters, per a report from MMA Fighting. Both talents went winless through their brief stints in the promotion: Llontop suffered a trio of defeats, missing weight twice and most recently losing on scorecards against Mauricio Ruffy. Figlak went 0-2, dropping his debut to Fares Ziam in 2022 then returning last April with an unsuccessful performance against Austin Hubbard.
- Conor McGregor vs. Logan Paul? “No,” said UFC CEO Dana White during his recent appearance on Pardon My Take.
- A flyweight clash between undefeated “Road To UFC” winner Rei Tsuruya (10-0) and Australia’s own Stewart Nicoll (8-1) has been removed from UFC 312 from Sydney on February 8th, per Marcel Dorff. Neither fighter will reportedly get a new matchup for the show.
- Two more fights have joined UFC’s February 15th show:
- Arizona-based featherweight prospect Jose Delgado (8-1) will make his promotional debut against Connor Matthews (7-2). Delgado earned a shot on “Dana White’s Contender Series” last year following a run of finish wins around the U.S. regionals. His streak of stoppages continued en route to a UFC contract, snapping the undefeated record of Ernie Juarez with a second-round head kick. Matthews is coming off a loss in his promotional debut, getting stopped by Dennis Buzukja.
- Edmen Shahbazyan (13-5) will return for a clash against middleweight Dylan Budka (7-4). Shahbazyan is coming off a submission defeat from August, getting caught in an arm triangle choke against veteran Gerald Meerschaert. Budka has yet to earn his first UFC win, with his two past appearances in the promotion resulting in losses to Cesar Almeida and Andre Petroski.
- Joshua Van (12-2) and Bruno Silva (14-6-2) will meet in a flyweight bout at UFC 313, per social media posts made by both fighters. Silva had an impressive four-fight winning streak brought to a halt in December, being on the losing end of a dominant striking showcase by Manel Kape. Van had a highly active 2024, putting together three wins and one loss, with his last fight being a decision over Cody Durden.
- UFC has added four more fights to its March 22nd card at The O2 Arena in London, England:
- Undefeated Lone’er Kavanagh (8-0) will seek his second UFC victory when he faces Felipe dos Santos (8-2). Kavanagh, riding the momentum of a brutal first-round knockout win on the “Contender Series,” won his UFC debut via decision over Jose Ochoa in November. Dos Santos has won in just one of his three UFC fights, although he has faced tough competition like Manel Kape and Andre Lima in the past.
- Chris Padilla (15-6) will try to keep his odds-defying UFC run going when he faces Jai Herbert (13-5-1). Padilla has earned upset wins via stoppage in both of his UFC fights thus far, submitting James Llontop as a +340 and then earning a doctor stoppage victory against Rongzhu while being +200. The American’s strong momentum will run up against eight-fight vet Herbert, who most recently beat Rolando Bedoya on scorecards.
- In a clash of former Cage Warriors champions, Nathaniel Wood (20-6) and Morgan Charriere (20-10-1) have been matched up. Charriere bounced back from his first UFC loss in September, scoring a “Performance of the Night” bonus-worthy stoppage against Gabriel Miranda. Wood also returned to the win column recently, getting past Daniel Pineda at UFC 304.
- Nathan Fletcher (9-1) will try to follow up on his UFC debut win with a fight against Caolan Loughran (9-2). Fletcher, while unsuccessful on Season 32 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” was brought onto the UFC roster and debuted with a submission victory over Zygimantas Ramaska in September. The Liverpool-based fighter will meet past Cage Warriors champ Loughran, who will be coming back after a decision loss to Jake Hadley last year.
ONE Championship
- Two more MMA fights have joined ONE Fight Night 28, which is booked for February 7th at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
- Song Jong Min (13-8) will appear for the first time in nearly three years when he meets Carlo Bumina-ang (8-1). Korea’s Song has found success in ONE previously, attaining two wins and one loss on the promotion’s flagship tour. However, soon he will have to shake off some ring rust after the lengthy absence from competition. Bumina-ang, a fighter who gained relevance through frequent ONE appearances in 2023 and 2024, is coming back after suffering his first pro loss in August against Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.
- Jeremy Miado (10-8) has the chance to snap his lengthy four-fight skid when he makes a 15th ONE appearance and faces Gilbert Nakatani (8-2). Miado has been on a losing streak for over a year, including fights against rising names like Mansur Malachiev and Keito Yamakita. He now faces Nakatani, a former U.S. regional fighter who dropped his ONE debut to Yuya Wakamatsu last month.
- Heavyweight MMA has joined ONE’s return to Lusail, Qatar on February 20th, as a fight between Mauro Cerilli (15-5) and Kirill Grishenko (6-2) is set. Cerilli, a former title challenger, last fought a little over a year ago when opponent Paul Elliott retired due to an arm injury. Grishenko broke a two-fight skid last July, beating Kang Ji Won on scorecards for his first win since 2021.
LFA
- LFA’s first trip this year to Sao Paulo, Brazil will feature a pair of title fights. Here are a few of the new matchups announced for the promotion’s February 7th card:
- Incumbent strawweight champ Rose Conceicao (7-1) will defend her title for the first time when she faces Lany Silva (6-1) in the main event of the evening. Conceicao’s title win is now somewhat of a distant memory, occurring way back in July 2023 when she went five rounds against Elaine Lopes. She’s coming back after an unsuccessful appearance on “Dana White’s Contender Series,” losing to now-UFC talent Alexia Thainara. Silva is a solid 115-pound prospect, with numerous past LFA victories since her 2022 pro debut. Her last win saw her secure the rare heel hook submission against Sofiia Bagishvili as part of a UAE Warriors card.
- An interim flyweight champ will be crowned in the co-main event, as Marcos Degli (11-3) and Lincon Santos (9-2) will collide. Degli is on an impressive nine-fight winning streak, including a trio of LFA appearances. Santos had a pair of finish wins in the promotion last year, earning a buzzer-beating stoppage against Renildo Monteiro and securing a heel hook against Kleberson Sousa.
- LFA 201 also includes a notable featherweight matchup between former champ Jose Delano (14-3) and undefeated ONE alum Abu Muslim Alikhanov (7-0).
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