Antonio Carlos Junior – Page 3

Antonio Carlos Junior signs with PFL, debuts against Tom Lawlor

“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” winner and former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Antonio Carlos Junior has signed with the PFL.

“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” winner and former Brazilian jiu -jitsu world champion [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] has signed with the PFL.

The 13-time UFC veteran will join the promotion’s upcoming 2021 season as a light heavyweight and is expected to face [autotag]Tom Lawlor[/autotag] on April 29 at PFL 2021, Week 2, replacing [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag], who withdrew from the initial booking.

As with all of the PFL’s upcoming regular season event, the card takes place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The night’s main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

MMA Junkie learned of the plans from two people with knowledge of the deal who asked to remain anonymous because the organization has yet to officially announce the signing.

Carlos Junior (10-5) won “TUF: Brazil 3” as a heavyweight in 2014, then fought once at light heavyweight in the UFC before moving down to middleweight for the remainder of his octagon run. The dangerous grappler picked up five of his seven career octagon victories via rear-naked choke, including a stretch of three consecutive wins over Eric Spicely, Jack Marshman and Tim Boetsch. However, his UFC run ended earlier this year following decision losses to Ian Heinisch, Uriah Hall and Brad Tavares.

Meanwhile, Lawlor (10-7) returns to action for the first time since suffering a unanimous decision loss to current UFC middleweight Deron Winn under the Golden Boy MMA banner in November 2018. Prior to that, Lawlor, who was still under contract with the UFC, served a two-year suspension that stemmed from a positive test for ostarine.

Denying any intentional wrongdoing, Lawlor was released from his UFC contract two months before his suspension ended. While serving his time, Lawlor tried his hand at pro wrestling, becoming a star for the Major League Wrestling promotion.

With the change to the card, the PFL 2021, Week 2 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)

Rory MacDonald vs. David Michaud
Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Ponet
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Tom Lawlor
Chris Camozzi vs. Emiliano Sordi

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Joao Zeferino
Smealinho Rama vs. Jordan Young
Cezar Ferreira vs. Nick Roehrick
Aleksei Kunchenko vs. Gleison Tibau
Nikolay Aleksakhin vs. Sadibou Sy
Marthin Hamlet vs. Dan Spohn

UFC releases Antonio Carlos Junior, also parts ways with four others

The UFC has parted ways with three fighters, including “Shoeface.”

The UFC has cut [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] and four others.

On Thursday, multiple people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the roster moves but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

In late 2020, UFC president Dana White had estimated approximately 60 fighters would be cut in an effort to trim a bloated roster.

“We’re going to go through some serious cuts here at the end of the year. We’re probably going to have 60 cuts before the first of the year. Yoel has lost four of his last five. He’s 44 years old. Our roster is very inflated right now. We’re going to have some big cuts coming before the end of the year. You’re going to see a lot of names going here in the next several weeks. … These are the tough decisions you have to make.”

Check out the recent UFC departures below. The roster moves, unless explicitly noted, are not necessarily a “cut.” The UFC may have elected not to re-sign certain fighters who were at the end of their promotional deals.

UFC 257 medical suspensions: Conor McGregor faces potential lengthy layoff due to injury

Following his first career knockout loss, Conor McGregor was handed a potential lengthy suspension.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is facing hefty time off following his UFC 257 loss to [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] on Saturday.

Former UFC double champion McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) suffered a technical knockout loss – the first of his career – in a rematch against Poirier (27-6 MMA, 20-6 UFC). Prior to the finish, Poirier damaged McGregor’s legs with an onslaught of leg kicks.

McGregor, 32, was handed a 180-day medical suspension as a result of a potential right tibia/fibula injury sustained in the fight. Like all medical suspensions, he will be eligible to return sooner, if his injuries are cleared by a doctor.

Poirier, meanwhile, received a seven-day suspension for mandatory rest.

MMA Junkie obtained the full list of medical suspensions from MixedMartialArts.com for UFC 256, which took place this past Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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After the fight, McGregor was on crutches. He hobbled his way backstage and to the post-fight news conference, where he expressed the pain he felt.

“My leg is completely dead,” McGregor said. “Even though I felt like I was checking them, it was just sinking into the muscle in the front of the leg, and it was badly compromised. It was like an American football in my suit at the moment, so it is what it is.”

UFC 257 competitors [autotag]Andrew Sanchez[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] were also each handed 180-day suspensions. Sanchez, who lost via TKO to Makhmud Muradov on the main card, suffered potential nasal and tibia/fibula injuries. In the featured preliminary card bout, Frevola suffered a potential right hand injury in a unanimous decision defeat to Arman Tsarukyan.

The full UFC 257 medical suspensions include:

Dustin Poirier: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
Conor McGregor: Suspended 180 days or until right tibia/fibula x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
[autotag]Joanne Calderwood[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to left brow laceration
[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
Andrew Sanchez: Suspended 180 days or until nasal and right tibia/fibula x-rays are cleared by a doctor; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days due to TKO loss.
[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left brow and scalp laceration.
Matt Frevola: Suspended 180 days or until right hand x-ray is cleared by a doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
[autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Julianna Pena[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Marcin Prachnio[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to left ankle pain.
[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag]: Suspended seven days (mandatory rest).
[autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with 21 days no contact for right brow laceration.
[autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”
[autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “hard bout.”

UFC 257 took place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

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UFC 257 pre-event facts: Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor bring legendary stats into rematch

The best facts and figures about UFC 257, which features a Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor lightweight main event.

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The UFC closes out its “Fight Island” stint on Saturday with its first numbered event of the year. UFC 257 takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

A highly anticipated rematch takes center stage in the main event. Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) and Conor McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will run it back more than six years after their first meeting at UFC 178 in September 2014, which “The Notorious” won by first-round TKO. There’s major differences this time around, though, because it will be contested at 155 pounds instead of 145 and is scheduled for five rounds.

The rematch concludes a notable lineup of fights. For more on the numbers, check below for 65 pre-event facts going into UFC 257.

Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares added to UFC 257 on Jan. 23

Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares has been rebooked for the UFC’s Jan. 23 event.

Skidding middleweights will look to get back to winning ways.

[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) will face [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC) on Jan. 23. The event does not yet have a name designation or location, but is expected to be UFC 257 headlined by a potential Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier rematch.

Junior was initially scheduled to face Tavares at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March, but Tavares pulled out due to a knee injury and was replaced by Makhmud Muradov. But after Junior also suffered a torn ACL, the bout was scrapped from the card.

In an April interview with MMA Junkie, Junior said he’d like the matchup with Tavares to be rebooked and he will get his wish when the two square off in the UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2021.

After winning four straight, Tavares has dropped two in a row to current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and most recently a stoppage loss to Edmen Shahbazyan last November at UFC 244.

With the addition, the current Jan. 23 lineup includes:

Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares

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After knee surgery, Antonio Carlos Junior hopes Brad Tavares fight gets rebooked by end of year

Currently recovering from knee surgery, Antonio Carlos Junior hopes a canceled fight with Brad Tavares gets rebooked at the end of 2020.

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak isn’t affecting [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] as many other fighters, the Brazilian said.

That’s because Carlos Junior is currently recovering from a knee surgery that forced him out of a scheduled UFC on ESPN+ 28 fight vs. Makhmud Muradov in Brasilia.

“It actually doesn’t change much for me,” Carlos Junior told MMA Junkie. “I had knee surgery four weeks ago, and all I can do is physiotherapy, but I hope I can get back slowly to training in about a month.”

“I had torn my ACL during a sparring session. Recovery has been good. The doctor was excellent, and I can count on my physiotherapist, who is great.”

Carlos Junior (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) was initially scheduled to face [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] in Brasilia. Tavares pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Muradov, b after Carlos Junior suffered an injury of his own, the bout was subsequently scrapped from the card.

With ACL injuries usually taking at least six months for full recovery, Carlos Junior is looking to return by the end of 2020, and he still wants the Tavares matchup.

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“Probably end of the year, November or December,” Carlos Junior said on his return. “I hope I can fight Brad Tavares; he’s a good fighter and is also in the rankings.”

One fighter who recently expressed interest in fighting Carlos Junior is Marvin Vettori, who wants to avenge his 2016 loss to him, but Carlos Junior isn’t too interested in running things back.

“I don’t think so,” Carlos Junior said on Vettori’s callout. “That kid is a good fighter, but he still has a lot to show if he wants to fight me again.”

After winning five straight from 2016 to 2018, Carlos Junior has since dropped back-to-back decisions to Ian Heinisch and, most recently, Uriah Hall last September, a fight he thinks he won.

But Carlos Junior feels primed to return to the win column once healthy and chalks those losses to circumstances outside of the octagon.

“A lot of things happened in my personal life that affected me in the fight, but now everything is going great,” Carlos Junior said. “Besides, I don’t think I lost my last fight.”

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Marvin Vettori vows to stay ready through pandemic, welcomes Antonio Carlos Junior rematch

Marvin Vettori can hardly hide his frustration to the world’s current situation, but he’s not losing sight of his career goals right now.

[autotag]Marvin Vettori[/autotag] can hardly hide his frustration when he thinks about the events that led to the cancellation of UFC on ESPN+ 29. “The Italian Dream” was itching to step into the cage and was absolutely devastated when that opportunity was taken away from him.

“I was like, ‘Fly me out, fly me out, whatever,'” Vettori told MMA Junkie. “But I’m still hoping I’m fighting soon, man.

“(Expletive), man, this thing is really delaying my mission to get to the top. That pisses me off.”

Vettori was scheduled to face Darren Stewart this past weekend at UFC on ESPN+ 29 in London, a card that was ultimately scrapped due to the ongoing global coronavirus outbreak. Stewart got rebooked at Cage Warriors 113 in a rarely seen talent-sharing deal between the two promotions. However, Vettori, an Italian national currently based in California, didn’t have that luxury due to travel bans being implemented that would have made his return to the U.S. difficult, if not impossible.

“They woke me up like 3:30 a.m. in the morning,” Vettori recalled. “They were like, ‘Fight is off, we have to go back,’ and everybody was freaking out.”

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Now Vettori faces challenges of a different type. With California in a government ordered lockdown, he’s not exactly sure how he’s going to train. But he insists “how” is the right question, not “if.”

“Even on my rest days, I’m training twice a day,” Vettori said. “I love training. Staying ready for me is not a big issue. I’m a straight up savage. The more I do this, the more I just embrace it all the way, and I’m just going to stay ready. But I don’t know what’s going on. I’m going to be ready for everything. I’m going to make sure. I’m going to be ready. It’s frustrating. The whole thing is frustrating.

“I’m going to try, for sure. I don’t know if it’s legal. I’m going to try to hide and do something.”

Vettori’s Italian homeland is currently mired deep in the pandemic, serving as the global epicenter of the crisis for the time being as China reports improvements in the situation there. Fortunately, he says, his family is safe thus far and remain healthy during their own mandatory lockdown.

That knowledge leaves Vettori (14-3-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) free to continue chasing his dream, even if it’s temporarily on hold. When UFC operations do resume, he has an idea for a booking, as well. The 26-year-old slugger would love to avenge his UFC defeats, and while he knows a bout with current champ Israel Adesanya isn’t in the cards, he thinks a second fight with Brazilian submission artist [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) might make some sense.

“I want the rematch with all the guys I lost early in the UFC,” Vettori said. “I’d love a fight with Antonio Carlos Junior, too. Even though he’s coming from losses, he’s still higher than me in the ranking, so I would love that fight.”

Of course, right now, the UFC’s entire schedule is at the mercy of the coronavirus, so Vettori doesn’t really know what to expect next. But he says he’s going to stay on the ready so when the UFC’s ready to start back up, he’s happy to answer the phone.

“I want to fight as soon as this thing gets better and they’re going to start running events,” Vettori said. “I want to fight. I will stay ready.”

Antonio Carlos Junior injured, Makhmud Muradov fight scratched from UFC on ESPN+ 28

An injury has forced Antonio Carlos Junior out of his UFC on ESPN+ 28 fight with Makhmud Muradov.

A middleweight fight between [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] and [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] won’t go down at UFC on ESPN+ 28 after all.

An unspecified injury to Carlos Junior (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has taken the fight off the March card. Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was originally tabbed as a replacement opponent, but now the matchup has been scratched entirely.

MMA Junkie verified the news with a person close to the situation Monday. The person wished to remain anonymous because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

Muradov took to social media, however, and explained his side of how events unfolded (via Instagram):

View this post on Instagram

Ассаламу Алейкум Добрый день! К сожалению мой следующий бой 14 марта отменён. Мой соперник получил травму, желаю ему скорейшего выздоровления, надеюсь в будущем мы ещё встретимся в октагоне ✊🏻 Моя команда ведёт переговоры по поводу следующего боя, где и когда будет следующий бой скоро сообщим Ин Ша Аллах 🤲🏻 Всем вам большое спасибо за вашу поддержку ✊🏻 все по воле Всевышнего Альхамдулиллах 🤲🏻☝🏻❤️ —————————————————————Ahoj Všem moc mě to mrzí, ale mám pro vás špatnou zprávu. Zápas v Brazílii který se měl konat 14.3. Se bohužel neuskuteční můj soupeř Carlos Jr se zranil i to k tomuhle sportu patří a já bych mu rád popřál brzké uzdravení. Snad se ještě někdy utkáme. Nebudu součástí turnaje v Brazílii ale to nevadi my jedeme dál a mákáme. Stále jednáme s UFC jakmile budu vědět o dalším zápase určitě vám dám vědět. Děkuji za vaší podporu. ————————————————————-Hi everybody, I am so sorry, but I have some bad news for you. My announced match, in Brazil, against Carlos Jr. is not gonna happen. My opponent was injured and isn’t able to take part in this bount. This, as many other miserable things, simply belong to this sport and I would only like to wish him an early recovery. Hopefully, we will fight, against each other, sometime in the future! Per conseqences, I won’t be part of the tournament in Brazil, but it doesn’t matter, we go on and continue to work even harder. We are negotiating with the UFC, and as soon as I’ll know something new, about my next fight I’ll definitely let you know. Thank you for your support! —————————————————————— #muradov #alhamdulillah #tmt #ufc

A post shared by Makhmud “Mach” Muradov (@makhmud_muradov) on Jan 13, 2020 at 1:26pm PST

Hi everybody, I am so sorry, but I have some bad news for you. My announced match, in Brazil, against Carlos Jr. is not gonna happen. My opponent was injured and isn’t able to take part in this bount. This, as many other miserable things, simply belong to this sport and I would only like to wish him an early recovery. Hopefully, we will fight, against each other, sometime in the future! Per conseqences, I won’t be part of the tournament in Brazil, but it doesn’t matter, we go on and continue to work even harder. We are negotiating with the UFC, and as soon as I’ll know something new, about my next fight I’ll definitely let you know. Thank you for your support!

UFC on ESPN+ 28 takes place March 14 at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The card is expected to stream on ESPN+.

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Antonio Carlos Junior now faces Makhmud Muradov at UFC on ESPN+ 28

“Shoeface” has a new opponent for the UFC’s first Brazilian card of 2020.

“Cara de Sapato” has a new opponent for UFC on ESPN+ 28.

As a result of Brad Tavares’ withdrawal, [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] has stepped in to take on [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag], the promotion announced Friday.

Carlos Junior (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) enters UFC on ESPN+ 28 looking to snap a two-fight losing skid. After he dropped an unanimous decision to Ian Heinisch at UFC on ESPN+ 10 in May, Carlos Junior lost a split decision to Uriah Hall at UFC on ESPN+ 16 in September.

Conversely, Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is on the other end of the two-fight success spectrum. The Uzbekistani fighter has won both of his outings in the UFC. Following an unanimous decision win over Alessio Di Chirico in his September debut, Muradov flattened Trevor Smith with a brutal overhand right at UFC on ESPN 7 in December. The third-round knockout earned him a $50,000 performance bonus.

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UFC on ESPN+ 28 takes place Saturday, March 14 at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil. The event is expected to stream on ESPN+. The main event has yet to be announced.

With the addition to the card, the UFC on ESPN+ 28 lineup now includes:

Nikita Krylov vs. Johnny Walker
Jussier Formiga vs. Brandon Moreno
Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant
Aleksei Kunchenko vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Makhmud Muradov
Enrique Barzola vs. Rani Yahya
Veronica Macedo vs. Bea Malecki
Maryna Moroz vs. Mayra Bueno Silva

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Brad Tavares injured, out of UFC Brasilia fight vs. Antonio Carlos Junior

Antonio Carlos Junior is in need of a new opponent.

An injury has forced [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag] out of his upcoming bout.

Tavares was scheduled to take on [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] at UFC Brasilia but has suffered an injury that will force him out of the fight. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie after an initial report from Combate stated an injured knee is the reason for Tavares’ withdrawal.

With more than three months remaining until the March 14 event, it’s likely that the UFC will seek a replacement for Carlos Junior (10-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC).

Tavares (17-6 MMA, 12-6 UFC) made his return after a more than year-long layoff at UFC 244 against rising star Edmen Shahbazyan, who won by first-round knockout. After winning four straight fights, Tavares has lost his last two in a row to current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, and Shahbazyan in November.

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Carlos Junior was also looking to get back on track and snap a two-fight losing skid. After compiling a five-fight winning streak, he has dropped back-to-back fights to Ian Heinisch and Uriah Hall.

UFC Brasilia takes place March 14 at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil. The event is expected to stream on ESPN+.

The current UFC Brasilia lineup includes:

Aleksei Kunchenko vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Nikita Krylov vs. Johnny Walker
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. TBD
Jussier Formiga vs. Brandon Moreno
Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant
Enrique Barzola vs. Rani Yahya
Veronica Macedo vs. Bea Malecki
Maryna Moroz vs. Mayra Bueno Silva