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Arnold Allen scratched from UFC 333 fight with Aaron Pico

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Arnold Allen scratched from UFC 333 fight with Aaron Pico

Arnold Allen will not compete in Abu Dhabi.

Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion's plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that Allen has been scratched from his scheduled matchup with Aaron Pico at UFC 333, which takes place Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena.

The reason for Allen's withdrawal wasn't due to a new injury, but the U.K. fighter has been rehabbing from some past treatments, a source told MMA Fighting. While Allen is on the right track, there wasn't enough time between now and the event for Allen to be ready to compete, but this was made known as a possibility when the matchup was initially discussed. The hope is for Allen to return before the end of the year.

The 32-year-old is coming off of a decision win against Melquizael Costa in the main event of May's UFC Vegas 117.

As for Pico, he'll remain on the card to face Losene Keita. Pico earned his first UFC victory in his most recent contest with a decision win over Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327 in April.

Keita (17-2) is coming off a first-round knockout of Muhammad Naimov at UFC Paris earlier this month that earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. It was his first UFC win in two tries.

MMA Fighting's Damon Martin contributed to this report.

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MMA

Vertigo delays Alvin Hines pursuit of first UFC victory

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Vertigo delays Alvin Hines' pursuit of first UFC victory
Alvin
Hines' pursuit of his first win in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship has been delayed.

Hines was scheduled to face Gabriel
Lourenco in a heavyweight bout at
UFC Fight Night 293 on Nov. 7 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
However, Hines has announced his withdrawal from the fight because
of vertigo.

Alvin Hines withdraws from UFC Fight Night 293 against Gabriel
Lourenco

Hines plans to continue training with adjustments while recovering
from vertigo and hopes to return to competition at full
strength.

“I had to pull out of this one for medical reasons due to vertigo,â€
Hines wrote on Instagram. “It wasn't an easy decision, but I know I
need to be able to step into that Octagon at 100% and perform to my
true potential. I'm going to continue fight camp with some
adjustments while I work through this and get myself back to where
I need to be. I'm not walking away from the fight. I'm taking the
time to get right so when I'm back in there, I can put on the kind
of fight I know I'm capable of. I'm sorry for the change, and I
appreciate everyone who was looking forward to seeing me compete.
Trust me, I'll be back. Sometimes the hardest part of fighting
isn't throwing punches. It's knowing when to step back, get right,
and prepare for the next battle. This is just a setback. Not the
end of the story.â€

Hines (7-2) was an undefeated prospect with six finishes in seven
victories when he signed with the UFC last year. However, “Goozieâ€
has lost both of his Octagon appearances. Meanwhile, Lourenco (8-1)
was slated to make his promotional debut against Hines after
earning a contract with a first-round knockout victory over Charlie
Cleveland on
Dana White's Contender Series in September.

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MMA

Arman Tsarukyan’s opponent revealed for RAF Abu Dhabi; Kennedy Blades vs. Bella Mir title match added

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Arman Tsarukyan’s opponent revealed for RAF Abu Dhabi; Kennedy Blades vs. Bella Mir title match added

A few more big additions to Real American Freestyle's debut in Abu Dhabi is set.

Promotional officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that Arman Tsarukyan will face longtime Bellator standout Neiman Gracie at the event, which takes place Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena.

Tsarukyan is beginning to get back to his active ways with RAF as he'll compete for the second time in three weeks. “Batman†is already scheduled to headline RAF 14 against Dillon Danis on Oct. 23. In his most recent UFC appearance, Tsarukyan provided a knockout of the year contender, and likely locked up a lightweight title shot with a first-round finish of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September.

Gracie makes his second appearance for the promotion and looks to bounce back from his RAF Moscow loss to Shara Magomedov in September.

Additionally, Kennedy Blades puts her RAF middleweight title on the line against Bella Mir. Blades has yet to give up a single point during her dominant promotional run, while Mir makes a quick turnaround for the event as she's slated to face Hope Chase at RAF 14.

Kyle Dake is also set to defend his cruiserweight title on the card against Alp Arslan Begenjov.

RAF Abu Dhabi is headlined by Colby Covington vs. Khamzat Chimaev for the cruiserweight crossover title.

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UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone returns to combat sports after four-year retirement

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UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone returns to combat sports after four-year retirement

UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone will return to combat sports for the first time since his retirement fight at UFC 276.

After a legendary career in the UFC Octagon, Donald Cerrone opted to hang up the gloves following a submission loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276. Four years after his retirement, Cerrone will return to fighting against a familiar name.

Cerrone entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 less than a year after his final fight in the Octagon. During his career, the former UFC title challenger earned wins over the likes of Mike Perry, Matt Brown, and Benson Henderson.

Now 43 years old, Cerrone has repeatedly teased a potential return to Mixed Martial Arts in recent years. But as of this writing, he hasn't signed the dotted line on any potential return to the UFC.

In the meantime, Cerrone will take the first steps towards a potential return to the cage on the Real American Freestyle wrestling mats.

Donald Cerrone set to face two-time UFC foe in Real American Freestyle debut

–

As announced by RAF on Wednesday, Cerrone will face two-time UFC rival Anthony Pettis at RAF 15 on November 28th in Chicago. The rest of the card is expected to be finalized and announced in the coming weeks.

Pettis will make his RAF debut after more than two years since his last appearance in boxing, a loss to Chris Avila, in July 2024. The former UFC lightweight champion hasn't fought in MMA since a loss to Stevie Ray during the 2022 PFL lightweight tournament.

This will be the third time that Cerrone and Pettis have competed against one another in their legendary careers. Pettis knocked out Cerrone in their first fight in January 2013, and defeated Cerrone by unanimous decision in their UFC 249 rematch.

What is your favorite highlight from Donald Cerrone's UFC career? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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