Sports

Jiu-Jitsu & Judo

Japan sweeps seven golds at Baku judo worlds; UAE wins first title

Georgia, Azerbaijan, Serbia and the UAE also produced breakthroughs, while two reigning champions sat out.

BAKU — Japan won seven of the 14 individual titles at the 2026 World Judo Championships in Baku and finished first in the medal table with seven golds, two silvers and three bronzes. The winners were Hifumi Abe, Ryuga Tanaka, Sanshiro Murao, Wakana Koga, Uta Abe, Akari Omori and Haruka Kaju. The IJF noted that Kaju has not conceded a score since joining the World Tour. Yelyzaveta Lytvynenko won the women's -78 kg final with two waza-ari inside three minutes, giving the UAE its first world title, according to Inside the Games. Georgia took two golds, through Tato Grigalashvili at -81 kg and Ilia Sulamanidze at -100 kg. Reigning champions Alice Bellandi (shoulder injury) and Matvey Kanikovskiy (an open doping case) were absent. The tour resumes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam on Oct. 29-31 and the Tokyo Grand Slam on Dec. 5-6.

Why it mattersWith Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028 under way, Baku shows Japan's depth and the UAE's rise as a judo power, and the absences show how doping cases and injuries are shaping the field.

IJF: Baku 2026 Intensity, Passion and a Global Contest primary · IJF: Baku World Senior Championships 2026 Individuals primary · Inside the Games: Baku 2026 New champions rise foreign · JudoInside: World Championships Baku results trade

Polaris 40 sets McNally-Tonon rematch for lightweight title Nov. 21

The ADCC 2022 upset gets a sequel in Southampton after Polaris 39 produced a new bantamweight champion.

SOUTHAMPTON, England — Polaris will stage its 40th card on Nov. 21 at Southampton Central Hall, headlined by Ireland's Sam McNally defending the lightweight title against Garry Tonon. At ADCC 2022, McNally beat the top-seeded Tonon 3-0 on points, and Tonon is seeking revenge. The card streams on FloGrappling, which became Polaris's broadcast partner this year. The promotion's last event, Polaris 39 on Oct. 3, saw Yuki Takahashi spoil Shay Montague's debut to win the bantamweight belt. Tommy Langaker also edged Eoghan O'Flanagan, which could set up a rematch with 205-pound champion Owen Livesey. Polaris announced on Oct. 16 that its PSG series returns to London in March.

Why it mattersThe rematch pairs two of the best-known no-gi names in a title fight, and the card is the promotion's next big test on the FloGrappling platform.

Polaris Professional Grappling primary

IBJJF hires USADA for No-Gi Worlds with no appeal to CAS

The federation's testing rules make first-instance arbitration decisions final.

IRVINE, Calif. — The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation has contracted the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to run anti-doping at the 2026 World IBJJF No-Gi Championship, according to the event's official page. The rules follow the USADA Protocol with changes. First-instance arbitral decisions are final and cannot be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or any other body. USADA only has to notify the athlete and the IBJJF of alleged violations and how cases are resolved. The rules cover each competitor, each member of the competitor's team and all athlete support personnel. The athlete correction deadline is Nov. 30, 2026. Athletes can edit team, age and weight divisions through their IBJJF database account until then. After that date, changes go through the professor correction period.

Why it mattersThe absence of any appeal route to CAS departs from standard Olympic-style anti-doping practice, and it sets the terms for how doping cases are decided at the sport's biggest no-gi event.

IBJJF: World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2026 primary

MMA

White holds to Middle East UFC slate despite Houthi strikes on Riyadh

No backup plan for UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, and Saudi and Qatar dates are also said to be going ahead

ABU DHABI — UFC president Dana White says the promotion will keep its Middle East schedule after missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including the capital's King Khalid International Airport. Asked about contingency plans for UFC 333 at Etihad Arena on Saturday, he said the company is going. At the UFC Edmonton press conference he said he flies to Abu Dhabi today and has roughly six events in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi over the next 30 days. Reports cite a Houthi attack on the Riyadh airport on October 10 that killed 12 people. That figure comes from DW News as relayed by other outlets. The Russian outlet Vestnik MMA reported that the December 5 Riyadh card, rumored to feature Adesanya vs. Magomedov, could move to Qatar. White did not address that report, and the UFC has not confirmed it. The U.S. Embassy in the UAE has issued a security message to American nationals. Outlets give conflicting dates for the next Saudi show.

Why it mattersThe promotion is staking staff, fighters and a title-fight card on a region under active missile threat, and has not said how it would respond if conditions worsen.

Bloody Elbow: Dana White provides update on UFC Saudi trade · MMA Mania: Dana White admits no UFC 333 backup plan trade · Irish Star: Dana White issues update on UFC event in Abu Dhabi foreign

Jasudavicius outgrinds Blanchfield in Edmonton, eyes flyweight title shot

Canadian's unanimous decision upends a ranked contender and reshapes the women's flyweight queue

EDMONTON — Canada's Jasmine Jasudavicius beat Erin Blanchfield by unanimous decision in the UFC Edmonton co-main event, with all three judges scoring it 29-28. Blanchfield had been regarded as a title contender at women's flyweight. Their bout had been moved from UFC 330 to Edmonton after an injury to Blanchfield. Jasudavicius took the win after Canadian fighters lost their first five bouts of the night, then called for a rematch with new champion Natalia Silva. The UFC has not said whether it will grant that request. Jasudavicius and welterweight Mike Malott, who knocked out Joaquin Buckley in the main event, are both part of the so-called Maple Leaf Militia. CBS Sports described the card as a showcase for Canadian fighters late in the night.

Why it mattersA win over a top contender gives a division with a new champion another credible challenger, and Blanchfield's title path now has to be rebuilt.

CBS Sports: UFC Fight Night results, Malott vs. Buckley · ESPN MMA Fightcenter · Essentially Sports: Injury forces Canadian fighter out of UFC Edmonton trade

PFL's regulator suspends Vieira six months after positive steroid test

Sanction follows weight miss that turned Cyborg's final PFL bout into a non-title fight

TAMPA — Ketlen Vieira has been suspended for six months after testing positive for a steroidal substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list. The sample came from her August 22 loss to Cris Cyborg at PFL Tampa. Mike Mazzulli, director of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, confirmed to Sherdog that the A and B samples matched. He did not name the substance. The suspension is retroactive to the fight date, which points to a return in late March 2027. Vieira had missed weight by more than seven pounds, so the planned title defense became a non-title bout. Vieira says she took medication for a knee injury during her time as a free agent after leaving the UFC. She says she stopped once the PFL signed her, and she denies any intent to break the rules. Cyborg praised the regulator's testing program. The Mohegan Tribe agency replaced USADA as the PFL's anti-doping partner in 2025.

Why it mattersThe case is an early public test of the PFL's post-USADA drug-testing arrangement, and it exposes how weight misses and medication timing can overlap.

Sherdog: Ketlen Vieira suspended 6 months after positive test trade · Bloody Elbow: Vieira explains six-month drug suspension trade · MMA Mania: Ketlen Vieira suspended trade