Cut during flyweight’s near-extinction, Matheus Nicolau matured outside the UFC before return
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Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Matheus Nicolau recorded three wins in four bouts in his first run inside the octagon (not including his 2-1 journey on
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4), but he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Nicolau, a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, was 22 when he made his UFC debut in 2015, forcing Bruno Rodrigues to tap to a smooth Japanese necktie in Sao Paulo. He then beat John Moraga, who was coming off a No. 1 contender match with Joseph Benavidez, before improving to 3-0 in the company with a win over Louis Smolka.
HONOLULU, HI - JUNE 05: Professional MMA Fighters Max Holloway (L) and Yancy Medeiros pose for a photo on the tarmac of the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on June 5, 2017 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Holloway became the the undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion after beating Jose Aldo. (Photo by Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The UFC has long talked about bringing a UFC card to the state of Hawaii. To date, nothing past discussions have been made between the two sides. Bellator, meanwhile, has had four shows there. The Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu was becoming a spot the organization went to once a year, much like the UFC with Madison Square Garden, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic, though, the UFC has stuck to their UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas and Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Bellator, meanwhile, has mostly held events at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut (speaking of Mohegan Sun, be sure to go to Bet O’Clock to utilize the Mohegan
MMA Fighting
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Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
A flyweight fight between former title contender Alex Perez and Matt Schnell is currently in the works for the upcoming UFC card expected to take place on May 15.
Multiple sources the bout to MMA Fighting on Sunday with verbal agreements in place from both athletes. MMA DNA initially reported the news.
Perez will be making his first appearance since falling short in his bid to become flyweight champion at UFC 255 in November 2020. Prior to that setback, Perez had earned three consecutive wins including a TKO victory against Jussier Formiga as well as a submission finish over Jordan Espinoza.
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UFC Fight Island 8 medical suspensions: Mike Davis, Victoria Leonardo facing potential six-month layoffs
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Zuffa LLC
Mike Davis picked up a big win on Wednesday, but it could be a while before he gets to capitalize on it.
Though the majority of the 28 fighters who competed on the UFC Fight Island 8 card in Abu Dhabi escaped with relatively minor injuries, Davis and Victoria Leonardo are both facing potential six-month suspensions following their fights against Mason Jones and Manon Fiorot, respectively.
Davis requires an X-ray on his left thumb and clearance from a physician or he could receive a 180-day medical suspension. He won a unanimous decision against the previously undefeated Jones in a bout that earned both men an extra $50,000 for the Fight of the Night.