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2-time GFS Lightweight Champion, former WEC Lightweight Champion and 2-time UFC
Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis [21-8 MMA, 8-7 UFC] is moving up to the welterweight
division to face 2-time UFC Welterweight Championship challenger Stephen "Wonderboy"
Thompson [14-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC] at UFC On ESPN+ 6 on March 23rd in Nashville.

Both fighters are coming off of losses. Pettis has fought as low as 148 pounds [in a failed
attempt to make weight for a UFC Featherweight Championship fight against Max Holloway
at UFC 206 in December 2016] and as high as 157.5 pounds [in his catchweight bout againt
Michael Chieasa at UFC 226 in July 2018]. Thompson will be the much bigger fighter. I don't
see this going well for Pettis. Pettis' skill set aside, sometimes a size and strength advantage
just cannot be overcome, especially against someone as skilled as Thompson. I'd definitely
take Thompson to win via TKO.


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A lightweight bout between 3-time Renaissance MMA Lightweight Champion and former Ring Of Combat Lightweight
Champion Edson Barboza [20-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC] and 6-time WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje [19-2 MMA,
2-2 UFC] is being targeted for some time in March [either Nashville's UFC On ESPN+ 6 or Philadelphia's UFC On ESPN 2].

Both fighters are on a 1-fight win streak. This is a tought one to call, but no doubt that it would be a great fight!


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3-time Invicta Flyweight Champion and current UFC Flyweight Jennifer Maia [15-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC] was issued a 6-month
suspension by the USADA for testing positive for drugs used to mask PEDs. It was supposedly caused by a tainted supplement.


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Former Ring Of Fire Women's Bantamweight & Flyweight Champion, former Fight To
Win Women's Bantamweight & Flyweight Champion and former UFC Women's
Bantamweight Championship challenger Cat Zingano [10-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC] has
appealed her recent TKO loss to former Roshambo MMA Featherweight Champion
and former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Megan Anderson [9-3 MMA, 1-1
UFC] that occured at UFC 232 last month.

Zingano caught a legal kick to the eye in the first round and was unable to continue,
resulting in a loss. She feels that it should be considered an eye gouge and have the
result be overturned to a No-Contest. It was definitely unfortunate and an accident.
The language of The Unified Rules Of Mixed Martial Arts isn't super clear on this one,
so she may have a leg to stand on, especially considering that it occurred less than
half way into the first round. It will be intersesting to see how this one plays out. It will
be up to the California State Athletic Commission. Here is a copy of her appeal:

https://usatmmajunkie.files.wordpres...eal-letter.pdf


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A heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes [10-2-0-1 MMA, 5-2-0-1 UFC] and Justin Willis [8-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC] is in
the works for UFC On ESPN+ 6 in Nashville on March 23rd.

Blaydes lost his last fight in horrible fashion [a 0:45 TKO courtesy of Francis Ngannou], while Willis is on an 8-fight win
streak. I'd take Willis in this one, boys.


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Asia's largest MMA organization, Singapore-based ONE Championship, has added Japanese MMA legend Genki Sudo
[16-4-1] to its commentary team. Sudo will be joining Michael Schiavello and former fighter Mitch Chilson [4-2-0-1 MMA,
2-2-0-1 OFC] as the voices of ONE Championship. Sudo last fought in December 2006 for K-1.


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